USER: #A5211F - Bogeyman (Forward dated to the 26th)

[swordfucker]

(color)

The bogeyman that was hiding in town has finally been defeated, but it was at the cost of three lives. Dave, John and Dextera. I couldn't save them. I'm sorry.

Okuyasu and Asuka are badly injured, but are currently being treated for it. [He is too? He's bleeding all over his laptop, but it's fine.]

Dextera's body changed into something else, but the other two are still remaining. I think they both have family here, or something close. You can contact me and I'll tell you where they are, so you can arrange a burial or whatever you think is best.

I take full responsibility for this. There's still going to be a defense force meeting at the beginning of next month, so we can talk about it then. I know there could still be people missing from the werewolf thing, too, so keep your eyes open for them, alive or otherwise. If you have questions, I'll try to answer them.

That's all.

[Of course, after this, he'll be in his room at his laptop, so people are free to come bother him. He's covered in blood, most notably a stab wound straight through his chest at the heart, and it looks like he's only partially been able to deal with that. He's not bleeding out as quickly? But his healing isn't working. He's only just barely come back to consciousness from Mahiru taking over.]

Comments

[girod]

[ Clark can sort of nod along to that because he knows how that is too. Not everyone involved in the supernatural got there by choice. Quite the contrary. ]

I'm familiar with a more mundane version in my own world. Or at least, a mundane version.

What qualities do you need for the paper?

[swordfucker]

[Guren tells him, but because Owari no Seraph tells me nothing, all I can go off of is real life fuda which can be made on various materials. The OnS ones are definitely paper, though, so most likely a Japanese paper like washi. He'd also need a calligraphy brush and ink, probably.]

[girod]

[ He listens, and while he doesn't take down any notes, it's clear he's taken in the details. ]

I'll see what I can do in the next day or so.

Ink shouldn't be too hard, the brush I should be able to make, and I'll see what I can do about the paper.

If it doesn't work, it doesn't work, but we should probably figure out something for you because this certainly won't be the last time we have to fight, I'm sure.

[swordfucker]

...Thanks. They're convenient to have, at least.

[He can use them in a handful of ways, and they're good in a pinch. Explosions, sound muffling, hiding entire apothecaries—]

I owe you one.

[girod]

You're leading the defense force, and you were injured in a fight while I was incapacitated by my own violent instincts.

[ He says all of this matter-of-factly and he ends it with a bit of a wry smile.]

I consider that debt paid.

[swordfucker]

[That gets Guren to raise his eyebrows, at least. He doesn't think it's enough, but he's curious—]

The whole wolf thing?

[girod]

[ A solid nod because yes.]

I was bit while defending the town. As I said, magic can circumvent some of my abilities. I spent most of the time meditating.

[swordfucker]

I should have done more to help with that, too. I fought the ones who started it all off, and I tried to keep people calm, but... it wasn't enough.

[girod]

You did everything that you could.

[ He looks up from his work to meet Guren's eyes. ]

There's even a chance that you might not have been able to fight them all off.

[ He tilts his head to one side, as if to reference the rest of Chroma, the rest of this world. ]

The point may not have been to test our mettle but to test our control. The 'werewolves' just kept coming. We may have been no more able to prevent that than what happened a few weeks back where we all ended up alone with our colors.

[swordfucker]

[Ah. His desire to self blame is met with that logic, and he can't keep it up all that much. So, it is a reassurance of some sort, even if that feels like cheating. It's true, and he knows that well. It probably wouldn't have stopped. He'd tell anyone else the same thing.

Guren watches Clark for a minute before glancing away.]

I guess you're right. Thanks.

[girod]

[ Clark just nods before finishing up what he was doing and drawing back. Once he has, he leans on his arms, his arms on his legs. ]

When was the last time you had water? Or food?

[swordfucker]

Well, a bunch of the kids brought me stuff...

[He hasn't really sat down and had a lot of it, though.] I just wanted to make sure this post got out there, first. It isn't right to leave it for anyone to find out by surprise, on their own.

[girod]

[ He doesn't argue that, because he has a point. But he does tip his head towards the door. ]

Let me bring you something. If you have anything in the house, I'll get it for you, or I can bring some from the main kitchen.

[swordfucker]

You're really gonna stick around and help me even more?

[Surely there are... others who need help more, he thinks, but this town is so small, it might not be true. He's just surprised, and not sure how to take it.]

... There's stuff in the kitchen downstairs. Anything's fine.

[girod]

I'm going to make sure you're all set before I go anywhere, yes.

[ He tilts his head towards the window with a pointed look at Guren.]

And I promise if I was needed elsewhere, I'd hear it. Now...

[ He'll just head downstairs, make something up from what's there, and head back up with a tray of something or other (tray being a board with cups and bowls on it) for Guren.
Something distinctly soup-like. It probably even tastes half decent.]

[swordfucker]

Thanks.

[Guren says it, but he feels more useless than ever when someone is so thoroughly helping him like this. It's dumb, he's aware, but he's tired, and he's thinking about the deaths he allowed to happen. The one that was right in front of him, of the person he cared about more than anyone.

His heart hurts more than any of these injuries, and he leans back and closes his eyes, sighing. Whenever Clark brings the soup up, he'll open his eyes again, but he doesn't really move to take it immediately. He'll have some, slowly...]

I owe you one.

[girod]

All right.

[ He won't point out that they settled this, what with Clark being useless during the wolf problem and his own beliefs about supporting one another. Of course he could be talking about the soup, but Clark would wave that off anyway. ]

Now, not to be rude but... would you like me to leave you alone to be frustrated about things?

[swordfucker]

[He'll just keep repeating it, otherwise. Werewolf stuff aside, Guren isn't going to stop beating himself up, and his memory is a little shoddy right now, anyway. Something in him keeps shifting.]

Haha... yeah.

[If he's being honest. He presses his palm to his face, the smile dropping immediately.] I can't cry for my fallen comrades if people are watching. I just need some time. I'll have the soup, I just need to work up an appetite.

[girod]

[ Clark nods and steps back a little. His voice is gentle enough. ]

That's what I figured.

I won't listen for a while. But if you need anything after that, just call for me. I'll make my way here.

[ Guren can eat the soup on his own. Clark won't press.

He also won't say much else before heading out. Guren needs his time and he's not going to make him hold back his tears any longer.]

[swordfucker]

[Thanks, Clark. He's tired of being tough, and it's lame to say out of nowhere, but Clark being able to hear is exactly why he brought it up in the first place. He's going to cry. He's not ashamed of that, since anyone should if they lose someone, but...

He doesn't want anyone to see it.

So he waits until he's gone and deals with it alone.]