Lately It's So Quiet [Closed]

[seraaches]

Ira's ears twitched when he heard Bernard's voice hailing him and he turned back to glance at the King. His eyes-- oh, so briefly-- showed unease, but just as quickly his smile was back in place. "Se, Bernard wants to talk to you."

Se hissed abruptly, wings flaring out and Ira ducked with the smooth, graceful speed he'd developed through the years. "He's dead. Father killed him! I saw it."

"Just another ghost," Ira agreed cheerfully. "Sometimes the ghosts talk to you, remember?"

Se turned around because Ira had stopped behind him and his face twisted in something akin to fear and anguish. "He's dead, right? I killed him; I finally killed him."

Ira watched the Highlander approach out of his peripheral vision, lifting the macabre trophy from the previous Queen of Hearts. "He's dead, Se; look. I've got his arm right here. It's all right, he's dead."

Se shuddered beside him, seemingly unaware of Bernard's presence as he hugged himself suddenly with his own wings.

[Nathalia]

The flicker of unease on Ira's normally well-controlled face was not lost on the Highlander and he found himself taking a step back against his better judgment.

If Ira was concerned...

He clenched his jaw firmly to keep it from falling open at what Se said next, wheels started turning and odd things began to make hints of sense...Se thought, what?

He watched Ira reassure the madman and suddenly felt an incredible appreciation for the odd King...he might have looked like he'd crossed sides, but he was reigning him in. Oh hills...let me live through this...

"Your Majesty, Queen Se. My apologies for stalling you, we can walk as we talk." He watched the monstrous Human stagger slightly and gaze at his own brother with wide eyes, hoping that even if Se ignored him, Ira would dictate. "I must ask you about what you are going to do now with the Court of Hearts, if you wish to preside, there are quite a few things I feel I must bring to your attention."

He watched the man hug himself with his strange wings and felt a chill ripple his spine, this man should not be.

Hills...please let Heilyn get the kids out of this alive.

[seraaches]

Ira glanced at his brother but Se didn't appear to be paying any attention to Bernard's words. Not really a surprise, actually; Iggy and he had spent quite a few years encouraging Se's ability to do that; it had probably saved countless lives. Might be a bit of a problem now, but they'd overcome it, just as they always had.

"Things?" he asked for Se's sake. "Maybe we need to call Dre over; she's going to take care of most of the issues."

Se twitched and stared at Ira. "Dre? She had. . . She was a ghost. . . An Ace."

Ira smiled brightly at his younger brother. "That's right!" He was pleased that Se had actually managed to remember his daughter, even though no one was going to let Se know that Dre was related to him.

[Satra]

Her head snapped back to Bernard, fear evident on her face. She nodded. She knew as the Presiding King, she couldn't stop his business with the new Queen... With a trembling hand she brush some of the bangs out of his face and pulled him into a hug. Then... WHAT?!

"Bernard!" she whispered as he turned from her follow the new Queen. He couldn't! She was torn... Bernard... No, she had to get people out of there. Bernard... he was intelligent... he would find a way out... but she feared for anyone, especially a child, who may happen to come across his paths as he walked through the doors.

"Be careful..." she said while he was still in ear shot, then sprinted, avoiding the new Queen in a wide arc and headed for the wall where she knew her room was. Running up stairs would take too long, so the wall would do just fine. She was determined to get everyone she could out by nightfall.

She, however, would not leave Bernard alone. Once she got everyone out, she would come back for him.

"Seth!" she called to him as she reached the window, "Pack! Now! Essentials only! I have to find Sekhmet and her kids. And our Grandchildren and Xiven. None of them are safe here now. We have to get everyone out by nightfall!" she stumbled into the room and rummaged through her desk and pulled out a bag of gold and handed it to him while pulling him into a very rough kiss, "Take this and any other money you can find. Just get some where safe. I will keep you posted on everything that's happening. You four, listen to everything your Father says. You're in danger now. Real danger, you two," she scowled at Sasha and Andrei, "This isn't a game," she used her aura to drive the point home, staring them both directly in the eye. She looked back up at Seth then gave him a kiss. "I love you," she whispered then bolted out the door.

"Tinman!" she barked. The Tove followed her out the door without question.

Small Ability 7
Once a month she can walk directly up a wall, vertically (think Jareth in the Labyrinth) for five minutes without falling off. <3

Her Human form has expanded her small ability to make people feel uncomfortable around her. It still only effects Jacks and lower, but it now gives them the distinct impression that she is stronger than she seems. Other Jacks and Cards below her level will have to push themselves to fight her. Fives and below will now probably have to run form her in fear, unable to stand her presence.

[Kasatsu]

When the fight was over the mix seemed to come back to himself. Blinking slowly he took everything in that had happened, quickly summarizing the results. He gave Dre's hand a quick squeeze before rushing forward to help Elias with the late Queen's body. Standing guard while Elias checked the vitals he used his own bulk to make sure that people kept their distance.

Once Elias had declared Shinrai dead he lowered his head, playing to the part of a truly grieved son. When the Josiggy passed by him he used his ability again to talk to the man. "He is yours to handle from here." There was a moment of pause before he continued, "I am truly sorry it had to play out this way."

He waited only a few moments from the pair's departure before turning swiftly and marching after the direction that Se and Ira had headed, holding his hand out for Dre to join him.

[Nathalia]

Bernard was almost as startled by Se's blank look as he was by the sudden return of Ira's chipper mood, as though nothing out of place had occurred. It almost seemed as though Ira had been planning for this...maybe he had had to.

"Dre, yes...of course." He looked hesitantly at Ira, what was going on? Would Ira actually do them the favor of taking this beast away now that he had done what he'd burst in to do? "Of course, I'll set up a meeting with her soon. Your Majesty, might I ask where you'll be staying, we can set up an outpost for you in the Capitol, or even another Realm if that is more to your liking than the palace."

Hills, maybe if he was lucky, the madman wouldn't want to stay in the place where his father had lived and died. maybe they could shunt him somewhere else and have done with it.

"Otherwise I'll make certain a room is set up to your liking. Ira? Might I inquire as to what's going on?" The last part of the statement was muttered to the Josiggy, hoping Se would continue to disregard his voice for such a direct question. He hoped Heilyn wouldn't be having an issue, this was such a disaster! How many more Queens was he going to be forced to live beyond? How many more would he have to care about and watch die?

Queen was a violent rank, he would never wish it on anyone and wondered why some wanted the blasted thing. Hills...Rai... What are we going to do?

[Satra]

Heilyn raced to find Xiven. She had a higher chance of finding the woman she knew first... or Rhiannon. Rhi would get Xiven and her kids to safety. A Queen and King and Apocalypse... they would be fine... She was the most worried about Sekhmet, though. She had no idea if the woman would be able to concentrate of getting to safety with the news of her lover's death... or if she would even do something stupid like go after Perseus.

Rhiannon, where are you?! She calmed herself, thinking... of course! She saw Rhiannon on the site of the fight... she had to get back to her. She raced down the stairs, using her ability to ignore pain to ignore the pain in her chest and the stitch in her side from all that running... staircase after hallway after staircase...

She had to find an alternate exit to the garden. She did not want to chance running into that man face to face... but it had to be close by, too... and... and...

STOP

Heilyn skid to a stop, catching herself before she crashed into a wall. That was the loudest her weapon had ever spoken. The Wire didn't need to say any more though. People were counting on her and she was panicking. She collected her thoughts then continued on her way.

Basic Magical Ability:
She can ignore moderate amounts of pain for up to an hour.

[Edit: post was made in haste. Heilyn would have not gotten back down that far in that short span of time. Fixed to be more realistic]

[seraaches]

Dre took her spouse's hand and followed after him, pushing off her feeling of dread. She could do this. She tugged Drostan along behind her, but he seemed even less willing to come than usual.

Ira tilted his head slightly at Bernard's words and glanced at the new Queen of Hearts. Se was still staring at Ira and seemed to have simply not heard a word of what the 'ghost' just said.

"Where do you want to live, Se?" he tried asking cheerfully, though he didn't think Bernard would be happy with the answer he would get.

Se blinked and turned to stare at the King again, before turning to glance down the hall at the Cards coming towards them. "It's my mind," he pointed out. "He knows where I live." That seemed to decide the topic for him and he began to walk off yet again. Ira obediently followed suit.

[Tigeress]

Sekhmet was in her room, the shaking hadn't ceased. She was dimly aware that she had no choice, she hadn't been allowed to leave... just in case. But she hated just in case, had cried her eyes out at the idea of just in case. Shinrai had agreed it was for the best... again with that damn just in case. When he got there, she'd give him the verbal lashing of a lifetime for making her sit through this. What the hell was wrong with his son? This wasn't right, this shouldn't even be happening. But it was inevitable... someday someone was going to challenge the man, and she reminded herself that she'd promised to be strong and endure throughout.

He was strong, he was fierce, he hadn't gotten this far without knowing what he was doing, who he could be up against. But his son... she knew it would affect him, would possibly make him second guess his actions, was he cold enough to ignore their connection through the fight? God, she hoped so. Her arms were wrapped tight around her, Ayanami to one side looking for all the world like she was going to bolt. Sadiki had her in an awkward half-hug on the bed, occasionally petting her hair but saying nothing at all. How long had it been? It felt like hours.

She was entirely unaware of Heilyn coming for her, or anything that had happened. She just continued to wait, it was instructed that someone would come to her with the results, and these were the most grim moments she'd ever had to endure. Her mind was racing, she couldn't shut it off. His face, his words, his kindness, his love. No, there was nobody else in the world like him, and for a moment she smiled, closing her eyes just to remember the last time he'd kissed her. Her body warmed instantly, and she craved to touch him so badly that it almost ate her alive. Please, please let him have found the strength to do what needed to be done, Se was insane, he would be doing his son a favour.

She heard motion outside the door and lept to her feet so suddenly that she almost knocked Sadiki off the bed entirely, taking the teen by the shoulder to steady him as her heart lept into her throat.

[Kasatsu]

As Iggy made his way toward the group he gave a bow of his head to Ira to show that he had everything here under control. After all the 'mind' knew best. By the time he had reached near enough to the group to hear in on the actual conversation Se had already started walking off somewhere, Ira in tow.

Coming to a stop near King Bernard he gave a respectful bow. "A slightly odd turn of events there." He started, rubbing his head bashfully before turning more serious. "Ira has Se under control and will be doing damage control with the lad while we get things in order.

"I know that a lot has happened over just this little bit of time. There are a few things that Dre and I will need to inform you of that the general public will not be allowed to know. Do not worry though, Your Highness, we can explain everything. Is there somewhere that we might go to have a better chat?"

The things Iggy was about to inform the King were definitely things they did not want prying ears in on.