(GS3) Home Field: Espoir Mansion

[Crystalia]

Well this wasn't looking good. Both the Espoir siblings looked like their souls had been crushed, they were wallowing in despair. She desperately tried to take their mind off of things, divert their attention, anything to lessen the pain. Nothing was working however.

She glanced at Haruka, who was also trying to help them. Miyuki silently questioned him if he had any idea what to do, but his attempts seemed to also be failing. Despite both their efforts, nothing seemed to be getting through. In the end, all she could do was hold Hana, and whisper semi-comforting words to her.

'Is there anything more that I can do?' she thought. Her thoughts turned to Mr. Espoir, however she got the feeling this was something he couldn't interfere in. Giving Haruka another look as if to say 'we have to do this', she continued trying various means to coax the siblings back into a semi normal state. Even if it felt like there was nothing that could be done right now, she had to try.

[Hope]

She held her sister tightly, feeling a deep loneliness in her heart that had been building up for two months being released in the form of the actions in which she did now. Hana doesn't want to cry, not right now. What she wants to do is comfort her sister, and be optimistic in the face of this challenge, but for some reason, her mind and body reject her commands. Eventually she got herself to speak.

"S-s...orr... y  Y-u...ki... nee." She said, struggling, but then also there was someone else that she had to apologize to and be strong for.
"M-Mii-hime... I was...selfish." Pausing for a moment, Hana recollected her thoughts. "It.. was ... y...our cl...an too.... and I ...."

[Jello]

Haruka responds to Miyuki with a nod, responding to the glance. But no matter what he tried, the sobs wouldn't end and neither of them would move.

Until Hana found herself a voice. A weak one, mixed with cries and wails, but it came out. She apologized to Miyuki, about Bermuda Triangle disappearing. Haruka was speechless at the thought. He completely forgot that was Miyuki's clan too, and now it was suddenly stripped from the both of them.

He was out of options. He was exhausted. His steam was past empty and he was running on fumes. But he couldn't give up on these people now. Not after so much. Despite how easily he could shut his eyes and pass out, he ended up staying awake a second night in a row to keep these girls from falling any further.

With occasional checks with Miyuki, the two had to keep fighting. Miyuki was already sending signals Harukas way. He saw her determination to stay with Hana and fight through all of it with her. It was inspiring at least. He smiled a little at it.

So this is that feeling we talked about on the bench. The one of never wanting to see these people hurt.

[Kisaragi Zane]

Jellal's first time in the Espoir mansion, albeit, he'd of preferred to have entered under better circumstances. Seeing everyone in such a sad state made him feel down. He remained silent as he wasn't exactly good at cheering people up, not like how he used to be. But it was to be expected, he couldn't understand what it felt like to be separated from your clan.

Then again, he had already lost things before, the pain it causes, the despair that ached into the mind, body, and soul. He knew it all too well, for it was then he knew that he could relate to them and better understood how they felt: the feeling failure and being powerless to stop it from happening. Those feelings is what made him feel he needed to accept his weakness and get stronger by any means to face those demons. Those feelings that led him to the Shadow Paladin, which are now gone from him. Even though he disliked Phantom Blaster Dragon, he still felt a bit upset that his former avatar: Blaster Dark, was taken away from him. That and, the deck that he was using, belonging to a friend, was no longer in existence to return to. He soaked it all in, their emotions, and his own emotions and experiences. He took out his deck and looked at Blue Storm Dragon Maelstrom.

"I have what I've been looking for." he said to himself in his mind. "But..." he turned to face the sisters who were broken and devastated. "They recently lost what they've had their entire life..." He shut his eyes and walked approached the group. There was only one thing he could do or say to them to see what they plan to do.

"You're not giving up are you?" He asked in a calm voice looming over Yukino. "What about you?" He looked over to Hana. "And you?" He turned his body to face to Haruka.

[Beryl]

Satoshi lay on the floor, still struggling with his mind. How could it be that the being's form caused him so much pain to look at? Groaning a bit, he passed out, his body beginning to strain as though he were about to have a seizure. Never before had anything this intense befell his body. Not even the heavy lifting on the farm.

His mind took him to a dark abyss, where the form of the being once again showed itself. But this time, instead of pain, he felt nothing. Only familiarity. Calmness, even.

A voice rang through his mind:

"Strange, isn't it? You want to seal away the pain that you've felt. The suffering. The disappointment. The misery. The despair. You want to lock it away as your memories were, make it so that you're protecting everyone. That's how you convinced that TOMO-ZO, after all."

"I..."

"Yet even when you try, you cannot escape the feelings of loss. You cannot deny how detached you are. Why would your own guardian lie to you about your memories? What purpose does it serve to keep you in the dark? Stupid, stupid, stupid." The voice accentuated the last words, making them ring throughout Satoshi's heart and soul as well as his head. "Locking away how you really feel for hope...foolish."

The voice laughed. "You should realize that the real answer is that those who hope should be locked away. Life is a cycle of continual despair. Even hope for the future has an unlucky outcome. In time...you'll understand this and want to lock it all away, too. Knowing there is only despair is what is truly liberating, after all."

Satoshi suddenly shot awake, coughing up blood. The pain was gone instantly, but the experience he had...it was all he could think about. He wanted to speak, but he feared no one would understand or believe him, so he closed his mouth instead, breathing slowly.

[Crystalia]

Miyuki froze for a second when she heard Hana's words. Of course she had come to realise that BT was her clan as well, she had pieced the bits together, but it still hurt. However, she also knew that this could not compare to how Hana was feeling.

'H-hah, don't be silly Hana, it's fine. There is no need at all for you to apologise, and you aren't being selfish.' She tried to put her feelings into words, but wasn't fully successful. However, unable to leave it at that, she gave Hana a hug as well. A slightly awkward one, seeing as Yukino was holding her as well, but it was the least she could do.

'Just calm down for now, and relax'. She could hear Jello or whatever speak some words behind her, but she didn't really pay attention. Mentally, she thanked Haruka as well, he had inspired her as well, with his efforts.

[Cherry]

Was she giving up? Did Yukino even have a choice in the matter?

Not answering anybody, Yugure simply rose to her feet, helping Hana stand. Having the little sister lean on her, she took her inside. The others were motions to come inside and spend the night if they wanted. How the queen yearned to say that Hana had nothing to apologize for, but words failed to escape beyond her lips. Just another failure to chalk up on the life of the Chosen Sword. It was her job to help Hana find some peace, at least. She wanted to start with getting Hana to sleep... So they traveled to her bedroom. Squeezing Hana's shoulders, holding the princess closer after every few steps. This walking was almost to the point of stepping on each other's shoes, but a reasonable amount of distance was kept.

The queen cut off her emotions, focusing on carrying the princess back to happiness of possible. Or simply finding enough calm to rest through the remainder of the night. All that was important was fixing Hana...

[Jello]

They were gone. While motioned to come in, Haruka had something just posed to him.

He stood up, groggily. His legs were wobbling beneath him, and his eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep. He looked at Jellal with every ounce of whatever was left in his conscious.

"Give up? That's a joke, right?" His grin was unbearably honest, something you see from delirious people or psychos. Haruka might be both in the end. But right now, he knew what he was saying. He was never going to give up on anybody. He had devoted himself to this from the moment he fought for Yukino when she went to Shadow Paladins.

He looked at Jellal, breathed in and out. Then spoke. "I'm. Never. Ever. Giving. Up." He swallowed the remainder of his energy, walked through the front door, and passed out in the hallway.

Before falling totally unconscious, he mentally noted he needed to talk to Miyuki and Jellal again, and devise a course of action while the Espoirs recovered.

Jellal +5 AP

Miyuki +5 AP

[Beryl]

Satoshi pushed himself up, wiping up the blood with a bit of his shirt. Everyone else had essentially left for the night, distraught over events. But unlike previous nights, he was wide awake. No amount of wine, food, good times, or anything of the sort would get him to bed right now. He was completely focused on what he experienced during his blackout.

<Locking away hope...> The notion was jarring. The voice had said that his confidence was falsified by sealing his pain and loneliness, but the thing was that he wasn't alone. Logically, he had sealed the truth to feel bad about himself, and had unsealed it with kind words and reassurance, did he not? How was this lying to himself that things would be okay?

Well, then again, they weren't. Hana was a sobbing mess. Haruka had never looked more bitter and frustrated. Miyuki and Jellal were at losses for words. Ighanna had remained silent, uncharacteristic of her. And Yukino...she looked the most emotionally distant of all. The amount of pain this was causing her was unprecedented. And to go through it all like she did...Satoshi couldn't imagine what it was like.

Seph sat cross-legged next to him with crossed arms. "Well, now what? FUKI wouldn't share with us any more details, and you all look to be in bad shape. Perhaps it would be good to rest and mull over what you've learned..."

Satoshi shook his head. The experience he just had...and the documented memories that PSY Shop had shown them...the figure and the girl who played the figure---

Something clicked. He stood up. There was an answer. A very difficult answer to pursue, but a lead nonetheless.

"Neu Edelweiss." Satoshi lowered his brow for a moment, then nodded, agreeing with himself about the name he just said. He had to find Neu Edelweiss. While she was more than likely a danger to be in contact with, she was likely the only one with answers. Not just for the memories...but for the words he just heard. Something about them seemed...dictated. Not by a being of Cray, but a real, human being.

He whipped out his phone and rapidly typed a text to Yukino, though it was quite long:

Miss Yuki,
I'm very sorry for everything that was discovered and learned about tonight. I know the hardships you are going through, and trust me when I say that I want to be there for you as much as I can, as well as for your sister, Hana. I was planning on staying the night, if that would not be any trouble.

Yet...something has happened. I've been having violent headaches, ones I can't possibly begin to describe, and it all has to do with that night. Something feels wrong, so very wrong that I need answers. And while I want to be here for you all, I can't just sit around and expect answers to fall into my lap. I think I have a lead, and I'm going to pursue it right now. I can't just sleep on this, I need to act now.

Please, keep in touch with me. I need to be sure that you all stay well. This has been driving all of us up a wall, and I need to do my part to help you all succeed. Share my number with Haruka, Hana and Jellal as well.

While I believe I can get the answers I'm looking for...I may need more help than expected. As I said, please, message me when you wake up.

Thank you,

Satoshi Kurosaki

He bowed shortly to Jellal and Miyuki. "I'm going now." He fastwalked out, bowing to various servants and stepping over Haruka's sleeping body in the hallway as he made his way out.

Seph sighed and followed, uncertain what his champion was really up to.

[Azuki Frappé]

Ighanna, uncertain of what to do, apologized to the group and cheered them up by ensuring they'll be fine.

"If you need my help, me and Metatron are always free to do so" said Ighanna as she gave everyone her number. She then called her her chauffeur to pick her up at the Espoir mansion and she supported Yukino and Hana who were probably feeling down the most. As soon as her driver arrives, she thanks her friends with courtesy and left off with a dry smile.

[NeoBuster]

After hearing everything that Neu had to say about the missing clans, Neo decided to walk over to Hana's mansion. He wanted to ask Yukino about the entire situation and wanted to know who this Jellal person was. Neo knew he had an important role to play in this entire thing and Neo was determined to found out what. As Neo walked closer and closer to the mansion, he started having flashbacks to the last time he was at the mansion.

"The last time I was here, things didnt go all that well" Neo said to himself almost at the front gate.

Last time Neo was just throwing questions left and right and not even thinking or caring about how everyone else felt. He knew back then he hurt Hana's feelings when asking about the missing clans. He knew that one of the missing clans, was hers. Neo didnt want to just barge in again and have a repeat, but he felt that he was so close to finding an answer. So he reached the front gate and rang the doorbell as the sun started to rise.

"I hope someone is awake to answer the door" Neo said to himself

It wouldnt surprise me if someone was awake considering everything

[Hope]

A worker opened the gate and bowed,

"Sorry, but everyone is still either asleep or currently occupied, we are not accepting visitors at this moment."

Dad Espoir upon seeing the state of his daughters along with their friends made this decision. They needed time for themselves and time amongst themselves. He worried for all of them and wanted to help however he can, but this kind of thing was not his strong point. Mom Espoir would usually be the best here as she is usually able to cheer up the daughters in an instant, but she is unfortunately on an important business trip abroad.

The worker closed the game.

[NeoBuster]

"Thats fine" Neo said

" I hope they feel better soon" Neo said

Neo then started walking, not sure where to go at this point.

[Jello]

"...Hrm...Eh.." Haruka found himself lying on something soft. He felt around with his hand. Silk. Rolling over, he finds himself staring at a white ceiling and an ornate ceiling fan, decorated and gilded.

Right, Espoir House. He reached out to the dresser and turned on the tiny lamp. He sat up, rubbed the sleep off of his eyes and simply sat in silence.

What are you going to do, Seraphim? Save everybody?

Haruka's face warped into one of frustration. This darker undertone of a voice had been following Haruka for the past bit. Ever since the return of the damned name, he hasn't been able to escape it. However another voice accompanied it, in response.

"Damn right, he will. This man is a Knight! In fact, he's My Vanguard."

Vortimer?

"V-Vortimer?" Haruka said shakily. Vortimer materialized on the bed, in front of Haruka. He took off his helmet, revealing his long green hair.

"That's right. You're My Vanguard now, Haruka. We haven't bonded as much as you and the Overlord. Not even close... But... I trust you. We, the knights, formerly of the Shadow Paladins and Royal Paladins, have our complete trust in you to fix this." With those parting words, Vortimer gives a slight grin, one Haruka had never seen before. He then places his helmet back on, and disappears.

Hmmmm. I see. His strength will be known in due time then.

With that, both presences disappear altogether. Haruka stood up, using support of the wall. His body was still in nearly critical condition from the day before, plus the immense amount of fatigue he was suffering from. Haruka only slept for about five hours after all that happened.

He debated checking on the Espoirs, but knowing their mental fortitude and the state they were in, Haruka felt it best to stay out of it. At least, just for now. He limps downstairs onto the satin-covered sofas, and takes a seat. He stares at Vortimer a bit longer. All three generations, plus Spectral Duke Dragon.

"The Knights trust in me...?"

[Cherry]

The nightmare of nearly being swallowed by the Rift and watching the gravitational monstrosity take away Cray's heroes connected itself to Neu's domination over Yukino, Haruka, and Jellal. It was far worse than before. Queen Yugure found herself with little to no sleep because of the replaying horror, and decided she got enough rest to carry her through the day. Time passed to late in the afternoon anyway. She staggered about, quickly throwing herself together to get ready.

Those who stayed the night might still be here. This would be a good time to talk to them and think over a plan. Before that, Yugure quietly knocked on Hana's door. If she was asleep, all was well for the time being. If she wasn't, the queen needed to focus on soothing her.

Still, the queen rubbed her eyes. She was tired...