(semi-open)

[debtor]

Date & Time: January 15th, or whenever
Location: somewhere in the creepy castle/hotel/museum
Characters: Allen Walker, Howard Link, Rosette Christopher, Chrono, and anyone else in the castle who feels like dropping by at any point.
Summary: SOUL SHENANIGANS and whatever else your heart desires. Open to castle antics.
Warnings: ALLEN WALKER IS FINE

[Allen sure is super unconscious suddenly.

And gray. For some reason.]



[And you may have heard someone screaming "I'M FINE" repeatedly at themselves near the castle grounds a short while ago, strangely.]

Comments

[debtor]

[He slowly removes his hand, as he glances her up and down, frowning to himself.]

How did you get in here?

[The forest is gone now. Behind him is some sort of... chair - it looks terribly uncomfortable, not least of all because Allen chained to it, struggling to keep his head up. Right in the middle of a big-top tent, in the center ring, surrounded on all sides by empty seating. Both he and the other man (who's really just a boy, himself) are dressed exactly alike.

It's probably safe to assume this isn't a memory.]

Rosette!

[soul_sister]

[No, no. Not a memory at all. The true soul always feels different. More real. She turns to the other boy, and just quietly, plainly.]

The Magdalene Order have more direct routes.

[She takes a breath, willing to try, at least.]

Please, unchain him.

[debtor]

[Nea cocks his head at her. 'Magdalene Order'? This is news to him.

He smiles though, not at all comfortingly. As a challenge,]

Or-? What will you do?

[Allen's struggling in his seat, wide eyes locked on her. This is all his fault, he can't do anything, he can't fight like this...]

[soul_sister]

There are ways, weapons of holy infused energy, based out of the soul. Sealing spells, expulsion rituals.

[She grins up at Nea, almost sheepish. She reaches out towards Allen, a gesture, seemingly innocuous, that she'd repeated in Allen's memories... She's not far, but the chains...]

But the truth is, I don't know any of them. I just want to know why you can't work together.

[debtor]

[Bright, inhumanly gold eyes watch her every movement, narrowing. Sealing spells don't work, he'd almost welcome her to try an expulsion ritual. Ha.

But he doesn't have time to bother with this. Shadows in the ground begin to ripple.

His posture's nothing but relaxed,] We are. I'm taking what was given to me.

[Allen has no idea what this guy is talking about, he didn't give this bastard anything; just ignore it, he tells himself. He stops himself, from yelling at her to run again, to get out of here before something happens, why would she risk anything...


no, that's the easy way out, isn't it. And she's much too stubborn to listen.

His forehead's still throbbing.

If she's going to insist, then he has to fight back for her. He yanks harder, rattling the chain links, trying to reach. If he could only move—]

[soul_sister]

[Her jaw tightens as she scowls at Nea. She's familiar with that face, every demon, every spirit, every ghost she'd stared down at her who assumed a puny little human like her couldn't hurt them...]

Everyone falls now and then, don't mistake it for giving up! This is just theft.

[With the last move she bursts into action, throwing all of her willpower into a punch, aimed at his STUPID, SMUG FACE.]

[debtor]

[OW, WHY. Direct hit! Nea reels and stumbles backwards, clutching his face, glaring ice daggers. But he doesn't deign to reply this time.

The shadows in the dust of the circus floor mold themselves into hands, reaching up, grasping at her, cold and clawing.]

Rosette!

[SHE'S INSANE. Allen pulls and pulls. They're digging into his skin, but he doesn't stop, he can feel them loosening now, due to her efforts or his or both, he doesn't know. He turns his head, biting down hard on the chain beside it he will gnaw his way out if he must - as he finally slips one arm free.]

[soul_sister]

[She makes a dash for the chair as soon as her fist makes a satisfying nose collision. She can feel fingers and wrists graze her legs moment before one catches her, dropping her to the floor heavily.

She pushes up on one arm and reaches the other for Allen, wherever the hands plan on pulling her, she wont be going so easily.]

Just a little more!

1/2

[debtor]

[They grasp for her ankles, legs, elbows, anything they can grab, trying to drag her away, trying to tear at her. Nea watches silently, expression hard and dark.]

[But Allen's reaching, too. With one arm outstretch towards her, and the other grasping the chain around his neck, trying to wrench it away. It's hard to breathe. His vision's blurring. But he's not going to give in.

They're almost there. Almost...]

I won't let him-

[debtor]

TAKE ANYTHING!

[Something gives, and his fingers meet hers.

He holds on, and pulls up.]

[soul_sister]

GOT IT!

[When his hand wraps around hers, a shock runs electric through him. Determination flows over his senses... not replacing his, so much as reinforcing it, slipping in around the cracks.

Rosette pulls free, shoving, kicking, and even biting at one of the hands, until her free hand finds solid ground, between that shared strength and Allen's grip, she scrambles to her knees and then feet, still holding fast to his hand.

The change in her is less dramatic, the glow around her is there, but she's far less frayed, tattered at the edges, the tears ripped by the fingers remain, though.

She's not watching Nea... She's pulling on the chains as well, the links weakened and buckled from Allen's efforts already..]

There's not much time left!

[debtor]

We'll make it!

[She'll make it. Allen's not wasting a second, as he works with her to pull off the remaining restraints. He's not sure what just happened, but he feels - steadier. More self-sure, bolstered by another healthy dose of resolve. She's given him something, and he shan't squander it. The chains are coming undone quicker. His other arm, then his chest, one leg and then another. He knows there's no time to spare.]

[Nea's not pleased, to say the least. The hands writhe and multiply, working their way up the side of the chair now. But the truth is that he hasn't established a secure foothold yet. There's a reason he needs to erase his host, before anything else.

Right now, he's nothing but an angry old soul; not even a body to his name.

He's been asleep too long, he thinks.

He rushes forward, but Allen meets him with his fist, surging out of his chair, chains clattering and falling to the floor. He pulls her with him.]

[soul_sister]

[She rushes with him, chain still held tightly in her fist. Like with Rhode, any weapon was better that no weapon... and where Allen struck, Rosette followed through with the rush of her chainwrapped fist.]

[debtor]

[This is why he hates Exorcists.

Allen swings again with his left hand. Nea stumbles, falters with a growl of frustration. He holds out his own hand towards the both of them, trying to force them back with a pulse of some dark energy; a disgusting, stomach-churning sensation permeates the air. Or whatever passes for air here.

But the Noah's already begun to sink away, receding into his own shadow, with its hollow eyes and glowing rictus, beyond the center ring.]

[soul_sister]

[The dark force gives her trouble, pushing back almost as hard as she struggled forward. She squared her shoulders and dug her feet in as much as she could, bulldozing through the wretched, skin crawling sensation...

But the sight of him falling back... it gave her another surge of energy. She squeezed Allen's hand, and shouted:]

We need to pin him down!

[If the memories were true.. there might be a way to force Nea out, but it wont be this time, and it might not be THIS WAY. But there WAS something they could do.]

[debtor]

[What if he just plows through and HEADBUTTS IT, left hand latching onto the shadow's arm as it falls back.]

[soul_sister]

[It gets a wild grin from Rosette. THAT'S the kind of fighting she's talking about.

She is, if nothing else, used to working in tandem with a partner. She pushes forward in his wake, giving him just enough to swing his body weight, and just far enough back to keep from tangling. The moment he has a grip on the shadow's arm, she ducks low, lashing out in a low sweep at the back of the shadow's knees.]

[debtor]

[With that, the Fourteenth hits the ground, and Allen goes down with him, pinning the other's arm and holding them both down. The face stares back up at him, always grinning.

Imagined sweat drips off Allen's brow. He feels like a live wire, like he can feel every nerve ending sparking. Like he could tear down a building right now. Chest heaving, he cracks a smile,] Got 'im.

[soul_sister]

[She kneels beside them, and drops the chain that had been binding Allen over the 14th's chest. She arranges it around him, so that she'll be able to pull it tight quickly.]

On three.

1/2

[debtor]

[Deep breath.] One-


[The ground rumbles under them, and Allen's grip tightens.] Two-

[debtor]

[And releases his arms to pull the Noah up, exposing his back.] Three!

1/2

[soul_sister]

[On three, she slams her foot down and stands up, pulling both sides of the chain with all of her power.

For that split second that Allen lets go and Rosette moves, the tent warps with a last attempt at them, the whole big top suddenly seems to reach inward, shadows forming hundreds and hundreds of hands, reaching in towards them in a blurring, howling rush...

The chains rattle and sing as they are snapped tight around the Noah- and everything freezes-]

[soul_sister]

[As she hands the ends of the chains to Allen, the outside traces of Noah start to evaporate, like smoke.]

Excuse my language... but holy crap.

...


You.... probably want to find something REALLY good to tie that down.

1/2

[debtor]

[His gaze lingers on the ceiling for a second longer, before snapping to her. He's not letting go of those chains. He is not letting this thing escape.

Something... There is the chair. It's certainly not Allen's seat. Perhaps the Fourteenth would like to have it back.]

[debtor]

[But what he cannot do is ask any more of her.] I can take care of it.

Rosette, I think they're probably wondering what's taking you so long.

{You need to go.]