Night 44: Main Hall, 2-West

[should-be-dead.livejournal.com]

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After reaching the top of the stairs, Tenzen slipped into the next hallway. This time, the hallway consisted out of a normal floor, ceiling and walls, as opposed to the pulsing flesh from last night.

Sliding his hand along the wall, the ninja kept his flashlight switched off as he headed East.

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[deathrattling.livejournal.com]

Flame burst through the hall and caught on the hair descending from the ceiling, blazing up -- but without the distinctive scent that usually indicated burning hair. There was nothing but a clean burning smell, as if nothing more than wood were burning, even as the flames licked downward towards her shoulders, towards the uncomprehending stare on her face.

In this light there was something almost accusing in the expression, a furious hatred at anyone who entered her space and did not intimately know her pain, understand it to their very terrified marrow. It didn't seem as she felt the burn or was even deterred by it, even as ashes fell from the ceiling.

Still, her outstretched hand paused in front of the creature that had burned her before passing directly through it. The fire was dancing about her head now, lighting up her eyes in a way that almost approximated life. Still she continued, gaze fixed on Junpei in determined intent. Beneath the crackling of fire was the rattle of a long, extended dying breath, sounding without end.

With pale fingers, she reached out and touched his face -- almost a caress, a promise of vengeance -- and then vanished completely, as if she had never been there to begin with. Ashes fluttered to the ground, and the hall was silent.

[whos-da-man.livejournal.com]

Oh, Junpei understood pain - deep unrelenting, unyielding pain - that could shatter a person's psyche if they were not strong enough. It may not be the same thing, but perhaps it was close enough. Sometimes, Junpei wondered how he had even been strong enough to stay intact after his first intimate contact with death and the aftermath of that horrible November night.

So, it was with a steady gaze and heart that he stood his ground before the burning creature. Trismegistus had already started to fade when she extended her hand through the Persona, neither affected by the phasing, and Junpei held the evoker at the ready as ash fell about him and that hand came closer.

The touch on his cheek was cold, clammy and hella creepy as Junpei caught the intent behind it. Tower Arcana, he reminded himself as he suppressed the urge to shrink away from that touch. Before the phantom contact lasted long enough for his instincts to overtake his courage, the fire finished consuming the creature, so it seemed, as it vanished and ash settled on the ground.

That was when Junpei decided shuddering over the Shadow-ish thing's touch was okay. "Gggyuhh," he said as the shudder went down his back and he secured the evoker in the front waistband of his jeans. He took his hat off and brushed the ash off it before returning it to his head, only backwards this time.

Junpei turned away from the pile of ash, he decided someone else could sweep up (he didn't want any more little Tower Arcana bits clinging to him than he already did). Walking down the hallway in a somewhat hurried pace, he held his free hand out at a level where Evangeline could grasp it if she wanted help up in his passage to the center hall.

"Come on, babe. We are so not sticking around to see if that unholy drain clog is really gone or not," he said to the girl as his courage still held. He wasn't sure how much longer it would.

[bullygeneraleva.livejournal.com]

Evangeline, in what was probably a lucky turn for Junpei, managed to get to her feet on her own, though she looked a little wobbly. Needing his help after he'd already gone and done something that an unintelligent observer might construe as having saved her would no doubt have turned her massive ego against him.

"Hah," she half-laughed half-gasped. "Not bad."

Conspicuously, she didn't actually start walking just yet. Starting up her legs before she was sure they'd work didn't seem like a good idea.

[whos-da-man.livejournal.com]

Fine. Be that way, Junpei thought when Evangeline passed up his help. He was tempted to just leave her there and keep going now that he remembered she was some kind of demon and not a damsel in distress (despite her totally having been one for, like, a moment).

Stopping at Evangeline's shoulder, he gave a crooked smile. "Thanks. I'm not all talk," he replied while he waited for the demon-chick to decide she was ready to go. Hopefully, it would be soon because if that thing came back, Junpei was so going to throw Evangeline over his shoulder and book it.

[bullygeneraleva.livejournal.com]

"And incoherent screaming," Evangeline added helpfully. Technically she hadn't disagreed with him. Technically. After a few seconds of awkward stillness Evangeline took an experimental step forward, wobbled some more, and got on her way.

"So what's the artifact do?" she asked of the Evoker as they made their way down the hall. A little late to cover, but she'd take what she could get.

[[Heading down the hall into Main Hall, 2-Center. (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/730364.html)]]