Owari-Afterlife logs

More time had passed since Vanessa had learned that she was doomed to be stuck inside Percy's home, though the question if "why" still played in her head, she had come to accept her fate, with some reluctance, as she prepared a curry with ingredients Vondila had managed to get from the market she hummed a song to herself as she peeled potato's.

Vondila was watching Nessa make food. She was pretty like always even if the other still didn't see it. She was leaning on the counter with her head in her hands. This was honestly nice. She did wish they could get Nessa out of here but still it was a nice house and they had added some things to make it feel safer for them. They left Percy's room alone though only ever going in to see if that window would let Nessa out every once and a while.

"Could you stir the chicken for me"? Nessa asks, glancing over to her shoulder, months ago she couldn't take her eyes of off her hands as she did anything, but her motor skills were improving more and more each day.

"It shouldn't be too long Von" she smiled, watching her best friend lounging in the kitchen, Vanessa had fallen in love with cooking for people when her nanni  had begun to lose her own motor skills and having Von here made her imprisonment so much easier to live with.

Vondila hummed. "On it." She moved away from the counter and towards the stove. She started to mixing the meat. "It smells so good." She said with a blissful look. "Glad it won't take much long cause I'm close to just grabbing some and eating it from the pot." She joked.

Rolling her eyes, Nessa suppresses a snort at that; "I doubt salmonella can do anything to you now, but I'm not taking care of you if you get food poisoning" She teases, poking her tongue out.

Vondila made a look of defeat. "Fine... I'd rather not test out that can we get sick theory today anyways." She said with her tongue out.

Seth had exactly 3 seconds to register that his visor was back, before he was yanked out of the park and into the air. He lands in a tangle of cape and limbs on a linoleum floor, groaning.

He hadn't been transformed, a minute ago, what the fuck happened?

Only registering a bright flash of light, Vanessa drops the knife with a loud clatter as she scrambles over to Vondila, caging her against the wall protectively from whatever had just appeared.

Vondila dropped the spoon she was using at the bright light and turned around. Some kid was sitting there. "Wha?" She looked confused and glanced at Nessa before back at the kid. What the fuck was this shit?

Seth's head stopped spinning, and every iniquity he'd ever been able to ignore before was now staring him in the face. Before he can fully descend into a pity party, he registers the sound of movement and a voice next to him, so he tosses his cape back off of his head and scrambles back a bit. Seth stares wide-eyed at a tall... person with 6 arms and a hole through their stomach, and a girl who reminds him a little bit of the one NonMagi he'd hit with his mace for kicking him in the balls.

He regrets that, now, fuck.

Standing tense between Vondila and this...new guy, Vanessa glances around the room for anyone else; "Who're you"? She asks, uncertainly, where they a new kid to the Seaford group?

Vondila had thought about fan fair if she ever met a new dead magi but now that one wasn't here she was more confused then anything. "How did get in here?"

With both of them asking him questions, and one moving closer, Seth panics. Shuffling further back he manages to get onto his feet and bolts. He manages to slam a door behind himself after scrambling up the stairs, and leans against it.

He finally tries to dismiss his transformation, only to be unable to. Fuck.

Vanessa flinches in shock as the stranger bolts, more surprised by the sudden movement than scared as it takes her a moment to register what just happened; "recognize him?" She asked Von, not really expecting her to.

Vondila blinks watching the kid bolt. "No idea." She answers Nessa. "Why don't we finish food then try and bring him some?" She asked still confused by everything.

Seth sinks to the floor and presses his face into his hands, choosing to ignore the visor since he can't really get rid of it without risking being left completely blind. This is. Absolutely the worst day of his life, and he has let down literally everyone he's ever known. And yet, somehow, this isn't quite the hell he expected.

Unless forced social interaction is his own personal hell? Fuck, is that it? It'd make sense.

"Right..." Nessa murmurs, eyes still on the doorway the stranger left through; she guessed he was handling death just as well as she did, after all and follows Vondila back to the stove, putting the potato's into the mix and prepping the food, now measuring for an extra mouth. Her mind was awash with questions on who he was, and why he had found himself in the house.

Vondila helped Nessa were she could. If the kid just died then he probably wouldn't be hungry yet but food was nice. Why did he die in Percy's house? She mused. That would explain why he just showed up. Or was it the same force that trapped Nessa here.

Seth tried to do a few breathing exercises, trying to calm down a little. He had no idea if you could give yourself any sort of stress-related heart problems in death, but since he felt like he needed to breathe, maybe he did.

Vanessa finished plating up the curry, a frown on her face; "Do you think it'll be too spicy for him"? she asked, a little worried. She didn't want the guy to think they were poisoning him, and some people can be real weird about spice in their food...

Vondila shrugged. "I mean it wouldn't be hard to make a blander alternative if its a problem. A sandwich only takes a minute or so." She stated. "But also we have some raita left over." She went over to the fridge and pulled out the tupperware with the cucumber and yogurt sauce. "Want anything to drink?" She grabbed herself a beer.

Seth had managed to calm down, for a relative definition of calm. The next big hurdle, of course, would be figuring out what to do now.

...a nest would be nice. He could go looking for blankets. Eventually. When he's sure he won't be cornered by the two other... people in the house.

"I'll just take a juice" She hums, juggling the bowls between herself as she glances at the doorway, she presses her lips into a thin line; "Maybe you should talk to him? I...might be a bit much to take in, right now" She gestures to herself awkwardly before hastily adding; "I mean, I won't leave you alone with him, obviously! I mean-" She fumbles.

Vondila grabbed one of the bottles of juice and another can of beer and a bottle of water. She then looked at Nessa with a raised brow. "Nessa you're wonderful and friendly. So what if you have extra arms. Just means you give better hugs." She said with a smile and walked over to her. "Also can we talk to him together? If its just me talking then... I worry I'll feel like I have to step up and be leader and I don't want to do that again." She didn't do a good enough job anyways so she wasn't about to put back into that role.

For now, Seth finds a beanbag chair and drags it into a nice dark corner of the library, and drags a throw blanket off of a convenient window seat, wrapping the blanket around his shoulders.

He can't remember if he locked the library door, but they'll probably leave him alone, right? They were in the middle of something. He has time.

She smiles warmly at Vondila; "Thanks Von, but you know what I mean. I can't imagine a monster's what someone wants to see after they die" She points out, heading to the doorway regardless.

'Poor kid probably thought he wound up in hell' she thought to herself.

"But okay" She nods in agreement, she didn't want Vondila to feel that pressure again; "we'll both talk to him. As a team".

"Your not a monster." Vondila said the moment Nessa let that come out of her mouth but nodded in agreement about working as a team. "Okay lets do this." She smiled at Nessa before opening the door. "Hey... We brought you some curry." She started her eyes darting around the library to only see the bean bag in the corner with the kid wrapped up in the blanket.

Seth jolted up from where he'd been disassociating, and tries to press further back into the wall. He yelps and clutches at the blanket.

"Ah! Um. I'm good. Thank you. Please keep it."

Vanessa glances back at Von awkwardly, the boy in front of them reminding her of one time a squirrel had the unfortunate luck of winding up on a school playground surrounded by kids when she was 10--somehow paralyzed with fear but also violently shaking.

"It's good, if I do say so myself" She gestures, semi-kneeling to place his bowl on the floor near him while not invading his space.

"Unless your vegetarian, then I guess chicken kinda sucks" She adds with a frown.

Vondila set the water and beer down. "It won't hit yeah yet but even in death we still need food." She explained. "It took me three days to feel it and practically ate everything we had here."

Vondila nodded in agreement to Nessa's introduction of her. "Whats your name?" She asked wondering about this stranger. "And hows Seaford doin?"

"Seth." He stared at Vondila.

"You're not... Vondila Morson, are you?" He grimaced.

"Your community's doing... it's been better." He finished lamely, unsure he even wanted to get into it. He wasn't a spokesperson for the Roses for a reason, before, and now he's even worse of one. Percy's got to be laughing at him.

"Seth..." Vanessa repeated, trying to recall if she had ever heard about a "Seth" before....everything. She frowns at his last comment, what did he mean by that? What had Belladona done to the group?

Vondila perked up at the mention of her last name. That meant he knew Salem. "Yeah! I am. How's Salem?" The second comment worried her. "What's happening? Is it Belladona?"

Seth winced.

"I... um." He sat up and hugged himself under the blanket.

"Some time After Percy Richards took over, myself and my coworkers came to town, after our employer, Miss Rose, bought the beach with your Sanctuary on it. We make new Rose Centers, community centers where anyone who needs it, in every city we go to. Your community took great offense to us doing our jobs, and we had to defend ourselves from them. I'm the second to be killed directly by Percy Richards."

Nessa's face fell at that; "Took over? What did you do"? If he or whatever they wanted to call themselves had hurt Ana or the others...she almost felt grateful that Percy had offed him.

Vondila took a deep breath trying not to freak the kid out. "For one makes sense cause Seaford has always been protective of their own area. It was always an unspoken rule no breaking up the city into territories for magi. And if you took the sanctuary that means they were trying to fight off you." She took a deep breath and started to tug at her braid. "Is Salem, Fawn and Bridgette alive?" She wasn't sure how well Seaford could hold up without Salem.

"Last I heard, Salem and her adopted kid, the short one with dyed black hair, were alive yeah. I don't keep track of nonmagi unless it's my assignment, and mine was to kill Richards and the Time Stop kid, along with any medic." He rubs at his cheek lightly, pouting.

"Rose Corp isn't interested in territory; we take cities. Seaford was Miss Rose's newest choice, but it's been over a year and we've only killed like, two of them." He waved a hand a little, and then huddled into his blanket more.

"I don't make decisions, I just follow orders. It was Alexander's job to figure out how to handle Richards and Cox and the whole leader... team."

Vanessa's stomach lurched, two of them had died? Raising tonher full height, she asks: "Who were they?"

Vondila slumped a bit. Okay so Salem was alive and so was Percy and Belladona. That was good. "Can I ask why you do this?"

"Ophelia Hoshikuzu died to Alexander's knife. Thea Keng ascended." He glanced at Vondila.

"Me personally? I'm indebted to the Roses and I... was happy to do as they ordered. In general? Miss Rose serves the incubators, and so do we. We take cities to make it easier to streamline the process of wishes and ascension, and allow those too weak to be magi the chance to further our and the incubators' goals without being a burden. It's unfortunate I didn't get to ascend, I've failed in every way that matters. But I'm sure the others will be fine; they're more capable than I am. They can handle any setback."

So Ophelia... Vanessa's lip trembled thinking of the easily frightened girl. Poor thing...

She didn't recognize the name Thea and felt a stab of guilt over being relieved that it was a stranger who died the second time.

"Ascended? Is that what you call this"? She asks, gesturing to herself, if it was to help the incubators, she could only guess he meant falling to grief but the wording made her skin crawl in a way she couldn't place just yet.

Vondila didn't like that it was Ophelia that was dead. The girl had a lot of potential... hopefully they could talk in the afterlife again, she seemed nice. "Seth to be honest I don't give a fuck about your team succeeding, from the sounds of it they get to pick and choose who gets to live and that's fucked up. If people aren't strong enough that's more their own problem and not anyone else's." She rubbed her face. "Even the fuck wad that was at the top in Seaford before me knew that and he could see the fate of people. If this Ms. Rose person is helping the incubators she's kinda doing it in a fucked up way. Let alone the incubators don't really need help as from what they've said they've done this whole wish granting with human kids since the near dawn of civilization."

"If you turned into a witch, then yes, that's what I mean. I know other magi call it other things, but Roses refer to it as Ascension, the moment we give our energy to the incubators and help them continue the universe. And maybe they wouldn't need the help, but they sure hang around Miss Rose and report everything locals do to us pretty often if they don't like it." Seth countered. He curled up a bit more.

"There's no real question on if Rose Corp will succeed, our centers have never failed before. Seaford might have had the best organized locals we've ever encountered, but that's not going to save them."

Ascension...almost the opposite to how she saw the lowest point of her short life, Vanessa gritted her teeth, sneering down at him; "Sounds like our lot's given you trouble" she's proud at the thought of the others driving this Magi inc or whatever in circles.

"It sounds like a cult." Vondila said bluntly. "The incubators work with people that can benefit them. They did it with Belladona and they're doing it with this Rose person. The moment she's no longer of use they will dump her." She waved her hand dismissively. "Seaford won't loose. Especially with Percy as leader."

"Alexander killed his second, and while that Healer she made a deal for got out and isn't dead yet, it's only a matter of time." Seth turned away.

"Whatever."

"Wait, who made a deal with a healer?" Nessa asked, trying to keep track of who was doing what. Some Alex guy killed his second? Second what? Victim?

Vondila blinked. "Was Ophelia a healer?" She muttered. "Why didn't she mention it?" That felt weird.

Seth huffed.

"She second classed as a medic, but I meant her boyfriend-thing." He took a breath and took a moment to run the events back in his head before reciting them.

"Alexander killed Percy's second, Ophelia, after Ophelia went back on the deal she made to keep herself and her boyfriend-thing, Aeron Geraldson, alive. The terms were to do two things for Alexander, and not attack anyone. She immediately attacked Madeline Porter, a magi who'd made a wish in Seaford and joined Rose Corp only after being attacked. Aeron broke into the Sanctuary for some reason, and was thus captured when Alexander and Gia Fontana cornered him, and then was kept in holding until he broke or became useful. Thea Keng broke him out but was cornered and captured, and then broke around 4 months later, and ascended. This isn't that hard to follow, really." Seth huffs.

"Ophelia...betrayed everyone?" Vanessa repeats numbly, or rather, she had made a deal with the people who were actively trying to make witches if this guy was to be believed. She wasn't sure if she was happy or sad to hear she had died.

"I can't believe it" but she couldn't bring herself to deny it.

Vondila took a deep breath. "Okay if I ever see her I'm decking her." She stated flatly. "No weapons just my fist in her face. Okay so a cult is in Seaford trying to push magi to turn to witches, well also trying to get rid of the locals. Ophelia betrayed Percy clearly and Aeron. Aeron was kidnapped but now isn't. And someone else died. And you Seth are okay that you've helped kill people that was not in mercy or self defense?"

"Alexander made a deal with Ophelia because she made one with Cox before." Seth pointed out.

"Well, yeah, I wished for confidence, and assurance and shit. I couldn't doubt my choices, and not all of them were bad. I was good at my job, and doing what I needed to. I didn't care. I... I care now, but what's that going to do? What's the point? My reasons didn't change, I just can doubt myself again."

Vanessa's knee's almost gave out at that. Ophelia was helping Belladona?

"Whu-do you know what her deal with Belladona was?" She asks, swallowing thickly.

Vondila was shocked by the fact Ophelia had betrayed them. She finally opened her beer and took a long drink. "Well I'm officially a horrible judge of character." She stated flatly. "So your wish no longer works... Glad I left Salem with money then." She muttered the second part.

"Ophelia made a deal to save her skin with Cox, just her own. Alexander was surprised she cared enough about Aeron to add him to their deal." He huffed again.

"Yeah. She's still set for life, so long as nobody manages to kill her on Alexander's order next."

Vanessa quickly turned to Vondila; "Hey, Ophe-what happened s'not your fault, okay? I don't think anybody saw this coming" She reached out for her shoulder, trying to give it a reassuring squeeze.

"Thanks Nessa." Vondila smiled softly at the other. "And it's good to hear that my wish didn't stop at least."

Seth nodded.

"Can I... ask a question, now?"

Nessa doesn't turn to face him, not trusting herself to address him with the wash of emotions inside of her, but she nods.

"Shoot." Vondila verbally states with a worried look to Nessa.

"Where am I? I assume it's still in Seaford but I died in a park, near the beach." He rubbed his face lightly.

"Percy's House. I guess if you were killed by a magi you're stuck where they lived"? Nessa mused, more to herself than to explain the situation to her new cell mate. So Percy finished her off?

Vondila nodded with the first part. "The rest of Seaford is out there as well. Though I don't agree with that Nessa, I would be stuck in your condo then."

"Ah. She's not right, but she's not wrong. If he killed her witch the same way he killed me, that'd explain it." Seth leaned against the wall.

Vanessa was about to explain her theory, that since she's dead then Von wouldn't be stuck before the stranger kept talking, brow furrowing she finally looks at him; "What's that supposed to mean"?

Vondila blinked. "How did Percy kill you Seth?" She asked a little worried.

"He ate my soul gem." Seth glanced up at them.

"If he ate her grief seed, it'd be a good enough explanation for why we're stuck, right? I assume I'm stuck anyway. Did he eat yours, too?"

Vanessa blinks rapidly "Why would he do that?" She knew he hated her in the end, but trying to tie this to that, if someone said he had destroyed her she would've expected under his heel.

"I...I was busy being a witch to really notice what he was doing" She admits, rubbing her arms.

"That and you were more confused by anything what all happened." Vondila started, from asking Nessa it was like she really had no memory of her being a witch. "And that had to have happened after I died..."

Seth nodded.

"Yeah. Dunno why he'd eat you, if you didn't like, ruin his life or fuck him up or anything. I get why I deserved it."

"We're not like...gonna be expecting the rest of your cult, will we"? Vanessa asked, suddenly aware of this brand new hell that could be coming to them. Though she was a little insulted to be put on the same level of some terrorist organization that stole the sanctuary.

Vondila ran her hand through her loose hair. "We can't fit that many more people in here." She muttered.

Seth frowned.

"Is Robin in here?"

"Uh...you're the only other person here" She answers with , picking at her skirt.

Vondila nodded. "It was just us and I'm not trapped. I died well fighting Nessa's witch. Meaning to be trapped in this house Percy has to eat you. Sure he wished to eat anything but he shouldn't eat everything."

Seth blinked.

"Then probably not, I can't think of anyone that he'd particularly care about enough to want to eat them."

"Except you and me" Nessa states flatly.

Vondila pressed her lips. "It seems more like people that hurt him. Nessa you and him had a falling out and Seth well had a thing."

"...yeah." Seth was not getting into what he'd done. He'd like to finish his pity party before he has to talk about that. Or the thing with Salem's shoulder.

"I guess...yeah" She sighs, she wasn't sure how to think about all this. Percy had killed this guy, apparently, and if he was right then they would be trapped in this house until...forever, she supposed. What a fresh hell.

Vondila sighed. "If you need me to get you anything let me know. I can leave at least." She stated. "Also we have booze if you need to take the edge off."

"...maybe. We haven't been allowed to have any alcohol since the Masquerade. I'll have to think about it."

Crinkling her nose, Vanessa left the curry bowl on the ground for him before turning to leave the Library; "Can't believe I'm trapped here with some witch-worshiping weirdo" she mutters under her breath.

Vondila left the beer and water and followed after Nessa. Once out she took Nessa's hand. "Hey your not here alone with him at least. I'm here too."

Seth relaxed the moment they were out of the room, and let his head hit the wall behind him with a thunk.

Oh thank god, he can get back to his breakdown.

Outside of the room, Vanessa entwines her fingers with Vons, leaning down to rest her head on top of hers, she murmurs into her hair; "I knew he hated me, but I didn't expect him to just...destroy what was left of me like that" she admits.

Vondila wanted to say other wise but to be honest she didn't know. "I don't think he hated you hated you... I think just things were messy at the time and seeing how much seeing your witch hurt Ana and I might have just made him more upset."

"I never wanted to hurt anyone I-" She takes a breath, they've had this conversation so many times over these months but his guys reappearance opened those wounds again.

"I'm sorry Vondila, I just-I wanted to keep you all safe" She scrunches up her face, she shouldn't keep getting like this over what happened but how could she not? When one of her own victims was holding her hand?

Vondila pulled away a bit to cup Nessa's face. "You did your best. We were dealing with a mess of everything. I was the reason Belladona got so angry and tried to hurt everyone."

Pressing her forehead against her friends, Vanessa takes a deep breath as she holds Vondila's hand against her cheek; "You didn't do anything wrong Von and I-just let me be sorry for killing you, at least".

"Fine. But thats it." Vondila agreed. "I mean even then it was only part of you not even all of you."

She gives her a shaky smile before pressing a small chaste kiss to Vondila's forehead; "Thanks" she wanted to lead them back to the dining room, salvage what was left of dinner, but being close like this with Vondila helped settle her swirling emotions every time.

Vondila was glad her face didn't show off blushing to much cause she felt like her face was on fire. "For you always." She was able to get out as her brain restarted.