[network] @hexappeal, morning 367; A million point of light [open] [cw:blood, desecration, cursing]

[sleight_of_fate]

Okay, so Watson and a couple others asked for this. I recorded it on night 361, but it didn't happen quite the way I planned.

Ginger, I did finish the funeral. I'm pretty sure Andromeda's spirit is gone, if it makes you feel better...it went well except for the. Well. The stabbing part. You might not want to watch this...sorry, honey.

For anyone else who thinks they might get anything out of it, or just wants to see me get stabbed, this is the whole uncut video. The whole thing happened about the same as the high school. Same creepy feeling, same tool, wound in the same area.

And yeah. I didn't die, for what it's worth.



[Rhys's tablet flicks on to show his face, covered with now-healing scratches and a rainbow of purple-gray-yellow bruises on his good eye and cheek that are in the last stages of healing. His bad eye is covered with a makeshift cloth patch, and without his hat the crisscross of older stitched scars are visible around his brow, but he appears to be...cautiously okay, as he peers into the camera and then holds it up to pan it around the inside of the church. Red and black stained carpet, red and black stained glass, red and black drapings cover the place, except for the solemn, draped figure of Andromeda crucified to the wall. She's been thoughtfully covered with her own patterned sundress.]

Hey, folks. Hey, Ginger. Like I promised, I'm at the church, and I'm setting up to do a funeral for Andromeda. I can't get her down, so unfortunately it's going to have to be here, but I don't want to leave her here without saying a few words, so that's what I'm going to do.

[His voice is quiet, tired, and respectful, as he turns to Andromeda's still figure, and starts setting out his gear: filling a cup with water, lighting a candle and laying out chalk and charcoal along with folded paper flowers and origami stars.]

Sorry, sweetheart. We'll try and figure out something to get you out of this place, but for now this is the best we can do.

This is Night 361, by the way.. still a little before dusk, just after lockdown.

[He wants to be gone in the morning. Rhys starts drawing a pattern on the floor in front of the crucified figure's feet, a complex circle and swirls, before he sits back in front of the candle and scented water. He's clothed for this rite, as is appropriate. This is solemn and respectful, though he has taken off his coats and hat to reveal the heavy swirl of tribal thorn tattoos covering his arms. The camera is clear with only the occasional blip of static.]

Andromeda, we are here tonight, some in spirit and some in flesh, to help you on your way. To set you free from this dark place and let your soul be free to walk where it may, maybe among the stars you loved.

[He takes a tiny bottle full of thick brown liquid, and drops a small drip in the chalk circle.]

Let the darkness be gone from here and leave you at rest. May light shine on you.

[He takes a deep breath, steadying himself as though faltering. Pauses for just a moment. The static gets a little heavier, the sound whining in and out much like it did at the high school, but the recording stays stable for the moment.]

May there be green grass and soft earth beneath your feet. May the wind carry you on your way. May the fire guide you in the darkness. May the water cleanse the pain-

[The static is eating all the words now, warpng and ripping the screen. Rhys stops with a small, startled sound, and his hand drops to his side. The blood takes a minute to appear through his fingers, nearly black against his pale fingers and light gray t-shirt. Cut to him half-propped on the floor. When he speaks again, it's breathless and pained, hard with anger.]

May the water cleanse the pain and sorrow from you.

[The candle flickers and goes out, and Rhys crawls to his bag a few feet away, clearly set out for this reason. He hurriedly pulls off his already ruined shirt to press a fistful of rags against the heavily bleeding stab wound low in his side.]

May you be reborn, healed and radiant in the light of stars.

[That's all he's got in him. He lays his head down for a minute, muttering curses before he lifts his head again, looking for the light of the tablet.]

-fuckers.

I get-

-back-

-fucking Mason jar for each of you fuckers-

[With he ritual stopped the distortion fades, but it takes Rhys a few more minutes to get himself up and reach the tablet, though by the furious lashing of his tail he's still very much alive. When he reaches the communicator, he stares at it with a pale, shocked, furious, and utterly defeated face, then shuts it off, ending the video.

This was not what he had planned, at all, and he's bitterly disappointed with the outcome. Again.]

Comments

@LELRIC; audio

[armoured]

It was really kind of you to give her a funeral, you should be proud of what you did.

[Even if the end result had been incredibly disturbing to watch.]

Do you know what it was that stabbed you, that didn't want her to have a funeral?

Audio

[sleight_of_fate]

[Hey, Al. It's been a while. Sorry he freaked you out.]

Thanks. I didn't turn up anything, but at least I got to say a few words for her. I'm definitely happy about that. I'm hoping she can get some rest, now.

I think whatever's attacking us is the presence of the Cult here. Anything that assists their enemies, or is heresy or "sinful", gets punished in the places where they have a strong presence, that was sacred to them. So far, that's been the high school and the church and both places had the cult's signs all over the place.

[armoured]

I guess that makes sense, and I'm sorry you got hurt because of it.

[He can't help but wonder if there's a way to exorcise the presence of the Cult. They're dead, long gone, they shouldn't still be able to persecute people.]

I don't really believe in any kind of religion or afterlife, but I still think people should be allowed to say goodbye in a way that matters to them.

@clowncutie92; voice

[clowngirl]

You got the worst sorta knack for not stayin' in one piece.

voice

[sleight_of_fate]

"Am I not a holy man, with a hand no less holy?"

[Rhys. Rhys. No, that was *awful*.]

[clowngirl]

You're holier than St. Peter's sieve at this point.

@librarian; video

[cahooted]

Thank you for doing this, Rhys.

[However disappointing the outcome may be, it's still kind and... right and something that aligns with his values, something that he desparately he needs right now.

The disturbing imagery can't take away the gesture behind it and there's a softness to Flynn's voice when he answers.]

And, uh. I'm glad you didn't die.

@hexappeal, video

[sleight_of_fate]

[Rhys looks a little want, but the scratches are gone from his face and his missing eye is back to normal, leaving just the faintest discolor of old bruises on his face. He smiles when he sees Flynn.]

Hey, Flynn. Thanks. It didn't work out quite as I planned, but...I got to do something, at least. Hopefully she can get some rest. This will probably be the last one for a while.

[cahooted]

Does it ever in this city?

[A wan smile in return.] I still think it was the right thing to do. And important. Is anyone with you, can you get some rest from that?

@Enoch, voice

[warriorscribe]

Thank you.

[Enoch's voice is quiet and solemnly respectful, both for the dead and for Rhys seeing it through.]

I think she'd appreciate it.

@hexappeal, voice

[sleight_of_fate]

[Rhys smiles quietly, glad to hear from the other man, and rubs his brow wearily.]

I hope so. If she's there, I mean. But I'll be just as happy if she's already moved on. Whatever brings her peace.

[He pauses for a second. It's been a bit since their escape from the cells.]

How are you holding up?

[warriorscribe]

I'm...improving, I think? I'm sleeping more soundly, Dr. Wilson gave me some medicine for my nightmares. I hadn't even dared to hope there was such a thing, or that it might work so reliably.

[It's honestly the most optimistic answer he's been able to give to that question for months.]

And you? Aside from the...aggressive spirits.

@Mnemonsyne; voice

[bookofnope]

So you've decided to go back in after all, I see.

[It's been a while since they've talked about this, but Beckett remembers. He sounds solemn - this is respect, not teasing. Sometimes even three hundred year old snarkpires can recognize the gravity of a moment.]

I hope she did have a soul, that it may rest.

@hexappeal; voice

[sleight_of_fate]

[Hey, this was a different place, a different ritual. It could have had different results?

Well, probably not, but Rhys is holding onto that.]

Thanks. This will probably be the last one for a while now that we know there's zero tolerance, but I'm hoping it gave her some peace. Or if she's still sound somehow, to know that our wishes are with her. Until we can put an end to all this.

[Hope springs eternal?]

I'm harder to knock down that that, though. Yeah.

voice

[bookofnope]

[It's always stabbing, magic bro. But it's the ongoing defiance of that that matters. Doing the same thing and expecting something else to happen. There's a name for that, isn't there? Beckett will take that name now, see if he doesn't.]

I agree, at least for the moment, if only because we don't yet quite understand the situation of the others - the collective. Just as we don't understand whatever it is reacting to what you do...

[Possibly not magic at all, but let's not talk about that.]

But this was worthwhile even as a gesture. To show where you stand.

@godsend, video

[termineur]

Damn. You got what you need to take care of it?

[ He looks openly worried. ]

@hexappeal, video

[sleight_of_fate]

[Sorry, Gabriel. He'll do his best to look extremely contrite. And he really does mean it, because he didn't *want* to get stabbed...]

It's been a few days now so it seems to be doing okay. Healing about as clean as expected. The hard part is no painkillers except vodka, and I haven't used much of that because bleeding.

But I have clean bandages and honey for antibiotics, and I've been in the clinic so I've been able to wash it with hot water and real soap. So I think it'll be fine. No fever or anything.

[termineur]

[ Yeeeah, Gabriel still looks worried. ]

Good you were able to get to the clinic, at least. And that you've got it bandaged up.

[ He shakes his head. Not blaming Rhys for doing that alone is- well, it does take some thought. But he's not going to yell at the guy for something that he knows wasn't Rhys' decision. They're both trying to get by here. ]

Thanks for the funeral, though. Andromeda's been- well, I know I'm not the only one that's going to miss her. I bet she would've liked it.

@curiouschloride | audio

[motherserpent]

I can't decide if I'm impressed or if I think this was just the dumbest goddamn thing. You had to know, man. Church of the cultists, of course they're going to stab you again.

@hexappeal | audio

[sleight_of_fate]

Hey, before this I was fifty-fifty. I did a funeral in another house and I got a blanket for it.

[He sounds tired.]

I figured it was worth it to see if Andromeda could tell me anything that might help or whole search. She didn't. Lesson learned. Twice is confirmation, past that is just insanity, but this time at least it was worth the risk.

[Being stabbed in the ribs isn't nearly as big a deal as you people make it out to be.]

[motherserpent]

Yeah, but it's one of their places of worship. There's a difference, man.

[Tess knows exactly how big of a deal getting stabbed in the ribs is, thank you.]

In all fairness I probably would've wanted to try it, too. And she might--it might work if we were able to get her out of there. Take her somewhere away from the fuckers who killed her.

@noone; audio

[slapthelibrarian]

Are you always this rash? That was a nice idea in theory, but I'm sure you'd agree that the result was hardly ideal.

[ She doesn't know Rhys well at all, so she's probably the last person with any right to comment, but she can't keep it in either.

Her voice isn't that harsh, considering her words, but she still manages to soften it anyway. ]

Still, it was a kind gesture.

@hexappeal; audio

[sleight_of_fate]

This was actually better thought-out then it looked. I mean, I do this for a living.

[He won't take it hard. He knows it looks crazy. Actually, he knows he's an idiot.]

And, I mean, everyone else is taking risks here, wouldn't be fair f I didn't put my skin on the line same as they have.

@magenta2; audio

[himalayanyeti]

Well, that didn't disappoint. You sure got got.

[He clears his throat, somewhat self-conscious of how obtuse he's being for once.]

Is it just funerals, or can you officiate weddings fine? How about baptisms? Can y'figure why it's the funerals that get you shanked?

@hexappeal, audio

[sleight_of_fate]

Well, the rite I cast in the high school was a prayer for blessing for battle, which is different enough, and I still got shanked. I could do a wedding but I sort of have a feeling that any ritual that isn't devoted to the Prophet is going to get you shanked, no matter what it is.

Plus, Andromeda was the enemy. Anything meant to comfort her is automatically an insult to them.

...I can do weddings and baptisms, though. Why, you got someone special in mind?

[He's totally going to play innocent here. Sorry, Mags.]