driftfleet | April System Mingle

I see. [He gives a little nod of understanding. It helps to focus on food...food is always good.] I'll order something vegetarian then.

If it's no trouble, I'd appreciate it.

[He's seen Allen and food, this could be a legitimate sacrifice here.]

[He shakes his head]

It's no trouble at all. I was a vegetarian for years, actually.

[And one of those years was spent living with Sokka even!!]

Ah... that's convenient.

[He'll take whatever comfort he can get these days. It's been kind of rough.]

It's this one here- [He points to the cafe sign before they pass it, small and cozy, and not busy at all, which is what he'd been hoping for.]

Yeah, that's good. [He takes note of the sign and walks into the cafe. He spots some quiet table in the corner, one that won't get much attention drawn towards, and heads over to sit down. As he sits, he leans back in the chair and takes a moment to breath again. At least his face is getting back to a normal color.

I mean, its still pale, but he's always pale so that's normal]

[Once they're settled, a server swings by to take Allen's order. Mikleo uses a menu laid flat to tap his own selection - a simple iced tea and biscuits.]

Get something filling, you look terrible. I'll cover it.

[It's the least he can do for causing the freakout, and it's probably not going to get any better from here.]

Huh?

[He makes note of what Mikleo wants, but at the offer, he blinks a little]

Thank you, but are you sure you have enough money...?

[FILLING ALLEN WALKER IS NO SIMPLE TASK.]

Well... I suspect we're due for a few pay raises on the Huntress this month.

[Lots of drama going on lately, that's for sure. He's been on the fleet long enough to know how this works.]

Ah...good point. All right, thank you.

[Yeah you guys always seem to have some sort of drama going on. But that's good enough for Allen, so he'll look at his menu and pick out his order, giving his and Mikleo's order to a waiter that comes by. Lucky for Mikleo, Allen takes pity on him. Not only is his order vegetarian, but he just sticks to a lunch special and a few sides.

So. Not as bad as it could've been.]

[how merciful, thanks bro

The drinks come within a minute or so, and since the food will take longer, Mikleo spins his straw through the tea for a moment before cautiously speaking up again.]

I can tell you if you want to know. I just don't want to upset you again.

[Allen meanwhile holds onto his own cup of tea, waiting for it to cool. He can almost feel he warmth of it through his gloves. It's a good feeling, though not enough to make him ignore the gnawing dread in his stomach.

But he knew his answer when Mikleo spoke.]

...I'm going to be upset no matter what, I think. [He glances to the side, looking apologetic] Sometimes the past just catches up to me like that. It's not as bad as it used to be.

[Somewhat. Clay and Sokka are pretty good at calming him down, or at least recognizing the warning signs. That alone helps a lot.

He looks back at Mikleo]

But I'd like to know, if you're willing to tell me.

Mm... it isn't like I can blame you.

[He sure as hell finds it upsetting, so he'd be a hypocrite if he did.

He closes his eyes, leans back, and takes a deep breath, debating how to begin. It'd be nice if that were the hardest part about this.]

Regarding Heldalf... the Lord of Calamity we were fighting. We found out that he was bound to a seraph named Maotelus, one of the Five Lords- seraphim worshipped on such a scale that they really could be considered gods to humans.

[The seraphim themselves have a more complicated relationship, admittedly, but they're not here to get into all of that.]

Because they were connected, the situation became that much more of an issue... we had to not only sever the connection between them, and defeat Heldalf, but also purify the hellionized Maotelus as well.

[He listens, doing his best to follow along. He's not sure what's the difference between a regular Seraph and a Five Lord- maybe it was power? Notoriety? He wasn't about to believe a seraph was an actual god, but he bites his tongue on that part. Eventually, his mind finally compromises with the idea that the five lords meant "really powerful seraph". ]

Bound to the seraph Maotelus?

[A Maotelus that had been corrupted. That part makes sense, if only because of his experiences last fall. If a human gets connected, any seraph who are connected to them get corrupted as well. But to be connected in the first place...]

Wait, does that mean Heldalf was a Shepherd?

No, not even close.

[Though the idea of an evil-doing Shepherd isn't as laughable as it used to be. God, how this place has ruined him.]

It's possible for a seraph to be connected to a human even without the Shepherd's pact, though usually it can be detrimental to the human if their resonance isn't strong enough, which is why it isn't usually done. I've been told that sort of thing can kill a human over time.

[If humans started dropping dead after being possessed by ghosts that would probably sour the whole symbiotic relationship between the two species...]

Heldalf and Maotelus were both hellions at the time, though... I'm not a hundred percent on the mechanics of it, I just know they were linked. They were able to perform a twisted version of an armatus, so maybe it's closer to how the exorcists used to work with seraphim in the past- our best weapon against him was something Zaveid used to free tethered seraphim.

[Hey he was assuming a fallen Shepherd. Artorius is still his own special guy.

He continues to listen. The idea of people without resonance potentially dying with that bond...well, it makes sense to Allen. It's not unlike a Fallen One, after all. A non-accomdator who attempts to use Innocence will definitely die. This sounds just slower acting.

But, Mikleo's explanation doesn't explain how Heldalf, someone who wasn't a shepherd, could find a way to get himself bound to something as powerful as Maotelus supposedly is. But maybe it's not important to know.

...He's unable to hide the look of distaste when he hears those Exorcists mentioned again. It's not directed at Mikleo, but seriously, screw those slaver bastards. But at least he's able to focus on the important question.]

Zavid has a way to free tethered Seraphim?

[~~listen allen if you want an explanation of heldalf’s bullshit please write to bandai namco~~

Mikleo nods, clasping his hands together on the table.]

A weapon powered by some kind of old arte, Siegfried. It fires bullets that can sever the ties between connected beings. It's old technology so we don't know all of the details, but we've confirmed that it works.

[Bullets? So...it was a gun? That was old tech? Okay...sure, why not. ]

...Something tells me it was more difficult than just shooting a special gun at him.

[don't question their backwards-ass advancement it's not worth the headache]

Yeah... way more. By the time we got Siegfried, it was out of bullets, and they wouldn't be powerful enough to sever the bonds between two hellions like that anyway. We were told that if we wanted to win, we'd have to use its other power. When armatized, a Shepherd can turn a seraph into an attack much stronger than any bullet, with enough willpower to break the link from within.

[He's reluctant to say it; even now, even after all this time, even after agreeing to it, it's difficult to think about. Sorey had always been so vehement that they were his friends, not weapons, but they'd pushed him to use them that way in the end.]

Turn a seraph into an attack...?

[That sounds like a human cannon from hell.]

What would happen to the Seraph?

Unfortunately, there was no way to be certain at the time. Our bodies exist as mana, so in that form we'd be more unstable, and without the protection of a Shepherd's domain a seraph would need sufficient willpower to exist as themselves inside that much malevolence until the bonds were severed.

[Maybe if he explains it clinically enough, lets himself be detached enough, it'll sting less.]

The one time we witnessed it before, it was successful, but... the seraph died. He was also wounded at the time, so that must have played a part, but it didn't make the method any easier to swallow.

[He stares....even if he explains it clinically, that's not good sounding at all. Sure Mikleo said he and Sorey didn't die- but what about the others? He knew most of the other Seraph too]

So...what happened?

With Siegfried? [Of course with Siegfried, what a pointless delaying tactic. He's just miserable that they're getting closer to the part he hates.] The ideal result, actually. Between the four of us we were able to survive the malevolence and separate Heldalf and Maotelus. I woke up some time later on a hill outside where the final battle took place, and Edna, Zaveid, and Lailah were all there with me.

[Okay so...on one hand, it's a relief to hear the Seraph are okay. But on the other hand...he's definitely hiding something. ]

But...?

[Aha. Haha. Yeah, he's been obtuse. With a sigh, Mikleo goes back to rolling his straw about listlessly.]

But... purifying Maotelus isn't enough to undo the damage. Sorey had to stay behind and become his vessel- close off all of his senses and sleep, until enough malevolence in the world is quelled and Maotelus can take over. We don't know how long that'll take. Decades... centuries. He's given everything up for the sake of the world.

Sleep....

[...

His expression softens with sadness. Partly for Sorey, a sleep like that...it sounds like death. He's known one other person whose been put to sleep like that...until they were needed again. Last Allen knew, it's been a thousand years and he still hasn't woke, if he ever will. And if Sorey did wake, he'd be in a completely different era. Any humans he knew...would be long gone. That hurt to think about.

But the other part, was for Mikleo, sitting in front of him. Sorey and Mikleo were inseparable. They were raised together, spent every day together. Even when Atroma brought them here, it was together. Sure, Sorey was a mortal and there would've come a day where they'd have to part....but neither of them could've suspected it'd be so soon.

There's definite tears in his eyes, and when he speaks, it's full of compassion for the young Seraph]

Oh Mikleo. I'm so sorry....

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