2424/FINALE: Stage Projection

FINALE: Stage Projection
Date of Scene:	10 June 2015
Location:	Danbur <DB>
Synopsis:	The time has come for the Magnum Opus to be completed.
Cast of Characters:	22, 85, 113, 232, 579, Lyria Mason, 673, 741, 772, 804, 805
Tinyplot:	The Great Work

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Pius Athanor (741) has posed:
    MUSIC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NguIpRFLM4M

    For today the barely used upstairs workshop in the attic has been partially cleaned up, with tables and chairs set off to the side along with the disinfected equipment that has recently been used for today's grand result. As a result empty containers and tanks still line the walls, along with wires, metallic pieces and other strange instruments. Most of the room is dark, but there are a few windows in here that allow for some sunlight besides the lanterns that have been hung up.

    Only the largest workbench has been left untouched, as well as what lies on top of it.

    The body of a young girl barely in her teens rests there, clad in a simple linen tunic. It almost looks as if she is sleeping, at least it would look that way if there was any sign of her breathing. The body lies still without movement nor sound, yet there is something about her face. It looks more like a mannequin rather than a dead person. A dead person looks different. But then again, this body has never been alive.

    The master of the house is seated in a nearby chair, his gaze on the body even as his fingers gently caress the amphora hanging from his neck. For now he waits patiently in silence for the guests to arrive.

    Those who have been invited to behold the final stage of the Magnum Opus will have a relatively nice trip from the nearest warp gate to the Athanor mansion. Any visitors arriving at the mansion will be greeted at the door by Alexa, the eerie homunculus, and she's still smiling widely as she repeats one of the few words in her vocabulary. 'Welcome.' 'Welcome.' 'Welcome.' Luckily there's no need to be confused for long, as Diane is there as well. Hurrying out from the living room, she appears only to eager to greet the Elites. It even looks as if she has dressed up properly for the day, her red dress far neater than the more practical clothes she has worn before. "Welcome indeed, come on in! Pius has been waiting for you upstairs. Please leave your shoes and coats down here... Just go up the stairs and I'll be right there too!" One can hardly blame the girl for being excited on such a day.

Rose Petal (113) has posed:
    Mandy Rose is here. She wouldn't miss this for the world - returning the dead to lfie is something that strongly resonates with her, for reasons she... cannot quite explain. Today she's dressed in a far simpler style than usual - a pure white summer dress that reaches her shins, a pair of white ankle socks, and black shoes. She decided that this would be the right thing to wear to such an event. She isn't sure how to explain THAT, either.

    Of course, the fact that she's dressed as Beautiful Rose Petal will be lost on everyone else here. Such a shame.

    She arrives at the door, and greets Diane brightly. She's only got one monster with her today - Hana.

D (232) has posed:
    The Hunter had ridden into Pius Athanor's village earlier in the day to inspect the alchemist's work, and to make certain all bargains were kept. It would seem that if nothing else, Pius Athanor was a man of his word: the villagers were in a state of supreme satisfaction, and no longer forming lynch mobs outside the Athanor household.

    Though the news was good, the otherwordly youth draped all in black had not mounted his strange horse to depart the village again. Instead, he remained like an eerie shadow in the village's background, keeping to himself and waiting for something he did not care to describe to any inquisitor. It was not until the coming evening that D at last moved from his place and proceeded with graceful, silent steps to the village's one great mansion. Without so much as a knock at the door, he entered the abode, swept past the homonculus, and proceeded up the stairs to the mansion's attic, his sword's gleaming pommel the only source of life about him.

    At least his dour mien suits the occasion. Cold and quiet, he takes his place among the observers. No one is greeted. Not even Pius. D stands tall in the spot he chooses, as unmoving as emotionless as an obsidian pillar.

Kagenashi (85) has posed:
    Kagenashi's arrival is far simpler than anything she usually does. No trickery, no flight, no invisibility or shapeshifting. She simply walks up to the manor from the warp gate, offering a brief but polite bow to Alexa, and then a short nod to Diane.

    The nogitsune is strangely quiet today. Her shadow trails around her legs in the form of Munashi, slinking and peering as she ever does in her own dark silence. Kagenashi doesn't remove her mask, but nor does she unlatch the bladed sheaths from her forearms either, even when Diane asks to leave 'shoes and coats' behind. Theoretically, that would also be a recommendation to leave /weapons/ behind, wouldn't it?

    "Forgive me, but I would rather keep my swords with me, if you do not mind," the fox woman calmly replies to Diane, her serene voice a stark contrast to the girl's excitement. If Kagenashi didn't have a mask, a certain hint of apprehension might be visible on her normally unmovable features...or it might not. She's always been good at hiding her emotions, after all.

    Without really waiting for a reply, Kagenashi moves in and slips upstairs with silent footsteps, rising up to the attic where she lingers in the back, staring at the body laying out on the table. Watching, waiting.

Project MORDRED (804) has posed:
Project MORDRED is not wearing a coat, and his shoes seem to be attached to his synthetic suit. An outfit designed for being worn inside something, not so much for other use. "I am deeply sorry, my lady, but this is a one-piece outfit, I cannot remove any individual parts." He sounds genuinely apologetic as he moves past, apparently he does believe that this shouldn't bar him entry. The young man leans against the wall once he enters the room. He carries no weapons, and seems to be armed solely with a matter of casual curiousity.

"Come now, don't be so paranoid." He complains mildly as he overheards people asking to be allowed their weapons. "I didn't march in in full combat gear either, surely this won't escalate to the point of needing weaponry." He looks towards Pius, back towards the body, then towards the others. "Forgive me for not having the full background, what's so important about this young lady?"

Rory White (673) has posed:
    When Rory arrives, she's once again in her Synth body - back to blue hair and familiar faces! "Of course! It's finally time to see if all our efforts paid off. Here's hoping! What's that saying, um... 'cross your fingers?'" She's heard it somewhere.

    Never figured out how it's supposed to improve anyone's chances, though.

    Upstairs she goes though, after ditching her shoes. She's still in the white robe-coat though...

Nonon Jakuzure (805) has posed:
Such a special occasion?

If that was a club, what club would it fall under? With thought, Nonon decides, as she reaches the door, that it would be some sort of Alchemy - but would that be a science? Oh, no, Biology. There was already a club dedicated to such! Unfortunately the results were anything but successful. It wasn't her point to see them succeed, however~.

Following project MORDRED, perhaps the smallest of the members that would be present, Nonon strides in and bows to those before her. "Lady Satsuki is very pleased to have received word, but as you may expect, she is quite busy today." She notes, keeping her outfit with her - the uniform she wears, after all, was a singular piece - save for the hat. That is taken off, clasped to her chest as she walked about, following the rather large man before her. Her shoes are left, however. That is not /quite/ part of the outfit, and that is only proper.

Unlike the others might, Nonon is actively growing close to the body, leaning over her seat to get a better view! "It might not be so much about the importance of the lady, than what he may plan to do with it." She observes, hat placed at her side on the chair.

Hana (579) has posed:
    Hana is here. Hana is covered in little bows, most of them tied onto her flowers. She looks absolutely ridiculous. She is probably closely following Mandy just so that she's not left behind or stepped on while people are walking around. She looks kind of like an animate flower bush with teeth.

    She's drooling sap everywhere in excitement. Uhhh.

Lyria Mason has posed:
Lyria Mason has been in on this since the start, she's also been impressed that Pius has kept to his words and his ethics. Given the sorts of things he's considered. Down to the point a clone of a person is still a person too. So here she was to see how things ended she'd soon is guided upstairs, she's not got any ill will she sees how excited the girl is. She leaves her drones outside ordering them to watch for anything that might try to crash the process that Pius was attempting to preform here.

The Levitani woman seems to be ready and in a very good mood. She looks to Rory nodding.

"Prayers to whatever you worship wouldn't hurt either."

She also pauses as she sees Nonon arrive. Okay she wasn't expected and this made Lyria think she had more do on that whole mess back in Denver but now isn't the time for such things. She also takes note tha even Hana has arrived here to over see what's happning/ sTrange to see a monster like that which basically seems to be an innocent.

Hiei (772) has posed:
When Hiei arrives, he only offers mild greetings to people. He very quickly makes his way to the room with Pius, standing only a few feet from him, hands in his pockets. He's actually dressed differently, for the first time since anyone currently here first saw him. Instead of all black, he's wearing some pretty fancy black changshan with a fancy red cloth over it, and a long grey scarf wrapped around his neck, as well as a matching belt around the waist made of the same fabric. If he's dressed for the occasion, or if it's just a whim, who knows. "So, the day is finally here." he says with that typical indifference.

Pius Athanor (741) has posed:
    While Diane hadn't been too worried about weapons, she does swallow a bit nervously as Kagenashi addresses her and doesn't want to give up her weapons. "Uh, I..." she begins, but then Kagenashi is already heading up to the attic before the girl can muster up the courage to say whatever she was thinking of. Oh well, it should be okay, shouldn't it? That handsome man seems pretty intent on keeping order here anyway.

    And then there's the armoured man... Diane is uncertain just what to say at that. But she nods and gestures for him to head up upstairs as well.

    Mandy on the other hand receives a bright and happy greeting back, and Diane even leads the young girl upstairs, holding her hand as they ascend the steps.

    As people begin to file upstairs Pius is broken out of his thoughts, and he offers a polite nod to the guests as they gather. The last time Pius met D he had been wary of the man, and if the vampire hunter doesn't acknowledge him, then well... Pius certainly isn't going to press the issue! Instead he is focused on the other people who are arriving. Instead he turns to Hiei and nods. "Yes. It's... almost surreal to even think about, how much work and preparation has been put into this."

    Mordred poses his question, and Pius glances towards the still body on the table. "This is a body I have created through alchemy for the sake of restoring life to my youngest sister Nathara. She fell ill and?" That's all Pius can say, his fingers wrapping around the amphora. "Most of the people who have gathered here today are the ones who helped me gather the materials necessary for the scientific breakthrough we will witness today."

    Nono is entirely new to the alchemist, and so is the person she speaks of. "I do not know any ladies by that name," he responds calmly. Should he know her? Most likely he already would if she was important. As the female Confederate leans closer to the body he does watch her like a hawk, as if tempted to tell her to back away. But he doesn't.

    Pius rises from his seat, coughing once to clear his throat before he speaks.

    "Thank you. I know I have expressed my gratitude before to some of you. But still, I couldn't have done it without you, I..." His voice chokes up a bit, and Diane steps forward, gently rests a hand on his arm as she gives him a small smile. "Relax." A gentle urging, and he nods his head before he steps closer to the table and the body resting lifelessly there. Reaching down he strokes a hand across the body's hair, the motion slow and reassuring. Then he takes a deep breath and stands up, working on opening the glass amphora.

Rose Petal (113) has posed:
    Mandy holds Diane's hand! It's pretty adorable.

    Once she's seated, she pulls Hana into her lap, then retrieves a handkerchief in an attempt to make the ambulatory flower bush a LITTLE more presentable.

Hana (579) has posed:
    Hana attempts to eat the handkerchief when it is put near her mouth and only stops when she remembers what it is for. She settles there in Mandy's lap after that and makes little burbling noises, and other nonsense sounds.
    "Brrrr... krkrkr..." Burrrp.

D (232) has posed:
    D isn't sociable under ideal circumstances. For him to change his patterns tonight would be unusual indeed.

    The shadow cast by his wide-brimmed hat keeps his eyes veiled by darkness. Only a slight glimmer betrays he is watching anything at all.

    That glimmer remains fixed on the alchemist and the body on his table.

Kagenashi (85) has posed:
    "It is not paranoia so much as simple comfort," Kagenashi remarks to MORDRED without actually looking his way. "If you would be pleased to enter the company of enemies without the ability to defend yourself, be my guest. Of course, this is a pleasant gathering, is it not? Perhaps my wariness will be misguided."

    Pius speaks, and Kagenashi falls silent again. Still as a statue, ignoring most of the others present, she keeps her attention on the body on the table. Her fingers idly flex, but that's all the activity she shows for now, until things move along.

Hiei (772) has posed:
"If I see anything spiritually out of the ordinary, I'll tell you. As I said, I can see spirits." Hiei reminds Pius, looking around the room at the others, some he doesn't recognize. Though he does know Nonon's voice, and stares at her for a long moment. "She's fine, she's one of the few people I find tasteful." he states to Pius, regarding Nonon's presence.

He does look back to Nonon again, though. "I see, so you really are shorter than me. Surprising, though being short has never held me back." He says this fact as... encouragement? Who knows. It's always difficult to tell with him.

Project MORDRED (804) has posed:
"I would assume that people respect the basic rules of hospitality. We are guests, we ought to behave like we are." MORDRED replies with a casual lean back, pointedly not even bothering to look at Kagenashi. He turns towards the body that is being used for this special occurence. Leaning a bit forward to get a closer look. This man clearly intends to get a good look at what's going on. He takes a few glances at the others present, extremely brief ones, then goes back to observing the event that is supposedly about to occur.

Nonon Jakuzure (805) has posed:
Is that a /living/ flower bush?

Nonon's eyes dart and follow the weird looking object as it tries to eat a handkerchief ... and starts making all kinds of weird noises. How weird. Yet would you just /imagine/. Nonon's gaze spots Lyria as she rises into the room with the rest, giving a knowing grin and waving. Oh, no words need to be said about it. Especially as she sees Lyria pause.

"Oh? Well, now you do~." She responds to Pius, matter-of-factly - but it wasn't a mockery as so much of a statement, and it's somehow rather cheerful, Nonon not about to touch a /made/ human. When you think about it, they're all made, but /still/. Especially not when it's his /little sister/. Her gaze goes to the body and then back up to Pius. Kneeling on a chair, Nonon hears Hiei's on as he speaks up, and he only has something nice to say about her. Imagine that! Of course, he does make a quip about being shorter than him, the girl twisting about on the chair, hands still on the back, knees on the sitting part. "Course not~. Then it'd just be an excuse." She remarks, and seems to agree! "Well, of course we'll all be on our best behavior, MORDy." As she says 'all be on our best behavior, she does glance over at Lyria before focusing on the one laying before them all. Or are they an it, at the moment?

Lyria Mason has posed:
Lyria Mason does not think many people are here to be trouble, right? Most people want to see this through, well those who been helping. She's a bit concerned about something, but it seems to be something about here. She doesn't get hostile to Nonon now isn't he time or place she's also not up for a fight at the moment Shes' clearly sizing her up a bit more at the moment. She does seem to be a different person when not ion a fire fight. It's rather unsettling to the Pirate Lass.

She smiles a bit to Pius and looks about taking in everytying as she waits to see the final results of his labour which she does pray is successful.

Rory White (673) has posed:
    Rory's politely waiting in her seat, hands folded in her lap... but one of her Saucers is up near the top of the room to provide her with extra eyes and ears to see what all the others are doing and record the proceedings.

    No doubt she's also recording everything of her ordinary perceptions too. No telling just what kind of amazing interest there'll be in an XP of alchemical resurrection! No telling at all.

    "Whenever you're ready, Mr. Athanor!"

Pius Athanor (741) has posed:
    Is it just her, or is Hana even more adorable today? Diane can't help but smile in Mandy and Hana's direction, not saying anything. This is an important occasion. And she must be ready to help her brother if necessary. Pius can't help but glance away from the amphora and to the body. "We did it, Nat..." A few soft chimes escape the delicate bottle, the light tones bringing a warm smile to the man's face. Then he brings his attention to the people gathered around the table. No words are offered, but he does nod once. He is ready. Yet is that hesitation as he loosens the string holding the amphora around his neck? Is the time right? Did he remember to do everything as he needed to? Are all preparations complete? All of these questions rush around in his head, and normally he is used to his mind being under the rush of constant ideas and inspiration. But now? This is a whole other situation.

    Pius leans down, tipping the amphora lightly and carefully, and slowly the light in the amphora seems to spread as a tiny, pale shimmering ball floats out somewhat aimlessly. Though eventually it begins to sink down towards the forehead of the body, much like a feather caught in a gentle breeze. A lone shimmering drop of what appears to be sunlight. During that split second it takes for the essence the seems to grow larger somewhat, although the light fades just slightly as a cold hue seems to overtake it. It sinks through the skin before it soaks into the body, making it shimmer weakly for but a few moments.

    Pius holds his breath, his eyes transfixed on the body as they seem to await something. Whatever it is. Diane too looks expectant, her eyes darting upwards to glance at her brother before she looks back at the body. Several seconds pass, and Pius looks somewhat nervous. "It should be bonding with the body now... Hiei?" he asks, looking at the young man. He claims to know of these things! Perhaps he has an explanation? Whatever Hiei was going to answer, he might not get the chance to reply before something does happen. There's movement as the body's hands twitches. It moves slightly, only for the torso to suddenly arch off of the table with a pained GASP, followed by a shrill scream as the body contorts slightly, rolling around on the table as if struggling against an unseen force.

    Pius's eyes widen, and he leans more over the table, his hands reaching out to grab the body by the shoulders. "Nathara?!" His words are desperate, and he shakes her once. "It's okay, just breathe! They always say it--"

Pius Athanor (741) has posed:
    MUSIC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIrt5MkGpy0

    Those are the last words he gets to say before he is thrown back with a cry of surprise, though what did hit him? There's a shockwave going through the room, knocking into the people gathered there and threatening to swipe them off of their feet and throw them back. The alchemist goes crashing into the wall next to Diane, who screams in horror before she herself finds herself thrown against the wall by the strange burst of energy. The same energy strikes the torches, the lights extinguished and leaving the room only partially lit by the little sun light that trickles in past the moth eaten curtains.

    The young woman appears shocked and in pain, struggling even as she turns her brown eyes on the people gathered around the table. Her body seems to twitch in places, as if the muscles are trying to escape her skin and do not follow ordinary movement. Then suddenly, those brown eyes slowly begin to bleed over into a lighter hue, something less warm. The girl's hand reaches for her chest, leaning forward and scratching at it through her tunic, and she still seems to struggle with breathing.

    For certain people though, there might be something that strikes them this very moment. There is now a heavy presence in the room, something that practically screams in the faces of those sensitive to darker forces. Anybody in tune with holy light would feel an aversion for the girl. Whatever is going on is not natural. There's panic in those eyes as she rolls over onto her side and grabs at her throat... and a peculiar sound escapes the body as it shakes and quivers. Pain is only too easily read on her face, and she desperately extends her hand out towards anybody close, her eyes wide and pupils constricted.

Hana (579) has posed:
    Everyone is blown off their feet suddenly by something that had horrified Hana the moment she saw it. The plant monster tumbles and slams into a distance wall. The creature is afraid, deeply afraid, but when she sees the pain and horror there, she doesn't feel like running away. Her instinct, instead, is to approach... And then climb up, and try to grab the girl's hand.

    Clutching it, the monster's eye wide in terror but holding onto it because that's what her heart tells her to do.

    Terror because of the pain and not because this is dark and unnatural. The monster looks distraught beyond all measure, because there's nothing she can do to stop whatever is happening, despite obviously wanting to.

    Her eye turns toward Pius, searching for an answer in his face, hoping he knows some way to help.

D (232) has posed:
    Something has gone wrong.

    The shockwave heralds Pius Athanor's failure. Struck by it in full, the Hunter is pressed into the wall he stands against, though the force is not enough to take a man of his quality off his feet.

    D steps away from the wall and takes two quick strides to the table's edge. The cape he wears snaps at his heels at each step, as if it, too, has suddenly come alive. Where there was nothing but shadows there is now a hard glare. Where before there might have been a perfected sculpture of masculine grace, there is now a faint, hard frown as menacing as a surging storm.

    "What have you done?!" the Hunter snaps at Pius. His voice does not rise above a low murmur, yet the sound of it seems to fill the attic like a thunderclap. "Explain this evil you've summoned!"

    Far more frightening than D himself is the darkness he senses lurking beyond the veil. Acting on pure instinct, the Hunter coils his fingers around the curving hilt of his elegant sword, and he looks to the swelling shadows for any kind of understanding.

Kagenashi (85) has posed:
    MORDRED's response goes without a retort from Kagenashi this time. Things are progressing, and for now, she'd rather not spend her focus arguing on what may or may not be the best idea for the moment. Even less so as things...seem to progress so /poorly/. That shrill scream doesn't cause Kagenashi to flinch, but behind her mask, Kagenashi's silver eyes narrow into gleaming knife edges. This is not what she expected...

    The sudden shockwave hits Kagenashi, and though she gets knocked back, her body immediately responds with tension and flexing to brace herself and not get slammed into the wall. That split second sends her into a crouch that skids her back along the floor a couple of feet, but at least not flying away like Pius and his sister. Munashi crouches, ears flattened and tail lashing; always the more blatant mirror of Kagenashi, she shows agitation much more than the nogitsune would.

    D may just prepare to draw his sword, but the room fills with two gleaming flashes as Kagenashi immediately pulls both of her katanas free from the sheaths on her forearms. Her hands grip her swords tightly as she stays in her crouch, her stance shifted only slightly so that she can leap if needed. Either to attack or defend, depending on what proceeds from here.

    Unlike the others, she doesn't turn her attention to Pius. All her senses are focused on that body, that /presence/ that seems to emanate from it with such malevolent power. It's all too loud to be ignored.

Hiei (772) has posed:
Hiei almost answers with a shrug, but before he can lift his shoulders, his attention is caught by the moving body. His eyes are a little bit wider than normal, as if he's truly witnessing something of interest, something to shake him from his usual haze of indifference and boredom.

When the shockwave hits, he raises one arm to cover his eyes, crouching down as he slides across the ground, slamming his fingers into the floor to stop himself. He peeks above his arm to witness what exactly is going on here. He sniffs the air, looking around as if trying to find something. "I can smell something, I can feel it to my core, taste it even. Perhaps evil, perhaps simply of a darker nature..."

He suddenly draws his sword from that heavy concealing outfit. He stands now, reaching up to remove the headband as the large, purple, unmoving Jagan eye opens in the middle of his forehead. "What are you?" he asks, as if talking to the room itself.

Project MORDRED (804) has posed:
MORDRED gets shoved into the wall, hard. That may have damaged the wall, MORDRED's body has an abnormally high density for a fleshy being. "So, this went wrong, right?" He asks, slight worry in his voice, but it's drowned out by curiousity. He doesn't seem aware of the underlying evil energy, and starts to step closer to what's going on. After realizing there seems to be a layer of events he isn't aware of, he turns towards his host and asks a simple question, "Should I summon my Armour and prepare for combat?"

Lyria Mason has posed:
So the moment of truth is here. She watches looking waiting wtching and she dare not speak. She can't see spirits in that respect so she's going to have to wait and watch for more mundane actions. Sh sees the body is moving. She pause as there's a blast nd she's knocked off her feet. She hits the gorund hard, she stares at the woman as she tries to get up and watches the horror that might be going on. She's not sure what is going on ebut a thought hits her. Did ... something follow the soul that Pius was trying to bring back when he pulled her back to the land of the living? She's staggering to her feet.

"D, I think something followed them back... used it like a light house."

She's just making a guess here as she struggles to get back on her feet.

D (232) has posed:
    D's eyes flicker toward Lyria, and away again, to scan the attic's eaves.

    Perhaps the girl is right. Perhaps something did follow Pius like a beacon.

Nonon Jakuzure (805) has posed:
Lyria doesn't even respond. Nonon is more than knowledgable on what that may mean, her eyes now more focused before her - a shimmering light flying through the air towards the body. It lands and is absorbed - Nonon peering at it, not having seen something /quite/ like this before. It's certainly a new experience. Then - the bodies arches off the table, breathing. Well, if you were never alive, and had not breathed, is it not likely you would need one large one? If there is anything the girl does not show, it is fear. While not as cheerful now, there is a lack of that emotion that the diminutive has, watching oh so closely.

It screams. Not the nice kind that gives a bit more life to her music, but a scream as it pulls and rolls and contorts. Nonon leans away, out of impact distance, if something does happen. From an arm, or a body.

She cannot lean out of shockwave distance. The surprise shockwave catches Nonon moments after it does a few others, pulling the small girl off the chair, through she grasps at it. The chair comes with her. "What?!" The surprise is palpable, and the girl goes head over heels, hat following her as she slams into the wall, impacting off it and faltering forwards, hitting the ground with little fanfare. Oof, that hurt. Even through the uniform, she felt /whatever/ that was. The hat bonks agains the wall, landing against her head as she does not immediately get up. Rubbing her head, Nonon glances to D and the silent woman pulling out her weapons. "The worst case scenario...?" She repeats from what she heard, pulling herself up onto her knees behind Hiei. "...What does that mean?" She asks, flatly, looking up and not seeing the third eye - quite yet.

Rory White (673) has posed:
    And then EVERYTHING goes wrong. Rory'd been expecting... well, NOTHING to happen before ever expecting THIS. She's bowled off her feet, yelping all the while, but crawls across the floor after getting her bearings. "No... no, what's going wrong?!"

    Unfortunately, she's as mystically sensitive as the average rock. But even so, something about the situation chills her to the bone. While smart people might run or put some distance, she rushes for the tortured resurrected, trying to steady her! "Breathe. Try to relax!"

Pius Athanor (741) has posed:
    Diane leans over Pius's form even as the hunter snaps at the alchemist, and she looks horrified. "N-Nathara...?" Even now, even when the body on the table is moving with such obvious pain and discomfort, Diane does not dare step forward. She's far too scared to move from where she's kneeling, too afraid to voice her questions about just what is going on. Pius himself lets out a groan, opening his eyes as he slowly regains his wits, shaking his head. As for the accusation, he looks absolutely shocked, fear and uncertainty in his eyes. "I... I didn't do this! It shouldn't react like THIS!" he insists, shaking his head. "My calculations were correct, this isn't a summoning of any sort!" What is he supposed to with this? What can a brother do when his younger sister is wailing and in pain?

    The shadows of the attic offers no answers, unfortunately. There is nothing there besides the people visible, that much should be evident to any who search the room for clues. Nothing save cobwebs and spiders.

    It's almost as if the girl doesn't know whether she's screaming or sobbing. It sounds unnatural as it escapes her mouth and she leans over, nearly falling off of the bench and gripping tightly at its edges. No resistance is offered as Hana grabs at her hand, and she does not move to push at the monster nor tear her hand away. Hiei can ask as many questions as he wants to, but he will get no answer.

    At first her sobs are light, yet gradually they deepen, just as the body seems to change, limbs growing slightly longer, the torso elongating and broadening around the ribcage. The oversized tunic suddenly seems to hang less as the girl becomes less and less a girl.The delicate ringlets that her siblings had curled with such care untwirl as her hair straightens, and the hair color darkens to a barely darker shade of blonde. Even as the body gradually shifts, the flesh gradually taking on the appearance of a woman slightly older than the teenage girl who first sat up.

    Seemingly out of nowhere black ink forms in the air, running up and around the woman's slender arms, sinking into the skin there. The long hair that was previously curled and styled so neatly hangs down around her head and shoulders, the ends moving strangely together. Is that black magic crackling around her as she heaves for breath still? It's certainly some degree of panic in her eyes still.

    Especially when Pius forces himself back up on his feet, stepping forward in panic and ignoring the fact that he is still dazed from slamming his head in the wall earlier. "Nat, what on..." he gasps, disbelief in his eyes as he seems absolutely horrified at the sight before him. And he turns to look down at Diane where she sinks down against the wall, tears running down her cheeks even as she is unable to tear her eyes away from the table in the middle of the room.

    Only a second passes before pure chaos reigns in the attic room. Another shockwave expands, this one more powerful than the first and the air becomes heavy and dark with magic, crackling with black lightning that dances about the figure seated on the workbench as she sits up, her back straight. Then she opens her eyes wide and stares at the other people in the room through slit pupils. By now it sounds and looks like she has caught her breath somewhat, even if she's still breathing heavily. The black ink is still moving up her arms, and her gaze seems nearly inhuman. Her face, different from before, betrays no emotion.

Those with enhanced senses for the supernatural however might see the energy radiating off of her. Something dark, chaotic and potent that expands throughout the flesh, making it its own.

    A lost essence.

    A shimmering surface.

        Cold blood.

            Monstrous venom.

                Bite.

                    A touch of magic.

    All of it has now been combined into one.

Rory White (673) has posed:
    When the writhing girl doesn't just seize and sob anymore, but starts CHANGING SHAPE, Rory panics! "Ahhh!" That's her cue to turn RIGHT THE HELL AROUND and scamper-flop over towards a wall!

    Once she can't get any further away, well, she seeks some sort of cover.

    It's just about safety.

    Thanks to the hovering Saucer, she can still what's going on quite clearly.

    That's why she's running away!

Hana (579) has posed:
    Hana is blown clear off the table by the next shockwave, after becoming frozen by the horrible sights. As a monster, she is not immune to the horrors of the dark, and the chaotic energy zaps her and causes a cry of fear far before anything else does--

    The plant monster slams into one of the walls, and lands there on the floor. It stares blearily at the thing on the table, and stares with such a sadness before just passing out.

D (232) has posed:
    It cannot be...

    Though comprised of equal parts human and vampire DNA, the youthful Hunter, D, tends to take after his more monstrous parentage. A certain infamy precedes him wherever he should travel in his world. His skill and strength are far in excess of any human capability, and his countenance is an impenetrible mask incapable of mimicking meaningful empathy. He has no concern for the alchemical golem's pain, not even a fleeting hint of it; instead, if he feels anything genuine at all in response to the girl's wailing and writhing, it is wrath. Wrath for Pius. Wrath for the darkness taking hold of the golem's body. Wrath for those around him who can do nothing to stop what has already started.

    The instant the golem rises up from the bed, something far more unnerving and human cuts through the dhampir's wrath. An icy droplet rolls its way down the back of his neck, spreading a frigid poison wherever it touches him. To the core of his stomach and deeper, to the very center of his being, he feels a loathsome and paralyzing shock replace his clear senses. His heart -- so quiet -- becomes a thudding drum. His limbs grow tense and immobile.

    It cannot be!

    The poisonous sensation filling his veins transmutes, heated by hatred's flame. It burns in him now. It erupts inside him, leaving his chest feeling like no more than a sucking wound. The chill he'd felt within spreads outside his form like a freezing mantle, and the attic seems to become as cold and foreboding as any mausoleum. The dhampir's eyes exude a lurid light as red as blood and as hot as flame. His cloak bellows in the shockwave, and then stirs around him, rippling in a wind lacking clear origin. He draws his silver-lit sword from its sheath with a terrible hiss.

    Another loud thunderclap disrupts the stunned silence in the form of D's voice. Such anger spitting from his lips is the likes of which he'd rarely spoken. Where now is his calm? His emotionless disdain for the world?

    It is shattered by hatred.

    "You...were.../DEAD/!"

    The next shockwave to burst throughout the room emanates from the dhampir. His sword slices through it, a beautiful, silvery flash aimed at Medusa Gorgon's black heart. The sound he makes as he strikes is no more than a wolfish snarl.

Hiei (772) has posed:
"Breaking the laws of reality set down by the Spirit World. Whatever that may mean here, if anything, there are severe risks involved. I told him I would help if it came to that." Hiei explains to Nonon, his voice calm, though there is an edge to it, as if he's expecting something at any moment. He stands up straight, sword at his side, staying in front of her as if prepared to cut anything down that presents itself to him.

"She's become some sort of youkai." Hiei determines, and begins to slowly approach her. With that large eye of his, he begins trying to peer into her mind, perhaps to determine -what- this thing is thinking, if it won't talk. "Her energy is dark and chaotic-" he says right before he's blown back and has to slam his sword into the ground to avoid slamming into Nonon, his sword tearing through the floor a little from the force. "The energy is twisting her flesh, imposing its influence... I'm trying to get into its mind..."

He has -no- idea what D is talking about, or doing. He simply continues what he's doing. Hopefully this all just sort of works itself out...

Project MORDRED (804) has posed:
MORDRED broadcasts a quick summoning sequence as the girl turns into a woman. Half a mile over, A fifteen foot tall hunk of polished black metal activates and rapidly flies towards the mansion, coming to a standstill near the windows. MORDRED is moving towards the windows when the second shockwave happens, and is thrown right through, the glass cutting into his skin before he crashes into Glare-NT. It takes a few more moments for him to strap himself in, but he's already using his Armour's sensors, equally poorly equipped to handle the supernatural events that going on inside, to keep him up to date. "Please update me on the state of affairs, my sensors appear incapable of catching important subtect." His voice is amplified by the Armour as he finishes securing his position, he's gone into full tactical mode, curiousity withdrawn.

Lyria Mason has posed:
Lyria Mason is now back on her feet she looks to Pius nodding. No his intention was not to summon, no. SHe thinks it worked but something latched on to Nathara and followed hr soul back. That idea seems to get more and more of a leg to stand on as things unfold. She presses something on her m-phone sending the drones towards the town to protect it should something go bad. Well it spills out here. She falls under D's command and then he attacks, wait does he know what this thing is?! She has no real idea about Medusa save some of the reports about the late confederate and she's very much confused here.

"D?! What's going on?!" She gets the idea though things have gone to hell in the most horrible way.

Diane?! Now there's something she can do, she can help get Diane out of here.

"Go we need to get Diane out of here!"

Whatever happens she's going to get Diane clear of here if she can to somewhere safe.She's going to try to get the young woman out of here if she can.

Kagenashi (85) has posed:
    Of all the times Kagenashi finds relief in wearing a mask, this must certainly be one of them.

    Nobody else is able to see the steadily shifting expression of confusion, then realization, then a deep-seated...what? Anger, certainly. Fear, somewhat. Disgust, yes. All somehow boiling in her mind and gripping her heart and stomach in a frigid chill simultaneously, all crashing against her in a storm of - fittingly - utter chaos, matched by the shockwave that sends her crashing against the far wall finally in a dazed slump.

    Chaos, uncertainty, and a lack of clear control; the bane of every moment of Kagenashi's existence, every moment of restraint and focus and /order/; moments which, now, are not repeated. The nogitsune finds herself frozen, unable to find any clarity of thought or any certainty of action as she fixes on the woman's coiling ink and slit-pupiled eyes. For once, the fox is not so much the quick-thinking predator as the one transfixed and dumbstruck.

    "...how..."

    It's D's roaring fury that tears her focus away from the serpentine woman. Enough for her to make a few statements over the Confederate radio and alert her allies to the situation, creating some sort of facade of attention. Maybe D will be successful in his attempt; if so, she has a simple enough statement of 'overwhelming shock' to forgive her failure to stop him. Perhaps it would lead to a chastisement, or worse, but if he /can/ succeed...

    The nogitsune winces, struggling to rise from where she's slumped against the wall.

Nonon Jakuzure (805) has posed:
Breaking the laws of reality...

"That doesn't explain what's happening at all!" Nonon remarks, cheeks puffing, a bit irritated that she is entirely clueless about the situation! Well, a bit is to say that she has a clue what that world may be. There is only one world that she has even been in. Even then, Hiei had been in both far longer than she had.

However, Hiei's words next /do/ make it clear what is going on. "Was that so har-" She goes to state, crossing her arms just as the second shockwave ripples through. Stronger! On her knees, Nonon's pulled up to standing and then pushed right over onto her rear, rolling once before stopping. It's far less of a bother than the first time, but she's holding her hat on now, wincing, leaning over.

And then there is /ANOTHER/ shockwave. Attacking the, however gross it is, transformation of the woman into someone else. Into Medusa .. Gorgon? "Do we have to help her?" She grouses to Hiei, the shockwaves causing her to tumble over multiple times putting her in quite the unhelpful, and irritated, mood!

Pius Athanor (741) has posed:
    As the unfamiliar figure sits on the workbench in front of them, both Athanor siblings merely stare in shock and horror, Diane shaking her head as she is still crying and seemingly doesn't want to believe what she is seeing. Pius himself... looks angry, and he even dares point an accusing finger towards the woman. "I do not know who you are, but you are NOT my sister!" No. This is not what he made, and while he has no idea what is going on, he does speak one simple truth he does not know. Sure, let D be angry with him. Because right now Pius too feels that same anger directed at the woman in front of him.

Medusa Gorgon (22) has posed:
    There's a wild look in the woman's eyes where she sits, and the ink on her arms shifts more again as her attention is drawn to the vampire hunter as he stands in the middle of the room, radiating delicious hatred. For now the other people are ignored as Medusa outright stares at D as he advances on her. Her mind is pure chaos, Hiei will find. Though it's clear. And old, very different from a mere demon. This woman is something else.

    She does not move. Instead the tattoos on her arms come alive, and they rush out just as D draws his sword. But it seems that he is not her target right now. The next seconds pass by as if a blur. One moment the furious vampire hunter is advanced, terrible as a storm that threatens to overtake the witch, to send her back to the depths of whatever hell she has crawled out of. But just as he is about to send his sword through her sinister heart again to right what horror has been done, he will find that there is something else there.

    Pius Athanor.

    The alchemist himself cries out as the snake familiars grab him by the arms, biting down and drawing blood. And as cold steel pierces his chest, he can only stare at D in horror and shock, not even screaming as blood runs down the corners of his mouth.

    Behind him the snake witch is still staring at D. And slowly her mouth widens into a sinister grin that seems to break the limits of what a human face should be able to do.

    Again she lets out a strange sound. Except now there's little doubt as her wicked laughter echoes through the attic.

    Another person is screaming now however, as Diane recoils and lets out a high-pitched shriek. Even as Lyria rushes over and grabs her, the young girl is absolutely terrified. "PIUS!" And she will even try to rush over to her brother, though she's not strong enough to fight anybody who is set on getting her to safety. She's even light enough to pick up and carry by most people present.

Rory White (673) has posed:
    Having regained a little bit of her senses following the initial panic, Rory gets to work. With the precision of a machine she rises and dashes for Pius. Now that her multi-threading's active she's far less distracted, since other thought threads can take care of trying to understand what's going on. Meanwhile, the main one that's controlling her body prioritizes...

    GETTING THE HELL OUT OF DODGE.

    When she opens her mouth, it's with VOLUME CRANKED TO 11.

    "FAILURE! LEAVE THE HOUSE!"

    Just in case the homonculus girl can understand that and is listening somewhere.

    As it is, she needs to save Pius.

    But just as she's doing that... he gets bitten, all kinds of mangled, and RAN THROUGH.

    "Mr. ATHANOR!!"

    Well, this, THIS is just not going to do at all.

    Rory's outfit ripples in a sudden show of bravery. The lab-robes melt down and reshape into a skintight, more armor-like arrangement. They're denser this way, but not much more protection.

    Even with all the danger flying around the room, she tells Lyria, "Remove Diane. I will risk it for Pius."

    And on the orbiting Cognizant Odyssey, her contingency plan primes.

    But for now she faces the woman that had her terrified moments before, and raises a hand. The flesh in her palm actually splits open, to slightly bleed... and out protrudes a tiny gun barrel of some sort.

    "Release Mr. Athanor."

Pius Athanor (741) has posed:
    Downstairs Alexa raises her head. Listens for five seconds. Then she resumes watering the plants.

Hiei (772) has posed:
"Well, this turned out as badly as I told you it would." Hiei states to Pius as he removes himself from Medusa's mind. "Unfortunately, your payment is no longer adequate. I have far too much to gain now."

He blurs across the room, as if teleporting due to the speed with which he uses. Then he attempts to slide his sword cleanly into D's spine, with absolute surgical precision. "Listen, everyone." he announces, loud yet somehow relaxed. "Anyone who attempts to take or harm Medusa will be killed. I'm claiming her for myself, to take to the Confederacy. I do not care who you are or what you think your relationship is with me. I -will- kill you."

Project MORDRED (804) has posed:
To assist in the claiming of Medusa, MORDRED draws his Armour's Monofilament Broadsword, the Armour-sized weapon is then immediately used to carve a large hole in the wall. He uses the elbows of Glare-NT to clear out some of the rubble he's created, then reaches out with a spare hand to allow Hiei to take hold or push Medusa into the hand so he can take her. "All non-Confederate people on the scene might want to leave before this turns nasty."

D (232) has posed:
    Fresh blood coats D's longsword. Its once silvery glow is washed out in a crimson sheen not unlike the radiance continuing to emanate from his hateful glare.

    He does not seem to see or to care for the man he's stabbed, for all that his arm has been shocked into stillness by the surprising and gruesome turn of events. His eyes remain on Medusa Gorgon. His bloodthirst can only be quenched by her demise.

    Just as D begins to withdraw his sword from Pius's body, another blade enters the fray, and another shock interrupts his actions. This time, it's a sword punching through his own body. Hiei's sword slides into D's back, severs D's spinal column, and emerges from D's front at a point not very far above the navel.

    As Hiei reclaims his weapon, a spurt of D's own blood pours from the wound, first in a gory eruption, then in a weakening pulse. His legs fold beneath him, limp and numb. He falls to the floor, and brings his sword with him, his downward momentum yanking the bloodied blade free of Pius's body.

    It will only take a moment for D's regenerative powers to overcome his injury.

Pius Athanor (741) has posed:
    Impaled on D's sword, Pius is unable to do much. The snakes now let go of him, instead they circle around the witch, hissing warningly at D. Blood stains his linen shirt, and he is turning paler by the second. When the blade is drawn however there is nothing keeping the man upright... and he falls to the floor as blood begins to pool around his still body, his breathing ragged...

Kagenashi (85) has posed:
    A sudden wrenching dives through Kagenashi's chest at the twin strikes of D's sword and Hiei's, both for vastly different reasons. It seems there's nothing else to do now.

    Kagenashi has found her footing. She suddenly leaps up, bounding onto the table behind Medusa. Her swords have found their sheaths again, leaving her arms free: with no gentleness, she slips her arms under Medusa's shoulders and /shoves/ her toward MORDRED's waiting hand, giving her a good flight through the air with that quick burst of focused strength.

    That should at least spare Hiei from needing to take the time to pull out his sword and work Medusa over, even if the landing is...rough. Kagenashi will just take what satisfaction she can from that.

Nonon Jakuzure (805) has posed:
Hiei accelerates forwards, a blur towards D. Medusa Gorgon, the ally that wasn't all up until she revived a few moments ago, the one they are now required to defend. Medusa, though, seems to want a snack. She gets it, of course. being dead may be the leading cause of hunger, if zombies are to be believed. Nonon had never thought of that before. With her thoughts once more on track, not spinning like her eyes were a moment ago, she stands up tall, Hiei leaving her against the wall, while the alchemist is suddenly pierced through. Which is worse, the grin of blood or the deadening look on the man's face? The band woman tips the front of her hat down over her eyes. No, such sights don't deter her, but there is something to be said about choice. "I guess the guilt for his sister was eating him up inside~." Nonon states, as he gets eaten now from the outside in. The wall is then shorn to the side, as Rory .. transforms? Is that like ..!? No, it can't be. "Since he's released," She asks of Rory, walking towards the hole that MORDRED made, "We're going to take her and go - you know, you should be a little more specific next time~." Especially as Kagenashi just grabs her like that. Nonon stands at the very edge. That was .. fast. She grins to Lyria again, giving her yet another wave. Then hops backwards, onto MORDRED - but onto the machine's head, and not his hand.

Rory White (673) has posed:
    Rory White wastes absolutely no time. The moment Pius is dropped she rushes forward, utterly ignoring Hiei, Medusa, and even the mecha that just carved in the wall.

    The last of those things, in fact, just gave her an opportunity.

    With the strength only a robot could possess she slips under the fallen man and hoists him easily... then hurries for the window. It's at a breakneck pace, although Rory does go a bit lopsided from the added weight. Carrying a lot and running at once is quite a feat for her!

    But she's running straight for the corner of the big hole that MORDRED just carved?! WHY?!

    Well, the answer will come the moment she takes a flying leap.

    "You are AWFUL people!" She declares, likely to the Confederates, right before...

    Light engulfs her and her passenger even as she's just beginning to fall. Long before they hit the ground both of them vanish in a spear of light that heads skyward and is gone in the blink of an eye!

Medusa Gorgon (22) has posed:
    Medusa continues her mad cackling even as Hiei sees fit to stab D in the back, and her golden, snakelike eyes watch him intently as her laughter dies down into one final word. "... beloved." Her arms move weakly as she leans forward, as if she's about to advance on D herself, a wild and dangerous look in her eyes.

    At least until Kagenashi and MORDRED interferes. As Kagenashi throws the witch, it should be clear that the normally fearsome witch is weak right now, as if her limbs do not have much strength in them. And especially not enough strength to resist the other Confederates as they do their best to take her away. Merely a gasp leaves Medusa as she is thrown through the air and towards MORDRED, her body mostly limp as he grabs her.

Lyria Mason has posed:
Lyria Mason knows what she seems to have done, it would have been best if they had ailed she thinks but she can't fail Daine any fruther. she's going to drag her even if she gets hit or such. Worse Pius state, damn it all to the depths. They all been tricked into doing the work of the enemy.

"Rory will get to your brother, I am getting you out of here. I will not let you die!"

She's going to take Diane and do her best to hang on go her She has to have act fast will it be enough as she's moving to go down stairs, if she passes Pius other creation she'll shout at her.

"Get out of the house. REMOMRA WITH ME!"

She doesn't like running she likes even worse how chipper Nonon was about things she can't get her smug face out of her mind along with what happened to Pius. It makes things even /worse/, as she aims to keep fleeing.

Hiei (772) has posed:
"We're leaving with her. Unless you want me to burn this house to the ground and immediately begin decapitating villagers, I'd suggest staying out of our way." Hiei threatens, well, basically everyone who isn't helping him. "Someone make an exit, we're leaving unless you all still have business here. I have my payment."

Pius Athanor (741) has posed:
    "LET ME GO!" Diane wails and hits at Lyria, absolutely hysterical at this point. "HE NEEDS ME! PLEASE!" It's her brother! She has to go to him, to stop the bleeding!

Project MORDRED (804) has posed:
MORDRED grabs Medusa, then sheathes his sword and pulls her close, stepping back to increase distance. He holds out the Armour's other arm for others to climb aboard if they so desire, while he starts warming up main thrusters, clearly preparing to leave as soon as feasible.

Nonon Jakuzure (805) has posed:
Nonon just stands atop MORDRED's robot head, because she has clearly claimed it, thus making it her spot on the robot. Robo-shotgun. "It certainly passed the time. Biology club might need a little more funding, too." She remarks to herself, tossing some gum into her mouth and placing her hands at her hips.

D (232) has posed:
    Beloved.

    What a disgusting mockery of the word.

    D lunges to his feet in a black flash. He is a shadow, fast and solid, racing toward the retreating Medusa. Should Hiei get in his path, or should anyone else, he will put all his considerable strength into finding a way through their efforts. Hatred moves him past the point of common sense. He will kill her at any cost.

    At /any/ cost.

    The thought lays low his vengeful spirit more thoroughly than Hiei or anyone else could. His speed staggers to a halt. His sword flicks downward to shed its congealing red drops. At /any/ cost, truly? The cost of these villagers? Of more than just Pius Athanor?

    The mad light leaves D's stare, and the choking cold clinging to his menacing figure in a frosty shell slowly fades. He does nothing else but draw himself up into a tall, rigid stance. The shadows claim his regal visage, but Medusa will know he is watching her departure.

    Many lifetimes are ahead of him. He will be patient.

Hiei (772) has posed:
Hiei jumps on not far behind Nonon, being quite small himself. He still wields his sword, but he's quite ready to get out of here. "Well, it's been nice." he says with a bit of an indifferent shrug.

He peers down at D from his current mount atop MORDRED, his eyes calm and calculating. He notes D's hesitation. "Your wisdom and restraint are commendable. No slaughter then. Too bad. Let's go."

Kagenashi (85) has posed:
    Medusa is taken away. D's stopped his furious assault. It seems as though everything is done...essentially.

    Kagenashi takes another moment to watch and ensure the Confederates are successfully retreating, then another to look over to D. Silence hangs over her for several more seconds...

    ...and then, like a mist in the breeze, she vanishes into thin air right where she perches on the table.

Medusa Gorgon (22) has posed:
    Most of these people do not draw Medusa's attention as she is grabbed. For the most part she seems unfocused, though as D comes to a halt and watches her, she turns her attention to the vampire hunter, that wicked leer still on her lips. Her hand raises weakly as she steadies herself as she is held by MORDRED. Her soul's presence seems to become steadier. While her unnatural presence had overtaken the whole room after it had found a body to latch on to, it now is concentrated in the body. Pure destruction and chaos, and all of it is intent on D where he stands. The snake familiars settle into her arms, becoming tattoos again as they no longer seem to have to protect their evil mistress, and they seemingly regard the other Confederates as no threat.

    When Medusa speaks again, her voice is hoarse and rough, as if this is the first time she has spoken. Perhaps her new vocal chords could not handle her harsh laughter and mad cackling from before.

    "... I owe you one."

    That's all she says before the other Feds make their retreat and she closes her eyes, breathing steadily.

Hana (579) has posed:
    Hana gets up from where she was thrown against a wall. Her eye waters with a thin sap-like substance and she coughs up green goo from the injury of getting slammed against a wall. She looks around the room and destruction...

    "W-why...?" she wonders, heartbroken, and just curls up there in the room, staring at the blood on the floor.

    Nothing shatters innocence faster than what just happened.

D (232) has posed:
    The Hunter stands at the window, watching until the Confederacy has gone. As he waits, he takes the time to record a short message in his radio, though even those in the room with him won't be able to pick up on his words until the message reaches the Union.

    After that, he turns to go. His sword is put back into its sheath. He steps outside, and mounts his horse, and rides away again.

    Others will have to see to Diane, and to Pius Athanor, and to Hana. D is too preoccupied.