She really wasn't sure if she should be there but she did give her word to Sarai that she would visit. And of course Shae insisted she go as well. Visit before she left Rhy'din. Dressed in a sea-green chiffon dress with a deep v-neck and spaghetti straps, it was loose with long sleeves that hid her arms to her palms. Held in her arms was a vase of flowers and a get well bear hugging it. The bear was cute. Sue her. She wasn't fond of hospitals but there she was, slowly peeking into the room she had been pointed to as being his. She braced herself in more ways than one for what she would see.

The room was small but comfortable being in that backroom clinic that Claire had the man drug too for treatment. There were still a few lingering signs here and there of the ordeal that had been undertaken to keep him among the living: a large bio hazard bin full of empty blood product bags and vials of medications used to try and staunch that bleeding, the signs that stated 'No Magic' posted as reminders to staff, and the remains of the man's clothing soaked through in dried, dark crimson.

And in the middle of the room lay Mach. The man looked healthy with the bruising completely healed from his features, the blood cleaned off. He almost looked like he was merely sleeping if not for the two lines still slowly dripping a menagerie of supportive liquids into the man's veins or the robo-nurse still tracking the man's strong vitals but weak brain signals. It was almost surreal to see the man looking so full of life and yet so quiet, peaceful and calm in the worst manner. And the expression on his features" He was still grinning though it looked like they had at least gotten his other eye to close restfully though it was obvious one was still caught in a frozen wink, trying to reassure a phantom of the past.

All the signs were there and it wasn't hard to tell the reason. She was the reason he was there. Clenching on the vase she tried to steady herself but it wasn't working as well as she would of liked. The vase was placed near the window and she adjusted it before looking for a chair. The chair was dragged over to the bedside where she'd leave it for the moment. Biting her bottom lip she looked down at the grinning Mach. Why the hell was he grinning" Why wasn't he waking up" Maybe he was just sleeping and she came at a bad time" No. Sarai said that he hadn't woken up, period. Slowly she reached over and drew her fingers along his hand before finding his own fingers to give a little squeeze. "Mach?"

The man hadn't awoken since that night, hadn't stirred, hadn't budged an inch. The word 'vegetable' had been used a number of times during the preceding days but there was still just a hint of activity....as if something was happening but not enough. The touch found his fingers warm, alive and yet unresponsive....like some cruel joke. The man looked right as rain except he was missing....nothing more than an intricately sculpted doll given life but no mind. At that name there was a singular tick in the EEG, barely a peak and it was gone scrolling along those dead lines of activity.

The phantom watched the pink haired woman as they fingered and toyed with that strange piece of plastic in hand, the little circle comforting but what was it.....poker chip" Why did it suddenly remember that' For days it had simply been following this woman; worried, concerned, conflicted. Focus and thinking were usually hard with the howls of chaotic energy that crackled around the phantom, snarling like a vicious beast stealing thoughts and memories as if it were trying to smother it. But when it focused on the woman it found that it could keep some semblance of cognition, and this place that they visited now seemed to be a haven from the savage energy. The phantom could focus on that strong feeling that it had to help her....to make the woman happy....but why' Because....because....damnit, it just couldn't remember!

"So this is where you have been." Blues ticked to the woman in black that had been pestering him to make one last bet with that token in hand. He....he really wanted to and yet something kept him from doing so....the girl perhaps" He just didn't understand.....but when the woman touched those fingers" Spoke that name" It felt like a jolt ran through the phantom, something strong and warm washing over it in remembrance. A name. "Serah..."

The nurse had told her. Told her that he was just there and yet not. Like he had moved on but his body was still ticking away. Had his soul really left his body' Had she killed him and his body was just too stubborn to let go' It ached in a way that she just couldn't explain. She seemed to have missed the tick, the bleep, because her eyes were focused on the man's face. Hoping for a little sign of stirring. A little movement. A wiggle of a lash would do. Licking her bottom lip and biting at it she slowly lowered to sit at the edge of the seat. "I'm so sorry." the words choked out of her, "I'm so sorry for what I have done to you." Another squeeze to his fingers and slowly she dipped her forehead until it was resting over the arm, just below the elbow. "I had to come tell you before I- before I left."

The phantom watched the woman as she moved, as she took a seat next to that man and apologized to him. To me....Mach.

"Mach....I'm Mach....so what the hell does that mean?" He pondered this as he watched the woman apologize to the m...him. What she did" What had the woman done to him' There was a thought, some consideration as he tried to piece things together but it was so hard.....so fragmented. It had been days since he'd come to this....form. The agitating, cold, wet woolen feel that was maddening when he'd first found himself as he was had faded, all but gone but there was a shiver as for some reason the woman reminded him of it.

"She has come to bid you farewell Elitia Vance Turner. Should you not graciously accept her acceptance of your state"" Blues ticked to the woman as her painted face shifted mildly to considered him in turn.

"Yeah....may..." Left' Before she left' Something about those words caught the man. Left what? Left where" How.....how would he see her" That was important, right' He felt it was important but.....why"

"I am curious why you struggle so much against your own fate....were you not always ready to die" Simply doing as you must until you found that which would finally put an end to your lucky streak"" The woman's words were spoken plain, drab even yet felt like honey, smacked of truth.....Yet there was an offness to it. Had that always been there" That feeling that there was now a caveat to such a fatalistic mindset"

And where was the woman going" Why did it matter....no, that wasn't important. What was important was that she was going! Right!" Damnit he could use a smoke....what the hell was a smoke....was it this smoldering stick in his hand" Right, this place had different rule" rules he knew and yet knew not how he knew.

The currents of ether were restless in that room, agitated even lending a strange feeling to the air that wasn't there before. And that EEG machine" there was a dull, constant rhythm of activity punctuated by stronger spikes, like something was trying to push through that muted haze that covered the brain activity like snow.

Serah was good keeping her forehead there for a little longer. Squeezes of her hand offered to his hand every so often. She might have been crying. Might have been. But by the time her head rose she had stopped. Strains of pink clung to her face though, tattling on her. A slow stand was made and she looked to the machine. Hey! Hey there was activity! That was a good sign. She gave one more squeeze to the hand before looking to the man's face. "You better not stay like this for long. Sarai and I am sure other people will be waiting for you to get out of bed, yeah' Go make trouble and all that." She gave a sad little smile as her fingers uncurled and slowly released the hand she had been clinging to. "You will be just fine. Right' Right! Because you are Mach. Too stubborn for your own good."

He could feel that squeeze of hand, a tingle in his own phantasmal digits that toyed with that token. There was a wet warmth that felt like it ran down his arm....she was crying. Why was she crying! "Why are you crying! I'm Mach! Mach! You shouldn't be crying over me....this....this isn't..."

"You have made an impression upon them, a connection. Did you not think they would care so much for your passing" Had you really fooled yourself in that regard"" Another curious tilt of head watching the stunned hunter.

"She....I..." The man had no good answers to that question. No answers that he could give voice too....or maybe he just didn't want to. Why was this so damned important!" Why....why did she look so sad! Why did her words feel like daggers in him.

And when her fingers left that bodies why did it feel like the cold had wrapped back around him....when had it even become warm' More thoughts, more confusion but there was one constant. He....had to reach out. He couldn't let her leave like this....he didn't even know where she was leaving to! Why did that thought burn.....no, hurt so badly!"

That EEG was alive though still not enough to warrant calling the man back yet....but then there was a tremor, the slightest tremble across those features as something squeezed at the corner of that resting eye. A single tear as that entity, agitated and whipping into a fervor in the ether clawed at that meat puppet, trying to reclaim it.

"Don't go....don't go! Damn it....don't go! Come on! Notice! Go you stupid sack of meat!" Mach howled against the winds trying to reach out to the woman.

It was something. Even if it was a little something. Activity meant there was a chance. That should make Sarai happy. It was likely because she was watching the machine that she missed anything else that might of been going on. So focused, almost as if she were willing that machine to tell her more. Something startled her and she clenched on the edge of the bed. Did she hear him' No. It was the buzz of her phone that she was removing from her pocket. Hrmph. Hope was growing impatient but she did understand. The gateway could only be held for so long. Chewing her bottom lip she looked at the message that scrolled across the screen. People waiting. Academy personal. Guards. Just in case. That likely meant Noel was going to be there. Putting the phone away she looked around and moved to where she saw where some doctor left a note pad and pen. Two words were scribbled on the paper, inking black on the white paper. I'm sorry. It was simple. To the point. There would be no goodbyes left to paper. It seemed almost cruel to do that. She did seem to pause as if to write more but after consideration the pen was slowly lowered and left to rest near the pad. A pained sigh emptied out her lungs and willing herself not to look back she started her leave. He would be fine, she kept telling herself. He would. This ache" She shouldn't have this ache. Sure the guilt. It was her fault after all.

"No! NO!!!" Mach screamed, thrashed in the room. He could just reach out....just grab her but he couldn't. Each time he grabbed at her his hand would pass through ineffectively. Damnit. Damnit! This....this wasn't supposed to be like this, this....why did this hurt so bad. She had nearly killed him.....but....that was something just to joke off. Where was she going!"! He could try to follow but what if she was going to his Valhalla that he remembered hearing spoken of....a realm separate from this one" He knew he couldn't follow, not like this....a shard of his had been kicking around the portal station for days trying to get through to visit his siblings back on Tang.

Each swipe of the phantoms digits through the woman's hands was like the electrical storm which came from pulling a wool glove off in the cold, dry winter. It was an odd feeling, sickly and drawing back towards that bed side. "Serah! SERAH! Damnit all"!"

"I do not understand what you hope to accomplish Elitia Vance Turner. You are a part....the largest and strongest, hollowed as you are of your mind, but still only one and you have not the means to return to your body." There was a point to that single chip in the man's hand. "You need more than just that to return, to join the living once more. And the offer still stands."

Mach considered the poker chip in hand, his teeth clenching. The offer" one more hand, loser takes all" but then it was crap odds. Even if he was lucky, how long would it last' How long would it take!" She was leaving....and there was nothing he could do about that, not now. Would he simply remain like this until he gave up" A spirit lost in the ether" A body living until his soul dissipated and finally it would fail" Could he win back his life, scrape enough together to push back into that body for what? The woman could be gone and gone for good, left blaming herself for his death until the end of her days! He looked to that poker chip as he ran through his limited options...think Eli, think! "This.....can I trade this....for one last chance to talk with her?" A tick of blues, wild, to the reaper. "To....to give her closure....to tell her this wasn't her fault....can I do that!?"

The black shrouded figure lifted a delicate digit up to tap at its chin thoughtfully. "You do say the most interesting things Elitia Vance Turner. You wish to bring that one to the ether simply to talk with her" You understand she will not remember this conversation' She may only be imprinted with the feelings imparted to her at her return."

"Did I stutter?" The man gave the reaper a sharp look. "I know what it'll mean.....and I know I could try to play this last chip for more....but....I'm not going to bet Serah's potential happiness on that. I can't. I..." He bit his lip. "I just can't' I care for her too much for that' for her happiness yeah?" He held up the chip, a fierceness in the cut of that blue gaze. "So what?ll it be....one time offer, going fast! You know my history....you know how stubborn I can be....I could hold on to this just to be a prick!"

The reaper considered this a moment, time seeming to come to a standstill as it thought over the man's proposal. "I almost feel regret to be losing such a fascinating soul to observe Elitia Vance Turner. But you have played the game admirably." The woman was next to him, bony fingers plucking the chip from his. There was no need to ask if he was certain, his resolve burned brightly upon his features, exuded from his very core. "I accept your terms. Grab her. And we shall meet in the realm between""

Before he could ask how the woman was gone leaving Mach alone in the room with Serah as she was leaving. Grab her....grab her....He focused himself, focused his will as he wrapped his arms around the woman, exerting his will to try and get her to return to his body, to touch him one last time.

"Serah! SERAH!!" Mach yelled in the air, fruitless as he tried to draw her back to his body. He could see the look upon her and it tore at him, honed that will as more of the man's mind returned. "Please....please Serah...damnit! Damn....ghost...ish...***!" Cool energy embraced her and tugged at her, trying to lead her back to that bed as he tried to force his voice to her, even if just the slightest strings of a familiar voice calling to her from that body still and motionless.

She was an idiot. She shouldn't have come. She could have just told Sarai that she did and left it at that. A tingling of her hand caused it to curl. She wasn't sure why she half expected there to be another hand there. It was likely the lingering sensation of his hand and the fact she had been clinging to it. Stupid. There was a personal kicking going on in her head and just as she reached out to the door when she felt something" something that sent a shiver down her spine. She had been told it was someone dancing on your grave when you felt that way. Ridiculous as it sounded it did leave that strange sensation. That wasn't what had her attention though. Turning her head she swore she heard something. Her eyes slowly found the figure on the bed and for a moment she just stood there. Drawn, tugged, she left the door only to return to the bedside. No. She had been hearing things. He hadn't moved. Maybe she had just hoped that hard that he would wake. Or she was losing it. Correction, losing it completely. Maybe it was a good thing she was returning to Academy. A soft breath emptied her lungs as she leaned down and very lightly pressed her lips to the man's brow.

And as she leaned down to press a light kiss against his brow, the man's ephemeral arms wrapping around her from behind. ". . . Serah . . ." The voice was but a whisper, almost inaudible from the man's lips. The EEG was going crazy, spikes pushing into the conscious realm though the woman wouldn't be able to see this as an intense feeling of vertigo washed over her as her lips found his brown. It was like she had just been pulled under the waves of the ocean by a riptide which drug her down into the depths.....down from the conscious world, the world of the living and into the ether beneath.

(Created with the bodacious Serah Farron! Many thanks and stay tuned!)

The skeleton painted woman turned indistinct eyes now to the pink haired one, their expression as calm as the ocean that barely stirred in the background. If there was any remorse to be had for what she had just done or said it did not show as they continued on with those negotiations. "That life you offer is not yours to give away Serah Farron. That heart belongs to another, and you simply take of it. And I believe you have the wrong assumption of what I am. I am merely an observer; a construct of Elitia Vance Turners will that helped to guide him through the return of his soul to the ether. I am not interested in playing for 'life' as it were, it matters not to I.....all 'life' returns to the ether inevitably." There was a pause, that bony finger that just ended Mach lifting to tap at the woman's chin thoughtfully. "But....I am curious at your proposal. If you are so eager to play God over your life and Elitia Vance Turners I propose you play with what is yours to try and win back that of what was his....and you may split the pot' so to speak. Do you agree to this"" There was another pause, a thought perhaps or just a measured beat in some attempt at normalcy on the reapers part. "The game would be Blackjack....something that was very symbolic to Elitia Vance Turner."

Serah blinked over to Mach and stared in horror when she saw the man simply disappear into nothingness. Her legs gave and she crumpled down to her knees, falling back to sit on her heels as she just stared at the spot. She failed. "My heart belongs to no one but myself!" She suddenly snapped at the figure. "The heart of chaos is in me! If it is gone so too am I. How the hell do you say it belongs to another! The heart of chaos was infused into me and it breathes life into me. If Hope was to remove it so too would he remove my immortally. So don't give me that crap! " She was upset and she couldn't help it. "Play god" It is my damn life! If I want to give it to someone else that is my business. It doesn't mean I am playing god." Blackjack. Heh. Why wasn't she surprised. "How much time do I have left do you wager since you claim the heart of chaos and my immortally is not my own?"

The shrouded one turned its head slightly as Serah yelled at her. It was a measured move, one mastered by someone that obviously took all their cues for normalcy by watching others. "You said so yourself, the heart was infused into you. Because it has become integral for your survival does not make the immortal life within it yours....or you would not have the same odd inclination of death as the late Elitia Vance Turner had. And were the immortal power of it yours to give you could simply have offered that I instill a part of it for the departed."

The figure took a step towards Serah, and another, slowly and steadily before she finally veered to take a seat at that poker table that Serah should well recognize....it was Mach's. The table hadn't been there before but now it was, sitting upon the sands of that dead beach as if there was where it had been the entire time. "Are you not playing god by trying to control the life of another" Elitia Vance Turner was prepared to die, had been for a long time.....and he simply did such, but you do not wish to accept that fate. I am curious as to why""

The figure shifted slightly, an appropriate number of chips appearing upon the table nearest to her.....some sort of conversion between life and poker chips though how one would figure that was beyond reason.

Serah turned to watch the figure step to the table. "I cannot just have it installed into someone else but I can have the immortality removed from me, can I not' In that it would be my time. While I cannot simply give the heart of chaos to another I can be stripped of the immortality." Her eyes lowered when she was asked that question. "If he accepted his fate he wouldn't of looked as scared as he did when you made him disappear. He- he isn't as ready as he claims himself to be. Even I can see that. He made his choices brashly." She turned more and stepped to the table, her fingers drifting across the surface. Did it have scratches on it' Hmm. "You say I am playing god but at the same time wouldn't that be what I did when I unleashed the chaos on him' I want to give it back to him and if I can give back more I will." Her eyes turned to the woman. "He is someone I care for and I am tired of losing the people I hold dear. And I know he is not as ready as he says. I know you saw it too." She'd sit slowly and watch the poker chips. The woman never answered her question.

The reaper turned her head as she made the appearances of listening. They probably were but the expression upon them was always bland, uninterested.....just slightly wrong. A deck of cards was plucked from the air and with expert grace the reaper began to shuffle. "I see. I apologize if I do not understand. My experience and knowledge comes from the one who was known as Elitia Vance Turner. I do not believe he had encountered anything as that which you describe." A gracious bow of head was offered to the woman. As for her words about the Mach's willingness to die the woman would simply tilt her head the other way.

"You are correct in many ways on your assessment of Elitia Vance Turners acceptance of death. He seems to have had some doubt placed in him as of late. He did not even have this when he cast his first level S spell a little time ago. I am curious as to why that may have changed in the man....but then I cannot fathom what thought processes he possessed or the lay of his heart. I merely know of his history and make observations based off what patterns I can discern in my limited scope and ability." Now may have been a time for a shrug but the figure had no interest to emulate such common and mundane social cues. "If I was a gambling type though, I would venture his hesitation was that you may have attempted to intercede on his behalf. To risk yourself for him which seemed to be something the man was vehemently against." There was a brief pause as if the woman were thinking on something. "Perhaps you are correct that his was a brash decision, fueled by more reasons than even he cared to admit." And now the woman shrugged.

And as for that comment regarding the pink haired one playing god" "Yes, you seek to give life to the man. Anyone may kill and destroy, that is not the domain of the gods. Theirs is to create. If you do win Elitia Vance Turners life back I regret to inform you it will still be shortened and by our agreement there will be no way to extend such. There are constraints upon the man, his body, and his soul....damage that is not so easily ignored or repaired. Perhaps that is something you can work on with the man later....though he will at least need a spark for any such discussions to occur. So, shall we""

She listened to the woman but there were things in her mind that were in the works. Things that she was deciding on but that was to be spoken of soon-ish. "You never did answer me. If I am going to give up my immortality I wish to know how many years you are pitting up against it." It was only fair, after all, to know what she was working with. No way to extend such. Her lips thinned a bit as she looked up to the woman. "So you understand I am offering up the immortality for the years to play." She glanced to the chips and raised her chin to them in gesture.

The reaper canted her head. "You will be playing for Elitia Vance Turners three remaining years. That and I suppose the right to buy back his life as it is currently forfeit." At the woman's question the reaper simply stared. "As I understand you wish to bet your own life for the man's, but immortality is priceless while Elitia Vance Turner only had three years remaining. I would hear what you believe a fair price for such would be for I have given you three years of chips at the moment."

"Three years. That is- That is all" There is no way to extend it more" Not even if I am offering up immortality?" Her hands clasped and she scratched at her knuckles. She was not happy with hearing this. Surely there had to be a way to add to it. "What if I add my years to his as well. Will that extend it any?"

The reaper canted a head at Serah. "And now you are trying to play god, or seek that I should do such." There was the barest hint of a smile at that but it would be gone in an instant. "As I have stated, there are constraints upon the man and his body, his soul. One cannot simply just throw life energy at one as he. Even healing can kill if done improperly. And beyond this there are limits to what I may do. The best I would be able to do is pool your lives and split them even and only at consent of the departed for it would still be his life affected. Please understand.....I am but an observer with nothing to neither gain nor loose in any of this, but I am still bound by the laws of the world as they are."

Serah knew Mach wouldn't go for splitting time. Hell he didn't like it this far. "I wager my years, then, for his three years plus five for the so called rights to buy his life back. Two for me to save on the side. That is ten." She wasn't thrilled with it. She'd much rather give Mach more but with needing his consent, which she knew wouldn't fly with him, this was her so say limit.

To this offer the reaper shook her head sadly. "You do not understand the man's constraints as I do not understand your" heart of chaos"." A thin, bony finger rose to tap at the woman's chin. "Suppose I agree and then you win this life for the man. He would still need to agree to the consequences of taking on this time....that his body, his soul is only capable of three and yet it would have to be stretched to ten. I believe the saying for this is....to live like too little butter spread across too much bread" His quality of life would diminish for he simply cannot accommodate such time as he is. Why do you believe that Mach has such a stringently set number of years" Have you not found such odd"" The reapers tone was never judgmental, never insulting....simply curious to understand the woman, the interloper in Mach's personalized limbo.

She watched the woman through low cast lashes. "You misunderstand me. I am agreeing to three years for him. Not ten. The extra five is to pay for the payment of buying his life back. That would mean it would-" she waved a hand dismissively. And the two years. Those would be the ones she held onto. Hers. "Because the way he lives his life so recklessly' Because he is unable to sustain in a world that is saturated with magic" Because he is simply set with those number of years?" The later bothered her more than she wished to admit. "If I am agreeing to give him his three years back that wouldn't be spreading him thin. It would just be returning what he recently lost, no?"

The woman chuckled, airy and light. It was a strange sound coming from one so ominous and foreboding. "You do not need to buy his life back....that is what the game is for. You would only need to be willing to lose three years of your life were you not to win. I have no interest in the years won or lost in this exchange, simply at the will to risk. Elitia Vance Turner paid because he wished to see you so as to ensure you lived long and prosperous. I am curious if you are so willing to risk such for him to return....and I am curious as to what drives you and he to do such as each of you do....that is all."

Giving up immortality for three years didn't seem right but her own years" She could use that or what was left of it. Her eyes dipped a bit and she gave a nod. "I've already told you my reason. Beyond that' It isn't important." A finger settled on the table as she looked up. "I want to add one more year for a favor of sorts, should I win." She didn't wait to see if the woman would listen to it or not. "If I win I want him to wake up and not remember me." It ached to say those words. No. It down right hurt. "It shouldn't be difficult to do, no' Locking away those memories of me. I know you are going to ask why and it is so he will not do something like this again. So he can live without-" she paused ever so briefly, "So he can live without me as being some sort of distraction that hurts him. These feelings for me he has he doesn't want. I am fine with me remembering but he-" she shook her head. "So three years plus that one. I wager those."

The reaper watched her, curious, before something of humor found her. "You wish to take that which has given him a will to live and be brash, return his resolve for death"" Spoken in that simple manner though was there some admiration in the woman's tone" "I understand. It is curious, atypical for your kind to wish such but perhaps you understand more of the man than I had assumed." There was the slightest of nods. "Taking memories is not something I can do easily, it will require me to take one of the man's years plus that one which you offer. He will have two but they will be productive without the distraction nor fear of death." The reaper nodded. "Yes....I would find those terms agreeable."

She blinked slowly at the woman and her head tilted to the side. "I am not sure how you can say I have given him resolve to live. I am just another woman in that man's life. He has plenty of them and I am easily?" she was easy to replace and forget. There were plenty of other people to replace her. Sarai was waiting for him. He had her. If he was so willing to live, if she had been that, then why. Why did he look so eager to go up until the point he was gone" "Why does it require you to take one of his years" Can I offer up two instead of you taking one from him as well?"

The reaper watched the pink haired one across the way, cool and collected. "Perhaps I am wrong. I simply surmised as he is always chasing and seeking to improve in his limited way for you. He is one who seemed to care little of himself but rather lived for others and you seemed to be a strongly motivating engine for this anachronistic characteristic. But then again, as I have stated, I do not understand the man's mind nor the machinations that typically drive ones as you and he. If you believe you are replaceable to him than perhaps you are....it was never a question I was able to get the man to answer during our conversations." The slightest lift of shoulders in what could be considered a shrug. "And it requires his life because they are his memories, engraved into him. They are a part of him, and so a part of him must die for those memories to vanish." There was a moment's pause. "Would you only wish the memories extinguished or the feelings attached to such as well" While connected the mind, heart, and soul are still distinct."

"I am sure he does the same for others." It was spoken quietly, almost weakly. Her heart ached and it needed to stop. "I am not going to take a year from him for this; however, I am trying to give the man back the years that were taken from him because of me, not leave him with less." So that was out of the window. The question became moot at that point so she didn't answer. Hands clasped on the tabletop she looked to the woman.

The reaper tilted her head. "It would seem he does not from what I have witnessed, hence why I thought that it was you who had elicited such a change. The very fact that he brought you here and not more suitable agents seemed peculiar as well." At her other words there was a tap on chin. "I see. Then it is probably for the better to leave the man's emotions intact as well as they would have reduced his life further to a few months" Another tap on chin, thoughtful before those bone thin fingers rested upon the table, a stack of chips appearing before the reaper. They looked....nostalgic.....warm.....friendly.....they exuded the life that was once Mach's.

Serah's eyes turned up to the woman and for a moment she was just silent. "Suitable agents?" Her eyes slowly lowered as the chips appeared. This woman only caused her to question Mach more. Lies and shrouded truths Mach always had. Keeping her afar and yet that was what he wanted. He didn't want her close. Ugh! Stupid man! Just! Just stupid!! She nodded and gave a little chirp of a laugh as she reached for the chips.

Dead eyes watched the pink haired one as thing fingers shuffled the cards with the barest whiffle. Dealing out the cards silently the pale woman would push a chip into the pot. "Suitable agent....one that was not emotionally connected to the man, that could have continued to pursue his agenda beyond his limited time. Instead he curiously chose to bring you here, to see you and convince you himself. It was foolhardy but it seems brash is a common method for the man." There was a tick of a smile at the confusion that worked on Serah's face. "He does enjoy his secrets....a way to retain control it would seem." Everything spoken simply.

"He is Mach." It was as if to say "enough said". While she listened to the woman and watched the dealing of the cards she tried not to think about him or what the woman was saying. She accepted his ways of keeping secrets even if he would not allow her her own. Her fingers set against the king and queen cards and she separated them before lifting her gaze up to the woman to see if she would allow a split. A dangerous dealing seeing how she could lose not only one hand but two, and lose double what was placed down. "I don't- I don't understand why he chases after me. I mean I know he says he likes me but he's Mach." Her voice grew more quiet. "He likes everyone." She'd shake her head. All that mattered was getting him alive. Sarai, and others, surely would be pleased.

The woman smiled thinly, a strangely friendly expression. This was obviously Mach's influence over the reaper, his will that gave them this strange touch of warmth and openness while they played the game. At the slow splitting of cards, that gaze to see if it was allowed those bony fingers would simply reach out to help her separate the cards, a pause for Serah to add in chips to account for the gambit before the woman would begin to deal. "He is Mach." The words repeated and another airy laugh at this. "Has he never told you of the right of namesake" Have you never noticed the difference he has for when others use his given name"" The woman asked questions and yet one couldn't help but feel that they were all rhetorical, that the woman already knew the answer to all of this. "Do you know what Elitia Vance Turner's greatest lie is""

Seven to the queen. Seventeen. Her lips pursed and she pressed her palm over it to stand. Another card, this one to her king. Another face card. Twenty. She'd stand on that one as well. She didn't look up to the woman's hand, instead listened to her words. "No he never explained it to me but I did hear him explain it to another. I must admit I wasn't listening very well. Rude to listen in on others conversations." Her eyes drifted up slowly to the woman and a brow raised high. Notice the difference he has for when others used his given name" She couldn't say she understood the question. She shook her head, either acknowledging that she had no clue what the woman meant or maybe it was about his greatest lie. "That he wasn't afraid to die?"

The woman moved with the quiet grace of one not interested in the outcome of the game so much as the game itself. Fingers flipped over that hole card revealing a ten to that five. A hit played....four of clubs brought the woman up to nineteen. Holding there was the quiet push and pull of chips before the next dealing of cards. At Serah's explanation of the namesake the reaper simply clicked her tongue, and again as she gave her answer to the man's greatest lie. "Perhaps you do not actually wish to know the answer to any of these. That you prefer your ignorance about the man. Is it not easy to keep one away when they remain ignorant of you?" A knowing smile offered to Serah.

There was a quiet exhale of breath. Nineteen. She won! There was no leap for joy, no real tell that showed just how relieved she was. Instead her eyes were up to the woman's face. "What do you mean ignorance about him' What do I have to go by but his words and actions" I do not claim to be a mind reader."

That thin smile sat upon the woman' features, a ten showing as the woman looked over Serah. "Have you asked" I do believe it is something that he has taken to saying with you. 'Ask and I will tell you the truth.'" A tap of chin, thinking. "I am curious how much truth versus lies the man has spoken. More things he did not share with on as I. Perhaps he simply assumed I should know being that which I am."

They were still playing" She blinked and lowered her eyes to her cards. "I-" Slowly she frowned. "Yes, he's said that. However-" She slowly started to sink. "When a person speaks lies so easily it is hard to tell if the truth he speaks is the truth or a lie." Her lashes lowered. Whatever she wasn't getting this woman seemed to enjoy poking at the shadows. It made her feel a bit stupid. It didn't matter though. He was going to live. He would be okay. At least for what time he has. That was good.

The woman ticked her head to the side. "Did you think we would decide the man's fate on single turn of the cards. You must win his life back....drain it from this pile." There was a tap on the stack of chips before the reaper. At Serah's words the woman simply shrugged in that mild manner of hers. "I suppose that is true. And he has given no more than his own words for assurance to trust him after such I am sure." That thin smile.

"Yeah kinda did. You must just wanna draw this out don't you?" She chuckled. "Must get awfully bored around here so I don't blame you I guess." Her fingers curled against her palms as she regarded her cards. Ace and ten. Hey look. Blackjack. Devil's luck much' "Yeah. He definitely likes to make sure that a person can't tell." You'd think a blackjack would have drawn a smile but instead she seemed to lose her smile all together. His words. His actions.

The woman smiled. "I do not get bored, I simply observe and consider. Boredom is something that mortals feel. And to be frank, there is no shortage of lives ending. Ends are in no shortage." Explained evenly as another hand was dealt. A seven showing from the reaper. "It is his way of hiding." A tap of boney finger upon chin. "The man's greatest lie"....'I am Mach!'" The reaper giggled airy and thin as she said this.

Jack and a three. She flinched and tapped the cards for a hit. She blinked. Mach did say that a lot but she didn't understand. "How do you mean that is his greatest lie?"

An easy glide, a king made twenty three for the pink haired one. Those bony fingers dragged the chips back, an ominous feeling at that motion "Is that not a question to ask the man' Perhaps a different question....what does it mean to you when you think of 'Mach'" And how could you think that may be a lie"" A new hand dealt.

Ugh. The reaper was making her head hurt. She watched as the next hand was drawn and stared at the two aces that the woman had. Crap. Her own hand wasn't all that great. A six and a nine. She tapped the cards for a hit. An ace. Okay. Well damn. Sixteen was such a sour place to sit. She tapped on the cards after a moment for another card. Three. Nineteen. Okay she was good with that. She turned her eyes to the reaper. "Mach simply is who he is. A man who wants nobody close and just wants to go out, have fun, cause trouble, and- and I don't know." She watched the reaper's draw closely. This hand could likely prove very, very bad for her.

The reaper split the aces, a seven and seven dealt and held though it wasn't enough to beat the nineteen. A loss though it didn't seem to bother the woman. No, they were much more interested in the pink haired one that played for the very life of Mach. "He is indeed that. A man that works hard to keep people at bay. To live what little life he has left showing a smile to the world until the day when he finally vanishes." The woman dealt a new hand. "One that will not be missed as I believe he has said it." A slight roll of shoulders.

Better darn well be getting closer! She was winning! The reapers new hand, a jack and a nine. Nineteen. Hers" A two and an ace. Her eyes dipped a little and she snorted quietly to herself. "He really can be an idiot sometimes. Sarai is about losing her mind on the other side and he just-" She sighed and tapped the cards. A six. Nineteen! Sweet! It was a draw. "Why are you telling me all this?" Her eyes finally turned up to the woman. "Is it simply talk to pass the time or are you trying to make a point?" Sitting back she clasped her hands on the table. "You tell me to ask the man but you, yourself, have agreed that one cannot just tell if he is lying or telling the truth. Even if I were to ask him specifics of, well, anything" " she shook her head slowly. "He has said that he would tell the truth but in truth that could also be a lie. He could tell me the truth, or count on me being naive and tell a lie thinking I would accept it as a truth." Her lips sealed for a moment and she looked out to the water. "And that is the way he wants it."

The woman rolled her shoulders. "I am curious. And as I am a construct of the man that was Elitia Vance Turner, that which interests him interests me as well. You sent him to this realm, killed him for all intents and purposes....and yet his final act was an attempt to absolve you. It is all very curious." Seeing the woman place her hands on the table there was a pause in that deal. At Serah's words the reaper simply shrugged again. "I suppose you are correct, though it was always my assumption that some blind trust was required when dealing with others." Boney fingers folded before the woman once more as she tilted her head ever so slightly in that curious manner. "I have been wondering. You speak about the man's wants; his desires though you yourself claim that he has done nothing but lie to you and kept you at distance. Is there some way which you are discerning what he truly wants over what he shows""

"Maybe he didn't want the guilt of leaving me feeling guilty' I cannot say I know for sure." Why did he bring her here. Why did he go out of his way, waste that precious bit of life, to tell her the things he had. "I am not saying he has lied to me. I cannot say if he has or hasn't." She pointed out. The distance part she couldn't deny. Maybe that was a bit on both ends. "As I said before I am not a mind reader. So his actions tends to speak for him." There was some memory there when she said that which caused Serah's eyes to lower and strength seemed to bleed away from her. "How is the pot coming along?"

The woman seemed to listen as Serah spoke, taking all in without so much as batting an eye. It was very disconcerting, alien despite the human appearance of the reaper. "I see. I suppose Elitia Vance Turner is as that. Not always so, but this is how he has grown to be." A slight nod before the woman looked to her remaining chips. "I think one or two more hands will have won you the life of the man." There was a pause as the woman noted the slack that came over her. "Do you wish to surrender"" The question posed simply.

"And he makes it increasingly hard to tell." Serah chuckled quietly and her hands relaxed. Whatever was funny she kept to herself and gestured to the reaper. "I am not surrendering. I was just a little surprised at how many hands it is taking. I have won quite a bit so far." If she was pleased by this she didn't show it. She seemed more in her thoughts which helped in the long run. "Deal."

The woman nodded. "He is growing better at his game. I believe he may just attain his goal yet....it will be interesting how our side wagers play out." The reaper tapped slightly upon her chin. Had the man been making other bets with the reaper on prior visits!" How often did he end up in this little slice of stagnant hell" The woman would deal those cards, a nine and six for it. Serah would come out short, a tap for a hit bringing her to seventeen before she held. It was a forced hit to the reaper that didn't seem the least bit surprised or outraged when it flipped over that queen. Twenty five. Bust. That pot seemed to appear before Serah, the warmth of life....two lives evident among the plastic chips. Looking back to the woman she would be holding a lone chip. "The man held a chip like this when he went all in....to think the gall he would have to try and cheat death for a chance to do whatever it was he was attempting to accomplish. He is most certainly an interesting soul." With a simple flick of thumb the chip would be sent sailing end over end towards Serah. And when it would make contact, whether that was from her catching it or it simply smacking her she would feel another presence upon that beach. At the water's edge stood that man in uniform once more, hands tucked in pockets as they looked out at the calm ocean.

"His goal?" She sat back and looked at the woman in silence. This has happened before" Him being here. She watched the hand being dealt and a quiet sigh left her. Reaching out she softly touched the pot before her fingers drifted down. But wasn't it established that the last chip had been used to bring her here. To tell Serah it wasn't her fault' He tried to cheat death just to do that. The chip gracefully smacked her forehead and she quickly reached up to try and catch it but her hand stopped with her palm up. If the chip landed it landed, if not it would fall in her lap. Her attention had gone elsewhere. Instead her eyes had went in search for that other presence and there he was, standing and watching the water " it was Mach. Her eyes turned quickly to the woman she had been playing cards with. "We are done then" Also has he been listening in on us this entire time?"

The woman simply smiled thinly at the woman. A construct of the man's mind indeed! Right down to how annoyingly cryptic they could be it would seem. Folding her hands before her once more as the both of them were now standing, that chip in Serah's hands. As for the table, the very game they had just been playing there was no evidence that it had ever existed or occurred. It was likely a very disorienting feeling the first few times it happened: that shift of everything in an instant. It was perhaps one of those little tricks that helped to drive home the fact at how little influence one really had in this realm despite how the mind sculpted it.

As for Mach he simply popped his neck mildly as he continued to gaze out at the water. Had he not sensed the two's presence" It wouldn't appear that was the case before finally those blues ticked back. And the expression upon his face" That may well have answered Serah's second question of whether he could hear all that had been discussed in his absence.....because he did not look pleased in the slightest.

(Adapted from live play with the stupendous Serah Farron! Many thanks and stay tuned!)

Beep....Beep....Beep....Beep...

The steady tone of the heart monitor roused the man from that deep, dreamless slumber. He blinked once, twice trying to clear the haze away from his vision as more sounds and sensations became apparent: the gentle whir of IV pumps, the cool tingle of cold liquid pushing into his veins, the soft sound of breaths not his own. A hand was brought up to his face to break apart the frozen expression that clung to those rugged features" or would have if not for the subtle resistance at his wrist. The disjointing feeling of being bound in place jarred his drug addled mind, the woolen webbing burning away as those blues opened in earnest trying to grasp a hold of the reality he found himself in.

A room, familiar" a clinic, sterile but small with monitoring equipment where he" he". oh. Those fragmented memories began to assemble into a rather unpleasant picture in his mind, the events that led to his current predicament playing back. That's right' he'd assaulted a staff member trying to' damnit. Blues ticked about noting the darkness of the windows that had been still painted with light last time he had noted them. He'd lost hours, any trail likely cold dead end. He may have started cursing angrily save for that presence he sensed in the corner: an elven woman who now watched him wearily from over the pages of her book. A waggle of fingers was offered as best he was able to his one-to-one watch; the woman's expression not improving any at the friendly gesture.

"H-hey doll?" His voice felt dry, crackly thanks to the uncaring fashion which his mindless body had opted to while away the time till his brain escaped the effects of those drugs. He chanced a tick of those blues to his restraints " soft restrained but still rather hard to simply break your way out of. "" w-why am I" in restraints?"

The elven woman regarded him for a long moment as she folded shut the book she was reading. "You" you don't remember?" A curious look crossed those angular features. "You started screaming and yelling and fighting when you came out of the comatose state that you've been in the past week. The doctor wanted you titrated to soft restraints for your safety in case you woke up to another psychotic state."

Mach scrunched his features. "I" I did?" He was lying through his teeth of course, he knew damn well what had gone down. And he knew it could easily go down again if he took the same demanding approach and so it was time for his schmooze to work for him. "Shit' no one was injured were they"

The woman set her book down now upon the clipboard on the chair next to her. "No' you winded one of the staff but that was the worst of it." She moved to peak her head out into the hall.

"Ohh"." A measured pause preceded before those blues ticked back to the woman. "Am I confined to these until I see the doc" I was sort of hoping to make a few calls and send a few texts to my friends and family' let them know I'm alright."

The woman looked back hesitatingly to the man, unsure. Of course the lack of medical equipment upon the woman indicated her as a medical tech rather than a nurse proper. She likely didn't have the right to make such calls, not really at least and certainly not alone. He felt somewhat bad that he had to trick her, to play her for his own purposes" but only somewhat. His agenda was important' certainly moreso than answering uncomfortable questions and lying around 'recovering." "Oh' if you can't that's". that's fine." A sad smile was pushed upon his features. "They've been in the unknown for this long" what?s another day or so." A pause and he sighed listlessly.

He didn't even have to look to tell that the tech was very conflicted. People who worked in the medical field were generally big hearted individuals. A little sap story, some cooperation and in general they tended to be rather amicable to bending the rules for a patients sake. There was a shuffle of feet, a little back and forth before the woman finally approached. "Are you really feeling up to such' Wouldn't you like to rest some more before straining yourself?" Hazel eyes looked him over as the her lower lip rolled inward to be chewed upon softly.

Mach smirked gently. "I think I've done quite enough sleeping for some time?" He inhaled and exhaled softly for dramatic effect. "" but I do still feel a touch weary. I just' I'm sure people have been worried and visiting and I'd really like to let them know what happened to me. I-it would bring some real peace of mind." He'd ring his hands lightly in the restraints, a turn away as his eyes glistened somewhat? that hidden yawn working like a charm to help with those crocodile tears. He really could believe that he was the worst sometimes.

The woman's expression thinned as she listened to his bait, a tick of hazel eyes to his restraints and then back to his rugged feature."Yes" you have gotten quite a number of visitors while you were in a coma" I" I suppose I was given leeway to fully titrate you out if you seemed alright when you awoke. "

The news that he had had a number of visitors garnered a queer look from the schmooze as a brow ticked ever so slightly upward. "Really?" That was surprising" who the hell would actually want to visit him' Well, other than Serah which he knew for a fact did but he had to admit it was actually quite the surprise to have seen her" guilty conscious maybe? Sarai perhaps but really they shouldn't have" and the few other names he could think of would likely only have visited him in order to smother him with a pillow. He may have started pondering such if not for the fact that he remembered that he was still trying to guilt the elfess into letting him free. "Oh' shit..really' So the news has gotten out." He turned blue eyed blue gaze to the woman, giving her his very saddest eyes. "Please" you? you can put me back after" I just' I really need to contact everyone. Please?"

If he could have he may well have fist pumped as he watched the woman's resolve crumble. He knew he really should have felt bad about this but if there was one thing the hunter had learned it was not to let sentimentality blind him to opportunity' and folks wondered why he thought himself a bad person at times. " Ok" alright. Just behave, okay?" Mach nodded excitedly, another stifled yawn to help moisten his eyes once more. A sigh escaped the medical assistant yet a gentle smile pulled upon her softening angular features. They moved nimbly, undoing the Velcro restraints that bound his hands to the gurney rails as well as the one that crossed over his hips prevent him from bucking. Fingers and hands were flexed experimentally before rolling out his wrists, each one given a rub to try and work out that phantom binding he still felt. "You said you needed your cell phone" As I recall no one could even figure how to get it to turn on much less unlock it."

Mach gave his hips a little roll as well as a stretch of his shoulders, his muscles still tense from the struggle when he was first restrained but manageable. "Oh' it's a special case. Protected and such. I'll need" one of the gray with black tip stick as well that were probably in my pocket.."

There was a slight scrunch of features at the mention of the stick. "You mean the cantrip?"

Shit, the woman knew what those were. His mind raced quickly. "Yeah. The phone isn't off, it's warded. I go unconscious it ward locks" needs the right little something to unlock"

Those angular features took on an incredulous tilt as she eyed the man. "Really??"

"Yeah' sensitive documents, state secrets, and a lot of nudie pics?" He waggled his brows as he grinned, driving that uncomfortable point home to the elfess who almost visibly shuddered at that thought. It wasn't really true of course, but if you wanted someone not to poke too much into your business the best thing was to make them as uncomfortable as possible in as short as time as able. And as proven before it worked! Without any further questions the nurse tech moved over to a chest to retrieve his phone and one of those cantrips which were brought back to the man with a dainty, almost "eww, don't wanna touch' carry of that phone which were deposited upon his chest.

Picking up the sliver of technology he'd set that stick upon the black, unresponsive screen. With a swipe along the runed wood the phone screen turned on, a GUI flash, a ready screen, and soon the phone dumped to the home screen! The woman only blinked in disbelief at how that worked, completely fooled by the act the man put on as his thumb had really slid over that biometric/arcanometric reader along the bottom which was what really brought the phone to life. Mach swiped along to the call function, a number selected and the "Connect' button was pushed. One ring, two' and finally those blue eyes blue ticked up to the elfess, a thin smile offered. "Uh' would you mind if I can get some privacy yeah' This" this might get a little emotional." A sad smile was offered to the tech.

The woman sighed mildly. "Okay' but you behave. No shenanigans!" A sharp look was cast to Mach who simply raised his hands placative.

"I swear, I'll be good." A friendly smile offered as he lied so sweetly. He really was sorry! He would totally have to send" Amara J. " a bouquet or something when he got out. Still holding the phone to his ear he'd put on a brave face when the line finally connected. "Hey, hey! Guess who it is?" And those features now took on a sheepish look as he listened to the voice on the other end. He'd not follow that lithe figure with his gaze as she left the room, a shake of her head as the door was closed behind giving the man some privacy to make his calls. And when that door finally closed he'd end the call to his voicemail box, moving quickly now as he knew he only had a limited time before the tech checked in on him!

That cantrip was set atop of the robo-nurse which tracked his vitals and heart rate, will pushed as he swiped over the stick with a finger once more. This time there was a soft sizzle, an electric glow as the spell actually activated, the runes glowing as it read the electrical information of the machine. Slowly the gray burned to black, and when the last of the color crackled away the smell of burning plastic wafted up as the stick burnt into machine imprinting that recurring electrical pattern. A moment's pause passed waiting for that crackling sound to stop before he hesitantly picked out and plucked that lead heart electrode.

Beep....Beep....Beep...

That mischievous grin grew on the man at that continued tone, fingers moving to pluck the rest of the monitoring equipment from him. He'd effectively just cooked that expensive vitals monitor as it would repeat the same information loop until the day it died now, but such was a sacrifice Mach was willing to make. That wasn't a common cantrip to carry in the first place but then again the hunter never knew when he'd have to go places that it was best not to leave a record" and that little thought apparently paid off today! Stripping the remainder of the monitoring electrodes he'd next move to disable his IV pumps before disconnecting those lines with deft knowledge, his combat medic training paying off in spades now as he prepared himself for departure. And when everything was finally disconnected" Well, then he sat back and relaxed, waited for the elfess to check on him as he knew she would. Seeing the flicker of movement beneath the door to the room that phone was lifted to his ear once more.

"Y-you can't do that! I scheduled for that soapsie message with Izumi months ago"!" The opening door stopped suddenly as if the figure on the other side was greatly reconsidering the life choices which had lead them to walking in on that sort of conversation. Another bit of social engineering that; if one wanted privacy then they only had to make themselves seem as creepy as possible because no one liked to deal with creeps" usually. "Of course I want the full inside and out package, that's what I paid for! I don't care if she only has so many elbow length gloves?" The figure at the door would hesitate a moment longer before closing it as stealthily as possible, the decision finally reached that they were not paid hardly enough to have to deal with a guy into that!

The hunter would watch for a bit to make sure the figure didn't have a change of heart before he slipped out from the gurney, moving swiftly to that chest where he'd observed the elfess remove his phone from, a wry grin pulling upon him at seeing the rest of his belongings within" albeit a little blood soaked. His gun belt was pulled from the bag of stuff and used in the creation of his 'really, I didn't just escape from a clinic" attire which consisted of a tunic made from a blanket and a few lengths of string used to make his hospital gown into a some real trashy looking capri pants. He looked like one unfashionable hobo but at very least no one should try to drag him back to the clinic right off. Affixing the rest of his belongings in a waist wrap made from a sheet he'd move now to the window, a pause taken as he gazed over the room in earnest now.

Blue eyes blue ticked over a collection of flowers both real and paper, some stuffed animals, some cards, and a robot' A look back to the door, a look about the room and finally a mild curse escaped him. "Who the hell is wishing me well"!?" This was muttered as he snagged a pillow case which he collected all those sentimental items to take with him. Folks had to have spent good money to purchase these things for him' it was only prudent to have taken them. Of course he still couldn't quiet grasp why so many had been so concerned over him' he was Mach! But then maybe that wasn't cutting it anymore" too many people where getting too attached. Maybe he'd have to do something else, try harder to keep people from getting too comfortable with him, particularly since he knew even without his stupid stunts he was not long for the world. But really' was such so bad"

It was at this thought that a stab of guilt struck him, a passing ill feeling that just came up from the ether. He had not basis on what to attribute it to...but he just couldn't help but think of Sarai as he rubbed that phantom pain in his chest. No, there was most certainly a bad side" the fact that being so connected meant upon his inevitable end he would leave a gaping wound in those whom he shared his life most closely with. It was a cruel thing to do' particularly when one knew just how little time was left on their clock.

Mach would finish with a few pictures of those "beautified" monitoring and IV machines that had been set aside before he once more moved to the window. There was a thought to write a note, something to assure the staff that he was okay if not a flagrant asshole. But then a notepad already had the words "I'm Sorry' written upon it' words likely meant for him but that he was going to re-purpose. Yes, they would be his apology to the clinical staff for the trouble he'd put them through' and as such it was only all the more imperative that he escaped now, to speak with those who so worried about him.

Opening the window the man groaned lightly as he began to squeeze out it looking like one really confused burglar dressed all in white with a couple of bags slung upon his shoulder. There was a brief pause as that blue gaze considered the small room that had been his life for these past few days one last time. "Sorry for the inconvenience, yeah?" His words soft as he gave the place one final salute goodbye and off into the night he would go.