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Up on a hill, outside her property, a small grave was dug. The remains of what was left of her body swept up by our own Pilot. Marking the area, was a small headstone that read:

Delilah 'Phoenix' Black Loving mother, sister, and friend.

((If your character has anything to do with Phoenix, feel free to post here!))

Signs of earlier disturbance; turns out he wasn't the first to arrive. Word of Phoenix's death had trickled down tongue-by-tongue and Val, at first, figured it nothing but a distorted game of Telephone. Phoenix can't die, Phoenix can't even be -hurt-. What he didn't know was that this was the standard reception of the news. And what he knew now was that it was no joke, at least not seemingly, Phoenix wasn't the "fake her own death? type. She was more the eat your face type. Grinning solmenly, the man bent down on his hams and folded his hands.

"So it's true, mm?" Stringent eyes, skinny of sight, work away and his mouth collects up under his left cheek. "Bullsh"t," he smiled. "I don't believe it for a minute. I really don't, sorry. You want to know why' Because I think you were pretty damn close to redemption. And don't get me wrong, I know you weren't looking for an ornamental reprieve for damages done, you were certainly more practical than that. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I've become a very lame and ignorant man who, in one of the many rotten turns, has become convinced that there's some big f"cking "plan' for our lives. Funny right' Weird old Val; nihilist, proud and stubborn Val, all ready to beleague himself to fate. But it is what it is and I won't take it back: besides Martyr, you were the only person in the world that I trusted."

Val stood, smiling cynically, and pocketed his hands in his longcoat. "You saved my life once, you protected my family when I wasn't there. I thanked you for both, but words are just vibrations on the air." The old Hellion removes his silver cigarette case and tosses it lightly on the ground near the headstone. "There—-I just quit smoking for you; I know there were a couple times where you threatened to turn me inside out if I were to expose Max to cigarette smoke, so there you go."

The severe man turned and, over his shoulder, waved two fingers as goodbye.

"Alright." Avi's words signaled her entrance far before her red eyes, or even bright pink hair did. "I'm here. I'm visiting you, but I don't know what you want me to say..." The girl whispered with a nod. "I'm not sure, because I don't know how to feel about you." Aviana said with a roll of her eyes. "What can you expect, though' You spent most of your time with me kicking my ass, and it's not like we were ever friends, you know" Don't think that I forgot that you freed my axe....That wasn't cool."

"I tried to save you, though....Doesn't that count' Does that give me the right to be here" You hurt my pride, but I didn't hurt you....I remember the first time we met....Martyr had to stop you from destroying my soul. The thing was, that even back then, I respected you....Hell, a lot more than I respected Martyr."

"You were a bad person, like me....But you changed, and now I'm trying to change, too. Don't flatter yourself, it's not because of you." Aviana said with a shrug. "I guess, it gets tiresome, huh' Spending all your time hating people. Hating the world. I guess, I'd rather be weak than spend another day being Solaris' little punching bag." Aviana shrugged as she examined the items left for the immortal.

She'd be lying if she swore she didn't consider taking them. Instead, she went with the noble route. "Guess you're expecting me to leave something, huh?" The hellion asked. "Alright fine."

Going through her pockets she pulled out three items. "Okay, I have a gun, a grenade, and a pocket knife....Which one do you want?" Then she thought about it...."Okay, you can't have my gun, you still owe me an axe....I don't want to be responsible for blowing up your grave..." Aviana looked at the knife. Her name was etched into the blade, it was a gift, though she couldn't recollect any certain memories....She dropped the knife to the ground. "There. Don't say I never did anything nice.." Slowly, she walked away.

The walk was less awkward, more strained. Nazareth was careful around the woman and it showed in her unwillingness to take the lead or the hand off her blade. It was sad in a way she chose not to understand. Because whether it was a sense of complacency urged by the fact that she was going to likely spend the rest of her life in Rhy"Din among Val and his family, or whether she did truly -feel- something for her brother, Neth realized that this turn of events was going to further damage Val and Martyr's relationship. Surely her brother would not be angry, how could he given his track record, but Martyr was going to awake eventually (presumedly so) and injure herself with guilt. Perhaps the gods would bless her with amnesia, that's what Soap Opera writers do for a lack of talent's sake afterall.

"Uhm—" As Martyr spoke Nazareth broke her daze and leveled the dainty demon with a perplexed gaze. "Yes. Yes, laughter is very healthy I hear. I'm glad you're enjoying it all, very glad to help.?

Nazareth waited a moment and watched the girl dart up the hill. Phoenix's grave was just up it, Nazareth was certain; even in death the girl just had this certain—-scent and energy. Or maybe Nazareth was just sentimental. The woman tied her hair back neatly for face and hiked up the knoll slowly.

Once at the sloped and tender peak, Nazareth placed the edge of her hand into her forehead and a burst of wind cut off it and toyed with her hair. On her approach to the headstone she caught Martyr dropping the severed organ into the plot. "Martyr," she called, waving her right hand while rehashing her hold on the hilt at her hip with the left. "Did you do it' You did—-" Eyeing strange, almost humorous, sight of a soil-covered heart, Neth nodded. "Okay. Is there anything else? We should go.?

Nazareth fell down with Martyr, reached out and snatched her collar. "Oh see—-See, I knew this was coming, Martyr." Exiting the plot with the woman in her arms was outside the parameters of their agreement, and chances were even if she were to lay there for weeks getting pecked to bits by crows she'd be just fine, but Nazareth felt this would leave the task -incomplete-. Or at least she'd tell Aggie as such, she had a clawing reputation to uphold.

Scooping the half-out immortal off the knoll and turning to the slope, Neth looked down at Martyr and asked, "Okay' You awake" You don't look as though you're able to walk at a normal pace, so I'm going to carry you.?

Nazareth began down the hill slowly. She observed the genesis of revelation in the young Immortal that acted as catalyst for the new absence upon her now. Nazareth had her trial centuries ago and not only did not remember what it is she felt when the axe fell, but the face of the victim, his or her name or why it is they needed to die. A monument of bodies would rise from the foundation of the first kill. Nazareth had been mostly hollow since then. And then, her eyes, cold and thin and old, saw someone who did not belong in her company.

At the foot of the hill, Nazareth readjusts the girl, pulling her in for greater support. "Comfortable?" She asked. But before Martyr could answer, Nazareth spoke forward. "It's done," she said dryly. "I think you've been hurt enough to do some hurting of your own. The man is your father so I think it's safe to assume he's just fine. If there's anything else you need to express, I shall listen."

"Nothing wrong with that," she said sardonically. Nazareth looked ahead. The sun was mostly down and what remained of it was caught up and splintered by the thicket's canopy. Crossing into the lowered arms of shadows leaned symmetrically off the trunks and over the path, Nazareth gave Martyr her eyes once more. "I don't want to be a—-broken record, I think it goes—-but you needed something like this."

Neth's stomach jounced; she'd proclaimed a contrary to herself against those words only minutes before and now her body was rebelling. The woman swallows and lifts her sights. "But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe everything I ever was or wanted was wrong. I'm not you and so I can't be or understand you, just like you'll never understand me. You killed a man and now feel nothing, you say. But I don't think that's true. I think that whatever it is you're afflicted by is concealing the guilt you're famous for."

A new heart stutters its first pump; Solaris" eyes snap apart. Pupils rattling in his head, the man's mind was robbed temporarily of memory. Stupefied the man appeared while plating his palms into the hardwood to prop himself up. The wood was risen in places, in blots, scored with dried scales and plates of old, hard black blood. Above the Despot of Sava stood several fear wracked and groggy guardsmen: three of them groaned while leant into their knees, grasping and pawing at various bruises purpled on their heads and the fourth, ahead of the pack, his face dire, held out his arms for Solaris. Objecting, The Master pushed himself up on legs not yet suited to retain weight. Their weakness brought the man into a lean. Solaris grasps his knees and listens to the infinitesimal pattering of his sweatbeads knocking on the floor as they roll off his forehead.

"Sir—-" The lead guard rattled. "Sir, it was—-I don't -know- what it was, sir."

Solaris smiled. "Don't know?" He croaked. The memory was filmy, but Solaris was reminded. Reminded of coarse yellow eyes, a mangy voice and ridiculous violence in a once-sweet package. Solaris pushes himself to a complete stand, leans over his waist and his spine cracks. "Casualties?"

"Just one. We've already taken him to the yard, we weren't sure if you wanted an investigation done."

"Just one?" Solaris asked with dangerous mirth. The guard he addressed widened his eyes and nodded. "What would you say your job is, man' Is your job to allow me and my wife to be subjected to attack in the evening" No, man, there was not just -one- casualty. There were five."



Ten minutes of hollering, clawing and powedering of bone and slashing of flesh sullied the hall. Solaris satisfied his humiliation with the murders of the three guards, sparing no expense of ability or effort, attacking them viciously and thoroughly. Had any of the three guards had family, there would be no sense in calling them forward for Solaris spared them not a single remaining identifier. When the final man fell, Solaris backpeddled, completely spent, and took to a lean into the banister that overlooked his home.

The man knew what had been released in his daughter. The man knew that he was careless, but, for perhaps the very first time in a very long time, wondered if great care would have been enough to best Martyr in her demon state. He wondered just what had been released, he wondered if he desired to face those macabre yellow eyes a second time.

It was on the second day of spring that Minoko found herself walking over to Phoenix's grave. Slung on the crook of her arm was a basket filled with a lunch that the immortal would have happily devoured. Akane was present as well, taking the place of her master. The dog hopped along at Minoko's side, only stopping to sniff at patches of dead grass that had recently rediscovered the sun. Up the hill they went. She probably should have been watching where she was going. Who knew what kind of stray stone would send her tripping on this path' But her eyes were fixed on the glorious Black mansion. She had never actually been inside. Phoenix and Minoko were the types that hung around inns or went out, wanting to explore the world of Rhy'Din's infinite cuisines. It made her sad to think that Addison wouldn't remember the contours of what should have been her childhood home. Eventually Minoko turned to face ahead, and by that point she had walked far enough for the lone headstone to be right in front of her. She nibbled on her lip, nodded to the unseen ghost and settled down in the dirt.

"Emlen wouldn't come with me." That wasn't much of a greeting. Sorry, Phoenix. Maybe Minoko wasn't as good at this talking to dead people thing as she thought. "I made this big lunch and everything, thinking that it would convince him to come. But it didn't." She sighed and opened the basket. There were three sandwiches inside, along with a generous wealth of waffle fries. The largest sandwich was for Phoenix. It was a foot-long sub with every kind of meat, vegetable and condiment that had been sitting around the Black Scorpion Inn. The other two were far smaller. They were nearly identical. There was the same kind of bread, the same breasts of grilled chicken. The difference was that Minoko's had tomato, lettuce and spicy mustard. Emlen's was plain, same as always. She removed the food from the basket and arranged it atop the carrier's wide lid. A water bottle had also been taken out of the basket, but the liquid it held was not water. She twisted the cap off, took a long drink of hard lemonade and then poured some onto the dirt.

"I really liked your letter....Emlen read it to me the other day." Minoko mentally reviewed the words that Phoenix had written. She would skip over the part about the immortal not succeeding in her mission to kill Solaris. That didn't need to be acknowledged. Phoenix's failure was written all over the tombstone that should have never even existed. "You said that you always liked me. So that made me think back. Do you remember that fight you had with Diritas at the Red Dragon, back when you were in Martyr's body' I think that was the first time we met. I just thought you were another side to Martyr back then....I wonder if that was the first time you met Diritas too. I never would have guessed how things would turn out. Then there was the time that you were naked, and everyone was mad, and I had to fly you out of there. I think that was the first time you called me China!" She smiled down to her sandwich. Hadn't Diritas been present that time too' What the hell, Diritas"! A faint whistle came from the Asian's lips as she tried to summon her pet. Akane was busy sniffing at something, so Minoko continued to ramble on.

"The point that I was getting at is that I don't think that I always liked you....And I'm sorry for that. It was silly, getting all mad at you because you killed Emlen in Sama. I think that might have actually helped us out, in a way. You remembered how upset I was, though. You made it your P.S. What's P.S. stand for, anyway?" There was a long pause, as if she actually expected an answer. She took a bite of her sandwich in the meantime. Minoko didn't have much of an appetite, but it would have felt wrong to come all this way and not eat. "Emlen did come to his senses, I think. I had to chain him to the bed for a while....You probably would have thought that was hilarious. You should be here....You should be here to laugh at him and eat all these waffle fries and be my sister-in-law. You deserved a happily ever after too. I don't think you thought you did, but....You did. I'm sorry for not being able to stop Solaris. I'm sorry for not bringing Emlen too. I probably should have dragged him here by his wrists. It wouldn't have been hard. But he's not good with this stuff....He won't talk about it even a little. I think that's good in a certain way, though. If you get to be so accepting of death, or numb, or uncaring, or whatever it is, then you've probably lost too much." A bit of chicken was ripped off Emlen's sandwich and tossed near the dog. Still, she didn't respond. "...I'm going to make sure he doesn't lose anyone else. That will be our happily ever after."

Minoko sat in silence for several moments, doing little more than picking at her fries and staring at the words carved into Phoenix's grave. At some point she noticed the tokens left for the immortal that gleamed in the afternoon sun: Diritas's pendant, Aviana's knife and Val's familiar cigarette case. If Akane was ignoring all these interesting trinkets then she must have found something entirely fascinating. The woman tossed what was left of her sandwich in the basket, stood and moved over to the dog. There she saw an ugly, shriveled heart. Akane sniffed and pawed at the disgusting organ, but she seemed to know that it was a toxic thing and didn't attempt to eat it. "Wow....Was that Nazareth's present?" A hand came up, balled into a fist and was slammed down on her chest, over her heart, in an odd sort of salute. Emlen would feel that pain. Emlen would know. "That's a lot better than a picnic..." She'd have to bring a better offering in the future. For now, though, Phoenix would have to enjoy her sandwich. Once everything had been cleared away, the massive sub remained, surrounding by a wreath of waffle fries. If it stayed long enough for someone to admire the dead girl's love of food then that would be a miracle in itself.

((Back dated, and sorry guys, I'm throwing this all into a single post out of sheer laziness.))

Emlen sat at the grave, his eyes trailed over all the trinkets left behind. He took in a breath and shook his head, "I don't do well with death....I never have. When you and Martyr were joined, I guess it was easier....That time Martyr went away, I guess it was easy to think, I still had some part of her...You know? Then you had to split from her and become your own person...Pop out a freaking kid, fall in love..." Emlen shook his head. "You always had to be so damned independent...and on top of things." A handful of dirt was scooped up and sprinkled onto the grave. "I'm really bad at this....I wasn't going to come, but, I guess I have to face my fears sooner or later. Healing doesn't make us immortal. Nobody is immortal, and everyone has a weakness. Katan was yours." Stupid humans. "I get it, though....Wherever you are, Phoenix....I hope you're happy...I mean that. We'll take good care of Addie."

"That....Was beautiful," said the tall princess that stood over, and behind his kneeling form. "Seriously, I couldn't have said it better myself. I mean, you could have cried....I'm just saying. That would have been nice...but, you know, I'll take what I can get."

Emlen froze for a moment, stared ahead, and then finally turned. Sure enough, there was Phoenix. Grinning down at him with sterling eyes and mocha hair. He should have felt joy, and he should have embraced her. All he felt was embarrassment, anger, and resentment towards her for perhaps making him feel negative emotions....So, instead of embracing his sister, he flew to his feet and punched her square in the jaw. "Idiot..." The boy mumbled and headed off towards his bike. How could she just let him spill his guts like that'

It was funny' Phoenix felt her teeth crunch together, and her body lose balance. She'd be lying if she said she didn't love every single second of it. She laughed out, "Oh come on! You were doing so well. Come back, do it again! I won't interrupt this time!" Phoenix said through layers of giggles and a snickering expression. She was soon greeted by Emlen's middle finger, and she smiled. "Missed you, too, Bro!" The girl said, and skipped back towards her house as Emlen sped off. "Yeah, he missed me."