[Just a little past midnight, the sky in Sector 1 explodes, a roiling sphere of black and red flame billowing out in eerie rings, crackling with dark electricity. The thunderous sound and the shaking of the ground can be noted all over the dome. Several buildings near the graveyard crack or outright crumble under the pressure of the explosion, but it buffets the dome walls to no effect. The flare of fire fades after a few long seconds, and leaves behind only still silence.

[The graveyard is in ruins, and the nearby buildings are not in much better shape. There are small scattered fires, and debris everywhere.

[Allen Walker is lying on the ground here, clothing torn and skin bloodied. He is unconscious. No one else is around...]


((ooc: This is OPEN. Comment here to arrive on the scene and thread amongst yourselves. Allen will not be directly responding to anyone who doesn't actually attack him, and he may in fact NOT still be there when you arrive, so please focus on each other, NOT on him. More combat may break out, so be warned that the situation may change rapidly if you tag.))

[the video flickers on to show Greed lounging in the bar, feet propped up on a table and drinking what looks to be a mug of beer. It's not that Greed really wanted to drink at all, but he was still sorting through past memories.]

Sheesh, what kind of club are you guys trying to run over here? The place is practically deader than a room full of corpses! Or do you just hate drinking that much?

[snicker]

C'mon, I know there's some pretty girls out there... I've meet a few of 'em! Why don't you come on over and keep a fella company, hmm? I'll be nice!

[Really, he will. He doesn't take anything if he can wheedle others into giving it up first.]

[No video because Ichigo is blushing profusely. Can probably hear it in his voice too!]

O-oi Rukia. Since we're both really awake now, don't flip out or something. I didn't see anything, so it's fine. Just freaking be careful who you're walking in on and stupid stuff like this won't happen.

[It's his way of apologizing. Really.]

Other idiots just need to not fall asleep in hot water.

[That's you, C.C. The next part is muted, mumbling. Probably thinks no one will hear him say it...]

Why are there even public baths anyway...

[Obviously Ichigo has just been training a little too hard. He doesn't have his weapon here, so other things will have to do for now. Though he still can't use any kidou. At least he still has his shunpo.

Well there aren't any magical springs here, so looks like a regular hot bath will have to do instead. A shame, really, that Ichigo is too much of a blockhead to realize he's wandered into the public baths. With only a towel around his waist, he settles into the water, elbows resting on the edge. Be gentle, as he very easily succumbs to embarrassment about decency issues.]

[It's the first non-annual random defense force social~ On the roof of the DF's headquarters, we have strung-up lights around the ledge, decorations, and a table of food, mostly snacks, and drinks. (But not alcohol; sorry Sakamoto, let's say Gino warned you earlier in the day you'd have to get your drink on ahead of time?)

[There's some music, a dartboard set up, and a table with question cards -- mostly light, fun, get-to-know-you questions -- in case you all want to get your I've Never or some other form of question game on.

[Closed to DF members, their guests, and possibly crashers-- ask permission first! Event log, thread amongst yourselves~]

[Orihime plays with her communicator a bit until it turns on. She's looking much better, smiling into the communicator, wearing pajamas and without the pins in her hair, for once. She's also curled up with her back to the wall and her legs to her chest, on the floor of her new house. There are no lights on.]

I picked out a house...! I thought it would be kind of cool to have one, since -- ehe, Tokyo real estate is so expensive, maybe I won't ever be able to afford a house. There's all these rooms and all this space! I have an entire floor just to hang out on, and then there's bedrooms upstairs...

[She trails off a little, and glances back at the house, smile dimming slightly as she considers it. Still pleased, but something's still bothering her.]

But it's so much bigger than my apartment, and kind of quiet... I can't get to sleep now.

So, um. [sheepishly] What's everyone else's living situation, I guess? Did you move in with friends, or with friends you made here...? Do you have a house or an apartment or live in the big underground shelter thing...?

[Looks like conversation with Euphemia has brought up some memories of before Ichigo had been brought here. He hadn't been too happy with himself or the situation at that time. The fact he couldn't even answer Rukia's simple question is also alarming. It isn't right and he knows that. Doesn't mean he feels like discussing it publicly or in any way that other people could eavesdrop.

Something's different about his hollowfication. He knows this, but what he doesn't know. Ichigo doesn't really have any idea how bad it had been this last time and now he's not sure he even wants to ask. Sure, he knows his hollow side is violent, but to stab Ishida... To have that fight with Ulquiorra end like that... It's coming back and it's unwanted.

So at the moment he's sitting on the bleachers at the ice rink. Minding his own. Course that might not be how it is in a few minutes. The kid might end up breaking something out of frustration with himself and having all this shit on his mind.]

[Euphie's actually been feeling a little better after another long nap. In fact, she's practically sitting up if you ignore all the pillows keeping her in place as she makes her video post. She's still in pink pajamas and she looks tired, but she doesn't sound as sluggish as before.]

It's hard not to think about sleep with so much of it going on. Does anyone have any favorite bedtime stories or lullabies they want to share?

[The communicator clatters to the ground, turning on the video feed, and there's a startled sound from the girl it came with, "Ah!" She scrambles a little to pick it up, and the video turns on her. Some of you may recognize Orihime: she's a little worse for the wear, slightly bloodied, some of her white clothing torn, eyes still red from tears. But her expression is serious.]

If this is some sort of illusion, please stop it! Ishida-kun needs my help right away.

I-- I'm not going to play games with you.

Hey -- can anyone here heal? Anyone who's still awake? I have a favor to ask.


[defense force filter]
I need a few volunteers for tonight -- in particular I need at least one person who is capable of using ranged abilities such as magic, and at least one healer. I don't want anyone who was out the night Tatewaki was killed unless there's no other options. We need to take a real close look at that magic circle.


((ooc: backdated to earlier in the evening))

[This is probably the worst night Rukia has had since she arrived here. She's tossing and turning in her sleep and in the process accidently turns on the voice and video feeds as her hand hits the buttons on the communicator lying next to her.

Her expression is somewhat pained and she's got a bit of a cold sweat coming down from her forehead. She's muttering somethings in her sleep that for the most part probably don't make sense to anybody with the exception of the name Ichigo.

After a few minutes she finally gets up and curls herself into a ball, hugging her knees tightly to her chest. Her expression hasn't gotten any less frightened or pained and it almost looks as though she's crying now. She'd been having a nightmare about the last time she was in prison and considering the fact that she'd been on her way to her execution it wasn't exactly the best dream she'd ever had.

That, coupled with the thought of her friends and brother could be seriously hurt right now didn't exactly put her in the best place, so she just sits there waiting to see if those painful memories will go away, not realizing everybody can see her in this unsightly state.]

[ How many days had it been now? Four? That was it, right? Yeah, okay, four.

Four days of Kazuma standing in the same spot he'd been in since he came across the dome, trying to break it every which way possible that involved either his fists, that ball-and-chain that had been attached to his leg, or a combination of the two. Of course, when the ball-and-chain had disappeared by the third day, there went half his options right there. Although the return of some of his Alter more than made up for it, so that definitely reinvigorated him... not that it did much good. ]

Just fucking break already!

[ One last punch with his altered right arm, before he leaned his back against the dome, simply slumping to the ground with a disgruntled sigh. It was obvious that he was lacking in energy at this point, especially considering he hadn't eaten anything in the last couple of days. The bruises from his fight with Spike didn't help make him look any more presentable either. ]

I'm not letting this thing beat me, dammit...

[The Phantomhive Estate is now fully rebuilt, down to the last scratches on the pillars, of course it took Sebastian longer than the boy would have liked; but, it can't be helped. It's as beautifulon the outside as it is inside.]

Lizzie, you don't need to stay in the shelter anymore. Please come to Sector Five -- I'll have Sebastian meet you outside the estate.

((As a note, IGNORE THE BROKENNESS of the scan, I just wanted to give you guys an idea of what I'm talking about, I'll also be a bit slow with tags in advance :( sorry! If anyone wanted to have their character just MOVE ON IN~~~ IM / PM me at xbuttpuppiesx and I'll be glad to let you! I just need to know in advance! Also, you guys are free to stumble across it and go inside, even, it is just this huge mansion sitting there. HUGE. MANSION. dsfjlksdjf. ))

[Yeap. Sounds pretty cranky on his end. Be warned!]

Remind me not to go out with psychos again...

[Usually at night he has the run of the dome, at least the higher parts of it. Many people are usually asleep by now, including his other selves, so there's little chance of really running into anyone.

But tonight Lind wouldn't mind company, though he won't be bothered if he doesn't get it. The quiet and stillness of the park at night doesn't bother him much. There were much scarier things than the dark, after all.

Would anyone still be awake? That was the question, wasn't it~]

Hello. Testing. Testing. One. Two. Three. Is this thing on? [Yes, he knows it's on, but this is what a human would say, isn't it?]

I seem to be all human-shaped. How dismal. And why is one leg so much heavier than the other? [Peers down.]

Oh, look. A ball and chain.

I guess I'm not the only one who likes to play dress up. [In a sing-song voice] Oh, warden, I think you forgot my striped pajamas. Or should it be an orange jumpsuit? Which do you think would work better with my complexion?

Now, who wants to be a dear and bake a cake with a chisel in it for me?

Does anybody know of some way I can get my zanpaktō back? I'd feel much better if I had it with me.

[Rukia has a troubled look on and she seems as if her mind is elsewhere even as she speaks. It's true she does feel extremely off without it near her just because of habit but more than that, the fact that Ichimaru was here made her worry a lot.]

So those tacky little air freshener things were the cause yesterday?

[Oh he knew, but he's playing dumb.]

Woooow.~  So lame! It was a pretty good prank, I'll give 'em that. But couldn't they have used something more interesting? Or something more fashionable? Just looking at them was painful! I thought my dignity as a Hitachiin was in question!~

Next time? Leave it to the pros. Thanks!

I'm sorry.

I still have a lot to learn.

[Someone's set up the bulletin board again. The writing is in very neat, and carefully elegant script.]

What is free will, to you?