Deathly comes softly...

[his_own_will]

Who: Anyone near or in the Phantomhive Estate (Sector 6)
When: Around 1:00 AM, December 1st.
Where: The Phantomhive Estate (specifically the library)
Summary: Godstiel decided the abomination had to go and while Oz went softly, Jack had other ideas. This is the aftermath when the library is in ruins and Oz's body is found. It can be assumed that the destruction of the library and later bird rage was visible/audible from the street for people to rush in and investigate. Household shenanigans may or may not include the following: raging bird syndrome, abuse of dead bodies, tears, darkness monsters invading the mansion, and various other miscellaneous things.

Warnings: See the above shenanigans. General abuse, normal hideousness and minor description of gore. Will add to the warnings as or if squicks are used.

The library is in a shambles, books strewn everywhere and half torn to pieces. Salvaging it will be a nightmare but no more so is the body sprawled across the floor, a slowly trickling pool of blood seeping from underneath. Godstiel had been wounded, but not nearly fast enough to save the boy.

He was dead, and his lifeless eyes stared out into the darkness, waiting to be devoured.

Comments

[retraced]

It's my duty to protect him.

[The words sound like they should be shouted, but Gil doesn't have the strength to scream anymore. He reaches up and places a trembling hand on Oz's cold cheek.]

It's my only...my only reason for existing, to be at his side. If the Core doesn't bring him back...

[debtor]

[He shakes his head, and reaches out to grab Gil's arm, firmly.]

Then you'll find a new reason, Gilbert.

[retraced]

No!

[He jumps back as though he's been burned, and though he's still exhausted from his Chain's influence on his body, his expression goes wavers in between shocked, terrified and angry.]

I would never...never seek out any other purpose! I couldn't - I won't!

[debtor]

[He doesn't let go, fingers curling into the fabric of his sleeve. His eyes are hard, jaw set; he doesn't know, exactly, the reason for Gilbert's undying loyalty to his master, but it doesn't matter to Allen. Whatever the cause, it's something he recognizes, and it's something he can't tolerate here.

Gilbert still has people who care about him. He's still alive. It means there's hope.

But he refuses to count on death being anything less than permanent.]

You can! You can carry his memory with you, you can honor it by living.

If you give up, if you stop now, then it will be meaningless.

[retraced]

[His eyes shut tight, but not just because he doesn't want to hear it or doesn't believe it; Allen's words cause him physical pain. The words that get repeated in his head over and over are louder than ever. You must protect the master at all costs. Only in doing so will you prove your worth as a person. You must kill for the master.

His words are frantic, thoughts disjointed, but exponentially weaker as he rambles under his breath.]

No, I'll have no worth -

[It hurts.]

My existence would be meaningless -

[It hurts...]

An unwanted, lowly person like me...without him I'm...I-I failed to protect again...someone like me can't honor anyone by any means!

[debtor]

[Oh... oh no you don't.]

Gilbert! [This is painful to listen to, and Allen practically shakes him to try and make him stop.

Where did this even come from? Who told him this? It sounds like he's parroting...]

You're not lowly or unwanted! None of that is true! People care for you. Don't belittle their feelings by saying something like that!

[retraced]

[The shaking at least forces him to open his eyes back up, but all he does is turn his attention back down to his fallen young master over Allen's shoulder.]

They can't...

[His head spins with exhaustion and he teeters forward slightly. Hopefully Allen has a good grip on him, otherwise he's probably going to end up faceplanting.]

[debtor]

[And that's not good, either. He holds him back, to keep him from falling too far forward.]

Gilbert...

[retraced]

Can you leave me...with him...

[His words come out a strained whisper, but he's still of sound enough mind to understand his surroundings. He knows that Allen can't go outside without risking running into the darkness, and across the yard, the house might still be vulnerable. He has no doubt that Sebastian will be able to protect those in the house, though, no matter how much damage he did.

Damage that he can't even bring himself to regret at the moment.]

[debtor]

[He pauses, before silently getting to his feet, hand still on Gilbert until Allen steps away. He can't leave— not because he's worried about going out into the Darkness himself, but Break's incapacitated and he has no confidence in Gilbert's ability to defend himself at the moment, if any monsters got inside.

But he can at least move to the other side of the outbuilding, to give him some privacy.]

[retraced]

[If he's honest with himself, he'd never expected this moment.

Somewhere in the last decade he'd convinced himself that he was capable of protecting Oz, and that no matter what his deficiencies were, somehow they would always be connected by the shadows that joined them together, cast by a light that they would never truly walk in. He'd lost his young master once before, but a miracle had given him a second chance. A promised power bred in blood and tainted with deception and untruths; he hadn't squandered it, and had never taken it for granted. He'd happily stained his hands with blood and turned his weak heart cruel, all in order to snatch his master back from the hands of the Abyss.

It was just that simple, he'd told himself. Because Oz said 'that's the way things are', he'd been happy to accept it all. When Oz didn't cry over Elliot's corpse, Gil had promised not to cry until he did. He hadn't even allowed himself to admit his grief until Oz had given him permission to do so.

Oz...would you be upset...if I cried for you now?

Dizzily, he puts his head back down on Oz's shoulder and strains to hear anything over his own heartbeat and the painful ringing in his ears. Eventually the strain of using his Chain will take its toll and he'll go unconscious, but until then, all he can do is scream out in his head for undeserved forgiveness.]