Looking down at the slip of paper in her hand, Kyung-Soon double-checked the address written on it in order to make sure that she was at the right house. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to haul the entire wagon that she was pulling behind her up the steps, so she would need the person she was visiting to help her carry the contents in little by little. It was just a few boxes full of paper, but it all added up and was incredibly heavy all together. She pulled it along and walked up to the door, raising her hand to knock.

She hesitated, however. She believed that Samantha had already been informed of the situation, certainly, but didn't know if she was going to be able to handle the Westley's feelings upon seeing those boxes and their contents. Kyung-Soon knew that she was a big fan of Baldassare's works. She knew that the younger woman admired him and his abilities. Baldassare himself told his former general, after all. He spoke of Samantha fondly, proudly referring to her as his artistic and academic protege. He was a teacher to her and she was a student whose mind he praised, continuously talking about the sorts of things he wanted her to know.

As reluctant as Kyung-Soon was, she knew that she would have to face the Westley, however. There was no one else who could do it in her place. It was one of the tasks given to her by Baldassare before he died and one of her first tasks as the new leader of Girasol. Thus, she knocked on the door, hoping that the younger woman was home. It took a few moments, but the locks on the door began to turn on the other side and the door opened.

"Yes?" Samantha answered. She was somewhat disheveled and her eyes were red and puffy. Somehow, it made her blue irises stand out more.

"Are you Samantha?"

"Yes."

"I'm Kyung-Soon." the vampire answered, trying to contain her surprise. Baldassare had talked extensively about Samantha, but he never mentioned the fact that she was human. Kyung-Soon could smell it on her. "I'm here on behalf of Baldassare. He left you a few things."

"Huh?" A look of astonishment immediately formed on the human's face as she raised her brows. She looked completely taken by surprise by the prospect and didn't quite know what to say.

"What do you mean, 'huh?' Of course he left you stuff!" Kyung-Soon declared like it was meant to be obvious, but it indeed was to the vampire. "Help me carry it up the stairs. There's a few boxes and they're kind of heavy."

"Oh! I'm sorry!" bashfully replied Samantha. "My mind's not in the right place at the moment."

"You and everybody else in Gehenna right now..." With that, the vampire stepped out of the way so that Samantha could leave the flat and help out. Unfortunately, Kyung-Soon had forgotten how strong the average young, human, woman was, so she ended up carrying the boxes up the stairs anyway while Samantha hopelessly and repeatedly apologised.

Things were not off to a good start. Both women were completely on edge. Kyung-Soon was already in a bad mood from the start and having to carry all of those boxes did nothing to help the mood. Meanwhile, Samantha was sure to keep her head down and out of the vampire's way. She had heard about the differences amongst vampires from Baldassare and read further about it in his books. She noticed that Kyung-Soon had red eyes. Vampires only had those if they've killed someone by biting them. Samantha was doing her best not to make assumptions about the other woman's current character- after all, Baldassare had the same eyes. It was difficult, however, sitting across from a person who she didn't know, but also knew that she had killed a person before. To top it all off, they were going through the things that Baldassare had given her. Fortunately, the Westley was able to distract herself somewhat by looking at what was spread across the kitchen table.

"These are original manuscripts!" she gushed. "I can't take these! They're too precious!"

"He wanted you to have them, so you're gonna take 'em. I'm not leaving until you accept every last bit of it." Kyung-Soon replied, but the Westley was only mildly convinced.

"I guess I could put them in a safety deposit box, maybe… I don't know if I feel comfortable having them lying around the house where they could get damaged..."

"In London?"

"Yeah. The security is tighter. That way, they'll be safe until they're needed for something." Very carefully, Samantha began returning them to their box one by one. It was surprising to Kyung-Soon to see a human treat them so delicately. Part of her had just expected the Westley to just toss them aside and be only mildly interested in them, but no, they were like holy artifacts that needed preserved and taken care of.

Curiously, she continued to watch Samantha as she opened another box, finding a large, but neat stack of notebooks and journals inside. Taking a few out, the Westley discovered that all of them were practically full to the brim with notes. Each one had the working title of the book Baldassare was working on at the time written inside.

"He cares so much about these..." she mumbled, her eyes getting a little bit wet.

"Yeah… He carries them everywhere…" the vampire added, her tone somber and her gaze downcast at her folded hands on the table's surface. She could picture her leader so vividly, jotting down notes in the most random of places. He was always so focused when he did so, shutting out the rest of the world entirely so it was just him and the world he had created. "He'd always be writing in them about God knows what… Well… I guess we know, now..."

Tugging her sleeve up, Samantha used it to wipe her eyes. She could not dry them, as the tears just kept coming. A hiccup escaped her as she tried her best not to get the pages wet.

"What is it?" Kyung-Soon questioned, looking up again.

"It's his book..." Samantha replied, trying her best to keep her voice steady. "These are the notes for the history book he was working on… He said… He said that it's close to done… But now… But now..."

Ah, that did it. Kyung-Soon, as stoic as she tried to remain, her eyes began to water, too. This isn't what is necessary. She needed to be strong. She needed to be put together so she could lead Girasol. She had to. There was no other option. After all, she promised Baldassare that she would. She would command the troops in their darkest hour and they would all pull through. Yet, she had her own life. She had her wonderful girlfriend, Tegwen, who was supporting her the best she could, and her job at Andrea's. She wasn't sure if she was going to be able to keep that job if she had to focus her time on Baldassare's old tasks. Kyung-Soon tried her best not to buckle under the stress, but if it were just stress, she could handle it. What really ailed her was the loss. She lost Baldassare just like everyone else did and she had to process that along with her given tasks.

It wasn't fair. She had to work while everyone else got to mourn. She lost Baldassare, too! She was so proud of his accomplishments and aspirations. She was glad to have known him. It was a privileged. Baldassare is the one who took her in after she couldn't return home to America and taught her how to survive as a proper vampire. He gave her a home, friends, and a family that she would happily die for if it came down to it. Kyung-Soon loved Baldassare accordingly. He was absolutely irreplaceable, but now he was gone. He occupied a very special place in the woman's heart and it felt like his death had torn a hole in it that could never be filled. It never would, either.

"Yeah… I know..." She replied, wiping her own eyes. "I know… He can't finish it..."

"It's not fair..." the Westley stated. "He's probably the most brilliant person I've ever met… His mind can change the world for the better, but… No… No, he has changed the world… He made Girasol. He helped so many people. And these books! He is essentially the father of supernatural literature! But… They didn't care about that…"

"Bastards got no respect for anything… They just… Threw him away like trash once he didn't wanna help with their stupid project." Kyung-Soon growled between clenched teeth. Her anger wasn't directed at Samantha, but the Westley heard it. "If I ever catch them in this town, they're gonna have the whole of Girasol to worry about. There's not a single member that doesn't want them dead… They'll pay for what they did to Baldassare..."

"There's not a lot I can do to help you out with that, but I support the sentiment."

"It's technically one of Girasol's jobs to help HELLSING protect the place and I think that counts. I just… I hate it… I know you're a stranger and I shouldn't be unloading on you or anything, but… I'm just so mad… and I feel so stupid..."

Pausing, the human thought for a moment. By this point, she already knew who Kyung-Soon was and that she had been chosen by Baldassare to lead. Samantha could only imagine how she must be feeling, but she tried her best to see things from her perspective.

"One time, Baldassare and I were talking about anger as a motivator for characters, but he said that the same is pretty much true for people." Samantha replied, looking down at her hands. "He said that anger is usually the result of feeling hurt in some way. He said that he learned that far later in life than he wanted to and that he used to be a very angry person not too long ago… But, he also said that he's much happier now. Once he was able to figure out the problem, he was able to fix it a lot easier."

At first, Samantha thought she might be talking to a brick wall as the other woman did not respond right away. When she looked up, however, she saw the reason why. Somehow, it never occurred to Samantha that vampires could cry. Kyung-Soon did her best to shed her tears silently, pressing her lips in a thin line as she muted herself. Despite her silence, her tears fell down her face in a steady stream. Then, her face contorted in pain as she hid it in her hands, resting her elbows on the table.

"It's not fair..." she choked. "He was doing so well… He was happy… He was smiling all the time… It was so short… Why? Why cut him down now? He was about to make history with his book and he was finally living life to the fullest… It's not fair… I don't know how to lead Girasol… I don't know how to do any of it… It has to be him, but… but…

It was infectious, causing Samantha to cry freely as well. For a woman who loved words as much as she did, she couldn't conjure any right then. All she could do was sit there and listen to the vampire sob.

"I feel so stupid..." Kyung-Soon continued. "I can't do this… I don't know how to do any of this… I need Baldassare to teach me how! No, we need Baldassare to lead us. He's the only one who can! He's the only one who's smart enough and charismatic enough… Everybody follows him without question, but I-? I ran out on everybody as soon as I got a girl… I wasn't even a general anymore when he told me I'm in charge… Who can follow that?" Suddenly, she shook her head.

"No..." she continued. "I just… I just- I just want Baldassare back..."

"I'm sorry..." was all Samantha could think to say. There was no "right" thing to say in this situation. Everything would have felt insufficient. It was hard to think about the sadness of others when Samantha was grieving as well.

It was strange. Samantha was not familiar with this kind of sadness. The fact that she would never be able to talk to Baldassare again was hard to accept. There was a large part of the Westley that half expected him to walk through the door and tell everyone that it was just a prank of some sort and to lighten up, but reality said differently. It all felt so surreal. It was like a very vivid, bad dream that she couldn't seem to wake up from. Her home felt forgein to her, as did everything else. The people in town were not the same, either, but that was because they, too, were mourning. Samantha couldn't even find it in her to look at her bookshelf, as he was there. He was still there- alive in those pages, telling her stories, like he always did. It was the most "normal" things were, but when she looked at them, she couldn't help but cry. He was there, but he was not there. He existed, but did not exist. He was alive, but he was dead. She could hear and see his words so clearly and recognise his written voice, but yet, she knew he was gone. His soul had left them, so not even the demons could find a way to bring him back. Samantha, too, felt the ache of a Baldassare-shaped hole cut in the fabric of reality as she knew it. It would never be filled. It felt horrible, yet somehow strange.

While examining her feelings and the source of her hurt like Baldassare had told her, she realised something: She hadn't felt this way at all when her own father died. Matthew Westley didn't leave a hole at all. He was hardly ever there, so it felt normal that he was gone. It was ordinary. Yet, with Baldassare? Her beloved teacher was gone from her life. She had learned so much from him and told him secrets that neither her friends or even her brother knew. He was gone. One moment, he was in her house, listening to her talk about her crush and telling her about the existence of supernaturals as they had lived alongside humans previously, but then, when she woke up the next morning, she was told that she would never see him again. No one would. He was dead.

It was a feeling that was shared by everyone who spoke to him that day. Kyung-Soon remembered him buying a suit from Andreas' and Kristopherson Miles remembered fitting him for it. "Fangless" Shaun remembered fixing the collar of his shirt before he left for his meeting at Town Hall, and everyone at that meeting remembered him speaking his mind about the state of affairs in Gehenna in regards to Scarlet Order graffiti. Alois remembered him speaking to him with respect for once and was completely distraught over not being able to warn him before he went to meet with Abhartach. He blamed himself and felt like he had failed the entirety of Gehenna by not disclosing that threat. He didn't know that it would affect Gehenna at all until it was too late. In an effort to avoid unnecessary panic, he caused an unnecessary death. He didn't do enough and it ate at him.

Sister Dorothy did not speak to hardly anyone after she returned from HELLSING Headquarters. She spoke only when necessary, trying to comfort Kyung-Soon when she needed it and whatever Girasol member came in. She also spoke to some witches about cleaning and dressing the body and worked with Kyung-Soon on funeral arrangements. Like all bodies in Gehenna, he would be burned. The town simply didn't have the room for burial. Baldassare wouldn't have minded, though, she knew. He would probably find some clever symbolism in it.

There was talk about what would be done with his ashes. Everyone knew that they couldn't be scattered somewhere outside of Gehenna. He would want to rest in the town that he loved. Either they would be scattered to the wind somewhere within the town, or they would be kept in an urn somewhere within city limits.

They would have to act quickly, but it was hard. Like Kyung-Soon, Sister Dorothy was mourning someone she loved deeply. She considered Baldassare to be her best friend and respected him, recognising that he was a good, intelligent man underneath his crude exterior. It didn't help that he was currently being kept in her church.

There was no coffin, as it was only going to be burned. Plenty of offers came in from different craftsmen- some of which weren't even Girasol-affiliated- for free coffins, but Sister Dorothy knew that this wasn't what he would have wanted. After all, she was the only person who he talked about dying with, freely, so she knew what he wanted. He told her while he was still alive. He wanted a very "traditional" Gehenna funeral, so instead, he would be wrapped in a shroud. In the meantime, he laid in an unoccupied room in the church on a table. He was still unwrapped so anyone who wished to could pay their respects to him face to face. Sister Dorothy did multiple times per day as she tried to come to grips with the fact that he wasn't merely sleeping.

The witches did a good job cleaning him up. He looked absolutely serene. His skin was pale and his face was relaxed as if he were asleep. They had made the glamour so that he had his preferred appearance as an adult rather than his true one. Somehow, it would be more upsetting to see the bundle if it were small. More importantly, Baldassare would have hated to be paraded about like that. He hated his child-like appearance. The witches had dressed him in the new suit that he had just bought. It wasn't black, however. It was grey, so instead they paired it with a black shirt and tie. Sister Dorothy thought that it was quite strange to see him in a tie as he only wore them for very special occasions. She supposed that this counted, however.

She had cried so much during this time that she was surprised that she had any tears left at all. It wasn't fair. Of all of the times Baldassare could have died, it was during a time when he didn't want to. He was finally at peace with the world, only to be abruptly taken from it. Instead of talking about how awful things were and how there was no hope for anyone, he began talking very seriously about the improvements he could make and took immense pride in them. He bragged about his student and how Gehenna was going to be the better town between it and Pyestock. He was determined to make it so. He wanted to do so much but was cut short of doing most of it. Even his plans for the near future were dashed as he died. Thinking about all of this is what made Sister Dorothy the saddest, as she knew the importance of all of it. She knew that he was excited to be alive and yet, he wouldn't be allowed to do the things that he had set his hopes on.

"They didn't do your hair right..." she said, fussing with his bangs. "Too tidy… And parted in the middle? Have they ever met you?"

She half expected him to open his eyes and tell her to stop bothering him, but she knew he wouldn't. Sniffling, she reached up to dry her eyes. There was still much work to be done. Some of the members of the church were sewing a Gehennan flag for him to be burned with, while others worked on the funeral pyre. Fangless Shaun led that operation, although his "leadership" was limited during this time. It was mostly those working under him that took the initiative and got things sorted, as he was too busy being irritated to focus.

"The bloody nerve!" he lamented, throwing another piece of wood on the pile, only for its position be be adjusted by someone else without him noticing. "So Kyung-Soon's been around longer, big deal… I still don't see why he picked her! She left us! She left Girasol to be with the cops, of all people! How the bloody hell is someone like that supposed to take charge around here, huh?"

He scowled and paced as he ranted and raved, going on and on about the situation while the others only half-listened. "I've been right here at his side from the first day I joined and I never even thought about quittin'!" he continued, looking around at the scene. "Now I'm stuck doing grunt work while she is all doing god knows what!"

"She's taking care of his unfinished business, Shaun." one of the vampires finally said. "And it's not like this job is useless. This is what we're gonna send him off in! It's the place where everybody is gonna gather to say goodbye! We've gotta make sure it's nice for 'im. It's a really important job."

Shaun's immediate response was to hot-headedly confront the lower ranked vampire for talking back to a general, but this time, Shaun knew they had a point. He didn't want his boss to have a shoddy service, and it was an important task. The man took in a deep breath to calm himself and let it out again in the form of a long sigh.

"Yeah, yeah..." he answered. He seemed to stop for a moment as he reconsidered, but soon began moving again. This time, he set up things closer to "correct" than before.

They worked at it until the pyre was built before two of them were sent off to get a few brooms and bins to sweep the area and pick up trash with. The rest lingered behind and made little adjustments to the pyre. Sometimes, they would tweak things that they could fix without having to go anywhere else, but for the most part, they just wanted to make sure the area was secure. The group had seen some younger vampires hanging around the area before and with the rise of Scarlet Order-themed graffiti as of late, none of them wanted to take any chances. Kyung-Soon organised a group to switch off every few hours to guard the place just to be sure. The next shift would be on their way once the stage was set. No one felt particularly envious of them, given how they would have to be standing outside in the dark in December, but nobody complained, either. It was for Baldassare, so they would happily endure it and were glad to be able to volunteer. Everyone wanted something to do.

Some operatives were in charge of acquiring flowers. They wanted sunflowers, but they couldn't find anyone who had them. They weren't exactly in season. Some worked on the flag or handled the food for the wake. It was hard, given that vampires could not taste regular food, but they employed outside tasters and did their best. Others guarded the church as well to make sure that Baldassare himself was safe from anyone who would wish to harm him further. While the pyre only required the biggest, scariest-looking vampires, guarding Baldassare took the most skilled. Despite Sister Dorothy's protests, they were armed. The police didn't complain, however, as they were in on helping them keep watch.

Practically, the whole city would shut down as soon as the funeral procession came through. It would come through and businesses would shut down as those who worked there would join the group as they moved to the site. Kristopherson was having trouble keeping up with all of the orders for suit and dress patterns. He had completely depleted his entire stock of black fabric and was running low on dark grey.

Things turned out predictably when the day finally came. Baldassare was wrapped in the shroud and in the flag and put on the wooden platform that he was carried on. Rather than haulling an entire coffin like this, he was carried on the shoulders of Girasol vampires down the main street for all to see. Kyung-Soon followed just behind them as their new leader, wearing a black, leather jacket with sunflowers sewn to the back. To outsiders, it would be seen as a massive disrespect to the deceased to bear such cheerful flowers, but it was a symbol of her devotion. Those who she now commanded did similar things. Fangless Shaun wore a tracksuit like usual, but chose a black one, rolling up the sleeves to show the sunflower tattoos on his arms in spite of the cold around him.

It was a slow march, but it gave everyone time to join the crowd that followed behind them. Black, grey, and white flooded the streets, leaving no room for cars or anyone else going in the opposite direction. The police kept the area secure, wearing their best uniforms for Baldassare. Kristopherson didn't wear a speck of pink or anything vibrant. His suit was unusually tame. It was ordinary. It was black. Logan was dressed similarly, as did Daniel. Samantha wore a black dress that was mostly covered by her long coat. She avoided wearing any kind of makeup that day, as she knew it would run from her tears. Ciel and Alois made an appearance, blending in with the crowd as they matched the somber atmosphere. Luka tagged along too, knowing of Baldassare and knowing that he was important to the town all of his friends lived in. They even learned about him at school, but there were no classes because of the funeral. He walked alongside his brother and his brother in law while everyone continued walking.

He could see his friend, Penelope Knaggs and her family in the crowd, along with his other friends. Ezekiel was spotted with his mother and father and so were Raquel, Mordecai, Bruce, and Ashley. His teachers were there and so were the Hellsings as a show of support. Integra did not care much for Baldassare and neither did Elizabeth or Seras, but they knew that it would be proper if they attended. There were also many faces Luka knew from around town like Gregory Steele, the owner of the general store, but he did not recognise his wife, Helen, who worked at the front desk at the town welfare center. Her coworker, Theodore Ravenscroft and his daughter, Ruby, were also there. His ex-wife, petunia was also somewhere in the crowd along with Wink and Falchion Grey. It was not a small or insignificant bunch. Baldassare's death did not merely shake those of Girasol or the people immediately around him. He shook the whole town.

Girasol had been there before Gehenna was "Gehenna" and brought in money when there was none. They helped people who needed it, even if that meant participating in shady practices outside of London. Many people who had lived their whole life here had stories about being saved in their darkest hour by their hand. Baldassare was the one who started that. While Jim Phantomhive was credited with creating Gehenna as it was then, Baldassare is one of the ones who kept it afloat all those years before he came. He, too, was one of Gehenna's heroes. Losing him was like losing part of Gehenna itself.

The crowd eventually made it to the pyre that sat on the outskirts of town. It was an uninhabitable concrete mess that had been cleared for this purpose. No one dared to live there. Solemnly, the vampires who carried him brought him to the pyre while others gathered around, setting him down gently on top of it before stepping back and making way for Sister Dorothy.

The nun was exhausted from crying. She had done this ceremony countless times before, but this was the first time that she felt terrified of it. She knew that as soon as she and the others who would be speaking concluded, the fire would be lit and Baldassare would be gone for good. For the first time, she didn't feel ready. Sister Dorothy was not ready to send him off just yet. She, like many others there, simply wanted him to come back and nothing more.

"Thank you all for coming." she began, addressing the crowd. "We are here on this day to remember a most valuable member of our community: Girasol Frescobaldi, or as he is more commonly known: 'Baldassare.' Father of the Girasol vampires and champion of Gehenna long before it got its name- Renowned author whose talents have been a blessing to the supernatural world and author of the first supernaturally sanctioned bestiary. He has given us all so much and still had so much more to give at his passing."

Pausing, she took a deep breath. She held her tongue and kept herself from saying what she wanted to say, but in that moment, her eyes met Kyung-Soon's and the new leader of Girasol understood her. Sister Dorothy wanted to stress how his loss was needless as he was murdered in cold blood by those who were not even worth his attention in the first place. There was anger in the nun's eyes, only matched by her sorrow.

"Is there anyone here who would like to utter a few parting words?" Sister Dorothy continued, regardless. "The floor is open. We have all day."

Although reluctant, there was no one more fitting than Kyung-Soon to speak. Although obviously shaken, she dried her eyes and stepped forward, holding her head up high. "I've got something to say." she declared, prompting the nun to step aside. Squaring her shoulders, the mustered all of her courage and asked: "What the hell was all that?!" she demanded, earning an audible gasp from the crowd. There was murmuring, but Sister Dorothy quickly worked to quiet everyone back down.

"I still don't understand." Kyung-Soon continued, addressing Baldassare himself. "Why did you pick me? I left Girasol! I abandoned it, but somehow, you picked me? You're out of your mind!" She was booed. Immediately, people started telling her to leave, but she was persistent, turning to address them, too.

"Shut up!" she ordered. "This is between me and him! I left Girasol. I wasn't even aware that he had a meeting that day! I keep worrying about whether or not I'm cut out for this or what the hell was on his mind. How can he trust me with his own bloody namesake when I didn't even get the chance to apologise?!"

That word. That word shut them up. As the crowd calmed down, Kyung-Soon did as well, lowering her volume.

"A long time ago, I lived in the United States. I had no interest in living in England. It was a total accident how I ended up here. Just one school trip gone awry and… Suddenly I'm a vampire and can't go back home. I did the typical song and dance. Y'know, like practically every vampire here- starving yourself because you don't know what's going on or can't bring yourself to bite somebody. In one night, my life was completely over. Finished! But then, one night, it started back up again. I met some weird, ten-year-old boy, pulling the 'can you help me find my mummy' trick in an alley, only instead of eating me, he introduced himself and told me about this group he was starting up. Baldassare saved my fucking life."

It was a story that resonated with the vampires and werewolves of the crowd, having shared the experience. Many of them wished they had a Baldassare to help them and some of them actually did. She continued:

"But then… I wanted to try something else for a change. He supported me every bit of the way, though. Right up until the end…" she said, looking at the pyre again. Her face was almost serene, now, although heavy tears fell from her eyes. "I love him. He's family. I'm sorry for abandoning him and I'm sorry for abandoning the rest of Girasol, too. It's too late for him to hear me, though…"

She turned to face her subordinates, now, those sad eyes of hers now brimming with a new kind of determination. "I can't apologise to him, so the next best thing is to do what he told me to do! I will respect his wishes and do everything I can to keep Girasol alive the best I can! I will become the leader that Baldassare wanted me to be! Will you have me?"

Suddenly, there was a sound that should never erupt during a funeral: cheering. The vampires of Girasol cheered for not just her, but for the memory of Baldassare with tears streaming down their cheeks. It was a battlecry, spurring them to march into the brighter tomorrow that Baldassare had always dreamed of. To Baldassare! May his memory and his cause live on! It was such a dazzling display of splendor that it caused a bit of hope to stir within both Kyung-Soon and Samantha Westley.

The Westley woman's brother had his attention taken away from the scene when he felt his sister tugging at his sleeve. "Hey, Dan?"

"Huh?" he asked, forcing himself to look away so he could face his sister.

I know what I want to do." she declared quietly so only he could hear. "I want to finish the book."

"What book?" Daniel inquired.

"His book! It's too important to not be published! I want to study supernatural history and finish his book!"

The man raised his eyebrows for a moment at the unusually idealistic aspiration for his sister, but still smiled warmly. "Then you're gonna have to invent a new field to study, pretty much."

"I didn't invent it." Samantha replied. "Baldassare did. It's all in his notes."

Somehow, as she said that, Samantha imagined Baldassare smiling that haughty smile of his at her. No, at the whole crowd. Baldassare never really thought that his life would amount to much, but he changed the course of supernatural history in many ways. He would have been immensely proud to see both of his beloved protege's tackling the world head-on. It would make him want to brag to whowever would listen. Samantha would carry on in his footsteps and write, while Kyung-Soon would continue to fight the good fight in his stead. Moreover, he never thought that so many people would turn out to his funeral, nor would he have ever dreamed that it would take hours before everyone who wanted to speak finally concluded. Indeed, it was an all-day event. The sun was setting by the time Sister Dorothy could recite the final prayer.

"O God, whose mercies cannot be numbered: Accept our prayers on behalf of thy servant Baldassare, and grant him an entrance into the land of light and joy, in the fellowship of thy saints;" she began. Jim cringed at that last word from his place in the crowd, but she continued to speak. "through Jesus Christ thy Son and our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen."

"Amen." the crowd murmured in unison right after her.

With that Kyung-Soon held onto the torch with Fangless Shaun, only to look around in the crowd. Once her eyes met Samantha's she tilted her head for her to come join her, but the oblivious human didn't realise it until her brother shoved her in their direction. With one hand, she grabbed onto the torch as well, although she did not feel deserving. Together, they moved as a unit toward the pyre and set it ablaze before quickly retreating. The alcohol-soaked wood caused the fire to grow immediately.

It takes a long time for a body to burn. Many people left before it finally went out. Samantha stayed with the members of Girasol and Sister Dorothy, though. Eventually, she wound up being shielded by the cold as Kyung-Soon pulled her into a hug with her leather jacket wrapped around them both. It was strange. Neither of them had met before all of this mess, but somehow, it felt like they had found a sister.

When the flames were gone and ash only remained, it was collected and the group decided what to do with it. They walked through the streets as night fell, scattering his ashes wherever they went. Baldassare was an important part of Gehenna. Even though he was technically gone, he was still there in the town that he loved.


A/N: Oh, Baldassare... RIP in piece.

This took me way longer to write than it should... I just really didn't want to! I miss him! And everyone is so sad!

That's that, though... Baldassare is gone. The characters aren't just going to forget about him and move on immediately, though. That would be way fucked up. I think Kyung-Soon will be a good leader, but it'll take her a while to get to Baldassare's level. Same with Sam and her newfound passion! He'd be so proud of them, though! Just bragging all the time. You wouldn't be able to get him to shut up.

We talk about how Jimbo is a real important figure in Gehenna, but he's not the only one. Pour one out for Baldassare. May his swearing be the reaper's problem, now.

Until the next chapter, my duckies~!


CHARACTER SHET (Yeah, we got one!)

Question: "For Luka: You're growing up so fast! I can't believe it! Now that you're thirteen, are you able to hide your horns and tail?" by gimme-lesbian-princesses

Luka: "I'm still practising! I can do the horns now pretty easy and don't have them out all the time, but the tail still needs work. I can hide it for only a few minutes at a time. Jim and Ciel say I just need to set my 'default' form to being 'tailless' but I'm not really sure what that means? I think I've almost got it, though! Other than that, I just use a glamour when we go places that aren't supernatural-friendly."