Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Jan 24, 2021 0:01:17 GMT -5
Sol frowned. He captured Parker's swatting hands and held them out to the sides as he met Parker's gaze. "You're not fine. And you're cold because you're wearing wet clothes. You're not going to get warm unless you take them off." He looked around, but there was no way they could build a fire in here. There were too many flammable things in the way. "We need to head back to the beach," he decided. "Build a fire. That's the only way you'll get warm."
~ • ~ • ~ "Well," Seth mused, "how many shots do you need to see to get an idea of my skill?" He directed the question to the brothers as he strung his bow, the action easy and natural. He didn't even have to think about it. Then he reached to the side again to grab his quiver.
Aidan's eyes went wide when his hand disappeared, then wider still when it returned with a quiver full of arrows. "Whoa! How did you do that?"
Seth grinned. "Magic," he said simply.
~ • ~ • ~ Cami stared at her for a long minute. "Please tell me you're joking. You have to know that that will never work. Morgan's a great guy and all, but he's still a guy, and that means he'll remain clueless about this sort of thing until you tell him."
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Jan 24, 2021 0:44:58 GMT -5
"I can use them to make snares with," Parker informed. "We might not get anything now, we might have breakfast."
~•~•~
"Seth, don't be mean," Anya chided, but her small smile said she was enjoying the banter like the rest of them.
"No, but if you can split an arrow with another arrow, I'll never doubt you again," Ryner stated.
~•~•~
Why did she have to unintentionally say the one statement that captured their whole fight perfectly? She flipped the practice knife n her hands, thinking. "Fine," she muttered. "Maybe I'll track hi down later."
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Jan 24, 2021 1:08:46 GMT -5
Of course. Sol hadn't even thought of food. He was too stressed to be hungry, but they would be needing sustenance sooner or later. "I'll grab some later. Let's just get you back to the beach." He pulled Parker off the tree and slung one of Parker's arms across his shoulders.
~ • ~ • ~ Seth tipped his head back and laughed. "That is so cliche," he said. But, fast as lightning, he turned on his heel and shot two arrows in rapid succession. Thunk. Crack! One into the hay bale, one right down the shaft. Seth twirled the bow in his hand, unable to hide the smug grin. "Et voilà. One split arrow, as requested."
~ • ~ • ~ ( Wait, which statement was that? xD )
Cami grinned. "Good. I hate seeing my friends fight. Except, you know, in practice. And speaking of practice, I guess we should finish ours, huh?"
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Jan 24, 2021 8:57:08 GMT -5
That was fair. Parker let Sol place an arm over his shoulder and lead him back the way he came. The position put a little strain on his back, but he was fine with it if it meant he wasn't tripping every two seconds.
~•~•~
It happened so fast that it took a few heartbeats before Felix and Ryner registered what had happened. They both stared at the arrows, their smiles turning into looks as awe and shock.
"I didn't think he'd actually do it, " Felix muttered.
"Dude," Ryner said, moving closer to inspect Seth's work.
Only Anya was over there giggling. "It loses its novelty after a while," she joked.
~•~•~
("Seeing isn't always enough." They both see how they care for each other, but she's the one that struggles with understanding why Morgan feels the need to talk about it when he can clearly see it. XD)
Kyra smiled slightly and shook our head. "Nah, I think we're good for the day. You've been keeping up well, so one short practice won't hurt." She nodded in a random direction away from the field. "Come on, let's go grab something to eat."
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Jan 24, 2021 9:35:53 GMT -5
The return trip was somehow both longer and shorter. They walked the exact same path, but it felt like it took twice as long to walk it, even though the trampled brush was less of a hindrance this time. The sun hadn't quite set yet, so Sol found a sunny spot for Parker in the warm sand. A palm tree with a bent trunk stood nearby.
Before letting him sit, Sol finished removing Parker's coat. It had soaked up a lot of water, and was probably weighing him down without his even realizing it. Sol tossed the coat toward the tree, then told Parker to sit. "I'll be right back." He took two steps away, then added, "If you need something to do, you can make a pit for a fire."
~ • ~ • ~ It took a minute to register with Aidan too. "Whoa... That... was... so... COOL!" He threw his hands in the air and ran over to look at the arrows with Ryner. He poked at one of the split ends of the first arrow. "How did you do that?"
Seth shrugged. "Practice. A lot of practice," he clarified. For while splitting an arrow was easy now, there was a time when he thought it was the hardest thing in the world.
~ • ~ • ~ ( Ahhh... Yeah, that was pretty brilliant on my part, eh? xD
OMG, it's about to happen. QUICK! While they're eating, have someone come and summon them to Lawrence's tent. Well, summon Cami mostly, but Kyra can tag along. ;D )
Cami couldn't help it. Her shoulders slumped in relief. "Oh, thanks the gods. No, thank you." She have Kyra a quick hug, small and feeble compared to her usual tight squeezes. "Gods. My arms are like jelly, and my kegs feel like limp noodles." But she marched with determination toward the kitchen tent.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Jan 24, 2021 12:48:35 GMT -5
Parker was grateful when they got back to the beach, not protesting as he was found a spot and made to sit. A shiver raced through him the moment his cot was removed, but the chill was temporary. The beach was still warm from the day that it wasn't too cold without the extra layer. He also felt like twenty pounds had been removed from his shoulders as well.
Sinking to the sand, he allowed his muscles to relax, hoping to ease some of the aches he'd accumulated. "Where are you heading?" The man called after Sol. If nothing else, he'd need to know where to look if he didn't come back in a timely manner.
~•~•~
"You had to have used magic with that," Felix said "there's no way you could have done that without it. You hardly even aimed!"
~•~•~
(Yes, it was. XD
Aye, aye!)
Kyra laughed slightly at the hug. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it soon. The first few weeks are always the hardest," she assured her, remembering her own beginning of training. It hadn't been as bad as it could have been since Morgan and Seth had been teaching her a few things, but it hadn't been easy either. She walked with Cami through the camp towards the mess tent.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Jan 24, 2021 13:22:33 GMT -5
Sol glanced back at him. "Not far," he said, and left it at that. He wouldn't get lost, and this island was too small to have any large predators. He set off, and walked along the edge of the forest, collecting twigs, sticks, and branches for a fire. He made two trips, just to make sure they had plenty, and on his second return he brought back several long strings of forest vine. He dropped the vines by Parker before adding the new wood to what he had already collected.
~ • ~ • ~ "Of course I aimed. And I do not use magic." Nick tested that once, just to see. He hadn't been able to detect any active magic when Seth practiced archery. It was just talent, with "a bit of luck thrown in for good measure." Seth didn't really believe in luck, at least not where his archery was concerned, but he also didn't believe in arguing with a compliment from Nick. "I can do it again slower if you want proof," he offered.
~ • ~ • ~ ( 😎 )
Cami wasted no time getting a plate full of food and taking it to an empty table. She dug in eagerly. This new workout regimen had given her a crazy appetite. She had already been a big eater for a girl, but now she could almost compete with Morgan. And, bonus, she hadn't gained anything but muscle. It was a win-win.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Jan 24, 2021 16:18:21 GMT -5
Not sure why he expected a better response than that, Parker nodded and set to work digging out a pit in the sand that they could build a fire. Sol had been silent, or at least not as talkative as he would normally be. Was he mad at him? Well, of course he was mad. Who would be happy aboutjumpong into the ocean during a storm? But was he mad because he had fallen in? If that was the case, then why did the captain jump in after him? He wasn't a crew member. Yeah, they might be in the middle of a fling, but why risk his life for that? Why abandon ship for him?
On Sol's return, the pit had been completed and he'd more or less been staring off into space. But he brought himself back to the present as he took up the vines. Without a word, he began to tie them into snares. His hands trembled a bit, but he never faltered with his task.
~•~•~
"I don't think that'll be necessary," Felix said.
"I want to see it again!" Ryner said at the same time. "Gods, I don't think I'll even bother this year. I'm not going to be embarrassed by you. I'll sit on the sidelines watching the other poor suckers lose."
~•~•~
The girls hadn't been at a table more than five minutes when Kyra spotted Cohen, one of Lawrence's go to runners. Cohen was more like a personal assistant, never straying too far in case the spy master had need of him. She watched as he made his way towards their table. Looks like Lawrence finally had a job for her again. However, it wasn't her name he spoke when he reached them.
"Miss Vera?" Cohen asked. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but Captain Lawrence has asked for a word with you."
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Jan 24, 2021 17:11:10 GMT -5
While Parker made the snares, Sol built the fire. He started it small, but slowly built it up until they had a good blaze going. By then the sun had set, and though the stars and moon were twice as bright this far from the city, it was still very dark outside the ring of fire light.
With the fire going strong, Sol sat down and pulled off his boots. He put them close enough to the fire for them to dry out, bit not so close to risk them catching fire. Then he removed his still damp shirt and set it out in the same manner. Finally, he went and fetched Parker's coat from where he'd hung it and put it by the fire too.
~ • ~ • ~ "You don't have to do that," Seth said. He pulled an arrow from his quiver and set it to the string. He didn't draw yet, just pointed it toward the ground as he continued. "Go get your bow and maybe I can give you some pointers. I turned Anya from a mediocre archer to a semi-pro in one session." That was a bit of an exaggeration, but her improvement during that one session was pretty good.
~ • ~ • ~ Cami didn't even notice Cohen until he said her name. With her fork still in her mouth, she turned to the messenger and stared at him for a second until his words clicked. She quickly set her fork down and swallowed. "He does? Why? Now?"
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Jan 24, 2021 17:46:55 GMT -5
Parker made four snares by the time Sol had finished draping his clothes by the fire. Setting them aside, he leaned forward to remove his own shoes. He bit down on the inside of his cheek as he stretched, tugging the laces of his boots and pulling them off. He used the time to arrange them from the fireside to contemplate whether or not he wanted to remove his shirt as well. Logically, it was the smartest move. The salt water would only irritate his skin if he kept it on. But the struggle to get it off would be embarrassing. In the end, he decided to do it. If he got teased, he'd deal with it. Taking one arm out at a time, he found that doing it that way was more effective than taking it off normally. The man arranged it with as much care as he could muster, the large bruise dark across his back from where he hit the railing of the ship.
~*~*~
"More like two sessions," Anya corrected, but Ryner was already heading back to the house at a jog. He didn't have to be told twice.
"Our bows aren't as nice as yours though," Felix commented. "Ours are just simple hunting bows. Nothing fancy."
~*~*~
"That I can't say," Cohen told her. "I was just told to fetch you."
"Did he say anything about tagalongs?" Kyra asked. She didn't know what Cami would need to speak to Lawrence, but she didn't get a good feeling about it. If this had something to do with the whole thing with Andy, she was sure the other girl might want someone to back her up.
Cohen looked to Kyra and shrugged. "He didn't mention anything about it to me, so I'm going to assume it's okay."
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Jan 24, 2021 18:39:11 GMT -5
Sol watched Parker in his periphery as he used a long stick to adjust the logs in the fire. He straightened and walked around to the snares, intending to set them up in the hopes they'd catch something overnight. But as he walked around behind Parker, he noticed the bruising. He stopped. "What the hell happened to your back?" he asked, more harshly than he intended. The anger wasn't directed at Parker, but it was suddenly surging up in him regardless.
~ • ~ • ~ Seth looked at his bow. "Yeah, Anya said something about that. That's why I gave her a new one." He switched his hold on the bow and arrow and reached into a pocket. He pulled out Anya's bow (he was holding onto that for her, right? xD) and held it out for her. "I also have two backup bows if you want to try one of them. They're custom made for my sizing, though, so I can't promise they'll be a good fit for you." They weren't too far off in size, but Seth had a slightly longer reach. Seth's bows also had more power than a typical hunting bow, meaning they had a greater draw weight.
~ • ~ • ~ Cami looked confused, but she nodded. She quickly finished her last few bites and stood up. "Okay, I'm ready."
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Jan 24, 2021 18:50:01 GMT -5
(Sol has aggressive affection, and I am here for it. XD)
Parker glanced up at Sol, not sure why he was suddenly angry. It almost made him not want to answer. "I got knocked into the railing when the wave took me overboard," he answered slowly. He turned slightly as if he would be able to see it, but winced and stopped. "Is it bad?"
~*~*~
(Lol, yeah, he was.)
Felix watched his sister take her bow, noting the way she held it in her left hand. "You sure you okay with us using your bows?" he asked, looking back to Seth. "Those look expensive."
~*~*~
Kyra was equally confused, but she hid it better. She stood and waited for Cami. Then followed Cohen towards Lawrence's tent.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Jan 24, 2021 19:59:53 GMT -5
(Still! XD
And that's accurate. XD)
Parker nodded slightly to that. "It must look awful then, because it hurts like crap," he muttered. He buried his feet in the warm sand closest to the fire, trying to find warmth. With the sun set, it was quickly becoming colder than he would have liked to experience without a shirt on.
~*~*~
Felix chuckled as he took the one offered to him. "Damn, there goes my plans," he said.
Anya rolled her eyes at her brother, taking her quiver. She didn't know when she got roped into practicing with them, but it was a little late to back out now. Besides, she was supposed to start training again after the festival anyway. What was starting a day early going to hurt?
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Jan 24, 2021 20:33:35 GMT -5
( Right again. I'm on a roll. 😎 )
Sol took a deep breath before replying, only to cut off what he was about to say before it even reached his lips. He picked up the snares. "I'm going to set these up. Hopefully we can have breakfast in the morning." And he left, his bare feet barely making a sound as he stepped out of the fire light and into the dark night. (Hey, that rhymes! xD)
~ • ~ • ~ Seth snickered and gave him a quiver. "Those go with the bow," he explained. Each of his bows were built for a different purpose, though they were also of good enough make that they could be used for most anything. But their different main purposes made them all slightly different size, while still being sized to him. Hence: they each had their own arrows made specifically for them. Most archers weren't as detail oriented with their bows and arrows, but Seth wasn't most archers.
He picked up his bow again and returned to the firing position. "Tell me where to shoot," he told no one in particular.
Unsurprisingly, Aidan was immediately ready with an answer. "The eye!" he said, sounding like he had just pulled that decision out of the air.
Seth laughed, but drew back his bow and shot the doll (she was sitting on the hay bale) in the eye. Even though he used as little power as possible, the arrow still drove the doll off the bale and into the side of the barn. Thankfully, the arrow tip was imbedded in the thick stuffing of the dolls head, so it left no mark on the barn. Seth still flinched slightly and said a bit sheepishly, "Sorry."
~ • ~ • ~ Cami puzzled over the reasons Lawrence might want to talk to her the whole walk. The only ones she could think of that made any sense were if it involved her mother, her brother, or Andy. The last two were more likely. Had Callum gone and beaten Andy again? Cami hadn't heard anything about that through the grapevines of gossip. In fact, Callum had been on surprisingly good behavior all week. He was still a grouch and completely unfriendly to anyone who tried talking to him, but he hadn't gotten into any fights, with the other Rebels or the werecats - though he did glare at those guys every time he saw them. They always just smiled knowingly back.
As for Andy, Cami hadn't seen him, and she really hoped she didn't have to now. Kyra's presence would make it easier if she did, but she would still rather not see him at all.
As soon as they arrived, however, Cami knew this had nothing to do with Andy.
Just as they were approaching Lawrence's tent, Morgan and Callum appeared from one direction, and Cresseida appeared from another. And they were all heading for the boss's tent.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Jan 24, 2021 20:48:16 GMT -5
(XD And now I'm curious about what he was going to say!)
Parker glanced over at him as he left, but didn't bother saying anything. Was it just him, or was Sol purposefully keeping his distance? Maybe he was mad at him. He picked up a twig and tossed it into the fire, his mind racing with everything he had yet to ask about the storm. He wanted to know, but at the same time, would Sol even bother answering him?
~*~*~
"Well that wasn't gruesome at all," Anya commented, though she was smiling. She was in the process of stringing her bow, readying it to shoot.
Felix took a moment to look over the bow and the arrows, making sure he knew which arrows belonged with his bow. It was also at this moment when Ryner returned with one of their hunting bows and quivers. He noticed the doll with an arrow sticking out of its eye. "What did I miss?" he asked. "And what did that poor doll do to you?"
~*~*~
"Well, this just got interesting," Kyra murmured, seeing the rest of the Vera family and Morgan heading to the same tent. The red flags of this meeting were becoming bigger. Upon arriving and seeing that everyone was there, Cohen slipped into the tent. He came back out a few seconds later. "Go right on in," he said, holding open the tent flap for them and letting them work out who would be entering first.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Jan 24, 2021 21:09:50 GMT -5
( Muahaha! You'll never know. 😈🤣 )
Sol set out the snares at intervals along the tree line, two outside the trees and two in. He couldn't see much to gauge which places were frequented by animals, so he went with what he knew from past experience and hoped for the best.
He was back within half an hour, with more wood for the fire. Not much, just whatever he found on his way back. He added it to the pile, put another log on the fire, and then plopped down beside Parker, closer than one might have expected given his attitude all night. He pulled his knees up and used them as arm rests as he gazed quietly into the fire.
~ • ~ • ~ "I told him to," Aidan said as he ran over to grab the doll. He went to pull the arrow out, but found it was lodged quite good in the stuffing.
While he figured that out, Seth turned to Ryner. He immediately noticed the bow, and couldn't help making a face. He was a bit of bow snob. "Not much. Mostly me handing out bows." He gestured to the extra one he had leaned against the barn, out of the way. "You can try that one if you want. Might help smooth out your shots."
~ • ~ • ~ "I'll say." Cami met her brother's gaze, a question in them, but Callum just shrugged one shoulder. They didn't know what was going on either.
"Well, we're not going to find out anything standing here," Cresseida pointed out. She headed into the tent, Callum on her heels. Cami followed him, and Morgan waved Kyra in ahead of him. He didn't bother trying to make eye contact. He knew she would just avoid and ignore some more.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Jan 24, 2021 21:29:11 GMT -5
(BUT I GOT TO KNOW!!!)
He was lost in his thoughts, staring vacantly into the fire, so Parker wasn't aware of Sol's return until he was pretty much upon him. Even after he took a seat, he remained silent for a moment. "Why'd you come after me?" he finally asked, not looking up at him.
~*~*~
Ryner took one look at the bow and didn't even hesitate. He exchanged the weapons, grinning like a kid on Solstice, and gave the bow string an experimental pull. "Now this is a bow," he said, letting the tension ease before picking up his quiver.
~*~*~
Kyra knew she was the one to make this situation, so she had no one but herself to blame when Morgan didn't try to make eye contact. She really did need to talk to him. As she entered the tent, she allowed her arm to brush against his, the first close contact the two of them had shared in weeks.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Jan 24, 2021 21:52:36 GMT -5
At the sound of his voice, Sol glanced over at Parker. He didn't say anything for a time, but then he said simply, "Because I didn't want the sea to take you."
~ • ~ • ~ Seth grinned. "Glad we're in agreement on that. Okay, let's see what you Dorrehs are made of." He quickly pulled his arrows out of the hale bale - and paused to show Aidan the right way to pull an arrow out of something, finally freeing the one in the doll - before moving out of the shooting zone. "Who wants to go first?" he asked, mostly of the guys. He already knew what Anya was made of, though it would be nice to see the looks on her brothers' faces when they discovered how good she'd gotten.
~ • ~ • ~ Morgan jolted slightly at the unexpected contact and shot Kyra a startled and confused look. Had she done that on purpose? Why? He would have liked to puzzle over it, but as he entered the tent, all thoughts ground to a halt. So did his feet, in part because all three of the Veras had stopped less than a foot inside the tent, but mostly because of the man standing beside Lawrence's desk.
"Seth." The name escaped before it could register that this man was not Seth. But gods damn if he didn't look like him.
The man was tall and well-built, with a body shape very similar to Seth's. His hair was darker, more brown than gold, and a little longer than Seth tended to let his grow. He was also older than Seth, though there was an air about him that gave off the impression of youth. But the eyes... those were an exact match. Blue and green mixed together to create a bright color that danced with self-confidence and amusement. This man was Seth in ten years.
He just smiled at Morgan's slip. "No, but I am very eager to find him, as I hear you are." He stepped forward, looking from one startled face to the next. He settled on Cresseida. "It's great to finally meet the woman who raised my son." He offered her a hand and a boyishly charming - and familiar - grin. "I'm Sebastian Accio. Though my friends call me Ghost."
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Jan 24, 2021 22:42:54 GMT -5
"But why?" Parker asked. "I'm not a crew member. I don't have an important role on the ship. Not to mention how did you even know I fell over? I couldn't even see in front of my face, let alone to the other side of the ship. Then there's the fact that I'm positive that I lost the ship when I fell in. I couldn't see it anywhere. How would you even have been able to find me? Why risk yourself when you have to be see to everyone else's opinion safety?"
Parker was glad to have been saved, don't get him wrong. He could still hear the storm, feel the water crashing over him pulling him on. Salt lived in his mouth now, and he was certain it would never leave. He had been so close to drowning... Now that he had the time to process all of it, the shock of the whole ordeal set in. He shook slightly, and he was glad that he had already been shivering from the cold to help hide it. He wouldn't break down in front of Sol. Not when he was acting like it was no big deal.
~•~•~
"I'll do it," Ryner volunteered. He chose an arrow and notched it in the string. It remained pointed at the ground, though, as he asked, "what's the target?"
~•~•~
Perhaps the only one in the room who wasn't as close to Seth, Kyra stared at the newcomer with a composed expression. Was she shocked? Yes. Was she going to get answers? One way or another. However, unlike the rest, she was already familiar with Sebastian. She had seen him several times since she had joined the Rebels, and knew exactly who the man was. She didn't know he was Seth's father, however, since she had never spoken with him or got a close enough look to see him clearly.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Jan 24, 2021 23:01:05 GMT -5
Sol was a little surprised by Parker's barrage of questions, but he waited patiently for him to get it all out. And then he waited a while longer, debating what and how much to tell him. He rubbed his forehead. His energy boost from the swim was finally waning, and as it went a headache began pulsing at his temples. "I don't know all the answers, Parker," he said at last. "I'm still trying to figure it out myself." He lowered his hand and turned to meet his gaze. "But I do know I am going to get you home safely. And nothing is gonna get in my way. Especially not my ocean."
~ • ~ • ~ "Let's start with the hay bale," Seth suggested. "Just so I can see what I'm working with."
~ • ~ • ~ It took Cresseida another minute, but she finally snapped out of it and accepted his hand. "Oh... my." She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I always assumed he took after you, but I never knew just how much."
Sebastian smiled. "Yes, that was a surprise for me too. But I gotta say, it's a bit of an ego boost to know my genes are so potent."
"Nature only goes so far, Mr. Accio," Cresseida said, fully over her surprise now. "Nurture is just as important."
Properly chastised, Sebastian glanced at his feet with a rueful smile. "You are absolutely right, Cresseida Vera." He met her gaze again, more serious now. "That's why I'm here. I want to find my son."
Cresseida held his stare with a steady one of her own, giving nothing away until she made her choice. "Then you'll need to speak with Morgan. He knows the most about what's going on with Seth and where he might be."
Sebastian smiled a little and nodded. "Thank you." He looked past her, to Morgan. His gaze drifted over him from head to toe and back, assessing. "So you're Morgan. I've heard a lot about you. From Lawrence here, but mostly from Nick. You've always been a bit of a troublemaker, haven't you?"
Morgan jolted in shock. "Nick was a Rebel spy?"
Sebastian smiled again, this one with a mysterious edge to it, and secrets danced in his eyes. "Nick was a lot of things. But yes. One of them was spy. Best we've ever had, in fact."
Morgan's thoughts were reeling. "Wha... how did I not know? Wait. Is that why Seth...?" But he couldn't finish. His eyes darted briefly to the Veras. Callum knew a lot about Seth's true position within the Riders, but Cresseida and Cami only knew the bare minimum, and Morgan wanted to keep it that way. It wasn't his story to tell.
Luckily, Sebastian didn't need him to finish. He nodded. "Yes, that's why. Things happened, Nick's position became compromised, so he had to get out. But Genevieve isn't the forgiving type. I wish it wasn't Seth, but Nick insisted."
By the gods, if Morgan didn't end up on his ass by the end of this it would be a miracle. "Nick did what now?"
Sebastian canted his head. "Why don't we finish this conversation in my tent. It seems we have a lot to talk about."
"You got that right," Morgan muttered. He hardly noticed when Sebastian turned back to the Veras, telling them he would love to speak with them about Seth later. Cresseida and Cami agreed; Callum said nothing, his all-seeing gaze shifting from Sebastian to Morgan.
The Veras were excused, and as they left, Sebastian stepped up to Lawrence's desk and said something to the other man that Morgan just barely caught: "We'll have that meeting tomorrow morning. Until then, I'm not here."
He patted Lawrence's desk then approached Morgan. That's when he finally seemed to notice Kyra. "Ah, Kyra. Good to see you again. Thank you for coming, but you're free to —"
"No," Morgan blurted before he could think better of it. "I mean..." He glanced apologetically at Kyra. "Sorry. I'm not..." ...trying to boss you around. He looked back at Sebastian. "I would rather she stayed, if that's all right." He knew she was still mad at him, but Seth was her friend too, and she was the only ally he had within the Rebels. If nothing else, she would have his back on the movement to keep Seth alive.
Sebastian looked between them for a moment before slowly nodding. "All right. If she's game I'm game. Let's go, kiddies." And he stepped between them and ducked out of the tent.
Morgan cast Kyra one more apologetic look before turning and hurrying after him.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Jan 25, 2021 7:20:41 GMT -5
That surprised him. Parker glanced up at Sol as he spoke. It hadn't been just him that he had promised to get home safely. Would he have jumped in to save any of the other people he rescued? A part of him wanted to believe not, not maybe he was special enough to the captain and that was why he did it, even though that probably wasn't the case. "Thank you," he muttered in reply, a small quaver in his voice.
~•~•~
Ryner nodded and waited for everyone to clear out of the way beforeblofting the bow to shoot. His shots were slower, taking his time to aim and fire. He shot three arrows. All of them hit the bale, not in the same spot, but they weren't all over the place either.
~•~•~
For once, Kyra didn't mind Morgan stepping up to keep her as part of the conversation. She was fully prepared to argue her case, but now she didn't have to. The woman glanced up at Morgan and gave a small nod before turning to follow Sebastian out of the tent.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Jan 25, 2021 10:47:02 GMT -5
"You're welcome," Sol murmured. He went back to staring at the fire and didn'tspeak again for several minutes. "I'm not mad at you. I'm not really mad at all. Well..." He smirked slightly. "Maybe a little. But not at you."
~ • ~ • ~ Seth watched Ryner more than he watched the arrows. Once all three arrows had been fired, he made his verdict. "Your form is decent and your aim gets the job done. But you lack refinement and that makes for sloppy shooting." He spent a couple minutes giving Ryner tips and corrections to his stance that would help improve his shots, here and in the forest. Then he told him to shoot again, this time with a more specific target.
Seth pulled the fletching from his split arrow and used a small twig to stick it to the side of the hay bale. "Okay, you have three tries. Try and shoot that."
~ • ~ • ~ Sebastian led them from Lawrence's tent. He walked only a short distance, to a tent that seemed kind of small for the Leader of the Rebels. But given Sebastian's comment to Lawrence — "I'm not here" — Morgan could see why Sebastian would use a smaller tent.
Sebastian didn't waste time once they got inside his tent. He walked up to the desk along the back but didn't sit in the chair. Instead, he hopped up and sat on the desk itself. "All right," he said. "First off, what do you know about Nick?"
Morgan tossed his hands out to the sides. "Well, let's see. I know he was my teacher. I know he up and left one day, shortly after Seth got dragged into Genevieve's dark plot. I know he was AWOL for years. And I know Seth… killed him. On Genevieve's orders. I definitely did not know he was a damn spy."
Sebastian picked up a toothpick that was on the desk and started fiddling with it. "Nobody knew. That was the point. That was why he was so good at his job."
Morgan scowled but moved on. "Whatever. How long?" When Sebastian just lifted his brows, he clarified, "How long was he a spy for you?"
Sebastian let out a breath. "Since the beginning. When I broke away from Genevieve —"
"Wait wait wait wait." Morgan made a timeout T with his hands. "You were with Genevieve? But you're the leader of the Rebels!"
Sebastian gave him a look. "Obviously, Morgan, I was once with Genevieve. How do you think Seth came into the picture?"
Right…
"Okay, well, why don't you explain that. Not the — that part. I know how babies are made. But, like… how? Weren't you, you know, careful?"
Sebastian crossed his arms. "Me? No. Well, not with her. Genevieve always took care of that. Told me she didn't want kids, ever. I believed her. I don't know what changed her mind, but something must have. Seth was no accident, Morgan, at least not on her part. And I…" He let out a breath. "I didn't even know he existed until it was almost too late."
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Jan 25, 2021 12:53:04 GMT -5
Parker stole another glance at him. "It kind of feels like you are," he admitted. "I swear I didn't mean for this to happen. I was actually trying to keep this from happening. I... I just don't know what happened."
~•~•~
Ryner looked at the twig Seth placed and huffed. "Yeah, I'm not going to be able to hit that," he said, but he lifted his weapon and took his aim. He might not hit it, but he was going to try and get as close as he could. He let lose another three arrows, none of which hit the twig, but they were at least clustered closer together.
~•~•~
Kyra listened quietly while Morgan gave his report, if one could call it that, to the Rebel Leader. For now, this didn't concnern her. Once they started to discuss the matters of finding Seth, then she was sure she'd have plenty to say.
However, his comments on how Seth had happened made her snort. "There's only so much women can do to prtoect against that," she told him. "And even then it fails half the time. You should have known better than to think her efforts alone would have prevented a pregnancy." Yes, this was her boss. Yes, she knew she shouldn't be scolding him for this kind of thing. But it was a little stupid to think that those matters were ever such a simple thing.
"But it doesn't really matter how or why he came to be, what matters is what we need to do to find him," she continued. The woman meet Sebastain's gaze. "I'm assuming you'll be wanting him to be on our side, and not hunt him down to kill him. Otherwise, why bother talking to Morgan."
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Jan 25, 2021 15:24:07 GMT -5
Sol sighed. "I know you didn't." He propped his chin on his fist, eyes still on the fire. "I'm just annoyed by the whole situation in general. And I —" But he stopped and just shook his head, jaw tight.
~ • ~ • ~ Seth watched his performance and nodded. "There. Better already," he said with a grin.
( Short. Sorry. xP )
~ • ~ • ~ Sebastian shook his head. "You don't know Genevieve. If she didn't want a kid, she wouldn't have gotten pregnant. It's as simple as that." He held her gaze. "Of course I want him on our side. He's my son."
Morgan barely heard them. He stared at Sebastian, incensed on Seth's behalf. "Yeah, he's your son. So what is this almost bullshit? Seth told me he first met you when he was five, before he ever went to the House. If it was almost too late, why did he still end up in that House being raised by Genevieve?"
"But he wasn't raised by Genevieve," Sebastian said quietly. "He was raised by Cresseida." He paused. "And Nick."
Morgan frowned. "Nick didn't raise us. He trained us. Big difference."
"Is it, Morgan? It's just like Cresseida said: nature only goes so far. Nurture is just as important. And I know for a fact that Nick was there for you, all of you, in a lot more ways than the typical teacherly ones."
Morgan shook his head. He didn't understand the point Sebastian was trying to make. "But that… Are you saying you purposely left Seth there so he would be raised by Nick? Why? Especially if you were just going to "insist" that Seth kill him?"
"I didn't insist on that. Nick did."
"Why would Nick orchestrate his own death? Better yet, how could he do that to Seth?"
Sebastian shrugged. "Sorry, kid. I've known Nick for years, and I still rarely understand the way his mind works. But I go with it, because his plans always pan out."
Morgan rubbed his face with both hands. His mind felt like it was spinning in circles. This was all proving to be so much more complicated than he ever imagined.
"All right, enough about Nick." Sebastian hopped off the desk. "Where is Seth right now? We were able to track him as far as Carzon, where we found a Miss Senza Arian, who apparently housed him after he left Travine. She was not very helpful. After that, his trail goes cold. He must have used magic to cover his tracks." He looked hard at Morgan. "Where would he go?"
Morgan gave his head a hard shake and forced his mind to focus. "I don't know. Not really. I just know he'll go somewhere Genevieve won't immediately think to look for him. Somewhere big enough to hide two dragons, but small enough that it's off most maps. Somewhere easy to secure."
Sebastian let out a breath. "All right, at least that's something. Do you know how he's hiding himself?"
"With magic, obviously."
The man looked surprised, and almost proud. "He's that powerful?"
Morgan shrugged. "When he's got someone to protect? Yeah, he is."
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Post by ♥.•°Insanity°•.♥ on Jan 25, 2021 17:47:24 GMT -5
Evaleigh was surprised at Dallas' offer and her face showed it. “Really?” She asked and a gentle smile curled onto her lips. She would probably have to have Dallas promise he would not leave her alone out there. Even in a place deemed ‘safe’, being stranded was a real fear, but camping with someone sounded fun. “When I find a place, I will be sure to take you up on that.” Evaleigh was pretty confident that she would find everything she needed for the time being in Fulton. Despite never even hearing about the town before or having a job, or living on her own… well let’s just say her independent nature made all these aspects seem achievable. People do it every day, why couldn’t she? “What’s your favorite part about camping?” Evaleigh was curious now about Dallas’s hobby.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Jan 25, 2021 21:57:52 GMT -5
Parker frowned as he didn't finish his sentence. "You what?" he asked. He doubted Sol would answer, but what harm would asking do?
~*~*~
Ryner grinned and turned to Felix. "You give it a shot. I want to see if I can beat you," he said.
"I highly doubt you can," Felix said, stepping up to take his brother's spot. And thus the competitive nature between the siblings kicked in.
(You're good. We can skip if you want. )
~*~*~
Yep. That was Seth's father all right. He had the same way of explaining things in a slightly infurating manner. Kyra wasn't impressed, but she held her tongue since the conversation was finally going in the direction it needed to. She looked at Morgan. "You said something about the girl he was crushing on. Do you know anything about her? Where she might go if she's still with him?" she asked. That might be the only led they had.
"Now there's a good question," Dallas said, tilting his head to one side as he thought of his answer. "I guess my favoirte part is the sense of freedom it gives you. Like, it's as if you suddenly step into a completely different world, one where you just forget everything else exists, and you have endless space to run and stretch. It's just incredible. I don't know how to explain it very well."
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Jan 25, 2021 23:07:09 GMT -5
He was right. Sol didn't answer. Maybe he would have, eventually, but just then there was a loud SNAP! behind them. Sol was on his feet in an instant, staring out toward the forest, where the sound had come from. With the fire at his back he couldn't see much, but he heard something heavy running off into the bush.
~ • ~ • ~ ( 👍😎👍 )
And that was how Seth ended up spending the next hour re-teaching Ryner and Felix to shoot a bow. Like Anya, they knew what there were doing with a bow, but only in its most basic, rough and tumble form. So there were some things Seth simply had to touch up and improve upon, and there were other things that needed to be unlearned before Seth could teach them the right way.
Anya's instructions were much simpler. She didn't participate as much as the guys, but Seth still convince her to shoot a couple times. When she did, he only needed to offer a few changes to her stance or technique. Something he expressed a lot to all of them was to believe they would hit their target, and to trust their instincts.
Seth even gave Aidan a chance to shoot, when Felix found an old practice bow from when the Dorreh boys were younger. It was still too big for Aidan, but it was close enough to his size that, with a little help from Seth, he was able to fire a couple arrows. The last one even made it to the hay bale.
All three of the Dorrehs improved over the hour, each in varying increments, but improvement was improvement, and Seth encouraged all three of them to compete. He even told them he wouldn't if that was what it took.
~ • ~ • ~ Morgan shook his head. "There's no if. So long as she's in danger, Seth isn't leaving her. She could kick him to the curb, and he'd just take up residence in a tree or something and continue to protect her that way."
Sebastian looked from Morgan to Kyra and back. "This girl, she's Anya Dorreh? The girl who hatched the black dragon?"
Morgan nodded. "Yes. She's the reason Seth finally got out. Genevieve tried to have her killed. It was the last straw for him. He saved her, and he'll do whatever it takes to make sure she stays safe."
"Good to know, but why is that relevant?"
"Because if you want Seth on your side, you're going to have to go through Anya. As in, get her on your side, and have her convince Seth. Otherwise he's not going to want anything to do with you."
Sebastian frowned. "Why? We're not the Order. We have rules, of course, but he can choose not to accept a mission and not be punished for it."
Morgan shook his head. "That's not the problem."
"Then what is?"
Morgan heaved a sigh. "Guilt." When Sebastian just continued to frown at him, Morgan rolled his eyes. "Who has he been killing all these years, Ghost?"
Realization dawned. "Of course." He was silent as he thought over everything. Finally he nodded. "All right. But that still doesn't answer the question of where they are."
Morgan considered that for a long time. Where would Seth take Anya? Where was safe enough, and far enough away from Genevieve to feel secure? But then Morgan thought back to the events leading up to their running, and after several minutes that led him to a realization: Seth wouldn't have picked where they went. He would have let Anya choose, for while his number one priority may have been her safety, making her happy was a close runner up. And where would Anya be happiest after a tragedy?
He opened his eyes. He hadn't even noticed when he closed them. "Home," he said. "Seth would have taken her home."
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