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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 Feb 1, 2021 14:00:19 GMT -5
Sol paused to tilt his head and listen. "From the sounds of it, not much farther." The quiet rush of water from the steadily widening stream turned into a gentle roar around the bend ahead.
☆~☆~☆ "Mostly because he doesn't like me. But also..." Seth hesitated, then sighed. "Because I told him we were sharing a room, and I may have implied we were doing more than sleeping at night. Not on purpose," he added quickly. "It just... came out wrong."
( So. I went back to remind myself what, exactly, that fight was about, and I noticed that we intended to have Seth fall sick after being out so long in the rain, but that we later forget. So I'm wondering if you still want to do that. We can just have another rainstorm hit, and give Seth a reason to be out in it. xD )
☆~☆~☆ ( 👍😜👍 )
☆~☆~☆ ( Almost done the bigger portion. It contains some surprising content from Callum's head. )
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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 Feb 1, 2021 19:47:58 GMT -5
Parker nodded. "Then lets go on and find it," he said, starting off again, following the stream upriver. Despite the idea of maybe, possibly being stuck here, he was curious to see what it looked like.
~*~*~
Anya didn't even know what to say to there. For a few seconds, she just stared up at him, the color slightly draining from her face. "Why would you say something like that?" she asked, and though she tried to keep her tone light, she couldn't stop the twinge of panic underlining her words.
"I would like to know the same?" Felix asked, Big Brother Mode coming into play. He knew there was no such things happening, but with everything else, he cared more about protecting his sister's reputation. "Did you at least clarify that it wasn't like how it sounded?"
(Oh, I'm so down for him to get sick. Maybe one or two of the sheep got separated from the flock and they didn't know it until they herded them into the barn to wait out the storm. So Seth offers to go bring them in.)
~*~*~
The rest of the day drug by slowly. Morgan had left her tent not long after they came to a decision about the mission. He wanted to go speak with the Veras about Sebastian's offer to go with him, leaving her to her own devices. She thought she could go about and be fine. For a while, it was. Yet as evening rolled around and her time was still spent in her own company, her restlessness decided to kick in. She roamed the camp looking for something to do, but her searches came up empty. People she stopped to talk to never stayed for long. Chores and other affairs pulled them away. For a moment, she thought about swinging by the bar and getting a few drinks, but she scratched that idea too. After the last time she went there, she'd rather not end up in a situation that would have Morgan yelling at her.
So when night finally fell and a light dinner had be found and eaten, the young woman walked back to her tent. She fumbled about in the dark to find a candle and light it with some matches on her small desk. One was enough to illuminate the space. Then she just stood there, listening to the muffled sounds of camp life outside. Her tent wasn't the biggest, but right then it felt far too large for just her. A pang ran through her, wishing that Morgan was there. If only to fill the silence with his laugh, or to just stand near her and make things fill a little less big. But she had screwed that up. Even if she wanted to invite him back for a few hours, there would be no way he would accept. Not with how she had treated him this past week. The truce they found that morning wouldn't just mend the damage.
Yet her hands were already in the process of a familiar motion. There was an extra lantern on her desk she would use whenever she needed to walk through the camp at night, normally to take up a late night shift watching the borders of the camp. Tonight, however, as she lit the candle inside and closed the door, it would hang on the post outside her door. She didn't expect anything to happen, but still, she did it. If Morgan were to wander by, and she doubt he would, he would know what it meant, and he could do with that info as he willed.
~*~*~
(I can't wait to see it!)
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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 Feb 1, 2021 21:41:52 GMT -5
Sure enough, as they rounded the bend in the stream they came upon a small waterfall. It was only five or six feet high, and fell with a quiet splash into a small pool before flowing out into the stream they had been following. At the top of the waterfall was another, bigger, pool of water, which came from a true river. It wasn't large as far as rivers go, but it had a swift current that came to an abrupt halt at the pool before pouring over as a waterfall. The underbrush was less dense here, the trees bigger but several feet back from the bank of the river in most places, allowing more sunlight to shine down.
It was a beautiful place, almost peaceful. And yet the longer Sol stared at the scene stretched out before them, the more uneasy he become. Something was here, something that was not happy with their intrusion. He didn't mention it to Parker, but he kept a sharp eye out as he approached the waterfall. There was a large, flat rock there, allowing them to get right close to the waterfall without needing to get wet if they didn't want to. Sol stepped onto the rock and placed his hands under the stream of water. He wiped the sand, salt, and dirt from his hands and forearms, then stepped back to make room for Parker to come wash off and get a drink.
☆~☆~☆ Seth sighed. This was exactly what he'd been hoping to avoid. "Warren wasn't happy about my joining you two at the river that day, so when I dropped him off. he made a comment about me being desperate for your time and attention, and something about me only wanting to show off. I told him I didn't need to be, because I had plenty of time to hang out and show off for you in the bedroom. I was talking about my art. It didn't even occur to me how the way I worded it would sound until he tried to hit me. And after he tried to hit me, I wasn't really in the mood to set him straight. Even if I was, his sister came out then and interrupted us, so I just left before a real fight could start." He looked from Felix to Anya, not trying to hide anything. "I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to suggest... anything like that. It was just a bad choice of words."
☆~☆~☆ After leaving Kyra's tent, Morgan kept himself busy all day. He spoke with the Veras for hours, mostly trying to convince Callum it was a good idea to join Sebastian at his Hideout. Callum, surprisingly, didn't want to leave the current camp, yet he refused to say why. He was still a mystery to Morgan more often than not, but he did know the surly Vera well enough by now to know he was hiding something. But Callum had always kept his secrets close to the vest, and trying to wrest them away from him typically only ended in bloodshed.
In the end, Callum did agree to leave with them, but he clearly wasn't happy about it and left in a huff to prove it. Morgan tried to find him after confirming the schedule with Cami and Cresseida, but he had no luck. After an hour of fruitless searching, Morgan gave up and just found one thing after another to do to keep himself busy.
He didn't see Callum again until that night. Morgan was in his tent, getting ready for bed, when Callum shoved the tent flap aside and stomped in. Morgan paused what he was doing. "Where have you been?"
"Out," was Callum's curt reply. He walked over to his bed and pulled out a clean shirt. He made to leave again, but Morgan stepped into his path.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where are you going and why - Are you bleeding?" He reached for Callum's chest, where his shirt was sticking to his skin, but Callum backed away.
"It's none of your business, Morgan. Move."
"No. Tell me what's going on. What did you do?"
Callum stared coldly. "Nothing. I just reopened the cut I got earlier. Now move, so I can go wash off."
Morgan shook his head. "Not until you tell me what's going on. Callum -"
He suddenly stepped closer to they were toe-to-toe, his blue eyes blazing. "I don't have to tell you anything, Reilly. Now get the hell out of my way." When Morgan still didn't move, his jaw set and expression determined, Callum snorted and tried a different tact. "Go pester your girlfriend. She's summoning you."
Morgan frowned. "Kyra? She's not - What makes you think that?"
Callum arched one brow. "Because I'm not an idiot. She hung a lantern outside her tent."
Morgan blinked several times. Not an idiot indeed. When had he or Kyra ever even suggested that a light meant more than the obvious?
Callum didn't wait around to explain. He shoved past Morgan and left the tent. Morgan's reaction was delayed for only a few seconds, yet by the time he got outside, Callum was already gone. "Damn it," he muttered. Callum could take care of himself, but Morgan still worried about him. They still didn't know what all Callum was capable of, and after seeing him that day he went after Andy... It just seemed like a bad idea to leave him alone right now.
But Callum couldn't have picked a better distraction tactic. Morgan went back into his tent, intending to continue getting ready for bed and go to sleep, but within seconds Callums's words came back to him. Was it true, or did Callum just say that to distract him? And if it was true, what did it really mean? Morgan only debated it for about a minute. Then he left, and struck out for Kyra's tent.
Because sometimes, action was the only way to get answers.
Sure enough, there was a lantern outside Kyra's tent. Morgan stared at it for the gods only knew how long before he slowly crossed the walkway and knocked on the pole by the front flaps.
☆~☆~☆ ( Okay, if we're lucky, my next post will have the Callum post. ;D )
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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 Feb 1, 2021 22:04:56 GMT -5
The sight if the wayerful was stunning. Parker stared up at the scenery with awe taking in in all the little details. Unlike Sol, he couldn't tell there was anything wrong about the place. Hiw could it be when it was such a beautiful place? "Its so pretty," he muttered, stepping up beside him on the rock to get a closer look at th waterfall.
~•~•~
Anya knew he would never insinuate anything, but that didn't help much right then.
"And let this be a case of 'choose your words more carefully in the future,'" Felix said, hoping to help move on from the topic. "Littl that can be done with it now, but," he fixed Seth a ready warning look, "don't let it happen again."
~•~•~
Kyra had already blown out the candle in her tent and had taken to laying on her cot, staring up at the ceiling in the dark. She needed to rest, but her stomach had itself in knots. Of course Organ wouldn't come. There was no telling what al he was having to help the Veras prepare for the trip. By the time he would be done, he'd be to focused on bmhis own sleep. Besides, even if he saw the lantern, would he even acknowledge it?
Why did I even bother? she asked herself, giving a small sigh. The best thing would be to just forget and make the most of the night. The woman was just turning over to do just that when a knock outside froze her in her tracks. It was too late for normal visitors, so could that mean...?
Rising from her cot, Kyra walked to the entrance of her tent, opening it. Her heart nearly stopped as she meet Morgan's eyes. "I half wondered if that would even still work," she murmured.
~•~•~
(Yay!!!)
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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 Feb 2, 2021 2:12:47 GMT -5
"Yes," Sol murmured in distracted agreement. "Beautiful." He looked around again, searching the shadows around the treeline. But even as did it, the bad feeling ebbed, then vanished. Whatever was there was gone now, as if it had never been.
☆~☆~☆ Seth met Felix's gaze steadily. "It won't," he promised. He shifted his attention back to Anya. "Anya," he said quietly. "Say something. Please."
☆~☆~☆ Morgan gave her a small smile. "It almost didn't. I was almost in bed. Had to hear from Callum that you had put it out. I'm still trying to figure out how he knew the lantern meant anything special at all. That guy, he..." He stopped and ducked his head, laughing softly. "Sorry. I doubt you asked me here to talk about Callum." He looked up at her again, frowning, expression almost... vulnerable. "Why did you want me here?" he whispered.
☆~☆~☆ ( Okay, so. This Callum post is a lot longer than I expected it to be, so I'm going to give it to you in parts instead. Keep in mind: these first few are like prologue posts. Everything on them happened before our current Morgan timeline date. It gets to present time later, but to make sense of present time Callum, I had to go back a little. You'll probably love it, though. So, here we go! Enjoy! 😜 )
Before Callum never meant to become a hunter. Genevieve gave him the option weeks ago, but while hurting Seth was appealing, betraying him was not. Especially if he had to become Genevieve's lacky in the process. But Callum wasn't stupid. He knew, even after just one conversation with the woman, that one did not just say no to Genevieve, not without serious consequences.
So he told her yes, and she gave him a list of names. Six people, deep undercover in the Rebel camps. Six spies he could go to when he had information to give Genevieve. She didn't dare write them down, but Callum had a good memory. He did not easily forget.
Even so, he did not plan to do anything with the names. He wasn't going to spy for Genevieve, and if the Rebels were too blind to see the spies in their midst then he wasn't going to open their eyes. Callum didn't care who won the damn Rider war, and he didn't care if that made him a bastard. His only concern was getting his family through the fire alive.
He didn't count on Morgan freaking Reilly.
Callum had met him on several occasions in the past, of course, and every time he had wanted to punch him in his loud, cheery face. He was as bad as Seth, always cracking jokes and looking for a laugh; getting into trouble and being a general nuisance — on purpose. He got along with everybody, and everybody adored him for his easy charm and friendly attitude.
Most would say Callum was jealous. And maybe he was, once. But Callum had never been a people person and it had been years now since he tried to turn himself into one. He was the epitome of antisocial, and he had learned to embrace it. So no, he wasn't jealous of Morgan. If anything, he was curious. How could someone as good as Morgan be best friends with a murderer?
Callum was well aware of Seth's reasons for doing the things he did. He knew what was at stake, knew of the harm Genevieve was capable of. The choices Seth had made were no different from the ones Callum would have made if their positions were reversed.
With one exception, and it was that that fueled the anger he felt toward his brother.
When he returned home the night Genevieve approached him, Callum was not surprised to find Morgan there. Genevieve had told him a lot that night, with no idea that most of it was old news to him. But Seth wasn't the only one who could act a part when he needed to. Callum hadn't planned on letting Morgan convince him to leave, though. Yet he had, and that wouldn't be the first time Morgan surprised Callum in the weeks to come.
It turned out Morgan wasn't just the fun-loving, troublemaking, goofball charmer he had always seemed to be. He was also smart, capable, loyal, and brave enough to do what he believed was right. That wasn't reason enough to automatically make Callum like him, but it did give Callum reason to pay more attention to the Rider known as Dawnbreaker. Even now, Callum wouldn't call Morgan a friend.
But maybe… maybe he could be.
It was certainly thanks to Morgan's influence that he ended up in the position where hunting the men on Genevieve's list became a good idea in his mind.
It started a few days before Morgan took off like a lovesick schoolboy to rescue Kyra. Morgan had dragged him to the bar tent. Callum wasn't big on drinking, or crowds of rowdy drunkards, but between spending a night in his tent listening to Morgan talk and ask endless questions, or going to a bar for a drink and a little female company, the choice was simple.
Morgan had left to mingle ages ago, leaving Callum surrounded by a gaggle of men and women, with notably more women, all of whom seemed to be trying to get his attention. Callum would never understand what it was about broody and mysterious men that drew women in. If they were smart, they would look for good, open men to spend their time with. Less chance of heartbreak that way. But Callum never told them that. They were adults and could make their own choices, and if he happened to benefit from it every once in a while? All the better.
One woman proved bolder than the others, or perhaps just more intoxicated. Whichever the case, Callum didn't dismiss her advances, and when she invited him back to her tent, he went. Might as well get something good out of the night.
And the night was good, but the next day… everything changed.
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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 Feb 2, 2021 7:07:15 GMT -5
Parker took a moment to wash off the grim on his arms and head. He didn't care if his shirt got wet, it would dry soon enough. When he was done, he took a step back, tried to get as much water out of his hair, and smiled slightly. It might have been cold, but he would have liked to just jump in and wash the rest of the grim away.
~•~•~
Anya arms had loosely wrapped around herself as her thoughts strayed, but hearing her name brought her back. "It's fine," she murmured. "I just don't like the idea of you picking fights with Warren."
~•~•~
Kyra remained silent for a moment as she thought over what to say, but once more the words just failed her. So instead, she just reached out and pulled him closer by his shirt. "Stay the night," she said, head resting against his chest. It was as Frank and straight to the point as she was going to get.
~•~•~
(Oooo, what's going to happen? I must know!!)
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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 Feb 2, 2021 10:31:15 GMT -5
While Parker washed off, Sol climbed up to the top of the waterfall for a better view, though he knew whatever danger was out there was gone. So he tried to dismiss it, at least for now. If it wasn't there anymore then there was no need to worry Parker... yet.
So he glanced down and, as if reading Parker's thoughts, said, "The pool up here is big enough to swim or bathe in, and the current isn't too bad." Not that it would be terrible if they did get swept over this little waterfall. Might even be fun, if they had a little raft to ride.
☆~☆~☆ Seth leaned back, the flash of hurt there and gone. "I didn't pick that fight, Anya. I was trying. For your sake, I was trying." He stepped back a little and looked away. His next words slipped out before he could stop them. "But I guess I can't really blame you for for assuming I'm the bad guy."
☆~☆~☆ Morgan was surprised, to say the least. This girl... But his arms went around her and he lowered his head so he was talking into her hair. "Okay," was his simple answer.
☆~☆~☆ ( Well, this for starters: 😈 )
Before They were awoken too early the next day when another man came barging into the tent.
"Alice, you will not believe —"
He cut off abruptly, and Alice sat up with a shriek, holding the comforter to her chest. "What the hell, Andy! Why can't you ever knock?!"
Callum, meanwhile, just rolled out of bed and calmly began pulling his clothes on.
There was a quiet laugh. "Because then I wouldn't get to see who my lovely sister used to warm her bed this time."
At that, Callum turned around. He was only half-dressed, his shirt dangling from his hand, but he felt no embarrassment about facing her brother half clothed and after being caught crawling out of said sister's bed. He didn't say anything, just stared the man down as he looked Callum over.
"You're one of those newbies Kyra brought back with her. Colin, right?"
Callum put his arms into his shirt sleeves. "Callum," he corrected. He pulled his shirt on. "And I was just leaving." He grabbed his jacket and glanced at Alice. "You're welcome for last night, but don't expect a repeat."
Her jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me?!" she snapped. "What the hell?"
Callum shrugged his jacket on as he headed for the door. "You heard me. Don't come looking for me again."
She shrieked and threw something at him, but he was already ducking out of the tent. He had only gone a few steps when a hand landed on his shoulder. Callum spun around, knocking the hand off.
Andy held up his hands. "Easy there," he said with a laugh. "My sister thinks I'm out here chewing you out, but I really just want to congratulate you. Not many guys manage to give Alice Fordyce the cold shoulder before she does that very thing to them. And so brilliantly too. So good on you, mate."
Callum stared at the man for a minute, then just turned around and started walking again.
Andy huffed behind him, then jogged to catch up. "Hey, wait. What did I say? Oh, wait. It's because you're a big brother too, isn't it? And, what? You don't agree with my brothering? Well, Alice doesn't need me to babysit her. She's a big girl. She can sleep with whoever she wants, just like me. But speaking of sisters, is yours —"
Callum had been mostly ignoring the other man, but as soon as he brought up Cami, he spun around and halted him in his tracks by grabbing a handful of the front of his shirt. "Do not. Touch. My sister."
At first Andy just stared at him, but then he laughed. "Oh, come on. Your sister's an adult, isn't she? She can make her own choices."
Callum shoved him. "Yes. And she would never choose you, so stay away from her." He turned away and continued walking.
This time, Andy didn't follow.
~ • ~ • ~ That night, Callum found out someone assaulted Cami. He didn't realize at the time that it was Andy. Just hearing about how someone tried to force himself on his sister had him seeing red. He felt a force rise up in him that he had never felt before, but instinct told him it was dangerous — that it made him dangerous. So he left before it got loose.
It was that night he realized Isaoy wasn't speaking in metaphors whenever he spoke of Callum's inner beast.
Callum walked, not seeing or hearing any of the people he passed, until he reached the forest. It was then that he let his control slip, just a little, and he watched with a sort of stunned detachment as his nails lengthened into claws. He felt his muscles flex and shift beneath his skin, and he knew it was not just his nails that wanted to change.
For a moment, Callum was tempted to let it happen. He thought back to everything Isaoy had said to him. The werecat made it seem like his inner beast was a bad thing, and yet he seemed to be daring Callum to unleash it at every turn. Why? Because he thought it would get Callum killed?
Show me your beast, little cub. Show everyone why your kind was driven from these lands.
His only crime is breathing.
He should not exist.
Callum clamped down on the feral urge and forced it back down inside of him where it belonged. He flexed his fingers, and watched the claws retract. The strange urge to change faded. He would not give anyone the satisfaction of watching him lose control.
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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 Feb 2, 2021 12:56:32 GMT -5
Parker looked up as Sol spoke. "Do you think now would be a good time to bathe?" He asked. Or, as his brain was more worried about, would he even be able to bathe in front of him? He had sand and grim on his back, and possible other areas too that would benefit from a good scrub. But now? With Sol around? Seeing each other shirtless was one thing, but he didn't think he would survive if he saw the older man in less. Not to mention he'd be too embarrassed to be the one wearing less if Sol didn't bathe.
~*~*~
"Seth, that isn't what I meant," Anya said. "I didn't mean you picked the fight specifically. I just meant I don't like the idea of you two fighting at all.No one said anything about being the bad guy. Besides, you said he was the one who tried hitting you. Not the other way around. So you at least showed restraint in the situation."
~*~*~
She wasn't sure if his simple answer was better or worse than if he had questioned her, but Kyra was too scared that she would change his mind if she asked him why he agreed. She didn't care. He was here, and he would stay there. Maybe he had been right. Maybe she was just used to using him whenever she needed him, but it was partially his fault too for becoming such a major part of her life. Pulling away from him, she walked back into her tent, keeping him close. Not in a way she had the last time he was her. There was a lacking of fevered passion behind it. Morgan would have reconsidered without a moment of hesitation if she tried anything like that.
~*~*~
(Now we getting somewhere! XD)
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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 Feb 2, 2021 16:18:16 GMT -5
Sol gave him a slow smile. "Well I don't see why not. You got anything better to do?" And with that, he walked over to a nearby log, already pulling off his shirt. The boots and his pants followed, though he kept the undershorts. He returned to the water and dove in.
☆~☆~☆ Seth shook his head and swallowed back the first words that rose up. He hadn't wanted to fight with Warren then, and he didn't want to be arguing with Anya now. That was not how today was supposed to go. "I know. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. It's just... habit, I guess." He rubbed his forehead. "Look, I don't... want to fight with you. Warren may have started that fight but I still played a part in it. I saw it coming, and I didn't do all that I could to avoid it. But Felix is right: it's done, and I'm not going to let it happen again. Okay?"
☆~☆~☆ Morgan followed her inside. He didn't say anything, though there were a dozen questions circling his mind. But that could wait. Morgan didn't know why she wanted him here, but he did know she needed him right now. He was quite certain it wasn't for that, but that was almost more surprising. What else could she possibly need him for? Kyra never needed anyone. If nothing else, she made that abundantly last week. But then, why was he here?
☆~☆~☆ ( xD )
Before Callum spent the rest of the night and most of the next day looking for answers. And he found them, more than he expected to thanks to a surprising source: the werecats. Normally the creatures were his antagonists, but in this, at least, it seemed they were on the same side.
Andy Fordyce was a senior Rebel. He had been with the group since the early days, when the Riders first started recruiting humans to their cause. He was well-known and generally well respected within their ranks. But beneath the good little Rebel was a mean drunk and a sexist asshole who thought he could take what wasn't offered to him just because he was a man.
Callum tracked down no less than eight women who had suffered some form or another of sexual assault by the man. All of them were young and impressionable, and too scared to report him because of his position within the organization. All but Cami. Her problem was that she couldn't remember his name.
But Callum knew, because Andy Fordyce was on Genevieve's list.
It pissed him off that it took him so long to connect the dots. Andy had asked about Cami just hours before her assault. He clearly had no qualms about demeaning women, even when that woman was his own sister. And the look in his eyes when Callum told him to stay away from Cami… Callum should have knocked his teeth out then and there.
But he hadn't, and that was the fuel that drove him when he confronted Andy on the training grounds.
Andy was sparring with another Rebel, a man Callum had seen many times on the mat. He was still quite young, probably only nineteen or twenty, but he had raw talent that let him stand up to warriors twice his age. But he had yet to try testing his skills against Callum. In fact, Callum was pretty sure the young man was afraid of him. It certainly seemed that way when Callum came stalking up.
"Fordyce!" he shouted.
Andy turned at the sound of his name, and the young man, Liam, took one look at Callum and made himself scarce. Smart kid.
Andy wasn't so wise. He watched Callum approach for a moment, then turned away dismissively. "I'm busy, Colin. Come back later."
The anger in his gut, barely quelled, sparked into a rage. But he kept it under control as he grabbed a handful of Andy's shirt and spun him around. He got right in the man's face and growled, "Now, Fordyce."
Andy jerked out of his grip. "What the hell, mate? Get out of here. I'm —"
"Maizy Gupta."
The name stopped Andy cold, his eyes going wide, then narrowing. "What —"
Callum cut him off again with another name. "Teresa Wilson." And another. "Melissa Stewart." And all the other girls Andy had assaulted. "Rebecca Holloway. Leslie Vincent. Darby Penbro —"
Andy finally lost it. "Enough!" He shoved Callum hard, his breathing suddenly ragged. "What… what the hell are you trying to pull?"
"Darby Penbrook," Callum went on as if he had never spoken. "Colleen Thompson. And Cami Vera." He leaned closer, eyes practically sparking blue flames. "What do you have to say to that, Fordyce?"
For a moment Andy looked uneasy. Then he sneered. "I say good luck trying to prove anything, newbie. Now get out of here, before I lose my temper."
He went to walk away, but Callum stopped him with one more name.
"Genevieve Crassion."
Andy went still, his whole body going rigid. Then, faster than most humans could move, he whirled around. He suddenly had a knife in his hand, and he slashed it across Callum's chest.
Pain blossomed along with his blood. He stumbled back with a hiss of pain, and kept backing up when Andy came at him again, blade flashing. Callum took two more steps back, then planted his feet and leaned his body out of the way of the next knife strike. His hands snapped up and twisted Andy's wrist, forcing him to drop the knife with a curse. Then Callum spun and delivered a roundhouse kick right to his chest. Andy staggered backward, only to go after Callum again with a roar.
Callum was ready for him this time. He dodged one strike, blocked another, and countered with a wicked fast uppercut that sent Andy reeling. He twisted and fell onto his hands and knees, and spit a mouthful of blood onto the ground. Callum went to grab him. Andy spun, a tiny dart flying from his hand. Callum dodged with a curse, his balance tested. By the time he regained it, Andy was slamming into him. They hit the ground. Andy's hands went for his throat.
And Callum let his control slip the leash.
With an inhuman snarl, he shoved Andy off of him. The man flew backward and crashed into the ground. Before he could recover his breath Callum was on him. He pinned Andy, holding him down with ease despite his struggles.
Callum was distantly aware of the people gathering around him, of the werecats who had appeared and were using their simple presence to keep the others away. But he never looked away from Andy. He was shouting now, playing the victim and calling Callum a slew of names. None of them registered. It was all Callum could do to keep from tearing the man's throat out.
When Lawrence and Morgan arrived, Callum wasn't truly aware of them until the captain tried to kick him. At that point instinct took over. He was surrounded, being attacked. It was fight or flight, and his beast refused to back down from a threat.
He stopped Lawrence's kick. He was ready to pounce when Morgan's voice broke through. Not entirely, but just enough to stall his attack. He vaguely recalled telling Morgan to back off, that he had a lesson to teach, but of course, Morgan didn't listen.
He never listened.
Morgan was fast, faster than any human there, faster than Callum when he wasn't distracted or overthinking or restraining himself. It was that speed that let him get close enough to Callum and yank him away from Andy before Callum even knew what was happening. But it was his fast words that saved him, and everyone there, from the beast rising up within Callum.
"Callum, enough. You're acting like a wild animal. What the hell is wrong with you?"
Those words hit him like a physical blow. What was wrong with him? He blinked. What was wrong with him? His beast retreated, and as he thought that he asked himself again, What is wrong with me?
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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 Feb 2, 2021 22:17:13 GMT -5
The vlush that overtook his face and neck had Parker bright red as he watched Sol remove each layer before diving into the water. He hadn't meant to watch him, bt his eyes were just frozen by the shock of it all. Only when he was under the water dud he seem to snap out if it. What did he do? Did he jump in after the captain? Or did he chicken out and hope to live down the embarrassment if doing so later?
~•~•~
Anya still felt as if things were not settled between them, which kept her feeling off kilter worse than ever. But she knew that he would say no more right now. She would find the time to talk to him later. So, for now, she nodded. Before she had time to say much else, the whistle was blown to single that the competition would be starting.
~•~•~
It felt wird leading him to her bed with no words shared. The air around them was thick with tension and unspoken words, yet neither one spoke. Instead, she just sat on the edge of her cot and waited for him to do the same.
~•~•~
(Gosh, I love thi ne insight to Callym! Makes things fow so much smoother. XD)
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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 Feb 3, 2021 0:13:15 GMT -5
Sol surfaced with a shake of his head that got his wet hair off his forehead. He swam to the shallow part of the pool and stood up. He lifted handfuls of water to scrub his face, hair, and neck clean before finally turning toward Parker. "Are you coming in?" he asked with a teasing grin.
☆~☆~☆ Seth looked in the direction the whistle came from, then noticed how all the practicing archers stopped what they were doing. "I take it that means we're starting?" he asked of no one in particular. He knew Anya wasn't happy about ending the conversation there, but today was supposed to be about cheering her up, not bringing her down. And as Seth mentally prepared for the upcoming competition, he had just the idea that might do just that.
☆~☆~☆ Morgan hesitated only a moment before sitting down beside her. He kept a few inches between them, more to keep from getting distracted and not because he didn't want to be close to her. Quite the contrary, it was taking effort to keep any sort of distance between them at all when all he wanted was to wrap his arms around her and hold her close.
Instead, he put his hands on his knees and clenched them into fists. "Kyra..." he started quietly. He glanced at her, confused and concerned. "Why am I here? I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm glad I am. But... I'm still hoping for an answer."
☆~☆~☆ ( Wow, those typos are so bad, it actually took effort for me to decipher them. 🤣 )
Before Callum never got around to answering that question.
He didn't tell Lawrence that Andy Fordyce was a spy for Genevieve and the Order.
He refused to speak with his mother, sister, or Morgan about what happened on the field that day.
And every single day for the next week, he resisted the urge to seek out Isaoy to ask what the hell was happening to him.
Instead, Callum focused on acting normal. During the day he did such a great job that within a few days, his family stopped watching him with concern. Morgan soon became so obsessed with Kyra's ignoring him that he stopped paying attention to Callum. And Andy was being kept far away, from him and from Cami. The only reminder he had of that day was the werecats, who continued to give him knowing looks every time they encountered each other.
But it was Isaoy's comment the other day that really set him on edge: "Soon, little beast. Soon."
The only peace he found was after the sun went down, when he would stalk the nights like the feral beast he was apparently turning into.
Only… he didn't feel feral or beastly when he wandered the night. Quite the contrary. He felt closer to normal than he had in a long time.
The solitude was welcome. The quiet was peaceful. And the hunt was exhilarating.
Callum wasn’t even aware at first that he was hunting at all, not until two nights ago when he found a suspicious sight: a Rebel, sneaking through the darkness during the dead of night.
At first, Callum just watched the man from a distance. The man hadn’t seen Callum, but that was hardly surprising. No one saw Callum coming these days. And the night was quickly becoming Callum’s element. He could see better than any human in the dark, and that helped him remain undetected.
The man passed beyond Callum's line of sight. Callum might have moved on without sparing the man a second thought, but at the last second he saw the man cast a furtive look behind him before rounding a corner. A moment later, Callum was trailing after the man. Something was up, and he was going to find out what.
Callum followed the man out of the camp and farther, until they were deep in the forest. And, Callum realized, outside of the magical barrier keeping the camp hidden. It was at this point that Callum’s suspicions were confirmed. This man was another of Genevieve’s spies.
The spy met with another man, this one cloaked. Callum watched from the shadow of a tree a few feet away, and simply listened.
“Gordon,” the cloaked man began. “What news?”
The spy, Gordon, hesitated. “I have good and bad. I have confirmed the targets’ locations, but Andy may be compromised.”
The cloaked stranger cursed. “How?”
“One of the targets, Callum Vera, confronted him. Andy said he knew Genevieve’s name.”
“How is that a compromise? Everyone knows Genevieve’s name.”
Gordon shrugged. “I don’t know. I didn’t have much time to talk, but Andy seems to think Vera knows what Andy is.”
The cloaked figure shook his head. “Well, it doesn’t matter. Here.” He held out a small pouch, which Gordon accepted and put right into a pocket. “The strike is scheduled for the full moon. That’s in four days, but this dose is larger than the others. It will last you, and weaken every Rider in that camp.”
Gordon nodded. “What of Andy and the targets?”
“The targets will be captured or killed. Genevieve doesn’t care anymore. She only needs one of them to draw out the Dragonslayer. As for Andy… he’s clearly worn out his usefulness. Feel free to slip him this next time you see him.”
He held out a tiny vial, which Gordon took with obvious trepidation. “As the Order wills it,” he said.
“As the Order wills it.” The cloaked figure turned and stalked off, melting into the shadows.
Gordon stayed where he was a while longer, but Callum didn’t. Before he truly registered what he was doing, he was slipping through the darkness after the cloaked man. He didn’t know what he was planning to do, but suddenly he was doing it.
He got in front of the cloaked man and stepped out into his path. The man came to a sudden stop, and while Callum could not see his face he could sense his utter shock. Clearly he had not expected to see Callum — or anyone for that matter.
But like any trained soldier, his surprise faded quickly. With fast reflexes he reached for the dagger at his belt and let it fly. His aim was true, the deadly point heading right for Callum’s heart.
Callum batted it out of the air like it was an errant bird.
The cloaked man choked on his shock and reached for another dagger. His fingers closed around the hilt just as Callum pounced.
There was really no other word to describe it. Callum saw the man reaching for another weapon and reacted on pure instinct. There was several feet of distance between them but he crossed it all in a single leap. His hands slammed into the man’s chest and they crashed to the ground. Callum’s nails had grown into claws again and they pierced flesh as he shoved the man farther into the dirt with one hand on his chest while the other shot out and wrapped around the man’s wrist, holding the knife out of striking range.
The man bucked and struggled, but like Andy before him, Callum held him down with ease. After a few moments of fruitless struggles, he ground out, "Who. Are. You."
Callum leaned his face close, letting the man see his blazing, inhuman gold-green eyes. "A beast out of a nightmare. Tell your boss… her days are numbered."
Faster than he could blink, Callum struck out, knocking the man out cold. He shoved to his feet, shaking out his hands as his claws retreated. For a minute he stared down at the unconscious man, wondering if he should really just leave him here… alive. But in the end he decided he would. Either he would survive the night and get the message to Genevieve, or he wouldn't.
Either way, it was a win for Callum.
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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 Feb 3, 2021 7:33:54 GMT -5
Parker, up until Sol spoke, was once more captivated by the man as he resurfaced. Curse his one track mind, and curse the other man for knowing exactly what he was doing. His face still burning, he began to remove his own shirt and pants, mindful of his back. He placed them next to Sol's before carefully walking into the shallow end of the pool. There was no way he was jumping in.
~•~•~
"Yep," Felix said. He was aware of the change in the atmosphere, and as much as he wanted to step in and fix things for his sister, he knew she was more than capable of doing it herself. He looked around at the people who were gathering at the edge of the field to watch. He spotted Madilyn, who in turn noticed them. She waved, to which he returned. "Warren's sister is over there, Anya. I think she's found a good spot to watch the contest if you and Aidan want to go join her."
Anya nodded, pausing a bit for she felt the need to say something else. Her eyes tried to find Seth's, but even then she couldn't think of anything to say. So she eventually turned and called to Aidan for them to head over to the sidelines.
~•~•~
Kyra sighed, knowing he would ask that sooner or later. "I don't have an answer Morgan," she muttered. "Not yet. I just..." Miss you, too worked up, kicking myself for avoiding you, "didn't want to be alone."
~•~•~
(That's how excited I was, okay? XD Callum should have killed him to be honest. He was too merciful. XD)
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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 Feb 3, 2021 16:25:09 GMT -5
While Parker undressed, Sol gave him the illusion of privacy by slipping back into deeper waters and pretending he wasn't watching. But he was. He just knew how to be subtle about it. And he hoped Parker never learned that particular skill. Once Parker was in the water, Sol swam back toward him. He wasn't trying nearly as hard as he could be to hide his smile. "There. That wasn't so bad now, was it?"
☆~☆~☆ Aidan had spent the 3hole practice off to one side, playing out some epic imaginary story with star. He had found a ling stick that he was pretending was a sword, but he threw it down when Anya called for him. Of course, Star scooped it up and brought it right back to him, making him laugh. He took it and threw it for real this time, making Star chase happily after it. While she did that, Aidan gave Seth a good luck hug, then hurried after Anya. A moment later, Star ran past with the stick, beating him to the sidelines and stealing his spot.
The sight had Seth laughing. It was nice to know he could always count on Aidan for a good pick-me-up. He pulled his bow and quiver from the pocket and followed the other archers to the firing line.
☆~☆~☆ Morgan blinked. He studied her for a long minute, not saying anything. Even his expression had cleared, showing less emotion than he typically did. Until, finally, he moved. He wrapped one arm around her waist and fell back onto the mattress, pulling her down with him so she was half on top of him. His other arm came around her, and he placed a kiss on the top of her head. "You never have to be," he told her simply.
☆~☆~☆ ( Good. xD Oh don't worry, mercy had nothing to do with it. 😈 )
Before The next day, Callum did more hunting, only of a more subtle kind. He shadowed Gordon, trying to learn what he could of this substance that would apparently weaken all the Riders in camp. He didn't care so much what it was. Rather, his concern was how it was being administered.
It took most of the day to figure out. Gordon was a very good spy. He went about his usual tasks and daily routines as if he didn't betray every single person he interacted with on a regular basis. He had friends he hung out with, coworkers and teammates he laughed and joked with, even a girlfriend he seemed genuinely fond of. Was it all just an act? Or was his situation like Seth's, and he was just doing what he thought he had to to protect these people closest to him?
Callum didn't know the answer, or maybe he just didn't want to look too closely for it. He had one goal. It did not matter why Gordon was doing what he was doing. He was doing it, and Callum was going to find out how.
The answer, as it turned out, was glaringly obvious: the water. Gordon was drugging the water. The water which the entire camp used for drinking, cooking, cleaning. Whatever Gordon was adding to it, it clearly had no obvious or immediate results, or else everyone would have noticed something by now. From what Callum overheard the night before, it sounded as if Gordon had been dosing the water supply for some time, yet it was only now that the Order was getting ready to move.
The question now was: What, exactly, was this drug doing to the Riders?
And what was Callum going to do with this information?
Finding an answer to the first question was simple if not exactly easy or quick. Try as he might, he likely didn't have the time needed to watch, listen, or inquire before the deadline. Stealth skills only got him so far. And that was what led him to his second question.
The obvious answer was to tell Lawrence, or anyone of power and rank in the camp. Hell, even telling Morgan or Kyra would benefit the Rebels. They needed to know there were traitors in their midst, and that those traitors had given Genevieve the information she needed to find and attack their camp. Telling was not Callum's problem, nor was figuring out who to tell. No, his hesitation came from the how.
How was he going to reveal the traitors without giving away that he had known from day one that they were there? Without letting Genevieve know that he was going against her?
He spent hours putting together a plan. A plan, he realized, he had been mulling over for weeks now. Hours of work went into his plan, hours that involved playing a part, leaving bread crumbs, and pushing pieces where he wanted them so that, when the time came, everything would fall into place.
The Rebels would learn the truth about the traitors in their midst.
The Order's attack would be thwarted.
Genevieve would get what was coming to her.
And no one would have any idea that Callum had anything to do with any of it.
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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 Feb 3, 2021 18:38:34 GMT -5
"Shut up," Parker muttered, trying to put on an air of irritation but his blush was saying otherwise. He dunked his head under the water for a moment to try and regain some composure. Not to mention that the cool water felt nice.
~•~•~
(We can skim over the contest if you want. ^^ )
~•~•~
And just like that, he had her in a place she both longed and dreaded to be. She longed and craved to have him embrace her, to feel the strength and security they offered. But the surge if emotions, the near threat of tears stinging her eyes t his softly spoken words, that was what she had trouble with. She hated to lose control over her emotions, and he made it so easy to do just that. He made it feel safe to just break down when she had stayed strong on her own for so long. He had seen her cry once before, during a rough point, but it had been so long ago.
Kyra rested her head in its normal place on his chest, feeling his heart beating faintly through his shirt. No, she never had to be alone, but if it was anyone else other than Morgan, she might as well be. Her slew of lovers in the past, while fine in their own rights, never held her full attention. At least not after their night ended. She never paid attention to the little details of those men. Morgan, however, made her very aware of every little thing. The slight movements of his hands, the breathes he took, his scent. He was a steady presence, and if she ever lost him, she wouldn't know what she would do. The words were so close, more than ready to be spoken into existence, yet her old fears choked her before she could say any of that.
~•~•~
(Will comment momentarily. )
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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 Feb 3, 2021 22:26:44 GMT -5
Sol chuckled. "I'll take that as a yes." He ducked under the water and swam leisurly toward the far bank, enjoying the cool waters.
☆~☆~☆ ( Does this count as skimming? xD )
The competition was simple, and split into rounds based on distance. The targets were painted in a four ring points system: the outermost ring was white and worth five points; the next ring was blue and worth ten points; then yellow, worth fifteen points; and finally red, worth twenty points. Each new ring got smaller the closer it was to the middle of the target. At the very center of each target was a black dot. If an archer hit it, the perfect bullseye, it was worth fifty points.
For each new round, the targets would be moved gradually to a farther distance, with the starting distance set at 30 meters from the firing line, and the final distance being 80 meters from the line. To move on to the next round, archers needed to get a minimum of twenty-five points by hitting the targets. They only had five arrows per round with which to do this. Once all five arrows were fired, anyone who didn't get enough points were eliminated from the competition. They needed a minimum of twenty-five points to continue, but the more you got, the better, for whomever collected the most points by the end of the competition would win a bonus prize. Most often the person with the most points was the competition winner, but sometimes another could get more points without winning the whole thing.
This was a pretty standard archery competition. Seth had heard of such competitions, but he had never been allowed to participate in any. The closest he came was when he and the other YRP kids held their own little competition during practice one day when Nick was out. It was early years in Seth's archery training, but he had still won that day. He had no doubt he would win today too.
The first round was quick, and only two people failed to get the twenty-five points. They went in order of the sign-up. Since Seth and the Dorrehs had arrived later than most, their names were at the bottom of the sign up sheet and therefore they went last. Seth didn't mind the wait; it let him observe the competition. He even started predicting where an archer's arrow would hit the target. Nine times out of ten, his guess proved correct.
When his turn came, Seth had two choices: show-off or build-up. He had told Felix he would make his shots mirror Warren's, but Anya hadn't exactly been on board with that idea and Seth didn't want her mad at him. Nor did he want her thinking he was being a brat simply to get back at Warren. So in the end, Seth chose to be true to himself and shoot as only he could.
Seth shot four arrows into the red zone, one on each side of the black dot so the four arrows formed a small diamond. Most observers would see that and assume he had aimed for the bullseye and missed, but a good archer would know his placing was deliberate. No amount of luck would make those arrows mirror each other perfectly in their placement on all sides of the black dot. And with his last arrow, Seth fired a perfect bullseye, easily putting the fifth arrow into the small space within the other four.
There was a moment of hushed quiet, and then the crowd applauded. Seth gave them a little salute with his bow as he returned to the group while the competition coordinators moved the target back to its next distsnce — 40 meters.
☆~☆~☆ Morgan lay quietly, content to just hold her. His hand ran slowly up and down her back, to soothe and to simply remind her that he was there. He didn't know how long he had been laying there, acting as her pillow, when he started falling asleep. He tried to stay awake, in case she didn't want him staying the night, but it got harder with every moment that passed. So eventually he whispered, "Sweet dreams, wild heart." If she didn't respond within the next minute, he would be asleep.
( Is there anything else you wanted to happen with these two, or should we skip to morning? )
☆~☆~☆ ( 😉 )
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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 Feb 4, 2021 7:06:44 GMT -5
Even though he tried to focus on washing off, Parker's eyes kept wandering over to Sol. He felt stupid for doing it, but he couldn't help it if the man looked that good. Now wasn't really the time to stand there ogling at him when they had so much other stuff to worry about, but oh well. After a few minutes, he was satisfied that he had gotten as much grim off his skin, so he just allowed a moment to just float and relax for a moment.
~•~•~
(Lol, it does for me. But my brain is being difficult so I'll work on a response in a bit.)
~•~•~
Kyra had laid there, not sure if she wanted to sleep or stay awake, just in case Morgan decided to say or do anything. Yet the gentle movements of his hand were lulling her to sleep little by little. Her eyes had closed not too long before Morgan whisper his goodnight. Luckily she was still awake enough to hear. "Goodnight, charming," she whisper back.
(Nah, we can skip. :3 )
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Post by ♥.•°Insanity°•.♥ on Feb 4, 2021 9:31:29 GMT -5
“Okay.” Evaleigh opened the drawer and as promised, found paper. She removed a crisp white sheet of paper and, almost instinctively, folded it in half twice. She creased the edges before twirling the pen she had found earlier, fancily between her fingers. “Armed and dangerous.” She joked holding the pen like murderers on horror shows hold a knife. Evaleigh quickly wrote down Dallas’s phone number as he recited it, in her sketch-like handwriting. Just as she finished, the door to the room shook a little and a low whine sounded from the other side. “Oh, my bad,” Evaleigh said, suddenly realizing her dog was not with her, “Is it okay if I let him in here?” She asked but opened the door before she got an answer. Beau pranced in, giving Evaleigh only a quick glance as if to show he was unhappy with her rudeness. His nose quickly got to work, sniffing around the place and securing the area before ending on Dallas. The dog's tail wagged happily and he sat next to the boy, again giving Evaleigh the cold shoulder.
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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 Feb 4, 2021 20:00:07 GMT -5
Dallas told her his phone number, pausing once as he had to recall the right order. It had been a while since he had given it to anyone, so he had to think for a minute if it was right. When the door rattled, he glanced over, half expecting it to open to let in Stitch or Emma, but he realized that it was neither. "No, I don't mind," he said, although there was hardly a point for the girl was already opening the door. "Hi, buddy," he said with a small smile as he reached out to scratch the dog's head.
Out of reflex, Parker lifted his foot and brought it down again quickly, both kicking and splashing water in his direction. Years of growing up with his brothers left his paranoid as it was whenever he went swimming with them, and he had gotten pretty good and fighting back. But he remember that this wasn't his brothers, but rather Sol. "You're luckily I didn't try and kick your face," he said, lifting his head to look at the captain.
~*~*~
If you don't mind, please. Because my brain is still refusing to work. XD)
~*~*~
(Okay!)
~*~*~
(Callum's really just going to do all the work and not get credit for it? That sounds suspicious. XD)
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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 Feb 4, 2021 20:10:12 GMT -5
Sol smirked. "Luck had nothing to do with it. You're no the only one with siblings, remember. I am well aware of the dangers of tickling the unsuspecting." He swam closer. "Feeling better?"
☆~☆~☆ ( Rightio! Coming up... momentarily. xD )
☆~☆~☆ ( *also in progress* xD )
☆~☆~☆ ( Oh, definitely. That's the thing with Callum: he doesn't want to be considered a hero, or even a good guy most of the time. He's kinda like my antihero. He has the capacity to be a hero, but he'll do it in ways that could be considered villainous. That's actually why I'm loving him so much. xD )
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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 Feb 4, 2021 21:04:00 GMT -5
Sol nodded. "Good. And no, no older brothers, but I did have a bunch of friends in the army who liked to gang up on me from time to time. Of course, I usually deserved it," he added with a little smirk.
☆~☆~☆ The second round was much the same as the first. With the targets now set 40 meters back from the firing line, the competitors had five arrows each with which to get as many points as possible, with a minimum of twenty-five points needed to proceed to the next round. For this round, Seth shot similarly to last time, only instead of making a square out of his arrows, he made an X, with four arrows in the red zone and one in the bullseye. With that, he was officially in first place, points-wise, with 360 points. Two fifty point bullseyes, and eight twenty-point shots.
Several archers, like the Dorrehs, were good sports and congratulated him on his stellar shooting. Some even asked for a few tips, which Seth never hesitated to hand out. But others were less impressed, and started muttering about the unfairness of allowing a trained Rider to participate in their competition. Seth did his best to ignore these, but he couldn’t help wondering, as the coordinators set up the next round, if they were right.
Four archers failed to gain the required twenty-five points, leaving only twenty-one archers left at the start of the third round. The target was now set 50 meters back, and the stakes had been raised: they now needed a minimum of thirty points to move on to the next round. This round quickly proved to be a make-or-break it round, for seven archers failed to get the points by the time it was Seth’s turn again.
As he was stepping up to the firing line, he heard one of the eliminated archers mutter, just loud enough for him to hear, “Cheat.”
Seth’s shoulders tensed, but he didn’t otherwise react. He stepped up to the line and pulled his first arrow from his quiver. He took a deep breath as he set it to the string, but when he went to draw back the arrow he paused, realizing his hands were shaking. He could only stare, dumbfounded. This had never happened before, not once in all the years since he had first picked up a bow.
He looked up at the target. Fifty meters was still an easy shot for him, and it was not because he cheated. His jaw tensed as he realized that it was that word that had made him hesitate. Seth had never cheated when it came to archery. Hell, he’d never cheated in any aspect of his training. Nick would have had his hide if he caught even a hint of cheating from any of them, but especially from Seth. Seth’s skill came from hours and hours of practice, just like anyone else. And by the gods, he would not let anyone tell him otherwise.
Seth pulled back the string and fired. A perfect bullseye. He reached back, but instead of pulling just one arrow from the quiver, he pulled all four. Then he shot them all, in rapid-fire succession, at the target.
Crack. Crack. Crack! CRACK!
All four arrows, one by one, hit the bullseye, each splitting the arrow before it.
Seth slowly lowered his bow and turned to face the other archers. He didn’t care if that stunt only served to prove to them that he was cheating. He knew he wasn’t, and that was all that really mattered.
☆~☆~☆ ( *almost done... sort of xD )
☆~☆~☆ ( Yeah. It's like his one song, "Savior" by Beth Crowly. If you listen to it now (as I am, coincidently xD) you'll see exactly what his thought process is in regards to helping the Rebels. ;) )
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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 Feb 4, 2021 21:24:19 GMT -5
"Good, so if I hurt you, you know you deserve it," Parker said, laughing. He doubted he would hurt Sol. He could barely manage to get the upper hand on him during their sparring sessions.
~*~*~
The events of the contest was a little drawn out due to the amount of people participating, but it wasn't at all boring. Each archer that stepped up had some cheering for them from the sidelines. Sometimes the same people cheered for many archers as friends and family alike threw out their encouragement. Anya would have given voice to those same shouts and cheers had she been feeling up to it. However, all she could muster was clapping, leaving Adian to do most of the cheering for Seth and her brothers. They were all doing well, Seth more so than anyone. He was both holding back and showing off at the same time with all of his precise shots. It never failed to amaze her at how easy he made things look. It was the proof of his hours of dedication to learning the weapon and all the techniques he could.
By the second round, she heard the mutterings from the eliminated archers. It didn't surprise her. The first to go were always the most bitter, yet they never seemed to do much to try and improve their own skills. Instead, they would rather accuse Seth of cheating, or claim he had an unfair advantage. She wanted to step up, to defend Seth and his hard earned skills, but they wouldn't believe her. She was a Rider as well, so of course she would defend Seth. Besides, Seth didn't need her to fight his battles. He was perfectly capable of proving himself with her stepping in. He proved as much as he fired all five arrows in the same spot, splitting four out of the five in two. The silence that fell around the crowd was deafening, and even the people in charge of the contest were a little slow to give the orders to move the targets back for the next round.
~*~*~
(You can do it! XD)
~*~*~
(Ah, yes, I do love that song and I think it fits Callum 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 Feb 4, 2021 21:50:25 GMT -5
Sol responded by dunking Parker under the water. He let go immediately, and when Parker resurfaced he grinned. "Now I deserve it."
☆~☆~☆ There were fourteen archers remaining for round four. The targets had been set back to 60 meters from the starting line. A minimum of thirty points were required to proceed to the semi-final round, and they had only five arrows with which to get the points needed. Tensions were mounting as the competition got steeper, and that was likely part of the reason why the naysayers were getting louder about Seth's participation.
Seth ignored them all, watching in silence as one archer after another took their turn. Nine were eliminated this round, and once more Seth shot his allotted arrows into very specific places on the target. This time he avoided the bullseye and instead shot his five arrows into a perfect, tight circle around the black dot. Precision shooting at its finest.
Five archers remained for the semi-final round: Seth, Warren, and three other seasoned archers. The target had been moved back to 70 meters from the firing line. The black dot, which had gotten progressively harder to see, was all but invisible at this distance. The archers needed thirty points to continue to the final round, and they were now given only four arrows with which to do this. The true test of skill had begun.
☆~☆~☆ ( I am working on it, but it kind of coordinates with one of the upcoming Callum posts, so I'm thinking I'll wait until I've got Callum's little side plot all caught up, and then post them together. ^^ )
☆~☆~☆ ( And speaking of Callum's next post, that is also a work-in-progress that is taking longer than expected. xD It does, and it's extra awesome because Beth Crowley is just great. ^^ )
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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 Feb 5, 2021 8:28:24 GMT -5
With a smirk, Parker dove under the water and swam as quickly and quietly as he could over to Sol.
~*~*~
Throughout the competition, Warren had been trying to just ignore Seth's presence. He knew Seth wouldn't need to cheat. He was a Rider, and he probably had years of training with the bow. Did that mean he tried to stop the rumors of cheating that were being flung around? Nope. If anything, he hoped that the dislike of him showing off would give the man a better hint that he wasn't welcomed around here as he thought he was.
When it was his turn to shoot, he didn't try to be all fancy like Seth had been on the last round. He didn't pull all of his arrows out at once, or try to shoot them in rapid succession. Instead, he took his time. The man had practiced daily, and while he was no professional by any means, he at least had the confidence to aim correctly. He drew back each arrow, waited just a few seconds to judge the wind and correct his aim before letting them fly. Only one of his shots didn't hit the bulls-eye, and that was only because the other four were hugging the outer edge of the middle ring, so he was forced to shoot as close to the others as he could.
~*~*~
(I think she's the first female artist that I know pretty much all of her songs. XD)
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