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 5, 2021 11:09:09 GMT -5
Sol moved away in no real hurry. The water was quite clear, but one could still only see so far before things got dark and murky. Rather than trying to avoid Parker, Sol was almost waiting to see what he'd do. But he couldn't make it too easy, so he did move around, just slowly.
☆~☆~☆ Seth still didn't like Warren, and he probably never would. But he had to admit that Warren knew how to shoot. Maybe not with the advanced training Seth had, but throughout the competition Warren had easily out shot everyone but Seth.
So as Seth moved forward for his turn, he told Warren in passing, "Nice shooting." And he meant it. He just hoped Warren believed he was being genuine. But he didn't wait around to see. He kept walking to the firing line, where he reached for his first arrow. Seth had only pulled multiple arrows for the last shot in an effort to prove a point, by demonstrating an archery skill few knew, let alone mastered. Seth wouldn't even consider himself a master at multi-arrow shooting... yet.
But now Seth only needed to fire one arrow at a time. He set it to the string, chose his target, drew it back, and fired. Bullseye. He reached for another arrow and did it again, this time putting the arrow about an inch below the first, in the red zone. As he reached for his third, he wished he had more. It was really had to draw pictures with only four arrows. But he shot his last two into the red as well, both above and to either side of the first, so the four together almost looked like a Y.
☆~☆~☆ ( Have you even heard "The Greatest Song Ever Written"? xD )
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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 11:28:12 GMT -5
Parker was working on limited air so he couldn't be picky with what he could do. So he just got in close, wrapped his arms around his waist, and came up for only a quick breath before he tried to go back under and drag Sol with him.
~*~*~
Warren didn't resond to Seth's comment. Of course, he could have taken it as a compliment from someone who clearly knew more than him in the area of archery. However, his words rubbed him the wrong way, as if mocking him. He stayed quiet, however, as the other man took his turn. It was, again, fine shooting, but the little pictures he did was only succeeding in irritating him. Why couldn't he just shoot normally?
~*~*~
(No, but I can look it up. 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 5, 2021 12:23:13 GMT -5
Sol was a strong swimmer and probably could have resisted Parker's attempt to drag him under, but he didn't.
☆~☆~☆ ( "Normal" and "Seth" do not belong in the same sentence, Warren. xD )
Three archers remained for the final round. The target was moved back to 80 meters, with four shots to make a minimum of thirty points. The target was so far back now that the black bullseye may as well not exist. First up was the old veteran archer. As Seth watched, he determined that this man must be the one who had taught Warren. They had a similar style, and this man, Hank, was the only other archer in town with a skill that matched Warren's. Maybe even exceeded, once. But with age the eyesight tended to dim, and with it, one's ability to aim true. Still, Hank got his thirty points, and Seth admired that.
( Took some liberties here. Hope you don't mind. ^^ )
☆~☆~☆ ( You should. It's truly great. xD )
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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 18:47:16 GMT -5
Parker had no intentions of keeping his under for long. Just long enough to get his head under the surface. Then he let go and swam back up. Was it a real win? Probably not, but he was laughing when he broke through the water.
~•~•~
(Warren: That isn't a good thing. 😑
Lol, take them. He had to learn from somewhere.)
Warren stepped up to take his turn. This was where he had to be his best. If it was just between him and Hank, as it normally was, he would've been fine losing to the older man. But now Seth was here. He knew Seth would be able to get the points needed, and he was not about to lose to the Rider. Not at this. So he took his aim, carefully judged the distance, and let fly. His first to hit their mark, but his third one sailed half an inch too low. The man bit back a curse and quickly made to recover. He could still make it. And he would have if he hadn't rushed his shot. The arrow in question buried itself in the second ring from the bulls eye. For a second, he just stared at it. He had missed terribly. With a half muffled growl of frustration, he shot his two remaining arrows, one hitting the bullseye and one right beside it in the next ring.
~•~•~
(I will go do that. XD)
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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 6, 2021 15:46:40 GMT -5
His grin widened as he didn't give Sol a chance to take back his words. As fast as he could, Parker swam around behind him, and instantly leeched onto the man. He wrapped his arms right underneath Sol's, locking his hands around each of his wrists so he wouldn't fall. Then his legs were wrapped around the other man's, feet hooked behind his knees, or as best as he could get them to be. "You're stuck with me now," Parker said, laughing. He might not be the biggest or the strongest of his brothers, but what he was good at was sticking to them like glue and hindering their ability to swim.
(I spent five minutes trying to figure out how to describe this, and I'm still not sure if it's making sense. XD Like, he's wrapping them around his waist, but instead of keeping them up, he's putting his feet so they're braced behind Sol's knees/thighs. Something to help brace himself against. Does that make sense? I even checked to make sure if it was possible to bend one's foot as needed, and you can, it's just comfortable for long periods of time. XD)
~*~*~
(I mean, if you want to, go for it, but I would assume there would be disciplinary actions given by the contest directors if an arrow was fired at another person. XD Which might add some drama to things too, now that I'm thinking about it. XD)
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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 6, 2021 23:10:01 GMT -5
(XD Me too, honestly. Like, I've seen it used in wrestling clips, so I know something similar can be done. But I just had no idea how to put it into words. XD)
Parker was laughing up until they started sinking. This was an old trick. When they couldn't dislodge him, him, his brothers would dunk him under. Unfortunately, he was just stubborn enough to hold out until they got worried of actually making him drown. Sol didn't know how long exactly he could hold his breath, so all he had to do was hand on until the captain's common senses kicked in and brought them back to the surface.
~•~•~
(Heck, let's do 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 7, 2021 0:25:09 GMT -5
( Gosh, wrestling. I remember doing that in grade... 8, I think. Feels like forever ago. xD
Quick question: at some point, Parker told Sol about the river, right? I feel like he did, but I can't remember for sure. )
☆~☆~☆ ( Okay! xD )
Seth made no comment on Warren's shooting this time as he stepped up to take his turn. He pulled an arrow from his quiver and set it to the bow. He took a quick breath, chose his target, drew back, and fired. It flew straight and true, a perfect bullseye. He chose his next target and reached for another arrow. Before he could set it to the bow, however, a fist-sized rock slammed into his shoulder.
Startled more than hurt — the pain would come later, no doubt — Seth turned around. Two men about his age stood several feet away. Seth recognized them as contestants. They had been disqualified just before the semi-finals, and now they seemed to be holding a grudge. Against him. Why was he not surprised?
He kicked their rock toward them. "You dropped something," he said blandly.
The guy who had thrown it seethed. He held a second, slightly larger rock in his hand. His friend held a bow. "You're a magic wielding cheat, and you shouldn't be allowed to participate in our town's competition. And you sure as hell aren't allowed to win it."
And before Seth could even formulate a response, the guy drew back his arm and threw the rock he held.
( I'll continue if you don't have any ideas for a response. xD )
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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 7, 2021 12:02:40 GMT -5
As the the contest drew on, the tension between the archers who were no longer apart of it was continuously growing. Anya felt it more than anyone. As she watched the final rounds approaching, sparks of irritation and anger were flaring to life. Faint to start, but ever growing. She knew it wasn't her own. There was a sense of detachment that was familiar to the times she had siphoned anger before. So far, it wasn't strong enough to really make her act upon it, but it did worry her. The younger woman looked around at the scattered disqualified contests to try and judge how severe things might get. At the same time, the first rock was thrown.
Her gaze landed on the two men who had obviously thrown it, listening to Seth calmly put them in their place. However, that only made things worse. The moment their faces contorted with their anger, Anya felt the surge of emotions. So when the larger projectile was thrown, her own shot out on instinct. The rock froze halfway to its target, and, with a flick of her wrist that held just as much ill-intent as the original source, sent the rock spending back towards the man who had cast 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 7, 2021 17:29:49 GMT -5
Sol was not nearly as worried about Parker drowning as Parker's brothers before him. He would not let Parker drown, of course, but from what he had heard of Parker's home life, Parker was a great swimmer, and that no doubt meant he could hold his breath for a time. Parker's refusal to let go when they started sinking also suggested that this trick was not new to him. So all Sol had to do was wait him out.
☆~☆~☆ Seth was unmoved by the flying rock. It was coming fast, likely to hit his chest, probably his collarbone, but Seth was good at dodging projectiles. This one would be no different. So no, he wasn't concerned about the rock itself. What did concern him was the sudden spike of magic in the air. Familiar magic.
Shit. Seth's gaze shot to Anya just as the rock froze in midair. He watched, wide eyed, as it hung there suspended for scant seconds before reversing course. The man who had thrown it was too dumbfounded to do anything, but Seth wasn't. Muttering his curse out loud, he moved at lightning speed and fired an arrow at the rock. It didn't do much, and he was probably going to get in trouble for firing it towards people, but at least it did what it was supposed to.
The rock had been on course to hit the man in the face. Depending on the force with which Anya threw it, it could have done serious damage. But just before it hit, the arrow Seth shot pinged off of it. The arrowhead broke and bounced off the rock harmlessly, and the rock itself smacked into the man’s arm instead. Still hurt, but at least it would only create a bruise instead of possible brain damage.
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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 7, 2021 17:51:51 GMT -5
Parker counted the seconds off in his head. He had a minute, maybe a little less. He no doubt knew Sol could last longer, but if push came to shove, he would let the other man know he couldn't hold out. He just stayed still and focused on the feel of Sol's pulse. Where his head was resting against his back, he could feel it a bit. Around the forty second mark, his lungs were starting to burn, and Sol was still not moving. By fifty, he knew he was beat. He tapped the captain's chest twice, signaling he done, and let his legs unwrap from his. He kept his arms around him because he knew Sol would be able to swim faster than he could. He would help, of course, which was why he freed his legs as well.
~*~*~
Anya was a little annoyed that the rock had been thrown off course, but she didn't dwell on that. She was already striding over to the two men who had started this entire thing. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she spat, eyes bright with her anger. "Who gave you the right to start throwing works just because your fragile ego was chipped?"
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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 7, 2021 22:35:49 GMT -5
Sol couldn't help a smug smile as he kicked to the surface. It only took seconds. He pulled in a deep breath as soon as his face cleared the surface, and he pushed his hair off his face again. It really wasn't that long, but when wet it went stick straight, which made it seem longer. He took hold of Parker's arms and made them loosen enough for Sol to turn around. He smirked. "Beat ya again."
☆~☆~☆ The rock thrower was rubbing his arm where the rock had hit him, but he stopped and stared at Anya with wide eyes for a good minute before snapping out of it. "No one else was willing to stand up to that cheating Rider, so I did. You're overreacting. It's not like the rock would have really hurt him."
He wasn't wrong, but that wasn't the point and Seth knew it. It's the thought that counts, and though Seth's feelings were not easily hurt - not by random village jerks, anyway - it did hurt a little to know most everyone here thought he was cheating. But he wasn't going to dwell on that now. Anya was in the throes of everyone else's anger, and this was not the same kind of crowd as back home. Things would not go over well here if Anya lost control and started pummeling this guy - or worse. So he dismissed his own worried and quickly moved to stand beside her.
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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 8, 2021 18:41:34 GMT -5
Sol smiled as the realization dawned in Parker's eyes, but he didn't mention it. "You did. That is an ingenious hold. What is it from, wrestling?" Sol himself wasn't much of a wrestler, but he knew a bit about it from his soldier days.
☆~☆~☆ The man was stunned speechless, but only for a moment. "He's a gods damned Rider! He has magic, and he's clearly using it. No one can shoot that well. I don't care how much time he spends practicing." He took a step toward Anya, making Seth tense. "And you used magic too. You, who were born here and know what magic once did to us. What your ancestor did to us. Your kind don't belong here. You should take your skill," he said scornfully, "and take a long walk off a short pier."
☆~☆~☆ ( Phew! Finally done. I don't know why, but those last few paragraphs took forever to come out. ;P )
Before The appearance of Seth's father that day was no accident. Rather, it was the result of a stolen fire letter, a well worded note, and perfect timing.
It was past time Morgan learned a few things about Seth and their esteemed mentor.
While Morgan spoke with Sebastian Accio, Callum intended to get right back to work, but his mother dragged him and Cami back to her tent. Callum smothered his frustration. He didn't have time for this. He still had numerous things to do, and not a lot of time to do them.
But he would have to make time, for once they reached her tent, it became clear that it was taking every ounce of Cresseida's self-control to not break down. Cami took one look at her and started blinking back her own tears. "Oh, mom." She pulled Cresseida into a hug.
Callum sighed and put his arms around both of them. The capacity for love these women had would never cease to amaze him. But it also made him wonder why he had never been able to love as openly and honestly as they did. Even Seth was better at it than him, and he wasn't even related to the Veras.
One thing Callum did inherit from Cresseida was her strong will. She only let herself crumble for a few minutes before pulling away and straightening. She brushed her hair back and took a fortifying breath. "Thank you. I'm all right. I didn’t expect… expect him to look so much like Seth."
Cami wiped her eyes. "It doesn't help that Sebastian looks way too young to have a twenty-five-year-old son. He looks more like Seth's older brother."
Cresseida gave a strained smile. "He may look young, but his eyes betray his years. And his conviction. He will find Seth. He'll bring him home." Her voice broke a little at the end, but she just cleared her throat and moved on. She turned her gaze to Callum. "All right, young man. It's time to tell me what you've been up to."
Callum arched one brow but didn't hesitate in his answer. "Training, watching, socializing. With a very… specific type of person, if you catch my drift."
"Catch your drift?" Cami snorted. "Since when do you say things like 'catch my drift?'"
Callum put his hands in his pockets and shrugged one shoulder. "I picked it up from her."
"And who exactly is her?"
This time he did hesitate, if only for a moment. "I'm not at a point where I'm willing to share that. It's still… new."
Until that moment, Cresseida had been watching her son closely, seeking the truth. Now she softened, and reached out to give his arm a squeeze. "There's nothing wrong with new. Don't let it frighten you. There's plenty of time."
No, there really isn't, Callum thought, reminded of his time crunch. He was about to make up an excuse to go "socialize," but Cami had more questions.
"Can you at least tell us her name?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because you're a social butterfly and there's a good chance you'll know her."
"Why is that a bad thing?"
"I already told you. I'm not ready for this to get personal. And having my sister interrogate her under the guise of friendly curiosity? That's personal."
Cami had the decency to blush, sheepish. That sounded like something she'd do. "All right, fine. But you have to give me something."
"I have to do no such thing." Especially since there was nothing to tell.
"Come on, Cal! I'm gonna die of curiosity!"
Callum shook his head, unmoved by her big doe eyes. "I seriously doubt that."
Cami crossed her arms and pouted. "You're so mean."
"Tell me something I don't know." Callum glanced at his wrist, at a watch that wasn't there. "I have to go. I've got things to do."
Cami smirked. "Right." As he headed for the door, she called after him, "Tell her I said hi!"
Callum rolled his eyes. "Not happening." He reached for the tent flap, but before he could touch it it was swept aside by Morgan. He took one look at Callum and shook his head
"Nope. Back it up, pretty boy. We have things to talk about."
Callum didn't move. "No, I don't think we do." He pushed past Morgan and stepped out.
Before the tent flap could fall into place, Morgan called after him. "Cal."
Callum stopped. Spun. "Don't call me that."
"Wasn't planning to. I just needed to get your attention." He gave a pointed look that said he would continue using the nickname if Callum didn't stay and listen.
Callum gritted his teeth and almost left anyway. He could deal with Morgan using that name if it meant getting done what still needed doing. But Cresseida stopped him. "Callum," she said, quiet but firm. "Stay. Please."
With a low growl, Callum stepped fully back into the tent. "Fine. What?"
Morgan took a deep breath. "Ghost wants me to help him track down Seth. But to do that, I need to go with him to his Hideout. I told him I'd go, but not without all of you. I made a promise to Seth to protect you, and I can't do that if I'm off in some other camp."
Cresseida and Cami exchanged hopeful looks. Cami took Morgan's hand. "You're really going to find him?"
"I'm going to try, but success will probably depend on whether or not Seth wants to be found."
Cami frowned. "Why wouldn't he want us to find him?"
Morgan hesitated, and Callum narrowed his eyes. Hesitation in Morgan meant a lie or half truth was coming.
Sure enough, Morgan mustered a cheeky grin. "Because he's finally getting alone time with Anya. Why would he want to give that up?"
Cami rolled her eyes and smacked his arm, and Cresseida smiled a little, though it was clear she, too, knew that what Morgan said was only part of it. But she didn't push. She just said, "Of course we'll go with you, Morgan. If it means finding Seth —"
"No."
All eyes turned to Callum. Morgan frowned. "No, what?"
Callum took a single step back. "I'm not going to another camp."
Now they all looked confused. "Why the hell not?" Morgan asked.
Because another camp means another spy, and I did not sign up to be a spy hunter. It was bad enough that he was hunting the two here. "Because this camp is bad enough. I'm not interested in seeing another."
Morgan made a sound of annoyance. "Come on, Callum. That's a dumb reason and you know it."
"I don't care. I'm not going."
Cami stepped toward him. "So, what? You're just going to leave us?"
Callum looked away and didn't respond. He had actually been considering doing just that after this mess with the spies and Genevieve's coming ambush was over.
His silence was answer enough. Cami gasped. "Callum you can't. It's too dangerous."
Callum sighed. "I'm not going anywhere, Cami."
"Except with us," Morgan said, in a tone that brooked no argument. "To Ghost's Hideout."
Callum stared hard at Morgan, but Morgan just glared stubbornly back. Callum refused to give in that easily, however, and argued despite Morgan's tone. They went back and forth for the better part of an hour before Cresseida settled the matter by asking Callum nicely if he would accompany them to Sebastian's Hideout.
Damn smart woman. She knew Callum couldn't — wouldn't — tell her no when she asked so nicely. And of course, it was no accident. Cresseida knew her son better than anyone. Tell him to do something, even nicely, and he will plant his feet and refuse to budge. But if you ask him, well, your chances were much better.
So Callum agreed, begrudgingly, to go with them. Morgan told them when, and then Callum finally escaped the tent. He now had less than thirty-six hours to do what needed doing… or this camp would not be here if ever they returned.
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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 8, 2021 19:31:36 GMT -5
"If you count rough housing with my brothers as wrestling, then yes," Parker answered. "I had to learn ways to get the upper hand over them, and Warren's father used to wrestle when he was younger. So he taught me a couple of things."
~*~*~
Had her magic not had such a hold over her, she wouldn't have done it. She would have cowered under the words thrown at her and maybe even tried to apologize for the whole situation. However, this was not the case. Anya, with a snarl of rage, grabbed the man's shirt and pulled him down until his face were inches away from hers. "You want to try saying that again?" she asked, her free hand coming up to stop near his face, flames dancing around her fingers. Again, not the best choice of magic, but it was the magic that was the easiest to access in her siphoning fits.
~*~*~
(Okay, so I'm assuming there's no girl. That's just a cover for him. Or is there and he's just not saying anything about it even to 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 Feb 20, 2021 4:13:02 GMT -5
"Hm." Rough housing wasn't exactly what he would consider wrestling, but perhaps it was that mixture of familiar and unfamiliar that made it a successful tactic for Parker — this time. Sol would be ready for it if he tried something like that again. "Warren's father taught you. Just you?" Or was it things like that that led to feelings other than friendship, at least for Parker?
☆~☆~☆ The man's eyes went wide, his face pale as he beheld the fire she summoned. He swallowed, but no words came. He probably wouldn't have been able to say anything anyway, for that was the moment Seth decided it was far enough. His free hand shot out and wrapped around Anya's, flames and all. He had a shield in place, but he still felt the heat. He ignored it and tried to catch Anya's gaze. "Anya," he said quietly. "Enough. We both know you don't really want to hurt him." Maybe right now she did, but as soon as this siphoned anger wore off... she would likely never forgive herself if she used her powers to hurt anyone.
☆~☆~☆ ( No, no girl. That's just a cover. Callum doesn't form attachments easily; it would take a lot longer than two weeks for him to feel that way about anyone. 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 20, 2021 16:59:16 GMT -5
"So you were a tri." It wasn't a question but rather an observation. "Just the three of you against the world?" Sol asked, teasing a little for there couldn't have been too many obstacles in front of three young farm kids from a small town.
☆~☆~☆ "Yes," Seth answered simply, calmly. But when he continued, a layer of steel laced his tone, his eyes fierce and defiant. "Yes," he repeated, "because he knows nothing. Punishing him for his ignorance will not change it. He is not worth the time. I know, and you know, the truth, and that is all that matters to me. All right? So let him go. Please."
☆~☆~☆ ( It shouldn't have been that hard, given his treatment of Andy's sister earlier on. xD )
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