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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 Oct 15, 2021 19:21:30 GMT -5
Seth pressed a kiss to her forehead, breathing in her calming scent, then gave Morgan a nod.
It took him a moment to register it, for he was watching them with a satisfied smile, as if he were solely responsible for them being together. Had this been any other situation, Seth would have rolled his eyes.
Morgan knocked on the door. There was a beat of silence, and then the doors swung inward.
The first thing Seth noticed was the wall of windows. Each was almost floor to ceiling in height, and plenty wide enough to fit a grown man. The glass was crystal clear, to the point it looked as if there was no glass at all. The sky beyond was bright and open and endless, and Seth suddenly wanted to be out there. Flying far, far away.
Instead, he faced the two dozen men and women seated at the ling table that dominated the room. There were two seats at each end of the table, twelve down each side. Most were full. The two at the end closest to the door were empty, as were the seats closest to them. Seth figured that was where he was supposed to sit — as far from everyone else as possible.
Sebastian sat at the head of the table, the chair beside him empty. He smiled and waved them in. "Thanks for coming. Have a seat."
"Why is there a child with him?" a woman asked, her voice shrill and horrified as she looked from Aidan to Seth to Sebastian. To him, she hissed, "The child is nit safe with him."
"On the contrary," Sebastian said smoothly, before anyone else could comment. "I believe there is nowhere safer for Aidan than with Seth."
"Aidan?" A middle-aged man sat forward, his gaze darting right to Aidan. "Aidan Quinn?"
Wude eyed, Aidan ducked behind Seth and gripped his shirt.
Seth eyed the man, who was now on his feet and hurrying toward them. "By the gods, Sebastian. Why didn't you tell me the kid with him was my nephew?"
Sebastian sighed. "Because I was hoping to avoid the scene you're about to cause." He muttered the words, knowing full well the man wasn't even listening.
He stopped in front of Seth, glaring up at him. "Let go of my nephew."
"I'm not holding him." Seth felt numb. He could see the resemblance, faint as it was. Mostly in the eyes. This man's were the same shape and shade of blue, only where Aidan's were stormy, always full of warmth and emotion, the man's were cold and devoid of anything appealing.
His lips thinned. "Release him from whatever spell you've put on him," he snapped. "Now."
Seth knew he shouldn't, but his lips pulled into a dark smile almost of their own accord. "My reputation is more bloated than I thought. Tell me, what have I done that makes people think I can cast such spells?"
The man sneered. "You didn't have to do anything. You are your mother's son. That is enough."
Seth went still, deadly so. Then he released Anya's hand and took a single step forward. The shorter man paled slightly bit held his ground. "I don't care what you believe about me. Some of it is widely off the mark, and too much of it is true. But do not compare me to Genevieve. If I were truly as like her as you claim, you would not still be breathing. None of you would be. She enjoys death. I don't." His gaze darkened. "She just made sure I was good at it."
Aidan's uncle cleared his throat and backed up a step. "Exactly why I don't want my nephew anywhere near you. And he wouldn't be, if he knew the truth about you. So either he doesn't know and you've been lying to him—"
Seth froze, a layer of ice threatening to choke him.
"—or he does know, and you have him under a spell." The man smirked smugly. "So which is it, Dragonslayer?"
Seth didn't answer, couldn't answer. He eased backward, until he felt Aidan's hands reclaim fistfuls of his shirt. He let out a shaky breath, wishing that touch was only a comfort, and not another punch in the gut.
"All right, enough." Sebastian stood, hands braced on the table. "Greg, sit your ass back down. We'll worry about Aidan later. Right now we're here to discuss Seth, and his willingness to help us."
Reluctantly, Greg did as he was told. As he sat back down, Sebastian gestured to the empty chairs closest to them. "Sit, please."
With a glance at Seth, Morgan complied. Seth stayed rooted to the spot a moment more, then he too took a seat. Aidan sat on the floor beside him. Seth started to protest that, but Aidan leaned against his leg and pulled Hero into his lap, and Seth realized he was hiding. From his uncle.
Seth clenched his jaw. So this was why Aidan was so wary and subdued about being here. Seth didn't know the details — didn't think he wanted to, lest he do something stupid — but, right or wrong, he would not be handing Aidan over to Greg.
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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 Oct 17, 2021 19:21:54 GMT -5
The first thing that hit her was the anger in the room. Controlled as the members were, their hatred for Seth as he entered the room nearly felt like walking into a break wall. Anya had to take a breath to steady herself, to fight down the surge of magic that almost took over. Corrik's presence grew in her mind at the suddenness of it all. The added aid helped keep her from being overwhelmed... until the Council started to speak.
Each ill spoken word caused sparks of her own anger to flare to life. Several times she attempted to jump to Seth's defense, but every time someone would speak over her. Kyra, who had taken a position by her, had nudged her elbow and leaned down to whisper, "Gets annoying, don't they?"
Annoying was an understatement. With great effort, Anya took a seat at the table next to Seth.
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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 Oct 18, 2021 8:47:36 GMT -5
Once everyone was sitting and quiet, Sebastian reclaimed his own seat. "All right. Let's start. Seth? Would you mind telling the Council why you left Genevieve when you did?"
Seth sat back, almost slumped, and crossed his arms. "I would mind, actually. All you need to know is that I did leave, and I'm not going back."
"If you're so certain," a human woman near the head of the table said, "then why won't you tell us your reasons?" Unlike many of the others, she was not wearing her emotions on her sleeve. If she hated him, she was not letting it influence her now.
Because of that, Seth met her gaze without hostility and answered honestly. "Because I'm not stupid. You already know the answer. You're just testing me to see if my story matches the one you've no doubt heard from Morgan, and any other spies you have in the Order. Because my decisions are my business, and you don't need to know about what I went through to make the ones I did. And because it's private, and if you want to know you need to ask nicely and not interrogate the answers out of me."
Silence met his words, though several shifted in their seats and looked inclined to speak. One man sat forward, mouth open to do just that, but the woman raised one hand to stall him. To Seth, she nodded slightly and said, "Fair enough. Will you at least tell us, so the disbelievers will shut up about it, about what happened when you tried to say no to Genevieve?"
Seth went rigid, and he nearly stopped breathing, though his expression reminded impassive. It took him a minute to respond. "Will my answer really change their minds?"
"It might. We won't know unless you try."
Seth glared at the table, jaw working, as he considered that. A few people muttered angrily, but Sebastian or the woman quickly shut them up. Finally, Seth let out a breath and looked over at Anya, not the woman or the table at large. He didn't say anything, but there was a question in his eyes. She was the one he would try for, but he needed to know she thought it was worth 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 Oct 18, 2021 21:10:08 GMT -5
Seth managed a small smile at that, though it quickly faded. He gave a slight nod, then turned back to the Council, his expression smoothing out until it revealed nothing.
"The first time I told Genevieve no, she had me whipped."
His words caused a couple gasps, but most remained stone face. The reaction Seth noticed most, however, was Morgan's. His friend jerked in his seat and swung his head around to Seth, wide-eyed. It was an effort for Seth to keep his gaze straight ahead. Now was no time to talk to his friend about secrets.
Seth forced himself to keep talking. "It didn't take her long to realize that hurting me wouldn't make me cave. Nick made sure I never gave up or stayed down, so she would have had to do irreparable damage before she'd break me to her will." His lips twisted sardonically. "And if she did that, I wouldn't be of any use to her. So she switched to threatening Stel. And then Morgan. And then my family." He lowered his gaze to the table. "I stopped fighting her after that."
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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 Oct 19, 2021 20:18:50 GMT -5
The outburst from Mark was the tipping point for her control. His anger rushed around her and it was all it took to be overwhelmed. Two things happen as a result.
"ENOUGH!" She shouted, standing up so fast it tipped the seat she was using over and slamming her fist on the table. At the same time, there was a dispersing of light that spread all throughout the room. While it was just light, there was almost a wind like effect, some small amount of force, that stirred even her clothes a bit. Her eyes burned with the anger, both hers and their's. She meet the gaze of the man currently attack him.
"Tell me, who in here wouldn't give up their life for their family?" She asked, voice challenging anyone to speak.
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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 Oct 20, 2021 9:42:45 GMT -5
Morgan saw it in the moment before Anya's outburst. Saw the light go out in Seth's eyes, saw his friend lock his emotions away one by one. Morgan had always hated seeing that. He hated it now, but he also couldn't blame Seth for it. Seth was good at hiding it, but Morgan knew he had never taken being hurt well. The guy was a lot more sensitive than he wanted to let on.
When Anya stood up and let the council have it, Morgan was torn between applauding her and disappointment that she had beaten him to it. Morgan looked away from Seth to see what the council thought about it.
He found a bunch of shocked expressions, with a hint of trepidation, confusion, and intrigue mixed in with a few. Morgan glanced back at Seth. His shock was less noticeable, but still there. Morgan couldn't tell if it was because of Anya's words, or her little light show. Knowing Seth, probably both.
Mark finally broke the silence that had fallen around the table. "O-of course we would," he stuttered, though that quickly faded as his anger returned. "We would gladly give up our lives for them. Not mercilessly kill innocent people to do it."
Morgan hissed quietly in fury but held his tongue. He had never actually seen Seth kill anyone, yet he knew Seth wouldn't be merciless about 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 Oct 20, 2021 17:51:29 GMT -5
Awkward silence met her words. Seth sat perfectly still, refusing to focus on any one person — though he could see Morgan smirking in his periphery. For a brief second, Seth wanted to laugh. Then he noticed the dark looks were swiveling between himself and Anya, and suddenly laughing was the last thing on his mind.
Finally, someone cleared their throat. Seth glanced up and saw an older woman, one who had remained silent and unobtrusive until now. "You make a good point, dear. Maybe we are being a little unfair. But as the ones who have lost people to the man you are so eager to defend, is it really so unreasonable that we would hold a grudge? If the man who killed your family suddenly walked into your home, would you forgive him on the spot, simply because he 'had no choice'?"
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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 Oct 20, 2021 19:22:09 GMT -5
"And was he not hunting in the defense of someone else?" Anya asked. "He hunted for his family who could not fight back against Genivieve. He hunted so Morgan wouldn't be tortured and forced into sharing his fate. Had he not, you might have had both of them being used as Genevieve's weapons instead of just one. Something tells me that would have been more devastating than what Seth has accomplished on his own. Or how many more innocent lives would Genivieve go through before Seth agreed?
"Seth is not the only person in her arsenal. Whether he agreed to save his family or not, Genevieve would have still killed your families. She just would have had another person do it for her. It is not Seth's fault he had no one to save him from her clutches. He had no one to stand up for him to say that his life meant more than to be trained as a killer. No one, not even his own father, your respected leader, tried to help him. I'm not saying what Seth has done was right, but he had no other choice. He was a child forced to grow up too fast, forced to make decisions no child should ever have to make, because no one cared enough to stop it. So if you want to cast the blame on him, stop and ask yourself would you be ready to cast blame if it was your own child stuck in this situation. Then, and only then, can you cast your judgment onto him. And if you still want someone to place your blame, blame Genevieve for her twisted ways. Or blame Sebastian for abandoning his son to be used by such a woman. For he could have stopped his involvement before it ever began."
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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 Oct 20, 2021 19:39:33 GMT -5
Every word she said had the members of the council looking away, one by one. Some angrily, some guiltily. Even Sebastian lowered his gaze to the table, one hand on his forehead. She was right, and they all knew it. But none if them wanted to let go of their rage and pain long enough to admit it.
Seth hadn't moved, but his body had started shaking. He clenched his fists and pushed his feet into the floor, but the shaking persisted. He wanted to move, needed to, but he felt rooted to the spot, pinned by Anya's words. Because he knew she meant them. And that meant something, and yet his very being recoiled from it. How could he both crave and dread forgiveness for his sins? He didn't know, but it was tearing him up inside.
Sensing his turmoil, Hero tried to jump up into his lap, but he was still too small to make it. The movement caught the council's attention, though, and Sebastian sat back and cleared his throat.
"You're right, Anya, on all counts. I can't speak for everyone, but I don't blame Seth his choices. Which is why I hope you — both of you — will still consider staying and helping us bring justice to the real threat in our world."
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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 Oct 20, 2021 20:45:20 GMT -5
"I'm well aware of that, but I say that to make this one condition clear. Emotions will run high, and fights will start. And if anyone unjustly attacks Seth. It this happens, I do not want him punished for defending himself. Many of you might be inclined to think it would be rightly deserved to see him attacked, but when he comes out without a scratch, you'll be quick to say he started the fight. I want confirmation and promises that state he will not be punished for the rash and poorly thought out actions of the rest of the camp. If you cannot promise fair treatment and ability to believe his side of the story if any such situation arises, we will not be staying," Anya said, leaving it in the hands of the Council to decide whether or not they were willing to have their help or not.
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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 Oct 21, 2021 6:15:15 GMT -5
"Yes, of course. I'll do my best to make sure no one bothers any of you for the next two days. My partner will help with that, as soon as I update him," Sebastian said, gesturing to the empty seat beside him. He gave a wry grin. "He's more terrifying than I am, so his orders will have more sway. I'll be around if you have any questions or concerns. In the meantime, go enjoy your downtime."
The word "go" was hardly out of his mouth before Seth was on his feet and slipping through the door. Caught napping, Morgan jumped up with a curse. Somehow, Seth had gotten up without disturbing Aidan, the dogs, or his chair, which didn't seem possible, but Morgan didn't have time to dwell on it.
He stopped halfway to the door and turned to Anya, blocking her path. "I know you want to go after him right now, but he needs something more physical than you can give right now. And that is not bedroom talk," he added after an awkward beat. "I mean fighting. I'm gonna go pull him into a training room for some sparring, then bring him back to you, okay? Stay with Kyra. Maybe go update the Veras? We'll find you in an hour."
He didn't give her a chance to argue, just turned and hurried after Seth. Unsurprisingly, the hall was empty when he stepped out. Morgan cursed again. Letting his instinctive knowledge of his friend guide him, he went right and almost jogged until, two turns later, he found Seth.
Morgan didn't hesitate. "Found you!" he said so Seth knew it was him and didn't lash out when Morgan grabbed him and started dragging him toward the closet training room. Seth growled at him, actually growled, but didn't fight him.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 21, 2021 18:41:09 GMT -5
Anya's first instinct was to go after Seth. She wanted to be there for him, try to offer support where she could. However, Morgan stopped her before she could. A part of her wanted to be stubborn and insist on going with them, but the logical side, and possibly Corrik, told her that this was something she might not be able to help with. So, letting out a slow sigh, she nodded. "Just don't let him do anything stupid," she murmured.
As Morgan left, the woman turned and motioned for Aidan. She would spend the time making sure he was okay, for it was the only thing she could think of that would keep her mind off of worrying about Seth. At the same time, she lifted her eyes to his uncle, as if daring the man to try and stop him from leaving. Only once him and the dogs were with her did she leave the room. Kyra, surprisingly, was right behind her.
"Godsdamn, you got balls," Kyra exclaimed once they were out of the meeting room. "I've never seen so many Riders looked so put into place in all the years I've been here. It's quiet satisfying. You've got to do it again."
"I will if they try causing trouble," Anya muttered, feeling the borrowed anger flowing away. Along in its place was the fatigue of using her magic at that volume still brought.
"Better yet, I'd love you do it to Callum," Kyra said with a laugh. "In fact, I'd pay you to do it. The bastards needs to be taken down a notch or two."
"I don't think that's going to happen."
"Eh, maybe you'll change your mind. Until then, what do you two say about grabbing something to drink?"
Anya glanced down at Aidan, placing a comforting hand on his head. "You up for that? Or do you want to head back to our rooms?" she asked. The boy had been quiet throughout the whole meeting, and even before then too. She wanted to make sure that he was okay before doing anything else.
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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 Oct 21, 2021 19:08:44 GMT -5
Aidan went quickly and willingly to Anya's side, and stayed close as they left. Star was glued to his other side — she, too, was watching all the other people warily, ready to protect her boy — and he had Hero in his arms. The puppy wriggled every once in a while, but was mostly calm.
He was quiet as he went with the girls, but he looked up at Anya's touch. "Yeah, it's okay." He hefted Hero higher in his arms. "Can we invite Cami? I like her."
☆~☆~☆ Morgan pulled Seth into the closest training room, glad that Riders were constantly training and bettering their skills. It meant the Hideout had training rooms scattered everywhere. This one, thankfully, was empty. Morgan let Seth go and shut the door.
When he turned around, Seth had wandered further into the room. It was a large cave, the stone floors mostly covered by several large exercise mats. They were divided by narrow rows of the stone floor, creating enough space for several people to work out individually or in small groups. Seth stopped in the middle of one of the bigger mats. It was about the size of a small boxing ring.
Morgan stepped onto the mat with him. "All right, come at me."
Seth turned from his survey of the room. He appeared calm, but his expression was too carefully blank, not a hint of the flare of anger he'd displayed in the hall to be seen. "What?"
Morgan made a "come and get me" motion. "Come at me," he repeated.
Seth considered him for a minute, still with that blank expression. But looking closer, Morgan could see the emotion simmering just beneath the surface. As if sensing this, Seth looked away. "I don't think that's a good idea right now, Morgan."
Morgan stepped into him, gaining Seth's undivided attention as he prepared for fight or — Ah, who was he kidding? Seth didn't run from a fight. "Too bad. You need a fight, so I'm going to give you one. I promised Anya I'd have you calmed down and back with her in an hour. So hurry up, dude. Your girl's waiting."
The mention of Anya had some of that buried emotion flaring to life, but it was soon smothered by cool calculation. His fight face. Morgan grinned.
Seth's eyes narrowed slightly. "Rules?" he demanded.
"No face shots," Morgan answered promptly. "Everything else is fair game."
Seth eased back, flexing his neck, shoulders, and arms in preparation for the fight. "Why not the face?"
Morgan started his own little warm up, without taking his eyes off Seth. The guy could strike like a cobra; eye contact was key if he wanted to survive.
He arched one brow. "I'm sorry, do you want me to break your pretty face?"
"You'd have to hit me first."
Morgan snickered, though Seth wasn't exactly wrong in assuming Morgan wouldn't be able to hit his face. Seth was notoriously good at guarding his face. Not because he was vain, or truly interested in keeping people from hitting there. Growing up, it had always upset Cresseida when Seth went home with black eyes or busted lips. And, Seth being Seth, he hated seeing her upset. So, slowly but surely, he made himself better at guarding his face, even if it meant taking extra hits elsewhere on his body. Those bruises he could hide, so to Seth they were inconsequential.
"Whatever, hotshot. I'm protecting my pretty face. I know how you get." He grinned. "Savage."
Seth's eyes darkened, which was the only warning Morgan got. Next thing he knew, he was doubled over from a well placed and high powered gut punch.
Morgan slowly straightened, wheezing. "Damn cobra," he muttered, breathless.
Seth's lips twitched, but he didn't let the smile out. He came at Morgan again, once more striking like a snake. This time Morgan was ready and dodged the blow.
Then he was knocked on his ass as Seth countered his dodge with a lightning fast follow-up strike to the chest.
Morgan quickly rolled back to his feet, muttering to himself about getting sloppy. Morgan and Seth knew each other so well that predicting each other's moves was common and expected. It was why they didn't spar as often as they used to, for typically, their fights always resulted in a draw. Morgan wasn't sure if he was distracted or if Seth was just really on his game today, but he needed to get his head in the game before Seth kicked his ass.
He lauched forward, intending to go on the offensive, but Seth forced him back on defense within a few skillfully executed moves. Morgan stumbled back, laughing under his breath as realization hit: he was holding back, and Seth knew it. That was why Seth wasn't pulling his punches. He needed a fight. Morgan had promised him one, and he wasn't delivering.
With another low laugh, Morgan attacked again. This time, he didn't hold back.
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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 Oct 21, 2021 20:29:08 GMT -5
Cami was in her room, when they found her, and she readily agreed to go with them to get a drink. She made them stop at Callum's room on the way, and she literally dragged him out to socialize with them. Unbeknownst to her, his reluctance was a farce. He was very interested in hearing about what happened at the council meeting, and he knew Cami would ask eventually.
☆~☆~☆ An hour later, Morgan was done. He wouldn't exactly say he'd lost, but he definitely took more hits than he gave. He hurt — everywhere. Even his face. Not because Seth hit him there — the guy was ruthless, but he wasn't cruel — but it hurt nonetheless. From clenching his jaw against the pain, from grinning like a fiend after every hit he landed, and from laughing because — Well. Morgan had never claimed he was normal.
Seth, by comparison, looked spry and fresh, even though Morgan knew he was hurting. Seth may not have gotten hit as much as Morgan, but Morgan had made his every strike count. Seth was definitely hurting — his internal pain just hurt more.
Morgan weekly waved one hand. "Give me a minute and we'll go again," he said, still out of breath. Seth had taken him down hard, and he had yet to move from his prone position on the mat.
Seth stood a few feet away, hands on his hips as he took measured breaths to get his own panting under control. "No. I'm fine. I'm just going to pull out my bow and shoot for a bit."
Morgan frowned up at him. "You sure?"
Seth ran a hand through his hair. "Yes. Thank you. That took the edge off."
Morgan sat up with a grunt and draped his arms over his knees. "Just the edge? Damn. I'm losing my touch."
A faint smile brushed Seth's lips before fading. "Just a little."
Their gazes met and held. Seth was still holding back most of his emotions, but he wasn't blank anymore. He was present, just subdued. Studying him, Morgan felt that the best medicine for him now would be Anya. So he nodded and went to push to his feet. Seth stepped forward and offered a hand. They clasped forearms, and Seth hauled Morgan up.
"Thanks." Morgan wiped his sweaty hands on his shirt. "If you're just shooting arrows, do you mind if I send Anya in? She's probably worried. Possibly pissed."
Seth frowned at him. "Why would she be mad?"
"Because you ditched her without a word after she defended you like a righteous goddess?"
Seth blinked once, slowly. "I don't know how I feel about you comparing my girlfriend to a goddess."
"What, you don't agree?"
"No, no. I agree with your description. I just don't think I like you noticing."
Morgan laughed and patted his shoulder. "Sorry, pal. I'm not interested in your girl, but I am also not blind. I'm gonna be noticing."
Seth grunted, but didn't argue. "I did leave her, though, didn't I? And Aidan. Shit." He rubbed his eyes. "That was a jerk move."
Morgan squeezed his shoulder and let go. "Sure was. But Anya's the forgiving type. I'm sure you'll smooth it over in no time."
Seth didn't look so sure. Morgan almost sighed. Poor guy was clueless.
He turned to go. "All right. I'm gonna go wash up then bring her here. That enough alone time for you?"
Seth blinked, nodded. "Yes. Thank you."
"Cool. Be right back then." Morgan paused at the door and looked back. Seth hadn't moved. He was staring at the wall, lost in thought. Morgan left him to it and went to find Anya.
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