Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 4, 2021 17:17:23 GMT -5
(No worries!! Good to see you back, hope life gets a bit less busy soon! Bonus note... it's making me melt how patient Scarlet is with Zuko) There was something about Scarlet that put Zuko at least a little bit at ease. She was friendly and didn’t seem to mind that Zuko didn’t really know what he was doing in the face of just… normal conversation. He wasn’t completely relaxed – at any moment she could find out who he was and either start groveling or make fun of him for his fate. He turned slightly to the side, hiding the scar on his face as best he could. He had only just started going without the bandage over it. He couldn’t shake the feeling that people were looking at it. Still… Scarlet was just treating him like he was a normal kid. It was sort of nice. “So there are planets with only one type of… thing? My world had deserts and snow and forests.” Was that abnormal? Zuko sort of hoped it wasn’t – as terrible as it was to not be able to go home, he couldn’t deny it was interesting to be able to see the world and all of the different places it had to offer. He tilted his head, a little bit confused by what she meant about the star giving life, but he had already asked enough questions that he figured more might be… inappropriate. “Binary stars?” he asked immediately after, unable to stop himself. His tone was more open than the tone he gave most people, but it still sounded rather guarded. Scarlet, for the most part, seemed to be ignoring any unintentional hostility. Zuko knew he could be a bit… well, volatile. He burned people who got too close, couldn’t always trust what people wanted when they tried. He was grateful she seemed to be rather patient. “It’s just sort of normal in my world.” He shrugged. “There are waterbenders and earthbenders too. And there’s still one airbender out there.” Zuko’s eyes narrowed a little bit, and he angled his face back towards Scarlet. “You can… glow?” |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 5, 2021 1:33:34 GMT -5
A small boy blinked in, barefoot and standing on his toes, looking at something that was no longer there. He froze. Not...not this again. Last time this had happened to him (was it the same thing? It had to be) he had met a monster, and though a nice boy had protected him, he’d been scared. He glanced around, checking for monsters, but there was no one. He was alone. Well… So long as he was alone, there was no harm in looking around a little, right? He took a hesitant step towards the hall, then another. Soon he was walking forward, glancing over his shoulder every few seconds as he went, just in case. People just appeared out of thin air here, and he didn’t want anyone sneaking up behind him. |
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 5, 2021 1:36:24 GMT -5
“You would have made Dad proud.” Speaking of dads, Nico found himself in the House. Immediately, his hand dropped to his side. His eyes were red from crying, but he seemed to be trying to hide it, at least from the way he wiped at them. Any trace of tears was already gone from his face, though. He sighed, grateful that he seemed to be alone. He sniffled, cursing the fact that he felt just about ready to start crying again. He took a few steps forward, numbly seating himself on the couch. He stared straight ahead, eyes locked on the wall. Or perhaps on nothing at all. There was a lot to think about, but his mind seemed focused on absolutely none of it… he felt present but not present all at the same time. |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 5, 2021 1:45:05 GMT -5
Kelsier blinked in, staring intensely at something no longer there, his smile missing from his features, one hand held out in front of him. He seemed about to speak when he noticed where he was and relaxed a little, dropping his hand. Good timing…he’d much rather take his chances here than deal with what was happening in his own world. He looked up at the sound of someone sniffling, and his hazel eyes immediately landed on Nico. Oh. He didn’t move for a moment, not sure whether the other blinker had noticed his appearance or not. He didn’t want to startle him, but it felt wrong to stand there just waiting to be noticed. And there was also the fact that Nico had definitely been crying. “Hey,” he said finally, raising a hand in greeting. |
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 5, 2021 1:46:59 GMT -5
Orpheus didn’t notice his blink, at first. His eyes were closed and he was playing softly, a ballad of some sort. His voice rose high above the notes of his instrument, and his fingers plucked deftly at the strings. He had written the song earlier that afternoon, a story of a brave hero who had managed to outwit all of the bad people around him. It was based on L, though he wouldn’t tell him that. Knowing his friend, he doubted he’d notice the similarity between himself and the hero in the song. The thought had made Orpheus smile. He hadn’t opened his eyes yet, though he could tell the reverberation of the sound was different. He was in the living room, but so far nobody had attacked him. That meant he was probably either alone, or with friends. In either case… he could finish the song and count it as a rehearsal. He’d perfect it when he blinked back. |
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 5, 2021 1:54:20 GMT -5
Nico noticed Kelsier the moment he blinked in, and very quietly pulled his knees up to his chest as though to make himself smaller. He wasn’t really trying to hide from Kelsier, it was just… an instinct. If he wasn’t alone, he should take up less space. “Hey,” he mumbled in response, unsure how, exactly, he was supposed to respond. With anyone else (well… almost anyone else) he would have pretended he was fine, would have said he had allergies or something that were making his eyes water. But he didn’t. He knew they needed to talk. He knew… he knew there were things that needed to be said, but he didn’t want to talk about it right now. He didn’t know if he could talk about it. There was just… too much running through his head. Stuff he was stupid to be thinking, stuff he didn’t really want to be thinking… he pressed his forehead against his knees, trying to use the pressure to force out the thoughts he didn’t want. Or maybe just to calm the hurricane inside his head. |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 5, 2021 1:55:36 GMT -5
Smol L | Living Room | striderThe sound of someone signing froze L to the ground. He turned sharply, his wide dark taking in the man who had appeared. The stranger looked...happy, with a small smile on his face and his eyes closed. L tilted his head a little, the music soothing him enough that he dared take a small step towards the stranger, then another. He wasn’t sure approaching anyone was a good idea, in this place, but he couldn’t quite help his curiosity...how had the man made those sounds? His voice was incredible, too. L opened his mouth a little, almost mouthing the words along with him, but not quite making them come out. He didn’t know the lyrics anyway, he reminded himself. He stopped right in front of Orpheus, staring at him with very wide eyes, completely silent.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 5, 2021 2:00:51 GMT -5
Orpheus spent a few more long moments finishing up the song, making sure to see each note through to the end, switching deftly between chords as he wove the fabric of notes into music. He didn’t hear L, didn’t know he wasn’t alone. It was odd for the House to blink him in completely alone, but he figured it was possible he wasn’t – whoever else was there might just be listening quietly. As long as they let Orpheus finish the song, that was alright with him. Finally, the last note drew to its conclusion, and Orpheus let it hang in the air for a few long moments before putting his hand over the strings and silencing it. It took him a few more moments after that to open his eyes, hazel meeting dark, surprise changing to recognition, and then something much softer. “Hello,” he whispered, careful to keep his voice soft. He didn’t know if L was skittish as a kid, but given the wide eyes and the man he had grown up to be… Orpheus figured it was likely. He was going to do his best not to scare him off. |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 5, 2021 2:01:59 GMT -5
Any thoughts of trying to talk about the things hanging over both of them were far from Kelsier’s mind the moment Nico pressed his head to his knees. The scepter wasn’t there, he realized suddenly, and dread came alive inside of him. What had happened? Had something gone wrong? He didn’t know everything about what Nico was going through in his own world, but he knew enough. He knew that the scepter was important. He approached cautiously, not too fast, though less like approaching a wild animal and more like walking toward a friend. He just didn’t want to come closer than he should, that was all. He stopped a short ways away, and he couldn’t hide the concern on his face. He didn’t speak. Didn’t make Nico talk. He knew better than that. Instead he just quietly sat down on the other end of the couch, giving Nico space. “You don’t have to talk,” he said quietly after a moment passed, “but you can.” |
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 5, 2021 2:08:18 GMT -5
Nico felt the cushions shift as Kelsier sat down, and he tilted his head just enough that he could see him. He stayed a safe distance away. Safe. What a stupid word. How stupid was it that Nico could only really feel safe when the people he cared about stayed a certain number of feet away? He wanted the fear to go away. He wanted Kelsier to feel like he could come closer if he wanted, he wanted to be held, he wanted someone to tell him things were going to be alright… he pressed his forehead against his knees even harder. It didn’t hurt, just… made his thoughts a tiny bit clearer. Being held was for people that weren’t him. It would do him some good to remember that. Did he want to talk? That was an impossible question. There were so many things he could have said, so many thoughts that presented themselves, but… he didn’t know. “We closed the Doors of Death,” he managed, voice softer than he’d meant it to be. It was a victory. He had to keep reminding himself of that. |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 5, 2021 2:10:47 GMT -5
L listened quietly, mesmerized by the music, the lyrics that seemed to him to be something like magic, something he had no idea how he could replicate. He couldn’t, he decided, because this man was not like anyone he had ever seen. He didn’t know what was different about him...maybe it was just the music he didn’t understand. The music that seemed to echo inside of him, calming him. Then it was over. And L tensed a little again, wariness creeping back into his expression. He didn’t know this person, and he was very close to him now. The music had made him want to come close, to see how it was being created, but now he wondered whether that had been a bad idea. He understood that strangers were not to be trusted. He’d been told to stay away from them. What was he doing? He stared into Orpheus’ eyes, his own ones wide and unblinking and very reminiscent of his older self, only with less of a mask. “Hello.” He signed back hesitantly, still not stepping back. |
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 5, 2021 2:17:06 GMT -5
Orpheus gave a tiny smile, trying to be as unintimidating as possible. He didn’t know if it was working – he had no experience being intimidating, so knowing how to mitigate any possible intimidation wasn’t a skill he had ever practices. He just existed, and people tended not to be afraid of them. Perhaps because he tried to be friendly to most of the people he met. He hoped this version of L saw him the same way. Looking at L felt a little bit like a betrayal of the L he considered a friend. That L hadn’t told him about his childhood. That L hadn’t told him that he signed instead of spoke. That L hadn’t shared that with Orpheus, and there were probably plenty of reasons why. Finding this out from some source other than older L’s lips felt… wrong. That didn’t, however, mean he was just going to turn this younger L away. Orpheus was incredibly grateful that the House decided to translate the hand signals as well as it did spoken language. At least that meant he could understand this L. “Would you like to see how the music works?” he murmured, pulling the strap of the instrument over his head. He wasn’t just going to hand the guitar to L – it was almost as big as he was, after all – but he could let him strum it, if he wanted. |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 5, 2021 2:18:38 GMT -5
Kelsier couldn’t see into Nico’s head. He couldn’t tell what he was thinking, or he might have come closer, or at least told Nico he was wrong. He would have told Nico that he wasn’t someone to be alone, if he didn’t want to be, he would have said he was there. As it was, he stayed quiet, leaving space between the two of them, not knowing what was going through Nico’s head. As it was, he watched, ready to go if that was what the other blinker asked. He didn’t know if he was wanted, especially after what he’d said. It had been a couple rooms now. They still hadn’t talked. Did Nico even want to talk about it? Didn’t matter now. Something was wrong and Kelsier planned to stay as long as he was wanted. “That’s good. Right?” He answered just as softly. He thought it was, but...Nico’s demeanor was making him rethink it, |
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strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 5, 2021 2:24:52 GMT -5
“Yes,” Nico replied, although he didn’t quite sound convinced. “Yes, it means that monsters are easier to kill for good. And bad people can’t come back to life.” It was a good thing. So why did he feel so awful? He… knew why he did. He just wasn’t sure he wanted to admit it to himself. “Did I tell you some people I know were in Tartarus?” he asked after a moment, his entire body tensing even at saying the name of the place. “They’re both alive. They made it out.” Another good thing. Kelsier had invited him to talk, and so far all he had managed to do was tell Kelsier every reason why he should be happy. Why what he was feeling made less than no sense. He couldn’t quite tell Kelsier he was jealous. He couldn’t tell him he hated that they had made it out, he hated that they had been together, he was jealous that they couldn’t see through the mist as deeply as he could… the thoughts were cruel and irrational, and though Kelsier already knew the worst things about him… the truth was still incredibly difficult to say out loud. Perhaps he didn’t want to admit it to himself. Perhaps he didn’t want to admit that wasn’t the only reason he’d been crying. |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 5, 2021 2:26:40 GMT -5
L didn’t know any of the things going through Orpheus’ head. He just saw a stranger, in a strange place. He just saw someone who seemed nice, though he didn’t immediately trust that. He knew better than to just believe people when they said things. He’d been warned that not everyone always said what they meant, and he knew that was true, because everything his parents said was true. He did not look away from this stranger, though. Something made it very hard for him to pull himself away. Something made him want to stay, want to listen to more music, more singing. He hadn’t encountered much music before, in his short life, and the music he had...was not the same. His eyes went huge as Orpheus offered to show him the music, and for a moment, caution was forgotten. He nodded quickly, as though he thought the offer might be taken back if he didn’t accept quick enough, and he moved closer, forgetting to be wary. This was a stranger, but...the music was even more pressing in his mind. He wanted to understand it. |
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 5, 2021 2:32:06 GMT -5
Orpheus had never received the ‘stranger danger’ lesson as a kid. Mr. Hermes had introduced him to hundreds of strangers, many of whom had played with him while Hermes was doing what he needed to do. The difference was that having mortal parents was very different from having an adoptive dad who could immediately find wherever you wandered off to, because he was the god of travel and wanderers. It was a lot easier for Hermes to keep him safe than it would have been for L’s parents. He chalked L’s caution up to his nature, not any lessons he had been taught by his parents. Even at this young age, L was so very L. It made Orpheus smile, though he hoped the kid didn’t ask why. It would be difficult to explain, and he didn’t really want L to think he was delusional. “Here,” he whispered, letting his thoughts fade into background noise. “See this part?” he pointed to the hole of the guitar, where the strings stretched over it. “Take this…” he offered L the pick, “and drag it across the strings. Not too hard, yeah?” |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 5, 2021 2:35:59 GMT -5
Kelsier listened quietly, not interrupting as Nico spoke. He didn’t understand. It was a good thing, but Nico didn’t sound happy about it...he didn’t push it. He just listened. “That’s good.” He repeated softly after a moment, his expression still concerned as he watched the kid. It wasn’t usual for him to be quite that quiet, but he got the sense Nico needed him to listen, not speak. He wasn’t sure he was right about that, but it was the best he could do. He let a moment pass. He didn’t want to push this, he didn’t want to make Nico talk, but he didn’t want to leave, either. Somehow, he didn’t think he could walk away unless Nico specifically asked him to. The House was almost irrelevant in his head, now, the room forgotten. Nico had his full attention. “If you want to be alone, I’ll go. No questions asked.” He said after a moment, his tone quiet. He meant it. All it would take was a single word. |
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strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 5, 2021 2:42:19 GMT -5
“No!” Nico gasped, the word far more forceful than he had meant it to be. “No,” he whispered, pulling his knees even closer to his chest, “I don’t want to be alone.” He felt like a child throwing a tantrum. He felt… stupid, and silly, and like he was probably upset about things he had no right to be upset about. Regardless if that was the truth… he didn’t want to be alone. What could he possibly tell Kelsier? Were there still things that would make Kelsier decide he had misjudged Nico? Were there things that would make him change his mind about what he had said in that room several blinks ago? A sob rose in Nico’s throat, and he barely managed to push it down. “I couldn’t keep my promise,” he managed after a long moment. It wasn’t the whole of why he was upset, but it was something. It was… it was the only place he knew how to start. “I promised Percy I would… I would take the others to the Doors of Death. I didn’t make it there. I…” he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to ignore the urge to go closer to Kelsier. If he went closer, his body would just scream at him that Kelsier was too close, and then where would they be? He didn’t know if he was strong enough to fight that, too. |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 5, 2021 2:44:48 GMT -5
Orpheus wasn’t completely wrong. Plenty of kids wouldn’t have been as cautious as L was, and it wasn’t just in the House. L was a nervous child by nature, skittish of even things he had no reason to be skittish of. Like dogs. He was also curious, though. The two sides of him often warred with each other, his caution telling him to stay back, his curiosity telling him to push ahead. Even now, he felt himself torn, though curiosity was winning. Maybe that was due to the music giving him courage. Or maybe he was just more curious than he was cautious, He saw the smile, and he hesitated, unsure what it meant. Had he done something amusing without meaning to? That was usually why adults smiled at him. He shook his head a little, hoping that wasn’t the case. He hesitantly accepted the pick, then looked at the part Orpheus had indicated. He stood still for a very long moment, then very slowly reached out and brushed the the strings with the pick. He hopped backwards in surprise as it made a noise, and he looked at Orpheus, eyes wide. “Is it alright?” He signed, worried. |
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 5, 2021 2:51:14 GMT -5
If Orpheus could have read L’s thoughts, he would have told him it was alright, that he hadn’t done anything amusing on accident, it was just that he was just as endearing as a child as he was as an adult. Genuine in a way that most people weren’t, but curious and cautious and… well, he supposed that kids always had at least a hint of who they were going to become. It wasn’t as though they were separate people. They were just… saplings. And the tiny sprigs of green on a sapling were the same as the big strong branches that people could climb when the tree grew up. L was still L, he was just smaller. And hopefully in less danger than the older version of him was at any given moment. “Hey, it’s alright,” he reassured L, “it can be startling when you don’t know what to expect, huh?” He let a genuine smile spread across his face, hoping to assure L that he hadn’t done anything wrong. “That’s exactly what it’s supposed to do when you do that. If you have a lot of practice, you can make it sound smooth, without one string or another ending up louder than the others. Do you want to try again? You did it exactly right.” |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 5, 2021 2:53:05 GMT -5
Kelsier blinked. He hadn’t really expected that reaction, but he didn’t move, didn’t even shift his weight. “Hey, I’m not leaving.” He promised, and silently dared the House to make him break it. Let it try. If it blinked him out now, he would just find a way to blink himself back in. Nico needed him, and that meant he would be there, gods be damned. He didn’t know why Nico was upset. He wanted to, though. He wanted to, only if Nico chose to tell him. He didn’t want the House forcing anything this time, he didn’t want the House making this outside their control. Maybe it was best they stayed in the living room for now, then. He knew, for better or for worse, he would never take back what he’d said. Not unless Nico asked him to, anyway. He would back off if he was told, but the idea that there were things about Nico that could make him choose to take it back wasn’t even in his head. “Ah.” He said quietly, and he thought he understood, at least partially. “You tried, Nico. I know you tried.” |
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 5, 2021 3:00:21 GMT -5
Nico relaxed just a little bit, grateful that Kelsier wasn’t going to leave. Grateful he had listened to him, had just… accepted that Nico didn’t want him to go. If the House blinked him out… well, then Nico would just have to be upset with the House. He shook the thought away, instead rocking a little bit where he sat. “It wasn’t enough,” he murmured, squeezing his eyes shut for a long moment. “I made… I made Hazel go by herself. The tunnel caved in, and… and the scepter shattered, and… and I didn’t even help the others get out. I was just trying to move the dirt from the cave in.” His voice was quiet, almost numb. He cared, but it was so hard to sound like he did. Either his voice quavered without him meaning it to, or nothing he said seemed to have any tone at all. “Hazel did it by herself… mostly. She would’ve made d-Had-Pluto proud.” He stumbled over the name, a blush rising in his cheeks. Was part of it that he wanted to be able to do something more to make Hades proud? Was it not enough to have Kelsier in front of him, listening? Maybe he’d never make Kelsier proud either, though. He bit back another sob at that thought. “I should have been better.” |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 5, 2021 3:03:52 GMT -5
L relaxed a little at the praise, relieved that he hadn’t done it wrong. He’d been worried that maybe he had done it too hard, though he’d been as gentle as he could. He offered Orpheus a tiny smile, pleased that he’d managed to do it right on the first try, He came closer again, reassured that it was okay. Orpheus seemed nice...L decided he wanted to believe what he was saying, about the music at least, since he seemed to know what he was doing with that. He was in a lot less danger than his older self. He wasn’t completely safe - not that he really knew that - but he wasn’t in the constant danger that his older self was. Still, he was careful, just in case. He was more nervous than convinced he was in danger, after all. He reached forward, carefully brushing the strings once again, this time staying where he was. He looked up at Orpheus, and his smile stayed. It reminded him of ballet. He considered saying so, but he was a bit nervous to mention it to an adult. Not that he trusted kids either, if he were being honest...but he could read adults even less. “It reminds me of ballet.” He stopped for long enough to sign the words, expression shy. |
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 5, 2021 3:10:01 GMT -5
Orpheus nodded a little as L came closer, making sure that he didn’t move any more than was strictly necessary. He was worried that any sharp movements would frighten L away, especially if the sound of the instrument alone had been enough to startle him. Still… L seemed to be getting more comfortable, and that was all Orpheus could ask for. He didn’t want L to feel like he needed to hide, or like he needed to be afraid. “That’s it,” Orpheus whispered encouragingly, matching L’s smile. It was good to see the boy smile – it was a rare enough expression from his adult self, and being able to get L to smile even now felt like something rare and precious. Something that needed to be treasured and protected. He tilted his head just a little bit, a frown coming over his features. “Ballet?” he repeated, his accent muddying the words a little bit. He didn’t recognize the word. “I don’t think we have ballet where I’m from,” he explained, expression softening. “Would you mind telling me what it is?” He didn’t want to pressure L into talking more than he was comfortable with, but it seemed he was nervous to tell Orpheus that it reminded him of ballet. Orpheus couldn’t reassure him that it was okay if he didn’t know what ballet was. Besides, if it was something L was interested in, then Orpheus was interested in hearing it. |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 5, 2021 3:13:37 GMT -5
Kelsier wished he could blink himself into Nico’s world. Wished he could make this better. The truth was, all he could do was listen, and that didn’t feel anywhere near enough to him. He wanted to do more, he wanted to fight everything that hurt Nico, but he was trapped by the walls that separated their worlds. He didn’t need tone to know Nico cared, he didn’t need to hear him to see it. Knowing who Nico was was enough. Knowing who he was and who he would always be. So the scepter was broken. Kelsier didn’t know everything he could have about it, but he did tense a little at the knowledge, because he’d never really seen Nico without it. Until now, anyway. The Doors of Death were closed, at least...that was a good thing. He didn’t react to the name confusion. Though he knew who was meant by two of the attempts. Pluto was new. He hadn’t heard that name for him before, but he stored it away for future reference. He couldn’t tell what Nico was thinking. He couldn’t tell him he already made him proud, countless times already. He didn’t even know Nico might want that. “That’s not how it works,” he murmured, shaking his head a little. “You can’t just...make it work. You can try, that’s all anyone can do.” |
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 5, 2021 3:21:18 GMT -5
Nico had shifted just a little bit, his head tilted to the side so he could see Kelsier while still keeping his head resting on his knees. It was comfortable. Well… as comfortable as he could get on his own. Human beings needed physical contact to survive, he knew that. Getting it from only one or two people, one of whom he very rarely saw… that wasn’t enough. He hated that he was still afraid of it. He hated that it still had power over him. “Don’t worry,” he mumbled, seeing Kelsier tense, “I hated the stupid thing anyway. And… and the army it was meant to summon can’t fight outside the Underworld. They get to rest now.” He frowned a little bit, hoping that was how it worked. At least… with the scepter broken, nobody could summon them to fight again. Hopefully when they died in battle their souls went back to the Underworld, not Tartarus. He really needed to stop thinking about Tartarus, but… it was nearly impossible. “I tried,” he whispered, brow furrowing. “I’ve done nothing but try for so long…” he shook his head, trying to make sense of the thoughts swirling around. “I couldn’t get out of Tartarus on my own. I… I couldn’t make it to the Doors of Death. And… and I hate…” he trailed off, angrily wiping away a stubborn tear that had decided to fall in spite of his best efforts to keep it away. “I hate that when Percy and Annabeth had to go through Tartarus, they didn’t have to do it alone.” His voice was tiny, almost shattered. |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 5, 2021 3:23:35 GMT -5
L was trying not to be too nervous. He really was. He didn’t want to hide from Orpheus, even if he didn’t know him. He seemed nice. L couldn’t help but want to see what he was like, what he could do with his music, what he liked to do...Maine L just wanted to get to know him a little. Maybe L just didn’t have that many people to talk to, in his own life. He was a bit lonely, though he didn’t know the words for it. He couldn’t have explained why it felt so special, talking to someone who seemed interested in what he had to say. Who could understand him, no less. “Ballet.” He repeated, surprised. He’d never met anyone who didn’t know the term. Was Orpheus pretending? He glanced at his face, searching, but he didn’t detect any deception there...he decided to believe him for the time being. He hoped very much that he didn’t regret it. “It’s a dance.” He explained, his hands moving hesitantly as he did. “It’s my favorite kind, because it isn’t hard and it’s fun. And it feels good.” He hoped that was a good enough explanation. He wasn’t sure how he could explain it better, unless he demonstrated, and the thought made him wary. Adults laughed at you when you danced. L hated being laughed at, more than almost anything else. |
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 5, 2021 3:30:26 GMT -5
“A dance,” Orpheus repeated, the confusion clearing from his face. He very carefully pulled the strap of the guitar back over his head and gave a warm smile. He could do dances. He had never been very good at actually participating in them, but he enjoyed watching other people dance, and so long as his part was taking a certain number of steps and making someone else look cool, he could do it. He was learning. He wanted to learn. Even if he’d never heard of ballet. “I’m glad to hear it feels good,” Orpheus replied honestly, not a trace of mockery in his expression. He was interested, genuinely interested. He turned his attention away from L for just a few moments to make sure the instrument was still in tune. When he was certain it was, he looked back up, gaze catching on L. “What sorts of music goes along with this dance?” he asked, sounding as genuine as he could. “Most dances have a certain rhythm… see…” he began to play quietly, a three step jig, then something a little bit more mellow and slow. “Those suit two different dances that people where I’m from know. If you know what sort of rhythm ballet works with, then I can play for you. Maybe you can show me some of what you know.” The offer was open for L to turn down if he wanted, too, Orpheus was just curious. And he couldn’t quite pronounce ‘ballet’ properly yet. He stretched the vowel sound at the end just a touch too long and clipped the first vowel. |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 5, 2021 3:32:29 GMT -5
Kelsier nodded a little, relaxing. At least it seemed that the scepter wasn’t completely necessary anymore. He didn’t know as many details about the situation as he would have liked, but he knew enough, and he knew that Nico had tried. He’s tried for longer than Kelsier could know. Of course he was tired. Who wouldn’t be exhausted? Who wouldn’t want to rest, finally? Who wouldn’t want to just stop trying so hard for even a few minutes? And Kelsier couldn’t fix it. But he could do what he could to be there anyway. He watched, no judgement or pity at all in his eyes, as Nico spoke. It made sense. Of course it did. How could anyone have gone through what Nico had and not felt the same? “You’ve done so much. You have to see that.” He murmured after a moment. He wasn’t smiling, but he didn’t look upset, just...serious. He watched quietly for another moment, then dipped his head, accepting the words. “So you’re human.” He said quietly, not looking away. “You’re human and it hurts. Doesn’t make you a bad person.” |
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 5, 2021 3:39:58 GMT -5
If this was what it meant to be human, Nico was pretty sure he hated it. He hated how strongly he felt things, how everything seemed to turn upside down every moment for him… he was just… tired. He wanted things to be easy, for once, but as long as there were wars to fight, that wasn’t going to happen. As long as the Earth was in danger, whether he was part of a prophecy or not, he was going to help. He couldn’t have said exactly why. It was just that… well, who would he be if there was something bad happening, and he let himself believe that someone else was going to fix it? The last time he had let someone go on a quest without him, his sister had died and he’d lost everything. And ever since he’d done everything he could to help people. To help his world. It hadn’t worked. “I shouldn’t be jealous of them,” he whispered, shaking his head. “I just… I can’t stop remembering what it was like. I can’t stop thinking about…” he lifted his head from his knees, pressing his palm to his forehead instead. He slowly tilted over, landing with his head a bit closer to Kelsier and his feet hanging off the couch. He looked a little like a contortionist, but it was oddly comfortable. “I want to forget what it was like,” he whispered. “I want to stop thinking about it, I just… I wish I hadn’t been alone… not that I’d wish Tartarus on anybody, but…” he sighed, hugging his arms to his chest. “I want it to stop hurting.” |
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