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Post by <Raintalon> on Apr 27, 2021 19:52:55 GMT -5
Touka | Battle room | strider |Touka blinked into the House, pulling her eyepatch off to briefly reveal a scarred-over void where her right eye had been. "Yeah, last year," she confirmed, then froze, tense as she realized her surroundings had changed. She quickly slipped the eyepatch back on, and turned in a circle, all senses on alert. It was very dark, but not pitch black. She seemed to be in some kind of narrow, low-roofed stone hallway. She could hear water dripping somewhere in the distance, but aside from the loud echo from that sound, that was about it. It was cold, too - she shivered, rubbing her arms. Had she blacked out...? Or was this the House? A thought about the lowest level of Cochlea reached her mind and she pushed it stubbornly away. She didn't have any evidence of that yet...well. Not solid evidence, anyway. She needed to keep her head.
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strider
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Post by strider on Apr 27, 2021 20:58:49 GMT -5
“Ah,” Orpheus replied as Watari translated, a little bit too shy to say that the translation didn’t help in the slightest. It just made the word slightly easier to pronounce. Which… he was grateful for, but… it didn’t explain how this ‘helicopter’ could help in this situation. What it did prove was that Greek – at least in some form – existed in L’s world, and it was at least somewhat understandable to Orpheus. Which he was pleased with but kept to himself. Now wasn’t really the time. L's explanation made much more sense, even if they really didn’t have time to go over it now. It was difficult picturing a flying boat, especially since he was trying to imagine the propeller on the bottom, but… he was making an attempt. And it didn’t really matter what it looked like so long as it was a way out. He followed behind L and Watari, trying to keep an eye out for any more of the things that had attacked them earlier. |
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strider
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Post by strider on Apr 27, 2021 21:27:03 GMT -5
Quincy glanced between Kelsier and Hange, tilting their head a little bit as they tried to understand what was going on. There was clearly something that they hadn’t picked up on, and the way the two were looking at each other… they frowned, pointedly ignoring the blood on Hange’s face. They didn’t know how it had gotten there, but something in their mind told them not to worry about it. After all, they had just come after them with a priceless dagger… truth be told, they were more worried about the dagger getting stained than they were the fact that they had almost died. “If you would really like to end the tour early, I can lead you to the exit,” the offered hesitantly, glancing once more between Kelsier and Hange. They were about to mention Nico but decided against it. The boy must have been very tired. “Of course… there are a great many things that you’ll miss out on seeing if you leave now… you’re more than welcome to visit again, but it’s always a shame to cut a visit short.” |
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strider
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Post by strider on Apr 27, 2021 21:43:46 GMT -5
“That’s not good,” Nico said, his voice dry. He tipped forward, seeming for a moment like he was going to collapse before he managed to catch himself on the side of the hallway. Ah… stone… so he wasn’t where he was, and he wasn’t in the living room. Which meant that the House had chosen a very bad time for a room. He cursed under his breath, looking up to see who was with him. Ah… he recognized Touka. He’d been in rooms with her before, but they’d never spoken. He raised a hand in greeting, then turned to take in their surroundings. He didn’t have much time to process before he felt the ground shake, rumbling and freeing some water droplets from the rather musty ceiling. Unpleasant, but… but not the end of the world. The possible end of the world was whatever was there with them. Nico shot a glance at Touka, pressing himself up against the wall. He wanted to be able to see what they were up against before they had to fight it. |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 27, 2021 22:09:15 GMT -5
Kelsier blinked in, leaning forward slightly as if about to fall forwards. He stopped when he realized where he was and leaned back again, putting the coin in his hand back in his pocket and shaking his head a little. He turned, facing the living room. At least he had a choice about whether he was going to go in a room, then. He preferred that to being dumped in one with no day at all, though last time, it had gone pretty well, all things considered. Not that that meant he had to like it. He waited a moment, expecting someone else to blink in. That got boring fast though, so instead he took out a dagger and began to flip it in the air, catching it effortlessly every time. |
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strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Apr 27, 2021 22:14:49 GMT -5
Nico appeared; expression dark as he looked at someone who wasn’t there anymore. “-not giving people a second thought… that can be dangerous.” He blinked, annoyance flickering across his face as he realized where he was. Fortunately, it gave him a break from the conversation he’d gotten himself stuck in. Unfortunately… he was tired. And there were things he needed to take care of before he could get going. The House was a distraction. Although, he considered, catching sight of who else was there, it wasn’t really that bad of a distraction. He found he was grateful not to be alone, and even more grateful that it was Kelsier there instead of a stranger. He was absolutely not in the right mind to make a good first impression. “Impressive,” he commented drily, referring to Kelsier’s little trick with the daggers. |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 27, 2021 22:23:56 GMT -5
Kelsier looked up as the voice met his ears, searching Nico’s dark expression quickly as he caught the dagger once again. Something serious was happening, he could tell, and his smile reflected that knowledge, even if it was still very much there. He dipped his head as he was acknowledged, tossing the dagger one more time and catching it effortlessly before he finally lowered it Not for the first time, he wished he could be in Nico’s world. Not that he would ever just abandon his own, but...he’d visit, if he could. Maybe someday he would learn how. Why should the House be the only one to control where they went? “I thought so,” he agreed lightly, turning to face Nico the rest of the way. “Sounds like an interesting conversation you were having.” He almost asked if everything was alright, but...he wouldn’t do that to him. Not when he knew what the answer would be. |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 27, 2021 22:26:13 GMT -5
L didn’t look up again as Matt continued, though he did shake his head a little. For someone who was definitely not new, Matt seemed to have very little understanding for how the House worked. He looked up as he mentioned the door, and shook his head. “That’s not going to - “ he began patiently, then broke off as Matt went flying backwards, his eyes widening. He moved away from the body, approaching the other blinker quickly, his eyes searching. “Are you alright?” He asked, stopping in front of him. He looked okay...if he’d broken anything, he’d probably have screamed. “Are you sure you’re not new?” He added, tone curious. It was just...he was acting a bit new, like he didn’t understand how rooms worked. |
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Post by strider on Apr 27, 2021 22:41:04 GMT -5
“Oh…” Nico replied softly, looking over at Kelsier. He awkwardly rubbed at his arm, unsure whether or not to talk about the conversation he’d been having. “Yeah, I’m… bad at taking compliments.” Kelsier already knew that, though. “Especially when they’re compliments about things that are just sort of… common decency.” Nico had learned at some point that his definition of common decency was different from other people’s, and he tried not to let that bother him too much, but it was still odd, to him, that some people thought he deserved thanks for just doing the right thing. “Anyway,” he mumbled, clearing his throat and shaking off the conversation. Which was easier said than done, considering he’d have to return to it as soon as he blinked back, “Would you like to do a room or something? I could do with a distraction.” |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 27, 2021 22:51:26 GMT -5
Kelsier nodded. He’d had experience with how Nico took compliments before, he knew he wasn’t great at accepting them, but he didn’t say that now. Mostly because he could tell Nico already felt a little awkward about the conversation, and he didn’t need Kelsier making it more awkward. For him...he felt that common decency deserved thanks because it was hard to do in his world, but he also understood why it shouldn’t. Thanks implied you’d done more, almost, while common decency should have been the norm. He nodded, putting the dagger away as Nico spoke. “I could use a room, too,” he decided, heading for the hall and glancing back at Nico for a moment as he reached it. “Nice of the House to give us the option not to, though.” There might possibly have been the tiniest edge of sarcasm to that comment. Possibly. |
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strider
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Post by strider on Apr 27, 2021 23:00:34 GMT -5
Nico was more than a little bit grateful that Kelsier hadn’t mentioned his experience with Nico’s inability to accept compliments. Their last room together had been proof enough that he was bad at it, and it seemed oddly gracious of Kelsier not to bring it up. Perhaps because talking about it would just make things awkward. They had just gotten past their awkward stage – Nico didn’t want to bring about a new one. A small smirk appeared on Nico’s face as Kelsier came close to insulting the House. Or… no, perhaps it wasn’t that he came close to insulting the House, it was an insult. Just a subtle one. Which was interesting – subtlety wasn’t usually Nico’s style. “Maybe it knew we’d choose to do a room anyway,” Nico shrugged, looking over. “I mean… we’ve had a lot of blinks together, and we’ve only stayed in the living room once. The rest of the time we either chose to do a room or were thrown into one.” He looked ahead, eyes catching on a door a few feet ahead to the left. “This one, maybe?” |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 27, 2021 23:14:36 GMT -5
“Are you saying I’m predictable?” Kelsier asked, raising an eyebrow at him as they entered the hall, a small smile on his face. Subtlety was something he excelled at, most of the time, being a thief and a liar at heart. Although maybe the liar part wasn’t exactly fair. He didn’t lie just for fun, he lied to serve a purpose, and he only lied to people who didn’t have his respect. Which happened to be a lot of people, in his own world, at least. What nobleman didn’t deserve to be lied to? And he was very good at it when he tried. He didn’t even need Allomancy most of the time, though a little Soothing never hurt. He nodded at the door, heading over without hesitation. That one would work. He opened it, then looked back at Nico, waiting for him to join him. That done...he turned and stepped inside. And was immediately greeted by the sight of two beds, sitting in the middle of a dimly lit bedroom of sorts. It was a peaceful sight, which made him distrust it right away. He turned to look at Nico, and opened his mouth to say something, but a yawn caught him before he could speak. |
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Post by strider on Apr 27, 2021 23:22:24 GMT -5
“I think you don’t seem like the kind of person who likes sitting around,” Nico replied with a small shrug. “Given the choice between the living room and a room, I think you’d probably pick a room most of the time, unless something exciting was happening in the living room.” He didn’t say that the same was true for him, though he suspected he had spent a lot more time in the living room than Kelsier had. There were countless blinks when he’d just been too exhausted to get up and go into a room. He had a feeling he’d be relegated back to the living room as soon as he started shadow traveling with the Athena Parthenos, but he didn’t need to think about that yet. The room was… odd. Nico’s eyes narrowed a little bit as he entered, barely stifling his own yawn. No… this felt like a very, very bad idea. Nico had needed to get used to sleeping in front of other people in his own world because it was the only way to recover from shadow travel, but this was different. This was being put in a vulnerable position because the House said he should be. “I don’t like this,” he mumbled, feeling exhaustion settle over him. He fought it as best he could, but he was sleep deprived enough as it was. He wouldn’t be able to hold out for very long. |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 27, 2021 23:40:49 GMT -5
Nico was right. Kelsier wouldn’t sit around the living room for long, even if no one else blinked in with him. Maybe especially then. He was petty, but he didn’t think that refusing to do any rooms would actually get him anywhere, and truthfully, he would rather take his chances than sit around doing nothing anyday. He wasn’t thinking of that now, though. Now, he was thinking about all the reasons he was most certainly not going or go to sleep right now. He fought the exhaustion settling over him with all he had, flaring tin to shock his senses awake again. “Me neither,” he agreed quietly, looking down at Nico as he spoke. Ah...he wasn’t going to be able to fend it off for long, was he? It wasn’t like Kel slept much, but he wouldn’t call himself sleep deprived, and he had been eating regularly. Nico was...not in as good shape. It felt like he’d just come out of a pewter drag. Not good...he couldn’t help sleeping after those. And he was not sleeping, not when it would leave Nico at the House’ mercy. He braced himself against the wall, forcing his eyes open. “I’m not sleeping, House…” he growled, glaring at the wall. “It’s not happening.” |
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strider
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Post by strider on Apr 28, 2021 0:15:04 GMT -5
Nico stumbled, reaching out to Kelsier to catch himself as his vision swam. He hated feeling tired. He hated not being at his best, not being able to defend himself. That was another reason that what he had agreed to do was incredibly stupid. If he went through with it, then he was going to be in a state of exhaustion most of the time. He would have to rely on others to defend him. Knowing the House, it would insist on blinking him in like that and throwing him in dangerous rooms where he would be in no state to defend himself. He pushed the thought away, instead focusing on the present. Focusing on staying awake and staying upright and… and the bed looked really nice. He didn’t know if he’d be able to get that far, though, and he didn’t know for sure that he wanted to. Sleeping meant giving in. Nico’s eyes drooped closed, and he forced them back open with everything he had. He couldn’t sleep. He could feel his thoughts scattering, drifting in different directions like the shattered pieces of a vase that had been thrown at the ground. They weren’t particularly coherent, either. The House’s power got Nico before it got Kelsier. He half-sat half-fell to the ground, eyes fluttering shut as sleep overtook him. |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 28, 2021 0:29:38 GMT -5
Kelsier moved to catch Nico as he stumbled, instinctively trying to break his fall, if he did end up falling. Which seemed like a possibility at this point. He fought the effects as hard as he could, though it was more for Nico than for himself. He wasn’t going to leave him undefended against the House, he just wasn’t...he stumbled a little, his body refusing to suppose his wrist anymore, and he fought to right himself again, his fists clenched with the effort it took to stay awake. He might have lasted longer if he’d had pain to work with. He could have flared tin and used the shock to wake him up, but no...no, all he had was stubbornness. He’d done more with less. When Nico fell, he caught him, lowering him gently to the floor as he did. Which had the added effect of getting him on the floor, but that was fine...he wasn’t going to sleep, he wasn’t going to sleep, he wasn’t going to sleep… The last thing on his mind before he drifted off was a curse. - Kelsier opened his eyes. He was standing still, daggers in hand, his breath coming in sharp and irregular - he was hurt, he realized, but he ignored it, because standing in front of him was Hades, and to the side, was Nico. He didn’t wonder how he’d gotten there. He focused instead on the person in front of him, who he had never seen before, but recognized immediately as Hades. He moved forward a little, eyes narrowing. He needed to hurt Hades...he needed to stop him. He tried to step between the nobleman and Nico. He would not allow him to be hurt. |
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strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Apr 28, 2021 1:11:44 GMT -5
Nico blinked, eyes widening as he realized he was… somewhere. Somewhere unfamiliar, and grey, and… and there was ash falling from the sky. Scadrial. His brow furrowed as he looked around. It was somehow even more drab than he had imagined, and he wasn’t sure how he had gotten there – only that, when he lifted his hand, it was transparent. So he wasn’t real here, not like the others. Not like Kelsier, not like… was that Hades? And a version of himself? Why had the House put them to sleep if it was just going to show them a version of a world where they got to live in the same place? He turned to ask Kelsier if he had any thoughts, but he realized soon after that there was no ghostly Kelsier there watching. So what was this, then? - Nico gasped quietly, eyes widening as Kelsier stepped between him and Hades. No… no, he had come here specifically so Kelsier wouldn’t die! He managed to get to his feet, trying to flare pewter to keep himself on his feet. So much for all of that time spent learning to burn, it was flaring that was going to keep him alive now. At least as long as he had pewter left to burn. He was almost out. “I’m sorry,” he gasped, quietly enough that he doubted Kelsier would hear him. He hadn’t meant to. He hadn’t meant it to come to this. He had just wanted to save the lives of the people he had come to see as family. Hades crossed his arms, laughing under his breath. “You must be the Survivor of Hathsin,” he said, voice sharp and unkind. “Kind of you to save me the trip.” |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 28, 2021 1:22:22 GMT -5
Kelsier narrowed his eyes, staring Hades down, his gaze burning with a sudden fury. He didn’t hear Nico, though he was vaguely aware that he had stood up...good. That was good. He didn’t flinch at Hades’ tone, didn’t back down or move away. Nico needed him. That was all he needed to know. “Lord Hades,” he said, his voice quiet but as deadly as any glass dagger he could carry. “You’re less impressive than I thought you’d be. And my standards are really very low at this point.” He didn’t turn. He didn’t know the other Nico was there at all, he wasn’t thinking of the House or the room or having fallen asleep...all he was thinking was that he wouldn’t let Hades through. It was him the nobleman wanted, anyway...not the kid. He didn’t care about the kid. He never had. His mistcloak was the only thing that moved. The rest of him stood waiting, waiting, waiting. |
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strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Apr 28, 2021 1:31:49 GMT -5
Nico blinked, eyes widening as the golden aura he had come to associate with Kelsier flared up around the other version of him. Ah. So he was Mistborn, too. And he was dying. Did Kelsier know that? He moved forwards a few steps, trying to get close enough to see what was happening. It was odd, being here. It felt like he was intruding somewhere he didn’t belong. - “I’m disappointed,” Hades purred, gaze flickering towards Nico. “He promised me he’d kill you, and yet… here you are, very much alive. My son’s a very good liar, it seems.” He tossed a coin up in the air, watching it spin for a bit before he caught it and glanced down before tossing it up once more. He was wasting time and he knew it. The longer he waited, the weaker Nico grew. The less chance that Kelsier would be able to find help for him. Hades didn’t particularly care either way, but he figured knocking out both his son and the Survivor in one night would be a good enough use of time. |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 28, 2021 1:41:47 GMT -5
Kelsier narrowed his eyes, the words like a physical blow to him, even if they did come from an enemy. He didn’t look at Nico. He didn’t move away as Hades spoke. He didn’t know quite how badly injured the kid was...maybe he would have chosen a different strategy if he had. Maybe he would have done something differently. But he didn’t know, and his options were limited anyway. He knew he could keep tossing insults back and forth as long as Hades could. But he’d felt this angry before, and it usually ended with someone else’s blood on his hands. He didn’t see any reason why tonight should end any differently. He Pulled on the coin Hades was tossing, slipping his hand in his pockets and spinning at the same time, flaring steel and spraying the rest of them at the nobleman as hard as he could, following them with his body as he dropped yet another coin and Pushed himself at Hades, daggers out and slashing forwards. |
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strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Apr 28, 2021 1:52:27 GMT -5
“There we are,” Hades smirked, Pushing the coins away from himself smoothly. Kelsier was strong, but so was he. And he had the benefit of knowing that the blood running through his veins was undiluted unlike Kelsier’s. No power lost to skaa blood. He stepped back, bracing himself as Kelsier leapt towards him. He drew his own weapon, an obsidian sword that glinted in the dim light. There wasn’t much to see by, unless you were a Tineye or Mistborn. That meant fewer eyes to watch, which Hades was perfectly okay with. He spun, slashing the blade at Kelsier’s leg as his gaze drifted towards Nico. Nico could feel his pewter running out, so he switched from a flare to a normal burn. He felt the relief flood through him the way it always did when he managed to burn. Even this far down the line… it was still a victory. But just as the burning started, the pain came back to him and he found himself on the ground again, unsure how he got there. His gaze lifted up towards the fight, and he couldn’t help the shudder that ran through him. As far as he was aware, nobody could beat Hades, even Kelsier. And he didn’t want to watch Kelsier die. |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 28, 2021 2:04:32 GMT -5
Kelsier moved fast, his daggers slicing through the air first at Hades’ face, then stabbing at his back as he spun, trying to get behind him. He Pulled the coins to make Hades deal with them once again, trying to distract him as he dodged and stabbed at his side. He burned tin at the same time, trying to see better as he moved without stopping, his eyes flicking to Nico again for a moment as he realized he was on the ground. No…no. He was going to be fine. Hades was going to die, and then… And then they’d get to go home. Together. He was good at this. This...this was what he did, even if it wasn’t often against other Mistborn. More often, it was Hazekillers or simple soldiers he fought, where numbers were the only real challenge. This was different, this was a Mistborn who had been training longer than he had, most likely. Still, he knew he could win this. It might not have been as frequent, but he’d been pitted against enemy Mistborn before, even when he’d still been in training with Gemmel. |
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strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Apr 28, 2021 2:13:14 GMT -5
Hades hissed in pain as some of the coins made contact. He had been too busy trying to evade Kelsier’s daggers to pay much attention to the coins, which could be a grave mistake. His eyes narrowed and he lunged forward, aiming right for Kelsier’s heart as he Pushed against the coins himself, trying to send them towards Kelsier. If a few went towards Nico, too? That was just how it worked, wasn’t it? If he Pushed on coins, they just went away from him, he didn’t control exactly where they went. He pressed forward, a smirk pulling at the corners of his lips. “You’re not as good as they say, Survivor. My son is a pitiful fighter, yet he survived… what was it, three fights with you? No wonder you’re so easy to beat.” Nico looked up, trying to follow the fight as best he could, even with the pain in his chest and the shallowness of his breaths. It was like he couldn’t fill his lungs, no matter what he did. He saw the way Kelsier faltered for just a moment as he looked at him, and he made a choice. Before he had time to question it, Nico reached forward mentally, Soothing away Kelsier’s worries as gently as he could. He had learned Soothing from the best… with any luck, it wouldn’t be noticed. |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 28, 2021 2:26:47 GMT -5
Kelsier smiled a little, satisfaction burning in him as some of the coins connected. Anything that hurt Hades was a victory for him, and Nico. He could win this, he promised himself internally. He could win this. Why else would he have come all this way? He didn’t lose, he just didn’t. He Pushed and Pulled the coins as they flew at him, expertly clearing a path for himself and creating a sort of circle around himself as he did, almost a shield. He smiled at the attack, moving forward as the coins continued to circle him, trying to force Hades away from Nico. He didn’t notice the touch on his emotions. He might have, under different circumstances, but he didn’t now, he just knew his worries slipped a little lower and he could think about the fight itself more, concentrate a little better. He dodged the attack at his heart, refusing to hiss as the sword cut his arm instead, leaving an open wound. Not good… “I’m sorry, who?” He returned, throwing himself forward again, then trying to flip over Hades’ head and stab him in the back at the last second. “You must be mistaken. You see, my son is an excellent fighter. I would know. I taught him everything you failed to.” |
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strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Apr 28, 2021 2:36:16 GMT -5
“ Your son?” Hades laughed, his voice hard as he turned, blocking Kelsier’s dagger with his sword and trying to twist it out of his hands. The easiest way to go about this was to disarm Kelsier. The issue was that he was smart enough to attack with glass. “You mean the boy who is very clearly still loyal to me? The boy who tried to kill you this afternoon? You think he’s your son?” He didn’t try to hide the smug tone to his voice, nor the fact that he was gloating. As far as he was concerned, he won. Even if, by some miracle, Nico survived… he’d never have a home with Kelsier’s precious crew. Hades sent a glance towards Nico, pleased to see that he was still on the ground. Good. As long as he didn’t do something foolish like try to join the fight, Hades had everything covered. He knew Nico hadn’t told Kelsier the truth… he could use that. Make Kelsier question why Nico had betrayed them. Yes, he still had a chance of winning. - A sick feeling rose in Nico’s stomach as he watched the scene unfold. The version of him in the dream – the Mistborn boy who somehow bore the same scars that Nico did – was dying. He couldn’t tell from what, though, and any attempt to summon up shadows to try to help failed. He was powerless, here. And he didn’t understand why the House thought his was important enough to show him. |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 28, 2021 2:49:38 GMT -5
Kelsier was forced backward by the sword, though he managed to hold onto his dagger. It was true...the words were true, though they hurt worse than blades or coins ever could. He didn’t know what had made Nico attack. He didn’t know what had possessed him to fight after so long, he just knew that he couldn’t allow this to happen. Hades was dangerous, and traitor or not, Kelsier still loved Nico as a son. There was no undoing that. He stabbed forward, trying to catch Hades off guard with a quick slices down at the same time. His arm was hurt, but he could still use it. He didn’t answer. What was there to say? Questions and doubts burned in his stomach, but he ignored them as best he could. |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 28, 2021 3:21:03 GMT -5
He didn’t know. He didn’t know why Nico had done what he’d done, why he’d betrayed him, tried to kill him...he couldn’t understand why. But he couldn’t let himself think of this now. Hades knew where to make it hurt, he knew how to poke at a wound in just the right way, and Kelsier wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing him break. “Oh, give me a challenge,” he growled after a moment, turning his back to Keep di Angelo for a moment as he faced Hades, arm bleeding but not heavily enough to be dangerous just yet. “Tell me this isn’t the best you can do. Are none of the stories about you true?” |
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strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Apr 28, 2021 3:30:33 GMT -5
“I’ll let you in on a little secret, Survivor,” Hades hissed, eyes sparkling. His tone was almost exactly the tone Nico had taken for the first several weeks of training, the same cadence of ‘ Survivor,’ the same note of scorn. He pressed closer, making sure Kelsier kept his back to the Keep. “My son betrayed you because I asked him to.” He lifted the sword, letting it gleam in the faint light. “He’s just like everyone else. All you have to do is find the right leverage… threaten… the right people…” the cold smile on his features widened just a little bit. “It’s almost a shame you’re both going to die tonight. Without you, whoever is going to look after you crew?” And then he Pulled, sharp points breaking off the façade of the Keep, all of them aimed right at Kelsier. “Dad!” both Nicos screamed at once, though only one of them could be heard. He pulled himself forward as much as he could, not caring that he couldn’t breathe. He needed to stop this, needed… he squeezed his eyes shut, flaring Zinc as he wrapped an imaginary hand around what little doubt Hades had brewing in the pit of his stomach. |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 28, 2021 3:51:22 GMT -5
Kelsler could hear the way they were related. He could hear the way they knew each other in the way they spoke the way their voices sounded, the way they both said Survivor... But that wasn’t all he could tell. Nico’s speech mirrored his own, too. He had stayed with them long enough now…he could hear it in his speech. He didn’t understand. And then he did. He let out a cry of rage as he realized what Hades was saying. At the exact same moment, he felt relief come to life inside him burning wild and free as the air. Nico hadn’t betrayed them. He whipped around at the last second, realizing why Hades had told him the truth - he was very close to being torn apart. He Pushed them back as hard as he could, then to the side instead as that failed, his own feet skidding against the ground as he was pushed back by his own Push. He managed to avoid being shredded, barely, though one sliced near his head and a piece he hadn’t been able to push away buried itself on his stomach. He turned, throwing more coins at Hades before he attacked again, his expression alive with new life now that he knew the truth. |
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