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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Oct 21, 2019 20:11:09 GMT -5
“I’m sure,” Romi murmured, moving her hand away. She wanted to keep it there, fix his hair and run her fingers through the short strands to make them lie flat, but she wasn’t sure how he would take it. Derek was someone who had never known the kindness he deserved, had never known what it meant to be treated well just because he was a living, breathing person. He was so unsure, so timid, and she wished she could make him realize that he didn’t need to be worried she would be upset. That driving him around, taking care of his wounds and cooking for him wasn’t a problem. She wanted to do it because it was nice, because Derek was nice.
Winter was another story. Romi knew that he was a good man deep down, but he was so broken and brittle that he built up such high walls to protect himself and what he called his system. He took all the pain and trauma, all the bad things he didn’t think the others could handle, and suffered through it all on his own. Winter was broken, and Romi didn’t think that she or anyone else could put those pieces back together, but she was still willing to be there for him anyway. He could snap at her all he wanted to. Sam, while she hadn’t met him yet, also mattered to her, because he was a part of them both.
At this point, nothing would make her abandon these boys.
“If you ever need a place to come to, I’m here,” the witch said as she lead the way out, this time taking the stairs rather than the ruined elevator. As they finally reached her car and she held the door open for him, she whispered, “I wish you didn’t have to go back home.”
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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, 2019 20:45:17 GMT -5
Derek nodded and followed her out of the dorm. It was at this time, as they by-passed the elevator, that he realized that he had relaxed, had backed away from the panic attack that had threatened to take over his body not that long ago. With a small sense of awe, he tried to think back to what had happened to have made that possible. It was rare that he could calm himself on his own. Had it been entering her room? The treatment of his wounds, which by now the pain had pretty much been taken away at this point. Or was it the soup? Having a full stomach did wonders for a person, but he was sure that it was something long before it.
The walk down to the car was not fun to say the least. Steps and his hip were not the best of friends at the moment, and about half-way down he was seriously considering taking a risk with another elevator. Common sense ruled over his actions, however, and he made it down the steps with Romi in one piece. Maybe he should have asked if she could do anything about his hip before they had made it all the way out here. Oh well. Catching her whispered comment, the boy paused in the open door of the car. "I-I don't want to go home either," he replied in the same lowered tone, voice sounding defeated. "B-but what other choice do I have?" Then he took his seat in the passenger side of her car, buckling up and nursing his still warm thermos in his hands.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Oct 21, 2019 21:23:10 GMT -5
You could stay with me. The idea was one she had pitched before and knew that he would reject, out of a rational fear of his father. Considering what she now dubbed as the ‘Carnival Nightmare’, she understood why he was so afraid. Still, it did very little to drown out her frustrations and sense of helplessness.
“You’re my friend,” Romi stated quietly as she started the car and began to drive, restlessly drumming her fingers against the steering wheel. It was odd to say when they had known each other for a week tops, but what could she say? She was far too attached to think otherwise. It was more than just liking people — she felt naturally drawn to Derek the way she did for very few things in life. “I know your dad scares you. He’s terrible. But, you know, you can always come see me. Anytime. He doesn’t scare me. I’m here for you.”
She wished the council would do something to help Derek, but when she’d written a letter requesting assistance, they’d turned her down. Derek was a demon, they’d claimed, and therefore not important enough to rescue. It was a load of bologna.
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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 22, 2019 10:01:35 GMT -5
"You've already d-done so much for me," Derek said. "I-I don't want to keep bothering you." But the offer of having a person to talk to did give him some sense of hope. He doubt how often he would actually seek her out on on his own, but the fact that she claimed to be ready to talk with him meant a lot. If only he didn't have to worry about stepping around his father and his moods.
There was a moment of silence that stretched by. Derek mulled over his next words carefully, and he wasn't even going to speak them. "B-but if I c-could ask you, um, f-for one thing," he started, not really sure if he should even be requesting this, "i-if something d-does happen to me, m-more so than the n-normal, p-please don't d-do anything. I-I don't want you to get h-hurt. J-just let it be over and d-done with." It was a little morbid to think about the possibility of his own death, but he wanted to be sure she didn't try to do anything that might bring her harm. He wasn't going to last, he knew that. Eventually, he was going to switch and never come back, he was sure. There was only so much a human body could take, and he had no idea the toil his took whenever Winter was fronting. Since they hadn't known each other long, he doubted Romi would actually try to avenge him, but he wanted her to know that he didn't want her to. If it was going to be over, than let it be over. No one else had to get hurt because of him.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Oct 22, 2019 15:14:15 GMT -5
Derek’s next words forced Romi to stop the car, parked at an empty intersection close to the edge of campus, foot pressed firmly into the brake pedal. What he was asking was rational, reasonable — for her to not risk her own life if he should happen to lose his, presumably at the hands of his father. Telling her to leave him be, to let what might happen just happen, and to accept whatever cruel fate could befall him in the future. Not a lot to ask for, but the thought of something so serious happening was morbid and blood freezing. The thought of Derek being hurt so bad that he died, that he was murdered, was one that filled her with horror. Her jaw clenched as she struggled to find an appropriate response that wasn’t an instinctive promise to protect him or to rip his father to shreds with her bare hands. “I can’t promise you that I won’t get involved,” she whispered. “Friends don’t abandon friends, not even if it means I might get hurt.”
That was what friendship meant to her, at any rate.
She started to drive again, pulling up into the spot Derek had told her was alright to drop him off at. Knowing she couldn’t protect him from his dad’s wrath made her feel sick. “I won’t sit back and do nothing, Derek. I’m sorry, but that’s just not the kind of person I want to be.”
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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 22, 2019 20:39:22 GMT -5
The suddenness of the stop made him turn his head to look at Romi. They weren't near the campus yet, so he wanted to know what was wrong to make her stop driving in the middle of the road. Her face was one of strained composure. It wasn't a look he was familiar with. After all, his father never really cared to hide his moods. Did she feel something in the air? Some warning that there was going to be another attack? He braced himself for the car to suddenly go spinning, but that didn't happen. What did happen was Romi refusing to promise to not get involved if he were to die.
He was stunned into silence at her response. After hardly knowing him for a week, this young woman was willing to leap into danger if he never made it out of his house again. Again, Derek tried to search for what reason there could possibly be to deserve such a claim from the witch. He was sure he hadn't done anything to win such loyalty from her. All he had done was have a panic attack in her dorm, bring his father after them, and been on the receiving end of her kindness. Yet she considered him her friend with so little of a reason. His vision blurred slightly as tears formed in his eyes, and he was still searching for something to say when she parked the car at the spot he had mentioned to her.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Oct 22, 2019 21:24:35 GMT -5
Romi didn’t need a reason to think of Derek as a friend, didn’t need for there to be a particular cause behind her fierce loyalty and desire to keep him safe. She couldn’t have put into words why she felt the way she did, anyway, and she didn’t think it would make much sense even if she tried. Derek was a friend. She knew this without having to think about it. He was shy and uncertain, but so gentle, a man who simply wanted to live his life without making his father angry. There was no denying that he lived in constant fear of being harmed, that his days and nights were filled with pain that he didn’t deserve. When she turned her head to look at him, she was only a little surprised to see him tearing up.
“I will never walk away from a friend who needs my help,” she vowed as she reached across the small space to wipe her thumb across his cheek, her smile small but warm. She kept her hand there, fingers lightly resting on his cheek. Respecting Winter’s wish, she decided not to tell him about his alter’s plan for revenge. That would likely make him feel worse and make him afraid. Besides, she had promised not to. “And I want to help you. You can always come to me anytime and don’t be afraid of me getting hurt. If your dad starts to get bad and scare you, come see me. If he hurts you, come see me. I won’t let him and it won’t be like the amusement park.”
Romi couldn’t stand the thought of sitting by, knowing that he was unsafe in his home. “I don’t want you to go,” she repeated, softly. “The house you live in with that monster is not a home.”
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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 23, 2019 8:30:47 GMT -5
The tears spilled down his cheeks. So this was what it was like to have a person care for you. Something in her words and gestures finally flipped a switch in Derek's brain. There was still a high chance she was lying, as Winter kept wanting to point out. There was a chance she was just baiting him, coaxing him to trust only to use him. Truth be told, Derek didn't care. Anything had to be better than the treatment they got now. If Romi was doing this for her gain, then so be it. Derek would play into her hand willingly if it meant he could listen to her calming voice and feel her gentle touch, to be told he mattered. Let Winter lecture him all he wanted. He just wanted a friend.
Shaking and just barely choking back a sob, the boy cried, "I-I don't want to go h-home," he said. Sam must have been closer to the front than he realized because the desire to be held suddenly came over him. It wasn't uncommon for the emotions of the others to bleed into whoever was fronting at the time if they were close enough. He doubted Sam would try and force his way out right now, but it feeling remained. Derek, however, did act upon it. One, they were in a car and it would be very difficult. Two, Romi might be his friend, but she was a new friend who wasn't used to Sam's ways. He didn't want to force that uncomfortable situation on her right now. "B-But I d-don't k-know w-what else to d-do. H-He'll f-find us..."
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Oct 23, 2019 9:57:59 GMT -5
In the short time they had known each other, Romi was surprised that this was the first time she had ever seen Derek cry. His situation was so awful, she would have expected him to cry more often, but she knew that he was sadly and unfairly used to the poor treatment. He didn’t know what it was like to have a happy home where he could do whatever he wanted and not feel terrified. It broke her heart to see him cry, to hear him admit that he didn’t want to leave and that he feared his father finding them. For a moment, she was a bit conflicted as to what she should do, what the right thing to do was.
Winter was going to be furious.
Awkward as it was with the space between them, Romi leaned over the center console to pull Derek into a hug. She rubbed at the space between his shoulder blades, before pulling away just far enough to look at his face. Lifted her hands to wipe away the tears sliding down his cheeks. Winter could be angry if he wanted to be, but what kind of friend would she be if she told Derek he needed to go back? What kind of terrible person would that make her? It went against every instinct and every part of herself to let Derek walk out of her car into certain danger. “You’re not going back, sugar. I’ll think of something, okay?”
Digging around her pocket for her phone, she called Aries and put him on speaker. He was annoying, but he was her only reliable source of information and assistance. “Hey, I need your help. Is your hotel room safe? Like, have you warded it?”
Aries sounded groggy, like he might have been asleep until just a second ago. “Is this about that kid? Ugh, you woke me up for this?”
Romi glanced at Derek and gave him a smile before snapping into the phone, “He’s my friend, Aries. So can he stay with you or not?”
“Yeah, yeah. My room is warded. I always put barriers up,” the man’s voice mumbled, through a loud yawn that crackled the speaker. When he was finished, he added, “Better think about what you’re doing carefully, Andy.”
“I know what I’m doing. We’ll be there soon” Romi said, whether it was true or not, and hung up the phone. She brushed her hand through Derek’s hair and started the car back up. “My brother is a lot better at all of this than I am. He’s kind of a jerk, but he knows how to protect himself and your dad can’t show up in places that are warded.”
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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 23, 2019 10:23:56 GMT -5
(Now I just have this image of Sam coming out at Aries's apartment doing one of two things: freaking out because he's a mountain of a man and he's terrified, or acting super hyper and all over the place. Either way, Aries has no idea what to do, so calls Romi like "This kid's crazy, come get him." XD)
If Derek had been able to curl up, he would have. As Romi pulled him into a hug, the sobs he had been holding back sprung forward. His head buried into her shoulder as she rubbed his. At first he stiffened. That was a spot that commonly found itself bruised and cut, so he was very iffy when it came to things touching him there. But it was soon realized that no pain was being produced, and he relaxed a little. He just wanted to fade away, to hide and stay that way until he felt better. Yet Romi had pulled away and lifted his head to wipe the tears from his eyes. Numbly, he nodded as he tried to calm down.
Seeing she had gotten out her phone, Derek, took a sip of his soup, still war thanks to the thermos. Anything to quiet the sobs so she could talk on the phone in peace. He had no idea who this Aries was that she was talking to, but, then again, he hardly knew anyone. Whoever he was, he knew about him, and seemed less excited to help him than Romi was. Throughout the exchange, he stayed silent, only daring to speak when Romi had ran a hand though his hair. "H-he didn't sound too thrilled t-to help," he muttered. "I-I don't want to b-bother him."
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Oct 23, 2019 11:09:12 GMT -5
(( Omg I can totally see that happening. Aries would definitely not know what to do during either of those scenarios. He’s literally an old man who likes his peace and quiet lmao ))
“Don’t worry about it, sugar. Aries never sounds thrilled about anything. He’s a grumpy old man stuck in a young adult body,” Romi said as she pulled out of the parking lot and steered the car back onto the main road. Rarely did she ever call her brother for help but he was always there when she needed him, even if he was super grumpy and liked to act his exact age. Which meant he liked to act old and complain about everything and go to sleep when it wasn’t even eight o’clock yet. “Everything bothers him. People walking down the street bother him. He doesn’t really mind helping you, he just likes to be dramatic and make a big deal out of everything he can.”
Either way, even if helping did annoy him, Romi knew that he would still do it because she asked him to. Also, Derek needed help and she would be as annoying as possible until she got what she wanted like a typical younger sibling. She was thankful that his hotel wasn’t that far away so that when she finally parked in the parking lot of the admittedly super fancy building, it was still rather early.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Oct 23, 2019 11:44:18 GMT -5
(( Poor Sam is going to be stuck with him ))
Romi was used to the glitz and the glamourous conditions that her brother took joy in. He claimed it was due to having lived so long that he deserved to enjoy the finer things in life, but she knew that it was really because he was annoyingly high maintenance. She stuck close to Derek as they walked in and the first person to give them a dirty look — some man in a business suit who wrinkled his nose at the sight of Derek’s worn clothing — received such a vicious glare from the witch. If anyone said anything, she would turn them into a frog. Today was not the day to be rude to her.
“I’m here to see Aries Nightingale,” she told the woman at the front desk with a tired smile, holding out her ID for the employee to check. The woman gave her an odd look, but told her the floor and room number anyway. Romi curled her hand around Derek’s wrist and stuck to his side as she lead the way. Although she didn’t want a repeat of earlier, she was not about to walk up over ten flights of stairs, and entered the elevator instead.
Five minutes of knocking later and the door to her brother’s room swung open, only for her to be greeted by the blank face of Gil instead. He had been her brother’s familiar for years, but she had never once seen the man smile. “Is Aries even awake?” She asked, leading Derek inside.
“I’m awake,” snapped the man in question from the living room area, where he was sprawled out on the couch. He waved at Romi, gave a curious glance at Derek, and proceeded to flop back over. To Derek, he said, “Nice to see you still alive.”
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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 23, 2019 12:19:46 GMT -5
(Yeah, but I also feel like, if Aries ends up being a person that stays in the plot for a long time, he'll be the one to give Sam piggy back rides when no one else is around. XD Like, to Derek and Winter, he treats the same as he treats Romi, but when Sam's around, he just spoils him. XD)
Derek was glad that Romi knew what she was doing, because he surely didn't have a clue. Inside the hotel was so much brighter and larger than he had expected it to be. Sam, who was easily distracted by the bright and shiny, moved closer to the front. Because of this, his attention was straying from the task at hand. It was kind of an after thought that he lightly grabbed the hem of Romi's sleeve to hand onto so he wouldn't fall behind or get lost. He might have slowed her down this way, but he did not want to be separated.
It didn't take long at all to find Aries's hotel room. Although, it might have taken longer had Romi not been holding his wrist the entire time. It was the only thing that had gotten him into the elevator at all. There they waited outside in the hall until, after what felt like forever of knocking, the door opened, showing a very grumpy man indeed. Derek blinked in surprise. This was not whom he imagined Romi's brother to look like. Luckily it wasn't. Awkwardly, he followed Romi inside the room, where another man, one with hair much like the woman beside him, laid, taking up the entirety of the couch. His comment confused him. "H-have we, um, meet?" he asked, glancing between Aries and Romi, not sure if he should know why he would be glad to see him still alive. There was the faintest feeling of recognition, but he figured it was just because he had some of his sister's features.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Oct 23, 2019 12:51:19 GMT -5
(( Lmao it’s so true though, he would definitely treat him like a little brother ))
Romi instantly shot her brother a stern look, daring him to speak the truth of their earlier meeting with Winter, if he wanted to have a very bad night.
Luckily, Aries simply raised a questioning eyebrow and took the not so subtle hint to stay quiet. “Have you and I met? No, we haven’t. I have, however, heard a lot about you,” he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. Considering how old he truly was, acting like he knew nothing was a simple task that took very little effort. “You’re the very troubled boy my sister somehow befriended and now you’re the troubled boy who will be sleeping in my hotel living room. Gil, find some extra blankets, please.”
Gil, as silent as ever, moved without making a sound into the bedroom to do as the older warlock asked. When he found the blankets, he sat them on the nearby coffee table, before taking a seat at the edge of the couch.
Aries propped his feet up on the man’s lap, such a comfortable gesture that it showed exactly how long they had known each other. “Your dad can’t find you here, kid. Well, even if he does find you, he’ll be stuck outside. Wards and barriers are my specialty. It’s not a permanent solution, but you can stay here until we come up with a better idea.”
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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 23, 2019 13:10:34 GMT -5
(He can protest it all he wants, but I have deemed Aries the new father figure. XD He allowed himself to be roped into helping, and this is what he gets. XD)
That made sense. If Aries was her brother, then Romi must have spoken to him about the run in with his father the other night. She might have been wanting to find ways to make sure her own dorm was protected from a possible attack. It would make sense for her to confide in her family about such matters. Derek gave a small nod to his answer, not even going to deny the parts about being troubled. Instead, he just watched the easy manner in which the large man laid, propping his feet on the other, short man whenever he had taken a seat.
"I-If he can't g-get in, then h-how am I allowed in?" Derek answered. "I'm part d-demon too." Of course, he was ignorant to how magic worked, so he wasn't sure how wards and barriers operated. There had to be half a million specifics involved for creating them, loopholes to jump through when witches and warlocks needed to use them. But it that was the case, would his father know of them too? How safe was the room?
(I feel like my replies are awful at the moment, and I'm sorry.)
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Oct 23, 2019 17:23:58 GMT -5
(( yup Aries is the big bad older brother figure now. Like he’ll scare people away for making Derek sad and lecture him about staying out late lol
Your replies are great! I hope I’m giving you enough to work with. ))
“The difference between you and your father is that I invited you inside. I control the wards, which means that I control who and what they keep out. If I wanted to lock Andy outside of my room, I could. I just chose not to. Magic has a mind of its own, but it listens to what you want. You only need to know what to tell it,” Aries elaborated with a slight wave of his hand, which turned the television on to a random action movie.
“Lazy,” Romi scolded, hands on her hips. She did turn to give Derek a smile. “But he’s right. Warding spells are funny like that.” She didn’t want to leave Derek alone here with her brother — as much as she trusted Aries, he was kind of hard to get used to — but the hotel room was not big enough for three people. It was comforting to know that he would be safe tonight, though, away from his father. That she could come see him in the morning and he wouldn’t have any new wounds. “Will you be okay here, Derek? Do you need anything? Pajamas, medicine, food?”
“Are you his babysitter?” Aries asked with a snort, which turned into a hiss of pain when Romi hit him on the back of the head. “Ow!”
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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 23, 2019 17:32:13 GMT -5
(It's official. He can't escape these hooligans. XD Also, what I was thinking, in order to trigger Sam to switch, I think he should see Gil in his cat form. That would bring out a very excited Sam. XD
And you don't have to worry about your replies. They're always good.)
Derek simply nodded to the explanation. That was as good a reason as any for how he was allowed inside with no problem. Did he fully believe his father would be prevented from entering? Not really, but he knew better than to voice his concerns. He was impressed, and a little spooked, by the sudden noise from the television.
"Um, I-I w-will need clothes," Derek muttered when Romi turned the conversation to stuff he might need. "B-but I don't want you to go out of your way for them. I c-can sleep in these. I've done it before, so i-it won't be a b-big deal. A-as for food, I still have soup." To prove his point, he lifted the half empty thermos still in his hand. "I-I should be fine."
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Oct 23, 2019 17:50:17 GMT -5
(( omg that would be so cute. Sam getting all excited over seeing a cat. And Gil would just be hiding under the couch or somewhere Sam couldn’t reach him
Aww, thank you! ))
Romi ruffles Derek’s hair. After the brief moment of weakness and fear they shared in her car, she was much more comfortable being physically affectionate. Now she knew for a fact that Derek didn’t mind it, that he enjoyed being treated gently, and she was more than happy to offer him that bit of softness he needed. “I’ll get you some clean clothes to wear, sugar,” she said and when he lifted the thermos, she made a face somewhere between worried and sad. “Aries will order room service for you. Won’t you, Ari?”
Her tone made it clear that she expected a serious yes.
Pretty much asleep and dead to the world, Aries gave a noncommittal shrug. “Yeah, I’ll make sure he eats,” he agreed.
“Good. Gil, can he borrow some of your clothes until I can get him new ones?” Romi asked the familiar, who nodded once to show that he didn’t mind. The man was always quiet, always had been, but he wasn’t unkind. Disappearing for a moment into the bedroom, she returned with a bundle of clothes to hand Derek. “Here. The bathroom is on the left side of the bedroom. If you need more medicine for your burn, have Aries text me. Actually, if you need anything, tell him to give me a call. Okay?”
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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 23, 2019 18:06:07 GMT -5
(Aries wakes up to squealing, and rushes into the living room to find Gil cowering on a shelf while this weird teenager is bouncing off the walls trying to get the kitty to come down to play. XD)
Derek was left standing awkwardly in the middle of the room while Romi went about looking for clothes. He felt like an intruder, despite more or less being welcomed by the older warlock. The moments he was left alone in the living area with the two other men was filled with silence. In fact, he hardly even glanced their way, too nervous to make any kind of eye contact with them. Well, really eye contact with Gil seeing as though Aries was pretty much asleep.
Upon her return, he took the clothes she offered him, making a mental note to not use the unless he had to. He was thankful that Gil was letting him borrow his clothes, but he didn't want to take the man's stuff unless it was needed. He thought it was only fair. "Y-you sound like you're l-leaving." It was meant to be just an observation, but there was no stopping the hints of worry and panic that colored his words. Sure, he knew that Romi had her own place and probably didn't want to spend her time at her brother's place. Still, he thought she might stick around for a little longer.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Oct 23, 2019 18:21:24 GMT -5
(( Lmao he’ll be standing there just thinking about how he’s never had this happen in all of his 200 years of being alive ))
You sound like you’re leaving.
The words made Romi want to flinch. Not out of annoyance, but rather out of guilt. She felt bad that Derek knew exactly what she was doing without her having to say it out loud, that she could detect a note of panic in his voice. Every instinct told her to stay by his side all night, but this was her brother’s space, and there were things she needed to take care of in her own dorm. “I’m just leaving for the night,” she explained reluctantly, trying to smile and make him feel better. “Tomorrow, Aries can come to my dorm and fix all the wards, and then you can stay with me on campus. Until then, it’s safer for you to stay here with him. He’ll make sure you’re okay.”
Gil turned his cold gaze to Derek, unblinking. Very quietly, he said, “I will watch over you.” It was less of a reassurance and more of a promise, which made Romi feel a little better about leaving. He was a very serious, trustworthy partner, and he was the type of person to never lie just to make someone feel better.
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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 23, 2019 18:50:31 GMT -5
(He's next thought will be "Well now I've seen everything." XD Then poor Gil. XD Being terrorized.)
Derek hated to sound like a child, needing Romi there with him, but he didn't know her brother or Gil. He didn't know what they were like. Not to mention, he just had a general distrust for men with good reason. If the wards worked and he wouldn't be dragged home, this would be his first night spent away from his own room. Now, for a twenty year old, that shouldn't sound like such a big deal. He should be excited to stay somewhere else for a change. But this was just too much change for him in one day. If he was going to stay away from home, then he would have felt much better knowing that Romi was there too.
His eyes finally lifted to meet Aries. They were cold and unreadable, much like Winter's whenever he was in a bad mood. Only Derek had never seen the look outside his own mind. Winter's eyes were green, but that was a topic to explore for another day. Strangely, it was that familiar look that made it a little easier to believe that he meant what he said. Slowly, he nodded, knowing that it would have been selfish to ask Romi to stay. "R-right. Y-you must h-have a lot of o-other stuff to d-do. I've kept you b-busy nearly all day. S-sorry," he muttered.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Oct 23, 2019 19:31:08 GMT -5
(( Aries: “this is the most bizarre thing I’ve ever seen and I once met a talking tree” Gil: “why does this grown man want to cuddle me, please do not” ))
Well, if that wasn’t a kick straight to the heart, she didn’t know what was. The amount of guilt she felt from that one sentence was more than she had ever felt in her entire life, including that one time she destroyed her father’s ancient sculpture from historical China given to him by an old friend. An indescribable amount of guilt. So much that she felt like apologizing, multiple times, and then baking Derek a large, icing and sugar covered “please forgive me for being a bad friend” cake.
“Hey now, you didn’t keep me busy all day. I chose to spend my day with you and I wouldn’t change that,” Romi said with a frown and, not wanting him to think that he had bothered her, she pulled him into a hug. Arms around his torso, patting him on the back with her chin on his shoulder. “I’ll be back early tomorrow morning and then we’ll fix everything up so that you can come stay with me. I’ll keep my phone on tonight.”
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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 23, 2019 19:44:33 GMT -5
("Romi, are you sure this kid isn't possessed? He's making all these ungodly noises and chasing Gil.")
Caught off guard, Derek stood there in the hug unsure what to do. So far, Romi had been the only one to really give any physical touches that he was aware of. So being put in a position where he could now return the gesture if he wanted to threw him for a loop. It was a hug, which meant she fully expected him to return it, right? Or did she not want him to? Anything had to be better than just letting his arms dangle uselessly at his side. Making the decision, she awkwardly reached up and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Almost immediately he felt like he was going to start crying again. To hold someone close, an actual person and not just one of Sam's stuffed animals, brought a whole new sense of comfort. He felt grounded, steadied. His arms tightened a little about her as his body started to shake a little. He wouldn't cry, that much he was determined to accomplish. He wouldn't break down and beg her to stay. He didn't say anything actually, too afraid that if he tried, his voice would betray him.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Oct 23, 2019 20:02:44 GMT -5
(( “only a demon could make those horrible sounds” and “please refrain from chasing my familiar, he’s not a fluffy cat friend” ))
The sun wasn’t nearly as bright as the witch’s smile when she felt Derek’s arms come up to return her embrace. If Romi let the hug last a little longer than it needed to, that was no one’s business but her own. She pointedly ignored the eyes she could feel burning into the back of her skull — Aries, with one eye cracked open to watch the two like a hawk and typical older brother — and continued the hug for a full extra minute just to prove that she didn’t care what her brother thought. He had no room to jump to conclusions and she was a grown woman who could hug whoever she wanted to, platonically or romantically. In this case, Derek was a sweetheart who deserved to know what it was like to be treated with gentleness. To be hugged and not hit.
“I’ll be back before you know it, sugar,” Romi promised as she finally pulled away, despite how her heart clenched and urged her not to. “Call me if there’s trouble, Aries.”
“Sure,” Aries said, watching Derek’s expression as Romi finally left. Something in his gaze was knowing, perhaps even amused.
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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 23, 2019 20:17:54 GMT -5
(XD Eventually, Gil just gives up and lets Sam tote him around. "If you can't beat him, join him." XD)
The moment he felt her pull away, Derek dropped his arms. He didn't want to prolong the contact if she had had enough of it. Nodding, he built up the nerves to mutter and "Okay," before she was leaving the room. Alone and feeling very much like a mouse under the ever watchful gaze of a cat, he turned to face the man taking him in for the night. The boy tried to keep eye contact with him, but he could only manage it for a few seconds before his eyes dropped to the floor. His hands gripped the thermos a little tighter. "T-thank you f-for doing this," he said. "I-I promise we won't b-bother you, s-sir. We'll be as q-quiet and... and out of the way as p-possible."
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Oct 23, 2019 22:00:14 GMT -5
(( pretty much, he would totally give in after a while and just accept his fate ))
Aries didn’t so much as mind Derek’s presence as he dislikes the way the man constantly refused to make eye contact and continued to tiptoe around him, as though he feared being reprimanded at any given moment. He couldn’t be too annoyed by the behavior, given the circumstances of the man’s life up until his sister’s nosey intervention, but he wanted to be irritated. Over a hundred years of life experience and he had come to realize one simple fact about himself: he liked his space and he liked his own personal routine. While having another person share his temporary abode was nothing new, this bizarre young man was nothing like Gilbert. Decades had passed with Gil at his side, his timeless and loyal companion. His friend, his advisor, his everything.
Derek was more like a newborn puppy. Adorable but a lot of responsibility.
Early in the morning, he was woken not by the sound of his alarm or Gil’s elbow in his side, but by the sound of furious hissing. A feline in clear distress. Groggy and dressed in baggy sweatpants, he left the warmth of his bed to investigate what was going on in the living room. There he found Gil — transformed into a cat, as he was prone to do from time to time when he wanted to be left alone — atop the television stand, hackles raised and fur on end.
“What’s going on here?”
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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 24, 2019 12:06:32 GMT -5
(Good choice. It'll be much easier for him. XD)
The rest of the evening was uneventful for the most part. Derek stuck to the parts of the apartment Aries didn't seem to be using, not wanting to interrupt the man's plans or get under his feet. He watched without being rude or nosy as both Aries and Gil went about their own things. He didn't say much unless spoken to, and he did try to offer to do things in return of the generosity shown to him. He could clean dishes or straighten up the place if he need to. Do something to earn his keep there. Everything he said or did was done with the most care. To say he wasn't afraid of the man would be a lie. He couldn't help it. He was just as large as his father, and that alone let him know that he could possibly be capable of doing just as much damage. Possibly more since he had magic to rely on. So Derek was sure to be as polite as possible whenever he did speak to Romi's older brother.
When night rolled around, the boy prepared for the worst. His mind imagined half a million things happening to announce his father's anger. The doors flying in, the walls shaking and crumbling, lights exploding like what happened in the elevator. He could see the glowing eyes of the monster he briefly encountered glaring at him as he broke through what wards had been put into place. Sleep didn't find him easily. Tucked underneath the spare blankets on the sofa, Aries and Gil long since retired for the evening and no where to be seen, Derek sat huddled, jumping at every sound. It was strange enough staying at a new place he had never been before, but having the fear of being found piled on top of that made it even worse. However, if his father had hunted him down, the man had made no attempt to break into the room. For hours, the night was silent save for the faint noises of the outside world. Eventually, he couldn't force himself to stay awake any longer. He had been low on energy all day, and while the meal Romi had made for him helped revive him a bit, it wasn't enough to keep him going all night long. So, somewhere passed midnight, the boy drifted off into an uneasy sleep.
When morning rolled around, Derek was still fronting. He blinked open his eyes and looked about the dim surroundings. It was early morning, about the time he normally woke to get ready for school. Despite having slept, he felt little change in his levels of energy. He felt the same as when he had fallen asleep in the first place. It was difficult to catch up on sleep with DID, more so when his body was also constantly fighting to heal itself. His mind sluggishly took in the scene of the unfamiliar living area, and his mind pieced together the events of yesterday. Having not switched yet made the task easier since he already knew everything that was important to know. At least as far as keeping him away from a panic attack was concerned. While he processed his memories for information, his gaze found something he hadn't noticed was here the evening before: a cat. The boy barely had time to question the sight before Sam surged forward. It had to have been one of the fastest switches he ever endured. A good ten seconds was all it took for Sam to notice and want to investigate. It might have been because Derek had been caught off guard that the kid was able to sneak by without him noticing he was near.
"Kitty!" Sam cried out in excitement, sitting up. Like with Winter and Derek, his voice was high pitched and childish, his words pronounced with the grace of any six year old. Ever the lover of anything cute and fluffy, he did his best to jump off the sofa and hurry to where the cat was. Excitement helped him forget all the aches and pains of his body. His limp didn't make him very fast, so the cat managed to get on top of the TV stand before he could reach him. "No, no, kitty! Not up there. You'll fall!" he tried to tell him. He reached up to the cat, ignoring the hissing being thrown at him. "Don't be scared. I'll help you!" Yet despite having a bigger body, he wasn't tall enough to reach the cat's hiding spot. That didn't mean he didn't try.
He kept his efforts up for a minute or two, trying to tell the kitty that he wasn't going to let him fall, until he heard a voice behind him. Jumping, he stopped and turned to see a very large, sleepy man staring at him. While he didn't know the man, he also knew that neither Derek or Winter would have left their body somewhere harmful. The man was huge, but if the others thought it would be a good idea to sleep here, then they must have deemed it safe. They were the adults, after all. He didn't have to worry about stuff like that. "There's a kitty," he said, pointing to where it was hiding. There was a caution in his voice, but the excitement of seeing the kitty was still all he could think about. "He's stuck, and I wanted to save him."
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Oct 24, 2019 19:56:46 GMT -5
(( sorry for the short post! ))
A loud, vicious hiss left Gil’s throat, his fur on end and his bushy tail lashing from side to side. This was the first time in quite a while he was able to see the shapeshifter so aggravated. Typically, he was difficult to upset or make angry. Running a hand through his sleep-messy hair, Aries let out a heavy sigh and eyed Derek with a single eyebrow raised. “Yes, there is a cat, but he’s not stuck. He’s up there because he doesn’t want to be messed with and he can jump down anytime he wants to,” he said with no hesitation or room for sugar coating the truth. “You’re making him uncomfortable.”
What was up with this kid? One minute he was cold and ready to kill his own father, then he was timid and jumpy, and now he was hyper and of...childish? It was bizarre, to say the least, and he couldn’t recall if he had ever encountered a situation so unusual.
“Is there a particular reason you’re chasing my familiar all about the hotel like a madman?” Aries questioned, crouching down as Gil sprang quickly from the top of the television stand. He scooped the cat up into his arms, lifted him so that the feline could perch on top of his shoulders gracefully. “He doesn’t really enjoy the unnecessary attention. Also, he’s not a regular cat, and you would do well to remember that you can’t just go around holding him as you please.”
Didn’t this guy have any manners at all?
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