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Post by ฦคฮฑฦฦฮฑั โง on Nov 21, 2020 6:24:25 GMT -5
   The whole plan seemed to have been working fine until that girl with the red eyes slid down Fenrir's snout, aligning her red eyes with Laurie's own warm brown ones.
The others who had fought her had given plenty of warnings. Don't make eye contact. But he knew he didn't have much of a choice, not if he wanted Theo to get back safely. Besides, once her eyes met with his he couldn't draw them away again.
He could feel the effects of her abilities immediately. A swirling ball of dark emotions, like a whirlpool made of lead weight, stirred up within his stomach. Anger. His fear of losing the people he loved. The niggling questions he'd had in his mind about whether he was worthy of being part of the Ascendants when he was just a drunk who took nothing seriously and couldn't even be trusted to keep himself alive in a fight. Whether he was worthy of River when he had nothing to offer him.
The darkest thoughts in his head seemed to amplify and echo, drowning out the voice of Dionysus who was trying to keep him on track. But it didn't drown the god out completely, and the Frenchman was able to catch the odd word from his guide.
"If you give up now, she'll destroy you." Dionysus was saying
That was enough to spur Laurie on. He might not think he was worthy of the Ascendants or of his boyfriend, but one thing he wasn't going to do was lie down and let this girl do what she wanted.
So he didn't break his focus but instead tried to concentrate harder, the haziness and distance of the world growing even stronger, as if behind some kind of fog. The effort was just starting to hurt, actually, when the girl lost her balance and tumbled toward the ground, Fenrir failing to catch her.
Then Laurie's focus was broken anyway by Theo, who crashed into both Laurie and River before disappearing through the portal. The dark-haired boy caught his boyfriend biting back a scream, and it pained him all the more to know River was hurting so badly. He'd have to get him to have it looked at after this, force River to get it healed if he had to.
But suddenly their injuries wasn't Laurie's biggest problem anymore. As that awful ringing in his ear from using his abilities began to fade and the world seemed to return to normal, his attention was caught by a squeak. The man looked over his shoulder to the direction of the noise, freezing when he saw the source of the noise, the young girl who then started to call River and Laurie.
Echo?
Shit.
Laurie, like River, immediately stepped to protect the girl. But that only seemed to amuse the wolf, who suddenly appeared to realised who the girl was, even repeating her name, which caused Laurie to tense.
It wasn't hard for him to figure out who the 'he' was that Fenrir was referring to, either. Obviously it was that boy with the sand abilities, the one who'd threatened Echo and flirted with Laurie. Which, please, that was never going to happen even if he didn't have River. That was the same boy who'd been injured by Daniel.
"Nโose pas la toucher" he threatened; after the confusion and chaos of using his abilities, his mind still foggy and slow, it was like all the English he knew had fallen out of his head. The language was failing him as he reached in his mind for the translation. Instead all that had come out was the French.
Laurie could let a lot of things slide. Threatening Echo was not one of them.
River was throwing his arm out, telling him and Echo to stay behind him. There was no point arguing with him about this, Laurie knew; River would not allow them not to let him protect them in that moment. So Laurie just pulled Echo closer to him in his own effort to protect the girl.
River wanted them to get through the portal and while Laurie stepped closer to it, he hesitated. He didn't want to leave River on his own with those two even for a second. He couldn't bear to let him be in danger like that alone. No matter how mad Cleo was at the Champion of Ares, Laurent knew he didn't deserve this. And he knew his boyfriend; River was stubborn and would not leave until everyone else had. Until he knew the others were safe - including him.
Suddenly it didn't matter anymore because the wolf charged and River through them all through the portal, Laurie landing with his usual dignity (which was none) as he crashed ungracefully into the Pantheon. In fact, he managed to almost knock over the waiting Chiara as he tumbled backwards over a couch, catching his bad leg, and even succeeded in striking his head off the ground. It would've been kind of comical if it hadn't hurt so much.
"Merde," he groaned as he sat up, rubbing the back of his head as he tried to blink away spots of light from his vision.
He managed to use the back of the couch he'd just fallen over to get himself back to his feet, especially when he heard River crying out in pain. By the time Laurie was back on his feet, River was sitting up and looking between himself and Echo. Laurie was okay; a little shaken and his leg kind of painful but he didn't think he'd gotten a concussion from the couch escapade so as far as he was concerned, he was fine.
"Babe, are you alright?" Laurie asked concernedly, eyes moving to his boyfriend's arm; that was what he'd screamed about just then, right?
But it looked better now than before they'd gone through the portal, which was a plus.
There wasn't really much time to talk, anyway, because River was hugging Echo and then asking about Lucien. Then the champion of Ares was just a streak of red hair, rushing out of the room to head to Medbay.
When Griffin asked if he was okay, Laurie looked down at himself. It certainly looked worse than it was, he supposed. A ripped shirt, some blood on his leg. But he waved the champion of Achilles off with a wan smile.
"I'm okay," Laurie answered "it's just a few teethmarks. No need to overstretch the Medbay; I'll have it looked at later."
They didn't need him in there with people who actually needed serious and immediate medical attention. He wasn't badly hurt, not really. Just generally aching and in pain. All he needed was to clean up the wound and probably take some strong painkillers, which was something he could take care of by himself.
Instead he focused his attention on Echo, walking over to her (leaving as much weight off his injured leg as he could) and pulling the girl into a hug of his own.
"God, you really scared us, ma puce" Laurie chuckled affectionately "don't do that again."
Something still didn't feel right, though he'd never mention it. That horrible ball of feelings Styx had created in the pit of his stomach hadn't completely dissolved, leaving just a kernel of fear and doubt.
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Post by ฦคฮฑฦฦฮฑั โง on Nov 21, 2020 6:42:46 GMT -5
Dillon had been in the process of cleaning the Pantheon from top to bottom; he'd needed to expel his anxious energy while he waited for news of the outcome of the battle. He'd stayed at home once again; he didn't know what his powers were and so he figured it wasn't safe for him to join a battle yet. Not until he knew whether or not he would be useful.
It would only be a liability to have someone in the battle whose skills and abilities were a big question mark. How could they plan any kind of strategy?
No, the young British leader had stayed behind to help those who remained. He was just scrubbing down the kitchen counters (how on earth did people not know how to clean up their coffee stains?) when he heard Cleo's angry voice on the intercom.
Immediately he'd dropped everything he was doing and rushed to find the others. For some reason, though, there was someone about whom he felt particularly concerned. To whom he felt particularly drawn.
"Enzo!" he'd called out
It didn't take much searching to find him; he'd just come through a portal with Jason, who was already being tended to by Guinevere. Dillon rushed to his side without even thinking for a second.
"Oh God," the champion of Hera murmured when he saw how injured the boy was "It's okay, you're okay, bud. Let's get you to the Medbay."
He did his best to aid the boy to his feet, speaking to Lorenzo as calmly and comfortingly as he could. Which wasn't easy considering the fact that he was pretty scared too. Everyone had come out of this so badly.
"What the bloody hell happened?" he asked as they headed towards the medbay, along the way passing more and more people who seemed to be just as injured as Enzo
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Post by ฦคฮฑฦฦฮฑั โง on Nov 21, 2020 6:55:48 GMT -5
Chiara had been unable to stop Echo rushing through the portal to get Lucien and River, the champion of Heimdallr letting out a groan as she watched the girl disappear. There was no point following her, it would only make the situation worse.
Besides, River had already rushed off to Medbay before she could even check he was alright, and Laurie was refusing medical attention too. It seemed like her work there was done. Echo and Laurie weren't alone in the room, anyway, so Chiara didn't want to crowd it. She figured she'd go make herself useful at Medbay, see if there was some way she could help there. If not, she'd have to find another way to be helpful to the group, even if it was just making food for everyone. She didn't think Lorenzo would be feeling up to that and besides, the others would need to get their strength back anyway.
Medbay first, though. Mainly because she wanted to know what in the name of all that was good and holy was happening.
So she did so, noting many others filling up the Medbay as she entered; Jason, Lorenzo, Theo to name a few. Lucien was already there, it would seem.
She'd stopped on the way at one of the supply closets, grabbing handfuls of extra supplies like bandages and linens for the beds. They'd be needing all of that soon, so she figured she should preemptively grab the stuff. As soon as she entered the room, she put the extra supplies down on an empty chair so they could be accessed when they were needed.
With that done, it was Cleo that Chiara approached first. While they seemed angry right now, they were also the person Chiara most trusted to make actual sense.
"Hey, what the f*ck happened here, exactly?" Chiara asked, eyes scanning over the injured Ascendants
She wasn't trying to be rude or anything, but this really defied belief. Sure, people had gotten really hurt in the first fights, her included. But this was worse. So much worse.
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Post by ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐จ on Nov 21, 2020 11:50:33 GMT -5
Echo had immediately froze upon seeing her friends on the other side of the portal. A giant wolf was there, and two other girls. Then there was both River and Laurie, injured.
She wanted to jump in front of them, terror be damned. But they jumped before her, hugging her close and keeping her from sight. It felt of little comfort at the moment. They were both injured, but at the same time, at least she knew they were alive.
Though the girl with the white hair fell from Fenrirโs snout, she was quick to get up, shaking dust off of herself and glaring up at River and Laurie. Though a smile overtook her features as she spotted Echo, realizing perhaps there was one last hurrah to be had.
So when Styx looked at Echo, the girl was caught by surprise. It was like someone telling a child not to do something, it was a surefire way of making them curious, making them wonder what would happen. She stole a glance at those red eyes, and froze up.
Styx didnโt have to say anything, the ball of negativity was already there, and she seemed to be weaving the threads to cluster those thoughts in loops. It wasnโt anger, precisely, not at others.
Strangely self-deprecating, shredding, horrendous. Her legs almost buckled from below her in the waves of it all. If it wasnโt for Laurie suddenly blocking that, she felt like she would have went insane.
Soon after, they were back, her mind still reeling. A terrible feeling of all that was her fault building up, if it wasnโt for you, they wouldnโt have to hurt themselves over protecting thenweakest link like you.
She shook her head, they were fading now, but still echoes in her ear. They seemed to fade a bit, melting slightly when River wrapped her in a hug. The warmth was like s blanket, hiding her from the fears for just a moment. She hugged back just as strong, burrowing her head down, hiding herself from the light. River was not alright, but he was alive. It wasnโt her fault he died.
Not like it was her fault the first time, with everyone else. Thatโs why theyโll keep you here. You always freeze up, and other people pay the price.
Laurie then hugged her too, and she squeezed back ever so gently. She wondered, distantly, if Styxโs whole emotional manipulation really did anything. Itโs not like there was anything new their. Intrusive sure, but not new.
โIโm sorry,โ She whispered, though she continued onwards, โButni didnโt see either of you and I didnโt know what to do and-โ she cut off, forcing a soft chuckle.
Yes, they were fine, but she did little to assure that.
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Post by ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐จ on Nov 21, 2020 12:14:39 GMT -5
Guinevere felt pity rising deep in her gut, hugging Jason closer to let the currently blind boy know that someone was there for him, protecting him. Part of her wondered how horribly off River was, until she saw him run by. He was standing up, running, and that was strange....he had said that he would protect Jason.
No time to ponder, the boyโs question had her frozen for a moment, her own eyes flickering around. Aphrodite was already going on a tangent, โYou dare question us? We saved you from your lives before!โ
โI-โ She paused, voice cracking, because how could she answer? He was right, and he was scared and crying. โI donโt know...โ
Lorenzo was still on the verge of passing out, though he looked at Dillon for a moment, almost pushing himself away in a desperate act. He wasnโt dealing with Sebastien or Clarice anymore, never again. He wouldnโt repeat it.
Though, whatever he saw at first calmed, his breathing steadying softly. โDillon?โ he uttered softly. Horror dawned in his eyes, โWhereโs Le-Lucien?โ
He seemed to look at himself then, panicked breathes increasing by tenfold. That was, as that flex seal commercial elegantly always said, thanks Phil Swift, thatโs a lotta damage. Though he doubted flex tape was going to fix it.
Dillon had asked something, the cute boy who was helping him down to the med bay was asking him something and he completely was out of it internally monolouging about flex tape.
He loosely pieced together what was asked, wincing as he stepped on the leg with the giant cut. โAngry boulder smash girl, a demon child, and Lukaโs hellspawn.โ was all he responded with, all pretense of chivalry apparently lost in pain, so a bluntness took effect instead.
Not that he was going to particularly care. He was much more concerned about Lucien.
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Post by ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐จ on Nov 21, 2020 12:49:49 GMT -5
Clementine was looking over the tables and beds, looking at Pascal gently as they passed him, โIs there anything I can get you to help?โ they offered, ever so softly. They laid a gentle hand on his back, now wasnโt the time to be cruel towards them. They were doing the best they could, Cleo understood that.
In moments of need, they werenโt always so cruel.
Quickly they moved on, however, fuming as they scanned for River. Chiara approached instead, and they breathed out, a harrowing chuckle of agitation escaping them, โWhat happened?โ they repeated, eyes narrowing into daggers, โRiver left Lucien with the girl Lane fought, that Styx kid. Now Lucien has become a pincushion of arrows. River also said he would protect Jason, but Jason had to protect Lorenzo because River was off gallivanting and playing hero with his boyfriend!โ their voice raised as they went on, picking up speed and anger as they went.
It was silent, for several moments. They heard footsteps, someone running into the medbay. Then Naida asking something, something cold.
They turned, heart rate increasing with their anger, stalking over. Though they did nothing much more than grabbing his uninsured arm, pulling him away from Lucien into another corner of the room. It would no good to stress Pascal or Lucien out (if he ever woke up).
โWhat. The. Hell!?โ they snapped, voice coming out with a growl in it. Though they went quiet for a moment, seeming to think.
โYou know, I found him like that. I thought maybe, before that, you and Lucien had handled that girl. I had seen you run off, anyways, and I never thought you would leave someone behind. But she said you did.โ theyโre voice softened, no emotion behind it, just a retelling, โI could tell she was saying the truth. You had left him there, alone, with her, despite knowing what she could do. So Iโm going to give you the benefit of the doubt.โ
They paused, looking over at Lucien, hands clasped around their key as they fretted silently. Though they let their eyes glide back to River, the disappointment seething back into their voice, โAnd Iโm going to ask you why you left them. So, why River, did you leave Lucien and lie to Jason?โ
Luka argued with Loki for a while longer, looking at Theodore for a moment longer. Loki started laughing in her head, and she rolled her eyes, waiting for whatever terrible thing he had to say.
โHe looks like Tyr!โ Loki was like a hyena sometimes, it was horrifying, โActually, even your friend Chiara did. I guess heโs more like Baldr. Little golden boy, isnโt he?โ She didnโt respond, waiting to see where he was trying to go with this, โHeโll be the first to go.โ
Now that gave her pause, blinking for a few moments. She returned her own thoughts back, questioning him. He didnโt need respond. He just chuckled again, in that haha now figure or what the hell I mean. Then the weirdest thing in Lukaโs actual life happened and Irene spoke to her, so obviously none of this was real anyways.
โDid you actually just speak to me?โ the amazement in her voice was a mix of sarcastic and disbelieving, โWeโre all bloody dead, because you never do that.โ
The humor died away, replaced by a shrug and โTheodore almost became the snack that smiles back.โ and yes, it was blunt. What else would she be?
She was distracted when she spotted River and Laurie. Sheโd never admit to it, but she almost wanted to cry in relief. Laurie was the closest thing to family she had made here, no matter if that was mutual or not. The idea that he could have been dead was highly concerning. It wouldnโt be the first death in her family, certainly not the last.
So when he was done trading around hugs with his boyfriend and the small little angel they all loved, she ran up, hugging him herself. Not able to fight away the small laugh bubbling from her chest. She was stuck between killing him herself or never letting him leave the cursed building again. She settled for smacking him lightly, rolling her eyes, โYou gotta roo loose in the top paddock? Ya gave us a scare, you stupid bloody piss.โ
No matter, he was injured. Those bite marks from Fenrir cause her to shrink back slightly, a deadass hiss escaping her at the sight. She had seen that on Chiara and Theo and Laurie now, she didnโt want to see them ever again.
โLetโs go get those checked out.โ
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Post by Nariku The Avaricious on Nov 21, 2020 16:41:54 GMT -5
When Pascal entered the Medbay, he wasnโt sure what he was expecting to see. Given how frantic of a situation it was, he knew it was going to be bad. But, he wasnโt expecting how bad it actually was.
He spotted an unconscious Lucien in one of the cots and, at the sight of the arrows sticking out of the boy, a wave of nausea suddenly overcame him. Imagining how painful it must have been just made the young manโs blood run cold. Grabbing the nearest counter, Pascal held himself up as his mind got fuzzy. His legs weakened, as if barely able to support his weight.
Nonono, this was a terrible time to pass out. He hadnโt even begun and he was just moments away from passing out. Though, the reassuring pats from Cleo did help him some.
โNot at this moment, no.โ Pascal replied in a more uneasy tone.
After taking a few slow breaths, the champion of Hades managed to compose himself long enough for him to move to the other side of the room, where most of the supplies were held. He needed supplies like rags, bandages, painkillers especially, possibly a few splints if needed, and definitely a lot of disinfectants. At that moment, it was hard to tell if he was going to have enough, but he needed to work with what he had at least. While Lucienโs injuries looked rather painful, heโd figured theyโd be, relatively speaking, simple.
As long as he doesnโt pass out in the middle of it anyway.
While Pascal was getting himself physically ready, he took note of everyone else who entered the medbay.
River had rushed in and was at Lucienโs bedside.
Naida had come in right after him and was demanding River tell her what had happened.
Dillon entered with an injured Lorenzo, whoโs leg looked all gnarled from a distance.
Seely and Lane entered with Theodore, who was injured and had his clothes stained with blood.
Then came Guinevere with Jason in her arms, injured and clearly distressed.
Chiara had come in after them, carrying some more bandages and asking Cleo what had happened.
Pascal stared at the running water as he scrubbed his hands clean, feeling himself break out into a cold sweat as the noise in the room got louder. Cleo had pulled River aside, thankfully, but with all the concern being thrown around, there was no doubt more people would start flocking inside, wanting to know what had happened. Given the amount of people already filling the room, and the dire situation this was, the young man wasnโt about to entertain the thought of the entire pantheon suddenly breathing down his neck.
โYouโre going to have to tell them to leave then,โ Hades spoke, though his tone didnโt seem as harsh as it usually was.
โI know, but-โ
โThereโs no if, ands, or buts about this,โ he raised his voice, cutting Pascal off in the process, โyou shouldnโt be concerned about how others will feel in this situation! If they want whatโs best for their friends, they wouldnโt argue with you about this decision.โ
Pascal took his words into consideration and slowly nodded in response. He dried his hands, and after turning around to everyone in the room, he spoke, โMost of you, you have to leave the room. They- well I- need room to work. 2-3 of you can stay.โ He wasnโt about to kick out everyone, but having a couple stick around to help him would be helpful.
โAnd, if youโre staying, please wash your hands.โ
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Once the room was sufficiently cleared out (with Seely and Dillon being allowed to stick around), Pascal got to work. He was going to start with the kids who required medical attention first, and move down from there. While he originally planned on starting with Lucien first, one look at Lorenzoโs leg made him shift focus to the other boy instead. His leg was bent weirdly, most likely broken, and it was covered in gashes and small chunks of rock. Just looking at it made the Hades kid lightheaded again.
โFocus! You have a job to do!โ Hadesโ voice was a shock at the moment, but it was enough for Pascal to regain his composure a bit.
First thing to do was to stop the bleeding and clean up the area. Stopping any possible swelling was also important, though he wasnโt sure what to do about a broken leg. They had no way to check what the full damage was, and he was concerned that moving it would make the injury worse. Though, he couldnโt just leave it be either. Leaving it would just force his body to heal his leg in that awkward position.
So, he really had only one option; he was going to need to try and put his leg back into position.
โHis leg will need to be cleaned up and disinfected, and the swelling will need to go down as well.โ Pascal spoke to Dillon, trying to keep his voice even so the other boy didnโt get concerned. โThen, his leg will need to be adjusted back into position. Heโll need some painkillers as well.โ
Pascal knew that he wasnโt completely confident in his medical knowledge. Most of the experience he had was through a couple of medical textbooks and second hand experience many years prior. The only โpatientโ he โtook care ofโ was his sick grandma andโฆ
...He wasnโt going to dwell on that at the moment. He had a job to do.
Pascal started off by carefully elevating Lorenzoโs leg so it rested above his heart, hopefully reducing the swelling in the area. After supplying Lorenzo with some much needed painkillers, the Hades kid then started gingerly wiping down the injured leg with a cold rag, cleaning off the dried blood and removing dirt from the area before going in to disinfect the cuts and gashes.
He couldnโt help but be reminded of the time when they had to spar against each other, and how this kid wasnโt really much of a fighter. He was more hesitant Pascal was anyway. It made him feel bad when Lorenzo started freaking out at the end of the fight when the poor kid thought heโd vaporized Pascal when, in reality, heโd just gone invisible at the perfect time.
The Helios kid was really nice and sweet, so seeing him in this much pain just made him feel awful. Were those other guys so bad that they'd harm someone who only wanted to help people? It was sickening to think about.
Once everything was sufficiently cleaned up and covered, Pascal looked at the bent leg with a certain level of dread. โHeโs got painkillers, there are splints nearby, heโs gotta be fineโ. Though, Pascal was more worried about the chances that heโd forgotten some important step.
โJust get on with it!โ
The jolt from Hades was enough for Pascal to spring forward and lightly grip Lorenzoโs leg. โSorry ahead of timeโ the young man said sheepishly before pushing the leg back into its original position. He silently hoped that the painkillers were enough to dull the pain, but it was still likely that it wouldnโt be enough to ease all of it. Afterward, Pascal grabbed the splints and put them on either side of the leg, being sure to wrap it up to keep it stable.
He genuinely hoped that it was good enough and he didnโt somehow make things worse.
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After thoroughly washing his hands, Pascal quickly moved onto Lucien, knowing that he was in dire need of treatment. The two arrows definitely caused a lot of damage, most likely to some blood vessels, but them being stuck in there was ironically the only thing stopping him from bleeding out completely. Blood flow to those regions would need to be restricted so he wouldnโt bleed out the second they were removed. Along with that, the wounds needed to be cleaned up as well.
Pascal elevated the injured areas like he did with Lorenzo, while also tying some cloth pieces around his arm and leg respectively, to restrict the blood flow to those regions. Then, he cleaned the areas around the arrows up a bit before he went to work on removing the arrows.
It was a shame that Lucien was unconscious. If he wasnโt, Pascal would have been able to give him painkillers.
Pascal started with removing the arrow in Lucienโs leg, carefully pulling it out so it wouldnโt get caught on anything and cause more damage. The second it was out, and the blood started spewing, Pascal covered the wound with a clean towel, making sure to put pressure on the area. Then, he quickly tied it up, making sure there was enough pressure before he moved on.
Unlike the last one, the arrow in his hand needed to be pushed straight through.
Knowing that, Pascal dreaded this one the most. He couldnโt fathom how much it would hurt and he still worried about the possibility that heโd manage to mess it up. It wasnโt something he wanted to do, but just like Lorenzoโs leg and the other arrow, the guy had to do it.
He took some scissors to the feathered end of the arrow and cut the end off, tossing it into the bin with the other one. This was going to take every last bit of will power he had to complete. He grabbed the other end, he let out a shaky breath, and pulled it down, removing the arrow and letting it topple to the ground as he quickly covered the newly opened wounds with a towel.
Though, as he stood there, taking in the familiar scent of iron and watching as the towel slowly absorbed the blood, his vision seemed to flutter a bit. His legs buckled under the weight and the only thing keeping him up was the cot in front of him. His mind went hazy and for a moment, everything went dark.
When Pascal came back into himself, he quickly fumbled around, hoping that he hadnโt been out for too long. Thankfully, it had only been a few seconds, but it was still pretty bad. He continued to put pressure on the wound before wrapping it up like he did the last one.
Heโd need to come back to it when the bleeding stopped. There were others he needed to look at.
When Pascal moved to wash his hands again, however, his legs gave way and sent him tumbling down. The only thing keeping him from completely landing on the ground was the nearby counter, which he was gripping for dear life.
It was probably best he took a break after thatโฆ
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Pascal had been set in one of the empty cots and lied there with a wet rag over his face. Heโd been there for a few minutes, just trying to calm himself from everything heโd just looked at.
โBlood.โ He muttered, โToo much blood.โ
Heโd always hated the sight of blood. It always meant something was wrong and it just filled him with anxiety and nausea. Heck, his fear of blood was part of the reason he couldnโt get very far into med-school.
Who wanted a doctor who fainted at the sight of blood? He knew he didnโt.
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Once Pascal managed to compose himself, he washed himself up and moved onto Theodore and Jason.
Theodoreโs case was pretty simple since there was really not much he could do for him. His shoulder was badly bruised and swollen, and the boy had many puncture wounds down his right side and back. There was a decent amount of blood, though when Pascal cleaned the areas up, he was dumbfounded to see that the wounds had stopped bleeding at that time. That would leave only his shoulder requiring attention, but that sadly wasnโt going to be possible for him to fix. It seemed shattered, and if this were a normal situation, he probably would need surgery to fix it. So, he made sure to give him some painkillers and an ice pack, and instructed the boy to stay on his one side so he wouldnโt put any pressure on the shoulder.
After cleaning up again, Pascal moved to Jason and noticed there wasnโt really much he could do for him either. He had a lot of bumps and scrapes, but most of the damage seemed to be internal. There was the kidโs blindness as well, but there was no way Pascal knew how to fix that. Maybe it would go away? Still, he bandaged up Jason as best he could, gave him some painkillers as well, and moved on.
There were others who needed to get looked at, like Cleo, River, and Laurie, but Pascal wasnโt really willing to push them to get looked at, especially since they werenโt as serious as the last four were. So, Pascal cleaned himself up to the best of his ability and sat himself down in one of the chairs to rest.
He was done for the moment at least and he just wanted to sleep.
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Post by ฦคฮฑฦฦฮฑั โง on Nov 21, 2020 17:31:14 GMT -5
The first thing Lucien was aware of, his eyes were closed and he lay in peaceful darkness. For a moment he forgot where he was. For a moment he was back in Chicago. For a moment, Elara was yelling because heโd pressed snooze one too many times and was going to be late for school. For a moment, school was all he had to worry about.
That was until the worst pain heโd ever experienced in his life shot through his hand, which was enough to make his eyes shoot open and the boy to scream out, sitting up in his bed.
It was when his eyes fixed onto the hand that was the source of dead pain that he remembered exactly what had happened. That girl, the one with the red eyes. The one he would never let beat him again as long as he lived.
โHoly f*cking shit!โ he cried out, tears pricking at his eyes, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he breathed, trying as hard as he could to deal with the pain.
That was when he saw Pascalโs legโs giving way as he stumbled to grab onto the nearby counter. It was Pascal who had got those goddamn arrows out?
Unfortunately, he didnโt really get the chance to thank the boy, who stumbled off to take a break.
He sat for a moment, staring at his hand wrapped in the bloody towel as he closed his eyes, trying to steady his breathing and his pulse and to deal with the pain long enough to concentrate for even a second.
When his eyes opened again, he caught sight of River. Honestly, he was mad at River for abandoning him, but he was mad at River all the time anyway so he didnโt exactly see a big change in the dynamic of their relationship.
โHey, asshole,โ Lucien muttered to the redhead, his voice rough and still kind of groggy โDid you miss me?โ
He didnโt have the energy to yell at him right now, anyway. Heโd do that later, when he was back to his normal self.
His priority now, as Apollo was concernedly reminding him in his mind, was to care for his wounds. Pascal had already done a lot of the work, so Lucien would be able to heal himself with a little more effort than it would normally take.
He unwrapped the towel from his hand, wincing at the sight of the injury, despite how well Pascal had done cleaning it up. It took some focus, perhaps more than unusual, and as always it hurt almost as bad as the original pain, causing Lucien to cry out through gritted teeth, but moments later he was able to stretch out a fully healed hand and leg. The only signs he had been injured were the scars now in both locations.
He probably shouldnโt have tried to heal himself so quickly, because he instantly felt lightheaded again, having to lay his head back and close his eyes again for a moment, swallowing.
The champion of Apolloโs blue eyes returned over to Pascal, who seemed to have been working so hard to care for everyone medically.
โLet me help you with them there, Doogie,โ Lucien commented, sitting up taller with the intention of actually getting out of the bed
He wasnโt happy about it, but he was the only one who could really help with some of the injuries they were facing. And besides, he was much better now. Just exhausted, groggy, lightheaded and with a pretty bad headache.
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Post by Nariku The Avaricious on Nov 21, 2020 18:44:44 GMT -5
Theo barely processed whoโd run up next to him, only really knowing someone was there by their frantic voice and the fact they had placed their hand through his hair. After everything that had happened, it felt nice to have someone concerned about him. Though, the fact he was crying in front of people felt shameful and embarrassing.
He couldnโt help that way, and it frustrated him to no end. He was chosen like everyone else to fulfill some greater purpose, yet both times heโd had to deal with their enemies, heโd been broken down rather easily.
The first time, the people who were supposed to be his friends turned against him and he saw what it was like to be near the brink of death.
The second time, heโd hoped would be different, ended arguably worse. The devil child Styx had remembered him, hoped heโd scar from the last fight and called him a pawn. A pawn? A pawn for what?? Not only that, sheโd fed his blood to a giant wolf who f*cking described the taste and wouldnโt leave him alone the entire fight.
Theo wanted attention, he wanted praise. He wanted people to tell him that he was doing a good job and that he meant something to them. This kind of attention, the jeers, the objectivity, watching him squirm around and suffer, it wasnโt what he wanted.
When heโd finally managed to get his breaths to normal, Theo removed his arm to take a better look at his surroundings. Seely was knelt down next to him, clearly distressed by his current condition. Chiara and Luka were standing a bit aways, both agitated. Theyโd fought Fenrir before, so heโd guessed that was the reasoning behind their expression.
Soon enough, Lane came over and helped him to his feet, saying they were going to the medbay. He was still crying at that point, but seeing all the people around him made him want to push it down and repress it. They didnโt need to see him like that. Though, he felt some relief when the three of them moved on and down to the medical ward. At least he had some time to calm himself down, with Lane and Seely helping him walk there.
Man, when people say they wanted two girls under each arm, he was sure they werenโt meaning his current situationโฆ
Once they made it to the medbay, and Theo was set down on one of the beds, Lane ran off to, uh, whatever Lanes do. Most of the bystanders were filtered out, but the young man made sure to grab Seelyโs arm, to let her know he didnโt want her to leave. He didnโt know the Pascal guy very well, and while he didnโt expect him to do anything bad, he just needed someone to be there with him.
Even if heโd still not completely gotten over what had happened with her, Griffin, and Styx. Given her insistence on helping him, he had some trust in her.
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Post by ฦคฮฑฦฦฮฑั โง on Nov 21, 2020 18:55:56 GMT -5
The Exileโs base was much darker, much more deteriorated than the beautiful pristine of the Pantheon. Such a stark contrast, instead of those golden looming statues, there were stone pillars holding the ceiling of the long abandoned building up. A large building, if one had to hazard a guess, they would perhaps guess that this used to be a prison, factory, or some kind of facility in the past.
Some kind of facility it may have been, but that didnโt bring any comfort. There wasnโt laughter bouncing through the halls, or two fighting boys bickering over something stupid. There was no Chiara with her books, or Irene ignoring her any longer.
There was cold, and the small constant drip, drip, drip of a nearby pipe. A type of brumation overtook her body a bit, she felt more lethargic, more tired. But yet she pushed on.
In the night, often, that was the only shot one got. All sharp grins and cruel words during the day, hissing at anyone who dare look her way. She came into the Exiles acting like she owned the place, reading the ranks. She knew who to target for trust, and who to disregard to appear more so the part.
โYou fit in quite well here, Kid,โ Loki pondered, he sounded mystified. She had to stop for a moment, she could almost imagine him, leaning against the wall with a leg propped up, all toothy grinned and judging, โPlaying your part like a charm. Youโd make a great actor.โ
Luka growled back at him, glaring away from the wall and stalking forward, ducking her head. The dark was fine, she was strangely adaptive to being able to see in the dark. She scoffed, however, โIโm not exactly interested in the thought of being someone Iโm not, but thanksssss,โ the hiss was clear, meant to serve as a warning.
Loki, of course, had no heed for what a warning was. A soft giggle escaped the trickster, โSo you mean that this isnโt an act?โ She paused, breath halting for a moment. It was cold, too cold, she wanted to coil up somewhere warm, like her room back home. โYou fit in better here than you ever did back at the Pantheon. Maybe I was wrong to bring you there.โ
The small amount of guilt was detectable, she ignored his implication, offering up a smile of her own, โNo need to get all guilty on me, Loki. I thought you were supposed to be a big touch trickster God, not some guilty puppy.โ
โI am not a puppy!โ She downright laughed at the small crack in his voice, though her attention was stolen elsewhere. Smoke drifted up, burning at her nose as she inhaled it. She hated cigarettes.
Still, she pondered over to the place where Ripley kept Laurie at for โsafekeepingโ. His own personalized dollhouse, so he would be the perfect doll for Ripley to harm however he pleased. It made her a bit sick to think about, but she put on that mask of nonchalance, just in case.
โYou know, that stuff doesnโt do anything particularly pleasant,โ She called out, screwing up her nose, โYou give a whole new meaning to the bloody idea of substance abuse, Laurent.โ
Laurie finally turned his gaze to look at her, from where heโd idly been watching the patterns the smoke made in the air with each drag of the cigarette. Well, thatโs what it looked like from the outside, anyway. Mainly he was just deep in thought.
Lukaโs words earned her a raised eyebrow as Laurie stubbornly made eye contact and took another drag from the cigarette, the tip glowing in a point of light.
โYeah, well,โ Laurie answered โsometimes youโve got to hurt to get a little release.โ
She had rolled her eyes in return, scoffing at the boy. โThatโs the thing with you, mate,โ she started, her strange, almost serpentine eyes narrowed, โYou think itโs either the tearing up your lungs or letting Ripley push you around. You donโt realize itโs six of one, half a dozen of the other. Either way itโs the same, you still get hurt.โ
Loki tutted in her head, more useless words, but her concentration was stolen elsewhere. Luka was more concerned by Laurieโs stupid habits at this point rather than Lokiโs persistent monologue on the situations his Champion found herself in.
Sitting against the wall then, sliding down until she was a bit of a messy plop of limbs, she settled her head on the wall behind her, facing away from Laurie then. โWhatโs the point in that, Laurie? Getting yourself hurt?โ
As if Laurie really knew the answer to that. God knew Dionysus had been asking that question in his head every single day since heโd ended up with Ripley, ended up helping the exiled. Until heโd gone quiet
โI donโt choose to get hurt, Luka,โ Laurie challenged โit happens, and I deal with it. At least if itโs self-destruction I can control it. At least if Iโm smoking Iโm the one taking charge. Not Ripley, or anyone else.โ
Yeah, Ripley hurt him. And Laurie did the only thing he knew when it came to dealing with it. He remembered his sister slapping cigarettes out of his hand at home. She was so like Luka, come to think of it. And heโd told Denise the exact same thing back then. Shit at home had been bad, but it was a little better if he had some alcohol in him, or if he could relax with a cigarette
It had been silent then, Luka seemed to process that at her own rate. A deep, shuddering breath at the words self-destruction. She curled in a bit tighter, resting her head on her knees, glancing at him over her shoulder then. โYou chose to let Ripley hurt you.โ
A statement, she gave it a few moments to sink, resolutely looking away, โYou donโt need to be hurt to matter, Laurie. You think just because Riverโs a drongo that you deserve to be hurt, but you donโt.โ She closed her eyes then, burying her head further, โYou didnโt need a drongo or a durry, you didnโt need this pity.โ She spat the last word like it was venom in her mouth, instinctively turning from him more. Much easier to talk when she didnโt have to face the problem head on.
Laurie rolled his eyes then, watching as Luka turned away from him.
โรa alors,โ he groaned โif you think he feels pity for me, youโre not as smart as you look. He feels absolutely nothing for me, and you and I both know that. Apart from taking pleasure from seeing me suffer. The fact is, Luka, that I didnโt choose any of this at all. Itโs been out of my control ever since River saved my life in that fight. I accept the things Iโve done, but I donโt think for a second itโs my fault I got here. He made me think he cared, which believe me, apart from my sister, is more than pretty much everybody else has done. Of course I jumped at it.โ
River had cared about him, he knew that. But River had also left. Laurie had made a promise to himself not long before coming to the Pantheon that he was done with the way heโd done things before. Done with the people who were only interested in a fling. Heโd thought River was something more, but it seemed that wasnโt the case. And yes, when he was low Ripley had manipulated him into thinking he genuinely cared.
He looked to the small girl turned away from him, tutting lightly.
โYouโve never been able to deal with this stuff head-on, have you, Luka?โ he questioned โCome on, if youโre going to question my choices you should at least do it to my face.โ
Luka listened, stiff as ever, correcting slightly when he assumed she meant Ripley by simply muttering out a quick, โI meant you,โ but otherwise being resolutely quiet.
His last question had her chuckling, just a tiny bit. Not like a good joke, but like a joke no one understood. Then again, thatโs what it was. โMy mom, the one who gave birth to me, she killed my dad and my real mom,โ she started, turning to look at him, eyes becoming slightly apathetic at that point, distancing. โShe kidnapped me for a few months after that, kind of wish she would have offed me too.โ
The point was not that, she pushed onwards, thinking back on everything from that point when she was much younger, โAll my life, ever since, everyone had seen a monster. I didnโt get control in that either. Juliet, my guardian, always reminded me about how genetic psychopathy could be. Cleo, Naida, Irene, they always reminded me of who chose me to be their Champion.โ
For a moment, she smiled at him, regarding him carefully, โEveryone has always thought of me as a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. Thatโs not really my fault either, and I often think about that too. When am I going to be what everyone thinks I am?โ A breath, the smile faltering, fool loop and circle, back to the point, โYou had been one of the first people to look at me and not see the people who chose me, you saw me. And I know that you know that this isnโt you.โ
Lukaโs words about her past, her story, Laurie had never heard this before. Luka was always soโฆ secretive. Some part of him wondered why exactly she was telling him now, of all times.
Still, the reaction he had was unexpected, but he couldnโt stop himself. He started to laugh, abruptly stopping and fixing his gaze on Luka.
โOh, god, I donโt mean to laugh,โ he apologised โitโs just funny how fu**ed we both are. If Iโd known you had experience with being kidnapped Iโd have asked your advice a long time ago.โ
Maybe he shouldโve been more sympathetic, because he did feel bad for her. Shocked, though now he understood her better. But Luka would never go for that. She hated pity, and sympathy, and she wouldnโt want to dwell on the topic anyway.
As she continued to speak he took another drag from the cigarette, a moment of silence remaining when she was done speaking. The conversation was more serious now, more than it had been even a moment before.
โWell, why donโt you tell me who I am, Luka?โ Laurie shot back โbecause I sure as hell donโt know anymore. I didnโt even know who I was before this bullshit started and Dionysus found me. Donโt you get it? This is me. This is what I do when Iโm backed into a corner. Iโm not proud of it, but you can see for yourself. I thought I was different when I was with River, but itโs depressing enough that I needed him to figure myself out. So you know what? Iโm done trying to work it out. Iโm doneโ
Luka has laughed too, not the least bit concerned it seemed. โYouโve been kidnapped twice now, so I guess weโre equal.โ
True, the situation itself wasnโt funny. Humour was like that though, making those situations tolerable, not like she was ever going to change it. She carefully regarded Laurie, watching as his frustration took hold again.
She, as she always did, rolled her eyes. โI said I knew this isnโt you, I never said I knew who you were. Thatโs for you to decide, mate, not me.โ Not the answer he wanted, sure, but she was never one for spoon feeding others, โMaybe you donโt know either. But you let yourself become a puppet. First to River, then to Ripley.โ
Luka took on a more somber note, cupping her hands before her as she stopped craning her neck and turned back around, a small flicker of flame sparking to life, dancing between her palms. โI know youโre tired of trying to defy what you think you are,โ she commented, โSo am I. Iโm tired of fighting that. But you have a home still, Laurie. With or without River, you have people who miss you, who need you. Youโve protected the people here, thatโs more than anyone else could do.โ
The flame danced still, a darkness covering her eyes, a sadness dripping into her words, โBut as soon as you chase away everyone else, that flame is going to die.โ and she clasped her hands around the flame, the light dying away with no fight. โYou donโt need River to be who you are. You just have to set an ideal about who you want to be. For what itโs worth, I believe you can do that. So what if you like wine, like to party, like to have fun? Thereโs nothing wrong with that, and itโs saved Theodore, Cleo, Echo, Daniel, and Eydan before.โ
And he did. Because of his powers, he disoriented Ripley, Fenrir, and Styx in the fights before. If it wasnโt for him, people would have been hurt worse or killed. Laurie had brought a light to the Pantheon, he was like a glue that kept them together. After Cleo, Naida, and Irene had made that stupid decision to split River and Laurie, the happiness there was sapped. They lost so much when Laurie felt like he had to hide who he was. Luka had hated it.
โI canโt just walk away now,โ Laurie pointed out โwhat do you think? I can just walk up to Ripley to tell him I want out, and to release my friends right now, thank you very much? I made my bed, and I have to lie in it. At least for now. The least I can do is keep the others from getting hurt too badly in the meantime.โ
He couldnโt avoid being hurt, not at this point. But he could try and protect the others from being too badly hurt too. Some of them had already been hurt, including Echo.
โYou have no idea, Luka, none at all,โ Laurie explained โthis isnโt about me. Ripley wouldnโt hesitate to hurt the others, has hurt Echo before, if I stepped out of line. You seem to think I have the luxury of morals.โ
If he wanted to protect his friends, he couldnโt fight back on principle. Couldnโt waste time on idealism. This was about the practicalities. Protecting the others who had been kidnapped - and him, if he could help it. After all, he preferred not to make Ripley angry and get hurt if he had the choice.
โBesides, you might feel that way but I doubt all the others do,โ he pointed out โI canโt just walk back in there after everything Iโve done. You seriously think Cleo, for example, would just accept me back with open arms? You think River would?โ
โWho cares about what Cleo and River would do!?โ Luka snapped back, crossing her arms indignantly, โIf they really wanted you out, they would have booted you out by now. Without me, they got five people to do the voting still. All it would take is three people. So Cleo and River donโt exactly matter now, now do they?โ
She didnโt give him a change to really respond, she instead looked around cautiously, before lifting up a small pouch she carried with her. Opening it gently, and pouring some contents into her hands. A small necklace with wings, an assortment of other jewels and objects. Keys. She showed them to Laurie, grinning slightly, before quickly pouring them back in.
โLuxury of morals wonโt matter soon. No one else wanted to do anything, Laurie. They wanted to wait,โ she sighed, continuing onwards, โWhy else would I be here, Laurie? Iโm sure as hell not here to play fetch with my Guideโs hellspawn!โ
A troubling thought came to mind, regarding him once more, her voice became a bit softer, a bit accusatory, โOr did you also think that Iโm like them?โ
Laurie had watched first with curiosity and then with surprise when Luka poured the contents of the pouch out into her hand, eyes widening as he flicked the cigarette to the ground, extinguishing it beneath his heel as he approached her.
โQuoi?โ he murmured in shock, eyes scanning over where the objects had been just a moment before, though his brown eyes rose to meet Lukaโs again in response to her more accusatory questions.
โI donโt know,โ he answered โI didnโt know what to think. Youโve never exactly been predictable, have you? Itโs one of my favourite things about you but itโs also incredibly infuriating.โ
The mention of her guide made Laurie swallow. Dionysus hadnโt spoken to him in a long time now. Not since heโd made that deal with Styx at least. He was still around, Laurie knew, because he could still use his powers. But just coldly silent.
โSo youโre saying,โ he said in a hushed voice โthat I could justโฆ?โ
Just leave? Disappear? Go back to the Pantheon where it was safe?
His hand rose to his collarbone, where his newest injury from Ripley lay hidden beneath his shirt. A burn from one of Laurieโs own cigarettes because heโd dared to say Riverโs name. Even in this conversation with Luka it had felt wrong to mention River even without Ripley listening. Saying the name was enough to make him tense up a little.
But all of that fear could go away now. And the others would be safe.
โYep,โ Luka popped the โPโ sound, trying to appear more nonchalant. She fidgeted for a moment, looking back at him.
She shook her head. Unpredictable didnโt mean bad, but it didnโt mean good. A timebomb could be unpredictable too. Even he hadnโt thought she was there to help. Then again, what was he supposed to think? She had thought bad of him when she found out how he had been using his abilities too.
Try as she might, the comment was bothersome. Reckless and unpredictable. Without either, they wouldnโt be going back. Smirking still, she fished into the pouch, feeling around for the ring with the ramโs head. Once she recognized it, she tossed it over to the Dionysus champion, grinning like a madman.
โBonjour, monsieur, you ready to get nicked?โ Her French accent was admittedly terrible, but she had her reasons, namely not being from the Baguette capital of the world. Snapping her fingers, she hovered a bit of flame over her hand, using it as a bit of light to guide their way.
Laurie caught the flash of silver as she threw the ring over to him, catching it in his hand and looking at the little object with a smile. He hadnโt seen it since heโd been kidnapped. The exiled had kept it locked away somewhere. Even when he went out to fight with them he never had his key; heโd never be on his own, theyโd argued. He was a prisoner, theyโd never let him be alone unsupervised.
He grinned back to Luka in return, slipping the ring onto his finger, running his thumb over the design. He then reached to twist one of the ramโs horns, watching as a portal glimmered to life in front of him. So it wasnโt broken, that was good.
He twisted it again, watching the portal disappear again.
โLetโs get the others,โ Laurie said โIโm not leaving until I know theyโre safe, and if we left and came back for them, they could hurt them to get back at me.โ
If Ripley found out Laurie had escaped before he returned to get the others, he didnโt think Ripley would hesitate for a moment to hurt the others.
โBut then we can go home,โ he smiled, relief flooding his voice
โHome.โ She agreed, wistfully. Home sounded nice, she had felt so bad for her manner of leaving. Nothing but a note, and a note was giving it some more context than it carried. It was more of a riddle really, a quote from one of her classics.
No matter, finding the others sounded better. Ripley was a vengeful man, she had learned that much. It horrified her, the amount of similarities she shared with him. She wasnโt abusive, though, that much she was sure on.
The portal had worked, and that itself was a relief. Nodding to him, she turned, already silently moving through the halls. She thought about turning into a serpent for a moment, but realized with the late hour, it was very unlikely anyone would be awake to stop them.
Even if so, excuses were easy to make. A few twists and turns through some halls, and she spotted where many of the others kept themselves groups together. A grin overcoming her features as Echo herself seemed to perk up upon seeing them, running up for a hug from Luka, before turning to hug Laurie.
Indeed, they too were kept in a room that was typically locked. Luka had spent a while in the Exileโs base, learning the layout and making her plan. A key was always a part of it, and not just the keys of the others.
Laurie had smiled when Echo hugged him. Heโd smiled more today than he had in all the time since the group had been kidnapped. It felt good to see the others again, and even better to know that despite everything, Echo didnโt seem to hold what Laurie had done against him.
โWeโre going to get you all out of here,โ Laurie said, his voice hushed but excited โnow. Luka has everything we need.โ
He indicated the ring on his finger, showing them as best he could that Luka had recovered their keys and they could return home.
He just focused on that. Didnโt want to think about what would happen after.
Luka nodded, taking in everyone there with careful regard, pulling the pouch out. Carefully, she threw each key towards its owner, keeping the necklace for last, Echoโs. She handed it to Laurie, so the boy could give it to Echo himself. Call her stupid if you wanted, but Laurie had specifically mentioned Echoโs injuries and his involvement. She had to give him a way to redeem that to himself.
Echo herself grinned at Laurie, she had some bruises too, a few injuries on her. But that didnโt seem to deter her excitement, โLaurie! Oh, Iโm so glad youโre here.โ
Luka smiled at the reunion of the two, turning back to the others. Nodding at the fellow leader in the room, she waited for Laurie and Echo to catch up a tiny bit, though she was already fishing out her umbrella for the ready.
โIโm glad Iโm here too, ma puce,โ Laurie smiled gently as he passed Echoโs key to her, โand Iโm sorry.โ
After he said those words he looked to the rest of the group as well. He truly did feel bad for everything he had done, and he didnโt think any apology would really be enough.
But he knew they didnโt have time to talk much longer. They had to keep moving, they had to get out. The longer they waited the longer they risked being caught. Laurie knew Ripley liked to check on him unexpectedly. He could show up at any time and find Laurie missing. He might have more freedom than the others but he didnโt have enough for him to just be able to wander wherever he wanted on his own.
Time was of the essence.
Nodding once to Laurie, Luka lifted her Umbrella, watching with amazement as the end, usually that pretty light color of teal, turned an alarming color of red. She grinned at the others, eyes narrowed, โLetโs get out of here,โ she agreed, stepping back and pointing the umbrella towards the outer wall, by the windows. It should cause less light to stream out of the room that way.
Finally hitting the release, the fabric of the umbrella sprang out, the red light building like a flame and shooting towards the offending wall. For a spectacular second, the bright color of the portal loomed, before fire overtook the fabric of the umbrella, and the portal exploded before them.
Pushed back by the force, Echo herself had ended up closer to Laurie. Luka had seemed to fall further than the rest of the group, smacking into the wall behind her. Strange ashes were lifting from the object in her hand, and Echo herself staggered back upon catching sight of it.
The umbrella had never done that before, it had flames hover over it in the past, but it had never burned before. Charred fabric released, leaving the metal skeleton, the ashes floating up, carried by the wind.
Luka took notice too, scuttling up. The brightness, the release of power, and noise would probably attract attention. Though her immediate concern was the umbrella, and some strange feel of losing something she never knew she had.
โUhhhh,โ she commented, eloquently, some panic rising in her chest, โWhatโs happening?!โ
Laurie looked in panic to where the portal had been, clutching Echo close to him protectively. Heโd never seen anything like that happen before with the keys or the portals. But maybe it was to do with Loki somehow? Fire was kind of his thing, right?
But in truth, he looked to his friend in confusion.
โI have no idea,โ he said โbut weโll figure it out later.โ
With that, he did the only thing he could think of, opening a portal with his own key. They could all go through that, right?
Luka nodded in return, though something burning hot, like lava, started coursing through her veins. Worse than the feeling had ever been before, and a feeling of loss and sorrow built. She blamed it on that anxiety.
After letting some of the others through the portal, Echo fixed her with a look, โWe have to go,โ the younger girl replied, looking at her. It occurred to Luka that she must have froze, the umbrella was still burning something fierce.
She nodded, stepped closer to the Portal, though the feeling of loss built the closer she got, that burning worse. As she put her hand up to inspect it, she went to step through.
Only to be shocked instead, a pained cry escaping her as she was flung back a small amount, landing on the ground with a gasp of surprise. Why wasnโt it working?
Unlessโฆ
She looked to Laurie, feeling the sting of tears in her eyes. She floundered a bit, unable to speak, because that couldnโt be right at all. She had to be wrong. Luka knew it had to be wrong.
Laurie had gasped in shock when Luka flew back, unable to understand what was going on. This had never happened before, not to the Ascendants or to the exiled. It justโฆ didnโt.
In his panic to get Echo to safety, knowing the exiled would be coming soon after all the noise and commotion, he ushered the younger girl close to the portal and looked to his friend.
Luka seemed soโฆ not like herself. She didnโt seem confident, she seemed afraid. Laurie didnโt often see her like that. He was far more likely to be scared of a situation than Luka, especially if he was sober.
โLuka?โ he asked questioningly โwhatโs going on?โ
If she was coming, if she could come, sheโd need to do it now. They didnโt have much time.
The Frenchman looked to Echo now, gaze flicking between the young girl and the portal. He needed to make sure she was okay.
โGo, Echo,โ he encouraged โfollow the others.โ
Echo nodded, though her concerned eyes flickered between the two. After a few moments, she too hopped into the portal, leaving the two there.
Luka blinked at her hands, curling slightly into herself for a moment. Instead of her answering, Loki did in her head, affirming her fears, โKid, look, Exile isnโt so badโฆโ
He knew, didnโt he. Thatโs what he had been trying to say, when he told her she fit in. Maybe he didnโt. She had no idea, but with his skirting around the problem, the tears trailed down her cheeks. She offered him a grin still, pulling herself to a stand, and wrapping him in a quick hug.
The last hug she could give, it would seem. โExile, Laurie.โ She finally answered, voice a bit strangled. โIt isnโt all itโs cracked out to be, is it?โ she sourly laughed.
Still, she stepped back quickly, the umbrella flickering out, nothing more than a skeleton, rapidly cooling like ice. She held it out for him, blinking some more tears away, keeping to cries at bay. โTake it, I donโt-I donโt need it anymore.โ
And she didnโt. She didnโt want one of the other Exiled getting a hold of it, but she didnโt want it anymore herself. That would sting too much, having it with her. A reminder.
โExile?โ Laurie echoed hollowly, unable to understand. This couldnโt be right. This couldnโt be real. They wouldnโt do that to her.
Would they?
He didnโt know what to do except hug her back, squeezing as tight as he could. To tell her he cared, and he was with her.
When she offered the umbrella he took it, but still couldnโt fully let the revelation of Lukaโs exile sink in. He blinked, feeling the sting that threatened tears as he looked to meet the girlโs eyes.
โLukaโฆโ he began, as if hoping he could somehow stop her. As if this could be solved with words.
There was a moment of silence, where he stumbled over trying to find the right words to say. His English was lacking sometimes at the best of times, never mind when he needed to say something to his friend for possibly the last time.
โIโm so sorry.โ he said, his voice cracking โthis is my fault. You came out here for me.โ
If heโd just been better. If heโd never joined the exiled, if heโd done a better job of hiding what he was going through. Maybe none of this would have happened.
Luka stared at him, silently for a few moments. She didnโt seem to register it all, not for a few moments. Not his words, least of all.
She locked eyes with him, but all she could say was, โIโm tired,โ and echo the words they had shared just minutes before.
Something steeled in her eyes. She backed up, away from him, shaking her head, before looking away completely. โThe flameโs dead, Laurie. Go home.โ
She turned away then, taking a deep breath. She would wait until that light died down, best not to leave yet. Then if Ripley came, all would be for naught. Yet strangely, it felt quite hollow. Yes indeed, she pondered, the flame has nothing left to burn on now.
โIt doesnโt have to be,โ Laurie pleaded โIโm still here, Luka. Je suis toujours lร .โ
But none of it mattered. Sheโd turned away, hardened and shut him out. He knew Luka, he knew sheโd done that because the emotions were too painful. Because she still cared.
Because she was hurt, but would not be vulnerable.
And he didnโt have long now, he knew it. The exiled would be on their way right now, Ripley among them. And as much as he hated to admit it, Laurie truly feared him. He didnโt know what Ripley would do if he caught him.
Luka was stubborn, anyway. He could spend hours arguing with her about this if they had the time. It still wouldnโt change her mind. If he tried to convince her he wouldnโt leave without her (even though it was impossible to leave with her and he knew it), heโd be wasting time he didnโt have on a foregone conclusion.
So he took a step back towards the portal, looking still at Luka the whole time. She still had her back turned, still wouldnโt look at him. She was tired, sheโd said. Like Laurie, she was done. Done trying to figure herself out. Sheโd given him hope, though, and sheโd hate him for squandering it.
โGoodbye, Luka,โ he said softly, clutching the umbrella tight as he stepped back.
Disappearing into the portal just as he heard footsteps in the exiled base.
โGoodbye, Laurie.โ |
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Post by ฦคฮฑฦฦฮฑั โง on Nov 22, 2020 5:46:39 GMT -5
"It's okay," Laurie soothed Echo gently "You did what you thought you had to, and that's good. You got us back home, didn't you?"
Styx's powers were having their own effect on Laurie still. He'd made a mistake in making eye contact with her but he hadn't really had much of a choice, not if he'd wanted Theo to get back in safety. But he could hear that voice in his head, the whispers telling him he wasn't meant to be here. He'd never taken anything seriously in his life, he'd almost gotten himself killed. it was his fault River had abandoned Lucien. He wasn't good enough for the Ascendants.
His thoughts were interrupted by Luka's approach, with first the hug and then the light smack to tell him off for scaring her so badly. He laughed a little, especially at the Australian slang peppered throughout her speech.
"I never understand about half of what you're saying, poupรฉe," Laurie answered as he ruffled the girl's hair "But I appreciate the sentiment."
He noticed her eyes drift down to her injured leg and rolled his eyes as the girl hissed and suggested he get the wound checked out. Of course Luka would want him to do that. Then again, he supposed it must bring back bad memories to see injuries caused by Fenrir like that, so he couldn't exactly blame her.
"I'm okay," he insisted "really. Fenrir just tossed me around a little. I can take care of it by myself. Besides, Medbay will be busy enough right now without me adding to it."
In fact, he could see people heading past the doorway of the room who'd obviously just been kicked out of Medbay. Must have been getting too busy in there. Lane, it seemed, was contenting herself with fetching and carrying supplies, since she was the fastest in the building. Chiara was heading in the direction of the kitchen, and Laurie was sure he heard her mentioning something about making food for everyone. Lorenzo probably wouldn't be up to it that night, no matter how much he loved cooking.
The dark-haired boy turned his attention back to the conversation at hand, though. Maybe he could distract Luka from wanting to drag him to Medbay or wanting to talk about the battle. He still felt too awful about what had happened to talk about it, and the guilt was part of why he didn't want to go get his wounds checked out.
"Anything interesting happen while we were gone?" he questioned slightly hopefully, praying that the question might divert Luka
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Post by ฦคฮฑฦฦฮฑั โง on Nov 22, 2020 19:06:54 GMT -5
โYou know, Lane, as a god of thieves I have to tell you, I donโt think youโve grasped the concept of laying low particularly well.โ Hermes complained
Lane had been spending more and more time with Daniel since the camping trip, as much as sheโd try to deny that this was true. He just... there was something about him she couldnโt explain. The two of them seemed to kind of steady one another if they were struggling.
Heโd told her that a cool feature of his room was that he had his own beach. Which of course, Lane had expressed interest in because she would never turn down a good beach. Heโd offered to let her come and hang out at said magical beach, and of course Lane had said yes immediately. Because of the beach. Totally not because it meant getting to spend time with Daniel.
Sheโd prepared for the beach as well, tying her hair back into a ponytail, though of course teasing out the odd tendril of hair to frame her face. Sheโd traded her usual graphic t-shirts and jeans for a white tanktop and demin shorts with a little lightning design stitched on one of the front pockets. She wasnโt about to get sand all over her jeans. Sheโd worn sandals too, for the sand. They were a cute design, actually from Hermes. Little gold sandals, and the buckles had a wing design to recall the golden wings on Hermesโ own sandals. Sheโd even done the most she tended to do for makeup and put on some eyeliner and a little lipgloss. Not essential for a beach trip, but still. She definitely, totally, wasnโt trying to look nice for Daniel. Along with that she wore her usual necklace from Hermes and a pair of earrings, little studs shaped like lightning bolts. One blue, one yellow, to match her hair.
The lipgloss was stupid anyway. Lipgloss was dumb. Your hair just got stuck in it and oh my god what if sand somehow got stuck on her lips? Would that happen?
โI have no idea what youโre talking about,โ she replied innocently to her guide as she knocked on the door of Danielโs room
Of course, she did know what Hermes was talking about. Laying low from Hades so he didnโt find out about her. Though technically she was pretty sure he knew already and she in truth had no idea how heโd let her live this long after finding out.
But it didnโt matter, Daniel wasnโt Hadesโ champion. She didnโt have to be afraid of that. And in truth, she wasnโt even scared about it with Pascal; it hadnโt affected their friendship.
The girl bounced on the balls of her feet, heart racing as she waited nervously for Daniel to come to the door. What was she nervous for? This was not a date, absolutely, totally, definitely not a date.
โIโm talking about this โ which is totally a date by the way, you tiny dumb mortal.โ Hermes shot back
Oh god, it was a date, wasnโt it? Lane didnโt have much experience with those. Sheโd been too busy working to support herself after she ran away. It was becoming clearer and clearer that she really needed adult supervision, someone to help her know how to not mess this up. Unfortunately, Hermes was the closest thing she had to that, and she wasnโt really sure how much sheโd class him as a mature adult.
Lane didnโt have a chance to reply, because that was when Daniel opened the door. She offered him a smile, and lifted her arms to show him a little bag she was holding.
โHey, Daniel!โ she greeted โI, um, I raided the kitchen for some snacks so we can kind of have a picnic if you want, when weโre on your magic beach. Just donโt tell Lorenzo I stole food.โ
Not that she really thought Enzo would care that much either way. He was always saying everyone was too skinny and needed feeding up, and so surely he wouldnโt complain. But still.
Who knew his many calories Lane was burning with her new speed abilities, anyway? It was definitely fine to raid the kitchen for a picnic.
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Demisexual
Leo
Surviving off Thai tea and Miguel O'hara
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Post by Leo on Nov 23, 2020 1:27:48 GMT -5
As Cleo dragged River away to a corner, the Ares champion looked around the room at all the people he had gotten hurt. Of the angry faces towards him, the demands to know what happened. His breath quickened quietly and he looked around in a panic.
And as Cleo accused him of lying, River finally locked eyes with them. There were many things he was kicking himself over right now. But being a liar was not one of them. He wasn't a liar. His lip twitched in agitation and his eyes narrowed as he lowered his voice. "I didn't-"
But he was interrupted by Pascal asking everyone to essentially leave. In the split second, after Pascal had spoken, River decided he was going to stay. He had messed up he might as well be one of the people to help fix it.
Pushing past Cleo, River got to work. Doing as the champion of hades asked, River asked his hands and moved around Pascal, helping him in any way that he could with Lorenzo's injuries. Which honestly wasn't much. He seemed to have everything under control despite the uneasiness on his face most of the time.
When it came to Lucien however, River couldn't bring himself to help. Not that Pascal needed it, it seemed. Guilt clogged his throat and he felt his hands shake as he looked at the boy's unconscious form.
No, instead, he stepped away and went to Jason. He seemed to have calmed down from earlier and was sitting silently on a cot, legs folded to his chest and his chin resting on his knees. His blind eyes stared at nothing as he lost himself in his own thoughts.
"How are you doing kid?" River asked quietly, alerting Jason to his presence. The boy tilted his head towards River but still didn't speak. Just directed a plain and cold look in the leader's direction. "You're right that was a stupid question," River agreed with a huff.
He sat down next to Jason and closed his eyes. Leaning over he ran his fingers through his hair. A wave of exhaustion ran through his body as he sighed and tried to ease his mind. But he just couldn't.
"You have every right to be mad at me, Jason."
"I'm not mad at you," Jason finally said. He was still looking at the floor but his head was inclined towards River again. His voice was calm and quiet, but there was a decisive and firm tone hidden in the words as well. "Disappointed and frustrated sure but I'm not mad... not anymore."
River looked up from his position at Jason in mild shock. After everyone yelling at him and demanding answers he didn't have right now, he didn't know how to take someone being so calm towards him. In all honesty, he was confused about what Jason's reasoning was.
"You can't be everywhere at once. You told me to stay behind you and I didn't. Instead, I ran out and got myself hurt. That's not your fault," Jason explained. He reached over and grabbed River's hand and squeezed it. "But, you're not completely without blame either..." He muttered and looked right over at River. Sightless eyes boring their message into River's.
Before River could say anything, Lucien was suddenly lurking forward and screaming. River got to his feet quickly and without a second thought started towards sunshine immediately. Even as Lucien caught sight of him and called him an asshole he didn't stop moving. Not until Lucien was standing on his own and River was able to wrap his arms around the boy.
He didn't say anything, it wouldn't have helped anyway. River just hugged him tightly the hitch in his breath the only thing conveying his feelings.
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Post by Lioncl on Nov 23, 2020 1:30:50 GMT -5
Daniel had been frantically cleaning up his room all morning. He had been spending more and more time training his powers so he wouldn't hold the others back in a fight that the state of his room kind of fell apart. It was mostly just dirty clothes that had piled up but he had woken up in the early morning just to get it all taken care of. He could hear Sobek's deep rumble-like laugh in his head occasionally. He hadn't heard the god laugh until the day he told Lane about his little beach. His mind flashed back to that day as he remembered spending time with her that day. They had gotten to know each other pretty well since the camping trip and he had started to learn when something was on Lane's mind. Daniel wasn't the type to pry into someone's personal business and Lane had been just as courteous in that respect but that day he could tell that something was bothering her and he had wracked his brain to figure out what he could do or say to help change her mood. That was when he told her about the beach and how it was the perfect place to take your mind off everything that was happening. That was when he invited her, though he hadn't expected Lane to agree to come over as quickly as she had.
Not long after him and Lane had parted ways for the night, Daniel was on his beach swinging on a hammock. Suddenly, Daniel heard a rumbling laugh coming from Sobek, "The hell's got you rolling? Did something happen wherever you are?" Daniel asked
Sobek continued laughing for a few more moments until he finally calmed down somewhat to speak to his champion. "It seems like you finally took your shot, boy, and in the most roundabout way possible" he said before going back to laughing.
Daniel stopped his swinging as the hammock continued to sway as he realized what the god had just said. See, Daniel hadn't fully thought through what he had said and was now panicking because of the crocodile god's words. He had meant it as only a way to help a friend get her mind off her issues but what if Lane had thought the same as Sobek and had only accepted just to be nice and not hurt his feelings. He needed to clear things up when she came over for the beach.
Even though Daniel had told himself that he needed to clear things up, he still wanted to make a good impression on Lane. He definitely didn't want his friend to think he was some kind of slob after all. He then heard a knock at the door and heard Lane talking on the other side of it. Daniel started to panic even more than before as he rushed to the bathroom to make sure his hair was neat or if he had anything stuck in his teeth. He rushed back to the door and took a deep breath before he finally opened the door to see Lane there holding some snacks. As soon as he saw her, a smile appeared on Daniel's face, which amused Sobek immensely. Daniel cursed himself though when he realized that he had forgotten to get any food ready for this and he was glad that Lane had brought some. "Thanks and don't worry I won't. Though I think he'll be kind of glad at the same time if I did" he said as he took a step to the side to let her in. "Um, come on in. I made sure to have Angelica stay away from us while you're here since I didn't know how you'd feel about having a giant crocodile near you constantly" He said
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Post by ฦคฮฑฦฦฮฑั โง on Nov 23, 2020 17:09:41 GMT -5
Lucien had barely managed to get to his feet, still wobbly and disoriented, when River suddenly pulled him into a hug. The blond stiffened at first, not at all sure how to react.
Hugging wasnโt something that happened to Lucien all that often. Well, not that heโd allow it if it did. Elara hugged him sometimes. His mother hugged him sometimes, but very rarely. Apart from that? No. So this was weird.
And even more weird because it was River and Lucien had no idea how their relationship could continue to function if they didnโt keep acting like they hated one another. It was true that he kind of saw the guy as a brother, but heโd never admit that.
โWhatโre you doing, you weirdo!โ he protested โGet offff.โ
Despite his groaning, River didnโt seem to be letting go, so Lucien eventually just let himself relax, sighing and looking at the others around him with a done expression.
โCan someone help?โ the boy asked the group, gesturing with an arm to River hugging him โIโve got a champion of Ares on me.โ
Eventually, though, he returned the hug, reaching up to grudgingly pat River on the back. Part of him wanted to hug River properly, let River pull him in and make him feel safe. Because to be honest, Lucien was kind of scared. Heโd never been that badly hurt before, heโd never passed out before either. Not to mention the fact that he was now questioning whether he was even good enough to be in the Ascendants. What kind of hero got taken down so easily?
He was just seventeen, and frightened.
He took in a deep breath, hoping River couldnโt feel how shaky it was. The guy had actually succeeded in making Lucien feel... almost safe, almost calm. And calm was not a word with which Lucien could normally ever be described. He remembered his fatherโs hugs had been like that, the ones Lucien could remember, anyway. Had anyway of making you feel safe and protected.
โYouโre going all soft on me, Gellis.โ Lucien commented when River released him from the hug โYou want to be careful, or Iโll start getting the impression you actually like me.โ
But that was when he remembered he was supposed to be mad at River. River, whoโd abandoned him to fight Styx so he could save Laurie instead.
โYou know, that's all people do, they leave you behind.โ
Styxโs words echoed in his ears as he folded his arms, looking at the redhead with narrowed eyes.
โDonโt think I donโt remember that you abandoned me,โ Lucien began sharply, the voice growing softer by the end โI can handle myself but... I thought you had my back.โ
Which he shouldnโt have done in the first place because he was supposed to have had Jasonโs. He understood that River couldnโt be everywhere at once, but still. It had to be worth saying though. He couldnโt just let River think Lucien hadnโt noticed, or that he wasnโt hurt.
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Post by ฦคฮฑฦฦฮฑั โง on Nov 23, 2020 18:26:32 GMT -5
Lane stepped inside when Daniel invited her in, turning to nod at his words about keeping his crocodile out of the way. That was valid, a valid response to keeping a crocodile as a pet and inviting a girl to visit. She couldnโt blame him for thinking it could maybe be a good idea to keep it out of the way.
โIโm always open to new experiences, but I think you made the right decision there.โ Lane laughed
That was when she finally got a glimpse of this magical beach heโd told her about, and her eyes widened as she turned to Daniel in surprise.
Wow, you get this all to yourself?โ she asked in surprise โthatโs pretty amazing.โ
She supposed it might get a little lonely for Daniel out here on his own all the time, so she was glad she could come out and spend time with him. Hermes was still insisting it was definitely a date, but sheโd managed to pretty much drown him out by now. It was like a white-noise machine.
She stepped out onto the sand, quickly finding a nice spot to settle down, putting the bag with the food next to her and patting the same to indicate Daniel should take a seat as she stretched her legs out in front of her, putting her hands down behind her and leaning back a little.
โHey,โ she asked after a moment of silence, looking over to him โdo you ever feel like youโre not good enough for the Ascendants? Like you shouldnโt be here?โ
A little heavy a question but she figure Daniel wouldnโt mind. It had been on Laneโs mind a lot recently. She often felt like she didnโt belong with the Ascendants and on top of that she was supposed to be dead. She just sometimes couldnโt shake the feeling that something was wrong and she didnโt belong.
Maybe she wasnโt crazy. Maybe Daniel felt that way sometimes too.
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Post by ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐จ on Nov 25, 2020 16:27:18 GMT -5
Echo herself nodded, a small amount of self-doubt clinging to her like poison, though Laurie's words eased it ever so slightly. Like a wind sweeping over the long-grass of a field, she could feel that wind of calmness settling back over. Everyone was hurt, yes, but relatively fine.
Uh, mostly.
"You're sure you're fine?" She questioned softly, voice cracking ever so slightly, still ever shy.
She still scuttled away to check up on the others. Leaving Laurie and Luka.
The Australian girl in question seemed to take notice of her own worry, a cloud of awareness washing over her as she practically jumped away, crossing her arms. "Did you just call me a puppy?" She questioned, faking offense. She was sure it was something in French, though it sounded like a strange mix of both poopy and puppy, coming out "poo-pay".
It's not like someone could particularly blame her for not liking Fenrir. He almost killed Chiara, and he ate people for fun. Granted, if she was a giant wolf, she could understand needing hobbies. It's just that, well, these people were her friends. Not like she'd openly admit it either, but the wolf scared her too. As he would likely scare anyone.
She almost broke out into chuckles, "I sure hope he didn't toss your salad," she started giggling then. Her voice a bit raspy for a few moments, because honestly, he walked into it.
It paused after a few moments, something seemed overly off. Laurie downplaying his injury seemed like something Luka herself would do. The whole ignoring the issue thing, but some injuries were to big to ignore. "Not that I honestly give a shit, but are you like, actually okay?" She glanced at her own hands, clenching them as she breezed past him, a certain stealth to her steps. "Whatever, I swear to Asgard if you don't just let me look at the cuts, I'm feeding your first born to Fenrir."
That was a invitation to follow her, also hypocrisy, but you know what, she was leader for a reason or whatever. Anything to possibly sidetrack him would help. She could certainly use his alcohol stashes to clean it, though that wouldn't be a need, hopefully.
She shrugged, "This place is no fun when you're not around. We don't have anyone to make fun of when team Liver isn't around." A grin thrown over her shoulder. Though it was kind of true, he was for sure a fun person, a type of energy that spread to others. A type of madness he instilled into the area.
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Post by ฦคฮฑฦฦฮฑั โง on Nov 25, 2020 18:01:34 GMT -5
Laurie, having assured Echo that he was indeed alright, watched as the young girl headed off to help the others. That was good. He didnโt want her to worry about him, and at least if she were to occupy herself with assisting the others she wouldnโt be spending all her time stressing or wondering if Laurie and River were alright.
โIt means uh, in English, doll? I think,โ Laurie answered โnot that I imagine you like that much better. Maybe petit serpent? Little snake?โ
He didnโt have much better suggestions than that. But just calling her Australienne was going to get old eventually, and with a French accent trying to pronounce Lucienโs favourite, โhiss hiss gโday mateโ, was a Herculean effort.
Her comment about Fenrir caused him to lightly nudge her with a laugh.
โPlease, he wishes,โ Laurie scoffed โIโm a classy bitch, Luka, you know this.โ
Nothing seemed to have succeeded in diverting Luka from her desire to look at his injuries, but at least she wasnโt trying to take him to Medbay. He could live with letting her look at them if it meant he didnโt have to go to Medbay, whereโd heโd just feel guilty.
โReally, Iโm fine,โ Laurie insisted โBut he did rip a perfectly good shirt which seemed a little uncalled for.โ
Rip off a leg? Fine. Bite off a hand? Fair game. But Laurie drew the line at ripping his favourite clothes.
No, he did not have his priorities right. No, he honestly didnโt care about it.
โBold of you to assume I donโt just split into two Lauries but okay I guess,โ he joked โbut fine, you can look at them I guess. I just donโt want to crowd the Medbay. Itโs my fault so many of the people in there got hurt in the first place.โ
He didnโt often admit stuff like that, normally wouldโve just joked to hide the guilt. But there was no point in not getting it out there. He knew Cleo blamed River but that wasnโt fair because it was Laurieโs too. River wouldโve never had to save him if Laurie had focused and made better decisions.
Why would he want to be reminded of that?
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Post by ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐จ on Nov 29, 2020 16:24:27 GMT -5
Cleo glared at River, there was no excuse for what he had done, but when Pascal got to work, they quickly fled, leveling one last look at River.
They gave him a chance to answer. But all he could do was glare. It was answer enough.
Love was dangerous, they knew that. They saw it. Love made people blind, made people favor others over what truly mattered. They didn't have time for that, they didn't have the ability to even handle that.
And if River couldn't realize where his priorities should be, then neither River nor Laurie could be allowed to endanger anyone else.
First would be a choice, they'd vote on it. If River refused, then the choice would become a trial over his placement as a leader.
With one final glare back through the windows of the med-bay, they paused as they spotted Laurie down the hall, glaring at him for good measure before they stepped into the Council's office, glancing at the scale they had yet to use. A scale of decisions, gifted by Ma'at herself.
"It's for the best, Clementine." Ma'at whispered, soothingly, "Sometimes these kind of choices can be hard. I can't tell you what to pick, dear, but I can tell you that you're making a hard decision. Don't let them sway it."
Cleo nodded, sighing in a long manner, forlorn for a moment. Sitting at the table, they picked up their stone, a sigil of a scale glowing on it. A leader's stone, one for casting these important votes. No such vote would be needed, they hoped. Hopefully they could come to a decision on their own.
"Only if you need to, Cleo. A decision like that is almost impossible to undo. It's much easier to make a decision than to undo it's effects."
They closed their hands around it, burying their head into their arms with a long tired sigh, aching joints protesting against their movements.
Luka decided to lead Laurie out of the increasingly crowded room, finding that the poor guy probably wanted a nap or something. Though they frowned slightly as they spotted Cleo storming into the Council room. They were mad at River, she knew that much. But they just glared at Laurie too, though to be fair they glared at everyone.
"Who pissed in their pot of peas?" Luka seethed slightly, rolling her eyes before stepping forward again, flipping off the closed door to the room for good measure as they walked past.
"Leave it to you to be forlorn over your disgusting fashion sense in a time like this," The snort of disbelief was a bit louder than intended, but it still fit, "Be lucky he didn't leave lasting damage," and her voice had dropped slightly. A bit of a haunted look crossed over her face, sure it had been annoying at the time, but Fenrir could have very well have ripped Chiara's arm off and killed her. And Luka had just laid down, winded from being stepped on.
Maybe she was a monster. She shook off the thoughts though, glaring back at him, "It's not your fault they got hurt. Unless you were the one that stabbed Lucien with arrows and did us all the favor of a few bloody hours of silence, then you aren't to blame."
Laurie wasn't to blame for everything that went down, Penny and Styx were formidable foes, according to Guinevere and Lane, and Fenrir was a nightmare incarnate. Surely nothing could have been to blame on Laurie.
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Post by ฦคฮฑฦฦฮฑั โง on Nov 29, 2020 17:39:37 GMT -5
Laurie had, of course, caught Cleoโs glare. Their harsh look gave rise to a pang in his chest, as he war reminded of the people whoโd been hurt. The people lying in the Medbay right at that moment.
It brought back memories of his father when he was in one of his worst moods. When he said Laurie was a waste of space because he didnโt abandon his dream of going to pursue acting rather than getting what his father deemed a โproperโ job. As if acting was somehow not a proper job.
Or when Laurieโs parents would argue. And his father would say Laurieโs mother should think about the kids for once.
โAll Iโve done since I was 20 years old was think about the kids!โ Laurie remembered his mother yelling spitefully once
โOuais, c'est รงa, itโs all about us,โ he remembered Denise muttering as she put a plate of toast sheโd made for him on the dining room table before him, Laurie being forced to hide his smile at his sisterโs words behind a napkin so his father didnโt see.
โItโs a long story,โ Laurie sighed in response to Lukaโs words โbut River left Lucien to take on Styx alone to save me from Fenrir so theyโre mad at both of us. And he promised Jason heโd have his back and he didnโt.โ
That last part technically wasnโt Laurieโs fault, but still. He felt pretty bad about the rest of it in fairness.
Laurie raised an eyebrow in mock offence, planting a hand on his chest, when Luka insulted his fashion sense.
โHow dare you, Iโm French - which automatically makes my fashion sense better than everyone elseโs here. Itโs not my fault youโre so behind the times, little snake.โ Laurie responded
But he grew more serious when Luka did, and that haunted expression crossed her face.
โTrust me, Iโm fine. He was trying to eat me; if heโd gotten the chance to leave lasting damage Iโd be in his stomach right now.โ he reassured her
Technically his leg did hurt terribly. But he also didnโt exactly see what Pascal could do for it. Prevent infection? Laurie could use alcohol to do that. Beyond that it would just have to heal.
Now Luka was insisting it wasnโt Laurieโs fault, and the boy waved her off.
โYou donโt have to try to make me feel better, Luka. If Iโd made smarter decisions in that fight I would never have been in a position where River was forced to save me.โ
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Post by ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐จ on Dec 1, 2020 12:53:50 GMT -5
Luka had chuckled at his ramblings, she certainly enjoyed Laurie's company. He was funny, but he seemed honest too.
Not that she particularly cared about honesty, but he didn't fake who he was to please other people. He was true to himself.
She didn't care much for this constant blame of himself, though. Couldn't really blame him, but it was pretty annoying. No one could magically go back in time and fix whatever they did wrong, which means that they had to deal with the consequences, whether they liked it or not. If they made a choice, they had to see it through.
And even if she wasn't there, she sincerely doubted Laurie was in any position to be doing anymore than he did in that fight. No one had faced more than one Exile before, and she personally knew what Fenrir was like.
"I think River is his own person, you can't force him to do anything." Turning a corner into one of the more isolated rooms, an extra one if you please, she opened the door and stepped inside, looking around for some bandages. She was sure alcohol would be covered by Laurie, but it would be best to use the medical grade - no Laurie you can't drink that - brand.
"And using your supposed argument, then it's my fault Chiara almost died in our fight. If I made smarter decisions, then the turnout could have been different. But I didn't, can't go back and fix it now, so there's no point stressin' over it. And in that case, I'm one of the bloody leaders here, mate, which would make me even more guilty." She gathered the last of the things she'd need. Sitting in a chair opposite of him and gesturing for him to reveal his cuts, "Everyone is guilty of a lapse of alertness or attention to detail, everyone freezes up sometimes, experiences fear, even Cleo."
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Post by ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐จ on Dec 1, 2020 13:44:56 GMT -5
As of Chapter 12, Lucien has killed Pascal. Cleo themselves takes to tending to an injured Theodore, as most other careers pawn the task on them. The Careers have tracked down Pascal into a valley and Lucien kills him. Unfortunately, the Careers decide to camp in this valley, unknowingly trapping Guinevere, Ariella, and Laurie. Offscreen Seely has been killed, this will be reflected on in a later chapter.
Days pass by with both groups, with at least one career remaining at a time. As thirst and hunger set in for Laurie and the others, they desperately think of what to do to get away, as the Careers have weapons and all they have is Laurie's knife. Laurie overhears them, however, as they talk about the missing key. Amidst this all, infection has set it on Guinevere's wounds. By the second or third night, she instructs Laurie and Ariella to run, running and fighting the Careers herself. As Ariella and Laurie escape, they hear her canon. She injures Sanna in this fight.
The POV would switch to Cleo. Clementine reflects on the murders thus far, and the missing key, who they know someone took. Irene suggests Luka, and states that she is a target, but Sanna points out that they need to lower numbers first. Amidst the arguing, Clementine shuts them up, pointing out Laurie(this is the next day), it is sunset, the viewpoint shifts as Laurie screams. Meanwhile, Echo is tagging on with River, who is hopelessly looking for Laurie. When Laurie doesnโt show up with the dead, he is extremely relieved, but admits that they must find him. In the morning, Echo notes the warmer climate her and River have found on the rocks, and the many dangerous gaps in the rocks and plants. The two decide to scout out keys.
The next chapter would be Atticus, who would see Seely die at Irene's hands on the TV. Seely's neck is broken, and Irene was out on a hunt with Chiara. Due to the death of his tribute, he immediately disdains the girl and her allegiance with the career pack. A timeskip does occur, reflecting things we have't seen yet to the present. Heโs surprised when he sees his crush send a sponsor gift to the boy from 8. Kaz, Lane, and Daniel have formed a pack, sticking close together, with Lane and Daniel growing close. Ariella and Laurie are searching for River and Echo(It's revealed that Laurie was able to escape the careers with minor injuries by using the bluffs). The career pack starts to fray as the group breaks out in arguments over the keys, which have yet to be found. On her own, Luka has hidden herself in the caves, the key she stole still with her. The other two keys are yet to be found. The end scene is ominous, reflecting on the heavy snow starting to melt, along with some of the ice to the northern end of the arena, which seems to start raise the water that Laurie is reflected to be sleeping on(which was originally a rock over a snow bank).
The next chapter deals with the first Arena event, Luka realizes in horror that water is rising in the arena, and makes a run to escape the caves. She slips, however, as she is about to exit, falling into the deep chasms below, her fall only broken by the water. She reflects on the feeling of drowning all chapter, under responsibility, under fear, and now by the water. It cuts off as she is trapped in the waves. It skips to the Careers, who have seemed to track a tribute into the caves, as Clementine notes. A river below seems to contain a bright object, but shaking from an earthquake causes their target, Luka, to fall into the waves. Clementine is horrified as rocks start falling, separating out the Careers. They watch in horror as one crushes Eydan, killing him, with no other choice, the group is cut off, with Lucien falling into the water as the others make their escape.
In chapter 16, Echo realizes in horror that an arena event is threatening the arena after days without deaths. They have yet to find Laurie, but they know heโs alive. As the rocks shake underneath, and some fall, Echo watches in horror as River is injured. From nearby Echo finally spots Laurie and Ariella, the later injured with an infected wound. She screams for help as River is unconscious. It skips to Atticus again, who is with Catullus, watching as Daniel tried to help Lane through the cracks as the arena event surges on. Kaz had been gone, collecting supplies. Despite the flourishing relationship, once they think their free, Daniel goes to pull Lane in for a hug, pressing their foreheads together sweetly. Itโs ruined quickly, Daniel is horrified when Lane pushes him out of the way of an avalanche, pushing him into cover. Almost immediately she is killed.
In the cave, Lucien attempts to get the key when he ends up in the underground river. Luka is still alive, though drowning, with the key wrapped around her neck like a necklace. Lucien, realizing the careers are gone as it is, decides to keep Luka alive and thus saves her. As they reach a land peak, the two enter an argument. In return for saving her, Lucien wants the key, though Luka rejects the idea, stating that if he wants it he should have let her die. Lucien points out that 2 people is better than 1 for finding the keys, and they can both get out. Realizing the truth in the statement, Luka agrees. As they try to make it out of the flooding caves, they run into an injured Kaz, who fell into the chasms after the Earthquake. They decide to stick together until they can find the keys. Meanwhile, Ariella is with the group, though her infection is worsening. River is injured, and all of them have hidden in the warmer southern end of the Arena, near the peaks.
Theodore himself is with Clementine and Irene, who have been separated from Naida and Sanna. The three are not locked in the caves, and find a quick escape. However, they decide to track down Luka. When they do, Lucien and Kaz hold off Irene and Cleo, though Theodore sneaks up on Luka, and the two start fighting over the key. Meanwhile, as fever sets in, Laurie comforts Ariella as she dies. The chapter ends at the halfway point as Luka is about to be pushed off the bluffs by Theodore, but the girl turns, grabbing a venom dart she had snagged from the cornucopia, and stabbing it into Theodore's side, killing him. Realizing they're outnumbered, Cleo and Irene escape, but not without leaving a chilling warning to the group.
"We'll be watching and waiting to strike"
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Post by ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐จ on Dec 1, 2020 14:24:32 GMT -5
At the beginning of the second part, Liver fluff ensues. River has woken up and comforts Laurie over the death of his friends. Echo is happy they are both alive, and the three set off to find the keys, determined to stay alive. Meanwhile, Cleo and Irene run into Naida and Sanna. With four people, they realize they can take out Kaz(who is injured), and Luka and Lucien. Chiara is also with the group, but much more wary of what is occurring, realizing that with the numbers low, she can't trust the group. In the middle of the night, she leaves.
An upset Daniel staggers through the arena, though his mood brightens the slightest bit when he spots a glowing object, a key. Though as soon as he begins walking towards it, one of the stones under his foot sinks. A spear shoots out of the nearby statue, impaling him. This is near the North side of the Arena, on the now riverside area.
Liver fluff continues, the two stargazing together, talking about their lives. They hold hands, and end up kissing as well, as Echo stares on in joy. The hope of finding the keys brightens as the numbers dwindle slightly, and the idea that the three of them could survive increases. It dampens slightly when Laurie receives another ambiguous parachute from a sponsor, warning him of River's tricks and aliases to Echo before him. Perturbed, he ignores it, but stashes the note.
A few days pass, Luka, Lucien, and Kaz journeying towards the South mountains, away from the caves and flood. They actually have fun as a group, growing closer as friends and singing stupid songs while joking about the other tributes. It's ruined when the spot Chiara, though the girl doesn't attack. She only says "Listen," before leaving the group. At this point, they are ambushed by the remaining careers. Kaz is killed by a hit to the head by Cleo with a staff.
In the fight that ensues, Cleo and Irene corner Luka. Lucien runs, though it's revealed he's climbing, as an arrow shoots into Naida's back and kills her. As Cleo and Irene chase after Luka, Sanna takes it upon herself to handle Lucien, grabbing her own throwing knives. Lucien gets a shot into her shoulder, but she lands one into his abdomen. He falls off the bluff he climbed on, though his death is not as fast as he would wish. Meanwhile, Luka fetches out a set of matches she had in her bag, lighting one and throwing it behind her. The southern end of the arena is an extreme, rocky still, but also dry. Some kindling takes up, but it only deals some minor burns and keeps the careers away. Cleo clears the brush, shoving Luka into one of the rocks. The two fight, with Cleo eventually strangling Luka. Finding a sharpened stone, however, Luka is able to escape the hold. Securing one of the arrows Lucien had given her as backup, she dips it into her poison she has made of the flowers in the arena. stabbing it into Cleo's back, and fleeing as they die.
With Naida, Lucien, Cleo, and Kaz dead, Luka flees, retrieving Lucien's arrow and mourning over the friends she had made. Chiara is revealed to have watch the whole event from the higher bluffs, watching as Sanna and Irene escape the fire.
In the night of the next day, Luka is stumbling, injured and fatigued. She happens near the Liver camp, in which River retrieves his weapon. As he stalks upon her, ready to kill, Laurie, who is awake, throws a dagger right in front of Luka, causing the girl to become alert. She looks at him, but he only grins in reply. "You've certainly looked better," he would comment or something like that, sassy French boy he his. Luka responds in kind, quickly making a deal of showing off the key. She throws it to Laurie, shrugging slightly. He throws it back, commenting that maybe, for then, it would be best to stick together. River argues, though Echo affirms Laurie's comment. Even with only three keys, River and Laurie are injured, and the careers would be more wary to attack another career.
As such, come morning, the group gets to know each other more. Sharing their story of how they have gotten this far. Luka reveals what she had to do, killing Theo and Cleo, though she comments that they were careers, they couldn't be trusted. Laurie and River lean into each other, thinking over what they should do. They know when push comes to shove, they have to keep Echo alive. Interrupting them, Luka affirms that mission. She mentions that she was giving them the key in the first place because of Echo. Agreed, they all decide to protect the youngest member of their group.
Come a few days later, the group ventures further south, the the border of the arena. Spotting a glowing object, Echo recognizes a key and rejoices in the fact that she can be helpful.
"A key!" Echo yelled out, already running towards the small island of stone, which held the key on a scepter. The wind battled against her face, a feeling of euphoria overcoming her in glee. She could finally help them all, and they could all come out alive.
"Echo!" River yelled out, panicked, already taking after her.
Echo looks back, laughing slightly and pointing it out. Laurie insists on getting it himself as they realize the stone is balanced on a pillar, with a long drop beneath. Luka points out that she herself should do it, as it looks unstable and she's more trained in dealing with long jumps and unstable areas. Realizing that this is something she can do, Echo backs up, running and jumping towards the stone.
She lands, a bit roughly. The stone seemed to shake in it's instability, but she stands up all the same. Grabbing the key, she prepares to jump over the gap again. As she steps though, she knocks over the scepter holding up the key, which causes cracks and fractures to spread through the stone. She throws the key over to Laurie, who catches it, and jumps.
However, she jumps when the rock crumbles beneath her, her outstretched hand skims River's, but is unable to secure a hold, and she falls. Teary eyed, sobbing out for her, Luka screams a warning as the pillar crashes into the rocks below, causing fractures in the area they stand.
Echo's scream lasts for a long while, cut off with a canon, signifying just how long the fall would be. |
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Post by ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐จ on Dec 1, 2020 15:39:51 GMT -5
Desolate and heartbroken, Laurie gives the key to River, who is mourning Echo. Luka distances herself from the problem at hand, coldly insisting that they can't do anything to change the past now. River snaps at her cruelty, pointing out that Echo died trying to help all of them. Luka retorts that giving up won't accomplish anything. She regards both of them, realizing they need time. That night, as she explores some, she spots Chiara nearby, who has the other key(solved the stone riddle, go Chiara!). Realizing that if she wants to live, Luka needs that key, she takes chase. She rationalizes that Laurie and River will kill her for the key if she doesn't get the third.
Irene and Sanna are still partnered up, and have been tracking the groups down. They spot two lights, one from Chiara's key, and one from Luka's, as the two play cat and mouse, essentially. Chiara stops then, turning and raising a sling she has.
"I'm not afraid of you", Luka will say.
Chiara rolls her eyes, shifting her aim and shooting behind Luka, hitting someone who gives off a strangled cry(Irene). "I'm not the one you should fear."
Luka is about to question her, but Chiara's already gone, leaving Luka with Sanna and Irene. Lamenting over how she keeps getting stuck in these shitty situations, Luka uses a tactic she learned in District 2, from the female the year before, Macaria, to stay alive. Using snark, she agitates Sanna slightly. Leaving herself vulnerable to an attack from Irene, Luka ducks Sanna's next attack, pushing Irene into it instead. With a not gaping cut, Luka looks at Sanna, her own arm bloody from the attack by Irene, though she grins and drops her matches and bag onto the ground, setting fire to the areas(which she lead them too). Sanna regards Irene coolly, retrieving the bag and leaving Irene in the fire(because...fire twins do be doing the fire).
The canon wakes a cuddling River and Laurie up, who realize Luka is gone, and both see smoke on the horizon. Laurie is worried about her, but River is a bit sour over what she had said. Still, they both take off looking for her.
Luka escapes, coughing, ashes and cinders clinging to her. Chiara walks up to her, guiding her while talking to her. The two discuss their chances, sitting on a cliffside. Luka makes a comment about having to eventually kill Chiara over the key. Chiara shrugs, taking it off. She hands it to Luka, standing up then. Luka questions her over that move, but Chiara only sighs, parting with Luka by telling her to "Look".
Luka, with both keys, runs back to the boys. Laurie and River question her over what has occurred, but she shrugs them off. She gives each boy a key, marveling at their excitement over the turn of events. River and Laurie start making plans of what to do when they get out, which Luka offers sarcastic comments on. When they question her on what she plans to do, she freezes up a bit. She reveals that her mother went insane a while back, lashing out at people and killing Luka's remaining family. Her role in these games was to avenge her image, though she mentions that she became exactly that, a killer. The conversation ends somberly when they continue onwards, though Luka fiddles with the key more.
In the next chapter, Luka glances at the key Chiara had given her, spotting a etched in code on the glass. Leaving the boy once more in the night, she realizes Chiara had made a map of the arena on the key. Each area corresponds with a part of the message, a warning. Spotting Chiara one last time, who is sitting on that cliff-face still, Chiara points to her mouth, whispering the word "End".
When Laurie and River track Luka down, they find her sitting on a cliff-face, the key cradled in her hands, a distant look in her eyes. River asks her what is wrong, though she only glances at him. She repeats Chiara's message of "Listen, Look, End." and returns her attention to the key. She tells them there's no way out, and insists the key was a ploy. Laurie tries to reason with her that they don't know that, but Luka drops the key off the cliff, watching as it shatters.
Walking away, Luka snaps at Laurie when he tries to stop her. She warns them that it's best to end it all now. She mentions that they have a poison, unless they rid of it, it too will kill them, before leaving the two. Warning them that distance is best now, and that no one can afford to care any longer.
Laurie tries to chase after Luka, but River stops him, reminding him that Luka just destroyed the third key, and now only two can get out alive. Upset, both boys accept that fate, deciding the camp on the bluff while forlornly looking at the stars.
That night, Chiara and Luka run into one another again, deciding on a truce of sorts, Chiara gives some of her water to Luka. Before drinking it, Luka reveals that she knows what Chiara had done. Chiara comments that it's best if Luka drink the poison now, rather than wait for a more painful death to come along. Luka is insistent she will not die, and the two break out into a fight. Chiara uses her sword to stab at Luka, as Luka dips her dagger into the poisoned water and cuts Chiara first across the cheek, later with a stab to the abdomen. Both sink down, talking to each other as they slowly die, reminiscing on the circumstances so far.
"You're not so bad, Belcher."
"Neither are you, Ravana."
With 2 canons sounded, Laurie gets another parachute, warning him that River might just betray him yet. Ripley gives a small reminder of what Luka had said, questioning Laurie on if he would really want to be betrayed like that, and gifting the boy a small pint of alcohol.
Ignoring the message, Laurie pockets the alcohol.
As they mourn over those dead so far, they spot Sanna in the distance. This is the final battle, with only 3 left, and with their wounds becoming infected, they don't have time to wait.
Sanna compliments them on their bravery, she herself tired from the fighting, but unwilling to give up. As she and River fight, she realizes targeting Laurie would work better. Dodging River, she knock his knife out of his hand, using it to stab Laurie. River quickly spears her, killing her, and catches a collapsing Laurie. A lengthy cut lashes over River's face from the fight as well.
As the two wait for the hovercraft, River using some fabric to try and stop the bleeding, he begins crying in worry after minutes of wait.
Eventually, a mournful Catullus or Louden reveals that the key rule is no longer effective, and there shall be only 1 winner of the games. With Laurie bleeding out, he tells River to put him out of his misery. River refuses, proclaiming his love for Laurie and refusing to leave. River recalls Luka's words, floundering for the key. cracking the top, he realizes there is liquid inside of the key, which he quickly realizes is poison, as Luka had warned(Which they originally thought meant their love, but was quite literal). Realizing they won't have much time, he cracks Laurie's as well, offering it to him.
"One last drink, they will have no victor this year".
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Post by Lioncl on Dec 2, 2020 2:50:20 GMT -5
Daniel let out a chuckle "I would hope so though if you do want to say hi to her, she's super friendly and really sweet. Was really not expecting that when I first saw her" he said as he followed her outside. He rubbed the back of his head "Yeah, I guess it is pretty amazing. I don't know how Sobek did it, but the sunrises and sunsets are really beautiful to watch. Anyways, I'm glad I finally have someone that I can share this with"
Daniel walked over to where Lane was sitting and sat down beside her. When she asked the question, Daniel was a bit shocked that that was one of the first things she had brought up. To be honest, he wasn't expecting the deep hitting questions til later. He let out a sigh as he looked out to the water "You know, I brought you here so you could relax and forget whatever has been troubling you lately" he said before turning his head to look at her. "But to answer your question, pretty much all the time. I haven't done much for the team and it's starting to bug me. That's why I'm usually training in here with Sobek so that when it is time for me to step up, I won't drag everyone down. But is that why you've been so down lately? Because I'm sure that out of everyone that Hermes could have chosen, he chose the best candidate and that's you" he said
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Post by Nariku The Avaricious on Dec 3, 2020 19:00:16 GMT -5
Pascal lied in the open cot, using a wet rag to wipe the sweat off of his face. He was glad to know Lucien seemed to regain consciousness, though he was concerned that the boy seemed adamant on moving around and helping the others with his healing powers. While the help was appreciated, he worried that overexerting his powers could lead to issues down the line.
Though, Pascal didnโt make any move to stop him. Lucien was too stubborn to listen anyway. Plus, he was still trying to figure out what the boy meant by โDoogieโ. That wasnโt even close to his name???
Meanwhile, Theo lied on his side as he listened to Lucien and River converse. Heโd taken the painkillers the Hades kid had given him, but he was silently wondering how long it would take for them to kick in. His shoulder hurt like h*ll and it frustrated him to know that there wasnโt much that could be done about it. It wasnโt Pascalโs fault, he was doing the best he could. It was that stupid dog and that stupid girl. Just thinking about it made his body ache.
Though, his attention was soon drawn to what sounded like River hugging Lucien. He couldnโt see what they were doing, since he was facing the opposite direction, but he could hear what sounded like the older boy crying and apologizing. Theoโs head sunk into his arm, his eyes looking down at the cot under him.
โMust be nice to have someone willing to cry for him I guess,โ he muttered under his breath, quiet enough so it couldnโt be heard. It would be bad to say that he was jealous about the attention, so he didnโt dare say it out loud.
Pascal sat up a little bit when River walked over and asked if he needed anything. The young man didnโt look him in the eye and instead seemed to stare straight ahead, his eyes glazing over.
โCoffee would be nice,โ he responded, with a notable level of exhaustion โI havenโt checked to see if the coffee pot got fixed though.โ
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Post by ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐จ on Dec 4, 2020 1:01:59 GMT -5
"Leander!" A bought of laughter, a shrill cry as the snowball crashed into Lorenzo's face, causing him to scuttle back. A vacation was what they were on, and he chased after his brother. Sunlight streamed upon soft snow, too cold to melt it, but causing a beautiful glisten on the small crystals.
His sisters were laughing as they launched snowballs as well, and his parents were sharing drinks, watching their children in humor.
A happy, full family. But it shifted so easily. Quickly shifted to pain, much darker. A gloomy day, where now sunlight would bless Enzo with it's presence.
Enzo had a bundle of oleanders and lilies and chrysanthemums. He placed the flowers on the ground before, looking at the stone before him. The name on there haunted him, staring back with an ache tearing his whole world to shreds.
Leander Alexander.
The tears that followed were an onslaught, uncontrollable.
"I miss you, brother."
Lorenzo woke with a gasp, tears in his eyes, which slowly fell down his cheeks against his will. Flashes of a smile, a corpse, and a stone in his mind before he finally forced himself to look at the light overhead. Light, a focus, something he could look at and use to center himself.
Healing or not, the boy wanted to be gone from this area. His immediate panic was about Lucien, whose fiery temper was reminiscent of Leander. Once he looked over, spotting River near the boy, he sighed in relief, sinking back into the bed. He looked around to Jason as well, maneuvering his body in his panic over the boy.
The movement elicited a cry of pain from him, though he glanced up, spotting Jason, a sigh or relief escaping him. He couldn't stand the though of one of the younger kids being injured due to his incompetence, well...dead at least.
Not...not again.
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Post by ฦคฮฑฦฦฮฑั โง on Dec 4, 2020 5:53:39 GMT -5
Lucien normally would have made some sort of joke about River crying, but it was such a shock to Lucien that he didn't know how to react to it. River had been that concerned for him? In the end he'd accepted the hug, even hugging River back a little. It felt good to be hugged.
Still, he cared nothing for River's apologies, waving the other boy off.
"I said I was mad at you," he clarified "I never said I blamed you."
River had done what he thought he needed to. And after all, Lucien didn't know that he really saw it as River's fault that he'd gotten injured. Lucien was a leader too, he should've been able to handle himself. River should have been with Jason like he promised, and that wouldn't have stopped Lucien from being hurt.
"Yeah, you've got zero chance of telling me what to do, War Boy." Lucien commented drily "and I'll be coming to try and heal you at some point. None of your stupid self-crucifying."
He knew what River was like. He would try and refuse healing as much as possible. Lucien wasn't having that crap, not this time. He couldn't be bothered to argue with people about it.
The boy was still a tad wobbly on his feet, but he didn't feel so in pain anymore. He was functioning, at least, which meant it was time to help Pascal. Theo and Enzo looked the worst, so he figured he'd help Lorenzo first.
Enzo seemed more concerned about the wellbeing of everyone else, but Lucien knew he looked pretty bad.
Pascal had already done most of the work for Lucien, cleaning the wound out and setting it in the right positoin. Those were things Lucien couldn't do; helping with infection and setting broken bones. He could only accelerate healing, which meant his job now was accelerating the healing of the bone.
"Hey, Sunboy," Lucien greeted as he approached "You're all good, let me take a look at that."
He leaned over and laid his hand very lightly on Enzo's leg, not wanting to hurt him. Like always, he closed his eyes, making sure to grab onto the rail by the bed with his free hand. This was about to hurt.
It took a few moments but it seemed that Apollo was feeling extra sympathetic after Lucien himself got hurt because the ability came easily, Lucien's swallowing down a cry at the sharp pain in his leg. His grip on the rail grew tighter until his knuckles whitened. It wasn't so bad, though. Painful like always, but overall not too bad. He wondered if the painkillers that Pascal had given Enzo were somehow helping Lucien.
It took a few moments but eventually it was done, Lucien removing its hand with its new scar from Enzo's leg.
"Good as new. But uh...I still wouldn't try running around anytime soon." he warned
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Post by ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐จ on Dec 4, 2020 14:18:25 GMT -5
Choices were hard to make, choices, so minute in appearance, but so detrimental if the wrong one was made. Choices dictated fate, and fate dictated life. One simple choice, as small as it looked, could create a chain of events that could ruin everything they had made.
Everyone had looked to them, from the beginning, as Ma'at's chosen, for the matter of wrong and right. Which choice was best? Which choice kept them safe? It was the foundation of why they were elected, they presumed, but also the reason people obeyed what they said.
People trusted them, because they were supposed to know the truth. But the truth could be such an ugly thing to confront. A poison, really. Truth was, they didn't know what it was like to be on the receiving end of affection. So they looked at it like anything else, it was a choice.
It wasn't, but now it had to be. When it endangered them, it became a choice. When the choice of affection over safety won out, then danger would follow. Cleo didn't like the truth they were presented with by Styx, but they saw the truth in it, and they couldn't ignore it. Not when they almost lost kids to that recklessness.
People looked to them for order, so order would prevail. They had to make sure of it, no matter what it took.
The screech of a chair was heard as they pushed themselves to a stand, fiddling with the leader's rune they had, one of the seven in the Pantheon. That was, before they heard Ma'at.
"They are awake, Cleo. It's time to discuss what when down today." She was so soft, a softer side to judgement, not any less cold in the standard of brutality, but a lot more gentle, understanding. It was a contrast to Cleo's own viewpoint of being brute and cold and straight to the point. A side more willing to act than just regard and judge.
They nodded, walking to the middle chair of the front chair, with three to either side. Just like that you would see in an actual court. A small button before them, a intercom that was connected to each leader, for times of communication needing to be done. They hit it, watching as their own small watch started flickering with a small buzz. They then turned to the intercom to the whole Pantheon, taking a deep breath.
"Every leader should report to the Council room, we have matters to discuss." Emotionless voice filtering through, they looked down, tucking their head into their arms for a few moments. Tired, they were so tired.
They lifted it still, sighing out evenly. Through their nose first, a calming exercise they had learned from their Counselor before Ma'at. As people began to enter, they gestured to the chairs on the council table, overlooking the room. Eyes locked ahead as they placed their arms on the table in a gentle, orderly manner.
Luka glanced away from Laurie's wounds, which she made quick work of cleaning out with sarcastic comments added in, and string of slang and curses thrown out when she struggled with bandaging it. She was much more accustomed to dealing with her own wounds. Eventually a kind of sloppy one was thrown on, an annoyed look crossing her face as a small device on a necklace she wore started blinking. A roll of the eyes, as she lifted it gingerly, glancing at it, with eyes narrowing, "Cleo."
She looked back up to Laurie, though she quickly glanced up at the sound of Cleo's voice beckoning them, the leaders, to the Council office. That didn't set well at all, and she glanced back at Laurie, "Behave yourself. The medical alcohol isn't digestible so don't even try to drink it."
One final glance at her friend, and she turned out the door. The feeling of foreboding only increased as she entered the council's office, regarding a level glare with Cleo, "Already on your throne, your majesty?"
"We don't have time for your games, Luka. This room is for the adults, so act like one."
Luka snorted, mumbling some like "as if," under her breath, but taking her seat on the further seat to the right, it was as far as she could get from the stick-in-the-mud, but sadly kept her out of some of the action when arguments between the angry twins broke out.
It would suffice for the day though, she honestly would prefer to be anywhere else as it was.
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