Demisexual
Leo
Surviving off Thai tea and Miguel O'hara
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Post by Leo on May 25, 2021 11:31:00 GMT -5
Daniel felt a sense of relief when the pressure on his shoulder released after his bite on Fenrir's leg. But that relief was short-lived as he let out a loud groan when Fenrir once again bit him, this time in the neck. Even though Fenrir didn't break the skin, especially since the back of his neck was the most heavily armored part of a crocodile, the pressure from the bite was still extremely uncomfortable. With Daniel's jaws locked on Fenrir's foreleg, it was going to be tough to try and get out of Fenrir's bite. Daniel raised his arms above his head and tried to grab Fenrir by his jaws to try and forcibly open Fenrir's jaw. Daniel figured it would have been a bad move to release Fenrir's leg because then he could just be tossed around like a rag doll by the wolf. Fenrir was doing his damn best to puncture the scales of this child. With every bit of pain he felt from Daniel biting down on his leg, the wolf returned the favor by digging harder. His teeth ached and his jaws were starting to get tired. But, he wasn't going to give up. A loud snarl that echoed against the walls came from Fenrir's throat as Daniel reached up and began prying his snout open. His eyes flashed angrily and he struggled against the crocodile's hold. Well, angry was an understatement. Growling and snarling as Daniel started gaining some success, Fenrir pressed harder. He was not going to let go, not unless they were his terms. Dropping suddenly, the giant wolf threw all of his weight back and to the ground, using all of his own weight to flip them over. So Fenrir could get to the softer belly tissue and do some real damage.
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Post by 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨 on May 25, 2021 22:23:09 GMT -5
Echo felt fear coating her veins, looking back to spot Ripley chasing after her. She pushed herself harder, feet bouncing off of tiles, but she fell over Laurie, the necklace, her key, falling from her hands when she hit the ground rolling.
As she realized she dropped it, she frantically tried to right herself, reaching out blindly to grab it, her hands just mere inches from it, if she just moved slightly more, she could get it.
The corner of her eyes caught some movement, Ripley, most likely, and the glint of something metal, but she was hyperfocused on getting her key. The adrenaline, the need to run, to flee.
Her hand halted in it's travel, eyes widening, a scream ripping it's way past her lips as pain bloomed from her leg. All thoughts seemed to evaporate as the pain clouded her mind. There was adrenaline in her mind, but no amount of fear could block out the pain, white-hot and burning.
The boy had grabbed at the necklace, her panicked, pain-filled eyes barely caught the movement as she readjusted her body to get pressure off the wound, as if that would help. But the shock set in quickly, spotting the knife in her leg, the blood.
It seemed like a blur past that point, Ripley's taunting words, him tugging her violently by her short hair, and while that stung, it couldn't compare to the pain in her leg, and the dawning realization that she failed Laurie.
Like the blood, the fight seemed to leave her body as shock instead set in.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on May 29, 2021 17:39:08 GMT -5
!!NOT CANON!! The Hallowe’en group had returned to disaster. To a broken and injured River who refused healing and half the Pantheon missing. Cleo had chastised (to put it mildly) the group for letting everyone think they were in danger and leaving the Pantheon at such a critical time to mess around. As the only leaders in the group and the instigators of the ill-judged festivities, Luka and Lucien had born the brunt of their wrath.
So Lucien, in his usual fashion, had stalked off in one of his funks. Normally when he was feeling like this he went to his room and played guitar until he felt better, but this frustration and anger felt more intense and more urgent, like an itching fire beneath his skin, and he knew he couldn’t sit idle.
He’d ultimately, then, got changed and headed for the training rooms with his bow and arrows. He figured he should actually try for once to channel his anger into something that was actually beneficial for his role as an Ascendant. Let Cleo see that and claim Lucien wasn’t taking his duties seriously.
He’d just loosed an arrow, satisfied to see it strike its target, when he heard the door to the training rooms. The boy turned to see a familiar figure in the room. Lane had just stepped in, hair tied back in a hastily done ponytail. She was dressed for the training rooms, but her face looked unusually pale and worried. That was unusual, for usually she positively crackled with energy, always bouncing.
This was a little awkward; the two had never really spent a lot of time just the two of them together. In fact, Lucien made it a point to avoid people as much as possible. Plus, he didn’t dislike Lane or anything, but her high energy was rather a lot for him to deal with. He already dealt with enough chaos with Luka.
“What’re you doing in here?” Lane asked, but it was clearly a curious question rather than a challenge or anything.
Lucien turned away from her, stepping forward to grab his arrows from the target.
”Piss off, Blue,” Lucien answered curtly as he pulled the arrows free.
Lane seemed undeterred by this, which Lucien thought was fair. He responded like that pretty much all the time so he didn’t think it would really affect her.
”Can’t, won’t, don’t want to,” Lane responded simply, leaning against a wall behind him “Now what’s the issue? There are very few of us left so you’re running out of options for people to talk to.”
He considered her words and concluded that she was probably right. Ideally he’d talk to Luka, but talking to her tended less to make things better and more to rile them both up. He needed to talk to someone less similar to him, and he supposed one couldn’t get less simile to him than Lane. Aside from maybe Cleo, but Lucien would sooner die than talk to them.
“Fine,” Lucien sighed
He notched an arrow, inhaled as he pulled back the string to his cheek, aiming carefully before losing the arrow. It his the target with a pleasing dull thud.
“I’m tired of being treated like a child until I mess up, and then I should’ve known better because I’m a leader and should be acting like an adult. I’m fed up of being patronised, ignored and condescended to until someone needs me to heal someone. I’m not mature enough to have my opinions be worth anything but I’m mature enough to be held to the same standards as everyone else or to be expected to take on everyone else’s pain.”
He made sacrifices for the group in the very nature of his abilities, and he wasn’t sure everyone else recognised it. He took on their pain every time he healed them. Sure, he complained, but he’d always do it, no matter how bad the wound was. It terrified him every single time, and it drained him completely. That burden frustrated him beyond words.
“I don’t want to be held up as an example as a leader, I never asked for that. Why is it so bad that Luka and I just wanted to be kids? For Christ’s sake, we are kids!”
That last frustrated cry echoed around the room, shadows of Lucien’s frustration reflecting around the walls as, with a sigh, he let the arm holding his bow drop to his side for a second.
There was a long silence before finally Lane spoke.
“I don’t think any of us are having a hard time believing you’re a child, Lucien.” came the champion of Hermes’ simple and slightly harsh reply.
Lucien was staggered by that, for normally Lane wasn’t one to criticise. She was annoyingly positive, in fact. He was so surprised he turned completely to look at her, and was hit almost like a physical blow by the change in her gaze.
He could see the pain behind it, and he sensed what it was about. Lane had lost Daniel that day, and it had been painfully obvious to everyone that the two had feelings for one another. She had to be worried sick about him, and wracked with guilt about what had happened. That new flinty hardness in her eyes had told him so.
”Are you judging me?” Lucien asked with some incredulity “You were there too tonight.”
He didn’t need to remind her of that, but he would. He knew it would hurt her, but he turns want her pushing her guilt about Daniel into him.
”Yes, but I’m not the one complaining about the perfectly legitimate criticism we all got. None of us wanted any of this, but sometimes resisting isn’t the answer and it’s better just to adapt. Have some respect for those of us who had to stop being kids a long time ago.” Lane replied.
Lane might have an exuberant and exciteable, youthful demeanour that she’d been lucky enough to be able to maintain but her childish nature hid the loss of her parents. She knew some members of the group hadn’t been able to hold onto their childhood like Lane had clung to hers and they’d had to grow up too fast.
Unfortunately, that criticism caused Lucien to shut off and he turned away to prepare another arrow.
”I don’t owe anything to any of you except Apollo.” Lucien answered bitterly, letting another arrow fly “Now get out.”
Lake shook her head but straightened up from her position leaning against the wall so she could leave the room.
“Fine,” she said as she headed toward the doors “but I just think it says a lot that you’re in here sulking when you’ve got people who really need your help out there.”
Lucien scoffed at that, but once he left he considered it. He needed to help his friends who had been kidnapped, he knew that. He couldn’t just let Cleo and River handle it. And speaking of River, he might have tried to deny Lucien’s healing but there were other ways to support him. He was angry at him for the whole Hallowe’en thing but Lucien knew River, and he knew that the anger he felt towards Lucien wasn’t going to get better if Lucien continued to let him down by not helping.
So with a sigh and the realisation that Lane’s tough love had probably intended this exact result, Lucien dropped his bow and quiver of arrows to the ground with a clatter and left the room, making a beeline for the leaders’ room.
He owed this to Apollo, and as much as he’d tried fo deny it before, he owed it to his friends too.
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Post by Lioncl on Jun 1, 2021 19:07:31 GMT -5
River’s eyes went wide as Nathan said they got his friends. Three of them to be exact. Which ones? Which ones did they have? Did they take Echo? Did they get Pascal which is why he couldn’t find him? Where was Naida? Where was Daniel? He felt sick and angry and worried and… oh god. Where was Laurie?But, even will all of this going through his mind, River never stopped his attack. He swung the staff part of his spear down on Nathan and followed through with a rough push kick to his stomach. He noticed the gold creeping up the boy's arms and narrowed his eyes at it. What in the hell was that? “You’re playing with me and I don’t appreciate that,” River growled angrily. He gritted his teeth and turned the spear so the point was facing his opponent's chest. “Tell me where they are. Right now.”Nathan couldn't help but smile as the panic became apparent on River's face. He took some joy that he played a role on bringing that out of the man. He once again put no effort into dodging the strikes that River sent his way. He was sent backwards a few feet from the force of the kick but he managed to stay standing. By this point, the gold had covered Nathan's torso and was going up his neck now. "Let's see, so far they've gotten Mr. Party Boy, Aquawoman, and the baby of the group." He said wondering which one of the three would set the boy in front of him off more. "As for where they are, who knows. My teammates could have left them lying around or they could already be back at our base. I could care less as to which as long as I get to have some fun with someone here. If you want to go after them, you're gonna have to do a lot better than you have already"
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Demisexual
Leo
Surviving off Thai tea and Miguel O'hara
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Post by Leo on Jun 6, 2021 18:35:14 GMT -5
Ripley's true reaction to the kiss
This was one of the few moments in his life where Ripley was quiet. Silently assessing each and every one of the enemy children whose picture landed on the table in front of him. His hand covered his mouth as he lounged in his chair, eyes only lifted to catch Atticus’s. And every time he did he felt the corner of his mouth twitch and threaten to turn into a smile.
He forced himself to focus on each picture and what his fellow leaders were saying.
Naida. Irene. Sanna. River. Lucien.
He committed each of their faces and current known abilities to memory, disregarding their names and any unnecessary side comments the other two hard to say.
When it was his turn to present he mostly did it on auto-pilot until he had something else to say. However, when it came to the picture before the french boy’s, Ripley had a wicked thought.
How far could he push Atticus?
Pretty far it seemed, judging from how Atti looked away. And the muttering under his breath? the icing on the cake.
Ripley bit down on his tongue to keep from laughing at the reaction and maintain his content look. Why was irritating him so much fun? Was it because he knew their leader had a crush on him? Was it because he knew no matter how many times he played with Atticus’s heart, the boy would come right back to him?
Or maybe because the jealous side of Atti was adorable?
The spike through Laurie’s picture had Ripley smile mischievously at the action. It was almost like Atti was near his breaking point. Forget what he had just thought…
Jealous was a tame word for Atticus.
The smile he had on his face only threatened to become wider as he fixed his now tussled hair and he let his mind wander. Wondered if he actually gave Atticus the time of day and stopped messing him. Wondered if Atti was any good at kissing.
When they were dismissed, Ripley couldn’t get himself to move. Didn’t want to leave everything where they had. No, no, no, he needed to see this through. Need to set the record straight with this boy.
“Why don’t you just say it, Atti?” he had said.
“Don’t think I didn’t notice…” he observed smugly.
Every word that came out of his mouth a taunt towards his leader. If he’d pushed him this far then he could push him a little further. See what resulted from this tactic, good or bad?
“You’re jealous. And terrible at hiding it… love.”
He found joy watching as Atticus reacted to his words and his touch. How he did exactly as he described earlier. Trying to avoid the topic, the feelings, the realization of how close they were. He wouldn't even look him in the eye until Ripley forced himself to.
And the more he spoke, the more Ripley saw the guard behind Atticus's eyes drop. How he melted right into Ripley's hands and leaned even closer.
Rip couldn't help the smirk on his face from growing wider as Atticus's gaze changed and moved lower to his lips. He laughed softly when his words were thrown back at him. He almost corrected him about his eyes and that they were in fact higher upon his face.
But, he was distracted by the sudden kiss.
He didn't expect this from Atticus. He expected him to keep denying, keep avoiding the topic until he died. To pull away and pretend they were still just flirting as friends. He never thought the forest boy would be this bold with him.
And he was disappointed when he pulled away suddenly, startled by the alarm of something moving around the base. Ripley suddenly felt cold, empty, and lonely. Left fending for himself, staring at the flashing red lights in surprise before he could react accordingly to the kiss.
Come back, he wanted to say. Kiss me again I liked it.
But, he couldn’t get himself to speak. Even after Atticus cursed, seemingly regretting kissing him. He couldn’t say that he didn’t want Atticus to regret it. He didn’t tell him that it was ok. Ripley only stared at him with a look of mild interest as internally he panicked at the other boy’s reaction.
No, no, no, he couldn’t leave things like this. He couldn’t leave Atticus regretting, if he was going to leave him now he’d have to leave him wanting. Wanting more of what he craved.
So, he kissed him this time.
This one had more intent, not as rushed as the first had been. Ripley held him gently, caressing his face and letting his own breath get caught in his throat. He found himself wanting to stay here, wanting to keep this one in his arms for as long as possible. He wanted-
Oh god… When had he started liking Atticus?
The thought came just as he pulled away from Atticus to catch his breath and the alarm subsided. The thought horrified him and yet he was pulling Atticus closer to him, wanted to keep him there for a fraction longer. He could feel the boy’s heart against his chest and willed his own to settle and be quiet. He liked knowing he had that effect on Ripley but Atticus didn’t know that he could do the same.
He had to maintain power.
"Now," Ripley said breathlessly, his voice hardly above a whisper, and his eyes still slightly closed. He smiled to himself and tilted Atticus's chin upward with his fingers taunting him with another kiss. "Don't you feel better?" He asked finally opening his eyes fully to look into Atticus's. He raised an eyebrow and pressed a quicker and softer kiss to Atticus's lips, then his cheek, then his temple. An action he couldn’t stop himself from doing, but he quickly turned it around to whisper in his ear.
"I like you jealous... you go for what you want."
Pulling away, Ripley turned on heel and brushed past the table they had been sitting around just moments before. He ran his fingers over the rose stem Atti had left by him, careful to avoid pricking his fingers on the thorns. He almost went to pick it up until he noticed the photo of the boy. Laurent.
With a mischievous smile directed at Atticus, Ripley picked up the torn photo and stored it in the pocket of his jacket. Making a show of folding it, despite it already being small and almost torn in half. And without another glance in Atti's direction, Ripley began to leave.
Make him want you, don’t chase after him. Play with him before he can hurt you.
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Demisexual
Leo
Surviving off Thai tea and Miguel O'hara
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Post by Leo on Jun 7, 2021 12:29:54 GMT -5
Laurie, Naida, and Echo. That who they had and that's who he needed to get back. Where was everyone else? Where was Pascal, where were Kaz and Daniel? He needed to find out sooner rather than later. But he needed to get around this one who continued to waste his time on purpose.
Not knowing whatever God was protecting this boy was dangerous. He'd have no way to know exactly how to take him down. But, as River watched and circled him, he figured he didn't need to knock him down. If he could get around him then he could get to someone else. Get to one of the ones not yet captured and get home with everyone.
He could not leave without everyone.
River glanced at the gold on Nathan's body, expanding rapidly. He didn't want to be hit by something presumably solid so he'd have to act quickly.
Raising his spear again, River charged and threw the weapon at the boy aiming specifically for his eye. If he was able to withstand previous strikes from his weapon, then he'd have no trouble with a blade in his eye.
As the weapon sailed in front of him, River dropped to the ground and slid past Nathan. Quickly he was back on his feet and taking off into the direction of where he came from, leaving his spear behind. Silently he wished Pascal to forgive him for leaving him but he needed to stay active and find the others before they were taken too.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jun 9, 2021 17:31:59 GMT -5
FUTURE THING - NOT NECESSARILY CANON Lane remembered it all in far too vivid detail. She remembered the screeching of tires, the squealing of metal against metal, screaming, crashing, the shattering of glass.
She remembered sitting for a long moment, eyes closed as her chest rose and fell rapidly, she’s closed and hands lifted in an instinctual attempt to shield her face that seemed to have actually done some job of protecting her, for as she opened her eyes the streetlights reflected the crystalline shine of shards of glass littering the leather seats around her.
For what felt like an eternity she’d remembered she felt as if she couldn’t move, paralysed with fear and all the more terrified by the sudden silence after the terrible, cacophonous noise that had preceded.
Eventually, the sixteen year old had learned forward with a call for her parents in the front seats, the call only becoming more panicked and repeated with increasing urgency when she realised she wasn’t getting a response.
Oh, she remembered most of all the blood. The dark liquid contrasting against pale skin in the cool light. She remembered lifeless eyes, the scent of burning rubber filling with the acrid scent of smoke. She remembered hearing a scream that hadn’t felt like it was hers but which could have only come from her body. She remembered numbly shaking the limp bodies.
In hindsight she knew she’d sustained many of her own injuries, but at the time she’d never even felt them. Lane had a distinct memory of spotting herself in a store window later that night and seeing a stain of blood running down from her temple and only then seeing the tiny shard of glass that had only barely missed her eye. And that was the least of her injuries.
The crunch of glass beneath her feet could be heard as she, after finally being able to collect herself enough to pull away from her parents’ sides, climbed out of the car, thankfully still finding a way out amongst the warped metal. Her area of the car was still mostly intact, thankfully, or she wouldn’t have survived.
She’d clambered out only to fall to her knees, staying there for a moment and starting to crawl away from the car until she was able to shakily get onto her feet.
And then she remembered just walking. Slowly, for she’d later discover an injured leg. But the adrenaline and shock had numbed her from the pain, and the cold night air. Her mind had just told her to move, to walk, to get away. If she just didn’t stop she’d never have to process what had just happened. She didn’t have to think about it.
She didn’t know what to do, or where to go. She couldn’t just go home, that didn’t feel right. She couldn’t just go back to their family house as if nothing was wrong. The truth was that there was nowhere.
Where did you go when your world had just crumpled and crashed and bled in front of you? Where did you go when you’d lost the people you loved most in the world? Who did you go to when the people who were supposed to be there for you through everything were gone?
Everything she’d taken for granted, everything she’d ever needed in her life, gone. The people she’d loved the most, gone. The very people she wa supposed to go to when she went through such terrible experiences? Gone.
All that was left to do was walk.
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Post by Lioncl on Jun 14, 2021 18:29:39 GMT -5
There was a sense of relief as Daniel realized that he was able to slightly open up Fenrir's mouth slightly which greatly eased the pressure on the back of his neck. He let out a deep sigh and moved his neck slightly to ease some of the stress that had built up. Daniel started to get his hopes up that he could actually get out of this fight in one piece. He knew there was no way he could defeat Fenrir by himself but if he could make an opening maybe he could escape. That hope was quickly snuffed out when Fenrir had managed to take Daniel by surprise and get him on his back. His instincts screamed at him as if to tell him that this was the worst position he could be in but he already knew that he was shit out luck. Daniel tried to struggle out from under Fenrir but the giant wolf's weight kept him pinned down. "You damn mutt. Get the hell off me already" he shouted at Fenrir
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jun 28, 2021 17:30:21 GMT -5
FUTURE WRITING - NOT CANON, JUST PLAYING AROUND WITH SOME DIALOGUE STUFF
Also topic warning for possible reference to abuse, and idk general trauma, etc. Laurie reached out his hand, catching a retreating River by the elbow. The sudden contact with River’s warm skin was enough to make him realise what he’d done, the reflexive action he’d just taken.
He withdrew his hand so quickly it was as if River were poisonous. But Laurie knew better. He was revoking his touch because he was the poisonous one. Because he knew River wouldn’t want the contact with him. Because he didn’t want to put River through more pain, and because he didn’t want to see River’s eyes lock on Laurie’s hand on his skin only for disgust to cross his face where once there had only been love and trust.
Still, the touch had been enough to cause River to stop. The man was looking at him with anger and hurt in his expression, still as fresh as ever, but also inpatient anticipation. Laurie thought perhaps River didn’t want to be around him as second longer than necessary and wanted Laurie to hurry up so he could leave and recover from this evidently painful interaction.
“I know.” Laurie started as his hand fell back to his side “You would rather do anything than listen to my apologies. I know you want to go, I know you can’t bear to look at me. But if I don’t say anything I’ll never forgive myself.”
He knew they were far past the point where apologies could heal anything. No, they’d need a much bigger life raft to cling to if they were going to salvage even civility from their old relationship.
The man had never stopped apologising since his return from the exiled, and he didn’t think he’d ever stop apologising. He’d hurt so many people, River more than anyone. If their positions were reversed he didn’t know if he’d be able to listen to this either.
But River, though clearly reluctant, seemed willing to at least hear Laurie out. His stance seemed to become less tense like he was about to try to storm off, but he looked no more comfortable.
“I’m not like you.” his voice threatened to crack already, so the dark-haired man had to pause to clear his throat “I can be shallow, and insincere, and self-serving. That’s what hurts so much about this. You...”
Laurie stepped back for a moment, lifting his arms in a gesture to generally indicate River. He’d inhaled, expecting to find the words that normally came easily to him, only to sigh out emptiness in a sharp exhale. It took a moment of mute silence before he could articulate his thoughts again.
“I know that you would have died before you let anyone in this group get hurt because of you.”
Laurie knew that all too well, for he’d found out the true reason River had broken up with him all that time ago. It hurt Laurie that nobody had said anything, that a decision that should’ve involved him was made without him. If river had told him at the time he would have understood. See, River had sacrificed the love Laurie had found for him, too, and that wasn’t his to throw away. But now he knew, Laurie could appreciate the position River had been put in. River would always put the group above himself, even if it meant sacrificing the love that Laurie knew must have been so incredibly important for River.
”You deserve to be loved, River, you haven’t been loved enough.” Laurie said earnestly, the words rushing out now “and I did, I loved you. That’s what I wanted to tell you. I wish I could regret us, it would make this easier for the both of us. But I can’t, no matter how hard I try.”
River had given Laurie love he genuinely needed too, and the French boy would forever be grateful for that. He couldn’t explain how much River had done for him. More than he probably should have, really.
“I’m so sorry,” Laurie continued “I know how much I hurt you. I’m not asking for forgiveness, I haven’t even forgiven myself yet. I probably never will and I wouldn’t blame you if you never did either. But I needed you to know.”
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Post by 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨 on Jul 7, 2021 16:50:27 GMT -5
Enzo took the lead, or at least, you know, lead regarding showing everyone where to go. Gwen was at that disadvantage, Lorenzo know Venice like the back of his hand, but Gwen was just a guest. At least, he hoped that was the case. Maybe he never met her and she lived in Venice all along.
Well, actually, that'd be kind of cool but that wasn't exactly the point he was trying to point out. Something happened to him, somehow he had seen Gwen in an angle that made no sense to him, and he hadn't been looking her way at all either. It was like he was someone else, looking at her.
But he didn't have time to think about that, because he was set on this mission. Though he did pause slightly to glance at Dillon, shrugging slightly at the words, "We're all new to this, 'Lon," he commented, smiling slightly, "Lots of people are learning their powers, and they've done plenty fine. I believe you'll do great too."
The words were said, though he turned quickly, following after Gwen, where he could track her to. When they stopped, he glanced over at Dillon, the leader of the mission, waiting for the boy to give his opinions on the situation. Irene was a leader too, so of course both of them were to be trusted. Anyone was in the Pantheon. So he listened to Dillon's words, nodding along to the commented, smiling at the last comment and chuckling.
Then they entered the lions nest, and his eyes flicked around his settings, landing on Gwen and all the dust around her. He frowned deeply, glancing at the girl, "Out of all the places in Venice, you just had to pick a dusty place for a battle?" He commented, "That's sad."
Except his words didn't mean much, because she was already going on some villain's monologue about how pathetic they all were and how amazing she was and honestly this was kind of cool because it's like those cool epic fights in those superhero movies, except it was happening, and 1/3 of the group didn't have those cool superpowers. But that was fine, Dillon was smart and cool and kind of like Batman in the 'no powers' way so they probably had a good chance against female Aquaman.
Though, he frowned slightly at her comments towards Dillon and Irene. They weren't good insults, but it still dug to hear his friends insulted. And the girl was ignoring him like the plague. That never happened in the epic movie montages. Dillon commented, and Gwen pulled off her mask, making a comment about personal stakes.
And that's when the cinematic-like scene turned into a nightmare. Gwen settling her snake-like attention on him, and then leaving him with a uneasy feeling in his chest. Then grabbing something, a figure, from the shadows, before finally returning, revealing the prize that she had.
"Felicia?" He croaked, softly, stepping forward when he spotted her. Gwen was still talking, but his eyes matched on the girl he once thought he loved. The one who cheated on him. And despite everything he still felt horrible for her, wanted to save her.
"Let her go," the bite in his voice was uncharacteristic, attention turned on Gwen and her taunts, "You're issues are with us. Don't bring her into it."
Despite the anger and confusion and sadness he felt, he froze upon hearing Dillon, looking back at the boy with wide eyes, because even in the line of danger Dillon could still steal his attention. How exactly did he explain his ex-potential-fiancé to the guy he was totally just friends with?
"Dillon-" He started, looking back at Felicia, then back at Dillon, "We have to help her." Was all he said, before returning his attention to Gwen, raising his voice towards her, "What do you want?"
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jul 7, 2021 18:32:34 GMT -5
Gwen kept her gaze intently on Lorenzo while he spoke, watching with apparent interest, though she did not overall look impressed. These were the people the gods had chosen? A pity, really. It was barely worth the effort fighting them. At his words about letting Felicia go, Gwen turned her attention back to the girl. She moved her hand from Felicia’s waist but kept the knife at her throat, brushing away with her free hand the hair from Felicia’s neck as she leaned in as if to whisper in her ear, shifting her gaze back to Lorenzo as she spoke. ”What do you think, hmm? He asked so nicely.” Gwen murmured to Felicia She leaned back away from her captive, speaking up a little more to address Lorenzo properly. ”See, I think since you want me to let her go so badly, that’s something I actually probably won’t be doing.” she said, shrugging slightly ”That just seems like a bad strategic choice all around.”Dillon looked over to Enzo when he spoke to him, nodding when he said they had to help her. The British boy had a horrible, painful knot in his chest that he couldn’t explain, that only seemed to get tighter with this whole thing with Enzo and this Felicia girl he obviously somehow knew. Dillon had to get his act together, stay focused. “I don’t believe he was asking,” Dillon chimed in to support his friend Gwen barely flickered, her gaze scarcely shifting from Lorenzo. ”Bland dig udenom” Gwen snapped to Dillon ”not everything is about you or Hera.”After those words her phone buzzed yet again, as it had been throughout the conversation. With a tight, fake smile to the group in front of her and keeping the blade at Felicia’s neck, Gwen held up her index finger to indicate she’d be just a minute. She fished out her phone with her free hand. Tutting at the number of messages on her phone, mostly from Ripley, Atticus and Nathan, she slowly and clumsily (given she still had one hand only to do this) typed out a message. She didn’t really bother reading what her superiors and the other exiled had said; she didn’t really need to. She simply typed out a message. Please, boys, mama’s working
She rolled her eyes as she placed the phone back into her pocket, clearly displeased at the interruptions. ”Can’t even take a vacation,” the young woman muttered to herself In response to Enzo’s request for her demands, the Danish girl laughed lightly, such a normal cheerful laugh it was like they were in any normal conversation and Enzo had just made some kind of joke. And a good one, not when a shitty joke. ”Oh, søde, you think this is a negotiation?” Gwen questioned in an amused tone ”How touchingly naive. No, this is more of a ‘come and get her’ kind of scenario.”What amateurs this champions were. It was almost a shame, really. Gwen didn’t think they stood a chance. At least, individually they wouldn’t have. Perhaps as a team they might pose more of a threat So the young woman let her gaze flick between the three figures in front of her, quirking her eyebrow and letting a slight smirk begin to creep onto her face as she watched Dillon draw his sword, the silvery surface of the weapon winking in the dim light and the ring of the metal filling the room. In response she tightened her grip on Felicia. Dillon looked to his two friends, hoping to come up with a strategy before they moved forward with this. ”Our only option is to call her bluff,” Dillon suggested quietly ”We have to attack.”He knew she had a hostage, but it was a risk they’d have to take otherwise they would be stuck in a standoff. Besides, he didn’t think Gwen actually intended to kill Felicia. And with that instruction given, he knew that as leader he had to be the one to make a move. So, sword drawn, he began to make a rush towards Gwen, hoping that the others would follow his lead and their move would be coordinated. At least one of them would have to land a hit on her.
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Post by 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨 on Jul 14, 2021 2:08:11 GMT -5
The sky was filled with the blinking glow of fireflies and laughter, and Luka was sitting there, in front of a house, about to battle her friend over him having threatened her cheap bunny ears.
So as anyone would expect, the night was a blast.
"Oh, how are ya gonna beat me?" Luka taunted, raising her fists, ready to fight, a daring glint in her eyes matched with a raised eyebrow, "You gonna serenade me, princess?"
As they were about to playfully fight in front of this lovely couple, Theo just decided to separate them, and she made a quick swatting motion at the boy, annoyance written across her face as she did so. When the two were separated, she glared at Theo, "You're supposed to be on my side!" She exclaimed, eyes narrowing, "It's a little late to start worrying about your public appearance anyways."
The underhanded insult was breezed past when the couple that was behind the door both blinked owlishly at the kids. The husband spoke up, glancing between the kids, intelligently, going "Uh-" before glancing at his wife.
"Have a nice night," the wife softly commented, starting to close to door.
"G'night lass," Luka commented, "I'm filing a complaint on the lack of goods though."
When the door closed, her comment ignored, Luka shrugged, turning and slinging her arms around Theo and Lucien, some laughter escaping her at the night they had so far. Humor alight in her tone, all smiles and chaos. It was a fun night, filled with cheer from her friends and herself, and it was so much different than how it had been recently.
Their new beginning was full of dire warning of war and death and all seriousness. The doom and gloom in the Pantheon was practically unbearable, and honestly, why not have fun? If they had numbered days, why not enjoy the time they had while they could?
There wasn't any complaining from Cleo, nor any glares from Naida. No one but them being kids, living out the teenage stupidity they never really got to experience.
That was, until Lucien nudged her, and she opened her mouth, letting out a insult at the boy, but quickly glancing at the direction he indicated to. Where Chiara Buzzkill Belcher was experiencing one of her sonar for danger fits. To answer his question about what was wrong with Chiara, Luka simply raised an eyebrow, "She's probably sensing fun, that's scary and new for her."
But then Chiara and Lucien had a conversation easily focused on checking phones and the fun night started getting ruined by annoyance. If Luka wanted to hear bickering, she'd insult Theo, or she'd go back to fighting with Lucien. But it wasn't even bickering, just Chiara being insistent about whatever she sensed.
Raising her eyebrows at Chiara, she couldn't help but comment on the words Chiara spoke to her, "You are aware that it's Halloween, right? Things go wrong all the time. That's kind of why people like Halloween."
Regardless, Chiara obviously wouldn't shut up about it, so Luka fished out her phone, exaggeratedly pulling it from her little white bag (to match her costume) and looked up at Chiara before turning it on, "Honestly why did I insist you come along? You always do this kind of-" turning on her phone as she spoke, she trailed off when she spotted the 20+ missed calls, and the unidentifiable number of texts. She had turned off the device to save battery and not have to deal with anything, but it was obvious they missed something.
Eyes narrowing, she swiped her thumbs over the screen, unlocking the phone and first checking the call logs. Most of them were from Cleo, a few from other kids in the Pantheon, and one from some unknown number. Though the daunting message app awaited her, and when she clicked on it, she felt a budding sense of dread build.
Clicking on the most used chat she was in, one that was usually used by Lucien and Luka to bother the other leaders, she scrolled up to the last conversation they were all in. Them annoying each other over stupid things and bullying Dillon. But the new messages had a major change in tone.
Thanos: Thing 1, Thing 2, report to the Meeting Room asap. Thanos: Okay, this isn't funny. Thanos: Guys an emergency came up and the alarm's been going for 10 minutes Thanos: You better hope you're dead or I'm killing you both. Thanos: Now is not the time guys.
Glancing quickly at Chiara, Luka returned her attention to the chat, mostly filled up with Cleo's spam texts as she continued to scroll down. Eyes roaming over some, not quite reading all of them, she read.
Thanos: Guys this isn't funny. Thanos: If this is a prank you're both dead. Thanos: No one has seen any of you for hours. Thanos: And they haven't seen Lane or Griffin or Guinevere or Ariella or Theo. Thanos: And Chiara's gone too. Thanos: If any of you can contact me let me know what's going on. Thanos: Guys please be okay.
The drastic change of Cleo's words threw Luka off, concern bubbling in her chest. Did something happen in Italy? Or to Naida's group? Or was there some horrible thing that happened elsewhere? She swallowed past the lump in her throat, swiping her thumb on the screen once more.
Thanos: Luka? Thanos: Lucien? Thanos: Guys please Thanos: GUYS Thanos: Did they get you too?
Pausing for a moment, her eyes roamed down the screen, passing several of the texts, many of which repeated the panicked sentiments, her eyes landing on a familiar nickname, the last text sent.
Babbling Brook: Exiles
"Field trip's over." The words felt foreign to her, croaked out of her throat as concern fell over her features. Her gaze bounced from the dark screen as she turned it off, to Chiara, then to Lucien. Pocketing her phone, she fished out her umbrella, which was attached by it's handle to her belt, and opened a portal. As if on autopilot, she stepped threw with heavy feet, and she felt like she was sinking through the portal instead of the usual weightlessness she felt when traveling through it.
When she stepped out of the portal, she was met with a bleary opposite to the bright moon and sky full of stars. It was dark still, but bleak, foreboding. There were only two figures in the room before them, one massively injured.
Cleo, who had been pacing, was staring at them in shock, panic and worry overwrote them, so evident in their stance. The light of the portal reflected the disbelief in their eyes, highlighting that haunted look. And the other figure didn't look much better. River looked like he'd been in the fight of his life.
Normal people would ask what happened, but Luka had never been normal, had she?
Stepping forward, slowly, her instincts told her to tread carefully, and she was on alert. Her eyes wavering between River and Cleo, taking in River's damaged frame, and Cleo's panic. Chiara had been right. Something was wrong.
"You look like crap," she commented towards River, looking around as if searching for something, or rather, someone. That's when the worry crept in more. It was much too quiet.
Some of the kids, post-mission, Luka could understand not being the center of attention. Echo, Pascal, Naida...they liked their calm. But him? Even if he was mad at River, if something was wrong, he would be there. That's how he was. He went on that mission despite being upset with River. Because no matter what anyone said that who he was.
Cleo still seemed shocked, for some reason, and Luka paid them no heed. Eyes roaming the room for clues, confused and investigative, but her eyes locked back onto River, focused on him as she stepped forward, coming closer to the boy.
"Where's Laurie?"
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jul 14, 2021 2:54:41 GMT -5
Lucien would refuse to ever acknowledge that Luka was right on this, but he was enjoying himself for the first time really since their camping trip. As much as he tried to hide it behind aggression, defensiveness, snarkiness and a false facade of toughness, he was afraid. He knew the risks he and the group were being forced to take, he’d seen it all too well for himself when Styx injured him. Of course he was scared, he was terrified. He knew how easily any of them could be killed.
That evening had taken those worries away for just a little while. Let him be a seventeen-year-old messing around with his friends rather than a leader who everyone was supposed to look to for guidance. He didn’t have to worry about the burden of proving himself worthy of being an Ascendant and a leader. All he had to worry about was Luka getting more candy than him.
But everything has fallen apart so quickly when Chiara’s danger sense had been activated. Lucien watched with some irritation as Luka fished out her phone, annoyed that their fun had been delayed. That irritated expression soon faded from his face when he saw the concern on Luka’s. He’d never seen Luka look like that before, her expression illuminated by the eerie white light of her phone screen as she scanned texts.
She’d been silent for far too long, so Lucien spoke up. Just to try and prompt some kind of answer.
”Luka? What is it?” he questioned, agitated and concerned as he drew his eyebrows together.
Luka’s voice didn’t even sound like her when she informed them their trip was officially over. A rolling, churning ocean of fear settled itself in Lucien’s stomach, and by the way Chiara had paled she was filled with dread too. She clearly hadn’t quite expected to be proven right.
Regardless, Lucien and Chiara helped to gather the rest of the group as quickly as they could, following Luka through to the Pantheon. Lane questioned him about what was going on in the confusion but he hadn’t been able to answer.
What they saw on the other side made Lucien’s blood run cold.
Cleo looking hauntingly terrified, accompanied by an injured River. Before Lucien even knew what he was doing, he was approaching River. Carefully, because clearly he’d gone through some stuff and Lucien didn’t want to rush at him.
”River?” Lucien began, much more softly than he usually spoke because honestly he was kind of frightened seeing River like this, when he was someone Lucien always thought of as strong, someone he looked up to.
”What’s going on?”
That question was for either River or Cleo, but his concern right now was the Ares champion. As he spoke he extended his arm towards River as an offer of healing. He didn’t even need to think for a second about that one. River was so obviously injured, and Lucien felt guilty for playing dress-up all night. The least he could do was help ease River’s pain.
When Luka asked where Laurie was, a single voice seemed to echo in the room. Lucien looked over his shoulder to see Chiara, who still seemed in shock. She was holding her body in an oddly stiff and tense way, and her cheeks still lacked colour.
”He’s in danger,” she said, her voice eerily, unsettlingly calm for the words she was saying ”they all are. Everyone who left the Pantheon tonight.”
Lucien’s brow furrowed. Everyone who’d left the Pantheon? Did that include those who had gone to Italy?
Chiara was clearly overwhelmed. Every noise seemed to bombard her, her eyes were flicking around the room. The hairs on her arms still stood on end. Her danger sense was not calming down, clearly, and Lucien had never seen her have a response this strong.
”What do you mean, everyone?” Lucien sputtered to Chiara, more panic in his gaze now as he returned his eyes to River ”What happened?”
There was some silence again before another voice. A voice which normally sounded so exciteable and happy but now already sounded broken.
”What about Daniel?” Lane questioned
Her voice was like one who already knew the answer, though. She was dreading the words that confirmed her worst fears.
And as Lucien looked in the darkened room at his friends, he wondered how such a perfect night could have come to this.
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Post by Nariku The Avaricious on Jul 14, 2021 13:06:18 GMT -5
Irene sneered at Gwen’s attempts at insults, eyeing the girl she was holding hostage. She looked absolutely terrified and angry, often looking over at Lorenzo. They seemed to know each other, though her attitude was off. Her face was a mix of confusion and accusation. Like, she wasn’t sure why this was happening to her, but she somehow figured that it was Enzo’s fault. Yeah, like Mr. Sunny D would even want harm to come to anyone. Hell, he got pretty badly injured against the Exiled because he seemed to believe he could change his mind.
Honestly, she worried that mindset would kill him one day.
“What could you possibly hope to get with this?!” Irene snapped back at Gwen, “You f*cking coward.” If the hostage weren’t there, Irene would have just called lightning down on the b*tch herself. Classy of someone who just really wanted to show how much of a villainess she was. Though, unlike some hero in the movies and herself at the River meeting, she wasn’t going to sit around gawking and waiting for something to happen. Someone had to pay, and it sure as h3ll wasn’t going to be her.
Once Dillon began the charge, Irene sprinted forward and jumped off the ground, using Dillon’s back as a springboard to get herself higher up and hoping he didn’t mind. Feeling the wind around her, she forced herself forward with incredible speed, landing right behind the exiled woman. She brandished her dagger, and without warning, jabbed it right into the side of her leg. Consequently, right where the phone was.
"Your move," she snarled.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jul 17, 2021 17:24:51 GMT -5
Lucien had never thought of himself as a mentor. He’d never thought of himself as the kind of person anyone should look up to. Particularly not children, honestly. He was hotheaded, and rushed into things. He could be reckless and had too little regard or respect for rules or even his own life. He was stubborn and wont to cut his nose off to spite his face,
But over the years he’d learned the value of his flaws and come to appreciate them. Most importantly, he’d grown. The man was dedicating his life to becoming someone the people he cared about would be proud of. Apollo, Claudia, Elara, Luka, River.
He still didn’t understand why Apollo had chosen him when he could have chosen someone so much better, but that wasn’t relevant to him anymore. Lucien had fallen in love with this life. He loved his fellow Ascendants, he cared about what he did. He was determined to be someone who deserved it.
Luka might call that sentiment cheesy, but Lucien figured a little cheesiness was getting off lightly after what he’d gone through over his years as an Ascendant. He deserved as much as anyone to have grown a little sentimental over the years.
He’d once been embittered towards the gods for putting the Ascendants at risk like they had, for using them like pawns in their games, but as the years went by those feelings faded somewhat. His opinions hadn’t changed but he thought that he might as well focus on helping those who had been put in the same bewildering position he had when he was seventeen. Not to mention that his disapproval of the gods for what they did by no means justified him standing by and letting other people be at risk when he could use his powers to help fight the threats. Besides, he never had quite been able to hate Apollo for the life he’d given him. Lucien would never have met the people he had met if he hadn’t, and would never have experienced the life he was now living.
Helping these kids was what he was meant for.
Talking of which, Lucien had been working (for once, as Cleo would no doubt add) in his office in the Australian pantheon when he heard a crashing noise and shouting from one part of the Pantheon.
“Mr. Luci!” and “Mr Fairfax!” were ringing around the halls. Lucien had always told the kids to just call him Lucien or Luci (the latter was unavoidable once the kids heard the other leaders calling him by that name) but they never listened. Apart from the ones who’d been there the longest, perhaps.
He eyed his bow and quiver of arrows in the corner of the room, wondering if it was worth grabbing them just in case. The bow had designs carved into the wood, as Lucien tended to add a little to the design when something important happened in his life. He also allowed each person who joined his pantheon to carve something into the design, so he could commemorate everyone he mentored. The problem was that eventually he would run out of space, but for now he didn’t have to think about that.
The man elected not to grab the bow, but rushed out of the room and through the halls toward the shouting of the Ascendants of his pantheon, the sounds of his footsteps reverberating as his shoes struck wooden floors.
Eventually he reached the room in question, seeing his young mentees crowded in a circle around something he couldn’t see. As soon as the kids caught sight of him in the doorway, though, they backed up and revealed to view the thing in question. Or rather, the person.
A young teenager, feminine looking. They had curly dark hair and pale skin, and when they turned to Lucien he was struck by their eyes. This young person resembled, for all the world, Luka. He knew it wasn’t Luka, of course; that would be stupid when he knew the real Luka. Had seen her only a week ago when she came to visit.
But when this kid looked at him they looked terrified, eyes wide and owlish. Their demeanour seemed nervous, and something about their demeanour and mannerisms brought Echo to mind. That similarity startled him again, but at least gave him something to work on. He knew how to deal with Echo.
This was clearly a new Ascendant, and they were clearly disoriented, confused and scared.
With that in mind, Lucien gestured for the others to back further away and give the kid some room. They did, and Lucien approached. Not too quickly, so as not to alarm the kid.
“Hey,” he soothed “it’s alright, kid, you’re okay.”
Then he knelt next to the kid, who looked at him with those big, scared eyes but didn’t shy away completely. Just regarded him like a deer stuck in headlights, chest rising and falling rapidly. Their eyes tore away from Lucien finally, evidently deciding he wasn’t an imminent threat, and instead scanned the room.
“I know, it’s confusing and everything. Don’t worry, nothing’s gonna happen. I’ve got you.” he assured the new arrival
The kid looked at him again, swallowing, still too scared to speak. But that was when he noticed how skinny this kid was. Far too skinny, not healthy skinny. Their hair was dull and limp, clothes faded and torn and ill-fitting. Clearly this kid hadn’t been properly looked after in a while, if he were to judge.
He had to push away the familiar flare of anger whenever he saw something like this, the anger on behalf of the child. The red-hot rush that filled his chest and his head. No, he had to focus on this kid. Being gentle and kind and making them feel protected. Luci didn’t feel he was much good at being either of the first two, but over the years he’d gotten a little better at it.
“Listen, I don’t know what was happening for you before this,” Lucien said softly “but you’re safe here. I know how you’re feeling right now, I know this is weird and confusing. I’ll explain everything. What’s your name, champ?”
The ‘champ’ thing usually worked wonders. It was kind of corny so it usually amused the kids and helped put them at ease a little bit. It seemed to work on this occasion too, causing the kid to relax a little, though they still looked wary.
”Bliss,” was the hesitant reply
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jul 20, 2021 9:19:54 GMT -5
Things started moving awfully quickly once the boy with the British accent, the Hera-chosen, made his move. Gwen made a mental note of that - he seemed to have some level of authority in this group. Did that make him a leader? It wouldn't surprise her; Hera would accept nothing less. The goddess would likely have had a fit if her champion weren't a leader. Likewise for Zeus, which is perhaps why it wasn't entirely unexpected when this Irene girl launched herself from Dillon's back (the boy letting out what sounded like a grunt of effort in response to the sudden weight and pressure but otherwise uncomplaining) in an attack.
Gwen was able to avoid the swing of Dillon's sword, but unable to avoid Irene's attack. Luckily, she was saved from most (not all) of the damage. Unfortunately, the thing that took the brunt of the damage was her now destroyed phone.
"My phone!" Gwen cried with annoyance, letting out a furious growl.
Just great. If she got into trouble out here she would have no way of contacting her friends. Gwen tightened her grip on Felicia, giving Irene a clear threat if she tried to attack again at that second.
"I would've thought what I wanted was obvious," Gwen snarled "Blood. You need to know that the gods don't give a shit. They won't save you, they're not fighting for goodness or justice. You're still just on your own."
Yes, if they were fighting anyone else Gwen believed the exiled would be seen as the heroes. The gods were tyrants who wanted nothing but their own glory and power and were unafraid to put what were essentially children at risk to fight their battles for them. They punished people for the same crimes they committed constantly. They decided what was good and killed anything they they deemed evil. Gwen had seen friends die due to the hubris and apathy, the vainglory, of the gods who had lied in their promise to protect them. In their promise to make their lives worth something. In their promise to make them remembered and loved.
The Dane looked for a second at the few faces surrounding her. Young, like her. With the same blind, naive trust in the gods she had once possessed. Perhaps at one time they could have even been friends. They were innocent, really; it was the gods who were guilty. But these people were their proxies, and no matter how innocent they were, to take down the gods they would have to go too. Collateral damage was always a shame, in Gwen's opinion. She liked getting things done cleanly, without mess and fuss.
But she knew all too well one didn't become a god by sparing a thought for the lives of mortals.
With that in mind, and Irene's challenge ringing in her ears, the girl knew exactly what to do. She didn't like doing this this early, but it couldn't be helped. She was close enough to water even though she wasn't directly in it, but she knew the transformation would be slower and more painful this way. Unfortunately, needs must; it couldn't be helped.
So she began her transformation. It felt as if every bone in her body were cracking, so painful she didn't even think she could scream. She grew taller, her skin hardening and forming dark scales. By the time she was done with her transformation, she was in her monster form, possessing tentacles but also two limbs with what seemed to be similar to crab claws on the end. The green gem from her circlet, instead of being on her chest as it had been in her last fight, was now in the centre of her forehead. A little harder to reach, though simultaneously perhaps more exposed.
She maintained her grip on Felicia, this time in one of her claws, lifting the girl high out of reach of the Ascendants on the ground. If the events of the last fight were anything to go by, if she needed to Gwen could crush this girl as she had almost succeeded in crushing that blonde Apollo champion before his Ares champion friend had made his move.
This time, she hoped, she would not be taken down so easily.
Her injury from Irene was clear. Despite not being too badly hurt, she hadn't come away unscathed. In her monster form this revealed itself in the form of a missing scale on one of her limbs, and thick, oily blood of an iridescent-blue black colour around the area. Gwen wasn't concerned about the little bit of bleeding, but she knew this group might be harder to beat. There were three of them.
In the course of Gwen's transformation the Hera champion had been thrown back, perhaps unintentionally struck by a tentacle, sword slipping from his grip. He'd had the wind knocked out of him, Gwen could tell, but he regained his composure quickly, clumsily trying to scramble to his feet and grab the sword.
The monster tried several times to strike him with one of her tentacles, but the first couple of times he was able to slide and dodge, barely being missed by her hits each time. It was only once he'd gotten dangerously close to his dropped blade that she managed to loop the tentacle around his ankle, pulling him back abruptly so he hit the ground. The boy let out a kind of 'oof' sound as he struck the floor, but tried to crawl forward and stretch his arms out toward the sword. It was to no avail, his fingers barely skimming the pommel of the sword as Gwen pulled him back even further.
He flipped over then to try to disentangle himself, pulling at the tentacle with his hands and kicking with his free foot. It was too late, though, as Gwen began to lift him into the air. He dangled upside down by one ankle, still desperately trying to release the monster's grip.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jul 21, 2021 6:30:51 GMT -5
Laurent Bevin was, in many ways, rather different from his sister.
The first way by which these differences made themselves evident was in their habits of movement. Laurie, as he insisted everyone call him, tended to move more slowly than did the older Bevin sibling. He took his time, took up space. His movements were bigger, his hands drawing great arcs or tumbling and twisting over one another as he spoke, flamboyant flicks and gestures accenting whatever story he no doubt would be telling. Of course, that was when he was sober; when he was drunk, he became more awkward and sloppy. Despite his practice at manoeuvring his body while intoxicated, on occasion he would falter. His older sister could always tell, long before she even smelled the alcohol on him. The young man was considered by most to be personable and fun to be around. He cared truly about his friends, even if he could be selfish sometimes. He seemed to skate through life, not having to act like an adult. That was something which did sometimes infuriate his sister, who was on occasion heard lamenting that he hadn't yet 'grown up' and stopped finding himself in endless childish messes. Laurie, however, claimed that he enjoyed his 'carefree' life far too much to let it go.
Denise was different. Rather than trying to inhabit and take up space as her brother did, she moved through it. Her movements were always purposeful, quick, no-nonsense. Her movements were more self-contained but decisive. Denise didn't need to move her hands when she talked; she held your attention regardless with her affixing gaze. She didn't need to talk loudly like her brother or make an effort to make people laugh, instead simply seeming to trust that she had something important to say and that the attention she required would be hers for as long as she needed it to be. Denise Bevin exuded true confidence in a way her brother had never truly done, though he tried to emulate self-assurance with what she knew was mostly merely a facade. He put himself out there, though, in a way Denise admired. Tried things time and time again when Denise would have long ago thrown in the towel. He knew people better than she did, could make people feel good about themselves. If she envied one thing about her little brother, it was that he always seemed to know what to say, seamlessly managing a conversation. Denise had never been like that. That and perhaps his great ability to express himself and tell stories, for she'd always been immensely proud of her little brother's acting skills.
But of course, Denise hadn't seen her brother in a long time, and a lot had changed since he'd gone missing from their parents' home in Bordeaux.
The young man who had contacted his sister to arrange a meeting was a rather different Laurie Bevin than the one Denise was used to. He seemed to hold himself differently; he seemed perhaps more centered but had lost a lot of the exuberance he'd once had. The soft dark curls that Denise had always loved so much when they were kids had been cut shorter. Following his return from the exiled the boy had originally cut the curls himself, leaving a somewhat haphazard and scraggly result, but it had later been fixed into a much neater style, which Laurie had maintained since then. She noticed a small patch of fading scar tissue near his collarbone, a perfect circle on his tan skin. She wouldn't have noticed it if the slightly shiny, almost pearlescent quality of the burn scar hadn't caught the sunlight. Upon further observation, though, he had more than a few faded scars that were visible to her. Little nicks and scratches. He seemed to have lost some of the spark in his eyes, but instead it had been replaced with a depth she'd never seen in him before. A new maturity and complexity that he hadn't possessed at their last meeting, though perhaps a whisper of pain too.
But one thing was the same; his smile. Any lurking fears she'd felt when she saw those scars and that look in his eyes soon dispelled when she saw her brother's reaction upon seeing her. That big, broad smile, the one that made his eyes crinkle at the corners. His most genuine smile.
Denise had rushed to her feet from the park bench on which she'd been waiting for him to arrive, approaching her brother to wrap him in a hug. It was annoying, she thought as she did every time she'd seen him in the last half a decade, that he was taller than her now.
"Deni," she heard Laurie murmur, the smile still in his voice, before they pulled away from the hug.
Denise gave her own smile in return, before promptly giving her sibling a slap across the cheek. It wasn't hard, but it was certainly enough to make her dramatic little brother look offended.
"Pourquoi est-ce toujours le visage?" he muttered as he rubbed his cheek
The smile had dropped from Denise's face by now, folding her arms as she looked with her sharpest gaze at her brother. He always called that expression the 'doom look', because it invariably meant Denise was mad at him.
"Where the hell have you been, you idiot?" Denise questioned "I was worried sick, I-"
Laurie sighed lightly, holding up a hand to silence his sister. She reluctantly obliged, raising an eyebrow as she waited for his explanation.
"It's a long story," Laurie answered
So much had happened he didn't know if he'd ever have time to tell it all. His choosing by Dionysus, all the wonderful friends he'd met. The suffering he'd gone through, the suffering he'd put his friends through. The fact that he was finally starting to work on the acting career he'd wanted for such a long time. But most importantly, River. Laurie was so happy now that he couldn't even put it into words. He loved River more than anyone, would do anything for him. They'd both gone through so much, and they knew that it might be hard work, but neither of them cared. It wasn't hard work in Laurie's eyes, not if it was River. Neither of them would ever heal completely after what had happened. The awful blame and pressure River had suffered, Laurie's betrayal of him, the hard and exhausting fight he'd gone through as a leader. The trauma and abuse Laurie had experienced, the damage both to his friendships and his relationship with River. The effects of those things would stay with the couple all their lives. But they'd learn to live with it together, because there was nobody else Laurie would ever want to be with.
How did he explain to his sister that he'd found the real deal? How could he express to her how much fuller his life was now with River and the other Ascendants? This crazy group he'd found who felt just as much his family as Denise herself did?
How did he tell her what it had cost?
Denise seemed undeterred by Laurie's warning, instead pulling him over to the bench, sitting down and encouraging Laurie to take a seat beside her.
"I've got time."
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Demisexual
Leo
Surviving off Thai tea and Miguel O'hara
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Post by Leo on Jul 22, 2021 0:53:48 GMT -5
Ariella and Griffin had been in a small competition themselves. How could they not be when they were best friends? Whoever photobombed the most photos during the night AND got the most candy would win the spoils of war: bragging rights and total control of what the other did.
Griffin wasn't paying much attention to the battle though. He was spending as much time as possible with Guniviere. They were matching costumes after all and he wanted to be seen with her. Ariella didn't mind that Griffin was distracted. In fact, she was happy that he was being a little bolder.
Plus it meant she'd have an easy win.
But everything came to an abrupt stop when Luka announced they were leaving immediately. Griffin, not picking up on the panic in her voice wondered and complained about going back so soon. This was the first time he'd down something other normal kids did. He didn't want to go yet.
But, it all became clear why they were suddenly back home.
"What happened?" Griffin asked quietly. The volume that his voice came out was odd. It was too soft for someone of his height. Absolute fear settled in the boy's gut as he glanced between the two leaders.
Ariella walked closer to Cleo, sensing that River was not to be approached in any regard right now. She almost went to grab Lucien and Luka to stop them but she was too slow. Instead, she softened her voice and tried to ease the tension in the room. "Are you ok? You look like... hell..."
River, not bothering to glance at the kids that entered the room with him and Cleo, was breathing shallowly and sitting hunched over at a table. As everyone had already noticed he did look like he'd been torn apart piece by piece and then put back together haphazardly. A black eye was forming on his right eye, both his nose and lip were busted and bleeding, there was a dangerous gash across his throat, and the knuckles on his right hand were very broken. His hands were covered in blood and dirt like he'd been fighting for his life.
Even as Luka and Lucien came closer, River didn't look towards them. He kept staring down at his hands, fiddling with something under his fingers. He looked extremely calm, way too calm for someone in his position.
And, then like a switch, he was furious. He knocked Lucien's arm away from him much harder than he needed to. But, he was making his point. Stay away from me.
Turning his blurry and tear-stained gaze towards the two children, River's voice was slow and purposeful with every word. A quiet rage as he asked his question through the pain. "Did you have fun?" he asked in a harsh raspy voice. River glanced own at their costumes and his hands curled into fists on the table. "How much candy did you get? A lot I hope."
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Post by 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨 on Jul 22, 2021 1:39:43 GMT -5
Luka glanced at Chiara, a certain panic in her eyes, settling into anger quickly. "We left and we're fine!" She commented, voice still held back from rising, but in complete denial, "You're lying." She settled on, instead, pushing away from the other girl with a glare of finality before approaching River.
Except a hand held her back, grabbing her arm, intercepting her from getting closer to the boy Lucien was already heading towards. Glancing to the side, Luka was surprised to the solemn gaze of the Chosen of Ma'at, whose gaze locked past her, resolutely not settling on her, and whose hand held her back. "Don't make it worse." They warned, gaze settled instead on Chiara. They were disappointed, but something told Luka that the disappointment wasn't angled at Lucien or herself. Not with how Cleo was acting. Luka shook their hand off, moving past them, resolute.
Then again, Cleo expected immaturity from them, but not from Chiara. When Ariella approached questioning them on how they were, they bowed their head, not offering a response, other then shaking their head, gaze locked ahead.
Past them, Luka approached River, taking him in, the damage. The pain he should be in, the calm and calamity. Then it flipped, Lucien was too close, and River was too closed off. Locking himself away, responding in anger, isolation.
Isolation.
River just had a way of being alone, didn't he?
After leaving behind the older Leader and the other Halloween kids, she walked slowly, steps alert and slow. She stopped when he said his words, a silence overcoming her, uncharacteristic for her. Especially in contrast to earlier. Suddenly, the stupid bunny ears and white fluff felt suffocating, burning from the attention now directed on her from the room. For a few moments, she was stunned into silence.
From behind her Guinevere stood beside Griffin. A sad look on her face, watching River's clearly internal pain, watching as Lucien reached out to help and was turned away. She could sense the negativity in the air, and the anger. The anger directed towards them all. The anger River had towards Lucien and Luka. She reached out her own hand, latching onto Griffin's and squeezing it. Her dark eyes locked on him then, sympathy in her gaze, before returning her attention to the Leaders.
The silence didn't last long, and Luka finally spoke up, "Yeah, a lot," she answered, the words soft. Despite his obvious warning to Lucien, she stepped forward, eyes narrowing upon him, "But I asked you a question, and I'll ask it again," she commented, humor gone from her voice, each word accompanied by a step, "Where's Laurie? Where's the others?"
Her final words were more clipped, and Cleo intervened, stepping forward just once, voice clipped, "Luka-"
"It's weird, I thought a captain went down with the bloody ship," One wrist wrapped around her other, a picture of poise almost unnatural to her, as if she was dealing with a disappointed teacher rather than a peer, but her eyes focused on him, voice gaining some agitation to it, some accusation, "Silly me, 'cuz here you are."
That one battle from before, Lucien was out, but River came back, damaged but fine. And River broke up with Laurie to protect his reputation as a leader. But Echo trusted him, and Laurie would be here, and Daniel would be calming everyone down and taking care of his crocodile. Where were they? While he stood there...patronizing them? If he wanted to be patronizing, then two could play that game.
After all, he wanted to act all high and mighty like the captain of a ship. He made sacrifices, his own relationship just to be that leader. And yet here he was, crew all left behind. He was there, but no one else was. They were off, who knows where, but alive. Chiara said that, right? In trouble meant there was still breath to steal from your lungs.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jul 22, 2021 3:06:10 GMT -5
Lucien moved back when River swiped his hand away. He wanted to feel hurt about it, he did a little bit, but he could hardly blame River for preventing his approach and refusing his offer of healing. He was quite alike to the older boy and were he in whatever situation River seemed to be in, he thought he would have probably behaved in a similar way.
Chiara didn’t take kindly to Luka’s comment about them being fine. Technically Luka was correct, but the chosen of Heimdallr didn’t particularly appreciate the nitpicking. She was on high alert anyway, adrenaline coursing through her like anything what with her danger powers still being so heightened.
”Yeah, and I should never have gone. At least if I’d stayed I might have been able to warn that they were in danger before anything had happened.” was the girl’s response
She felt responsible for this in some part. She wasn’t a leader, but her guide was a guardian. She should have been a guardian too, staying in the Pantheon to protect and monitor to make sure everyone was okay. Not going out and messing around like a child. Cleo’s look of disappointment sealed that,
All she’d wanted was one night. It hadn’t been hard for Luka to twist her arm and convince her to come, not when part of her was desperate to get away from the books for a while anyway. There hadn’t exactly been a lot of opposition.
Lucien, too, felt the burning shame when River commented, bringing up their costumes. The stupid punk frills and fabric felt more frivolous than ever, and he wished he could get the dress as far away from him as humanly possible. Burn it until it didn’t exist except as ash. But unfortunately he didn’t have that option, and had to instead settle for testing the stupid crown off his head and dumping the dumb little wand thing. He couldn’t take that anymore.
Luka’s words, though, seemed a little harsh and uncalled for. It seemed unfair to criticise River before they even knew what had happened. Though he understood her feelings; being judged so harshly was embarrassing, and he did understand her concern for their missing friends.
”Luka-“ he tried to warn along with Cleo
But she just kept going, commenting about a captain going down with his ship. Again, he understood where Luka was coming from. But at this point they still didn’t know what had happened. One often didn’t get a say as to what happened when one was on missions. Not to mention the fact that after everything the group had done to River, forcing his breakup with Laurie, he didn’t think River really owed them anything.
”LUKA!” he exclaimed, desperate to get his friend to be quiet so she didn’t say anything more that she might regret.
The teenager looked between his two best friends in the Pantheon, Luka and River, and sighed. Words seemed to catch in his throat as he ran a hand anxiously through his blond hair.
Finally, he settled his gaze on River.
”I’m sorry something bad happened while we were gone. Yes, we shouldn’t have left. Of course we shouldn’t, it was stupid, even though we couldn’t have known what would happen.”
He shot a look over to Cleo now, because he wasn’t enjoying the judgemental looks.
”And I’m not trying to make excuses because I know we’re in the wrong, but I want to say for the record that it astonishes me that after so long treating Luka and I like children, you seem surprised when we act like ones.”
His attention, though, returned back to the injured champion of Ares, his eyes focussing concernedly on the nasty looking injury to his throat.
”I’m sorry, River, I mean it. This isn’t your fault, and I get that you’re mad. You should be mad. But please, please just let me heal you.” the boy pleaded, though he didn’t approach River further, this time waiting for his permission.
It wasn’t just to make him feel better, even though it would. He couldn’t bear seeing River looking that hurt and guilty, as much as they argued. He had been there for him when Lucien got hurt, had apologised for leaving him. Lucien wanted to be able to do the same for him, to try to do whatever he could to make things just a little bit better even if he couldn’t make them right.
Lane, meanwhile, had stayed in a stunned and concerned silence, but Chiara was already quietly heading towards the door. Her plan was to go to the library, get back to the books. That was how she could set things right. That was how she could help. That was how she could fix things. The only way she could fix things.
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Demisexual
Leo
Surviving off Thai tea and Miguel O'hara
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Post by Leo on Jul 22, 2021 4:11:44 GMT -5
River slid his gaze over to Luka. Every single word, every single syllable that passed her lips made his blood boil. But, he sat there taking it. Like he always did, he let them yell at him while he sat there seething. But, he just took it.
Until that last jab.
Not even Lucien in the background could ease his rising temper as it spilled over the edge. It was just background noise. Again, like a switch, that anger hit him at the full force which pushed him into motion.
Standing suddenly, he grabbed the collar of Luka’s shirt with one hand, spun, and slammed her back down against the table. Even though his broken body he was still strong enough to hold her in place.
“EXACTLY!” River screamed. He got in her face and pressed his elbow against her shoulder. “Here I am! Covered in my own blood, struggling to breathe, and with a broken dysfunctional body. And where were you when we were ambushed and picked off one by one? Hm? When I was calling for help? Where were you when they dragged a knife across my throat and left me to die?” he asked angrily. He glared down at her costume and snarled out an answer for her. “Because it looks like you were out having fun, being the child you both claim not to be.”
He paused for a moment while catching his breath and wincing from the pain in his body. It was enough to get him to let go of Luka and turn his wrath and pain towards every single person in the room.
Laughing hysterically, River gestured to himself and kept talking. “But, how dare I come back to warn you that our friends were taken. How dare I come back breathing and alive! Because I do absolutely nothing worthwhile for this Pantheon right? I can never atone for my mistakes because I’m always doing something f*cking wrong!
Between You, Cleo, Lucien, Jason, and Laurie I can never apologize enough!” River growled his attention back on Luka. She was not the only one he was angry at, but she was going to take most of his anger. Raising his voice even more he glared down the younger girl through one swollen eye.
“I’m sorry I left them!” He tried. “I’m sorry I bothered to come back, I’m sorry I’m breathing, I’m sorry I can’t do a single thing right when it comes to fighting a war I never asked to be a part of. I’m sorry I didn’t die on the street like I was supposed to so I wouldn’t be your problem now,” with every single apology that passed his lips, he sounded even more tired. His voice started to crack and his eyes were watering. He would not cry. Not in front of all of them.
But, the more he spoke the less that seemed to be a guarantee.
Shaking his head, River dropped his fake smile and blinked back the tears in his eyes. Once more he addressed the room, backing uphill his back hit a wall and he could support his weight. God, he was so weak. “You expect too much from me. Just because I promised to protect you all doesn’t mean I can do it alone. Just because I try because I don’t want to be written off or discarded when I’m not needed anymore doesn’t mean you all can expect me to be the God that I’m not! I’m a homeless boy from New Hampshire whose parents didn’t want him. I am human. I can’t keep giving you everything I have, only to have even more taken from me.”
River paused to breathe. His breath had gotten even more shallow as he screamed at them. Finally, let all of his pent-up anger out in one long blow. Finally, letting them see just how much pressure he was putting on himself plus the pressure they entrusted with him.
Running his free hand over his face he scowled at Luka again. “You think I don’t already loath myself for leaving our friends? For leaving Laurie? If I could have fought harder I would never…” His voice cracked with emotion causing him to falter. He looked up at the ceiling to try and keep it together. He would not cry. “I would never have let them take him…”
With that final sentence, he broke. His anger melted away to grief as he finally let what had happened to him register. Laurie, Daniel, Echo, Naida, Pascal. He lost all of them and he was left to die in a warehouse. Because he didn’t listen to his gut, he was the only way to get away within an inch of his life.
Tears streamed down his dirty face as he sobbed. The more he tried to stop the worse it became. He shielded his face in his free hand and curled into himself against the wall. He let out an angry yell accompanied by an explicit. He was so tired…
Wiping at his eyes with the heel of his hand, River stood and shuffled his way towards the door. As he passed the table he slammed his hand down on top of it and glanced around the room while taking a deep breath so he can say his last few words.
“I’m done,” He announced. He took a couple more shallow breaths before moving again, leaving something behind on the table. “I can’t do anything right so… I’m done trying to fix both my messes and yours. I’m done being your God of War…”
Sitting there on the table, as River dragged himself out of the room without looking back, were two glinting pieces of metal on a similarly colored chain. Dogtags.
His key.
“Fix it yourself.”
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Post by Nariku The Avaricious on Jul 22, 2021 13:39:12 GMT -5
While the kids were out trick-or-treating, it was easy to tell that Theo was having fun, even though he was forced to wear some neon colored sweats and looked like he was from the 70s. He somehow managed to pull it off for most of the time, and was surprised at how effective his powers worked. Hell, he managed to pull a decent con by pretending Luka was his little sister. Her pink bunny outfit seemed to do them a favor in that sense. His only regret was how sore using his powers seemed to make his throat.
When he shuffled Lucien and Luka away from the last door, and Chiara hurriedly told them they had to leave, Theo couldn’t help but be worried at how quickly the mood shifted. Were they in danger? Did something happen? It seemed the least of their problems was the inevitable scolding they’d get from Cleo and the others when they got back.
No, it was so much worse than that. River was sitting in front of them, beaten, bloodied, and looked completely wrecked emotionally. Theo wasn’t even sure how he was still conscious, or even alive. Not only that, no one he was with had even come back.
As he should have expected, Luka spoke up about it, demanding to know where everyone was. In the process, she managed to cross a line you shouldn’t ever cross. The young man was already in enough pain, he didn’t need more salt to be put into those wounds. In some way, he could understand her emotions and desperation, but he couldn’t understand her need to take it out on others in this situation.
“Luka, there are things that you shouldn’t say.” Theo gritted his teeth in response to her. His words were very crackly and somewhat pained, so he wasn’t even sure if he was talking to himself or to Luka. It certainly didn’t help that what he said seemed to be drowned out by everything around him. Maybe he should speak to her after, while everything cooled down, but he didn’t think she’d take his advice. She was too stubborn.
Nor was Theo any sort of paragon of morality. The first thing that came to his head was relief that something terrible didn’t happen to him for once.
Though, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of shame wash over him when River spoke to defend himself. He felt ashamed to even be relieved in this situation, and upset that he’d tried to put trust into the other people around him. Not in a sense of “I can’t trust anyone”, but in a sense of believing the people around him were infallible. He couldn’t trust himself to be of any use, so it was hard to take failure or mistakes from others.
He watched River leave the room, and for the first time in a while, felt an overwhelming sense of uncertainty. What were they going to do? What was he going to do? Honestly, it felt like there was really nothing he could do. Theo found his attention drifting over to Griffin, the giant who was standing next to the almost as tall supermodel. The young man kept silent, lifting up a hand and slowly pressing it against Griffin’s arm.
It wasn’t fair for everything to be held against River. It wasn’t fair for him to be still afraid of Griffin. None of this was fair.
Hopefully, though, this was the push he needed. He couldn’t let everyone fight on his behalf and be disappointed in their failure. No. He had to play his part in some way. What that way is, though, he wasn’t quite sure.
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Post by 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨 on Jul 22, 2021 14:20:18 GMT -5
Luka glared at River, watching the rising temper with a look of expectance. His trademark was being angry, he fought with a 17-year-old his first day there because the kid made a comment about Apollo beating Ares in some fight. If a taunt from a kid earned the ire of the boy, of course her patronizing comment would. But she clamped her mouth shut, because Theo and Lucien were right, they didn't know what happened, they should give him a chance to explain. But maybe it'd be easier to hold her tongue if he got to explaining instead of moping.
Hence why, when she was slammed back into the table, she just raised an eyebrow at him in return, especially at the screaming. Because that ticked her off. She was used to being talked down on, but someone acting like they could toss her around like their personal ragdoll? Now that was irritating.
"Is that what this is really about?" She questioned back, voice matched in fury, palms digging into the table behind her to keep up her weight. He was blocking her getting up, so she instead responded to his words, given no other choice, "You want me to feel bad for you? Feel bad for not being here to clean up the mess?"
The words were cold, because while she sympathized for him, there were honestly bigger issues. Like the missing kids, which they still didn't know what happened. People got hurt in fights, Chiara almost lost her arm in her first one, and Luka didn't leave her behind just because she was in pain. And maybe Luka didn't get the whole situation, maybe she should hold her tongue, but she wasn't about to take blame for what happened.
As soon as his attention was off her, she moved away, dusting off her clothes in annoyance. She paused to listen to his words, scoffing at them, her gaze sliding to Lucien, softening slightly as she focused on her friend.
Cleo looked between River and Lucien, silently looking down for a moment. River was right about that, they blamed him so much, but he...he almost died this time. He almost died trying to save the others, and they drove him to that. It left a sour taste in their mouth.
Luka this time just listened, watching as the boy slowly broke down. His words directed at her. His sorrowful apologies. She stood up straight still, head lifted and gaze unwavering. He turned back to the group, breaking down more, and the situation settled in more.
"You're not the only person who had a hard life." Luka commented, much softer than her prior words, but still with bite, not stepping forward again, but instead backing up, uncertain of getting near him. "And yeah, you had high expectations placed on you that you shouldn't have on you. That was wrong of all of us. But at least people let you try." She started, a sort of desperation to her words, gesturing to Cleo then, "But Lucien and I? You get mad at us for being in your way, for trying to be the leaders you wanted us to be. You treat us like pawns instead of equals, so we go off because we're unneeded. And then you're mad because we aren't here to clean up the mess left behind?"
Taking her own breath, returning her attention to River, she backed up more, arms crossed. Far from him, though her attention turned downwards when he seemed to fall from his pedestal, her words still soft, but with a coldness to it, almost emotionless, "I looked up to you, because you didn't treat us like that. You were like us. But then you put your reputation above us. Above him." She replied, colder, "And now they're gone."
On her final words, her voice cut off, cracking slightly. Her eyes were stinging, but she didn't let any tears drop, she instead bit at her cheek. If he wanted pity, she wasn't giving it. She wasn't going to just forget about the others who could be hurt or worse just to tell him that she was so sorry that he was injured and assure them that he was an amazing leader. Because right now, she was unsure too. Because while she shouldn't, she blamed him, she blamed him for chasing Laurie away.
In her mind, there were bigger things than River feeling sorry for himself to worry about, so she watched as he put down his key, fire in her eyes. But Cleo looked much more effected, sorrowful, following River slightly, reaching out to the boy to console him, before retreating. He needed time. He needed time alone.
It didn't mean that they didn't feel horrible. Horrible for the part they played. Horrible for how he felt like he was to blame. Because they were the cause of that, weren't they? Yeah, he made mistakes, but they never meant for this.
Walking back over, they picked up the key, turning it over in their fingers. Before closing their fists over it and turning to glare at Lucien and Luka.
"All of you, report to your rooms!" Their gaze focused on Lucien and Luka, voice going quieter, a command barked out, "You two, stay. Everyone else is to go to bed. Us three? We need to talk."
Turning to everyone in the room but the two other leaders, they raised there voice, "You're dismissed. Report to the training room at 6am sharp, we will discuss our plans then. For now, there is nothing we can do."
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jul 22, 2021 15:50:37 GMT -5
Lucien watched River go from furious, to sobbing, to more apathetic and numb. And each one hurt more and more. He didn’t know how to feel anymore. He agreed with some of what Luka said, but he agreed with everything River said. He didn’t want to be in between his two friends.
But he didn’t think the way Luka seemed to blame River for what seemed to be Cleo’s mistakes was entirely fair either. The entire confrontation between the two was difficult to watch, the blond boy in stunned silence for probably the first time in his life. He’d always had something to say.
”Luka-“ he’d tried to protest one more time, his voice weaker and more exhausted now, as his friend continued to express her feelings of rage and concern for the missing Ascendants. Feelings he felt were valid but perhaps best not expressed right at that second.
He’d watched River leave, wanting nothing more than to follow but knowing better than to do so. He couldn’t help River, couldn’t heal him until he was willing to do so. Perhaps when River had been able to have some time alone he would be able to go and see him and maybe comfort him.
Cleo soon cut that short, though, ordering everyone to leave. Chiara had already slipped out by that point, disappearing soundlessly to the library where she would spend a sleepless night poring over books in the hope that she could fix everything. Because she’d never found a situation she hadn’t been able to fix if she just had the right piece of knowledge.
Lane, though, took Cleo’s cue and left the room. She remained pale, eyes shining with tears as she headed towards her room. She didn’t know how she’d spend that night. Perhaps talking with Hermes in the hope of thinking of some way she could be useful. A way she could get her friends back. Get Daniel back so she could tell him how she’d been starting to feel these last weeks. So she could know he was safe. Safe and alive.
Lucien watched everybody leave in silence, but by the time he turned to face Cleo he was already on the defensive.
”I assume you want to tell us yet again what useless wastes of spaces we are as leaders.” Lucien said, voice mostly calm but with an edge to it that threatened anger ”You’d have thought that after what just happened you’d be done with playing the blame game.”
He was sick of it. He’d heard it far too much. Heard blame from his sister growing up because he was always getting in trouble and never had his act together. Had blamed himself for his father leaving, because why wasn’t he enough? Heard blame from teachers who over the years stopped even bothering to check that Lucien was actually in the wrong when something happened. He was the first person people in his life had seemed to jump to when it came to blame.
And he was done with it here in the Ascendants too. He’d never asked for this expectation to be put on him. Was fed up of the hypocrisy and rules. Fed up of being told that he was enough of a grown-up to have all these responsibilities but not grown-up enough for his opinion to be considered valid. He was fed up of the gods and the other Ascendants and honestly he agreed a lot with River.
He was fed up of living with the risks. The risks which had come to life that day. And all for what? A pat on the head from the gods? The respect of Cleo?
”I already feel enough like shit right now without you making me feel worse.” Lucien said lowly, wishing he could put his hands in his pockets but being irritated to remember that this stupid costume not only stopped anyone taking what he was saying seriously because oh my god, the frills, but it also didn’t even have pockets.
”We wanted to have fun for one night, Cleo. I know you’ll say it was selfish of us, and maybe you’re right, but I needed a break from it. The being treated like kids but gods forbid we acted like ones. Gods forbid we’re allowed to make mistakes, and laugh, and be goddamn human for even a second. I’m sorry, Cleo. I’m sorry, because I know we let everyone down. I’m sorry I can’t be what you want me to be, because we both know Luka and I can never win with you. I’m sorry that we acted like self-centred idiots tonight.”
He truly was sorry, that was the thing. He was sorry that he’d not been there. He was sorry for not doing more. He was sorry he couldn’t protect his friends. He was sorry he’d thought he had the luxury of acting like a normal teenager. He was sorry the people he cared about were hurt and in danger.
Lucien sighed, stepping back to lean against the wall River had been against just moments before. He closed his eyes for a second, taking a second to breathe because he could feel his voice tightening, starting to wobble. He wouldn’t let his emotions get the better of him. It didn’t seem fair for him to get emotional now, not after River. He’d truly had a reason to be upset. Lucien was just being defensive.
”If I could apologise all night I would, and I mean that. Not that I imagine you care to hear our apologies,” he said, fixing his gaze properly on Cleo now ”All I want to know is what happened and what I can do to help fix it.”
Because that was the only thing he could do now. That was the right thing to do. That was the response Cleo might respect. He needed to put himself to the side right now, and his feelings of anger, so he could focus on his friends. He’d made a mistake, he’d take the rap for it. He was sure Cleo would yell at him and Luka enough. But what he needed now was to pick himself up and do what he could to fix it.
For River. For Echo, Naida, Pascal, Laurie and Daniel. For his friends.
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Post by 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨 on Jul 22, 2021 15:52:35 GMT -5
Lorenzo was stunned into silence for a while, tunnel vision causing him to focus on Felicia. Panic at dragging her into this, refreshed pain from seeing her.
He saw Irene stab at Gwen's leg, he saw Gwen turn into a monster, but the whole time his gaze trailed on Felicia. Anger at seeing her, anger at himself for not being good enough, and panic over the fact that he didn't love her and if he didn't love her anymore did that mean he never did? Or did he still love her? Did her ever love her?
Did she ever love him?
What snapped him out of that reverie was spotting Dillon getting tangled up by one of Gwen's tentacles, his mouth opening in a shout of panic in regards to his friend.
He ran forwards, a determined look overtaking his face then, sunlight bouncing off of his white hair, off of the ring on his finger, his key.
The sunlight seemed to form into a glowing around his fingers as he ran closer, accumulating into an orb of the light, one that he directed towards Gwen, lunging under the tentacle Dillon was caught in, read to catch his friend and break his fall if the light succeeded in distracting Gwen.
He hoped that gaze Irene a chance to attack.
He may be a bit pacifistic, he may want to avoid fighting, but Gwen was getting personal now.
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Post by 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨 on Jul 22, 2021 16:41:30 GMT -5
Guinevere's eyes widened when everything unfolded, squeezing Griffin's hand a bit more, the negativity in the room was overpowering, almost sickening her already upset stomach. She shouldn't have eaten that much candy. Because the strawberry artificial flavor tasted more like poison on her tongue.
When River left, she bowed her head, and when Cleo ordered them to leave, she looked at Ariella and Griffin, before clinging to them, leaving quietly.
Left behind, Cleo looked at Lucien and Luka in silence, anger and worry in their eyes. They took a deep breath, about to reprimand then, but then Lucien opened his mouth, they closed theirs.
They listened to the boy speak, eyes trailed on him. His words, his anguish, his empty apologies, his excuses. Their eyes widened though as he pointed out how they blamed everyone.
Was he really wrong? He was obviously an idiot, and so was Luka. But he seemed to realize that, he looked so guilty, so upset.
When he said his piece, asking how he could help, they looked between him and Luka, who was staring at them with those fiery eyes of her. "You can stay out of the way," they bit out, venom in their voice as they pushed past the boy.
Once the were past him, they looked back at him, fully turning and crossing their arms, "Or, if you want to act like leaders, you'll finally get your chance. Given the lack of them we now have."
Rubbing at their temples, they let out a long breath, looking away from the two, "But that choice is up to you."
They finally addressed what happened, voice softer, more gentle. They were disappointed, mad at the kids before them. But they were tired, and they had to pick up their weight now. No matter how much they didn't trust Lucien or Luka, the kids would need them now. At least until Dillon and Irene got home. Then something could be done, a new vote, maybe. Replacements found. They'd have to decide that later.
"Earlier tonight, River called, he asked for backup," the commented, apathetic in recounting it, holding in their anger, "With Irene and Dillon gone with Lorenzo, and the kids having went on the mission needing help, I tried to reach out to you two. To lead a group to backup the group," they uttered, looking away from the boy, "But no one could find you. We worried the Exiled had found a way in, had-" they broke off, a waver in their voice.
"We couldn't risk sending anyone, we didn't have enough people in the Pantheon to fortify ourselves if need be, and to help River. We couldn't spread ourselves anymore thin." They added, looking between the two kids.
Taking a breath in, they continued, "What happened today is inexcusable. You two should have never been made leaders, and if it was up to me you wouldn't be." They bit out, glaring at Lucien and then Luka, "But none of us have the luxury or the people to do a new vote, so until we do, I expect that both of you do as your told."
They looked at River's key in their hand, sighing, long and hard. "And River isn't in a position right now to be able to lead. He's been hurt, traumatized, I know I've failed to see that in the past." Looking down, they bit out their next words, glancing to the side, "That means we are the leaders for now."
Luka herself had remained silent, breathing out unevenly, "So that's it, we do as you say, and then we get what...kicked out of the leaders circle because we weren't here to go help out on some already doomed mission?"
Cleo didn't reply to that question, focusing on the two, "I know I can't count on either of you," a pause, a soft yawn, "But I don't think I have a choice, do I?"
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jul 22, 2021 17:42:20 GMT -5
Lucien listened in astonishment to Cleo’s words. He knew they thought those things, he never thought they’d actually say them. It hurt, their lack of faith in him and Luka. Because despite what Cleo clearly thought, he did try. He tried to he a good leader. Like River, he was giving and giving for the Ascendants despite the lack of trust and responsibility given to him.
”You know what, Cleo?” He challenged angrily, narrowing his eyes ”You shit on our capabilities as leaders but I think it would do well for you to remember that we were the ones who stood up for River when you tried to get him to break up with Laurie. I’m the one who got hurt in that fight and still you didn’t listen when I tried to tell you I didn’t think River need to be punished. And I’m certainly not the one who brought up daddy issues, but of course you’re always a professional, aren’t you?”
He was honestly done with Cleo being so judgemental and hypocritical. They didn’t get to treat him and Luka like that when they’d always done their best for the Ascendants, whatever Cleo might think.
”I’m sorry about what happened tonight, and yes we deserve blame for that. But I’m so done with this. Maybe if you’d made us feel like you gave a shit about us, if you’d ever made us feel like you thought we did anything worthwhile or were deserving of responsibilities, we might have thought twice about goofing off. But you’ve been against us from the very beginning, prejudiced yourself by researching us or however the hell you managed to find out about my dad.”
He was still angry about that. That had never been for Cleo to know, and it certainly had never been for them to tell in front of everyone.
But he was getting off topic.
”Neither of us ever asked for this either, I sure as hell never asked to be a leader. But I’ve done my best. In fact, at first I even thought that maybe if I tried hard enough you’d change your mind about me. Now I know that’ll never change. So fine, if this is what being a leader is, I don’t want it. I’d be more than happy to escape your judgement.”
He’d always had that stupid hopefulness about him. The hopefulness as a kid that his dad would come back. All the times his dad had expressed an intent to visit and Lucien would get so excited only to be disappointed when he never showed up. The hopefulness that if he just hoped hard enough things would be different. Now the hope that if he was a good enough leader things would be okay. Cleo would respect him, his friends would be safe and wouldn’t get hurt.
”I’ll help you get the others back, of course I will.” Lucien said, his voice softening for that first part before sharpening again ”and then if you still want me gone I’ll gladly step aside. I’m sure that would make you overjoyed.”
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Post by 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨 on Jul 22, 2021 18:44:39 GMT -5
Cleo sighed heavily, tapping their foot. It'd be so much easier if Lucien actually opened his ears instead of jumping to being angry. What ticked them off even more was that he had a point. But they were too tired to argue and the fact that Lucien actually had a point kind of meant something.
They hadn't ever given either of them a chance. They saw a kid with a criminal record and another kid who lied to them about their ability to hurt others. They always saw both of them for their annoying attitudes and differences. Neither kid was ever given a chance to lead, because Cleo never liked that they intervened. Cleo saw them for things they never really could control, and that's what happened to them all their life. And now here they were, doing the same.
So maybe he had a point, and maybe they were too tired to ignore that point.
"I know it wasn't on purpose," Cleo placated, softly, letting him speak first, "I know you didn't mean for anyone to get hurt. But people did. Right now we have a responsibility, and no one chose to have it. What happened tonight quite frankly scared me. I may not particularly like either of you, but what the Exiled are doing, what they did to River, that frightened me. I thought that happened to you guys, too."
Pausing to think through their words, think back on those days of talking to kids on the street, thinking back to their own issues in the past, they shook their head slightly, "If anyone's stubborn enough to stand up to the Exiled right now, I think it'd be you two."
Luka stood silent through the argument, soaking up the fact that everything just actually...happened. Echo was gone, poor Echo who was scared of the dark and heights, who would draw sketches for everyone, lifelike portraits. Luka wasn't sentimental, but even she had one in her room, set up. Daniel, who was funny, who jokes with them, with her, and played along with her stupid jokes. Laurie.
"You sure you can trust us with that?" Luka questioned, almost mockingly, raising an eyebrow, raising her voice to be heard, "Because I know it must be so difficult to have to put your trust in the rebellious chosen of Apollo and the chosen of Loki."
Cleo almost remarked that it wasn't trust, but bit their tongue. There was no point in arguing with them more. They had to get rest, figure this out. "Help for now" they replied, approaching Lucien, "What comes after that? I don't know."
Grabbing the boy's arm gently, they placed something in his hand, looking at him and Luka, "But here's your chance," and they backed up, leaving River's key with Lucien, grabbing one of their books, and approaching their desk in the corner, "Change my mind."
Luka stuck her tongue out at Cleo's retreating figure, before turning herself and exiting the room. A fiery glance in her eyes, and a heat crawling in her palms. Quickly retreating, she found herself approaching the training room, leaving the events behind. And as she went, parts of the outfit left, from those stupid bunny ears, to that stupid tail, to the stupid little cufflinks and fluffy pink scarves. Down to just the pink shirt and pants and pink fluffy shoes. Pink attire littering the hall, one for every member gone.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jul 23, 2021 13:00:03 GMT -5
Lucien had fallen silent after his tirade, instead letting Cleo speak. It gave him pause when they said that they’d thought that what had happened to the others who’d been with River had happened to the trick-or-treating group too. Was that part of why Cleo had been so angry? Was it because they’d been concerned for Luka and Lucien’s welfare? He couldn’t be sure
Lucien had avoided Cleo’s gaze after that, trying to process everything. River was hurt, his friends were missing. Suddenly this wasn’t a game anymore. It had never been, but before they’d just had the occasional injury to deal with. He’d had a similar realisation about the dangers of being an Ascendant after his own injury at the hands of Styx, but this was worse. It hadn’t fully clicked with him the danger that those around him were in. He hadn’t even considered for a moment that they might not win this battle they were fighting, that the odds were actually against them.
It was a sobering thought.
More than that, though, he was concerned for those who had been taken. Perhaps Echo more than anyone. Sweet Echo, who would never hurt a fly. The girl that he and so many others, notably River, had unofficially sworn to protect. Perhaps they’d made a promise that they couldn’t keep. She must be scared. What if she was being hurt? What if any of the others were being hurt? Or worse? Chiara had been adamant that they were in danger.
He only lifted his eyes to meet Cleo’s again when they took his arm, pressing something into his hand that Lucien clenched his fingers around, feeling the metal pressing into his palms.
”For River and for them.” Lucien said firmly ”Not for you.”
He wanted to make that clear. After all, Cleo had made it crystal clear where Luka and Lucien stood with them. Lucien wanted to afford them the same courtesy. He wasn’t doing any of this for their approval, he was doing it because he cared about his friends. He didn’t have to change Cleo’s mind about shit. But he did want to help River and the kidnapped Ascendants.
He opened his hand as Cleo stepped away, blue eyes falling on the dogtags that sat on his palm. River had been forced into too much. Into being a soldier, into being a leader. He’d been blamed and forced to give up everything for the good of the group, and only got pain and judgement in return. And Lucien knew he had let him down that night in a way that he wasn’t sure could be fixed.
The least Lucien could do now was try to rectify the mess that he’d unintentionally created and that River had promptly somehow been blamed for just for surviving..
River had taken care of him when he’d needed him, and Lucien needed to do the same in return. He saw River as like a brother and even though Lucien didn’t have a brother on his own, he felt sure that this was what brothers did for one another.
So Lucien left shortly after Luka did, slipping River’s key around his neck for safekeeping just for a moment. He knew Ares would probably hate it if he knew Lucien was wearing it, rather than River, but it had to go somewhere for now.
He had to do something for River, that much he knew. So first he made a beeline to the kitchen. He wasn’t much of a cook, but he also knew that River likely wasn’t going to be leaving his room for quite some time. He’d withdrawn after his breakup with Laurie and he could only imagine it would be similar now. He would need food, and the least Lucien could do was put something together for him so that he wouldn’t need to leave his room again for a little if he didn’t want to. Besides, he was hurt. He’d need food.
So he had soon cooked a rather mediocre omelette, because weren’t you supposed to need protein when you were healing? Was that right? He didn’t know. Either way it was a little messy, and slightly burnt in a couple places, but he’d tried. It was a little late and he didn’t know if River would be up to eating that night, so he’d also gathered together a small collection of snacks from the kitchen so that if he didn’t want to eat that night he’d have some food to eat later that wasn’t as perishable as the omelette.
His next stop was the medbay, where he grabbed any an all medical supplies that seemed like they might be useful. He was sure nobody would mind, River really needed them. Besides, if River wasn’t going to let Lucien heal him, the champion of Apollo figured that the next best thing would be to provide him with some useful medical supplies.
He had placed all the food onto a tray, and the medical supplies in a little bag, both of which he left outside River’s door. Along with them was a short note.
‘River,
I’m not very good at writing notes. I’m sorry I let you down tonight, you haven’t deserved any of this after everything you’ve done for us. Please know that none of this is your fault, and I’m glad you got back okay.
I can hold onto your key for now, for if and when you decide you want it back. You probably don’t want to talk, but if you do I’m here. If you change your mind about wanting healing, let me know.
I know I take the piss out of you probably more than I should, but I really do care about you.
- Lucien’
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