Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jul 22, 2021 19:00:39 GMT -5
Orpheus nodded at the man’s pronunciation. As best he could guess, those words didn’t exist in the man’s language. It seemed odd that they had no word for ‘house,’ but perhaps it was just a misunderstanding. Perhaps there was no way to translate ‘paradox house’ together, so it had just translated it in Greek. “Don’t worry,” he said again. “You’ll get to go home soon enough. It won’t be long here, but we’re in a room, and the House usually has a challenge of sorts in each room. We just need to figure out what it is.” Suddenly, Orpheus didn’t seem very interested in looking for the challenge. If the man had seen someone, that meant it was possible that the House hadn’t just blinked L out. The feeling settled in the bottom of Orpheus’ stomach like lead. “Did he have dark hair? A white shirt, sort of… slouched forward?” There was a note of urgency in Orpheus’ voice as he asked, and he knew that was exactly the sort of panic that would betray his feelings, but he didn’t care at the moment. This was just a blinker. They couldn’t hurt L through him, especially since they had no idea who L even was. Orpheus made a mental note not to use L’s name until he found him again, though.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jul 22, 2021 19:19:11 GMT -5
The man nodded a little, breathing out. “Well…as long as this isn’t permanent,” he replied, offering a small attempt at a smile. “I’m sorry, that was terribly rude of me, questioning you before I’d even introduced myself. My name is Damon. And yours?” He hesitated, blinking a little at the urgency in Orpheus’ tone. It took a moment for him to respond, and then he met Orpheus’ gaze, blue eyes curious. “Yes, precisely that, only I don’t know if he slouched. He was running when I saw him. He also wasn’t wearing shoes?” He searched Orpheus’ expression. “Was that a friend of yours? I’m sorry I couldn’t stop him, but he seemed to be very sure of where he wanted to go.”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jul 22, 2021 19:23:29 GMT -5
Orpheus breathed out, watching the man for a long moment, then giving a small nod. He didn’t see any reason not to trust him. He hadn’t seemed to recognize L, at least, so that was a sign that he wasn’t dangerous to either of them. It wasn’t definitive proof, but if he knew where L went… still, L was gone, and he had gone somewhere, so Orpheus wasn’t particularly inclined to trust anyone until he had him back. “Nice to meet you,” Orpheus replied, trying to be as diplomatic as possible. “I’m… Chariton…” he seemed a little bit uncertain about the name, but he was also quite certain that he didn’t really want to give his real name to this stranger, on the off chance that he wasn’t a blinker. On the off chance that he was lying about L. Perhaps L’s paranoia really was getting to him. “Yes, he’s… a friend. Did you happen to see where he went? It’s… unlike him to just run away like that.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jul 22, 2021 19:41:19 GMT -5
Damon dipped his head, acknowledging the name. If he noticed Orpheus’ hesitation, he gave no indication of it, instead moving on smoothly to the next topic. “Pleased to meet you, Chariton,” he said politely. “I’m afraid I didn’t see exactly where your friend went, but I know where he was going, and, and I am an excellent tracker. I could almost certainly find him for you, if you would like me to. He wasn’t sprinting, he was merely…jogging? I don’t know the technical term, but faster than walking, at any rate.” He smiled gently. “I’m sure we can find him. He couldn’t have gotten far.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jul 22, 2021 19:57:03 GMT -5
Damon nodded, waving a casual hand. “Of course. There is little else to do here, I’ve found. I would be pleased to help you find your friend again.” He glanced around, as if to orient himself. Then he gestured back the way he’d come, inclining his head a little to one side. “This way, them,” he said lightly, beginning to lead the way. If he had any problem with having Orpheus behind him, he gave no indication of it. “Do you know where he would be likely to go?” He added after a moment. “I can track him either way, but it would be helpful if I knew more about him.”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jul 22, 2021 20:25:07 GMT -5
Orpheus wasn’t sure whether he should trust Damon or not. He wanted to. He wanted to believe that someone could guide him to L. He had no reason to be suspicious of Damon, at least as far as he was aware. He wasn’t sure he really wanted to give this stranger any details about L, though, especially since it had taken L so long to give Orpheus any details. What had he mentioned the first time they had met? What information had he deemed appropriate to give a stranger? Orpheus was far more concerned about L than he was about himself. He didn’t think this stranger would attack him. If he was going to, why hadn’t he already? It was, however, possible that he was trying to extort Orpheus for information about L. Information Orpheus would never, ever give away. “He’s a detective,” Orpheus said after a long moment, voice hesitant. “I think… if he was in a hurry, he might have been tracking someone else. Or something else.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jul 22, 2021 20:35:57 GMT -5
Damon listened as he walked, his footsteps quiet against the ground, as if he’d practiced the art of walking softly for a very long time. He didn’t pry, just nodded, his expression thoughtful. “Well, if he’s tracking someone, or something, then we should keep a look out for that as well,” he mused, glancing to the side to see Orpheus. He was taller, but not by much, just a couple inches. He walked quietly for a long moment before he spoke again. “You said this…Paradox House…it sends us home again, correct? But the rooms have…you said challenges? Do,you have any idea what the challenge here may be?” His tone was curious, though a little hesitant as well, as though he could sense Orpheus’ hesitation and he was trying not to push too hard, in case it made it worse.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jul 22, 2021 20:39:44 GMT -5
Orpheus looked up at Damon, a little bit surprised by how gentle he was being, as though Orpheus was a fragile thing that might break. He must have seemed incredibly desperate to get L back, and it was kind of this stranger to take that into account when talking to him. He was immediately grateful to him, though he didn’t say it out loud. He gave a tiny smile instead, hoping it communicated what he wanted it to. “Yes,” Orpheus confirmed, glancing ahead of them. “It’s possible that my friend assumed whatever he was tracking was the challenge of the room. I think it might be my challenge to find my friend, but… if I’m being honest, I don’t know what your role in this all is. Perhaps just to help me, because I’ve never tried to track anything before. I’ve been on plenty of long journeys, but only when I already knew the destination.” He was far more open about his own experiences than he was about L’s.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jul 22, 2021 20:50:12 GMT -5
Damon hummed lightly in response, matching Orpheus’ pace as they walked. He considered quietly for a long moment, finally glancing to the side again as they approached a darker spot. “I see. Then I suppose helping you will be my pleasure,” he replied finally, matching Orpheus’ smile with his own small one. “I’ve been tracking things my whole life, so I suppose I ought to be good at it by now. I could track as soon as I could walk. You’re a traveler too, then?” He looked back ahead of them, noting the surroundings as they got a little brighter, the field Orpheus had spotted coming up ahead of them. “I’ve always been on the road. I suppose…moving becomes a sort of home on its own, at times, doesn’t it?”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jul 22, 2021 20:54:30 GMT -5
Orpheus hesitated, then gave a small nod. He hadn’t wanted to give this stranger his name, but he was okay giving vague details about himself. Things that it didn’t really matter much if the stranger knew. Things that could be accurate to anyone. “I’ve done a lot of traveling, though not all of it by choice,” Orpheus replied, dipping his head in response. “I don’t know. I’m grateful for the chances I’ve been given to see the world. I’ve not really had a home since… well… since I took to the road. The road is as good of a home as any, I suppose.” Except L, his thoughts supplied, but he didn’t dare voice them. If the stranger knew just how important L was to Orpheus, would he take advantage of it? Would he put L in more danger? It wasn’t a risk that Orpheus was willing to take. “I’m impressed that you’ve been doing this for so long,” he said instead, looking ahead. “What do you do to be good at tracking? In general, I mean, what do you have to look for? I suppose it all looks the same to me.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jul 22, 2021 21:06:53 GMT -5
Damon nodded along to Orpheus’ explanation, his smile deepening a little, turning more real. “Agreed,” he said softly, dipping his head. “I suppose anything can be a home, if you’re there long enough. I used to travel with others, but…” He looked down. “Well. No matter. I travel alone now, and it suits me alright, I suppose. More to see, less opinions to contend with. It is nice to see another friendly face, though, I must admit that much. I haven’t walked alongside someone in a very long time.” He stopped, kneeling down to touch the ground. “This is where I saw him,” he murmured, looking at Orpheus. “He was moving fast, but I can track him. Tell me if the speed needs adjusted.” He straightened up and moved forwards, picking up the pace a little, as though he was a bloodhound with a scent.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jul 22, 2021 23:03:37 GMT -5
“Sometimes I wish it were a little easier to find a home,” Orpheus admitted. He figured the true meaning of his statement wouldn’t come across. There was no way Damon would be able to understand just how deeply Orpheus felt for L, just how much he considered him his true home. He couldn’t go home, as long as they were both blinking into the House. He only got short glimpses of home, and nothing he could find in his world would ever even come close to the comfort he got when he was near L. Which was part of the reason he needed to find him so badly. What if he got hurt here? What if whatever he was following was dangerous? “I hope you find someone to travel with,” he said after a moment, giving a tiny smile. “Even if it’s temporary. It’s better, sometimes, to not be alone.” His tone was genuine, as it almost always was. He didn’t know what had caused Damon to end up alone, but he hoped whatever it was didn’t haunt him the way Eurydice’s death haunted Orpheus. “The speed is fine,” he added, hurrying along behind Damon. He would have asked to go faster, but he didn’t want to pressure him. If he made a mistake and they lost L’s trail, it would take far longer than if Orpheus had just been patient enough in the first place.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jul 22, 2021 23:25:14 GMT -5
Damon glanced at Orpheus, his gaze steady. He didn’t give any indication whether he understood what Orpheus meant, but his gaze was slightly knowing. He didn’t press, though. Instead, he looked at the ground, his eyes narrowing In concentration. “He went through here,” he said, moving forwards. “He was moving in a straight line…if he was tracking something, he was doing a better job than I can, I don’t see evidence of anything else. But he was moving fast…it’s hard to say why.” He narrowed his eyes at the ground, then looked at Orpheus, a small frown on his face. “You said he might have thought this was the challenge of the room,” he said slowly. “Do you know what would have made him think that?” He watched Orpheus intently, waiting for a response.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jul 22, 2021 23:56:28 GMT -5
Orpheus blinked, frowning a little bit as he looked at the ground, trying to figure out how Damon had reached that conclusion. The grass here looked the same as it did everywhere else, but he had a feeling that it was just because he hadn’t been trained to see everything that Damon could see. “How can you tell?” Orpheus asked, though there was no suspicion in his voice. It was just curiosity. He wanted to learn how to do this himself, wanted to be able to track L if he ever needed to. It seemed like a useful skill, especially since the House seemed to like separating them. Part of Orpheus wished that Damon hadn’t seen L. Part of him wished that he had been able to just believe that L had been blinked out. “I don’t know,” Orpheus said after a moment, shaking his head. “I wish I did. I just… can’t think of any other reason he might have been in a hurry.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jul 23, 2021 0:09:16 GMT -5
Damon pointed at the grass. “See that?” He asked, gesturing. “It was recently walked on. It could be someone else, obviously, but since I saw L, it’s probably him.” He pointed at the grass a small ways away. “I think he slipped there. Probably went too fast. Took a tumble, from the looks of it. He…no…yes…he gets up there, and keeps going forward, so he can’t be too badly injured.” He moved ahead, his attention on the ground, not Orpheus. He was making good progress, too. It seemed fairly likely he’d walked this way before, at least a dozen times. “Frankly, though I’m not at all pleased that your friend is lost, this is some of the best fun I’ve had in some time.”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jul 23, 2021 0:17:51 GMT -5
Orpheus blinked, freezing where he stood. He hesitated for a very long moment, eyes wide as he stared at Damon. He mentally ran through their interactions, trying to catalogue every word that had been said. He hadn’t given his own name. He had kept it an alias on purpose. Had he said L’s? He wasn’t sure, but he doubted he would have, especially given how much he was trying to protect L’s privacy. Fear jolted through him and he took a step back, eyes narrowing. “I never told you his name,” Orpheus said, voice deathly quiet. “You said he didn’t talk to you, just walked past.” There was a lie in there, and though he felt a small spark of pride for figuring it out, he was mostly terrified about the implications for L. Where was he? Was this a blinker, or just someone the House had created?
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jul 23, 2021 0:25:14 GMT -5
Damon paused. He didn’t turn around immediately, just stood still, his back to Orpheus. There was a long moment of silence between them. Then Damon turned, looking at Orpheus with a new sort of light to his blue eyes. He looked interested, like something unique and fascinating had been presenter to him as a gift, and he was trying to decide how to react to it. “Didn’t you?” He asked smoothly, raising an eyebrow. “You mentioned it, before, don’t you remember? I mean…how else could I know it?” He gave a small, gentle smile. “We should probably keep moving, don’t you think?”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jul 23, 2021 0:45:35 GMT -5
Damon looked at Orpheus for a long moment, silent. His eyes went a few degrees cooler as he looked, and the gentle, amiable shade to his face faded, leaving it sharper. “Calm down,” he replied, raising his eyebrows and giving a pleasant smile. “You’re clearly still upset about losing your…’friend’. I’m sure you just forgot. After all, I’ve never seen either of you before in my life, have I?” He sighed. “I understand that you’re stressed, but I’m just trying to help here. Don’t you want to find him? Do you think you can, on your own?”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jul 23, 2021 0:49:51 GMT -5
“I don’t forget things like that,” Orpheus replied, doing his best to keep the edge out of his voice. His attempt wasn’t as successful as he’d hoped. He didn’t trust this man, suddenly. He didn’t know what he was after, but there was something about him that was putting Orpheus on edge. The fact that he knew L’s name, for one. It was possible, of course, that he was telling the truth. It was possible that Orpheus had let L’s name slip. He knew for a fact that he hadn’t, though. He would never betray L like that. It took a long moment before Orpheus gave a tiny nod. He knew Damon was his best shot of finding L, whether he trusted him or not. “Fine,” Orpheus said after a long moment, eyes narrowing just a little bit. “I appreciate your help. I would just… like you to show me how you’re reaching your conclusions. If that’s alright.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jul 23, 2021 1:00:50 GMT -5
Damon didn’t flinch. He stood still, waiting for Orpheus to come to the only conclusion there was to come to: he needed Damon. His suspicion wasn’t relevant. He could be as suspicious as he wanted, but if he wanted to find L, he only had one option. He dipped his head. “I hope you can learn something from it, then,” he replied, and turned to continue on. It wasn’t far. He knew where he was going. His footsteps were sure, and he was barely watching the ground at all, anymore, though he did stop here and there to stare at the grass as if he’d found something interesting there. He pointed at a leaf. “See that? It was knocked off. Might be your friend.” But mostly, he just walked. Finally, he slowed, looking back at Orpheus. “We’re close,” he told him. “Very close. I know you don’t trust me, so I won’t ask you to go in front of me, but stay close.”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jul 23, 2021 1:06:23 GMT -5
In theory, Orpheus could have found L. In theory. He might have been too late. He might have found him after he was already dead. Or maybe he wasn’t missing at all. Maybe this was just a trap. But it was L they were talking about, and Orpheus would risk everything to make sure he was safe. Regardless of whether he thought Damon was telling the truth or not, he was the only source of information that Orpheus had. Orpheus had nothing to leverage over him, he just had himself and the knowledge that L might be in danger. He would do anything he had to in order to save L, even if that meant trusting people who shouldn’t be trusted. He didn’t say much as he followed along, just looked at the places Damon paid special attention to, trying to catch any sign of L that might be hidden there. There wasn’t much, or if it was, it wasn’t obvious. Orpheus wished he could see more. Wished he had the vision required to tell where L had been. He didn’t like the way Damon said ‘might.’ It wasn’t certain enough for him, but it was all he had to go on. L’s life hung in the balance. “I will,” he managed, watching Damon through narrowed eyes. He took a deep breath in, then followed Damon’s gaze. It could be a trap. But if there was even a shadow of a chance that it could be L, Orpheus had to take that risk.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jul 23, 2021 1:19:40 GMT -5
Damon dipped his head, continuing forwards as though Orpheus’ suspicion didn’t bother him at all. He moved quickly, heading for a small building, his hands on his pockets and his eyes focused ahead. It didn’t take long to reach it. He turned, looking back at Orpheus, his ever present smile still on his face. “Trail stops here,” he told him. “I think your friend must be inside.” He paused, head tilted to one side, as though he were listening to something. Then he looked at Orpheus again. “Would you like to go in? Or shall I?” He asked politely. “Assuming you do want to go in, of course.”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jul 23, 2021 1:27:38 GMT -5
Orpheus took a long look at the building, resisting the urge to tell Damon that he didn’t want to have anything to do with it, thank you very much. It was a rather intimidating thing, standing there all by itself, seemingly abandoned. L might be inside. L might need him. Orpheus hesitated for a long moment, then ducked inside without another word. It didn’t matter whether or not it was a trap. What mattered was that Orpheus needed to make sure that L was inside. If he wasn’t, then he’d deal with it when the time came. For now… it was the best lead he had. “Thank you,” Orpheus managed brusquely as he turned around, then began his search for L.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jul 23, 2021 2:03:08 GMT -5
Damon didn’t move as Orpheus went in, just watched. He didn’t seem to mind one way or the other. He didn’t stop him, at least. Inside was a spare, elderly looking home, with spiderwebs in the corners and dust on the counters. It was very gray, everything touched with a layer of grime, even the carpet. There seemed to be nothing there at all, only dust, not even a fly or a mouse to be seen. And then there was a thump. And then a shadow. And a hunched man with messy black hair stumbled around the corner, his hands tied together and a dazed look in his dark eyes. He swayed dangerously back and forth, almost falling before he managed to catch himself with his shoulder against the doorframe. He didn’t seem to notice he wasn’t alone, or if he did, he didn’t react. And then a knife flashed as it plunged towards Orpheus’ shoulder.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jul 23, 2021 2:11:58 GMT -5
Orpheus wasn’t sure how he felt about the home. Well, no… that wasn’t quite the truth. He was quite sure he didn’t like it, but he also knew it was possible that L was there, and he needed to do something about it if he was. He needed to be there to protect L. He needed to make sure he was safe. And then, as though summoned by Orpheus’ thoughts, there he was. He looked… bad. It was the only word that came to mind as Orpheus looked at him, and he couldn’t help the sinking of his stomach, or the way his feet seemed to move of their own accord. “Λ!” He managed, breathless, moving to catch L’s arm and put it over his shoulder so he could support at least half of his weight. He took a deep breath in, trying to make sure he was strong enough. The moment he saw L it was as though he had forgotten about Damon. The threat didn’t register in his mind, there was only L, drugged, L, hands tied together, L, almost falling. “I’m here,” he whispered, reaching for L’s hand. “I’m-” whatever he was about to say was cut off as surprise flashed through hazel eyes and his back arched as pain lanced through it. He slumped forward, just barely catching himself on the doorframe as well. A trap, his mind screamed. He had fallen right into it.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jul 23, 2021 2:34:13 GMT -5
L looked up, his eyes wide and unfocused as he searched for the source of the noise, though he couldn’t process what might have made it. He swayed as he stepped away from the door, almost falling before Orpheus caught him. He leaned against him, unable to stand up straight without support. Orpheus was warm, his brain noted sleepily, but he failed to connect that thought to anything even a little bit useful. His eyes wandered. He couldn’t tell what he was looking for. The world was spinning, and how thoughts weren’t connecting. He couldn’t seem to process what was happening. Then Orpheus fell forwards and he slipped too, his legs buckling under the sudden weight. He went down fast, as limp as a puppet with cut strings. “You know, for a minute there, I thought you were actually going to be a challenge,” Damon’s voice, but slower, and far less proper and polite. “You caught on quick. How did you know his name?” His voice went up an octave, shaking with fake terror, before he dropped it again and stabbed forwards, aiming at the same spot. “And then you just walked right in.”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jul 23, 2021 2:41:33 GMT -5
Orpheus didn’t register the pain, at least not right away. His shoulder felt hot, and there was something trickling down his back, wetting his shirt. His brain had gone into overdrive, trying to protect him and, more importantly, trying to protect L. Distantly, he thought that he had, technically, succeeded. He had found L, no matter what the cost. He just had to hold onto him. He braced himself against the doorway, using what little remained of his strength to hold up. He was paying Damon attention, but just enough to know where he was. Just enough to stop him from stabbing at L. He was trembling, he realized, though it wasn’t with fear. It was with the effort of keeping both himself and L up as his brain realized that he had been stabbed. The panic hadn’t set in yet. It was just… calm. Orpheus turned his head slowly, blinking at Damon with something like confusion in his hazel eyes. He hadn’t had a choice… he let his gaze shift back to L, then once more back to Damon. The man was raising a knife, and Orpheus reacted before he could think. He had to make sure it didn’t hit L. He managed to maneuver himself so every inch of his body protected L, and the blade buried itself almost right between his shoulder blades, only barely missing his spine. He gave a shudder as the blade slid in, eyes wide and mouth agape as he choked in a gasp. “Can you run?” Orpheus breathed to L, though he wasn’t sure he said it out loud or if it had just echoed in his head, louder than it should have. He fell forward the rest of the way, his knees taking the impact of the fall and his elbows bending awkwardly as he tried to catch the rest of his body too.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jul 23, 2021 2:55:36 GMT -5
L didn’t know what was happening. He was semi aware that he was being supported, but he couldn’t tell who, or what, was doing that. He couldn't seem to stand up straight…he couldn’t tell whether he was spinning or the room was. The whisper tickled his ear, and he shook his head, trying to get the fuzzy feeling to go away. He couldn’t make sense of the request, so he didn’t answer it. He didn’t know if he could speak, anyway “It would have been a lot more fun if you’d been just a little…that’s a lie. You’d have needed to be a whole lot smarter for this to be fun,” Damon said reproachfully, his leaning over Orpheus, bloodstained knife in hand. He waved it over the poet, his lips curling into a smirk. “Come on. Say something. Beg for your life, or maybe offer yourself up so L Lawliet here can get free. Hm? Anything? I thought you loooooooooved him.” He sighed loudly. “Come on. You think it hurts now? Baby. This is nothing. Don’t you know anything? I bet your friend here could tell you how long you have until you bleed out. Better think fast.”
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