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Post by Leo/ Clundy on Nov 3, 2023 22:49:52 GMT
Ripley glanced at Gwen when she approached him demanding Laurie go elsewhere. He raised his eyebrows at her and fully turned in her direction as Laurie left his side. He watched the man out of the corner of his eye to make sure he didn't go too far. But, his attention fully went to the woman in front of him as she made her gripes clear.
He chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest. "And what did you see, Princess? What did I do to hurt poor little Atticus?" he asked leaning closer into her face. He pouted, mockingly as if he were upset that she were. He laughed again and leaned away rolling his eyes. "It's not my fault you two feel threatened by my methods. Frankly, no one has time to consider anyone else's "alleged" feelings," He informed quietly. He glanced at Atticus and a smile of pity rested on his face.
If Atticus had a problem with what Ripley was doing then he could bring it up himself instead of having a third person do it. It's not his fault Atticus was too scared to pursue anything. Not his fault if he felt jealous. He should be bolder. Ripley wasn't going to wait for him.
"Your loyalty to him is blinding you from what we all want," Ripley warned turning his eyes back to Gwen. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants and indicated with his head for Laurie to come back over. "But, I'll choose to ignore your threat this time. Didn't happen and we can just move on with the plans," he offered and gave a more genuinely kind smile in her direction.
Without waiting for Laurie to catch up t them, Ripley began walking behind the rest of the pack. "Can't believe you never mentioned your name was actually Gudrun. You know I would have pronounced it correctly."
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Post by Nari on Nov 4, 2023 11:20:18 GMT
Theo stared dumbfounded at Cleo as the leader spoke about him. What was this, their approval? He certainly didn’t expect to hear it from them of all people, and couldn’t help but smirk when they were finished.
Emboldened, he finally turned his attention to Atticus, who’d made a comment regarding his phone and ‘not leaking information.’ “Oh please,” the boy stated, raising a brow, “you’re not that interesting, Broccoli.”
Ripley had gotten up and for a moment Theo noticed Laurie regarding him with a smile. The boy flashed one back, and in a hushed voice said, “I really should have packed a bag, huh?” A little levity is what the both of them seemed to need.
Soon the leader returned with one of the kidnapped people, Pascal. It was shocking to learn that one of them had been so close the whole time, but it made sense on further thought. The exiled would have needed someone to threaten if they didn’t get what they wanted. At least now it meant he got to return home.
The Champion of Hades noticeably fidgeted as he walked, as if unsure of the situation he was in. Within his hands was his phone, and he held onto the device tightly. It was as if he was simultaneously worried it would get taken from him again and had no idea what to do with it now that he had it.
Occasionally he looked back at Ripley behind him, but his gaze fell to the bloody heep that was once Esme. His face went pale at the sight, and he looked seconds away from passing out, but a rough shove from the exiled to ‘keep moving’ was enough for him to get his bearings and stay on his feet.
Outside of his visible exhaustion, it was hard to pinpoint any other emotion from Pascal. The only thing that could be discerned was his shoulders losing tension at the sight of the Ascendants. Before he stepped away from Ripley, the older boy seemed to say something to him. Theo found it hard to make out what was being said, and was only able to catch his final words.
“Your death will not be kind.”
Yeah, that solidified his belief that Pascal was scary. The Champion of Hades soon pulled away and walked over to the rest of the group. Briefly he glanced at Laurie, Theo, and finally came to focus on Dillon when the boy spoke to him.
With a free hand, he rubbed the back of his neck, awkwardly, “I’ve been sleeping for weeks, so no. They wouldn’t let me drink coffee.”
Theo just stared at Pascal, trying to figure out if he was being serious, but it soon dawned on him that they were leaving now. The older boy was going home, but he wasn’t. It's what he’d agreed to, so he couldn’t complain. With a heavy heart he let out a sigh, slipping his hands into his pockets. He could feel something in there, and it reminded him he still had his key. He fished it out and looked at it momentarily. Chances were he wouldn’t be able to keep it where he was going, so he looked back at his friends and tossed it over to Chiara.
“Hold onto it for me,” he mused before he gave the group a mixture of a wave and a salute. With that final goodbye, the Champion of Baldr left without another word.
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Post by 𝕄𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕣𝕪 on Nov 4, 2023 20:15:54 GMT
Clementine glared at Ripley as the man called them stupid. The insult meant nothing coming from such a spoiled little fucker, but they still showed their disdain for him. They remained silent as the man walked off to retrieve Pascal. He looked so tired and drained, but he was alive.
"If you kill Echo, Daniel, or Theo," Cleo stated, glaring Ripley right back into his eyes, "the deal is off."
They would not give more people over just for Ripley to hurt and kill them. The whole thing felt pointless, trading people away just to get others back. What good would it do to send people to their deaths?
"Well, that's for us to decide, isn't it?" Atticus stated. He looked offended at Theo's comment, but to try and save his dignity (what little of it was left), he simply ignore the male and instead used his abilities to swipe a vine right under Theo's feet in an attempt to make the man fall.
For pettiness, of course.
Cleo themselves let Dillon tend to Pascal. Instead they glared at Ripley, before looking at Laurie, eyes withering and cold, "you had everyone fooled," Cleo spoke, "I mean, not everyone," Cleo stated, "I knew when I saw you treating every fucking thing like a joke that you were just a selfish prick."
They took a deep breath in, shaking their head, "but you would date a man who killed people you supposedly cared for, you would see people trade themselves just to save others, and you say nothing. You side with them."
As Ripley started to lead him away, they let their words chill the room as they bore their eyes into his back, a vitriol in their voice, "I was right," they said, voice apathetic, "convincing River to leave your sorry ass really was for the best."
They glared as the Exiled left. Eyes sorrowful as they glanced at the blood marring the ground, the splinters of bone and human meat. Then they glanced at Pascal, taking his key, the pen, from their pocket and holding it out to him.
"Welcome back, Pascal," they commented, then glanced at Chiara, who held Theodore's key in her hands. When all of this started, there were 4 Chosen from the Norse Pantheon. Now it was only Chiara and Luka.
The thought saddened them a bit. Refusing to let it show, they turned, "let's get out of this building and away from the Exiled before we go back," they said, voice apathetic, emotions shuttered away, "Dillon, help Pascal."
Atticus had exited the meeting glaring at Laurie, annoyance falling off of him in waves. Everything was great before the stupid French man entered the picture. Everything used to easy.
But now there was Ripley, and against his own better judgement, he knew he had feelings for Ripley. Like a moth to flame, it wouldn't end well, Atticus knew that, but he still remembered that night. When he thought Ripley felt the same.
But Ripley wasn't like Gwen or Atticus. He didn't lose all of his friends to the Gods. He just wanted power. In the beginning, Atticus only let Ripley stay because he saw Ripley as something to use for their plans. Now, he felt like he was the plaything.
He rolled his eyes regardless, glancing at the new golden boy. Whatever words Atticus would utter about thinking the Champion of Baldr would make a good toy and whatnot were said to a) scare Theo and b) make Ripley jealous.
It wasn't working very well.
He felt a bit of worry for Gwen as she went off with Ripley to talk to him, his eyes wide. Whatever feeling he may possess for Ripley, a part of him still didn't trust him. Especially not with the little bit of family he had made for himself and had left.
Gwen could handle herself though, and he turned away to lead the group back to the base, leaving the Ascendants behind.
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Post by 𝕄𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕣𝕪 on Nov 4, 2023 20:30:19 GMT
Luka looked at Lucien, back down to her thumb. The blood wasn't a lot, the tiniest little scratch on her thumb that barely even stung, but still, it was annoying that it happened. As Lucien spoke, Luka tried to think on that. Theodore was her...well, he was her friend. She didn't really know what else he was. Just that she wanted to help protect him. Because Theo would never see it in himself, but he was more than just some pretty face. He was funny and nice and a bit narcissistic, but he was also smart and he was strong. Luka had thought he was selfish when she first met him, she had detested him just as she detested Cleo and Irene, but then when that meeting happened, Theo had spoke to her. He was...easy to open up to.
Easier than anyone she'd ever talked to before had been. Because he didn't just listen, he understood, and he didn't pity. He teased her and joked with her until neither of them could care anymore.
A part of him reminded her so much of her dad. Theo was obviously different, but she wondered if maybe that playful kind nature allowed her to open up to him more.
Maybe Theo phrased it better than she ever could. I'm not ready to be an older brother. Did he think of her like that? His sister?
She felt the sting of panic receding a bit, leaving a bit of a numbness behind. Ever since Fenrir had almost drained her of blood like some 13-foot killer wolf vampire, she'd been so reactive to things. She could hide it most of the time, at least, she thought she could, but the video...Theo's text...it had pushed her to the edge.
"It's just a tiny scratch, Lucien," she said, voice blunt, "it's not like I'm bleeding out." There was an unspoken again at the end of that statement, and she allowed the tiniest quirk of her lips, rubbing her finger on her shirt to clean it.
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Post by pallas on Nov 4, 2023 21:35:24 GMT
At Theo’s joke, Laurie’s tired smile deepened a little, but he dared not risk a verbal reply to the other boy. Especially after what Atticus had just said to Theo when he’d been texting on his phone. He didn’t know how the exiled would respond to him communicating with Theo even in a controlled environment like this one.
But then Cleo started on their tirade. Their words stabbed like knives - Cleo knew how to pick their words to cut deepest, he’d give them that much. They hurt, and it took all of Laurie’s effort not to react. To meet their eyes without looking away as they confronted him. Because did he not deserve it? Did he not deserve to have to meet their eyes as Cleo called him a selfish prick for betraying his friends? Because no matter how he might try and justify it by telling himself that they were misguided, following cruel and tyrannical gods, that fact was undeniably true. He had betrayed them.
He tried not to let the pain register on his face, keeping his expression steady as Cleo insulted him. They had every right to say what they were saying, but he didn’t have to show in front of Ripley how they were getting to him.
And his parents had said acting was useless.
But then as he rose to join Ripley, they said something he could not stop himself from reacting to.
”I was right. Convincing River to leave your sorry ass really was for the best.”
He felt the shaky wall he’d been trying to desperately to bolster the whole meeting threatening to crumble. The facade that was keeping him from falling apart entirely, for one sickening moment, was in a kind of jeopardy he knew he could not afford.
He froze for a second but then worked to turn back to Cleo, and more emotion registered on his face than he’d allowed himself to show all night. Heartbreak and fury melted in a white-hot mixture inside him, a heat that felt like it was burning through his very organs. He couldn’t keep it from his expression, nor the shock and betrayal as he processed the words.
At first he couldn’t make a sound, no words coming to him. None would be adequate for what he felt or wanted to express.
”I- you-” the broken words were filled with every ounce of the anger and hurt he was feeling. The break in his voice felt in time with his heart shattering all over again.
River had never even wanted to break up with him. He’d done so on the orders of Cleo and, judging by his shamefaced expression, Dillon too. What he’d said when they’d broken up, he’d never meant it. He’d never wanted to hurt him. None of it had been real, and he must have been tortured by the decision that had been forced on him. Poor River, who was gone and had been forced to live with the secret of who had really been behind the breakup and never been allowed to tell Laurie the truth.
And Laurie? He’d been lied to. Used like a pawn by the leaders behind his back. His happiness toyed with like it was worth nothing, without him even in the room. None of the leaders had been decent enough to tell him the truth or involved him in the conversation. If they’d spoken to Laurie about their concerns, he and River could have come up with a solution mutually.
That was when it sunk in. River might not have been the one who thought Laurie was a liability, but the leaders were. They’d never seen him as anything other than a joke, an obstacle that needed to be removed because he was in the way of River doing his job. The exiled weren’t wrong that the ascendants were following cruel and tyrannical gods, and it seemed to Laurie that they were not so different from their guides. Treating him as if his life was theirs to meddle with as they pleased for their amusement.
What did Laurie owe them? Why did they deserve his loyalty when all they did with it was hurt him and lie to his face? How could Cleo have the audacity to try and appeal to Laurie when they’d done that to him?
They’d told him that for no other reason than to be spiteful. For a moment, just a moment, he felt a mite less guilty for being with the exiled.
Regardless, he could not articulate a response to Cleo’s insults, and Ripley was departing so he did not have time to linger any longer anyway. So, face still stricken, he followed Ripley.
He wanted to collapse, to scream and cry and rage. He wanted nothing more than to fall apart, but he didn’t have that luxury.
After Cleo had said that, he was in such turmoil emotionally that he was almost glad for Gwen’s rather blunt dismissal of him. Standing aside but within River’s view, it gave him a much needed opportunity to collect himself. Before he knew it, though, his boyfriend was calling him over.
He’d arrived just in time to catch the end of Ripley’s comment on Gudrun’s name, to which the Dane merely shrugged.
”Felt like the opportunity had passed by the time you arrived.” Gwen replied simply ”Besides, I outgrew Gudrun.”
_____
CHARACTER PROFILE IMAGE CREDIT: ElenaA via Picrew |
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Post by pallas on Nov 4, 2023 23:29:29 GMT
Chiara caught Theo’s key, only able to nod when he told her to look after it. She wanted to say so much to him. To be careful and stay safe. That she’d miss him, that she cared for him as her friend. Even just goodbye. But there was so much to say that she could say none of it. Only hope that Theo knew all those things to be true in himself.
She was immediately concerned for Pascal’s welfare, looking for any signs as to his condition the moment Ripley brought him out. He seemed exhausted but… okay. She left the task of tending to him to Dillon, who was the first to respond to the boy’s arrival.
Besides, Chiara’s attention was soon pulled by the venomous words of Cleo. Cutting and intended to hurt. To wound. Laurie was hurt by them, she had no doubt, despite the way he steadily held their gaze. She could see it in the tightening in his jaw, tiny signs in his body language. He seemed to deflate just a little as Cleo went on.
Then Cleo revealed that the breakup between River and Laurie was orchestrated by them. Chiara’s mouthful fell open in shock. Dillon’s had too, but Chiara quickly realised from his embarrassment that he’d also been involved. At least he had the good grace to look ashamed.
When Laurie turned away, Dillon shot Cleo a reproachful look.
But then he turned his attention back to Pascal, nodding when he spoke about his tiredness, the lack of coffee.
”You’re safe now” Dillon assured him, before joking ”We’ll get you home and you can have an almost lethal dose of coffee if you want.”
But he wasn’t done with Cleo. Once the exiled were truly gone and Cleo was talking about leaving, he obeyed them by helping Pascal but still looked at them with disappointment.
”I know you’re angry at Laurie, Cleo. Hell, I’m furious at the arsehole for what he’s done.” he said. ”But to use River against him after what we did, to tell him in front of everyone? That’s callous and it’s fucking low. I’m not proud of what we did, and I was starting to think you weren’t either until you started bragging about it. What he’s done is shitty beyond words but it doesn’t make what we did suddenly okay.”
That was without the calling him out for lying. All he’d lied about was being okay, it would seem. Clearly he’d lied about that for a reason, and Cleo had called him out apparently for no other reason than anger and spite. In lying about being okay he hadn’t done anything wrong inherently.
Dillon was no less angry at Laurie for his betrayal, of course, but he couldn’t condone Cleo’s conduct either. He could understand it, given what was on their shoulders and how strongly they valued fairness and honesty. But it didn’t mean it should go excused.
Still, he softened his voice, sighed.
”Come on, let’s go. The pressure is clearly getting to everyone.” Dillon said, much more gently.
An expression of understanding. Cleo was stressed and angry and had possibly said stuff they didn’t mean. They were under unimaginable pressure, the lives of their friends in their hands. That could make anyone behave unkindly, say things without thought. It didn’t make what they’d done okay and he wouldn’t take back his rebuke, but he wanted them to know he was willing to draw a line under it.
So he prepared to depart and Chiara followed on, but she couldn’t help but keep looking at Theo’s key. He, Chiara and Luka really had become like a strange sort of family. They’d drawn Chiara out of her shell, made her realise unexpected things about herself. Theo meant a lot to her, and now he’d sacrificed himself to the exiled. A kind man. A man who hid behind arrogance but was so much more than that. And she wasn’t sure if he knew just what a good person he was. Just how important he was.
And now she and Luka only had one another in the Norse wing. Neighbours in a silent corridor.
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CHARACTER PROFILE IMAGE CREDIT: ElenaA via Picrew
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Post by pallas on Nov 4, 2023 23:58:59 GMT
Lucien held his hands up placatingly when Luka protested at his suggestion, shaking his head with a smile. ”Okay, okay.”
But he knew that obviously she had to be incredibly worried about Theo after everything. He could see it in her, just as clearly as he could see the way the after effects of her experience with Fenrir had shone through sometimes during their exchange. He would be there for her, as a friend, if the time came she wanted to talk about that but he knew better than to believe he could force her to.
For this situation, however, he had a potentially helpful suggestion to offer.
”We can sit here as long as you need while you process if you want to. In silence if you’d like.” he suggested, ”Or I can leave if you’d prefer to be alone. Or we could go and sit in the portal room; I’m sure they can’t be long now.”
He wanted to give Luka options, tell him what she’d prefer. What did she need from him in that moment? He’d be there for her however she needed him to, even if that meant him leaving so she could think and feel what she needed to by herself without him around.
If she wanted to be in the portal room to be ready for their arrival he could do that. Whatever she wanted from him to make this slightly more bearable for her, he’d do his best to do.
_____
CHARACTER PROFILE IMAGE CREDIT: ElenaA via Picrew
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Post by Leo/ Clundy on Nov 5, 2023 16:51:59 GMT
Griffin glared at Ripley and Atticus every time they spoke. He was shaking with anger every time they breathed and yet he couldn't do anything. Theo had made the deal and they had accepted it. He was going to their side for the time being leaving behind an apology and the people who loved him.
But it was done.
Pascal came back out to them, looking worn out but alive. Mostly uninjured it seemed. Seeing the Hades Champion lifted his mood temporarily and he moved to embrace him back into the group along with Chiara. He gently rested a hand on his back and smiled at him hoping to look as welcoming and comforting as he could despite his hell-deep mood.
But two things brought his mood even lower.
Theo's final goodbye.
And Cleo's angry speech to Laurie.
Shock mixed in with his anger with disgust following quickly after. He looked between Laurie and Cleo, the former of who looked up at them finally. Finally, he looked up with with such a painful expression on his face as he found out the truth of why he'd been broken up with.
Griffin's gaze slowly went back to Cleo and then to Dillon who looked admittedly ashamed. So he knew too? Did all the leaders know then?
"You did what?" he asked quietly. Admittedly the quietest he's ever been. He looked between the two leaders and his face shifted into that of horror at the realization and confirmation that they'd broken up a couple for their own selfish reasons.
'That’s callous and it’s fucking low.'
No, it was selfish and evil.
And if anyone else got into a relationship would they be forced to separate too? For the "presumably" greater good, would they have to keep the relationship broken so everyone would do the jobs they were instructed to do? And what if he finally confessed to Guinevere? What if they wanted to be in a relationship? Would that be broken too? Probably not...
They weren't important enough to keep apart.
Is this who they chose to lead them? People who played with them like pawns just like the exiles do?
Tearing his eyes away from the two he stepped towards Guinevere and gently pulled her to him. Wrapping one arm around her, he rubbed her shoulders and kissed her hairline as they started making their way home. "Guiney, come here. I got you."
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Post by Leo/ Clundy on Nov 5, 2023 17:11:26 GMT
River was leaned against the wall of the room, watching and waiting for the portal's to appear with the sign of his friends. He'd been there since he'd gotten Ripley's message from Haleema's phone. And there he stood in silence, anxiously tapping his phone against his crossed arms.
Then it appeared and they were stepping back into their home. Chiara, Dillon, Cleo, Griffin and Guinevere, and surprisingly Pascal was there with them. River's eyes immediately went to him, scanning to see if he was in any sort of pain or suffering any injuries. Luckily, he just looked tired.
Relief flooded his chest at the sight of him. He was ok. He was still alive. But, that relief quickly and drastically turned to dread when the portal closed without Theo. He looked around the group, as if silently trying to pull and answer from one of them or that he'd magically appear from behind someone. But, nothing of the sort happened.
His gaze hardened and he stood upright as he approached Dillon. He'd find out what he needed to know first and then go tend to everyone else. He just needed to know how and if he could proceed in doing so.
"Dillon," he rasped and cleared his throat as he gestured for the other boy to follow him.
He moved quickly out of the room, still tap tap tapping his phone against his arm. Only when he was back out into the hallway did he slow his pace and walk next to Dillon. But, he didn't stop. River's gaze never stopped being right in front of him. Hard and focused on where he was going and preparing for the news he was about to hear.
"Tell me what happened," he said quietly.
As little as he trusted the last of the Ascendant leaders, Dillon was probably the highest on the list right now. He would at least tell him the facts as they were with a sense of level-headedness. And if he missed anything, River at least had the proof to call him out on it.
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Post by pallas on Nov 5, 2023 17:55:50 GMT
Dillon returned to the Pantheon feeling more ashamed than ever after seeing how horrified Griffin had been with him and Cleo. It was deserved, more than deserved, and Dillon knew that. He’d been feeling nothing but guilty about his part in the breakup almost since it happened and he knew it deserved it.
He deserved to feel awful about it, because however awful he felt he knew it couldn’t compare to how much pain the decision had caused River and Laurie.
Speaking of River, upon their return the Ares champion approached him and indicated he wanted to talk. Dillon passed Pascal on to the others, who hopefully could get some good hot food or something into him, and joined River to talk.
He knew he was going to have to tell him about Laurie, but he didn’t know how to even do so. He just knew he had to. Honesty was the very least he owed River after everything.
Sure enough, once they were in private River was asking him what happened. Dillon swallowed. Where to even start?
”They brought Fenrir.” he began shakily as he walked alongside River ”He was eating what was left of Haleema, apparently.”
That was just the first bit of news and already Dillon was struggling to get through it. What had happened to Haleema was a big deal, it shouldn’t just be lost amongst the mess that was the meeting and everything else that was happening. He didn’t want it to be overshadowed.
But he inhaled, because he knew he had to press on. There was so much more news that needed to be shared.
”They killed one of their own, a Champion of Odin. Fed her to Fenrir because she’d lied and said Hades was her guide.” he continued, but did not linger on this. He had far more to share and if he stopped talking he wasn’t sure how he’d start again. ”Then they said they wanted a deal. Some of our people in return for the ones they’d kidnapped, and if we refused they’d start killing them. They were willing to give us Pascal back as a show of good faith but then said they wanted one of ours as insurance that we wouldn’t fuck them over. We tried to stop him, but…”
He paused, words failing him for a moment as he looked back in the direction they’d come. He’d gone away with them for the meeting and he hadn’t come back, and they never should’ve let him do it. He should be there with them right now. He or Cleo should’ve gone instead.
”Theo volunteered himself.” he finally said. ”Cleo and I were meant to keep him safe as leaders. I’d wanted to suggest that I should go, but I wasn’t quick enough and he got there first. The exiled jumped at the idea.”
But he’d delayed far too long in sharing the news he knew would devastate River. He could hold off no longer. He had to steel himself, but then plunged into the reveal. He was just glad River was keeping his gaze ahead. Delivering this news would be harder if he was looking at him.
”Laurie was with them. The exiled.” the boy continued, the words spilling out because he needed to get them out before he lost his courage. ”And he’s dating Ripley Gates. I’m so sorry, River. I didn’t understand it either, but there was no doubt about it.”
He knew there was no way to make this news less painful. No amount of kindness, no amount of empathy or compassion would make this easier for River.
Dillon had no idea how he’d react, but he was glad they were alone for this.
_____
CHARACTER PROFILE IMAGE CREDIT: ElenaA via Picrew
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Post by 𝕄𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕣𝕪 on Nov 5, 2023 18:26:43 GMT
 
Clementine glared at Dillon as he spoke back. Realistically, they knew he was right, they shouldn't have said what they said as cruelly. Deep down, they had felt bad. But now they were questioning whether they should or not. Because imagine all the pain they saved River. What if the two were still dating, and Laurie pulled this move?
"I did feel bad, you know?" They said, eyes softening as they looked away, "but in the end, would you rather River have dated him? Have this happen and hurt him ever more?"
They weren't worried about feelings though, their eyes narrowed, "and to use River against him? Really, Dillon? Do you wish to defend someone who just betrayed us? If you're so worried about sparing feelings then you tell River about Laurie."
They turned away from Dillon, hands clenched into fists.
As Griffin asked them what they did, they spared him a glance, "for the sake of fairness towards everyone, we had requested they break up," they answered honestly, "at first, it had been a cause of guilt for me. I had blamed myself for what happened to both River and Laurie. But I see now that it wasn't such a bad move, Laurie has shown he is willing to prioritize his own safety at the expanse of others."
"Maybe we don't understand the whole situation!" Guinevere said, eyes wide as she leaned against Griffin, silent tears trailing down her face, "maybe it's not that black and white."
"Maybe it's not," Cleo agreed, looking at their key, "but he has admitted to being with Ripley, he has admitted to not caring for River's opinion on that, he's watched Haleema die and Echo be tortured while he himself got to WHAT? Cuddle up to that monster!? He watched that girl die today, heard her scream and beg for mercy and all the while just sat by Ripley like some obedient pet!"
Guinevere's tears increased in speed, not because Cleo was wrong or hurtful, but because...because they were right. "I can't believe she's gone," she whispered, curling and throwing her head into Griffin's shoulder.
Cleo turned away, biting their own tongue, "and he watched Theo trade his own life away for Pascal. Whatever the whole situation is...does it even matter?" They looked to Dillon then, questioning him, "would you do all of that under any circumstance?"
Without waiting for much of an answer, they twisted their key, opening the portal.
Cleo and the others arrived through the portal. River was waiting there, and had requested to speak to Dillon. They looked at the boy expectantly, raising an eyebrow.
Running into the room just seconds after the two departed was the two youngest leaders. Luka looked extremely anxious, moreso that Cleo has personally ever seen her. She was bouncing on the heals of her feet and was slightly out of breath. She began her words quickly, almost indecipherable, "Theo I'm going to throttle you, who sends that kind of-" she paused, taking in the occupants of the room, her face falling a bit, her gaze landing on Chiara then, hopeful but scared, "Where's Theo?"
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Post by pallas on Nov 5, 2023 18:52:48 GMT
Shortly after emerging through the portal, River and Dillon departed. Their leaving was almost immediately followed by Luka and Lucien rushing in to help.
Chiara’s heart broke a little bit watching Luka call out for Theo, the hope still on her face mixing with worry.
Her notebook was tucked under her good arm, but she was holding something in her hand. The girl’s eyes stung with tears as she opened the hand to reveal Theo’s key and she met Luka’s eyes, shaking her head.
She pulled Luka into a hug, honestly because she felt like she herself needed one. She wasn’t a touchy-feely person, but in that moment she needed some kind of comfort. And possibly Luka did too.
”They wanted someone in return for Pascal.“ she said quietly to the other girl as she hugged Luka, ”Theo… it went so fast but he volunteered to go. They have him.“
There was no other way to say it. She was devastated and scared for Theo, and she knew Luka must have gotten the text too. Everything felt far too real, too much.
And now the ascendants had to make some sort of plan, or everything would be lost to the exiled before they knew it.
Meanwhile, Lucien’s eyes fixed on Cleo as the only leader who’d been to the meeting that was left after Dillon had left with River.
”Cleo, what happened?” Lucien didn’t think his voice had ever felt sounded so small. ”What- What do we have to do?”
Because surely they had to make some sort of plan now. Surely there was something they could do, would have to do. The exiled could not destroy them completely if they didn’t come up with something good very quickly.
_____
CHARACTER PROFILE IMAGE CREDIT: ElenaA via Picrew
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Post by 𝕄𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕣𝕪 on Nov 5, 2023 20:40:11 GMT
Luka looked at Chiara, eyebrows scrunched in confusion as Chiara approached her. Her gaze flickered up past Chiara to Cleo, who refused to meet Luka's eyes. Luka looked back at Chiara, gasping as Chiara opened her hands.
Theo's key. Theo's key.
"… I just needed the chance to start over..." A remote turned on by the sound of voice. She stood numb in Chiara's arms, staring ahead without much processing.
“Helpless? You? No, I don’t see where they got that.” A smile thrown her way. She looked up, eyes flickering from Griffin and Guinevere to Cleo.
"You're not Loki, and I'm not Baldr." Understanding. Theo wasn't there.
"They think I’m expendable…?" Clementine had treated him like he was... Was that why?
"You say ‘no one is allowed to die’, but that’s clearly not a promise someone can keep..." She'd failed him. He may not be dead, but Haleema was, that other girl was. Theo was gone.
"I won't allow you to die. Friends protect each other, Theo, if I'm not going to kill you, no one will. So you're not allowed to die." She'd said that to him, but now he was gone.
“Baldr can’t have problems. Baldr knows what to say to get people to adore him. Baldr is noticed when he is gone.”
In Chiara's arms, Luka's eyes stung, and she couldn't even will strength into her arms. She looked at Cleo for an explanation, and the other leaders cleared their throat.
"Theodore made a choice to trade himself over in exchange for Pascal," they began, keeping their voice even, "the Exiled demanded that a trade must occur. It was..for the best. "
Luka raised her head from Chiara's arms, withering glare on Cleo as they explained the situation. At the last sentence, she pulled herself from Chiara's arms and stormed towards the other leader, quick as a little bullet. First, she stepped on their foot, stomping on it. When the stooped slightly from the sudden act, she reared her hand back, and punched the other square in the face. A crunch was heard from the impact, and Cleo tumbled back, hands coming up to cradle their nose which was beginning the bleed like a faucet.
As they took steps back, Luka stalked forward, the blood from their nose coating her hand a bit, "How dare you?" She asked, voice dripping with venom and eyes watering. "'For the best?' You made him feel like he didn't matter! He felt like he was expandable BECAUSE OF YOU! You left him behind when he needed you, you bloody piece of SHIT!"
With those words, the smaller girl took another lunge at the taller and older leader, fury burning in her eyes.
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Post by pallas on Nov 5, 2023 21:04:48 GMT
Lucien had been stunned by Cleo’s explanation of why Theo wasn’t there. Just as angry as anyone else that such a trade had been allowed to occur.
But Luka expressed her own anger much more… violently than he’d expected. Thankfully, though, he was close enough to intervene quickly. When Luka made for her second lunge at Cleo, Lucien grabbed her before she could do so, securing her with a firm grip on her arms and holding her close to his chest. He wanted to restrict her firmly but not in a way that would get her as distressed as she’d gotten the day they’d gotten Ripley’s phone call about the meeting.
”Luka,” he said firmly, ”as satisfying as that punch to Cleo’s face was, if you hurt them I have to heal it and I’d really rather not do that.”
They might deserve the punch, but hurting Cleo wasn’t going to help anything. All it would do was make the ascendants crumble even further as a group. They could not afford that right now.
”Us fighting is exactly what the exiled want,” he pointed out to Luka, ”let’s hear Cleo out. I’m sure they’ll have a very good explanation for all of this.” The young man made eye contact with Cleo as he said his last words. Emphasising to them that what they had to say had better be good.
He moved his gaze along the group that had returned from the meeting one by one, before landing once again on Cleo.
”What the fuck happened in there?”
_____
CHARACTER PROFILE IMAGE CREDIT: ElenaA via Picrew
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Post by Nari on Nov 6, 2023 1:04:03 GMT
The weeks spent in the exiled base were not kind to Pascal. He felt emaciated, weak, and about 15 seconds away from just sleeping for another few days. His captivity was not dissimilar to his own voluntary isolation, but the main difference came down to his captors. A vile lot that refused to let him check on the others and left them to stew in isolation. The base reeked of the dead, and as he learned how to remove himself from the shackles of his own flesh, one important thing was realized.
Ghosts could be really irritating when they realized what he could do. And lacked any sense of personal space.
Even as he stood where he was, reunited with the other ascendants, he could see one of them trying his very best to get peoples’ attention. He looked back at Pascal, wide-eyed and intrigued at the new people before him. The ghost made an attempt to poke Cleo in the face, and started laughing when his hand went through. The Champion of Hades wasn’t amused.
The only thing that kept his attention away from the intangible was, unsurprisingly, the tangible feeling of being coddled. People moved to help him and check if he was okay, and he held his arms out a bit to keep them from getting too close. He didn’t like crowds on a normal day, and after what he’d gone through, too much attention would just overwhelm him.
‘Just say the word and we’ll force them away, sir.’
“No no, I’m…. fine,” Pascal muttered, his comment coming after the mention of an almost lethal amount of coffee. To an outsider, that’s what it looked like he was responding to.
—-
Once home, Pascal paused to take in the familiarity. It was a welcome respite from the Exiles’ presence, but the atmosphere felt more tense than he was used to. A lingering air of dread that permeated through the halls. Though, that feeling seemed to melt away somewhat when he spotted a familiar man.
River. He was alive. Good. Pascal regarded the leader warmly, but his expression sharpened when he realized the state he was in. The man was injured, he could tell. It was unusual for something like that to be unaddressed because of Lucien’s powers. Did something happen to Lucien? Was he okay?
His question was answered not long after River had stepped away with Dillon. Lucien and Luka stepped in the room, got caught up on what had happened, and in the span of a few seconds the Champion of Loki attacked Cleo. The suddenness of the action startled him, and Pascal proceeded to push himself against the wall, his legs soon collapsing under his weight as he stared in shock.
‘Oh shit that’s got to hurt.’
‘Whoa, that was sick! Tell her to do it again!’
‘Absolutely not! Don’t listen to him sir, you know how he is.’
The Champion of Hades took a bit to get his breathing under control, staring at the people and ghosts ahead of him. It was loud, so so loud. “Please, just…” Pascal stammered, “I can’t… not right now.”
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