|
Post by 𝕄𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕣𝕪 on Sept 6, 2023 23:52:42 GMT
Lorenzo Alexander
Lorenzo Alexander had been walking around the city he grew up in, sightseeing and getting groceries for himself and Irene. He had no idea how long they'd be waiting for, but he was determined to keep his friend well fed. She needed it, after everything she'd experienced. It was raining a bit, but he didn't mind too much, umbrella keeping him dry.
He ignored his phone the first few times it went off. Irene was likely just asking for him to pick up something or wondering where he was. He paid that little mind.
But just minutes later, it was buzzing again, and with a sigh, he fished it out of his pocket and clicked on his most recent messages.
One from Irene, Exiled. Here. NOW.
What...what did that mean?
He found himself swallowing his worry as he clicked on the other message, seeing the bloodied body of Haleema caused him to throw a hand over his mouth to bite back his choked cry. His umbrella dropped from his hand as he did so.
The rain pelted him immediately, but the boy paid little attention to it as he began to run back to the apartment, hoping to find Irene. He had a feeling he was too late though.
After checking the room and seeing it empty, Enzo found the note from Irene and ran to find the two. It took him a bit to reach Jason and Irene, but when he did so, he was a mix of relieved and worried.
Irene was covered in lacerations, blood seeping from knife wounds, and he ran up to her immediately, frantically placing his hands on her shoulder and beginning to inspect her wounds.
"I-what happened, Irene?" He questioned, though he noticed then she had her phone on her and was trying to call someone, he backed up slightly, looking to Jason then for answers. He went to the boy, repeating what he did with Irene, and started to examine the youngest one for any wounds, worried about the two, and drenched to the bone.
|
|
|
Post by Leo/ Clundy on Sept 6, 2023 23:53:11 GMT
Putting the phone back up to his ear, Ripley heard Clementine's singular word and grinned. "Wonderful. Place and time has been sent to... one of your phones I don't know. I'm not really keeping track of where I send things," Ripley breathed out dramatically.
"Does anyone have any questions?” The man paused and waited for one of them to slip up or to get a text message from an angry little girl on one of the phones. Seemed they were going to follow orders this time. “Good job, kiddies!" Ripley cooed as if talking to kindergarten children leaving to write a letter. "You learn so fast i'm so proud of you. See you soon, Totsiens!”
And then there was a click as the call disconnected.
|
|
|
Post by Nari on Sept 7, 2023 2:02:07 GMT
Irene waited for what felt like an eternity, hoping Dillon would pick up the damn phone. Her foot tapping was at such a quick pace one might mistake it for a machine. Her gaze was focused and intense, but some of her tension lifted when Enzo approached. Nothing had happened to him while he was out, good. It lifted some anxiety from her mind after he didn’t respond to her texts.
Enzo asked what happened, but Irene held up a shaky finder with her injured hand, an indication to wait. It was then where she heard the sound of the call getting received.
”Irene? Irene is that you? Please tell me you’re okay”
The sound of Hera’s chosen on the end was enough for Irene to let out a deep breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. She pulled the phone away from her ear and set it to speaker so Jason and Enzo could also listen.
“Dillon, it's me,” she responded, her relief was clear in her tone, “Hate to admit it, but you were fucking right. Atticus attacked not long after Jason arrived. He’s gone now, though. Fucker couldn’t finish the damn job it seems. Jason is ok, so is Enzo, though I might need to check into a hospital for minor bleeding.” Minor bleeding the understatement of the century but her condition was the least of her concerns.
“I saw the texts. What the fuck is happening over there?!”
|
|
|
Post by pallas on Sept 7, 2023 7:11:05 GMT
It wasn’t difficult for Lucien to tell that Luka was in distress. He could feel the message she was giving when she squeezed his arm.
He released her the moment she asked, gently putting one hand on her shoulder for a moment to reassure her before retracting both arms completely.
”I’m sorry,” he said, concerned by the reaction Luka had just had, ”It’s okay, you’re okay.”
He was trying his best to reassure her, but he wasn’t sure how good of a job he was doing. But maybe she just needed him to be there.
Instead he just sat by her, moving to put his own back against the wall and just staring ahead of him at nothing in particular while the voices continued to come through the phone.
His breath began to shake when Echo’s voice came through, crying and begging for River. The boy felt his chest tightening and his eyes stinging, but he could also feel the start of a boiling rage. He looked over to River and could see how strongly this was affecting him. Echo was the one thing the boys had always agreed upon, regardless of anything else. He couldn’t bear to hear her hurt and begging for River, and he could only imagine how it would feel for River himself.
When the call clicked off, it felt like the room was silent for an eternity. It was probably only a few seconds in reality, before Lucien finally drew breath.
”I’ll stay,” he finally said, voice quiet. The boy swallowed before continuing ”I’m no diplomat.”
He remembered the meeting where River had been forced to break up with Laurie. Lucien had tried his best to advocate for him, but in the end had only gotten angry. He couldn’t afford to do that at this meeting.
Besides, if he went there was a good chance he’d want to kill Ripley. That cruel, twisted, condescending fucking asshole.
Of late he had been frustrated by being kept out of missions because he was the healer, but this time he knew it was better that he stayed. It was the more sensible and mature choice, anyway. He knew Cleo would suggest it, so he figured he should just get ahead of the game.
He looked over at Luka, exhausted and tired and injured. Then he moved his gaze over to Cleo, meeting their eyes as he said the next part.
”I’ll look out for Luka and the others still recovering.”
After all, there was no way Luka could go. Not with her still having plenty of recovery to do and certainly not after what they’d just witnessed from her.
And then Chiara spoke up, the girl a short distance away having retreated from Luka after she’d spoken to the girl.
”I could go.” said the blonde with a heavy breath, ”If it’s a trap you’ll need to know.”
Lucien tried to read her expression, but he couldn’t. Her face was grave, serious, though. He could tell she knew exactly how much danger she and anyone who went to the meeting were putting themselves in.
This was no game. Their friends’ lives were potentially in the balance, and who knew what the exiled had planned with the meeting. Chiara was putting herself right back out there, into danger, not long after having been attacked by Fenrir. That girl, Lucien was realising, was tough as shit.
____
CHARACTER PROFILE IMAGE CREDIT: ElenaA via Picrew
|
|
|
Post by pallas on Sept 7, 2023 7:28:27 GMT
Dillon’s relieved exhale came down the phone the moment he heard Irene’s voice. The fear that it would be an exiled’s voice he would hear abated, and he felt at least a little more like he could breathe.
Now, he wasn’t the type to say ‘I told you so’, especially in these types of scenarios. So he stayed quiet when Irene acknowledged that he’d been right about the risk of an exiled attack. Instead he listened eagerly for what she said next, desperate to know if they were okay.
”Thank god you’re alright, he told me and he sounded so fucking smug and I-” a tumble of words spilled from his mouth, the boy so happy to know his friends were okay but so unsettled by what Ripley had said.
Then Irene told him that she’d gotten texts and asked him what was happening back at the Pantheon.
Dillon didn’t even know where to begin explaining the horrors of that morning, but he took a shaky breath and did his best to begin.
”Ripley Gates is happening.” Dillon replied gravely ”He sent us those horrible pictures and now he’s on the phone with Cleo. He was threatening to hurt Echo and the others. I didn’t hear it properly because I came out to take your call but I think they want some sort of meeting. We clearly have something that they want.”
He couldn’t think what. The exiled already had about half a dozen of the ascendants and Dillon had no idea what it was the ascendants had that the exiled could want. Apart from maybe the Pantheon, but he didn’t get the feeling that was what they were after this time.
”I don’t know what’s going to happen, but you need to be careful in Venice. You’re still at risk out there and the exiled are getting far too bold.”
____
CHARACTER PROFILE IMAGE CREDIT: ElenaA via Picrew
|
|
|
Post by Nari on Sept 7, 2023 14:34:31 GMT
Theo continued to speak his words of assurance, keeping his voice as level as possible despite what was being said. A feat that was made harder when Echo’s cries broke through the call. His voice cracked briefly from emotion and the boy had to bite his lip just to get his emotions under control. Blinking out the burning of his eyes, he went right back to what he was doing.
When the call was finally cut and River was not in any immediate danger, Theo let a stressed breath escape as his words concluded. Ripley’s oppressive presence was gone, and the boy promptly lied on the ground to ease the lingering stress he was feeling. It didn’t help him much, as thoughts about the others’ safety lingered in the back of his brain.
Fenrir was already terrifying enough with his taste of flesh and Aesir chosen, but hearing this other guy for the first time unsettled him. The glee he took in threatening their friends, the way he talked down to them, how he regarded Haleema’s death and Echo… poor Echo. Between the two of them he couldn’t tell which was worse.
He looked over to Lucien when he spoke up, expressing how he should stay behind from the meeting. Based on what he knew about him, his brand of diplomacy seemed to be in line with Luka’s: which was none. Better to not risk an outburst when lives were on the line.
Chiara piped up about going, and not long after she did, Theo raised his own hand from where he lay. “I’ll go as well. Talking is what I seem to be good at…” While he would have preferred to stay at the Pantheon, he knew they couldn’t afford to do that. His powers worked best in this kind of situation after all.
|
|
|
Post by Leo/ Clundy on Sept 7, 2023 17:30:36 GMT
As people started offering to go to the meeting, Ariella glanced behind her at the rest of the group. She looked worried. Her brow furrowed and she was shaking a little. Not out of fear but out of anger.
They were hurting her friends. They were hurting poor Echo, and Haleema at this point was considered dead. She needed to get to them. Bring them home so that they were safe. She couldn't just sit here and watch as shit got worse and worse. She'd done that once she was never going to do it again.
"I'll-"
"No, you won't," Griffin snapped at her. He'd been watching her, glaring. He knew she was going to volunteer. That's who she was. A good person just trying to help everyone. But, she was still extremely injured. Her arm was still in a fucking sling. She needed to rest so she could come back at one hundred percent. "I'm going. I can't do much in terms of talking but I-" He shrugged and sighed loudly. "I just have to do something. Sitting here is stupid and wasting time."
River hadn't moved from his spot. Hadn't shifted his pose from when Echo spoke. He was still shaking, his injured hand doing the worst of it. He couldn't get up yet. He couldn't speak anymore. But, his eyes shifted to each person that was speaking up. He nodded in approval or confirmation or maybe both, it was hard to tell with his hands still over his mouth.
|
|
|
Post by 𝕄𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕣𝕪 on Sept 8, 2023 4:47:43 GMT
Luka Ravina
Luka was appreciative when Lucien let her go, and her gaze locked on the ground before her, directly looking away from anyone's eyes. She couldn't bring herself to open up like that. She refused to show weakness to anyone else, especially when River was obviously going through enough as it was.
She closed her eyes when Echo cried out, biting her tongue. She could taste a metallic taste in her mouth when she did so, but it was better than speaking.
She was glad to have Lucien nearby, even if she couldn't bring herself to touch him or sit too close. It felt like Fenrir was there, staring at her, and she could still hear his voice, even if it wasn't there. His voice over that phone seemed to make everything worse, and hid it behind a mask.
When Lucien offered to stay with her, she raised her head, opening her mouth to speak, though Cleo interrupted her beforehand.
"No," they commented, looking at her with tired eyes and shaking their head, "you're healing and you are much too close to this."
"I'm fine!" Luka hissed out, glaring at them, and they shook their head as they detected the lie. Luka's face shifted into anger at that, "you can't expect me to stay here!? They have Echo, Pascal, Haleema, and Daniel. They have Laurie!"
Cleo shook their head still, "and you've lost enough blood that you passed out for several hours and required an IV," they pointed out, calmer, before they shook their head, "plus, we can't take a chance of you saying something. This is a fragile situation, and one wrong word means someone gets hurt...again."
Luka flinched at the last word and looked away, her mouth locking close with a painful sound of teeth clacking. Still, looking away from everyone and with a pissed off look on her face, her clipped words still came out, "Theo and Chiara shouldn't go either," an uncharacteristic worry was in her voice as she looked at the two, "Fenrir has a vendetta against them too."
Cleo sighed at that, arms crossed, "the Exiled have a vendetta against us all. Theo and Chiara know what they are getting into and are in fighting condition. Both of their abilities will be vital for this situation. Theo can talk the Exiled down and Chiara can detect danger. They will both be crucial."
Luka glared at them as they spoke, so to-the-point and analytical, like they were discussing the weather and not sending two of Luka's closest friends into a nightmare. She rolled her eyes at their words, looking at Theo and Chiara instead, "you shouldn't go," she stated, voice gruff, but they knew her and could likely see the worry she was trying to hide, "but just as much as I ignore you, Rainbow, you ignore me too, dontcha?" Luka asked that, calling back Chiara's earlier words, and stared at Chiara, seeming to deflate as she looked away and grunted again, "just be careful. We don't need to go and rescue the two of you too."
As Luka piped down, Guinevere piped up, standing up beside Griffin and looking at Ariella, "I can go too. My abilities allow me to detect a certain range of emotions. I may not be Chiara, but I may be able to help detect if things are going wrong. Plus, I can keep an eye on Griffin for you too," Guinevere stated and looked over at the leaders as if seeking their approval.
|
|
|
Post by pallas on Sept 8, 2023 9:27:28 GMT
Lucien took note of Theo volunteering with approval, noting also the boy’s bravery as he too, like Chiara, volunteered to go back into danger so shortly after that dreadful experience with Fenrir.
But Luka, as predicted, protested at the idea of staying behind. Cleo countered with sensible points, and it was Lucien who spoke up to support Cleo’s reasoning. He hadn’t expected himself ever to speak up in support of Cleo, but here they were.
”Cleo’s right.” Lucien put in, looking at Luka with apology in his expression, ”We were so close to losing you and you’re still recovering. Besides, we need to de-escalate the situation and neither of us are good at that. The best thing we both can do to make sure the others are safe is stay behind.”
He wished he could show her just how terrified he’d been to see her so hurt the night before. He wished she knew how afraid he’d been that they might lose her. Maybe then she’d understand why he didn’t want her to go. He didn’t know about Theo and Chiara being in ‘fighting condition’, especially with Chiara’s dominant arm being so weak, but
He and Luka’s talents did not lie in delicate negotiations like this one, and that was okay. Especially not when their friends were involved, when Lucien was afraid for Echo and Luka was afraid for Laurie. They were good at other things, had talents that could be used elsewhere.
”I don’t like it either, but this is about keeping us and those who were kidnapped as safe as we can.” the boy finished.
He didn’t like not being part of things, he’d hated being kept out of missions because he was the healer. So missing out on this meeting was hard for him as well, especially with his afraid he was for Echo. But it was because he wanted Echo to be safe that he knew he had to stay home this time.
Chiara had looked a little guilty when Luka turned her words back on her, but she stood firm. She could see the concern and worry behind Luka’s words.
”We’ll be okay,” Chiara promised her, ”If we do this right, we’ll only be talking.”
Of course there was a possibility the exiled wouldn’t play by their own rules. There was a chance the meeting could go wrong. But if everybody kept their heads, Chiara saw no reason the meeting had to turn.
Lucien nodded at Guinevere when she suggested that she go, expressing approval at the idea. Her emotion abilities could definitely be useful. Not to mention that he remembered vividly how Griffin had been as willing as Lucien to run into the fight in that last mission. Lucien wondered if he could potentially be a risk for escalating the situation at the meeting or saying something he shouldn’t. Having Guiney there might be a stabilising force for him.
Then he looked at Cleo; he had to assume they would want to go. They needed at least one leader at the meeting, and as of right now they had none.
”I assume you’ll go, Cleo. It seems like you’re the one that asshole will talk to. And maybe Dillon, if he’s willing.” Lucien suggested, eyes flicking to the door Dillon had just departed from.
It was clear Ripley saw Cleo as the ultimate authority in the ascendants; he’d referred to Luka as their subordinate when technically they should be equal. It was true that they’d taken somewhat of a leadership role even among the leaders, for better or worse.
Dillon was another good option. He was also a leader and he seemed like he’d have good de-escalation skills. He was softer, more empathetic than Cleo - most of the time at least, what he’d done to River notwithstanding. He might be a good foil for Cleo in the meeting and might prevent the situation getting out of control.
____
CHARACTER PROFILE IMAGE CREDIT: ElenaA via Picrew
|
|
|
Post by Nari on Sept 8, 2023 15:33:17 GMT
Theo glanced over at Ariella and Griffin when they spoke, nodding at the taller boy telling her she needed to stay behind and heal. She was still injured after the last mission, and in case things did go for worse, it was better for everyone to be in fighting shape. Plus, it never hurt to have someone around who could handle a fight.
Luka barely had the chance to speak when Cleo made their interjection, explaining how she couldn’t come along. At this, Theo sat up from where he lied, turning to face Loki’s chosen as she argued about why she should come along. He rested his arms on his bent knees, holding Luka’s phone in one of his hands still. Unfortunately Cleo was right about this.
“Trust me when I say this, but you don’t want to go,” the boy said, looking her in the eye as he spoke, “It’ll just make you angrier.” He knew where her anger was coming from, it was because she cared about the others’ well being. However that was the problem because the Exiled didn’t care.
“You heard how that guy acted in the call. Condescending, goading you on, and way too willing to cause them harm.Trying to fire back right now would only give them more of an excuse to…” he trailed off, knowing he didn’t have to finish the sentence for her to understand. They couldn’t ignore the possibility that the exiled would try to get them mad, especially when they were very much the ones in control of the situation.
That’s how it usually worked anyway. The best everyone could do was sit down, shut up, and hope to the gods that some resolution could be made.
When Luka mentioned Fenrir, Theo’s gaze lowered. The idea that he might have to face the wolf again was enough to make the hair on his neck bristle, but he refused to express that fear any further. Cleo mentioned that he and Chiara would be crucial, and he slowly nodded along to it. He could charm people, get them to do things they usually wouldn’t, and he was usually good at it. It was something he knew he could do that made him useful.
However… Ariella and Luka’s injuries were just proof of his own limitations. He couldn’t get Fenrir to stop his assault, couldn’t stop his friends from getting hurt, and certainly couldn’t save himself when he was grabbed. The one thing he could do that no one else could, and he was subpar at best. If he wasn’t able to be useful at the meeting, if his powers backfire somehow, if they weren’t able to get the others back, that would be on him.
|
|
|
Post by Leo/ Clundy on Sept 8, 2023 22:24:22 GMT
Ariella narrowed her eyes at Griffin and she rubbed the back of her neck. With a sigh she held up a surrendering hand and dropped it heavily. "Fine," She hissed through the breath. She didn't want anyone else to get taken or hurt, least of all her best friend. But she couldn't fight everyone on this. She was injured and needed to rest. "Ok, that's fine," she conceded in a softer but still irritated tone.
Griffin scowled a little and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not going to do anything. I'm just there in case things go wrong. Because so far everything goes wrong," he grumbled and glanced around the room and at Cleo's phone where the asshole had just been speaking. "We haven't won once."
River spoke softly. A couple words before he realized he was talking behind his hands and barely above a whisper. He cleared his throat and glanced at each person that said they were going to the meeting. Meeting each of their eyes and repeating the order. "Don't agree to anything until we have proof the rest of them are alive," He choked out. His voice was still shaky and raspy. He sounded tired but also a little more level-headed. "Come back if you have to think about it just... don't agree to anything yet."
|
|
|
Post by 𝕄𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕣𝕪 on Sept 9, 2023 21:33:23 GMT
Cleo glanced at Luka for a few more moments, a bit of anger hidden under their gaze, but overall a cool demeanor. They looked at Lucien when he assumed they would go, and Cleo nodded. "Ripley seems to think I'm the main leader," they commented, looking away for a moment as they said the words, "I have to go."
Luka focused on her breathing, but glanced between Chiara and Theo as they replied. She supposed that made sense, their words, but still she had a feeling that things weren't right. Obviously they weren't, Echo just got abused by that asshole, Laurie's life was threatened, and that wolf...he...he killed Haleema. OR he at least hurt her...really really bad.
All under the command of that asshole Ripley. Luka growled under her breath as she stared at Cleo's phone, still in their hand. She looked back at Theo who had her phone, and her eyes narrowed more.
As River spoke, she looked at him, her green eyes flickering from Theo to him. As he looked between all of those going to the meeting, Guinevere nodded at his words. She stood beside Griffin and stared at River and then Cleo, nodding once to show that she agreed. Like a soldier.
Luka herself then stood, cradling her arm, bloodied still but bleeding less now, and glanced at everyone silently. She quietly looked between Chiara and Theo, before quietly turning and exiting the room.
Cleo themselves, watched her go and turned away, "everyone who is attending the meeting...we need to make our plans," they commented softly, looking back at River then the others, "we must be prepared for anything and everything to go wrong."
|
|
|
Post by pallas on Sept 9, 2023 22:19:59 GMT
Lucien hated seeing everyone like this. Hurt both emotionally and in the case of some, physically, and so afraid.
He couldn’t even let his mind stray back to that photo, or Echo’s terrified voice through the phone. He couldn’t bring himself to think about the fact that Haleema could he dead.
River was struggling, barely able to get his words out, but Lucien nodded his approval. The other ascendant was giving very logical advice, after all. It made sense.
Luka had been quiet, and Lucien kept an eye on her with concern. He didn’t know what was running through her head but he didn’t like it. He knew she wouldn’t like being left behind, but it seemed like the obviously best solution for many reasons. If he acknowledged that he had to stay, he had to acknowledge that Luka did too.
He noticed her quietly leave the room, but she’d left her phone behind with Theo. Whatever was going on with her, he had too bad a feeling about it not to go after the girl. The phone might as well go with him.
”I’m on it.” the boy murmured when his best friend left, before approaching Theo and asking, ”Can I take the phone? I might as well drop it with her anyway.”
It was fairly clear that she understood the risks behind what she’d done before and he didn’t think she was that likely to do it again. If she did, he’d be there to stop her. So once Lucien got the phone from Theo, he left the room in pursuit of his friends.
Chiara nodded at the suggestion from Cleo that they talk through the plans for the meeting.
”We need to agree on a plan of strategy we can all follow. If we don’t have a plan they can exploit that and take control of the negotiation.”
———
Lucien caught up with Luka eventually, which was harder than it looked because for a short person she seemed to cover ground quickly.
”Lukes!” he called after her, speeding up until he was next to his friend.
He didn’t really know what to say, so he just held out the phone to her. He wanted to ask her if she was okay but he didn’t know how to find the words. Besides, it was the stupidest fucking question in the world. Of course she wasn’t okay. None of them were okay.
”Stay safe with me.” was all he eventually managed to say.
____
CHARACTER PROFILE IMAGE CREDIT: ElenaA via Picrew
|
|
|
Post by 𝕄𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕣𝕪 on Sept 10, 2023 5:33:34 GMT
Luka had sped off as soon as things seemed to settle just slightly. Since she wasn't needed on the mission, she saw no reason to stay. She felt weird still, shaky, lightheaded, and she just felt tired. Plus, she felt fear unlike she'd ever felt it before, she couldn't shake it off no matter what she tried. Distantly, she wondered if this is what a hunted animal felt like.
When she heard Lucien call to her, she sped up for a few paces. She wasn't eager to face anyone at the moment. Her walls were too tumbled, and with everything going on, the others didn't need another person to worry about. She'd deal with this...weakness on her own. It would go away, surely, as time went on. She was back in the base, there was no reason to be so terrified, like something would attack her at a moment's notice. Matters likely weren't helped with the way she was awaken either.
Still, Lucien caught up to her, so she slowed her pace when he walked by her, careful to keep her face straight ahead and as impassive as she could. When he offered her phone back, she smiled just a bit, looking at him, "I'm surprised Theo let you take it," she commented, taking the device back and debating whether to open it up or not. Her gaze lingered on it a few moments, and she lost the battle with herself, instead leaving it in her uninjured hand. Perhaps what irritated her most about this all, was that despite the pain and anger and fear, she had no idea where Laurie was or what condition he was in. Her words, for all she knew, could still get him killed. Ripley did threaten him in particular, after all.
With that solemn note, and Lucien's words, she looked down at her arm that had an IV in it before she unceremoniously and haphazardly ripped the thing out. She admittedly didn't remember much of the return to the Pantheon, flashes of moments. River was there, she knew that. Lucien was...concerned. She didn't like that concern, but she didn't stay conscious at all. A bit of guilt washed over her too. Lucien experienced the pain she had been in. She couldn't save him from it this time. Then he put an IV in her arm (she assumed it was him, after all, she wasn't dead), and what had she done after everything he went through? Ripped it out and snapped at the Exiled?
She contemplated for a bit, silently walking beside him, before she thrust the bloodied arm towards him, pointedly looking away. "Go ahead," she grumbled, holding the injured limb aloft, "do your stupid little magic trick or whatever."
The wound was small and inconsequential, barely felt like even a pinch. She'd been through much worse recently anyways. But still, it wasn't about the wound at all really, and Luka had a feeling they both knew that.
|
|
|
Post by pallas on Sept 10, 2023 7:08:49 GMT
Lucien shrugged when she said she was surprised Theo had let him have the phone.
”I’m not sure I gave him that much of a choice.” was all he eventually managed to say.
He had asked, of course, but he didn’t know how much Theo had actually felt able to refuse. Either way, the other boy had been willing to give it for whatever reason. Maybe he too had trusted that Luka wouldn’t do what she’d done again.
But then Luka presented her injured arm, and even before she joked about him using his magic trick he knew what she was going to ask him to do.
The boy blinked, astonished. She’d never let him heal her before. Yet here Luka was trusting him, being willing to be vulnerable with him and let her friend in when she was in pain.
Lucien didn’t need to be told twice. He took her arm carefully, his thumb gently rubbing her skin a couple of times in a comforting and affectionate gesture. He closed his eyes, concentrating until he could feel that golden light feeling once again.
Moments later Lucien opened his eyes again, having felt little more than a small pinch-like pain in his arm. By far the easiest healing he’d ever done, and one that normally he would never do since a Band-Aid could do the job just as well. But this was about far more than just the healing.
He released Luka’s arm, but as he looked at her the memories of the night before flooded into his mind. The last time he’d seen Luka before she’d come into the meeting room she’d been unconscious with an IV in her arm, looking so worryingly pale.
Most of all he couldn’t forget the blood. So much of it, too much of it. He’d been so terrified, and not just because he had known it was his responsibility to somehow deal with it. Mostly he had been afraid for his best friend.
He felt his eyes stinging and before he knew it threatening to spill over with tears. It felt like all the emotion from the night before was bubbling to the surface.
”Don’t scare me like that again.” he said, voice shaking, ”I was so afraid last night that we were going to lose you.”
He couldn’t bear to lose her. Seeing her hurt was more than difficult enough for him. The boy didn’t know what he’d do without her, were anything to ever happen.
____
CHARACTER PROFILE IMAGE CREDIT: ElenaA via Picrew
|
|