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Post by pallas on Jul 1, 2024 17:07:32 GMT
Lucien nodded in response to River’s suggestion about the others getting trained first. That did seem like a good system; for now the leaders had a lot on their plates and technically as long as they sent someone medically trained on every mission until the leaders were trained it didn’t matter if the leaders weren’t trained first. Dillon also seemed to be in agreement. ”Good idea. We have to prioritise.”
They had to use their time as efficiently as possible. No doubt the exiled would be, and Lucien hardly expected them to wait long before striking again. They were not ones to let their advantage fade.
The meeting seemed to be coming to a close, with Cleo asking if there was anything else that needed to be discussed. Irene spoke up, and it seemed that she was suggesting more structure be added to the way the leaders operated. Policies, procedures, guidelines, codes of conduct. Lucien had never been one for rules but given that these rules might help prevent the awful things they’d already gone through happening again, he was willing to concede that some rules were valuable.
”Pascal’s right, Irene,” Lucien said, because it was obvious to him that she wasn’t doing well no matter how much she might be trying to push through, ”but they’re good ideas. We’ll come back to them.” That was as good as a promise from him. He did think they were good ideas and it was worth not forgetting what she’d suggested. It would need an in-depth discussion where everyone could agree on the rules involved and someone could take them down in a clear way that all involved were happy with. He wanted her to know that they weren’t dismissing her.
For now, he himself didn’t have anything else to add. It seemed like for now they had a plan; they had the lead of the hunters that they could pursue. Maybe if they could get the desired impact there, the exiled would be in a position that might allow the ascendants to make a move to free the prisoners.
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CHARACTER PROFILE IMAGE CREDIT: ElenaA via Picrew
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Post by Leo/ Clundy on Jul 5, 2024 7:39:52 GMT
Jason made a face at the cracking his head comment. That wasn't his fault. The wolf just got violent because Luka was there. His displeased expression deepened when she said she wanted the act of bringing him in to be believable. Had he not been acting this entire time, pretending like he wasn't spying on the entire base and scoping the layout of the building?Speaking of which he took the crude drawing that Luka had done of the base and quickly looked it over. It certainly was something. "You probably got a better look at the layout than I did. But I'll clean it up to make it more... legible." He folded the paper back up and shoved it into his pants pocket as he prepped his key to go home. Jason heard the denial in Theo's voice before he saw the fuzzy shape shove his key back into his pocket. Scared of leaving his friends here.He wanted to say that 'No he couldn't take whatever they did to him'. Neither of them were worth anything in a fight with how exhausted and weak they were. On top of that, if they didn't get away now, the exiles were gonna find a way to kill them or turn them before they ever got a chance to escape like this again. But, Thoth's champion knew that saying that wasn't going to help ease Theo's fears of leaving his friends behind for a little longer."They're gonna be right behind us," Jason insisted and looked directly at Luka. He gave her a hard stare that told her to say whatever to get them to leave. "Right, Luka?"A text message came in on the phone that Luka was holding.Ripley: Fine 🙄 But you owe me for waking me. Jason glanced down at the phone that had just made a soft ping then up at Luka. He very much didn't want her to stay longer than they needed to. But, he knew they needed their keys just to come home. Stepping forward and giving Luka's bicep a comforting squeeze, he gave her a tired and worried smile. "Be careful and be quick."
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Post by Leo/ Clundy on Jul 5, 2024 7:40:40 GMT
River looked hard at the table in front of him at the mention of being two leaders down. They really had been very scattered and torn apart since the start of all of this. It'd been a long time since they had all the leaders agree on something. Even longer since they had a room with all the leaders together. They did need substitutions in just in case situations.
Though it was like any of this leader shit was real. No one even knew his name when he was voted in as leader.
"That will be discussed," River agreed looking up at Irene and briefly following her gaze to Cleo. He understood. He wanted that removal too.
"But, that will be for the next meeting. For now, go and rest. Preparations for how we're going to handle these hunter people will start in the morning. Pascal you'll start coming up with lessons for us to learn and how many people you want to teach at a time," River addressed Pascal and gave him a look that said he could go at whatever pace he wanted for setting up the lessons.
Knocking his knuckles on the table in front of him he nodded and ended the meeting with "Great. Get out of here."
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Post by 𝕄𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕣𝕪 on Jul 5, 2024 21:23:02 GMT
Luka noticed Jason's face appear to twist at her blunt comments, and felt immediate guilt. Of course he wasn't in a joking mood about what he went through. She offered an apologetic smile. It turned more open and genuine when he offered to clean up her crude drawing of the base, "I know you will, that's why I trust you with it."
She had turned her attention to Theodore, said her piece, but his rejection of the idea was a surprise. She went to open her mouth, to tell him he couldn't, but Jason replied and she looked right back at his stare. She knew that look in his eyes. He understood perfectly that they couldn't stay. Her own gaze returned grateful at him and his words.
The two of them looked down when the phone pinged, Ripley, and she knew Jason could read it too. Knew what she was doing. Good, she didn't have to explain it. He understood, and wouldn't be stupid about trying to stop her or get involved. He trusted her to handle it.
After looking at the message, she looked back at Jason, nodding minutely, "Right. I'll get back the keys, whatever it takes," her gaze held a darkness to it, but it lightened ever so softly as she offered Theo a comforting smile, "We'll get back quick as a Bondi Tram. Both of us."
Maybe they wouldn't stay very long, but she was sure she could get Laurie to come with her just to at least escape the Exiled. And if Penny decided to come with, maybe they could meet her elsewhere. Maybe she could run away, and they could all meet up. But she owed it to River to at least come back, if only temporarily.
When Jason squeezed her shoulder, she smiled at him, reaching up to the are he had reached out and squeezing his bicep in return, "Don't worry, she'll be right."
She backed up then, letting Jason go and tapping at her wrist as if she actually had a watch there, which she didn't. With a deep breath and a playful smile back on her face, she put her hands on her hips then and gave them both a look. Sappy times were over, and time was running out. And if she didn't push it too (like Jason was) Theo would never want to leave. "Now hooroo, get going, time's-a-ticking."
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Post by Nari on Jul 6, 2024 17:16:37 GMT
Theo could feel his hands shake as he stared at Luka, his frown remained. Both her and Jason were telling him that it would be fine, that they wouldn’t be far behind them. He scrutinized the words, trying to find a crack to argue but he couldn’t.
Something about all of this felt wrong, so wrong, but there was little he could do. The nausea lingered in the pit of his stomach. He wanted to fight through it, be there to help his friends if they needed it, to feel like he wasn’t a burden for once in his life…
Theo shook his head and wrapped his arms around Luka in a hug, feeling his throat tighten in emotion. “You’ll be fine,” he muttered under his breath, “both of you will.” Words of assurance that were clearly there to convince himself more than anything.
They’ll be right behind, it will only take a little bit. They’ll all be home soon.
Baldr’s chosen would soon pull away, sucking in a breath to stop himself from crying. He’d eventually look back over at Jason, and pulled his key back out to open the portal.
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Post by Leo/ Clundy on Jul 6, 2024 20:42:12 GMT
Jason didn't bother with any more goodbyes. Luka was stubborn, everyone knew that. The exiles knew that. She wasn't going to die. But it wasn't impossible for her to get hurt as they left her behind.But, he turned his back on her anyway as she ushered them to get home. Home. Finally home.It had only been 16 days in hell for Jason but it was long enough. Long enough to know that some of these people were just hurt and left behind kids while the others were irredeemable monsters. There wasn't much else that was going to change minds on either side.Injuries and poison be damned, they needed to start making plans as soon as they got back."Lemme borrow your shoulder for a second," Jason muttered to Theo and placed his hand there for balance as he moved his hand to open the portal. Once it was open he gestured for Theo to step through it and gave him a gentle look."Go, i'm right behind you," he insisted. Only this time he wasn't making up an excuse. He was going to follow right after him he just needed to do one thing really fast.Turning back around to look at the spots where he and Theo were kept and where the others were probably kept. Where Haleema was killed. He spat on the ground in disgust and rage. He wanted this place to burn.But we wasn't going to be a murderer today. Cutting his to the ceiling he spoke the word softly. A quiet command to the pests that had already invaded the building long ago but tempt to themselves. To the little buzz of wings ton fuzzy black bodies hat beat restlessly after lending their eyes to Jason for days. They were no locusts. But they will do for the moment."Kuvamia."And then he turned and blindly stumbled through the portal back home as more and more of them started to fill the loading dock.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I had just gotten to sleep too," Ripley grumbled as he stumbled into the meeting room. Only to find no Gwen. Great. Wonderful. Fantastic. She had something so important to say that it couldn't wait till the morning and she wasn't even here on time. She was usually the punctual one. And what did she have to say now? Was it about Atticus? Please to whatever God was rooting for him at this point don't let it be about Atticus again. It wasn't her place to get involved anyway.As he sat down in his usual seat and lay on the table in front of him her heard an inhale somewhere in the back of his mind and then felt his patron relax and quiet again."What?" Ripley growled with his arms covering his head. He waited for Set to respond but he didn't. Quiet as ever recently. "I can feel you wanting to speak, old man," Ripley tried again, even more bite in his words.
Set hummed thoughtfully and Ripley could practically feel the smile on the God's face stretching into the back of his skull. "Just had... a thought," he answered cryptically and transitioned his humming into that tune that Ripley was always doing.
Taking out his phone, Ripley quickly sent another text to Gwen. Hoping to hurry her ass up so he didn't have to listen to Set anymore.
Princess hurry up. You may not believe in it but I do enjoy my beauty sleep.
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Post by 𝕄𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕣𝕪 on Jul 6, 2024 22:13:41 GMT
"Tickety-boo," Luka replied when Theo said they'd be fine. She accepted the hug greedily, squeezing him just as tightly, and burying her head for a few moments. She treasured it, though the frailty in his words and in his strength worried her. It made her fester with anger at Ripley. For poisoning him. He felt frailer than she'd ever noticed before, and it hurt her that she could feel it by hugging him.
But she didn't do goodbyes, and she wasn't going to say goodbye. After all, she was going to be right there.
"I'll see you soon, kaerr bróðir," The Old-Norse words slipped out. She had learned them from her own guide, Loki, and from books she had read. It was a private little saying to Theo, an acknowledgement of their ties, both found and given to them by their Norse Guides.
She kept smiling even as they turned away, and when they went through, she raised her head up, listening to the sound of Jason's little spies filling the room. She stared at the bag on the floor, before leaning down, and picking back up the Helm of Hades. She held it up, looking at the form it took, with intricate little jewels and the snake pin, and thought through her plan again. She had her doubts, after all.
She placed it on her head anyways, and out next, she grabbed the knife.
It had only been 16 days, a collection of hours that, at most, would amount to something around 376 hours (given a reduction for the fact that her and Jason weren't at the Exiled base until the morning of November 23rd). But it felt like forever.
It would be coming to an end within the hour.
With the helm on her head, and the knife in her hand, Luka was invisible to the human eye. She had waited until the time had come, sitting still outside of the meeting room, as if Ripley would even be able to see her anyways.
The time had come, and Ripley tiredly walked past her into the meeting room. She had held her breath as he did so, clutching the knife to her chest, pressed against the wall, and still. When he passed her, she remained frozen for several moments, her knuckled would be white if one could see them, and her body shook ever so slightly. Her nerves were alight, and they acted as if they were trying to escape her skin.
She moved, steps silent, to peer into the room. She froze, however, as he spoke.
She thought, perhaps, he'd somehow seen her, but it appeared as if he was just talking to his guide. Who was it again? Someone in the Egyptian Kingdom, right? Anubis? No, that wasn't it. Set?
She wondered what exactly it was like to have to deal with Ripley of all people as a Champion.
"You got this. Worst case scenario, you die a slow, horrid death. But the chances of that happening are only slightly higher than you'd like."
Worst pep talk ever. Loki thought it was hilarious though, given his mischievous and distracting giggling.
Loki's voice took a more mocking tone, though he hoped it was out of tough love.
"We're not getting any younger kid. Though, if you wait long enough, maybe he'll just go to sleep. Then, oh, get this, you can have a sleep over."
Message received. Ripley was on his phone, probably texting Gwen, and as he did so, she took her chance to walk into the room, steps silent. She walked until she was behind his chair, before stopping.
She stood there for a few moments, not moving, not breathing. Just...watching. This mad, this one man had caused the death of Haleema. Had almost killed River. Had tortured Echo and Daniel. Had taken her friends away. Had poisoned Jason and Theo. Had abused Laurie. This was the man who threatened her life, time and time again, with that stupid cocky grin on his face, like he thought nothing could hurt him.
Think again, Ripley.
As quick as the snake she could transform into, she reached forward, one hand had wrung around her face, pulling it back, while the other set the cold, sharp blade resting against the delicate skin of his throat. Sharp enough to perhaps cut ever so slightly at the tip into the soft flesh beneath. She still had the helm on, but in the moment she forgot about even that.
"Awfully poetic isn't it?" Her voice had a mocking edge to it, cold and cruel, "If I recall correctly, this was the same spot you got River in, wasn't it?"
She said it mockingly, as if amused about the whole thing. She turned her head slightly, so her voice would be closer to his own ear, "Wouldn't it be a shame if I were to just...slip?" her hand tightening around the knife, letting it set that much more against his throat, as if it really had 'slipped' as she said. She stood there, staring him down, with her knife on his throat. She felt almost vindicated, she even had a mocking grin on her lips, even if he couldn't see it. But there was business to attend to.
"Where are our keys, worm?"
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Post by Leo/ Clundy on Jul 6, 2024 23:37:16 GMT
There was a sharp inhale from Ripley as he felt his head be pulled back by an invisible force and something cool touch the skin of his throat. Something sharp.
Surprise filtered through his eyes as he stiffened at his new forced position. But as soon as he heard the voice he relaxed.
He wasn't in any danger.
"Almost," He started as he grinned wickedly up at the invisible Luka holding him at knife point. "Except I pinned him to the ground so he couldn't get away." He raised his hands and tapped two fingers to the inside of his right palm and dragged a little then did the same to his left forearm. Exact places of River's scars.
Sucking on his teeth and shrugging, Set's champion crossed his arms over his chest and settled into his chair more as he seemingly stared up at the ceiling. "You would have thought of that if you were capable of cutting my throat. But you're not. You call me worm - a nickname I didn't give you by the way so this is a double offense - and can't even look me in the eye without being invisible."
He scoffed and rolled his eyes. How typical of this teenage to come in demanding things and threatening him with something he couldn't even see. At least he had the decency to look a person in the eye if it meant that much to kill them. At least he followed through with his threats.
This one just talked before thinking. Had to be the loudest even if she was wrong or suddenly has to back out of a deal. All bark and no actual bite.
"No wonder River's upset with you let alone everyone else in your little clubhouse. You're worse than a failure you're a coward. A very loud and pathetic coward."
He started laughing. A cruel low chuckle dancing with a bastardization of delight at the realization that she was just letting him talk. He was still breathing and she wasn't doing anything except being invisible and being useless.
He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Don't worry. I'll help you," he cooed. Then he grabbed her wrist and pressed the blade deeper so blood did start trailing down his throat.
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Post by 𝕄𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕣𝕪 on Jul 7, 2024 1:28:55 GMT
Who the fuck did he think he was? As he pointed out where River was scarred, her grip on his chin tightened, but the knife didn't. Not yet.
His words stung, she wouldn't deny it, especially as he spoke of River and the others. "No wonder River's upset with you let alone everyone else in your little clubhouse. You're worse than a failure you're a coward. A very loud and pathetic coward."
She scoffed at him though, "Remember when I asked for your opinion?" She hissed back, tugging his head back more, "Oh right, I didn't."
But then he started laughing, and he moved the blade so it pressed mor into his throat. So he bled. His grasp on her wrist felt disgusting, and she went to move it, to loosen it, but the seemed to dig the knife deeper into his skin, and so she stopped.
Her eyes widened, and she fought to keep from dropping the knife. What the hell was he doing? "Are you fucking crazy?" Was all she said, astounded at his actions.
But then her anger came back, and she held the knife where he had it. If he wanted to play like that, then fine Why was he anyone to say anything to her anyways? "As if you aren't a coward. Last I checked, and trust me - I did - you were the one who was poisoning people so they couldn't fight back. You attacked Echo who was bound and had no way to fight back," Luka pointed these things out. She didn't mention Laurie, if this went wrong, she couldn't chance him being hurt too. But her voice angry and hissed, "You of all people don't get to lecture me on being a coward when you are the biggest fuckin' one of them all."
She had a mission, she was going to do it. "And while seeing you bleed to death would be a dream come true," she spat out, voice cold and cutting, "I just want the damn keys. So shut your sycophantic ass up unless your going to be helpful. Or I will cut your stupid fucking throat open, leave your corpse out for Fenrir to make into gourmet dog chow, and go for your stupid bedridden boytoy next." Her grip was type, and her voice lowered into a whisper, "So think your next words through carefully."
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Post by Leo/ Clundy on Jul 7, 2024 3:06:50 GMT
Oh and she thought he was a talker.
He laughed louder as she continued to threaten him and called him crazy. To an extent, yes he was. But, there was always a method.
"Loud and wrong, Luka dear! There is and always will be a method to my madness," he countered through his laughing fit.
There was a reason for Echo's maiming, there was a reason to poisoning Theo and Jason, and there especially was a reason to Laurie. Everything swirled into a plan if one just took the time to think about it. But...
"All of you are just too emotional to pick up on it. Or completely unwilling to understand according to some stepmom's out there."
Quelling his laughter, he wiped at his throat that was slowly getting coated more and more in his own blood, and stuck out his tongue in disgust as he shifted in his seat again. "Obviously i'm not going to give you shit so you're just gonna have to follow through with your plan to kill me. Come on, lil yip yapper. Give me something to match your precious boys. And enjoy it just like I did."
He let the last two sentences hang in the air for a moment to drive his point across. She was just doing what he did to both River and Laurie in messing up their throats. In giving them violent scars, he was something to be talked about in hushed tones, angry yelling, or painful sobs.
It was ok to become just like him. She just needed to start.
Though she didn't get too much time to decide on anything. His bloody hand clamped down on her wrist again and pulled the knife away from his throat. Sliding from his chair and ducking under her arm, Ripley recalled just how tiny the little corn snake was reached for where he thought the back of her head was. As luck would have it, he was correct on her height and found the back of her head. Wiping his clean hand across his throat, Ripley grabbed a fistful of her hair and slammed her head down into the table with all of his strength.
As he held her there for a moment, he turned her head to the side and patted the side of her face, leaving a cheek sized red stain floating in the air.
"And viola she appears!" he cheered. He raised his slightly less bloody hand to where he assumed her eyes where and then at the little slash on his throat. "Method and Madness."
With a heavy sigh he pressed a majority of his weight into Luka's head that he was holding down and the rest into the wrist holding the knife. No way was he ending this so soon before he could have any fun with it and really talk.
Clearing his throat Ripley laughed and let his grin quiet to a devilish smile. "You didn't ask for my opinion and nobody asked for your existence and yet we're both burdened. But, at least I can take out my annoyance on you. I have to help you hurt me. But, you might not have the right motivation right now. Fine. I'll help you again. You know that burn on Laurie's throat is your fault right? Little lam got brave on the same day you showed up. Had to kill that really fast."
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Post by 𝕄𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕣𝕪 on Jul 7, 2024 17:59:06 GMT
The proper response to being held at knifepoint wasn't laughing. Luka wasn't the most mature and sane of the Ascendants, but even she knew that. But his words did little to bother her. The comments about being too emotional she had heard before, but when he commented on stepmothers, she felt her blood boil. "I told you to shut up," She huffed, rolling her eyes, "You really fucking suck at listening. No wonder the only way you can get a date is by tricking them into it."
But then he confirmed he wouldn't give her anything. His words were chilling. Taunting her to make him like Laurie and River. Taunting her to kill him.
The man who'd killed Haleema. Who tortured Echo. Who likely tortured Daniel. Who had tried to kill River. Who had poisoned Theo and Jason. Who has abused Laurie.
It would be so easy. Just pull and swipe, like a credit card. It would be so easy to watch the blood trickle from his body, to search it for the keys, then to move on. It would be what he deserved for everything he'd done. For the body he left in Fenrir's jaws, for the scars Laurie would bear for life, for the trauma River, Echo, Jason, and Theo would never forget. For the threats and pain and tears he'd caused. For the blood he spilled.
So why couldn't she just do it?
"Do it," Loki hissed out in her mind, "It's him or you."
She tried, she really did, to move her hand, but it started shaking instead. She was brought back to the stormy night, staring down Irene with fire in her hand. Irene insisted she did it too, but she couldn't. And she still couldn't.
"Oh great, lovely time to have that realization!" Loki hissed in her mind. She had a definite oh shit moment about that, because given everything, she should want to kill him, and it was a bad time to realize that she couldn't go through with it. She hated having morals sometimes, damnit.
She didn't have time to figure something else out or to just go through with it though, because her hair was grabbed, and before she could even try to fight back, Ripley had switched their positions. Quick as a rocket, the side of her head slammed into the table, sending stars into her vision. Immediately, the room spun, and Ripley's visage turned into two and fuzzy. Her head was ringing and protesting, and her vision was swimming. She clenched her eyes closed then, trying to fight off the sickening pain and the dizzying feeling enveloping her body to no avail.
Plus, the clip on her head keeping her invisible had loosened as the grab and hit had occurred. It was now just hanging onto a few strands. Not that she was aware of that fact.
She could feel dampness on her cheek, and opened her eyes again, blinking dazedly at the man towering above her, holding her head to the table. She was confused temporarily on what exactly was happening. He was pointing to a scratch on his throat, and her eyes narrowed at it. Blood?
Oh, right. Ripley. She was...doing something, right? Method and madness. He was talking about that before. Oh, that's why he was taunting her then, wasn't it? Or what? What was going on again?
"Yikes. As if the situation couldn't get worse," Loki pointed out unhelpfully, "I think you may be concussed."
Yeah. No shit Loki.
Ripley was still talking though. He started off with a banger quote she kind of wish she thought of, and that was annoying because he sucked, he shouldn't say awesome one-liners, damnit. But then she regained some clarity as he continued speaking. Blaming her for him hurting Laurie. She turned her head, and she could actually feel the clip slip free of her locks of hair, now resting on the table as a simple hairclip in the shape of a snake with beads. Now, he could see the girl.
Her eyes were locked on him, hazy and unclear, but angry regardless. "He isn't your little lamb," she hissed, moving her free arm, the left one, to grab his his wrist that was holding her head down, latching on tightly, "And I didn't make you hurt him."
Then she summoned her flames.
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Post by Leo/ Clundy on Jul 7, 2024 20:30:20 GMT
The flames bursting on his skin inflicted such a searing pain, Ripley had to retract his hand from her head and back away as he yelled "Fuck!"
He beat at the now blistering skin of his wrist and sucked in a pained breath sharply. Clutching the wound to him and doubling over for a moment, Set's champion groaned in pain before beginning to laugh again.
"There you go! Good job!" He praised as he looked up at a now visible Luka. She looked dazed. Good but not enough.
Pushing the pain that he felt to the back of his mind, he stalked forward and grabbed Luka by the back of her head with his dominant hand and smashed her face again into the table. Faster. Harder. Nose first.
Then he grabbed her by the back of the neck and threw her to the ground. Looming over her he wiped at his throat again then across his pants as he kneeled down and grabbed her hand that was still holding the knife and guided her to place the blade across her own throat. With his other free hand he held down the hand that had burned him and trapped her legs under his propped up shins.
Leaning forward he smiled. "Awfully poetic, isn't it?" He asked in a mocking whisper. His eyes lit up with delight and he willed the knife to tap gently against her skin, not cutting yet. But, warning that he would.
"You know who else is your fault?" He decided to continue. His eyes went wide and a look of terror took over his face as he pretended to fight for air. "L-Luka I need h-help. S-s-someone p-please an-answer. The ex- the exiles-" He cut himself from his recreation of River's begging on Halloween night to laugh again. He simply couldn't help himself.
"You're better at accidentally getting your friends killed than when you actually try to hurt someone. Thats astounding," Ripley praised again. It was almost like he was impressed and jealous. He had to actually try to kill people. And Sometimes that didn't even take. Luka had almost gotten several people killed by simply not being there or talking. What a skill!
Pressing the blade against her throat he gently drew his future pathway with the flat of the blade slowly. He calmed his voice to a controled whispered filmed with venom. "You are a loud, stubborn, selfish, pathetic version of a child seeking validation by trying to prove everyone wrong only to prove them right. You can't prove me wrong without proving either Cleo or your stepmom right. And you can't prove them wrong without proving me right. You're stuck, Ouroboros. Eat your tail," He hissed as he flicked the blade across her neck under her jaw, creating a small knick.
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Post by 𝕄𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕣𝕪 on Jul 7, 2024 21:34:54 GMT
When he let go of her, she reared back, and she flashed a mean little smile at him, a sick sense of pride flashing through her as he clutched his wrist. But then he laughed, and she backed up, her steps wobbly and uneven. He congratulated her on her actions, and she felt her nausea rise. He then stalked forward, and she went to try and stumble back, but her feet slipped, refused to move correctly.
He slammed her back into the table, and she knew her nose broke. She could feel the crack, hear it, and her head rang worse than before. Then he picked her back up, and threw her on the ground. She fell like a ragdoll, her head smacking back into the tiles. She wondered, distantly, if it was bleeding too. Her nose sure was. Her vision swam, and the dizziness was too hard to fight.
He pinned her, put her own knife to her throat, and mocked her with what she said. She fought in a breath through the pain, swallowing around the blood in her throat, from her nose.
Her eyes widened when she quotes River, writhing, trying in vain to get away as her eyes watered. She was fighting tears, trying to keep this monster from seeing them. From giving him the win. She could imagine it, River crying out for help, scared and alone. And what was she doing? What had she ever done? Be angry? Blame everyone else?
His words kept stinging. Getting people killed. Haleema. Her father. She knew, deep down, she wasn't to blame, but she felt that sting still.
His words, about validation, caused her to close her eyes. Clench them shut. All those days trying her best on tests, trying to impress Juliet, wasted and ruined. Every time she tried to prove she was worth anything, it always backfired. Ever since her father had died, she had felt the need to earn her place, because she quickly found that if you didn't no one would want you around. Her real mother never did. She wasn't good enough, even as a child. She was the reason her father lost her mother. And she had never changed. Her desperation to prove everyone wrong about her had only proved them right.
And they'd be right again. Maybe he was right. But he wasn't so hard to read himself.
The cut on her neck caused her to throw her head back in an attempt to get away, clenching her mouth shut to offer him no cries of pain. But when he finished his little cut, she reared her little head up, collecting some of the bloodied spit in her mouth, and spit it at him. "Rather an Ouroboros than a dead-man walking," Luka hissed out, the comment referring more to how he was like a dead-man walking rather than a physically meaning. Metaphorically, Ripley had no purpose. No one in the Exiled would ever place him first. Gwen and Atticus would fight for one another. Penny hated Ripley. No one loved Ripley. "At least I have something to fight for, people who care for me, people to disappoint. What do you have?"
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Post by 𝕄𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕣𝕪 on Jul 7, 2024 21:44:21 GMT
Echo had been unable to sleep, so she had taken to the halls. Sleep was filled with nightmares, visions of laughter and cruelty. Of Ripley's biting words and hits. She had found Chiara, and the two had silently been walking since then. Echo had taken to leading them, just walking around the portal room. She seemed to do this every night now, always hopefully that maybe one of them would magically be back.
But it never worked out that way. But it was her ritual. They had passed it a while ago, but Echo wanted to check it again before heading to the library with Chiara. Just to be sure.
She had Chiara's wrist in her arms, tugging her along with her. And she was surprised to see a bright light down the hall, from the room. She exchanged a glance with the blonde, before letting Chiara go and running in that direction.
Inside the room, a haggard looking Jason and Theo stood. And Echo threw her hands over her mouth in shock, before running up, enveloping the two in hug, one arm around each boy. She would ask if they were okay if she could speak, but she hadn't peeped a word ever since she returned. Not a single one.
She started crying in relief, a silent laugh of joy escaping her. They were alive and they were back. Thank goodness they were back!
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Post by Leo/ Clundy on Jul 7, 2024 22:19:19 GMT
Ripley managed to turn his head slightly when Luka spit up at him. The disgusting bloody projectile hit him in his cheek and caused him to make a face. "Decorum, Luka, please," He said with a disappointed tone and wiped his cheek against the shoulder of his shirt sleeve.
She was looking worse. And spitting at him was an indicator that she was too tired, dizzy, or just couldn't get him off of her. Or all of the above. He had her right where he needed her from the beginning. Under his control and dying by his hand.
Or rather, their share hands since his hand was controlling hers holding the blade.
She tried to take a dig at him. Implying he had nothing when she actually had people behind her. He made a pouty face before chuckling again. Everyone thinks that figured him out and not one person has yet.
He guided her hand to place the edge of the blade against her lips to silence her for a little longer with a quiet 'Shh'. "Your fighting for people who think you defected to our side because you were mad at them? Do you hear yourself? I have plenty. But, you don't want to hear about that because you don't care remember?" he asked teasingly.
Leaning forward he smiled wickedly and guided her hand to raise the blade from her lips to point down next to his ear. Aiming for her throat. "For now. Let's skin a snake together," He said gleefully.
And he forced her to plunge the blade in, twist, and drag to make a larger wound.
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