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 Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 8:16 pm
Nevada didn't understand the text message at first. The more she looked at it, the more confused she got. No, Aria wasn't a traitor...technically. When she had talked to Lance, he was going to figure it out. He was going to help them, see how he could get them all out of this...including Aria. Because he cared about her too. She had to believe that, in all of the people, Lance would be the one to help them right?
He wouldn't sell them out would he?
The text message displayed on her screen, it hung heavy as she looked out the window, watching in a flash something disappear.
Something she caused to disappear.
---
The feeling only got worse the longer the week went on. Aria had been gone for days, branded a traitor...and Nevada couldn't bring herself to tell anyone about what had transpired between the female mist lead and her friends. Only Lance knew.
Even now though, she couldn't go to Lance though. He was the only one she told and then Aria was a traitor. Did Lance tell the other leads? Did he think he couldn't talk to Aria about it? Weren't they dating? These things weighed heavily on her. Was it wrong of her to put her faith in Lance?
Even if somewhere deep, she knew he had a point. Even if somewhere deep, something told her she knew that this would be the outcome. Even to Nevada, Aria had overstepped the bounds of tolerance with Halloween. The deep pit of hate at the creatures that took her eye, her body for even a short time quickly rose.
Was it relatable to Lance?
She did as he said though. She stayed low, out of the attention of the leads, of other hunters. It would be the first time she took the mist name seriously, and floated in between divisions, helping and filling in when she could. She didn't tell Stormy or Chelsea of her worries, of the growing ache that she had destroyed the good thing they had. That somewhere, she might've ended the mist family.
---
She wanted to talk to Lance, it was time too. He was the new lead and she needed direction, someone to tell her where to go. What to do. This wasn't a simple feeling of lost, but the feeling of ruin. She had ruined and been ruined.
Her gaze fell to Aria's old office, where they were repairing the wall from the explosion. Then away, because she couldn't bear to looking at it. It was guilt, guilt that ebbed at her. Gnawed her away. Aria had trusted her, as much as the older mist woman would, to keep one goddamn secret quiet. Stormy could do it, Stormy wanted to. Stormy had belief in Aria, because Aria was their leader and that was the way it was suppose to be. Mist was family.
Thoughts jumbled, muddled until they were a big ball of confusion. She looked over her shoulder, expecting another mist...No one was around.
There was a brief knock on Lance's door...But no one answered. She frowned. Turning the knob, she peeked inside and looked around. He wasn't here...She stepped in, perhaps she could wait for him instead. She moved to the desk, looking with a off kind of curiosity, the kind that you didn't pay attention really, but it was something to do.
Her gaze flickered, then landed on a rotating wheel by the side of the desk. A light flickering glow started to dim as she came around....
“L.....Lance?” There was a chair, his chair, bent and dented...just a little. Turned on it's side with the wheel spinning and runes glowing still. She picked it up, turning it up and laying her hand on the seat. It lacked the warmth of one just sitting there, but still had a little heat. Her eye widened. It wasn't hard to put two and two together. Aria was gone, It was only a matter of time before Lance. Then them...
“What have I done....?” She gripped the arm rest of the wheelchair and closed her eye, A sense of grief, loss and confusion and a crippling fear of loneliness.....“I've ruined us all...”
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Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 8:30 pm
A heavy, wet hand dropped down onto Nevada's shoulder. "No s**t," Lance coughed as he staggered around her. He hefted his massive weapon up, the tip of it resting on the ground as he placed his weight on it. He leaned forward, reaching around the Mist trainee to grasp his chair. With a grunt he heaved it upright before moving past her and dropping down into it. Lance raised his arm, swiping it across his face. His clothes were stained with an unidentifiable darkness that began to smell unpleasant. "Hey." He snapped his fingers, the runes on his weapon dimming to a pleasant glow. "Go get me a towel? I'm ********' freezing here."
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Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 8:38 pm
Nevada jumped, covering her mouth to muffle a very unlike her scream. The moment her head whipped around, there was a slight trail of wet down her eye. She stared dumbfoundly at Lance.
For a really long time.
She then turned...left....came back with a pile of towels and dumped them on him.
Then stared longer.
And sniffled.
"I thought they had taken you too." She rubbed at her eye, "and thought I ruined everything." She didn't even care and reached out to hug Lance. "and then I was going to be hated by everyone if they found out cause...." She sniffled just a little more, letting go.. "What...What happened to you...?" And what was that familiar dark stain and stench.
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Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 8:53 pm
When Nevada left, Lance sat in silence. He raised his hand and ran it along the glowing runes before closing his eyes and leaning against it, silent.
At last he pulled away, desummoning it. He ran his fingers along the puzzle ring, lifting it to his lips briefly. The man moved his wheelchair forward, rummaging around on his desk until he recovered his shotglass and a bottle of whisky. He poured himself a shot, placing the glassware down as Nevada came back.
He gave her a tired wave of thanks as he dumped the towels on him, grabbing the cloth and throwing two around his shoulders. The man began to rub vigorously, stopping to look up as she spoke.
Her words brought a large smirk to his face, followed by a dark chuckle. "I told you I would take care of it." His voice was muffled as she hugged him, eyes closed as he leaned into her.
When she let go, Lance reached up and ruffled her hair. Likely it would be damp and have a bit of dark gunk Nevada should probably wash out quickly. "What happened? Two things. One? Caelius. Two?" Lance leaned back, taking on an air of smugness. "I cleaved a ******** Titan in half. From the inside. That is what happened."
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Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 9:00 pm
"You had me worried." She shook her head...then made a displeased sound of sudden gunk in her hair...Okay that would have to come out soon.
"You, I'd think after the visit to the Sahara, Caelius would have better things to do then come harassing you..." Yes that is what Caelius did, he harassed people. Her eye widened, looking over at him. Then she did a circle around him...
And then stopped in front of him and bent down to give him a narrowed eye stare.
"So..." She began lazily, "Caelius fed you to a titan and then you cleaved it in half...But usually only captains have that kind of power..." She smiled at him, "They made you the official mist leader didn't they?" So mist wasn't going down in flames, she didn't bring ruin, she could still have her family.
"What.....about Aria though?" Nevada bit at her lip.
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Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 9:26 pm
Lance shrug, reaching towards his desk as Nevada did her inspection. He poured himself a glass, settling himself comfortably in his chair. "Not captains. Division leaders," Lance corrected with an air of importance.
The shot glass was raised to her in a mock-toast before he drank it. "Caelius is probably going to have his hands full. I should probably send someone off island to pick him up a Hallmark thank-you card for helping me get to this level. Even if it did cost me a coat."
"As far as Aria is concerned?" He handed her the shotglass to put on his desk behind her. "Don't trust her. She did something to you, yeah? When the heat dies down a bit I need to make sure Cass and Stormy are okay too. I don't know what Aria did, but I sure as hell am going to make sure it doesn't do anything worse to them. In the meantime? We've got a lot of work ahead of us. Aria may have to wait, though first we're going to need a meeting."
Lance reached out, grabbing Nevada's arm. "In the meantime? Say nothing. Don't talk about it, even to Cass or Stormy. I might have been able to take the heat off of you guys, but considering how much you guys looked up to Aria? We're going to be watched. We've made it out of the frying pan, but we're in the fire now."
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Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 10:55 pm
"Division Leader, All swanked out." She whistled and smiled at him, "there goes the days of teasing and calling you Handsome. Not its Sir Lance. Sir Lance..." Her eye widened, "Sir Lancelot of the mist division, riding his noble steed wielding well..." She would mention weapons but that was like ASKING FOR TROUBLE.
"I'm surprised he didn't kill you, to be honest." She took the shot glass, moving it over to the desk and moving papers around, organizing while she was there. "Especially since last time he took you somewhere, it was the Sahara...and most of us were almost dead..." She gave him a meaningful look, satisfied that he was dried off mostly and warming himself up.
He was a leader now, it's not like he needed attention and care.
"She did, but I don't know if mentioning it will make it worse for me..." She looked over to him and smiled a little sadly, "It's only a matter of time before this all backfires on me Lance. Just worry about helping Stormy and Cass, I guess..." She was like a sitting duck in a minefield. One more thing said, one more secret spilled and that binding would come around her so quick she wouldn't know what hit her.
"A meeting's no problem though, Mist tend to stick together.." At least this batch would. "We've got a lot to build up to..." She smiled again at him, startling at his hand grab. "I don't wanted to be roasted Lance, I'll keep it down low still. I've probably got a lot more to lose then you on this anyways." She patted his hand and moved back again.
"Well leader, I guess I should go report that your back and are requesting a mist meeting yeah?" She turned towards the door and hesitated, "Hey Lance...Don't scare me like that again okay?"
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Posted: Tue Dec 10, 2013 9:51 pm
Lance held up his hands. "Hey, hey. I may be leader, but that doesn't mean I'm no longer handsome. Unless -- did Caelius do something to me?" Sir Lance ran a hand along his chin, eyes wide in mock horror. He relaxed in his chair, grabbing one of the many towels she supplied to wipe himself clean. He was silent as she spoke, shaking his head as she finished. "All hunters are one, two steps away from death. Hell," He gestured towards her, "You guys? You guys are survivors. Usually there are more deaths by now, more hunters missing. More infighting, more death. Before, recruiting was as necessary as recovering weapon tablets. Now?" He could only shrug. "It's all just a matter of figuring out what to do and how to do it, and making the best out of what sort of hand you're dealt. You'll be all right, Nevada. It's up to you to decide how things turn out. As for your request," he flashed her a grin, "Denied. I've never felt more alive than before. Go on -- we'll rally soon. We've got a lot of work ahead of us."
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