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 Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 5:01 pm
Letting out a breath, Jericho tried to relax himself while going ahead and leaning back for Calder.
"What.. made you pick up this anyway? Kelpies don't have horns last I remember," he murmured. Yes, he was pretty unaware of Calder's fascination with horns in general.
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 5:21 pm
Calder paused, smiling nervously. Good thing Jericho was looking away from him. "Ah. That. Well. Uh.. well you see ...the thing is that ...well, I grew up and - well, it was rather natural for all of us to tend to each other. Grooming makes you feel better, and everyone in our community does that. Isn't such a big deal, really. Well, one day I asked Barth if I could, since I did know some fauns with horns, and found I had a good knack for it." He in no way had been looking at posters of horned boils when growing up. Nope. That couldn't have been the inspiration for that hobby to be picked up when it was offered.
"I do like making other feel better. Now I'm going to start. Don't be alarmed, and tell me if you want me to stop." He placed a hand on one of Jericho's horns and -
OMG he was touching one of Jericho's horns. "So.." Calder said, his already gender-neutral voice raising up a peg. ".....you seem to put a lot of the world's worries on yourself. Any deeper concern about what has just happened? Are you worried that the school might close again?" He took the file and gentle started to sharpen Jericho's horn.
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 5:34 pm
That seemed plausible enough for Jericho. Shifting in place a bit, his eyes darted to the side. There was nothing there. Warily, he just tried to get himself to relax.
"You could say that. Not just the school though. The students too," he said, thinking more of Riley since his main failure had dealt with her. But, after some thought it also revolved around the others in general.
As Calder began, he twitched a bit. Getting his horn filed felt a little odd.
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 5:38 pm
"Worried they'll get hurt? Guess we all think that. A lot of people everyone cares about. After what happened with Red, things are a lot more serious now. I feel that way too. Haven't really proven myself to be of any sort of use to anyone. Guess if a dragon can worry, makes me feel a tad better. You can at least do a lot more than I ever could. What with the fire, flying, the scales, and how big you are. It's good you're on our side."
Not like him. All he managed to do was get hurt and get captured. The only use he was in helping people from getting to point A to point B, and when he got stabbed, he was even more worthless.
His ears dropped at the thought.
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 5:54 pm
A low growl eminated from Jericho's throat. This wasn't really what he wanted to hear right now. A part of him was wondering if Calder was trying to mock him here. He was having some trouble telling.
"If the recent events had shown at all, having all those things were worth jack s**t," he snarled, "The Insane Joy things still pushed me around like I was some hatchling and even went as far to humiliate me by painting my scales rainbow!"
He was not happy to recall this.
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 7:32 pm
"Woooaaah there. No one fared any better. Don't be too hard on yourself. Just - think of how worse it could have been without you there? At least you were there beside everyone else to help when needed, right?" This was actually not helping Jericho at all, and he was trying to be optimistic than making Jericho feel worse about himself. If they had one of the strongest students in Amityville doubting himself, it could spell trouble for any future battle they would encounter.
"Have you never lost a battle before?"
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 7:39 pm
"It wouldn't have made a difference," Jericho snarled. When Calder asked him about defeat, his eyes narrowed and he glared back towards the Kelpie.
"You asked me this before. And the answer is still yes. You're just trying to rub it in aren't you!" he snapped, seeing more into what Calder was saying than what he probably meant.
"Or do you just really want to see me down and defeated that badly?"
Something had rubbed him wrong.
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 7:55 pm
"Hey. Hey! I never said that! Just because you feel bad about what happened, don't plant words in my mouth. Jericho, I'm not trying to make you feel bad. Heck, I wish you weren't this hard on yourself. You may be a big dragon, but that doesn't exclude you from being beaten. There is going to be something out there that is going to kick your a**. That's going to beat you into the ground and make you feel horrible. There is always going to be something bigger, badder, meaner than you, and that is just life. You are not on the top of any food chain here. The hunters kicks ALL of our asses. You're no special pumpkin to think that you were defeated any worse than the rest of us. Look at me! I got stabbed through the stomach and was utterly useless for the trip. I was useless the last battle. I was even worse before that. Do I feel terrible about it? Of course I do. Do I have being this weak? Yes, I do. Am I worried about all my friends? Sure as Jack I am, but I'd rather be worthless and there for the next battle, because at some point, I'm going to be good for something."
He had stopped filing, hoping Jericho didn't sit up and start yelling at him. This was supposed to be relaxing, but now Jericho was just working him up.
"We're students. We're not even graduated yet, and even then, we're not supposed to be doing these things. Fighting these type of people. They killed Red, Jericho. RED! The biggest, baddest SOM* that the school has seen. A boogeyman at that. We're not going to be able to take the hunters out with one go. The fact that we're alive should be taken that we're at least doing something right." He sighed.
*Son of a Mare
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 8:05 pm
Jericho groaned as Calder began to talk back, placing his hands to his face. What the hell was with him today? Every little thing was getting to him it seemed. Perhaps he was more stressed than he really realized. Shifting on the couch, he grumbled lowly to himself, trying to cool down.
"You're right. We were all pathetic. It's a wonder any of us are still alive right now," he said bitterly before shooting a glance to the hallway once more. It didn't look like there was anyone there, but he was sure someone was hiding out somewhere.
"Also whoever's lurking there SHOW YOURSELF!" he boomed.
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 8:11 pm
Calder frowned, looking to the open doorway and back at the boil. "Jericho, there is no one there. My hearing is very good. I would have noticed." He was growing concerned. Was he so worked up that all the events had made him paranoid?
This wasn't good.
"Jericho, you need to calm down. You are going to exhaust yourself over something you cannot control or were never meant to deal with. Right now, it's not just one creature who needs to be stronger. The only way we are to do any good against what might happen to us is to stick together. I cannot express this enough. Herds only last as a group to overtake stronger challenges. If any one member moves out of that group, they are picked off." It was survival basics!
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 8:17 pm
Narrowing his eyes, Jericho glanced towards Calder warily.
"Wait so you didn't hear them?" he started before looking towards the hallway. He could have sworn he heard something there. Letting out a breath, he closed his eyes and tried to relax. The kelpie was right. He needed to try and relax.
"You're right. The hunters will probably try to take us out one by one.. break down the morale... something like that. Ugh. I'm sorry. I'm just... I don't know what's with me today," he shook his head.
Relax. He needed to relax.
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 8:20 pm
Calder frowned, looking down at the file in his hand. "Don't talking about picking them off. I just want everyone to stick together." He wanted them all alive.
His hand touched his stomach where he felt the bandages under his shirt.
No. Happy. He was trying to make Jericho relax. He had to step away from those thoughts.
"Yes. Uh. How has the Student Council been? Any big plans coming up? You must be busy now that things have settled down. I'm sure everyone would like to think of other things with a fun activity."
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 8:35 pm
Rubbing his head some more, trying to settle down, Jericho nodded slowly to Calder. Right. Change in topics. This should help out a little.
"We hadn't had too much of a chance to plan much with all the chaos lately. Riley does have some ideas for later though. Still so much work. Guh.." he murmured, "It'd be nice to get something going. to help counter all the insanity with the hunters and stuff. But dammit.. do we really have a chance to relax?"
He started to tense up again.
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 9:16 pm
Calder gripped Jeircho's horn and started to file again, ears staying down as he listened. Jericho was really being a downer and ruining horn fun times. Calder recovered a moment by just filing the horn and holding it in his hand, before taking a deep breath.
"Oh my Jack, Jericho? What is wrong with you? I don't know whether or not to slap you for being this pessimistic or hug you for being this sad and hard on yourself. What happened to the guy I envied? You were strong, but the best part was that you were upbeat and confident in your abilities? Did one battle really destroy that much of yourself? Of COURSE there is time to relax. If not now, then when? What is the point in enjoying life each day if you put the shadow of the WHAT IFs of tomorrow to cast this glllooooommmmyyyy shadow over it?"
He huffed.
"Your horns are still strong and handsome........if that helps?"
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 9:29 pm
"Envied?" Jericho repeated with a hint of confusion. Nah, Calder couldn't seriously have meant that. Right now it didn't really seem all that possible. Twitching, he glanced to the hallway again, tensing for the moment. Again, there wasn't anything there.
"Right..."
He closed his eyes again, trying to focus on relaxing. It was a lot harder than it should have been.
"They.. are?"
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