|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2022 9:32 pm
Lucasta was right about many things, among them that Alastor was not ticklish. He looked down at Ephesus with false betrayal, and for as ridiculous a plan as it was, at least the boys had zeal.
And the Mauvian, too. He hadn’t been keeping his eye on her; he’d thought she was still scouting the area and getting used to this form. He thought he’d have a moment before he had to go after her, too, but then she’d come up behind him and–
Scratched him? He could feel the shifting of fabric, so he was sure she must have torn through something. He felt a prickle of pain, but she hadn’t done anything that hurt. She’d scratched deeply enough that he knew she was there, and he knew that she probably could have done some significant damage if she’d needed to.
Amarynthos and Ephesus were throwing him off balance with all of their wiggling, and Ephesus’ relaxing felt like he’d nearly doubled in weight. Alastor had to adjust positions to get a better grip on him and make sure he didn’t fall.
“I don’t think any of you know how tag is suppose to work!” he said, twisting to face Lucasta. He was clearly enjoying himself, though–even though he was being weighed down by teenagers and wondering how much damage Lucasta had done to the fabric on his back.
Amarynthos was laughing; at some point in time, Alastor even seemed like he was trying to shake him off a bit, but the boy continued to cling to him. It didn’t completely free up Alastor’s arm, but it gave him a bit more freedom to swipe at Lucasta and try to grab her, too.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2022 9:42 pm
Was this not how tag worked? Ephesus wasn’t entirely sure. He just knew that he was supposed to be wiggling out of Alastor’s grasp while Amarynthos was clinging to him.
Oh! And Lucasta was amazing and was able to take Alastor by surprise! That was impressive. Although he didn’t think that his tickling was doing much.
He could see what Amarynthos was doing, and they just needed to keep Alastor away from Lucasta for the rest of the three minutes, right? So once Ephesus wiggled down enough, he tried wrapping his legs around one of Alastor’s legs, hoping to limit his movement as Amarynthos was.
Of course, he couldn’t help but squeal with laughter. This was more fun than just sitting around at least. “How much time is left?” he asked, but didn’t think he could reach the phone Alastor tucked into his sash. Just a little longer, right?? Maybe that would be enough time for Sessrumnir to come back, too. And then they could all go home and have pizza.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2022 2:23 pm
Lucasta dodged Alastor’s swipe and put some distance between them again. No doubt she would have had more difficulties evading him if the boys weren’t weighing him down. She never turned her back on him, lest she offer her tail or her hair as an easy hand-hold, stepping backward at a moderate pace and slipping over a few more pieces of rubble in the process, until she could right herself and feel comfortable with their proximity again.
“I don’t think you expected them to play by the rules to begin with,” Lucasta said.
The smirk never finished crawling across her face, but her mouth twitched like she was trying to repress a smile, and there was a light in her eyes that didn’t often show through her dour personality.
Though Lucasta could deem neither Ephesus nor Amarynthos as particularly skilled, she nonetheless found something to be pleased about: they could scheme, and perhaps play a bit dirty. If they kept that same tenacity in a real fight, they might not fare quite as poorly as she expected.
“Dig your claws in, boys, don’t go easy on him,” she told them. “Think carefully. You know this opponent. Consider his weaknesses.”
Ephesus could shed a single tear and he would release them, she thought to herself. Perhaps they’re all a bit soft.
Perhaps she was, too, in her own way.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2022 6:54 pm
The boys were maneuvering around him quite a bit more than he’d thought they’d manage–but then again, he hadn’t anticipated this. A part of him suspected they might not play by the rules, but he couldn’t be upset when the point of this was to be a distraction.
And, they were surprisingly effective. In their own way.
“Sessrumnir!” Amarynthos exclaimed suddenly, and–expectedly, Alastor turned to look in the direction his head was craned in.
There was no one there. Which was expected, of course, because there was no energy signature there, but that’s why he’d looked! It didn’t make sense. What if it was a robot impersonating him. He shook his leg a bit more to try and knock Amarynthos off, but the boy had already burst into laughter and was clinging to him.
“I can’t think of any other weaknesses–oh, well. Your hair is so messed up right now, Alastor! Your makeup is smeared.”
“I’m not that vain,” Alastor protested, but reached up to fuss with his hair briefly, anyway. He scoffed, but there was no malice in it. Lucasta was a bad influence on these boys, but he was having a hard time not laughing.
They were clever, the three of them.
He didn’t know how much time he had left on his phone, but with the boys weighing him down and Lucasta already light on his feet, he wasn’t as confident that he’d be able to reach her.
His speed was drastically reduced because of them, and since they were working so hard to tickle him, he was more than happy to repay the favor.
Especially because he was confident that, unlike him, they were ticklish.
He hooked an arm around each of the boys and went for their sides as he tried to maneuver in Lucasta’s direction.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2022 7:04 pm
Consider Devyn’s weaknesses? Did he have weaknesses? Ephesus hadn’t really considered that before, but it seemed as though Amarynthos already had something in mind.
Except when he announced Sessrumnir’s return, Ephesus looked up as well but--
Oh, that was supposed to be the distraction. Well, that made sense. Alastor did seem really close to Sessrumnir. But they were also a lot different from Oliver and Asher. Maybe they were just shy about it.
Ephesus didn’t get much of a chance to think about their relationship, because soon Alastor was working on a way to get Lucasta, which they absolutely shouldn’t allow to happen if they wanted to win!
Except suddenly there were fingers digging into his side, and Ephesus shrieked and broke into uncontrollable laughter. He absolutely was ticklish, but how Alastor planned on being able to hold onto him and tickle him, he didn’t know.
“Mary, Mary, help!” he giggled and squirmed, not really upset by it, but they were supposed to be trying to win!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2022 7:38 pm
Lucasta happened to think she was an excellent influence. Of course the boys were fortunate already to have a pair of experienced adults who cared for their wellbeing, but they were extra fortunate to have the assistance of a Mauvian as wise, clever, and beautiful as she was.
Besides, if it wasn’t for her, they would have lost their game already.
With the boys slowing Alastor’s stride, Lucasta had ample opportunity to make herself less accessible. She hopped over an overturned statue, half crumbled into dust already, and climbed up the slope of a toppled pillar onto a larger pile of debris, scrambling a bit when she lost her footing. Once she’d reached her intended destination, she sat and perched like a Queen on her throne. Her position put her almost above eye level and out of reach.
Not that Alastor couldn’t jump up there for her, but the boys would make any attempt at that unwieldy. He’d have to drop one or both of them, or she’d be long gone before he could grab her.
Lucasta bent a knee up and propped an elbow on top of it, her chin coming to rest against the palm of her hand — her pose casual and unconcerned.
“Does anyone else like anchovies on their pizza?” she called down to them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2022 8:16 pm
Alastor had been temporarily distracted enough that he lost sight of Lucasta; she still had an energy signature he could track, but he could already tell it was unlikely he’d make it up to grab her. Especially with the boys as they were.
He didn’t have to think about if he was going to drop them and try to jump up and grab her. The timer on his phone went off. He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth and shifted so he could grab the phone and–well, dismiss it to subspace for now; he didn’t really think he could manage pressing too many buttons with the boys as they were.
“I’m impressed,” he said, nodding as he ceased tickling the boys. Instead, he wrapped his arms around them to make sure they didn’t fall, but gave them the opportunity to get their feet settled on the ground so he didn’t just drop them. “I thought I’d have a much easier time. Lucasta, maybe you should go out patrolling with them more often. I get the distinct impression the three of you could give someone a lot of trouble.”
Or get into a lot of trouble.
Amarynthos was still laughing; even if he wasn’t being tickled anymore, he was still in a very good mood. They had earned that pizza and, as expected, Lucasta had managed to stay free. “If you want anchovies, you deserve them! I’ll eat anything!” He didn’t think Ephesus was going to be picky about it either, and if he was he was sure they could just ask for a pizza with less exciting toppings. “You should come patrolling with us more often. I hope you’ll come visit the moon with us, too. If you like climbing things, there’s plenty of things up there. You might be able to get a better view than we can, too. You okay, Effie?”
When Alastor released him, Amarynthos settled himself on the ground, brushed himself off, and eagerly held out his hands to try and get Ephesus down easily, too.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2022 8:25 pm
Ephesus was still laughing as well, and as soon as Amarynthos held out his hands, Ephesus took them in his own.
“I don’t mind anchovies,” Ephesus chirped happily to Lucasta and swung his and Amarynthos’ hands back and forth as they stood near Alastor. He’d had a long time of not being picky about what he ate, so he was willing to try just about anything.
“Do you think Sessrumnir will be back soon?” he asked, looking around. It had been… well, about three minutes since they’d started their game of tag, so that probably wasn’t enough time for Sessrumnir and the others to explore the creepy looking ship.
“I don’t think I like this place,” he admitted quietly after a little while. “The sky is pretty but… it gives me a weird feeling.” Talking robots were cool, he supposed. But he was also worried about not getting back home.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2022 2:29 pm
“I get the distinct impression my patrolling with them would necessitate me leading them out of trouble,” Lucasta countered, voice once again dry with repressed humor. “Though I admit the Moon may make for a pleasing visit. I’ve had so few reasons to see it for myself.”
If she went to any moon at all, it was with her bonded to Ganymede. Lucasta thought it might have been a mistake to avoid Earth’s moon for so long, particularly when recent events brought it further into focus.
She remained on her perch for the time being, watching the boys right themselves, tail swishing lazily behind her.
Naturally, Ephesus had to return to fretting.
“You needn’t worry about Sessrumnir,” she reassured him. “With the ship in such a state, I’d think he poses more of a danger to it than it poses to him.”
The robots, however…
Lucasta cast her gaze around again, watchful.
“You aren’t alone in your dislike for our surroundings, at least.”
She wouldn’t say it, wary of getting any of their hopes up, but with any luck, Sessrumnir might discover a way for them to return home — hopefully before the situation dissolved into mayhem.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2022 3:30 pm
Alastor couldn’t help but look in the direction of the ship again, even though he was completely unsurprised to find that there was no sign of Sessrumnir. With the boys on the ground, he took a moment to sort himself out–to straighten his clothes, to pat at his back to see how much damage Lucasta had done–and then, to pull the phone from subspace. He turned off the alarm quickly and was unsurprised to find new messages, even if he’d been hoping for something more.
“Sessrumnir promised to take care of himself, he’ll stay out of trouble. We don’t have to worry about him. He sent me a message just a few moments ago, so he’s doing fine. He says to keep an eye on each other and stay close, and not to trust the robots. No matter how friendly or kind they might seem.”
He looked at both of the boys, because Ephesus’ empathy combined with Amarynthos’ curiosity was probably not a very good mix when it came to ‘being safe’ and not being fooled.
Amarynthos didn’t appear to have picked up on any suspicion or alarm; he swung Ephesus’ hand in his own and glanced towards the ship as well. “Oh, well. If he says so. I guess he knows more about electrical and mechanical things than anyone else I know. Maybe there’s something dangerous about them. Battery acid or rust or something.” It was a simple explanation, and he seemed to offer it with the intent of reassuring Ephesus before he could find something to worry about.
“That’s okay, that works for me,” he continued easily. “I get a weird feeling about this place, anyway. I kind of want to investigate, but this place is creepy. The Moon doesn’t feel like this at all, Lucasta. It doesn’t feel as lonely as this. And the sky is just as pretty. There aren't any robots. Well, not that we’ve found, just this big talking ball of light. You seem like you’d be fun, though. I hope we get out of here soon.”
Not just because his parents would worry, or because he wanted that pizza, but because this place was weird. He wanted to appreciate it, or to know more about it, but it’s not like there was anyone around for him to question. Except for the robots, but if Sessrumnir wanted them to stay away from them, he was going to do his best to do just that. The last thing he wanted was to explore and get jumped by some rusty robot spitting battery acid everywhere.
Anyway, there was plenty else to do while they waited for Sessrumnir to come back. Between teasing Alastor and picking Lucasta’s brain, he was pretty sure they could fill the time well-enough.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
