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 Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 3:09 pm
It was very clear to Otto early on he would not be able to cope with Nevada's death sober. Unfortunately for him, acquiring alcohol was tricky. Worser yet, he was picky in his tastes. There was only one brand he wanted, and there was a slim chance he'd get it unless he took a portal to a country that allowed 19 year olds to buy booze. Apparently the magical land of Canada was a prospect, but Otto was not in the mindset to be taking a portal day. He wanted booze now. Fast. It just so happened as the distraught looking teen with a stuffy nose and reddened eyes was walking down the dorm halls, he saw a man who could help. "Rep." Otto barked out down the hall in a voice that sounded unusually hoarse, "I gotta favour t'ask." He sniffled as he approached, rubbing his nose on his sleeve.
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Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 3:22 pm
Rep hadn't been sleeping well at all. The run in with the dream world, the split off nightmare that had been some embarrassing false outcome had been a dent to his pride, but at the same time, much to his shame, it had been real enough to linger. Time and time again he found himself dreaming of that room in a place which hadn't existed, calling out for a Harrison just beyond his reach who would for ever be that way. It didn't help the island was climbing back up into clammy awful temperatures and even nightmare-less sleep meant waking up wrapped in sweat-soaked clinging sheets.
When he heard Otto call his name he'd been dozing in the zebra chair, lingering in that place between sleep and waking where insomniacs told themselves their muscles would at least get some rest. He got up and answered the door, dressed in nothing but a pair of jeans, his sun necklace and the lethal looking dagger artifact on a necklace he never took off.
He leaned on the doorframe, endeavoring to look less exhausted than he felt, narrowing intense blue eyes at the normally attractive blonde man. Otto looked wiped and there was a shift of unwanted concern for the other hunter's plight that he couldn't help. Concern was the reason he didn't demand what was the matter with him and instead replied. "Shoot." inclining his head slightly.
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Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 3:26 pm
Otto sniffled again, never able to fully shake off his misery. "Booze. I need a lot of it. Preferably Suthern Comfort if'ya got it. I'll pay you." He sniffed again with a shudder, wiping his eyes with the opposite sleeve.
"Please."
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Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 3:32 pm
Rep's expression didn't change from the usual smirking mask he wore, but something in the usual feral viciousness behind his eyes seemed to soften out. He enjoyed tormenting Otto a great deal and it was that investment which also meant that despite the constant harassment he was actually pretty fond of the ex-midget b*****d.
"Well." he said, and paused for a few long moments. "I might be able to help you there." Money was important, he was still determined to pay off the debt he'd accidentally foist upon Harrison. "I've got a bit of Southern Comfort, but it's no at the bar yet."
He shrugged. "You'd have to come a walk down to the hoard to help me bring it back." It was a lie, he did have some over at the bar, he just wanted to get a chance to be nosey along the way to getting the rest of his stock. "But after that you can drown your sorrows. Whatever they might be."
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Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 3:40 pm
The only inclination Otto had of Rep's honest feelings toward him were tainted from the so called Sensitivity training. Therefore he wrote it off as bullshit. He was fairly sure Rep was only helping him because he'd offered money. He wouldn't meet his eyes, constantly looking to the side, at his shirt, or on the floor.
"That's fine." He answered miserably. He backed off a few steps, figuring Rep would lead the way. He was just glad the man had the booze he wanted most. Anything else just wouldn't hit the spot.
For a while he felt distracted. He was focused on finding booze. As long as he was distracted, he wouldn't remember why he was seeking it out to begin with. That was his plan, but of course, all his plans usually fell through. He could feel himself want to fall apart again every time the murder played out in his mind without his willing it to. Nevada's dying screams, her terrified face, and the stillness of her corpse when it was over.
"I'll need a lot." He reaffirmed in a shaky voice.
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Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 3:47 pm
Rep slunk back inside the room for a minute to put on his shoes, leaving the door wide behind him. It was clean, pretty impeccably clean for somewhere Rep had been, and it was obvious where he'd been sitting because it was the only place that wasn't tidy, mugs scattered around the laptop open on the table. He pulled on his steel-toed boots with practiced ease and headed out, locking the door with a set of keys with about a 50 to 1 ratio of keyrings to keys on them. Some of the keys looked like they were for animal traps.
This sorted, he headed on down the hall, expecting the other man to simply fall into his wake as he went.
"Nae bother. Bad s**t go down?" he asked.
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Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 3:54 pm
Otto was mildly nosy, looking past the door enough to see what the room was like. Sure enough, he was surprised to see it clean. Maybe Rep had a nanny maid too...
He followed after him,
"Nevada was killed." He shuddered, sniffling again and rubbing his eyes. It was hard to keep it in. He'd let himself fall apart after it had just happened, and when Ian and Stormy had come to him. He'd not had the control then. Even now it was all still so raw, but some hours had passed at least. He'd fall apart again later. Preferably alone.
"She'd been dyin' for a while but... Halloween zombie got her in the Haunted House." He'd been unable to do anything. The house had made her he'd been powerless to save her. Talking about it made it all hurt again, because it forced him to say it as if it were reality. Truth. He wasn't able to make-believe it away, because he'd seen it happen with his own eyes. It made him have to accept it as fact.
He choked back a sob as best he could.
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Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 4:33 pm
Rep raised a brow, he'd spoken to Nevada, even sparred her once and she'd seemed unoffensive enough as bitches went. And despite Rep's very macho attitude to everything, he did not seem in the least bit judgmental of Otto's distress or pain. He just kept walking without looking back, because sometimes just the very act of keeping going was enough to keep him on the track and he figured it might do the same for the other man.
"That ******** sucks." he said without an inch of sarcasm. "She seemed pretty awright what I knew of her."
They headed out of the dorms into the greater island and Rep took a side path down to the beach, walking in silence for a bit. "You two were close, I gather? Why was she dying? Mind, you don't need to tell me s**t if you don't want to. I'm no demanding dragging you through the mud as payment for this booze."
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Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 4:43 pm
Rep was acting civil. Otto counted his blessings for that much. All he wanted was booze and to be let go, after all. He had plans on how to deal with his sadness, and the involved booze, candy and disaster movie marathons. And an absence of people. Rep kept his space, and didn't make him stop or anything. He appreciated not being gawked at while he was like this.
"She um... we were dating." He replied, more control in his voice now that they were outside. It was getting muggy, and Otto cursed himself for wearing long sleeves again. He'd gotten so comfortable in layers. He was not looking forward to having to dress in less again.
"Something killed her weapon.. she said a Halloween kid did it. I dunno the details, really." He was starting to wonder just how far Rep had stashed his new horde of things. From the looks of it he liked to keep it far away from the main hub of Deus. "Since her weapon died, she didn't have a shield or nuthin' for a couple months. Me'n some others tried to find an artifact that'd bring it back, but..."
They'd failed. he always failed.
"It got messed up on the way out. Didn't work."
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Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 5:32 pm
Otto's comment put everything more into context, it was always a severe blow to lose someone that close to you. It made it slightly worse that Rep was trying hard not to think about exactly that very thing. His sympathy levels were far higher than usual and he was trying rather hard not to be too familiar with Otto lest he freak the other guy out and end up getting his pride stung in the process.
"That's s**t." he said, and felt like it was a pretty inadequate statement. He didn't want to even imagine what it would be like to have Tracey die. He found himself reflexively reaching out to the fallen angel in his thoughts and in silence felt the sweet darkness that was his weapon reach back. he said, and certainty like an iron bar ran through his gentle words.
"They are always too ******** ready to take away what they gave us without asking. This place really ******** like, beats the hope out of you. Every time you think you've found a way to do something right, you realise it was all just shite and that instead of helping people you were just ******** up over and over." He couldn't help but feel the same way about his attempts to impress Simon.
He led the way far along the beach, past the initial cluster of cliffs, taking hardly-used winding paths over treacherous razor sharp rocks, moving with a cat-like sure footedness. He looked back only a few times to make sure Otto was safe.
"At least you guys tried. There's a lot of ******** value in trying. I bet she appreciated it too."
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Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 5:42 pm
"I dunno why I bother tryin." He muttered, slowly manoeuvring over the rocks. He was faster and more agile when he was being chased or running away. Without the danger, efficiency dropped. "I dunno if she appreciated it.. she didn't talk to me again after that until today... when she..."
Died.
She'd gone ahead to that house, and texted him that she'd be there. Of course he ran after her, to make sure she stayed safe. It hadn't done much good in the end. Maybe she'd gone there to end her misery, but ended up dying in the most painfully long way possible.
He shook his head. He couldn't let his mind play games with him. He wouldn't let it tarnish what he loved of her.
"I just ******** up everything."
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Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 7:56 pm
Rep stopped abruptly mid-hop across the rocks, catching Otto in a brief, tight hug which as soon as it it was present was gone, moving back ahead as if it had never happened. Too brief for rejection but enough to show that he felt a great deal of sympathy. "You ******** don't." he said. "You are a badass little ******** all right? If I was half as tough as you are when I was a kid I wouldn't be what I am today. "
Wandering back onto soft sands he led the way around into a small sheltered cove, not visible from the beach on either side, his sanctuary he would often run off to when he was in the throes of whatever emotions had overwhelmed him that day. He didn't think Otto would remember or abuse it. It was clearly frequented often, a bbq pit of sorts set up over at one side and various stowed boxes and objects set around. A cave nestled at the back of the cove itself.
"Don't ever ******** give up." he said with grim certainty. "That's what I live by. What I've always ******** had to live by. Even when s**t looks like it can never get any worse its about fighting no matter what. Cause its the good things you can't see from a distance that are worth it." He shrugged. "She knew. And if she didn't know then other people did. I have a lot of ******** respect for people who keep putting themselves out there time and ******** time again. Cause I can't do it."
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Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 5:23 am
He'd not seen it coming. It was so brief, and quick, he almost mistook it for Rep losing his balance and using Otto as a means of righting himself again. But no, tat had definitely been a hug. He was taken aback. Rep just called him badass.
Maybe he really was still dreaming.
Otto had never considered that his strength. He'd thought he was just stupid for repeatedly getting back up again when he was beaten down by the failures of his life. Yet there was Rep, a guy he'd been so sure wanted nothing more than to squash Otto like a bug, telling him not to give up. That his perseverance was something to be admired. Otto struggled to find something to say to the encouragement he was receiving, because he was more than grateful.
"I uh....um.." Eloquent as always, "Thanks.. really." He didn't feel like that was quite what he wanted to say to him, but it was all he could manage. He took a moment to take in the cove he'd been led to. Like a caveman's dwelling, only a lot more tropical and kind of awesome. Luckily for Rep, Otto wasn't the sort to go rummaging through people's things while they were away. Everyone needed a hideaway, private and safe from outsiders.
"I'm guessin' it took more than one trip to get your s**t out here.."
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Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 10:19 am
"Took more than one trip and more than one set of hands. The guys helped, so did Rin and Melvin." he said with a brisk nod. He'd been preparing the improved hoard for quite a long time before he even lost it and subsequently re-found it. The stone had been dealt with by B0nez, who on Harrison's return from Blue Kingdom had also brought back the uncanny ability to slice through various near impermeable materials as if they were butter. It had meant carving out shelving had been straightforward and it had also been possible to locate the cavern itself behind various traps and pitfalls.
"Hold up here, I'll only be a minute. It's no safe to bring you in with me, too much s**t between here and there. Anything else you need while I'm there?" he shrugged. "I've got some boxes of candy bars and s**t. Figure if you are going to drown your sorrows you might as well go the whole haul. It'll be free this time but no the next, man's got to make a living and this s**t comes out of my pay - when I have any."
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Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 10:26 am
Free booze and candy.
Free booze and candy.
Free booze and candy.
"uh huh..." He mumbled a little dumbfounded, nodding slowly. "Oh.. yeah. Just the Southern Comfort and whatever candy yer willin' to spare.. Mars bars if yeah got'em." As they were his favourite candy bar ever. Otto was going to sulk for days, and he wanted his sulking to be accompanied by things that brought him mild joy.
The teen sunk his head a bit, suddenly feeling a little bit sheepish about the generosity bestowed upon him. "thanks." He sniffled again and rubbed his nose on his sleeve.
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