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 Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2022 7:48 am
Backdated to November 2022. “Get away from him!” Ephesus shouted as he swung his honeycomb rod at the grotesque creature that had just lunged for Amarynthos. He couldn’t see if it managed to hurt Amarynthos yet, but Ephesus could feel dread in the pit of his stomach.
Especially when the youma took heed of Ephesus’ demand… in favor of turning on him with a snarl of droll dripping fangs in a mouth that didn’t look like it could possibly belong to any species on Earth.
It had been a quiet night until about ten minutes ago. Atticus and Elliot decided they wanted to head to the park. Michael and Devyn were out on a date, which meant that they wouldn’t suddenly show up when Atticus and Elliot decided that they should power up and make sure the neighborhood was safe.
The neighborhood was not safe. And with Michael out of range, it was unlikely that either of Ephesus’ dads would show up to help them.
When the youma turned on him, Ephesus froze for just a moment. Maybe out of fear. Maybe to make sure the creature had its attention on him instead of Amarynthos. But once it started for him, he took off into the woods behind the park.
He managed to get it to slow down by ducking under some fallen branches, and jumping over a log, so it was only logical that jumping between two trees that had grown up too close together would slow it down even more.
Ephesus braced his foot on a branch low on the trunk of one of the trees, and hoisted himself through without a scratch.
Until his ankle got stuck during his descent, and he let out a surprised shriek, and then -- he couldn’t cry out in pain because the wind had been knocked from his lungs.
Instead, he coughed and hissed in pain, trying to pry his ankle free from where it was stuck between the trees. His weapon had been knocked loose from his grasp so it laid several feet away.
He could hear the youma catching up. Could hear the snap of teeth and its heavy steps through the dried leaves.
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Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2022 8:11 am
Amarynthos was proud of how fast Ephesus had run, and proud of how brave he was, but he didn’t like being separated from him. The youma had scratched his arm with bruising force, and he was pretty sure he was bleeding a bit.
Ephesus could heal him, he wasn’t worried about that. He was worried about him getting hurt, too. Especially because the youma didn’t seem like it had to put as much work into keeping up with him as Amarynthos did. The creature seemed almost totally focused on Ephesus, and even when Amarynthos was pelting its back with rocks, or smacking his weapon against it, it didn’t seem like it was going to stop.
And, for a second, Amarynthos was afraid that Ephesus was going to get hurt.
He still hadn’t figured out how to use his magic and without knowing what it could do, he didn’t want to risk accidentally hurting Ephesus. “I’m here!” he called, just to make sure Effie knew he wasn’t alone. The youma was just being really stubborn and wouldn’t break focus from Ephesus.
Amarynthos was vaguely aware of another energy signature, but he didn’t have time to analyze or place it before it was there with them. He saw birds–a whole flock of cardinals?–swarm around the youma, and for the first time, its attention was broken.
So was Amarynthos’, at least a bit; he hit the youma again, but he looked at Ephesus like he’d rather be over there trying to help free him. “Hold on!” he encouraged. And then, he saw a spot of red and white, and then he realized that there was another person here. Another person with a big stick, and then were drawing it up, and–
“I’m sorry!” The Senshi exclaimed, just before he slammed the branch down on the youma’s head as hard as he could.
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Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2022 9:21 am
In its death throes, the youma swung its long, barbed tail at the meddlesome Senshi and Amarynthos, clearly intending to cause some additional damage before it exploded into dust.
And not a moment too soon. It had practically caught up with Ephesus, who was still stuck with his ankle wedged between two tree trunks, and covered in damp leaves and dirt in addition to the various cuts and bruises he got from the fall.
“Mary!” he cried, trying to push himself up, but it was too painful to move his leg much, and struggling seemed to make it worse. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he sobbed, using his hands to brush the leaves from his face. He’d felt the other signature briefly, and had seen some of the cardinals, but was at a bad angle to see anything other than the ground where he landed.
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Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2022 9:29 am
“Effie, it’s okay! It’s gone! You did such a good job, hold on. Don’t move, you’re stuck. I don’t want you to twist an ankle or something. We’re safe, it’s just me and–someone I don’t know. Sorry, hi,” he introduced, but he wasn’t as interested in exchanging names right now, not when Ephesus was upset.
He hurried over to him and crouched, giving him a quick hug before he helped brush the leaves off of him. “It’s okay, I’m going to move your foot, just relax. We’re safe. Just breathe, and then when I get you out of here, I’m going to give you a good hug. Are you hurt?” he asked, and hastened to fulfill his promise. Carefully, he began to work Ephesus’ foot from where it was stuck. He didn’t know if he’d hurt himself badly, but the first step of any of this was just going to be getting him out so they could figure it out.
The Senshi stood for a moment, still holding the branch he’d swung at the youma; he watched as the two Squires hurried around, and when he was certain that the trouble was gone, he dropped the stick and brushed his hands off on his pants.
“If you’re hurt, I have some healing magic,” he offered. “You two are really brave! If I’d seen that thing on my own, I think I would have just run off. Can I help with anything?”
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Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2022 6:50 pm
Ephesus whimpered pathetically when Amarynthos crouched down to hug him. And he wasn’t even trying to get attention! He was tired and out of breath -- literally, after falling flat on his face, pretty much. Adrenaline was still high, but he tried holding still as Amarynthos worked on freeing his ankle from being pinned.
“I don’t know if I can get it out like this,” he stifled and tried wiping his face as he tried to look over his shoulder at what Amarynthos was doing, and then up at the Senshi.
“Thank you for helping us,” Ephesus sniffled again, and then tried pushing himself up on shaky arms to get a better angle for his foot to be dislodged. “Sorry, I didn’t think I’d get stuck -- ow -- oh, no, I’m okay, Mary. It just pinched a little,” he tried to reassure him over his shoulder again.
This was pretty sad and pathetic, meeting someone while stuck in a tree. Oh, but this Senshi had wings like Devyn. There were suddenly so many things he wanted to ask, but hissed again as he tried wiggling his foot free.
“Sorry, Mary… I’m okay. Are you okay?” Okay they could probably do with some healing but getting out of the tree kind of needed to happen first.
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Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2022 6:56 pm
“I’m okay,” Amarynthos answered, even though his sleeve was warm and wet with blood. It wasn’t much! Just enough that he could feel it. And getting Ephesus out right now was more important, anyway. “It’s okay Effie, almost got you,” he promised, but the Senshi was over to help before he could free Ephesus’ foot.
“Would it help if I picked you up a little? I can get my arms under you and lift you up, it might be a better angle? I won’t drop you. Oh–I’m Caia,” he said after a second, as if he’d realized only then that he hadn’t.
“But I think, if you don’t mind, I can lift you up a little and he can get your foot out. My brother’s had to do this for me before, I fell down the stairs once–well, not once, I fell down the stairs a few times–but at least once and got my foot caught in the–the railing? The banister? I don’t know what it is, I just know that he had to pick me up and wiggle me out of it. But it’s okay, it’s not that scary once you know that someone’s going to get you out no matter what. Are you okay if I help? I don’t want to be some creepy old guy with his hands all over you, I promise I just want to help. I’ll let you down as soon as he’s got you out and we can get you boys healed up.”
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Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2022 7:06 pm
Ephesus blinked up at Caia in surprise. Not because he was offering to help, or that he’d been stuck like him before -- oh, but falling down the stairs was bad! -- but because… was he calling himself some creepy old guy??
He couldn’t help but laugh quietly through the sniffles, but quickly nodded appreciatively.
“Thank you, Caia. It’s nice to meet you. Sorry for the trouble,” he sniffled some more, trying to hold up his arm to make it easier for Caia to help. He felt pretty silly for being stuck like this in the first place.
“Thank you, Mary. Oh. I’m Ephesus, but people call me Effie, too,” he said, and then winced a little as he wiggled his foot again, but with Caia’s help in lifting him up, and Amarynthos working on his foot, he was soon freed and back on his feet.
Which of course meant that, since Caia was right there, Ephesus gave him a quick hug of gratitude, before quickly turning, and practically falling into Amarynthos’ arms since standing was painful at the moment. He wrapped his arms around Amarynthos and hugged him tight and tried not to sob against his shoulder. Then he forced himself to pull back a bit, and fussed over Amarynthos’ hair a little, and his clothes, and then his arm. He looked around for his staff -- it was close enough that he could hobble to it if he wanted, but Caia was offering to help them.
“Could you use your magic on Amarynthos, please? I have some healing magic too, but I don’t know how good it will be to fix his arm. Oh, but that’s horrible that you’ve fallen down the stairs. It’s not fun. I’m glad your brother was able to help you.”
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Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2022 7:28 pm
Caia worked diligently and quickly to make sure Ephesus was out of the tree, and when he came free he sighed in relief. He returned the hug carefully, but enthusiastically.
Amarynthos was more than happy to support Ephesus’ weight, especially if it meant he stayed off of an injury. “No, on Ephesus first, please. My arm’s fine, just a little tingly. But he can hardly walk!” He gave Ephesus a look, like it wasn’t really up for debate, but he wasn’t going to fight him over it.
“I can heal you both at the same time,” Caia said quickly. “Do you want to sit down? You don’t have to, it might just be a little more comfortable. I’m very lucky to have my brother, he’s always looking after me. And you two are lucky to have each other, I can tell you two look after one another, too.”
Amarynthos rubbed Ephesus’ back reassuringly, but he wasn’t going to argue about getting his arm fixed up. It did hurt, even if Effie’s fussing distracted him enough to make him forget about it for a few seconds.
“Okay, well don’t mind my birds. I’ll make this quick, and when they’re gone we can see if you need any extra. I have a first aid kit, too,” he said, and pulled out a plastic kit with an impressive collection of first aid supplies–covered in stickers that were unmistakably identical to Soleiyu’s signature.
Quote: Caia waves his hand and a college of cardinals appear, singing a distinctive song. They swarm around him in a ten foot radius and form a stationary, impassable barrier. Everyone within the vortex of cardinals will be filled with confidence and will feel renewed; while within the radius, small injuries (such as simple scrapes and bruises) may be fully healed, and moderate to large injuries can heal up to 30%. While the Cardinals' song may sound pleasant to anyone within the ten foot radius or Order characters outside of it, any agents of Chaos outside the vortex will find their song annoying and almost painful on the ears. This magic will last for forty five seconds and can be used once.
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Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2022 6:48 am
Ephesus nodded in agreement that he and Amarynthos were very lucky to have each other. Amarynthos was always looking out for him, and Ephesus did his best to make it worth Amarynthos’ time and energy.
He’d looked worriedly at Amarynthos when he insisted that Ephesus be healed first, but didn’t argue, and gently tugged on his arm to get him to carefully sit down with him.
The birds were beautiful, and Ephesus stared in awe at the literal whirlwind of red birds circling them. But it wasn’t enough to completely take his attention away from the first aid kit that Caia pulled out, especially since --
“You know Soleiyu?” Ephesus gasped in surprise. Not that he didn’t think a Mauvian like Soleiyu wouldn’t be popular! He just hadn’t expected to see something so obviously belonging to the guardian cat.
“He helped me a lot. Oh, that’s so cool that you know him.” He kept his arm around Amarynthos, holding onto him and ready to fuss over him some more the moment the birds disappeared. He wanted to make sure his arm was healed!
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Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2022 8:18 am
Caia paused immediately and looked at the boy as if he couldn’t figure out how he knew that–until he looked down and saw the stickers on the first aid kit. “Oh–yeah, you do too? I guess he gets around, huh? But he seems like he likes to help. I haven’t seen him so much the past few weeks, but I’ve also been staying out of trouble. He checks in, though. My brother’s been talking to him a bit more than I have recently. Oh, but–you know, things get busy this time of year, and–”
Caia’s mouth froze where it was and he had to stop to remember to breathe. He shook his head. “Sorry, I can talk your ear off! The important thing is to make sure you two are okay.” The birds were fading now, and he moved a little closer. “I’m not really a medic or anything, the best I can do is put on some cute bandaids. But if it’s too bad, I can use more magic, and I know some people who can help if anything’s too bad.”
Amarynthos seemed a bit surprised but didn’t press too much; he rubbed at his arm tentatively but when it was only a little sore, he tugged up his sleeve to investigate. What might have taken a few weeks to heal looked like it had taken seconds, and there was a noticeable mark but it wasn’t bleeding anymore. “Oh, no. I think I’m good, thank you.” He looked at Atticus expectantly, if not also a bit worriedly. “How are you, how’s your ankle?”
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Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2022 7:10 pm
“It’s okay!” Ephesus promised with a smile as he lifted a hand to wipe the remnants of tears away from his face. His eyes were still red and puffy but the magic had helped with the pain a lot.
“You can talk, we don’t mind,” he said, and looked to Amarynthos for approval, but saw his look of worry. Ephesus leaned close to press a kiss against his cheek, and then started working on unlacing his boot.
“I think it’s okay. I’ll have to try putting pressure on it but…”
With a bit of effort, he managed to wiggle the boot off, with the assistance of his other foot, and grimaced a little at the redness around his ankle. It was a bit swollen and might be bruised, but it looked much better than he expected it to look.
“I’m gonna have to tell my dads about this,” he sighed, because he wanted them to trust them, but also didn’t want them to worry. “Are you sure your arm is okay?” he asked Amarynthos, but then looked up at Caia with another smile. “Thank you, you’ve been really nice. I like your birds. And if Soleiyu likes you, then I bet you’re really great.”
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Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2022 7:54 pm
Caia looked genuinely endeared and smiled. “Oh, you’re sweet. Thank you, Effie. I’m not very good with names, I hope it’s okay if I call you that.”
Ephesus had offered the name Effie, so Amarynthos didn’t politely insist that Caia use his full name, and even if he’d been feeling huffy about any of this, he would have been too distracted by his ankle to make a fuss.
“Effie,” he said quietly. His lips pressed together and his brows furrowed close as he hovered over the injury. He wanted to touch it to see if he could tell how badly he’d gotten hurt, but he seemed to have come to the same conclusion that they’d have to tell Michael and Devyn. And, they’d promised they would! But there was still a heavy weight in his stomach at the idea. He didn’t want to disappoint them, and even if the two of them had done their best, he was already thinking of all of the things he should have done better.
Not Ephesus though, he was perfect.
“My arm is okay. If you can use your magic, you should try to use it on your ankle,” he insisted. “My arm won’t inconvenience me, but having a hurt ankle is a total pain. I’ll give you a piggyback if it hurts to walk.”
“I can help,” Caia offered; he had some bandages to wrap an injury, but he was willing to help carry him too if that’s what it took. “Your dads know you’re a Squire?”
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2022 9:11 am
Ephesus smiled and nodded to acknowledge that Caia could call him Effie. It was really sweet that Caia was offering to help them even more than he already had. He would have to come up with a way to thank him later.
“I’m okay,” he said quietly to Amarynthos, and lifted a hand so he could gently brush it through Amarynthos’ hair. “I’m just glad you’re okay. I was scared that you wouldn’t be. I’m sorry for worrying you. A piggyback ride sounds fun, even if I wasn’t hurt. But I don’t want you pushing yourself. You’re always so brave.”
He wasn’t trying to ignore Caia, but he wanted to make sure Amarynthos’ concern wasn’t being overlooked either. Ephesus kept his hand in Amarynthos’ hair as he looked up at their new Senshi friend with another smile.
“Oh, yes, one of my dads is a Knight of Jupiter, and my other dad is a Senshi like you,” he shared. “I know they’d both want to thank you for helping us. One day Mary and I will be as strong as you and them,” he insisted, because if anyone deserved to be a Knight it was Amarynthos.
“Oh, um, could you reach my, um… baton or… I’m not really sure what to call it. Please? I can use some of my magic too,” he asked Caia, because he wanted to be helpful and maybe prove that he wasn’t completely helpless.
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2022 10:38 am
Caia nodded and quickly dismissed the first aid kit to subspace, even if just only temporarily. He hurried over to pick up what he assumed to be Ephesus’ baton. He didn’t know what to call it either, but at the very least he was happy to help in any way that he could. He offered it with a smile.
“Oh, they don’t have to thank me. I’m just doing what I think anyone should when they can help. I’m sure it won’t take you long to be as strong as me. You might already be! I’m not very strong. The wings are a little misleading, I know loads of Senshi who are better at doing what I do. And you two already have better coordination and work well under pressure.
Amarynthos couldn’t feel anything off about Caia, and while he was determined to be cautious–for himself and Ephesus, and because he’d promised his parents and Michael and Devyn–it didn’t seem like a bad idea to trust him. At least a little bit! Especially because he’d helped them with the youma. And healed them. And, honestly, he didn't really seem very threatening, anyway.
“It’s not pushing myself, I want to give you a piggyback ride. Better safe than sorry, right? And you’ll be up higher so you can look out for trouble for us.” He squeezed Ephesus’ hand and glanced back at Caia.
“Thank you though, really. I thought we could handle it, but I guess we should practice a little more. We’re still kind of new so we have a lot to learn.”
He didn’t mention that he hadn’t figured his magic out yet, but Ephesus knew. So, he’d probably wind up spending some time on the Moon soon trying to practice and figure it out. He didn’t think Ephesus would mind, though; it was a good excuse for a nice little date night.
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2022 11:05 am
“Thank you. I think you’re being modest,” Ephesus graciously took his weapon back from Caia. “Not everyone would have helped someone in trouble.”
He unfortunately knew that from experience. A lot of people tended to look the other way, especially when they were in a hurry. He was lucky that Elliot was so kind and thoughtful, and helped him when others wouldn’t or couldn’t.
One hand held tight to his weapon and with his other he squeezed Amarynthos’ hand reassuringly. He pointed the honeycomb towards his ankle, letting the magic channel through it. He was careful not to use all of his magic, because he wanted to help heal Amarynthos’ arm more as well. Caia had done such a good job with his magic, that there wasn’t much left for him to take care of.
And that was definitely a good thing, because once he’d used some of his magic on himself, he turned to Amarynthos, giving him a pleading look to let him help, wanting to make sure it was okay before using his magic.
“We’ll know better next time,” Ephesus insisted. “And I’ll be extra careful, so you don’t have to worry. But I won’t say no to a piggyback ride. Do you live around here? Maybe we could meet up again, just to be safe?” he suggested as he looked back up at Caia. He was so nice that Ephesus wanted to get to know him better. And if they could help each other, then that should help Caia’s confidence too, right? He knew being around Elliot helped him! Quote: Channeled with the power of hope, Ephesus uses his magic to heal minor burns and wounds. The longer he channels his magic, the faster the wound is healed. Moderate and greater burns and wounds can be aided, but not healed completely. The person experiencing the magic will experience the distinct taste and smell of honey. Those who are usually averse to the smell and/or taste of honey won’t find it unpleasant. It has a calming effect, and fills the target with hope that everything will be okay. Can be channeled up to 45 seconds.
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