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 Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2023 10:26 am
As they quickly made their way far from the burning bank, Reims had taken hold of Dering’s hand to make sure he was keeping up with them since he was looking obviously distraught. He wanted to pick him up to show that he was perfectly capable of carrying others as well, but-- heck, he absolutely could. And he doubted Dering would ‘ew’ at him like Cynthus would have.
So he paused just long enough to quickly tell Dering that he was going to pick him up, and scooped him up into his arms. Which was super easy to do because Dering was light, and being a knight meant he was stronger.
He wanted to make sure everyone else got out okay, but it seemed like there were others still collecting people. Besides, they had more important things to worry about. Like figuring out what was wrong with Stirling.
“What about that big aura we felt? Can’t they help?” he asked, looking over his shoulder at the others when it seemed like they were finally coming to a stop in some alley far away from the chaos. Ephesus didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t see what he was doing through his tears anyway, so when he heard Alastor tell him to get on his back, it took every last bit of energy he had to climb up and hold onto his daddy’s shoulders so it was hopefully not uncomfortable for him.
He didn’t have time to really think about it now, but he hoped it wasn’t weird for him to call Alastor that. It felt more natural to him, especially in that moment, but he was also a teenage boy. Did teenage boys call their parent that? He wasn’t sure. He didn’t have a good example of a parent before the ones in his life now.
But right now all of his thoughts were on Stirling, and how he didn’t know what they were going to do. It wasn’t fair, and he felt sick knowing that they might never be able to hang out or share hotdogs again.
He tried not crying on Alastor’s shoulder the entire time, but there wasn’t much else he could process doing. “They won’t be able to help,” Sessrumnir responded to Reims as he took a moment to pause and look around them. They couldn’t just show up with a bunch of teenagers, and one unconscious, at the hospital and not look suspicious.
And he hoped the look he gave Alastor was enough to convey that as well.
“It’ll draw too much attention if we all go to the hospital. Do you have anywhere you can think to go? Power down maybe, and hide out?” Anything to keep the Negaverse’s attention away from them. Reims immediately made a face when the suggestion of powering down was brought up, and he could feel the heat coloring his ears as well.
“Uh… yeah, I’d rather not power down. No offense.”
It was bad enough that Cynthus knew who he was. He didn’t want everyone else to know as well.
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Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2023 10:33 am
Dering seemed stunned to be off his feet and though the confusion was evident on his face, he didn’t protest. He looked up at Reims questioningly but it took him only a few seconds to settle in. He wasn’t sure if he was comfortable like this; he usually shied away from too much contact, but after everything that had just gone on–
Well, he couldn’t say it was unpleasant. It was hard for him to figure out what he was supposed to be doing now anyway, and if he were being honest, it was a relief to be off his feet. Maybe Reims had seen him swaying or tripping over himself. He’d coughed a few times as his lungs tried to clear the smoke but he was still feeling dizzy.
It had more to do with Stirling than what had happened above; he couldn’t wrap his head around whatever had just happened and he was hanging onto everyone’s words right now because he wanted to know what to do to help her.
Alastor tipped his head back just slightly so he could rest his temple against Ephesus’. He was holding Stirling in both arms and hadn’t stopped moving. Even when Sessrumnir paused, he kept walking in the direction he thought they needed to be going in.
Stirling was still breathing, her heart was still beating, it was just too faint for comfort.
He didn’t like the idea that they would have to separate, and maybe that look from Sessrumnir was when he realized they would have to split up. Amarynthos wouldn’t want to leave Ephesus, but he doubted they’d want to just abandon any of the other teenagers around them.
He slowed and then stopped, half turning to face the group.
Whatever decision they were going to make, they’d have to make it soon.
Amarynthos seemed to understand the same thing. He pressed his lips together and looked at Sessruminr, at Stirling, at Ephesus. He was still carrying Yvoire and didn’t seem to give any impression that he was going to put him down any time soon. He could have! Maybe should have, now that they were out of the more dangerous area. It was just easier to hold him so he didn’t have to think about what else to do.
“We don’t have to power down,” Amarynthos said. He didn’t know if he wanted to power down, either. They were supposed to keep their identities secret, Sessrumnir had said as much, and even if he was the one suggesting they do something to get somewhere safe, Amarynthos had always taken his warnings seriously.
He was glad to make new friends but after everything everyone had been through, it seemed fair to think that maybe they could get to know each other a little before things got too personal.
…And Stirling needed to get to a hospital. They didn’t have a lot of time to debate. He didn’t want Sessrumnir to stand here worrying about them when she needed help now.
“We can go somewhere.” Technically they could have gone their different ways and powered up, but Amarynthos didn’t want anyone leaving until he knew what had happened.
They had to get their starseed back but he’d hardly seen or heard anything. Everyone else had been there before he had. “We can–Effie, can we go to the Moon? Our Wonders are right next to each other,” he explained to the group.
“It would be safe up there. And you can message us how she’s doing and fill us in after she’s in the hospital, right? We can keep you updated, we’ve got our rings. And when things are calmer down here we can come back and split up. Is that okay?”
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Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2023 10:43 am
Cynthus followed along, very much aware that by this point she was one of the the only ones not carrying someone or being carried.
Stirling didn’t have a choice, but the boys?
Weak.
Nevermind that she felt a bit uncertain herself. When she’d volunteered to help at the bank, she hadn’t considered that there might be such a huge battle. She didn’t even know there were that many people involved in the magical war. All those superheroes and supervillains… It was kind of overwhelming. Even with their auras fading with distance or powering down, Cynthus had a hard time truly processing what just happened.
It didn’t help that she had no idea what was going on. When she and Reims spoke to the Code, they’d only been able to cover so much.
“Wait, the moon’s fine but, like, what’s wrong with her?” she asked.
Stirling was unconscious, but she didn’t look hurt. Whatever that weirdo who’d touched her chest had done, it couldn't’ve been too bad, right? Sort of violating maybe because, ew, he definitely should not have been touching her like that, but was it really hospital worthy? Cynthus was sure she’d felt a pulse.
Maybe.
“Did that Chaos dude do some weird magic on her? She’ll wake up, right? She’s still breathing, and I don’t think she hit her head. Not very hard, anyway. Maybe when she fell…”This isn’t like Daddy, Yvoire told himself. This isn’t like Daddy. She’s going to wake up.
He didn’t know the girl, only got a brief introduction as Sessrumnir and Alastor were herding them out of the building, but he felt sick to see her like that, limp in Alastor’s arms.
Heart pounding, Yvoire struggled to convince himself that this situation was not what he thought it was. Stirling had only been struck, and she would wake up with medical treatment. Cynthus seemed to think so, if he ignored the uncertainty in her voice. Stirling needed rest, that was all.
This isn’t like Daddy.
Ephesus was crying. Was that normal for him? Yvoire didn’t know. He was keenly aware that he didn’t know any of these people. Ganymede hadn’t come, so he knew no one. They seemed to be about his age, but they were strangers.
He kept eyeing Stirling, watching her long hair sway, waiting for her eyes to flutter open.
They didn’t.
“Was it—”
No. He couldn’t ask. He didn’t know if he could stomach it.
Yvoire’s arms tightened around Amarynthos again. Amarynthos was warm, and kind, and even though Yvoire was beginning to feel embarrassed, he didn’t want to let go just yet. There was a comfort in being touched, in having his weight taken for him, all need for decision making left to another.
He’d been to Ganymede, but not the moon. Yvoire hoped his silence passed for agreement.
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Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2023 10:58 am
Reims had no problem holding onto Dering. He was already too quiet, and with whatever happened to Stirling, Reims expected him to close off even more than before. So he did his best to make sure the other young Page was comfortable in his arms, even if he seemed a little stiff. He offered Dering what he hoped was an encouraging smile, and was relieved to hear the suggestion of going to the Moon.
“Oh, the Moon sounds good. I like it up there,” he announced and stood up a little straighter because, yeah, it was totally cool that he’d been to the Moon before.
With Cynthus, but that was beside the point.
The other knight of Ganymede seemed shaken up and wanted to talk, or ask something, but kept freezing. He’d noticed that, at least, even if he didn’t know what to say to encourage him. And Cynthus had a good question. What was wrong with Stirling?
“What about--” he paused, because he knew Stirling had said the name of what she was a Page of, and he didn’t want to insult Dering by saying the wrong thing. Or calling her the Princess of spiky croissants.
“Uh… Lissy…? The unicorn person,” he tried explaining, hoping someone would know what he was talking about. “Maybe she’ll know what to do.” For someone who looked like they hated authority, Stirling had seemed pretty adamant that this lady’s authority was worth it.
Reims was glad he didn’t have to listen to some Princess who sticks lightning bolts on hearts. “Lysithea,” Ephesus somehow managed to say without his voice breaking. He was trying not to cry. Crying wasn’t going to help anyone. But he appreciated the little bits of comfort that Alastor offered him, and he gave his shoulders a squeeze in thanks.
Carefully, Ephesus lowered himself down from Alastor’s back, although he held onto him for a few moments as he tried to mop up his face. And to get a moment to breathe. It was difficult, especially when he could see Stirling there. Unconscious.
“-ah…” he tried to say in agreement, but choked on the word. He nodded instead, keeping his eyes on the ground, but trying to keep himself upright so no one would have to worry about him. They had enough to worry about. And he was a Knight, so he had to be strong.
Even if he just wanted to curl up and sob some more.
“Yeah, we can,” he clarified and tried using his cape to wipe his face so it wouldn’t be weird when he held out his hands for the others to take. He would explain why he needed them to hold his hands, but he was pretty sure he’d maxed out on how much he could make his voice work for the moment. Sessrumnir knew how dire it looked. Talking to Lysithea to at least let her know about Stirling was a good start. Talking to Cybele and Ganymede to see if they could check their contacts for leads on who could have taken Stirling’s starseed and… maybe appeal to their humanity, however little that was, could be the way to go. Certainly going into this not expecting much but hoping for the best was the way to approach it.
But he wasn’t sure how to respond to Cynthus or to any of the others. He hadn’t been there when it happened.
“We’re going to check some things first,” he explained, because getting her on life support was necessary. It would give them more time. “But…” he paused, looking to Alastor and knowing that he couldn’t just lead these kids on with false hope. “I’m going to guess that whoever she’d come in contact with took her starseed. She’ll live without it for a while, but unless she gets it back…”
He knew he didn’t have to go into more details. He nodded to Amarynthos when he suggested the Moon, knowing they’d be safe there.
“We’ll message with updates. We’ll check in with others as well.”
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Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2023 11:35 am
When Ephesus moved from Alastor’s back, Amarynthos had moved immediately next to him and brushed elbows. It was bad news. He would have put Yvoire down to comfort Ephesus if it didn’t seem like the boy in his arms was ready to crumble, too.
“We’ll figure this out,” he said, with a determination in his voice that was unwavering. Sessrumnir was practical. Of course there was a risk that she wouldn’t wake up. That they wouldn’t get her starseed back.
It wasn’t guaranteed that it was lost forever.
If she was at the hospital she’d be safe. They could figure out what to do. They had time to find her starseed. It wasn’t broken, it was just missing. Lost. There was time to get it back.
They could figure out what to do–not here, here was dangerous. And her best chance was at the hospital, and they were keeping Alastor and Sessrumnir from getting there.
Amidst the group there didn’t seem to be any complaints against going to the Moon, so he seemed committed to sticking to that plan.
“We should get all of our information together and then tell Lysithea,” he agreed. “We can rest and catch our breath on the Moon. We’ll be safe there.” He didn’t know if he said it for Dering or Yvoire or Ephesus; Cynthus was a Moon Knight and Reims had been there before so they had to know how peaceful it was up there.
Dering nodded. “I–I have her phone number, I can let her know,” he volunteered. His voice felt a little too quiet to be useful, a little too nervous to be proud of. He felt like he’d raised his hand to answer incorrectly in front of a room full of students but he knew he was just worrying himself. Everyone here had been nice so far.
And they wanted to help Stirling. He didn’t want to have to tell Lysithea any bad news. He didn’t know if any of them knew her.
It might have been more embarrassing to be carried if he hadn’t realized that he didn’t know anyone there now that Stirling was unconscious. And yet, Reims was still being welcoming. It didn’t feel like he needed to rush away so he didn’t make a fool of himself. Everyone was asking questions.
He felt new, and he felt useless, but he didn’t feel alone.
Alastor pressed his lips together into a tight line once more; with Ephesus off of his back, he adjusted Stirling in his arms.
It wasn’t any surprise that she didn’t open her eyes but he didn’t want to scare the kids there. Sessrumnir was honest in what could happen. It was too early to come to any conclusions about what could be done. There was a possibility that they might lose Stirling.
Slim, he thought, because he wasn’t going to sit by idly while the Negaverse stole some young girl’s life. He trusted Amarynthos and Ephesus. He knew they would do anything to save their friend.
If the plan was for them to all get together and figure out what they knew, good. The faster they had any idea who took her starseed, the faster they could work on getting it back.
“We’ve got time,” he said, calm despite the reality of it all. He could see Ephesus fighting back tears, so he leaned over to kiss him atop the head. “I love you.”
When he stood up straight again, he made sure to take a second to look over all of them. “You all did really well tonight. I’m sorry it ended like this. But we’ll get her somewhere safe and we’ll start looking as soon as she’s stable. We’ve got a lot of friends, we’ll do everything we can. There’s too many of us here right now, I don’t want to draw any Negaverse attention, so the longer we’re here, the more we risk someone dropping in. Are you all ready to go, do you need anything before we head out?”
They wouldn't leave until the group was gone, just in case, but he didn’t want to rush them out if they needed anything. He knew that if they were hurt, Ephesus could heal them. He knew that Amarynthos and Ephesus were both carrying snacks. He knew the two Knights might not have all the answers, but they could contact Sessrumnir and he could answer whatever he could.
It wasn’t a perfect situation but they weren’t off to a bad start. There was still a chance to save her. He wasn’t losing hope yet.
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Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2023 11:37 am
Cynthus blanched, but held back any other reaction as best she could. So Stirling was dying? But she was so young! And she hadn’t hurt anybody! She’d only been trying to lead the rest of them away!
It wasn’t fair. Cynthus hadn’t considered this sort of stuff at all when she’d made the decision to let the Code give her magic powers. She’d only thought of how useful those powers would be, how she would be able to protect herself. She hadn’t bothered to think about what she could do against Chaos, because that part of it all seemed beyond her. She hadn’t thought about fighting or getting hurt or dying. She’d wanted to limit that for herself.
Now Stirling might never wake up.
Cynthus hardly knew her. Maybe she wouldn’t have cared if she’d heard about it secondhand, but she was here, now, and she’d witnessed it. She couldn’t detach herself from it even if she wanted to. She couldn’t erase what she’d seen, what she knew. Stirling was dying, and Cynthus couldn’t avoid it, couldn’t run away from it, because the knowledge would follow her wherever she went.
It sucked. This was garbage. Cynthus hated the one who’d done this — for hurting someone who hadn’t hurt him, and for putting Cynthus in a position to fear these sorts of things, to feel scared and a little overwhelmed and like she might cry if one more awful thing happened.
She didn’t want to cry. She blinked against the heat in her eyes and forced the tears away, then stubbornly took Ephesus’ hand.
The moon would be a comfort now. It was so quiet there, so peaceful. For a little while, at least, all this trouble here on Earth would feel distant.Took her starseed. Took her starseed. Took her starseed.
Yvoire’s heart lurched up his throat. His stomach rolled.
He thought of Daddy in a hospital bed, pale and lifeless, hooked up to machines that had no hope of saving him, only prolonged the inevitable. No one could help him. Not the doctor’s with their lack of explanations. Not the cops who’d all but given up their investigation. Not Dad, who sat by Daddy’s bed for weeks, holding his hand, reminiscing about better times. Certainly not Énna, who’d been far too young to do more than cry and hide away.
Things were no different as Yvoire. Nothing would bring Stirling’s starseed back, save a miracle.
Daddy deserved a miracle, but he hadn’t gotten one.
Yvoire squeezed his eyes shut against the sudden rush of tears. He trembled in Amarynthos’ arms and hated himself for it. He wanted to be strong and brave. He was tired of crying, tired of hurting, tired of being useless.
But what could he do? Stirling’s starseed was gone, plucked out of her chest and carried off to who knew where. She was as good as dead.
He hid his face so no one could see, tucking in against Amarynthos’ neck, hoping the hitch in his breath wasn’t noticeable, willing his tears not to fall. Going to the moon wouldn’t solve anything, but going home wouldn’t either. Home would only be a reminder of what he’d lost, what could never be recovered.
Even if Yvoire didn’t want anyone to see him, he didn’t want to be alone either.
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Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2023 12:13 pm
Without her starseed? That was actually a thing? People could have their starseed stolen and then die?
It had to be true. The adults looked grim. And both Ephesus and Yvoire were acting as though they knew first hand about… something horrible involving starseeds.
Something heavy settled in his stomach. An uncertainty. Maybe a realization that he was likely way in over his head. And he didn’t know nearly enough to do anything about it.
He nodded to Dering when he offered Lysithea’s phone number. Good. At least he could help them get in contact with her.
“To the Moon,” he nodded in agreement, and moved closer to the others. He knew from experience that they had to be touching, so he let Dering reach out to one of the others so he didn’t have to put him down yet. Ephesus tearfully looked up at Alastor when he tried to reassure all of them. He still had Stirling in his arms, and he knew they couldn’t linger much longer. He looked over to Sessrumnir as well, wishing he could hug them both, but knowing that he would just be wasting time.
Later… Once things were settled. Once they’d come up with a plan to help get Stirling’s starseed back. Surely someone should know something about what to do.
“Ready,” he quietly choked on the word, unable to say much more than that without starting to cry again. He gave Cynthus’s hand a squeeze, and reached over to take hold of Amarynthos’s arm. If they used both of their magic, maybe they could distribute some of the energy they would have to use to get them all there. Sessrumnir could see that this was affecting all of the teenagers. They were too young to have to deal with this, but this was also the reality of being in a war, magical or not. He reached over to give Ephesus and Amarynthos a gentle squeeze on their shoulders, and then took a step back.
He shared a glance over to Alastor as well, because while he wanted to make sure the others were set to be away on the Moon, they needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible. And hopefully figure out a way to explain why they had her that wouldn’t draw attention to anyone involved with the Negaverse.
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Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2023 12:26 pm
Amarynthos nodded, and the plan seemed to be in motion. They were getting ready to leave, all of them. He couldn't help that he wanted Sessrumnir and Alastor there to help them figure this out, but he knew they needed to get her somewhere safe. He knew they'd do everything to help, so the best they could do now was get things ready.
He felt Yvoire shift. He felt the way his breathing changed. He could feel how hot his face was.
Tears didn't bother him, but Yvoire seemed like he was putting some effort into hiding them so he said nothing, and instead adjusted him just slightly in his arms to give him a bit of a better angle to shield his face.
He was ready, and as soon as everyone else was, too, they'd leave.
Dering hadn't been to the moon. He'd hardly even been to Dering. He didn't know if there was protocol, or if there was anything he should know, or anything he should worry about or--
No, he was going with people who had been there before. People who knew how to help Stirling, he hoped. People who were going to help Stirling.
He swallowed and took one last look at her as she lay in Alastor's arms.
The Senshi was holding her carefully, like he was ready to go, but he was clearly waiting for them. He wanted to make sure they were safe. And, even if Alastor didn't look worried, even if he seemed like there was so much they could do, Dering still felt cold.
Reims helped. But he still felt numb, like he was floating just a few inches above his body. All of this felt overwhelming. He knew it would be dangerous but he hadn't known it would be this dangerous--especially because he'd thought they were being careful.
...But, maybe he just needed to get stronger. He wasn't the best at asking for help, he was always worried he wouldn't be worth the effort, but everyone here seemed like they were trying.
So, he reached out his hand to make it easier to get them all to the Moon.
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