|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2025 4:17 pm
It was a stay in and have a date night. Talia had been looking forward to it, there were some Halloween movies that she had been eager to watch….maybe not for the first time, but since she couldn't remember watching them before, it was the first time for her. She was snuggled in bed with Zac, the lights off, a candle that smelled like fresh apples burning on the dresser, causing a fun, flickering light which only added to the ambience.
When her phone buzzed in her pocket, she jumped. It was absolutely because of the phone and not because something on the television had startled her, and if she was accused of the latter, she would simply show the phone and lie through her teeth.
Of course, when she read the text message, the next reaction was all due to who it was from.
Jason Everleigh. Halle.
Luke was hurt, that…wasn’t good. She texted back, frowning as she did so, but when his message came back, clipped and cold, she felt herself beginning to tremble.
She hadn’t seen or talked with him since…since the…
“...Zac? I’m…I’m so sorry but we’re going to have to….to um. Cut this short…or pause it…one of my Knights…uh. Julian’s friend Luke? He’s hurt? And his brother’s bringing him here so I can help…I…”
Her breathing began to grow just a bit more shallow. “...I don’t…I haven’t seen Halle since…Zac he was there when…When Faustite took the Page…”
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2025 5:02 pm
When Talia’s phone had first gone off, Zac snorted and turned his head as if it would be less obvious that he had laughed at her. Zac hadn’t jumped, either because he was familiar with this movie or just because he was generally unflappable about such things.
He didn’t have the chance to be amused by her jumpiness for long. Or at all, really.
The words he’d have teased her with died quickly on his lips as soon as he caught the expression on her face, which was as alarming as the way her body had gone rigid so quickly.
He didn’t have to ask what was wrong, she volunteered it.
Though Talia had been sparse with the details regarding the page, there was only so much that he needed to know. Faustite, as he was wont to do, ruined everything. Corrupted a Lysithea page in front of her. And, apparently, a teenage boy that he should expect to have on his doorstep in the immediate future. She’d given bits and pieces of the story, hadn’t quite filled it all in. He could guess what she was saying. There were a handful of red flags that popped in his head but he kept them all to himself despite his bristling.
“Talia.”
He didn’t care about the movie, or cutting it short. He grabbed the remote, less to turn it off and more to turn something else on. The jump scare in about a minute might tip her over the edge if she was already having a hard time holding herself together. With a single button, he returned to the main menu of the streaming platform. Something stable, something predictable.
He reached out to rest his hand, heavy, over hers. “Breathe. What’s going through your head right now?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2025 5:03 pm
“Way too much for me to process. I’m worried about Luke, and a little bit terrified to see Jason. He trusted me, Zac. He was injured, and the whole situation was…well. It was Faustite, I’m sure you can imagine. He called me for help. I came as quickly as I could, and there was the Page and there was Halle, and Halle looked to be the most injured so I went to him first, I killed one of the youma that were ganging up on the Page…hoenstly. That felt really good to do…I don’t mind saying it. I know I’m…I was? I am. I was. All for helping youma…like.”
She shook her head, feeling just slightly guilty for removing such a vital part of her own moral code but…
Not everyone deserved to be saved. And that was a very hard pill to swallow.
“...Anyway. Halle…He thought I was going to make everything better…but then we lost Lukomorye. And the look he gave me…and we haven’t…I haven’t tried to reach out to him since, and I should have…realistially I should have…but. s**t Zac I haven’t talked to this….to…anyone about this except you…”
She ran a hand through her hair and looked beyond stressed. “I told them to come here.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2025 5:04 pm
Talia was talking quickly, and Zac had to force his brain to take it in stride and slow down just to keep up. He nodded as she spoke, a silent indication that he was following along, even if it was with a slight delay.
Zac’s eyes narrowed slightly, not in anger but in focus.
“Okay,” he said slowly, finally.
He didn’t like the idea of anyone coming here, not if there was going to be any drama. Half the people living here were one bad day from a crashout, and he had the distinct impression that once the first domino fell, they all would.
There wasn’t much to be done, though.
Luke was hurt and needed to be healed. His brother was looking after him.
You wanted one, you got both.
Good that the brothers were looking after each other, at least. Silver lining.
Faustite was a hell of a catalyst for everything going wrong so of course he wasn’t surprised to hear about his involvement.
“What are you worried about?” he asked, not critically, but like he was searching to see a bigger picture that hadn’t yet dawned on him yet. “The kid’s gonna be more worried about his brother getting treatment, right? Does he seem like the sort to sabotage that just to pick a bone with you?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2025 5:08 pm
“Well…no. He’s not a bad kid by any means…and…I suppose. I’m just. Really freaking out because it was unexpected, more so than…because it’s going to be a bad thing…” Wait, no.” Talia groaned. “Not that Luke being hurt isn’t a bad thing. I just. I want them to come here. I want Sol to block my aura and I’ll take them to Lysithea for a bit to treat the injuries. Do you think that’s stupid?”
She was chewing her lip now, feeling a little foolish, but a little calmer now that she had rationalized some of the issues. Thank goodness for Zac being there and for him knowing…the big bad parts of this.
“If he’s hurt that badly that Jason’s asking me for help, I don’t want to just meet them somewhere. What if…”
Talia sighed. “What if we were ambushed or jumped. It just…feels so much safer to just stay indoors and take care of it that way…”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2025 5:18 pm
“I mean,” Zac shrugged. “...As long as they weren’t followed, I guess it’s fine. I’ll ask Sol to set up some extra sensors, just in case.”
He’d stay up tonight, too. Better to be safe than sorry.
Zac was far more paranoid than Talia was about these things. If something had ambushed them–if they hadn’t been able to dust it, or kill it, then there was always going to be a chance that some part of it was latched onto their back. Watching.
Hunting.
A muscle in his jaw twitched and he ran his hand down Talia’s back gently. He didn’t want her to think about those things right now. Didn’t want her to worry any more than she already was.
He could handle it.
The house had every defense they could reasonably install, and even if that failed, there were how many of them living here? A small army. They’d all fight, if it came down to it.
He didn’t want it to have to.
If it were him, he’d have packed up and met the teens somewhere else, but he didn’t tell her this. She didn’t want to hear that, she wanted to be told that it was okay. It wasn’t that Zac didn’t have faith in her, or Soleiyu, it was just that he had a surprising overabundance of caution with all things home-based.
It wasn’t just his life on the line, it was everyone’s. And if something happened–
Well, nothing was going to happen. Soleiyu was reliable. Talia would be quick.
The teens already knew her identity if she was inviting them to the home. He didn’t ask what other identities they knew. He didn’t want to do the mental gymnastics of figuring out if it was safe for them to know.
Zac didn’t want to be affiliated with them. Or, he didn’t want them associated with Michel, at least. He’d have gladly played bodyguard if it meant keeping them away from the house. Powered, or otherwise. He’d have figured something out.
But, Talia had a plan. Zac could go along with it. At least they’d be safe on Lysithea.
“Just promise me that you’ll make him go to the hospital if it’s more than you can handle. Don’t let them tell you ‘it’s fine’. You can’t trust teenagers, you have to make sure it’s fine. And if you have even a sliver of a doubt, you make sure they get more treatment.”
She’d never forgive herself if something happened.
Zack’s hand pressed to her back, rubbing lightly. He wasn’t the best at tenderness but he tried, even if he offered comfort in the same way he might have offered seduction.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2025 5:21 pm
“I don’t think they were followed…and from what I know about Jason, he would have been worried about that and would do everything he could to prevent it…I’m sorry if you think I’m being reckless…this just…seemed like the safest way in my mind. And I’m. Quite sure that they’re not powered. He sent me a normal text message, not a letter or anything like that. And he used his civilian name..”
The hand on her back helped, and Talia sighed softly. “...I will. I hope that it’s not too much for me to handle, especially up on Lysithea but…you do never know. I would hope that they would have gone to the hospital if it was anything life threatening…but. You’re right about teenagers.”
They had two living there and Brooklyn next door, and Talia was quite sure that none of the three would ever want to draw attention to themselves if they were hurt. Riker was too stubborn, Julian would be sure that he was fine and could handle it himself and Brooklyn. She was a mixture of the two, though tended to be more stubborn than anything. “Thank you. Again. I think we should go upstairs and talk with Sol and get ready for this song and dance…hopefully it won’t take too long.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2025 5:21 pm
“I didn’t say I thought you were being reckless.” He’d have been hypocritical if he had but Zac wasn’t really worried about that. He was a different brand of recklessness entirely.
Talia tended to overthink things. He didn’t want her to start second guessing herself and decide it was easier on her heart to just keep secrets from him because she thought he was judging her. In a house like this, there were just a lot of different ideas.
Zac didn’t always make the best plans, but he made sure the people here were safe. Luke already knew about Talia–and Julian, probably, so he should have expected that at least one of the brothers knew. And–brothers–how many secrets could they keep from each other?
Better to be safe about it. Better to know who knew what.
Because if the Negaverse caught them and decided to bleed out answers, he might as well know who sold them out.
Zac clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, almost indifferently, and nodded. His expression betrayed no emotions, no thoughts.
Soleiyu was probably still in the garage tinkering with whatever his latest project was. He wouldn’t be difficult to find, nor would it be hard to convince him to do whatever it took in order to keep the house–and everyone in it–safe.
“It’ll all sort out. Just breathe. Do you want me to go with you or would you feel better handling this on your own?” he asked. She had some sort of special relationship with her Knights; he didn’t quite understand that, if only because there was no Sovereign of Saturn, nor did he even get along with other Saturn Knights particularly well.
Or anyone, actually.
He didn’t think too deeply about it.
Zac stood and reached out a hand to help her up.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2025 5:22 pm
“I’ll be fine on my own, he’s passionate, not dangerous…and I can’t see anything dissolving into a fight or anything like that…” Talia hoped not, at least. She reached for his hand and allowed the assistance, moving slightly to press a kiss against his lips. “...It’s. Odd. Talking something out without letting myself get too much in my head. I’m glad I did it…and I’m very, very glad you were here with me so that it was possible…and that…well. I’m just glad you were here. Thank you.” It was easier. And maybe…she really didn’t have to keep all of her secrets so close all of the time. Maybe.
She would think more about it when there wasn’t an emergency going on.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
