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Feo nodded slowly, mulling over Lucius’s words while tracing a finger along the edge of a ring on the table. Starting at a beach town wasn’t a bad idea, and it had a kind of simplicity that appealed to him. Something quiet and open, where the ocean stretched endlessly and the sound of waves filled the silence between conversations. - “That could work,” he said finally, tilting his head as he considered it further. “A beach town. Gulf Coast, maybe. Small enough that people know each other but big enough that they don’t pry too much. Those kinds of places tend to be a little... easygoing. We’d blend in better. People aren’t as nosy in places like that. And it’d give us some time to figure out our next steps without feeling rushed.” - He could imagine it already: quiet mornings with the sea breeze, warm afternoons spent wandering through little shops, and long nights with the distant hum of waves. It wasn’t just the safety that drew him in; it was the sense of space. A place to breathe, to think, and maybe, for a moment, to feel like they weren’t constantly looking over their shoulders. - Feo already loved beaches. The Sea of Marmora held stretching beaches, touched by the warmest water, and jussting rock faces made excellent for climbing. Heat touched every surface, and there was no way to ever be cold. A place Feo knew Lucius would adore, but.. Asgard was much too dangerous for him. Feo would much rather go alone, but if Lucius was dead set on going, then they had no time for pleasantries, as much as Feo wanted to show his Dove his world. - “We can ask around too, like you said,” Feo added, his voice low but thoughtful. “Get a feel for what’s out there, what people think is worth seeing. I figure mortals know their own world better than we do.” He paused, glancing toward the window, where the sunlight glinted off passing bicycles and cars. “And if we don’t like it? We move on. Simple as that.” - He let his gaze return to Lucius, studying him for a moment. Despite the bright smile and easy tone, there was always something flickering behind Lucius’s sapphire eyes. Something deeper, heavier. Feo didn’t press, though. If Lucius wanted to keep his inner thoughts locked away, that was his choice. Feo understood that better than most. He knew he was still hiding his own things from Lucius—things he was in the midst of not letting himself think about it, let alone someone else. Secrets that needed to stay in the far corners of his mind and brew in the darkness until they burned. He would not let Lucius turn out that way. He would protect him, even if it cost his own life. - “Beach towns usually have plenty of places to eat too,” he said, his tone shifting lighter, almost teasing. “And I’m sure the coffee and tea would be leagues better than what we’ve had so far. It might actually taste like something other than burnt dirt.” - A faint smirk tugged at his lips. “So... Florida? We could take it to California, maybe.. it would be a little colder water-wise, and more earthquakes—I don't think the towns near the coast are quite as small, too. We could also always go down to Texas, or somewhere in that little circle. I don't mind anywhere, really.” Although, Feo was pleased that Lucius had seemed to somehow sense—or had just made a lucky guess of—his preference. |
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Lightbringer
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Lucius, if he was being entirely honest, had never seen the ocean. That was one of those distant 'do one day' things that had always been near the bottom of the list solely because traveling ... was a pain when you couldn't hide wings like he could do now. Which meant he could start checking some things off of his little bucket list. He--well, Lucius wasn't sure if he could actually go swimming with the watch. That would look odd and probably ruin the watch itself. ... not to mention... everything else. But that was a distant far away thing. "Gulf coast doesn't sound too bad," Lucius agreed warmly, his eyes glittering with delight. "I've never seen the ocean, honestly. Farming towns and communities are great, don't get me wrong. But... well, I kind of want to be a little bit selfish and do something fun this time." A warm open sky, a sea as far as the eye could see, beautiful sand--he could almost see it in his head. A part of him really didn't mind it either. "I would sure hope that mortals know their world far more than we do," Lucius admitted with a faint laugh, sipping at the water again. "Otherwise, I would be extremely worried. But I think Florida sounds fairly nice," he agreed loosely. "I'll have to take a look at a map and see where the bigger cities are and then, after that, figure out a smaller beach-town that would be more comfortable and less busy." While he had an idea, it was a matter of figuring out if that was the correct idea or if it was even going to work. Lucius knew about Miami, Orlando and Jacksonville but those were massive cities. Easy to get lost in, should the need arise. But, it was also easier to track down to larger cities. Smaller ones? Less so. "Oh, and fresh seafood. Fresh fish and fruits," Lucius let out a small noise, almost a gasp of sorts as the thought hit him. "Actual fresh food--as fresh as it gets. Can you imagine that? Being able to just walk outside and boom, there's an orange right there waiting for you. You don't even have to find a grocer, it's just on the tree in your front yard." Who knew what else could grow down there? Lucius glanced up as the waitress set two plates down and another mug before hurrying off again. The--salad, right. He had ordered the salad. It smelled pretty solid, it was food at least. But now he had the idea of fresh food, seasoned with all sorts of things... it was locked in his head now. Which was partially why he chewed idly on the salad, not entirely enthusiastic. "... I wish I had thought of that after I finished eating. But also, most of this," he gestured to his clothing, "would be way too warm for Florida. We might have to look at two new wardrobes--well, maybe not. I'd just have to leave the vest behind." He had reminded himself of the ... scars that dotted his upper arms, chest and shoulders. No need to ask questions there. Besides, the button-shirts were fairly light and loose anyways. |
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Feo barely registered the clatter of plates as the waitress set their food on the table. His focus remained distant, the sandwich in front of him drawing little more than a flicker of attention. The bread looked dry, the lettuce limp, and the thin slice of meat uninspiring. It was the sort of meal that would pass for sustenance but did little to stir the appetite. Still, his body needed energy, and he wasn’t about to waste time complaining. He picked up the sandwich, turning it over in his hands as though inspecting its lackluster presentation would somehow make it more appetizing. - Lucius’s voice was a low hum in the background, filling the space between them with an easy rhythm that Feo found both comforting and grounding. But as Lucius spoke, Feo’s mind wandered. He took a small bite of the sandwich, chewing mechanically, his gaze drifting toward the window. - The street outside was lively in its own way, a quiet sort of bustle that felt almost quaint compared to the chaos of a larger city. People walked with purpose but without the frenetic urgency of urban life. A few bicycles trundled by, their riders chatting as they pedaled. The occasional car rolled past, stirring the crisp autumn air. It was ordinary, unremarkable—yet to Feo, it felt surreal, as though he were watching a world he didn’t quite belong to. - His attention snagged on a flash of color: a woman with bright pink hair. It was bold, startling, and so out of place in this little town that Feo found himself staring longer than he intended. It wasn’t the color itself that intrigued him—he’d seen far stranger things in his time—but the way she walked, head held high despite the stares she surely drew. Did people here shame her for standing out? Feo wouldn’t have been surprised. Humans could be petty about things that defied their sense of normalcy. - He was still mulling over the thought when his eyes slid past her—and froze. - The woman walking a few paces behind her struck him like a bolt of lightning. Sleek black hair, her stride deliberate but unhurried, and a face he couldn’t forget. It was her. The same woman he’d seen at the airport. - His chest tightened, and a cold chill spread through his limbs. Panic surged, sharp and instinctive, gripping him with a force he couldn’t explain. There was no reason for it—no memory to ground his fear—but the sight of her sent his heart racing, his breath catching in his throat. She wasn’t supposed to be here. She wasn’t supposed to exist outside of that fleeting encounter, yet here she was, walking down the street as though nothing were out of the ordinary. - The sandwich slipped from his fingers, landing on the plate with a dull thud. He barely noticed. - Feo’s hands trembled as he pushed his chair back, rising so abruptly that he nearly knocked it over. His movements were stiff, his gaze darting toward the café’s exits. The walls felt closer now, the hum of voices around him muffled and distant. He muttered something under his breath—perhaps an excuse to Lucius, though he wasn’t even sure what he said—and turned on his heel, striding toward the bathroom with an urgency he couldn’t suppress. - The door shut behind him with a soft click, sealing him in a small, tiled sanctuary. Feo flattened himself against the wall, his breathing shallow and erratic. He clenched his fists at his sides, willing himself to calm down, but the fear was unrelenting. It clawed at his mind, primal and irrational, a storm of emotion that defied explanation. - Who the hell is she? The question echoed in his thoughts, each repetition more frantic than the last. Why is she following me? Why does she terrify me so much? - He pressed a hand to his chest, feeling the rapid thrum of his heartbeat beneath his palm. It wasn’t just fear—it was dread, a sense of impending danger that tightened around him like a noose. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to focus, to piece together some logical reason for his reaction. But nothing came. He couldn’t place her face, couldn’t dredge up a memory to connect her to this overwhelming sense of threat. - The faint murmur of the café drifted through the door, a reminder of the world just beyond his fragile bubble of safety. Feo’s eyes snapped open, his gaze flicking to the door as though expecting her to burst through it at any moment. She wasn’t inside—she couldn’t be. But what if she came in? What if she was more than she seemed, something dangerous in disguise? He’d seen stranger things. He’d faced them, fought them. But this—this was different. - He flattened his back against the cold tile, his breath hitching as he stared at the door. He didn’t want to go back out there, not until he was sure she was gone. But what if she wasn’t? What if she was waiting, watching, planning her next move? - For the first time in a while, since Lucius had finally freed him, Feo felt powerless, a pawn in someone else’s game. - And he hated it. |
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Lightbringer
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Lucius picked lightly at the salad, feeling just a touch guilty that he wasn't eating as much as he wanted to eat. He let out a small sigh but continued to pick at the salad. But his eyes swiveled to the window, just watching the people move along the streets and whatnot. There was a flash of color, a woman with pink--hang on, pink? Lucius had to do a double take at the woman. He tilted his head for a moment. That was... not normal. That wasn't anywhere near a normal color. His head tilted to the side for a moment, trying to take in the look of the woman. Lucius shrugged for a moment. He went to give Feo a lopsided and questioning smile but the thump of his sandwich on the plate caught his attention. "W--wait--" he whispered as the demigod stood up. Something about not feeling good and rushing toward the bathroom. Was the food...? Maybe the coffee or tea? No. The look on his face was different. It was the same flighty look that he had--at the airport. Lucius's sapphire eyes swiveled toward the road again, scanning the people--most notably the women--for anyone who he could recognize even vaguely. He had said something about Deja vu, but now he was far more concerned that something or someone was trailing them. His eyes narrowed, scanning the people that came in and out. Feo was flighty, losing his mind again. He took in a deep breath and let it out again, pushing the salad away from himself as he stood up from the table--waving the waitress over to pay for their meals. She didn't seem to question it too much but Lucius was switching back to previous habits. He gave a bit more money--a couple dollars for a tip. Which she was more than happy to take. Lucius stepped back for a moment with a flash of dark hair. It nearly slipped by him but his feathers had rattled at the sight. That was the issue, the problem so to speak. The rattling of unseen feathers at the feeling of something ... that wasn't mortal. It was the same feeling when Atlas had neared. Something was wrong, horrifically wrong. The young man took in a breath and let it out again before glancing back toward the bathroom. Was it stupid? Oh it was a stupid idea but at the same time, he had to know. His burning curiosity was overtaking any sort of remotely logical thinking. He stepped out of the booth, making his way toward the café entrance. Oh he was so going to hear about this later but right now, he was slightly irritated. He pushed the door open, walking toward the woman. His expression was a pleasant smile, almost surprised as he stepped toward her. He already had a greeting in mind, prepared to talk. "Hey," he called out, voice warm and slightly enthusiastic. "I remember seeing you at the airport! What are the odds you'd be here too? What brings you out this way?" |
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The woman stopped in her tracks, a fluid movement that seemed to draw the very air toward her. She turned her head slowly, eyes locking onto Lucius with an intensity that was both curious and calculating. Her eyes were a bright, piercing blue, like the hue of a clear summer sky, strikingly reminiscent of Feo’s left eye. It was the kind of blue that felt unnatural, too brilliant, too captivating for mere mortals. The gaze lingered on him, taking him in with an ease that suggested she was used to studying people, perhaps even reading them like an open book. - She stood taller than him, with a commanding presence that made her seem even more imposing. Lucius could have guessed she was probably a few inches taller than Feo—certainly, she was far taller than him—but her posture held a grace that softened the effect. Her age was difficult to pinpoint; her features held a youthful quality, but there was an undeniable air of experience and wisdom about her. Late 30s, maybe, though it was clear that time had treated her well, leaving her with an ageless elegance that gave the impression she could be either older or younger than she appeared. - “Oh wow, you’re much prettier up close,” she remarked, her voice warm, lilting with a sweetness that bordered on syrupy. The smile she flashed was disarmingly kind, but there was something underneath it, something just out of reach, as though she were measuring him, calculating the value of his every word and gesture. As she spoke, her long black hair cascaded down her back, a dark wave of silk that shimmered in the light, brushing against her shoulders as she tilted her head slightly in his direction. The effortless beauty of the movement seemed almost rehearsed, as if it were an instinctive part of her, a part that radiated an undeniable charm. - “I’m just passing through, darling,” she continued, her voice smooth and deliberate, her gaze never leaving him for long. “Scouting out things for a friend.” There was a slight pause, a breath that felt like a subtle invitation for him to ask more, but she did not elaborate further. Instead, her eyes flickered briefly toward the window, as though she knew exactly what—no, who—she would find there. Her gaze shifted back to Lucius, her lips curling up into the same calm smile as she assessed him with quiet precision. “What about you?” she asked. “And how’s your friend? He seemed panicked, last I saw him.” - Her words were smooth, calculated, and yet there was no hint of malice in her tone. She appeared genuinely interested in the answer, though the gleam in her eyes suggested that she already knew much more than she let on. The way she glanced toward the window, her attention drifting toward Feo even as she spoke to Lucius, only confirmed that she was fully aware of his presence and perhaps even his state of mind. Lucius, of course, was likely oblivious to the way she pieced everything together, unaware of how closely she was watching him, measuring his reactions. Unless he was observing her facial expressions closely, he might not think much of it. - The woman’s eyes, still locked onto Lucius, flicked briefly to his wrist, where the watch glinted faintly in the light. The casual sweep of her gaze moved higher, studying the slight bulge in his vest—where the bow was hidden beneath the fabric, tucked carefully away. Her expression shifted just slightly, a flicker of something unreadable passing over her features. - And then, as though something had caught her attention just behind him, the woman leaned forward ever so slightly, her faint smile tightening with an almost imperceptible trace of irritation. The faintest of scents—one that was familiar to her—lingered in the air. It wasn’t strong, not overwhelming, but it was there. Lucius smelled like Feo. She had spent enough time around Feo to know his scent well, the faint trace of his canine, the underlying essence of the man himself. It was subtle, but unmistakable. - A pang of something unsettling tugged at the corners of her mind. She wasn’t sure what it meant, but it stirred an irritation in her chest. How close could they possibly be if Lucius smelled like Feo? Was it just coincidence, or was there more to this connection than she had first assumed? Whatever the answer, it only made her more determined to unravel the puzzle. - With one final glance at Lucius, she gave him that same sweet, unruffled smile, the one that never quite reached her eyes, before she straightened up. Her posture regained its relaxed composure, though her gaze never quite wavered. |
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Lightbringer
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Slippery. There was something undeniably slippery about the woman he had approached. The way she simply just looked at him ... well, it was studying. Anyone could figure that out. The sweetness in her tone drew a loose chuckle from his throat as he shook his head. Pretty? Tch. Not at all. He looked standard, if that. But the way she made her feathers rattle. That was the issue. He needed to figure out what or who she was. Passing through? Lucius let out a small noise. "Ah, we're passing through as well," he waved one hand lightly, brushing the subject by with a usual shrug. It wasn't anything special, the motion was a usual habit that he had. Especially talking with someone. She mentioned that she was scouting out for a friend and Lucius immediately had a singular thought. "Well, he's not feeling too well," Lucius admitted only a subtle piece of the truth, which he was rather adept at doing. "I think it's the food out here. But that's what we get for traveling for school," the story was woven easily, nothing to think too hardly about. "You wouldn't think Kansas but who knew, there's quite a few ... odd things in Kansas," his eyes flicked toward her, watching the woman. There was something wrong about her. She was too slippery, too shifty and fake. Lucius would know exactly about being fake and she was overdoing it. It wasn't natural enough to be believable. He, however, had plenty of experience with acting normal and natural while still fitting in the way he wanted to be. As she leaned forward, Lucius stepped back slightly. "We'll be headed back to campus probably tomorrow," the young man gave a loose shrug before tipping his head lightly. "You seem to know my friend, mind if I take a name... perhaps we can reach out again later?" It was more of a name to keep track of who she was. The fact that she knew he had a friend told him everything. She was not a good sign. But that wasn't anything new. Her eyes had been drawn to the watch--she knew it was something. The bow in his vest--though she didn't notice the wrap in his pocket. Maybe it wasn't as interesting to her as other things that he had. But the way she looked behind him... that was not good. The smile didn't reach her eyes. Fake. That was such a rookie mistake too. The best thing to do, to keep people off of the fake that it was fake, was to smile with your eyes. A little crinkle, a touch of a shrug and a small laugh. It was enough to keep them light and loose. He paused for a moment or two, glancing back to the café. "I should probably make sure he's feeling alright. Pleasure to meet you," he did not extend his hand this time, instead tipped his head and slipped in the door, heading toward the bathrooms. So perhaps their plans were changing. They'd be leaving tonight--not headed back to Campus at all--straight for Florida. It wasn't the first time Lucius had lied to someone. It wouldn't be the last either. |
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The woman watched him as he responded, her eyes narrowing just a fraction, though her smile remained smooth and pleasant. Lucius’s nonchalance, the way he effortlessly dismissed the conversation, sent a quiet ripple of intrigue through her. She was used to people being wary or cautious around her, but Lucius seemed to be brushing aside her attempts to peel away at his surface. She caught the slight shift in his tone, the way his words slipped just enough to be misleading, but not too much for her to fully grasp the truth. He was good. She could feel it in his words, the ease with which he spun half-truths, the practiced movements of a man who had learned to hide his true thoughts beneath layers of casual conversation. - Passing through. It was a familiar phrase, the kind that left little room for elaboration, but it told her enough. He was hiding something, but the question was, what? The nonchalance of his words, the faint trace of annoyance under his facade—he wasn’t buying her act, and that made her all the more interested. - When he mentioned Kansas and the "odd things" here, she allowed herself a soft laugh, one that almost sounded genuine, but the corners of her eyes still glinted with suspicion. "Oh, I’ve heard," she mused lightly. "A lot of strange little places in this country. You never know what you’ll stumble upon, right?" - As Lucius continued, she noted his words with a carefully veiled interest. Back to campus tomorrow. That seemed to indicate that, despite his earlier discomfort, he was planning to return to some kind of routine—until he mentioned reaching out again. The request for her name wasn’t lost on her, nor was the subtle weight in his tone. He was trying to pin her down. Maybe even trying to track her. It was an instinctive move, one that made her consider her next response carefully. - "I don’t think I’ve given you my name," she said, her smile softening, though her gaze sharpened a touch. She didn't offer it right away, watching him closely as he continued. "But we’ll see. Maybe we will run into each other again." - There was a flicker of something in her eyes when he spoke about his friend, but she hid it quickly. She couldn’t quite place why, but something about his words unsettled her—He’s not feeling too well? She could hear the slight shift, the guardedness in his voice. It didn’t add up. She hadn’t been looking for a friend, not really—she’d been sizing him up. But there was more, wasn’t there? A layer of the unexpected in him. - Lucius's next words were no less disarming, and she couldn’t help but follow his gaze when he looked toward the window, though her own attention never wavered from him. She watched the way he leaned back slightly when she moved closer, a subtle but telling reaction. He was sensing the tension in the air. She felt the faintest flash of irritation, though she didn’t let it show. She was good at hiding it, just like him. - As Lucius prepared to leave, her smile tightened just a little. "I’m sure he’ll be fine," she said, her voice dropping a touch, but still warm. "Take care of him." - She didn’t offer her hand either, her fingers lightly curling against the fabric of her jacket instead. There was something about him that made her feel like reaching out would be a mistake. He was cautious, and in her line of work, that was dangerous. People who didn’t show their cards were the ones you had to watch most closely. - "Pleasure to meet you too," she added, her words carrying a touch of cool politeness as she watched him slip inside the café the bathroom. She didn’t linger around the café any longer. No, she had her own plans now. She’d figured out enough. And Lucius had revealed just enough to make her feel certain that something bigger was at play here. - Inside the bathroom, Feo leaned heavily against the sink, his palms pressing against the cool porcelain. His chest rose and fell in uneven breaths as he stared into the mirror, but his reflection provided no comfort. The fluorescent lighting highlighted the beads of sweat gathering at his temples and the shadows beneath his eyes. - He hadn’t expected to see her again. Not here. Not so soon. Why is she following us? The question burned in his mind, cycling over and over, but no clear answer presented itself. The woman’s presence didn’t make sense, but the fear she instilled was all too real. - Feo splashed cold water onto his face, letting it drip down his neck as he gripped the edge of the sink with white-knuckled hands. The woman—her piercing gaze, her deliberate movements—had ignited something deep in his memory, something primal. He tried to piece it together, searching for a specific moment, a name, a reason for the dread that curled in his stomach, but it all remained maddeningly elusive. She felt like a ghost from a forgotten life, yet her presence was undeniably here and now. - With a frustrated growl, Feo tore his gaze away from the mirror, pacing the small, tiled space. "Think, Feo. Think," he muttered under his breath. He tried to recall everything about the woman: her smile, her movements, the way she looked. The memory of her sharp smile made his stomach turn. She was dangerous, and it wasn’t just paranoia. He could feel it, deep in his bones, like an old instinct honed on the battlefield. - Was she working for Loki? That thought sent a chill down his spine. Loki had his ways, his spies, his endless schemes. And if she was connected to him, that could mean trouble for both of them. - He couldn’t let this woman unravel everything they’d built. He couldn’t let her sense his fear. Taking another deep breath, Feo forced himself to calm, rolling his shoulders back and standing straighter. Whatever this was, whatever her intentions, he’d deal with it. They’d deal with it. Together. - For now, though, he needed to act like nothing had happened. Feo let out a slow breath and smoothed out his form that he'd felt blur at the edges. Splashing water on his face one last time, he straightened his collar, wiped his hands on his pants, and steeled himself. - As he exited the bathroom, his gaze briefly scanned the café for Lucius—and then realized he had bumped right into him, as he was striding toward the bathroom. Feo’s sharp eyes flicked to the window where the woman had been walking earlier. She was gone. Good. At least for now. - Feo’s lips pressed into a thin line as he looked down at Lucius. "Hello, Dove. Come to look for me? My apologies for the.. quick departure." |
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Lightbringer
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Two could--one could attempt to play that game as well. Lucius was nowhere near as adept at playing the same game but he could get close. Which was why he didn't offer his name or the name of his friend either. Even if he did, he'd probably say something like Milo. Which wasn't wrong, Milo was his friend and he probably wasn't feeling well since he had... left. But the hinted noise that maybe they'd run into each other again was not lost on him. Sure. And when they did, Lucius couldn't promise that he wouldn't attempt something even dumber than talking to her. But that was a thought for later. This woman was a threat to his Raven and boy howdy was he not a fan of that. He wasn't one for violence yet but she had unsettled him in a way he couldn't explain. A way that meant it would be best to get rid of the woman as soon as he possibly could. But even if he said something like that to Feo, Feo would... not agree. He would probably lose his mind. Again. Lucius hadn't exactly been thinking straight or paying attention to where he had been walking when the door opened and he nearly ran into Feo. His hands lifted up, trying to steady the other demigod out of habit. A lot of him was running on habit now, letting his mind switch movement to autopilot while his mind swirled with thoughts. "Yeah," Lucius murmured shortly. "About that... I think we should head back to the hotel," his voice was low and hardly audible in the low chatter of the diner. "Or, we skip town now and get going--straight to Florida." He guided Feo through the café and toward the exit. "I've already paid for the food but we need to get scooting." That and he wanted to be far away from whatever that freakshow was. She was taller than him, had eyes that rivaled his sapphire glare, the dark hair was unsettling--a second thought struck him but it was far more stupid than before. Aside from the blatantly obvious fact that she looked like Feo... in a way... she had kept looking behind him. She had to be some sort of assistant or spy or something for Loki. If not, then she'd have a lot of explaining to do at the end of a golden arrow. Lucius wasn't playing games with this woman. Heimdall? Sure. ... Heimdall. Without a doubt, the god would help them out. If he was to keep Feo out of trouble, he couldn't have freaky old ladies poking around. But if Heimdall didn't take care of her, he would. "Listen," Lucius finally said, quietly, "some lady is here. I saw her at the airport and that's not a coincidence. You can pay me enough to call it a coincidence. But I don't dare say anymore until we get behind closed doors." He couldn't see her, which was bad. It meant he didn't know where she had gone and what alleyway she could pop out of. Bigger cities were always so much easier to disappear into, this place? He felt trapped--like a bird in a cage. He hated it. But that was why he was pushing Feo toward the hotel at a rather brisk pace. Not that he cared if anyone looked their way, his eyes were watching the crowd until they had gotten behind the closed--locked--door. "We're leaving tonight. She--" he paused, telling him that he went to talk to her was a bad idea, "she was looking for you. It was obvious. I stopped her and asked what she was doing, it's easy to, y'know. She gave me some garbage answer about passing through--yeah right. Passing through a load of bull more like it. Didn't get her name, didn't give a name either," he shook his head, pacing back and forth in the room. "She noticed the watch and the bow, she can sense mythical things. No doubt. I told her that we were headed back to campus tomorrow. That's a lie, we're going to Florida tonight. I don't like her. If I see her again, I might... well, I might have some practice with the bow," he shook his head again. "She's too... fake. Everything she did was fake--she was such a rookie at it too. Like, come on, even I could pick up on it--but yes. We are leaving. We can get everything else in Florida." |
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Neutral
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Feo’s expression remained neutral, though tension rippled through his jaw as he absorbed Lucius’s hurried, clipped explanation. He listened without interrupting, pacing the perimeter of the room like a caged animal. The way Lucius spoke about the woman—the unease, the urgency—it struck a nerve he couldn’t ignore. - "She was looking for you." - That part lingered in Feo’s mind, feeding into the unease that had settled in his chest back at the café. He could feel Lucius’s growing frustration, but it was the sharpness in his voice—the barely veiled worry—that made him pause. - “She noticed your bow and the watch,” Feo repeated under his breath, his gaze narrowing as he stared at the floor. “She’s not just passing through. No one is ever just passing through when it comes to us.” - The words came out sharper than intended, and Feo clenched his fists, forcing himself to focus. His mind turned over the details Lucius had shared—the woman’s probing questions, her faintly unpolished facade, and the way she seemed to circle around him, around them, without making a definitive move. She was good, but not perfect, and that made her all the more dangerous. - Feo looked up, meeting Lucius’s gaze. “You were right not to give her a name,” he said, his voice lower now, steady. “We can’t give her anything she can use. Not even crumbs.” - He stopped pacing, exhaling slowly as he pressed a hand to his temple. The shadow of a headache began to creep in, likely brought on by the stress of the encounter. He felt exposed, raw, like every move they made was being watched through a lens they couldn’t see. - “You think Loki sent her?” he asked, though it sounded more like he was confirming his own suspicions. “That would make sense. This whole thing feels like one of his games—vague, layered, and just enough of a threat to get under our skin.” - Feo crossed his arms, a faint frown forming as his mind worked through the possibilities. Florida. It made sense to leave, to put distance between them and the woman, but something about running felt wrong. Like they were playing into her hands. - “Florida’s fine,” he said finally, his voice carrying a note of reluctance. “But if she’s tracking us, she’ll follow. And if she’s really with Loki…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “We need a plan, not just an escape route.” - His gaze hardened. “You said she was a rookie, right? That means she’s not working alone. She’s bait, Lucius. Whoever sent her is waiting to see what we’ll do next.” - The thought made his skin crawl, but it also lit a spark of determination in his chest. They couldn’t afford to play into someone else’s game, not if they wanted to stay ahead. - “Let’s pack up and get moving,” Feo said, his tone firm. “But we’re not running blind. If she shows up again, we’ll be ready for her. How do we get back to Hutchinson?" - And how do I get some damn clothes that don't reek of the past? |
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Spring Month: 2 
Night 
Clear Moon: 
