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Post by Banshee on Dec 15, 2023 21:52:37 GMT -6
Edna leaned back in her chair as she eavesdropped on everything happening around Jet. The betrayal of her science teams, the reluctance and inexcusable attitude from Jet, the video and Mark’s verbal reactions. It was all music to her ears when she heard his words sound sharp, indicating that she was less human than he was. Edna glanced over to Minka and said; “It’s funny that he says that. I’m not human at all anyways.”
Minka nodded.
“No matter. This is all a game for me anyways.” She shrugged.
- - - - -
Jet watched in awe when the robots turned into rust and became immobile. He winced, hoping that he wouldn’t become one of them anytime soon. At least, not until he could ensure the safety of the two he felt closest to. He then turned to see some of the Scientists frantically scatter about, grabbing their things and leaving the room in an urgent manner. Others, lingered back, watching in horror as their creations were turning into junk heaps.
“N-No...” One of the Scientists said as his robot was turned into rust.
“Right...” Jet said with a bit of uncertainty when Mark said he was coming back for him. It wasn’t that he doubted Mark’s words. In fact, there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that the man would make his way back. But the biggest problems were; Edna and Minka. Neither one of them were going to let Jet slide away from this one. He just knew it. And his own time, was ticking away.
“I’ll do what I can...” He said to him in a confident tone.
Deep down, he knew he wasn’t going to be able to. Edna knew what was going on. Even if he tried to usher any of the Scientists to flee, Edna was going to decommission him on the spot. The only thing he hoped that would happen would be; the scientists listening to Mark’s warning, tell the others, and do their own thing. Jet himself, was stuck and there was no way out.
Other than losing his remaining humanity.
When Nox was told to keep talking to him, he instantly decided to initiate a conversation about penguins. “Penguins are my favorite animal. They’re fascinating creatures. I especially like Emperor Penguins.” He tapped his chin and thought for a moment. “DId you know that a group of penguins that swim in the water together, is called a raft? Or that Emperor Penguins can swim underwater up to twenty-two minutes before needing to breath? Also they are considered to be the deepest divers of birds which the deepest recorded dive was 565m deep!”
He paused again and then said; “Lux’s favorite animal isn’t an animal at all but a bug! The Blue Royal butterfly. He says that in spiritual beliefs, butterflies in general are a powerful symbol that signifies new beginnings or, rebirth. It can go hand in hand with spiritual growth and transformation. Which...if you ask me, it’s kind of suitable for him. He’s been going through a lot and in the end, I think he’s going to be someone far different. In a good way. I really feel strongly about that!”
He tapped his chin again and added; “I think that’s a significant symbol for all of us, really. We’re all not the same people! I think we’re growing pretty well actually!”
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Post by Moe on Dec 15, 2023 22:55:27 GMT -6
Mark smiled as he listened to Nox talk about penguins and butterflies. He felt a warmth come over him, but he also started to feel exhausted and heavy. "565 meters deep, huh? That's pretty impressive. Y'know what? After all of this is over with and we're back home safe and sound, I'm going to practice some more with this time travel thing, and I'm going to take you back to see real live penguins in their natural habitat. No zoos, no museums, no taxidermy. Just penguins doing their natural penguin things, without a care in the world. Heck, I could go back to Spicy Nugget's time and we can take pictures of ourselves with dinosaurs, just to mess with paleontologists." he said with a forced laugh.
His mentality changed when Nox mentioned butterflies and change, however. For everyone else, new beginnings would be a good thing. He had seen everyone there, grow and become stronger and wiser. Especially Lux. But personally? Mark wasn't so sure his metamorphosis was a good one. He was losing his sense of humanity, and that was something that scared him.
"Hey, are you okay?" Ikuki noticed his silence, as that was always the first sign of anxiety. "Do we need to come find you?"
"No, I'm..." Mark wanted to say he was fine, to tell them everything was going to be okay. He wanted to keep his mask up and tell them all that nothing was wrong, he was just tired. "I don't know who I am, anymore." was what came out, instead. "The more power I use, the less...me, I am. I don't even know how much of me, is me. I'm scared, Ikuki. I'm scared of what I'm becoming and if who I was, was never who I was in the first place. I'm scared that I'm never going to be human."
"Mark..." Ikuki said, as his words hit her, hard. She knew he was going through a lot of confusion, and she knew that he was scared of accepting godhood, but he'd never lost his cool in the middle of a fight, before. "I think...you are whatever you truly want to be. I think you just haven't figured out what you want to be, yet. All I can tell you is that you mean the world to all of us. You don't have to be a god or a superhero or anything in-between, because you're our hero, no matter what."
He almost protested. He knew he was no hero, and he'd never done anything to truly deserve that title. Instead, all he could do was smile at her words and reassurance. "Thank you." he said to her, gently. "Both of you. For keeping me grounded. It's true...I don't know what I want to be. Just that I want this family to stay together."
"We will." Ikuki assured him. "And who knows? Maybe it'll even grow, someday. Nox did say he'd make a pretty awesome uncle."
"Oh yeah? I think so, too." Mark said with a more genuine smile, this time. He almost didn't realize how far he'd strayed from his location, venturing further out into the city and nearing the underground entrance. Thankfully, Beth lived close to one of the entrances to the city, because he was absolutely not going to teleport himself again. "Thanks for talking to me, you two. I feel a lot...lighter. I'm almost at the underground, I'll see you guys in a little bit, okay?"
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Post by Banshee on Dec 15, 2023 23:41:14 GMT -6
No sooner had Mark arrived, Nox rushed him at the door and promptly greeted him with a great big hug. “You’re back! I’m so glad everything went okay.” He pulled back from him to allow Mark some room to get into the safety of Beth’s home. He even closed the door behind Mark, just so he didn’t have to.
“So I’ve been trying to work on some new potions!” He chimed, not realizing that Mark really needed a moment to breathe. “I need to focus on trying to make more potent potions and-“
Roach snapped her fingers at him to get his attention. Once Nox glanced at her, she made a motion across her neck. Basically telling him to silence himself and allow room for Mark to relax. At first Nox didn’t understand her and started to talk to Mark once again.
Tex got the hint that she needed to step in and save Mark from the over-excited purple haired elf. So instead of trying to tell him what Roach was trying to say, Tex simply opened a portal under Nox’s feet. This resulted in the boy to yelp out of surprise to only end up plopping on a couch. When he glared at her, Tex said; “Relax.”
“But I have so much to tell him! There’s a ton I-“
“Stop.” Tex said to him in a firm tone. She understood what Roach was trying to motion with her hands and added; “Save your conversation for when he’s relaxed. He just came back from infiltrating Cornelia Corp. We don’t need to barrage him with more chaos.”
“Well, it’s really not bad...”
Tex ignored him and turned to Mark. “Glad to see you make it back.”
“Did you get the things? How was the building? Was it scary and grim looking? Was it gross? Clean?”
“Nox...” Tex sighed.
Roach walked over and gently rested her hand over his mouth. She then held her finger before her mouth, telling him to relax again and be quiet.
“I wish you could talk...” Nox frowned as he sank in the sofa. “I don’t understand sign language. And the only thing Lux taught me to say was; Eat my boxers. Which...I don’t generally like saying because it sounds childish.”
Roach shook her head and looked to Tex, hoping she’d translate her hand gestures.
“Perhaps one day your Mother will be capable of speech. Until then, you need to give Mark a break.” Tex translated for her without directly saying that she was translating.
“Wait...you can read sign?”
Tex sarcastically said, “What gave you the first clue?”
Nox clamped his mouth shut. “You know...You’re mean.”
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Post by Moe on Dec 16, 2023 11:41:04 GMT -6
Mark immediately threw off his helmet as he entered Beth's home, as he was beginning to get really tired of wearing a mask and hiding all the time. Though, he couldn't quite place if that was a literal feeling, or metaphorical one. "Tex, it...it's okay. Really. I don't mind." Mark said as he ruffled Nox's hair. Though before he even had a chance to relax and tell them what had happened, he'd already been tackled in a hug by Ikuki, who proceeded to greet him with a flurry of kisses.
"Don't you ever do something that stupid, ever again!" she scolded him.
"No promises." Mark said with a smug grin. Of course Nathan had to join in on the hugs as well as Dawn, all three of them absolutely smothering him. Beth wasn't part of the family nor did she even know him for that long, but she just shrugged and went along with it. The weight of everyone caused Mark to fumble and come crashing down on the floor, taking everyone with him. "Guys it...was it really that big of a deal?" he laughed. "I infiltrate sleezy corporate businesses, all the time. This is nothing!"
"We're just happy to all be together, again." Dawn said with a big smile.
"I'm just here 'cause all the cool kids are doin' it." Beth smirked.
Mark couldn't really form the right words to express how he was feeling, but it felt good to have so much family around and so many people that cared about him. He'd grown up only having his sister around, so this was a feeling he still wasn't quite used to. Instead he just smiled a genuine smile; "I uh, got the blueprints for Nox's mom. Emily, right? That's a lot nicer, than Roach." he held up the drive with the information on it. "I don't know if we'll be able to fix you, so just be prepared for worst case scenario of having to rebuild an entirely new shell. Ikuki might have to help with that, since it falls under the necromancy umbrella."
"Yes!" Ikuki pulled away from Mark and threw her fists in the air. "Finally! I get to use necromancy for the greater good!"
"Oh! Speaking of!" Beth also moved away from the group. "Apollo is going to set up a meeting point, to deliver the parts needed for the temporary repairs. Guess it's a good thing you didn't kill him yet, huh?"
"Yeah...about that." Mark rubbed the back of his head, nervously. "That's our next priority. He knows it. It was his plan. But the head of Cornelia Corp, she just...doesn't seem to get it. She's too dense to look beyond money. So long as Apollo is still active and that alpha guy is still using him, then she's going to end up getting the most people killed just because she's too stubborn to admit she's wrong. We have to make arrangements to take down Apollo, when we meet up."
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Post by Banshee on Dec 16, 2023 18:53:09 GMT -6
Nox’s face lit up with delight when Mark showed the flash drive. He enthusiastically bounced over to Roach and grabbed her hands. Bouncing in place before her, he chimed; “We are going to help you speak again! I can’t wait! This is so exciting!” He then glanced to Mark and said; “Thank you so much for doing that! It’s a good first step!”
She smiled at him.
Tex listened to the conversation about repairing or fixing Roach. She was honestly surprised that he was able to obtain such valuable information so easily. A part of her wondered if it was a trap. She walked over to Mark and took the drive from his hand. A part of her wanted to insert it into one of her ports to send the information to Jasmine, but a suspicious thought crossed her mind and stopped her from doing so.
Nox saw her pause and asked; “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Just surprised to see that he obtained that so easily. Good thing is, I swiped someone’s computer at the arena. So I’m going to see if there’s any obscure files attached to it.” She then turned away from the group to grab the laptop.
Once the device booted, she inserted the flash drive and opened the file. With Jasmine watching the procedure through Tex’s sight, the two of them looked through it. And as suspected, the scientist that prepared the file for him had snuck in a code that would’ve infected her with a spyware.
“Interesting.” She said. “The person who gave this to you was attempting to link you to Cornelia Corp. a direct connection, perhaps as an attempt to control.”
“Does… that mean it’s not going to work?”
“It will. But the laptop is disposable so we don’t have to worry about this Edna linking up with me. Clever but not clever enough. However, the good news is, the files in here do have blueprints. I’m sending them to Jasmine once I clean it up.” She paused for a moment as she heard Jasmine say something to her through their radio connection.
Tex then said; “The lot of you need a moment to rest. You have been running for a bit now. Get some rest and good food. I can continue to work on this and once things start to settle, we may proceed to the next phase.”
Tex turned to Roach. “I hope you’re prepared for this. Your species is not as simple as repairing a robot like myself. It may fail and results may be dire. Are you sure you want to proceed?”
Roach firmly nodded.
“Alright. Then we will initiate the decoding and research the information. You all need to have a break.” She turned away and began to work on her part of the plan.
“Roach…” Tex called to her. “Come here. I need to go over some stuff with you. Let them relax for a bit.”
Roach nodded to her and joined Tex at the table.
Nox followed Mark and listened to him talk about their future endeavors. Apollo was still a problem and it was unfortunate enough that Edna and Cornelia Corp were also going to be a huge influence to their troubles. It was clear to Nox that the woman didn’t seem to care.
“Assuming and hoping Edna will change her views is ridiculous and filled with naivety.” Tex said to Mark as she and Roach looked over the information being displayed on the laptop. “You don’t know her as well as Jasmine and I do. But she really doesn’t care about anything outside of money. If it burns the whole planet, that’s fine for her. In the end her greed may become her downfall.”
Nox frowned. “It’s crazy to think on how deep this rabbit hole goes.” He said to them.
He sat down on a chair nearest to Tex and Roach. “Dang…If Apollo goes then all of those innocent people are going to suffer from this… I kind of feel bad for them.”
“Evacuation plans will happen, Kid.” Tex said to him. “One step at a time. We need to talk to Apollo and go from there. Right now you need to sit and relax.” She paused and added; “Your parental unit said that. I personally don’t care what you do.”
Roach narrowed her eyes at Tex before elbowing her.
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Post by Moe on Dec 17, 2023 15:57:14 GMT -6
"Wait, that changes things." Mark said to Tex, as she let it slip that they did indeed personally know Edna. "I just assumed there would've been a virus or something on it, we would've had to bypass. If there was a link specifically for you, that means they know you're here with us and that means they know what Tex can do. That also means...you're more involved with Cornelia Corp, than what you've been letting on."
"Jasmine and Tex have been nothing but helpful!" Ikuki protested. "There's no way they're working for Cornelia Corp!"
"Do we know that, for sure? Or are we just running in circles and getting thrown off our original goal? We came here to rescue Nathan and Dawn, and bring down Apollo, not to get involved in some corporate war. We've done everything but bring him down. Now I'm starting to wonder if that trojan virus Jasmine's been working on, is even going to take him down or if it's just going to link him to Cornelia Corp, too." Mark stood up, suddenly extremely suspicious of Jasmine and Tex.
"Wait, hol' up. Intermission." Beth stood between them, before anything could be started. "You two are like, super geniuses, right?" she pointed to Mark and Ikuki. "So why don't the two of you just go over the virus code and make sure it doesn't have anything sketchy written on it?"
"Yeah, except Jasmine is smarter and she knows that we'd be looking for it." Mark sighed, heavily. He really wished this could've just been an easy mission. Rescue his family, kill Apollo, be home by the weekend. "And I'm too exhausted to scry through their memories. We'll have to try the trojan out on something else, first. Emily is off the table, Tex and Jasmine would kill me, so we're going to have to find a volunteer. Until then, I'm going to remain suspicious of you." he pointed to Tex. "Edna...knew things about me. Things she couldn't have known, unless she was told."
"As...much as I hate to even think about it..." Ikuki said, sheepishly, not liking accusing anybody. Especially people who have been so helpful. "I do have to admit it is a little suspicious, that they targeted you, specifically. And that they know so much about Mark. I don't agree with everything that's been said, but...I do think we should test the trojan, before taking a leap of faith and using it on Apollo. "
"So, what say you?" Mark looked to Tex, knowing Jasmine could also see him. "Willing to let us make a copy of that trojan, and test it out before we install it in the most intelligent artificial life form in the world?"
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Post by Banshee on Dec 17, 2023 18:48:47 GMT -6
It was no surprise that Mark snagged what slipped. Even Nox wearily looked over to Tex, fearing that they had been brought in a full circle to help Cornelia Corp and Apollo, rather than stop them. He even inched away from Tex, fearing that things may turn for the worst.
Tex however didn’t seem the least bit phased by his initial reaction. She quietly listened to Ikuki defend her and Jasmine with the fact they’ve been helping the group the entire time, rather than trying to stop them. It was all understandable to her, since Jasmine and her have been rather quiet about their histories with the crew. It’s only a given for their suspicion.
“You’re not going to try and kill is. Are you?” Nox asked while there was a small window of opportunity to speak without interrupting.
Beth then suggested that Mark and Ikuki investigate the code. Which in response, Mark admitted that Jasmine was more than likely well versed in technology to the point where she would’ve prepared for something like that.
Tex was then asked about her opinion. Which she quickly responded with; “I do not have any oppositions towards copying the file. It’s understandable for your suspicions. But I can assure you that we are fighting on the same side as you are.”
It was then, Tex decided to open the communicator channel so the group could hear Jasmine’s response. Which…started out with a maniacal laughing fit. This made Tex appear uneasy about the stares that were being given.
”OH-HO-HO! You have guessed it! We have worked for Cornelia Corp! My, aren’t you all so very clever?”
“Jasmine…please take this seriously.” Tex said with a scolding tone.
”Aw you’re no fun. But seriously. I do have an unfortunate history with those jackasses. Nothing to be proud of. Got some skeletons in my closet that fall out from time to time. Did some stuff that wasn’t exactly good. But the thing is? I hate them. I can see the point of being concerned for your wellbeing but I want to let you know this. We have NOT been leaking information. Tex, RJ, and I are wanted criminals. I made Tex and her blueprints. NOT them. And they wanted to take MY work, claim it as their own, and use it for far worse than what you’re dealing with now. So relax. I ain’t ratting on you. I ain’t gonna stab you in the backs. And I certainly don’t care if you wanted to test the virus on a random robot…” she paused for a moment.
”Which let me add this. You’ve been followed Mark. Tex, take care of it but don’t kill it. We will test the virus on it to prove our alliance to the crew.”
Tex shrugged and pointed a portal towards her left. It opened, revealing the backside of a robot that was creeping on them. Without saying anything, she walked through it.
Surprising the enemy, she drew out her blade and struck their legs. The robot responded with some bullets being fired, but Tex was much too quick and she single handedly leveled the robot and dragged it back through the portal. She then tossed it onto the ground as it attempted to break away from her.
During the event, Jasmine copied the virus and sent it over to Tex. Who still had the flash drive in her possession. She inserted it into her port, downloaded it, then inserted the drive into the backside of the robot.
Nox inched away towards Emily and Mark, terrified over how dangerous Tex really was. She was quick. Tactical. And made ease of a Cornelia Corp robot. She did all of this without a second thought too.
“File downloaded. Initiate Program 2C.” Tex spoke as she tore the device out from the robot. She stepped back, allowing space between her and the soon to be malfunctioning robots. Tex even held her hand out, protecting Nox from any shrapnel that could’ve been launched outwards.
The robot started twitching profusely and muttering random and incoherent words. It lurched forward and its mechanisms screamed as it did. Then. Silence. There was smoke sizzling out from its backside.
The virus worked.
Nox gulped and held Emily’s hand tightly. “If…you guys didn’t tell Edna anything about Mark…then… how?”
”Mark, my words are serious.” Jasmine said to him and the others. ”With all of the knowledge I have about how Cornelia Corp runs, how a computer ticks, and how AI can be manipulated and controlled. I can potentially become a huge threat to you. However, I’m not that kind of girl. I do what I do because I want to help others. I don’t have desire for money and power or control. All that crap means nothing to me. So there you have it. A virus that works. Sadly, I cannot say that Apollo will fizzle like that thing did. He may just shut down permanently. He may even explode. Which, Tex? Remove that thing before it does that.”
Tex quickly opened a portal and chucked the robot through. Shortly after she closed the portal, there was an explosion sound.
”To answer your question, young Nox. Neither Tex or my crew are connected to those foul minded bastards. For the information being spread, it ranges from a number of ways. Cameras, interacting with their robots…like the one standing beside you right now…Roach was it? Anyways. It can even go as far as interrogation to those you’ve interacted with. But I promise you, Hell I will even throw Tex’s life on the table. We have no part of them discovering who and what you are.”
Emily winced when Jasmine nearly hit the nail on the head. Which was unfortunate for her because Tex and Jasmine both saw her reaction. But to her luck, neither one decided to point it out.
Nox said; “You’re kind of scary. I’m glad you’re on our side.”
Tex nodded. “Jasmine severed her ties from them when she discovered what they were doing to innocent people. She may be a bit unhinged but she’s not the villain you’re fearing.”
“That’s good. It…kind of eases up everything. But at least the plan works. Right?” He said while turning to Ikuki and Mark.
Emily couldn’t hide the truth. She knew Mark needed to know. So she motioned for Tex to pay attention to her while she hand signaled her everything she was going to say.
Tex debated on whether or not she really wanted to throw the boy under the bus. She did find it odd that Emily was going to do so. But if Mark knew the truth, it may enrage him more. Whether it would be directed at Edna and her goons, or at Lux.
Emily stopped gesturing when Tex wasn’t saying anything.
“I’m not sure if that would be wise.” She said to Emily.
“Wise about what?” Asked Nox.
Tex shrugged as it wasn’t her opinion that mattered. “She was merely admitting that Jasmine and I are innocent on the matter. The real traitor is someone that you hold dearly to. And it’s not because of him being loose tongued. It’s because he was sedated and within that state of mind, you lack the ability to control what’s being said.”
“Wait… they drugged my brother?”
Tex continued to translate; “It was because of his rambunctious personality and defiant actions that caused him much pain and trouble. Sedating him was the easiest way to get him to calm down and listen.” She turned to Mark and Ikuki. “She requests that you aren’t to be angered towards him as it wasn’t within his control. However she does state that he didn’t tell them everything. Much of the information they do know is from interacting with her, Jet, and any other robot you’ve encountered.”
Emily frowned.
“Sounds to me we really need to get moving with our Apollo plan first before we dance with Cornelia Corp again.” Tex said as she crossed her arms. “They’re a problem but we need to deal with Apollo. Them having him under their fingers is more dangerous than anything. He’s a weapon being used for the wrong reasons.”
“Yeah…” Nox said, a bit hurt over them drugging his brother still. “So… you certain this virus will work?”
“It’s been explained that it may cause damage in the meantime. So before we initiate the final part of the plan. We may want to figure out a way to save the innocent lives that will be at stake. I can transport for so long before my systems overheat. I have contemplated on connecting myself to Apollo to enhance my portal abilities. But upon doing so, I am allowing myself to be linked to the same virus. Which in the end, will end me as well.”
“Is…is that going to be okay to do?” Asked Nox.
“Jasmine has a backup of my AI. Another body will need to be created but I will be able to piggyback on a device which will allow me to further my communications with you.” Tex shrugged. “It’s really not a big deal for me.”
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Post by Moe on Dec 18, 2023 20:21:29 GMT -6
"Good to know it worked...for you." Mark said, still skeptical. "Okay, that still leaves us at square one and just taking your word on a leap of faith. And I don't have a whole lot of that left, these days. Second problem, you knew I was being followed, and made quick work of that robot without even giving me a chance to study the trojan for myself. It all seems a little too convenient."
"Mark, they're trying to help." Ikuki tried to defend them. "I'll admit it is a little bit suspicious, but they can't be all that bad if they're protecting Nox."
"Nox, who's Lux's primary." Mark pointed out. "Jet said Lux dipped out, on his own. So how are we so certain that they aren't protecting Nox just because they need to make another clone?"
"You're bein' paranoid, my dude." Nathan said, looking to Tex. "If they were evil, they wouldn't have helped us escape...right?"
"Just...sit down and breathe for a minute, okay?" Ikuki set her hand on Mark's shoulder, noticing him starting to breathe heavily as anxiety set in, full force.
"No, I...I can't trust them. I can't trust anyone except my family, right now. Lux wouldn't...he wouldn't have told them who I am, even drugged. Because that doesn't just put me in danger, it puts Tiffany and Alex and Mom in danger. There's no way Lux would've done that." he continued to ramble as his breaths were getting heavier and more rapid and it felt like the whole room was closing in, talking began to sound like mumbles as his ears rang so loud that it was nearly deafening. "Apollo...Alpha...Cornelia Corp...Lux...Jasmine..." he started talking to himself, unable to even form the words as all the thoughts about all the things he had to take charge of, swarmed his mind all at once. "Now Cornelia Corp knows where we are and they'll be after us. I just put everyone here in danger and I have to figure out how to fix it. I have to figure out how to fix everything...."
It felt like everything was closing in. It felt like people were starting to yell, like the walls were warping and the room distorting; Mark clutched at his chest as it felt heavy, like a giant weight that was preventing him from breathing and it suddenly felt as though he had to think about every single breath he took. Every single thought of everything he felt he had to fix was swarming in his head, and he lost track of everyone around him and could only see blurry movements before fading to nothingness.
"MARK!" he finally heard Dawn call out to him. "What did you do? Where are we!?" she said, panicked.
"I don't...I didn't..." Mark continued to panic, not even noticing the change of atmosphere nor the blood dripping from his nose. He did, however, notice Ikuki's arms wrapping around him and her cheek against his, trying to comfort him and calm him down. His breathing slowly began to feel more paced as he felt Ikuki's comforting warmth.
"It's okay. We'll figure things out, together. It's what we always do; This is a team effort, we've all got each other's backs. You don't have to do anything, alone." she whispered softly to him, not sure if he'd hear it, but at least she could try.
He finally felt like his breathing was starting to become normal again, and he returned Ikuki's hug. "Ikuki?" he finally spoke, sounding absolutely exhausted. "I don't feel so great." were his last words, before losing consciousness.
Fortunately, Nathan was able to catch him before he could hit the floor. "Uh. I don't know what he just did or how he did it, but I'm willing to bet it's gonna delay our plans, just a little bit."
"WHY. IS MY HOUSE. IN THE MIDDLE OF A FOREST?" Beth shouted as she looked out the window.
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Post by Banshee on Dec 18, 2023 20:59:16 GMT -6
Nox watched as Mark broke down. He wanted to reach out to him. To talk to him. To try and calm him down. But the thing was, he couldn’t hear anyone. He was stuck in his own emotional turmoil. An eruption of overthinking and over stimulation. Nox understood how he felt, to a point and refrained from actually moving towards him.
Then all of a sudden. Everything shifted.
Nox immediately felt queasy to his stomach. The sudden shift in the air pressure. The vibration of the ground. He reached over to Emily and clung onto her side. She then wrapped her arms around him, protecting him from anything from happening to him. He was her baby.
Then when everything settled down, Nox looked out the window to see they were in some heavily wooded area. He rushed over to it and looked out. “Uh...Wait...”
He heard Dawn ask Mark where they were and while Mark was unable to answer, Nox motioned Tex and Emily to walk over to him. When they did, they both looked outside to see trees for miles and miles. A sky that was as blue as ever. A soft wind even brushed through the cracks of the window, indicating there was a gentle breeze.
Then Mark fainted. Nox flinched at the sight. “Mark!”
“He just needs to rest.” Tex said to him. Then she walked over to the door to open it. Once she did, Tex stepped outside to see if she can locate their whereabouts.
Nox ran over to the group, looking down at Mark as he was bleeding out his nose and knocked out. “Oh no...he-“
“We’re...in Rex City...” Tex said with a confused tone. “How?”
“Wait, WHAT?” Nox shook his head and took a step back. “You cannot be serious!”
“Since when do I ever joke?” Tex flatly said to him while walking back. “Mark has transported us into Rex City, Northern District. It’s currently under the protection of Deity Aelita. It’s...actually quite hard to get into this District so a feat like that is incredibly impressive.” She then turned to Beth and said with the most unenthusiastic tone she could muster; “Congrats on moving.”
Nox then hurried up to grab some bandages to help clean the blood off of Mark’s face. Tex however, looked to Emily and said; “Congrats for you too. You’re back home.”
Emily wasn’t so sure about how she should feel about returning home. It had been so long since she’d seen her homeland, she was sure she wouldn’t recognize anything. Anyone she knew when she was human, wouldn’t recognize her much at all either. A part of her felt lonely about that.
After Emily helped move Mark into another area, the three of them lingered near Nathan, Beth, and Ikuki. Nox, being stunned by it all, needed to sit down and relax himself for a moment. He rubbed his forehead. “This...is all so much... I think I need a break...”
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Post by Moe on Dec 19, 2023 0:15:42 GMT -6
Ikuki sighed as the others conversed, carefully making sure Mark's head stayed forward as Nox helped with the nosebleed. "I guess he was just trying to keep us safe. Please don't be too mad at him...he's not used to trusting people."
"He teleported us to the gateway!" Dawn gestured to the window. "The gateway to Faerie! That apparently people have colonized! We are way off course and we aren't even safe if everything Nox told me about Rex City, is true!"
"Anxiety kinda runs in your family, don't it?" Nathan said as he leaned against a wall, still keeping his cool and laid-back attitude. "Don't worry about it, didn't the robot say she's got portal signal thingies installed around the underground and Olympus? And it's not like there's any lack of sun out there, s'pecially with all the reflective buildings, so we still got ways into the city. Right?" he looked at Tex, hoping she would confirm that.
"So...do we stick to the plan?" Beth also looked to Tex. "Can you still open portals to meet Apollo?"
By this point, Dawn was unable to keep up her human disguise, defaulting back to dragon. She realized everyone was trying to stay positive, but she had to side with Mark on this one. "He's right." she said in a quiet, sheepish voice. "There's just too much going on, for us to fix. There are things that have been happening for thousands of years, that even the gods couldn't stop. How are we supposed to make it any better? I wanted to have faith that my cousin would be a better god than his previous lives, but he just dragged us all into this mess that none of us asked for. He's not any better than all the others. I came here because Nox is my friend, and so is Lux...I didn't want to get tied up in some kind of corporate war."
"Dawn..." Ikuki looked to her.
"No! Don't Dawn me!" the young dragon protested. "You know it's true! You all know it! None of you would be here risking your lives over something so stupid, if it wasn't for him!" she pointed at Mark.
"It is true." Nathan sighed. "But he didn't force us to do anything, and it's unfair to blame him for it. I would've made the choice to come here, even if I'd never met him."
"Me, too." Ikuki agreed. "I'd like to think fate would've brought us all together, no matter the circumstances."
"But fate didn't bring us together, he did!" Dawn said about Mark. "I just...I don't want to be involved, anymore. I just want to go home and write my books and practice my magic. I want to be somewhere safe, without dangerous robots and evil green-haired ladies." she sniffled.
"Okay, so. Emotions are running kind of high, right now. How about I make us all some tea and we can just chill out for a little bit and figure out our plan?" Beth said as she headed to the kitchen, to put on a pot of tea. "Do you think he teleported the plumbing, too?"
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Post by Banshee on Dec 19, 2023 8:25:50 GMT -6
Dawn’s sudden outburst made Nox jump. Her panic was beginning to rub off on him as he too began to realize their current situation was a little more difficult than it needed to be. He had to take a moment away from Mark and Ikuki to shake his nerves out. A part of him wanted to be angry, just like her. He wanted to be mad at Mark for doing what he did. But at the same time, he knew that the particular area they landed in, was a lot safer than the rest of Rex City.
Emily walked over to Nox and placed her hand on his head. She could tell that he was beginning to get wound up over Dawn’s response. Although she couldn’t blame her for the outburst, because this was all so sudden and so very different than they initially planned. But at the same time, she knew that it was just a minor setback. They could still make it back.
“Relax.” Tex said as she was unfazed by everything happening. She leaned against a wall and crossed her arms while watching Dawn express her woes. “Rex City is a living hell of a place to live. But the District we’re in, Dawn, isn’t anywhere near as dangerous. The so-called Deity that watches over this District has been defending it tirelessly from the Corporation. As long as she and her army are alive, which I’ll add have amazing healers on their team, can keep defending the area for a long time.”
“Y-Yes...” Nox nodded, agreeing with Tex. He wasn’t sure if any of this was going to ease Dawn at all. Even he was struggling to do so.
Tex then directed her attention to Beth. If she could smirk or make any facial responses, she would’ve been smirking at how impressive the crazy explosive expert remembered her abilities. She nodded. “Correct. We can stick to the plan because my portals are still active.”
“You’re...really incredible for a robot not made by a Corporation...” Nox said to her.
Tex shrugged. “I have a lot of faults and errors that still need to be replaced and parts that need severe upgrading. But I appreciate the compliment regardless.” She waved her hand to quickly show a connected portal. Once it displayed that it was still active, she canceled it so she didn’t waste her energy too much.
Then Dawn transformed into a dragon. Emily quickly tore Nox away from the massive beast and covered him, protecting him from any possible outburst. And although Nox felt this was a bit over-the-top, he appreciated his Mother being...well his Mother.
But Nox couldn’t hold back his own emotions when she started ripping into Mark. “No. That’s where you’re wrong.” He could feel Emily release her protective grip from him, allowing him space. “Please...don’t put the blame on Mark...”
He glared down at the side. “Mark is only trying to be the kind of hero that the world needs right now. Our involvement has nothing to do with him forcing us, because that’s not what he’s been trying to do... I know you don’t know Mark as well as we do...but if he had it his way? He would take on all of this...chaos by himself because in the end of it all, he just...wants to protect those he loves. And doing this sort of thing alone? It’s impossible. There’s no way that he could do it by himself.”
Nox shifted and attempted to keep his voice calm so that it didn’t come off as him yelling or being angry. “Mark was doing his own thing, trying to help Apollo break his puppet strings from the Master. Unfortunately...whoever it is has their connections with Cornelia Corp and that’s why they’re involved too. They’re the servants to the Master’s wishes and whether anyone wants to admit it or not, makes them just as dangerous. If we don’t stop the supply chain; they have the technology to help the Master to wipe the planet.”
His voice was a bit shaken as he hated being in the spotlight. “Mark would’ve never known about Cornelia Corp’s involvement, if it weren’t for Lux and me...until it was too late... And...to be honest?” He looked at Dawn with emotional distress. “We are to be blamed for this too. Cornelia Corp has been terrorizing us for as long as we can remember...” He rubbed his eyes free from an escaping tear. “Lux and I were just...trying to run and find someone who would try and help us. We wanted to feel safe. We wanted someone to be our protector and our guide because the one person that we were entrusted with, certainly didn’t do his job... So it’s fortunate and unfortunate that we got involved with his life...”
“Look...I know how terrifying this all is...” He spoke to Dawn. “We’re practically the same age. I’m scared to lose my brother to the Corporation and I don’t care if he’s a clone of me or not, he’s still my brother and I refuse to look at him in any other way. I’m terrified to lose everything we’ve ever worked for and protected. And I’m beyond horrified by the possible outcomes that we may face if we don’t do anything to help Mark... Because the world that exists now? If he fails? It’s going to seize existing. So then we won’t have a place that we can call Home...”
Nox had to shake his arms to release some of the tension he was feeling. “There’s a lot on the plate. And ...who knows? Maybe we can’t fix anything. Maybe all of our attempts of saving our worlds will actually end in failure? Perhaps the Puppet Master and Cornelia Corp will get their wishes and wipe us all from existence?”
“I wouldn’t dwell on the what if’s.” Said Tex.
Nox shook his head. “I...am not a fighter. I loathe fighting. I despise hurting others and watching them get hurt. But...I know I can’t turn back. I can’t run away. I cannot go and hide. Because...well... Mark needs me to be on his side and I cannot just stand and watch him risk his life for me, when I know I can do something to help. I’m scared, yes.” He paused and added; “But so is he.”
Tex spoke up, “If you desire to return home... Then I can open a portal to the nearest location of your choice.” She flicked her wrist and opened a portal for her. “Our decisions for assisting Mark with his endeavors is not by force but by our own desires to help. If you wish to turn back now, then feel free to walk through the portal and go back home. But we’re not coming with you.”
Nox then walked over to Dawn and hugged her to the best of his ability. He knew that hugs sometimes brought him comfort and ease of worries. “I just want to let you know that I’m not mad at you over any of this, Dawn...” He tightened his hug on her. “I’m just as terrified as you are... And I can understand how you feel...”
Tex turned to Beth and said; “I doubt he teleported the plumbing. But North District is under a strict watch. So chances are, any rivers or lakes around here are drinkable.”
After the hug, Nox released himself from Dawn and stepped back. For once, he was feeling really exhausted from everything going on and it showed. But he still smiled through it all, smiling at Dawn. “You’re my best friend. And I just want you to feel happy doing what you want to do. I’m not going to be mad at you if you decide to return home...” He then stepped further away from her and walked over to his Mother. “Mom?”
Emily looked down at him, curious.
“We’re going to get you free from Edna. And while we do it, we’re going to find my brother.”
“She says that you need to include Jet as well.” Tex said with a hint of distaste. She hated Jet. “He...apparently...is a friend... Ugh...Gross.”
Emily stared at her and made some more gestures.
Tex bluntly said to her; “I’m not repeating that. But screw you.”
Nox looked at the two of them in confusion. He had no idea what was just exchanged but whatever it was, resulted in Tex flipping off his Mother.
“Whatever, so I can help you find some water or something, Beth.” Tex quickly turned away from Emily and walked over to her. “Perhaps we can locate some medicinal supplies while we’re at it.”
“Can I come?”
“Nox, you’ve been running rampant for a while. My suggestion for you is; sit down and relax. We have until whenever Mark snaps out of it to gather supplies. So in the meantime, you as well as anyone else, needs to relax a bit.”
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Post by Moe on Dec 19, 2023 12:41:12 GMT -6
Dawn calmed down a little, when Nox hugged her. It was nice to have at least one good friend around. She sighed heavily, knowing Nox was right about everything, but at the same time, she still couldn't help but be angry at her cousin. "The road to hell is paved with good intentions, you know." was all she could manage to respond with. "You don't know the gods like I do. They've all had good intentions, but those good intentions always ended up hurting everyone in the end. Mark might think he's doing the right thing, but I know how it all ends because I've seen it all happen before. Or, at least my dad has and told me the stories. Maybe he will save the world, but at what cost? It's just like alchemy, you can't make something from nothing. There's always an equal exchange."
"And thank you for the offer, Tex. My home is a little too far for your portals to reach, though. I don't want to be the cause of you expending all your energy, if you could even reach it. It's also very magic-oriented, so technology doesn't seem to work too good, back home." she sighed as she leaned on Nox, being the only person she really considered a friend, here. "And it isn't your fault, either. If your brother was built as weapon to target Mark, then it still falls on him. I don't want to hate him because he's family, but everything just seems to be getting worse and worse since I met him."
She sighed again as she walked over to Beth and took the tea kettle; "I think I need to take a walk for a little bit, so I'll be happy to get some water."
"Oh, cool. I actually don't have any tea either, if you find any while you're out." Beth said with a shrug.
"Okay, I'll find something to make tea with, too." she said, a little annoyed but just glad to be going out to get some fresh air. "Nox? You know the area, right? Can you tell me where the closest clean water source is? Maybe help me identify some local herbs and flowers, too. Chamomile would be great if it's native to the area, but clover would also work. Maybe we could also find a hive to harvest some honey..." she started rambling as she headed out to forage.
"Y'know, that's actually a good idea." Nathan said as he stretched. "We've been stuck in a polluted underground for months, I could go for some fresh air and grocery gathering. What's there to eat around here?"
"What's there to hunt?" Beth said with a manic grin, attention directed at Roach, who apparently also knew the area.
"Or, and hear me out, if they're goin' to a water source, there's gotta be fish, right?" Nathan said as he set his hands on Beth's shoulders, to calm down her manic nature. "Nothin' too exciting, and we can just enjoy actual nature with clean air, for once. And y'know, sunlight that doesn't burn us to a crisp. And not fightin' for our lives tryin' to wrangle some big monster."
"Puh. That sounds boring." Beth huffed. "But I'll give it a shot." she shrugged.
"I'll stay here." Ikuki said as she brushed Mark's hair out of his face. "Just in case he wakes up and starts freaking out about us being somewhere different. I know some of you want to be mad at him, but please try not to see him as some otherworldly cosmic entity. He's still the same Mark as he's always been, and to err is human, after all. Something I don't think he realizes, himself."
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Post by Banshee on Dec 19, 2023 17:12:09 GMT -6
To her comment in regards of the Gods, Nox said to her; “I...know the Gods don’t particularly have a good track record...but I...don’t want to lose hope in him.” Then when she asked about saving the world with what cost, he stopped to think about how he wanted to answer. But frowned when his mind couldn’t think of anything good to defend him.
“I...dunno...” He gave up trying to think of a valid response. “I guess...the way I see it is... If we don’t do anything to help him-God or not; we lose anything anyway. So...I guess it’s at the cost of everything.”
Nox then shied away from her for a moment to seek the comfort of Emily. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his head against her metal chest. His sore cheek rested against her cool metal plating which felt nice and cool. He closed his eyes for a moment as he tried to push away any depressing thought. But the more he did, the more he also wished Lux was there beside him.
“A walk would be a good idea.” Tex said in response to Dawn. “I will remain here to do some minor tweaks and repairs as well as assist Ikuki with whatever she needs.”
“I’ll go with you Dawn.” Nox said as he released himself from hugging his Mother. She had started to ramble off various materials they could search for which caused him to laugh a little. “I know I’m from this District and...I haven’t been here since before uh...the whole Opera event. But...I’m sure we can find a lot of berries and stuff laying around.” He then walked over to his bag and dumped out some of the junk he scavenged. Dust poured out of it which made him wince. “We’re...going to need to bathe at one point.”
Then as he turned, Tex tossed him some fabric. “Lay it on the ground and fill it. Tie the corners and you have a bag. It’s cleaner than that rust filled junk collector of yours.”
He smiled to her and nodded. “Alright. Let’s go then.” Nox quickly guided Dawn outside, leading her towards a large meadow-like area.
Emily signed; ”There’s a lot of fish in the lakes and rivers nearby. And I’m sure there’s something that you can wrestle with, Beth. Maybe a bear or a boar. Just stay away from the birds, they seem to enjoy attacking in masses larger than an army.” Emily then walked over to them and decided to guide them to the best area she could think of. Or...at least hoped she was guiding them in the correct direction.
- - - - -
During his walk with Dawn, he was quiet for the most part. His mind was fixed on so many thoughts at once. Whether or not his brother was still safe. Whether or not they’d save Apollo from his puppet strings. Or whether or not he’d die. It was all just so bone chilling that it was becoming hard for him to brush it all away.
At least until he saw a blue butterfly land on a flower near him. He stopped to look at it. “Huh...” He said as he distracted himself from his and Dawn’s path to walk over to the lonely creature sitting on a bright purple clover. “Are you a sign?” He asked it before laughing; “I bet my brother would think you’re one...”
He pulled himself upright to notice that the butterfly had guide them to a massive meadow that was loaded to the rim with flowers. His eyes widened. “Dawn! I’m sure SOMETHING here would be good for a tea!”
With his excitement, he started to run through the flowers. All of the smells. The feeling of home. An overwhelming sense of tranquility. It all rushed him as he did this, which caused him to fall onto his back. Laughing and breathing hard.
“Man...” He said to her as she most likely followed. “I haven’t been in one of these meadows in years... I remember doing something like this with Lux... He...always loved nature. Everything about it from the simplicities of animal life to the elements, to the smells and bright colors then to the sky and the Cosmos.” He smiled as he recalled a moment where they ran through a meadow together, laughing and having so much fun.
“The greatest memory of mine is, remembering seeing my brother smile.” He said to her as his gaze was fixed upwards towards the bright blue sky. Clouds rolled over head. And for once, the air smelled so clean and crisp. Nox took a deep breath to inhale it, enjoying the feelings he was having while remembering Lux when they were little. “He was always grinning and laughing at something. Whenever we got into trouble, it was because I followed him into it and Reese got us caught.”
He took a deep breathe, loving the chance he had with not needing a mask over his face. Nox closed his eyes for a moment and said; “Lux, to me, is my brother. He’s every bit of me that I’m not. No, I am not talking down about myself at all but he’s just...so strong in areas that I’m weak at. And I guess I’m the same way with him... But... I do wish you’ve met him when he was in a better state of mind. He would’ve had you rolling! Especially with his cheeky laugh that he has.”
He let out a small laugh as he could recall Lux’s laugh. But his smile faded a little, allowing to show his worries through. “He’s always on my mind though...I know he’s tough and capable of defending himself. But if there’s one major thing that I want out of this whole adventure; it’d be to see my brother smiling again and to know that he’s finally okay. I miss him so much... I just...hope we cross paths again...”
- - - - - -
Emily guided the group over to a large pond and looked at it. Her body wasn’t exactly geared for swimming, otherwise she would’ve jumped right on in and cleaned her armor off. She pointed to it and motioned; ”There’s a lot of movement within the pond. So...Have at it. I’m going to have to sit on the sidelines and relax because I cannot go into the water.”
She walked over to a fallen tree and sat down. For once, she could hear some of her internal mechanisms squeak and cry over her sudden movement. Emily knew that it would be getting closer to maintenance time but didn’t have the proper equipment to perform it. So she had to hope that Jasmine and Tex were abled minded enough to perform such a task.
”You...guys can read my signing...Right?” It was a shot in the dark because she honestly didn’t know if Nathan or Beth understood her at all. And if that was the case, then it was just going to be another lonely period of time of being unable to speak, until someone who could read sign language came about.
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Post by Moe on Dec 19, 2023 18:48:18 GMT -6
As Nox bolted toward the field, Dawn wanted to protest and tell him to be careful, but she couldn't help but laugh as he gleefully ran through the flowers. The pollen that the wind began to blow through the air caused her to sneeze, causing more pollen to waft through the breeze, and she felt a small spark of joy. She set her bag down and ran through the field behind Nox, spreading her wings out for the first time in months, enjoying the way the breeze felt against them. She romped through the field much like a young puppy would, flapping her wings and sending fragrant breezes in Nox's direction.
When Nox fell over, Dawn collapsed into the flowers as well, and began joyously rolling around and simply enjoying the feel of the grass against her feathers. She huffed a heavy breath, finally content, and rolled over on her back next to her friend. "I've been stuck in the city for so long, I'd forgotten how good it felt to be in nature!" she smiled as she polished her glasses, which were covered in grass and pollen.
"I'm sure the two of you will reconcile, someday. Sometimes people just have to go out on their own and discover things on their own. Pave their own path, and such." she said, watching the clouds slowly drift by. "The circumstances might suck, but we gotta believe that he'll come back a better person. Until then," she grinned as she folded her wing under Nox and wrapped him up in it. "You've always got me!" she laughed. "And while I do still stand firm on what I said about my cousin, I am glad that circumstances lead us to meet. Dad was worried I'd grow up without any friends, so I guess I proved him wrong!"
"Hey! We're keepin' an eye on you two!" Nathan called out, as the pond wasn't too far away. "Don't be gettin' too frisky, now!" he teased them.
Which of course caused Dawn to groan, in response. "Don't you guys have fish to catch??"
"That we do!" Nathan said as he followed Beth and Emily to the pond.
"I'm gonna catch all the fish with ELECTRICITY!" Beth cackled.
Nathan just set his hand on her shoulder again and gave her a soft smile. "Or howabout we make a fishin' line? There's gotta be bugs around to use as bait, too. My sis and I used t'do this all the time, and the best part is just relaxin' and enjoyin' nature."
"Ugh! Curse your super zen attitude." Beth stuck her tongue out, but leaned on him as she did. "I do love it, though."
"Of course. That's because I'm irresistible." Nathan said with a big grin. "And yeh," he turned to Emily. "I can read sign. At least, mostly. Revelation taught me back at the hero hub, but there wasn't always a lotta time for lessons. I know enough to get by, though." he shrugged with a smile.
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Post by Banshee on Dec 19, 2023 19:59:36 GMT -6
“Yeah, I’m sure we will... Lux should know by now that I’ll always be there for him. Even when we’re physically in two different places.” He was suddenly scooped up under her wing and pulled into a hug. Nox quickly responded with an enjoyable laugh, loving the fun he was having with his friend. It had been a long time since he was able to just hang out and have fun.
Emily made a muted snort when Nathan called the two kids out. She had been sitting on her fallen log, listening to their giggles and their enjoyment being around one another. It was a breath of fresh air and an awakening sight to see how different the two boys were.
“Wait...Frisky?” He blinked. “I’m not frisking her. She doesn’t have any weapons on her.”
Nox saw his Mother stifling a laugh. She calmly waved at him but he could see the grin on her face. There was something going on and it was flying over his head.
“I...don’t get it.” He said to Dawn. “Why are your cheeks red? Does being frisky mean something else?” He looked down at his hands and pulled them away from her. “Am I missing it?” Nox looked back and forth, trying to understand what was so funny. “Is....Is being frisky a bad thing? I’m not being that way, am I?”
Emily burst into a silent laughter. She felt so bad for Nox for being so innocent and naive. The more she traveled with the group, the more she began to realize how very different her boys were from one another. Lux was rough around the edges, aggressive, and stubborn to the point of him being quite defiant. Nox on the other hand, was loving and caring, humorous and intellectual. His naive personality was something the group really needed to have. At least, that’s what she felt anyway.
In truth, she was really proud of both boys. Nox for being the lovable comedic genius that he was and Lux for being the determined and selfless brother who tries his hardest. In the end, both boys were very passionate about those they felt closest to. And she couldn’t have been more happy to bear witness to them both.
However, she does wish that things were different. That she was around them more, in a non-menacing way. She wished things were a lot better for them. But right now? She was confident in their abilities. And loved them both for what they were.
“Oh! Dandelions!” Nox chimed as he pointed out a bunch of them. “Couldn’t we make tea out of those? I’m sure they’re edible too. Though, I don’t know if we have an oven...” He frowned. “And I don’t know how to make a good campfire. The last time I did that, I burned Reese’s butt. He uh...got really mad at me for that one...” He laughed a little.
“Burnt a whole right in his new pants. Lux laughed so hard I thought he was going to pass out.” Nox grinned. “I wasn’t allowed to eat dinner that day. But it was okay. Reese’s cooking is as good as gnawing on that bug infested rock over there by the water.” He pointed to it. “They probably taste better. Dirt and all.”
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