|
Post by Banshee on Nov 19, 2023 19:08:07 GMT -6
Nox was protected by Mark and gave him a small nod. When time slowed, he saw how everything was. The world, went quiet. Movement was slowed dramatically, as if someone was holding down the tape that played an animation. He was then pulled to the side and warned about the sudden change.
Then everything moved all at once. Catching up with itself. Nox couldn’t hold it in and ended up power heaving onto the ground. The sudden movement gave him a brief period of motion sickness. But he was going to be fine as he gave Mark a thumbs up.
At first, Jet laughed when Mark pinned him down. He was being so polite that it was sickening like a cavity. But his chuckle fit quickly ended when Mark admitted that he had been inside of his head. He knew who and what Lux was. He knew about the opera and the shootings. Then he also knew that he had a part of silencing their Mother.
For some reason, that last bit irked him. “Like you can do that.” He snapped at Mark as he shrugged him away. “And how the hell did you manage to get into my head like that? What are you, some type of psychic or something?”
Lux collapsed onto his knees and gasped for air. The blast, it came from him. He couldn’t believe it. It was so strong that it sent out a shock wave. And...it felt good. But what he wasn’t expecting to hear, was the conversation between Jet and Mark.
“So you saw the whole thing?” Jet laughed mockingly. He knew he was being loud enough for Lux and Nox to hear at the same time. “That thing about that whole scenario? It wasn’t because I wanted to do it. I-“ He stopped for a moment as he felt a sudden electrical current surge through him, preventing him from saying anything more about the subject. “Shit...” He cussed. “They’re listening.”
The thing was, Jet wasn’t the one directly connected to Cornelia Corp. It was Minka. Being that Minka was within a close ranged distance, she could hear the conversation. And that meant THEY were listening.
“You can let go of me, X.” He spat at him. “That boy may be your little pretend brother. But he’s a danger. And being that you went into my head, you know more than he is possibly capable of knowing.”
Lux stood up, shaking. “You...know...about me? Both of you?”
Nox rushed over to his brother and helped him stand. But Lux immediately shoved him away. Furious over his assumptions of Nox knowing more than him. “You... You know about...what...exactly?”
Jet shoved Mark away once more as he rose to his feet. “You know of their Mother. And the whole scenario that happened before THAT?” He laughed. “Oh, and from the sounds of it...you didn’t tell him ANYTHING? Some good brother you are. You’re nearly as...okay no, you’re not as terrible as that idiot is. Never mind.” He was going to compare him to Reese but quickly realized Reese was way more terrible than Mark is. At least he was putting up a decent fight.
“Nam prikazano otstupit.” Minka shouted to Jet from a close distance. “Potoropites’, prezhde chem ya ostavlyu vas pozadi.” (We’re being ordered to retreat. Hurry up before I leave you behind.)
Jet hissed under his breath. “Yeah, you little brat. Looks like some folks are hiding stuff from ya.” He grinned as he backed away. “I’ll listen to you X. We’re going to retreat. But not because you politely asked. But be-“
“Lux...please...Don’t be mad at him.” Nox said to Lux. “He’s only trying to protect you. It’s...a lot more complicated. I’m sure of it. Just let him explain-“
He shook in anger. Annoyance. Betrayal. The one person he really wanted to trust, had information about him and prevented him from knowing anything. And what made it worse was, Nox was backing Mark up. He was supporting Mark’s decision with not telling him anything about what he knew. Then there was the idea that even Nox may have known what was going on. And even his own flesh and blood didn’t want to tell him anything. It all made him sick with rage.
“Lux...please...” Nox was growing worried about another psychic blast coming from his brother. “Please don’t do this. Just-“
Lux forcefully shoved his brother away from him. Which knocked Nox onto the ground, landing on his butt. He was speechless as Lux was increasingly growing aggressive by the second. “You...all know so much about me? All of my answers...that I’ve been searching for? And...you’re all just...hiding it?”
Jet was growing a little nervous about another blast. But his mouth ran faster than his brain could process anything. Instigating the boy, further. “Oh, I know a lot more about you than you’d ever DREAM of, kid. I even know about your own Mother.” It was then, that Roach ran over to Jet’s side, grabbing his arm.
“What?” He hissed at her. “What do you want?” Jet realized Roach wasn’t able to talk and groaned. “Damn it, I wish they never removed your voice box.”
Roach, though completely incapable of showing any facial emotions, had glanced over to Lux and Nox. The twins looked so worn out, so beaten. And Lux, was brimming with a dangerous energy. She knew that if it went uncontrolled, things were going to go sour VERY quickly.
“I trusted...you...” Lux’s words were broken with emotion. “I TRUSTED YOU. ALL.” He stepped back, tears filling in his eyes. “You all knew about what I was looking for. What I’ve been hunting for. And all you could do was...LIE?”
“Lux please.” Nox begged him. “Please don’t do this.”
His heart hurt. Lux’s chest burned. He took another step back as there was going to be another emotional outburst. “You...You...” Nox grabbed his arm but Lux pulled away again. “Nox...tell me how much do you know? A-And don’t lie.”
“...” Nox was put on the spot. He didn’t want to throw Mark under the bus. But if he lied about it, then he knew Lux would know. “...He didn’t give me details...” Nox said in defeat. “He saw us...at the opera... He saw Jet and Minka...and...Roach... He knows what trauma we went through that day, Lux... But you already know he knows that, we’ve told him.”
“I hate this... I hate this so much...” Lux shook with anger.
|
|
|
Post by Moe on Nov 19, 2023 21:27:59 GMT -6
"Okay, you know what," Mark said, finally having enough of Jet's stupid annoying voice. "You can stop talking." he pointed at Jet, causing him to freeze in time, allowing Mark to talk to Lux completely uninterrupted. "Lux, I wasn't trying to hide anything from you. There are just some things I know shouldn't be talked about, in certain states of mind. This is...exactly why. Yeah. I did see what happened at the opera. I don't know if it was a memory, a dream, or if I astral projected myself there, or if I was actually there. But I saw it, and I understand how much trauma you've both been through."
"I've been trying to build up your confidence, Lux. I always planned on telling you, I just didn't want to lay it all out in front of you, all at once, and this is exactly why!" he helped Nox stand up after Lux shoved him down. "I know I said it's okay to be angry, and it is, but right now you're going to end up hurting someone worse than these clowns have. I...don't know as much as Jet said. All I can tell you is that you're a lot like your mother." he said, choosing not to go into all of the details while Lux was in this state of mind.
Nox was helped up and held onto Mark. He watched as his brother’s face told him everything. Lux was having a hard time understanding this. He was struggling to accept Mark’s reasoning. Even Nox could understand this, as Lux had been on a rollercoaster for a long time now. It was dangerous. And seeing how his ability manifests when upset, it was even more risky to deal with.
Lux on the other hand, felt that Mark was just trying to find the easy way out. “No one...knows how much hell I’ve been through...” He shook his head. “I’ve...I’ve...”
Nox bit his lip. He wanted to say something to his brother. But knew that if he did, he would only make it harder on Mark. And so, he kept himself quiet.
“No one thinks I can handle anything...” Lux said with his voice shaken. “It’s always been that way. Even before meeting you. Everyone always thought I couldn’t handle anything. And...it hurts...”
"You're not getting it, Lux. I do know what you've been through! I was there! I was there for all of it!" Mark said, a little more agitation in his tone. "Look, it's okay to feel hurt and betrayal and anger, but don't think for a second that we don't care about you. I'll tell you everything I know, but I need to know that you're capable of handling it, and right now you aren't."
The tension started growing more tense, as Mark had to take a step back and keep his emotions from all pouring out. Both of them were right there on the edge, about to push each other over. He just had to make sure he was the one pulling them both back. He took a deep breath, trying to control his frustration. After all, Lux had a right to be upset. "Look, you have every right to be upset. Maybe I could've handled things better, but I didn't and that's a mistake I'll have to live with. But you need to learn that you're not the only one that's been through hell and back. You're not the only one who's been hurt, or been through something traumatic. Your brother was right there with you from the moment you came into existence, he experienced the same trauma you did, and you're acting like it only affected you."
Nox frowned as the truth was, it did bother him too. He had told Lux numerous times that it did and yet, it always fell onto deaf ears. Not once had Lux realized that he wasn’t alone. And it was that blindness that he had, that was making everything difficult.
“I…I am just done with everything.” He finally said. “I’m never going to find out the truth by staying here with you. Maybe…it is a good thing to go back home.”
“Lux…no…”
"Lux, don't say that. You don't mean it. Digging around in the past isn't going to change the present. You have people here, right now, who care about you. I told you that I would fight for you, and I still stand by that. I'm not going to let you go back home to Reese just to have him keep pushing you around, and if I'm being entirely honest, I don't feel like he's safe around you, either. You two are going to end up destroying each other, if you go back." Mark set his hand on Lux's shoulder, in an effort to keep them both calm.
"I'm sorry that I don't have all the answers. I'm sorry that I can't just make everything perfect. But no matter what, you'll always be my brother. Both of you."
Looking down towards the side, he heard Mark speak to him. He expressed his concern about Reese being horrible to him. His fear about what was to happen if the two were back together again. And it was true. If Lux and Reese were joined together again, the results would most likely end in a catastrophe. Even though he was annoyed with Nox being closer to Mark and had known more information than him.
He then was patted on the shoulder. Mark was standing by what he said. He was speaking the truth and Lux knew that. He knew how much he and his brother meant to Mark. It wasn’t news to him at all. It wasn’t something he simply forgot about either. But his actions were merely created by his own internal turmoil and unanswered questions. His fears and dark thoughts. All of them combined seemed to override anything that happens to him.
Lux glanced up at Mark’s visor. He couldn’t see him in there, but he knew that green eyed dragon-man was looking right down at him. Standing firm with what he believed in. But Lux? His eyes drifted away and over to the frozen Jet. Him, Roach, Minka. Lux knew that if they knew about him. Then...
He shrugged Mark away from him. This time, he was fighting with his own thoughts. Lux heard Mark but his actions displayed a false indication to his friend, that he wasn’t listening. “No.” He said a bit sharply. “I can’t. I can’t stay. I can’t stay anywhere. No matter where I go, or who I stay with? Those guys are going to be following me. And if it’s not them. Then it’ll be another set.”
“Lux please...” Nox didn’t want his brother to cave into his bitter thoughts. He hoped that what he was saying was out of protecting Mark and Tiffany from the chaos that chases him. But Nox said nothing on the matter as he didn’t want to assume.
“Shut up.” Lux spat at his brother. “I can’t stay here. I need to go back. Even... Even if it means the end of my own crappy life. At least I’ll go down, knowing that those robots aren’t going to terrorize you anymore. And if Reese wants to play that game, then I’m going to give it to him.” He was growing bitter. No. Angry.
"Don't talk to your brother, like that!" Mark said, sternly. "Be angry at me all you want, but Nox didn't do anything to you! I know what you're doing, Lux. You're not being a hero, you're being selfish. You're just using them as an excuse to push everyone away, before they can just hurt you even more. Trust me, I'm an expert in that, and it took you two to make me realize it. So don't you dare turn it around and do the same thing you told me not to do."
"Don't tell me you want to leave for some noble cause. You know what I'm capable of and what I can do to these guys, and this has nothing to do with keeping any of us safe. Lux, I'm trying to help you understand, but you're not wanting to listen. I know what path you're heading down and that's not a road I want to see you walking."
Out of his rage and senseless thinking Lux said; “I don’t want to be here anymore!” He then released a wave of telekinetic energy at Nox and Mark. Hitting them both rather hard.
Nox however, pulled up a minor shield to protect himself. But as he's not particularly good at his ability quite yet, he was unable to help Mark from getting hit.
Mark wasn't thinking clearly enough to sense when the wave of energy was going to hit, and his helmet ended up taking the full force of it, cracking the visor and nearly imploding the helmet itself. Mark struggled to get it off, revealing his face for anyone standing around. He panicked for a moment, as his identity had just been compromised, but given the situation that wasn't the most important thing to focus on. It also gave him a moment to wipe off the blood from his nose; he wasn't sure if it was from keeping Jet and co. frozen for so long, or if it was the impact of energy, this time.
He had a surge of emotions running through him right now, but the only one he could feel at the moment, was sadness. "If you really are that unhappy being here, then I won't stop you from leaving." he said as he tossed the crumbled helmet on the ground. "I'm sorry that I couldn't help you..."
It was much too late for Lux to realize everything that he had just done or what Mark had just said to him. His eyes widened in fright over the uncontrolled emotions he felt. The sadness. The anger. And...worst of it all. Selfishness. He held up his hand, an attempt to apologize to Mark. He didn’t mean it. He didn’t want to hurt him. But seeing the blood drip down his nose, crushed him more.
He was becoming the very thing he feared.
Lux could only take a step back. Panic. Sadness. The pain within his chest felt heavier than before. He had hit someone who he had thought highly over. He wanted to say sorry in the worst way. But then rage rolled over him. How dare Mark call him selfish! How dare he say that.
And with all of that, resulted in silence. Lux couldn’t say anything. His mind was at war with his emotions. His turmoil. His pain.
Nox yelped in surprise as he saw the helmet be tossed to the side. He felt horrible for what Mark was going through. He hated what Lux was becoming. He couldn’t believe how far he fell. Nox turned to his brother and screamed at him; “You’re such a damn monster!”
After hearing his brother scream at him, Lux couldn’t believe what he did. But with the existing pain he was feeling...instead of being sympathetic, the heartless part of him forced him into saying; “Well, you can’t save everyone. And I’m not worth it.”
Nox’s jaw dropped open as his brother turned and ran away from the group. He wanted to dart after him but was struck by the feeling of leaving Mark behind. The boy turned to him, teary eyed. “I’m so sorry...I’m so so very sorry that my brother is being...” He couldn’t finish his sentence. “Mark, please... I’m so sorry that he’s...such...”
"Lux, wait!" Mark started to follow him. "You're not...! A monster...." he stopped, as Nox's voice pulled him back. He wanted to rush after him, to bring him back, but in the long run, that would only make things worse. As his heart dropped, time in Jet's crew returned to normal, releasing them from their frozen hell.
The Apollo avatars had also been subdued and removed from the area, but Ikuki was unable to relay that information into the broken helmet, unaware of what was going on. Mark had no way of knowing now if she was okay, or to tell her they were still in the same area. Mark fell to his knees on the ground as Lux continued running off, not knowing what to do in this situation. "It's okay, Nox. He just needs to figure this out, on his own." he couldn't find the words to make the situation suck any less, and he was finding it really difficult to think of something positive to say. "We should probably get you ready to leave, soon." he said in a tone that seemed void of emotion, so unsure of which emotion should be boiling over that he just ignored all of them.
|
|
|
Post by Banshee on Nov 19, 2023 21:49:15 GMT -6
When unfroze, the robots glanced at one another. Roach was the first to realize that Lux had taken off. Once again, losing sight of their primary target. Silently, she glared at Jet and Minka for their lack of ability to do anything right. But yet she was unable to scold them.
“Well crap.” Jet said before getting a hard smack to the head by Minka. “What? I tried to get him mad. But it’s nice to know that he’s holding up. After all, with what he is...he’s not even supposed to be roaming around.”
Minka didn’t care about the reasons or anything about the kid. To her, he was a threat and needed to be eliminated. But for some strange reason, the Corporation had changed their plans and wanted them to retreat. She was positive that they’d get an earful once they’ve returned. And before Jet could say anything stupid, she simply teleported them out of the area. Leaving Nox and Mark behind.
Nox knelt beside him and rested his hand on Mark’s shoulder. He wanted to say more to him. He wanted to try and cheer him up. But deep down, he knew and understood what it must’ve felt like. To Mark, Lux was family. A family that Lux had been looking for. But yet, his brother had this weird thought in his mind that he didn’t belong anywhere.
He overheard Jet talk about Lux. Something about him not being allowed to be roaming about. Nox wanted to ask Mark if he knew what Lux actually was and whether or not he was really his brother. But, the more he looked at the defeated look on Mark’s face, the less inclined he was for asking about the truth. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Mark and hugged him tightly. “I love you so much Mark. Please don’t forget that...”
He kept hugging Mark tightly, clenching his eyes closed as he fought the emotion to cry. “I’m going to keep in touch with you. I’ll...I know you still care about him. And ...I’ll do my best with keeping you updated about him too.”
- - - - - - -
When they arrive at the train station, they could see a few others sitting in waiting to hop onto it. Lux, was sitting alone on a bench, not speaking to anyone that was there. Not even Josephine was capable of getting him to crack a smile, as she too was waiting for the train to arrive.
When she noticed Nox and Mark approach the train, she promptly walked over to greet them. “Hey, what’s...” She quickly realized the sad and melancholic expressions on their faces. So she stopped with her question about how they were doing and shifted the topic over to; “The train is soon to arrive. The operator said it’s about three minutes away...”
“Thanks...” Nox said to her with a solemn tone. “I’m sorry, we...just went through a lot.”
“It’s okay...I think....Maybe. I don’t know.” She flailed as she wasn’t sure what was right to be said. “I...hope things do get better. And Nox? I swear if Reese starts his crap again, just call me. I’ll send my Grandmother or Father over to eat him.”
Nox gave her an unsure smile and a laugh. But he wasn’t so positive about the idea of going back. Lux was in such a crippled state and being trapped with robots hunting him daily, it wasn’t going to be easy at all. And the fact he still had night terrors wasn’t beneficial to him either. But this was all something that Josephine didn’t need to worry about. And so, he smiled to her and said; “Don’t worry. We will keep in touch.”
Nox then turned to Mark. “Hey...I uh...made a small gift while I was packing. It’s...not really anything major. But...” He pulled it out to reveal the mug that Lux had knocked down prior. It was glued together by Nox and within it, was a small flower beginning to grow. “It’s a lily. It’s...I tried to help it grow but I think I overexerted myself. So...this is my parting gift for you. I just want to know that...destruction can sometimes lead to beauty. And the flower within this, once it blooms, then beauty is coming.”
|
|
|
Post by Moe on Nov 19, 2023 22:32:29 GMT -6
Mark didn't respond to the hug, at first. He was distant, unresponsive, as the emotions all started to tidal wave all at once. Tears started to well up in his eyes as he let everything out, leaning against Nox. It wasn't about Lux, or his inevitable fate. It wasn't about feeling useless in every situation, or screwing up everyone else's lives, or failing to be good enough. It was everything. Every anxiety and fear and worry all came out all at once, the moment Nox embraced him in a hug.
He returned Nox's hug, not giving a single thought as to who was around to see him without the helmet on. "I love you too, kiddo." he hugged him tighter. "Don't ever forget that you'll always have a home, here. Lux, too, if he wants."
---------
When they got to the station, Mark set down a bag full of Lux's things. Art supplies, clothes, and trinkets he had obtained over their stay in the city. Since he'd left without much of a thought, Mark figured to pack for him. After all, he didn't want them leaving without supplies. He didn't really say much to Josephine, as he was trying to keep his own emotions from spilling over, again.
"I'll keep in touch, too." he said to Nox. "I'm going to bug you every day, and if Reese says anything about it, then I'll come over there and personally kick his butt." he tried to smile, but it didn't last.
"Me, too!" Ikuki agreed, giving Nox a big hug. "And don't forget my offer to summon eldritch horrors to devour his soul." she whispered as she hugged Nox, hoping Mark wouldn't hear.
"Me, too!" Tiffany joined in the hug, though she didn't know what she was agreeing to do, she just wanted to be a part of it.
Mark joined in the hug as well, all three of them giving Nox the biggest hug, trying not to get more emotional than they already were. He looked over at Lux, who was sitting alone on the bench, not wanting to be a part of the farewell. "Tell Lux he'll always have a family here, okay?"
When Nox then handed them the mug, both Mark and Ikuki couldn't keep themselves from getting a little teary-eyed, bringing them back to that day at the bookstore. Ikuki took the mug, smiling proudly, while Mark grabbed something as well.
"I got you something, too." he said, pulling out what looked like a digital tablet. "It's an e-reader. A whole library, in one book. I've got it pre-loaded with all the books on alchemy, that I could find. Along with those comics Lux found in my old room. Managed the find the whole series." he smiled.
"Here," Tiffany also had a parting gift for them, but it was just a few feathers that Spicy Nugget had shed, while molting. "For you."
"Okay, that is not sanitary and I do not know how you got those." Mark said, taking the molted feathers from Tiffany, dropping one of the bigger ones as his attention diverted to the train that was approaching, and suddenly feeling a pit in his stomach as the boys had to board. "I'm so happy to have met you two. You've both changed my life." he smiled, trying not to cry.
Ikuki on the other hand, wore her emotions on her sleeve and did not hold back tears. "Me, too! We all brought out the best in each other, just like Dawn said!" she sniffled. "We're gonna come visit you soon, and be at each other's birthday parties, and holidays, and when we get married, you both better be there, okay??" she hugged the mug and flower tightly, not wanting to say goodbye.
|
|
|
Post by Banshee on Nov 19, 2023 22:59:24 GMT -6
Nox really didn’t want to leave. He hated leaving them behind. The train ride home was going to be a long one. And with lux being silent, he wasn’t sure how interesting it was going to be. He knew Josephine was there but she was more Lux’s friend than his. But if he wanted someone to talk to, at least she was there.
Mark had set down Lux’s bag but Lux made no move to go and grab it. If Nox didn’t know any better, he would assume that Lux was feeling ashamed for his actions. And before he could make a move to go and bring them over, Josephine grabbed them for him and lugged them over to Lux.
When Mark and Ikuki presented a gift, he smiled up at them both, giving them another tight hug. He didn’t want to cry either but tears were swelling up. “Thank you guys for everything. And I promise, we will do whatever it takes to come back for birthdays, holidays, weddings. And I’ll keep you updated as much as I can. I promise you both this.”
Nox then smiled more at them. “Lux knows he has a place to return to. And…I’m hoping that he can break out of the muck he’s in and come back.”
Tiffany handed him some feathers. One of the biggest ones fell from Mark’s hands and he reached down to grab it. “You never know what sort of fun enchantments can come from using feathers. Thank you Tiffany!” He kissed her on her forehead. “You keep Mark in line! He’s a crazy one!” He then ruffled her hair with a soft chuckle.
He heard the train approaching and the other folks prepared themselves to hop on. A huge knot filled his throat as he knew he had to leave his new home behind. And when the train squealed to a halt, people began to climb on. Nox saw Josephine follow Lux onto the train.
“I…don’t want to go…” Nox said with a frown. He gave Ikuki and Mark one last hug. “I’ll request for your assistance if needed, Ikuki.”
He then turned and climbed onto the train. Eventually bringing himself to his designated room. He sat down and with him, Lux and Josephine sat. The three of them were by the window.
Nox waved to Ikuki, Mark, and Tiffany. While Josephine waved to Davis and Kyra. Nox was beginning to cry when the train began to move.
Lux saw them outside the window. He wanted to wave. He wished he could say goodbye. But his body refused to make a move. Instead, a few tears slipped down his cheeks.
He was going to feel this as a regret later.
“BYE…” Nox shouted out the window. “I love you guys!!!”
Then the train began to chug off. Leaving Mark and Ikuki alone with Tiffany and the remaining strangers.
|
|
|
Post by Moe on Nov 20, 2023 16:36:49 GMT -6
The image of the boys leaving on the train, was a permanently-ingrained memory. The feelings they were all feeling, as they waved goodbye. The tears filling their eyes as there was nothing they could do, to stop it from happening. Mark had seen off plenty of heroes as they left for another city to protect, but Lux and Nox were different. They were family. Family that had been dealt an awful card in life, and that he wanted to protect at any cost. It was an unforgettable moment, for all the wrong reasons.
He was happy to have met them, and for the time they'd spent together, but angry that he couldn't do anything to keep them safe from their abusive brother. Sad to see them leaving on such short notice. It was hard to look back at the good times, when everything felt so awful, right now. He would've loved to been able to visit them for his and Tiffany's birthday, but it was such a long ride into an unknown city, and he didn't want to bring Tiffany on such a journey at such a young age. He'd hoped they would be able to visit, but knew Reese wouldn't let them.
He tried his best to keep a smile and enjoy the party, for Tiffany's sake. After all, the day was more about her than it was, him. He didn't even care about his own birthday. As he said, they don't really matter once you hit adulthood, anyway. After nearly everyone else had left and Tiffany was distracted playing with her gifts, only two family members stayed behind for a little while. Dawn was with Tiffany, letting her explain all the new toys she'd received and playing with her. Argon was helping Mark clean up, while Ikuki had left to 'go get something'.
"Dawn misses them, too. She was closer to Nox, but they all three got along splendidly." Argon said, helping to pick up wrapping paper that Tiffany had strewn about.
"I don't want to talk about it." Mark said, frustrated and not wanting to bring up the subject. Not today.
"I know, but you can't just keep your feelings bottled in, all the time. You have to accept what happened, and that even with all your power, nothing could have prevented it. Sometimes it's just fate, for people to come and go in your lives. And I believe you truly did make an amazing impact on both of them." Argon didn't realize how what he'd said might set of Mark, causing the tsunami of emotions to finally come tidal waving forward. It was over a month after the incident and he'd tried keeping it together for as long as possible, but what Argon had said just triggered that specific nerve.
"Fine." All of Mark's emotions came roaring out, at once. "I do accept it. I accept that I gave them the false hope of giving them a better life, only to have it ripped away. I accept that there was more I could have done, and didn't. I accept that they would've been better off if they'd never met me. I accept that I'm just as terrible, as all the others. I accept my fate, because I don't have anything to lose. All I'm going to end up doing, no matter what, is hurting everyone. Ikuki, Tiffany, Alex, Mom...no matter if I'm god or not, they're just going to get hurt and it's going to be my fault. It's always going to be my fault." he sniffled, anger turning to hurt and sadness, leading into depression. "So yeah. I accept all of it. I accept that I'm a god who can't do anything to protect the people I care about, but I also accept that I'm human with feelings just like anyone else. I'm so tired of being told how much potential I have, when I can't even keep my own friends and family safe."
That was a lot to unpack, and Argon was not ready for that kind of emotional outburst, yet alone what Mark had said. He said it with intention, with meaning, with knowledge. He accepted what he was, and that was going to create a whole new kind of emotional baggage. He decided not to point it out, as Mark may not have even realized what he'd said, or what it meant to have said it. "Mark, I'm so sorry for what your father has put you through." he set a hand on Mark's shoulder. "If you'd like Dawn and I to stay here for a little while longer, we will. If there's anything you need to work through-"
"No." Mark stopped him, immediately realizing he might have come off sounding rude. "I mean, you don't have to. It's been a long day...I think the best birthday gift I can get right now, is actual sleep."
Argon nodded, and called for Dawn to tell her they were leaving. "You know how to contact me, should you need me. I don't...have any other family, outside of Dawn and her mother. I care about you, Mark. I don't want to see you walk a path you're going to regret."
As he left, he met Ikuki coming back inside, and she could feel the awkward tension. "Keep a close eye on him." Argon whispered to her, cautioning her that he was in a state where he very well could do something really stupid. Again. She nodded at him as he left, understanding what he meant.
When she came back in, Mark was leaning over the counter trying to gather all his thoughts and hold it together. "Hey. I know you said you didn't want anything, but...happy birthday." she smiled as she presented a large framed photo of everyone. Mark, Ikuki, Hope, Alex, Lux, Nox and Tiffany. It was when they went to Hope's the first time, a couple years ago. They had taken the photo at the table, to commemorate family, and he couldn't help but cry when he saw it. They were all happy, and it was a memory he'd always treasure.
"I'm sorry...I didn't-" Ikuki started to apologize when he got emotional, setting the photo aside on the table, but Mark stopped her before she could finish.
"No. Don't be sorry." Mark had to wipe the tears from his eyes, to even be able to see her and the photo. "It's perfect."
Ikuki smiled, but she knew how much heartache he was going through and trying to hide. "I sent one to the boys, too. I hope they got it..." she said as she leaned into Mark, which he happily accepted and embraced her in a tight hug.
|
|
|
Post by Banshee on Nov 20, 2023 18:00:56 GMT -6
A month slowly drifted by like an unwavering beast that didn’t seem to want to move any faster. The twins had a rather chaotic departure. One of which resulted in the demise of their train. However since then, the press had ensured the public that it was just a misalignment of the tracks which allowed the train to crash. They didn’t go into detail outside of that. But the boys and Josephine made it safely to their destination with the help of her Grandmother, who transformed into a dragon and saved them from their demise.
Reese made it very clear to Lux that he wasn’t fond of his return. He also made Lux’s life a living Hell. As for Nox, he was treated much differently and was allowed to continue his studies with Odette, Josephine’s purebred Draygar Grandmother, who was skilled in the areas that he had interest in. At first, this was going to separate the two boys from one another, leaving Lux behind with his horrible brother.
That was, until Josephine mentioned something to her Uncle and Mother. She told Gwen and Ezra everything about his skillset. But then expressed her fear that Reese was going to do everything and anything to prevent him from flourishing. After seeing how horrible Reese was actually to Lux, the two siblings really wanted to help him. This then resulted in Ezra approaching Reese and requesting to take Lux off Reese’s hands to train him.
At first, Reese rejected this because of the lack of faith in Lux and the fact that Gwen and Ezra weren’t purebreds. But behind his back; Gwen told Lux to make his life more miserable by removing his items from where they belonged and place them in other rooms. And she felt that eventually, Reese would grow tired of treating Lux like garbage and losing his stuff, that he’d allow Ezra and Gwen to steal him for training.
Lux of course, was reluctant. But he tried it because what did he have to lose? And to his surprise, only within two days of being trapped with him, Reese had actually gotten fed up with dealing with Lux and threw the boy into Gwen and Ezra’s hands for training. He then told them that he didn’t care how hard they trained his brother because Lux wasn’t going to amount to anything and that they were wasting their time.
The first steps that the siblings took was, repairing the confidence he had lost. Gwen, could relate on the this and knew that it wasn’t going to be a simple fix. So she, Ezra, and her husband Lionel, combined their heads together to create lessons for him to learn. Lessons of which that would build up his confidence and skillset. In addition to this, they allowed him to be himself by exploring artistic elements and go on nature walks with Lionel and his daughters. After all, they wanted him to feel welcomed, just like how Mark and Ikuki did.
The month was a long and hard one for Lux. He went through several rough periods and had rebellious tendencies towards Gwen and Ezra. But as the days progressed, his attitude was seemingly less and less problematic. However, he still had a huge mountain to conquer before he was completely better.
Nox on the other hand, was doing super well with Odette teaching him about enchantments. For a Draygar, he was surprised that she would even have any interest in such magic. Draygar were exploding with such vibrant power that they didn’t need to do anything like this. But Odette, just had a strong interest in it and was more than happy to share her knowledge with the boy. Plus, she also allowed him to explore libraries and research all he wanted. As well as spend some time with Lux, Josephine, and her sister Morgana.
Nox was improving on his ability and quickly discovered that he had the gift of growth. It was mostly a Nature aligned ability, which surprised him to no end. But he embraced it and was quickly becoming quite good with using it at his disposal.
Unfortunately, Reese refused to allow the boys to travel back to the city. Which threw Nox into a fit. Lux on the other hand, still seemed reluctant to make his return to Mark and actually remained silent on the topic. But Nox, refused to sit back and make it seem like they had forgotten Mark and Tiffany’s birthdays. And so, he bribed Lux into making a gift for him and Tiffany to send.
- - - - - - --
Just then there was a knock on the window. Once the window was opened, an owl then fluttered into the house and over towards Mark and Tiffany. When it landed on the nearest table or sofa, the owl cooed before turning into a puff of green smoke. Once the smoke disappeared, within it, sat a pair of boxes. One labeled for Tiffany and the other, for Mark.
Mark didn’t pay the owl any mind at first. Owls were common and though he made an effort to keep animals out of his yard, one did occasionally show up at random. Ikuki, however, found it strange as owls were often a symbol of magic, plus they were kind of Athena’s trademark.
She walked over to open the window, much to Mark’s disdain. Even more so, when the owl flew inside and perched itself on the table. Mark wanted to say something, but was on such a roller coaster of emotions that he couldn’t find words, before the owl disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving behind two gifts.
“What do you think?” Ikuki said with a hopeful expression on her face.
“I think…I don’t want to get my hopes up.” Mark said. He tried to drown out all the emotions that had been bubbling up, and called Tiffany into the living room. “Hey, Tiff. Looks like you’ve got one more gift.”
She came screeching into the living room like a cat with zoomies, “WHAT IS IT??” she yelled excitedly, as she scrambled into the chair to grab her gift off the table.
Once Tiffany opened her gift, it was a handmade stuffy in the shape of an orange and white cat. It wore a little wizard’s hat with a purple cloak. There was a necklace on it that said; “Toby” on it. With the cat, was a card. Once opened, the card said;
“Hey kiddo! We cannot believe you’re getting another year older! This is awesome! We really hope your birthday has been a great one! Maybe soon, we can get together again and you can tell me all about your super cool adventures! Love Nox & Lux.”
Mark read the card out loud to her, starting to tear up again as soon as he read who it was signed from. This time, Ikuki was right there with him, getting just as emotional. Tiffany held up the cat with a sparkle in her eyes, before hugging it tightly. She joined them in getting teary-eyed, though she didn’t understand the situation, all she knew was that they were gone and she didn’t know why.
“I miss them.” She said as she hugged the plush even tighter.
“I do, too.” Mark said, lightly ruffling Tiffany’s hair. For all the emotions running through him right now, he was able to smile in the moment.
“You should open yours.” Ikuki handed him the box, but he seemed like he didn’t want to.
“I don’t know if I can keep holding it together, if I open it now.” He told her.
“Mark. You’re already not holding it together. Come on, you’re not the only emotional wreck right now.” She said, attempting to hand him the box, again.
He wanted to argue against that, but he couldn’t. She was right. This affected all of them, and he was being selfish by pretending he was the only one feeling sadness. “Okay.” He took a deep breath, and opened the box.
Inside of Mark’s box had two smaller items. One, was an intricately crafted origami dragon with brightly colored paper. It was inside of a glass bottle, similar to a ship in the bottle, with plastic grass and rocks inside of it. The dragon looked like it was sitting inside of a forest, protecting its treasure as there was a small box sitting behind it.
The other item, was a small book that Nox had found. It was about a little robot bear that tried to become a comedian. It was a comical book, one that was geared towards children. But there was a note that said; “I found this to be super funny and I wanted to share it with you, Love Nox.”
Shortly after, Ikuki’s phone began to ring. On the screen’s face, was Nox’s name.
Mark couldn’t help but smile, at both of the gifts. Though, Tiffany quickly grabbed the book and started looking through the pages, more interested in the funny bear that was on the cover.
“Hey, that’s mine!” Mark laughed “How about we all read it together, tonight?” he smiled at her.
“Okay!” she smiled back.
And then Ikuki’s phone rang, causing her face to light up with excitement. She showed the phone to Mark, to show him who was calling. Tiffany couldn’t read, but she could see his picture and she had a big smile on her face, as well. Ikuki answered, making sure they were all together and that he was on speaker. “It’s so good to hear from you! We’ve been missing you and Lux, so much!” she answered.
“Thank you!” Tiffany said as she held up Toby.
“Yeah…what they both said.” Was all Mark could muster, still trying to hold it together for everyone else. Argon was the only one he felt comfortable enough around, to completely let his guard down around. “Seriously, you didn’t have to send anything! It’s enough just to hear from you!” he smiled.
At first, Nox was the only one in the camera and he waved enthusiastically to the trio. “Hey!” He was smiling just as brightly as he always had. Then when he noticed that Lux wasn’t in the picture, he turned the camera to face him.
Lux wasn’t as anywhere near as enthusiastic as his brother and it was clear that he was still showing some signs of struggle. But he did try to smile and wave. And if they got a good glimpse of him, despite looking rather depressed still, he was actually in really good health. However, he couldn’t say anything as Nox immediately stole the show by turning the camera back to himself and speaking. “Happy birthday you two!” He sang to them both. “Also, you’re welcome!”
He then stopped to listen to Mark and Ikuki speak up. Nox said to them; “Don’t worry! Unfortunately, the train is out of commission and we can’t actually get back to the city. That, and Reese has been extremely nasty about us leaving. However, I just want to let you know that we’ve been doing rather well actually. And we wanted to call you on your big day! It’s the least we can do since...well the train predicament and for what you’ve both done for us.” Nox smiled at them.
Nox then laughed. “Man, I can’t wait until we can see you guys again. I’m sure we’ll have so much to talk about too! Also, I’ve been using that Ebook tablet you got me and have been doing so much studying. I was the one that managed to send that magical owl to you!”
|
|
|
Post by Moe on Nov 20, 2023 19:26:12 GMT -6
Being able to see and hear Nox instantly changed the mood in the room, with everyone's faces being lit up. Mark wished he could talk to Lux, to try and tell him he was sorry he wasn't such a good role model, but he didn't want to sour the mood. Instead, he just focused on the good. "Hey, the origami dragon is beautiful. Did you get it from a local artist? Whoever it was, tell them that they have an amazing talent and I'm super proud to have their art on display." he said with a cheeky grin, loud enough that Lux would hear.
"It really is so good to hear from you. Both of you." he said, even though Lux hadn't said a word. "It sucks that Reese has been so strict about you leaving, but-"
Ikuki nudged against him, to where the screen was focused on her; "My offer still stands! I can and will summon a demon to drag him to the underworld!"
Mark nudged her aside; he wanted to say he knew she was kidding, but honestly, he wasn't sure if she was or not. And that was part of her charm. "But you know you're always welcome, here. You two are official heroes of Kaiser City. That pretty much gives you full citizenship. And you always have a home to go to, when you're here. I've kept your room exactly how it was when you left." he smiled at them, but it soon faded as he looked to Ikuki, knowing they would have to tell them their plans.
"But it might not be for a while. Ikuki and I are planning on going to the Expanse soon, to see Apollo in person. This isn't really something we want to spread around and cause panic over, but...remember when Ikuki first went into the astral plane, to speak with Apollo? And when she came back, she said there's something a lot more dangerous out there?" he said, as Ikuki panned the camera over to her, again.
"We think it might be coming a lot sooner than we'd hoped." she said. "We hate leaving, and we might not be able to contact you way out there because of all the radiation. So, in case we don't get a chance to talk again, we just want you to know how much we love you and Lux, and as soon as we get back from saving the world, we'll all hang out again." she said with a big smile.
"Yeah..." Mark tried to smile, but it had a lot more sadness behind it. "You both mean the world, to us. We're so proud to call you family. I hope Lux knows that goes for him, too. You two just...keep hanging in there, okay? We'll get together again, really soon. I promise."
|
|
|
Post by Banshee on Nov 20, 2023 20:13:27 GMT -6
When Mark complimented the dragon inside of the bottle, Nox couldn’t help but smile at it. And with a sneaky glance over to his brother, he checked to see if he was paying attention. Then with a quick flick of the camera, he changed it from the front camera to the backside, to show Lux sitting down beside Josephine and her sister Morgana. The three of them were concentrating on their little project together.
But what Nox was REALLY trying to show was; there was a small smirk on Lux’s face. He heard Mark clearly. “Yeah.” Nox said as he pretended to be keeping the camera on himself and not on Lux. “I’ll have to let him know that he’s got some pretty incredible talent.”
Then the camera flicked back to him, just so Lux didn’t grow curious or wary of Nox being sneaky. “He does a lot of cool stuff.” Nox continued. “I’ll definitely let him know.”
Ikuki jumped into view and told him that she would send a demon out. Nox laughed; “Yeah, we both know you’re itching for it.” He then winked. “Don’t worry. We’re just waiting for the perfect moment to strike. After all, a sneak attack is the best way to attack. Right guys?”
There was a prompt; “Yeah!” From Josephine and her sister. And a quiet one from Lux.
Nox’s smile faded when the topic switched from being heroes to Kaiser City and always being welcomed to Mark’s home, to the idea of going into the Expanse. Now that he’s had a lot of time to perform studies, Nox has been trying to learn more about the world outside of his own. And to be quite frank, he was a bit nervous about the idea of them going out there. Apollo may have been somewhat on their side but being a computer, all it took was a simple flick of the switch and he’d become enemies. Even with an incredible brain like his.
“The Expanse, I’ve been reading about it.” Nox admitted to them. “It...” He paused as it was clear that he was really worried over them. A part of him wanted to cave in and be super emotional over it. But he coughed, as if trying to keep it down. Nox then returned his attention to the camera and smiled. “I know you guys will do amazing things. Both of you. I just want to let you know that Lux and I really wish you the best and...be careful out there... Right Lux?”
“Yeah...” Lux’s voice sounded quite distant. But it wasn’t because he was annoyed over them doing this. He too knew a bit about the area and it was a dangerous move.
Nox returned his attention to the camera once again. After everything was said, Nox couldn’t help but smile again. “We love you both too. We really do. Even if Lux is being all silent and brooding over there. I do know that he misses you guys and wishes the best for you both. But...you better keep your promise!” He wagged his finger at both Ikuki and Mark. “You better make it back so we can hang again! Plus! I want to see Tiffany again! Maybe I can bring some fun books for her to look at! Or even better yet! Pictures!”
He then gave them a nod. Happy to see them smile and happy to be able to have the chance to speak with them again. “We have so much to talk about, Mark. We’ve been gone for a whole month but so much has happened here. But...I don’t want to prattle on about it now! I hope you guys enjoy the gifts we gave you! And please! Do be careful out there. I’m sure we will meet sooner than you think!”
|
|