|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2017 5:27 pm
"Yeah, he did," said Chance, because there was no point in denying it. "But he wasn't you. I know you, Otto Graves, and that ******** wasn't you. It was just..." He waved a free hand, his other still on Otto's back, moving in slow circles. "A remnant. Or some evil twin or something."
His arms tightened a little. "I fought one too, that had my face. We're stuck in some...tower or something. Some Horseman lair. I think."
Chance let out another breath, then drew back a little. "Where are you hurt? Let me see."
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2017 5:33 pm
"You too, huh.." Maybe there were others. Yes.. likely many other hunters were here, facing off against strange shadows of themselves dressed in odd ancient robes. He was almost able to swallow this down and carry on, until Chance said something in passing;
A horsemen lair.
Horrible memories sprang up at him like nausea leaping up from his stomach. Fear raked every nerve, making his heart clench painfully in anticipation. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe it was just a guess Chance had come to. Surely they weren't back in the Hellish abyss that had been his prison for over a month. The place of endless nightmares, complete with physical and psychological torture.
Otto gave a stiff nod, his eyes hinting he was somewhere else just then. He came back enough to anchor his mind on Chance, to focus on the here and now. He lifted his shirt up and over his head, wincing as skin tugged on open wounds, the worst of them being a stab wound that entered from his back, and other scrapes that littered his arms from defending himself.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2017 5:46 pm
"Unfortunately." Chance gave a sigh. "I could have done without that."
And without having to essentially shoot his boyfriend through the chest, but it hadn't been Otto. Whatever that was had not been Otto, he just had to keep reminding himself of that.
He didn't want to let go, but he had to check Otto's injuries. Somewhat reluctantly, his arms lowered from around his boyfriend's back, then shifted to help him pull his shirt off, Chance's gaze immediately going to the scrapes on his arms.
"What are you thinking about, hmm?" Chance reached into the folds of his coat and tugged out a roll of bandages, slowly unfurling them. "Here, let me get at your back first, that looks the worst," he added, maneuvering around to kneel behind Otto.
"Talk to me."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2017 5:53 pm
Otto gave Chance a glare that lacked any real malice. What he didn't care to do on any occasion was talk about his feelings. All those fears and worries belonged inside a deep chasm inside his heart and locked away to deal with never. Admitting those fears aloud or recalling past pain was only an invitation for a waterfall of emotion he preferred not to show anyone. It happened now than then, true. All the more reason he felt embarrassed or shame when it did. Well, and sometimes relief, he supposed.
"I don't got good memories of Horsemen lairs." He admitted after collecting his thoughts. He kept himself from shaking as memories tried to pull him away, his hands gripping his knees to ground himself. "I um... I might be scared."
Maybe.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2017 6:05 pm
He knew how Otto felt about talking about feelings, but that wasn't going to stop Chance from asking about them anyway, especially not after what had just happened.
Besides, focusing on Otto meant he was focusing less on the large, bloody gash on Otto's back, Chance wincing a little at the sight o it, his lips pressing together in an attempt at keeping his discomfort at bay. Even after all these years, the sight of blood was still one of the only things to - unfortunately - rattle him a little.
Chance dabbed gingerly at the wound with the end of a bandage, trying to wipe away some of the excess blood.
"You?" he said lightly, deliberately keeping his tone above board. "Scared? Nah. You're pretty badass."
But he leaned forward and pressed a brief, gentle kiss to Otto's shoulder before leaning back again, Chance ripping open a gauze patch and pressing it against Otto's back before either of them could object to the sudden pressure of his fingers.
"Did you get stuck in a Horseman Lair before?" he asked quietly, reaching for the bandages again to start wrapping. "Is that what you're afraid of?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2017 6:12 pm
Sitting through a bandage dressing was nothing. It was a pain he was able to tolerate fairly well at this point. At the least, that alone made him feel manlier than he had just a moment ago. He gave a light snort at Chance's assurances, lightly rolling his eyes. "Yeah. Real badass." He had his a** handed to him by his own doppleganger, yet Chance seemed relatively unscathed by his own; even able to take down what remained of Otto's. That was infinitely more badass.
Chance deserved to be called a badass. Or a hero. Otto felt those words lodge in his throat, unable to be set free.
"Mmmhmm." He murmured back, swallowing down that sick feeling he got when he thought of the Horsemen. "Me and some other hunters... years.. years ago. We got captured in a raid on Deus. We were there for over a month or so."
Sasha had been one of them. She'd been a very different person back then. It made him reflect at just how different himself and the rest of the hunters had been all that time ago.
"I um... thanks. Yanno.. for um..." He huffed, "Savin' me."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2017 6:25 pm
He managed to get most of the bandages in place without too much trouble, Chance trying to make sure that they were secure before he tied them off. It wasn't by any means a spectacular show of medical help, but it would do for now.
"Hey, I always think you're badass," said Chance, which was perfectly true, even as he felt the tense silence from Otto, the muted words, the low cadence of his voice. He likely hadn't even been on the island yet, when Otto had been captured, but even though it had been years apparently, it clearly wasn't something to simply brush off.
"I'm sorry," he said. "A month is a long ******** time."
The bandages were finished. He knew he should move on to taking care of Otto's other injuries, but Chance snaked an arm around Otto's waist and pulled him back against his chest, resting his chin on Otto's shoulder from behind.
"You're welcome," he said. "And for what it's worth...I was pretty damn scared too. You know."
He tilted his head down, face pressed into Otto's shoulder, Chance exhaling a breath.
"I didn't want to even consider the possibility of you being dead."
( using x1 maxxed arcana bonus to give Otto +20 HP )
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2017 6:32 pm
Otto felt himself relax enough to lean back into Chance's embrace. "For the record, you ain't allowed to die." Otto grumbled back, his hands holding onto the long arms wrapped around him. "Me either, but still." Neither of them were allowed to die. It was the rule. It was a dumb rule. One that would eventually be broken by one or both of them. Maybe sooner, maybe later. He'd seen it too many times to keep such a promise, or to even demand it seriously. But it felt good to say.
He felt his own sass start to creep back now that he was letting himself relax. But in the relaxation, the pain of his injuries wormed past the adrenaline rush that had numbed him from that pain.
"Let's forget about near death experiences for now. I wanna go home." Where was home and how to get there would be future Otto's problem. One step at a time.
He turned his head enough to press a soft and lingering kiss to Chance's head. "C'mon, loser. Let's move, huh?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2017 6:36 pm
He wanted to just...stay there. Stay there and let Otto relax into his arms and remind himself that neither of them was dead and that for now, that was good enough. They were hunters, after all; it was a dangerous life, and they did dangerous things.
But for right now, they were both safe.
"I'm not going anywhere anytime soon," said Chance and felt warm lips against his cheek, making him smile. He brushed fingers over Otto's forehead, smoothing away some of his unruly hair, and then untangled his arms from around him to stand up, Chance extending a hand towards his boyfriend.
"We gotta find a way out of this hellhole. Any ideas?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2017 12:14 pm
Otto closed his eyes in lieu of a shrug, and then grabbed Chance's outstretched hand, hoisting himself up with a small grunt. "None. Walk till we see somethin', I guess." He at least tried to look sheepish about it. "I was in Death, and my specialization is Survival. You'd think I'd know how to find my way out of anything."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
