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Post by Lucien DeChain on Dec 9, 2013 15:41:25 GMT -8
At her reaction, Lucien immediately tensed. Though Delilah was pretty much the only person he could talk to about this, it still felt like it wouldn't be an easy conversation.
He kept himself from turning around, his sore ribs keeping him in place. He spoke quietly, his eyes downcast.
"Well... We haven't really ever spoken about them, since the debrief. Even at Halloween, when they pulled that... prank... There was no explanation. I know you have had some dealings with Cain and Saul Kelly. I have, too, and Ari..." His heart squeezed slightly, and he had to pause. Just saying the name gave this much physical reaction? He absently thought about what Delilah had said about heart attacks. Shaking off the feeling, knowing his heart was still beating, he continued.
"I guess what I'm wondering is, do you know where they went? And, do you know if they're coming back?"
It had been almost 6 months since the last letter, after all.
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Dec 10, 2013 15:32:01 GMT -8
She watched his reaction to her reaction closely. It was a delicate subject, but only in the sense that even SHE wasn't supposed to know about it. Stumbling across that well kept secret had opened kettle after kettle of fish and possibilities. Even with the soldiers they had brought that night, the subject was avoided, like a strange, uncomfortable shadow that lurked in one corner of the room.
...And it was plain that Lucien was hurting, in more ways than one. She wanted to ask...after all, she had come here to help him. But she left it; if her instincts were right, it was the same reason she didn't want to talk (or think) about Cain.
"I guess what I'm wondering is, do you know where they went? And, do you know if they're coming back?"
The line of her mouth pressed a little more thinly at this, and she took a moment to run a distracted hand through her hair. "Good question," she said with a sigh.
"All I know is that they're South somewhere, probably out of California. As for coming back..." she gave a shrug. "They seem like the type that can survive in any situation. Probably not."
An idea struck her as a memory surfaced of the white haired woman--Vespyr-- Demanded that they get off of her territory. Delilah frowned.
"Although..." she continued after a moment. "We can't say for sure that they wouldn't. That female leader of theirs is really possessive. Territorial even. If something were happening here that she didn't like, and she caught wind of it..." she trailed off, her frown deepening.
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Post by Lucien DeChain on Dec 10, 2013 18:23:40 GMT -8
Vespyr... Territorial? That didn't sound good. Especially since Berker's death marked an important piece. Would Jurassic Park be taken...?
"...That would be a problem. Even from what little we - I know about their agreement with Zero Winters, if something were to happen to that land... No one would be safe." His voice caught near the middle, breaking down to a whisper as he finished. He pondered what he had just said, for a moment. That group... It was a murder cult, just like Ari said.
"What do you suggest we do?"
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Dec 13, 2013 1:49:20 GMT -8
"...That would be a problem. Even from what little we - I know about their agreement with Zero Winters, if something were to happen to that land... No one would be safe."
Not just the land... she thought darkly; what if something happened to 'Unfettered'? Would they come running back?
...would Cain...?
It was far-fetched. Implausible even; the weird band of angry people literally wanted nothing to do with anyone, and it was supposed to have stayed that way before the Crows stumbled upon this giant wasp nest. And a wasp nest it was. 'Completely unpredictable' was only the tip of the descriptory ice-burg. If they came back, and Dragons or Gods stumbled across their land while they were there or were away (Delilah didn't think Vespyr would make much of a distinction at this point) and the two factions started killing each other...
"What do you suggest we do?"
Delilah looked up as if seeing him again, having been lost in thought. Her eyebrows dove downward, mouth thinning out into a grimace.
"The Dragons and Gods are our allies and friends," she said with a firmness to her voice, "Can you imagine what might happen to them if they incur her wrath? The white haired woman coming up out of the sewers to slay innocent people in their sleep? Or vice versa?"
The mechanic shook her head. "We don't need to want war amongst ourselves. There are no victors in a war like this; only survivors, and there are few of us left as it is. We can't afford to lose any life.
"We have to take their land and claim it as ours."
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Post by Lucien DeChain on Dec 15, 2013 0:28:55 GMT -8
Delilah was right. As she went on with her speech, Lucien found more and more that her logic was sound, and by the time Delilah had come to her conclusion, Lucien had already connected the dots enough to deduce the same.
"I agree. I'll come with you, I know that area a bit better than most Crows. And, once I'm well enough, I'll be coming back to Hermosa to retake my post there." He looked from the ground to her, realizing that was probably why she came in the first place.
That being said, he felt the need to apologize. "...Sorry. I know I've been away for a while. Ever since I took over as Lightning Dragon... But, I want you to know that I am a Crow first. My titles might have changed, my trust did not."
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Dec 16, 2013 18:06:22 GMT -8
Delilah nodded firmly as he volunteered to help her in the battle; that went without saying, in her mind. He had as much a stake in this as she, Marcus and 'Unfettered' did.
--And then he apologized, of all things.
She watched him closely as he went over his loyalties. Unbidden, a small sad smile appeared on her face and she sighed. The raven haired woman placed a hand on his shoulder, bending down a bit to look into his eyes.
"As pleased as I am to hear that you'll be returning to Hermosa...this is the path that you dedicated yourself towards. You're walking down multiple roads that --so far-- happen to be intersecting. It won't always be that way.
"I appreciate and cherish your loyalty to us, Lucien. But you chose to become more than a Crow, and that means honouring your choices. Especially since the people you happened to earn the trust and admiration of so happen to be our allies," she raised her eyebrows meaningfully, a happier smile plying her lips. She lifted her hand from his shoulder, leaning away from him.
"Great power means great responsibility and all that."
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Post by Lucien DeChain on Dec 16, 2013 23:06:34 GMT -8
Lucien looked to the floor, nodding. Allies, they were. Now that he had said it, he wasn't sure why he did. It didn't really matter in the long run, because Crows and Dragons were allied.
"You're right. And I'm not trying to avoid the responsibility I have here, but I also don't want to forget about the responsibility I have in Hermosa."
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Dec 26, 2013 14:23:30 GMT -8
"Nor should you," she agreed wholeheartedly. It was one thing to disappoint one's superiors; it was quite another to break your promises to the people who's lives literally relied on the one in charge.
"Sounds like you'll be juggling things for a while, at any rate. Not to mention your health."
She gave him another once over.
"...how'd the fight go?"
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Post by Lucien DeChain on Dec 26, 2013 14:56:12 GMT -8
{Ooc: sorry for things. On phone.}
Lucien sighed, his mouth twisting into some weird angle that made his noise throb. As more blood started to spill out, he grabbed a tissue from beside him and dabbed at it.
"The purpose of the fight wasn't to win. It was to prove to the elders that I'm not useless. I guess making me bleed was the best way to do that... Though, that's not to say I didn't fight back." he chuckled to himself. Sniffing, he continued.
"I bit David. Pretty hard, too."
Wouldn't be a fight he'd be able to forget any time soon. Either of them. And, that was good enough for Lucien. Well, not really, winning would have been nice, but that would have been almost impossible, given the difference in strength between himself and the storm dragon.
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Dec 26, 2013 21:45:11 GMT -8
Delilah tilted her head slightly to the side as Lucien spoke, her smile widening as he described his fight; bursting into laughter as he admitted to biting David.
"--Oh God, that's too perfect, I bet he loved that. I tried to tear chunks out of his skin once." The art they shared was something else, that was for sure.
"But; good. What'd you learn from fighting him?"
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Post by Lucien DeChain on Dec 29, 2013 21:53:53 GMT -8
Lucien stifled another grin; it was hilarious to hear that Delilah had done the same sort of thing to the same man. Would it affect his thoughts about the Crows? Give them a reputation?
"I learned a lot about myself, actually. Even after being beat to a pulp, near death... I kept going. Nanakorobi yaoki, ne?" Seven times fall, eight times get up, right?
It was something that he knew in principle. But now, after having gone through it, it was ingrained into him. There wasn't room for any doubt.
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