Hide and Seek
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Re: Hide and Seek
Cage nodded. "He got there before me," he said. "He pretended to be Jack..."
Dom closed his eyes for a moment, taking a breath. "We were with each other the entire time. We... fled, while he was busy..." He opened his eyes again, his shame apparent. "I can vouch for these two," he said. "I figured there was nowhere else to go but here..."
Dom closed his eyes for a moment, taking a breath. "We were with each other the entire time. We... fled, while he was busy..." He opened his eyes again, his shame apparent. "I can vouch for these two," he said. "I figured there was nowhere else to go but here..."
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Re: Hide and Seek
Raziel sighed heavily. "I'm sorry for your loss," he said, the tone in their voices making it apparent there'd been loss. "Though it's good you came. I actually came to tell you of a sanctuary. A place Laura and I discovered where people--mages and non-mages alike--could find respite and peace from all the barbarism of the outside world."
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Re: Hide and Seek
"Sounds fantastic," Dom said, groaning as he knelt down and set the woman on the ground. "Do you have a first aid kit?" he asked, kneeling down next to her. He suddenly paused.
"And speaking of... Laura," he said, looking around. "...Where is she?"
Laura didn't let her chameleon spell down just yet. One of them might be that monster in disguise... but...
She studied the man. It sounded... he sounded just like him. She forced herself to try and stay calm. There was still time for disappointment...
"And speaking of... Laura," he said, looking around. "...Where is she?"
Laura didn't let her chameleon spell down just yet. One of them might be that monster in disguise... but...
She studied the man. It sounded... he sounded just like him. She forced herself to try and stay calm. There was still time for disappointment...
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Re: Hide and Seek
"Laura, I don't think that smarmy bastard can turn himself into three people," he said to the air at large as he went to his pack and grabbed his first-aid kit, handing it to Dom.
"And it is," he said to Dom. "Laura and I stayed there for a few weeks before...well...she got worried about you and we charged off back here.
"It's not yet well known about, and the locals have a hefty superstition regarding it," he explained, "of course it was well-founded at the time what with the never-ending snowstorms and the bear the size of a fucking house..."
"And it is," he said to Dom. "Laura and I stayed there for a few weeks before...well...she got worried about you and we charged off back here.
"It's not yet well known about, and the locals have a hefty superstition regarding it," he explained, "of course it was well-founded at the time what with the never-ending snowstorms and the bear the size of a fucking house..."
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Re: Hide and Seek
Cage and the woman both looked between them, lost.
"I can take care of myself," the woman said, snatching the first aid kit from Dom as he took it. Dom smiled.
"Cage, you can help Iris," he said, and Cage glared at him. "Sounds like you had a rough time of it," he said, and Laura finally took a breath and dropped her chameleon spell.
Dom's eyes darted over to her, and he was silent for a moment. "Laura," he finally said, and she almost drew her spell back over her, embarrassed. Cage and Iris exchanged confused looks. "You look... horrible," he said, his voice catching.
She looked over at his companions, and disappeared again, hiding her embarrassment. "Excuse me a sec," Dom said. "You can tell me all about it later," he said to Raziel, walking off into the woods alone.
Laura followed slowly, uncertainly after.
"I can take care of myself," the woman said, snatching the first aid kit from Dom as he took it. Dom smiled.
"Cage, you can help Iris," he said, and Cage glared at him. "Sounds like you had a rough time of it," he said, and Laura finally took a breath and dropped her chameleon spell.
Dom's eyes darted over to her, and he was silent for a moment. "Laura," he finally said, and she almost drew her spell back over her, embarrassed. Cage and Iris exchanged confused looks. "You look... horrible," he said, his voice catching.
She looked over at his companions, and disappeared again, hiding her embarrassment. "Excuse me a sec," Dom said. "You can tell me all about it later," he said to Raziel, walking off into the woods alone.
Laura followed slowly, uncertainly after.
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Re: Hide and Seek
Raziel nodded as he watched him walk off, then turned to the other two. "So," he said with a grin as he observed the two, "been dating long?"
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Re: Hide and Seek
Iris looked disgusted. "Very funny," she said, but Cage was smirking. "What was that about?" she asked again. "You seem to know what's going on. Who was that girl?"
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Re: Hide and Seek
"Oh, they have a history, those two," Raziel said cryptically as he sat down.
He looked over at Cage. "So," he said, "any other survivors besides you three?"
He looked over at Cage. "So," he said, "any other survivors besides you three?"
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Re: Hide and Seek
Cage shook his head. "Not that we know of," he said, sounding pained. "We... left before the fighting was done. Someone else might have made it out, but..." He shrugged.
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Re: Hide and Seek
Raziel nodded. "I'm sorry," he said. "And don't feel bad. That asshole is a monster. The only way I even got him to back off was to bring down the building on our heads."
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"Yes, thank you," Iris snapped. "Don't worry, I'll try not to feel bad with everyone dead."
Cage glared up at her as he tended to her wounds. "Iris..." he said, in warning.
Cage glared up at her as he tended to her wounds. "Iris..." he said, in warning.
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Re: Hide and Seek
Raziel shook his head. "It's okay, he said. "She's angry, though I'm sure she knows that's not what I meant," he added, looking her in the eyes directly.
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Re: Hide and Seek
She glared back at him hard, anger and mistrust reflected in them. "Angry? Really?" she said sarcastically. "What was your first clue?"
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Re: Hide and Seek
"Oh, y'know," Raziel said, "your whole 'I'm being a confrontational bitch' thing really helped your sell. Anything else?"
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Re: Hide and Seek
Her eyes barely softened, amused, before they hardened again. "Least I ain't acting like a know-it-all smartass. You a researcher in the field of Crazy Fucking Monsters?"
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Re: Hide and Seek
Raziel chuckled wryly. "It seems like it, these days," he said. "Believe it or not, that fucker back there wasn't the worst thing I've faced in the past two months. Dangerous, to be sure, but in a different way."
He looked back at her. "This your first time losing people?" he inquired levelly.
He looked back at her. "This your first time losing people?" he inquired levelly.
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Re: Hide and Seek
"No," she said. "Of course not. Living in that hellhole invites that - Cage, it's fine," she said, and Cage pulled back from where he'd been obsessively checking her bandages to avoid the conversation. Iris scowled. "But... never so many."
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He nodded. "Yeah, it sucks ass," he said simply. He leaned back. "Maybe there'll come a day when it won't be like this. I'd like to see such a time..."
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Re: Hide and Seek
She laughed bitterly. "Aren't you a little old for fairy tales?"
Dom walked in silence for a long time before he stopped. "Laura?" he asked, looking around him for her.
Hesitantly, she dissolved her spell, appearing far off to his right. Dom looked over at her and finally let out a sigh. "Yes?" he prompted, sounding amused. She was silent, and his gaze softened. "Yes, it's me," he said. He reached up, yanking the bandanna off of his face, revealing the very man she remembered, almost entirely unchanged by their year apart. "Not that... monster," he said sadly.
Laura hesitated, still unsure, and he sighed. "It's okay," he said. "I'm so sorry, Laura. I never..." He took a breath. "Your friend Raziel told me... I never meant to worry you..."
She watched him in silence, unsure, uncertain what she was supposed to do, what she was allowed to do. It felt like she was doing something wrong, breaking their silent agreement like this...
Dom gave her a sad smile. "Damn it," he muttered. "I'm such a..."
He walked up to her quickly, and she stood, frozen, until he embraced her. "I'm so sorry," he said, his voice catching. "I was so concerned with keeping you safe that..."
Laura softened, her arms tightening around him.
Dom walked in silence for a long time before he stopped. "Laura?" he asked, looking around him for her.
Hesitantly, she dissolved her spell, appearing far off to his right. Dom looked over at her and finally let out a sigh. "Yes?" he prompted, sounding amused. She was silent, and his gaze softened. "Yes, it's me," he said. He reached up, yanking the bandanna off of his face, revealing the very man she remembered, almost entirely unchanged by their year apart. "Not that... monster," he said sadly.
Laura hesitated, still unsure, and he sighed. "It's okay," he said. "I'm so sorry, Laura. I never..." He took a breath. "Your friend Raziel told me... I never meant to worry you..."
She watched him in silence, unsure, uncertain what she was supposed to do, what she was allowed to do. It felt like she was doing something wrong, breaking their silent agreement like this...
Dom gave her a sad smile. "Damn it," he muttered. "I'm such a..."
He walked up to her quickly, and she stood, frozen, until he embraced her. "I'm so sorry," he said, his voice catching. "I was so concerned with keeping you safe that..."
Laura softened, her arms tightening around him.
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Re: Hide and Seek
Raziel chuckled. "Funny thing about fairy tales," he said, "until seeing villages for the first time, I thought groups of people able to co-exist peacefully were a fairy tale."
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Re: Hide and Seek
Iris raised her eyebrows, and sat up, shifting until she was leaning against the trunk of a tree. "Wilds born, then?" she asked casually.
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Re: Hide and Seek
"I don't know if I was born in the Wilds," he said with a short laugh, "but Wilds raised, definitely."
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Re: Hide and Seek
She nodded, then looked towards where Dom had gone. "The hell is taking him so long?" she muttered.
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"Good question," he said. "I assume some of that emotional bonding stuff I've read about in stories.
"So Cage," he said, "you were looking pretty hateful back there. Long history with the peacekeepers besides the obvious?"
"So Cage," he said, "you were looking pretty hateful back there. Long history with the peacekeepers besides the obvious?"
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Re: Hide and Seek
Cage scowled. "Not the sort I care to talk about," he said, and Iris rolled her eyes at him.
"No one blames you," she said, then looked over at Raz. "He used to be one of them."
Laura sat across from him, still somewhat stunned. Dom crossed his legs across from her.
"Are you alright now?" he asked, concerned. She nodded instinctively, the lie coming easy to her.
"Fine," she said. She took a breath. "Leader of a mage group?" she said, skeptical, and he gave a short laugh.
"I know," he said. "Weird, right?" He shrugged. "I dunno. It's only been like this for a few months. I guess I figured I was tired of hiding, right?" He gave her half and smile, and she nodded as if she understood. "Well, figuratively speaking," he said, correcting himself. "I'm too good at hiding to just give it up." He flashed her a smile, and she smiled weakly back. The smile dropped from his face.
"You have to tell me what's wrong," he said, and she shrugged. There wasn't anything in particular, really...
He looked... sad. "You grew up into an entirely different woman while I wasn't looking," he said softly. "I... I'm sorry. I should have been there more..."
She shook her head. "I left on my own," she said.
"But I encouraged it," he said. "I wanted you to be safe, but..."
"And I was," she insisted. "You did everything right." She looked down at her hands, folded in her lap.
"No," he said, shaking his head. "You..." He trailed off, rubbing at his forehead with the palms of his hands. He sighed, then shook his head. "That kid, Raziel," he asked. "Has he been... good to you?"
She hesitated, then nodded. He seemed relieved. "Good," he said, falling silent. He looked like he wanted to say something, but there was nothing they could say. He finally cleared his throat, reaching for his bandanna and wrapping it back around his face. "We should start heading back," he suggested, and Laura nodded silently.
"No one blames you," she said, then looked over at Raz. "He used to be one of them."
Laura sat across from him, still somewhat stunned. Dom crossed his legs across from her.
"Are you alright now?" he asked, concerned. She nodded instinctively, the lie coming easy to her.
"Fine," she said. She took a breath. "Leader of a mage group?" she said, skeptical, and he gave a short laugh.
"I know," he said. "Weird, right?" He shrugged. "I dunno. It's only been like this for a few months. I guess I figured I was tired of hiding, right?" He gave her half and smile, and she nodded as if she understood. "Well, figuratively speaking," he said, correcting himself. "I'm too good at hiding to just give it up." He flashed her a smile, and she smiled weakly back. The smile dropped from his face.
"You have to tell me what's wrong," he said, and she shrugged. There wasn't anything in particular, really...
He looked... sad. "You grew up into an entirely different woman while I wasn't looking," he said softly. "I... I'm sorry. I should have been there more..."
She shook her head. "I left on my own," she said.
"But I encouraged it," he said. "I wanted you to be safe, but..."
"And I was," she insisted. "You did everything right." She looked down at her hands, folded in her lap.
"No," he said, shaking his head. "You..." He trailed off, rubbing at his forehead with the palms of his hands. He sighed, then shook his head. "That kid, Raziel," he asked. "Has he been... good to you?"
She hesitated, then nodded. He seemed relieved. "Good," he said, falling silent. He looked like he wanted to say something, but there was nothing they could say. He finally cleared his throat, reaching for his bandanna and wrapping it back around his face. "We should start heading back," he suggested, and Laura nodded silently.
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