[Arielle just dodges to the side (17) to miss the knife, before starting to charge towards Crash to get them off Harley (1 vs. 13), but whiffs it big time, off balance from dodging the knife.
Harley tries to force both of them off him. He manages to dislodge Vita (10), but Crash manages to keep him pinned (18 vs. 6), tightening their grip on the chains and increasing the smoke.]
[Arielle manages to break through Julian's spell (18), but Vita manages to catch hold of her, slamming her into the bookcase. "Bitch," she hisses, before throwing an elbow back to try and catch her in the face (15).
Crash keeps they focus on Harley (19 vs. 9), holding the chain in place until Harley stops moving. And holds on even longer until Harley begins to melt into a pile of gross skin slop so they can be sure he's dead.]
[Arielle can't get enough leverage to pull away (10), and she slams back against the bookshelves. She also tries to scrabble and keep hold of Vita (4), but she slips through Arielle's fingers.
Crash gets up and finds the knife, reaching forward to try and pull Vita back but maybe can't get a good hold on her (2).]
( Vita's (nat 20) propels her back with her sibling as the bookcase crashes down on Arielle, smashing her into the floor. She doesn't move, doesn't struggle underneath. The bones cracking make it clear it was fatal. Blood seeps out from the sides.
Julian breathes heavy.
Vita wrests herself out of Crash's hands, but her look at least says thank you. She approaches the bookcase, looks over at the pile of goo that used to be her sibling-boyfriend. Don't ask, it's not how it sounds.
And Kol in the entryway pulls the stake out of his back, sits up and cracks his neck. )
[Crash exhales, running a hand through their hair before looking over at Vita.]
Looks like you've got two choices left, V.
[Because going home? Probably not an option now.]
You can stake out on your own, or you can come back with me.
[Coming back with them has it's rules, but it's certainly more safe, versus being able to do whatever she wants on her own, but not having anyone to watch her back.]
("We both know I go out on my own and it's only a matter of time. So, why shouldn't I follow my big - whatever we call you wherever you're going. You must have a nice setup, or else Daddy'd come knocking," they say. "Fine. Yeah. Take me to your leader, or whatever."
"Technically, they pulled my girlfriend into this, too. I wouldn't have been far behind. Speaking of, I should be getting back to her. Are you all set?")
("TTFN." And with that, Kol will leave Crash, their partner and their -- sibling. He's a little fuzzy on the details, but there's a familiar connection. Same father and all that.
Vita brings their hands up.
"Don't look at me, I have the clothes on my back. Go. I won't be going anywhere." They crouch down, pulling a book out from under the wreckage. "See. Light reading." They sit on the book shelf, food accidentally stepping in blood. The run their foot along the corner of the bookshelf. These were good shoes.
Julian winces, following Crash into the other room, pulling his bag up onto the bed. )
[Crash runs a hand through their hair as they start pulling out suitcases so they can begin packing the various aspects of their closet. Then they realize that Leroy is likely going to be more conspicuous than they want, and starts shrinking down into a slim girl with mousy brown hair, changing up the look entirely. They're now swimming in Leroy's attire, but at least it's a new face.]
Dad had us pick all new names when we joined the family. Supposed to be all about fresh starts. That's the one thing he taught us that I actually liked.
It felt appropriate at the time. Dad was also all about themes when it came to personas, and a lot of mine were getting their names from songs, so I figured why not. I was crashing into most people anyway.
[That's a joke. But they'll get back to the serious stuff.]
Shapeshifters are kind of like cuckoos. The birds that just leave their eggs in other birds' nests? Only we have a lot more sexual assault involved. Dad would dress up as a woman's husband and make it seem as though they're home early from a trip or something and knock her up and then come back for the kid like a decade later. I was nine? And like, I had figured out I could tweak my appearance, but I didn't know why, and I couldn't talk to my parents about it, because they had no idea. And then all of the sudden there was this guy showing up after school and being like ... look at me. I'm just like you.
No, not really. He would just catch me on the way home from school. Took his time until I really earned his trust. So that when I came home from school one afternoon and found both my parents slaughtered, he was the one I would run to.
[It was a long time ago, but it still hurts to think about the parents who did their best for them, but didn't get to see them grow up and really figure out who they are.]
Didn't find out until many years later that he was the one who did it.
It was the nail in the coffin. I had wanted out before that. Dad's whole schtick was mistaken identities, and framing innocent people for robbing banks or conning people out of their money. Whatever money you brought in, you got a proportional amount of the resources. I did okay, but I didn't like it. I figured there had to be a better way to do it.
[They zip up the suitcase before looking up at him.]
Then Shipp and Serena showed up. They were working an Underground job that Dad was trying to hijack, and I wanted to try and leave the right way, but that's when Dad let the bit about my parents slip, so I bailed. Let Shipp and Serena pull me into the Underground and didn't look back.
Normally, I have it under control. I haven't gone that dark in a long time. But, it does happen. ( He looks down at his hands holding the bag, two of the handles meeting in the middle inside his closed fist. ) I think I've always had it in me. This never-ending pit of darkness. And, it manifests in different ways. A creeping, always there depression which you haven't really seen outside of my monumentally stupid decision to get used by the Great South. But, sometimes, it gets real bad. Like when my sister's in danger. Or, when our mom left. Our dad died. It's the big things that trigger me.
Those sound like really reasonable things to be depressed or worried about.
[They're just saying. They're big life changes that aren't always good.]
If we're heading back together, and this happens again, what can I do to help? You and Kieran have that whole sibling ESP and I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but if she's not around to help, I want to be able to.
Just talk to me. A voice drowns out the despair. It fights through the echo chamber. ( Like a vacuum. ) More if I care about someone. ( He takes their hand. ) If they care about me. If we have a connection.
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everyonelives2025-07-26 07:05 pm
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Harley tries to force both of them off him. He manages to dislodge Vita (10), but Crash manages to keep him pinned (18 vs. 6), tightening their grip on the chains and increasing the smoke.]
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( Julian tries holding Arielle in place, but the painkillers are kicking in and his concentration bleeds (3).
Vita tries to grab Arielle and spin around around, hand on her jacket to slam her into the bookcase. (10). )
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Crash keeps they focus on Harley (19 vs. 9), holding the chain in place until Harley stops moving. And holds on even longer until Harley begins to melt into a pile of gross skin slop so they can be sure he's dead.]
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Julian turns toward Arielle and Mickey-Vita, moving to the bookcase to pull it down. ) Move!
( Color starts to seep into Kol's form, the veins retracting.
Vita tries to let go and get out of the way of the bookcase and it's books (10). )
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Crash gets up and finds the knife, reaching forward to try and pull Vita back but maybe can't get a good hold on her (2).]
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Julian breathes heavy.
Vita wrests herself out of Crash's hands, but her look at least says thank you. She approaches the bookcase, looks over at the pile of goo that used to be her sibling-boyfriend. Don't ask, it's not how it sounds.
And Kol in the entryway pulls the stake out of his back, sits up and cracks his neck. )
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Looks like you've got two choices left, V.
[Because going home? Probably not an option now.]
You can stake out on your own, or you can come back with me.
[Coming back with them has it's rules, but it's certainly more safe, versus being able to do whatever she wants on her own, but not having anyone to watch her back.]
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You win. )
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[They glance over at Kol, giving him an apologetic look.]
Sorry you got pulled into this.
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"Technically, they pulled my girlfriend into this, too. I wouldn't have been far behind. Speaking of, I should be getting back to her. Are you all set?" )
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Tell her we'll call when we get back to base.
[Even if Julian doesn't, Crash will. They then glance over to Julian before tipping their head towards the bedrooms.]
C'mon. We should pack.
[And probably have that conversation they've been delaying.]
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Vita brings their hands up.
"Don't look at me, I have the clothes on my back. Go. I won't be going anywhere." They crouch down, pulling a book out from under the wreckage. "See. Light reading." They sit on the book shelf, food accidentally stepping in blood. The run their foot along the corner of the bookshelf. These were good shoes.
Julian winces, following Crash into the other room, pulling his bag up onto the bed. )
So that's Vita. Vida?
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[Crash runs a hand through their hair as they start pulling out suitcases so they can begin packing the various aspects of their closet. Then they realize that Leroy is likely going to be more conspicuous than they want, and starts shrinking down into a slim girl with mousy brown hair, changing up the look entirely. They're now swimming in Leroy's attire, but at least it's a new face.]
Dad had us pick all new names when we joined the family. Supposed to be all about fresh starts. That's the one thing he taught us that I actually liked.
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( It means something. He still has to say his own peace. He owes something. But, he also likes this little peek into his partner's life.
He starts to pack, too, but keeps an eye on them as they talk. )
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[That's a joke. But they'll get back to the serious stuff.]
Shapeshifters are kind of like cuckoos. The birds that just leave their eggs in other birds' nests? Only we have a lot more sexual assault involved. Dad would dress up as a woman's husband and make it seem as though they're home early from a trip or something and knock her up and then come back for the kid like a decade later. I was nine? And like, I had figured out I could tweak my appearance, but I didn't know why, and I couldn't talk to my parents about it, because they had no idea. And then all of the sudden there was this guy showing up after school and being like ... look at me. I'm just like you.
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( Maybe Crash can give themselves a little more credit. They're a great person. )
... He kidnapped you?
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[It was a long time ago, but it still hurts to think about the parents who did their best for them, but didn't get to see them grow up and really figure out who they are.]
Didn't find out until many years later that he was the one who did it.
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( It had to have been.
Now he can see why someone like Vita would turn on her. Why them and their siblings were all probably indoctrinated. )
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[They zip up the suitcase before looking up at him.]
Then Shipp and Serena showed up. They were working an Underground job that Dad was trying to hijack, and I wanted to try and leave the right way, but that's when Dad let the bit about my parents slip, so I bailed. Let Shipp and Serena pull me into the Underground and didn't look back.
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[Crash steps back to start changing into something more Delilah appropriate.]
I worry, though. What Kieran said, about things getting dicey if you get too flexible?
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[They're just saying. They're big life changes that aren't always good.]
If we're heading back together, and this happens again, what can I do to help? You and Kieran have that whole sibling ESP and I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but if she's not around to help, I want to be able to.
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Fortunately, talking is something I'm very good at, so that I can do.
[Then the smile slips to something more somber.]
But also, if you have something heavy you want to talk about, I can handle that too. You don't have to carry it all by yourself.
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i don't know what that grammar or spelling was, also 🎀