nexus_crossings | Between a Rock and Not Caring About Metaphors

Current Mood: distressed
Current Location: The Viper Pit

Between a Rock and Not Caring About Metaphors

Once again Tielle found herself sitting at the bar in The Viper Pit, her usual haunt whenever life went sideways on her or she needed to clear her head. She was listlessly stirring her cherry martini, which by the deep shade of crimson was at this point about 9 parts blood and 1 part martini mix. She sighed, talking to no one in particular.

"Let's say your daughter and her partner were both kidnapped, by two different people... The man who has your daughter is your ex making a play for power since she's heir to your throne, the woman who has her partner has held a nearly two century long grudge against your family and wants nothing more but to see you suffer. You can only deal with one of them at a time..."

She shakes her head.

"I mean... her life isn't in danger but..." she shuddered just thinking about what she must be going through, knowing full well what her captor was capable of.

"...and that half-demon is a total wildcard..."

She downed her drink, slumping back in her chair.

"What the hell am I supposed to do?"

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Henry honestly doesn't drink much. However, he is trying to acclimate himself to everything in the Nexus and eating alone is kind of depressing. So, he's currently having pancakes at the bar, complete with lots of syrup. Pancakes make everything better.

The story this woman tells sounds like a tough situation, and he spends some time thinking before answering her. "If your daughter's partner is in danger...do you think she'd want you to go help them first? I might try that. But I don't know what the ex is capable of, so..." It would be a hard call, not going after your daughter immediately, he thinks.

"Valdier, my ex that is, he's..." She shuddered a bit, just thinking back on the two years she had spent practically imprisoned by him. "He considers himself a collector of sorts, fine art, historical relics, curios and oddities... people..."

She rubbed her brow a bit in frustration.

"He won't 'hurt' her, just... keep her locked up in a room admiring her like some art piece or exotic beast. Though thanks to the politics of it all he'll likely try to force her into a marriage as well..."

"As for her partner, she'd be crushed if anything happened to the boy, we both would at this point really. I think he might be alright... for now at least... If that demon were to do him any harm she'd be making a spectacle of it, making sure we knew exactly what she was up to."

Tielle grits her teeth a bit, shaking her head.

"I'm not going to let it happen again..."

Letting out a sigh, she glanced over at Henry as she tried to crack a bit of a smile.

"I swear I'm not always this depressing. You're just lucky enough to catch me at my worst."

Henry listens closely, unable to suppress the shudder when she describes how Valdier has her daughter 'locked up in a room'. Even after all these years, he still doesn't handle it well. That does make it a harder choice.

Her apology gets a shake of the head in response from Henry. "Don't worry about it. I don't mind...and it sounds like a tough situation." He sighs and leans back on his stool a bit as he thinks it over. "Do you have anyone you trust to help out? Anyone from here that might be able to get around the demon or Valdier, and you could focus on the other one?" Unlikely, but it's still worth asking.

She shakes her head.

"As many friends as I've made here over the years, I'd rather not get anyone involved. While Valdier would certainly be the more manageable of the two, if that half-demon found out about this place... lets just say the damage she can do isn't something the anti-violence field really protects against..."

She notices the shudder as she looks him over, giving a soft smile.

"You struggle with your own share of demons I take it... hopefully not so much in the literal sense like mine."

It's what he had figured- they're too dangerous for most. He nods, staring down at his pancakes. No wonder she was so worried.

His shoulders hunch as she calls him out on his uncomfortableness. He notices it, at least, and forces them to relax before he answers her. "Not demons, no. More like gods and frog monsters...and ghosts...I'm just a normal human, so I've been lucky to get as far as I have. You're not human yourself, are you...?"

It's a guess, but a pretty reasonable one, he thinks.

"You must at least have your wits about you to have survived all that, especially for a human. You're right though, I'm not a human... just wish that aspect could be more useful right about now."

She gently gnawed on her lower lip, her nerves getting to her a bit as a sharp fang poked and prodded at the skin. Letting out a sigh, she glanced over at him.

"Though, gods and demons are simply two sides of the same coin, a matter of perspective if you will."

Henry nods, very much in agreement about (most) gods and demons. "I was lucky, I think. To get as far as I did. I had a lot of help from people here in the Nexus, too...that's why I had to ask." But there don't seem to be nearly as many gods around anymore, no one with the level of power some of his rescuers had.

"I think I'd probably still go help the partner, but..." He frowns a bit, not looking at Tielle. "This half-demon, does she have mind control abilities or something...? To be able to get around the anti-violence field..."

"Thankfully not, just a silver tongue and a knack for making people question themselves, and in regards to the Nexus more specifically, question each other. It's not some supernatural power or anything, just something she's very... very good at."

Tielle shook her head, letting out a sigh.

"Before my father originally sealed her away, she had managed to rally together an army, most of which under normal circumstances would be ready to kill each other."

Well, that's a little less scary than Henry had been thinking, but he's not exactly good at handling charismatic people like that, either. He sighs, as well.

"If you went to help your daughter first, then...maybe she could help you take on this half-demon. It sounds like numbers might be better against her, as long as they aren't charmed..." He rubs his chin, trying to think over the options.

"I'm not all that concerned about my family being fooled by her, but her physical prowess is a lot more dangerous without something like the Nexus's anti-violence field in play. That and considering she's more focused on making me suffer, they're more at risk than I am. I think you're right about focusing on my daughter first though. I'll need all the support I can get to deal with her."

She let out a sigh, rubbing her head.

"You mentioned facing all sorts of things in the past. Was anyone you were close with put in danger because of them? I swear the worst part of this is the gut-wrenching dread of what I'd do if anything bad were to happen to either of them..."

He frowns a bit as she describes more about this person who has such a grudge against her family. He obviously doesn't know much about the whole thing, but he hopes this new friend is able to get through it all right.

As the question is asked, though, he freezes in place. It seems like maybe he didn't hear her, at first. When he does speak, his voice is suddenly somewhat gravelly. "I was a sacrifice in someone's ritual, one that required I watch five other people die first. People in the Nexus somehow saved me afterwards. And then, because of the Nexus...I fought against that ritual two more times. Then I went to a universe to work for an organization fighting against gods, and...we weren't winning. And..."

He trails off, looking down at the bar. He can't add onto that, he feels like he'll break if he thinks too hard about it. Instead, he grimaces and closes his eyes. "Yes, I know how you feel. I don't want you...I don't want anyone to feel that way."

"So you... died then... and ended up here after..."

She shook her head apologetically.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up such a hard topic for you... but thank you..."

He shook his head, too, putting a hand up in a vague and awkward way. Maybe he was trying to wave the apology off? "Don't be sorry. I've had a...long time to make my peace with it. And I've already had more time than..."

He trails off, unsure how exactly to finish that sentence. He certainly expected to be dead and gone ages ago. "But you understand why I feel so strongly, right? I have to believe- it's possible to save everyone."

"Considering what you've been though, I'd have the same mindset if I were you. I just hope you're right..."

She stretched a bit, getting a little more comfortable on the barstool.

"I've certainly had my fair share of demons to come to terms with as well, not necessarily just the literal one at the moment... though granted most of the metaphorical ones were ultimately her fault as well..."

Henry let out a sigh, releasing some of the tension in his body after talking about all that. He hadn't intended to get into his past. But if it helped her understand, it was worth it. He still wanted to offer to help out with the rescue, but he knew it was beyond him. Working with the BPRD had taught him how to not become a liability, at least.

"There's always someone that has to keep causing problems..." he noted, shaking his head. "What's her name? In case she does find her way here somehow."

She let out a sigh.

"Lillianus... and if she does find her way here... anti-violence field be damned I'm going to find a way to get rid of her for good."

Slumping down over the bar, she shook her head.

"I suppose I should get back home for a bit, hopefully sort all this out in a few days. Thanks..."

She paused for a moment, blushing a bit.

"How rude of me, I've been bemoaning about all of my problems to you and never even asked your name..."

Henry let out a small chuckle- he realized the same time she did that they hadn't exchanged names. Maybe they were just both the type to worry about threats far more than who they're actually talking to. Or maybe Henry had just been his usual forgetful self.

"Me, too. I'm Henry. Henry Sherman-Townshend. Good luck with all of this. I hope you all come out of it all right."

She bowed her head, nodding in acknowledgement.

"Tielle, and thank you, I hope so too..."

Well. There's a face he hasn't seen in a long while. Zexion settles himself across from Tielle.

"You could, theoretically, handle both if you were willing to put trust in an old acquaintance."

"Well, I certainly didn't expect to run into you here. While I appreciate the offer, I'd hate to drag you into this mess, and I don't want to put your safety at risk. Anyone close to me would be in danger, and there's no chance in hell I'm losing anyone else I care about because of her."

Tielle took another sip of her drink, swallowing hard before recomposing herself.

"I'm sure you've been keeping yourself busy these past few years as well... it really has been too long..."

"I have. I believe only Michiko had been born last we spoke. I have three boys now as well. Children are a full time job."

The twins aren't his biologically, but he hasn't let that stop him from claiming them as his own.

"We can catch up if you like. You could tell me more about your plight. Strategy is my strong suit."

"Sure, it has been some time since we've caught up, so there's a lot to fill you in on."

She took another sip of her drink, letting her head roll back a bit.

"Despite my best efforts, the fact I have a daughter has been revealed to some of my worst enemies. I distanced myself for her own safety, but in the end I guess it's a decision that only ended up hurting us both."

She smiled a bit.

"Though she's fallen in love with the sweetest young lad. Reminds me a bit of Cyrus honestly, same caring to a fault nature. Though since he's just a human, he's not exactly the most self sufficient, all things considered, and with Mina still recovering from being a bit malnourished... I guess a slight oversight on our part, turns out even half-breeds need human blood after at some point..."

She sighed softly, shaking her head.

"This couldn't have happened at a worse time really. There's about three others who can really help handle this, and we're already spread fairly thin."

She slides the empty glass away from her, stretching a bit.

"My right hand, Morgan, and my mother are focusing on getting more information on where that demon is hiding out, and Adrian, a sentient doll I found wandering the wasteland while in hiding, is going to help me secure an ally for dealing with my ex. There was a young werewolf girl locked up in the next room over when I was in his lavish prison years ago who I helped escape. I think it might finally be time to call in a favor and see if she'd be interested in getting some long overdue revenge."

Katsuki is still suspicious of this place. But he did eventually find his way to The Viper Pit and start looking around. Turns out they do card at the door but they have wristbands of different colors to let the bartenders know who can drink and who can't. He was just here for the fighting ring anyway.

But he's waylaid by spotting a familiar face. And hearing her plight. At the end of the day, Katsuki is a hero and heroes save people. Besides, hero work will always be more interesting than anything else.

So he drops down across from her. He's now in more casual clothes. His hero costume tucked away back in the little apartment he found.

"Why choose at all? Don't you have allies to help you out?"

"Sadly the few I have are stretched pretty thin, and we're not even sure where our enemies are holed up at the moment. It took everything my father had just to seal away the half-demon years ago, a process which ended up killing him. While she's not back to her full strength yet, her real strengths lie in her leadership and being able to rally so many to her twisted plot... whatever her motives may be."

She sighed, letting out a groan.

"As for my ex, he's just a manipulative charmer who can't be trusted, though that's not to say he isn't necessarily dangerous when backed into a corner."

"What's she like? Your kid? She got what it takes to tough it out a little longer? Sounds like her partner is the one in more danger."

"She's a bit sheltered, but she could probably manage if she wasn't still recovering. We found out recently that despite only being half vampire, she still needs human blood... when she passed out and wouldn't wake up. She's awake now at least but still a bit weak, all things considered. Not sure how well she'd fare in a fight though, I... wasn't exactly there for her most of her life. It was for her own protection, but still..."

"If he's got use for her, he won't kill her. Doesn't sound like her partner has that same safety net."

He's been on the held captive side of things before and he's fully aware if they hadn't deemed him useful he'd be dead now. But that didn't mean it didn't leave scars if it's own.

"I didn't mean physically though. Mentally, you think she can hold it together? It can mess you up in the head."

"Sadly I'm not sure. She's had a bit of a sheltered lifestyle, it was my attempt to keep her safe. Hopefully she'll be alright but... I wasn't exactly there for her growing up so I'm still getting to know her better myself..."

She let out a sigh, shaking her head.

"Besides, if Valdier doesn't realize she needs human blood either she might just end up passing out again..."

"Would it kill her? Not drinking blood?"

He's still under the assumption it's a blood quirk thing but if she's passing out from not having it...

"I... really don't know. I didn't even know it was possible to give birth to a half-breed... or for me to give birth to begin with. I don't quite know a lot myself to be frank. I certainly hope not, but its a risk I'd rather not take."

She let out a sigh, shaking her head.

"I really wish I knew more about her... both how her body's needs work and who she is as a person."

Weighing the risks. Debating the pros and cons. He doesn't think he's helped her get any closer to an answer.

That's frustrating.

But this other part...

"If she hasn't shut you out, there's still time to do it. If she lets you be around her at all, she probably wants a relationship. Just... gotta remember it ain't about you. It's about her."

Look. He's obviously not a mom so he can't really relate to all that. But he did seriously damage a relationship and then realize it was one he wanted. So now he's trying to mend a bridge that only remained unburned because the other person is... unfailingly kind.

And for some reason saw something salvageable in the train wreck he used to be.

"When you reunite with her, make sure you tell her all the stuff you've told me. And give her time to chew it over. Don't rush her for a response."

She smiled a bit, shaking her head.

"Things were already on the mend, truth be told. I was afraid she would hate me for abandoning her, but she's just... too kind... She was hurt, sure, but she understood why I did it. But then she fell ill and passed out... and now this..."

Letting out another sigh, she took another sip of her flask.

"It's times like these I wish Cyrus was still here... he..."

She paused for a moment, downing the rest of her flask.

"...he was my rock... so to speak..."

She blushed a bit thinking back on their times together.

"...and her father."

"The stupidly kind ones... you gotta watch 'em. They don't always do what's best for 'em. Or take themselves into consideration at all."

It does kind of put things in perspective though.

"Kind people... people that forgive that easy? They don't know how to be selfish. That kind of person would want you to put their partner first."

The rest of that... he's never had a romantic relationship. He's been solely focused on his goals and stuff like that took a backseat. He has no grasp on what it is to lose someone you love like that. Or even to love like that at all.

She furrowed her brow a bit, not taking quite well to the borderline insult of her daughter.

"I wouldn't call her stupidly kind, perhaps a bit sheltered and naïve though... and you're right, she would certainly put Tim first. She definitely got her father's naivety, that's for sure, and her lack of world experience doesn't make it any better."

She rubbed her forehead.

"And Tim would want us to put her first... the two are so hopelessly selfless for one another it'd almost be funny if not for the circumstances."

Amazingly, he wasn't trying to insult her. It's just how Katsuki talks. Aggressive. Rough. He's also comparing her in his head to someone else. Someone he insults a lot but... cares about.

That selfless-for-one-another line has him looking furrow-browed and contemplative though. He wants to get away from that conversation. Now.

After a moment he makes a frustrated sound.

"Just going in circles. You say you don't have a lot of help? Fine. Sign me up. That pinpoint thing can be used to travel to other places if you got coordinates, right?"

She shakes her head.

"No, it's... too risky..."

She was more muttering to herself than to anyone in particular.

"I'm extremely careful when travelling between my own world and The Nexus. If Lillianus ever learns of this place's existence..."

She shakes her head vigorously.

"No, as much as I appreciate the offer I won't allow it."

"Looking down on me, Fangs?? I'm not some weak little pushover. I'm a damn hero."

In training. But still! He takes offense!

"You get enough firepower on your side, you don't have to worry about her doing anything anywhere, right? If you're still gonna say 'no' then at least quit being wishy-washy! Life doesn't give us endless time to make choices. Gotta be decisive! Make a choice, make a plan and stick to it! That's the only way to get anything done!"

She smirked a bit.

"I admire your persistence, but the answer is still no. It's less about it being a danger to you, and more of her being a danger to the entirety of the Nexus if she manages to follow you back here."

She shakes her head.

"Besides, this isn't something I can go rushing into. It's a delicate situation..."

"Delicate, my ass. The longer you waffle, the less time you have to save both of them! Flip a damn coin if you really can't choose."

He means well. He's just still young and brash and convinced he can do anything. Although to be fair, he has had to make quick life or death decisions before. In the line of work he's chosen, hesitation means someone could die.

"You hesitate long enough you'll lose em both. Can you live with that?"

Izuku is still learning his way around this place and getting used to how things work. But he's always been a meddler. He can't help but get involved in a situation where someone is in trouble.

"Well if she's not in immediate danger, he seems like the higher priority. But... which one do you think could be handled quicker?"

She ponders a bit.

"Well saving my daughter would certainly be the quicker option, but if anything were to happen to Tim she'd never forgive me..."

She sighs shaking her head.

"But we don't even know where the demon is keeping Tim holed up... which doesn't really help matters..."

"Mm... then you should probably focus on what you can solve now. Save your daughter first. Then you can look into saving her partner together. At the very least she could probably help look into places where he might be being kept. Either way is risky. But if you don't even know where he is, then it's better to solve the easier problem first."

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Between a Rock and Not Caring About Metaphors

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Wanted to tie up the last one before I jumped fully into this one.

Re: Wanted to tie up the last one before I jumped fully into this one.

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I always feel like I have to apologize for this brat he's so DIRECT

Re: I always feel like I have to apologize for this brat he's so DIRECT

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