#hcllowone

[sirdavinos]

@hcllowone said: "You were going to say something, weren’t you?"

A tense silence has been hanging between them since Julien woke up. Occtis doesn't need sleep anymore. It's moments like this that he is deeply envious of that. There hasn't been a night since the massacre that his sleep hasn't been plagued with visions of his quarry, Occtis's father, of his words, his actions. Of Julien's own father. Of even worse futures. He had awoken in the middle of the night with a frightened gasp and tear stains on his cheeks. As he had most of their nights on the road.

The light of the moon coming through the inn window is the only thing illuminating the space between them. Julien wishes it were pitch black instead. He doesn't care for Occtis's worried glances.

His words earn him an irritated hum. " It must be nice is what I was thinking, if that's what you mean. " He grumbles in response. He pulls the blanket a bit tighter around him. His voice is shaky in a way that frustrates him. " Not needing to face the nightmares. "

[revcre]

⤷ ✧ @hcllowone said, ❝ I can see he's not in your good books. ❞

it is not news to occtis, occtis who knows what first brought her to dol makjar, and who lies at fault. still, thjazi fang, momentarily the center point of all, had all but disappeared into the shadows of far greater matters, in the scope of which he was but one more piece lost from the board.

only in the wake of occtis' observation does vaelus realize the tension in her own jaw, her grip upon the chain of her censer. trivial though his thievery had become in the face of grander plots, mere mention of the orc in conversation seems still to evoke the ire which had driven her during those brief days in the city. the realization comes with annoyance, but, stiffly, she releases her grip, forces a shrug. ❛ I knew him as no more than a thief. ❜ and though she hates to acknowledge even so much, it is a concession, of sorts: she had never known him, personally.

❛ and perhaps it is because I never knew him as more than a thief, he strikes me as... inordinately selfish. ❜ such a contrary description for a man who is, to so very many, all but a legend, and, to friends and family, so highly revered.

vaelus cannot, perhaps, justify the description, attribute concrete evidence to satisfy a tribunal. it is, for now, little more than a sense. but that reality in no way diminishes the impression.

and it rankles, still to hear him so casually idolized. how well had they known him, truly?

[criticalstories]

❛   what on earth… have i become?  ❜  

[ @hcllowone | to thaisha! ]

Thaisha took her hands in his, they seemed so fragile, even paler then they've been before. Her heart ached despite her young charges return. He was alive but Occtis was far from being whole, discovering that he doesn't need food or drink or even proper sleep had come as a shock but the Orc tried to see the bright side on it. Not needing food didn't mean you couldn't still enjoy food, at least she didn't have to haunt him to eat a proper meal while lost in his studies. "Easy, you're still yourself baby. Right? Pin's right here too. Everything else we can figure out." Thaisha clearly didn't want Occtis to freak out but had to calm herself too. She remembered talking to Shadia when she was little and finding out that the Old Path wasn't for her... too much like her father, telling her that she was still her girl, that she would always be perfect in whatever choices she made. "Whatever else happened we can figure out now. Step by Step."

@hcllowone

[4zune]

[ stitch ] sender stitches receivers wound.

[ @hcllowone | hiya! :D ]

HE ISN’T QUITE SO SURE, if occtis’ experience of working on cadavers should calm or worry him. either way he shouldn’t be putting them in this situation. he knew how to heal for years now. he’d sat on teor’s side during the rebellion to learn how, in case the battle demanded it.

“ there's been unrest ever since thjazi's arrest. ” not that azune could blame them. but he’s tired now, and the only way to use it would be after a good night’s sleep. something he hadn’t done in past few days at the very least. he should've gone back to the brethren hall but one of thjazi's safe house was closer and azune thought he could deal with it on his own. he just hadn't expected to find occtis in it.

“ thank you for this, ” he says gently, suppressing the hiss as occtis stiches together the gash on his shoulder. “ i owe you a drink. ” although that might be wishful thinking. they all had their part to play for thjazi to walk out of this alive and couldn't be seen together in a public space. and if the plan was successful then occtis, along with thaisha and thjazi would be far away from dol-makjar “ do you drink ? ”

[vaxi1dan]

continued from here, @hcllowone

DURING HIS TIME WITH VOX MACHINA, they had been familiar with revivification spells. becoming the raven queen's champion had started from vex's. but whatever is happening with occtis is far from a cleric's divine energy. the cavity where his heart should lie is empty and that– is something he hadn't seen even when orthax had been chained in his claim of percy's soul. the hand raises higher, cupping occtis' sunken cheeks. something about the way occtis speaks reminds him of keyleth way back when they'd first met, and he pushes that feeling away for now. because when skin touches skin he can see his death.

“ occtis, ” he calls in a gentle tone when hazel eyes meet sickly green. he can't imagine dying at your sibling's hand, not when he'd trade everything in his being for vex'halia's happiness. “ i'll show you the way out, ” he promises, feeling a tug in his chest. whether the raven queen disproved of his action would be something he would have to find out and perhaps pay at a later time. the wings unfurl from his back lightly moving in the limbo space. even with his heart gone the threads of fate remain. occtis cannot see them on his own, but vax can. “ follow me, ” he says. “ no one can hurt you here while you're with me. ”