heaving through corrupted lungs

Julian had been assigned to training, apparently he had been spending too much time helping out the new wolves. Right now, as he watched Blake kicking the ass of his student. He was regretting this assignment for sure. "I saw her hold her hand up." He pointed across the room at someone he didn't know.

"What's that? Julian, you volunteer?" Blake grinned, shaking his head at him. "Alright, Russo? Tap in. Yang, I'm sorry, you pulled the short straw," he nodded, heading off the mat and to his water. Looking over at Julian, he added, "You know she's gonna get you for that later, right?"

Callie knew that Blake was running training today and, as was her right, she had made her way down there to watch him from the back of the room. She wasn't even remotely embarrassed to admit that she was staring–swooning, even–and when the opportunity presented itself, she leaned forward on the bench she was perched on. "I could take you."

Blake turned at the sound of her voice, an easy grin pulling onto his face. Of course, it was followed by a healthy dose of guilt in the pit of his stomach. Had he been staring back at her a little too long, now? "Uh, Russo? Take over for me, yeah," he said, patting Russo on the shoulder while the crowd let out some 'oooohs' at Blake heading over to his girlfriend. "You could definitely take me. I'll have to respectfully decline so that I don't lose face."

Gen chuckled as he disarmed the poor guy and swiftly moved on, ready to take on the next challenger, and she simply couldn't help herself. Stepping past the small crowd that had gathered around him, she grinned. "How about round sixty three, baby bro?" She couldn't say if that was actually how many times she had taken him on and he had beaten her, but maybe today she would turn things around.

"Are you sure you want to add another major knockout to your record, Gen? I don't know if your reputation's gonna recover after this," he teased with a wide grin as she stepped up to the mat. Blake raised his brows, noticing how the crowd had gotten a little bigger now. He held his arms out to her. "Go on, I'll even give you the first shot for free."

Sean had never been comfortable in a room full of hunters, and Blake had just proven why. How'd he do that? Just disarm a guy with one manoeuvre? He should ask, he should totally ask, but the thing was... Sean was a bloodline hunter too. For, like, a lifetime now, so the basics should've been pretty much hammered into him, so asking something this simple was not an option. "Nice, Blake. Totally got him in the," he gestured vaguely to whatever pressure point resides between one's neck and shoulder. "Classic."

"Thanks, man," Blake laughed, grinning at Sean's compliment. He nodded to Russo to take the next round, tapping out so he could head over to Sean. "Are you, uh, planning on jumping in today?" Blake asked it super casually, pausing to drain a good half of his water bottle, before looking back at him. "Or you could take my place, you know. Show 'em how it's down. Really run through the 'classics'."

"maybe we could get a fun vacation" she bounced, as they walked. ever the optimist. annabeth helped wherever she could, she preferred to feel useful instead of a body floating round with nothing to do.

"i might have exaggerated," he sighed, taking a small step back from her. even now, when he was caught, he hesitated to indulge in her request. blake had been hit with a warlock's magic about a month ago. at first, he really did think it was healing. he was sorely mistaken, but there had been so much to do. there had been no time to dwell. there was never any time.

"that's true, but would it hurt if we all took a day off?" she offered a smile to lighten the mood. it was chaos, people sprinting to offer aid where they could.

"i'll take that to ana for us," blake grinned. there was never a dull day down here, to put it lightly. and more than ever, it helped to put it lightly. "sounds good to me. they've got the best of the best on the case," he added, nodding to her as they both started towards southside exit.

mom: how u today

Elena's head shot up when she heard his voice and a breath she had been holding burst from her lungs. He was alive. He looked absolutely harrowing, but he was alive. She didn't even think- didn't look around to see who might see them- before jumping from her seat and wrapping her arms around him, burying her face in his neck. "I was so worried." She didn't dare clarify that she had been worried about him. If he wanted to assume that she was worried about her own safety, let him. Let them all think the worst of her.

The last thing Blake had expected was for Elena to jump up from her seat and throw her arms around him. He was so shocked, he didn't move at first. Slowly, his arms had wrapped around her too, eyes closing as she burrowed into his neck. Blake let out the breath he'd been holding at her words - the world must really be ending - and offered a small smile. "It's okay," he said softly. Not 'I'm okay', but the implication was there if she wanted it.

When the implosion at the school had happened, Elena was so stressed. She had first heard about it from Jesse when he had gone storming out of the house in search of his sister, which turned into a night of her pacing by the window, trying to call Blake and snapping at anyone who came near her. She had managed to make it seem like she was afraid of the commotion on the streets- that the attacks happening were inconvenient to her and that Jamie being involved was just ruining her peaceful evening- but none of it was true. Elena would rather her family think she was selfish than have them know the truth.

Blake hadn't slowed down since the night the school had imploded. From the battlefield, to carrying his allies into med bay, it had been non-stop. They needed all hands- any hands- on deck for this one. Blake had his people to take care of, he had Callie's hand to hold while she worked through the devastation. He had to wash the blood and dirt from underneath his fingernail. And he had to reply to Elena Montgomery's decidedly worried text messages.

Hearing Blake say her name on the private channel, Callie almost let herself fall apart. "Blake." Her voice broke and a single tear fell, but she shook it off. She had to keep it together until the worst of it was over, until they'd saved who they could. "I should have noticed. I should have seen what they were doing." She shouldn't be making this about her, but she needed a second to feel like shit. She had failed to do her job and now the school was gone.

Blake shook his head, of course this wasn't Callie's fault. He wished he could help ease her pain, to hold her through this night, but they both had to keep fighting. They both had a job to do. He might have stopped for her now, but the world continued to spin around him. "It's okay, baby," he said so softly that he wasn't sure if the words had made it past his lips. Blake felt his chest squeeze, his face already damp from tears, sweat and blood. They still had a job to do. "I'll see you soon, okay? Wait for me."