TAKE IT EASY.

prior to their current conversation, finley had noticed the blonde’s boyfriend trailing behind their group and it brought a sense of discomfort into the pit of his stomach. bad vibes flew from the male, he wasn’t one which appeared to be trusted considering who he had decided to befriend. however, finley didn’t feel like it was yet his place to make such a loud observation of character in front of everyone. he didn’t want to start an argument, nor did he want to push anyone - dani - into trouble. he would wait until he was able to pull dani away from vince’s lingering gaze before he said anything to accuse the man. starting a water-fight seemed to be good bait, plus she was starting to enjoy herself from what he could see. 

scoffing gently, he threw a wave of dismissal at her. “trust me, i’m doing everyone a favour.” he announced. wheels on the bus was not the track of the century he wished to hear, it wasn’t to his taste and he was sure he wasn’t alone with that opinion. 

he could feel that she was scheming her revenge against him, he knew he was in for a big hit therefore his excitement started to creep - something about creating chaos thrilled him. he needed something to distract him from the thought of an overcasting storm, the colour of the clouds were already beginning to darken and he was sure it wouldn’t be long before the area was pitch black. a low chuckle hummed from between his lips as she commented on the evident grimace he’d pulled. “uh, something like that… a cracked rib or two but it’s fine.” he assured her, their distance seemingly closed and a great line of attack appeared. swinging his bucket in her direction, he allowed minimal water to splash against her front. “oops. you look a little wet there.”

          if  she  were  to  fall  victim  to  what  vince  wanted  from  her,  dani  would  be  looking  over  her  shoulder  every  other  second.   she’d  be  worrying  about  what  he  thought  about  her  actions  &  asking  him  if  she  could  do  this  or  that.   she’s  learned  that  he’s  a  creature  of  habit  &  one  that  only  attacked  when  nobody  else  was  around.   even  then,  dani’s  learned  to  stand  her  ground  half  the  time,  unable  to  contain  her  emotions  when  dealing  with  such  an  intolerable  being.   if  she  could,  she’d  run.   if  she  could  find  another  place  in  tera  where  he  wouldn’t  find  her,  she’d  be  happy.   it’s  too  bad  that  she  loves  her  job  too  much  &  her  heart  still  aches  at  the  thought  of  not  being  with  vince.   love  was  very  strange  &  manipulative  because  she  cares  about  him.   she  really  does  &  she  hates  to  admit  it. 

          “   oh,  come  on.   everyone  here  loves  my  singing.   ”     dani  rolled  her  eyes  at  the  announcement,  admirable  chivalry  almost  entertaining  enough  to  make  her  laugh  yet  again.   eyes  glance  towards  the  others,  who  are  mostly  paying  attention  to  their  own  tasks  at  hand.   it’s  something  they  probably  should  have  been  doing.

a  𝒍𝒚𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍  𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏  of   DANI  CAMDEN   •

Location: The Bazaar With: Dani @medictm​ When: After first bomb drop. 

An hour, that was all the time they would have between the first and second bomb. The first got them in, pitching the city into darkness. Arlesians spilling in through the whole getting into positions Taking out those who stood in their way. Force, only if necessary. This was his warning every time they fought an enemy. Knowing that sometimes in battle, some casualties couldn’t be helped. But he didn’t relish taking a life, especially an innocent one. 

But he would if he had to. 

Davut’s unsure where he was. Following the ping that lit on his tracker. The path brought him through what looked to be a market of some kind though it was empty. Or appeared that way. The booths and stalls were stacked up and off to the sides; he didn’t see anyone. But he could hear them. The sudden gasp as he stopped. The steady beats of a heart much slower than his own. Another step to the right, towards a stack of boxes and chairs, and the heartbeat quicken. 

Removing the mask he wore. Davut lowered himself down to his knees. Till their eyes met, a dozen or so of them. It was a mixed lot, children, women, a few adolescents. One pair of eyes stuck out the most. Clearly, she was afraid, but she stared him down regardless. Placing his mask on the ground next to him, he sheathed his sword. Resting his elbow in his knee. 

“You have to learn to quiet your breathing if you don’t wish to be found.” he called, motioning for them to come out, “You’ll want to find a better hiding place if that is the intent. Come on out, I won’t hurt you.”

.

          the  bombs  were  mistaken  for  thunder  at  first,  but  then  everything  went  black.   dani  had  been  fortunate  enough  to  find  a  group  of  people  to  stay  with.   she’d  ushered  them  all  into  a  corner  in  the  bazaar,  hoping  that  they  could  just  lay  low  until  someone  came  to  find  them.   arms  were  wrapped  around  a  younger  girl,  had  to  be  under  eighteen,  as  dani  just  rested  her  cheek  against  the  female’s  head.  time  seemed  slow,  but  she  knew  better  than  to  think  it  had  stopped  completely.   help  would  come,  that  much  was  a  guarantee.   it  was  just  a  storm,  right  ?

          then  they  see  him  &  dani’s  forced  to  shush  the  girl  beside  her  for  gasping  a  bit  too  loud.   she’s  all  too  familiar  with  destruction  &  demons.   whoever  this  man  was  couldn’t  do  more  damage  than  her  partner  already  had.   stature  remains  collected,  arms  only  squeezing  around  the  girl  before  dani  is  letting  her  gaze  fall  upon  the  male  before  them.   he  looked  alone,  but  that  didn’t  mean  more  weren’t  coming.   her  brave  face  was  much  more  visible  than  those  around  her,  so  dani  assumed  the  role  that  nobody  else  would  &  she  made  a  personal  vow  to  protect  them,  even  if  it  meant  putting  herself  at  risk.

A part of him wanted to chuckle at the shift in topic. Greysen was familiar to the move himself. Had used it plenty of times in the hopes of distracting someone or when he just didn’t to be pressed for more information. And he was always grateful when they allowed the shit. it was the least that he could do . 

“Aside from going a little stir crazy I’m fine.”  Fine, seemed the to be the all encompassing feeling for most. Within the wall afford them protections, Outside of it, there were dangers that they didn’t understand. For all the advancement they mad, there were still the sense of the unknown that hung over them. Crippling them, making them weak. 

 “ I think I start feeling better when our research and continue. And my teams can go back into the field. That is of course after the storm passes.” 

          she  was  grateful  he  took  the  bait,  whether  he  wanted  to  or  not.   her  usually  strong  &  unbothered  exterior  was  cracked,  showing  strains  &  discomfort  here  &  there  with  the  storm  overhead.   she  used  to   be  happy,  radiating  nothing  but  positivity  to  others,  but  something  was  different.   maybe  a  mind  could  only  be  so  strong  for  so  long  before  sanity  threatened  to  stray.

he’d like to think that his ability to read almost anyone’s internal emotions was a god-given gift but he assumed it was irritating nonetheless. it was almost like he could see a small fraction of her blood boil as he realised how down in the dumps she looked. he knew that she would dismiss his accusation of there being something wrong, that’s pretty much what everyone did. now, scheming, was the last word finley had expected her to respond with. ears were pricked and his gaze returned to watch each step she took. “scheming? now that’s something i thought you, of all people, would not be capable of.” he admitted with a gentle shrug, a bucket of water swinging in between the two as they strolled further towards their destination. “can’t help it, i’m afraid.” he teased, a smug grin pulling at the corners of his mouth. 

“oh, for the love of god, please anything but wheels on the bus.” he pleaded while shaking his head, that song ruined long journeys and he didn’t want to hear it again. scooping a puddle of water into his palm, a teasing but sly expression covered his features as he contemplated what to do next. he figured that the two needed to have a little fun to help their duties pass quicker. subtly, he chucked the water over his shoulder and in her direction, quickening his pace before she was able to pay him back without a second thought. 

all this strenuous activity was beginning to play havoc with his still cracked ribs, he slowed his pace soon enough and placed a hand on his side to provide some comfort to his month-old injury. 

          tousled  trust  with  others  stifles  her  inability  to  comprehend  his  analysis  of  her  exterior,  figuring  it  gave  him  too  much  of  a  reason  to  poke  &  prod  at  personal  hardships  that  nobody  needed  to  know  about.   there  was  a  reason  vince  had  been  hovering  behind  the  group  for  a  while  now,  keepings  tabs  on  dani’s  whereabouts  without  showing  himself  to  be  physically  overbearing  in  front  of  a  crowd.   there  were  a  handful  of  people  there,  so  it’s  not  like  he  stood  out.   he  got  quite  good  at  blending  in  to  make  sure  she  wasn’t  exhibiting  a  cry  for  help  to  someone  else  about  just  how  mean  he  could  get.   besides,  it  was  impossible  to  think  he  was  keeping  an  eye  on  them  when  dani  didn’t  feel  like  she  was  being  watched.   she’d  grown  so  accustomed  to  his  behavior  that  she  doesn’t  worry  anymore.   it  was  learned  that  he  wouldn’t  say  anything  until  they  got  home  anyway,  therefore  having  no  major  impact  on  her  current  mood.

          “   not  capable  of  scheming  ?   you  must  not  know  me  very  well.   ”     mischief  was  in  her  blood.   although  she’d  never  know  it,  her  father  was  a  thief  &  her  mother  was  a  detective.   she  knew  how  to  be  sneaky  on  both  ends  of  the  spectrum,  even  if  her  family  wasn’t  part  of  her  life  that  long.   still,  she  flinches  when  water  is  thrown  her  way  again,  features  twisting  into  that  of  dissatisfaction  as  dani’s  footsteps  pause  for  just  a   moment.     “   what  ?   didn’t  like  my  song  suggestion  ?   ”     dani  questions  with  a  laugh,  lips  pressing  together  to  contemplate  what  her  next  move  should  be.

location: somewhere in tera; collecting water. closed for @danicamden​

a storm soon to overcast tera was not the news finley wanted to hear, he had a strong dislike for them. storms back in ireland, from what he could remember, were awful. most had led to serious injuries of his community and he was unsure what he’d do if the same were to repeat itself. not only did he dislike them for those reasons, but being reminded of home was not something he enjoyed. nights spent neglected by his parents forever tormented him, the sounds and sights he saw were things no child of his age should have seen. 

storms meant bloodshed, he wasn’t ready for yet another massacre to happen barely a month after the last. still, he would fulfil his duty and collect as much water as necessary. his team appeared strong and efficient, he prayed they wouldn’t suddenly abandon him and leave him to do all the work. 

glad he had the help of dani, he started to carry a bucket filled with water to its needed destination though he also couldn’t help but catch the grimace which seemed to overpower her usual chirpy self. “you’ve been awfully quiet, miss camden.” he mentioned, fingers dipping in his water before shaking them at her in attempt to make her smile. 

.

          this  was  a  blessing  in  disguise.   the  storm,  although  eerily  ironic  in  the  sense  that  it’s  foreshadowing  the  downfall  of  her  relationship  with  vince,  was  quite  welcomed  by  dani  in  her  own  mind.   the  cold,  sleepless  nights  &  scorching,  drought - inducing  days  were  almost  worth  it  all  if  it  meant  a  storm  could  stir  things  up  in  her  life.   she’s  unaware  of  such  a  fact,  emotions  running  wild  without  reason  as  dani  goes  about  her  days  with  as  much  ease  as  before.   her  steps  are  slow  as  she  keeps  the  bucket  in  her  hands  hugged  close  to  her  chest,  much  like  most  of  her  cards.   her  bucket  was  half - full,  another  little  irony  in  her  life,  but  she  still  powers  on.   her  energy  had  dimmed,  light  flickering  ever - so - slightly  as  it  threatened  a  blackout,  but  she  was  pretty  fair  at  pretending.

          or  so  she  thought.   finley  sees  right  through  her  &  it’s  borderline  irritating,  but  she’s  not  one  to  get  annoyed.   instead,  his  observation  is  waved  off,  flash  of  a  smile  supposed  to  prove  her  sanity  was  still  intact.   she’d  been  zoning  off  the  past  few  moments,  mind  wandering  to  a  far - off  place  where  she’s  actually  loved  &  it’s  a  marvelous  place  to  be.   her  wildest  dreams  remain  her  ideal  realities  &  those  just  don’t   have  a  place  on  abellio  at  the  moment.     “   i’m  scheming.   ”     agile  wit  surfaces,  head  flinching  a  little  harder  than  she’d  like  as  water  is  strewn  towards  her.   he’s  gentle,  but  the  motion  triggers  a  fight  or  flight  response.   she  rarely  ever  fought  anymore.   still,  it’s  brushed  off  &  she’s  letting  her  shoulders  lift.     “   you’re  awfully  nosy,  mister  banks.   ”

“Are you sure? It might do you good.”

 Not that he was an expert. Greysen was no physician. The lack of colour to her complexion was telling, to say the least. Offering up a plate of food seemed like a good idea. Though given the look on her face, she didn’t agree. He often took his lunch at the Bazar, there were plenty of offerings there, and it was always busy with people. An excellent way to hide in plain sight. Here he could get some extra work in and not have to worry much about someone coming to bother him. Today it was more crowded than usual. After Remembrance day, not many Terrans were venturing out of Tera, and he couldn’t blame them.

“ Have you gone to see one of the physicians? I’m sure they could give you a hypospray to cure whatever is ailing you.” it didn’t make since for her to suffer. Especially when they had the medicine to help her.

.

          “   maybe  in  a  few.   ”     dani  entertains  the  suggestion,  but  makes  no  move  forward  to  bring  the  meal  closer.   she  wasn’t  sure  her  stomach  could  really  handle  it  at  the  moment.   she  feared  that  trying  would  end  badly  for  both  of  them. 

Paris sat beside Dani still holding the two plates of food and placed the down in front of  them. They had noticed Dani sitting alone and wanted to do something nice for their best friend, a way to anyone’s heart is through their stomach right? Paris thought. Well unless you were from the south then that would be well water but as soon as it crossed their mind they pushed it out, Paris had shared the last of what they had with Reign before everything went to shit, and thinking about it wouldn’t make not having it any easier.

“Well I can’t eat all of this by myself.” they said.

Paris was unsure what to get, so they had just gotten one of everything each so the plates where piled quite high.

.

there  was  a  draw  of  mock  shock  written  across  nicola’s  features  as  her  hand  slapped  up  against  her  chest.  “  well—-  ’  she  dragged  on  dryly.  “  excuse  me  miss  sunshine  but  some  of  us  prefer  the  ungodly  hours  of  night.  ’  eyes  rolling  playfully  before  her  lips  met  the  opening  of  her  cup,  sipping  her  coffee  slowly.  

nic’s  eyes  ran  from  dani  to  the  coffee  cup  in  her  hand.  “  to  this?  ’  she  questioned,  looking  between  the  two  another  take  before  sipping  from  it  again.  “  no,  ’  she  hummed,  shaking  her  head.  “  i  don’t  think  so.  ’  but  they  both  knew  she  was,  and  they  both  knew  she  would  be  awful  without  it.  “  why?  ’  head  cocking  back  at  the  remark.  brows  raised  in  curiosity.  “  i’ll  just  lay  my  head  in  your  lap.  ’  she  pressed,  lips  pulling  into  a  smirk.  

          “   i  prefer  both.   if  midday  could  be  removed,  i’d  be  the  happiest  woman  alive.   ”     her  night  owl  behavior  wept  whenever  her  schedule  fell  upon  the  ever - so - lovely  hours  that  came  prior  to  evening.   dani  loved  a  good  night  crowd,  but  to  see  people  so  grumpy  in  the  morning  was  entertainment  in  itself.   besides,  she  liked  a  good  challenge  of  trying  to  make  them  smile.   it’s  not  like  her  attempts  at  brightening  days  went  unnoticed,  right  ? 

unsure  whether  his  gaze  had  fallen  on  the  most  appropriate  attendee,  he  searched  the  surrounding  area  for  someone  who  had  a  bit  more  brute  force.  not  that  he  didn’t  think  dani  would  be  able  to  hold  the  fort  with  him,  he  was  just  dubious  when  thinking  about  the  blend  of  her  personality.  she  was  pretty  much  the  epitome  of  rays  of  sunshine.  at  least  that  was  the  impression  she  had  given  him,  if  not  most.  though  he  trusted  her,  glad  that  she  was  willing  to  provide  him  with  a  form  of  backup  and  not  gawk  and  watch  from  the  sidelines  like  most  bystanders  did. 

something  about  her  instruction  didn’t  sit  right  with  finley,  afraid  that  if  he  left  the  area  that  she’d  be  bombarded  with  strange,  drunk  old  men.  but  then  it  hit  him.  surely  she  was  used  to  punters  like  these,  thanks  to  her  job  at  de luca’s.  hesitation  didn’t  fade  easily  though,  he  moved  at  a  slow  pace  to  assist  the  guy  closest  to  him  around  and  escort  him  out.  thankfully,  the  man  was  compliant  and  agreed  that  it  was  time  to  make  the  journey  home.  finley  watched  him  stagger  into  the  distance,  satisfied  that  he’d  make  it  home  alive  and  then  spent  no  further  time  dawdling. 

reentering  the  hidden  bar,  he  peered  over  the  crowd  which  seemed  to  dissipate  bit  by  bit.  “ t’anks  for  the  help,  dani. “  he  grinned,  impressed  at  how  well  she  diffused  the  situation.  “  can  i  get  you  a  drink  or  anything?  as  a  show  of  gratitude.  “ 

          let  it  be  known  that  danielle  camden  should  have  been  a  little  more  hesitant  about  stepping  in  between  two  potential  brawlers,  considering  vince  had  exhibited  similar  behavior  and  she  never  particularly  left  unscathed.   her  fears  often  dissipated  after  just  seconds  of  dwelling  because  life  is  short.   it’s  not  like  much  more  could  terrify  her  at  that  point.   a  little  bit  of  a  bar  fight  didn’t  even  come  close.

          de  luca’s,  although  a  much  different  environment,  carried  the  same  kinds  of  customers  during  the  day.   there  wasn’t  much  that  really  made  dani  back  down,  and  some  wasted  guy  was  no  different.   one  hand  lifted  to  pat  his  shoulder,  a  low - key  kind  of  sign  for  him  to  move  back  without  particularly  trying  to  induce  more  rage  from  the  male.     “   c’mon,  go  sober  up.   they  catch  you  out  on  the  streets  like  this,  you’ll  get  less  of  a  pretty  face  tellin’  you  to  get  your  shit  together.   ”     public  intoxication  was  quite  serious  in  tera,  which  is  why  most  were  grateful  for  the  black.   even  those  in  the  most  altered  state  knew  exiting  without  some  kind  of  decency  to  act  normal  was  a  death  wish.

Sofi grunted in response to the criticism, the coffee doing nothing yet to make her feel like a human that was capable of holding down her job. She wasn’t a morning person on even the best of days, but lately they’d been working long hours and absolutely everyone at her job was frustrated and overworked.

“You know what?” She paused to take another drink of the too-hot coffee, nearly choking on it as it lightly burned her tongue. “I would really appreciate that. If you could drop it off at my office around now, that’d be perfect.”

.

          her  steps  fell  in  sync  with  sofi’s,  but  halted  at  the  same  time  to  watch  her  try  and  down  the  coffee.   still,  she  couldn’t  hold  back  a  laugh  at  the  instant  karma  that  hit  sofi  in  the  form  of  a  burnt  tongue.     “   yeah,  how’d  that  feel  ?   ”     she  teased,  rolling  her  eyes  with  another  playful  laugh  before  moving  to  continue  walking.