Violet

“Very. They’ll see you coming from a mile away. Don’t worry though, they’ve got very nice white robes too,” Luna smirked, thinking of the first time she worked with Noir and had to lead her to shore, hiding her and her transparent robes from prying eyes. “Real fun on water related missions.” She rose a brow at the suggestion of platform boots. “What makes you think I don’t already have them? Or that I need them to stare Radish down? Looking down your nose at someone taller than you is a valuable skill, you know.” It was one she’d perfected, though she hardly used it on Radish anymore since they’d become… acquaintances. 

“Mind if I give you a suggestion of my own?” Luna paused, but not long enough for Kali to refuse. “Make sure you go all in this time. They’re not going to be your Vixens, just like we weren’t. But they’re going to be looking to you the way your Vixens did. Give yourself the chance to be a Knight.” It was similar to the advice Luna once gave her when they were sparring. She’d wanted Kali to prove she was a Catalyst, to work for it, to let go of her old uniform if she wanted to wear the new one. Now she can see that Kali couldn’t do that because she wasn’t a Catalyst, didn’t hold the same ideals, didn’t have the same temperament. It wasn’t that she was purposefully acting against the guild, she just couldn’t conform herself to it. Luna still wasn’t convinced that Kali could let go of her old guild enough to immerse herself in Blood Oath, but Kali needed to give herself a fighting chance if she wanted to be their Second. “We both know that you’re a Vixen at heart, but you can’t let them see that. Not if you actually want to be a Knight and not just wear a costume. Catalyst let you lick your wounds, so don’t disappoint me by doing the same thing over there. Though, do be sure to give them as much trouble as you gave me. It’s only fair.”

The conversation had been going so well and then Luna decided to give her a suggestion. She wasn’t sure if she was expecting a ‘warning’ from her about not being able to run back to Catalyst or if it was more of a ‘here’s how to do your job’ sort of suggestion, but when she got neither the only thing she could do was look at her with a frowned pout on her face. She couldn’t tell if she hated what was being said to her, telling her how to be a part of a guild, or if it was the fact that it was Luna telling her. 

Her adjustment had been fine so far, she didn’t feel like she was always on the outside of every inside conversation and look from other Blood Oath members. They might not have been her Vixens, but the like Luna said, the fact that they needed her like her Vixens did already made it easier, made it better, to get to know them and work with them. 

She looked away from Luna and grabbed a pretzel, twirling it in her fingers before taking a bite of it while she thought of what to say. “You know.. I really wish you’d stop referring to me like I’m a cat.” Her eyes went back up to Luna’s face, waiting for her to get mad, “Like lick? That’s such a gross word it’s not fun to say, it doesn’t roll of the tongue nicely, it’s just hard and wet and ugh.” After making a disgusted face she gave her an apologetic smile, “Thank you. I mean that. If you don’t think I will then clearly you’ve learned nothing about me.”

“What? You didn’t actually think I was mad at you did you?” he grinned.

Saddling up towards the new second of Blood Oath. Achilles had to admit, it wasn’t a bad title. Not as good as KaliHeda but it suited her non the less. He didnt wait for her to invite him to take a seat. Collapsing onto the ground next to her unceremoniously. Placing the folder he had brough with him next to her knee as he leaned back into the grass.

“ I figured, you and Blood Oath might want the unused battle plans you brought.” he sighed eyes focused on the sky above him.

It didn’t feel right keeping them. Not when she wasn’t in Catalyst anymore. He was sure the rest of his guild might feel a certain way about him giving her those plans. But they were Vixen’s strategies, Kali had ben gracious and generous enough to give them to him that day. It was right to give them back to her now.

Tilting his head, he looked up at her, a grin on his face. “ Second looks good on you kid. You look… happier. It’s a nice change, thought you’d be walking aroud with a perpetual semi-scowl until we beat the game.” he teased.

She shrugged with a slight roll of her eyes, a small smile on her face regardless, “Everyone else and their mother seems to be mad at me.” 

Her eyes landed on the folder he had set down, a sense of sadness laced with determination settling in the bottom of her stomach. She’d have to sit with her brother when he was of sound mind and adapt them to fit Blood Oath’s strengths, assure that her Vixen’s work wouldn’t go to waste. With a small laugh she thanked him, “I really appreciate it. I’m sure the battle strategists will be thrilled to learn I’m already giving them more work.” 

Kali smiled a little sheepishly. She was excited and maybe genuinely happy to be in the position she was in. After talking to David she had mentally prepared herself for the stress that came with it, being a person who thrives under pressure, but she still felt bad that it was so obvious she was happier in that moment than she had been in Catalyst. The way she felt now meant more to her than her old guild being upset with her for leaving. “I feel happier. No offense to you or Catalyst, but we’ve talked about this before.” She sighed lightly, setting her book down on top of the file, “How mad are Hades and Radish?”

Luna rolled her eyes, “As if you aren’t going to cause me trouble now,” she muttered, but her heart wasn’t truly in it. If she was being honest, she was a bit glad the girl was no longer in her guild. It was a sign that the fallen Vixen was healing, moving on. Though she wasn’t sure Kali was moving in the right direction, into another guild she wouldn’t truly feel a part of. Wouldn’t let herself be a part of. She’d used Catalyst as a crashing pad and once she’d been able to take flight again, she left. Luna couldn’t begrudge her that, not if Kali was finally coming to the realization that she didn’t see the game the same was as the Catalysts did. There was some tension between the two, and Luna was hoping that not being in each others’ pockets would ease that. Luna tapped one of Kali’s shoes with her own. “Think this uniform will fit better than the last?”

“Who would I be if I didn’t?” she asked, her tone lighter than before. Her guard was only up as long as Luna was coming off any bit more hostile than calm. Which after several months, she should’ve been over, but still found it hard to let the other brunette run the conversation. There was no arguing the fact that she was kind of right about the fact Kali was never going to be Catalyst, she’d had that feeling for a while and a few different interactions had really solidified that idea for her, which lead her to Blood Oath, where at least she had her brother. 

Glancing down at her boot then back up at Luna she wrinkled her nose, shaking her head a little bit. “Red’s kinda flashy don’t you think?” That would be the one thing she missed from both her previous guilds. Their uniforms were a bit more.. subtle. The Vixens were a fairly bright blue sure, but they were light which let her feel less bulky and obvious and Catalyst’s all black and gray was a welcomed wardrobe in her Velia ‘punk rock’ period. “You could manage platform boots you know, actually be able to stare down Radish instead of looking up.” 

Garrison rolled his eyes as he approached his little sister now second commander of Blood Oath. Okay so, a part of him knew that her coming over had little to do with him and probably more to do with Mer and David . Still, a small part of him couldn’t help but think that this was yet another way for Vi to keep an eye on him. Not that she had much to worry about, as of late, he was keeping his drinking down a lot. Cold turkey wasn’t for him; he tried it after the hospital and he ended up waking up naked in a field and Tempest finding him and helping him get back home ( after finding his clothes).

So, he sprinkled it through out his day. So far, it was working. Didn’t really need to go binge drinking  and he knew it was a work in progress but so far - and with the help of David and Vi- so good.

“ I know, your use to seeing me face down in a bed huh?” he chortled taking a seat next to his sister. Bumbing her shoulder with his own as he swiped a few of her pretzels.

“What are you doing nerd?” he quirried eyes on the book in her lap. “ A little light reading or are we snooping on your new guild mates? FYI , nothing in my chapter is true at all.”

It was hard to pretend that everything was okay when it came to her brother. Because it wasn’t, he wasn’t. He lost something huge and immediately plunged off the deep end. It took a lot of yelling between the two of them for him to realize how it was affecting more than just him, and for him to actually get hurt for him to realize how bad it affected him. While she did join Blood Oath to be closer to her family, it wasn’t so she could hover over his shoulder, he was doing well enough to not need a babysitter anymore. 

Rolling her eyes at him and only complaining slightly when he took her pretzels, she nudged him back. “I leave everyone’s reports in my office thank you, this is just for fun. And please, I know everything in your chapter is true, you’ve told me literally everything already.” 

She did the best she could to be discrete about assessing him, seeing how his posture was, facial expression, if his breath had any linger scent of alcohol. For the most part he seemed okay, but she wasn’t sure if that was now a tolerance. “Did you come to annoy your little sister or did you have another mission?”

At first, Jal didn’t see their friend. They’d just come back from meeting with a source, and they had to do a double take before seeing Violet cross-legged on the ground. 

“No, Miss Second, fancy seeing you.”

Vi knew how Jal felt about guilds; all of this worry about how Catalyst was making her feel and she just hopped right into another guild. They’d ask her why, what was so good about a guild when she had her own little crew with Mer, Rae, and Jal. Sure, they were getting used to Vi having a second boyfriend ( the first, naturally, being them ), but that didn’t mean she had to up and join his guild.

“Oh I’m not going to get a long speech about how guilds suck and I shouldn’t waste my time on them today?” Vi teased, a small smile peaking across her face at them calling her ‘second’. Every other time that they had had this conversation, it was typically Jal’s go to argument when she expressed her frustration at pretty much anything. In the end, Vi had her mind made up about what she was going to do and they’d just have to begrudgingly be supportive if she were to ask. 

Luna hummed noncommittally in response, her face a blank slate. “Isn’t it just?” It was a coincidence that she’d stumbled upon the Vixen on her way to grab lunch at one of the pubs on the floor. And Kali was still a Vixen in her mind. That was probably why she didn’t feel the same rage she once felt towards Oracle. Kali had never really been a Catalyst, and Luna doubted she would find herself to be a Knight either. “I thought you were a fan of surprises. You certainly gave us one. Well, some of us.”

Kali gave one of her favorite people a terse smile. To be fair, she did blindside almost everyone in Catalyst, but it’s not like she really expected them to care as much as they did. She knew full well where she stood with Luna, to her Kali was never going to be Catalyst, even if she had stayed. Part of the reason she left was because she respected Luna and had no ill will against her, but couldn’t just sit there and take orders from someone who she wasn’t exactly on the same page with. “Yeah I’ve grown keen to them.” Closing her book, she set it to the side, “Thought you’d be glad I’m out of your hair, less trouble I can cause you.”

players: open

so she wasn’t necessarily avoiding anyone specifically, but she wasn’t going out of her way to find anyone either. given all the guild drama she had just caused, she decided to try and lay low and get everything situated while catalyst cooled down. 

hades: i'm sorry that my sister's death was a distraction, that my losing everything, including myself put a stopper to me checking up on you.

hades: i'm sorry, but you don't get to put this on me. you don't get to make it seem like this is my fault.

kali: i wasn’t asking you to hold my fucking hand i was asking you to give a shit

kali: i thought i’d always have you when i joined this guild. i trusted them because you did.

kali: and i asked what you needed from me.

kali: i did what you told me you wanted because if i tried to do more you’d shut down

hades: don't turn this on me.

hades: were you unhappy because i brought you in? because i wanted to be there for you?

hades: that isn't even it. if you had told me, i wouldn't be this angry.

kali: bullshit.

kali: im thankful for everything you and catalyst have given me

kali: you also never checked in on me.

kali: i get it, you were dealing with your own things that are more important, i stood back and let you do whatever you needed to do

kali: but i’ve spent the last three months either with jal and rae or mer and barely came by HQ

hades: you could have given me a heads up? you could have explained then?

hades: but i guess im not worth the time.

hades: congratulations on second.

kali: you don’t get to be upset with me

kali: you’re telling me you didn’t ONCE notice how unhappy i was in catalyst?

hades: you could have given me a heads up? you could have explained then?

hades: but i guess im not worth the time.

hades: congratulations on second.

kali: leo please.

kali: catalyst wasn’t in the position to hear me out

hades: what is going on

hades: kali

hades: this isn't funny.

kali: i can explain.