RESTART?

He hadn’t known what to expect. Suddenly he would get in the train and figure it all out? No, of course not. In fact, he told himself how pointless it is. There was no reason to think that the answer to this floor was infact inside the train. Especially, when it was made clear that the train always came back to the station.

No other stops.

No other destinations.

It was a never ending circle jerk that Aspen had set up. And Wolverine hated the man for it. Still he thought. If he could get to the conductor’s cabin. Maybe he could use the map symatics of the engine he found with David – and do something semi constructive. Perhaps get the train to stop?

Wolverine hopped onto the car not expecting to see anyone eles. So when he heard her voice; he was taken aback. The last time he saw Luna she was falling from the sky. He hadn’t gotten to her in time; but had heard she was on the mend. She looked good – granted she always looked good. Still, she looked strong and for that he was grateful.

“ Pretty sure, you missed that stop a while back.” he said smiling at her. “ But you do have a tendency to miss the details.”

Luna’s playful air dissipated once she got a clear view of the other player boarding the train. After their last encounter, Bishop was one of the last people she wanted to see on a train she wouldn’t be able to get off of until it made a full loop back to the station. She’d rather have tea with Erebus and negotiate a Circus/Catalyst slumber party where one of the party games was Russian roulette. She pressed her lips into a clearly fake smile and leaned back into her seat, her arms crossing over her chest. “That’s what happens when you’re looking at the bigger picture,” she tossed back. “You know, you really should have become a teacher, that was you could actually give out grades along with your unwanted criticism.”

He’d chastize her for thinking Centria was her only option for a costume, but he wasn’t ready to get on her bad side again. ( After all, they had only just started to get along. ) David grinned when she grabbed the bottle from him, pleased that his kindness brought her own in turn. “I’ve gotten a sample from Venus before,” he said with a wistful tone. “But it wasn’t one of these. Maybe we should start an underground trading system of her goods.”

Maybe not, though, as the sample he received from her wasn’t really something he could leave in his inventory.

He popped one chocolate into his mouth, somehow surprised by just how good it was. “Alright, Miss Catalyst, would you like a glass?”

Luna arched a brow at David’s shifting mood when he mentioned Venus’s other samples. Something gave her the impression they were quite different from the chocolates she’d handed over... or perhaps her inventory really was that potent. “Hm, and yet you only suggested it after I’ve handed you all of my inventory. I’d rather try the ones I’ve got, I was specifically told to report back. I don’t know about you, but missing that appointment doesn’t sound like a great idea to me.”

She took back one one of the chocolates and followed suit, grinning as the flavor immediately bursted on her tongue. “I’m tempted to drink straight from the bottle tonight, but maybe we should toast first.” Without waiting for an invitation, Luna turned and entered his cabin in search of the kitchen. The layout from the first time she’d visited the cabin-- was it months ago now?-- was the same, but once she was actually inside, she waited for David to point her the right way.

“Really,” Killmongur grinned. Making her way towards Luna ; a little surprised to see the woman just hanging out on the train. “—I wanted to see the cherry blossomes in Japan. Must be on the wrong train.” she shrugged. Plopping her self next to Luna. After, running the gambit with Charon and relizing that there really wasn’t much to discover at the train station it’s self ( or underneath the benchs.) She opted  for checking out the train itself; the train that didn’t go anywhere - if the rumors were true. People said it basically went around on one track. The final destination back were you began… at the train station.

Aspen sure did have some fucked up humor.

Killmongur looked Luna over a moment as she removed her jacket; before nodding her head, “Glad to see you looking right and fit Moon. You had me worried for like,” she paused percing her lips together in faux contemplation.  “—two seconds? Not to mention entertained. You should get high more often.”

Luna abandoned her stoic expression once she saw that the person boarding was Killmongur, a smirk slowly spreading on her face. “Nope, right train. Might take a bit though, lots of stops.” It was almost surprising how easy it was to joke around with the other player, her posture not stiffening when Killmonjur plopped down next to her or exit plans forming in her head.

She rolled her eyes at the reminder of her stay in the hospital. When she’d read the messages after the pain potions had worn off she cringed for days, unable to respond to Killmongur after looking like an absolute idiot. Now, however, even as heat rushed to her cheeks, the only warmth she felt was the warmth from the spot where their arms touched. “Glad I could be entertaining. You know, after surviving this hell hole, that’s my biggest goal. But I’m a little disappointed. Two seconds? You should have had more faith in me. Like I’d let a fall kill me after all the shit we’ve been through.” Luna shook her head in put-upon dismay, “And here I thought you knew me.” 

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.”

Luna wrinkled her nose, “Have I done it before? Maybe you’re just a catlike person, that’s hardly my fault. Maybe you’re not thinking of a lick in the right way, then,” she said with a smirk. Not that she was going to elaborate. In fact, she was already regretting saying it. “You’re welcome,” Luna paused before responding sincerely. “I do wonder, sometimes, if that was the case. We were always in one another’s pockets, and yet-- we’ve had our fair share of misunderstandings. Sometimes you still feel like a stranger to me.” It wasn’t accusatory, there was no blame to be placed on either side, but Luna couldn’t help but feel like she never made the effort because she knew Kali wouldn’t stay long.

“A killer queen in the most basic costume possible?” David snarked, an eyebrow cocked.

He tossed the cigarette butt into the sand, its remains pixellating away into the wind. For once, he wished himself to be a bit more rude, enough so to shoo her off. He was, however, a man with a plan. A plan he regretted making as soon as he’d sobered up. Gesturing for her to come up to the porch, he pulled a bottle out of his inventory. “How’s this for a corsage?”

Luna rolled her eyes at the jab. “Disappointed I didn’t dress up for you? I was a bit busy getting discharged to really scour Centria for a costume.” At the promise of getting absolutely smashed, Luna quickly made her way up to the deck. Because of course more alcohol was the real solution. “Oh David, you really do know the way to a girl’s heart,” she said with a sardonic grin as she plucked the bottle from his hand. “I might have brought a few party favors of my own. I wasn’t exactly inclined to share, but since you offered first.” Luna drew a few small chocolates from her inventory and plopped them into his now empty hand. “Venus gave me a few samples.”

This was the eleventh time the train pulled into the station, and Luna had since stopped checking every inch of the train for any sign of a clue. So far no side quests had presented themselves and no boss had made itself known. Determined not to crack like she had on the Estate floor, Luna promised herself she’d get off after the thirteenth go around. It was a good number and if she had a specific amount of time she allowed herself to investigate, she would be able to walk away without completely losing it. Hopefully. This place had a way of bending her mind in so many places she couldn’t think straight. As her luck would have it, just before the train pulled out of the station, another player climbed in. Luna stayed in her seat, but pulled one leg up to rest her chin on her knee. “Where are you headed?” she asked, her blank face not betraying her joke but for the small twitch at the corner of her mouth. “Personally, I’m thinking Paris.”

“ Fuck you,” he mutterd. Crossing his arms over his chest, pouting like a child. Where did she get off acting all indignate. Still, the more he thought about it. If the roles were reversed. Syphon probably would have said the same thing. He was, infact, being a dick. Not just to her but to everyone that he knew. Everyone that he cared about . He pushed Cat away, making her cry in the process. Was distant with his baby sister Rue. Rue, who only cared for and loved everyone that was important to her. Then there was David and Kali… shit. They had been hurt too.

Each person he cared about had stopped by at one point or the other. And Syphon had made it his mission to push them away ( he faild) but the point was he had tried to get them to leave. Truth was, he didn’t want to see them. He didn’t want to be here. Syphon wanted to die, he had it set in his mind. On the hill, with the raptors. He had seen the end so clearly and all he could think of was… finally. I don’t have to try and fight anymore.

I don’t have to be the strong big brother

I don’t have to be a reliable friend.

I don’t have to be a man in love with someone who deserves better…

“ Because that’s how I wanted it. I’m a fucking mess and a dick if you haven’t noticed,” he huffed. His own fight starting to ebb away now as well. Leaning his head back against the edge of the bed, eyes up at the ceiling. “My friend I’ve known for years said I was pathetic. Called me out on all my bullshit and punched me in the face and you know what?” Syphon’s eyes on her’s as he continued. “ He wasn’t wrong. Everything he said was true, and if it’s true. Why not fix it, because I’m selfish and weak and a dick.”

He let out a long sigh shaking his head. Why was he even telling her all of this. He didn’t know her. She didn’t know him. Syphon didn’t owe her an explination but the words wouldn’t stop tumbling out of his fucking mouth and … it felt good to get it off his chest. “ I’m no good for them. They keep insisting that I can fight this of but, it doesn’t feel like I can.” Throwing his head back once more eyes closed. He was exhausted, of velia. Saddness hung over him at the lose of Charlott. Syphon just didn’t know what else to do except exile himself away. Beliving he was nothing more then a problem no one could handle.

At her apology he wanted to scoff but came up short, by the looks of her. She was just about as done as he was. “ Yeah, you should be. But, I’m sorry too. If it makes you feel any better I did think you were one of those npc nurses. Not Magie though, that woman has a mean streak. I guess I could have been less dickish and given you two minutes at least.”

Luna rolled her eyes, but at least the asshole was self aware. “Yeah it was kind of hard to miss,” she muttered at his sarcastic, ‘if you hadn’t noticed’. She hadn’t expected that to lead to him actually talking about it though. What was this, fucking group therapy for brats that needed to get what they want lest they give way to tantrums? Well. Might as well have been. If Luna looked closely--and she really didn’t want to-- she could pick up a thread of similarities between the two. They accepted that their personalities weren’t great, pushed away their support group, probably when they needed them most, and knew how their presence was shit for the ones they loved. But at least Luna had stopped pushing away the people that cared for her. For the most part.

She was too tired to really respond, and she didn’t know him, didn’t know his situation or these people in his life. Maybe his friends were right, and he was pathetic. They both looked pretty pathetic at the moment, what with Luna still half hiding behind the potted plant. But she had a feeling he wasn’t telling her all of this for her to offer empty words of comfort--even he could tell she wasn’t the type to give them, especially not to strangers. Maybe he just needed to get it out, talk about his situation out loud to make it real.

Both of their apologies were about as pathetic as the sight the two of them must paint, but at least it put them on equal footing. Luna huffed out a laugh. “Two minutes? That’s too generous,” she said, sarcasm plain as day, but not as venomous as it was before. “Magie doesn’t just have a mean streak, though, I can see why you’d throw shit at her. I’m starting to think they coded her as a drug addict who has to steal pain potions from her patients and that’s why the bitch keeps fucking lowering my dose.” Luna got a bit too heated as she leaned forward to complain more about the sadistic nurse, causing a sharp pain to bloom in her lower ribs again. “Oh fucking fuck, speaking of pain potions,” Luna said, pain furrowing her brows, “Think you can push your call button for a nurse? God, don’t let it be Magie. I don’t-- I don’t think I can get back up,” she said with a grimace. There wasn’t enough time to feel weak for asking a stranger for help, to be ashamed she had to ask, because her upper body was too busy trying to perform a magic trick and cut her in two. “Or, you know, I could stay here for another twenty minutes and pixelate in your room, which, I hear can lead to hauntings. And the lingering smell of death, or whatever. I assure you I’d be even more unpleasant as a ghost.” 

“Yes, you’re very pretty it’s hard to miss.” he chuckled. Glad this interaction starting lighter than previous ones. They were rare assurances. These moments when their walls were down and the two of them enjoying each other’s company. Luna not shrugging off his affection or storm out of a room in the middle of an argument. It always seemed like she was running from him. Achilles couldn’t fathom why that was - chalking it up to Luna just not wanting that kind of attention. But as she leaned into his kiss on her head, he had to admit it pulled at his heartstrings. They didn’t always see eye to eye, and she might fight him on issues more than the others. But there was love between them and he needed to remember that.

“ I’m pretty sure, they have my photo hanging up on their stations as a wanted man. Dodging thems gotten pretty easy though. I just look like a sad puppy and they‘ll turn a blind eye.” he chuckled. “ I know Radish’s been checking on him, but I sit in his room too. Fell asleep in there the first few days. Just so he wasn’t alone.” He didn’t want to leave any of them alone, and they weren’t. Between him shuffling from room to room and friends and guildmates coming to visit. They rarely were now. “ Kicking me out is a punk move,” he teased, “ -the moniker stays.” laughing out at her expression. Not hesitating to take her hand once she held it out for him. She was warm, that was a good sign. Early on Luna had been so cold when he held her hand, it scared him. If it wasn’t for the constant beeping of her heart monitor he would have thought the worst. Achilles cupped her hand in both of his. Hearing the sincerity in her voice, the concern. Maybe it’s why he heard it for what it was, trying to alleviate the weight he carried.

“ I took a break, things didn’t go so well, remember.” he chuckled squeezing her hand Gently. “ I know you all don’t need me in that way, Luna. That’s not why I’ve been losing sleep and worrying for you, maybe partially but mostly.” he paused looking up at her now.

“I do it because we are family. Because despite the disagreements and the fighting. I love you and I thought, I’d lose you all of you. I know that after everything that went down with Kitty…“ he huffed shaking his head. ” You can love more than one person. Even at your brattiest, you are important to me. So I sleep in uncomfortable chairs, go back and forth between your rooms not because I’m afraid you’ll break, “ Achilles swallowed thickly choking out the words, ” -I'm  afraid I would.“

Luna grimaced at the mention of his break, but didn’t interrupt, squeezed his hand back. Just because things went sideways once didn’t mean it would happen again. It didn’t mean he couldn’t step back when he needed to rest. He was going to run himself ragged, if he hadn’t already.

Many in Velia wouldn’t think it possible for Luna, but her heart breaks for him. “Hey, hey,  it’s okay, we’re all okay, we made it,” this time. It’s unspoken, but she knows he hears it anyway. Knows he’s seen more than their fair share of members fall in the field, unable to save them, unable to carry them home. “I love you too, you massive mess,” she says with something that sounds like fondness. Even the incident with Kitty couldn’t have displaced that, not even when the burning in her chest that felt a lot like jealousy threatened to rise. For a second she wonders if she’d ever voiced how she felt about him, or just expected him to know. “But you’re going to break if you keep doing this to yourself. And then what happens when we’re all healed up and you’re-- not?” The word dead refuses to form on her tongue. “Take care of yourself, for us. I-- I’m happy you came, and I appreciate it, but I would feel better if you didn’t look like absolute shit. You’re gonna give us a bad reputation, you know. We’re supposed to be the hot guild. With those bags under your eyes you’re going to let the Rev’s swipe our place.” She cracks a grin and uses her thumb to rub circles on the back of Achilles’ hand. “You know that’s the only reason I’m a Catalyst, right? I might go shack up with Hercules if you let yourself go.” 

“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.” 

“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.”

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.”

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?”