"I like helping people, in any way I can, and you were someone that needed help," He replied, looking over at Itzal, "The near death experiences are just fueling both my overall scaredness as well as my desire to help you get back to your friends and defeat these things." Cole shifted the sword on his shoulder, scrunching up his face in discomfort for a second but then quickly masking it again as he let it lay differently. "I'm surprised that you're not sick of me hovering around you and following along like a lost puppy to be honest."
"I see." Itzal nodded, biting his lip at Cole's discomfort. "I'm not sick of it. It's nice to have company." He managed a smile. It wasn't a lie that he liked Cole's company. He just wished he could be 100% sure Cole wouldn't be hurt. Here was a mortal, risking everything and putting himself in harm's way to help a god. Itzal should be the one protecting. But he wasn't strong enough. He hadn't been strong enough to protect the other gods– his family– and now? If a single being showed up… Itzal might fade if he tried to stop it. He was almost completely powerless. And those beings were still roaming the earth. Who knew what they would do if they killed him? If he wasn't the last one alive, they would probably move on to the next god. But if he was? Would they start killing mortals? Itzal was so lost in his dark thoughts that he didn't notice how far they walked until the hotel appeared right in front of him.
Cole noticed when Itzal went silent, but he didn't do more than offer a tiny smile to the god and continue helping him to the hotel. Plenty of people gave him strange looks, but he ignored them, putting on a happy mask to hide the worry and concern for his friend. "We're here," He said gently when they reached the doors, thanking the stars that these doors were automatic as he helped Itzal inside the building and smiled at the receptionist. She, like everyone else, looked confused, but didn't stop him as he headed for the stairs, silently wondering how he was going to keep Itzal standing, heep track of the sword, and open their hotel room door all at the same time.
Itzal nodded, his mind mostly taken up by worries still. It was a good thing the doors didn't need to be pushed or pulled open, since his legs were still a little shaky and Cole had his hands full. Just as he was finished celebrating that, the stairs appeared in his vision. Great. Itzal loved stairs. Still, he managed to make his way to the door of the room without too many problems. The heaviness in his body was slowly fading away, replaced by a muddled brain and heavy eyelids. The problem of Cole opening the door still caught his attention. "I can lean against the wall or something while you unlock the door," Itzal suggested.
"Here, lean against me, hold onto my shoulder if you need." Cole gently let go of Itzal, though tried his best to be fast as he dug in his pocket for the key and eventually found it. It only took him a few more seconds of fumbling with it to get the door to open too, and soon he was holding it open for Itzal, the sword still on his shoulder and the keycard tightly pressed against the door with his other shoulder. He desperately wanted to put the sword down, as well as just rest, but he pushed his needs away, instead focusing on getting Itzal into the room and onto the bed so the god could rest.
Itzal did what Cole suggested, blinking rapidly to keep himself awake. It really was amazing how careing Cole was. A soft smile spread across his lips, though he quickly wiped it away. "Thanks." Itzal stumbled into the room, keeping one hand on the wall at all times. He should probably check to see if Cole was alright. His steps halted and he glanced over his shoulder at Cole. The man looked fine and Itzal was falling asleep on his feet, so he contuned to the bed and flopped onto it. He should take his shoes off, or at least thank Cole again… the thoughts faded. Itzal's eyes closed and he slipped into unconsciousness.
Cole watched Itzal carefully as he stumbled through the door, a soft smile of relief on his face as the god reached the bed. Gently, he closed the door, then after making sure it was closed properly, made his way over to the bed as well, sitting lightly on the edge with the sword resting on his lap. "Goodnight Itzal," He whispered, then took over watching over his friend. From how fast Itzal had passed out, he figured they were going to be there for a long while.
Itzal didn't exactly dream, but he also didn't have a barren sleep. Images filtered through his mind, sometimes blurry or distorted. The faces of his fellow gods flashed though his mind. A bloody sword, a moment frozen in time. A being sprinting towards him, its sword leveled at his neck. And then Cole. Him smiling, laughing. And then an image he'd never seen before. Cole looking determined, the sword clutched in his hands. He was facing one of the beings, but it wasn't frozen. Before Cole could even move, the being lunged forward, sword heading straight towards Cole's heart.
Itzal's eyes flew open, a gasp of fear catching in his throat. The last image was still etched in his vision. Was that a nightmare, or something that was going to happen? He shook his head, finding that he felt much better. Except for that dream. How long had he been out?
When Itzal jolted awake, it was clear Cole wasn't ready for it. He was still sitting on the edge of the bed when it happened, and was shoveling what looked like takeout into his mouth as he watched cartoons, and even his focus on that didn't keep him from almost springing up from the bed, eyes wide. In an instant though, he recognised who it was and smiled as he sat back down, pausing with his fork mid-way to his mouth to talk. "How are you feeling? Did sleeping help? I got us food since you've been out for a long time."
Itzal sat up, eyes darting from Cole's face to his chest and back to his face. It had only been a dream. And it would stay a dream if Itzal had anything to say about it. "I'm feeling better. The nap did me the world of good." He smiled at Cole, trying to push the image of the sword plunging towards Cole's chest out of his mind. Dwelling on it wasn't a good idea. "What kind of food did you get?" Itzal asked, crawling over to sit next to Cole. Now that he could smell it, he had to admit that he was quite hungry.
(Are you interested in a group rp at all? It's about a group of immortal humans that get discovered by a regular human and I think you'd have fun! If you want to join that is https://www.notebook.ai/forum/roleplaying/the-immortals-3-6-open/page-2#post_2252031)
"That's good, I'm glad you're feeling better." Cole set his food down as he continued, nodding at the remaining container of food, "It's takeout..I think from the Chinese food place around the corner. I called the front desk and that's what they recommended. In my opinion its really good." He smiled at the god, nudging the remaining clean fork over to him and then pointing at two bottles of lemonade on the nightstand next to the bed, "I got those for us to drink, if you need it."
(Ooh, I'll think about it. I'm not too good with group rps– there's too many people– but maybe!)
"Thanks." Itzal smiled at him and followed his nod to see the container of food. "Huh, that sounds good. It smells amazing, too." He picked up the fork Cole gave him and picked up the container. Upon opening it, a new wave of good smells wafted over him. Itzal ate a bite and sighed. "Your opinion is correct. This is amazing." He might have been just a bit biased because of how hungry he was, but it was the best food he'd ever eaten. And there was lemonade, too. This was the best 'forget about your terrifying nightmare' meal ever. He slowly ate, savoring every bite. It was hard not to scarf down the food, but he managed to pace himself. "Those people at the desk knew what they were talking about," Itzal said when he'd finished, leaning over to grab a bottle of lemonade. "If you want to take a nap, I can keep watch for you."
(Ok! We have one more opening if you do want to join, someone dropped out)
He shrugged, finishing his food when Itzal did and offering a tiny smile, "I don't know if you want me to nap, I'll be out the rest of the night." Cole wanted more than anything to sleep and let his eyes close, but he didn't want to leave Itzal alone. It took effort not to agree, but he just shrugged again, a tiny smile on his face, "We should get moving soon, I feel like we won't be able to stay here longer anyway. I can probably sleep wherever we stay next."
(Alright!)
"I could always try to wake you up," Itzal suggested. He really felt terrible about Cole's lack of sleep. It was mostly his fault. "Yes, we should. But you could sleep for an hour or so first. It'll be no good if you're falling asleep on your feet when we try and move out." He rested a light hand on Cole's shoulder. "I'll wake you up in an hour, or sooner if I think we need to leave earlier." Itzal gave Cole a soft smile. He understood if Cole declined his offer. Still… it made his heart ache to see him so weary.
Cole sighed, biting his lip and clearly thinking over the suggestion. "If you don't let me sleep for any longer than an hour, and wake me up at the first sign of trouble," He replied, a tiny smile on his face, "Then I will. A little sleep wouldn't be terrible." It was difficult to try to assure himself that Itzal could handle himself, but he wanted to sleep, as well as somehow be there to watch out for his friend and keep him safe. He was a literal god after all, and he could handle staying safe for an hour.
"Perfect. I promise I will." Itzal smiled warmly at Cole. He was glad Cole had agreed to sleep, even if it was only for an hour. This time could give him some time to think of a way to get Cole out of this mess alive. And it would help Cole stay alert until he could get a good amount of sleep at their next stop. Itzal shifted slightly on the bed and quickly checked the small digital clock on the bedstand. Once he noted down the time and the aproxemet time he should wake Cole up, Itzal's focus turned to the beings. From what he'd seen, they were extremely powerful and wanted him dead. Who they were and why they wanted the gods dead was a totally different question he didn't have the answer to.
"Thank you," He replied before promptly scooting up on the bed, flopping backwards and closing his eyes. The rush of sleep pulled him away in less than a few minutes and he was out like a light, barely getting himself covered with one of the blankets before he slept. Cole didn't get the dreamless sleep he wanted though. His dreams were more of nightmares, ones of him and Itzal, fighting more beings they could handle, and even as hard as he tried, he couldn't save the god from the shadowy beings. In his sleep he didn't do more than frown and roll onto his side though, leaving Itzal mostly oblivious to the nightmares.
Itzal stared at the wall, trying to find anything in his memories that would explain why he was being chased. However much he thought, there was nothing there. Just years and years of gods and encounters and doing good. They had always done good! There was nothing to explain why someone would want them dead. His thoughts slowly shifted to the beings. What were they… and were they working by themselves or with someone. If there was someone behind all of this… who was it? After a good amount of pondering, Itzal glanced at the clock and started. It had already been an hour since Cole had gone to sleep. A few minutes more, actually. He grimaced, stood up, and walked to the side of the bed Cole was nearest to. "Hey, Cole. It's time to go," Itzal said, shaking Cole's shoulder a bit. Hopefully that would be enough to wake the man.
(I'm so so so sorry this is so late, work and sports are stressing me out and I needed a little tech break)
Cole groaned in protest at the words, rolling away from Itzal and burying his face in the pillow. He was awake enough that he registered the words, but at the same time, getting up seemed like an impossible task. Sleep was more inviting, and it was comfortable just laying down and getting the rest he so desperately needed. If Itzal tried hard enough though, there was a sliver of him that wanted to get up. They needed to get moving. Away from the beings, towards wherever they could go. Then he could sleep again, as soon as they were safe again.
(You're totally fine! Mental health is important. :)
Itzal sighed and partially climbed onto the bed to attempt to get Cole up. "Cole, come on." He lay a hand on Cole's shoulder, smiling a little at his unwillingness to get up. It was quite understandable, given how much excitement he'd been through. Still, it was kind of cute. Itzal knew that if he mentioned the beings, Cole would probably be up right away. But he really didn't want to remind the man of the doom following them just yet. "I know you don't want to, but I'm keeping my promise to you." Itzal smiled at how serious that sounded and gently shook his shoulder again.
"I hate my non sleepy self and its promises….but thank you," Cole mumbled, half muffled in the pillow as he slowly cracked one eye open. He was thankful that Itzal had kept his promise, but as he sleepily sat up, ignoring the mess of his blonde hair as it flopped in his eyes, he wanted to go back to sleep. "How soon should we leave?" He asked with a yawn, blinking at the god and making no attempt to move out of where he was sitting on the bed, "I suppose the sooner we can get going, the sooner we can stop to sleep again."
Itzal laughed softly at Cole's half-awake state. "Of course." He sighed and glanced around the room. "In the next ten minutes, at the most. Because you're right. It's painful to get up, but you'll get to go to sleep sooner." Itzal gently patted Cole's shoulder. "If we get on a bus or something, I'll watch over you so you can sleep a little more." He let his hand linger a second longer on Cole's shoulder, then stood up. "Okay?" He held his hand out, intending to help Cole get out of the bed.
He shook his head slowly before taking Itzal's hand, grateful for the help to get up, "I can take watch. You need sleep to work with your powers anyway, and that's more important." Cole wouldn't admit it, even though it was clear as he stood up, but there was only a slim chance that he wouldn't fall asleep wherever they got on. His movements were still slow and sluggish, but he started picking up the trash from their meal and putting it in the garbage, as well as grabbed his wallet and the keycard.
"I'm fine now, I swear. Out of us both, you need it more than I do." Itzal smiled softly at Cole, noting just how tired he still looked. He might not even need to convince Cole to fall asleep when the time came. Noticing that Cole was starting to clean up, Itzal helped him grab the stuff left over from the take-out. Once all that was cleaned up, Itzal grabbed the sword. "Are you ready?" He asked, glancing at Cole. "And, uh. Where should we go from here?" Itzal added, realizing they hadn't talked about that yet.
"Well, there's three tracks we can take," Cole said with a yawn, sitting down on the edge of the bed and resting his head on his hand as he thought, "There's one that will take us east towards my sister and larger cities, one that'll take us south towards where we came from and one that'll take us west. The westbound one will take us all the way to the west coast if we try, there's only a few layovers." He slowly stood up once he finished, pulling a smile onto his face and glancing around once more before heading for the door so they could leave.
"Hmm." Itzal frowned lightly, considering the options Cole had said. Going back to where they had already been didn't seem like a good idea. Getting as far away from the beings and where Itzal had crashed was his first instinct. Still, he had to think about a way to stop the beings. They couldn't run forever. "Well… what do you think would be the best choice?" He asked, following Cole towards the door. At first, he hadn't wanted to go to Cole's sister for fear of getting her involved too, but… staying in hotels would probably be pretty expensive in the long run.
Cole shrugged, giving a soft sleepy smile, "Depends on how fast you want to get away from this area. The westbound train can take us the farthest away from here and hopefully these beings. But we would be able to crash at my sister's place for a few days and explore manhattan island." He opened the door slowly, stepping out once he was mostly sure it was clear and holding the door for Itzal, "I think it's cheaper for the west train though."
(I'm very sorry this is so late. School just started and it is crazy, so my responses might be a little more spaced out going forward. Sorry again! :)
"Well, then." Itzal said after listening to Cole's explanation. "I suppose we should take the west train, then." It really didn't make a difference where they went as long as it was away from the beings. Things being cheap helped too. He really didn't want to use up all of Cole's money on this trip. Itzal stepped out of the hotel room and started walking down the hall.
(It's all cool! Take all the time you need, school comes first! My life has been insane too so my response is late as well)
"I'm fairly sure we can crash on that train too, at least from what I remember they have a sleeping car. It does cost a little bit extra though," Cole continued, his words soft enough as he followed Itzal to make it sound like he was talking to himself. He didn't mind spending whatever extra, if it meant they got away from these things, but soon, he would definitely have to find a way to get some cash for them to keep traveling.
(Awesome, thank you!)
"That's good." Itzal nodded. At least Cole would be able to get the rest he so desperately needed– and deserved. "Oh, well… I'd be fine with whatever. It's your money, so you should choose." He glanced back at Cole, then paused for a second as they entered the lobby. He didn't know what to do at this point, and couldn't remember if Cole had paid for the room or not. "Are we good to leave?" Itzal whispered, falling in step with Cole.
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