forum One Upheaval After Another (Closed with phantomflame) (1/1)

Started March 07, 2023 by @RhysTheFirebird group

tune

Cyris tilted his head, he had a bad feeling. A really bad feeling. He turned and silently followed Oliver up the stares, standing behind him. He peers past him and blows out a soft sigh, and then whispers softly, so only Oli could hear him, “I don’t know how he expects your uncle to say something gagged.”

He flashes a grin, again it looked more like a grimace. He then looks at the guy, watching and he gripped Oli’s shoulder, ”I need you to go in there and tell him you know where I am. But you wont tell him unless he leaves your uncle alone, can you do that for me?” He looks at Oli, meeting his gaze.

(Trauma is the best character development, I have a character named Akila, and the amount of psychological shit I'm putting her through is astounding-)

Oli flinched, turning his head around in surprise before relaxing when his eyes met those familiar amber eyes. He hadn't even heard Cyris come up behind him. He listened to what he said and nodded, clenching his fists to keep his hands from trembling. He put his daggers away, making sure he could pull them out again at a moment's notice before standing up straight and pushing the door to his room open before he had time to hesitate.

Both Damien and the bulky guy turned towards the sound of the old, creaky door. The steely, defiant stubbornness that Damien had had only moments before was replaced by wide-eyed terror, his face paling significantly. Thankfully, the other man did not see this, instead sizing up Oli, who kept his gaze calm and even. The man had a mask on with a voice box-like device designed into it to conceal how he actually sounded like and Oli wasn't able to see his hair or any identifying things on him; he was covered head to toe in black.

"I- I know where he is," Oli said, cursing himself inwardly at the slight stammer in his voice. The masked man tilted his head curiously, momentarily forgetting Damien, which filled Oli with a flood of relief.

"Do you now?" The man said, pointing the blood-stained knife directly at Oli's heart. "Where is he."

"Release that man behind you and I'll consider it," Oli replied, surprised that he sounded more confident and demanding than he felt.

The masked figure let out a bark of laughter, the mask making it sound more sinister than it should have been. "Who the hell do you think you are? I don't take orders from you, boy."

The man stepped forward, making Oli take an unintentional step back, cold beats of sweat dripping down his back. This was bad. This wasn't how this was supposed to happen. I really hope you have a plan, Cyris.

Cyris watches, and when the man moves away from Oli’s uncle, he moves forward, closing his eyes and tackling the man, pinning him down. He kept his eyes closed the whole time, knowing if got any glimpse of anything, this would turn from a man who was threatening his. . .acquaintances, to a man with a life. And that could not happen, because then he’d hesitate.

He has a dagger at the man’s throat and holds it there, “Let me guess, Master Silo sent you to find me?” He says softly, his voice quiet and filled with venom.

(Brain go buurrrrr-)

Is it just me or does he seem to enjoy dramatic entrances? Oli wondered, more intrigued and filled with awe than terrified. He could even feel a blush creep up his cheeks while he stared at Cyris, which made Damien raise an eyebrow at his nephew.

Shaking his head a bit to clear his mind, Oli wasted no more time getting Damien free, looking at his uncle's neck. Good. The blood had already stopped trickling and the cut didn't look that deep. He glanced back at Cyris, but seeing that he probably had everything covered, ushered Damien out of the room, but Oli himself stayed put, taking out a dagger of his own in case Cyris needed backup. Which clearly isn't likely, but you never know.

Cyris sighs, “No matter.” He looks back at Oli, finally opening his eyes as he sheaths the dagger, then breaks the guys neck, standing. He looks at the now definitely dead guy, he bites his lip, “He’s just a scout, there will be more behind him. We should get your uncle somewhere safe.” He looks at Oliver, “I don’t want him to die because of me.”

He pushes the body with his foot, “And dispose of this guy. Burning’s probably best.” He sighs softly, closing his eyes for a moment, “Sorry. . .” He mutters, “I probably shouldn’t have killed him in. . . Here-“

Oli stared at the body, tilting his head to the side. He was quiet for a long moment before he spoke.

"Well," he finally said. "At least you didn't stab him. I would have hated having blood on my rug. It'd be a pain in the ass to clean out." He walked over to the body and crouched down next to it, frowning. "And yeah, you shouldn't have killed him in here. I'm built like a twig, so I can't help carry him downstairs." He paused, looking thoughtful. "Although after we shove him down the stairs, we do have a furnace in the kitchen. Don't know how Damien will feel about the smell, though."

He stood back up, placing his hands on his hips. "Right, well, while you're dealing with this chump, I'm going to tell my uncle that he's gotta leave. Have fun!"

As Oli left the room, softly whistling a cheerful tune, he came to the conclusion that he was in shock. He had never seen a dead body before, let alone the body of someone who was killed right in front of him, and he was almost certain that Cyris now thought that he was mentally unstable and wouldn't allow him to continue to leave with him.

Cyris watched Oli, slightly concerned for the body, he definitely shouldn't have killed the guy. "Yeah, it really is a pain to get out. I am sorry, I just. . . the longer I waited it was the binger than chance I'd see him. . ." Cyris laughs softly, "Shoving a dead body down your stairs sounds fun, but it's not a smart idea, I can carry him." Cyris lightly presses his booted foot into the side of the guys face, "Now I feel bad. . ." He mutters.

Cyris blinks and then laughs, shaking his head slightly, "You too, Oliver." He gets up and then takes a moment before moving to cal after Oli, "We could always burn him out in the forest!" He looks back to the body sighing. He then walks back over picking him up and grunting at the weight. He moves out of the room and walks down the hall and down the stairs in a maner that said he'd doine this before. mutiple times, in fact. As if carrying a dead body was nothing, let alone the guy you killed not five minuets ago.

"That could work!" Oli called back up to Cyris, practically skipping down the stairs, feeling unnaturally cheery. When he got to the bakery level of his home, Damien was leaning against a counter, looking dazed. He looked up, startled, but calmed down when he saw that it was his nephew.

"…I take it that guy was a friend of Amber's," his uncle said sarcastically, rubbing some healing ointment into his neck. Oli chuckled in agreement, hopping onto the counter and sitting there, swinging his legs out in front of him.
"Yeah…" he sighed, looking down at his hand. "About that-"
"I know," Damien interrupted, looking over at Oli. "I've read way too many spy novels over the years, so let me guess: there are more people like Gas-Mask up there who'll kill me for hiding Amber, so I have to leave and go somewhere safe before they can kill me."
Oli blinked in surprise, looking up. "Um, yeah. You basically summed it up."
Damien nodded before saying, "Well, Carl can take care of business while I'm gone. I've been meaning to pay your aunt and her wife a visit anyway." Carl was the butcher who lived down the road and was a close family friend of the Brookes, and Oli smiled fondly when Damien mentioned Oli's aunt. He didn't see her often, but she and her wife were perhaps the most badass people Oli had ever met. They also had a bunch of weapons and defenses in their home along with the fact that they lived in the middle of a super dense forest surrounded by mountains somewhere in California, so Damien would definitely be safe there.
"Well, tell Aunt Sadie and Aunt Jasmine that I said hi," Oli replied with a smile, feeling much better knowing that his uncle was going to be okay.

Cyris comes down the stairs, "Does anyone wanna help me burn this guy, or am I alone in my wonderful endeavors?" He sets the guy down out of sight, grunting softly.

"Also, Oliver, you're in shock. . . You should probably eat or drink a little something. It may help." He smiles at him, this time looking like a real smile.

He looks to Damien, "As long as you're safe, sir, it doesn't matter where you go."

Cyris looks back to the body, "I'm almost afraid to take his mask off. . . I'm curious if it was anyone I knew."

Damien looked at Cyris in alarm. "You killed him?!? Here? You didn't get blood on the floor, did you? That shit's annoying to clean up!"

Oli bit his lip, trying to contain his laughter. He sometimes forgot that he and his uncle were practically identical both in looks and personality, with the only difference being that Damien was taller. He looked up at Cyris, offering him a genuine smile of his own. "I appreciate your concern, but now that I think about it, I think I was just surprised at first, that's all."

He lept down from the counter and walked over to the body, and without any hesitation or thought, he yanked the mask off, grimacing as he did so. "Dear god, he looks hideous. No wonder he was wearing a mask."

Cyri s laughs softly, "Yeah, it is. But. . . It was better dinner rather than later. And I'm smart enough to not get blood, everywhere, thank you." Cyris smiles at Damien, showing he wasn't being serious. He watches Oli and laughs softly, "Still. Be careful, it's possible you'll see more dead bodies, Oli."

He looks at the guys face, making a face of his own, "Yeah he is, put the mask back on. I need the bleach, my eyes are scared for life." He snickers softly.

Oli shoved the mask back on the guy's face, relieved that it was no longer showing. He laughed with Cyris, feeling optimistic despite the dead man right in front of him.

"I can, uh…take care of getting rid of the evidence," Damien offered, walking over and prodding the dead guy with his foot. "I don't think he was the only one after you, Amber. It'll probably be best if you two left right now. I'll get things taken care of here."

Cyris gives Damien a look, "I know. I want to make sure you're safe again. The body is the only evidence. . Though. . ." He bends down and pats the man down, pulling out multiple blades, "These may not be the best, but they will work. I can add them to my arsenal of thirty-two." He sheaths the blades, "Don't ask how I can still move without the sound of clanking metal." He smiles.

He looks at Oli, "Though, seriously, the bleach would be nice, I fear my eyes are ruined after seeing his face." He smiles slightly .

"Oh, I wasn't going to ask about you can still move, I was going to ask where you keep them," Oli said, staring at Cyris with an impressed look on his face. "I only have eleven on me."

He chuckled, smiling back at Cyris. "Unfortunately, we don't have bleach here, but I'm sure we can get some along the way." He walked over once more to the secret tunnel wall and opened it up, looking back at Damien. "Please don't die on the way to Cali, okay?"

"I'll try," Damien replied, giving Oli a hug. When he finally pulled away, the older man went over to Cyris and hesitated before holding out his hand. "I couldn't tell if you're a hugger or not, so just stay safe, okay kid? You've kind of grown on me in the less than twenty-four hours that I've known you. Try to stay safe, and if it's not inconvenient, then keep my little Olive safe too."

Oli turned red at the use of his childhood nickname in front of someone who wasn't biologically related to him, but Damien looked so sincere that he allowed it. Just this once.

Cyris looks at Oliver, "Lets see, I have one in each boot, one in the sole of my boots, one on each calf and thigh. As well as my forearms and upper arms. I have these beauties-" He motions to the elaborate and expensive looking dagger set strapped to his hips, "I have two short swords on my back and inside jacket-" He unzips it, pulling it open, revealing lots of pockets with smaller weapons such as throwing stars and small little blades. "I also have my guns in my bag."

"Damn, well, I guess I have to wait. He sighs siftly, reining disappointment. He watches Oliver and his uncle for a moment before smiling slightly. He then shakes Damien's hand, "Seriously, don't die, I'll have to take care of Oliver forever then." Not that Chris minded, the boy was growing on him, and he wouldn't mind having a companion.

Cyri s grins, "Olive-" He teases slightly, "Cute. But I may have to call you Peace." He smiles at Oliver, " I'll let you figure that one out." He winks.

Oli stared at the array of weapons that Cyris had in awe, giving a low whistle of appreciation at the shiny, beautiful blades. "You never cease to surprise me, do you?" The fact that he wasn't nervous, or even scared at all concerned Oli slightly, but he honestly didn't care; he saw Cyris as an ally, possibly even as a friend, so why should he be afraid? Plus, he did save his uncle's life, so that surely counted for something. Oli doubted that strangers normally did that type of thing for others.

Damien chuckled as he shook Cyris' hand. "Yeah, he can definitely be a handful. But on the bright side, he can make food, so y'know. He's useful."

Oli's cheeks immediately grew hot at Cyris' words, and he had no doubt that his face looked even redder than before, which only made Damien roll his eyes and grin at his nephew knowingly.
"O-okay," was all he could manage to reply, turning his head away in an attempt to hide how flustered he was. God, was the entire journey ahead of them going to be like this? Oliver wasn't sure if he would last very long; he had never really flirted or teased anyone before, and clearly his brain short-circuited whenever someone did any of those things to him. Hopefully he could hide that fact before Cyris found out, if he hadn't already. He called my name cute. And he has a nickname for me. Is that flirting, or have I just never interacted with guys my age enough to differentiate between friendly teasing and flirting? Oli didn't know, but it was definitely too much to think about right then.

He gave a nod to his uncle before quickly turning towards the bunker tunnel and walking through it, too bosu overthinking to check if Cyris would follow him.

Cyris grins, “Thanks. I do try to be amazing, just for you, Peace.” He closed his jacket, humming softly. He pulls the zipper up, still looking at Oliver.

“I cook like crap. Hunt and animal and roast it over a fire. Or a protein bar, if it’s available. Nothing fancy.” He grins, “So having someone to cook would definable be worth it. I’ve missed cooked meals.” He leans against the wall, quiet for a moment.

Cyris watches Oli’s reaction, grinning slightly, he looks at Damien and then sighs, “Stay safe.” He follows after Oliver, quiet.

(Brain is still going burr- XDD)

(Lol same dude, my mind is just done with everything)

Oli walked through the bunker, the old, dim lights flickering above him. He hoped that this place would still be back when he returned. If he ever did. At the end of the long bunker, there was a set of metal stairs that led up to a heavily enforced door. The metal felt nice and cool under Oli's hands as he climbed up, straining a bit as he reached to open the bunker door. Sometimes he hated being so short.

With a grunt, he pushed it open and climbed out, dropping the bag of food beside him on the grass as he readjusted his backpack and waited for Cyris to come up.