( closed ) this year taught me how it feels to be lost and ambitious

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Who: Cassian & various
When: September to October
Where: Around Thorne and the Horizon
What: Catch-all for September and October
Warnings: N/A, will update accordingly

🌌 💫 🌃
( closed starters below! ↓ reach out on discord @ cardialloyed for plotting! )

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[sophos]

[ annabeth, stuck behind one door, simply watches through the window in pieces whatever the fuck is unfolding behind the other door between percy, cassian, and the final boss doll that seems to want to eat both their faces. the absurdity of it all holds her attention for a little too long before her own door shakes again, jarring her. mumbling and complaining under her breath, she unhooks the pin from her cloak and bends it out of place before dropping to her knees to pick at the lock. ]

[ it takes a little more effort than it should, given the door handle continues to shake through the whole process, but eventually annabeth unlocks it and shoves the door open, finding herself face to face with a doll laying flat on the floor outside in the hallway. ]

This is Toy Story bullshit. Don't even think about it.

[ she practically dive bombs the doll like it needs to be literally wrestled with, scooping it up in her arms. then she scrambles to her feet and shoulders the other door open to where percy and cassian are actually wrestling with the bag and the dolls. she takes three seconds to take in the situation before she's there with them, using her own doll like a bludgeon to shove down one of the others trying to get out. with all four inside, she and cassian manage to close the bag, and once it's sealed up, all the movement inside ceases immediately. ]

Okay.

[ she stares at the bag and takes a deep breath. ]

Four's enough, are we all in agreement?

[seaweedbrain]

Four's more than enough. I'm so ready to get outta here and get these dumb things back to where they belong.

[ Marking this down as one more reason to hate schools, tbh — and creepy dolls, honestly.

He rolls his shoulders, takes another breath, and reaches back for the bag if Annabeth would prefer that he handle it again. The dolls aren't moving anymore, at least, and he's pretty sure they don't have actual sharp teeth to gnaw their way out from the bag either, so they should be wrapped up tightly.

Of course, just for safety's sake, he ties the knot one more time and takes a last poke at them to test his observations. He's not taking any chances. The bag remains still.

As they head out of the school the way they'd come, everything has gone quiet, the hustle and bustle of the day having calmed down. Most of the shops not related to Eifstide activities have closed up by now too, but there are still a few restaurants opened — and, thankfully, the shopkeeper responsible for making these damned dolls is opened too. ]

Man, I'm starving.

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[ That he has to try and catch his breath from wrestling with fucking dolls is something Cassian had never thought he'd have to do before. Even with the bag tied tight he still has to contend with the fact that he's pretty sure his eye is swelling thanks to the dust that probably hasn't been beaten out of that broom until it made contact with his face.

Without bacta gel, antiseptic or even a healing spell to his name however this is just something he'll have to deal with until they leave this place. Of course he'd be the one dealing with the lingering aftermath of all of this. ]

Four is more than I expected to deal with.

[ He keeps his eye on the bag until they've delivered the bag and it's no longer their problem. Thankfully aside from a couple of jostles from walking along the road, the bag itself doesn't seem to move. He can't say he's been more happy to see a bag of toys leave their possession before. ]

I need ice for my eye. And something to clean it with.

[ Nodding his head in the direction of a nearby tavern known for its soups. With the source of his irritation gone, it's mostly just weariness that fills his voice. ]

Should we get food before heading back? My treat - even though somebody [ And here he looks wryly at Percy. ] should work on their aim.

[sophos]

[ perhaps it's just nice to be tired after something so utterly absurd instead of something more actually traumatic. but it doesn't negate the tired! ]

[ she lets percy carry the bag without argument, and she would be quite content to never step back foot in the school again. it's a good thing she doesn't have to attend a regular school here in abraxas. returning the dolls is easily the best part of the whole ordeal as they all but dump the bag on the counter and exchange a few words, leaving out the worst of their struggles, but explaining the dolls are all still in fairly good shape. the bag remains still, even if they all keep squinting and giving it second looks the whole time, even as they walk out the door. ]

He's always been bad with archery. [ she says it without even looking at percy, too interested in the tavern cassian points at. she recognizes it, having been once or twice already, and easily nods. ]

I could go for soup.

[ with unexpected fatigue, the three of them slip into the tavern and pick one of the tables in the back corner. as soon as they're sitting down, it's like they deflate in their chairs. they sit in silence as they wait for their soups and remain in that silence after it's delivered. annabeth stretches her legs out under the table across percy's lap, while cassian puts the cold glass of mead against his eye and percy tiredly stirs the spoon in his bowl before taking a sip, dribbling a little down his chin. ]

[ at least the soup is good. ]

🎀

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