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The fight with Owen seemed to run forever, Scott wasn't sure if it was due to her powers or something else but exhaustion was beginning to weigh down on him.
Owen tried to strike again and with a blast of wind Scott was on the other side of the arena. He could hear his friends and allies cheering him on, he had an audience on him, he needed to perform well, this was a show he has to perform well.
He tried to get a few hits on Owen, some landed, some didn't. Owen turned, perhaps it was due to his time magic, maybe it was just luck but with a slash of her sword Scott's neck was sliced as blood splattered out like a fountain of wine.
He couldn't breath he couldn't breath he was back on the that stage again, the same stage he died on begging someone, anyone for help but they all thought it was an act. It was happening again he couldn't speak his vocal cords were sliced why couldn't he breath he wanted to scream beg for help please someone has to realize.
The pain was unbearable but in a seeming act of mercy he faded into nothingness in only a few seconds —he could still hear their cheers, the celebration of his death but he wasn't sure which death they were cheering for—.
The river was dark, it looked more like ink than water to Scott as he landed on the banks trying to breath air that tasted like copper.
"At least this time it was quicker…" He muttered, voice hoarse from his vocal cords being severed and stitched back together. He turned to the ferryman, he looked familiar the same way Pearl and Cleo and Nobody did, like he knew them in another life, but exhaustion stopped him from thinking about it more.
"I suppose you want one of these?" He took one of those precious obol coins out of his pouch as the ferryman stretched his hand out.
Scott hesitated. "Is, is there an option not to?" He was met with silence before letting out a breath (was their air down here? The dead don't need to breath why would there be.) "Well, I suppose the show must go on." He spoke as he handed the coin. The ferryman spoke something of displeasure of the games he didn't pay attention, his brain was filled with the same fog and winds he was supposed to control.
Scott wasn't sure how long the ride was, it could have been hours or days, it all felt the same until suddenly he blinked and he was back at his house just by the cliff. He fell to his knees greedily breathing in the fresh clean alive air, he was alive alive alive alive again.
The morning sun was bright and warm on his skin, warmer than the chill of the underworld that was still leaching off the little warmth he had and yet his throat was sore and burned and his limbs felt like lead as he walked into his empty lonely quiet house.
Once he shut the door he slipped to the ground less gracefully than he should, he wanted to sob, to cry and scream and yell like a child but he couldn't move, the fog was thick and made it hard to think but his body wouldn't move.
He wanted someone to come find him. Nikos, Cleo, Shelby, Abolish, Drift, anyone please he didn't want to be alone again.
He stayed there teetering on the edge of the fog but still not falling in for what felt like twenty minutes but judging by the sun being high up in the sky it had been hours. Not moving, not sleeping, it didn't even feel like he was existing he was just a cloud of fog that would eventually dissipated and fade away.
He wasn't sure how long he sat there until there was a knock on his door.
"Scott are you here?" Abolish's voice rang out from behind the door, Scott liked the blacksmith, he was a performer like him, maybe different kind but still he felt like the gladiator understood him better than others —Maybe it was the understanding they had for each other, maybe it was the sword or jewelry he made for him while Scott watched him in the forge telling tales of his days on the stage and sometimes Abolish would tell him his own stories, maybe Scott could say he'd grown to liked him actually—.
Scott didn't respond to the knock, he stared at the door, Abolish would leave and he could go back to.. Whatever he was doing, — part of him cried at the idea of being alone again but he shoved it down, he was an adult he can handle being alone.— That was the script he knew how this would play out, 'plays are fun he likes music, he should find some music' some part of his brain thought, the part that welcomed the fog he was trying to fight against.
"Right, well I know you're in there, I can see your shadow, so I'm going to come in, please be descent." His brain made a record scratch noise (whatever those things were) what? Why was he going to come in? This isn't part of the script he's supposed to not care and leave, maybe he needs something? Gods Scott needs to get up and be an adult dammit.
It was too late the door opened and closed as Abolish slipped in before looking at the champion of Aeolus who was curled up on the floor pathetically.
The champion of Hephaestus didn't scowl or walk away he stood right there eyes widened slightly clearly startled by what he saw, this wasn't a way he had scene the usually bright and loud actor before, Scott doubted many people had and those who had would always leave —please don't leave he doesn't want to be alone please he can't handle being alone again he wants a hug company— once they learned that the actor was just a mask of someone who didn't exist anymore.
The silence rang on for a moment (was it a few seconds or minutes? he couldn't tell.) Before Abolish spoke again "Are you ok?.." He tapped the hilt of his sword three times, Scott had noticed him doing it before, a nervous habit? Was Abolish nervous?
Maybe if he had the energy he would have teased him but he just stared and stared and suddenly the fog in his mind took over turning into a lump in his throat and tears in his eyes that had been stuck for hours broke and poured out.
He sobbed, tears pouring down his face ruining whatever was left of his makeup and his hair felt heavy and full of water that told him they were no longer the perfect white he kept them but a stormy grey. Even so he didn't make much noise, part of him wish he could cry loudly, to let some of that pain out like he played on stage but he couldn't,— it was dangerous to. His mind reminded him— he stayed near silent besides a few whimpers and sniffles.
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Abolish stood in shock for a few seconds, he had wanted to check in on the actor once he had returned from the underworld after his death in the arena. Part of him was surprised, Scott and Owen had had such an entertaining and long fight. He was entranced by how the champion of the winds moved through the arena like it was his stage and seemed to dance with every slash of his sword —the sword Abolish had made for him— and even with his loss he still put on a show.
He ignored the pit that formed in his stomach when he saw the actors throat was sliced and poured out blood, he wasn't attacted, of course not.
He didn't join the others in their celebration but planned to spend sometime the next day to visit him. After (another) mining trip he walked over to Scott's house, what first tipped him off that something wasn't normal was the silence and stagnant air that seemed to fill the area as opposed to the slight cool breeze that was always there. He knocked on the door and called out to the actor when he didn't hear a reply part of him told him to walk away, he tried and Scott wasnt home oh well.
Part of him told him to try again, that something was wrong behind the door.
He saw the shadow peaking out from under the door shift just slightly as the wind changed, not much but noticeable. So he was home. It was odd to hear silence, Scott must have heard him but he didn't answer? The actor seemed to make it his mission to greet Abolish (and his other allies) whenever he heard or saw them the silence was unusual to say the least.
"Right, well I know you're in there, I can see your shadow, so Im going to coming in, please be descent." He said, as much as he had grown fond entertained by the actor he would still rather not be flashed today no thank you.
He heard a sucked breath before opening the door and closing it quickly, he was not expecting to see Scott on the floor —thankfully no wine or stray lotus petals to be seen, he was at least sober— curled up with hair dull and grey staring right at him with eyes that would normally shine like emeralds now more like dying leaves. Abolish stood for a few seconds trying to process what he was seeing, this wasn't right, Scott was always so bright and alive, he danced in the wind and laughed like wind chimes, he was never silent, he was never so small.
He asked a question, about how he was doing after the arena fight and the actor had broke, tears fell down his face in rivers, his hair turned darker and hung down as if it was full of rain. —What disturbed him was the silence, how quiet he was while he sobbed, not naturally but as if he had trained himself to stop noise besides the few that leaked out. He hated how familiar it was.— He stood frozen for a moment before moving quickly over to the mans side crouching down.
"Scott? Hey what happened? Breath you need to breath." The actors breathing had turned harsh and shallow. Abolish placed a hand on his shoulder, Scott flinched but before he could remove his hand he jumped into Abolish's chest, tears leaving a wet spot on his chiton as the actors arms wrapped around him tightly as if he was scared letting go would cause Abolish to vanish as he sobbed in his lap.
The champion of Aeolus let out a small whine burying his face deeper into the black fabric. Abolish slowly placed his hand on his back rubbing small circles into the small mans back trying to think of what to do. "You need to breath, can you copy me?" He muttered, he remembered his forging teacher had helped him when breathing became hard like that when the world became big and he was small and everything felt too much she would take his hand and place it on her stomach as she took deep, exaggerated breaths until his became normal again.
He repeated it here, those same exaggerated breaths for Scott to try to copy, it took a while and many fails but eventually the actors breathing became slower and more steady besides the occasional hiccup. They settled into a comforting silence, the man of clouds hair becoming lighter, not white but the weight of them lessened.
Scott's hand had found its way to the fabric on Abolish's chiton rubbing it between his fingers with glossy eyes, he still hadn't spoken a word but at least he wasn't sobbing anymore.
Part of Abolish couldn't help see similarities between the actors current state and himself in the past, something he had tried to hide away, he took a breath, at worst he would be wrong and Scott was clearly not in the best state of mind he could forget but if he was correct he could understand what was going on better.
"Scott?" He spoke, the man in question didn't stop toying with the fabric when he hummed slightly letting the blacksmith know he was listening "..How old are you right now? Are you.. younger?"
He stopped, fabric was let go as he pushed himself up to look at Abolish, fear in his eyes, Scott opened his mouth to speak but stopped as the words seemingly got caught in his throat. The gladiator quickly spoke again "Its fine if you are I just want to know, I want to help, I-" He stopped, this was too personal, this was too much attachment part of him yelled, the other did not care. "I've felt.. I've felt it as well." He admitted.
Scott looked at him again eyes full of confliction, surprise, and clouds fogging up his mind before he nodded slightly curling away again (He didn't go far he was still sitting in the gladiators lap) Abolish nodded, mostly to himself but as well as to the mentally younger man. Right how do you deal with this, I don't know how to care for a kid what would Komaithos do now? Age right? Then we figure it out the rest. He thought to himself,
"Ok, that's fine do you know how old you are?" He asked, the little cloud thought for a moment before uncurling slightly and slowly raising four fingers and immediately curling up again, hair falling over his face.
Abolish brought his hand over and tucked the soft clouds behind his ear, the dull eyes were still somewhat foggy but more like grass covered in mist than dull green.
The smaller giggled slightly as he moved the hair and brushed it with his claw like hands a bit, leaning into the gladiators hand slightly. Abolish smiled as well, nothing big just a small twitch of the lips before wiping under Scott's eyes to clear the dried tears and ruined makeup.
Abolish's legs were going numb with the little cloud sitting in his lap, besides Scott had been sitting here for far too long ."I don't think the floor is the best spot to be bud, ya wanna let me move somewhere more comfortable?" He asked, Scott frowned at the idea of getting off, of being back on the cold floor of being alone again.
He was tired of being alone please please please dont leave him alone.
The mentally younger whined pulling his face back into the dark fabric gripping int tight till his knuckles turned white while mumbling something. Abolish placed his hand back on Scott's hair that was growing grey at the tips "Hey its fine, can you repeat that? I didnt quite catch that." He asked, it took a moment for Scott to repeat his words and they were as faint as the wind but he did hear them "No alone again." Scott mumbled, voice small.
Abolish took a deep breath to not let his emotions show, "No, not alone I'm going to take us both upstairs to your bed, its warmer there, is that alright?" He assured the little who eventually nodded but didn't let his grip go. It didn't bother Abolish who shifted till he was able to stand scooping the small cloud up who let out a small squeak in surprise before heading up the stairs to Scott's bed, well right after grabbing a pitcher of water and cup that were left on a table near the two and sitting down with the actor in his arms.
He placed the pitcher on the ground and cup at his side before grabbing the blanket that was left tossed haphazardly on the bed from Scott last morning around the littles shoulders "See? warmer." He said to Scott who stared at him with wide eyes before settling closer head resting on the gladiators shoulder.
Abolish poured water into the cup bring it to the smallers lips who drank it like a man dying —granted he had just died and had been crying quite a bit— before placing the cup back down.
His hand made its way to the hair of clouds on Scott's head combing through it slowly as the younger melted into the touch, his grip softened just a bit but he was still holding on like he was scared Abolish would eventually disappear.
Part of Abolish felt a small flame of anger spark, he knew the actors past wasn't very pleasant, the signs, Scott's small comments and this fear of abandonment were all easy to picture out how his life had gone. Scott was an adult he knew that, he could fight his own battles and held well but right now he was (mentally at least) a child who needed protection and someone to care for him —he ignored the part of himself that felt the same, he needed to focus on Scott he can deal with that later.—
"Is there anything you want to do right now?" He asked Scott who had begun to fiddle with the fabric again, the little thought for a moment before muttering "Story". Abolish didn't know many stories, and any he did know were in pieces, he settled for talking about stuff he had created in the forge, his first sword, the mess up, he even mentioned his few attempts at jewelry and how he had made some of the pieces Scott now wears, all while Scott watched and occasionally hummed in interest.
He wasn't sure how much time had passed but eventually the small cloud had fallen asleep, and Helios's chariot was dipping into the earth. He looked peaceful, Abolish mentally chewed himself out, he was getting attached, he wasn't supposed to be, this is a death games, eventually they would have to fight and it hurts more if you're attached.
But for tonight, he allowed himself to rest with a bundle of clouds resting in his arms, the two actors who were so different yet so alike could shed their mask and sleep with the stars dancing above them as people once again.