"Are you Mad Yet?" Travels... (Day 29-)
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"Well that was a bust."
"Shut the fuck up, Nico."
The fire crackled resentfully under the dark sky overhead. Normally they wouldn't have risked anything like a campfire on another recon and subterfuge operation, but the Mad Kids and their scraggly band of malcontents had grown a bit fed up with military strictures, procedure...caution. Oh sure, they had a goal in mind and they aimed to complete it...
...but tonight, it was worth getting a bit turnt. Gamzee, Nico and Strazio sat around the swelling blaze, tossing old, torn navy blue miniskirts into the blaze. It was cathartic and practical - the overly starched uniforms made excellent tinder. Elise leaned against a nearby tree, trying to build something resembling a plan out of the matchsticks spilled at her feet.
"Nico ain't wrong. Doc Swift sure didn't waste any time upping sticks the moment we left." Elise grumbled. She fiddled with the bedazzled gems on her explosive collar; a habit that had been growing over the past month. She had been hoping to grift at least a few dozen intrepid freedom fighters out of Fortress Briggs. Finding it a picked-corpse pile of rubble just a few days after Azula had left had been jarring, to say the least.
News was flying in from all over the island, of course. The Hell Divers were getting picked apart, the clowns were on the retreat, and Babylonia continued to do its best to get the muscle over on both of them. The window for their little unit to do anything impactful was rapidly closing. Was it even worth pursuing at this point? It was a question she had asked herself many times, at this point.
If they sat around and did nothing, Strazio was likely to go and get himself killed again. Trying to run headfirst into a battle was about as much suicide as the Temple march had been. But if they kept their heads on and maintained some semblance of patience, there was a good chance they could still leverage something valuable out of this whole conflict.
Save some damn lives at least.
Probably.
Elise deeply wished she was still able to imbibe human beverages right now. Gamzee was already passed out on a bunch of spare booze they had lifted from the ruins of Uxmal.
"Just gotta bide our time. Not about winning a game anymore. It's about doing the right thing." Elise sighed, speaking to the ambience of the crickets. She half jumped when Laszlo spoke up right next to her.
"Yeah...but are we capable of it, darlin? Or are we just gonna make things worse." he slurred. She could smell the whiskey on his breath from here. The vampire made a bit of a face, but swallowed her frustration. No sense in venting on the few people who had stuck with her. She hadn't even seen Scathach when they had made their way back to Fort Ea.
Whatever.
"I guess, at this point, it's the thought that counts." the night wizard sighed. She watched the curling smoke drift up and away over the moss-laden trees. Bats flickered in and out of the glowing warmth, feasting on insects drawn in by the light. Elise had never gotten the hang of turning into a bat; she had always been told that her vampiric blood just wasn't quite strong enough.
She scoffed aloud, looking at the last vestiges of the troops at her command. Story of her life.
Just never quite strong enough.
"That's why you gotta use yer smarts." Strazio hiccuped from his stump over by the fire. Elise blinked hard.
"Excuse you? You a mind reader now?" she half-squeaked. Strazio lurched around and gave her a lazy, unfocused gaze.
"Wasn't...talkin' to you?" the pale magus said with a raised eyebrow. Elise sucked in a breath, and let it out through her nose.
"Right."
Right.
"Shut the fuck up, Nico."
The fire crackled resentfully under the dark sky overhead. Normally they wouldn't have risked anything like a campfire on another recon and subterfuge operation, but the Mad Kids and their scraggly band of malcontents had grown a bit fed up with military strictures, procedure...caution. Oh sure, they had a goal in mind and they aimed to complete it...
...but tonight, it was worth getting a bit turnt. Gamzee, Nico and Strazio sat around the swelling blaze, tossing old, torn navy blue miniskirts into the blaze. It was cathartic and practical - the overly starched uniforms made excellent tinder. Elise leaned against a nearby tree, trying to build something resembling a plan out of the matchsticks spilled at her feet.
"Nico ain't wrong. Doc Swift sure didn't waste any time upping sticks the moment we left." Elise grumbled. She fiddled with the bedazzled gems on her explosive collar; a habit that had been growing over the past month. She had been hoping to grift at least a few dozen intrepid freedom fighters out of Fortress Briggs. Finding it a picked-corpse pile of rubble just a few days after Azula had left had been jarring, to say the least.
News was flying in from all over the island, of course. The Hell Divers were getting picked apart, the clowns were on the retreat, and Babylonia continued to do its best to get the muscle over on both of them. The window for their little unit to do anything impactful was rapidly closing. Was it even worth pursuing at this point? It was a question she had asked herself many times, at this point.
If they sat around and did nothing, Strazio was likely to go and get himself killed again. Trying to run headfirst into a battle was about as much suicide as the Temple march had been. But if they kept their heads on and maintained some semblance of patience, there was a good chance they could still leverage something valuable out of this whole conflict.
Save some damn lives at least.
Probably.
Elise deeply wished she was still able to imbibe human beverages right now. Gamzee was already passed out on a bunch of spare booze they had lifted from the ruins of Uxmal.
"Just gotta bide our time. Not about winning a game anymore. It's about doing the right thing." Elise sighed, speaking to the ambience of the crickets. She half jumped when Laszlo spoke up right next to her.
"Yeah...but are we capable of it, darlin? Or are we just gonna make things worse." he slurred. She could smell the whiskey on his breath from here. The vampire made a bit of a face, but swallowed her frustration. No sense in venting on the few people who had stuck with her. She hadn't even seen Scathach when they had made their way back to Fort Ea.
Whatever.
"I guess, at this point, it's the thought that counts." the night wizard sighed. She watched the curling smoke drift up and away over the moss-laden trees. Bats flickered in and out of the glowing warmth, feasting on insects drawn in by the light. Elise had never gotten the hang of turning into a bat; she had always been told that her vampiric blood just wasn't quite strong enough.
She scoffed aloud, looking at the last vestiges of the troops at her command. Story of her life.
Just never quite strong enough.
"That's why you gotta use yer smarts." Strazio hiccuped from his stump over by the fire. Elise blinked hard.
"Excuse you? You a mind reader now?" she half-squeaked. Strazio lurched around and gave her a lazy, unfocused gaze.
"Wasn't...talkin' to you?" the pale magus said with a raised eyebrow. Elise sucked in a breath, and let it out through her nose.
"Right."
Right.
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Several drinks in and the liquor no longer burned Strazio’s throat. In fact, the harsh whiskey provided nothing but a pleasant warmth in his collarbone. He stared into the fire, glassy-eyed and half smiling. All things considered, he actually felt pretty fucking fantastic. There wasn’t so much as a bruise left on him after the crown had worked his magic. Even more than that, for the first time since coming to the stupid comet he was in his element. There was no army to lead. There was no egotistic princess to capitulate to. There was just him, a few friends, and a whole lot of skulls needing to be cracked.
He took another big gulp of liquor and tipped the bottle towards Elise, “Here, c’mon, stop being so damn gloomy.”
“That stuff does nothing for me anymore,” Elise said, pushing it away.
Strazio squinted, examining her through a drunken haze before saying, “Yeah, ‘bout that, I’ve been meaning to ask, but what are you?”
“Thought it was pretty obvious,” She said, catching some firelight in her fangs, “I’m a vampire.”
“Never heard of ‘em,” Strazio said, reclining into the grass, “That some kinda magus?”
“No, it’s…” Her voice trailed off for a moment, seemingly trying to find the right description before continuing, “You don’t have vampires where you come from?”
“Nahhhh.”
“Where are you from?”
“You wouldn’t know it,” He answered.
“Try me,” She said.
He closed his eyes. Where was he from? On the surface he remembered his home village, with the day it was destroyed so vividly present and unforgettable. He remembered being dug out of the rubble by Valerie, and he remembered learning magick and vowing to kill Damien Alabaster. These things were all incredibly clear and vivid. But, in the corner of his mind’s eye slithered other memories. Murky slippery things that had no desire to reveal themselves. He remembered a fountain. He remembered a depressing little shire that refused to die. He remembered an orange-haired sorcerer. These specters of memory belonged to both him and someone who was not quite him. It was a dizzying prospect.
“Well, I’m from outside the Crossroads, I’m not even sure how I got here,” He explained, “And to be honest, up until coming here I didn’t even know other worlds could exist, let alone ones where magic is practiced so freely, it’s a bit... unsettling”
“How so?” Elise asked, “Not a lot of wizards where you’re from?”
“Kinda, to learn magick you give up your place in the afterlife, when a magus dies there is no happy ending for them, they just stop existing,” He said, “Most people don’t wanna make that kinda sacrifice.”
“Ah,” She said softly, “But, you did.”
“Yeah, yeah I did,” He said.
For a while they stayed silent. Nico threw some more wood on the fire, using one of the burning sticks to light his cigarette. Soldiers talked amongst one another in hushed tones. Liquor was shared, stories were told, and above them all bugs died silently, their lives coming to a forgettable end.
“Oh! And by the way,” Strazio sat up, a sour look on his face, he jabbed a finger towards Elise, “You need to stop saving my ass, it’s gettin’ real fuckin’ old saying ‘thank you’ everytime I see you.”
She snickered and shook her head, “Then stop making me have to save you.”
“Now where would the fun in that be?” He said, standing up and stretching, “Oi! Gamzee!”
Gamzee stirred, “Whuhh?”
“C’mon, get up,” Strazio said, nudging him with his foot, “I’m feeling restless, let’s knock each other around for a bit.”
He took another big gulp of liquor and tipped the bottle towards Elise, “Here, c’mon, stop being so damn gloomy.”
“That stuff does nothing for me anymore,” Elise said, pushing it away.
Strazio squinted, examining her through a drunken haze before saying, “Yeah, ‘bout that, I’ve been meaning to ask, but what are you?”
“Thought it was pretty obvious,” She said, catching some firelight in her fangs, “I’m a vampire.”
“Never heard of ‘em,” Strazio said, reclining into the grass, “That some kinda magus?”
“No, it’s…” Her voice trailed off for a moment, seemingly trying to find the right description before continuing, “You don’t have vampires where you come from?”
“Nahhhh.”
“Where are you from?”
“You wouldn’t know it,” He answered.
“Try me,” She said.
He closed his eyes. Where was he from? On the surface he remembered his home village, with the day it was destroyed so vividly present and unforgettable. He remembered being dug out of the rubble by Valerie, and he remembered learning magick and vowing to kill Damien Alabaster. These things were all incredibly clear and vivid. But, in the corner of his mind’s eye slithered other memories. Murky slippery things that had no desire to reveal themselves. He remembered a fountain. He remembered a depressing little shire that refused to die. He remembered an orange-haired sorcerer. These specters of memory belonged to both him and someone who was not quite him. It was a dizzying prospect.
“Well, I’m from outside the Crossroads, I’m not even sure how I got here,” He explained, “And to be honest, up until coming here I didn’t even know other worlds could exist, let alone ones where magic is practiced so freely, it’s a bit... unsettling”
“How so?” Elise asked, “Not a lot of wizards where you’re from?”
“Kinda, to learn magick you give up your place in the afterlife, when a magus dies there is no happy ending for them, they just stop existing,” He said, “Most people don’t wanna make that kinda sacrifice.”
“Ah,” She said softly, “But, you did.”
“Yeah, yeah I did,” He said.
For a while they stayed silent. Nico threw some more wood on the fire, using one of the burning sticks to light his cigarette. Soldiers talked amongst one another in hushed tones. Liquor was shared, stories were told, and above them all bugs died silently, their lives coming to a forgettable end.
“Oh! And by the way,” Strazio sat up, a sour look on his face, he jabbed a finger towards Elise, “You need to stop saving my ass, it’s gettin’ real fuckin’ old saying ‘thank you’ everytime I see you.”
She snickered and shook her head, “Then stop making me have to save you.”
“Now where would the fun in that be?” He said, standing up and stretching, “Oi! Gamzee!”
Gamzee stirred, “Whuhh?”
“C’mon, get up,” Strazio said, nudging him with his foot, “I’m feeling restless, let’s knock each other around for a bit.”
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The thrum in Gamzee's head matched the blusterin' guitar in Nico's hands. Nico also said some shit about some shit at some point, Gamzee recalled. Something about how, drinkin' and such was a good way to relieve any sort of pressures on one's mind. The troll had a hell of a pressure between his horns, and drinking only turned it into a nuisance rather than a pain. A good old tussle was just what the witchdoctor ordered. He grasped Strazio's hand, dripped in shadows though it was. Many of the surrounding soldiers were not as emboldened by the firelight as the boys seemed to be, though. Some held wary gazes on the clown - unsure if sparring with the creature was really such a smart idea, much less under the influence. They didn't understand, though, and that was awright. Wasn't their fault. In each other's grip, the two Rage Mages locked stares. The young Makara is pulled to his feet and dusted off as the crowd comes to a simmer.
"Oh? What's that?" The troll chuckles. "You said you wanna tussle with the muscle?" His eyes fell on his white, bloodied staff and he felt nothing but contempt for it, so instead the grey teen opted to raise two hands vaguely in the direction of his face, and swang his left foot around with a satisfying skrrrch in the dirt.
"What the motherfuck is up, buttercup?"
Strazio puts his own two dukes up, and flashed a grin most wicked between them. His hair, teeth, and eyes flickered in the campfire, lightning bugs in the dark. He had a feeling he could have counted on Gamzee for this, that anyone he had deigned worthy enough to bear the curse and brand of magick would not disappoint...and he was right. Examining his swaying target, the albino spellslinger slipped a quick jab into the troll's jaw. A few cheers from the small encampment prompts him to go for a second strike, only to whiff air. Gamzee had rocked and rolled with that first punch, falling backwards into a nasty leg sweep. His foot connects with the back of Rockwell's knee, bringing both of them to the ground. The assembled soldiers around them cheer once more as they both scramble to their feet, blows officially traded. The two fighters measure each other between the flames. Gamzee's teeth were showing.
Off to the side of the fight pit, each perched on excellent viewpoints atop a fallen log sat an Elise, and a Nico. On top of the Nico's head sat a rather sword-y cat with his own special viewpoint. That one specifically, Nico heard, was a very nice and cozy spot. The guitarist was making obnoxious ROCK N' ROLL noises and playing (relatively) in time with the speed of the fight as it progressed. No mortal words could describe how utterly hellishly cool this was. METAL AS FUCK would have to suffice. Elise elbowed him in his ribs, exposed as they were. A gnarly ol' scratch cuts the air, silencing most grumbling folks in the crowd. For just a few moments, the music changed. Knuckle on cheekbone. Knee, foot in gut, the slaughtered breath that always followed.
"Ey...Lowkey, I'd bet some hella coin on Straz in this fight," whispered a not-so quiet Elise. She gave Nico a few vigorous waggles of the eyebrows and some of the other folks within immediate earshot seemed to take to the idea as well, Laszlo among them. While this hand being dealt to him was not exactly a surprise, Nico did not exactly appreciate the way this deal went down. It wasn't long before people were trying to bet with all manner of trinkets and shiny things on Gamzee and Strazio. God, how he hated bookkeeping. Ki the cat simply sat and stared and, seemingly for seconds at a time, napped at will. It was a way of life, Nico supposed.
At minute four, second forty four (or something) of their fight, the boys drew blood on each other. Gamzee decked Strazio right in the shnoz, and Strazio clocked him back so hard it chipped a violet cut below the troll's right eye. One more slug to the face from the each of them after those ones before the two fell to the ground in a heap, laughing and bleeding away all what was left of wind in their lungs.
"That was a fight most excellent, brother." wheezed the clown.
"Haaah...Beat your ass...every time..." the mage groaned. He gets a bonk on the head for his troubles.
A smattering of roars and whistles and claps rippled through the camp at these two fools before the crowd disperses, a few pockets much heavier, but most others somewhat lighter. Only the cat predicted a draw, though they didn't place a bet. Nico may or may not have benefitted from this arrangement and outcome. Elise sighed, halfassedly examining their boys' little scrapes and bruises from afar.
"Fuckin' weirdos," she muttered. The two were saying something to each other, but she couldn't quite make it out over the background of camp, the fire, and Nico's incessant string twanging.
"I dunno man," Nico said back to her with a pluck of the chord. "I just work here."
"Oh? What's that?" The troll chuckles. "You said you wanna tussle with the muscle?" His eyes fell on his white, bloodied staff and he felt nothing but contempt for it, so instead the grey teen opted to raise two hands vaguely in the direction of his face, and swang his left foot around with a satisfying skrrrch in the dirt.
"What the motherfuck is up, buttercup?"
Strazio puts his own two dukes up, and flashed a grin most wicked between them. His hair, teeth, and eyes flickered in the campfire, lightning bugs in the dark. He had a feeling he could have counted on Gamzee for this, that anyone he had deigned worthy enough to bear the curse and brand of magick would not disappoint...and he was right. Examining his swaying target, the albino spellslinger slipped a quick jab into the troll's jaw. A few cheers from the small encampment prompts him to go for a second strike, only to whiff air. Gamzee had rocked and rolled with that first punch, falling backwards into a nasty leg sweep. His foot connects with the back of Rockwell's knee, bringing both of them to the ground. The assembled soldiers around them cheer once more as they both scramble to their feet, blows officially traded. The two fighters measure each other between the flames. Gamzee's teeth were showing.
Off to the side of the fight pit, each perched on excellent viewpoints atop a fallen log sat an Elise, and a Nico. On top of the Nico's head sat a rather sword-y cat with his own special viewpoint. That one specifically, Nico heard, was a very nice and cozy spot. The guitarist was making obnoxious ROCK N' ROLL noises and playing (relatively) in time with the speed of the fight as it progressed. No mortal words could describe how utterly hellishly cool this was. METAL AS FUCK would have to suffice. Elise elbowed him in his ribs, exposed as they were. A gnarly ol' scratch cuts the air, silencing most grumbling folks in the crowd. For just a few moments, the music changed. Knuckle on cheekbone. Knee, foot in gut, the slaughtered breath that always followed.
"Ey...Lowkey, I'd bet some hella coin on Straz in this fight," whispered a not-so quiet Elise. She gave Nico a few vigorous waggles of the eyebrows and some of the other folks within immediate earshot seemed to take to the idea as well, Laszlo among them. While this hand being dealt to him was not exactly a surprise, Nico did not exactly appreciate the way this deal went down. It wasn't long before people were trying to bet with all manner of trinkets and shiny things on Gamzee and Strazio. God, how he hated bookkeeping. Ki the cat simply sat and stared and, seemingly for seconds at a time, napped at will. It was a way of life, Nico supposed.
At minute four, second forty four (or something) of their fight, the boys drew blood on each other. Gamzee decked Strazio right in the shnoz, and Strazio clocked him back so hard it chipped a violet cut below the troll's right eye. One more slug to the face from the each of them after those ones before the two fell to the ground in a heap, laughing and bleeding away all what was left of wind in their lungs.
"That was a fight most excellent, brother." wheezed the clown.
"Haaah...Beat your ass...every time..." the mage groaned. He gets a bonk on the head for his troubles.
A smattering of roars and whistles and claps rippled through the camp at these two fools before the crowd disperses, a few pockets much heavier, but most others somewhat lighter. Only the cat predicted a draw, though they didn't place a bet. Nico may or may not have benefitted from this arrangement and outcome. Elise sighed, halfassedly examining their boys' little scrapes and bruises from afar.
"Fuckin' weirdos," she muttered. The two were saying something to each other, but she couldn't quite make it out over the background of camp, the fire, and Nico's incessant string twanging.
"I dunno man," Nico said back to her with a pluck of the chord. "I just work here."
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