Nice and peaceful, Nabias offers a great place to start your journey or stock up on supplies before heading out to brave the rest of the wilderness out there. They also have Barakka's largest hospital facility to treat all sorts of injuries you could get out there. (+2 Precision)

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Re: The Boys from Abaddon [self, L, maybe G]

Postby crow » 05/05/2015 5:24 AM

Reaper's face fell at those words. He watched Heat in silence for a while, not sure of what he should do. Things had been weird between them for a while now, but sometimes Heat was still like how he'd been before, and they'd have fun together. At least, Reaper had thought they were having fun. Maybe Heat hadn't enjoyed it after all.

A word from the teacher finally called Reaper's attention away. He tried to pay attention at first to the class, but his eyes kept wandering to his own desk. He didn't dare look at Heat, afraid that the other boy would tell him off again. When the last bell rang, Heat didn't get up. Reaper chanced a glance at him and almost tried to say something again, but someone called his name from the classroom door.
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Re: The Boys from Abaddon [self, L, maybe G]

Postby crow » 05/05/2015 5:25 AM

“Reaper!” Destiny and Ariel stood there smiling at him. “We're going to go catch dragonflies by the creek! Wanna come?” Reaper hesitated for a moment, looking between them and Heat, but Heat's words were still fresh in his mind. He still felt bad for leaving his friend alone, especially to go off and have fun with someone else, but...

“Alright,” he said. “Wait for me, I'm coming.” If Heat didn't want to be friends, then he had to find new ones, and Destiny seemed okay. He saw her and her other friends running around during recess doing all kinds of things. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
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Re: The Boys from Abaddon [self, L, maybe G]

Postby crow » 05/05/2015 5:25 AM

He left his seat and grabbed his backpack from its hook, then rushed off to join them. In the company of the other kids, laughing and joking as they ran down to the stream, he started to feel okay again... almost.

Still, in a quiet moment where everyone had broken off into little clusters to murmur quietly amongst themselves, Reaper snuck off to a shaded bit of creek among the trees. Hunting in the grass, he found an old hollow acorn. He ripped a big leaf off a tree and scratched a few words onto it with a sharp stick. The writing was jagged but still legible: wish you were here. Pausing to think for a moment, he added a few more words in smaller writing near the bottom: wish you were better. On a downstroke, he pulled too hard and tore a big horrible gash right through the middle of the leaf. It was ruined, but he folded it up anyway and tucked it inside the acorn, which he dropped gently into the water. He watched it as it bobbed down the stream, only leaving after it had finally gone out of sight.
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Re: The Boys from Abaddon [self, L, maybe G]

Postby crow » 05/06/2015 4:59 AM

So, well, he hadn't meant for them to grow apart. He really hadn't. In retrospect, he should probably have tried harder to make up, to find out what was wrong--- and there was something wrong. Of that, Reaper had no doubt. But it was easy, being with Destiny and Ariel and the rest; and meanwhile, Heat remained closed and distant. Reaper's entreaties to him grew fewer and fewer. The next time they changed seats in class, Heat made no attempt to stay close to Reaper, so Reaper found himself letting go too.

It felt strange without Heat by his side, but not as strange as it should have been. He got used to the new arrangement too quickly. In truth he'd been getting used to it for weeks already--- even when they'd still been sitting together, they hadn't spoke. In time, he felt almost relieved. At least now there wouldn't be the constant pressure of having to try.
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Re: The Boys from Abaddon [self, L, maybe G]

Postby crow » 05/06/2015 4:59 AM

Heat stopped coming over, and Reaper stopped dropping by. His mother made a few suggestions about getting together, and each time Reaper replied with a noncommittal murmur of acknowledgement, nothing more. Those never came to anything.

Instead, he went over to Ariel's to play video games, or slept over at Destiny's with everyone else. It was loud sometimes, playing with so many people. To Reaper, who had been content with Heat's friendship all his life, being in a group felt bizarre at first, but he got used to that too. Before he knew it, he had gotten too used to it, and staying at home with just himself and his mother began to feel lonely.
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Re: The Boys from Abaddon [self, L, maybe G]

Postby crow » 05/06/2015 5:00 AM

The only part he didn't like was the fights. It was inevitable, with so many children, but it always made him feel eaten up inside even if no one was angry at him. He learned quickly to diffuse arguments with a joke, to smile even if someone said something hurtful to him. He didn't want to make a big deal out of it, and they probably didn't mean it anyway. Being the joker had its price, but it was better not being taken seriously than watching everyone stay at odds with each other.

“Look at you,” his mother said one day, giving his jacket a last tug on the collar before he headed out to play. “Getting along with all those kids. You used to be so shy.” He just grinned at her while she ruffled his hair. “Alright, you go do your thing. Tell Nova's mom to call me when you get there, alright?”

He didn't talk to Heat again for a long, long time.
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Re: The Boys from Abaddon [self, L, maybe G]

Postby crow » 05/06/2015 5:38 AM

Reaper's ninth birthday was a more elaborate affair than any of the ones he'd had before. His friends were all looking forward to a party, and Reaper found himself faced with the prospect of actually throwing one. With a mix of resignation and amusement, his mother booked a bowling alley and ordered a pizza dinner, with the kind of big sheet cake she never let him buy before because there weren't enough people to eat it. Vanilla with lemon custard filling, just like he'd asked. It had decorations and party favors and hats—- the kind of party he'd only ever seen on TV before.

On the day of the event, he and his mother drove around picking everyone up. “Hi Mrs Moon!” Ariel chirped as he climbed in, taking the seat next to Reaper in the back.
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Re: The Boys from Abaddon [self, L, maybe G]

Postby crow » 05/06/2015 5:38 AM

Reaper smiled and slung an arm around the smaller boy, who grinned back. “Dad said to ask if there were any pineapples on the pizzas. He says my face is going to go up like a big, biiiig balloon if I eat one.” He turned to Reaper with wide eyes. “Should I eat one? Do you think I'd float all the way up to the ceiling?”

His mother laughed. “Too bad for you, your dad called me two weeks ago and said no pineapples. No balloons this time, kiddo.”

Ariel visibly deflated, but Reaper nudged him with one shoulder and rolled his eyes back into his head. Ariel giggled, shoving his nose up with a finger and puffing out his cheeks.
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Re: The Boys from Abaddon [self, L, maybe G]

Postby crow » 05/06/2015 5:38 AM

He crossed his eyes and snorted, throwing the both of them into a fit of laughter. Not long after, Destiny and Cain got into the car, and she proudly presented a big parcel wrapped in bright red paper.

“Guess what's inside! I bet you can't guess!” she crowed.

Both boys' eyes went wide at the sight of the box. “Oh, I bet it's the new Dragon Invaders deluxe set!” Ariel said.

“Really?” said Reaper doubtfully. “But isn't that super limited edition? And expensive?” He'd heard of it--- who hadn't, with all the ads playing on TV? But he'd taken one look at the price tag and known his mother would never buy it for him.
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Re: The Boys from Abaddon [self, L, maybe G]

Postby crow » 05/06/2015 5:38 AM

Ariel nodded enthusiastically. “Desi's dad always buys the best presents. He's like if Santa had a son with the Easter Bunny.” Cain snorted at Ariel's description, and Desi burst out laughing.

“You have to say that to his face sometime! You gotta do it. Promise?” she said. “Anyway, I'm not telling you what it is. You gotta wait for it!” She tucked it under her seat, looking smugly at them.

Nova piled in, and then Glass; soon the car was completely full. Ariel started to sing a gross limerick, and by the time they pulled up to the bowling alley, they were all trying to gross each other out with a more awful song than the last.
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Re: The Boys from Abaddon [self, L, maybe G]

Postby crow » 05/06/2015 5:39 AM

Reaper's mother parked the car and threw open the doors. “Alright you hooligans, get out!” she said with mock severity. The kids all jumped out, giggling like mad, and ran through the doors to the bowling alley.

The sight of a familiar face brought Reaper to a halt. Uncle Torch turned around, greeting them with a smile and a lift of his hand. “Hey, 'bout time you got here. And there's the birthday boy! You sure got big in a hurry, huh?” He patted Reaper's shoulder with one heavy hand. The smile froze on Reaper's face, and nervously he glanced past the man to see Heat sitting on a chair in the waiting area. He stared off down the hallway leading inside, refusing to look at them.
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Re: The Boys from Abaddon [self, L, maybe G]

Postby crow » 05/06/2015 5:40 AM

Something inside of Reaper twisted at the sight of him, and he stood there, frozen in place, not sure of what he should do. Did he say hello? Try to talk to him? He couldn't pretend Heat wasn't there... could he? Heat didn't even look like he wanted to be there. Reaper wondered if his dad made him come. His mother didn't ask about what happened anymore, and he had thought it was a done deal with the adults too.

“Hey, what are we waiting for?” Destiny said, peering down the same hall that Heat was looking at. Ariel had wandered up to the front desk and was standing on his tippy toes, asking the receptionist something that made her frown. “Let's go in!”
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Re: The Boys from Abaddon [self, L, maybe G]

Postby crow » 05/06/2015 5:40 AM

Cain held her back with one arm. “Reaper's mom has to check us in first. Then we need to rent shoes. You remember what size you are, right?” She sighed, rolled her eyes, and wordlessly stuck one foot up at him. Glass and Nova murmured quietly amongst themselves in the back, and Reaper's mother finally entered through the door, brandishing a receipt. It didn't take them long after that before the parents ushered them in, and all hell broke loose as everyone tried to find shoes that fit.

In the ensuing chaos, Reaper snuck glances at Heat, but the other boy carried on as if no one else was there. He browsed the shelves, picked out a pair of shoes, and tied them briskly, then went to lean against a wall as he waited for everyone else to finish.
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