(*is just gonna assume Evie just gave Oliver a can of metal polish
to try and eat just for the comedy of it*)
Oliver blinked as he looked at Evie and then looked at the can in
his hand, narrowing his eyes as he let his eyes fully adjust, then
looked at her with a bit of a confused look.
''this is metal polish... you use this on metal stuff like
silverware or a weapon...'' he muttered.
Evie pouted a bit, "Ah, damn. I was hoping for at least a lil'
brain damage." She took the metal polish back and shifted slightly,
taking her sword off of her belt and flicking it so that it
extended fully and grabbing the nearest cloth. She didn't look up
at Oliver when she spoke; after the debacle with Orion, their
relationship would need a bit more healing before she was ready to
start on the path of beginning to trust him again. "But really, how
are you feeling? We can't afford an injury here, there are too many
of us and the addition of a drag would be..." Evie trailed off with
a shrug, letting Oliver fill in the rest.
''i may be groggy from being knocked out but i ain't stupid.... i'm
fine...'' Oliver grumbled, rolling over so his back was to everyone
and curled a bit, wanting to just be left alone for a while
longer.
after a bit of calming back down, Dexter had stepped out of his
little hidden nest and rested an arm on the wall that blocked it's
view and a hand on his hip, almost looking like a sassy teenager
rather than an adult considering his body and facial features
stayed at eighteen.
''hey Orion, got a minute to chat? i want to ask you a few
questions'' he said.
Evie took his nonverbal request and walked over to the other three.
When Dexter called out, her vibrant amber eyes burled into Orion
with what was almost wariness. He was, after all, her only actual
friend in the group. Orion, naturally, saw no trouble in the
request and pawned Koji off to the care of Ivy since she seemed to
enjoy his company anyways.
He walked up to Dexter and, albeit subconsciously, stood in an
equally laid-back position with his hands laced behind his head and
his weight shifted to one leg. He gave Dexter a customary but very
small smile to invite whatever interrogation was coming his way.
Ivy carefully took Koji as Orion went to go talk to Dexter and
decided to sit down, setting the moth cat in her lap as she per his
head and gave him all the attention she had.
Dexter looked him up and down for only a second before tilting his
head, putting the hand that was above his head behind it.
''Jesus dude i ain't gonna rip your head off.... anyway, you look a
bit older than the others.... somewhere in your twenties...? i'd
guess twenty two?'' he questioned, more asking out of curiosity.
Orion raised his eyebrows in a mock surprise and shrugged. "Yeah,
sure. Sounds about right," he replied. "My estimates are around the
same, more or less." His irises darted to his side when he heard
Koji mewl and he had to take a split second to remind himself that
his beloved companion was safe in the care of Ivy. "What county you
from?"
Dexter held up his hand with the mark he hated so much and left it
up, tilting his head a bit more as his eyes caught a tiny ray of
light.
''my loyalty is with the Nova's... despite being back in my home
land'' he said, then let his hand fall back to his side before
straightening his head again.
he was silent, thinking, then straightened his head and crossed his
arms.
''the ruins of the apartment buildings a few miles from the forest
was where i grew up as a kid before it got bombed.... i luckily
survived'' he said flatly.
Orion simply nodded, finding sympathy for someone who felt a lack
of commitment to their government merely because of birthright.
Personally, he was indifferent to the Lux, but he knew that he
would feel the same way if he was born a Nova and could easily see
how one could grow hatred for either. His concentration followed
the movement of Dexter's hand and he let him talk.
"So you know these forests well, then?"
''of course i do, i've graciously accepted the term "hermit"
considering i've rarely gone into the main city to get supplies,
hell, this closed off area of the Lux territory is littered with
supplies i can use'' he said, shrugging a bit as he ran his fingers
through his hair and left them there for a moment.
he was silent as he thought, glancing off to the side as a distant
look entered his dual colored gaze, then came back to reality as he
looked back to Orion.
''the thing's i've seen... the year's being trapped on this
god forsaken rock.... i swear i can still hear the screaming some
nights, i wouldn't wish this upon even my worst enemies Orion, if
the government is bringing this survival game with Lux teenagers
mixed in.. nobody deserves this fate'' Dexter said finally after a
bit of a pause, hand falling to rest on the side of his neck
casually.
Orion let out a long, exasperated sigh. "Their game started this
morning, I think. The plan is for only one survivor--something
about ending the war for good, which I doubt will last in the long
term. Although I guess I won't be alive to see it through anyway,"
he mumbled darkly, stopping himself when he realized he should be
more sympathetic. "I'm sorry you have to go through this again. I
can't imagine what that's like."
Dexter seemed to boil at that, his anger at the fact this abandoned
section of the island is going to become survival game where only
one remains.
his anger vanished just as quickly as it appeared as he spoke again
and gave a bit of a weak smile.
''i'm alright.... it's just i don't get why the government has
decided this was the resort for ending the war...? you and the
other's in this cave have decided to put aside your differences,
even if it'd only be until towards the end, you've all still
decided to work together..... the younger generation could do so
much better than continue the older generations rules'' he said,
motioning out towards the others with his free hand as he speaks.
"Some sort of symbolism thing," Orion replied; he hadn't been
listening all that well. "Collaboration is a natural human
instinct, but so is survival. It's only the first day; I can only
imagine how animalistic all this will get when the strain starts
rolling in." He scanned the people around him thoughtfully as he
spoke, lingering on Evie. She was the only one he knew, and she was
notoriously a bit insane beforehand.
He turned back to Dexter and shrugged. "I think the decision was
made from a utilitarian standpoint. Pending death, it's not really
something you ever learn to accept, y'know? I've found that the
best way to get over it is to not think about it."