Saving Blunt

"Saving Blunt" is a [SEASON NUMBER] thread written on [IRL DATE].
==Summary==
[Write a summary of the thread's events here, including spoilers and important plot details. Check the Order of Threads to see if the thread you are placing already has a summary, to make less work for yourself.]
==Full Text==
The world…slowly…cleared…
The mind however…still had a while to go…
Rhenco’s eyes fluttered open. He was laying spread out in a patch of dust in the middle of the street, shirtless, confused, and exhausted. He clutched a soapy sponge in his hand, and the ground around him was covered in traced sketches and sweeping patterns. 
He tried to move…but his body didn’t feel like it. 
What…happened? 
@akkeyagentofhelheim @godguy0001
hookedhookless
Knives pierced Rhenco’s arms as a figure suddenly landed on him, growling out a semi-coherent sentence as she pressed a knife to his neck. “Cure, now, info.”
moe-lazyeye
Rhenco filched at the knife wounds, and then he sighed into them as if somehow pleased by the feeling. His jittering eyes looked around, totally missing the figure right in front of him. “Oh…whoa…okay…is this…am I waking up? Or is this another dream thing?”
hookedhookless
“You’ll. Wish. Dream.” She managed to say, pushing the knife harder into his neck. “TELL!”
moe-lazyeye
Rhenco’s fingers flinched, pain shooting up his arm from the movement. “Wait…wait…I don’t feel like dying this time…the colors will go away.” 
He blinked, a moment of sobriety touching his sight. “Um…in a way…they aren’t really…here now…” He blinked a few more times. “Oh man…I don’t feel good…”
hookedhookless
Her eyes flashed with glee as she smiled wide and batted the knife with enough force to get a small trickle of blood flowing. “What’s. Here. Now.” She demanded, her voice raising with each word. “WHERES. THE. CURE.”
moe-lazyeye
Rhenco coughed, his face paling. “There is no cure…oh no…I really- I’m really starting to feel strange.”
His fingers fumbled with the sponge in his hand. “Can- can you give t-this back to that guy who was bleeding…? I stole it…from his kitchen.”
His head tilted and his eyes rested on a house just outside of the King’s court. “Just there…”
hookedhookless
“Diseased. Cure.” She grumbled. “Sponge. House.” She looked over to the house and back at Rhenco. “Arm.” She placed the knife in her mouth and held it between her teeth, saliva began to cover the blade. She took the sponge and looked around. She took a breath to compose herself. “Aria! We’ve got someone bleeding. House over there” She called as she pointed with the hand that held the sponge. “take this there, I still have this to do here.” She looked down at Rhenco, a sick, hungry joy on her face.
akkeyagentofhelheim
Aria had been off to the side the entire time, trying to avoid looking at the other two on the ground. She didn’t like what was going on, but she knew better than to interrupt Orne.
She glanced towards the woman worriedly when she told her to make her way to the house, but Orne was one who could take care of herself. She hastily grabbed the sponge and ran towards the building, keeping all eyes and ears peeled for anything around her.
Aria slowed to a walk as she came up to the door, placing a small hand on the handle to give it a push. “Hello…?” she said barely audible.
moe-lazyeye
She heard a clatter…
And then the sound of someone choking around blood.
Just inside the house, she saw Blunt leaning against the wall, his eyes wide as he frantically forced air through the injury in his neck, his bloodied hands clutching at his throat.
A stabilizing rune of sorts glowed on the uninjured side of his neck.
akkeyagentofhelheim
Aria recognized him immediately, but now was not the time for a friendly greeting. She ran up to him in a panic, her hands already glowing green, “Let me!!!” she cried, standing on the tips of her toes to reach for the injury.
She barely even got close to him when tendrils of light snaked their way from her fingertips to Blunt’s wound, as if the magic were magnetically attracted to it. Claudus, she thought, but it didn’t sew itself up as it did when she saw her father use that spell.
It was like the healing spell had a mind of its own, swirling around the rune and blood and muscle and very quickly pulled it all back under skin, as if time was turning back, closing the gaping wound cleanly as it did. The light in Aria’s eyes dulled suddenly, fading from its bright green to a dead white, but then immediately returned to normal.
moe-lazyeye
Blunt took his first true gasp of hair for the first time in many, many hours. He clutched his heart as the rune faded from his neck now that the injury was gone. He looked at Aria in a daze. “Ak…huh…Aria…you’re.”
With a grunt he slumped to his back. “Thank you…” he breathed. “Are you okay?”
Well…she saved my life from that…too bad sweet butt’s going to murder me over this.
akkeyagentofhelheim
She let out a long, shaky exhale, slowly falling to her knees. She didn’t process what he said at first, That was different from the usual spell…
Aria gave a quick shake of the head, her eyes bulging in surprise. “Yes. Wait, no-I mean, are you okay? What was that? Orne found Rhenco, and he was talking weird, and then you-!” She leaned towards him worriedly, hands hovering and wondering if he needed more healing.
moe-lazyeye
Blunt raised a hand, and closed his eyes and he spoke. His face was pale, and it was clear he was trying to move on past the stress.
How well he would be able to do that was still to be determined. 
“Rhenco…came here and attacked Stonegit. He got pissed when it didn’t work so Stonegit got everyone together and bounced. I stayed behind to see if I could throw him off the trail with huh…some…tea that I had…hidden away for certain occasions.” He gulped, thankful that his throat was operating the way it was supposed to now. “Bummer for me, it didn’t kick in until after he fucked up my neck, and put a rune on it to keep me alive but…well…still like how you found me.” He stood shakily. “The rest was kinda funny…I- I’m okay now.”
Blunt exhaled with his eyes closed. “So he’s still nearby huh? That’s not great. And whoever this Orne is mini darling, I recommend she gets away from him.”
akkeyagentofhelheim
She worriedly looked back behind her where she came from, “She can handle herself… And I can heal her…” Aria said, a little unconvinced. She was already feeling slightly drained. She turned back to him, “Are you sure you’re okay? Dad taught me that relaxing spell, I can…or…”
moe-lazyeye
Blunt held up another passive hand. “No, no I’m good now.” He assured, and eased himself into a chair. “I just…I just need to appreciate breathing for a little bit…and then I need to find Stones.”
He closed his eyes and drew in a long breath through his nose, and then paused. He cracked an eye open. “I haven’t seen you in a while kiddo. Have you talked to your aunt recently?” 
akkeyagentofhelheim
“O-okay…” she said, twisting her hands behind her back anxiously. She hesitated before replying, as if something cleared in her head momentarily upon hearing the question, “Uh, no. Orne said they’re… uhm, looking for everyone. A couple days ago…” Aria blinked up at him.
moe-lazyeye
Blunt didn’t know much…but he knew that whatever it was that Aria was referencing was definetly not just a few days ago.
Orne said huh…?
He glanced out the window and saw Orne confronting Rhenco. He carefully stood up.
He had to reunite with Stonegit…but his partner could find him himself whenever he finished secure the Haddock family. “Its been a little longer than that kiddo…” He paused to think, and then put an arm around her. “Come in kid. I’ll take you out for your favorite meal. It’s the least that I owe you.”
And see what your aunt knows about you being done so long…
akkeyagentofhelheim
Longer…? But the confusing thought passed quickly at the prospect of a meal. Her face lit up in the familiar bright smile, “Oh, okay! I’m glad I could help.” She touched her fingertips together and they glowed faintly, “Just gotta tell Orne…”
Blunt cut her trailing thought short as he put an arm around her to whisk her away. “Oh she’ll be fine. It looks like she’s busy with that Rhenco guy anyway, and I have got to say, I think I like the idea of leaving him to her devices. Come along now.” He said with a note of cheer.
This family doesn’t need anymore problems with mysterious ladies putting holes in their memories and causing confusion…I may not be able to handle all of this at once, God knows I’ll have laundry list of things to address when Sweetbutt gets back in town alone. But for now…I can find out what I can…but I’ve already seen and heard enough…Akkey needs to hear about this…
“I know a great little spot.” He went on, walking with her quickly and resisting the urge to glance back at Orne. 
@akkeyagentofhelheim
akkeyagentofhelheim
The thought of Orne nagged her at the back of her mind, but when there’s a height difference of almost two feet between two people there’s really not much Aria can do. Not that she minded, anyway. She always found Blunt funny, and her aunt would smile more when he was around, so she went along amicably. “Where?” her ears bounced underneath the curls of her hair.
moe-lazyeye
“There’s a place that specialized in potatoes ever since the bunker days and it’s done a bang up job steadily getting better through the years. So two decades later, they’re practically to die for.” Blunt went on, and quickly put as much distance between the girl and the preoccupied Orne. 
They reached the small restaurant and an elderly waiter gave Blunt a wink and guided them to a table, Blunt naturally winked back, and tossed an menu across the table to the young healer. Not how I imagined spending the day after getting slammed in the neck but this works…
“Order what you like kid. My treat, my squeeze is rolling in dough these days ever since I convinced him to get paid for his work.” 
akkeyagentofhelheim
Aria swung her legs, her feet not quite reaching the floor, debating between a shepherd’s pie and a vegetable stew, when she spied Blunt over the menu she was holding, and felt shy all of a sudden. She ducked behind the piece of written card, “Uhm, I guess the pie…” she still felt a little worried about him.
moe-lazyeye
Blunt stole a glance at her expression, and the folded down the menu. “Now darling I know its common to be bashful when at dinner with a guy such as myself, but I assure you I’m far to old to be shy over.”
He placed a finger on the listing for the pie so as not to lose it as he spoke to her. His face allowed itself to become serious. “Aria…you do know Haddock has been dead for nearly two months now…”
Blunt wasn’t sure how this conversation would end. But he figured he’d start by giving the girl a clear time stamp, and see for starters as to why she had been gone so long.
akkeyagentofhelheim
Her head tilted in confusion, eerily like her aunt usually does, “No… it’s been only a month, right? I remember, Aunty Akkey was really sad that day. She went to the cove…”
moe-lazyeye
Blunt tapped the table gently with a finger, and then swished the digit over to point to the days menu posted on the wall. Exact date included. “Long than that I’m afraid.” He leaned forward, his face caring and concerned. “Where have you been deary?”
akkeyagentofhelheim
Aria looked towards where he was pointing, doing the math in her head and quickly realizing. “Wait, that’s not right…” She blinked in confusion at Blunt, “ I was with Orne. It was only a couple days since…” Huh? Since…what?
Blunt and the table disappeared for a moment, and again she was facing the little girl. The stranger with blonde hair and golden eyes, but still she knew her. Somewhere, somehow… Everything was hazy, then cleared up again as quickly as it disappeared. “I was with Orne and the others! They were helping me.” she said again, as if to convince herself.
moe-lazyeye
“Helping you with what?” The reply was quick, but not invasive. Blunt was simply asking the simple questions that, he often found, had a hard time being answered in the kind of case he suspected was afoot.
akkeyagentofhelheim
“Finding Iona.” she responded, somewhat distracted, “We got separated when we left Haligan and they promised to look for her then we could go back together.”
moe-lazyeye
I dont know all the facts…so I cant say anything objectively against these so called friends of hers…but some reasonable suspicion here couldn’t hurt…
Blunt shifted his seat back a little as their food was served. “I heard, just recently, that Iona was freed from a Central prison during the raid. She had corresponded with some of the rebellion to help in the process…” he squinted an eye. “We didnt see ear or tail of anyone else helping us. And we didn’t hear a word about Iona from anyone other than known rebels…”
He shrugged as he began to eat. “Unless of course we didn’t recognize them. In which case we still didnt know hardly anything.”
akkeyagentofhelheim
Her eyes lit up, breaking her out of whatever seemingly personal trance she had, “She’s found!? Yes! That’s good! I have to tell Orne! They must’ve been working in secret, they kind of like to do that…” Aria grinned down at her meal, She’s safe…
moe-lazyeye
Blunt reached out and took her hands, concern clear in his eyes. “Deary listen to me. Dont, talk, to Orne yet. In fact dont interact with anyone from that group. Not until you talk with your aunt first…please.”
akkeyagentofhelheim
She pursed her lips in confusion, “Why not? They’ve been taking good care of me, it’d be rude to just leave without saying goodbye…”
moe-lazyeye
This could be nothing to really worry about Blunt…
An image of a profile sketch of Hemlock matched with Akkey suffering under one of her episodes flashed in his mind, and he sub consciously rubbed his throat, his heart thudding hard once.
Or it could be everything to worry about…
His other hand came around to join the other one. “Because you know I love you, and I would never ask you to do something for no good reason.” He weighed his head a little. “And because people, someone actually, went missing before for months while being ‘well taken care of by someone nice’ and it went very, very badly.”
akkeyagentofhelheim
“They’re not like that.” Aria stared at his hand engulfing hers for a moment, before bringing her gaze up to his face, and for a very small instant her big, bright green eyes bore into his, hollow and almost frightening. Still she didn’t seem to notice, “They’re good people, they’re family…”
moe-lazyeye
Something isn’t right….SOMETHING ISN’T RIGHT
Blunt held her gaze. “Aria…please kiddo…you’ve been missing for months. They never told anyone where you were. Iona was in prison and she stayed there until the rebellion, not them, got her out. Now for me…please talk to your aunt. I’ll take you there myself if you like.”
akkeyagentofhelheim
She stared at him, blinking very very slowly. It was oddly familiar, something Blunt couldn’t quite place. After what seemed like an eternity, she sighed, and the tension was broken, “Okay…” she grumbled. Aunty Akkey told me to always trust Blunt, so I guess… “Can you promise me that you’ll tell Orne, at least? Tell her I’ll come back.”
moe-lazyeye
“Of course,” Blunt assured, and then ate the meal in quiet with her.
He ended up finding an excuse to wrap up early though, and helped her to her feet. “I’ll be sure to make sure Orne is informed, but your aunt would never forgive me if I didn’t stop by to say hi after all of this. So let’s go see her together hm?
akkeyagentofhelheim
“Mkay!” with a full stomach and the prospect of seeing her aunt, Aria was returning to her usual energetic self. Still, it was unnerving, as if she was a ticking time bomb, with anything that could flip a switch. And she didn’t notice herself, nor knew at all that she was a little different. But Blunt noticed, so they went to reunite with Akkey, farther away from where they had left Orne.
Category:BOTGD 2
Category:Act I
Category:Events
Category:Blunt Donz
Category:Aria Lindholm
Category:Rhenco
Category:Orne