kiiblade

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

"It does make me feel better, thanks." Ghent smirked lightly at her response. Poor Elayra seemed a little groggy and forever annoyed with him. At least she hadn't objected too much to the newest nickname.
Hands free at last, Ghent dug through the front pocket of his hoodie, collecting the ketchup and mustard packets. At the mention of Tulgan's Marsh, he raised an eyebrow, half wondering why Elayra hadn't elaborated further. "I'll take your word for it."
While he divided up the meal into separate bags, Ghent noticed Elayra looking at the backpack. With his foot, he turned the pack around so that she might see the impressive display of skulls. "Pretty sweet, huh? I bought it from a guy I saw. Figured I'd need it to lug stuff around."
Turning his attention back to the food, Ghent didn't appear phased when Drust voiced that 'she' knew of them being alive. In his unspoken opinion, she would have found out eventually. With spies like the shadowmires, it was only a matter of time.
"Loving the optimism there, Drust." Ghent passed each a cup, then their own bag. "Well, everything's sorted. Eat up." Finding a place to sit, Ghent started to unwrap his burger and looked up towards them, expecting that they would want a little information in regards to the curious looking meal.
"Alrighty, so this thing wrapped in paper...it's called a hamburger." Explaining something so widely recognized felt bizarre. Wonderland may have had some of the same currency, but their food was completely different.
"These things here...um...well, they're basically chopped up potatoes covered in salt. They're called fries." With the lesson half over, Ghent used his teeth to tear open a packet of ketchup. "Red stuff is ketchup, yellow stuff is mustard. You should put the red one on your fries." The best had been saved for last. Ghent tapped the lid of his cup with his fingers, interested to see what they would think of the strange new foods.
"And this is a milkshake. I have no idea how to explain it. I can promise you'll like it, though. I drank half of mine on the way here."

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

Ha! No worries at all!
I loved how you showed that Drust has a caring side to him -- when not overcome by the Curse, of course!

Right?! Over the years, I've had to research quite a bit of things related to injuries and pain tolerance. It's always kind of risky. I can read about injuries, but heaven forbid I have to see an image of it. Researching hamburger prices was less nerve wracking.

Crazy you should say that, we went to Subway yesterday for dinner. It's one of my favorite places to go on the rare orccurence we go out to eat.

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

“You’ve failed to check your surroundings, boy."
Yelping in surprise, Ghent nearly choked on a sip of milkshake when Drust snuck up on him. Before he might turn, he felt the blade on his back.
To the relief of both teenagers, the madman sheathed his katana rather than drive his point home. Again, Ghent had failed to meet Drust's impossible expectations.
"My guard was up!" Glaring through the darkness, Ghent faced their guardian and came dangerously close to mouthing off further. This could have gotten bad fast, but he shut his trap as Elayra had previously advised. If Drust became angry again, Ghent risked being attacked. Worse than that, he feared their hamburgers being squashed in combat. Drust had all the cards.
Mentally counting back from ten, Ghent stilled his tongue. Getting into a disagreement with Drust wasn't a good idea. Not now, not ever. Rather than pick a fight, he bit the inside of his cheek, forcing himself to agree.
"I'll have to keep better aware so this does not happen a second time." This bothered Ghent more than it should have. Taking criticism was not something he readily accepted, especially when it came to Drust.
Grumbling underneath his breath, Ghent stalked past him to get indoors. Hopefully the princess was in better spirits.
"Hey Ella. Miss me?" Ghent greeted her as if nothing had happened. If at all possible, he wanted to get on her good side. At least she hadn't jumped out to scare him half to death.
Underneath the display of tools, there was an empty shelf nailed to the wall. Using it as a table, Ghent set his half finished milkshake down, relieved that his first 'mission' was complete.
"Man, this hideout bites." He pulled the cups from the bags, both full and remarkably undisturbed by his journey. "After you guys get a taste of Earth food, you're gonna wish you were world jumpers for the sake of chocolate shakes alone."
Removing his $20 backpack from his shoulders, Ghent retrieved the burgers and fries, each separated by the takeout bags they'd been packed in.
"Any more of those shadow cats show up while I was away?"

Hobbit-LOTR: Quests, Curses, And Guardians { Angel & Polarize }

The fact that Saeril was still willing to speak with him meant a lot. When she'd taken his hand, Kili listened intently, hanging on every word. "It won't happen again," he promised, eyes half lidded. He was spent, but he wished to speak with her for as long as possible.

"I'd wanted to help...I thought I could make it back before you did." When exhausted, he gave a confession easily enough.
"Wasn't right...I'm sorry." Kili apologized once more for good measure, a small smile crossing his features as she kissed his forehead. "Thank you, Delva."

Hobbit-LOTR: Quests, Curses, And Guardians { Angel & Polarize }

The others released him, and Kili kept quiet, eyes on Saeril. As she busied herself with wrapping his leg, he slowly reached to take her hand.
"Delva?" Brows knit, he hesitated for what he was to ask next. Kili was very tired, but he was also troubled. "I'm sorry...I broke my promise." Even now, his conscious was weighed. He so badly wanted to be in her good graces again.
"...Are you upset with me?"

Hobbit-LOTR: Quests, Curses, And Guardians { Angel & Polarize }

The pressure was torture for Kili. Drawing a sharp, ragged breath, the youngest screamed out and attempted to pull away from them. Oin, Bofur, Sigrid and Tilda were quick to help pin the brunette to the table.
With so many keeping him in place, Kili had nowhere to go. Even Fili was keeping him down.
For a few moments, it looked as if he truly would die right then and there, but this was not to happen. Saeril's chant of the elvish language soon quieted him.
Breathless, Kili could only stare in awe at her, eyes glossed over. One may have believed him out of his mind, but he saw a light, heavenly glow around his godmother as the pain in his leg started to numb. The chant had worked.

Hobbit-LOTR: Quests, Curses, And Guardians { Angel & Polarize }

Tauriel sheathed her knives, hesitating when she heard Kili groan in pain. Both races were at odds, but Tauriel took no pleasure in the suffering of others. Especially not one so young.
Shaking her head slightly, Tauriel turned to follow Legolas from the home. "He will not make it," she predicted quietly, feeling oddly guilty for leaving though there was nothing she could do on her own.

Oin hurried to Kili's side, astonished to see how fast he was fading. The poison was unlike anything he was familiar with; it was too deep in his blood to withdraw, and Kili was pale as death itself. Even now, his eyes appeared clouded over and he was struggling less than before.
"We're losing him!" Oin feared what this may do to Fili and the rest of their kin. Dis would never forgive her brother if she found out Thorin had left his side for their quest -- no matter how important.

Bofur ran into the room, frazzled and out of breath from his run. "Here!" Quickly, he offered the kingsfoil to Saeril to inspect. Since she was an elf, he knew she'd have better insight as to what it was and if it would be useful. "Will it work??"

Hobbit-LOTR: Quests, Curses, And Guardians { Angel & Polarize }

For the most part, Kili was out of it. Delirious with fever, he barely understood what was happening until he saw his godmother claw the nearest orc in the face.
Teeth grit, Kili started to push himself up. They were in trouble, and he felt it his duty to help no matter what. "FILI!" The youngest shouted out a warning to his brother; one of the orcs was approaching his brother from the back, sword raised over his head.

Tauriel, along with Legolas had arrived right in time. Twin knives in hand, Tauriel kicked one of the orcs away as it was closing in on Tilda. Sigrid hit one of the orcs over the head with a dinner plate, and a fourth went after Saeril to avenge the one mauled.

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

Works perfect! Tried to finish my post yesterday, but it took a lot longer than expected. I had to research how much burgers and fries cost nowadays...I haven't gone out to eat in ages. xD

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

With Drust and Elayra at their current HQ, Ghent felt vulnerable. A shadowmire could lurk in the comforts of any shadow; it wouldn't have been at all difficult to hide and spring a surprise attack. As an added precaution, Ghent practiced drawing the dagger from his sleeve a few times. The motion was sloppy, yet quick enough to work. Right now, that's all that mattered.
Ghent ran most of the way downtown until a sharp stitch in his side forced him to slow. Experiencing pain in the area was a reminder of his aching rib cage; Drust had landed a powerful blow back at the shop.
The memory of his newly appointed guardian was enough to make Ghent grimace. At this rate, they would never get along. Elayra was no better; she would not accept help, she would not accept sympathy...she barely seemed to accept him.
If what Elayra said was true, they had been friends at one time. That would not happen again. How could they ever hope to be? Ghent didn't belong, he couldn't relate to them. Not in the slightest. The past was too far gone and the future looked dim.
One thought morphed into the other. It wasn't long before Ghent started to wonder about his father again. Hatter, as he'd been called. Ghent could scarcely imagine who he was, what he was like, or what had become of him. What fate could be worse than death? No one had mentioned his mother yet. Ghent's heart sank at the thought; she may have died along with Elayra's kin.
Brows knit in contemplation, Ghent was beginning to see how lucky he'd been to live on Earth. If Elayra had gone through the portal first, he would have been stuck in Wonderland with Drust for all these years. Things may have been very, very different.
The realization was a sobering one. For much of his life, Ghent believed himself rather unfortunate. Right now, he saw that he'd gotten off easily.

---

By the time Ghent made it to Burger King, it was well past normal dinner hours. Aside from a trucker and an older couple, the place was void of diners. This was preferable; there were no lines and there wouldn't be pressure to order quickly. The place smelled strongly of grease and artificial flavoring, a sure indication that the food tasted good.
"Can I take your order?" The blonde at the counter couldn't have been more than two years older than him. Ghent could speak easily enough to adults -- speaking to people within his age group usually made him self-conscious.
Embarrassed, Ghent used his sleeve to clean some dried dirt from his cheek. Why hadn't he thought to clean up sooner? The girl's gaze was penetrating -- he felt as if she could see the dagger underneath his shirt.
"Yeah...sure. I'd like to order...something." As pathetic as it was, Ghent wished his mother were there to order the meal for him.
"Um...three of the largest hamburgers you've got. No onions. Three large fries should work..." Eyes scanning the menu, Ghent kept his arm firmly against his side to keep the dagger in place. "And three chocolate milkshakes. Can I get lids on those? This is to go." Ordering food while hungry was never a good thing; he'd ordered impulsively for everything.
"That will be $28.85." The girl raised an eyebrow as Ghent opened an envelope to retrieve his money. Odd as the boy was, she wasn't overly surprised. Some of the strangest customers came around during the night shift.
After he received his change, Ghent filled up on ketchup and mustard packets while he waited for his order to be filled. One could never have too many of those.
A few minutes later, a group of teenagers arrived, two with skateboards, all wearing beanies. They were talking loudly, goofing around with one another and causing more of a ruckus than necessary. Ghent would have settled for ignoring them, but a backpack the tallest of the males carried with him had caught his eye.
Desperate times called for desperate measures.
"Hey guys." Ghent approached them, playing it cool. "Nice backpack."
The male exchanged glances with his squad, then looked back to Ghent, cocking an eyebrow. "Thanks?"
"I know this is out of the blue, but I've been looking for one just like that." Ghent's heart was racing as he spoke. The dagger slipped a little, so he pinched his sleeve closed with a clammy hand. "You know, with skulls all over it."
The teenagers were laughing until Ghent held up a wad of cash.
"Think I could buy it off you?"

---

Despite a broken zipper, the backpack had been a good purchase. There was more than enough room to store the bags of burgers and fries inside. Once those had been stored, Ghent used one hand to carry the bag containing the milkshakes. With the other hand, he carried his own milkshake to sip on the way.
Running was not possible with so much food at risk. Ghent kept a steady pace, keeping alert for any movement along the shops he passed by. Coming back seemed to take less time than setting out. The park was coming into view, and Ghent cut through some of the taller grass in order to reach the shack sooner. If this was to be his last meal on Earth, he wanted that meal to be hot. Nothing was worse than cold fries.
Ghent breathed an overdue sigh of relief when the outline of the shack came into view. The streetlamps didn't reach this far back; it was barely visible and would have been missed completely if one was not familiar with the location.
Remembering how jumpy the Wonderlanders were, Ghent opened the door, then knocked on the wood twice to announce his presence.
"You can put the weapons down. It's just me." Ghent didn't know for sure if they'd drawn them, he was basing this off of past experience with the two.