[PRP] Rebels? In MY friends? Its more likely than you think

[nepsah]

The truth comes out: Does Perore is Rebel??

[Takes place after Desperation]

 

[nepsah]

He'd had the new foot for a while but still felt unsteady on it. It was the best that could be done at the time and he was grateful for what Perore had gotten him but... It was definitely affecting his stability. So he'd asked her if she'd be willing to practice some more. He was bigger now- maybe he'd actually do something other than give her a light, unintended scratch.

Ha, fat chance. The whole Superstar Authority competition had delayed their get together for a while- Cerpin had managed to get them both to help out but that often left Dei feeling too drained to practice. That was finally done with though and he was practically vibrating with energy now that the agreed upon night to meet up had arrived.

He'd even cleaned his hive. A little. There was an easily discernable path anyway.


 

[quite uneventful]

Forera was ready and on her way.

The incident had happened with little to no fanfare. Deimos had gotten his new foot, Forera had avoided his question, and everything was fine. Everything was fine. Forera was still helping the little dude out with his training, even through their troubling times as Cerpin's muscle during Superstar Authority. But now that it was over, it was time to get back to work and double down on his training, test out his grasp of his metal foot. He'd need some serious practice with it, and Forera was ready to give it to him. "Heeeeeyyyyy!" She exclaimed from the outside of the tealbloods home, boisterous and loud as usual. Nothing had changed, this she was thankful for. "C'mon kid! We don't got all night!"

 

[nepsah]

The familiar sound of her voice from outside brought a new hum of energy to him. He hobbled his way to the door, pushing it open excitedly. "You're the one that's almost late Perore!" He grinned, then shuffled on out and closed the door behind him.

"Lets do this! I've been so bored. You dont even know." He made his way over to her, stopping just in front of the larger teal. "What're we focusing on tonight??"


 

[quite uneventful]

"I'm never late," The tealblood exclaimed, dropping her pack on the ground unceremoniously. "Ya'll're jus... early!" A cackle fell from her lips, wide smirk spread across her face as she wrenched open said pack. "Bored, hahh? We best be fixin' that attitude up real quick. I got somethin' special fer you, kiddo!" She always had something special for him. Though this time she actually had something special for him. She reached into her back, glancing at him dramatically, squinting a little as her meaty hand delved deep into her mess of a pack. When her hand finally grasped it, she grinned, leaned in, and practically wrenched out a stick -like weapon with a ball on its tip. Forera's eyes gleamed. "Jus fer you, Deimos. Ya think ya can lift it, this time?" She snorted, smirking at the other excitedly. She knew he'd been asking her about it for a bit, but she wanted him to know how to handle other weapons before getting into his favorite.

 

[nepsah]

"Suuuuure you aren't." Deimos rolled his eyes but was soon distracted by her dropping her pack. Curiosity quickly got the best of him- the smaller tealblood leaned over, attempting to see what she was fishing around for. "Somethin' special? For me?" Oh, now that was interesting. His eyes widened a little as she held up the mace- a moment later he broke into a wide grin, bringing his fists up excitedly at his sides. He held a hand out for it. Once she passed it over he tested its weight- a bit heavy, just enough to really test him over time. It was perfect. "This is the best. Thanks, Perore. We're gonna start workin' with this now then?"


 

[quite uneventful]

Awe, lookit his eager face. He looked like a wiggler on their first 12th perigees. He was adorable, look it those dimples. Forera chuckled, watching him test it and weigh it. He was quite literally starry eyed. Her smile was sincere. It took her a moment to respond, she seemed very soft on him already. "Oh-- Duh, why else would I give it to ya if we ain't usin' it!" She cackled excitedly, pulling out her own mace, though hers was basic and had no colors like his did. She'd picked a teal that looked considerably similar to his own, but hers was black, as it should be. She shouldn't have been showing so much of her bloodcolor anyways. She gave hers an easy twirl of her wrist before it landed square in the palm of her hand, eyes crinkling at the sides. "D'ya have any questions on anythin' before we start?"

 

[nepsah]

"I dunno, maybe you wanted to do somethin' else first." He stuck his tongue out, still giving the mace a bit of a twirl in his hand. He couldn't help but notice that hers bore no color markings, though his seemed pretty darn close to his own color. Then again... she was an undercover agent, right? Come to think of it, she'd never really answered his question from ages ago. It had been bothering him for some time now but he'd never had the opportunity to ask. The event had kept them all pretty busy, and it wasn't safe to ask questions about such a sensitive topic around others.

"Mm..." He paused, twirling slowing down until eventually he laid the mace over his shoulder, ball hanging toward the back. He hated beating around the bush, it was more effective just to say what was on your mind, right? But it was so hard... He had to know, though. He looked up to Perore. "I do, but it's not related to trainin'." He sighed, then took a deep breath in slowly.

"Do you... remember what I asked back when uhh..." he trailed, lifting his prosthetic a little before putting it back down. "When that happened. About Cerpin? Him bein' really okay 'n stuff. He came here, not very long before that whole thing happened 'n he was really outta sorts all upset 'cause his friend left... and... I dunno. You're you 'n you know all kindsa things about people on account a your job so I thought... maybe I'd ask? If he's really okay?" He hoped she knew already and could give him a solid answer. But if she didn't? Did he have the guts to keep quiet? What would he even say? He wanted so desperately to get into space, and Cerpin very well could be his ticket to it without having to sign away his freedoms to the beck and call of the military.


 

[quite uneventful]

Forera tensed. He must've been talking about when Tevini left. Cerpin had visited her too-- She still remembered singing to him, as scratchy as her voice had been. Though this was considerably more complicated. "I remember." Forera had really gotten herself into a nasty situation with that lie. She trusted Deimos-- Even more so, seeing as he wasn't selling Cerpin out-- But her lie would cost her something in this relationship, and she wasn't ready to know what that was. She was technically an enemy of the rebellion, in Deimos's mind. It was smart of Deimos to simply imply.

"Thatssa... bit ofa loaded question there, kid." She mumbled, voice a little less cheerful, eyes losing their friendly spark. Forera lifted the mace a little and let it fall into her metalic hand with an empty, hollow clang. The atmosphere around her seemed less welcoming. Forera wasn't sure how to go about this. The last time she told someone something important, it ended with their friendship in tatters. She didn't want to have to kill him if he freaked out. She supposed threatening would work too, but keeping him alive would just be another voice that could reveal something. She seemed pensive, now, just thinking.

 

[nepsah]

"Oh..." She remembered... but was hesitant to answer. He shifted his weight to lean on his organic foot, sensing the mood shift into a heavy unease. It made him nervous, akin to Cerpin's meltdown in his hive. But Cerpin wasn't that much older than he was, Perore was. And she was armed, and faster, and... well... Wait- His racing mind came to a halt. Why was he assuming she would attack him? His gaze darted for a split second from her face to the mace in her hand, then back again.

Fragments of thoughts came together. They were good friends, she and Cerpin. According to him, anyway. And Deimos had never asked her much about her personal life, figuring that perhaps it would reveal too much on a secret agent-- his mind stuttered again as it tripped over the possibility. Secret agent...

He shifted his stance back half a step, wincing just slightly as the weight shifted awkwardly onto his prosthetic. "Y'know... you can trust me." He spoke slowly, measuring his words. "Because... I trust you, and... You're... kind of my only friend." It felt weird to admit it, but it was pretty true. "I mean... aside from Cerpin." Another half step back, just to take the weight off of his foot. Where was Thypion? Would his lusus get here in time if something bad happened? He hated that he was thinking this way.


 

[quite uneventful]

“Y’know... you can trust me.” Deimos’s voice rung out, pulling the tealblood out of her thoughts, teal eyes blinking and staring at him blankly.

Trust.

Trust was screaming and crying and venting about how unjust her position in the rebellion was. Trust was knowing without a doubt, the other had her back. Trust was trudging through a musky swamp, royalists on their a**, avoiding death, pushing through.

Trust was Cerpin, Etsali, Rasali.

She’d “trusted” Deimos, but that was because she was comfortable knowing if things went south, she could easily off him. But now, she didn’t know if she could bring herself to. He’d entered her pump biscuit in a way she couldn’t quite place, something akin to... To how she used to see Anguis. She looked away, expression going sour at the thought of that turncoat.

Trust, huh. “Yer a ********’ idiot.” Her voice had taken a dark edge to it, something harsh and almost mocking. She couldn’t help it, she was irritated. He reminded her too much of her hatchmate. Her ******** hatchmate. “Y’trust me, and y’donneven know me. Issit ‘cause I saved ya? Is that really all ya need to trust someone?” Her eyes were downcast, hurt. She thought she could trust people too, once.

 

[nepsah]

His breathing quickened as her expression shifted. He'd said something stupid, hadn't he. He probably shouldn't have told her that, he'd made himself easily eliminated. Who would miss him except Cerpin? And even then, Cerpin had Polair. He was easily replaceable. "I thought I did. Enough, anyway." He stepped back again, grip changing on his mace. He should've kept quiet. He didn't want to do this. But now he had to know - it would eat him alive if he didn't pursue it now.

"I dunno, its a feelin'. You saved me yeah but you also taught me 'n you hung around with me 'n..." He trailed off, realizing how pathetic it sounded. He really didn't have a reason to trust her, he just did. Maybe that was a mistake? How many times had he thought to himself that other trolls were a threat, yet he'd happily let her into his life. All the social cues pointed to other trolls always being a threat, to be held at arms length, one step away from stabbing you in the back and he'd failed to maintain his guard when it came to her. "I can trust you, right? I want to. I like you. Please don't make me regret it." He felt sick. Exposing that much of himself to another person left him feeling weak. It'd be so easy for her to crush him right then and there- she wouldn't even have to move a muscle to do it.


 

[quite uneventful]

Forera’s eyes were serious. No longer did they hold the laughter she always had when around the teen. She listened to his words, still tense, still frustrated. He was so... Lucky. So blessed to not have to be wary of trusting her. Maybe she was making a big deal out of nothing, but her insides still dropped when she thought of the people she used to trust. Anguis. Aerona. Ganyma. All trolls she’d been saved by in some way, all trolls she learned from, grew with, had fun with at some point in her life. She’d had that “feeling” too. But his voice— He sounded as though he were pleading with her. Her insides meshed uncomfortably. “I like you too.” She said quietly, thinking more.

It was moments like these she reminded herself to take a step back. Maybe she was making this too complicated. He seemed so much more defensive now, after implying he couldn’t trust her. Forera closed her eyes and breathed. A part of her thanked her own stupid instructor. Aprife’s teachings were worth something, in the end. She exhaled, and that breath seemed to release all the tenseness in her body. “I trust you too. I’m just thinkin’ how yer so lucky, ya don’t have to worry. I won’t harm ya, kid. Sorry for makin’ ya worry. Just remember ya can’t trust just anyone, got it?” She didn’t want him to go through what she did. To lose what she had. He’d already lost too much. One foot too much.

 

[nepsah]

He watched her closely, eyes flickering over her form for any sign of tenseness that might betray an impending movement. But it never came. "I like you too." She finally admitted. He wanted to relax right then, but couldn't bring himself to allow it. Cerpin had nearly attacked him in their last visit at his hive and he wasn't about to risk another incident like that again, even if he did want to trust her not to do it.

He swallowed as she spoke again. He squinted a little in confusion - he was lucky? He didn't have to worry? Everyone had to worry. He had quite a few worries of his own, in fact. "...I know." He didn't let go of the mace, and hesitated to relax despite it being clear that she had already let go of her tension. "That's why I'm askin' you. About Cerpin. I wanna know I can trust him, too. Because I want to, he's goin' places I wanna go. But I trust you more than I trust him." How much she knew about space he wasn't sure, but if they were really as close as Cerpin said they were... "You still didn't answer me about it. Is he okay?" He was really pushing his luck here, but if she didn't answer him..? Well, that'd be it's own tell, wouldn't it.


 

[quite uneventful]

She dropped her weapon, heavy side on the ground, hand placed on the top as she moved it around some. Forera didn’t look at him as she spoke. She hummed. “He’s okay, if what yer implyin’ is if I know he’s a rebel.” Forera did it. She said it. It was done, it was out there. “I know you know. He told me he told you.” She paused a moment. “We’re both okay.” It took her a minute before she could look up at the tealblood, giving him some time to digest that in silence. She hoped he understood what she meant.