#and the reason for Kev’s sudden gym obsession?

[magnusstan]

Pics from Nikolaj’s thank you post to Kevin: “3 år 🏎️ Tak for alt.”

The matching flannel shirts prom pose, their excursion to Wildlife Wonders 🐨 (a 4.5 hr drive from Melbourne!), CrossFit thirst traps and holding Kev when he won pole 💓

Not part of his post, but I had to add …

[safitheartist]

@kariachi I’m mean. (Tw: mentioned child death, Blood, emotional breakdown, referenced human trafficing, claustrophobia (not sure about this one but they are in a dark cramped place) if you guys can think of any more please tell me.)

The rubbel was pressing on her force field, havey and threatening with it’s immense mass, reminding her that breaking her concentration even only slightly could lead to death’s cold embrace. She felt the stone shift over her head, incaseing them in darkness as the only light source was the dim pink glow of her aura.

She couldn’t open a portal now, they would get squashed immediately and a communication spell was out of question too. All she could do was keeping the barrier around them up or die, if it was just her alone, then maybe, maybe she would be able to get out of there, but as it was..

“Argit!” She said for what felt like the houndreds time since they got into this situation. “Argit wake up! Please!” She heared a groan in response and her aura flared up as relive floded over her.

“Red?” He asked, his voice sounded pained, Gwen felt the sweat burn in her eyes. “Yes, it’s me. How are you feeling?” She asked, she saw him hit his head pretty badly before she put the barrier around them and he’s been unconscious ever since. “Like my head has been put through a wringer…which is a good thing I guess, at least we aren’t dead. What happened?” He groaned out trying to sit up only to wince and lie back down immediately.

“You can’t remember?” That wasn’t good, that wasn’t good at all. “I um…there was a earthquake I think?” Something about a giant badger?“ It were questions, not answers, that was bad. “Yes, Animo, it was a mole not a badger. We were evacuating a building, it fell down on us. You fell out of the 7th floor.”

“7th? Gee, I must be getting soft.” Gwen could tell he was joking but it came out sounding more pathetic then anything. “Take this serious would you? You might be really hurt.” Gwen scolded him. “What about the kids? There where kids on the floor with me, right?” Gwen felt a cold feeling settle in her stomach. “I don’t know.” She lied.

“Oh..”

It was silent for a few heartbeats but Gwen knew it couldn’t stay that way. She had to check bad the damage is and she had to keep him awake somehow. “I need to ask you a few questions. Okay?” Argit grunted and Gwen took that as a ‘go ahead.’ from him. “Okay, do you remember my name?”

Argit snorted.

“I’m serious Argit, my real name, not the nickname.” She insisted.

“Gwendolyn Tennyson.” He replied, Gwen nodded, “Good, who is my boyfriend?”

“The pain of my existence.” “Argit.”

“Kevin Ethan Levin.” He winced again, Gwen felt sympathetic for him, but it was the only way to make sure he stays with her and it was helping her to stay calm too, so she knew she couldn’t let him quit.

“Okay, okay, you’re doing good. I’m the cousin of?” She asked, her aura flared up while thinking of Ben, her cousin, at least according to what their family has been telling them. She’s been having doubts about that for a while now.

“Benjamin Kirby Tennyson. This is boring Red, can’t we take turns asking questions?” He asked and Gwen thought about it. That wasn’t a bad idea, it would keep him from falling asleep at least, hopefully that is. “Okay, I asked a question, it’s your turn.”

“Why aren’t you teleporting yourself out of here?” He asked, he could remember that she can do that, good. “It’s too dangerous. Even if I managed to do it fast enough, I doubt I could get both of us out.” She didn’t mention how teleporting could make his condition worse or how the only thing keeping them alive was a barrier held up by somebody who had two redbull and a slice of toast for breakfast that morning. Gwen doubt she was in the condition to take risks right now.

“My turn, what’s your favorite animal?” Gwen was determined to keep this going, but she had to admit, she wasn’t the most creative person under pressure. “Seriously? Creativity much?” Argit asked with clear amusement in his voice, Gwen grunted, “You try keeping several tons over our heads, then we can talk about how creative my questions are.”

“I like Platypi.” He answered, Gwen had the urge to stare at him. “Platypi?” She asked and Argit grunted, “What’s so strange about that?” he asked and Gwen felt a bit embarrased, “I just wasn’t expecting it. I thought you would say something like opossum or hedghog.” She admited. “You humans are basically appes and yet *your* favorite animal are cats.” He countred.

“Fair enough. Your turn.”

“When was your first kiss?” Gwen snorted, “And you call my questions uncreative?” She couldn’t help saying. “12, Billy Mayson behind the school’s gym. His braces cut my lip open.” She remembered it like it only happened yesterday, it was a deep cut too, she had to walk around with a bandaid for weeks.“ “Romantic.” Argit said dryly. “Okay, since we are at *that* topic, first crush?” She asked. It turned silent for a few moments and Gwen was starting to worry that he might have fallen asleep on her again, but then she heared him mumbling something very quietly, so that she almost couldn’t hear it.

“Kevin?!” She exclaimed and her Aura again flared up. Argit winced at her sudden loud voice and Gwen looked at him apologetic, “Sorry, I just didn’t…I probably should have figured that’s the case.”

“Let’s just, not go there right now. Ack, okay let me think for a second. Um, siblings?” Gwen wanted to nod, but moving her head made her feel dizzy, so she made a mental note to no longer do that, “A older brother. His name is Ken.” Gwen answered, she hasn’t talked to Ken for quite some time, they had a fight the last time she saw him, the idea that they might never make up was painful.

Ben came to mind again, but Gwen ignored it.

“What about you? Do you have siblings?” She hardly knew anything about Argit’s family now that she thought about it. She still wasn’t even sure if he really did sell his mother or if Kevin was just messing with her. Arigt was a complicated person, he wasn’t to be trusted that’s for sure, but it wasn’t like he’s heartless too. He confused Gwen because for some reason, she couldn’t hate him anymore.

Argit was silent again, the only thing indicating that he was still awake were the small squealing noises he made now and then combined with his inregular breathing. “Yes,” he said, his tone caught her of guard, he sounded sad. “I do, 12 all of them were younger then me.” Gwen felt the cold feeling settle back in her stomach, the wight of the shifting rubble feeling more and more pressing.

“And well then there is also Kevin.” He added.

“What where their names?” Argit chuckled, “I believe it was my turn Red.” There was a pause and Gwen was half expecting him to just continue their little game, but then he started making a number of squeaking noises, which confused Gwen until she realized he was answering her question. “…..Argit isn’t your real name?” It was more an realization then a question, “Still breaking the rules I see, no it’s not. Kevin gave it to me when we were children, couldn’t pronounce my real name, bless his soul he tried. I’ve been using it ever since. Okay, my turn, why the cats?”

Gwen swallowed thickly as she tried her best to make her voice casual.“When I was really little I thought they were witches in disguise. It kinda became a obsession after a while.” She remembered how Ben once caught a stray cat for her when they were really little, they tried feeding her so she would trust them enough to transform for them, it ended with Ben having a really nasty scratch on his arm and Ken having to drive the cat to a animal shelter on his bike.

“You’ve always been into this magic stuff?” Asked Argit again, Gwen supposed it was just fair, she did ask three questions in a row after all. “I guess,” she answered after she thought about it a while, “It was more of an weird interest back then, I didn’t start really getting invested in it until….” Until she realized this wasn’t some silly game. There was a pause again, she was wondering what Argit must be thinking right now.

“Your turn.” He said after a while, Gwen was surprised. “Are you sure? You still have one left.”

“Can’t think of anything right now.” His breathing was getting faster, Gwen noted, she wasn’t doing much better really, they have been trapped under this thing for way too long already, she’s been trying her best to filter oxygen into her barrier but it was starting to overwhelm her.

Gwen wasn’t sure what to ask either, at least she wasn’t sure if what she wanted to ask really would be okay to ask. She knew for a fact that Kevin and the others didn’t like to talk about their time in the null void, but she really didn’t know how Argit felt about it. She supposed there was really just one way to find this out.

“How did you meet Kevin?” She felt the wight over her shift again.

“You already know that. Servanties used my DNA for his sick experiments.”

“You know what I mean. How would you two become friends?” There was a long moment of nothing, Gwen was starting to regret asking, she was about to take it back, tell him he didn’t have to answer if he didn’t want to, but Argit apparently had other plans.

“He just showed up one day.” He paused, Gwen didn’t push him. “I was sitting in that cage, scared out of my mind and starving convinced I would die in that damn thing and suddenly there he was. A little boy, looking just as scared as me. He gave me extra food and that became our thing.” His voice was soft, almost nostalgic. “The time in this hell hole was terrible, but Kevin made it bearable for me, he’s the closest thing to family I had ever since….” He trailed off, turning silent as he thought back to a time long ago, Gwen let him, she didn’t know how she should feel about this situation, she never saw him that vulnerable. She wondered how much there was to her boyfriends oldest friend she never even bothered learning about.

"Hey Red." He started the conversation again, "Could you tell Kev something from me? If I...you know? You have to teleport out of here after all." Gwen felt a cold shudder run through her as the implications of his request became clear to her, her aura flared up again, stronger then the other times even, "No!" She yelled at him, "No! Shut up!" 

"If it happens-" he tried again but Gwen blocked off. "I don't want you to die. Please, don't say stuff like this." Gwen tried her best to steady her breathing, why was it suddenly so warm in there? Argit was silent for a moment but then tried again, Gwen was to exhausted to stop him by now. "If something happens. I want you to tell him that I am sorry, for everything I messed up and I want him to know that there is not one day where I don’t regret losing the relationship we used to have. Can you do that for me Gwen?" Her vision was blurry and she felt gross out over the mixture of sweat, tears and snot on her face.

The sound of bones crushing under stone and little voices crying out, crying for a hero to help them, echo through her head. 

There was blood, everywhere was blood. 

She nodded, making her dizzy again "Yes, okay! Just stop saying this stuff, you aren't going to die! I won't let you die here." Nobody else. She wouldn't let anybody else die today. "You know," Argit started, "You are a very bad liar Gwendolyn." Gwen felt cold. "I can see some of them from where I'm lying." "Just shut up!" She screamed, her aura flared up. "Please just stop talking about this." She felt broken, like a failure. It was her job to help people, to keep them save and yet. Ben came to mind again, how would he look at her after today? How would he deal with his own cousin being a failure? "It's not your fault, you know?" Argit said but Gwen shock her head, she was at fault, she failed this children. "Please, I can't not right now." She was a mess, she didn't even notice when her nose stated bleeding.

She failed them. The thought echoed through her head and she felt how she was starting to lose herself. She needed something, anything to keep her mind off of this terrible memories.

"Y-your mother." Gwen stutered out between, Argit made a confused noice, "Your mother, Kevin mentioned her once, tell me about her." There was a small part in the back of her mind, screaming this was over steping he boundaries, that this wasn't a topic she should be the one to bring up, but she couldn't help it.

"She was a species trafficer." He said and Gwen felt like somebody punched her. She swallowed thickly as the implications of this new information caught up to her. "She sold me to Servanties, I guess I got better of then my siblings though. Oldest privileges." He chuckled but it sounded bitter. 

"When we got out of the null void Kev and me stumbled over her, she told me she had changed, that she regrets doing this to me, what a load of bullcrap. She tried selling us off to some psycho. She didn't expect getting beat at her own game though." Gwen stayed silent. 

 "I guess that's partly why I ended up being such a screw up....Red?" He sounded concerned, Gwen tried her best to response, "I'm fine, just...keep talking." She gritted through her teeth. She was shaking, it wasn't good to exhaust her powers like that. 

Argit paused, "If you can't bear it anymore-" 

 "Talk!" 

 "Okay...did Kevin ever tell you about-" They sat there a while longer. Argit telling her stories she didn't even really register, his voice was getting weaker, his pauses longer, Gwen could tell he was in pain too, that he wanted to rest too, but she couldn't let him. She doesn't know how long they stayed there, brushing shoulders with death, but at some point the wight over them stoped pressing down on her. 

 "It's alright, you can let it down now. We made it. You saved us Red."

Gwen passed out.