paradisalost

Entry tags:

!intro,
apollo

001

[After waking up in a strange room with no sign of his daughter Jenny, Apollo decided to explore the room to see if he can find any hints of where he is. It doesn't take long for him to discover the journal and flip through it curiously. While flipping through he picks up fragments like 'castle' and 'Paradisa'. It seemed to be the only way of contacting people in the room. Now wasn't the time to be shy. He had his daughter to find.]

Hi. I don’t really know how you’re supposed to start writing these things. Never been the journal writing kind of guy unless you count that Dear Abby letter I wrote one time as a joke. Well, Midnighter thought it was a joke but that’s a whole other story. The bottom line here is I’m looking for my daughter. She’s got long brown hair and brown eyes. She’s eight but she acts like she’s going on thirty. Anyone seen her?

And Jenny, if you’re reading this respond ASAP and tell me where you are. I don’t know what’s going on but I plan to find out.

[That said he closed the journal and carried it with him when he left the room. He wasn't going to get answer any quicker by just sitting around.]

[ooc: Open to any part of the castle you want to find him wandering around.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

And there are a whole lot more unanswered questions when it comes to this place. It's sentient, and a whole lot more powerful than most things we've ever seen.

[ he pauses, gives apollo a look again, before sighing and folding his arms. ]

Alright, let's just hurry up and get rid of the elephant on the roof.

Even the Carrier?

[He stares silently at him for a time before crossing his arms defensivly.]

Three years, Midnighter. Three years and I've made peace with the fact that you're doing-did-something you felt you needed to do. But that doesn't mean I understand it, because you never even tried to explain. If you really want to talk about this then go ahead. Explain it to me.

[ shortly: ] Even her.

[ he frowns deeply. it's not something that he feels quite up to explaining, and not just because he's done it before. even after all this time, it still pisses him right the hell off that bendix managed to get to him like that, trick him like that, and lost him so much time with apollo and jenny. ]

You're right. It was something that I felt like I had to do. And I was doing it for all of us, even you and Jenny.

But I was [ ugh, he does not relish saying this ] wrong. The explanation is pretty short: Bendix.

[If this place is stronger then the Carrier then they really do have some big problems.] Damn.

[The name has an instantaneous reaction. His shoulders tense and his eyes widen. He opens his mouth to speak but nothing comes out at first.]

Impossible. He's dead. [But even as he says it he knows he's wrong.]

[ he growls softly. yeah, just talking about bendix is enough to piss him off too. ] He sure as fuck is now.

But then... no. The Bendix who died when we were underground was from an alternate universe. The real one came back.

Alternate universe...that bastard. And here I liked to think that we were the only ones with one of him. One is enough, more is just...

[He shakes his head and lets his eyes fall closed.]

But he's dead. For good this time. Should I bother asking what he was after? Or what that had to do with you?

And if he's not dead, I'd be more than happy to rectify that for him again.

[ he frowns even more deeply. ]

What else could he have been after? He wanted the Authority gone, and I pretty much acted like his lapdog and did it for him. [ notice how he's not going into specific detail, ha. ] You remember those Civil War geriatrics? Only the beginning.

[That gets his attention and his eyes fly back open. It was all starting to make sense. An awful sort of sense.]

He was behind that? And you...[Oh yeah, he definitely notices so have a stern look for not telling the whole truth.]

He had something to do with your leaving didn't he? [He says it more like a statement because whenever Bendix is involved he assumes the worst.]

[ he'll just.. ignore that stern look, ahem. when he speaks, it's clipped, as if he just wants to say this and get it over with. ]

I told you about going into the future, right? Seeing you, and the warning you gave me?

[There's a pause and then he responds cautiously.]

Yes...I remember a conversation to that affect. It obviously upset you, maybe I just didn't realize how much. But what does that have to do with Bendix?

It wasn't you. It was one of Bendix's lackeys, shifted -- fucking flawlessly -- into you, or what an older version of you would look like. It infected me, I transferred the infection into the Carrier... and you know the rest.

[ he jams his hands in his coat pockets. saying these things again.. he didn't enjoy it the first time, and he doesn't enjoy it now. ]

[He's silent for a long time as he let's it all sink in. It's a lot to take in after all this time of being resigned and angry at Midnighter while trying to give Jenny as close to a normal life as he could. In a series of instances his life crumbled and now he knew why. But it didn't make him feel any better.]

It was all a set up-a trap-and we fell right into it. All these years and Bendix was pulling the strings in background without us knowing.

[His hands ball into fists and without warning he punches the ground beneath them. The small crater it leaves behind is proof he wasn't using even a half of his strength but it felt good to hit something.]

[ he just shifts a bit, so that the shockwave doesn't unbalance him. what apollo says is the truth of course, but it doesn't make him feel any better, and doesn't change what he did. he'd be even more of a bastard than he already is if he expected apollo to just forgive him, simply. but all he says, as he looks at the crater, is: ]

Hey, my face is right here.

[The tension in his muscles slowly easies as he regains control over his anger. He snorts in response and cracks a small smile.]

Yours isn't the face I want to punch into until it's unrecognizable to his own mother. Give it time, you're bound to piss me off eventually.

I just have one more question. What happened after we dealt with Bendix? What happened with the team?

[ a small 'heh'. ] Don't I always.

We got back together. The Doctor was reincarnated, Jenny-- [ he shakes his head and rolls his eyes ] --was Jenny, and we went back to doing what we do best.

[ it wasn't exactly a completely happy ending, but it was the most they could ask for. ]

[He smiles-a real, true smile-and lets out a big breath.]

That's great. For awhile there I didn't think we'd ever have the chance. I couldn't get anyone to come visit Jeroen's grave when Jenny asked. Everyone was so worried about how to stay out of sight. Not that there wasn't a good reason, but at least we know if wasn't completely our fault. It's just something we have to learn from.

I'm sure Jenny's happy. She never did get quite used to living a normal life. Or what passes for normal for us anyways. It never felt like home the way the Carrier did.

[ he doesn't say anything to the first part; the fact that the authority goes on to do stupid, shitty stuff and the fact that they don't really learn from the experience isn't anything he wants to burden apollo with right now. ]

Jenny's in her element. She's pretty much twice the pain in the ass. [ you can hear the undercurrent of affection in his voice. ]

Speaking of living arrangements.. there's a room somewhere in the castle with your name on the door.

If I didn't know any better I'd say she was starting to take a page from your book. She's growing to be quite a stubborn and resourceful little thing. [She's a handful at eight, he wouldn't be able to imagine what she'll grow up to be like.]

I'm going to take a stab in the dark and assume it's the room I woke up in. Though I didn't really pay the door much attention.

I'm not sure how much you want to know right now. [ slightly sardonic: ] Don't want to ruin the surprise, and all. But resourceful is right.

I'm in 1411. [ he'll leave it at that; he wouldn't exactly blame apollo if he didn't want to stay with him right now. ]

I think I'm good for now. As far as I know everything is fine and I'm content with that. Don't want to jinx it.

[He smirks teasingly.] Was that an invitation?

[He's not angry anymore, at least not at Midnighter. But that doesn't mean he won't try to make him squirm a bit.]

[ ... he scowls a little. what a grump. ]

It was whatever you want it to be.

[He raises his eyebrows and tries-and fails-to keep the look of amusement off his face.]

I'm more interested in what you want it to be.

[ irritably: ]

Oh, shut up.

[ he closes the space between them, finally, to hug him. he takes vacations away from the authority and his family often enough, but those are self-imposed absences. even though he doesn't relish the fact that paradisa can now fuck with apollo, now that it's kidnapped him, it doesn't diminish that fact that he's glad to see his husband. ]

[He returns the hug and lowers his chin onto Midnighter's shoulder. It was nice being like this again. Despite busying himself with raising Jenny, Midnighter had left an empty space behind. It felt nice being together without arguing. Holding him again.]

Did I mention it was nice to see you?

No. But you can go ahead and mention it if you want.

[ he curls his hands at the nape of apollo's neck, still for a moment. ]

001

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sorry bb, i suck

no worries!