[ it's been a while since the sun sank below the horizon, with only the artificial glow of electric lights in the hallways to hold back the dark. With the third floor windows finally restored, and the last, last bits of muck (and snake bodies) from the flood cleaned out.... it's almost comfortable again in the living areas of HQ, or as comfortable as it once was.
[It's probably why the young man took the leisure to stop by the windows, as he often did, to watch sunrises and sunsets. It really never got old for him, even after all of these days.
Still, it doesn't explain why he's still there, long after the afterglow of dusk has settled into the first stars, leaning against the glass.]
[ ...shakes his head and turns to the side, where the great branch slopes downwards at a moderate grade, the bark rough enough to afford ample footing for most. Which he employs, descending with the ease of practice, metal fingers occasionally touching the stone wall running alongside.
About a few metres down, and a dozen ahead, he stops again, figure still visible in the dim diffraction from the third floor's lighting. ]
[It takes a moment... turning over thoughts about tone changes, but advancements, simple logic of the situation versus really NOT being fond of being outside this late, but... in the end, that's not THAT far, and certainly not entirely out of sight.]
You know, my ducky, we might need a talk about survival out here. In general, the 'out here,' bit of things.
[Still, he jumps down lightly, not commanded that severely by gravity... His senses spread out cautiously to the wind currents.]
[ the night seems quiet for the most part, the breeze from before still rustling through the leaves, the gaps in twigs and branches, swaying vines here and there... nothing animal in movement.
he reaches for the part of his belt behind him and casually tugs out a heavy handgun, incongruous in design compared to the metal hand holding it, and looks out at a certain spot in the darkness below... though from the slight cock of his head, now and again, he seems to be concentrating on the night's sounds. ]
[And something in Ptou's posture changes, not quite relaxing, but settling. He runs his fingers through his hair, a faint shake of his head.]
I couldn't answer, but we may put it up to stress and exhaustion. You seem to have both in high amounts.
[He nods as Chrysos approaches, stepping back to make way for the trunk.] Go first, it may be quite utterly unnecessary, but it is far easier to catch someone from this angle.
[ swaps the gun over to his good hand as he approaches, testing its weight and grip in that hand. His eyes glancing at Ptou as he steps back, then on the path up to the main doors, taking it at a steady walk. ]
[He had, actually, been preparing. Expecting the gun instead, he'd weighed the options, gravity or wind or just transforming to run.
Completely unprepared for real pain, the impact knocks the wind out of him, sending brilliant starbursts behind his eyes. The hands that reach up to circle the metal wrist have utterly nothing to do with conscious thought, all in reflex and instinct and some part of him scrambles to figure out what happened.]
[ there's a second impact of hard knee digging into Ptou's gut, the press of gunbarrel against his right temple as metal digits squeeze heedless of the flesh ones plucking at them, enough to throttle and bruise but not quite enough to crush, not yet.
Warm breath inches above his face, and murmured words, in the same deadly calm that once wrapped them in Games long past, ones where pale hands and body and golden hair left yet dyed in the red of others. ]
[It should have been a scream. There was some terrible, clear side of Ptou's consciousness that derided that pathetic sound that was ripped out of his lungs at the second impact.
The former god's face is blotchy with pain around the deathly pallor, and expression an unflattering portrait of agony. Eyes screwed shut, hands clenching convulsively on the metal arm, swallowing hard between desperate gasps of air.
It takes a while, seconds bleed into minutes before Chrysos' words seems to filter through the kaleidoscope of reds and blacks... Even then, it's just barely a nod.]
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