Day Twenty-One/Alt 5: Left Behind (C3)

“Should we still be getting a room just for us?” Fearne asked. They'd all retired for bed for the evening, but since Dorian had left both Fearne and Orym had been having trouble falling asleep.

“What do you mean?” he asked, trying to twist so he could face her, with no luck. She'd scooped him up so they could huddle together in the middle of the bed, and there was no getting away from her. The first few nights they'd tried leaving the empty space between them, but it hadn't felt right. Some habits were just too hard to break.

“Well, we could divide the rooms up between boys and girls,” Fearne reasoned. “Then we'd only need two rooms.”

Orym craned his neck back to try to see her face, but the angle was too awkward. “We could try it, if you want to. I don't think anyone minds the extra cost at an inn.”

Fearne sniffled, and Orym patted the top of her hand. “I guess I just miss him. I didn't think it would be so hard.”

Day Nineteen/ALT One: Buried Alive (C3/EXU)

Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic.

If he stayed absolutely still and kept his eyes closed, he couldn't see how tight the space around him was. The darkness. The faintest glow from his moon-touched scimitar just enough to see the rough wood of the crate barely an inch from his nose.

Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic.

As long as he stayed awake, he didn't need to breathe. It meant he couldn't talk to himself to relieve the unending silence, but it was better that suffocating to death.

Just imagine...

Fy'ra meets them when the airship lands because she just knew, Opal and Dariax in tow. She wraps up Dorian in a big sister hug and he finally feels a little of his burden eased, in a way he hasn't felt since leaving Jrusar. He isn't alone in this anymore. Then Dariax hugs him from behind and nestles into the small of his back talking about how good it is to have their leader back, while Opal starts interrogating Cyrus on where they came from and what's happening and it takes her about twelve seconds to adopt him as her new We Need A Fabulous Distraction buddy. It's not the same as being back with the Bell's Hells, on the path he chose for himself, but if Dorian closes his eyes it feels a little bit like home.

Opal takes them both shopping and refuses to let them get matching outfits, which makes Dorian secretly relieved and Cyrus visibly disappointed. Dariax already has eight ideas on what they could do that would be exciting/deadly/fun, while Fy'ra has two leads for missions that would help people (and it turns out one overlaps with Dariax's ideas, oddly enough).

Dorian refuses to kiss the sending stone to pass on the others' love to Orym and Fearne (Cyrus does it for him and says he usually kissed Rocky Jr before he put him to bed anyway). On the other side of Exandria, the Bell's Hells sleep a little more soundly knowing Dorian's in good hands.

(Chetney insists on being the middle spoon now. Considering he was sleeping under their bed before, it isn't too much to adjust to.)

At the end of episode 13...

Fear for Dorian's life: 3/10

Fear for Ashton's life: 9/10

Fear for Cyrus's life: 15/10

Please! Not our favorite himbo!

Dorian really gave up his fancy pageant costume to go to the ball draped entirely in death flags.

I have a bad feeling about this.