Realistic or Modern A Hero Lost in Time

[Menagerie]

A heavy sigh fell from her as she looked at him, “only to turn around and become a Marshal?” she asked curiously as she shook her head. “Always out to try to protect that which is rightfully another’s,” She smiled at the thought, “kinda reminds me of what we are going through now together,” she chuckled gently. She kissed his nose gently with a smile, “while I wish we still had a shaman or six, I do suppose I have the next best thing in you,” She whispered softly. “And who better to teach me than someone who knows my quirks and issues,” she smiled at the thought. “Though that tracking spell could come in handy in order to find some food,” she giggled, her stomach growling at her before she shook her head.

A gasp slipped from her as she pushed slightly on his chest. The reality was he was right. It was her fault. She had always enjoyed having him in her bath or showers, to have the feeling of his hands against her wet body. A shiver rolled through her. “So now I’m a minx?” she asked teasingly. She bit hard on her lower lip, shaking her head. This wasn’t the time for them to be romantic, but even so….it had been so long since she’d felt his touch, the idea of it caused her heart to race. “Keep it up and there will be no bath,” she huffed slightly, needing to keep herself focused no matter how nice the other side of things sounded. “We definitely don’t have any music out here, and something tells me I won’t be finding much of a warm bath.” Her eyes closed heavily for a moment. “But a little cuddle time in a bit of water does sound nice,” she smiled, looking up at him for a moment before pressing her lips to his once more, just briefly before focusing on what he told her to do for the spell.

“Oye, you think you could have found an easier spell for my first time?” she asked as she looked at him with worry. “I’m not a magic user, you know that,” she whispered with a shake of her head. “I got lucky when it came to summoning you back to this time.” She took a deep breath, gently setting her hands on either side of the wound, worry in her eyes. Slowly her eyes closed, focusing her thoughts and energy on the task at hand, focusing herself into the frame of mind of healing him using her own strength and energy to do so. No matter how exhausted she was there was only one thing she wanted and that was for him to be healthy and healed She’d have gladly taken his wounds on for him if it meant he’d walk away unscathed. She flinched slightly as she felt the push back, only causing herself to focus harder on his wound healing, leaving him unscathed, and healthy, her hands pressing a little firmer on either side of the wound as she kept her eyes closed focusing on the wound closing and leaving behind no trace of the wound.

 

[Gr1mmReaper2020]

Jason watched the paste almost seem to get goopier from resisting Elisabeth's attempt at first. He knew she was not a natural magic user, he hadn't been either before being tossed through the time portal, but weirder things had happened. "I can feel it in you Lizzie, I can struggling to break free. Focus on me. Focus on healing the wound. Focus on regrowing and stitching the wound closed so there is no evidence of having been harmed" he encouraged her with a loving tone. Whether it was his words of encouragement or her own stubbornness, of which this was a bloody good thing to be all things considered, he didn't know but suddenly the paste was bone dry in a moment. The crack echoed on the walls before falling away in chunks revealing unmarred flesh. His eyes were filled with loving pride as his lips had the biggest smile pulled onto them. He pulled her into his arms and held her tight saying how proud he was. "I didn't do half as good until the Marshal tried that for like the tenth time. The shaman elder was ready to beat him over the head with his ceremony cudgel." He let Elisabeth down and made her repeat the process on the smaller wounds so she could practice. "When they made me a magic user my sixth sense got a major boost. The shaman elder told me, after I learned their language to fully understand them, the sixth sense we all have is a left over survival instinct. When it comes to magic users, well that's a bit different. The basic function acts as a sort of gauge for how much magic you can safely use before it gets dangerous for your health. Remember how the Marshal had to take cover after the continuous use of the tracking spell and the spell used to turn the Summoner to a bloody mist? The second spell was a war spell meant to break up groups of people, converting it to a single point of impact with no area of effect took a lot of energy."

Satisfied with her work he helped Elisabeth sit on a relatively flat rock. He didn't need to apply the paste to the wounds given the Marshal's expertise with the spell. Placing a finger on the center of her forehead his eyes closed and focused on his beloved. His focus was strictly on her, healing her free of any all injuries. A soft glow filled the cave as all the gashes closed at once regrowing and knitting flesh together as scars he never saw before faded from existence, the ones they won together fighting he left alone since they meant something to them both and their triumphs together. "If you don't mind me showing off love, I think I can rustle up a tub and a half decent bath" he said drawing his finger back noting the blood and grime now gone from her skin. "Now where was I about the sixth sense and magic users... Ah right, the more important function is that it lets you know when another one is near and mine is going haywire. No offense but Artemis doesn't count since she is a magical creature and that's a whole different breed of debate so that leaves only one assumption love" he said digging his heel into the dirt drawing a symbol. A bed of stone high as his waist and three tikes as wide as he was rose from the ground slowly, the inside perfectly smooth. Two sort of hand symbols later water began to fill the stone tub til he stopped when it was half full. "One last thing..." He muttered something under his breath before the water began to steam. "Test it out. It's not a proper bath but it'll have to do for now. Soon enough you'll be able to do that and a whole lot more."

 

[Menagerie]

She kept her mind focused on the task at hand, letting his words of encouragement seep through her. Her eyes kept closed as she continued to imagine the skin healing itself, pulling itself back together and leaving no wound to ever be discerned. She hadn’t even opened her eyes when he swept her up in a hug, her body trembling as she held onto him for a moment. A weak smile crossed her lips, “it’s easy when you have a phenomenal teacher,” she whispered softly to him. She continued on the different wounds he provided while talking about the sixth sense. Biting on her lower lip she tried to figure out what it was he was talking about it.

“War spell?” she asked softly before finally looking up at him. A soft sigh fell from her, “I wish we had more time for me to study this properly,” she whispered softly to him, shaking her head. “I hate rushing into things without having even the most basic understanding.” She was exhausted, while it may not have been a lot of magic it still drained her already weak body. She was starving and tired. Neither food nor sleep had come easily to her over the past several years, and even more so when Markus seemed to have gone off the deep end. Losing so many of the originals left her at a severe disadvantage, especially with them trying to make it seem like she was the reckless one who didn’t care about how things turned out due to her own past.

She relaxed a bit as he held her sit down. Her eyes closing heavily as she leaned against the wall. Her eyes closed as he pushed his finger to her forehead, a shiver rolling through her for a moment before she looked around at the glow, a smile on her face. It was beautiful, something she never thought she’d think of when it came to magic, but the glow was beautiful and relaxing. She looked down at her own skin as some of the scars started to disappear, a weak smile crossing her lips. “Oh Jay,” she whispered, a smile upon her lips.

“A bath sounds wonderful right now.” She watched and listened shaking her head as she laughed. “Are you telling me I’m a witch?” she asked with a chuckle, shaking her head. “Or whatever they prefer to be called?” she asked as she went to stand up, only to find her own body refusing to for a moment before she finally pushed through the soreness. “Proper or not, it looks wonderful,” she smiled as her fingers ran through the water for a moment before splashing him slightly. It was with little hesitation that she removed her clothes, letting them fall to the floor fairly unceremoniously. They needed to be washed but that would have to wait until after she was able to finally relax in a hot bath for the first time in a long time. Cautiously she stepped up into the tub before allowing herself to sink into the water with a gasp. “Proper or not it’s wonderful Jay,” she whispered, her head resting against the rocks. “I could just stay here for the next year and be content,” she chuckled softly, feeling the hot water work on her tired muscles and mind.

 

[Gr1mmReaper2020]

"I think you mean you wish that you had more time to study. I, the Marshal or however you want to think about it, had ten years of practice and master everything" Jason said. "War Spells, healing magics, utility spells and the like. Soon as we get back to the main meet up spot I'll see if there's anyone else and we can try to get to put together our own sort of magic unit." The appreciation for how much he healed Elisabeth was not lost on him as he started to shrug off his clothes. "I don't know if you're a witch or what but weirder things have happened. The Marshal saw completely mundanes able to use the basest of magic to save their lives in the direst of moments. Remember in my senior year before this hell erupted that there was a story running about a mother that managed to almost tear a car door off the hinges to get at her child after the car crashed and the engine caught fire? That was not just adrenaline and mothers fury at the situation to save her child. That was a feat of magic that, as far as I have seen, that is highly situational and never accessible otherwise" he said climbing into the stone bath in front of Elisabeth once all his clothes were in a pile.

By the spire Artemis snorted stomping her hoof. Her bonded rider and the female human were dancing around their mating dance terribly.

"Oh hush you." Jason shot Artemis a faux dirty look. "We aren't dancing around anything. It's catch up, now is hardly the time for that kind of intimacy. Maybe once we kill them all and take back our home it'll be the time but certainly not now so stuff it where the hay don't belong" he said with a huff.

Artemis snorted stamping her foot again and whinnied.

"We'll see how well you do when you find a stud and you go all doe eyed like a colt" Jason shot back with a glare. "Being back sassed by my partner. If it was anyone but you and times were different I'd probably be institutionalized." He reached over pulled and Elisabeth her onto his lap. The feel of her skin on his own was something he loved more than anything in the world. It wasn't necessarily anything sexual, even though there was an undeniable sexual element, but that he knew every inch of her- where each scar they earned together was from, what spots being touched a certain way made her do etc. His lips peppered kisses on the skin of her throat happy to indulge in what had been his favorite thing to do when they first started dating.

 

[Menagerie]

“Isn’t that what I said?” she asked with a shake of her head. “We would need the time for me to study,” She stuck her tongue out at him, a sigh fell from her as she slowly worked on washing the water over her tired body. “Mmm this does feel nice though. I can see a spell like this coming in handy time and time again,” she chuckled softly as she looked up at him, listening to what he had to say about magic. A sigh fell from her as she sat there for a moment, chewing on her lower lip.

“Will what you had me do for you work on me if I were to try to do it to myself?” she asked curiously as she looked at him before looking at Artemis, a laugh fell from her. “Kill them all? You think you can be that patient?” she asked curiously as she looked at him with a tilt of her head before looking over at Artemis. “You two are ridiculous, you realize that, don’t you? We’ve only realized we’ve been back together for what? Less than twelve hours? While I have missed that…” she paused with a blush, shaking her head, “right now I’m just happy to have you home,” she smiled, laughing as he pulled her on his lap. Her slender frame snuggled happily into his arms, sighing with content as her eyes closed. “But I’ve also missed this,” she tilted her head for him, giving him access to her neck. Biting on her lip she sighed with content, slowly forcing herself to relax as she just held onto him. “Do you think we have time for some sleep?” she asked softly, struggling to keep her eyes open at this point.

 

[Gr1mmReaper2020]

"Let me tell you a secret" Jason began as he stopped momentarily kissing at Elisabeth's "this whole bath is really simple element manipulation. Earth" he tapped the stone "water and fire. Harnessing the elements is a basic that all magic users need to have grasp of to make half the spells I will be teaching you to work. As for your question, yes it will work on you too. It'll work on anyone so long as you remember that you have to really want it to work and the wounds to heal."

Artemis gave a snort and bobbed her head,

"Also yes, it might be a strain but I think I can hold myself from having my wicked way with you. If we're to have the happily ever after after we need to rid our lives of the monstrous elements. While I think we'd be better off from the main attraction as it were, whose not to say that we do other things to each other like we used to? I'd rather we not have a repeat of first time around. Our eventual children, call me crazy but I know we'll have a big family, will be safe and they won't have to be fearful of the world around them. At least, that's if you ask me. I seem to recall you were just as much in love with my fingers and my mouth as much as us going to bed" Jason said poking gently at Elisabeths side, his fingers absently caressing the side of her breast. His eyes showed love and amusement at how quickly she was falling asleep despite her trying not to. "If you want to sleep then go ahead. Sleep in the arms of a person you love is good for the body and the soul" he said softly between kisses trailed up her throat. "I'll take care of us though I think that we should eat first. No offense love but you need to have some weight on you babe. The Marshal saw more filled out coyotes in the middle of a drought."

Artemis whinnied from the spire.

"Stop that! I am not insulting the woman I love, I'm being honest. Whinny and snort at someone else" Jason said rolling his eyes. "I swear she's like a child sometimes. We should get out and eat some of the rations in my saddlebag."

 

[Menagerie]

“Element manipulation,” she repeated with a nod and a smile. Taking a deep breath her fingers ran gently over the stone once more, a smile upon her lips. “Well whatever it is, it’s nice,” she whispered snuggling down into him, her arms wrapping about his waist as she sighed with content. Having him back meant the world to her and she wasn’t going to lose the opportunity to enjoy feeling him against her again.

“I’d rather not a repeat either,” she sighed at the thought before looking up at him. “Oh you think I’m going to give you a large family do you?” she teased softly, her fingers touching his cheek as she watched him. “But I’d rather not have our children terrified of their world either.”

She blushed deeply as she looked up at him as he spoke of his fingers and mouth. “Jay!” she gasped shaking her head, pressing her finger over his mouth. “That’s quite enough from you,” she shook her ad before sitting up and pressing her lips gently to his ear. “Though I remember something quite similar from you,” she teased before snuggling back down against him, enjoying the heat of the water and his touch.

“Mmmm I just five more minutes before we get out?” she asked softly, knowing well she needed to eat but she didn’t want to lose the first bit of bliss she’d had in over ten years She chuckled softly as he went to fighting with Artemis again, looking over at the Nightmare for a moment. “He isn’t wrong. Ten years and dozens of battles again I used to weigh about twenty-five pounds more, since his departure I lost quite a bit. Even a woman with a smaller bone structure than I have shouldn’t weigh as little as I do,” she sighed at the thought, nuzzling her had down into his shoulder, still not wanting to leave the water or his arms.

 

[Gr1mmReaper2020]

"No, not give me but give us a large family. Between our mutual desire for a family I think our future family is going to at the very minimum four, five when we reunite with our son that was lost and we're all together when the time comes" Jason said with a slight incline of his head. "But not until after this whole fiasco is dealt with. The idea of them growing up in a danger filled world is repulsive to me." His eyes showed amusement at Elisabeth's embarrassment and made no move to fight her on her returned tease. "Guilty as charged. Considering how eager both of were to practice I would be a liar to say I didn't enjoy your ministrations."

Artemis flipped her tail up with a look and bit into a rock spire next to the one her reins were tied to.

"I probably should have mentioned she eats just about anything. Magic horse and all" Jason said before Elisabeth could pop out a question. Her question about wanting five more minutes was not answered verbally but instead by his gentle pressing of her head to rest on his shoulder. "Five minutes and I'll conjure you some new clothes after we dry off. Then we eat and you sleep. A stiff wind could knock you over and I can't have that. My partner in crime is a badass, not a stick that falls over in the breeze."

Artemis' eyes rolled as she swallowed the chewed up rock before closing her eyes to rest.

"Come on love, it's time for food and you to have new clothes" Jason said gently shaking Elisabeth to make sure she wasn't asleep.

 

[Menagerie]

She smiled with a nod. "I can handle four or five," she chuckled gently as she looked up at him, relaxing slightly. "That actually sounds nice," she whispered, snuggling happily into his arms. "They won't have to grow up in such a world, we'll make sure of that," she whispered, blushing still as he confirmed her accusations.

Surprise entered her eyes as she heard the crunch, looking up before realizing what the sound was. A laugh fell from her as she shook her head, "mm to be able to eat whatever I want without a worry about my figure," she chuckled before resting against his chest as he laid her head down. Listening to his heartbeat cause a single tear to roll down her face, listening happily. Oh it was a beautiful sound and ever so distinctly his. "A stiff wind?" she asked with a laugh, nodding her head. "You are probably right, it's been a rough few years and neither sleep nor food have been readily available my love. With a bit of both I'll be back to that badass you know and love."

She was half asleep when he shook her, looking up at him. "If we must," she sighed softly. "Though the idea of new clothes sounds nice," she chuckled. "I don't even remember the last time I had new clothes," she shook her head ever so slightly, biting on her lower lip. A heavy sigh fell from her as she went to slowly went to stand up. "I do love a good, hot bath though," she smiled. "Promise this won't be our last?"

 

[Gr1mmReaper2020]

"Don't be too jealous about her being able to eat whatever she wants, it still stinks to holy hell when it comes out the other end" Jason said with a head shake. While Elisabeth got aware enough he snapped his fingers changing her old clothes into two towels and floated them onto the lip of the improvised bath tub. "Do I look like a masochist? Wait, on second thought don't answer that question." There were more than a few moments that could potentially see him painted as masochistic, the one that stood out the most was a nearly five hour shopping trip where Elisabeth bought essentially a whole spring wardrobe for her sweet sixteen; the only upside to that was for all his patience, not mention carrying ALL THE BAGS, was the last hour was a tease of lingerie. The girls in the shop looked on with disdain thinking it was improper considering the apparent age gap just on looks alone but considering the amount of money being spent their manager had LOUDLY told them to be left alone.

Jason stood a bit quicker than Elisabeth but that was so he could steady her if need be. Climbing out of the bath first he grasped her hands guiding her out without injuring herself in any way. Then he let her hands go to grasp one of the towels. With the same methodical way and gentleness as their last bath together he toweled Elisabeth off completely, humming a soft cowboy tune the Marshal had often taken to whistling while on a long ride to track a fugitive. He couldn't help noticing that in the time between now and his exile to the past Elisabeth had filled out in her figure. Most of it could be pointed to her pregnancy with their departed son, primarily an increase to her breasts and a slight widening of her hips, but it added a bit of something to her that hadn't been there before. He'd seen her as a woman before but now? Now, now she just physically looked more of the part minus being so skinny. Instead of snapping his fingers to conjure the clothes he dropped the towel before trailing his hands down her body starting at her shoulders. By the time the outfit was finished it was practical for the environment they were currently in but comfy and durable. "So I got rabbit jerky or stasis preserved beef stew. What is the ladies poison?" he asked reaching for the other towel to dry off.

 

[Menagerie]

She chuckled gently with a shake of her head. “Even so, if I were to eat whatever I wanted…” she paused, “Well I guess I’d put on a bit of the weight I need to,” she laughed at the thought, rubbing the back of her had for a moment. She laughed even harder when he asked if he looked like a masochist. Kissing his nose softly she shook her head. “Not in the traditional form, but you are willing to put yourself through quite a bit if the prize at the end of it seems to be worth it to you,” she replied softly, touching his cheek. Taking hold of his hands she cautiously stepped out of the bath, a yawn falling from her as she shook her head, stretching slowly.

Oh that touch! She had missed it. She had missed having someone dote over her, take care of her, be with her. A soft blush filled her cheeks as he worked on drying her from head to toe. Even after so many years it was as if they hadn’t skipped a beat. She took slow, deep breaths to keep herself in check, enjoying the soft touches. As his hands began to run over her slender frame, she turned in small circles from him. He had never been good at hiding what was on his mind and it was evident he was enjoying seeing her as she was. A soft purr fell from her as she looked down at the pant and blouse ensemble he had placed her in.

Without missing a beat she took the towel from his hands to repay the favor. A smile played upon her lips. He was exactly as she remembered, though perhaps a bit more buff than he had been ten years ago. Her fingers drew softly over the curves and lines of his muscles as she worked on gently drying him, a smile playing upon her lips as she let herself remember all the times before while slowly starting to build the memory of his very being within her mind once more. She worked slowly and deliberately, taking time to memorize it all as her lips softly pressed against recently dried portions of his skin. Once she finally reached his feet she looked up at him, knelt at his feet. “Food in general sounds amazing, I don’t really l have much of a preference one way or the other,” she smiled, not yet moving to stand up, her bright blue eyes focusing on his, the towel rested over her thighs.

 

[Gr1mmReaper2020]

Jason had been more than prepared to dry himself but Elisabeth beat him to it. Just as she did for him he turned as needed though a shiver raced down his spine as she kissed every inch kf flesh after she was satisfied it was dry enough. God, it was like she wanted to drive him crazy with her touch. He couldn't blame her though, ten years apart will make reconciling what you knew previously against the current in front of you. He also concede mentally she was probably as guilty as he was for taking to semi-'worship' and brand the new memory of his form into her mind. Crouching down so they were level he kissed her softly not even bothered that his body was having the beginning of a reaction to her. "Give me a minute to dress and I'll grab it" he said drawing back from the kiss.

He took more than a minute to dress again but it was a deliberate effort. Every contour of muscle was stretched or flexed to show as he looked back over his shoulder only once to adjust his duster jacket. Oh teasing her would probably get a return tease in kind but that was one of the fun things about their relationship. As much as sex or sexual acts had once been a part of their routine affecitonate acts towards each other, playful teasing was the whole basis of their relationship period. The brief retrieval of food saw a shrunken container enlarged to be like a small witches cauldron. "Beef stew with assorted veggies, quartered potato wedges, celery and rabbit crap." By rabbit crap he meant peas, something no one could ever break him of saying at all and he could recall Elisabeth trying on many, many occasions.

 

[Menagerie]

She looked up at him as he knelt with her. Looking up at him she smiled, her fingers running slowly through his hair before she kissed back softly, lovingly, pressing her slender frame against his as she purred ever so softly. "Jay," she whispered softly to him, biting on her lower lip, her heart racing. "I've missed you my darling, so very much did I miss you." A shiver rolled through her, taking in a deep breath as her eyes closed heavily before looking up at him.

Damn that man, she knew exactly what it was he was doing. He had always enjoyed teasing her, not that she couldn't say she didn't enjoy doing the same thing. After all, she never could stop herself from teasing him in turn. She'd just have to wait for the perfect time to tease him in turn, but she was enjoying the show. God he really was a gorgeous specimen of a man. Taking in a deep breath she shook her head.

"Still a five year old with regards to that, eh?" she asked as she slowly stood up, moving to sit next to him. "It's amazing what magic can do for you," she smiled, her stomach growling at her. "You do realize I could probably eat that entire cauldron by myself, don't you?" she asked with a laugh.

 

[Gr1mmReaper2020]

"Better a five year old opinion than five inches or we would've had quite the difficult time having as much fun as we did" Jason said laughing. When Elisabeth joined him and made the comment about being about to eat the whole thing on her own he didn't even raise an eyebrow. "Oh I figured. Hence why" he plopped it down in front of her and offered up an iron spoon "it's all yours. I like my girl with a bit of meat on her bones and I've been eating the last three days unlike someone who hasn't been." It was gentle ribbing but he was sure Elisabeth knew that. "The Marshal made that while on the trail four days ago. Maybe this merge that's going on will actually give me some kitchen skills instead of being only able to burn water" he said laughing a little at his own inability to cook.

He was silent for a moment after the laughing stopped. "I'm sorry about everything Lizzie. I should've taken more precautions than I did when I went on that mission. If I did this wouldn't have happened, our son... I hope you can forgive me my dragonfly" he said in a quiet tone. All her suffering for the last ten years started with him. It had cost them both their son. Guilt was not something he was a particular fan of but the feeling was wailing him over the head with a mallet right then and there. That Elisabeth still loved him and never gave up on him alleviated some of the gnawing emotion but most of it stuck like a rotting group of cancerous cells.

 

[Menagerie]

"Well that's true," she replied with a shake of her had and a laugh. "We wouldn't have had nearly the fun we did," she wrinkled her nose as she relaxed against the wall. As he offered her the spoon she looked up at him. "You need to eat too, regardless of whether you've been eating these past couple days. You've been using a lot of magic yourself," she whispered, spooning up some of the stew and holding it out to him to eat. "I've been a little preoccupied to eat lately, not to mention emotional and stressed," she sighed at the thought, shaking her head. "And i know a certain Marshal that didn't help with that, he was quite blunt," she sighed at the thought, her eyes closing heavily for a moment.

"You never were good at cooking," she laughed as she looked at him, smiling before taking a bite of the stew herself. "Mmm but I hope that you do keep this portion of him," she giggled softly. "It tastes amazing. Thank you."

As he started to apologize she looked up at him, shaking her head. "And if i hadn't been pregnant I would have been there with you," she replied softly. "If Markus hadn't have been an idiot maybe we could have gotten to you. There are a lot of could haves, a lot of should haves, a lot of would haves Jason," she sighed with a shake of her head. "We are both alive, mostly healthy, and most importantly, together again. We've been given a second chance," she smiled as she set the spoon down and touched his cheek. "You aren't alone in the blame so don't let yourself think that. It's going to be alright. We are going to be alright. We will work through this one way or another, just this time you aren't allowed to keep me on the sidelines, deal?" she asked softly, kissing his nose.

 

[Gr1mmReaper2020]

Jason looked ready to protest and say the Marshal ate like a coyote, on the trail meaning a lot all once, and could live on the intake of that one big meal for a few days before needing to eat carefully when he reached a town after catching his fugitive. To avoid The Look he knew would come if he didn't take it, he took the spoonful of stew and have it a meaningful chew, though he spit the peas without any hint of shame, before swallowing. "I got stamina remember? Ten years of hard cowboy life only increased it to astounding levels." Elisabeth's comment about the Marshal stung a little. "It was a different time. Your Word of Honor was good as bond and if you didn't say what you meant straight, you were liable to not be trusted back then. He was a perfect representation of the era, you can't really hold it against him. Or should I say me?" he asked sounding confused as he looked.

As Elisabeth broke his apologies with her own Jason shook his head. "They're not going to believe its me" he said. "Between Marshal trigger finger killing that guy they're already not liking me." His eyebrows furrowed in thought while scowling and biting his lip thoughtfully. "I have a radical idea but I'm not quite sure you're going to like it. You remember Operation Wendigo a year after we go the first cohesive infantry unit set up?" he asked. Operation Wendigo had turned out to be a partially failed mission but it was not designed to be successful on purpose. What had been retrieved and hidden in a place only original leadership knew of might just give them the hand they need ro turn the war on its head given the nearly depleted ranks of human resistance. If they could retrieve it and activate it there would be little choice for all of the enemy magic forces to try to retrieve the magical item that essentially worked like a sirens call. It would attract them to its signature and they could have the armed numbers among them strategically placed position to turn the enemies failed retrieval attempt into a fish barrel shoot.

That of course rested on the original place still being standing and if that place was still standing then it relied on the item not having been raided by the enemy. There were so many things that could go wrong but without seeing who still remained to make an informed plan it was rhe best plan he could come up with at the moment.

 

[Menagerie]

She sighed with a nod. "I understand that, I do. But..." she paused with a shake of her head. "Let's just say him trying to get me to talk about something I hadn't spoken to anyone about in over nine and a half years," she shook her head, "and his way of approaching it, it just didn't work," she sighed heavily as she looked up at him for a moment, biting on her lower lip before moving to take a bite of the stew, trying to relax. "And I didn't say I held it against him, though I suppose in a way I did," she sighed before looking up at him, "you do realize just how confusing all of this is, don't you?" she asked with a soft laugh, kissing his cheek before moving to take another bite of the stew.

"No, they won't," she replied softly. "They all think you are dead, we all did. After all, it's been ten years. You don't necessarily look like you did back then, then again, who does?" she asked softly as her eyes closed for a moment, running her fingers through her hair.

"You have to be kidding me? We hid that thing away for a reason. If this fails...if they actually get their hands on it," her hands began to shake as she sat there, the idea wasn't sitting well with her. It seemed reckless as best, insane at worse. She rubbed the bridge of her nose as she sat there. She knew what he was thinking, if it worked, it would be a quick way to even the numbers, but if it failed...if it failed they were done for. There would be no more numbers to be able to stand against those bastards. Hell, as it was their numbers were so low that they'd have a hard time standing against them. But if they could move the damn thing one more time, set it up to where they could easily have it guarded from all sides allowing them to snipe the bastards off one at a time...Her mind was racing as she sat there, unable to convince herself to eat any more even though she'd only had four or five bites at this point. She stared blankly at the cauldron, biting on her lower lip.

"I know where it is, the building is mostly there, but it's in bad enough shape we'd have to move it before we tried to activate it," she whispered softly to him, swallowing hard as her eyes closed, her head beginning to throb. Ugh, she hurt and that was putting it mildly. "I don't know about this Jay," she whispered as she began to toy with the pendant about her neck once more. "If we fail..." her voice trailed off. If they failed, they were dead.

 

[Gr1mmReaper2020]

"Yes I know how confusing it is. Try being me and having to reconcile two sets of memories while assimilating new abilities you never had from yourself" Jason said rolling his eyes a little though it was not with an ounce of sarcasm involved. "For all intents and purposes I was dead in this time period. No body to say I was still living so the only conclusion to draw was I bit the bullet as it were. Not that I enjoy the thought and you certainly couldn't have."

"I know it's insane and reckless and borderline suicidal but do you have a better idea? That thing is a damn fly trap. They get lured to its power and they trance out until we open fire and they have to try to scramble for cover to prepare their casting. If we can get them in the caves I can line the more unstable sections with the dynamite and we can collapse it on top of them." Jason didn't like the look of stress on Elisabeth's face, it wasn't a good look for his beloved. "Besides, I have a plan that makes the most dangerous part of this whole idea moot. Grab me a chunk of broken rock and I'll show you. I'm not going to needlessly put you, me or anyone else at harms risk unlike someone we could both name. I have more strategic sense than that remember" he said with a slightly scandalized look. "It's not like I nearly took a lightning bolt to the face for it or anything the first time around." They as a team nearly did but his point stood.

His hands clasped her own gently before squeezing gently. "We won't fail. The team is back together and we never fail. Not now, not ever so don't give me this if we fail crap Lizzie. I know how dangerous you can be and you know how dangerous I can be. It's time we remind these assholes how dangerous WE are together as a united team. Believe in me as I believe in you my love."

 

[Menagerie]

She sighed as she sat there, her eyes closing. "We also didn't have you as a magic user back then either," she whispered with a shake of her head. "How do we know it won't zone you out as well?" she asked as she looked up at him with worry in her eyes. She hated the idea. She hated that he was right. Biting on her lower lip she went to stand and grab a piece of rock for him, walking back to him before collapsing on the ground. "I just don't know about this," she whispered softly, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Her attention turned back to him as he grasped her hands, a weak smile on her lips. Never fail was a stretch, after all she'd lost him once. Swallowing hard she gave a weak nod. "You know I believe in you, but it doesn't mean I don't worry," she whispered softly as she moved to lay against him. "I just got you back, the idea of losing you again," she sighed softly, biting on her lower lip. "I don't want to think about that just yet. I want us to be healthy and happy, and be able to spend a bit of time together." Her eyes closed as she sighed. "I know...I know...I'm being selfish but," she curled up around him a little more. "We just have to be careful Jay."

 

[Gr1mmReaper2020]

**Apologies for length, on mobile at the moment picking up takeout for dinner**
"First hand experience is how we know. Marshal trigger happy ran across more than a few insanely powerful magical artifacts that drove magic users into a zoned out state and all it did to him was repulse him. Last artifact rejected him from picking it up. Quite painfully might I add. Left a burn that lasted nearly a month before he got annoyed enough to have a Cheyenne healer lop off the hand and grow it back." Jason visibly shuddered looking at his left hand. "Anyway, watch this" he said before muttering an incantation that turned the piece of stone into, of all things just so he lighten the mood, a sex toy. Elisabeth would probably smack him while blushing but it was about introducing levity to not have her so glum and serious about their current situation. "Looks and feels like the same thing but we both feel the magic coming off it right?" he asked handing her the transfigured bedroom toy.

His eyes softened a large degree as she made her point about worrying and that they were just back together. "We will be happy and together so long as there's a breath drawn into my body" he promised. "Careful ain't our forte but you know when it comes to you that I always weigh the danger of everything before us. I did then, I am now and I always will in the future going forward when we kill those asshole to secure our home so we can start on those two to three kids kids. Now do me a favor and chuck that thing as far across the cave as you can."

 

[Menagerie]

She sighed with a nod, "If you say you have first hand experience in not being drawn to them I'll believe you," she smiled as she watched him, a shiver rolling through her as she thought about lopping of a body part just to have it regrown. Shaking her head she watched as he worked his incantation she gasped before rolling her eyes. "How old are you?" she asked with a soft chuckle. As she took the toy she slapped him in the chest with it. "I swear there are days I fell in love with an eternal teenager," she chuckled, kissing his nose softly before looking at the toy. "Though it is interesting the things you can do with magic," she bit on her lower lip, swallowing hard as she quickly pushed away thoughts they just didn't have the time for.

"That's my fear, the loss of breath from either of our bodies," she sighed softly, biting on her lower lip before looking up at him. "I don't like the idea in the slightest," she sighed before curling up against him for a moment. She nodded to herself, "But if you swear to me it's all going to be alright I'll trust you and follow you to the depths of hell," she smiled before throwing the toy as far as she could, watching curiously, wondering why it was he wanted her to throw it.

 

[Gr1mmReaper2020]

"An eternal teenager I can be but I am your eternal teenager" Jason said laughing as Elisabeth smacked his chest with it. "There's unlimited uses for magic. Understand the basic concepts and a strong force of will allows for near anything to be possible. Except for raising the dead. That...is not something I recommend. Saw a TALON moron try to do that and the resurrected corps of his ally ate him alive. Literally. Just ate him alive and.." He shuddered dismissing the memory gained from the Marshal. "Let's just leave it the end result was not pretty or fun to deal with." Watching the toy be thrown he counted off a few seconds of air time before he held a hand up, palm facing the opposite wall, and charged it with a little magic. "Magical artifacts can only hold so much of a charge otherwise they run the risk of imploding like Chernobyl did. If you can add even just a touch more than its limit" a thin almost ghostly silver ball flew from his hand and hit the sex toy before it landed on the ground making it burn up instantly into nothing "the object or artifact has a critical containment meltdown."

Looking down at Elisabeth, Jason kissed the top of her head gently. "I'll not only swear it to you but I will prove it. Have you ever known me to lie to you?" he asked rhetorically since they both knew the answer was that he had never lied to her. "Now, try to eat a little more hun. You really do need the food and weight. You'll sleep better with food in your belly." She'd probably sleep like the dead with just him there.

Out in the wasteland a dark beast snarled as it scented the air. The enemies of it master were making themselves known and leaving a challenge on the corpses of its handlers. The time to make a choice was coming and it would be a choice that serious consequences if it made the wrong choice. For now all it could do was keep its vigil and patrol, the time would make itself known to the scaly beast

 

[Menagerie]

She chuckled as she looked up at him, a shiver rolling through her. "Oh I do love you," she whispered, shaking her head as she looked up at him. A shiver rolled through her as she thought about someone being eaten alive by that which they've brought back to life. "Ugh I'd rather not think about that dear," she whispered softly as she looked up at him, taking in a deep breath as her eyes closing before relaxing again.

She watched as the toy burned up into nothing. "Right, critical containment," she nodded biting on her lower lip for a moment, her hair about her face. "It's going to be alright, I know this, but," she shook her head, "I cannot help but worry," she sighed before looking at the food. "I know I should eat but," she sighed as she looked at the cauldron. "I wish I could just get rid of this concern," she shook her head. Taking in a deep breath she looked up at him, "I will follow you to hell and back dear, I promise," she whispered softly before slowly moving to get a bite of stew before holding the spoon up to him for him to eat a bite as well.

"We still have to get to the rendezvous point first though. If they won't follow that's fine, we'll take care of it ourselves, but we have to get to the rendezvous point first," she sighed at the thought. Biting on her lower lip she went to take another bite, her hair about her face. "And you still need to teach me what magic you can," she smiled weakly, "after all, I'll be damned if I'm not beneficial to this."

 

[Gr1mmReaper2020]

"You'd rather not think about it? I, he... Whatever, you know what I mean but I was the one who watched it. It was as horrifying as it was fascinating" Jason said. "Yep, critical containment failures always and I do mean always result in the destruction of the item. When we grab it I'll do a scan to see what it can safely contain and the moment we have all the rats in the their death box, boom. Critical containment failure and boom, the caves come down on their head." He couldn't help the tiniest note of pride at the plan, both for its simplicity but the fact that it gave them both the time to just be them again.

Elisabeth's voicing about her inability to not worry made him snort a little. "Love, the fact that you worry is part of the reason that I love you so. You worry too much and I worry too little sometimes. Put us together and you have a halfway level headed individual with twice the smarts" Jason said with a half smirk tugging at his lips. He took the offered bite of stew and gave it a chew before swallowing. "It's not going to come down to you following me into hell hun. If we fall in the endeavor together we'll stand together at the pearly gates hand in hand knowing that everything we did, we did in the name of good. We defended far more than we hurt, gave shelter and protection of a roof to the weak and this was is fought with just purpose. I'm confident that if asked to justify all the red in our ledger Saint Peter will grant us passage." He adjusted himself slightly to work out a developing kink.

"If they don't follow us and agree with the plan they're all fools. I took down a coven of witches that were intent on sacrificing a town to summon a demon the same way. Caused a minor earthquake in the process but... what's a little collateral damage when it involves uninhabited desert land and a giant gaping sinkhole?" Jason asked rhetorically. "I won't be able to teach you a lot on the way to the rendezvous given what types I know. A few simple spells but not enough to be effective in a big combat situation like what the plan. I'll be able to teach more on the way to retrieve the item and while we set the trap. Just one quick question- how do you feel about explosions again?"

 

[Menagerie]

She shook her had as she looked up at him, wrinkling her nose. "Well all I can say is that I am glad I was not there for that one," she smiled, kissing his cheek softly as she sighed. "It doesn't sound like it was a pleasant sight to behold." Her eyes closed as she tried to figure out how they were going to handle all of this, but if he was sure of it she'd just have to trust him and follow his lead. It wouldn't be the first time she blindly followed him and it was highly unlikely it would be the last time.

His explanation as to why they were perfect together just made her laugh and shake her had. "And yet if I could stop worrying so much we could just go headstrong into this plan and never look back," she smiled as she watched him, her fingers pushing her hair away from her face before she moved to take another spoon full of stew. She wanted to protest, the likelihood of her making it to heaven seemed so slight she struggled to believe such. After all, she'd given up on believing in a higher being for quite some time after she lost him and their child, after all, how could a loving God put her through all of that once along with the issue of having to deal with this war? She'd cussed his name, screamed at him, given up in believing that there was anything out there that was watching over her or hers. A sigh fell from her as she remained silent with regards to all of her own shortcomings in the faith department, after all, voicing them now wouldn't help matters.

"I know they'd be fools but Markus is among them," she sighed at the thought, staring blankly at the food before her. "He isn't the most intelligent and at this point they've followed him blindly," her eyes closed at the thought, not able to get herself to take another bite even though she really hadn't touched that much of it. She quietly went to lay down, resting her had upon his lap as her eyes closed. A smile crept across her face as he asked about explosions, a chuckle falling from her. "Oh I enjoy them every now and then," she teased, looking up at him sleepily. "We really should get some rest" she whispered, struggling to keep her eyes awake. "Magic or no magic we need our rest and we need to be clear headed to figure out this plan A to Z, even if I can't learn everything that would be beneficial for me to learn before we need it."