[MINGLE] One-Man Show

[sixthiteration]

WHERE: Inari Shrine and elsewhere
WHEN: 25 January 2019 through ?
OPEN TO: All opted in characters
WARNINGS: Please warn in the subject line of your comment as needed, and remember to move anything turning adult to a new post.
IMPORTANT NOTES: Final reminders and informational links are here. Please label all top-levels clearly so that there is no confusion who they are open to and what they are for, and DON'T FORGET TO ADD YOUR TAG!
Have fun and ask questions here!

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[killorder]

"And he will."

Jake whispers the words, but there's a fierceness to them, a desperate intensity for it to be true, needing to know that they will get their revenge and make this man pay back for what he's done to those children.

"One way or another, Carlos. He will."

And he has every belief. Even if they aren't there for it. Even if they stay stuck in this place, he knows that he will pay. He has to believe that.

"I know you blame yourself, but no one that say this will. I can promise you that." He blames himself too, but he doubts anyone else in the chamber will.

[thecatinahat]

It doesn't matter that no one else blames him for it. In his heart, down to his very soul, he knows that he has a fifth of the blame for letting those lives be forfeit instead of his own. He's not going to go and kill himself for it, but he will live with that burden of heavy guilt on his shoulders, no matter what anyone else says.

Killing Max would have been an excellent step towards helping, but even that couldn't be done. He thinks maybe killing Roque had nudged the scales, but only because the bastard had betrayed his family.

"No one blames you, either," he feels like he needs to say, because even though Jake is more put together and sane about this, he doesn't deserve to believe it's his fault.

[killorder]

Tenderly he kisses Cougar's temple, wanting to be able to promise him anything to make it okay. Hell, he wishes he could take on the nightmares that haunt him, just because Cougar doesn't deserve any of it. He can't do either, so all he does is hold him.

Though at that statement, he almost tenses though Jake with the truth. Sure he's holding himself together, for now, because he would do anything he could for Cougar. "The only person that blames me is the same person that blames you," he whispers, knowing it's the truth. They are the ones judging themselves for that failure, and the ones that won't let it go.

[thecatinahat]

Those people do it because of Max, which makes every muscle tense temporarily in Cougar's body before he relaxes. He turns and gives Jake a nod of his head. He's not going to stop having nightmares, he's not going to stop feeling guilty, but he's accepting that all of this isn't their fault.

"We need to evaluate," he says, firm and professional.

They can deal with the rest later, but as it stands, they've been kidnapped and they need to deal with that.

[killorder]

Jake nods, taking a deep breath and straightening slightly. Not entirely letting him go though he's right. "Take assessment of what we have, figure out what options we have, what we all need. Formulate a plan, ensure that the entire team makes it back," he says, nodding.

"Later we can deal with this. After they're safe."

[thecatinahat]

Cougar's color is going to help them. He already knows that he can scout ahead, that he should do it, but every part of him is wary about leaving Jake right now. It's just like Bolivia. He didn't want to leave the team, but he needs to go out there and do some work, otherwise they'll be walking into it blind.

He nods for the door, starting to tap into his power. "Stay," he insists. "I'll scout." He needs at least the first two miles to guarantee his power isn't going to lead him astray. They need to bring the whole team back, he can't afford to walk them into danger.

[killorder]

Despite the holes Jake has blasted into things, he's still uncertain about these powers but there's nothing that he doubts about Cougar's abilities. Ones that he had long before they came to this place. And it's because of that he nods at that.

"Okay. I'll stay here and keep an eye on them, make sure we're set when you find a clear path," he says, again not doubting in Cougar's abilities. "I'll see what supplies we might scrounge up."

[thecatinahat]

Cougar steadies himself on his feet, forcing himself to fixate on the problem and nothing else, because if he does that, he'll be able to scout out the area ahead without worrying. Right now, though, all that he has on his mind is the children.

Getting out and setting their path will help with that, he knows it will, he just needs to go and do it. Leaning over to press a kiss to Jake's cheek, it's not just affection, but a promise that he'll be back soon. With that, he heads off, slipping out of the shrine to start finding their way back.