RadioActivity

Always Enemies ((FMN && Gilgamesh))

“Mm. I do need to be training, but I think the party is the perfect occasion to really piss someone off,” Lydia paused,. “... I do have a certain someone to get revenge on….” Not that I could yet. He’d still wreck me at 80%. Rapid regeneration? Super strength and durability? What other powers has he learned that I don’t know about... “I might stop in. See if there’s anyone there that I really fucking hate.” She ate the last bite of her parfait, setting the dish next to her, leaning forward on her hands.

“Don’t you hate everyone?” Josh ventured, casually, from the couch.

“Don’t give away my secrets, Willow.” Lydia answered, thinking to herself. “Maybe I’ll run into someone at the games today that I can just lay out.”

“Be careful and have fun,” Josh responded, not really caring.

“... Sorry, Benjamin. I don’t think I’ll be there long. And at the very least, I’ll be there, just causing trouble. Partying isn’t much fun when you can’t consume enough alcohol to make anything happen, and you don’t engage in random hookups. Or have friends.”

Always Enemies ((FMN && Gilgamesh))

Lydia woke up the next morning, tangled in her sheets, yawning as she stretched. She reached over to the nightstand, grabbing her phone and checking the time. Good it’s still early. She slid out of bed, walking over to her vanity and checking her throat. Yup, still bruised. Yup, still hurts like a bitch. She got up and got dressed, before sitting down at her vanity, picking up her concealer, taking great pains to cover up the bruise. She continued working until the bruise wasn’t noticeable anymore, looking over herself in the mirror. She gathered her hair up and slipped a hat on. I feel pretty good. 90%. Maybe 88%. Good enough. She left her room and headed to the kitchen.

Josh woke up slowly, and groggily. He opened his eyes to see his vines covering the walls of his room, thickly, covering every square inch and object in the room. He yawned, the vines beginning to recede back to him, staring off at the far wall. Well, no nightmares. That’s good. Josh entered his private bathroom and took a shower, exiting the bathroom, pulling his clothes on. He headed into the kitchen to see Lydia eating a parfait the servants had made and he rolled his eyes, reaching for the box of cereal. “Morning, Lydia.”

“Josh, attend the superhero games for me today. I don’t feel like going.” Lydia answered.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not your bitch. Ask someone else.” Josh replied, pouring the cereal in a bowl.

Lydia raised a brow at him but shrugged. “... nice comeback. I approve... I’ll go ahead and go.”

“Good.” Josh carried his bowl of cereal into the living room to eat in front of the TV.

Always Enemies ((FMN && Gilgamesh))

Josh was sitting on the couch, his knees to his chest, vines wrapped all around his body like a tight cocoon. Lydia spotted him and startled. “J-Josh! Are you asleep?” She walked over and pushed him, lightly.
“I’m awake… just thinking…” Josh murmured. “The vines help me think. Sorry. I’ll go to my room.” The vines receded and Josh got to his feet.
“Okay, good. I didn’t want to kick your ass again.” Lydia crossed her arms.
“Yeah, my jaw still hurts.” Josh headed towards his room, pausing. “Lydia, I’m sorry about Thomas. I should have come back with you.”
“Oh shut up. What would you have done?” Lydia said, crossly. “He’d have killed you. It’s better you weren’t here. You didn’t get hurt. He would have tore you apart. Do you remember the last time you tried to stick up for me?”
“I dislocated my shoulder…” Josh muttered, rubbing his upper arm. “... and sprained my wrist.”
“Right. That’s why you’re a sidekick.” Lydia looked at him.
“Lydia, you have no idea why I’m a sidekick. Stop pretending you understand or want to understand me.” Josh replied.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize the life of a sidekick was so complicated,” Lydia said, sounding snarky.
“It is, actually. Whenever you quit being a hero to work for a bitch, it is kind of complicated.” Josh retorted.
“Maybe you should have stayed a hero,” Lydia frowned.
“... maybe I should have.” With those words, Josh left the room, leaving Lydia frowning after him.
Getting the last word, huh? Asshole. Lydia went to her room for real this time, closing the door behind her.

Always Enemies ((FMN && Gilgamesh))

Lydia raised an eyebrow. "Adrian, this was a girl matter. I'm sure Dillon didn't want to tell you I was sexually assaulted anymore than I did. It's not a comfortable thing, nor was it actually your business. A secret between girls, about private matters like sexual assault, is not really a secret. No one will tell you the truth all the time. If you get angry with her for keeping a promise to me that she wouldn't tell you I was sexually assaulted, I will be downright cross with you... But don't worry. I'll promise not to ask her to lie for me anymore." She stuck her hands in her pockets, heading out of the kitchen. "It's a dangerous thing, isn't it? Liking people?" she headed to her room, feeling annoyed with Adrian for making a big deal out of the small lie.

Always Enemies ((FMN && Gilgamesh))

"Adrian," Lydia said, accusingly. "I'm always a bitch. I'm surprised you ever thought any less of me. What good thing could I have ever done to make you think that wasn't so?" She leaned against the counter. "I should be there tomorrow if I stop picking fights, get lots of rest, stretch my arms and legs, and eat a big dinner..." She stretched her arms, reaching them over her head. "Who are you wanting to train with? I'd like another chance to kick Mythos' ass... But I'll have to really piss him off to get him to fight me. It looked like he was more interested in fucking than fighting."

Always Enemies ((FMN && Gilgamesh))

"Yes, I remember how Benjamin invited us here, out of the blue, with open arms. Letting us have whatever we wanted and do whatever we wanted," Lydia answered. "It might seem weird, but I don't think his intentions are malicious... You can prod and dig at the world around you, but I'm pretty content. Strangely enough, I'm not seeing Benjamin as some devious mastermind plotting something... But I agree, Thomas does deserve to get his ass kicked. But don't kill him. I don't want to be fighting alongside Titan if I don't have to." She finished her yogurt and tossed it across the kitchen into the trash. "That'll mess things up for everyone..."

She paused a moment, sliding off the counter. "In the parking lot... I was trying to get you to fight with me." She tossed the spoon in the sink. "It worked, but it wasn't the kind of fight I was looking for. I didn't want to ask you nicely to fight with me, so I tried to provoke you into fighting with me." I almost need a new enemy so I don't piss off my nemesis.

Always Enemies ((FMN && Gilgamesh))

“He left as soon as Dillon arrived. Might have been that suit of armor, or it might have been the fact that he didn’t want a battle right then. He's done this," she gestured at her neck, pointedly. "And other things to me more times than I can count, Adrian. The cards were just set up terrifyingly in his favor that last time. I'm too strong to let him do whatever he wants. He can imitate my power, but I'll always have my strength. The most he can do is match it and then we're stuck in gridlock, usually. I get a little damage, and then he gets bored. This time, I was weak. I over trained, weightlifting cars that were right, exactly, at my calculated weight limit... so I didn't have my strength, and I wasn't quite as durable as normal. He took advantage of this to use my own powers against me. He's always been after me, ever since grade school. It may not have helped when we entered high school...” Lydia couldn’t help but smirk a bit. “But, as I told him later, if you plan on seducing someone’s friends, maybe you should try to actually get it in.” She grabbed some yogurt out of the fridge, a spoon out of the drawer and jumped on the counter, crossing her legs, peeling the top back. “It’s me he wants, not Alexis or Dillon. I honestly don’t think he’d do it to anyone else… but that might be my egotism talking. He did tell me he was here to see Benjamin, now that you remind me. So… you're saying we need to protect Benjamin.” She looked over at him. “Is that right?”

Always Enemies ((FMN && Gilgamesh))

Lydia chuckled. “I want revenge on him myself. I can’t let you take my revenge from me…” she waved him off, pressing a finger to her own lips. Tell him… don’t tell him… “After all, you’ve already beaten him before. You’ve fought him once. I went and watched the tape because I wanted to see you beat him. Abaddon vs Omnitrace… I don’t know what rank he is now, but it was for your rank 5 then. If the footage of your fight were on a DVD, I would buy it, screenshot it, and then make posters of it. The two of you tore the arena UP that day, and I believe it ended with Thomas being very, very angry and in a whole lot of suffering… But, don’t get arrogant just because you beat him. He’s a lot stronger since then. He showed me some of his new powers... It's safe to say I was concerned about them. But it might have just been the position I was in that freaked me out more than his new powers...” she took a deep breath, crossing her arms. She removed her exercise jacket, tossing it on her bed, stepping out of her room and closing the door. Her neck bruise was fully visible now, with all the ridge marks and patterns that were from the bottom of Thomas's shoes, along with the top of the lower bruise, extending slightly higher than her shirt. She moved past him, heading to the kitchen. "Don't do anything crazy, Adrian. He's gone and I'm fine... I am hungry, and I'm going to eat something, 'scuse me." She entered the kitchen, pulling the fridge open.

Always Enemies ((FMN && Gilgamesh))

Lydia stood awkwardly, the words, This is why I didn’t want to tell you, you idiot… on her lips, but unable to speak them. His small smile, his intense stare into her eyes, all of it made her feel incredibly, stupidly weak. I hate feeling weak. Damn it, Adrian. Her chest burned with the emotions she was compressing, but when he took her hand, and he spoke those gentle, well-meaning words, his eyes staring straight into hers, a sound not unlike a cry escaped her lips and she pressed her free hand against her mouth to stifle it. “... I-... I’m fine… if I hadn't been so stupid...” she mumbled around them. ... what, Dillon would have been here alone with him?... What was I going to say? How am I supposed to be strong like this, with him staring at me like that? She hesitated, feeling the weight and warmth of his hand wrapped around hers. She stepped forward, leaning against him, one arm wrapped around his shoulder in an awkward half-embrace, burying her face in his shoulder. “Thanks…” I hate you for making me weak. I was handling it just fine… She couldn’t let the moment rest, not even in her own mind. If he ever mentions this again outside of right now, I’ll strangle him.

Josh pushed off the wall and headed on, deciding to leave them alone. He walked back to the living room, sitting down on the couch, crossing his legs and staring down at his hands resting in his lap, his thoughts filling his head. I can’t let Thomas get away with what he did… I’ve never even seen Lydia show emotions… he must have really gotten to her. One of his vines crept down his shoulder, curling around his arm, and he held it in the palm of his hand. But what can I do? I can’t believe her enemy is closer to her than I am...