[ Watching the ceremony had definitely been disturbing for Piper. After Verim healed Fayura's hand, she'd actually turned away. No one else here had been there, no one else had seen...
‘Mother Gaia …’ the ancient giant's voice had been impossibly deep, shaking the ruins, making the metal scaffold resonate under her feet. ‘In ancient times, blood mixed with your soil to create life. Now, let the blood of these demigods return the favor...'
The blood of those demigods had been the blood of her friends, with no one but Piper there to defend them. If she fell, and if they fell, and Gaia awakened, then it wouldn't just be their deaths but the deaths of everyone else she cared about, every other human and god on the planet...
This was not that. But it was so close, so very close that Piper was actually startled when Verim came up beside her, more in her memories than in the present moment. Her reaction is battle-ready, moving more quickly it seems that she should to turn and face him. ] Oh.
[ Her stance relaxes, much of the tension leaving her body when her reaction catches up to where she is now and what is actually happening. An observant and experienced combatant will note, however, that she's still a bit keyed up, ready to move if need be. ] Yes. Sorry. Hi. [ Glancing at him and then back at the Queen and noting Verim's own tension when she looks back. ] It's okay, you can go back to her if you want.
more tl;dr from me, to no one's shock =/
‘Mother Gaia …’ the ancient giant's voice had been impossibly deep, shaking the ruins, making the metal scaffold resonate under her feet. ‘In ancient times, blood mixed with your soil to create life. Now, let the blood of these demigods return the favor...'
The blood of those demigods had been the blood of her friends, with no one but Piper there to defend them. If she fell, and if they fell, and Gaia awakened, then it wouldn't just be their deaths but the deaths of everyone else she cared about, every other human and god on the planet...
This was not that. But it was so close, so very close that Piper was actually startled when Verim came up beside her, more in her memories than in the present moment. Her reaction is battle-ready, moving more quickly it seems that she should to turn and face him. ] Oh.
[ Her stance relaxes, much of the tension leaving her body when her reaction catches up to where she is now and what is actually happening. An observant and experienced combatant will note, however, that she's still a bit keyed up, ready to move if need be. ] Yes. Sorry. Hi. [ Glancing at him and then back at the Queen and noting Verim's own tension when she looks back. ] It's okay, you can go back to her if you want.