The Lost Continent

CORRINA JACOBS

Frowning, Corrina sat up at his words, staring at him for a moment, silent, contemplative. When she spoke, there was just an edge of discomfort that bordered on defensive, "You... you really think I'd do that? Keep it from them? That I'm strong enough to handle if anything happened? I just wanted to avoid panic, Orion. Telling them now, when there's so many unanswered questions... It just seemed like a surefire way to shut down everything. And that sort of outcome could ruin some of these people."

"But my God... What sort of person do you think I am that I'd be okay putting people's lives at risk? That I would just walk out of here and hide the journal and put that weight on your shoulders??"

Shaking her head, she turned away, "I don't like secrets, either. Which is why I told you what I did about my family. Because I trust you and your judgment. But if you can look at me and think I'd be fine with an outcome like that? You must think I'm more like my father than I realized."
 
Orion Petrove​
Orion sat up. As he did, he untangled his fingers from her hair and gently nudging her aside so they were separated. With his legs over the side of the bed, he sighed. A flash of annoyance rippled through his brain and he shook his head, running his hands through his own hair and pushing it back and away from his face. "That's what you said, right? I think we should wait to show them the journal? I'm not a mind reader, Corrina. I can't magically understand things you don't say clearly." His hand fell down his face, pinching the bridge of his nose for a moment before his arm fell back down to the side.

"As for the insult, I don't really see how or why that was necessary, but I guess if you are so quick to think that's how I feel, then you really don't know me at all. I guess that's my fault though, assuming we could get to know each other so quickly." Standing, he buttoned up his shirt and flicked on the bedside lamp, glancing over to his luggage, which was still piled neatly in the corner. More than anything, he needed a shower.

A hot shower to soothe his shoulder and send all those negative thoughts spinning right down the drain. He wouldn't quit either way, and he knew Corrina wouldn't either, so he was aware he was going to have to swallow the bitter taste in his mouth quickly and learn to work with her again before the start of the next day.

He didn't ask her to leave though because there was no polite way to do it without sounding like a jack-ass in his mind, so he bit down on his tongue and prowled to the bathroom, yanking a towel from the rack and turning on the hot water. The steam billowing over the top of the shower glass was an instant stress relief. There was something about showers that just put his mind back into a more rational state and, before he closed the door and stepped into the shower, he stood at the sink until the mirror fogged over.
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CORRINA JACOBS

Watching him retreat to the bathroom, Corrina frowned softly. It wasn't how either of them had seen the evening going, but maybe that wasn't a bad thing. Had they rushed into something, they might have come to regret it... and whether or not the trip continued, whether or not she had a future back home, regret wasn't an easy pill to swallow. Yet in the back of her mind she knew it was emotions talking... She wouldn't have regretted anything, had the German not come to the door. Orion remained the first person, in a long while, that Corrina wanted to be around, and maybe what he'd said had hurt, because he'd said it the wrong way... but that didn't mean that she needed to walk away. She hated easy. She'd never been one to take that road, even if it meant a longer, more dangerous path.

Her eyes fell on the journal and with a sigh, she plucked it up and put it on the nightstand, before she rose to her feet and followed him to the bathroom. He stood at the sink, steam surrounding him like soupy London fog and wrapping her arms around his waist, she leaned her forehead against his shoulder, "I'm sorry." She said, softly, "I took it the wrong way, and I'm sorry. I'm used to people hearing about my life back in Colombia and brushing me off. It's a lot to deal with, so I never blamed them, but... but it makes it hard to get close to anyone. And I think maybe part of why I'm afraid to tell them about that damn journal is because I want to be close to you, Orion. And if this trip ends, I don't know... I don't know what happens to you and me."

Breathing out, she shifted, shaking her head, "But I would never put anyone at risk, for selfish reasons, or otherwise. I just hope you know that. I don't know what the right decision is, but I'll show them the journal right now if that's what you want to do. Okay? I don't know what this is, but hell if I wanna be what messes it up. Me or that damn German."
 
Orion Petrove​
They were only a few days in and already the stress of the trip was beginning to edge in on him, and he imagined that to be the truth for everyone on the trip. They were in luxury hotels and already it was taxing, exhausting. He couldn't imagine what it may be like when they were no longer able to retreat to hotel suites with luxury walk-in showers, mini bars, and televisions. Camping with those people? Surviving with those people? The very thought of it sent his mind reeling into uncertainty. When he was offered the job, he didn't know what he was signing up for, but this wasn't exactly what he'd planned for.

Delicate arms wrapped around his middle and gave him an affectionate squeeze. The weight of a cheek pressed against his back, causing him to straighten. "I don't know either, honestly. I don't know what the right answer is, to any of it." To the journal, to the trip, to Corrina. "And you don't need to worry, I know you wouldn't intentionally put anyone at risk." But that still left the matter of the journal. He looked up at the foggy reflection of himself, water beading across the mirror as the shower continued to pound out water.

"I don't know if this, whatever between us, is a good idea. It probably isn't. It's probably the worst thing we can do under the circumstance, and I sure as hell don't know what to do about that journal. I can't just sit and do nothing with it though. I think they deserve to know and make a decision for themselves, whatever that means for the trip. If they were still willing to go after watching a gun be pointed at someone's head, I doubt a journal will change their mind." Then again, he didn't know what the journal's contents were, either. He had been too hesitant to read it.

With a heavy sigh, Orion twisted in Corrina's embrace and wound his arms around her shoulder. "It's getting late, though. We can deal with that in the morning. No point in waking anyone up. We'll have a meeting in the morning to discuss that relic, anyhow."
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CORRINA JACOBS

Pulling away at his words, Corrina looking down at her hands, picking at the edge of her nail as she bit down on the inside her cheek. Not a good idea... It wasn't generally difficult to read the meaning behind that code. She wanted to be honest... real with him. The backfire shouldn't have come as such a surprise. She'd heard it all too often before. No one wanted to be tied to drama... not when it wasn't a sure thing.

The worst thing we can do... She didn't read minds either, but she wasn't sure there was a way to translate that, that didn't translate to 'this isn't worth the trouble'. And that hurt. More than she expected it to, it hurt. He was a good man, and she knew it wasn't his intention to break her down, but she almost would have preferred straight up rejection, to a delicate hand.

Rubbing the back of her neck, she looked up without really looking anywhere, blinking away the dampness in her eyes with a stalwart, determined nod, "We should show it to Gideon first thing tomorrow. He can take point on it. Probably better everyone knows before I tell them the next clue..."

Pausing, she swallowed, and breathing out, a shudder of a sound, she shrugged, "Look... Orion. I don't wanna do the sad puppy thing, here. I'm completely lost right now, and I just need it straight. You keep talking about us like you're afraid you're making a mistake, and if that's how you feel, that's fine. I can take it. You just need to let me know what you want, because maybe I'm not entirely sure about the details, but I know I like you. I'm not about to suggest we start a pinterest board for rustic weddings, but I like you. But I'm also not gonna walk around like a blind idiot, thinking this is going somewhere, if you don't. I don't wanna be your mistake... or something you regret. So if that's where this is headed, just tell me."
 
Orion Petrove​
When she pulled away, Orion allowed his hands to swing back to his sides and rest against the edge of the vanity, where he leaned the rest of his weight. "That's a good idea. He'll know better than either of us what to make of it. At least, I hope he does." He felt a little bad passing the buck on to someone else, but Gideon seemed like the type who was decisive and straight-forward, like he'd run troops before. Orion was more than comfortable leaving the decision in his hands. Truthfully, he just wanted to get the decision off his plate, because it was one he knew he couldn't make with a rational, sound mind.

Unfortunately, he knew the conversation wasn't about the journal. Not really. "I am afraid I am making a mistake," he agreed, "and maybe I am a blind idiot, literately." Her choice of words hadn't been glossed over in his brain. "And for the record, I was honest when I said I liked you, I do. I enjoy being around you. Your fun, and funny, and smart, you're everything I could ever dream in a woman, but in terrible circumstances. This Atlantis thing? I'm afraid it'll seer a fledgling relationship alive. I've been through things like this before—missions like this—and they rip even the closest friends apart."

Orion sunk his weight further against the counter, the room growing warmer and steamier by the minute as the shower just ran in the background, hissing like white noise. "I don't want this all to end with you hating me, is all." New relationships were meant to be coffee once a week, or dinner every so often… movies, talking, laughing, and getting to know one another. Being thrown into some hell, where she just walked away with a gun being pointed at her head? That wasn't normal. Nothing between them was normal.

"Again, I don't know what the right decision is. Do we follow our guts and say hell with it and wing it, knowing the risks, or do we listen to rational reasoning and realize how badly this could all go?" Ever since the accident, he couldn't make decisive decisions, because the wrong decision had nearly killed him… and could have been a lot worse for himself, and everyone in the area, had he not been able to correct some of his mistakes before the blast detonated.
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CORRINA JACOBS

Blinking, she shifted again, looking up at him, somewhat in surprise. She had expected the problem to lie in her... n what she had told him. So when he suggested that it was his own hangups that were his concern, she almost laughed. Almost, but she held it back. It wasn't ridiculous to Orion, because he didn't know her heart, he didn't know that she would never hate him, if things went poorly.

Softly, her lip turned up in a smile as she shook her head, "I don't think I could ever hate you. And I mean that. You know how hard it was for me to even come on this trip? And if I hadn't sat down at that bar, that first night, and shared a drink with you, I probably would've gone home and wallowed a few more months in misery. But you pulled me out, Orion. You pulled me out, and I could never hate someone who did that for me. Especially when that someone was a stranger, at the time. Wherever this goes, you're always going to be special to me..."

The smile brightened slightly, as she met his eyes, "And sweetie... I'm Colombian. We have three rules. Never drink American coffee, dance whenever there's music... and never ever listen to reason, when it comes to romance." Stepping forward, her hands sliding around his waist again, she looked up at him, with an air of expectation, "Damn rationality, and damn that German. I know what I want. Do you?"
 
Orion Petrove​
"I think those are terrible life rules," he admitted. "Those are the type of life rules that get you to be a drug lord." Orion was an incredible long-range thinker. Slow and deliberate, he stopped rushing things some time ago. He rarely listened to the throb of his heart or the impulses in his gut, preferring shrewdness to whim. It almost always worked out better for him in the end. Even if she didn't end up hating him in the end for it, it'd make the trip more arduous and awkward. Nothing seemed more unfortunate than having to work in intimate quarters with an ex-lover, and that was just the type of thought a person like Orion was bound to have.

He considered the possibility of each 'what if?' just like he had with the journal, and weighed them carefully, and with equal consideration. The likelihood he and Corrina's relationship ended in flames was good. The odds were so weighed against him, if they were a horse race, he wouldn't even consider betting. More importantly, he didn't believe in whimsical, fairytale romances. They didn't make sense in the modern world. He believed in hard-work, dedication, and slugging through arguments to make something work, and that would just pile on so much more to an already stressful trip.

He should have told her no, and to go back to her room. That he cared for her, but it wasn't worth the risk.

"I honestly have no idea what I want," he admitted, because it was the truth. He hadn't a clue. He still didn't know if he wanted to be on the Atlantis excursion. For Corrina, sure, but for his career? For himself? He still was undecided on the matter. Did he want to give up demolitions? If so, what would he do? Accounting? Sales? He didn't know. Did he ever want to get married? Have kids? Where did he want to retire to? Would he live long enough to retire? Did he want to try and get that surgery on his eye that had a small chance to restore vision? All answers he didn't have an answer to. He didn't know what in life he wanted, but his arms found their way around his shoulders anyways, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"And I like American coffee, and I've definitely seen you break your own rule. Didn't you just drink a coffee this morning?"
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CORRINA JACOBS

A brow rose at his words, and she shook her head, "...I don't think a love for dancing is going to make anyone turn to a life of crime, but if that's the case, well, hey, I guess maybe I missed my calling. Probably should head home and join dad's Cartel." A sigh escaped and pulling back again, she watched him for a moment, her expression soft, but lacking the same warmth.

"You wanna know what I think? I think you think too damn much. I think you're afraid, and that fear is gonna hold you back in a big way. And I think you're using this trip and the dangers behind it as an excuse, when the reason you're afraid is because of what I told you. I was honest with you, and up until that moment, you seemed plenty eager to throw caution to the wind and give this a go. Now suddenly, you're gripping the seat, and I think it's because you aren't sure you wanna be with someone who comes with that much risk. I'm patient... but I don't like feeling judged, and since you found out who my father is, that's all I've felt from you."

Moving closer to the doorway, she shook her head, taking a breath, "I meant what I said, Orion. My mind's made up. I want to be with you. But I'm not going to wait for you to decide whether or not you think I'm worth the risk. If you figure out what you want, you know where to find me, but until then, I have a clue to decipher. That's if you think you can still trust me with the journal, but I guess we can talk about that with everyone tomorrow, too." Frowning, she looked away, "Your shower's gonna get cold. And for the record... it was European coffee. Us drug Lords? We do have some hold to our convictions."
 
Orion Petrove​
"You're right," he agreed. "I do think too much, but I can't turn it off, nor do I expect you to wait." Not since the accident. His hands fell back to rest against the sides of the vanity again, which were slick with water. There were two internal forces fighting themselves inside of his head, but he knew, ultimately, this was for the best. Nothing good could come from a relationship founded on an adventure like Atlantis. Maybe it was just an excuse. Knowing himself, it probably was, but knowing that wouldn't change his hesitation, and Corrina deserved someone who wouldn't falter.

Despite everything, she kept with the low blows by questioning his trust and he could only shook his head. It was for the best. She pretended to want him, to be with him, and even said so, but she seemed to only like him in moments of affection, and anytime outside, she painted him in a bad light with her words. He did the same to her with his actions, and he could only smile softly, sadly, and gaze down at the floor between his feet.

"I'm sorry, Corrina. You're right. I'm not decisive about decisions, nor do I take getting called out well. Your history is terrifying to me, but don't let anyone tell you you're not worth the risk, you are, you very much are worth the risk of your father and more, but I don't think I am who you think I am—who you want me to be, and I never will be. You know what you want, but it's becoming increasingly clear I'm not it. I'm sorry. I judge, and I don't make decisions. I'm hesitant, and it takes me a while to let things settle in my head. What did you call it? Blind idiot. I guess that's me."

He inhaled sharply the muggy air and rolled his head back, eyes closing in equal parts frustration and grief. It was for the best, it was for the best, his mind kept chanting like a mantra, over and over, so why didn't it feel that way?

"I'm just not into this anymore. This whole… adventure life. This just isn't me anymore." He pushed off the counter and moved to pull off his shirt. He'd only showered about two hours prior, but he felt he needed another one because he felt so damn dirty. "You should take that journal with you when you go."

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CORRINA JACOBS

She turned to go, tried to convince herself it was the right thing to do, but hell if she didn't feel that way. She meant what she said... all of what she said. She hated being judged for something she literally had no say in, but she also didn't appreciate the assumption that he knew what was best for her. She had called him out, and she meant that, too, but she meant everything else, as well. She did want to be with him, risk and judgment and indecisiveness and American coffee and all.

And that scared her, because being able to overlook a person's flaws had never been a strong suit. Yet there was something about the man that, Atlantis or no Atlantis, made her rethink the way her own brain worked. She had never met another person who frustrated her so much, because he was so willing to give up... not on her, but on himself. He was stronger than he believed, and whatever had happened to put so much doubt in him, it was infuriating to watch.

Turning around again, she shook her head, "No. I call bull. You can overthink all you want, but you wouldn't be here if this wasn't where you wanted to be. Not someone whose brain works the way yours does. You would never have come if you didn't want this. The adventure, the danger, all of it. And you might be hesitant, and you might be scared of what it means... who I am, but you want me. Or you never would have asked me to the bar tonight. You would never have risked your life in the library the other day, when there was a gun to my head."

Stepping closer, she moved until she was standing right in front of him, her eyes meeting his, defiantly, "And maybe I'm wrong... but I don't think I am. I don't... If I am, you can tell me to go, and I'll go. And I won't look back, because damn it, I am worth it. It took me a long time to get to a point where I saw that, but I am. But so are you, Orion. Worth the risk, and the danger, and whatever the hell else we have coming. So if I'm wrong, you tell me to leave, otherwise... I'm gonna ask you one more time." Reaching out, her hand hovered against his bare shoulder, where the gunman had separate the blade from socket, before dropping down to rest against his chest, brow raised, "...Right now... this moment. Just this moment... Tonight, when nothing else needs to be decided... what do you want?"
 
Orion Petrove​
She probed a question he wished she hadn't, because that meant he'd have to explain himself, since she wasn't giving him much of an option. It wasn't a secret he harbored like hers, he'd told it many times, to many people, but that didn't make it any less monumental in his life. It never became an easier to explain, no matter how many times he'd told the exact same sequence of words: the story of his life, and how he became blind. "I did want it, or I thought I did," he agreed. "I'm not so sure anymore." Alas, she was right about one thing. He never would have asked her to the bar if his inquiry hadn't been sincere.

He wouldn't have kissed her, if he hadn't meant it. He still did mean it, though there had been a lot dumped on their collective shoulders in a very small amount of time. He turned to face her when he felt her presence stepping closer, her feet making a soft pattering noise over the damp tile floors. His head tilted just enough to watch as her hand glossed over his shoulder, slick with sweat and condensation from the humidity in the room, sliding to his chest and coming to a pause.

"I almost blew up an entire city once," he said, not directly answering her question of his desires. "Hundreds of thousands of people—almost all gone in an instant, because I made a split second decision that I could finish a job. I should have known better, that I didn't have enough time. I got myself and my team into a really bad position and the difference of levelling a city and not was four seconds. I didn't blow up the city, as you might've guessed, but that's how I blinded myself. The accident was bad. I broke my back, I was in the hospital for two months, then in physical therapy for months. The scar on my back? Spinal surgery. I had to relearn everything—walking, even."

He shrugged, his arms snaking around her shoulders.

"They said it was a miracle if I'd be able to walk without a walker. When I was able to walk, run, dance without pain, the surgeons said they'd never seen anything like it. It's not a secret, but… I don't make split second decisions, because I could have killed a lot of people."

He bowed his head, pressing his lips against hers. He didn't make split second decisions, not in the long term, but for one night? He could start with that.

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CORRINA JACOBS

She listened. As he spoke, she listened, and she remained still and silent and watched, cautiously, for any indication that it was time for her to leave. He very well could have surprised her with his decision, because in truth, why not? He owed her nothing, and it was foolish to think that she somehow deserved him, because of what she had been through. But to know that his hesitation came not from her experiences, but from what he had been through... she wasn't all too shocked that he didn't jump into decisions easily.

Yet he was still there, he was still in Prague, and he wasn't asking her to leave. He wasn't tell her it wasn't going to happen. His arms fell across her shoulders and she breathed out in a sigh of relief that she couldn't hide. Because despite what she said about being willing to walk away, it would have been impossible not to feel the brunt of it. She would have made it work, made working with him possible, if only because she was stubborn, and wanted to prove to him and to herself she could be professional... but it would have hurt. God, would it have hurt.

But he didn't tell her to leave. His words were filled with trepidation, and she understood why, but she also understood the danger of letting fear control your life, "I'm not afraid of dying, Orion..." She whispered, her eyes fixed on his, "But I'm scared as hell of not living."

He didn't tell her to leave.... Instead, he leaned forward, and his lips brushed hers, and she felt her heart give a throb as her other hand came around to the back of his neck, to pull herself closer to him. She'd already told him she could hold her breath for a solid two minutes, and as far as she was concerned, she wasn't pulling away until absolutely necessary.
 
Orion Petrove​
It was Orion who broke the kiss first, worming out of Corrina's embrace so he could go shut the water off the shower. He'd let it run long enough and if he hadn't already gotten in the shower, he wasn't going to. There was plenty of good water he just tossed down the drain and he couldn't let it run any longer, despite how much he would have liked to let it run and continue where they'd left off. The water shut off, Orion scooped his arm around Corrina's waist and placed a heated kiss to her lips.

"Come on," he whispered, his lips still against hers, feeling them brush together as he spoke the words. "Let's go lay down." He coaxed her along with a tender arm around her waist, glad to get out of the now-too steamy room, and back into the more neutral air of the hotel room. From the bed, he picked up the journal and tossed it on the nightstand to be forgotten about until morning before falling back against the mattress and holding his arms up towards Corrina. He wiggled his fingers at her. It wasn't any easy decision to make to let go of having to decide something so unplanned, and it was even more difficult to follow through.

"Do you still have a clue to figure out?" he asked, his head resting back against the plush surface. It was late, really late. A point at which they should have been tucked in bed a long time ago, preparing for the day ahead. In the back of his mind, Orion felt the weighty exhaustion beginning to form and he knew there'd be hell to pay come morning, when he awoke bleary eyed and foggy minded, but sleep didn't seem all that appealing anymore. That was one decision he didn't need to think long and hard about.

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CORRINA JACOBS

She followed along, and as he lay back, she watched for a moment, shaking her head with a coy smile. He crooked his fingers at her, and stepping to the edge of the bed, she kicked off her heels and crawled across his lap, a leg on either side of his, looking down at him, "...Bonito... You have to know that's the last thing on my mind right now. You could set this room on fire, with all your explosives, and I wouldn't go anywhere."

And just like that, it was as if the German had never come at all. She knew the moment would come again, when they would have have to discuss what had happened... not just in sharing the journal with the others, but their own personal issues. For tonight, it was okay to pretend that there was no pressure, no complications... no risk, but eventually that wouldn't be the case, and they would need to deal with it all...

But not then. Not there.

Reaching out, she brushes the hair back from his eyes, running her fingers through it, "I mean..." Bringing her fingertips along his collar bone and down the middle of his chest, she shrugged, with a slightly teasing smirk, "You know... Unless you're tired. I'd hate to keep you awake..."
 
Orion Petrove​
"Okay, let me clarify, I am not an arsonist, I'm a demolitionist. Big difference. I don't stare fires. All of my explosives could send the world into nuclear winter." Not really, but he could probably take out a good chunk of Prague with enough ambition and a little bit of time. That argument was neither here nor there. His tense expression softened with a touch of a smile, resting his hands on her hips as she settled across his lap, her weight resting against his stomach. The feeling of her touch brought with it sparks down the length of his spine, causing his fingers to curl a little tighter against her skin.

Her teasing was meant with a smirk of his own. "I am a little tired," he admitted, picking her up and throwing her back against the bed, resting over her on his hands and knees. "But I think I can stay up just a little bit longer," his voice a whispered breath against her neck as he peppered a kiss right over the pulse point along the column of her neck, his lips finding their way to her shoulder as an arm scooped around her waist and pulled her close. He stopped thinking about decisions and options, possibilities and consequences. For once, his mind was perfectly locked in the present, not thinking about the German nor the morning and what it would bring.

Morning, incidentally, came much too quickly. The first rays of sun pierced through the silk window hangings and hit his back, bringing a warmth over the skin. That part was pleasant, but what was unpleasant was the brightness that suddenly lit up his eyelids like the Las Vegas strip. He murmured softly, crinkling his nose and turning his head the opposite way, digging it into the pillow with a grunt. He only gave himself about four more minutes before his alarm sounded on the bedside table.

A single hand wormed out from underneath the blanket and went to smack the alarm clock off, sending the leather journal shooting across the room in his pitiful efforts. Finally, he got the alarm to shut off. He didn't regret not getting half as much sleep as he needed the night before, but the dull ache behind his eyes was penchant for his decisions. The grogginess was immediate, and when he opened his eyes, blinking against the light, a throbbing shot through his brain like a bad hangover.

"What time is it?"

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CORRINA JACOBS

As the alarm sounded, and resounded throughout the room, Corrina groaned out, laughing softly and she watched with one eye while Orion struggled to find the off button. It was early yet, bright, but early, and blinking the other eye open, she huffed out a long sigh, "Early... Way, way too early."

Despite their argument and the unfortunate run in with the German, the remainder of the night had been pleasant... leaving her with a foggy sense of restfulness, even without nearly enough sleep. The day would no doubt be comprised mainly of travel, and so she wasn't worried about her weariness, but she would have given just about anything for a few more hours of shut-eye anyways, "Hm..." Reaching out her fingertips, she trailed them along his spine, lingering just a moment longer on the scar he had pointed out the night before, before moving up to brush his hair back behind his ear, and away from his forehead.

"You've got no right, waking up so adorable, you know. Some of us gotta work for our pretty."

GIDEON KERNS

Gideon woke sometime shortly before dawn with a weight on his chest like a sleeping tiger. It wasn't a feeling he had often, but when it came, it was never indicative of a good day. Sitting up, careful not to disturb the woman sleeping beside him, he rubbed his temples and pulled in a few deep, slow breaths.

Anxiety was par for course with everything he had been through, it just normally came when he was alone, and there was no one there to question him... Enna knew the brunt of what had happened, but not every detail. There were some things he hadn't shared with anyone. Some things he would never share, not with anyone but himself and a pair of steely brown eyes in a face, too damn young to be holding such a dangerous weapon.

Sliding from the bed, he moved to the bathroom to splash cool water on his face, and drying off with a towel, he checked his reflection in the mirror. Dark circles stood out against blue, a marker of the lack of sleep he was getting. With a sigh, he returned to the room to put on the coffee pot, glancing back at Enna with a small, appreciative smile. Some of that sleep deprivation was definitely worthwhile, at least. Some... not so much.
 
Orion Petrove​
Orion made a terrible gurgling noise—something that was between a groan and a howl, like a monkey, as he forced himself to go against every bodily instinct and wake up. He smothered his face in the pillow, trying to blind out the light seeping through the window, but it was a moot point. The next moment, there was a hand trailing along his back and he rolled over, squinting against the glaring lightness of the peach colored walls, which lit up in the sunlight. "Damn," he mumbled, a hand against his face to clean the sleep from the corner of his eyes. "Is it really that early? Is it already time to get up?"

One glance to the clock confirmed that, indeed, it was time to get their butts in gear. He needed a shower to help him wake up, and a change of clothes… or, really, a pair of clothes at all because they'd gone to bed deliciously nude. On top of that, he needed to pack up a few things and put together a travel bag for whatever sort of trouble the clue got them into for the day. With the meeting a little over an hour away, Orion rolled on to his side so he was facing Corrina, finally able to see her as she fell asleep on his blind side. It didn't help that his one eye with any vision left was bleary with sleep, so, the image of her was nothing more than a silky smudge of perfectly creamy skin. His hands did most of the seeing for him, his calloused fingers gliding down the side of her breast and ribcage, stopping at her hip.

He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead, deciding to avoid assaulting her with his morning breath. "You must be blurry eyed this morning," he replied. "Because I don't think I look pretty at all." At least, he didn't feel pretty. His eyelashes felt sticky with tears and sleep, and the weight on the skin below his lids heavy. "Ready for the meeting today?"

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Enna Sparks​
In her usual fashion, she overslept. Or, rather, slept in later than she would have liked. It would have been preferable that she had a full hour just to pick through her medical bag and organize it, but seeing as she cracked open her eyes with just forty-five minutes to the meeting, that plan was out the window. She propped herself up on her elbows as a glorious whiff of coffee crossed past her nose, she smiled and glanced back over her shoulder.

Gideon was already up, looking a little rough for wear, and she could guess she didn't look much different. "Good morning," she said, sitting up and dangling her legs over the side of the bed. Her hands raked through her hair, splitting the blonde curls into manageable sections and combing her nails through the knots. Eventually, she found the strength and willpower to stand and pull his shirt off the hotel floor, slipping it over her head. She ended up borrowing his offered sweatpants, as well, as she really did need to go back to her room that time.

Dressed, but barefoot, she padded up to him and, pressing her hands against his shoulders, she pushed herself up on her tippy-toes to land a kiss against his cheek. "I should probably actually get going this time," she admitted. "See you in a little while down at our meeting of fun?"
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CORRINA JACOBS

Chuckling again, Corrina shook her head as she pushed herself up onto her elbows, looking down at him. The squinty eyes and slightly disheveled hair was perhaps not catalog-model worthy, but there was a subtle sexiness to him that couldn't be denied, even if he thought he was just grungy. Raking her hands through her hair she sat up fully, and with a sigh, glanced over him, to the clock.

She wasn't ready. Not really... not considering there was a good chance this meeting was going to be the end of their journey entirely. She wasn't sure, truth be told, that she would stop completely. Maybe it would be more difficult, but she was a determined woman, who rarely gave up on anything worthwhile. It was why she hadn't been able to walk away the night before, and it was why, no matter what happened, she knew she'd find a way to keep going... with or without the team.

"What are you gonna do, if we lose too many people for the crew to keep going?" She finally asked, glancing over at Orion with a small, thoughtful frown. She wouldn't try to convince him to keep going if it wasn't in him, but it would have been nice to have the company... especially of someone she knew and trusted... and cared for.

GIDEON KERNS

Smiling dryly, Gideon rubbed his hands over his face, before taking the coffee pot off he warmer, pouring it into two Styrofoam cups. He was tired, and he knew it showed, but after a few cups of coffee and a shower, some breakfast in him, he'd be right as rain. The bad days came and went, and he'd learned to deal with them.. Today would be no different. Today had to be no different, because somehow, he'd wound up in the role of leader for this mess of a mission, and he wasn't going to let anyone down.

Enna encroached closer and his smile lightened as he leaned into her kiss, holding out one of the cups with a nod, "Here. For the road. I'm gonna hop in the shower, and then I'll meet you down there. Hopefully shouldn't be too long, today. If we've got to do some traveling, maybe we'll be able to take it easy." Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he winked, then turned to his own cup of coffee, nearly downing it in one gulp - the heat scorching his throat, but the bitterness a welcome wake up call.

Chuckling, shaking his head, he made for the bathroom, glancing back at her again with a grin, "Now go... quick. Before I'm tempted to ask you to help with that spot on my back again. Damn, you're irresistible..."
 
Orion Petrove​
"What will I do if this meeting doesn't work? Eh, I have no idea." He'd booked a flight home for after that initial gathering, though he'd long since missed that. Whether he had enough money to buy another return ticket to the States, that was another question. "I don't know, honestly. I'd figure something out, I always do." He rolled off the bed and stood, swaying a little bit as he did so. The weight in his head hit him like a ton of bricks, like a hangover might have, but one drink wasn't enough to cause the intensity of his ill feelings. The emotional rollercoaster the night before, however, was.

"I'm just not even going to think about it until we get through the meeting. I'm pretty sure Gideon'll stay, and the doctor. You, me, Hadassah for sure, Kristof…" He ended up shrugging. As for the rest? He didn't know. Some of them seemed barely holding on after the previous meeting, and after the gun incident. Whether or not they lost a few more, he couldn't even guess. "Whatever comes, I'll just figure it out from there." That's all he could do. "But in the meantime, I'm not going to worry about the what ifs. I can't, or I'll never leave the room."

If he started considering the what ifs, he'd tumble head first into a bleak place in his own brain. He'd lose all motivation and ambition to move, and that wouldn't do him, or anyone else, any favors. Picking up the journal from the floor, he placed it on the bedside table. "We'll see what Gideon has to say about it, though, too," he said as he sauntered his way into the bathroom and turned on a jet of hot water.

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Enna Sparks​
Enna took the coffee from him with a polite thank you, and sipped it as Gideon turned off to venture into his own bathroom. She smirked a ways over the edge of her cup, making her way towards the door and smacking him playfully on the butt as she passed by. "You're going to have to manage on your own now," she called to him before sliding out the door. She returned to her own room and, by the time she had, the coffee cup was empty and tossed in the trash.

She spent the first fifteen minutes hastily organizing her luggage and medical bag before turning to make herself into something of a presentable human being. A shower helped, and clean clothed didn't hurt, either, though she was looking a little rougher for wear. Her hair, still went, was wild in its curls as it began to air dry, and she tamed it in a braid as best as she could, even though strands escaped and fluttered about as they saw fit. Some of the darkness below her eyes were hidden behind her glasses, but the pallor in her face was something she couldn't hide without make-up, and she just didn't have the energy to put anything on her face aside from a bit of moisturizer.

She was already running behind, so wet hair and a clean face would just have to do. At very least, her clothes were clean, she decided. Enna stepped her way down the hall and into the ground level of the hotel, surprised to see she was five minutes ahead of schedule. She stopped to buy a coffee, and continued to the conference room.
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