Octavia Blake (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
okteiviakom) wrote2020-05-19 10:54 pm
okteiviakom) wrote2020-05-19 10:54 pm
Entry tags:
Polis, Tuesday FT
The journey to Polis wasn't a comfortable one. Not when you spent it bound and gagged and tossed over the back of a horse, like Octavia had. But she was learning to welcome the discomfort, almost crave it. She hurt all over, every step the horse took on uneven ground making the side of her head throb, and her ribs ache when the phone in the inside pocket of her jacket (yes, it was dead, but she couldn't, wouldn't let it go) pressed into them.
And all she could think was, Good.
-----
In the end, Semet didn't get what he wanted. He presented her to Lexa as a war criminal, brought there to bear witness to the crimes of her people. (A statement that made a bitter laugh bubble up inside Octavia, but it made it nowhere past the gag.) He asked Lexa to avenge his village. Jus drein jus daun. But Lexa decided to call upon the armies of the twelve clans to surround Arkadia and lock Skaikru in, to keep them from the lands they'd tried to take, and to give them time to take out Pike themselves.
And any Skaikru caught across the lines would be subject to a kill order.
It wasn't enough for Semet. He flew into a rage, calling for death to the commander - and earned his own swiftly at the hands of Lexa's advisor Titus.
-----
Octavia was almost disappointed to be freed from her ropes. Almost. She was still rubbing her wrists when Clarke led her to the quarters she presumably shared with Lexa. They were pretty lavish, actually: a lot of space, big bed. Something Lucifer might have liked if he'd been at all like a grounder. (Wasn't it weirdly a part of what she'd liked about him? That he hadn't been.) She pushed that thought away, and took a seat on the nearest available surface. Rubbed her hands over her face and tried to remember the last time she'd gotten any decent rest.
(She couldn't.)
Clarke asked her if she was okay. "Yeah, fine," she replied, and felt that bubble of a joyless laugh again. "I saw Indra in the crowd," she said, pushing on. Indra had been standing at the sidelines, not in her usual warrior garb. And not at her usual place -- "Why wasn't she with Lexa?"
"Indra's not doing so well, Octavia," Clarke told her. There was a long pause, then she looked away. It made Octavia feel a faint trace of dread. "We can't deal with that right now."
"So what do we do?" Octavia asked, pushing herself back up to her feet even though almost every part of her protested her moving.
"I need to talk to Lexa."
"You just did that," Octavia pointed out, "and came out with a kill order on all of Skaikru. That's the second time that she left -- us all, to die." Clarke might have forgotten about Mount Weather, but Octavia sure as hell hadn't.
Clarke rose to her feet, putting them eye to eye. "The twelve clans want a war," she said, in that soft, earnest tone that always made Octavia feel like she was being treated like a child. "You know that. Lexa's just trying not to wipe us out."
Octavia paced away from her, then turned again. "Why am I not surprised you're still defending her?"
Clarke didn't take the bait for an argument. "I'll see what I can do," she said, and brushed past Octavia. "Stay here."
Octavia waited exactly long enough that Clarke was out the door, and then muttered, "Yeah right." Clarke could do what she wanted.
And so could Octavia.
-----
It wasn't hard to find Indra. Someone from Trikru showed her the way, led her to where she could step under an awning - and there Indra was, sitting with her back turned. Suddenly, Octavia felt nervous. She'd seen Indra in Lexa's tent by the field of bodies, injured, but that was one thing. Actually talking to her one on one after all this time was quite another. "Ai don kom op hir na koma yu op," she said, her voice softer than she'd meant to sound.
Indra didn't turn around. "You waste your time," she replied evenly. "Nou bilaik koma hir."
But if there was one thing Octavia didn't do, it was take 'no' for an answer quite that easily. She moved closer, hoping to circle around to see Indra's face. "Ai gaf yu seiso in, Amin Indra," she tried.
Indra rose to her feet, but turned further away. Her voice sounded gravelly. "Go away."
Octavia stared at her back. "I need the woman I served as Second," she said, after a stunned silence. "I need the warrior who taught me to be who I am --"
"I said get out of here," Indra snapped, finally turning. "Sky Girl."
"Indra, please," Octavia said, tone going pleading. She'd never handled rejection well, and she couldn't understand what was going on with Indra -- and her tone went sharper again. "I'm going back to fight my own people, the people who did this to you!"
Indra had turned away again. She didn't answer.
"I'll fight my own brother if I have to, but I can't do it alone," Octavia continued. "One word from you and Trikru will --"
The slap knocked her sideways before she even had time to realize Indra had turned to face her. She pounced on instinct, and had Indra on her back, and her fist ready for a punch. "You see?" Indra gasped. "Even someone as slow and as weak as you can put me on my back." She gave Octavia a fevered glare, then tilted her face away. "I should've died on that field."
"We all die," Octavia hissed. "You can either do that here, feeling sorry for yourself, or you come back with me and get your revenge." She got off Indra and stalked back to the way out into the town square. She threw one last glance at Indra. "The choice is yours."
Then she walked out.
-----
And then she waited. Waited and waited and waited, just hoping Indra would come out and join her and give her something. But she didn't. And then the sun began to set, and Octavia finally moved to go.
She'd made it maybe ten paces when she heard it.
"Okteivia kom Skaikru!"
The only voice who could still call her that and make her feel like it fit, somehow. She turned around immediately, and there Indra was. Her arm was in a sling, but she was wearing her full armor, now, and marching steadily towards Octavia.
Octavia met her in the middle, and took her offered arm, to grasp it right below the elbow, just as Indra did with her. They looked at each other - and then let go, and turned in the direction Octavia had been headed, and began walking side by side.
No words needed.
[ooc: NFB, NFI, etc. Taken from The 100 S3 episode 7.]
And all she could think was, Good.
In the end, Semet didn't get what he wanted. He presented her to Lexa as a war criminal, brought there to bear witness to the crimes of her people. (A statement that made a bitter laugh bubble up inside Octavia, but it made it nowhere past the gag.) He asked Lexa to avenge his village. Jus drein jus daun. But Lexa decided to call upon the armies of the twelve clans to surround Arkadia and lock Skaikru in, to keep them from the lands they'd tried to take, and to give them time to take out Pike themselves.
And any Skaikru caught across the lines would be subject to a kill order.
It wasn't enough for Semet. He flew into a rage, calling for death to the commander - and earned his own swiftly at the hands of Lexa's advisor Titus.
Octavia was almost disappointed to be freed from her ropes. Almost. She was still rubbing her wrists when Clarke led her to the quarters she presumably shared with Lexa. They were pretty lavish, actually: a lot of space, big bed. Something Lucifer might have liked if he'd been at all like a grounder. (Wasn't it weirdly a part of what she'd liked about him? That he hadn't been.) She pushed that thought away, and took a seat on the nearest available surface. Rubbed her hands over her face and tried to remember the last time she'd gotten any decent rest.
(She couldn't.)
Clarke asked her if she was okay. "Yeah, fine," she replied, and felt that bubble of a joyless laugh again. "I saw Indra in the crowd," she said, pushing on. Indra had been standing at the sidelines, not in her usual warrior garb. And not at her usual place -- "Why wasn't she with Lexa?"
"Indra's not doing so well, Octavia," Clarke told her. There was a long pause, then she looked away. It made Octavia feel a faint trace of dread. "We can't deal with that right now."
"So what do we do?" Octavia asked, pushing herself back up to her feet even though almost every part of her protested her moving.
"I need to talk to Lexa."
"You just did that," Octavia pointed out, "and came out with a kill order on all of Skaikru. That's the second time that she left -- us all, to die." Clarke might have forgotten about Mount Weather, but Octavia sure as hell hadn't.
Clarke rose to her feet, putting them eye to eye. "The twelve clans want a war," she said, in that soft, earnest tone that always made Octavia feel like she was being treated like a child. "You know that. Lexa's just trying not to wipe us out."
Octavia paced away from her, then turned again. "Why am I not surprised you're still defending her?"
Clarke didn't take the bait for an argument. "I'll see what I can do," she said, and brushed past Octavia. "Stay here."
Octavia waited exactly long enough that Clarke was out the door, and then muttered, "Yeah right." Clarke could do what she wanted.
And so could Octavia.
It wasn't hard to find Indra. Someone from Trikru showed her the way, led her to where she could step under an awning - and there Indra was, sitting with her back turned. Suddenly, Octavia felt nervous. She'd seen Indra in Lexa's tent by the field of bodies, injured, but that was one thing. Actually talking to her one on one after all this time was quite another. "Ai don kom op hir na koma yu op," she said, her voice softer than she'd meant to sound.
Indra didn't turn around. "You waste your time," she replied evenly. "Nou bilaik koma hir."
But if there was one thing Octavia didn't do, it was take 'no' for an answer quite that easily. She moved closer, hoping to circle around to see Indra's face. "Ai gaf yu seiso in, Amin Indra," she tried.
Indra rose to her feet, but turned further away. Her voice sounded gravelly. "Go away."
Octavia stared at her back. "I need the woman I served as Second," she said, after a stunned silence. "I need the warrior who taught me to be who I am --"
"I said get out of here," Indra snapped, finally turning. "Sky Girl."
"Indra, please," Octavia said, tone going pleading. She'd never handled rejection well, and she couldn't understand what was going on with Indra -- and her tone went sharper again. "I'm going back to fight my own people, the people who did this to you!"
Indra had turned away again. She didn't answer.
"I'll fight my own brother if I have to, but I can't do it alone," Octavia continued. "One word from you and Trikru will --"
The slap knocked her sideways before she even had time to realize Indra had turned to face her. She pounced on instinct, and had Indra on her back, and her fist ready for a punch. "You see?" Indra gasped. "Even someone as slow and as weak as you can put me on my back." She gave Octavia a fevered glare, then tilted her face away. "I should've died on that field."
"We all die," Octavia hissed. "You can either do that here, feeling sorry for yourself, or you come back with me and get your revenge." She got off Indra and stalked back to the way out into the town square. She threw one last glance at Indra. "The choice is yours."
Then she walked out.
And then she waited. Waited and waited and waited, just hoping Indra would come out and join her and give her something. But she didn't. And then the sun began to set, and Octavia finally moved to go.
She'd made it maybe ten paces when she heard it.
"Okteivia kom Skaikru!"
The only voice who could still call her that and make her feel like it fit, somehow. She turned around immediately, and there Indra was. Her arm was in a sling, but she was wearing her full armor, now, and marching steadily towards Octavia.
Octavia met her in the middle, and took her offered arm, to grasp it right below the elbow, just as Indra did with her. They looked at each other - and then let go, and turned in the direction Octavia had been headed, and began walking side by side.
No words needed.
[ooc: NFB, NFI, etc. Taken from The 100 S3 episode 7.]