1x1 with Cloudsong

[cloudsong]

Nerea stared at him. So he was really asking her to follow the orders his leader had given? That she was to treat him like garbage? He really expected her to take up the chains and treat him with disdain, as she had been told to do? Somehow, Nerea didn't allow herself to answer that question, as it was quite clear already. He didn't want anything more to do with her other than the relationship they were supposed to have as master and Flawed. The thought was somewhat disheartening, but the brunette did not allow herself to show it as she accepted the chains from him, only as a formality. She tried to tell herself that he only wanted to save them from being reprimanded, as it would most definitely be worse for him if the rest of the resistance realized what they were actually doing.

She found herself wishing also, that he would have. He seemed so easy with the response, as if it were his initial reaction to speak with honesty. It was more than irritating for her to think that he was lying between his teeth as he tried to fix it by saying that she owed him. Of course he would say that.

"I won't stay to watch you be beaten again," she said after a moment. "If this is the path you wish to live, I won't stick around to watch you tortured." She paused for a moment, her fingers holding onto the chains as if they were not something she wanted to be in contact with. "Once it is free for me to leave, you will help me escape. And in turn, I will try to honor your ways." Even if it meant enduring another beating.

Her eyes did not rest on him for long however, and soon she was looking around at their surroundings with interest. "Tell me your name? Mine is Nerea." It was perhaps out of the blue to be introducing herself, but she didn't feel right being around someone she did not even know his name.

(Shorter post sorreh!)

[Leviathan]

So that was it then, if Archie wanted this girl to help him follow the resistance's ways, then he would have to help her escape. So I'm going to honoring the rules, by going against them..? That doesn't seem to make much sense. He thought about this for a tense moment, his mind scanning over everything that could happen if he agreed to these terms. What if Jacques caught him while he was trying to help her escape. What would he say? That he was just trying to do what he was told? That he was just trying to follow under what his master had commanded of him? He knew that, that wouldn't work, that Jacques would see right through him, and order his death. The girl would be kept in camp, heavily guarded and without the chance of even hoping to escape. It would be a terrible fate if everything went wrong, and the chance that they could even get out of camp... Damn! It was so unlikely that he would be able to follow through with this, but still, she would act as his master, like he knew was expected. Was it worth it? He sighed, and rubbed his forehead lightly, he looked at the people in the distance, working hard, and pretending that nothing had happened. Then he turned back to her, not meeting her eyes of course, as that was a sign of disrespect.

"I...I- suppose that it's the better thing to do. I'll help you then.. As long as you keep up your end of the bargain. No stand up speeches about how what we do is wrong, and no more defying what the leader says. Understood?" He spoke quickly, and quietly, making sure that no one else heard him speak. For one, he was speaking informaly, which was a sin within itself. A Flawed must always speak to its master with the highest respect that it could give. Plus if someone heard what they were talking about, it would be difficult for them to come up with some kind of excuse to what they meant. This better work out. It's going to be on my head if it doesn't... There was a place in his mind where he was regretting saving her, as she had caused him nothing but trouble since he had returned. However he knew that his conscience (however small it seemed at times) would have not allowed him to do something like that without feeling a terrible aftermath. Leaving her to die would have been the simpler solution, but not the better one.

The girl went on to tell him her name - Nerea. It was an odd name, that he had not heard before. When she asked him what his name was he almost let loose that she should have no need to called him 'Flawed' or 'slave' and nothing else. But knowing her, and what she acted like it would be best to avoid an argument and for him to just tell her his real name. "My name...-" He said, a frown covering his face as he paused. He knew that he shouldn't tell her, Flawed didn't have the rights to a real name (so to speak) and they were called anything but a suitable human name. "... Archer. But you cannot refer to me as such when we're around people. Call me 'Flawed' and nothing else. As that's the only thing that you're allowed to do so." He explained, hoping that she would get the message and not call him by his true name. He was already getting way over his head by introducing himself to this girl, let alone the fact that he was going to help her escape. This was madness, it was. But he would allow it to continue... For now.

After a moment he took a step away from her, and looked back down at his feet. "Now, will you allow me to show you to your tent?" He asked, keeping his face emotionless and dull. This tone became strangely monotoned as he spoke, as if he had been stripped of all emotions. "Jacques would have you situated before anything else." Basically he was saying that if she wanted his help to escape, they would have to find somewhere less public to do so. There were a couple of tents that did not have residents, and so she could make herself home there (at least for the moment.) Flawed were not allowed within the tents with their masters, but at least there would be more privacy to discuss a plan.

[cloudsong]

Nerea watched him carefully upon asking him the question. Her introduction seemed to cause no expression to pass by his face, but she was beginning to expect nothing less from him. He always seemed so pensive, with the occasional display of anger - but she suspected that even that was only visible when he allowed it to. There was a likeliness between the two, with the fact that Nerea also found it difficult at times, to control her emotions. Her speech however, was not so carefully monitored like his was. While he had an entire camp to grovel to, she was free to say what she liked - well, almost anything. It vexed her that there would possibly have to be a filter when she lived down here, as it meant that her usually free words would have to be thought about before she spoke. As he went on to tell her his name, and warn her not to use it when they were in front of people, she had to add one thing to her list of things that she could not do down here in the resistance camp. It was becoming a bother to be down here, and she was already missing her freedom.

"I'll try to stay in line," she said after a moment, but only because she could see that he was very wary. This was a serious matter for him - one that could actually become a potential danger to his own physical health. If she were to slip up and actually say his name in front of another, he would no doubt receive a harsh beating. And that was certainly something that neither of them wanted. Nerea was unsure why, but it had hurt her deeply to see the man on the ground, being beaten by the filth that strutted around here like they were chosen ones. She supposed it was because she had always believed this world was harmful enough on its own. Inflicting pain upon each other just made it even harder.

Nerea allowed her eyes to grace his stature once again, and noticed that he was again avoiding her eyes. While she understood that it was part of her bargain to keep, she couldn't help but scowl slightly. He had expected her opinion of him to diminish when she found out that he was Flawed, but if anything, the protective feeling had strengthened. She didn't want to see anyone touch him violently, as it was not something she would tolerate.

When he asked if he could show her to her tent, she hesitated. Accepting this would almost be as if saying that she was agreeing to stay, which was certainly not part of the bargain. Archer was going to help her escape. But for now... I would only cause a scene if I rejected this offer. "All right, fine," she said diplomatically after a moment. "Lead the way then, Flawed." Her tone was not harsh however, and as she leaned in towards him slightly, she posed a softer question that only he would be able to hear; "But where do you sleep?" She was beginning to wonder if those cells across the hall were for the Flawed, and that idea was one that sickened her.

[Leviathan]

Archie was pleased at first, considering that she behaved.. well, slightly normal. At least she said the right thing. For once. He thought bitterly. This would be harder than expected, trying to make sure that she kept herself (and him) in line. She really had a lot to learn if she was going to be kept down here until she managed to escape. Archie just hoped that as she got more, and more used to how they did things here, maybe she would realize more, and more of there mannerisms. And even if she didn't desire to believe in them, at least go along with them. Let's just hope that she's good at acting. Because if she wants to even have a chance at escaping, she's going to need to make sure that everyone trusts her first. Which will mean that she's going to have to adjust to what we do down here, and how we do it. No questions about it. This was true, gaining the trust of the people here might make it a lot easier to help her escape. And we only have the time that the demons remain close to our camp to get the respect of everyone here. This is going to be.... interesting.

When she asked him where is was that he slept he narrowed his eyes. Why should she care about something like that? Normally he would just brush off the question, and just ignore her as a whole. But that was not an option, as his dutied as a Flawed with a master, was that he had to answer any questions that she had with honesty. Which he could tell might interfere with getting her out of here, and back onto the surface. "In the cages." He muttered lowly, to make sure that no one other than her could hear him. "Jacques fears that one of us will have a fit in the middle of the night, and that if we're free we might end up harming someone before we're killed." That was the truth, cold and a bit harsh, but he knew for a fact that when a Flawed had a fit, it was not something that anyone wanted to see. Was that what happened to be eariler? Did I have a fit? He really hoped not, as he knew that beginning to have fits was a sign of the demonic poison starting to take over your body, and beginning the downhill spiral to death. Archie didn't really fear death, as he had seen so much of it in his life. What he worried about, was the chance that he wouldn't be killed before he turned into a mindless husk, and that he would be forced to become... one of those things. They were dreadul, and purely demonic in their presence. That was one of his biggest fears.. becoming a demon's plaything.

Without another word, Archie began to make his way down to the area where the tents were located, making sure not to go too far ahead of Nerea though, as the metal would become strained, and burn against his skin. As he finally made his way to the corner of the camp, he saw one small tent which seemed to be vacant. It was old, and was a dusty black and grey, with some picture of an owl on the side of it. Inside there would no doubt be a sleeping bag, and maybe a pillow. Pregnant mothers were the only ones who got cots to sleep on, and everyone else (save the Flawed) got sleeping bags. Of course and the other Flawed had nothing. Sometimes on the really cold nights they would sleep closer together to get as much body heat as they could. But they were still forced to still on the rugged, and dirty ground. It's where we are meant to sleep. As it's a reminder of what we are inside. It was sad that Archie thought this way, but it had been inbred into him. That he was worthless, and not better than some kind of bug crawling across the floor. He didn't see anything wrong with thinking like this though, as to him it was nothing less than the truth.

[cloudsong]

Nerea wasn't exactly sure how she was supposed to react to his muttered reply. So her initial thought had been correct - he and the other Flawed slept in the cages. She shouldn't have expected any better, as he had been so keen to compare himself to dirt. It was as if spending all this time with the rebels had actually brain-washed Archer, as he whole-heartedly believed the words they would say about him and his fellow Flawed. Once again she wondered why he stuck around the place, but seeing that he had told her earlier to mind her own business, the girl didn't really think her opinion would be welcomed. Rather than trying to stir up trouble, she just averted her eyes, not wanting to see the dark look on his face any longer - it was too much to bear. She couldn't help but feel drawn to him, even if he had been so rough with her when they had met. She still could feel the slap that he had thrown at her face, and could hear his angry words as he had demanded to know if she was a demon. But somehow in spite of his violence, Archer had saved her - even if she had been brought down into this hellhole to escape the demons. He had saved her, and yet had told her to mind her own business - that he wanted nothing to do with her. Perhaps it would be best to just abandon the hope that perhaps this man could actually be a friend. He's not Jack, a bitter voice in the back of her head reminded her. And he's not someone that cares about you.

When they reached the tent that he motioned was going to be her makeshift home, Nerea tipped her head to one side, looking around it. She instantly disliked the open feeling it gave - usually she would like to hide in places where three walls were behind her, so that she wouldn't be attacked. With its open door, and flimsy material, the tent would not serve as any protection at all. She might even have preferred the cages. At least then, there would be metal bars protecting her from her enemies.

She didn't really think he was expecting a reply, and so Nerea didn't offer one as she approached the tent, lifting the opening up to see the inside. By the look on her face, it was obvious that she was not pleased with the arrangement, and after a moment, she seemed to decide on how to improve it. Silently she leaned down and picked up the bottom of it, and dragged it to the corner wall, where it sat cramped up against the cold cement. To others, it probably would seem strange, but in that moment Nerea didn't really care. All she wanted was to be able to lean against a wall, knowing that no one would be able to attack her.

Once she had finished, the girl allowed herself a glance over in Archer's direction. "I guess that I will see you tomorrow, then," she said softly, her words deliberate as she formed them on her mouth. A lump formed in her throat as she was reminded once again of all the goodbyes she had said in her life - no one had ever come back. It almost felt as though leaving Archer now would be a final farewell also. She reminded herself that she didn't care however, and just passed the chains once more to him. He could probably get back to his cage on his own.

( *cue time-skip ;D )

[Leviathan]

It had been two days since Nerea had first come into the Resistance camp. Archer was tried of trying to keep the girl from doing things the way that they did, and it became a rising reality that she truly didn't know anything of the rules and boundaries that were given to anyone who joined the Resistance. Because that was what she was considered now, not a guest, nothing of the sort, but a remaining fighter of the group. Though everyone was a bit cautious of the girl at first, after what had happened during her first day, things soon began to calm down, and they accepted their new comrade. Little did they know that her and Archer would be sneaking off now and then to devise a plan for her to escape. It was quite difficult to do so, with most of the places around camp being too public to speak about such a matter, but when a moment was found in which they could discuss with haste their plan and objective, it was moments well spent. Their plan was simple, on Thursday night (two days away) there would be a man named Louis Timberlake on guard. Now Louis wasn't the most vigilant guard, and Archer had seen him many times drifting off into naps turning his guarding route. It would be then that they would leave. Archer would act as Nerea's guide and lead her a good distance away from the camp, and Archer would come back. When asked of what had happened, Archer would merely state that his had locked him up in the cage, and snuck out. He might risk a beating, but it would be the best that could be done. At least at such a short notice as this. But they would have to wait another two days to do this, for now they had other things to worry about.

As Archer had guessed Nerea's appearance in the Resistance had striked a lot of interest with a lot of the men who were here. Archer would occasionally see men arguing over who would get to flirt with her. A casual first step to "doing the business" with the females. Archer wasn't blind, he was well aware that Nerea appeared to be physically attractive, but he could not believe that everyone was worried about such small things at a time like this. Well once Nerea leaves they'll have to go back to the women that they have in the camp. They probably won't be too happy with me. That thought often made Archer smirk, he wasn't sure why, but the thought of upseting the other men by letting their prize go just seemed too funny. But of course, he could not show his amusement, he would have to remain totally unphased by it all, and take whatever insults and beatings came his way. It would also seem that Jacques would be one of these men, as he had made himself extra 'useful' in making sure that Nerea was kept as homely and taken care of as possible. Archer didn't think that Jacques had ever taken interest in any females in the camp, even though he was the one who declared the laws of continuing on the generations, and making a stronger army. It would be a lie to say that Archer wasn't a bit afraid of what the man could do when he was angry, when he was really angry.

Currently it was dinner time, though Archer wasn't pretty sure that it was just a guess that it was around noon, (as no one ever really knew the time anymore. What did time matter? The demons were they day and night, and it didn't matter what time they ate or slept at. The beasts would still be there. With all these thoughts Archer pressed his head up against the wall with a small sigh. He was just outside of Nerea's tent, waiting until their sector was called to get some soup (which was more or less just some bits of 'this and that' thrown together in a pot), and he would go up and get some of it for Nerea. As was proper for a Flawed to do for their master. That was when Archer noticed two figures coming towards them. One of them was Jacques holding onto the chain of a young boy Flawed who's name was Robin. He couldn't have been more than fourteen, and was holding a small plate of sandwichs, while being pulled along by Jacques. "Hello there, nice day." Jacques was clearly speaking to Nerea, a chuckle in his voice. "Since I am the head of this... Resistance, I generally get best pick of the food. Today was sandwichs, and I was wondering if I could have the honor of sharing them with you." Archer wanted to crinkle his nose in disgust at what was being said, but knew better than to. Instead there was a silent conversation between him, and the little boy Robin.

'Is there anyway you can help me?'

'I wish there was kid, I really wish there was....'

[cloudsong]

Nerea was beginning to realize that she was slowly integrating into this small society. With each passing day, she felt almost as if she and Archer grew more intoned, what with their secret meetings revolving around her escape. It gave them somewhat of a secret bond, to be working together towards a common goal. But while he remained as emotionless as ever, Nerea couldn't help but imagine that he was beginning to enjoy her company as well. Perhaps in a small sense, anyway. He hadn't killed her yet, at least. In a world as violent as the one they lived in, this was strangely enough, a point in his favor.

She tried to avoid any interaction with the other members of the resistance as often as she could. Remembering the bargain she had made to Archer, Nerea was quite aware what was at stake. Behaving herself was an essential part of their plan, as he had warned her that he would not help her escape should she not watch her actions. While it was hard to keep her tongue, and to accept the chores that came her way, Nerea was beginning to grow used to it. She felt the gazes of the men on her whenever she would pass by with Archer, her fingers holding the chains that bonded him stiffly. They probably lusted for contact with women, as the few that were here either were pregnant, or with other men. Females here were easily outnumbered, as the demons had made every effort to steal them away to create Flawed. The few women that were part of the resistance would not treat her kindly. Their looks were burning fire, probably rueful that this newcomer was stealing attention away from themselves. But Nerea didn't mind - it wasn't as if she were flattered from being noticed by the men. If anything, she was highly amused that any of them believed she would bow down to their will and actually pair up.

Archer had kept by her side, as any Flawed would have to do with their keeper. It wasn't as if Nerea minded the company, as the man was somewhat a comfort in this strange place. On the afternoon of the second day there, she found herself next to her tent, waiting alongside him as the tents around them were called to eat. The brunette seemed content to remain seated with her back against the cement wall, her fingers occupied by the chains that never seemed to leave her grasp. Her fingers ran over the rough metal tirelessly, her gaze resting on a spot somewhere beyond.

She didn't notice the approaching party until the smooth voice of a man cut into her daydream. Nerea looked up instantly, seeing Jacques halted a few feet away, accompanied by a man who held the chains of a young Flawed boy. She knew the boy by name - Robin, as she had seen Archer talk with him a few times during her stay. The concept of owning the Flawed, and treating them like scum, remained a revolting concept to her, despite how she had promised not to show her emotions. So rather than narrowing her eyes at the men that were offering her food, Nerea forced a cool smile onto her face, and slowly stood up from her spot against the wall.

Her eyes drifted towards Archer for a moment, seeing that he was speaking in silence to the young boy. As Jacques offered that they share dinner, she was tempted to decline, and perhaps even insult his choice in food. But knowing that Archer was watching, and that behaving herself was a key to her own escape, Nerea could not. "How kind of you to suggest such a thing," she said after a moment, her voice somewhat distant as she took another step towards him. Although she had little to no experience with men, she had read of romance in the few books she had found throughout the course of her life. She knew enough to know that this man was interested in her body, and that fact in itself was disturbing.

[Leviathan]

Archer had to admit that he was impressed with the fact that Nerea was able to hold herself so she did not insult Jacques. Archer could sense the brief tension which was coming from her, and he knew that she probably wanted nothing more than to tell the man to leave. At least she's honoring the deal that we made. It was a bright side to having to be in the presence of a man of whom Archer detested. Jacques was not a fit leader, and he did not have the skills to be able to bring any hope to humanity's dying cause. And yet there was nothing that Archer could do to state his beliefs, as they would just be shrugged off as the opinion of a Flawed, and he would be beaten for even having an opinion at that. He was supposed to be mindless to bend to the will of whoever was in control of him at the moment. He had found this slightly more easier since Nerea had taken over control of him. He knew that she felt more secure when he was around, though he wasn't sure why. It wasn't like he was going to help her if a situation broke out between her and another member of the Resistance. But for whatever reason it seemed like she was using him as her own personal anchor, not a role that Archer was all too fond of, but one that he preferred over that of a foot-stool.

"Haha, thank you for accepting. Robin. The food." Jacques smooth French accent hardened when he spoke to the Flawed, not even looking at him. Of course not, looking at him might kill you right away. Robin was a scared little kid, who always seemed to have his head in the clouds, during their time in the cages Robin would always be telling Archer of some kind of story that he had made up. He was a sweet boy, and Archer almost seemed to think of him as a kind of younger brother. Of course he could not defend Robin when it came to some trouble that he caused, it didn't stop Archer from wishing that he could beat in the skulls of those monsters kicking a poor little kid. Robin had lost both of his parents during a demon attack, and had been brought out with his uncle who had escaped with him. He was discovered to be a Flawed when he was nine years old, and had since been living in the slums with Archer and the rest of the Flawed. He was by far the youngest of the Flawed, the second being a nineteen year old named Abby who rarely spoke to anyone, even the other Flawed. The clink of the plate touching against the floor made Archer snap out of his thoughts. "So, Nerea." Jacques said, sitting down and folding his legs, whilst pushing the sandwhich plate in Nerea's direction, obviously implying that she should take the first half. "If you don't mind me asking, how does a pretty girl like you survive upstairs? I mean the world is in complete chaos, and I've never heard of anyone outside of the Resistance.. well, ever. You must have done well to keep yourself under the radar." Archer had to admit that he to was curious as to finding out how the girl had managed to survive all these years on her own. Surely she must have had help of some kind. Was his usual answer (to himself). But he wanted to hear what Nerea would say.

He turned his glaze slightly to look at Nerea, making sure to keep his head facing down so Jacques wouldn't see that he was looking at his master. There was a hint of something in his eye, something that hold that he was indeed interested to hear what she was going to say as well. In truth the boy was that of a very curious make, of course he didn't know this, as to him he could have no personality traits, he had nothing inside of him. Nothing that would make him even remotely human. If somewhere were to tell him that he was curious, he would probably laugh it off, and call you insane for even thinking that he would even be able to feel something of a human nature. His biggest wish was to be a human, and to be able to feel how humans do. Little did he know that he already had all of that, he was just keeping it away from himself.

[cloudsong]

Nerea could tell by the way he replied, that Jacques was pleased by her acceptance. He spoke lightly to her in that strange accent that he did not recognize, and even had a note of laughter in his midsts. The brunette watched the man cautiously as he continued to smile at her for a moment, her own expression mirroring his in a forced, unhappy sort of way. No doubt he would overlook that, however, as Nerea was beginning to notice that Jacques was not very observant. He had failed to realize that she had Archer had been planning her escape for days now, and did not seem to notice the looks of loathing she would send in his direction when they were across the room.

As the leader snarled the request to the young boy, Nerea couldn't keep the forced smile in place. She frowned openly as she watched the men abuse the young boy, seeing them tug violently on his chains. It was unpleasant to watch, and she found herself for a moment almost losing the control that was so hard for her to remain in place. Her curse was itching forward, as if taking advantage of her sudden emotion, and with some effort, Nerea pushed it away. She couldn't afford to bring any suspicions down on herself, in this perilous time. In two days, she needed to be free to escape. If this man suspected the truth - that she was touched by a demon's hand - then she might be locked up along with the rest of the Flawed. Perhaps she would even be declared as one then and there. This was something she could not afford, as it would mean a lifetime of imprisonment. She so desperately treasured the idea of her freedom, and was so close already.

As the young boy approached her, holding the shaking platter towards her, Nerea's eyes softened. She pitied the boy - hated the idea that he was treated like trash. A small smile formed on her lips, this time one that was not forced. She leaned down and gently touched the boy's cheek, a caress that lasted only a moment. "Thank you, Robin," she said gently, with a soft smile. Although she was aware that the other two men would look at her strangely for treating a Flawed with such kindness, at that moment Nerea was too upset to care. She hated seeing him so scared, and wanted him to know that she meant him no harm.

When she returned her gaze to Jacques, the kindness vanished instantly, to be replaced this time with a neutral, cold expression. She sat down in front of him only because she felt obligated to do so, and even then took care to keep her distance. As the platter was pushed towards her, she silently took one of the offerings into her slender fingers, but did not bring it towards her mouth yet.

The question he posed was probably one to strike up a conversation, but Nerea was not keen to answer honestly. "I guess I just knew how to hide," she said calmly, her voice pleasant as the lie rolled off her tongue effortlessly. Of course she wasn't going to tell them that the reason the demons weren't alerted by her human presence was because of the curse that binded her so tightly - it gave off the aura of a demon itself, and allowed her to blend in to the shadows without them even noticing. It was the same presence that Archer had felt when they had first met - he had demanded to know if she was Flawed. Her eyes glanced over in the direction of the Flawed in question, and she saw for a brief second that he was looking her way - perhaps having been interested by her answer? She brushed off the thought before it even really registered. Archer wasn't interested in anything she had to say - this she had concluded after these days they had spent together.

She offered up no other conversation to the topic, but somehow anticipated that the man would continue to speak. After all, he had come here for a reason - that probably being to get her into his bed.

[Leviathan]

Archer could tell that Jacques was being a bit dense to the fact that it was clear that Nerea wanted nothing to do with him. Of course he's going to act this way. He just believes if he could shrug it off maybe she would decide that it wasn't such a bad idea to get with him. Even though he had known Nerea for very long she didn't seem like someone that would change her thoughts so easily, and she seemed like someone that once she was set in her ways, she would be there unshaken. Of course this also meant that it would be more difficult for him to get her to conform to their ways, even if it were only for a few more days. This was evident when she called Robin by his name, and acted politely towards him. Archer could see Robin hide a smile, and shy away from it all, Jacques had looked a bit puzzled for a second, and then seemed to form a bit of a stiff frown. However it seemed like only a moment later when he was backing to smiling dumbly towards Nerea, like some hormone unbalanced teenager. Archer was desperately holding back to urge to roll his eyes, as it would be a giant disgrace. But that didn't mean that he didn't feel sick to the stomach at Jacques desperate attempts to woo Nerea.

"Oh I see," Jacques said after Nerea's brief and non-detailed answer as to how she managed to survive up on the surface. "Well I'm glad you did survive. Such a pretty girl like yourself, it would be a shame for you to die." Archer was starting to boil, he couldn't truly determine a reason why, but he was not happy with Jacques flirting with Nerea. Probably because she was the only one to want to help the Flawed in their peril (even though that was just silly), and Jacques was the one who was making him and all the other Flawed live like dogs. He didn't want to see someone who had so much potential lost because someone who was an utter fool was holding her back. Stop thinking those thoughts Archie! He snapped at his internal self. Jacques is the leader, whatever he says is correct, and if he wishes to be with Nerea than it should be her pleasure to want to be with him. He's a fine man, a great soldier, and...- No, these thoughts were wrong. Jacques was a fool, and a coward. Someone that was keeping everyone from facing the demons and succeeding. Nerea would be a lost cause if she went with Jacques, and in truth the man would probably forget she existed, even if she ended up baring him a child.

Watching Jacques moments, Archer narrowed his eyes when he saw Jacques slowly begin to shift closer to Nerea, a hand outreached to try and touch Nerea's arm. "Listen, I know you're new here, and no one has really showed you the ropes, so why don't you just come with me. I could show you something.. hehe, that you haven't seen before." That was just too far from Archer, lunging towards Jacques he whacked the man on the side of his face with all the strength that he had. Jacques fell face down onto the ground with a snort, and for a moment everything was quiet, and all Archer could hear was the racing of his own heart. That was until Jacques pushed himself up, blood dripping from his nose, a massive bruise under his eye and on his cheek. "You...." Jacques snarled, leaping at Archer and pushing him towards the floor, he held one arm at Archer's neck, and with the other hand continued to punch him in the jaw, over and over again. There was an intense pain running from his face, but he did nothing to stop Jacques. He had already done too much, he had done something that no one should have ever done. And why? Well he wasn't even sure.