Time was a strange thing now, hours blending into each other and whirling together like the environment around them. Sam was very well reminded of why she didn’t travel, those anchors tattooed on her hands a more precious commodity than ever. They didn’t work at the moment, though, and she couldn’t focus on it anyway for the waves upon waves of emotions.
It’d been nearly two days, truthfully, and Sam was having trouble finding anything to ground herself so that it could all stop. She’d travelled across the world and back again, in and out of dangerous situations and through all of the emotions in her wheelhouse. Still, she couldn’t find anything to grasp onto. She was becoming too exhausted to try.
The scenery had shifted again and the Captain of the Musketeers was finally starting to get his bearings. He wasn't sure what in the world was happening, but the nausea from the earlier shifts had finally passed as he got more used to randomly teleporting (he wasn't sure if that was the right word) to places he wasn't at all familiar with, before doing it again. And again. He'd lost count of how many times this had happened, but every time he saw the same girl. He vaguely recognized her, but they shifted again before he could reach her.
She looked to be finally slowing down and since he was getting used to the movement, he finally strode up to her and cautiously touched her elbow. "Mademoiselle, if you'd be so kind to let us rest here for a few moments, it would be appreciated. I'm not sure my stomach can take much more of this bouncing all over creation."
Being approached was about the last thing in the world Sam expected, and she had experienced quite a lot in the last hours. She jumped when he touched her, but everything sprang to a halt. His presence distracted her from the whirlwind.
“Oh,” she breathed. “Oh, I’m so sorry. It’s connected to my emotions, and they’re all over the place, and usually I am grounded to keep it from happening because I hate it and I get so sick, I’m so so sorry.”
Athos was generally known for his calming demeanor, with the exception of the situations were one of the other Musketeers (usually Aramis) did something that got a rise out of him. So he tilted his head for a moment and motioned for her to sit with him at a nearby table. He let her sit first before taking his own seat and placed his hat on the table.
"I take it this isn't normal for you. Do you know why your emotions are all over the place? If we can sort out the cause, I can hopefully help you resolve it. Anything's better than paperwork, if I'm being honest."
She sat, jittery in her chair. Sam was typically so even-keeled, and this was definitely an anomaly for her. It reminded her of her childhood, before she got the anchors and when her emotions were wild and untrained. It left a sick feeling in her stomach.
“Not at all, I’m usually very in control of them,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m an empath. I absorb emotions from others. I’m also a Traveler, which explains all of the movement, but I usually don’t actually go anywhere because of these.” She showed her currently useless tattoos. “Something is keeping me from collecting my emotions, and the emotions are triggering the shifts.”
"Is this something you've experienced before? We've already been here longer than we've been in any of the other locations, which means either it's wearing off or having someone to talk to is helping. Or perhaps you've exhausted yourself. In any of those cases, I'm happy to help however I can."
He finally recognized her, after the description. "You're one of the future children, yes? You know my son, Liam?" If anything, Athos assumed that having thoughts to ground herself could serve as enough distraction to sort herself out. To be fair, he really wasn't sure how much 'Traveling' he could take and keep his-- whichever last meal he had.
“Not since I was very, very young. It was worse before I learned how to control myself and what I took in from others. It was always the worst, though. I hated the feeling of chaos,” she said, but she nodded, and took deep breaths. This was the first time in awhile that she felt like she could actually take the time to do so. “I appreciate it, truly. I’m a therapist; I don’t like feeling out of control of my own emotions.”
She nodded then, smiling. “I do! Not as well as I’d like, but I do know him. He’s very sweet,” she said. “I’m Sam, Penny and Kady’s daughter.”
With the deep breaths and the smile, he was comforted in thinking that maybe she'd found what she needed to get herself back where she needed to be. "Hello, Sam. I'm Athos, formerly a King's Musketeer and now a trainer of combat and tactics. And tactically speaking, it sounds like the best way to disable an empath and traveler would be to induce a sort of panic to make her unsure of herself and her abilities."
Athos tapped his fingers on the table. "I think we may be under attack in some fashion, that being the case. If so," he began, before his breath caught. Across the way, he could plainly see Anne with Louis, Aramis, and Porthos all enjoying a picnic. Aramis even met his eye for a brief second and looked away, as if wanting nothing to do with him.
She was breathing a lot easier now, and that definitely was a big difference. She could rein herself back in now, and put her walls up in a way that kept out the chaos. “It’s nice to meet you, she said, and nodded to his guess. It made a lot of sense.
“I think you’re right,” she said, noticing the way he trailed off. She followed his eyes curiously. “That’s your family, right? Those men, they’re Musketeers too, and that baby is Tristan?”
"Yes, on all counts. I thought," responded Athos, uncertain as to what was going on. He collected his hat and got to his feet. "If you'll excuse me for a moment?" he asked, not waiting for an answer or at least not hearing her if there was one. As soon as he started towards his friends, he registered a quick look of disgust on Porthos' face before the group started to collect their things and leave.
Athos stopped in his tracks. He didn't understand. Did they truly want nothing to do with him anymore? Had he done something so horribly wrong that deserved shunning?
Sam watched the movement, the way they shuffled away, and the way Athos just… stood there in the aftermath. She could feel the conflicted emotions rolling off of him, her brow furrowing. She stood, moving to him to observe the group. “Do you think they did not recognize you, perhaps? Maybe we’re too far away.”
Athos put his hat back on and turned away, frown evident on his face. "No, we're not too far away. They've just decided to move on with their lives. I understand. There's no need for the Musketeers as a unit any longer, after all. I suppose I knew this was coming." He returned back to where he'd been sitting and just tapped the table. If he could spot a waiter, he'd definitely order a strong drink.
"Are you feeling better?"
“There may not be an occupational need for it, but that doesn’t mean there’s not a familial need for it. I’m sure there’s a good reason for the way they’re acting,” she said. “It may not be them pulling away from you, but rather just… adding more to their lives.”
She nodded at his question. “Actually, yes. I can feel my head clearing up a great deal.”
With a nod, Athos dropped back into his seat. No matter what Sam said, he just just clearly seen them making every effort to enjoy themselves without his interference. If that wasn't pulling away, he wasn't sure what else it could be. He could only assume he'd done something to put them off, but he honestly had no idea what that could be.
"Well, I certainly wish them all the happiness they deserve, in this life and the next."
Sam joined him at the table, worried for him and the evident unhappiness in him. “That’s very kind of you, Athos. I’m sure they appreciate it mightily,” she said, unsure of what else she could do to convince him that there was something strange afoot. “How long have you known them?”
"As long as I've truly known myself," he answered, thinking of how he'd always considered them all inseparable. How they'd just added more and more to their brood, starting with D'Artagnan and then Constance, and Anne and Louis as of late. To seem them moving on with their lives without him was painful, but a part of him knew it had to happen eventually. He couldn't expect them to constantly keep his anti-social self in their life considerations. Still, it hurt him more deeply than he realized it would.
“It’s difficult to face the growing pains of adding more people to your family, especially ones that seem to mean splitting attention. Sometimes, that just means adjusting a little yourself and focusing on things that are important to you too. People evolve and grow and find extra fulfillment, which isn’t always a bad thing. It doesn’t make it any easier, though,” she said, nodding a bit. “Do you have things of your own?”
"Family and friendship are the only things I've cared about. And now that--" Athos sighed. Ever since giving up his nobility (or trying to) and becoming a soldier, all he'd cared about was his brothers-in-arms. And even that had eventually solidified on just those closest to him. That was the evolution, the growing, that she'd referred to, yes? To see that drift away from him, though, out of his control? It scared him, losing the only thing that really mattered.
“Athos, I think you ought to address this with them. If they truly are trying to drift away, it will provide you that confirmation. If not, it’s something that can be discussed so that they understand that you do not want to be forgotten,” she said. “Vocalizing fears like these helps tremendously, I’ve found. Especially with people who know you and are trusted and loved by you.”
"I don't generally discuss feelings," responded Athos, glancing back to where his friends had been sitting earlier. Where they were now, he had no idea. "But you raise a good point. I have been trying to be more open since I met Liam. And talking things out has helped me get closer to Isabela." There was a lot of sense in what Sam said, and he hadn't been willing to admit it was a fear until she said it out loud.
"I'll do that when I see them next."
“I, meanwhile, do it professionally,” she responded, with a bit of a smile. She nodded as he spoke, because she was a firm believer in getting feelings out into the open. It was the only real way to address them.
“Well, in the meantime, it’s rather nice here now that it’s settled. I suppose we can sit awhile.”