[color=a2d39c][h1][center]Raze Colter[/center][/h1][/color]

The feeble boy finally noticed Raze standing behind the blue-haired maiden. Their eyes deadlocked for a few moments before [i]Leo the Lion[/i] finally spoke up.

[color=fff79a]"Good morning, and welcome to Wi-Hi!"[/color]  Leon greeted Raze with a grin. [color=fff79a]"So, what can I get you for you, [i]Raze[/i]?"[/color] [color=a2d39c][i]So, the little cretin knows my name now.[/i][/color] [color=fff79a]"We have a new set of coffee that just arrived from Brazil.  We like to call it [i]'Death's Wake Up Call'[/i].  It will really smack the living shadows out of you.  Also, we have another one known as [i]'Shovel to Your Face'[/i], and it's an Arabica brew that will snap you out of your misery,"[/color]  Leon suggested, pointing to a newly delivered sack of coffee beans.  [color=fff79a]"Your misery of drowsiness and coldness, I mean."[/color] At this last remark, Raze grinned slightly, amused by Leon’s attempts at intimidation and threatening. He’d gotten worse from some of his previous patients.

Leon left him for a few minutes to converse with the blue-haired maiden. The boy’s infatuation was painfully obvious, and his pitiful attempts at flirting with her literally made Raze cringe. [color=a2d39c][i]Yeesh, smooth operator.[/i][/color] As Leon left Claire to return to Raze, his once-wide grin immediately dropped to a scrunched up frown.

[color=fff79a]"So,"[/color]  Leon composed himself. [color=fff79a]"What poison would you like to order today?  And, by poison, I mean a drink.  You know... metaphors... and all..."[/color]

Raze smirked at the boy, his head slightly shaking. [color=a2d39c]”You know, I’m really glad I came here this morning. Watching you flounder helplessly with women is really funny, I’ve never seen something so embarrassing.”[/color] Raze sighed heavily and turn his eyes upward to the menu plastered on wall behind Leon. [color=a2d39c]”It’s a shame, all of these new drinks, and nothing I think that you could actually follow through with.”[/color]

Just then, a purple-haired kid slithered between Raze and the counter barricading Leon from him. [b]"A murder case, huh? What funny business goes down this joint? Clowns running around with blades?"[/b] He grinned. [b]"I'll order one ham-and-cheese croissant with one licorice macaron. No butter, please."[/b]

The boy never turned to face Raze, but Raze kept glowering at him the whole time, irked by his disrespect. After the purple-haired boy left, Raze turned his eyes back to Leon. [color=a2d39c]”I had an idea for a drink the other day. I call it [i]’Tip of the Spear.’[/i] Catchy, right?”[/color] Raze leaned over the counter and began to whisper harshly, [color=a2d39c]“The last guy I made it for basically keeled over and died. Don’t make me do the same to you.”[/color] He slid a hand into his back pocket and pulled out a black leather wallet. [color=a2d39c]”For now, I think I’ll ha-”[/color]

Before he could finish his sentence, Raze was once again rudely interrupted, this time by a stumbling young man with stringy grey-black hair with a leashed...beetle. The boy shambled into Raze, wrapping his fingers around Raze’s arm and desperately pleaded, "[color=92278f]How do you deal with it? It's been one night and I am about ready to break. I know you hear it too. [i]How do you deal with the voices?[/i][/color]" It was Moritz, the one possessed by Malzahar from the day before. His eyes were wild and crazy, no more sane than a frenzied animal clinging onto its last inch of life. Raze was very familiar with this expression; he’d seen it many times on his other patients. Raze’s immediate reaction was incredulous annoyance, but after staring into Moritz’ eyes, his training as a therapist kicked in.

[color=92278f]”... F-frappuccino, please. And I'll pay for whatever he's having.”[/color] Moritz glanced over his shoulder at the line snaking behind them. [color=92278f]”And, uh, theirs too.”[/color]

Raze quickly whipped out a $20 and slammed it down on the counter. Leaning his weight onto the arm on the counter, Raze stared into Leon’s eyes and plainly stated, [color=a2d39c]”One frappuccino, one Vanilla Mocha with two shots of espresso, no whipped cream. Not paying for everyone else.”[/color]

He gently placed an arm on Moritz’ shoulder and steered him towards the door. He quietly spoke to Moritz, [color=a2d39c]”You gotta keep it together. I know this is tough and is unlike anything you’ve dealt with, but you can’t let your fears scare everyone else around you either.”[/color]

As Raze and Moritz walked toward the entrance, Raze bumped shoulders with a grizzled man, rippling with muscles. Despite being significantly shorter than Raze, the man’s bulk barreled through Raze like he was a saloon door. Already irritated, Raze scowled at the jet-black-haired man as he called over his shoulder, [b]”Pardon me, bud."[/b] Raze could barely make out the side of the man’s face, spotting a slight grin peeking out from behind rocky cheeks bones speckled with flecks of granite stubble.

Raze turned his attention forward, spotting Liam behind the stubbled man, as well as Sam off to the side speaking to a young woman with snow-white hair and streaks of pink. To Liam, Raze gave a nod of acknowledgement, while he lifted his hand to wave towards Sam. [@Leolycan][@Kiroue]

Moritz and Raze exited the cafe and sat down at a round, metal table colored a dark forest green with matching chairs. Raze leaned back in his seat and rested his hands on his forehead. [color=a2d39c]”Yeah, I hear the voices. I wouldn’t be surprised is every one of us heard voices.”[/color] He sat his chair back down normally and rested his hands in his lap, watching pedestrians as they passed by in front of them. [color=a2d39c]”The truth is, I don’t deal with the voices. Hecarim is always here, always sneering and ridiculing me. Sometimes, I look into the mirror and I see his skull staring back at me...”[/color]

In reality, it was every time he looked into the mirror. Raze was too terrified to look at his reflection any more. Where his own pale face should be, Raze only saw the armored, skeletal visage of Hecarim wrapped in hellfire. It had been so long since he saw his own face, he was starting to forget what he looked like.

Raze looked straight at Moritz now, his expression grim and somber. [color=a2d39c]”I hate to say it, but I don’t think you’ll be any different. Our champions are likely going to be a part of our lives forever now...the trick isn’t avoiding them, though. The trick is mastering them. Who’s in control, you? Or Malzahar?”[/color] He leaned forward now, his voice more impassioned and fiery, [color=a2d39c]”You need a goal; a purpose. We have these powers for a reason. What are you going to use your’s for?”[/color]

[@Adalrod][@Cubix]

[hr]
[color=f6989d][h1][center]Vicki Victory[/center][/h1][/color]

[color=a0410d]I figured you might want someone to talk to if you were still having a hard time with anything or just needed questions answered.[/color]"

Vicki drew her arm back to her side and smiled. [color=f6989d]”Y’know...I think that’s exactly what I need right now. Thank you.[/color]

At that moment, Clarice bellowed out to everyone inhabiting the cafe, [b]Alright guys and girls, anyone wanting to join my small sparring session?”[/b] Gesturing towards Alex, she continued with a confident smile, [b]” I plan to give him a run for his money, anyone else wanting to take up on the challenge?”[/b] Vicki felt a sort of kindred spirit within Clarice. This was a woman that Vicki could definitely get along with...but now was not yet the time.

Sam turned her gaze back to Vicki, eyes both aflame with excitement and softened with compassion. The look of a person completely invested in you at that moment. [color=a0410d]”Hey, what d'ya think? Fighting sounds pretty rad, but I think I'd be just as happy chatting with you for awhile.”[/color]

Flashes of yesterday’s events popped into Vicki’s mind. Two moments kept replaying in her mind out of everything else: the exact moment that Don flew through the shattered remains of the gym’s window, and the agonized scream of Garrett as his arm was crushed into bits between Vicki’s palm. She shuddered.

Vicki shrank into herself, grabbing either arm as if trying to warm them. One side of her mouth pursed before responding, [color=f6989d]”I think I’ve had enough fighting for a while…”[/color] Vicki let out a few small chuckles, then continued, [color=f6989d]”Ah, I actually fought a ninja yesterday, I think it was Zed. You left before I explained it to everyone else at the apartment.”[/color] She finished this last statement with a shrug, then sat down at a nearby table in the cafe.

Vicki beckoned Sam over to where she was. After waiting for Sam to take her seat, Vicki pushed herself to reveal her thoughts, [color=f6989d]”I...I have to give up my old life. My old hopes and dreams, all because of these damn powers.”[/color] Vicki looked down at her clenched fists, tightening them until her knuckles were white. [color=f6989d]”So far, I’ve only hurt people with my strength. I don’t know what to do with everything…”[/color] Vicki looked helplessly up at Sam, her face pleading for someone to save her. [color=f6989d]”Why is this happening to us?”[/color]

[@Kiroue]

[hr]
[h1][color=f26522][center]Garrett Fishman[/center][/color][/h1]

 [i]'Ah, Garrett! Glad to see you alive and well. Heard you had a rather rough visit from Megan last night. Hopefully she didn't harm you.'[/i] A sharp chuckle could be heard as he paused but a moment, [i]'Too much anyways. Still, we have business to attend to. There is a high-rise apartment complex in downtown Darkwell. From what I've heard, there was quite an altercation that took place- though no police were involved. I find this turn of events intriguing, and I'd like to have you scout out the area as I pay the complex a visit. I don't expect there to be any fighting, unfortunately,[/i] at this remark, the voice seemed honestly disappointed as a heavy sigh crackled through the speakers, [i]'Megan will meet you there. Till then!'[/i] And with that, the line went dead.

[color=f26522][i]So...Megan’s her name.[/i][/color]

Garrett wasn’t sure how he should proceed. Taking orders from someone else wasn’t his style. He would prefer to be the one giving the orders. [color=f26522][i]But...maybe this is my way to that point.[/i][/color] He looked up at tops of the buildings, scanning the entire opposite street from left to right. [color=f26522][i]Too bad the bastard didn’t tell me which building it was...asshole.[/i][/color]

He whipped out his phone and scoured the internet for any interesting reports around Darkwell. After a few minutes of searching, he found a negative review for a nearby apartment complex on Yelp, posted just yesterday. [i]One of the upper tenants had some crazy party, I couldn’t even hear my own TV! And I swear I could smell smoke. I called the lobby, but they said everything was fine, they didn’t even do anything about it! I went up to give them a piece of my mind, and guess what I found: their door was LITERALLY broken into pieces. What kind of animals do they let live here?! [color=f26522]Worth a shot, this might be the place.[/color][/i]

Garrett packed himself onto a tight-fitting bus and rode down a few blocks to the given address. Upon reaching  his destination, he spotted the girl that visited him yesterday, still cowering, waiting for some horrible travesty to occur. He stepped off the bus, right in front of the apartment building, and called loudly to her, [color=f26522]”Hey [i]Megan.[/i] You left before you could help clean up the place. It’s still a mess. I had to [i]move out[/i] and find a new place, there was so much [i]damage[/i] done.”[/color] His face contorted into an angry snarl, [color=f26522]”You got anything to say for yourself?”[/color]

[@Leolycan]