[IC] BlackBrick Academy [CatMint and Winds of Fate] - {Mature}

[WindsOfFate]

A smirk crossed his face as he noticed Ambrose had found his stash. Well there was more, but he liked to keep a stash hidden in case his room ever got raided, highly unlikely when you're the headmaster's trophy prodigy, but he'd rather be safe than sorry. As Ambrose took swigs of the vodka, Caleb shook his head. "Whatever calms your nerves," he said watching Ambrose with cautious eyes. Drinking led to too many things. He could write a book about the many drunken nights he'd had and the resulting heartbreaks that occurred afterwards. Whenever he got drunk he became affectionate, and slightly emotional, though which emotion was always random. He was complex, but so was Ambrose and he liked that about him. He had a past, as did everyone, even if his past was riddled with violence and sex.

He had asked Ambrose if he had any questions for him, and after the male took another gulp of alcohol, the questions came out. The first was asking about his knowledge of magic, or rather how long he'd known about the world of magic. That was a long story all and in of itself, but he figured they had time to spare so he might as well go into detail. The next question caught him off guard a little. Ambrose was asking him about his last significant other. He legitimately wanted to know about Caleb's last relationship which made Caleb wonder if things between him and Ambrose could become something more than just buddies. Part of him really hoped, and the other part just wanted him to focus on getting through school. He could hear the constant chastising of his inner being. Just finish school and graduate, you're not ready for a relationship.. He could hear that voice in his head every time he even smiled at someone, but there was another voice in his head when he talked to Ambrose, it was new and it shocked him. He's interesting, go for it, you never know until you try. Caleb sighed as he prepared to answer the question as best he could.

"Magic came naturally to me. I was around ten years of age when I first experienced it. Of course being a kid you think everything is magical or that it's all a part of your imagination," Caleb began smiling for the first time since the incident at the party. Walking down memory lane always brought a smile to his face. "I remember it like it was yesterday. A recruiter from BlackBrick came to my high school while I was in the bathroom. I had just finished a mile run and was in the shower. When I came out in nothing but a towel wrapped around me this guy in a full on suit confronted me, and pretty much validated everything that I believed to be true in the first place. I dabbled here and there after witnessing it at a young age, but being here I have learned way more than what the occasional bookstore could teach."

Shaking his head he walked over to his stash and grabbed a tiny bottle of flavored vodka. It was a small one, purse size for sure. He took a few sips of it before returning to his seat, holding the bottle in his hand. He needed a little help to talk about his ex.

"I started officially training under the tutelage of the headmaster when I was seventeen." Caleb began, "but in regards to my past relationship, his name was Anthony Edwards. He was an adult film star, he might still be I don't know," Caleb said taking another sip of the alcohol. "We pretty much did everything together. Spent a lot of time traveling and such. Everything was good, at least that's what I thought." Caleb stopped. Did he really want to reopen that wound? He sat there in silence for a moment, not realizing that a tear had managed to fall down his face. Just thinking about what happened got him upset. When he felt the tear he wiped his face and continued.

"Have you ever had your heart ripped out and stomped on?" He asked taking another sip. "I caught him with someone else while we were on vacation. I mean it's one thing when you're filming, we both lived that lifestyle, but we made a promise, if it wasn't work related we don't do it. I guess he didn't get the memo cause there he was on top of the guy going to town." Caleb stopped again as another tear slowly flowed down his face. "I gave him three years, three long motherfucking years and that's how he repays me, by screwing some random he pulled off the fucking street." Caleb's voice was raised, almost to the point of shouting, but he clutched the small bottle of liquor. "I was there for everything, when his mom got sick, when his grandfather died, EVERYTHING, and in that moment all of it just went out the door. I lost it, I mean I really lost it, I didn't know how painful it was until it happened and I lost it." By now Caleb was on full emotional overload, he didn't care about the tears streaming he just wanted to get the story over with so he wouldn't have to tell it again. He took the final sip of the bottle and sighed, feeling the burn as it took away some of the hurt he was feeling from the mere memory of heartbreak. Caleb sniffed and continued. "We tried talking it out, but every time I got the image in my head we would argue. I never trusted him again after that so I ended it. That was my longest relationship, and after it I dove head first into magic, learning and reading and working as hard as I could to forget about it, but old wounds heal very slowly. I mean I'm happy now don't get me wrong, but looking back I wished I would have listened to others and actually paid attention to the signs. I would never do to anyone what was done to me."

The tears had stopped and he wiped his eyes with his hand before looking over at Ambrose. "So that's pretty much it in a nutshell. What about you? Any ex's I should watch out for? Anyone claimed your heart yet?" Caleb asked boldly as if hinting at something.

@Catmint

[catmint]

He leaned in as Caleb began his story. It was strange to know about how Caleb entered the world of magic, and at such a young age too. Ambrose never really had the luxury of such daydreams for most of his childhood. And for a split second Ambrose felt a twinge of jealously. "Oh, wow..." He murmured before taking another gulp of the vodka. "You most be really good at magic if you've studied under the headmaster..." Ambrose wondered why the headmaster took such an interest in Caleb, but his attention snapped back to Caleb once he moved onto answering the next question.

Ambrose nodded along as Caleb began his story, but his eyes widened once Caleb paused suddenly and struggled with continuing on. "Listen, you don't have to..." Ambrose's voice trailed off as Caleb picked it back up. He sat in stunned silence as Caleb's voice rose with pain and anger, as if reliving the memories right before him. "Jesus, I'm sorry..." Ambrose managed out once Caleb had finished. He took another gulp as he sat there awkwardly, "No one should go through that kind of heartbreak."

His shoulder's relaxed once Caleb calmed down, changing the subject onto him. "Er, I don't think you need to watch out for anyone from my past. I'm... I let left them behind a long time ago." He swallowed thickly and closed his eyes briefly. "And no. no one has claimed my heart." He responded as he reopened his gaze upon Caleb. Ambrose maintained eye contact before breaking it suddenly, focusing on the bottle. It was now half full, which explained why Ambrose could barely focus on much of anything. But at least it dulled the sorrow and horror that surrounded the two of them. "I-I mean, I don't think that kind of thing is ever gonna happen for me. It's never worked out. People are just too cruel."

[WindsOfFate]

Caleb listened as he took a sip of his own miniature bottle of liquor. He was feeling the buzz that was slowly growing, but he knew nothing would happen between them after the events they had witnessed. Still, he had told his story about his ex. To this day he hadn't forgiven him, but he tried so hard to move on and it showed by the progress he had made with magic, but the hurt was still there, and anytime he had to remember it caused him emotional pain. Still, he felt that Ambrose needed to know about his past relationship. He looked at Ambrose as the male took a gulp of the bottle he had. He was half empty while Caleb had only managed to get the bottle a fourth of the way down.

"Honestly Ambrose you're amazing," Caleb said feeling the effects of the alcohol, "You could have any guy in this school if you wanted, but I admire you for remaining headstrong and focused," Caleb added as he tried to relax a little. Being intoxicated was not his plan, but if he was going to drink he was going to be comfortable doing it. He couldn't help but wonder why Ambrose felt that love wouldn't happen for him. People were cruel, but there was always that one person who could make him happy. Caleb sighed.

"Ya know despite the hurt caused by my ex, I still believe there is someone out there who will make me happy. I like to think that anything good can happen to anyone," he began looking at Ambrose as he spoke. "You will find someone who makes you happy, someone who wants to shower you with attention and affection. People may be cruel, but don't give up on it Ambrose, you're too smart to do that."

Caleb took another sip of the alcohol, it was a rather long sip that nearly finished the bottle, and that's when the liquor really hit him. He leaned his head back, his grip on the bottle loosening a bit as he felt all his pain and grief slowly vanish.

"So what do you think of me? Any other questions you want to ask? Tell me, what are you dying to know about me?" Caleb asked with a sly smirk.

@Catmint

[catmint]

He burst out into a fit of giggles at Caleb's response. "You're silly." He snorted and draped himself across the couch. "That's a big leap to assume any random dude would be into me, the big anxious mess." A shake of his head expressed his doubt. "You ever consider I want to be alone?" Ambrose shot back, there was a small bite to his words. "Maybe I'm the cruel one."

Ambrose raised his arms above his head, examining his tawny brown hands. They were slender, delicate even. Ambrose glanced back at Caleb just in time to see him nearly finish his bottle. Ambrose immediately recognized the sly smirk cross Caleb's face, a smirk Ambrose had seen many times before. He had noticed that kind look tossed at him before, but in this situation it merely perplexed him. "What I think of you?" Ambrose paused to think about it, head tilting back to reveal his shaped jawline.

"A little dumb. But genuinely kind, I think." Ambrose said bluntly, having no filter due to the consumed vodka. He shrugged and returned his hazel gaze to Caleb. "I'm only dying to find out why you've taken an interest in me. I mean, I just came to the party on a whim."

[WindsOfFate]

Caleb shrugged when Ambrose burst into a giggle, trying to deflect him, suggesting that maybe he was the cruel one and wanted to be alone. Caleb could see otherwise though, Ambrose was hiding something and Caleb wouldn't pry, he felt that Ambrose would tell him when it was time. Then came the blunt Ambrose that Caleb quite enjoyed. He told him he was a little dumb but kind, or at least he thought. Caleb's eyes widened for a moment, but then he burst into laughter. Shaking his head he listened to Ambrose as he spoke about dying to find out why Caleb had taken an interest in him. It was all hilarious to him due to the level of intoxication he was experiencing.

"Well Ambrose," Caleb began recovering from laughter, "that is something you're just gonna have to find out babe," he said as he slowly began to succumb to the sandman's charms.

The night grew on, and conversation between the two slowly began to fade. Caleb eventually fell asleep with the bottle falling on the floor, rolling near the foot of his bed. That night his dreams were nightmares. Scenes of the disaster after the invocation plagued him, causing him to toss most of the night. Morning came, the sound of his alarm clock filled the room. Rays of light filtered in through the curtained windows. A stray beam of sunlight reflected off of the mirror on his wall and struck him in the face. He groaned as he slowly awoke, feeling the effects of the alcohol still. The alarm clock only made his hangover worse as he stumbled to his feet, stubbing his toe and yelling a swear before placed a firm hand on his head and moved over to the alarm clock to turn it off. It was on his nightstand and after a brief pounding, the alarm went silent. He fell onto his bed and groaned loudly. He looked up at the ceiling of his room and shook his head.

"Freaking hangover," he commented, his head pounding as he looked over to where he last remembered Ambrose to be. "You up?" he asked groggily.

@Catmint

[catmint]

Ambrose snorted and shook his head again at Caleb's response. His eyes had already grown heavy, but now it was impossible to hold them open. As soon as Caleb had drifted off into a slumber, Ambrose let his head flop back onto the couch pillow. The bottle of vodka slipped from his hand, clanking onto the floor and slowly poured its contents onto the rug.

Ambrose was consumed by a deep sleep, dreaming of nothing except darkness. He awoke with a yelp from the alarm clock blaring. Ambrose found himself lay half off the couch in a heap of limbs and his eyes widened in bewilderment until he remembered how he got to where he was. He groaned, rubbing his pounding forehead. He only realized Caleb was awake as well when he heard him shout a curse of pain. "Morning." He said in a sulky voice, clearly not having a good morning.

The lethary of sleep and dizziness from the hangover still clouded his mind, but he slowly forced himself to sit upright. "Jesus..." he murmured to himself as he tried to comprehend everything that has happened in the short amount of time he had been at BlackBrick. "Er- yeah I'm up." He croaked and forced himself to stand up. "What the hell are we supposed to do now?"

@WindsOfFate

[WindsOfFate]

Caleb looked at his reflection in the mirror and groaned. He looked like hell, but that was to be expected after the night he had experienced. Sighing, he fixed his hair which was all over the place. It had grown slightly, but he kept it nice and tidy. It was dyed a dark blue at the tips currently and it only added to his flare and certain charm factor. Looking over at Ambrose when he spoke, Caleb shrugged his shoulders. He looked at the time and mentally cursed. Classes started in a few minutes. How could they attend class after what had happened? He sighed and sat up on his elbows as he glanced at Ambrose who was standing up.

"Classes start today, which means either we go to class, or we skip. Either way, we have to act like nothing happened until we can effectively locate the beast and get rid of it," Caleb groaned. Thinking hurt his head, but he knew that Ambrose had never experienced anything like this, hell he hadn't experienced anything like that, but he was more in tune to magic than Ambrose was. He wondered just how fast a learner Ambrose was. Maybe they could train or something similar. "You know if you have any suggestions I'm all ears right now," Caleb managed to say before relaxing his muscles. He needed caffeine and a cold shower.

"Thanks......for staying with me last night, I really appreciate it," Caleb said looking straight up at the ceiling. He knew if he missed class the headmaster would be notified and he'd be summoned. Just what he needed, a meeting with his father away from home. The man treated him like his own son, and it showed. "I know we don't know each other Ambrose, but I can't help but smile when I'm around you. So I'm going to take a risk and ask you out on a date." Caleb was being very straightforward and it was scary. He was nervous, but he wasn't really thinking due to the hangover. "What do you say? Dinner and a movie?"

@Catmint

[catmint]

Ambrose started to fidget as he listened anxiously to Caleb's response. Oh my god I can't do this. He repeated over and over in his head. "I can't skip on the first day!" He shook his head and started to pace frantically back and forth. It was possible to book it back to his dorm to pick up his schedule and hopefully not be too late to his first class. Ambrose didn't think he could act like everything was okay, like he wasn't on the verge of having another breakdown. But he had to at least try.

"Right. We should meet up as a group after classes today. Discuss our plan." He said and shook his head as he imagined Samantha in her blood soaked clothes. Although she got the group into this mess, she was the best person to get them out of it. It was clear she knew how to handle something like this. "Uh. No nothing comes to mind." Ambrose said absent-mindedly as he started to pick up his things, not really paying attention to Caleb and instead trying to get ready to leave as fast as he could.

Ambrose had moved his way to the door of the dorm room, but paused when Caleb's voice become low and tender. Ambrose was silent a long moment as he listened the request. Ambrose stared at Caleb with piercing hazel eyes, which were impossible to decipher the thoughts behind them. "I... Listen about the kiss..." He trailed off and shook his head, "No. I'm sorry, but after everything... I can't." Ambrose spun on his heel and fled from the room, face burning and heart thumping loudly in his ears. He sprinted back to his dorm, his blonde roommate had already left for class. He found his class schedule after frantic searching and then proceeded to rush to his first hour.

[WindsOfFate]

Shot down! Caleb looked at Ambrose as he left in a hurry. Ambrose had shot him down, and the offer for a date. He couldn't truly blame him. After all, he imagined if Ambrose had never met him, he'd never be in the situation they were all in. A meeting with Sam would be nice to figure out what they were going to do about whatever the hell they were facing. Even though he couldn't blame Ambrose for completely shooting him down, it still stung to hear the words fly out of his mouth so effortlessly. Caleb watched him leave and for a moment he was slow in processing what had happened, but when his mind caught up he stood to his feet and sighed. He should've kept his mouth shut and not said a word, now things would be awkward between them, he could feel it in the air.

Caleb walked slowly to the bathroom, not caring about the time. He took a shower, got dressed in his normal attire and moved to leave his room, his backpack slung over his left shoulder. As he walked he remembered the need to check on Alex. He turned down the adjacent hallway and moved quickly before arriving at the teal door with a gold knocker. He knocked a few times and waited, but no one answered. Caleb tried the doorknob and was surprised to feel it turn completely allowing him entry into the dorm room. He walked in slowly rounding the corner that led to Alex's bed. This was a two person dorm room, to the left was Alex's area and to the right was his roommate. Caleb moved slowly and cautiously before he entered Alex's living area. He saw the guy asleep on his bed and sighed in relief. When he felt a pair of hands on his shoulder he jumped and spun around allowing a flurry of curse words to spill forth. He was relieved to see Ariana with a grin on her face.

"You're so easy Caleb," she said with a wink as she looked down at Alex.

"How'd he sleep?" Caleb asked surprised he hadn't disturbed Alex's sleep. Alex turned slightly and remained asleep.

"I think he's mentally exhausted, so I came to sit with him to make sure he's okay, you can go to class Caleb," Ariana said.

"I don't know how to fix this, but..." Caleb began but Ariana placed a finger on his lips.

"It's okay Caleb, we're going to fix this, as a team. We did this and we will fix this, but we have to be level headed," Ariana said removing her finger from his lips. Caleb smiled and placed a soft hand on Ariana's shoulder.

"Why haven't we hung out before? Like I don't know you all that well, but it seems you know me," Caleb said with an inquisitive look on his face. Ariana giggled and shook her head.

"You were a bet between me and a few of my friends. I have made some serious money off of you, like dude you're very trustworthy and not at all easy to bed," Ariana spoke truthfully, "don't worry though, I'm just your average girl here. So let's just say I know you through friends."

Caleb chuckled lightly and shook his head as he moved towards the exit. "Take care of him Ariana," Caleb said with a wink.

"Oh you know my name?" Ariana asked with a confused look.

"You'd be surprised," Caleb replied as he exited the room and headed towards his first class. He was late, but the instructor didn't seem to care all that much.

Time flew by and before any of them realized it, it was lunch. Lunch went by well. Caleb visited Alex and realized that he was still shaken by the events but wanted to help in any way he could with the mission they were set out to complete. After lunch, the classes went by rather smoothly until the last class of the day. With the end of classes for the day, it was time for their meeting. Sam had sent them all a text message and Caleb had managed to drop off his backpack in time to walk with Alex and Ariana to the underground meeting room. Samantha was standing there surrounded by a wall of books.

"Welcome," she said with a smirk as she noticed Ambrose wasn't with Caleb. Her eyes narrowed but she clicked her heels against the cobblestone floor. Caleb, Ariana, and Alex filed into the room and Caleb took a seat at a desk close to the wall of books.

"What is this Sam?" Caleb asked.

"Underground Library, only a few instructors know about this place. You wouldn't guess what I had to do to get some time here. Was it hard to find?"

"No, thankfully your directions were clear," Ariana replied.

"Good, good, let's wait on the others before we figure this shit out."

Caleb sighed and turned his head to look at the wall of books. He was reading the titles and aurthors, in his own world as Sam noticed his distance and shook her head.

@Catmint

[catmint]

Ambrose went through his first day in a haze, barely able to concentrate and unable to shake off his migraine until the afternoon. He had managed to take a couple key notes in the what seemed to be the tougher classes, but other then that, he felt so behind already. Ambrose hate his lunch alone, which consisted only of a large cup of coffee and a piece of toast. Through the day his thought were a mess, jumping between Caleb and the massacre. Both large reasons why he couldn't focus on much.

Finally his last class came to a close and not long after, a text message informed him of the meeting place. Ambrose sighed and rubbed his temples, deciding to drop his things off at the dorm first before heading down to the underground library. He arrived later then everyone else, and when he poked his head into the room, everyone had found their spot around Samantha. Despite how much Ambrose distrusted her, he couldn't deny the charisma she oozed. She seemed to take up the room with her personality. Jeremy was captivated by her as well. He was seated right by her, staring up at her with puppy dog eyes. Caleb was off in the corner of the library, staring off and unfocused. Ambrose hesitated before taking a seat in the back, away from the rest of the group. Ambrose did a small wave, "Hey, sorry I'm late." He mumbled, a bit embarrassed everyone else was all settled. "So, what's the plan?"

[WindsOfFate]

Sam watched as the final two they'd been waiting for slowly came in. Jeremy eyed her like a love sick puppy dog, and Ambrose sat away from the rest of them, still unsure if he wanted to be a part of the motley crew. Sam smiled and when they were all in, she strutted to the door and locked it before taking a seat at the front of the room. Ambrose asked what the plan was and Sam didn't know what to tell him.

"I don't know," Sam said honestly as she shook her head and sighed in irritation. "The being that slipped through the ceremony hasn't surfaced since that night. In order for me to identify him I need to figure out what it looks like, and the only person who saw the being was Alex who isn't here."

Caleb looked around the room and noticed that Alex wasn't there. He did see Ambrose sitting away from everyone. Caleb turned his attention back to the books as Sam continued to talk.

"Ariana, you spent the night with him, did he divulge anything?" Sam asked as she crossed her legs and arms.

"Not really, he did toss and turn all night long begging for mercy but that was it, no name, no description," Ariana said, "but I'm sure if we ask him politely he will tell us."

"Or let me go visit him, I'll delve into his mind and find out for us," Caleb said not looking at the group but focusing on a book he had pulled from the wall. Sam looked at Caleb with worried eyes.

"You know that type of magic is forbidden Caleb," Sam said to which Caleb scoffed in annoyance and shook his head.

"Then you have a better plan?" Caleb replied causing Sam's mouth to hang open for a moment before she glared at him.

"What the fuck happened between you and him that's got you all pissy?" Sam retorted pointing at Ambrose causing Caleb to close his eyes momentarily. He didn't say anything, he didn't even look at Sam or Ambrose or any of the others. Ariana gasped and sighed.

"Maybe Caleb's just worried that the longer we don't identify this being, the longer it has to wreck havoc. Alex isn't safe and we need to figure it out as quickly as possible," Ariana stepped in trying to diffuse the tension.

"Whatever, when you figure it out let me know," Caleb said as he stood up and moved towards the door. It opened without him touching it. Sam crossed her arms and glared as Ariana stood up.

"Caleb, we're in this together, let's just calm down and figure this out," she said as Caleb shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm all ears," he replied leaning against the wall close to the door watching it close in front of him and relocking.

"Sam?" Ariana asked.

"Fine, fine, delve into his memories Caleb, but do it with discretion. The fewer people know about this, the better. Jeremy and Ariana, focus your efforts on resources. We may not know what we're up against but we will need everything we can get. I'll scour the library for books, I may have to visit the forbidden section, but I've done it before so it will be easy. Ambrose, I know you don't want to but we need your help. Accompany Caleb to Alex's room and help him."

"I'm fine alone," Caleb interjected.

"As fine as you are alone, Ambrose is new here. He can't go with me, Ariana and Jeremy will have their hands full so that leaves you. Just man up and take him," Sam replied standing to her feet.

"Fine," Caleb said as he moved to the door and opened it, "Let's go," he shot in Ambrose's direction as he left the meeting. Everyone had an assignment and yet it wasn't all roses and sunshine. Sam watched Caleb leave and sighed.

"He's pissed," she said quietly, "Ambrose keep an eye on him please, I haven't seen him like that since..."

She paused and shook her head before turning to Ariana and Jeremy. "You two gather as much as you can. If any of you need me text me."

Ariana nodded and Sam vanished in the blink of an eye. The meeting was over and now it was time to get to work.

"Let's go Jeremy."

@Catmint

[catmint]

Ambrose shook his head and leaned back slightly his in the library chair. His arms crossed over his chest as he listened quietly to Samantha. He noticed Caleb spotting him, and he also noticed how quietly Caleb's gaze snapped away from him. It stung. But it was expected. So Ambrose swallowed thickly and tried to refocus.

He stiffened at the mention of forbidden magic, doing stuff to mess with people's minds didn't seem like a good idea to him. "Why the hell can't we just ask Alex?" Ambrose hissed, but flinched when Samantha jabbed a finger at him. Ambrose bristled at the accusation, "You really going to try and pin his shitty attitude on me?" Ambrose snapped back, rising up out of seat momentarily. Jeremy stood up in unison, challenging Ambrose to take a step forward. Thankfully, Ariana stepped between them, diffusing the situation successfully. Ambrose huffed and fell back to his chair with an annoyed scoff.

He cast a scornful glare between Caleb and Samantha as they came to the agreement. "He's right, I'm probably just dead weight." He protested. Ambrose shook his head in disapproval in response to Samantha, before standing up and following Caleb out the door. He didn't really have a say in the matter it turned out.

"Are we really doing this?" He hissed at Caleb in frustration, trailing at his heels. "I know I'm new at this, but they probably banned that kind of magic for good reason! It's only gonna dig a bigger hole for us if it goes wrong in any way." Ambrose tried to reason, "I don't understand why we can't just talk to Alex."

[WindsOfFate]

The entire meeting would have gone to shit had they not agreed on some sort of action. Caleb was pissed, Sam was pissed, leaving Ariana to be the peacemaker while trying to keep Ambrose and Jeremy from fighting. It all was a mess, but thankfully with their roles assigned they could get something done and figure out why what happened at the party happened in the first place. With a sigh, Ariana looked over at Jeremy and smiled as she walked over to him.

"Let's do what we can partner," she said not really looking up at him, but rather paying attention to the task at hand. She was single for a reason, not wanting to occupy her time with the cares of a potential boyfriend or girlfriend. She was worried about Alex, she was worried about all of them. They weren't necessarily all friends, but this event had pulled them together and it showed.

As Caleb walked, he kept his mind as clear as he could but Ambrose's voice didn't help him. Every word just chipped away at his calm state until he stopped walking and turned around to face Ambrose.

"Why don't you stop complaining, that will make this so much easier," Caleb replied his voice raised slightly, "if you don't want to fucking help me then go do something else, I don't need your help and I don't have time to waste with you and your morals, so are we done?"

A defense mechanism. It was his way of blocking people out, of putting a wall up to keep anyone from advancing too far into his heart. Whether anyone believed it or not Caleb was fragile, but he put up a big enough front to ward off any onlookers. He realized how bad it sounded coming from his mouth when he said what he said to Ambrose. Almost instantly he wanted to take them back, but it was too late. He looked away from Ambrose and turned around, his eyes returned to their emotionless state as he began moving again.

@Catmint

[catmint]

Jeremy smiled slightly back at Ariana and nodded. "Right, right." He said and tore his mind away from the girl that he hopelessly loved. He sat down and started to pour over the books. He was a fast reader, and his assigned job definitely suited his abilities. An eye for detail and fantastic reading comprehension. It's why he often excelled in his classes.

Ambrose was right at Caleb's heels when he spun around abruptly. He almost walked right into him at the sudden stop. A flash of hurt crossed his face as Caleb spat his reply at him. But his expression quickly hardened into a concrete mask. As soon as he was done, Caleb turned back around. But Ambrose, impulsively, snatched at Caleb's collar to pull him back. His grip was tight and white-knuckled, jerking Caleb towards him.

"No. You listen to me, I'm not going to let you drag us down further. You promise me right now we're going to at least talk to Alex before even considering your bullshit forbidden magic." His voice was controlled. Measured. But it barely covered the smoldering emotion behind it. AMbrose's face was mere inches from Caleb's, his eyes boring into Caleb's. Most wouldn't expect such behavior from the quiet introvert. But most didn't know Ambrose was all fire and passion. It was just most of the time, Ambrose had control over himself. But under these circumstances, he could barely keep it together.

[WindsOfFate]

Caleb was surprised when he felt a hand grip his collar and pull him, causing him to nearly lose his footing. He twirled back around as if on command and looked at Ambrose. He was very surprised by this. He didn't read Ambrose as the assertive type, but then again Ambrose had shown him a side before he hadn't felt when they both were drunk. At first, he was tense his hands were balled up into fist and they shook slightly as if he were about to punch Ambrose. The male held him by the collar and spoke in a controlled manner, but Caleb could feel the anger behind his words, he could see it in his eyes and yet as much as he wanted to apologize, as much as he wanted to just grab Ambrose and kiss him right there, he didn't. He let his emotionless eyes look into Ambrose's own eyes and slowly took a step back.

"I can't make that promise," Caleb said cooly, "let me go Ambrose," he warned his eyes as icy as a winter storm.

He didn't know why he was shutting Ambrose out. He had just shared a great night with him aside from the murders. He had just spilled his soul out to him, and yet he was treating him like he had been wounded. Caleb looked away, unable to maintain the cold glare, moving his hand to remove Ambrose's hand from his collar. "Are you coming or not?" Caleb asked one final time.

@Catmint

[catmint]

Ambrose's teeth were bared, almost animal like. Caleb's coldness only made him want to explode further. He could feel the tension between them, thick enough to slice a knife through. His grip only tightened as Caleb took a step back, and it took very ounce of willpower to not pull him back. He wanted to crash into Caleb, get him to listen, get to stop acting this way. But Caleb's hand moved to remove his own from his shirt collar, and as soon as they touched, Ambrose snatched his own hand away.

Ambrose hazel eyes stared piercingly at Caleb, as if daring him to look at him again. "Fine. I'm coming." He snapped. "But I need to know." He took a shaky breath, "Are you acting this way because I shot you down?" Ambrose asked, his tone was hard, but his expression had grown soft. Ambrose finally looked away from Caleb as well, "Because if it is..." He swallowed thickly and seemed to find his resolve and anger again, "It's no excuse for this kind of recklessness."

Ambrose walked around Caleb, this time taking the lead without looking back. "Come on, let's just this over with." Ambrose couldn't really figure out his own feelings for Caleb. There was no denying he was attracted to the man, but even if he was mentally stable, he wouldn't be able to commit to anyone.

[WindsOfFate]

Caleb watched Ambrose as he looked at him. Ambrose looked as if he wanted to rip Caleb a new one, but he didn't, and when Caleb's hand touched Ambrose's hand that gripped his collar, Ambrose immediately retracted as if he didn't want Caleb to touch him. Caleb scoffed and shook his head, but then Ambrose began talking, asking him if he was mad because he was shot down. Granted being shot down did hurt him, but Caleb was more upset because he bore his soul to Ambrose and Ambrose acted as if it were nothing, as if the night before didn't happen, as if it were just all a mistake and that is what caused Caleb to build a wall and distance himself from Ambrose. Perhaps he was right when Ambrose had informed him during their talk that he was the mean one.

The words hit hard and Caleb held in his emotion as best he could. His eyes betrayed him as they showed the hurt, but his face was firm. He didn't reply but Ambrose cut him off and started walking in front of him. The walk there was silent and when they arrived Alex was sitting in a chair twiddling his thumbs. When he saw Caleb arrive, he glared.

"What's going on?" Alex asked as Caleb stepped from behind Ambrose.

"We need to know what it is you saw last night at the party," Caleb spoke in a hushed tone. Alex's eyes widened in fear and he shook his head.

"NO!" he yelled as Caleb glared daggers.

"See, I tried your way," Caleb shot at Ambrose before he grabbed Alex by the shoulder. Their eyes locked and almost instantly Alex's body went limp. It was scary, watching Caleb wield his gifts so effortlessly. He was both a danger and support to those around him, but he was able to maintain his recklessness until now. He was sure Ambrose would have something to say, but when he turned and shot a deadly glare in Ambrose's direction, he hoped that Ambrose would not approach.

"Sorry Alex, we need to know," Caleb said as he moved Alex's limp form to the floor. He knelt by his head and placed his hands on either side of Alex's head. Closing his eyes he spoke in Latin, his voice echoing slightly. The room became cold, unbearably cold. There was a reason it was forbidden magic. Caleb's form seemed to darken as he delved into Alex's mind, borrowing into his memories and retrieving what they needed. The entire time Alex's body convulsed, jerking wildly as if he was in pain, and in truth he was. Delving into the mind was a very painful process only done if someone were being interrogated or in prison. Then something happened neither of them expected. Alex stopped moving and Caleb opened his eyes. The memory had stopped. Caleb had witnessed what it was Alex had seen that night, but Alex's body, particularly his face was growing pale. When Caleb looked down at Alex he gritted his teeth.

"Damnit Alex, breath," Caleb said checking his pulse. Alex's heart had stopped. He looked up at Ambrose and then back at Alex before he hovered his hand over Alex's chest. He exhaled and concentrated. "iam evigilare faciatis!" His voice seemed ethereal as he spoke, the kind of voice that made the hairs on your arm stand up on end. His hand sparked with power as he thrust it down on Alex's chest. Alex shot up into a sitting position gasping and screaming. He looked at them both and then glared at Caleb.

"GET OUT!" he seethed. Caleb stood up slowly and smirked walking by Ambrose, allowing his shoulder to knock against his as he kept walking not saying a word. When he got outside he exhaled and ran a shaky hand over his face. Alex trembled as he sat on the floor realizing what had just been done to him. He didn't know Caleb had it in him, but he did. He was shocked and disappointed that Caleb had used dark magic.

@Catmint

[catmint]

Ambrose stepped into the room hesitantly, and noticed Alex already seemed on edge at the mere sight of him. He opened his mouth to greet him, but was cut off by Alex's question. Caleb responded quietly, and Ambrose's companion didn't seemed surprised by Alex's outright denial. "Hey!" Ambrose burst out when Caleb's arm suddenly shot out and grabbed Alex by the shoulder. Alex's body was limp in an instant, head lolling back. He stepped forward to stop Caleb, he genuinely thought he was going to hurt Alex. But the chilling glare head him in place. What was to stop Caleb from using that power on Ambrose?

Ambrose stood frozen by the door, watching with widened eyes. He had witnessed so little of the magic world, and until now it was a beautiful place. Now he realized it was just as dirty and dark as the world he came from. The room's temperature dropped instantly, and Ambrose unconsciously shivered, gaze pinned on Alex's face. Ambrose wanted to scream out, tell him to stop hurting Alex. But he was pinned by fear and shock by the raw power emitting from the two.

It was only when Alex stopped breathing that Ambrose was able to push himself forward. He dropped down by Caleb, watching helplessly. "I can-" He was cut off as Caleb handled the situation with some more of his magic. Ambrose had many friends who had accidentally overdosed or otherwise, he learned how to resuscitate a person just because so many people in his life often needed that kind of help. But apparently it wasn't necessary here. Ambrose stumbled back to his place by the door, breathing heavily as he tried to gather his bearings. Alex shrieked and ordered them out of the room.

Caleb stalked by Ambrose with a smug look, shoulder knocking into his. Ambrose trembled, jaw tight as he met Caleb's challenging gaze with his own. He glanced back at Alex, "I-I'm sorry..." He mumbled and scurried out of the room after Caleb. He came out just in time to see Caleb running a hand over his face, sighing heavily. Ambrose stomped to Caleb, "You know, I'm glad I didn't get involved with you. You're obviously some kind of psychopath willing to kill your friends for this kind of shit." He hissed viciously, words dipped in poison. Ambrose
spun on his and stormed off back to the library, returning back to Ariana and Jeremy in a huff. He wordlessly took a table in the corner of the underground library. Ambrose pulled off a pile of books from the shelves, dropping them on the table before opening it up and started pouring over the material. This time he had a different objective in mind. The classes he had wouldn't prepare him enough at the rate they were going. He needed to learn on his own.

[WindsOfFate]

Alex placed his hands on his eyes and let tears flow. His sobs could be heard outside of the room as Ambrose approached Caleb and spoke words that struck Caleb in the heart like a blade dipped in poison. He stood there looking at Ambrose emotionlessly waiting for him to finish his rant, all the while feeling the pain the words were meant to inflict. Caleb had done it, he had pushed away Ambrose, maybe then when shit hit the fan Ambrose wouldn't be pulled in by him. The wall was finished and it seemed that Ambrose wouldn't talk to him ever again once this ordeal was over. Caleb slid down into a sitting position and let his head hit the wall behind him as he let everything that had transpired fill his head.

"It's for the best," he said softly as he listened to Alex sob. He looked down the hall and sighed. "It's for the best," he said again standing to his feet and dusting off his clothes.

The walk to the library was a silent one, and when he arrived, Sam noticed a darkness about him that she couldn't ignore. She noticed Ariana stand up upon Ambrose's arrival and noticed the young man start to read a bunch of books, but when Caleb entered a few minutes behind Ambrose, she could tell something happened and yet the look on Caleb and Ambrose's faces kept her in place from prying. Sam watched Ambrose and felt sorry for him. He had experienced the darkness the world she loved contained. Magic was both a gift and a curse. She wanted to go to him and give him a hug, but she stood in her spot as Caleb walked in.

"Caleb," she said softly, "Caleb what..."

"Tuchulcha." That was all Caleb said as he watched Sam's eyes grow wide and Ariana gasp.

"Are you sure?" Sam said looking into the eyes of Caleb who looked away. She wanted to embrace him, let him know she was there for him to lean on.

"Yes," Caleb said, "a dangerous adversary."

"Any underworld demon that gets loose is a dangerous adversary. Tuchulcha are known to cause havoc and kill relentlessly. They consume souls. How did one slip through?" Ariana asked her hand clutching the pearls around her neck. Sam shook her head.

"It is my fault. I should have known the darkness would draw it, I should have performed the ritual in light. The ritual is supposed to be performed during the day, but I didn't think a Tuchulcha would slip through."

"I'll find it," Caleb said noticing Ambrose head first in books. He looked at him for a brief moment before returning his gaze to Sam who was objecting to him finding the demon alone.

"Caleb," she said with a sigh.

"It's going to strike again, we need to find it before then," Caleb said as Ariana shook her head.

"But that doesn't mean you go off alone to find it, we need a plan."

"Ariana's right Caleb, it's reckless, you're going to get yourself killed," Sam said her eyes emotional.

Caleb lowered his head and turned to leave the library.

"Caleb!" Sam spoke but Caleb continued walking. "Damnit!" she slammed her fist onto a desk causing Ariana to jump slightly. "Ambrose, what happened?" she asked concern laced in her voice. "Please tell me he didn't use it, did he use it?"

@Catmint

[catmint]

Ambrose didn't look up when Caleb returned. He couldn't afford to. Ambrose had realized how far he let himself out of control, and Caleb would only make him lose it all over again. He shook his head and continued reading through the material. The magic being explained was fairly high level for someone like him. But Ambrose was still learning from it. Absorbing it. Gaining an edge by having some kind of understanding of the magic the people around him performed effortlessly.

Ambrose was shaken out of his concentration when Sam pounded a fist on the desk. He shot a glare at her before returning his gaze to the reading. "Use it? That awful magic on Alex is what you mean right?" His voice was hostile, "Yep. He definitely did and almost killed his friend in the process."

Jeremy stood up from his spot and strode to Ambrose's side, knocking the books to the side. "Can you at least like you care Caleb is going to get himself killed? A Tuchlucha is one of the worst demons we could have possibly run into!" Jeremy snarled at Ambrose.

"I'm not his baby sitter!" Ambrose shot back, bending down to pick the books back up. "Stop acting like I know what the fuck is going on with him. You all know him better then me!" Ambrose stopped himself, wanting to scream more at them. He took a deep breath, "But.. You're right. We need to get him back. Make sure he doesn't blow this for us." Ambrose met the gaze of Samantha, "You know him the best, you're going have to lead us." Jeremy nodded, relaxing finally and turning to face Samantha as well.