[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/vcyTlTu.png[/img][/center][center][img]http://i.imgur.com/3R5vYYi.png?2[/img][/center][hr][center][color=silver]𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟛, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘   / /   ℂ𝕣𝕚𝕞𝕖𝕟 ℂ𝕦𝕝𝕡𝕒𝕖 𝟙   / /   ℕ𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕟 𝕆𝕦𝕥𝕤𝕜𝕚𝕣𝕥𝕤   / /  𝟚𝟙𝟚𝟜[/color][/center][hr]

[center][h1][color=red]Ⓞ[/color][/h1][/center]

Where was his panic?

Living with the constant stress of his own fears twisting and stabbing in his gut had become second nature to Christmas. This calm was breaking the comfort of routine, even if that routine constantly wreaked havoc on his health. Breathing without worrying about being loud was too easy. Moving without second-guessing his motions was too easy. Looking directly at the world for what it was--too easy.

He noted four pink shots of energy curving through the air as the eyeball fell over, the subsequent explosion of glitter catching his eyes before the same shimmering specks rained down slowly around him and the nearby students. The first sting against his cheek drew a spot of blood and he reflexively covered his head with his arms, though not quickly enough to prevent a few smaller nicks from appearing across his face. Several flecks touched his right eye, the light cuts searing against the sensitive cornea before he squeezed both eyes shut, waiting for the worst of the glitter to pass, wincing as thin papercuts appeared all over the backs of his hands and neck. Several thicker clouds of the glitter cut through parts of his clothing, tearing small wounds into the underlying flesh. Whatever didn't cut into his upper body drifted down to his legs, nicking away at the skin there, too.

Wearing a light jacket and shorts in September was not his brightest decision. Especially now.

The pain from the corneal abrasions in particular made him gasp, but even the temporary loss of vision in one eye and tiny stings and papercuts all over his body wasn't enough to deter that smothering calm. Christmas lowered his arms when the worst of the glitter had passed, though his right hand remained clapped over his ribbon as he turned to look at Lawrence. Just in time to see one of the dolls pirouette, its chain arm dragging behind it.

He barely had time to notice the eye's new form when his heart skipped a beat in time with a sudden pulse through the flatline of calm. Christmas sucked in a breath to compensate, good eye darting rapidly across the ground as the spike of anxiety passed through him. A rattling sound like wood or ceramic clacking together repeatedly made him look up to see the doll's arm whipping towards him and Lawrence.