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[hider=9/7 Dinner, Emma, Callan, Marcus, Siena, Ernie]
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[img]http://i.imgur.com/xRj8oPR.png[/img] [img]http://i65.tinypic.com/21o8tg4.png[/img] [img]http://i67.tinypic.com/2njvpci.png[/img] [img]http://i68.tinypic.com/63x8xz.jpg[/img] [img]http://i65.tinypic.com/b66f5i.png[/img]
[h2][color=a2d9ce]Callan[/color] | [color 33ec06]Marcus[/color] | [color=ff57ff]Siena[/color] | [color=00a99d]Ernest[/color] | [color 8A3DFF]Emma[/color][/h2]
[hr][color=silver]𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟘𝟟, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘   / /   𝕌𝕊𝔸ℝ𝕀𝕃ℕ 𝔼𝕒𝕤𝕥   / /   𝔹𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔻: 𝔻𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘 ℍ𝕒𝕝𝕝   / /   ~𝟙𝟡𝟚𝟘[/color][hr]
[sub]Collab with [@Baklava][@Chasers115][@PapiTan][@banjoanjo][@Diggerton][/sub][/center]

Callan briefly considered asking Marcus and Siena if they planned on eating dinner as they were all led out of the building, but the deafening screech and sudden shuffling of soldiers left her standing outside the entrance to Ground Zero in complete befuddlement. Fredric had been so curt just now-- and Rosa had seemed really upset. 

"[color=a2d9ce]What was that all about,[/color]" she muttered to noone in particular. Out of the corner of her eye, Callan noticed Siena. In all the commotion, she'd hardly paid any attention to who she ended up next to. "[color=a2d9ce]Did you see what happened?[/color]" she asked, sparring a curious look back at the soldiers who now barred the way. 

Marcus strolled out of the observation room, stretching and yawning. This whole thing had been a bit of a mess - what with the destruction, and the injuries. Nobody really seemed happy about the situation, and while he couldn't blame them, he tried to look at it from the logical side. On one hand, that had been brutal. On the other, maybe everyone had figured out the limitations of their powers. He'd certainly learned a lesson about fighting someone head-on. He rotated his shoulder again, surprised at the effectivenss of the healing. He'd have to thank the kid if he ever caught sight of him.

He nearly jumped a foot out of his skin when an alarm started blaring. He slapped his hands to his ears and whirled around, trying to figure out the source of it all over the commotion. By the time his eyes scanned the area, he'd only seen a circle of guards forming. As quickly as the alarm sounded, it ceased its cacophany, and Marcus lowered his arms.

"[color 33ec06]The hell was that?[/color]" he said out loud, to nobody in particular. His heart was beating quickly in his chest, and he shook slightly - both from the cold and the startled shock.

Under most circumstances, Siena would have happily invited her dragon-shifting friend along with her, but normal circumstances didn't generally include a mind full of hypotheticals and concerns. The brunette had, by all means, allowed herself to lose herself in her thoughts as the students filed out of the observation room, a schedule trying to fall in place. [i]Was she supposed to be aggressive?[/i] It felt wrong considering hurting her peers, but with what she'd witnessed, it might have--

[i]'[color=ff57ff]What?![/color]'[/i]

Her heart started to thunder heavily, grey eyes shooting to the source of the shriek that had so rudely ripped Siena out of her inner thoughts. What was? A cuff? She'd barely had time to register the flash of familiar pink hair, the sound of footsteps, shouting. [i]So familiar.[/i] 

What...?

"[color=ff57ff]Why would...[/color]" The question never got a chance to complete itself as the guards fell into place, barring her view of everything. Was that Rain? Nobody else had been wearing anything pink--maybe another student? But nobody else would be around there. Her mind was thrown into such a rapid series of contorted thoughts that Callan's voice had caused the brunette to physically flinch at the surprise. Slight, an involuntary widening of the eyes that escaped her before she could filter it, and the name that was on her mind. "[color=ff57ff]R-Rain...[/color]" Wasn't it? A breath as she processed the question. "[color=ff57ff]I didn't see what...I mean, I...her cuff? I think her cuff was off, but I don't know why she--she didn't seem like the type that would...[/color]" Unpleasant memories. It had barely been a week since the last time she'd seen guards forming up like that. But last time...

"[color=ff57ff]Oh [i]no[/i].[/color]"

[color=a2d9ce][i]Rain?[/i][/color] Callan glanced at the sky, considering the weather for a moment before realizing Siena seemed to be talking about a person. "[color=a2d9ce]Who?[/color]" 

"[color 33ec06]Wait, Rain?[/color]" Marcus said, echoing Callan and wandering up to his roommates. He'd tried to get a closer look, but when the guards started shooing people away, he abandoned the cause and left. The telltale aquamarine hair had served as a sort of beacon to him - indicating familiarity in a situation where he was a little wary of being by himself. Strength in numbers and all that. "[color 33ec06]That new girl?[/color]

He hadn't even gotten a chance to ask what her power had been; he was so focused on the fight that was happening. For her to be able to slip a cuff like that - the only person he'd seen do it was Kusari, and a lot of people had gotten shot for it. With that many guards, someone would have needed a hell of an esape plan to not get killed.

Or, someone would have to be foolish enough to try it without an escape plan. That wasn't a situation he imagined would end very well.

"[color=ff57ff]I...I don't know.[/color]" With a bit of conscious effort, Siena gathered herself enough to press back the onslaught of questions and confusion. [i]Don't you want to know?[/i] A shaken breath, two to steady before she finally spoke again. "[color=ff57ff]I just...I saw something pink. It might have been her.[/color]" Another breath, this one calmer. Sending a worried glance behind her, Siena couldn't help but start to pull at the ends of her hair. "[color=ff57ff]D-Do you think the training s-scared her into...?[/color]" 

Marcus thought for a moment noticing Siena's worried looks. "[color 33ec06]I'm sure she's fine...[/color]" he said, reassuringly. He perked up for a moment, before looking back the same direction. "[color 33ec06]I mean, I didn't hear a gunshot, did you?[/color]" he said, his brain wracking over the last few moments.

"[color 33ec06]Hell, if she slipped the cuff and didn't get shot at, that puts her leagues ahead of us![/color]" he said, trying giving a nonchalant shrug and unsure smile. Part of him felt guilty - here he was making jokes about their arrival, when he was pretty sure some of those students had been killed. Still, the fact rang true in his head: Rain was probably okay - maybe just going to get a scolding and a few days in time-out, but probably okay.

"[color=ff57ff]Y-You're right. I...we would have heard one if...[/color]" If there was a repeat of their arrival. Memories again. Uncomfortable, vivid memories. Taking another breath, the girl tried to tear her thoughts away from the events that had played out. "[color=ff57ff]M-Maybe we should get further away just...just in case.[/color]"

Callan listened quietly. This felt eerily familiar. She was tired, hungry, and felt like she should probably be more concerned than she was. Apparently some new girl had slipped her cuff. But Marcus was right-- there weren't any gunshots. So perhaps it was alright not to worry about it too much? 

"[color=a2d9ce]I was gonna head over to the dining hall?[/color]" Callan ventured. 

"[color 33ec06]Yeah, probably ought to keep moving...[/color]" Marcus said. "[color 33ec06]You got room for one more?[/color]" he directed his question at Callan, turning to her. "[color 33ec06]I was gonna see about dropping my stuff off in the dorm, but it probably won't get stolen while I eat. Probably.[/color]" he said, adding the last statement as an afterthought.

"[color=a2d9ce]I'm sure it'll be fine,[/color]" she chuckled reassuringly. "[color=a2d9ce]Siena, you hungry?[/color]" 

At least Callan and Marcus seemed like they were willing to veer from the topic. At least there was still a place for some optimistic hope that nothing would really happen to Rain. Giving a weary smile, Siena would have responded to the question. [i]Would have[/i], if not for the thought of food combined with her now largely empty stomach making her body answer for her. 

[i]Grrrwwrrr...[/i]

Siena felt the heat rush to her cheeks before her mind registered the embarrassment. Covering her face briefly to hide the flush from how [i]very[/i] improper it was, the girl gave a muffled answer. "[color=ff57ff]Apparently I am...[/color]"

Marcus chuckled as Siena's stomach gave a small cry of anger, followed by a wide grin as she attempted to hide her crimson face. "[color 33ec06]Guess that answers that question, doesn't it?[/color]" he said. He gave one last unsure look back to where he'd heard the cuff blaring, before shaking his head slightly.

[i][color 33ec06]She was probably fine. Students don't just disappear.[/color][/i]

"[color 33ec06]Forward! Dinner ho![/color]" he said excitedly, shoving his own doubts down into the recesses of his mind.

Callan laughed, "[color=a2d9ce]Glad we're all on the same page.[/color]" 

Starting their walk towards the cafeteria, Callan broke the initial silence with a heavy sigh. "[color=a2d9ce]Things got pretty intense with those last two groups, didn't they?[/color]" She inwardly cringed, remembering some of the more gruesome injuries. She hoped it wasn't a topic that would make anyone uncomfortable, but she needed to know that she wasn't the only one who found it wrong. Marcus had touched on the subject earlier. 'Feral animals' seemed to perfectly describe the behavior of several people from the last two teams.

With the mood growing lighter before their trek to the cafeteria, Siena couldn't help but feel a vague sense of relief. It was unpleasant, trying to think of 'maybes' and 'what ifs' in their situation. Unfortunately, a brief silence allowed the girl to stew in her thoughts. Thoughts about who might have been Rain. Thoughts about her match. The second match. 

Thoughts about the pieces of her that didn't seem to quite fit in again. 

Bringing up the second match wrought recollections of brutal injuries and almost reckless combat. Giving a faint nod, Siena found her next words coming out softer than she'd intended. "[color=ff57ff]Y-yeah...[/color]" She flicked her gaze down and away. "[color=ff57ff]I didn't think anyone would really try and fight like...[/color]" Letting the sentence trail off, Siena moved to tug at the ends of her hair again--more gently this time than before. Unpleasant memories, both vivid and hazy. [i]Wasn't that why she came?[/i]

"[color 33ec06]I know...it was brutal.[/color]" Marcus said, trailing behind. "[color 33ec06]Hell, I thought the first match was taking it a bit far...but jeeze.[/color] he added. Sure, Kusari had snapped his arm like a stick -  but he was pretty sure it hadn't been on purpose. He didn't really want to think about what her actual goal was going to be, but it all seemed so trivial compared to the second half.

He thought back to the sewers, where he'd had plenty of time to think. She'd broken his arm, and he still felt bad for punching her - but these kids didn't even hesitate to tear into eachother. Between the two half-dressed girls and Ernie, there had been a lot of unnecessary violence. It was scary, honestly. To think he might have to rely on these people. It didn't exactly fill him with confidence, that was for sure.

"[color 33ec06]I still can't believe Sander [i]bit[/i] you![/color]" he said, turning to Callan and half-chuckling. "[color 33ec06]How'd that one happen?[/color]"

"[color=a2d9ce]Uggh,[/color]" Callan visibly bristled, groaning at the question. "[color=a2d9ce]I don't know,[/color]" she sighed, absentmindedly rubbing the spot on her neck where the bite mark had once been, "[color=a2d9ce]He seemed pretty out of control.[/color]"

"[color=ff57ff]I guess that might be a drawback for his power...?[/color]" At least, there hadn't been anyone that seemed unhinged during their classes earlier, so Siena [i]assumed[/i] it was the boy's power. "[color=ff57ff]I...I can't believe he lost all his clothes...[/color]"

"[color 33ec06]God. I'm sorry.[/color]" Marcus said to Siena. That had been an experience for his two roommates for sure. All just because 'someone took his clothes'. He was still a little bit miffed at the completely unapologetic way Sander had answered the question - as if he'd done nothing wrong.

He snickered a little bit as something else came to his mind, cutting through the slow anger that was boiling again. "[color 33ec06]Between him and that dragon kid, I've seen more than enough pasty white ass for a fair while.[/color]" He chuckled softly to himself, shaking his head. What was this group? They had the bloodthirsty bruisers of the second team, but all of the cameras had been mooned at least twice with the first team.

Partially out of habit, Callan laughed, but really she was trying her best to forget. Her efforts weren't proving to be very effective, in no small part thanks to Marcus. "[color=a2d9ce]Team 3 and 4 couldn't seem to keep their clothes on either,[/color]" she said, playing a little more attention to Marcus as she tacked on the last part, "[color=a2d9ce]Did you see what happened to Emma?[/color]"

Marcus's face immediately turned a slight shade of pink, and all he could do was cough awkwardly and hope the dim light didn't show it off as much as he felt it was being shown off. "[color 33ec06]Yeah...that was rough...[/color]" he said, as tactfully as he could muster the words. "[color 33ec06]As if the giant-hand-slap wasn't bad enough.[/color]"

Emma was entirely unsure of what to do after they were let out. She wasn’t exactly eager to head back to her dorm where Hazel would surely be waiting. There wasn’t anywhere else she could sleep, even though weariness made the prospect of a bed very attractive. She was left with few options but to wander the campus. A rumble from her stomach left her with a good idea of the general direction she should head in. 
 
It didn’t take long before she caught notice of the fact that the Suite 430 trio was also on the path to the dining hall. She awkwardly lagged behind them for a moment, ruminating on whether or not to say something. On the one hand, it would be weird if she didn’t, but on the other she wasn’t sure if she had wanted to talk to anyone right now. 
 
[i]Especially[/i] now that she was wearing hospital pajamas. 
 
She sighed, resolving herself. [color=8A3DFF][i]I should really say hi to them, shouldn’t I?[/i][/color] She quickened her pace a bit, [color=8A3DFF]”Hey!”[/color] she called out to the group with a surprisingly chipper voice as she came up behind them.

Before she could respond, Emma's sudden appearance nearly made her jump. Hoping beyond hope that Emma hadn't overheard what they were just talking about, Callan managed half a smile. "[color=a2d9ce]Oh, hey Emma,[/color]" she said quickly, tensing her shoulders forward. 

Marcus's heart nearly lept out of his chest to continue a life of its own when Emma appeared out of nowhere. The sudden start probably didn't do anything for his already pink face, but he quickly settled himself and greeted her with his trademark chipperness. "[color 33ec06]Oh hey Em! How're you feeling after that?[/color]" he said, immediately silenced when Callan jabbed him in the side with her elbow.

Much like her roommates, the appearance another member of their motley lunch crew had startled Siena, her steps faltering as one foot stopped too short in its motions, as if trying to lock her in place. [i]What a terrible instinct.[/i] The girl found it almost frightening that Emma could be sounding as chipper as she was given what had just happened, but who was she to judge? The brunette could hardly say that she was any better. Giving a faint motion to acknowledge Emma's presence, Siena kept herself quiet, once again keen on observing her fellow peers.

Emma’s smile turned to a slight frown after Marcus’ question. The realization hit her: They had all seen her in the nude. There was a slight pause as she tried to formulate her words. [color=8A3DFF]”I’m…”[/color] another pause came, the frown on her face trying to reformulate itself into a smile and almost succeeding, [color=8A3DFF]”I’m fine.”[/color] she said unconvincingly.

"[color=a2d9ce]We're gonna go eat,[/color]" Callan said quickly, eager to move away from that topic, "[color=a2d9ce]You wanna come with?[/color]" 

Emma considered for a moment. She still wasn’t sure she was eager to deal with people right now, and the last time she had lunch with them it had turned out awkward. But at the same time she did enjoy their company, and it would provide a welcome excuse to avoid returning to the dorm. She nodded, [color=8A3DFF]”Sure, if you guys don’t mind the company.”[/color] she said, a slight tinge of hesitation bleeding into her otherwise lively voice

"[color 33ec06]The more the merrier![/color]" Marcus said, slowly taking a step away from Callan in an effort to remain out of range.

[i]'[color=ff57ff]She's slipping.[/color]'[/i] She wasn't entirely certain whether those words were her own or words that Maya would have said. The thought fell away beneath the myriad of additional lessons and reminders that came crashing over the brunette as she painted a smile on her face. [i]Hollow, hollow smile, was it even passing?[/i] "[color=ff57ff]After dinner, maybe we could go through a catalogue and uh...I could replace the clothes I ruined. Or that got ruined. Or uh...[/color]" Huh...maybe she should have brought more clothes if this was what she had to expect from their training exercises.

"[color 33ec06]Oooh, you got anything fancy?[/color]" Marcus said, putting his hands below his chin. "[color 33ec06]I could really use a nice skirt or a blouse. Something to make me feel pretty![/color]" he said, fluttering his eyelashes and chuckling. 

"[color=a2d9ce][i]God,[/i][/color]" Callan chuckled at Marcus's performance. "[color=a2d9ce]People still buy things from catalogues?[/color]" she asked curiously, turning to Siena.

Emma wasn’t quite sure if Siena’s proposition was offered at her too, so she decided to merely smile politely and let the other two talk for her. She wouldn’t be opposed to getting to know the others better, so she had hoped that it had been a suggestion directed her way, but for now she was content to listen to the conversation.  

Something that might have been a (badly) restrainted giggle tried to eke its way out of Siena's throat. She caught it, but not in time to prevent the start, leading to some breathy abomination of a laugh. Ew. Terrible. Maybe she was more exhausted than she thought. Before she had time to dwell on that sound, Siena was presented with an entirely [i]different[/i] conundrum. "[color=ff57ff]Oh, well I suppose it's a little behind the times. I don't think it's really easy to keep in vogue here though.[/color]" Fewer opportunities, and apparently more ways to shred designs that were painstakingly pored over. She could only imagine the heart attacks that Maya would have had over what had happened in the previous matches. "[color=ff57ff]It's usually less of a hassle than trying to dig through a web store until you buy, I guess?[/color]" 

She twisted a lock of hair around a finger and pulled. 

"[color=ff57ff]But if you're worried about gendered clothing, Burberry always has a nice selection of both spectrums.[/color]"

Marcus cocked an eyebrow at Siena and tilted his head slightly. "[color 33ec06]Burberry? Is that a brand?[/color]" he asked, wracking his brain for the keyword. It was nothing he'd ever heard of - it was equally possible that Siena was calling him some mean foreign name as it was she was suggesting clothing.

The name didn't ring any bells for Callan either, who resigned herself to rethinking her shopping habits. Over half her wardrobe was bought online. 

Emma raised an eyebrow at Siena’s suggestion. Emma, for one, was familiar with that name. [color=8A3DFF][i]Rich girl, huh?[/i][/color] Emma knew the type. She also knew that Siena probably didn’t realize the fault in what she just said. At least, she hoped she didn’t. Emma wanted to think that she was a good person, she had seemed nice enough. [color=8A3DFF][i]How do I put this diplomatically….[/i][/color] Emma wondered. Maybe it was best to say nothing at all? No, otherwise she might innocently show them a catalog and have to deal with a fair bit of embarrassment. Emma rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, [color=8A3DFF]”Maybe a Sears catalog would be a better idea?”[/color] Emma said cheerfully. Hopefully Siena would take that hint.

[i]What?[/i]

The confusion evident on her rooommate's faces was enough to send about twelve alarms off in the back of Siena's head. Burberry had been a staple--almost as much of one as Coach--and aside from Gerwulf's frequently less than stellar casualwear choices (at least, according to Maya. Siena had rarely seen him for long enough to judge when he wasn't in something painstakingly selected for his build), men's fashion was just a bit beyond her scope of recognition. And wasn't Burberry the closest to the casualwear she'd seen around campus? How had something as simple as picking clothes out become so complicated...?

"[color=ff57ff]That's the...department store?[/color]" Uncertainty laced the ends of Siena's words. She'd never really paid attention to it, having had all the necessities in reach. Desperately grasping at the slipping grains of memory from her last (and only) jaunt through a similarly themed store, Siena struggled to remember the shapes and colors of what she'd seen there. They were amorphous splotches of colors at best. "[color=ff57ff]I...suppose? I-I er...I'm not very familiar with stores my caretakers don't approve of.[/color]" A pause. Maybe [i]didn't[/i] was a better word.

"[color 33ec06]Wait. Caretakers?[/color]" Came Marcus's almost shocked reply. He'd figured that Siena was one of the wealthier people here from their first night - the almost literal pile of things she'd had waiting when they got shoved into their room had alerted him to that fact. It was only now that he was starting to get a grasp of how much wealthier she was. Caretakers, not knowing what Sears was? They were all wildly abstract concepts to him, at least.

"[color=ff57ff]Oh, y-yeah. Since my parents were pretty busy, I think.[/color]" At least, that was what she was convinced of. That had been the easiest explanation for the brunette to process about her living situation, and she certainly believed it. The memories she did have of both had been fond enough, but work made money, right? "[color=ff57ff]Er...is that really weird...?[/color]"

"[color=a2d9ce]I mean-- when I was younger, my parents would drop my brother and I off at our grandparents house all day while they went to work. So it's probably not that weird?[/color]" Callan did her best to relate, but the way Siena was talking about her caretakers [i]did[/i] seem a little strange. Firstly, that she seemed to have more than one. Secondly, that she was talking in present tense. Nannies and babysitters weren't anything new, but wasn't Siena a little old for that? How busy were her parents exactly? 

Emma did her best to make her smiler bigger. This was... awkward. She'd tried to save Siena any further embarrasment, but had inadvertently dug her deeper. [color=8A3DFF]"It's fine, Siena."[/color] Emma said in an astonishingly sincere tone. [color=8A3DFF]"We're all coming from different places, so it's not very surprising that we've had different experiences, right?"[/color] Emma had known a lot of people like Siena in the past. It's easy for people like her to accidently offend others, but Emma knew it was out of ignorance, not malice. Well, sometimes it [i]was[/i] out of malice, but this didn't appear to be the case here. 

A careful smile. It was different out of the estate. "[color=ff57ff]Certainly. I suppose I'm still getting used to the idea of being out here.[/color]" She should have stopped there, but the next words came out before the filter could catch them. "[color=ff57ff]I guess I still have to get used to seeing more than two faces every day though.[/color]"

Marcus pondered for a bit; only seeing two faces every day? That certainly didn't seem...healthy. Pointing that out, however, would probably not be the greatest of ideas. His aching rib reminded him that he needed to choose his words carefully, and he stole a quick glance at Callan. And what, exactly, did she mean by 'being out here'?

"[color=a2d9ce]Two...?[/color]" Callan couldn't make sense of that. "[color=a2d9ce]You mean, uh... like you were homeschooled?[/color]"

"[color=ff57ff]Oh, sort of.[/color]" The realization was catching up to her just a fraction of a second too late. She should have just agreed to "homeschooled" as an explanation. "[color=ff57ff]I wasn't really allowed away from home. My parents were really overprotective, I guess?[/color]"

"[color 33ec06]Siena....[/color]" Marcus started, the words coming out slowly. "[color 33ec06]How much experience do you have being away from home? Like, before you got here? Did you ever get to go out and explore?[/color]"

"[color=ff57ff]Er...[/color]" It took a moment to think of the answer. After a moment of contemplation, Siena resigned herself to at least part of the truth. "[color=ff57ff]I didn't really ever have to. Gerwulf always took care of things if we ever had to...'explore' anywhere.[/color]"

Marcus didn't say anything, only looking to the rest of the group. If Siena was [i]that[/i] sheltered...this was going to be an interesing experience for Suite 430.

Emma gave a subtle sigh. She had tried to toss poor Siena a rope twice, and it seemed to only be causing her more embarassment. [color=8A3DFF]"Well, that means you have a lot of stuff to see, doesn't it? We'll have to get you out into the town so you can take a look at what you've been missing. That'd be kind of fun, wouldn't it?"[/color] Emma said, looking across the group. Hopefully that would be good enough.

"[color=a2d9ce]Yeah,[/color]" Callan smiled encouragingly, "[color=a2d9ce]I've been meaning to explore the town a bit more. If you ever need someone to go with you, I'd be down.[/color]" Part of her was excited to see Siena's take on Crimen Culpae. It wasn't nearly as big as Atlanta, but it was probably huge to someone like Siena. She remembered Siena had said she lived at a 'big estate'. Callan assumed that was something bigger than a mansion-- but probably not bigger than a small town, right? Her imagination was running away with her. She could hardly wrap her head around how awesome it sounded. 

But then again, if it came with overly protective parents... [i]nah[/i]. Who was she kidding? All that space to herself? It sounded like heaven. She bit back the urge to erupt into a series of questions. Did Siena have her own private pool? An in-home theater? Drinking fountains filled with hawaiian punch?

"I.D. please."

The voice brought her train of thought screeching to a halt. Fishing around in her pocket, she found her I.D. card and handed it over. 

Despite it all, Siena gave a smile that broke through the haze that had settled over her. It felt oddly genuine despite the anxiety that had caused it, but that was a good thing...right? Before she could formulate an answer, they were halted by the demand for identification. Quickly sliding the thinner of her wallets from its confines, Siena ventured a cautious idea as she handed the card to the...cafeteria guard. What a sad job.

"[color=ff57ff]Maybe instead of catalogue shopping, we can make it a g--[/color]" Siena's eyes darted surreptitiously towards Marcus, as if remembering suddenly that he was there. "[color=ff57ff]Day trip. It'll be my treat.[/color]"

Marcus handed his own ID over to the guard as they walked into the cafeteria. Day trip sounded like it could be a fun idea - get out and explore the town with his roommates. Course, being the only guy during a shopping trip meant that he'd inevitably end up either napping on one of the seats provided, or crushed under a mountain of shit. Or both.

"[color 33ec06]Hey, you know me: I'm always up for a day around the town! Adventure! Woo![/color]"

Emma nodded. [color=8A3DFF]”Yeah, it’ll be nice to get off of the campus and see the town.”[/color] Emma said as she handed her card to the guard. Emma gave herself a mental pat on the back- it took three tries, but she managed to turn the conversation away from Siena’s past.

Callan glanced over her shoulder as the staff member handed back her card. She hadn't seen Sander since the commotion back at Ground Zero. He would probably get hungry and need his card, right? Maybe he'd find a way to get in without it.  

Returning her card to the pocket of her hoodie, Callan grabbed a plate and headed towards the section with an assortment of different pizzas, letting the conversation hang there until they got their food and found a table. She wasn't reluctant to have Emma join them-- or rather, she shouldn't have been. The more she saw of Emma, the more she thought she seemed like a good person. She had no reason to harbor any bad feelings towards her-- aberration or no. So what if she and Marcus exchanged numbers? So what if Emma liked him? Callan hardly knew the guy anyway. So what?

She reached to grab the last remaining slice of pepperoni pizza from the once freshly refilled pan, catching the stare of a younger looking boy with thick black hair and wide brown eyes. He gawked at the tower of pizza on her plate, eyes flickering fearfully to her face when he noticed her looking at him. 

"[color=a2d9ce]What are you looking at?[/color]" she asked, much more harshly than intended. The boy jumped, completely reconsidering his craving for pizza as he meandered over to the chicken wings. She sighed to herself, snatching three cartons of chocolate milk before heading towards the nearest table. Fortunately, it was late and, as a result, not very busy. 

[color=00a99d]"Nice to see you too, Jason. Geez,"[/color] Ernie rolled his eyes as the cafeteria doorman brusquely handed his card back. Asshat.

Ernie entered the cafeteria, hair still damp and eyes roaming the room. He hadn't seen his West friends all day, maybe he should try to seek them out and catch up. No such luck. The only familiar faces he could find were the guys he had lunch with earlier in the day. Eh, guess they would do for the time being. Sure, they seemed nice, but Ernie wasn't sure if he felt like talking with [i]them[/i] specifically. Whatever happened at lunch could've still been hanging in the air. Whatever happened in the game would probably make things really awkward between them. And Emma was there. Urgh. But he wasn't going to spend a meal sitting alone again, not if he could help it. He needed noise to erase the Rain stuff in his head.

[color=00a99d]"Hey, guys!"[/color] Ernie strolled over to the group, giving the boy behind him an apologetic wave as he cut in line. He looked the group up and down, searching for an icebreaker, [color=00a99d]"Cal, are those the pants that..."[/color]

Mid-gulp, Callan choked on her chocolate milk. Her fist closed tightly around the thankfully empty milk carton and she coughed violently into the back of her hand. Her eyes watered as she tried to regain her breath and composure, heat rushing to her face. 

Marcus chuckled at the exchange as he tried to precariously balance a poorly made cafeteria burger on his tray, along with a small glass of soda. He looked Ernie over, sparing a passing glance at Callan as she recovered. On one hand - he wasn't too sure about Ernie after the whole Capture the Flag moment he had with the girl, but he did still feel a little bad for his peacocking at lunch earlier.

"[color 33ec06]Oh hey, Ernie! How're yo-[/color]" he stopped suddenly, forcing the words to stop before they could leave his mouth. "[color 33ec06]W-what's up?[/color]"

Emma had also returned with her own plate of food. All that was on it was a cheese quesadilla alongside a glass of water- despite her hunger she didn’t feel much like eating after the fight. Her expression soured when she noticed Ernie. She let her frown settle, not saying anything to him. Instead she looked towards Callan, having noticed her small coughing fit, letting her usual smile grow back onto her face once again, [color=8A3DFF]”You alright, Cal?”[/color]

"[color=a2d9ce]Yeah[/color]," Callan croaked, wiping at her eyes as her fit subsided, "[color=a2d9ce]I'm fine.[/color]" Hoping the pants wouldn't be brought up again, she slid them off the table and into her lap. 

Cautiously nibbling on what was [i]probably[/i] a piece of fried...cheese? It tasted like cheese. Maya would have killed her, but that was a point lost in the wake of what was happening before her. Most notably, the pants that were slid off the table. There was a faint sense of uneasiness about Ernie's presence, but Siena did her best to try and [i]not[/i] remember the eye incident. Instead, she grasped at straws for something that wasn't related to pants, eyes, or really anything related to the matches. "[color=ff57ff]Um, s-so...what electives did you guys end up picking?[/color]"

Urgh, at least the feeling was mutual. Ernie raised an eyebrow at Emma's frosty reception but didn't chase it up. This girl who barely qualified as an Aberration wouldn't have been worth it. Ernie did note her eerily quick switch between her disapproval towards him and concern for Cal though. Interesting.

Marc's hesitance was... weird too, but again, probably nothing important.

[color=00a99d]"Ah, nothin' much,"[/color] Ernie shrugged, digging into a slice of turkey, [color=00a99d]"Recovering from that monster of a first day. Chose Home Ec for electives. Snacks [i]and[/i] zero textbooks? Easiest decision I've made here!"[/color]

It seemed everyone was content to avoid the topic of Ernie's behavior during the flag and seek game. Callan wasn't entirely sure how she felt about that. If he was going to waltz over here and try to eat with them, she would've very much liked to know why he thought shoving a table leg through Allison's eye socket was necessary. Fortunately she was still reeling from the sudden influx of attention Ernie's precipitous question had awarded her. She'd play along for now, but she definitely wasn't letting anything go. 

"[color=a2d9ce]Film Study was my first choice. I don't know about here, but at my old school you literally just sat and watched videos all class. Great for naps.[/color]"

"[color 33ec06]I picked photography, but it also had art attached to it, so that'll be interesting![/color]" Photography had always been an interest to Marcus - he'd grown up a sentimental sort, and taking pictures was the easiest way to capture the things you didn't want to forget about! The unfortunate part was that he didn't have an artistic bone in his body, so the other half of that elective was going to be huge pain in the backside.

Emma’s face lit up a little when Marcus mentioned photography. [color=8A3DFF]”Oh, I picked photography too!”[/color] photography stood as one of Emma’s few actual interests, although she never considered herself particularly good at it. Something always seemed to get lost in translation between the picture she saw in her head and the picture that actually came out, although there was an undeniable romance in being able to capture something as she saw it and distill it into something other people could see.

WIth the conversation inching away from the less-than-pleasant thoughts Siena harbored towards the matches, the brunette felt a faint sense of relief spread over the bitter feeling over the pit of her stomach. The breath of relief she wanted to release was washed away by a dim smile and an answer to her own question. "[color=ff57ff]Looks like I'll be on my own in creative writing then.[/color]" ...that was what she had chosen, right? Though it had only been a few hours ago, selecting her electives had seemed like an event lost to unclear memories. Well...she was [i]pretty[/i] sure that wasn't a lie.

Marcus gave Emma a grin as she mentioned that she took photography too. "[color 33ec06]Oooh, guess we'll be competing for top dog in that class then, huh?[/color]" he added, shooting a playful smirk at her. He looked back to Callan and Siena, before he opened his mouth again. "[color 33ec06]Just try not to break the desks if you fall asleep; there seems to be a running trend between you napping and structural damage![/color]" 

"[color=a2d9ce]Tch[/color]" Callan answered, almost too late. Emma and Marcus would probably be in the same class. That would be good. For them. "[color=a2d9ce]As long as I don't have someone trying to scare me awake,[/color]" she scoffed, taking another large bite of pizza to busy herself.

Emma was quick to get her quip in, [color=8A3DFF]"It won't be much of a competition, but whatever you say."[/color] she said with a slight wink. 

[color=00a99d]"Oooh, damn,"[/color] Ernie eyed the pair with a cheeky grin, [color=00a99d]"Hope you're not gonna take that kinda smacktalk lying down, Marc."[/color]

"[color 33ec06]I mean, I can sneak in and and shout at you if that would make you feel a little bett-[/color]" Marcus said, interrupted as his brain registered the diss coming from Emma. He turned slowly to look at her, pausing a moment to let the audible silence run its course before waggling a finger as he started loading the double-barreled sass.

"[color 33ec06]Oh no you di'int.[/color]" he said, bobbing his head in the manner of a brazen high-school girl. "[color 33ec06]Sounds like you need to [i]develop[/i] a better attitiude, sistah. Because right now, yours is a [i]negative[/i]."[/color] He finished, throwing in an imaginary hair flip and stopping just short of snapping in a z-formation. 

At the conclusion of her roommate's performance, Callan set down her slice of pizza. Covering her mouth, it became all too clear all too quickly that her efforts were going to be futile. The voice, the hair flip... it was hilarious. Laughing was the last thing she wanted to do as she watched Marcus flirt with Emma, but... it was too late. 

Despite her best efforts, she let out a restrained snort.  Biting her lip, she tried to stop, but laughter bubbled up through her nose until she couldn't hold it in any longer. She laughed hard into back of her hand, eyes tightly closed as they started to water. 

"[color=a2d9ce]Please--[/color]" she gasped in between giggles, "[color=a2d9ce]Don't-- don't do that again.[/color]"  

Emma seemed far less impressed. She raised an eyebrow in response to Marcus' display, suppressing any laughter that may have came, [color=8A3DFF]"That...  just, wow. I knew that you were bad, but that's a whole new level."[/color] she took a desperate sip from her glass of water, eyes still staring down Marcus. As she set down her glass she began again. [color=8A3DFF]"Seriously, I don't know if I can take anymore after that."[/color] she said, taking a quick glance at the door. 

[color=00a99d]"Pfft! Dude, what even?"[/color]

Ernie smiled widely at the display. The joke itself had gone over his head (something about photo-taking, probably) but Marcus' sass was absolutely flawless. The reactions from the others were just as hilarious, if not more. He looked to Cal, who seemed to be going through some sort of laughing fit. Good thing she wasn't drinking any of that chocolate milk when she snorted, or he probably would have fallen over trying to avoid the spray. Nose juice, not pretty at all. 

[color=00a99d]"You alright there?"[/color] Ernie asked Cal, tentatively picking a few napkins for her from the pile on his tray. Better safe than sorry.

Callan nodded, waving away the napkins as her laughter finally subsided. 

"[color 33ec06]Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week[/color]" Marcus said with a slight bow, looking to all the occupants at the table and grinning at the snorting Callan. His eyes darted over to Emma, and he spoke in between chuckles of his own. "[color 33ec06]I'm sorry; if you have to leave, I completely understand. I won't feel bad, I promise![/color]"

[color=8A3DFF]"Hmmmmm... very tempting, but I am hungry, so I guess I don't have a choice but to endure."[/color] she said, capping off her sentence with a quick bite from her quesadilla. 

The conversation from there continued pleasantly enough. Despite the violent Flag and Seek game, the group seemed keen on avoiding the topic. Discussing the lengthy list of electives, time flew by quicker than expected. During the conversation, someone brought up the idea of exchanging phone numbers: that way they could easily get in touch instead of hunting them down if needed. It wasn't long before full tummies and fatigue urged everyone back to their rooms.
[/hider]


[hider=9/8 Cafe, Emma and Marcus]
[center]
[img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/247869134057111563/300748869283610624/huehue.jpg[/img]
[h2][color 33ec06]Marcus[/color] | [color 8A3DFF]Emma[/color][/h2]
[hr][color=silver]𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟘𝟠, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘   / /   ℂ𝕣𝕚𝕞𝕖𝕟 ℂ𝕦𝕝𝕡𝕒𝕖 𝟙   / /   ℂ𝕒𝕗𝕖   / /   ~𝟙𝟞𝟘𝟘[/color][hr]
[sub]Collab with [@Chasers115][@Diggerton][/sub][/center]

4:03. Marcus had effectively spent the last half hour trying to distract himself from the upcoming 'date'. Now that it had actually rolled around, his calm and collected demenor was quickly slipping out of his grasp. He'd read over the text conversation once more, so he knew which door he was knocking on, and the utter shame that washed over him in viewing that exchange was basically palpable. [color 33ec06]"Sounds like a plan, Stan?"[/color] For christ's sake. Good thing he was charming; or this would be a reletively short day.

He hadn't really dressed up that much. Another choice that he had mentally fretted over. It was just two pals getting a couple drinks and chatting - no need to rent a tuxedo or something dumb like that. He had brushed his hair down a little bit, upgrading it from 'terrible sawblade nightmare' to 'slightly unruly spiked mess'. He figured he looked presentable, having given himself the once-over in the mirror beforehand. Hopefully Emma thought the same thing.

He gulped once. 318 was right in front of him. He was Marcus; cool guy extrodinare! Nothing to worry about! 

With a quick breath, he knocked on the door.

Emma was as 'dressed up' as her wardrobe allowed, which was to say not very. She had paid particular attention to her hair and makeup though, which made her look [i]damn good[/i].

At least, that's what she thought. Maybe Marcus would too, she had hoped. 

She had spent the past half an hour pacing around the room nervously, shifting between checking her phone, look at herself in the mirror, and glancing out the dorm's window. [color=8A3DFF][i]Far too nervous for a first not-even-date.[/i][/color] she admonished herself mentally. When Marcus finally did knock she moved to the door quickly, but not [i]too[/i] quickly. She allowed herself a small pause before the door, taking a quick breath.

Any nerves slipped away as Emma opened the door. The mask was still good for this, at least. [color=8A3DFF]"Hey Marcus, how's it goin'?"[/color] Her usual smile slipped its way onto her face.

"[color 33ec06]Well, better now that I know you didn't trick me into knocking on a stranger's door![/color]" he said, returning her grin. She definitely looked nice; which meant that he probably looked like an utter slob next to her. Already, he was nervous again - worried about how much effort he had put into his appearance. Although, it's not like he would have been able to put much effort into it - besides fighting the losing battle that was his mop of a hairdo. He'd neglected to get anything nice while he was out gathering essentials; the nicest thing he owned was probably the torn hoodie he left hanging back at the dorm. 

Still, maybe it was best to just not be so worried about it; there wasn't anything he could do now - for better or for worse.

"[color 33ec06]Shall we away?[/color]" he said, giving a slight bow and a flourish of the hand, in the universal 'lead the way' motion.

Emma laughed a little at Marcus’ exaggerated manner. He was a total dork, she had decided, but maybe she liked that. [color=8A3DFF]”Alright then, let’s go.”[/color] she said, stepping out the door and closing it behind her. 
 
She hovered for a moment after locking the door behind her, glancing at him. [color=8A3DFF][i]What the hell do you talk about on a first date at a place like this?[/i][/color] she quickly realized that she had paused for a moment too long, and was now veering into the territory of awkwardly staring at Marcus. It looked like the nerves weren’t quite [i]all[/i] gone.
 
She quickly grasped at the first conversation topic she could think of as she started walking down the hallway. [color=8A3DFF]”So, how’s superhero life treating you?”[/color] not a great opener, she decided, but at least she had said something.

"[color 33ec06]Oh, you know...[/color]" Marcus said, shrugging nonchalantly. "[color 33ec06]Between getting Bruce-Lee kicked by Kusari and dunked by Siena, it's not exactly how I pictured it going. Not the glamourous, rockstar life I thought might come with it![/color]" he said, following Emma down the hallway.

Thank goodness she had been the first one to say anything, because he had been desperately trying to think of a conversation starter...to no avail.

"[color 33ec06]How about you? You feeling alright after...yesterday?[/color]" he said, the slight pause hanging longer than he intended. [i][color 33ec06]'Oh yeah, how're you doing after all your friends tried to squash you?' Good choice, dumbass.[/color][/i] he thought to himself.

Emma rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. [color=8A3DFF]”Uhhhh…”[/color] the noise came out awkwardly. Yeah, that wasn’t a great conversation topic. She had to say something, she realized, so she didn’t look like an idiot. [color=8A3DFF]”I’m… fine. Things got to violent, but I’m fine.”[/color] she lied. 
 
To be perfectly honest even though the violence was concerning, the thing that had her worried the most was her inability to summon Determination. Not just during her last encounter with Hazel, ever since the fight she’d been completely unable to summon any of her Tulpas. She knew that her power relied on her emotional state, so something like this didn’t bode well for her. 
 
She moved her mind off it, and quickly tried to change the subject, [color=8A3DFF]”How’s Cal and Sienna? I’m sure living with a pair of girls isn’t easy.”[/color] she realized that the question made her a little jealous, but at least she wasn’t thinking about flag football.

"[color 33ec06]It's...interesting, to say the least.[/color]" Marcus said, jumping along with the quick conversation shift. It was obivous that the game wasn't a good topic, so he was more than happy to try and move away from it. "[color 33ec06]I don't know what's going on with Callan, but I'm pretty sure she got angry and did some landscaping last night, or something.[/color]" he said, remembering the tree that had been haphazardly tossed to the side last night.

"[color 33ec06]Siena's...I'm not sure. I can't quite get a read on her, but she seems friendly enough.[/color]" Marcus said, shrugging. He contemplated making a joke about the white-haired boy's infatuation (not to mention allowing Siena to feed him snacks), but decided against it. If that sort of rumour spread, he was all to sure it'd work around to screw him over.

"[color 33ec06]And there's the dog. That's a treat.[/color]" Marcus said, a slight snort of derision punctuating his sentance.

Emma gave Marcus a slight look of befuddlement. [color=8A3DFF]”Not a dog fan?”[/color] she said curiously, Lizzy’s near-cartoonish antics on her mind. She quickly forgot about that, realizing something, [color=8A3DFF]”We should probably grab a bus. It’s a bit of a walk into CC1, isn’t it…”[/color]

"[color 33ec06]More of a cat person myself.[/color]" Marcus said, relieved when Emma's mind switched over to their destination. "[color 33ec06]Little bit. And I'm willing to bet you wouldn't even offer to carry me![/color]" he said with a chuckle, following along.
 
[hr]
 
It wasn’t a long ride before the duo arrived at the town. Emma had been doing her utmost to keep up the conversation with Marcus. After all it wouldn’t do her well to look boring, would it? The citizens of CC1, as they tended to do, side eyed the pair when they noticed their marks. Emma did her best to ignore it. As the pair stepped off the bus Emma produced a map of the town from her back pocket. [color=8A3DFF]”The café should be roughly two blocks…”[/color] she spun around and pointed off into the distance, [color=8A3DFF]”That way!”[/color] she declared.

Marcus returned the side-eyes as Emma pulled out a map. He hadn't noticed this much attention from the populace the first time he'd come through here, but he hadn't honestly been paying attention then either. He supposed it made sense; couple of subhumans came walking around the place, you keep your eye one them. Seemed like it'd be daily routine with a town this close to a subhuman base, but what did he know?

He took a small step backwards as Emma whirled around dramatically, looking off into the horizon she was pointing at. He grinned slightly at her, before speaking up himself.

"[color 33ec06]Well then, I suppose we shouldn't tarry! Onwards! That way![/color]" he said, giving his own point and declaration. He grinned some more, walking slowly down the sidewalk. "[color 33ec06]So what else does that map have on it? Anything interesting?[/color]" he said, leaning over slightly to try and get a look at it.

Emma followed Marcus, glancing over the map. [color=8A3DFF]”Town… stuff. Plenty of places to eat, cafes, etcetera. The most notable thing is probably the Institute. Crimen Culpae is a pretty big town though, and a pretty hip one at that…”[/color] Emma mused aloud. [color=8A3DFF]”Plenty of places like the one we’re going to, but from what I’ve seen this is the most popular. Would be a pretty nice place to live if not for our current… circumstances.”[/color] Emma paused for a moment, thinking, [color=8A3DFF]”Although for regular people I can’t really imagine why the hell they’d stay in a place like this. I guess they figure that USARILN will keep them safe, but… well, I think we just attract danger.”[/color]

"[color 33ec06]Yeah...I bet the insurance rates are crazy high here. Kids who can pull out trees and crystal bomb a football field sized area? Must be hell on deductibles.[/color]" Marcus said, looking from the map to his surroundings. It was a quaint little place, he wasn't sure how to feel about the people populating it yet, but the town itself seemed nice.

"[color 33ec06]I guess when burglars come to your door, you want the house right next to the PD. Must be the same type of logic with these guys - if they're gonna get hit, then we really have no choice but to intervene![/color]" he said, shrugging. "[color 33ec06]Or maybe they're all actors hired to make us feel less imprisoned. Who knows?[/color]"

Emma gestured offhandedly to one of the leering citizens, [color=8A3DFF]”If that’s the case they’re not doing a great job. If they’re here for our benefit you think they’d be less… weird.”[/color] Emma said the last part a little quieter so none of them would hear her. [color=8A3DFF]”But anyways, I don’t think we’re really your average PD. A better analogy would be living next to a military base in a warzone, I think. We all saw how close Menagerie’s monsters came to town last time. You’d think events like that would scare them off.”[/color] Emma gave a small shrug, [color=8A3DFF]”Their gamble, I guess. Maybe they’d just rather take us than DC’s monsters.”[/color] 
 
[color=8A3DFF][i]We are DC’s monsters,[/i][/color] a voice echoed in her head.
 
[color=8A3DFF]”Either way, the locals aren’t really what Zhang is concerned with, are they? She seems a little too pragmatic to worry about a few civilian casualties.”[/color] there was a hint of bitterness in Emma’s voice.

"[color 33ec06]Ah, you see; it's their complete inability to remain inconspicious that makes you less suspicious of them![/color]" Marcus said, chuckling slightly. "[color 33ec06]But yeah; they might just think us being close is somewhat of a protection. She might not care about the civilians, but this is probably close enough to the school to consider it a threat and send us out to save them.[/color]"

There was a thought that crossed his mind as he went over this in his head: "[color 33ec06]How public do you think that knowledge is? Like, do you think the citizens actually know there were [i]monsters[/i] knocking on their front doors? It'd be hard to cover up normally, but you could attribute literally anything to some students.[/color]" Marcus said, pondering it out loud.

Emma folded the map back up, returning it to its place in her pocket. [color=8A3DFF]”I guess that would work out pretty well for them, huh? Zhang seems like the type to have all her angles covered, so I’m sure she has something figured out.”[/color] Emma considered the thought, [color=8A3DFF]”I’m sure she’d have to balance it out though. If you blame too much on the students they’ll start calling for our blood. They want them to hate us, but not enough to actually do anything about it themselves.”[/color] Emma had already realized this reality, but it sounded especially shitty coming out of her mouth.
 
[color=8A3DFF]”But, uh, maybe we should talk about something a little lighter than that? Like… where are you from, Marcus? Y’know, before this whole subnatural nonsense.”[/color] She was quick to change the subject as soon as the thought came to her head. Best not to get bogged up in the details of their confinement, she decided.

Although Emma seemed perfectly content with the second change in topic thus far, Marcus's own feelings were slightly different. Easy question, but not one he really wanted to think about too hard. [i][color 33ec06]A smoking hole in the ground, now.[/color][/i] crossed his mind, but he kept that downer of a thought from slipping through.

"[color 33ec06]New York originally. The state, not the city. And no, I do not say things like 'Capiche' or 'Fuhgettabout it'.[/color]" he said, emphasizing the local accent as he spoke. "[color 33ec06]But I was basically in Vermont, so I never picked up the accent.[/color]" he said, kicking a loose stone across the sidewalk. "[color 33ec06]Shittiest little suburb you'd ever see though. How about yourself?[/color]"

Emma returned Marcus’ answer with a small laugh, not picking up on any discomfort he may have had. [color=8A3DFF]”No kidding? I’m from New York too. The city, actually. Lived in Tribeca pretty much my whole life, at least until I got here. And I’m a little ashamed to admit that the New York accent shows when I get angry.”[/color] Emma intentionally avoided the accent as she spoke. 

"[color 33ec06]Really!?[/color] Marcus said, turning fully to look at her. "[color 33ec06]Small world, I guess![/color]" he said, chuckling as he walked along with her. "[color 33ec06]Maybe there's something about New York that just makes us more receptive to powers and shit. Something about the fresh, city air and clean, city water! Or maybe DC just loves New York for some godawful reason![/color]"

[color=8A3DFF]”Well, if by fresh city air you mean the distinct smell of garbage, sure.”[/color] Emma quipped. By now they had arrived at the café, and Emma pushed open the door in front of her, holding it open behind her for Marcus. Emma walked up to the line that formed before the counter. The place sure was busy, but Emma supposed that wasn’t too surprising given it’s apparent reputation. She considered the menu as she spoke to Marcus, [color=8A3DFF]”You much of a coffee drinker?”[/color] she spoke up a little so she could be heard over the bustle of the café’s patrons.

"[color 33ec06]I'm pretty much an anything drinker, as long as it's not toxic.[/color]" Marcus said, looking over the menu. The place certainly did seem to be crowded, and he caught himself looking around at some of the other patrons more than the actual menu itself. He wondered to himself if there would be any other students here; it was a big town, but he just wanted to know how dispersed they were.

He looked back to the menu, having grown bored of people-watching, and ruminated over the options in his head. There were a couple of things with weird little names that he wasn't super confident about trying. Instead - he decided to go with something plain, boring, and safe. A mocha - hopefully 'mocha' was pretty universal around these parts, and not some fancy perversion of a basic drink.

By the time they reached the front of the line Emma had finally decided on a drink, [color=8A3DFF]”I’ll have a macchiato, please.”[/color] she politely asked the wide-eyed cashier. He, like most of CC1, was still somehow enchanted with the ideas of subnaturals before his very eyes. Emma glanced at Marcus, now his turn to order.

"[color 33ec06]Caffe Mocha for me.[/color]" Marcus said, glancing back at Emma. "[color 33ec06]So, Tribeca; that's practically straight in the middle of the city, huh? What was that like?[/color]" he said, trying to keep the conversation going. "[color 33ec06]I never was a fan of large crowds, so I didn't go into that area if I could help it. Just the relative peace and quiet of middle-of-nowhere for me, thanks![/color]" he added.

Emma shook her head, [color=8A3DFF]”Tribeca’s on the southern tip of Manhattan, so not really in the middle. At least, not in the geographic sense. Population wise, sure. I got to be right by SoHo, Chinatown, Little Italy, all that. Nice place.”[/color] ‘nice place where rich people live’ was what she didn’t say. 

[color=8A3DFF]”The city has its charms and its challenges. As long as you avoid the rough parts it isn’t too bad. It can be hard being around all those people… all those [i]very[/i] rude people. And it’s loud, and I’m pretty sure I already said it smells bad… buuuut I wouldn’t really want to live anywhere else.”[/color] Emma did indeed miss the city, but that was something she’d rather not think about. [color=8A3DFF]”Plenty of places to get food, which is nice.”[/color] she clarified.

"[color 33ec06]And that's really the only critera you need![/color]" Marcus said, grinning. If he had his drink, now would be the time to toast it - but he didn't, and he certainly wasn't going to embarass himself by going for the air-toast.

Emma nodded in agreement. [color=8A3DFF]”Yeah… I guess it also help that family is there.”[/color] yeah, she realized, it wasn’t the city she missed. That stung a little. [color=8A3DFF]”Speaking of, what’s yours like? Your family, that is.”[/color] 

The question hit Marcus like a truck, and he turned his head to nonchalantly look over the crowd and avoid betraying his thoughts to Emma. His hand twitched involuntarily, wanting desperately to fidget with the dogtags under his shirt, but he didn't allow himself to give it away that easily. "[color 33ec06]They're...distant.[/color]" Marcus said, his words unsure as he tried to come up with an excuse.

He turned casually back to Emma, having brought himself back to status-quo. "[color 33ec06]The only one I'm really close to is my sister, but she's a pain in the ass.[/color]" he said, feeling the pit in his stomach simmer away as he grinned awkwardly. 

There was a pause as Marcus thought over his own response, lost in his thoughts for just the slightest of moments. "[color 33ec06]How about yours?[/color]" Marcus asked, suddenly becoming aware of the silence and hurrying to fill the empty air.

Emma wasn’t dense enough to miss the awkwardness that her last question brought. [color=8A3DFF][i]Whoops,[/i][/color] she remarked internally, trying to figure out how to best get things back on track during his pause. Luckily, he had offered a solution for her. [color=8A3DFF]”Standard stuff. Mom…”[/color] there was a small but noticeable enough pause as she seemed to consider something for a second, [color=8A3DFF]”Dad, sister.”[/color] there was a hint of sadness in her voice when she mentioned her sister. Val still never texted her back. It looked like the topic was a little awkward for both of them.

Well, it appeared that talking about the past was getting the two of them absolutely nowhere, and fast. Marcus certainly didn't want to revisit that baggage, and had been purposefully trying to avoid thinking about basically since it happened. He wasn't sure what Emma was feeling, but he recognized the down-tone of her voice.

"[color 33ec06]I still can't believe they have us doing classes.[/color]" Marcus said, shaking his head. "[color 33ec06]Here I was, thinking that I'd never have to worry about Math again! But nope, first thing they make you do in superhero camp? Math.[/color]" he said, trying to bring the conversation back up with humor.

Emma shrugged slightly, [color=8A3DFF]”I’d say we’re better off for it. Classes are a good distraction from…”[/color] Emma waved off in the distance, [color=8A3DFF]”Everything, I guess. I’d rather think about Calc than being killed prematurely by some monster.”[/color] the sadness in Emma’s voice had disappeared, now replaced once again by her usual chipperness. [color=8A3DFF]”Plus I was always good at the whole ‘school’ thing.”[/color] 

"[color 33ec06]And that's where we differ, dear Emma.[/color]" Marcus said. "[color 33ec06]I was never a huge fan of it myself. Boring, boring, read garbage, high-school drama, yadda yadda.[/color]" he said, dimissively rolling his wrist.

"[color 33ec06]And if they were going to distract us with anything, why [i]school[/i]? Why not something cool like an arcade?[/color]" he said, chuckling. Complaining about a little thing like school; it almost seemed like they were two normal teenagers just having a chat. Maybe Emma had a point after all - just a good distraction from what the world had become and a little bit of help to make everything seem like it was the same as always.

At Marcus’ suggestion of an arcade Emma gave a slight shrug, [color=8A3DFF]”Zhang’s probably not a big gamer, if I had to take a guess.”[/color] Emma heard the barista call out for a mocha and macchiato. [color=8A3DFF]”Sounds like our drinks are ready.”[/color] Emma walked towards the counter and picked up her macchiato. She thanked the barista, who gave her a small wink.  When she looked down at her drink a slight frown crossed her face. An ‘X’ was etched into the milk foam. Latte art was usually cute but… Emma wasn’t sure if that was supposed to be flattering or threatening. She turned to Marcus quickly, handing him his drink, [color=8A3DFF]”Let’s find a seat.”[/color] she said quickly,

Marcus eagerly eyed his drink as Emma grabbed it, not quite noticing the little exchange she had, but noticing her looking at her drink with a frown of displeasure. He cocked his eyebrow, moving closer to get a look over her arm and at the offending beverage. "[color 33ec06]What? Not what you ordered?[/color] he asked, before he caught sight of the foam art.

He gave a lighthearted huff at the little 'X' drawn in the foam, the likeness clearly meant to resemble the 'X' across his date's throat. His drink seemed to lack the similar marking - whether it was his little paint splatter being too plain, or he just wasn't worth the barista in-joke was unknown to him. Either way, Marcus grinned as he snagged the beverage and moved over to one of the empty tables.

"[color 33ec06]Want me to get 'im for you?[/color]" he said, jerking his thumb back towards the counter. "[color 33ec06]I can probably move fast enough to bop him and nobody'll notice.[/color]" he added, taking a sip and jerking it back quickly. He quietly nursed his burnt tongue, looking to Emma - he wasn't sure how the X's felt about their marks (because he'd never really asked), so he wasn't sure if the foam drawing was actually irritating her or not.

Emma sat down, rubbing the X mark on her throat for a moment. [color=8A3DFF]”It’s fine. Forget about it.”[/color] Emma grabbed a stirrer from the bin on the table, taking a moment to break up the foam on the top of her drink before taking a careful sip, the X dispersing quickly.
 
[color=8A3DFF]”It’s just… you know, the ‘X’ isn’t really a great thing. We made the wrong choice, y’know? There’s something about it that makes me uncomfortable,”[/color] she’d rather forget about it, truth be told, [color=8A3DFF]”Maybe it’s just a desire to avoid being defined by it or reminded of it… or maybe it’s just because the way these CC1 guys act creeps me out.”[/color] Emma shook her head slightly, [color=8A3DFF]”It doesn’t matter. Guy probably thought it would be cute or something.”[/color]

"[color 33ec06]Well, I don't know enough about it to really say anything with any sort of confidence.[/color]" Marcus said, leaning back and sipping his own drink more gingerly this time. "[color 33ec06]I'd like to imagine I didn't pick the right choice any more than you picked the wrong one.[/color]" Marcus said, lowering his voice and putting air quotations around 'right' and 'wrong'. "[color 33ec06]Just two different choices.[/color]"

He didn't say anything about Emma's 'being defined by it' comment. He of all people knew what it was like to have a bad memory in the reflection. That was certainly something he didn't need to talk about, and he was eager to bring the conversation back around (having to redirect the conversation being something that seemed to be happening a lot, he noted to himself). 

"[color 33ec06]And hey, if there's one thing I know for certain, from many years of testing, it's that being cute doesn't automatically save you from getting bopped. [i]Trust me[/i][/color]" he said, sipping his drink through a wide grin.

Emma raised her eyebrows slightly at that, [color=8A3DFF]”Sounds like someone has a story to tell. I’m waiting.”[/color] she said playfully, taking another sip of her drink.

"[color 33ec06]Oh no, not a story. Just experience. I've gotten bopped plenty of times for being a pain in the ass, so clearly just being cute isn't working out for me![/color]" he said, chuckling softly.

[color=8A3DFF]”Mhhhhhm…”[/color] Emma mulled over a witty retort in her head through a sip of her drink before finally deciding that a little flattery wouldn’t hurt, [color=8A3DFF]”Well, it’s working out pretty well for you right now, eh? You’re on a date with a pretty girl, so things aren’t going that badly.”[/color] Emma trailed her sentence with a slight laugh. Hopefully that wasn’t [i]too[/i] bold.

"[color 33ec06]This is true![/color] Marcus said, smiling and giving a joking wink. "[color 33ec06]The lovely company of a strikingly pretty girl, having a grand ol' time, and I got a halfway decent cup of coffee! Surely, life doesn't get any better than this![/color]" he added, before looking down at an invisible watch on his wrist. "[color 33ec06]Which means that a semi-truck will come straight through that wall at any moment.[/color]" he said, nodding to the wall behind her.

Marcus [i]almost[/i] made Emma forget about their current situation. But then she thought to herself that ‘life doesn’t get any better than this’ seemed a bit of a silly thing to say given the fact that they were imprisoned against their will, forced to fight monsters and each other. In a lot of ways, she felt like the optimism was just a way to make it easier to hang on but… well, she appreciated it. Marcus’ cheery attitude and the fact that he wasn’t constantly losing his shit definitely gave him a leg up on the rest of their party. Plus, he called her pretty. 

Overall, he was likeable guy.

And that in itself was [i]very[/i] concerning. Emma was conscious of the fact that she had a tendency to get caught up on people, and she was also conscious of the fact that this was happening right now with Marcus. [color=8A3DFF]”Well, either that or our cuffs are about to beep and we’re in for a tazing.”[/color] she mentally reprimanded herself for saying that. She had no doubt Marcus would rather not think about their confinement right after he was just done talking about how great life is. She took another sip of her Macchiato only to find that it was worryingly low, [color=8A3DFF]”I probably shouldn’t mention that. Things almost feel normal right now, which is nice.”[/color] Emma said, shifting slightly in her seat, small smile etched on her face.

"[color 33ec06]What, you're telling me that you [i]don't[/i] enjoy a million volts straight to the leg?[/color]" Marcus said, raising his eyebrows in mock surprise. "[color 33ec06]But yeah; it's nice to just get out and not worry, isn't it? Almost makes this place feel like home, if you're willing to blissfully ignore everything that would have you believe otherwise.[/color]"

He sat for a moment, sipping his drink, before he spoke again. "[color 33ec06]I suppose I should thank you for that. For making this all seem ordinary - for a wonderful afternoon out, where we can just sit, chat, and be [i]people[/i]. So; thanks, Emma.[/color]" he finished, putting his cup down on the table. It was the honest truth; no matter how cheesy it came out. It had been ages since he'd been able to relax like an average teenager, and he didn't realize how much he truly missed it until just now. 

Emma rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. That was certainly an unexpected declaration.  [color=8A3DFF]”You’re welcome, I suppose. But it goes both ways, y’know?”[/color] she thought about Hector and Miranda, Clark, the hit she took from Hazel, falling off roofs, sneaking around the medical building with Brent, watching Sparrow and Prism fight Menagerie’s monsters, fighting those very same monsters themselves, watching Allison get stabbed in the eye… the past week’s event cycled past in her mind, and it was all so much. What Marcus said was true, this was the first time she really got to be a normal person for quite a while. There was a small sense of peace that came with that. 
 
[color=8A3DFF]”Things… I don’t things will ever be normal again, but stuff like this makes it easier to handle.”[/color] she remembered her conversation with Lawrence, about relying on others to make survival easier. Maybe there was a chance for that, even if he didn’t think leaning   on them was a good idea. [color=8A3DFF]”With the way that last fight with I’m not sure how much we can count on everyone getting along, but maybe we can carve out a nice little slice of this Hell to enjoy if we do.”[/color] she gave a little laugh at herself, [color=8A3DFF]”Or something like that, not trying to sound overly dramatic.”[/color]

"[color 33ec06]You know what? Maybe we can.[/color]" Marcus said, chuckling and tilting his cup back. "[color 33ec06]Eyuck. Now I feel all warm and bubbly inside. Like my heart grew three sizes or some silly thing like that. Gross.[/color]" he said, making an exaggerated shudder. "[color 33ec06]Don't go telling people about this feel good crap now, you hear? Can't have people thinking that I'm anything but a yuuuuuge pain in the backside.[/color]" he said, emphasizing the New York accent and giving her a mischevious grin.

Emma nodded, [color=8A3DFF]”If anyone asks I’ll tell the you just made a bunch of dumb jokes the whole time and that none of them landed.”[/color] she took another sip to see her drink empty, [color=8A3DFF]”And that you made fun of my accent.”[/color] she said with an exaggeratedly hurt accent that matched his own.

"[color 33ec06]Wait, can't we say that [i]some[/i] of them landed?[/color]" Marcus said, putting his hands up in the 'slow down' motion. "[color 33ec06]I've got some jokester cred to keep going.[/color]" he added, chuckling at her. He made a big pouty face, and continued. "[color 33ec06]Sorry, didn't realize that one was too far. Tell you what,[/color]" he said, reverting back to normal talk and leaning one arm on the table, "[color 33ec06]next time I'll buy [i]you[/i] a drink to make up for it. Sound good?[/color]"

Emma performed an exaggerated double take. [color=8A3DFF]”You can’t just go and change the script on me like this. If I’m going to lie for you we should at least make it convincing because let’s be honest, no one expects a lot from your quips,”[/color] she stated matter-of-factly. [color=8A3DFF]”But the drink is a tempting offer. I’ll consider it, but I can’t guarantee that I can pull off such a bad lie.”[/color] 

"[color 33ec06]Oh. Viscious. That hurts me right here.[/color]" Marcus said, tapping his chest. "[color 33ec06]You're just full of venom, ready to snap back, huh?[/color]" he said, pulling out an imaginary notebook and checking something off. "[color 33ec06]Alright. Note to self: don't joke about accent unless you want dangerous levels of sass.[/color]" he said outloud, shooting a quick look to Emma.

[color=8A3DFF]"Only fair that I can take a few jabs of my own with that bottomless pool of sass you carry around."[/color] the girl joked, [color 8a3dff]"But I'll lay off for your sake. I'm sure you don't want someone moving in on your niche [i]and[/i] doing it better than you."[/color] she teased.

"[color 33ec06]No. As a matter of fact I don't.[/color]" Marcus said, with all the sass of a highschool girl. "[color 33ec06]Don't need other people muscling in on my turf, especially not people who are better than me![/color]"

Emma nodded, [color=8A3DFF]”Of course, of course…”[/color] she let a small pause settle before gently tapping her empty drink against the table, [color=8A3DFF]”Well, I’m done. Maybe we should start heading back? Don’t want to be absent if Zhang has some crazy suicide mission for us.”[/color] she said, voice dripping with sarcasm. 

"[color 33ec06]Oh yeah, gotta be the first one in line for that![/color]" Marcus said, scoffing and rolling his eyes, before standing up and stretching. Although Emma meant it as a joke, the thought settled uneasily in his mind. He had no doubt in his mind that they'd get sent out on a mission like that; one where all the odds were stacked against them, and they were somehow supposed to not die during the course of it. It wasn't a thought he was too comfortable letting rest.

"[color 33ec06]I suppose a fun, happy mission is out of the question, huh?[/color] he said, smirking. "[color 33ec06]Like, go talk to the cake monsters and politely ask them to keep it down? Or convince the fluffy bunny creature that he should devote his life to charity work? Just something that doesn't try to eat us would be nice.[/color]"

Emma followed suit, rising from her seat. [color=8A3DFF]”We can hope, but I doubt she’ll make things that easy for us. It’s a safe bet that whether we’re dealing with Menagerie or DC whatever we’re fighting [i]is[/i] bound to try to eat us…”[/color] a thought suddenly crossed Emma’s mind as she was started walking towards the door, something that she had been mulling over last night, [color=8A3DFF]”By the by, how likely do you think it is that those monsters actually were Menagerie? I mean, sure they looked like it, but wouldn’t it explain a lot if that was a lie? After all, he’s been off the grid for so long, and suddenly he shows up and attacks the school? By all accounts Menagerie is a good person, so him trying to kill a bunch of kids… doesn’t something about that seem kind of weird?”[/color] Maybe part of Emma just wanted to believe that it wasn’t really Menagerie that tried to kill them, after all she had always been a fan of the Precursors. Still, she had been uneasy with the prospect since they had gotten back from the field.

Marcus sighed, pondering what little information he had. After a slight moment of silence, he answered, his voice strained and uneasy. "[color 33ec06]Honestly...I don't know. They're supposed to be the 'heroes', but how much do you see them doing out of the goodness of their hearts?[/color]" he said, the words bitter in his mouth. "[color 33ec06]Hell, Benediction was [i]here[/i]; but I haven't seen Padma or that other girl walking around, have you?[/color]"

He paused again, inwardly worrying. Maybe that wasn't fair. Maybe he was letting his feelings towards them color his opinion of the current situation. They were the good guys, the people they were supposed to look up to, but it seemed like they didn't do anything to deserve it other than develop powers. The potential they had, and yet they still neglected the little people. The people who were left to rot because they weren't important enough.

"[color 33ec06]We hold them on pillars, but they're just people. People change. Like you said, he was gone for a while - who knows what happened during that time? As for him showing up here of all places - well, what better place to find volunteers if you're trying to set up something big?[/color]"

Emma frowned a little as Marcus spoke. Truthfully, she had always idolized the Precursors but she couldn’t exactly disagree… still, it didn’t feel like things were that simple. And as for mention of Padma and Alexis, well, Emma knew exactly what had happened to them, but she wasn’t sure that she was comfortable sharing that quite yet.
 
[color=8A3DFF]”I get where you’re coming from, but… there’s too much that’s unclear to judge them either way. For all we know Benediction may have wanted to revive Padma or Alexis… Precursors have always been on the institute’s leash, just like we are now. Maybe there’s a limit to his power. Maybe they made him go somewhere else. Maybe they have some use for the bodies…”[/color] indeed they did, but Emma was unwilling to elaborate. [color=8A3DFF]”I dunno, maybe you’re right about Menagerie but something about it feels weird… and even if he is trying to ‘set up something big’… well, I’m not sure I can exactly blame him for moving against Zhang after what we’ve seen.”[/color] Emma’s voice was filled with trepidation. She was hoping that she would be rid of the conspiracy theories after her trip underneath the hospital, but here she was entertaining yet another journey into USARILN’s darker side.

"[color 33ec06]Like I said; I don't know. Until Menagerie kicks down the door and strolls in, there's really not much we can do except sit back and guess. Be ready for whatever gets thrown at us, I suppose. Cursor, DC, whatever it is.[/color]" Marcus said. "[color 33ec06]Unless you want to go up and ask the Director herself, but I doubt she'll have much to say on the matter.[/color]" he added, shrugging. It was a fairly nonchalant attitude to have, he thought, but there really was no point in trying to figure it out. There was a whole web of misinformation at this point, and trying to pick the truth from the fiction was a useless endevor.

Emma sighed. [color=8A3DFF]”Yeah, you’re right. I doubt Zhang or Freddie or Rosa or anyone from USARILN will let anything slip, so it is all speculation…”[/color] something in Emma’s voice sounded unconvinced. She started walking for the door, [color=8A3DFF]”Either way, we’ve got a bus to catch.”[/color] she said, shrugging slightly.

"[color 33ec06]Hope you brought a big enough net![/color]"

[i][color 33ec06]Oh for fu-[/color][/i]

"[color 33ec06]Ahem.[/color]" Marcus said clearing his throat immediately after one of the stupidest things he'd ever said. "[color 33ec06]Y-yeah. Let's go.[/color]" he stammered, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly and following her out the door.

Emma raised her eyebrows, mouth opening slightly in surprise as a laugh escaped her mouth. [color=8A3DFF]”Wow, I didn’t expect something that bad, even from you. Impressive, really.”[/color] she said as she turned down the street towards the bus, a mocking clap following her statement.

Marcus let out a noise that could be considered a cross between complaint and distress, giving a confused shrug as he did so. "[color 33ec06]Let's...let's just forget about that one.[/color]" he said quietly, walking behind her, seeming to try and slouch into himself with embarrassment.

Emma let out a small giggle, [color=8A3DFF]"I dunno, that's going to take a while for me to forget."[/color]

[hr]

When the duo arrived back on campus Emma gave a slight pause at the bus stop. [color=8A3DFF]"Well... that was fun... we should do that again."[/color] she suggest hesiantly. This was always the most awkward part of a first date, wasn't it?

"[color 33ec06]Oh yeah! Definitely![/color] Marcus said with his trademarked chipperness. He'd actually enjoyed himself; managed to get out into the town and explore a little bit, hadn't embarassed himself too much, and he'd had a pretty good time with Emma! All in all, he considered that a successful date! Now, he was following along as they walked back to their dorms, playing the 'gentleman' role of making sure the lady got home safely. Sure, they might've been in the same building, and she could definitely destroy him if it came down to it, but that wasn't going to stop him.

"[color 33ec06]You've got my number, so whenever you feel the need to punish yourself by hanging out with me, I'm available![/color]" he said, smiling widely.

Emma nodded to him. [color=8A3DFF]”Sure thing, I’ll let you skip out on taking the initiative.”[/color] she said coyly with a small wink.

"[color 33ec06]I mean, I figured me contacting you again was a given. I need to make sure that you're willing to put up with me a second time.[/color]" Marcus said, responding with an equally coy wink.

Emma smiled, [color=8A3DFF]”I’d be [i]delighted[/i] to have to put up with you again. After all, this has been a good distraction from…”[/color] she thought for a moment, [color=8A3DFF]”Well, take your pick. My roommate broke my ribs, I helped Ernie stab a girl in the face, I’m pretty sure th-“[/color] Emma stopped herself. [color=8A3DFF]”Sorry, I’m venting. I probably shouldn’t blast all my problems at you. We’re all struggling here, aren’t we?”[/color] she said laughing slightly.

Oh! So the crazy girl was Emma's roommate? That was a nice piece of trivia to remember; if only for the reason of 'never go into Emma's dorm ever'. "[color 33ec06]Oh no, it's fine! We all need some time to vent every now and then! And hell, just because other people have problems doesn't mean your own personal issues are less important.[/color]" Marcus said with a shrug.

"[color 33ec06]But hey, I am more than willing to be a distraction for you![/color]" Marcus said, chuckling.

Emma raised an eyebrow, [color=8A3DFF]”Woah there cowboy, that almost sounds like innuendo. Girl can’t be doing stuff like that on the first date.”[/color] she joked, wanting to forget about what she was going to say.

Marcus's face immediately flushed. "[color 33ec06]Nonono. I just meant that...you said this was a nice distraction and...I didn't mean to imply that you were...[/color]" he said, shaking his head and furiously trying to stammer out an explanation.

Emma gave a hearty laugh at that. [color=8A3DFF]”I’m only joking, Marcus. You’re fine.”[/color] she accentuated her statement by giving him a small pat on the back. [color=8A3DFF]”You’d think that a prolific jokester like yourself would be better at picking up on that, huh?”[/color] she teased with a slight smile.

"[color 33ec06]You'd think...[/color]" Marcus said as a forced grin came across his face. "[color 33ec06]But the first time I play along with a joke like that is the time that you're [i]not[/i] kidding, and I get a nice handprint tattoo right across the face. And I'm perfectly fine without your palm marring my glourious appearance![/color]" he punctuated this sentence with a showgirl style flip of the hair, directing a smoldering gaze a Emma, before blinking his eyes a few time to drive the beauty home.

[color=8A3DFF]”Mhhhhhm. Whatever you say. Wouldn’t want to mess up your good looks, if you weren’t so cute people might get tired of putting up with you.”[/color] Emma delivered deadpan. Her gaze lingered on his face for a moment, particularly the scars that covered it. She was almost half tempted to segue the point of his appearance into a conversation about them, but she was far too courteous to try something like that. Still, she was [i]damn[/i] curious. 

"[color 33ec06]Hey, it's hard being funny and cute![/color] Marcus said. He watched her gaze as it fell upon his face, still grinning like an idiot. He didn't quite realize that she was eyeing up the gashes across his face; there were times when he forget they were there, and immediately after a date like this was one of those times. In this case, the newer additions to his portrait didn't cross his mind.

"[color 33ec06]But hey, work hard and you might get it yourself; you've got cute down - and you've got sass at least, which is...close.[/color]" he added.

Emma nodded, [color=8A3DFF]”How sweet. Maybe if you keep up the compliments I’ll let you be a… distraction after all.”[/color] she said, her small smile playing its way across her face. 

"[color 33ec06]Well, I guess I'll keep that in mind![/color]" Marcus said, his face very faintly flushing again. "[color 33ec06]But, I do believe this is your stop.[/color]" he said, jerking his finger to the big '318' that designated the room they were outside. "[color 33ec06]I appreciate the day out, Emma - it was nice to just...sit and chat.[/color]"

Emma glanced at the door, and then back at Marcus. [color=8A3DFF]”Yeah, it was… thanks. For listening and everything. There aren’t a lot of people to talk to around here…”[/color] Emma squirmed uncomfortably for a moment. This was [i]always[/i] the most awkward part. Mulling over all the dating advice she’d always gotten from her sister, from Riley, from her friends, trying to decide what was the appropriate way to end the evening. But that advice didn’t [i]really[/i] matter because honestly Emma simply felt like kissing him, so she leaned in and did just that. 

Marcus also squirmed a little bit, trying to assess the situation. Was he supposed to lean in at this point? What if she didn't feel the same way? Should he just go for a handshake? Nono, handshake was way too awkward. A hug then? Would that be too weird?

Fortunately, his questions were answered when Emma's lips pressed against his. 

After a moment that Marcus wished wouldn't end, their first kiss was over, and Marcus found himself yet again burning a nice shade of crimson. "[color 33ec06]Well, then...[/color]" Marcus said awkwardly, a bit unsure how to respond to the situation. "[color 33ec06]...have a good...night?[/color].

Emma giggled at Marcus’ bashfulness. [color=8a3dff]”It wasn’t that awkward was it?”[/color] Emma thought for a moment, before a look of concern crossed her face. [color=8A3DFF]”Wait, that wasn’t your first, was it?”[/color] she said, in a tone that crossed somewhere between concern and sarcasm. 

"[color 33ec06]Nono....I just...[/color]" Marcus said, rubbing his head. "[color 33ec06]I'm never sure what to say. 'Thank you' would be super creepy, and last time I said something like 'wowzers', I got dumped at the door.[/color]" he said, deflecting his awkward attitude with humor. "[color 33ec06]But yeah. Have a goodnight, Emma.[/color]"

Emma laughed again, [color=8A3DFF]”Yeah, I’d probably have turned around and slammed that door if you said ‘wowzers’. Or thank you, for that matter.”[/color] Emma tapped her foot on the ground, [color=8A3DFF]”But, uh, goodnight… I guess I’ll see you later.”[/color] she said, smiling. She turned around, unlocking the door to her apartment and heading in.

Marcus gave a little wave, before turning around and walking back towards his room. A fairly successful date, if he did say so himself! Despite the couple of opportunities that he threatened to completely ruin everything of course. It was weird, he'd been awkward during this date, sure; but most of the other dates he went on had left him a quivering bundle of nerves. Hell, maybe he was just more confident now that he had time-travel powers, or maybe he was just less worried about everything after what he'd been through. He was certainly more outgoing than he had been before. That was something to ponder some other time though. 
[/hider]

[hider=9/9 Outside the Hospital Building, Emma and Hector]
[center][img]http://i65.tinypic.com/b66f5i.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/6jlDprn.png[/img]
[h2][color=8A3DFF]Emma[/color] | [color=f7976a]Hector[/color][/h2]
[hr][color=silver]𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟘𝟡, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘   / /   𝕌𝕊𝔸ℝ𝕀𝕃ℕ 𝔼𝕒𝕤𝕥   / /   𝕄𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝 𝔹𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘   / /   ~𝟡𝟘𝟘[/color][hr]
[sub]Collab with [@Diggerton][@January][/sub][/center]
This kind of weather meant rain on the horizon, and Hector hated the thought of puddles and wet [i]everything[/i] ruining his fun--that is, if they let him out at all after Wednesday. Clark's stunt had earned the mage a second bed in Hector's containment unit, and he had invited the frail student out today, because maybe Clark would find some of the homemade food at the stalls appealing, but a wet cough had answered him that morning, so Hector had left the issue alone.

Not his fault if Clark missed a good opportunity to hang around outside.

Also not his fault that Clark's power made him that weak.

He would feel bad about it, but there was a point where he just didn't care because nothing could be done, so here he was in front of that same old stall with the caramel candies wrapped in wax paper and carefully decorated with pastel-colored art. He liked the candies. But that wasn't all. The cheery brunette about his age who helped her parents manage the stall and set out the sweets liked talking to him. He couldn't mess around with her the way he did with other mages, but she at least was fun to talk to. Hector kept Miranda at a distance when she was around, because her company was more comforting than the nightmare of a creature he confided in.

Except she wasn't here today.

[color f7976a]"Sorry, sweetie."[/color] Brown hair the same shade, but longer and flecked with gray. Her mother had answered him when he had asked. [color f7976a]"She's feeling a little under the weather these days. I'll let her know you said 'Hi.' "[/color]

He was on his way back to the hospital building, escorted (or corraled) by three guards, hands tucked in the pockets of his red parka--pockets now refilled with candy as substitution for friends. Miranda slid along the ground near him, compressed into an average, human-sized female with a vertical mouth for a face. Most of the students nearby eyed him warily, but left him alone. A few waved, but Hector wasn't in the mood for it, so he had Miranda wave back. 

They stopped waving.

Emma had been prepared for Hector. She took care to wake up early, knowing there were still questions she had and answers that only the young boy could provide. Despite what was an unusually early morning for her, or perhaps because of it, she felt no small degree of lethargy as she rested on a lone bench near the hospital building. It didn’t take long for her to spot Hector and his retinue. She should’ve expected the entourage, but she didn’t. The guards were the least of her worries with that monster escorting him. Miranda was her name, but she thought of it as ‘that gross thing that ate my classmates’.
 
[color=8A3DFF][i]Do or die.[/i][/color] she resolved herself. She was tempted to back down, but she’d put in all this effort hadn’t she? Before she had decided to approach that boy her voice seemingly called out on its own, [color=8A3DFF]”Hector!”[/color] she had begun to get up from her bench, approaching the boy. 

The guards turned to look just as Hector did, tensing as Emma moved.

[color f7976a]"Oh, hey! You're that one girl!"[/color] The boy waved and the guards stood ready for a moment longer before the foremost of them moved aside, giving Hector a clearer view of Emma.

Emma glanced at the guards with a hint of nervousness. She glanced at Miranda with [i]more[/i] than a hint of nervousness. Looking at Hector it was easy to forget that he wasn't a normal child. Far from normal, in fact. She kept in mind what Sarah had told her- 'Hector the Heartless'. Could a kid really be all that bad? 

Emma supposed that she was about to find out. 

[color=8A3DFF]"Yeah, Emma..."[/color] she gulped, acutely aware once again of the tension between her and the guards, [color=8A3DFF]"I was hoping to ask you about what you said... about your stigma."[/color] once again she paused, considering, before she blurted out, [color=8A3DFF]"You're an Animus, aren't you?"[/color] 

[color f7976a]"No."[/color] The boy laughed as he said it, pulling out a candy and toying with it in his hands.

Emma tapped her foot on the ground. That was a little surprising. She figured that the lack of a stigma implied Animus status, but... well, if there was an alternative, that was good thing, wasn't it? Based on the theorizing of D&T becoming an Animus wasn't a pretty process. But what was the other path, than? [color=8A3DFF]"I... I was under the impression that being an Animus was the only way to get rid of your stigma. So, if you're not what is it?"[/color] Emma asked plainly.

[color f7976a]"Dunno."[/color] The fingers spinning the wrapped candy picked up speed twirling the tail ends of the wax paper.

Emma gave him a look of befuddlement. [color=8A3DFF]"So, uh, just to be clear, you [i]don't know[/i] how you lost your stigma?"[/color] Talk about an incredibly unsatifying answer.

Hector shrugged, looking towards the hospital building. [color f7976a]"Supposed to be inside soon."[/color] He poked one of his escorts in the arm. [color f7976a]"Miranda says she wants sunlight."[/color] The voice was suddenly petulant.

[color f7976a]"That's...fine."[/color] The man had paused to watch Hector's eyes flicker into solid black, but nothing changed from Miranda, so a moment of tense silence passed before the guards stepped back around him and the group walked off without so much as a farewell to Emma. Miranda remained where she was, though.

[color=8A3DFF][i]Well, shit. I guess that’s what I get for dealing with a kid…[/i][/color] 

She was about to turn around and leave until she noticed that Miranda didn’t leave with the group. Hector said that Miranda wanted sunlight but… well, she didn’t expect them to just leave her lying around. Could that mean she wasn’t as dangerous as she looked? They wouldn’t let someone who would eat people wander around without an escort, would they?

[color=8A3DFF][i]Fuck it,[/i][/color] Emma decided. She came for answer, and she wanted them. Unlike Hector, Miranda wasn’t a kid, or at least didn’t seem to be. Maybe she would know more. Emma approached her slowly. [color=8A3DFF]”You… uh, you don’t happen to know more about Hector’s stigma or lack thereof, do you?”[/color] She said cautiously.

The creature leaned in close and placed a finger against its face, where a mouth would be if a regular person's face was there. Then it hissed in short bursts at quick intervals. After a few seconds, it sounded like warped laughter.

Honestly, Emma didn’t know what she had expected. She responded to whatever Miranda just did with a small nod. [color=8A3DFF]”Well, I guess not than… I guess, uh, have a nice day, Miranda?”[/color] what should've came out as a statement was more of a question. Emma turned to leave, highly discouraged after that incredibly pointless diversion. 

More hissing laughter, but the creature slid along after Emma silently.

It didn’t take long for Emma to realize she was being followed. She turned around slowly to look at Miranda. [color=8A3DFF][i]Okay, this is a little scary.[/i][/color] Emma decided quickly. She gave the creature a puzzled look, [color=8A3DFF]”Is there, uh, something else you need?”[/color]

A hand darted to her throat, the fingers long and tapered to a point. But it was the palm of it that pressed against the mark on Emma's neck.

The hand retracted slowly, fingers curling into a loose fist like it was holding something before Miranda pantomined putting something into its mouth. More hissing laughter and it raised both hands to its face, palm outward, fingers snapping wide. The hands then spaced themselves further apart gradually until the gestures stopped.

It reached out again, tapping gently against the mark on Emma's neck and placing that same gesture against its mouth again. One finger across a human mouth that wasn't there.

Emma instinctively recoiled as Miranda reached out to her, but let her proceed with whatever it was that she was doing. She considered her gestures. Clearly she was trying to tell her something, but what? Emma thought for a moment, then remembered something that Sarah had told her. [color=8A3DFF]"Are you... talking about Clark's power? Sarah told me that he was a 'stigma eater'... is that how Hector lost his stigma?"[/color] It made sense when Emma thought about it, but did were the effects permanent?

A shake of its head and the monstrosity's body seemed to blur like paint smearing across a canvas before the colors and lines solidified again. It looked like Emma now, though the face hadn't changed. The thing twitched and flickered briefly, freezing for a moment. With that, it waved at Emma and slid back towards the hospital buildings, now imitating her form.

Emma called after Miranda, but she didn't turn around. It seemed the monster was intent on returning home and left her with more questions than anything else. If not Clark than she had not a clue as to what she was trying to get across to her.

Emma rubbed the mark on her neck as she watched Miranda disappear into the distance. 
[/hider]