[center][h3][color=33ec06]『𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕤』[/color][/h3][/center]
[center] [img]http://i65.tinypic.com/21o8tg4.png[/img][/center]
[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/3R5vYYi.png?2[/img][/center]
[hr][center][color=silver]𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟘𝟠, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘   / /   𝕌𝕊𝔸ℝ𝕀𝕃ℕ 𝔼𝕒𝕤𝕥   / /   𝔻𝕠𝕣𝕞 𝔹𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔸: 𝕊𝕦𝕚𝕥𝕖 𝟜𝟛𝟘   / /  ~𝟙𝟠𝟘𝟘[/color][/center][hr]

The mood he was in had been completely ruined.

When he had begun his journey back into his own dorm, the sight that met him was unnerving to say the least. The 430 door (and he knew it was 430 because he'd looked to the number three times desperately hoping it wasn't his) had apparently exploded. The door that he was pretty sure was strong enough to keep the young subnaturals [i]inside[/i]. He approached cautiously, peeking his head in to see what the situation was like.

"[color 33ec06]Hey cuff guy...we've got a little bit of a situation at Suite 430.[/color]" Marcus said quietly. "[color 33ec06]The door's in like, a million pieces right now, but I don't know if anybody's inside.[/color]"

He bent down to the rubble, picking up one of the larger splinters and standing with his back flat against the wall. He strained his ears to see if he could hear anything but the blood that was thumping in his ears. He tried to ignore the cold, empty feeling of fear as he looked back into the room, holding the splinter of wood in one hand, and flicking on the flashlight on his phone with the other.

The shadows that he cast across the floor were silent, twisting and turning as Marcus nervously stepped into the room, looking around and illuminating the corners and crevices first. He stopped, flipping the light switch next to the empty door frame, eyes darting around as the rest of the room lit up. The living room seemed to be fine - which made Marcus relax a little bit. Maybe Callan had just sleep-walked out the door or something, or maybe Siena took a strong name and underestimated herself when she was leaving.

His calm immediately shot back to hesitation as he walked into the rest of the suite. His gaze immediately focused on the deep claw marks in the carpet. Those were a little harder for his brain to rationalize, and he wracked his mind trying to figure out what could have possibly made them. Not either of his roommates...and as furious as he thought Siena's dog was, there was no way it could have done this.

A quick look over the rest of the room showed that everything was still in its proper place - at least, all of his stuff was. None of Callan or Siena's things looked like it had been moved, it even looked like one of them had got some new things, but he didn't memorize the layout of the room well enough to know for sure. The only other thing of note were the shattered bits on the floor near Callan's bed. They looked electronic, whatever they used to be.

What he didn't see was signs of a struggle. Besides the door, the claw marks, and the shattered thing, there was nothing to suggest anything bad had happened here. He wasn't quite sure how to take the bit of logical deduction - it was either a good thing, or a [i]very[/i] bad thing. He sat down on his own bed for a moment, trying to gather himself as he involuntarily began to panic slightly. He pulled out his phone, quickly selecting both Callan and Siena.

[quote][color 33ec06]
Hey...quick question: where are you right now?[/color]
[/quote]

Hopefully, if they both responded, there was nothing really to worry about. Apart from the clawed intruder, of course.

His phone buzzed, and he let out a sigh of relief.

[quote][color ff57ff]
Heading back now. Did you need something?[/color]
[/quote]

That was at least one accounted for.

"[color=f7976a]Hey there, Mr. Howell![/color]" Fredric's familiar voice chimed from Marcus's cuff, prefaced by a loud beep, "[color=f7976a]Sorry for the late response. Pretty busy today! Uhh, don't worry about the door there! We'll have it fixed in a jiffy![/color]" Beep.

His good buddy Freddy. The guy who he could count on to always irritate him when that cuff beeped. As far as Marcus recollected, Freddy had not been helpful once during all their lovely conversations. Even now, it seemed like he was missing the point by a mile.

"[color 33ec06]While I appreciate that Fred, there was definitely an intruder in here. Something tore up the carpet, and I've only been able to get a hold of Siena so far.[/color]"

Saying it outloud certainly didn't help him to calm down. Some big monster was roaming around somewhere on campus, and he couldn't get ahold of one of his roommates. By this time, he was starting to slowly pace around the room, his brain already coming up with worst case scenarios that he had to actively try and ignore.

Several more seconds passed before Fredric answered again. "[color=f7976a]Nope! No reports of any intruders in Suite 430, Mr. Howell. Which is remarkable considering how long your door's been like that, huh? Really gotta fix that. Anyway, I can assure you that both your roommates are perfectly fine.[/color]" 

Both his roommates were fine. That much was enough to alleviate his worry. Normally, he'd be kind of creeped out that Fredric could tell him that so quickly, but right now he was more converned about other matters.

"[color 33ec06]You're positive? And what do you mean, 'no intruders'? There's huge claw marks in the carpet, Fred...did the [i]dog[/i] do that? Does he have super powers too?[/color]" Marcus said, a hint of bitterness surfacing to replace the anxiety. Something here wasn't adding up, and the gears in his mind hadn't even skipped a step between worry and trying to solve this enigma.

When the cuff beeped again, Fredric could be heard sighing into the reciever, "[color=f7976a]Mr. Howell, forgive me if I sound discourteous, but I [i]am[/i] quite busy. I don't have time to entertain your weird questions or repeat myself.[/color]"

"[color 33ec06]You're right. My bad. Didn't mean to take up so much of your time. It's obvious, isn't it? Should have figured out that the huge beast marks came from one of my roommates.[/color]" Marcus said, rolling his eyes despite the fact that he doubted Fred could see it. "[color 33ec06]Thanks for your help, Freddie.[/color]" While delivered in a sarcastic tone, the statement was half-genuine at least; Fred had answered fifty percent of his worries, but now he had more questions than answers.



[center][h3][color=a2d9ce]『ℂ𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕒𝕟』[/color] [color=33ec06]『𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕤』[/color][/h3][/center]
[center][img]http://i67.tinypic.com/2qb8wgw.png[/img] [img]http://i65.tinypic.com/21o8tg4.png[/img][/center]
[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/3R5vYYi.png?2[/img][/center]
[hr][center][color=silver]ℂ𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 ℙ𝕠𝕤𝕥   / /   [@Baklava][@Chasers115][/color][/center][hr][hr][center][color=silver]𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟘𝟠, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘   / /   𝕌𝕊𝔸ℝ𝕀𝕃ℕ 𝔼𝕒𝕤𝕥   / /   𝔻𝕠𝕣𝕞 𝔹𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔸: 𝕊𝕦𝕚𝕥𝕖 𝟜𝟛𝟘   / /  ~𝟚𝟛𝟛𝟘[/color][/center][hr]

[hider=Callan World: Haha, Is It Everything You Hoped It'd Be?]
It was cold and bizarrely lonely outside the hospital-- in spite of the hope promised by Sander's progress during the fight or the advice from Lawrence about strength and control. Without anything to distract herself, the thoughts from earlier crept back into the forefront of her mind. Her parents were out of the picture. That much was clear. Fond memories of family outings, celebrations, and holidays, now tainted by Dom's news, were suddenly a lot less fond and a lot more confusing. She couldn't understand why they would cut her off like this, but... for now, she'd just have to cope. 

Callan didn't want to cause any more trouble for her folks, so calling her other family members and friends was off the table as far as ideas went. The anger that consumed her earlier had subsided, leaving a dull sort of ache in its place. 

Trying to move her mind elsewhere, she pulled at the front of her blood soaked shirt, which had stuck to her skin again for the umpteenth time. Gross. Pherhaps the blood would wash out. She really liked this top. Feeling the back, she ran her hand along the tear in the fabric. "[color=a2d9ce]Damn it,[/color] she muttered. At least it wasn't as bad as the first day-- fighting that massive two-headed thing with acidic blood. She paused for a moment, in front of what remained of the tree she'd punched yesterday. The streetlamps around the courtyard buzzed noisily in the surrounding silence, each hosting its own little soiree for the surrounding moths and mosquitos.

What would her parents say if she told them about everything she'd done so far?

Maybe they'd be dissappointed since she'd managed to kill exactly none of the several monsters they were up against. Or dissappointed that she hadn't helped her team win the Flag and Seek game. "A waste of talent!" her father used to say after a bad game diluted by more hesitation than action. He'd been a real hardass sometimes, but it'd made her a better player. They'd always been supportive. And she'd always done her best. 

But circumstances change. She could adapt. She had to. 

No longer assaulted by the cold outdoor wind, Callan let her air down as she entered the lobby of Building A. Making her way up the stairs, she lost herself in thought as she tousled her hair. Exhaustion nipping at her heals, she found it harder to focus on any single thought the closer she got to her suite and therefore bed. Approaching her door on the fourth floor, which had been repaired since her departure earlier that afternoon, she forgot all about the demolition work her roommates may have seen. It took several lazy swipes with her I.D. card before the door finally unlocked. Turning the doorknob, she pushed the door open with her shoulder. Blinking as her eyes adjusted to the drastic change in lighting, she first noticed the blue glow from the television set adjacent to the door. It illuminated the couch, whereupon her amethyst eyes noticed the dimly lit figure of a person sitting there.

It had been a long night for Marcus, despite the assurances that Callan was fine, he still wanted to go out and check on her. Curfew had rolled around though, and a veiled threat of being electrocuted had been exchanged before he agreed to stay in the room. Now, he lay on the couch in front of the TV. Some news station, no doubt talking about some more DC activity, or the lastest defenses, or something like that. Marcus wouldn't know, as he stared at the TV, but lost in his own thoughts.

The familiar click of the door alerted him, however. He sat up quickly, squinting as his TV-strained eyes adjusted enough to see the figure standing there. He let go a breath he didn't realize he was holding, before scooting over on the couch to make room. Her ragged appearance, the blood that covered her shirt and hands. Something had certainly gone down with Callan, and he had a pretty good idea of what...or rather, [i]who[/i] was to blame here. Right now was not the time for it though; he just wanted to make sure she was okay.

"[color 33ec06]Are you alright?[/color]" No joking, no silly tone, just a straight question.

Marcus. What was he doing up so late? Callan glanced at the spot on the couch, noting with clarity that he seemed to expect her to sit down. It was tempting, but dirt and blood were hardly attractive. She was grateful for the dim lighting as she quickly shut the door behind her. Maybe she could pretend she didn't see him move over.

"[color=a2d9ce]Uh, yeah. I'm fine,[/color]" she replied, turning back to face him. She did her best to keep the exhaustion out of her voice, but the words came out as more of a sigh. Relatively speaking, she didn't feel very fine. "[color=a2d9ce]You're up late,[/color]" she noted, hoping to steer the conversation away from herself as she headed towards her bed; she was in dire need of a shower. 

"[color 33ec06]The place was in a bit of a mess, and Freddy said you will still okay; but I wanted to make sure for myself.[/color]" He stretched as he said this, yawning and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Now that Callan was back, he could certainly rest easy. He had questions though, questions that he didn't exactly want to press, however.

She remembered now. The broken phone, the claw marks, the door.... But her brain didn't want to focus on any of that. "[color=a2d9ce]You were waiting for me?[/color]" she asked, stopping. She stared at him, concerned but also kind of... happy? 

"[color 33ec06]Well yeah.[/color]" Marcus said, as if Callan's question was obvious. "[color 33ec06]I'm not just going to sleep tight if there's a chance one of you guys is in trouble. I honestly doubt I could have if I wanted to.[/color] he said, a tired grin illuminated by the television.

Of course. Callan paused. 'One of you guys'. He would've done it for either of his roommates. But it was so much nicer to think otherwise, she decided to let that happy feeling linger just a little longer. "[color=a2d9ce]Thanks,[/color]" she smiled, glancing down at his shoes, "[color=a2d9ce]But... I'm fine. You should get some sleep.[/color]" 

"[color 33ec06]I should, but it can wait if needed.[/color]" Marcus said, standing up and stretching again. As far as he knew, there were only a few people who walked around at midnight; most of them were usually people who were lost in thought, or just troubled and needing the fresh air. People who needed someone to talk to, or at least a reassuring hug or something.

"[color 33ec06]Are you sure everything's alright in Callan World?[/color]" he ventured, probably being a little more nosey than he needed to be.

She knew she probably shouldn't bother him with it. He was obviously tired and she'd imposed enough by worrying him. She'd already vented. But when it came time to respond, the defenses didn't come up like they should. Maybe she was too tired. Maybe because it was Marcus. For whatever reason, she sighed, tightly hugging herself as her posture tensed. 

"[color=a2d9ce]Things have been better in Callan World,[/color]" she admitted with a half hearted chuckle.

"[color 33ec06]Do you want to talk about it?[/color] he asked.

Looking between Marcus and the floor she finally shook her head. "[color=a2d9ce]It wouldn't change anything,[/color]" she answered, "[color=a2d9ce]I'll be alright, though.[/color]"

"[color 33ec06]Alright.[/color]" Marcus said, after a short pause. "[color 33ec06]Do you need like, a reassuring hug or something? Shoulder to cry on? I can go make a suit out of your pillows and have you throw me across the room if that'd make you feel better![/color]" he added, trying to at least bring the mood up a little.

Callan laughed nervously.  "[color=a2d9ce]Tempting. I'm a mess though. Really just need to shower and go to bed, I think.[/color]" 

"[color 33ec06]Before you do that...[/color]" Marcus interrupted, his tone nearly apologetic. He was at least determined to try and answer one of these mysteries tonight, and even if Callan wasn't willing to talk about whatever it was that was going on with her, something [i]big[/i] had been in the room - a circumstance that he felt warranted questioning.

"[color 33ec06]...when I walked in, there were these giant claw marks in the ground. I was worried that one of DC's boys had been in...do you...do you know anything about those?[/color]" 

She froze, fingers digging into her arms as her mind raced for an answer. For a moment she'd almost thought Marcus wouldn't ask or had somehow managed not to see the claw marks. Wishful thinking. Lawrence and Sander knew-- and what was stopping them from spreading the news? Why not just tell him? Lawrence and Sander... niether of them had made her feel bad about it. They hadn't made it seem like they were going to avoid her or mark her as a monster... not like.... 

The sudden image of her parents scared the truth out of her mouth. She couldn't tell anyone else-- least of all Marcus. Not yet. 

"[color=a2d9ce]I have no idea what you're talking about,[/color]" she answered unconvincingly. Callan quickly turned away, walking towards her bed and gathering up a set of clean clothes from the floor. Noticing Siena asleep at her desk, she lowered her voice, "[color=a2d9ce]Maybe it was the dog.[/color]"

Well, that was his answer then. Callan's lie hadn't gone unnoticed by Marcus, especially since she pulled the 'blame it on the dog' card. His eyes searched her expression, thinking for a moment about pushing to get a real explanation, before he sighed quietly to himself. It was pretty obvious that he wasn't conviced, but there was no reason to pursue the issue, especially if she wasn't willing to talk about it. His roommates were safe, and he'd figured out where the claw marks had come from - that was all had wanted to find out, and he still felt unsatisfied with his answers.

"[color 33ec06]Alright/[/color] he repeated. "[color 33ec06]Get yourself cleaned up; I'll probably be asleep when you get out.[/color]" He walked towards his own bed, pulling back the covers, but stopping and looking over his shoulder before he crawled in. "[color 33ec06]Get a good night's sleep, Cal, and...[/color]"

[i]don't forget that there are people here who care about you.[/i]

Words he'd heard before, that hung heavy on the tip of his tongue. Good advice, but the burning taste of hypocricy that accompanied the thought.

"[color 33ec06]...Siena and I are here if you need us.[/color]" he decided on.

She couldn't delude herself into thinking Marcus would believe what she'd said. He was suspicious, but that's how it had to be. She'd tell everyone eventually. Hopefully sooner than later, but still. Lingering in the bathroom doorway, she watched Marcus settle into bed, still convincing herself that keeping Misery a secret was the better idea. It felt wrong, worsening that evergrowing feeling of unpleasant solitude as she silently surveyed her roomates. Honesty had always come so easily-- so why was this so hard?

She closed the bathroom door before flipping the light on. The answer stared back at her in the mirror with blood caked knuckles and a blood soaked shirt. She still felt awful about what happened with Sander-- and what almost happened with Lawrence. Back at the hospital, Sander hadn't brought it up. but he probably had just as many questions as Marcus. From what she'd seen of him, he didn't seem to talk to very many people, so perhaps she didn't have to worry about him telling anyone. Of course, she'd still have to bring it up sometime soon-- as much as she wasn't looking forward to that discussion.

There was a good chance he'd already told Christmas, but he seemed like a kinda quiet guy. Kusari had obviously been suspiscious of the marks on Sander, but as long as she avoided her, she wouldn't have to worry about answering too many questions. Beneath a steady stream of hot water, Callan covered her face and groaned into her palm. This was turning into a bigger headache than she'd expected. She couldn't keep it up forever. If she didn't learn how to control Misery soon, [i]someone[/i] was going to find out. 

By the time Callan emerged from the bathroom, dawning a fresh pair of shorts and a clean shirt while still toweling off her hair, she felt even worse than before. Grabbing her iPad, she used the dim light of the screen to look over the floor. Grabbing the largely unused wastebin from beside her desk, she quickly scooped up the broken pieces of plastic that were once her phone. With that done, she turned her attention to the scars in the floor. Running her hands over them, it was obvious there would be no quick fix. She covered it with the aquamarine beanbag and two pillows. Perhaps she'd pick up a rug in town for a more permanent solution later, but this would have to do for now. 

Quietly setting her tablet back on her desk, she stopped to look at the pictures she'd pinned up earlier that day. They were barely visible in the dark room, but she could make out the one of her parents. Reaching out to catch the corner of the photograph, she stayed like that for a good minute, lost in thought. She couldn't make out their faces now, but she remembered what they looked like. Their smiles, the way they held each other, and the lights. The scent of funnel cake and chilly Christmas air. 

It was a good memory and she wanted it to stay that way. She didn't understand now... but perhaps one day she would. Maybe they'd understand, too. With a heavy sigh, she left the picture alone. Crawling into bed, she tried her best to linger on the positives of the day. Crying wouldn't do her any good-- she couldn't afford to get worked up again. Her body seemed to agree. With sleep came relief from all the new worries, making the solitude feel welcome as her world faded to black. 
[/hider]