[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/gIbvbhp.png[/img]
[h1][color=9e0039]𝓐 (𝓝𝓸𝓽 𝓢𝓸) 𝓠𝓾𝓲𝓮𝓽 𝓔𝓿𝓮𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓐𝓽 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓗𝓸𝓼𝓹𝓲𝓽𝓪𝓵[/color][/h1][/center]

[hider=Chapter I: Wake Me Up]
[center]
[color=9e0039][hr][color=9e0039]𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟙𝟜, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘   / /   𝕃𝕒 ℙ𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕒, 𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕪𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕   / /   ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕡𝕚𝕥𝕒𝕝  / /  𝟚𝟘𝟜𝟝
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It didn’t take very long for the unconscious raven-haired Aberration to wake up from her comatose state as Christmas’ blood began coursing through her veins. The pain of bandaged but still open wounds slowly faded away until it was no more. The pricking sensation in her throat was no more after a few minutes, leaving Angélique able to speak clearly without coughing or straining her voice. 

Soon enough, Angel could feel heat rising up from deep within her being, washing away the cold darkness that had invaded her mind. Christmas’ blood had done its job as effectively as it had always been, unbeknownst to the young woman. But as she opened her eyes and felt like she had never been injured, aside from the aching in her body and memories of the pain inflicted by the clockwork spiders, the ex-musician was quick to realize that it was her fellow Arbiter classmate who had been responsible for bringing her back into top shape. 

The light of the hospital room was slightly too intense for Angel just after waking up and being sensitive as always to intense brightness. She let out a displeased groan as she shielded her eyes with an open palm as she brought herself to a sitting position on her bed. Seeing the X-marked whose neck was covered by a leather choker starting to wake up and move, the nurses that were grudgingly attending to her started to panic slightly. When the hospitalized Subnatural took a tired glance towards them, they stammered an explanation that she was clear to leave the hospital now that she was okay, before leaving the room in a hurry. She didn’t even have time to ask what had happened to the battle in Wisford and to her classmates. Strange… nurses in USARILN were quite the bitches, cold and uncaring. Those people though, it felt as if they had never dealt with Mages before.

So that’s what Aberrations were suffering about when interacting with Regulars. Angélique didn’t know if this was better or worse than being held at gunpoint by soldiers. She felt like she would never be welcomed into normal society ever again just by having witnessed how the nurses were seemingly terrorized and anxious of leaving her. As a Regular before, Angel pondered why she was so accepting of the existence of Subnaturals, compared to the rest of the world. Perhaps it was because fate had decided to brand her with a magical mark in the future, so that the transition wouldn’t be a shock?  

It felt weird to have all this padding and the bulletproof vest on her being, now that the battle was seemingly over. But the added protection remained steadfast on her body, unmoving and seemingly stuck on her body. Feeling the material wrapped around her body, Angel deduced that the Wishalloy was still functional. Was this prototype defect and lasted longer than intended? Or has it been less than three hours she was out? That was impossible. USARILN was about more than a three hours’ drive. The Wishalloy should’ve faded away inside the truck. Unless…

Angel reached for the pocket of her jeans holding her personal cellphone. At that very moment, the raven-haired young woman realized that her wallet was no more, obliterated by Hazel when she swept her left side, her unprotected jeans’ left pocket along with it. Not that she had anything very useful in there anyway. No money, her driver’s license – that she felt wouldn’t be of use because it was unlikely USARILN would let her drive a car – the debit and credit card of an empty and rejected bank account and her…

[color=9e0039]“Oh fuck...”[/color]

Her student ID. Angélique had the habit of carrying it around in her wallet at all times, in case she needed it on the spot. Guess she’ll have to request another one. 

Fortunately, her phone was still intact. It surely held the answer to some questions she had, using the built-in GPS and some other tools. And…

Of course there was no signal. Whether the hospital room had thick as hell walls, she was in an area with no signal coverage or her data plan expired, there was no way to tell now if she was at USARILN or not. Although she had been using wifi on the campus before, so that meant maybe she was not at USARILN right now. Maybe she required immediate medical attention and was brought into Wisford’s hospital?

No use sitting here and wondering, Angel figured. She slowly got up on her feet and walked towards the door.
[/hider]

[hider=Chapter II: To Become Stronger]
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[img]http://i.imgur.com/tTVHMCk.jpg[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/Fb1UXSA.png[/img]
[h2][color=B0C4DE]Brent[/color] | [color=9e0039]Angélique[/color][/h2]
[color=silver][hr]𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟙𝟜, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘   / /   𝕃𝕒 ℙ𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕒, 𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕪𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕   / /   ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕡𝕚𝕥𝕒𝕝  / /    𝟚𝟙𝟘𝟘
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[sub]Collab with [@ERode][/sub]
[/center]
What an unlikable atmosphere.

Though it was easy enough for him to ignore when he was still hanging with Ernie and Marcus, gathering up a variety of greasy foodstuffs from a nearby 7-11, now that he was alone in the hospital, with the jittery eyes of staff and patients flickering from his cuff to his mark to his two large, plastic bags filled with stuff...it was getting harder to ignore.

But his smile persisted, even if he knew the ability to smile after just walking out of a warzone was more frightening than appearing like a jittery, traumatized mess. He spoke a few greetings towards the staff, nodded at one of the soldiers, and headed off towards the upper floors. A receptionist had previously been 'kind' enough to provide him with a list of room numbers that pertained to his subnatural classmates, and from there, he headed down the corridor to the closest one: Angelic's.

It was a small blessing, really, that the cashier had given in at the end.

Brent couldn’t have any better timing for as he reached Angélique’s door, the door slowly opened. A tired-looking Angel wearily walked out from the room, barely bumping into her visitor as she stopped short after noticing someone was standing in front of her room’s door.
 
[color=9e0039]“Oh… Brent. Nice to see you… What are you doing here?”[/color] the obsidian-haired Aberration asked in a monotone voice, oblivious to what her friend was carrying in his hands. 
 
Her voice was lacking her usual lively and passionate tone, as if she had just woke up and still in a daze. However, now that she wasn’t wearing her usual shades and her face had been cleaned from all the blood and the dirt, one could clearly see the dark shadows under her usually hidden eyes, signs of a girl who haven’t had a good night’s sleep for a very long time.

A familiar appearance greeted him. Half open eyes, heavy bags, and skin that was a shade paler than normal. Not a trace remained of the facial injuries she had sustained, but Angelic looked half-dead regardless. Had she been this tired in the morning? Nevertheless, at least she was up and walking about, however zombie-like she was.

[color=B0C4DE]"Just doing a food run,"[/color] Brent replied, hoisting up the bag, [color=B0C4DE]"Town's real small, so I more or less figured that the hospital food wasn't going to be spectacular."[/color]

His amethyst eyes peered a little closer to her face.

[color=B0C4DE]"You alright, Angelic?"[/color]

Angel’s eyes squinted to shield themselves the most they could from the ambient light and still make out what was in front of her without being a burning aching mess. Brent’s words felt just as confusing as when she just woke up and realized her Wishalloy prevented her added protective gear from being removed from her body. So were they really not at USARILN right now?
 
[color=9e0039]“How considerate of you. Thanks…”[/color] Angélique flashed a smile towards Brent as she finally noticed the heavy bags he was carrying. [color=9e0039]“I’m… alright. Just a bit tired. I’ve just woke up. Injuries are all gone now, I can still talk and I’m not dead, so I guess I’m in top shape?”[/color] Angel tried to let a chuckle out, but it more sounded like a half-assed attempt at humor after coming back from hell.
 
[color=9e0039]“Where are we exactly? I’m starting to think we’re not at USARILN, right?”[/color]

[color=B0C4DE]"Welcome to La Plata,"[/color] Brent said, using the tone of a slimy tour guide, [color=B0C4DE]"Population: insignificant, location: not sure. You're in their hospital, a world-renown location full of only the most stunningly handsome doctors and ravishingly beautiful nurses, as well as cafeteria food that will probably rot your stomach from inside out."[/color]

He bowed, before saying, [color=B0C4DE]"Dunno how long we're staying here for though. Dunno why we're even here...but anyways, you're hungry, right? Got the usual fries and chicken and hot dogs affair from 7-11, but there's also salad and sandwiches, if you're feeling healthy."[/color]

The arbiter tilted his head, looking past Angelic into the sterile room she inhabited, before saying,[color=B0C4DE] "Probably should sit first though, eh?"[/color]

[color=9e0039]“La Plata, huh? Never heard of it. Sounds very… Mexican though. Hopefully they didn’t drop us off in the middle of a desert for confinement.”[/color] Angel joked, nodding slowly as some things made sense. At least why her Wishalloy was still wrapped around her. Like Brent said, she had no idea why they stopped here instead of returning to the institute.
 
[color=9e0039]“You did? That’s so cool! To be honest, I was just thinking about eating as soon as I would have known where we are.”[/color] Her tired face beamed with the mention of junk food. She was so hungry, she felt like she could eat through a bucketful of fried chicken.
 
[color=9e0039]“Uh, yeah, I suppose so.”[/color]
 
Angel walked back into the room, taking a seat onto the edge of her bed. Now that Brent was here, she could probably get some news from what happened after she fell unconscious while she was eating and regaining some strengths.
 
[color=9e0039]“So… uh… how are the others? What happened after… you know…”[/color]  the young Aberration woman stammered through. Truth be told, even if she was still mad at Hazel for attacking her, she was still trying to preserve what little harmony was left during that bout, hesitant of talking in detail about the other girl. 

Pulling out a carton of greasy chicken, Brent popped it open, reminded himself that he could eat later, and offered the deep-fried heartkillers to Angelic. It really was too clean of a place, and how quiet and empty it was bothered him slightly. The hospital at USARILN, if nothing else, had books and video games to occupy people with, even if the x-marks were fully sedated, but here? Too quiet, too dead. Like the patients here were already in the grave.

His nose twitched, catching the smell of bleach mixing in with the aroma of cheap chicken.

As Angelic began to eat, he slid the trash can over, before finding a stool for himself. [color=B0C4DE]"Zoe took care of the enemy subnaturals, and Lily healed mostly everyone up. Lawrence survived, but we weren't able to make it in time for Sav,"[/color] Brent tonelessly spoke. [color=B0C4DE]"Cat's Cradle appeared as well, but I don't know what they were doing there."[/color]

He recalled that scene once more, a black monster that swallowed up the stars itself, towering over the far-off buildings.

[color=B0C4DE]"They were definitely fighting something though. Perhaps the subnaturals behind the Factory incident? I don't know."[/color] He laughed suddenly. [color=B0C4DE]"Shit, I don't know much at all, even after being there the entire time."[/color]

Angélique listened intently to Brent as he explained the situation. Of course Zoe had the situation under control. She knew all too well what she was capable of, after training intensely with the red-haired Mage and witnessing just how much damage she could inflict to fleshy opponents. Not only that, but she was certain Zoe would not have any issue killing another human being. Their deep discussion had revealed the Aberration’s will to stain her own two hands instead of the others’.
 
But Angel froze at the mention of Savannah. Her mouth was left agape in the middle of her chewing and the drumstick of chicken falling back into the cheap box as she felt the shock behind Brent’s words. 
 
[color=9e0039]“S-Savannah died? H-how?”[/color]
 
Her stomach suddenly tied up. After hearing that news, she no longer felt any appetite. Instead, her mind was ravaged by sudden flashbacks. The few moments she shared with the little girl. Their first battle. The sight of the young blonde girl with a focused look on her face as she tore off a part of her clothes and bandaged Allison’s bleeding side.
 
The day they went all shopping for new clothes, when they went to eat at McDonald’s and went shopping some more after for more or less useful accessories. The little moment she spent trying to defuse her initial blunder of an introduction to the trip. 
 
[quote][i]
Savannah snorted at this sentiment, trying to contain her childish giggles. But she could no longer contain them, so she burst out into adorable laughter. She raised her mouth to Angel's ear, still giggling. [color=Crimson]"You did? Damn, that's some daring stuff. If I walked around half-naked, my parents would've had my head!"[/color] she whispered softly, still giggling softly.
 
[color=9e0039]"A girl gotta get clothes when she has nothing left to wear. But hey, better go around town with a bra on than wait until my pants and my underwear get torn up as well. Now that would be embarrassing, wouldn't you say?"[/color] Angel added, now smiling warmly as she managed to ease off the tension and see the girl's smile for the first time ever since they had arrived at USARILN.
 [/i][/quote]
 
The dinner she made to the survivors of Green Team a few days after. A small, meaningless moment when Angel tried to unite her partners and bring harmony to the table, only to realize how hard it would be to get everyone working together.
 
 [quote][i]
[color=Crimson]"Already? Damn, that was so good I lost track of time. Thanks for the food, Angel. It was awesome.[/color] Savannah said, smiling. The food had been good, Savannah had devoured a lot of it. Especially the pie. Especially the pie. What could she say? Savannah had a tooth for all things sweet and sugary.
[/i][/quote]
 
She is going to miss that innocent, childish smile. Savannah was too young to die. She wasn’t ready to be shoved into this cruel world. No one was. But the world showed just how despicable it had become, for children to be involved in such bloody situations, and die because of it. 
 
Tears began trailing down the Aberration’s cheeks, but she was quick to realize it and swiftly brought an arm to her eyes, trying to wipe out the opened flow.

Brent's laughter stopped. Ah, this must have been the first time for Angelic. She really was unaware of how much shit the Evac group had to go through, wasn't she? And now...now, she wanted to know how Savannah died? How she was slowly being strangled to death, before Callan charged into her assailant and the force of the tackle snapped her neck? How the subnatural that attacked her came from within the APC, the implication being that Marcus, Lawrence, Sophia, or Savannah failed to properly confirm that the people they were taking in weren't enemy mages? How he had been lazy enough himself that he thought Callan's arrival would resolve everything, instead of trying to get the gargoyle bitch off her?

He felt like letting his shoulders slump, like falling into the same mindset that plagued him before, where thoughts were overrun by emotion. But he held firm. Pulling out a few napkins from the bag, Brent handed them over to Angelic, watching her suppress her tears.

Was that the proper way of reacting? With grief instead of sadistic anger?

He didn't know. Didn't know so much.

But at the very least, he knew this.

[color=B0C4DE]"Sav's neck was broken,"[/color] he said, [color=B0C4DE]"Her death was quick and painless."[/color]

A pause. What sort of weak, consolatory bullshit was this? His hands curled up into fists.

[color=B0C4DE]"But I could have saved her still. Sorry."[/color]

A sigh followed.

[color=B0C4DE]"You can cry as much as you want, Angelic. Think it's healthier to release it all while you can."[/color]

The fact how quick and painless Savannah's death meant very little to Angélique. As a matter of fact, this wasn't the kind of answer she was hoping to get. But, through her grief, Angel realized just how hard it must be for Brent to announce her death, just as it was hard to accept the death of a girl the rockstar was starting to grow fond of, despite her quirks.

Anger began surfacing through her guts as she heard the rest of what Brent had to say. He could've saved her, but she was still dead. What exactly the fuck had he been doing then? And then he told her to cry as much as she needed? 

Is that the impression she was leaving on the others? The image of a big softie who was crying for every death and bouts of embarrassment? Was that the impression she left of herself?

Angélique's hands trembled from rage. Anger that wasn't directed at Brent. It was self-loathing. Angel's tears stopped just as quickly as they came in. For a moment, Savannah's death was forgotten as swiftly as the subject came crashing on her. Her obsession over what others thought of her was embedded in her mind. She could not stand being looked that way.

Without thinking, the raven-haired Aberration had taken the napkin Brent offered her in one shaky hand and crumpled it as soon as it was brought near to her face. No way. She had to stop this. She had to stop looking so weak, so pathetic, and so pitiful in front of the others. She already showed this side of herself enough times in front of others. It had to stop.

[color=9e0039]"No... I've had enough... of crying. I can't be like this... forever. I can't cry for every single death that happened and is going to happen. I can mourn their death... but it has to stop."[/color]

For the whole time, Angel had a pitiful face, looking downwards. But as her anger rose, her face showed some sort of twisted conviction. A face born from a mix of resolve and the darkness dwelling deep inside as an Aberration.

[color=9e0039]"I have to stop being so fucking weak, Brent! I won't save anyone being like this!"[/color]

And there it was. From grief to hatred, just like that.

He let his shoulders slump, tired of holding himself up. He let his back curl, tired of sitting up straight. He leaned in, looking more at his tented fingers than the person he was speaking to.

[color=B0C4DE]"Hey, Angelic, do you hate yourself?"[/color]

What kind of question was that all of sudden? Was Brent trying to test just how much hatred she could spit? A part of her wanted to remain calm and composed, not let herself turn into this pitiful mess in front of someone she knew well. But another part of her felt like she could use opening up to someone who was already so close to her, felt almost like a mischievous little brother. 
 
Could she really fall so low as to rely on Brent to emotionally support her? The guy who was more focused on looking at his fingers instead of staring into her eyes as he spoke this vital question?
 
[color=9e0039]“Why the fuck are you asking that all of a sudden?”[/color] was the only thing she could spontaneously answer.

[color=B0C4DE]"Don't answer a question with another one."[/color] Fingers clasped together, tightening.[color=B0C4DE] "Yes or no?"[/color]

Angel felt at a loss. A loss she refused deep down. Being a superstar throughout her life, she rarely met anyone confronting her like that. Speaking with someone so obstinate, she didn’t know how to escape this situation.
 
In the end, she would only fall back to her honest and passionate side. If Brent was so hell bent on coaxing the truth out of her, then so be it. Now would be the time to see who Brent really was depending on his reaction.
 
[color=9e0039]“You want to know that badly? Fine then! Yes, I fucking hate myself. I hate myself for what I’ve fucking done before being locked away as a Subnatural. I used to think I had no regret in choosing the path of a Destroyer. Seeing the consequences of it, I fucking hate it. I hate the fucking voices whispering all day long. I hate those fucking nightmares I keep having each night. I hate my inability to help anyone, to cause only pain and suffering. Had I known I would be so fucking weak despite choosing the way that promised more power, I would have chosen Harmony instead of Destruction. I fucking hate myself for sucking so much at taking important decisions.  I fucking hate being so weak and looking that way!”[/color]

He held his tongue throughout her entire rant, hands clasped like a prayer. Self-loathing for making all the wrong decisions, self-loathing for admitting all the wrong decisions, self-loathing for the entirety of their life. He could hear that voice once more, the poison that kept him alive, that woke up him up every morning, and he suppressed it. Kept it inside. Deep.

Not now.

He turned his face up, to look into Angelic's. There wasn't a trace of a superstar at all. Just a tearstreaked face full of agonizing fury, messy strands of hair clinging onto the sides. And on his own face, there was no longer a smile to soothe the violent intensity of his own eyes. [color=B0C4DE]"If,"[/color] he began, slowly, the last traces of hesitation stubbornly remaining,[color=B0C4DE] "you hate yourself, then kill yourself. Tear your muscle fibers to shreds, burn away every trace of fat in your body, destroy your opinions with the knowledge of others, reconstruct every habit you have for every activity, don't even [i]think[/i] about being satisfied with the pathetic little shitstain that you are."[/color]

He swallowed, teeth grinding together.

[color=B0C4DE]"Kill yourself every day, replacing each unnecessary, unwholesome, useless part with something that's marginally better. Use whatever you can to make yourself obsessed with changing who you are. If you hate your past decisions, then just make better ones the next day, until you can bury the past with the present. If you went down the wrong road, stop dreaming about the other path and just break your fucking mind until you come up with a way to make your path the right one."[/color]

He wanted water. Drink something and shut himself up.

[color=B0C4DE]"Hazel's a god of destruction, Sander is an unkillable juggernaut, Emma has nigh infinite range with her powers, and there is not a thing in the world that Zoe can't kill. But all the prayers in the world won't turn a line into an x, and all the prayers in the world wouldn't have taken an opportunity that had already passed."[/color]

He didn't want anything.

[color=B0C4DE]"All I can do is kill myself every day, and hope that my future is better than my past."[/color]

When did he start talking about himself?

For once ever since they met, Angel saw the true meaning behind Brent’s words. For all the time she accidentally misunderstood him, it was at this time she caught a glimpse of who Brent was. The idea of killing herself sounded rude at first, but as his speech went on, Angélique finally understood. Is that why Brent was up so early in the morning, each day? Why he looked so distant when speaking to others, but at the same time so close?
 
Angel’s mind shattered as she heard her classmate talk as if he was talking about himself. All of her past convictions, her goals, her lamenting, they crumbled. Was that why she was such a failure? Because everything she stood for was a lie to herself? Had her beliefs put a stop to her ambition? Was she weak because she imposed limits to herself?
 
Oddly enough, Brent’s reasoning sounded close to what Ernest once told her. About giving up on trying to control what she can’t and accept her fate. Stop looking back and mourning her past. Acknowledge who she had become and use it to her advantage. 
 
So that was the final answer.
 
Angélique nodded silently. Her rising voice had been silenced by the harsh reality Brent had voiced out.
 
[color=9e0039]“Will you…”[/color] Angel hesitantly said; vestiges of her past decisions trying to cling onto her. 
 
No, it had to stop. She had to change. If she would remain the way she is now, nothing will change. She will still remain the pathetic lamenting sack of crap she now is.
 
[color=9e0039]“Will you help me down that path? Should I sway from the road, slap me back into the way?”[/color]

He didn't understand music. Nor had he spent years in kickboxing. In terms of knowing how to deal with paparazzi and adoring fans, his experience was zero. He doubted he could organize large events that easily. But there was still a part of him that felt glad that Angelic, someone who had so many things that he'll never have, wanted to rely on him.

[color=000000][i]You fucking leech.[/i][/color]

The words that didn't voice itself when Siena showed her gratitude rang through his mind, and he knew that he could not bring himself to smile. Not yet. No jokes either. 

Brent straightened his back, felt a crick in his spine.

[color=B0C4DE]"It'll be a punch, not a slap. You don't want to be a little sissy that can't take a hit, right?"[/color]

A grin appeared on Angélique’s face. Of course, she had to expect no less from the man
 
[color=9e0039]“Damn straight! Bring it, bitch!” [/color]
 
It felt weird to say that, but it came straight from the heart, without restraints. And to be honest, it felt damn good.

[color=B0C4DE]"Better not hear you regret this later,"[/color] Brent replied, a small smile emerging in response. [color=9e0039]"Now go eat and sleep. I'm waking you up at 5."[/color]

[color=9e0039]"Aye aye sir!"[/color] Angel returned him an exaggerated salute in answer as she watched Brent heading to the exit of her room. She watched him leave with a solemn look into her eyes.

Guess she will have to mentally prepare herself for the incoming change. Double her efforts and work her ass off until she can finally live with herself.
[/hider]

[hider=Chapter III: Soul Sisters] 
[center]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/Fb1UXSA.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/EqVwCQa.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/jzzw4on.jpg[/img] 
[h2][color=9e0039]Angélique[/color] | [color=ff57ff]Siena[/color] | [color=33ec06]Marcus[/color][/h2]
[color=silver][hr]𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟙𝟜, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘   / /   𝕃𝕒 ℙ𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕒, 𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕪𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕   / /   ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕡𝕚𝕥𝕒𝕝  / /   𝟚𝟙𝟜𝟝
[hr][/color]
[sub]Collab with [@PapiTan] & [@Chasers115][/sub]
[/center]
After Brent’s visit, Angel had tried to feed herself with what remained of the fried chicken he had brought. However, after all the emotional torment she had gone through during their discussion, a metaphorical noose formed itself in Angel’s esophagus, cutting her appetite short and refusing to swallow anything for now. 

She had tried to go to sleep, like Brent suggested, but with the WishAlloy preventing her from removing her clothes, take a shower and head to sleep, Angel couldn’t fall asleep. Instead, her mind drifted to what happened today and her classmates. Were they alright? Was she the only one hospitalized? 

In the end, curiosity killed the sleep cat and made Angel leave her room. She headed towards one guard patrolling the corridors, seemingly on high-alert. However, he was diligent enough to point her towards the rooms of her hospitalized classmates, who were really not too far from each other.

Angel's feet brought her in front of the door to one of her classmate's room, Siena. Out of all the ones that got injured in this fight, Angelique was worried the most for her friend. She blamed partly herself for having let Siena go help Evac Team without proper healing first. Hopefully Siena was in there because of the 'superficial' wounds she had sustained before leaving the fight.
 
The door was already open, but Angel didn't want to intrude into someone's room unannounced. She knocked on the frame of the door, hoping that her brunette friend wasn't bedridden with life-threatening wounds. Christmas would have healed her anyway, just like he did to her face, right?

After Brent's visit, the unwelcome feeling of isolation had been lifted briefly off Siena's shoulders, even if other troubles had risen in its place. Though she was far from bedridden, the brunette had been hesitant to show herself as capable of leaving. Not when she didn't have her usual sources with her, and especially not when the only thing she had was the handwritten book tucked away on the side of her coat that had been spared from Hazel's disintegrating sweep. 

[i]'[color=ff57ff]The one you should have used, you mean?[/color]'[/i]Jeering, hateful, bitter. She should have. Hand picked names from one of the two people in the [i]world[/i] that she trusted without batting an eye. Even if she'd never dared to break the seal of the cover before, Siena was aware that whatever had been placed in the little thing was likely more useful than any name she'd taken herself in combat. A surge of guilt rushed through her at the idea. She could have done more. Maybe she could have helped finish their fight sooner. [i]Maybe she could have helped Savannah.[/i]

[i]Her fault again.[/i]

That was why she didn't want to be alone.

That was why the knock at her door pulled her in so easily. Why it would [i]keep[/i] pulling her in without a hitch. 

"[color=ff57ff]Oh, it's...it's open...![/color]" Siena called while pushing herself up. Her mind was still buzzing with the events of the battle. With emotions attached to events that she knew didn't belong to her. Not her. The mantra that she repeated while using a name that could threaten her control. The mantra that she continued to use long after the presence had faded. "[color=ff57ff]P-Please, come in![/color]"

After hearing Siena's invitation, it didn't take long for Angel to slowly slip inside the room. At first glance, the girl looked alright on the outside, not a single wound had been left behind. But then again, she had been healed by Christmas. What was her condition before being healed? 
 
[color=9e0039][i]The wounds inside are harder to detect than the injuries of the flesh...[/i][/color]
 
Siena probably had been there when Savannah died, when shit happened on Evac Team's side. Angel didn't know what happened on that side of the field. But if anything bad happened and was tormenting Siena, then Angel felt compelled to make sure her Arbiter friend was alright. There was always this lingering feeling of unease concerning Siena. She was a capable girl for sure, but the scene of both being crying messes after overdoing it on their first training session kept replaying in her mind.
 
[color=9e0039]"Hey Siena. Are you alright? Is everything okay?" [/color] 
 
Angel was genuinely concerned, but nagging at the back of her mind were the words told her she should stop caring. It was what made her weak, the worthless piece of shit that couldn't do anything useful in battle. The reason why she hated herself so much.

[i]Are you alright?[/i] 

No. 

"[color=ff57ff]O-Oh, I'm fine. Most of my injuries were taken before we got here.[/color]

[i]Is everything okay?[/i]

No...but it was too hard to let on that it wasn't. So the brunette gave a tired smile as she spoke. [i]Her problems, not theirs.[/i]

"[color=ff57ff]I'm not entirely sure they thought it was necessary to use additional healing on me...but I guess I wasn't a good judge of my own condition.[/color]" Siena thought about Christmas's unconscious body being carted to her room. To the syringe of blood. To the fact that they treated him like a human medicine pack. She didn't like the idea, but she hadn't opposed to it. The same bitter voice that mocked her had whispered that it was his [i]job[/i] as a healer. Because he could do something that would make a difference and [i]last[/i] unlike her. "[color=ff57ff]...I'm glad that it seems you were healed though. I...I was worried.[/color]" 

Unease squirmed in her chest like a serpent. Angel's condition had been far worse than her own when they'd been transferred to the separate transport. Siena didn't like seeing the end results of battle, and never would. The fact that Angel and Hazel had been injured to the point of unconsciousness...maybe she should have stayed. She might have been able to do something more. All that leaving had done was hurt people. Hurt the Evac team, let the Offensive Support team get hurt...she didn't arrive quickly enough to help anyone.

"[color=ff57ff]I'm sorry I left. I...I should have stayed with the team.[/color]"

Angel walked further in the room, pulling a stool and setting it right in front to Siena, so they could talk face to face without tiring herself out standing up like that. Feeling that mutually feeling worried for each other brought both some ease and unease at once in the singer's mind. Glad someone was caring for her, but hating that she was leaving others to worry about herself, a self she wanted others to look up to as a strong woman.
 
She shook her head negatively [color=9e0039]"No please, don't say that. We both agreed we should help the others as soon as possible. If anything, I should have pushed forward onto that thought instead of staying behind to get healed and play hero. I... got the others into a mess they shouldn't have been involved in the first place."[/color]
 
She should have known better than looking out for herself. The safety of her teammates should have been a priority instead of making sure civilians were alright and getting herself patched up.
 
[color=9e0039]"Don't be sorry. We did the best we could. We... just need to be better prepared next time."[/color]

Angel's approach brought up conflicting emotions that Siena wasn't sure she could separate. Relief. Concern. ...Anxiety? She masked them all with a welcoming smile, still tinged with a sense of fatigue--she wasn't sure whether it was mental or physical, but one usually bled into the other regardless. "[color=ff57ff] could say the same thing about myself. I...if we hadn't had the WishAlloy...[/color] Memories of being flung upwards. The fact that she had still started to [i]fall[/i]. What would have happened if the others hadn't had the magic armor? All because she hadn't [i]killed[/i] her target. "[color=ff57ff]But...you're right. Maybe with better preparation, we can avoid a repeat.[/color]" Because there was going to be a "next time" whether Siena wanted it or not. Instinctively her hand tried to reach for the remaining booklet tucked away, but Siena changed course. Swapped to twisting the strands of hair in her fingers. Act normal.

"[color=ff57ff]I'm glad it's over.[/color]" But Savannah was gone, and Siena was too busy trying to sort through the shambles left in the wake of people stronger than her to feel the grief she wanted to feel. Instead, she felt hollow. Different from when Padma...when Padma... A flicker of pain came to life, cracked through the facade for an instant before the seams melded back together. More memories. More events, but these were...these were undeniably things that she experienced...just like other tragedies and joys that she'd also thought belonged to her. 

What if they got lost in the sea too?

"[color=ff57ff]...I'm glad you're still alive too.[/color]"

Angel looked at Siena while she was hearing her talk. She never was good at picking up the faintest hints, or really understanding people. She always had been a good spokeswoman though. A lot of people were drawn to her speeches, but it was a shame that the idol wasn't great herself when it came to understanding the feelings of others.
 
She watched Siena twisting the strands of her hair, a habit a lot of people would usually associate with anxiety. But in her state of mind, Angel simply assumed it was just a bad habit as anyone toying twiddling their fingers. Her tired eyes and blurry vision from the ambient light further tiring her eyes didn't pick up the jagged end of Siena's hair.
 
[color=9e0039]"I'm glad you are safe too. I feared the worst when I learnt you were hospitalized. I... blamed myself a bit for letting you go without being healed first."[/color]
 
Angel tried her best to steer away from the subject of Savannah's death as it went in that direction. She already cried in front of Brent earlier. It won't happen again in front of Siena. She promised earlier to herself she'd stop being weak, as she screamed her hatred to her earlier visitor.
 
[color=9e0039]"Do you remember that guitar you bought me the week before last week? I still haven't got the chance to play that something I promised you."[/color]

"[color=ff57ff]Oh...[/color]" Grateful for the change in topic, Siena felt her smile grow faintly. Part of it felt forced, even for her. "[color=ff57ff]Now that you mention it, you're right.[/color]" It felt like an eternity ago that they'd gone shopping together in town. Shopping with Aaron, who'd been missing ever since, and Savannah. Another flicker of pain, once again fading back into the mask. "[color=ff57ff]Though I don't think that we can make good on that here. They might think we're rowdy teens trying to rile up the patients.[/color]"

Letting her visage brighten a bit further, Siena tried to slip away from the thought of their comrades no longer with them. "[color=ff57ff]But...maybe once we get back, I can take you up on that offer.[/color]"

[color=9e0039]"That would be... pleasant."[/color] Angel only replied to the idea, preferring to think of that rather than everything that had happened today. It was something to look forward to for when she'll return with the others, a small reason to live up for tomorrow, to push herself into becoming better.

[color=9e0039]"What kind of music are you into? You wouldn't happen to be the daughter of the awesome Carlos Santana, would you?"[/color] Angel joked, trying to ease up, if not break, the tension that had built up in the last few hours. 

She just wanted to leave what happened today in the past and look forward to a better moment. See the brightness faintly slipping through Siena's face transform into a genuine smile by the time she would leave.

"[color=ff57ff]Oh, no...though maybe he's somewhere in the family tree,[/color]" Siena replied with a light chuckle. Twisting her hair around her fingers and snapping a few strands. It felt...unsatisfying, even when the faint popping sounds managed to reach her ears. "[color=ff57ff]Maya was a big fan of his, though she said I should keep up with modern music.[/color]" A pause. Siena didn't really consider her own music tastes, having adopted her caretakers' when everything was said and done. Classical music that came largely from Gerwulf and his travels and....whatever it was that Maya thought was relevant and made Siena seem more in touch with the times than she really was. 

"[color=ff57ff]I guess I haven't really explored much music myself though. I listened to classical music and alternative rock myself, but...most of the music I received was for culture training,[/color]" Siena claimed with a thoughtful tone. She hadn't really ever considered looking for more--there was always plenty to listen to. "[color=ff57ff]It probably made me less cultured than if I listened to things as I found them, but once you reach a certain circle, everyone talks about the same movements.[/color]"

[color=9e0039]“Awww, that’s a shame. I could’ve bragged to the others I would have been friend with someone closely related to one of the best and my favorite guitarists.”[/color] Angélique further joked, letting a giggle gleefully escape her lips.
 
Classical and alternative rock? Well that was a strange mix. But who was she to judge? Angel was an avid listener to metal, rock, blues and country music. While she never composed any blues song, she did wrote plenty of the three other genres of music. Pop music was something she had been playing too when she was younger, and country was something she had taken on her late teenage years before fully dedicating herself to rock and metal music.
 
[color=9e0039]“I can’t say I’m a big fan of classical music, but I do enjoy alternative rock. Maybe I could try to work something of that genre?”[/color] Angel pondered as she was trying to make out about the whole cultural side of music. Siena came from a rich family, maybe it was part of her ‘etiquette’ training? 
 
Angel didn’t prod further into that subject. High-class matters weren’t really her cup of tea. Despite being someone largely successful financially due to her hard work in the musical industries, Angel had been standing on the opposite side of wealth. She simply enjoyed what small things life could offer her. The difference to the common folk was that if something ever happened, she would not immediately hit the bottom of the barrel, and could afford whatever she wanted. At least that was before the whole concert incident happened.
 
The black-haired Aberration stood silent. Small talk was good to escape this harsh reality, but there were times like these she couldn’t exactly find a lot of subjects to talk about. Initially, she just came to check up on Siena and see if she was alright.

"[color=ff57ff]Most people aren't that interested in classical music so much as the image it presents.[/color]" Siena admitted with a nervous laugh. Well, [i]most[/i] people, at least. "[color=ff57ff]I wouldn't mind listening to more than what I did before. Gerwulf and Maya  had decent taste, but I would like to expand my horizons a bit.[/color]" Finally releasing the locks of hair from her grasp, Siena averted her gaze briefly, as if in thought. "[color=ff57ff]Though...now that I think about it, I'm grateful for classical music. Telling an entire story without a single word is something I've learned to appreciate since this showed up.[/color]"

Motioning to the white mark on her cheek, the brunette let her hand drop back into the sheets with a soft noise. 

"[color=ff57ff]It's nice not to think of a story as something that I might have to turn into a weapon. Maybe that's why I ended up liking it so much after the fact.[/color]"

Angel listened to Siena with a solemn look on her face. It was good, to know a bit more about Siena. She considered the Arbiter as one of her friends, but now that she was thinking about it, they barely knew each other that well. Their likings, where they came from, even their personalities. That’s probably what compelled Angel to stay despite having nothing to say. She wanted to know more about her friend, and hoped the small sparks that were small talk would ignite into a more passionate and revealing discussion.
 
And her patience bore fruits. Listening to what Siena had to say about music, the raven-haired Aberration looked both genuinely interested and curious.
 
[color=9e0039]"That sounds... quite enjoyable, looking at it this way. I've got to admit, when I was composing music, it had always been the opposite for me. I used music as a tool, a weapon like you said, to convey my thoughts to others, my opinions or simply wishful messages."[/color] Angel started opening up, taking a strange turn into slowly revealing her old persona. [color=9e0039]"Maybe I ought to listen to more lyrics-less music? Bask into the rhythm of the music and make out those stories?"[/color] she chuckled slightly at the thought.
 
[color=9e0039]"Those people you mentioned... Are they your siblings? Members of your family?"[/color]

It was...calming, to some degree, to be able to talk with Angel about music. It wasn't the same type of animated conversation she used to share with Gerwulf or the quick quizzing that she used to receive from Maya, but it was nice to talk about something that seemed normal. A faint ping of longing for the old days came to mind...something that she brushed aside. She chose to leave. Even if she didn't know exactly what she'd signed up for, even if she was going to be sent into battle after battle, [i]she chose to leave[/i]. The shattered wall, the panicked expression, the blood...

...something about that memory felt out of place.

"[color=ff57ff]I think that's still a good way to use music,[/color]" Siena claimed with a smile. Brushing a few strands of hair over her shoulder, the brunette considered Angel's own thoughts. "[color=ff57ff]But maybe we can both broaden our views. It might be a little bland, but I'm sure there must be some classics that will interest you.[/color]" 

And then came the question. Ah, right. She'd never really brought up Maya or Gerwulf around Angel--mostly because there hadn't been a reason. Drawing from them during their last encounters had been the extent of her thought. "[color=ff57ff]Oh...no, they were my caretakers. You know how it goes with successful parents. Always globetrotting and never home.[/color]" A lie, but at least a believable one. Her parents were never "home" as she put it--her concept of home had never really involved her parents. "[color=ff57ff]What about you? Do you have any siblings?[/color]"

[color=9e0039]“That would be an interesting experience. Maybe we could set up a musical evening when we get back? I’m intrigued by your view on music.”[/color] Angel smiled.
 
Ah, so that’s how it was. Stories of rich little girls left to themselves and an army of butlers and maids to raise them was not unknown to the singing Aberration. For just a glimpse of a moment, Angel felt a bit ashamed of herself. She always lamented herself about having crappy parents more interested in the fame and wealth of their daughter than who she was. At least it was better to have parents around than not seeing them at all, right?
 
[color=9e0039]“Nah. I’m an only-child.”[/color] Angélique paused, a crack of a faint wishful smile appeared. [color=9e0039]“But… I’ve always wanted to have a little sister though. Show her around the world, teach her new things every day, sit behind her and groom and make her all pretty, cuddle the heck outta her until we both fall asleep, look out after her well-being, punch her boyfriend in the guts for making her sad, that sort of things.”[/color] The raven-haired imaginary elder sister chuckled with a hint of melancholy behind it.
 
Just how she wished to have a younger sister to hug her pain away at this moment.

[i]'[color=ff57ff]Ah...[/color]'[/i] Something lit up in the back of Siena's head, triggering a faint alarm that tried to drown the rest of her thoughts out, feeling a surge to correct what was wrong. Gray eyes flitting to the dark-haired musician beside her, Siena's mind immediately began to cut through ideas. The mask began to form, and quickly. Maya's words poured relentlessly into her ear, feeding her lines, telling her what to do, how to act, honing in on a specific course of action even as Siena gave a nervous smile.

"[color=ff57ff]Ah, I see...[/color]" Carefully, Siena readjusted her position so she was sitting in a more upright position, attention fully focused onto Angel. Another flurry of mental whispers that came to mind, quieted only when her mental filters accepted one at last. Sweeping her hair behiind her ear, the mage gave a weak smile. "[color=ff57ff]I...maybe it's a little presumptuous for me to say it, but...you seem like you'd make a great older sister.[/color]" A pause as she twisted a few locks around two of her fingers. "[color=ff57ff]If I had a choice, I would have liked to have a sister like you...though, I think you'd have to get in line behind Gerwulf on punching any unsavory suitors.[/color]"

Angélique giggled slightly in answer to Siena’s statement. The pale tone of her skin slightly reddened in embarrassment at this sudden revelation. The compliment made her feel somewhat whole inside, filling a bit of this hollow and lonesome part of herself. Ah… if only they would have met earlier in their life. Become childhood friends before the whole world had become hell. At the very least, they were together here in now, going through the same hell and fighting it with everything they had.
 
[color=9e0039]“I’m sure that…”[/color] Angel carefully weighed her own words, wondering if this odd sisterly discussion would not be freaking the brunette Arbiter out. Unfortunately for the both of them, the raven-haired rockstar’s honesty and direct approach was always something to count on to create those bizarre situations [color=9e0039]“I would’ve liked to have a sister just like you. You look always so calm and focused… I could actually learn some things from you.”[/color] Angel let out a soft but nervous laugh.  

A sudden knock at the door heralded Marcus's arrival. Thanks to his fight with the lizard boy earlier, he didn't have to track Siena's room down like he had Callan's. Fortunate, given that he imagined it would be difficult to do based on the lack of descriptors available for his second roommate, and the apparent aloofness of the passing nurses.

He certainly wouldn't tell them how long he'd been standing at the door. That'd ruin the little bonding moment they seemed to be having. All he needed to do was drop in and make sure that Siena was doing fine, and then he could leave them to their little 'sister talk'. Watching the scene had caused an unexpected gnawing to catch him by surprise; he'd never really had the chance to be an older sibling to anybody. Hell, he'd had one opportunity to prove himself a protective team member, and that had met with...

"[color 33ec06]I hope I'm not intruding on anything.[/color]" he said with a smile, forcing the thought out of his mind. He gave the two girls a small wave, revealing the shitty, hospital room tabloid he'd stolen along the way.

A knock and a familiar voice broke into the moment, tugging Siena's thoughts out of their fixed state and sending them into a furious storm once more as her attention snapped towards the source, eyes darting there, absorbing the figure of her male roommate and processing it before her head moved to follow the motion. Lips parted briefly in an expression of surprise before sealing again in a smile. Careful, cautious, but not quite nervous. She supposed not every conversation was able to take place in a controlled situation like before. Unexpected interruptions were bound to happen every now and then. 

[i]'[color=ff57ff]Why are you bothered by that?[/color]'[/i] The thought went unvoiced. 

"[color=ff57ff]Oh, Marcus! I hope you haven't been waiting long...uh...at my...doorframe.[/color]" It took almost all of Siena's self-control not to eye the pages he held in his hand. Printed words, potential sanctuary. [i]Escape[/i], her mind tried to declare. It took whatever remained of that restraint to keep from trying to bring it up. No. She didn't need it, didn't [i]need it[/i]. Her mind wandered to the booklet in the tattered remains of her jacket, to the mentally placed red tape. No. "[color=ff57ff]I guess everyone lucky enough not to be stuck here is making their rounds.[/color]" 

Angélique got startled when a voice came through the frame of the door she had left open earlier. Like Siena just voiced, she hoped he hadn't been over there, eavesdropping on their whole discussion. A slight shade of red took hold of the Aberration girl's face as she returned Marcus' wave with her own.

Feeling suddenly like an intruder between the talk of two roommates, Angel mostly kept to herself. She didn't know if she should be leaving the room now that there was someone else closer to the Arbiter girl now visiting her.

"[color 33ec06]Nah, not too long.[/color]" Marcus said, pushing himself off the doorway and walking into the room. "[color 33ec06]Figured I should probably make sure that neither of my roommates were-[/color]" he stopped himself. The words he was going to say were 'not dead', but that was perhaps not the best thing to start with. He tried to mask his sudden hesitation by coughing slightly, before continuing. "[color 33ec06]-were bored out of their minds sitting in a hospital bed. But it looks like someone already beat me to it![/color]" he punctuated the sentence with a friendly smile to Angel.

Come to think of it, he hadn't seen Angel on the APC ride over, which meant she had probably been injured or something in the fight. There were a lot of other people he hadn't seen either, the more he thought. A slight wave of guilt flooded over him; he'd not even thought about the other people that had been missing, despite them being classmates. Hell, Angel had been one of his teammates in the CTF game, and her absence still hadn't crossed his mind.

"[color 33ec06]How're you feeling, Angel? Didn't get too roughed up, I hope?[/color]" He sincerely prayed that he hadn't just stepped on a landmine or something, otherwise this visit might be a little short.

Angel grinned at the obvious jab sent her way. [color=9e0039]“You ought to sharpen your timing mate. Time wizards shouldn’t be beaten by noisy Mages like me.”[/color] 
 
Oddly enough, the girl’s grin didn’t fade away at the mention of being potentially injured during today’s battle. She bitched and moaned enough about it, she just wanted to go with the flow and joke around with Marcus and his up-lifting spirited attitude. 
 
[color=9e0039]“Nothing Christmas couldn’t handle. It’s a blessing our Healers don’t leave scars when they do their thing. Wouldn’t want to steal away your ‘Scarface’ title, would I?”[/color]
 
Perhaps it was too much considering the current situation? Angel’s humoristic moments were few and rare, but it had always been a sarcastic or dark thing. That’s probably why she didn’t pick comedy as her part of her linguistic skills.
 
Angel was about to say something, opening her mouth, but she suddenly stopped and faked an awkward yawn. She had considering returning him the question, but Marcus was part of the Evac Team. Shit happened over their part of the battlefield, stuff that Angel’s little bout against Hazel paled in comparison. He probably didn’t need to be reminded of Savannah’s death and the injuries a lot of people seemed to have sustained from their skirmish.

Feeling a somber sense of uncertainty trying to settle over the group, Siena was quick to try and figure out how best to steer the conversation away from the battle. There would be plenty of time later to grieve and ache, but...not when they were still trying their best to recover. Everyone was still a little too raw, a little too vulnerable--if people were anything like she'd come to expect, they'd try to take the blame. Over and over again without any real rational thought applied. Siena was aware, even as the guilt continued trying to rip out the logic.

At least, that was what she kept telling herself. 

"[color=ff57ff]Angel has a point. What was it that Kell said...?[/color]" A pause as the quote appeared instantly. in her mind's eye She'd read the words enough times that some of them might as well have been imprinted into her head as well. "[color=ff57ff]Ah, right. 'Lovers like men with scars.'"[/color] A small voice that giggled in the back of her head, aware of what she was saying even if her face didn't allow it to show as she finished the quote.  Whether they caught it or not...well, that wasn't her concern, was it?"[color=ff57ff]Or so I've heard.[/color]"

Ooh, 'Time Wizard'. That was a nickname he could live with. Of all the stupid little titles he could be given, that one didn't seem to bad. Inevitably it would at some point, but for this exact moment, he didn't mind. Just as he was going to say something, Angel's 'Scarface' joke came across. His face fluttered for a singular moment in a mixture of surprise and what could only be described as hurt confusion. 

Of course, it was just a joke; and he certainly couldn't be the jokester of the group if he couldn't take as many punches as he gave, so the expression was (hopefully) gone before anybody could catch a glimpse of it. Any witty comeback he had was blown to smithereens by Siena's statement though, a sentence that completely stopped his train of thought as his face flushed slightly red and he turned to look at her. 

[i]That[/i] certainly wasn't something he was expecting.

Angel couldn’t help but reveal a toothy grin as Siena took a turn at a comedic crack. She had heard that one many times over, even though she did not believe herself it made a man any more attractive than how she already felt regarding the opposite sex. But the look on Marcus’ face was priceless. It made the sole Aberration in this room laugh heartily. 

Well...her plan seemed to work, though she wasn't entirely certain at what cost. Well, at least someone was laughing. Flashing Marcus a mischievous, if still apologetic, grin, Siena joined in with a softer laugh of her own. [i]'[color=ff57ff]Sorry, Marcus.[/color]'[/i] Feeling some of the tension leave her shoulders, the bookish mage settled into a more comfortable position to face both her visitors. "[color=ff57ff]Oh dear, was I wrong? Haha...[/color]" 

Marcus recovered slightly, just shaking his head in disbelief. He said nothing at Siena's second statement, allowing his face to grow a little bit redder and continuing to just sit there. He joined in the chuckling after a while, looking to Siena and holding up the tabloid. "[color 33ec06]And here I even brought some reading material for you, because I was worried you'd be bored. Seems like you're entertaining yourself at my expense enough, I might as well just keep this to myself and read it back at the motel![/color]" he shot her a wicked grin of his own in retaliation, flipping through some of the pages without actually reading them.

There was a surge of mild panic that tried to surface at the thought of having the pages taken away, even if a cursory glance told her that it wouldn't yield anything useful for her purposes. With practiced grace and an masterfully forged mask, Siena let the fear slide off her without letting it break through the filters. Instead, she gave a fake pout at her roommate, unruly bangs slipping from their place and falling back into her line of vision as she cocked her head ever slightly. "[color=ff57ff]Aww, so mean. How else am I supposed to keep up with scandals to gossip to you about?[/color]" 

He glared for just a moment, before shrugging and tossing the magazine to Siena. "[color 33ec06]Fair enough, [i]I'm[/i] certainly not going to be the one to read this stuff, so you might as well keep up with all the hot celebrity news.[/color]"

He moved into the room a little more, leaning on the side of the bed next to where Angel was currently seated. "[color 33ec06]I wasn't sure what kind of stuff you liked to read, and the jerk at the store didn't exactly have a wide variety.[/color]" he said, suddenly feeling the need to explain himself for some reason. 

A thought crossed his mind though; as nonchalantly as he'd said it, he actually didn't know what Siena's taste in books was, despite constantly calling her the bookworm of the group. He gave her a puzzled glance for a moment, speaking the thought aloud: "[color 33ec06]What [i]do[/i] you like to read anyway?[/color]"

Snatching the magazine from the air in a flurry of sounds largely consisting of paper fluttering, Siena felt a vague sense of relief. It wasn't exactly what she'd normally read, but something was better than nothing in that case. Glancing over a few of the cover story titles, the brunette could practically hear Maya making sounds of disapproval in her ear. [i]There were [i]much[/i] better ways to manipulate and draw the eye, right?[/i] 

Ugh. She really didn't want to remember those particular lessons. 

Instead, she returned her attention to her visitors, just in time to see the expression pass over Marcus's face. An expression of confusion that quickly gave way to a question...a particularly enlightening one, really. It took a moment for Siena to process that she hadn't, in fact, shared any titles of the works she read, reread, and bookmarked. It took another for her to realize that she hadn't been reading to [i]enjoy[/i] it in recent times. It had all been to hone them as weapons of warfare. Had been forcibly forging links that she wouldn't have considered before because they were [i]useful[/i] and not because they were [i]enjoyable[/i]. 

A pause. 

"[color=ff57ff]Hm...almost everything, really.[/color]" A pause as she thought about it. "[color=ff57ff]Mostly fiction or fantasy though. Foreign books too, since I like seeing the differences in culture.[/color]" 

"[color 33ec06]Alright, fiction or fantasy, or anything foreign.[/color]" Marcus said, making a mental note of the aisles he'd have to go down in the library. "[color 33ec06]Guess I should probably make sure to grab something you can actually read, though huh?[/color]" Marcus said, chuckling slightly. "[color 33ec06]Wouldn't want to grab something that looks interesting only to have it be a People's Magazine in Arabic![/color]"

What was so difficult about Ara--ah. Siena blinked faintly in confusion even as the realization started to dawn onto the mage. It really hadn't occurred to her that other people weren't going to be quite as knowledgeable as her caretakers had been on the topic of her reading materials, or even on her ability. With a half-smile on her face, Siena gave a nervous laugh while scratching the back of her head. "[color=ff57ff]Oh, u-um...I could read that, actually. Or um...any language. Guess it kind of came with the power...?[/color]"

He stared for a second, involuntarily blinking in surprise. "[color=33ec06]Wait. Waitwaitwait. You can read literally [i]anything[/i]?"[/color] Marcus said, the disbelief evident in his tone. "[color 33ec06]So I could show you the diary of some German dude, or the recipe straight out of a Mongolian kitchen, and you would be able to tell me what they say!?[/color]

He'd never thought of the powers as being that useful before - he was grateful for his ability to rewind bumps and scratches and the occasional gunshot wound, but being able to read [i]any language[/i] flawlessly? That was a little more useful than his was!

Though she knew he had every right to be, Siena was still moderately surprised by Marcus's apparent disbelief. No, it made sense. While her ability was flashy and versatile, she'd never made any indication of which names she was pulling, which languages she was borrowing from. Given the way that it seemed to work, what language she was looking at was never really something the mage thought about. "[color=ff57ff]W-Well, um...yes? I-I mean...it's hard to explain...[/color]" ...and now that she brought it up, she imagined there would be at least one conveniently foreign book in whatever Marcus brought. "[color=ff57ff]When I see the words, I just...[i]know[/i] what it means.[/color]"

Marcus's mind reeled slightly with the new information. He had so many questions to ask her, but he was having a hard time getting them put into any sort of coherent order. 

"[color 33ec06]Can you write in other languages too? How about speak them? Could you teach other people to read different languages if you wanted to?[/color]" The questions poured eagerly out of his mouth, before he stopped himself. He didn't want to overwhelm the poor girl, but now that he knew the secondary effect to her power, he was curious to test it out. Maybe he'd grab a foreign book for her while he was out.

A count had started in Siena's had as soon as she noticed the expression on Marcus's face, ticking off the seconds before the inevitable. When the revelation had come to her caretakers, both had reacted similarly. Sort of. Maya had been more straightforward with her questions in a strange twist, having Siena test the limits for precise information, whereas Gerwulf had worn an expression like he [i]wanted[/i] to ask, but simply acknowledged the utility of such a skill. Of course, neither of them had launched an avalanche at her, so Marcus gained a point in the "original reaction" category. 

"[color=ff57ff]E-Er...[/color]" Giving a nervous laugh and unable to resist sending a sidelong glance of mild distress towards Angel, the bookworm tried to organize the questions into easier-to-answer groups. It didn't really work. "[color=ff57ff]I uh...it's kind of complicated.[/color]" Which bought her another moment to figure out how exactly to answer those questions in a concise manner.

It was much to Siena's own annoyance that her first instinct was to lie.

"[color=ff57ff]I can't [i]speak[/i] ones I don't know, but um...I guess I could use my not-so-magical gifts in conjunction with the power to learn to write them...?[/color]" She let the insinuation that the same went for teaching someone how to read another language. It would be rudimentary at best, she knew, for the languages that she didn't make a point to read often. Nordic tongues, for instance, weren't exactly her forte, but...there [i]were[/i] languages that she had become more capable of, given her previous experiences with Maya and Gerwulf. Memories of strict lessons and whispered conversations in languages that the masked masses around her couldn't understand came to mind. She missed the sanctity of those moments. "[color=ff57ff]Th-though it's all a little more complex than that...[/color]"

Marcus gave a short whistle of surprise, his eyebrows raised the whole time Siena answered his questions. He could tell that she was a little bit uneasy by the sheer amount of questions he was giving her, as the glance to Angel hadn't gone unnoticed. He took a breath, calming himself down from the original twenty questions moment, looking over to gauge Angel's reaction as he spoke.

"[color 33ec06]That's pretty cool, Siena![/color]" Marcus said, deliberately trying to give the poor girl a moment to catch her breath. "[color 33ec06]Did you just...[i]know[/i] you could do that, or did you catch a glimpse of something and realized you could read it?[/color]"

[i]'[color=f7976a]Did you know you could do that?[/color]'[/i]

Unwelcome memories. Unwelcome, almost frightening memories that made her flinch visibly. For a second her breath didn't come to her and her muscles froze. It was [i]fine[/i], she could answer. [i]No.[/i] "[color=ff57ff]I...u-um...[/color]" 

No. She couldn't answer. 

Angelique sat in silence as she watched the two roommates discuss to each other. She didn't dare to really interfere with their talk, as she felt a bit out of place. But watching these two go at it, she felt envious. She wished she could have roommates like that too. It would make her living in USARILN so much bearable, much more interesting.

Bit it was no use dwelling on things that were not. Instead, she should be focusing on working on it. Maybe if she proved she was stable enough and cooperative, the institute would actually let her be paired with someone as a roommate? That could be something to be work on. At the same time, it would probably fix that bitchy behavior of hers she exhibited more times than necessary ever since she arrived there. Really, there could only be winning aspects in this decision.

Sadly, when Siena turned to Angel with an uncomfortable look, the raven-haired Aberration did not immediately pick up the distress on her soul sister's face. By now, she felt her eyes burning because of the usual brightness of hospitals lighting. A headache had started to punch its way into her head, and the intensity just kept growing. Hopefully it would not develop into a migraine.

But Siena's voice barely hinted her desperation to Angel's keen hearing. Angelique did not really know the cause behind Siena's distress, but as Marcus kept bombarding the poor girl into explaining the finer details his roommate's power, something clicked inside Angel's mind. A flashback from previous training sessions.

Siena never seemed really comfortable in trying to explain how her power worked. The Arbiter was vague in her explanation the first time they trained together, keeping it relatively simple for Angelique to understand the basics. Then, when it came down to Brent, she had basically blurted out a jumbled mess of explanations as the overclocking Mage kept trying to coax out ever more details from Siena.

Blaming herself for not having realized this sooner, Angel turned to Marcus, her tired eyes lingering onto his face with what seemed to be a grim smile. [color=9e0039]"Now now Marcus. Siena had it rough today. Let's not bother her with all these question, shall we? She must be pretty tired. Surely she can answer those another day, right?"[/color]

Oop. Looked like he hit a nerve without meaning to. And just as he'd realized that, Angel turned to him and gently asked him to stop his inquisition. It was fair enough; there were some things about the first couple days with his power that he didn't want to talk about either, made sense that Siena would have some of those.

"[color 33ec06]She's right. You probably need some rest, and I am probably not doing you a favor at all in that goal, huh?[/color]" he said, a slight unsure grin on his face. He tried his best to make it seem like he was following along with Angel's idea, and not that he'd noticed how uncomfortable Siena appeared to be, because that could make her feel even [i]more[/i] uncomfortable.

"[color 33ec06]I should probably make my way back to the motel anyway, before they barricade the doors or something. I promise I'll be back tomorrow with an actual book, though! G'night Siena, g'night Angel![/color]" he said, giving a small salute and making his way back towards the door.

[color=9e0039]"Good night, Marcus. See you soon."[/color] Angelique replied, waving a farewell to the time Mage as he seemed to take the clue and leave.

[i]'[color=ff57ff]Thank god...[/color]'[/i] The topic fell back like the tide, stopping Siena from getting plunged in. Part of the mage was irritated with herself for letting anything slip past her filters, frustrated that the panic had managed to root itself deep enough to control her. Ashamed that she was [i]still afraid[/i] of things that happened long enough ago to be a cracking memory. The only thing that made her so certain was that it was too real to deny that it happened. As Marcus left, Siena tried to bid him farewell, but her voice still caught like a shard of ice in the center of her esophagus, so she gave a wave instead. Better that than whatever choked sounds she might have made in the moment. 

And then the backlash started, the emotions that broke free of their confines taking turns trying to batter Siena into submission. Pain won out for a moment, etching itself onto her features like a flicker of candlelight, little more than a ghost that passed through her before she forced it back. [i]She[/i] was in control. Her. The mask settled back into place, fragile, weak little creature with an even frailer smile. 

"[color=ff57ff]Th-Thanks for d...deflecting that, Angel.[/color]" 

[color=9e0039]"Mhm, you're welcome."[/color] Angel smiled, oblivious of the moment of pain Siena just showed.

She sighed, scratching her eyelids as she desperately tried to shake off the burning sensation in her eyes without letting Siena know how troublesome her eyesight had been ever since she woke.. 

[color=9e0039]"You know, Siena. I've come to understand you aren't particularly doing great when people are asking you about your powers. And it's okay, really. We all have our own little secrets concerning who we are and what we do."[/color] Angel started slightly scolding Siena, just like a mother or a big sister would do. [color=9e0039]"If you don't feel comfortable talking about it, then don't force yourself to do it. In those cases, you just refuse to answer. No means no. If they truly respect you, then they'll understand."[/color]

Another surge of emotion broke free, these particular ones undeniably belonging to one Siena Santana. The brunette grappled with them for a moment, tried to drag them back under control. [i]But these were different.[/i] Just like it had been with Maya, Siena couldn't keep hold of them. Couldn't [i]stop them[/i] when they ran rampant, destroying the carefully maintained order that she was desperate to cling to. They couldn't be controlled. First came the affection, swelling like a river beyond the banks. The feeling of comfort and irrevocable safety that would have comforted her if not for the quickly approaching flood of the next surge. 

Guilt. Shame. More guilt. [i]She couldn't control it.[/i]

"[color=ff57ff]I-I'm sorry, I know I'm not supp--[/color]" [i]What was she doing?![/i] Catching the instinctive phrase before the rest of the sentence could escape, Siena blinked in surprise. Not supposed to talk about her powers to people that [i]knew[/i] she had them? And more than that, there had only [i]ever[/i] been one person that managed to shatter her neatly put together self without even trying, and that was because that woman had built everything from the ground up. Taught her how to control herself, to slip in a few gestures, touches, words... "[color=ff57ff]Um...I mean...I know, b...but I want to get better at e-explaining them. In case we have more deployments in the future.[/color]" [i]Liar.[/i]

[color=9e0039]"Alright then, if you say so..."[/color] Angel simply replied. Honestly, she still couldn't get just how Siena's words seemed so hesitant, if not a bit tense, despite maintaining that peaceful appearance. What was the reason behind it? Or perhaps was she just imagining things from being so out of her mind because of that lingering pain and fatigue? But then, why would Siena have thanked her for deflecting the discussion? 

Maybe both girls were tired and needed to rest their heads to think clearly. At least, Angel wanted to acknowledge for herself what she told Marcus just now. Siena was probably tired, and confronting her for her conflicting actions would probably just pour fuel on embers. The Aberration singer knew better than trying to start an argument with one of her closest friends after what they went through tonight. Plus, she promised herself to not be so pathetic in front of someone ever again like she did with Brent just before coming here.

[color=9e0039]"Well, I suppose it is getting a bit late. I'll let you have a well-deserved rest. I still have a few more people I want to check up on before going to sleep too."[/color] Angel said, feeling the development of the situation had called for her visit to end. Better ending it here on a rather good note than push forward and risk creating unnecessary tension between the two. There could always be another day to discuss this kind of matter.

Shifting herself onto the mattress, Angel pulled herself closer to Siena, hesitantly reaching out for the Arbiter soul sister with open arms as she wrapped them into a warm hug. 

[color=9e0039]"Good night, Siena."[/color] Angel wished to her friend before letting go of her and heading towards the exit.
[/hider]

[hider=Chapter IV: Wishes of Recovery]
[center]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/Fb1UXSA.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/fwTScNE.jpg[/img]
[h2][color=9e0039]Angélique[/color] | [color=a2d9ce]Callan[/color][/h2]
[color=silver][hr]𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟙𝟜, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘   / /   𝕃𝕒 ℙ𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕒, 𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕪𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕   / /   ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕡𝕚𝕥𝕒𝕝  / /   𝟚𝟚𝟙𝟝
[hr][/color]
[sub]Collab with [@Baklava][/sub]
[/center]
Out of all people, Callan wasn’t on the list of classmates Angélique expected to be hospitalized. The girl had shown such resiliency and strength before; it was frightening to know the enemy was powerful enough to actually land a few injuries on their resident Super Girl. 
 
Angel didn’t really know Callan all that well. The first time they crossed each other was quite awkward, despite the Aberration’s efforts of befriending the Arbiter. But being a classmate, the obsidian-haired fallen rockstar felt compelled to go and check up on the girl, just as she did with Siena.
 
Having looked at the clock on her smartphone, Angel figured it probably wasn’t so much late as she would fear waking Callan up. Plus, it would be a hour or two before the Wishalloy would wear off, if what Kardos said was true. 
 
Angélique’s footsteps brought her in front of Callan’s room. Softly, she knocked at the door. 

Sleeping usually came as easily as drawing breath, but tonight she simply couldn't stop her head from ticking through everything that had happened that day. Callan laid on the bed, staring up at the ceiling while spinning her cheap headphones around her fingers. One of her old sets had met its demise that way, but she didn't notice she was doing it until the knock sounded. She stopped abruptly, turning her head towards the door. She'd only left the lamp light on, so she could barely make out the figure in the small window. A nurse, probably. Or maybe someone else coming to check up on her. Siena or Ernie came to mind, but she called out anyway-- just to be sure. 

"[color=a2d9ce]Who is it?[/color]"

[color=9e0039]"It's Angel. Can I come in?"[/color]

Angel? Callan sat up. "[color=a2d9ce]Y-yeah,[/color]" she answered hesitantly. Why was she here? Had she... known Savannah, maybe? Maybe she found out what happened? 

Slowly, Angel entered Callan's room. However, unlike the others, Angel stood by the door's frame. It was probably too presumptuous of her to join the Arbiter's side so closely as they didn't know each other all that much. And somehow, Cal felt a bit distant, sitting up on her bed like that? Was she still injured? From an outside point of view, she looked tattered but fine.

[color=9e0039]"Hey there. I just wanted to know if you were alright, You know, I was actually surprised to hear you out of everyone had to be hospitalized."[/color]

Callan seemed somewhat relieved by the question, but she kept her guard up. "[color=a2d9ce]Hey... yeah. Just had some mild blood loss.[/color]" she answered. Definitely an understatement, but she didn't want to make her worry. She sat up a little more, hugging one knee to her chest. "[color=a2d9ce]Ah-- looks like Christmas fixed your face up. Those were some nasty cuts.[/color]"

[color=9e0039]"Ah... yeah. And not even a single scar left. The boy sure makes miracles. I just wish these people would stop abusing him for his blood though..."[/color] Angel added bitterly, having caught glimpses of the Arbiter being carried around in a wheelchair and being used as a living blood packet.

The blood loss part had intrigued Angel. What kind of wound did she sustained to be bleeding that much? She kind of wanted to know, but Angélique knew herself better than push for details after what happened today. Especially with Savannah's death. Callan was the first person Angel had seen rushing to Evac team's location after Factory fell; surely she had seen what happened to the poor girl up close. Brent said her neck was snapped, but the circumstances that led to it were left vague. As a matter of fact, the whole ambush battle was left unknown to the Aberration singer.

[color=9e0039]"How's Lawrence? I heard a bit of what had happened through the cuffs, but I was told he was still alive despite having sustained bad injuries."[/color] Angel shifted subject, not completely off-track to what she was thinking but at least she wasn't bringing up a dead girl's name.

More guilt yet as the subject of Christmas and his stolen blood came up. She felt sorry for having not said anything to stop them from using him like that. She idly wondered about Sander and what he would think. It would probably be kind of disturbing-- being carted around to all those different rooms so doctors could inject your blood into numerous people. Then again, maybe it wasn't so different from a blood donation. Either way, perhaps it was a boon that he'd slept through it all. 

God, she wished she could sleep. 

"[color=a2d9ce]Lawrence,[/color]" Callan perked up at the name. She'd seen him in the ambulance, too. "[color=a2d0ce]I haven't spoken with him. Looked like Lily and Kusari healed the worst of it, though....[/color]" 

[color=9e0039]"That's... good to hear."[/color]

Silence slowly settled in as Angel started to think everything was alright with Callan. Her half-blinded state could not pick up well the minor details that would make her see this faint aura of sadness Callan had around her, and the fact that their usual talk always had been quite short and awkward enough to not detecting a depressed tone. 

While it was good to know she was alright with those very few words they shared, Angélique felt it was a shame she couldn't find grounds to socialize more with the Arbiter. She looked quite a cool girl to talk with, if she would go according to all the action she witnessed during their lunch breaks. She kind of wished she could be a part of that group as well.

Looking over the tattered clothing Callan wore, the raven-haired Aberration recalled a bit of their last discussion [color=9e0039]"You know, if we're to come out of each battle with our clothes reduced to that, we really ought to go on that shopping trip and get more trends before we're stuck wearing our underwear on the battlefield."[/color] A grin managed to creep on Angel's face, trying to lighten up the mood with a bit of comedy.

Callan couldn't help but smile. The demise of all her favorite hoodies did seem to be a growing trend when it came to these missions. She still couldn't say she was a big fan of gal-pal shopping trips, but Angel definitely had a point. "[color=a2d9ce]I hear that,[/color]" she chuckled tiredly. 

And score another happiness point for the rockstar. Going about to check up on everyone was a good thing after all. Maybe it was because she tried avoiding most of the talk about the hell they just come from. Still, to see her classmates managing to crack up a few smiles and chuckles this evening, it's only what mattered the most to Angel.

Callan's tired state did not go unnoticed though. Despite not being able to see her well, Angélique could hear it. Maybe this small talk was just about enough for tonight. She came to know if Cal was alright, both physically and mentally, and it seemed she was, if not sounding a bit bummed. Nothing a night of rest couldn't fix, Angel figured.

"Alright then. You sound quite exhausted. Can't blame ya, I feel a bit tired myself, even after coming to be not a few hours ago. I'll be taking my leave let you get your  beauty sleep. I still have a few others I want to see before going to bed. Hopefully I won't be waking them." The Aberration chuckled, turning towards the door she had been leaning against its frame ever since she came inside the room.

[color=9e0039]"I'm glad you are okay."[/color] Angélique casted a glance back at the aquamarine-haired Arbiter. [color=9e0039]"If you need anything, or want to talk, my room's just across. Have a good night, Callan."[/color]

Another invitation to another room. But this time with less innuendos. The fact that she was making such a connection had to be another sign that she was tired. She was... kind of touched by Angel's concern, actually. 

"[color=a2d9ce]Okay, cool. Thanks. Glad you're okay, too,[/color]" she said--and she meant it, "[color=a2d9ce]Have a good night.[/color]"
[/hider]

[hider=Chapter V: Strangers in the Night]
[center]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/Fb1UXSA.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/9yn6u85.png[/img]
[h2][color=9e0039]Angélique[/color] | [color=lightcoral]Lilianna[/color][/h2]
[color=silver][hr]𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟙𝟜, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘   / /   𝕃𝕒 ℙ𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕒, 𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕪𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕   / /   ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕡𝕚𝕥𝕒𝕝  / /   𝟚𝟚𝟛𝟘
[hr][/color]
[sub]Collab with [@Kyrisse][/sub]
[/center]

It wasn't much of a surprise for Angel to hear that Lilianna had been hospitalized with a few others. With the nature of the girl's ability combined with her personality, it was to be expected Lilianna had sustained injuries probably not directly inflicted to her, but by taking the others’ wounds. Fortunately, someone like Christmas existed in their classroom, to heal the cursed Healer. 
 
Still, it was worthwhile to check up on her fellow Aberration classmate. Make sure the girl was alright. Lilianna seemed to be the odd type, from the very few times she interacted with Angel. But Lily had done her fair share of healing people important to Angélique, and she was genuinely worried about the girl’s mental state. Taking over all of everyone’s pain, it was just too cruel for the Healer. Angel feared one day the girl’s mind would snap from receiving this amount of pain. A bit like how Kusari was oddly accepting of suffering pain through her immortality.
 
Reaching the door to Lilianna’s hospital room, Angel checked the time on her phone. It was getting a bit late. Hopefully the girl wasn’t sleeping her injuries off. She wouldn’t like to disturb a well-deserved rest. 
 
With that in mind, Angel’s knuckles rattled softly on the door.

Lily was contemplating on sneaking out and was staring at the IV tube taped to her hand. It was strange that she was afraid that pulling out the IV cannula out of her vein would hurt when she had actually gone through a lot more pain earlier in the battlefield. [color=lightcoral][i]Would they be angry at me if I walked around?[/i][/color] she thought to herself as she dangled her feet on the edge of the hospital bed. [color=lightcoral][i]Can't be hooked up to this bottle if I wanna walk around so I should really just...[/i][/color] she reached out to remove her IV line when someone knocked on the door. For the second time that night, she jumped in surprise and glared at the door. And then realizing that it might be a nurse or a doctor coming to check up on her, she hurriedly lifted her legs back up on the bed, tucked herself underneath the blanket and feigned an innocent look.

[color=lightcoral]"Come in,"[/color] she called out.

Hearing Lilianna's answer, Angel slowly opened the door and made her way inside, looking at the blonde Aberration tucked in her bed and stuck to an IV machine. Seeing her like this, she wondered exactly why all this apparel was needed if Christmas would have healed her wounds just as easily? Maybe the nurses ran out for their lives when they saw her X mark? Surely it was what had happened. Angélique could remember the face of the nurses when she woke up. They cleared her out from hospital stay just before running out from her room.

[color=9e0039]"Hello Lily. I hope I did not wake you up? How are you feeling?"[/color]

The blonde Aberration didn't expect another classmate to come by and see her. She wasn't exactly too friendly with any of them. But it was a pleasant that people wanted to at least see how she was doing. 

[i]Of course they'd want to see how you're doing. You're useful to them. They don't see you as a friend. They see you as someone they can use to keep themselves alive,[/i] the voice inside her head whispered. 

Outwardly, Lily sighed as she looked at the dark haired girl she remembered meeting the first time they arrived in USARILN East. [color=lightcoral]"No, I don't really sleep that much. And I suppose I'm okay... The worst of the injuries I... uhm..."[/color] she paused as she looked down at herself. [color=lightcoral]"...they didn't really stay with me that long."[/color] She looked up. [color=lightcoral]"Are you okay? And everyone else?"[/color] she asked almost automatically.

Hearing Lilianna talking, the sonic Aberration could not help but feel sorry for her X-marked. All those injuries she had taken for herself, it was no wonder why she was hospitalized in the first place. All this pain... She was willing to take them all away and suffer through it for the sake of others. Sometimes, Angel wondered why Xs were reputed so badly as most of the ones she had met were selfless people like Lilianna, Emma and Allison. It probably was the Cat Cradle’s and Hazels of this world that made people scared shitless of Aberrations and the curses burdening them.
 
[color=9e0039]“Yeah, we’re all fine…”[/color]
 
[i]Except Savannah.[/i]
 
[color=9e0039]“…thanks to you and Christmas. I don’t know what we would do without you two.” [/color]

[i]Christmas is enough to help them all. You're not really needed,[/i] the voices relentlessly whispered in Lily's head.

The all to familiar feeling of uselessness resurfaced, one that the small girl tried to push back down but was unsuccessful. She shook her head and spoke her thoughts. [color=lightcoral]"Christmas is enough for everyone. He's the real healer, not me,"[/color] she said with a slight shrug. Her thoughts shifted to the lifeless eyes of a classmate that died in the battle. [color=lightcoral]"Although I wish I could have done something for that girl who died..."[/color]

[color=9e0039]"Don't say that, please!" Angel had initially replied upon hearing Lily's lack of self-esteem. "You are right in some way, about not being the same kind of Healer as Christmas, but..."[/color] her mind was bringing her back to the strategic deployment section she had written for the blonde girl's profile sheet. [color=9e0039]"You have an asset other Healers don't. You can inflict damage by giving these injuries where it matters, on an enemy. So really, not only can you heal wounds, but you can cripple opponents as well. Now from the way I've seen it, there is only winning in your case."[/color] Of course' she purposefully avoided the fact she had to injured herself first to do that switcharoo, but Angel figured she might as well only focus on the bright side given the situation
 
[color=9e0039]"Plus, it is a blessing you were there for the whole ordeal. I was with Christmas and he... wouldn't have made it in time to save the other injured if you didn't take their injuries. So yeah, I'd say it's thanks to you some of the folks here are still alive. You... did the best you could, and I believe you did."[/color]
 
For the moment, Angel wanted to avoid the subject of Savannah's death, rather focusing on bolstering her classmate's morale. If what Brent said was true, about the little girl's snapped neck, there was simply nothing Lilianna could have done that would've resulted into some sort of self-killing injury transfer.

Lily’s erratic mood swings shifted at the encouraging words, much like it did when Emma offered to have her hang out with them at lunch. Take injuries and cripple opponents with it. Yes, she can definitely do that. And maybe she should ask to be put in the frontline the next time there was a battle. [color=lightcoral]"I'm glad I could help,"[/color] she smiled and then blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. [color=lightcoral]"I wonder though if I can do more..."[/color] her sentence drifted off. [color=lightcoral]"Transfer death, maybe,"[/color] she added in a softer voice. 

Angel quirked up an eyebrow at the mention of transferring death. Surely she must mean from one being to another? She couldn't think of killing herself using her own power. [color=9e0039]"One day, perhaps. Our powers always seem to grow the more we fight, right? Now that would be quite something, huh? Lilianna: Life and Death Bringer."[/color] Angel tried to encourage the girl a bit more, dismissing completely the fact that Lily thought of transferring someone’s death onto herself.
 
But all this talk of taking injuries and death made the young womanly singer quite uncomfortable. She just wished to have small talk with the girl, seeing they haven't spoken much to each other ever since that first night at USARILN. [color=9e0039]"I didn't see you a lot last week. How have you been? Did you go to class even though we earned a week free of it?"[/color]

At the mention of classes, Lily wrinkled her nose, completely forgetting the previous topic they were on. [color=lightcoral]"Class is boring. But I had nothing to do so I attended some of them. Most times I stayed in my room or the library or just wandered around..."[/color] she paused. [color=lightcoral]"Hanged out a bit with Sophia too. She's nice."[/color]

[color=9e0039]Oh... I haven't go the chance to meet and speak to her personally. I'm glad nothing bad happened to her. They both... shouldn't be caught in this mess."[/color] Angel involuntarily brought up Savannah back into the discussion, feeling a hint of guilt and remorse after realizing it.

Lily looked at Angelique for the longest time before speaking again. [color=lightcoral]"We all shouldn't be caught up in this mess,"[/color] she said in a serious, soft voice. [color=lightcoral]"There shouldn't be deaths all around. We shouldn't be scared of dying every single day..."[/color] she sighed as she trailed off and then her train of thought veered off into another direction. [color=lightcoral]"I came close to dying once. But people in USARILN East took me in. Should that make me thankful to them?"[/color] She wondered out aloud.

Angélique could only but nod at Lilianna's statement. She was right. No one deserved to be here, treated like soldiers without even being given a choice. Fight or die. She was surprised to hear her fellow Aberration being so open about how she was brought to USARILN, or rather that detail that only made Angel the more curious about her life before being brought here.

[color=9e0039]"Dying? What happened to you before you came to be there, if you don't mind me asking?"[/color]

[color=lightcoral]"I lost my memories so I don't really know. I just know what the doctors told me when I woke up in the hospital,"[/color] Lily reached up and touched the part of her head where the wound had been, a habit whenever she recounted what happened to her. [color=lightcoral]"They said that they found me just outside USARILN East with a huge head wound and barely clinging to life. So, I guess someone must have hated me so much that they tried to kill me,"[/color] she shrugged. [color=lightcoral]"I can't say I'm not surprised. I do have this mark after all,"[/color] she touched the X mark at the base of her neck.

[color=9e0039]"I'm... sorry to hear that."[/color] Angel really didn't know if it was a boon or a curse to not remember about the past. For all she knew, she would have preferred to forget about everything that happened before. Perhaps if only to stop remembering about that day she screwed up badly.
 
[color=9e0039]"Don't be so quick to makes guesses, Lily. Perhaps an accident happened?"[/color]
 
A bold lie. She knew better about all the harbored rage towards the X-marked. Enough to warrant death threats and even violence against them. But for now, all Angel wanted was to comfort the blonde girl in front of her, escape from this harsh reality.

Lily shrugged again. [color=lightcoral]"It doesn't really matter. I can't remember anyway,"[/color] she said. [color=lightcoral]"Sometimes I get flashes of memories. But they're too fragmented to make sense of,"[/color] she explained.

[color=9e0039]"I see... Maybe it's for the best, who knows. So much shit happened for a lot of us before coming to the institute. Sometimes I feel like it would be best to just erase the past and start from scratch here.[/color] Angel rubbed her eyes, feeling a bit hypocrite of saying something like that when she is one of those people clinging onto her past actions, either lamenting it or using it for a reminder of what she was.

[color=9e0039]"It's... not like our past lives matter anymore. Might as well burn the bridges and build something entirely new with the others."[/color] Just how she wished to believe in her own words.

[color=lightcoral]"I suppose I can't miss what I don't remember,"[/color] Lily said. [color=lightcoral]"Tell me something about you in return. Your powers are cool."[/color]

[color=9e0039]"T-they are?"[/color] That wasn't the first time someone said her powers were cool, but Angel still wasn't used to hearing this. Despite all the training she undertook and the growing ease of using her unbridled voice, she still felt a bit afraid of hurting the wrong people with her powers. She still was remorseful and afraid of causing another incident.

Still, with her newest addition to her arsenal, she supposed she could agree with Lilianna. [color=9e0039]"I... suppose so. I mean, I finally got something else from the visions than outright screaming people's ears off.”[/color] Angel added, gathering magic into her being as she spoke.

[color=9e0039]"Like this."[/color] came Angel's displaced voice, far away from the corner of the room instead of next to Lily where the speaker stood.

She was hesitant to spoke of herself to Lily, but she felt obliged to answer her for having pried on her current amnesia problem. [color=9e0039]"I... was a musician before coming here. I used to sing and play guitar a lot. Earned my life doing that even."[/color]

Like a child, Lily clapped her hands at the demonstration. [color=lightcoral]"That is so cool. Did you do concerts before going to USARILN?"[/color] she asked. It was nice hearing about other people's past lives. It gave her a bit of hope that she'd eventually remember hers.

The discussion was getting a bit too revealing for Angélique's taste. Already, she could feel the Stigma trying to worm its way out and give Angel flashbacks of her biggest failure. But the smile on Lily's face was precious. In these dark times, she would rather cling onto other's smiles than deny them.

And so, the musician Mage kept on her facade with a forced smile. [color=9e0039]"Y-yeah, I did. With a lot of people, lots of chants, plenty of cheer and so on."[/color]

God, why was it so hard to keep this face straight and hold the tears back.

[color=lightcoral]'Wow... It must have been great... I wonder if I ever attended any of your concerts?,"[/color] Lily chuckled. [color=lightcoral]"That would be really really cool if I did. Although if I didn't, I'm glad I met you now. Maybe I can listen to you sing and play sometime?"[/color] she suggested a little shyly.

It was harder for Angel to keep this facade when Lilianna just kept on going with the concerts. Hopefully, Lily would have not been a fan of her music in her forgotten past. She hoped even more she hadn't attended to any of her concert, especially the last one.

[color=9e0039]"Ah... the pleasure is all mine. I was looking forward to speaking a bit more with you after we met on the night I arrived at USARILN."[/color] Angel managed to say, deviating a bit from the subject.

[color=9e0039]"But sure. If you want to, I play a bit of music every now and then in my room with Allison in the evenings. How about stopping by sometimes and relax with us?"[/color] A faint trail of tears managed to escape from her left eye, almost immediately wiped off Angel's face when she realized the sudden wetness.

Lily's smile turned brighter at the invitation. She was finally making friends. [color=lightcoral]"I'd love to stop by. It'll just be like back home. He used to play the guitar all the time and the music was really nice..."[/color] a faraway look came over the blonde's eyes but she blinked when she caught Angel wiping her face, the burst of memory gone. [color=lightcoral]"Oh, are you okay?"[/color] she asked, demonstrating her occasionally keen perceptiveness.

[color=9e0039]"Oh, it's okay. I'm just tired. And I've never been all that good with lights on."[/color] Angel managed to blurt out an unsteady excuse. Her voice tried to hold firm, but unusually shades-less eyes told a different story.

[color=9e0039]"He? Have you just remembered something?"[/color]

[color=lightcoral]"Really?"[/color] Lily asked, leaning forward to peer at Angel's face. She seemed... sad... She was just about to pry more when the singer's question made her pause. 
[color=lightcoral]"He?"[/color] she repeated and then furrowed her brow. [color=lightcoral]"Hmmm... I think maybe I did..."[/color] she said, trying to grasp what it was she had been thinking about a mere second ago. Concerts and music. Who has she remembered? She reached up and scratched her head, feeling a little frustrated that her memory was in such a state of disarray. After a while, she gave up and shrugged. [color=lightcoral]"It's gone now."[/color]

[color=9e0039]"That's... quite strange."[/color] Angel commented, wondering just what was going on with the blonde Aberration's memories. "Is your memory loss affecting only memories from before the time you came at USARILN, or does it happen you lose some memories of the time after you arrived as well?"

[color=lightcoral]"Oh, it doesn't affect the memories I have after coming to USARILN. Although, I can be forgetful... I'm not entirely sure if that had to do something with the head trauma,"[/color] Lily answered. 

[color=9e0039]"Perhaps the trauma damaged the memories-managing part of your brain? Can't say for sure though, I'm no brain doctor."[/color] Angel suggested, unsure as what to think of that. [color=9e0039]"Well, at the very least, you still remember about all of us, right? It would have been a shame to have you wake up in the morning and keep having to introduce ourselves to you each day."[/color] She cracked up a smile, trying to bring a bit of light on her mental ailment.

Lily wrikled her nose a little comically. [color=lightcoral]"Oh, that would be horrible,"[/color] she commented. [color=lightcoral]"I bet no one would want to talk to me then."[/color]

[color=9e0039]"Nah, we'd do just like in that love movie at the end. Record the events of the days and put it in your room so you can watch before starting your day. Well, at least that's what I think I would do."[/color] Angel offered a smile to Lily.

[color=lightcoral]"Makes sense but that would be a lot more frustrating than what I have now... So, I guess this is not so bad,"[/color] Lily gestured to herself.

[color=9e0039]"Yeah."[/color] Angel trailed off, letting silence slowly settle in.

It was getting late, for both of them. Right now, even though she was an emotional rollercoaster, Angel did appreciate having taken the chance to check up on Lily. It was good to know she was relatively alright, considering her amnesia, and get to know her a bit more.

[color=9e0039]"Well, I think I should get going. I should leave you to rest. You probably need it after what you went through."[/color] Angel slowly got up from her seat, her shadow-ridden dark-green eyes meeting gold. [color=9e0039]”It's been nice to talk with you, Lily. We should do that more often."[/color]

Lily nodded. [color=lightcoral]"Thank you for dropping by. I appreciate it,"[/color] she smiled a genuinely friendly, happy smile and raised the hand that was connected to the IV fluid to give Angel a small wave goodbye. As the IV tube hit her arm at the movement of her hand, she looked towards it and frowned, her attention already distracted from the friend that was just about to leave.

[color=9e0039]"It's my pleasure, really.[/color]replied as she reached the door. She gave a last glance towards her bed-ridden classmate, returning a curt wave of her hand. [color=9e0039]If there's anything you need, my room's not far from yours. Goodnight, Lily."[/color]
[/hider]

[hider=Chapter VI: Factory of Questions]
[center]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/Fb1UXSA.png[/img] [img]http://i65.tinypic.com/28hztyw.png[/img]
[h2][color=9e0039]Angélique[/color] | [color=cyan]Sander[/color][/h2]
[color=silver][hr]𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟙𝟜, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘   / /   𝕃𝕒 ℙ𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕒, 𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕪𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕   / /   ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕡𝕚𝕥𝕒𝕝  / /   𝟚𝟚𝟜𝟝
[hr][/color]
[sub]Collab with [@RedDusk][/sub]
[/center]

Following the instruction given by the guard earlier, Angel figured she might as well go and see Sander and check up on him. Not that she knew him all that much, but she knew he and Christmas seemed rather close to each other, and she also wanted to know about the whereabouts of Christmas in this hospital. Furthermore, there had been questions nagging at the back of her mind. Questions only Sander and Ethan could potentially answer. But she’d rather talk with a fellow classmate than someone who seemed just a bit too close to the authority.
 
It was late in the evening, and Angel was feeling very tired. Perhaps Sander would be the last person she should check up on for tonight and wait tomorrow for the others. 
 
Stopping in front of Sander’s room, her knuckled rattled the door thrice, hoping he was still in there or wouldn’t wake him up if he was still in here.

The knocking had, indeed, woken Sander. 
 
He slowly sat up, blinking the last vestiges of sleep out of his eyes before looking around. He was in a strange room. Hospital room. But not the one he was used to. This was strange. Where were he? The withdrawal nagged at him, and he could tell there was some blood in a nearby cooler. However, the person waiting outside the door required his immediate attention. 
 
He could tell it was Angel. 
 
“[color=cyan]I-I’ll be right there.[/color]” -Sander stood up carefully, his movements were still awkward from an extended period of immobility. Spotting a folded set of clothes on the chair nearby, he quickly threw on a blue hospital shirt before walking toward the door and opening it. 
 
“[color=cyan]Hey.[/color]” -He greeted the young woman with a curt nod.

Judging by how unkempt his hair was and from his facial expression, Angélique could tell she probably woke the guy up. She kicked herself mentally for being such an idiot.

[color=9e0039]"Hello Sander. Sorry if I woke you up. I... just wanted to know if you were alright."[/color]

Sander wasn't a man of much words, that much she had learned from her previous interactions with him. Whether he was simply antisocial or just awkward, Angel felt like she shouldn't bother him for longer than she needed to.

“[color=cyan]It’s fine. I was just about to wake up anyway.[/color]” -Sander shrugged –“[color=cyan]…Can I help you with anything?[/color]”

Well, he didn’t quite pick up on the hint about her asking how he was feeling, but he seemed quite alright anyway. Not that she had any reason to worry about him though. He was a ‘walking juggernaut’, as Brent qualified him. Still, it was only right to make sure he was alright, no?
 
Nonetheless, now that he was asking, she just had to take him up on his offer. She didn’t simply come here to check on his superhuman well-being. There were questions she was meaning to ask him.
 
[color=9e0039]“Actually, yeah. Can I come inside?”[/color]
 
She preferred if their discussion was in private, away from prying ears. Hopefully Sander would pick that up

Sander blinked at the question, peering into the hallway behind Angel for a brief moment. But if she wanted to talk in his stuffy hospital room, he supposed he could oblige. 
 
“[color=cyan]Sure.[/color]” –With that said, he turned and walked inside, clearing off the spare chair in the corner so Angle would have somewhere to seat. As for him, Sander merely sat down on the bed.

 Angélique took gracefully the seat Sander cleared for her, giving him a small thanking nod as she sat down. She joined her hands together, her right leg shaking in anxiety. She had told herself she didn’t want to speak any more of the battle yesterday, but deep down she yearned to know the truth. At least, a possibility that could hold a small truth. Depending on what she would learn from Sander this evening, it could actually bring more questions to mind.
 
She cleared her throat, not because it was sore but more like out of nervousness. She really didn’t know how to start on the subject, and so stood silent for a moment.
 
[color=9e0039]“I… uh… heard you from my cuff’s speakers yesterday… about you having killed him.”[/color] She started slowly, working up the courage to outright ask him the question that burned inside her.
 
[color=9e0039]“Was Factory really a Mage? A human, like us?”[/color]

"[color=cyan] It's human inside, yes. [/color]" -Sander nodded. 

[color=9e0039]"Do you remember how he looked like"[/color] Angel pressed on

"[color=cyan]...It was...strange. Wrong. Very wrong.[/color]"

[color=9e0039]"Could you... elaborate? Please?"[/color] 

“[color=cyan]…I’m not sure?[/color]” -Sander only shrugged. He had already told Angel all he knew; her request was rather confusing. Why would she care about an enemy? There was an order to kill it, so he did. What else mattered? 
 
“[color=cyan]Why do you care? The missions was successful, wasn’t it?[/color]”

Looks like she was meeting some resistance. It would be a lie to think she didn’t expect it. Still, if if it meant being an annoyance, she was willing to look bad to Sander’s eyes if it meant coaxing out a truth she was desperately trying to know.
 
[color=9e0039] “Yeah… it was, despite the casualties…”[/color] Angel admitted. [color=9e0039] “I just… I want to confirm something that had been bothering me about this whole mission.”[/color]
 
Her tired naked eyes grew more intense, the burning desire to tell him what was on her mind only became stronger. But she had to keep it for herself. IT was her burden to know. She vowed to herself to find the truth. For Aaron’s sake.
 
[quote]
[color=9e0039][i]"Trust me. I'm going to figure out what happened, without your help. Thanks for nothing, sir."[/i][/color]
[/quote]
 
She remembered the vow she took upon her shoulders when she spat these words to Fredric, on the morning Aaron had disappeared.
 
She was tired of beating around the bushes, aimlessly getting nowhere with someone as dense as Sander. Taking her phone out of the remaining pocket of her ruined jeans, Angel browsed through many layers of hidden files and scrolled down to a name. She opened the file, a black and white picture of someone popping out on the screen.
 
The black-haired young woman practically shoved the phone in front of Sander’s eyes, revealing to him the very same picture of Aaron that was originating from her profile sheets.
 
[color=9e0039] “Did he remotely looked like him?” [/color]

Sander squinted at the picture, trying to link the teenager's features to whatever he could pull from his tattered memories. However, nothing really matched. The fine details escaped him, and to be honest, he hadn't really noticed in the first place. -"[color=cyan]Sorry. I don't know.[/color]"

"[color=cyan]Who's that?[/color]" 

Angel’s heart sank when she heard his answer. She didn’t know whether Sander didn’t bother remembering or if the truth she was trying to get was elsewhere. Still, it somewhat hurt nonetheless. Perhaps she should rejoice that it wasn’t Aaron they faced in Wisford. Maybe there was still hope he was somewhere out there alive.
 
[color=9e0039]“He… was a classmate of ours. A member of my team during our first battle. A friend to me.”[/color] Angel answered, looking defeated. She stood silent for another moment, dropping the phone onto the bed.
 
[color=9e0039]“I’m sorry if I’m being a bother. I just... wanted to confirm if it really was him masquerading as Factory, or even as Aaron, for all that it matters. He disappeared just before our first day of classes. He was a clockwork summoner, but I never got to see his ability myself. He never did get to summon his creatures in our first fight. Or didn’t want to. I don’t know anymore…”[/color]

“[color=cyan]Why would a classmate of ours [i]masquerade[/i] as a monster?[/color]” -Sander was thoroughly confused now. Had he really missed that much details?

[color=9e0039]"Beats me. Why and how did Aaron disappear from a place that is known for its tight security? Just look at the fucking cuff on our ankles. They threaten us to zap the shit out of us if we stray from the line. And everyone at the institute refused to answer my questions? Hell, I know Fredric was hiding something from me when I straight up asked him."[/color] Angélique let out an exasperated sigh. The whole situation was a complete mess in her head. She was seeing links that may not even make sense from her obsessive quest of finding the whereabouts of her would-be 'friend'.

[color=9e0039]"I have just no idea where else to turn to. When I heard Factory was making clockwork creatures, I just... thought of Aaron. It's been a week since I haven't heard anything about him. And USARILN pretends nothing happened about him." [/color]

The young woman lifted her defeated black-circled eyes towards Sander [color=9e0039]"You were really the only hope I could trust to know if my suspicions were correct. Ethan confirmed Factory's death too... but I feel like he'll just repeat what the rest of the Institute's staff told me. I just don't trust anyone outside our class anymore..."[/color]

“[color=cyan]Sorry.[/color]” -Sander repeated, unsure what to do with the hope this stranger had banked on him. Angel wasn’t really a stranger, though. She was a…classmate? He wasn’t sure what that really meant, but for some reason, she trusted him because of that? Sander couldn’t be more confused –“[color=cyan]I…can’t really help you with any of that.[/color]” -However, she had been nothing but nice, so he supposed he would try to return the favor. 
 
“[color=cyan]Maybe you can…talk to someone else? Ethan?[/color]”  

Angel found herself confused by Sander’s advice. Didn’t she just told him she wasn’t trusting Ethan to tell her the truth about Aaron? Maybe he is so sleepy he’s just half-listening to what she was saying. It made her mad a bit to think of that possibility, but she was the one at fault. It was her mistake to place her faith into someone for something that probably wasn’t what she was looking for. If he didn’t know anything, then what else could she do about it? There really was no reason to not believe Sander. He was a classmate and she doubted they had any trusting issues between the two of them.
 
[color=9e0039]“Like I said, I don’t trust him. I feel like he is too close to the higher authority.”[/color]
 
The Aberration girl sighed once more. She was getting nowhere with this discussion. Sander clearly knew nothing about Aaron, and it seemed like her missing friend wasn’t Factory after all. No need to extend her stay here and bother Sander about it more than she already did.
 
[color=9e0039]“Anyway… I’m sorry if I’ve been bothering you about my personal obsession. I just needed to talk to someone about it. Get this thing out of my chest.”[/color] Angel took the phone she dropped on Sander’s bed and slowly got up, heading for the door. 
 
[color=9e0039]“Good night, Sander. If you happen to see Christmas, thank him on my behalf, for bringing everyone back into shape again.”[/color]

“[color=cyan]Good night. I will.[/color]” -Sander nodded, watching Angel’s retreating back –“[color=cyan]I hope someone can give you a better answers for…whatever you’re looking for.[/color]” 

[color=9e0039]Yeah... me too..."[/color] Angel solemnly replied before opening the door and leaving, returning to her room and return to her own bed for the rest of the night.
[/hider]