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[hr][hr][center][color=a2d9ce]𝕋𝕙: 𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟙𝟟, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘   / /   𝕎𝕒𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕥𝕠𝕟, 𝔻.ℂ.   / /   ℍ𝕪𝕒𝕥𝕥 ℝ𝕖𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕪 ℍ𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕝   / /  ~𝟘𝟡𝟘𝟘 [/color][/center][hr][hr]

The exuberant limo ride through D.C. revived a storm of emotions. From her seat positioned as far away from Zoe as she could possibly get, Callan kept her head down as she quietly stuck her headphones in and stared out the window. As hungry as she was that morning, she couldn't bring herself to touch the array of snacks in the car. She found herself wondering if Savannah would have enjoyed this, but quickly abandoned that train of thought, trying to stay focused on keeping her mind off of less pleasant topics.

Entering the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Callan was in awe. She almost failed to notice the uncomfortable guests, only remembering to close her mouth and try to stay near the center of their group when the sound of Marcus's voice drew her attention towards the lobby television. She'd seen the interview when it first aired the other day. After quickly remedying her decision to stay with Kusari, Callan had found herself a room to stay in by herself and fallen asleep after several hours of watching the local news. Normally the news wasn't something she bothered herself with-- especially when she was trying to zone out after a bad day-- but, while flipping through channels, she caught a glimpse of Brent spouting some nonsense to an anchorwoman and couldn't bring herself to look away.

She hadn't brought it up with Marcus yet. She wasn't really sure if she even wanted to. Recalling that moment of suspense she felt as the lady asked Marcus all the questions she'd been wondering about, Callan felt a familiar pang of guilt. It was seriously none of her business, but that didn't make her want to know any less. It was undeniably hypocritical of her to think so, but she wished she could help him with whatever he was going through. After that interview, however, it was clear she wasn't the only one with sympathy. 

Not here, though.

Hearing the general's warnings about the citizens of D.C., Callan solemnly glanced out a distant window at the city below. She'd always thought it would be cool to visit the capital... but with all the reporters creeping around and the animosity she was sure to face, leaving the hotel was definitely out of the question. If only it'd been under different circumstances. She sighed and approached the window when the general finally left, vagualy aware of someone pounding on the piano in the other room. Savannah definitely would've enjoyed this. The view was stunning. Everything about these accomodations was stunning, as a matter of fact. 

Even as she explored the numerous buttons and features of her room, however, she couldn't subdue the nagging feeling in the back of her head that wanted to know why they were here. Why weren't they back at USARILN? Why the capital? Why this fancy hotel? She figured it'd be nice if the director was trying to get them recognized as heroes or something. Perhaps that's why they'd been organized into a unit? When Lawrence turned out to be her roommate, it took all her conscious willpower to keep the questions festering inside her at bay. That wasn't a topic she was going to breach again anytime soon. 

In any case, it was a presumptious assumption. She definitely didn't deserve that sort of recognition. 

Not yet. 

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[h1]Revelation[/h1]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/fwTScNE.jpg[/img] [img]http://i65.tinypic.com/28hztyw.jpg[/img]

[h2][color a2d9ce]Callan[/color] | [color cyan]Sander[/color][/h2]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/3R5vYYi.png?2[/img] 
[color=silver]𝕊𝕒𝕥: 𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟙𝟡, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘   / /   𝕎𝕒𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕥𝕠𝕟, 𝔻.ℂ.   / /   ℍ𝕪𝕒𝕥𝕥 ℝ𝕖𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕪 ℍ𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕝    / /  ~~𝟙𝟘𝟘𝟘[/color]
[sub]Collab with [@RedDusk] [@Baklava][/sub][/center]


Wandering the halls, Callan was careful to avoid any unfamiliar faces. She knew just as well as anyone how effective a quick picture on one's phone could spread compared to the news. And though most of these people seemed more intent on avoiding her than chancing a picture, she didn't want to risk anything and had thus tucked her mane of aquamarine curls beneath her hood. Rounding one corner, Callan spotted a familiar face and immediately came to the realization that she'd nearly forgotten something important.

"[color=a2d9ce]Sander![/color]" Callan approached, trying to set aside the feelings of guilt that prickled at the back of her mind. She'd been so swept up in everything else, she hadn't made the time to thank Sander-- or even see if he was alright. A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as she waved.

Sander turned around, only noticing the familiar scent of fizzy drink just then. He hadn't really seen her since the battle in Wisford. They put her in the same hospital, he vaguely recalled. However, he was far too occupied with Christmas, since the blond boy was the only person still had to keep his injuries. 

That sparked a bit of guilt in the pit of his stomach, which he tried to ignore. 

"[color cyan]Hey Cal. How are you?[/color]"

"[color=a2d9ce]Heh,[/color]" she half laughed, looking away, "[color=a2d9ce]I was just about to ask you that. I'm fine. Thanks to you, I think. You shielded me from that huge laser back in Wisford, didn't you?[/color]"

"[color cyan]Huh? Uh. Yeah.[/color]"

Her smile brightened as she looked back to him, "[color=a2d9ce]Have you always been able to do that?[/color]"

"[color cyan]...Not until recently.[/color]" -Sander was suddenly on his guard as soon as the topic about power came up, but he relaxed soon after. Afterall, Callan did fight by his side. She would see everything, eventually. He would still prefer later than now, though. 

"[color=a2d9ce]That's awesome,[/color]" Callan grinned. A stray thought crossed her mind, then. Casting shields on people. She wished she could do that. Maybe then.... She quickly pushed a strand of hair back into her hood to hide the moment of regret as it passed through her expression. With a short nod, Callan motioned towards the direction she'd seen Sander walking before. "[color=a2d9ce]You getting food?[/color]" she asked.

"[color cyan]Yeah.[/color]" -Sander wasn't sure how to reply to the compliment, so he just stuck to answer Callan's question. 

Another nod. "[color=a2d9ce]Right on,[/color]" Callan shoved her hands into her pockets. There was more she wanted to talk to Sander about, she realized. "[color=a2d9ce]Mind if I come with?[/color]"

Seeing as he had no reason to deny her, Sander nodded -"[color cyan]Sure.[/color]"

They made their way to the buffet floor afterward. The reactions from the regulars were nothing out of the ordinary: many stood up and left, while the braver ones quickly moved to seats as far from the subnatural freaks as possible. Sander kept his head down for most of time, only focusing on picking out what he wanted to eat. Which wasn't much, despite the elaborated display of culinary excellence in front of them. 

Callan did her best to ignore the looks they recieved as the people scurried away from them, but it was clear she was bothered by it. Nonetheless, she said nothing, filling up a two plates of food of her own as she focused on the many options. 

"[color=a2d9ce]Hey, so...[/color]" Callan began as they sat down, "[color=a2d9ce]Uh. I wanted to say sorry for not helping out as much as I could have back there. In Wisford.[/color]" She poked at her food for a moment before meeting his eyes, "[color=a2d9ce]I mean. You took care of Factory like it was nothing.[/color]"

"[color cyan]It's...alright. It was my mission.[/color]"

Callan paused midbite, turning her head to the side with a look of genuine confusion. "[color=a2d9ce]Uhm," she swallowed, "[color=a2d9ce]It was [i]our[/i] mission. We were supposed to take it down together....[/color]"

"[color cyan]Hmm?[/color]" -Sander took a small bite of his sandwich, just as he tried to recall the details regarding the mission. Not much came back, though. The clearest fragment he could remember was Kardos' order to 'kill the mages'. So that was what he did. -"[color cyan]I think the order was to take it down. And it was down. So that's that.[/color]"

Callan smiled awkwardly, leaning back in her seat. He didn't seem to understand what she was trying to say, but she let it go. "[color=a2d9ce]Yeah. You did a good job,[/color]" she nodded, "[color=a2d9ce]A whole lot better than I did anyway. I had no idea what the hell I was doing. But you-- how long did you say you've been a mage again?[/color]" 

The familiar question gave Sander pause. It was the same one Cal asked when they first talked. Apparently she hadn't let it go yet. But Sander thought she deserved the truth, anyway.

"[color cyan]It has been a long time...Five years.[/color]"

Callan gawked, "[color=a2d9ce]Five years?[/color]" She sheepishly scratched her neck, having genuinely forgotten the vague answer Sander had given the last time she asked, "[color=a2d9ce]For some reason I thought it was a lot shorter than that. Uh-- wow. Well. That explains a lot actually.[/color]" She chuckled good-naturedly.

"[color cyan]Huh? Explain what?[/color]"

She laughed again, though a hint of nervousness bled into the sound as she realized all at once that she should try and tread lightly here. Sander seemed to be more of an experienced fighter than she was, but there was still the issue of her control. Suddenly she felt rather silly for contradicting him so many times. 

"[color=a2d9ce]Well... I had no idea what I was doing back at Wisford, but you seemed to know exactly what to do. You took out Factory... and that mage. You got me out of that helicopter mess.[/color]" She paused, watching Sander's face carefully, "[color=a2d9ce]Has... has it been hard?[/color]"

"[color cyan] I didn't do anything. My power did.[/color]" -Sander only shrugged, keeping his eyes on his almost empty plate -"[color cyan]What's hard, exactly?[/color]"

"[color=a2d9ce]Being a mage... for that long. I mean--[/color]" she shifted nervously in her seat, "[color=a2d9ce]Does it get any easier?[/color]" 

Sander was quiet for a time, his gaze seemingly glued to the table. Eventually though, he spoke up, but still refused to lift his eyes -"[color cyan]...We are different. But--[/color]" -He finally looked at Callan then, a forced smile on his lips -"[color cyan]I think it will get better for you.[/color]"

Her eyes flickered to Sander's mark. She thought of Zoe, Emma, and Ernie. Three aberrations she knew and yet had very different feelings about. Her mouth twisted into a humourless smile, "[color=a2d9ce]That can't be right. I'm sure things will get better for you, too.[/color]" She turned her attention towards a nearby window as she ended her sentence. There it was again. She kept contradicting him. He'd been a mage for so much longer. He probably knew better than anyone, right? 

"[color=a2d9ce]Sorry,[/color]" she muttered quickly, "[color=a2d9ce]I, uh. I guess I just don't really want to believe that they won't... it's too sad.[/color]"

"[color cyan]It's fine. I don't really mind.[/color]" -Sander brushed it off. [i]Because he deserved it[/i], the Stigma whispered, [i]This, and more[/i]. He wanted to disagree, because he had got better control of his power. Then again, that still didn't change the past. Didn't change the wrong choices he made. Couldn't change it. He wasn't sure the control could help him to make the right choices in the future. 

Callan frowned, clearly unconvinced as her fork remained still. She gave Sander a hard stare as she sighed, leaning further back as she took a quick sip from her drink. "[color=a2d9ce]So... you haven't been at USARILN this whole time, have you?[/color]" Suddenly remembering the friction between Sander and Ernie at the lunch table earlier that week, she added, "[color=a2d9ce]Or were you transferred from West?[/color]"

"[color cyan]No. I...uh...was at somewhere else.[/color]" -Sander edged around the topic, obviously trying to keep the focus away from him -"[color cyan]Weren't you?[/color]"

She immediately furrowed her brow. Narrowing her eyes as she thought more on his response than his question, Callan bit into a steamed carrot slowly. Maybe he hadn't understood her question? "[color=a2d9ce]I grew up in Atlanta," her eyes sparked as if she'd suddenly solved something, "[color=a2d9ce]Oh-- you were in hiding before you came here.[/color]"

"[color cyan]Huh? No. I wasn't in hiding.[/color]" -Sander was mildly surprised to find out that Callan wasn't transferred from another facility. Then again, it made sense. She was so much different from him.

Her shoulders drooped with visible dissappointment. "[color=a2d9ce]What?[/color]" she scratched her head, "[color=a2d9ce]Then... where were you for 5 years?[/color]"

"[color cyan]...Another place.[/color]"

Callan stared for a moment, her expression gradually softening. Oops. "[color=a2d9ce]Oh... Sorry. I wasn't trying to be nosy. You don't have to tell me if you don't want. We can talk about something else?[/color]" She nervously turned the fork over between her two fingers.

"[color cyan]Sure.[/color]" -Sander was grateful for an opportunity to talk about anything but that topic, so he agreed easily -"[color cyan]What do you want to talk about?[/color]"

"[color=a2d9ce]Uhm,[/color]" she set her glass down. She wasn't sure why she'd hoped Sander would be the one to pick a topic. She probably should've known better by now. "[color=a2d9ce]Well... how's Christmas doing? I, uh. I saw him on the news and in the car ride over, but I haven't really talked to him.[/color]" A tiny phone number scrawled on the corner of a piece of paper came to mind and she smiled a little. Thinking back on that odd little moment, it made her feel a little sad for some reason. 

"[color cyan]He's well.[/color]" -Sander blinked, the mention of his roommate brought back a whole host of memories from last night, and without volition, he pressed a hand against his lips -"[color cyan]Yeah...Well.[/color]" 

"[color=a2d9ce]Ah... that's... good,[/color]" Cal tried hard to maintain her smile. There was definitely something off about the way Sander had said that, but she'd never been great at deciphering things like this. [i]People[/i] like this. Could she even say that? Had she ever really [i]met[/i] anyone like Sander? She occupied herself with another bite of food as the conversational stalemate settled between them. 

"[color cyan]So...How have you been doing?[/color]" -Sander waited for a moment for the silence to settle, then broke it -"[color cyan]Weren't you hurt in that last fight?[/color]"

"[color=a2d9ce]Hm?[/color]" she blinked back at Sander, the question catching her a little off guard, "[color=a2d9ce]Oh, I've been fine... I got a little... messed up. Yeah. But our healers fixed me up.[/color]" Her fist clenched involuntarily at the grim reminder. Zoe was a topic she'd rather not get into again. She got the feeling Sander might tell her Zoe was only going to get worse and she didn't really want to consider that. She much preferred Ernie and Emma's explaination. Made her feel a little less scared, knowing she'd eventually be expected to fight with her again. Just a little....

"[color cyan]You still don't look very...fine[/color]" -Sander observed, genuienly concerned -"[color cyan]Does the pain linger or anything?[/color]"

"[color=a2d9ce]No, no. Not at all,[/color]" Callan shook her head, lowering her hood for a moment to brush her hair back. She smiled, appreciative of the concern, but hesitent to continue with the topic of her being 'fine'. "[color=a2d9ce]Uh... I guess I'm still a little... I mean. That young girl, Savannah. She died out there. Along with a bunch of other people... you know?[/color]" She stared down at her plate, feeling that heavy feeling in her chest again.

"[color cyan]I noticed...I think.[/color]" -Memories of the entire battle were hazy at best for him, but he distinctively remembered the overpowering scent of blood everywhere he went. Casualty must have been high -"[color cyan]Does that...bother you?[/color]"

"[color=a2d9ce]...Doesn't it bother you?[/color]" she asked, lifting her eyes from the table and locking them on Sander for a moment. 

"[color cyan]It should.[/color]" -Sander returned the eye contact with a sombre gaze of his own.

Something about his response reminded her of the conversation she'd had with Zoe. "[color=a2d9ce]Well,[/color]" she brought her glass to her lips, hiding a humorless smile, "[color=a2d9ce]Maybe in 5 years it won't bother me either....[/color]" 

Sander blinked, shaking his head immediately -"[color cyan]That's not how it works, Cal. I think...you're different from me. You won't be like me.[/color]"

Callan lowered her glass before she got a chance to drink, confused and somewhat alarmed by Sander's response, "[color=a2d9ce]What? Why?[/color]" She paused. "[color=a2d9ce]Because I'm an arbiter?[/color]"

"[color cyan]One of the reasons.[/color]"

It was times like these that Callan truly appreciated Sander's ability to elaborate. When it was clear he wasn't going to say anything more, Callan sighed through her nose before taking a long sip from her drink. 

"[color=a2d9ce]Honestly... I don't care if it bothers me or not,[/color]" she said, setting down the glass, "[color=a2d9ce]I just want to prevent it from happening at all.[/color]"

"[color cyan]You don't want people to die? Is that so?[/color]" -Sander put the his half eaten sandwich, clearly didn't have any intention of finishing his meal -"[color cyan]Who, exactly?[/color]"

"[color=a2d9ce]Who?[/color]" she furrowed her brow, feeling slightly frustrated though she couldn't quite figure out why, "[color=a2d9ce]Nobody. I don't want anyone to die.[/color]" 

"[color cyan]That's...harder.[/color]"

"[color=a2d9ce]... I know.[/color]" 

"[color cyan]Sorry. I can't help you with that.[/color]" -His Stigma helpfully told him why, and Sander tried his best to ignore it -"[color cyan]I want to but...I can't.[/color]"

"[color=a2d9ce]Heh,[/color]" Callan shook her head, "[color=a2d9ce]That's okay. It's... kind of an unrealistic goal.[/color]" But she still had to try. Her expression was somber for only but a moment before she forced a more optimisic smile into place. "[color=a2d9ce]You can help me out with more sparring matches, though,[/color]" she chimed.

"[color cyan]Sure.[/color]" -Sander nodded, because he could at least do that -"[color cyan]Whenever you want.[/color]"

Callan smiled. A sudden, unmistakable white flash of light from across the room kept her from responding, however. Turning her head sharply, Callan's eyes widened as she spotted a man sitting at a distant table with his phone pointed in their direction. Obviously he must've forgotten to disable the flash as his face paled and he scrambling to hide his phone as soon as Callan saw him. 

"[color=a2d9ce]Uh,[/color]" Callan threw her hood back over her hair and stood up, "[color=a2d9ce]Th-think I might finish eating back in my room. But yeah. When we get back. Sparring match-- you and me.[/color]"

Clearly uncomfortable as her mind raced, wondering if that man had managed to catch her face in that photograph (as if her hair weren't enough), she picked up her remaining plate of food and left quickly. 

Sander frowned, noticing the flash just then. However, his attention quickly snapped back to Callan, and as she made her exit, he waved after her with a soft 'Goodbye', before taking his leave as well.