[Hider=Seren][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/KRURxYv.jpg[/IMG][/hider][I]'Maybe this was the right call after all.'[/I] Seren suppressed the small smile that quivered on their lips when Raphael didn't immediately proceed to shove them out of his way. They followed behind the boy with the tingling stirrings of pride worming into their chest. While it definitely shouldn't be --and spoke a lot about Seren's social background-- this was a small win for them. Seren sort of, kind of, in a way asserted themself, and it didn't backfire. That's not to imply Seren's never raise their voice before, or that they'd ever been made to feel their opinion wasn't valued at home, but quite the opposite. Long before [b]he[/b] entered their life and soul, their family always doted on their every word. As if Seren was made of glass, and so they all watched out so their voices didn't shatter the fragile child. To be fair, Seren was and still is, emotionally raw from all of the confusion and hurt from their night-terrors, but their family's [I]coddling-but-not-coddling[/I] response taught Seren early on that their words meant something. That all it took was the wrong kind of phrasing in response to a simple question like [I]"How are you?"[/I] to spoil someone's mood, and they'd never say anything about it either; just be silently upset. It'd be silently all their fault. Needless to say, this contributed to Seren's social anxieties, so they'd still half-expected a shove despite what they learned from the dream.  They'd definitely received worse with less warni-

[Color=gold]”... Your name."[/color]
Alertness drew into Seren's yellow orbs which had previously been occupied with watching [I]The Academy[/I] grow bigger as the two approached the monolith of polished stone. [I]'He's actually talking to me first? And it's not to tell me to buzz off?'[/I] It wasn't a question, but Raphael continued, [Color=gold]"if you’re going to follow me around like a flea, then I at least should know your name..."[/color] The "flea" comment wasn't unnoticed, but Seren brushed that off before it even touched them. Armani was always snide and sassy in the morning anyway, so Seren had a resistance. What stuck out for Seren was when Raphael continued his previous sentence.

[Color=gold]”... Er. Just call me Raph, I guess.”[/color] With the volunteering of Raphael's nickname Seren allowed themself their small smile from earlier. For someone whose only friends were their siblings, this was especially a big turn around from when the fae was staring daggers at them just moments ago. It didn't take much to please Seren, and it showed.  It was sort of, kind of, in a way like he was opening up already?  [I]'Maybe his edges weren't so rough after all.'[/I] Like he was trying? A self-conscious voice in the forefront of their mind told Seren that it didn't mean anything, and that they shouldn't be smiling over something so simple. That they should just be normal. Smooth about it. Naturally Seren gave into that voice by wiping the expression off their face, but Seren still took it as a good sign. Everything didn't always have to be so bad. Sometimes you just enter a guy's tormented childhood through his dreams, and everything turned out alright. Right? This was a new school, a new year, and new things abounded around every corner brimming with possibility. New things like getting to hike for the first time; like introducing yourself to someone for the first time.

[Color=FAD7A0]"I-"[/color] Suddenly Seren felt . . . [b]off[/b]. They wanted to attribute it to their nerves, but it felt like somet-

[h1][Color=red]REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE![/color][/h1]

Seren's mouth hung open. Feet stuck to where they stood. The [b]off[/b] feeling deepened. Without a second more to think about it a geyser of smile catapulted towards the entrance the two were approaching like a predator pouncing on its prey. Path blocked. Caught outside. Eyes wide. Mouth dry. [I]' . . . o-okay, u-uh . . .'[/I] Even their thoughts stut- 

Roar: unearthly. Feeling: [b]off[/b]. Fists: balled. Spirits: incoming. Thoughts: [b]dark.[/b]

[I]'Maybe this wasn't the right call after all.'[/I]