[center]
[h1]Helicopter Highlight[/h1]

 [img]http://i.imgur.com/EqVwCQa.png[/img]  [img]http://i.imgur.com/Sphdpir.png[/img]

[h2][color ff57ff]Siena[/color] | [color a2d9ce]Callan[/color][/h2]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/3R5vYYi.png?2[/img] [hr][color=silver]𝕎𝕖𝕕: 𝕆𝕔𝕥. 𝟟, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘   / /   ℕ𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕙 ℂ𝕒𝕣𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕒   / /   𝕊𝕠𝕦𝕥𝕙𝕡𝕠𝕣𝕥   / /  ~𝟘𝟞𝟛𝟘[/color][hr]
[sub]Collab with [@PapiTan] & [@Baklava][/sub][/center]

The sound of the outside world passing by and of steady rhythm of the helicopter's blades were muffled from their place in the transport. Siena didn't bother trying to distract herself by listening more intently to the white noise when her head was already filled with too much of it. Distance, intensity, too much and too little, but everything circled back to regret. So much that it overflowed, filling narrow chasms, overwhelming everything once Siena had managed, to some degree, to pull herself apart from what Victor left behind--no, from what he took away. 

Her eyes had been dutifully turned away from Emma, memories of their conversation before Wisford coming to surface. Siena wondered, briefly, why she had admit at all what it cost her to use the names most familiar to her then. Hope that someone would understand? No...she knew that was far from what she had wanted. The Arbiter stared at the thin crack on her phone's screen, amazed that through the hell it had gone through, the crack starting to split and spread was the worst that had happened. 

[i]'[color=ff57ff]A phone is more durable than I am. How pathetic.[/color]'[/i] 

But that too was a distraction, wasn't it? 

Quietly, Siena raised her gaze, glanced at the girl beside her, and felt something that might have been a mixture of guilt and remorse start to build as two distinct mindsets waged war against each other. The first reasoned out that while it had been a failure, using Vale's ability had been a necessary attempt to keep Cal from charging in headfirst, the second shot back that even if it had been necessary, it was still...wrong? Not quite the word. Cruel. That was more appropriate. It didn't take long for a clear victor to be decided. Softly, Siena released a breath she failed to realize she'd been holding. 

"[color=ff57ff]Callan...?[/color]" The name came tentative, and it was all that Siena could do not to drown in the image of her roommate refusing to acknowledge her. Harder still to try and control herself at the idea of having trampled another relationship because it was the logical thing to do. A cold voice mocked her for the sentiment--still so attached. Stupid of her, really.

Too late. Callan sat back in her seat, looking outside the window with lips pressed against the back of her knuckles. Her brow furrowed but her eyes glazed over, lost in thought. Why did it always seem like there wasn't enough time? Her gaze went in and out of focus, every so often beginning to sweep over the damaged island landscape below, as if some miracle might draw her attention somewhere important. She couldn't save anyone. Again. They never got a chance to look for Angelique. That Gregory kid was dead. She couldn't even help those staff members who tried to protect them. They were [i]right there[/i]. What... what was the problem? Why couldn't she do this? 

A familiar voice saying her name quickly pulled her from directionless thoughts. Callan lowered her hand and turned to look at Siena, memories immediately resurfacing. He expression shifted into something more guarded, though she was somewhat surprised to find that she wasn't very upset at her. What was a weird tickle in the arm compared to melting teammates and murdering defenseless civilians anyway? 

"[color a2d9ce]Yeah?[/color]" she replied, keeping her tone casual while looking away.

Somewhere, Siena felt a twinge of relief. At least the worst of the scenarios hadn't become a reality. Grey eyes swept over Callan again before quickly averting their gaze to her hands. It took most of the brunette's efforts not to start pulling at her hair, her efforts instead focused on her fingers twisting and pinching the skin of her hands. Nervous energy, she'd once heard Maya call it, but Siena wasn't certain that was the best way to describe it. Pain was just...easier to understand than trying to push through a thousand thoughts of anxiety-generated images. 

"[color=ff57ff]...it's probably not worth much, but I'm...sorry. For earlier.[/color]" Words that were at least moderately honest. She [i]was[/i] sorry, but if the situation presented itself again, Siena had little to no doubt that she would have taken the same course of action. "[color=ff57ff]There were probably more politic ways to handle the situation.[/color]"

Callan immediately scoffed, "[color a2d9ce]It's fine. Siena. I was just....[/color]" The frustration was so overwhelming. She of course didn't like it when her teammates used their abilities on each other, but-- [i]Why couldn't she do this?[/i] 

[color 662d91][i]"Tell me Callan, do you feel like a hero?"[/i][/color]

The corner of her mouth twitched for a moment, deciding between a frown and a smile while hidden behind her hand as she lightly scratched her cheek. Finally, she grinned, forcing half a laugh for good measure. "[color a2d9ce]You were just trying to keep everybody safe,[/color]" she said, her voice noticably more chipper. Things will get better. Just focus. [i]Focus.[/i] "[color a2d9ce]Didn't really matter in the end anyway,[/color]" she chuckled, tone slightly faltering. It was impossible for the somber meaning behind the words to be entirely hidden within the open book that was Callan. But she tried anyway. Trying in vain. The theme of her existence, it seemed. 

There was only a moment's pause before she added, "[color a2d9ce]I'd rather we just forget about the whole thing.[/color]" 

For Siena, raised around people that were experts at hiding their intentions, it was harder to ignore the thinly veiled sentiments. Harder still when she was still feeling, still [i]reeling[/i] from the events that had transpired, but she quieted the cold, rational voice that demanded [i]more[/i], choosing to heed the quiet whisper that told her accept it at face value, even if she knew it was a mistake. 

It might have shown in the weak attempt of a smile that Siena returned to her roommate. Still hollow, still tired. A near flawless imitation of what she was trying for, if one didn't notice exactly how stilted it was. Trying to ease the action did nothing to make it feel more natural, and the faintest traces of fear fluttered into her stomach. Had she gone too far there too? 

"[color=ff57ff]If...if that's what you'd prefer, then I won't bring it up again.[/color]" But she knew she wouldn't forget it. Siena held back the torrent, kept in check the fact that the night's events, the mistakes she made, the things she [i]should have done[/i] wouldn't stop their infinite loop until something else forced it out. Pale digits twisted the skin on her hand until it flared red before letting go again, the sharp sting doing little to ground the bookworm in the moment. "[color=ff57ff]But...for what it's worth I--[/color]" A thousand ways to finish the sentence came to mind, but Siena didn't have an answer to which one was the [i]correct[/i] way. "[color=ff57ff]--think you were trying to do the right thing. I admire that.[/color]"

Because Siena knew she never would.

Siena's fidgeting didn't go unnoticed by Callan, recalling her roommate's nervous mannerisms from before. She'd almost forgotten, yet it was still familiar enough not to phase her. A look of surprise crossed Callan's face at Siena's final remark. A second passed before her expression began to form, muscles moving involuntarily. She smiled and it was nauseatingly genuine the way she felt her eyebrows knit together and the slightest trace of moisture made her amethyst eyes twinkle for just a moment before she ultimately laughed at herself. "[color a2d9ce]Thanks,[/color]" Callan looked back down at her soggy tennis shoes, trying to force the smile off her face before her cheeks inevitably cramped, "[color a2d9ce]I really needed to hear that.[/color]"

The smile that broke across Callan's face was...relieving, somehow. No, it wasn't a matter of [i]somehow[/i], Siena knew why it was. A dark, bitter part of the girl reminded her that this was all she was good for, but it didn't manage to surface for long. The Arbiter quickly pushed the ominous thought aside, allowing herself to widen her smile. Still felt hollow, but surely she could explain that as exhaustion. It was more important that she take in the moment. It was probably the first thing she'd done right since surrendering herself.

In the wake of everything that had happened, Siena felt almost selfish for taking some amount of pleasure from a genuine smile. Even if she couldn't return the breadth of the gesture, Siena did her best to provide one that didn't feel quite so worn. 

"[color=ff57ff]Then it was worth saying.[/color]"