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[b][code]Grand Ridge Academy - Outside.[/code][/b]
[hider=Interactions.][@Atrophy][/hider][hr]

[i]This was bigger than him and Hagan.[/i]
That was the obvious thing. There was no way in hell that he and Hagan had just been hand selected for this. He might have believed that this could be a two person affliction if it was Hagan and [i]anyone else[/i]. Martin wasn't special, so this was likely something that had affected multiple people. It wasn't even self deprecation that made him think this. It was just logical.

Hagan was strong and he was built to survive, if some mystical force were picking individuals to represent it then he'd be an [i]obvious[/i] choice. Martin was small and he did reckless, idiotic things, he wasn't built to survive. If some mystical force were picking individuals to represent it, he would [i]not[/i] be a considered selection. [i]No[/i], this had to be something bigger than the both of them.

[i]What was it?[/i]
Markings and shared dreams were weird. There weren't many ways to explain those things. He had been terrified when he'd seen that monster with the axe but he'd tried to rationalize it. There was no rationalizations left in him. He needed to start thinking illogically. What was about as [i]illogical[/i] as he could get? He certainly didn't think that he and Hagan had shared some kind of premonition.

[i]What about the markings?[/i]
A mighty shield and a wispy spiral. They were vastly different, there had to be a reason for that. There were a lot of possibilities here. If the marks had been the same then he might have assumed that maybe it was all one common direction. They weren't though, the difference meant that it was a diverging path. [i]Where[/i] was it diverging and [i]why?[/i] [i]What could these marks mean?[/i]

These questions were running in circles, chasing their own tails. It was frustrating because it was so odd. This wasn't just something that he could work out by thinking it through. This was something that he'd never dealt with before. He liked mysteries and this was a pretty grand one but he wasn't sure that he'd be able to work it out on his own. 

He was going to find Rita first.
He had neglected to visit her enough as it was and she wasn't allowed to avoid him forever. He let his gaze trail over the students who speckled the yard, they were chattering mostly or standing around waiting for instruction. He pulled his collar snugly to hide his neck. He could see a small group dispersing near the stairway but didn't pay it any mind. 

He had to find- his phone let out an almost obnoxious chirping noise. He pulled it free and almost started thanking the screen when he saw her name. He was just glad that he wasn't going to have to ask around like an idiot. He typed up a response quickly with a glide of his thumb. 

[quote=Martin][b]To: Rita.[/b]

[i][color=c4df9b]You read my mind. 
I'll be there ASAP. I've missed you, chickadee.[/color][/i]
[/quote]

And he had, he'd missed her a lot. She was the only person that he'd ever really clicked with and he would be lying if he said that her absence hadn't scared him a little. He didn't want to lose his best friend, she was far too important to him. He booked a taxi on his phone, because all be dammed if he [i]walked[/i] to Sucre. [i]He may not have a car but he had pride, dammit.[/i]

After catching his ride, he sat in the back of the cab and opened the note section on his phone. He quickly absorbed himself in tapping in his thoughts, if he cataloged this stuff enough then he might actually find an answer somehow. It also helped to keep him from over thinking this, it was a [i]lot[/i] to take in. He fully intended to ask Rita about it as soon as they talked for a bit. His first priority was to make sure that they were alright, his second priority was to enter the crazy zone.

[hider=Phone Note]
[i][sub][b]Markings & Meanings:[/b]
[b][color=c4df9b]Martin Cromwell[/color][/b] - Wispy spiral (Side of neck, nearly jaw) - Shadows, possibly, but what does that mean?
[b][color=darkorange]Hagan Rosefey[/color][/b] - Shield (Centered on the chest) - ???
[b]Rita Vorona[/b] - ???[/sub]

[sup]Will expand on list in light of new information. 
Check back with Hagan with the details, try not to piss anyone else off. Whatever is going on, it's not normal. Don't get comfortable. The marks have to mean something, it's just a matter of figuring out what.
I need to find out if Hagan is experiencing anything like my shadows. That might be a clue. Was too embarrassed to mention anything else. Going to Google some crap later about all of this.[/sup][/i][/hider]

When he finally got there, he self cautiously adjusted his hair in the reflection of his phone. He looked the same as he had when he'd left this morning. Drained, exhausted, and with a tattoo on his neck. He was almost dreading the thought of Rita pointing it out to him. That was going to be a conversation that he'd have to stall until they hashed out their feelings. 

Stepping out of the cab, the boy threw a wave at the driver as he pulled away. He headed inside, having probably only beaten her by a moment. He ordered black coffee, something that would wake him up a bit but wouldn't take too long to make. He chose a table near the window, happy to have the sunlight spilling over him. 

At least the little things were still normal. This coffee was still so bitter that each sip made him cringe and the sunlight still caused excessive floaters in his vision. [i]Normality[/i], it was a blessing.

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[b][code]Grand Ridge Academy - Outside.[/code][/b]
[hider=Interactions][@Surtr Inc] & [@Atrophy][/hider][hr]

As they walked outside and around the building, Aliana was left to turn through her thoughts. She didn't know what was going on but she knew that she was growing increasingly curious. She was both [i]dying to see[/i] what Lynette had to show them and also completely and utterly [i]frightened of it[/i]. Things like this weren't supposed to happen, the fact that they were was a little more than she could take.

Aliana was good at keeping at keeping it together, [i]usually[/i], but with the fucked up dreams and the insane events, she was cracking a little. When she'd envisioned hanging out with Lynette and Penny, it didn't involve exploding mirrors and being invisible. She couldn't stop touching her wrist, feeling the mark that her bracelets barely concealed. It was there and it had [i]glowed[/i]. Just like Lynette. Whatever was happening, at least she was in it with Lynette.

That should be comforting, if Lynette could keep it together through this then so could she. It was just [i]way beyond[/i] normal for her. She didn't know much about the paranormal or the extraordinary, she had never cared much for fantasy. She wasn't an escapist or idealist, she was a realist. None of this seemed real.

With her nails digging into her wrist, she watched as Lynette scrawled the symbol. It was strange to see it clearly now, she had only seen the bits of it in the shattered glass before. She watched intently as Lynette stepped away from it, she could feel her muscles tensing as she prepared for the inevitable explosion. 

She was caught off guard when a column of flame bursted out of it and she gasped sharply, scrambling back a bit further. "[color=8882be][i]Jesus-![/i][/color]"

Her eyes were wide and her gaze was fixated on the seared grass. Of course, she should have expected that it would be as volatile as the explosion. The fact that it had taken a moment had made her ease up in the false assumption that it might not happen at all. "[color=8882be]I think it's safe to say that we both saw that. Is this some kind of magic? I know that sounds stupid but I can't think of any other way to explain it.[/color]"

Of course, Penny was never one to be outdone. When she opted to show them her magic trick, Aliana could feel a sort of pleasant surprise. It was easier to face this with [i]all of them[/i] dealing with it. It made them into their own little club. A cluster of friends with weird ass powers. She almost liked it. 

She stepped a back a bit further, in case Penny displayed something frightening. The pens clattered into the wall and she watched with a kind of intrigue. Fire and some kind of tele-whatsit energy. There was a quickly growing mess behind the school and when Penny hit her with her inquiry, Aliana couldn't help but remember why this was so [i]weird[/i]. This shit didn't just happen.

"[color=8882be]You're not going to need to step back for this, I'm not sure if I can even repeat it.[/color]" she drew in a breath, counting down the moments that she held it before she released it.

The mark on her wrist illuminated, the color leaking through her bracelets. She could almost picture it, like some sort of blanket of invisibility. She let it fall over her, she let it fall over Lynette again. It was as if they'd never been there, not so much of a shadow was left behind in their absence. The empty space didn't last very long, she was too tired and her focus was too awry. 

They flickered back into sight, she exhaled again. "[color=8882be]Ta-da! I'm officially at bad magician level while you're both destructive forces of nature.[/color]"

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