[img]https://www.escape2.ie/cdn/macrosites/w%20hotel%20boston9675_201411260939361069.jpg[/img]

[b][u]January 13th, 10:18 AM
W Hotel, Boston[/u][/b]

[hider]

[color=orchid]”Ugh…”[/color] Karen groaned, rolling over in her bed.

She felt like hot garbage. Everything ached. Everything was stiff. That was still an improvement over how she felt before going to bed. It was the first time she had ever experienced what was commonly referred to as “Mana Burn” in mage circles.

It wasn’t something she cared to make a habit out of.

Throwing back her covers, Karen stepped down onto the plush, thankfully heated floor and staggered her way towards the bathroom. Wearing a tanktop and shorts, she had carelessly discarded the rest of her clothes on the floor--a sign of just how weary she had been, as she was usually a bit of a neat freak.

After showering and brushing her teeth, she hobbled out of the bedroom to make for the kitchen. A bowl of cereal would be enough, she didn’t really feel like eating much more right now.

As the kitchen came into view she noticed Starfire with her back turned, examining a collection of silverware. Right beneath her left shoulder blade the fabric was ripped outward and slightly dark with liquid, revealing the orange skin and quarter coin sized hole in that said skin, though Star didn’t seem to mind too much. 

[color=orchid]”...S-Star? What are you...”[/color] Karen’s words trailed off as her eyes fell to the wound in her shoulder. [color=orchid]”Oh my God! You’re bleeding!”[/color]

Rushing over to her bodyguard, she started to frantically examine the wound. She knew she’d been hurt last night, but she had no idea that it was something [i]this[/i] bad! Why hadn’t she told anyone? This would need medical treatment!

[color=orchid]”We...we need to get you to a doctor, or something!”[/color]

Starfire perked up in surprise and set the fork down, turning to face Karen. When she heard what Karen was so frightened of she smiled reassuringly. There were faint bags under her eyes and their natural bright green glow was duller than normal.

[color=c4df9b]Karen! Karen, relax, I am fine. I can heal from this. For at least...eight more of the Earth hours, I believe, I will be fine.”[/color] She blinked a little slower than normal.

Karen frowned, eyeing her wounds for a moment longer. She had never heard someone be so dismissive of a gunshot wound before, but then...Starfire [i]was[/i] an alien. She knew how her own physiology worked, no doubt.

[color=orchid]“Wait, if you could heal like that, why didn’t you? You had all night to rest!”[/color] said Karen, resting her hands on her hips.

Nevermind why she was still in her hotel room.

Starfire shook her head. [color=c4df9b]A wound like this would take two of the Earth hours to heal. Once I am healing, I can’t stop. I am...vulnerable during that time.”[/color] She confessed awkwardly, like she was admitting a weakness she did not want to admit. 

[color=c4df9b]”You would be vulnerable too during that time. If those people in the van sought satisfaction during the night, I would have to be awake in order to fight them. I promised to protect you, Karen. So I did.”[/color] She finished confidently. 

Karen’s shoulders sank, her lips pursing.

Star’s heart was in the right place, and it really was rather touching. Still, she doubted the people in the van could recognize her in the dead of night, with her beanie on. They probably were too busy panicking to take in many details about them, anyhow.

[color=orchid]”Well, I’m awake now, so you should really get some sleep--”[/color]

A knocking was heard at the door, causing Karen to turn. Who could be disturbing her during the morning hours?

Starfire’s face went serious. Quietly she went past Karen. Her right hand began to glow with energy, the energy required to make her martial arts far more effective. Carefully she approached the door of the hotel and moved her eye over to the keyhole, only to see Clio’s face in the glass. Relaxing, the energy in her hand dissipated. [color=c4df9b]”It is Clio,”[/color] she announced to Karen. She opened the door and stepped to the side to let Clio in.

[color=c4df9b]”Hello, Clio!”[/color] She greeted warmly. 

Clio cringed at the greeting, her head pounding despite the copious amounts of Advil she had taken. Despite this, she managed a small, wary smile in return. [color=EF1956]”Hey, Star."[/color] She stepped forward, finding herself awkwardly reaching her arms out in order to wrap them around Starfire loosely. She didn't know why she decided to hug the girl, but it felt...alright. Calming, to say the least. Starfire accepted the hug, giving her friend a quick squeeze.  

Stepping back and looking around the room, her eyes fell on Karen's and quickly averted them. [color=EF1956]”Karen...I-I came here to apologize."[/color] She stepped further into the room, waiting for Starfire to close the door. She tugged on the hem of her business attire, having woken up very early that morning in order to shower and start her shift. The door gently shut behind her.

Karen eyed Clio up and down for a moment. She looked like she was feeling even worse than herself, judging by the pained expression she made in response to Star’s greeting. It was understandable, after the night they all had.

[color=orchid]“It’s fine, Clio. I was just...really confused. And worried. You ran off from the bar so suddenly without explaining anything, and then all of that happened...and you kept talking to yourself,”[/color] said Karen, recounting her odd behavior. [color=orchid]“Are you...feeling any better?”[/color]

[I]No[/I]. [color=EF1956]”Yes. I'm feeling a lot better...more myself."[/color] She was slipping, and it hurt to admit it. Last night, she had had an ounce of control. She had been able to utilize it. At what cost? She didn't want to think about that, not when her head was pounding.

Karen frowned, stepping past Clio to take a seat on the couch in the living room area of her hotel room. Patting the spot beside her, she smiled up at her fellow mage. [color=orchid]”Come on, have a seat. I feel like we need to talk about a few things.”[/color]

Clio considered this, but figured it would be best to just sit down and chat before she got fired or lost a friend. Edging closer, she plopped down on a chair, her body throbbing once at the movement. [color=EF1956]”Alright…what about?"[/color]

[color=orchid]“Probably what you’re thinking,”[/color] said Karen, rubbing her arm awkwardly. She was no magical expert by any means, but it didn’t take one to see that whatever Clio had been using last night really did a number on her psychologically.

Taking a deep breath, she leaned back against the couch. [color=orchid]“It’s about that magic you were using, and the things you were saying. ‘Not Clio!’, and arguing with yourself. I won’t lie--I’m really worried about you.”[/color] 

Clio's brow furrowed. If there was one thing she didn't like, it was a confrontation. She could recall the first time her parents had reprimanded her for using her magic wrongly. It had stuck with her, and she had feared it since. Pressing her lips together in a thin line, she nodded. 

[color=EF1956]”Yes, well, thank you for the concern. It means a lot, but there's nothing wrong with me. Really."[/color] She glanced over at Starfire, wondering if the girl was just as concerned. She caught Starfire rubbing her eyes.

Karen’s eyes narrowed, her posture becoming a little stiffer at the obvious deflection. [color=orchid]“So, are you saying it’s perfectly [i]normal[/i] for you to get angry when somebody uses your name? Or to snatch my phone because you want to interrogate a criminal? Or cackle while we’re in the middle of being attacked? I can go on…”[/color]

She really didn’t want to be harsh with Clio, but it seemed like asking her gently wasn’t going to get her anywhere.

Clio kept her gaze on anything and everything except Karen. [color=EF1956]”That's not who I am."[/color] She glanced quickly over at Starfire, not wanting to get in depth while the girl was around. She wasn't uncomfortable, she just had a hard time explaining, especially in front of those she cared about. Noting the wound in her shoulder, she realized she had a scapegoat. [color=EF1956]”Star, why don't you heal up while I talk to Karen? I'll be here to protect both of you."[/color]

The wounded woman tilted her mouth to the side, considering Clio’s words. This wound was growing tiresome, and Clio was here. There was no one on Earth Star trusted more than Clio, after all. Star didn’t want to admit it but she would be fighting at less than optimal were she to continue on like this any longer.

[color=c4df9b]”Very well, Clio.”[/color] She agreed, switching her less-than-vibrant gaze to Karen. [color=c4df9b]”Is there anywhere you would want me to do the healing, Karen?”[/color] 

Karen smiled to Starfire, happy to hear that she was going to do [i]something[/i] about that gaping wound in her shoulder. [color=orchid]“You can rest in my bedroom, if you like. I just woke up, so I won’t need it again anytime soon.”[/color]

Starfire nodded, turned around, and walked into the bedroom. She closed the door slowly, keeping her face in the door frame as long as possible before it finally, quietly shut.

Karen watched her depart, only turning back to Clio when the door was safely closed. Folding her arms, she gave her friend an expectant look. [color=orchid]“Alright, it’s just us now.”[/color]

Clio watched Star leave, her head suddenly pounding. She turned back to Karen. [color=EF1956]”Whatever it was you saw last night, that wasn't me. It's been like this ever since I turned thirteen."[/color]

Frowning, Karen didn’t breaking eye contact with Clio. Her answer had surprised her, but she was trying not to show it. She had assumed that...whatever that was...had been something recent in her friend’s life. [color=orchid]”Well, that’s one way to suck all the fun out of your teen years. Do you know what caused it to start happening?[/color]

[color=EF1956]”I…"[/color] Clio croaked, sucking in a breath. [color=EF1956]”Overexerted myself. And it felt good at the time, but it left me like this. It accelerated the process."[/color] She gestured at herself. At her slightly sunken eyes and thinning frame. She had looked extremely full of life last night. [color=EF1956]”It stopped for a while, when I started using my magic less."[/color] 

That wasn't entirely true. Upon stopping her magic usage, she fell into a bout of depression, but it hadn't been terrible. Each time she overdid it now, she ended up like this. 

Karen leaned towards one of the arms of the sofa, resting her face upon her hand in thought. They had both overexerted themselves last night, but the resulting effects on their respective bodies had been quite distinct. Was that the difference between Order magic and Chaos magic? 

[color=orchid]”By any chance, did you start using Chaos magic more heavily around when you were thirteen?”[/color]

Clio quirked a brow at this. [color=EF1956]”Well, yes, but I've always used chaos magic. It's a family thing."[/color]

[color=orchid]“Did anyone in your family suffer from something similar?”[/color] asked Karen. Maybe if she knew a bit more about Clio, she would be able to figure out a way to help her.

Clio squints, more to stop the light from filtering into her eyes and focus than anything. [color=EF1956]”Yeah, there's been a few Heads of House who have gone through something similar."[/color] Matriarch Paulina, Patriarch Temple. A few lesser members of the house had experienced it as well, and climbed through the ranks to co-head or assistant to the Head as a result. They were all revered, she had looked up to them as a child. 

[color=EF1956]”But that was more...extreme. They started growing, ya know, extremities, and taking long retreats where they...asked for things."[/color] The family history books depicted these extremities as extremely gorgeous, curling horns and dainty claws, a beautified face. The offerings they requested were gifts to someone of true power. 

[color=EF1956]”Why?"[/color] Clio asked at last.

Karen chewed on the corner of her lip as she listened, a chill snaking its way up her spine at the mention of [i]extremities[/i] being grown. That didn’t sound good at all. Clio thankfully hadn’t growth any extra arms or anything yet, but the fact that it had [i]happened[/i] to her relatives didn’t bode well.

[color=orchid]”Well...what if their more extreme ‘reactions’ started out as something closer to what you’re going through now?”[/color] said Karen, giving voice to her concerns. [color=orchid]“And if that’s the case, it must be the result of using Chaos magic, right? Maybe...maybe you start out changing on the inside, and then it eventually changes you on the outside?”[/color]

Clio considered this, then barked a laugh that rattled her bones. [color=EF1956]”Karen, my pop-pop's been using Chaos magic since he was born, and he's in his seventies! Looks no older than forty, though."[/color] And that was a result of Chaos magic. Not to mention the fact that her own mother and father had been using it for almost as long, and they were fine. It just wasn't something that happened in her branch of the family. No one had ever been 'blessed' enough, as they said. 

[color=EF1956]”Plus, don't you think it would have started happening by now? It's been ten years since that first time."[/color] She seemed convinced.

Karen faltered slightly, considering if perhaps she had been mistaken. While she [i]was[/i] a mage and had…[i]experience[/i] with Chaos growing up, she was still quite a novice in the subject. It wasn’t something she had exactly devoted herself too, since she mainly just wanted to be accepted growing up. People didn’t tend to react too kindly to magic in the years following the Two Month War.

[color=orchid]”...Then, when does this other side of you usually appear? What causes them to ‘take over’ from the normal you?”[/color] asked Karen, curious if she would also have an explanation for that.

Clio blushed, a bit sheepish about talking specifically about Makaya. The other girl had no qualms about making herself known to the world,  but it wasn't the same the other way around. [color=EF1956]”Well, she's just...there. Always. She wants me to use my magic, and she usually does it for the greater good, but in her own way. We both want to be heroes. I just view that differently than she does."[/color] She recalled that feeling, the tingling within her to go out that first night and fight. 

[color=orchid]”And when you use that magic, she gets stronger, right?”[/color] asked Karen, recalling how she had started to assert herself more once Clio started creating pathways for them along the rooftops, and especially once she had started fighting. [color=orchid]”And what exactly do you mean by ‘differently’? How does she think heroing should be done?”[/color]

[color=EF1956]”As long as you get the job done, and the criminal caught, there's nothing wrong with going [I]around[/I] the law."[/color] Clio pursed her lips. [color=EF1956]”I know that sounds bad, but I try not to let her. She enjoys her time out more than she does crime fighting. If she could, I'm sure she'd stay in charge all the time. Just to experience things."[/color]

Karen sighed.

She liked to go around the law. If it was just petty stuff, she honestly wouldn’t mind that. But this “other” Clio seemed to revel in violence, from what she saw the previous night. Her giggling laughter still rang in her ears. That definitely wasn’t alright. [color=orchid]“Has she ever tried to get you to, you know…[i]kill[/i] someone?”[/color]

Multiple times. But how could she tell Karen that without seeming crazy? [color=EF1956]”No, she's violent but not [I]that[/I] violent."[/color]

Karen regarded her skeptically, but decided not to press the issue. Things weren’t going quite how she had hoped. She felt like Clio still wasn’t quite ready to open up to her. Thankfully, she [i]did[/i] have an idea. [color=orchid]“...Does this other side of yours have a [i]name?[/i] She certainly doesn’t seem to like yours.”[/color]

[color=EF1956]”It used to be just 'her' but I gave her a name whenever I became a hero. Makaya. Like the Great Sorcerer in voodoo culture. I think she likes it, because she's pretty egotistical."[/color] Clio giggled, but realized how crazy she sounded and stopped.

Karen perked up slightly with this. [color=orchid]“Oh! So it’s [i]not[/i] just a superhero name, but the name of the demon!”[/color]

She only realized what she had said moments after it was too late. She had been thinking aloud in that moment. [color=orchid]“Err, your other self. Her, I mean.”[/color]

At the name, something within Clio reared its head, something ugly and hot and utterly insane. She forced her palms flat on her thighs, though this presence that she knew all too well begged her to curl them up into fists. 

[color=EF1956]”Demon?"[/color] She asked, tone slightly hurt. [color=EF1956]”She's not a demon, because that would make me one too, by extension."[/color] 

Karen felt a pang of guilt grip her heart. That definitely wasn’t what she meant to imply. Still...there was no point in sugarcoating things. [color=orchid]“You’re [i]not[/i] a demon, Clio, and I would never call you one. But...well, I’m no expert on magic, but I do know a thing or two about this subject in particular.”[/color]

She swallowed hard, preparing herself to reveal something she had never told anyone, not even her adopted parents or siblings. Any “normal” person would react with utter revulsion, more than likely. But Clio wasn’t normal, and that wasn’t a bad thing.

[color=orchid]“My mother...was a member of the Blackthorn Coven. For most of my early childhood, she kept my father under her thrall, and raised me to join the Coven when I was older,”[/color] said Karen, grasping the arm of the sofa with curled fingers. [color=orchid]“I didn’t get too far into it--I was too young. But I do remember that she told me that all who embrace Chaos are destined to one day stand beside the Three Horned God as a demon.”[/color]

Staring directly into Clio’s eyes, she leaned forward. [color=orchid]“So no, I don’t think you’re a demon, Clio...but I do think whatever is growing inside of you might be.”[/color]

[color=EF1956]”I-I…"[/color] Clio spluttered. Her heart hammered against her ribcage, and she was sure it would explode if she went on much longer. Tears stung her eyes, and she hung her head so Karen wouldn't be able to see them. [color=EF1956]”I'm sorry about your mother,"[/color] She began, failing to find the right words to say. She knew one thing, though. [color=EF1956]”But I think I need to talk to mine."[/color]

Karen swallowed hard at this.

Clio was going to talk to her mother? Did she mean magically, or would it just be a phone call? Either way, it could be prove insightful--if rather awkward and nerve-wracking. What sort of woman was the mother who apparently encouraged such changes?

[color=orchid]”Do...do you want me to go to another room? I don’t mind staying, of course, if you don’t mind,”[/color] said Karen, sitting up straight again.

Did she mind? No, it would be better with someone else around. [color=EF1956]”You can stay, just, don't say anything unless I give the go-ahead. My mom's strange about these things."[/color] 

She pulled her phone out of her pocket, spreading her fingers wide to cover up a majority of the Karen case. She hadn't changed it out like she said she would. Dialing up her mom, she pressed the speaker button. 

After the third ring, there was a noise on the other end. [I]"Ki jan ou fè ti bebe mwen an?"[/i] The voice said. It was full of honey, if not a bit gravelly. Before Clio could answer, the voice continued. [I]"Poukisa ou rele m 'epi yo pa lè l sèvi avèk chodyè ou a?"[/I]

The tips of Clio's ears burned, and her cheeks turned a shade of red. [color=EF1956]”Manman, I can't use my scrying pan right now. Could you uh, speak in English?"[/color] She glanced at Karen, apologetic. 

[I]”New York has tainted you, bèl."[/I] The heavily accented woman on the other end tsked. [I]"You've lost your language, your ability to use your magic. Damn it all, you've nearly lost your voice! Everything about you that made you, you-"[/I]

[color=EF1956]”Manman, please. I have to talk to you about something important."[/color] Clio looked to Karen, wanting some support.

Karen winced at the woman’s domineering tone. She could tell that this particular mother was more of a [i]teller[/i] than a [i]listener[/i]. She certainly could relate to having a parent like that. 

Seeing Clio stare at her, she immediately reached out over the arm of the sofa and gently grasped her friend’s free hand, offering her a reassuring smile. However this went, she would be right here the whole time.

Clio stared into Karen's eyes, her own slightly wide at the touch. She quickly looked away, clearing her throat. She could practically see her mother's expectant look on the other end of the screen. [color=EF1956]”Well, Manman, my magic's been acting...unusual. And I need answers."[/color]

[I]"Ask me anything, my love. I'm just happy you're still using it."[/I]

[color=EF1956]”I sought guidance. About the other presence inside of me, and, they said it was something bad."[/color] She released a heavy breath. [color=EF1956]”A demon, they said it was a demon."[/color] 

There was silence on the other end, then laughter. [I]"Bèl, this guide you sought is mistaken. This is the natural progression of your magic, something many of us strive for but can't quite reach due to our own fears."[/I]

Clio looked unsure. What was that supposed to mean? Before she even asked, her mother was continuing. [I]"Where do you think we get this power from?"[/I] Clio nearly answered, but it was clear her mother just wanted her to listen. [I]"The realm of Chaos. The denizens there are demons, yes, and while we attempt to match their greatness, only a certain few can. This is a gift, love."[/I] 

Clio's brow furrowed. It was a gift to feel like this after using her magic? A gift to have a half that yearned for destruction? This was confusing. Maddening. [color=EF1956]”What if I don't want it?"[/color]

Karen frowned, not liking anything that her mother was telling her. It didn’t even make sense, when you really thought about it. It’s not a demon, but it’s going to make her “great” like the denizens of Chaos who were demons? She was stumbling all over herself. Just how long had Clio’s mom been drawing upon the Realm of Chaos?

[I]"Eske ou fache?"[/I] Clio's mother asked, voice full of venom, and Clio flinched. It was like when she had first been reprimanded, all over again. Now, though, her mother was encouraging her usage of magic. 

[I]"Clio, this presence within you is power. Don't you feel good using it? She's the truth of you."[/I]

Clio felt wholly conflicted. She didn't like the way her mother was speaking to her. It reminded her of the way Makaya spoke whenever she was in control. [color=EF1956]”Manman, I don't understand. I need-I need to go."[/color] 

Karen nodded firmly, making an “end call” motion with her hand. She was already having to bite her tongue to avoid telling the old woman off, and if this call continued on she wasn’t going to be able to remain silent. 

[I]"Si ou rakwoche, pa anmède rele jiskaske ou lisid."[/i] Her mother hissed, and before she could continue, Clio was pressing the button to hang up.

Her body was completely still for a moment, before she cocked back her hand and sent her phone soaring toward the wall. Halfway there, a shadow mitt came up to catch it, before sinking to the ground and leaving the phone unharmed. Her chest heaved with labored breaths, and she shook her head. [color=EF1956]”Sorry about that."[/color]

Karen shook her head slowly and squeezed the hand that she still held. [color=orchid]”You have nothing to apologize for, Clio. She’s the one wh o should be sorry. Nobody has a right to speak to you or anybody else that way.”[/color]

It was honestly a little chilling. The way she spoke to Clio during that call stirred something within her. A memory of her mother’s commanding voice as she directed her father to do her bidding.

[color=orchid]“I’m sorry I put you through that, though,”[/color] said Karen, her posture deflating alongside her anger. [color=orchid]“I just...I don’t want to lose one of the first friends I’ve made in years to...to something terrible.”[/color]

Clio bit her lip, moving from the chair to the couch. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around Karen's body, patting her back. She kept a bit of distance, but something within her warmed at the touch. Maybe she was a hugger. [color=EF1956]”It's alright. You're not gonna lose me."[/color] Her voice was unsure, but there was meaning behind the words. [color=EF1956]”I'll figure this out."[/color]

Karen had no such hesitation, and pulled Clio fully into the embrace. It felt good to see--and [i]feel[/i]--that she was still the one in control right now. [color=orchid]“And I’ll help you do it, if you ever need my help with this or anything else.”[/color]

She had a notion of how they might counter Makaya, but she wasn’t going to push it on Clio right now. She had been through enough already after that phone call.

[color=EF1956]”Thanks, boss, but I'm pretty sure that goes beyond the limits of the employee-employer relationship."[/color] Clio chuckled, pulling out of the hug. She still felt horrible, but that was alright. She had her support group. [color=EF1956]”What say we wait for Star to wake up, then go out and do something fun? No fighting this time."[/color]

Karen gave her first whole-hearted smiled since Starfire went to bed. Hell, since before last night, really. [color=orchid]“Sounds like a plan!”[/color] [/hider]