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[color=9e0b0f][b]Location: Happy Harbor Mall
Interactions: Nymph [@dreamingflowers] 
Mentions: Zatara, Gold Rush, KJ, Cybergirl, Hex[/b][/color][/center]

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Talon looked at the rows and rows of tech throughout the phone store. He was surprised at the variety of options someone could choose, and felt a little overwhelmed over which one would do the trick. Honestly the only thing he really needed it for was text messaging or phone calls. He couldn't imagine himself using one for all the various apps and social media that phone's were capable of, the kinds of things that Zachary and Felix were talking about on their first night all together. That first night, sitting around the lounge with everyone, two boys were keen to show the others the litany of what they called "exposure" on the internet, and a massive following of friends and fans on their different media accounts. Talon watched the faces of the others - they seemed to have an easier time understanding all of the two boys references. Talon didn't have much to add to that conversation, even if he could. But he was really impressed that Zatara and Gold Rush were able to make so many friends, and seemingly so easy.

Talon fiddled with one of the phones, a touch screen device with high quality picture. As he did so, he could hear Nymph talking with the store clerk about what they were looking for. Her back was to Talon as she talked, and Talon thought about the brief moment they shared on the bus ride over to the mall. Talon had hoped to have a private moment with Nymph to bring up what happened during the training exercise, but a bus full of people wasn't what he had envisioned. Sitting there together, Talon felt that Nymph wanted to talk to him about what had transpired between the two of them, but she must have felt self conscious. Talon caught her glimpsing at the bruising around his neck, saw what looked like concern in her eyes. He adjusted his collar to hide them from her, no need to make her feel worse about it. When she asked him if they hurt, he only shook his head. She had talked about how her concern for his health caused her to lose control, and that she would do her best to make sure it didn't happen again. It was likely she would have reacted this way if it was anyone who was hanging onto that ledge. The conversation was brief, but they had tried. It was [i]something.[/i] 

Talon was disappointed, more in himself than anything. He wanted to tell her he was sorry, why he reacts often in the way that he does, but his upbringing as a Court of Owls weapon stood so tall in front of his self-expression. He could feel himself wanting to say these things, to tell Nymph that it had been an honest mistake and would happen, wanted to encourage her, but he felt a squirming in his stomach, a sour taste not just in his mouth but in his heart. He wasn't allowed to do so, to emote, to connect. There was only ever a mission. The Court of Owls training was like an impossibly great wall that Talon was attempting to climb with no tools, no grip, no surface. Typing out his thoughts on a phone was a crutch, but one he needed - at least for now. But the truth was that he wanted to be more laid back, wanted to be friendly like Hex, wanted to be confident in the ways that Ja had been. Talon was confident in his abilities, sure - but the others seemed comfortable with [i]themselves.[/i] And that was something Talon was not. It was engrained in him to have no self. But if he didn't get help, didn't try to improve or work on himself, then the only time his friends would hear his voice would be when he was angry, when he was challenging someone like Rain, or during a mission about whatever their objective would be. But that wasn't the kind of person he wanted to be anymore. He wanted life beyond a mission. He was glad that Nightwing had rescued him, had gotten him onto this team. It was a chance.

Now however, Talon saw that Nymph was engaged in conversation with someone new - a tall boy, muscular frame. Talon absent-mindedly sized him up. He couldn't hear what the two of them were saying, but Nymph's body language had shifted, given off a sort of fight or flight response. Talon was used to this kind of behavior. He felt himself tense up, wondered if he should go over there. But Nymph was capable of handling awkward situations, he didn't exactly feel any danger emanating from this guy. But there was definitely some sort of energy. What Talon had heard Cybergirl describe as a "bad vibe." When Nymph finished her conversation with the mysterious boy, she handed Talon a phone suggested by the clerk. Talon looked her in the face as she handed it to him, but she avoided his gaze. Taking the phone from her, Talon typed into the notepad application:

[color=9e0b0f][b]"Friend of yours?"[/b][/color]

He held the phone to her, his question blinking on the screen.