That’s what she wanted more than anything. To go back. To be done. It was too dangerous for them out here, they’d barely survived Wisford and they’d barely survived DC. Well, some of them did. She didn’t feel like she did. But at least they’d get to go back, back to the relative safety of the school. At least, that’s what she thought until it became evident that they weren’t. Her heart sank, the sense of impending doom within her growing. What could possibly happen next? The ever-present question still rested on her mind: Who was going to die? Marcus? Callan? Hazel? Herself?
She knew who she’d pick.
Emma filled up the journey with a combination of sulking and texting back and forth with Riley. Riley, after all this time it was still Riley. It hurt to think about- the promises they made, how things ended, and the fact that they still couldn’t let each other go. As for the others, well, Emma proved aloof during the ride over. She maintained her usual politeness, talked if they wanted to talk, but it was clear she’d rather be left alone for the moment.
When they arrived at the mansion Emma had little reaction to their surroundings. It seemed like another place for them to die in. She was ready to sleep, if sleep would come for her, although she doubted it would. After half listening to the butler’s spiel she readily followed the maids, heading to her room as soon as they were done talking, favoring the rest of the group with a weary nod.
She was quick the lock the door behind her. Finally, she was alone. She thought that she wanted to cry, but now the feeling wouldn’t come. Instead, she just stood there for a long moment. Maybe she was trying to cry. She found that it helped, but it wouldn’t now.
Instead she just waited for something to happen, but of course nothing did.
The form of Determination grew before her.
”You’re still here, huh?”
She started at him. But of course, the creature gave no reaction. She reached out tentatively, softly laying her hand on the creature’s chest. It was cold and smooth, distinctly unhuman.
”We’re so weak, aren’t we? Well, I guess that’s my fault.”
She felt a little silly talking to something that she knew wouldn’t talk back.
”Can… can you…”
Emma hesitated. How sad was this?
”Can you hold me?”
The creature extended its arms, wrapping them around her. She felt the tears rolling down her cheeks, or maybe it was a tear, she wasn’t quite sure. Determination’s embrace felt wrong, lifeless. She wanted warmth. But… this was all she had, wasn’t it? Or maybe it wasn’t. She didn’t fucking know.
Another long moment passed.
And then, suddenly, she was back on the cliff. The water stretched before her, waves crashing against the rock wall far below, suddenly morphing into the field of stars. It was the same vision as before this time, with the same drip of power.
And suddenly she was back just as quickly as it begun. She pulled away from Determination, looking the creature up and down. ”What's changed now…?” she said idly to herself.
It started before she realized what was happening. For a moment the creature shuttered, before doubling over as if it was in great pain. It took her a second, but she realized that Determination was doing something she’d never seen it do before. A split was appearing in its previously blank face, as if it was always there and now struggling to be opened. It was right… right where a mouth would be.
Suddenly she became very aware of what was happening and it terrified her.
The words came through the creature's stuck together mouth. ”I…” Determination’s voice was heavy, guttural, rough. It sounded like a monster, and it also sounded like it was in pain. ”I don’t…” Emma backed away, tripping over her own feet and landing ass-first on the floor. He wasn’t moving towards, but she was still scared. This was too much.
”I don’t… don’t want… don’t want to die…”
And then he was very suddenly gone. Emma didn’t move.
”F-fuck.” Emma stammered out between hurried breaths. "Fuck, fuck, fuck." came out in quick succession. She looked at the spot where he was standing before. He was still there, she could feel, ready to be called on. But... what did he mean?
What had she done? Of course, Emma didn't end up sleeping that night.
She'd heard the buzzing. Many times, in fact, since she had gotten up from the floor of the collapsed penthouse. Up until now she'd been tuning it out- there were bigger fish to fry, but now there was a moment of relative calm and Emma let herself focus on her vibrating pocket. Emma already knew who it was- the only person it could be, the only person that she wanted to keep in touch with that also cared enough to keep in touch with her. A bitter thought- not the contact she wanted, but the only one she could get.
Emma reluctantly stopped digging. The tulpas were probably doing a much better job of it anyways. She reached into her back pocket, hands closing around her phone, pulling it out in front of her... the screen was shattered, but the phone still worked. A small stroke of luck on a distinctly unlucky day, a day that she just wanted to end.
If she really wanted it to be over she could just leave, couldn't she?
But no, that wasn't an option. She flicked her phone, unlocking it, eyes going up and down her phone screen.
Em, what the fuck is happening? I saw the news, are you okay?
Em
Em
Em
Emma
Dude, fucking text back
Emma
EMMA
You better not be fucking fighting those things
Where are you
I need to know you've alive, FUCKING RESPOND
She hesitated for a long moment before replying.
I'm fine.
I'll get back to you when I can.
Emma sighed, silencing her phone, returning it to its spot in her pocket. Back to digging it was.
Heyo, was doing some CS stuffs and decided to push that big ol opinion sheet from before the RP started out, gonna paste it here for posterity ~
"You want to know what I think about everyone else... uh... why, exactly? Does my opinion matter...?"
"Okay, okay, fine, whatever you say. I'll go, I'll go... but uh, you won't tell anyone right? I don't want to hurt anyone's feeling."
"Alright, but just to clarify... even if I say something bad about someone I don't really... dislike them, per se. I just... I think everyone has the capability to be good, alright? And if someone... even one of the not-so-nice people in our group wants to be friends with me or talk I'll do my very best to reciprocate."
"I am not 'too nice'! I just don't like to get on people's bad side. I'd like to be friends with everyone. I'd also like to believe that everyone is good... what can I say, I'm an optimist?"
"Okay, when it doesn't apply to myself."
𝕃𝕒𝕨𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖
"I like Lawrence! Or do I call him Doc? I know people call him that, but I'm not really sure if he likes it or not..."
"Oh, I guess so. He does have that little plaque, but isn't that a joke?"
"Whatever. Anyways, he's really... well maybe not nice, exactly, but he's always so calm and collected. I like hanging around him, but I don't think he really cares all that much for company. I get the sense he'd rather be reading his book... 'Meditations'. Maybe I should ask him for a loaner copy? He seems to like giving them away, and it must be a good read... plus if I could get even like 10% of his composure I'd probably be a lot better of. Anyways, sometimes he can be mean, but I think he's just joking? He's joking, right?"
"Well- yeah, okay, okay. Whatever. Besides that he's a very helpful person... and, of course, being around him has the added benefit of calming my stigma. Sometimes it's hard to tell exactly what he thinks of me, though... does he have a problem with me? Maybe I'm just being insecure? I just don't know... anyways I guess I should count my blessings he's my roommate, since I could probably do a lot worse."
𝕃𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕒𝕟𝕟𝕒
"Oh, Lily? I love Lily! I enjoy hanging out with her, except... well, I'm not trying to be rude so don't tell her this... I think she's bipolar? Maybe? Don't tell her that though!"
"Hey! It's not even a bad thing, okay?! She's a little different, but it's part of the reason she's so fun. Sure, she can be a handful sometimes... she talks a little too fast to keep up with sometimes... and, well, you've got the idea. Her mood swings pretty quickly, hence why I think... yeah. When she's sad I do my best to cheer her up, but I don't know how helpful I am... I'm not really the person that should be trying to help people when they're depressed... maybe I should ask her to hang out sometime... do you think she'd like that?"
"... I guess maybe I shouldn't be asking you..."
"Hmmm? I guess I kind of get the 'little sister' vibe from her, y'know?"
"Well, yeah, we are the same age but still..."
"I suppose so. Obviously to a lesser extent, I can't exactly be described as manic, but I guess 'mood swing' is a pretty good way to describe how my stigma hits me. I'm good at faking it though."
"I'm used to being candid with these things... about myself, at least. Not the first time you guys have called me in here."
𝔼𝕞𝕞𝕒
"What? Oh, c'mon! I may have brought it up, but I don't really want to talk about it, okay? I... can we go to the next one, please? You guys have already had a psychiatrist talk to me about this..."
"Yes! I'm fine. Okay? I know you goons need to make sure I'm not going to... well, listen, don't worry about it, alright? Next question."
𝔾𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕥
"Grant's a little hard to figure out. He's definitely a huge slacker, there's no doubt about that... but I guess we all have our things. Nobody's perfect, y'know? And it isn't exactly like he's far from being the only lazy high school student. At our age it's hardly an uncommon problem."
"Well, yeah. I'd like to try to get along with him... I'd like to get along with everyone, I should say... but it feels like he doesn't really want to talk to me sometimes... or is that just because he's not great at making conversation? I'm not really sure, I guess I'll keep trying until he opens up or tells my to go away..."
"Yeah, I used to be kind of like that I guess. Elementary school, I was super shy... so I kind of get the sense he is too. Some people just find it a little hard to get over it."
"Hmmmm? Well, I guess I got better at socializing because I had a good friend that helped me out. Maybe I can do the same for Grant? Or maybe that's a little idealistic..."
ℂ𝕙𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕡𝕙𝕖𝕣
Chris is always telling me things like 'Stop talking to me!' or 'Leave me alone!'. At least he's honest about it... he's very abrasive, if that wasn't clear enough. I'm sure he's a good guy once you get past his... 'attitude'. If he wants to hang out I'd be happy to but I don't think he wants me to be anywhere near him... maybe? What do you think?"
"Yeah, I guess I am hoping for a little too much. He's kind of a jerk, I guess? I think I get on his nerves. He's one of those guys that likes it when people think he's 'edgy', I think."
"No, I don't think that. It's not like... I'm sure there's a reason for that, yeah? Or maybe he just likes cultivating the 'angry loner' image. Maybe he thinks girls like it?"
"The 'bad boy' thing? Ew, no way. I'd rather they'd just act a little more genuine..."
"Yeah, Chris too. But still no. Even if he was, I guess he's not really my type? Why do you guys want to know so much...? Anyways, I suspect that he's a big softie compensating for something."
"Oh, no. NO. Not that way. You know what I mean! Geez, don't say that..."
𝕊𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣
"Sander... or does he want people to call him Sandy?"
"I don't think the name suits him, but if he likes it whatever. I think I heard someone say it once and I've been saying it since... does he not like it?"
"Whatever. I'm not sure about him. He's a nice guy! But his power... is really creepy. Like... well, either way he can't choose his power, so I shouldn't judge him for that! But it is weird... and it makes him act weird. But! There's a but. He seems nice enough besides that. He's pleasant and friendly..."
"Yeah, I guess that isn't the whole picture, is it? He strikes me as a little ingenuine... kind of like Chris, I guess. He's friendly but a little too distant. Everyone has baggage but it seems like he doesn't want anyone to find his."
"I'm a faker too, you guys know that, don't you? You've drilled me about it enough. I guess I have a good sense for this things? Or I'd like to think I do. Lawrence would probably be better at this than me, why don't you talk to me?"
"... Of course you have. What'd he say about me?"
"Can't fault me for trying."
ℂ𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕒𝕟
"Callan is cool! Well, she's lazy, but she's cool! Like I said before, being a little lazy isn't a crime..."
"I can be pretty lazy too, yeah... I get stuff done but I will take as long as humanly possible. Cal (I wonder if she would be okay with me calling her Cal?) is great to hang out with. Watch Netflix, play video games, whatever. I bet she'd be a good trivia partner... especially if every question was about The Office."
"I digress... I really like her view on Dreamcatcher and everything... I'm not sure if it's true, and I'm certainly not a Dream-Christian, but I'd like to believe it."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. If I got to pick someone to room with it would probably be her or Lily... if they'd want to, that is!"
"No, I like Hazel and Lawrence. They're fine, it's just that... they're not really talkative... or easy to get along with... and I'm pretty sure that I make up 90% of the conversation that goes on in our room. It probably would be almost exactly the same if I was in the room by myself most of the time. Things would probably be a little more mutual with Cal and Lily. I guess they're my dream team but I still love Lawrence and Hazel."
𝕂𝕦𝕤𝕒𝕣𝕚
"Hahaha. Kusari... okay, what I say in this room better not be repeated, especially to her."
"Yes, really!"
"Okay... I don't really think Kusari is that bad."
"Yes! She isn't very nice, but I think she's a total sweetheart and doesn't want anyone to know. Sure, maybe I'm just seeing in her what I want to see, but I don't think she's really as mean as she acts. She's pretty vulgar and sometimes tries to be as incendiary as possible, but I am almost sure that there's more than meets the eyes when it comes to her. She probably wouldn't like me saying that."
"Yeah, deeeeep down, you're right, but still! I'm going to try to meet the Kusari that I think she doesn't want anyone to know. She might hate me for that, but I'll put up with it for even a chance of seeing dere Kusari."
"Oh god don't tell anyone I just said 'dere' unironically."
𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕤
"Marcus is awesome! He's funny, and I can't help but laugh at what he has to say... he's really fun to talk to. Like, seriously, he always cracks me up. It seems like happiness is becoming a little harder to find here every day, but he certainly helps brighten things up."
"Uhhhh, I guess I shouldn't have said that, huh?"
"Sorry... no, of cours-"
"Let's get back to talking about Marcus, eh? He' cool. He sometimes seems like he's trying a little to hard to keep things from getting quiet, but... I can't really fault him for that, can I? He's great..."
"What? No! No way! Not like that. Well... no! Don't say that... anyways... I'm kind of curious about his scars. They're kind of cool. aren't they? They make him look like a badass."
"Really? You're going to bring up that stereotype? No, they just make him look interesting. I kind of want to ask him about his them, but that would be super rude, wouldn't it? I won't... maybe someday? No, I can't do that. Unless he decides to tell me... probably not... I feel kind of bad for saying they're cool, they probably sucked to get, huh?"
ℤ𝕠𝕖
"Hmmmmm... the first time I saw Zoe she struck me as kind of the 'tough big-sister' type."
"I guess we are pretty close in age, but that's the vibe I get. Kind of like Lily it's less about age and more about demeanor, eh? And height, I guess..."
"No, not nearly as cool as Val, of course. I don't think there's anyone nearly as cool as Val... anyways, let me finish. She's a little too tough, y'know? She's a total badass but that's kind of a bad thing sometimes. She's kind of violent and angry a lot... plus she's kind of distant..."
"C'mon, let me finish! I think that a lot of people don't really get Zoe. She's certainly self-assured, and aggressive, but I think she's trying a lot harder then she wants people to see. And I also suspect that she's not nearly as much of an angry loner as she wants people to think she is... at least that's what I think. She wants everyone to think she's a total hardass but I think she's actually a lot nicer than she wants to admit... well, I'd like to see if I'm right but I'm not sure she would let me be friends with her. Either way she's really strong an reliable... I wish I could be kind of like that.
ℍ𝕒𝕫𝕖𝕝
"Hazel...? She's my other roommate... and... well... what can I say, she's a strange girl. I think she was in one of those weird cults that lived in a bunker and wasn't allowed to go outside."
"No! You know I'm not trying to be rude. I think she's... well, I want to be friends with her."
"Yeah, she does kind of creeps me out if I'm being honest. But she acts nice enough, I guess. Sometimes I think she's not really there, if you get what I'm saying, but I'd like to help her act a little more human, y'know? There's more to her than she lets on... I'm not sure if that's good or bad."
"Yeah, maybe it is a lost cause, but I'd like to try to figure out just who the hell she is."
𝕊𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕒
"I'm pretty sure every single time I ask Siena about her past I've gotten a different story. I don't know if it's because of her power, or because she doesn't like me and is messing with me... or maybe because she really just doesn't know, I guess? Unlikely."
"Well, she's smart. She reads a lot, not surprising considering her power. She's a little different... spacey is definitely the first word I would use to describe her. She's can kind of be a nervous wreck sometimes..."
"No, I don't dislike Siena. I guess I am sounding I little harsh... maybe because this interview is dragging a little?"
"Just a joke. Haha..."
"Annnnnyways, like a lot of people I'd like to figure her out. I admire her smartness and creativity even if it's sometimes used to make up ridiculous lies. I feel kind of sorry for her, to be completely honest. Just like everyone else I try to be as nice as possible even when though her stories kind of get on my nerves."
𝔸𝕟𝕘é𝕝𝕚𝕢𝕦𝕖
"Angel kind of reminds me of my sister, Val-"
"Well, they're both musicians... I mean, Val wasn't a superstar like Angel, more of a local sensation."
"No, no, I guess it's kind of a superficial observation. She's not as moody, but then again she's also not an aberration. Angel can be kind of difficult at times to say the least. I can't fault her for that, I know how she feels because I have to deal with a stigma too. It's kind of surprising that I don't get like taht too... guess I got good practice suppressing things before I got my stigma? I just made myself sad. Anyways, past all of the anger I know Angel is a sweetheart... I also know she could us a friend. I'd like to be friends with her."
"Well, I'd like to be friends with everyone... I'd also like to see her perform. I remember there was this one song that Val would always play. It's a little old, Boss D.J., by Sublime. Ever heard of it?"
"Well, old to me I guess. Doesn't matter. Anyways, Val would always sneak me into shows in these crappy dive bars and she would allllways play that song. Point is I wonder if I could get Angel to play it... I'd like that."
𝔸𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕠𝕟
"Well... Allison is nice?"
"No, no, don't get me wrong, I do like Allison... she's a great person and has a lot of positive qualities."
"I'm sure you guys already know, she's kind of... I don't really approve of her habits when it comes to men."
"What can I say? I guess I'm kind of conservative when it comes to that kind of stuff...? It's not her fault so I feel bad for thinking that way, so I'd rather just not talk about it. She's a really good friend, so it's not really my place to be disapproving of her."
"Yeah, besides that she is a very kind person. Sometimes kind of like Lawrence I can't tell when she's joking or not, but I still like hanging out with her... I mean, except when she's looking at... things..."
"Sometimes you can tell what she's thinking about... she can't really help it, still, y'know?"
"Did... I... W-w-what?! No way! A-a-are you guys really allowed to ask minors questions like that?!"
𝕊𝕒𝕧𝕒𝕟𝕟𝕒𝕙
"Savannah... well, the first time I saw her I though she was absolutely adorable and went over to talk to her..."
"She didn't take it very well. She's very loud and very angry. She takes about any excuse to get mad about something. I wouldn't be surprised if she yelled at me for like... breathing the wrong way, or something?"
"Yeah, she's yelled at me... I've tried to keep clear of her because I'd rather not deal with the angry demon child all the time."
"Of course! I mean, if she ever decides she wants to talk to me, sure. I may... well, I may have just called her an 'angry demon child' but I don't think she's a bad person, just a kid, y'know?"
"She's kind of funny when she's angry, I guess. She spews some Irish nonsense which kind of cracks me up, y'know?"
"Well, I'm sure it means something, but it's nonsense to me. Anyways, I kind of get the sense that she mainly acts like that because she'd rather not be around people for whatever reason. Maybe she does it because she wants to be kind of edgy like Chris? I dunno."
ℂ𝕙𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕞𝕒𝕤
"Christmas... I feel really bad for Christmas. I'd like to try and help him out, but I kind of feel like I'd be undertaking a massive task if I ever made a concentrated effort to get him too... well, for lack of a better word, man up."
"Well, he's kind of like a big ol' punching bag. I don't really like saying that but it's pretty true. He's really passive so he kind of let's people walk all over him. I try to help a lot of people feel comfortable in the group, but with him I think it'd be a big help if he'd just... well... get mad, every one in a while, I guess?"
"I don't think he'd hurt a fly, let alone get mad at one. I don't think I've ever heard him stick up for himself and he's pretty much scared of everything. If I can get him to... well, do anything, really it'd be a victory. Maybe just start by encouraging him to speak his mind? Why do you guys send him out on combat missions anyways?"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it."
𝔸𝕒𝕣𝕠𝕟
"Uhhhh... Aaron is kind of tough. I actually like him quite a bit, but... well, I kind of try to avoid getting to know him too well."
"He's not exactly approving of... well, anything about me, really. I'd have to fake it really hard around him... like, harder than usual. From what I've heard he doesn't really like people that are mopey or depressed so..."
"Well, sure, like I said I like him. I'd like to be friends with him but maybe it's for the best that we're not? Like, if he wants to hang out, yeah, I will, since I like hanging out with everyone, but... y'know? It's hard to keep it up around him knowing that he would dislike the real me so much."
"Well, I assume he would given what I know. I guess no one really would like the real me, but him in particular really wouldn't."
"No, I wouldn't be as forthcoming about it around everyone else. Your psych evals have kind of broken me about it, but I'd rather that no one knew. It's easier that way."
𝔹𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕥
"Brent kind of raises a red flag for me..."
No, don't get me wrong, he's a great guy. I'd say we're pretty good friends. He's a really hard worker at pretty much everything he takes seriously... even if it's only his physique."
"Well, what I mean is I kind of get the sense that he's running away from something. There's something he doesn't want to admit about himself. Kind of like me, yeah? I feel like... he doesn't really care about anything, really. He acts like he does but he doesn't. Even when it comes to the things he tries hard at I'm not really sure it's because he enjoys doing it, or because he wants the results... I think he kind of does a lot of things he does because he thinks he should, I guess?"
"No, I'm not very confident on my 'psycho-analysis'. I'm not a shrink like you. I don't really know what I'm talking about, just making guesses based on what I've seen."
"Yes, I'm well aware that that's what you guys do too."
𝔼𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕖
"Ernest... Erneeeeeest... doesn't ring a bell... I don't think I know an Ernest, do I?"
"I don't think I've ever asked someone else to vacuum for me, do you think I'm lazy or something?"
"Okay, okay, okay, fine, I just don't want to say anything bad about him. He kind of scares the shit out of me. The first time I met him I thought he was a really nice guy, and then I saw him slam some guys face into a wall. I guess the story he's really violent if you're not on his good side?"
"I just try to avoid the guy. Even though I don't think I'd really do anything to make him angry I'd just rather not associate with someone like that."
"No, I don't really like bullies. What kind of question is that? What kind of person likes bullies?"
"Yeah, if I saw him beating someone up I'd probably intervene... maybe..."
"He's pretty scary."
𝕊𝕠𝕡𝕙𝕚𝕒
"Sophia... well, trying to be friends with Sophia is pretty hard."
"I've tried approaching from every angle. I've hardly gotten a word out of her. I've heard that she isn't very talkative with anyone. At first I thought she didn't like me but now I'm pretty sure she's just very shy."
"Well, everyone could use a friend so I'd like to be hers. Unless she doesn't want me to. I hope that's not the case because I probably seem pretty weird if she really just doesn't want talk to me."
"I think I mention I used to be pretty shy. Even back then I wanted friends, I just had trouble making them. Maybe Sophia is the same way? Or maybe I'm just projecting because I'm a weirdo."
𝔾𝕣𝕖𝕘𝕠𝕣𝕪
"You guys recruited a lot of try-hards, didn't you?"
"Yeah, Gregory is kind of the same as Brent minus the whole 'hiding behind a facade' thing. Well, I dunno, Gregory could be too and I just haven't noticed it."
"At least he's not as crazy about it as some of the others. He's not wildly masochistic, just the regular sort of extra-organized."
"I guess that kind of doesn't make sense. He's way more organized than I could ever be and seems to have it together pretty well, but is willing to be a little loose about things, so I guess I can appreciate that? He kind of lacks tact but besides that is a pretty good guy." "That's it? Well, alright..."
"Yeah?"
"What, really? I said I didn't want to talk about that..."
"I've been taking those pills you guys gave me, what else do you need?"
"... Uh-huh... okay, maybe I haven't but do I really need to? They make me feel weird..."
Emma felt stupid for not seeing it coming. For thinking that the week could pass quietly by relatively free of incident. No, that wasn't the kind of life they led. Not anymore. She'd tried so hard to devolve into normalcy, despite D.C.'s prejudices, despite the constant reminder of their reality on her neck, buried in the doublethink of declaring herself Subnatural, being a subnatural, but trying her hardest to convince herself she was Human.
It was all so stupid.
She'd been resting on the couch when it started, scrolling idly by on her phone, keeping up with the news surrounding them and texting a certain someone. of course, she didn't realize there was anything wrong until she felt the burning pain in her throat, like hot coals sliding down her esophagus, like hands pressed upon her neck. The only indication she gave was a scream cut short by her attempts to catch her breath, panicked gasps that were gone before she knew it, a moment that stretched into eternity and then was suddenly just... over. The pain subsided like nothing had happened at all.
She shot up, searching desperately. Something bad was happening. A glance out the window and her questions were answered- monsters in D.C. again. It wasn't the first time- it was too late that she realized the building they were in was about to collapse.
It could only be described as a miracle, really. The fall was so sudden that Emma didn't have time to think about protecting herself, but somehow she got out mostly unscathed, landing on an upturned sofa besides Hazel. She got up slowly- her injuries were light considering they just fell from the top of a building, only scratches and minor wounds, but the wind was still knocked out of her, heart thumping wildly from the adrenaline rush that came from falling several tens of stories. She looked around- chaos around her, but people were starting to get up, the others hurrying to help those trapped and injured before she could.
"Hazel-"
She turned, seeing the girl was already up. Emma accepted the collar and then Hazel was gone before she could protest. Emma sighed. She still worried for Hazel, even if she was a single-minded killing machine. She couldn't exactly help her though. She held up the collar, examining it, trying to somehow divine what exactly it was that it did to Hazel. For now a mystery that was unsolvable. Instead she did her best to fit it in her pocket, roughly half of it still sticking out, but at least it was relatively secure and wouldn't take up her hands.
"Transmit." Emma said, still trying to catch her breath, "This is Emma. I'm safe... over."
Now, she just needed to figure out what the hell they were going to do.
After wishing the guys a good evening at the bar and seeing them take off, Angélique immediately went to each room she could afford and raided the snacks and wine shelves. If the boys would go out in town to have fun, then why would the girls not have a fun time too? Gathering the snacks and wine into the biggest and most comfortable living room she could find, the girl adept at organizing events took a few large bowls, poured snacks individually into their own bowls and brought a dozen of stylish glasses and expensive looking wine glasses onto a living room table. She even minded those who wouldn’t drink alcohol. She brought a few liters of soda and juice of varying flavors to the table. A mischievous part of her wanted to add alcohol to those, but for the sake of the underage teenagers, Angel stuck to her virtuous side. Turning on the TV, the singer Aberration switched to a music channel playing pop songs without stop.
Once everything was set up, Angel gave the thing one last look, making sure it was looking quite good before making her way in the middle of the penthouse. Channeling the familiar energies of a magic she had gotten used to, the sound Mage focused her thoughts on the recipients of her message: all the girls of her unit.
“Attention ladies! The boys are out in town for the evening! It’s time to party! Gather around at the living room!” Her voice enthusiastically reached out to the rooms where the targets of her message were residing.
Allison Revel had just changed into her bikini, planning to slip into the jacuzzi for the second time that day, when Angel rushed into the room to raid the snacks and wine. Wordlessly, Allison threw on a loose tank top and helped her friend get everything together. Allison considering abandoning the partying, especially with all the alcohol, but didn't want to dissapoint Angel. Besides, it was a good chance to interract with the rest of the girls.
Allison sat down as Angel turned on the television. Still, there was one big problem that sat in the back of Allison's mind. 'As long as I avoid the wine, I should be fine,' She thought to herself. Though, not being drunk didn't stop her earlier encounter with Emma from being awkward, and it didn't keep that thing with Kusari from happening. It was probably best for Allison to not think about all that and just enjoy herself.
Lying on her bed with eyes fixed on the ceiling, Zoe flinched at the suddenness of the noise. She was tired, but sleep only meant things got closer to whatever consequences she'd have to face. After all, she'd given away classified info on live news, which she didn't think would get her any points with the staff. Plus crushing half her teammates' reputations by proxy.
Perhaps that was why she'd spent the past hour or so drinking alone in her room - Not that she'd have called herself drunk yet. There was reason to just leave them be, of course. Even without today, some of the other girls weren't about to join her fan club. But what exactly was this gonna do, make things worse?
So Zoe had emerged from her room, an obvious look of relief on her face as she realised the TV wasn't showing the news. One repeat of the experience had been more than enough, knowing what she looked like to the wider world. The redhead was clearly exhausted and yes, ever-so-slightly drunk, but she figured it might be understandable. For whatever reason, it would appear she'd decided to join the group regardless.
Emma surpressed a heavy sigh as soon as she heard Angel's voice. She wasn't sure exactly how she was talkng to her, but considering the nature of the Aberration's power it wasn't too surprising that she had some way of reaching them. Reluctantly, slowly, Emma rose. She wasn't relishing talking to Angel again, but if the others were there... well, that would be enough.
Emma took a hesitant step outside, giving Angel a small nod. She couldn't just ignore her presence, after all. She examined Angel's spread. Lots of alcohol, lots of soda. She gave a slight smile, "Good work, Angel." she said.
This shit is bush league. she thought. But she'd keep that to herself, she decided, taking a seat.
With her roommate gone for what Siena assumed would be the rest of the night, Siena found herself flicking through the screens of her newly acquired phone. No SIM card meant no calls, but the Wi-Fi had been more than enough to scrape together the last backup she'd saved to the cloud, which restored her phone virtually back to tip top condition. She'd have to put the contacts back in, but that was something she could do when she got back to USARLIN.
The call history was disturbingly blank.
'Maybe I should try calling them again when I get back...' Siena thought to herself. Almost a full week without a single attempt...what if they'd called her back? What if they thought she was ignoring them? Something close to panic rose like bile from her stomach, through her chest, clogging the back of her throat. She hadn't really thought about that. Or worse...what if they hadn't even tried?
Thankfully, a sudden voice called--oh? Though her recent thoughts had torn most of her desire to party away from her, the brunette sat up, put her phone aside, and made her way out of her room as she reapplied the mask. It was better than being alone. Finding a handful of others already out Siena gave a brief smile. "Oooh..." Not exactly the same as the parties she was used to, but that meant it was probably going to be more enjoyable than the stiff, rigid rules that had to be followed.
Due to the events of the past night and early morning, Sophia had done little more than sit around, listen to music, and think the entire day. And rest, trying to catch up on sleep. The sudden intrusion of a voice without a person accompanying it made her start, looking around for the person to no avail. "Meet in the living room," she murmured, at last assuming that the voice was part of one of her classmate's powers. Which one, she didn't know. That nightmare had been right, she really didn't know her classmates at all. Couldn't even list all of their names.
Some strange coincidence that one of them was hosting some kind of a party, as if to help her along. Get to know her classmates, that was one thing she wanted to do. But... a party? Parties meant lots of people, and people meant... ugh. Interaction. Talking. Exchanging information. All of which she sucked at. Would going to the party be worth the effort, the anxiety?
One way to find out, part of her said, but the other part, You'll just be confirming to them that you have no social skills whatsoever, and are some kind of mumbling weirdo. Go. Don't go. Go. Don't go. She made herself get up, walk to the door and leave that safety. I can come back whenever I want. She headed towards the living room, lingering every few steps as she felt her hands grow warm and shaky. But she made it there, to the edge of the living room where she now stood, trying to look relaxed and like she belonged.
Except she really looked decidedly nervous and out of place.
Lily was by the window, staring out into the night sky, her mind again on her past. Or more like the absence of it. It was a huge blank, a big void. And lately, she had been wondering if she'll ever be able to fill it. Piece by piece maybe. Or maybe one whole chunk all at once. Or maybe none at all. It would have been useful if any of her classmates had powers that can see into the past. That would be incredibly cool and convenient. Maybe there's someone in USARILN like that. I should ask when we get back. And then--- She looked towards the source of the voice or at least the direction it came from.
"Gather around at the living room," she repeated, looked thoughtful for a moment and then jumped down from her perch. "Okay," she said as though the person calling out to them would hear her.
As soon as she entered the living room, she grinned. There really was a party. She has never been in one nor has she ever been invited to one. Or at least as far as she can remember.
Spotting the familiar faces of Emma and Siena, Callan entered the room a little too eagerly. Amethyst eyes immediately fell on Zoe and she froze, mentally cursing herself for not being more careful. Her plan had been to peek inside and see who was there before making up her mind to join in, but.. she honestly hadn't expected to see Zoe. Part of her felt annoyed by that. Even more so when she noticed the red tinge to the girl's cheeks. Was she drunk? Maybe it wasn't too late to leave. Had anybody else seen her? Callan edged back towards the door.
Of course Zoe of all people would be the one to notice Callan's entrance, but she didn't turn towards the girl. It was clear what the problem was, why she froze at the door. Coming in would be the hard part, actively approaching the place where Zoe sat. Almost like there was some kind of reason to think that way. Ha.
It was pretty simple to deal with. Zoe stood up, deciding to just go with it. She'd... She'd ruined enough today, right? Let Callan enjoy the night, or something like that. Pretending not to have noticed Callan, Zoe stood up, giving Angel a look of semi-drunken apology. She'd probably figure out Zoe's reasons.
"Be back in five. Gonna... walk, or something." Wasn't quite up to thinking of a good excuse, but it wasn't like where she went mattered. As she stood, she gestured slightly towards Callan, indicating that someone should talk to her. Even if the girl was a childish brat, Zoe didn't feel like ruining anyone's night so soon.
Seeing one girl after the others showing up by the living room, Angel greeted them with an enthusiastic wave. She kept to herself however when Emma showed up, unease settling in as her eyes crossed the other Aberration’s. Memories of what they had spoken of back in La Plata were still fresh in her mind, but Angel figured that this party would be a nice first step towards bringing everyone together. Plus, it would be nice to ease off the tension by having some fun tonight.
Sophia was no exception to Angel’s enthusiasm. Upon seeing the girl timidly staying by the edge of the room, spying at the party, Angel beckoned her to join them with a wave of her hand and a cheerful smile.
Of course, things started to get awkward when Callan showed up and immediately returned where she came from upon seeing Zoe. Can’t blame her to not stay in the same room as the one who rotted her arm out. But still, Angel felt like everyone should have the chance to have some fun tonight.
“Alright! You better not pass out on the toilet though!” Angel went along with Zoe’s excuse, faking a heartily laugh as she walked towards the redhead. “You better be back, you hear?. No way am I just going to let you mop around by yourself while we’re supposed to be having fun. You two don't need to talk to each other.” the would-be party organizer whispered to Zoe.
Emma had been sitting, stewing in the awkwardness between her and Angel. At least Siena and Lily where here- along with a few others she hadn't recognized. She greeted them both with an enthusiastic wave- it couldn't be too bad if she had a couple of friends, right?
Just than Emma noticed Callan peeking out, ready to head back in. Emma wasted no time in trying to catch her glance, standing up and looking at her with pleading eyes. She stepped over rapidly, making sure to catch her before she completed her retreat, ”Cal, you're planning on joining us, right?” Emma glanced back at Angel and Zoe, before turning back and mouthing 'I DON'T THINK SHE LIKES ME' as subtly as possible.
"I know, but it'll be hard enough to get her in here anyway. Helps if I take some time." Zoe replied, glancing back to where Emma was approaching Callan. There was a reason she'd been drinking before she knew about this, and it wasn't for the taste - she was upset, and angry, and didn't feel like dealing with it. It was showing slightly as she sighed and sagged her shoulders, eyes flitting to the TV. "Don't wanna ruin anything else today. I'll be back."
Angel nodded, giving the Aberration an exaggerated sigh. "Okay okay. But hey. If you don't make it back, you owe me an hour of drinking together." the singing Mage playfully nagged Zoe with a grin, contrasting the redhead's foul mood.
"...You know I'd do that anyway if you asked." Zoe replied, looking for a brief second as though she were about to say something else before she shook her head and started towards the door out of the room. "Just tell me when I can come back in."
Seeing Zoe stand up, Cal retraced her steps a bit more quickly. Spinning around, she beelined for the door.
Hearing Emma's voice as she reached for the doorknob, her shoulders tensed. She turned to face the girl with a forced grin. "Uh." The smile slipped as she read Emma's lips. She looked past her, noting with relief that Zoe seemed to be leaving as she tried to determine who Emma might be referring to. Feeling more comfortable already, and genuinely curious about who Emma might be referring to, Callan opened her mouth to ask, but was interrupted by Kusari's sudden arrival.
"You really have a bad habit of running away." Kusari said, showing up behind Callan. She let out a yawn and adjusted the silk robe around her. She had to tie the thing pretty tight to prevent it from slipping off of her thin frame. She had only decided to answer Angel's call because she was unable to sleep and bored out of her mind. She glanced at Zoe as she passed by, the girl seemed to be a bit tipsy already. Now wasn't the time to talk to her about what she's done to Callan, that could wait until they were back at the school.
Lily made a beeline towards the snacks on the table, inspecting each bowl with an excited grin, not really realizing the tension between the others. In her mind, they were all allies, they were all friends, there was no reason not to be comfortable around each other. She popped a corn chip into her mouth before she finally decided to look at the other girls. It was apparently Angelique who had organized and called all of them over. Of course. Her power was the use of her voice. She greeted her enthusiastically. "This will be fun," she added. And then there were Allison, Zoe, Emma, Sophia... She lifted a hand and waved hello to her friend and present room mate, gesturing for her to come closer to where the goodies were.
And then Callan and Kusari.
But Zoe and Callan wanted to leave even before things started. She wondered why but as always, didn't really ask. Instead, she looked for Sophia again, noticed that she didn't make a move to approach where she was, grabbed two bite sized chocolate bars and headed straight to her. She extended one of the chocolates to her. "It'd be terribly boring if you just stay here, you know?"
'Too many people...'
With everyone entering, Siena realized her mistake a fraction of a second too late. If anyone had been close enough to notice, they might have seen a flicker of panic flash across her features. No, she wasn't good at parties. Not by herself. Not without them. But...it was too late to leave, right? Too many steps away from her door and the different type of danger that being alone posed.
So she smiled instead, watching the girls of her class, eyes searching for cues she could read. Ways she could meld into the crowd just like--'But it's not like those parties, is it?' The thought shattered her perception for a moment, the reality of the situation quickly eliciting a powerful mixture of emotions. Oh god, she didn't know what she was doing there. The curious part of her burned, the part that wanted to experience everything, but the coward heart tried to back away. Observe things until the uncertainty washed away, or...anything, really.
While her heart battled with itself, the brunette chose to make as though she was perusing the beverage selection. A multitude of soda (unfamiliar) and alcohol (somewhat familiar) was easier to handle, right? Her eyes lingered over a few of the more expensive bottles. Drinks that could be sipped and savored...drinks that she'd once shared with--
'Stop it.'
"Guess something familiar might make getting used to this easier..." Siena tried to convince herself of that much while sending a sidelong glance at the others. Maybe she could drink half a bottle at once and see where that got her on the "ready to party" ladder.
"Wh-- I'm staying. Uhm. I just-- uh," Callan stepped sideways to view Emma and Kusari at the same time, struggling to come up with an excuse. Her eyes flickered towards Kusari's thin silk robes before she quickly looked to Emma, and then towards Siena in the distance. "Er-- is that wine?" she asked, gracelessly shifting the subject.
Emma gave Kusari a small wave before turning towards Siena and the wine, ”Looks like it. Angel set up a real party, huh?” Emma gave the turquoise-haired girl a slight nudge on the shoulder, ”Thanks for staying, by the way.” she said with a hushed whisper. An uncertain smirk from Callan was all she got before her attention was torn away by someone else who had approached the snack and beverage table.
Hazel, drawn by the unfamiliar word 'party', had expected some sort of gathering where they were to initiate a strike against the boys or some thing similar. Instead she was greeted with bottles upon bottles of strange looking liquids, and presumably edible things in large bowls. Still wearing that overly large shirt with a poorly tied robe on top, she snagged a drink and starting chugging it. It had bite, but in a different, more hissy way. There were those other food stuff to try, and the girls to talk to, but for now, they were less important than her drink.
"Whoa," Callan commented immediately. "D-does she always drink that much?" she asked Emma, more quietly.
Emma gave Callan a wide eyed glance.
”Oh god, not again.” she said, already taking off towards Hazel, ”Woah! Woah! Hazel, let's slow it down this time.” Emma stuck up her hand in a 'stop' signal, ”You remember how you felt last time you started drinking that stuff, right?”
"I remember. Do not worry." Hazel stopped drinking long enough to reply. "He is not here to mix the drinks together. There should be no worries if I just drink it without mixing them."
She paused for a moment, before offering the bottle to Emma.
"Did you want to drink as well?"
”Oooooooh...” Emma said hesitantly. ”You should know, just because Ernie's not mixing doesn't mean they won't have the same effect. It's the alcohol in the drinks that makes you feel that way.” Emma reached for one of the bottles of wine, filling a glass, she took a slow sip before looking back at Hazel, ”See, slow? Enjoy it, don't drink it all at once. And try not to have too much.”
Listening in on Emma and Hazel's exchange, Callan laughed uncertainly under her breath. 'Not again'? 'This time'? Ernie mixing drinks? She'd definitely missed something. Making up her mind to ask about that later, however, Callan left the pair alone and approached the snack table herself.
Watching Zoe leave the room for a moment, Angélique returned to overseeing how the party went. Emma reached out for Cal to keep her here along with Kusari, Siena and Hazel were already enjoying the liquor while Lilianna went to check up on Sophia. This was going rather well, despite the circumstances, Angel figured. It was nice to see that everyone showed up.
Satisfied with the outcome, Angel walked to the table and poured herself a glass full of red wine. She then joined Siena's side, offering the girl a smile as she approached "Hey there Siena! Enjoying yourself so far?"
"O-oh! I'm um...still getting warmed up, I think." Siena let a smile pull at her lips, raising her cheeks and forcing herself to allow it to reach the corners of her eyes. Close to an authentic smile for anyone that didn't know her well enough to have seen a real one--she supposed that was almost everyone. Carefully selecting her own glass, she deftly selected a bottle that she recognized--one that she doubted anyone realized the value of. Not the most expensive bottle, not even one that she especially liked--'I don't mind if you drink with me. The rest of 'em will expect you to drink a little better than this, though.'--but there were at least a few fond memories.
She poured herself two fingers of bourbon with ease that came from familiarity, though it wasn't entirely precise. Giving a mild-yet-mischievous smile to her companion, the brunette raised her glass lightly, allowing the liquor to lightly swirl around as she did so. "Through the lips and over the gums."
'Look out, stomach, here it comes.'
Callan watched quietly as Emma and then Angel each poured themselves a glass of wine, feeling only slightly tempted. Wine wasn't a drink she was very familiar with. Flavored beers, Rum and Coke, and Screwdrivers seemed to be common favorites when it came to the parties at her high school. At least the ones Gaby used to drag her to. None of them tasted very good, either.
Filling a plate with a few snacks, Callan gave one last glance towards the wine glasses before shaking her head and reaching for the punch. Of course, there was her super strength to consider, too. Definitely needed a clear head to keep that in check.
Reluctantly, Hazel put down the bottle, and poured herself a tall glass of wine instead. She diverted her attention instead towards the snacks, sitting down near a whole bowl of them, before starting to slowly but surely devour the contents of the bowl.
All Angélique had gotten as response to her wave and gesture was a small smile from Sophia, and she made no move to come closer in. She was fine right where she was, at the edge. She knew she would need to approach someone eventually, but... she'd wait. Just being here was good enough for now. To give herself something to do she observed the girls at the party closely, trying to remember their names and observing how they interacted.
Having Lily appear by her side made her feel somewhat better, though at the same time she felt a twinge of guilt. "Thanks." Sophia took the bar and opened it and ate, letting the chocolate melt in her mouth. Lily should be interacting with the rest, not staying here by her side. "Yeah, I know..." she responded with a sigh, her behavior noticeably different from how it usually was when alone with Lily. "Just..." A hand gestured to the people around them before she shook her head. "Nope." Looking over at the table where a few were now gathered around... alcohol, she frowned. Was this a good place for her to be?
"Really? You want to just stay here alone when there's food and drinks and people to talk to?" Lily raised an eyebrow and then shrugged, realizing that her friend was shy. "Okay," she said. "Or we could go together. I want to try those jellybeans there and maybe the marshmallows too and... well, everything including the drinks everyone's trying," she admitted with a giggle. "Though, I doubt I'd be able to keep up with them," she added, popping the chocolate into her mouth.
Sophia smiled tightly at Lily's remark about all the drinks, but agreed to go and snack with her. "Yeah... alright." She made her way over to the table, looking at each snack bowl as she decided which to try. "These do look good," she remarked quietly.
As the sounds of conversation began to fill the room, Zoe - Who'd actually been standing outside the door instead of going anywhere - Decided it would be safe to come back in. She tried to be as subtle as she could, but that wasn't really her strong point at the best of times. And at this particular time, she was a little shaky.
Probably wouldn't draw the attention of anyone that was caught up in conversation, or so she hoped. She wasn't normally too clumsy when she was drunk, but she'd been distracted anyway and the alcohol wasn't exactly helping. Taking note of where Callan was, Zoe decided against getting anything else to eat or drink for the moment and took a seat on the sofa, not looking at the arbiter other than an occasional uncomfortable glance.
Angélique grinned as she looked Siena down her glass like a seasoned drinker. Damn, Angel did not expect her delicate and well-mannered friend to be this intense when drinking. It sort of made her feel bad to have poured herself wine instead of the good drinking stuff. Wine tasted good, but it was better when savoring it slowly. "Damn, no restraint, huh? I like that!"
Finishing her glass of wine in one gulp, the seasoned party animal poured herself a glass of the same liquor Siena was drinking. Raising her glass high, Angel returned Siena's mischievous smile "Cul sec!"
Allison watched silently from her seat as the scene around her unfolded. Hazel chugging wine before adopting a more reasonable approach, Zoe coming, leaving, and then coming back quietly, Kusari being there at all, and Siena and Angel seeming to have a drinking contest. Allison probably seemed pretty antisocial, just sitting there not interacting with anyone. For a moment, she considered talking to Lily and Sophia, who seemed particularly uncomfortable, but Lily could probably keep the young girl entertained better than the room of drunken, awkward women. Instead, she got up to join Siena and Angel, opting to leave the drinking to the professionals.
"You two having a drinking contest over here or something?"
She'd forgotten how nice it was to drink with someone. Not the sipping of sherry or chardonnay, actual drinking. Though she'd tossed her first glass down in an attempt to loosen up, Siena found herself already starting to slip into a better crafted version of herself. Pouring herself a second helping--another two fingers, this time to savor the flavor--the girl smiled at Allison at her approach.
"I...think I'd lose a drinking contest," Siena said, punctuating the claim with a laugh. "But this is definitely the type of bourbon you'd use for one. It's a little sweeter than most, so it goes down easy."
The bottle of bourbon emptied itself quickly as Angélique helped herself a second time as well after her drinking partner did, taking her time to drink it this time as she listened to what Siena and Allison had to say. "Nah, just enjoying the drinking company. It's good to finally be able to have a proper party after so long."
Angel glanced at Allison, who had joined their side but hadn't taken a drink. "Got that right. The sour or burning stuff don't make good for drinking in one go."
"C'mon Alice, join us! We've got enough alcohol here to survive for days on the stuff. Can't leave this place without emptying at least one of their rooms, right?" Angélique pressured her best friends to empty those bottles, giving Siena a wide devious grin. It was hard to tell whether Angel was just as enthusiastic as her usual self when she was in a bright mood, or if the drinks started affecting her. Angel was known previously for being able to hold her liquor rather well for a while.
"I-I'm good," Allison said awkwardly, raising her hand in rejection, "It's probably better that I stay sober." If Allison was to start drinking, she was sure that things would go south extremely fast. Especially with the young Sophia present, Allison didn't want the tempting of her stigma to become any louder in her brain. The number of women drinking around her was already amplifying it enough.
"Hmmm, it's a bit of a shame though, missing out on this one." Siena claimed while gently tracing her fingers over the top of another unopened bottle. She'd noticed it earlier, but certainly felt a bit of hesitation in opening it. Pappy Van Winkle's was, by and far, the bourbon to top all bourbons...or so she'd heard. Gerwulf had once told her about the small glass he'd shared with her father after a rocky return from something vaguely described as a business trip...and even he could not deny that it was the type to drink straight up. No frills, no ice. Not even a few drops to open the aroma. "Apparently this is the king of its kind. It'd be nice to try it with--" She didn't miss a beat even as her mind fumbled for the correct word. "--friends."
It...it wasn't quite a lie, right?
"I think I'll shamefully miss out on it, then. Sorry."
"Really? Then that's something I have to absolutely try." Angel commented on Siena's bait about the bottle of apparently-sublime bourbon that hasn't been touched yet. The heavy-drinker of a Mage did the honors and opened the container with little effort, pouring the drink not only in Siena's and her own glass, but also in a third one.
"Oh, I'm such an idiot. I forgot you weren't drinking." Angelique said with a clearly fake apologetic tone, smiling ear to ear as she looked back to the two girls, mainly at Allison. "But now that there's a third glass full, it would be a shame if it that unclaimed drink goes to waste, right?" Angel playfully added as she slid the glass of bourbon towards her fellow Aberration friend.
"Not. Drinking." Allison said pointedly, leaving the glass on the table. She probably came off as rude, the other two just wanted to have a good time, but it was such an impossibly bad idea for Allison to drink. Maybe she should just go?
"Honestly..." Kusari grabbed the drink Angel was pushing onto Allison and downed it in one chug. "Such a bad influence you are." She said, wiping her lips. "If you want to drink with someone, how about me? That is, if you can keep up?" Kusari glanced over to Emma, flashing her a look that said "keep quiet."
Angelique's face turned more serious as she heard Allison's definitive negative answer. Perhaps she went too far, that much she realized. She wasn't as tipsy enough yet to miss those subtleties, as far as she knew. "Fine... you don't know what you're m-"
The sudden appearance of Kusari and her foretelling words heralded a challenge to Angel's ears. Smiling once more, she bottomed out her drink and let out a satisfied sigh. "Is that a challenge?" the fallen idol gave the white-haired Arbiter a cocky grin.
"I dunno." Kusari said with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "Will you make it one?" She refilled the glass in her hand. This was probably a little unfair, in fact it was basically cheating. But it was something else for sure, funny as hell.
”Hell yeah I will, girl! I haven't had a challenge in months!" The Aberration answered, looking passionate and enthusiastic as ever.
Watching as the challenge unfolded before her, Siena glanced at Allison with a sheepish smile and the bourbon in her hand. Well, this wasn't exactly what she saw coming when she'd sung the praises of a drink she'd never tried, though it was still an entertaining change of pace. "Well...that drinking contest is happening after all." Though thankfully it didn't involve her. She might have appreciated liquor, but Siena certainly didn't appreciate being drunk. "Well, if you're not going to sample any of the liquor, maybe I can at least interest you in something else here."
Making a motion over the selection that Angel had made available, Siena only noticed then how full her glass was. The alcohol would take its time working through her system if previous experience was anything to go by, but she'd never really been much of a quick drinker--this was probably the fastest she'd ever ingested the intoxicating substance. No doubt that was why she could feel a faint heat trying to rise through her. Too much too quickly. "Oh, I really was just going to sample this..."
"I really shouldn't..." Allison protested, as she looked over the table, and the drinking contest going on next to her. It was very likely that this night wasn't going to end without her drinking something. Maybe just one glass would be okay? "Fine, but that's it."Allison took the glass that Siena was clearly hinting she should take. She had no knowledge of the substance, in fact she had never had alcohol before. This was an impossibly bad idea. She took a sip of the strange liquid. It was... weird, not awful, but not something she wanted to sip at for a while. Allison threw her head back and downed the glass in one go.
At this point Kusari was on her eighth glass of wine. As she expected she didn't feel anything at all, she was more worried about how soon she'd need to go to the bathroom than how hard her liver would need to work. She let out a fake yawn as she refilled the glass. "You might want to throw in the towel now."
While it was clear that Angel looked no longer sober as she matched Kusari's drink count, she was having difficulty standing up but her liveliness and joy seemed to not only have remained the same, but instead doubled. At times she was tipping forward or backwards, her soft giggles transformed into laughter. When she heard Kusari's remark, the drunken angel of rock would laugh again as she poured herself another glass of vodka. "Hey... th-thiz con...contezt iz far from... over! I... juzt need a zeat." She stammered through her alcohol-induced haze.
Stumbling her way to a couch, Angelique let herself drop onto one free spot, not too far from where Zoe was sitting. Her glass-full of vodka was surprisingly intact from the fall, suggesting the girl still had good muscle reflexes despite her state. Or maybe it was true that she was far from over yet.
"Man, is thiz... juzt me or iz... the couch feeling like... quickzand? Can't get up... a-anymore." The rockstar of old laughed loudly before muting herself, chugging the drink in her hand as quickly as it was water.
Zoe was starting to figure out she'd had more than she realised. Maybe she hadn't realised quite how much she'd had to drink before coming here, never mind after a few more trips to grab more. But even still, she didn't think she was as drunk as the girl who'd taken a seat next to her, whose contest she'd watched out of curiosity. As Angelique flopped down next to her, she laughed.
"...'s not that soft. Shouldn't get in a contest if..." Zoe looked at Angel, and then to Kusari, the girl who'd challenged her. Kusari, who wasn't drunk in the slightest, despite the absurd amount of alcohol they must both have had. "How--" In a moment of realisation, Zoe came to the obvious conclusion. Can't get drunk.
"...Dick move." Zoe muttered, slightly underestimating how loudly she was doing so because Kusari would almost definitely hear her. Luckily, she didn't seek out a fight, instead moving towards the other girl on the sofa. Hopefully Zoe could take her mind off of rejoining the drinking contest, in the spirit of no-one getting alcohol poisoning. "Angel... You, uh, good?"
"B-better than ever!" The black-haired young woman replied cheerfully, fumbling in her seat as she was trying to get up shortly after realizing she was out of drinks and forgot to bring the bottles. "And... and you? En-enjoying yourzelf?" She added, her wobbly legs shaking as she tried standing up.
"Lot better than earlier." Because she was too fuzzy to properly recall the events. Watching Angel try to stand up, Zoe shook her head. So much for getting her to stop thinking about drinking. Ha. Rhymed. "I'll get 'em. You want a bottle or something?" At least this way she could try and stop the black-haired girl from having enough to put herself in danger. Plus she'd pass raptor girl on the way.
Of course, Zoe probably could have found something more stable to pull herself up with than grabbing the rockstar's arm but her judgement wasn't great either at the moment. She was halfway through the action when she realised her teammate's balance might not be up to it, but at least Zoe made it to her feet.
"Don-don't worry. I got... thiz." Angelique replied as she finally made it carefully on her legs, but the sudden shifting of weight as Zoe pulled herself up using her arm threw the rockstar off-balance, flopping back onto the couch. Despite that, she laughed innocently. "Or y-you can ind-... bring a bo-bottle of Jack."
"Gotcha. I'll be back." Zoe laughed off the fact that she'd sort of accidentally slammed Angel into the couch, turning towards the drinks table. So, there was a lot there... Bottles. Needed a bottle. Man, she didn't know what half of this stuff was, but at least Angel had asked for something she'd recognise. Grabbing the smallest bottle there, along with a glass of vodka for herself she turned to head back and sit with the girl some more.
Which she would have done, but on her way she couldn't help but catch sight of Kusari. Deciding the bottle seemed sturdy enough and that Angel could open it on her own, Zoe tossed it over to the sofa where it landed next to the singer. Turning to look at Kusari, she could have just forgotten about it until the morning, but that wasn't her style. Glancing at the glass in her hand, Zoe spoke. "Must be fun havin' drinking contests with a magic liver."
Her opponent was effectively defeated, much to the amusement of Kusari. Angel couldn't even stand on her own at this point, she was so out of it Zoe decided to try and help her.
Kusari had ignored the first remark Zoe had made towards her, seems she had put two and two together and figured that her ability was granting her an edge. She let that one go, however the second remark got a reaction out of her. Kusari put on a borderline manic toothy grin, and quickly placed her right arm around Zoe's shoulder, bringing the girl close. "That's what we're here for right? To have fun."
"'Course. 'Fun' like trickin' people into going way past what they should. Life of the party, raptor girl." Zoe returned the grin almost hungrily, as if she'd been waiting for an opportunity to rile someone up. It was unclear whether she was genuinely angry or just hoping to get a rise out of the other girl, or both. Either way, she seemed to be enjoying the situation. "Gonna start putting stuff in drinks next, or's that only on weekdays?"
Allison felt absolutely terrible. Drinking that entire glass was not exactly smart. Immediately, her nose and throat felt as if they were on fire, and the rest of her seemed to feel distinctly off. How strong was that alcohol? It only got worse by the second, though Allison could feel her mind loosening up, her thoughts running wild, if a bit sluggish. She needed to sit down. Angel was sitting down, clearly drunk off her ass, and Zoe had vacated the space next to her, so that seemed like as good a place as any.
"H-hey Angel, you alright?" She said as she sat down, well enough that she didn't seem completely drunk, or at least the alcohol hadn't really gotten to her yet.
While Zoe went to have a talk with Kusari, Angel cracked open the stopper from the bottle of Jack Daniels, taking a quick sip straight out of the bottle after 'making sure' no one saw her. Pouring herself a glass of the popular brand of rhum, Angel called out "Ten!" just before emptying her drink. God, now she started to feel it.
As Allison joined the drunken mess of an Aberration, she gave the girl a wide smile. "W-why d-doez ewery...one geep a-azking me that?" she mused, looking over at the table of drinks. "I-I guezz I d-did dring a lot... huh?" Angel said, sounding somewhat lucid of her own behavior.
"H-help me up... would y-you?" She asked Allison, her tone growing more serious despite her jolly mood.
Kusari's borderline manic smile had now foregone the 'borderline' aspect. "Zoe 'Severing' Fletcher is giving me a moral lecture, that's richer than the dipshits staying below us." She let out a chuckle before reaching her hand into Zoe's pant's pocket, her right arm still holding onto the girl's shoulder.
"Raptor? Come on now, you know what a raptor looks like." She pulled out Zoe's phone and held it to her mouth. "Hey Siri, show me what a velociraptor looks like." The phone quickly lit up and searched the internet for her question, bringing up a picture of the small dinosaur. "Now you see that? You see the way it's legs are bent? That's what is called Digitigrade. My leg, my leg is plantigrade, just like your legs." She zoomed in on the picture, focusing on the creature's feathers.
"And does it look like I have feathers? Nah girl, I don't." She lightly tapped the phone on Zoe's forehead and handed it back to her, also letting her shoulder go.
Holding the phone tightly, Zoe couldn't help but be thankful that was all Kusari had decided to do with it.
"...Not here for a biology lesson. Don't care if they're digi--" She broke off after a couple of attempts at the word. Not the point, anyway... And was she being laughed at? Scowling at what she saw as the implication she was a dumbass, Zoe shook her head.
"Figure of speech. And stealing things outta people's pants? Not helpin' your case here." Zoe locked eyes with Kusari, clearly unwilling to let it go. If she'd been more sober, she might've dropped it, but then common sense was out of the window by now. And she was needled by the girl's comments, so instead of walking away, she stood face-to-face with her classmate. It wasn't the first time she'd picked a fight when she was drunk, and it was heavy on her breath as she spoke. "We got some kinda issue to work out, Kusari?"
Kusari's grinning expression flattened into a blank glare. "Oh, no issue at all, Zoe. You've done Abso. Lutely. Nothing. Wrong." She let out an annoyed sigh and walked over to the snacks. She grabbed a bag of chips and tore them open, nearly causing the salty contents to spill onto the floor. Holding herself back from laying into Zoe now was harder than she thought it'd be. She didn't want to ruin the party, so she decided to drop the issue, and not bring up Zoe mutilating one of her allies.
Despite being drunk, there was one thing Angel could always rely on, her hearing. From her spot, the tipsy Aberration could hear the not-so-subtle discussion Zoe and Kusari were having.
It's all fun and games until people start getting worried and bicker.
While her initial plan was to get herself so drunk she'd pass out for the night, Angel could no longer afford to drink herself up to that state if her friends like Zoe and Allison starting being worried for her well-being. Even worse, started arguing and find someone to blame for her current drunken state.
With Allison's help, Angel managed to get up, and slowly started walking with her best friend supporting her. "Enough... both of you." Angel's magical voice reached out to the two girls, severely dampened by a mixture of alcohol getting to her throat and the suppressing cuff.
"It'z al- alright, Zoey. I... I know w-what I waz doin'." The raven-haired Aberration said, putting a reassuring hand on the redhead Mage's shoulder while giving the white-haired Arbiter a not-so-defeated smirk. "I... just w-wanted zome... one to k-keep up with my dri-drinking anticz." It wouldn't have been the first time Angel brought up a challenge for an ulterior motive, Zoe having experienced one of such quite recently.
Glancing back at Angel, Zoe shrugged the hand off of her shoulder, forcing a smile but still worried. She wouldn't stop the girl from drinking if she was aware of what was going on, but she couldn't help but be protective, even if the singer was older than she was and probably just as - if not more - experienced with all this. Hopefully. "Just so long's you don't poison yourself." Backing down for the most part, she shot Kusari one last warning glare.
Man, Zoe hated interruptions. And here she'd been all ready for a fight, but... Yeah, maybe she should've figured out what was happening first. Probably would've tried if she was thinking clearly.
"But... fine. She's running away anyhow. Think that means I win." Zoe raised her voice slightly so Kusari would hear her, more out of drunken stubbornness than anything else. Realistically, she'd have forgotten most of this by the morning, but for now, it was fun to try and antagonise the other girl, and why would she hold back now? With a shake of her head, Zoe walked off to get another drink. Something non-alcoholic this time. She got the feeling she'd had enough already.
Allison Revel unsteadily propped up her friend as Zoe walked off. The conflict was resolved from what the fuzzy mind of Allison could tell. The thing that she was most aware of was the girl she was propping up, clearly not able to stand on her own. "Ang... Angel," A wide smile hung loosely across Allison's flushed face, "Ya know, you're kinda cute when you're drunk," She paused for a moment, "like, really, really cute, actually." A drunken giggle escaped the poor girl's mouth.
"Awww jush Alice. Y-you're juzt bein'... drunk." which surprised Angel considering she had a hard time convincing the girl to drink. But her breath clearly smelled of bourbon. Did Siena managed to make her cave into peer pressure? The brunette Arbiter sure was full of surprises tonight.
With Zoe gone back to sitting where she had been previously and Kusari raiding the snacks, the singer's mind was at peace, although she felt partly responsible for the squabble between the two girls. Probably wouldn't have happened if she didn't have the bright idea to get herself wasted with their Immortal Arbiter.
"I'm... zorry 'bout that. Guezz we'll... have t-to gon-gontinue our jallenge... another time." The raven-haired rockstar gave the girl an apologetic smile. "Guezz I gotz... two lil' siz wo-worried b-'bout me."
"Let'z have a g-go... at it a-again zomeday, K-Kuz... Kuu." Angel stammered through the Arbiter's name, settling wih a familiar nickname instead. With a proper apology being said, Angel returned to her previous seat with the help of Allison.
“Zo? How wazzit?”
"Fucking awful!" Allison words were loose, slurred, and probably a bit too loud. She flopped onto the couch next to Angel. "I'm never doin' this again!" She leaned against the other girl without warning, resting her head on Angel's shoulder with a much too pleased look on her face.
"Oh... I guezz alcohol izn't for e-every...one. But zometimez it'z for the feelz... not the tazte." Angel replied, her drunk-happy mind not minding the head of the loving girl resting on her shoulder. On the contrary, being so close, Angel couldn't keep her hands to herself and began stroking Allison's hair, gliding her fingers through the other Aberration's silky strands of hair.
"Veelin' zleepy?"
"No," Allison couldn't help but let another giggle escape her drunken lips, "I just like lying here. This is nice." She wrapped her arms loosely around Angel.
Angel simply nodded, oblivious. Yeah... it zure iz a comvy sova."
"Yea... but I meant with you, silly," Allison said, pouting. Angel sure was dense sometimes, wasn't she? "As punishment, you get to be my pillow." Allison removed her head from Angel's shoulder, repositioning herself so that she was laying down, resting her head in Angel's lap.
"O-Oh, I... I like bein’ with you… too." The words echoed Allison's although they had a different meaning in Angel's sisterly mind. It felt weird to have Allison's head resting on her laps now, but somehow it didn't feel totally wrong. As a matter of fact, she welcomed it. It felt like those scenes Angel saw on TV when the little sister was looking for comfort by putting her head on the big sister's laps. The fallen idol felt gratified to have someone be that way towards her, she who always dreamt of having a sister. "I thought yo-you weren't sleepy? Billowz are m-meant to be zlept on, y‘now?" Angelique chuckled as she petted Allison's hair.
"You're awful," Allison joked, releasing another dumb giggle. "But you're my kind of awful. I've been holding myself back just for you, ya' know. It's really hard to hold myself back. Like, really, really, really, really, really, really..." Allison trailed off. The stigma had been beating at her brain all week, the stress of trying to avoid doing anything rash building up with time. Allison wasn't usually one to let the stress get to her, she had dealt with it for a while, but it seemed that the alcohol had brought it to the surface, letting it mix with the stigma's free reign of her thoughts. It was apparent in the sudden sadness of her voice.
Although drunk, Angel was not deaf to the shifting tone of a friend's voice. She was curious as to what Allison was holding back. No, she knew exactly what it was, but Angelique had refused to acknowledge it ever since that time she read Allison's love song at the motel. Sooner or later, she will have to face the truth. But not right now. Not while she did not have her whole mind clear. Instead, Angel just put reassuring arms onto the brunette lying down on her laps. "I-It'z alright. I'm z-zorry."
"Mhm. Thanks, Angel." Allison went back to sounding much too chipper, a drunken smile apparent on her face. "Yur the beszt." Allison continued to mutter unintelligibly for a few moments, before she clearly dozed off in Angel's lap.
"You're my bezt too..." Angel trailed off, hearing the heavy breathing of the girl falling asleep. Her lips returned to a serene smile, allowing her own eyes to wander to the living room, overseeing what the others were up to.
From her seat far from Zoe, Callan observed the drinking contest with great concern. Allison, Kusari, and Angel were throwing back glasses like they were shots. At this rate, someone was going to throw up, pass out, or both. It was fortunate that she managed to finish her cup of punch before Kusari slung her arm around Zoe as she immediately tensed to the point of crushing it in her hand. When the pair finally parted ways, Callan sighed heavily, leaning back in her seat. Everyone was getting hammered. Responsible drinking at its finest.
Her escalating nerves were getting to be too much and she wondered for a moment if her idea to completely forgo the booze had been a good idea. A buzz would probably make everything that was happening seem a lot less horrifically dangerous than it was anyway. At least Emma seemed to have the right idea. Having told Hazel to take it slow. "Hey," Callan turned towards Emma, glad to have at least one mostly sober person to talk to, "Who were you talking about before?"
Emma had been glued to an awkward corner; she'd came out for the drinks, not the company. She was in a weird mood, received an unexpected message. Plus, with the party focused around Angel, Emma would rather not get in the way of the girl's fun, the air around them remaining unclear after their little spat.
Callan, however, was a welcome voice. Ever since their little arcade outing Emma had been more and more convinced they'd be friends. Emma gave a small huff when she heard her question. ”Angel.” Emma said plainly under her breath, ”We had like... a... weird thing at the motel. I dunno.” Emma said quietly, making sure Angel wouldn't hear. ”And who have you been avoiding?” Emma said, raising her eyebrow slightly, well aware of how aloof Callan was being.
Callan did her best to keep her eyes off Angel while Emma explained-- though the older girl would probably be incapable of suspecting their gossip if she stared. It struck her as odd that Emma might not get along with someone like Angel, but then again, she hadn't really spoken to her beyond a few pleasantries. All she could say for certain was that Angel was friends with Siena, who didn't have the greatest history with Emma either, now that she thought of it. Brushing the thought aside for later, Callan balanced a pretzel stick between her teeth as she mumbled a barely audible answer to Emma's question.
"Zoe mostly," she said, willing herself not to look at Kusari again.
Emma's mouth opened a little, but she stopped herself. ”That... makes sense.” Emma sighed, ”Did you talk to her at all after that... thing?”
"I did," Callan answered grimly. "It... didn't go very well."
Emma nodded. ”Well, don't worry about it too much. You've got plenty of reason to avoid Zoe, meanwhile me and Angel just had a dumb argument.”
Her only response was a short, dry laugh before Callan slid a few more pretzels into her mouth.
Emma's phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out quickly- she'd set it to track any news articles about Time Scar or any other of the notable Subnaturals in the group. Her eyes flew over the headline before she let out a light gasp.
”Are you fucking kidding me?” she said, irritation cutting clear through her voice. ”Take a look at this, Cal.” Emma said, lightly lobbing her phone at the girl.
On it a headline read in large block letters 'SUBNATURAL RAMPAGE? TIME SCAR AND PROTEUS SPOTTED IN D.C. NIGHTCLUB'. The ensuing article was a clearly written slam piece condemning any positive press Marcus's interview might have caused, describing the fight between two unidentified Subnaturals that accompanied Time Scar and Proteus into the club, further decrying them as a general nuisance and danger to the Regulars around them.
Callan glanced at Emma's phone. Her eyebrows immediately shot up as soon as she read the headline. Apparently Zoe wasn't the only person she needed to be worried about right now. "Whoa-- this is recent, isn't it?" she looked up at Emma worriedly.
Emma gave a frustrated sigh, ”The article just went up. After all that good press we got too...”
"It doesn't mention the two subnaturals that were fighting," Callan noted, scrolling through the article some more.
”It doesn't, but I have my guesses.” Emma said with a frown. Didn't Marcus know better than to try something like the after what happened at the orchestra? ”I wish they waited until we got to CC1 to pull something like this. D.C. already hates us enough.”
Callan was quiet for a moment, staring at the words of the article without reading them as she thought. Handing the phone back to Emma, Callan frowned. "Who do you think it was?" she asked, concerns clearly elsewhere. Remembering the general's ominous warnings from before, she looked visibly afraid, "You think they're okay?"
Emma answered Callan's first question without hesitation, ”Sander and Ernie. Did you see the way they were sizing each other up at lunch? They shouldn't have been out drinking together.” as for Callan's next question Emma bit her lip. ”I wouldn't worry about them. They have superpowers... and... I don't think the school is going to let anything happen to them. We're important to them, for whatever reason.”
Sander and Ernie? Callan had almost completely forgotten about their little spat during breakfast before Wisford. With everything that had happened since then, it seemed so long ago. Comforted by Emma's reassurances, Callan was finally starting to see why Emma was so frustrated. She groaned, pressing her hands against her head. "They're drinking?" Callan glanced irritably back at Zoe, who was continuing with her table antics, "They couldn't have done that here at the hotel?"
”Apparently not.” Emma muttered.
Vrrzt
Another notification. Emma groaned as she unlocked her phone again, ”What the hell have they done thi-”
'SHOTS FIRED IN D.C. NIGHTCLUB- SUBNATURAL MASSACRE?'
”O-oh no.”
Emma got up quickly, ”Police at the club. There were gunshots. I'm going to call Marcus.” Emma said hurriedly, voice shaky. She retreated towards her room, finding Marcus on her contacts list. Callan shot one final look of concern back at the others before hurreidly following suit, heart pounding in her ears. Nobody else was sober enough to help anyway.
Speaking of Zoe, the girl was bored again. Had enough sense not to resume the confrontation with Kusari, and Angel and Allison were caught up in something or other. Who else was there around here? Lily and Sophia were already talking together, then Emma and Callan, which was obviously a no-no, and Hazel was Hazel. Well, process of elimination...
"Fancy meetin' you here." She grinned, walking up beside Siena and tapping her on the shoulder. "Done with drink tonight. Hangover'd kill me otherwise." Or someone else. Ooh, that was a good one. Have to work that into a one-liner, like... Something. About hangovers. All deadpan and shit... What the hell was she on about?
"So, how much're we messin' up the etty... eaty... The manners?" Zoe laughed, realising she was doing a pretty good job of answering her own question. But hey, Siena had said something about being rich, so that made her the expert or something. "Outta ten."
It was hard to believe the differences in everyone's interactions as soon as (enough) alcohol entered their systems...though Siena wasn't oblivious to the fact that alcohol reduced the inhibitions that normally kept one acting like a functioning member of society. Despite that, the brunette couldn't help but feel twinges of entertainment as she watched the events before her unfold.
It was nice, seeing how everyone acted when they weren't completely on their guards.
...which apparently hers was not, as Siena jumped slightly at the tap on her shoulder, her attention jerking to the source. Before she could even fully register the words, the brunette felt her guard dropping again. Siena still couldn't deny the odd sense of comfort that rose to greet her as she gave a small laugh before responding to the redhead's question.
"Well, I'd say maaaaybe an eight." She took a look around the room as if scanning it for her analysis before continuing her statement, a cheeky grin forming as she did. "I don't think there's a ten until someone begins dancing on the tabletop while singing in Italian with her clothing either half off or flung over the nearest chandelier." The grin fell into a controlled chuckle. That was actually a true story. "So I think we're doing a pretty good job."
"'That mean we're losin'?" Zoe laughed before she went quiet for a moment, looking up at one of the chandeliers with earnest curiosity. It wasn't that high up right? She could make that throw, and really, it wasn't like she was modest... It didn't occur to her that maybe Siena wasn't making a suggestion. Nah, that'd be dumb. After all, it was - Yeah, it was a great idea. But it wouldn't really work, she realised.
"...Don't speak Italian." She shook her head, looking slightly disappointed. That was the issue as far as Zoe was concerned. From the look on her face it was fairly obvious that Zoe had been considering the rest of the idea. After a pause, she snickered, appearing to brighten up as she turned a wicked smile to Siena. "You speak Italian?" It wasn't hard to see where she was going with this, although the redhead wasn't entirely serious.
...
"H-Huh?" Siena wasn't entirely sure what she was hearing, or...well, no. She was certain about what she was hearing, but the implications...Zoe was kidding right? The wicked smile, the brightened mood. The question. Siena battled with herself for a moment, uncertain over whether the redhead was serious or whether it was the alcohol and the desire to be funny. The brunette felt her smile falter for a moment, the alcohol dampening her usual rational thinking until an answer came. "Uh, I know some arias?"
...why did she feel like she was making a terrible mistake?
"R...Really?" Zoe looked like she hadn't been expecting a yes. And also like she wanted to ask what an aria was, since she couldn't quite remember but was almost 90% sure it was some kind of Disney character. It sounded right! But now that she realised her dumb idea wasn't a complete loss, the table didn't look that wobbly... Screw it. She'd done worse to her reputation already today. In a moment of something that was either bravery or outright stupidity, she looked at Siena, drunken determination settling over her expression as she decided she'd come too far to back down now.
"You just do the singin'? ...'less you felt like, 's up to you." Zoe laughed, completely ignoring what a terrible idea this was, although part of her was vaguely hesitant about it. Honestly, if Siena protested, Zoe would probably reconsider the whole idea, but otherwise hey, she was great at dancing! Or at least she'd reached the point where she thought she was, but reality didn't exactly agree. Besides, it was Zoe, and... "'S not anyone hasn't seen me half..."
Although come to think about it, last time had ended with her getting tased, so maybe she could do it without that part. Or did that ruin the point of it all? Either way, oddly enough, she couldn't shake the slight feeling that she might regret this tomorrow.
You really should stop her.
The thought was more distant and hazy than it should have been--probably the effect of having had more alcohol than usual without any food to help soak it up. Against her better judgment, Siena took another sip from her alcohol-filled glass. This was a terrible idea. She really should prevent Zoe from reenacting the singular most embarrassing thing that Siena had ever seen someone subject themselves to.
"Maybe we should uh..." Oh shit, where was her train of thought? The brunette cleared her throat to buy herself a moment to try and grasp the threads of what she wanted to say. It didn't return to her. "...uhh, go for a different language? Everyone does the Italian stuff."
That was not at all what the original train of thought was.
"...wait, can you dance?"
"Nope!" Zoe looked oddly proud of herself for that. "Not got-- Rhythm, all... She waved a hand around randomly in a way that failed to get any point across at all, but it seemed to satisfy her. But then she smiled widely, refusing to let her complete lack of ability to carry out the plan get in the way of carrying out the plan.
Stubbornness wasn't really a well-placed trait in this case. So instead of accepting the fact that this wouldn't work, she looked at Siena with a smile. "'S school, right? I'm learnin'." Zoe said, with the almost infallible logic of a complete idiot.
"Just... Choose one! German or something, that's almost Italian!" It was probably nothing like Italian, but Zoe wasn't sticking around to hear any protests. Her gaze fixed on one of the chandeliers as she stood up and started to walk towards the table. At some point, she'd forgotten that there was at least one person in this room scared shitless of her, but still-- What could go wrong, right? Trying to stop her at this point was probably futile.
And she looked precariously close to faceplanting as she attempted to climb onto the table.
This is a terrible idea.
That was the prominent thought as Zoe began (attempting) to climb a table just a bit too close to a nearby chandelier While Siena was aware that she should probably have stopped th redhead, a mixture of being stunned and morbid curiosity stayed her hand just long enough to let the alcohol start trying to talk.
"Wait, Zoe, you have to be careful climbing onto..." Was that really what Siena should have been concerned about?
"Don' worry, I have this!" Zoe did not have this, but eventually managed to make it onto the table with great difficulty. Not standing, but definitely on the table, having displaced an almost impressive amount of drinks and snacks in the process. Looking over at Siena from where she was lying across the table, she raised a hand lazily for a thumbs up. "See! 'm an expert!"
Still, looking at the chandelier, Zoe appeared to be trying to judge... Something. Yeah, the dancing was unoriginal, but there was definitely another idea that had grabbed her attention. Right now, though, she felt like there was something missing from this - Specifically, background music. Wasn't dramatic without background music. "Hey, you doin' the singin' thing?"
"I don't think I'm a terribly g--" Too late. Way too late. That alcohol-induced haze had set into motion a series of events that had grown into something that couldn't be stopped. She really should have stopped Zoe. Again the voice tried to sound, this time loud enough to break through at least part of the stupor, but not enough to make her take action.
Not waiting for an answer on the music front, Zoe looked at one of the chandeliers that was hanging a few metres over from the table. The whole idea of the things got on her nerves, really. And now that she looked, it wasn't that high up-- Well, it was, kind of. She wasn't sure whether it was too high for her to reach on her own, but when had something like that ever stopped her? Hmmm... Nope, she wanted to do something to it, but she wasn't quite sure she could reach.
Improvising was a good skill. She liked that skill. Barely even paid attention to the others in the room as she took her shirt off and tied it (badly) into a loop, glaring at the lighting all the while. Honestly, who even had the time to pay for chandeliers? Nobody. Absolutely nobody. They were dumb. Fuck chandeliers. Still half-committed to the original plan, she threw the loop, and whether by luck or some miracle of hand-eye coordination, it caught on the chandelier.
Of course, coordination and physical fitness could only stretch so far with the state she was in. A fact which the muscular redhead was to learn all-too-quickly as she jumped off of the table, stretching out towards the loop. It wasn't really a question of being able to physically reach the chandelier - Because she missed horribly regardless. But for what it was worth, it managed to be one hell of a faceplant.
"Oh my--Zoe!" The stripping was one thing, the loop was another thing, the jump was disaster. Quickly abandoning her glass on the nearest flat surface (ironically, the table), Siena quickly made her way to the redhead, concern evident in her voice, on her face, and good lord, Zoe really hit the floor with her face. Carefully, the brunette tried to think back to whatever useless first aid knowledge Gerwulf had tried to impart onto her. Tried being the key word in that instance.
'I knew I should have paid more attention to him then.'
"Oooh, this was totally my fault..."
Anxiously following Emma into her room, Callan remained on her feet as she watched, eyes darting between the girl and the phone. She didn't realize she'd been holding her breath until she heard Marcus's voice come through the speaker phone. Still prepared for the worse, she let Emma handle the questions as she listened intently.
”Marcus? What the hell is happening? They're talking about you guys all over the news... was anyone hurt?”
"Ernie brained Sander with a glass pitcher because they're both morons, and I almost got shot because of them, but nobody else that I know of. Maybe a few regulars that tripped over themselves?' Marcus said, almost absentmindedly.
”Jesus...” Emma gave Cal a glance at the mention of Ernie and Sander. She totally called it. ”I'm glad you're all right... glad that you're all all right.”
Emma almost considered telling him how stupid what they did was, but held off on it.
”So no one got injured? Shot? The news made it out like there was some kind of police raid on the club.”
"Awww, you do care!" Marcus said. Despite the fact that he said it in a slightly mocking tone, he was legitimately happy to hear that Emma had been worried enough to make sure he hadn't been killed. It was nice to be thought about, even if it was being thought about getting riddled with bullets.
"Not that I know of, and not any of us - save for the aforementioned pitcher smashing. Ernie's gonna get hurt later when I chew him out, but most of our blood is still where it belongs. As for 'police raids'...there were a lot of police outside, yes."
Emma sighed. ”Alright. What about Zhang? Are there gonna be problems with the Institute?”
"There's always problems at the Institute. But apparently the good Director was nice enough to send Kadabra to help us out! Say 'hi' to Kadabra!" he said, holding the phone out to the Precursor.
He might have had a light buzz going.
”Wait, wait, wait, what!? Kadabra's there? Marcus, what is a Precursor doing there? Are you messing with me?”
"Nope! No jokes! He stopped all the police from turning us into lasagna. It was pretty cool - bet you wish you'd been there, huh?"
Emma paused for a moment. If Kadabra was there that only reinforced what she already knew- the Institute had a special interest in them. Sending a Precursor to watch over drunken kids, though... that went deeper than mere interest.
”No, actually. No I don't. I mean, this isn't going to look good for us. The news is already reporting on it-”
Emma stopped herself.
”Listen, just... try not to get into any more trouble, alright?”
"To be fair, I was not the one getting into trouble. I was being responsible, and just enjoying the company. I will, however, be keeping an eye on these idiots and trying to make sure they don't get us all arrested. Although I doubt we'll have to worry about that anymore."
Emma was going to tell him that going out to a bar in a city hated them was trouble enough, but she decided to save that lecture for later, instead satisfying herself by giving Cal an exasperated glance. ”Alright. I'll see you soon, then.”
"Here's hoping!"
Even with there still being plenty of concerns, Callan recovered quickly from the scare upon hearing the casual tone of her inebriated roommate. She tried to remind herself that his judgement was probably impaired and she should definitely be just as upset as Emma. As Kadabra's name was mentioned, however, she was embarrased to admit that she DID kind of wish she was there. She'd have to remember to ask Marcus more about that later, but for now.... With the conversation coming to a close, her eyes wandered around the room she had managed to walk into without thinking.
Emma and Marcus's room. She wasn't really sure what she was looking for as her eyes combed over the floor and nightstands, but she quickly caught herself before Emma could think her nosy. "Alright, well. At least everyone's okay. If Kadabra's with them, I'm sure they'll be fine," she paused for a moment, feeling wierdly excited about having used the Precursor's name so casually. "Anyway, I think I've had enough excitement for one day... probably just gonna turn in for the night." If Marcus was going to be back soon, she definitely didn't want to be here in this room. She felt uncomfortable enough as it was, standing awkwardly by their bed.
”Yeah... the party out there is pretty...”
Emma's eyes narrowed. ”Well, parties are never fun if you're the sober one.” Emma said suggestively with a slight smile.
Callan grinned sheepishly. "Well, parties have never really been my forte," she admitted, feeling an odd sense of nostalgia accompanying Emma's tone. Old memories that weren't altogether good. But not quite altogether bad either.
”Oh yeah? Far be it from me to peer pressure you Cal... I understand if you're too scared.” Emma said with a wink and a grin.
"Wh-- scared?" Callan gawked, a smile creeping across her face as her demeanor slowly morphed, "I'm not scared."
Emma mentally cheered. After their bout at the arcade Emma picked up on Cal's competitive streak and it was easy to call into play here. ”Alright then supergirl, get out there and prove it.” Emma said coyly before opening the door for her.
Despite the urge to prove Emma wrong, Callan hesitated, thinking back to her original train of thought. If she drank too much, she might get careless with her strength. The look in Emma's eye as she stared at her expectantly, however... Callan smiled back confidently. Just a little wouldn't hurt. No more than Zoe, anyway. And the thought of not having to worry so much about everything-- even just for a few hours....
"Alright, Party Queen. You win," she groaned, an ambitious gleam in her eye as laughter leaked into the sound, "Not too much, though."
Emma merely returned the thought with a mischievous grin. ”We'll see about that.” Emma said, leaving the room and reentering the party.
Entering the room, Callan immediately noted Zoe standing on top of one of the tables. She did her best to ignore it as that foreign feeling of fear and anxiety tried to creep in, making everything seem like a bad idea as she forced herself to keep moving towards the drink table. Her discomfort was obvious as they drew near, but she said nothing. She was going to enjoy herself tonight. If that arm melting psychobitch got to be shitfaced drunk, why shouldn't it be okay for her to have a little to drink, too?
After what seemed like a lot longer than a few seconds, they reached their destination. Callan stared at the various bottles on the table, completely at a loss for what to drink. She rose her hand hesitantly, reaching towards one of the glass bottles at random while trying not to look like she'd never done this before. Gaby had always been the one to bring the drinks to her-- complaining loudly about Callan making her hold two if she refused to accept. And they always came in a plastic cup.
Carefully gripping one of the crystal wine glasses, Callan ignorantly picked up a bottle of straight vodka and moved to start pouring.
Emma was close behind Callan. She was prepared to offer suggestions, but kept quiet when the girl reached for a glass herself. However, when Emma saw what she was reaching for, ”Woah, woah, woah, Cal.” Emma said with a laugh, reaching to stop her, ”You know that's vodka right? Hard liquor? If you want to grab that maybe go for a smaller glass, although I'd recommend starting with some wine.”
Callan paused, suddenly overcome with embarrassment. Shit. Wine. Of course she should have reached for the wine. But what was she going to say? She reached for the bottle she thought looked the coolest? Cal forced out a short laugh, but didn't proceed to pour anything.
"Who's scared now?" Callan challenged, still hovering the bottle over the wine glass teasingly, "Geez, I thought you were the Party Queen?"
Emma laughed. She laughed hard. Cal was clearly in over her head, but if this was how she was going to be... Emma reached for her own glass. ”Alright, you're on. Pour me one too.” Emma said, extending her glass. It didn't take long for it to fill, followed shortly by Callan's. Emma's eyes were filled with daring as she raised her glass to her lips before quickly knocking it back- it tasted like shit, but it wasn't Emma's first time and she gave no indication of the discomfort she was feeling.
Cal mimicked Emma's movements with rising excitement. From the moment she started filling the glasses, she couldn't excuse that thrill that always came with rule breaking. This wasn't exactly rule breaking, but it was enough to make her smile as she rose the liquor to her lips. Unfortunately the taste of the stuff was far less pleasant. She'd tried to expect it-- the smell alone was enough to make her wrinkle her nose-- but half way through the glass she couldn't take it anymore. Any attempts to look like she had any idea what she was getting herself into vanished in an instant. Leaning forward suddenly to avoid spilling any on her clothes, Cal coughed into the wine glass, splashing the sharp liquid across her lips and chin. She quickly covered her mouth with her free hand, eyes watering as she continued coughing, attempting to subtly scrape her tongue across her teeth to get the vile taste out of her mouth.
Emma finished her drink in a much more graceful manner, draining the last of the liquid with a small groan. ”Doesn't taste so good, huh?” Emma grabbed one of the sodas on the counter and poured a bit in a free glass, ”Here. Chaser. Helps it go down.” Emma said, extending it to the girl.
Callan shook her head, still reeling too much from the horrible taste to feel embarrassed. She accepted the soda, drinking it eagerly. "Agh," she grimaced once finished, staring at the remaining vodka in her hand like it might bite her. "That's fucking gross," she frowned, glancing at Emma's empty glass.
Emma laughed again, ”Yep. My fault. I really should've stopped you.” Emma glanced over the liquor table before picking out a bottle of rum, bringing it alongside the bottle of coke. Next she found a highball glass before speaking aloud, ”You're supposed to have it with lime but we don't have any, so we'll have to make due.” Emma said as she combined the drinks- two parts coke, one part rum- to produce, unsurprisingly, a rum and coke, which she extended to Callan, ”This'll taste better than the vodka, I promise. Good beginner drink.”
Callan laughed, shaking her head, "Meh, I was kinda asking for it there."
She watched intently as Emma prepared the next drink-- the coke was something she was familiar with at least. As was the word "RUM" spelled out along the bottle she held. 'Rum and coke'. Glancing down at her vodka glass one last time, she abandoned it on the table in favor of the new drink Emma offered her. She smiled gratefully, a tinge of heat reaching her cheeks-- more out of shame. "Can't fool the Party Queen, huh?" she chuckled self consciously at the 'beginner' remark before taking a small sip. The taste was still slightly unpleasant, especially with her prior gulps of vodka still tingling in her throat, but it was far more tolerable.
Emma gave the girl a slight smile. ”Yep.” she chirped, agreeing with both statements. ”That probably doesn't taste great, but it's hopefully better than the vodka. I'm sure I'm not the first person that's told you that you don't drink it for the taste.”
"Yeah, I've heard that before," she laughed. A loud thump sounded somewhere behind the pair. A cursory glance at the table Zoe was no longer standing on quickly solved that mystery. The alchohol had yet to work its magic and so Callan couldn't bring herself to laugh. "Oooo," Callan winced quietly.
Emma raised an eyebrow. ”That's what happens when you get drunk and try to climb on tables.” Emma said, making not move to help the downed girl.
Callan nodded solemnly, but made no move to help Zoe up either. She felt bad for just leaving her there, though... so she quickly snatched up the rum and coke bottles and ushered Emma towards a further corner of the room where they could pretend they hadn't seen it at all.
Zoe didn't seem to be seriously injured... and Lily and Kusari were here if she was. Anyway, it wasn't like her arm had fallen off and she was bleeding out all over the floor or anything.
"You know, there was this teacher at my school who did that once. Right in the middle of the lunch room," Callan mused thoughtfully, taking another quick swig of her drink, "He was fired on the spot of course, but apparently the story was that he had a nervous breakdown after his wife left him for one of his old students." She smiled sheepishly, "That was the rumor, anyway. I think the guy was just nuts."
Unfortunately that turned out to be the most eventful story Callan had conscerning any of her high school teachers back in Atlanta. Evidently, despite her life of crime, Emma also got along well with her teachers. A boon for any high school student who wanted to get good grades, but not so great for conjuring up many stories to tell. Callan's habit of falling asleep in class was certainly no secret, but all that amounted to was embarrasing tales-- including the one where she almost took off her roommate's head on the first day of class.
It took more drinks than usual before Cal started to feel that somewhat familiar buzz cloud her mind. Though certainly no more than it did Emma, who undeniably had her beat when it came to all things liquor. Gradually, more and more giggles slipped in between her words as she spoke and by the time a lull in the conversation came about, she made up her mind that she was desperately tired of standing up. Making their way over towards an unoccupied couch, Callan sprawled across the cushions, stretching her appendages to take up every inch of the luxury furniture piece.
Emma had her fair share of drinks as well- after all, it was rude to leave someone drinking by themselves. Emma was quick to follow Callan to the couch, hovering over her for a moment before deciding to also plop down on the couch, well aware of the fact that Callan was occupying almost the entirety of it. She paused for a moment, searching for a topic of conversation, ”So, Cal, I've already interrogated you about the boys here... what about the ones before USARILN? Any fun stories? Tragic tales?”
"Oof! Callan cried as Emma sat on her stomach, though it was really more out of habit. Emma seemed to weigh about as much as a pillow-- definitely not enough to be a nuisance. "Make yourself at home why don't you!" she griped playfully, squirming easily out from under Emma until only their legs were intersecting.
Callan erupted into another small fit of giggles as the topic of boys came up. "I've had a few dumb crushes that never went anywhere," she sighed, But actually, I think that most guys might be, like... secret assholes or something? Like-- but only if you kiss them, right? Then it's like there's this switch.... I don't know. I haven't actually kissed very many people anyway. Only like... three? Oh! But I'm sure Marcus isn't like that. You're lucky, Emma." she giggled, but not even the booze could fully numb the small pang of heartache she felt as she said it. Her train of thought suddenly took a different turn, however. She groaned to herself as the memory came to mind.
" Oh my God, I totally have a story." she said, gripping Emma's arm as if it were ground breaking news. "Okay, it's not actually that great of a story, but I'm gonna tell you anyway." she chuckled.
"A week before I got picked up there was this big back to school party at Nate's. Gaby dragged me to it, she started, already missing details as the story spilled out like vomit, "And there was this guy-- Zac was there. I didn't really know him but he was the captain of the boy's basketball team. He was in a few of my classes and I sort of met him at this volunteer project we did last summer. He was tall and cute and funny...." Callan ran her fingers through her hair, "Anyway, Gaby told me to go talk to him because he was apparnetly looking at me and I didn't notice."
Her mouth twitched into a small smile, "So I went and talked to him. He was really funny. And really cute." She giggled self-consciously, pressing one hand to her cheek as her face flushed. The laughter stopped abruptly as she resumed the story, "Anyway, after a while he asked if I wanted to sit out in the backyard with him. It was really nice outside. And the fireflies were out and the moon was really pretty... we talked for a while. Just the two of us, you know? It was kinda romantic, even."
Callan frowned and tightly folded her arms, "That was my first kiss since 4th grade. It was really nice at first. We made out a little. but I think he'd had too much to drink... or I gave him the wrong idea... I dunno. Anyway, he unbuttoned my pants when I wasn't looking and I kinda freaked." She set her forehead up against her hand and sighed heavily, "Then he was like. Suddenly a huge asshole. He got real mad and asked why I came and talked to him if I wasn't going to put out."
She glanced down at her empty glass, swirling the last drop around the inside of the base as she was silent for a moment. "I haven't actually told anybody that story."
Emma laughed, both at the story and the fact that Callan was clearly drunk. ”Zac does sound like an asshole.” Emma agreed, ”You're right. Men... most men! Are all the same. Just assholes. Take it from me... only nice so they can get what they want.” Emma mused bitterly.
Callan brightened up and joined in with Emma's laughter, "Oh my God, yeah. That's what I'm saying, though." She laid further back on the couch, sighing in exasperation. "But it was kinda my fault, too. Like I probably shouldn't have kissed him I think."
”Nah, nah, nah.” Emma said, pushing her glass forward empathetically to highlight her speech, spilling a little in the process, ”You just kissed him a little, that's not a big deal, but man, trying to stick your hands in a girl's pants the first time you're doing that stuff? No way.” Emma leaned back a little too, ”That's why you gotta avoid guys like that. Captain of the basketball team? Guy's probably used to getting what he wants.”
Callan giggled for a moment, but she took the words to heart. "Yeah, no. You're right... He was an asshole. She tried to reassuringly nod while lying down, staring up at the chandelier. Apparently someone had turned the lights down at some point, but she didn't bother sitting up to see who was still hanging around after it had gotten so late. She yawn and stretched, clumsily trying to set her empty glass on the end table by the couch.
Callan's yawn made Emma yawn. ”Tired?” she said, the lethargy in her own voice evident. She knocked back the glass, finishing the rest of her drink and setting it down on the table. The moment felt oddly nostalgic- sitting here, on the couch, drunk in the post-party stupor... but now she was with Callan, who still oddly reminded of the person she was really thinking of. Emma stretched out across the couch, swapping from sitting to laying down herself, squirming in next to Callan.
Hopefully she didn't mind, because Emma was quite comfortable.
"Kinda" Callan shrugged, stifling a second yawn. She didn't say anything as Emma laid down, too. The couch was big enough to accomodate and the cushions were plenty cozy. The extra warmth from Emma wasn't a bad touch either. The bittersweetness that always seemed to linger whenever she spent time with Emma was almost entirely gone now-- whether by booze or the genuinely good times they'd had in the past few days. Replaced by a simple, happy feeling. Happy to have someone to talk to about stupid things. Happy to have someone to cuddle with. Slightly adjusting her own position, Callan felt like talking more than she did sleeping, but the jumble of words in her head couldn't keep up at the rate she was going. She almost attempted to mumble something before sleep finally whisked her away.
Lily grabbed the bowl that had the cheese flavored snacks and brought it with her, offering some to Sophia. Once in a while she would look over to the other girls. Some were getting drunk while some were merely talking. She would have jumped up and joined them, say hello and taste some of the drinks but it seemed like everyone was busy. And she had no idea what would happen to her if she got drunk. Her stigma was already a handful now, would it go crazy if she got intoxicated. No, no, just staying here then... Besides hanging out with the mostly silent Sophia was relaxing. She didn't need to worry if she should start making small talk or anything. But she did anyway.
"I guess you're not one for this sort of party too, huh?" she asked, munching on a cheese puff.
Sophia was getting increasingly uncomfortable as the minutes went by. So many of them were drinking, and she was the youngest here. She wasn't sure if it would have been best if she had left long ago and let the older crowd drink together. Interacting with the other people was something she wasn't considering anymore, watching was good enough for now. Though still nervous, she was feeling a little better now that she realized that no one was going to approach her. It was interesting to see how they talked and reacted, and to see who resolved arguments, who made efforts to approach people, and who preferred to wait for others to start conversations.
Taking another sip of juice that she had gotten, she looked back over at Lily as she was spoken to. She was surprised that Lily hadn't left her long ago to go and talk to the rest, she had thought that her friend was of the more social type. "Nah, I'm not. Too many people... end up doing nothing." Sophia shrugged. "Probably going to leave soon."
The short ride in the APC had served to somewhat put Marcus on edge again, almost as if he was waiting to see what would go wrong this time. However, it was the transfer over to a luxury style limousine that had completely shifted his mood. He'd quickly gone from 'slightly stressed' to 'giddy schoolgirl', nearly diving into the plush seats.
"Ah! A minifridge!" Marcus exclaimed, looking to the few guards that were helping students pile in. "See, this is how you do it! Take notes, boys!"
Emma, however, was ready to leave by the time the APC came. Their short stay in Wisford felt like it had gone on far too long: The townspeople hated them, the media hounded them, and she had managed to give off the impression that she was either psychotic or stupid to a number of their classmates… and honestly, if that’s what people thought of her she couldn’t exactly bring herself to disagree. She was stupid, completely unfit for battle… hell, even outside of battle she managed to fuck everything up. She was also crazy. At least, she felt like she was going crazy. The realities of the world around her were wearing her down and it wasn’t something that she could just stop… and that’s without taking the Stigma into account. It was quickly becoming too much…
But she couldn’t think about that, could she? No, she had decided, she needed to what she’d always done. Internalize. Compartmentalize. She couldn’t let her problems get to her. She needed a distraction and for now she accepted that it would come in the form of Marcus Howell; certainly not unpleasant as far as diversions go.
She followed him into the limousine with a cautious step; she was used to seeing them but had rarely actually being in one. It felt far too fancy for her, but she wasn’t going to tip him off to how uncomfortable she felt. ”Well, I guess now that we have a celebrity in the group they have to treat us a little better, eh Zip Zip Boi?” she said teasingly. Of course she’d heard the news; Marc, the new face of subnaturals, her boyfriend. She’d been joking about their potential status as a famous couple before, but now… well, she didn’t know how to feel about their group’s new-found fame, his in particular.
"I know, right? It feels nice to be recognied for on-" Marcus stopped short, giving Emma a look like a curious puppy. Who the hell was Zip Zip Boi? It was no matter, that was a thought for sometime when he didn't have things to look at and snacks to wolf down. The supply he'd bought from the store had worn down a day ago, and the hotel food was just terrible. It was nice to have something decent for once.
Ignoring the fancy drinks and wierd food he didn't recognize, Marcus went for the layman's chips and soda, cracking a smile as Siena pulled some of the finer stuff. It was odd; she seemed the most comfortable out of all of them - almost as if the setting fit her to a 'T'.
The thought was lost as Marcus scooted over, patting the seat next to him as an invitation for Emma.
Emma followed Marcus’s invitation, taking a seat next to him with a slight look of befuddlement. Clearly, she had said something weird… wait, did he not know?
Wait, he totally doesn’t know.
”Oh. My. God. You don’t know?” a smirk broke out as her face quaked with the threat of laughter. ‘Zip Zip Boi’ had sounded like something Marcus himself would’ve come up with. ”They’re calling you Zip Zip Boi all over the internet after that interview. Like, Boi. B. O. I. I mean, right now Time Scar is the more popular name, but I’m personally rooting for Zip Zip Boi.”
Marcus stared at Emma, his mouth full of chips, for a long moment. His eyes scanned her face, looking to see if she was kidding or not. How'd he get a nickname? Why was he all over the internet? He'd only done one interview in the middle of a motel alley - that wouldn't have been enough.
He swallowed, still staying silent for a few seconds before he hesitantly spoke. "You're messing with me. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."
The implied laughter turned into actual laughter. ”No way. You really didn’t hear? Zip Zip Boi is the talk of the town.” Emma paused, her face turning serious. ”I guess you didn’t hear the rest of it, huh? Marcus, millions have watched that interview. I mean, it’s the first time one of us has had an actual interview where they don’t make us out to be monsters… they’re… they’re calling you the ‘face of subnatural oppression’. You’re…” Emma paused, sighing.
”We’re like, a big deal now. It’s not just you…. Christmas, Brent, Siena, they’re talking about them too. And I’m sure they’ll focus on the rest of us soon enough.” Emma stretched back in her seat, trying to will herself into comfort.
"Wha-?" Marcus said, immediately dumbfounded by Emma's statement. Millions plural? He'd become the face of subnatural oppression?
He didn't exactly want that. Sure, he'd given the interview with the intention of trying to make people see that subnaturals weren't all bad people, but he hadn't expected it to take off and be seen by millions.
"You're kidding."
He was famous. He was legitimately famous. A kid from the middle of nowhere was famous across millions of people.
This was a lot to take in at one time, and he wasn't exactly sure how he felt about it.
Emma frowned a little, ”Sorry, I guess there’s a better way of putting that than just… throwing it all at you.” Emma’s hand found his, giving it a light squeeze, ”It’s true though. I’m sorry, I’m sure it’s… difficult.”
"It's...a little bit overwhelming, yeah." Marcus said, anxiety fluttering in his chest. It subsided a little bit with Emma's hand, and he squeezed it back, giving her a hesitant smile.
"Lucky us, huh?"
”If I were lucky I’d be back in New York fangirling over Time Scar, not going into battle with him.” Emma said offhandedly, a small tinge of guilt following the statement. ”But I guess we shouldn’t think about that. Out of all the people I could be stuck with you’re not so bad.” she joked, a crooked smile making its way onto her face.
"Hey, I'm right here; you can fangirl all you want!" Marcus said, giving Emma a light shove. "Better do it quick - I'm going to have a crowd of adoring fans at this rate!"
He paused for a moment, returning her crooked smile. "And thanks, you're not that awful, either."
”Right.” Emma chose simply to agree.
If only he knew.
The stigma, of course, was never far. Emma ignored it. ”Soooooo… how was Wisford for you? Besides, y’know, the whole interview thing.”
"Oh it was..." Marcus started, his mind immediately flashing back to the cold solidarity of the bathroom floor. "...fine." he said, rather unconvincingly.
"How about for you? Get into any trouble after I apparently terrorized that poor kid?"
Emma sighed.
”Hospital visits. That was… about it.”
Emma, at least, was a natural liar. She couldn’t say the same for Marcus, but if he didn’t want to talk about it she wouldn’t press. ”They sure did a number on Hazel, but I never found out exactly what happened with her.” she said, giving a small shrug.
"Well, with any luck, they weren't too mean to her. I'd hate to get on the wrong side of that one, that's for sure." Marcus leaned back in his seat, propping his leg up and enjoying the limo ride.
"You know, say what you want about the snotty rich people downstairs, but they sure do know how to accomodate! Look at this place!" Marcus exclaimed, throwing his arms wide and giving Emma a wide grin.
He'd been absolutely shocked to see the telltale white dome rising over the river, the clearest indication of where they had been transported to. They'd been trasped through the lobby, up the elevator, and into the penthouse, but Marcus had barely payed attention to any of it. Instead, he gazed wide eyed at the scenery, absolutely awestruck by the hotel. He could barely comprehend that people lived like this every once in a while, much less daily! It was certainly more luxorious than anything he'd ever been able to experience.
And he was going to see exactly how many things he could push and poke; just to get a better idea of how the other half lived, of course.
As much as she had hated to admit it Emma was looking forward to returning to the school. Ever since the revelation that their little trip would last a little longer she’d felt a distinct pang of disappointment. She couldn’t really feel at ease as long as they were away- she didn’t feel at ease at the school either, but it was better. There was also the matter of her and Vivaldi’s little experiment- it looked like that would have to wait too, at least for now.
But Marcus seemed happy with the arrangement, so she tried her best to match his enthusiasm. ”Right. I’m sure those very same snooty rich people are already looking for a new place to stay.” she stated dryly. Well, at least she was trying. ”You’re right though, this place is way too nice for us. I feel like we’ll get in trouble for breathing the same air as these people.” a slight smile lit up Emma’s face. She’d been to a lot of fancy places like this- it’s inevitable that she’d have a few rich friends considering where she grew up, but at the same time she felt just as uncomfortable as she had been in the limo.
She gave an offhand glance to the door of the rooms, counting them. She had instantly noticed the disparity between their numbers and the rooms, ”Only twelve rooms,” she commented plainly, ”Some of us will have to share.” she commented a little too plainly. Her eyes flickered towards Marcus, her expression remained unchanging, refusing to betray anything.
Marcus's excitied looking around the room stopped as Emma listed the room count, his eyes flicking over the numbers himself. It was true, too many students, not enough rooms for them. To be expected really, what hotel planned a penthouse suite for a whole battalion of children?
"Well...my roommates will probably be sharing a room between the two of them..." Marcus said, hesitantly starting his thought. They were dating. It wasn't a weird thing to ask - especially when it was required! Why was he so nervous about it?
He allowed his mind a pause to build some composure; a little bit of confidence at least, so his statement wouldn't sound like it was being spoken by a small child.
"You want to share a room with me?" he finally asked, looking at her almost curiously.
”Ummmmmmmmmmmm…”
This had been exactly what she was afraid of. She wasn’t quite sure how to respond- she wasn’t certain what Marcus expected in terms of… well, the obvious point of apprehension when two people of the opposite gender shared a room. A list of negatives built up in her head: she didn’t want the others to think she was slutty, they’d only just started dating, she wasn’t sure what she had wanted…
God, she had no idea what she wanted, she realized, let alone what Marcus did.
She quickly became aware of the fact that during the couple of seconds she spent internally debating the issue her cheeks had flushed completely red and she had started to move through her plethora of nervous tics- first a slight squirming in her leg began which quickly turned into a tapping foot, followed by her hand shooting up to scratch her nose and then moving to uncomfortably tug on her hair, before…
Before she realized she must’ve looked very stupid.
She internally begged herself to regain a bit of the composure that she had tried so hard to maintain. She took a breath before her hand moved once again to rub the back of her head, ”Well, uh, I mean, I guess if you, uh, want to it’s… not a big deal?” she said quickly, her forced answer followed shortly by a nervous laugh.
Oh no, he'd said the wrong thing. He could tell that the statement had been a bad idea, just from the long indecicive noise she made, much less all of the other little things that he noticed, his own nervousness starting to become evident. He'd rushed it, brought it up too early, and now everything was at risk of falling apart.
"I-I mean... Marcus said, moving quickly to diffuse the awkwardness. "...we don't have to if you don't want to! You could room with your one roommate! No worries!"
He said it without thinking; there'd probably not be anywhere for him to sleep without finding somebody to room with, and he didn't exactly have a lot of other options. Maybe Ernie if he needed. Or maybe he'd just get the couch.
”Oh, no no no! I mean, if you want to stay, in the, uh, same room, it’s fine. It’s not like we’re not already rooming with people of the same… uh, gender, right? So it’s not, like, a big deal or anything, right?” Emma’s face continued reddening steadily, ”I mean, just because we’re rooming together doesn’t mean we have to- or, I mean, we could… or…”
What the hell am I saying?
Her face quickly shot down to the ground, ”I should really stop talking.”
Didn't have to...? They could...?
Was she talking about what he thought she was talking about?
Marcus's face reddened also, nearly matching the same vibrancy as Emma's, as he nervously chuckled a little bit at the statements. He wasn't even going to look any more in depth at whatever it was she had just said, especially if asking to room together took them both down to quivering messes.
"Guess we have that one in common, huh?" he said, his face starting to cool slightly.
A forced laugh. ”Right. Yeah.” this situation only confirmed that she was a complete and total idiot. ”Sooooooooooooo…” she began slowly, ”I… guess… we’ll room together?” she said hesitantly, ”Unless you don’t want to, of course!” she quickly tacked on.
"I do. I mean, it's fine!" Marcus said, quickly trying to put Emma's fears to rest. He was still silently making fun of himself in his head; having been so flustered over a little thing like sharing a room. But Emma was flustered too, so how dumb was he for worrying that she'd get the wrong idea?
Still pretty dumb. Clearly.
"Welp. Glad we figured that one out." Marcus said, a slight chuckle escaping his lips.
”Yeah! Yeah…” Emma, for her part, was still flustered. So many things to worry about… would they sleep in the same bed, would she keep him up if they did, would they…
Oh, god, she was getting nervous again just thinking about it. It wasn’t like she hadn’t ever done it before, but in a place like this, in these circumstances, this quick?
Emma had to forcibly suppress a sigh. ”Well, I guess we should… go claim a room.” she glanced around at the other members of Experimental Group B. Would they notice? Would they care? How would this affect her reputation?
Yep, Emma realized, I still look like a total idiot.
"How exactly do you propose we 'claim a room'?" Marcus asked, slightly oblivious to whatever connotations such a statement might provide. "I didn't exactly bring any luggage with me - unless you want to have Determination carve our initials into the door or something"
Was it considered a save if you hadn't even realized you'd fumbled in the first place?
”Well, I was just thinking, like, uh, a sign or something... but hey, I haven’t really used these guys outside of punching stuff, so might as well get used to it…” and just like that Determination appeared beside the duo, ”Hey, can you go st-” Emma was caught a little off guard by Determination’s appearance. He looked… different. Was that a face? Where before was a blank visage now lay holes that mimicked the appearance of Human eyes and a slit in the shape of a slight smile. It creeped her out, a little, to be completely honest. She cleared her throat, brushing it off quickly, ”Can you go stand over there?” she said, vaguely gesturing towards one of the doors.
This way they wouldn’t actually have to actually go into the room… alone… together... at least, not yet.
After a moment of consideration Determination followed his orders, marching towards the door ceremonially. Emma gave a small shrug to Marcus, ”That works, right?” Emma paused for a moment, ”So, what now?”
Marcus was similarly caught off guard by Determination's appearance, dispite the fact he'd made the suggestion in the first place. There was something...creepier about his appearance - he thought the dude was a vague shadow before, and there was just something that was off.
Or maybe he'd just never gotten to see the guy up close.
"Nice! Tulpa bouncer!" Marcus said, holding his hand up to high-five the shadow creature as he walked by, becoming slightly disappointed when he was inevitably left hanging.
He tried to regain some of the dignity that was lot at that sight, looking around the penthouse. "Well, we're here in this fancy-schmancy penthouse for a few days, in the heart of the nation's capital! I'm sure there's some fun little thing we can do around here!" Marcus said, the excitement starting to creep into his voice.
”Probably is… although I doubt Washington cares all that much for us.” Emma shrugged, taking a glance at one of the penthouse’s many electronic screens, examining the list of amenities. ”Buffet, gym, computer lounge… oooh, an arcade. Says here there’s also an orchestra and a bunch of restaurants and stuff.” Emma gave Marcus a quizzical glance. She’d let him give his input, although she already knew where she wanted to go.
"Orchestra?" Marcus said, wandering up behind Emma to peek over her shoulder. There was a slight hint of curiosity in his voice; he'd never actually been to a live orchestra preformance before. That was something that only the rich and fancy people got to enjoy, but here it was, a possibility dangling before him like a carrot on a stick.
Emma turned around, giving Marcus a long glance. "Orchestra it is, than?" Emma wouldn't have pegged him as a classical music fan... she certainly wasn't, but if this was what he wanted, well, she'd go along with it.
Marcus caught her glance, quickly reverting back to deflection mode. "I mean, if you're cool with it, sure! I've never been to a big event like that, myself - more of a statement of curiosity!"
"There's always that gym date I owe you," he said, grinning slightly. "As long as you're not afraid to see how out of shape I actually am."
Emma narrowed her eyes. ”Hard no. Orchestra it is.” she said without a hint of hesitation. She still wanted to go to the arcade, but hey, she'd go along with him.
He was a little bit taken aback by the suddeness of her answer, but he tried not to let it show. Maybe she just didn't actually like excercise, and he'd missed the punchline.
"Well, it looks like the first show is tomorrow. You want to go then?" he asked, still reading some of the times over her shoulder.
”I don't know, I've got a pretty busy schedule.” Emma said, voice dripping with sarcasm, ”Y'know, meeting some guys now that we're out in the big wide world. But I'll see if I can pencil you in for old time's sake.” Emma said, turning back and giving Marcus a wink.
"Oh thank god," Marcus said, wiping his brow. "I was worried that I'd have to be up all night filling out the required forms and trying to bribe your secretary!" he added with a chuckle, giving her a playful nudge.
”Oooooh, sorry, did I give you the impression you wouldn't have to do that? I said I'll tryto pencil you in, but y'know, it's a lot more fun to make you work for it. Good luck though, I sure hope that you can get a spot.”
"Well then, I guess I'd better get started on those!"
Night fell, as it always does, and Marcus found himself wandering back towards his room as the darkness started to encroach. His talk with Max and Brent had put him a little bit on edge, and he was all too ready for the night to be over.
His and Emma's room, he was reminded. The dark guardian signaled that much at least. He stopped at the door, looking the figure up and down, waving his hand in front of the thing's face. Or at least, the part that looked the most like a face.
"God you're creepy..." Marcus muttered softly as he opened the door.
Emma had been sitting on the bed when Marcus walked in, staring at her phone. A look of surprise crossed her face when he walked in, but it quickly turned into an awkward smile- she almost didn't believe that they were really sharing a room, but she brushed that thought away.
”Hey, how's it goin'?” she said as normally as possible, locking her phone and returning it to her pocket.
"Oh, you know. Glamourous rockstar life!"
Boy was that a lie. Between the angry glares, getting punched in the face by Siena, and everything else that had been going on, his life felt like it was everything but glamourous or rockstar.
He sat down on the other side of the bed, flopping onto his back and looking at Emma, who was currently upside-down. He was trying not to think too hard about what they were looking at for tonight; they were dating, and sharing a bed together because they had to. There wasn't anything awkward about that. It's not like they were going to...
Right?
"How's it going in your neck of the woods?" Marcus asked, trying really hard to keep his face from flushing.
”Hmmmm... y'know, the usual. Party every day.” the phone in Emma's pocket buzzed, but she ignored it.
Now wasn't the time to worry about that.
”Tired?”
"A little bit, yeah. Been a long day!" he said, giving a wide stretch and accompanying yawn as he did so.
Accounting for the fact that he'd already not been sleeping so well, he was more than just a little tired. He was physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. Probably spiritually and financially exhausted too, if the day's shopping trip was any frame of reference.
"Are you not? Seems like all-day party would wear you out something fierce!" he asked, almost quizically.
I've hardly slept since we arrived.
That was what she should have admitted.
”No, I am.” she agreed instead, ”I guess... I'm ready to sleep whenever you are.” a half-truth; at the very least she had felt tired. No, she nigh-constantly felt tired. But she wouldn't sleep, she knew that much.
"I mean, it's not like we have to sleep together..."
Goddammit.
"I mean...You don't have to go to sleep as soon as I do!" Marcus stammered out quickly. "You can stay up as long as you want, it's not like you have to follow my granny-sleep schedule!"
He could already feel his face getting red. This was not going well.
Emma rubbed the back of her neck, ”Oh, uh, I mean...”
Did he not want to sleep with her? She didn't know what she had expected.
”Right. Uhhh... well, I dunno, I might putz around a bit before going to bed...”
Did she really just use the phrase 'putz' around?
Did Emma really just say 'putz around'?
That was a thought that was quickly shaken from his mind as he rubbed his hands across his face. Hopefully Emma would see it as tiredness instead of the actual thing he was trying to wipe off: exasperation.
It wasn't awkward. It shouldn't have been. So why was it?
He snaked his way up to the headboard of the bed, where the multitude of pillows impeded his progress.
"Well, I'll be here whenever you want to come join me!" he awkwardly stated, his sudden grin trying to hide the sudden burst of shame that richocheted throughout his body.
Why was he making this so much worse?
Oh go this was weird, wasn't it?
Oh god this was so weird.
”I've never slept in the same bed as a guy before.” she blurted out.
Wait, what did she just say? Her face reddened. ”I mean- just- oh, geez, sorry, I'm making this... really awkward. And... I just... don't want to seem like I'm being weird, or like I don't want to... sleep... with you...”
Oh thank god, she was freaking out about it as much as he was.
Marcus let out a small sigh of relief upon the revelation; it was nice to know he wasn't the only one making things worse than they actually were, and now that he knew where they were both sitting, it was a little bit easier to do damage control.
"Okay. I think I see the issue here." Marcus said, putting his hands out in the universal sign of 'calm down'. "We are both psyching ourselves out, here."
He sat up fully, scooting over to be a little bit closer to Emma.
"We're just sharing a bed for a couple nights. It doesn't have to be wierd or awkward or anything. You've never shared a bed with a guy, I've never shared a bed with a girl, it's fine."
”Right. You're right. It doesn't have to be weird...”
Emma turned to look at him. She felt a little bad, she wasn't exactly lying to him but what she said was misleading.
It didn't matter now.
”Alright... maybe... maybe we should just go to sleep than, huh?”
"That's my plan!" Marcus said, notably more enthusastic now that the air had been cleared somewhat.
"You however, can putz around as long as you'd like." he added, putting enough emphasis on the word to make his mockery clear.
Emma sighed, face full of exaggerated sadness. ”You're right to make fun of me, 'putz' is a dumb word.” With that she decided to lay back on the bed, ”No, I think I'm fine right here.”
Marcus laid back too, chuckling slightly at a thought he just had to make vocal.
"God. We fought monsters. Literal monsters. You'd think this normal shit would be easier."
”You'd think, huh?”
Emma had a smile on her face as she scooted over just a little closer to him.
Emma | Callan
𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟙𝟟, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘 / / 𝕎𝕒𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕥𝕠𝕟 𝔻.ℂ. / / ℙ𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕤𝕖/𝔸𝕣𝕔𝕒𝕕𝕖 / / ~𝟙𝟡𝟘𝟘 Collab with @Diggerton and @Baklava
Callan left her room again. She'd lost count really. It just seemed so unbearably weird to be rooming with Lawrence. Not that it had anything to do with him personally, but... there was only one bed. One. Pressing the palm of her hand to her forehead, Callan stared up at the celing for a moment, collecting her thoughts before throwing up her hood and making her way down the hall. She hadn't given herself much time to explore yet and, amidst all this ritz and glamour, she was sure she could find plenty of things to keep her mind occupied.
Emma had also been searching for something to distract her, although she wasn't sure if she was looking for respite from the stigma or Marcus. Of course she had nothing against Marcus himself, she still had qualms with the idea of rooming with someone else at all... especially with only one bed. Lying there pretending to sleep wasn't exactly fun. So she took off out the door searching for... something. She wasn't exactly sure what.
It was lucky that she spotted Callan. ”Hey! Cal!” she called out eagerly, jogging towards the girl.
Jumping slightly, Callan spun to face Emma with a poorly rehearsed smile. "Oh-- hey Emma," she grinned, reaching up to nervously tousle her hair, completely forgetting that she'd hidden it beneath her hood. Recalling their last conversation, Callan wondered if Emma was aware of who she'd ended up rooming with on accident. Well aware of who Emma was staying with, Callan hoped to avoid that topic altogether.
She tried to revive that comfort she'd felt around Emma back at the hospital, but it was taking a moment to kick back in. "Er-- what's up?"
Emma gave a wide smile, ”Just trying to get out, y'know... small room. Say, now that I mention it, we were supposed to hang out, right? Do... you want to do that?”
"Yeah, sure!" Callan mentally kicked herself. Small room? What did she mean by that?
"Alright, great." Emma paused for a moment, thinking, "But where to goooooo..." Emma already knew where wanted to go- where she had wanted to go with Marcus.
"There's an arcade down in the basement... how's that sound?"
"An arcade? Seriously?" She smiled, feeling more sincere as her interest was immediately piqued. Getting to know Emma was like a double edged sword of sorts. She liked Emma as a person... but she wished she didn't. And the more she seemed to learn about Emma, the more she seemed to like her. Aside from Callan's suspicion that she didn't like Ernie for whatever reason-- something she definitely hadn't forgotten from their last conversation.
"Alright," Callan consented, still smiling. Their friendship was probably inevitable at this point. All steps towards moving on, she supposed. "Let's go."
”Perfect. I wanted to check it out as soon as I saw it but Marcus wanted to go to the orchestra.” Emma's tone was joking, a slight laugh trailing her statement as she turned towards the door.
"Oh," Callan laughed along nervously, but didn't have much else she dared say about that. Maybe because an orchestra might be more romantic? In spite of her attempt to mentally defend her roommate's choice, she found herself more in agreeance with Emma. The arcade did sound like more fun.
"So you haven't seen it yet?" she asked as she followed.
”Nope.” Emma answered plainly, ”I sure hope it's a proper arcade and not like... a dark basement room with, uh, skee-ball and an air hockey table.”
"Ha," Callan shook her head, "After everything else I've seen, I gotta say. My expectations are pretty high. If they don't have an entire DDR lounge, I'm filing a complaint."
”I know, right? This place is fancy as hell, they better not be cutting corners where it counts.” a coy smile came to Emma's lips, ”By the way, I bet I could kick your ass at DDR.”
A competitive spark suddenly burned within as Callan narrowed her eyes back at Emma. "Oh really?" she grinned confidently, "I wouldn't be so sure."
”Oh man, it is so on.”
It was only a couple of minutes later that the duo arrived at the arcade, a mecca of flashing neon lights and sounds. A hodgepodge of machines stretched out before them, running the gamut from popular classic games to more recent innovations- and, of course, Dance Dance Revolution. There were also, unsurprisingly, the regulars to worry about- the reception was about as one would expect, a mixture of fearful glances and outright hostility, but Emma had resolved to ignore it. Instead she turned to Callan, ”I shouldn't be surprised, considering where we are, but this place is niiiice.”
"Whoa." Callan felt the dimmer lighting inside the arcade meant it was probably fine to lower her hood-- it was hot and uncomfortable anyway. An awed smile crept over her face as she took it all in. She noted the fleeing people, but tried to act is if it didn't bother her. Acting normal was probably the best thing she could do at this point. Not that it was incredibly difficult in the face of so much fun.
"You can say that again," she smirked, stepping forward eagerly. Spotting the DDR machines, she turned towards Emma with a wicked grin, "You ready to lose?"
Emma returned her grin in kind, ”In your dreams.” Emma sauntered over to one of the token dispensing machines, swiping her card and filling her hand with the arcade's faux-currency. As Emma got the tokens, Callan waited by the game.
Inspecting the buttons, she moved to step onto the platform, but paused for a moment.
Emma walked back to the machine, inserting tokens, ”You can pick the song, because I'm a generous god.” Emma said with a small wink.
"You don't think I'll break it, do you?" Callan asked.
Emma gave Callan a blank glance. ”Oh geez... uh... I don't know.” a malicious twinkle came to Emma's eyes, ”If you do who's going to stop a couple of Subs? Especially with a big scary Aberration by your side... and we can always get them to bill the Institute.” Emma said quietly.
Callan tested the platform with one foot, pressing lightly. "Oh, right," she smirked, shooting Emma a sideways glance, "You're terrifying." With a heavy sigh, she pulled a hairband from around her wrist and began tying up her hair. "Well, I'll have to be careful, then. No way am I letting you off that easy."
As Cal started moving through the song selection Emma did her very best to give her an intimidating gaze, ”Absolutely! I can be very scary when I want to be.” Emma said, voice full of mock indignation.
"I'll believe it when I see it," Callan replied, finally landing on one of the more intermediate songs. "Just in case you need to warm up," she jabbed as the intro music started to play.
”Oooo, Cal, if you're too scared to start somewhere harder you can just say so. Don't have to talk all tough in front of me.”
"Bitch, you wish I was just talk!"
Emma gave Callan a quick glance. Hoh boy. Emma wasn't going to comment on that aloud- the game was starting and she had to focus.
The first several arrows flew across the screen as the beat picked up. High pitched singing and an electric rhythm brought Callan's banter to an end as she focused on moving her feet (and not crushing the stage).
Emma did the same, attention on the beat and the multi-colored arrows both in front of her and beneath her feet- at least she didn't have to worry about breaking the stage beneath her.
Concentrating on the weight of each step, Cal feared it might have some ill effect on her score, but that didn't seem to be the case. A godsend considering how well Emma seemed to be keeping up. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed their scores were almost perfectly synced. Her mouth twitched into an amused smile as she squared her jaw and continued.
By the end of the song, Callan even found herself a little out of breath. The screen glowed with a 'tie' verdict. Pleasantly surprised, but also dissappointed by her own performance, Callan shook her head incredulously.
"Jesus, Emma. Okay-- best two out of three?"
Emma found herself out of breath as well- more so than Cal. But she managed to tie, at least. She gave the girl a cocky smile, ”Alright- just because you got lucky.”
The second round managed to end in the same fashion. Callan pushed a sweat drenched strand of aquamarine hair behind her ear and scoffed in frustration. "I can't fuckin' believe this," she chewed the inside of her cheek. Her mind was all DDR techniques and rhythms and she tried to think of how she might improve her score.
Emma wiped the sweat from her brow- okay, things were getting a little too serious. Cal was clearly getting frustrated and that gave Emma an idea.
She would throw the final game.
That was what a good friend would do, wasn't it? Winning wasn't as important to Emma and although she did enjoy egging her on it wasn't worth it if Cal was taking it to heart. ”Phew! You're sure making this tough for me- Round 3, than?” it wouldn't be hard to lose- a misplaced step was all it took since they were so evenly matched, it would be near impossible for Cal to notice, so that was the course of action Emma committed to.
Emma's remark immediately put Callan on the alert. She'd been in too many competitions not to notice the shift.
"I'm making it tough for you?" her lips curled into a smile that was anything but happy or convinced. She sighed heavily, shaking her head again.
"You know, when you say it like that, it sounds like you've been going easy on me," she smirked playfully, though one could sense the slightest bit of venom. She didn't like victories that were handed to her. Recalling her sparring match with Sander, she knew this wasn't anything quite that extreme, but something about it being Emma...
"Anyway, I think there's only one song that's gonna break this tie."
Spinning all the way to the bottom of song select, Callan landed on the song with the hardest difficulty. The demo on the side of the screen played a lightening fast tune as several overlaping arrows whizzed across the display. "I can't even do this one perfectly," Callan admitted, rolling her shoulders in anticipation.
”Wow, really going all out for this one, huh?” Emma wasn't ignorant to Cal's mood, now torn between whether or not to throw the match. If it was obvious it would make Cal angry, that much was clear. ”Maybe I have been holding back.” she said with a slight smirk.
That was a total lie.
”Ready when you are.” she said, deciding that she had to really try this round- Callan wouldn't go for it otherwise, she decided.
"Tch!" Callan gently shoved Emma's arm in response to her comment before pressing select. It was going to be an arduous round, but there was no way she was losing this one.
The song started out slow, giving Callan a chance to collect her thoughts. Emma was joking, right? She wasn't seriously holding back this whole time? Callan couldn't help but feel that familiar and uncomfortable jealousy bubbling up again as the beat suddenly quickened.
Beads of sweat collected at her temple as she danced, refusing to look at Emma's score at all for fear of losing concentration. Unfortunately, Callan's newly reinforced motivation to win proved to be her downfall.
Her focus slipped, tipping the balance between accuracy and care as, with a loud crash and scream of surprise, her foot went straight through one of the buttons. The music played on, though the lights on Callan's side of the platform immediately went out and her space on the screen clearly started to glitch.
"Hey!" the man behind the prize counter shouted almost immediately.
"Uh oh," Callan pulled her foot out of the machine and scrambled to her feet.
Emma was in the zone- that was, she was in the zone until she head a loud crashing sounds and Callan's scream at her side. She turned, face instantly filling with surprise. ”Uh-oh.” she said under her breath.
Instantly she moved to help Cal up, giving the girl a small glance as she came to her feet, ”I think it's time for us to go!” Emma said with a slight giggle, pulling Cal behind her as she went for the arcade's exit.
Callan spared one last look at the screen before Emma grabbed her hand. She chuckled nervously through the rising sensation of guilt at having broken the machine. Though she knew she could run much faster, Callan allowed herself to be pulled along by Emma as they fled the arcade. Racing down the hall and into an open elevator, people moved out of the way quickly. She thought it curious that her heart was racing this much. Only a few days ago she'd been fighting monsters and enemy mages and here she was getting all flustered over some guy in a red vest guarding kazoos and giant inflatable orca whales?
The elevator doors closed as Callan slumped up against the back wall, more out of breath from the dancing and sudden rush of adrenaline than the running itself. To her chagrin, Callan suddenly couldn't keep herself from laughing. Holding her gut, Callan held her head in her hand and laughed until her eyes watered.
"O-oh my God," she finally managed to say as laughter subsided into breathless giggles.
Emma was in a similar state, experiencing a similar fit of giggles as soon as the door slid shut. ”Jesus, I can't believe that just happened.” she said, leaning against the elevator's polished metal wall. She wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead, struggling to catch her breath between the laughter and their sudden escape. ”Did you see the look on that guy's face? I can hardly believe that your foot went right through the thing, I have no idea what he must be thinking.”
"Oh, I feel so bad!" Callan groaned through more laughter.
”I wouldn't feel too bad- they're probably charging the Institute a fortune to keep us here, I'm sure that they'll be able to get a new one.” Emma said, the occasional fit of laughter still erupting from her. ”And anyways, they were throwing us hella dirty looks.”
"Haha, I guess you're right," Callan chuckled, "Definitely gonna have to request a super strong mat back at school if you want try challenging me again, though." Callan straightened herself up and crossed her arms. "Considering you just lost," she added with a sly grin.
Emma smiled, ”I guess I'll take that. I mean, you went so hard that you broke the game, you deserve it.” Emma wiped a tear from her eye, leftover from the laughter. ”This is kind of nostalgic- reminds me a lot of when me and my-” a moment of hesitation, ”Me and my best friend back home went to the arcade. Except instead of breaking the machine she'd just get chased out after trying to steal something...” Emma gave Callan a slight head shake, ”We weren't very good kids.”
Callan was just about argue that she really had won. By five points, according to what the screen had said before they ran. But as Emma mentioned her best friend, Callan curiously allowed the change of topic, noting the girl's brief hesitation as she spoke.
She thought for a moment about her friend Gaby back home, but she'd never really given much thought to whether or not she considered herself to be "best friends" with the spitfire latina. It was a little embarrasing to admit, but in more recent years, she really didn't leave herself much room for those sort of relationships. Not that anything besides basketball or schoolwork was usually encouarged.
"Do you miss her?" Callan found herself asking, immediately hoping she hadn't poked at a sensitive subject. So far she hadn't met many people at USARILN who liked talking about their past. By now she really should have developed a better filter for asking questions.
”I...”
Emma didn't really know the answer to the question, or at least didn't want to admit to herself that she did.
”I don't know. We left in kind of a weird place. I... I always thought we'd be together forever, I guess.” Emma gave a deep sigh, ”But I guess that's just wishful thinking. Especially when USARILN decides to scoop you up.” Emma glanced at Callan, ”You kind of remind me of her, actually. She had the same color hair as you.” Emma idily commented.
Unexpectedly, Callan felt her cheeks flush at Emma's comment. A reserved smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as an apology crept out.
"Sorry," she said, noting the sudden plunge in the mood.
”Don't worry about it. It's nice to talk about home... it's almost easy to forget that stuff with everything that's going on.” Emma rubbed the back of her neck, ”And anyways, I had a lot of fun, even if our game did get cut short.”
"Yeah," Callan agreed, though part of her wondered if forgetting her own home would be easier than not. She chuckled as she untied her hair, twisting the elastic between her fingers as she spoke, "Yeah, sorry about that, too." She paused for a moment before continuing, hating herself a little more with each spoken word, "I bet you could convince Marcus to go down there with you if you told him about the new broken DDR machine exhibit I just installed." She forced another small laugh, not quite meeting Emma's eyes as she made the suggestion.
”Yeah, I'm sure, although I don't think they'll be too welcoming. They barely tolerated us this time, I bet they'll remember how we broke the shit out of their expensive machine next time.” Emma gave a small laugh, ”It's not a big deal. There are plenty of arcades in the world. Rich people suck anyways.” Emma said the last part statistically, a small laugh following.
”Wouldn't be the first one I've been blacklisted from. Like I said, bad kids.”
"Hey, I dunno. At least you don't have crazy hair. I bet you could still sneak in. Use those stealth skills you picked from from your life of crime," she shrugged just as the elevator finally slid open.
”Oh, yeah totally. I've pulled off a few heists in my day.” Emma said, stepping out of the elevator. ”Well, this appears to be our stop.” Emma said hesitantly, a smile on her face.
"Oh boy-- you'll have to tell me all about it sometime," Callan grinned. That should have been her cue to leave, but instead she hesitated, staring off in the direction of her room with a small sigh.
"Well," she tousled her hair, "Guess I'll see you later, then."
Emma nodded. ”Right.”
She bit her lip.
”Or... well, things did get cut short down there. I could tell you about it now... if you're not busy.”
"Uh," she definitely wasn't going to mention her blond upperclass roommate as the reason why she was less than thrilled to head back. But at the same time...
"You sure? Marcus isn't waiting on you?" she asked with small, lopsided smile.
”Pfffft, Marcus can wait.” Emma joked, ”Really though, it's totally fine. He's not.” Emma said, taking a seat on a nearby couch, on of the many that filled the extravagant penthouse, ”I'm down for story time if you are.”
"If you say so," Callan shrugged, secretly grateful for the excuse to keep loitering around. She flopped into the opposite facing couch, placing her feet up on the coffee table with much more care. "Alright," she said, nestling into a more comfortable position, "Obviously you'll have to start with your craziest story. Did you guys ever get busted?"
Emma nodded, ”Of course we did. We were a bunch of dumb kids, not master criminals.” Emma stretched out on the couch, ”Unfortunately I never was cut out for our life of crime. Riley did the whole 'rebel teen fuck the system' thing and I just kind of followed along. I think I was better off as an honor student, but hey, we had fun.”
Emma sighed, considering, ”Where to start... hmmmm... oh, shit, I got it. When we'd have our shitty high school parties it was always up to me and Riley to score the liquor- she had a pretty good fake ID and we were also the only ones brave/stupid enough to steal it if that didn't work.”
Emma shifted in her seat again, suddenly sitting up, ”Now I should note here- and this is the really dumb part-we totally didn't have to this. I had a big sister who was always down to get us that stuff, but Riley wanted to get that dumb adrenaline rush she got from that shit.”
”So anyways, getting to the actual story. We were on one of these liquor runs and everything was going smoothly, we were at one of our usual spots and I think the guy always kind of knew we weren't of age but put up with it anyways. So, everything was fine, BUT Riley always did this thing where she'd try to have the longest, dumbest, most banal fucking conversation she could with the clerk... something I'm pretty sure she did solely because I told her not to and she knew I hated it.”
Emma leaned in a little, ”Here I am burying my head in my hands while she's telling the clerk all about her cat's vasectomy- about how it was more humane than castration, and the process, like I said, just the worst possible conversation she could think of and she just went on and on and on. We must have been there talking to the guy for, like, ten minutes... until, of course...”
A dramatic pause as Emma leaned a little closer.
”A pair of police officers walk in. I guess they were having a retirement party and needed to pick some stuff up, doesn't matter, point is I start visibly freaking out while Riley continues rattling off her story, not missing a beat. But they instantly notice us. So, of course, they come up to the counter and start listening to Riley... aaaand she just keeps going. Doesn't even care. Just keeps talking about her cat. But, of course, one of the police officers clears his throat and asks...”
Emma put on her very best gruff police officer voice, ”M'am, can I see your ID?”
”Well, I look at Riley and she looks at me and I look at her and then she just runs. Just, like, out of there with the bags, right for the emergency exit and before I know what's happening I'm running too. Now, we go out the door and are in an alley. Of course, one of the police officers is right behind us and the other ran out to grabs their police car and block off one end of the alley.”
”Basically, we're like, fugitives now.” Emma joked with a small laugh.
”Naturally we're flying down for the opposite end with the guy on foot right behind us, but he's like, not to be rude, kind of fat, so we were fiiiiine. Now, you think that New York's finest would have better things to do than be chasing down a couple of girls stealing liquor but these guys seem to really have it out for us- probably wasn't the first time they saw Riley, knowing her. So, the guy in the squad car is coming down the alley blaring his sirens while the other one is shouting for us to stop. Naturally we don't, but that's not all. No. What does this girl do? Of course, Riley, smart as she is, shouts out...”
”FUCK THE POLICE!”
”And I'm just like, 'dude, what the fuck?' Of course this pissed off the officers chasing us and in some burst of blind rage-fueled adrenaline the guy on foot charges forward and tackles Riley. I'd say it was the police officer being a dick, but she kind of asked for it. So, to make a long story short we ended up in lockup, charged for underage drinking, resisting arrest, and...”
Another dramatic pause.
”Assaulting an officer. Assholes managed to tack that one on, although I think it was just to scare us more than an actual charge. We were minors so we didn't face jail time, but our parents were not happy to be paying the mountain of fines that we managed to rack up. Plus we had to do a bunch of community service. It sucked.”
Emma gave a long sight.
”So, that's the time the master criminal got caught.”
By the end of Emma's story, Callan was literally seated on the edge of the couch cushion. "Jesus, you really were a criminal," Callan laughed, "My parents would have skinned me alive." She laughed again, realizing how her parents would probably be irate if they'd so much as caught her hanging out with anyone like Emma and her friend. She found more humor to the thought, spitefully resolving that if they weren't going to give a hoot about her, why should she care about their rules anymore?
"Oh, have no fear, there was plenty of skinning when I got home." Emma added quickly.
In any case, USARILN certainly didn't seem to care about underage drinking. What with all the drinks here and the bar back at the school. A tender mercy for the students, Callan supposed. Considering any day could be their last. Still, the thought of drinking made her feel like she'd be doing something wrong. Even after several parties with Gaby, that feeling hadn't gone away. Engrained by a strict moral code... or maybe just strict parents.
"So," on the topic of alcohol, Callan instinctivly spoke a smidge softer, "You haven't ever, like. Gotten super blackout drunk before, have you?" She smiled and sat up, suddenly a little embarrased for speaking like her parents or some adult might overhear as she adjusted her voice. "My folks were pretty anti-alcohol," she chuckled sheepishly, "Well-- pretty anti-a lot of things actually."
Emma's mouth turned into a line, an embarrassed smile creeping onto her face. ”Totally. I mean, like, we were pretty into that suff. It's a little stupid looking back at it- not a little stupid, really stupid. Riley may have been the teenage rebel but I was kinda the partier.” Emma gave a disgruntled groan, ”I was always kind of pissed when my mom told me off for hanging out with Riley, but she really was a bad influence. Always pushed me to do that stuff until it went too far.”
Emma's expression turned into one of subtle anger, ”Trust me when I say that your first experience with alcohol should not be eight shots of whiskey. Couldn't just do the cliché thing and raid mom's liquor cabinet, no, she had to pull me into that shit.”
Callan laughed, somewhat surprised by this different side of Emma-- one she hadn't really expected, either. "Hey, at least you've got lots of great stories to tell now," Callan reassured.
”Sure do.”
And so Emma told them.
There was the time that Riley stole her cousin's car, insisting that they both run away- which they did, for approximately three days they stayed in New Jersey until they decided it was shit, after which they promptly returned. Emma to this day swears up and down that if she knew the car was stolen she would've never gone.
And then there was the time where Val took them to Governors Ball- that was a fiasco and a half between the fact that they didn't exactly get permission and that they didn't strictly have tickets. After all, Emma justified, they were like 300 dollars and sold out super quick- for a group with a loose moral fiber it was an easy choice to sneak in. Of course the guards didn't take to kindly to that, and Val's attempts to convince them that she was in one of the bands playing did not end well. Emma maintains that if you look like you belong they'll usually let you pass- it was just bad luck. She had her guitar and everything, but instead they ended up going for ice cream.
But it wasn't all bad, Emma had to say- Riley and Val always had her back. One time there was a rumor floating around school that Emma had gotten drunk and done something very unsavory with one of the boys from the football team (Totally not true!) so they found the girl who started the rumor and shoved her in a loc-
”Wait, that still makes them sounds kind of shitty, huh?” Emma said with a sigh. ”It wasn't always teenage hijinks and shit. We had a lot of good times too- like, the normal kind of good time.”
Callan made for a rather engaged audience, enthralled by each new story and detail. She shook her head in disbelief, "I don't know. I don't think I can ever look at you the same way now, Emma," she sighed with a serious expression.The short facade was broken as she smiled mischeviously.
Emma leaned back, stretching. "Yeah. Now you know all about my sordid past." Emma sprawled out on the couch, lying down, "Talkng about all this makes me feel... not sad, but..." Emma frowned a little, suddenly changing her train of thought, "Cal, you think we'll eve-"
Emma's train of thought was broken again, eyes drifting towards the clock, "Geez, it's late. I've gotta get to bed." she said, abandoning whatever she was about to say.
Callan blinked back her, wondering about Emma's unfinished question for a moment before glancing at the clock herself. "Oh. Uh, yeah..." Truthfully, she could've fallen asleep on the couch right there, but any motivation to joke waned when she remembered who Emma was rooming with. She cleared her throat as she stood up, crossing her arms behind her head in a stretch of her own. "Alright, well... see you around," she said with an awkward laugh.
”Definitely.” Emma said, laughing with none of the awkwardness, ”This was a lotta fun.” a crooked smile dominated her face.
A beat as Emma hesitated.
”Well, goodnight.” Emma said, turning for her- her and Marcus's door.
Callan smiled in agreement. She watched Emma's retreating figure for a moment before heading back towards her own room. It had been a lot of fun. Something between a smile and grimace tugged at the corners of her mouth as she anxiously ran her fingers through her bangs and walked. Of course it was fun. Emma was fun. He wasn't dating her for no reason.
Still, through the jealousy and weird heartbroken heaviness in her chest, she kind of liked that someone like Emma liked her. Or thought she was fun at least. After hearing her stories, Callan couldn't help but think about how tragically boring her hobbies were in comparison.
Reaching her room, she noted that Lawrence was already asleep on the couch. A spot he'd volunteered to take. Quietly, she slipped off her jacket and climbed into bed. Several unwelcome thoughts laid waiting for her there-- quickly expelled as she stuck in her headphones and curled herself around the extra pillows with her phone. Scrolling through Netflix, she recalled her conversation with Emma back at the hospital with a small smile before banishing the thought completely.
9/18
The sun had disappeared from the sky by the time Emma left the Penthouse- she needed clothes, specifically a bikini, at least if she planned on getting any one on one time with that jacuzzi. It was too bad she didn't have her scarf, with it no one would even notice she was an Aberration. Her memories turned back to the first battle, where it had been used a makeshift bandage on Kusari- even though it had only been two weeks it already felt like ancient history.
Emma let out a sigh, her breath turning frosty on the night air. She couldn't afford to worry about the past, not now, not with so much happening. For now she'd need to rely on the cover of night and the ignorance of the locals. If only she at least had foundation- that was how Riley always did it, she remembered, before quickly pushing the thought away. She reminded herself to forget about the past. One day at a time was how she needed to take things now- if she could just keep going like that maybe everything would be okay.
And anyways, she had a bikini to get.
"H-Hey! Excuse me, miss! Dammit, Terry, stop slowing us down!"
A man wearing a thick coat over his suit raced up to Emma, his cameraman easily keeping up just behind him. His hair, which looked to have once been neat, was slightly ruffled from whatever exertion he'd just gone through to make it to the Aberration. The microphone in his hand indicated that he was a reporter, though the amount of time it took for him to catch his breath again showed that his network probably should have chosen someone else for the job. He stood in front of the girl for a second, hands resting on his knees as he wheezed out a "c-could we...whew...could we get an interview with you, miss?"
Emma turned in surprise. A slight smile came to her lips as she recognized who he was, but she quickly turned it into mock annoyance. With the state things were in she hated that she was a little eager to get interviewed- memories of the Precursors on TV came to her when she thought about it, but the rational side of her knew that this would be nothing like that. She have a small sigh, taking a glance at her watch. Her face turned to a grin as she rubbed the back of her head. It was all about persona with these things, wasn't it?
”Hmmmm... well, I guess I'm in no rush. Sure.”
"Really? That's great!" the man beamed and stuck his hand out, "Darren Lingard, WUSA News! Lovely to meet you! Can I get your name? How old are you? Do you want to move some place less crowded? You're not scared of crowds, are you?"
The cameraman--Terry, presumably--watched Darren as he rattled off questions like a machine gun, clearly not amused to be working with such an unprofessional.
"Don't scare her off," he spoke succinctly.
"Sorry!"
Emma's eyes widened a bit at the plethora of questions. ”Wellll...” Emma accepted Darren's handshake, giving a slight nod, ”Emma, seventeen, and this spot is fine if it's all the same to you, because I'm quite comfortable around crowds. I think I answered that in the right order.” Emma joked, giving a small laugh.
Darren, quite frankly, gave her the creeps, but she wasn't going to say that.
"You ever been interviewed before? Been on TV? You really have the face for it!" Darren continued yapping as Terry set up on the side of the path.
Emma gave a slight giggle, wide smile remaining firmly on her face.
God, she really didn't like this Darren guy.
”Can't say I have, Darren. Thank you, though.” she said enthusiastically. All about image, she reminded herself, after all, it wasn't just about her. It was only mostly about her, but if she could be a face for Aberrations like Marcus was for Subs- well, it was a good thing.
"Ah, a first-timer, huh? Same here!" he chirped, continuing the conversation until Terry finished his countdown with little audible warning. He turned to the camera, "Good evening, folks! Darren Lingard here with an exclusive interview with Emma, an X-marked subnatural from...uh..." he hesitated, realising that he had forgotten to ask the more important details during his chat earlier, "USARILN East, right? Part of the Wisford operation?"
Emma tried not to be discouraged by the 'first-timer' comment, but she was already getting sinking feeling her stomach. Despite that, as the sudden countdown began Emma's smile only grew. Emma didn't skip a beat despite being a little surprised at how uninformed Darren was, ”Correct.” she said with an enthusiastic nod.
"Cool and, uh, what was your role at Wisford?"
”I was part of the 'Offensive Support' team. We were... I guess we were kind of the frontlines, such as they were. We were meant to draw in the bulk of the enemy's forces while another team moved behind them to attack their leader.”
Darren's eyebrows shot up at the statement. Behind the camera and aware of the incoming flood, Terry groaned silently.
"So you were right in the thick of it, huh? How did you feel? Was it scary? Di--"
Terry made a cutting gesture across his throat and mouthed 'slow down'. Darren nodded sheepishly.
"Yes, can you tell us what it was like out there?"
Emma's mood still refused to dim, ”Yes, we were right in the thick of it. There were a lot of hostiles and things got pretty crazy- we weren't the first group sent out, in fact, the fight was going for some time before we arrived.”
Now, it was only now, that her smile began to fade, very intentionally.
”Of course hearing about it through the TV doesn't really give the right impression- it was scary. It was a real warzone. There were a lot of casualties- of course many of Wisford's citizens, but also Subnaturals from our teams. It was a great tragedy for everyone involved.” Emma said, trying her best to sound thoughtful.
"Ah yeah, we heard the reports. An incredible tragedy. But tell me, how many on your team got taken out? Were you there when it happened?"
Emma bit her lip. Now was the big moment, huh? ”Like I said there were multiple teams- from ours there was only one death, a small miracle considering how many of us there were, but it doesn't feel that way. I was there- it was awful.” her voice started to grow shaky.
Her eyes started to water as she brought up a hand to wipe away the budding tears, ”Sorry.” she said hoarsely, ”She was... just a child. Fourteen years old. It's... it's not the first time one of us has died, but... she's been the youngest, by far. No one should have to go the way she did, believe me. I'll... spare you the graphic details, but it wasn't something I'll forget easily.”
A sympathetic nod. "Of course. I'm sorry to bring up something so painful. Did you know her well?"
Emma pursed her lips. ”We've only recently been brought together, about a week and a half before Wisfrod, but I'd talked to her during that time. We'd trained together, of course, to prep for missions like these. She... she was a nice girl. Eager to help. I... I wish I couldn't known her better. Even if we weren't that close, we were still all in it together. A team. It wasn't our first battle, and it's always sad to see a teammate go down like that. In a situation like the one we're in it doesn't matter how well you know someone or if you get along with them, y'know? We want to make sure all of us come back safe.”
"Mm, it would be painful to lose anyone in that manner. Now, the subnatural race still has many mysteries that have yet to be uncovered. But one thing we know for sure is that X-marked subs like you seem to have a big affinity for violence. Did the death of your teammate affect your battle performance in any way?"
A hint of confusion came onto Emma's face, ”Well, that's a... complicated question. The X-mark doesn't affect us all in the same way. If the question you're asking is whether or not seeing her die had a mental toll, of course. It's hard to focus on fighting when you're trying to figure out what just happened to the person in front of you, if she's still alive, and if you're going to be next. Now if what you're asking- and forgive me if I'm misinterpreting your question- is if the sight of her death was somehow 'exciting' because of the X-mark the answer is certainly a 'no'. I highly doubt that any of the X's on our team were enthused by her death.” she said as diplomatically as possible.
"Oh, really?" Darren looked confused for a second before Terry hissed a loud sigh from behind his camera, "Oh! No, of course, I would never imply anything so--ahem. I was just following up on pre-confirmed information. But you mentioned that the X-marks affected subnaturals in different ways? Can you tell us more about that?"
”As you said, our race has many mysteries and neither we nor USARILN fully understand the relationship of X-marks and violence. It's a complicated issue and until every party knows more I'd recommend referring to the institutes official stance on X-marks, lest I speak out of turn.”
Damn I'm smooth.
"Alright, fair enough. I know you can't speak for all X-marks here, so I guess I'll narrow it down. How do you get affected by your mark? I'm assuming it doesn't have much to do with violence, judging by your earlier comments?"
Emma's smile was starting to come back. ”Sorry Darren, but this probably isn't nearly as intriguing as your viewers might hope. Perhaps I misspoke when I used the word 'affects'- it seems to me that there is some correlation between violence and the mark, and I've suspected that for some the X-mark does in some way change their behavior, but I'd regard that as an unsubstantiated rumor. For myself there is no 'affect'- after all, as you can probably tell, I have no such tendencies” it didn't matter what she said as long as she buried the lead on the stigma- she was eagerly hoping for a change in topic.
"I see," Darren said, looking childishly disappointed, "So you would say that you're one of the more reliable X-marks in your team? That the behaviour of some of your similarly marked teammates might be detrimental? There's got to be some who do get affected, right, unlike you?"
Emma shook her head, ”That's not what I'm saying at all. Ignoring the fact that it would be unfair to comment on the reliability of my friends, it's also worth mentioning that the X-marks I refer to don't seem to be prevalent among the USARILN population. When I speak of people who might be negatively affected by the mark I speak of extremists- Cat's Cradle, The Senators, etcetera. It's also worth noting that what I'm saying is entirely speculative- what I do know is that in my experience I would consider those I'm allied with to be extremely reliable, and I'd trust any of them with my life.” it was a total lie, but it would also likely be good PR if Experimental Unit B went public.
"It's good to hear that the USARILNs have their subnatural population on a tight leash, eh?" Darren joked before realising what he'd just said. He spoke quickly in hopes that it would be forgotten, "Uh, moving on. While we're on the topic of you, could you give us a brief rundown of your powers?"
Emma merely gave a curt nod at Darren's little joke before continuing, ”Gladly. It's not anything too complicated- I can summon these, er, shadow creatures is the best way to describe them. After that they'll follow out any order I give them. Some of them have additional powers like being able to force pull things or explode.” now Emma's smile turned into a coy grin, ”If you want you can meet one, Darren. Only if you're willing to, of course. You'll be in no danger, I promise.”
An excited puppy-like look crossed the reporter's face. "Oh, absolutely! A demonstration would be great!"
Emma nodded, ”Alright.” she raised her hand dramatically and snapped quickly. Instantly Determination appeared by her side, his newly formed hollow visage staring blankly ahead. ”They're not real lookers, but they get the job done.” she said with a small laugh.
Darren inspected the creature from all angles, awe radiating from the man. Terry tensed up as another slew of questions was launched. "Incredible! Do they have names? How many can you summon? You said they have different powers, what powers does this one have? What are the restrictions and stuff? Do they have a timer? Range limit?"
Emma took a breath before answering, ”Yes, they do have names- there are five of them: Determination, Charity, Love, Devotion, and Happiness. The names were their choice, not mine.” she said with a small laugh.
”I can summon three at any given time. As for this one's power, as you can see he looks a little bulky- he's armored, unlike the rest of them, meaning he can take more hits and also hit harder than the others. And for restrictions there's no timer or range limit- the only limiting factor is my ability to communicate with them, as they only function with orders.”
" 'Their choice'? Can they speak?"
”No,” Emma corrected quickly, ”It's intuitive. Like, I just have a sense that that's what they're called is the best way to explain it.”
"But this intuition sense doesn't help you with communication? You need to give your orders verbally?"
”Correct. As far as limitations go it's a fairly easy one to work around- we've experimented with controlling them remotely, for example with a phone, and that works without issue. It's proven to be one of the more versatile powers on our team, although don't mistake that as me saying it's better than others- there are a lot of very strong Subnaturals in our unit.”
"Oh yes, your unit, tell us more about them! You mentioned training earlier but are there other USARILN-mandated activities you do together? Do you get along better with your fellow X-marks than the white streaks?"
”I get along with everyone,” Emma said happily, ”I don't find that what mark we have comes into consideration when we're making friends- I get the feeling we're going to be working together for a long time, so I think all of us are making an effort to be friends.” the words came out easily, even if it wasn't exactly true. ”In terms of the exercises we do it's the obvious stuff- physical training, team building exercises, the obvious stuff.”
"Wow, you certainly do come off as the friendly sort! But a group made up of that many teenagers? I don't believe it's been that long since I was that young but if I recall my high school days correctly, surely there'd be some tensions in a group of youths as big as this unit? Not all of them can be like you after all."
”Well, of course, tensions always rise when a group works closely, especially in circumstances like ours. We all have our share of drama- but at the end of the day I think we all try our best to get along. You can't spend your time worrying about teenage drama when you're going off to fight monsters, right?”
"Haha, very true. Continuing on the topic of your unit, two boys from your team have been making quite the impression recently. One 'Brent Roless' and 'Marc'? Do you have any thoughts on them, particularly that special interview with the one making rounds on the internet as 'Time Scar'?"
”Well...” Emma started hesitantly, ”Brent's a nice guy. Friendly guy.”
He told me to kill myself.
”Marc is...”
Would he feel bad if she wasn't willing to say they were dating on TV? Would he feel bad if she did?
Fuck it.
”Well, he's my boyfriend.” Emma rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, still smiling- if anything smiling more, her cheeks flushing slightly.
Another raising of the eyebrows quelled by a harsh, preemptive glare by Terry. Darren nodded. Nothing too personal, got it.
"Well, I definitely can't say I was expecting that development. It's good to know that two fine young subs can still find happiness in the most troubling of times. I suppose that you would've related to your boyfriend's words to a great degree, then?"
”Certainly. If we have this power it's our responsibility to use it for good, for the betterment of the public- there's a lot of terrible stuff going on in the world right now, so it's a privilege to have the ability to do something about it.” it was an easy lie, one that made sense-if she could make the Aberrations look better she would.
"Fine words from a lovely girl," Darren grinned and turned back to face the camera, "Well, there you have it, folks! A refreshing take on the subnaturals of the infamous USARILN East. You've certainly shed a lot of light for us today so thank you, Emma, for your time, your demonstration, and for being an overall delight to interview. I'll let you get back to your shopping now."
Once the feed was cut, the reporter turned tto the girl and took her hand to shake it excitedly.
"Thank you so much! This was the best interview I've ever done! Aw man, the network's gonna love us."
Terry looked as if he wanted to point out that it was the only interview the younger man had ever done but chose to remain silent on the matter, offering a simple "good work, you two" instead.
”Right- it was nice talking to you too, Darren.” Emma gave a small wave to Terry as well, turning on her heel to finally go get her bikini, a satisfied smile on her face.
By the time Emma's date with Marcus rolled around she was ready. She'd dressed to the nines- the use of that phrase relative to the fact that she was a child soldier with limited access to dresses and other fancy clothing- by the time she went to go find Marcus.
In hand she had a makeup kit- figuring that whatever fancy D.C. orchestra had set up shop here wouldn't take kindly to subnatural guests she'd already covered up her own X-mark and was prepared to do the same for Marcus's streak.
It didn't take long to find the scarred boy in the relatively small penthouse. She approached him with an enthusiastic smile, ”Look at me,” she said, pointing to her own neck, ”Think I pass for a regular?”
Marcus meanwhile was only dressed to the eights - but it was still enough of an upscale from his usually disheveled appearance to be a refreshing change of pace. He'd managed to find a shirt with buttons (which he'd had to undo twice now because he'd buttoned it up unevenly), but one that didn't seem to require a tie. Regular blue jeans pulled over his ankle cuff and a pain belt though; and despite the fact that he'd accidentally rolled his cuffs up unevenly and hadn't been able to do a damn thing with his air, he thought he was rocking it.
He'd just finished redoing his shirt buttons for the third time when Emma walked in, immediately pointing to her neck to show off a very drastic change. It was makeup of course, but he hadn't realized what a defining feature the mark was until it wasn't there any more.
"Hey! Look at that!" he said, leaning in slightly for a better look. "I'd certainly say so; you'd hardly be able to tell unless you actually knew what you were looking for!"
Emma held up the makeup kit. ”And now it's your turn. Something gives me a feeling they won't be too happy to host a couple of ne'er-do-well subnaturals.” Emma gave him a wicked grin, ”Ever worn makeup, Marcus?”
"Not on purpose." Marcus joked, not allowing Emma the time to counter that statement, instead continuing right on without waiting for a reply.
"You gonna make me look all purtyful?" he asked, placing his hands to his chin and batting her eyelashes at her.
”Don't think the makeup will do enough to help you in that department.” she quipped, pulling the foundation from the bag and moving closer to him, ”I am going to need you to hold still though, think ya can manage that?”
"That's pretty harsh. Guy might get his feelings hurt with a comeback like that!" Marcus quipped, taking a seat in the chair nearby and sitting up straight.
"Let's find out together, why don't we?"
”That's encouraging.” she said, beginning the process of hiding the white splosh that seemed to dominate his face- well, would dominate his face if it wasn't for the scars. She bit her lip as she began. There was something she needed to clear up now, while she had the chance. ”I ran into a reporter earlier today.” she started, making it sounds like an absent minded comment.
"Oh?" Marcus said, trying to avoiding making to much movement, his eyebrows only rising slightly in piqued curiosity. "I imagine there are quite a few of those around here." he said almost absemindedly, the words soft due to his stiff position.
"You gonna be showing up on the big screen next?"
”Probably. And... he asked me about Time Scar. And I said we were dating.” Emma tried to sound as casual as possible, hoping that Marcus wouldn't care.
Marcus turned his head a little bit in surprise, if only by a miniscule amount - inevitably enough to mess up Emma a slight amount.
"Man, we really are gonna end up being the best thing since Sparrow and Kadabra, huh?" he said, giving a stifled chuckle and returning to his frozen pose.
That'd be probably be up everywhere shortly, which meant...
Oh no
Which meant Max and Sammie would shortly be screaming in his ear.
Something for him to look forward to.
An internal sigh of relief. He wasn't mad. Of course he wasn't, why would he be? ”Hell yeah. I think I did a pretty damn good job too, really captured that star quality. You should take a page from my book, learn how to do this celebrity stuff...” Emma gulped, ”Well, aside from the fact that I almost... probably did tell them way too much. I almost spilled the whole Arbiter/Aberration thing. Probably wouldn't make me look too good in front of our fellow mages.”
"What, spilling inter-personal classified secrets that our little friends on the messageboards desperately don't want us to talk about? You think that would make them a little bit huffy with you?" he asked, resisting the urge to give a dismissive wave.
"Naaaaahhhhh"
Emma gave a small huff, ”Oh yeah, I'm sure they'll be cool with me spilling the secrets of an entire race of people. Man, with as many Subs as there are you'd think someone would have already said something. How do the Regulars not already know this shit?”
An entire race of people. The message was clear enough for him to know Emma was talking about them as subnaturals, but...were they truley considered a different race althogether? Did they not deserve to be called humans also?
There was a moment Marcus silently contemplated this, before speaking up again. "I mean, we're not exactly forthcoming with these things to eachother, and most mages see the 'normal' people as enemies." he said, giving an air quoatation around the word 'normal'.
"Plus, I think we're the only group to really get any media attention outside the 'cursors and Cradle."
”You're not wrong.” Emma sighed, ”And why is that exactly? Shane's group must've done stuff like this before, why are we on the news and they aren't? I feel like the Institute is up to something. It's no mistake that we're being publicized- I dunno, am I just being paranoid?”
Marcus gave a slight shrug, realizing his mistake and going back to being still. "I've got no idea. Hell, I don't even know how much stuff that kid's group has done. Certainly never heard of them before meeting up with the guy."
"Em, I don't think there's such a thing as being too paranoid anymore. Especially when a dude with invisibilty powers or teleporting knives or god-knows-what other powers could come through the nearest wall at any point."
"Paranoia ended they day DC destroyed the world." Marcus muttered softly, a slight hint of bitterness in his voice.
”Right.” a slight frown came to Emma's face. She'd keep her own thoughts on DC to herself, ”These USARILN guys sure love their conspiracies. You should see the shit they have below the medical building, place is a freak show.” Emma gave a small huff, ”And that's where Savannah is going to end up.” she had her own hint of bitterness in her voice now.
"Mmhmm." Marcus hummed distantly, his mind already starting to wander a bit. Emma had told them all about what happened below the hospital - and they'd all promised to come back alive.
Which, in a fairness, they had. Everyone who had been there for that promise was milling about the penthouse or the city, all with their own agendas, but still alive. It was just the one who had not made it back: and for a reason that he knew all too well. He could feel Emma's gaze on him, just as he'd felt Brent's. Was this another attempt at inquisition? Had Brent set her up to this to try and figure out what had actually happened?
The thoughts raced through his mind, only noticable by the slight beading of sweat on his forehead, and the rapid speeding of his heart.
Emma wiped the sweat from his forehead.
If she hadn't been so close to his face she might not have noticed, but she did. ”It's the middle of fall. It's not hot in here. What's up?”
"W-well..." Marcus started to stammer, mind reeling to come up with some sort of explanation. "Trying not to fidget that much, is all!"
A sudden thought sparked into his mind, which quickly came out as a hurried addition: "Plus, there's a cute girl right in my face. How am I not supposed to get a little nervous?"
Perfect. Flattery. Always worked.
”I've been a lot closer to your face and you didn't seem so embarrassed last time it happened.” Emma said coyly.
”But fine, forget about it. Flattery always works. I'm almost done anyways.”
And it took not even a second longer for Emma to finish. ”There.” she said, pulling a hand mirror from the kit and holding it up for him to inspect, ”Feel normal for once?”
Marcus looked himself over in the mirror, the surprise on his face evident. Scars, but no white mark? That was a sight he'd only seen once or twice; there was something odd about it - a strange mixture of before and after that left him slightly off put by it. Still, Emma had done a good job in disguising his telltale marking.
He gave a low whistle, turning his head to look himself over from another angle. "Look at that! I look like a normal kid!"
Again.
"I'd say that's a mighty fine job!" he added, looking up to Emma.
”Of course it is.” Emma said with a satisfied smile, putting the mirror away.
Got plenty of practice.
She took a quick glance at her watch, ”We're gonna be late if we don't get a move on, so let's get going.”
Emma's gaze suddenly dropped to the cuff on her ankle. "Shit, that's a give away too. Looks like I better put on a longer dress."
The grand theater was a stately, polished wonder of modern architecture stacked to three stories with hints of art nouveau inspirations in the patterned arches of the windows and foliage-reminiscent embellishments winding their way across the colorful panes of stained glass. It was a more recent reconstruction after a passing rampage from a winged monster had leveled that sector of the city before the Precursors had neutralized the threat.
Either humanity was foolishly defiant or eternally optimistic--and perhaps those two aspects weren't necessarily mutually exclusive--but extravagant quantities of taxpayer dollars had pooled into that structure and the venue was now almost a sacred location for the performing arts.
Marcus and Emma waited patiently in line as the well-dressed guests ahead of them presented gold-rimmed tickets to the staff standing just inside the double glass doors of the entrance, Marcus playing up the 'gentleman' in the fancy atmosphere, arm crooked slightly to the side for his lovely date to hold on to. Even with the entrance growing nearer, he was amazed at the decor of the place - just when he thought the penthouse would be the fanciest thing he ever saw, this came along and blew it out of the water. He couldn't stop himself from letting a soft "Woooow..." escape his mouth.
It didn't take long for him to focus on something else entirely though, the small strip of gold passing between hands having caught his eye. A cold pit sunk in his heart, and he very slowly and softly leaned over to whisper to Emma.
"Hey, random question: you not able to conjure up a pair of tickets or anything, are you? Because we might have a slight problem."
Emma accepted Marcus's arm, soaking in the opulence of the concert hall. She wasn't quite as affected as Marcus was, there were certainly buildings of similar grandeur in the rich burgs of New York City, but still, the concert hall was damn impressive. She'd seen the destruction of the old one, the fight between Precursor and monster, on the news. No doubt the new building was a symbolic gesture by the government about the resilience of mankind or some shit, and a good one at that.
Emma gave a slight sigh at Marcus's question, filled with mock irritation, ”You're lucky you have me, y'know?” Emma said, producing a pair of tickets from her purse, ”Because my powers do, in fact, include the ability to produce magical tickets on demand.”
Emma's eyes narrowed, ”Or maybe you're just lucky to have someone that thinks ahead.” she said with a slight smile, handing the tickets to Marcus.
"I'd like to think I'm lucky for all of the above reasons." Marcus said, grinning at her and grabbing the tickets she offered him.
"And probably for a few other reasons." he said with a wink, turning to hand the gold rimmed papers to the doorman as they approached.
"Welcome to the Pinnacle Theater!" the man greeted as he handed back their ticket stubs. "Thank you for choosing us as your source of luxury entertainment for the day and we hope you enjoy the show! Your box seats come with personal service staff, so please don't hesitate to ring the small bell on the endtable for anything you need!"
On cue, two waiters approached them, towels slung over one arm while they escorted the two students up the stairs that wound around the outside of the main concert hall, leading them to a box positioned at the perfect intersection of sound and sight lines to view the entirety of the waiting orchestra. The waiters remained politely outside the box itself, tucked behind the nearby curtains.
Emma gave a coy smile to Marcus as they were escorted up. ”Sure, the box seats were a little expensive, but we're not the one's paying for it, right? We're celebrities now, gotta act the part.” Emma said, giving Marcus a slight nudge.
"Well you sure do know how to go all out, I'll give you that much!" Marcus said, taking a seat in one of the best spots in the building.
"But maybe don't say that last part too loudly. I'm not sure I want to be found out while surrounded by a thousand people, with no escape route." he whispered, nudging her back.
It began with a glance from one of the neighboring boxes. Then a whisper from a seat below. Soon, dozens of pairs of eyes had their attention ripped from the orchestra and were instead pointing up towards a box seating a teenage couple. The lights dimmed as the conductor started the overture but the commotion soon became far too disruptive for any sort of music to be appreciated. With a few quick flicks of the wrist, the orchestra went silent as the rather irritated conductor turned to the audience to find out what the commotion was. Their gazes led to a pair of subnaturals who had been making rounds on television. He was unsure of what to do here. The same could be said for the audience members. Everyone simply remained in their seats, unwilling to force the pair out but not bothering to hide their whispers either. A stalemate, for now.
"Like that. Basically exactly like that." Marcus muttered, sliding down into his seat.
Emma glanced at Marcus. And then she glanced at the crowd, the conductor, and Marcus. ”Woah, not my fault. They probably just remember us from the news.” she whispered harshly.
Shit, what now?
There was no doubt they realized who they were. There were likely some that weren't sure. But most had figured it out. That left two courses of action- leaving or waiting. Marcus slid further into his chair and Emma was about to do the same, but...
Maybe there was a third option.
It was a bit of a gamble- people would be pissed if they noticed the absence of the X-mark, but hopefully it was dark and they were far away enough that it went unnoticed. They were in private boxes, right? It couldn't have been too noticeable.
Emma backed away for a moment, feigning that she was checking her phone- she quickly wiped off the makeup in one motion, hoping that no one had noticed. She stepped back forward, ”Wipe off the makeup. Subtly.” Emma said to Marcus under her breath, giving the audience a small wave and a wide smile- hopefully the people were willing to put up with the two subnaturals.
The whispers only grew in volume as the interruption continued, even more so when Emma waved. Though Emma's wipe was unseen to most of the floor seats, a woman in the box beside them grimaced in disgust. Yet, she remained seated, opting instead to gossip heatedly with her husband seated next to her. No direct action to the teenagers had been taken yet. The conductor was now arguing with a stage manager. Outside the box's exit, the two waiters assigned to this particular box were audibly arguing, though they both clammed up as a pair of security officers arrived. However, they made no move either. The burly men simply waited by the doors, ready to take action should the commotion require it.
Marcus followed Emma's lead, seemingly coughing into his hand as he backed up a little bit, wiping the makeup off as he brought his arm up to his face. Still, he couldn't help but think that this wasn't the best of ideas - it had been made very clear that the people of the Capital weren't exactly the most friendly here, despite any attempts to make them seem more sympathetic.
The arrival of guards at the doors simply seemed to enforce this point, as Marcus was sure they were about to get forcibly ejected from the building. His eyes darted from them to Emma, waiting to see what her next move was.
Emma looked at him. ”If the guard's haven't kicked us out I'm going to guess they're for our benefit- I mean, if we just wait they have to stop eventually, right? Either that or they're getting ready to pull out their pitchforks.” she said quietly. ”Do you want to get out of here?”
"Well, as much as I'd like to not be intimidated and stay for your money's worth, I'm very intimidated right now." Marcus said, eyes flicking around to all the eyes staring back at him.
"But if you're willing to stand your ground, I'm certainly not going to leave you behind."
Emma shot him a quick glance, "I'm intimidated too, but hey, if they do decide to lynch us it's probably safer in the box. Behind the guards." she said, remaining unmoving.
Yet another minute of unsubtle bickering between the conductor and the stage manager. The orchestra remained at a standstill, the musicians' activities varying between whispering like the audience members and sneaking in some section practice during the break. One violinist even took his phone out to sneak a picture of the subnaturals but was quickly snapped at by the conductor. Eventually the leaders manage to come to an agreement and the conductor tapped on a microphone to request silence once more. The begrudging decrease in chatter followed and the focus was finally taken off the subnaturals. After another tuning session, the conductor restarted the overture, this time without any interruptions.
Emma looked at Marcus with a wry smile, "See look? I told you, we gooood."
"Yeah, I guess..." Marcus said, starting to sit back up in his chair as a slight wave of relief went over him. "Glad the conductor's apparently on our side!" he said, nervously chuckling.
The first half of the show passed in tense silence, but at intermission a large portion of the floor audience abandoned the concert, exiting quickly while shooting fearful, disgusted looks at the subnatural teenagers in the best box seat. There was a brazen nerve in how the two had remained after the opening fiasco and it struck a nerve with the citizens of Washington. More balked inwardly (and occasionally in loud whispers to their companions) that the local police force had let such a disaster pass in the first place. Others privately condemned the security guards, the concert hall staff, even the musicians for putting up with such a travesty. The mounting anger in the hallway even convinced several of the musicians to pack up and leave with the departing crowd, most notable the first violinist. Despite the offended commands of the conductor, the young woman shook her head and left, pointing upwards at the two subnaturals while arguing, her voice washed out by the murmurs of the crowd, but meaning clear enough.
When the din died down and the concert hall attendance resembled a box office flop, the conductor turned to look at the two USARILN students briefly, the expression on his aged, but dignified face inscrutable. With a sigh, he turned back to the remaining musicians, conversing briefly with the second violin.
The music resumed after the intermission, though none of the people who had left returned. Without their knowledge, Marcus's and Emma's waiters had also vanished.
Across from them, in a box on the opposite wall, a well-dressed man with olive skin and amber eyes watched the two calmly, a faint smile on his face as if the entire disaster had only been an amusing part of the show. He gestured to his own waiter, who leaned down carefully to take an order before disappearing into the back.
When a chilled flute of champagne returned, he raised a brief toast to the pair before settling back into his seat for the second half of the concert, sipping his drink with an elegance born from a lifetime of luxurious accommodations.
Emma had been watching the show with an obvious discomfort. Even under normal circumstances she would've been uncomfortable in the grandiose concert hall, the feeling was only amplified by the fact that everyone around hated them. The thinning audience didn't go unnoticed as well- she knew D.C. didn't like their kind, but she felt reviled here, like a villain.
Maybe that's what she was.
The man with the champagne didn't go unnoticed either- Emma returned his toast with a curt nod. ”At least we have one fan here.” Emma commented dryly, contempt clear in her voice. What an awkward fucking position this was. Of course, when Emma called for a drink of her own, no one came to serve her.
Being a Sub really sucked.
When it came time to leave Emma spared no time in getting up, quick to tug Marcus along with her.
”That went well.” she said, hurrying for the door.
"I'll say..." Marcus said, a little dejectedly. This was his first time being at some grandiose event like this, and while the scenery was nice, the actual performance and general ambiance left much to be desired. Not the best of first impressions - something that he probably should have expected, but still stung a little bit.
He gave one last look over to where the champagne man had been sitting, before snagging Emma's arm as she moved to leave. "Hang on a second. he said, walking past her and up to one of the security guards that was still hanging around.
"Pardon me, my good man; but is there a back exit or like...an employee exit we can sneak out of? Some way for us to get out without getting mobbed and making your lives difficult?" he asked, putting on his nicest 'child asking a parent for something' voice.
"Employee exits are for personnel only," the guard looked down at the subnatural with barely-hidden disdain. "The theatre doors are faster anyway."
A polite and succinct way of telling the kid to scram.
Emma was right behind Marcus. She just wanted to leave- quick. She'd had her fill of the orchestra, and was hoping against hope that this wouldn't end up on the news. She was pretty proud of her performance during the interview, and she didn't need something marring that so quickly.
”Alright, you heard the nice security officer, let's go.” she said lightly, hooking her arm around his and lightly tugging him towards the exit.
"Yep. That didn't work. Time to bail." Marcus said, slinking away from the guard, his metaphorical tail between his legs.
He quickly walked with Emma towards one of the nearest exits, trying desperately to keep his head down and not make any eye contact with anybody, hoping that they'd be able to get out reletively unmolested, and getting ready to run otherwise.
Emma also kept her head down. She wasn't ignorant to the hate-filled glares and loathsome whispers of the crowd around them. Emma and Marcus did nothing but try to enjoy a nice night out, but now... the girl felt nothing but contempt for the unmarked Regulars. She shot Marcus a quick glance as they exited the building. ”This is bullshit.” she muttered quickly under her breath.
Emma was glad to finally be back in the penthouse- among their own kind. She didn't want to hate the Regulars, but what the hell had they done besides hate her? Her parents, their guards, their fellow orchestra goers, even fucking Timothy, it was all starting to get to her. She came into the penthouse hurriedly, letting out a disgruntled huff as she shoved open the door.
”I can't fucking believe those people just...”
Emma couldn't find the end to her sentence, instead letting out a groan as she found a free couch to sit on.
"Yeah. I agree. That was a little bit..." Marcus said, plopping down next to her and staring at the ceiling. He didn't need to finish his sentance; the thought was enough.
"To be fair though, wiping off the makeup in full view of literally everybody...perhaps not your greatest plan of the night."
”And what's the alternative? They notice we don't have marks and lynch us? They didn't need them to recognize who we are.” Emma said, voice filled with exasperation.
"I mean, we could have just backed up a little bit, out of view of the balcony or something, and just stayed there. Instead of peeking back over and waving to everyone." he said, flopping his arms in equal exasperation.
Emma bit her lip, ”Yeah, that probably would've been a good idea, I wish I'd heard it, but someone was busy becoming one with his chair while I was trying to figure out what to do. I didn't exactly have a lot of time to decide, and it seemed like a lot better of an idea than sitting and waiting.” Emma said with a huff.
"My bad, I figured 'maybe try and not show off your mage-ness in the place we're hated the most was understood." Marcus muttered, the irritation clear in his voice.
He paused for a moment; there was no reason for him to be snapping at Emma - it certainly wasn't her fault that they'd been ostracized. He was just irritated in general; a little bit snippier than he needed to be.
”Oh come on, you know that they knew we were mages- did the fact that everyone was staring at us and whispering not make that obvious? You've been all over the news and you've got a pretty distinct face Marcus.”
"No, you're right." Marcus said, starting to cool down slightly - or at least starting to realize that he should direct his frustration somewhere else. "I guess it was a pretty stupid idea for two of the most well-known people in the country to go to one of the most crowded places in the country. Huh?"
Emma sighed.
”Yeah.” she agreed plainly.
I wanted to go to the arcade. she though bitterly, but didn't say.
”I just wish people didn't hate us so much.” she said, looking down at the ground. She didn't need to know the reason why there was so much contempt for subnaturals- she knew that, lived that.
"I hear ya..." Marcus said, running his hands down his face. "Here I thought that maybe I'd be able to make people like us a little bit more - show a friendly face and hope that people would be a little bit nicer...but it almost feels like it's gotten worse." he said despondantly.
"Maybe that's just the city though..."
Emma frowned. ”People are people.” she commented idly, ”I've seen people that've hated us all my life. They have their reasons, their convictions. We can't change their minds over night.” but she wished, more than anything, that they could.
There was a long moment where Marcus just sat, mulling over the thought in his head. She was right; he even had his own preconceptions that weren't going to be changed by simple words, so it wasn't like he had any room to judge other people for theirs.
"Next time, we need to bring masquerade masks." Marcus said, raising his arms up and stretching.
”Next time we're sticking to CC1.” Emma decided, letting out a slight yawn, ”They might be weird, but at least they don't do that.” Emma paused for a moment, ”I mean, really though, why are we in Washington? Think they're taking us to meet the big shots?”
"Yeah, as obnoxious as they can be, they at least seem to apprecitate us. Even if it's just because we're a relatively normal sight or something.
"As for Washington, who knows? Maybe we're all going to get medals or something. A big plaque built in our honor, right across from the Washington Monument." Marcus said, swiping hands as if displaying a landmark that didn't exist.
”Oh yeah, I'm sure the good people of D.C. will love that. American heroes Abraham Lincoln and Marcus Howell, that'll go over well with this crowd..”
A slight smirk came to Emma's face, ”I'd love to see the look on their faces.”
"I think I'd look pretty distinguished in a stovepipe hat!" Marcus said, giving Emma a regal pose and subsequent grin.
”Oh yeah, for sure.” Emma said, laughing.
Maybe this was why she liked him- she wasn't thinking about the concert hall anymore. It was easy to forget about that stuff with him. That was why she liked Riley too- everything felt a little more normal.
You don't deserve that.
Emma pushed the thoughts away. She'd thought far too much about her for today. ”Hey... even if our date did suck, I'm glad you're here.”
"I do what I can!" Marcus said, his regal pose only getting cockier before he let out small laugh and settled back down to his normal stature.
"Funny thing is, I was about to say the same thing."
”Oh yeah, sure, whatever you say.” Emma said, disbelief in her voice evident.
"No! It's true! Even if had to be publicly humilated in front of thousands of people to do it; I'm still glad we actually got to go out and do something together. I'm glad we got to do something together."
And any emotion and chance Marcus had at actually seeming sincere and romantic went right out the window when he added, "And it's not just because I recently learned you can conjure box seat tickets!"
Emma ran a hand through her hair, laughing a little. ”Right.” she agreed with a crooked smile on her face.
𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟙𝟡, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘 / / 𝕎𝕒𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕥𝕠𝕟 𝔻.ℂ. / / ℙ𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕤𝕖 / / ~𝟙𝟝𝟘𝟘 Collab with @Diggerton and [@VarinousNW]
It had been a strange week for Allison Revel. A devastating battle, the death of a friend, a unfortunate romance, and too much luxary for one person to handle. Luckily, the massive penthouse suite had an indoor pool and jacuzzi, the perfect method of relaxation, thankfully viable even in the fall. Allison had picked up a bikini on thursday for just this purpose.
Come to think of it, Allison hadn't gone swimming since she was a kid, though that applied to most things. She lost quite a lot when her parents split up.
"It isn't the time to think about that stuff. Just relax, Allison, just relax." Allison muttered to herself as she lowered herself into the warm water of the jacuzzi. She let out a deep sigh, and drank in the silence.
Allison wasn’t the only one interested in the jacuzzi- Emma had desperately needed to relax. It had all been too much, she needed to close her eyes, drift away, disconnect herself… and she needed to be alone. That wasn’t going to happen in her room- her and Marcus’s room, that is. So, instead, she sought the comfort of warm, bubbly water. Of course, it was her luck that there was someone else there.
Emma had a bikini of her own. During their short stay she’d taken the time to sneak out and get one- she might as well look good if she was going to be walking around like this. When she left for the store she still feared hostility of the regulars- it really was too bad that they'd caught her earlier.
But anyways, it wasn’t like she could go into the jacuzzi naked.
She took a cautious stepped towards the water. She barely managed to recognize the girl from the flag game- last time she had met her they were fighting each other. ”Um, excuse me, Allison? Mind if I join you?”
"Oh." Allison turned to face Emma. It seemed like she wasn't going to get her quiet relaxation so easily. "Yea, I don't mind." Allison sunk further into the water, leaving just her head exposed. The only time the two of them had met was when Ernie stabbed Allison in the eye, with Emma's help. The brunette couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed at her presence, but she had made up with Ernie, so why couldn't it be the same for Emma? Besides, she looked pretty good in a bikini.
”Right. Thanks.” Emma sensed that she wasn’t exactly wanted, but she still wanted to get in the jacuzzi. Maybe they could both just sit in silence? Emma eagerly stepped into the water, taking a seat. She gave Allison a polite smile, but for now remained quiet.
Allison expected there to be conversation, or something at least, but instead the two of them sat in silence for a good while. Allison tried to allow herself that relaxation, soaking in the quiet afternoon air, but having the other girl near her was bothersome, and not due to Emma helping Ernie stab her in the eye. Allison's stigma seemed to be quite the fan of girls in bikinis. It's hard to relax when you're sexually frustrated. Allison's face was beet red as she forced herself to look at anything but Emma.
Emma hadn’t been paying much attention to Allison. In fact, she was doing everything she could to pretend that she wasn’t there, leaning back against the concrete with her eyes closed. She only opened them as she shifted her weight, attempting to find a more comfortable position, and that was when she noticed Allison’s apparent nervousness. Emma hesitated to mention it, but after a moment of consideration she spoke, ”Er, Allison, is everything okay?” Emma asked hesitantly.
"Y-yea, I'm fine," Allison said quietly.
Emma gave the girl a curious glance, but didn’t pursue it.
…
Silence.
…
Well, she had to say something.
…
Suddenly the potential reason for Allison’s perceived awkwardness dawned on Emma. ”Hey, Allison… by the way, I should’ve said this sooner, but, uh… that whole thing with Ernie, during the ‘game’ they made us play… that was crazy. I didn’t think he’d do something like that… just… sorry, that was kind of my fault.” she said with a slight frown, trying her best to sound regretful.
"It's fine," Allison said calmly, still looking away from Emma, "You did what you had to do. Already made up things with Ernie, anyway. Turns out he's a nice guy once you get past the whole 'stabbing people in the eye thing'."
Emma nodded with a hint of hesitation, "Yeah, a good guy." at the very least her agreements sounded believable. It still irked her that everyone fell for Ernie's unsufferable 'nice guy' act, but now wasn't the time to go around spreading rumors about him.
...
Honestly, she'd expected Allison to say something else. But she didn't, so Emma didn't either.
...
Okay, Allison was clearly uncomfortable. Maybe it was just best if she left, "Well, I think I've had my fill of the jacuzzi. I'll... see you around, Allison." Emma said, slowly getting up and grabbing a towel.
"O-oh, Alright." Allison shrank in on herself, wrapping her arms around her legs, keeping her head above water. Emma probably thought Allison was being weird, which was understandable, she was being being weird. At least Allison would actually be able to relax.
The Aberration watched as Emma got out of the water, eyes glued on her rear end. 'Good work Allison,' she thought as she looked away as inconspicuously as physically possible. It was the stigma, right? Yea, the stigma. It had to be, it always was. Allison turned around, getting partway out of the water. "You, umm, look really good in a bikini." The words fell out of her mouth before she could even process them.
Emma stopped, turning around slowly. Her smile turned slightly awkward as a slight red tinge flooded her face- wait, that wasn't the reason Allison was being so awkward, right? She pushed the impulsive thought away, instead trying to reformulate her smile, ”Oh, uh, thanks.” she said in a distinctly not-awkward way.
"I-i'm sorry, please forget I said that!" Allison turned around quickly, and sank beneath the surface of the hot water. 'Idiot! What were you thinking? You weren't thinking. Damn it!' Allison didn't need another person thinking she was into them. It was just a harmless compliment, even if it came from her stigma. There was no real meaning behind it. Relaxation was a mistake.
Emma's face was flushing even further now, ”No! No, it's fine... I, uh, appreciate the compliment...” Emma said sincerely. She was just trying to be kind, hopefully Allison wouldn't read into it.
Allison's head rose above the water enough so that Emma's words reached her. Ok, she wasn't immediately creeped out, or pulling a Kusari. Maybe that was a good sign, but it was also immensly unclear. Was it a "Yo, let's get down to business," or a "Thanks for that completely platonic compliment, friend?" Instead of trying to figure it out, Allison dove to the bottom of the jacuzzi.
Allison disappeared. Right. Emma offered a small wave, turning back to the penthouse.
That wasn't awkward at all. said a sarcastic voice in her head.
𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟚𝟘, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘 / / 𝕎𝕒𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕥𝕠𝕟 𝔻.ℂ. / / ℙ𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕤𝕖 / / ~𝟙𝟙𝟘𝟘 Collab with @Diggerton and @Riffus Maximus
On this afternoon, Angélique felt drained out from her daily morning routine workout with Brent and the impromptu martial training she had with Zoe a bit later. However, all this physical workout felt good, really good. The numb aching in her muscle was welcomed instead of the throbbing headache her Stigma was giving her. Training with Brent and Siena, then talking with Ernest and Zoe, it somehow managed to make her feel good.
However, as much as she did enjoyed the company of others, Angel wanted to spend a bit of time alone to re-center herself upon the discussions she had this morning, reflect on what had been said. While the idea of locking herself up in her room, the thought of spending time alone with Allison made her feel at unease. Ever since she read the girl’s confession via a love song she had written, Angel felt a bit uncomfortable around Allison.
Instead, she figured she’d go to the computer lobby. Her smartphone’s battery was running low, and Angel kind of wanted to see what was up with the chatroom and the most recent news. Entering the lounge, the raven-haired young woman was astonished to see the numerous pieces of expensive hardware gathered inside a single room. However, not a single soul was inside, aside from one silhouette Angel recognized. Of all people, why did Emma have to be here?
Trying her best to not disturb the girl from whatever caught her attention on the computer monitor, Angel made her way inside the lounge to take a seat, as far as possible from the other Aberration. Once seated, it didn’t take time for the social-media adept to browse through the internet, happening onto forums and threads about the most recent developments about the Subnaturals issue. Comments about interviews with Christmas, Marcus and Brent, heated discussions about Subnaturals, idle banter about those iconic Subnaturals that appeared for the first time in a while on camera; it had all caught Angel’s attention. She examined with keen interest what the social medias had to say about the current situation. Even after a little while in the lobby, Angel could feel it. The general opinion had started shifting. If only a little bit, it was noticeable to an idol that had spent a lot of time interacting with her fans on social medias.
Reading over the current discussion in the Death and Taxes’ chatroom, a grin began appearing on the fallen rockstar’s face, then a small chuckle as she read aloud the name ‘Pixie’.
“Zip Zip Boy…!” Angel could barely restrain herself from laughing as she read over Marcus’ less-than-serious nickname.
Suddenly, Angel remembered something. Marcus was Emma’s boyfriend, wasn’t he? Did they both know about how impactful ‘Time Scar’s’ interview had been to the general opinion? Part of Angel wanted to keep to herself and continue ignoring the sole girl in the room beside Angélique. But at the same time, Angel wondered if she wasn’t too hard on the girl. Angel had made a blunder that evening, two days ago. Plus, if she managed to speak with Hazel and move on from what happened, why couldn’t she do the same with Emma?
Swallowing her own disliking of the situation, Angélique tried to take the first steps into dousing that burning bridge. “Can you believe that? Man, I feel bad for Marcus to have been given that nickname. Hope he’s not going to hear too much about it when we return to the institute.” Angel spoke aloud, directing the thought to Emma. Yeah, small talk could do the trick for a starter.
Emma had been doing her own research- Time’s Scar, Zip Zip Boi, whatever they called him, of course she was going to follow the discussion. Marcus, after all, was her boyfriend, and if he wasn’t going to worry about his new-found celebrity status it looked like it would be her job to track general opinion on him. But that wasn’t all she was doing today; no, she was also concerned with Vivaldi. Once again, she glanced over their small conversation. It was a risk, she didn’t even know Vivaldi, but maybe with her help they’d be able t-
Emma’s train of though was suddenly broken by Angélique unexpected comment. She didn’t notice the girl walk in, but now that she was here she’d distantly wished that she had kept quiet. The awkwardness and anger of their last meeting still permeated Emma’s mood… but she had to be polite. She could be polite with Ernie, so she could with Angel too. ”I don’t think he’s too torn up about the name. I’m sure if he picked his own he’d come up with something dumber.” she said passively.
Angélique chuckled slightly from Emma’s reply. “Yeah you’re right. I’m probably underestimating him. Knowing him, I bet he’s going to thrive on this and manage to turn this joke into one of his own.”
Angel paused, as if giving the impression she was reading something. But in reality, Angel was torn up about what to say next. It was odd. It felt weird, to force herself into talking to someone she disliked, if not hated. It made her words or even her tone feel slightly awkward. But Angélique has always been an optimist when it came to people. She never hated someone before, only disliked, and even then she’d just try to make things better with people.
“Say. What do you think of all this? Do you think people are really genuine about this sudden shift of opinion?” Angel’s voice was noticeably more serious than the carefree approach she had taken just a minute before.
Emma paused. It was a question she didn’t want to answer. But, Emma supposed, she might as well be honest about it. After all, it’s not like there were any Regulars around her to disagree.
”I know people better than to assume things are ever just going to be a-okay between Regulars and Subs. I knew a Subnatural before I awakened and I knew a lot of people that hated them before I awakened… it’s not something that just goes away. The wounds will always stay there. I’m sure some people will come around, at least a little, but… the people who fear us will always fear us deep down, even if they think their opinion is changing. People are just… people are that way, saying one thing and meaning another. People without power will always be intimidated by those with it.”
Emma sighed. It was a thought she hadn’t really vocalized before- why was it that Angel and Ernie, two people that she despised, were the only people she could be honest with? Was she just that fucked up?
Hearing what Emma had to say about the subject, Angélique could not help but feel like she was continuing her discussion with Ernie. While Emma didn’t outright give the feeling she hated Regulars as much as Ernest did, there still was that realistic view on how the world was, clashing with Angel’s wishful ideal. The world was quite bleak indeed, reflected upon its denizens’ mentality. The ex-rockstar wondered if she had been fighting it through music because she knew all too well how ill the world was, or simply because she was just one of those naïve optimistic fools.
“I… suppose you’re right. But still… do you believe it’s worth fighting to bring about further changes? Think we can seize if not a glint of that moment to turn the tables into something more favorable?”
Emma nodded quickly. "I might be a cynic, but I'm not saying everything is hopeless. Things will never be normal again, not unless DC suddenly removed our powers, but things'll get better. It's about small steps now- and that's what Time's Scar is. A small step. But an important one- people seeing us in a positive light certainly isn't a bad thing." Emma shook her head, "But that's just my opinion, and that's probably not worth much."
Realist but still hopeful. That was the sort of thing Angel was looking for when speaking to everyone. It may not seem much as an individual, but it meant a lot when that thought was shared collectively. If more would think like that, instead of being dead stubborn about their fate, then perhaps they could set things in motion in the long run.
“I couldn’t agree more with that.” Angel nodded, her eyes had long left the computer’s screen and even her seat had spun in Emma’s direction so as to face the Aberration. “I wouldn’t be so quick as to denigrate the worthiness of your opinion. An individual’s thought may seem quaint, but collectively, that’s how revolutions are born.”
“At least… that’s how I chose to fight my battles before…” a nostalgic expression crossed the fallen idol’s face, bringing back memories of how she herself tried to help Subnaturals before through public speeches about civil rights and humanity. She did manage to make a fair deal of her fans have a change of heart about the general opinions of Subnaturals, even though fear was rooted far too deeper for Angel to dig out.
"Maybe you're right Angel." Emma heard Angel turn, and swiveled her own chair to face her. "But at the same time as long as groups like Cat's Cradle or The Senators exist there'll be friction. Time's Scar won't matter if people turn on the news and see that Subnaturals caused another tragedy. That'll be what people think when they hear you say 'revolution', not peaceful protest and changing opinions. And..." Emma's gaze went down to the cuff. "Actually, nevermind. Maybe if we get into the spotlight we can change people's opinions, but I think real change will take something more... drastic."
"Exactly. We're fucked because of what others do, but..." Angel paused, swallowing her own disgust of the Precursors "We'll just have to build ourselves a reputation to match-up against those groups. Prove ourselves to be as helpful as the Precursors. Aim for something bigger even! Hell, show that we, as X-marks, can be in control, like you've told me before, and our genuine interest of helping humanity getting back on its feet."
That wasn't what Emma meant when she said something drastic. "Yeah, that'd certainly help." she agreed anyways.
That idle chat sure brought them somewhere, Angélique thought. She wasn’t sure if the tension between the two diminished from agreeing with that meaningful discussion, but she felt a bit more sympathetic towards Emma. Somehow, having a civilized discussion and agreeing on both terms brought some sort of ease to the raven-haired young woman’s mind. She didn’t expected the other girl to be so receptive and talkative after what happened two days ago. Perhaps Angel judged Emma too harshly. Then again, she really did spoke out of turn about her Stigma last time. Akin to how little she knew about Hazel.
“About being in control…” Angélique trailed off, her mood seemingly shifting to being less enthusiastic and more apologetic. “I’m sorry… about last time. Things got heated and I spoke out of ignorance, made a real fool out of myself. I guess I was being apathetic? I was wrong to say those things about you and Hazel when I barely even know the both of you. You were right, I still need to better control myself, and know more about my teammates.”
Emma rubbed the back of her neck. "It's... it's whatever. It's fine. Shit happens." the words were bitter in Emma's mouth. Half-spoken truths, but better than the whole truth. Emma shifted in her seat, suddenly uncomfortable. How long would this go on, she wondered?
There was something unconvincing in Emma's voice that made Angel flinch. Perhaps it was the bitterness of her voice that made it sound like the apology wasn't quite accepted, or it was the lack of words spoken that made the whole thing feel like it was one-sided. Suddenly, Angel felt like she wasn't as welcomed as she would have liked to believe.
Angel sighed, looking annoyed. Something dark was making its way to her mouth, but the fallen rockstar's mood wasn't quite as bad as to let this venom spill accidentally a second time. Instead, she gathered up her belongings and got up from her seat after making sure she closed the session behind.
"I must get going. See you." came out quickly from Angel's mouth. Her tone was sharp and cold as an edge. Looks like they couldn't be friends after all.
Emma stood up.
"Okay, c'mon, what the hell?" Emma said the words a tad bit impulsively. "What's your issue, Angel? Because it's pretty obvious you don't actually have anywhere to go."
"My issue? I'll tell you what it is. I'm trying my best to be on good terms with everyone. 'Cooperate' as you said it last time. I thought that I could apologize and try to make things right with you. But I get the feeling you aren't ready to forgive me yet, or just don't care. I'd rather leave instead of faking that everything is alright and keep talking for nothing."
Emma narrowed her eyes. "Oh, is that's what's happening here? I didn't realize. I thought we were just having a friendly chat, but if you're going to turn it into a fight go ahead and do that Angel. I'm just trying to get along with everyone too, and you're the one causing a problem here, not me."
"No." Angel replied coldly, her face etched with clear disgust. "If you are so desperate for a fight, search elsewhere. I'm not playing your little mind games."
Adamant on not letting herself be ticked off any further by Emma's attempt at goading her, Angelique stormed out of the room.
Emma watched the girl leave, surprise etched on her face. If it was any other time Angel might have been right, but Emma wasn't playing mind games. She was saying what she meant- Emma was willing to be friends with her if Angel was, but now? No, Emma wasn't going to let that slide. She stomped after her. Maybe that wasn't a good idea, but she did it anyways.
"You can't just walk the fuck away after saying something like that. I'm not going to let you feel good about getting the last word in, Angel, I'm not playing mind games with you, I was trying to fucking get along with you but now you're just being rude as hell. What is your issue? I haven't done anything to you, you're the one that suddenly wanted to storm off when we were just starting to get along."
Angel stopped. No, she couldn't bring that drama all the way back to the penthouse. Whatever shred of harmony there had been left back there, she couldn't allow discord to enter there if Emma was so intent on following.
"If you really mean it, then why the fuck are you not saying it clearly? I may have a shit sight, but I can hear very well. Why does it sound like you are bitter and uncomfortable when you talk to me?"
Anger had made the fallen idol's voice rise, but her attempts at self-control was weighing down on her mind, slowly crumbling the wall she had built over the past few days.
Feeling trapped, Angel could do nothing but let tears fall down from her face. She couldn't scream her rage out, lest she feared of being gunned down.
"I just wanted to get along with everyone... make this place seem less like of a prison... but I can't do it... if you want to hate me..." Angel stammered in-between sobs, looking pathetic.
Emma's eyes narrowed.
What. The. Fuck.
There was just too much... too much wrong with this. She had to. She couldn't hold back.
"So, let me get this right. What's happening right fucking here, Angel. I was minding my own business in the computer lab when you started talking to me. Okay, of course I was uncomfortable, considering how our last meeting went. But I obliged you, because, like you're saying I wanted to get along. And then you apologized to me... okay, yeah, I was uncomfortable and a little bitter when I accepted it, but I fucking accepted it. Of course I was uncomfortable, Angel, I unloaded a ton of shit on you that I shouldn't have and we both said things we shouldn't have, what do you expect? For me to act completely normally? If you just let me take your fucking apology without being a bitch about it things would be fine right now. But no, then you get pissed and walk out!? And I'm the fucking bad guy!? Jesus fucking Christ, I meant it when I accepted your apology, me being awkward is no excuse to just bitch out on me and accuse me of playing mind games! Fucking really, Angel? Y'know what? Fuck your apology. I was ready to accept it before, but now? I never wanted to hate you and I was completely ready to be friends. But this is complete bullshit, you know that, right? Sitting here and crying about it isn't going to make me feel sorry for you. How dare you accuse me of shit I didn't do! Of hating you because I felt a little fucking awkward talking to you and of playing mind games when I was trying to get a straight fucking answer about what was going on out of you. It's not my fault we're not getting along, it's because you're being a complete bitch... and the fact that you can twist this around into being because of me hating you is so fucked man."
Emma took a breath. She said too much. Way too much.
Through clenched teeth and looking defeated at the ground, Angel listened and stood silent. Did she misinterpreted someone again and it came back to bite her in the ass? Oh, the irony of things. She was so desperate to understand and be friends with everyone, she dug far too deeper into people's mind and pulled out things that weren't there.
Of all people, it took Emma to make her realize that. But there had better ways to say it than that. Unless that's what it took for Angel to understand, feel what it is to be bitched at. A taste of her own medicine. Were people too afraid of her high status as a rockstar to voice those opinions before? Ever since she came to USARILN, where her previous fame had no impact, more people kept on defying her.
But it was clear now. There was no hope for this ship now. It burned and sank, along with her pride and will towards Emma. Angel looked back to Emma after the deluge of karmic rant washed over the raven-haired Aberration. Her hateful eyes were hidden, but there was a threatening aura exuding from the girl.
"Leave. Now." Angel's voice manifested all around Emma, echoing from all directions like inside a maddening nightmare. The words were spoken calmly, but pure spite dominated each letter in a menacing fashion.
”Are... are you threatening me?” Emma's eyes lit up, somewhere between surprise and contempt. ”What are you going to do, Angel, put me in the hospital? You act all sweet and innocent, but what, you're going to shout me down?”
Emma's eyes dared her to. Emma's mouth always seemed to get her into trouble, and maybe this would be one of those times. She just had to be right.
"..."
Angel stood silent, the voices stopped echoing. A wicked grin like she never had before appeared on the young woman's face. A grin so devilish she did not realized it reflected the one that had kept haunting her nightmares every night.
"No."
Angel removed her shades, a malevolent glint in her bright green eyes sparked as she stared straight into Emma. "I'm not playing into your mind games." she repeated. The message was clear this time. If the other Aberration had lingering thoughts of goading her into a fight, Angelique won't buy it. As a matter of fact, she was the one who wanted to come out on top; to goad her, to torment her.
"You better not follow me back, lest you want to lose face in front of all your so-called 'friends'." Angel warned with a grim tone, turning her back on Emma and making her way back to the penthouse.
Emma's face soured. Angel was really starting to piss her off. And so, Emma did something she shouldn't have.
Determination appeared in front of Angel, cutting off her exit.
"We're not done yet."
Angel’s footstep stopped as Emma’s hulking monster appeared suddenly in front of Angel. Now that she was seeing it up close, it strangely looked human. Still monstrous by design, but a discernible human-like visage adorned its facial traits. At first, Angel frowned, but then it quickly changed to a smug grin.
“Quite bold, bringing the big guy out. Want me to blow it away again?” Angélique mused, her eyes set onto the massive black humanoid. Magic started pooling in her throat, ready to discharge into a sonic wave should the thing make one move towards her.
”That won't be necessary.”
Emma took a couple of steps, moving to lean against the wall in a manner that was almost too casual.
”We just need to clear a few things up. First, we're teammates, so we're not going to do this again.” Determination disappeared, ”No more threatening each other with powers. If you're mad at me than hit me, don't threaten me with your voice. Second, understand that I haven't been playing 'mind games' with you. I don't know what's wrong with you Angel, but you seriously need to reevaluate that paranoia of yours.”
Emma looked away from the singer, eyes hitting the ground.
”And finally, you should know... my friends are important to me. The most important thing to me. So don't you dare threaten my relationship with them. I won't be so ready to give up next time if you do.”
With that Emma stood up, a smile suddenly breaking out, her mood lifting with no warning.
”Alright. That's it. Hope we have an understanding.”
The magical lump in Angel’s throat loosened when Determination disappeared. As a result, she sighed, annoyed. The Stigma had been beating her mind so violently, the singer was surprised she didn’t just outright blast the damn monster away from her.
The peaceful behavior Emma exhibited should have brought more ease and comfort to Angel’s mind. But it didn’t totally do the job. On the contrary, Angel was pissed that the girl could just take up this nonchalant stance and be all calm and dandy about this situation. It made the darkened Angel feel like she was being looked down upon, as if the girl thought she was winning just because she threatened her with her monstrosity.
There were things she should have explained to Emma. About her behavior. Why she was being a bitch. The reason why she was trying to leave. But she couldn’t voice them. Her burdens were hers to bear. She could not let her weaknesses spill to a girl that was a bit too adept with her silvery-tongue, lest she manipulate her and rile her up like she did before in La Plata.
”You should know, of all people, what’s wrong with me, Emma.” Angel answered, letting a vague truth slip by. “Very well. I will leave you be, as long as you forsake me for the time being. It’s best we never speak to each other again.”
”Alright, it's agreed then.”
Emma left it at that, turning on her heel and walking down the hallway. She wasn't sure where she was going, but it didn't matter as long as it was away from Angel.
You got what she want. She won't bother you again.
Are you happy, Emma?
???
Vzzzzzt
Vzzzzzt
"Marcus better not have gotten into trouble again." she muttered tiredly, rolling over to grab her phone.
By the time Emma had come out of her room it was night. She’d hid in the modest motel room for the last several hours. First, she took a long shower, washing off the grime of the battle. Then she went to bed, or tried to go to bed, her weary eyes begging for sleep that never came. She got up and showered again, still feeling unclean, before she left.
She needed to move, she decided. There was something that she found so inexplicably peaceful about night. Maybe it was the lack of people, or the sound of crickets that so often accompanied it, or maybe it was the cool air…
Regardless of what it was, it felt right. Oddly calming. She desperately needed some respite from her stigma, something to turn her away from the thoughts Savannah’s twisted corpse… so she began moving, not sure where she was going.
The people looking after the students were lax in the strangest ways. Kusari had decided to see what kind of drinks the motel had. She saw that they had various alcoholic drinks in the room's fridge. She figured the school would front the bill, and grabbed a bottle of wine. She smirked at the price tag, it was probably one of the most expensive things in the room.
Kusari rarely ever drank, but she figured now of all times was a good excuse to do so. She glanced back at Allison, who was still asleep in her bed, and exited her room, bottle in hand to look for a drinking partner. Drinking alone just seemed a tad too sad, and she didn't want to awake Allison just to drink. As she rounded a corner she nearly bumped into Emma, who looked rather out of it. "Hey, you aren't sleep walking are you?" She asked.
A hint of surprise crossed Emma’s face, but it quickly slipped back into the apathy before reformulating into a sad smile. ”No, wide awake I’m afraid.” Emma’s eyes flickered to the bottle in Kusari’s hand, but she didn’t say anything. It’d been a long while since she’d touched the stuff… but right now it didn’t sound like the worst idea.
Emma was having trouble sleeping, she wasn't alone there. Most of them were likely having trouble sleeping. Kusari noticed Emma eye the bottle of wine in her hand. "It's a bit fancy for the occasion, but you want to join me?" She said, holding the bottle up.
Emma took a moment, a contemplative look crossing her face. She could remember the last time she’d been drunk very well… it wasn’t exactly pleasant, but… ”Sure. I could use a drink after…” she made a vague gesture around her, ”All that.”
Kusari wasted no time dragging Emma back to her room. She grabbed two glasses and sat down at a table. Using one of her claws, she poked the cork of the wine bottle and yanked it out. "Now that I think about it, I've never had wine before." She said, pouring herself and Emma a glass. She swirled the drink around in it's glass a few times before taking a sizable gulp. She sat the glass down and looked at it with the same expression one gives to a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar. "Meh..." She sighed. "Well that's disappointing."
Emma took her own sip, taking a seat. She'd noticed Allison in the bed when she walked in- Emma didn't intend to ask questions. They were probably just friends rooming together, right? ”It’s… an acquired taste, I guess.” Emma gave a polite smile… so quickly she’d gone from hiding in her room to drinking in Kusari’s. Truth be told she wasn’t much in the mood for talking and likely would of declined Kusari’s offer if not for the temptation of the wine. Unlike Kusari it was something she enjoyed, ”Not much of a drinker?” Emma probed.
"Not really." Kusari said. "I guess I don't really get much from it. It was always something I did just because other people were. Not being old enough to buy it myself didn't help." Kusari leaned back in her seat and chugged the rest of the glass. It was probably rude to invite someone to drink and not even drink yourself. Sitting the empty glass back down she looked to Emma. "How is Marcus doing by the way? It looked like he had to deal with a lot back there."
Emma nodded along as Kusari spoke, taking a contemplative sip. Despite her apparent dislike of the drink she sure was quick to finish it. The question about Marcus, however, caught Emma a little off-guard. Did Kusari know they were a ‘thing’? How many people knew? Emma didn’t let her face betray that she was surprise, though. ”I… don’t think any of us are okay. Him especially. He’s trying to play it off, but… well, Savannah died.” Emma’s smile turned to a frown, ”I’m sure that everyone involved is finding some way to shoulder the blame.”
Kusari grumbled with irritation, eyeing the label on the wine. "This is some weak stuff..." She poured another glass and downed it. Slamming the glass on the table she narrowed her eyes at Emma. "We really need to cut that nonsense out. Remember, none of us asked for this. This is not our responsibility. Unless you killed Savannah with your own hands it's not your fault. The more we get used to this and blame ourselves, the more we'll forget who really did this to us."
Emma took another sip. She didn’t think it was that weak, but she hadn’t had enough for it to have an effect yet. ”I mean… you’re right, but it’s not that easy to disassociate yourself from it. But yeah, we should be worrying about whoever those guys that actually did it were, not ourselves.” the words were hypocritical, Emma knew, as she was taking the blame on herself as well.
"I was talking about the people that put the slave cuffs on our legs, but yeah, them too." Kusari said, downing another glass. At this point she was drinking it out of spite. "There wouldn't be so many rogue subnaturals if they didn't treat us like trash in the first place. They're lucky someone too powerful to handle hasn't shown up."
”You’re… you’re not wrong. Trust me, I’m the last person to agree with USARILN’s methods.” as she said this she glanced towards her own cuff, ”It’s… I’m not sure what the rest of the world would do without them though… we’re barely making it as is, so without the school, the Precursors… but there has to be a better way, right?”
"It's possible, but it might as well be impossible." Kusari said. "People have always hated other people just for silly shit like the color of their skin or where they happen to live. It had always been nonsensical, because obviously we're all human, right?" Kusari rubbed the crimson claws of her hands together, looking at her hand with a tepid expression.
"So what happens when they have an excuse to treat a group differently, heck to not even think of them as human? They can demonize us, scapegoat us, and use us without a second thought. Even your own famil-" The glass in Kusari's left hand suddenly shattered, she hadn't realized she was gripping it so tightly. She moved a plate under her hand just as blood began dripping from her palm. "Sorry, I guess this power is making me a bit... reckless." She said. Shards of glass were pushed out of her hand and clinked onto the plate, a few seconds later the cuts were fully healed.
Emma pushed herself out of her chair, walking over to Kusari, concern crossing over her face. However, by the time she got there her injuries were already healed, ”I almost forgot about your power…”
Still, Kusari had said all she needed to, ”Listen, Kusari… my… my family was the same way. M-my stepfather’s father… he was killed by a subnatural. When… when it happened, when I became what we are now… they… they hated me. Him and my mom…” Emma’s tone had turned somber, a slight shake setting into her voice.
Emma placed a cautious hand on the girl’s shoulder, ”It’s hard, I know.”
Kusari nearly flinched as she felt Emma's hand on her shoulder. It had been a long time since someone physically comforted her. It felt nice, but at the same time it was frustrating. She wished she didn't need it, her desire for affection contradicted everything about the way she acted towards people.
"Thanks... and I'm sorry to hear that." Kusari said. She had figured she wasn't the only one with family that had effectively disowned them. "You're better off just forgetting about them. They wrote you off, if they really loved you being a subnatural shouldn't have mattered. It's in situations like this that you find out who really cares about you."
”Yeah…”
That doesn’t make it hurt any less though.
Emma gave a contemplative glance towards the wine. ”Y’know, if that’s not doing it for you I’m sure we could find something stronger.”
"Ehh..." Kusari glared at the wine bottle, she'd had nearly half the bottle already, but felt nothing. "So... I'm not feeling anything actually, maybe my ability is stopping it from effecting me. Now that I think about it I wasn't really bothered by that fog of poison in our first battle either." She shrugged. "Oh well, not like I've ever really enjoyed getting wasted."
”Oh… I see. Your power extends that far? I… I guess that makes sense.” Emma sighed, walking back to her seat, placing the wine glass down. She gave Kusari a slight smirk, ”Well, I guess if you can’t get drunk it’s on me to keep things entertaining.” Emma shifted slightly in her chair, crossing her legs, ”You do anything outside of being a child soldier? Like, hobbies?”
"I'm eighteen you know? That's young adult soldier to you." Kusari said with a smirk. She would have rather avoid the topic of hobbies, but she supposed there was no point in being secretive about something so small. "I guess you could call me an artist?... I used to draw and paint a lot before I became a mage. Don't really have much motivation for it lately, for obvious reasons. What about you?"
Emma gave a slight nod, ”Art. That’s cool. I always wanted to be able to draw, but… well, as for myself, I guess… I’m alright at the guitar. My sister taught me, but she’s way better. Kind of the same, I didn’t bother to requisition one… I’d probably just annoy my roommates anyways.”
I wonder if Hazel’s ever heard music? the question came and went, something to be saved for later.
”Anyways, I asked a question, now you get one.”
"Guitar, huh?" Kusari titled her chair back and planted her left foot on the edge of the table. She slowly rocked the chair forwards and back, probably not the best pose to make considering the state of her skirt, but she didn't seem to care.
"Angel's a musician right? Maybe you could do something with her." Kusari said, tightening her lips as she thought of something to ask Emma. She couldn't really think of something to ask, Emma seemed quite unassuming. "Oh." She let all four legs of the chair hit the ground. "Is there anyone you're interested in?"
”Angel? Yeah, maybe…” Emma was quick to notice Kusari’s unflattering position, a quick glance darting down before she quickly looked away. ”Well… I guess me and Marcus are a ‘thing’. We went on a couple of dates and before I knew it everyone else knew…” Emma was still very embarrassed about how quickly things were going. They’d only been here for what, a little over a week?
”Did... things ever pan out with Callan?” Emma asked cautiously, raising an eyebrow slightly.
Kusari blinked a few times, processing. "You're dating Marcus? How did I miss this?" She'd been spending far too much time by herself, of course people would be living their lives even without her around. Kusari tensed a bit as Emma mentioned Callan, she only had herself to blame, she'd brought this topic up in the first place.
"That's... probably a no. She doesn't seem interested in me, and believe me I've made more than one pass at her. I don't know why I even assumed she'd be into girls in the first place."
Emma shrugged, ”Well, y’know, plenty of fish in the high school for super-powered teenagers and all that.” Emma paused for a moment before a mischievous smile crossed her face, ”Well, now I get a question. Do you just like girls, or…?” she said, a slight playfulness in her voice.
Kusari let out a chuckle at Emma's question. Her mind went to her encounter with Marcus in the showers. "Marcus can probably answer that." Her eyes froze in place the moment she spoke. She really needed to develop a filter. "I mean, after the flag game, in the shower... I kinda sorta... said something to him that was probably a bit leading. I was just teasing him, mostly." The talons on Kusari's foot tapped the floor a few times as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Yes, the answer is yes."
”In the… shower? With Marcus…?” Emma raised an eyebrow, clearly confused, a tinge of red hitting her face.
"Yeah, the showers weren't really separate. Kusari waved her bulky hand side to side in a dismissive manner. "Nothing to worry about, chill."
”Right… shared showers… yeah, of course.” Emma shook her head, trying to control the burning in her face. ”Alright. Your turn. Question, before I die of embarrassment.”
Kusari was tempted to further tease Emma, but she didn't think they were quite close enough for it to be endearing. "I've been thinking that we need to work on our team composition more. Like, finding out which of us work best together. I think you and Hazel could be a killer team. If you had that summon slow down the enemy, she could just pummel them into the dirt. What do you think?"
Emma shrugged, ”Yeah, that could always work. There are a million things we could do, I’m sure. We need start figuring out how to use our powers, work better as a team.” Emma’s smile morphed into a slight frown, ”The better we get, the higher chance we have of avoiding more casualties.”
Kusari let out a sigh, of course talking about battle tactics would make Emma think of possible deaths. Even so, they needed to talk about it. "We have to do better, keep getting stronger. At the rate our powers are growing we should rival the Precursors at some point, right?... At least I hope so, that may be what it takes for us to ensure no one else dies."
”Rival the Precursors? You really think we’re going to get that strong?” Emma’s face brightened a little, ”It’d be nice, but no one’s topped them in what, ten years? Why is it that we’re suddenly so special? It’s kind of hard to imagine it’s just… random.”
"Well..." Kusari folded her arms, or rather, she almost did, remembering that she was a few inches away from slicing a gash in her side. "Do mages usually improve as quickly as we do? Maybe they're injecting us with some drug or something." Kusari glanced at her cuff. "Maybe through these damn things."
”I wouldn’t put it past them. I’ve… I’ve seen them do far worse.” Emma sighed, remembering the medical building, Miranda, who was somewhere between girl and monster, Clark’s jagged row of teeth, and Hector the Heartless. ”We’ve definitely landed in the shit.”
"Tell me about it. We'll just have to rely on each other, basically everyone else in the world either wants to kill us or doesn't give a crap if we die." Kusari let out a yawn, her fatigue was finally catching up to her. "I think I'm gonna get some sleep, no telling what nonsense we'll have to deal with soon."
Emma nodded, ”Good idea. After that battle I’m sure we could all use some rest.” Emma stretched up out of her chair, eyeing the remainder of the bottle before grabbing it. ”Hope you don’t mind, considering it doesn’t work for you.” she said, taking a swig and finishing the bottle before Kusari could protest. Emma headed towards the door, hovering for a moment before turning around. ”It’s been fun. Y’know, you act all mean, but you’re actually pretty nice Kusari.” she said, giving the girl a slight wink.
Kusari shrugged as Emma took the wine bottle, if anything that saved her the trouble of tossing it out. What Emma said before she left made her let out an amused scoff. "I'm only 'mean' when I need to be... or when I can't help it. Goodnight, Emma."
9/15
Emma | Callan
𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟙𝟝, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘 / / 𝕃𝕒 ℙ𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕒, 𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕪𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕 / / ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕡𝕚𝕥𝕒𝕝 / / 𝟙𝟘𝟘𝟘 Collab with @Diggerton and @Baklava
Emma took a breath before stepping into the hospital room. The last time she had seen Callan the girl had been armless. Well, that was up for debate. She wasn't exactly sure how Lily's power worked but the damage, at the very least, seemed to have been fixed. Still, Emma was sure Callan had her fair share of injuries if she'd been taken to the hospital... of course, there were more types of injuries than the physical ones.
Emma knew that all to well.
A small knock came, followed by Emma entering the room, several bundles of flowers in her arm. It seemed that she had more than one hospital visit to make. She didn't visit people in the hospital all to often, but bringing flowers was the appropriate thing to do, was it not? At least, that's what movies and TV had taught her. She tried her best to put on a genuine smile as she came into the room, the hospital staff having already informed her that Callan would be awake.
"Callan!" she exclaimed, a tinge of excitment in her voice, as she made her way into the hospital room. "I, uh, got flowers..." this time there was a hint of awkwardness in her voice, as she sought a spot to set them down.
Callan had been awake for a hours by the time Emma arrived. After that nightmare, sleep had evaded her entirely (or perhaps the other way around) and it showed. Curled up in the seat by the window, staring out at the small town she'd seen sluggishly wake up and set itself into motion, she turned to face the door as the knock sounded.
The TV was on, softly abuzz with local news that mainly concerned the arrival of USARILN subnaturals. Amazing as it was that a single news station could rehash the same story so many times in a row, Callan had long since stopped paying attention to it.
"Emma?" Genuine surprise crossed her face as the brunette entered, flowers in hand. For some reason she hadn't even considered that Emma might pay her a visit. Let alone bring flowers. She mustered up a tired smile, "Oh... thanks. You didn't have to do that," she chuckled, "I'm not even hurt."
Emma finally found the nightstand by Callan’s bed, placing the flowers on top of it. ”And I’m glad you’re not… when I saw what happened with Zoe…” Emma gulped, a small frown crossing her face. ”Well, let’s just say I’m glad you still have an arm. How… how are you feeling?”
"Oh." She saw that. "Yeah. Me, too, y'know?" Callan said with a crooked smile. Zoe was a topic she'd rather not get into, but perhaps it was the lesser of two evils. She definitely didn't want to talk about Savannah. She didn't want to talk about the fight at all really. She felt she'd done enough of that last night.
"I'm... doing okay. All things considered," Callan answered, glancing at the flowers on the nightstand before turning her attention back to Emma. She nervously twisted her fingers in her lap. Callan hadn't had much one on one time with Emma since they met yet she'd already been trying to make up her mind to dislike her. She knew how unfair it was, but that shred of animosity was still there. "What about you?"
Emma gave a small nod. ”I’m…”
Of course, what she was going to say was a lie. Emma still had the image of Savannah’s twisted body burned into her head, still couldn’t stop thinking about all those that very nearly died, couldn’t stop thinking about how she did absolutely nothing to save them, taunted by the Stigma, constantly reminded of her failure, she just couldn’t…
”I’m fine.” the hesitation lasted only moments, a small pause as she hesitantly took a seat, ”Well, as ‘fine’ as ‘fine’ is nowadays.” Emma shifted in her chair a little, slightly uncomfortable. Was it just her, or was there something awkward about this? There shouldn’t be, she was just visiting a friend… but at the same time Emma still felt the air of discomfort that she always seemed to around Callan.
"Mm," Callan nodded. 'Fine' as 'fine' is nowadays. A fitting way to put it. Callan inwardly winced as Emma took a seat. She wanted to talk for a bit then. But, besides yesterday's events, what was there to discuss? For all her jealousy, she really didn't know very much about Emma. She caught herself staring at the features of Emma's face, noting their prepossessing qualities, before quickly looking away-- back to the flowers. "Uh. Thanks again. Those flowers are really pretty." The words felt terribly gauche as she said them. The small arrangement was indeed pretty, but also sparked an eery memory of the gift shop bouquets her family used to bring her grandmother during the few weeks before her death. She swept the thought aside, rubbing at the corner of her eye. Why would she be thinking of that now of all times? Maybe she was just tired. She forced a small smile.
Emma rubbed the back of her head. ”Oh, yeah, not a problem…” she quietly tapped her leg with her finger, ”Sooooooooooooooo…” she said with an exaggerated tone of awkwardness, ”We’ve been hanging out for a while but I guess we haven’t really had the chance to talk like this before…” Emma said with a small laugh, trying to address the awkwardness with a little levity.
"Yeah," Callan smiled in return, "We've both been kinda busy, I guess." For all she knew, Emma had probably been out doing things with Marcus all week. Meanwhile she... hadn't been that busy at all actually. The whole ordeal with her parents hadn't put her in the most social of moods. Outside of class, meals, and her roommates, she'd been keeping mostly to herself. She-- wait. Why was any of this relevant? Did she really feel bad for not going out of her way to hang out with Emma more? For not feeling as relaxed around her as she did literally any of the other members of their lunch crew?
If anything, she'd been avoiding this very situations. Being stuck with Emma alone. Maybe because the less she actually knew about Emma, the easier it was to dislike her being with Marcus. A harrowing concept, really. How miserably selfish.
"We should hang out sometime."
Emma nodded eagerly, ”Yeah. Fosho.” she said, genuinely happy that Cal in fact didn’t hate her, ”It’s a little surprising how much free time we get considering… well, y’know. Where we are.” another moment of awkwardness came for Emma, as she wasn’t quite sure what to talk to Callan about. She decided that the usual routine was best… she should just act normal, ”So… getting along with Marcus and Siena alright?” a half smile crept across her face, ”Living with Marcus must be… interesting. Guy’s a total dork.” she said jokingly.
"O-oh.... Yeah. Total dork. For sure," Callan replied, almost immediately regretting the plans she'd just made. Was Emma not going to ask about the battle yesterday? Maybe that would've been better.... She laughed, but it was woefully unconvincing.
"They're both chill, though. We've gotten a lot closer than I thought we would. So guess I got lucky," she pushed on, "One less thing to worry about anyway." Good, good. That was enough. Next topic. "What about you?"
Emma nodded along, feeling a vague tinge of jealousy at the mention of how close they were. ”Well…” Emma gave a distinct sigh. ”I’m a little envious of you guys. Lawrence is a good guy, but he’s not much of a talker… and Hazel… well, I don’t even know where to begin with her. I guess we’re friends, but…” Emma sighed again, ”I mean, you saw her during that ‘game’ they had us do earlier, right? She’s like a robot.”
"I, uh... I heard she sorta lost it. Back at Wisford. Any idea what happened?"
Emma raised an eyebrow. ”Did… she? Honestly, that doesn’t sound too surprising… but I don’t know. I can’t say she doesn’t strike me as the sort to do something like that.” Emma shrugged slightly, ”I plan on visiting her too, so I guess I’ll find out.”
Callan briefly debated on whether or not to ask her next question. Hazel hadn't been the only one to attack a teammate-- yet she'd been the only one surrounded by guards as they were led into the hospital. Unlike a certain redhead she knew. And then there was that strange collar she always wore.
"Do you think it was because of her stigma?" she asked. Could have maybe phrased that better, but she was curious.
Emma gave a contemplative ”Hmmmmmm.” after a moment she continued. ”Certainly not out of the realm of possibility, that’s for sure. I guess you Arbs don’t really know, huh?” Emma gave a slight frown, ”The Stigma could certainly do something like that…”
"Uhm... but yours isn't like that... right?" Callan asked tentatively. She felt she was treading on dangerous territory here. Maybe she shouldn't have brought it up at all. She'd made the mistake of asking too many questions that day with Lawrence and, even though he seemed to forgive her, she didn't want a repeat. She wasn't sure how delicate of a subject this was. She'd learned from the forums that the dreams weren't something most mages felt comfortable sharing-- that was understandable. She hardly knew what hers had meant anyway. It hadn't been quite as clear about stigmas though.
Emma’s frown became a little more distinct. Of course Callan was curious, it was a natural question… but one that Emma was uncomfortable with. ”I mean… I’m not going to do anything crazy because of it, or at least I don’t think I am, but… it affects all Aberrations, myself included. Maybe not in the same way, but it’s not like I can just ignore it- it’s always there. So… yes and no, it does make me do… certain things, but not anything dangerous.” Emma sighed. She’d need to explain that better.
”Like… like, it’s made me have… certain outbursts. Made me act unnecessarily angry towards people before, but… I won’t be a danger towards them.” Emma hoped that would explain it without making her seem scary, but she somehow felt that she was slowly digging herself into a hole.
Immediately noting the discomfort in Emma's voice, Callan felt a pang of regret for having asked. Nonetheless, she mulled over what she'd said. It made sense... sort of. From what she gathered, it was a little different between abes. Zoe hadn't exactly tried to pit all the blame on her stigma alone, but... still. It was interesting.
"Sorry," Callan said quickly, "I've just been kinda curious ever since... uh. Anyway, it doesn't matter. We can talk about something else if you want."
”It’s… fine. Not my favorite thing to talk about, but don’t worry about it. It’s just… really hard. The Stigma.” Emma paused for a moment, the smile on her face taking a second to reform. ”But yeah, something else… where are you from, Cal?”
She couldn't even begin to imagine what it might be like. But it was comforting to hear that Emma wouldn't be a danger. For everyone's sake. "Atlanta," Callan answered, thinking fondly of home for a moment before remembering the state it was in now. She didn't give herself time to feel sad before she flipped the question around. "You?"
”Originally New York City. Tribeca, specifically… and then we moved to Lake Pleasant. Little tourist town in New York. A lot of people in the summer, but dead for most of the year.” Emma forced a small laugh.
"Oh. Same as Marcus," Callan said without thinking. There it was again. The irrational jealousy.
”Haha, yeah.” if Callan was uncomfortable with that, Emma didn’t notice.
Gah. What was she doing? She was supposed to be avoiding the whole Marcus subject. "How is New York anyway?" she queried, "Do the movies do it justice?"
Emma gave a small shrug, ”It’s… well, like all places it has its ups and downs. Where I come from, Tribeca, is a pretty nice place… looooots of rich people. Outside of that, well, there’s about a million places to eat within three blocks of you… beautiful city, although that’s no secret. What a lot of people won’t tell you is that it smells bad. Like, real bad. Especially in the summer. And of course there’s all the… well, there’s a lot of people. A lot of people. A lot of things are always happening everywhere… it’s always crazy busy, the people are rude… but there’s a certain charm to the place. Nothing like it.” Emma gave a polite smile, ”And what about Atlanta?”
"Heh," Callan listened intently to Emma as she described the ups and downs of her hometown. "That sounds a lot like Atlanta actually," Callan chuckled, "But I guess all big cities are gonna be a little like that. I definitley get the 'lots of people' thing. Atlanta's pretty crowded. There's always stuff to do there, too. And it's really pretty-- especially the botanical garden around Christmas time. We rarely ever get snow, though. It's mostly hot and humid and horrible, but I guess you get used to it."
Emma sighed, ”I don’t envy the heat. New York already smells bad enough in the summer, I can’t really imagine it getting hotter… the snow’s interesting. Kids in the streets making snowmen… on the really snowy years you can see people skiing in the streets. It’s a pretty crazy place.”
Emma nodded, ”Yeah… actually, me and Val- er, my sister, tried it once. Thought it looked fun… surprisingly trying to ski in a city full of millions of people that has traffic everywhere isn’t quite as entertaining as it sounds. Sure way to piss of a lot of people, though.”
Emma gave Callan a half smirk, ”But enough about home, it’s starting to bum me out a little. Hmmmmm… well, what do you think about the other people in our class?” A small pause as she gave Callan a wink, ”Like anyone”
Hearing Emma talk about her sister was making her think about Dom-- and everything that accompanied those memories. She'd lived in the same house all her life.... Callan was almost grateful for the subject change. Almost.
Her eyes widened, perhaps communicating way too much by the way her mouth opened and closed. "N-no," she lied poorly, color flooding her cheeks as she cast her eyes back towards the flowers. A feeble attempt to hide the face that had already been seen.
Emma raised an eyebrow. Clearly Cal was lying. Was she just bashful? Or maybe Cal just didn’t know Emma well enough to feel comfortable talking about it with her? Either way Emma decided to play it off, giving a small laugh, ”Yeah, sure thing.” she said with no small degree of sarcasm. ”It’s not Kusari, is it?” Emma asked, suddenly remembering her conversation with her earlier, ”I know you like… went on a… uhhh… y’know, but you’re not…?”
Very well phrased.
"Ku--" Callan turned her head back to Emma in alarm. Did... did she hear that right? She... she knew about the date she went on with Kusari?
.......
H... How much did she know?? Kusari's less subtle comments from last night came rushing back to memory, fueling the flustered inferno that was Callan's face in that moment.
"O-oh," Callan smiled uncomfortably, pretending to brush her bangs aside, while hiding half her face. She rapidly ran her fingers over the aquamarine curls as she continued, "We went on a date, yeah. I-- uh-- we had a pretty fun time. Sh--... she's pretty cool. I'm not really sure how I feel about her, though.... She came on kinda strong," her voice was graduately degrading into a mumble as she tried to simultaneously chew her lip and talk.
Emma gave a mischievous smile, ”So, you are… er, you do like girls? To be honest I thought you only accepted because she put you on the spot.” now this was getting interesting. Emma just had to narrow it down.
Callan inwardly shrank beneath Emma's smile. Oh no. "That's..." Callan wasn't sure how to explain it. She didn't want to throw Kusari under the bus by saying she only went because she felt bad for punching her guts out... that would be a lie by ommission anyway. She DID find something strangely captivating about the girl-- physically and intellectually. Even in spite of their obvious differences of opinion when it came to certain things.
"It's not that I don't like girls," Callan said finally. Strange. She'd never been very open about that fact in the past. Perhaps it was easier to say outloud without worrying about the opinions of people she'd grown up with. Namely her mother's side of the family. It actually felt nice. Being able to say it outloud so casually. But alas-- that wasn't the only thing they were talking about here.
"I think Kusari's attractive. It's just..." Callan hid her face behind her hands as another wave of embarressment came rolling in. She couldn't tell Emma about what Kusari had said. She just couldn't. "Ugghh, I don't know."
”No, no, I get it… Kusari is… abrasive. Although your right, she is attractive… if not a little bony,” Emma’s smirk grew, ”And… guys too, or…?”
"Y-yeah... I like guys, too," Callan answered, still reeling from the whole Kusari debacle.
Emma thought for a moment. That left a pool of fourteen… no, thirteen potential candidates. Emma though back to the people she’d seen Callan with before deciding her next target, ”Hmmm, what do you think of Sander than? You two seem… friendly.”
Sander? Callan stared blankly. Attractive, but...
Also taken.
"No, no, no. Not Sander--" she caught herself, immediately biting down on her lip.
"W-wait... are you trying to guess?" she said suddenly, narrowing her eyes with faux anger. She gave a nervous laugh, "I told you-- I'm not... er-- I don't like anybody like that. Really."
Emma laughed, ”Oh, come on Cal, you can’t pull one over on me that easily.” Emma gave her a wink, ”But if you don’t want to talk about it I can stop pressing… I will find out though.” the last part of the sentenced was accentuated with a playful sarcasm.
Still, Emma mulled over the possibilities in her head before arriving it the next logical conclusion, quickly deciding to ask about one more person, ”W-wait, it’s not Ernie, right?”
Callan tried to keep her smile up, failing severely in the aloof department. Especially at Emma's 'I will find out' statement. God damn it, how did they even get on this topic again? Something about skiing in the streets?
Even with her defenses up as high as she thought they could go, hearing Emma mention Ernie's name came as a unexpected surprise. "Ernie?" Callan repeated the name. She definitely liked Ernie. As a person in general. But... probably not in the way Emma was describing. No-- "Probably not," she mused. Out loud. For Emma to hear.
"I mean-- nah," Callan choked. A million and one curses streamed through her head.
”Proooooobably not?” Emma said teasingly. ”So, he has potential, but not your big crush…? I’ll make a note of that.” Emma said with a smirk. Still, Ernie’s name soured Emma’s mood a little. She was having quite a bit of fun, but now…
Just tell her.
No, Emma couldn’t go around trash talking Ernie their friends. That’d be way too rude, breaking whatever semblance of a truce they had.
Say it.
But still, Emma couldn’t just let Cal make a mistake like that, could she? That would be a total bad friend move. ”Really though, Ernie’s an ass-” no, wait, what was she doing? She couldn’t just say something like that, ”An ass… astoundingly bad choice.”
Wow, nice save. The voice spoke sarcastically.
”I mean, don’t get me wrong, he’s a nice guy, but like… I don’t know, I just don’t think he’s really relationship material.” that was good enough, Emma decided.
Callan stared back at Emma quizzically. Not relationship material? What did she mean by that exactly? She considered prying deeper, but it didn't feel right. Whatever Emma's preconceptions of Ernie, surely they were wrong... maybe a vague throwback to that first day they'd all sat together during lunch?
In any case, it didn't matter. She didn't like Ernie like that, so who cared if he was relationship material or not? He'd been a good friend to her and that was all that mattered for now. In fact... she found Emma's opinion of him slightly offputting.
"Hmm," she hummed, "Well, it doesn't matter anyway. I'm not into Ernie, so don't worry." She smiled, her expression more guarded as her mind raced for a different subject, "Anyway, you've gotta be way past 20 questions by now. You know too much. If you want to live, you'll have to give me a turn."
Shifting in her seat, Callan conjured up a mischevious smile of her own, "Anybody in class you think is cute besides Marcus?" She mimiced Emma's winking from before, "I won't tell."
Emma nodded. ”Right. I guess I deserve that… I’ve given you a lot of grief over the crush thing, so I guess I’ve gotta be honest.” her smile did brighten- Emma was worried that she might’ve been making her uncomfortable, but maybe she was wrong. Emma took a second, composing her thoughts.
”Well, in terms of pure looks… I gotta say, Brent is pretty hot. Those muscles, and… well, he’s a nice-looking guy. But even if Marcus wasn’t here I don’t think I’d ever do anything with him… I mean, looks aren’t everything, y’know? I don’t know how much you’ve talked to him but… he’s kind of… I don’t know how to put it, kind of off putting.”
Emma wasn’t going to mention the fact that he explicitly told her to kill herself.
””Hmmm, who else… well, I already said Kusari is attractive. Very unique looking... she might be a little rough around the edges but she’s not as bad as she seems… oh, yeah. Just between you and me- and you better keep your promise not to tell- Siena is very pretty. But she’s my boyfriend’s roommate, and yours, so… whatever. And, I guess If I had to pick one more just for safe measure, Lily is pretty cute. That long messy hair is… well, it works for her.”
Emma’s smirk lit up a little. Suddenly, another idea to escalate the little game that was now going between the two.
”Y’know, Cal, you’re not so bad looking yourself… maybe if Marcus wasn’t in the picture…” the first part came out sincere, the second came out jokingly.
Callan listened intently to Emma's answers, agreeing with her assessments for the most part while also noting the girl's tastes. She pursed her lips at Emma's final statement, only briefly losing her cool as a bit of warmth swarmed her cheeks before she narrowed her eyes playfully. "Mm mm, girl. You couldn't afford me," Callan laughed.
Feeling a bit more comfortable in spite of the frequent mentioning of her roommate's name, Callan relaxed in her seat a bit.
Emma gave a slight tilt of the head at Callan's statement. "Right, of course. We may have those cards, but I guess being superheroes doesn't really pay the bills." She paused for a moment. Maybe she could use this as an excuse to narrow her list a little more, "Well, I told you, it's only fair that you share too. Or am I going to have to start interrogating you again?"
"Agh," Callan rolled her eyes, "Can't I just say I agree with what you said? Except maybe that last one."
Emma grimaced with faux anger. "Come on Cal, fair's fair. At least have the courtesy to compare notes with me."
"Tch. You're horrible, you know that?" Callan shook her head. She paused, thinking for a moment as well gathering up the courage to be semi-honest. "Uh... Lawrence is kinda cute? Probably too mature for me, though. Right?"
"Hmmm, Lawrence is alright, but... well, he's a bit of a cold fish. At least, he strikes me as one. I mean, I live with him, I've tried talking to him and he's polite enough but... he seems like the kind of guy that prefers solitude." Emma gave a little shrug, "Cute enough, though."
Callan nodded thoughtfully, propping her head up on her knee.
“Mm, yeah. I can see that,” she shrugged. Guy that prefers solitude, but will chill out with a sleeping idiot for several hours? It wasn't quite adding up, but Emma probably knew him better than she did.
Callan caught herself mid-thought. How long had they been chatting like this? She hadn't so much as thought about the fight at Wisford. A feat which, after a tortuously sleepless night, she found nigh unbelievable. A small, stupid smile spread across her face as she pondered that. Maybe that was why Marcus liked Emma so much. She was... surprisingly easy to talk to. Talking about unimportant garbage like high school crushes and skiing in the streets... she could almost forget about everything else that was going on and feel... normal. Blissfully normal.
Emma took a moment, thinking again for a moment about the secret identity of Cal's crush. It wasn't Lawrence, that was clear... she said his name a little too quickly, she'd need to pry a little more, but Lawrence was a nice baseline for her type... blonde, kind of longish hair... that sounded a lot like... Christmas. But no, Callan didn't strike Emma to be the sort that was into a guy like him... Christmas seemed nice enough, but he was a little pitiful. And the only other guy that matched that description was...
No, not him. Looked like Emma would just need to fish for a little more information, "Well, give me a little hint about your crush at least. Is it a guy or a girl? What color hair? Abe or arb?" the questions came rapid fire, Emma's grin growing
"Oh my God. Emma. Please. Stop." Callan laughed nervously, but her eyes were pleading, a hint of seriousness in her tone. As fun as this was, she really needed to get off the topic. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before she slipped up. "Seriously-- I don't like anyone and I'm not talking about this anymore."
Emma gave a half laugh, "Okay, okay, I get it. Cal's crush is a big secret." Emma shifted in her chair, crossing her legs, "Well, if you wanna stop talking about it than it's going to be up to you to pick another topic."
Callan smirked, shaking her head. The fear of almost having been found out still nagged a bit at the back of her head, but she was willing to keep chatting. Happy, even.
"Alright. Time to find out if we can seriously be friends. Choose wisely. Shaun of the Dead or Zombieland?"
”Shaun of the Dead.” Emma answered with no hesitation. ”Zombieland is pretty strong, and Emma Stone was pretty tasty back in the day, but… what can I say, Shaun of the Dead is Shaun of the Dead.”
Callan beamed. It was almost a fifty-fifty shot (depending on who you asked), but the fact that Emma had seen both of the movies she was talking about already made her a stupid sort of happy. "Correct!" she nodded, "But really, yeah. They're both gold. That was the secret answer, so I guess you get bonus points."
”Hell yeah.” Emma beamed in equal part, ”Well, this is starting to get interesting. Looks like you know your movies, Cal. We’re going to have some fun.”
Emma leaned in. She was a total movie nerd and, as it turned out, so was Callan. Their tastes were fairly in line- Callan, much like herself, had a strong appreciation of classic comedies. However, just as Emma was starting to engrossed… ”Oh, god. The clock… I still have, like, 3 visits to make. I’d love to stick around and chat more, but…”
Callan glanced over at the clock, surprised to see how much time had passed. "Oh. Wow," she gawked through an embarrassed smile, "Yeah, no. Don't let me hold you up. I'll see ya later."
”Yeah… bye, Cal.” Emma got up, but didn’t leave yet. ”It… was nice talking to you… and I’m glad you’re okay. After the battle, I mean.” Emma gave the girl a smile, a genuine one, before heading for the door.
"Likewise," Callan smiled back with the same amount of sincerity. Watching the door close after the brunette, she felt a strangly heavy pang in her chest. She'd been right after all. Emma was nice. Sighing heavily, she leaned her head up against the back of the wall. It'd been a lot easier to cope when she thought there was chance Emma might not be. They shared a lot in common, actually
"I bet if Marcus knew earlier, that would've been you."
She groaned in her throat and patted her cheeks with her hands, trying to snuff out the warmth as it gathered there. Ernie had said it was okay to think like that. To not be happy for them or wish them the best. But she just couldn't do it. Especially now that she knew Emma a little more personally. All that was left to do now was keep trying to put it out of her mind. It wasn't like she'd planned to interefere anyway.
Emma | Ernest
𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟙𝟝, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘 / / 𝕃𝕒 ℙ𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕒, 𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕪𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕 / / ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕡𝕚𝕥𝕒𝕝 / / ~𝟙𝟙𝟘𝟘 Collab with @Diggerton and @banjoanjo
Ernie moved through the hospital with a peculiar pep in his step, a giftbag filled with assorted drinks, snacks, and magazines in hand. He wasn't entirely sure what Cal's tastes were yet, so hopefully the variety of the gift would make up for the lack of specifics. Honestly, he was just hoping that it would be enough to help keep his mind off the things he'd seen in her phone.
Fortunately, the giftbag wasn't needed as a distraction. Unfortunately, it was because Emma just emerged from the room Cal was in. Ernie grimaced internally as he saw her walk out, the resentment from the day before still lingering in his mind.
He looked around the halls, hoping to find some way out of this interaction, but found nothing. She'd probably already seen him anyway. Ernie sighed and his hand instinctively moved up to run through his hair, making his frown only deepen when he was reminded that he now had none. A tired look was fixed on Emma and he tried to fumble out some line that wouldn't make it seem like he was avoiding her completely. She was a 'friend', after all, ignoring each other would only lead to questions from the others.
"How's she?" he asked, nodding to Cal's area, "I haven't found a chance to visit her yet."
Emma had been surprised that Ernie approached her. After all that had happened, he was still trying to be friendly. She regretted what she had said to him in Wisford, although she wasn’t sure she was wrong about it. Still, there was a clear hint of awkwardness in her smile. ”Well… she has an arm again, so that’s good. She seems fine… well, as fine as any of us are after what happened out there.” Emma shifted uncomfortably, one of the bundles of flowers she had brought still in hand.
”So… uh, trying out a new look?” it was the best small talk she could make. She didn’t have it in her to pretend that this wasn’t incredibly uncomfortable. She wasn’t sure why she bothered feigning politeness, but she did.
Ernie's expression turned to one of alarm at the mention of Cal's lost arm, before settling back into an awkward half-smile. "Less 'trying' and more just dealing with it. Couldn't stand the gunk that was still in there from Wisford."
He spied the flowers in Emma's hand and immediately grew conscious of his own gift. Shit, should he have gotten those? Or would Cal's room be overflowing from the hospital presents everyone else would have given her. The comtemplative moment stretched much longer than what was comfortable and Ernie was suddenly very eager to leave this talk behind him.
"Well, I guess it's my turn then," he spoke hurriedly, moving towards the door, "See you...around?"
Emma nodded. ”Right. Yeah. Uh…” a frown set in on her face as she gave a slight nod. She took a deep breath before speaking again, ”Listen, Ernie, before you go… I… I know you probably hate me… and I’m sure you don’t want to hear this from me… but, for whatever it’s worth, which probably isn’t a lot considering what happened… I’m sorry about what I said.”
She sighed again, trying her best to keep going, to be honest, ”The truth is, what I said about my stigma was a lie. It does affect me. Not in the same way, but… and I know this isn’t an excuse, because I should have been able to control it better, but yesterday I said what I did because it’s what the stigma wanted.” she looked towards the ground, avoiding his face. She was an idiot, and she knew that. The realization that you couldn’t just say you’re sorry after telling someone that you wished they were dead dawned on her all to late.
Ernie looked at her curiously for a moment. Then he chuckled. It sounded eerily genuine.
She was a good faker. A lot better than he was.
"I'm glad we can be honest with each other," he smiled sarcastically. There was something very malicious behind it, "But now I'm starting to think that talking to you was a bad idea."
His eyes revealed the depths of the disdain he held for the girl and his voice suddenly took on a cutting tone.
"It seriously weirds me out when you play nice like that. But I started it so I apologize for it this time. How about we just not talk to each other outside of the group? I'd rather not spend so much effort skirting around something we both know, that you're an asshole and I'm an even bigger one and we hate each other's guts. Trying to sorry your way out of that is just insulting. Blaming all of it on the Stigma is almost just as bad. I don't really like it when people hate me, but honestly, lying about it is so much worse. Don't talk to me like I'm a complete idiot, please."
That was all he needed to say. But Ernie couldn't help but try one final dig.
"But it was nice to hear that you're not completely immune to your Stigma. Not so perfect after all, huh? Pro tip, next time you rage out at someone like that, try not to brag about it so much. It just makes you look stupid when you come crawling back to apologise."
”I…”
Emma paused. She didn’t know what to say. So instead she decided to say everything. All she could do was go for broke.
”You’re right. I’m an asshole. I guess… I’m sorry, I shouldn’t try to talk my way out of saying that I wished you were dead. I’m trash, really… the stigma does get to me, all the time. But I was like this before the stigma. It’s not a real excuse… and I’m not sure why I’m telling you this, but I am. I blamed you because I wanted to evade the truth: Savannah would be alive if I wasn’t such a coward. I fled when I could have saved them. I shut down on that battlefield. Hell, I have no doubt you did much more than I did out there, even without some badass power. So, go ahead and hate me. You have every right to. Hell, go ahead and tell the others what a piece of shit I am. It’s not like I deserve their friendship. When it comes time, I’ll be the one dying, not you, Ernie. Because really, I’m the useless one, even with this power. I’m not reliable, and I’m not strong. So… whatever you think of me is probably right.”
She didn’t realize she had started crying until she stopped talking.
”I’m sorry… I don’t know what the hell am I doing, telling all of this to you. I’m sure you’re the last person that wants to hear it. But, I guess you win. You got me to break down.”
Was it the crocodile tears? Reverse psychology? Ernie felt his smug smile turn to an uncomfortable frown as her breakdown continued. Urgh, it was his first meeting with Angelique all over again. An unsettling trend was starting to form with Crying Girl No. 3 here. He was unable to deny the warming of his Stigma however, as it filed away an immeasurable amount of notes on Emma's weaknesses.
"It doesn't feel like winning," Ernie murmured, narrowing his eyes.
It didn't feel like it because this wasn't the response he was hoping to see. Why wasn't she angrier? Where was that fire that she'd shown yesterday, the one he was so eager to mercilessly douse?
He knew it was still there. He knew that Emma was a force to be reckoned with and frankly, he wouldn't have been surprised if the conniving bitch had learnt to fake cry somehow. There was no sympathy to draw out of the boy, only the simmering anger that was much easier to understand.
"Why are you telling me this? Are you trying to goad me into reacting the way you did, the way you predicted I would yesterday? Are you trying to provoke the maniac who lost it and endangered his friends?"
Because if that really was her goal, Ernie feared that it was working.
" 'People died, people got injured, because you were sloppy.' Is that what you want to hear? Because I doubt you shat all this at me because you were expecting me to give a crap. I don't know what you're trying to get out of this. The sight of Ernie the Heartless Bastard beating down and scolding a girl in tears, maybe, so you could prove yourself right. Or maybe the opposite of that. God, I hope for both our sakes you weren't hoping I'd actually comfort you or tell you that everything's okay. Because right now, it's the furthest it can get from that."
There was so much he wanted to rage on about from her confession. The wasted potential of her abilites. The fact that she ran away when she had the power to help the people she cared about. He wanted to yell at her, he really did. But what had she done that Ernie himself hadn't done so many times before?
Suddenly, he didn't see someone worth despising. He just saw a pathetic reflection of everything wrong with himself, sobbing out the sadness he always kept shoved away. Pity, anger, and distrust congealed into something that revolted him, but he couldn't find it in himself to openly resent the girl anymore, not at the moment at least. He couldn't find it in himself to give a right answer to all this either. Finding an answer for Emma was impossible when he couldn't even find one for himself. He wasn't smart or strong enough to do that. But honesty had always been a good stepping stone towards that gargantuan task.
"I'll never be able to trust you out there," he admitted coldly, "You showed me a side of you that I doubt anyone else has seen, one that I'll never get out of my head. Because I sincerely believed you then. I still do. Even if we ever manage to get along, which I seriously doubt, there will always be that Stigma-driven side of you that gets brought out by battle. The side that gets brought out of all of us that makes us so angry and sad and pathetic. There's no escape from it. As long as we have those X's on our throats, my life will be in danger around you."
His voice became the slightest bit more gentle, and the hardness in his eyes faded.
"If...you told me all this because you wanted me to forgive you then...I'm sorry. Really. Forgiveness was never an option here."
He wasn't strong enough to do that. Not yet.
”You’re right. Of course you’re right.” she said, wiping away the tears from her eyes and trying to regain her composure. ”I don’t know what I want. Maybe you’re right. Maybe I am just being conniving. Maybe…” she sighed.
”I’m not really sure what I’m doing these days. I’m sure you know how it is, the stigma, driving your actions…” maybe that was what she wanted, someone else who understood what it was like, because none of her other friends did. But she wouldn’t admit that she wanted that.
”But… I know I can’t take back what I said yesterday. And I know that this is the last thing you want. And… I know that this doesn’t make much sense, because I’m a total mess. And you’re right about the X’s too. Being an Aberration fucking sucks, doesn’t it?” she said, a deep sigh escaping her lips.
”Like you said, I'm glad we can be honest with each other. Because either way… whether we like it or not, we’re friends. Or maybe 'friends' isn't the right word for it… but regardless… we shouldn’t have to get along, two people like us, but that’s the way it’s going to be, right?”
"Yeah, it's hard on all of us. But getting along, or pretending to anyway...I don't think it'll be too bad. We've done it for this long, haven't we?"
Ernie shuffled his feet, suddenly feeling very conscious of himself again. He didn't know what to feel about the 'friends' thing, not after everything that had been said. But it seemed that there would at least be some unsteady truce called between them.
Truth be told, he felt a little guilty about it all. She was going through the same thing as him and he wasn't doing anything. At least at Reno he was surrounded by people going through the same thing, though the 'help' they offered was sketchy at best and horrifying at worst. Were he a more noble person he would have offered his experience and knowledge, maybe even someone to talk to. Perhaps he would have gave her some encouragement and told her that even though she didn't know what she was doing now, Ernie believed that she was smart enough to figure it out. But he didn't think himself capable of swallowing his pride to that extent. So he said nothing.
”Right. We’ll get along.”
If she were a better person, if she were braver, she might’ve begged him for forgiveness. She might’ve asked for his help. She might have told him that she felt like she was drowning and didn’t know how to stop the stigma, that she was scared, that she wanted it all to stop, that…
”Well… unless you know of some magic way to stop the stigma, I guess we’ll just keep going. You should… you came to see Cal, I’m sure she’ll be happy to have another visitor.” she said, nodding to herself.
"Oh, yeah," Ernie blinked, suddenly worried that Cal had heard the entire thing. Please no. He took a small breath, "Yeah, I'll see you later then."
His hand remained on the door handle for a few seconds, as if he were unsure if it was a good idea to go in. But he steeled himself eventually and took the first step in.
Emma | Siena
𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟙𝟝, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘 / / 𝕃𝕒 ℙ𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕒, 𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕪𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕 / / ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕡𝕚𝕥𝕒𝕝 / / ~𝟙𝟙𝟛𝟘 Collab with @Diggerton and @PapiTan
A small knock came from the door of Siena’s hospital room, followed quickly by the entrance of Emma, two bundles of flowers in her arm and a smile that tried its best to be genuine on her face. She wasn’t entirely sure about bringing flowers, but it seemed like the right thing to do.
”Siena!” she exclaimed, just like she had with Callan, just like she had practiced in her head, a small bit of excitement intentionally eking its way into her voice. This time she knew exactly where to place the flowers, on the nightstand beside the hospital bed. ”How’s it goin’?” followed quickly.
Alone in a hospital room was a terrible place to be. Sterile, cramped, and most importantly, uninviting. Siena had never liked hospitals. She'd only been to one before, and even then that had been under strict supervision by Gerwulf and Maya, both hovering near her, obscuring her from view from the outside world until they reached a disgustingly empty building. A small, private hospital where nobody would see her and nobody would miss her. All because she'd been young and stupid just like she'd been in the fight.
Perhaps that was why Siena latched onto the knock so quickly.
"O-Oh, Emma." A weak smile pushed onto her face. Weak, weak, weak. She didn't know how she was supposed to act in the situation. She didn't want to bring the mood down, didn't want to burden anyone with her own issues...but it didn't feel right to be smiling or beaming. It was so damn hard. "Probably better than the others here. I wasn't as injured with Lily taking my injuries..." Guilt. Too many mistakes. Lily had taken her injuries. Other people had gotten hurt. Too many mistakes. She pushed forward. "What about you?"
Emma frowned. ”I’m fine.” she said, but her face said otherwise. ”I mean, besides… y’know… just wondering if things could have gone differently.” Emma quickly shook her head, ”But that’s not important. I wanted to come to check… I was worried about your… well, what you told me before the battle… are you still all ‘you’?”
Somewhere in the back of Siena's mind, there was a sense of some emotion that resembled relief. She liked it better when she could read the people around her, liked it better when there was a more obvious dissonance between face and words. But the topic was quickly discarded as Emma brought up another--one that Siena wasn't sure how to approach. Part of her wanted to talk about it. To talk about the little "stigma" that came with her own powers because there was no one else. No Maya. No Gerwulf. Nobody that knew, and nobody that she had trusted because people weren't so hard to read.
...and then there was the part of her that recoiled at the thought of sharing more than she already had. As if there was some invisible wall that had erected itself between herself and her peers. The film of distrust that had been glued into place after years of experience.
"That's...a hard question." Something that felt unusually like weariness bore onto her, but Siena pushed it away as best she could. "I don't know the answer, but my best guess is--" Hesitation. "...honestly, probably not." Not after she lost control of her emotions and lashed out to hurt. To inflict agony because she could, and because it felt right instead of out of a raw necessity. Memories she preferred not to keep intact tried to break back into her head, and the brunette released a breath as if she could blow the thoughts away.
"But I don't know. I'm more afraid of still being myself after everything that did happen."
Emma nodded slowly. ”Well… if it’s any consolation, I’m glad that you’re still you.” Emma uncomfortably tugged at the hem of her shirt. Luckily she’d taken the opportunity to get new clothes earlier, no longer in the ruins of a hoodie she had before. ”I… I know… well, I don’t know, but I’m sure it’s tempting to lose yourself after all of that. But remember, your friends, Marcus, Cal… Ernie… me, we don’t want to see that happen.” the words came out uncertainly.
”We lost enough yesterday.”
Emma opened her mouth to talk again, but paused for a moment before continuing, ”But there’s no use dwelling on all of that, I’m sure we’re all thinking about it enough as is. Do you want to rest, or should I stick around? It must be boring posted up in a hospital room by yourself… they could’ve at least had the courtesy to toss you and Cal in the same room.” Emma offered up a smile.
'Still me...' A surge of discomfort. Something about that didn't sit quite right. Still the Siena Santana that she'd taken painstaking care to present. She should have been proud that she was still holding up, but...somehow it was a hollow triumph. Still, she smiled hesitantly. A perfectly simulated uptic of the lips, tinged with a hint of nervousness. Still Siena Santana.
"I...suppose that is true." But there was the vile little voice that jeered in the depths of her head. No, it wasn't true. They wouldn't even notice, would they? She kept the smile unfaltering. "Oh! You don't have to stay, I'm sure you have better things to do than being stuck here too." 'But she's right, isn't she?' "I'm used to being stuck in a room by myself. It's actually a little less lonely than usual knowing that at least someone else is on the floor."
Discomfort gripped suddenly at Siena's chest at the thought of being left alone. Again. She hated being in the room alone. "But um...do you think I could ask you something? Just...between the two of us?"
Emma gave a small laugh at the suggestion that she’d be stuck. Really, she was seeking out someone to talk to. People to talk to. She needed distraction, to keep the stigma at bay and to keep herself from thinking about Savannah’s broken neck. ”Really, it’s no bother. We’re friend after all, right? It’s not like there’s a lot to do around this town anyways.” she said, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly.
As for Siena’s next question she nodded slowly. She had though that perhaps Siena had disliked her a little before the battle, but it seemed to Emma that she was slowly becoming her confidant. ”Yeah, of course.”
"Um..." Breathe. It was hard to put into words exactly what she wanted to say. What was okay to ask, what wouldn't make Emma think that the unintimidating Siena Santana was still the one calling the shots. That she'd always been the one in control. She wanted to mull over it, but every fraction of a second stretched into an agonizing eternity. Each instant she felt her courage waning. Whittling away until it was next to nothing.
Keep pushing forward. ...but she couldn't do it, could she?
"I'm going to sound like a complete idiot, but...is it wrong that I keep hoping we'll do better next time we fight?" Close enough. "Or that I'm not even thinking about how terrible it is that people my age are doing a soldier's job, just...that we keep failing at it."
Emma took a deep breath. She hoped for the same thing, completely ignorant to the fact that the words coming out of Siena’s mouth weren’t what she was going to say. She hoped that they could work together, that they could do it without losing anyone, that they could all become competent.
That I could become competent.
She squirmed a little, taking a seat in a chair beside the bed. Clearly Siena could use a little company. ”I… I don’t know. I can’t help but play back everything that happened in my head. I have no idea how we can become a force like Shane’s team, but… it needs to happen. We can’t have another… another situation like Savannah.” she let the words hang in the air for a moment. ”But no, it’s not wrong to want that. I don’t know if we’ll ever really be what we have to be, but… USARILN seems to expect a lot from us, and we’re going to keep getting thrown out there. We’re either going to acclimate, or…”
She didn’t need to say what could happened.
Again the relief buzzed in the back of her head, in the pit of her stomach, as Emma took the seat by the bed. Siena wondered if she'd always been so easy to please, if she'd always wanted nothing more than to not be alone...but then pushed it out of mind as she listened to Emma's answer. Of course, the older girl was right. Siena knew that from the start. She knew the answer to the question.
But still, she couldn't help but feel her muscles tense at the mention of Savannah's name. Dead. And Benediction wasn't going to waste his power on a little girl, was he? He hadn't revived anyone their first fight. He wouldn't bring the blonde back. It was a realization that she had to accept, but that didn't make it easier to stomach.
"...yeah..." Dejection slipped into her voice, just the right amount. "I guess I'm still struggling with the idea that we're special enough to be sent out as a unit for situations like that." She averted her gaze to her hands, the smile fading by the barest amount. "...I never thought being surrounded by people would be harder than being alone."
”Yeah…” Emma let the vulnerability slip in, just a little. Things she would usually talk to others about. ”I… It’s nice to have everyone but… I don’t think…”
A small pause.
”I don’t want anyone else to die.” A long sigh came from Emma. Now was a good time to bring something up that she hadn’t mentioned to anyone yet, ”About… about why they care about us so much… I had an idea. Have you… have you been having weird, like, visions, followed by your powers getting stronger? I saw someone mention it on Death and Taxes, and… well, I’ve been having them.” Emma gave a hopeful glance. Maybe that was what bound them together.
Visions? Siena blinked at the word in legitimate surprise.
"I...I have. I don't know how to explain it." Pausing to regain herself, Siena instinctively moved to tug at the ends of her hair. Something to do with her hands as she tried to process everything. Was that really what made them special? Or...? "It's just a flash for me though. But...it feels safe when it happens." That wasn't the right word to use, but she didn't have a way to really explain what she felt or what she saw.
Emma nodded. ”I… see what you mean. For me it’s a bit of a mixed bag… but something changes every time. I think… it might be different for us Aberrations. Sometimes the stigma gets worse alongside it, I think.” it was nice to know, however, that it was a shared experience. ”I haven’t seen a lot about it besides a few messages… I wonder if it’s just us, of if it’s just a Mage thing…” a hint of uncertainty was in her voice alongside a small frown.
”There’s too much that we don’t know. About USARILN and about ourselves. But either way there’s gotta be something different about us, or they wouldn’t go through all this trouble for new students. At least, I don’t think they would.”
Something different about them. That much was starting to become clear. If not from the visions, then at least from the way that they were being treated. With her mind cutting through countless thoughts in a second, Siena turned her attention away from Emma for a moment, but not to anything in particular before she pulled back to reality with a wry smile.
"The way that the other students looked at us the first day of 'class' was a dead giveaway that we were different. I doubt any of them would have kept eye contact if we tried to look at them." So quickly the words were torn from her, they didn't pass through every filter. A faint hint of bitterness, one that she immediately regretted. "...sorry, that's probably just...I'm just reading too much into it."
”I… I don’t know.” Emma said uncertainly. ”There are just too many weird things going on here. Too much for it to be coincidence… the visions, the special treatment, the fact that we’re new students yet we’re their go to team… after the precursors and Shane’s group, of course… hell, they got Benediction to heal our injuries. That must mean something, right…?”
Emma leaned back in the chair. ”Or maybe I’m the one reading too much into things. I don’t know. It just… seems like there’s some big secret everyone is in on but us.”
"I doubt you're reading too much into it. It really does feel like there's a secret that we're not supposed to know." Shaking her head, Siena released a soft sigh. "I'm not sure I like being a mystery topic to myself."
”Yeah. It’s not a good feeling… it seems like everything is a big secret around here.” Emma gave a slight frown. ”Not to mention all the stuff I saw beneath the hospital building… er, the monster I mentioned. You know, before the battle…” she didn’t want to say it again, reminding herself of Savannah’s inevitable fate, ”There was a whole lot of weird stuff going on down there… I’m sure there was more I could of seen if the guards didn’t stop us.” Emma sighed. ”No point worrying about it though. Not like I’ll get the opportunity to check it out again.”
Right...the monster that might inevitably devour Savannah's corpse. Weight pressed against Siena's chest, but she hid it away. Back and away to be compartmentalized for later. Just like always. Instead she gave a thoughtful pause.
"Maybe if we end up meeting their expectations, we'll get to see those secrets." Quietly, the girl twisted her hair in between her fingers again. "I hope that we're actually prepared to deal with it by then."
”Maybe we will. I don’t know if I want them, but… well, if anything, maybe some of this insanity will make sense one day.” Emma gave a long sigh. ”I doubt it, but…” she tapped her finger against her leg.
”Let’s… talk about something else, if that’s alright…”
Emma approached the door to Hazel’s room slowly, noting the guards that were mostly absent from the rest of the hospital. What the hell happened to warrant all this? she wondered to herself as she walked up to one of the guards. ”Uh, excuse me, may I see Hazel?” she said, mustering up all the politeness she could.
The soldier watched her carefully, eyes narrowing as he tried to gauge how much of a threat she would be if she didn't get what she wanted. He shifted the rifle in his hands so the movement of bringing it up to fire at the girl's head would be that much faster and easier.
"No, unless you're authorized by the commanding officer."
Emma sighed. ”Listen, whatever happened out there… I’m Hazel’s roommate, we kind of get each other.” a blatant lie, but a convincing one. Emma mustered up all the sweetness in her voice she could, ”I’m sure that seeing me would… make things easier. I’ll go through the commander if you need me to, but don’t you think you could make an exception?” Emma choose her words carefully, aware that the man had a gun and wouldn’t hesitate to shoot her.
"Nice try, but she's unstable at the moment. Commander Kardos himself gave the order to quarantine her if she proved dangerous to her allies. No guarantee she won't go berserk again."
Emma frowned. ”She was that bad, huh? Well, I get it. Just doing your job.” Emma gave him a slight smile. A convincing one at that. ”Well then, if you’re not authorized to let me through, can you point me in the direction of who I need to talk to? I… I know Hazel can be a pain, but I need to make sure she’s alright.” she sighed.
”I know that it’s your job, but I just want to check in on my friend.”
"Look, it's not a call even the commanding officer can really make without the Commander's explicit permission. But if you really want to try, you'll have to talk to Officer Brahms. He should be back at the motel."
Emma nodded. ”Alright. Great. I’ll be back soon, that’s a promise.” she said, still doing her best to maintain her smile.
After a short walk, Emma found herself back at the motel. She wasn’t exactly sure where to find Officer Brahms, so instead she choose to ask the nearest guard. “Uh, excuse me, I was hoping to find Officer Brahms?” she said, putting on a guise of politeness, hiding her rising irritation at the situation.
The guard pulled at the strap of the helmet he was readjusting, looking at her curiously before jabbing a thumb towards the parking lot. "Should still be out there."
”Alright, thanks.” Emma said, walking off towards the parking lot. It wasn’t hard to find Officer Brahms, who had a number of soldiers moving to and fro around him for orders. She approached him slowly, clearing her throat to grab his attention, feeling just a slight bit silly with one of her bundles of flowers still in hand, ”Er, excuse me, you’re Officer Brahms, correct? I’m, uh, Emma Halwell, from Group B. I was hoping to visit Hazel Baker’s room. I’m her roommate back on campus, and I wanted to check in on her.”
The man looked younger than expected--no more than late 20's at a guess--and he appeared not to have heard Emma for a moment, skimming through lines of information on his phone.
But his response was clear enough.
"Off-limits. Quarantined for uncontrollable behavior. Orders from up top. You can give that to the guard near her room if you want," he said, motioning to the flowers in Emma's hand.
Emma was starting to get annoyed. She sensed that it was going to be a long night. ”Is there really nothing you can do? Talk to Kardos? Or, let me talk to Kardos? Like I said, she’s my roommate, and I’m sure that if I get in there I can calm her down a little. Anyways, you probably have plenty of restraints on her, right? Between that collar and the cuffs she can’t be that much of a threat, can she? I just… want to make sure she’s okay. That battle was stressful for all of us. I’m sure she could use a friend.” the pleading tone in her voice was clear as she put on her best puppy-dog eyes, resigning to the fact that if this didn’t work she’d have to keep going down the line until she could find someone she could convince.
"Trying to free her or something?" His tone hardened abruptly and he straightened from the previous relaxed posture. "Most people go through a battle and want to rest. But you're here trying to get in to a quarantined subnatural. I assume the guards at her room told you to come to me, or you wouldn't be here. And it makes me wonder."
He motioned for a nearby soldier who, noticing the atmosphere, tensed as well.
"Something wrong, sir?" the guard asked on the approach.
"Not yet," Brahm replied, voice calm.
Emma gave the commander a clear look of surprise. ”With… with all due respect, sir, really? I got enough rest last night and now I just want to see my friend, because after a battle, I’m sure you know, people are also concerned about the people close to them. You really think I could stage an escape? Not like we’d get very far with these cuffs.”
Emma sighed.
”If the choice is leaving or getting shot, I’ll go back to my room. I just want to make sure she’s okay. I have zero intent of getting in trouble with you guys… after all, you may be here to watch over us and we may be subnaturals… but in the end we’re on the same team, right?” she put on as convincing a smile as she could muster.
"She tried to kill two of your team mates, healer included. Hardly the same team. But she's fine, last I checked. I'll allow you to stand at the doorway to her room, but a single suspicious move and both of you get shot."
He turned to the nearby soldier, pulling up the appropriate channel on his phone.
"Hospital units, double up security on Baker."
That done, he nodded at Emma's soon-to-be escort.
"Take her to the Baker girl. Keep a weapon trained on her at all times."
"Yes, sir."
Near Hazel's room, the order came through the respective phones of the soldiers assigned to watch the students in the hospital and they followed commands swiftly. Another four soldiers crowded the space around her bed, and three remained stationed outside her door, backup units pulling in from the patrols set up around the area to watch for any attempts at escape.
By the time Emma reached the hospital room again, all eyes and muzzles in the hallway were directed entirely on her. Around Hazel's bed, the soldiers' fingers were ready on the triggers.
"Officer Brahm's orders," Emma's escort announced. "She can talk to the prisoner from the doorway."
After a moment, the soldiers barring the door parted, one turning the knob and the other three holding aim on Emma's head.
Killed two of my teammates. Emma certainly wasn’t aware of that. Regretfully, the first question that came to her was who and then came the why. She didn’t bother asking Brahm, as she got the sense that he wasn’t too big of a fan of hers.
Still, she supposed he was doing her a favor, given what she now knew, and for that she was thankful.
She approached the doorway slowly, giving a cautious glance to the men whose guns were trained on her. Part of her wanted to protest, but her better judgment stopped her. Didn’t want to give them a reason to shoot, after all.
Instead, she spied the girl from the door. She wasn’t in a good state, clearly injured. Clearly in pain. She was also heavily restrained, certainly not a good sign. ”Hazel…” she called out from the door, but a hint of sadness in her voice, ”They wouldn’t let me enter the room. I… I wanted to come make sure that you were okay.” she said, giving an ever so slight glance to the guards around her who remained silent for the moment.
"Emma?"
So that was why there were guards all around her. Hazel had assumed there was going to be some sort of high ranking person coming in to inspect her or the like, but it was just Emma visiting her for... to check up on her? Turning in the bed, she looked towards Emma, noting the flowers in her hand. It seemed Emma wasn't really affected much from the previous battle. Wasn't that why she was worried before? As for the question of whether Hazel was okay or not, she was still alive, so she assumed that would be enough for Emma.
"See? Don't worry." Hazel spoke, referring to the conversation they had before.
Emma couldn’t help but smile a little. She didn’t know what happened out there, but Hazel never seemed to be the monster that other people said she was. Instead, she just seemed scared. Scared and lonely. Emma nodded, ”Yeah. You’re right. I shouldn’t have worried. Although, I’m sorry to say, your armor got a little shredded out there.”
Emma tapped her foot against the ground. If she could’ve she might’ve given the girl a hug. ”I got you flowers, but I can’t exactly hand them to you.” she glanced towards one of the guards in the room, ”Uh, you think you could hand these off? Brahm said it was okay.” she said, cautiously extending the flowers, careful not the cross the threshold of the door.
The guards eyed the small bouquet like it was a bomb, but after several seconds of silence stretched out between them, one of them took the bundle from Emma's hand, eyes never leaving her face as he backed up slowly and placed the flowers on the bed beside Hazel's fingers. He was quick to resume his position afterwards, weapon raised once more.
Hazel grasped the bundle in her injured right hand, the bouquet visibly shaking as she raised it. She had no idea what the flowers were for, but it certainly lent some color to the stark whiteness of the room and the grimness of the guards around them.
"Thank you." There was a small pause as she gave an experimental nibble on one of the flowers, before spitting it out. "How do I use this?"
Emma nodded at the guard. ”Thanks…” as for Hazel, even in the current situation, Emma couldn’t help but giggle a little. ”You… they’re not for eating, at least, they’re not very tasty. They just…” Emma took a moment, considering what the actual use of flowers was.
”They make the room look nice. It’s a little boring without anything else, don’t you think?” she finally decided, giving a small smile. She couldn’t will herself to ignore the presence of the guards watching them, but tried her best to push them out of mind. For their part, the guards didn't interrupt, choosing instead to keep a silent vigil.
"I see."
Hazel swished the bouquet once, twice, then thrice before it slipped out of her limp hand, landing neatly on the small desk beside the bed. Unintended, but it did look nice there. It was faint, but at least she could smell something than her own blood for once. That and she did not have the mind to put some effort into sitting up and picking it up again; not when pain shot though her entire body every time she moved.
"Hmm." Affirming that it did indeed lend a dash of color there, Hazel turned again to Emma, looking expectantly at her.
Emma stood for a moment, not commenting on Hazel’s treatment of her present. She didn’t exactly expect the girl to treasure it, given what she knew about her, but the gesture made Emma, at the very least, feel good. Emma nodded to herself for a minute before speaking, a small gulp coming before she started, ”Hazel… I… I’m glad you’re okay, but… what… what happened out there? In Wisford? You don’t have to tell me… but if you want to talk about it, I’m here.” Emma said, leaning against the side of the doorframe, crossing her arms.
"Wisford?" Hazel looked up at the ceiling, before turning her head back to Emma. "We were ordered to go apprehend Factory, I was with you in the frontlines, drawing attention from the strike team sent to fight Factory and only Factory. There were several machines that we destroyed, including those mechanical monsters resembling spiders, which deployed a large net. We destroyed what was left of those monsters, and Factory was defeated. I do not have knowledge of what the other squads did, or their particulars."
Blinking, she continued. "Should it be needed, I could write a full mission report should you wish to review it."
Emma nodded slowly. She was surprised that she had expected any different from Hazel. ”Hazel’s that’s… that’s not exactly what I meant. What I’m trying to ask is how you’re doing emotionally. Are… are you holding up okay? I know things got stressful out there, and if… if you’re sad, or confused, or… just, you can talk to me about that… if you want to.” Emma hoped those were the right words. She was never quite sure how to get her point across to Hazel, but she thought she was getting better.
Hazel looked quizzically at Emma for a moment. Emotionally? Perhaps she was referring to her self control.
"Do not worry. I am completely combat ready, even if I am currently injured. Even if I should lose control, the collar I wear will shut me down in a short while."
She paused for a moment, considering what else to say. "In Wisford, after the battle, a dream..."
This girl could not be trusted. She could be trying to find your weakness, she could be afraid of you like all the rest. Look at how afraid she is to go near you, look at how they restrained you, look at the fear in their eyes.
Hazel closed her eyes, trying to shut out the whispers, the ragged screaming of anger scrabbling for control, for dominance, for destruction. A short while later, she opened them again, lightless green eyes meeting Emma's.
"No, that was unimportant. Was there anything else you wished of me?"
Emma frowned. The dream. She remembered her conversation with Siena, but the moment was over before she knew it. For just a second she had thought that she was about to get something from Hazel, something real, but it was brushed away just like that.
She didn’t push.
Emma nodded slowly. ”Just…” Emma gave a smile. A sad smile. She wasn’t getting anywhere. ”Make sure you get better. I’m sure you’ll be out of here in no time. And…” a moment of hesitation.
”Just remember, you’re my friend, and for what it’s worth, I worry about you.” but Emma didn’t say what she really wanted to.
"Friend?" Hazel stayed silent for a bit, eyes still locked onto Emma. "Unh. I understand. Do not worry."
Emma | Angel
𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟙𝟝, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘 / / 𝕃𝕒 ℙ𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕒, 𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕪𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕 / / 𝕄𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕝 / / ~𝟚𝟚𝟘𝟘 Collab with @Diggerton and @Riffus Maximus
It was a cold night. Emma found herself wandering around the grounds of the motel, her encounter with Brahms and her visit with Hazel still fresh in her mind. Hazel, her friend, her roommate, Hazel who attacked two of her teammates and went on a rampage, now chained up to hospital bed with a tight blanket of security.
Too many questions, not enough answers.
She also couldn’t get the battle out of her head. Her indecision, her failure to protect Savannah, her inability to do anything. She was so wrapped up in these thoughts that she nearly missed the form of Angel Lachance, sitting, seeming to be writing, or working up the courage to start writing. Emma very nearly walked past her, but then she remembered the battle. Angel was on her team, was she not? Surely she’d know more about Hazel.
So, instead, Emma stopped. ”Um… excuse me, Angel? Hello?” she said cautiously, hoping that she wasn’t interrupting anything.
Lost deep in thought, Angélique was staring at the blank sheet of paper in front of her. After speaking with Siena yesterday evening, she kind of wanted to give the girl an authentic gift as a token of her appreciation. She wouldn’t really be satisfied in herself to simply make a cover of a song Siena might like. She felt like composing a song herself, just like how she did so many times in the past.
One covered end of her pen was tapping rhythmically on her lips while the fingers of her right hand rattled the table in harmony with a humming that mimicked the music on her phone playing right next to her.
A voice however made it through her pensive state of mind and popped her back right into reality, turning to see the familiar of Emma looming right beside her.
“Oh, hello Emma. Sorry, I was thinking. How are you?”
Emma offered her a small smile. ”Good… well, ‘good’ is relative nowadays, but… good. How about you?” Emma said, with a slight tilt of the head towards the spot next to her, ”Uh, is it alright if I take a seat? There were a couple of things I wanted to ask you about.”
“Yeah, it’s just as you say. I suppose I’m good, considering the circumstances.” Angel replied, her free hand wandering to her phone and turning down the volume of the background music as soon as she heard her fellow Aberration had something to ask.
“Sure. I’m all ears. Want something to drink? I’ve made some coffee not long ago. I think there’s a bit left.”
Angélique wasn’t one to usually drink coffee. As a matter of fact, she hated the taste. But she had to admit that it helped getting her creative juices flowing when she was hitting a wall, productivity-wise.
Emma shook her head. ”No, I’ll take a pass on the coffee, but thanks.” Emma sat down next to Angel, for a second looking down towards the ground before she met her eyes. ”I was… I wanted to know what happened with you guys after I left to support Evac. I heard… I…” Emma sighed.
”I heard that there was some trouble with Hazel?”
Angel’s pen twirling between her fingers was brought to a stop right as Emma asked the killer question. Of course she was going to investigate what had happened while she was gone. Why a few, including Hazel, were injured and the girl locked up. To be fair, Angel expected that situation to come popping around, but she never prepared herself for the moment it would surface. She tried her best to keep it under wraps, lest the harmony in her group be broken by mistrust. Not that any lack of trust towards Hazel would be unjustified. Angélique herself didn’t feel particularly fond of the girl after what she did, nor was she looking forward to work with her again.
“So you know what happened, huh? I suppose I don’t need to hide it to you, especially since Hazel is your roommate.” Angel sighed, dropping the pen next to the sheet of paper. What friendly expression that was on her face when she first saw Emma had turned into a frown, clearly visible in her eyes now that she was no longer wearing shades.
“What exactly do you want to know?”
Angel's tone wasn't outright unpleasant, but her voice and her eyes suggested she wasn't particularly looking forward to the discussion.
Emma was a little taken aback with Angel’s tone, giving the girl a curious tilt of the head, her smile eroding just a little. ”I want to know why my roommate… my friend, is in the hospital, severely injured. I want to know what exactly happened when people are telling me she went ‘berserk’. I want to…”
Emma’s put her smile back on.
”I just want to make sure everything’s going to be okay next time we have to fight together.”
"You want to know what happened exactly out there? Very well, I can tell you things from my perspective. But you have to know, Emma, Hazel is an Aberration like the two of us. I never got a grasp of what exactly Hazel is except when I witnessed her bouts of destruction during the Flags and Seek game. What went through her mind during that time, I don’t know any of it. I don’t read minds.”
Angel paused, taking a sip of coffee. She grimaced at the taste before turning her black-circled tired eyes towards Emma.
“After you and Siena left to help Marcus and his team, Grant and I took care of the Collector that was coming towards us. Hazel left on her own without saying anything. Didn’t seem like the Collector was bothering her. Like I said, god knows what was going through her mind. I think she was headed towards the drop-off point’s direction? Anyway, after Grant and I took care of the collector, Hazel started screaming and…”
Angel trailed off; remembering something important that happened right after the Collector was felled by Grant and her combined efforts. Just like that, the screamer Aberration’s frown faded away and instead was replaced by what seemed to be like enlightenment.
“Emma, did you… saw the ocean shortly after you left to help?”
Emma nodded slowly. What Angel was saying about Hazel didn’t sound unreasonable, but… ”The ocean? You mean… the visions. Yeah. About… five minutes after I left. Why, do think it has something to do with Hazel? What exactly did she do?” Emma said slowly, trying to get Angel’s point out of her.
“Hmm… then perhaps… there’s something about those visions after all. I saw it too, and I suspect Hazel saw them too, about right at the same time you did.” Angel started explaining, her eyes looking unfocused as she seemed to be lost in thoughts.
“I’m no expert on Mages matter. I just know what I’ve read from Death and Taxes, from personal experiences and observations. But Hazel, she’s one hell of an Aberration. She’s fucking strong. The only person who could potentially rival her in power is Zoe, although their powers are direct opposites.” The suddenly enlightened Aberration continued explaining, things started making sense but yet brought more questions at the same time.
“What I mean to say is, perhaps Hazel’s Stigma reflects her power? If the visions triggered her Stigma, then that would explain the screams and the clutching at her head.” Perhaps this was too much information, a bit too gruesome to Emma. But the girl wanted the truth. Angel would be an asshole to not reveal what happened to her roommate now that they were trying to explore Hazel’s case.
“Look, I’m not going to beat around the bush as to what Hazel did. It was more than just trouble. It was straight disaster. Fuck, I think Hazel’s screaming was just as loud as mine. She just launched herself away using one of her ‘arms’ to obliterate another Collector that was standing between us and Ernest and Christmas.”
Angel paused, feeling her throat going dry from all the talking. She took another sip of her mug.
“I heard unknown panicked screams and gunshots, so I rushed down the street to know what was happening. Just when I arrived, I saw Hazel charging Ernest and Christmas with one of her projected fists. I tried to call out to her. I asked what everyone was doing. I asked her to stop. She didn’t.”
Angel sighed, remembering clearly the scene at that time. Her frown returned to her face as she continued her story.
“I just… tried to make it all stop. I screamed. I tried to make it all stop. Stop Hazel from smashing Ernest and Christmas into the pavement. It was a bit too late though, she knocked them out cold. But at the very least, when she regained composure, she charged me instead of dishing out more punishment on the boy. She was just about to turn me into a bloodstain onto the road, but she fell unconscious. I felt her fist, her fleshy one, graze my head.”
Angel’s eyes turned somewhat remorseful as she was telling Emma ““I… lost it. My Stigma wouldn’t allow me to die. So I screamed... again.”
The raven-haired Aberration sighed,8 her face looked morose.
“That’s pretty much all that happened. I fell unconscious shortly after. Hazel didn’t injure me at all. I just blacked out from the blood loss after physically overexerting my wounds.”
Emma stayed silent for a long moment. She didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t blame Angel, not like she wanted to. She couldn’t quite bring herself to blame Hazel either. Maybe she should’ve blamed herself for leaving them. ”I see.” she paused for a moment more.
”I can’t… I can’t say what you did was wrong. But… don’t hold it against Hazel. She’s not… she’s not like us. There’s something different about her. I don’t know if it was something the school did, or if she was always like this, but it’s like… mentally, she’s a little kid. A kid with military training, very strong superpowers, and a Stigma. I mean that, really. Whenever I talk to her it seems as if she hasn’t spent a day outside of wherever they held her.”
Emma took a breath.
”And I know… I know that you went into the battle scared of her. I could tell. But we can’t be like that. We have to be a team. Remember when we were fighting the spiders, and she swept you away with her hand, and you yelled at her? She saved you. The spiders threw their net at you guys and she was protecting you… and you just raged at her. I know she can be scary, but… she’s not as bad as you think.”
Emma sighed, tapping her foot against the ground.
”I know… I can’t ask you to forgive her, not after what happened, but just… keep that in mind.”
Angel listened intently as Emma tried to explain Hazel’s case. So the girl wasn’t a reckless insensitive teenager as she thought she was. But really, did it make any difference? Whether she acts like a child or like a berserking teenager, the fact remained she attacked her teammates. Understanding what was going on with the girl will not help any further next time she loses control.
“Look, I don’t want to pretend to look tough, but it’s not that I was scared of Hazel when we were teaming up with her. I just tried to be wary of the reckless behavior she showed in battle before. I was willing to give her the benefit of a doubt, a second chance. I wanted to confirm just what kind of teammate she was now that I was teaming up with you guys.”
Angel fell silent; reminiscing of the moment she lost control over her words and shouted at Hazel for disintegrating her gear and parts of her clothes.
“I admit that I’ve lost control in the fight. I’m sorry for that. It just happened so suddenly, I didn’t immediately know she did this to save us. In my mind, if she simply swatted the spiders and the web along while they were airborne, it probably would’ve saved us the trouble of having them circling us. But I think I can understand your point. We don’t share the same mentality on this battlefield.”
Angélique paused, her face dragging itself towards the flesh of her face, feeling the ghostly ensation of the web slicing into the skin of her face as she remembered the scene.
“Listen, I know you’re protecting your roommate, and I am actually a bit envious of you guys getting to share a room and be together. But it’s not about forgiving, being scared or wary of her. It’s about her actions, what she does. It will sound harsh, but if Hazel keeps this up, she will be considered a liability to keep around by the institute and will end up either locked away permanently, be disposed of, or worse.”
Angel coughed, words spoken by a familiar redhead training partner came into mind.
“Imagine if Zoe hadn’t left her team to help the others. You may not know her, but you saw what she did to Gregory. If Hazel went to attack her, she probably would have melted her off without any second guessing. I’ve trained with Zoe at Ground Zero. She’s ruthless. She’s not someone you want to mess with.”
“My point is, Hazel has to learn to control herself better, or become more mindful of her teammates. Before the worst comes to befall her. If she is just like you said, then I assume you are the closest person she has right now. You’re probably the only person she will listen to. Give her some insights, some advices, I don’t know.”
The obsidian-haired singer finished her cup of coffee in one gulp.
“We’ve lost enough of our classmates already. I just don’t want anyone else to pointlessly die because of some in-fighting.”
Emma’s face turned venomous. ”Are you kidding me? It’s a good thing you mentioned Zoe, because you want to know what she did? She melted Callan’s fucking arm off. It’s a good thing Lily was there, or it would still be gone. We all have problems with control. You, me, Zoe, Ernie, Hazel… all of the X-marks. You understand that, don’t you? I’m not asking for you to forgive her, I’m asking for your cooperation. Because whatever you were doing to Hazel out there, it certainly wasn’t helping.”
Emma got up. She wasn’t leaving, though, instead starting to pace in front of Angel.
”Hazel locked away, disposed of, that’s exactly what I want to avoid, because right now she’s shackled to her bedpost, surrounded by guards, covered in cuffs… you understand what I’m saying, right? Group B. We’re a team. If we’re going to be a unit, we have to work together. And you losing your shit on the battlefield might’ve been what sent her over the edge. And that doesn’t excuse her, of course it doesn’t, but we can’t have that happen again. Hazel isn’t the only one among us that has to learn control.”
Emma stopped.
”I’m not placing the blame on you. Really. Not all of it, at least. Hazel can’t be attacking her teammates, that’s obvious, but it goes both ways. You can’t give her reason not trust you. That doesn’t sound fair, I know, but… we have to keep this team together.”
Ah… there it was. A crack through the calm aura Emma was trying to exude ever since she arrived. She wasn’t wrong. Angélique herself had to learn control, that much she was aware of. She gained some, lost some. It went forward as it went backwards most of the times. As much as she was willing herself to become better, her weaknesses would just bring her back to square one. That’s why she was kicking herself in the shin so much. The reason she accepted to go along with Brent’s suggestion and spent the whole morning working her ass off through his hell training session.
Still, while Emma tried to be passive throughout the whole discussion, her now direct accusations sparked some embers that were still burning, the hatred she felt towards herself as she had spoken to Brent. For the moment, she didn’t care what Zoe did to Callan. What the fuck could she do about it? Bitch and moan at Zoe for being such an asshole? She knew how Zoe was. The girl probably couldn’t give two shits about what she did. If she did it, there was a reason she pulled the trigger.
“You think I don’t fucking know that already? Why do you think I go to Ground Zero each fucking day of the week? I’m trying to find that control! You think I’m enjoying screaming at other people? That I enjoy hitting my teammates along with my enemies? I’ve been trying to become better.”
Akin to Emma, Angélique’s voice started to grow. The difference was that it had no venom, only hatred. She wasn’t attacking Emma simply because she had nothing to say against her. She just looked so perfect, aside from the venom that she was trying to spit. But Angel would not play this game of accusations. She only spoke what was in her mind and offered her input on the situation.
“Trust me, I’m trying to be as cooperative as I can be. Fuck, do you even know just how hard I’m trying to bring everyone together? I’ve organized training sessions outside of class days, dinners and tried to convince a few people out there to work with others for our mutual survival. I’ve kept silent about Hazel’s attack from the others and hoped they wouldn’t know exactly because I don’t want to segregate her from the class for what she did. ”
Angel sighed. Her voice grew calmer as she didn’t want what she was going to say next to be perceived as a personal attack.
“But even after all that, I’m still just an Aberration. I’m trying to keep my rage under wrap, but even I have limits despite all the efforts I put. We can’t all be as perfect as you are. I just don’t have the control you simply exude whenever I see you guys at lunch.”
Emma narrowed her eyes.
What the fuck did she just say?
Emma quivered, for just a moment. She considered slapping Angel, wanted to even. ”How fucking dare you Angel. You think this is easy for me? You think I’m so perfect? You don’t know anything about me. You think I don’t have the same voices constantly fucking screaming at me? All… ALL that I am saying is that you need to cut Hazel some fucking slack and not spaz out on her in the middle of battle. Try to understand her situation, because you should get it. You said it yourself. You don’t enjoy hitting your teammates, do you think she does? Do you think that she raged out on you because she wanted to? You’re standing here calling her a liability when any of us could’ve done the same. And don’t… don’t you dare make this about me. I’m not… I’m not perfect…”
She couldn’t help it. For the second time today, she couldn’t stop herself from crying.
”Why the hell… you, Ernie, why the fuck do you guys think that? How do you not see? I’m so useless. Savannah died because of me. I couldn’t do anything, I froze up because of my Stigma and my shitty fucking power that in the hands of literally anyone else here could actually have done something. So yeah, I’m just as bad as Hazel and Zoe. Just as bad as you. This is hard for me too. We’re all facing the same fucking dilemma, so don’t try to diminish my fucking feelings. We are all in this shit equally, even if it comes out in different ways. And we all need to control it.”
Emma paused.
”Or you know what, never mind, clearly a little fucking empathy is too much to ask for.” she was tempted to leave right there, but instead stood, staring down singer, reminding herself of how much this remind her of Ernie.
Clearly her words hit a nerve. A landmine Angel didn’t mean to step on, but couldn’t help it in this situation. Seeing the girl fighting against her presumed perfection, and then on the verge on crying. This whole discussion made Angel feel like shit. She had just been saying what’s on her mind, pretty much like Brent always did. How could he stand facing people when saying things like that? Was she too soft, too caring to be like him?
Angel blinked, sighed and looked down for a moment. As she abruptly stood up, she knocked the mug sideways and the blank sheet she had been working on, revealing underneath a stack of paperwork she had previously written all over it and crossed, as if the ideas weren’t satisfying enough.
“I’m… sorry. I’ll… just leave before it gets worse.”
Angel walked past Emma and headed towards the exit. Right now, the voices were not just whispering. They were screaming insults, aimed both towards her pathetic self and towards the pitiful Emma. Her Stigma wanted her to stay and scream those insult at the other Aberration, but Angel had to prove she could still exercise control over herself. At the very least not show this stigmatic outburst to someone she was trying to convince she was growing better. She couldn’t let her inner darkness infect the others. They had enough shit on their plate as it was.
A boy that had the inexplicable ability to shrug off the trauma we faced with his jokes. Or was he? I couldn't tell, but I wish I was able or maybe I wished he would tell me what he felt. I want him to like me. I want to help him. I don't know why that is, and I wish I didn't feel this thing.
The girl that could not die. She's more friendly than I thought... I like that. We shared something that I couldn't put into words... a moment of solace in a world that's falling apart around me. What she said meant something to me and talking to her made me realize that my story is the same one as the people around me. What do I have to cry about, anyways? My problems aren't special.
Why is it that I can't shrug off the feeling that she has something she isn't telling me? A shared moment of friendship came when I didn't expect it and yet something about it feels rotten. By all accounts we grew closer but there's something unsettling about it. It's strange, because I want her to like me. I want everyone to like me, but her too.
Something inside me is twisted. Telling the wrong people the right words. Did I want him to give me solace? Tell me it would be okay? Understand my problems? Maybe I just wanted to piss him off again. Either way, it was a mistake. What I said will come back to hurt me, as it so often does.
The girl who could steal words off a page for herself. I'm glad we're friends... the more people I surround myself with the more I can pretend things are okay. She trusts me but I don't know why. I'm not a good person to tell your secrets to, but I'll do my best not to misuse hers.
The amnesiac couldn't tell me stories about her home. I feel... jealous, but at the same time reviled. Maybe it would be easier to forgot, but what could I hold onto if not memories? My friends? They're fleeting, they will go away. People come and go as the seasons do, especially in a place like this.
My friend, the monster. She hurt the people around her, so why can't I help but look at her as I would a child? Can I protect her from the hatred of the people around her? Should I? Maybe they should be scared of her. Maybe I should be scared of her. But I can't bring myself to be.
Why was I angry at her? Was it deserved? Did I burn a bridge? We're a team, but after on conversation I've already made her into a villain in my head. I was honest with the wrong person again. I should stick to lying, because I can't control what I say.
A twisted and broken body with golden hair. Just a child.
I can't get the image out of my head. How can I sit there and smile, acting like everything is okay?
Emma entered the APC wordlessly. Ernie, of course, wasn’t far behind her. It didn’t take her long to find her spot. Her spot, next to Marcus. She seemed hesitant, if only for a moment, to sit down. She gave Marcus a small nod. ”Hey.” her voice was empty.
Truth be told, she wasn’t in the mood for talking.
Marcus gave Emma a silent look as she climbed aboard the APC. There were too many thoughts of his own that fluttered inside his head, and he was thankful for anything to come along and take him out of that moment.
For making this all seem ordinary...
How far off that little talk of theirs seemed right now.
"Hey..." he replied, summoning the strength for a small, if hollow, smile. He slid over a little bit; an invitation for her to sit down next to him, to relax, to hopefully forget for just one moment how unordinary their experience had just been.
Emma accepted his invitation, this time forcing any hesitation away. Still, unlike the ride over, she allowed a little bit more distance between them. She returned his smile, with great effort.
No, that was a lie. It was easy to fake a smile. It always had been.
”So…” a small laugh came from her, forced, stilted. ”I guess, ‘how’s it going’ isn’t really an appropriate question?” she said, feeling a hint of awkwardness.
"Probably not, but I don't exactly see any better alternatives." Marcus said, returning with a single, tired laugh. It'd be a long time before any of this left his mind, but for now, maybe it was just best to follow Emma's lead and pretend like nothing had happened.
"I think our card group is gonna be a little bit short now."
Emma regarded Marcus with a slight frown. ”Yeah…” luckily for her he was ignorant towards what happened between her and Ernie. Hopefully things would stay that way, but she was doubtful that Ernie would be interested in a game of cards with her now.
”At least…” Emma gulped, feeling a twang of guilt for what she was going to say, ”Nevermind.” she said, shaking her head slightly.
At least we lived.
”I’m just glad… glad that you’re okay.”
Marcus smiled again, a little more convincing this time; a little warmer. He scooted a little bit closer to her, if only just enough to know she was there. A reassurance for himself.
'Okay' wasn't exactly the word he'd use to describe his situation, but he needed to put his brave face back on. The Marcus who's job it was to make sure that everybody else was also 'okay'.
"How are you holding up?"
Emma’s frown became a little more distinct. She found her hands squirming against each other uncomfortable in her lap. ”I…”
A gulp.
”I’m fine.”
The words were convincing enough. A small lie to ease her troubled heart. In truth, she couldn’t stop replaying what happened over and over in her head. She was convinced that she could’ve, that she should’ve done something. She blamed Ernie, but she knew that she was the coward. If she was anyone else, Savannah would still be alive
But she didn’t say that to Marcus.
Instead, she just nodded to herself, letting him scoot closer to her, scooting a little closer to him in turn. A small smile came to her lips. She was glad, at least, that she had someone else. Someone to smile at her even now, ”Yeah. I’m just glad we’re leaving.”
Marcus had said those words enough to know the true meaning behind them, but if his suspicious were raised by Emma, he didn't show it. There was no reason to push - they'd been through a lot, and it certainly wasn't like he was willing to spill his feelings on the matter.
"Yeah...I've had about enough of this place for a lifetime." Marcus said, an unusual amount of cynicism in his voice. There'd always be places like this one, but for now he was happy to put it behind him.
He let the thought hang there, as he shifted slightly with the vehicle's movement, the wheels softly crunching gravel beneath them.
At some point during the APC’s journey to the town of La Plata Emma had fallen asleep, head falling unceremoniously onto Marcus’s shoulder. Sleep would’ve been a blessing if not for the dreams. It seemed that her sleep these days wavered between the nightmares and a blissful state of dreamlessness.
The good dreams, it seemed, were far and few between.
Today she dreamed of the day USARILN had come to take her from her family. It wasn’t one she liked, but it came often. She squirmed uncomfortably against Marcus’s shoulder as the APC made its way towards their destination.
But no respite came for her.
Instead, she awoke when the door to the APC opened and a soldier announced their arrival. She gave Marcus a small glance, slowly coming to the realization that she had used his shoulder as a pillow. A small moment of hesitation before she said, "S-sorry." with a slight smile. She wasn't sure if she had to apologize, but they had only been a 'thing' for a short while, so she erred on the side of catuion.
Marcus had stayed awake; there certainly wasn't going to be much sleep for him anytime soon. As the silence had grown deeper and Emma had leaned over on him, he'd simply given her a quick look, and tried to shuffle himself into being more comfortable without waking her up.
Warning bells rang in his head as they stopped; this certainly didn't look like the school they'd been taken from. It looked quite similar to the place they'd just left, save for the fact that it seemed to be in one piece. They'd apparently stopped at a motel, if the dingy sign out front was to judge by - the other vehicle had continued onward, taking the injured students somewhere farther down the path. While Marcus tried to crane his neck to see, he stopped as he felt Emma shift, thinking he'd woken her up by accident.
When the door finally flung open, he surveyed the situation a little more. Seemed like a quick pit stop for now - a temporary housing as they made their ways back. Probably didn't want to risk travelling in the dark after the last incident. He was reminded of their first transport, and how similar it seemed now.
Marcus glanced down at Emma, now satisfied with the answers he'd come up with. He gave her a small grin as she apologized. "Oh hey sleepy-head, have a good nap?"
”Well… not exactly.” she said, looking around as she started to wake up properly. ”Where are we? This isn’t the school… did I miss something while I was asleep?” she said, starting to get up.
"Some small town, I don't think we're that far away from Wisford. My guess would be that we're just stopping for the night. Don't want to worry about getting ambushed in the dark or something." Marcus said, taking a moment to stretch. It was the best guess he had at the moment, although he'd certainly be taking the time later to find out for sure.
”Right.”
Emma hesitated once again.
”Well, I guess if we’re at a motel we should go grab rooms… or… well, if you’re not tired we can take a look around the town. Uh, only if you want to, of course!” Emma said, rubbing the back of her head.
"Well, Sleeping Beauty, I think wandering the town isn't the best idea right now. Unless you want to be torn apart by rabid journalists." Marcus said, nodding over at some of the more confident souls who prowled the perimeter.
"But if you'd like to stroll about town, we can make it a date!" he said with a grin. An odd thing to suggest after what they'd been through, but perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea.
Emma laughed, giving a small blush at the ‘Sleeping Beauty’ comment. ”Hmmm. I’ve always wanted to be on TV.” she said with a hint of sarcasm. ”And I don’t exactly mind another date. Something to take our minds off of things..?” yeah, that didn’t sound too bad to Emma.
"Well, you certainly have the face for television!" Marcus said, standing up and offering Emma a hand. It would be hard to tell what exactly there would be for them to do in this town, especially with the restrictions that would inevitably laid out for them.
It just left the slight problem of the publicity. He didn't like being the center of attention, or at least not big attention like interviewers and stuff, preferring to stick to the smaller crowds that Class Clown rewarded him with. Just this once, though, he'd make an exception.
"Choose a direction, I guess. We can walk until we find something, or get tazed! Perfect date idea!"
Emma gladly accepted Marcus’s hand. ”Right. Maybe if the cameras catch us we’ll be like Sparrow and Kadabra.” she joked. Of course, she knew that there was no way they could be as popular as the beloved Precursors. After all, they were just ordinary Subnaturals, something to be reviled by the normal.
”Let’s just hope the school doesn’t decide to taze us. Getting electrocuted on camera wouldn’t be very cute.”
It took every inch of willpower for Marcus to spoil the moment with a 'shocking interview' joke, but he managed it, replacing the pun with another warm smile to Emma. "Looking up to TV's cutest couple, huh? I guess I can live with something like that." he said, following the guard into the motel.
Marcus listened intently to the guard's speech, if only to know what he had to do to avoid being tazed in the middle of the street. It wasn't long after the man's speech ended that he flagged down the nearest guard and got the 'all-clear' for departure.
Even the braver of the reporters hadn't quite surrounded the building yet, so Marcus and Emma were free to leave unmolested. For now at least; time would only tell how long that would last.
"I don't think getting back in is going to be as easy as getting out..." Marcus quipped, turning around to see if they were being followed. "But I guess that's a problem for later."
Emma nodded. ”I guess so…” she said, taking a breath, contemplating her next words, ”Marcus… do… do you think…” her toned darkened a little. She hesitated for a moment before abruptly continuing, ”Do you think Lily’s okay? You were closer to her than I was, and she seemed pretty banged up.”
It wasn’t the question she was going to ask.
"I wouldn't call us close, exactly..." Marcus said sheepishly. They'd only even interacted during battles; the first time she almost got him blown up, and the second time he almost forced her into taking too many injuries and bleeding to death. Certainly not the kind of relationship where they'd be described as 'close'.
"I hope so, though. She transfered the injuries away, but that's a rough deal: taking everyone's injuries on herself? Not something I would have picked."
Emma couldn’t help but giggle a little. ”That’s not what I meant, ace. You were standing closer to her. But… yeah. She was really brave… what an awful power. I don’t know if I could do that.” Emma said, nodding to herself. ”I’ll have to stop by the hospital and check up on her.”
"O-oh." Marcus stammered, his face flushing a bit as he figured out the miscommunication. "Right. I knew that. She looked fine." he quickly said.
His immediately embarassment was fortunately able to cover up by the appearance of a small stop across the street. A wooden sign, which probably used to be a dark shade of blue but was now faded to a soft sky color designated the location as the 'Blue Moon Ice Cream Shack'. He stopped for a moment, pointing out the small building to Emma.
"Looks like it's open, wanna swing by and grab a cone?"
”Hmmmmmm.”
Emma, for a moment, feigned deep contemplation before a small smile crossed her lips. ”Very well, I’ll allow it.” she said, with a twinge of sarcasm, taking off towards the store.
”By the way, don’t think I didn’t notice how embarrassed you just got.” she said, a devilish smile planting itself on her face.
"You always notice things like that, how am I supposed to pretend like you didn't?" Marcus teased back, following behind her.
The shop was being tended to by one cashier in a striped uniform. He didn't look much older than the two subnaturals that had just walked in and had obviously been watching them from inside. He gulped back his fear and remained silent, allowing them to browse over the flavours on display for the moment. It was obvious that the pair weren't very welcome here.
Emma gave a wary glance to the cashier, and another wary glance to Marcus. She leaned towards him, ”I… don’t think they care too much for subnaturals here.” she whispered to the boy, feeling a tinge of red in her face. She wasn’t sure if it was embarrassment or anger, suddenly conscious of the cashier’s gaze.
"Yeah, I'm starting to get that feeling myself." Marcus whispered back, still checking out the different ice creams available. "You want to leave? I'm sure there's got to be somewhere around here that's a little more friendly."
Emma glanced at the cashier and then at Marcus. ”No. I want ice cream.” she whispered back, frown clear. ”The regulars can be scared of us if they want to be, we’re not going to hurt them.” she continued. She didn’t wait for Marcus’s approval before walking up to the counter, ”I’ll have a scoop of butter pecan, please.” Emma mustered all of the politeness she could, smiling, doing her best to set the boy at ease.
Marcus shrugged nonchalantly; she was right, even if they were frightened by a little smear of color across a random kid, there certainly was no reason to be. Hell, if the normal civilians here had known how much they'd just done, they should have been treated like heroes.
"Peanut butter swirl for me, please!" Marcus said, following Emma's lead and trying to look as nonthreatening as possible.
The cashier nodded wildly, his hands managing to stop shaking as he scooped the corresponding flavors from the displays. Despite the store's signs clearly showing options for varying toppings and cones, the boy said nothing and offered the two orders in the standard blue cups.
"S-six..." his voice was barely audible as he feebly asked for payment.
Emma nodded slowly. ”Six…? Six dollars?” She gave Marcus a slight glance before pulling out her wallet, retrieving her school card, and extending it towards the boy.
Marcus internally smirked at the kid's reaction. Surely they weren't that frightening? Just a couple of teenagers trying to get a scoop of icecream! Nothing weird about that at all! Sure, they had superpowers and all, but that certainly meant nothing when it came to the enjoyment of a frosty treat.
But he was getting off track.
He reached for his wallet at the same time Emma was apparently reaching for hers, displaying his card at the same moment. "Hey now, if I recall correctly, you paid last time." He turned to face the boy, still giving Emma a sideways smirk, "Here, take mine."
"School's paying for it either way, but sure, if you want to feel good about yourself." she said, putting away her wallet with a small smirk.
The cashier eyed both cards fearfully, unsure of which one to take until the X-marked girl made the choice for him. Wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible and avoid any physical contact with a subnatural, the boy practically swiped the card from Marcus. The panicked action had its consequences, however, as it slipped from his grasp and bounced off his other hand, landing right into the tub of pistachio flavor. All the color drained from the server's mortified face as the card and its USARILN East logo pointed up at him like a death sentence.
"I-I'M SORRY!" he screeched, as he fished the card from the display and rinsed it off. The transaction was soon made in record time and the card was pitched back at Marcus over the barrier.
The whole spectacle was laughable, especially as the fearful kid dropped his card directly into an open tub of ice cream, eliciting a very sarcastic "Well that can't be sanitary."
He was less humoured when his own, wet card came flying out of the booth at him, fluttering through the air to hit him directly in the face. It did no harm other than a single rivulet of water that dripped across the the bridge of his nose, but it did leave him slightly irritatted, evidenced by the singular second of scowl he gave.
He bent down to pick his card out of the dust, sighing to himself as he brushed some of the dirt off of it, giving Emma a look that amounted to 'Can you believe this guy?'.
'Timothy', if his nametag was anything to go by, continued apologising profusely. He removed the pistachio tub from the counter with the excuse of "need...c-clean" and promptly disappeared into the back of the store. It didn't seem like he was heading out any time soon.
Emma gave a small sigh, returning Marcus’s glance. ”Guess he didn’t want a tip, then.” she said, grabbing a spoon and heading for the door.
"I've got a tip for him: be nicer to your local superheroes!" he said, placing his hand to his mouth to shout the last part into the back. Grabbing his ice cream and following Emma, he left the shoppe behind him, taking small comfort in is small bowl of dessert.
Emma shook her head a little, giving him a quick glance of disapproval. ”They already hate us enough, we should avoid giving them more reason to.” her sentence was followed by a small sigh as she took a contemplative bite from her ice cream.
"What?" Marcus said incredulously, taking his own spoonful of ice cream. "I think that went very well!" This part of his statement he could not finish without chuckling a bit to himself.
"Most people wouldn't have been as restrained as I was, so I'd consider myself to have been the paramount of courtesy just now!"
Emma’s eyes widened a little, a restrained smirk planted on her face. ”Really, you call that courtesy? Kid was scared out of his mind, I don’t think you’re ‘comments’ were helping.” she said, her tone was placed between teasing and serious.
"I would have said the same thing to anybody, given the situation! Because I, unlike some people don't discriminate." He tried to hide his mischevious grin with another bite, failing miserably.
"Not my fault the kid can't take a joke!"
Emma sighed. ”All I’m saying is that your ‘jokes’ might end with a ‘Villagers marching on Frankenstein’s monster’ kinda situation. We don’t want a bunch of rioting angry normals marching on the hotel, right?”
"That's...fair." Marcus said, slightly humbled by her argument. She made a valid point; perhaps what he thought of as 'funny jokes' weren't exactly the best in a situation like this. If his interactions with Callan had taught him anything, it was that not all problems were solved with humour, as he'd originally hoped.
"I suppose you're right, I probably shouldn't trigger the everyday worker bees. You want me to go back and apologize? 'Cause I'll do it!" he said, turning around to face he building, wicked grin on his face.
Emma gave a small laugh. ”Maybe not the best idea, don’t want the poor kid to have a heart attack when you walk back in. I appreciate the attempt, though.” Emma looked down at her ice cream, taking another bite. Her smile slowly drooped into a frown, her thoughts turning away from ice cream and Marcus’s jokes.
”Hey… hey Marcus, can I ask you something…?” her tone soured a little, suddenly downcast.
Marcus's jokester attitude shifted completely at Emma's sudden tone shift, and he turned back around to walk along with her. The question, the sudden drop in the mood; he recognized the atmosphere. These kind of things weren't his home turf - he did far better with a lighter mood.
"Yeah, what's up?" he said, the slight hint of curious concern being the only betrayal to his thoughts.
Emma’s pace slowed down a little, ”It feels kind of silly. We’re acting like nothing happened, but… I can’t stop thinking… thinking about Savannah. Do you think… do you think that things could’ve gone different?” Emma’s voice was shaky. She wasn’t saying what she really wanted to say, but it was close enough. She couldn’t get the image of the girl’s twisted body out of her head.
Of all the questions she could have possibly asked, why'd it have to be that one? The one question that had been hammering his brain since the moment he saw those lifeless eyes. He felt his blood turn to ice for a brief moment; of all the people to ask, it had to be Emma, too.
"I..." What was he going to say? That he'd effectively killed an innocent young girl because of a lapse in judgement? That he'd let an abberation onto the APC, and the whole fight could have been avoided if he'd been paying attention? That Savannah, Callan's arm, Siena's injuries - none of it would have happened?
He was taking too long to reply, how long had he been standing there without an answer?
"I don't know...." he finally said, the words oozing out of his mouth like molasses. "It all happened so quickly...I honestly don't know if we could have done anything..."
Emma stopped walking.
”No… no, I don’t think that’s true. When I got the call from Brent… when he said that you were in trouble… I didn’t do anything. I just… stopped. If I had moved quicker, I think… no, I know, Savannah would still be alive.” Emma looked at him pleadingly. Her voice rung hollow. ”Why couldn’t I do anything? It’s just like the Flag game, but this time it was real… someone died because of me, Marcus.”
Marcus stopped too, although his eyes weren't as pleading as Emma's were. He looked to the ground, as if searching for an answer written on the pavement. All of the things she was saying were sticking in his chest like a dagger.
Someone died because of me
How desperately he wanted to tell her the truth, but that would mean condeming himself. Would mean standing tall and facing his problems head-on, and owning his mistakes.
He wasn't very good at accepting the blame.
"Emma, I was closer than anybody there. Trust me, I've already asked myself this question far too much." It wasn't a lie, but he certainly wasn't being forthright. "I tried as hard as you did...but that's our life now, I guess." he didn't have all the answers right now, but god did he wish he at least had one.
Emma looked down too.
”Right.”
She gave him a small pat on the shoulder, ”We can’t... I guess there’s no use worrying over what could have been.” Emma was trying to convince herself of that, not him.
”It’s fine. I’ll be fine.”
Usually she was a good liar, but the words rung hollow.
"You don't have to be fine," Marcus said, smiling weakly. "But you are here, and that's the most important thing."
He punctuated his sentance by grabbing her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. Even now, as he tried to make everything fall into a semblance of 'all right', the question still burned inside him, eating away like a parasite.
”Yeah… you’re right.”
This time, at least, she managed to make the words sound a little more convincing.
”It wasn’t your fault either, you know that, right?” those word were easy. It wasn’t a lie, she really believed it. ”It was just… something that happened. We can’t blame people… or blame ourselves.” she wasn’t sure if she was ready to give up her guilt, but now she thought it was something he had to hear.
If only you knew
"Yeah...I know." he said, giving her another weak smile. She didn't know; he didn't deserve her confidence, the ease at which she passed the blame off of him. But she said the things he'd been trying to convince himself of; without the abberations, none of it would have happened. Surely it was their fault and not his.
It helped a little bit.
"We should probably head back now, before Tim's mob catches up to us."
It didn't take long for Emma to find Ernie. Her fellow Aberration. Her teammate. Her comrade. Her would-be friend. Honestly, she wasn't sure why exactly she despised him so much. He was usually affable, usually friendly, except for those times. But she knew that she should've understood. Understood what the stigma does to you, how it makes you act. It was his stigma that made him such an asshole, wasn't it? That was the likely explanation. That was the explanation that absolved him, especially in her eyes. She should know what it's like to have that other voice creeping in the back of his head. By all accounts she should be friends with him. They'd hung out, they ate lunch together... and he was a lot like the people she knew back at home.
Maybe that was why she couldn't help but hate his guts.
Her anger amplified a thousand fold when she saw him emerge from the house completely clean, in new clothes. Was that why he ran away? To clean up? She was done trying to surpress how she felt. She glowered as she jogged towards him towards him. She wanted to do what her stigma told her to. She wanted to hurt him, but she surpressed that urge. She'd have to satisfy with letting her anger out another way. "Jesus FUCKING Christ Ernie!" her voice was shrill, anger clear. She'd had enough of today, "Did you not hear what Ethan said? Cat's Cradle is here, and you ran off to take a fucking shower? Are you trying to get left behind? Are you trying to fucking hold us up? Enough people have died today, why the hell are you going off on your own when a group of fucking sociopathic Animi could be around the corner?"
It took him longer than he liked. To release that vice grip of terror clenching his heart. To remind himself that Reno was far, far away. To remember that it was just Emma that was screeching at him, one of the farthest things from what he considered a threat at East. It took him far too long.
Ernie staggered back, a pitiful expression lining his face before he managed to compose himself. He was supposed to be more than the frightened child from years ago. His mouth opened to answer, but he struggled to compose the words. There was one question that shook him in particular.
"How many...did we lose?" Ernie murmured quietly, looking subdued.
Emma’s mouth hardened into a line. This wasn’t a question she wanted to answer. A noticeable pause passed before she said, ”Savannah… and a lot more regulars.” another pause, ”We almost lost Lawrence, but he should be stable now.”
Lawrence was fine. He wasn't even needed for that. But Savannah...
He had neither the desire nor the right to mourn, not when there was a good chance that it was his partly his fault that the APC got attacked. Another compulsion seized him, told him that he had to avoid seeing that little girl at all costs.
It's a miracle we didn't lose more, he thought, but his mouth remained clamped shut.
Instead, Ernie looked down at the tight trainers on his feet, mulling over the rest of Emma's questions. He knew how stupid it was to be worrying about his cleanliness when Cat's Cradle were in the area. He knew, but he just didn't care. He wanted to be away from everyone, he wanted no one to see him. Bad habits were getting repeated, habits that had taken him months to work himself out of, habits that no one but he had ever understood. No one would understand. So there was no point in explaining himself to Emma or all people. His expression turned to one of disdain, though whether it was for himself or the girl, he wasn't sure.
"Shouldn't you be with Marcus? Why did you even follow me anyway?"
Emma scowled. She wasn’t in the mood for Ernie’s games. ”Fucking really? I followed you because, like everyone else, I want to get the fuck out of this shithole and we can’t do that until you get your ass on the APC that’s waiting to take us out of here. And that’s the only reason I’m here. This isn’t the time to run off and fucking take a shower.” Emma was exasperated. Fed up with this battlefield and with Ernie’s bullshit.
Don’t say it.
Don’t say what you’re thinking, it’s just the stigma.
But she had to. She couldn’t fight off the urge, she just had to get the last word in. The voices pushed, and if she was being honest with herself she wanted to say it. ”It should’ve been you, not Savannah.” her voice was filled with animosity. Did she think he’d care? No, not really. But it felt good to let him know exactly what she thought about him. With that she turned on her heel, marching back towards the APC. She didn’t want to hear what he had to say. He better follow too, or I’ll have Determination drag him back.
Ernie stared back, stunned, eyes wide open. It was the truth, after all. There was no right or reason that he was standing here while others had perished. The guilt crashed onto him like a toppling shelf, and Ernie could say nothing. But guilt soon turned to aimless anger, a fury that only escaped because it was Emma who had said it. Emma, who had a rare, strong power like Sander. Emma, who was sociable and perfect and pretty without even trying, when it had taken Ernie so long to get to where he was now. The nice girl who enjoyed the quiet, civilian life that had been ripped from him, who had everything without lifting a finger, even though they shared the same mark. Who the FUCK was she to talk?
The boy stomped towards Emma. So this was why he disliked--no, fucking hated-- this girl. It made a stupid amount of sense when he took the time to think about it.
"Yeah?" Ernie yelled back at her, "Well, I'm still here! So we all have to fucking deal with it!"
Did they really? Hazel and Sander seemed to had tried to change it. Nothing had stopped them, so what was there to stop Emma? Ernie bared his teeth and wrenched Emma's shoulder back to demand her attention. Part of him wanted to grab her by the hair and shove her into a collector to see how she felt when it happened to her. Another part wanted to just goad her, to just end everything. Third time was the charm, right?
His fingers dug into her shoulder. "Why don't you try it, huh? Hazel and Sander didn't have a problem with trying to kill me. Kardos won't stop you! FUCKING TRY IT."
Emma stopped walking. She scowled.
And then she smiled, just a little.
And then she laughed.
”Is that what you think? That I want to murder you? Please. I’m not like you.” she pointed to the X-mark on her neck. ”We both have it. We both know what it’s like, the stigma, the whispering in our heads all day. But do you want to know what the difference between us is? I don’t listen to it. I can get by without sating it. It fucking kills me, but I can do it.” lies, the voice in her head told her, she wasn’t getting by, but she said it anyways. ”I can tell, you do whatever the fuck it tells you to, don’t you? If I sat here goading you, like you’re doing to me, you’d do it, wouldn’t you?” Once again her face hardened.
”That’s so fucking pathetic Ernie.”
Right where it hurt the most. Like it was with Hazel and Sander, he would never have the ability to kill her, no matter how much he wanted to. His Stigma had always been the only strong thing about him. Ernie pulled his hand back as if he'd been burnt. Did she have some fucking telepathy power to go with everything else? He knew it was stupid to protest. To keep trying to get the last word in this losing argument. But anger had a way of messing things up for him, like always.
"Right. 'Cos how long have you been an Aberration again? How many years have you gone surrounded by dozens of Stigmas and X-marks who would gladly snap your spine if you weren't careful enough?" he snarled, "Don't talk like you know what a Stigma can do. And don't you dare talk like you know a goddamn thing about me."
Grasping at straws.
Emma’s eyes narrowed. ”Fuck off, Ernie. Years don’t matter. The fact of the matter is I can handle it and you can’t because you’re a petulant fucking child. I’ve had my stigma for almost a month and I can already handle it a million times better than you can, so what does that say about you? Until you learn how to handle your shit you’re nothing but a liability to all of us. Just look at Sander! I have no idea what the hell you did to him, but given what I know about you probably gave him a good goddamn reason to hate you so much.” her mouth contorted into a sneer.
”But you’re right, I don’t know you. I’m just making guesses. Care to prove me right? I know what you want to do. What the stigma wants you to do. So go ahead, either do it, or come back to the APC with me. Either way you’re nothing but a fucking coward.” she knew that she no longer had the high ground- she was just blindly provoking him. Not blindly, no, underhandedly. She knew exactly what she was doing.
Flawless loss. She'd completely demolished him, and he couldn't even say a word back. He had no dirt against her, no protests against the accusations pointed at him. It was everything he'd tell himself, all the reasons he loathed the X-mark on his neck. Had he always been so transparent?
"You're right. It should have been me," he whispered bitterly. He wouldn't have been able to stand it if she heard him agreeing with what she said. He was the one who endangered Evac by handing over David. He deserved everything he was getting here.
A sudden realisation hit him. One final goad. Ernie had nothing to lose that hadn't already been viciously swept away by Emma.
"Yeah. I am a coward. I stood by while Zoe melted a rogue mage's ear off. I ran away with Christmas while Evac was getting their asses kicked. But that's not even the funniest part."
Ernie's shoulders slackened and he looked to Emma with a sneer.
"It really should have been me instead of Savannah. We asked Evac to pick up the rogue mage, after I scarred him for life. He was a spy and those X-marks must've been gunning for their buddy. I bet he had some kinda GPS tracker on him. Made the ambush a lot easier. So if we had just kept the guy and stayed put, it's likely that me or Zoe or Christmas would be dead instead."
She already hated him. Purging his conscience and provoking her would have no effect.
"So yeah, that was 100% right. Along with everything else you said. Savannah is dead when it should have been me. I've had years to raise myself to your moral level and nothing's changed. So I doubt I'm gonna learn anything from all this. Are you gonna keep wasting your breath? Are you gonna actually do something? Cos I'm fine either way. We can just walk back and have a nice group hug with Marcus and Cal and Siena and pretend to get along like we always do. Because nothing's going to change. I'm still going to be this trashheap when no one's around, and you're still going to have that perfect Stigma-free life. Everything we've done here was a waste of time."
Emma knew, at that moment, that she truly hated Ernie. Her fist clenched without her willing it.
Kill him. You know you want to.
No. She couldn’t do that. But she really did want to. ”So, it was your fault? You take all the blame? A little girl died, and you’re going to sit here and try to use that to… what? Provoke me? I thought you were an asshole. But I was wrong. You’re fucking despicable. You’re right, you are a trash heap. And it really should have been you. And yeah, we will spend a bit longer sitting here in front of the others pretending everything is okay. But that’s fine, because I know that you should’ve died. The truth is you’re a fucking waste. You can’t do anything. A rope isn’t going to save you when you’re alone against an enemy subnatural. So you know what?” Emma leaned in, whispering so the cuff couldn’t hear her. It scared her that she managed to smile as she spoke. ”When it comes down to that, I’m going to let it happen. I don’t need to kill you. It’s going to happen either way, isn’t it? When it comes to me having to choose between you and any of the others I’ll abandon you without a second thought. It might not be today, or tomorrow, but it’ll happen, because that’s what you deserve.”
Emma backed away, resuming her normal volume.
”You put people in danger. People died, people got injured, because you were sloppy. And we can’t afford that. I hope that eats at you, Ernie, although I doubt you give a shit about a near-stranger's life.”
Emma turned away, walking back to the APC.
”Come with me or stay here and get killed by Tumor, I don’t care.”
He couldn't find it in himself to be angry at Emma anymore. He was just...empty. She'd taken everything, said everything that needed to be said. There were no more excuses, no more opportunities to feel sorry for himself or use as some kind of emotional bargaining chip. He had been completely exposed. So why wasn't he more afraid?
Ernie watched her walk away, and in spite of himself, he felt like laughing. It was amazing how quickly someone could tear apart every single shred of his identity like that. He knew he deserved far worse than these verbal lashings, and he knew that Emma had the power to bring everything he had coming. He knew that her Stigma would be telling her to give in and crush the annoyance in front of her. But she had remained steadfast. She resisted it and turned away, which was more than Ernie had ever done. Yet another classmate Aberration that was better than him in every aspect. He really fucking hated her.
"I'm glad we can be honest with each other," he spat, quietly so she couldn't hear.