Sam waited until Millicent was far enough away to be out of ear shot. He let out a small breath before looking at Ralph. ”That felt a little…intense. At least in the beginning with the whole ‘somethings going to happen’ bit. Like in a horror movie when an old wisend person grabs your arm and tells you of impending doom or not to leave towards the house.” Sam shook as if he had chills.
Ralph nodded. ”Do you think somethings will happen? And that Elenore would be behind it? I'd figure if anything did it would be Lawrence. He seems like the type.”
”Psh. I doubt it. I mean if anything happens it's just more broken noses for that guy. Though that seems to be directly tied to whether or not he keeps his mouth shut.” Sam commented. He truly had no idea as to take this comment as a bad omen or leave it be.
”I hope so.” Ralph then sighed and smiled. ”Well, what do you want to do now?”
”Drink? Mingle? Be Merry?” Sam joked before calling over Leon once more to order another drink.
Sam walked out of the room and made his way towards his own. Going into the shared bathroom as he placed the glass of G&T onto the counter with a soft clink. He exhaled softly as he placed a hand on either side of the sink as he collected himself. Picking up his toothbrush as he began to brush his teeth once more. Figured if him and Ralph were going to potentially make out, he'd rather have minty fresh breath as opposed to the taste of various wines and gin. Once he'd finished he made his way back towards the lounge where they met, gin in hand as he sat on the arm of a chair sipping at his drink while waiting for Ralph.
Ralph had quickly taken care of his need to pee and cleaned up a bit after dinner. His head felt a little fuzzy and he hadn't even drank all of his wine. He was going to have to cut back on drinking if he didn't want to get sick. There was something about wine that made it seem worse too.
He went into the lounge the long way. He saw Sam sitting there waiting for him. Ralph smiled. “Hey,” he said as he approached. ”Sorry I rushed, I really needed to go after all those glasses of wine. Crazy that there was a different glass for each food.” He shook his head.
”Wild. And some of them are still drinking even after all that.” Sam said with a smile, holding up his glass. ”This was peer pressure. So…what'd you want to meet about?”
Ralph shook his head. ”Maybe we can ask Leon to make us a virgin drink that looks like we are drinking. Anyway, you wanted to know what Miguel said.” Ralph approached Sam sitting down in a chair.
”When he punched that guy he said that he was a fruit, which is slang for being gay.” Ralph scrunched his face trying to remember what else Miguel had said. ”He also said something about enjoying his meat. I am not sure if that was meant to be innuendo or if it was just cause he had too much food.”
”The guys a little odd, and almost everything he sound sounded like an innuendo. I think maybe he's just really awkward at conversations.” Sam said before taking another sip, thinking about what he himself had heard. So he wasn't fully wrong with strawberries, but didnt understand the cultural differences. Definitely not something they taught in Spanish 1. He slid off the arm of the chair and into Ralph's lap. ”So…you just wanted to talk about Miguel's meat then?”
Ralph wrapped his arms around Sam. He felt warm it was a pleasant sensation. ”If you want to, but I thought we might talk about other things.” He considered the situation they were in. They had only been here a couple of hours but everything was so strange. ”I'm not sure what. We can talk more about who we are. Or you can tell me more about ghost hunting.” He wanted to suggest they talk about Sam's meat. He wanted to drag him into a room and find out how much the wine had hit him, he hoped not too hard if that was how things went. They had a bit of time. Not the whole half hour before their presence would be expected in the bar. Maybe they could get away with being late. Or not showing up.
Sam downed the rest of his glass, holding it in one hand as the other wrapped around Ralph. A little liquid courage before a leap. ”I thought maybe you wanted some privacy to see and handle my equipment. Head back to my room for a bit before cocktail hour. And…if we have time, look at my ghost hunting equipment as well.” His eyes locked into Ralph's, hoping he'd understand and say yes.
A warmth spread through Ralph. His face felt suddenly very warm, he was blushing. But he nodded. ”Yes, I would be interested in checking out your equipment. All of it.” He swallowed. Whishing he had a drink too. Even though he was already a bit drunk. He glanced over and saw the small dry bar in the room. ”Do you want another drink, or are you good?” He gestured to the cabinet.
”I think I've had plenty till I've worked some of it out. But you're more than welcome to another.” Sam said as he planted a soft kiss on Ralph's lips before getting up. ”My room or yours? If i remember…thats yourbdoor right?” He asked pointing to a door connecting to the lounge. If Sam recalled correctly, Ralph's room was attached to this one. So it would give them the quickest access. However, with all the alcohol he very much did not recall correctly.
Ralph kissed back. The warmth moved from his face to his lower belly. Yes, he wanted this. ”My room is through the hall. I have to go the long way. I have balcony but not direct access to here.” He did not go for a drink.
”My room it is then.” Sam replied as he hooked his pointer finger into the top of Ralph's pants and pulled him towards the other door. He desperately wanted to pop the button right then and there, but he didn't need someone else walking in on them.
”Lets go.” It was impossible for him to get up with Sam sitting on him and he wasn't really trying. He pressed a hand on Sam's leg, the other was wrapped around Sam. So even if Sam wanted to stand and head that way he would be trapped.
”Going to have to let me go, unless…you'd rather break in this lounge first and hope no one else comes in.” Sam moved Ralph's hand higher up his thigh. ”I just figured you'd like a little privacy at first.”
”Yes, privacy is good.” Ralph let go of Sam so he could stand. He trailed his other hand up his leg a bit more and slid it under his shirt.
Sam chuckled. It seemed he was let go enough to get out of the chair, yet he still had Ralph's hand under his shirt. Not that he minded. He placed his hand around Ralph's wrist, over the shirt, as he led them both towards his door. Slowly sliding Ralph's hand downwards so by the time they'd reached their destination, it was well and down Sam's pants, his free hand opening the door as his foot kicked it open. Luckily all the mess was in the bathroom still, so his room was actually quite clean..
Ralph let himself be led into the room. The color surprised him for a flash. But it didn't take more of his attention than that. He explored under Sam's pants, smiling. His own body reacting to the touches and what he had found. He closed the door with his foot. And then pressed himself closer to Sam and started kissing him.
As time grew closer to 6:30. Sam found himself cuddled next to Ralph's body, both of their clothes discarded amongst the floor of his room. His fingers was tracing an invisible pattern across Ralph's chest before he noticed the time. ”We should probably get dressed.”
Ralph nodded, enjoying the moment and the comfort. Enjoying the afterglow. He was thankful he had not failed to satisfy. ”Yes, we should.” Ralph sat up. He looked at the mess of clothes.
Sam watched as Ralph began to sit up. Smiling at every move of his muscles. Finally he'd gotten up himself, sliding off the bed and beginning to slip on his pants. ”Lucky everything's so close in this place otherwise we may actually be late.”
”Yeah. It's big but not like we have to leave a hotel and go somewhere else.” Ralph chuckled. He stood up and got dressed. His clothes were a little ruffled as was his hair. He ran his fingers through his hair. As he did he watched Sam.
Sam placed on his shirt, buttoning it quickly before tucking it in and buttoning his pants. He grabbed his shoes, making his way back towards the bed to put them on along with his socks. When he finished, he smacked Ralph's ass and then offered his hand to hold as he nodded towards the door. ”Ready?”
Ralph grinned when Sam slapped his ass. ”Yeah.” He interlocked his fingers with Sam’s and walked with him into the hall and downstairs to the bar. A lot of people had already gathered early. He hoped no one would think too much about why he and Sam had been late. Even though they had their fingers interlocked he worried what the crowd might think.
Sam was, unfortunately, too engrossed with his cheese platter to have taken his time with his wine. Only sipping at it occasionally when he noticed a few people had declined to even eat their cheese plates. By the time he was done he had half a glass left and already they were bringing out the desserts. It looked absolutely delicious. Way better than the Tiramisu he bought from Publix. But with a new course came new wine, and that meant Sam needed to finish his glass or perhaps risk losing it. So as they began to fill the new glass, Sam quickly tossed back his cheese wine, swallowing it all in one gulp. He'd chugged bottles of wine before at parties, but even then he was beginning to feel a little tipsy from how quickly he'd been finishing his glasses. ”See? That right there already shows you just how amazing your project truly is. Not only are you teaching kids core skills for the future, but you're inspiring young chefs as well as your community to grow and help each other in a cycle that will hopefully live on well past you. Who knows how many families that small kitchen is going to see in its lifetime. How many kids get to feel the joy of making a meal.” Sam commented before tasting the new wine.
However the comment made towards Lena, which Sam fully thought had been directed to the woman asking about afternoon activities, gave him a bit of an opening to speak to them as well. Now that Miguel was gone and Ralph was being snatched up by anyone around, he figured he should get to know others as well…before the alcohol sets in fully. ”Shocking right? I didn't know anyone actually went swimming in lakes with glacier water. Sounds like it'd be absolutely freezing. But is that what you do? Like part of your training regimen or something?” Sam asked before putting a spoonful of dessert into his mouth.
Rhiannon smiled at Lena and nodded before glancing at the new voice. ”It's rather refreshing actually. No, it's more for fun. I'm a professional dancer and I do a bit of singing,” Rhi explained.
”Singer and a Dancer? If you can act that's a triple threat. …I think? No idea to be honest, I mostly got that from growing up on Disney Channel. But everyone could sing, act, and dance on those shows and movies it felt like. So what kind of dancing do you do? Ballet? Ballroom Waltz? Interpretive? Uh…that's kind of all I know” Sam said with a bit of a nervous chuckle..
Rhiannon stared, a slightly amused expression on their face. ”No acting, I just perform on stage and I'm about to go on tour actually with my group. I'm more of a hip hop dancer, heels, K-pop. That sort of thing. What do you do?”
Heels? Sam thought to himself as he chewed on a bit of Tiramisu. What did that mean? Did she mean she did Hip Hop while wearing Louboutins? That sounded dangerous. ”I'm a professional Paranormal Investigator. Ghosts, Demons, things that go bump in the night. That sort of deal. Not much experience on the stage. I mean, I did do lighting and music for my schools on stage productions. Oh! And one time I got to be tree number three when the pre-show snacks gave someone food poisoning and they had to run out. But maybe Millicent would know more about being on stage talent than stage production lackeys. She's a magician.” Sam punctuated his statement by gesturing towards the woman to his right.
Millicent had been enjoying her dessert when she heard her name pop up. She hadn’t been listening to Sam and the woman he was talking to, instead her eyes were on Eleanor. But she turned to face Sam. ”Sorry, I was elsewhere. What did you have a question about?” She glanced between the two of them. ”Stage production? Yes, I know a bit about that. Tricks take time to set up and get just right, on top of the lights and music and general “mystical” sense you try to get the audience to engage in.”
”Oh true, both are very important in making a good show. Even if the lead actress will never admit it and think it's all fully carried by her pitchy tune.” Sam commented, somewhat grumbling to himself towards the end before picking back up. ”You know? I've always wondered. Have you ever sawed someone in half? If so, how do you do it? Ooo ooo or the swords in a box trick. That one I think I got it figured out but even then it's a bit crazy. But the sawing thing I could never wrap my head around.”
”Smoke and mirrors, Sam, smoke and mirrors.” A light smile on her lips. This was what she loved and kind of hated about performing magic; when people wanted to figure out the tricks. ”I get the curiosity, but sometimes its nice to just believe in magic for a bit. To answer, no I have never sawed anyone in half but I do know how they do it. I did escape a box submerged in water though, once. That was a good show the audience really was energetic that time.”
”It's kind of funny. I go out and hunt the paranormal to gather evidence that those beyond the veil still have sway within this world and yet…the idea of being submerged in a box is what scares me more. Knowing me I'd panic and start to hyperventilate and drink up too much water and pass out. I don’t know how you could stay so calm under all that pressure. But literally from the water and figuratively from the crowd. Some tricks feel a bit…too extreme. I mean as an audience I'd love to see it. But as a performer? Knowing one wrong move could end it all? Terrifying.” Sam stared into his wine glass, and far off look as his mind replayed thoughts he'd had before before snapping back into space and taking a measure bite of his food.
Sam had hoped the rest of dinner could go off smoothly given how it had been so far. But his bathroomate / sitting partner seemed to have other ideas. Her question seemed pointed, almost to the point of aggression masked behind the pretense of conversational topics and pleasantries. He also wasn't exactly certain as to what it mattered any? Would she have preferred the masses nominate her? Proving to herself how widespread her fame had gotten? Or did she wish for a family member to have done so? So that she may have some pretentious fuck in her back corner to help endorse her in the future? To Sam it didn't really matter. If she won, then she'd be elevated regardless due to the award. If she lost then she could simply ask about her nomination after the proceedings so as to not go against the awards rulings. Of course, he didn't wish to say anything to her just yet. After all they'd already gotten off on the wrong foot and they'd have to share a space together for the foreseeable future.
It began to become increasingly more difficult to ignore her as she began to speak through Sam and towards Ralph. Something that Sam found particularly irritating. It was part of why he had chosen to stand up to speak to Miguel, and why he almost fumbled the steak as Miguel began to pass it over Ralph's own food. The least one could do is ask for it to be passed down. But Sam tried not to focus too hard on it, pushing past it and hearing what Eleanor had to say as the doctor seemed to be asking about previous winners. Handling ancient texts sounded cool. Like being some sort of ancient wizard who relied on pages of the past to learn magic. Though he doubted it was anything near as fantastical as that. But it seemed as though perhaps what the La Lunes were looking for was passion within their chosen fields. Which sounded a lot like what Renee was describing.
Sam finished his second glass of wine as the third began to pour. Man the French really loved their wines huh? A platter of cheese brought out before him. He wasn't exactly sure what to do with it all, but he'd seen ratatouille enough times to trust the tiny chef. So he grabbed a cracker, dipping it into the soft cheese to scoop it up before placing a fruit on it and drizzling it with honey. He shoved the piece fully into his mouth and began to chew. The flavours going from distinct notes before melding into one delicious note. This may be his favorite meal so far. He took a sip of the wine, tasting the fruity notes and accidentally taking a larger gulp than he wished to as the flavour moved in swiftly. He just hoped the wine itself didn't move in that quickly. He looked towards Ralph, now that Millicent was done with him apparently, before speaking again.
”Ok this cheese board is amazing. I don't really know what I'm looking at or doing, but the chef here clearly does.”
”Me either. But I sure am happy to try it all,” Ralph said. ”I’m just going to sort of play around with the types of cheese and extra stuff since I don’t know what is best.” He shrugs a little and starts mixing and matching bits of cheese with nuts and fruit.
”Well if you get a ‘perfect bite’ you should let me try it.” Sam said as he playfully tapped Ralph's thigh, giving it a bit a squeeze before sliding it up a smidgen and letting go. Formulating his next attempt at cheese legos. Sam decided bread would be the next vessel, with something like the hard looking cheese with crystals and a slice of apple.
After a few moments of silent trying of combinations Ralph let out a delicious moan. ”Oh that was good. Try some of the soft stuff with the bread and honey and a tiny bit of the red jam.” Ralph suggested.
Sam's ears perked up a bit as the silence was cut with the sounds of Ralph enraptured by pleasure. Something he hoped wouldn't be the last he heard of it too. He did as Ralph instructed, spreading the soft brie onto the slice of bread, drizzling some honey atop it before adding a speckling of jam. It. Was. To. Die for. Every single bit complimented each other in such a way Sam had never considered cheese could do. He wasn't exactly a connoisseur of cheese or wine, usually opting for a block of cheddar or pepper jack to bite into or a cheap large bottle to down at parties like a near trick. But this gave both a whole new perspective. He let out a soft, but moanful, ”Fuck.” before he continued onward with his dish. ”You weren't kidding.”
Sam turned his attention towards Renee as he began to assemble his next bite. Seeing what other combinations he could create that felt as good as the last. ”That's so cool though. You're impassioned enough to not only teach at the underprivileged school but also help them develop valuable life lessons they can use beyond learning why the curtains are blue. I mean, I know I did a stream once with a friend and we tried making a dish and their chat flamed me on my knife skills. Apparently I cut like a chaotic man possessed by a demon.” He said with a bit of a laugh.
Renee laughed, ”There are a lot of lessons to learn with a knife. We use safety knives for the kiddos. They can't hurt themselves with knives. However, it is important for kids to learn early about how knives work and how dangerous they are.”
”Maybe the chef here would be willing to give you ideas on some lessons? Even if not with a knife the kids could learn to match cheese or something simple that most anyone can make or have access to. I think cheese and fruit is pretty accessible and healthy, could even give the parents a bit of a break as the kids prepare their own snacks for school.” Sam wasn't sure exactly how these courses went or how old kids were but…he did know this cheese was amazing and kids may enjoy being helpful around the house. He always did.
”That is a really good idea. We do snack preparation as part of the program with the kiddos, so that’d be a neat idea. I’m not American, our school is government funded. So the parents don’t have to worry about sending food.”
What was that like? Having a school where the kids didn't have to worry about food. Funnily enough he'd met his best friend at the school cafeteria, splitting his lunch with him so that he wouldn't be hungry. ”That's wonderful, more schools should be like that. Hard to focus on learning when you're hungry.” Sam stated.
Miguel said something else in Spanish. Sam didn't know if he was meant to understand it or not. Maybe he was upset that he had taken him up on his offer? One of those scenarios where someone offers just for the sake of being polite but expects the answer to be no. He hated those types of scenarios, he could never pick up on the social cues to get them right. Like if someone offered to pay, why would he then offer? It didn't make any sense, why start an argument for the sake of formality? But now he had two steaks, one half glass of red wine, and an immense amount of awkwardness from the whole interaction. It appeared as though everyone else was too involved in their own conversations to have caught what had happened at their end of the table, that or they were simply too polite to comment on the fact that Miguel just took his shirt off and was handed three plates for dinner. Sam's dining partner, the magician and apparent bathroomate, seemed to have lost interest in him. Perhaps all she truly wanted was an introduction and scolding and that was that.
Sam let out a sigh, his shoulders defaulting slightly at how bad he felt he was doing during all of this. I mean, he didn't punch a family member in the face but…he wasn't exactly winning any points either. The only other person to address him now was a young woman with short soft curled hair. Not quite a bob but definitely very french. He could see her wearing a bright royal blue trench coat and vibrant red bowler hat. Her question felt backhanded, as if he wasn't meant to be there. But…so far Tony was the only odd man out. Well him and Ralph but Sam was more than glad Ralph was here. Besides those two everyone seemed to be a performer of some sort. ”Yeah, I work for YouTube. It's a bit better than working on a production crew in my opinion. I can control everything that happens in my videos, well save for the paranormal anomalies those just happen, but I can also edit my videos to my liking. It's more creative freedom without some big name company looming over you begging for views or content. Part of why TV is dead and YouTube is growing.” He replied with a nonchalant shrug as he cut into his steak.
Gabriele briefly looked like she swallowed a lemon, then said. “My nomination didn't make the short list.”
Sam looked over towards Ralph, nudging him slightly before eyeing the second plate. ”Care to share some of the second steak? I feel it may be a bit too much for me given how many courses there are.” He joked but only slightly as he whispered to him.
“Sure, I'll have some of your meat.” Ralph couldn't help but joke.
Sam rolled his eyes, but couldn't help to giggle a little at Ralph's jest. Clearly poking fun at the awkward mess that had just happened. He cut halfway down the steak, splitting into two before slicing off a small cube and holding it out for Ralph to bite into, a smile on his face. ”Let me know if it's juicy enough for you Smallville.” He teased back before turning his attention back to Gabrielle. ”Oh. That's a shame, I would've loved to have met someone you nominated. Since they didn't seem to make it, can I know what they did?” The question was innocent enough. Though some could construe it as a snide bite back given her nominees was beaten by not one but two YouTubers that she tried snubbing just moments ago.
“A musician. Cello. Perfection at their fingertips.” Some of the tension left Gabriele and she got a bit of a faraway look in her eyes. Then realized her mistake her body tensed again. She lifted her chin ever so slightly and Sam could see a mark there.
Sam paused for a moment. Noticing the small markings on Gabriele's chin. Something he'd seen from a few others he knew years back. He never had that problem, he didn't care for string instruments. Well…more like they terrified him a bit. Ralph's comment seemed to get lost behind his thoughts as he tried to approach the subject. ”I'm no cellist, but I see you've got a love for string instruments. Which is it? Fiddle? Viol? Violin? I'm more of a Pianist myself. May not be a cello but I could play for you sometime if you guys happen to have a tuned piano.” He said with a smile before popping a small bite of steak into his mouth.
“Violin,” she says. Gabriele looks at him intensely as if trying to figure out how he figured it out. Then her hand goes to her neck, not quite touching the mark there. “We have a piano in the ballroom. Maybe during the ball tomorrow you can play. I'll tell my grandmother.”
”I'll try and get a feel for it later today if I can.” Sam said with a smile that reached his eyes. It'd felt like forever since he last played the piano. He couldn't afford to have a real one in his place, getting them inside a building at all was just a hassle. So he settled for a keyboard he practiced on when he could. Nowhere near the same but…their piano must've been an antique if this place was anything to go by. The sound it must produce… Sam seemed a bit lost in thought for a moment as he continued his meal.
M I S C E L L A N E O U S ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ►Character Info Aliases: Hero Name:Cambion Birth Place: California Age: 16 Birthday: Dec. 11, 2022 Gender: Male Pronouns: He/Him Sexuality: Bi Build: Swimmer Body Modifications: UV Tattoo “EXPT626” on Nape Habits: Cracking his Knuckles Hobbies: Skateboarding, Drawing, Gaming Social Handle: Medical History:
►Fears Doctors Somniphobia Puppets
►Toxic Traits Abusive Jealous Manipulative
►Likes Silence Music Skating Fighting Coffee Ramen
Dorian's phone buzzed sooner than he anticipated. Percy had gotten back to him, both relaying what he'd already known about the situation as well as where he could find him. He craned his neck trying to see above the crowds in order to find where this poster was. Finally he'd spotted the poster, making his way over there as he pushed past a sea of students and competitors until he finally reached Percy. The crowd began to thin, the voices lowering the more he pressed forward. ”Percy, what t'e ‘eck? Why did you wit’draw wit'out…wit'out even talkin’ to me?.”
Percy frowned slightly. Dorian seemed upset with him. ”They said I wouldn’t - that we wouldn’t be allowed to compete due to this entanglement,” he explained. ”I know how much this means to you. So I solved the issue.” Was he supposed to have talked to him about that? He didn’t really see what there was to discuss - they both knew how much Dorian wanted to compete, how few chances he had left. He wanted to participate for better reasons than his own. ”Did I do something wrong?”
”We could’ve talked to someone, seen if we can do a player swap, anyt’in’ else to try before just given up…I don't want you to give up opportunities just for me. I mean, I'm grateful really, I've been dreamin’ about doin’ t’is wit’ Danni and April for years now and to be told I couldn't for a moment I…it was a lot. But we can't make big decisions like t'is wit'out consultin’ wach ot'er first…” Dorian replied, torn between Several emotions he was feeling at the moment.
Percy paused for a moment. He bit his lip, considering his words carefully for a moment. In truth, it hadn’t occurred to him to try to switch back onto Dorian’s team. His cheeks tinged a bit pink with embarrassment at the oversight. He’d tried to do the romantic gesture that classical heroes did - to take the fall so Dorian could continue on. And then, there was a tinge of hurt to it, too. He hadn’t wanted to be removed from the team in the first place - to be shunted over to another one where he was a redundancy for his sister. ”I thought we had already given up on being on a team together,” he said softly, avoiding eye contact. ”No one seemed to care when I was moved to the other team.”
”Everyone cared. We were a team. Are a team. We didn't ‘ave a good enough reason to dispute t’e changes, or at least nothing t’ey'd likely listen to us about. But t’is? T’ey'd ‘ave to pay attention to t’is. It's a Contest rule. We can swap you for Zelda. Regardless of what Beanie t’inks, Zelda doesn't even want to compete so I'm sure t’ey won't mind a swap around. And we, t’e obvious champions of t’is contest, can showcase Zelda's skills in suit making so it's a win win. But first we need to find Vision. Set t’ings right before t’ey can go wrong.” Dorian spoke with a clear passion behind each word. This to him was no different than a hero saying no one gets left behind during a mission. Percy was going to be on his team, they could fix this, fight this. They had rules backing them up.
Hearing all of this from Dorian… it made him feel strangely raw. He blinked his eyes a few times, finding them a little more moist than he had expected, his chin ever so slightly wobbly. ”I… I see,” his voice cracked slightly. The cat poster on the wall was suddenly the most interesting thing in the world. ”I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it mattered to you that I compete, too.” He was silent for a moment. ”It would be nice to be able to hit my sister with my axe, too.”
Dorian chuckled, holding his arm out for Percy to hook his into before they went off. ”T’en let's go and see if we can't make t’at ‘appen. It'll be good for Diana to get axed a question.”
Percy laughed slightly, before slipping his arm around Dorian’s, his hand resting gently on his boyfriend’s wrist. ”We should start with asking her about what she’s wearing,” he muttered. ”She looks like la putain.”
”I don't t'ink Putin dressed like t'at back t'en…but t'en again Russian ‘istory wasn't my best subject.” Dorian said with a shrug, the French words clearly not being recognized by him.
Sam smiled slightly, trying not to laugh as he had heard the man two seats down from him mentioning something about the nuts in his mouth. Was it childish? Sure. But that didn't stop him from having to hold back a giggle or two. The salad still sat before him, as Sam decided began to cut into it with his fork and knife. Attempting to get each and every piece on the plate in order to create that “perfect bite” chefs always talked about on TV. He never understood it though, if you wanted every piece in every bite then why not put enough to coat the whole thing? Regardless of his misgivings however, the salad was in fact…delicious. His knife stopped cold on his plate, no screeching sound or clattering, just hands frozen in movement as the man who had previously been speaking about nuts, stood up and made his way over to the grotesque man that insulted Ivanna earlier. The display was both alarming, and attractive to a certain degree. Watching as he pulled a chair right from under the man and punched him straight in the face. A crack resounding in the silence of the dining hall as a screeching knife followed.
Sam's gaze followed behind Miguel, seeing where he'd move to next before he settled back down into his seat next to Ralph. He was debating on mouthing something to Ralph, a commentary on what had just transpired, but a part of him worried the other man might see him do so. Before he could even begin to say anything, the woman to his right (who's nameplate said Millicent) began speaking across him and Ralph to who Sam now heard was The Miguel De La Muerte. He'd seen so many comments online about how they should collab, how funny the videos would be, and how much everyone would watch it. But Miguel had a partner, as had Sam. And they couldn't invite one without the other, but having two separate groups of ghost hunters collab felt…like a lot. So it never gained any real traction. More and more recently however, Sam had considered extending the invitation, especially after some of the rumors he had heard around the online forums. But he hadn't known how to take them, especially given how many rumors flew around about himself.
He mulled the idea over as he ate, trying to keep idle chatter up with Ralph as he did so. Miguel seemed…well he was performing atrocities to his salad over Ralph's shoulders, and he just punched a man at dinner so…Eccentric seemed to fit the bill. But hearing him proclaim himself as the ‘Greatest Ghost Hunter’ didn't instill any confidence within Sam. That meant either he hadn't even heard of Sam or he didn't care about him. Sam mentally beat himself up over the thought, he was stupid to even think…sigh Corey would've helped him through this. He always did. Somehow. He felt a tightness in his chest at the memories, too many emotions threatening to peek through. Lost between his own mind and wishing to speak to Ralph, Sam startled as Millicent spoke now to him. A flurry of embarrassments and scolding it felt like, as she practically berated him for the state of their shared bathroom. Something he'd need to keep an eye on if he didn't want his items to disappear like a magic trick.
Ralph's words reminded Sam of something Miguel had said in passing to the man he'd punched. “Soy Bi no Fresa, come mierda”. He replayed the words in his head, trying to put his limited knowledge of Spanish to use. ”Im a bee not a strawberry, you shit eater?” That was his comment about the nuts earlier made Sam think one of two things. Either he was saying he's a pollinator (or breeder so straight) and not a fruit. Or…Sam's Spanish was so horribly rusty that he couldn't gather what it meant. A part of him wanted to ask Ralph what it meant as it appeared he understood. Either way, Sam spied the man on the other side of Ralph. Deciding to get up to congratulate the man a bit more discreetly. He stood up from his chair, making his way over to Miguel as he now stood to Miguel's right.
Sam began to fix the collar as he spoke softly so only Miguel could hear him. ”Your collar came undone in the scuffle. Nice shot by the way, but I figured it wouldn't do to have the collar flipped at dinner with these people.” He whispered as he lay the collar flat against his shirt.
Miguel turned his head towards Sam, his eyes wide and his face a bit flushed, clearly somewhat flustered. He didn’t say anything for a moment, watching the soft fingers adjust his shirt’s collar. ”Thanks,” he said quietly, swallowing slightly as his gaze traveled ever so slightly downwards, settling on the other man’s crotch. ”These people are kinda batshit,” he added, perhaps a bit too loudly.
”I think it comes with the money to be honest. That or…well this used to be a monastery so you know…” Sam said as he continued in his hushed tone before speaking at normal volume when he began again. Noticing that Miguel's vision had begun to drift away from his eyes and towards…another location. He cleared his throat, trying to push away the thoughts of him, Ralph, and now Miguel, that were beginning to bubble up to the surface. ”That's a nice shirt you have there. Is it Linen? It's uh…soft. Nice. Very fancy feeling.” Sam said awkwardly as he tried to steer the conversation away. What was he thinking? Miguel was clearly straight…shit.
”Oh, I know,” Miguel agreed knowingly, again failing to modulate his volume. At the question about his shirt, he tilted his head for a moment, as if trying to recall - before he shrugged, scooted his chair backwards a bit, and then pulled the shirt off and over his head, handing it over to Sam. ”I’m not sure, tbh - my, uh, my ex got it for me. You’re welcome to check the tag, though.”
Sam's eyes went wide for a moment, wondering just what this straight man was thinking. Clearly he didn't know, and it'd be rude to stare. Especially with the growing issue Sam was now having. The shirt still held in hands as the fabric ran through his fingers. ”Yup, linen, wow.” He said as he quickly handed the shirt back, placing it in his lap and patting it once before his eyes went wide once more and he hurried over to his seat. Placing the napkin atop his lap and taking a massive gulp of his wine as half the glass instantly vanished before turning to speak to Ralph as he vigorously cut his salad. ”Salad's delicious huh? Pairs great with the figs and wine. I think its…white? Yeah.”
Ralph had watched the exchange between Sam and Miguel. The two were amusing. Awkward. Fish out of water. He felt it too. Felt like this place was too big.
“Yeah, I'm looking forward to the steak though.” Ralph said. His salad picked at, mostly cut up and semi eaten.
Sam finished off his salad, as if on cue from Ralph, the entree was brought out. Another glass filled this time with red wine as his steak was placed before him. The thick peppercorn sauce caught Sam by surprise. He expected something lighter from the French, a chimichurri maybe? Something more herbal perhaps. But he wasn't about to complain. ”Same. I could use a bit of meat right about now.” He joked, ignoring the fighting going on over some sort of sauce. He was plenty happy with how it was prepared already, decidedly finishing off the glass of white wine before taking a sip of the red and cutting into his steak. He hadn't had anything of substance since he'd left home. The wine practically went straight to him. ”What did you say to Miguel? Or is that…secret? My Spanish is rusty so I didn't catch any of it sadly.”
Ralph snorted a laugh at Sam's joke. “Well he spoke Spanish. I spoke Portuguese. I'll tell you what it means later.” He felt more comfortable around most of the people here after the Lawrence debacle. But he also didn't know if it'd cause things to get worse again. He sighed relieved at the arrival of food. He did look over at Miguel and his predicament.
”If you say so. Maybe later when I show you some of my equipment in my room.” Sam offered with a bit of a chuckle before he continued to eat his food.
One by one, other nominees or family members, Sam didn't know which, began to line up and wait in the Foyer just before dinner had begun. Each felt like they were dressed more extravagant than the last, save for what appeared to be a cute curly haired Mexican guy in…linens? Sam was never the type to fully know fabrics or materials, but it seemed like the kind of material you think of when you think resort wear in Cancun. He caught himself realizing that he had been waiting, not for the dinner to be exact, but for the man he'd met moments ago in the Lounge. Each person that had appeared made his breath catch, before finally releasing with disappointment. This was stupid. Silly even. He'd just met the man moments ago. Why was he acting like a love struck puppy? Sam figured he was just looking for a distraction, a beautiful one sure; one with a perfect jawline and deep eyes and soft lips…stop it. He took a deep breath, one which became even deeper with a gasp as he watched as someone in a black sequin jumpsuit came towards them, say a sickening line, and then death drop just before them all. ”Oh my gosh, that was iconic! I'm Sam.” He said as he went over to help the queen back up from the floor.
“Ooh! Why thank you,” Said the queen as Sam helped her up, “I’m Ivanna Slay, here to stay.” She struck another small pose and then held out her hand. “Pleased to meet you, Sam. Glad to meet others with taste here at the chatenaeoo.”
Sam giggled, absolutely struck by how open Ivanna was. He shook her hand with a big smile on his face. ”Chatenaeoo?” He asked, laughter peppering his word. Was this a drag term he hadn't heard yet? He felt as if the queen dictionary changed every second and he couldn't keep up with new phrases or things. ”I'm glad to meet you too, Always nice to make new friends.”
“Sorry, I meant chat…chatew. Chateyouw. The…” Ivanna gestured wildly, “The this place. You know.” She smiled as Sam said it was nice to make new friends. It was.
”Oh. Yeah, don't ask me I uh…apparently don't know my french words.” Sam said with a hint of embarrassment as he recalled his conversation with Felix earlier. The doors began to open and Sam spotted a familiar person inside. Juliane appeared to be helping out with the dinner too, taking people to their seats as they filed into the room. Felix was there as well as a few he didn't recognize yet. ”Oh. I'll see you inside. I'm starved.”
“You’re still hungry? Even after how much you ate with that outfit? I love those pants.” Ivanna laughed at her own pun. “Have a good din din!” Ivanna waved as she made her way in too.
Sam waved back, before making his way inside. Spotting Juliane, he made a beeline over towards her. ”I'm so sorry. I thought that word was a last name, and then that it meant maid, and I just. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that.”
Juliane smiled brightly. “Oh do not worry dear. It is my profession, usually, this was a happy accident.” She air kissed his cheeks. “Sorry got to work. Chat later, yes?”
”Mhm!” Sam said as he nodded eagerly. Surprised at how well she took it as he walked away, before freezing and realizing what she'd just said. It's her usual profession. His cheeks began to go pink moments before some French looking Larry the Cable Guy lookin’ ass guy said something rude to his new friend. His eyes darted to Ivanna before looking back at Lawrence. ”I didn't realize this dinner included fake men, where'd you buy that toupee? Dollar general?”
Lawrence looked at Sam. “I don't know who nominated you but I wish I had had you on the show. The audience would have loved you. People love that trashy talk.”
“Bitch. You wish you could be half as trashy as I am, but you wouldn’t even make the recycling bin. And yes. I am a drag queen!” She placed one hand on her chest and one flourished in the air. “I appreciate the attempt, but ‘fake woman’ won’t offend me because I’m not trying to be a woman. I’m just trying to be myself. Somewhere between…. more of a woman then you’ll ever get, and more of a man than you’ll ever be?”
Sam held a closed fist up to his mouth that was now wide open. ”Woah-hohohooo. Sick burn” He exclaimed as he held his fist out now towards Ivanna.
“Thaaaank you,” Said Ivanna, fist bumping to Sam, “Oh, there’s Felix! Me and Felix, we’re like this,” She held up two crossed fingers, “We go waaay back. Byeeeeee!! Felix! Felix!” said Ivanna, getting up.
Lawrence drank from his glass, while Felix stepped over. “Yes, mademoiselle?”
“Oh please.” Lawrence rolled his eyes.
Sam chuckled as he spotted Ralph walking in and heading to his seat. He wanted to go say hi, but didn't know where he needed to be. Maybe introductions were ok before sitting down for a formal dinner? He already gave out an insult to someone so he decided it didn't matter, making his way over when he noticed his name next to Ralph's. Sliding into his seat Sam looked at Ralph with a smile still on his face. ”Eh may not be so lucky for me. I may have just ruined any chance at winning this thing.” Sam replied in a whisper to Ralph. ”But I'm glad I get to spend dinner next to you at least.”
”If sucking up to someone like that is what is required for winning. I'm happy to lose.” Ralph was glaring in Lawrence’s direction.
”Agreed. Buuuut the money is nice…” If it's even real, Sam thought to himself. he grabbed the napkin that was on the table and placed it on his lap, his hand venturing to the right afterwards, placing it on Ralph's lap for a moment as he tried to offer a comforting squeeze. Hopefully he wasn't still nervous about this all, Sam at least was feeling better the more people he met. It helped make this all feel less…lonely.
”Oh yeah the money is a nice. But there are ten of us we don't even know how they will decide who won. Do they already know? Or will we be competing like the Hunger Games?” Ralph placed his hand on Sam's and squeezed back. He was thankful they were sitting next to each other. Ralph watched as others sat down around them.
”Dibs on the Bow and Arrow.” Sam said as he mocked knocking an arrow and letting it loose. ”Not that I know how to use one, I was more a Band kid than anything but, I'm sure there's a similarity somewhere.”
Ralph made a sound that might have been one of pain, ”Oh no, I have to tell you my greatest shame. I'm a football kid.” Football had been life in his small town growing up. It had been one of two options of getting out of there.
”Smallville played football? That…kinda tracks. And I know you said Dairy but I'm sure there were some hay barrels that needed flipping or rolling. That develops muscle and muscle goes to football.” Sam teased to Ralph. ”So…tight end?”
Ralph laughed. He couldn't help it. ”Second string running back.”
”First Chair.” Sam said playfully. Even if it was comparing apples to oranges. He began to cut into his wedge salad, gods he hated wedge salads. It was like a chef was saying ‘I'm too lazy to make a proper salad so I invented a new one where you make it yourself’. But that was the starter placed before him, and Sam was not one to leave any food leftover.
Weaknesses? Strategies? Yeah right as if he'd ever tell anyone what he'd been planning. Percy may have been his boyfriend, but he wasn't about to fall for any competitions’ tricks. All he did was stick his tongue out at Percy before he turned to the sheet before him. It seemed fairly straight forward so far. Name, School, Team, and Date of Birth. His birthday was a bit harder to pin down, given he was adopted after an incident with purifiers, but he wrote the one they'd celebrated for all his years. Physical age seemed like an odd phrase, then again how would Andy fill it out knowing now what he knew? He let out a frustrated sigh, seeing that this was a bit more complex than he'd originally cared to realize. The rest of it seemed fine, filling out each section as clearly as he could and trying not to leave anything out so that they couldn't disqualify him on technicalities.
”See ya” Was all Dorian said back as he continued to write. Focusing on his sheet as Percy gave him a kiss before leaving. He could hear Danni begin to ask him a question when he suddenly found the answer himself. Dorian chuckled at his antics, rolling his eyes. It was easy to forget that Avengers Academy was actually called The Margaret Carter Institute. Most students didn't bother with that name. ”In a minute D. Just makin’ sure I didn't forget somet'in’.” He said before finally getting up and making his way over to Danni and April. Hugging them both tightly before pulling away. ”’arry Simmons?” Dorian asked. ”I didn't t’ink uncle ‘arry would be able to make it from Canada. I t'ought ‘e was on tour t’at dirty liar.” He huffed, a hint of amusement beneath it all. It seemed like he was bringing his twin and her wife along too.
One of the lines seemed to clear up as he watched Andy leave her room. He waved over to her before looking back at April and Danni real quick. ”My time to shine! Don't take too long you two! I'll be right back.” Dorian said as he ran towards the examination room and entered inside. He wasn't exactly sure what he was expecting, maybe a white sterile office with a chair that had crunchy white paper to sit on? He hated those. But this didn't seem too bad. Some odd equipment was out, some he recognized, others he didn't.
There were two physicians in the room - a cheerful older woman, with a bee pin on her lapel, and a calico cat, her tail wrapped around her waist.
“Ah, sit down, sit down - we’ll take your paperwork, sweetheart,” the older doctor insisted, gesturing for Dorian to take a seat - there was, indeed, crunchy white paper covering the surface, and a small shelf for his feet to be placed on. “I’m Doc Bee, and that’s High Priestess Mirabel, we’ll be doing a quick check-up and then you’ll be on your way.”
Mirabel’s eyes flickered over towards Dorian.
“Did you have any questions for us before we get started?” Bee then asked.
Dorian made his way over towards the seat, handing the paperwork to them as he passed by. He eyed the paper hesitantly, before deciding to just float. He hadn't used his telekinesis to fly before, mostly relying on his Astral powers to do so, but he didn't need to be stuck there right now. So he enveloped himself in his powers, lifting off the block that was placed before the seat and hovering gently over the paper before letting himself down so as to make as little sound as possible. He truly hated these things. ”Only one…Mirabel wouldn't happen to be related to Usagi would she?” The last thing Dorian needed was for this to be another trap.
Mirabel tilted her head at Dorian. “All of my siblings died in the flood, child.”
Bee grimaced, as much as she tried to force a smile. “Right! We’re going to start by taking your blood pressure,” she explained, as she grabbed the small device and approached Dorian, wrapping the cuff around his upper arm. “This might be uncomfortable for a moment,” she added sympathetically.
”For a moment? I think I just made it uncomfortable for the remainder…” Dorian muttered under his breath as Bee applied the machine to him.
“Why would it be uncomfortable?” Mirabel asked. “I didn’t say I liked my siblings.”
“Ooookaaaayyyyy then,” Bee breathed in through her teeth sharply. The blood pressure cuff tightened and tightened, until Dorian would be able to feel his blood pulsing in his arm - and then suddenly, the pressure released. Bee noted the value, and as she was writing, Mirabel grabbed the stethoscope with one paw.
“Can you breathe?” the cat asked, before pressing it to Dorian’s back, so as to listen to his lungs.
Dorian suddenly felt as if he messed up even trying to speak to or about Mirabel. He had no idea which Flood she meant, but had a sinking feeling she may have meant the biblical flood. It was almost enough to distract him from the growing pressure on his arm, mostly feeling it by the end just before all the pressure was released. ”Yeah, I breAthe” He answered, moments before the cold stethoscope pressed against his back. Why did they never warm these things?
He then realized she was asking him to breathe, not if he had the capability to. Dorian sure as heck didn't know, maybe some mutants or other species didn't require air or breathing? But either way he took a deep breath in, held it, and then let it out slowly. He repeated this twice more, hoping that'd be enough for the cat.
“Good,” Mirabel affirmed. “I need to feel your abdomen next. Don’t worry, I’ll keep the claws sheathed.”
”Uh. Ok? What does t'at do? Or tell?” Dorian asked. He never understood some of the things doctors would do. It seemed strange.
“Oh!” Bee said chipperly, careful to interject before Mirabel could explain. “We’re assessing your organs - rough shape and size, if there’s any evidence of discomfort or pain. Is that okay, Dorian?”
Mirabel didn’t wait, of course, instead immediately setting to work, palpitating his abdomen like she was making biscuits.
”Oh. I didn't know you could just…feel t’at like t'at.” Dorian asked, though his mind was elsewhere. The idea of seeing the rough shape of his organs and if they were in good condition made him wonder if he could partially go ghost to make himself translucent on one side. Then they could truly see his organs, but the idea they might somehow spill out grossed him out.
“Yup! Isn’t the body cool?” Bee gushed. “You’d be surprised how much we can learn about a patient without having to use any fancy equipment - when I started training to be a doctor, most of what I had access to was salvaged equipment. But you make it work! Okay, just need to check your eyes, ears, and heart and then we’ll get onto the fun stuff!”
“Is this not fun? I’m having a great time,” Mirabel deadpanned, jumping away as Bee took over - shining a light into each of Dorian’s ears, having him follow one with his eyes, and then finally listening to his heart.
”Salvaged equipment? Where did you first start out if I can ask?” Dorian asked as he tried not to blink while the light was shining in his eyes. Following it the best he could but also trying not to look directly at it.
“Oh, I washed up on Madripoor after S-Day,” Bee explained offhandedly. “Doc Nemesis mentored me, showed me the ropes, but then he got back into crime - you know how it is, you’re always in recovery, it’s a process that never really ends. But great! Mirabel is the magic expert, so she’s going to do this next part - just a quick check for any sort of enchantments.”
The cat nodded, before pulling out an amulet from a small, ornate chest with her teeth. She tangled the chain up in her claws and batted at it, causing it to spin. She circled it three times around Dorian’s head, noting a faint green glow. “Someone tried to curse you - at the start of September,” she noted. “Piss poor spellwork, though.”
”Curse me? But…t’at's around my birt'day. Unless…” The stalker had gotten more aggressive that day. Saying something weird in a note that Dorian had blocked out. ”Right…I t'ink Aggie took care of it. But you mentioned washing up after S-Day. Does t'at mean, are you also from Genosha?”
Bee nodded once more. “Sure am! Your tell your pas that Bee says hello, okay?” she added with a wink. “I need to take a blood sample from you next - are you afraid of blood or needles, Dorian?”
“I hope you are,” Mirabel mused.
”I'm fine with it? Bloods part of the ‘ero gig and well. Needles are needles I guess? Wonder if any ‘eroes ‘ave a fear of needles?” Dorian thought out loud before realizing what Bee had said to him. ”You know my Pa's?”
“‘Course I do,” Bee answered. “Every Genoshan still alive knows your pas - and a good handful of the ones no longer with us, too.” She worked pretty quickly, drawing up just enough blood to sample in triplicate. Mirabel took the samples and ran them through a small device, and evidently there was nothing concerning in the readout, as Bee then grabbed the next piece of equipment in the room - it looked like a fancy, glorified radar gun, emblazoned with the blue and white of the Future Foundation.
“Almost done,” Bee added. “Just a quick scan and then it’s on to the truth test!”
Dorian groaned as he saw the logo of the next piece of equipment. ”Absolutely not’in’ fantastic about t’ose four. What's t’e scan do?”
“It’ll tell us if there’s any quantum or cosmic abnormalities,” Bee said succinctly.
“You can’t just throw around the term quantum, it’s a nonsense word,” Mirabel grumbled, licking her paws.
“It’s not nonsense, it’s science,” Bee corrected, before activating the device. She tilted her head from side to side, biting her lip as she considered this. “Honey… You didn’t mention you’re entangled.”
Quantum science was a little bit above Dorian's school grade. But he figured Bee knew what she was doing. Not that Mirabel seemed to give two tails about the science or potentially lack thereof. ”What do you mean entangled? I t'ought you said t'is was cosmic and quantum stuff?” He asked. While he'd heard of the terms Quantum Entanglement and Cosmic Entanglement, he never really understood what it all meant.
“It’s a little above my paygrade, the exact specifics of it,” Bee admitted. “I don’t fully understand everything about how it works, how it happens - but what entanglement means is that some pieces of you, they’re part of someone else. And some pieces of them, they’re part of you. Did you… not know you were entangled? Nothing strange happened - you couldn’t suddenly access powers that weren’t yours?”
Dorian shrugged. Wondering who he could possibly be entangled with, or even how it would've happened. ”Not t’at I know of? If so I ‘avent noticed it. Does it say…who?”
“Oh, that’s interesting - it looks like you’re entangled with another student - another competitor, which is… unfortunate. Hmm. Do you know a Percy Novikoff?”
Dorians face went bright pink as blush shot across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. ”T'at's. Uh, t'at's my boyfriend. We were on t'e same team till a shake up ‘appened due to losing a coach to villainy. I-...” He closed his mouth, not wanting to know how they even became entangled. Or what this meant for them or the competition.
“Ah, so you were entangled,” Mirabel observed with a slight laugh. “I suppose you’ll have to beg your boyfriend to leave the competition - or perhaps you’ll fall on the sword for him.”
“Mirabel,” Bee coughed. “But… She is right. You won’t both be allowed to compete. Even with a low entanglement value of five percent, the fact that you are on different teams… You could try to make an appeal, but…” Her voice faltered, as she saw a message flash across her screen. “Oh! Good news, Dorian. Percy has elected to withdraw.”
Dorian's face journey was about as telling as The Hobbit. Between embarrassment from what Mirabel had said, to the idea that he'd have to withdraw for Percy's sake or vice versa, to the immediate disappointment about what Bee was telling him as if he had just received grave news (which he basically had), and now he was being told Percy elected to withdraw? Dorian was so torn, both glad he could continue his dream and upset that they hadn't even had a conversation about, but also an odd mix of love for his boyfriend who likely knew how much this meant to him and chose to dive. He was speechless. Well aside from a single word that burst out of his mouth. ”What?!”
“Yep!” Bee said cheerfully. “Now we can do the last part of the exam - this is the Tome of Izneth - or, well… It’s a Tome of Izneth, I think there’s about twenty copies,” she added, before taking out the small ancient book, and she held it out to Dorian. “If you could put your hand on this, we have a few questions we have to ask.”
“I dare you to try lying,” Mirabel baited, batting her tail from side to side. “Please.”
Dorian felt almost empty, as if he was having an out of body experience, which was weird given his powers. He placed his hand upon the tome, but it was almost as if going through the motions. His mind focused on wanting to speak to Percy.
“What is your name?” Mirabel hissed.
”Dorian Stephen Gray”
”Who are you?”
”T’e son of Professor Maximillian Gray and Ben Gray, but a Student at Margaret Carter Institute.”
“Finally, a normal answer to that one…” Mirabel scoffed, before continuing with the final question. ”Do you want to compete in the Contest of Champions?”
”More t'an anyt’in’ in t'e world. Not just compete, I wanna win mon amie.”
Mirabel then gave Bee a nod, as the physician placed the tome away. “Great - you’re all done, sweetheart! Best of luck out there!”
”T'anks! Be sure to root for me in t'e stands. For now…I got to go talk to Percy.” Dorian remarked as he made his way to the door.
“Yes, talk,” Mirabel murmured. “I’m sure that’s what you’ll be doing.”
Dorians ears burned, turning a faint shade of pink at the tips as he rushed out of the examination room, texting Percy. ”We need to talk, where are you?”
Legal Name: Dorian Stephen Gray School: Margaret Carter Institute Qualifying Team: Excelsior Date of Birth: 09/13/2021 Physical Age: 17 Emergency Contact: Maximillian Gray & Ben Gray Notable Abilities or Power: Astral Projection, Telekinesis, Electromagnetic Manipulation Declared Item: Anti-Telepathy Sword Pertinent Medical History: Signature: Poltergeist
Morose
Blizz
BlueSky44
Kirah
TheMaster99
Fetzen
Achronum
ImagineTheStars
Forsythe
