ARCANE

011

Trigger warning: self-harm

In this story, there will be experimentations with their powers which will involve characters harming themselves intentionally. It will show up repeatedly throughout the story, so this will be your first warning. I don't know how I would remove these scenes without kind of destroying the plot, themes, and character development, so this is your warning. Please read safely.

The phone is ringing.

Whenever she is at home, Lee loses her phone in the mess of her kitchen table, in her bedsheets, or in the couch cushion. As it rings, she runs up and down the stairs trying to grab it. After all, a restaurant could be calling to offer her a gig. She can't afford (literally) not to pick up.

Percy's phone has a designated spot in her apartment on the island. She walks over to it, looking down at the caller's ID. The area code is local, but it isn't a number she recognizes. Normally, she only gets calls from her sister and from the restaurant.

"Hello?"

"Hi, is this Lee?"

"Yes," Lee answers. She ignores the sting of her mother's eyes as she makes her way back up to the bedroom.

"This is the Hamilton Constabulary calling. We are following up on a crime you reported."

Percy's limbs feel stiff. She lets herself pace, trying to loosen up the muscles in her neck. It's only been a few days, and she isn't exactly ready to think about seeing Thea in a tree. Her grey arms seemed to reach down towards Percy, pointing accusatorily.

"We were wondering if you would be able to come in on Tuesday for an interview. Let's say, 6:00 PM?"

"I work," Lee answers, though she is lying through her teeth.

"Can you give us the number of your employer? I am sure that if we were to call, they would understand our predicament and let you go for the afternoon."

Percy bites her lip. "It's okay. I'll talk to them."

"Perfect, well, we will see you then, Percy."

~~~

Erik tries to ignore the girl's voice in his head at he stares at the online test screen. While he might have hoped that his chemistry test would be bumped to Monday due to the power outage, the teacher is now having them submit it on the online website, complete with a browser lockdown and a camera to prevent cheating.

God, technology sucks.

Every so often, Erik's twitching knee hits the desk and jolts the web camera, but he is preoccupied dealing with Thea, who keeps whispering in his head. Even she worries about the outside world discovering his secrets.

1,4-dichlorobenzene. Ethyl-propanoate. Butyric acid.

Eventually, Erik can't stand her voice anymore. He can't stand the girl he hears in his head. His skull is throbbing, and he can't tell if it's from his Dad's fists last night or if Thea's incessant suggestions are actually causing him physical pain.

Erik misses his MP3 player.

Once he has answered all the questions to Thea's satisfaction, he clicks submit and slams the computer shut. At least it's over, he attempts to rationalize himself. Maybe now she will be gone for quite some time.