Roleplay

Lucine met Raven’s amethyst eyes with her own amber ones, mirroring the concern that the wolf held. She attempted to keep her balance as Raven turned about, squeezing Callum’s hand tightly and reminding herself to take a deep breath. She could feel Raven readying her wings, which gave her some comfort. The wolf would be ready to get them away from any danger, should it arise, which, in the current moment, it sure felt like it was going to arise. Lucine laid quiet, one hand on Callum’s, the other reaching for her quiver, incase something shot out at them.

She froze when she heard the hissing cut through the forest like a knife. It was unlike anything she had ever heard, and it made her feel more than unsettled. She remained completely stiff, paralyzed and unable to move, when the voice hit her ears.

Vein-diggers…

Lucine had heard that phrase used once before- and she knew exactly what it meant. Stiffening, she moved her head to see the small dart just as it was about to hit her neck- and watched it instead sink into Callum’s wrist. Gasping loudly as it made impact, she was quickly thrown off balance by Raven’s taking to the skies- the half vampire relying on Callum to keep her steadied. She felt his breath hitch for a moment, and as he released her, she turned her head slightly to watch him pull the dart from his wrist.

“My Gods…” she whispered, shaking her head slightly, “I’m so sorry…. You should have let it hit me, I probably have a stronger resistance to things of that sort..” She sunk back into his embrace, shaking her head. “I’m not the primary concern right now. When we land, I’m going to look at your arm, alright dear?” she told him, but it was more of a statement than a question. Right now she needed to make sure he hadn’t been poisoned.

Call trembled lightly as another gust of wind blew past them. Keeping his eyes open was becoming a challenge; not because they were heavy once again, but because the wind was stinging them senseless. Perhaps if he was an Undead, he wouldn't be experiencing such a sensation. He wasn't sure what brought him to that conclusion. He hadn't exactly traveled at high speeds with a full Undead before... actually, he did it once. It was when June and Tem went out of their way to break him out of Colsar. He hadn't been paying attention to whether or not Tem's eyes were watering at the time, for he was too focused on the immense pain in his then-new Mark.

He was trying to focus on whether or not he had symptoms other than the tingling in his right arm. He frowned a bit when Lucine told him that he should've let the projectile hit her instead of him, feeling guilty. He had absolutely no clue what that dart was, or what was in it, for that matter. Besides the feathered end and needle, the tube seemed to be made of steel, and it wasn't transparent. Without breaking it open to find out, he couldn't tell how much of whatever substance was in there had entered his bloodstream.

But since when did he put himself above Lucine, or anyone close to him?

He felt her lean back into his embrace, automatically relaxing a little. He knew he shouldn't be concerned about her, but the question of if she was alright always came to him after situations like that, not to mention the one with the vampire hunters. He sighed a bit, lifting his unaffected arm and brushing his fingers through her hair for a moment. "I don't know what that was..." he murmured, talking as if he meant to sound louder.

He tried to look down at her with the best comforting look he could manage. It was easier than many other times before, since he wasn't in any real pain, and the tingling sensation didn't count. Maybe if it kept going like this, it would start hurting, but he hoped that wouldn't be the case. He heard a whine come from Raven, almost as if apologizing herself. He took his hand out of Lucine's hair and softly pet the Night Wolf as she continued flying in the direction of where they needed to go.

"I'll be okay, girl," he said gently, taking a deep breath. He glanced down at Lucine and smiled a little. "I'll be okay."

He paused for a moment. "Do you think we should land at the first village instead of going back two villages?" he asked Lucine, returning the hand petting Raven to her waist. He held back a wince as his wrist burned intensely for a few seconds, though his entire body did tense and his breathing did hitch.

Lucine was quiet for a moment after Raven took to the skys, the wind flying through her hair and ruffling around her skirts. Usually, she would enjoy it, but tonight the wind was stinging her eyes and making her feel unbalanced, despite Callum’s arms around her. She blinked a few times to try and flush her eyes out, but to no avail. She noted that Callum didn’t have a response to her fussing at him, and felt guilty for even doing so in the first place.

But the truth was that she should’ve taken that dart. It was aimed for her, and she was beginning to get upset with Callum getting hurt on her behalf. Not because she could take care of herself, but because she would be beside herself if anything was ever to happen to him. He was all she really had left, aside from her sister’s wife who she occasionally corresponded with, and Raven. But Felicity lived ages away, and she doubted Raven would want to stick around with her if Callum was no longer in the picture- Lucine wasn’t exactly as close to her, as much as she loved the wolf.

She sighed slightly when she did lean back into him, finally closing her eyes from a mixture of the wind and tiredness as she felt his fingers in her hair. It was a comforting feelings, and one which she liked, yet she didn’t feel completely alleviated. The words which she had heard just a few minutes earlier still stung in her ears, and she was unable to erase their sound.

Vein-diggers…

She felt unsettled by the word, and for good reason- it was commonly used as a derogatory term for vampires. It always stung when she heard it, even if it wasn’t directed at her, and even though it wasn’t used as commonly as it used to be. She wondered if maybe one of the vampire hunters had followed them into the woods, but the feeling she received from hearing the voice didn’t strike her as human, as weird as that was. It was the only way to describe it, and it made her feel even more unsettled. What had been in those woods?

She was almost too deep in her own thoughts to hear Callum’s question, not even realizing that she was partaking in her nervous tic of muttering. But Callum’s voice was always enough to bring her back into the world. Cracking one yellow eye open, she found it immediately began to sting again, but she kept it open. The sky was dark and clear, and though Lucine didn’t know where they were off to, she hoped it was far away from that village.

She didn’t respond to him not knowing what they had just experienced, she just nodded in reply. She did make a small noise though, one that she hoped would express her agreement. Her other eye opened when she heard Raven’s whine, and felt Callum’s hand move away from where it had previously been located. She sat up slightly, but not so much she needed to adjust herself, and looked to her right down at the space below her. The night was clear, and she could see the trees underneath their feet.

When Callum assured her, the both of them, that he would be okay, the half vampire wasn’t convinced, but she let herself relax slightly. She felt Callum’s hand return to her waist, and turned slightly.

“I think, as it is later, the first village would probably be better,” she told him, giving a small nod and a smile, which faded quickly as soon as she felt his breathing hitch. Reaching for the hand he had on her waist, she looked forward to Raven.

“Land as soon as you can, girl,” she told her, squeezing Callum’s hand, “I need to look at his wrist.”

She needed to know what was inside that dart. If it was any kind of poison, which was not preferable, she would need to give him some form of antidote as soon as possible, which could be anything with poisons. She looked below her to see what was potentially below them, unsure how far away the next village would be.

Call nodded slightly in response to the approval. He honestly hoped they would get to the first village as soon as possible. Granted, he didn't exactly want anyone else to see the potential symptoms he would be showing. He steadied his breathing after it had hitched, looking down at the passing trees below the trio. He remembered when he first discovered what Raven could do; he was astonished and curious at the same time. He had immediately wanted to take her out for a test flight, and when he had... it was like nothing he had ever experienced at the time.

He smiled at the memory, glad that he could reflect on something happy for once. He then looked up at the sky, surveying the stars above before his eyes landed on the moon again. It was beautiful, but it wasn't beautiful as the girl positioned in front of him. In his mind, nothing was. The most attractive specimen could be shoved in front of his face, and he wouldn't care. He would always be loyal to Lucine. No matter how hard things got, methods such as drinking wasn't the answer. Not in their relationship.

He didn't know why, but he felt guilty for taking the dart. He was scolding himself for feeling that way, but it wasn't making Lucine feel good in the slightest. Who knows, maybe she would've been more resistant to whatever was in the dart. Hell, he could've just pushed her down, and the dart would've missed the two of them entirely... actually, he wouldn't have been fast enough. He was just a human, and his Shadow magic alone couldn't help him in that department. He felt his throat closing up slightly as he was preparing himself to say something, but nothing ended up coming out.

He closed both eyes as they began to sting and water; this was always the worst part of flying for him. He usually couldn't keep his eyes open for very long, and this often left him wondering how griffin and dragon riders fared. However, he was thinking about something else right now. Something that bothered him greatly, and was most likely bothering Lucine as well.

Vein-Diggers...

He shuddered again, but it wasn't because of the dart that had hit him earlier. It was just the wind chilling him. If Lucine asked, he would clarify, but for now, he was still focused on keeping his breathing regulated. He had heard it a couple times, and it made him angry every single time. He recalled the first time he had heard it; it ended with him sustaining a black eye and having to be actually be defended by Connor of all people. Connor! The guy who slit his throat and always hated him... he actually defended Call.

Then again, the other boy had yelled at him afterwards, so...

"I love you, dear," Call whispered, giving Lucine's hand a squeeze. He lowered his head until his forehead was resting on her shoulder. "I love you so much... and I'm so sorry... I'm sorry..."

Raven nodded at Lucine when she gave her the command, barking as well. It was her way of giving the half-vampire what was essentially a thumbs-up. She flew a bit faster and with more urgency. She made a sound akin to loud purring when she came to pass over an open field, which meant to her that they were ever so closer to the next village. She barked to Lucine and Call when she spotted it, slowly gliding down and descending from the sky, though she had to fight the urge to dive-bomb towards the ground instead.

The Night Wolf finally landed in the rolling grass, trotting forward a few steps before she came to a complete stop. She slowly folded her wings, but didn't spare a glance up at the couple on her back. She was most likely scared of what she would likely see, but she wasn't showing many signs of feeling that way.

Call slowly lifted his head from Lucine's shoulder and looked at her with guilt in his eyes, almost like a puppy's eyes. He slowly lowered his gaze to his afflicted wrist, lifting it a little to show Lucine in silence before slowly pulling back the sleeve of his cloak.

There was a tiny hole where the needle had sunk into the skin, and even though it wasn't a bump, there was a ring of blue-tinted skin around it. If one were to touch the skin surrounding the hole, it would feel more tender than usual. His veins were a slightly darker shade of blue, though it was harder to tell since it was nighttime, even though they were made more visible. He could feel his pulse much easier in his wrist than anywhere else, and that wasn't the best of signs.

Lucine squeezed Callum’s hand back, her pale fingers intertwined with his. She was worried, above all else, and at the moment couldn’t find the strength to be mad at him. She didn’t even think she would be mad at him, really, even if she did have the energy. All she was was worried, immensely and incredible worried, like her insides were being knotted together and attempting to pull back apart.

She turned her head slightly as she felt Callum’s head lay to rest on her shoulder, pressing her own head ontop of his. “I love you too…” she told him back, her voice barely above a whisper, “And you have nothing to be sorry for, nothing at all….”

Her worry was pushed aside to make way for small pangs of guilt. It was like her to make a big deal of these things, and of course, make Callum feel guilty in the process, which was the last thing that she would ever want to do. She shook her head slightly and sighed, squeezing his hand. “Everything is going to be alright.”

Her head raised up a bit higher when she heard Raven’s bark, and she squeezed her eyes open and shut a few times in an attempt to soothe them. The glow of the next village was under their feet, and she heard Raven’s barking in confirmation. She only gripped Callum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut as they prepared to land- this was her least favorite part.

When they finally tumbled down onto the soft grass, Lucine opened one eye, relieved to find she could now do that without immediately being stung by the wind. She shifted slightly as she felt Callum’s head move, turning around on the wolf’s back so she could face him, releasing his hand and reaching out gingerly to take his other arm.

She met his eyes for a moment before she looked down, and felt immediately saddened by the look he was giving her- she knew that her overreaction had caused that. She leaned over and gave him a small peck on the forehead before looking down, watching as the sleeve was pulled back.

Her breathing paused for a moment when she saw the affected area, the ring of blue hitting her the most and making her feel almost sick. She was used to seeing wounds in things like books, but seeing one up close, and on the arm of the one she cared most about… it unsettled her deeply.

Lucine took one finger and gently placed it on the blueish skin around the hole, careful not to press incase she caused discomfort. It was, how she predicted, more tender, and she was certain that whatever had been in the dart had already made its way into his bloodstream, poison or not. She was surprised to see there was no bump or swelling where his skin would have reacted back to being punctured, instead just the hole where the dart had been inserted. The lack of blood or clotting was also interesting to her.

“I’m going to only cover this for now, to avoid infection,” she said aloud, though more to herself than him. Reaching into the bag hanging around her waist, she pulled out a small piece of white cloth and tied it around his wrist She always made sure to have it on hand around him- he tended to be accident prone. The cloth was white so that if he did begin to bleed, she would be able to see it.

She took her gaze away from his wrapped wrist and looked back up at him, giving a weak smile that was supposed to be reassuring. “I think our best bet would just be for you to get some rest, my love..” she told him, reaching down to pat Raven’s side, “I’d like to see the dart, though, incase I could be able to tell what was inside..”

Her plan was to stay up in an attempt to figure out what he’d been infected with and how to treat it- she hadn’t seen anything like it in any book she had read before, but if it was poisonous she would know immediately, based on what was in the dart. She doubted the vampire hunters, or whatever had attacked them, had access to intense or unknown poisons, or even if it was poison at all.

Then again, she had no idea what had attacked them.

Her hope was that it was poison intended for vampires and that it would have little to no effect on a human, such as Callum, though she doubted that reasoning. She was unaware, in the moment, that she had been muttering everything she was thinking of- a telltale sign of her nerves.

She stopped herself, and sighed, coming back from her thoughts into the world and looking at her surroundings. They were close to the next village, and she hoped it would have a tavern- most did. If it didn’t she’d get to teach Call a page from her own book, which was sleeping wherever you could find. Hopefully, they wouldn’t have to resort to that.

Call's eyes had closed a little when he felt Lucine peck his forehead, and he couldn't help but soften. A light blush crept across his cheeks, distracting him momentarily from the fact that his veins were a darker shade of blue, not to mention the hole punctured into his wrist. He glanced up at Lucine upon hearing her breathing stop for a moment, feeling the urge to take her free hand in his and squeeze it, or comfort her in some other way. He felt bad for how guilty he had seemed to be outwardly acting.

Call, you're feeling guilty for feeling guilty? Just stop feeling guilty!

He nodded a little towards her; he didn't need to verbally give her any sort of approval to treat him. Raven held as still as possible so she didn't jostle the couple on her back. The wolf still wasn't looking at either of them, staring ahead and at the sky instead. Call didn't change his breathing while Lucine observed his wound, placing a finger on the ring of blue-tinted skin. He was a bit alarmed by the fact that the tingling made it so he could barely feel her touch. It was spreading to his hand, and soon enough, it would affect his fingers as well.

Call nodded as Lucine told him what she was going to do, trying his best to keep his breathing stable. He simply watched as the white cloth Lucine had was wrapped around his wrist, directly over the hole where the dart had been. He didn't mind it being there; in fact, something about the linen comforted him. Maybe it was because the majority of the wound was covered from plain sight, or maybe it was because Lucine was the one applying it to him. He knew of her aspiration for medical care, and he wanted to help her get to a point where she could become a physician. He smiled at that thought.

His eyes met hers before they landed on the smile she had on her face. He could see reassurance there, but it was also weak. Rest sounded good to him, and even though he was concerned about Lucine getting rest as well, he didn't need to make a fuss right now. As much as he didn't want to admit it, it was the last thing he should be doing after what occurred in the forest. He heard Raven make a soft rumbling sound in response to the pat she was given by Lucine. Call's smile grew a little. He could put up with whatever was in his bloodstream. He could do this.

When he was asked about the dart, he twitched in recognition and dug his free hand into the pocket where the thing was stored. "Ah, here we go," he said, pulling the dart out and gently placing it in Lucine's hand. "The bulbous part seems to be metallic, and it definitely isn't see-through... I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out, Dr. Lucine." He continued to grin after he spoke, chuckling softly.

He completely silenced himself, and because of it, he was able to hear some of Lucine's mumbling. After he thought she was done looking at her surroundings, he gently pulled her into a close hug. At the same time, Raven had started walking towards the glow of the next village at a faster pace than normal. If either of them wanted her to run, she would gladly do so.

"Thank you, love..." he whispered affectionately, relaxing a little. He could feel the tingling starting to inch up his arm, but he tried not to show any signs of being bothered by that. He nuzzled his head into the crook of her neck, sighing contently and closing his eyes. "I'll be okay... I believe in that," he added quietly. "And you'll be okay too. I trust you, I love you. You're the best physician I've ever known, I know you are."

Lucine watched Callum as he retrieved the dart which had been thrown at him, now finally able to get a better look. It had a puff of something with was purple on the end, which usually specified a poison, however that wasn’t enough to tell for certain. Her fingers wrapped around the dart in her hand and she slid it into her pouch to look at it further. Right now wasn’t the time for it.

She laughed lightly as Callum joked with her, calling her “Dr. Lucine” playfully. She sighed slightly, and tilted her head to look at him, smiling playfully. “Yes, I’m sure I shall.” she told him, reaching forward to squeeze his unaffected hand. As she drew her hand away, she slowly slipped back into the world of her thoughts, mumbling along.

She was a bit surprised when she was pulled into a hug by Callum, but she enjoyed it, and was happy for the touch. After everything that had happened, all she wanted to do was fall asleep in his arms for the night, feeling safe and warm and content, but she knew she had work to do, and she knew she had to complete it quickly in order to keep Callum healthy. That was her priority, always always always.

She was quiet as they moved along, Raven making her way closer to the soft glows of the village ahead. Lucine shut her eyes after fighting to keep them open, eventually giving in to her tiredness. She could hear, through her haze of sleep, Callum’s whispers of thanks. She smiled slightly as she felt his head rest on her shoulder, and nestled herself closer into him.

“I love you too,” she whispered, smiling at the rest of his words. She began to say thank you, but sleep came over her and raptured her up, pulling her into her own dreams.

The village up ahead was different from the one they had just been in- even in the wee hours of the morning the area was bustling with people- people finally leaving their market stands, packing up their remaining wares and their funds and beginning to take their journey home, guided by lanterns. Miners and farmers working in either location outside the village were returning, walking in large masses and talking amongst one another.

There were multiple inns around the village, as many people traveled to and fro, though some were nicer than others. Taverns were a plenty to, though not as many, and the ones which there were were almost always crowded and carried a heavy scent of brandy. Drunk men and women staggered in and out, and few of those entering happened to be the miners which were returning, carrying pickaxes and covered in soot.

Call smiled as he felt Lucine relaxed completely, presumably having fallen asleep. That was when he opened his eyes and sat up, still holding Lucine in his arms. He was tired too, but he wanted to get them a room, and Lucine was asleep. The last thing he wanted to do was wake her up. He was glad she was getting rest; meanwhile, he would take care of things.

Raven slowed down a bit as they were approaching the village, though becoming more cautious. That was most likely due to just how busy the streets were. Call glanced around at everyone passing by; miners, farmers, and owners of market stands finally packing their wares. He didn't see any vampire hunters here. This town was the opposite of what Bellenau had been. This was anything but a ghost town.

Anything could still be possible, Call thought, holding Lucine closer to him. He laid eyes on multiple inns and taverns, coming to the conclusion that an inn would be much nicer than a tavern, especially judging by the taverns in this town. Even from where he was, he could catch the scent of alcohol, and it made him sick to his stomach. As he passed a nearby tavern, he nearly gagged, covering his mouth and swallowing. His throat was dry, which alarmed him. When he noticed that detail, the tingling had finally spread to his fingers. He shivered lightly.

"Let's go to that one," he whispered to Raven, pointing towards a nearby inn. He was trying to aim for an inn that didn't look too fancy, but at the same time, was nice overall. Lucine had spent money on that room in Bellenau before he could, so this time, he would be able to afford a room for the three of them. He hoped Raven would be allowed inside. If not, there would definitely be complications. He stroked her fur gently as they approached. He began thinking about how he wanted to go about this. If he went in alone, he would put Lucine and Raven in potential danger. He didn't exactly feel comfortable in this crowd. Then again, he would've felt the same way in Bellenau.

When they stopped outside the entrance, he steadily climbed off of Raven, making sure Lucine was comfortable on her back. As he did, the Night Wolf wrapped her wings around the half-vampire's body to make sure she wouldn't slip off. The boy began breathing heavily once his feet hit the ground, and he swore he could feel a cold sweat forming on his forehead. He pulled the sleeve of his cloak over the bandage concealing the wound on his wrist, as well as the darker veins underneath his skin.

Raven looked at him worriedly. The look in her eyes saddened him, and unfortunately, it wasn't new to him. "Raven... I'll be okay," he told her quietly, trying to smile. "Let's get this done, and then we can rest..."

He looked to his left and right for a moment before opening the door and holding it. Raven stepped inside and stood near a corner, as if trying to hide somehow. He stepped inside the inn, paying little attention to the people around him. Staring would lead to trouble. And yet, he felt an all-too familiar sensation. He was just praying, praying, for this to end well. The logical parts of his mind knew that at this point, begging for a good outcome was all but futile.

That didn't mean he would actually listen to it.

He was about to go and request a room when he felt his wrist burn again. This time, the pain was worse than before. He sucked in a breath as the muscles in his affected arm contracted against his will. His orange eye was closed as he tried to shove the pain down, panicking at the fact that he couldn't move his arm. He felt like he was trembling, but in reality, he wasn't. He could feel a drop of cold sweat slide down one side of his face.

Call backed up, pressing his back to the wall and leaning against it. He closed both of his eyes and took quick breaths. Raven whimpered and moved closer to him, however, she had no idea what was wrong. He wasn't clutching his wrist or showing any hints that the pain could be coming from there, and besides, the wound was hidden. Anyone passing by would most likely have no idea what was going on with him.

The burning pain increased as he felt the essentially paralyzed muscles in his arm beginning to spasm.

"Ugh..." he groaned. "Ah... argh..."

Lucine was still quiet through her sleep, unaware of the lights from the village around her, unaware that she was safe in Callum’s arms. She was having a nightmare, but she would later be unable to remember what it was. Still, it didn’t stop her from twitching around every few seconds, her eyelids fluttering as though she was trying to wake herself. She would mutter things every once in a while, but they weren’t things that could be heard, and if one was to hear them, what the girl said would make no sense. It sounded as though it was in another language, however it was no language which was currently known.

She had been having nightmares every night for a while now. They started after Call was tortured by the clans, many moons ago, and at first they differed in their content, though they all ended the same way- Lucine sacrificing herself with the knife that Callum had given to her, the one which had belonged to his mother. She always woke up after that point, in a cold sweat, and every time she found herself feeling an urge, but never knowing what it was.

After a while, she had just stopped remembering the dreams, though they had gotten stranger as they continued on. She grunted a little in her sleep, shifting in Callum’s arms. She seemed to be deep in sleep.

She didn’t feel it as Callum slipped off Raven’s back, leaving her there alone with the wolf.

The inn which they had entered seemed cozey at first glance, yet it also seemed unnaturally clean. Chairs at tables were perfectly arranged, not one out of place, each table equal distance apart, in need rows. The counter at the back had a young girl sitting there, no older than 20, with blonde hair and a smile that was supposed to feel welcoming, but to some most likely didn’t feel real. People approached the counter, paid quickly, were given a key, and trekked upstairs. As the three entered, the girl looked up from where she was entering names in a large leather book and landed her gaze on Raven, her blue eyes following them through the room.

She watched the boy press himself up against the wall, looking as though he was going to have an attack. Her smile dimmed slightly, and she shook her head.

“No, that just won’t do.” she told herself, shutting her book and making her way over to them, hands folded in front of her.

“Is everything alright, sir?” she asked as she approached, tilting her blonde head, “I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to put your pet... and your wolf outside, we don’t allow them in here to dirty things up.” She tilted her head towards Raven and the vampire sleeping on the wolf’s back, twitching and muttering like a madwoman.

“Do you need me to take you to a physician, sir?” she asked, still remaining happy, though sounding a bit more strained.

Callum wasn't aware of the fact that there were other people around him as he continued to struggle for control of his arm. Another sensation started to blend with the other, paralyzing sensation, only adding to the panic he was experiencing. He felt as though something was slithering in his veins, inching up his arm, yet nothing was there. Or at least, he hoped there was nothing there. He couldn't see his afflicted arm thanks to the sleeve of his cloak.

Raven whined as his expression became contorted with pain, looking as though she was contemplating waking Lucine up. She even shifted a little in a very pathetic attempt to do so, only to stop a not even a couple seconds later. The fact that she could do nothing was what upset her the most. However, it wasn't doing anything to trigger her Forbidden Form, which was a relief. No one was hurting him. She didn't need to become a feral wolf in a place like this one.

The boy never noticed the blonde-haired girl behind the counter, squeezing his eyes tighter and gritting his teeth. His left hand finally shot towards his pained arm and grasped it tightly, trying to get it to move somehow. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move it. He already had an experience with paralysis, and it was not fun. Not having control of his body was something for him to fear. He wasn't fond of losing control over something he should have control of; that feeling happened to be very particular with him.

He heard a voice through his groans and opened his grey eye. He didn't respond as she asked him if he was alright, though, he did find himself offended at her next statement. You aren't talking about Raven when you say 'pet', are you... he thought, feeling anger rising. He took that moment to glance at Lucine, and immediately looked worried when he saw her twitching and heard her muttering. He lurched in her direction to get closer, to perhaps wake her up from the nightmare she was probably having, only to fall to the ground when his chest felt like it was burning.

He held himself up with one hand, unable to move the other. He didn't lift his head, his eyes remaining planted on the floor; both of them were open now. "She's my... girlfriend," he forced out through grit teeth, though, there wasn't an obvious emotional tone to his voice. He could've been angry, or frustrated, or even just stating it matter-of-factly, but it was hard to tell through the pain lacing that voice. In his mind, he was offended.

He heard the question about the physician, and immediately mustered the energy to shake his head, still panting. "N-No," he stammered, taking a particularly deep breath. "N... no... I'll b-be fine. I'll be-"

All of a sudden, he felt sweat begin to drench his forehead. His stomach was cramping, his heart was thumping painfully, and his throat began to close. Nothing but raw fear. It was a strange form of fear, in that it seemed to come out of nowhere, affecting his brain rather quickly. The worst part about it was that he had no idea as to what he was afraid of. He was just... afraid.

He began attempting to crawl towards the nearest corner, moving past the blonde girl, a confused Raven, and Lucine. Once he was close enough, he leaned against the wall as much as he could, remaining hunched on the floor. "N-No, no, I d-don't need to go," he whimpered. He would've been surprised at the fact that no tears were coming to his eyes if he wasn't so scared.

"I-I have to be fine, for her, I have t-to be fine. No, I c-can't be 'not fine', I can't, I can't..."

Raven whined again, ignoring the blonde woman who told her and Lucine to leave. She made a rumbling sound in her throat and was about to take one step closer, lifting a paw. Call happened to look over at her as soon as she tried. He was trying his damnedest to control his fear, to control himself, to keep his cool for his companion. He was always bad at this, and it wasn't just because he was a kid. He was always trying to get better at convincing people that he was fine... by the look of what was currently happening to him, he was making slow progress.