Catalysts: IC (Oh the thread is slowly dying...)

He kept rubbing then put the spare scales down. He laughed and thought of how he could scare off stupid cops with some scales left about. He smiled and looked into her eyes.

"Hey. You know you remind me of that gorgon from Greek mythology, Medusa. 'Cept she was supposedly ugly."

Steph looked down at her own shirt, a gothic version of Medusa printed on it. "I guess. Maybe I'm her distant daughter. Random freak of nature and all." She lay back on the bed, breathing deeply. "I've been able to turn some parts of people to stone at will, although it wears off after a few days. Guess I'm more of a shadow of the real one."

He shrugged and shook his head thinking of how to put it. He sighed and looked at her, grabbing a seed off a plant.

"Well, you're not. And you're not exactly random, nor a freak y'know...?"

He put the seed into the ground and focused his energy into it, making it germinate within seconds and bloom into a flower. Then shortly after, he took the energy back, making it wilt suddenly.

"See...? I'm a freak."

Aeron turned his head upon hearing the loud shout. He gave a kind of confused look and retracted his bones. There was a short moment where his entire flesh hung loosely before it began to repair itself with new scars. It was always a bizarre moment for Aeron. He felt so... Exposed would probably be the proper word. He began to walk towards the person who had yelled as his flesh repaired itself slowly.

Steph watched his little demonstration. "I don't really see how that's freakish..." She closed her eyes again. Might as well tell him. "When I hit puberty, my snakes came to life, along with my powers. One thing I haven't told anyone..." She took a sharp breath, looking around to make sure no-one was nearby. Lowering her voice to a whisper, she leaned closer. "I turn into a full gorgon at night, which... kinda makes mornings awkward when I'm around people. I think I am more freakish, okay?"

"I don't care if you think you're freakish, I think you're fine. One of the better people I know. Few people are all that great..."

He leaned forward and hugged her to give her some sense of support, to show that he wasn't going to judge. He realized he was being awkward, and thusly KEPT the hug so as not to show his blushing face.

Nox stared wildly. This was freaky. He slowly walked towards this new catalyst and brushed his fingers over him. "Sorry," he explained, "just checking if you're real." Until the visions stopped he would trust nothing. No one. Even then, a voice seemed to whisper in his ear: "Andras..."

Steph sat there as he hugged her. From the corner of her eye she felt something trickle down. A hug, something she hadn't really experienced until now. "Uhm..." She slowly hugged him back, rather clueless as to what she was meant to do.

"Why wouldn't I be real?" Aeron stared confused. "Who are you anyway?" He asked suspiciously. "Shouting things and walking over to me all crazy eyed, asking if I'm real. Are you high or something?"

"Oh, of course. Nox is here, too." Winter flung her hands up in the air. "Why is it that I seem to keep running into you people at every bloody turn..." The fact that Winter was one of said 'bloody people' did not seem to register on her.

However, she composed herself with a sigh and offered a hand to the formerly freakish figure - retracting said hand, and quickly replacing it with the rabbit-free limb - and greeted the man. "Hello. I'm Bloom. May as well introduce yourself, if you're a catalyst we're bloody bound to meet again what with how things have been going."

Nox turned to Bloom. "Fancy meeting you here." He then returned his gaze to bone dude. "I'm seeing scary shit recently." And damn right he was. He didn't want to be alone again. That would be hellish.

He kept the hug up for what felt like awhile. He could tell this was only getting more awkward but couldn't let go; he needed some excuse.. A sound... A movement.. Anything.

"Okay so, you're high." Aeron immediately pinned, even if it wasn't strictly true. He pivoted and grabbed Blooms hand. "Nice to meet you, my name is Aeron, yay introductions are over, we can all get on with our lives!" Aeron rushed through all these statements before turning to leave.

Steph shifted her eyes sideways as her snakes began to slide around his neck. Her eyes began flicking quickly, motioning for them to stop. Ignoring her as usual, she felt them begin to entwine their necks together. Keeping her voice at its absolute minimum, she tried to warn them off. "Seriously, stop it!"

"I... What?"

By this time, Winter should not have been shocked by all the weird, eccentric, odd, queer, and eldritch sort of people that she had recently begun to meet.

But dammit if she didn't leave her hand hanging in mid-air with the most confounded of expressions. "I. Um. I suppose I'll see you around, then."

Nox suddenly started. They were soon to leave. That would go badly. Tears stung his eyes. "Please don't leave," he said. He was safe with people. Alone he could be hurt by the hallucinations. God forbid he have to roam the insane streets all day.

He looked slightly as the snakes moved and calmed himself, feeling them wrap around his neck. This was by far one of his oddest experiences, though it was somewhat comforting. Even her hair, which apparently had a mind of its own, took a liking to him; that was good.

"Don't count on it!" Aeron exclaimed as he trudged his way down the long street. It was sort of humorous actually. It was like the scene out of a movie where the hero is running and running and doesn't seem to be getting closer, except it was backwards. Aeron was walking and walking and wasn't really getting any further away. He hadn't really gotten that far when he heard Nox's plea. He sighed. He supposed he really shouldn't leave a drugged man in the middle of the street in the abandoned city with a random girl he just met. he turned around and went back.

"Okay, not leaving."

"And, I'm not high. I've been seeing shit since last night. Bloom will vouch for me." His pupils suddenly dilated as far as they possibly could. "I see it. In the ruins. Two glowing orange eyes." His voice was quivering in sheer terror. He sat down on the ground, curled up, and began to rock back and forth.

"Nox, man, you alright?" Winter tilted her head before sighing.

She turned to address both Nox and Aeron. "Look. We all seem to be... Well..."

And this particular approach having failed, Winter tried again. "Nox, I think you need to come with me. You don't look so hot, man. And Aeron... I suppose I don't really know a lot about you, but you're welcome to stay in... well... it's really more of a one-person hovel with about four other people stuffed in if all of..."

She frowned. "Hmm. This isn't working out like I thought it would. THE POINT IS, there are bound to be police about and we all need to get off of the streets as soon as possible. Whether or not you come with us is your call, mate."

"I suppose I don't really have anywhere better to go." Aeron shrugged. He leaned up to Blooms ear and whispered "I still think that guy is high though. What was his name? Nox was it?" Aeron patted Nox on the back and said "Alright buddy, we're gonna get you some rehab right quick."

"I... Yes, yes... Nox it is."

I think everyone I meet is more creepy than the last.

No longer caring who followed her or who did not, but only wanting to be back in a familiar place - even if a quartet of other catalysts were packed in like sardines - Winter set off down the alleys at a brisk pace.

Steph finally convinced her snakes to release their coiling around his neck. Leaning back, she turned her head away for a moment. "Sorry, they have a mind of their own. I've never been hugged before... I hope that didn't make you uncomfortable."

"N-no, it was uhm.. Rather nice feeling actually. Kinda like having smooth snakeskin rubbed down my neck.. Well, I guess that IS what happened but the point here is, I really didn't mind.."

Steph stood up, walking around the shelter for a moment. "Look, I just lost my parents, everything's gone straight to hell, and we only met like a few hours ago. I have NO social experience whatsoever, so this is rather, uncomfortable at the moment."