The Trio [Adaryn Monroe Eloise]

[emilybuj]

Eloise shrugged, and sighed. She had known that about her roommate too. She could obviously tell a lot about a person from their thoughts, and now as Eloise considered it more and more she was realizing she should have known that Adaryn was hiding something. El usually tried so hard not to pry that she never intervened when a friend was in distress, in fear that they would lash out because she intruded upon their personal thoughts.

"You know..." Ella said, "I still don't entirely know what's going on. So maybe you should go out and talk to her. See if you can bring her back in here. Stay emotionally static though, she's trying not to cause every girl on this floor to burst into hysterics," Eloise explained. "Not that it should be too hard in your overly sleep deprived state." It was just another reason Monroe should talk to her. It would be easier for him to not get angry or upset. Ella was bad at controlling her emotions. As much as she wanted to go right then and get the full story, she knew she'd get a full explanation eventually. She wanted to hear what Adaryn had to say too.

[Admin Sydnee]

Monroe sighed. "It's hard to explain, El. Really hard to explain. Especially when Adaryn doesn't want to talk about it, but...it wasn't like I just fell into a normal nightmare. I know the typical nightmares. This one was different. It started out as a normal dream...and then it turned dark. This...this Cain person...I don't think he's just a part of some dream." Honestly, he still wasn't really sure what to make of it all, but he knew that it was hard for someone to understand when he hadn't been there.

He looked at the door. "I guess I should go talk to her, huh?" He shot a small smile at Eloise. "I'm always emotionally stable," he said with a wink before walking towards the door after tossing his cup of coffee into a nearby trash can. He'd nearly finished it off. "Is sleep deprived my only identifier?" he joked, knowing he had to be slightly more serious if he was going to coax Adaryn back into the room. That and he didn't want to upset her.

"I'll be back," he told her before walking out the door and into the hallway. Eloise had said she wasn't very far and he'd only turned a corner when he found her.

"Look," he began, his voice soft, as usual. "I'm sorry. I just...I think Eloise can help and I know...I know that you don't want to drag anybody into....this, but....my power already did. And now I just want to help you."

[Lux]

Adaryn heard the echo of boots hitting tile floor and the overwhelming sense of exhaustion coming down the hallway. She knew exactly who it was, and she was actually a bit surprised to see Monroe when he turned the corner. She had expected to see Eloise. As soon as he reached her, he was apologizing in a hushed tone, and there was a part of her who wanted to ignore him, but there was also a side who was glad he apologized. Adaryn knew she didn't want to ignore him because she had given him enough of the silent treatment in the room. Ella knew she had dreams now and Monroe figured out she was dreaming of Cain again. What was the point?

"Well, that wasn't the way to tell her. You called me stubborn. I wasnt being stubborn Monroe, I was trying to keep you out of harms way." It came out much harsher then she had been expecting and she regretted speaking at al now. She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on her knees.

[Admin Sydnee]

Monroe knew that Adaryn had to know he was coming even before he reached her. She had to. He felt like an ass, to put it simply. He normally didn't act so impulsively like that. It wasn't in his nature, but when it came to someone's safety and he happened to be sleep deprived, he tended to panic.

She didn't even look up at him, but he figured at least he got a response. "I know. I panicked. I'm worried about you, Adaryn and I...I think someone was following me earlier. I just...things have been weird since that nightmare of yours and I want to get to the bottom of it. You don't have to keep me out of harm's way. That's not your responsibility. And maybe I want to keep you out of harm's way." He realized how that sounded the moment it came out of his mouth, mostly it sounded like he was trying to act like some brave knight. The idea was ridiculous. He moved up against the wall and slid down to sit next to Adaryn. "I just want to help."

[Lux]

Adaryn looked over at the boy beside her, careful to not make eye contact. It still made her uncomfortable looking people in the eye. It made her feel as if they could see through everything, as if they could see into her. Her mother always told her she had very expressive eyes, and at times like these, she wished she didn't.

"You barely even know me Monroe..." She said. Maybe three weeks they have officially known each other, maybe less, and even then they only met two to three times. He knew nothing about Adaryn, and she knew nothing about him. "I mean, we only had a real conversation maybe twice." She wasn't keeping count.

During her confusion as to why Monroe was even bothering with her, she had not picked up on his confession that something was following him. "What makes me so worth saving to you?" She asked. In all honesty, Adaryn wasn't expecting anything heart felt, just maybe something about revenge. She waited patiently for a reply, her chin resting on her knees. She wasn't going anywhere soon, anyway.

[Admin Sydnee]

Monroe knew that he barely knew her, that they'd only talked a few times, but that dream...that nightmare they had endured together, he felt like it tied him to Adaryn in some way. "Look, I get that we don't know each other well, but...even if I do want to get to know you, you won't let me." He stared at the wall as he spoke, leaning his head against the wall behind him. "I know it sounds ridiculous, but...ever since that nightmare I walked in, I...I just can't leave you to be burdened. I'm not saying you need to be my best friend, that you need to trust me. I'm just...." he trailed off, losing sight of what he was going to say.

He finally looked over at her, his eyes settling on her, wanting her to turn and look at him, just once. "What makes you not worth saving?" he replied with a question of his own.

Adaryn made it seem as if he was following her around when his presence wasn't wanted. It sort of stung a little, especially since he thought he'd made a friend, but he also didn't want to upset her. Eloise had even warned him not to. He suddenly wished she was out here, because he wasn't sure what to do or say next. He just couldn't understand why Adaryn didn't think she was worth of saving.

[Lux]

"I am a burden on the life of anyone who accepts me." Adaryn said simply. She wasn't trying to act like this to receive pity. She was saying what she felt was true. Adaryn knew that she wasn't the most honest that she could be, but he wanted an answer, and she could feel he was hurt in an emotional way. Was that because of me? She felt a stab of guilt in the pit of her stomach.

Adaryn felt she needed to address his question first before she even responded to anything else he had said. It was easier that way. "Look, Monroe... It isn't that I don't want to get to know you. It's just-" She took a deep breath. "I am no good with this whole 'making friends' situation. I-I don't know how to open up... and I know it pains the people who care in any way for me to see me completely shut off and shut down..." Adaryn said.

"I-I promise I won't push you away. I will... let you help me. I guess you will learn how to handle me later, or maybe you won't. But just don't do stuff like that. One, it is embarrassing. Two, it scares me when people know about...him. Because that means he might start showing up for them too..."

This was the riskiest thing she has ever done, and she had a feeling that one day, she might regret it. Standing up, she looked down at Monroe "You said you had a meeting?" Adaryn said awkwardly. "Well, uhm, should we attend?"

[Admin Sydnee]

Monroe was nodding at her. "It's okay, you don't have to explain yourself so much. I get it. You're scared and you don't know how to go about making friends, because your power doesn't usually allow you to, but it's not like I'm any more normal than you," he told her. "I mean, I frequent other people's dreams whether I want to or not. You wouldn't believe what I've seen and the things I wish I could unsee." He chuckled a little, looking over at her and nudged her lightly. "I know that you're afraid of putting others in danger and maybe I shouldn't have just blurted everything out to Eloise, but....I'm afraid of what that danger means for you." He nodded firmly. "I think I got it though. I'll try to be less rash." He knew he needed sleep and that was part of the problem. No matter how much he thought he was used to living like this, he really wasn't. It took a toll on him, not that he'd really admit it.

He stood up as well and met her gaze. "Probably. We are keeping El waiting and she's confused as hell." As he offered her a small smile, he knew that he didn't know her, not yet. He knew they were still basically strangers, but he also knew that they were bound together now, all because of that nightmare, because they'd been in the library at the same time. And he really just wanted to give Adaryn someone to count on.

[Lux]

"She probably is," Adaryn admitted, returning the smile Monroe offered with a smile smile of her own. She had to look up at him though since he was half a foot taller than she was. Another reason why she wasn't comfortable around men; They made her feel small and inferior. Monroe still made her feel a bit on edge with the dark rings under his eyes, his size, and his clothing choice, there was still something about him that said 'Hey, you can trust me.' She didn't quite trust him yet, but there was still time. Hopefully.

"But you know, she has probably been listening in to our thoughts to see if we were 'getting along'. " Eloise knew Adaryn wasn't one for violence, but she did know that when Adaryn got mad, she could do some pretty stupid things. Ella always seemed to catch her when she was and tried to cheer her up in some way. She was probably doing that same thing now, just to be safe.

It took maybe fifteen seconds to actually reach the room from where they sat and talked, and when she opened the door, she immediately saw Eloise. 'Pretty sure you heard, but he apologized.' She thought, glancing up at Monroe before making her way over to her bed. The only thing she is dreading now is explaining her experiences with Cain from the past few nights. He seemed to be in a worse mood than usual, torturing her longer. Luckily she doesn't get scars from these dreams, because if she had, there would have been many questions. Tightening her cardigan around her, feeling to make sure sleeves were covering her arms, she waited for this 'so-called' meeting to start because she wasn't going to start it, no matter what anybody told her.

[Admin Sydnee]

Monroe offered her a small smile as they made their way down the hallway. He wasn't sure what else to do. Was she intimidated by him? People usually were. Maybe it was something about his height or the way he dressed, but really, Monroe didn't understand their reasoning. How could he possibly seem dangerous? He was just some sleep deprived, coffee-addicted guy with an affinity for the color black. That was all.

He didn't know how to make Adaryn trust him, so he didn't say anything more until they returned back to the room to see Eloise. "Sorry it took so long, El. I was trying to undo the damage I caused." He took a deep breath and sat back down in the chair where he'd been sitting before. "Let the meeting began," he announced, his eyes shifting over to Adaryn who was pulling on her cardigan nervously. He felt bad putting her through this. But they couldn't ignore what was happening, it could be really dangerous. And even if Adaryn was willing to let herself struggle through it alone, Monroe wasn't about to let her.

[emilybuj]

Eloise smiled as the two reentered the room. She knew that it would be smart to send Monroe out there. Ironically, Ella hadn't been listening in. She could tell they were talking, but that's pretty much it. Still too many thoughts around for her to hone in on those two alone, even if she wanted to. Ella didn't like invading privacy if she could help it. But that was too much to explain to them as they entered the room believing she had been listening the whole time. She just nodded to Adaryn and Monroe in turn and climbed to sit up on her desk.

"Well now that that's taken care of..." Ella said stretching her arms a bit, "Somebody tell me who the hell this Cain guy is." She had only just then heard Adaryn think the name. And say something about scars she didn't have and being thankful she didn't have them when she wok up. It seriously concerned El but she figured that Adaryn wouldn't appreciate being called out on it, and Monroe had only just then gotten he back into the room. Ella didn't want to chase her away again. She was growing more concerned with every thought or statement coming from the other two. She had understood it was serious, but still didn't understand the danger. Only now was she starting to feel like they would all be getting into some.

[Lux]

So Eloise was very curious as to what was actually going on, and Adaryn was scared to start talking, but if she didn't, Monroe would. "Well..." Adaryn glanced at Monroe, locking eyes before tearing away to look back at Ella. "Cain is the guy who keeps coming into my dreams and... killing me." That was the basic gist of it, and she wanted to get that out before she continued.

"It has... been happening since I have gotten to Veritas. So about the beginning of the school year. But one day I fell asleep in the library and that is where Monroe comes in. I didn't see him first, and the dream was actually nice at first. I saw him and he walked away. I thought I was just seeing something, and that was when the screaming started." She shuddered, thinking about that dream in vivid detail. It wasn't something she wanted to relive.

"That is how all the dreams start. A blood curdling scream that echoes through wherever I am. The setting is always different but the outcome is always the same. He sort of comes in this purple mist... and his face isn't always covered. He has dark eyebrows, slim face... very squared off jaw... It is as if he doesn't mind being seen." Adaryn paused again, looking to Monroe for some sort of comfort. It was scaring her just thinking about him, as if he could just suddenly appear. "And he always says the same thing before he drives a knife into my stomach and twists... A power like yours should never exist. Then I wake up dry heaving for a while, with a huge pain in my stomach. It is horrible..." Her eyes traveled across the room, trying to avoid Eloise's gaze. Was it getting hot in here? Why did the room feel as if it were getting smaller. She made a guttural sounding noise before burying her head in her knees. Too much... she thought. Too much...

[Admin Sydnee]

Monroe let his tired gaze shift to Adaryn, hoping she would explain. He knew how hard it would be for her to actually talk about it, but it was important. If Adaryn was going to face this, she wasn't going to alone and he had a feeling that Eloise would be too stubborn not to help. Adaryn may not want to drag anybody else into it, but they wanted to help her.

Her eyes settled on his every once in a while as she spoke and he encouraged her to continue on, giving her a look of reassurance. Memories flooded back of the nightmare as she talked about it and he found himself reaching up to touch the scar on his face, remembering the sharp point of the dagger as it sliced his skin.

At the end she buried her head in her knees, unable to face them and Monroe found himself getting up from where he sat on the chair and walking over to sit down on the edge of the bed with her. He wondered if his actions would be accepted as he gingerly put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it's alright. I...thank you for speaking up," he told her softly, looking up to Eloise for some sort of direction.

[emilybuj]

Eloise could FEEL it get harder and harder for Adaryn to talk about it. She felt bad for making her go through the memories, but unfortunately if Ella was ever going to understand and be able to help she was going to have to hear it. The noise that Adaryn made when she was done talking pretty much summed up how they were all feeling. Ella could tell that Monroe was just as uncomfortable reliving the memory as Adaryn, and their thoughts on the matter made Ella feel quite uncomfortable as well.

She swallowed hard and thought. If it weren't for the scar on Monroe's face, it could have just been any reoccurring nightmare. But there was something too real about what was happening , apparently. Eloise hopped down from her desk, and sat on the other side of Adaryn, rubbing her back a little to try and calm her. Too much she kept thinking. Ella wish there was anything she could say to make her feel instantaneously better, but she knew that wasn't going to be the case.

"So what could we possibly do about this?" Eloise asked, clearly stumped by the situation, but hoping that Monroe had some sort of idea seeing as he was the one who called the meeting. She knew Adaryn would want them to stay out of it, but both El and Monroe would refuse to let the girl suffer that way.

[Lux]

Everyone was touching her, and all she could feel was pity. It was nauseating trying to manage the emotions. The rubbing Eloise was doing was calming her slightly, but not enough. She shrugged Monroe and Eloise off of her and stood up, trying to breath normally again. "I-I'm sorry but your pity is suffocating. I understand you guys want to help but please learn to control your emotions." She closed her eyes and chanted in her head, and after a moment, her mood lightened.

"One of the only perks of having the power I do. Sometimes it lets me use it on myself." Adaryn attempted a smile, and it came out weak, like most of her smiles do, but it was a smile. The room seemed to space out and the air became lighter again. She gave a sigh of relief and sat down on Eloise's bed instead.

"So I told Eloise what happened, now what do you suggest we do Monroe? Because I have no way to figure out how we can do anything about him. We can't hurt him, I already tried." She placed her hand on her stomach, gulping. "It always ends up with a knife in my stomach. And now I know that Monroe can get hurt too. How can we do anything without fearing for him?"