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It's a sweltering early evening in Philly, the newly darkened sky doing nothing to ease the heat that lays over the city like a wet blanket. Calamity's found some relief in Amalgam Comics and Coffeehouse, and is curled up on one of the window seats with a stack of comics next to them. Their sweatshirt is on, but unzipped, the sleeves pushed up, and they have some sort of pink and purple milkshake monstrosity that they sip from occasionally. Deeply invested in whatever they're reading, clearly, they barely twitch when the bell over the door rings.
That bell rings to suggest a new player's entered the battlefield. This one's wearing a plain linen zip up over a muscle shirt and some joggers. Headphone in one ear as he slips inside with a small sigh of relief. Totally keeping his head down as he 'sneaks' around to grab towards a shelf where Calamity is, bumping lightly into the booth with a little stumble and murmured "Sorry."
The stumble and the bump makes Calamity look up, eyes narrowed in mild annoyance at the interruption. A second later they huff, and their eyes narrow still more. "...See you found the only decent place to get comics here..."
It took a moment before Qadir seemed to register that there were words at him, hands sliding off of the issue of W+D that he'd started for. When he looked back, he looked then around as if gauging if anyone else could be there. Then he slid into the space. "... Guess I did. What're you doing here?"
Calamity tucks their legs further under themself, curling up in the window seat enough to not touch Qadir even a little bit. "Fuckin' reading comics, dude." They gesture to the stack next to them, like it's obvious. You know. For Calamity, known Hater Of Reading, to be spending time here.
"Guess that changes too," comments Qadir before pausing as if gauging his next words. "Sorry, uh, about last time. That was weird, right?"
"...Shit changes. Yeah. 'S fuckin' dangerous to pull that shit in public, you know." Calamity takes one last look at the graphic novel they have in their hands before sighing and closing it. Giving into the fact that this is apparently gonna be a Conversation.
"... Pull what shit?" asks Qadir slowly and painfully obviously knowing well what shit.
Calamity just raises their eyebrows and slurps their milkshake. Sluuuurp.
"The shit that's all over the goddamn internet, now. Y'wanna walk and talk, 'stead'a blabbing in here? Maybe keep you from going viral again..."
Qadir's eyes narrowed, but he did stand up and gesture off as if a lead the way sort of gesture.
It's not often that one sees Calamity take care, but they sure are gentle as they slide the graphic novel, and a few other single issues, into their backpack. Then they lope out of the place without looking back to see if Qadir's joining them, and pull a pack of cigarettes from their sweatshirt pocket the minute they get outside.
The heat is oppressive, their curls start to wilt almost immediately, and they wrinkle their nose as they choose a direction to walk in. Probably randomly.
"So how'd you figure out the whole psychic thing?" They ask around their cigarrette after it's lit. They don't offer him one.
"... I didn't," says Qadir as they lower the hood after a moment, looking oh-so-fine still. "How do you know?"
"How do I know what?" Calamity looks at them, then away. "You make shit fly around. An'...mmph." They close their mouth with a grimace.
"And... mmph?" presses Qadir as they start moving. "What happened with all of this? How's it work?"
"We...gotta few people in common, I guess. Told me a little more about you." Calamity wraps their arms around themself as they say it, looking a little guilty. "What d'you mean, how's it work?"
"... You clearly know something. I just don't know what you heard, or who you heard it from," says Qadir as he looks around. "I didn't... know."
"...What d'you mean you didn't know?" Calamity keeps their voice down, but gives Qadir a piercing look. "Didn't know you could do...that?" They wave their hand.
"Really... any of it. It's... new. What did you hear?"
"That it's all new. You got like...vampire shit, but not. An'...you found my fuckin' best friend to talk to about it." Calamity sounds a little bitter, and they take a long drag of their cigarette.
"... Since you knew more than like a few hours, guess I know who spilled." Qadir rubs his elbow. "I'd... are you... you know, grr argh?"
"Nah." They huff in amusement. "You know how I always liked fire? Turns out it's 'cause I got..." they twiddle their fingers, as if to indicate magic. "I..." There's a pause. "You 'member that time I got detention 'cause Mason Eisley an' Carter Frakes cornered me an' said I attacked 'em with a lighter, but they never did it again? Think it started then."
"Maybe... it starts with violence," says Qadir quietly. He crosses his arms over his chest. "I... got mugged. Ended up in the hospital. After that... this started."
"Dunno." Calamity shrugs. "Had'ta defend myself - still got beat to shit, but they didn't burn me like they wanted to. Don't burn me at all anymore. When'd you get mugged?"
"Couple weeks back. Getting closer to two months." Another look around. "I felt... awful. Nearly died, I think, but after the hospital, I mostly got it under control." The tone's coming across particularly flat. "Now... I don't think they'd do that again."
"Fuckers," Calamity growls. "You uh...want me to ask around 'bout it, might be able'ta..." they trail off, letting Qadir imagine what might happen if Calamity looks into things. "What...can you do? 'Sides make shit float?"
"That's not enough?" The cagey one's head seems permanently on swivel. "It seems to have, uh, changed me. Made me... stronger. Better looking."
"What can you do?"
Calamity ducks into an alley in response, reaching out to take Qadir's sleeve. Or his wrist. An unconscious, familiar gesture.
Once they're out of view of the main street, Calamity...pulls a lighter from their pocket. A beat up metal zippo, the kind that stays lit. They flick it open and stare at the tiny flame, unblinking.
A breath, and a grin, and the tiny flame grows, twining around itself like a rope, floating into the air around the pyromancer. A moment later Calamity reaches out to grab the flame-rope, and it wraps around their hand, licking at their fingers without burning.
And then they flick the lighter shut and make a fist, and the fire disappears.
"I...prob'ly should'a asked if you were 'fraid of fire. Sorry." They look more proud than ashamed.
Qadir rubbed his hands together, looking over the other as he considered. "You're like... Firestarter to my Carrie. Or more like Pyro to my Jean Grey." He grins hesitantly. "I don't... exactly know what I can do. I'm still trying to push the limits."
"...So we're enemies, then?" Calamity raises their eyebrows, and then their green eyes widen. "You - you can't tell anyone i showed you this. Not - not anyone." There's a tinge of fear in their voice. "Not even other people who say they're psychic, or vampires, or what the fuck ever. No one."
"... Then you need to keep my secret," bargains Qadir. "I didn't... I don't tell anyone things like that now." He looked over to the other wall. How interesting it is...
"'Course I will. Always kept your secrets," Calamity scoffs. "Said you didn't tell people shit then, too." They lean against the wall and drag their spent cigarette across the brick before shoving it back into the pack.
"Do you really think that worked out for me?" snaps Qadir as his knuckles went white, grip hard on his arms. He glared at Cal. "What do you think happened on my end, huh?"
"I don't fuckin' know, I had to leave. Had nowhere to go, 'cept the goddamn street. An' I ended up there, anyway." Calamity glares right back. "You prob'ly did your penance an' pretended it didn't mean nothin', pretended you were 'reformed', an' finished school."
"Because my first generation immigrant Moroccan dad really went along with your son kissed a boy. I was young. I didn't think about it. I thought my mom... but no. She was worse. I had to purify..." Qadir shakes his head, stepping back to press against the wall. "Whatever. I can't compare. I had a roof over my head. One where I didn't have freedom or expression. I got out, and I put myself through college."
"Yeah, 'cause sleepin' rough's 'freedom'," Calamity mutters and crosses their arms. "Findin' people who don't care enough about me to care about who I kiss's 'expression.' You could'a left with me."
Qadir takes a few breaths. "You remember Fatima? My older sister?" He only gives a faux-pause. "That makes you and me both. She's gone. No one even acknowledges she ever existed. She's been pointedly removed from all pictures just by cutting her out. Just ignoring anything with her name. I don't expect my leaving would've worked any better."
"So you'd rather keep those ties 'cause...why?" Calamity lights another cigarette.
"Because I didn't want to die," spits Qadir venomously.
That makes Calamity jerk back a little. "How'd you've died if you just fuckin' up and left?"
"How the fuck do you think I was supposed to do that? What fucking part of my life would you prefer to puppet? Why would I assume you wanted to fucking go together after all the shit you said? You made it pretty damn clear you didn't want to see me again," snaps Qadir. "I was a fucking teenager who made the wrong comment to his mom. Guess what? I suffered for it. I'm sorry I fucking hurt you, but you don't get to fucking treat me like this any more."
Eyes closed momentarily to take three slow, hard breaths through his nose.
"I didn't get a choice." Calamity's voice cracks. "You fuckin' took that choice away from me. An' I didn't wanna see you again." They spit the words out, their hands balling into fists. "You ruined my life."
"Your life is your own to ruin," says Qadir in a much more even tone as he pushes off the wall. "Terrible things happen every day. If you choose to let someone else's actions define your future, that's your choice."
Calamity lets out an incredulous laugh. "What d'you call the past six years, huh? Sure as hell feels like 'someone else's actions' got me here. Shit I've done since's just me tryin'ta claw my way out. My folks shoved that responsibility on me - take some'a your own damn responsibility for that. 'Cause it wouldn'ta happened otherwise."
"That was their choice, and it continues to be your choice to be a victim. You can own your life and deal with what comes for you." Qadir waves a hand before throwing his hood up. "Like me owning that I don't have to deal with this. You're still fixated on the past. I'm trying to deal with my present and not let the fuck ups of the past destroy me. So if you'll excuse me."
"This is me owning my life. Look where it's fuckin' got me. Fuck you, Qadir." Calamity spits at his feet and turns in the other direction to leave.
"You wish," grumbles the psyvamp on the other direction...
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