MASKTOURN

Kallum had returned with his mask. He kept having to touch it, reset it, put it right- right, because it didn't feel right, not to wear or have. Masks. Hated them. He grimaced at the people, the amount of them, and squirmed to the sides to avoid those who had tried to know him. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

After parting from Darcy, Kal made his way to the edge of the crowd to take a little break from dancing. He spotted someone hanging off on their own, seeming a bit antsy? Kal wasn’t sure, but he recognized a chance to make a friend! He approached Kallum and grinned. “What’s up, man? You liking the party?” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Kallum jumped as another stranger walked over to him- not afraid- he backed up. "What do you want?" He spat, glaring through the mask. Putting his hand where it mattered- his neck- and keeping his gaze stuck on Kal, he propped his mask up with his elbow. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Whoa there, bud, I’m just sayin’ hi,” Kal chuckled and held up his hands. “Just walking around, meeting people, saying hi, dancing- The usual. Just wanted to check and see if you were having a good time.” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

"I'm not," Kallum retorted with a scowl. "You people- you keep coming up and talking to me. Seeking me out. Do you know me too?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“You aren’t? Oh man, is there anythin’ I can do to make it a bit better? Get you something to eat or drink? Dance it up with you? Make some jokes? I got, like, at least three good jokes.” Kal shook his head. “Nope, I don’t know you, but you can know me! I’m Kal, it’s great to meet you!” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Kallum did not like this strange, chatty guy. He kept glaring. "No. No!" That was paired with a dark, angry- nothing more- blush. "No..." But the name- "Liar. That's my name- Kallum. Not Kal- but Kal's a shorter version so- you're lying." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Are you sure? My jokes are decent- Here, lemme lay one on you. Why did the skeleton go to the doctor’s?” Kal lit up with a bright smile. “No way! Your name’s Kal, too? Kallum? That’s awesome! See, I’m not named Kallum, I’m Kal for Kalel. So, we’re different Kals, but still Kal- Kal Pals!” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Kallum stared blankly at the joke, and his face took on an expression of disdain as Kal brightened. "My name's not Kal- that's not a real name- no." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Kal decided to finish the joke anyways. “Because he was coffin- Get it? Because he was coughing, but coughin’?” He slapped his knee. A real knee-slapper. “Kal Pals can be our duo nickname. But you’re still Kallum, I’m just Kal.” Kal nodded. It made sense. @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Kallum didn't find the joke funny. "They're different words- don't do that." He tensed his shoulders defensively at the knee slap. He tugged his clothes up above his neck again. "We're not friends." It did not make sense. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

"Yeah, that one's kinda a hit or miss. It's one of my better jokes- I'm not a big jokey person. Not the best with words. I just recently learned how to read, actually." Kal hummed. "We don't gotta be friends, but we could just be chill!" Kal grinned. "Kal Pals lives on." @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

"What- you don't know how to read?" Kallum knew how to read- read words, signs, patterns, he had to read better now. "Why don't you know how to read?" He did not like Kal Pals but he was more focused on the not being able to read part of whatever Kal was saying. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Yeah, words are hard, but I’m much better at it now! One of my best friends helped me learn how to read. It’s still a bit hard sometimes, though.” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Kallum just stared blankly at Kal. Unamused. "Why don't you know how to read?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“I know how to read now,” Kal laughed. “But I didn’t before! I didn’t really have the chance to go to school growing up, and my mom tried to teach me, but I was kinda a mess.” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Kallum averted his gaze. Mattias- his father- still his father, Mattias had taught him too and it had worked- because Mattias was a good teacher- Mattias was good- and Kallum- well, he was supposed to be taught- supposed to be good at what Mattias taught. He was good at it. But he wasn't it anymore. "Your mother was a bad teacher then." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“I mean, I guess you could look at things that way,” Kal glanced back out into the crowd. “But, y’know, growing up dirt poor, you do the best you can. She did manage to teach me some stuff- Which is impressive as hell because it turns out, I’m dyslexic! I had no idea until one of my besties told me. Crazy, right?” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Kallum just stared and stared at Kal- so many words, all of them useless. And so much nonsense. "Dyslexic? That's not a real word." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Right? It doesn’t even sound like a real word,” Kal laughed. “It looks even more fake when it’s written down. Dyslexic. Crazy.” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

That wasn't what Kallum meant at all. This guy was weird. And stupid. "You made it up," he reiterated to be more clear. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Nah, I didn’t,” Kal chuckled. “I’m not creative enough to make a whole word up.” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Kallum furrowed his brows. None of this made sense- the word, the man in front of him, people knowing him- none of this made sense. Nothing made sense anymore. "What do you want?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“I wanna ask whoever made the word ‘dyslexic’ why they spelled it that way,” Kal spoke, still on the topic of dyslexia. “Because I already have enough trouble reading, and they go and make the word complicated? Why?” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

"No-" Kallum tried to interrupt, to no avail. Kal just liked talking too much- and Kallum didn't like listening. "Ask yourself," he grumbled, shrugging his shoulders around his neck and chin like a tortoise- defence- self defence- "Why are you here?!" He snapped, anger risen in- returned to his voice. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Oh, same as you,” Kal said. “The fire person came and asked me if I would come to the tournament. I didn’t really say yeah, I just dumped my water bottle on them and got teleported here.” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Kallum stewed as Kal's answer was entirely wrong- everything about him was wrong, how could someone be this- "NO!" Though it was supposed to interrupt Kal, he inadvertently had at least given Kal the time to finish his answer. "Why are you here?" He angrily waved his hand in the space between the two of them, whipping the air. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Oh!” It finally clicked. Kal laughed. “Remember? I just saw you and wanted to see if you were doing okay!” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭 (edited)

"You made it worse! With your- stupid fake words and- and-" Kallum fumbled for more, actual reasons. "I didn't- want you to talk to me! I don't want anyone to talk to me! So just leave!" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Oh snap- Sorry if I ruined things,” Kal apologized. “I just wanted to be buds. You know, Kal Pals.” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

"I don't do- I don't have friends. I don't want them- shut up! Shut up!" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Okay, okay,” Kal nodded. “Shutting up.” He made the motion of zipping his mouth shut and throwing away the key. @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Kallum just. Stared. "What was that?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Kal tilted his head. He wasn’t supposed to be talking. Mixed messages were making his brain hurt. @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Kallum's eyes flashed with fire. "Stop- looking like that- what did you do?!" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Kal pretended to use the Force to grab the key back. He unzipped his lips. “I pretended to zip my mouth shut, like how you zip up a hoodie? And then, I locked up my mouth and threw away an imaginary key. So that way, I wouldn’t talk anymore.” Kal explained. @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Kallum flinched at Kal's strange motions that he had no sense for. "What- why- a hoodie?" Kal just kept saying the strangest things- like- no, not him- not him- not the neck- Kallum dug himself out of the hole by staring at Kal, who looked nothing like- shut up- "You're stupid." He'd say that to him as well. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Well- Hoodies have zippers. I can’t think of anything else that has zippers. Pants? Yeah, pants have zippers,” Kal nodded. “But yeah, I know. I’m not the smartest guy around.” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Kallum didn't want to think about hoodies- he didn't have one, so Kal was just being useless again. "You're not," he reiterated. stepping away. Safer. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Nah, I’m really not.” Kal paused. “.. Do you want me to talk more? Or should I stop talking again?” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Kallum didn't reply. Just glared- Kal looked different to him- no threat- too stupid- but he'd been stupid, didn't understand either. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Kal still looked relatively confused. He didn’t replicate zipping his mouth shut again, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he bounced a bit to the music. Good tunes. @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

"Don't move," Kallum demanded. Rude boy. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Why?” Kal asked. @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

"I told you to!" Kallum snapped. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Staying still isn’t really my thing. When I hear a good beat, I gotta move.” Kal hummed. @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

"Make it your thing!" Kallum followed Kal's every movement- studying, drawing him in his mind, putting pieces together. "Why are you stupid?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Kal stopped moving as much, but he did continue to bounce. “I don’t really know. I’m just built that way, I guess.” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Kallum didn't like that answer and he made it very clear in his expression. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“I don’t know any other answer,” Kal laughed as he gave a small shrug. @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

"You don't know anything." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“I know a few things,” Kal chuckled. “But not everything.” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Kallum squinted. "You don't know me?" He'd already asked but- well, he had to make sure. Too many people had claimed to. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“I really, really don’t know you,” Kal stated with a smile. “I only know that we have similar names because you told me that, like, eight minutes ago. Kal Pals.” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

"Good." He paused, letting Kal speak- not wanting to listen. Too many people knew him- at least this idiot didn't. "We're not friends." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Aw. Maybe eventually?” Kal suggested. “Kal Pals?” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

"No." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Aww.” Kal just looked like

. @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

"Why do you look like that?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Because I’m sad about no Kal Pals

.” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

"Stop looking like that." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“

” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

"No." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“

” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

"Stop." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Why?

” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

"Just- stop!" Kallum grunted, though it was more like a whine. Little brother energy jumping out. A spark leapt from one hand to the other. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Kal stopped making his

face and instead looked rather surprised. “What was that?” Kal asked, curious by the spark. @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

"My fire. It's usually better than that," Kallum straightened up, though he quickly covered his neck up. "Stronger. I'm strong." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Fire is pretty strong,” Kal commented with a smile. “That’s an awesome power, Kallum!” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Kallum tilted his chin up. "It is. And I'm strong. The strongest." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Mmhm, yeah you are!” Kal spoke, hyping him up. @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

"Nothing is supposed to hurt me." His hand tugged his clothes up again. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Hell yeah! Same here!” Kal grinned. “Kal Pals are indestructible!” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Kallum narrowed his eyes at Kal. "Nothing can beat me- nothing will beat me." Not again. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“I felt that,” Kal chuckled. “Hey, do you like rock climbing? I do rock climbing all the time- I might do it tomorrow or one of these days! There’s a lot of climbable places. You should join! A Kal and Kal Adventure!” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Kallum pulled a face, contorted in confusion and disgust and frustration all at once. "...no, I don't do rock climbing. I do-" Did- He didn't do anything anymore- well he ran- left- didn't hide. Kallum trailed off instead. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Well, hey, maybe we can try it out together! It could be fun!” Kal spoke cheerfully. “It might be a hobby you’ll come to like!” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

"No." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Aw, are you sure?” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

"N- yes." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Are you sure?” Kal asked. He gave Kallum an easy-going smile. “How about this, what if you give it a try, and if you hate it, you don’t have to ever do it again. At least you can say you gave it a try!” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Kallum scowled. He did not do new things- he knew what he was supposed to do- was supposed to do, then. "I'll hate it." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

"You'll only know for sure that you hate something once you've given it a try," Kal continued to smile. "You might even have some fun!" @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

"I won't have fun." Kallum continued to scowl. "I already know what I like- want." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“I bet you like challenges, though,” Kal smiled. “Rock-climbing’s a really great challenge to test your strength, stamina, endurance- Your whole body!” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Unfortunately for Kallum, that part made sense. That part was tempting. "Hmph.." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Ah?” Kal grinned as he raised an eyebrow. “Tempting? That’s what I love the most about it. It’s not the easiest thing to do, but it is fun! You feel really proud of yourself once you’re done.” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Kallum glared at Kal through his eyebrows but said nothing. He could not fall to the whims of this idiot. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Kal continued to smile brightly. "How 'bout this, tomorrow, I'll drop by the cliffs, and if you wanna join me, just drop on by any time!" @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

"The cliffs," Kallum echoed. "With the statue." Despite his tone, it was supposed to be a question. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

"Oh, there's a statue there? That's cool," Kal grinned. "I dunno, I haven't been there. Or we can go to the mountain! Whichever sounds better to you, we can give that a try!" @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

"You're going on your own." Kallum's forehead was going to be permanently creased if he kept scowling like that. "I don't care what you do." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Alright,” Kal laughed easily. “I’ll see you sometime then, alright? You take it easy and have a good rest of the night. I’ll see you tomorrow, Kal Pal!” @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

"No." It was an answer to all Kal said - not all right, wouldn't see him any time, not easy, no good rest-of-the-night. And certainly would not be seeing him tomorrow. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Kal waved happily to Kallum in farewell before he melted back into the crowd. He could be seen dancing and breaking it down. @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Kallum proceeded to just angrily stand there. Sulking.