Little Did We Know

[Hnng. It took a while to write, but I hope it’s satisfying! @"Poptart" ]

Calan Marshall

The soft notes of an acoustic guitar floated through the air, cutting a pleasant gap in the midday chatter. The tune was slow, gentle, fitting for the tranquility. The player was no doubt skilled, every cord of the song strummed carefully and cleanly as he moved into the song. It was only moments before a quiet, smooth voice began to sing along to the melody he was creating.

“I don’t know you… but I want you… all the more for that…”

A content, almost languid sort of expression clung to his features, for music always did relax him. His head was tilted down, dark red bangs falling lightly over his forehead and dipping just behind his sunglasses, and he watched the scattered rays of light dance on the ground around him. You see, this particular teen had a sensitivity to sunlight, and though he had charms against it, the brightness was all but blinding to his eyes at the moment. Escaping the sharp glare, he had retreated to a bench beneath a large maple in the courtyard, an area somewhat secluded from the rest of the clustered students.

“Words fall through me… and always fool me… and I can’t react…”

Another set of notes left his practiced fingertips. The mood of the day was fairly calm, and not wanting to disrupt the peace with electric cords and vibrant voices, he had chosen a similar song to humor himself with. It was one that he rather liked, “Falling Slowly” by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, and one he knew by heart after so many years. The lyrics had a special meaning at times he chose to consider them, but at the moment, he simply went through the motions and enjoyed the sweet tune. It was easy, automatic, a simple thing that he did in the midst of all his confusion. One song in a library of others he had memorized, it was something that made sense.

“And games that never amount… to more than they’re meant… will play themselves out…”

So far that day, he had not been recognized, and he had to say it was nice. Though the fame he had acquired was flattering, constant publicity was… well… tiring, he supposed. To just sit in leisure and strum was refreshing. It gave the young celebrity time to process the changes that had occurred in the last two week, to feel the lack of pressure rather than just think of it. However, it was rare that he did have a day of peace, and to have one on a date so sunny… Well, he was practically waiting for a disturbance, though he didn’t do so in apprehension. He was always open to surprises, so long as they were pleasant (and even then…).

“Take this sinking boat… and point it home… we’ve still got time… | Raise your hopeful voice… you’ve got a choice… You’ll make it now….”

Little did Calan know, the surprise he was about to get would be far more than pleasant.

Though lost in his music, Calan Marshall was not one to become so entranced with himself that he wouldn’t notice an approaching figure. With every sneak attack, fistfight, and beating he had ever gone through, his reflexes were far too high not to. Plus, well, I mean. This chick was hot. How could he ignore?

Calan looked up, his fingers pausing on the strings of his guitar. Oh, yes, the approaching girl was definitely a looker, wasn’t she? Long blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and a fair face worthy of modeling magazines... He would seduce her if there wasn’t that taunting little spark in her irises. You know, the one that said she was a hard nut to crack when it came to love, and that he shouldn’t waste his breath trying to convince her of more than a night for now. It was a glimmer he recognized because he knew it well. After all, Calan was the same way, was he not?

“Lookie here. Calan Marshall, the big famous singer, stuck on weirdo island with the rest of us.” She even had a pretty smile, he noted briefly. “Who knew?”

A smile - smirking, but not unkind - was dancing on his lips, an expression that was natural after so many years of wearing it. He liked her already. “Well good morning to you, too, pretty lady. And I’ve been here… about two weeks,” he said, a certain teasing lilt mixing into his voice. Though he hadn’t been longing for an interruption in his relaxation, Calan didn’t really mind - and it showed, too, if the lack of any hostility was anything to say about it. The young man leaned back against the bench loosely, hardly tense under the gaze of such an intimidatingly beautiful woman. After all, he was pretty hot himself, was he not? And famous. He was super famous. “Now’s about the time I’d introduce myself, sweep you off your feet, and smile sexily when you agree to go to dinner with me… But you’re a little trickier than that, aren’tcha? So how about just a name to go with those big blue eyes, since you already seem to know mine…~?”

He liked this one.

No, really. He liked this one. She wasn’t falling all over him like the majority of the girls who knew his name, and as much as he loved the constant boobhugs, it was nice to have a quality conversation with someone.

If you could call this quality.

It was better screaming, at least.

“Marina Bellamy,” Calan repeated, each syllable rolling sweetly off his tongue. “A beautiful name for a beautiful woman, I see. You’ve got some nice titles; I’m not surprised.” Other fans would be turned to jelly, but this one… Inwardly, Calan waited to see her reaction. She had a little fire to her, that was sure. “And my powers? Well, they call me an enchanter. I spin webs with words, make you see things that aren’t really there, sing you to sleep, dance with you in the stars… all from a stage away, never moving an inch,” he replied, grinning, “But that’s only my music working.”

Calan stood and stretched his arms a bit, leaning his guitar against the bench as he did so. He now stood gazing down at Marina, a few good inches taller than her and just close enough for his cologne to be vaguely tangible. With a sly grin, his teeth showed, and there stood gleaming unsheathed fangs. His blue eyes were tinted slightly with purple from the power usage, and damn, he figured he looked good. “Bloodborne vampire, fangs and all, at your service, M’lady,” he said with a slight dip of his head. “Now, how about you?

He figured he was arrogant as hell, too, but oh well.

Calan caught the blush, and his eyes only shined brighter.

Now, of course, Marina's assumptions over his arrival were far from accurate, but Calan wasn't one to dwell on the real reasons... not when around a beautiful woman, anyway. So, he replied, "Indeed they did, but what they don't know is that there's hearts to break wherever I go~" A shameless flirt, he was indeed, but what could Calan say? It was terribly fun, and this girl was interesting. Plus, at the end of the day, a little flirtation was harmless, right.

"In fact..." Calan added, and he caught Marina's hand as she shoved him away. Delicately he intertwined their fingers and met her eyes. "..I think I may have found my next victim- if she'll let me, that is," he finished, and his grin could make a blind man swoon. Still meeting her eyes, he lightly kissed her knuckles and gave her back her hand.

"Mutations? I'm intrigued," Calan responded. He sat as he was prompted, nudging his guitar to make room. "And not one as pretty as you, that's for damn sure~" The electric-acoustic made its way into the teen's hands, Calan instinctually bringing it into his lap. Half the time he sat, he was playing, so he didn't think twice on it.

((tHiS IS SO LATE SORRY. Also probably not great quality. Wrote it in like 15 minutes aaa. Sorry for awkward things and don't rush to post! Also, since you said longterm Calina was off, what's our plan again?))