Part III: Nicknames and Pooky Lips

Author's note
Hey, this is kind of a short chapter, sorry, but I'll be working on the next bit. Uh, I'm not going to say it will go faster than last time... seeing as last time I said that, it went slower instead............ But let's not be pessimistic, you know? 



   "... Greetings! This is Skyril! I'm probably either doing something really clever or really stupid, but either way, I obviously couldn't get to the phone! So leave a message! No, seriously, don't hang up! Why'd you call? I'd really like to know! Is this about some debt I forgot to pay because if it is, well I'm likel- Beeeep!"
"SKY! Where ARE you? I'm hanging out with Israel at his mansion, and it's BORING! I've been trying to reach you for... like... hold on, what's the clock say? TEN minutes! What can you possibly be doing? This is my FIFTH message! *gasp* Wait! Are you being held captive by someone or... or... or.... Are there pirates? OR WHAT ABOUT DRAGONS? What's going on! DON'T DIE, SKY! I'll come rescue you! But wait, where ARE YOU? You have to call me to let me know so that I can come rescue you! Oh, wait, knowing YOU I bet you're being held up by some cute guy *giggle* Hey, does he have a friend? Don't forget to tell him about your besty Kallie-wallie! But you would never do that! I mean, you would never-"
Kallista Pendragon didn't notice the electronic voice that said, "End of message." So she kept chattering for about five minutes before she hung up, thoroughly convinced she was going to a ball next week with a hunk of a guy.
   She grinned and skipped into into the common room, humming "Buh-Rum-Pum-Pum" from some old movie called The Happiest Millionaire. When she got there, she saw Israel Elysium reclining on one of the couches reading And the Darkness Rained Upon Them, this being one of the few times he didn't have to save the world or all of humanity or anything. "Hiya, Israel! I just got an idea! Mind if I call ya Is? Is-rael is so loooong!"
   He glanced up at Kallista. "Um, I would prefer it if you called me 'Israel,' Kal." Kallista frowned, "But everyone has nicknames except for you! You need a nickname too, I think. It could be like your code name for when we go on some secret mission, see!"
Israel, figuring he wasn't going to get a whole lot more reading done today, stuck a bookmark depicting Hellboy in the book and glanced back up at Kal. "Oh, really? Well, what do you suggest... Besides 'Is...' that is."
   Kallista grinned, having the perfect idea. "HELLBOY!" We should call you Hellboy or HB for short! I mean, you have a bookmark of him and everything! Hellboy is perfect."
"'Hellboy', hm? Well, I guess I'd be ok with that... Although, you DO know it's not a whole lot shorter than 'Israel.'"
"Don't ruin the moment," she said with a frown. "Your nickname is now Hellboy!" She did a little spin- her midnight black hair whacking Israel in the nose- and sat down beside him.  He blinked, about to say something, before a girl's voice from off to the side said, "Hellboy, huh? I like it." She nodded, and Israel and Kal looked to see who it was.
   A strawberry blond walked into view from a side room, her hair bouncing slightly. "Raveeeeeeeeeeen!" shouted Kal, jumping out of her seat and hugging her. Raven laughed, "Hiya, Kallie! What's up? Oh, by the way, have you guys heard from Skyril?"
"Well, no..," Kallista grinned, "But if you ask my opinion, I think she's being held up by some cutey!"
Israel frowned slightly, "Well, last I heard, she was going to try to catch some... Ominous something-or-other. Have you called her?"
 "Oo, oo," said Kal "I've called her! Ominous, huh? Funny name, what does he do for a living? OH, is he some kind of Halloween man?" Her eyes, a mix between blue and green, grew large. "I've heard about these creepy dudes who jump out from under your bed and use your screams to power themselves! Isn't that horrifying? Or, wait... Maybe I'm thinking of a cartoon I watched..."
Israel coughed, deciding to re-ask his question to Raven.
"Yeah," Raven said, sitting down opposite from him. "I've actually called her a few times the past two days, and she hasn't answered or called back. It's strange for her not to call back." She shrugged slightly. "Do you know where this Ominous person was?" Israel ran his hand through his slightly shaggy brown hair.
"Well, I'm thinking he was in Dublin, but I'll have to make some phone calls to know for certain.... It will be kind of tricky to find out."
   He looked up. Nights Raven's big, dark, brown eyes were wide and sparkly. Her bottom lip poked out slightly. Israel arched his eyebrow, and Kallista looked back and forth between the two of them, and jumped up suddenly, bouncing on the couch Israel was on. "Hey, what are you waiting on? I want to see a picture of the guy Sky's hanging out with! ON THE DOUBLE! MARCH! MARCH! MARCH! Or, rather.." She said as Israel laughed, sighed, and pulled out his cell, "CALL! CALL! CALL!"