This is the way the world ends; this is the way the world ends, Not with a bang, but with a whimper.

[kaeli_whyte]

Monday, July 27
Day 57
Midnight

I didn’t sleep much last night, as usual I was up late and only a couple hours must have gone by before I woke hearing a terrifying sound come from the park. At first I thought maybe something may have gotten hold of a rabbit, but then the waves of pain and hate and hunger came. And then I knew what was out there, what

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[tezcatl_ipoca]

Syl always did know how to cheer me up. Watch her out of the corner of my eye now, all still, even the glowing end of her cigarette crushed out to hide her better. Brush of her arm against mine. Can feel the suppressed eagerness in her like in me, leashed in and trembling.

Unleashed in an instant, when the girl comes by. A flurry and a scuffle and she's down on the ground, the red-haired bitch, and Syl standing over her smiling down. "Hello Kaeli."

She doesn't look much when she's down there, all shocky gasping for the moment, breath knocked out of her. Come up beside Syl and give her a smile that's all knives. (Syl'll have her knife with her, course she will, and the thought makes my pulse flutter in my throat.)

I crouch down beside Kaeli, put a hand in that red hair. Quite gently, almost like I was concerned. "Didn't I tell you you'd get yourself into trouble in this town? And you out all alone." Admittedly it's a better part of town than I'm used to; maybe she figured she was safe.

Maybe she's just that fucking arrogant and stupid, to think there's nothing in the night can touch her.

Going to show her just how very wrong she is about that. Got all this anger and nothing to do with it, and her lying here. Reckon today just got better.

[kaeli_whyte]

I gasp when long fingers grab and pull me into the dark, throwing me to the ground, knocking the breath from me. "Hello Kaeli," a face looms over me, my eyes adjust to see the drunk gods hag smiling down at me.

He's here too, not drunk now and he gently puts his hand in my hair, "Didn't I tell you you'd get yourself into trouble in this town? And you out all alone." Anger, darkness and death rolling off him in waves, until I'm sick and shaking with it. I shut it out as best I can, but I can still feel thin ribbons of it snaking through me.

Like with Eris, I'm not giving them my fear. Slowing my racing heart, I glare coldly up at them both and jerk my hair from his hand, "Focáil ort", I spit, rolling to the side and scrambling to my feet. No way I can fight them, but I can run.

[syl_thorn]

Spits somet'in' attus, guess it's a curse'a some kind, an'en she runs. Prob'ly th'smartest ovver options, but ain't gonna make no diff'rence in th'end. She really don't think we scouted'is alley b'fore hand? All she's doin's savin' us th'trouble'a draggin'er outta sighta th'street.

Let'er get a bittova head start, then flash a smile't Tez'n start runnin'. We don'is b'fore. Same deal's always; me, I follow behind. Tez cuts through th'alleys, comes out in fronta her. Box'er in, all neat-like. An'en the real fun starts.

[tezcatl_ipoca]

Scrabbles to her feet and makes a run for it. Wouldn't have thought of it in the past, but it's jaguar-instinct that takes me round the front of her, waiting and then stepping out just when she thinks she might make it.

She runs smack into me, and I wrap both my arms around her (flicker of last night) and grin down at her. "Hello again." Feel her all tense against me. "Don't go running off again, now. We wanted a word with you."

Let her go and when she stumbles free backhand her hard enough to send her back to Syl. Hand's still messed up a bit, but this makes the ache feel good.

"You got a gun pulled on Syl." Quite conversational, coming forward again. Remember the fury it brought up in me, Laclos' face all still and this one smirking. "That's something else I'll ask you not to do again."

If you're able.

[kaeli_whyte]

I take off running towards the smithy, not looking behind me and just hoping I don't trip and fall. And I'm almost there, almost to Cain, I glance behind me for only a second and see the woman but not the... crash hard into something, into him.

Darkness wraps around me, then through me,"Hello again." echos down though the darkness. "Don't go running off again, now. We wanted a word with you." I try to move, to struggle and then it lets go suddenly and I stumble. I my face explodes in pain and I fly back into the woman, thin strong arms, locking me in place when I try to move away.

"You got a gun pulled on Syl. That's something else I'll ask you not to do again." My face throbs, I push the pain away. My head spins, I shake it to clear it then glare back at him, my eyes on his while I make the mark on my face fade the disappear. I say nothing in response, just continue to glare, you get nothing sad drunken god, nothing.

[syl_thorn]

Runs like a rabbit, she does. Guaran-fucking-tee she don't got no weapon, an' ain't got no way t'fight. Stupid, stupid li'l cow, countin' onner friends t'protect'er. Can't count on nobody t'protect you innis world, li'l girl, annif y'ain't ready to fight fer yerself gotta expect shit like'is t'happen. S'pecially if ye're a nasty-minded, arrogant li'l cow like'is one.

Drive'er 'round th'corner, jes' like runnin' down a deer. An'ere's Tez, right where'e should be. She runs right inta'im, silly bitch. See'im smile. "You got a gun pulled on Syl. That's something else I'll ask you not to do again." an'e whacks'er cross th'face.

Blow's hard'nough t'knock'er back 'gainst me. Pin'er arms. She don't lookat me, jes' glares at Tez an' th'bruise onner faces fades. Knew she wuzza healer.

"Don't do no good t'glare if'n ya can't back it up, honey," I says, drawin' m'knife. Lay th' guthook 'gainst'er cheek. One move an'she slices 'erself open. Thought makes me smile.

[tezcatl_ipoca]

Syl's got her now, arms pinned behind her back and knife up against her face. That girl so much as squirms, her face is going to be layed open to the bone. Face that, I note, isn't bruised at all.

Well, I wonder just how much damage she can heal. This might take longer than we thought, after all.

Smile a bit at that and punch her hard in the stomach, deep and vicious.

[kaeli_whyte]

"Don't do no good t'glare if'n ya can't back it up, honey,"

I hold my gaze on the dark god when I respond,"Says the woman who brings a god with her," I say in a flat tone. Then he smiles and punches me in the stomach, my body doubles over from the force and pain of it, knife dragging across my face. My eyes water and I gasp for air, the hag wrenches me back up again.

I don't heal it this time, just push the pain away. Blood flows hot down my face and neck as I lock my eyes back on his again. I don't know what feeds him, but he's not going to get it from me.

[syl_thorn]

"Says the woman who brings a god with her,"

Laugh at that. "Fuck, honey, if ya think Tez's here actin' azza god, ye're stupider 'n I thought." Tez seems t'agree. Punches 'er in th'gut, good hard'un. Force ovvit behnds forward, drags th'hook 'long'er cheek.

"Now look what ye've done. Ye've cut yerself." I grin. "Gotta watch yerself, honey, or who knows what'll happen t'ya?"

Yank'er head back by th'hair. Allat pretty red hair. Feel'er breathin', hot'n hard, 'gainst me. "See, ain't so easy t'be nasty when'ere ain't nobody wit'a gun backin' ya up, right?"

Blade'a m'knife slides along'er throat, then down under'er shirt, long'er collarbones. Ain't cuttin', not yet, bu's the expectation'at's the worst part, mosta th'time. I learned'at over th'years.

[tezcatl_ipoca]

"Fuck, honey, if ya think Tez's here actin' azza god, ye're stupider 'n I thought."

The girl's glaring at me as she bleeds, trying to stare me down. "You think humans don't do things like this, is that is? My, you have been a lucky little girl." Fuck, they've done worse to me, over the years of hiding. All it takes is some townie who doesn't want our kind of scum in their nice clean town, and who thinks the lame guy's easy game. All of us have had it; Syl too, and Syl's girls. The ones who come back crying and bruised, or never come back.

Thinking of every fucking one of them as I watch Syl. Hand in the girl's hair, knife sliding down under her clothes. ""See, ain't so easy t'be nasty when'ere ain't nobody wit'a gun backin' ya up, right?"

Ah, but they've always got a fucking gun, haven't they? A gun or Daddy's fists or the lawman or the fucking lynchmob. Only these moments, when they get what's coming.

...fuck, I want to see Syl cut her. Stand back and just watch for a moment while Syl's doing her thing, find my flask and take a long sip, light up. Come back up and get right close up to her, breath smoke in her face from my open mouth.

"Nothing to say for yourself now?"

[kaeli_whyte]

"See, ain't so easy t'be nasty when'ere ain't nobody wit'a gun backin' ya up, right?"

She says and runs her knife over my throat and then slips it down my shirt, I close my eyes for a minute, reminding myself that I can fix it and I can make the pain go away. Let them think I'm weak and can do nothing until I need to do otherwise. Even still there are two of them, I can only do so much.

I hear their threats and the rest of their words, every one riddled with so much anger and hate. Behind me and in front, and I'm in the middle of it and it hurts and it burns.

"Nothing to say for yourself now?"

I won't speak and their not here to talk, I will only look in his eyes, nothing drunk god, nothing.

[syl_thorn]

"You think humans don't do things like this, is that is? My, you have been a lucky little girl."

Tez understands. 'e's been'ere. Plenty'a time 'e's come outta town bleedin' 'r bruised, stabbed more'n once. Saw a fella smash a bottle overis head once, jes' cuzze felt like'it. We learned to take care of ourselves, carny folk, Tez'n me...we learned cuz'ere wasn't nobody gonna do it forrus. An' li'l bitches like'is, who think they c'n rely on other folks ferever cuz'ere rich 'r pretty 'r "godly" 'r whatever...they make me fuckin' sick.

Watch Tez azze backs off, takes a swig frommis flask'n lights a cig. Love th'look'e gets when'e's watchin' me work, way'is eyes go all dark'n hungry. We'll be fuckin' after'is, no doubt 'boutat. We us'lly do, even if it ain't wit' each other. Get th'feelin' this time it will be, though.

Smile attim over th'bitch's shoulder. She ain't talkin' no more. Funny how last time ya couldn' shutter up, an'now gone all quiet. Well, we'll see how long'at lasts, won't we?

Smile'at Tez again, then drag th'guthook alon'er chests, openin' a long, deep cut jes' above'er breasts.

[tezcatl_ipoca]

Syl smiles at me and moves her wrist, and the smell of blood springs up in the air, thin and sharp. Like she's got vinegar in her veins.

Syl's watching me, and I know that look. Gets me hot, like it always did. She cuts the girl while she looks at me: line opening in fabric, red-edged.

"Let me take her." It comes out all hoarse, and I clear my throat. "Hold her for you." Reach out to take the girl from her.

[kaeli_whyte]

The knife sinks into my skin, dragging and ripping across the top of my chest. My body stiffens and teeth clench, blinded by the pain. I try to swallow it but it comes back up, all of their anger and all of my pain.

"Let me take her. Hold her for you." I glare at the dark god, when she shoves me roughly into him. Wrapped in the dark again, and filled with hate and pain and rage. My body shakes with it all, dizzy from it and loss of blood.

I close my eyes and open everything, pushing light inside him like Lúgh showed me, a sudden blast from me into him and this time, I do scream. Fire leaps out from him to me, stronger than Anushka and Karina combined, raging and burning through me. Light rises and pushes back into him, seeking the source of the flame and burning it away. Body ridged against him and my legs buckle under me. Blinded with pain and the only thing I can hear now is that I'm still screaming.

[tezcatl_ipoca]

Everything goes white.

She's fucking burning inside me, and shit, am I tired of people shoving themselves inside my head. Anushka, Gaueko, now this little bitch....going to install a fucking revolving door, I swear.

It hurts, though, enough that I let go of her and claw at my face. Stumble back from where she falls, and shove her hard out of my mind.

[syl_thorn]

"Let me take her. Hold her for you." Tez says, all rough'n low, way he asks fer sex sometimes. Makes me grin again, an'I shove'er inta'is arms. Oh, yeah, no way we's goin' t'bed alone t'night. Nuh uh. Wait ferrim t'wrestle'er 'round so's I c'n get back t'work onner. Almost wish she wuz puttin' up moruvva fight...

Li'l chit screams, fin'lly - all we was doin' t'er, an' she screams cuzzI push'er? - An' her eyes fo white, like blindin' white, hearta th'sun white, annat fire crawls over'er face an' down 'er skin an' leaps inta Tez an'e screams-

"Tez!" Slam th'hilt'a m'knife inta' the li'l bitch's temple, hard's I can, watch'er go down. Think she was goin' down anywa, but I wanna make sure she ain't goin' nowhere. Tez falls too, fingers digging fer'is eyes an'e slumps 'gainst the wall. Grab'im, pullis hands 'way frommis face. "Tez, Tez, fuck, y'okay? Tez?"

Oh, that li'l cunt. 'f she hurt Tez, 'm gonna kill'er, Fuckin' kill'er.