I need something more to keep on breathing for/So give me something to believe

[bakeneko_excolo]

[Thursday, July 30th, Noon, Schoolhouse]

It was not far into the hills I fled before I shifted back to Boku's form. With a careful wrench I reset my nose, stumbling a bit at the refreshed pain. With that resolved, I shift once more into Ojiisan and slowly walk back to town. It was not quite fair to Luke to run once more. Not fair to leave him with

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[fairy_fiona]

I had so much to tell Kitty that I almost forgot that we were going to the schoolhouse till we were there even though I can't really forget about Miss Kaeli 'cause I feel sad that she's sick but I had to tell Kitty about Daddy and Aunt Vicky and about how I can make the sparkles stay in my crayons for a reallyreally long time now and how one time I thought I turned my eyes green and how I can see she's got a new kitty in her now that goes with another bead on my bracelet and the new cat is pretty! But I have to do little stops to see it 'cause I can't look at Kitty really hard like that and walk at the same time. Like chewing gum.

"Where would you like to go to get Miss Kaeli's present? Or do you want to see her first?"

"Ummmm...let's go see Miss Kaeli first? 'Cause we're here?" I tug on her hand and pull her up the steps.

[bakeneko_excolo]

Her words fill up the space around us like her sparkles and I start grinning at everything she is telling me. I decide to wait until later to show her "the new kitty". My but her skills are growing. I am quite excited about that.

I follow her tugging hand up the steps and push on the ruined door.

[kaeli_whyte]

Sid walked me home yesterday morning and I told him he was welcome to sleep on the couch if he wanted to. Poor man didn't see to have anywhere to go and he's been so kind to me. It wasn't too long and I was back to sleep in my own bed, no gods, no dreams, no blood, just silence

[fairy_fiona]

"Hello sweetheart, I'm glad to see you, how are you?"

"Miss Kaeli!" I give her a big grin and hug her but don't want to hug too tight 'cause ooh she's got bruises like she was hurt and not sick and uh-oh I hope she's not hurt too bad...

"I missed you! Are you okay? I was worried!"

"Have we met before?"

"Um...this is Kitty?" I don't know what Kitty wants to say or how she talks to people but I hope Miss Kaeli won't be mad that she isn't in school 'cause how can she tell her she doesn't have to go to school 'cause she's hundreds of years old?"

[tereixa_zann]

The paper. Oh my god, the paper.

I mean, Jesus...

That fucking paper. Oh, I know that fucking pattern, I've seen talkers spike a crowd rather than charm it. Seen what can happen. Oh, dammit, I was so fucking glad when we didn't get roasted for Syl tossing the paper owner out on the point of her knife after his friend was going to sic his dog on the doc's two ladies. And now this.

(Butch? Syl isn't butch. Syl's pretty. Hell, I'm not even sure I'm butch, even if I've been called it a few times in a few towns. Maybe when I'm working, I guess. And gimpy? Fuck. I have used my wrench on a guy for calling Hope and Faith a gimpy freak. I mean okay, he was getting grabby at them or I wouldn't have done it, but... Fuck. And fucking sideshow? His act's not sideshow! Tez's a goddamn big-ticket full-on draw

[kaeli_whyte]

We get upstairs and I smile as Fiona goes right for the books, exclaiming over them. "I'll make us some tea," I say a little absently, looking at them both and then I head for the kitchen and set the water on. I hadn't really wanted visitors, but I'm glad their here.

I'm organizing cookies on a tray when the door groans again. This is what I was afraid of, droves of concerned citizens as well as enraged ones, may the devil take you for this, Lúgh.

This time when I try to get a sense of who or at least intention, no malice and no darkness and no gods. I go down again and see its Zann, my heart sinks to see the look on her face and tears fill my eyes. Not the bright happy Zann I've come to know and adore, but at least she's not harmed from what I can tell, "Oh Zann, I'm so sorry," I say walking to her and hugging her. "How are you, Hope..Faith..their ok?" I almost whisper a prayer that all is well, but I not very interested in speaking to gods anymore.

[fairy_fiona]

Miss Kaeli doesn't have as many pretty things in her house as Kitty does but I guess she hasn't been collecting as long but her books are pretty, at least, big ones with shiny gold on the spine. I reach out to touch it, just one finger so I won't mess anything up.

She goes to make tea and I can hear plates clinking which makes me happy 'cause it's been forever since lunch and I'm hungry! But it's not polite to ask for food so I just have to hope that it's cookies and not just tea. And then there's another knock on the door and Miss Kaeli goes to answer it.

"Ooh, Miss Kaeli's got lots of friends!"

[bakeneko_excolo]

I watch Fiona’s delight on the books and stand next to her while she gently touches them.

"Ooh, Miss Kaeli's got lots of friends!" I nod solemnly, “Yes, she was very kind to me when I was hurt in that fight. Have you thought of a good present to help Miss Kaeli feel better? I was thinking perhaps a picnic at the park…we could stop by the Café and perhaps get a luncheon to bring with us.”

I hear voices downstairs. A stranger, but Kaeli’s voice does not seem alarmed, so I stay calm and wait for her return.

[bakeneko_excolo]

I see Fiona eyeing my cupcake and grinning an impish smile, so I grab it quickly and stuff a bite in my mouth. I am laughing so hard I barely taste it at first. As I chew I realize it does not taste badly, a bit savory even. Like the flavor of sea salt. The flavor of the sea fills my mouth

"See your little fiery friend came to me this morning and showed me all the details..."

I throw down the cupcake and stand, whirling about looking... The pond is serene, the trees still...

Nononononononononono

"NO!" I see the Djinn.

[daodjinn]

Slithering on the ground in my invisible mist form I approach the beast and watch to see what one it is most fond of. The small girl seems to be the next victim its curse. I make my way around them all circling. I slowly come up behind the child slowly rise and form a giant fanged mouth and move forward to engulf her. They cannot see this but they will all know the consequences.

I surround her now and I become visible in a ball of flames for all to behold and the child trapped within me. I may choose when to let her feel my essence scorch her flesh but I do not yet. I let her and her companions know this while I form a humanoid upper torso shape atop this sphere of fire.

I point to the beast and laugh, "You are becoming a dangerous person to know, are you not? If you want this child to melt before your eyes I can do so. Is that what you want?"

[fairy_fiona]

Kitty isn't eating her cupcake and I think I'm gonna take it if she doesn't but then she does -

- and then it's red coming down over me from the sky and then it's hot hot hotter hottest fire everywhere around me.

Stop drop and roll is what they say to do when you're on fire but I'm not burning, not yet, it's just around me like I'm in a room of fire.

"You are becoming a dangerous person to know, are you not? If you want this child to melt before your eyes I can do so. Is that what you want?"

The fire is talking, scratchy fire voice way above my head. Is this the Devil? The Devil hates Kitty? The Devil is going to hurt me because it hates Kitty and I'm her friend?

What do I do? Don't move. Sit veryveryvery still. Don't move or I get burned. I'm sniffling, starting to cry, but it's so hot that the tears go away to steam.

"...help?"

[tereixa_zann]

What.
The.
Fuck.

Up in a crouch and leaning forward on one hand for balance before I even know it and... Fiona, there's a sheet of fire around Fiona like a German pinwheel, all thin and bright in the daylight, and I can just see her through it, the shape of her not her face, and then this thing speaks...

"You are becoming a dangerous person to know, are you not? If you want this child to melt before your eyes I can do so. Is that what you want?"

And it points to Kitty, hand stretching out and shaped, crucible-bright flame steady as a blowtorch, and I hear her voice thin and far away like the last creak of struts before they snap.

"...help?"

"Hey," I say, shocked almost toneless and standing so I can look at it, all dazzle-bright. "Hey, no, nobody wants that, nobody at all, what--what are you?" Oh fuck me, fuck me, the engines have caught and the tents are burning and the wires are smoking and no-one around would know what Hey Rube meant if I screamed it and what the fuck what the hell is this thing? Is this what the Doc meant