#kc_necropolis

"I can't, like....do anything about what he does, chica. I'm just a goat that does street music, you know? But, like..."

"For my Karma, chica. Can I ask him, to like....not do that?"

"I helped, man."

She sets the sword aside and draws up her knees. She nods. "You could."

"I can't do anything right, man. Not ever."

He drops the hat, hands coming up to cover his face, leaning forward*

Putting his elbows on his knees*

"You helped save that girl. And Rayne got her away before anything more could happen. That was right."

He takes several deep, shaky breaths, striving for controlled calm* "No, chica. Because of me, some dude can die. And like....she saw, man, and like...I hurt Kev-dude's feelings, and....man, nothing is going right, you know?"

"Can you, like....set it up so I can....ask this Jude guy? And like..." His voice is thick* "What do I tell her, man? We fought over this....secret....like, just a few days ago."

She looks up at Luke, green eyes dull. "I can ask about Jude, yes."

"And she's seen. Tell her the truth. Lying certainly hasn't helped you."

He drops his hands, eyes red, gazing back. Both of them likely look ragged* "I can't tell her about....all of us. Maybe just....like, Mages, man, always going on about, you know....spirits and stuff. Maybe just tell her, I'm like...some were-goat spirit or something."

"But if she remembers you, chica....because she might...what do you want me to say?"

"The truth. I'm tired of the opposite."

"All it does is bind you up, like drowning in tar."

"But the truth isn't ours to give, man. Not when telling her what you are, and what I am means....telling her what we -all- are, right?" He seems unsure, gazing at her openly, unhappy, but....oddly? Or not so oddlly... trusting her opinion*

"She's not dumb, she's seen you, and she's a prodigal."

"If you want any hope of winning her trust, and having an ally instead of an enemy... I think you need to face this, directly."

"She's a prodigal, chica. But, like...that's what I don't want Sass to know." He is studying the mural, unhappily* "Because, like....I'm learning how dangerous that can be, man. And if something happens...I don't want Sass to think it was because of her."

"If she thinks she's just some...Dreamer chick, normal...they won't look at her, see?"

"She's not normal."

"They don't need to know that. Because, like...if they go looking for her, it's not going to end well for anyone I love, man."

"What they? Who is going looking for her?"

"Chica. Before you knew...." He drops back on the bed with a sigh* "And you thought I was like, just seeing some chick off the street. If I got blown up or taken down by like....some terminator-robot....who would you look at?"

"The fact that she's a prodigal probably helps you, since she's seen you."

"Not her, right?"

"And still not her."

"Sass and my family would, though."

"Maybe if you were honest with them, they wouldn't."

"If they know I'm hanging out with, like, Prodigals. Who got their brother blown up."

"You don't seem to get it, chica. I'm..." A sad grin* "Like, low rank, man, Right above Jade."

"Instead, you're lying to your family, you're lying to your girlfriend... and man, you aren't a good liar."

"Everyone says that, man. Everyone." He blows a breath of a laugh*

"Think it might just be true?"

"That I'm a shit liar? Must be."

"You're tearing yourself apart, and for what? To keep juggling knives? Because it won't get easier, or better, until you're left with nobody."

"But better I like....cut people off, man, than risk people trying to save me from myself. You did, chica. Why would they do any different, you know?" Not unkindly*

"Like, people mean well, you know?"

She pushes to her feet, crossing over to the window. She rests her arm against the glass, forehead in the crook.

"How many people can you cut off until they're all gone?"

"Only the ones I care about, chica."

Her feathers slick down, wings pulling in tight. She doesn't look away from the window.

"You asked. I think you should tell her the truth, tell Sassy the truth. Stop doing this to the both of them. If you care about them, come clean."

"Going to keep juggling a while, chica. Maybe Sass doesn't know, like....maybe she just thinks Gothdude is one. He's Kevin's Dreamer, man, so like...that would make sense, you know?"

"She knows Jarrod is one. She's met him."

"She doesn't need to know anything about Rain-girl. I won't even let them see each other again, if I can help it." He keeps his eyes shut* "And I'll tell Rain-girl, like...I'm a nature spirit or something. If she learns different....it won't be from me, not yet, because like...you can always tell more. But what you tell, you can't take back, you know?"

"Yeah. But he's the only one she knows about."

"She knows Rayne was at that party. Jade was there, there was magic."