trans_9 | but everything's just fine

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but everything's just fine

[[This is a continuation of this thread, open to magic bus people and probably anyone who happens to be walking by.]]

Kala watched Mister Barlow's hat bob a bit as he carried her. The bus wasn't that far away now, not really. She could almost feel it pulling at her. In it was a warm, safe bed, a bathroom that was very nice and had pipes, but she was worried. Not for herself, but for Mister Barlow, because it was made up of magic and it would be so bright. She'd been stupid. Stupid for not controlling herself. Stupid for letting herself slip up, for not forcing herself to spar. It hadn't been real fighting anyway. The ship probably would have stopped them. And they hadn't been fighting dead on, it was just a stupid surge. One she'd managed to stop.

Now, here she was, limp as anything and being carried by Mister Barlow all the way home when he was still hurting because she'd gone and-- And tried to just about fry him. It wasn't exactly successful, but at least she managed to heal him a little. Kala blinked and a few tears slipped down her cheeks. It wasn't his fault. Not even a little. But.

She'd...helped.

That was worth something.

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"Hmph, ye don't want to fight, and yet, we're still talking about it." Blin shook his head a bit. "We're both to blame, and that's that. Next time we train, we'll just have to be more careful."

Finally, they were at the damn bus, spastic energy display that it was. This was going to slow them down; he'd only been here once, and the raw amount of energy pouring off the thing made watching his step next to impossible.

Four steps up, Kala said very quietly, refusing to blurt out that it was very much her fault and not his and...blah, blah, blah. They'd wind up arguing about it and that would be stupid. About as stupid as the whole incident, anyway. If her mental voice was hazy, it was hazy. Turn right. Move thirty-seven steps forward, stop. Turn right again and there'll be a door that leads to the dormitory. It's another twenty to my room, ten to the bed once you're in. And yes. I count my steps. I always have. It's...calming.

She supposed that she had started counting after the shadow-thing that killed Farla and she'd been on the road, fighting. Walking her camping grounds had become standard and knowing it even in the dark had been...life saving. She was too tired to scan ahead to see if anyone was around. If they were, it was going to be a gaft of a thing to explain.

"Hey, I have to do it myself for just this reason, I ain't gonna mock ye for it." Of course, for him it was simple logic; when you can't see, how do you find your way to the bathroom daily? You count the steps. Until he got his powers, he'd always counted steps. Now it was just habit, but a good one anyway.

The only thing he had to account for was the difference in their step size, but that was small enough that it could be worked around. "Thirty seven, right?" he said, groping for the door.

Thirty-seven, Kala said. Mm, it's useful and good to know where everything is if it's dark and something attacks. It saved my life several times. Getting attacked had become so common, she almost expected it night after night. It made her learn how to survive, though, and that was the important thing.

You sure your arms are okay? she asked, her mental tone worried.

"For the last time, I'm sure. Ye worry too much for someone who can't talk." He smiled as he said it to show he was fine. of course, that wasn't exactly the truth; his arms did burn and they were starting the bruise, but it wasn't all that bad, really. He'd certainly done worse to himself.

He counted off the steps to her room in his head; if her numbers were right, he should be almost to her bed. He slowed down his walking so that each foot could grope it's way forward a bit. Once it caught the edge of the bed, he'd know he was there.

I got reason to worry, she grumbled pointedly, and disliked the fact that she couldn't really even feel her body at all. There was just the vague sense of being held and numbness along with the tingling that crawled along her skin. She wasn't sure she believed he was okay, though, and it niggled at her uselessly just like the worry.

Kala's bed was large and comfortable and well cushioned, something that never ceased to amaze her. It was clean, too. She remembered not having clean linens, or a bed, or anything but hard earth. Kala tried to pry her eyes open again and they refused to open at all. Rising Phoenix wasn't taking chances, it seemed.

You'll get it looked at by a proper healer, right? The question came out slow and almost sleepy. Promise?

Edited 2010-02-05 00:58 (UTC)

"I promise. I'll go get it looked at as soon as I know yer going to be alright." Having finally arrived, he set her down on the bed very carefully and adjusted the pillows around her a bit.

"Now try and get some rest, okay?"

Stay? she asked very quietly. Just until I'm asleep. Just until then. And I'm fine. The corners of her lips twitched slightly, but the smile never broke. She tried, though. I'll cycle through this in awhile and be good as new.

He smiled at her. "You don't believe me when I say it, why should I believe you?" He sat down on the edge of the bed next to her. "I'll stay as long as ye like." His voice was low, barely more than a whisper. Man needed a damn nap after that workout.

Fine, Kala said with the mental equivalent of a snort. We can keep calling each other liars for awhile until everything stops hurting. She took a moment to mentally nudge him.

Is a big bed, she mumbled. And I'm small. Can take a nap, too.

"Nn," he grunted at her, shifting on the bed. To hell with it, he needed a nap. May as well take one here.. that way, he knew there'd be someone when she woke up to check on her. He rolled his sleeves up to make sure none of the charred plantsuit flaked on her (assumedly) nice bed and lay down next to her.

He yawned when he tried to say something to her. "Ye win this round, but I'll get ye next time, Gadget."

...s'a gadget? Kala asked sleepily, but she wasn't quite sure she cared as the bed floated beneath her. Her fingers managed to find his with the tiniest bit of mobility she had left, and she twitched them into his, anchoring her so she didn't feel like she was going to somehow float away. ...gonna...have to try harder. To get me...next time.

Her mental voice got smaller and smaller until she was silent. The cool touch of her hand warmed a little as Rising Phoenix hummed and began to cycle through a re-sequencing procedure that would let her move again. The unfortunate thing about Kala was her severe lack of training and the fact that she had managed to slam in a total shutdown program just in case she did lose control. It was safer.

It was safer for everyone.

Safer for Mister Barlow. Safer for him.

Blin just smiled as she drifted off and he squeezed her fingers. "I'll explain later." All in all, it was amazing that he'd managed to hold together so well. It wasn't every day that someone nearly exploded with potential like that. People either did or didn't get near it happening. Being able to hold yourself off, well that was a new one.

He reflected on how he would have to adjust the training in the future, if continue it at all, while the last vestiges of his adrenaline rush wore off. Maybe this was a sign that he really shouldn't return to teaching. But, the seer had said he needed to do it, and Kala seemed to genuinely want his help... the pro's and con's were weighting heavily in his head as he finally drifted off next to her. He'd figure it out later. For now, this was good enough.

Kala was still mostly asleep, though with the return of movement, she'd managed to curl up against Mister Barlow and fling an arm across his waist as she buried her cheek against his chest. The room itself, to her was dark and she shifted slightly, unconsciously careful of his arm as her long white hair curled across his shoulder and pooled at his side.

She was better.

Much better.

All that was left was the throbbing headache and vague tingling. A few more minutes of sleep, perhaps. Just a few.

It was sad, but Will hadn't slept all that well, all things considered. For a man who was used to seeing no light, being in a place so blindingly bright was jarring, and the occasional pain lacing through his arms didn't help much. But, she was still asleep, and he quite enjoyed that. She was surprisingly cute when she slept. One might even call her happy.

But, he was not such a one. He'd call her unconcious, because he'd used up all possible poetry dreaming of goo-bugs, tea, and and things he would never actually see with his own eyes. This didn't exactly fill him with joy.

Oh, and there was his arms, that'd woken him up not too long ago. The throbbing was slowly turning into a pounding, and bringing with it what felt like a massive hangover. Never pleasant.

Kala stirred slightly, her fingers curling against his waist, and she woke abruptly as Rising Phoenix warbled something that made no sense. She hadn't dreamed at all. Not even a little.

Her first thought was of his arms. Her second was that she was snuggled against him. Her third? Was that she liked it. Kala forced herself to sit up and snapped her eyes shut again as a wave of dizziness washed over her. Her head hurt.

A soft gold light washed over her bed as Rising Phoenix burbled.

"Your arms," Kala croaked blearily. "I can...help again?"

Blin smiled softly. "Good morning to you too. I assume ye rested well. I've been told I make a nice pillow." He stretched a bit now that his arm was free from it's imprisonment under her. "If ye must, go ahead. I can manage, though, I promise."

Of course, he said that not being able to see the damage himself. What would he know?

"Just because you can," Kala said, prodding him gently in the side as she very carefully looked at one of his arms, "doesn't mean you should." Her cool fingers drifted just above his skin and she sighed as she called up Rising Phoenix's healing spell. It wasn't as good as Farla's, but it would give some relief. Gold bands of light rippled out like bandages and Kala could feel the way that magic pulled at her and her hand settled against his chest as if he were an anchor.

"I don't like the look of it," she murmured, frowning as she intensified the spell a bit. Kala hated to give him less than she could and tried to stem as much of the pain and heal the injury as possible. It wasn't her forte, but Creator knew she tried. She was a bit breathless by the time she was done.

"And you are," Kala managed, "a good pillow. Better if you weren't a hurting pillow. Should get you out of the bus."

"They look fine to me." It was all he said during the healing itself, but he of course had more to say at the idea of leaving. Not that he didn't mind not being there, but how could he not jest when the lines were just asking to be said?

"I see how it is. Bring me in, use me to sleep, and just kick me to the curb. Well, I'll go, then. But I'm hurt," he faked a sniffle to go with the fake pain. It was hard not to laugh, really. "truly hurt. Speaking of which, how're ye feeling?"

"My head hurts like someone's been using it for a drum, but that's normal," Kala said, watching him carefully, then poked him in the side again for being entirely too silly. "And don't be silly, I'm coming with you. I don't kick people out. That's mean."

She reached to ruffle his hair and let out a soft sigh.

"This place isn't really helpful to you at all, so, we should go somewhere else."

"It's a matter of context, really. The bus is plenty helpful compared to, say, the fountain. Now, if ye'd be so kind as to help me find my hat and my cane, and of course to guide me out, we can go assuage yer guilt and get me arms checked. Besides, I can garner more credit from the med kids by showing up with a beautiful lady."

Not that he'd really know, of course. This was the problem with base flattery; you never knew when they'd catch on and have it backfire in your face.

"Ah, hush," Kala said with a slight shake of her head as she slid away to find his cane and hat. The hat she set on his head and the cane she shoved at him, quiet withheld amusement lurking behind the somewhat stern facade she wore.

"I'm better when I can walk," she said a bit dryly. That said, her legs felt rubbery and ached, a bit like her head, really.

"And yet, yer as wobbly as I am. Here, this'll help. It's always helped me before." He pulled his recently returned hat off and plopped it onto her head. He felt naked without it, though... Like Samson gone bald. But, still, worthy cause and all. He had the cane, she deserved the hat. Split the power 50/50.

"C'mon then," he said, holding his hand out for her, "lead the way, madame."

"Magic hats," Kala murmured, the slight curl to her lips wry. It was too big for her head, but she didn't care as she took his hand and lead him carefully through the maze-like bus until they were outside and decently away from the brilliance of the bus. She wasn't near as wobbly and reached to adjust the hat slightly, her hand still in his.

"Ah, this is much better. Ye know, it's interesting to see the contrast... The one spot in the ship that's nothin' but light, and I end up as blind as when there's nothin' but dark." He sqeezed her hand. "I'd be a wee bit lost if not fer ye. Couldn't ask for a better guide." He smiled at her, now back in the surprising comfort of his personal darkness. It was strange how this could become a comfort... Logically, there was little to no difference, and yet, this was what he'd known all his life.

"Can't have you getting lost," Kala said with a soft snort. "That'd be a disaster. You might wind up somewhere unpleasant." Honestly, the ship was filled with unpleasant places, and some were even frightening. "I'm glad things are back to normal again, though. It's gotta be pretty...unnerving when things you're used to get dumped upside down."

"Ye get used to it." There was a good joke there, if she picked up on it. Circular logic at it's finest, even. "Somehow, I just can't picture myself getting lost with you around. Ye have a strange calming effect, and yer never truly lost 'til ye loose control, after all."

"I'll never be lost then," Kala said quietly and the joke sailed past her, "because I will never lose control. Never again." Her face scrunched up slightly. "Don't know why I've got any sort of calming effect. I'm all tangles inside." But maybe that was the wind's doing. Maybe that was it.

Summer breezes were calming.

He chose to ignore the dig against her faculties. For now. "Because, when I'm with ye, all the other things I've got to worry about just aren't as pressin' as they were. I can't say that's something I'm used to, and yet, there it is." He shrugged.

"Have ye considered getting some help? Ye help me with my problems, let me try and help with yers."

"I'm getting help right now, aren't I?" Kala said, a touch cheekily, but her voice lowered slightly a second later. "Glad I help a bit, though."

"Oh, ha ha. Ye know what I mean." He snickered before he said what next popped into his head, on principle if nothing else. "I'd love to help ye with yer insides."

Untangling.

Right.

Yes.

Untangling. Insides. That sounded...well. It sounded indecent and terribly amusing all at once. Kala bit her bottom lip to suppress laughter and wound up snorting softly before she went bright pink. She half glanced at him and kept walking.

"Well," she said, attempting to keep a straight face, "they are tangled."

"Exactly." Will wasn't even trying to hide his grin. This was grotesquely amusing to him. All the more so because of how she tried to squirm away from it. It was like back when Trust had joined their team at Helix... she'd become like his little sister, so breaking her out of her shell with horrible comments turned into a hobby.

Better days.

Kala prodded him in the side, shaking her head gently. She wasn't sure whether to be terribly embarrassed, shocked, or...something else entirely. And she refused to even think about anything but walking. Because she was a mage and-- And didn't have time to be thinking of other things.

Yes.

That was it.

No time for...thinking. About insides.

They walked on in silence for a little while, before he couldn't take it any more. He was a bard; silence was the enemy. Silence, just like a closed tab, was meant for fear and resentment. So, he started to hum a tune as they went. If she wanted her silence, that was fine, but that wasn't going to stop his enjoying the moment.

She didn't mind his humming. Not at all. In fact, it put her at ease and some of the tension that had been creeping back into her lessened. It was pleasant and such a good thing. In all honesty, she wasn't much of a fan of silence.

It meant being alone.

As they kept going he started to phase in and out of humming and actually singing under his breath. It was just what he did, always thinking about the next gig. Plus, it kept his mind off of other things like his damn arms. They were starting to itch.

"And I say way-hey-hey, it's just an ordinary day
and it's all your state of mind
At the end of the day, you've still got to say,
it's all right."

Despite the part of her that was terrified, she liked it. The singing. So she listened. It was Rising Phoenix that warbled counterpoint, her burbles almost an accompaniment and as much in tune as she could make it. In fact, it was pretty gafting eerie.

"Ah, a music fan. I knew I liked ye." He smiled as he continued humming.

Rising Phoenix said, her voice wobbling. Kala shivered a bit, but snorted, amused at her device's willingness to step outside of Kala's comfort zone as well as the environment she'd been raised in. But maybe, just maybe, there was a part of Kala, too, that wanted the music, the calming lilt of it. Or maybe it was a thing she carried within her that was big enough for Rising Phoenix to snag it and bring it out by herself.

It was a thought.

Will chuckled at her device. "Alright, ye know what? I've had enough from both of ye. Ye call me Will or Blin. Call me 'Mister Barlow' again and we'll be having words. I may be older than ye, but not that much. Besides, I'm pretty sure ye outrank me. Where I come from, even hardened criminals outrank me. Got it?" He grinned and went right back to his humming.

"Will, then," Kala said with a slight nod as Rising Phoenix half burbled up some sort of apology. "It suits you." And it did. It still felt odd, but she'd get used to it. She peered at him through the fall of her hair and decided she liked it. So.

Will.

She could do that.

He smiled. "Well, thank ye kindly. I suppose I've always been lucky to have a name that properly suits me. What about you, lass? Do ye think Kala fit ye? And Rising Phoenix?"

What? It talked, so it was appropriate to address it in conversation. It was the polite thing to do.

"I never thought about it," Kala said thoughtfully. "Da used to tell me I was named after some sorta fabled magic flower. I let people call me what they want, really."

she said, burbling happily, her tone dropping into a tenor at Rising and then back to female for the rest. Kala brushed her fingertips over the pendant and bit her lip. They had a new name because of her. In some respect, she'd chosen the new name herself.

Risingtide and Raging Phoenix.

"Rising Phoenix was once two devices," Kala murmured. "Risingtide belonged to mage Farliana's partner, who was killed shortly after they wound up on Antedis. During one of the first battles, most of Risingtide's programming was damaged, but his offensive programs were still intact. Almost twenty years passed, during that time, Farla...as I knew her...had been teaching me as mucha s she could about magic. Mid-Childa magic. I think her plane was to eventually pass Raging Phoenix onto me so that I could complete her job. But that's not what happened. Not at all. The Lost Logia, which interacted with the crystals native to my planet had implanted crystalline strands in all sorts of creatures, most of them insects, and somehow, they were turning the bugs against us--bugs and other creatures. The one that was stealing life from pregnant mothers was the one that killed Farla. It attacked us...and killed another woman and her child...before Farla used some sort of transportation magic to get us out of the village."

Kala closed her eyes.

"I woke up outside of a cave, too late to do much more than watch Farla die. I tried to heal her. I tried very hard. But she was broken in so many pieces when I found her. Farla begged me to put Raging Phoenix on, to stop the terrible shadow thing from devouring any more life and then she died. Just like that. She died just as I repaired the damage to her body and then...and then I was attacked. I sealed it, trapped it, took the crystal strand from it, and it was gone. It was after that I found Risingtide next to a pile of bones. They swore to protect me, both of them, even when Raging Phoenix was so weak and so damaged that her own offensive spells were all but worthless. But they linked together, for...for me. So I could finish what their mages had started." Kala let out a breath. "They became Rising Phoenix and we did what had to be done."

Rising Phoenix said, sounding absolutely jubliant.

Will absorbed all the information carefully, and then started to sort it out in his head. 'Lost Logia' was obviously some kind of big bad thing that changed creatures with these 'crystal strands'. She and her trainer fought them and lost, trainer died, gave her Phoenix. Later, she found Rising and put them together like a Frankensteinian jigsaw puzzle. The Centaur of devices.

"Uh-huh." It was a lot to take in, but he was a storyteller himself; this was his forte. He addressed the device first. "Well, at least ye are comfortable with yer name and who ye are. You," he said, turning his attention back to Kala, "need to work on that. A name is more than a label; it helps define who ye are. A wise bard on my word once said 'a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet'. It's true, but being a rose is who it is. If ye let yerself be identified by whatever people choose, then who are ye really? Kala is a beautiful name, lass, with a good, strong meaning. It suits ye well. Ye can choose to let it be who ye are or not, but if not, ye need a new nomer."

Apparently, he'd thought about this before.

Rising Phoenix burbled, pleased, and Kala walked in silence for awhile, thinking. Kala was the name her Da and Ma had given her, though her brother called Kali (mostly because it meant 'divine terror' or something) because he could. She wasn't sure there was another name that was her, anyway.

"Kala," she said. "It's the last thing I have left of my family."

"I knew ye'd have a good reason. Kala it is. Ye know, you two make a good pair. A regular Abbott and Costello." He smiled at the mental image of Rising Phoenix yelling 'Hey, Abbott!' at the top of her digital little voice.

Kala arched a brow, amusement flaring for a moment before she tucked it away. She had no idea what the gaft he was talking about, but it must be something funny because he was smiling. And smiling was a good thing.

For both of them.

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