A seemingly unfamiliar sound seemed to ring throughout the corridors of the happy rebel inn. One that had not been heard there in a long time but should have been considering it's position in Clan society. But since recent events the Happy Rebel wasn't so happy... until now. The sound that travelled down the long hall was that off laughter. Youthful, vibrant and care free. And since the Happy Rebel had new guests, the bartender and kitchen staff were going to be hearing it alot more.
Karmic Retribution had made the Happy Rebel Inn their new home. It was a refuge away from Athen, a place where they could hide, feel safe. Athen wasn't safe anymore. Not for them. Tir was about the safest city they knew off. And the only other option besides that was taking refuge in the Shadowlands. It was a majority vote that they stayed in Tir.
The first night in the Happy Rebel for all of them and all that could be heard was laughter. Not something that was expected considering their situation. Most would have been emotionally weary with stress and paranoia... but these two girls were far from it. Everyone moved to and from their rooms, either checking on each other or to see what the laughing was all about. It was their first night after all and things were a strange mixture between exciting and tense. They hadn't taken much with them, just what they could and split into pairs for the rooms. The laughter was coming from Giir and Megaera's room.
Megaera hopped up onto her bunk and smiled, biting her lip gently. Although the light was dim in the little room, it still made her pale Opifex skin shine a strange ivory. She flicked back one of her long white bunches and giggled to hreself a little more while Giir continued to tell her story.
"And then it went 'BOOM'!" Giir said giggling, holding her arms out at either side of her. "And all these pretty colours started to fly around and the circle got bigger and bigger and it was all pretty... you should have seen it... I can show you now if you would like" she said going to stand up.
"No thank you Giir" Megaera giggled. "Probably not the best idea on our first night here" she added smiling a little. "I don't want either Aunty Ishy or my Mother telling us off because you blew up the doorway to our room!"
Giir pouted a moment, then smiled and sat back down, picking up her leet doll and holding it close to her.
"So ... um... do you like it here too?" Giir asked curiously. She cradled her leet doll, stroking the furr and rocking a little on the spot, like an anxious child. But then again, she was still practically a child.
"I do... I like everyone so far... well I don't know if I like Mister Neuro... Neuronomi... Neuronomicon...." she said with quite a bit of effort. "He's a scary man... but Mr Chaos is nice. He tells me all about his home and where he is from and I teach him about where I am from" Giir added with a big grin. "And miss Angel and Kattan are very nice too, but they are scary too... I think they have scary weapons..." she paused and bit her lip gently. "Iryss and Rozee are very funny but sometimes I don't understand what they are talking about and they tell me I can't drink what they have because I have to wait until I am all grown up... ummm.... Urai is a nice person but I haven't said much to him or Anamchara but I want to talk to them more. Anamchara is a very pretty lady" she smiled. "Um.... I don't know... Nemette hasn't really said anything to me yet but she's one of those agenty peoples and I don't understand them.... hmm...and Mr Devin too... he's a nice man, but he's a very sad man too... he's always so sad" she said pouting. Her strange blue eyes seemed to fade out as if her thoughts were focusing on a billion different things. Like her mind was drifting through thought and each thought was a star in a sky of confusion. "I like it here" Megaera smiled and nodded after a long pause. "I don't really understand what's going on, but I know we're safe here from those nasty men"
It was true... as much as they had explained to them, they had never truley grapsed the danger they were in. All but Giir. She was in Backyard seven that day when one of the troopers appeared from the sky. Even with that knowledge and experience, she still seemed calmer than most. Perhaps her innocence was the thing that kept her whole.
The laughter echoed through the hallway once more. It echoed through his head, like some ghost like dream, faded and distant. Their innocence, their youth and purity only added to the feeling, swimming through his thoughts and tempting guilt from it's hovel deep inside his head.
He sat by a desk, head in his hands, eyes closed and a pained expression on his face. His agile features were drawn into a frown and his breathing, heavy with tension. Too many thoughts swimming in his head, and still too many interuptions to gather them. What if moving everyone to the Rebel was a bad idea after all? Were they still in danger? Did the Brigade really mean what they said that day in the bunker? Were Omni still on his case? These were just a few of the thoughts occupying his head. There were very few things that could take away from all of that, that could sweep all of those thoughts away in an instant. One thing that took up alot of his thoughts but always just played in the background, watching the other thoughts in amusement. The thoughts were traffic on a busy street and on the other side of all the Chaos those distractions stood side by side, but divided.
"Oh Deeeeevvvvviiiiiin" came the voice, sweet yet mischeivious. "You've been ignoring meeeeee"
"No.... I haven't been ignoring you Del... and you know it" he replied slowly though quiet and shaky breath.
"Yes you have" she said reaching over and touching his shoulder.
He didn't move. He knew that she wasn't really there. That it was all in his head, but the feel of the hand made him shudder. "You like my brother better... he's bad for you... I am good for you" she said smiling sweetly. "I'm your Endless spirit"
"You're not!" he said a little louder. "You were never meant to be here! Dream was with me since I was born. You just made me worse from..."
"From what, Devy?" she said innocently. "Oh, I know!" she squeaked, clapping. "You killed you're daddy that day didn't you? And Dream was sad and that's when I appeared! I appaeared like a magic cloud, all 'poof' like and then you kept moving away from my bad brother and you were my toy to play with!"
"I am not your toy Delirium... leave me alone!" he said angrily through clenched teeth.
"You're daddy was all mad at your mummy and then you beat your daddy to death and Mummy was scared. And then all the peoples in the place with the knives and walls and nasty things helped you and then you killed even more peoples and the people with the white clothes made you all better and we were friends!" she said happily. "And you're my friend!"
"Delirium, leave me alone!" he said through a strained voice. "Please leave me alone!" His fingertips dug into his scalp, his head still in his hands, his eyes screwed up even more, trying to make her go away.
"I can't go away... we're friends now" she smiled playfully, leaning over and kissing the top of his head. "Now go and play nice with the peoples and remember and show them that it's not what's on the outside that counts" and with that she vanished.
"Not my friend... not my friend" he said quietly through very shaky breath. "You're not my friend.... I am not a toy..." He rocked back and forth a little, his breathing almost a soft whimper. "I'm my own.... my own..."
"Are you okay in there?!" came a voice from outside his door. He jumped a little, not expecting it, unsure if it was her or not. But he recognised the voice to be Devilkattans.
"I'm fine..." he replied shakilly. "I just had a bad dream... that's all..." he said opening his eyes and looking to the closed door.
"Okay.... just try and get some rest alright? I don't wanna have ta knock ya out, now do I? I'm going to tell the girls to get some shut eye... get some rest" she said before walking off.
Shivering slightly, he turned away from the door again. His eyes slid shut a moment, as he paused to try and relax. Slowly, he opened them again, focusing on the wall opposite him, hands held together in front of him. But no longer did they shine that calming dark brown, but shone emerald green and sky blue. And somewhere in the back of his mind, behind a sea of traffic, she smiled and watched, waiting.