. : HELLACIOUS : .

The Verglas

After Billy returned from his personal crisis he left Kash the hell alone. No more jokes about their body. All attacks physical, mental, and emotional ceased, effective immediately.

He stopped pressuring Roz to sleep with him.

He cleaned up his own messes for once.

He looked his age.

Old and sad and broken and big.

Hardly believing their luck, Kash sent a silent thank you up to Van Heusen for making their existence that much easier.

Malcolm picked up on their delight immediately.

"Somethin' good?" He cutely smiled at them under his cap. The beginnings of a beard growled at his chin. Sharing his guilt lightened a burden in him. His smiles came easier. His laughs rang true.

"Nah." Kash's inoculation against happiness had long expired. They took his hand and squeezed. "Something great."

Malcolm grinned. "I like this. It looks good on you."

Kash glanced over their outfit for anything they might've changed. "What does?"

But he didn't answer, rubbing his thumb over their knuckles in time with their breaths.

In.

And out.

...In.

And out...

.:.:.:.

"Hey, you want a part time job?"

Kash looked up from their book on mermaids and found the curly haired librarian from before standing by their table.

"...Me?"

"Yeah." She shifted her weight to the side. "A lot of the folks around here are quitting and moving out out town, so we need some off-the-books help around here. No pun intended."

"What would I have to do?"

"Hardly anything. Re-shelve the returns. Send people to the right place. Keep the peace." The librarian said the next part softly. "It wouldn't be much. Maybe dollars on the hour. But I figured as much time as you spend in here anyways, it'd be a good deal."

Kash had never been gainfully employed before. Their work experience amounted to being self sufficient in New Crest in 1860 and Billy's Sociopathic Business all the years after.

But the D'Jinn wanted to know what it was like to own something. Even if it was as temperamental as money. They'd have to hide it, but ever since the power structure back at Redwater changed, they had a feeling it wouldn't be too difficult.

So, in the mindset of a certain graduate assistant...

...why not?

"Okay." Kash said.

"Okay?" Her eyes widened in surprise. "Well, alright. Can you start tomorrow?"

"Yeah." The D'Jinn tried a smile. "Tomorrow's good."

The woman held out her hand. "I'm Yolanda. Nice to meet you."

Her bonds glowed with appreciation and the D'Jinn soaked it in. "Kash Renick. Is it okay if I don't have a library card? I'm between addresses... at the moment."

Yolanda gave them a queer look. "I'll just write one up for you right now. No hassle."

My own library card!