Dropped Stitch

Build God, Then We'll Talk

[<3 <> <3<]

Roxy's eyes fluttered open. The Sybil of the Elements was shouting at her cyclone. That's... actually a really weird thing to see, she thought. Wow. I guess it was just getting normal.

She stood up, shaking leaves out of her hair.

"Youw!" Tyanpa yelled. Roxy yelped and snatched her Guardian Character out of the air.

"Sorry," Roxy said, placing the tiny person on her shoulder.

"It's okay," Tyanpa replied. She crawled into the folds in Roxy's scarf and settled in to sleep.

"YOU STOP THAT THIS INSTANT!" The Sibyl shrieked. The cyclone wobbled and spun apart. Leaves, stones, and black ooze dropped abruptly to the forest floor. The Sibyl walked over to Roxy, lips pursed. "You did that without going into a Rave?"

"Rave... you mean the..." Roxy twirled her fingers around her ears, and nodded. "I think so."

The Sibyl stared at her for a long, hard moment. Then, she  mumbled, "Good job."

"What?" Roxy asked. Her jaw had practically dropped open.

"Don't make me repeat myself!" The Sibyl snapped. "In any case, it's time to move on to Water."

"But-"

"Shut up!" The Sibyl growled. She took a hold of a handful of Roxy's hair and began to drag her back. "And you'll stay at home, healing, too! No more running for at least a week!"

[@2D3D4D]

Benny sighed. Niteria turned the phone on. She stared at it until it turned off. With a mildly puzzled expression on her face, she turned it on again.

"How long are you going to do that?" Benny asked.

"What?" She asked, turning it on and staring intently at the glowing screen.

"Turning it on over and over."

"Oh," Niteria paused to turn her big, round eyes on Benjamin. "Until you kill someone. I shall feast on their souls."

"Why?"

"Because they taste nice." Niteria paused, thinking. "I suppose, in your terms, it is similar to the delicate dish called itch."

"Itch isn't a dish," Benjamin replied.

"It starts with an 'I' though."

"Ice cream?"

"Yes. Ice cream. Everyone has a different flavor." Niteria pointed at Benny with the phone. "You are licorice ice cream, like death and knowlage."

"Um." Benny didn't want to say that he'd hated licorice since he was a little kid. "Okay?"

"Your friend, Roxanne," Niteria continued. The little hairs on Benny's arms stood up. "She will taste of strawberry ice cream. Winter is mint. And Lyra, most curiously, is chocolate chip peanut butter." She stared at Benny. "My sisters like those flavors better. Licorice is my favorite." She glared hungrily at Benny.

"Uh... are you going to try to kill me?" Benny asked.

"No," Niteria said. "I am here to help you. If you swear that I may eat your soul when you die-"

"I'm not going all Black Butler on you," Benny replied, pointing accusingly at the bird-girl. "I'll take care of myself."

"Then I shall remain, waiting." She returned her attention to the iPhone.

Benny sighed again and got up to leave the room.

[$^$]

Winter and Ananda climbed to the ground and looked around. They followed the route they thought they'd taken, and soon enough had something to show for their efforts. A splotch of blood, sunk too deep in the earth for the scavengers to devour, marked the spot from which their compatriot had been taken.