The Birdcage

Improved Taste

"So, tell me honestly," Jayson said loudly, dragging a limp French fry through the puddle of cheap ketchup. "Which tastes better, this shit or the mud in the garden?"

"I don't know, but I'll support you if you desire to find out." Nyx replied with a sweetly-innocent smile. Her retorts were sharp and on point after hours of this shit; by now there was nothing she hadn't heard.

Jayson laughed; he seemed to be in a good mood this afternoon, which was fair enough.

Perry wrinkled their nose. "She told you to eat dirt, dumbass."

"She was joking." Ronnie said quickly. "Right?"

"Well, it was funny..." Nyx nodded.

"It's all in fun." Jayson said. "Just messing around." He put the fry in his mouth, pulling the customary grimace of all who braved eating the food here. "But seriously, what were you doing?"

"That's for me to know, and you to burn up with curiosity over." Nyx teased, popping a fry in her mouth; before nearly gagging at the gross texture as the salt sucked the moisture from her tongue.

"Maybe dirt is the way to go." Jayson joked, pushing his plate away from him across the table.

Ronnie eyed the disappointing fry hanging limply off her fork, before dropping both food and utensil back on her plate. "I have never felt bad for a potato before."

"But why play in the mud? There's much better ways of rebelling." Jayson interrupted suddenly, completely ignoring Ronnie's words. "Quite childish, really."

"Then why keep bringing it up?" Perry challenged smoothly, eyebrow quirked in humour.

"You were out in the garden with her, Perry. You party in this strange endeavour?"

"What, are you worried she dug up your secret coke supply or something?" Perry joked, shooting an eye roll in Nyx's direction. "Or maybe he's serious about wanting to eat mud. Who knows with this guy, eh?" Perry shrugged, jabbing a thumb in Jayson's direction.

"It's odd." Jayson snarked; shooting Perry dagger eyes. "I'm intrigued. What ever could have been going on in your little mind?" He teased Nyx.

Embrace the weird.

They could think what they liked, all of them; she knew the truth and that alone was power. Smiling, Nyx shrugged; holding her head high as she leaned back in the chair. "I'm here, aren't I? I'm crazy; I don't have to explain myself."

***

Nyx was sitting up in bed waiting when the air took on a familiar chill and the strange, rippling haze drifted through the ceiling the same way it had come the night before; murmuring incoherently its hidden secrets.

Crossing her arms, she raised her chin stubbornly. "I'm not afraid of you."

The soft, matronly voice replied in soothing tones as it made its way across the room. "Alright."

As it faded through the wall off on it's nightly rounds, Nyx breathed a sigh of relief; grinning proudly at herself as she pulled up the sheets and tucked herself into bed.

After all the things she'd discovered today, her busy mind needed time to unwind.