One kiss those lips could never lie
But I know something isn't right
Don't be fooled my friends aside
'cause I see nothing in those eyes
Jack was curled up in the corner, the tigress curled around him, Ra on his lap. His eyes were closed and his breathing was laboured as a bruise from one of his falls made pressure on his ribs ache. Eventually he rose and rubbed the tigress’ head as she moved to follow him. She had Ra gripped in her jaws as she followed him, the cub still too tired to walk. The past few days had been tough on them, but the skies were clear now, or so the rumours went, so they were heading up to the turret of the west wing. He wanted to look out over the flooding, to see the sun for what was really the first time. The sky as he had known it had been covered with ash.
Clawed hands pushed open the door and they walked out to see Renn and a large colourful bird with her. He stopped and looked at the ground, tempted to turn and run. He had not seen her very many times since her eldest brother had rescued him from the flood waters. He had… he had seen things, things that had changed him and plagued his dreams.
He was just turning to go when the tigress blocked his path and pushed him out onto the roof, into the cold open air. It smelled strange. Clean. He closed his eyes for a moment and let the sun beat down on him. It was strange. Everything seemed to be different in the light. Better maybe.
Finally he opened the eyes and looked at Renn, and the strange bird. “Hello Renn.” He said softly, awkwardly. He had been avoiding her. He was not going to lie. He had been avoiding anyone and everyone. People did not settle well with him. Too many people here. Too many. He shuddered. The thought of curling up in the great hall with all of the other fairies scared him, even if it was for heat. That was why he had Ra and the tigress, they kept him warm, and they kept him fed. What more did he need? Did he need company? Was that why the tigress had pushed him out here? Could she tell that he needed the company of more of his own kind? No, of course not… She was an animal. She was not his familiar… But they – people – say that animals are often more in tune with everything than anything else.
“Sorry I have not been around…” His voice was quieter than it had been before the flood. He did not seem to have the same confidence. But maybe that was because there was no other male presence to make him respond as such. “Things have been… different… since the flood.” His grey eyes focused on her, all but ignoring the bird. How was he supposed to know that she had a familiar now? But the coloured creature was attracting some focus from Ra. The tigress seemed unbothered by it. Maybe she was not hungry. Ra just seemed to want to play more than anything…
Jack the Ripper
Hatred never looked this good
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