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Library, Wednesday

Anyone expecting a quiet redhead behind the circulation was in for a rude surprise--emphasis on the rude. There was a lanky brunette behind the counter today, watchful and on edge. There was a knife strapped to her hip and a gun within easy reach under the desk.

Zee wasn't taking any chances with the creepy guys that were suddenly around the island today. She was going to be the sister in view for the rest of the week, their other classes and identities be damned. One surprise attack that had them appearing in one of those weird machines was more than enough, thanks.

Don't expect a lot of help from today's substitute library aide, unless you were planning a trip out to put the hurt on some of those tire-wearing freaks. Then Zee was all yours.

[ooc: Open for all of your BDE library needs!]

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"Unless you can get rid of every single tire-wearing asshole on the island, not a whole lot," Zeela snapped. Where had he and his anger and his power been this morning? When they'd been needed? "Sholeh's not coming out unless it's safe."

Not even Evan and his power could be everywhere at once. Why hadn't Zeela been more careful about where Sholeh was wandering alone when there had been hostiles on the island for days?

"Then I do what I can to make the island safe," Evan replied, squaring his jaw, not letting Zeela's attitude get his hackles up. If Sholeh had died, so had Zee and Zhari. She was allowed a little attitude today. "I already spoke to someone who says she can help. This... whatever this is... it won't last forever."

Yeah, but until today, the hostiles had been content to hang around and dig while making smarmy radio broadcasts! That didn't suggest that other random people were going to show up and start shooting and stabbing!

"You spoke to someone?" Zee asked. "Who is this someone? Why are we waiting for her to show up and help? You have powers! So do half the people on the island! I have weapons! Why are we waiting for some outsider to come and save us? Sholeh died?! I died!"

"There's a doctor... she's an expert in whatever Hyperion is digging for," Evan murmured. "So, while I could run out there and blow half the island to kingdom come, there's no guarantee that whatever's been uncovered out in the preserve won't cause trouble in the long run. This is Fandom. It does that."

Maintaining calm in the face of Zeela's hysterics was a bigger challenge than convincing Lilith that they needed help here. It figured. He pulled in another slow breath, and then swallowed.

"I didn't know they were killing people until just now, Zee. I'm willing to bet the same goes for half the people here. I'm pretty sure there would be more people out there kicking ass if we were aware that people were dying now."

"Well, great. Let me just stand up here..."

Zeela climbed up on the circulation desk and shouted at the assembled researchers. "HEY! GUESS WHAT? PEOPLE ARE GETTING MURDERED OUT THERE. ONE OF YOUR CLASSMATES GOT CARVED LIKE A TURKEY ON HER WAY BACK FROM TOWN!"

"There," she snapped, jumping back down and whirling to face Evan. Her eyes were suspiciously bright, but she blinked furiously to clear them. "You think that'll help?"

Evan had a lump in his throat. He wasn't quite certain where it had come from, except that it was a stubborn one, and it took him swallowing a few times before he could manage words again.

"... Probably. Would... you like an escort back to the dorms, Zee? The library's open now, people have what they need. We can fly, no need to even get close to anything that might get the wrong idea..."

"Oh, noooo," Zeela snarled. "I'm armed now. I'm just waiting for one of those freaks to try something. I hope one of them does. I'll show him what it feels like to be taken by surprise. And if I'll be waiting by the closest regeneration station in case he comes back so I can do it again!"

Evan didn't want to say it. Evan didn't want to say it...

"You'd risk Sholeh and Zhahar going through that again, for revenge?"

Evan said it.

Zeela's fingers twitched and a muscle jumped in her cheek.

"Do you want to hear more about it?" she asked quietly. "How they slashed at Sholeh and laughed when she tried to run? How they tripped her and didn't go for the fast kill?"

How Zeela wasn't fast enough to protect her? How she'd been dozing and it had been Sholeh's terror that had roused her, groggy and stupid, to try to help?

"Maybe they need this as much as I do."

Evan didn't think he could bear to hear it. Least of all from Zeela. He closed his eyes and inhaled again, wrestling back another wave of anger before it could manifest itself like fire over hands that were balling themselves into ever tighter fists.

"It's a terrible idea," he murmured, "just going out and looking for trouble. Especially right now, upset as you are. It's your anger doing the thinking. They're killers, Zeela. Are you?"

"Show me the crazy in the tire tutu that sliced her open and laughed about it and we'll have the answer to that pretty quickly, won't we?"

Evan could only take so many deep breaths here, Zee.

"Or you end up dead again, and your sisters get dragged through it because you threw yourself headfirst into danger." He reached a hand up and pinched the bridge of his nose. It felt like she was baiting him, too, trying to push him to a point where self-control was only an afterthought.

... And it was an easier push than one might think. He was holding on by the skin of his teeth.

"Just... don't do it alone, if you're so bent on it."

Edited 2013-12-12 05:00 (UTC)

If it helped, it wasn't really about you, Evan. Zeela was lashing out in hurt and fear and anger and you were right there, making yourself an easy target.

"So I should just let these guys get away with it?" she asked, voice shrill. "They hurt her! They hurt all of us! And--and--"

She wasn't crying, she wasn't.

"I'm not saying that," Evan said gently, shaking his head. "I want to see them hurt for what they did, too. It's taking all of my willpower to keep from flying out there right now and... and hurting anyone that fits the description you gave me, honestly."

He hung his head a little at that. It wasn't an admission that he was proud of.

"They'll pay for what they did," he promised, quietly. "I just don't want you three to get hurt again because you're upset and not thinking clearly."

"I'm very clearly picturing what I want to do," Zeela said, reining in her stupid emotions. Ugh. Those were tears of anger if anyone asked what she was wiping off her face, turning slightly to make it less obvious. "Very clearly."

"And how clearly are you picturing what they'd do to you?" Evan was still talking softly, trying to be reasonable. "How much experience do you have, fighting armed lunatics who clearly do this sort of thing often?"

Hmm?

Defiant brown eyes met worried blue and it was Zeela who looked away first.

"Like you'd give a damn if Zhari and Sholeh weren't involved," she muttered.

"I would," Evan replied, sounding tired. "We don't get along, but that doesn't mean I want you to run out there and get hurt. I wouldn't wish that on... on almost anyone."

The list of people Evan would wish it on was fairly short, though.

"By 'don't get along' you mostly mean that you don't like me," Zeela taunted. He'd pretty much convinced her not to go out there, which meant that she had a lot of anger and no outlet for venting.

No good deed, Evan.

"Sorry I'm not as sweet and good-natured as my sisters."

...She wasn't actually sorry.

"I don't like you," Evan agreed. And then shrugged his shoulders. "You've never given me much of a reason to. I don't hate you, either. If that's what you're hoping for, you're going to have to try harder."

At least he was honest.

"Is that a request?" Zee asked. "Cause I can be really hateful when I put my mind to it."

Evan looked like he was actually thinking that one over seriously.

"... Would it make you feel better?"

There was a full moment of consideration there before Zeela finally shook her head. "Nah. Sholeh will be pissy at me."

Which, was true of itself, but not the whole truth. The whole truth, however, was not something that Zee felt like getting into right yet.

"If you wanna make me feel better, go find the asshole who hurt us and bring him to me. How's that for compromise?"

There was a long pause, there. A long pause, and a look on Evan's face that was sorely tempted, while he tried to battle another surge of anger away from the surface. His eyes flickered, though, shifting from ice blue to a solid white and just sticking that way.

"... I..." He closed his eyes and swallowed. When he opened them again, solid white had taken on a faint red glow. "... I'll see what I can do."

He could still be smart about this. He could.

It was like someone had sassed Kansas!

"Whoa, hey now," Zeela said, startled. She...hadn't expected him to take her seriously. Or then volunteer to do something about it. "Let's not be too hasty or whatever. Sholeh will murder me herself if you go all rage-crazy again and it's my fault."

A pause and she said, a trifle unwillingly, "And that's not your way either. So you don't have to go do something like that on my behalf."

Library, Wednesday

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