Bird Furious

It’s just sad that you say that. Often, you’re not the problem, and if you are, it’ll generally involve anger. So just keep being great people.

That’s… that’s just sad, guys.

A pumpernickel jackhammer. -Me

Haly followed, holding the dagger out with one hand and fingering her lighter in her pocket with the other.

Her stomach twisted at his face. She didn’t like seeing him look like that. “I don’t! If I die, they’ll just put somebody else on the throne—Cjehu maybe.”

“I’ll be fine; you need to stay safe.”

“I’m not letting you die.” “Ohhh…” Haly thought for a minute. “You asked Tors if she’d seen any cards.”

She frowned. “Maybe. I’ll see. No promises.” Haly grinned. “True that. Very true. Hey, do you have a furry thing?”

This has been a message from Things You Need To Know Network. Tune in to TYNTKN next zarp for more facts necessary for life!

Haly followed Nameless, drawing level with TAAron. “Don’t worry,” she told him. “We’ve got this.” ”I guess maybe. I don’t think fire is the safest thing to summon though.” She brightened. “But s’mores are yummy!”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’ll try.” She decided not to voice her fear that it wasn’t quite that simple.

“I… meant to do it this time. I didn’t expect it would be so potentially damaging! The worst it’s been before is a lot of roses with thorns.”

She shrunk back. “Well… it used to be emotion.”

Sykel shook her head. “Sorry. Pester somebody else this time.” She nodded, eyes on her hands. This time we’re all fine. She looked up. “Oh.”

She took a deep breath. “Yeah, sorry. Let’s go.”

“It’s simple! I walk through walls, turn into animals—wind chimes are easiest though—and find marshmallows and chocolate and sometimes fast food! I don’t know what’s happening and I don’t know how to stop it and I’m afraid I’m going to hurt someone and I don’t know what to do!” Haly was full-on panicking now. Haly didn’t even care. She put her head in her hands and moaned.

She opened her mouth, wide eyes staring at a shiny puddle on the ground. “I… I didn’t. I haven’t. I don’t know. It… it happened again. It’s getting worse.”

Haly stared at where the flames used to be, feeling slightly disappointed. Then, of course, the feeling faded to the background. I could have fried everyone, including me, she thought in disbelief. She had another question, but no way to put it into words.

This. So true and so easy to forget. Thank you.

[Okay!] Haly felt happy about that. Maybe unnaturally happy. She’d planned to turn into wind chimes or throw marshmallows or something, but she sensed that there was something else she could do. She straightened her arms horizontally, palms down, and reached for the tingling everpresent under the skin of her fingers. Water gushed around her, flooding the hallway. For a fraction of a second, Haly was disappointed. But then the remaining liquid on the floor—for water it was not—thrust out flames, flames to leap up and lock the ceiling, flames to whirl and dance until it found something to devour. The disappointment vanished, leaving a sense of pleasure.