Boarding School for the Mythical

Tabitha:

I grinned at him and leaned forward to kiss him on the lips.

I kissed her back, smiling softly. I was happy about having her with me, I could forget about everything.

((Should we skip to get back?))

((Sure.))

Tabitha:

I had assumed that when my other self left my apartment, that arrangements had been made for Shade. When I got back and stepped through the door I expected him to come to me, when he didn’t I tore the place apart looking for him. In the kitchen there was a back of food torn apart and the faucet was dripping, but there was no other sign of him anywhere. The only evidence that he could have gotten out was the window open a couple inches. He had never gotten out that way before but there was no other explanation.

Sphinx:

I rubbed Tabitha's back, guessing she had to be worried about her special friend. I tried to think of a way to help but was unable to think of anything right now.

Tabitha:

I rounded on Velaric who was standing in the door. “How could you just leave with her? Without making arrangements or anything! You just left!” I turned to Sphinx then. “And you too! You just left her here, not thinking about the consequences!” My hysteria was rapidly building up.

Sphinx:

I set my hands on her shoulders and made her look in my eyes. "Calm down Tabitha, its okay. Take a deep breath, have a seat and I will take care of this okay? But I need you calmed down before I can do anything to help you or help you find Shade."

Tabitha:

I stared at him, fuming for a moment before covering my face with my hands and bursted into tears.

Vivian:

Even with the fox sitting in the hood of my sweatshirt with his paws on either shoulder so he could look over my head, I kept good balance. I didn't pay much attention to the looks I was getting, I was always getting looked at by the monks. They were nosy like that.

I took another bite of the hotdog I had bought from a stand, humming softly before offering it wordlessly up to my companion to have a bite. I had found him a few days ago and since then anything I had eaten, I had given him some. We were both kind of outcasts I felt, and we needed to look after each other. Though getting him to even let me pet him had been a chore and a half.

The fox had just glared at me when I tried to feed him a piece of jerky the first time. I think his hunger won out because I had sat there for over an hour just standing there holding out the food to him. Even then he had sniffed disdainfully at me and promptly ignored me. I think it was when I brought him a fully cooked steak, a plate of spaghetti, three bags of jerky and a large bottle of water did he realize I meant to stay with him. I wasn't entirely sure who adopted who, but in the end it all worked out. He helped steer me clear of danger, and if he ever wanted a snack or a warm place to cuddle I was there.

I had no idea where he was directing me right now, but I trusted him. I took my last bite than gave him the rest of the hotdog. I looked up at the doors as I passed them, reading the numbers so I could remember them. I felt Shade stiffen at the sight or smell of the man. He smelled good to me, but I figured maybe they had met before.
I was reminded about how I had to spend an entire day working to get Shade's name out of him. He just glared or sniffed at everything I came up with before walking over to a tree and sitting in the shade of a tree. I had never seen a fox look so self satisfied in my life as when I got his name right. I stopped and the two of us tried to peak past a man in the door way who was blocking our way. I reached up and tugged on the back of his shirt, "Excuse me." I told him before squeezing past him into the room.

I blinked at the scene where a man with odd little fox ears was hugging a crying girl. Shade didn't seem pleased to me about the hugging, but I could feel him sag a little against me in relief at the sight of one of the two. "Is one of 'em yours Shade?" I asked him softly as I blinked my violet eyes up at the two. He lifted his left leg a little, and I looked to the crying girl. I couldn't be angry at her for leaving Shade alone, she seemed to be crying a lot for my companion so it kind of balanced out.

Shade jumped down and went to his girl, putting both paws up on her leg. She Cride out his name and dropped down to the floor. Scooping him up she pressed her face into his fur to which he licked her hair lovingly.

Vivian:

I smiled softly, glad to see Shade so happy. I had tried to take good care of him, and I knew I probably looked dirty and a bit of a mess. I knew that he was very clean. I paused though when the man who had been hugging the girl knelt in front of me. "Thank you for bringing him home Vivian." I simply blinked and nodded at him. "Well, its more like he led me here. But was 'notin. I'm just glad he could find 'is friend."

Velaric:

I stared at the girl. “Oh hell no.” I said flatly crossing my arms, my eyebrows arched high.

Vivian:

I turned my head to look at the man who had just cussed. "What, am I not suppos'd to help? Is it cause I'm small? I'll grow bigger just you wait!" I said closing my eyes and waving my arms. The bandage like strips that made up the sleeves of my sweatshirt flapped and helped me look very much like a little phoenix.

Velaric:

I stared at her then looked to Sphinx, at a loss for words.

Vivian:

I glanced back and forth between Velaric and Sphinx, the latter who seemed to be sharing a private look as if to explain something.  My eyes drifted back to the taller man in the doorway.  My nose wrinkled and I leaned forward a little to sniff the air.  "Hey Vivian?"  A quiet voice asked in my ear causing me to turn towards the man beside me.  "Would you mind answering an important question for me?  Please?"  I nodded mutely and reached forward to play with the ears sticking out from atop his head.

"Fine, but you hafta answer one for me.  Why does he smell good?"  I asked pointing to the tall one.  The one beside me chuckled softly, "I think he smells funny."  He leaned closer to whisper loudly in a conspiring way, "I think he uses too much cologne."

I nodded sagely then looked up at the tall man.  "Well, he still smells good."  I stated matter-of-factly.  I beamed at him then looked at Sphinx as he drew my attention back to him.  "Vivian, this question is important.  What do you remember?  How much do you remember?"

The questions seemed to trigger something inside me and I began counting off numbers, "I remember Two, Seventeen, Twenty-seven, Six hundred and forty eight."  I continued counting numbers but the more numbers I counted the more visible shaken I got.  Soon I was trembling and clutching my head.  Blood began to trickle out of my nose and a pounding headache began in my ears and pulsed all through out my body.  I ended in a weak but forceful voice that seemed much older than my physical years.  "I am the Phoenix." And then the ground rushed up to meet me as I passed out.

Sphinx:

"I see," was all I said as I caught the young girl before she hit the ground.

Velaric:

I gagged on the air and pinched my nose. “I have to get.” I said quickly before closing the door and leaving the apartment building to get fresh air. The blood of a child was considered a delicacy to Vampires. Even to those of us who found the idea of drinking it repulsive, it was still an overwhelmingly desirable smell.

Tabitha:

I watched, wide eyed. “Is she okay? What happened?” I asked leaning closer to Sphinx to look at the child.

Sphinx:

"Have you ever studied so much that your brain hurt? It is a bit of the same thing. The brain isn't big enough to hold information and so it takes a little for it to filter through and your brain to accept it. Imagine living all of her lives, being able to have all that information...all those memories...she just now had all of that trying to fill her brain. She couldn't cope and her body to protect her made her pass out." I picked her up and laid her on the couch. "Her body automatically puts a block on all of those memories and slowly filters it in as she grows older. Eventually as she grows to handle it better she can have more filtered in at once. At any time like today she can open the dam anyway and take more, but being overwhelmed is common."

I sighed softly and ran a hand over my face. "Some of her lives are actually blocked to her. Like her first life. She has never remembered it. I can list countless other lives that she will never remember. And a few I actually know the reason why. But my curiosity made her suffer like this. I should clarify though, its not that she can't remember them. Its just that they never appear in the sequence of lives she does remember."

Tabitha:

“Have you known her from the beginning?” I asked in a soft voice. I felt young compared to these two, even though one of them was a child. It was easy to forget sometimes that Sphinx wasn’t my age.

Sphinx:

"I'm not that old I'm afraid. No, I first met her when I was a child on her...two hundred and seventy eighth life." I said quietly. "I have dated Vivian, three times. And even married her once. But there is a rule in her life that makes it hard for her to make friends once they know who she is...each life is different. What happens in one, does not carry over to another. Marriage, friendships, relationships, arguments. They all end at her death and rebirth." I shook my head, "I would never in a million years wish to take her place."

Tabitha:

I looked at him in surprise. “Have you, ah, married anyone else?” I asked, trying to sound normal. In truth, I was a little jealous of Vivian, simply because she had known him so long.

"Three times in total. Vivian was one, another was a sweet dying girl whose last wish was to be married. The third was a marriage I regretted with all my heart. She was a spiteful bitch who only married me for the power over others it gave." My voice went from soft to hard and bitter.

Tabitha:

A laughed escaped my lips and they moved without my consent, “She’s jealous.” My eyes widened a little and I blushed deeply.

Sphinx:

I blinked and looked at her, "Why? There is no reason to be jealous. I am all yours Tabitha, both of you inside."

Vivian:

"Are you two gonna kiss already?" I asked weakly, my eyes cracked open a little.

Tabitha:

My cheeks burned and I got to my feet ignoring both or their words. “What are we going to do with you?” I asked leaning over the edge of the couch to look at the girl.