“None of us have been devoured yet,” Cat said with a smile, taking a seat right between Phoebe and Julia. Phoebe felt his thigh brush against hers. It was hard to ignore even with her appetite gnawing in her stomach- not the sudden touch itself, but how far away she felt regardless. He may as well have been a stranger on a crowded bus; neither situation elicited an emotional response from her. It always caused her to wonder if her lack of both comfort and discomfort made her the odd one out in these situations.

Over lunch, Cat continued the conversation from the car ride to Avernus. He was warning Kirk about Connell and giving him the same rules he’d given Phoebe: Don’t tell anyone what happened or where you are. Then, the spotlight fell on Kirk. How long ago did you make your wish? What did the Firebird look like? What made you interested in the paranormal? Oh, you edit videos? I heard you can make good money doing that.

Image: Kirk, Bluebell, Phoebe, Cat, and Julia are all sitting in the living room. There are plates, cups, and mugs on a coffee table in front of them; Cat and Phoebe are holding sandwiches, Bluebell and Julia are holding drinks. Cat is leaning forward and talking to Kirk, who is sitting away from the others. End description.

All of his answers were short; he hardly had anything to say about himself. Kirk was 19 and it had only been a few weeks since his wish. The Firebird was bright as the sun and it held its wings out for him. It had beckoned him. (Cat chimed in with a “Yes, exactly!”) He’d been high school lab partners with Abigail, who gave him steady work for Occult Ontario. No, of course the money wasn’t good. Not even when the crew started faking ghost encounters for clicks.

Image: The Firebird sits on a tree branch, hidden among the bright light surrounding it. Its avian form–strong-bodied and long-necked–can barely be made out. It stares with a single visible eye. Its tail feathers, which have a softer glow, hang down. End description.

After lunch, Kirk idled by his luggage. “Where am I sleeping?”

“Oh yeah, all the rooms are filled. There’s space on the couch!” Julia patted the armrest.

“I couldn’t fall asleep down here,” Kirk said matter-of-factly.

“I can take the couch, and he can have my room.” Phoebe chimed in. That arrangement felt better to her. Out of all of them, she was the most fit to sleep in full view of multiple windows. So close to the garage.



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06.25.22
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That first illustration took me forever *lays down* Thankfully the art for the upcoming scene has been easier so I didn't lose much steam.

Important: I'm gonna be moving & helping others move during the upcoming weeks. So updates may be delayed due to that. As per usual, keep an eye on my Twitter for schedule changes.