[h1]Ghostlike[/h1][hr][hr]
Smoke trickled from the corner of Tyrel'yrash's mouth and up into the moonlit room, gradually dissipating. She lay there, naked under her ghostlike covers, hands folded behind her head and a pipe on the nightstand beside her. Chad'amis'yida shared her bed and they had shared each other. She took another pull from the pipe before it went out. She wanted to blow rings but she wasn't very good at it. She nudged him and offered it and Chad had a smoke as well. 

The night air lay cool and damp upon her skin and she could feel a hint of goosebumps, but it felt strangely good. The sweltering stink of Hogh Munkhelad was still with her: its narrow claustrophobic streets and feel of enclosure. She halfway wanted to throw something on and run out into the night just to feel unconfined. "You look pensive," remarked her special one, and she snorted. "That obvious, huh?" He nodded and blew a couple of rings of smoke. She'd failed again. "Like three monkeys in a trench coat," he decided. She turned her head, looked him in the eyes, and they smiled together. "It's not a [i]bad[/i] pensive," she decided, trailing off.

"Fuck. Whenever a chick says something like that, you know you're doomed."

She punched him on the shoulder and rolled onto her side, resting an elbow on the mattress and the side of her head on her hand. "Ypti, you're such a dick."

"That's uh... the idea."

She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, it's more like missed opportunities."

"Babe, we're in the top three. Like, seriously, what more do you -"

"Oh Vysh, I know. It's not that."

"Praying to yourself?" He arched an eyebrow, rolling onto [i]his [/i]side to face her as well. "So what? regretting not inviting that pretty little human?"

"I'd have been good with three, maybe even four, but he wasn't interested." She didn't let herself think about why. She already knew, of course. "Didn't you have that Ingrid girl as a partner and she wasn't like... a bitch or anything?"

He smiled. "She was pretty cool, but she was in a hurry to get to somewhere in Torragon, so yeah." He shrugged. "So, what is it? You made up with that bad human copy of you?"

"Damy, don't be so mean," Tyrel whined, "and yes. Her name's Penny." She smiled faintly and rolled her eyes a bit. "Honestly, such a big character and get this: I think she's like... literally dating that weird stalker guy I had before."

"That's a [i]good[/i] thing?" Chad prodded.

Tyrel shrugged. "Hey, at least he's leaving [i]me[/i] alone," she chirped. She caught herself then. She'd launched into a long meandering emotional conversation, just like her special one had said she would. She grimaced slightly. He really [i]did [/i]know her too well. "Anyway, it's like..." Her face became earnest. She took a moment to scratch a itch under the covers. "We're here in Constantia and I'm supposed to be like... this [i]goddess[/i] or whatever."

"You say it like you don't believe it."

"Chad..."

"Tyrel..." he mimicked.

She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, don't laugh at me. I was honestly thinking we could do some good. The Consansoi are hurting really badly. Maybe there's like... something I can do." She rolled onto her back again and let out a sigh. It lingered in the night air. Outside, crickets chirped and nocturnal life skittered about the city. There was a tree not far away. One good gift-enhanced leap and she could be there. 

"So, if you wannna do it," he replied, sitting up and glancing fondly down at her, "then you should. You know I'm always here."

"To make fun of me?"

"Someone has to, [i]Goddess[/i]."

"Say it again, please!" she squealed.

"[i]Goddess[/i]."

"Oooh, [i]Chad[/i]!" She let out another snort and her face became serious after a moment. "I wanna do it," she said. "I wanna help them. I wanna bring them hope, if I like... [i]can[/i]." She sniffed a bit and sat up, drawing her knee to her chin. "I just don't know where to start."

Chad scooted up beside her and wrapped his right arm around her shoulders. Tyrel snuggled into his warmth. "What about that cousin of yours?" he asked. "She's lived among them for years." He furrowed his brow. "Do you even know for sure if she [i]is[/i] your cousin?"

Tyrel went silent. She gave a little nod and he kissed the top of her head. "You know my family has secrets."

"I know," he replied.

"She's... related to me."

"Hard to miss."

The putative goddess knew it. Her mother wasn't her mother. Her cousins weren't her cousins. They all looked uncannily similar and she only stood out by virtue of her missing leg. Some received the curse, others didn't. She didn't know for sure about Ismette, but she would venture that her newly-discovered relation was like Mirette, who was out enjoying the night, of course. "I'll speak with her."

"You want me to come?" Chad asked concernedly, his voice a rare tone of earnest.

Tyrel shifted and slid over top of him. She shook her head and kissed him on the lips. "I love you."

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