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[evocation]

This is Kyna. You should just text me if you actually want me to answer.

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[requiemshark]

[Breathe, Ephemera reminds himself. Lets it go.]

He killed my family and he forgot about them! Like they were nothing.

[His voice rises before he remembers, and shivers. No. Breathe. Remember what you're doing.]

Look at me. Look at me! Tell me you'd let it go, if it was your family.

[evocation]

[She wouldn't, and she knows she wouldn't. If someone did that to her, she'd probably want to kill them, too, but she doesn't want to think about that.]

He didn't forget about them. What are you talking about?

[requiemshark]

[Breathe. Don't lose your temper. Breathe and remember why you're here. An apology is one thing. Don't fuck it up.

Ephemera twitches. Waits until he's sure he won't yell before speaking again.]

I waited years for a shot at them.

[He shivers hard. Don't yell.]

They had the fucking nerve to act surprised when I found them. I made them remember. Washington and that bitch Carolina. I made them fucking remember.

[evocation]

[Treat him like a person, Drake said. Kyna grits her teeth and ignores that itch in her fingers, the knowledge that it would be so easy to shut him up with another spell. She doesn't.]

From what I heard, Carolina didn't want to fight you.

[requiemshark]

She wanted to walk away!

[Like it was nothing. Ephemera feels himself shaking and tries to breathe. Counts to five. Breathe, soldier. Stay in the moment.]

No. No. Do you know what they did to my sisters? Chica drowned. Daisy was so fucked up, they couldn't tell which pieces--

[Stop. Stay in the moment. Don't get lost in the memory. Ephemera takes a shuddering breath.]

Don't give me that shit.

[evocation]

[She tries to ignore that and shove it aside, tries not to think about all the times she worried about Nico not coming home.]

So what do you want him to do?

[requiemshark]

[That stops him. Ephemera stares at Kyna. He wants to scream at her or fight, not get tangled up with words. He wants his family back and not to dream about them dying.]

I want him to die. But we don't always get what we want, now do we?

[evocation]

Yeah, we don't. Too bad, huh?

[requiemshark]

[Ephemera just shakes his head. This wasn't why he came. There's no point in fighting with Kyna. It only escalates things.]

I have to let it go. Because that's the only way out of it.

[He stares at her.]

They're gone and he's right here.

[evocation]

What the hell do you want me to do about it? Just pretend he doesn't exist.

[requiemshark]

[As if it were that simple. Ephemera just shakes his head.]

I don't want anything from you, Kyna. I'm sorry I hurt you.

[evocation]

Whatever. It was a shitty kick anyway.

[That's not exactly a gracious acceptance, but fifteen minutes ago she would have told him to fuck off, so it's something.]

[requiemshark]

[Ephemera almost smiles at that. He backs up another step, almost at his door.]

Hnn. Maybe.

[evocation]

[She points a finger at him.]

I could kick your ass easy.

[And then she turns, glancing at him one last time before disappearing into her apartment, the drawing still in her hand.]

[hardwearing]

[ Wash only let Kyna go back to her apartment alone because he didn't want to seem overprotective, like he didn't think she could handle herself.

Except he actually is overprotective, and she's injured and on a hit list.

It's been too long, now.

He pulls out his phone to see if maybe she's just having trouble carrying things or something. ]

Need help?

[evocation]

no, i'm on my way.

[She takes a while, though, and when she finally lets herself back into Wash's apartment, she looks a little upset. Maybe annoyed.]

Hey. I didn't get eaten, see?

[hardwearing]

[ He automatically assumes that's directed at him, for being impatient and texting. Whoops. ]

Did you make another stop? You were gone longer than I expected.

[evocation]

[The concern actually doesn't bother her—he's never patronizing, and she gets why he's worried. It's the conversation with Ephemera that's still stuck in her head.]

No. I ran into Ephemera again. He was sticking this in my door.

[And she hands him the drawing, still folded in half.]

[hardwearing]

[ Wash unfolds the paper. Stares at the sketch for a moment... it's good, he managed to catch the playful sparkle in Kyna's eyes. But why? ]

...what's this for?

[evocation]

He said it was an apology.

[She shrugs uncomfortably. It's clear she doesn't quite know how to feel about it.]

[hardwearing]

Maybe a peace offering. [ Wash passes it back -- it's hers. ] What else did you talk about?

[evocation]

[Kyna takes the drawing again, rolls her eyes.]

You again. He's still a dick.

[hardwearing]

[ Well, he can't say he's surprised. But the last time that happened, Kyna had some questions for him. ]

And?

[evocation]

Ugh. I don't know. He was talking about how you forgot about his team after you killed them, and how Carolina wanted to run away from the whole thing, and...

[She shakes her head.]

[hardwearing]

[ Wash blinks. ]

That's... inaccurate.