[ There was no alarming crack of bone at least, though Miles himself is thoroughly alarmed right now. Shapeshifting talking bird? He's having some kind of weird nightmare, right? He backs up a few paces, bracing himself on his forearms and trying to kick loose of his blankets. Damn things are wrapped up around him good. ]
[ Wait. He recognizes that voice. And the response, and the no-nonsense attitude. He holds still for her and lets her work the blanket loose from his poor brittle legs. ]
[ The fox lets out a noise that sounds a bit like a humanlike grunt. But she does not, of course, respond until she manages to unwind the cloth from him. And it takes a while, because she engages in the process delicately, to say the least. Finally, once she's loosened it enough and released her grip, she sits back, curls her tail around herself, and gives a ladylike sigh. ]
Of course you ask the cleverest question when I can't answer. Hullo, Miles.
[ He helps her once he's gotten over his initial shock as well. Between the two of them, he finally frees himself.
A thousand questions rise to his lips instantly. But before any of that, more important than what happened to you and are you okay -- he reaches out Kitty gently, to wrap this funny little fox version of her in his arms. ]
[ That startles her. Gregor had asked permission first, and even that had been a little surprising; suddenly being hugged like that is...Her throat tightens as she's enveloped in warmth, in affection. It's hard not to have that happen. She's barely keeping it together, truth be told - the chaos and misery of everything that happened back home, followed by coming back here into another renewed war - and that kindness threatens to tear down her hard-built emotional defenses. So she buries her face against him, and her long bushy tail curls around him, and she just stays like that for as long as he'll hold her, trying not to crumble. ]
[ Sorry, Kitty. He curls bodily around her in turn, arms wrapped around her gently but firmly. He doesn't know why Kitty's an animal but dammit, she's here and she's not dead or disappeared. God. His voice gets a little thick as he chokes back tears. ]
[ And she came back like ... this? Is this just from Lucifer torturing her to death? That would be enough for anyone surely, but - Miles strokes along her fur very gently, still holding her close. ]
I...knew it was coming. Nathaniel told me it was coming. I'd wanted to stop it...But I wasn't fast enough. And so my people died. And almost all the magicians, too.
A magician attempted to become powerful by summoning a spirit into himself. That spirit crushed his mind and ran free and used other magicians, summoned spirits into them, their bodies...They captured the entire British government, and offered them the ultimatum that they could either summon spirits and be possessed and have their minds burned out or they could be killed outright. And they all chose to have their minds burned out. Almost all of them. So the army of spirits in human shells swept through the city, eating people or capturing them to eat later...
[ She trails off, remembering it. ]
I was there for the whole thing. From the beginning. It was horrible. It was murder, and it was...brutal. But more, it debased those spirits, too. Sullied them. They were made so grotesque and sad.
[ Dear god. Miles goes absolutely still for a moment as he pictures the sheer horror of that outcome. Nothing like it on his world, even with all its horrors ... ]
I think I'd prefer another Cetagandan invasion to that.
[ He hugs her rather fiercely for a moment. Bites back a comment about her not having been good at that either, just recently, flipping it around instead. His voice trembles very slightly. ]
[ She's quiet a moment. She just leans into his chest, just...feeling his arms around her. Feeling a little of her tension and misery ease as he holds onto her. ]
Yeah.
[ Then, with a bit more strength: ]
Yeah. Well. I'm not exactly going to be in any shape to throw myself into danger any longer.
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I'm hallucinating, I must be ...
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Why on earth would you think that? You've had enough time to get thoroughly used to magic. Honestly, Miles -
[ And then further chances for scolding are lost as she gently closes her teeth around the blanket and works to tug it loose from his legs. ]
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Kitty?
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Of course you ask the cleverest question when I can't answer. Hullo, Miles.
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A thousand questions rise to his lips instantly. But before any of that, more important than what happened to you and are you okay -- he reaches out Kitty gently, to wrap this funny little fox version of her in his arms. ]
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[ That startles her. Gregor had asked permission first, and even that had been a little surprising; suddenly being hugged like that is...Her throat tightens as she's enveloped in warmth, in affection. It's hard not to have that happen. She's barely keeping it together, truth be told - the chaos and misery of everything that happened back home, followed by coming back here into another renewed war - and that kindness threatens to tear down her hard-built emotional defenses. So she buries her face against him, and her long bushy tail curls around him, and she just stays like that for as long as he'll hold her, trying not to crumble. ]
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Is it really you? Your body disappeared.
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[ Her voice is a murmur against him. ]
I went home. Just for a day.
[ Though, God, what a day. ]
I am sorry. For the worry.
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[ And she came back like ... this? Is this just from Lucifer torturing her to death? That would be enough for anyone surely, but - Miles strokes along her fur very gently, still holding her close. ]
... What happened, Kitty?
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That...might be - something for another day. I don't think I can tell the full story. Not right now, at least.
[ A beat. ]
Don't stop petting me like that, by the way. That feels really, really nice.
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... That bad, is it. Is there anything you do want to tell?
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The government fell. Over the course of that day.
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[ He's all for her world getting less horrific, but - one day can't possibly have been bloodless. ]
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[ Her voice grows even smaller. ]
I...knew it was coming. Nathaniel told me it was coming. I'd wanted to stop it...But I wasn't fast enough. And so my people died. And almost all the magicians, too.
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A magician attempted to become powerful by summoning a spirit into himself. That spirit crushed his mind and ran free and used other magicians, summoned spirits into them, their bodies...They captured the entire British government, and offered them the ultimatum that they could either summon spirits and be possessed and have their minds burned out or they could be killed outright. And they all chose to have their minds burned out. Almost all of them. So the army of spirits in human shells swept through the city, eating people or capturing them to eat later...
[ She trails off, remembering it. ]
I was there for the whole thing. From the beginning. It was horrible. It was murder, and it was...brutal. But more, it debased those spirits, too. Sullied them. They were made so grotesque and sad.
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I think I'd prefer another Cetagandan invasion to that.
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[ Her voice is quiet. She pauses a moment, then says: ]
We stopped them. I guess you probably guessed that. That the whole attempt failed. It was 'cause of us.
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[ He's considering her animal form with significantly more alarm now. ]
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[ She nuzzles in closer to him, pressing her face into his pajamas. ]
Not as much as some others.
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... Indeed. But I find surviving to be just as merciless a war as dying.
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[ Her voice is barely even a whisper. ]
I always survive. Good at surviving. Just not keeping others alive.
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Please do continue to do so. Kitty, please ...
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Yeah.
[ Then, with a bit more strength: ]
Yeah. Well. I'm not exactly going to be in any shape to throw myself into danger any longer.
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What do you mean?
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