Saint Joseph School

Kris O'Sullivan

"Q5 for the win," Kris smiled and nodded, then looked around, feeling de ja voux in a bad way decided to get things moving again. "We should get going, huh? If Lucky wants to come, I'm good with it. If not, that's fine, too. We all have a means of getting there, and I'll leave my transponder on, in case she wants to tag along. But, let's go. There's alot of water under our bridges to catch up on, right?"

Walking out of the dorms felt strange. She couldn't figure out why for a moment but as the sunshine hit her face, warmed her skin, it came to her. It felt good to have purpose again. It felt good to be moving towards something again, instead of away.

Kris walking at her side was the difference.

She was going to do this right, she was. She had so many things she wanted to say, the words and emotions tripping themselves up inside her head like tumbled puppies, so many things she wanted to make Kris understand. All the things that maybe she didn't understand herself but Kris would help, Kris would make it right for both of them.

She squeezed the empath's hand and was rewarded with that smile, the one she'd never thought to see again. The one that in her abiding weeks-long anger she hadn't wanted to see.

It was going to be right this time.

She turned left on autopilot, towards the water, towards the closest train. Kris didn't move with her though and she had to perforce turn on one heel, look back.

"What? Wrong way?"

Kris O'Sullivan


"Oh," Kris laughed and became a little embarassed. "Independence Port. That's where we want to go. Nice, secluded spot there for watching the world. Unless you have an issue with water. Then there's any number of skyscrapers in Faultline. Or, if it doesn't creep you out, there's a place in the city grave yard, over in Astoria."

She startled, couldn't have helped it if her life had depended on it.

Independence Port. Memory seared her of Jade, his anguished face mockingly framed by the sunset behind him. Where they'd both run after Lish had died. Where everything had fallen apart and she was only just starting to pick up the pieces again.

Faultline was worse. So far down, the air like knives in her chest. Couldn't see bottom, even if her eyes hadn't been closed with tears. Faultline, where she broke things, over and over again, until the pain drowned out the hurt.

She took a deep breath.

"Heyla. I hear Astoria is nice this time of year." She grinned or tried to. So what if she didn't like the fog, didn't like being made to feel that bad things were creeping up around the corner, didn't like the muffled noises that were nothing and everything.

Astoria at least held no memories.

Kris O'Sullivan

"Dark Astoria it is... Not the most cheerful place, but it's certainly quiet, and not the place where people go to find others," Kris nodded. "Let's go."

She smiled reassuringly to her friend, hoping it continued to help. Stasis always seemed so dire, or at the very least generally subdued. Someone needed to show her how to smile and laugh, and do it often. But, regardless, she was still Kris' longest friendship at the school, now.

***

The trip to Dark Astoria wasn't long at all, and Kris flew, while Stasis lept, almost as if flying. Kris was so amazed at how her earliest memories of the pale girl included her ability to jump like that. She was sure a kick from Stasis could spell certain pain and mortal injury, if not handled properly.

Still, she managed to barely keep up with her friend's leaps, to her delight. A minor improvement from hoofing it like a gazelle through gangs to get places. And, when she needed, Stasis slowed to let Kris lead the way. Finally they came to the mausaleum, and the Great Lion on its roof. Kris flew to between its paws, and settled in, making sure it would be able to watch over Stasis, too.

"Here we are! Pismo Beach! And all the clams that one can eat," Kris laughed a little, the coughed back to seriousness. "Sorry. Got a little carried away by my own need for cheeriness."