Void Rift (rp) - Intermission

"Naturally."
I nod.

 

"Any comms you pass will be sent to me if the conversation flags the pivotal parts of code or the intention to speak of them is present. I don't care who your friends are, I will scrap you if it means remaining where I am."

 

"Yes, I understand. I figured you'd put countermeasures to keep me from blabbing. Which is why I want confused that you didn't tell me in the first place."

 

"Just making sure you know exactly what happens and when." He says, tossing a bag filled with flower petals at you.
"Burn these towards the door, it'll unseal it."

 

I pick up the bag.
"If I wanted to risk overheating in a new body, I would. But as it stands, I'm not sure I have a way to light something on fire."

 

"Jet boots, wise man." Thirteen says with a smirk.

 

"I meant, carefully start a fire, but sure, I can use the fire so powerful it can lift me into the air in the midst of a jungle setting."
I take some petals out of the bag, lift my foot up, hold the petals under my foot, then burn the petals.

 

The petals let off a thin smoke that reacts with the doorway, igniting the seal on the door anyways once it makes contact.
It takes just a few seconds for the seal to completely burn away. You also manage not to lose your balance while doing so.

"If you figure out how to tangibly burn ones and zeroes, you'll have other concerns."

 

“Undoubtedly.”
I leave the room to explore more.

 

Katie nods, looking tired.


Abigail panics more, unsure how to care for a newly hatched phoenix.

 

"...I have another brother..?"

 

“Have you been here all week?”


It’s still working its way out of its shell; any last second calls would need to happen about now.

“You had two, but I forgot his name... there’s a hole in my memory.”

There’s a few other open doors nearby, but most are closed.

 

"Well, not right here," Katie says, yawning as she smiles, "But I've checked on you every day! I was worried you weren't going to wake up."


Abigail hastily calls Stephanie again.

"Hello?" Stephanie answers sweetly.

"Steph it's hatching what do I do I need your help." Abigail says, panicked.

Stephanie sighs.

"Well, first of all you'll need to make it a nest. You'll need to use sticks and fabric resistant to fire so it doesn't burn it. I'm sure you have plenty of fabric you can use that has that property. Next, you'll want to make sure it's well fed. Phoenixes mostly eat meat, so you'll want worms or cuts of rabbit or other small animals. Since it's newly hatched, it'll likely see you as it's mother, so you'll need to act like one and feed it mushed up food." Stephanie explains.

"There is no way I'm puking up food for this thing I didn't ask for." Abigail says, sounding annoyed.

"I didn't say you had to, just make sure it's able to be swallowed easily. Once it grows up, if you still don't want it, I'm sure it would be ready to fly the nest and find it's way in the world. I'd suggest giving it to someone who'll take better care of it though, phoenixes are an endangered species." Stephanie says.

"How long is it going to take to grow up?" Abigail asks, sounding exhausted already.

"Well, when did you leave home?" Stephanie asks.

"Almost sixteen. I had to get away from my parents." Abigail says.

"Really? I...didn't know you left so young." Stephanie says, surprised.

"Shut up Stephanie, you left at like fourteen didn't you?" Abigail asks.

"Well...yes but...You seem so well settled. Wasn't it hard?" Stephanie asks, seeming to lose some of her sweetness.

"Not really." Abigail says casually.

"Oh...didn't you feel lonely though?" Stephanie asks, sounding a little envious yet sad.

"Katie helped me out. She's actually a pretty good cook. Guess she learned it from her mother or something. Anyway, what am I supposed to do with this phoenix?" Abigail asks.

"Oh, right- um. How is it?" Stephanie asks.

Abigail glances at the phoenix egg.

 

“I think Tenebrae accidentally held me hostage for a bit. Apparently her friends don’t call her Tenebrae.”


There’s a magma-soaked phoenix head looking straight at Abigail.

 

"Why would she keep you hostage?" Katie asks, confused.


"Oh god it's hatched and it's looking at me, what do I do what do I do." Abigail says, freaking out a bit.

"Show that you're not a threat to it, for one thing." Stephanie responds.

"Uh...hey...buddy." Abigail says, cautiously approaching the phoenix.

 

“It was clearly unintentional, but I don’t know.”


It chirps once in response, continuing to try and get fully out of its egg.

 

"Maybe she just wanted to speak with you, but couldn't because you were asleep?" Katie considers.


"Steph...I don't think I'm ready for the responsibility of a pet phoenix. It's why I like visiting other people's pets. I don't have to look after them." Abigail says nervously.

"There's not much I can do to help you, Abigail. Mother won't let me leave home just yet." Stephanie admits.

"Stupid fucking phoenix mother...why'd she have to lump me with her kid." Abigail swears.

"Didn't you say she got killed? How would you feel if your parents got killed?" Stephanie asks.

"I know! I can give it to Artemis! She loves animals and babies and all that shit." Abigail says, inspired.

"I don't think Artemis is a fan of things relating to fire." Stephanie says flatly.

"Well I don't need a phoenix, and you said they're endangered. I don't see what could go wrong. I get rid of this thing, and...it's out of my life!" Abigail says happily.

"There's not an easy way out of this for you Abigail." Stephanie says.

"Ughhhhhh." Abigail moans.

 

“Perhaps. My consciousness was somewhere within her, though.”


“Uuuhhh.” The phoenix tries to imitate as it flops out of its now wide open egg.

 

"Maybe you could pray to her?" Katie suggests.


"Steph, do phoenixes have relation to parrots?" Abigail asks, narrowing her eyes at the phoenix.

"No, I think they have a closer relation to hawks. I think my book has magical animal studies, let me check..." Stephanie says, the sound of a book opening audible from near her.

"There's no way you could open some weird space-warp portal in my house and grab this thing for me?" Abigail asks desperately.

"No..." Stephanie says idly, flipping through pages, "Maybe if the goddess of space visited..."

 

“Hard to do that at the moment.”


The hatchling tries to get out of the sink, albeit failing.