Dear Diary,

Y'know, the older I get the more I understand, the more I relate to the big Black dude in that movie. Y'know, the "I'm tired, boss" quote. I know most people talk about the 'tired of people being ugly to each other', and I feel that, too, but mostly I just feel the tired.

'But Tabitha, you're still a teenager' I hear the mocking echoes of my own fuckin' Diary tell me. To which I reply, 'it's not the years, motherfucker, it's the miles'. By now I've put a whole fuckin' lot of miles on the chassis. I'm not even talking about the fun kind of 'been around the block a time or two' miles, either. Shit, between myself and my ladies being horndogs of the first water with little to no reason not to boink at the slightest provocation, and the Fates deciding that my life will be anything but boring, I'm pretty sure my internal odometer has rolled over by now.

So yeah, I'm tired. Tired and sore and now I've got some burn scars to go with all the marks made when foreign objects violated the integrity of my flesh. Purely superficial shit, I'm sure, just like all the others, but holy fuck they sting like a bitch.

I spent most of the day yesterday putting out fires. Literally. By the time I finished tearing apart the fuckin' Water Panther one handful at a time, Saffron, Tallulah, and Karen had brought enough Heroes and Cadets in to handle the rest of the evacuation. The Healer apprentices, both of Siobhan's and both of Doc DeLeon's, had managed to triage all the refugees, fortunately in the 'drop a Stabilize or Heal Injury into anyone with a life threatening injury' sense, not the 'decide who dies' sense, and were working on more general Healing. The Cadets moved in Unit sized groups, while the Senior Cadets stuck to squads, and the Heroes who'd gotten pulled in moved in pairs, mostly to provide a second set of eyes.

I teamed up with Karen, leaving the Overlord and the Imperator to organize stuff around the site of the Village. Together we all moved outward, dousing fires with Create Water and making sure that any really stubborn spots got hit enough that they wouldn't just dry out and catch again. By the end of the day we'd hit the outer edges of things, for the most part. Wards, superhuman Attributes, and the ability to summon up big blobs of water definitely gave us an edge there.

It was well after dark when I got back to the blackened site of the Village. Most of the villagers huddled under tents, but Grandmother and Lily both stood speaking quietly with Saffron and Tallulah. "Hey, guys."

"Champion." Tallulah nodded.

"Is anyone still missing?"

Grandmother shook her head. "A few who were out hunting. Did your people find any remains?"

"No. Well, Karen and I didn't. Not sure if any of the ones who haven't reported back yet did." I scanned the broad, charred remains of the small town. "What the fuck happened?"

Grandmother looked at me like I was an idiot, but Saffron twigged to what I was saying immediately. "The cause of the fire is still unknown. For now."

"You think maybe the Dragon had something to do with it?"

"Of course it did!" I looked at Lily, and she blushed.

Saffron just shook her head. "I find it unlikely that a creature with such a strong affinity to Water could have done such a thing, but it's possible. It's equally possible it was just an opportunist, attacking what it saw as weakened prey. If that's the case, the perpetrator is still out there somewhere."

"You want me to...?"

She laid a hand on my arm, and I winced. Burns hurt like hell. "No, love. Investigation is not your strong suit. Tallulah and I will handle that. Your help may be needed evacuating those left without shelter, and you need to return to Jackville once that's complete." Her expression hardened. "Trust that I will call you in if we discover someone other than the deceased Water Panther was responsible for the fire."

I nodded, tired. "What about...?" I nodded toward the impromptu tent city.

"Yes, what about our people?" Grandmother could have sounded bitchy, but she really just sounded tired.

Fortunately, my Kitten is more organized that anyone has any right to be. "We've already informed Heir Lancaster, and he's sending food and construction supplies upriver. The first food should arrive tomorrow, although it's just what they could pull together on very short notice. Supplies will continue coming until reconstruction is complete." Grandmother looked like she wanted to say something, but Saffron wasn't done. "The elderly, young children, and any not physically fit to help with reconstruction or live in tents for an extended period will be evacuated over the next few days."

"To where?"

Saffron smiled. "Where else are there an entire City of empty houses available for people to move into immediately? Muscogee."

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Grandmother's mouth dropped open. "How... how will you get them there?"

"A variety of methods. But for those who need to be relocated immediately and might not survive any other type of trip? The High Clergy of Mimic will Translocate them."

"You gonna need me for that?" I asked.

"We shouldn't, love. As I said, you need rest, and to deal with Jack."

I nodded. "Yeah. Um. Before I go." I stepped over to Lily. "Is Rabbit okay?"

"I... I haven't seen her since we both went looking for you."

"Shit. Can you look for her? Come get me if she's hurt?" Lily nodded, clearly nervous for some reason. I stepped closer to her. "You came and got me. Called me here. Told me there were Children in danger."

She forced herself to... not stillness, not Lily, but even though she kept shifting from foot to foot, she didn't step back or run away. "And now the price comes due," she whispered.

I wrapped my arms around her, pulled her to me, ignoring my burns. Trying not to wince as I pressed her against them anyhow. "Thank you." I whispered back. "That's all. Thank you."

"But..." She stared at me when I pulled back. "But you..."

"Do you think I would have felt any way but devastated if I found out I could have helped and didn't? Shit, Lily, if there's any kind of 'reason' we're here? It's to help Mortals when shit like this goes down. I dunno if you're part of any kind of Pantheon, or if there's anybody who claims to be the boss of you, or whatever. But if you care what I think? You did good, Lily. You did good." I sighed as she stood there, motionless. "Thank you." Then I turned to Saffron, pulled her in for a kiss, and said, "let me know if you need me."

With that I stepped back down to Johnny's place. Jack and Adrienne both jerked their gaze up from the pot between them, a feedback whine cutting off as Jack slapped the surface with a ladle. "Shit. Sorry about that."

He shook his head. "You could have said something."

I snorted. "Didn't realize you'd be Scrying on me." I paused for a second, then shook my head. "Probably should have. Sorry."

I watched, trying not to laugh, as Adrienne and Jack shuffled back and forth, each of them trying to put themselves between me and the other. A snort escaped me, and I flopped back into the nearest chair, my back hitting the wall. "Ow."

"Ow?" Jack sounded honestly surprised.

I shrugged. I wanted to learn his secrets. To help him, mind you, but trust is a two way street, and I definitely had the position of power here, even in his place of power. Or at least he thought so, based on how he'd been trying to protect Adrienne from me. "Avatar. Like, all that out there," I nodded, trying to indicate M-Space, "is me, but this bit of me hurts."

He thought about that for a second, then nodded. "Hungry?"

I hadn't thought about it, but after a moment I nodded. "Kinda ravenous."

He did some scooping and rummaging, then brought over a bowl half full of gumbo, with a few biscuits and hunks of cornbread half dipped into it. "Here you go."

"Thanks." After that I was silent a bit, focused on the food. Funny, even with the overall overcooked nature of most of my skin, I still enjoyed the burn of the spices in the gumbo. When I got to the cornbread I waved the dry end at him. "Got any butter?"

He snorted. "Cows are thin on the ground hereabouts."

I shrugged, then dipped it in the remaining gumbo. When I finished, I held out the bowl. "Thanks. Sorry I had to leave yesterday."

He looked at me, a couple different expressions warring on his face. Distrust. Understanding. Anger. Sympathy. Finally, he said, "Not happy about it. Not happy about that Spirit barging in here uninvited, either." He sighed. "But... I understand. Your people were in danger."

I shook my head. "Not my people. Not really. More hers, if they're anybody's."

"You'd do that for someone else's people?"

"Just did."

"You'd burn for them?"

"See previous statement."

He smirked at that, then frowned again ."But not for mine?"

I shifted, trying to get comfortable, then groaned as that pulled at my still unhealed burns. "Who said I wouldn't?"

Adrienne leaned in close to him, whispered something I didn't quite catch. He looked mulish, and she shot him a look that combined 'don't be an ass' and 'please, for me' pretty fuckin well. "Are you in any condition to talk right now?"

"Not really. Still, that's why they pay me the big bucks, right?"

He snorted. "They pay you? To be a Goddess?"

I thought about that for a second, scrunching up my face without really intending to. "Y'know? I'm not sure. I think I get a stipend for being a Hero-in-waiting? Maybe? Shit, I'm not sure if I do get paid. Totally get the traditional Hero's Reward from my Wives and Concubine, though."

"You'd run into burning buildings for sex?"

I shook my head. "Nah. I do it to save people. Kids, mostly, but people. Because I can, and because it's the right thing to do." I paused to let that sink in, then said, "the sex is just a side benefit, really."

He snorted. "Go home."

I shook my head. "We need to talk."

He shook his head in turn, pointed northward with his stirring spoon. "We can talk when you've rested. Go."

"You'll be here after then?" He nodded. "Not pissed?"

He waved his spoon. "Maybe. But we can deal with that then."

I sighed, stood, and held out a hand. "Thank you. I'll be back."

"Just call my name and let me know you're coming before you do."

I looked from him to Adrienne and back ."You gonna be Scrying on me?"

"Like I've got anything better to do?"

I shot him a grin, pointed at thumb at Adrienne, and said, "I'm pretty sure she'd volunteer." Then stepped away to our Academy suite while both of them stood there spluttering. Dropped into the bed, regretted it almost immediately, but couldn't be bothered to correct the problem of rough sheets on burned skin. Just too fuckin' tired.

I slept through most of the day today. Woke when Saffron showed up. "Why here, love?"

I snorted. "Like Darling wouldn't try to Heal me if she saw me like this."

My Kitten pursed her lips, but didn't argue. She did, however, lace her fingers through mine. A few moments later, I lay on my own Altar in the Temple of Love in Phileo. Karen stood to one side a moment later, her Yandere Shobitch Wedding Gown in full effect. "You're not wrong, but this would still be a better place."

I snorted. "So everybody can see me all fucked up?"

She leaned over, kissed me, then whispered, "they've all seen your scars. They know where they came from. Now you have more. They may not know details, but they know where these came from too." She stood. "Now. Sleep, love."

Funny, never realized just how comfy my Altar bed is.

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