Heart of Life

Anu

You're not at all pleased that someone tried to kidnap and feed Loren to some gods and goddesses who needed a wakey snack. That actually really pisses you off. It shouldn't considering that you're not in any kind of -ship, friend or otherwise, with this siren, who seems to hate you to his last breath. He at least concedes that your actions weren't totally under your control, but he doesn't seem to forgive you at all for your undeniably stupid error. "And what the hell's an asswaffle?" you grumble, scrubbing your marble countertops with the vigor of your irritation with this whole situation. As soon as you say that, pink glitter coats your table as a hooded witch appears there. It appears to be the same one from before.

"You're not very good at this are you?" she inquires, tilting her head. "The whole purpose of giving you this amulet was so that you could win the boy over and carry on a land relationship with him, not so that you could mortify him with shame and make him hate you." You scowl and clench your fingers, but she just giggles. "Oh sweetie, you can't do anything to me." A blonde strand of hair escapes the blackness of her cloak, giving you a pause to become more offended and infuriated as she brushes it away. "Just keep making excuses. That's what his mother always did, and he forgave her for what she did. I'm shocked you didn't notice in all the time you were with him."

You lunge forward, but she once more diesappears, leaving you to scrub ferociously at the glittery mess she's left for you. You think you get it. The world can stop bashing you in the face over it at any time. After the kitchen is spotless, you put your cleaning supplies away and go out to your useless pool, in which a miniature Loch Ness monster is swimming around and blowing bubbles. You can't help laughing a bit at the childish antics, but it doesn't really cheer you up. You sit down on the step and watch Abhainn for a couple minutes, when suddenly, he takes the form of a child and toddles up to you. You're not sure what to do until he hugs you, somehow not at all wet from his ever constant swim.

"It's going to be okay, da," he says in his annoying boy-child voice, but you can't help feeling touched and slightly terrified as well.

"Kid, I'm not your father," you reply with a nervous swallow, pushing him away. "You're fine to live in my pool, but don't mistake me as a parent. I don't even want you here, so I certainly don't want to be responsible for your wellbeing." The kelpie looks at you first with uncomprehension, and then with tears. You stand up and push him away before going back into your house with a sigh. You get the feeling that your statement is probably going to bite you in the ass later, especially with your recent luck. You're wondering if being male isn't the only curse, to be honest, especially with that witch skulking around.

You move to the bathroom to start your cleaning there when you hear stirring. You check your watch--and sure enough, being around the kelpie in its magically gross and uncleaned pool made time advance. You should remember to keep the door open next time. It's been about an hour, so you figure Loren's probably getting up and ready to leave again. You really, really don't want to let him because he seems to be target practice, but at the same time, you don't want him around either. Your usual weak self-control is even more horrendously weak around him. When you still had ladybits, you didn't have such an overwhelming lack of control.

You briefly wonder if you count as a trans because of this curse and the fact that, once upon a time, you had boobs, but your musings are interrupted when Loren knocks on the door. You're on the floor scrubbing out your bathtub to continue getting blood off of it, so you don't look very dignified. "What do you have for food?" he inquires, and you're definitely taken aback. You were totally expecting an insult and a rude, peppy goodbye as he stepped on your feelings like your doormat. "Do you talk still?"

"Uh--right. There's pizza in the fridge. I don't want you to kill yourself trying to cook so use that," you tell him, pausing in your scrubbing to stare up at him. You see him begin to walk out, so you clear your throat and say, "You're welcome to stay as long as you'd like. You know, for safety and whatnot." Curses on this stupid siren and his stupid cute face and his stupid insults that drive you up the wall. "And you're also welcome to leave." No, not really, but you might as well say it. Loren turns and blinks at you, and then, infuriatingly, he just shrugs a bit before continuing on his path to the kitchen. You hope he knows what pizza is, because otherwise, he's going to be eating something that'll make him sick. Your bathroom doesn't need another layer of siren on it.