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[ladyfirestarter]

It's April First, and Charlie works somewhere that doesn't allow much in the way of pranks.

Really, she's just as happy with this. And quite happy that Bar's seen fit to let this state of affairs continue -- though others here don't seem to have been so lucky.

Oh well. As long as no one gets hurt.

Right now she's sitting on one of the couches by the fireplace, sipping a mocha and reading a newspaper.

Comments

[bright-burning.livejournal.com]

And by the fireplace, Charlie, you often get fire.

Or Fire, as it happens. Different, yes, then she used to be. Less mortal. Less contained, like there's an outline of shimmering fire (or maybe not) around her body, like there are a thousand leaping flames (or maybe not) under her skin. Older, maybe, not physically but something intangible. The body has changed, still all red hair and bright bright eyes but different, different enough.

The grin is the same. As is the lighter, flicking between her fingers as the small fire crackling in the fireplace leaps up joyfully, as a dog to his master's hand.

[ladyfirestarter]

There's a similar exuberant leap inside Charlie, before she even looks up.

Her quick smile fades into mild puzzlement.

"...Fire? That is you?"

[bright-burning.livejournal.com]

"It's me." Her voice is nearly identical to what it used to be, that untraceable accent thicker, if anything.

"I've not seen you, Charlie." Her speech is more formal, and slightly awkward as well. Like she's forgotten how to to talk.

[ladyfirestarter]

"It's been a while."

The slight puzzled frown is still there. Something's ... off, and yet ...

"How long, for you?"

[bright-burning.livejournal.com]

Fire cocks her head on one side, thinking about the question. For her, time doesn't always apply.

Finally, she shrugs one shoulder. "A year. Perhaps longer. I was - not in the world."

[ladyfirestarter]

"Oh."

The words are you all right? come to mind, but somehow they don't seem to fit.

"You seem different," she says instead, tentatively.

[bright-burning.livejournal.com]

"No," Fire says, after a moment. "I was different before. This is closer. To what I was, what I should be. What I have been."

She smiles, one razor-sharp flash of a grin. "You saw me in the room, remember?"

[ladyfirestarter]

so this is how it feels

"I remember," she whispers, and her eyes are alight.

[bright-burning.livejournal.com]

"I was too mortal. Weak." She almost spits the word out. "And then there was winter, and it was too much. It's better now."

The flame is pure, now, hot under her skin. "And yourself?"

[ladyfirestarter]

Charlie's fire reaches toward her, longing. She firmly tamps it down, with an odd twinge of regret.

"I've been well. Things are ... things are interesting."

[bright-burning.livejournal.com]

That gets a raised eyebrow. No matter what, she's still Fire. Gossip? Is awesome.

"Do tell."

[ladyfirestarter]

"Prometheus and I talked, a little while ago."

Her mouth forms a smile on his name. It's involuntary, and unconscious.

[bright-burning.livejournal.com]

"Prometheus," she says, and smiles thoughtfully. "He's a good choice. He would respect you, I think. Do not let him be cocky."

Fire: Meddling in affairs since before time.

[ladyfirestarter]

Wry, and affectionate: "I'm not sure there's a force in this universe that can prevent him from being cocky."

[bright-burning.livejournal.com]

Equally wryly, "He listened to me. Once."

And only once.

[walksthebounds]

It's getting chilly; Jamie abandons his boxes of board games for a bit in favor of going over by the fire and flopping onto the free couch.

Maybe if he orders food from a rat he'll get actual food instead of a joke. (Though he's not counting on it.)

[ladyfirestarter]

The redheaded woman on the next couch looks up at the sound, and nods to him with a friendly smile before looking back at her paper.

[walksthebounds]

Jamie grins back, and tilts his head over, squinting at the back of the paper.

. . . and raises an eyebrow at what he reads.

"You know, if the snowmen from your Home are so cross," he comments, apparently entirely serious, "they ought to come try the temperature out back there."

[ladyfirestarter]

"What? Oh --"

She glances at the front of the paper, and chuckles.

"Given this place, I should probably mention that this is a comedy publication. It's not actual news."

[walksthebounds]

"- that does make a bit more sense," Jamie says, with an answering grin. "Though I did rather fancy the image of a colony of snowmen taking up out back. April Fool's Day prank?"

[ladyfirestarter]

"It would make a lovely April Fool's Day prank, but if you mean the paper, it's like this every week."

[walksthebounds]

"It's not a bad idea."

Jamie eyes the paper, thoughtfully. "I bet it sells ten times as well as the real one, too." Who wants to read about bad news when they can read jokes?

[ladyfirestarter]

"It's a good deal more fun to read than the real one," she confirms. "Which is why I picked it up today."

[walksthebounds]

"Well, for what it's worth, I approve the choice."

Jamie sticks out a hand. "Jamie, by the way."

[ladyfirestarter]

She takes his hand in a firm handshake.

"Charlie."