Fandom Into the fire (1x1 MzHyde/Gallifrog)

[_gallifrog_]

Jay could have said something along the lines of "The last time I tried being fully honest about how I felt about him, I fell off a bridge and nearly died." But that was besides the point, and none of them needed to know that story. But at the thought of it she rubbed her shoulder. She knew John had a point, Elliott had told her enough about his adoptive father for her to know thta despite how he acted and wht he had done in his life, he gave good advice. Kay had a point, one Jay had been trying to get across to herself for a while now. She'd known Elliott had feelings of some sort for her, she wasn't oblivious to it. But as usual it was her insecurities, her fears and her past holding her back.

The others agreed with Kay, except Rinaa, but that was because she was finding this conversation seventeen different types of awkward and weird. She was kind of regretting her life choices, and really wishing she was somewhere else. In the end Jay didn't elongate the conversation any more than necessary. There really wasn't much she could add, without going into her life story. "I'll keep that in mind"

 

[MzHyde]

Whatever Jay would have said, Kay was pretty certain she could debunk her worries and give her more advice. She may have been crap at this whole loving someone before she met John, but she still always somehow managed to help others in their love life. Mainly Sam, she'd come home late at night crying her eyes out because some chick broke her heart, and it'd always be Kay she'd get advice from before managing to fix whatever the relationship was with said girl and become happy again.

She noticed how the others all agreed with her also and that put her mind at ease that she wasn't overstepping her mark and saying what everyone else was thinking. Of course, Rinaa was feeling awkward about the convention and that was to be expected in a way. Kay then simply nodded at Jay's reply to end the subject. "It's a start" she said with a warm smile. Kay really did like Jay truth be told and if anyone thought different, then possibly her advice to her would have shown them otherwise. She then looped her fingers through her belt loops in her jeans, but used her thumb to rub her stomach. A subtle action that she did to still get used to the idea of being pregnant. All this talk of match making and love, made her think of her growing family once more.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Rinaa was relieved that the conversation was finished, she'd spent a good portion of it using her shoe to make patterns in the soot that covered the floor. There was nothing particularly artistic about them, just spirals and hexagons that would be quickly scuffed over when they all walked out again. John noticed Kay's action but didn't comment. He was still churning over everything that had happened in his mind. Cal's final words on the topic were "You're both idiots when it comes to acting on how you feel." That lead Cliff to roll her eyes "Well, you are not one to talk Cal, you weren't any better. You were fucking clueless for years."

Neither gave more details on that story, but the looks they gave each other spoke volumes. If Cliff hadn't been introduced as the fiancé yet, it would be obvious now. The blade Cal had been working on had been discarded to one side, and Jay picked it up out of curiosity. It was a going to be a sword, but at the moment it was roughly shaped and blunt. She swung it between her hands, noting that the balence wasn't quite right yet, it had a slight lean fowrards that could lead to the user being over balenced. "I know...the balence is off. But it's easily fixable."

 

[MzHyde]

The making of spirals and other basic patterns in the dirt didn't go amiss on Kay once they stopped talking. She felt a smidge guilty for making Rinaa uncomfortable but she did feel Jay needed to hear what was said from them all. She however had no idea that John noticed her own little action, the fact he didn't remark on it made her more oblivious. When Cal and Cliff said they're last thoughts on the topic, she couldn't help but smirk.

She watched as Jay picked up the work in progress sword Cal had just put down, causing Cal to remark on the balance before Jay could say a word. She didn't focus on them too much as she let her eyes wander around the forge, now that the group was mostly quiet. The whole area alone equally captivating her because the general smell made her feel comfortable, and anxious due to the realisation of she was creating a new half blood phoenix inside her, a being that would go through what she did when she technically died. She didn't want to think about her kid possibly dying and being reborn in ash and ember, but the forge was bringing those thoughts forward. Which lead to what her mother said in those letters she found. About saving and bringing back the phoenix kind. It was beginning to get a bit overwhelming.

"Just gonna get some air" she told John, walking outside and leaning on the wall with a hefty sigh.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Jay and Cal ended up having quite an in depth conversation on swords, blade smiting, blacksmithing, metals and throwing weapons. Both knew plenty about weapons, but Jay had little knowledge of forging, so she started to pick Cal's brains about that. John wanted to go after Kay immediately, but Chas told him to wait a bit, so the two started catching up on what they'd missed, John explaining the tests and Chas explaining about the robotics lab. Nothing too taxing or involving prying emotional questions, that was for later. In the end it was Rinaa who actually left the forge, not having been properly in it in the first place.

Kay had left via the other door, so Rinaa had no idea who was just around the corner when she slumped against the wall with a long exhalation of air and a sigh.

 

[MzHyde]

Kay had no idea that Rinaa of anyone was round the corner. She also wasn't fully aware that John wanted to go after her straight away, if she had noticed, she would have noted that would have been the second time ever he'd be like that. She was just used to him letting her go off and not following. She ran her hands through her hair, pushing it up and back off her face, only for it to drop back toward again. Staring up at the sky for a brief moment, she then looked down at her stomach. She thought back to what Fee told her and John, but mostly John. A 9 month pregnancy in the space of 6months...which if she was doing her calculations right, she'd look a month further along than a normal human as each month went by.

"So.. you're the start of us phoenix's making a come back huh kiddo?" She found herself muttering to her belly and she wasn't even showing yet. "Guessing it's you from some timeline talking to us telepathically too? At least I know you're our daughter....our little Fia" she just found herself rambling when the name came out and she wondered where the hell it came from. She hadn't even given the idea of naming their kid a thought, and now it just popped into her head like it'd always been there.

 

[_gallifrog_]

When Kay started talking Rinaa cursed her luck. Of all the people to be outside and around the corner at the same time as her. Not to mention the weird conversation that definitly wasn't something she was supposed to be overhearing. And the whole name thing, hells this was awkward...beyond awkward. Rinaa had a nickname for Kay and John's future daughter, but there was no point in saying it, they wouldn't get it, and besides, the future was a sore subject for her. In the grand scheme of things it really didn't matte to much what she said, did or heard, there was only two ways this could end for her. Both equally atrocious.

Rinaa drew her knees up to her chin, the shoes scuffing the loose gravel. She pulled out the phone and headphones, turning on music to drown out Kay beside her. The teenager didn't want to think about her death, the way that her own DNA was being destroyed. That she was destroying herself. In some ways her body was the opposite of Kay's. Kay's was creating life, while hers was destroying life (or creating death, depending on which way seemed more poetic at the time). She didn't want to die, to have her life end before she reached eighteen, with so many things left undone, unsaid, unsolved. The first tears slipped down her face, as they always did when she thought of what was to come next.

 

[MzHyde]

Kay didn't even think about how crazy she must come across talking to her stomach, but she just didn't think about it. If she had known Rinaa was round the corner, she no doubt would have stopped talking seemingly to herself. She didn't even think about the fact Rinaa no doubt knew their daughter in her timeline and if they got on or not. There was just so much to think about and come to terms with.

It was only when she heard crying that she realised someone else was nearby. She followed the sound to round the corner and saw Rinaa on the ground with her music on. She didn't even give what she was about to do a second thought, and just walked up to her and sat beside her on the ground, pulling her into a protective hug. It no doubt was down to the fact her body knew she was becoming a mother and this was being maternal over anyone and everyone, but either way, she wanted to show compassion to Rinaa and hoped she wouldn't push her away. She didn't even say anything, she knew this wasn't a moment for words, she just let her hug do the talking for her.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Rinaa didn't hear Kay approaching due to the music,and the fact she had buried her head in her knees, her arms wrapped around her legs. The particular playlist she had selected was one composed entirely of soundtrack from movies and TV shows, music that made her feel everything. Her playlists were her pride in life, each piece had a meaning and more often than not a story attached to it too. Music had been her escape from the world in the same way it had been Elliott's. None of the others would know, not even John, but she had some of Elliott's old tracks on her phone.

At first she tensed at Kay's touch, the sharp blades of her shoulders jerking upwards. Rinaa knew who it was, but was too lost in her emotions to bother with her usual behaviour. She let the tears come anyway, crying in silence now, just letting it all out. When she eventually spoke, it was five quiet words "I don't want to die"

 

[MzHyde]

It seemed music had its part to play in all their lives for one reason or another. Which is why Kay didn't stop Rinaa from listening to it. She knew how important it can be for people, music was heavily tied to her kind after all, and was the reason Eve cursed her mother out of jealousy. She felt Rinaa tense up initially at her touch, but she also felt her continue to cry and just let herself accept Kay's touch.

When Rinaa eventually spoke to her and said those five words, it broke Kay's heart. For the first time since knowing who she was, Kay actually felt like her protective grandmother in a bizarre way. She rubbed Rinaa's back soothingly and actually kissed the top of her head. "Oh sweetheart...of course you don't. I'd be worried about you if you did want to die" she spoke softly to her, letting her know she wasn't doing this out pity, but because she genuinely did worry for her and cared about how she felt. Kay didn't want the kid to die either, she wouldnt want any of their team to die. They were her family now.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Even though she didn't want to die, Rinaa was sick and tired of her life. The fact that she was in the wrong time, and not the one she belonged in. (though she used the term 'belonged' loosely, she never quite felt at home in it). The fact that Omega was her only option to stop the advance of her transformation, and that even then, that wouldn't stop hrmer death, hell, it might even be speeding it up as she spoke. Her mind was turning against her, as was her body. She was seeing all the people she had known her whole life, but they were fundamentally different. She'd known when she made the decision to travel to the past that everything would be different, but only now was she beginning to realise just how different.

She didn't know how to react to Kay's affection, so it was just as well that she hadn't moved her head upwards. She knew Kay wasn't doing what she was doing, and it meant a lot to her, even if she wouldn't admit to such a thing. "I'm really regretting my life choices. Looks like inherited the family ability to make really stupid decisions."

 

[MzHyde]

Kay refused to let the kid go, she knew Rinaa needed it, and deep down so did she in a way but for her own reasons. They were literally at the opposite ends of the spectrum about life, but it was almost like it was that that was allowing the two of them see eye to eye for a moment and break down some of those barriers that the two of them but up between each other.

When Rinaa said about regretting her life choices, it actually made her smirk slightly. "welcome to the club kiddo of the family bad decisions. You wouldn't be one of us if you didnt question them at some point." She told her. "But you're a badass like your mom Rinaa and your dad. We've all heard how fucked up your situation is but we're all gonna be there with you. The way I see it is, yeah it sucks...it sucks majorly.. but if you're gonna go? Go out fighting like the incredible kid you are and make every moment count. Don't go out with regrets or what if's." She told her. She knew it may not be what she wanted to hear, but Kay also knew it was she needed to hear. Kay was all about cheering people up and giving advice, but she was also a realist at times like this, even if she did put a lot on hope in other times.

"But also think about this, if there is a single thread of hope we can stop you from dying then you bet your ass we'll find it and go with it" she added.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Rinaa had one problem with what Kay said, and that everybody knew she was dying, and how there was no way out of it for her. But the rest of it, she agreed with it. The majority actually being the same things she'd told herself when she made her plans and her choices. One part reminded her of a conversation she'd once had with her friends, not too long ago by her timelime, but a long way away by Kay's. The memory was a strange one, but one of her favourites none the less. Unconsciously, she projected it to Kay as she thought on it. Rinaa hadn't inherited Elliott's full ability, or very much of it for that matter, but she possessed just enough that she was able to show her memories to others.

Rinaa and her gang of close friends were lying on the roof at one of the star ports, staring up at the sky above. A vast sweeping view, punctuated by far more stars than could be seen from earth. It was dark, and little could be made out of the others, except for the glints of their eyes and teeth. There were a couple of bottles of nicked booze between them, and some guitars strewn to the side. They were contemplating death, (as they were broody teenagers and there was nothing good on TV). One had said they would die with dignity, another said they would die kicking and screaming, fighting undignified til the last breath. Another said they wouldn't die, but instead find out how to become immortal, prompting groans and cat calls from the others. And Rinaa's answer?" "I'm going to die as I lived, doing something incredibly stupid, and saying something stupider like yipee-ki-yay motherfucker." And that was what she had been doing so far.

Rinaa only realised she'd been projecting this when the memory finished. "Haven't changed my mind since then really, not even on quoting Die Hard. There's nothing I can do to stop this, and I've looked at everything. Magic, science, having a consciousness transfusion, getting bitten by something else, dying and resurrecting myself. None of them would work. The only real option is to screw over the time line" she pulled a face "which never works out as intended anyway." She'd gotten off track, but noticed and reeled it in "The long and the short of it is I guess is that I don't regret coming here, even after all that happened...will happen.....has happened, this planet is my third home. What I regret is not disobeying all you guys, and coming here earlier."

 

[MzHyde]

When Rinaa projected the memory onto her, she got slightly surprised but just let her, whether Rinaa meant to or not. Kay took in the memory she was projecting onto her and watched mentally, taking in everything that was being spoken between Rinaa and her friends. She acknowledged the stolen alcohol they had going on, and the guitars strewn everywhere. The movie reference didn't go amiss from Kay either.

When the memory finished, Kay blinked a couple of times to realise the memory had indeed ended and they were still outside the forge. She listened to what Rinaa had to say about the memory, just letting her talk all she wanted. When she finished Kay processed all she was being told. It was alot to take in, and it actually saddened her that Rinaa had infact checked every possibility for saving her and nothing would work. Her sadness also came towards Jay and Elliott knowing they just met their daughter and now they were losing her no matter what. "Rinaa... I know you don't want pity or sympathy but I am truly sorry this is happening to you... I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy and let's face it. I have a few. I can't begin to understand fully how you're feeling and I wouldn't try to. That'd be highly disrespectful of me to do so. I just want you to know from now on, I'll always be here if you need to talk or vent okay?" Kay told her.

Rinaa probably didn't know it but she was making Kay think more about how people see her and did make her swear to herself that she'd be a better person. She knew she always gave people the cold shoulder because she was suspicious of people, but seeing how Rinaa reacted to that attitude, and telling her that Kay was bloody horrible to her in the future, it made her rethink her whole persona.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Rinaa didn't want pity or sympathy. What would it do for her? Nothing. If words were enough to stop her from dive bombing off the mortal coil, then she'd have been cured a long time ago. And most people would just say to ease their conscience before the inevitable demise of the dead person. Nobody wanted anyone to die with bad perceptions of them. It was for that reason that Rinaa had told only the most important people in her life what was going on. Her immediate family knew the instant the tests results came back because she was still a minor. The only people Rinaa personally told were her gang of friends, who took it with mixed results.

Kay had no idea what she'd be getting herself if Rinaa actually decided to spill how she felt all the time. There was a lot of darkness in her head, which hadn't been helped by the whole 'I'm terminally ill' thing. "Yeah, I don't, it's not exactly going to achieve anything in the long run. And you're going to regret saying you'll do that, people dying always have fuck tons of emotional baggage that we wouldn't wish on anybody. Its like they say "but, in fact, depression is not a side effect of cancer. Depression is a side effect of dying. (Cancer is also a side effect of dying. Almost everything is, really.)” " she quoted, randomly remembering the line from The Fault In Our Stars. She wasn't annoyed at the thought of venting her thoughts. It was unhealthy to keep them bottled up, but she planned to change that.

 

[MzHyde]

Kay listened to what Rinaa said about her offer. Rinaa had a point, and she did take it into consideration. "I get it...and I'll respect whatever decision you want to make. I've respected the decisions of everyone else, so you're going to be no different Rinaa. Just know my offer is there, I'm used to people feeling like they're able to open to me." She replied to her. Her tone still soft and welcoming to Rinaa.

"There's things you don't know about me because even I'm damn certain that even in the future I wouldn't go around just disclosing my past to anyone. But I know what it's like to feel so much darkness in your head it becomes a chemical imbalance and you think there's no way out. When I lost my birth mom and then my dad because he walked out on me at age 9, I fell into chronic depression. I locked myself in my new room after my best mate Sam's family adopted me and got into all kinds of shit. Every part of me was telling me I'd only get my new family killed if I stayed because it was my fault my mom died. But it wasn't...but at age 9 that's what I thought. My father told me he couldn't stay because I was too much like her. John doesn't even know all of this...only the parts about my dad. So this is between us okay?" Kay told her this private information out of wanting Rinaa to show there was trust there, and she did understand where she was coming from. "So I do understand the depression side of things, but I also know if it's not for talking about it, then it'll never lift"

 

[_gallifrog_]

Kay's words about her past made more sense and added more context to Rinaa's own life than Kay could know. It explained why she'd acted the way she had after Elliott's death. Rinaa had had no solid evidence up until then as to why past Kay and future Kay were so different, but this was the first time she had a solid theory as to why. The teenager's life had definitly taken another turn towards extremely weird, and Rinaa had honestly thought that her life couldn't get any stranger.she should have learned by now that things could always get stranger. "Depression as a kid sucks, big time. It's worse than as a teenager, and as an adult....I can't say. It's like you cannibalise yourself by comparing your life and experiences to others."

"My DNA and the way it was combined means I quite literally inherited the mental problems of my parents, the self destructiveness, the self loathing, the depression, the inability to make good decisions, the stubbornness, the whole works." She added, figuring it was kind of a useful piece of information. " I won't say anything, don't worry, the only good thing about dying is the gallows humour. I take stuff to the grave." Somehow in the space of the past few minutes Rinaa had gone from being full of self loathing, to being able to make a joke at her own expense. The teenager stretched her legs out, and topped her head against the wall, her eyes changing back to their regular green colour.

 

[MzHyde]

Kay had no clue that anything she told Rinaa would have linked to her own life or made her get some sense as why she changed so much in the future and treated her so badly. If she had, she would have guessed it was to do with Elliott's death and she turned into her father, which would have completely destroyed her. She never wanted to be her father, she would prefer to being taken by demons than become her father. She nodded in agreement when Rinaa said depression sucks majorly as a kid and teenager. It truly did suck. It was more self destructive than anyone could possibly imagine. "That's very true, you do. I guess it's partly why when I first meet people, I'm stand off-ish with them. Afraid to let people in. But when I do, I'm loyal to a fault. And family means the utter world to me." She told Rinaa before Rinaa went on to say more.

She listened to what was she told, and it was quite frankly, very interesting to Kay. It helped her understand the teenager so much more. "Makes sense..and thanks." She replied to Rinaa, giving her a playful nudge of the shoulder in a friendly manner. The self inflicted joke didn't go amiss to Kay either. "We're hell of a pair you and I." She commented, leaning back against the wall with her. She suddenly chuckled as she got the thought of if any of the others came out now they'd be shocked to see the two of them getting along and talking.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"I would say we're quite the pair of human disasters, but neither of us are exactly 100% human....so" the teenager shrugged, the sentence didn't need finishing. Rinaa was convinced that she was going to wake up and find out that this had all been a dream. But it seemed real enough to her, and she knew Attil well. The difference in the air, the fact that the water was always freezing up in the mountains, yet the rocks were always warm from the heat of the sun. The rings that arced across the skyline, beautiful, yet alien. It was unusual for rocky planets to have rings anywhere in the universe, so Attil was a rarity in that regard. The theory was that the rings pieces had once belonged to tiny moons, and due to some kind of gravitational shift of planetary realignment they had been torn apart to form the rings.

She pulled out the earphones, one had slipped out during the conversation anyway. She stopped the music and wrapped up the cables so they hopefully wouldn't tangle up, but knowing her luck, they would. She looked at the lockscreen, the mowhawk girl and smiled slightly at her old look. "That was my second mowhawk, you can't see in the black and white, but it was what everybody called the gay pride mowhawk."

 

[MzHyde]

Kay chuckled and nodded. "True that kiddo..true that" she replied to Rinaa. Neither were exactly human, she was right. She was still getting used to the idea of her getting along with Rinaa, and wondered how long this would exactly last. She hoped it would continue to last, but with Rinaa, Kay couldn't be sure for certain. "If the others saw us right now, they'd all wonder what parallel universe they'd walked into" she thought out loud as she looked out at the world in front of them, still trying to compute in so many ways she wasn't even on earth anymore.

She found herself running her hand back and forth across her stomach yet again absentmindedly this time. "There's so much to come to terms with...makes your head spin sometimes huh?" She remarked, figuring Rinaa might understand what she was meaning and where she was coming from and feeling.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"They really would, but it shows they care enough to actually notice what's going on. Unless you're Chas or Cliff, those two see all, Chas cos of being a cabbie and all, but Cliff sees all. I swear going deaf improved every other sense she has. It's almost impossible to lie to her, I've tried, and her poker face is top notch" Rinaa remarked, with fondness in her voice. Cliff and Cal had performed the role of designated crazy aunts who let you do stupid stuff, eat fat too much pizza, and give you access to jet boots and weapons at far too young an age. Also both were good sources of money and stories. It was one of the reasons she liked Attil so much.

Kay's insulation did not go amiss on her either. "Add time travel to the equation and it just makes everything so much weirder. But yeah, everything kind of happens at once here, hence why I came now, I knew everyone would be together on one place, even if the circumstances are pretty shite at times" she didn't say anything about Kay's child, figuring that would be one of the three questions asked to her by either John or Kay.

 

[MzHyde]

Hearing Rinaa say it shows that they actually care, Kay couldn't help but smile at that. "So very true. They all care alot more than some of them let on. And believe me, some of that lot take a lot of niggling through to get the to show they care" she chuckled. She did mean it very fondly, just like Rinaa did, and of course she was hinting that she was talking about John. "And yeah, Cliff is good at her observations, I admire the woman actually" she told Rinaa.

Kay heard Rinaa out when she added to her comment about things making your head spin. Again she nodded, "that's what life does to you though. Brings you what you need to give you that next right step when life is utter shit. When I met John, it was because demons had cornered me. I thought I was in a position to get away but I wasn't, along comes this bleach blonde asshole trash talking these demons and sending them back to Hell, but not before the demon got a swipe at me and their poison got into my body. Leaving me unconscious at John's feet behind him on a wet floor. Now look where we are" she explained, not actually knowing if she ever knew the story of they met. But there was fondness in the memory. Naturally Kay had been also thinking on those three questions Rinaa promised her and John. Her child was one of the possible topics, but nailing down the right question was the tough one.

She didn't want to waste the three they had. She could have asked 'do you know our daughter?' 'Does she grow up safe?' 'does their daughter even make it to being born and escape the entire downworld?' 'is she more like me or John?' There was so many insignificant questions alongside the larger important ones.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"We all do, and everybody respects her and her judgements too. She's not a senior doctor by ranking, but if there is a serious issue in a hospital or orbital base, they call Cliff, which is why she always ends up doing an insane amount of shift work and drinks at least three pots of coffee a day. She doesn't take anybody's shit either" From her praise, it was evident why Rinaa had asked them to contact Cliff to get them onto Attil.

She listened, amused, to the story of how they'd met. She'd heard Chas's version of it, even though he hadn't been actually there at the time. He'd been in the cab nearby, doing a crossword and looking for their then mysterious shadow. He had been the one to help haul Kay's unconscious body into the cab, and then into John's apartment. "GJ doesn't change much in that regard, still trash talks, still puts the fear of Constantine into any demon stupid enough to come near him, and pisses of any person with more powers and better morals by simply breathing. Still won't admit he's a better person than his reputation says though." She'd spent many evenings demon hunting with John and Chas (who had been the one to teach her to shoot).

 

[MzHyde]

Kay listened to Rinaa's admiration of Cliff and it was certainly warranted. It was no mystery now as to why she said Cliff could help them get onto Attil. She also noted the amusement in Rinaa when she was recounting the first meeting story. It was only three days after that night, that she knew about Chas' involvement in the night. She then listened to Rinaa talk about John, glad that he doesn't really change, but it then made her wonder why she changed so much if he didn't. Which just brought yet another question to her kind. Is she still with him? If they're bonded for life then in theory they should be, but there was a niggling bit in her gut that was concerned they break apart.

"Good to hear he doesn't change in that sense. It's kinda the appeal. Though you'd think he'd learn to admit he's a better person than he gives him credit for aye?" she smirked. It was obvious by her tone just how much she truly did love John. "Take this out of one of our three questions if you want...but...our daughter....do you know her?" She couldn't help but ask.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"He's as stubborn as everybody else, if not more so. GJ..... really doesn't learn when it comes to some things. He has a self persecution complex, and honestly I think he prefers to think of himself that way so that most leave him alone." Rinaa replied, seeing in Kay's voice just how much she cared for John. She was still wrapping her head around the differences between the Kays she knew. And as promised, she was trying (and so far succeeding) not to act on her old biases. No doubt by doing so she was making ripples in her own future, but she would be doing far worse things that would no doubt have even bigger repercussions- meeting Elliott being one of them.

And then came the inevitable, the question about the daughter. Rinaa didn't ask how they knew the gender already, she'd heard the story from John many times before. She was indeed taking it out of her three questions, it was too big a spoiler not to. "Yes, I will take it out of your three." The lack of expansion meant that Rinaa could just have left it at a simple 'yes, I do' and not violated the unwritten code of Three Questions. But this was Kay's first time, so she let her off the hook, just the once. "The Celtic Deer? Yeah, I know her, and like everything in my life, out relationship is complicated. She gave me the foreshadowing nickname that almost everybody adopted with me. We were raised more like cousins than whatever the frack our actual relation is. We don't see eye to eye on a lot of things and get far too competitive when high on adrenaline. But she's a better person than me, don't worry."