The Immortal War

@ katahdin

The problem with going through the magical artifacts left behind by Fates past wasn't so much a lack of labeling as it was a lack of Cat being able to quickly identify the purpose of things. That was what she'd done the night before, before Jonathan found her shaking on the floor, and he'd all but forbidden her from touching anything as they looked around now and she tried to recollect the purpose of the various objects in the room from memory--despite not having actually looked too closely at many of them. He'd told her to sit in a clear spot on the floor, with her hands tucked underneath her, and he brought her things to look at. The longer it went on though, the more ridiculous the situation seemed.

"We aren't going to get anywhere doing this," she said, not for the first time, untucking her hands from underneath her butt as Jonathan walked away with a vase that she was pretty sure just kept alive whatever was set in it. "I'm barely trying to scratch anymore, and I'm obviously not going to do the same thing with Time and Nature close enough to see the aftermath. Not to mention, it's my house, and you aren't the boss of me." The last said as she rose to her feet and stretched, glad for movement after sitting still for so long.

---

Skylar sagged in the chair April had tied him to using nothing more than a few dog leashes. He hadn't told her anything at first, unwilling to give up the information she wanted and some part of him not quite believing she'd go through with her threats, but she'd convinced him. His entire body felt like a bruise, some places worse than others, like the fingers she'd broken, and he had no energy left to even move beyond a small flinch when she reached into his pocket and pulled out the key he was supposed to be keeping safe for--from--Cat.

@ sun spirit

Jonathan sighed in frustration as Cat once again mentioned how pointless this exercise was, pointing out how she wasn't shaking anymore and how she'd avoid doing a repeat of the night before. "It's a slippery slope, Cat. Once you start again, it's harder and harder to stop." He warned as he turned to set the vase back down on the shelf it bad been resting on. He turned toward the door that led back to the living room when he heard Time call and say she was going somewhere, giving a little nod before shouting back to let her know that he'd heard her.

Grabbing a little sculpture of some kind of animal he turned to Cat as she stood, holding the clay figure out to her. "What about this? Know anything about this little guy?"

---

While Jonathan and Cat had been off going through various magical objects she had lying around, Florence had been going through the journals. Although when Skylar didn't come back after twenty minutes she began to worry, and by the time it had been over an hour she couldn't even pretend to focus on her reading. She finally decided she'd waited long enough and let Jonathan know that she was going to head out temporarily, wanting to go check in on Nature and make sure everything was alright.

Teleporting to Nature's was easy enough, but she was surprised by how quiet it was when she initially arrived, although her concern only grew when she saw that his front door was wide open. Moving inside cautiously she wandered around until she came across Skylar's battered and bruised body tied to a kitchen chair, letting out a gasp as she rushed over to kneel in front of him, hands moving to cup his cheeks in concern.

"Nature? Nature.. Skylar, can you hear me? What happened?" She asked worriedly, hurriedly beginning to untie him from the chair so that she could get him help, mentally attempting to call out to Jonathan and Cat and let them know that they needed help, although her attention quickly turned to April when she returned from whatever room she'd been snooping around in, holding the key Skylar had been in possession of in her hands.

April looked just as surprised to see Florence as Florence was to seeing April, frowning as she rested her hands at her hips. "Flor, what are you doing here, and why are you bothering with that filth? You have to know that what I'm doing is for the right thing, and that Jonathan and I will keep you safe?" April said, taking a step toward Florence.

Florence simply shook her head, extending her hand as a blast of sand left her fingertips, taking the form of two knights, who immediately began to attack War. A blade appeared in War's hand to defend herself, and despite the men being made of sand, when one of their blades slashed against April's cheek it cut like any other sword. While April was distracted Florence returned to untying Skylar, taking his hand once he was free and teleporting them to her house.

Unfortunately she couldn't really control where he landed and he ended up on the floor of her living room, and after apologizing quickly she grabbed a slip of paper and quickly scrawled a note to Cat to let her know what had happened before sending it off with her magic. Once that was taken care of she returned to Skylar's side, getting to work on healing how injuries, taking care of the obviously bad ones like his broken fingers, doing her best to hide the tears that were leaking down her cheeks. She hated April for doing this to him, this wasn't the friend that she knew wouldn't have done this, but seeing it happen made her reconsider whether April really was her friend.

@ katahdin

"I'm not saying I'm going to use my abilities again. I'm saying I can look around myself and see if anything tickles my brain," Cat explained, guessing he didn't mean that scratching was a slippery slope. She didn't tell him she thought of the locked door at the end of the hallway every time she felt an inch though. He seemed paranoid enough about her behavior already. She didn't call back when Florence yelled to let Jonathan know she was leaving, leaving it to the one addressed as she looked around for a section they'd yet to get to. She only turned when Jonathan spoke, squinting at the animal sculpture he held. "Oooh, that one. Supposedly, if you know the activation word, it'll transform into a living creature that will protect whoever activated it." Her brow furrowed. "I spent hours trying to find the word, just to see if it was, but I never found it, and I couldn't find a hint."

She turned back to where she'd drifted, pleasantly surprised she wasn't being mothered back into the center of the room where an eye could be kept on her, and she let her gaze slid over the assortment of objects in front of her, mentally sorting through them, what they did, what she suspected they did, the ones she simply couldn't remember or didn't know... Jonathan had just called her attention back to him again when she felt paper appear in her hand, the surface gritty with sand. "Wait a minute. I think Florence just sent a note," she said, unfolding the paper curiously, her eyes widening as she read the quickly scrawled words. "We have to leave," she said, marching over to Jonathan, and as soon as she grabbed his arm, she teleported them both to Time's home.

---

If he'd been in a better state, Skylar would've braced himself for the teleportation, but as it was, it was essentially as if one moment he was sitting, and in the next, the chair had disappeared out from under him. He groaned as he landed on the floor, mumbling some reassurance when Florence apologized. He couldn't believe that she'd come looking for him--that she'd rescued him. He struggled to sit up when she left, propping himself against a coffee table. He wasn't sure how long she was gone, but he was aware when she came back, especially as he felt pain start to disappear in his fingers unexpectedly. His head still didn't feel quite screwed on right, but when he looked up and saw what she was doing, he tried to shift away. "Don't," he groaned with the movement. "I heal fast. I'll be fine in a few hours." Then, some part of him realizing what he hadn't said, he added softly, "Thank you Florence."

Cat and Jonathan appeared at that moment, and Cat immediately rushed to where Skylar and Florence were, Skylar looking as if he'd been through hell and Florence crouched beside him as if she didn't know how to help. Cat felt tears enter her eyes as she took in the state of her friend. She didn't think anything Florence could've written would've prepared her to see it. "Skylar, Sky... you're okay now. You'll be okay." She started to reach out with a shaking hand to touch him, but stopped short when he flinched, feeling her heart break a little bit. "I'm so sorry."

Skylar didn't mean to flinch from Cat; it wasn't even from fear that she'd hurt him. It was almost the opposite. "War knows everything," he said softly, the weight of it pressing on his chest. "She has the key."

@ sun spirit

Jonathan rolled his eyes good-heartedly as Cat continued to argue with him, although he grinned when she said that she thought the little statue would turn into a real animal upon saying the right word, chuckling as he looked down at the little figurine before putting it back on the shelf. "Hm. Not sure how that'll work, especially when it looks like a goat." He chuckled, beginning to put the figure back when he looked over when she mentioned a note from Time, frowning worriedly when she suddenly announced that they had to go.

He was surprised to find himself soon after standing in Nature's home, looking around the room in confusion, before his eyes settled on where Florence crouched beside Skylar's broken form, his face paling. "What happened?" He asked, stepping forward to make sure that Florence was alright, although he looked at Skylar when he spoke about War knowing everything about their plans, and that she had the key. Grabbing Cat's hand he stood, squeezing it tightly. "We need to go back to your house, now. It can't be left unguarded, and you can't be left alone knowing what April will do to you if she gets that dagger."

---

Florence shook her head when he said that he'd heal quickly, moving closer again to continue to heal him, focusing her healing his head in the hopes that would make him feel a bit better. "Please. Let me help.. I-I should have come sooner, none of this would have happened..." She trailed off as Jonathan and Cat arrived, sitting back as she watched Fate kneel at his side, stomach dropping when he mentioned how April knew everything. She looked at Jonathan as he insisted on leaving with Cat, giving a little nod. "I'll look after Skylar, I promise, Fate.."

@ katahdin

Skylar didn't try to move away a second time, when Florence insisted on helping, grateful for the healing even if he was concerned about her exhausting herself for him. He wanted to reassure her that no part of what just happened was her fault, too, that she'd showed up and saved him, but suddenly Cat was there, and he couldn't meet anyone's eyes when he revealed what April knew now, because of him. Not even a whole day after they'd discussed how important it was that she didn't find out. When it was mentioned that she needed to get back to her house, he nodded. "You have to make sure she doesn't get the dagger."

Cat stilled at Skylar's words. April knew everything. She had the key. "We'll figure it out," she said softly to Skylar, even as she felt Jonathan's hand close around hers, his grip unusually tight, almost as if he was afraid she'd disappear if he let go. And then he suggested that she just... leave Skylar. Worse, Florence and Skylar both gave agreements. "No, I can't just leave--" Her sentence trailed off, face paling as she heard it in the back of her mind, the same sort of alarm system Skylar must have heard that called him back to his house. "April." She disappeared within moments of uttering War's name, teleporting herself back to her house and specifically the hall outside the locked room with the dagger hidden within. The doors were closed, and when she pushed them, they remained that way. When she tried to teleport into the room, she found herself blocked from doing so, an extra protection Jonathan had told her he'd added. The dagger was safe. Cat only relaxed for a moment before she turned and began searching the rest of the house though, knowing what she'd heard and that War had been there for something.

@ sun spirit

Jonathan tensed when Cat simply disappeared, struggling to keep from panicking. He looked at Florence as she continued to heal Skylar, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "You heal him and keep him here. Neither of you should be alone for any long period of time. I'm going after Cat. You know how to reach us if you need anything." Jonathan stated quickly before he too disappeared, teleporting himself into Cat's living room. When he didn't immediately see her he began to panic more, frantically searching her house and until he found her in some spare room, wrapping his arms around her tightly as he let out a sigh in relief. "You can't just disappear alone like that.."

---

Florence nodded as Jonathan instructed her to watch over Skylar, continuing to pour her magic into healing him. She focused on the big injuries, like broken bones and deep cuts, leaning the bruises and scrapes to heal on their own, mostly because by the time she'd finished with the last broken rib her magic was depleted and she was exhausted. "I'll get the rest later.." she promised softly, standing with a little huff before offering him her hand. "You should sleep to help the magic settle the healing. You can use my room." She offered softly, looking rather exhausted herself as she wiped the last of her tears from her eyes. "I can make you something to eat, too, if you'd like.."

@ katahdin

Cat was just turning around to leave one room and search the next when Jonathan appeared and she suddenly found herself being squeezed in his arms, just barely catching the look on his face before she was crushed to his chest. He'd looked.... scared and relieved, and his words matched. Past her own panic, she felt warm all of a sudden, and she would've hugged him back if he hadn't had her pinned against him. "I had to come back. April was here." It was only after saying the words that it really sank in how badly that could've ended for her. Her only thought had been to keep the dagger from April, but what if War had already gotten it? What if she'd been waiting for Cat to show up? She took a breath. "I'm sorry. I didn't think to grab you or anyone. I just didn't want her to get the dagger. It's safe, but I'm still searching to see if she took anything else."

---

Skylar was quiet as Florence healed him, not entirely sure what to say other than the thanks he'd already given her, especially given the tears in her eyes. It felt like the more she healed and the more pain that disappeared, the more exhausted he became too. "It's fine. You've done enough. Thank you, Florence," he said softly, accepting her hand up. He swayed a bit, but steadied himself with the wall. She looked completely drained. "You need to sleep too. Just point me to a couch, and I'll crash there. Then you can sleep in your bed."

@ sun spirit

Jonathan held her tightly, one hand resting on the back of her head as he cradled her against his chest. "Don't ever do something like that again." He said into her hair, brows furrowing worriedly as he pulled back enough to look down at her. "April isn't thinking straight. If she'd been here before I arrived, she could have seriously hurt you or worse." He frowned, letting out a sigh as he tried to calm himself down. He knew he was likely worrying her and overreacting, but he couldn't help it. The idea of anything happening to her terrified him.

---

Florence reached a hand out to steady him as he stood, although she too was a bit wobbly on her feet from exerting herself so much. She shook her head when he said that he'd take the couch. "No, you had a bunch of broken ribs, there's no way you're taking the couch. I have a spare bedroom that I can sleep in, don't worry." She reassured him, leading him toward her room. She was lying about the spare bedroom of course, but if she could just get him to go to sleep then she could crash on the couch as planned. "I'll be fine, don't worry."

@ katahdin

Jonathan’s reaction sparked mixed emotions in Cat. She knew, of course, that he cared about her to some degree after the events of the last day, especially earlier that morning, but this was different in a way she wasn’t sure how to react to. He hadn’t even reacted to the fact that April could have taken something. “I’ll try not to run off again,” she promised softly as his hold on her loosened. Rather than step back though, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back. “I’m sorry for scaring you.” She didn’t pull back immediately though, remaining in his arms. It was just nice in Jonathan’s arms, and he smelled good, and it was just so comfortable there. Standing like this, checking to make sure April hadn’t gotten into anything seemed suddenly unimportant.

---

Seeing how tired she looked, Skylar didn’t lean into Florence when she tried to help catch him, but when she mentioned a spare bedroom, he did let her lead the way. “Okay, okay. As long as you get rest too. Thanks,” he relented. The way he felt, he was sure she’d be able to knock him over if she breathed too hard anyway. He followed her as she led the way, barely taking in the room as he sat down on the bed, his body groaning against the movement. She didn’t get further than the doorway before he called out though. “Wait!” He was red and tense as he added softly, “Umm, maybe... we could... share the bed? I mean, we’re supposed to stay together and it doesn’t mean anything... just... safer, you know?”

@ sun spirit

Jonathan sighed as she returned his hug, resting his head against hers as he held her close. He doubted April would have wanted anything here beside the dagger, and she likely wouldn't have known which closet to look in. Odds are she'd been scared off by Cat returning, but Cat showing up without anyone else had been reckless, especially considering that she was in no position to use her magic. "It's fine.. None of us can be alone anymore though, got it? Florence is going to stay with Skylar while he recovers, which means I'll stay here with you in case April shows up. That way I'll be able to fend her off if she tries anything.'

---

Florence patted his arm reassuringly as she helped him get situated in her bed, pulling some extra blankets from her closet incase he wanted more than what she had on her bed already. "Don't worry about me, Sky. I'm not the one who.." she trailed off, looking at him worriedly, forcing herself to resist the urge to heal him more. Stifling a yawn she headed toward the door, although she paused when he suggested that they share her bed, a blush appearing on her cheeks. It wasn't the biggest bed, only a full, but a mattress was more appealing than the couch, and she would feel better being in the same room as him. "Alright... Only if you're sure." She murmured as she moved back over to the bed, kicking off her shoes before sliding into bed, stifling a yawn as soon as she laid down.

@ katahdin

Cat started to question Jonathan about the division, then stopped herself. Skylar was afraid of April, she was limited in what she could do, and they were April's targets, whereas Jonathan and Florence were relatively safe. And since Florence seemed to be getting along with Skylar and Jonathan with her, it was probably the best way for everyone to split up. "Okay," she agreed. "I'll make up a room for you then. I'm not going to make you sleep on the couch. And we can keep looking for ways to stop April. I can use my powers to search things again, and you can watch so it doesn't get too bad. We'll just gather everything I don't know the purpose of and can't find the purpose of from journals. It should be a relatively small amount." She wouldn't be looking forward to uncontrollable shaking again, but she knew she could trust Jonathan to keep an eye on her and stop her from doing anything stupid--he'd made her sit on her hands not that long ago just to keep her from touching anything. Taking a breath, she squeezed him a little tighter. "So I'll make sure you have a room set up and bake something for Sky and Florence first, and then we can start sorting through objects to figure out what I need to look at."

---

When Florence mentioned what happened, Skylar wasn't sure whether to grimace or give her a wan smile and try to make a joke. He'd always been intimidated by April, but he'd never actually considered that she'd tie him up and torture him for information. And now, despite Florence rescuing him and him being at her house, he couldn't help the fear that crept in that as soon as he was left alone, April would come back, wanting to know something else. Which was where his suggestion that they stay in the same room came from. He was relieved when Florence agreed, and though his cheeks were still red, he gave her a little smile. "Yeah. Besides, this way, I'm not kicking you out of your bed," he said, only relaxing back as she came over and got into the bed as well. Okay, maybe relaxing was a strong word. He felt more relaxed knowing she was there, but also, despite everything, kind of awkward too. Tired and sore above all else though, and as Florence laid down, his eyes closed.

@ sun spirit

Jonathan nodded in agreement as she spoke. There was no use trying to keep her from looking for more magical objects, so it was best to just help her do her search, so if things got out of hand he'd be able to step in. When she mentioned making up a bed for him he shook his head. "Your couch is pretty comfortable, I'll be fine, Cat." He smiled, leaning forward to press a kiss to her forehead before he loosened her arms around her. "Do you need any help baking? I know some things that Florence likes, if you want tips.." he suggested with a little smile.

---

Florence relaxed into her mattress, yawning sleepily as she tugged a blanket around her, doing her best to get settled. "Yeah, I guess you're right.. Goodnight, Sky." She mumbled tiredly, already half asleep as her eyes fluttered close. It took a bit of adjusting for her to get fully comfortable enough to sleep, as she wasn't in her pajamas and was sharing her bed with someone, but after some tossing and turning that resulted in her being curled up against Skylar with one arm draped over him and her nose tucked into his side she finally fell asleep, her breathing evening out.

@ katahdin

Cat felt a little bit of heat creep up her neck as Jonathan kissed her forehead, and suddenly unsure what to do with herself, she at last stepped out of the circle of his arms, grateful that he gave her something else to focus on in the same moment. "You aren't sleeping on the couch. I don't know how long you're going to be here, but you're going to be comfortable at least. I'll make up a bed, and you can grab whatever you want or need from home and bring it here. Which I suggest you do unless you think you can fit into my clothes or want to smell like roses and other pretty things." She paused to consider his offer of help baking, however. "You can help if you want, but I can handle it myself." She took his hand and led him out of the room and towards the kitchen. "Making something Florence likes sounds like a good idea though. Sky had pancakes this morning, so he probably won't want more. I can send him the leftovers just in case though... Oh, and the muffins. Florence seemed to like them."

---

"Night," Skylar said softly, and despite the discomfort he still had from the wounds that hadn't healed yet, exhaustion took over. He was sleep within minutes. He slept like the dead, his body exhausted from having the shit beat out of it, being mostly healed, and then left to heal the rest. He slept through the afternoon and didn't wake again until after dark, still feeling fatigued but not the kind of bone-deep exhaustion from before. That wasn't the first thing he noticed though. Even before he opened his eyes, he was aware of the feeling of another person beside him, curled into him even, and he was very still as he opened his eyes and looked at Florence. He couldn't see much given the lack of light, but he knew it was her. Even as his face reddened, he was grateful she'd stayed, that he hadn't woken up alone, and though he was uncomfortable from sleeping in the same position and wanted to move, he stayed how he was at and let himself be used as a pillow rather than risk waking her up by moving.

@ sun spirit

Jonathan chuckled when she mentioned him smelling like roses, grinning down at her as he squeezed her hand. "Maybe I want to smell like roses and pretty things." He teased, following her to the kitchen, where he moved to lean against the counter like he had that morning, listening to her talk about what they might want. "She does like blueberry muffins.. she also really likes lemon poppyseed bread. I can't speak for Nature, though." He said as he watched her move around the kitchen.

---

Florence slept soundly beside Skylar, grateful for the time to rest and recover her magic that had been depleted. It didn't take much longer after Nature woke for her to wake as well, letting out a sleepy groan as she stretched out, fingers curling around the sleeve of his shirt before her eyes fluttered open slowly. It took her a few moments for her eyes to focus on Skylar, although once she realized what was happening her cheeks flushed red and she quickly scrambled away, falling out of bed in the process on account of getting tangled in her blanket. "Ow..." She whimpered, rubbing her head where she bumped it before looking back toward the bed when she heard Skylar move. "D-Did I wake you up? I'm so sorry.."

@ katahdin

Cat laughed softly. "That's up to you. I still think you'd rather be in your clothes than mine though. I'm a little smaller than you," she responded as they made it to the kitchen. "Skylar likes everything. Pancakes are just his favorite," she explained, already moving around and pulling things out that she'd need. The panic she'd felt just minutes ago felt far away now, replaced by a sort of warmth that persisted past her worry for her friends, and after she pulled out everything that would be needed for lemon poppyseed bread, she turned to Jonathan. "Since you keep trying to help with things... I could teach you how to bake from scratch if you want," she offered, motioning him over to the counter where she stood.

---

Skylar had started to doze off again, just laying there, and was half asleep when Florence suddenly jerked away and fell off the bed. Thinking that something was wrong, he scrambled to his feet with wide eyes and a pale face, looking around for April or any other sign of danger, his posture only relaxing fractionally when Florence asked about waking him. "No, no, I was awake," he breathed, relieved as he moved around to the side of the bed she'd fallen off of and offered a hand. "What happened? Are you okay?" He was feeling a lot better after his nap. There were still bruises and scrapes, but they looked a lot farther into the healing process than they should've been, and it didn't hurt nearly as much just to move as it had earlier.

@ sun spirit

Jonathan's eyes lit up when she offered to teach him how to bake rather than just instructing him to hand her ingredients like he'd assumed she'd do. "I'd love to learn.." he smiled, moving over to stand by the counter next to her, rocking on his heels excitedly as he looked down at her. "I'll try my best to not ruin whatever it is we're making first." He smiled, giving her a little nudge with his elbow.

---

Florence was grateful that the only light coming in through the window was from the moonlight, so that he couldn't see her blushing. "I-Im alright.. Um.. I had a bad dream?" She said, hoping he'd believe her and not press the issue too much. "I'm sorry if I woke you before, then.. Um.. Are you hungry? I can make dinner if you are, and you can keep resting too.." she said as she stood with his help, rubbing at her head where she'd bumped it when she fell.

@ katahdin

Cat had guessed Jonathan would like to help, given he kept trying to offer it, but the way he completely brightened at her offer surprised her. It was... kind of adorable, and she found herself smiling as he joined her at the counter. "Don't worry, I won't let you. But if your cooking skills translate here, I will say you don't have anything to worry about," she assured him, nudging him back. "So, the first thing we want to do is make the dough for the bread. We'll worry about flavoring it after we get it the right consistency. This is my favorite part." She showed him what to combine in a bowl and how much of each, then instructed him to start stirring. As he did so, she poured some flour onto a large mat, spreading it into a thin, even surface, and once Jonathan's mixture looked like it was mixing well, had him move it onto the flour to begin kneading the dough. She watched as he started, covering her mouth to stifle a laugh. "Right pressure, wrong movements. You use the heels of your hands like this." Stepping up beside him, she took his hands, placing them in the right position, and showed him where to place pressure.

---

Florence didn't really sound concerned about the bad dream thing, but he trusted she would act a little more concerned if something happened that he should know about, so he didn't press the subject as he helped her up. "A little bit... I can help. I'm feeling much better, thanks to you." He paused. "I don't know if I really said it well enough before, but thank you. For getting me away from April and for helping me. I don't know... I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't shown up, and after telling her everything and letting her get the key, I don't know if I deserve all your help. It'll be my fault if she kills Cat..."

@ sun spirit

Jonathan was quite good at following her instructions, asking the occasional clarifying question when he didn't understand her instructions. He chuckled as she moved her hands over him to correct his movements as he kneaded the dough, smiling down at her as she helped him. "When I was a boy I would watch the baker's knead their bread in the bakeries along the canals.. They always made it seem so easy." He chuckled adjusting the way he was kneading the dough. "How am I doing? Mediocre at best, right?" He teased.

---

Florence nodded and was about to show him to the kitchen when he began to thank her and talk about what April had done, frowning as he expressed his guilt. She shook her head, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug before she even thought twice about it. "None of this is your fault, Nature. She would have done the same to any of us, or worse. You're lucky she didn't do anything worse. No one blames you for telling her about the key, you were being tortured, for crying out loud. I'm just happy you're alright." She murmured into his shirt from where her face was pressed into his shoulder, fingers gripping the back of his shirt securely. "It'll be no one's fault but her own if anything happens to any of us. Don't blame yourself for her actions."

@ katahdin

Cat glanced up at him as he shared his memory, smiling as she tried to imagine a younger version of him standing outside a bakery, watching someone knead dough. "It is easy, once you have practice," she assured him, and as he adjusted himself, she removed her hands, keeping an eye on him to make sure he was good. "Actually, you're picking it up incredibly fast," she admitted as she tucked some hair behind her ear, heedless of the flour she was transferring in the process. She leaned against the counter, watching him knead the dough in silence for several moments. "My mom taught me how to bake. When I was little. We lived out in the country, so there weren't any bakers or any of that. I'd always wake up before the sun to help her make our bread for the day." She was quiet as she spoke, solemn. "After she died, I guess it was always just the thing that reminded me of her, and those mornings, making bread before dawn, were my favorite part of the day."

---

Skylar had looked away, not wanting to chance whatever emotion he might see in her eyes, and was surprised when he suddenly found Florence hugging him. He stood still for several moments, shocked, then hugged her back as she reassured him, feeling his eyes burn as if tears were going to fall soon. "It's just... Cat told me to hide the key yesterday, before you or Jonathan even showed up. And then Jonathan told me to hide it, and it was right in my pocket. And I didn't want to tell her anything because I knew what she wanted to do, and I couldn't do anything to stop her before she had me tied up. No wonder Jonathan doesn't like me--I'm worse than useless."

@ sun spirit

Jonathan slowed his kneading as he listened to her speak, listening intently to the little bit of her past that she'd offered him. Immortals tended to keep their pasts secret from the others, especially the ways in which they became Immortal themselves. He offered her a little smile as she spoke, reaching to wipe some flour from her cheek, although he only deposited more. "You would have liked the city.. All the colors and lights and people. You could paint every hour of every day and still not be satisfied." He murmured, hand moving to gently caress her cheek. "Maybe sometime Time can take us there, to see the bakers, once you can paint again." He suggested softly, his thumb gently brushing over her cheekbone before he drew his hand back awkwardly, turning back to the dough.

---

"You are not useless, Skylar." Florence said firmly, reaching up to cup his cheeks in her hands as she gazed up at him. "You've been a tremendous help to me and Fate, even if Jonathan is too stubborn to admit it. And you shouldn't worry about what he thinks. He's just upset with you because he's got a crush on Fate, and you've spent so much time with her." She pointed out softly. "And I would have done the exact same thing in your position. It didn't matter that you had the key in your pocket, April wouldn't have stopped until you told her where to find it. She... She would have killed you if you hadn't told her." She frowned, wrapping her arms around him once more as she buried her face in his chest. "I should have come checked on you sooner.. I was worried ten minutes after you'd gone, if I'd checked on you then, none of this would have happened.."