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Dark Lullabies for Strange Children

She looked at the list.

Oh, god. Why had she looked at that list?

"Bastien, allons-y," she said, dropping the list on the counter of the nurse's station. Then she was backing away, hands held up in front of her like she had touched something toxic, something inexplicably terrible. "Allons--Are my parents at the hotel? Is Voirrey?"

His hands were on her shoulders, the brick wall of a French bodyguard was leading her away as he said, "Non, your parents are at Crystal Academy and your brother with them." He did not ask why; Bastien was not paid to ask why, he was paid to watch out for the family of Edmund Arma, at the moment specifically Elke Arma. At the moment, Elke appreciated it, because it meant they were in a taxi, headed back to the hotel, in record time. No pausing to ask if she was all right--she appreciated that--no wait to see if a doctor was available to talk to her--another glorious thing to enjoy. At the moment, she would have reminded him of it, would have yelled: Don't question me! We're going!

She was not thinking about the list. The back of a taxi cab was not the place to think about the list--what, and who, had been on it. What, and who, wasn't on it now. "When we get back, please stay outside the suite," she ordered, marveling at the controlled tone of her voice. Probably he'd do it. Probably he'd do it and call her parents and tell them what he was doing and why he was doing it and--whatever was happening inside. Elke didn't know what she was going to do, but she was probably going to do it loudly with malice aforethought to any breakables in her way, because--

Elke tried to stop thinking about the list. The result was that she saw it, clearly, in her mind's eye; the names that were on it, the names that were not on it.

She got out of the taxi quickly, was halfway up the stairs to the lobby by the time Bastien caught up with her. He was saying--"Mademoiselle! Mademoiselle, attente!" But she didn't wait, slapped the up button on the elevator and bit her lip. She could hear some kind of high-pitched whine, and knew it for hers for the tiny babble of words in French. Well, word. One word, only one word, and that word was no. Bastien's hand descended on her shoulder again, holding her in place when she lunged for the stairs. He didn't understand, he didn't; no, he couldn't. The ride in the elevator was interminable, the silence welcome. It was silent because she had clamped both hands over her mouth. She was ignoring Bastien, even as they stepped out and he unlocked the door. He stayed outside the door as she shut it with a click, one loud click. He had the key. If she needed him he'd be there.

Three steps from the door, she let herself think about the list. The ones alive... and the ones dead: Avery--Sebby--Zeke--Avery-- She started to shake, little tremors around her shoulders that spread down her arms, her teeth were chattering and then she screamed.

[to be completed argh trying to reserve posts argh]

The Half-Killed
with Grayson
Pizza and hugs and uniforms, oh my. They discuss Barren Pines and family photographs.

Accidental Fetch
with Atlas and Serandite
Kitten-saving and her first real battle.

Solution: Hugs?
with Serenade
Hero and Aurelia are fighting??

Andy, You're a Star
with Andeon
Elke is introduced to Chuck-E-Cheese and Andeon is introduced to balls in his face.

Smile Like You Mean It
with Simon
They go cooking at Crystal Academy.

Too Shy to Scream
with Obsidian
Virgo finally gets it. The Negaverse is bad, okay?!

A Tingling Sensation
with Fallon
Virgo overcomes her paranoia of Fallon to save the girl from a youma and give some good directions. She hopes, anyway.