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LuLu rolled her eyes, but it probably went unnoticed given that they were black orbs devoid of any defining features right now. It was somehow endearing that Luka's was explaining the function of a phone to her. He had been pleasant in that way since she had first floated into the shelter. Nonetheless, it was unnecessary. Lu had used Josh's phone countless times before to call her GramGram. Luka's little slice of technology was not going to baffle her. If anything, it was even more simple to use. It was difficult get confused when the device only gave you about three options to choose from. LuLu dialed out but did not hold the phone to her ear. Whenever she tried holding it in the traditional human way she felt silly because her ears were on top of her head instead of at a normal location to the side. Plus, her hearing was keen enough that the phone could have been on the other side of their wooden fort and she could have still held a conversation.

She was not particularly nervous until the first tune of the dial tone buzzed. Suddenly, LuLu felt off like she was hyper aware of everything around her. She mumbled softly, "Why am I calling Josh?" The next cheery notes of the dial tune chirped over the speaker and LuLu felt even more alarmed. There was no point in seeking her guardian out now. He had not wanted to talk to her weeks ago so it did not make sense to her that Josh would want to talk now. Her grip on the phone tightened. So many times he would abandon her to mull things over like she was in solitary confinement in her own home. She was the one with her mind rotting in her skull and Luka had made it her job to reach out to him. This was not what she wanted at all. She growled, "This is not right."

There was a crackle as someone picked up. LuLu breathed out, "Josh..." The phone came to life as a young man spoke, "Hello...hello, who is this?" LuLu could not take it any longer. Just the tone of her guardian's voice made her ears itch. Josh probably had not even noticed she was gone. He payed her so little attention. This was not how the human was going to redeem himself to the frei. LuLu screamed at the receiver, "You do not know your raevan's own voice. I knew you did not care!"

With a snap of her wrist LuLu sent the cellphone hurling into the campfire. The flames surrounded the flip phone with a pop and a snap. She watched the little device begin to melt in the flames. Josh's voice echoed and broke with an electronic wail. "Lu-bbbzzz-LU!---crrrsh-WHERE ARE Y-". The phone went silent. Satisfied with its destruction she turned back to Luka.

"WHY DO YOU EVEN CARE?!" The satyr had been nothing but kind to the rabbit. Yet, that made her even angrier. She was getting all this positive encouragement now that she was a monster. Why hadn't it come sooner when she was still in control? LuLu wanted to know the reason she hadn't gotten concern from the people she cared most about when she had needed it then and she wanted to hear that reason come directly from their mouths. What she craved would not be given over a phone call and it would not come from Luka.

LuLu honestly had no answer to the satyr's question. She had thrown his phone in the fire because that was where it had decided to make its landing. She could not take back what she had done to Luka's possession or the comments she had made. A saner Lu would have felt guilt over her erratic actions. However, that was not who was floating in front of Luka.

LuLu returned his glare with the same blistering intensity. She may have lacked his incandescence, but she made up for it with a snap of her mucky wings and the aggressive whipping of ink on her body. "Who do I think I am?" LuLu smiled at him with a toothy, dirty grin that could get under anyone's skin. The rabbit had decided what she had become when her essence took control. A monster. A monster who did not accept back talk from young, bossy freis. She could not believe Luka had almost made her think any differently.

The yapping lighthouse was right about one thing. He knew nothing about LuLu's situation. Now he had the gall to scold her about it and throw it back in her face. LuLu was a monster AND a brat. Maybe that was another thing she had let define her. Luka sounded like Josh. Chastising her without asking the question of why she was acting out in the first place. She did have a mouth, but Josh had made no effort to make its use feel welcomed. She was always sent to the corner or patted atop her head with the promise that they would talk about it later.

LuLu was not demanding her guardian become an empath for her sake. She did not ever want Josh to have that kind of power. What she wanted from her guardian was the knowledge that her feelings mattered to him and to know why he had hidden that knowledge from her for so long. So who was to blame when neither of them tried communicating? Was it Josh for his nonchalance and immaturity? Or was it LuLu for her ignorance and hesitancy?

LuLu did not want to hear anymore. Whatever else Luka had said, it fell on death ears. She reached out and grabbed the frei by his face. Her claws just dug into his peachy flesh and ink splattered across his features like a streak of blood. She reeled his head in close. So close that Luka would be able to feel her breath on his skin. The satyr said she should speak up to her guardian to start communication, but, in her mind, Josh did not want to hear her voice. She whispered into Luka's pointed ear with a dark chuckle, "If I make you scream will Josh hear that?"

Why should she care what happened to Luka now. He did not care about her anymore. She would not care about him. He was not even the person she desired affection or respect from.

LuLu basked in Luka's cry at first. It rang clear and loud just like she had hoped it would. The sound practically bounced off the walls and vibrated in her ears. However, her enjoyment did not last as long.

She was taken aback when Luka's attitude continued its gradual build. It became so lofty the young satyr was practically preaching to her even with a gouge in his face. She eyed the deep wound covering the left side of his delicate features. Blood clung to his cheek, but along with it was a grimy black. LuLu's ink served as a stamp for her work. She had done this to Luka. The rabbit's hands began to shake. LuLu could not tell it was from nerves or excitement. Nonetheless, the tremor continued to rattle her limbs.

LuLu gritted her teeth at him. "Yes, I will hear your screams in my dreams. They will be my lullaby." She quipped, "Always and forever." Something in her twisted. LuLu felt sick at her own words. Yet, they continued to spill from her mouth as though she had no control over the way her lips were moving. "I am not running Luka. Not from you." All of her skin was prickling, because some part of LuLu accepted the truth in the other frei's statements. The rabbit's anger was too blinding for her to see that though.

It did feel good attacking Luka, because then she did not have to focus on her own screwed up self anymore. She wanted him to stop talking already. Everything the younger raevan said made her insides quiver and a vile taste bleed into her mouth. LuLu flinched at Luka's touch. Black tears began to run down equally black cheeks, but LuLu would not know it. Everything felt the same to her, like cold, wet ink. "Yes! I have always been this ugly. This has always been inside me!" And she had let it take over. Luka's words continued to pick at her brain and probe all over her biggest insecurities. She had to retaliate. Venomous word were seeping from her maw, but she felt like she was the one being poisoned. "I AM A MONSTER! THE MONSTER THAT WILL END YOU!"

Luka's next statements left LuLu speechless. Had her heart also become ink when she had given herself over? She did not know how to respond so she let her actions do the talking for her. One hand wound itself in the collar of Luka's shirt. It had once been a pristine white, but was was now covered in filth and blood. She sent both of them slamming against a wall. The whole makeshift building rattled due to the force. She did it once more to hear the sickening thud of Luka's head on the wood again.

Even in his last moments of consciousness Luka was trying LuLu's patience. She had probably put more force into that second strike than she had needed to. Nonetheless, the rabbit was glad when the satyr was finally shut up. Her blank eyes flitted over his still body.

LuLu felt relieved that there was now silence filling the small space. However, it was not as comforting as she had expected it to be. Quiet meant she was left with her own thoughts. Courtesy of Josh, she had been given enough time alone with them. They could be just as hurtful as anything Luka had told her.

Seeing the other frei sprawled limply on the floor of the hut, LuLu could not stop the cold chill that ran through her. Again, she felt sick. Immediately after seeing the aftermath, the small sliver of rationality still lurking in her wanted to take it all back. She ran her hands over her face. Her palms were still coated in ink as was the rest of her. LuLu did not know why for a brief moment she had hoped for something different when she knew nothing could change now. She was a monster and had only verified it again with Luka. She had nothing left to prove and no reason to stay here. She departed from the hut leaving the wounded frei on the ground.