Inside the Fire

Chapter 20: A Favor

Songs to listen to: Avalanche/Here Comes the Reign

A knock rouses me, I open one eye begrudgingly. Fai waits outside my door, I don't know know how much time has passed, but it's not enough. I squeeze myself back into the form of a human and open my door.
"Finally," she huffs, letting herself in, "I've been knocking for over an hour."
An hour? I close the door behind her.
"Sorry, I don't have the same sleep schedule as humans." I stifle a yawn.
"Oh." She blinks, taking in my complexion, "How long do you normally sleep?"
I shrug,
"It varies, it takes at least a week these days, but I'm up for a month in-between, give or take."
"That..." Fai pauses to think, "Is unusual."
She takes a seat at the small table in my kitchen and spreads out a couple sheets of paper.
"Okay-" She starts business like, "I've been at the library, researching the museum and I've found out that it keeps most of it's artifacts underground, for security."
Fai runs an anxious hand over her tightly done hair, her ponytail flicking.
"So if we're going to do this, the best way is to either sneak in, or bluff our way through security."
I weigh our options, sneaking in or bluffing? Is that the best she can think of? I push down the negative thoughts, goddesses I'm tired, she doesn't know I can literally read minds. Maybe I can do to the people in the museum what I did to our land lady?
"Why don't we do a bit of both?" I ask. "I can... influence people to think or feel differ about certain things."
Her eyes go wide, I lift my hands in a disarming gesture.
"No I haven't done it on you, and no I'm not sure if I can do it on all the guards." I blurt out.
She shakes her head, incredulous,
"But that is something." Fai considers this new avenue. "How about this, we avoid the guards in person, and you mind-control the security using the cameras?"
"That could work?" I grimace. "Are they on site? And it's not really mind control, more like mind influence"
"Ugh samantics," She rolls her eyes, "And nothing in my research suggests that they aren't located there."
Such a noncommittal response, I rub my face and shift my weight. We don't know how many guards, their patterns, if the people monitoring the museum are on-site or not. What could go wrong? Am I being pessimistic? I don't think so, everything about this doesn't sound like something that can work. "Jared?"
"Hm?" I bring myself back to reality.
"I'm counting on you to make this work." Fais eyes burn with intensity, "This is how you get me to trust you again, remember?"
Ah that's right, now the poor planning makes sense. She wants me to fail, to give her a reason. Sucks to be her, I'll find a way to make it work, somehow.
"Fuck it." I sigh, "We'll wing it." I scratch the back of my head.
Her mind is made up, she's in a hurry to get rid of me, but also is in a rush to keep other mes from existing. Does she have an altierior motive? Will Fai try to kill me with the sword once she has it back? My chest aches with the familiar feeling of cold steel plunging into it. Friend or not, I won't just let her kill me, but... No I can't hurt her, even if she tries.
If I can get even her to accept me, maybe more humans will? Someone who hates me just by me existing giving in to being my friend. Goddess of Death, I crave companionship so much.
"Wow, you're inspiring so much confidence." Fai rolls her eyes and catches herself just before she chuckles.
'No, stop it, he's not the same kid you've known all this time.' She reminds herself.
"I'd do this differently, but you're not interested in doing it my way, so we're doing it, you're way." I state.
Her lips purse into a thin line,
"You're way might take too long, or involve alot of dead bodies."
I feel myself bristle, every mimicked hair on my body standing on end.
"I don't kill people." I seeth.
She shrugs,
"You obviously did at one point."
I feel sick,
"I've killed one person, and he begged me, in fact, I should be avenging him instead of trapsing down a hole with you." I growl.
Fai flinches away from me, her eyes fill with fear and instinctually, she reaches for her long gone pistol. "Irregardless," I hiss,
"I told you I would help you."
Turning around, away from her, I work on calming down. Remember your goal, remember what you want out of this I chant. Fai remains silent, her hand pressed to her sternum, rubbing it to calm her erratic heart rate.
"When did you want to leave?" I ask, not looking back at her.
She clears her throat,
"Today, there's nothing like the present." Fai's voice is barely a whisper.
Today, barely any time to mentally prepare.
"Okay." I aqueous.