[Action -> Written on the 18th]

[flickerflash]

[After a conversation with Buffy, Katie's on the hunt. This week, anywhere between the 14th to the 18th, she's looking for a man with red skin who may or may not be incredibly old (by her own thoughts on the matter) but she's reliably informed he might be able to help her.

That's not gonna work out so well, mind. But such is life. On the 18th, she hunts through town as a kitten, because by this time she's getting too much attention. That, and asking fellow cats for possible directions is less attention-getting when you're a cat yourself. 8|




In the end, though, she has no luck. So loathe as she is to use her journal, she tries asking outright on the journals; written and hopefully as anonymous as possible.]

[Written]

Dear John with the red skin,

Can I have my magic back, please?


[Seems legit.]

Comments

[action]

[wise_maiden]

I think you know the answer to that. [But she's not being very pushy. A little adult-like, but that can't be helped.]

[action]

[flickerflash]

I know lots of answers. I study very hard, you know. I'm not sure which one you want.

[action]

[wise_maiden]

Why don't we start with why you're not sitting down here in the library?

[action]

[flickerflash]

Don't people come to libraries to read?

[There is, in fact, a book next to her on the table. It's about vampires.]

[action]

[wise_maiden]

I wasn't asking about what other people do.

[action]

[flickerflash]

Oh. What were you talking about then?

[Hi I'm a small child and I'm being difficult.]

[action]

[wise_maiden]

I was talking about what would not bring a certain very curious girl who doesn't ask suspicious questions here. [She's calm, as usual, taking note of the book and title--it could mean just about anything, but with Katie one had to be careful.]

[action]

[flickerflash]

Oh. Well, it certainly wouldn't be vampires. Is what were you talking about a suspicious question?

[action]

[wise_maiden]

It's a part of it all, isn't it? You haven't been completely yourself for some time now. Since... the spring.

[action]

[flickerflash]

I am never completely myself. It's not any fun to be just one person, after all.

[action]

[wise_maiden]

There's something you're missing.

[action]

[flickerflash]

There's lots of things I'm missing.

[And she looks startled, because that's close to an admission. And Katie looks back down at her feet.]

[action]

[wise_maiden]

Things that you can't talk about?

[action]

[flickerflash]

Always.

[action]

[wise_maiden]

[There's a significant pause, before she continues.] And there's... John. You'll be in the tunnels, when he's finished. Tired, and very woozy.

[action]

[flickerflash]

[That gets her pulling back, looking startled.] The tunnels? Why the tunnels?

[action]

[wise_maiden]

That's where he lives.

[action]

[flickerflash]

[...oh. That's rather nervewracking.]

Does he make house calls?

[action]

[wise_maiden]

No house calls or exceptions.

[action]

[flickerflash]

[...is that really the only way she can get her magic back? Katie looks visibly upset now, staring back down at her feet.]

Then I suppose I will have to make the best of it and go there.

[action]

[wise_maiden]

He'll... bring you there when he's ready. It's the when-you-come-back that I'm concerned about.

[action]

[flickerflash]

[Katie frowns. And then frowns again, jumping to the worst conclusion.]

Are you afraid I'll infect you when I come back?

[action]

[wise_maiden]

Oh -- goodness, no, that's not it at all. You might be too weak to get back out on your own - when he finishes, he tends to drop people back off inside the the tunnel, and you'll be very tired and groggy. I just don't want you to be all alone when that happens.

[action]

[flickerflash]

{Tired and groggy and she won't remember who she is. She relaxes, though, because she believes Raine, and it's a relief to hear that. She looks down at her fingers.]

It's probably quite safe to wait for me there.

[action]

[wise_maiden]

I would choose to wait even if it wasn't.