Fifth Lesson // Be Still My Love (Backdated to yesterday morning, because I am a derp.)

[ruined_jaw]

[Even before his powers manifested, Jono had been a pretty light sleeper. Nowadays, what he does could be more accurately considered prolonged dozing, than actual sleeping. It's because of this that he's surprised that something is "waking" him up, as though he'd been dead asleep, which never happens. It takes Jono a moment to realize that the thing attempting to wake him up is small, rainbow-headed, and has a mismatched gaze to match the one person in Paradisa he can truly say he loves.]

Billie?

Good morning, daddy!

[The sound of a palm hitting a forehead can be heard over the journal.]

Didn't know you lot could change owners. Where's your mum?

Here, there, everywhere. Don't you know? Let's go find her!

Fine, fine. Lead on then. Just lemme put on some trousers, first.

[Jono will be pulling on pants now, and be lead by the hand all over the castle, as they look for Delirium.]

Comments

[fishy_go_byebye]

[Del was getting a little frantic. She's fairly certain she's not supposed to lose children. She gets in trouble when that happens. Or, she doesn't, but she should.

Barnabas used to yell at her when she lost him, that counted right? Right.

Where was the mini, mini, mini, mini, mini, mini, mini...]

[ruined_jaw]

[Normally, Jono doesn't mind it when people lead him around by the hand. Billie, however was basically half his height, so he had to bend almost completely over in order for her to reach. He doesn't mind it nearly as much as one might think though, as he takes slow, lumbering, half-asleep steps behind her as they hunt for Delirium. Jono, despite how tired he is, spots her first, and stops to straighten himself to address her properly.]

Lose somethin', luv? Billie came to my room to wake me this morning. She's calling me "daddy" for reasons I can't quite fathom. Know anything about this?

Daddy is daddy! Mommy is mommy!

[She nods as though that made complete sense, and runs over to Delirium.]

[fishy_go_byebye]

[There she was, oh ksfbnsdfjkhsbj.

The usual slow, meandering pace she has stutters into being a run as she tumbles over herself to Billie, hands patting arms and head and back and and and and]

She went missing and I couldn't find her and i was sure she got eaten by the maze she's not allowed in the maze unless it really really needs to see her and I was so scared and...

[And she couldn't breathe, because her fingers and nose and hair cracked apart into flitters of thought and fear and pain shaped like flies and moths.]

Sorry about the fail there XD

[ruined_jaw]

No need for ya to worry, luv. She just came to wake me. To be honest, for a moment or two I thought she was you, before I got a good look at her. It's that hair. Never seems to stay one color for long, just like you. If I really am her dad this year, I shudder to think of what she may've picked up from me.

[He'll stride forward to put his hands on Del's shoulders, seeing how she's starting to come to pieces.]

Daddy needed to be daddy, so I went and found him, and you found us!

She's bleedin' lucky she didn't wake up Flygon. He's even worse than I when he's got no sleep in him.

No biggie, sugar <3

[fishy_go_byebye]

She wouldn't be so bad.

[There was a lot of Del in the girl, after all. She wasn't without her own little powers. But still.

She reaches out towards Burny with one hand, her other resting on top of Billie's head. Her fingers couldn't find a way to be complete, but she had to be okay, even though it ground and hurt and made her eyes lose their specks.]

...Mommy?

[ruined_jaw]

No, I suppose not.

[Still, he fears for her if she got anything from him. He's made his peace with his powers, but he wouldn't wish the numbness he felt as a result of them on anyone. When Del's eyes shift, Jono can see it, and some deep down part of him knows what it means. His flame shifts a greenish color, concerned.]

You all right, luv? Or do you need to not be okay for a while? I can look after Billie if you need to be part of the world a while. She'll be safe with me, I promise.

[fishy_go_byebye]

[She couldn't not be okay, there was a baby, a little baby, a baby that was not so very little as when Del hate gotten her in the first place.

A quick breath as Billies head is pressed against her hip.]

She's bigger.

[Does he understand that? She grows grows grows. Del would never get older forever forever forever the youngest. Despite the fact that - so often these days - she hovered at her oldest appearance, a gangly 17 year old. No children for her, not really. Not ever.]

[ruined_jaw]

Kids do that. Get bigger I mean. She's lucky she can, as folks like us aren't granted that same luxury.

[Jono himself has looked 18 years old since he was 18, thanks to his powers. He aged a bit after he lost his powers, but after...whatever it was that happened that brought them back, he's back to looking eternally young. It's something he's known about himself a long time, but he tries not to think about it if he can. He crouches down to be at eye-level with the little girl.]

Take care of your mum, Billie, and I'll take care of you, eh?

Sorry for the missing so long! Went internetless for the weekend :(

[fishy_go_byebye]

Bigger always bigger.

[She tugs some drifting bits back, a moth crawling along the side of her face.]

Billie is a very good girl, a good girl, she does the... the things. She's good.

[You know, Jono. You know she's a good girl, right?]

It happens. I don't even have that excuse, and I've been playing catch-up for a while now XD

[ruined_jaw]

Soon, she'll be bigger than us both, if the castle keeps giving her back.

[He pats Billie on the head, knowing she was much wiser and much more capable than a child her age should be.]

That she is. Think she takes the best parts of you, and whoever her first daddy was. I'd like to meet the man someday, see what he's like.

<3

[fishy_go_byebye]

Papa Wolf, he was good.