carl@fire

"Should be in here," Carl said, this time more readily holding the door for her when they reached the seventy sixth floor, where their classroom's door was part of a majestic mural depicting, Becca assumed, humans receiving magic from the gods.

Deities. And we did no such thing here.

Becca didn't bother looking further at the inaccurate, obviously sexist mural as she entered the room. "Thanks," she said to Carl as she passed.

"Sure. Can't wait to finally learn some of this stuff," he said.

"Newcomers, welcome!" boomed a short, bald man with a thick, black beard that nearly reached his waist, a crisply pressed dark blue uniform hugging his broad body in a way that showed off its custom fit. "State your names!" he called from the front of the classroom, this one with flat seating rather than stadium and the front of the class raised up a bit, presumably so he could look down on his students.

"Hi, I'm Becca," she said, giving a wave to the rest of the class, who were already seated.

"I'm Carl."

"Hello, Becca. Hello, Carl," the class chanted in unison.

"Well said!" the man at the front shouted. "I am Magister Bellum Dant, formerly General Bellum Dant of Mocuria. Be seated, and prepare for instruction."

He wishes to fight with Carl.

What? Becca glided forward, having found it to be the only reliable method of walking in the shoes she wore without risking that they would fall off her feet, and headed for the rear of the classroom, where there was an entire row of empty chairs and accompanying desks.

Who do you imagine would win between the two of them?

I don't know? Is Carl strong? She took a seat, and, when she glanced to her side, expecting the man in question to have followed her, she instead spotted him squeezing into the middle of a row near the front, completely blocking the view of everyone behind him. She started to laugh at the sight of it, muffling the sound by covering her mouth with one hand.

I have yet to find out.

The former general at the front of the room began to shout again, and an enveloping sense of boredom assailed her mind, leaving her wishing that she wore a watch or had some way to tell the time, if only so she would know how much longer she had to listen to him drone on, and on, and on.

You're doing it again.

Am I? Perhaps you truly are bored by magic. You have not once wished you were on another world, wished you were anywhere but where you were. You have never faced genuine adversity, never felt a need to escape. You lived as a princess without a single care beyond yourself. What use would you have for magic?

I… Becca frowned. I have too faced adversity! I was pulling all-nighters to finish my assignments at school so I could graduate with honors! I worked my ass off to get where I am in my job, and—

Rebecca rolled eyes that were not hers. Mortals were always ignorant, and they were usually irritating as well.

She pondered her plan's progress. Leaving some actions to the girl was likely to slow progress some, especially given her apparent tendency towards idiocy, but it was too grating for a being of her stature to continue posing as a mortal for any lengthy period of time. At worst, she had an eternity to devise more reliable methods of vengeance if this one failed to satisfy her.

She settled into her chair and allowed time to flow around her.

At last, enough time had passed, and she once again moved into the background.

—I've never… Becca took in the clamor of the other students rising from their chairs and migrating towards the door. She pressed a hand to her forehead. You just took over again, didn't you.

Are you accusing me of something, Rebecca?

No, no, definitely not. Thank you so much! Thanks! Becca felt her left hand flex, the motion a remnant of the time she'd shattered most of her arm in a snowboarding accident when she was younger and could just barely move her hand to reassure herself that it was still there under the massive casts she'd worn for what felt like an eternity. She forced herself to stand up, and she was very pleased that she wasn't feeling panicked or terrified or anything like that, with a very normal pulse and rate of breathing, both of which were probably very useful attributes, right?

Carl was at the front of the room, pumping the teacher's hand up and down with his own, each man smiling and frowning simultaneously.

What's he doing now… She started forward, nearly tripping as she momentarily forgot how to walk in the stu—stupendous shoes she was wearing which required her to walk with the poise of a being far greater than she was. "Um, am I interrupting, or are we…" She trailed off as the shorter man's face began to turn red, with a vein prominently exposing itself on the side of his head.

"Nah, I was just thanking the general here for having such an awesome class," Carl said. "Really comprehensive and easy to understand." He gave the man's hand a pat with his other one and pulled back, not seeming to notice how the man stumbled forward a step from how he tried to maintain his grip.

"Yes, well," the magister harrumphed. "Pleased to have you here for my lecture, Carl."

Carl gave a mock salute and turned on his heel, giving her a slightly broader smile and an enthusiastic nod. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, this is fun," Becca lied with a smile. She pushed open the door and held it as she walked through. "Where to next?"

"Well, if you thought that one was fun, I'm really psyched for the next one," Carl said, his enthusiasm bubbling over and infecting her.

"Oh yeah?" She walked next to him, feeling a sense of disorientation like she was back in high school going to class with her boyfriend, which she obviously wasn't, and it was insane to even be having thoughts like that considering she was a grown fucking woman.

"Yup. Gonna be Elemental Manipulation back on the seventy fourth. I already learned a little bit of this stuff." He held his hand up, and a sphere of water formed in it, remaining in place even as he raised and then turned it upside down.

Becca blinked, continuing to stare even as she walked past him into the stairwell. "How—Who taught you that, if you don't mind my asking?" her mouth said. Hey, can you… Um, maybe, please would you consider not doing that if I'm—if you're letting me have control of m—this body?

Since you asked in such a thoughtful way, I may consider it in the future. You're learning well, Rebecca.

A warm, joyful feeling suffused her, and she smiled brightly, unable to resist.

You see? If you continue to please me, I can give you anything and everything you desire.

"Ah, well, my buddy Ir'alith gave me a magic skill one time, and then she—"

"Did you say Ir'alith?" Becca's lips demanded as her torso suddenly twisted so she could see him while her feet continued to carry her up the stairs.

"Uh, yeah." Carl said. He shrugged. "I guess she's a big deal or something? Actually, we were kinda hanging out last ti—"

"You hang out." Becca's mouth said. "And this Ir'alith, could you describe her to me?" She stopped at the top of the stairs, turning around to look down at him.

"Well, uh, I mean, she's Ir'alith?" Carl said, seeming confused. "Everybody knows her, right? Horns, blue skin, tail, purple hair…"

Becca felt something twist inside her stomach, but it seemed that her mouth was done asking questions for now. "Oh. Yeah, right," she said, putting on an apologetic smile and stepping aside as she tried to salvage the conversation, both because she really did want to fix things between her and Carl and because she was being so incredibly useful right now, wasn't she?

There was no reply from inside her head, which seemed like it was maybe a good thing—unless it was a really bad thing, in which case she was here to help, and what could she do to keep being useful?

"Yeah, you know who I mean," Carl said. He walked through the doorway, lowering his brows slightly as he watched her. "Are you, uh… You know, are you a fan of hers or something?"

"A fan?" Becca wasn't sure what was going on or how to answer the question, so she walked with him while she thought. Who is she? "Yeah, um, I'm a big fan, actually," she said, deciding to improvise based on a guess. "I'd really love to meet her sometime, but there's probably no way with…how…busy she is?"

"I don't know about that," Carl said. He pointed to another gorgeous door that seemed to be made of water with a giant pearl for the knob. "I'll give her a yell when we get a break in the action here and see what she's up to. Might have some time between raids or something to portal over and say hi."

"Oh, that'd be great," Becca said. She decided she'd had enough doors being held for her and hastened forward to pull this one open so she could hold it for a change.

"Thanks," Carl said with a nod as he walked in.

She grinned back. This isn't actually that hard! It's like… Her face fell as she realized the difference. It's like as long as Marianne isn't here, I don't always act like a total fucking idiot. A sense of melancholy settled in at the realization, and she mechanically went through the now-routine motions of introducing herself and then following Carl to a seat, this time in the middle of a packed classroom filled, aside from all the young students, with columns of flames that flickered with life and stones that fell down endlessly from one cylinder in the ceiling to another cylinder in the floor.

But it wasn't amazing to Becca, and she didn't give any of the other magical displays throughout the room so much as a glance. Why am I this fucked up? She sat back in her chair, years of being in lengthy meetings taking over to hold her upright with an interested expression on her face while she thought about something else.

After a few minutes of introspection, during which she grew increasingly dispirited, she decided to think about something else. So I'm on another world, but Carl thinks he's in New Era. She watched as he fervently scribbled his illegible notes on the pad he'd brought out once more. How has he not figured that out yet? It's not like he's an idiot. Well, he's really frustrating about some things, but he's definitely not an idiot. Just the sweating alone would be enough for most people to question it with how awful that would make a game.

And who's this Ir'alith person? Was that a good reaction earlier or a bad one? She paused her thoughts for a moment, afraid that she might have provoked a reaction herself.

Or maybe not.

Her mind inched closer to ideas that were likely to make her seem much less useful and reliable, so she quickly shifted to the first thing that came to her. I miss Sammy and Bobby. It's so nice seeing them every time I visit. They're always so happy to see me, and they get along so well. A wistful sigh escaped her lips. Really wish I could see them more than once every year or two. They're growing up so fast. Soon they'll be off at school, and then I'll see them even less.

A memory from a couple years earlier flashed across her thoughts.

"Aunt Becca, can I get Rocky Road?" Sammy pleaded.

"Okay, but remember, this is gonna be our little secret," Becca said, placing a finger over her grinning lips.

"I want this one!" Bobby said, pulling out a matching-sized container of plain chocolate ice cream from the freezer after a brief, but adorable struggle with the big freezer door.

"You're so boring," Sammy said with a snicker.

"No way, I'm gonna get toppings to put on it too!" Bobby said, looking too smug for any eleven year-old.

"What? You can't do that!" Sammy exclaimed with a scowl.

"Well," Becca said as she prepared to defuse the fight.

"We can share, Sammy," Bobby said, holding up a small hand for a high five.

The older girl's expression flipped to a grin, and she delivered on the high five. "Okay, but I want Skittles!"

"No Skittles on ice cream," Becca said as she wiped at her eyes.

Becca took a deep breath through her nose and wiped at her left eye, whi—

Rebecca took a lengthy blink. This idiot is intent on driving herself to insanity. If he has contact with Ir'alith, I may need to adjust my plans. Perhaps… She eyed the man sitting next to her. It couldn't be that he knows of my presence? Is he clever enough to act as a fool while baiting a trap?

The inability of her divination to provide her with the knowledge she needed was clawing away at her in the same way that the knowledge of a certain blue-skinned devil's apparent freedom did. She lies beyond my senses as do her accursed kin. That fucking barrier. How is it so difficult to extinguish that bloodline? Spreading knowledge of magic on my world as they did…

Her lip curled. No matter. This provides another chance to deliver just punishment. Perhaps I was too lenient with her. I should make her watch as I kill the rest of them.

She was growing agitated, so she cleared her mind and let time pass her by again. In a flash of inspiration, she began to tilt to the side, shutting her eyes in the process until she was leaning against Carl's arm. She let more time pass before she relinquished control again.

—ch was feeling… Becca's eyes opened, and she took stock of her surroundings. Upon realizing exactly where she was, she snapped upright, feeling her skin flush scarlet, and pressed her hands to the sides of her face in an effort to hide her blush. Did I… I really fell asleep on him?

"Hey, you're up. You were out pretty good there," Carl said.

"Um, was I?" Wait, no… Fuck, this was you again, wasn't it. So fucking annoying!

I am in a foul mood, Rebecca.

She felt again that uncomfortable heat somewhere in her mind again, and her breath caught. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! The heat grew more intense. Please, I didn't mean it! I was just disoriented! I'm trying as hard as I can!

I will not always be as gentle as I have been.

A faded memory rose before her senses with such vividness that she was reliving the moment.

"Okay, here we go, Rebecca!" Marianne called.

"Yaay!" the three year-old Rebecca shouted from atop her awesome older sister's shoulders as they charged across the patio under the warmth of the afternoon sun, one of them screaming and giggling in delight and the other making airplane sounds with her mouth.

Her most cherished memory dissipated, and the burning heat in her mind became a searing blaze that engulfed the happy moment from her childhood. She fought to hang on to it, but the details were extinguished from her thoughts like dying embers until she could only remember that a happy memory with her sister had been taken from her without being able to recall any part of it.

Becca felt a single tear drip from her eye before her hand, outside of her control, reached up to wipe it away, and a broad smile curved her lips upwards. Why! Why, why, why, why, whyyyyy? She wailed the question inside her mind, but her face remained locked in its happy expression against her will. She couldn't remember what she'd just lost, but she remembered that it was the memory she'd secretly treasured above all others. I hate you. I HATE YOU!

Now, now, I was demonstrating what I could do if you continued to be rebellious. I still have that memory. What a sweet scene of a pair of sisters who get along so well. I could watch it over and over. It warms my heart each time.

You BITCH! Becca screamed the word with everything she could muster.

Her lips twitched, and she felt her smile widen.

This is what will happen, Rebecca. You will apologize to me. You will grovel, begging me to allow you to be of use again. You will do anything and everything I command without the slightest hesitation. If I choose to act in your stead, you will express your profuse gratitude that I have deigned to do so. In return, I will consider upholding the bargain I agreed to earlier. And depending on your usefulness and piety, I will further consider returning whatever memories I strip from your mind as punishments.

But—But—But why me! There must be someone else who could—

No, Rebecca. With or without you, this body is of great use to me. Do you want to change your decision? To end your existence now?

No…

Then you know what you have to do.

I… I… Becca wavered for a moment that felt like years.

She knew she'd never been strong.

She knew she'd never gotten knocked down a great distance and had to climb back up.

She knew she'd never really faced adversity until this moment.

She knew that this shouldn't be happening to her. She didn't deserve this! She was just a fucked up woman trying and failing to fix all the stupid shit she'd done!

But it was happening.

To her.

And she knew she didn't want to die.

She wanted the chance to make a memory like the one she'd just lost.

She wanted to stop feeling like she needed to win Marianne's approval.

She wanted to live.

I'm… Um, do you have a name?

You try my patience, Rebecca.

No, no, I'm sorry! It's just… It's hard to talk like this if I don't even know what to call you? Please?

You may call me Lucia. Now…

I'm sorry, Lucia! Please forgive me, Lucia! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please! Please let me be useful! I promise I'll be useful! I won't question you anymore! I'm really grateful you're here! Please—

Very well, stop your gibbering, Rebecca. I need to think. Take over for me, and don't be an idiot for once.

Becca's sense of reality returned, and she would've tripped and fallen over if it weren't for the grace of Lucia, who kept her feet moving for an extra couple seconds while the dumb, unworthy human got her bearings. She immediately blushed to the roots of her hair when she achieved full awareness What… How did you even manage this?

She was now walking slowly along another decadent hallway, now with her right arm wrapped around Carl's left and holding it to the side of her chest in a sort of intimacy that their awkward relationship definitely didn't account for.

"—and so then you gotta like, be the rock, but you can't actually be a rock, obviously," Carl said, talking in an animated way that she wasn't used to seeing from him, "so instead you need to—"

Oh. He's just not paying attention. The jarring familiarity of the experience brought a smile to her face, one that was half relieved and half manic.