Laughing at me, not with me.

Kai Stephens Twenty-Nine Phoenix

[foolishlykai]

tetragibson:

“–Uh actually no. I can Google the article if you don’t believe me?  I swear that person must have walked under a ladder or something. Their luck was kind of crappy.”

( “Uh - no okay. I believe you. Do things like that happen around here often then?” )

[foolishlykai]

gullageransome:

“Maybe I’m actually an undercover cop—what a twist right?”

( “I’m not that gullible.” )

[foolishlykai]

xhwitchy:

There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that this conversation could already have gone much differently, she could have been more gentle in the things she said, but disbelief and shock perforated her system like a poison and she found herself warring over whether or not any of this was real. Perhaps she was still asleep and her alarm had yet to pierce through her subconscious to pull her back to the dampening reality that Kai Stephens was just one more in a long list of people that she’d lost. “Twenty four..–” And all the time lost inbetween? She wasn’t sure she even wanted to know, every new piece of information he noted to her churned her stomach a little more and fingertips ached to reach for him. Their last conversation had never faded from her mind — she’d given him all the details he might have ever wanted to know, and every memory that she’d once taken from him back, and he’d never wanted to see her again. It didn’t matter that he claimed to remember everything, she still felt her shoulders deflate lightly as she thought about it.

The lump grew in her throat, knowing that only one brother stood before her, heart beating in his chest where it should have and she could no longer thing of anything beyond the fact that she wasn’t sure how to feel at that point in time. “Oh.” Her voice broke, despite knowing that Liam was likely where he was meant to be once passing on; not alive. It was all too confusing, what she’d known about the Stephens brothers was their innate lack of anything even remotely supernatural, and yet here he stood — and the truth of any question she asked would merely have made matters worse and thrown him once again into something he knew nothing about. They were at square one; just as she thought she might have been done lying to him. “No.. No I imagine they didn’t.” And if she hadn’t known, she supposed perhaps not many others did, unless she’d some where along the line been deemed irrelevant, despite the entire town being aware of how she’d always felt about Kai. “I should..– you still need milk.”

Kai couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to the way the blonde was reacting, that underneath it all there was a long history, deep rooted in her memory - that had been lost from his. She had been so bubbly when she had walked down his path, she had been so full of life and he had watched it drain from her the mere sight of him. He could tell that she was a well educated woman, he might have even believed that she knew every word in the dictionary, yet she stood before him repeating him and stammering, choking on her sentences and struggling to find words to say in the first place. ( “Yeah, twenty-four. They think it was some kind of coma, one that made me appear dead ... I don’t know. I’m not a doctor - or was I?” ) The question wasn’t meant to be posed as one he expected her to answer, he just found himself rambling like he often did. Filling awkward silences with senseless dribble, saying whatever came to mind without thinking it through first. 

Something he’d said hurt her, he could see that in her eyes - but he wasn’t sure if it had been the knowledge of his brothers demise, or something else. ( “They said he didn’t suffer - if that ... if that makes any difference at all.” ) He wasn’t sure if it would have made any difference to him, should it have? Or was that just another stupid thing he said without thinking? ( “Wait!” ) She was leaving, and had this been anyone else he would have let them go. He would have thanked them for their visit and gone about his day, bought his milk and spent his day endlessly trying to remember something; anything. But he hadn’t felt connected to anyone in town since returning as he had with her, and he didn’t want her to go. ( “I mean - Milk can wait. It’s not that important. You were here for a reason...” )

[foolishlykai]

finetaine:

“Of all the gin joints in all the world. You’re lucky this is a new suit, it’s the only thing saving you from getting a hug. Lost is an understatement, you were gone for way too long, my friend.”

( “Not sure how a hug would ruin your new suit, but -- hello, friend?” )

[foolishlykai]

remi--x:

foolishlykai:

( “Right, I mean - that’s a valid point, but how would I ever make friends that way… wait – do you know me?” )

               “Why would you want any? — well you’re not exactly wearing a name tag so yes, I know you. And no, we’re not friends”

( “Because apparently friends and family make life complete? Also, it’d be rather lonely without them - dontcha think? Right. Okay; well thanks for making that clear. Wouldn’t want to assume. Mind if I ask how you know me?” )

[foolishlykai]

x-finley:

               “Oh don’t worry, I know a guy whose been around a while; I’m sure he can help us .. I’m Finley, your friend for the day. So, new to town or really bad hangover?”

( “Well, I’m glad one of us knows a guy. Then again - I could know I guy, several of them... I don’t remember. -- Oh, no - well, sort of? I kinda live here, apparently... but I was in an accident -- long story -- and now I don’t remember anything. Cool, huh?” )

[foolishlykai]

x-julias:

               “Born and raised and you have no idea where you’re going – alright, Fresh Prince I’ll help you out. So what, you’ve got a shit memory or something?”

( “-- Or something. Doctor’s like to call it complete memory loss, but I’m not a fan of labels.” )

[foolishlykai]

x-kenzie:

               “Been there, forgot where I was going at times too. You’re actually walking the wrong way — turn around and walk three more blocks, then hang a left at the brown house and you’re on the right track. Think you can handle that?”

( “I’m pretty sure I came from that way...” ) Kai mused, looking back over his shoulder in the direction she’d told him to go. ( “I don’t remember seeing a brown house, are you sure?” )

[foolishlykai]

xhwitchy:

She shook her head, adamant that if she moved now confusion would go to her head and she’d pass out, if her legs didn’t give out beneath her that was. Nobody in Red Creek was a stranger to unexplainable things, they all knew well and truly that no two days would ever be the same, but this – this felt oddly familiar, as if she’d felt this kind of agony before. He was here, within reach but no longer was he hers to reach out for. Long before Savannah knew that this was what she’d wanted at some point in their every complicated history; she wasn’t foolish enough to think that had he forced his memories of her completely from his mind and made her forget him that he would never have come back — his family was here, but — had he forgotten her things might have been different. He might have left again far earlier than he did, before the boundary had been laid at the border of town. Forgetting her might have changed a lot of things —– but now it just hurt, like a white hot knife severing ties all over again. They’d been here before — Kai might never have forgotten her, but she’d put enough doubt in his mind to garner hope that he’d forget how he’d felt once upon a time. “You died.” It wasn’t her most poetic moment, but it slipped from her lips so quickly she thought she might have been sick. “You weren’t in an accident, you died, Kai.” And that’s what made this all the more unbelievable. She could still feel his heartbeat if she reached out with her hand, or her magic —- he didn’t hold a sense of death over him like a black cloud, and nor did despair fall from him in waves. Piece by piece, every species she knew enough about was checked off mentally; and yet here he was —– and her parents were gone. It wasn’t a likely thing to think about, but the momentary thought that he could be alive, and they weren’t was enough to make her head spin. “— Liam? Is he.. Do your parents know?” Of course they did.. they had to. Though that really only begged the question of, why didn’t she know until this very moment? 

Kai nodded slowly at her statement, his death was something he tended to leave out of the story when explaining what had happened - there weren’t many that would or were ready to believe that one could cheat death like he had. For he hadn't merely been dead for a couple of minutes and resuscitated, he had died. His heart had stopped, he had been medically claimed deceased and sent to the morgue for autopsy where he’d woken up cold and naked, and memory-less. But most people who asked where he’d been were not ready to hear that, and so the half lie of an accident had been established - and had there even been a doubt in his mind that she had known him better than most, it was gone in that moment. She knew the truth. 

( “Yeah, and I technically stayed that way for twenty four hours. Freak miracle I guess, that or someone got something very wrong somewhere.” ) He chuckled, though there wasn’t really much funny about any of this, a nervous habit he couldn’t be sure whether he’d always had or picked up over the last few months. ( “Liam uh....he wasn’t so lucky.” ) Kai knew it’d sound somewhat heartless, the lack of tone or emotion in his voice whilst talking about his dead brother, but he didn’t know him - didn’t remember him - it was hard to portray emotion when you did know how you once felt about that person. Though he found it hard to look at her as he answered. ( “Mom and dad know, yeah - I guess they didn’t tell many people...” )

[foolishlykai]

xhwitchy:

Some things, Savannah Fontaine had time and time again proved that she could deal with in the heat of the moment, most things in fact. Despite popular belief, she held her place on the council for a great number of reasons, and her ability to think quickly on her feat was only one of them. But right now, looking into features she could trace for what she knew would be the rest of her life, she could barely work out how to breathe properly, and it showed. A palm lifted to press in gently, just below her ribcage, I can’t breathe..– “ Spoken to herself, the blonde looked down at the ground and inhaled deeply as if when she looked up he might not be there any longer, a simple trick of light. Heading to the market for milk. Nothing made sense, she’d seen his body — she’d been one of the first on the scene of both his and his brothers untimely deaths, she’d watched as both of his parents came undone at the truth of losing them both.  “You’..– you’re.. Lost?” Yet another thing to strike her as odd. Kai had lived her for as long as she had, though he’d left for some time, Red Creek wasn’t the kind of place anyone just forgot. “I’m fine, Kai. I’m not..– I know where I’m going.” She was going right up to his doorstep, ready with a bitter taste to welcome someone else into the home of the only person that had ever made her feel whole. “How..–” Her voice trailed off, trapped by uncertainty and confusion. Why couldn’t she feel anything? No sense of energy emanated from him other than what she could only assume was confusion on having her on his doorstep, but still a confusion that she couldn’t place. Why was he acting as if ..— It sunk in her chest, and twisted everything and anything that might have once been tethered to him until she thought she might cry out. “You don’t remember me.”

If there was ever a time that Kai hated the fact that he’d lost all his memories, it was right now - looking at the pained expression on this beautiful woman’s face he wanted more than ever to have been able to remember her. Sure waking up in the morgue had been terrifying, and not even knowing his own name had been confusing, but watching her almost fall apart in front of him was more painful than any of that. His parents pain had quickly turned into relief, and even though he had wished he remembered them, a parents love was unconditional and they would love him whether he remembered or not - and that made it easier to love them in return. Something told him what ever history he shared with the woman before him, it wasn’t going to be that easy. ( “Did you need to sit down?” ) He asked, gesturing to the chair on his porch. 

He’d glanced back over his shoulder at the furniture he’d been offering to her but his head had snapped back immediately when she spoke his name. He wasn’t sure why it had been such a shock to hear her speak his name, he’d already figured that she knew him - but it had caught him like a lightening bolt, and the shiver than ran down his spine was unforgettable. ( “I uh... wouldn’t be offended if I were you. I don’t remember anything - or anyone.” ) Kai scratched at the back on his neck, suddenly more awkward than he’d been since he’d returned to town. Explaining his situation had become second nature, almost like a running joke that everyone found funny. This however felt more like he was tasked with telling her the worst news she’d ever received in her life. ( “I was in an accident, suffered severe memory loss... I’m uh... I’m sorry...” )

[foolishlykai]

I'd climb every mountain And swim every ocean Just to be with you And fix what I've broken Oh, 'cause I need you to see That you are the reason

[foolishlykai]

x-finley:

               “Now why is that an embarrassing question? I’m not embarrassed to say that I have no idea where that is – so, we’re both lost. Hey, wanna be lost together?”

( “That sounds like a wonderful idea, and I’d love to -- but at some point we’re going to have to find someone that knows where that is otherwise I’ll be sleeping on the street tonight.” )

[foolishlykai]

remi--x:

               “Correct me if I’m wrong but - I do believe these nifty little things called maps exist in our time. And if you’re feeling wild you could try one of the many apps that do the same thing, Kai”

( “Right, I mean - that’s a valid point, but how would I ever make friends that way... wait -- do you know me?” )

[foolishlykai]

cristcnax:

             “How fuckin’ old are you, dude? It’s all over the internet and news these days.”

( “Twenty seven according to my birth certificate. If that piece of paper is something to be believed. Oh, right - well, I’ve not really been paying much attention to the little things like that.” )

[foolishlykai]

gullageransome:

“Wouldn’t be the first time. If you think I’ll try to talk you out of it, you’ve also got the wrong guy. It’s kind of a rush—well not entirely with the cops around here. Since they’re usually just too busy eating donuts and drinking coffee..”

Kai just stared at the man for a moment, mouth open trying to think of a response. ( “Why are you even breaking in?!” )

[foolishlykai]

x-julias:

                “You’re a few blocks in the wrong direction, mate. So, we got ourselves a newbie then huh?”

( “A newbie? No. I was born here. Born and raised in fact. As hard as that is to believe...” )

[foolishlykai]

tetragibson:

“Ya, no sweat. I think my directions are better then Google Maps anyways. I def won’t guide you to like a lake or something. I think there was news about that the other day.”

( “Ha - haha. You’re joking. -- Right? ... You were joking, right?” )