and my ears will listen

[truthwright]

Time goes by. Shura's mother lets her cut a cloudpine branch, and she and Helen go flying together.

Helen celebrates her eighth birthday by baking all her favourite people a cake again. And then she goes away with Kas, to Iceland and Russia and back by way of Alaska.

When they fly in, Kas on Petaal's cloudpine and Helen on her own, Helen is wearing blue jeans and a pink T-shirt.

Comments

[truthwright]

[Yeah.]

He sighs.

[Look, I'd explain it to you, but I'm kind of in the middle of Helen crying. One of the other kids was giving her shit. Raincheck?]

[alicornucopia]

[Why not, I've waited sixty years. Helen okay?]

[truthwright]

[She'll be fine, she's just not happy right now.]

[alicornucopia]

[Which kid was it?]

[truthwright]

[Kaydi.]

[alicornucopia]

Ranata sighs. [I can have a talk with her mother, if she's a problem.]

[truthwright]

[Could be. Could be it won't help. What's Kaydi's mom think of witch kids in mortal clothes?]

[alicornucopia]

[I - don't know, we've never discussed it. Is that what set Kaydi off?]

[truthwright]

[Yep.]

[alicornucopia]

[So Helen was playing dress-up or something?]

[truthwright]

[Or something, yeah.]

[alicornucopia]

[Why?]

[truthwright]

[She just felt like trying some stuff on, and then she felt like getting it, and now she feels like wearing it sometimes.]

[alicornucopia]

[She has to know that will confuse people.]

[truthwright]

[Yeah, I think she's noticed.]

[alicornucopia]

[I suppose it's ultimately harmless, and I don't know what Kaydi did exactly, but she will get negative reactions.] Ranata has been meandering the house. The basement won't let her in; she doesn't push it. She lets herself out and takes to the air. [I'm on my way back now.]

[truthwright]

[It sure was a negative reaction,] Kas agrees. [Reminds me of wearing drag in high school.]

[alicornucopia]

[It is rather like drag. Species-drag.]

[truthwright]

[Wonder what would happen if I started dressing like a witch.]

[alicornucopia]

[I can't claim to recommend it.]

[truthwright]

He laughs.

[alicornucopia]

Eventually, Shura wanders by.

She stares at Helen.

"I thought Kaydi was making it up," she says.

[carillons]

Helen stares back, somewhat uneasily.

"You're not gonna yell at me too, are you?"

[alicornucopia]

Shura peers uncomfortably at the outfit, but she shakes her head.

[carillons]

"Good," says Helen. "I don't like getting yelled at. It's not fun."