Rain Dance

Kimi looked up at him with big eyes. "Are you sure?" she asked softly

"Yeah," Voltaire answered, giving her a couple of kisses. "I seem to be the clingy one here anyway."

Kimi smiled softly. "Love you"

"Love you too," Voltaire replied, nuzzling her. "I've just got a lot of crap on my mind. Springs keep on sounding better."

"So why don't you go?" Kimi asked

"Because I'm being clingy," Voltaire replied, giving her another smooch. He did get up soon afterward. "Anyway, I'll actually be going now."

Kimi smiled. "I'll be here when you get back." she promised

"You do what you want. I don't expect you to stay in bed all day," Voltaire replied, heading for the door. "Later."

"Bye" Kimi smiled

Voltaire went through the kitchen, saying a quick hello to Dawn and Damon as he passed them. He debated getting something to eat but didn't feel hungry. Adair was sleeping on the couch. The Hunter borrowed the Hero's ascot and used it to secure a note to the nearby statue.

He had made it outside when he heard an unhappy trill come from the barn.

Ava he thought. ...Yeah, she would be pissed about this.

Dawn stepped out of the house and clapped Voltaire on the shoulder. "You might want to talk to her. She's tried to take a bite out of just about all of us already."

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me," Voltaire answered dryly. "She thinks of us as her chicks." He went over to the barn.

"I'll stay back here" Dawn smiled

Ava gave another unhappy trill as Voltaire came in, the golden bird's feathers fluffed up in irritation.

"Bad Volty!" she scolded. "Don't let others make you sick!"

"Yeah, yeah, it was my fault. I was a willing participant," Voltaire answered, ambling over to her. "Don't go taking it out on them. Besides, it'll make me stronger, once I stop being sick."

"The phoenix will make you stronger as it is," Ava corrected.

"I know you make me strong too," the Hunter replied, finding it a little odd that she referred to herself in third person. "But this will make me even stronger on top of that."

Ava shook her head. "Phoenix, not me. This doesn't mesh well with phoenix."

Now Voltaire was confused. "But you're a phoenix."

Dawn leaned on the outside of the barn, listening.

Ava began to sing an alluring melody, her voice soft yet powerful. Almost instantly Voltaire felt the echo effect inside him, that double-place feeling.

"Stooop," Voltaire said slowly, almost in harmony with the song. "Ava stoooop."

Dawn frowned and tilted his head. He slightly wished he could see what was going on.

Ava stretched out her wing and pulled the entranced Voltaire toward her.

"That is the phoenix," she said. "And you will become a fine one."

"I don't want to become a demon," grumbled Voltaire.

"And why is that?"

"Because..." Voltaire began, pausing. "That's not why I got into this. I want to make things right. I want to make things normal again. Go back to what I used to have."

"But there's Kimi," added Ava.

"What about her?" Voltaire growled.

"You were with the Hunter guild. What would they think?"

Voltaire began to reply, before it fully registered. Kimi was a demon. They were demon hunters and tamers. They would look at him and her and think bestiality.

"...Dammit."

(wow is Ava getting smart)

Dawn chuckled lightly. Sounded like the phoenix had a reasonable argument cooked up.

(She knows how to speak properly, but usually chooses not to, at least around the boys.)

"This...phoenix thing doesn't like Kimi," said Voltaire. "It tried to attack her."

"It didn't like you being seriously hurt. It wasn't after Kimi in particular," explained Ava. "It protects its host by quickly healing wounds. A serious wound makes it feel threatened. It's more active then."

Voltaire felt several pricks across his skin. It felt like shots. There was several twisting sensations inside him, followed by a torrid heat. The Hunter looked down to see fiery lines withdrawing from his skin and back to Ava's feathers.

"That should calm it down some," said Ava. "Now go rest."

Without a word Voltaire slunk from the barn.

"What was that all about?" Dawn asked

Voltaire jumped, not expecting Dawn there. He leered at him.

"None of your business," he growled back, trudging on. In truth, he was still processing it. But he was sure of one thing: he was royally screwed, and probably Adair was too. Ava never intended on letting them go afterward.

"well, you going to tell this 'nothing' to Kimi?" Dawn asked "She'll want to know"

Voltaire sighed. Of course Kimi would want to know, and he doubted he could avoid it. She could tell when he was trying to hide something.

"Don't really have a choice," replied Voltaire. "I know I need to tell Mr. Hero about it. He's probably gonna be pissed."

"Going to wait for him to wake up?" Dawn asked