onebetter | Inbox for daybreakacademy

[There's an obvious delay here as Keith tries to work through what all to even fucking say about this.[

Jolyne attacked me out of nowhere. Busted my shoulder so my arm's in a sling. Sutck in the infirmary.

What?!

[ James lets Keith out of his eyes for like four hours and already.. whatever this is, it sure happened. ]

I'm coming to the infirmary as soon as I got your stuff.

[He winces at the sudden loudness,]

I'm fine.

[He isn't fine and doesn't sound fine either.]

Just.... I don't want to lose that knife on top of all the other bullshit, ok?

I'm already on the way, I'll get your knife in a minute.

[ Why-ever this is important. What counts for now is that not having it is stressing Keith more and James will do well to remove the stress factor if he wants to hear the whole story. ]

How did she attack you?

Okay. [A beat.] Okay.

[He can count on James to at least make that bit of his day less shitty, so.. he breathes out.]

She jumped me while I was out. She was using her familiar. Threw a stupidly powerful punch and busted my shoulder. Then tried to kick me while I was on the ground. Had to stab her to get her off. Told her to fuck off, but she turned herself into strings to go for grabs. Used my sword to slash through some of the string, but she used her familiar to try and hold me in place while she aimed a fist at my face.

[And then he breathes out again.]

So. [Another breath.] I had to set her on fire. Cuz she wouldn't fucking back off.

[ That's... a lot to hear. James' pulse ramps up to new levels with every word that comes out of Keith's mouth, because holy shit. ]

That's... that's terrifying. What is wrong with her?!

[ He'll get to processing the 'set her on fire' part in a second, the first half is just a little too much to take in already. ]

I'm going to be with you as fast as I can. What happened after?

Think Toki didn't fuck her last night or something.

[KEITH.]

Snow showed up. Put the fire out. Then fucking told us if we wanted to fight to do it without powers and with supervision. Didn't give two fucking shits when I said she fucking assaulted me.

[ James would have several things to say about the implication of Toki fucking at all, anyone, and also the idea that having sex after prom is a mood requirement.... because wow??

But he would have these things to say in just about any other situation. ]

What the hell.... Is she okay? Not asking because I care, I'm just trying to understand why he'd come to this conclusion.

[ He's not actually very worried about the girl who tried to bash Keith's face in. ]

[And this is where Keith's voice falters. Not because he doesn't think he was entirely justified in using his powers the way he did, but because of some sinking feeling that James will also take Snow's side.]

She was fine enough to keep threatening me all the way to the infirmary.

[He grits his teeth, then breathes out.]

She's still yelling at me through the wall. But her body's made up of string and she burned like someone poured kerosene on her. Wasn't on fire long.

[And now he waits for the inevitable suggestion that Snow was right to say that his side of the story is utterly irrelevant and that there's no such thing as cause and effect or justified self defense.]

You couldn't have known that.

[ Or maybe Keith could, but there is only so much clear thinking one is doing when assaulted on their way home from lunch. ]

If she's still well enough to threaten, faculty should be clearly able to--- ah, got your knife.

[ Short pause as he bends down to pick it up. ]

Point is, threats aren't to be taken lightly either. Is she lying and saying you started?

[There's an audible sigh of relief when he hears James has the knife.]

No. She's admitting upfront that she jumped me. Snow completely dismissed that and acted like the only problem here was that powers were used to fight. He just fucking dismissed the whole thing as us being scrappy, like we were both at fucking fault for this shit.

.... what.

[ Just.... what. This is a lot to wrap his authority-trusting mind around. ]

She assaulted you. That is worse suspension or expulsion!

You'd think.

[The bitterness in just those two words could cut. But frankly this has all kinds of familiarity about it. Their teachers back in Arizona did much of the same, didn't they? Always taking James' side in whatever confrontations they had because cause anf effect didn't matter when teacher's pet was involved.

Jolyne's far from teacher's pet far from someone who's earned the benefit of the doubt at all times. But somehow that just makes it worse.]

Figures this school's full of crap too.

This is ridiculous. I can't believe they'd just let her get away with something this vile. Nobody in their right mind just decides assault is a child's game!

[ James meanwhile has not accumulated any bitterness about authority figures in his life so his shock and outrage is perfectly genuine. ]

I'll ask Professor Yang about this later. I trust him.

[Meanwhile this human saltshaker here remains salty.]

And what's he gonna do about it.

Talk to Snow. Or other faculty.

I refuse to believe this kind of behaviour is tolerated by everyone here.

[ How are they even supposed to fight Nightfall when the students are mauling each other!! ]

Not like anyone gives a rat's ass.

We'll see about that. I'm certainly going to try.

[ Keith may have resigned but James' outrage is fresh and he is full of energy to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. ]

Also I'm coming in now, see you in a minute.

[There's more he has to say, but he'll hold off on that seeing as James is apparently in the infirmary anyway.]

Kay.

[He hangs up.]

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