+ Eighteenth Fairytale +

[imsorryimissed]

The fairytales all say that the easy way out is the worst. Don't get curious. Don't go looking.

[He shifts, uncomfortable. Why is he trying to help the other passengers?]

Just--

I.

Monsters are real.

Wolves are real.

But not all wolves are bad.

[Mr Gazelle was a wolf. Mr Gazelle is good, though. Scary, but good.]

Comments

[missmimmi]

Oleg? How are you? Are you all right?

[imsorryimissed]

I'm okay, Mrs Kopanski. I'm just being careful. I spend a lot of time in my room. The buffet is dangerous and there are bears on deck one.

[lfetimewarranty]

[She recognizes the userid from when she was aged down. Annnd she remembers the argument, but that they managed to be civil.

So, she's curious.]

...What, exactly, are you suggesting with that statement?

['It gets worse before it gets better'? Since they've already done the 'looking' part.]

[imsorryimissed]

[Oleg shifts a little.]

That some wolves are okay. Just a few. Most are bad.

[lfetimewarranty]

Wolves are a euphemism for people traditionally viewed as 'bad', in this case?

[imsorryimissed]

[Oleg just swallows.

The night is so messed up in his head.

When he closes his eyes, he can see Mr Gazelle held facedown on the ice, screaming in rage. Mr Gazelle's teeth are bloodstained, his face contorted, his eyes burning.

Wolf.

Oleg just makes a small noise of discomfort.]

[lilyground]

[A pause, then -]

Not all monsters are bad, either. There's a lot of monsters here.

[imsorryimissed]

I haven't met any nice monsters.

[Lily is not a monster.]

[lilyground]

[Yes she is >:E]

I have.

[imsorryimissed]

[Not to him.]

Who?

[talkingfishbone]

...Yeah, I could agree with that.

Only, the wolves back home have wings.

What're yours like?

[imsorryimissed]

Wings?

[That sounds insane.]

Some... one wolf I met wore white and he had metal teeth.

[Just one metal tooth, actually, and he nearly cut off a woman's breasts.]

Another wolf chased me down. But he was trying to protect me.

[talkingfishbone]

What was he protecting you from?

[imsorryimissed]

Bears. Wicked bears. And another wolf.

[Oleg has to think.]

And my uncle.

[stray_cub]

...Most wolves are good, actually.

[imsorryimissed]

I've only met one nice wolf. The others are scary.

[stray_cub]

Sometimes wolves act scary if they think people might hurt them. Wolves usually don't trust people.

[imsorryimissed]

[A pause.]

Wolves don't get hurt much. That's why--

[He goes silent.]

...

[Has this other person met a wolf, too?]

... did you know a nice wolf?