Chapter the Second: Kieran and Evangeline
Chapter the Second: Kieran and Evangeline
I wanted something that’s purer than the water
Like we were
It’s not there now…
Ineloquence and anger are all we have
Like Saturn’s rings, an icy loop around me, too hard to hold
Lash out first at all the things we don’t like or understand…
And it’s beginning to get to me
That I know more of the stars and sea
Than I do of what’s in your head…
~ Snow Patrol, “It’s Beginning to Get to Me”
“Kieran, my boy, what’s the matter?”
It was a pointless question, really, because it was his dæmon who asked. But Evangeline was a clever dæmon and, like any dæmon, she knew her boy, and she knew how to get him to talk. Kieran didn’t answer, however; he kept his eyes trained on the pot he was scrubbing. Evangeline, while waiting for his reply, decided to groom one of her long jackrabbit ears.
At length, Kieran finally answered her. “Nothing, really.”
“Nothin’ more than usual?”
“… Yeah.”
The kitchen was silent again, save for the sound of the rain outside, the faucet’s running water, and the clank of the pot as Kieran set it in the drainer. Evangeline finished cleaning her ear and let it go, then shook her head, letting her ears flop around her head. It was something that usually made Mary giggle, because, to put it simply, it looked ridiculous. Kieran sighed.
“Don’t even say it…”
She said it anyway. “Relax, boy.”
“I said don’t.” He didn’t want to hear it, which was why she kept talking.
“She’s old enough to go walkin’ on her own now. You don’t need to hold her hand everywhere.”
“Eve -- ”
“She’s unsettled, but that just means Eliazar can change into a tiger and bite someone’s head off if anyone pulls anythin’ funny.”
“Eva -- ”
“Or a kangaroo, and then he could kick their head off.”
“Stop.” Kieran dropped the scrub pad into the sink. “Stop it. I know.”
“Then stop worryin’.”
“I can’t.” She’s my sister.
They’d been through this before. It never seemed to make a difference. Evangeline knew it would take more than her soothing and her nagging to ease his mind and get him to stop fretting about Mary as if she were his daughter, but she had to try. She had to do something. Part of him wanted to stop worrying, too.
“I just…” Kieran picked up the scrub pad again and attacked the plate he had been washing. After a moment, he continued. “I can’t help it.”
“You’re her brother, Kie. Sometimes, you gotta act like it.”
He flinched, but didn’t ask what she meant. He knew the answer: You don’t act like her brother. You’re trying to fill in as a father. It don’t work like that, Kie. And he knew this, but what else could he do? They were all each other had, and… and Mary loved their father when he was alive, and it hurt her to lose him. Kieran didn’t have any choice then but to step up and take over, take control, become the parent; she needed him. She needed someone to take care of her. And… Kieran never really stepped down.
Recently, Evangeline began to think that Mary was lonely. Kieran refused to believe it. Mary, sweet Mary, smiling Mary, couldn’t possibly be lonely. Everyone loved her; how could anyone not love her? She was fine, and happy, and not lonely. Evangeline would point out to him that she hadn’t brought home any friends from school, hadn’t mentioned any school friends, but Kieran insisted that she just liked to keep home and school separate. Evangeline countered that he didn’t know if Mary was the type to do that, and it was unlikely that she was.
“She’s fine,” Kieran said suddenly. As the dæmon is the projection of one’s soul, it isn’t uncommon for them to share thoughts. “She’s fine.”
Evangeline flicked an ear, mentally sighed, and decided to purposefully twist that. “Exactly. She don’ need you frettin’ over her so much.”
Kieran saw what she did there and frowned. He opened his mouth to retort, but then there was a knock on the door.
And by “a knock,” Evangeline meant “a loud, irritating banging that must have made the neighbors look round and wonder if someone was bashing their house in.” Well, that certainly wasn’t Mary; she didn’t knock like that at all, and anyway, she had a key.
“What the hell,” Evangeline said eloquently.
Kieran mentally agreed, but said nothing aloud. He turned off the faucet, set the scrub pad aside, and went to dry his hands. By the time he had picked up Evangeline and was halfway out of the kitchen, the godawful hammering on the door returned.
“We’re a-comin’, don’t get your panties in a wad!” Evangeline shouted.
Kieran blushed and placed his hand on her head in a quiet! gesture, but her outcry seemed to have worked, as there was silence on the other side of the door. With the positioning of her ears, she gave her human the equivalent of a grin. He shook his head at her, and then reached for the doorknob.
I wanted something that’s purer than the water
Like we were
It’s not there now…
Ineloquence and anger are all we have
Like Saturn’s rings, an icy loop around me, too hard to hold
Lash out first at all the things we don’t like or understand…
And it’s beginning to get to me
That I know more of the stars and sea
Than I do of what’s in your head…
~ Snow Patrol, “It’s Beginning to Get to Me”
“Kieran, my boy, what’s the matter?”
It was a pointless question, really, because it was his dæmon who asked. But Evangeline was a clever dæmon and, like any dæmon, she knew her boy, and she knew how to get him to talk. Kieran didn’t answer, however; he kept his eyes trained on the pot he was scrubbing. Evangeline, while waiting for his reply, decided to groom one of her long jackrabbit ears.
At length, Kieran finally answered her. “Nothing, really.”
“Nothin’ more than usual?”
“… Yeah.”
The kitchen was silent again, save for the sound of the rain outside, the faucet’s running water, and the clank of the pot as Kieran set it in the drainer. Evangeline finished cleaning her ear and let it go, then shook her head, letting her ears flop around her head. It was something that usually made Mary giggle, because, to put it simply, it looked ridiculous. Kieran sighed.
“Don’t even say it…”
She said it anyway. “Relax, boy.”
“I said don’t.” He didn’t want to hear it, which was why she kept talking.
“She’s old enough to go walkin’ on her own now. You don’t need to hold her hand everywhere.”
“Eve -- ”
“She’s unsettled, but that just means Eliazar can change into a tiger and bite someone’s head off if anyone pulls anythin’ funny.”
“Eva -- ”
“Or a kangaroo, and then he could kick their head off.”
“Stop.” Kieran dropped the scrub pad into the sink. “Stop it. I know.”
“Then stop worryin’.”
“I can’t.” She’s my sister.
They’d been through this before. It never seemed to make a difference. Evangeline knew it would take more than her soothing and her nagging to ease his mind and get him to stop fretting about Mary as if she were his daughter, but she had to try. She had to do something. Part of him wanted to stop worrying, too.
“I just…” Kieran picked up the scrub pad again and attacked the plate he had been washing. After a moment, he continued. “I can’t help it.”
“You’re her brother, Kie. Sometimes, you gotta act like it.”
He flinched, but didn’t ask what she meant. He knew the answer: You don’t act like her brother. You’re trying to fill in as a father. It don’t work like that, Kie. And he knew this, but what else could he do? They were all each other had, and… and Mary loved their father when he was alive, and it hurt her to lose him. Kieran didn’t have any choice then but to step up and take over, take control, become the parent; she needed him. She needed someone to take care of her. And… Kieran never really stepped down.
Recently, Evangeline began to think that Mary was lonely. Kieran refused to believe it. Mary, sweet Mary, smiling Mary, couldn’t possibly be lonely. Everyone loved her; how could anyone not love her? She was fine, and happy, and not lonely. Evangeline would point out to him that she hadn’t brought home any friends from school, hadn’t mentioned any school friends, but Kieran insisted that she just liked to keep home and school separate. Evangeline countered that he didn’t know if Mary was the type to do that, and it was unlikely that she was.
“She’s fine,” Kieran said suddenly. As the dæmon is the projection of one’s soul, it isn’t uncommon for them to share thoughts. “She’s fine.”
Evangeline flicked an ear, mentally sighed, and decided to purposefully twist that. “Exactly. She don’ need you frettin’ over her so much.”
Kieran saw what she did there and frowned. He opened his mouth to retort, but then there was a knock on the door.
And by “a knock,” Evangeline meant “a loud, irritating banging that must have made the neighbors look round and wonder if someone was bashing their house in.” Well, that certainly wasn’t Mary; she didn’t knock like that at all, and anyway, she had a key.
“What the hell,” Evangeline said eloquently.
Kieran mentally agreed, but said nothing aloud. He turned off the faucet, set the scrub pad aside, and went to dry his hands. By the time he had picked up Evangeline and was halfway out of the kitchen, the godawful hammering on the door returned.
“We’re a-comin’, don’t get your panties in a wad!” Evangeline shouted.
Kieran blushed and placed his hand on her head in a quiet! gesture, but her outcry seemed to have worked, as there was silence on the other side of the door. With the positioning of her ears, she gave her human the equivalent of a grin. He shook his head at her, and then reached for the doorknob.