<div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: arial;">Between Time and Outside</span></strong></span></div><br/><div class="floatleft">(https://i.pinimg.com/564x/ca/80/e1/ca80e14d974ba257a040889cd05602df.jpg)</div><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: arial;"><strong>NAME:</strong> Kyless (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=322870.msg15501371#msg15501371)<br/><strong>DAY:</strong> June 15th, 2021 | 9:30 AM <br/><strong>LOCATION:</strong> SOPHE Headquarters, Main Floor, Seated in Front of a Large, Bright Window<br/><strong>TAGGING:</strong> The Smart and Strange Doctor Toshiro and his Peculiar Marceline<br/><strong>MENTIONING:</strong> --<br/><strong>EXTRA:</strong> Kyless is visible, <em>jingling</em>, and sneezing small, magical fireworks.<br/><strong>WEARING:</strong> Her Bells | Causal, Mayan-like Clothes | Toshiro's Gift</span><br/><hr/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: arial;">“I will help with magic <em>only</em>,” Kyless answered, pulling away from the unique, demonic symbol of the Last, sitting back on the cold, boring tiled floor of SOPHE’s headquarters. <em>Jingle</em>, <em>jingle</em>, <em>jingle</em>, <em>jingle</em>. “The otherthings are… Pfft…” <em>Jingle</em>, <em>jingle</em>. Another frustrated puff of warm air escaped Kyless’ round, deep blue cheeks. She was confused by the story of the Doctor Toshiro. Confused by his human terms, and words could turn, and switch, and move, and even mean more than <em>one</em>thing. And worse still, there were other words, <em>surprising </em>words, that were important to humans, and for strange reasons.<br/><br/>Like this… Ah-ma-ter-ah-su. Ah-mater-ah-soo. <em>This</em>thing was a <em>sacred</em>thing… A sacred <em>name</em>. A sacred name who <em>humans</em> believed was the keeper of the sun. Kyless blinked her long, dark eyelashes at the bright, cloudly Outside just beyond the human glass. <em>A human God. Another one. Again.</em> Human gods were <em>peculiar</em>things and <em>not</em> <em>important</em>things to Kyless but if <em>human’s</em> believed this one did keep the sun, then why did they not ask it for a better sun, or a sooner sun, in the night that was too dark? And why did the path change? The path could not change, as it was made of magic. <em>Every</em>thing was made of magic. There was no animals or rocks to get lost in. It was almost like the Doctor Toshiro was speaking of <em>some</em>place else. “I thought you were <em>not</em> talking of your home, when you said a ‘night that was too dark’,” the trickster murmured quietly, as she solved her puzzlement for herself. <em>Jingle</em>, <em>jingle</em>. She set the Doctor Toshiro’s pencil on the tiled floor, letting it roll, and tap to a halt against his shoe. “I thought such a dark <em>must</em> be made of magic, but all the while you were speaking of <em>your</em> home. I thought you were speaking of <em>mine</em>.” Kyless raised her braceleted arm above the still sleeping, still purr-ring Marceline in their laps, palm towards, fingers outstretched, about to touch her <em>soft</em> very gently. Whatever place this too dark night was, it was <em>not</em> in the demon realms. It was <em>here</em>, in this ugly place with all of the horrid, human glass. The place that did <em>not</em> have other magic, other light, to play games with the too dark night. <br/><br/>The rules, of course, were <em>different</em> here. “Punishment.” The trickster repeated softly, as if lost <em>some</em>place, lost <em>some</em>place else, lost in her memories of <em>home</em>. Lost in what was <em>missed</em>. <em>Jingle</em>, <em>jingle</em>, <em>jingle</em>. “Yes,” said Kyless, her braceleted hand still and <em>hovering</em> over the still purr-ring Marceline, “there are <em>punishments</em> for those who lose. And cheaters <em>always</em> lose to Rulemakers.” But Kyless had <em>not</em> broken any rules, not there, her home, and certainly not here, at SOPHE. Here, it was not her fault that humans were silly, and often failed to make rules that were clear, and without loops. Kyless was the best at finding loops. Finding a loop would not cause a Rulemaker to win. So then why did Kyless still feel as though she was being punished? Her braceleted hand <em>trembled</em> above Marceline, just for a moment.<br/><br/><em>Because the Doctor Toshiro said Marceline liked her.</em> But Kyless knew Marceline did <em>not</em> like her bracelet, her gift, her <em>small</em> magic. <em>Jingle</em>, <em>jingle</em>, <em>jingle</em>. “May… be soon,” the trickster said slowly, as she ultimately pulled her braceleted hand <em>away</em> from Marceline. May be <em>some</em>other day, she would touch Marceline, but not <em>this</em> day. She could not, on <em>this</em> day. “But for now I wish to know…” Her braceleted hand curled into a <em>fist</em> as she set it on the <em>cold</em>, tiled floor next to her instead. <em>Jingle</em>, <em>jingle</em>. The Doctor Toshiro said that she would have to <em>follow</em> rules.<br/><br/>He said she had to be with <em>small</em> magic so that she could <em>not</em> hurt, so that SOPHE could <em>trust</em>. The others, he said, were human but also 'not'. That meant some were demons but… if Kyless had to <em>follow</em>, and had to <em>follow</em> all of <em>them</em>, the others, then all of the others would be <em>with</em> SOPHE. The others were all SOPHE agents and she was a…  a <em>thing</em> that <em>followed</em>. Today, <em>this</em> day, she could not lead, could not play, and could not have fun. He… <em>He</em> had made her magic <em>small</em>, and made her into a <em>thing</em> that followed.<br/><br/>The Doctor Toshiro <em>may</em> understand magic, but he did <em>not</em> understand Kyless. He did not seem sad for her small magic, her sacrifice, on <em>this</em> day. <em>Did he not believe that her magic was just as sacred as the Jagraw’s? Even after all that she had told him?</em> The trickster was silent and still for a long time, looking at the view, <em>hiding</em> her hurt as best as she could. Then she turned sharply to Toshiro. <em>Jingle</em>, <em>jingle</em>, <em>jingle</em>. “You said I would be ‘glad to not be asleep’. Does that mean the ‘dance club’ I am traveling to now, with these others, is <em>Outside</em>? That is where I am going next, is <em>Outside</em>, to the 'dance club' for the mission?” Outside had to be <em>worth</em> her sacrifice.</span>