Esther's first reaction to Olivia's outburst was quiet, even solemn self reprisal.  The old her would have known she deserved this.  Every word and more.  It was about halfway through it that the old her got drowned out by the new her.  And the new her's eyes were hot as they turned to the yammering, almost hysterical cheerleader queen.  "Avoiding you?"  She began, drawing another breath to begin shouting her down.  There was a moment where Olivia stopped talking, stopped focusing, and was arguing with herself again.  Whatever part of herself Esther wasn't hearing, it seemed to understand reason.  Esther let her own anger go as she watched Olivia's facial expressions alter.  As a theatre lover, it was a beautiful study, to watch her go from being furious, to petulant, to compliant, to nervous.  She had beautiful features, and Esther found herself studying her face for more than just the acting.<br/><br/>Olivia finally calmed, accepting the information and then proving Esther's theory wrong.  There was something behind her, something she was just now seeing.  A fairy creature, ripped almost straight out of the pages of Yates, was a shock, and Esther's usually stoic eyes went wide with unfeigned alarm at seeing her.  Olivia mentioned that her name was Rose, and she was the comfort and companion she had wished for.  Just like a wish from Billy, Esther thought, her initial surprise giving way to open eyed wonder.  It looked like all the things a child would want in an imaginary friend.  Doll's clothes, wings, a strong resemblance to their 'best friend,' and an impudent but charming personality.  Esther smiled as the thing waved to her, and smirked as it stuck out her tongue at her and flitted around.  Involuntarily, Esther reached a hand out, although it she hadn't gotten it much past her own knee when the fairy creature flew behind Olivia's back.  Esther let her hand drop, a quietly delighted expression on her face.<br/><br/>"Good for you, Red."  Esther said, honestly.  There was a charming innocence to Olivia's wish, or at least it's manifestation.  Esther pondered it a little, realizing that she'd always resented Olivia from afar for having everything she didn't have.  That was still there, to an extent.  She felt the difference between their social class like a yawning chasm between them.  But she wasn't bitter about it anymore.  Learning that Olivia did have a wound, a need like that, didn't give her any pleasure to know.  Instead, Esther was genuinely glad she'd gotten her wish.  Peculiar, but not unwelcome.  "She suits you.  Did you name her that?"<br/><br/>Olivia turned the matter back to business, and Esther began to go over the highlights of what she knew.  Olivia absorbed it all, quietly, remarking on how enormous the information was, and how she'd try to get Mike to come with her.  That was a true blessing, really.  Esther had the sense that, if pressed, she could defend herself.  Perhaps even kill someone, in a way that she hadn't yet tested.  But having Mike's boulder of a body would make anything easier.  It was a relationship she would need to maintain, and to repay as much as she could.  "If you can, get him and meet me here at about 10:15 tonight.  Don't be late.  I want to see this.. Goddess thing that Amalia was talking about."<br/><br/>Esther's musing had a curious reaction from Olivia, one she hadn't expected.  Being what she was, she had expected her to simply scoff at the idea.  Instead, there was a definite internal conflict going on.  Olivia, she realized, wanted this just as bad as she herself did.  Esther laughed a little at her response, that the offer was much more tempting than it had a right to be.  That, they agreed on.  Esther thought her decision was prudent, and nodded easily, warning her of what Billy had said and stating that she'd be here.<br/><br/>Esther had a hard time digesting the next pieces of news, however.  Billy had contacted her, for which she was lucky, but there was another force at work. Guardian Angels, warning them their power was dangerous.  "I wonder why they didn't contact me?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer.  This morning, she was half possessed, thrusting her pubes into the desperate pleading lips of a now catatonic sex-addict.  Whatever had reached out to them had known Esther had fed on Dorothea.  With a warning like that, it meant they were Esther's adversaries, although not quite so for Red and Gold.  That was something else to consider.  If the Angels were actually adversaries, then they might have a connection with Mindy.  The plot thickens.<br/><br/>Funny, how Esther felt like the bad girl from Craft. She wasn't even sure she could count on Red and Gold to stay on her side.  Not to mentioned Olivia's wish seemed to singular, so simple.  It wasn't like Esther's, where she needed to test it, to build it, to grow it so she actually couldn't fail.  Olivia's wish was complete, unless she found something else she needed.  Mike wasn't that way.  He'd need more power, in time.  More power to protect, to destroy.  And Jason.. he was the wild card.  His wish would be part of his artistic journey.  She had no idea what he would use to get there.  It was in the middle of these thoughts that Olivia, fearful, told her Jason was missing.<br/><br/>Esther felt the color go out of her face.  "Fucking hell.." she hissed.  "Amalia, the girl going with Mindy tonight.. that was the girl that Jason was tutoring.  The one holding him back.  But she didn't remember him.  Even the mention of having a tutor just confused her.  It just.. erased him."  Esther looked out onto the field.  She knew they were predators.  She just didn't know they were already that good at it.  If what Olivia was saying was true, Jason hadn't had twelve hours of this existence before he was taken.  "Is that something your Rose told you?" she asked, clarifying the source.<br/><br/>Esther took a deep breath.  "I suggest you find Mike, and keep each other safe.  I'm a little further down this road than you are, so I should be okay.  But meet me here at 10:15.  If I don't show up, you'll need to track them yourselves."  Esther then explained what little she knew about their meeting place.  That done, she stood, pondering her next move.  "Oh, Olivia.  One more thing."  She turned to her briskly, her eyes hard.  "It doesn't mean a damn thing to say I'm sorry about Dorothea.  But I didn't just decide to do that to her.  When you use this thing, especially in sunlight, it get's hungry.  And it's fucking hard to control what you do next.  It's not an excuse.  It's just so you'll know, when and if you do use your power, to be prepared for that."  She sighed, feeling a slight weight lift.  Too slight.  "I spent most of the morning trying to tell at least one of you that."  She smiled and put a hand through her hair, just above the right ear.  "I'm glad I got to you in time."<br/><br/>Esther had told her almost everything.  She'd left out the part about actually developing new powers, and a few things Billy had said.  But her warnings had been delivered.  Now, she needed to decide what to do next.  With a good-natured wave and a 'Be Seeing You,' Esther stepped down the bleechers and made her way toward the school building.<br/><br/>"If you knew that just for today, you couldn't fail, what would you do?  What would you attempt?"  She asked herself, as she walked.<br/><br/>I'd find Jason, she thought.  No, that one might happen later.  Still, if he was missing and Olivia needed to check with her boy toy, that left Esther with a need to chew on something.  She didn't relish the idea of going to deal with Mindy at lower strength.  But she didn't want to go through the guilt of taking another life away from someone.  How would Billy have done it, she thought?  Just pick people at random?  No, he was smarter than that.  He would have targeted people for a reason.  Either juicy specimens, or ones that had already lived long enough that their potential wasn't being sapped in the extreme.  Or perhaps, just people he didn't like very mu-<br/><br/>......<br/><br/>A sick grin came over her face, as she turned and moved for the auditorium.<br/><br/>I might just be in the mood, she thought, for some Bacon.