“Because this is weird. Weird is YOUR department, Janet M’s department,
pas mine. I do death really well, but weird? Non, that’s you!” Rogue
pointed to Windwalker.

Windwalker squinted. At 800 years and some change, her eyesight was not
what it used to be. “It’s a vortex,” she nodded with more hopefulness
than certainty.

“Merde! A vortex of what?” Jaded yelled above the crackling noise,
swearing in a French that the walker of the wind didn’t know. She felt
like her face should be scoured by blasts of wind, but the air wasn’t
moving at all.

“Circumstances.” Was the statement that Windwalker made.

“I hate it when you’re vague! Don’t go all Jenny on me! Can’t you be a
little clearer? More Alice? Just come out and say it!” Rogue stood, her
Sketcher clad sneakers finding footing as she looked prepared to fight,
hands flexing at her sides.

Windwalker looked at her, a warrior at
heart as her jaw was set.
“A whirlwind of possibilities, events, circumstances, converging on a
small circle of friends, sweeping them into its path of influence,”
Windwalker said loftily.

 ”Non, non! I did NOT create any such thing, much less a a a vortex
of circumstance,” Jaded stammered, sniffing the air, a hint of
something there, copper. She knew that smell, she’d been plagued by her
voice since childhood, what had she done? Yet the smell was stronger,
more sharp with a hint of more darkness than she’d ever experienced
before.

“Au contraire,” Windwalker smiled sadly, “that is precisely what you
made.”

“Oh for the love of Hades!” Jaded swore, holding her computer close to
her chest, snapping it shut, wondering if she cut the power if it would
stop
the insanity. It didn’t.

“NOW what do we do?” she yelled over the roaring of the expanding
slipstream of circumstance, its power rippling out in all directions
like a tsunami.
Windwalker lowered herself to the ground, crossed her legs and arms,
shook her head.

“What we do best, I suppose,” she sighed loudly.

“What’s that?” Jaded yelled sliding the computer into her backpack and
hoisting it onto her back. She tightened the straps, eyes wild as she
watched events unfold before her that she didn’t have any control over.

“We watch, see where it goes, who it touches, and then tell the story
of what happens.”

“Fine,” Jaded grinned. “But can we stop on the way and get something to
eat? I’m starved!”