The Wicked Witch Lives in my Head, Rent Free

The weary redhead smiled at Tasya and reached out with her good hand to rest it on Maria’s arm. She had been okay in her projection to her eye of the storm, but coming back to her physical body felt terrible. “Well before I can start cracking some wicked witch jokes...why do I feel like ****?” she groaned.

Tasya should be in her analytical state of mind, but something about Jayne brought a bit of levity to her heart, “oh you know, your body started shutting down and you went into shock.” Well. She was trying to be lighthearted anyway.

“Damn. Here I was hoping it was just from a wild night partying with you girls,” she grinned playfully, then coughed. “So... I learned what happened. I’m not sure where to begin.”

Maria pawed at the hand on her arm until it occurred to her, ‘Jayne!’, she thought. She rolled over and carefully embraced the recovering redhead. Tasya looked like she was about to protest... but was fond of living. “You... stupid, beautiful human being. You scared us,” she found herself both a little mad but highly relieved.

It felt nice to be held by her, Jayne thought. “Yeah. I kinda scared me too. Hey. Cecilia, don’t think I don’t see you over there. Come sit your butt down, we need to have a talk, and if you try to go I will kindly ask Maria to hogtie you until you come around.”

Tasya, Maria, and Cecilia all shared a look. That didn’t quite sound like Jayne. Cecilia complied. Either out of genuine concern for Jayne or worry that she might actually end up in ropes by Maria’s hand.

Maria spoke first, “uh... Jayne. I mean I know you’re not okay. But are YOU okay?” She searched her emerald eyes, only to see Jayne’s countenance soften.

“More or less. We’ll get to that. First, I learned a new trick. No one panic...”

No one panicked, but they did share a look of concern as Jayne held out her hand and closed her eyes. A warm feeling seemed to emanate from her hand... not heat perse, but warmth. Like a mother’s embrace, like heavy blankets on a cold winter day, like sitting by the fireplace with family, like your favorite food served hot and fresh. Then came a golden hued fire that rested in the air after Jayne lowered her hand and opened her eyes.

While yes, Tasya thought it looked very pretty and felt nice. She went to check her machines and Jayne’s vitals. They were improving markedly. By the second. She saw the bandaging on her arm start to melt and fall away revealing the injury underneath. Everyone watched with wonder while Jayne brought her wounded arm closer to the light while wincing. The seared dead flesh and debris began to fall away, while the exposed muscle and sinew began to regenerate. Then the limb looked as if it was weaving new skin, replacing missing or healing the damage until it reached her fingertips. The arm was like new, nary a sign of a blemish or injury. She inspected the arm, as did the others in the room.

Tasya noticed her readings on this were different. This wasn’t consistent with Jayne’s anomalous abilities but registered as actual magic... “When did you learn that?”

“I’m glad you asked,” she sighed and rested her arm, breathing normally, feeling much better, whole again.“Apparently, something that occurred, during a... group meditation with Cecilia and Marie awoke something in me. I met a woman who explained to me, I had somehow managed to cast a primorial pyromancy... which as we’ve seen is according to her is ancient, dangerous, and notoriously difficult to control. In other news, I have an ancient fire witch living in my head now...”

This caused some confused looks. “Well. Not really my head. It seems like I willed an entire pock dimension into existence... so yeah, the place you two saw with me,” she looked at the knight and the Keeper, “it’s a real place but I can only access by some for astral projection.”

The three women really weren’t sure where to start with that. But Tasya, while skeptical, was growing more excited by the minute at the possibilities and implications.

“So back to the primorial pyromancy thing... I had to make a deal with her in order to control it. Otherwise, I might continue to be a danger to myself and others. There are no practitioners of that form of magic left save for her, and quite frankly she seemed done with the whole thing,” Jayne looked down, a little sad. “For her part of the deal, she gave me a small piece of her... I honestly think it was a piece of her soul. In order to control the fire. I cannot complete my end of the bargain until I learn to physically move myself to the pocket dimension. She is apparently very patient... for a frame of reference, she learned English in the mid-to-late 14th century because of her appreciation for an English writer and poet. Seemed a little miffed about who he married, and she was there for what amounts to the origin story of her world. So yes... I made a deal with an immortal fire witch which has taken up residence inside my own pocket dimension which as of now I can only visit in my head.”

Cecilia was not alone in her grave concern for just about everything Jayne had just said, but she was the first to ask the obvious question. “Jayne, what did you agree to?”

Jayne was quiet. Why did this feel like a betrayal? Could she have managed without the witch’s deal? Maybe but Quelana made it pretty clear that she would’ve been dangerous to those around her, and even herself.

“Jayne...?” Maria asked, her voice cracked a little from the concern now.

“Please don’t hate me, okay... I didn’t see any other choice. It was either take the deal or possibly spend the rest of my life in a burn ward, a danger to myself and others unless I agreed. She made me promise to come back when I learn how to reach the place physically, and... her words, ‘give (her) a daughter.’”

Tasya was the first to say, “I’m sure there are no stories in which someone agrees to impregnate a witch in exchange for a way out of an otherwise impossible situation that could be used as a barometer to predict how this could go.” When everyone turned to her. “Ah... yes. I was trying for sarcasm.”

Cecilia was the first to address the situation, “you were **** to choose between possibly hurting those you care for or an option with an unknown outcome... that you’re feeling guilty about right now. For what it’s worth, I think you made the most logical decision.”

Tasya did feel bad about the situation. Not because Jayne might sire someone else’s child. But because she was **** to make that choice. “I can’t be mad at you for making a choice like that. I am angry that said witch presented you with what may very well have been a false dichotomy from which you were **** to choose the lesser of two evils. That wasn’t fair.”

Jayne finally looked up, her eyes found Maria’s own searching for her feelings on the matter. “There was one other condition. She said, to be fair...” Jayne’s freckled cheeks flushed red. “I can’t believe I’m going to say this,” she choked a bit from the sear embarrassment she felt, “she didn’t want to be the one who took my virginity from me. Highly suggested that wouldn’t be fair to me, or anyone down here.”

In a room full of virgins, and they all knew that, or highly suspected it to some degree, Jayne was embarrassed about this witch’s ‘virginity’ clause. It was kinda amusing. But Tasya suspected most of the shame she felt was from this weird impregnation agreement. All of this and she can’t get a word in about the pocket dimension, and this was the first she heard of it, Jayne’s powers or this mysterious witch. But addressing concerns like this was important before they could focus her questions.

Finally, Maria spoke, “Okay. This isn’t getting any easier. I’ll speak openly for us,” she looked at Tasya and Cecilia, “we all care for you in one way or another. The thought of it hurts a bit yeah. But as long as you come back to us, I don’t care that you have to knock up some ancient witch in order to come back to us safely. So stop beating yourself up over it. I think what hurts most is seeing you like that because we can tell you’re hurting and you don’t need to feel like that... although it does honestly show us you care. You were honest enough to tell us about that, if you hadn’t said anything we would have had no way of knowing. You’re a good person at heart. Never, ever let that change.”

Jayne felt at least some of the burden lifted from her, she smiled warmly then looked to Tasya, “I don’t think I still need to be hooked up to all these machines, do I? I’m alright. Have you gathered enough data for now.?”

Tasya nodded and began shutting off all the monitors and taking the little sticky connectors she’d placed on Jayne off. Helped her remove some of the residue, She removed the IV and applied gauze followed by a brand new smiley face bandaid.

Now that she was free of all that Maria scooted over and hugged Jayne tight, she returned the embrace. Maria looked over to the others, “you two better get in on this,” with a look that promised consequences if they didn’t. Fortunately, they didn’t need much convincing. The four embraced. Maria earnestly, Cecilia reluctantly even if it's what she wanted, and Tasya nervously.

“This is nice,” Jayne said, her face almost radiant with love and appreciation. Also, she had three beautiful women hugging her. “Cecilia. I’m sorry for snapping at you. I was angry. I don’t think you quite know what happened either, and if you need time before you can talk about it, that’s fine... But if you ever tell me to ‘touch the darkness within’ you again, please be making an innuendo.”

“Your anger was understandable, and thank you for your understanding. I would like to take some time to better understand what happened. I may have questions for my sisters. But I do feel I owe myself and you two an explanation.” Cecilia nodded her head appreciatively.

“Tasya, I’m sure you have questions about everything. Can they wait until tomorrow?” Jayne asked the techno-mage.

“Very well. I can see how you would simply like to be done with today’s events. However you should disappear in a puff smoke or something, I shall be quite irate,” her smile betrayed her humor. Although she probably would be angry if something else weird like that occurred.

“Excellent. Then before we adjourn this hug, I have one other order of business, Maria?” Jayne gave her knight a peck on the cheek.

Maria felt her skin flush and a special warmth deep within her as Jayne kissed her cheek, “yes, Jayne?”

“This may seem petty...but this was the first time I’ve ever worn a dress... a real proper dress. Now my hair is messed up and all. But when Seamstress Livia showed me the mirror, I just about cried. I’d never seen myself like that, and it was really special to me. Then that Countess had to spoil a lot of the evening and didn’t get to appreciate looking like this as I should... I saw the way you looked at me when I came down the staircase...” Jayne smiled wistfully then began to shake nervously, “C-can you tell me I’m pretty... please?”

There was a silence. “Jayne, look at me,” [Mood] Maria withdrew from the hug and cupped the redhead’s face in her hands. The other girls backed off slightly but still kept a hand each on Jayne’s back reassuringly. “I’ll do you one better,” she came closer, “You are pretty,” closer, “you are gorgeous,” Jayne felt her breath on her lips now, “you are beautiful, and we love you.” They kissed and all was right with her world.