The many words that follow describe what happened in a moment.
Porez chewed the cookie louder than he had until then, while looking at uncle Klaus. He couldn't be more direct. And he couldn't be more certain that uncle Klaus got the message. He was surprised though as he saw YaYa from the corner of his eye, smiling knowingly. It was the first time that someone other than his two favourite uncles understood him. In that very same corner of his eyes, there was a gleam, which too YaYa didn't miss.
YaYa was amused. First by the old priest Klaus. Klaus was a lot like his uncles back home. Only, Klaus was overflowing with exuberance, and so, was much faster with the words. What would take almost ten minutes back home, Klaus needed a quarter of a minute to say. YaYa felt the same pampered as he did at home, which was why he was smiling so fondly at Klaus. At the same time, he was also annoyed. Noisy people always did annoy him, even if he liked them a lot. Which was why there were the shades in his smile. Then, he heard what Porez was telling Klaus, and he beamed. This was a person who would fit right in, he realised. Porez would truly be dearly loved in Muria. He saw Porez smile at him, and started to grin.
Klaus was looking at the two boys, and his heart was skipping. One was his dear boy Porez, who he had been the guardian of since Porez was too little to stand on the two tiny feet. The other made him feel like he was staring into a mirror. Also not exactly. He knew about Muria. He had seen what YaYa did outside the room, with an almost careless ease. He should be frightened, but he was excited. He couldn't shake off the thought that Porez deserved a friend like that.
Reigh was so astonished, he stood frozen with his mouth hung open and his head tilted forward. The three men, well, one man and two boys, were having a conversation as if they were meeting over coffee and forging a friendship. None seemed to remember the reason they were here, Collie. It was even more unbelievable that Collie, or the ekhto that possessed Collie, was rising with anger.
Collie, or the ekhto in Collie, was furious. She wanted to scream at the priest and the two boys. How dare they ignore her. No, how dare they forget her. Anger was building inside her, turning into concentrated energy which she gathered in her voice. She raised her head and let out a scream.
And, all of that, was one moment.
She had their attention. Reigh was startled. Klaus looked mildly irritated. Porez was blank. YaYa was confused.
"Why did you scream?" YaYa asked curiously.
It was her turn to look confused.
"Ugly," YaYa commented, making a face. "Drop down."
She fell back onto the bed.
"Not you," YaYa said, almost exasperated. "Collie, stay. You, stupid spirit or whatever, up."
Collie stayed. The ekhto was sitting up. It was a sight to behold. Collie's face was turning back into her own, but still looking sullen and tired. The ekhto was sitting up on Collie, so it seemed like they were both connected at the hip. The ekhto looked like a shadow of Collie. Long greyish hair falling over her face. Sharp nails over the fingers. Greyish skin. Dark eyes that were bright at the same time, as if lightning was dancing in a dark room. And growling continuously.
"Shush," YaYa said. "Why are you trying to imitate a cat? So stupid."
The ekhto fell silent. Reigh no longer seemed human. He was petrified.
Klaus burst out laughing.
"Cats don't growl."
"They do," YaYa replied, with a pout.
"They don't," Klaus repeated. "They meow."
"Doesn't mean they don't growl."
"Sure means they can't growl."
"Just because you haven't heard?"
"Have you?"
"Yes. Just now."
Klaus was stumped.
Porez pulled out another cookie as he watched the argument that couldn't be more fun.
The furious ekhto shot out another burst of energy as a burst of aura. Reigh fell back. The other three felt like a pleasant breeze blew past. The cookie in Porez' hand, however, broke. And a crumb fell to the floor.
Porez' face was blank, but his eyes trembled. He stared at the fallen crumb on the ground, as if grieving for it like he would grieve for a parent. A strange silence fell over the room. Reigh was frightened. The ekhto was frightened. Klaus was sad. YaYa was intrigued. Porez turned toward the ekhto, walked over, grabbed her hand and ripped it off. He threw the hand to the corner of the room, where it slowly disintegrated into the air. He then pulled out another cookie, and began eating, while staring blankly at the ekhto.
The ekhto was in too much shock to feel pain, or to feel anything at all. Before it recovered, YaYa burst out laughing.
"That was so funny," YaYa exclaimed, giving Porez two thumbs. "Again?"
Porez looked blankly at YaYa.
"Fine then," YaYa grumbled as if in complaint. "I'll do it."
YaYa turned to the ekhto who now wore nothing but fear on her face. Grinned. And spoke.
"Snap off the other hand."
The ekhto did just that, trembling visibly while unable to make a sound.
"Throw it to the other corner."
The hand fell in the other corner, attracting all of the attention in the room as it slowly disintegrated.
"I've never seen it," YaYa murmured. "They described it right back home. Maybe that's why it's not as spectacular as I thought it would be."
YaYa looked back at the ekhto.
"Was it painful?"
The ekhto nodded.
"Then why did you do it?"
Klaus was laughing again. Porez was munching joyfully. Reigh's spirit was very near leaving his body, because it was all too much.
"I'm kidding," YaYa teased.
The ekhto was crying, wanting nothing more than to go away.
"Boring," YaYa said and walked away from the bed. "Leave now."
The ekhto floated away from Collie. Stopped at the window, to look back at YaYa. She seemed to show gratitude, before floating out of the window and disappearing into the night.
Collie groaned in bed, as if waking. Reigh's senses returned, as he rushed over.
Klaus looked at YaYa with appreciation.
"Coffee?" Klaus asked.
YaYa shook his head.
"Ice-cream," he answered. "But not chocolate. It's not very nice."
"Which chocolate ice-cream did you have?" Klaus asked back.
"There are different chocolates?" YaYa asked, eyes shining with curiosity and excitement.
"Many," Klaus answered, showing off.
Klaus started listing the many kinds of chocolate ice-cream. YaYa listened attentively, making a mental note of each kind. Porez paid no attention to the two, while deliberating between the coconut cookie he bought and the almond crescent moon cookie uncle Klaus got him.