Fear no Evil

How…long can you like…stay somewhere before…you know…people notice and all?

Honestly? I guess it kind of depends. Fifteen to twenty years is generally a safe bet. If I aged at all I could stay longer but...I can pull off looking twenty when I’m supposed to be forty as long as I take steps to put gray in my hair and age myself with makeup but...any further than that people start to wonder. Not...wonder, really, some people just age well but...that’s when people talk.

Have you always been a teacher? Like…all the different…I don’t know. How do lifetimes work even you can’t like…stay in the same place and teach forever, I’d guess?

Not always. I’ve been a lot of different things over the years, I just...like teaching best. I mean, I suppose it’s different for everyone. After a time, I retire from teaching and generally move elsewhere to take up teaching again. There’s no shortages of schools, but here it gets a bit...muddled. There’s so much supernatural in this town that rules can tend to be bent.

I guess you probably do just…run out of things to do after awhile. Hobbies are good, though and work is good. Maybe you could look into a new career.

A new career? I don’t know, I...kind of like my job, honestly. I like the kids and I like teaching. ...it’s also kind of hilarious seeing all the things history omits or just flat out gets wrong.

Well, I’m sure you could come up with plenty of things to do to fill the time. I manage to stay busy like…all the time.

Mm, probably. I just have to find something worth spending my time on. I’ve been alive for a long time. The thought of mindless busy work honestly just...I think I might go crazy.

If you enjoy it, of course it is.

I’m not sure enjoy is the right word. It just...fills the time. It’s so odd not having much to do anymore. I mean, teaching keeps me busy, sure, but I was so swamped for a good solid year that this sudden free time is jarring.

It’s…a good hobby?

It keeps me busy. But I’m terrible. So is it worth it?

Oh. 

...welp. That tells me all I need to know.

…hey. What’s all that?

This? It’s my...attempt at a hobby and it’s going...remarkable poorly.

None that I know of. She’s not big on blood, though. Or raw meat. Or any of the good stuff.

...

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Right. Cool. That’s fair, that stuff’s kinda gross anyway. Um. Okay. Thanks Dustin.

Yeah, she really does. Yikes. Umm, yeah, you know. She actually texted me a second ago, she wanted me to bring her lunch. She’s very hungry in her office. So someone should probably bring her food and they’d be her hero. I was going to go, but if you want to…I do have work to get done. 

...okay, I did.

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Oh! Yeah. Okay. I can go get her something to eat. She doesn’t -- does she have food allergies?

Oh. You’re just hangry.  Thanks, Kodie.

I don’t need to feed -- mmph!

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Yeah you do. You’re welcome. Um...is Karina done with her like...teaching and stuff yet, do you know?

…I’m not looking to get my head bitten off today.

I’m not biting your head off, Dustin, what the hell??

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Fucking -- feed, damn. You’re so annoying when you’re hungry. Hi Dustin. 

Oh, trust me, last thing I want to do is to say anything.

Uh. Why?

…nothing. Just grabbing my purse to go to my place. Don’t mind me.

Okay? You look like you want to say something, but okay.

…?

Yes?