#rellian

His friends are His own, and they are never Taken, except for when they are. When they are Taken, they are always swiftly returned, except for the time that they weren't. The Gentry do not speak of that time. It is ill-advised to ask Them to. The Neighbors do not admit that They are afraid of him, nor do They admit that They wish to trap him. They do not admit that he has always escaped. They pretend that Their memories do not run so far back, that They have long forgotten him. Except for when They don't. It is always ill-advised to ask.

You will see him at a bonfire that the faculty will pretend to ignore, relaxing with friends who know that they are safe. Changelings and Not-Quite-People dance and sit about the fire, singing songs and telling tales too beautiful to hear. You never go out so late, except for when you do. You are too afraid to be about after dusk, except for when you aren't. You will feel drawn to the gathering, and, if he has not yet helped you, or if he likes you, you will reach it. The orange glow does not sit quite right on his skin. His eyes are a touch too blue for the darkness and the firelight. He does not seem to notice you, except for when he does. The changelings and Others dance, but don't come very close to him, except for when they do. Sometimes, he Claims Neighbors as friends, and They too are under his protection. His friends are never Taken, except for when they are.

One of Them that truly does not fear him will offer you a drink and the words "Freely given." They will not accept the freely given gift of a candy bar from your backpack or the cafeteria cookie you wrapped in a napkin and stashed in the right breast pocket of your jacket at dinner, except for when They do. They will hiss at your thanks if you give Them any.

You will sip your drink and look at him again. He will meet your eyes. He is perfectly normal, except for when he isn't. For a moment, your heart will fall still, and his eyes are not blue, but copper, gleaming too brightly to be shining with any light but their own. His smile has too many and too-pointed teeth. His ring of iron and his ring of silver shift and fade away. The hilt of a too-large sword sticks out from under the bottom of his hoodie. Too many angel's wings fold and unfold against his back. A thick tail curls around to rest near his feet. His fingertips are terrible claws, but those claws never harm anyone, except for when they do.

Your heart will beat, and he is normal. He is always perfectly normal, except for when he isn't. You will feel very safe. He will beckon to you. You will move toward him. His smile is light and comfortable, and it has exactly the correct amount of correctly-shaped teeth. You will tell yourself that you glimpsed nothing but a trick of the shadows, and you will believe the lie, except for when you don't.

A Neighbor will emerge from the woods. Her legs have too many joints. Her empty eyes are many and yet too few. She does not fear the perfectly normal student, except for when She does. She will raise a hand with too many fingers and point at you, and you will know that She is the One you have feared meeting in the dark. She is the One that you stay inside to avoid, except for when you don't. You will feel compelled to walk to Her, but you will not. You will sense the danger and know the fear filling your mind, but you will still feel safe.

The student who is perfectly normal will stand. He is perfectly normal, except for when he isn't. His eyes flash bright copper and his mouth has too many and too-pointed teeth. His fingertips are great and terrible claws that never hurt anyone, except for when they do. A too-large sword is in his hand. A thick tail curls and uncurls behind him. It is the tail of a cat. It is the tail of a serpent. It is the tail of a Beast. It is His tail. Above it, too many angel's wings spread wide, blindingly dark, deafeningly bright, shining too loudly to be heard. The Gentry do not fear him, except for when They do.

She will not back down. She will Claim you, and She will Take you.

Except she won't.

He will not let her.

He shifts again, a tall wolf, a great cat, a ferocious dragon, a most abnormal man, all at once. Ram's horns curl about his too-long and too-many ears. A too-large sword is at once in his hands and also gripped in his too-many and too-pointed teeth. He is a Beast, and he is a man. He is a demon, and he is not. Except for when he is. Too many angel's wings stir the air to turbulent stillness. He will command Her to leave. His voice is massive and many, singular and small. He is friendly and cordial, except for when he isn't. She will scoff at the sound.

He will command Her again to leave. His voice is that of great, tolling bells, speaking words that cannot be heard and cannot be unheard. He dislikes violence, except for when he doesn't. She will hiss at his words.

He will command Her a third time to leave. His voice is the closing of doors, the sealing of tombs, the finality of death, the smell of sulfur and ash. He is merciful, except for when he isn't. She will screech at the air.

And She will be gone. His sword will be gone as well. His horns and his tail and his wings will be gone. He is perfectly normal, except for when he isn't. He will sit. You will sit beside him. He will smile an easy smile that has exactly the correct amount of correctly-shaped teeth, except for when it doesn't. He will tell you that he is called Rellian, except for when he isn't. He will ask you to call him Rel. You will feel safe.

The next time one of Them seeks to take you, you will laugh at Them. You will ask if They are afraid of Him, if He has always escaped, if Their memory runs far enough back, or if They have forgotten about Him entirely. You will ask if They will speak of the time when his friends were not returned swiftly enough. It is always ill-advised to ask, except for when it isn't.

There is a student who is perfectly normal, except for when he isn't. He is not a Neighbor, nor is he human, except for when he is both.

There is a student with too many angel's wings, and his friends are never Taken.