affame_le_geant_paper_burns_so_fast fyn gula "you don't want it to end, for it to abandon you. what happens when the world stops? when the room you inhabit is empty? the drama can expand to where it touches everything." ~a review of cat power's, 'you are free' from interview magazine not much is known about origami paper-people apart from the acquired knowledge and fact-finding that comes with beholding them in the day to day vignettes of normalty, how they change colour depending on the various degrees and spectrum of their emotions, how words and messages appear like magic on select parts of their body, how they tend to move with the grace of a dancer. but to physically toss one into a fire, one would naturally assume without the experience of doing so, that they would, because of their extremely flammable constituency, explode in a burst of flames and proceed to burn to ash. however, this is where cayris was incorrect in his assumption. at least partially. unfortunately, belief cannot be suspended in this particular instance, and no matter how fervent our wish that twinkletoes could resist the ensuing elfulgence which would eventually take over his body when his combustible essence finally succumbs, there was something that happened in the next few minutes that would change everything as we know it and effect the destiny of everyone involved in this story. fire burns paper. but does paper feel pain? when twinkletoes was tossed headfirst to the bonfire, his first thoughts were of revenge. and his plan was to throw a wrench into the works of cayris's malicious machinary and so his concentration was set on burning the cords around his hands and feet. his intentions depended on his freedom. with all his might he pressed his appendages at the points of their bondage into the coals of the fire, feeling the knots grow weaker as the flames acted, this time in the favor of the victims. the mob cheered with derision, shouting curses to twinkletoes as he writhed and thrashed in what they considered were the throes of agony. burning someone alive was nothing new to them. they relished what they counted as his suffering, but unknown to them, twinkletoes felt nothing more than the warmth of what we call mild sunburn. yes, when he stood, unbound, he was a mass of fiery consumption, hungry flames licking, spiralling about the length of his arms and legs, but it was not pain that it was enemy, it was time. he was losing it, and he would have to act quick. he was a human torch declaring poetically justifiable vengeance. a paper-man with one more thing to say. the mob, suddenly amazed at the miraculous ability twinkletoes possessed to stand within the raging inferno were stunned and shocked into breathless silence. instinctual fear forced them to move in a clumsy unison, backwards steps in the slippery snow, where some of them fell and nervously struggled to regain their footing. cayris was rigid, unmoving, and though he appeared calm, a gloved hand to his mouth revealed his anxiety. twinkletoes raised his arms, sending a spray of sparks heavenward. he looked directly at cayris, his two eyes balls of fire. what he spoke next would send a shiver down the spine of cayris that would haunt him all the days of his remaining life. 030302 ... ..--.. paper_heart 030303 ... x more 030303 what's it to you? who go blather from