the firebird, open *

[Deleted]

nothing could make banshee's heart beat quicker than a wildfire. the smoke caught her eye as she flew, skimming the treetops. the albino spread her batlike wings and coasted, eventually landing and tucking them into rest.

the virus, then, was a doe. a deer. a female deer, with a pocket full of ... none. they bothered to sew this dress, and they didn't even bother to include pockets! banshee fumed. she morphed into a petite, pale girl, with pronounced canine teeth and the membranous wings of a vampire bat. she found herself in a wide meadow, with the spring wildflowers in full broom. they stood knee-high to her five-foot frame, the burrs and nettles catching on her dress.

"but where the hell is it?" she wondered aloud, her blue eyes darting every which way. it was difficult to see amongst the smoke, but she finally managed to locate the original source of the flames. when she first saw it, her breath caught in her throat -- it was a stunning, albeit puny, display of fire. she stepped closer, closer, until the flames licked her dress. it was the only thing that could get a reaction out of her, and indeed it did -- banshee couldn't stop a wild grin from ripping across her face. she laughed like a madman, racing to the edge of the woods for kindling and tossing it into the fire. it rose, exalting, encouraging -- the virus continued the practice, retrieving plant matter and wood until the meadow was encompassed in a raging inferno. "did you see that thing?" she cried aloud, to no one in particular. banshee chortled and set a branch aflame, creating a handy torch. as the sun set, the wildfire brightened the landscape.

her smile turned considerably more malicious when she detected the arrival of a stranger -- a victim.