Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her, Kiss Her ~ XTC

It's raining on the beach
She's inches close but out of reach
The waves look painted on
Seagulls screaming
The sea is warship grey
It whispers "Fool!" then slides away
Black coastline slumbers on
Seagulls screaming kiss her, kiss her
And all the flags that flap on the pier spell "why on earth do you wait?"
The fog hides much but one thing is clear she's nearer
Dead deck chairs under shrouds
And life belts gape like minstrel mouths
Her hair still smells of salt
Seagulls screaming kiss her, kiss her, kiss her, kiss her, kiss her, kiss her
He who hesitates is lost
If you want her
You should tell her
Take her by the hand - if
If you wait - if you hesitate
November wins her - November will win her
She returns to sand - so get ahold of the girl
I say I like your coat
Her thank-you tugs my heart afloat
I nearly didn't hear for
Seagulls screaming kiss her, kiss her
Seagulls screaming kiss her, kiss her
Seagulls screaming kiss her, kiss her, kiss her, kiss her, kiss her, kiss her
He who hesitates is lost


Dee swung her feet as she waited for her doctor. Since Jiaoshu had taken her in, she had constantly had to rein in her natural exuberance. While she loved the turn her childhood had taken, and she loved what she did, her only regret was not being able to act how she pleased. Over time, however, she had learned when she could and couldn't get away with things. The punishments she often got were expected, but fair, and she knew that. Knowing she would be punished for something she did didn't usually stop her from the act. Most of the time she would unexpectedly pounce on Manchu or any of her fellow classmates.

The memories she had made for herself were great. Even if Manchu was her prime target, he thanked her for making his childhood memorable. With the amount of discipline drilled into all of the students, the spontaneous attacks were a welcome relief. Manchu knew early on what he wanted to do, and therefore had begun to curb her. She allowed him to control her moods to a point, knowing he did what he did out of love. She loved and respected him enough in return to know he was doing this more for her benefit than his. The learned reserve proved to be for the best, and she later discovered it had been a hot topic when it came to if she would or would not be accepted by the Triad.

Now Dee was no longer a Jade Tiger and could be more of who she actually was. The burden of restraint and control lifted off of her shoulders, leaving her feeling light and giddy.

"The waves look painted on," she sung softly.

They were observing her; she knew that. At first being locked in the asylum had frightened her. The only thing that had kept her calm was the thought of Eddie. She hadn't seen him now for almost a week, but she could still feel that last kiss he had given her. The soft way that his lips had pressed to hers, and the look in his eyes had told her more than words would have. Eddie's kiss had sustained her and helped her do what she did best when she found herself in a new situation: Adapt.

The door opened and her doctor, Dr. Gregory Matthiessen walked in. He stood five feet and eleven inches tall, with a head of thick, blonde hair, and sleet grey eyes. His pasty completion told volumes of his lack of outdoor time, however he was well built and in good physical form, taking plenty of time to work out in his spare time. Matthiessen liked to keep fit, especially with the possibility of physical violence around his patients.

He stood at the door for a moment, trying to look official and important as he flipped through her chart. Clearing his throat, he sat down and silently made himself comfortable. Soon enough, the only sounds in the room were the squeak of his chair and Dee's cheerful humming. Never did she sing more than a few words around him.

"Not going to talk again, Dee?" he finally asked when he tired of watching her doodle patterns on her clothing with her finger.

Dee's finger paused in midline and she folded her hands in her lap. "What do you want to talk about?" She stalled, tapping her finger to her lips. Brightening, she said, "How about the food here?! It's horrible!"

Matthiessen sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Every damn session started the same with her. Food was about all she had on her mind. Three days after being here, she had passed out from hunger. How she had managed that, he wasn't certain, as she always cleaned the tray given to her. Even the bones. The second time she had taken the bones into her bed, the observation doctor turned the volume in her cell up. The sickly noise of crunching bones filled the speakers. Later her cell had been checked for any trace of what she had done with the bones. The searchers found nothing.

"What's your complaint today, Dee?" he asked, humoring her.

"Well, last night they gave me a quarter of a chicken. The leg and the thigh. Only the bones weren't there! What gives?"

"As long as you got the meat, what's the problem? It isn't like you're going to eat the bones."

Dee went silent at this. She couldn't tell anyone about her ability. When the bones weren't found, she had been sent to the hospital wing to be checked over. After a simple blood test, she was diagnosed with hypoglycemia. According to her chart she was supposed to get between meal snacks. And according to the guards, she was. What they didn't tell anyone was that they stood outside her cell and made her watch them eat her snack. Being confined to her cell, she could do no more than pound on the glass and shout. Those on security duty either ignored or laughed as they watched in the video room.

"Well?"

"I like the marrow," she said softly. "And I need it."

"With all the food you get..."

"The guards eat it! Why don't you believe me?!"

"Enough, Ms. Lemma! You will speak no more of food in our sessions!"

Crossing her arms over her chest, Dee went into a huff. Dr. Matthiessen shuffled through the papers he had brought, allowing his patient to simmer in her anger. He considered his next course of questions. Should he try the Rorschach test? Or perhaps...

"Tell me, Dee. Do you really think you mean anything to Edward Nigma?"

Her face softened at the mention of the man. "How's Eddie doing? Will I get to see him soon?"

Unwilling to let her turn the conversation, he continued. "You are as expendable to him as any of the other women he's had in his employ. You know this. Do you really think he cares that he hasn't seen you since you came here last week?"

The frown on her face deepened as he spoke. Eddie cared for her, she knew he did! Didn't he? That kiss he had given her when they arrived had definitely meant something, certainly. Gently she touched the lock pick that was tucked away in her gums. Why would he have given her that if he didn't care? She would've tried to get out of her cell to find Eddie, but she knew nothing of the layout of the building. But why hadn't he come to see her?

"They whisper 'fool' then slide away," she whimpered.

"Fool, indeed," he said. "Edward Nigma is a first rate con man. All that matters to him is himself and his puzzles. Women are on the bottom of his list. Certainly you've found for yourself that you're most useful to him in bed. Just like all the others before you."

Now he had done it. Dee hissed in anger and lunged at him.

"Guards!" he yelled as her hands closed around his throat.

It took every ounce of her control not to shift into a feline of any sort. The smell of fear off the good doctor teased her feline half. In her mouth she could almost taste the sweet copper of his blood; feel the heat as his torn artery pumped out beautiful red fountains of the tantalizing elixir. Two guards roughly pulled her away from Matthiessen. The doctor quickly regained his composure as the guards wrestled with Dee's flailing limbs. Reaching into his jacket pocket, he withdrew a vial and syringe. Firmly pinned to the wall, Dee watched, panting and snarling as the doctor filled the syringe.

"Here I was ready to let you go to the recreation room today, Dee. Now it'll have to wait, won't it?"

She had lost words. All that came out of her now was a ferocious snarl as the needle pierced her skin and the plunger depressed, sending a warm flow of drugs into her body. The sedative quickly reduced her to a drooling stupor. Matthiessen tilted her chin up and studied her now vacant eyes as he pocketed the syringe.

"Take her back to her cell, gentlemen. And withhold her meal this evening. Hypoglycemia or not, I will not have my patients acting up like this."

"Yes, doctor," the two men said, easing the woman into a wheelchair.

"And gentlemen?"

"Yes, doctor?" one replied.

"Bring me Edward Nigma, would you? It's about time for our next session."

The doctor watched them go, tapping a pen to his fingertips. Quickly he picked up Dee's file and jotted down a note. "Girl is extremely sensitive to the topic of Edward Nigma. Expresses great jealousy when other women are mentioned with him. Must explore this further."
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