Strengths and Weaknesses

The halls and offices of the administration department hum with activity, admins and recruits bustling past doorways akin to a busy hive. Fresh recruits glance about, doe eyed and lost, searching the numbers above each doorway to find their destination while others emerge from their appointments hopeful or uncertain. Cassius nods and smiles to them as he strolls past, making his way to the comfort of his own little corner here.

He slides through the door, clicking it shut behind him gratefully. His office, like most of those within the building, is scattered with various paperwork, files, scrolls and notebooks. The walls hold corkboards pinned with the scribbled names and details of recruits, strung together into their units by colored threads. He slides into his chair, taking a deep breath before diving in. The relief is short lived, his door bursting open abruptly and making him jump.

"Oh, Ifani!" Cassius blinks, "I hadn't called for you yet…" Ifani places her hands on the desk and leans over him, staring over his shoulder.

"I don't belong on this unit!" Ifani states bluntly. He sighs through his nose, a thin frown forming in response.

"Alright," Cassius concedes and gestures towards the door. Ifani tsks but pauses to shut the door behind her, returning her attention to him swiftly. "I... understand why you feel this way," Cassius responds cautiously and gestures for her to sit.

"Do you?" Ifani answers, ignoring his offer entirely and narrowing her eyes.

"Of course," Cassius responds gently, "I've reviewed your performance at assessments and all other aspects of your file—its my job to be familiar with the recruits I manage."

"Then you know I deserve better!" Ifani insists.

"I am aware that you are a skilled combatant," Cassius agrees, his words slow but precise, "But that is not the only factor which determines unit placement."

"What?" Ifani grates, her brows lowering.

"Every recruit has strengths and weaknesses," he continues, gesturing to one of his boards, "Some, like you, excel martially while others intellectually or socially. When we piece together a unit, we do so according to their strengths and compatibilities, yes, but also to balance out each others' weaknesses."

"I don't have weaknesses!" Ifani huffs, wrapping her arms around herself.

"All members of your unit are more than they seem," Cassius continues, ignoring her assertion, "And all of you have incredible potential. Despite this, each member has extreme shortcomings holding them back. My hope is that all of you can help each other overcome these flaws!"

"Albert aside," Ifani derides, "How could any of them possible help me?" 

"Well…" Cassius answers, his voice sliding between tones, "It's about how all of you can help each other—not solely you," Ifani's frown deepens but he continues, "Take Tia and Albert for example. Both of them can learn a lot from you about combat and from them, you can learn how to overcome your… difficulty with building relationships and teamwork."

"You're telling me," Ifani seethes, her irritation bubbling higher, "I'm stuck in this pitiful unit to babysit a weak heiress?"

"No, no," Cassius denies, butchering his attempt at a gentle tone, "It is far more complex than that! My goal with every unit is balance."

Ifani laughs, a harsh and strident sound, and begins pacing the office. She stims with a chopping motion near her face again and the air around her begins to heat.

"Ifani," Cassius tries to be firm, "This is exactly the kind of behavior-"

"You don't get to tell me how to-" Ifani snaps, placing her hands on the edge of the desk again and drying out the wood with her touch.

In the middle of her sentence, all of the frustration that had been accumulating throughout the day suddenly goes cold, falling away beneath her all at once and she gapes. Ifani had been battling becoming overwhelmed throughout the turbulent day and now all of that irritation disappears in one sudden drop. She stumbles backwards and crashes into the seat offered to her before.

"Did you..." Ifani's voice is faint and she looks in Cassius' direction, "Do something to me…?"  He shakes his head and tries to refocus her attention to the matter at hand.

"Your shortcomings," Cassius continues, feeling more confident, "Are your anger and your… peculiarities while interacting with your peers," Ifani stares hard at the floor, feeling numb and at a loss, "You have the potential to be an incredible soldier, Ifani, but no soldier can fight alone. You must learn to work with your peers! If you can prove to me that you can do that… I might reconsider your placement." Ifani pinches her eyes shut, her face tightening as she takes stock of all he's said, and her mind spins as she tries to assess her emotions. 

"Fine," Ifani states simply, still unable to shake her discomfort.

"Alright!" Cassius responds with an optimistic smile, "Then let's go over your schedule."

Almost an hour later, Cassius lingers in the doorway as Ifani departs. He is unsurprised to find Casimiro walking the halls outside his office.

"I appreciate your help, sir," Cassius conveys to his superior. Casimiro shrugs, watching Ifani disappear.

"This may happen often," Casimiro denotes flatly, "Her emotions are intense."

Tia scours the map carefully, navigating her way between the buildings populating the recruit's lodging zone, pleased to find her building is located near the women's bath house. The sun has begun to set, causing shadows to arc drastically between the rows of buildings with vivid red streaking between them. She double checks the number on her map matches the number on the building before her, 6F. The structure resembles an inn with two floors and a set of rooms flanking the door on each side. The building was connected to all those beside it in one massive row, breaking up occasionally for the various streets and alleyways.

'Why are you nervous,' Duff questions her, still tucked into her cloak.

'I've never had a roommate before,' Tia answers, biting her lip and eying the windows, 'Besides, everything else was a wreck today,' Tia reasons, 'I don't want to mess this up too.'

'Don't be passive,' Duff advises in a deep tone, 'Make them respect you.'

'No!' Tia exclaims with disbelief, 'I want friends, Duff. That's not how people make friends!'

'Oh, of course,' Duff sasses, 'Because you clearly have more experience.'

Tia looses a large sigh and opens the door. She passes through a simple hallway, two doors on opposing sides and a staircase at the end. She looks at the two doors as she passes by, each one having numbers carved into the door. The number scribbled onto Tia's map is three, so she continues upstairs, passing rooms one and two.

Tia finds her door on the right, taking a deep breath before opening it. She spills light into the dim room, surprised to find Ifani inside. Ifani sits to one side of the meager room, facing the wall where a mirror hangs. She is in the midst of rubbing oil into her braids. Ifani pauses, glancing in Tia's direction and squinting into the light. Despite her nerves, Tia offers Ifani a simple smile.

"Close the door!" Ifani barks, only able to make out Tia's silhouette.

Tia jumps at first but steps inside and clicks the door shut swiftly, lingering in place sheepishly. Both girls blink and squint as their eyes readjust. On the right side of the room, Ifani has already made herself at home. Her belongings are unpacked, precisely placed and organized. She has taken her nightstand and placed it in front of the mirror where a set of combs, pins and jars of product lay before her for her use. Boots and sandals are lined up along the wall near the door and a large chest is placed at the foot of each bed.

Tia also notices a different blanket and pillowcase tucked neatly onto her bed, the ones matching Tia's set folded and set aside over her chest. Tia's side is completely untouched, her belongings still packed and waiting. A single candle is lit on Ifani's table, leaving the room dim but still navigable as crimson spills in through the window. Ifani finally recognizes Tia and a sour expression overtakes her features.

"Of course its you," Ifani grumbles, turning back to the mirror.

She continues working on her hair but Tia can see her jaw clench and she works more rapidly. The frustration that had fallen away while speaking with Cassius returned to Ifani all at once as she made her way here, perhaps worse than before. She tries to extract comfort from her routines, attempting to wrangle in her runaway irritation.

"W-we didn't really get a chance to speak earlier," Tia squeaks, twisting the cloth of her cloak anxiously, "But I'm actually really excited to be on the same unit!" Ifani continues as if Tia hadn't uttered a word, "My name is-"

"I know who you are," Ifani cuts her off, agitation adding a bite to her words, and continues tending to her hair as she speaks, "Tia Minx, house heir and daughter of the legendary Duke Allen Minx."

Tia feels a cold pit forming in her gut as Ifani speaks, her tone growing more hostile as she continues.

"Ordinarily, being on this unit would have been my dream, an honor. Only the best would qualify for someone of your position," Ifani mocks snidely, fastening the lid onto its jar and wiping the oil from her hands.

She turns in her seat towards Tia and her eyes narrow, "But you... you've had every opportunity handed to you and you still fail! But I have to pay for it?"

"Excuse me?" Tia rasps, puffing up. Ifani begins stimming again, flapping her hands and twisting her head. Duff feels Tia's anger building and takes a serpentine form, coiling defensively around her torso.

"And now I have to live with you!" Ifani grates in a wavering voice, rising to her feet.

"You don't even know me…!" Tia answers, her throat contracting.

"I know your kind!" Ifani seethes, her words stirring a familiar pain in Tia's chest as she grimaces. Ifani begins chucking anything within reach in Tia's direction, "You're weak, you're selfish!" Ifani's eyes rest on Tia's bag and something clicks.

"And I won't share my room with you!" Ifani fumes, approaching Tia's belongings.

Tia lunges forward at the same time, grabbing Ifani's wrist as she reaches for Tia's pack. Tia feels Ifani's magic rush into her, a searing and unyielding defense, and that heat is quickly physically palpable. Ifani's arm, gleaming orange, scorches Tia's hand in an instant. Tia rips away reflexively, producing a guttural yelp and holding her wrist with her other hand as she backs away.

Tia studies her hand with wide eyes, the skin of her fingers and palm melting away like wax and leaving red, gooey flesh. Exposed ligament and muscle peek between whitened bubbling blisters. Tia falls into a panic, the familiar sting and lingering heat reminding her instantly of the night of her transformation. Neither girl notices the air about them chilling briskly.

Tia staggers until her back hits the door and her eyes dart to Ifani in shock. When Tia looks into her eyes they seem blank and far away. Ifani begins stomping towards her and Tia fumbles with the door, stumbling and tripping into the hallway before falling flat on her back. Tia recoils, flinching as Ifani begins chucking Tia's belongings at her. Tia protects her head from projectiles with her arms and Duff moves to lunge at Ifani. Yet before he can strike, footsteps begin hammering up the staircase. The door behind her clicks open as well, causing Duff to hesitate.

"What in Luxis' name are you-" a voice shrills from the staircase, halting at the sight of them.

Tia peeks to find Andrea paused at the top of the stairs and Zetian lingering in the doorway behind her. Andrea sports an openly delighted expression, laughter on her lips as Tia looks to her for aid, pausing only to shiver in the peculiarly chilly hallway. Ifani disappears back into the room completely ignoring the other two, gathering up the rest of Tia's things in her arms.

Tia's eyes shoot to Zetian for help next but she is smothering her own smile behind her hand as she peers over Tia, pitiless and amused. Ifani returns to the door again, unceremoniously dumping the rest of Tia's things into the hallway. Without a look to anyone else she slams the door shut. Zetian gives a fluttering laugh of her own and shuts the door in Tia's face as well.

"She just burned me!" Tia yelps to Andrea in disbelief, presenting her hand.

"Ohhh," Andrea coos in false sympathy, "Yes, it's not wise to touch Ifani without permission, she doesn't care for it. Best you learn now, I suppose!" Andrea cackles, giving Tia one more pitiful appraisal—at her belongings scattered in the hallway, "Good luuuck!" she practically sings, spinning and descending the stairs at her leisure with a generous wave of her hand.

Tia shuffles out of her prone position and cradles her hand as it continues to radiate heat, her vision wavering as moisture streams down her face. Duff pops out of her sleeve and flicks his serpentine tongue over the wound as Tia watches her tears splatter against the floorboards.

"Why did I think anything would be different!" Tia chokes discordantly, face scrunching at the wound.

While she is clearly furious at the girls she is also livid with herself for letting this happen. Ice crystals begin forming on the glass of the window, the air thinning dangerously in the lonely hallway and even her scattered belongings begin to rattle. Duff's eyes shift about, observing these effects warily.

'You need a healer,' Duff insists gently and Tia squeezes her eyes shut, swiping at her tears with her forearm as she shuffles up.

Tia kicks a few of her things to one side of the hall before staggering down the stairs. As she reaches the bottom, the front door swings open and Longwei slides inside. Tia sucks in a breath as their eyes meet, averting her gaze with a wobbly scowl and padding forward wordlessly. Longwei snags her wrist as she attempts to pass him. Longwei's magic reminds Tia of a sultry summer evening, tranquil but laden with humidity. His face darkens as his eyes slide over her wound but Tia rips it out of his grasp, sheltering her hand with her body.

"Stop!" Longwei calls after her, following Tia outside.

"What!" Tia rasps, her voice breaking, unable to stifle her anguished expression.

When she turns, she finds Longwei is fully manifested, slate blue from head to toe. His eyes gleam bright yellow while azure scales are spread too thinly over his skin and two yellow nubs poke through his mixture of white and black hair. Tia blinks, unsure what his intentions are, and her posture is instinctively defensive. Then a gust of wind whips past her and Tia has to push her hair out of her eyes. When she looks again a dragon has swept Longwei onto its back.

It's body is prolonged and scaled like that of snake with a strip of white hair running down its back, exploding into a puff at the end of its tail. Alabaster hair also surrounds the crown of its head, forming a seeming beard, two long whiskers and puffy eyebrows. It's head is squared with an extended muzzle while yellow deer antlers and dramatic fangs curl out of its mouth in various directions. It possesses four legs along its lengthy body with five white talons. Intense round eyes regard Tia nestled under its bushy brows, matching Longwei's as they sear bright yellow. Even in the growing dusk, Tia could see its glimmering azure scales and yellow belly as its body ripples and bends like a mystic river.

Longwei sits just behind it's head, gripping the elaborate antlers and extending an arm out to her. Tia hesitates, still in awe of the mystifying creature she had only known through legend, and he reaches down, swinging Tia behind him as the dragon dashes past her. Longwei sucks in a deep breath, exhaling a trail of fog into the night sky. The dragon treads upon these vapors, running, swimming and leaping along the trail Longwei crafts for it. They linger above the compound as Longwei readies another breath before rapidly descending the second pathway. Tia blinks, sliding off of the creature's back at the door of the clinic.

"Thank-" Tia tries to convey, spinning around but pausing in their absence, the mysterious pair twisting back up into the sky, "You…" Tia mumbles as she watches him go. Duff darts out of her cloak and into the shadows, taking the form of a rat.

'It's best I'm not with you in there,' Duff explains, 'I'm going to have a look around.'

"Okay," Tia speaks quietly, tenderly observing her wound again before making her way inside.

Reconnaissance

Tia pads inside, the woman manning the clinic not taking notice until she reaches her desk. She looks Tia up and down, batting her eyes before smiling. 

"Oh, hello!" she chimes, "Whatever can I help you with?" Tia tries to lift her lips into a smile but grimaces as she exposes her palm, the inflamed skin screaming as it stretches from the gesture, "Ah, I see!" she woman breathes, her hand cupping Tia's as she examines her palm. Tia does not gain a new form or sense her magic at all but she is too preoccupied with her injury to notice.

"Follow me, then!" the woman instructs.

Tia blinks at her unflappable demeanor, unperturbed even as she scans deformed skin and reddened flesh. Tia follows after her, guided to a chair centered in a space partitioned by curtains. She takes a seat and rubs at the residue of tears on her face while the woman fusses with a few tools on the table beside her. She flips back around with cottons swabs readied and an eager smile. Tia grimaces at the thought of anything touching her palm.

"Oh, don't worry!" she assures Tia, "I just need to clean it before healing you and I'm quite gentle, I promise."

Reluctantly, Tia offers up her hand, pinching her eyes shut with the expectation of pain. A moment later, she peeks at the woman, curious why she hasn't started. Tia is astounded to find the woman is already fast at work pressing the cotton swab so precisely Tia doesn't feel anything at all.

"Does that... actually work?" Tia questions with a measure of disbelief. 

"Of course!" she hums, "I may still be a recruit but I've always had a knack for these things. Not a single infection yet!" she chimes, unblinking in her unnerving admission, "How did you manage to get such an awful burn this time of day?"

"U-um..." Tia hesitates.

"Don't worry," she half whispers, "I try to be discreet with these things, as any medic should."

"My roommate," Tia admits, her voice weak, "I... I'm not really sure what happened, she just got so angry...!" Tia's breath flutters and she chokes down a flurry of emotions.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that!" the woman tries to sound comforting, knitting her brows despite her mellow tone, "The first day here can be disorienting... There we go!" she chimes, seemingly satisfied with her work.

A frown tugs at Tia's worry ridden face, her hand appearing the same as when she arrived. Tia begins to wonder how the woman, or anyone, could possibly patch up such a messy wound.

"Oh," the woman peeps, "Don't fret, that was the hardest part! Here..."

She cups her hands together and they morph into wood as she focuses. A flower blossoms in her palm, blooming rapidly and then wilting away. After the petals fade a small growth expands until -before Tia's eyes- an apple ripens, cupped neatly in the woman's hands. Her face brightens, beaming at Tia before offering the fruit to her.

"Um..." Tia holds the apple in her other hand, looking it over before glancing back to the girl.

She maintains a gleeful smile, gesturing for Tia to bite into the fruit. Tia does so, uncertain of the purpose, and as the first bites settles into her stomach, she feels a buzzing radiate out. It washes over her entire body before centering on her hand. Tia pauses chewing, her eyes popping as the skin of her hand seems to mend itself. The wound closes all on its own as if the natural healing process had been sped forward. Tia looks back to the girl again with wonder and she gives a chirping, satisfied laugh, the corners of her eyes crinkling with the expression. 

"Marvelous isn't it!" she remarks and Tia can't help but smile back. With her wound healed, she guides Tia back to the entrance. "Well, sweetie, if you ever need anything else, I'll be waiting right here!" the girl hums, settling back into her desk, "Oh, and you don't have to be torn up or half dead, I love getting any kind of company! Hearing this and that about anyone's day, it can get so dull in here," she sighs and Tia chuckles, still finding something off-putting about her but appreciating her friendliness.

"Thank you... um..." Tia realizes she hadn't asked her name yet or given her own, "I'm Tia, by the way, and you?" 

"Oh!" the woman gasps and then smiles all too sweetly, "Call me Lily!"

"Thank you, Lily, goodnight!" Tia smiles despite her still turbulent and roiling emotions, making her way outside. Lily's smile drops as the door clicks shut. She purses her lips and taps her fingers on the desk, slowly and rhythmically. 

"Hmm..." she hums, looking after Tia.

She had noticed Tia's touch offered her no new form either, knowing this meant one of two things. Either she already has Tia's form or Tia was a shape shifter. 

'Certainly not her...!' Wyrm denies, off on his own adventure much like Duff.

"Oh, I don't know," Lily sighs, "I suppose we'll see...!"

Duff skitters along the edges of buildings as nightfall settles over the compound. He blends completely into the shadows and, in fact, they bend and stretch to welcome him as he makes his way past the plaza. He had been scouting out the grounds for nearly an hour now, finding the east half almost completely empty of humans during the evening -save security staff on patrols- and now explores the southwest portion of the compound. As he explores, it becomes apparent this zone was the private quarters of the staff.

He moves more carefully now, dipping in and out of shadows rather than bending them directly. After a few minutes, he tails a number of staff as they make their way to a central lodge. It appears all off duty staff are gathering here. Duff darts inside beneath the feet of those entering. Wavering candlelight provides many hidden nooks for him to settle into and observe from.

The humans cluster into little groups within the lounge, chatting about the events of their day, of new recruits and their interactions with them. As the bell tolls across the compound the Marshall steps onto a small platform and the room quickly goes silent. A swiveling chalkboard sits behind her, the clear slate serving as a stark backdrop. This is lightened as her lips curve into a smile and she holds up a glass of wine.

"Here's to a successful first day," Beatrice announces in congratulation, "Welcoming a very auspicious group of recruits!"

Cheers and the clinking of glasses circulate the room. The marshall sips at her glass, giving them a moment to celebrate.

"However…" Beatrice continues with a sigh, "I'm afraid we have one last bit of business to discuss," tired admins, instructors and general staff glance at each other warily, "Today, we welcomed Prince Aldric, an heir from each House and even divine descendants and foreign royalties. I have been informed we have one more unexpected guest—an unwelcome one," her voice drops and grows harsh, "We may have one or more spies slipping in with today's new recruits."

"How is that possible?" Casimiro speaks up as whispers and astonishment circle the room, "These children are from the capital!"

"I understand your skepticism," Beatrice answers over the clamor, "But this comes from the very top! His majesty has tasked us with singling them out," the room quiets at this comment and she is met with blank surprise, "We are not looking at a run of the mill spy," Beatrice continues, taking advantage of the silence, "I have been informed that we are dealing with shape shifters! They are posing as trainees," the room is deathly silent, "Fortunately, the royal scholars have been hard at work gathering whatever information they can to help us identify them."

Beatrice turns, taking hold of the blackboard and swiveling it around. "Zalikar" is sprawled underneath his divine emblem and Duff feels his stomach drop and tighten at the sight.

"Lord Ghislaine has determined the primary threat is a female dark shape shifter," Beatrice continues, tapping the name, "Beyond her ability to alter her appearance and form, she also possesses a unique connection not to any one aspect but to the Dark King himself!" she looks to the board again and gestures to a numbered list, "However, this and other characteristics may lead us to her. Scholars are still compiling a more specific list of characteristics but for now I want you to report anyone suspicious, anyone who shows the following signs: Appearance changes outside enchantments, inconsistent racial magic, unexplainable use of dark magic and strange interactions with dark beasts."

"Dark beasts?" an admin voices and Beatrice's nod is firm, paired with a dire frown.

"As many of us have heard in folk tales," Beatrice continues, "Shape shifters are created by peculiar beasts referred to as an elemental familiar. These beasts are bonded to their shifter, much like any ordinary familiar, but their true masters are the Erlithmanil themselves! Anyone travelling with an unregistered creature should be detained, especially if they are concealing them."

"D-do you lose your form if she touches you?" a woman questions, her tone high and unsteady.

"We don't know," Beatrice admits and anxious murmurs echo in response.

"Lastly," Beatrice concludes as they quiet down, "In her true form, she is believed to have white hair. If you spot a young woman with white hair, capture her if you can but keep in mind she may be extremely dangerous! Oh," Beatrice sighs before continuing, "And please do not bring in Wu Zetian. Consider the Huaren royal an exception." Duff's eyes linger on the board another moment before he makes his way outside.

Secret Friend

A few campfires still flicker in the plaza and torches light other pathways, still buzzing with recruits despite nightfall. Some of her peers were nocturnal by nature and begin their training after sunset. Tia listens to the murmur of nearby conversations, seated against the trunk of a tree. She drags fingers over the palm of her hand with a sullen expression, the skin miraculously unmarred and marked only by mild redness.

Tia watches the flames dance on the other side of a pathway, wondering if she should find a dimmer location to sleep. Her mind still buzzes with the rapid events which occurred not an hour before and, as a glower grows on her face, she leaves passerby perturbed. Those meandering the plaza laugh and chatter, that laughter only reminding her of the humiliation she had experienced.

"'at's quite a look," Euan sounds, stepping before her, "Rough day?" Tia's frown grows more severe and tears pool in her eyes again.

"Leave me alone," Tia mumbles, drawing her knees to her chest. His eyebrows shoot up seeing her in this state.

"Things go 'at badly?" Euan questions more gently, squatting down in front of her. Tia releases a long, unsteady breath, tucking her face into her arms. She doesn't respond so he leans back, crashing into the grass across from her. "Mine wis fine," Euan speaks plainly, his dialect more prevalent after a long day, "Some on ma unit are th' grim sort an' one o' them comes on pretty strong. But ma roommate!" Euan gives a raspy groan, "Prissy, suave nyaff."

"My roommate attacked me and kicked me out," Tia complains in a wobbly, acidic voice, staring at a bonfire past him, "And everyone else laughed."

"Shite," Euan curses, surprised, "Ye okay? Not hurt?"

"I was… but I'm okay now," Tia answers, staring at her palm again.

"Am surprised they actually got t' ye," Euan muses, earning a glare, "Buuuut, if ye want, Am down tae get some payback with ye!" Tia sinks her face into her arms halfway with a dead-eyed stare.

"I just-" she blurts and then sighs, "I just don't want to be here."

"Weel 'at," Euan answers, jumping up and dusting himself off, "'at I can help ye wi'."

Tia tilts her head at him and Euan chuckles, offering her a hand. She hesitates at first but still tentatively takes hold of it, bracing herself. Tia feels his magic briefly, flinching at the wild and bursting yet contrastingly silken, soothing energy as he pulls her up. Euan double checks that security isn't watching them.

"Try no' t' skirl," Euan whispers, conciliatory, pulling her into the shadow of the tree.

Euan's grip is firm as his feet slip through and Tia feels herself sinking into it as well. The shadow resists at first, pressing against her feet. As it lets her past, a peculiar sensation tugs across her skin like a satin cloth and leaves her skin tingling before the shadow gives out entirely. Tia and Euan fall into a black sea but there is no wetness, there is nothing at all. As the light goes out around her, Tia blinks hard and glances about as the darkness again fades into a thin smoke.

Tia sees Euan then, grinning and cackling as she gawks at this new world around her—far more complex to their eyes yet totally dark with ordinary vision.

They float just on the other side of the shadow they had passed through. Portals are strewn out across the inky nothingness, spilling pale charcoal smoke into the plane which imitates the shadows connecting them to the physical world. They were windows overlaying their home and the clarity of that window depended on the intensity of the real corresponding shadow. The darker the environment in the physical world, the clearer the imitation within this plane.

Whispers of one world overlay this one and connect both places to each other. Thanks to nightfall, the portals are plentiful and well defined, constructed of oblique smoky imitations. All of this is painted amid a stygian, weightless sea of silken and undulating umbral curtains. Tia feels surprisingly at ease here and something indescribable tugs at her from within the black mass of seeming clouds hanging above the entire plane. Or perhaps below? Tia isn't sure yet, somehow, she still feels she already knows this place.

"Ye know, I wis gunna take ye reit through," Euan notes, his voice both echoed and muted simultaneously, "Most cannae see an' they hev a gluff."

"Really?" Tia responds vacantly, still eying the plane.

"How can ye see in here?" Euan questions and Tia's head whips back around, "Yer no' using yer moggy eyes reit now an' I ken they still need some light t' work."

"I don't know!" Tia gripes at him and he shrugs off the mystery, for now.

Tia questions this herself as he searches for a suitable portal. Euan hadn't begun mapping out the compound yet but he had a good spatial sense after years of exploration, skilled at guessing distances. Upon spotting a portal an appropriate stretch away, he starts jumping and kicking off of shadows. To Tia's surprise, they begin moving as he does, the charcoal mist a solid foothold under Euan's feet, and they move in fantastical, dreamlike movements. As they travel, Tia notices a small creature skittering in and out of shadows behind them.

"What's that?" Tia asks, pointing as Euan drags her along.

"Dinnae ken," Euan shrugs, "Bin seeing it popping up since I got tae th' capital. Got th' 'Step' magic n'all I guess."

They reach their destination. Euan pops his head out first to check then climbs right through the portal, grabbing the ground on the other side and, as he crouches from above, pulls Tia up and out as well.

"An' here ye are!" Euan sighs, waving at their surroundings. They were in the shadow of a bundle of rocky outcroppings along the river and Tia could see the compound in the distance to their south. Euan waits for her to turn back to him before continuing, "A'll come back fur ye in an hour or two, aye?"

As her eyes rest on Euan, Tia regards him softly and she offers him a warm, genuine smile. She practically radiates with gratitude and would likely literally gleam were she in her birth form. Euan blinks, not having seen her direct such a smile at him before.

"Thank you, Euan," Tia imparts gently, "I'm sorry I've been…"

"Crabbit?" Euan teases and her face wiggles as she tries not to frown at him, "Haste ye back, moggy!" Euan calls before jumping backwards into the shadow they came through. She chuckles at his theatrics and unfamiliar parting words, considering questioning him about her nickname later.

Tia soaks in the moonlight and releases a drawn out sigh. She glances back one more time at the compound, too far for anyone to possibly spot her. With a quaint smile, Tia shifts into her true form and appearance, crouching at the waters' edge. She dips her fingers into the icy water and savors the trickling melody of the river as the water curls around her fingertips. It had felt so unnatural for Tia being confined to the artificial, urban setting of the capital for so long, totally deprived of the natural world. Tia had found herself zealously craving the succor of her most stalwart, soothing and liberating companion—the unfettered exploration of nature.

Tia swiftly sheds her clothing, setting them aside somewhere dry before leaping into the river. The frigid waters nip at her skin at first, rapidly chilling her. Before losing too much warmth, Tia fully converts her body into glimmering, luminescent water. She merges with the river, giving herself over to the current. She stretches herself out, cascading over rocks and swirling into eddies, moving in a free-flowing and vivacious dance. Tia rids herself of all of the stress amassing within her, her suffering dissolving into the river, and she lets the current carry it away in pure catharsis.

As the river slows, Tia gathers herself again along the bottom, observing the night sky.

Her glimmer emulates the cool light above, tiny stars of her own twinkling throughout her body and imitating her freckles. Then, Tia notices the river branching ahead. One half continues along the surface while another slips underground. She follows the river underground without hesitation.

Tia squeezes through cracks and swirls around pillars, finding her way through usually impassable structures in her adaptable form until the river passes through a large cavity. She spots a warmly illuminated pocket of air above, pausing in curiosity. Tia gathers herself together waist deep, gliding her hands through her hair and pushing it out of her eyes as her body reforms and materializes into flesh.

As she opens her eyes, they lock with those of a boy, slack-jawed and frozen in place with a book drooping in his hand. Tia covers herself quickly, lowering back into the water and shouting. This breaks him from his stupor and he gasps, spinning himself around with reddened ears.

"Who are- h-how did you-" Tia stammers, her voice echoing in the cave as her eyes dart to locate a secondary entrance she but finds none.

"I'm-I'm sorry!" he splutters as well, "I-I-I didn't think-"

"You know what," Tia shrills, her agitation sharp, "I don't care! I'm gone!"

"Wait!!!" he cries out, moving to turn, and she splashes him with cold water. The boy flinches and halts.

"Why?!" Tia clamors, exasperated.

"Just-Just watch!" he requests, throwing both hands in the air. His body morphs into water as well, blackened at his core and touched with frost, transforming completely while Tia gapes, mystified. "I've... I've never met anyone else like me before!" 

Tia pauses to contemplate, utterly stunned. Much like him, she had never met anyone else who could transform as she does. Not even her mother shared this form.

"Are you… still there…?" he questions, turning his head but keeping his eyes squeezed shut.

"Yes, um," Tia breathes, "Who-who a-are y-you..." she begins shivering, lingering too long in the river.

"I've got some clothes and blankets," he indicates, pointing to a ledge in the cave, lit up by a number of candles, "I… I just want to talk. Please."

Tia narrows her eyes at him and she considers leaving anyway but her curiosity, her desperation to know more about her form, is too compelling.

"Keep your eyes closed!" Tia orders, sloshing out of the water.

"Of course!" he agrees, waiting patiently, and his shoulders drop with relief.

Tia dries herself swiftly with one of the blankets, examining the cave as she pulls on oversized clothes. A number of candles have been placed about the cave, some melted into place as well as a number of pillows and even stacks of books. Tia begins squeezing her hair out and wraps a wool blanket around herself while looking the boy over. He is well dressed and tall but also broad shouldered and husky. While fit he naturally has more fat where other teens their age were thin or lean. He also has broad facial features, a thin beard and wavy dark hair.

"Okay," Tia indicates cautiously, lingering near the water's edge. The boy opens his eyes, green orbs reflecting back at her, still bewildered and quite embarrassed. "Who are you?" Tia questions with a frown as his eyes linger on her white hair.

He blinks, astonishment crossing over his face hearing her question, and opens his mouth to answer her before hesitating, closing it again. He scratches at his beard and averts his eyes as his face tightens.

"Al," he finally answers, a bit cautious, "Call me Al. And you?" Tia seems to have the same reaction as him, alarmed upon realizing she wasn't disguised at all.

"I'd... rather not say," Tia's voice is too high as she answers. This garners a toothy smile and a natural chuckle from Al, met by a stern frown from Tia.

"Sorry," Al apologizes quickly, stifling his amusement, "Like I said, I've never met anyone else with Ithisda's Body. This is definitely a strange way to run into each other!"

"Ithisda's Body?" Tia questions, a bit confused.

"You didn't know...?" Al asks.

"I never had a name for it," Tia mumbles, squeezing more water from her hair, "I got it from my mother's side but she-"

Tia pauses, catching herself before she says too much. He watches the pain and anger that crosses her face as she mentions her mother, squeezing her eyes shut.

"My mother passed away recently," Al admits softly, Tia struck by his candor, "Or, recently to me at least but neither of my parents have this form either," Tia relaxes some and moves closer, sitting on a flattened stalagmite, "How… have I never met you before?"

"How have I never met you before?" Tia snaps, her hostility surprising him.

"I'm sorry," Al apologizes again, his soft expression disarming, "I didn't mean to-"

"No," Tia answers and winces, "It's not you. I only just moved here and today has been… a lot to handle. I-" her voice starts breaking and she tears up, "I kept saying all the wrong things and-and my roommate hates me and I... I don't understand why! I just-" Tia rambles and then gasps, realizing she's over sharing. Al listens anyway, surprised but contemplative.

"Sometimes…" Al reasons thoughtfully, "People make up their minds about someone before even meeting them. It may not have even mattered what you said or did. Especially if they just see…" he stops, his lips pressing together as he considers his phrasing. Tia sniffs and wipes at her eyes.

"That's why I didn't want to tell you who I am," Tia explains in a steadier tone, "Everyone hears my name and just sees my father, apparently."

"I definitely get that," Al laughs, a tinge of his own bitterness entering his voice, "I always have to represent my father. Would you believe this is the first time in..." he closes his eyes to contemplate, "I don't know how long where I'm not prefaced by him?" Al stops himself with a sigh, "I'm sorry, that's not-" Tia bounces with laughter suddenly, catching him off guard.

"I'm sorry, I've just…" Tia chuckles, gesturing  between them with her hands, "I've just done this before." 

"You've... met a stranger in an underground cave," Al laughs with a look of disbelief, "And danced around each other's identities?"

"No, definitely not," Tia denies flatly, "But, back home, I used to have a friend who I'd talk to about these kinds of things, just like this. We were 'secret friends'."

"Secret friends?" Al echoes.

"We would meet up and talk about difficult things," Tia explains fondly, "But we didn't know who the other was which kind of made it easier to talk about this stuff. Well," Tia pauses with a lopsided expression, "He probably knew who I was but he still acted like he didn't."

"Why…?" Al questions, not quite understanding.

"We didn't want who he was and who I was to affect our friendship," Tia answers, speaking precisely, "Everyone else only saw us for our reputations or our families but we could just be ourselves when we met up that way. Talk about things we couldn't talk to anybody else about without judgement. But… I'm probably never going to see him again." Al is silent, running the concept through his mind and trying to imagine what it must be like.

"I can't say I've ever had a friend like that before," Al admits, a bit wistful, "Even my best friend still sees me through a lens, doesn't share the same experiences. Everyone I know knows who I am and what that means and that shapes everything else."

"Well…" Tia eyes her hands a bit awkwardly, feeling sentimental and hesitating, but she is unable to deny her desire for something familiar, "I know it's weird... but I'd be happy to have a new secret friend?"

Al blinks at her, bewildered by this mysterious woman who pops out of nowhere and now offers a strange form of friendship. She appears awkward and uncertain but also holds an earnest vulnerability Al wasn't accustomed to. Despite the strangeness of the situation, he still finds himself smiling.

"Okay," Al answers simply and Tia's face lights up, "How does this work, then?"

"Well," Tia answers giddily, beaming and speaking quickly, "We use names that don't give away who we are. You can call me… Tsuki."

"Tsuki?" Al questions, unfamiliar with the language.

"It's an old nickname," Tia laughs with a measure of embarrassment.

"Is Al going to work?" he asks and Tia chews on its potential, contemplative.

"Yeah, I already know like…" she counts mentally, "Two or three people whose name starts with Al and I don't really know if you made it up or not. Next," Tia continues, "We don't ask or tell anything that gives away who we are—and we don't try to figure it out! If we can't answer a question without giving ourselves away, we don't have to answer."

"Okay," Al chuckles, "But what if we run into each other up there?"

"Oh I…" Tia pauses, running fingers through her hair, "I don't normally look like this, I…"

"To be fair," Al states into her hesitation, "Neither do I. My father," he pauses and pulls out a ring, "Has me wear this in public. It's enchanted so I look how he wants me to look."

"Really? I'm sorry," Tia says, grimacing, but he waves it off, "The only thing I'm unsure of is, how are we going to meet up when the procession moves out of the valley?"

"Ah, that's easy enough," Al answers matter-of-factly, "I've got spots like this all over the place. I… well I used to travel a lot. I'll bring a map of them tomorrow. If you'd like?" Al asks, hoping he isn't being presumptive. He is surprised by how exciting this prospect was becoming already.

"Yes, tomorrow," Tia agrees.

'Tia' Duff calls for her, 'Where are you?'

'In the river,' Tia answers, 'But I'm headed back.'

'In the river?' Duff echoes. Al lets loose a yawn and she chuckles, glad he didn't catch her distracted.

"I think, for now, we should call it here," Tia reasons, "I'll head out first."

"Alright," Al agrees, "Tomorrow then!" She waves and dissolves into the water with a smile. Al also finds himself smiling even after she's gone.

A Rosy Lense

Al trudges his way up the stairs to his quarters. His building is bustling despite the time, teenage boys enjoying their newfound freedom. The two across the hall are still bickering with each other as he passes by.

"Must've been a heck of a swim," his roommate sounds as he shuffles through the door, "Haven't seen you grinning like that all week!"

Safely inside the room, Al removes his ring and stashes it away, rolling his eyes and giving his friend a lopsided smile as he feels his body loosen up.

"Had something really weird happen, actually," Aldric states as he begins unlacing his boots.

"Did it involve a girl?" Florio teases, wiggling his eyebrows. He is surprised Aldric sighs without denying his assertion.

"Yes, I met a girl," Aldric admits in a mocking tone but is quick to stop Florio before he can interject, pointing at him with a stern expression, "But it's not some grand romantic bullshit like your going to suggest!"

"Go on then," Florio huffs, crossing his hands behind his head and leaning against the wall on his bed, "Tell me your boring story!" Aldric glances into the hallway first, kicking the door to close it but it remains cracked. Florio watches, eyebrow raised.

"It's supposed to be a secret," Aldric speaks softly, almost whispering, "But I met someone else with Ithisda's Body! She just popped up out of the water and we talked for a while."

"You… talked for a while?" Florio answers flatly, "And why is this a secret?"

"Well," Aldric answers haltingly, "She didn't recognize me without the ring and I definitely didn't recognize her," Aldric's emphasizes as he conjures her in his mind again, "And that was actually kind of nice so…"

"So…?" Florio rolls the word out, growing impatient as Aldric dances around any details he might misconstrue.

"She suggested we keep meeting up," Aldric is hesitant to finish, "But also keep who we are a secret." Aldric braces himself for Florio's reaction.

"So let me get this straight," Florio questions dramatically, a hint of laughter in his voice as he leans forward, "You met a mystery woman in an underground river in the middle of the night and she wants to keep meeting up for these clandestine rendezvous… but its not some grand romantic bullshit??" Aldric buries his face in his hands, groaning at Florio's predictable rosy lens, sniffing out romance anywhere and everywhere.

"She wants to be friends, Flor," Aldric emphasizes, gesturing with chopping hands, "Secret. Friends!"

"Secret friends?" Florio's laughs, gesturing wide, "Oh come on, Al!" Aldric chucks his boot at Florio's head in response.

"Okay, okay!" Florio concedes as Aldric hoists the other boot, "But," he pauses and puts a finger up, "You've at least got to tell me one thing," Florio requests and Aldric drops the boot with a sigh, "Was she hot?"

Tia's diaphanous emergence from the water, literally gleaming and splattered by twinkling stars while totally naked like a mythic nymph, flashes into Aldric's mind and his face flushes furiously at the memory. He had tried to forget. Florio heaves, practically gulping air as he gasps.

"Dear Luxis!" Florio exclaims, rising to his feet, "He is human after all!!!"

"No!" Aldric tries to discourage Florio's imagination, wide-eyed, but his friend is practically floating.

"Ohoho, mi hermano!" Florio cackles, mirthful as he stands on his bed and gestures wildly, "I've seen the most beautiful, exquisite women throw themselves at your feet and you don't bat an eye. She must be a goddess to make you blush!"

"That's not-" Aldric tries to interject, his words choppy, "She was just-"

"She was just what?" Florio invites Aldric to finish with a wide gesture.

"She was," Aldric mumbles and motions for Florio to come closer. Florio hops down from his bed and approaches Aldric, listening intently with a smirk to Aldric's breathy, rushed explanation, "She was nude when she arrived, okay? She was probably trying to keep her clothes dry and I don't think she was expecting-"

"Oh, no. No!" Florio cuts him off. He sucks in a deep breath and holds it in as if to compose himself, "A beautiful naked woman springs out of the water before you," Florio announces boisterously in exasperation, "In a secret place no one else can get to, she wants to be your 'secret friend', and you still come in here telling me it wasn't romantic?!"

"Did ye say 'beautiful naked woman'?" Euan chimes in suddenly, popping open the door with Danut close behind him.

"Ah!" Danut sighs melodramatically, "Our princeling has finally become a man…!"

"Why," Aldric gripes, hiding his reddened face in his hands and regretting breathing a word, "Why are all of you like this…!" Euan squints and blinks at Aldric while the other two snicker.

"Did he get fatter?" Euan questions, jutting a thumb at Aldric. Florio grimaces, watching as Aldric's fists clench and a groan escapes the frustrated boy.