#finishedscene

“For a nocturnal being, this is nearly impressive…” he laughed to himself, reaching up before pausing. His brows furrowed in concern, the muffled surroundings feeling louder than ever. “Does–... excuse me, where-?” He stood up, his clothes slightly disheveled, given he’d fallen asleep in them, and exited the room to his own. Flush woke up as the door opened, groggily running to his side as he returned to his chambers.

His room was masterfully organized and ornate, though less busy than Hums, with a large rug in the middle replacing Hum’s plethora of leveled furniture throughout. He made a beeline to a small machine on his desk, letting out a relief as he saw his hearing aids in their charger. “Did… she watch where I put them last time? I wasn’t aware she was perceptive, how admirable.” 

He made his way to his closet and mirror, correcting his appearance to it’s usual level of style before returning to Hum’s room and cleaning up the still-out chess board from the past night. Flush had crawled into his backpack, which was neatly placed over the well-fitting red shirt and brown vest. As he finished making himself preventable, a necklace covering his neck’s side, he spoke aloud to his dragon again.

“Well, darling? To the day ahead then?”

Inside, Jupiter sat hunched over a low table, his stare resting on the chessboard placed utop it. He was reciting a game from memory, moving each piece before re-examining the board. The knight moved, and was swiftly taken, leading the white position open. It was a strategic sacrifice, simple and clever. Jupiter was used to clever, but rarely used to simple. And sacrifice was… something else entirely. 

“You really should check your door. The flowers are going to wilt– I know you’ve got a spare vase here somewhere, put them in water.”

Jupiter’s eyes narrowed as he turned to Celina’s voice.

“Get out.”

“Because you’re busy wallowing?”

Celina scoffed.

“I’ve got younger siblings, I can handle your self-pity. Where’s your vase–”

“Top right shelf. You can keep the roses. Get out.”

His hand twitched, but Celina didn’t budge. She stayed casual as she walked, setting the bouquet down on Jupiter’s desk. She could make the water herself if she focused, but now clearly wasn’t the time for that step. 

“Seriously, what’s up? You look–”

“I look. Oh, I look! Delightful, tell me Celina all about how I look. Is it perfect for you yet? Tell me, am I refined enough? Am I your perfect fucking thing yet?!”

In an instant, Jupiter’s voice raised as he moved in front Celina. He was only a few inches taller, but his chin rested at her eye level, forcing her to tilt her head up to meet his eyes. She did.

“Don’t you ever shout at me. You’re not a thing, don’t insult either of us by saying that shit.”

“Do you think you’ll be mourned when you die here?”

Celina scoffed, finally stepping back, if only to get away from his breath. For a person who wore perfume so often, it suddenly smelled like rot. 

“Don’t pull that childish shit either.”

Her voice softened, if only strategically. Frankly, she was pissed.

“What happened, Jupe?”

Just as she expected, it disarmed him. They weren’t someone who knew how to navigate care. That fact alone worried her, but that was a problem for another time. She didn’t care enough to become a therapist, and so she wouldn’t.

“You don’t have to worry, I’ll be delightful again tomorrow.”

“I’m worrying either way. Is this about Hum leaving?”

He practically deflated. 

“Ah. Of course. I lose restraint one time and she’s gone. Am I not permitted normal punishment for my actions? Delightful. Put a fucking stake in my chest already.”

“Parav mentioned it half-asleep, I don’t know how much weight it holds. What happened?”

Jupiter fell quiet, and the two waited in their stasis. Finally, he spoke.

“I’ll be delightful again tomorrow. Just leave me be.”

Celina looked at him, stared, and then set down the note.

“I expect an apology later. From the sounds of it, you might owe Hum and Lilly one too. It was kind of her to send flowers.”

At that, she left, leaving Jupiter in his room alone. He stood there for a moment, before loudly cursing again. His eyes hovered at the door, then turned to the note. He moved, now slow, as though each limb took effort to move right.

“Parav? I was wondering where you’d gone off to, I want to ask you for a favor.”

Her friend’s face turned to her, looking almost frightened. The muscles stiffened, almost preparing to run before deciding against it. 

“Hello.”

“Hey, yeah. What’s up– are you getting a snack?”

“I hear you.”

She blinked. Subtly, her hand moved towards her sword. Her doubts about her instinct faded, her usual self-certainty replacing it. Remembering the information Parav had shared before, she looked at the figure. His cadence didn’t sound right. It wasn’t a reply, it was a call in the dark. 

She wasn’t darkness.

“I’d hope so. What’s wrong? Senses too loud?”

Parav spoke, but what left his mouth was her own voice.

"Senses too loud?"

Immediately, her arm shoved the stranger– no, the creature– against the wall and pinned it’s throat. Her sword was outstretched, pressing against the cheek. She forced Parav’s face out of her mind, honing in on the wrongness. She trusted herself.

“What are you?”

“You?”

A white, viscous liquid flowed down the neck instead of blood. It wasn’t a harsh cut, nor an intentional one, but the impact was obvious.

“Wrong. Talk.”

The face glitched, shifting for a moment before becoming her own. The voice, however, was that of a stranger. And it sounded scared.

“Please–”

“What are you?”

“I don’t have words. I didn’t mean to be seen.”

Her grip stayed tight, her sword stable.

“I’m not– I mean no harm, I'm not Parav."

The creature’s eyes, her eyes, were welling up with tears. Celina’s gaze didn’t waver.

“I not– I’m not cruel, I just wanted a- a face, I didn’t know–”

“What didn’t you know?”

The creature fell silent, sniffing to himself. Celina didn’t see herself in her eyes anymore, but someone younger. Family flew to her mind, a younger sister lying in a grave, and she finally loosened her grip.

“You’re not what Parav was told about. Nothing malicious would sniffle over itself like this.”

She looked towards it. She was taller than the creature, now. It didn’t look intentional on it’s part.

“If I catch you mimicking me or my friends again, we’ll have this exact conversation all over again. Same sword, same wall, only it’ll hurt worse. But if you’re not cruel, like you say, then it won't be needed. Do you understand?”

Silence. Still. But the mimic seemed like nothing as a threat.

She looked for a moment, examining for any traps or signs of sabotage before opening the casing. Inside was nothing more than an envelope, a crest not dissimilar from the letter C stamped on the back. She let out a small breath, immediately, and opened it. ________________________________________________________________

Dear our Celina,

Olivier was meant to write this letter, but you know how he can be. On the bright side of his complicated nature, I’m looking forward to the burden of being your messenger. Our family vase is missing it’s finest flower without you. I get it’s important, you’re doing something large, but I can’t lie about it’s cost.

Things aren’t good here in Cyvencrest. The corruption has officially overtaken our outskirts. I had tried to visit Valora’s gravesite the other day but it’s inhabitable. The air is think and ashy, too contaminated to step within safely. I wanted to push through, but thought better of it. I think if I had, I could have been hurt. I think I would have died within those fields. 

The thought scares me a lot, but I’m trying to be brave about it. The others get weird about fear sometimes, you know? I don’t want them to freak out. They were disappointed enough when I failed training, and were so relieved once I joined the medical branch. I don’t want to fail them like that. I know you tell me it doesn’t matter, not really, but it does. And without you hear all that expectation just gets louder.

I know you try to shield me from a lot of burden. Maybe it’s because you almost lost me once, that I was the only one there with Valora when she went. I took it for granted for a long time, I’ve realized. You deserve a long-belated thank you. I’ll be sure to give it when you’re home. If anyone can save this place, it’s you.

Sir Loran got hurt recently. I know you’d want to know that. She’s been out of it since. It was a blow to the head, I don’t know the full story but she’s out of commission. Mertil, that bratty girl you always talked shit about, is temporarily holding her station. Things are as good as they can be, but everything is moving downhill. We need you here, once you can return. It’s getting really bad.

Last time I visited her, she didn’t recognize me. They’re saying concussion but I don’t know. Her eyes are stable, her vitals are too, but she’s different. I’d never seen her weak before.

I hope you’re all making progress there. I like to imagine you’ve already taken over the school; number one, returning here with a battalion on wings. It feels like everything's fallen apart since you left. I know it’s coincidence and poor timing or whatever, but I sorta hope it gets better once you’re back. If anyone can fix it here, it’s you.

We love you, sister,

Sileas Solberg ________________________________________________________________

Celina’s eyes stayed on the letter as minutes passed. Her breath was tight, body perfectly still and rigid within the stale, well organized room. After a moment, her gaze moved on it’s own accord to her dragon, who met her eyes with nothing more than a growl before returning to it’s stuffed animal. He hadn’t shown a sign of care or cognizance since her arrival, really. They were meant to be bonded, and yet one would think of them as nothing more than strangers, possibly enemies at her most cynical perspective.

She had been at the school for several days now, only to achieve nothing. She was no closer to eliminating the corruption from the world, or even just her lands. They were no closer to mastering magic that felt all too limited, or the dragon that acted in hostility or apathy alone. Her training had faltered, and all she had met no others like her, people willing to treat the task of soldier and student with the intensity it deserved. 

She huffed, then forced her arm down, folding the letter and placing it within her bag. She tried to refocus: she had been given her task and none of her family had fallen. Her mentour was in distress, but alive and uncorrupted. And if she proved competent, if the school proved capable, then she would return home to more than the death and rot she feared would consume her.

Her attempts to refocus were shallow, however. It was limited, inherently. Her mind couldn’t move from the familiar handwriting. From the responsibility placed upon her shoulders that she increasingly felt powerless against. From the threats were were growing too strong for even her kingdom to withstand.

If anyone can save this place, it’s you.

She raised an eyebrow at the neat sheets, the lack of any dust making clear he’d rarely slept on it before, and just rubbed her temple.

“You’re as much of a mess as the other two, huh. Jupiter’s been holed up for hours now and Hum’s– somewhere, I guess.”

She sighed, taking off his glasses and setting them on a side table. As she moved, Parav muttered groggily.

“Huh…?”

“Good not-yet-morning.”

Celina chuckled, while Parav looked around blearily.

“Hum?”

“Celina. You can go back to bed, I was just checking on you.”

“You're leaving too?”

Celina blinked, her eyes narrowing.

“Who else is?”

“Hum’s travelling, I think. I dunno.”

He yawned, pressing his face back into the pillow.

“Right. I’ll… ask about that in the morning. Stop staying up too late, you look sleep-drunk. I'll start dragging you into sleepovers like the other two if this keeps going.”

“M’kay Otillie. Night.”

Her gaze lingered on him for a long moment. He was already out again. She slowly walked to the door, careful to keep the sound quiet.

"Sleep well.”