#kollectionn

You silently shake your head at that thought and walk on. As you turn the corner, you sigh deeply. Guess that is one of the advantages of being a Frost Pixie. Something that you are, despite everything, still very proud of. Granted, Frost may seem like a power with only a few uses. But if you know how to use it, it can turn out to be more limitless than first thought. Being versatile is important. And you are pretty versatile. Take Storm Sprites, for example. They basically make large and heavy clouds. 

Clouds are just concentrations of water that are cold enough to form a mist-like structure. And cold is kind of your specialty. With some practicing, you had been able to make rain clouds just like some of your Sprite friends back in the Other World. Much to the annoyance of others when it started pouring down, drenching everyone in proximity. Or, Water People. One of their more impressive tricks is being able to split the water and travel through the sea, because they can breathe underwater. 

Sure, you can’t breathe underwater, but why would that be necessary when you can just trap air in a bubble of ice and walk along the ocean bottom that way. It might seem like a lot of effort, but it works. You are always trying to find new ways to expand the reach of your powers. Not to impress anyone, or to take over the world like the Rebels. No, just because you’re extremely curious. Always trying to find out how things work and why they do what they do.

Another step and you arrive at your favorite place in the city. The warmth of the café is slightly smothering, you can’t lie and say that you don’t prefer the fresh cold air in your lungs. But hey, not everyone is as antifreeze as you are. As the waitress brings your drink with a smile, you sigh. Somehow, every Frost Pixie you’ve ever known has a mild obsession with hot drinks. At least you are similar in that regard. The feeling of the warm drink heating up your insides is a really calming feeling. 

The door chimes and you look over your shoulder subtly. Light Fairy. You grin as you don’t even need a second thought to recognize him. Light Fairies are probably worst at hiding out in the human world. The light just seems to bend out of it’s way to get to them. You smile as he walks in with a shy smile and looks around the shop. Some people make confused noises as to why they are all of a sudden seated in the shadows, making you bite your lip to hold in a chuckle. The poor thing is probably so unaware of it as well. It’s something that comes totally naturally for them. They are just always shining, taking the light with them everywhere they go. 

He takes a breath and sits down two booths away from you. You sit facing him, and get a particularly good view of his struggle with some ten dollar bills. He doesn't seem from around here. Probably a new runaway. You smile. You don't get a lot of Light Fairies who run away from home. Light Fairies are very social creatures and glow up around others. They are a lot of fun really. Very innocent and impressionable too. Suddenly, a ray of light falls on your table. You glance up. The fairy has adjusted himself in his seat and is now reading the menu with a slight frown. You grin and look down at the ray of light again. He sure isn’t being very subtle. In the back of your head an idea sparks with joy. 

You look down at your hand and cover it in a thin but hard coat of smooth ice, creating a sort-of glove around your palm. You aim your hand in the ray of light and watch it flicker across the room, using your hand as a mirror to let the light play on the surface. You direct it just right until it hits his face. He closes his eye with a soft ‘aw’, and brings his hands to his face.  You slam your hand back down, biting your cheek to hold in your laugh. He looks up confused, scanning the room for another of his kind. Any Other World Creature can recognize a Light Fairy from a mile away. Luckily, there are no other Light Fairies in this café today. 

You pick up the menu and watch him from above it with a grin, as he scans the room with care. No one who looks like they ate the sun and now carry it around? Nope. His brows draw together in confusion and you have to hold back a giggle. When he finally seems to decide it might be a strange coincidence, you flicker the light in his eyes again. He looks around with big eyes this time, desperate to find the one pestering him. You can tell he is watching everyone in the room carefully, until his eyes fall on you. 

You bite your bottom lip hard to avoid laughing and look down, but you can tell your mouth corners are curling up either way. You hear him make a sound of confusion but you don’t look up. Instead, you scan the menu for some good dessert options. After a couple of seconds, you lift your eyes to him. He is leaning back in his seat, his fingers tapping the table nervously. You can basically see his internal battle. Now that he is lost in thought, you allow yourself to take a good look at him. He has a soft face, a small button-nose and big, bright eyes.

His hair is dark brown, falling over his brows and almost into his eyes. Finally, he seems to make a decision and stands up, walking over to the counter. He mumbles something to the waitress, but you can’t make out what it is, before he glances over to you. The waitress hums an agreement. Suddenly he’s making his way over to your booth. He awkwardly stands in front of you for a bit, before sighing and sitting down across from you. You wrap your hands around your warm mug and look up at him. This is going to be fun.

“Hey,” he says, voice soft and careful.

Your mouth is still curled in a slight smirk. “Hi,” you answer.

You just can’t help it. He looks so lost and confused, making him look like a little puppy. He seems to relax a slight bit now that you don’t immediately ask him why the hell he is sitting with you. He looks around the room again before looking at you. Then, he eyes the mug you are holding. “What is that?”

“It’s hot chocolate. You should try some. It’s really good,” you mumble as you bring the mug to your lips again and take a sip.

His eyes follow every tiny move you make, teeth clenching down on his pouty bottom lip. By now, he is probably sure you are not just some human, but then what are you? You decide to put him out of his suffering at the awkward attempt to make small talk. “You should be careful with that,” you muse, pointing at him.

He looks down slightly confused and you chuckle. “With … what?”

“You’ve looked like a christmas tree in comparison to the rest of the room ever since you walked in.”

His eyes widen and his mouth falls open almost comically. Then, he quickly composes himself and leans closer. “So you are an Outsider than?”

You pause for a second. The only ones who call you Outsiders are … Council. You stare for another second before brusquely getting up, throwing a five dollar bill on the counter as you rush past and storm out of the café. As you turn left, walking with big steps while flipping up your hood to cover your face, you hear some murmuring before the door falls closed, but you don’t pay attention to it. You have come too far to let some cute Council member screw it up. Sure, they don't really care about the ones who want to get away, but now you were just sitting right across from one. 

Even if he wasn’t planning on taking you back, it’s a risk you’d rather not take. You can feel your anxiety slipping out of you into the air and before you know it, it is raining— no, pouring down, shutting out the sun and drenching your sweater in a matter of seconds. This must be one of the heaviest clouds you’ve ever made. You sigh and keep walking on with a steady pace, turning corners every now and then. Finally, your street comes into view and you can feel the rain calm down. As you put in the last effort to make it home, you feel a tap on your shoulder. 

Out of reflex, you elbow the person in the stomach and start to sprint away, but stop as you hear a familiar voice groan your name. You turn to see the guy bent double, his hands holding his stomach. “Damn…” he groans. 

You bend down to hold him up. “Shit, I’m sorry.”

“That was so unnecessary,” his voice sounds, a little strangled in his uncomfortable position.

You grin down at him as he tries to straighten up. “I told you before, Tao, don’t scare me like that and then this wouldn’t happen.”

He groans as he pushes himself up, making him tower over you. Then, he sighs and ruffles his hair, shaking it like a dog to get some of the rain out. “I trust that this is your work? I just thought that that storm was quite a big one, I wanted to check if you were okay. You’re normally good at controlling your powers.”

“First of all, there are tons of Stormies running around town, you shouldn’t assume it is me every time,” you say, lifting your brows at him. “But, I’m good. Just had a little run-in.”

This seems to catch his interest.

“What? Rebels?”

You sigh, stuffing your hands deep into your pockets as you shake your head at the taller young man. “Nope. Council.”

Tao smiles and rolls his eyes. “Oh, please. We could take them on any day. Actually…” Tao is already off, hauling you behind him. “Let’s go find this scary council member. I’ll show him.”

“Woah, hothead, calm down. I appreciate it, but we are not messing with any Council members.”

He stops pulling you on and turns around to look at you. “Are you forgetting who you are?” His voice gets significantly higher as he speaks, a mix of pride and excitement bubbling to the surface. “The master of Ice, Water and Storm. And I am the very attractive Warrior of Fire with amazing Wushu skills.”

You giggle as he looks at you with expecting eyes. What a dork. “I am not a Master of anything. I just like to mess around. And you are most likely not a Warrior. You ran away screaming bloody murder when I told you there was a bee in the toilet.”

He huffs and puts his hands on his hips, glaring down at you. “Whatever. Who was he anyway?”

You let out a deep breath and put down your hood, running a hand through your hair as you think. “I don’t know. A Light Fairy. He came into my favorite café looking extremely confused, so I assumed he was a new runaway. I was messing around a bit and he came over, asking me if I was an Outsider. It seemed harmless, but I’m not taking any chances.”

He nodded once before turning around and scanning the street. “Well, if you are fine. I’m going to go hang out at Boss’ place. You wanna come?”

“I don’t think she would appreciate me fucking up her plants. No thank you, I’ll be fine.”

He huffs and stomps his feet like a toddler before hugging you tightly. His warmth always makes you slightly light-headed, but you know that your cold hands give him frostbite just as much, so you sit it out. “You are no fun, Bubbles. Luhan goes there too from time to time, and he is fine.”

You smile as he finally lets go and puts you down. “Take care, fire boy. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He pouts but nods and takes off in the opposite direction. You stand in your street for a couple of seconds to enjoy the cold breeze, before turning to your door. But then, you catch an awfully familiar face in the reflection of the window. You turn around with big eyes. The light fairy is standing on the other side of the road, his eyes almost as big as yours and his face slightly red, like he has been running. You quickly push open your door, but somehow he manages to get to you faster. He grabs onto your arm gently and holds you so you can’t escape inside.

“Wow, you are fast,” he pants out, putting his other hand on his chest dramatically. You don’t say anything and instead glare at him. To your surprise, he lets go of your arm when he sees your expression. “Sorry.”

You take a step back and look at him, slightly confused. “Why are you here?”

“You ran out before I even got a chance to ask your name.”

You huff and put your hands in your pockets, giving him your best scowl. “I’m not dumb. I’m not telling a Council member my name.”

He pauses for a bit before realization hits him and he makes an ‘o’ face. “Oh. Is that why you ran out?” he asks, now suddenly looking very sad.

You sigh as you feel your hands go cold, so you push them deeper into your jeans. “Well, yeah. It’s nothing personal, I just don’t like taking risks.”

He seems to consider this for a moment before a huge grin spreads across his features. “That’s a lie. You were playing with your powers in the middle of a room full of humans. I don’t call that very careful.”

“Fine. I’m not very careful. Anyway, why are you here?”

He lowers his head to his toes before he mumbles something. It takes a while for your brain to decipher the words. “Just … curious.”

You stare at him before stepping a bit closer, making him look up. “Of what?”

“You. You were playing around with the light beams but you don’t glow like a normal Light Fairy. How are you so good at controlling your powers?” You open your mouth to answer, but a loud voice down the street cuts you off.

“BAEKHYUN! HERE YOU ARE!” You both look over to your left. The guy who shouted is walking towards the two of you with a mischievous smile, followed closely by another man with a neutral face, his hands pushed deep into his sweater pockets. The smiley one practically has lightning running up and down his arms, making you sigh. How are these men so oblivious to themselves and their surroundings. As he reaches you, you take a step back and he glances over to you, his smile turning into a tight line.

“Uhm… Jongdae. Hey,” Baekhyun mumbles, giving his friend a little smile. What’s meant as a friendly gesture only makes Jongdae more confused at your presence.

“Hello. Who’s this?” He asks, apprehensively looking you up and down. Baekhyun sighs but before he can answer, you cut in.

“Nice to meet you. I have a question. Are you aware of the lightning running around you so clearly that even a normal human would be able to see?” He looks taken aback by your bluntness, but shakes his head. “You should. First, Sunshine here almost blinds me and now you, looking like you have been rubbing your face across carpet for an entire week.” The silent one following behind chuckles with a snort before catching himself and looking back down. “Humans are not the brightest, but they are not oblivious. It’s clear that it’s your first time visiting.”

The silent one bites his lip before speaking up. “It’s not my first time.”

“I can tell. Hands in the pockets, smart move. Though not perfect, Snowflake. Humans breathe out little clouds when it’s cold. You have to think about the details.” When it stays awkwardly quiet, you look around the circle. All three men are looking at you with big eyes, Jongdae’s mouth opening and closing like a fash. It’s this that reminds you that you don’t want to deal with them, so you turn and dash into your complex.

“Bye,” you say— tossing the door closed and leaving them out on the street, extremely confused. Your conscious is nagging you to not leave those clueless idiots out in the street, but you quickly shake that out of your head. Why should you care? They are council, the thing their entire union is about is basically protecting the Kinds against problems like that. You sigh as walk up your stairs, unable to stop replaying Baekhyun’s face the first second he realized something was off in the café. You grin as you think about your best friend. He will love your new trick. 

Bubbles, Master of Ice, Water, Storm and Light. You giggle to yourself. No way in hell. Tao is a conceited idiot, but you love him dearly. And you are really trying not to let his dramatics get to your head. Harder than it might seem though, as he finds the smallest things extremely impressive. One time, you made some ice cubes with flowers in them, for fun and because it looked pretty, and when he saw he basically called you an enchantress, because ‘the flowers are still alive inside??’. You smile at the thought of him when you choose to show up out of the blue tonight. Guess you’ll have to bring Tao a visit after all.

The bar is loud and busy, making you pause in front of the door for a bit. Tao, you think to yourself, you are doing this for him. That’s the least you can do as a nice friend. You gently push open the door and are immediately overwhelmed by the amount of people pushed into each corner of the bar. You feel a little dizzy because of all of the different Kinds mixed together. Boss’ café is one where all Kinds can come in peace. 

You don't visit much though, one, because most young Kinds love playing around with their powers openly, second, there are plants everywhere. Plants and frost, not really a good combination. You sigh as you walk past the boots filled with Fire Sprites, twisting their fingers around to make the fire in their hands dance, past the Storm Sprites, who are having too much fun shocking each other. You release a tense sigh when your eyes find Tao’s. He gasps and jumps up, pulling you into a tight hug and twirling you around like a child. “BUBBLES!”

“Slow down there, marshmallow.”

“Bubbles! You came!” he repeats, grinning down at you from ear to ear, a proud glint in his eyes.

You just wave him off and cock your head to the bar. “Yes. Aren’t I a great friend?”

“You’re not half bad.” You smile at his response and he points to his booth, urging you to sit down next to him. You are met with another familiar face, big eyes looking you down curiously.

“Y/N.”

“Your Highness.”

The man shakes his handsome head just a tad, and folds his hands together on top of the table. “Please, just Luhan. That title was abandoned when I left.”

You nod and look around the booth some more. Next to Luhan sit two other guys, obviously shadowkinds. They are pretty in control of their powers, the only thing really giving it away is the way the shadows pool around their feet, making your booth fall in a dark corner. You don't recognize the faces, so you look at Tao in hopes he gets the hint. He does. “Oh, right. This is Yoongi and Vernon.”

Yoongi is looking at the table in slight disinterest. His hair is a platinum blonde, making his dark features stand out more. Vernon looks a little softer, regarding you with curious eyes. His hair is a light brown, but he has the same dark features Shadow kinds are known for. You smile at them, before turning back to Tao. “No offence, but why are we sitting with these two Gum Drops?”

Vernon smiles at you and shakes his head, before Tao speaks up. “Well, I know you said last time you don't want it, but I thought you might change your mind, so I was asking around.”

You look at Tao, your stomach turning now. You don't like where this is going. He keeps talking on and on but you spaced out from his first sentence. You know he doesn't mean anything bad— the kid is a sweetheart, but no means no. You look around the room, in hopes of something that could help you calm down. You don't know what you could be searching for, but you hope you find it quickly, because you can feel your hands become too cold for your liking. 

You know Luhan notices the drop in temperature too, and turns to look at you with an unreadable expression. Sadly, looking around the room only makes your stomach turn more when you make eye-contact with Baekhyun, the light fairy of earlier. His mouth falls open when you make eye-contact, before turning to his friend and elbowing him. The three of them are now all looking in your direction. You quickly look away and turn back to Tao, trying to focus on what he’s saying. “He’s all alone now, he would be vulnerable. You can just swoop in and give him what he deserves. I know-”

“Tao, I said No.” Your voice is shaky and you can tell that everyone in your booth is now turned to you with some kind of worry.

“I know but-”

“No!” you burst out, making Tao shut up for just a second. Everyone is quiet, but luckily the rest of the room is too busy in conversation to notice your little outburst. You take a deep breath, trying your hardest to get your powers under control. But they are slipping, and you hate that feeling. It’s too familiar, and sadly, to connected to everything Tao is saying. 

You know how he feels about the whole situation, but he shouldn’t bring it up again when you are clearly not okay with all of this. But being the fiery soul that he is, he just has to push you further. “No! You need to listen to me for once!”

“Tao, enough!”

“He has to pay! He hurt you and you’re still suffering from it, look at you here! He will-”

“I said ENOUGH!” you scream, voice cracking under the pressure. Before you could register what happens, you hear screams from left and right, people running out of the room quickly. Your hands are shaking with anger and pain, your eyes filling with tears that you try to blink away. You had pushed yourself up in an attempt to get away, but now your knees give out, making you stumble to the floor. Everything around you is blurry, until Tao comes into view. He is looking down at you, tears welling up in his eyes, with guilt and pity. His hands find your shoulders and you feel yourself bend into his touch. 

After a couple of seconds, you find enough strength to push yourself up and look at the damage. It takes a second for you to realise rain is pouring down on you. Tao stays mostly dry because the drops hitting his skin evaporate immediately, but the rest of the crew is not that lucky. The floor of the café is drenched, you have never seen this much water on a wooden floor before. You carefully turn around and look behind you, to be met with two pairs of angry eyes. A tall man that you recognize to be Yifan, and a pretty young woman, Boss. She is looking with some kind of compassion in her eyes, but Yifan has a scowl on his face. He is the first to speak up. “What the hell is going on?”

You let your eyes drift to the ground, the hands on your shoulders leaving. Tao steps forward to shelter you. “I’m sorry, sir. It was my fault. I brought up some touchy subjects and didn't stop when I should have.”

You can only lift your head to meet the colorful eyes of the woman. She reaches forward and takes your hands in hers. Her hands are very warm and you are aware you were probably freezing hers, so you try to pull away but she doesn’t let you. She looks a bit confused, but doesn't let it notice too much. “You got it all out now?”

You nod carefully and to others’ relief, the rain stops falling. Most of the time, you are good at controlling your own power. Just, the tricks you have learned over time come out first when your body starts panicking. She drops your hands and looks around the room. Some people are still in the café, looking at you with nervousness that was not there before. You just know that the Council crew will still be here, but you don't care. You are just tired. Boss sighs and you look at her in confusion. Soon, you see what the problem is. All of the plants in a close radius are covered in ice, thick frosted chunks clinging to the leaves from your outburst. “Did I hit anyone?” you question, swallowing.

She shakes her head, making you sigh in relief. Before anyone can say anything else, you twist your hand, and the frost disappears in an instant. “I’m sorry about your plants. It’s just a temporary frost though, they should still be fine. With a little kindness and care, they’ll be themselves again tomorrow.”

Yifan stares at you in confusion but before anyone can say more, you lean over and whisper into Boss’ ear. She nods and takes Yifan’s hand, giving him a look that says enough, before the two of them disappear in thin air with a pop. Tao lets out a sigh behind you, so you turn to him. Luhan, Yoongi and Vernon are all looking at you with big eyes. “I thought Tao was just very good at overreacting. I guess he’s not.” You sigh and shake your head, walking closer to Yoongi, who spoke.

“No, he IS very good at overreacting. Do you mind?” You let your hands lift up and dry Yoongi’s clothes to the best of your ability, the water pulling into the iceball you create in your hand. You do the same for Vernon, who blinks at you with slight amazement. Then, Yoongi furrows his brows at something behind you, so you turn around. Of course, Baekhyun and his two friends are standing there. All three are staring at you with mouths open, Jongdae crackling with electricity from the tension. The silent one speaks up.

“I have to ask now. What are you?”

You sigh and give Luhan a look, to with he nods and motions both Vernon and Yoongi out of the café. Tao stays behind you stubbornly, and you know you can’t get him away now, so you let him. “I’m a Frost Pixie.”

Baekhyun’s mouth falls open, and Jongdae raises his eyebrows before looking over at said Light Fairy, trying to figure out what is going on. “But you- you were- wait, what?”

“I’m a Frost Pixie, I promise. Same as Snowflake over there.” You nod your head at the silent one of the group, the only one you don't know the name of.

“It’s Minseok,” he responds, as if on cue.

You nod as Jongdae turns back to you. “But you were playing with light earlier… and now you are causing a storm bigger than beginning Storm Sprites can. So, what is that about?”

“Wait, light?” Tao cuts in, looking down at you in confusion. You nod and look back at Baekhyun, who seems to be breaking his head trying to figure everything out.

“Baekhyun, if you could,” you ask, looking between your best friend and the new three men. Baekhyun nods and sends out a careful beam of light, pointing it on you. You coat your hand in ice again, making Baekhyun and Jongdae let out a gasp, before putting your hand in the beam and aiming it at the three boys in front of you. Tao grins down at you, shaking his head in disbelief. “Ice can be kind of like a mirror,” you mumble.

“You are unbelievable. You really are the Master of elements.” Tao is glowing, a proud grin on his face. You chuckle at his expression, pushing him aside before getting serious again. You open your mouth to speak, but the question stays stuck on your tongue. What will happen to you now? The question that spooked you out of talking to them in the first place, yet, here you are.

“So, what now?”

Jongdae looks up at your question, eyes flickering between his two friends, you and Tao. The three seem to come to an unspoken decision, turning back to you. It is Baekhyun who speaks up. “Could you teach us?”

You are sure that if it was possible, your jaw would have hit the floor. “What?”

“We came here as a learning trip, trying to figure out the other Kinds outside of the Other World. Our goal was- well- to blend in. But you were quick to point out that we kind of suck at that. And, even though this is not really the best example,” he pointed around the room, “-you have amazing control over your powers and what you do with them. It’s very impressive. It would be cool to learn that from you.”

Even after his explanation, things don't really seem to make sense. Why would the council be interested in learning so suddenly anyway. Not that you care, but it seems as if the council has had the same rules and ways for a couple of generations. These guys seem pretty young though. Maybe they do want to change stuff. At that thought, you almost say yes. Almost, but you sigh and turn away. “I can’t.”

Minseok and Jongdae frown before both speaking up at the same time. “Why not?”

You shake your head and look out of the tinted window of the bar, sunshine falling through. “People have their reason for leaving. I can’t— I- I don’t want to go back.”

Baekhyun doesn’t talk, his eyes studying you carefully. Jongdae sighs, putting his hands on your shoulders. A small zap goes through you and you yelp, making him grin for a second before going back to serious. “You know who we are, right?”

“Yes?” you frown, lifting one eyebrow.

Jongdae nods. “We’re offering right now. Please. None of us want to revert to other measurements.”

“Is that a threat?”

He just laughs, a bright cat-like smile on his lips. “It’s a suggestion, really. Come on.”

“I don’t know.”

“We’ll be in the council headquarters anyway. Just come, please?” You take a step back, Jongdae’s hands falling off your shoulders as you straighten up. As you pull your fingers through your hair, you sigh. 

Jongdae is right. He’s at least giving you somewhat of an option right now. But if they really want to get you there, they can just perform an official arrest. No one would be able to say anything, because you’re still an ‘Outsider’. Either way, you find yourself slowly nodding. Tao is looking down at you with unreadable expression, before sighing and turning to the Council members. “If she’s going, I am too.”

“Who are you anyway?” Minseok can’t help the small frown on his face.

“Tao, Fire Sprite. Her best friend. Nice to meet you.”

A soft smile spreads on Baekhyun’s lips as he looks up at the tall Sprite, then back at you. “You’re friends with a Fire Sprite? You sure are a funny one.”

Minseok nods in agreement, skeptically eyeing your best friend. Tao doesn’t waste any time and takes a step forward, giving Jongdae, Baekhyun and Minseok a wide-armed hug all at the same time. You grin at Minseok’s uncomfortable face. Tao pulls away with a grin, and you giggle when you hear Minseok mumble a sarcastic ‘Frost and Fire friends pff’. 

As you take a step back, Tao turns to look at you. Noticing your expression, he pulls you for a hug. “You’re gonna be okay.” You nod and bury your face into his chest. He makes a whiny noise, trying to push your cold forehead away from his skin but you just giggle and hold on to him. 

When you let go, Baekhyun and Minseok are watching you two curiously. “I always thought Fire and Frost don't match at all.”

Tao chuckles as he pushes you farther away from him with a smile. “We don’t, she’s horrible.”

“Shut up, cookie dough. You love me.” The guys laugh as they start moving to the door. You look around the bar once more, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. It’s going to be alright. You are going to see this bar back in no time.

You’ve been tailing the four guys in front of you in silence for a couple of streets now, trying to get your thoughts in order. Minseok told you how they would have to get a formal pardon from the leader of the council for you to be there, but that it wouldn’t be a problem because they have a good reason. They’re walking you to one of the portals made by the hidden. Portals are the easiest way to get from the Other World to the human world, for Kinds who don't possess any kind of powers which bend time and space. A difficult concept which you would rather not break your head on. Both the Hidden and the Shadowkinds are Kinds that are more separated from the others, be it mostly by choice. 

The Hidden are nomads who mostly don't have the need for constant housing and the Shadowkinds just don't crave sociability like other Kinds do. Suddenly, you are smacked out of your thoughts when you walk straight into Tao’s back, who stopped in front of a door. 

You groan and take a step back, glaring at Tao, before getting distracted by the sight in front of you. The three council members open the door and walk in like it was the most normal thing in the world, followed by a more hesitant Tao and you. Why are they walking into an apartment building to get to the portal? Surely not- Apparently you’re wrong. There is indeed just a portal door sitting on the wall of someone’s apartment. “Uhm?”

Baekhyun glances back while Jongdae walks through the door, noticing your confused expression. “One of the Representatives lives in the human world from time to time, hence the portal.”

You nod and wait for your turn to go through. You’d never used a real portal before. Sighing once, you push yourself to move when Minseok and Baekhyun have gone through as well. “Too late to run away now?”

Tao smiles at you before patting your head. “It’s gonna be alright, don’t worry.”

One deep breath and you walk through the door. The corridor you arrive in is a bit dark, made of stone and has a couple of doors either side. You ignore the biting feeling of threat at being back and straighten yourself up. Tao comes through not long after so that the group starts moving. Baekhyun falls in step next to you, Minseok walking in front and Tao and Jongdae behind. “We’re going to the council room now. Minseok is going to get Junmyeon and the others so they can assess this case but it’ll be totally fine.”

“Who’s Junmyeon?”

Baekhyun smiles down at you. “Oh, Junmyeon is the Water Representative. He’s the leader of the council.”

“Are all Council members going to assess me?”

“Yup.”

“You’re not going to arrest me, are you?” you mumble.

Baekhyun grins, and keeps his eyes strictly to the front. “No, we won’t. Unless you do something terrible, that is.”

The teasing in his voice made you relax slightly, but you stayed a bit on edge. “Okay, so, who else is there?”

“Other than Jongdae, Minseok and me— we have Kyungsoo, Elf Representative; Sehun, Shadowkinds; Jongin, Hidden; Chanyeol, Fire Sprites; Yixing, Healer; and then Junmyeon.”

“I’ve never met a Healer before.”

“You haven’t?”

“No.”

“Well, I’m glad I can be your first.”

You frown at that, looking at him. He is grinning down at you, clearly not oblivious to the way that sounds. “I’m pretty sure you are not a Healer, Baekhyun. You can’t be my first.”

“Not technically, no. But since I got you here, I’m taking responsibility.”

You chuckle as you shake your head. “I’m holding you to that one. If anything goes wrong, it’s on you.”

The group arrives at a large round room, 9 seats set out to face each other in a circle. Above each seat hangs a banner, but you don't have the slightest idea of which language is written on them. Minseok gives a quick nod before walking out of the room, presumably to get the other Council members. “Uhm… what do I say?” you mumble.

Jongdae and Baekhyun turn back to face you. “I don’t think you’ll have to say much. We’ll do most of the talking for you.”

You nod and look around the room some more. “What do those say?”

Before anyone can answer, Tao leans forward to whisper in your ear. “It’s Keeper language. Nobody here can read it.”

Both the Representatives and you turn to him with furrowed brows. “How do you know that?”

Tao shrugs, walking away from you while inspecting the room some more. You stare at him with a small smile before doing some exploring on your own. The room is pretty big, but aside from the banners, the walls are bare. There is a skylight to let the sun into the place, though you are not sure if it is really connected to the outside. You walk up closer to inspect one of the seats. They are big and stoic, like they’ve not been moved for hundreds and hundreds of years. Probably haven’t. 

On the little desk in front of the seat stands a glass of water. What a random, normal thing in such a strange room. You bend down in front of it. With your hands either side of the glass, barely touching, you let it freeze ever so slightly along the left side. The water pulls towards the ice, even pulling up a bit at the edge of the glass. Then you release it, creating a little wave that plops back. You grin. Repeating this a few times, from side to side. The water bends around in the glass from left to right, pulling up to meet your fingers. With a light chuckle, you let it go again. Who needs Water powers?

“Uhm… Bubbles?”

You look at the call of your voice, turning to your right. Tao is looking with big eyes, but he isn’t looking at you. You snap your head towards the door. The first man you see stands looking straight at you in the doorway. He looks regal in a way you can’t explain. You close your gaping mouth quickly, scrambling over to the back of the room. He doesn’t speak, but you’re glad he doesn’t. He seems to command some sort of authority, making you avert your eyes to look at your toes. As he passes you to walk to the seats, more people catch your eye. 

The next man is tall, a stoic expression painted on his face. He has beautiful dark features, making you stare for a moment before pulling yourself together. The shadows looming around his feet are deep, pulling you in. You quickly look away. Two more men walk in at the same time. One very tall, the other, not so much. The shorter man had a neutral expression, as the tall one grinning widely with his arm around the other’s shoulders. The short man is steady, strong. He feels just as powerful, but in a reassuring way. The tall one though, you almost can’t turn to face him completely. If you think being with Tao is hard, it’s barely nothing in comparison to this man. 

Seemingly unaware of himself, his flames are almost glowing off of him, leading a trail of ashes from his skin. He is too warm, too close, and you feel yourself take a step back, holding your head. Suddenly you feel very lightheaded, black spots swimming on your vision. Tao must have been holding his powers inside so much for you to have been almost unaffected by him. Said man rushes forward as he sees your reaction. With a hand on your lower back and one on your arm, he steadies you. You can see the worry in his eyes, but you shake your head. The next two men are silent, calm. 

One of them brings a strange cooling sensation to you as he walks past, though not the same as a Frost Pixie would. Everything about this man feels calming, soothing. The other is an even stranger occurrence to you. He stands fitting about, his skin twitching softly from time to time. He seems weightless as he walks. All men take place in their seats, Baekhyun, Jongdae and Minseok having done the same already. You look around the room at all the men in front of you. They are all so powerful. 

Your mind supplies the names for you. The tallest man sitting to your right must be Chanyeol, Fire Representative. His skin is glowing in a fire you had never seen on any other Fire Sprite. No wonder he is the Representative. You silently take a step away from him. You go further around the room until your eyes fall on Minseok, Jongdae and Baekhyun. You now notice how much they belong here. You stare at them. How had you not noticed earlier how strong they were? Minseok is sitting with a neutral expression, his hands glowing with a blue-ish tone, seemingly frozen. 

Jongdae is sitting back in his chair relaxed, but despite him not having lightning littering his skin now, you can almost feel the shocks on your skin. And Baekhyun, who is looking at you with a small smile, is blinding. He was bright before, but now, his skin is not just reflecting the light, it is emitting light itself, creating in a bright white glow around him. You can feel yourself shy into Tao’s hold as some of the men turn their eyes to you. 

The one in the middle of the circle, straight in front of you, speaks up. “Minseok, you called this meeting?”

Minseok nods and stands up, looking around the room. “Baekhyun, Jongdae and me all called upon this meeting today.”

“I’m guessing it has to do with the two individuals in front of us.”

Baekhyun now stands up too, looking at the other man. “It only concerns one of them, Junmyeon.”

You look over at the other man again. Junmyeon, Water Representative and leader of the council, of course. Junmyeon’s eyes find yours, as well as some of the other Council members. You can’t help the feeling stirring in your stomach. This is in no way going to end well. They aren’t going to let a runaway help them, why would they. You shake at the thought of being sent back home. Your hands go cold, you can feel your powers slip down into your fingers and hands, without meaning to. “I’ll let you take the word then, Baekhyun. Go ahead.”

Baekhyun nods before sending you a smile and turning back to the council. “As you all know, Jongdae, Minseok and me, were send out to the human world on a research trip. The most sheltered kinds, sent out to explore and learn about the human world and the Outsiders that reside there.” He pauses. “We’ve been there for two days now, trying to blend in. But, it seems that is a bit harder than expected.”

All the heads turn from Baekhyun to you, probably wondering where you come in. “To blend in is obviously hard for sheltered kinds. But this Frost Pixie,” nodding his head to you, “blends in very impressively. So much so, that when I first saw her, I had no clue of what Kind she was.”

Junmyeon holds his hand to stop Baekhyun’s explanation for a moment. “What is your name?”

“Y/N.”

“Am I assuming correctly that Y/N is an Outsider, Baekhyun?” Baekhyun pauses for a second, before nodding. Some mumbling breaks out in the room. “You three brought an Outsider to the Council room, without consulting with us first?”

Jongdae stands up now too, clearing his throat to call the attention to him. “Junmyeon, she’s harmless. Please, hear us out.”

Junmyeon hesitates but let’s them continue. Minseok speaks up again. “We want to let her help us learn to blend in as well as expand our powers. Not just us three, but all of us. Sienna has a good control over her powers and she’s very creative with how she uses her powers.”

Junmyeon’s eyes scan you once, before flicking to the glass in front of him for a split second, then back to you. The Fire Representative suddenly speaks up. “Who’s the guy?”

You hesitate, but since the question seems directed at you, you carefully answer. “This is my best friend, Tao. He’s a-”

“Fire Sprite,” Tao finishes for you, noticing the discomfort in your stance.

He subtly takes a step towards you, taking your hand. You look down in confusion before you can see your hands are almost frozen over because of the tension now. Because of Tao’s warm hands, yours unfreeze the slightest bit. You send him a grateful look. So much for controlling your own powers. Seems like being back brings back some memories. Junmyeon doesn’t say anything for a long while. When he finally does, the heaviness in his gaze seems to lift. “What were you doing earlier?”

“I’m sorry?”

“With the glass. Can you show me?”

You slowly nod, taking a step towards the leader, and focus on the glass. With a soft pull of your hand, the water in the glass moves towards one side. The edges of the glass freeze over slightly, but you make sure not to make it too cold. Then you move the water to the other side of the glass. A soft smile comes on your lips as you lose yourself in your powers for a second. When you notice how close you have stepped to Junmyeon’s chair, you take a few steps back with a blush. No one says anything for a while, but you can tell they are all thinking about it.

“What else can you do? It’s cool that you can move some water, but that isn’t of much help to us.” The Shadow Representative nods at you.

Before you can answer, Tao steps forward. “She can make storms.”

All heads turn to you in confusion, then to Jongdae. They probably expected the Storm Sprite to disagree, but he’s just smiling at you, mischief in his eyes. You look at Junmyeon in question. He nods. You take a deep breath and motion for Tao to take a step back. With the most concentration you can muster, you wave your hand up. Small drops of water start pulling together, pulling closer until suddenly, the skylight is covered by dark clouds. 

Soft drops start patting down on the stone floor. Then, it starts pouring. You laugh slightly as you hear Sehun voice an annoyed grunt. All the council members are staring up at the clouds in slight amazement, and you try to hide your proud smile. Suddenly, a loud thunder strike makes everyone jump.  You shriek and turn to Jongdae. “Don’t do that!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jongdae smirks, eyes proud. You roll your eyes but can’t help the smile on your face. Jongdae flicks his hand nonchalantly, making the cloud clear. 

The room is silent as all eyes turn to Junmyeon. He seems to still be on edge. “Baekhyun?”

“Yes?”

“Why don't you know what Kind she was when you first saw her?”

Baekhyun grins a little guilty smile, his face suddenly turning a shade pinker. “I- I walked into this human café and sat down, but suddenly someone shone a beam of light in my face. That was her.”

More confused glances in your direction. You look at your feet but take a step forward. “I had noticed from the moment he walked in, that he was a Light Fairy. It really wasn’t very hard, either. I was just messing around.”

Baekhyun nods, sending a beam of light your way. You freeze your hand, catching the light and shining it across the room to flicker on the walls, like you had done earlier. Baekhyun continues. “This is why I thought she was a Light Fairy at first, and that was the reason I approached her.”

“So what do you plan to achieve with her stay here?” the Earth Representative asks, his eyes scanning you again.

“We can all learn, right? I would think this would be your kind of thing, Kyungsoo.” Baekhyun’s eyes glint as he smirks at his friend.

Junmyeon clears his throat, before pressing his hands together. “Does anyone have a problem with this proposition? If you do, speak up now.” The room stays silent. “Good. We’ll allow you a formal pardon, Y/N. But you are to have one of the Council members with you at all times.” You give a quick nod, as Junmyeon stands up and dismisses the Council meeting, all Representatives walking out of the room. 

You let out a deep sigh, while Tao squeezes your hand victoriously. “I told you it would be fine.”

Behind you, someone claps their hands. “Right, let’s get going. The Frost Capital is quite a bit away.”