It happened. It came true. Lydia wanted to blow off steam, do what made her feel alive, electrified: Steal.

And now that this ridiculous festival was coming up, Lydiana knew that there were plenty of people she could victimize. What she did not plan on was who she might run into again.

Lydia should have known. She was wearing a nightgown! If she had not already stuck out like a sore thumb being transparent, a person walking around in public wearing their nightwear was sure to get them noticed.

And there she was, creating a storm, when she heard someone shouting, "Ghost!" Sure enough, it was the man from her last pickpocketing adventure.

Lydiana was at first completely petrified. But then her flight instincts kicked in and she knew that she had to escape.

Irritably enough, the servant followed Lydiana back to her actual body, hence now he no longer assumed she was merely a ghost. Lydia did manage to lose him in the crowd, but she cannot count on the mystery of life's circumstances to not throw them together again.

She could no longer pickpocket in St. Austin's. When she was finished with the orphanage, Lydia would move out of that town forever. The further she was, the safer and better her life will be.

...

Lydia blew into the orphanage, ready to gossip with Kylee about everything that had happened, when Ms. Sweetnam was found waiting on the staircase.

The orphan completely forgot their argument of earlier and mutely scorned herself for letting her guard down.

"Did you steal?" Ms. Sweetnam inquired monotonously.

"No!" the orphan replied defensively. "Why would you assume that?"

"Well, you are out of breath and still improperly dressed."

Lydia blushed and attempted to pass her.

"Please allow me to change."

"Not yet, Lydiana. I have some news."

Lydia did not turn, but waited on the steps beside the old woman and waited for what she had to say.

"A man is waiting in my office. He is here to see you."

"To see me?" Lydia paled, realizing that it must be a constable. Ms. Sweetnam must have fetched for him after Lydia's sudden confession earlier.

"Why?"

"He is here to discuss the possibility of adopting you."

Lydia stepped back to look at Ms. Sweetnam's face, expecting her to be joking, but found her expression completely solemn.

"Who is he? And why me?"

"Never mind that. Just change. I do not think you would like to introduce yourself in your nightwear. Meet me in my office as soon as you are finished."

Instantly Lydia was up the stairs and in her room, stripping down to her feet.

There was a gentle knock against the door and she heard, "Lydia? Are you busy?"

"I am changing, but you may come in."

Lydiana's friend slightly opened the door, slipped in, and shut it tight behind her.

"I hear you might be getting adopted." Kylee beamed, anticipating exchanging a sisterly embrace.

"Do you know who they are?" Lydia whispered back.

"I know it is a man."

Lydia's brows furrowed. "Just a man? Does he have a wife?"

"I do not know."

Guilt washed over her. "Why you? Why not the children?"

"I do not know." Lydia pulled on a pale frilly dress that she only wore for special occasions such as holidays or birthdays.

"But, before I forget, I have something to tell you."

"Alright," Kylee answered, focused on her friend.

"I went downtown this afternoon," Lydia confessed. "I walked around in my ghost body."

Kylee nodded continuously, as if this was completely normal.

"And then that man who we saw last time, saw me today as well!"

Lydia's friend gasped. "Are you sure?"

"Of course! He followed after me."

"Did he, you know...Did he find your body?" She winced at the thought.

Lydia slumped in defeat. "Yes, he did. But I managed to lose him."

"Oh, I am so sorry, Lydia. He did not do anything to you, did he?" Kylee grabbed Lydia's face and examined her closely.

"No, he did nothing. Hopefully if I am adopted I will not have to go anywhere near that place again."

This comment silenced Kylee, forcing Lydia to grab one of her fallen hands and squeeze it.

"Do not worry. Soon you will also be leaving."

"Do you really mean that?"

"Yes," Lydia lied. "I mean, if I can manage to be adopted, you definitely can."

Kylee's face softened. "Thank you, Lydia. I really will miss you."

The perhaps-soon-to-be adopted orphan accepted Kylee's hug and said, "I will miss you, too. But let us not get our hopes up. This might mean nothing."

Lydiana stood straight and gathered any confidence she had. Before she left the room, she stared blankly at the door.

"What is it?"

"I do not know," Lydia smiled crookedly. "I thought I saw a shadow of something."

Kylee glanced around. "There's nothing in here."

Lydiana swung open the door. "I know that. It's just the jitters."

Just the jitters.

...

"Can we go home?" Kasey wailed as he and his socius sat under the shade of a tree, watching coaches race past. "I am spent."

"We cannot leave," Destery answered irritably. "We are on orders."

"How will they know?" Kasey demanded. "Our orders are to stay until further notice. What if "further notice" is not for a dozen years?"

Destery rolled his eyes. "You are just tired."

"I am indeed tired of this wretched waiting. In addition, how I cannot flirt with any girls. And how deadly boring you are. I feel like I am lying beside a corpse."

"I apologize," Kasey's partner answered with a shrug. "I suppose I have been slightly distracted."

"Well whatever is on your mind, forget about it. Life is too short to worry about things."

"You worry about things."

"Important things," Kasey corrected.

"Dallying with girls is important?" Destery inquired, one eyebrow arched.

"Extremely important."

Silence invaded the socius' and Kasey began to hum.

"Stop that," Destery ordered.

"Stop what?" his friend asked innocently.

"You know what."

In response, Kasey continued his humming. "That?"

"Yes," Destery confirmed through gritted teeth.

"Why?"

"You know why."

"No. I rather quite like the melody. It fixes this moody, murky atmosphere. I think," Kasey whistled, "I am going to keep doing this until we receive more orders."

Destery cringed as his friend continued his humming, trying to block out the extra sound as Kasey scratched the bark of the tree beside him.

Destery's hands ached a good punch. It would be a good way to shut up his dear old friend.

"You boys," a shadow said as it lurked before them. "Care to help us delicate women?"

Kasey stopped his annoying noise making and glanced up, carefully eyeing the brunette and pale haired ladies standing coolly before the two. Behind them was a coach and dozens of shopping boxes beside and within it.

"Delicate women?" Kasey scoffed. "That might work on any man excluding us."

Chloe scoffed. "You are not doing anything. Just sitting on a spot of grass. What is the harm in helping us pass the time?"

"It is not harmful, it is just idiotic," Kasey answered with a forced smile. "Do not worry, there are plenty of fools here that would be willing to help put your toys into your little box."

"They do not look heavy," Destery observed from his angle. "You can do it yourselves."

Felis covered her mouth and nose like she was restraining herself from vomiting.

"We are ladies, Des," Chloe sneered. "We cannot possibly do such strenuous tasks."

"Unfortunately," Destery smiled sincerely at them, "we are on orders not to move. If you really want our help, you may feel free to wait here with us, or take it up with the bosses."

Kasey looked at his partner with wide, frightened eyes. Destery did not favor the idea of being stranded with those monstrous girls for hours either, but he knew that even if they decided to stay, it would not be for long. They only enjoyed harassing the boys until it got wearisome-at least for Lia.

Chloe scowled and turned her maroon covered back to Destery and Kasey, barking at the carriage driver to haul the rest of the bags into the carriage.

"How do they manage to afford that?" Destery asked in awe as the girls drove away.

"Their Sacrificings," his partner answered, partly bored.

"Are you serious? That is so many."

"They are girls," Kasey shrugged. "Girls will do anything to get what they want."

Before Destery could comment Kasey pointed at the smooth, oval, red gem tied around Destery's hip. A cloud of gold smoke had filled it.

"It is your-"

"I know," Destery interrupted, covering his belt as if this action would make the issue go away. "But we are on orders."

Kasey gaped at his partner. "Our orders are to wait here, under a tree, for who knows how long, when your Illuminos is awake!"

A sudden red light drew Destery's attention to Kasey's wrist where a thick black leather band with a similar oval gem was tied.

"Yours is awake, as well."

The two stared each other in the eye, seeing the hesitation but determination. They had to-if they refused, they'd regret it for the rest of their lives.

...

Lydiana froze outside of Ms. Sweetnam's office. Something, just something did not feel right. It was the feeling she got when Cook Katherine made her special Fried Beef Chowder Soup when Lydia was eight-years-old.

Lydia was wise enough not to eat it and everyone who did was bedridden for a week. However, Lydia was not going to eat soup today. She was going to meet her potential new father. That couldn't make her sick, that shouldn't make her sick.

No, this had to be what people called nerves. Lydia had, after all, never once been in a position of possibly being adopted and there she was, a door away from making that possible.

All these thoughts of what his name was, what his profession was, what he looked like, what his personality was like, was giving Lydia the worst headache she had ever experienced.

At one point, the thoughts were so overwhelming that she knew if she did not get into Ms. Sweetnam's office then, she would never do it.

Lydia opened the door slowly, peering in. Sure enough, Ms. Sweetnam sat comfortably in her chair while a tall, lean man in a strict black suit stood straight, facing the woman.

"Lydiana," Ms. Sweetnam brightened at the sight of the orphan's sickly face. "Come on in. Meet Mr. Fisher."

Lydia reluctantly dragged her feet inside and allowed the door to close behind her.

Mr. Fisher. Lydia Fisher. Miss Lydiana Fisher.

It could be worse.

Lydia's perhaps-soon-to-be adopted father turned around slowly, but eagerly, like a wolf sensing a plump rabbit only a few feet away.

What Lydia saw surprised her. It was an ordinary looking man-nothing suspicious at all. He appeared to her in his forties with a few wise wrinkles on his face and gray specks in his red hair. His dark brown, almost black, eyes reflected her perfectly.

Lydia felt like a stoned statue in his presence. Mostly because she had never had this feeling about someone before.

This feeling of caution. This feeling of....Cook Katherine's chowder.

"Ah, Lydia, it is a pleasure to finally meet you," Mr. Fisher finally said, his voice smooth as water.

Lydiana could only muster a nod in response.

"I can understand your confusion of my sudden appearance, but I assure you there is a perfectly good reason."

Ms. Sweetnam only smiled from the sidelines.

"I have other children," he explained carefully, like he was speaking to a slow-minded child, "like you."

"Orphans?" Lydia guessed.

His grin widened a bit.

"In a sense."

In a sense?

"I know it may not make much sense, but you are very important, so if you agree to come with me I promise you will live a very...comfortable life."

Lydiana squinted her eyes suspiciously. "Comfortable?"

"Yes. What do you say?"

Her bluebell eyes turned back to Ms. Sweetnam.

This was all very vague. What was his occupation? Did he have a wife? What were his children like? Were his other children adopted or not? Why was Lydiana important to this stranger?

The orphan's hands turned clammy.

No, she knew why she was important. And she knew by the look in his eyes that he knew as well.

This should be a good thing, right? He knew her ability and he still wanted to adopt her.

But this doesn't feel like a good thing. It feels like...like...well, sickening.

"Lydia?" Ms. Sweetnam asked, penetrating her thoughts.

"Uh? Oh, um," she licked her lips and returned her attention to Mr. Fisher. This may be her only chance of actual freedom. She could hear a part of her head shout at her "Say yes! Say yes!"

"May I think about it?" A piece of Lydiana stomped off in dismay.

To Lydia's surprise Mr. Fisher said, unperturbed, "Of course. I will give you until your birthday to decide. Then I will return for your answer. Good day, ladies."

Two days. I have two days to make up my mind.

When the door was closed behind Lydia she heard a slow, outraged voice.

"What. Have. You. Done?"

"Ms. Sweetnam?" Lydia blinked.

"That was your opportunity! Your doorway out! A family that you have always wanted! Why on heaven's earth did you say no?"

"I did not say "no," I said I would think about it," Lydia defended. "And what do we know about him and his family? He was so vague."

"He was not vague about it at all. He is a businessman with a few children of his own. His wife passed away. He has all children go to decent private schools. Mr. Fisherman is a perfect gentlemen. I cannot see why you turned him down."

"Chowder." She stared at her feet.

"What?"

"He gives me Cook Katherine's Beef Chowder feeling."

Ms. Sweetnam sighed.

"Not that again. Lydiana, he is not chowder and it was not Katherine's fault that children became sick! Many ate the chowder and were perfectly fine."

"No, it was definitely the chowder," Lydia retorted. "And Mr. Fisherman is definitely...well, I don't know, but he is definitely something."

"Lydiana, go eat something then get some rest. Maybe then you will have some peace of mind and realize your mistake," Ms. Sweetnam ordered wearily.

As Lydia began to leave she heard Ms. Sweetnam grumble, "Out of all the orphans, I have never..."