The mornings at the Academy were typically peaceful things. The sun rose opposite of the Academy, meaning that Bird had come to rely on the sounds of movement around his room to rouse him. He wasn’t a particularly deep sleeper, thankfully, but this morning saw him rising later than he had meant to when his neighbors slept in as well.

It was an annoyance, but not a problem of particular consequence. It made him consider trying to make one of the screaming constructs that his neighbors used, which seemed to ring out at the same time each morning. Perhaps that would be his first project in more practical courses.

The commodities of Goldwind were easy to get used to. In particular, Bird had come to love the shower in his room, as he had learned the construct to be called. Getting sprayed with hot water had sounded strange, at least how the booklet described it. It had instructions for just about every construct in the unit, though it all sounded alien at first.

It felt amazing though. He had started to indulge himself in a shower in the morning and before bed, something that he wouldn’t have pushed in Lowmyre.

That wasn’t to say he couldn’t bathe at the Nightlight, but the plumbing in Lowmyre left a lot to be desired. You had a few minutes of hot water at best, after which it was either lukewarm or outright cold. Typically it meant that the water temperature wasn’t always pleasant by the time a tub was filled. Water could be heated in a pot and added, but that was a time consuming luxury that most didn’t indulge in often. Not to mention if one bit of plumbing went in a house, most things connected to it stopped working too.

There was a certain frustration to being able to shower in hot water for as long as he wished with just the turn of a knob. At first it had been more because of the disparity between Lowmyre and Goldwind, but the last few days it had been more internally directed. Bird couldn’t shake the thought that he was somehow betraying his home by enjoying these amenities.

Thoughts like that lingered like a vile imp on his shoulder, nagging into moments that shouldn’t have been that complicated. As he dried himself off and donned the travelling clothes he had arrived in, Bird recalled having lost his appetite the day before for having enjoyed the ambiance of the tavern too much. He didn’t know if it was justified or if it was legitimate, but it was starting to weigh on him too constantly for comfort.

Doubting his enjoyment of lessons, wondering if his use of any amenity was betrayal, feeling isolated at every mention of a group or unity; those poisonous thoughts had thoroughly infested his headspace. It made the journey he was about to undertake all the more important in his mind.

His pack had been filled with different camping supplies, with his notebooks and journals stashed within. Anyone who stopped him would have plenty of visible evidence that he was simply leaving the city for a little camping trip. Bird even had a whole story about a small pond at the ready, complete with a folded fishing rod tucked on the side of his bag.

It had been a shiny copper to buy all the supplies, but Bird saw it as an investment in a cover story. Leaving the city was the only way for him to sneak around to Lowmyre without being noticed at the gates directly between Goldwind and his home. That also lent itself to why he was leaving his alchemist’s robes behind; they were too noticeable, and far too out of place in Lowmyre.

He locked the door behind him and started making his way down the walkway between the rooms. It wasn’t directly open to the air, but a combination of architecture and glyphs kept fresh air moving at a lazy pace through the structure. So many things here had been made with small creature comforts built in.

The population of the Academy tended to be slow moving on the weekends, though they were certainly still out en masse for whatever tasks or leisure they fancied. Bird felt a bit out of place without his robes, but he had grown at least a little confident that he wouldn’t be noticed more than anyone else.

It was somewhat like Lowmyre in that regard. Most people were absorbed enough in their own lives and business that they might look, but they wouldn’t do much else. Their friends might hear about it if you looked particularly strange, but not many people actually cared enough to stop anomalies.

As it happened though, an outlier to that rule fell into Bird’s line of sight and revealed himself as such by making a beeline to him. Gold medallion, slicked black hair, and a sword at his hip under the robes; Bird knew the figure well but it wasn’t until Roderick was nearly upon him that he recalled the name.

“Student Barda, where are your robes?” The intensity was a little higher than Bird expected, the expression a bit harder. Roderick had been intimidating at the examination but this was a little more focused.

“They’re up in my room. I didn’t want them to get dirty.” Roderick’s expression shifted a little, not quite in a way Bird could read. The Weird hadn’t seen him around since the exam and didn’t know what to make of this..

“There are plenty of ways to clean the robes; your first week of practical courses will feature a minor spell that can be used to clean and repair clothing, and there are cleaning services in the city until then.” Roderick pulled a small leatherbound book out of his robe and tapped it against his palm. “Any member of the Academy is required to wear their robes and any signifiers of duty while on the grounds. It is written clearly in the rulebook you were given upon admittance.”

“Actually, is that what the rulebook looks like?” Bird’s question actually stopped Roderick’s rhythmic tapping for a moment. The incredulous expression on his face was slowly turning to anger, so Bird spoke quickly. “I didn’t see any book like that in the package at my dorm, that’s all!”

“...You did not receive a copy of the rulebook?” The legitimate confusion on Roderick’s face told Bird he might have had an actual out here. “Surely you received some kind of briefing on Academy policy, and received it then?”

“No, I’ve just been figuring it out as I go, watching other people and asking when I can avoid looking too stupid.” Bird reached for his bag, but stopped short. It was easier to mention it than dig it out. “I got a few blank notebooks in the parcel, so I thought that it was maybe a lecture I was supposed to attend and get notes. Nothing like that came up though.”

“I see. Well, I suppose that excuses you from scorn.” Bird swore that was an attempt at humor. “Still, I’ll request that you go back and don your robe now that you know. What had you so concerned about dirtying it?”

A use for the backstory he had made. Roderick’s intensity didn’t make lying seem like a great idea, but Bird reminded himself that the man had no reason to doubt him..

“I was going to leave Goldwind for a day, do a little camping out by a pond I know of. I just didn’t want the robe getting torn up in all of that; I worked hard for it.” To Bird’s relief, Roderick seemed appeased by the answer.

“I might suggest you remove the robe while actually outside of the city then, but you should definitely take it with you. The robes mark you as part of the Academy, and they’ll grant you quicker passage through the city gates, as well as passage after hours.”

That would have been excellent information to have beforehand.

“Good to know, thank you. I’ll head back and get them right away then!” Bird’s turn was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He stared at the proffered book, confused by the gesture.

“It won’t do to have you unable to learn the rules and regulations. I expect this back, but I will trust you with my personal copy.” Bird didn’t know how to take the gesture. Roderick continued while Bird stared at book that was now in his hands. “You seem a good sort. Perhaps overly willing to gamble, but good regardless. Enjoy your camping, Bird.”

“Yeah, enjoy your weekend too.” Bird called out over his shoulder, a few seconds later when his brain had processed Roderick’s departure.

It felt a little odd to don the robes after that exchange. It wasn’t so much that he felt strange for wearing the robes. No, it was more the realization that he felt less strange with them on that was odd.

The panic of being discovered was primarily background noise in his mind as Bird walked the streets of Goldwind, making his way to the gates. He did his best to blend into different crowds, trying to look confident in his path when that failed. By luck or by skill Bird made it to the gate unaccosted, and found himself looking out over Lowmyre as he walked the bridge.

“...keep an eye on your purse. Best to avoid it entirely if you can.”

“Every city has one, I suppose.”

“If only. The people living there are mutants and thieves. I hear the water down there curdles the blood…”

Bird did little to hide his disdain as a conversation passed him. He schooled his features back to his best neutral, but there was every temptation to throw a punch.

He hadn’t heard too much in the Academy dragging Lowmyre, but he suspected it was because the students and members were too absorbed in their own work. Residents of the city and visiting merchants had more to say about the lower city, and what they said was less than flattering. Of course, Bird had heard it all in passing. If there was any context that made anything better he didn’t have it.

Bird also doubted knowing the context would make it any better..

Leaving the gate at the end of the bridge was as uneventful as it had been when he arrived. That is to say, Bird panicked internally only to pass by without the guards particularly noticing him.

He stuck to the road for a mile or so, waiting until the gate was out of sight and the path was clear of other travelers before he turned off into the grass. He stowed the robes as he walked, stuffing them into a pack so that the maroon wouldn’t stand out amongst the green grass.

It would take some time to swing wide and reach the part of Lowmyre he intended to enter. The walk gave him time to figure out when would be the best time to change his appearance. Ideally it would be in an hour or so, far enough from either road for anyone to see him. Paranoia aside, it should have been a peaceful walk.

So, after rounding a hill, Bird nearly jumped out of his skin when a figure sprang up from the grass. It took a long second to recognize Foresight, but the two seemed equally surprised for that second.

“Good, good. This wasn’t a dead end vision then.” Foresight sighed, reaching down to pull up a pack from the ground. “Here, I saw you might need something a little more… Lowmyre-y.”

Bird hardly had time to greet his fellow Weird before a familiar tunic was thrown his way. He couldn’t help but smile a bit; for all his paranoia, Foresight did have a talent for being somewhere when you needed him.

It had been a concern in the back of his mind that his clothes might be a little too classy for Lowmyre. He doubted anyone would stop him, but Bird’s main concern was getting noticed. All it took was for the wrong person to make the right connection.

Most Weirds wouldn’t be a problem because they couldn’t frequent both Lowmyre and Goldwind, but there was the odd merchant or two that made the trip down for cheap goods or labor.

Bird shucked his clothes and donned the ones Foresight had brought. By the look of them, they were from his room in the Nightlight. The necklace went into his pocket, but everything else was stowed in his own pack. It felt nice to be without the disguise, the high collar and necklace in particular. There was even a pair of bracers for his wrists so his mouths could breathe without the gloves.

He twisted about and rolled his shoulders, almost feeling like he had to settle back into himself. Bird looked to his hands and smiled in triplicate, feeling a little more free.

“Better?”

“Much. Let’s go.”