A line of bells traveling from line point to line point jingled the middle of the afternoon, and with it, lunchtime for most of the Caer’s citizens. Some spent it with a lunchbox, others with home-cooked meals at ceramic stoves, or grills that anyone could use. Those in the mood for a faster deal, though, would always hit the stalls from the Clover Arena; Besides a good meal, they would be sure to also find some to eat with, chatting or otherwise. 

Lian, after much deliberation on what to do while she was staying in the city, decided on nothing per se and a whim took a role helping out around the arena in the end. Today she was tasked with cutting slices from a blue, puffy bread and filling them with a red paste from a labeled bottle. 

-“Yap, we make our own ketchup here”, replied Arim who came to visit by himself. He was still upset with Zinc after the underground incident and decided that the two needed a pause. “ I left him with the coral sister, who works in the library. He seems overly enthusiastic about bossing people around, like where to put books and stuff. Eh, the girl also had no issue with him, so I guess it’s fine.”

Lian -” Aha”, only glanced at him, waiting to see if he would bring up the topic of Ogda, or if she had to. She felt a bit ashamed and antsy asking about him, but she was still a bit curious about it. “So…how’s Ogda’s training going?”.

Arim -” Oh, that. Well, I think he calmed out a bit and grasped something about his abilities. Mostly thanks to Giol, the two seemed to have hit it off somehow. But…”

Lian -” But?”

-” In my opinion, he’s dealing with some things. And he won’t tell us what.” Arim then told her the entire story of what happened in the underground, and she reacted a bit differently from how he expected. Lian dropped her knife, put both of her arms on his cheeks, and gently turned his neck to the left, then the right to see the burn marks he was hiding under his turtleneck.

Lian -” Are you…ok?”, she asked in a low voice, to which the boy said nothing, and just blushed. Lian then realized how close she was to his face, noticing the scars on his nose and light green spots in his otherwise green eyes. His blushing made her react the same, and she quickly let him free. “I’m sorry, my mistake, I forgot to ask you…”

-” It’s fine”, he replied with a shaken voice. “ It’s fine”, Arim repeated a few more times before a customer gave them enough time to shake the entire ordeal off. His eye color, though, reminded Lian of something else to ask about, something she learned recently. “ Hey, so do you also have…the dot?” 

-” Thee…dot?” Arim didn’t know if she was serious or trying to clumsily move to another thing, and he tilted his head, confused about what she meant. 

Lian -” You know…for the powers?”

-” Theee…powers?” he asked, with a forced pause and a slight, squeaky increase to his last word. Lian didn’t laugh or find it particularly funny, but a smirk did find a way to her face. 

Lian -” Yes, yes, the mighty people's powers”, she replied with a smile. Arim was contemptuous to see her like that, but then realized that he had to answer. Truthfully. He fidgeted his fingers and raised one corner of his mouth, then the other. 

Arim -” I have something to admit”, with a seriousness that made Lian stop her preparation. She turned around and guessed what it could be. 

Lian -” You and Zinc aren’t pact partners, right?” Before Arim could ask more after confirming it with his shock, she continued-“ When I used my ability, besides the ocean, I saw something else…strings? Yes, let’s just call them strings. Anyway, all of us whose strings linked to that place aren’t…or can’t become pact partners. That’s been my theory for a while now.”

After telling him everything, she confessed that she kept to herself because of fear, which made Arim realize how Ogda and Lian are more alike than they realize. “ He kinda said the same thing. Ogda. He’s also weirded out by the whole situation, believe it or not. And it kinda makes sense, neither really know who you are, so it makes sense to trust others that easily.”

Lian just stared, with half of her hidden in her palm, with an acrid look in her eyes. “ I don’t…why are you like this, Arim?”

Arim -”... Experience. With Zinc, and some stuff with my parents while growing up. But like I said to Ogda, this place helped me, and I guess I’m just trying to imitate that…If that makes any sense?”

The girl didn’t know what to say anymore, and for the moment decided to do the first that felt right. “ I’m gonna need some help with the bread, can you give me a hand?”, to which he nodded and silently and peacefully cut tens of misshapen slices for that day.

....

???? -” Darling, you sure don't want us to come back earlier? No offense, but I can smell from this layer the moldiness of the room; and from the grogginess of your voice, you barely talked with anyone for days, right?”

The leader of the Platinum Union flinched at the remarks and took a 180 view of his poorly lightened office. The piles of tomes were smaller than a month ago, but still formed towers of complaints and other issues. “ …true”, he replied, defeated. “ I just, I’ve already split some of my work with other people, but it’s still not enough. “

The woman on the side of the call sighted in camaraderie with him -” I know, I'm kinda stuck in a rut here as well. And that also means that we might be a bit later than expected…” She went silent for a few seconds, continuing to sigh, this time in disappointment, a couple of times. “ I just missss you all. I just wanna spend a day hugging you, and my babygirl as well.”

-” Sweetie…that sounds perfect!”, Masso said, giving an enthusiastic thumbs up. “Brigit might not enjoy that, though, she has become a busybody lately.”

???? -” Oh yeah? Guess since I’m not there to occupy her time with dotting on her, she probably got bored and had to occupy it somehow”, said the lady with a cheered-up tone. “ Well, I’m going to hug her so much that she will need more than Victor’s cooking to recover. Same to you.”

Masso -” Deary, she’s 22. Almost grown up already by human standards. Also, that sounds like a threat.”

???? -” Don’t care, entered an ear and left through the other; she’ll always be my precious girl for me.” He could just picture her putting her feathery arms on her shoulders, grinning like a carefree idiot. 

-” Welp, I think we’re lucky to have Perren acting as a responsible role model in her life”, said Masso, realizing that he wasn’t that much better either. 

???? -” You damn right we are. How is he by the way, is he back yet?”

Masso -” Yeah, he returned some time ago. Oh, that reminds me, I’ve got to gather everyone", he sighted and massaged his forehead for a couple of moments; "Victor and him are having another practice fight. And I’m not going to lose another building to those battle maniacs.”

???? -” Ahhh, that spectacle. I’m guessing the rumor is out already, so you’re also going to have a full audience as well?... At least the old one will take a break from that tree...right? ” The woman threw that last remark with a bit of ire in her tone. 

Masso -” Yap… And some special guests as well. The same people from your old homeland. ”

–” Oh…OHHH!” The moment she understood what he meant, the woman’s playful attitude disappeared instantly. “Please be careful, Masso. I know they act all friendly and all, and I keep repeating it; but the leaders of my people are more than likely linked to the floods. And you, dealing with them in secret, could jeopardize the Union’s attempts to be acknowledged by the Tuatha.”

Masso -” I know, I know. But somehow the Tuatha let this group act as ambassadors, of sorts, in our layers. That should mean that we could at least talk with them. Besides, I can show them the practice match between Perren and Victor, maybe that would make them open to dialogue.”

???? -” Masso… I think that’s the best idea you had all day”, she replied, giddy. '' As I probably said time and time again, my people are, let’s say, “blood crazy lunatics” for fights, so letting them know that we have some firepower (besides you hottie), could impress and intimidate them.”

Masso -” Maybe this time their leader will hear us out. Help us find out more about their side..even the floods?”

???? -”... Maybe. We’ve, actually, got a few flooding reports, and it’s happening more and more Masso. More and more kids end up like Brigit…”

Masso -” I know. We’ll help, alright. And stop the floods as well.”

???? -'' Tsz, there he is, my silly, overly optimistic that...Tsz, right. You are right” A few seconds of silence went before the lady decided that it was time to cut off the call “Listen, tell Brigit I miss her, ok? You too. I’ll speak with both of you later, alright?”

Masso -” Alright. Love ya. And take care of the matron, wouldn’t want to make Arim worried about his mom. “

???? -” No problem there, the lady is already buddies with the local leader”, she then got closer to her mic, in whispering distance. “ The booze is the secret. Anyway, love ya back and hope to see you both soon.”