There were no lakes nearby nor within Droon. The University had a pool which had been used for experiments early on after its construction. The pool was kept full so that ongoing experiments could continue to go on. 

Why are swimming pools on my mind? Rhe did not know, so she turned to the first page of the catalogue. In the place where one of the former authors wrote, she found the section she hoped would get across to the readers. The absence of one of the most popular reads garnered a fevered attention. A man named Mel had helped her keep some of the essence from his coworker’s notes. 

Editorial Preface:

Please know that we are relying on Vlashen Greyvlat’s notes for future articles in the following skit. I am Mel; Editor and Planner of Shades of Droon, so I will be speaking from my perspective. Such is the wish of our perished colleague. May we honor her with her voice for as long as her notes allow. Please if needed, take a moment of silent appreciation before you begin reading further.

Little Charms ~ 

We all have our little charms, trinkets or Jewelry. Imagine your charms of the mind, charms of the heart. Who would you share them with? I have a charm on my mind that I want to share with you. Many citizens are carrying shivs on their hips. A fashion statement. I see how well you wear that. Angled to be seen, embellished to impress. 

Please ask someone that wears a shiv how they are doing. Offer some companionship. Maybe spend a spell together. Show that you care. Compare trinkets. Remember not carrying a weapon. Droon was one of few towns where citizens did not regularly keep a weapon on them. Such was our trust in one another. I’d love to see that trust on my walks home in the evening. 

I might even have a speck of inspiration from seeing such little charms to share in the next publication. Rest well and Wake refreshed, and shade on you for the day.

“That’s good. We’ll help the readers keep a healthy perspective.’

“Yes, this will help all of us cope with losing her presence in our lives.”

_____________

Rhe later found Lilly at the proprietor’s house. She knocked in their strange pattern and walked in. 

Suina and her mother met her at the door. 

“I need a pool of water. There are some developments I can make that might help tone down the animosity in the city.”

The proprietor smiled. We have many liquids, but very little water. You’d have to go to a lake or river. Or are you trying to find Lilly?”

“Yes, I need Le’falyne’s help to gather the more abundant type of water.”

“Why do you need so much?”

“The purification and enhancement processes I’m planning require a constant source of water in the city. Anything outside of the city will not do.”

A pleasant chill filled the air. “She’s here now.” 

Rhe saw the splash of Le’falyne coarse down the stairs in a wild flow of unified intertwining streams, without damaging the wood. Lilly rode the slope of intelligent water with knees bent and leaning forward. That gace Rhe an unbidden idea. She was rather bitter that she could not use this Le’falyne for her experiments anymore now that this fierce beam of sunshine cut her contemplative shade. Maybe I can. Le’falyne likes playing more than being pushed around by a pushy girl.

Lilly descended into a one-armed hug with Sui. “Are you using me to slow your fall?”

Lilly laughed and blushed. “Yeah.” Her face was already flushed and she quickly reverted to a frown. Her whole demeaner was emitting a hot frustration. “I was gathering people who should be dead to go to the gardens and torture me with boredom.”

Lilly’s mom took a step back and glared at Lilly. “If boredom means people live, find a new interest.”

“Proprietor - “

“Clipta.”

Rhe looked at the Proprietor. Clipta? That is so unsexy. Or is it? Klipta. Clypta. Kliptah. “How is it spelled?”

Sui shrugged. Lilly looked surprised. The Proprietor sighed. “Cee, ell, ai, pee, tee, ay.”

 “Call me Clia. That’s my compressed name. A coname. Only friends can call me that. at the establishment, you must still address me as Proprietor.”

A knock on the door introduced Alyz. “Lillian Greyvlat. You are to continue finding players.”

“Oh, Lady Alyz. I could work with Mel at the publishers office to build excitement to help it happen.”

“That would be wonderful, shade.” Rhe could feel the tension from her trying to be proper. She wanted to stab Lilly to death. It was clear to Rhe that she was holding back for society’s sake. If she were to be reckless, how would she observe Lilly and serve Lady Drizzelda?”

________

Lilly was standing on a flat rooftop. There was a solid layer above a ceiling of bricks that lay on a sturdy arch of wood. Lilly did not know what the solid layer was made of. She felt each layer via Le’falyne finding cracks and gaps. This was one of the apartments that had a popular member of the Shivs in it. They were disorganized while still following certain people’s lead. 

I’m not here to kill. Information and to gather any daggers. Alyz was with her. She followed Lilly around as an escort to prevent her from doing anything that would violate Drizzelda’s punishment for her. Well, this will sure get them all to play again.

Lilly broke the bricks under them and descended into Lefalyn. Now the water was large enough to fill the room. First they were in an empty room. She wanted to make they could hear any conversation. Lilly’s hearing was terrible, so only muffled words came to her.

Lilly relayed what she caught. “In the gardens…when…..Barn dissolved….” Her eyes narrowed when she said Barn’s name. 

Lilly opened the door to the common stairs and yelled. “Please shade my presence. I would be honored.”

She left the door open. Alyz glared at her. she already had her own shiv ready. 

Footsteps grew louder and more present without the door in the way. Nobody appeared. Then a shiv flew into the room. It was poorly thrown and hit Lilly in the shoulder by the hilt. She picked it up and stabbed the tip into the floor. 

A sliver later three crouching people peeked up the stairs. “This is taking too long! I have so many placed to go!”

Lilly requested Le’falyne to bring the scared people to her. They were carried but watery seats up to the landing in front of the door. 

“You can try to throw another one. I like collecting things. These shivs are all the same, so it’s boring. Maybe you could carve designs on them, so I can have more fun.”

“This girl is here to invite you back to the garden card game.”

“Which is also boring. If you want to play something more fun, I’ll have new rules!”

Alyz glared at her. “This is a punishment.”

“You can’t stop me from having fun.”

The three people glared at her. “My brother was killed. Him and his girlfriend were in the park that night. “

“You killed my father.”

“You’re going to kill us all. Just let us end this militant control.”

“Well, you might be able to kill me. Lady Drizzelda has used this as punishment.I have to face everyone I have done anything to.”

“She’d to hard to imprison and killing her will only bring a moment of relief. So come to the card game. Give her back the suffering you have borne since it began.”

“I’ll kill you here.’

“Your card game won’t solve this. We’ll grow angrier.”

“I’ll come, but only if she’s gone first.”

“Well, I know how to make sure you have an easy choice!”

She pulled Le’falyne in and down from the cool air above them. Soon they were all engulfed in it. They began to panic of course. They didnt know they could still breath in it.

__________

Suina pulled the key out of the knob. She was faced with the common stairs directly in front of her. Where are Lilly and Alyz? 

The first apartments were on the second level. She took hold of the hand rail and ascended. Once she got up to the second level, she felt very dry. She looked up. There are six levels. She heaved a sigh and stepped up to the next flight. As she lifted her legs step by step, water dripped from somewhere above. it fell down the center gap. Sui felt its presence like a respectful equal. Le’falyne does not usually leak like that. Is it telling me where to find Lilly? She felt an affirmative light and dark depths sense from the falling water. Each level she reached had puddles of let-water that remaind still. The last flight had Le’falyne drenched over the steps and the landing where it was slowly leaking out the doorway.

Suina reached the doorway, and somehow her will was strong enough to drain the aquarium of humans so that only waist-high water remained. She was cold and drenched but she saw Lilly.

___________

-

She heard slishing of someone walking in the water. It was Sui. She leapt the last gap between them and hugged Lilly around the thighs. 

“Ugh, how did you know we would be in this building?”

“Oh I just asked Lady Drizzelda.”

“She told you!?” This was Alyz being surprised.

“Yeah. I mean we all know Lilly won’t listen.”

“Lilly, you’re becoming the bad one.”

“My rage will wane. This is hot my rage, not an icy one.”

“I’ll smolder you, so you can enjoy life again. Stop forcing your will on the let-water. Oh, your mother. I looked her up.”

“Looked where?”

“You have two mothers.”

“That’s ridiculous.’

“It's true. Your father is part of this too, but this other lady is your mother too. She loved your blood mother.”

“Ew, that's not nice. Call her something better.”

“Your natural mother. Your birth mother?”

“Birth mother is good. That sounds nice. Precisely what I asked for.”

“That apothecary lady everyone is going to. That’s your second mom. Im not sure why she hasn’t reached out to you.”

“She probably wants to be left alone.”

“Hmmm. But she let you go kill poeple. Maybe she could have stopped you.”

“It’s good that I killed them, or even more people would be dead now.”

“Ugh. Maybe we shouldn’t go see her.”

“What? Is that what you were thinking? You didn't say anything about going to see her. I don’t want to anyway. How is she even my second mom? She never came over. I have to go help Lady Rhea.”