B-2754, Ryker

Hot water is a gift from the Gods.

It burns, but ultimately hides you from whatever is hurting you the most. If you are looking for an escape, bathe yourself. In a room of water and steam no one can see you.

No one can see the tears that are running down your cheeks. No one can hear the whimpers as you hold back sobs. No one can interrupt you and tells you to man up.

Letting out a sigh, I reached a hand up to wipe the excess tears from my eyes. Dunking my head once before rising. Grabbing one of the small white towels and running it over myself. Allowing it to drape over my head as I carefully slipped into the pair of leggings Finn had managed to borrow from someone.

The fabric was nothing like the roughness I had grown up with. It provided a full range of motion, and even felt smooth against my skin.

Even though I shouldn’t have, I allowed my eyes to wander to the mirror. The reflective glass was rare in the city, but now it seemed to be everywhere. It was obvious my braids needed to be redone. Hairs poked out widely, the ends were already becoming untangled. Sand was caked into some, with no hope of removal.

Seating myself on the closed toilet, I indulged in the somewhat therapeutic unbraiding. Loosening each one up before slowly unweaving the hair. Once all were finished, stopping periodically to stretch my fingers and shake out the now kinked hair, I turned to the mirror once again. Almost amazed at how much more space my hair took up in this state. Reaching up to touch the curls with disbelief. This was forbidden in the city. Braids were used to keep the hair in regulation, but something about this spoke to me.

With a smile, I turned to enter the bedroom. Allowing myself to sleep until a blaring sounded. Not even a second later, a muted alarm came from the other bedroom. Stumbling out of bed, I found what these people considered training clothes. Similar to the leggings I slept in, however these pants had leather padding over the front and back of the thighs and calves. A tight fitting vest slipped on over a plain black shirt. Though I didn’t quite understand the necessity of the skirt.

Around the waist, it had several pockets similar to an army belt. However strips of metal studded leather hung from it, giving it the loose shape of a skirt. With another glance in the mirror, I pushed back the now free curls and entered the common area of the house.

Ina was already at the kitchen table, dressed in a similar garb to mine- actually exactly the same except several sizes smaller. The breakfast provided seemed to be seedy toast, fresh eggs, and a glass of some type of milk. Upon tasting it my face scrunched up slightly, goat’s milk. Besides the rather strong beverage, everything tasted the same as in the city.

“You took out the braids.” Ina stated, most likely trying to make a conversation but not sure how to.

“Yeah, they were overdo.” A small shrug followed, eyes glancing up to meet her’s before drifting back to the breakfast.

The conversation descended into silence broken up by the scrape of our forks. As if one, we rose and placed the dirty dishes into the sink before walking to the common room. Two pair of boots sat there, magically there despite never having seen them before. Lacing up the appropriate mid-calf high boots, we finally exited the small house. Making our way silently to the training area.

Already, kids were lining up. Why were we with children?

“Um I think we might be in the wrong…” I started to say, looking around for the person in charge.

“Nope. You two are the newbies who don’t know their jinxes.” A young person spoke, my eyes landing on them as they seemed to materialize in the air in front of me.

They were dressed the same as Ina and I were, but their long hair was carefully arranged in a tight braid that reached to their lower back. But I couldn’t figure out if the apparent leader was male or female. Long hair and a slight fame seemed to suggest a female, but the flast chest and face seemed to suggest a male. I imagined the confusion spread to my face because they just laughed.

“My name is Jordan.” An equally unisex name and voice, this only causing my eyebrows to knit together in confusion. “I’ll be your commander for the training sessions until you both develop your powers.” With this, Jordan found it an appropriate time to disappear and reappear at the front of the group.

“Today we will do our normal training to see if any Jinxes decide to show up.” Jordan’s voice was cheerful, and as one the children began to run and separate into groups based on jinx class.

Here Ina and I were separated. I being left standing with a group of six children- two girls four boys- that barely reached my waist. Ina was left with one boy by her side, the kid only reaching her bellybutton. After instructing the lower classes with certain instructions, Jordan appeared in front of my tiny army.

“Long range specialities can go do the jump. Short and mid can start sparring.” I could almost see the smirk on Jordan’s lips before he disappeared in a wink.

One of the girls tugged on one of the strips of the skirt type fabric, drawing my attention. “Come with me. You are long range, right?” She gave me a smile, showing off her two missing front teeth.

I gave a short nod before following her towards a tree that only had a later leading up to a thick branch. Silently, we climbed. Standing at the top, I could feel my gut twisting. Sensing my nerves, the little girl giggled.

“Flight is considered a fighting class ability under long range. So we jump, Jordan catches us. Unless we grow wings.” She gave another toothless smile, “It is fun.”

Finally, alone with someone who knew Jordan well enough, I crouched to her level to ask the question that has been eating at me. “Is Jordan a girl or boy?”

The question caused one of her nearly invisible blonde eyebrows to raise. “Jordan is Jordan.”

Just then, Jordan appeared at the edge of the branch. A smiled tracing up his-her-Jordan’s face. “Jullie you can go.”

Without hesitation the child ran for the edge, my heart stopping and dropping to my stomach as I watched her small form disappear over the edge. Watching the little blonde spot of hair growing smaller until Jordan flashed out of sight. Noticing the dark spot of hair appear in midair, before both Jordan and Jullie disappeared to reappear on the ground. Shortly after, Jordan reappeared in front of me.

“I am not jumping.” The statement came out quickly, my arms crossing over my chest as I stared at Jordan. “I don’t even know you. Why should I trust you with my life.”

“I know this must be confusing.” Almost gently, Jordan placed a hand on my shoulder. His ring finger and pinkie offering an unfamiliar warmth to my bicep. “But everyone has to fall.”

In that instance I was submerged in a second of darkness before watching the tree fall around me. I was falling, with Jordan sitting peacefully next to me as a I screamed. Hands reaching for the man and grabbing onto his uncovered arms, screaming for him to stop it. Switching pronouns each time before finally screaming the cursed person’s name. As if he know understood me, he reached onto my wrist and dunked me once more into darkness.

Though when we reappeared on the ground, we retained the same position. My jello legs causing both of us to fall on the ground, my hands still digging into the flesh of Jordan’s arm.

“You should bring me out to dinner before we go any further.” Jordan’s voice was light with a small chuckle.

Quickly backpedaling, I stared up at the person who so obviously wanted to make my life a living hell. “I don’t care if you are the prettiest girl here, we would never go further.”

Quickly rising to my feet, I was forced to look back at the person who had defiantly taken pleasure in my screaming. “What if I’m not a girl or a boy?”

I could feel my cheeks heat up several degrees, hoping my darker complexion would keep it hidden, but Jordan had a glowing hint in his-their eyes. With a quick turn, I stormed over to where the small blonde girl was now desperately trying to load an arrow.

With a fit of rage, I picked up a bow and slung an arrow. Sending one after another of the bolts into the log in front of me. After the quiver had ran out of arrows, I turned to stare at the log. Confused at seeing only one arrow sticking back out at me. Though Jullie seemed happy, and was dancing around me. “You split them all!” Her childish voice yelled in excitement, while a familiar person appeared next to me.

Jordan’s mouth lowering so it was next to my ear to shield his words from any ears except mine, “Sexual frustration or fear? Which made your jinx show up?”

Jordan’s teasing didn’t help, though after a pat on the back Jordan disappeared. Materializing near Ina and her partner and giving them a few words of advice.

For the rest of the day, I asked the fellow fighting class children about Jordan. Learning that sometimes Jordan’s hair wasn’t braides and that they were allowed to braid it into a bunch of tiny sections. Jordan liked to teach and even handed out candy to kids who discovered their Jinxes- though I never received any candy. Jordan’s eyes apparently did not match.

“One is brown like the earth, the other is green like the trees.” Jullie said, but she forgot which eye was which.

No one would respond when asked what gender Jordan was, the children responding with giggles before giving various answers.

“Jordan is everything.” The tallest kid said.

“Jordan is Jordan.” Seemed to be Jullie’s favorite answer.

“Jordan is neither.” One child who seemed to have a secret pouch of candies, his mouth always had a sucker in it said.

“Jordan is whatever Jordan wants.” The second little girl said before returning to throw knives with deadly accuracy.

“Why does it matter?” The shortest kid spoke, sniffling shortly after as if he was sick.

“Jordan is a funny person.” After explain that funny isn’t a gender, the last boy corrected himself. “Only Jordan knows what Jordan is.”

None of these answers seemed to lead to an actual answer. Causing me to only take out more frustration on the wooden targets. I was able to split four more quiver full of arrows. Before Jordan-cure the devil- suggested I begin shooting more than one at a time.

When the sun hit noon, everyone rushed to the dining table. However, a hand on my shoulder prevented me from moving forward. In a familiar flash of black, I found myself behind one of the two trees riddled with my arrows.

“Why do you keep asking the children stupid questions?” Jordan’s voice was rougher somehow, most likely with frustration.

“You wouldn’t give me an answer. I figure someone has to know what you are.” My thoughts were paused, unsure of how to politely ask what was in Jordan’s pants.

“What I am? I’m Jordan. I thought I already introduced myself.” The smirk on Jordan’s lips was evident he found this whole thing amusing. “If you mean gender, maybe you should listen to what the kids say.” Jordan gave a small shrug before moving to walk away.

Without even thinking, I grabbed onto Jordan’s wrist. “You have to be one or the other.” My voice came out more nervous than how I wanted it to, I wish it sounded harsher and stricter.

“Your silly city rules don’t apply out here. Just look at your hair. Why is one rule okay to break but another isn't?” At the statement, Jordan disappeared in a wink and took his seat at the head of the table and began the lunch.

With a slight frown, I sat next to Ina and ate what food was provided. Sharing about my Jinx while she spoke of what training Jordan had designed.

The rest of the day went by without a word between me and the instructor, I slowly increased the amount of arrows on the bow’s string until I was able to shoot four in sets of five, all of which split the previous arrow down the middle. The progress was exciting, but somehow. Without Jordan’s voice it was less of an accomplishment.