"Mariaaaaaanne!" Hilda's voice cut through the stuffy room that Askr had given the mage. She had removed some of the excess that she didn't feel deserving of, but a nice maid by the name of Felicia insisted that she at least keep some of it.

Marianne felt something heavy land on her. It was a familiar feeling, which wasn't unwelcome in this strange situation. "Mmmph. Hilda…" She mumbled. "You aren't usually up this early…"

"And you're usually already out praying!" Hilda retorted. "Come on, there's a club I really want to check out! You've gotta come too!"

Marianne yawned. Hilda was already dressed? How peculiar. "Okay… let me get ready…" She lifted herself out of the comfortable bed and blinked. Her head seemed… clearer today. She slipped out of bed and walked to the mirror.

"Wow, Mari… you look different." Hilda was right. She looked less tired, and her hair looked more vibrant. "It looks good!" Hilda gave Marianne a big smile.

Marianne touched her face in confusion. "I…" Yes, the bags under her eyes were gone. She looked at Hilda. "Where are we going?"

"Oh, you're going to love it! I think." Hilda replied, "First, let's eat some breakfast, I'm famished, how about you?"

Marianne looked down. "I'm sorry, I think I'm only hungry."

"Goodness, Marianne, that's nothing to be sorry for! Let's get you ready for the day, okay?"

Marianne sat down obediently. It wasn't often that Hilda offered to do her hair. She always did it better than she could ever hope to, so it was a rare gift. "Are you sure you want to spend your day with me?" She finally asked, "I'm not really all that fun to be around…"

"Well," Hilda replied, "Someone you know should show you around, it's only right. And I don't mind being around you." She gave Marianne a smile. "Do you want your hair down or in the bun?"

"Oh. A bun, please."

Hilda hummed to herself as she worked. "There, done. Now let's get some food!"

Marianne looked down. "A-alright…" She replied quietly. They shuffled out, only to be greeted by Lysithea.

"Ah, I see you're awake for once, Hilda." She observed, "I came to say good morning to Marianne, but good morning to you as well."

Hilda stuck her tongue out. "Aren't you just so friendly, Lysithea!" She replied, "Marianne and I were going to get some breakfast. Would you like to *join* us?"

Lysithea stuck her nose up. "Why, I would be honored, Hilda ."

"A-are you two fighting?" Marianne asked. Lysithea grumbled in response, and Hilda sighed.

"I ate a bunch of her cookies." She admitted.

"Valentian Macarons! " Lysithea shouted. "You absolute ingrate! That was a whole serving of Valentian Macarons you ate that were mine ! I have only read about their light, airy texture and delicate flavors, and I was looking forward to sampling them!"

"Well, I am sorry to disappoint you, Lysithea," Hilda replied, "But the flavors were hardly delicate." Marianne almost flinched as she anticipated Lysithea's reaction to this comment.

Lysithea sputtered, hissed, and jumped a few times in unrefined rage.

"Hilda, that wa- that wasn't a very nice thing to do." Marianne finally spoke up. Hilda and Lysithea froze and looked at her. She shrunk back. "S-sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"Ugh," Hilda replied, "You're right, Marianne." She turned to the little mage. "I'm sorry, Lysithea. I'll pay you back with some sweets later. And I'll try to get you those macarons."

Lysithea sighed. "Fine. I will expect full recompensation, though!"

Breakfast largely went quietly, with Claude missing breakfast entirely for a 'secret mission', as he so claimed. Annette and Dedue joined the trio in their quiet breakfast, as well as a redheaded girl that Hilda seemed to know well.

"I have to say, Severa, your outfit today is very adorable!"

Severa fluttered her eyes. "Oh yeah? Your advice was really helpful! I'm planning on… uh… doing something special today, so I wanted to look extra cute."

Lysithea rolled her eyes and turned to Marianne. "Marianne, what were you planning on doing today?"

"Oh!" Marianne looked from side to side, "Um… I'm not sure. Hilda was planning on taking me somewhere, but I just don't know… I really don't think that I belong here…"

"Well, what's the point of worrying about that? You're here no matter what!" Lysithea nearly snapped back.

"I… um…" Marianne grew quiet at that. Lysithea wasn't wrong, she had no idea how to get back, and despite her own protests, no one seemed to bat an eye at calling her a hero as well. She looked around at all the brave souls with actual skills, actual qualities that would make them more suited to be a hero. It was almost a cruel joke, in a way.

"I'm sorry, Marianne," Lysithea said in a softer tone, "I just meant to say that while we are here, we should endeavor to find something we enjoy!"

"Exactly!" Severa exclaimed. "Gotta have some fun now and again!" She sat up, as if remembering something. "Oh right! As for the other reason I'm visiting-"

Hilda scoffed, "I'm not reason enough? Severa, I thought we were friends!" The swordswoman rolled her eyes in response, before looking at Annette.

"Lady Camilla and Au- Cherche had an interesting story to tell me yesterday, they heard someone with an adorable voice practicing with a huge hammer!"

Annette squirmed in her seat. "Ha ha, that sounds really dangerous… someone should tell that person off…"

"Interesting…" Severa smiled, "I could have sworn that they were describing you." She stood up. "Alright, music room, in 15 minutes!"

"I don't even know where that is!" Annette shrieked.

Dedue cleared his throat. "You spent a whole hour outside of it yesterday, Annette." The redheaded mage whipped her head around, aghast at the betrayal.

"Dedue, you villain! " Annette croaked in shock. "I will not forget this!"

Dedue kept a stony face, though Marianne felt like he was enjoying himself. "Please don't, but I'm sure His Highness would appreciate all of us doing our best to enjoy ourselves while we're here." Annette got silent at that, and just nodded at Severa, who mouthed a 'thanks' to Dedue for his efforts.

Hilda looked at Dedue with a hint of awe for a moment, before having a moment of realization. "Oh no! Marianne, we're going to be late!" She stood up from her seat, "Come on!"

"B-but… where are we going?!" Marianne continued to ask.

Marianne was a little surprised. Hilda had been excited for a dancing class. She knew she enjoyed being cute; but from what Marianne had been told by her father, dancing was innately filled with effort . But when they began the lesson, taught by a slightly quiet woman and her very excitable husband, Hilda seemed to be extremely focused, leading Marianne through the motions of a slow and methodical waltz.

"Sorry!" Marianne squeaked out as she felt her foot hit Hilda's. Her father had not gotten her a dance instructor yet. He had said something about it 'not being relevant' at the time, but it was more likely that Marianne was just hopeless at dancing. "I'm not very good at dancing…"

"I've never seen you dance before, Mari!" Hilda replied, "You're actually pretty good!"

"R-really?" Marianne asked, "I've never really practiced before…" She bumped into Hilda, getting a little too close. "Ah! S-sorry!"

Hilda sighed. "It's alright!" She insisted. Marianne shut up and looked down; now she had annoyed Hilda. Great. The song passed far too slowly for her, and when it was done, she backed away from her friend.

"I… I'm sorry for annoying you!" She blurted out, before running. It didn't matter where, she just needed to get away, before something really went wrong. She heard Hilda say something, but she didn't catch what. She was probably relieved that she didn't have to dance with her anymore.

"... Marianne…" Hilda stomped her foot in frustration. She thought they were having fun! Well, at least she was. "Ugh, I thought we were making progress!"

"Yes, I thought both of you looked rather elegant!" A dancer with a messy green ponytail approached the axe wielder. "Hi! I'm Lene. You are?"

"Umm… Hilda," she replied, "Pleased to meet you." It was hard to hide her disappointed expression. "I'm sorry I'm not enthused, it's just… My friend has some…"

"Oh, no need to relive it!" Lene interrupted, "I saw everything! You and your friend are new, but she looks like she's been struggling to adjust."

"Well, it's only been a day for her…"

Lene gasped. "Wow, it took me days to really get comfortable here!" Hilda held her tongue, but she suspected Marianne might take a smidge longer than that . "Anyways, we should probably go looking for her! People who wander here tend to find things they don't intend to!" Okay, that made Hilda shiver a bit. Marianne wasn't exactly made of good luck.

"Nyahaha, like me!"

Hilda whipped around. "Mister Henry!" She exclaimed.

Henry laughed. "Please, Mister Henry is my pop!" His smile dropped a little, "All jokes aside, if your friend is in a thrush to run away, it could cawse more problems for her!" A 'boo' could be heard from the piano as Cordelia glared at the dark mage. "I'll help ya out as well, how about it?"

Lene laughed. "Well, don't we make an odd trio? Is Olivia alright with you leaving?"

Henry nodded. "Cordelia said she'd be happy to fill in, and there are tons of good instructors now! And besides, I saw that girl feeding Kilgore and Stanley, so I know she's a good egg!"

Hilda paused, giving Henry a quizzical look.

"Some of my Corvid Companions," he explained quickly, "There's Stanley, Bartholomew, Ozymandias, Kilgore of the Eternal Flames, Crowsby, Kills and Gnash…"

Olivia cleared her throat, giving her husband a gleaming smile. "Class is about to continue, everyone!" She announced, perhaps in the loudest voice Henry had ever heard.

"Oh right! We gotta get searching!" He blew a kiss to the dancer, "Have fun, my little crow! Love ya!" Olivia blushed in response. "Alright, I gotta make some caw-lls, then we can begin the search!"

Hilda looked at Lene. "He's worse than Alois ." She groaned.

Annette huffed and puffed for a moment, catching her breath. Maybe it was nerves, but singing had never been this in depth or exhausting! The red headed pigtailed demon looked over her with an expression that could only be described as condescending. Annette looked down at the floor. She knew she had been awful, but the expression she was getting only served to rub it in even further.

"Alright," Severa stated coolly, "If you're interested, I would love to have you in my production."

"I figured as much… sorry to disapp…" Annette paused, "Wait, what?"

Severa raised an eyebrow. "Gawds, did you not hear me? I said we'd love to have you in the production!" She crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently.

"Uh… yes? Yes!" Annette jumped into the air with glee. "Everything's coming up Annette!"

Severa chuckled. "Alright, there's one last thing I want to check." She approached Annette and undid her pigtails. "Oh! Okay!" Severa yelled loudly. "Why don't you put your hair back up?"

"Is… is there something wrong?" Annette asked nervously. She had never seen that reaction from her hair being down before! "Does it look bad?"

"No!" Severa shouted, "Not at all! It's just… very powerful. Cute. Powerfully cute." She grumbled. "Shut up!"

"I didn't say anything."

"Just… don't show Lady Camilla. She's already quite invested in you, you might end up adopted into the royal family if she sees you like this." She began to push Annette out the door. "Now scoot! I'll get you all the music before next week, don't you worry!"

Annette did a little dance at the doorway, before she noticed a blue haired woman looking at her with concern.

"Having a good day, are we?" She asked.

Annette nodded. "I just got a role in an opera! I've never done that before!"

The girl's face brightened. "Oh! Well, it'll be a pleasure to work with you, miss…?"

"Annette Fantine Dominic, ma'am."

"Lucina… and just Lucina is fine." Lucina giggled. "I'm looking forward to working with you, Miss Dominic."

"Oh, please call me Annette, Lucina!" She hopped excitedly. "Let's make this the best production we can!" She skipped down the hallway, singing to herself. Lucina smiled, before facing down the door and taking in a deep breath. She gave it a hearty knock, and she heard Severa call out from within.

"Hey Lucy, I think I'm ready to talk." Severa said.

"As am I."

"Right," she stood from her seat at the piano, "So, where to begin… Remember when we were traveling the world, looking for a way to… no, that's not relevant. How about when… Oh gawds…" She fidgeted, "I'm just going to be upfront about it, it's the way I handle things the best." Severa took in a deep breath. "I adore you, Lucy. I love everything about you, even your… sense of fashion."

Lucina tilted her head. "Wait, what's wrong with -" Severa motioned for her to stay quiet, which Lucina obliged.

"You're stunning, Lucy," she continued, "You inspire me in so many ways that I can't help but be dragged into every rash decision you make. And for a long time, I thought it was because you were my best friend. Heck, you still are. But I've been lying to myself for a long time, too." She took in a shaky breath. "Lady Camilla told me I should be myself, and this is who I am. I'm not just your best friend, Lucy; I'm a woman who is madly in love with you." Severa could have collapsed at that very moment. She certainly felt like it. Lucina approached Severa slowly, until only an arms length separated them.

"And would you believe me if I said I felt the same?"

Lucina looked determined, the kind of face that Severa recognized from so many dark days. Severa didn't reply, mostly out of fear. The Princess placed a hand on Severa's shoulder.

"No one in my family is good with words; perhaps Aunt Lissa is the least inept. But I realized last night that an action might speak volumes." She cradled Severa's head in her hand, and their lips met. Severa could've screamed. Was this actually-

"YESSSSS! IT'S HAPPENING!" Cynthia was looking through the window, and the Pega-Pony Princess had brilliantly smacked the glass in her excitement. Severa was about to shout, but Lucina had approached the window on her own.

"Thank. You. For. Your. Assistance. Sister." She said through gritted teeth. Her face was fiery red, her expression unreadable. "If you could… please vacate the premises, I would be forever grateful."

Cynthia blinked. "Wait, I just watched you two kiss !" Her face scrunched up. " Gross. "

"Get out!" Lucina shouted, looking for something to throw at her sister. Cynthia flew away as quickly as she could, and the princess was left panting and blushing furiously.

"So… what now?" Severa asked. She could make a few suggestions, but she had actually failed to eat earlier; she was just so nervous. And of course, her stomach chose now to interject. Lucina giggled.

"An early lunch in town? I wouldn't mind having a little date, would you?"

"Of- of course not!" Severa smiled, "Maybe I can get you a cute outfit, too!" She held out her hand, and Lucina gratefully took it. The pressures of years past seemed to evaporate with each step.

Marianne walked around the castle, attempting to collect her scattered thoughts like the leaves flying past her on the path. She knew that Hilda was just trying to cheer her up, but it only served to make her feel more guilty. Why couldn't she just have fun like everyone else? Was this just a side effect of her crest, her tainted blood? She slowed down, fighting back tears. Why was she even here?

She felt something tug on her sleeve. A pegasus snorted lightly, before walking off in the direction of a small forest near the castle.

"W-wait! That's not the stable!" Marianne noted, "Wait, please!" The pegasus seemed to ignore her, trotting away slowly. The mage hesitated, but decided to follow. She couldn't let a pegasus get lost in the woods. Marianne entered the woods, and she could see the pegasus in the distance. It was moving very cautiously, which Marianne was very grateful for. It looked back at her and snorted, perhaps an invitation of some type. "Hello, Mr. Pegasus," she said softly, "Why are you heading down this path?"

"Hee hee! Seems like he wants to play!" A voice came from above, as Marianne heard rustling from above. "Do you want to play, too?!"

Marianne didn't answer, at least not right away. She kept following the pegasus, who didn't seem perturbed by this new visitor. Eventually, they both reached a clearing, which was filled with a variety of animals. Though… many of them seemed bigger than she was expecting. There were also two other people there; one of them with long green hair, petting a large fluffy dragon, who was sighing contentedly. The other, with a big red ponytail, was petting a large wyvern. The green haired woman looked up and smiled at Marianne. "Oh! Hello!" She said, "A new visitor!"

"Miss Palla, Miss Palla!" The mysterious voice called out, before a large fox landed in front of the mage, causing her to yelp in shock. "We have a new guest!" The fox ran around Marianne. "Hi! I'm Selkie!"

"Selkie, why don't you come here, I think you're frightening her." The redheaded girl offered. The fox groaned but complied, settling down next to the wyvern. "Hey, I'm Jill Fizzart, and the excitable fox here is Selkie."

Marianne fidgeted in place. "Um… hello… I- I'm Marianne Von Edmund…" She looked around the clearing a little more. There were even more animals, mostly sleeping and resting. A large wolf, several dragons, and a large rabbit all seemed to be lazing about. The green haired girl smiled again, and patted to the spot next to her, on the other side of the large fluffy dragon. Marianne sat down next to her.

"Well met, Marianne Von Edmund; I am Palla," she stated, "It seems my pegasus has taken a liking to you."

Marianne looked down. "I'm sorry, I just have an easier time talking to animals rather than humans."

Palla smiled again. "Well, this is the place for you, then! This is where many of our shapeshifting heroes come to rest." She continued to pet the dragon resting on her lap. "This one here is Fae, she's a Divine Dragon."

"Mmmmph…" Fae mumbled, "Hello…"

Marianne looked at Palla. "Are you a shapeshifter as well?"

"Jill and I are not, we just enjoy spending time here as well." She chuckles. "You are not a shapeshifter either, are you?"

"I…" Marianne shakes her head. She still wasn't sure. "How are you so sure that I am not?"

"Most shapeshifters immediately transform once they see this place. Perhaps it has something to do with her, though." She tilted her head towards a single dragon sleeping in a shady area. Marianne saw some sort of radiance coming forth from her. "That is Tiki, a dear friend; though, she's a little older than I remember…"

"Tiki has been a very centering force for us." Jill noted, "When she's awake, that is."

Marianne looked around. "I'm sorry… I wasn't aware I was intruding…" She felt something land on her lap. It was heavy and fluffy.

"Intruding?" Selkie asked, "Does that mean you won't be coming by more?"

"Well…"

"How about you fluff my tail? My fur is pretty soft! You shouldn't make a decision before you give me a head pat either!"

Jill looked around. "How- Selkie, you shouldn't bother a new guest! What if she…"

"Pat pat pat…" Marianne looked serene as she pet Selkie's head, "Aren't you fluffy and cute…"

Palla giggled, and Jill's face softened. "Usually, people are led here when they're lost. Emotionally lost, I should say." Palla noted.

Marianne looked up at the pegasus knight. "What brought you here?" She asked. Palla closed her eyes and sighed.

"Well, when I arrived here, my sisters were not here with me, and someone I… cared for deeply was there with me. I… was in love with him, once upon a time, and seeing him alone was… well… I did not handle it as well as I should have." She paused and took a deep breath. "But Tiki helped me through it, and now my sisters are here, as well as the person I respect the most, so I feel more centered than ever."

Jill shifted in her seat. "Do I have to explain myself?" She asked. After Palla nodded in affirmation, she sighed, and continued. "Alright. I'm waiting for someone, and during that time, I made friends with Selkie and her friends. So I'm passing some of the time with them."

Marianne thought about this for a moment. To be honest, any amount of things could have brought her here. But was she even worth all this ? All this effort and time and caring? "I'm sorry," she finally said, "I just don't know if I belong here. All of you seem to have a grasp of what you want and who you are, and I'm… just a clumsy dangerous failure."

"A failure? Nay, the stench of failure does not follow you so." The large dragon the others had mentioned as 'Tiki' spoke up, and with a flash of light, a woman appeared. Her voice was soft, but cut through the air with authority. "Forgive my interruption. I just woke up from my nap." She took a seat next to Marianne. "Hello, I am Tiki, and you are?"

"Mar-Marianne Von Edmund, ma'am." She looked down at the floor, "But I'm afraid it's true. I'm… well, I'm barely able to talk to people, I'm bad at even simple tasks, and I'm sure I will only disappoint…"

"You seem to have no difficulty speaking to us here," Tiki replied, "So perhaps you are not as hopeless as you think." She yawned, and petted Selkie absentmindedly.

Marianne got quiet for a moment. "... I just don't think you understand. All of you are magnificent, and I'm…" She attempted to stand up, but Selkie's weight kept her down. "If I wasn't me, I'm sure my mother and father wouldn't have disappeared, and perhaps Margrave Von Edmund would've found a better daughter than me."

"Perhaps you should start from the beginning, Marianne," Palla suggested, "You have an adoptive father?"

"Yes, Margrave Von Edmund adopted me after my parents… went missing. We are distantly related, and I'm grateful he took me in…" She sighed, "But I feel like I always disappoint him."

"Awww; if it matters, your headpats are amazing!" Selkie said contentedly, "And anyone that gives good headpats are good in my book!"

Marianne continued to pet the kitsune happily. "I'm glad you enjoy them." She replied. Tiki leaned in and looked over the girl. "Is… there something wrong?"

Tiki smiled. "Not at all, child, you merely have an intriguing air about you."

Marianne frowned. "I guess that's not surprising."

"I will not pry any further than that." Tiki replied. "But know that you aren't alone here, child." Marianne looked at the manakete quizzically. "All of us have failed at one point or another. You may look at yourself as a monster, but I think you will find that there are many here who view you quite differently."

Marianne hesitated. First came the thought of Hilda, who was so excited to see her. But then she had another thought. She hadn't called herself a monster, but Tiki clearly knew more about her than she led on. "Do… do you know about my crest?"

"Ah, a crest." Tiki pondered over the verbiage, "An unfamiliar term, but it is likely the source of your aura."

"My… aura?" Marianne shuddered to think of how ugly said aura must look. An imagine of a great dark beast...

"Yes, it is like a large sunbeam," Tiki replied, "Comforting and warm."

"Sunbeams only come because of clouds, though." Came the sharp retort. Marianne found herself shocked at such a harsh reply leaving her lips, but it was how she felt. She felt someone embrace her.

"Ah! Forgive me," Palla exclaimed, "You just reminded me of Catria for a moment…" She let go of Marianne, "I should ask next time."

"No…" Marianne paused, "Could you please continue?" Palla embraced her again, and Marianne closed her eyes. It was like… it was like nothing she remembered before. There was a familial energy to this. It was nice…

"There, there; let it all out…" Palla soothly whispered. Marianne hadn't even noticed she was crying.

"Hey! Unhand my Marianne!" Hilda's voice boomed through the clearing. She and Lene had finally arrived, with Hilda looking especially bedraggled. "You even made her cry !"

"Hold on, Hilda!" Henry called out, huffing and puffing, "Whoo! Olivia's right! All those extra pastries are death to my stamina! Nyaha!" He took another breath. "Anyways, as an excellent father, I can tell those are good tears!"

"As opposed to bad ones?" Lene asked, "What do bad tears even look like?"

"Give me four lizard tails and five minutes and we could find out together!" Henry laughed. "So you're the girl that my corvid friends have been crowing about!"

Marianne eyed the dark mage with suspicion. "Corvid friends?" A loud 'caw' called out, unwavering, as a raven landed on Henry's shoulder. "Oh! You're that raven I saw yesterday! Did you enjoy your snack?" The raven nodded and covered his face bashfully.

"Aw, he likes you!" Henry noted, "Speaking of liking; Hilda here was about to tear apart the castle!"

"Thanks, Mr. Henry!" Hilda shouted, "You can stop now!"

Marianne looked sad. "I'm sorry, Hilda. I don't mean to make you worry, I'm just…"

"You just run off, have no confidence, and routinely break stuff, I know," Hilda knelt next to the girl, "The thing is, I don't really care about those things, Mari. You're my best friend, we've gone through so much worse together!" She smiled brightly. "And if you're unhappy about something, I want to hear about it! Goddess knows I whine whenever I want!"

"Um, okay!" Marianne seemed a little more lively. "I don't like it when you try to make others do your chores!"

"Well, I didn't mean right this sec…"

Palla laughed. "Well, this is a good turn of events! Come, you three, let us relax in the shade for a little bit longer?"

Lene nodded. "Yes please! It's so hot today!"

"Right?!" Hilda interjected, "I feel like I've run around the whole of Garreg Mach!"

"Well, that's because you did."

Hilda wasn't listening, already dozing off at Marianne's feet.

Jill chuckled. "Haar would like her, no doubt about it."

"Another hard day's work was done for Seteth, to which he stretched and smiled to himself. Accommodating Bernadetta might, in particular, be a challenge; but outside of Alois, she seemed to work well with him. Everyone else seemed to be acclimating well- in some cases, too well. Which left Marianne, who he had rarely seen at Garreg Mach already. He sighed. Looking after the students was already a tricky job when he had Manuela, Hanneman, and Byleth looking after each house.

And there was his little project, which the Summoner and Princess Sharena gave him full backing to pursue… When was he going to get to that, he wondered?

A knock on the door roused him to his senses, as he looked towards the entryway. "Come in," he announced, and in slinked Leo. "Sir… Leo, I believe?"

"Yes, I know we haven't met," came the curt response, "I merely wanted to report on one of your students." Seteth's heart sunk.

"What did they do this time?" He asked. Leo sat on the desk, gazing upon Seteth with a lascivious expression.

"They performed admirably on their magic tests, you should be proud." He leaned over. "I would be intrigued to take a private lesson with such an esteemed educator such as yourself."

Seteth paused. "I… I'm not exactly adept at magic…"

Leo smiled. "Oh, I'm sure we'll find the magic somewhere…""

"THANK YOU, MISS NINA." Seteth interrupted, "I can see where the story is headed from there."

Nina sighed. "And we were just getting to the good part, too…" she muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" Nina replied, "So… how about it?"

"How about what ?" Seteth remarked, raising an eyebrow. "You want me to be what exactly; your publisher?"

"No no no," Nina laughed, "Nothing that intense. I want you to be my editor!"

"Your editor…"

Nina looked starstruck, "Bernie told me all about your skills with the written word, and I just felt like I had to make one earnest plea!"

He sat there for a moment. "You spoke to Bernadetta?" Seteth asked, "That does explain some of your knowledge of myself and others."

"Yep! Did my research!" She replied, "I also heard you're an excellent storyteller in your own right!"

" Excellent? " Seteth looked pleased, "I do not know about 'excellent', but I have been known to dabble here and there." He paused. "...If I manage to have some extraneous time in my schedule, I may be persuaded to take a closer look at your… stories." Nina jumped out of her chair ecstatically.

"You will not be disappointed, Mr. Seteth!" She made for the door.

Seteth tapped his fingers on his desk. "Just one thing, Miss Nina," he warned, "Please refrain from using our colleagues as your characters. I do not think some heroes will be as welcoming to such a revelation as others."

Nina blushed. "Right! Of course. I'll get right on fixing that, Mr. Seteth. Good evening!"

"And a good evening to you as well, Miss Nina." Seteth continued with his writing. He was indeed almost finished, but he still had a little left to do.

A knock on the door caused him to sigh. Of course it would never be that easy. "Yes? Please come in." He called out.

The woman who walked in was elegant, and her green hair and overall demeanor reminded him of Lady Rhea.

… No, she was much too even-tempered to be Lady Rhea. "May I help you, Miss…"

The woman smiled and took a seat. "I am Tiki," she answered, "The Voice of Naga. It is a pleasure to meet you, Seteth." She eyed a bowl of small candies on the desk. "May I?" She asked.

"Certainly, Lady Tiki." He didn't know what the 'Voice of Naga' was, but it seemed to be of great enough import to show respect. "I'm not a fan of sweets, but many of the students are."

"How thoughtful of you." She noted, taking a small glasslike orb and placing it in her mouth. The Manakete savored the taste for a moment. Eventually, she sat back up. "Onto business, then."

Seteth raised both eyebrows inquisitively. "Quite. What business does someone like you have with me?"

Tiki smiled again. "Do not sell yourself short , Mr. Seteth," she replied, "Many of the children under your care have said many a glowing thing about you. That, under your serious exterior, is someone who genuinely cares."

Seteth smiled nervously. How did Miss Nina's story go again? Someone visiting and praising his students?

"I met one in particular, a Marianne Von Edmund?"

Seteth coughed. "Yes," he stammered, "Marianne is a thoughtful child, if a little self-depreciating."

"I thought similarly, but she truly is a good child." Tiki noted, "I have decided to keep an extra eye on her; with your permission, of course."

"I would be glad of the help," Seteth replied, "She is the one who speaks to me the least, so knowing that she is in capable hands would ease my mind." Tiki giggled at this. "Did I say something humorous?"

Tiki nodded. "You have quite a bit of confidence in someone you have just met." She yawned. "Forgive me, my nap was cut short earlier."

"You just… remind me of someone." Seteth cursed himself. I'm trying to avoid the situation entailed in Nina's document, he had unwittingly opened another box.

"Oh?" Tiki asked, "I would like to hear about this person at a later date." She paused. "But I am here for a particular purpose. Mr. Seteth, many of the children in your care have powers; powers not unlike mine… or yours, for that matter."

Seteth's eyes widened. How did she-? Tiki smiled once more.

"I would enjoy an in-depth conversation about such a topic, if you would not mind." Seteth felt like this was more of a command than a request, and part of him wished he was in Miss Nina's little story now.

As someone who has been in both Palla's and Marianne's position in this chapter, I had a difficult time not making Marianne over the top. She's probably the hardest character to write in this whole story, to be honest!

The Next Chapter is: The Lute Mystery Team Incorporated in: The Grand Weapon Gala!

For Half-beastdragonsoul2013, you asked how I keep up with all of my characters? I initially kept a large spreadsheet of the characters with simple descriptions of how they are. I really enjoy cataloging stuff, so for me, writing characters in world-building is something that really appeals to me. I still make mistakes from time to time, though!