Har-har. Anxiety is a bitch!

Anyway, here's the new chapter, finally! Enjoy!

Obligatory Disclaimer: I own nothing.

The Wind is Our Friend

"Uh . . . " Yu was more flustered than he felt he should be. Really, what was wrong with him? "Yu Narukami. My name."

He took a little longer to bow in greeting than usual, fumbling through motions that typically were second-nature.

. . . Maybe he was sick. He had been rolling around in the mud a lot . . .

Yvir inclined his head, ignoring the dragon as it planted it's forepaws on his head, claws clutching his hair, "Yu Narukami, huh? Nice to meet you."

Yu nodded in reply, feeling a bubble of curiosity swell at the look of soft affection on the man's tattooed face. Sure, Yosuke had given him warms looks before, but there . . . was something different about this one he knew he'd seen before but couldn't quite place his finger on where.

The dragon clacked its teeth together, head swiveling to the left, before suddenly jumping from it's perch and landing on Yosuke's head again. The brunette's hands went up, stilling before actually swatting, "Agh!"

Yvir chuckled, gesturing as the little creature coiled it's tail around the boy's neck, "Right, and that's Aife. Funny, he's usually not so friendly with strangers. But then, 'strangers' might be the wrong word here."

Yosuke grimaced as the dragon, Aife, pushed his pointy nose into his hair, snuffling through the strands as a soft, but contented hum rose up from the back of his scaly throat. A purr?

"U-uh, y-yeah, that's cool, c-could you maybe get him off?" Yosuke pleaded, hands hovering off to the sides of the beast and not quite willing to risk his fingers yet. Aife continued to purr, resting his jaw on top of the boy's head.

Yvir chuckled again, but after gave a short, sharp whistle after that. Aife lifted his head, eyes shining with an intelligence far above that of an ordinary animal, before rising up and hopping back to Yvir's shoulder with a flap of his wings. Yosuke sighed in relief, only to key up again at his counterpart's waiting stare. He glanced down, away from the man's face, then back up when he saw the hovering feet, looking lost and flustered. Finally, after running a hand through his hair in a coping gesture, he finally spoke, "U-uh, Yosuke Hanamura," he nodded his head almost reflexively in Yu's direction, "This guy's partner. Nice to meet you?"

At that, one of Yvir's eyebrows curved up in question, "Partner?"

Yu heard someone chuckle, and a glance informed him that it was Ylvaria. Why? Was the use of the word really that surprising, or were they thinking of . . . something else?

It only took him a few moments to figure out what that 'something else' might be.

Oh . . . he thought, feeling a faint blush rise to his cheeks.

Yosuke flushed as well, a mortified embarrassment crossing his face as he stammered, "W-w-wait, n-not that kind of 'partner'! Guys, help me out here! D-damn it, stop laughing!"

By now, several of the champions were hiding laughs behind their hands, something about this whole issue tickling their funny bone.

"Aw, I did forget to mention that, didn't I . . . ?" He heard Nyras mumble, looking a touch sheepish at her forgetfulness over . . . something.

Yvir glanced at them inquiringly, and it was only until Rhysana stepped in and whispered something to him that it dissolved into understanding.

"Oh, that's why you're laughing," he said, nodding.

"W-what? Laughing about what?" Yosuke asked, bewildered and still very, very embarrassed.

Yvir looked back to him, and this time, he was the one smiling, "Don't worry about it, kid. Anyway, nice to meet you too."

Yosuke stared at him, face rife with confusion, but Yvir was already turning away to the rest of his friends.

As the rest of his friends began to introduce themselves in fairly quick order, Yu heard Yosuke sigh, "Ah man, that was embarrassing . . ."

Yu smiled at him, patting his shoulder, "Don't let it get you down. It may just be your counterpart and mine call eachother something else."

Even as he said it, the thought left an uncomfortable pit in his stomach. The idea that the word 'partner' wasn't something they shared here was really odd to think about. It felt . . .wrong, even. Out of all the differences they could encounter, he thought they being partners would remain . . . constant.

Judging by Yosuke's face, he'd reached the same conclusion, "Maybe. But I don't know, that seems . . . weird. If they even call eachother anything . . ."

"We'll just have to wait and see," Yu put in, shrugging. It was all they could do for now.

"Aw, you're worried your counterparts aren't as close as you are!~" both boys jumped as Rhysana appeared behind them, her smile a coy one, "Don't worry about it so much. Honestly, the two are usually glued at the hip, so its a bit strange to see Yvir on his own."

"Really, when you think about it, 'partners' is the perfect word for them!" Both jumped again as Tirin slipped beside them from nowhere (again), grinning mischievously, eyes sparkling with a knowledge Yu sincerely wondered if they should be worried about.

"And what are you two doing?" Yvir had apparently heard them, glancing back their way.

"Soothing frazzled nerves, obviously," Rhysana replied, holding up her hands. Beside her, Tirin's grin widened.

Yvir hummed disbelievingly, not convinced, when Cahira tapped his shoulder with the head of her staff, eyes glancing pointedly at his feet, "Hey, by the way, why don't you come down from there. I think you've shown off enough."

Yvir gave her an annoyed stare, huffing, "Its not showing off when its just a thing you do, Cahira."

"What, is the princess afraid to get her boots dirty?" Cahira's lips turned up into a ribbing half-smile, bracing her staff against her shoulder.

"Yeah, yer actin' like a priss," Korval added, his lips curled in amusement.

Yu could practically feel the irritation prickle like a cactus from Yosuke, even though the jibes weren't directed at him.

Yvir's expression deepened to a scowl, "Really?"

Rhysana stepped between Yu and Yosuke then, calling out, "Come on, we're all friends here. Mostly. But it does help when said friends are all on equal ground."

She was looking pointedly at Yvir, and the man crossed his arms in a paltry show of defiance before sighing and lowering himself to the ground.

Rhysana grinned and pat a satisfied hand against his shoulder, "See? Not so hard."

Tirin popped up behind the man, placing an elbow on Yvir's shoulder and smiling, "Now you get to socialize with us normals!"

"Alright, alright, I get it," Yvir relented, lightly shrugging Tirin's arm off as Aife lightheartedly nipped at the gloaming's elbow. But his annoyance, Yu noticed, was now more playful than real, and his voice was lighter as he spoke even as he gestured to all of them with a finger, "But I'll keep this in mind the next time you all ask me for a favor."

"I'm sure we'll manage without you," Ylvaria put in with a teasing smile even as Yvir scoffed.

Meanwhile, Yu's friends had slowly gravitated towards him, watching their counterparts banter back and forth as a peculiar cloud of dissonance settled around them. They were watching themselves, essentially, while at the same time looking in on a very different group that had nothing to do with them. He'd felt it before, in the few times he'd sat back and just watched the champions interact, but it didn't get any less strange a feeling.

"So . . . he's a wizard," Chie whispered, hardly even glancing at her assembled friends.

"Is he?" Yukiko asked, brow furrowing, "Did we ask?"

"He can lift things without touching them, and he can fly," Rise added softly, "I don't think it really matters."

"Hm . . ." Naoto hummed, "I wonder if he was the 'expert' Tirin spoke of."

Chie made a worried noise in the back of her throat, "If he is, then I hope for our sake that Yvir's a bit smarter than Yosuke."

"Wow, thanks Chie," Yosuke groused.

"Well, so far our counterparts have proven to be very good at their jobs," Yu put in helpfully, "I'm sure Yvir is no exception."

"Thanks, Yu," Yosuke said, this time with more sincerity.

"He was friends with that lovely nymph! So he's already a few steps ahead of our Yosuke!" Teddie added . . . 'helpfully'.

Yosuke didn't bother gracing that with a comment, even as he threw a scowl in the bear's direction.

"His dragon's cute," Kanji mumbled to himself, enamored and completely ignoring the conversation at hand, "I wonder where he got him . . ."

"Hey!"

Everyone looked over to see Rhysana waving at them, her smile just as bright and lively as always, "Come on, we're going back to the inn! It's time for some food!"

Yu's stomach gave a growl, reminding him how hungry he was, and he glanced at his companions before following the sprightly bard. The champions were a bit ahead of them, chatting amicably (barring the occasional taunt), completely at ease.

Yu found his gaze travelling to Yvir once more, curiosity burning in his stomach. He wanted to know more about him, Yu realized. He'd wanted to know about all the champions, yes, but towards Yvir it felt stronger and more . . . he didn't know. Personal? No, not quite . . .

Whatever his feelings, he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that lunch was going to be an interesting affair.

(*)

Upon returning, Yu and his friends were given leave to go wash away the grime from that morning's training and refit themselves in more comfortable clothes, which was nice. It was as simple as a small bucket of warm water and a wet cloth, but it did the job well enough, and Yu was grateful he wouldn't have to be eating in his muck-laden armor.

When time came to actually sit down for food, he found out they had been given an entire room separate from the public space on the upper floor, with a large oak table laid with silverware and a dark green tablecloth bordered with silver. Candles were arranged along the cupboards and shelves, providing an ambient light that lit the room with hues of warm amber, the two windows closed in case of the onset of rain. Strangely enough, even with the windows closed, Yu could swear he felt a soft, tickling breeze every now and again, though where it was coming from he had no idea.

Yu and his friends all sat on one end, the champions on the other, the familiar trend they'd been setting since they'd met. The servants bustled around them in a whir of activity and noise that only ended after their food had been brought out, wherein they were all left to dine in peace. The champions were still talking to one another, their expressions light and relaxed, as they usually were when they sat down to eat, whereas he and his friends were all rather quiet. It didn't take a whole lot of observation to know it was because most, if not everyone, was looking at their new companion with a curiosity they were a just touch shy to give voice to.

Yvir didn't seem to notice. Or, if he did, he was begin very nice about it.

The-sorcerer? Wizard?-was sitting across the table a few chairs down from Yu, in clear view of where he sat. Aife was still on his shoulders, a slice of apple between his claws that he chewed on with relish, even though the fruit seemed an odd choice for a dragon. Currently, the man was talking to Tirin, who was sitting beside him, rolling his eyes at some remark the gloaming made but reluctantly smiling all the same. Gossip, maybe?

A brief nudge to his side made him turn his head, and looked to see Ylvaria giving him an amused half-smile. With a quick and knowing glance in Yvir's direction, she whispered, "Go on, ask him something. I know you want to."

Yu poked at his stew, idly stirring the vegetables within as he looked at Yvir again. Well, what could he say? Where did he start? They'd already introduced themselves, so 'hi, hello' seemed a bit redundant at this point, and he wasn't sure what questions would be too invasive to ask.

It was only when Yvir looked over and their eyes met that Yu realized he'd been staring a bit more intently than he'd realized, and the questioning eyebrow he received made his face burn. Uh, okay, he could save this, he just had to talk, to open up, get a conversation rolling! He could do that, no problem, oh god he's still looking, come one Yu, speak-!

"I like your tattoos."

That- . . . was not . . .

Had he been any less of a composed person who had not mastered the art of poker face long ago, Yu would have crumpled up and died then, he was sure. Especially when several of their counterparts chuckled. As it stood, he was doing an admirable job of keeping it to an embarrassed flush.

Yvir's other eyebrow went up, but there was a twitch to his lips that bordered on amused flattery, "Um, thanks. But these aren't tattoos. They're birthmarks."

"Birthmarks?" Chie echoed, finally speaking up, "Like, 'you were born with those' kinds of birthmarks?"

"I don't know, do birthmarks have a different meaning where you're from?" Yvir nodded, looking her way and leaving Yu to breathe in relieved peace.

Chie glared, "N-no, its just usually, birthmarks are really small and don't look so . . ." she caught herself before she said 'nice', "Like that!"

"Well, I guess that's true," Yvir acquiesced with a tilt of his head, "For humans, anyway. For sylphs, its a bit of different story."

" . . . Sylph?" Yu heard Yosuke inquire softly.

Yukiko gasped, "You're a fairy!"

The very short silence that followed was broken when Cahira, Tirin, Ylvaria, Rhysana and Korval all laughed, Korval choking on a bit of gristle that he had to beat back up even as he chortled. Nyras was more reserved, but she was still quite noticeably smiling as she slipped a piece of steamed potato in her mouth. Yvir looked . . . well, not as irritated as Yu would have expected, but not quite as amused as the rest either. In fact, Yosuke seemed to be the one who wrestling over whether or not to speak out in his defense, cheeks taking on an apple-red hue.

Once the laughter died down, Yvir explained, "I think you're thinking of the word 'sylvan', which is something else entirely."

"Oh . . ." Yukiko looked down, lips pursed in embarrassment.

"But you aren't human, either," Naoto put in, setting the bread she'd been chewing on down.

Yu found himself unwittingly leaning forward, eager to hear more about this new piece of information. Yvir certainly looked entirely human at first glance, but maybe there were differences he'd failed to notice, like his ta- . . . birthmarks.

Yu's friends all looked at Yvir expectantly, but the man merely shrugged, smiling, "Nope. Like I said, I'm a sylph."

"But what . . . is that?" Rise asked, and Yu noticed she giving him a cursory examination as well.

"A sylph is someone who is descended from a union between a human and a being from the Plane of Air, usually an elemental," Nyras explained simply. She gestured to Tirin, "Much like a gloaming is descended from the Shadow Plane."

"Yep! Putting it like that, we're almost like brothers!" Tirin yelled jovially, throwing an arm around Yvir's shoulders even as his chair tipped precariously to the side.

Yvir shrugged him off, "We can talk about that after you stop hiding my things."

Tirin giggled, "But annoying each other is what brothers do best, isn't it?"

"Well, you definitely know how to annoy me, if that's what you're getting at."

A sylph . . .Yu thought, tuning the conversation out. An elemental being, or close to something like that . . . and one who had a connection to the air. Huh, it was strangely fitting. And might explain why he kept feeling a breeze, now that he thought about it. He spared a glance at Yosuke, whose mouth was hanging slightly ajar as he adjusted to the news, staring at his counterpart with wide eyes.

"So . . . yer like a wind spirit, or somethin'?" Kanji asked, trying to wrap his head around it.

"Something like that," Yvir replied.

"Is that why you could fly?" Teddie asked, leaning in, eyes bright with curiosity.

"Yes, that's why I could fly."

Yu opened his mouth to ask what else sylphs could do, then closed it again as he remembered the last time he'd opened his mouth. He was . . . still recovering. Instead, he shoved a spoonful of stew into his mouth and focused on that instead.

Not that it would have mattered, because right then Aife suddenly took off with a strong flap, streaking to the other side of the table and landing on a shadow in the corner of the room. A shadow that slid out of the way just in time and began to slither across the floor, seeping through the wood like a living puddle of ink. Aife gave chase, claws scraping small slivers into the wood as he pounced around after his prey.

Yu almost thought they were in danger until he remembered that Xirskam was an actual entity that worked with them, the Shade never very from Tirin unless ordered. Although, it was a bit weird knowing that he was still present even when they were eating.

"Well, it had to happen sooner or later," Rhysana commented, watching the tiny dragon with an amused smile. Aife was scuffing his forepaws against the ground, wriggling his haunches as he sprung up from the ground to the shelf where Xirskam had taken shelter. The Shade slipped away again, but the little creature was not discouraged, continuing to give chase.

It was then Yu realized that they were playing.

"It has been a few months," Nyras added, leaning back in her seat as Aife flew past her, wing tip brushing the rim of her hood.

Korval ducked, looking mildly annoyed, "Yeah, but maybe they coulda done this when we weren't eating?"

"You tell them to stop. I'll watch," Rhysana told him, lifting a slender leg up as Xirskam slithered by where her foot has been resting.

"Huh. Never thought I'd see a dragon play with a shadow . . ." Chie said softly before popping another piece of steak in her mouth.

"Aife isn't a dragon," everyone tore their eyes away the scampering creature to settle on Yvir. The man looked unruffled, "He looks like one, sure, but he's actually a fae."

"So . . . Aife is the fairy?" Yukiko puzzled out after a moment of thoughtful silence.

Yvir breathed a laugh, "Not quite. He's in that realm, though."

"But why does he look so . . . dragon-y then?" Chie asked, eyebrows knitted in confusion.

"Its basically an aesthetic thing. Fae like to base their appearances on other creatures. Like that nymph you saw earlier. She was fae, but she looked human, right?" Yvir put the question out to them, and they all nodded along in agreement as understanding sunk in.

"That's true," Rise said.

"But speaking of that nymph . . ." for the first time since their introduction, Yosuke finally piped up, "How'd you get her to . . . do that for you? You'd think a fairy'd have better things to do."

"I just asked," Yvir's response was simple and to the point, punctuated by a shrug.

"You . . . just asked?" Chie asked, looking a little disbelieving.

"And she didn't hit you?" that was from Yukiko.

Yosuke scowled at them, but Yvir only gave a sigh, "Look, believe it or not, she actually wanted to help. The champions were in town, and word travels just as quickly in the fae realm as it does the human one."

"Really? So, she knew we'd be there?" Kanji asked.

"Well, she was obviously sentient," Naoto put in, "I'm sure the rest of her species is the same and has their own society, with it's own rules and customs. It shouldn't surprise us that word of it reached them."

"Exactly," Yvir said, looking pleased.

"So, that means you've made it big with the ladies, right?" And off Teddie goes, leaning in even more, "Which means my chances of making it big skyrockets to bear-nominal heights!"

Yvir gave him a level stare, eyebrow curved up in silent mystification, before slowly turning his head to Tirin. The gloaming paused in his eating, fork halfway to his mouth, before gesturing with it in the bear's direction and saying with a flat tone, "Don't look at me, he's not mine."

Teddie huffed indignantly, but before another argument could come of it, Ylvaria cleared her throat.

"Nyras, did you want to do it now since Yvir's here?" she asked the ranger cryptically.

Nyras nodded, "I think it would be for the best, seeing as everyone has now eaten."

"Oh, that," Yvir seemed to pick up on their meaning quickly.

Everyone's attention was on them now, curious looks being exchanged as Ylvaria dug into the pouch on her side. Except Yukiko, who was looking excited, practically bouncing in her seat.

"Um . . ." Chie hummed, frowning.

"What-?" Yosuke was cut off as Ylvaria held up several strips of plain looking parchment, which she then offered to Yu.

"Pass these around, please."

Yu took them from her, eyebrow raised in wondering anticipation as he took one and passed off the rest. It wasn't long before everyone had one in their hands (except Yukiko), turning them around in puzzlement.

Yu stared at his own. It was very plain, save for the small rune at the heart, and otherwise didn't look very special. What was this for?

Yukiko was clapping her hands now, and Chie gave her a slightly worried glance before looking to the champions, "So . . . what's this for?"

"Another test?" Naoto surmised, holding the slip between her hands.

Kanji grimaced, "Man . . . I'm no good at exams . . ."

"Don't worry, its not that hard," Ylvaria reassured them.

"So what do we do with it?" Rise asked, lightly waving her hand up and down and making the slip flutter.

"Well, we're going to be testing-"

Before Nyras could finish, Yukiko exclaimed, "It's for magic!"

Everyone turned her, silence falling over the table save for the scuffling of claws over varnished shelves. Then, Yukiko bowed her head, "Oops. I'm sorry. I got carried away."

"Is . . . that true?" Rise asked, voice soft.

Yu stared at the paper in his hands. This was a magic test? He didn't doubt Yukiko's word, but how was this-?

"Alright, before everyone loses their mind, let Nyras explain," Rhysana intervened before anyone could start asking questions (even though everyone was sitting in dumbstruck silence), giving them each an even stare before gesturing for Nyras to continue.

Nyras gave her an appreciative nod, "Thank you Rhys. Anyway, as I was saying, this is a test. More specifically, its a test to see of you have any magical aptitude yourselves. Yukiko has already undergone the trail, so that is why she already knows what this is about."

"So . . . that's why you were so excited," Chie breathed, looking at the paper in her hands like it had just grown a face, "But seriously, we can do that?"

"That's what we're going to find out," Yvir was the one to take up the conversation then, rising to his feet and gesturing for them to do the same, "Come on, its easier if you're standing. You concentrate better."

Yu shared a quick look with Yosuke before rising to his feet, piece still clutched in his hands, stomach trembling with a nervous excitement. It was really starting to sink in now. If this panned out well, then it would mean a wider arsenal for them, a better defense!

The rest of his friends had stood as well, an excited tension filling the room as they, too, came to understand what this meant. Whispered words were being exchanged, but Yu didn't catch them, focusing instead on Yvir as he came to stand beside Yosuke, and therefore close to him. The breeze had noticeably picked up, and he realized his theory had been right. It was coming from Yvir!

The brunette turned to him, confused, "Um, yeah . . . ?"

"Don't worry about me. Just focus on what you're doing," Yvir told him.

"Y-yeah, but could ya maybe not stand so close. It's kinda weird," Yosuke protested, hip bumping against the rim of his chair as he scooted back a bit.

"Yvir is going to be looking for the source of our magic, if you have it," Nyras told him.

"Huh?"

"Anyone whose capable of magic has certain signatures in their blood and aura, at least if they're like me," Yvir explained, "Think of them like track marks."

"What do ya mean 'like you'?" Kanji questioned, eyebrow quirked.

"A sorcerer," was the man's easy reply, "Someone whose born with magic. Or someone who has a very strong affinity for it."

"What's the difference between that and a wizard?" Yosuke asked.

"Wizards aren't actually born with magic powers. They have to learn everything from the ground up. Spellbooks, components, things like that. It's . . . pretty boring, actually," Yvir explained.

"Who cares, let's just do this thing already!" Chie shouted over him, overeager and impatient to begin.

Well, at least now they knew the difference.

Ylvaria chuckled at her enthusiasm, "Alright, we'll start. Everyone, focus on your runes. Empty your mind, and concentrate."

Yu gave a cursory glance as his friends did as they were told, noting Yosuke's rather rigid posture as Yvir 's hands came to hover around his head, moving into position the results of this test. Finally, he did the same himself.

Focus on the rune . . .

Hm, what was magic like here? Was it the same as using a persona? Was it different? He couldn't know. But that didn't mean he couldn't try. He had nothing to go off of here, in this world . . . but maybe thinking of it like the tv world instead would help?

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

He reached down inside again, where Izanagi would be had he been within reach. He could still sense his presence. Indeed, it never truly went away. But it was still not enough to bring his full might into play, just a glimmer of light and lightning that warmed but couldn't do much else. Still, he reached for it, tugging at wispy tendrils that faded away like smoke, coaxing something from the depths of his psyche . . .

He jolted at the sharp shock that suddenly nipped his fingers, eyes snapping open as he dropped the paper in his hands. Small sparks of electricity danced across the page, the edges curling and turning black as smoke rose from the charred ends. At the same time, a sound not unlike static rose up from the base of his skull right as several other startled shouts went up around the table, and he whirled to see what had happened.

Yosuke's slip was spiraling around between his hands, carried on rotating breeze that quickly died and left it falling still. Chie was holding her slip out, the paper cut neatly in half between her fingertips. Kanji was shaking his fingers out, his own slip dancing with sparks as well. Teddie had dropped his, the slim, frozen sheet cracking in two against the wood. Naoto's lay in little pieces, as if someone had come at it with a pair of scissors. Rise's hadn't changed, but the rune was glowing brightly, and it was only when it faded that the static at the back of his head did as well.

Silence fell heavy around the room, no one quite sure what to make of what just happened.

". . . well," Nyras started, staring, "I can see what you meant by 'unexpected' results, Ylvaria."

Ylvaria nodded, "Mhm."

"Ugh, magic . . ." Korval grunted, shaking his head as he rubbed the back of his finger in the crook of his nose.

"Did we do it?" Chie asked, looking bewildered and a little startled, "Was this good?"

"Don't worry, Chie, the same thing happened to me," Yukiko reassured her, and in doing so, everyone, "Its good news!"

"That was neat!" Tirin commented, clapping, "Encore!"

"Shush," Rhysana chided him before turning to Yvir, "So, what's the report, Yvir? Anything?"

"I . . ." the sorcerer suddenly pushed past Yosuke and snatched up his abandoned paper, examining it closely before grabbing Yu's as well, holding them side by side.

"Yvir?" Cahira asked tentatively, eyebrow raised.

"That was magic. That was definitely magic, but there's no bloodline or signature on them at all!" Yvir was going off now, picking up every slip and breezing passed his friends like they weren't even there, examining each slip in turn, "Elemental magic, force magic, telepathy maybe, all very strong signs too, but with nothing to back it up! How does that happen?" he was pacing now, tuning out the entire world even as everyone watched in stunned fascination, an excited wind picking up around him and making the candles flicker, "Hm, maybe residual energy from the portal, but what was left wouldn't be so strong. Tirin!"

Yvir rounded on the gloaming, who stood up a little straighter but was smiling in giddy amusement as the man demanded, "How strong was that portal? Was there anything else around it?"

The blonde shrugged, a laugh in his voice, "I dunno. It was just a portal."

"'It was just a portal'," Yvir taunted back huffily before looking to Ylvaria, "Do you have anymore markers?"

Ylvaria was hiding a smile behind her hand as she reached into her pouch, "I do."

He snatched them up real quick and thrust one out to Yu, "Do that again."

Yu blinked at him, unmoving, "What?"

"W-wait, hang on, what is going on right now?!" Yosuke demanded, looking a little disturbed but mostly flummoxed, "I thought we did good? What's the problem?"

"You're the problem!"

At their uncomprehending stares, Yvir dropped his arm and sighed, "You all just did magic. And pretty strong signs for it too. But-" he cut Chie off before she could question, "I don't know where its coming from! There are no bloodlines in you, no places for it roost and become so powerful! For all intents and purposes, your perfectly normal people, but you can do this!" he held up Kanji's slip, the corner edge falling away to ash as he did so, "You don't make sense, and I'll be damned if I don't figure out why that is!"

He was . . . really quite passionate about this . . .

"Alright, alright, just take a deep breath, Yvir," Rhysana soothed, placing a hand on his shoulder as she turned to wink at them, "Don't worry. Its a sylph habit to get a little zealous about the things that interest them."

Yvir pursed his lips in an almost pout, unmoving even as Aife fluttered back to his shoulder, "You wanted a diagnostic . . ."

"Well, we'll figure it out. Maybe there's just something about their world we don't know yet!" Rhysana glanced at Yu, and the very pointed gleam in her eyes made a shiver go down his spine.

"Yes, there is indeed much we have yet to understand about their world," Nyras added, but the subtle arch of her brow betrayed her quiet, yet knowing, suspicion.

"Can you kids think of anything?" Cahira asked, tapping the butt end of her staff against the floor. The rhythmic tapping was the only sound to follow her question.

Yu glanced at his friends, and could see the unease in their eyes. Indeed, the atmosphere in the room had changed just a bit, a subtle shift from comfortable to eerie in the span of a heartbeat. The truth was, he was pretty damn positive he knew where their powers were coming from. They all did. But how did they broach the subject now?

Was there any reason not too?

The answer, he realized, was no.

But first . . .

"Can we . . ." he spoke slowly, tongue feeling dry, "Perhaps talk about this later?"

Silence followed, and for a moment, Yu thought they wouldn't let them go.

Then, Rhysana sighed, "Ah, well, at least we made some progress today. Besides, I think we have a few things to talk about anyway, huh Yvir?"

". . . Huh?" the man looked at her, evidently having been deep in thought about the recent phenomenon.

"Yes, we do," Nyras nodded. She looked at them, "We'll carry on this conversation later. For now, consider this your free time."

Everyone nodded, scurrying over to the doors before anymore questions could be asked. Korval called out after them, "Make sure ya clean your armor soon. Ya gotta learn how to take care of it on your own time!"

Yu nodded in understanding, but before slipping out the door, he caught sight of Yvir one last time.

The sylph was looking at him, the blue of his eyes looking more prominent even in the dimmer lighting. Interest was gleaming there, as well as a puzzling curiosity, for what he wasn't sure.

Then the door closed.

He stared at the lacquered wood for only a few moments before turning to his friends, all of whom were shifting where they stood, looking at him expectantly.

He knew they were waiting for him to speak, anticipating what his next words would be, and he knew they needed to talk about this. They'd been dancing around the subject for so long. Too long.

Instead, he gestured for them to move to a more secure and less open area, where they could converse without any eavesdroppers. Namely, his and Yosuke's shared room.

It was only when they were all inside, the door locked tight and window drawn closed, that he finally spoke, "We need to tell them. Everything."

Yu: That is an attractive man right there.

Ylvaria: You should say something to him.

Yu: Hey Shawty, what that thang do?

Is basically what that scene was. You know the one.

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