2088.03.15

Anho told me today that I have achieved Journeyman status now. I am no longer his apprentice. At first, I was horrified. What does that even mean?!? Was he kicking me out? Was I supposed to get a job of my own? We hadn't talked about this at all. I had no idea what the next steps were. I think he could see me panicking because he jumped right in to explain.

Apprentices are those who are learning the fundamentals of magic still. When you reach Journeyman you can cast minor spells on your own, and more complex spells as well, though there is still room to learn, and you still study under your master. You can take side jobs of your own as well in order to build up your reputation.

In our case, I am to continue to live here and he has requested that I help him with some jobs. Some of the work will be to help him research new spells. My gift allows for a unique ability to help refine spells. I can see them as he's working on them from a different angle than he can. He said that as a dragon, it is his privilege to have a hoard. He apparently chose New Houston as his hoard. He protects the city from both outside and internal threats. One of those threats is that of cursed items.

Yes, there are groups who deal with them when they are found, like Tomas and the Cursed Objects group and the Warehouse, but there aren't any groups who are detailed to actually find the items in the city. To that end, he intends to teach me the spells I would need in order to both find the objects and safely transport them back to Ie. He appreciates the efforts of the Warehouse, but he has concerns about them studying the curses. Yes, that is a thing that needs to happen if they are to remove them, but it is also true that with the knowledge of how to remove a curse comes the power to cast one. Currently, the Warehouse is an independent branch of the United States government and is not associated with the Tower in any way. Anho seems to have a real problem with the Tower, but so far he's been pretty tight-lipped about it. His concern seems to be that the Tower might one day usurp the Warehouse [the organization, not this specific branch], and they would then have access to all of that knowledge.

I'm not gonna lie, it's both exciting and terrifying that he wants me to help with that. I bet he didn't tell mom! Cursed objects are some scary stuff. I have been cautioned against them from day one of my training. They do some really awful stuff. Your first response if you even suspect a cursed object should be to call the Warehouse team for a lockdown and deconn. And if school hadn't harped on that enough, Tomas has some really awful stories you can sometimes get him to tell if it's the middle of the day and he feels safe enough.

You know, it's a wonder Tomas ever got into cursed objects transportation. That man is afraid of almost everything! I asked him once and his answer really surprised me. He said that he did it because knowing that there were protocols and safety measures in place helped him to feel more secure, and he wanted to give that feeling to other people who were afraid all the time. When he was growing up he's seen a show on the Warehouse. After that, those people were his heroes. They would go in and risk their lives for the safety of everyone. Like firefighters, or the police are to some kids, the Warehouse people were to him. It makes total sense that he would want to do that work. I just can't imagine being so scared and still taking on the riskiest job out there [or one of them]. I really admire him for facing his fears like that.

All of this just reminded me of a run-in I had with a cursed object myself. It must've been about middle school because Courier had already gone off to the Academy. I had a really tough time after he left. It's not like I have no social skills but most of the kids didn't like me for one reason or another. For some, it was that I was friends with Courier and they thought he was a freak because of the wings. For others, it was that I was a freak. I blended in better in middle school for sure, but let's face it, I was never gonna be a cool kid.

Anyway, there was this new girl in our class. She seemed really outgoing and popular to me. She seemed to be accepted really quickly into the in-crowd. Pretty soon it seemed like she was running the clique. There was something off about her though. Her aura had these dark swirls through it. At first, it seemed like they were only there sometimes and I assumed I was just seeing her moods as I do with everyone. [Little known fact, your moods affect your magic and thus your aura.] After a few months though, the streaks were always there. By mid-year, they started getting thicker. By year-end, she was about half covered in this dark, oily-looking aura. When we returned for classes the next year, her aura was almost entirely the color of swamp muck and her personality matched it. It didn't seem to affect her popularity though.

Right before mid-terms, I ended up in the library researching for a paper when she and her group walked in. I knew better than to garner their attention so I found a secluded study carrel in the back part of the library with the reference books. I got up to find another book and just as I was about to enter the stacks, I heard her voice talking to someone. I went down the next row instead, and yes, I spied. I could just make them out between the books. What I saw took me by surprise. Out loud it was just your normal catty, middle school gripe session between two popular girls about a third.

Magically, I watched as this girl's dark aura manifested from her mouth and went straight into the other girl's ear. It was then that I noticed that the other girl's aura already had some of the same dark, oily aura twisting through it and that the more she listened the more she had.

I can see how now stupid I was for not paying more attention to the whole incident and doing something, what, I'm not sure, but something. About four months later the girl was put into an institution under watch. The school tried to keep it all a secret, but nothing is ever secret to middle schoolers.

Apparently, the girl had found some hair clips at a rummage sale and she had worn them every day. They were cursed. The person who wore them would become very popular but would have their magic slowly leached out. Once their magic was nearly dry, the clips would start to leech power from those around them looking for a new host. I don't know how many know this, but we all have magic power within us. We need it to survive. In other words, the hair clips were killing her, and if the object hadn't been found in time, she would have died. She was supposed to find a new host and pass them along, but he held onto them until she very nearly died.

I don't blame myself, because I didn't know anything bout this back then. This isn't something they teach about in school with all their talk of stranger danger. Yeah, I don't blame myself, but I haven't ever forgotten that I could have done something if I had known what I was looking at...and now I would know.

2088.03.26

Today I was doing some practice runs with Class II cursed objects. My task, after training, was to spend a few hours in the afternoon searching for a Class II object. Since it is legal to possess one with the proper documentation, there should be more of those around to 'find.' If I found one that was unattended, I was to use Class II protocol and collect it. If it was attended, I was to evaluate the situation. If it was in a store, I would search the database to determine if they were a legal dealer. If it was an individual I was to do a facial recognition scan in the database to determine if they have a license. I'm pretty sure we don't have legal standing for the latter, but no harm is done if they do have a legal right to ownership.

I opted to wander in an urban office area. I was less likely to find a store since it was away from the magic district. I was also curious as to how many people just casually wander around with these in their pockets. I didn't honestly expect to find anything. Most days I shouldn't find anything. That's the point. The point is that even the people who are authorized really shouldn't just be walking around with them most of the time.

I was walking purposefully to blend in, but really going nowhere when my tracing spell pinged. I headed in the direction indicated and saw a man and a woman standing in front of an office building talking. I walked past them and he was the source of the ping. He looked to be a bit taller than me, but not by much. He was a clean-cut-looking man with dark hair and skin the color of macchiato. I circled around to block with my phone out and up, ready to take a picture. In other words, I blended right in. When I got back around they were still talking and I was able to get a picture as I walked past. I had the system run a check. He was authorized, so that was good. The object was registered as a pen that would, if given a chance, write out your secrets, worst fears, or other things that could cause emotional or mental pain and trauma. Apparently, he is a psychologist brought in to deal with patients who are dangerous and unable to communicate. The idea is that if he can get them to write out what is going on inside he might be able to help. So far he has been able to help around 50% of the patients he has been tasked to work with. What they write is not admissible in court, so this is more about research and not at all about convicting anyone. Still, the things this guy has read must haunt him at night. Anyway, he was legit so I kept walking.

I got two pings in my three hours of wandering; the second was also legit. It was oddly stressful. I went into it excited, then I was bored, then I felt the jolt of adrenaline from finding one, then bored again. Still, for a first day, it was good.

2088.04.01

I have been searching for Cursed Objects on Tuesdays and Thursdays for a few months now. Today I found my first non-authorized object. It was scary as hell. I knew, but I guess I didn't realize, that if it isn't in either database, you will have no idea what it does!

Since it was in someone's possession at first I was a bit freaked out. It's not like there is a group that you can report to that you found Cursed Objects. Most people wouldn't even know an object even was cursed after all, and the few who do...well, I don't know that anyone actually looks for these things which is why Anho has me out looking. After calming down and thinking about it that way, I realized that I should just follow the protocol Anho had laid out. Since I already had the picture since I'd run it through the database, I forwarded it to him with a note on what I 'saw' when I looked at the object.

In this case, I saw a dark blue oval spot in the guy's back left pocket. It was a static color, with no pulsing, or streaks of other colors. We weren't sure what I was seeing exactly yet so that didn't give us much to go on for this object, but we were hoping that over time we would be able to tell the nature of the curse from my magical sight.

It felt a little anticlimactic just passing it along via text to Anho. I mean, I felt like I should maybe be doing something about it. If the guy was a victim of the object, maybe I could help, right? Okay, I know, I know, I need to get over that hero complex before it kills me. I don't know enough yet. That said, it's something to aim for in the future...knowing what these objects can do and helping their victims.

2088.04.18

After a few weeks of searching for cursed objects around my studies I was starting to get the hang of triangulating on an object. I refined the spell a little with each casting. I was trying to find a way to get more information about the object I had located so I would know what I was walking into. It would have been much easier if I could have experimented with actual cursed objects, but that was obviously not going to happen given the subject matter. Instead, I was using a combination of detecting the strength of the magical object, and it's intent. Intent is sort of a slippery definition. Strictly speaking the objects themselves don't have an intent. The magic doesn't really either. It's more about how the magic and the object interact with the intent of the caster.

So, if I were to cast a permanent spell on, say, my favorite shoes, so that they would last longer before wearing out, the object, my much-loved shoes, and the magic the intent to repair would work together to create a positive end because that's what I had in mind when I cast the spell. On the other hand, if I were to cast the same spell, but on a pair of shoes, I really didn't like, my negative feelings would tweak the magic. So the result of that might be a pair of shoes that can never wear out but also have no traction, or whose laces continually got tangled. Intent matters even if you are using the same spell each time. They don't actually teach you that at the Burning Tower. Their classes insist that the spells are like science and always have the same results. Anho says that because they teach it that way, it seals the intent of each spell in the caster's mind. He says that can be a good practice because it helps enforce focus, but it is also sloppy because it's not entirely the truth. That's a lot of how cursed objects come to be.

2088.04.24

Today was a short training day. Anho was busy with something and set me to doing my katas and other training patterns, and then gave me the rest of the day off. Since I hadn't been able to visit in a while I texted K'estra and we agreed to meet up for lunch near the Burning Tower. There is this great little cafe near there that has the best bowls and smoothies. We sat and caught up a bit and enjoyed the day. When she had to get back to work, I stayed for a bit longer finishing my smoothie and just enjoying watching the people.

Okay, enough of that, I decided to use my time honing my cursed objects finding skills. I figured I would get more than the usual pings and I was right. There were lots of little items traveling the area. They were, as far as I could tell all Class I and probably authorized in this part of town. As I spread the spell further I got a bigger hit. It had the signature of a Class III item. It was in my favorite bookstore, Tomes for the Ages. I got up and quickly headed that way. Class IIIs are serious business. As I entered I had to pause to let my eyes adjust, but then I headed straight for the ping.

I headed into the back section where Earl, the owner, kept the more unusual finds. As I rounded the corner I saw a winger woman. She was beautiful. Her head and neck were a glossy black with a metallic green and violet sheen. Her wings were black glossed with green as well. Her features were aquiline and bird-like in a way I hadn't seen before. She was striking, and she was not the Class III object. I hurried over to the shelf and started to reach for the book that was the object, she was way too close and the store and all its patrons were at risk.

"Excuse me, do you work here?" she asked. Her voice had a lovely sing-song quality.

"Uh? No?" I said as I swung around quickly to look at her. I turned back toward the shelf.

"Oh," she said and sounded disappointed. "Do you think you might be able to help me anyway?" she used a tone that almost made me forget the object. I looked at her again, then at the book, then once again at her.

"Okay. I can try. What do you need?"

"I was wondering if you could help me to choose between these two books." she held up two books.

I drew closer and looked at the two books. Then I looked at her. I read the blurbs on the back and the summaries that always start these sorts of books, then I looked at her again. I really looked at her this time. I focused on her wings, the feathers, and the coloration. One of the books was on flight using magical means and with those wings, she couldn't be interested in that book, right? The other was on transformation, again, why?

"I can't imagine that you need the book on flight with those wings, and I cannot imagine why someone as beautiful as you would want to transform into anything else. Unless you just want to learn those areas for some reason, I'd say ditch them both." I replied. Okay, I am not normally anywhere near that well-spoken and suave around beautiful women or any women, but I needed to remove the danger.

I started to turn back to the shelf just as there was a commotion up front, and I heard Earl giving directions to this shelf. I turned back to the front. With a last glance toward the book, I headed toward the door.

"Did you know the book is cursed?" she asked.

"Yes," I said meeting her eyes. [I can't believe I did that!!!]

"What did you want with it?"

"I was going to buy it and then take it to a safe house to keep it away from the unsuspecting, and even further away from those who might know it was cursed. You obviously knew too. Is that the Warehouse?"

"Yes. I called it in."

"Hopefully this one will stay there," I said, and then headed for the door.

"Hey! Wait a second," she said, moving after me. "What's your name?"

"Kee. Kee Kranston.

"Kee. What did you mean when you said you hoped this one would stay in the Warehouse?" I stopped again, and once again fully turned to look at her, taking her all in.

"What's your name?"

"Pica Benzer."

"Rookery?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Meet me at Morning's Glory in HQ tomorrow morning at nine and I will tell you, Pica." And with that, I left.

What the hell was I thinking!?!

2088.04.25

I woke up early and came instantly awake. I was as nervous as if I was going to an amusement park or something. I started my day with physical training to wear myself out. I might have taken longer in the shower and on personal grooming than usual. I mean, I know it's not a date or anything, but I felt like I should treat it like business, right?

I'll be honest with me here, I had no earthly idea what I was going to say to her, or even why I felt I needed to say anything at all. She was Rookery though so I couldn't just ditch or somehow Courier would find out and he would rag me about it forever!

I got to the Rookery early. Tony was on duty and he waved me through after I scanned my ID. I was early so I killed some time watching the new fliers practicing. A part of me longed to have wings of my own and belong to this awesome group of people. The rest of me was growing to love my magic and the gifts I had. Besides, mostly I was a part of the group anyway even without wings.

I headed to Morning's Glory and got there about ten minutes early. I hate being late. I got a small table near the windows. It pays to be a regular. I didn't see any of my friends there this morning. I got lucky. I'm not sure how I would have explained it all with an audience around.

Pica showed up right on time. She was amazing to look at in the light. Her feathers practically glowed with purple and green iridescence. Her eyes are forest green. You would think that a person without hair might look strange but the feathers suited her more than hair ever would. She is exotic and striking. Geh...I sound smitten. Maybe I am come to think of it.

I would try to put down the conversation here, but I'll be honest, I don't think I remember it word for word.

Apparently, she is a part of a new job classification at The Rookery. She says she is calling herself a Finder. Her avian mix, that of a Eurasian magpie, allows her to see Cursed Objects. She has taught herself how to identify them, and class them. She has an agreement with Sals that she will seek out these objects and get them off the streets. I had no idea that The Rookery was getting into this sort of thing, but somehow I bet Anho knew about it. Why hadn't he shared it with me? I was going to have to have a conversation with that dragon!

But I digress. She can see magic!!! Okay, so not all magic and not exactly the way I can, but she can still see it!! I know it shouldn't be a big deal but suddenly I felt such a kinship with her. I know I probably had on my sappiest grin as she talked about it and she probably thinks I have a huge crush on her or something. I couldn't help it though. It was so cool to find out I wasn't alone.

I wasn't as open as she was. I wasn't sure what to share and what not to so I erred on the side of caution. I would need to see how Anho felt about all of this, and see if he knew that The Rookery was sending these items to the Warehouse. Yeah. She probably thinks I'm a jerk for being so closed-mouthed about it all. Since it is my story to tell though. I did tell her that I could see the cursed items too. A little truth at least.

We agreed that we needed to get advice from our respective leadership. Here's the thing though. She is going to tell Sals. I'm not sure what Sals knows and what she doesn't. My initial thought is that she knows it all, I know Courier would say she does! I'm just not sure I want her to find out something new from Pica before she hears it from me. Courier says that always ends badly. While I feel like I know where from all Courier has told me, I've only ever actually talked to her a couple of times.

Since it was Saturday we agreed that we would meet again on Monday for lunch. We exchanged contact information and said we'd decide on a place that morning. Should I be this excited to get her number?

I need to talk to Courier and see if he can get me in to see Sals before Monday!

2088.04.26

When I got home, I went in search of Anho. I stumbled my way through the story. He listened with his usual attention, and only seemed mildly amused by my discomfort. He said he thought he should get in touch with Emilia before we took any more steps. I spent a nervous hour running through some magical training waiting for him to have his conversation.

Apparently, Emilia didn't want to deal with Cursed Objects and was more than happy to let Anho deal with them. She agreed that it would be good for Pica and me to work and do our research together, and for us, when possible to do it safely, should return these items to Anho rather than the Warehouse, since New Houston was his territory. She was adamant that no harm should come to Pica. Period. That seemed reasonable to me. Anho seemed to feel that it had been settled appropriately and that no further action was needed. I probably should have accepted that, I mean he's WAY older than I am after all. I decided that I still needed to pave the way so I called Courier. We agreed to meet at his place. It had been a while.

I got there with great timing. He'd just gotten a delivery from Outzzz! We sat down and munched on some buffalo veggies and black bean dip. It was great. We were talking about the new game he'd gotten, Tangle Tale, a choose your own adventure style game with puzzles and combat. It sounds rad! Damn him though he knew I had something to talk about, so with me mid-bite he got serious.

Dude is my best friend, and I love him, but I was very intimidated to share this particular story for some reason. Nonetheless, share I did. When I started talking about Pica, he took one look at my face and literally hit the ground rolling in laughter. If you haven't seen a winger roll on the ground laughing you should. It's impossible to be mad at them even when they are laughing at you. He kept cackling about. me having a crush, liking her, and wanting to marry her. Dumbass.

When he finally stopped laughing, I finished the story through to telling Anho. And admitted that I might have a little crush on Pica...and asked if he knew anything about her. He didn't, but I know he'll ask around... and I both want him to and I really, really don't.

He dragged me up to see Sals. I wonder if she ever leaves her desk. I felt like a lamb being led to slaughter. Sals just looked up and eyed me up and down then said, 'Pica has been cleared to work with you, Kee. Take care of her. Dismissed,' and turned back to her paperwork. i thought I might have seen a small smirk on her face, but maybe not.

Since it was apparently all settled, we went back to Courier's and played his new game. I crashed on his couch.

2088.04.27

I woke up at my usual time, and Courier threw pillows at me until I left telling. me to be quiet at this 'tortuous hour!' I decided that since I was here I would hit The Sunrise House and see if anyone was about. I found Trish coming off night shift and we ate together and talked about Courier's new game. She had already beaten it and had big plans to rub that in Courier's face since I told her how far we'd gotten last night. Ha! He deserves it for throwing things at me when I'm his guest!

When I got home, I showered then picked a book and went to the garden to read. Anho found me there a few hours later. He puttered around tending to plants for a while until I set the book down, knowing he probably wanted to talk.

"Arrangements have been made for you to work with Pica on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Her research is focused on how she can see, and identify Cursed Objects. You will aid in that research as well as conduct your own research into how to better trace and identify them. You will both stick to the guidelines. I gave you, and you will not take unnecessary risks as you were prepared to do in that store. Am I clear?"

Of course, he was clear. I knew I shouldn't have reached for that book at the time, but she was so close and I couldn't have dealt with someone getting hurt if I could prevent it.

"In addition, you will both safeguard each other and research methods to safely isolate and recover Cursed Objects of all classes. Within reason, Cursed Objects will be brought here for curse removal or containment If the objects are extreme in nature, or the extraction would bring harm to either of you, you are to call either me or the Warehouse if I am unavailable. Ms. Benzer will be here on Tuesday at 2pm to meet me and to receive an orientation. I have assured Ms. Koehler and Ms. Franklin that we will provide the best training and care. I trust that you will honor my word on this as well."

"Yes, Master." Since he was being so formal about it all, I knew I should as well. This was a binding of sorts and our words were formal and sincere.

He finished outlining the plan for Tuesday and then headed back downstairs. I pretended to read for a while but my head was spinning. I would get to work and do research with Pica starting Tuesday. I wasn't sure I was ready for that. I would need to consider how much of my magical abilities to share with her. Anho hadn't mentioned anything about my secret. I know he told me that it would only ever be my secret to share. I don't even know her. If I don't share though then I need to come up with something plausible to tell her. She's way too smart to buy, 'oh, I just have this magic spell I picked up that lets me trace them.'

2088.04.29

Today was the day! After my usual morning routine of physical training, meditation, and then working on spellcasting, I made lunch. Anho joined me but stayed uncharacteristically quiet. I suspect he sensed my anxiety over our afternoon company.

I wish I knew why I was so anxious and nervous. I mean, she's no one I need to impress. She's no Sals, or Courier's mom, or heck, my mom! She's no Anho! I faced all of them and didn't feel this way even when I had really screwed up...which as far as I know I haven't with her...

Anyway, she showed up exactly on time [though when I asked Ie later it said she had been waiting about five minutes before ringing the bell]. When I opened the door one of her eyebrows shot up. Her eyebrows are made up of tiny little iridescent feathers that match those on her head. They are amazing. Of course, she caught me looking and her look of doubtful curiosity turned into a slight smirk which made the blood rush to my cheeks. Her lip corners definitely took an uptick at that. God, I was making a fool of myself and I hadn't even opened my mouth yet!

"Welcome to our home," I said and then bowed. "Please come in, remove your shoes, and use these slippers." I placed a beautiful pair of dark green and purple iridescent silk slippers down for her. House secret: the guest slippers will fit any size foot with the utmost comfort. Anho taught me the spell and I swear I will only ever wear spelled shoes again! My secret: I had made these just for her in colors to match her feathers. I had gotten the colors just right and they were, as expected a perfect fit. I could see that from her quiet sigh of pleasure.

"They will be yours to use whenever you come here to work," I said.

"Thank you."

"If you will accompany me this way, I will introduce you to Anho."

"Of course."

She followed me to the living room. I saw that Ie had set it up to have three comfortable lazy boys. The third was not the one that my mother used when she was here, but rather the winger equivalent. Ie really is the best. I made a note to thank it later.

Anho rose as we entered. "Good afternoon, Ms. Benzer. Or may I call you Pica?" he said with his usual charming smile. I was shocked when she dropped to one knee and bowed her head.

"Great dragon, you may call me what you choose," she whispered. Well, that was unexpected.

"Child, please rise. I do not buy into any of that nonsense. You will call me Anho as Kee does and you may call me Sensei if you must." Anho said.

She was slow to rise, and she gave me the side-eye. What did I do? I had a strange sense that I'd be hearing about it later.

After that excitement, the rest of the intro went as you'd expect. Anho pretty much gave her the same lecture he'd given me. We were to work together on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Our mission would be twofold; one, find Cursed Objects and either retrieve them or have them retrieved, and two, to do research to understand why we could see these objects when others couldn't, and try to create a way to contain them or remove the curse. It was a tall order, easily the work of a lifetime. Pica didn't seem to flinch from that at all, if anything she seemed more excited.

"While you will be working on this together, it is important to remember that you do work for two different organizations, and as such, there is an information-sharing agreement to which must adhere. I understand Pica that you have been briefed and have signed the agreements?" Anho asked. Pica nodded.

I had been briefed too. Essentially this was a deal between dragons. Emilia and Anho had agreed that this knowledge would help both of them to keep their treasures safe and would also bind the two more closely in friendship and cooperation, paving the way for more mutual endeavors.

"There will be no secrets. All information will be shared equally between the interested parties. That said, information will also be kept on a need-to-know basis. Those who need to know at this time are the two of you, myself, Emilia, and Sals. For all others, the two of you are simply doing research into the possible magic use that Pica has displayed." I don't see why he felt the need to look at me specifically when saying that! I can keep stuff to myself. I don't tell Courier everything! I don't!

"Now Pica, let me give you a brief rundown of our little house," Anho said, standing slowly and holding out his arm to her. He grabbed his walking stick with the other. Geesh, talk about playing it up! "Kee, please prepare the tea," he said over his shoulder as he walked her to the door. Psht! I stuck out my tongue at his back and headed for the kitchen.

Anho had already explained that Pica would not be able to access the entire house. He would grant her access to the roof for her to come and go, the kitchen, bathroom, the new Cursed Objects lab where we could research, and where Class 1 and Class II objects would be available for work. They were never to be removed from that facility. He had asked me if she should be allowed access to my room. OMG!!! He asked me that! I'm going to die! What the hell did he go and ask me that for? I mean, yeah, but NO!!! I sputtered my way into asking that she be able to enter if invited...that sounds professional, right?!?

Deep breaths, Kee! Deep breaths!

I knew he was explaining the house rules to her as I made the tea and got out the sakura daifuku we had bought for the occasion. I served them on the little sakura plates we had for guests. We had a beautiful tea set that was, according to Anho, fired in a volcano. It was a smoky light green color with slightly ribbed sides that made the cups easy to hold. Even when you put hot tea in them, they did not burn the hands. I used Imperial green tea for our tea today. I followed Anho's directions on tea to the letter. Most things he would let slide, but an incorrectly steeped cuppa would not slide, especially not for a guest. I had everything ready and in the room waiting when they arrived back.

As they walked through the door, I heard this trilling laughter from Pica. I smiled at the joy. Her smile lasted as she came over and sat down. Anho was definitely charming.

We all sipped the tea and nibbled the daifuku. I have to say, they are one of my favorite treats. I love that red bean paste, and really, if it has beans in it, it has to be good for you, right?

"Well, children, with that, I will let you get acquainted and settled in your new space." He rose and beat a hasty retreat before I could stop him. That left me with my mouth open staring at the door and wondering what to do next.

I turned to look at Pica. She was looking right at me. I blushed and looked down but managed to bring my eyes back up. She had that slight smile on her face again. I needed to do something and fast. "Shall we go to the lab and set up?" I asked.

"Sure. Master Anho showed it to me, of course, but I would like to see the tools. I was unsure at first about working in a new environment, but I was told that all would be provided."

"Whatever we don't have, I'm sure Anho will get if we need it," I said as we stood up and went to the door.

The door opened into the lab space. I had seen it before, Anho had given me a tour, but it was clean, spacious, and bright. It had a bookshelf along one wall with reference materials and resources. Another wall had a set of desks that faced each other and big windows filled with dappled sunlight filtered through trees [though I know these windows can show anything you'd like]. There was a magical containment cabinet along the wall opposite the door, and the floor was open and perfect for creating magical sigils or other castings.

"Which desk would you prefer?" I asked not looking at her.

She walked over to the desk which faced the door. "This one, I believe."

"Suits me," I replied. "And we can always move stuff too. I mean we don't have to be that close."

"I think we should see how this works before we start rearranging things," she said with a chuckle.

"Okay, sure." I'm so witty.

She moved the chair designed for wingers to her desk and sat down to look through her desk, organize, and set up her new tablet. Since she was busy, I went to examine the books Anho had selected. A lot. of them were ones I had read, but there were some that were new. I grabbed one of the new ones and went over to the windows. I found that there was a window seat! I love those! I settled in and started reading.

Next thing I knew, the sun was starting to go down, at least in the window. I glanced up looking for a clock, and surprisingly there was one. It was just about six. 

I looked for Pica and found her looking at me. When she realized I saw her she quickly turned to her tablet. 

My stomach rumbled. "I'm going to go make some food, wanna join me?" I asked.

"I'm strictly vegan," she replied.

"Me too. I have been for years. And I can cook too. Well, I make a decent meal anyway. If you are used to eating at the Rookery my food won't be up to Chef's standards." I laughed at my own understatement. 

"You seem very familiar with the Rookery."

"Yeah, some of my best friends live and work there. Maybe you know some of them. Courier, Trish, Vanya, Tomas..." She looked blank.

"Are they all Couriers, or just Trish?"

"They're all Couriers, including Courier the person, though Tomas works in Cursed Objects."

"Hm. What's Tomas' last name?"

"Nat. Tomas Nat."

"Oh! I have met Mr. Nat a time or two, yes. He is very good at what he does. I didn't learn from him, but I can see how when his time comes to do instruction he will do well. He seems quite calm and collected."

"I'm guessing you don't know him very well," I said with a chuckle.

"No. I don't know many people who aren't a part of the University. I've had my nose buried in books for as long as I can remember. I'm not really good with people."

"I'm not in general either. Courier, the person, is though. We've been friends for most of our lives. He makes sure I get enough socialization to keep me from being a recluse." I smiled wryly.

My stomach growled again. "C'mon. We can talk while I whip together something for us to eat. Any food allergies or intolerances I should know about before I make something?"

We spent a couple of hours in the kitchen while I prepped dinner and we ate. Anho joined us for the eating part. Pica helped me clean up and then we said our goodbyes. 

2088.04.30

Courier dropped by to ask me how things went with Pica. He gave me a hard time for sure, but I have known him long enough to know that he was also checking up on me. He knows I have a tough time getting to know people. 

He surprised me really with how gentle he was being. Normally he'd have really given me shit for being alone with a woman asking what we had done, or more embarrassing giving me pointers on how to 'be with' a winger. It's almost as bad as when my mom tried to tell me about it! Geesh.

When I called him on it he looked me right in the eye and said, "The whole time I have known you, Kee, you have never shown interest in a real woman. Sure you have talked about women in games, or shows, or anime, or whatever, but not one you actually know. It's really obvious that you are attracted to Pica. I think it's cool. I'm happy for you. There is nothing like that feeling. I'm also worried about you. You're my best friend, my brother from another mother. I don't know this woman, and while I want you to go for it, I really don't want to see you hurt."

Well, I did ask.

2088.05.01

Thursday, May Day, and another day to research. And see Pica. Courier is right. I think I am smitten. She is an incredible combination of beauty, grace, intelligence, and curiosity. I find her magnetic. While all of that is true, and I see it. I also really believe in what we are doing. I'm not going to let my crush affect the work. I refuse.

I was in the lab when she arrived today. I had finished up my morning routines and grabbed some lunch. I brought a few containers with snacks into the room in case she hadn't had a chance to grab lunch before she came over.

"Hey," I greeted her.

"Hi," she returned with a little smile. Kawaii!

She started emptying the contents of her shoulder bag onto her desk. "I think we should start today by reviewing my current research. I emailed you some files and brought over some of the original magical documents I found. I was told that the original writings are often necessary in order to truly understand the magical instruction. Is that true?"

"It is, yes. Photocopies, scans, or any transcription loses some of the key elements of a spell."

"Can you read these?" she asked handing them to me.

I started to look at them. They were old, not Anho old, but maybe not too far from it. He will love these! "Yes," I said, my eyes tracing the symbols. "They are complex though. They will take time to study and comprehend." I looked up to see her studying me with an inscrutable look.

"Would it be okay for you to leave them here for me to read, and to share with Anho?"

"Of course. I would be honored to have the Dragon's thoughts."

"You really revere him, don't you? Or is it all dragons?"

"It is all dragons. Don't you feel the awe of their majesty?"

I took a few minutes to consider this. "Yes," I said slowly. "I have been working with Anho for nearly a year. Most of the time, I push the thought that he is a dragon out of my mind and I see him as my Master and Sensei. Sometimes though, it hits me out of nowhere what he really is. I think he prefers to be seen as a revered elder most of the time."

"Maybe in a year I will feel as you do. Right now though, he is a legend come to life. He reminds me of the great glory of magic."

"It is easier to see you that way," I said before I could stop myself.

She turned and gave me an inscrutable look. "Are you attempting to seduce me?"

OMG!!! What do I say to that?!? I sputtered and I could feel all of my blood in my skin. I can only imagine how red my face was. Why would she ASK that?!?

I managed to get out, "I work with magic every day, and it feels real to me, but when I look at you, or any winger, or any non-human species, I see magic in the world. I am reminded of how lucky I am to live in these times and to be able, even a little to touch that majesty."

She quirked an eyebrow at me, but let it drop. Thank GOD!

After that craziness, the rest of the day was focused on work. We reviewed her research. When Anho showed up mid-afternoon, we showed him the sigils she had brought. He, of course, looked them over for a few minutes, said, "Very interesting. Kee, you should study these at length and then we can talk about them" and left.

We spent the rest of the day going through our individual search plans and detailing how we would search together going forward. Luckily we had each had different ideas of how and where to search so by combining them we had an even more robust search pattern.

2088.05.05

I had a great weekend! We had game night with the whole gang at Outzzz. We turned it into a tournament. We would draw a game at random and the winner would move up in the bracket. Trish won of course, but Tomas was the surprise dark horse that had to play her in the final round! We had a great time and laughed a lot. It had been a long time since we were all together and let loose. 

Monday I hit my solo training hard. I beat my head against the magic writings that Pica had brought. I only made it through a couple of pages, and even then I don't think I got my head completely wrapped around it. I think they were talking about a causal effect for magic, sort of like what Anho had already introduced me to, but there were also deeper layers to it. I think the implication was that it was sympathetic magic, maybe. I'm not entirely sure. I'll have to read more and think about it.

Thinking of the magic in everything and how it is all one big web got me to wondering how Pica had tested magically so I asked her when she arrived. Her reply stunned me. Apparently, those who are inherently magical are not generally tested for an aptitude to work magic. Do we really think that magic working ability is limited to those who are not visibly magic in their own right? The answer, sadly, appears to be yes. 

I know I can't change all of society with my realization. I could at least test Pica though. I ran her through the standard beginning exercises. She didn't manage to spark any of the spells, but that's not exactly unusual. The standard practice among those not visibly magical is to have them practice the exercises for a month. If at the end of that time nothing has sparked, then they most likely do not have the aptitude to work magic. Note the most likely though. Some simply have other ways of working with the forces. So Pica has some homework.

And my takeaway is to talk to Sals about the testing. I would like to see voluntary testing offered to those in The Rookery, and to see it added to The Academy curriculum. I think everyone should be given the chance to see if they can work magic. 

Pica also asked me if she was allowed to come to the lab at times other than Tuesdays and Thursdays. Not sure why she asked me as I am certainly not the boss around her. I called Anho in and he told her that she is always welcome. The rooms she has access to are her home away from home should she so choose. I was pretty sure he'd say that. Once you welcome someone into your house, they are welcome unless they betray that welcome.

After he left I asked if that meant she would be here more. She sort of half shrugged. "There's more space here, and since we agreed no secrets I feel like everything should live in one place. This is the place the dragons decided we should work, so it should all be here." Yep. That makes sense.

"Do you want me to help you move anything?" I asked. 

"Yes. I would appreciate the help. There is a lot to box up and bring here."

"Okay. Just tell me where and when and I'll see if any of my friends can help too."

"Oh. Well, I don't want to put anyone out," she sounded half hesitant and half afraid.

"That's what friends are for," I chucked. "They won't mind if they are invited to dinner after. They are all dying to meet you."

"They are?" Now she really looked scared.

"We had a tournament this weekend and I told them about you and how we would be working together. They want to meet you and bring you into the fold." I smiled.

"O-okay, I guess."

"It'll be fine. They're all good people. I think you'll like them."

I don't think I convinced her but she agreed so there it is. Those who can will be at her old office on Thursday morning to move her, then have a meal at Ie and see what happens.

2088.05.06

After Pica left yesterday I called Courier to let him know the plan. This morning I had a million pings in our group chat. Everyone wants to help. It's gone viral! Okay, so really only among our group, but still. Trish will stop by after work. Courier took the day off. It is one of Tomas' off days, and Vanya's so they will both be there. So yep, Pica will meet the whole gang. I'm going to take some time tonight to prep some food and snacks for after the move. Anho said we can use the living room for game night as long as we invite him. We all agreed. He's a wicked good gamer. He even gives Trish a run for her money. I'm sure Pica will be shocked but it will be good for her. I told Ie to make sure we were stocked with drinks and fruit for smoothies. I think she's excited too. She loves having everyone over. 

2088.05.07

2088.05.09

Yesterday was a blur. I took extra training time both physically and magically. I spent time reviewing what I was gleaning from the book that Pica had brought, and presenting my ideas to Anho. He merely nodded and told me to keep reading and refining. I don't even know if I am on the right track. It's so frustrating!

So today I am going to do my best to not think at all. I am going to get some groceries for the week and do some meal prep, read an old Brandon Sanderson book [they're a bit dated, but the magical systems are awesome! Oddly most do not work even with magic returned to the world, but they are still fantastic ideas!], and maybe do some cleaning in my room. That always helps to clear my head. Oh! And maybe take a long, hot soak.

2088.05.12

Tuesday again, so the morning started with physical training and some magical combat work. Anho has doubled down on the training. When I asked him why, he said, "Given the nature of Cursed Objects, those who possess them may be dangerous.  I want you to be able to defend yourself, and others if necessary. I talked it over with Emilia and starting next week Pica will be joining our training."

Great. Just great. I really need her to see me all sweaty and gross, not to mention that given that she's a winger she has probably already had more training than me and will be able to kick my ass. That said, I do want her to be able to defend herself, so it's not like I don't want her there.  Maybe I'm just jealous. I mean, it was cool to train with just Anho. Now it feels as though I have so split his time. I guess I'm just being a big baby and not wanting things to change. 

After my shower, I went to the lab to find Pica already settled in reading and taking notes. I didn't want to disturb her so I wordlessly picked up the book she had brought last time and started trying to decipher it again. It was very engaging and I lost track of time trying to follow the language as well as the incantations.

I looked up to find Pica's eyes on me. She blushed a little and looked away. 

"Hey," I said. I'm such a suave guy.

"Hi. Sorry, I didn't greet you when you came in, I was just in an interesting section."

"I get it. What are you studying?"

"This book is an old book of collected stories about the evil eye. My current theory is that everything we need to know about magic and magical items is contained in the stories we have passed down. We just need to weed through it and parse the fact from the fiction."

"Huh. That sounds pretty reasonable. So what are you doing exactly?"

"I'm reading through the old stories and making notes on things that sound both magical and like ways to curse someone or something, or ways to cure or stop a curse. Then you and I will sit down and you will help me to understand which ways are possible, or potentially possible. If we find any that you deem likely and workable, I guess we'll see if we can un-curse some of the objects that Anho has left us."

"Cool." Yep, I'm smooth!

"You seem to be taking some time on that book. Are you learning anything?"

"Well, sort of. It involves some rather complex magical theory on how Cursed Objects might manifest. If I can grasp it, and if it seems likely, then I suppose I will attempt to de-construct it and see if I can create a way to work it in reverse. I'll be honest though, I have never done anything like that before. I have had the theory classes, but that's about it. I will be passing each step through Anho before I actually try casting anything."

"Once you feel that. you have it, I would appreciate it if you would share it with me as well. I know I do not know any magic theory, but maybe that would actually help."

"Who knows, maybe by then you'll be working magic yourself. How are the practice exercises going?"

She sighed deeply, "so far nothing. Maybe there is a reason they don't test magical beings."

"Give it time. Even mages have different ways of casting. Maybe yours comes from working with your magical essence. My theory is that you have to be able to work magic. I mean, most of the demi-humans aren't born that way, they transform, right? So it would make sense that they can tap into the magic and that they work with it to become something new. Keep up the standard exercises, and if they don't work, I would like to get you to try some new exercises that I have come up with." I realized I'd gotten carried away. "Oh, but of course. you don't have to."

She gave me an odd look. "If it means that much to you, why not."

"Thanks! I mean, you can always still say no, but thanks for considering it." 

We spend the day reading and chatting occasionally until my growling stomach convinced me to call it a night. I asked if she wanted to stay for dinner and she agreed.

Over dinner, I mentioned that I had heard she would be training with me in combat as well. She seemed unsettled by the idea. It turns out that because she was on the student track she actually hadn't trained in martial arts at all. She was as new to it as I was. I know I shouldn't be happy about that, but I am. We can learn together, though, of course, Anho will teach her winged combat which won't be for me.

"I am a bit worried, to be honest. I'm not a violent person. I'm afraid of hurting someone," she said.

"Part of the training is a focus on discipline. The goal is to not actually have to hurt anyone if you can avoid it and to minimize the damage caused if you have to do anything."

"Well, that's good at least. And Anho said he would prepare a room for me here so that I can shower and change after training. He said I am actually free to move in here if I want. I'm just not sure how I feel about that."

Wow! I wasn't sure either. I mean, I like her, but it feels so weird to live with her. Well, not really live with her, but live with her, ya know? She'd be here for meals and family time and game nights. Would that really be okay?

I must have been silent for too long because she said, "I don't have to. I mean it seems like the idea makes you uncomfortable, and you were here first. I wouldn't want to intrude or anything." She looked so crestfallen!

"No!" I sputtered. "It's not that. Not at all. I would love to have you here! Oh. Um. It would be great to have you here. Even if I didn't want you here though this is not my house, it's Anho's. If he feels that it's in your best interest to stay here, and he offered you a place, then I have no say in it. You get that right? I stay here because Anho has asked me to and hasn't kicked me out. Well, and I think Ie likes me." I laughed. 

"Who is Ie? I haven't met her yet. Is she the housekeeper? She can't be the cook because you seem to do the cooking."

"Ie is the house. Surely you noticed that there is quite a bit of magic in how things work, right?"

"I assumed that was Anho."

"Well, he did enchant Ie originally, yes. I have put some of myself into her as well. We give her magic in exchange for what she does for us. Like, you remember game night? How we had those loveseats? Come with me," I said taking her hand and leading her to the living room. [Yes, I nearly passed out when I realized what I had done, but that was later!]. The living room was back to almost usual. Today it was the fireplace, and the normal two lazyboys and end tables, but now there was a third in the middle. It was one designed for a winger to relax in. it was in a lovely shade of emerald green with purple mandalas.

She slowly looked around and noted all of the changes. Her eyes lit up when she saw the chair. "Is that mine?"

"Yep. Ie seems to have the knack for knowing what people will love."

"I do love it. It's gorgeous and comfy," she said trying it out.

"And neither Anho, nor I picked it. Ie did that. Thank you Ie," I said looking at the walls.

"You talk to it?"

"Her. I can't help but feel that anything that would take such wonderful care of those inside has to be a her," I said.

Looking a bit sheepish, she said, "Thank you Ie. I just love it!"

The lights took on a warm pink glow for a few seconds and then returned to normal. "She is glad you like it," I told Pica.

"This will take some getting used to," she said.

"Yep. That's life with Anho."

We went back to dinner and I tried not to think of sharing a house with her.

2088.05.14