Alexander knocked on Emily’s door at precisely 7 p.m. holding a small bag. Janelle, Emily’s little sister, answered the door with grease paint under her eyes like a football player and wearing a Wildcats jersey.

  “Oh, hey Alexander! Welcome in! The game is on so feel free to join us!”

  As Alexander nodded his head and stepped through the door he saw a group of college age fans crowded into the couch and seats in the living room.

  He spotted Emily organizing some snacks on her table and walked up to her.

  “Good evening Emily.” he greeted when she looked up.

  “Oh, hey there Alexander!”

  Alexander handed her the gift bag, “Thank you for your hospitality.”

  “Oh, you didn’t have to. You’ve already helped us so much.” She said opening the bag.

  She pulled out Alexander's favorite brand of cable organizers.

  “You know what? This is actually going to come in very handy! Way better than salt and pepper shakers that I get every time I move.” She said smiling. “Thank you.”

  “You are welcome. I see Emily has made a few friends in a short time.”

  “Yes she has. Imagine my surprise that studying physical therapy would surround her with a few sports fans.”

  Alexander and Emily planted themselves around the table as Alexander grabbed a few of the lighter snacks on a plate.

  “I actually meant to pick your brain about a new employee I hired.”

  “Oh?”

  Alexander explained in vague terms his interactions with Ridley, minus her throwing dumpsters and cutting open a monster box. He also mentioned what his boss had asked him to do for his promotion.

  “She’s a bit much, but I’d like to be supportive in some way.” Alexander lamented.

  “Well she seems like a fireball type for sure.”

  Alexander shuddered at the illustration as Emily continued.

  “You shouldn’t feel the need to match her energy, not that I suspect you could.” She joked. “You might try and meet her half way, or a quarter of the way. I think that’s what you should do with all your employees if you're learning to be more empathetic. Remain the same calm person but recognize the storm others may be experiencing.”

  “That sounds reasonable.” Alexander shrugged.

  “I’m pretty sure every dad goes through what you are going through with the struggle of relating to a teenage girl, so don’t sweat it too much. You are not exceptionally bad at this. Just normal bad.”

  The group around the couch cheered at the TV as the announcer exclaimed “Touchdown Wildcats!”

  Alexander was looking down at his plate now empty of snacks when a thunderous crack shook the room plunging it into darkness.

  There were several people who exclaimed their surprise, asking if everyone was ok and wondering aloud if the building had been struck by lightning.

  Alexander pulled out his cell phone light and calmly asked Emily. “Can I investigate your bathroom closet for a minute?”

  “Oh well that makes more sense.” Emily exclaimed as Alexander opened up the electrical panel in her closet and flipped a GFCI Surge Protector.

  “They started requiring these in new construction not that long ago.” Alexander explained, “Fortunately for you, as if that was a lightning strike all of your electronics could have been fried.”

  “Fortunate.” Emily said nodding her head.

  “I think I’ll go check my apartment as well.”

  “Probably a good idea. Make sure you come back to watch The Princess Bride with us.”

  “I wouldn’t want to miss it.”

  Alexander walked back to his apartment next door and sure enough the panel had tripped on his side as well. After getting his lights on he looked around the house for any damage. He moved through the living room and didn’t see anything out of place. When he stepped into his bedroom however there was a tall black streak of scorched wood from his ceiling down to the terrarium.

  Panicked for the Demi-dragons safety he pulled open the terrarium and looked inside to see the cocoon, now an empty shell, cracked in half. The Demi-Dragon nowhere to be seen.

  Alexander looked about but there were no signs of it anywhere. He spent about 20 minutes searching the apartment with no luck, even stooping so low as to use his detect magic sense. He decided—if it was still in the apartment—that the demi-dragons intelligence was fairly high. It might not be as helpless as a lizard. More likely it was cat like and didn’t need much supervision. So he balled up some raw ground beef and placed it in the open terrarium.

  He would return to the party for a time then excuse himself in a tasteful manner partway through the movie.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  As Alexander stepped in the doorway to hear some disconcerting chatter.

  “No way is that tiny girl that strong, it must be a pow-flick.”

  “Nah, I know Ted and a few of the other guys. That shit is real.”

  Alexander, despite his hesitation, wandered over to the students who were scrolling frame by frame trying to find a flaw in the footage.

  “Pow-flick?” He asked.

  “Yeah.” Janelle explained. “There is an online trend to fake a super power using special or practical fx.”

  On the other side of the room a guy threw a tennis ball in the air while someone filmed him with a cell phone. The tennis ball dropped to the ground. but the guy waved his hands about pretending it was still floating in mid-air. Likely they would super impose a floating tennis ball in the footage later.

  Looking back at the footage the group was reviewing, someone projected it onto the tv screen where Alexander could clearly identify Ridley launching herself through the air, smashing her arm through a machine with ease.

  “Its just a trend. I’m sure it will disappear in a month. As soon as a company uses a pow-flick for advertising it's pretty much dead.”

  Well there’s an idea. Alexander mused. Two birds, one stone.

  “Now Alexander, you might want to pick up the pace a little. You see my music professor just showed up to watch the game with us but got distracted somehow.” Janelle smiled deviously as she rejoined her group.

  Alexander—confused—looked about the room and spotted a handsome man with sandy blonde hair. He wore a blazer complete with leather elbow patches—leaning on the counter—talking to Emily. When Emily saw him looking her way she smiled and waved him over.

  Alexander hesitated as he saw the Professor, but felt it would be rude to ignore Emily. His history with Professors was shaky at best from his time pursuing higher academia.

  The man turned his way as he approached and nodded.

  “Was your power out as well?” Emily asked.

  “Yes it was. The same solution though, I just had to get some things organized before heading back.”

  “Oh good. Alexander this is Jim.” Emily gestured at the professor.

  “A pleasure to meet you Professor. I hear you are in the music field.”

  “Yessir, I am a Professor of music. I primarily teach guitar and theory.”

  Alexander inwardly frowned, he glanced about for any signs of tattoos. Smelled the air for cigarette smoke.

  For the Professors sake he had to ask, “I am sure you are referring to Classical guitar?”

  “Yes, that is my muse.”

  “Ah, a man of the arts.” Alexander sighed. How embarrassing it would be for this professor, if he was a strummer.

  “What levels of theory do you teach?” Alexander inquired. Thus the games began of sizing up his academic opponent.

  “Up to Advanced Harmony and Form. It’s a bit less fun than Chromatic Harmony but the kids need that undergrad theory.” Jim chuckled.

  Alexander gave a rigid hearty laugh as well.

  “Amazing and you still have time to perform?” Alexander went fully on the offensive.

  “On occasion, last month I was able to play a set at the Civic Center Music Hall. I was happy enough with my rendition of Tárrega’s Recuerdos de la Alhambra. I can send you a link to the performance if you would like to judge for yourself.” Jim smiled.

  Drats, I'm 0 for 2.

  “Well, this is fascinating, Alexander is actually a classically trained pianist.” Emily said adding to the conversation.

  “Are you?” Jim said standing a bit straighter.

  “I did a few competitive tours in my youth. Before that I actually did a few duets with a Classical Guitarist growing up.” Alexander thought back fondly to his performances with Ben.

  Maybe I should call Ben again.

  “Fantasia Opus 54?” Jim prodded, listing a fairly basic set for any intermediate musician.

  “Of course!” Alexander and Jim laughed with just a touch of strain to it.

  “My apologies Alex, I seem to be blocking the charcuterie board. Please help yourself to some snacks.” Jim gestured. Moving he unveiled a platter of cheese and crackers with some noticeably empty parts of the tray.

  When Jim’s eyes glanced at the the food he did a double take. “What’s this? Did someone eat all of the salami and pepperoni already? I just set it down ten minutes ago.” Jim looked about the room. “Is someone making a pizza around here or what?” He asked with a smug smile.

  Alexander's mind must have been reeling from his reminiscing, because it took him a second to process the missing food. He found himself glancing about the kitchen, wondering if Emily had a fire extinguisher.

  Behind him one of the students yelped and dropped his plate of food.

  “Ouch! Something just shocked me!” a student said waiving his hand around. Alexander's eyes tracked the plate and he witnessed a tiny clawed scaly arm reach out of a shadow and pull a pepperoni toward itself. He watched as both arm and pepperoni sunk into the shadow.

  “Detect Magic.” Alexander said softly feeling his senses stretched to fill the room. He felt something small in the shadow and was able to barely catch a figure dart between it and the shadow of the couch.

  “Excuse me?” Jim asked Alexander.

  “Maybe static, I said. Wouldn’t be odd with the potential lighting that hit our building just half an hour ago.”

  “Thunder? On this clear day? That’s a bit odd. Maybe you confused it with a transformer blowing.” Jim postulated.

  Alexander would have pointed out how ridiculous that would be as the power restored at the panel instead of a city block blacking out, but he had better things to do.

  “I’ve got some sliced turkey here for the charcuterie. Should be almost as good.” Emily said letting the refrigerator swing closed behind her. As she carried the turkey back to the counter top she didn't see the refrigerator door bounce slightly instead of closing all the way. Alexander's eyes squinted in suspicion as it slowly drifted back open.

  He moved towards the fridge behind Emily and opened it a bit more to peer inside. What was digging into the deli drawer could certainly be called a Demi-dragon. The changes were very well pronounced. It's body was pitch black with yellow streaks around its eyes, belly and in its crest. The wings had developed much further. It also now had an extended neck.

  It flailed about for a few seconds trying to dig into a tube of ground beef. It finally seemed to notice it was being watched, as it froze and looked up at Alexander.

  “I suggest you go back to your terrarium and eat the food I left for you there.”

  It looked at Alexander and tilted its head for a second seeming to think. Then opened its mouth to reveal sparks crackling between its teeth.

  “Shield!” Alexander yelped as a tiny arc of electricity was blocked.

  “Are you ok Alexander? Can I help you find something?”

  Backing away from the fridge he panned his head and realized everyone was looking at him with concern.

  “Sorry, I just sneezed all over the inside of your fridge. That’s embarrassing.” Everyone's attention diffused as he looked chagrined.

  ^

  You have gained a level in Acting!

  Acting level 1

  You have 1 point to distribute to your Acting skill tree.

  Alexander swiped away the screen. Now I get a point in acting? He thought affronted. I don’t have time for this.

  He instead turned and signed with his hands detect magic which—he had to say—was way more straight forward than the other spells. He waited for the attentions of everyone to wane while he tracked the little beast through the room.

  “Emily, may I ask where you keep your trash bags?”

  "Just under the sink there," she said, then she continued her conversation with Jim.

  He ripped a bag out of the box and flared it open as if he was about to replace the trash bin. Instead he hovered in the corner of the kitchen, awkwardly awaiting his ambush.