Willow was currently laying in bed and playing with her friends in Change’s internal space. Her chores were done for the morning and this afternoon she didn’t have any lessons with her aunt as she had wanted some alone time for a bit. So she was free to spend some quality time with her spirits.

  It was far easier for the group as a whole to play in the white void, rather than out and around the girl’s home due to Eos’ inherently destructive nature. They only had to accidentally set fire to one patch of grass and part of her bedsheets while playing hide and seek for that lesson to be learned.

  It definitely wasn’t perfect, as Willow preferred to physically run and jump as she played. However the sensations conveyed by her projection were almost as good and it meant none of her friends would be left out, which was always important to her.

  The group was currently testing out their newest members abilities, having Xandra show various reflections. It was rather fun, especially the way they started slightly warping the faces of people Willow knew to make them look sillier. Especially with how silly they had made Yew look at the girl’s insistence.

  The main problem that Willow was having with her new friend was that her sensory abilities seemed to bounce off them so she couldn’t get a good read on how they were feeling about things. The most she ever got from them was a muted version of her own feelings which didn’t seem correct to her.

  While the rest of her friends were continuing the mirror game, with Change in particular getting a kick out of it, Willow decided to discuss the issue with Harmony.

  After explaining her worries Harmony’s eyes twinkled bright with amusement. “Child, I hope you are aware by now that most people do not possess your gift.”

  Both her real body and her projection crossed their arms and pouted. “I know that! I just want to make sure our newest friend is happy to be with us…”

  Some of the amusement faded from the yin spirit’s eyes. “I feel that you know, but do not truly understand, Willow. Most of your kind cannot easily peer into each other’s hearts, and your ability to do so has likely stunted your more mundane ways of determining the feelings of others.”

  Willow thought in silence for a while, staring at nothing, before eventually shaking her head. “I couldn’t always use my spiritual sense to figure out what people are feeling.” She said quietly. “Part of why I started trying was because I kept not picking up stuff correctly.”

  Harmony tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

  Willow gave an exaggerated smile. “I knew this was happy.”

  She shifted to an equally large frown and mimed a tear going down her cheek. “I knew that tears with a frown meant sad.”

  She kept the same frown and scrunched her eyebrows in a parody of anger. “And I knew that this was angry.”

  She continued on in a sad but contemplative tone. “But I kept getting stuff wrong. I’d hear Da and Uncle Lucius insulting each other and thought they were actually angry rather than just playing. After I was told what they were doing I tried it with Maple and I guess I didn’t do it right cuz she got really upset.” The girl fidgeted with her hands, not looking at her friend. “Stuff like that kept happening.”

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  Her expression brightened. “But then I started noticing certain patterns! Like when people’s qi was all bubbly and bright that meant they’re happy! Or when it suddenly goes whoosh they’re surprised! All kinds of things like that I started to slowly piece together.”

  Willow’s face became saddened once more. “Then everyone started to get weirded out when I’d try to guess their emotions. They got even more weirded out when I kept getting it right, even when they tried to hide it. Like one time I told Mister Joaquin that he was lying when he said he was happy to see me. Everyone got real mad at me when I kept insisting he was lying, said it was rude and hurtful.”

  She sniffled a bit and a tear ran down her cheek. “I think I’m a little bit broken. The part of me that should be able to figure stuff like that out normally is either just not there or doesn’t work right. I dunno.”

  Harmony drifted closer and gave her friend’s projection a hug. “You are not broken, child, you just have a different way of viewing the world.”

  At this point the rest of her friends noticed her increasing sobs and came over to comfort her. Change surprisingly said nothing, merely hugging the girl on the opposite side of his sister. Eos claimed their space in Willow’s arms, and she hugged the little flame back as her tears continued to flow. Phoebe rested themself atop her foot, not understanding what was happening but seeing the rest of their friends trying to be in some form of physical contact with Willow.

  Xandra was the last to arrive and floated hesitantly in front of the girl, their face currently blank.

  Through tear blurred eyes she looked at the reflection, which began showing her what she currently looked like. They then shifted to the smiling face she had shown the spirit a few nights ago when she had first asked them to be her friend. The message was clear despite no words being spoken.

  Please don’t be sad, friend, be happy.

  She showed her new friend a smile as she started hiccupping a bit from crying too much. It wasn’t perfect as Xandra showed her the attempt, but it was better than the crying face they showed before.

  The moment was interrupted by her aunt peeking into her room and calling out. “Willow, it’s about time we start prepp- are you alright?” She fully came into the room as she saw her niece crying, dinner preparations forgotten. “What happened?” She sat on the small bed and pulled the girl into a hug, rubbing her back with small circular motions.

  Both in reality, and in the internal space of Change, Willow was surrounded by those who cared for her. She could feel all of their love as clear and warm as the sun.

  A feeling she wouldn’t trade for anything.

  “It’s nothing, Aunt Jieun.” She mumbled into her aunt’s shirt. “I just realized how much everyone cares about me.”

  Jieun hummed in thought while looking down at her niece, still rubbing her back. “Silly thing to cry about don’t you think? I think I’d be overjoyed at such a realization.”

  “I am, it’s just a lot.”

  Her aunt chuckled a bit. “I suppose it would be.”

  They sat for a few moments, Jieun humming that now familiar tune, her friends slowly disentangling themselves from her projection now that she was clearly feeling better.

  Eventually Willow looked up at her aunt. “I’m not too weird, am I?”

  Jieun looked down at the child of her closest friend. Seeing so much that was similar to her mother yet so different.

  “You’re exceptionally weird, girl, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  Willow felt the truth in those words.

  Maybe it was fine that she was a little strange.