The first month after Fully Awakening is often filled with chaos and urgency. You can now feel Energy, manipulate Energy, focus Energy with the goal of growing stronger. You're considered an Adult.

  You are not, however, viewed as socially acceptable. A child cannot have a Husk, a child does not need a Husk. An Awakened is expected to be in their Husk when in public, to present themselves in the image they wish to have seen. To be without is to admit failure, or severe injury. To be without is to be unprepared.

  So it is urgent to advance, to apply Energy and to shape your Husk as soon as you can, so that you are visible and complete.

  ~ * ~

  They'd been gone for months. Fay knew they were alive, she'd seen the faintest traces of their presence here and there. They didn't have a food creator, they wouldn't be able to make use of one until they were in the 15th level depths at the earliest, so they had to resupply every few weeks.

  She didn't try to catch them in the act, she didn't try to spend time with them. She wanted to, she'd thought about doing it more than once, but she knew that the isolation would help them grow.

  Seers were lucky, they were taught what was needed to pass the wall. They had to know, it wouldn't do to have someone accidentally tell them, or to find records that spelled it out when searching for knowledge. They still had to discover their specifics for themselves, but that was significantly easier when you knew what to look for.

  Seers were cursed by the same measure. Knowing what you were doing made it easy, knowing what to look for simplified the process and led to the benefits being lesser. The Path rewarded effort, shaped itself to the challenges met along the way. Discovery was a challenge, being given an answer was not.

  Fay knew this. She wanted the best for them, for her friends, her family. She wanted it, but she missed them too. She wanted to talk to them, to tell them about her research. She wanted Seb to ask a question and suddenly realize she'd been as engaged as the Seers she used to see debating in the dorms. She wanted Anya to laugh at them, to tease her about her hair, or her nails, or anything. She wanted to return the favour, to remind Anya she wasn't nearly as perfect as she liked to pretend, that two could play that game.

  She was lonely, but she was happy. She had her work, her research, her office. She had the small things to do for the Holding, things that weren't really her responsibility but they were family. She'd sent back a confirmation that Holding Syl would be attending the next Annual Convention. That gave them nearly a year to pass the wall.

  She'd attend as their representative if needed. She'd leave them a note when they had only a few weeks before it occurred if they weren't back. The invitation had read more as an order this time, an expectation that they appear and announce their Holding. Missing a third convention without good reason would not be accepted.

  She still hummed as she worked, unable to keep her happiness quiet. She managed to find words here and there, never a whole phrase, never enough to sing the song, but sing a word? That she could do. She could chirp a word here or there, often only realizing she'd done so when she caught the faint echo. She had family, they were busy. She had family, she was Fay.

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  ~ * ~

  Once again the date was a failure. Once again she'd tried to use the EDN to find someone. Anya had told her how horrible the Shallows version was and she had refused to listen. She'd been sure the EDN was better.

  The dates weren't horrible, she'd managed not to run into anyone else quite like Claire. They just never felt right. She felt awkward, they felt stiff. The words didn't flow, the ease wasn't there. Seb and Anya always seemed to natural, so together. They were so happy. She wanted to be happy, she wanted to find that.

  She'd found new restaurants though, new places in Deep Earth that she knew they would enjoy once they were back. Lovely tables, great locations to sit and talk the night away. Amazing dishes, tastes she'd never considered, even if some weren't to her liking. And of course they had desserts. She'd have to tell Anya all about those, tell her what they looked like, what they tasted like, how delicious they were.

  The most amazing thing was she'd found coffees shops. Good coffee, not so good coffee, coffee and desserts, coffee and meals. There were so many choices, so many places to explore. If she'd known that Earth had coffee, which was still not as good as kaf, she'd have never complained when Valene first sent her. If she'd known that Deep Earth had Awakened who served coffee, who somehow shaped part of their Path to be the making of coffee, she would have come here on her own long before the assignment.

  They were friendly too, never making her feel awkward for not being sure about her choice, never rushing her even when the line behind her was long. Well at least one of them was friendly, other places had been a bit less understanding.

  Fay had gone back to that shop several times now. The coffee was some of the best she'd had. The barista was always happy to answer her questions, to make suggestions. She blushed slightly when she thought about how silly she must have sounded. She'd asked why some preferred to be called waitresses and others baristas. She knew what the words meant, she knew what the titles implied, but there she'd been, asking the question.

  She hadn't been laughed at. Briana, the barista, explained that there were no waiters or waitresses in her shop. She was the barista, there was the cook and the baker, and that was it. If someone called her 'waitress' more than once they'd have to find a new place to get a drink.

  She'd seen Briana get frustrated with other customers, heard her tell them to hurry up and pick, ask them why they couldn't make up their mind despite having seen them order the same thing every day for the last month. She'd never seen her stop smiling, never heard her raise her voice or actually sound angry, except once.

  She felt her cheeks warm again, her hands pausing as she tidied up the kitchen. It had been her third, no, fourth, visit to the shop. She'd had coffee, she'd had flavored coffee, she'd even tried one of the fancier concoctions they sold. But there she was, saying hello to Briana and she couldn't remember what she wanted. It was breakfast time and she was in a coffee shop but she didn't know what to order.

  She'd paused, her eyes darting across the list of choices while Briana smiled and waited. She'd apologized and ordered a simple coffee then stood there blankly when asked if she wanted any breakfast to go with that. Someone in the line had mumbled something about hurrying up, not that mumbling was of much use when everyone was Awakened and past the wall, they might as well have yelled for all the good it did them.

  She would swear she'd seen Briana's eyes flash as her smile vanished. A minute later the mumbler was gone, told never to return, and no one was making a sound, even their breathing as silent as they could. Fay couldn't remember exactly what Briana had said, what she'd compared the man to, but no one was going to risk being her next target.

  Fay had slipped away without ordering any breakfast, found a seat in the corner and sat in silence as she waited for her coffee. When a plate was set down along with a mug she'd looked up in surprise. Briana had smiled and told her to enjoy, pay for it next time when she ordered another.

  She'd ordered it every time since, the flaky pastry and dark chocolate perfect with the bitter coffee. Even if she wasn't hungry, even if she'd had breakfast and knew she could make more coffee in her office, she'd still find herself stepping through the portal to get a coffee. She'd find herself at the front of the line ordering food she didn't need, just so she could see Briana's smile.

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