Great Family Affiliation is seeing a rise following the recent Velli push to advertise their presence within both education and career spheres. Where previously a lack of Affiliation was seen as the norm it is now being viewed as abnormal.

  More than ever graduates are encouraged to bind themselves to the Family that provided early-Awakening education. Career sponsorships have nearly doubled in the last six months and smaller companies are openly binding themselves to any Holding that will have them.

  Even smaller Holdings are seeing a rise in Affiliated Awakened, no one wants to be seen as without connection.

  ~ * ~

  "Deep Earth?" Seb asked.

  "Your date?" Anya added before Seb had even finished speaking.

  Fay paused, she knew she hadn't explained herself well when they arrived but surely they understood what she was saying? It wasn't as though Deep Earth was- Right, Seb was newly Awakened. And she was sure she'd mentioned she was going to start dating- She sighed as she realized how quickly her plans had progressed without her mentioning anything to them.

  "There is a set of Holdings below the 10th level depths on most Ponds that also include Unawakened," she explained. "They are the Deep Holdings. Deep Earth is the hub town for all these Holdings on Earth."

  Seb nodded while Anya visibly restrained herself.

  "Yes," she continued excitedly. "I have a date. Tomorrow."

  "Fay," Anya said. "who-?"

  "The EDN has ways to find people to date," she explained. "You fill in your information and what kind of person you're interested in-"

  "You're using a dating app?" Anya interrupted with a groan.

  "A what?"

  Fay's eyes slowly widened as Anya described what the Unawakened on Earth used to find dates. They got even wider as she started to describe her experiences using them. It sounded almost like what the EDN provided, but surely Awakened weren't going to act that way.

  "That's," she began. "I'm sure she's not going to be like that."

  "She?" Anya exclaimed. "You're-"

  Fay froze, she hadn't meant to bring it up this way, she wanted to explain, to work her way around to it. And there she went saying it outright. Now Anya was blushing and looking away, looking anywhere but at her, anywhere but at Seb.

  "Sorry," Anya mumbled.

  She was apologizing? Had it bothered her so much that.

  "I didn't know," Anya continued before Fay could work her way into further doubt. "I never realized, never thought about it."

  Fay blinked, that wasn't- She felt Anya hug her and nearly pushed her away in surprise. She forced herself to stay still until the reaction passed, she didn't want to hurt anyone and the difference in levels was significant.

  "You," she began, barely trusting herself to speak. "You don't mind?"

  "Fay!" Seb said.

  "Why would I mind?" Anya asked. "If you're happy and that's what you want?"

  "You're sure?" she insisted.

  "We're sure," Anya said as she took a step back. "I was surprised, nothing more."

  Fay took a deep breath and started to relax only to see Anya starting to grin.

  "So what sort of impression are you planning to make?"

  ~ * ~

  Seb looked around in shock as they exited the Hub station in Deep Earth. Not only had he finally gotten to experience the Hub transit system Yshe had mentioned, but here he was who knew how far beneath the surface of the Earth stepping into an actual city built inside a cavern.

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Glancing up into the darkness he couldn't tell where the cavern ended, glancing around all he saw was Energy overlaid over and through everything. Every building, every bench, every person on the street. They all were Awakened, or were some sort of Construct.

  "That way," Fay said after a moment, pointing down a nearby road.

  Did she tell you why we had to come here? he sent to Anya as they followed down the road.

  Something about her date, Claire, not wanting to visit the Shallows, she answered. It sounded as though this was a compromise?

  I'm not complaining, he added, still taking in the sights. Did you know about this place?

  I knew about the Deep Holdings, they attend the annual convention. But no one ever mentioned a city.

  "I'm paying," Fay said before stopping in front of the restaurant. "You always pay, tonight it's my turn."

  "We know," Anya said with a smile. "You kept repeating that while we picked out your dress."

  Fay spun to look at them, the hem of her dress flaring as she did. "You're sure this looks good?"

  "Yes," he said.

  And she did look good. She didn't compare to Anya in his eyes but that wasn't being fair to Fay. Just enough make up to accentuate her features, hair relaxed from her typical bun, and a dress that drew the eye effortlessly.

  "Are you Phelann?"

  The three turned towards the voice. Seb's first thought as he took in the woman walking towards them was one of shock. Where Fay was calm and elegant her date was a riot of color and extravagance. Between the stiletto heels tall enough to make his feet ache just looking at them, and a dress that barely qualified as decent he was desperately glad for the bond he had with Anya.

  I'm not staring, I swear, he sent with a hint of desperate humor.

  You're not staring? I'm not staring, Anya sent back, her tone nearly as tense as when they had first been caught by reinforcements in the Depths.

  "Claire?" Fay said into the silence.

  "That's me!" her date answered. "I thought it was you when I saw a lovely lady hovering outside the door with a couple of pre-Wallers. You said they were lower level but I didn't think you meant this low."

  Seb glanced at Anya then back at Claire. Had he really heard what he thought he'd heard?

  "They'll catch up," Fay said. "I'm sure of it. I hope we didn't keep you waiting?"

  "Only a few minutes, don't worry yourself about it. I had a chance to look around inside and make sure they knew we wanted a good table."

  "You didn't need to-" Fay began hesitantly.

  "Nonsense Phel, I came all the way out here to meet you. I told them we were getting a good table and they understood."

  Phel? Anya sent.

  They understood? he replied, trying to keep his reaction from showing.

  I really hope this isn't a sign, she added.

  ~ * ~

  By the time they'd finished dinner Fay was ready to burst into tears. She'd kept smiling throughout, she'd stayed engaged, she'd offered her opinion when Claire gave her space. She'd done everything right and it had all gone so wrong.

  She knew Anya was annoyed, her tone had gotten sharper and sharper every time Claire bothered to pay attention to her and Seb. She was even fairly certain Seb was upset, he hadn't said more than three words in a row for the last hour, at least not to Claire. She'd felt them looking at her more than once, she knew they were communicating over band the whole time, she'd seen them lost in their private world often enough to recognize the faint twitches they never quite covered up.

  Claire had seemed so nice when they were setting up their date. Sure she hadn't wanted to go to the Shallows, but Fay couldn't hold that against, a year ago she had thought of it as a punishment after all, but she'd been willing to go to a Deep Holding restaurant.

  Nothing had satisfied her. Their table? Despite being prominently placed wasn't good enough. Their menu? Everything was plain, or basic. The food itself? Not nearly as good as this other place that they really should have gone to.

  Not to mention the fact that Anya and Seb were along. Why did she insist on bringing along such low level Awakened? Surely she must have more appropriate friends, friends who could understand what life was really like. Would they even be able to pay for their own meals? Did Phel see them as a charity case?

  Phel. Her name wasn't Phel. She'd wanted to correct Claire the first time she said it, she'd wanted to but she hesitated. Which turned it into the only thing she was called all night. Not that she was actually talked to all that much, Claire was much too busy talking about herself, sharing her ideas, her opinions, her adventures. It was all about Claire, or about what wasn't right.

  Stepping through the portal she found herself in Holding Syl. The trip home had been a blur of pain and doubt. She'd turned their dinner, their time together as friends, into a horrible evening. She'd ruined everything, it had been a bad idea, nothing good came of it.

  "Fay," Anya said softly, startling her out of her thoughts. "Are you okay?"

  "She-. She wasn't that way in her messages," she tried to explain.

  "People pretend," Anya answered. "They try to get attention, to make you take the chance."

  "But." Fay paused, she could hear the whining tone in her words. She didn't want to do that.

  "Thank you for showing us Deep Earth," Seb said.

  "What?" she answered.

  "Before we ate." he clarified. "Before the restaurant. I didn't know it existed. I couldn't have imagined what an Awakened city looked like."

  "That wasn't-" she began then gave a faint smile. "You're welcome. Maybe sometime we can go to another Pond?"

  "I don't know," Seb answered with his own smile. "I'm pretty sure the restaurants in another Pond wouldn't be good enough."

  "Seb!" Anya said.

  Fay couldn't help herself, she started to chuckle. When Anya looked at her in confusion she felt it turn into a laugh. There had been something good this evening. She'd shown the Deep Earth and she'd realized just how much she'd changed.

  "He's right," she said. "They wouldn't be good enough. Not if they have issues with the two of you."

  "Fay?" Anya asked.

  "She was wrong. Wrong about you, wrong about Earth, wrong about the Shallows."

  Saying it felt good. She hadn't said it to her face but now she could say it, now she was home, now it was safe.

  "I'm not Phel, I'm Fay. She was wrong about that too. Wrong, wrong, wrong. She was wrong."

  She paused and took a deep breath. She knew they agreed, she knew they were on her side. She could say it here, she could admit it here.

  "Claire was a bad date. I deserve better."

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