* * *
Stevane
* * *

I get out of bed in the morning, make myself up, get dressed, and make my way towards the door, all while Jhe 'brelle's mind hovers about mine like a moth around a lantern.  His thoughts flutter against mine all the while, making it difficult to focus, difficult to hide things I'm not supposed to tell yet.  It's my fault.  I got all worked up last night, and now he's worried about me.

* * *
Alestere
* * *

"Ales!"

I blink as Eistinn grins at me from the door to his and Valtoryeh's suite. I was certainly not expecting that nickname, and my face must say as much.

Eistinn laughs. "That face!  You fake surprise real well." He taps my arm with his fist in an imitation of a punch. "Well, enough joking around, there's been enough of that.  Come on in!" He pauses in the middle of backing away to give me clearance. "Err, that is, you were coming in, right?"

"I had a mind to."

"Good! Come on in!"

* * *
Stevane
* * *

The first thing I do is pound on the door Jhe 'brelle just closed in my face.  It's undignified, pointless, and completely uncalled for.  I'm not even sure if I'm doing it alone, or my Arms are part of the reaction.  Crisanto is in a rage, while Garnet smolders in silence.  I stab the door once - that's Crisanto - and it does absolutely nothing.  I raise her to fire at the door instead, and then Crisanto realizes that she's not a gun.

* * *
Elam
* * *

I regard the Gahalespbar-archo politely, glancing over the decorations on his uniform, noting their details, comparing them to some things I remember from the inside the archives.  There's some odd resemblance to the traditional dress of Moana, but I don't think he'd care to know that.  From my studies I'm quite aware of the political and cultural differences between Moana and Chethar.