Charlie turned up the speakers, letting the music wash over her as she worked. Where that morning had been dedicated to studying each of the twenty-four Seithark runes, it was now time for her to breathe life into her own. Writing out her intentions, marking out repeating letters, and combining what remained into a single bindrune. She couldn't explain it, but somehow the music seemed to help guide her hand. And with each new completion of her rune, her hand tingled; she could feel the energies coursing through her.

After nearly an hour of successfully replicating that sensation, it suddenly stopped. Frustrated, she tried turning off the music, tried turning it to something else, and even getting up to clear her head for a second before sitting back down. No matter what she did, that little tingle of magic just wouldn't come back. Odd, she noted -- the tingling still coursed through her arms, but stopped at her wrists...

Huffing a sigh, she turned off the music and slumped in her chair. Now it was just because she couldn't focus. Deciding it best to go outside and take a walk, she left everything inside. But instead of clearing her head out in the clear, country air, she found she had some mail.

A very peculiar stuck out of her mailbox. She wasn't expecting a package, and as far as she knew her stepmom hadn't ordered her anything.

Charlie unfolded the note attached to the package.

Dear Charlie

This Saturday, we're all getting together for the Flower Festival.

If you can find a partner, you might want to participate in the dance yourself!

There's a little clearing beyond the forest west of town where we hold the dance.

The event begins at noon and lasts until five.

I've enclosed the traditional festival attire for you to wear. Hope to see you there!

-Mayor George

Charlie involuntarily shuddered as she remembered the hideous white dresses all the adults wore during the festival in her youth. Hoping beyond hope the equally hideous white lump on her bed was not what she thought it was, she nearly cried as she held it up. Ruffled shoulders, unflattering cut, itchy lace trim, and a long blue ribbon around the waist. Yup—it was the same dress. She crinkled her nose at the dingy stains left over from the last person unfortunate enough to be stuffed into that abomination.

There was no way in the she was wearing this. She folded the dress back up and stuffed it back into the package, planning to drop it off at George's house later that day.

But first, runes.

The tingle returned with renewed vigor as Charlie drew it from memory on a new sheet of paper. It was only a beginner's bindrune for prosperity and luck, but she felt particularly attached to it for some reason. Maybe she should fold one up and keep it with her… Erde knew she needed something to help her.

Her phone buzzed and she picked it up to check the new text.

Griff: u coming over to work on our costumes today?

Griff: iggy has some concept sketches

Charlie: idk maybe?

Charlie: What time?

Griff: 3 if he ever stops training and gets his visit with queen bitch outta the way

Charlie: He's training?

Griff: yeah been working on his magic

Charlie: :O

Charlie: And why was I not invited to watch?

Griff: you aint the only one

Griff: its a damn nice view

Charlie: What.

Griff: hes shirtless

Charlie: Daaamn…I'm kinda jealous right now

Charlie: Wait, you're spying on him aren't you?

Griff: was

Griff: threw a bolt of energy at me lol

Charlie snickered. On one hand she was glad Ignis was finally accepting that side of himself and working to better control it. On the other, she wanted to work with him and see just what he could do. But if he was only willing to work in solitude, she wouldn't impose.

Leaning back in her chair with a resigned sigh, she gave up her plans for scoping out the community center. It had been a while since she'd hung out with the guys, and brainstorming shouldn't take the entire day. She'd also finished her 'homework', so to speak. Plus, if Ignis was going to see Gabby before coming over, that meant she wasn't going to be there…

Charlie: I'll be over soon :)

‡ † ‡

Though the early afternoon breeze felt good on his skin, Ignis was pouring sweat. His hair was saturated with it, plastered uncomfortably against his forehead, and the side of his face, and for the first time in years he had the urge to chop it all off. Smoke and sparks fizzled from his fingertips. He might actually burn his hair off if he didn't keep his focus.

He'd ditched the hoodie halfway through the second round of casting, and now on the eighth he lost the t-shirt, too. At least it wasn't summer. He would have given up hours ago if that sun was beating down on him.

After opening up to his mom about wanting to finally take charge of his repressed magics, Lori was only too happy to help. Breaking out a box with items he'd forgotten even existed, Ignis donned his late mother's kyanite bracelet. The second it touched his skin, it felt like his mind had cleared of the haze that seemed to always drape over him.

Lori had also given him a few pointers—how to focus his thoughts, then project the energies from his core up and out through his palm. It was like what he remembered as a child with his birth mother, but he'd blocked out so much of his past that he couldn't rely on memory anymore. And while Ignis was more in tune with the darkness bound to him now, he still wasn't ready for back-to-back spells like a seasoned caster could do. Each successful call of the elements echoed through his body, leaving his soul aching and his head throbbing. He couldn't remember the last time he'd used his magic. Willingly, that is.

This fucking sucked.

Not that he was going to admit it. Charlie, Griff, Reiem, and even his mom went through their own exercises every day, and there was no way he was giving them the satisfaction of hearing him complain. Every once in a while, his stubbornness came in handy, and this was one of those times.

His body ached less as his repetitions grew, but Ignis still threw in the towel. Aside from general bitching, he found he really didn't mind the pain. After the first few days it helped him focus on what was important, instead of the fucked-up places his mind usually went. He'd even started to notice little lines appearing on his fingers each time he cast a successful spell. They vanished afterwards, but it was a good sign. It meant he wasn't completely detached from his magic.

Ignis sighed as he retrieved his shirt and hoodie, digging out his phone. One missed call from Griff, and two texts from Gabby. She'd been distant the past few days, more so than usual, and whatever her drama this time, Ignis felt it best to just leave her alone. He had more important things to focus on. Reading through her messages, he already felt his shoulders slump. She was pissed, and she wanted to talk. Of course she did, knowing full well he was supposed to be going to hang with Griff and Charlie right now.

Tapping out a quick message to Gabby, he pulled his shirt on, then his hoodie, and set off across the quarry bridge. Best get it out of the way now so he could vent to the others after instead of letting it weigh on his mind.

But it didn't matter. Gabby was still pissed by the time he arrived. He could tell by the way she didn't even turn around when he walked into her room, just crossed her arms and stared pointedly at the TV.

"Hey," he said simply, leaning against the wall across from where she was sitting. He didn't bother asking her what was wrong. She wasn't the type who needed prodding in order to spill her feelings, for better or worse.

She didn't disappoint, turning to glare at him.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Ignis?" she snapped.

"About…?"

"I saw you at the Phoenix House. You and Charlie." She spat Charlie's name like it was acid on her tongue.

Ignis closed his eyed for half a second to collect his thoughts. He knew this would come up eventually. Gabby wore her jealousy on her sleeve just like Griff did his heart. But he wasn't prepared to do it. Not today. Not right now. He was exhausted to his core, his head throbbing like he'd pulled a three-day stint again.

He shrugged nonchalantly, trying to mitigate her anger by pretending it wasn't a big deal. "Forest sprite ran off with her bag. I helped her get it back. I didn't want her going in there alone, Gabby. It's dangerous. You know that."

Gabby scowled as if that reasoning wasn't good enough. "Oh, sure, like I'm fucking stupid. Hanging all over each other as you came out. And no bag. So are you fucking her now?"

"No," he stated firmly. "We are just. Friends."

She scoffed, eyeing him cynically. "Yeah, right. Because I'm that gullible."

Ignis groaned, already done with this conversation. "We're not doing anything, Gabby. I don't know how you want me to prove it to you."

She seemed to consider it for a moment before her lips turned up in a slow, predatory smile. "Kiss me."

He swallowed hard, convinced he must have misheard her. "What?"

She sauntered closer, her gaze burning into his. "If you really don't want her, then kiss me to prove it."

Ignis's heart stopped in his chest. He'd normally have no trouble closing the distance and leaning in to claim her lips, but right now, something was screaming at him to walk away. Whatever it was, he didn't know right then. But he knew what Gabby was doing was wrong. She didn't really want to kiss him, she just wanted him to prove a point. That distinction mattered.

For the first time he could remember, Ignis actually felt anger towards her. Not the situation, not the circumstances—her. How could she play such a childish game knowing just how fucked up he'd been the past nine years? She didn't care about his feelings, his dreams, his wants or desires. She'd been playing him—and what hurt worse was that he knew it, and he let her. Because he'd felt so empty for so long that he just latched onto every little drop of affection she gave him because it made him feel like there was still something inside him.

Looking down, Ignis felt his blank mask crack, revealing the disgust boiling through him. And he knew it was present for all to see just from the shock he saw cross Gabby's face. Without pausing to figure out what he was going to say, he gave in to the blind rage.

"No more games, Gabby. You don't want me, and you never did. All you do is talk about how it's not a good time for you. That's all I've heard for four fucking years," he sneered. Gabby went pale, eyes widening. She looked like she was about to say something, but he didn't give her a chance. "I've been so blinded by my desire to push out all the old hurt and rage and just forget that I latched on to the first person that made me feel anything. And I'm done."

The shock on Gabby's face morphed into confusion, then anger, then straight up rage.

"Excuse me?" she practically growled, face a mottled red mess of anger as she balled her fists up at her sides. "So what, I need some personal space and then your little whore comes home and suddenly all the time we spent together means nothing?"

Ignis stared wide-eyed as those words left Gabriela's lips. As soon as she spoke them, his tenuous control over his emotions snapped, and he slammed his fist into the wall so hard the door shook in its frame. Black lines raced down his forehead as wisps of darkness curled around his arm. A sticky black substance seeped from the impression he'd made in the wood. Gabby stared wide-eyed as he remained facing her, shoulders square and rigid, chest rising and falling rapidly with deep breaths as he clearly tried to calm down.

Finally, he turned around, his eyes on the floor as he grabbed for the doorknob and wrenched it open.

"Don't you walk away from me!"

"I'm done," he reiterated, walking into the hall. He completely ignored André, who came to see what the source of the commotion was. The small, timid man yelped and jumped aside, as if sensing the rage boiling just under Ignis's skin.

Gabby called after him, but he didn't turn around.

‡ † ‡

Charlie got to Griff's place a little after three. She had run into Ruby on the way and had to promise to help her restock the museum's lost artifacts before she would let her escape. Ruby was so insistent that Charlie was halfway convinced she was about to be dragged to the mines right then and there. You would think the older woman knew Charlie had only just begun practical training, but Ruby was dedicated to the preservation of the area's history in a way that seemed almost unhealthy. It wouldn't be surprising if that same dedication is what lost her an eye.

Not that it mattered anyway since Ignis wasn't there yet either. Tal offered some coffee while they waited, which Charlie enthusiastically accepted. She'd forgotten to make any that morning and was sorely regretting it.

"So, are you guys excited about the dance this Saturday?" Tal asked as he worked on his daily ledger and stock requisition forms.

Griff groaned and rolled his eyes, stuffing a bite of cinnamon roll in his mouth to avoid answering. Charlie made her own noise of disgust.

"I'll go, but I'm not dancing. I'd rather put out a campfire with my face than wear that ghastly rag of a dress."

Tal looked up from his books, his eyebrows almost shooting into his wild curls.

"Oh no," he said slowly. "Don't tell me George gave you that dress to wear…that rag with the itchy lace trim? You guys were supposed to have the updated versions this year. I ordered them myself!"

Lace trim, huh? Charlie pulled out the box that contained the accursed thing. Tal looked at it in disbelief.

"It was in my mailbox this morning," Charlie finished.

"Dear Astrals, what is wrong with that man?" Tal sighed before scribbling the last of his day's sales down in the ledger. He flipped back a few pages, his face screwing up in disappointment before he closed the book with a snap. He then stared at Charlie with purpose. "All the ones I ordered for this year's festival have been claimed, but!" He held up a finger for emphasis. "I know someone who can turn that beastly cloth into one beauty of a dress: Molly."

Charlie looked to Griff, who shrugged. "She's the cute girl that works with Cal at the saloon. Blue hair?"

"And she can do more than cook and serve a cold beer," Tal added. "Take that rag to her and she'll make a whole new dress out of it. In fact, I'm going to talk to her right now about it. You guys wait here a sec. I'll be back."

"And what will she want for this 'magical transformation'?" Charlie hesitated to ask. Money was still a little tight until her next shipment, but she couldn't exactly afford a last-minute trip to the city for a dress she'd probably only wear once in her life. And digging into Guardian funds for some dress work wasn't really a life-saving necessity.

"She's weird," Griff said. "Probably shells or some crystals from the mines would make her happy." While Tal eyed his son for the 'weird' comment, he agreed with his assessment.

"Just roll with it," Griff said as they headed into his bedroom. "There's no point arguing when Dad gets an idea stuck in his head."

Just what had she gotten herself into?

‡ † ‡

Twenty minutes later Charlie was standing in the middle of Griff's living room, donning the awful lace dress she swore she would never wear, with Molly and Tal circling her like sharks in the water. Griff knew better than to laugh out loud, but the look on his face said it all. Though her predicament was in no way his fault, Charlie kept her glare focused on him. Griff was the easiest target, and judging by his infallible grin, he didn't mind a bit.

Charlie felt like a piece of meat as the pair poked and prodded, discussing where to pull the fabric in, how far to hem it, and sticking so many pins into her that Charlie was certain she'd be stabbed if she moved an inch. She liked clothes shopping well enough, but if it didn't fit off the rack, she didn't buy it. This tailoring business was for the birds.

Just when she thought the situation couldn't possibly get more uncomfortable, the stairwell door opened and in walked Ignis. Something about the air that followed him inside said he wasn't in anything resembling a good mood. Not even when he looked up to register the scene did he say anything. Instead, he flicked his eyes between all their faces and trudged past them into Griff's room, slamming the door behind him. Charlie and Griff looked to one another.

"Allriiiiiight…done! Griff, get out of here so we can peel Charlie out of this thing."

He stayed put on the couch. "Nah, this is something I can't miss." He flicked his eyes to his dad, watching for a reaction.

Tal's smile increased and he levelled him with a look that said he clearly wasn't falling for this type of behavior. "Out."

"Aw, fiiine," he whined, dragging his feet as he went into his bedroom. Charlie could hear him asking Ignis what was up before he shut the door behind him.

Tal shook his head. "How do you put up with him?" he laughed before spinning his finger towards Charlie. "Alright! Turn around and let's get this trash bag off you."

‡ † ‡

Charlie watched as Griff scrolled through images on the computer, pointing out which ones she thought would work with Griff asking if she was sure before saving them to a folder labelled 'Airdeis Shit'. Just when she was about to grab the mouse and force Griff past a full section of half-naked women with a postage stamp-sized skirts, Ignis took in a deep breath then released it. Charlie looked over to him.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"You wanna talk about it yet?"

"Well…I'm single again."

"Holy fuck, finally." Not looking from the computer, Griff added, "She take it hard?"

"Don't know. I kinda…lost control."

The way he muttered those last two words brought a stiff silence to the room. Swallowing around the lump in her throat, Charlie slowly went over to sit beside Ignis. He doesn’t look up or acknowledge her. His eyes were red, like he'd been crying. Or trying not to. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before releasing another sigh. Grabbing his bag, he took out his tablet.

"Fuck her," he growled.

That was a clear and permanent end to the discussion about Gabriela, and neither wanted to challenge it.

Face pale, eyes blazing almost purple in his anger, Ignis tapped on the screen until a work-in-progress file opened up. While Charlie couldn't tell if it was a character for his comic or just a new costume design, what Ignis did have was impressive.

The man on the screen was tall with silver-blonde hair, violet eyes, and strong facial features. He honestly appeared to be a middle-aged Ignis and dressed in a black trench coat and white-and-gold pinstripe trousers. He wore a black-and-white scarf with purple fringe, and the breast of the coat had a golden phoenix pattern. The man also wore a black wide-brimmed hat with a blue feather decorative piece, and a black winglike accessory on his left arm.

Ignis stared down at it, pen trembling in his fingers.

"It's my dad," he said, breaking Charlie from her daze. "Or at least what I can remember of him."

"What's his name?"

By this time, Griff caught on to what they had said and came over to gawk. He made a silent 'O' with his mouth as he looked at the piece.

"Franz Ard Runavegr," Ignis replied, a muted pride and something else she couldn't quite distinguish in his hushed tone. Anger, maybe? Disappointment? "I was only six when I last saw him. Him and my sister both. Haven't heard a peep since Mom died and I got adopted."

"I remember when you came to the Cove," Charlie added. "Me and Griff were so excited to finally have someone new to play with."

"Tch, yeah. Scrawny little kid, terrified of everything and everyone. Didn't know where I was or what was going on." Ignis sighed and set his stylus down. The creative light seemed to leave his eyes and he leaned back, arms crossed.

"Oh, I didn't mean…"

"It's fine." His gaze lingered on the image before he picked up his stylus, opened a blank page and began drawing again—this time working on his mask. "Today just…hasn't been a good day. I'll be okay."

Charlie met his eyes, seeing the corner of his mouth quirk up into a tiny smile. She knew there was more to it than that, but she didn't feel right pushing further. Griff opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by the sound of Tal returning.

"We're back!" Tal yelled. "Charlie, come try on the dress!"

The three of them looked to one another. That was…incredibly fast. Letting out a dramatic sigh, Charlie got up and trudged out the door.

‡ † ‡

Charlie stared into the full-length mirror in her spare room, legitimately taken aback by what she saw. There was no way this was the same dress.

It was cute.

Like, really cute. Like if it was any color but white, she'd buy it off the rack cute. The gaudy lace trim and poufy sleeves were gone, replaced with an open, angular neckline and thick straps that toed the line between cap sleeves and sleeveless. The big green bow was trimmed down to a simple sewn-in belt, accentuating the form fitting waist that tapered out as it went down. The hem was brought up by a mile, landing a few inches above her knees and pulled in so it held the A-line shape.

What kind of sorcery could… She closed her eyes and wondered if Molly was some secret sewing witch.

"Charlie! Come on! Show us!" Griff called.

She looked up to the ceiling, muttering silent curses. Despite how cute the dress turned out to be, she wasn't looking forward to the awkwardness of modeling it in front of a bunch of dudes.

The hallway was empty when she opened the door, but all eyes were on her when she stepped into the living room.

"Oh, Baby Girl, you look amazing!" Griff grinned.

"Molly, it does look amazing," Tal said.

Molly smiled, obviously pleased with her work. "I take payment in the form of crystals, colored shells, and rare and unusual fabrics! Oh, I also added pockets. All clothes should have pockets."

Charlie patted her hips until she felt the slim openings. "That's the best news I've had all day," she said with a grin. "Really though Molly, this is amazing. I can't believe it's the same dress."

"Aw, it wasn't much. But thanks. I'm glad you like it."

"Turn around and let us see the back," Tal said.

Griff snickered. "That's what she s—"

"I will use you as target practice," Charlie warned, glaring at him as she spun around. Feeling very aware of her backside on display, she only paused for a moment before turning back.

"It's perfect," Tal said.

"Hannah better watch out or she's gonna lose Flower Queen this year," Griff said.

"A humbling experience would be good for her," Molly said. She looked at the clock on the wall and stood up. "Anyway, I'd better get going or I'll be late for work. See you all later!"

"So, speaking of this shitshow dance—"

"Griffith Bryn!"

Ignoring his father's outburst, he glanced over to Ignis. "You gonna dance with Charlie? Or am I stuck with guard duty?"

"Nah, the Guardian's all yours."

"Ugh, fiiine."

"Wow, way to make me feel so special," Charlie laughed, smacking Griff on his arm. It was like hitting solid rock, and it probably felt like a fly landing on him. "You better know how to actually do this dance."

"I hope so, too," Tal smirked. "Wouldn’t want the Guardian to be embarrassed in front of the entire Hollow."

Charlie snapped her gaze to him, brow furrowed. "Wait. 'Entire hollow'? Like, everyone from the surrounding towns is coming to this?"

"Yeah. Didn't George mention that in the note he left?"

"No, he conveniently left that part out," she grumbled angrily. "Wait, why wasn't the Bunny Festival like that?"

Ignis shrugged. "Not a lot to care about over some kids chasing a rabbit. The Flower Festival is a much bigger thing, honoring the Astrals for the growing season and all that."

"The entire region attends," Tal added.

Releasing a frustrated sigh, Charlie glared at Griff. "You better know."

"Chill, Baby Girl. I'm perfection on my feet."

Suppressing a groan, Ignis crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "On second thought, I'll dance with you. I actually do know how to dance."

"Thief."

"Fuck off."

"There's something else," Tal said.

Oh, Astrals, what could be more embarrassing than dancing before the entire region?

"Yeah? What's that?"

"Mom's going to officiate you."

Charlie looked to Ignis, blinking a few times. "Officiate? Like some kind of coronation ceremony or something?"

He shrugged. "Uh, kinda? Tal? Mind helping out at this bit?"

Tal smiled. "It's kinda similar to what happens when a new monarch is crowned, I guess. But way, way turned down. It's something normally done at the Festival when the trainee is thirteen, but you didn't make it in time. You were only twelve." He gave her a small, apologetic smile, telling her he knew it wasn’t her fault.

"Lori'll make some speech and inaugurate you with some official piece to show your status," Griff said.

"A sword mainly," Tal added. He hesitated, studying Charlie a moment. "You do prefer swords, right?"

"Uh, yeah? It's what I've been training with this entire time." After a moment of thought, she added, "Will it be something I can actually use? Or is it just some decorative piece?"

"It's the weapon you'll use during your term," Ignis explained.

"Handcrafted by the town's blacksmith and imbued with magic by the protector." Griff made a face, looking to the clock. "Actually, that's probably what's happening right now."

Charlie wondered again why she hadn't seen Reiem much the past few days. He'd been abnormally distant since coming back from the shopping trip, and now it all made sense. There was so much going on behind the scenes and she didn't have a single clue. Misery congealed in her gut, and she sighed, slouching down into her chair.

"You okay?" Tal asked.

"Yeah," she breathed. "Just hating that I'm so late to the party."

He waved it off. "It's not your fault." He said each word slowly, letting their sincerity sink into her mind.

"I know… Anyway, I'm going to get changed and head out. I have a chapter to finish, and we have exercise to get out of the way."

Griff met her eyes, then his own lit up. "Oh shit, I forgot about that. I already promised to take Nate to the beach."

The beach sounded way better than the sticky, sweaty mess she would have to endure on the trails. She could stick her feet into the water, and even work on her endurance running through the sand. Meeting Griff's apologetic look, she crossed her arms with a smirk.

"Don't worry. We can just do it there."

‡ † ‡

Charlie: Hey, we're moving the afternoon set to the beach.

Charlie: I know you've been busy, but wanna join?

Reiem: That is hardly a place for me, Charlotte.

Charlie: But you love the ocean, though!

Reiem: You are not wrong.

Charlie: Then why the reluctance?

Reiem: I am not a fan of blinding myself with such a bright area.

Charlie: Vampire :

Reiem: The proper term is 'Moroi'.

Reiem: And I am not a vampire. I am a Scientian.

Charlie: Same thing.

Reiem: They are hardly the same.

Reiem: While it is true all four of the Noble races share a multitude of similarities, they are all the products of the ancient Scientia procreating with your non-magical ancestors. And as such each have their own unique abilities and appearances.

Reiem: But I believe you have already studied that, no?

Charlie: omg yes DAD, I did. I was just teasing.

Charlie: Astrals, you're a nerd.

Reiem: I believe you mean 'brilliant'.

Charlie: Smartass.