The spring sun shattered the prospect of a sleep in. It’s rays of light shone through the living room’s skylight, illuminating James’ eyelids. The Dust-mage despised the prospect of waking up.

Did I leave my apartment’s blinds up? Damn, when did Autumn get light so early? Urgh, why is my bed…

James peered at his hazy surroundings. The previous night’s antics slowly formed in his memories. He groaned.

Argh, my back. Last time I’m accepting the couch as a bed. Man, yesterday was an ordeal.

He shifted to sit on the edge of the couch. He rubbed away the sleep from his eyes, his surroundings came into focus.

The living room was almost cosy in the morning light. The stained coffee table held last nights remnants of tea. The few pictures and paintings on the walls were visible, illustrations of Jenny and another man; a couple of her at the beach with some girlfriends. The space held that feeling of being lived in, despite the high roof and cool concrete flooring.

It was reminiscent of a warehouse some of his uni-mates had rented as a makeshift home and workshop. The nobles loved to keep young independents out of the housing market; James could hardly afford his minuscule apartment, and he’d been on the successful end of Atlas theatre performers.

He arose of the couch, stretching out the kinks in his neck and back. Lucy was still curled up with Cosmo. The Baku had awoken from its trance, contented with his evening meal.

I so spoil you Cosy.

The Baku shared his sisters nightmare. James staggered at its weight. It was akin to being winded by a tackle, but a tackle to the mind not the chest. His eyes watered; the frustration, terror, anger, and hopelessness crashing into his mind like tidal waves. James circulated his Dust to abrogate the sensation and return to calm.

Thank you Cosmo, I see you worked hard caring for her. I’ll let you pick lunch for the day.

Cosmo accepted his offering, returning to his trance-like state. James stood motionless. His right hand tapped away at his spell book at his side. He focused on his breathing, embraced the feeling of being back in Melbourne, reunited with his sister, knowing that his friend was looking after her, for now.

Picking up the mugs, James moved to the kitchen. It was clean and organised. He emptied the remnants of the tea into the sink and filled up his mug with water. Drinking it slowly, he assessed the space for food. The pantry held little in the way of substance. A few protein bars and canned goods lined the back of the shelves, however, the fridge next to the pantry had some useful items.

James pulled out a carton of eggs, and a few leftover pieces of bacon. Checking the frozen section he found some old bread, he brought it out to defrost. Once he had his ingredients lined up the next task was finding a frying pan, plates and a toaster.

Over time he found what he needed, the aroma of frying eggs and bacon drifted throughout the home. His sister twitched on the couch, her body craving sustenance. Yet, the first person to arrive was Jenny. She wore a baggy t-shirt and trackies, yawning loudly as she entered the kitchen. Her auburn hair up in a loose bun, and handed hands scratching the mess of hair; she too was not a morning person. Wordlessly, she collected some plates and placed a butter-boat and Vegemite jar out on the bench.

“Mornin’.” She said.

“G’mornin’.” James replied.

Jenny buttered and spread the Vegemite on the toast. James made sure the bacon was crispy and eggs sunny-side up. It was a peaceful union of characters towards a common goal. A good breakfast. James smiled.

Lucy eventually arose from her slumber, guided by Cosmo to a seat at the bench. She only had one word for the cooks: “Coffee.”

They chuckled, and Jenny turned to heat-up a homemade contraption. It was a large machine built into the wall. Clumps of ground coffee could be seen organised into tight disks, connected by a tube. As Jenny heated the machine, Lucy stumbled to where her friend was sleeping. She knocked loudly on Kiara’s door before returning to the bench.

Jenny poured a jug of water down an alternate pipe to the ground-pods of coffee beans. The water steamed, heated by the pipe as it descended to meet the bottom-most pod. The result was barista coffee, homemade and all the more delicious for it. Jenny parcelled out mugs of the brew.

“Thanks.” Lucy said. She perked up with the brew in hand. James, smiling at the scene, began to distribute the food. Kiara entered to the sight of Lucy feeding a Baku coffee, Jenny and James cooking , warm sunlight filtered into the house, and the succulent scent of eggs and bacon on Vegemite toast was ravaging her nose. Her dusky eyes were bewildered by the sight. She chuckled.

I need more mornings like this. So peaceful, satisfying, I don’t know exactly how, but these moments just… fill the soul.

Cosmo agreed, doing his barrel-roll trick, hyped up on coffee. His large puppy eyes and wolfish grin as he span made the girls laugh. Even Kiara.

Ah, a good morning it is then.

The group sat down on either side of the bench for breakfast. For that small moment in time, there was happiness and calm. It was a period of peace, of nourishment. As they ate, all was well.

They enjoyed the food.

______________________________

“Thank you Jenny, for your hospitality. I’m sorry for imposing.” James said.

‘It was interesting to meet you, James. It’s not every day a group of young adults seek refuge from the law at my simple home, ha!” Jenny chuckled. She clapped James on the back.

They stood outside Jenny’s concrete home. James and Lucy, along with Cosmo, were prepared to head home. Lucy had already vowed to a Saturday snooze, keen to return to her warm dreams from the night before. She spoke of how real the puppies and kittens she’d played with in her dreams had felt. James had chuckled when he’d heard.

Kiara, however, stood behind Jenny. The cold glare had returned, directed James’ way.

A good breakfast can’t solve everything. Cosmo ardently disagreed.

“Thanks Jen. I’ll try to listen more, next time.” Lucy said.

“See that you will missy.” The older woman nagged playfully. “I’m no hostel. I’ve got serious work to do, and a Damien as well, ha!” The girls cringed at the crude humour.

“Well, thank you. Here,” James passed over a cache of HDMs and LDMs, “for your troubles.”

All of the girls eyes widened at the sight. LDMs were common currency for mages, but to part with what appeared to be several HDMs was astounding to the magic-less women. Kiara’s eyebrows deepened in thought.

“Why, I… Yes, it was a hassle.” Jenny smiled, accepting the cache of crystals. “I’ll make sure Kiara gets home safe. G’bye.” Kiara and her waved, the Scanlans echoed the goodbye.

Good to see Aussie hospitality is alive and well. Unfortunate that it was needed like it was. Towers, Mum and Dad are going to be mad.

The siblings walked along the sidewalk, blue skies above them and an amalgamation of houses to their sides. They made their way to Sandringham station, wary of anyone recognising them from the night prior. James was confident his Seeming was sufficient but still he was wary.

The peace of breakfast had passed. Tension sat between the eighteen and twenty-eight year-old. Cosmo turned ethereal; perceptive to the distance between the two.

We used to be so much closer. And now… I don’t know what to say.

“Why’d you come back?” Lucy broke the silence.

“I always planned on coming back.” James deflected.

They walked on, step after step, allowing emotion to ferment the air. James had never felt less confident, his sister by his side. His shoulders slumped, eyes turning away from his little sister. Lucy watched him.

“Why?” She asked.

James was silent for a few metres.

“I… I was gone a long time. This conversation cements that fact. I never planned to be away for so long, Luc. It’s just that I wasn’t old enough, mature enough, I… I wasn’t ready to come back.” James offered.

Lucy pondered for a few metres. The tension built up again. The air was heavy, heated not solely by the Australian sun. Lucy, again, broke the silence.

“I missed you, James. Richard and Pete; you got them out. But I’ve been here all alone, James. Alone.” Her voice was hollow.

Cosmo floated to her side, materialising his head. Lucy scratched the Baku behind the ears. The station could be seen ahead, not too far away.

“I didn’t understand your leaving, I was too young. But seeing the others go, only having Mum and Dad, it was hard.” James listened. The weight in his heart grew ever heavier. He didn’t dare deaden his emotions with Dust now.

“You became something… something ethereal. Reduced to this locket around my neck. This shackle.” She clutched the locket of dust to her chest. “The brief messages for birthdays or New Years, it wasn’t enough. I was alone James, and it was because of you.”

The emotion in her voice stabbed James in the heart. The cache of her breath, her shaking shoulders and forlorn look; he wanted to the embrace her, make it known that he was here. He hesitated.

She stopped walking. He turned to reach for her and stopped. He met her eyes; her angry, angry eyes. They stood still.

“I don’t blame you. You’re a mage.I don’t blame you for forgetting your NoMsister, your NoMfamily. It’s in your programming, to forget us. Leave us to fend for ourselves in a world built to harm us, kill us, oppressus.” Her chest was rising and falling fast, tense. The anguish in her cries increased the mental load in James’ mind.

“I knowwhy you didn’t come back. It’s because we are reminders, of what you could of been, of what you shouldhave been. Stuck on the bottom, fending for your life with no fancy spirits or spells to protect you. Knowing that a single injury or wrong encounter or any plethora of possibilities could end you. We make you feel weak!”

Tears condensed in the corner of James’ eyes. Lucy went apoplectic at the sight of them.

“NO! You don’t get to cry. You don’t get to feel, to feel… Human! I want you to feel-” She began to pull at the locket, making to tear it off.

“No. Please, don’t.” James croaked.

She stared at the stream of tears running down his face. Disgust in her eyes, she snarled.

“Oh look, I’ve made a mage cry. The world must be ending. You’re pathetic and I hate you.” She shoved past her brother running to the station ahead. He winced as she went past, Cosmo echoing her anger; held back from devouring it by James’ will.

He watched her enter the station proper, the train arriving and her subsequent departure. He breathed deeply, holding his hands from tapping his spell book. Cosmo watched its master deal with his emotions; no Dust, no consumption.

James accepted responsibility. He knew he owed her that much. He made his way to the station, his emotions matching his worn appearance. He waited for the next train, consoled by a singular thought.

She had kept the locket.