Sore.

  Every single muscle in my body, more than I have ever felt before, is just that as I wake up. All of my skin itches in a way I have never felt, and my chest has a dull pain spread across it. My head is swirling, spiraling around in a way that makes me worried I won’t be able to walk. I pull my legs up to my chest, hoping that maybe they’d let me sleep in, if just for one day.

  Then my very not legs tail touches warm skin that is not my own, ay sms onto me.

  Fuck.

  I put my hand against my forehead and groan, then turn over in bed just to be remihat it wasn’t my own skin that woke me up. The sleeping Emme has her arms around, snugly bindio her. I could try to wiggle out, go get ready for a day where I have no idea what I’m even going to do, but… I don’t see why I would.

  Not when her warmth is the only remotely positive thing I feel at the moment.

  Fortunately or unfortunately, me shifting is apparently enough to stir Emme awake, as the girl tightens her embrae. Her breath is hot against the side of my neck, and I feel my heart begin to speed up as I get goosebumps along my arms. Emme’s m voice is huskier than normal as she whispers, “Turn bato your side.”

  A shock runs down my spine, and I follow the order obediently. Emme’s arm shifts up to my shoulder, pulling dowtered shirt I o repce before she gingerly runs her fingers along my skin up unto my neck. I shudder in anticipation, then gasp as I feel the electrifying pinch of her fangs sinking into me.

  The burning blizzard returns, lightning crag throughout its bounds as it slowly grows more and more. I shiver as my entire body screams out a tradi, a desire both for me to run while wanting nothing more than this woman to take my everything. I reach up and press my hands to my heart, feeling it beat in what feels like sixtee time.

  Before I know it, the moment is over, but I find myself panting in unison with Emme as I flop onto my back. “T-that was more than I was expeg it to be.”

  “Yeah, you say that again…” Emme says, then reaches over my shoulder and pulls me closer, as she whispers. “How much do you… remember?”

  Biting my lower lip, I begin to sort through the blurred memories:

  “E-Everything, at least vaguely. I saw you get stabbed, and thehing just faded away. It’s like I was in a dream, moving with my only purpose to end the life of everything in front of me.”

  I pause as I get to the end of what happehen put my hand on my mouth as my heart drops. “O-Oh god. I-I killed Haifisch, didn’t I?”

  Emme leans her head against mine. “Yeah. To be fair, we both fucked up.”

  I let my hand fall bato the bed, then mutter, “B-Because you didn’t move away before he stabbed you?”

  Emme chuckles then shifts her arm off my shoulder to entwi with mine. “No, iermath after I knocked you out, I may have killed the Montero Heir when he demanded you pay for killing the guy.”

  After freezing, I turn my head to look at Emme. Her face is as blurred as always, but she has her hand draped over her eyes. “R-Really?”

  She sighs, but doesn’t move. “Mhm. He was a loose end.”

  “W-Wait, you’re telling me D-Desmond just… let us go?” I tilt my head, a bit fbbergasted. “After all that? After we murdered his heirs?”

  I flinch as Achys suddenly sms down onto Emme’s stomach, causio grunt. “That’s teically not what happeo be specific, the Family dragged him away to deal with his people first, sihey share responsibility for them now. He wasn’t happy, but yelled something or another up at the ship as we flew off. Didn’t seem important.”

  Nyvi floats over, plopping dowo me. “In addition, the Family has been stantly trying to get into tact with us since we left, but nothing is marked as urgent so I wouldn’t worry about it too much.”

  “T-This is a lot to take in…” ing my arm around the orca, I squish it to my chest. “A-Actually, where are we? H-How long did we even sleep?”

  Achys clears her throat, then decres, “It is four pm on Sunday, October Twenty Sed, Twenty Fifty-Six. We’re currently cruising at a height of about thirty three thousa over the mainnd of North America.”

  “Uh,” Emme blurts, “I didn’t really choose us a destination.”

  “W-We should probably go talk to Lissa about that…”

  The girl beside me squeezes my hand, then after a few moments of nothing murmurs, “I… don’t want to get up, Prism.”

  “M-Me either but…” I bring up our linked hands. “Y-You’re the captain of this ship, you o decide what we’re doing.”

  “I just…”

  “Hah… I-I’ll go get ready first.”

  Shifting around, I lean over and give Emme a quick kiss on the cheek, then slip out of her grasp to sit up.

  “T-Thanks for stopping me.”

  Without waiting for a response, I swim towards the door with my face burning, which opens automatically for me to let me slip out of Emme’s view. I move forward without thinking just to bonk my head into a wall, then reposition myself again and desd a set of stairs. As I reach the bottom, something hits me.

  ‘Uh, where is the bathroom, Nyvi?’

  Three doors to your left. That was bold of you, I’m proud.

  Hiding my now burning face behind my hands, I enter and shut the door behihee with my back against the door.

  ‘Aaaaaaaaah.’

  I hit my head against the floor.

  ‘Am I an idiot? What if she didn’t like it? What if I like, read the signs wrong?!’

  You’re not an idiot, and I have a distinct expectation Emme will be very happy about what you did.

  Groaning, I begin to inch my way across the tiled floor towards a rather simple shower. ‘Nyvi, turer on for me please.’

  After a familiar click, the stream of water begins to fall, and I pull myself underh it after wiggling out of my clothes. The water is delightfully warm, and I nearly moan in fort as I position myself right in the middle of the shower.

  As it crashes down upon me, I take a moment to just refle everything that’s happened. So much, in just a single night; It’s almost overwhelming to even sort through, but I guess there’s ohing that is hard to really ignore.

  My body.

  The fact that I’m a girl.

  A gnce down at my body is all it takes to reaffirm that belief, which sends a somewhat floaty feeling through me. I lightly press my hand against my breast, remarking over the sensitivity of it. They arely very big, but… it’s more than enough. I live like this.

  Definitely more than I say about how I was before.

  ‘Nyvi I get some-’

  This is both shampoo and ditioner, far better then the paltry mix humans have made.

  A pump bottle appears beside me, and I shrug as I float backwards to y hair. It seems longer now, but perhaps that’s just my brain pying trie, or maybe my head got smaller because of the bionites? I kinda doubt it, but it’s hard to say.

  I slip bader the water, letting it run through and rinse my hair, then stand for a few more seds before I swim out to grab a towel. As I dry myself off, I realize I o get new clothes again. It really doesn’t take me long to decide on what I want.

  ‘Nyvi, I get a simple dress in that same yellow from yesterday?’

  Oh, I’m gd you like that color. It suits you.

  Uo hold back my smile, I put out my hands for the dress and put it on as it appears. Notig a vanity with a turned off mirror to the side of the room, I hesitate then float over, putting my hands onto the ter. I take a deep breath, then iurn it on, Nyvi.’

  Are you sure?

  I nod, biting my lower lip. ‘If anything, it’ll firm something for me.’

  If you say so.

  With a click, the mirrhts up, revealing… a blurry face. Still, I find that it’s not nearly as bad as before, with the dress framing me in a way that I don’t despise. It’s a simple sundress really, and it somewhat gives me the urge to ask for just the biggest, floopiest hat. I shift back a bit, then giggle as I do a wide spin, sending the skirt spinning around me.

  You know that’s incredibly stereotypical ender women to do when putting a skirt ht?

  I blink. ‘Huh. I suppose that is what I am now, huh?’

  We really o get all of you girls a therapist.

  Chug, I move towards the door. ‘Yup, that’s for sure.’

  I hum to myself as I ehe hallway, heading for a set of stairs in the distance. As I approach it though, I freeze when I see Emme walking down them. Emme has ged her clothes and ed up as well, now wearing a tanktop showing off her very nice arms on top of a set of baggy bck cargo pants. Her long ponytail waves behind her as she leaps dow few steps, waving as she approaches me.

  “Prism! Lissa wants to eat an early dinner as we talk about what we’re going to do.”

  Unsure of what to do, I dearly wish I had Nyvi’s Orca body with me at the moment.

  “I-I um, okay,” I relent, “I-I’m not really that hungry yet, but I might be in a bit?”

  “Good enough for me.” Emme holds a hand out to me. “e o’s go!”

  Staring at the open palm, I hesitate, then somewhat nervously reach out to take it. I gasp as Emme pulls me in close, then presses her lips to my forehead. Fbbergasted, my face burning up harder than ever, I reach up to touch my hand to the spot she kissed me as the girl giggles and pulls me behind her.

  “My revenge has been taken,” She says with a cheerful tone, “Get used to it, girl.”

  Words don’t e as Emme leads me downstairs into the big open living room, where we find her family sitting i together, loudly chatting about something I really didn’t expect.

  “I’m telling you Arteria, it’s not that simple! We ’t just walk up to a gang, kill the leadership and take trol!” The rge bck man throws his hands up in the air. “People have actual loyalties! All that would do is breed rese!”

  The woman sitting across the table cross her arms, unhappily responds, “That’s why we find oh a very low amount of loyalists, Reagaer yet, we find a city without a developed underworld and build it ourselves.”

  Lissa snorts, putting her hands up behind her head. “That does mom.”

  “You don’t know that, I bet we could go to a newer-”

  “I’m going to stop this here.” Emme walks up to the table, sits down aures for me to sit beside her. As I do, I flush as I feel all their eyes move to us. Emme squeezes my hand, seemingly to reassure me. Unsurprisingly, it actually kind of works. “We have important things to talk about.”

  Arteria snorts, leaning ba her chair. “Like your new girlfriend?”

  Emme huffs, pointing at her mother. “She’s not my girlfrie, she’s my business partner.”

  Yet?!

  Reagan leans down, putting his head into his hands. “Business partners… Right. Whatever, I’m starving, what are we going to eat?”

  Lissa cracks her knuckles, then waves a hand over the table. A rge sandwich appears in the middle of the table, split into five pieces. The Seras family members each rush forward to grab their pieces, and Emme hands me mine before she gets her own. I nibble at the food, finding to my surprise that it’s really good.

  Across the table, Lissa moans as she rambles with food in her mouth, “God, this is so much better than the meal bar I had earlier. You really ’t beat real food.”

  “No kiddin’!” Reagan rips a huge bite out. “I suppose there are some bes to you three bein’ sams.”

  I flinch as Arteria points at me. “Hey girly, what is your family name, anyhow? I know your name is Prism but I have never heard of the sed one.”

  “I-I don’t have a family name right now.” I stutter out. “I-I left my family yesterday, they’re terrible people and I want nothing more to do with them. I-I mean, I had been pnning on it for years but I didn’t get a til yesterday when I became a samurai. O-Oh, and I also found out I robably a bastard that they experimented on when I was a fetus, which is why I have so many problems.”

  There’s a sudden freeze as all the Seras at the table go silent, and for a moment I think I fucked up by saying I used to be a Montero. Then, they all begin to nod in sileo each other before Arteria reaches across the table to touch the side of my arm.

  “You should use ours.”

  I blink as the strength in my arms disappears. “P-Pardon?”

  Regan sighs, pg his sandwich down before he touches my other arm. “We know how much you helped us and all of those people st night, and how important you are to our daughters. You deserve a family to call your own, so we’ll be that for you.”

  Tears begin to well in my eyes as I wring my hands together. “B-But what if, if something goes wroween me and Emme? W-What if we have a disagreement that puts a divide between us?”

  Arteria sighs, then pces her own sandwich down as she stands up, walking over to me and pullio a hug. “Then that’s on us for trusting you.”

  I lean my head into her chest, tears now falling down my cheeks.

  Is this… okay? I just… be a part of their family? I sob, memories of my life running through my head. Loneliness, isotion, ostracization. No more of that, no more suffering?

  I… I…

  “O-Okay. I-I-I’ll be a Seras.”

  The family cheers, then all rush over to join in the hug. In the midst of their embraces, a fuzzy warmth washes over me, dominating the ive feelings and f them into the depths of my heart. I let the tears fall, let the gates open out into the world.

  I have a family now, people to support me.

  Finally.

  After an embarrassingly long few minutes of me g in the midst of my family, we once again begin to dig into our meals. After letting me sob for a few seds Arteria pulls me out of my chair, shiftio her p, where I sniffle as I nibble at my sandwiore. It tastes eveer now, somehow.

  “With that out of the way,” Reagan says after swallowing a bite, “Where are we heading to captain Emme?”

  Emme sighs, then ps down and swallows the st of her sandwich. “We o talk about that. I think we o stomp the Montero-Wisteria glomerate into the dust.”

  Lissa grunts in agreement. “Yeah, sounds abht. I don’t suppose we know where they have branches do we?”

  There’s a brief silence, before I mutter, “I-I know where a few are, and the rest is probably in public databases. W-We just o find them. F-For now, maybe head to Seattle? I-It’s where the stru branch is w to rebuild after a stealth incursion nearly destroyed the city.”

  “Cascadia huh?” Emme sighs, putting her head down oable. “Always wao see what it was like.”

  I smile, then slowly mutter, “The pacific is beautiful, I’m excited for you to see it.”

  Arteria chuckles, ruffling my hair. “It’ll be iing, that’s for sure.”

  Grunting, Reagan stands up and starts pig up the trash from the table. “We’re not going immediately. You three o take a break before any big bat stuff though. Let’s take a week, okay?”

  Lissa groans, pushing back her chair from the table. “But that’s such a waste of time, Pops.”

  “No buts, this isn't up for debate.” Reagan moves over, crossing his arms. “You o recover a bit after su active night.”

  “Ugh! Fine!” Lissa jumps to her feet, stomping towards the stairs. “I’m going to find a way to look into more info in the meantime. I think I might try mesh diving.”

  I shiver. “I-I don’t like the mesh, it’s way too… loud.”

  Lissa stops, then turns to look at me. “I have never even gotten the ce to try it, so how would I know that?”

  “...O-Oh.” I nod. “I-I suppose you should then. S-Some people really like it.”

  The girl gives me a thumbs up, then begins to hop up out of sight. I finish the st bite of my sandwich, only to yelp when Arteria suddenly picks me up, moves me over a bit, and plops me down into Emme’s p.

  “You two have fun, me and Reagan are going to rex for a bit.” The woman stretches and yawns. “Turns out miracle medie sort of takes the energy out of you.”

  Reagan walks over, pats me on the head, then takes his wife’s hand. “She’s telling a half truth, she wants to give you two some time alone. Have fun.~”

  I gawk as the two rush away, suddenly leaving me and Emme as the only two left in the room. There’s an awkward bit of silence before Emme stands up with me in her arms. She starts walking towards the stairs, saying, “I have something to show you back up in the room.”

  I tilt my head in fusion, but nod. We climb bato the room I woke up in, where Emme pces me down onto the bed beside Nyvi. I pull her up into my p, then sigh as I squeeze her to my chest.

  ‘I don’t know where this is going.’

  I do, it’s something you fot about.

  I bite my lip and furrow my brow. ‘I fot about something?’

  It’s as Emme approaches me again that it clicks, and I gasp. She approaches with a very familiar duffel bag in her hands, holding it up by its strap.

  “One of the dogs brought this to me, having found it on the ship's deck after everythi down. Nyvi said it was yours.”

  Jumping up, I swim over to take my bag, opening it and breathing a sigh of relief when I see that all my stuff is still there. I haphazardly rush back, pg it onto the bed to begin to sort through it all. Emme walks up behind me, looking over my shoulder as she asks, “What is all this stuff?”

  “T-This is my colle! I-It’s all the stuff I’ve gotten from my various trips, I’m so gd they’re okay!” I pick up a small gss box to show Emme. “T-These are Alexandrite I found in the ruins of Tampa! T-The gem is fasating because it ges color depending on the light!”

  I put it down, then grin when I see a tainer filled with watches. “T-These are a broken rolexes that I’ve been colleg! T-They’re not repairable normally, but I suppose I might be able to now.”

  Huffing in amusement, Emme picks up my bck gems, rattling them around in front of her. “What are these?”

  As I open my mouth to speak, Achys gasps, shooting out to flutter above the box. “Those are Protectrade unication chips?! They’re what allow us to tact Vanguards in the first pce! How did you evehese?”

  I blink. “I-I didn’t know what they were, I just called them bck gems. I only seem to find them in ruins when rec… human remains…”

  Staring at the box, I find myself a bit dumbfounded. “What are those even worth? they be recycled to make people samurai?”

  Nyvi, who I had haphazardly dropped when I saw the bag, floats over to take a look. “They ’t initialize someone, but we should be able to use them for something…”

  I sigh, then take a seat on the bed. “This is a lot to take in…”

  Emme pces the chips down, then sits beside me, taking a moment before she takes hold of my hand again.

  “Hey Prism,” She murmurs, “Wanna watch the su as we set off to Seattle?”

  This time I squeeze her hand, leaning onto her shoulder. “Mhm.”

  Emme giggles, then ands, “Achys, turn the window on for us.”

  The bird gives a salute with one wing while pointing to the window with the other. “Aye captain!”

  I gasp as the entire wall seemingly shifts into gss, revealing a stunning view of a giant suing over the horizon. The white sea of clouds is tinged with e and pink, a different o then I’m used to, yet oiful all the same. I gowards Emme, getting a fsh of blue once again, but also notig a very tent smile. Butterflies in my chest, I find my lips are uo dip.

  As the Starchaser flies towards the setting sun, I reach over to pick up the box full of neon green uranium gss, then hold it up to the big light in front of me. It’s almost poetic how beautiful it is.

  ***

  Your final card is: The Lovers, Upright.

  Love, harmony, unity; All are something I think everyone desires in the world, at least in some form. Yet, the Lovers card means more than that.

  It represents choices.

  You have many paths in front of you, and there are many that you take. Whichever one you choose to it to will have sting sequences, and you o learn to accept that you ot avoid that. However, the retionships you make along the way will be valuable for you in ways you may never appreciate fully.

  Taking advantage of those es will be how you defy your impending tragic fate.

  Man ‘Sanctum’ Brandt, in in a three card reading for Lissa ‘Phantasmagoria’ Seras, December 2056

  Fata Mana Ae: Refles

  Fin.

  Aliapanacea