Nerluce lifted his head, squinting up at the thick, dark clouds above in suspicion. As he watched, snowflakes escaped their cloudy home and drifted down around him. He tightened his mittened hand around Kierli's and looked down at the toddler with a smile.

"Keep your scarf on tight. It's snowing," Nerluce said.

Kierli looked up at the sky and her face brightened. "Snow! Yay! Yay! I love the snow!" It had snowed enough a couple of weeks ago to cover the ground but an unexpected heatwave had melted the ground to mud.

This time, Nerluce homes the snow would stick and stay. Nothing was worse than spring mud. Besides... Kierli liked the snow. She stretched out her arms as if waiting for a blanket of snow to cover her.

Which... it actually might.

Nerluce quickly pushed her arms down again with a nervous laugh. Weird things sometimes happened around Kierli. She was simply oozing with Magick and the world couldn't help but be altered by her existence. The snow spirits that usually stuck to dancing across the flakes had paused their routine to come closer to Kierli. Snow spirits were smaller than most spirits and tickled Nerluce's cheek as they whisked by.

"Ah, the snow loves you too," Nerluce said. The abundance of snow spirits was proof enough of that. "Why don't we get inside now. Aristide probably has dinner waiting for you. Aren't you hungry?"

"Mhm!" Kierli said. "No carrots, though."

"Huh?" Nerluce asked, his eyes widening. "Why don't you like carrots? They're delicious!"

Kierli stuck out her tongue. "No, no. Not yummy."

"Well I'll eat all of your carrots for you," Nerluce said. "Aristide did say he was making curry and curry usually had carrots. Sorry, little light."

"Not yummy," Kierli huffed.

Nerluce smiled and turned his head back up to the sky. The Chosen Light was such a little brat, whining about carrots. Nerluce tried to remember if he'd ever been a picky eater but he didn't think so. Actually... come to think of it... when Nerluce was Kierli's age he'd probably only just been brought to Hebikoti Palace.

It wasn't like Nerluce could remember a time before Hebikoti Palace. He'd been too little. However, he knew what his life was like before then. Lady Okiachi and Lady Fanjie had told him. Mother worked at a brothel. Nerluce had lived in that brothel. Nerluce had never not had a bed or food but living as the son of a noble was a much higher quality life than living as the son of a prostitute.

If Nerluce had to guess.... he'd probably eaten whatever they'd put in front of him.

He hummed cheerfully as he and Kierli entered the water Affinity dorms. The students there didn't so much as give him an odd glance. A couple even smiled and nodded their heads... which was as friendly as they got with anyone. Cool, calm, collected. They were a hundred separate streams, merging and diverging but all headed to the same grand sea. Separate but flowing towards a common goal was a good way to describe the disciples with a water Affinity.

The fire Affinity disciples were so different. They burned with life and passion. They spread that warmth around from person to person. No one was ever truly alone. They were... like fire. Spreading, burning, hot-headed and loud they marched towards one goal with the same intensity, devouring anything that got in their path.

It was funny watching Aristide interact with them. Aristide never seemed to know what to do with any of them - especially when he got hugged.

Then... there was Nerluce. He needed the warmth of fire but if he got too close he'd be consumed. He needed the cool of water but if he drank too much he'd drown. He needed roots but the soil was made of glass. And yet, somehow, he not only survived but thrived in the midst of extremes that ought to be impossible.

After climbing all six obnoxious flights of stairs - while carrying Kierli - Nerluce made it to Aristide's floor. Nerluce had thought he'd seen all of it - between Aristide's rooms and the training area - but there must've been some hidden kitchens tucked in a corner Nerluce had yet to find because the entire floor smelled of Tilican spices and cooking food.

Nerluce knocked on Aristide's door as Kierli tried to wiggle out of his arms. She'd just about managed it when Aristide opened the door. Nerluce stepped in, more suddenly than Aristide was likely expecting if his flinch was anything to go off of, and shoved the squirming toddler into his arms.

"Hi," Nerluce said, breathly.

"Hello, Nerluce," Aristide said.

They were closer than they usually began their meetings. The gap between their mouths was a mere breath. It would be easy to close the distance. One wouldn't even need to think about it. Nerluce smiled and pulled back.

"Sorry about that," Nerluce said, rubbing the back of his neck, sheepish. "I didn't want to drop her but she was eager to see you."

Aristide didn't break his gaze as Kierli babbled his name and reached her small grasping hands up towards him. They latched onto one of his dark curls that always stuck out and gave it a tug. Nerluce envied the child. He wanted to do that.

He shook that thought off. It wasn't appropriate.

"I wasn't aware you had a kitchen," Nerluce said, trying to distract himself and get the heat to fade from his face.

"One of the perks of being the Head Disciple," Aristide said, setting Kierli down in her crib. "We can also summon a hot bath at any time of night. Or day."

"I don't envy the servants who have to bring that water up," Nerluce said.

"But?"

"I envy the rest of that statement," Nerluce admitted. "Did you have to bathe in the Waterfall Pool too? It's fine in summer I guess. Frigid but fine." He rolled his eyes. "But during the winter I nearly die. How is it that Ethera doesn't have a dozen students dropping dead of cold every winter?"

Aristide smiled at him. "The Waterfall Pool has healing properties. You will not freeze in its water."

"I don't know why we couldn't fill baths with its water," Nerluce grumbled.

"Because Ethera has no servents and its disciples are far too busy to waste time on that for everyone," Aristide said.

Nerluce realized that what Aristide meant to say was that it was disciples like Nerluce who hauled hot water up at odd hours of the night as one of their daily tasks for Aristide or any other Head Disciple to soak. If the Head Disciples got to bathe that meant all of the Priests and Priestesses did too. That sounded like a task that Nerluce was infinitely grateful for not being assigned.

Aristide crossed the room and with long, outstretched fingers he traced Nerluce's arm as he passed him by. "I know what you're thinking," Aristide said. "And I will not let you share my bathtub."

"You wound me, angel," Nerluce said. In truth, Nerluce had been thinking nothing of the sort but if Aristide brought it up then it just might be a possibility...

"I'll go get the curry."

"I am most excited to try your exotic, Tilican curry," Nerluce said.

Aristide rolled his eyes. "Just get Kierli settled at the table."

Scoffing, Nerluce walked over to Kierli's crib. Why would Aristide put her there if he just wanted Nerluce to move her to the floor? Nerluce lifted her down and pulled out a table and a couple of cushions that Aristide had shown him were stored. Nerluce got Kierli on one of the cushions, though to get her to stay, he'd needed to give her one of her toy horses.

"Do you like horses, Li?" Nerluce asked, looking at her play with it wildly - complete with sound effects and laughing.

"Yes!" Kierli said. "I love horseys!"

Nerluce smiled at her. "I bet one day you will make an excellent horsewoman. We'll have Lyana show you all of her tricks."

"Horsey, horsey!" Kierli then looked around the room, conspiratorially. "Ari is gonna get me a horsey soon."

"Oh?" Nerluce asked.

"Mhm!" Kierli said. "I get a horsey!"

It seemed a bit early to be giving the Chosen Light a mount, but Nerluce supposed Aristide had his reasons. Those reasons were also probably also linked to Lilith's upcoming foal. No matter how one looked at it, the foal would be of some of the highest breeding in the world. It would be a more than befitting mount for the Chosen Light.

Aristide returned then, skillfully carrying three plates of... well Nerluce wasn't sure exactly what Tilican dish Aristide had made but it wasn't curry.

It was a strange dish - vibrant and smelling strongly of spices as most Tilican dishes tended to. The rice was a foreign bright yellow and the curry itself seemed to be made of red tomatoes, chilies, bits of a leafy green vegetable Nerluce couldn't place, bright green sour plums, and well-seasoned chicken.

"Angel... what is this?" Nerluce asked.

"Curry?" Aristide said.

"I've had curry before and this isn't-" Nerluce cut himself off with a frown.

"It's curry," Aristide insisted. "I can remember eating it as a kid." He turned to Kierli. "Not with your hands, Li. Use the spoon, remember?"

Kierli pouted. She was more than happy with stuffing the not-curry into her mouth. Nerluce followed her example and took a bite. It wasn't bad. It was slightly sour, slightly spicy. It had a good texture to it and Nerluce took a second bite and then a third. It wasn't curry but it was good. Aristide was a surprisingly gifted cook. Or maybe that was to be expected too.

"Is there anything you can't do?" Nerluce asked.

"No," Aristide said.

He answered much faster than Nerluce expected him to and with much more resolve than anyone had the right to. It seemed as though he'd considered this many times before and this conclusion was the obvious one.

Nerluce smiled. "It's good but I don't think it's curry."

"It is," Aristide said.

"Are you sure you aren't mistranslating it?"

Aristide considered this for a moment before he shrugged. "Do you know any Tilican?"

"A bit."

For another moment, Aristide considered this and then spoke. Listening to him speak Tilican was like listening to the angels speak. It was watching Aristide's mouth move its most true form. It was beautiful and natural. It sounded like ringing bells and holy choirs. And, like the angels, it was completely incoherent to Nerluce's mortal ears.

He thinned his lips and shook his head. "I guess I'll just have to make you real curry to show you."

"Alright," Aristide said.

"It might be a while," Nerluce said. "I don't know how to make curry."

"I learned to wield a blade before I learned to wield a kitchen knife too," Aristide said. "It's fun to learn."

Nerluce smiled. "I'll make you a good meal one day," he promised. And then he noticed from the corner of his eye Kierli. "Little Light, your clothes aren't a napkin. Use Aristide's clothes if you must."

From wide eyes to a giggle, Kierli reached her messy hands for Aristide.

"Absolutely not," Aristide said. He picked up his napkin and wiped Kierli's messy hands and face so that she wouldn't make a mess of her clothes or Aristide's clothes. However, she still probably needed a bath.

"She's so much trouble," Nerluce said, tapping Kierli's nose.

"She gets it from you," Aristide said. "You're a bad influence."

"I am not!" Nerluce pressed an offended hand to his chest before a bubbling laugh left his chest and he looked down at his not-curry.

Warmth suddenly flooded his body. It was unexpected. He wasn't doing anything, in particular, that would cause such a feeling but all at once, he was overcome with happiness. He couldn't think of the word but... being her with Aristide and Kierli, just eating a meal, made him so unexplainably happy. It was almost like they were...

"A family," Nerluce murmured.

"What?" Aristide asked.

Nerluce's face burned. "I was just thinking that we're kind of like a little family like this, you know?" He wanted to disappear forever. "It's just... domestic. And I'm not used to it. Sorry."

"No... I get it," Aristide said. Then with a small smile, he added, "This does seem a bit like we're a family, huh?"

"I like it," Nerluce admitted.

Aristide hummed and nodded. "I do too. When you learn to make your supposed curry, we ought to do it again."

"Maybe sooner?" Nerluce asked.

"Maybe," Aristide said.

Nerluce swallowed and nodded.

They finished up the meal then bathed Kierli and tucked in. Nerluce watched as Aristide bent over and pushed a strand of hair behind Kierli's ear and kissed her on the forehead. It was such a soft and loving gesture that no one else seemed capable of providing for Kierli. Not even Nerluce sometimes.

"Hey, Aristide?" Nerluce asked.

"Hm?"

"Do you ever think about Doite?"

Aristide lifted his head upon hearing the name of the boy who'd been executed as a traitor. No one said his name anymore. He died with shame and Ethera seemed to want to forget him. Yet... Nerluce couldn't seem to, despite how much he'd thrown himself into his schoolwork.

"I do," Aristide said. "Sometimes."

"Do you ever think he might have been right?" Nerluce asked, looking down at the sleeping Chosen Light. "It seems... shitty to have to grow up around people who just want to use you. She'll never trust anyone."

"I've brought up those concerns with the High Priestess as well," Aristide said.

"And?"

"She dismissed my worries," Aristide said. His eyes were sad. "The Chosen Light doesn't need to trust others. She needs to save the world."

"Oh."

Nerluce's heart felt heavy, though he'd expected something along those lines from the High Priestess. She didn't seem all that interested in her daughter as anything other than a tool to stop Darkest Shadow. Whatever or whoever that was. It made Nerluce's resolve to voice his hidden thoughts firm, though.

"Doite... was wrong about a lot," Nerluce said. "But... I think he might've been right too. I just think he got the person wrong." Nerluce looked down, fondly at the child. "I think that if you and her... disappear in the middle of the night... the whole world would thank you one day." He paused then and shook his head. "I'd miss you both but... at least it would give me plenty of time to learn to make curry."

"No," Aristide said, instantly.

Of course, he'd say that.

"You should at least consider it," Nerluce said. "You're the only one who loves that child enough to give her the life - or at least childhood - she deserves."

"That's not true," Aristide said.

"Angel... you can't seriously think that the High Priestess..."

Aristide shook his head. "Not... not the High Priestess. You. You just proved it to me right then." Nerluce felt his heart stop. "You love her too and... well two people are better than just me."

"Then- then-" Nerluce's mind was spinning. "We should run away. All three of us."

Aristide laughed. "We can't Nerluce."

"We should."

"We should," Aristide agreed. "But we can't."

He was right. Nerluce knew he was right but... it was such a wonderful dream... him, Aristide, and Kierli wandering the world... never thinking about their past or their future, just content in the family they'd made for themselves.