It was in a mounting state of frustration that Kyros stormed onto the lacrosse field, all business. His eyes darted between each helmeted player as they all slowed to a halt, confounded by the Prince's presence on their field.

Pari and Feofil have an honest conversation as adults.

Current State of Affairs

Parisa, a decade later from IRL:

• reserved and reticent
• less of a firecracker and more of a simmering pot
• infrequently communicates with Sparrow, Kyros and her parents, but maintains a line of contact with Mirza and Vic (who she feels a strong kinship with after they were both betrayed by Kyros)
• Rarely communicates with Lucifer or Fizara directly
• has not maintained close relationships with her peers (who stepped away from her family after the Great Tyrneamitore Kirken Exile)
• Continues to work as a diplomat but has more of a desk-based role
• has not attended or thrown any events since being reinstated despite receiving invitations/requests
• is now lying low in Altair while her ex-fiance continues kicking up a stink
• her brainwashing ability is known to the PK and her relatives/people in the palace as well as a few important actors outside of altair (other world leaders). Most people who know have stock in keeping it on the DL
• has survived (2) assassination attempts (that pissed her off)

Feofil, a decade later from IRL:

• aloof but not actually aloof. not as much of a doormat anymore, visibly
• communicates with vera all the time, mom frequently, dad infrequently
• sparrow, mirza and feo frequently text/call; maintains contact with vic and kyros
• vera occasionally swings by altair with illy
• lowkey keeping track of altirian going-ons for atherdalian crown
• krill and feo have a mentor/mentee relationship. he reached out to her to ask for help in controlling his powers. feo opens up to krill about the time vortex and she reciprocates. they're very close.

• Qwikty runs off with Lezden with approval. Rhea and Hyquaria are well aware that those two have something going on, but they're going to conveniently ignore it.
• Although initially loathe to split up from Roo, who Altirian gatekeeper, Rommer convinces the gorls that Roo is safest with Giovanni, who is just a random, piddly little baker guy. No one suspects those guys. The Lumanliscs reluctantly agree, and Rommer hands Roo wrapped up in a bow to Giovanni and Ven.
• Ven claims that he is going to split up from them but really he reconvenes with Gio and they are figuring out how to get info on the sangrian traitor from Roo, who is starting to suspect that something might not be quite right with these people
• Rommer spirits the remaining 3 Lumanliscs away to Leriph's villa, hoping to hide out there. He arrives to a crazy Leriph party.

Motivations
Rhea, Hyquaria -> ensure Zynfi's escape from altair to prevent ascension
Zynfi -> not to ascend + find happiness w Rommer
Rommer -> keep the Lumanslics alive, also marry Zynfi and get outta there
Qwezden -> escape and wed
Roo -> find the Sangrian artifact and the REAL sangrian traitor
Giovanni and Ven -> find the Sangrian traitor, prevent Roo and her cabal from doing whatever it is they were planning on doing
Jylty -> get Roo to the Sangrian artifact, but first figure out where tf she is

Hyquaria groaned and trudged forward under the cloak of night, flexing her fingers to circle the blood. "Fuck me. I'm never doing that again." "Hush," Rhea whispered back. "Watch your tongue. And you won't have to do that again. We'll find a way back to the Convergence point and we can go home." "Home sounds like a terrible idea. We just attacked home." "Let's not talk about it now," was all she said, holding her gauzy skirts just a little above her ankle to keep the mud off. It was ridiculous, because they were all smattered with detritus, but Rhea found herself unable to let go. "We just need to nap, recover our strength... where are we going?" They'd only just made it out of the boat, which had only been kept moving thanks to joint effort by Rhea and Quarry. Quarry would push it forward with stacks upon stacks of waves, and Rhea would send it careening on ice, faster than it could ever be at sea. In Altair, it was child's play. Outside, it was debilitating. And now they were in Sangria, and she was exhausted. Hyquaria was shaking with fatigue. Zynfi had been pale and withdrawn since they'd broken her out of the Ascension... Her stomach rolled with guilt. They hadn't managed to get Krill out. She didn't know what had become of her sister, and she wouldn't find out until they were back in the country. What would her father do in retribution? What would Aressthalya do? God, this whole thing was a nightmare, but they were in too deep to turn back. (edited)

"Like I said, you'll be staying with a friend of mine. Too many eyes at my place." Rommer, who led their little caravan, glanced back to make sure his three wards were all keeping up. They'd made it past the stoic doorman-turned-bouncer at the end of the driveway without a hitch-- he knew Rommer well and let them by with no more than a nod-- and were now trekking up the path to the house, which to his dismay was littered with an assortment of high end cars. He felt the exhaustion that he'd worked so hard to push down these past few days finally seeping into his bones at the thought of a rest, but they weren't out of the woods just yet. Of course he had to be having a damn party tonight. His thoughts turned then to the littlest of the sisters, the bubbly blonde creature that walked dutifully in step beside him, her effervescence muted by the journey. He tucked his hand into hers discreetly, their contact mostly hidden in the swathes of his billowy cloak, and took strength in her touch.

Zynfi sucked in a surprised breath at the contact, but luckily, her sisters seemed too distracted by their surroundings to notice. She looked down at their hands and then up to him. Rommer. He'd gotten her out. Her sisters had rescued her. She'd almost lost him. She was so tired, had been so tired since the Ascension had been interrupted. Some part of her soul felt chipped, like an unobtrusive crack in glass that would fissure before shattering completely. Something had come for her, but it hadn't made it the whole way; she'd managed to escape, but for how long? And Krill, what would happen to Krill? She wished she could lean against Rommer and cry. She contented herself with twining her fingers through his. Rhea's brow drew together at the sight of the assortment of cars. They were all empty and she certainly didn't know much about them, but anyone with two eyes and at least half a working brain could tell that they were probably worth a pretty penny. "Are you sure we can trust him?" (edited)

"He's my best friend," Rommer replied almost on instinct, and seemed to immediately regret it. "Well-- I mean, he's an idiot, but there's nowhere safer. He won't turn us in."

She didn't seem too convinced, but pressed her lips together and nodded. There were large windows through which she could see colorful lights flashing and the distant forms of people lounging on the balcony or pressed close together. Rhea averted her eyes, grateful that she was too overwhelmed to feel embarrassed at the sight of them. "Damn," Hyquaria said. "Your friend's throwing a rager. You weren't invited?" (edited)

"I've been a little occupied," he said obviously, his frustration at the situation they were approaching leaking into his tone. They had reached the bottom of the dark iron staircase leading up to the place, onto which the party had spilled out in the form of a couple inebriated stragglers hooting and hollering loudly. "At least we can slip through the crowd. With our luck they'll all be too drunk to care."

Hyquaria and Rhea exchanged doubtful glances. Inebriated as they were, if someone caught sight of their pointed ears or maybe even their features and pegged them as Altirian... well. She wasn't keen on being beaten to death by a mob. "How ready are you for a fight?" Quarry asked lightly. Zynfi glanced back at them, her brow furrowing anxiously as Rhea dipped her chin and whispered, "Only as an absolute last resort." (edited)

"I have a room in this house and it's locked," he explained, pausing at the base of the stairs. He looked to Zynfi, reaching forward and untucking her hair from behind her ear to hide its distinct shape. "If we can make it there, we'll be safe."

"Alright," Rhea said reluctantly. She had a host of other questions to ask but none of them felt like they mattered. They were at his mercy.

"Just keep your heads down and don't engage." He advised, leading them up the stairs. The stragglers hardly paid them any mind as one of them chortled and smacked the back of her friend, who was puking over the edge of the railing. Rommer slipped past and pushed the front door open, releasing a Pandora's box of flashing lights, bass-heavy dance music, and a cocktail of nose-curling smells.

Rhea fought the urge to cringe away from the lights, awash with a sudden wave of discomfort so strong that she wondered whether she'd rather be back at home after all. There was no way she would blend in with this. Zynfi was tucked under Rommer's arm, her tiny form hidden by his cloak. Hyquaria was a social chameleon and she'd been smart enough to wear something somewhat modern - a simple blouse and practical pants. But Rhea... was Altirian through and through, despite any attempt she might have made to look otherwise. It was apparent from her gauzy dress and her delicate features, her soft glow, the chill at her fingertips. She followed after Rommer and she was tailed by Hyquaria, but the effort was futile. Hopefully the crowd around them was too drenched in liquor to notice.

The cacophony of noise and strobing lights, though unpleasant, worked in their favor. The crowd melted together into one being, throbbing to the music and accepting them into its chaos without more than a couple second glances. Rommer's death glare cleared them a path through the scantily-clad partygoers that filled the spacious living room, modern and sleek and expensive from what they could see. He leaned to the side to say to Zynfi, "Through the kitchen."

Hyquaria's wide eyes perused the crowd - men and women who were pressed together with barely a centimeter to breathe, without even a scrap of clothing to keep them apart. Outside of the sea, she'd never seen so many nearly naked people in one place. The booze and vapor in the air didn't help either. Zynfi nodded silently, gripping his hand tighter. (edited)

It was when they reached the threshold into the kitchen, which was a little bit more well-lit and more sparsely populated, that Rommer groaned at the sound of a familiar voice, ecstatic to see him. "Heyyy, you lived! C'mere, you glorious bastard!" A man stumbled forward at them from amongst a little group, arms outstretched. His sea-blue eyes shone with a liquor-fueled haze, cheeks ruddy with inebriated jubilation. He threw his arms around Rommer, patting him heartily on the back, to which Rommer gave him a reluctant pat back, eyes glancing to the Lumanliscs. (edited)

Zynfi stepped back as he was pulled away, her green eyes wide and worried. Rhea reached out to tug her back towards the wall, lips pressed into a thin, distrustful line. Hyquaria crossed her arms.

"Hey, Leriph," Rommer muttered, hoping to end the interaction swiftly though his hopes waned with every passing moment. In Leriph's defense, his best friend had just reappeared after what was meant to be a surefire suicide mission, but he personally had bigger fish to fry and he knew Leriph would hardly remember this tomorrow anyway. Leriph pulled away, one arm still looped about Rommer's neck. "Dude, whaaaaaaaat..?" His intonation was all over the place as he swayed in a struggle to keep his balance, gaze turning towards the women. "You brought me some fuckin souvenirs, bro?" Rommer cringed visibly, rolling his eyes and slipping out from under his friend's grasp. "No. Come talk to me when you're sober." Unfortunately Leriph was hardly listening, already leaning forward and shouting to the Lumanliscs: "You ladies wan' any drinks?" (edited)

Zynfi looked to Rommer nervously as Hyquaria shook her head in response, not bothering to voice a reply in the din. She could do with a strong drink, sure, but certainly not here. Rhea's gaze, though, lingered on the man's visage; his sharp nose, his strong brow and jawline... her lips tightened again, but this time in disbelief. She knew that face. She had known it well since very long ago, though maybe it had been a bit softer with youth. But it couldn't be... could it? If it was, would he recognize her? It hadn't been so long since they'd met for the last time. Rhea still had her big eyes, blue like his, her round lips. She was older too. Her hair was a little shorter. The most important thing, though, was that she had not changed, not at her core. She was still the little owlish Rhea he'd grown up teasing. But Leriph? She hardly recognized him in this light, his expression dull with drunkenness, having just disentangle himself from a pack of glittering girls. He held a bottle in his empty hand. His gaze roved over them and her heart sank as the feeling of danger grew stronger. Maybe he was Leriph, but he wasn't her friend anymore. Was he? (edited)

"Y'sure?" He asked, lifting his arm to gesture at Zynfi with the butt end of the bottle. "Y'look like a... peach bellini kinda gal." Rommer pushed his arm down and attempted to reorient the man to face him instead of the Altirians. "Hey, listen. Why don't you go grab me a drink and meet me back here?" "Shiiiit, Rommer's turnin' up? Hell yeah, sit tight!" He gave Rommer a slap on the chest and turned to go. As soon as he had taken off, Rommer waved towards the hallway at the other end of the kitchen. "Let's get out of here before he comes back." (edited)

"Wait," Rhea said, her voice tentative. "What did you say his name was?"

"Leriph DeSanctis." He replied, ushering them along. "You might've heard of him, I don't know how much words gets out. He's kind of a big deal, I guess."

"Oh my God," she began, but was promptly interrupted by Leriph sauntering back inside, opening his mouth to ask Rommer about his choice of drink when he tripped over his own feet and fell towards her. Zynfi gasped as Rhea quickly braced herself and caught him, her wide eyes peering down into his.

Leriph gripped Rhea's arms for support, tilting his head up to gaze into the eyes of his savior. Immediately a warmth washed over him and he cracked a grin. The blue of her eyes, the curve of her cheeks. The confusion was eclipsed by elated recognition. "Rhea?" he laughed. "Damn, I'm falling for you already."

Hyquaria looked to Rhea in surprise, as did Zynfi, who squeaked, "You know him?" Rhea flushed at the attention and quickly righted Leriph, her hands lingering on his arm for just a second too long before she moved to pull them away. "Are you okay--" But then he reached out to grab her hands instead, and her words stuttered to a halt.

"Doing better now that you're here," he flashed her his pearly whites, sharp canines included. Rommer recognized the stupid act, though he didn't quite comprehend how he could've possibly known her name. "Hey," he barked. "Leave her alone."

"Rhea, how does he know your name?" Hyquaria asked in a low voice. Rhea exhaled. "I'll explain later..." before looking back at Leriph, uneasy. He wasn't the boy she'd known, and some stir of resentment pricked at her chest with the memory of their last meeting. Of all the people they might have to depend on... Leriph wasn't a good pick, she thought bitterly. But they didn't have much choice.

He snaked his arm around her shoulders. "She and I go wayyy back." "Leriph, you're confused," Rommer stepped in. "Let the girl go, you're freaking her out."

Rhea inhaled, then turned to look up at Leriph, touching his hand. The gesture felt forced, awkward. Rhea had a wide bubble of personal space; certainly one that no man had ever entered. For Leriph to come in, arms swinging, and throw himself all over her so casually... she wanted to crawl into a hole and die from embarrassment. Even worse, part of her glowed at his recognition. She shoved it down and instead let some of her fatigue filter through her voice. "Leriph, it's... been a long night. Can we rest here? Please?" (edited)

"Hey, yeah, yeah, of course," he agreed enthusiastically, giving her a sloppy wink. "You can take my bed, babe, and we'll catch up later." "Okay, that's it," Rommer grabbed his arm and unwrapped it from around poor Rhea.

"Thanks," she whispered to Rommer, hurrying to his side. Zynfi looked about ready to kick Leriph in the shin, shaken as she was. "Hi," Hyquaria leaned in. "I'm Quarry. Nice to meet you. Could you do me a favor, hon? I'd really like a Jaeger bomb."

"Shiiit," Leriph voiced as he sized up Hyquaria. "One bomb for the bombshell, coming up." "I'm going to show them the guest rooms," Rommer told him. "Don't tell anyone they're here. Okay? Listen-- Leriph-- don't. Tell."

"He looks like a guy who can keep a secret." Hyquaria straightened the collar of his shirt, smiling in an imploring way. "You don't kiss and tell, do you?"

"Never, baby," Leriph leaned in, and Rommer's brows creased in disgust. What a horrible first impression. He pulled Zynfi a little closer. "Come on, let's go before we make a scene."

"Don't tell." Hyquaria cooed, tapping his cheek as she followed Rommer out. Rhea glanced at her, then at him, her stomach rolling sickly. Was it worse that Hyquaria was flirting with him, or was it worse that he was flirting back? Her sister was only doing it out of necessity, but Leriph... judging by the crowd, all the (quite frankly) topless women and gyrating movements, this was just a Friday afternoon. (edited)

They pushed their way through kitchen into the hallway that led to some of the bedrooms. Upon arriving at his own door, he slipped a small key out from underneath a nearby potted plant and let his fugitives in. The walls muffled the sound considerably, though not entirely. The room was sparsely furnished and neat as a pin, though whether it was a result of his personality or the general style of the house was unclear.

Zynfi was holding Rhea's hand as they entered, her expression grim. Hyquaria's ease had vanished into intense concentration as they entered the room. "You," she wheeled around, pointing at Rhea, "Owe us an explanation." "You won't believe me." Rhea said.

"Leriph has traveled out of Sangria, but..." Rommer frowned. "Not to Altair, I'm sure."

"No," Rhea confirmed. "He... he showed up as a ghost in my room through my childhood." They were all silent. Finally, Hyquaria said, "What?" "I told you you wouldn't believe me."

"Actually..." Rommer began, tucking his chin into his hand. His expression was one of perplexed disbelief.

The Lumanliscs looked at him, and Rhea felt hope stir in her chest. She didn't want to be labeled crazier than she felt.

The idea was ridiculous, and the coincidence that not only were the ghost stories true but that they'd coincidentally cross paths in the future was too far out to believe. But then again... he'd seen equally strange things in the past few weeks. Maybe it was a thought worth entertaining. He exhaled at length before saying, "Leriph did use to talk about a ghost girl. I always thought it was a lonely kid making up stories, especially because the one time he tried to show me, she wouldn't appear."

"That was me," Rhea said. "He was upset with me the next time, but I really hadn't meant to miss you two. I got caught up in something else." "What the hell? You never mentioned a ghost," Hyquaria stared at Rhea, wide-eyed. Rhea shrugged helplessly. "I didn't want people to know that a boy was showing up in my bedroom." Zynfi seemed spooked. "A ghost?" she said. "But Leriph's alive..." "I don't know why it worked the way it did... but we grew up together." Rhea sighed, crossing her arms. Her expression was locked between embarrassment and unease. "He first showed up in my room when we were 5. And it just kept happening until he moved away for college. He told me I'd never see him again." (edited)

Rommer stared at her blatantly, trying his best to wrap his mind around it. There was absolutely no way this corroboration was a coincidence or some sort of prank, it just made no sense. It seemed to be one of those rare occasions where the most bizarre story held more truth than any other explanation he could think of. "Isn't that just ironic."

"Inconvenient is more like it." Quarry muttered. "What are the odds he's going to leave his ghost girlfriend alone?" "We were never like that." Rhea quickly shot back. "Besides, he seems to have plenty of real girlfriends, so I think we're okay on that front." (edited)

"He may be an idiot, but we need his help." Rommer lamented. "I'll go get him to break up the party while you all settle in. There's a bathroom through there." He gestured to one of the doors leading off of the room, the other likely being the closet.

"Thank you." Rhea said absently, flexing her fingers. She'd seen Leriph time and time again, all through her life, but he'd always been an apparition - intangible, slightly transparent. But then he'd fallen into her arms, and... he was real. He was warm and solid. And heavy. It was an odd thing, to realize that the ghostly boy in your bedroom was, in fact, a real boy, and now a man. Her thoughts had been scattered by the revelation and her anxiety increased by tenfold. The combined adrenaline turned her stomach. "What if someone reports this?" Hyquaria piped up, her back rattling against the wall along with the bass of whatever music the partygoers were blasting. "Like, this is a big party. I don't know what time it is but it's raging. What if word gets out that 1, his party ended early for some reason and 2, Altirians were spotted at the party, and some budding detective puts two and two together? Maybe it would be better to let this thing see itself through. It's a good cover. Anyone says they saw Altirians, just say they were zonked. We could lock the room doors so no one gets in and they'll just assume someone's getting busy, leave us alone." (edited)

Rommer's lip curled to the side as he turned her suggestion over in his mind. She was right, as much as the pounding music grated on his mind. At last he relented with a nod. "It makes sense... as much as I hate the idea." He straightened out then. "What do you need?"

Rhea had been silent up until this point, shaken by the night's events, but the mention of how to proceed drew her attention. "Ice for our bruises and bandages, just in case." she said. "Food. Water, and maybe a bath if it can be spared."

"I'll get what I can," he agreed. "You're all free to shower if you want to, there are linens in the bathroom cabinets."

"Thank you," Zynfi said again, reaching out to squeeze his hand. "I'd have brought a change of clothes if I'd known we were going on the lam." Hyquaria lamented. Rhea exhaled. "We'll just put these back on." (edited)

Rommer held her hand tight, pressing it to his chest. "You doing okay?"

She hesitated, then nodded and asked, "Are you?" Rhea deliberately turned around, pulling Hyquaria into quiet conversation. It was weird to witness Zynfi and Rommer, absorbed in each other, and it made her hackles rise. He had gone after her little sister... but he was helping them. That had to mean he was decent enough, unless he turned traitor at the last second. But... he hadn't taken his eyes off Zynfi for more than a minute or two since they'd fled Altair.

"Which of us do you think would win in a fight?" Vic asked out of the blue, shoveling food into his mouth and surveying the group gathered at the table.
"That's a stupid question," Kyros did not look up from his textbook as he pierced a piece of lamb off his plate.