"I'm home," I announce in the best happy voice I could muster. I swing the service door open and find myself in the kitchen. I strolled through Thorne's beautiful garden on my way in. Since the four days I've been out visiting, she's planted several full flower beds of lilies. The inside of the house seems lively and happy, even though I've been absent. I notice five sets of new shoes lined up against the wall near the coat rack. It smells like home, comfort, and warm apple pie. I allow myself to indulge in the beautiful chaos I call home. My reminiscing period is soon disrupted with the clamor of my teammates. I spot all the familiar faces, including Vera, and
five more vaguely familiar faces that aren't linked with any recollection of a name.
"You're home! You're finally home!" Fawn cries out in happiness and wraps her lanky arms around me. I blush and turn to the five new members.
"Hi, Celestia Vandenberg, Rave Tempest Master," I greet, formally introducing myself and bowing my head a bit. A bright eyed girl grabs my hands and forces me to look into her pink, cheerful cheeks. She flashes her teeth at me:
"Wiki Cruse! Age: 15! Magic type is speed! Blood type is-," she spits out. I smile and her and squeeze her hands gently. She stops talking and looks back to a less bright and perky individual, looming a bit in the shadows, "That's my brother, he's," she begins.
"Conch," he finishes her sentence and gently bumps her out of the way, "Poison venom magic, I carry it in spiders," he tells me. He has a hint of gloominess and darkness in his voice. It's dark, but not scary. His darkness isn't submissive, but comforting like when I was a child and I curled up head underneath a blanket. I'd open my green eyes and they'd be met with a warm black fuzzy screen.
"Your age?" I ask and shake his hand.
"Fifteen, as well," he answers and Wiki sprawls herself across his shoulders.
"We're twins!" Wiki cries out.
"Ivan Mastiff," A fair, young man calls out. He grabs my hand and kisses the top of it. His dark eyes come into line with mine, his dark red locks melt harmoniously with the orange of the walls. "I specialize in the invisible hand and games. Card games, gambling, slot machines. May I interest you in a card game?" he asks and materializes a stack of cards from his sleeve. They glimmer with gilt edges and gold lines edging those edges. I stare at the mirrored eyes printed on the cards, as I blink, the cards blink back at me.
"Cool," I breathe out, "Later, for sure," I promise him.
"I'm twenty-five, how old are you, beautiful?" he asks and wraps his arm around my shoulder. Echo's eyes burn in his direction.
"Seventeen," I answer and he immediately removes his arm and brushes his palms on his pants. He shakes his head and takes two steps away from me.
"I take that back, you're not pretty," Ivan stammers. I nod my head; I want to delete myself from his conversation.
"Ace Bruce," says a rather large man. He was oddly attractive, in a gruff, hardworking way. His dark hair was tossed up in a bun and grew and wedged itself into a short, scruffy beard.
"Oh, hello," I greet him, weary of his size. Echo is at least a full foot taller than me and Ace is at least eight inches taller than Echo. "What's your age? Magic type?"
"32," he answers, "My magic? I have two. One," he says and puts a single finger up. He turns to the wall behind him. His fist swings back and then makes a smashing, direct contact with the wall. His knuckles burst a hole in wall and it crumbles inside itself. Hairline fractures break away from the gaping hole in wall. He laughs at the hole and turns back to us. All of us stare at him with open mouths, catching flies.
