“Oh no silly! He did beg to come, and I told him no, but he cried, and he’s so cute when he cries. He knows that is my weakness.”
Phavian sat in utter confusion, wondering who was the woman in the relationship, but could feel phantasmal glares of death from both Maggie and Anaar about his antiquated views and expectations of gender roles. Being keenly aware that at least one of them was nearby and in typical creepy fashion, likely heard his thoughts, he decided to quickly change his intended response.
“Because Anaar works better in his own element?”
Stefani scoffs, then smiles harder and squeezes his arm even tighter. “Everything is Anaar’s element.”
Phavian smirks as he thinks about how true the statement was and Stefani had no clue. Tired of playing her game he finally decided to forfeit. “I give up. Tell me.”
“You silly! We need you!”
Phavian looks around somewhat expecting to find someone else in the room. “Me? What do you need me for? I don’t know shit about making music. And let Maggie tell it, I know even less about planning an event.”
Stefani releases his arm, giving him a dismissive wave of her hand. “Oh, don’t worry about all that. We have that covered.”
“Then what in the hell could I bring to the table?”
Stefani bounces in her seat with glee. “You are exactly the audience we are trying to reach! Musically tasteless for the most part, but very in tune with the most popular contemporary styles! Because you are a dancer, you have a wealth of knowledge that can help us! You are the perfect focus group!”
Phavian narrows his eyes as he peers at the still broadly smiling Stefani. “Thank you? I think? I’m guessing that was intended as a compliment? Either way, sure I listen to a lot of music, and know the latest crazes, but I thought the goal was to make classical music more popular?”
Stefani nods vehemently. “This is true, but the more I learn and play contemporary music, the more I fall in love with it! I may be classically trained, but I have come to realize that I also need to be willing to play to my audience. We won’t be getting rid of classical pieces, the things Anaar composes are just sublime, but I think we need to shift our focus. Covers aren’t enough based on our research.”
“Research?!”
“Oh, Anaar didn’t tell you? Somehow he had Hobb assist with collecting data on how people felt about our sets. I tell you, the way he uses Hobb, you’d think they were Siamese twins. Sometimes it feels like I’m talking to both at the same time.”
Phavian thinks about the comparison and finds it quite accurate. “I’m with you there. So are you trying to do more of a dance concert that will get people moving?”
Stefani’s eyes widened as she crept closer to Phavian, grabbing his arm again. “I wasn’t, but you have my attention! Go on…”
Phavian laughs nervously as he shies away from Stefani’s intense gaze. “Well, it’s not… I mean… I wouldn’t call it an idea or anything, but I tend to focus more on the beats and rhythm when it comes to music. It is always about how it flows so I can dance to it. If you make stuff that gets people moving, that would probably be something people would like. I have friends at other schools that have large school parties where there is basically someone with a laptop playing dance music and getting drunk. Not much different from the parties we have here, just on a larger scale. I’m a senior and I’ve never seen anything done like that before.”
Stefani’s eyes twinkle as she begins taking notes on her Vizer. “This would be one time we would want people to get drunk! I love this! I have to look into getting an alcohol supply!”
Phavian laughs weakly, scratching the back of his head as Anaar and Deakin reappear. “Oh! Anaar! Great! You are back! I’m… going to go set out the food!”
Phavian jumps from his seat, dashing out of the room before Stefani had a chance to latch on to him again. When she looked up to notice her company had been replaced, she seemed somewhat disappointed in the change. After glancing around and noticing Phavian had indeed left, she frowned and pointed at Anaar.
“Where did Phavian go?! I wasn’t done with him!”
“He most likely went to pilfer some of the food I made, under the guise of being helpful.”
“Is that what smells so yummy?!”
“I hope so. I figured it would be a long day. I made plenty so we should have more than enough, even with Phavian being present.”
Once the table had been set in the Dining Room, Stefani began to spill all the ideas she had been accumulating. Through this she still managed to make her way around, sampling everything that was available, occasionally shouting out for Phavian to join them. After nearly an hour of talking and Stefani growing impatient, Phavian stumbles in, being chased by Anaar’s dragonling.
“Why is it attacking me?! Why is it even alive right now?! Anaar, get your pet!”
“Stefani requested your presence. Since you were so rude as to refuse to entertain our guests, I had to send someone to fetch you.”
Anaar could see Phavian mouthing something unpleasant, the look of betrayal in his eyes, but he sat nonetheless. Taking up his position which used Anaar as a buffer between he and Stefani, he noticed Deakin was hungrily feasting upon everything in sight. Nonverbal communication to Anaar indicated it had been going on for some time.
“Do you just not feed him normally?”
Stefani peered at Deakin, finding nothing wrong with his behavior. “I am actually happy he is eating this much. You see how he is nothing but skin and bones! Maybe this will fatten him up a bit.”
Deakin gives a goofy smile to Stefani. “You make it sound like you are going to eat me!”
“I could eat you up! You are just so darn cute!”
Phavian and Anaar watched Stefani continued to dote on Deakin as if he were an infant, all the while making silent promises to never do anything of the sort as long as they lived. With the coast clear, Phavian began his own voracious eating as payment for being forcibly summoned. Stefani had begun speaking again, this time being more questions than general statements.
“Phavian, at this party of yours, do you think it is necessary to have Medics on call for alcohol poisoning?”
Anaar’s head snaps to glare at Phavian, the dangerous look on his face indicating he demanded an explanation. “What is this about people being so drunk they require immediate medical attention?!”
Phavian responds with the best face of innocence he could muster. “That was not my idea, it was hers! I just said it might be cool to have the concert be like a huge school dance.”
Anaar then turns back to Stefani, face wrought with concern. “I thought you wanted to avoid people being overly intoxicated so their experience would not be ruined?”
“That was for our first concert! Now that we have established consistent support, I feel it is time to let them have a little more fun! There is also the massive departure from classical to contemporary which plays a large role in this decision.”
Deakin chimes in, staring at Stefani with reverence. “I can’t wait to see just what you end up creating for the group Anaar! I had the utmost faith in your abilities alone, but when combined with my musical goddess of perfection, there is no way you could go wrong!”
Though she was blushing as she looked lovingly at Deakin, Stefani’s expression did an about face once she noticed Anaar’s. “Stefani… What is this about me creating new music?”
“You are so good at it! We won’t be able to satisfy our fans if we only do covers all night!”
“Stefani… I only compose classical music, and poorly at that. With newer songs, there are much different expectations. For one, people will want lyrics. I have never done that. There is also the issue of not having a drummer. It is impossible to have contemporary music without a drum beat. You said you want people to dance. When have I ever made anything you can dance to?”
“Your songs are great for ballet! Or interpretive dance!”
From the glowering both Phavian an
d Anaar were doing, Stefani decided to say something before they had the chance. “Deakin… sweetie… Not now. You aren’t helping.”
Deakin begins to speak again, but the brief, yet murderous glare from Anaar stopped him. “This all seems like a pretty big stretch… People like us already. If we make such a drastic change and fail, it could end the group. Are you prepared for that?”
“We won’t fail! I have some things to help with that… I think. Maybe if we record the music beforehand, it would give us a chance to be more dynamic on stage. People come to see a show right?”
“What exactly do you mean by ‘dynamic?’”
Anaar’s eyes narrow. “Yes, Phavian presents a valid question. What does constitute an increased sense of dynamism?”
“I was thinking we could do choreography…”
“Stefani, we are a band, we play instruments. How do you expect Xavier to dance around with a cello? He’s Air attuned and has the upper body strength of a newborn. I almost always have to help him bring his gear across campus.”
“That is why I suggested recording the music so we would be free to spice up the performance!”
“Once again Stefani, you keep suggesting things with no consideration for the execution. Putting the dancing aside, where do you plan on recording this music? The school has no recording studio. Also, I don’t know the first thing about recording. Do you?”
Stefani surprised everyone with the confident smirk on her face in response to Anaar’s questions. “Mrs. Finnes has experience recording music, and though we lack no official recording studio, that will be of no issue. Since you can make completely soundproof barriers, we could record anywhere!”
She has me woven deep into this entire scheme and I haven’t even agreed!
“Her information regarding Professor Finnes is accurate. Her credentials do include three years of studio experience.”
That’s not the point! I don’t doubt her experience. It’s ours that gives me worry.
“Okay, fine. Let’s just say we do have the recording situation figured out. That still leaves us with no music to record, and no dances to go with said nonexistent music.”
Stefani stands from her chair in a grand gesture. “But what we do have is two wonderful men who already work well together to make this a reality! While you write, Phavian can produce the choreography, and you two can feed off one another’s energy so they come together in harmony!”
“I can’t dance.”
“I don’t want to teach him to dance!”
“I don’t want him to try teaching me how to dance.”
“Wait why am I involved in this in the first place?! I’m not in the group!”
Stefani smiles sweetly as she moves around the table to give Phavian a hug from behind. “You can think of yourself as a specialist that we are hiring!”
“What am I getting paid?”
Chuckling nervously, “Lots of satisfaction?”
Phavian wriggles free, jumping from his chair. “Don’t nobody want that bullshit!”
“Too late! You are fully invested now!”
Stefani prances out of the room happily, hanging a left turn. From down the hallway they can hear her attempting to activate the holoscreens in the Receiving Room, but having no luck. Anaar looks to Phavian with a scowl on his face.
“You did this.”
Phavian points to himself with shock. “Me?! I didn’t do shit! You are like, second in command. You should have done something to prevent this, or at least kept me out of it.”
Anaar stands from his chair, slinging Phavian over his shoulder in one fluid motion and smacking him playfully on the rear. “Nope, if I have to do it, you are going to be stuck with me.”
He carries a writhing yet helpless Phavian out the room, all the while responding to the protests in a robotic fashion as if he had done it many times before. As the two exit, Deakin is left sitting at the table watching the exchange with utter bliss etched on his face.
“I get to witness such a tender moment from the two most famous people on campus… God I love my life.”
23
“Again!”
The small knife races at a speed imperceptible to the eye, only barely missing Dan’s head. One second after the knife had already passed, the paper barrier coalesced to block the knife. Panting and drenched in sweat, Dan looked upon the stern face of Anaar, who stood perfectly still, his eyes piercing Dan to the very core.
“Too slow! You would have been dead a hundred times over by now! Push yourself! You must be faster!”
Dan falls to the ground, his chest heaving and his heart ready to burst. “I’m tryin’ man, but that shit ain’t easy! I ain’t never felt so drained in my body tryna use my powers! This shit hurt! Cain’t nobody block shit dat fast! It take time for the paper to get there!”
This exchange was almost scripted now. For days Anaar had been torturing Dan in an attempt to prepare him to his satisfaction for Dan’s first mission. As he was already well acquainted with one of the most esteemed operatives the school had seen, Anaar was already assigned to be Dan’s teacher and caretaker. Though they did not know what to expect since the first mission is chosen for the operative based on what they feel their skills can handle, Anaar refused to allow Dan to go into a situation unprepared.
It’s been nearly a week and Dan still hasn’t made much progress. I can’t let him go out there like this! Maggie would kill me if I let anything happen to him! Not to mention I personally wouldn’t want anything to happen to him.
Hobb appeared in Anaar’s vison in what looked to be a set of fatigues, standing straight with a crisp salute. “The recruit may simply be exhausted, Sir!”
Anaar shoots Hobb a mental look of disapproval, to which he immediately changes his outfit and relaxes his stance, putting on an air befitting his new preppy look.
I get that he is tired, but this is important. I know it is selfish, but I’d rather not explain to him how I regenerated half of his body in an instant as a Fire Affinity.
“Then your intentions are completely selfish rather than altruistic?”
Honestly, yes. I have gotten more or less back to normal when it comes to comfort with my powers. Though I still haven’t properly explored the Life attuned ones, they at least are no longer causing any problems. I have been able to weasel my way out of awkward situations for now, which I’m thankful for. Having access to my barriers and portals are a great help, but only a small part of my arsenal. What if they give him something utterly insane since I am going to be with him? Even though it was not technically her first, need I remind you of the Codi fiasco?
“The two are not equivalent. You are convinced Ms. Aya had been sabotaged.”
This is true, but it still doesn’t change the possibility of some new level of insanity. This is good for Dan too. Ever since he found out about my True Fire Quintessence status, he has done that thing where he retreats into himself, doing his best to avoid me until he considers himself worthy. Maybe if we can have a breakthrough, that will be enough to restore his confidence. Even though we still spend plenty of time together outside of training, that has always been our thing.
Anaar found Dan had been lying on the ground for much longer than he cared for, so he decided to give him a shot of motivation. Superheating the ground beneath him, he watched as Dan jumped from the ground, howling in pain and dancing around. Anaar resumed his glare and proceeded with their training.
“Since you can’t get the speed right now, it is time to work on your strength. You know the drill. Give me the best shield you can muster.”
The strength of his shields had always been a point of pride for Dan. He might not be the quickest at the draw, but he was confident that they could resist most things, barring water and fire. With his shield in place, he stood smugly behind it, giving a thumbs up from around the side when he was ready.
Anaar had been genuinely testing him in the past days, but he had not begun to show even a fraction of his real pow
er. Though it was unlikely they would encounter something that could compare to the force he could exert, it would still be beneficial for Dan’s growth. Dan’s pride came in his talent for defense. His paper armor had evolved many times, becoming thinner, yet stronger, and gaining flexibility that rivaled his own bodysuit. His barriers were indeed strong, and even his inherent resilience had increased.
His attention to his defense led him to nearly disregard his offense. Though he could be a force to be reckoned with, his offensive capabilities paled in comparison to his defensive ones. It was for that reason Anaar had been working on the speed of his paper manipulation. He knew Dan would give it his best effort because it was pertaining to his defense, or so he thought. Anaar’s true intent was to utilize the increase in speed to dramatically increase his offense. The less lag between his intent and the result, the greater his potential to best opponents before they had a chance to react.
Anaar looked at the wall Dan had created with displeasure. He knew Dan had been working on his paper conservation, which was leading him to make his constructs stronger and stronger, but as a barrier user himself, he was intimately acquainted with every nuance of shields. Though it was true a wall was better at absorbing an attack focused on a small area, if the Defender was not careful, the wall itself could hold, but if it were not properly anchored, it could send the barrier and the Defender flying, as their ability to hold it in place was a different area of focus that was often neglected.
“I thought I told you to give it everything you had?”
From behind the wall, Anaar could hear a prideful voice respond. “I did! You know I been getting’ better! More paper don’t mean it gone be good!”
Anaar shakes his head, even though Dan could not see it. To be fair, Dan was not aware just how much stronger he had become, so his confidence was somewhat warranted. In an effort to make Dan the best version of himself, he decided to train him with impossible odds so that everything else he encountered would be trivial. Walking casually up to the wall, he flicks it with his finger, the result of which even he had not expected.
Revelations (Song of Sophangence Book 4) Page 41
