After what feels like an hour of sitting about in idyllic bliss with each other, the presence we sensed still seems to be bearing down on us. As I’m about to suggest to Teuila that we do something about it, there’s motion, and a humanoid figure creeps to within the sensory range of my danger wraps. They have a crossbow aimed vaguely in our direction, without training it directly on us. I tap Teuila’s thigh, then point to the wrist that I usually wear my crossbow on, then point towards between the two of us. She understands my signal, and knows that I don’t feel in danger, or I’d already be acting. This situation ever so slightly resembles my first meeting with Linti, though she fired on me before giving me a chance to notice her presence.

An androgynous voice calls out, “Hail strangers. You’re new to The Brook.”

I smile as I try not to be snarky in reply, “This is truer than you could possibly know, friend. Stranger. We’re Reggie and Teuila. We went to bed a bit too early and had time to kill before the shops open in the morning. Care to join us for a sit? It’s peaceful, and the view of the city is lovely from atop this hill.”

The individual shoulders their crossbow, slinging it across their back on its strap. They also place the bolt into a hip quiver. They approach as quietly as anyone I’ve ever known at their very stealthiest. In a moment, they’re leaning against the tree next to us, balanced on one booted foot, as the other leg is crossed above their knee in mid air. Their clothing seems almost a bit more modern than I was expecting, with Rayileklia’s predilection for seeming like the European middle ages. They’ve got cargo pants, and a couple layers of tight cotton tops beneath their hooded cloak that might actually be just a large hoodie. They’re also wearing goggles, and have a cowl-like scarf about their neck that could be pulled up as a half mask. I’m fairly certain that, beneath their hood, their hair is styled into a pixie cut. The name for that hairstyle amuses me slightly, since I lived near a family of pixies on Can’Z’aas.

Dawn, apparently, states, “I’m Dawn, as in, it’s just about. Shops will be opening soon enough. You could head back now.”

I glance at Teuila who just smiles and leans against me in response. I answer, “I’m happy to do either, to head back, or to sit a spell. You seem to be some sort of guardian. Do you have sensory magic as well? We’ve felt your presence since we left town, and you know I haven’t turned to look your way yet, but I can describe your outfit and crossbow in detail if you like. I dig the goggles and scarf-cowl thing beneath your hood.”

Dawn’s expression appears startled for only a moment before they state, “I’m--! Huh, well now. I knew something was strange about you two. I don’t really like that. Could you sense, well, I don’t want to say their, hrm. I’m comfortable with them, but uncomfortable with others knowing before I’m ready.”

It takes me a half moment to realize what they’re asking about. I almost assume that they mean that our facial features are remarkably similar, since their face is obscured a bit. We’re both slightly cherubic, slightly androgynous in our facial structures. Honestly it feels like our faces look fairly similar. With my ranged tactile sense, or maybe I should call it silent sonar though. I realize the body parts they were actually asking about though are a bit lower than their face. I feel as if I’ve violated Dawn’s privacy somewhat.

I feel that I’ve broken their privacy simply because I can tell that, well, they’re wearing tight cotton tops that compress their breasts fairly well. I can also feel, or maybe hear, well, the lack of, hm, yeah, no need to think too hard about their sex. If they’re at all like me though, they’re going to not want to deal with any gender biases and assumptions. I want to be honest and upfront about this. I’ll try to be indirect though in case they want discretion. I’d hate for someone to telekinetically feel me up even accidentally and not at least admit they did it, or whatever the ranged sense can be considered. I might start calling it my silent sonar at some point. That’s kind of catchy, and maybe a better description.

I nod apologetically, “I’m sorry, I truly would not have examined you so thoroughly as my magic automatically does. The, um, the fit of your tops is a nice cut, for the purpose that you’re talking about. I’m incredibly sorry for that. My magic detects everything as if I’ve felt or heard the exact shapes across every inch of everything in range. It, um, some things don’t, uh. They register, but the sense can pass through them to tell me what’s beyond. I’ve been thinking of starting to call it my silent sonar.”

Dawn recoils slightly, wrapping one arm in front of their breasts, before laughing at the futility of their response. Dawn states, “That is--! Wow. That’s unfortunate for me. I’d appreciate if you continued with that level of discretion. Should you find a need to discuss my presence with anyone else.”

I nod, agreeing to Dawn’s request, and they continue, “I’ve adopted a stance guarding this land for longer than I care to remember. Little else to do with my curse. It doesn’t make me powerful enough to help with the current situation, sadly.”

Dawn begins to explain the current situation in town, but, more curious about their curse, I interrupt, “Your curse? Teuila and I are actually in Autumn Brook to work with Harriet and Tiago to solve the current situation. Though that’ll mostly be on Teuila since she’s so much more powerful than me, and in charge.”

Dawn adopts a puzzled expression as they query, “You’re new to the region, and I know this for a fact. Yet. Yet you’re on a first name basis with the saint and the mairess? Next you’ll be telling me you know a secret name that resides ma uka. I remember when ugh, nevermind. Hff. Probably as grumblegrr doing that for that long.”

I nod, trying not to laugh, “That we do, that we do. Daffodil was quite kind upon our arrival at said secretly named location. She seemed like she was doing well enough. She’s been collecting and shaping adobe bricks, and says she’s getting close to enough to build a home, instead of her thatch hale.”

Dawn’s expression grows irritated as they ask, “How in the Firsts? No. Were you, I don’t know, corresponding with couriers? That would have taken months though, with as few as I’ve seen leaving and entering The Brook.”

I shake my head, “I like you already, and I’m sorry for having been mysterious. We share a similarity that I’d also like to remain discrete about, for one. Depending on what you can tell me about your curse, we may share another.”

Teuila looks puzzled at me, but I give her a tiny smirk and a nod on the sly. If our telepathic wavelength were still operable, I’d fill her in. Still, I can tell there’s more to Dawn than they’re letting on. If there’s any chance at all that they’re from another realm or something, this could be a huge break for us.

Dawn grumbles slightly before answering, “Hm, fine. I’m, ugh. I’m not alive.”

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My left eye shoots wide in surprise, as that was not what I was expecting. I turn to gaze up at Dawn. They don’t appear to be one of the Aasimovian undead, nor do they appear to be a ghost, wight, rotting zombie, ghoul, or any other undead that I’m familiar with. My whole cryptozoology shtick tells me a ton of different types of supernatural creatures, and Dawn doesn’t fall under any of those categories. They just appear to be a very handsome, or lovely, or beautiful, whichever term they might prefer, living individual. I finally notice what was off however. Dawn isn’t breathing, they haven’t been, this entire time. Well, they haven’t been breathing, save for perhaps the exact amount of air necessary to speak. Nor is their heart beating.

I can work with this. I explain, “Well, huh, we really do have another similarity there. Teuila and I were alive once, then we weren’t, but now we’re pretty sure we’re alive again. You seem to be partway between step two and step three.”

Dawn grunts, nodding affirmative, “Yes, it’s awful. Well, perhaps between steps one and two. Can’t really say. Awful nonetheless. No food, no sleep, no, no anything except existing in a constant waking state. Sensation comes and goes, sometimes can’t feel, sometimes can’t hear or see. Never even bother checking if I can taste, since I can’t eat. Pretty sure smell has been gone this entire time. Sense of balance sometimes drops off too. Wait. You. What.”

The end of Dawn’s response is humorous to me, but I’m not laughing even though they just realized I had said we died and came back to life. I frown, I want to offer Dawn a hug, though I’m not even sure they’d feel it, or feel comforted by it. They probably wouldn’t be receptive to it anyway. I look to Teuila and we both stand.

I offer Dawn a sad frown as I apologize, “I’m sorry to hear. Or rather, hm, that’s a horrible way to express empathy. It sounds like I didn’t want to hear your plight. My apologies. I think I can understand why you’ve decided to act as you have, given your circumstances. So, what I mean is, I feel for you. I uh, lo siento Tiago would probably say.”

Dawn looks still confused about the whole returning to life thing, but they drop the subject. Their expression seems as if they’d puff a forlorn sigh as they continue, “Aye. I’m not incredibly adept, or powerful, though I seem virtually unkillable. I haven’t tried, obviously. I’m not, I’m not incredibly displeased with existing. You know. Despite the difficulties, and the, uh, other similarity.”

Dawn eyes the bulge in my cloak that forms a sort of shelf which hints at the breasts I have in this form. Their gaze lingers for the briefest moment, indicating which similarity they were alluding to as they flick their eyes towards and away from my chest. It makes sense though. If one was trapped in a dysphoric body, or even just a body that one is okay with, but prefers to not be known, like Dawn, I could see them feeling grumpy about their situation. Even moreso if a sort of perpetual life fairly sucked. I’m not certain we can do anything for them, though they’d certainly be a valuable ally to us. I feel like they’d be getting the raw end of any deal that includes following us on our adventures.

I ask, “Do you, do you still desire anything? Or, have any desires currently? Maybe Teuila and I, I mean.”

I don’t get to explain that I mean we could buy them things from town if they’re uncomfortable visiting Autumn Brook before Dawn answers, “If I were to spell it out, a single great desire at this point? I’d say ending the curse one way or the other. Preferably alive, but, take what ya can get. Right?”

I purse my lips, biting them slightly, trying not to laugh at the flippant end to Dawn’s response. As I draw a deep breath through my nostrils, I slowly let it out as a yawn on accident. Dawn suddenly says, “Awe hell, I even miss yawning now, thanks.”

Whoops, I try to apologize, “I, I wasn’t bored, just forgot to breathe, and, and, ugh. Really, really sorry about that—“

Dawn throws a smirk my way and interrupts me, “I was yanking your chain, pullin’ yer leg, Rej. That okay to call you? Rej?”

My smile flickers back and forth for a moment as my body is caught between apology and laughter, Teuila laughs and slugs me in the shoulder as she takes over, “That’s perf. You can call my dink Rej, sure. But um, Rej, you sort of basically said that I’m kind of in the lead this time, right?” I nod for Teuila to go on, so she continues, “Dawn? Do you maybe want to come with us? Where we came from, we were adventurers, probably the best, I mean, maybe, like, we were definitely the most powerful, maybe not best, that’s subjective. Sorry. Anyway, our goal is to get back, and that might mean dying again in some special way that we don’t know how yet. You might find some answers along the way with us. Maybe?”

Dawn chews the inside of their cheek and lower lip as they consider Teuila’s offer. I try not to laugh at Teuila’s not-so-humble brag as the exchange goes on and we await Dawn’s response. Dawn begins shaking their head somberly though, so Teuila and I both adopt sad frowns.

Dawn lifts our spirits a bit with their answer, “I just can’t bear to leave until I see that The Brook is through this current time of turmoil. If you can really do something about that, then sure. Nothing tying me here exactly. Come find me if you succeed, and are going to take your adventures elsewhere. For now, I’ll keep on keeping an eye out over the town I guess. Not that we ever have any killers running around or anything like that.”

Dawn adopts an incredibly odd expression that I can’t place. I chuckle nervously with chagrin. How many people did or didn’t know about Aces work as an assassin? Taylynn, Selunie, and Jarvis definitely knew. I vaguely recall believing that Tiago knew. Well, he more or less confirmed a friendship with Aces, and having not asked Aces for assassination training, and all the basic knowledge that would have to entail. Was Aces more discrete with everyone else? Aces was definitely a killer. Or maybe Dawn is excluding assassins not on a local job in their statement.

Teuila responds, “Oh, yeah, totally! I mean, I don’t think that we would abandon The Brook, since Rej kind of accepted this quest to help. My dink does the good deeds and stuff whenever, wherever. Maybe we can talk about stuff someday. I guess we’ll see you around? Or, kind of, just sorta, feel you, around. But not in that way, except for your gaze thing and Rej’s senses, ugh, never mind. Sorry.”

I quite readily recall now, why we always let Lil and Luni handle social situations. Teuila and I are both pretty bad at them. Possibly downright awful. How many feet are in our mouths between the two of us? Yuck, blegh, horrible metaphor. Dawn’s expression beneath their hood is a mixture of amusement and annoyance, but they nod towards Teuila as they skulk off to the west.

Teuila hugs me and buries her now extremely-heated face into my neck as she blushes furiously. She says, “That, that was so embarrassing. I’m so sorry. Was Dawn, um, you were hinting about, like, body stuff, yeah? I’m sorry if I hurt their feelings at the end, or made it weird. I suck. Ugh.”

I pull Teuila slightly away so I can lift her chin until our eyes meet. I state, “Hey now. You don’t suck. We’re both bad at social stuff. Things still work out one way or another usually. Dawn was, well, I’m not sure how much I should share. Yes, I felt some body things, I guess it was obvious, so, lying about it won’t help anything. I can’t explain further though, okay Te? It would kind of defeat the purpose of being discrete about whatever thing we may have been discussing. It’s their tale to tell, if ever. I was a jerk, even if unintentionally, that violated their privacy and learned it too early.”

Teuila wears half a frown as she nods and sighs, “Phew, bluh. Sorry, you’re right. I didn’t mean to push. I just, I got the vibe about, well, you know. All of us critterkin can kind of relate partially, and you more than most. If it is what I think it is. Again, sorry for guessing, I don’t mean to push any further, just wanted to explain. I’m glad that you’re you is all. You were sensitive, and kind, and all that junk. My wonderful dink.”

I snort a laugh as I tease, “Ah yes, the highest of praise, all that junk. Truly, truly I am heralded as the greatest, of all that junk. Heh, sorry Te. I love you, thank you. That was sweet of you to say. What say you we head back into town and find you and me some fun or cute nightclothes or something? We could probably be the first ones in the shops.”

Teuila giddily claps her hands, and bounces up and down twice before responding, losing any semblance of pause between her words so that they run together, “Yee! Let’s-go! We-can-totally-do-it!” She drags me back towards town at a breakneck pace while I smile and sprint to try to keep up.