Voices rose up in laughter around the early campfire, echoing out over the hill the two parties had claimed as their own for the evening.

It was still light out, with the sun only just beginning to set on the horizon. Much too early for their usual schedule, one that Casper wasn’t keen on breaking. What was until the liquor started being poured.

Not wanting to just accept the gift of the most potent potion that was strong spirits, Casper had asked Nephinae to cook up something to eat to go with the liquor.

The combination of warm food and a steady buzz was devastating.

The conversation flowed faster than the alcohol, and soon enough no one wanted to get back on the road, or hell even leave the now combined circle of tents and wagons their camps had ended up passively forming as nobody wanted to walk too far to get to their own space.

Rathiel's people got along great with the others, even towards the “slaves”'. Once Casper and the other girls, disguised as men, treated the “slaves” with a fair deal more respect than would have been expected, Rathiel and his companions seemed to sigh with audible relief, happily matching the energy with a newfound comfort in the conversations they were having.

Casper's father had spent almost his entire life teaching him how to be a leader. How to be the kind of man others can trust in, rely on, and respect.

Casper had spent every day trying his best to live up his fathers expectations, to become someone that man could be proud of.

However, when he compared himself to the way Rathiel's people treated him, Casper couldn’t help but feel like he wasn’t doing good enough…

“So what did you do next?” Annabelle asked from the edge of her seat, hunched over and leaning in to listen to the words of the golden haired adventurer.

Janus laughed as he poured the large woman another drink, before moving to fill his own, followed by some of the others in the camp. “You wouldn’t believe it, truly! I was there and I don’t believe it.” the man laughs. His accent is strange, sounding very northern with a bit of a natural slurred drawl to it.

“Try us.” Annabelle challenges.

“Hmmm, I’m not sure I should say, we are enjoying the evening together and I hate for you all to know of my embarrassment.” Rathiel considers, prompting a round of booo’s from the others gathered.

Casper leaned back in his own spot and took in a mouthful of the strong liquid, passively curious as well.

Rathiel had got them all enraptured by the tale of his party's first ever quest given to them from the Duke. Casper was of course interested for entirely different reasons, but still had found the story captivating in its own right.

“Alright alright…” Rathiel gives in, waving his hand to fend off the boo’s of disapproval. “Well, with Szostes critically injured and the rest of us out of divine magic for which to heal her, Thodhan unconscious, I had to make the hard decision. The orcs had managed to take nearly half the entire fortress as it was already and I could hear the sounds of battle all around us. With my one arm, I hoisted Thodhan over my back, and with my mouth I bit down on Szostes’s cloak, and I dragged them through the halls.”

“With your teeth?” the nameless girl asked in her best impression of a masculine tone. It sounded more pre-pubescent than anything though given her size it passed well enough.

“Indeed, with my teeth.” Rathiel confirms.

“But you said you were there Janus, didn’t feel like helping?” Casper teases the middle aged man who takes it in stride.

“I was too busy trying to put Dorain’s insides back inside.” he defends himself. “Show em!” Janus prods, nudging his cousin's arm with his elbow.

“Oh fine fine, you just like showing me off.” Dorain rolls her eyes, and lifts her tunic to reveal a huge, nasty scar from sternum to navel.

Annabelle let out a whistle at the sight of the nasty thing, meanwhile Alex tried her best not to blush at the display of the woman's well defined muscles under all that scarred flesh.

“So you simply walked out the front door?” Casper asked in follow up, curious to hear how they got out of the situation.

“God’s no.” Janus mocks with a sarcastic tone. “Our knight of the dawn? Do something so simple?”

“Please, you're embarrassing me.” Rathiel protests with a laugh.

“That means you aren’t drinking enough.” Janus notes, pouring the man another mug.

“He flew out.” Thodhan spoke with a slow, droning cadence.

“Weren’t you unconscious?” Annabelle raises an eyebrow.

“I was, that was until this bastard broke through the roof with his forehead and got us a hundred feet in the air faster than a horse can get a hundred feet in a dead sprint.” Thodhan laughed.

The giant of a man was mostly quiet, interjecting infrequently as he seemed mostly occupied by creating a small beaded necklace in quiet concentration.

“I did, I did.” Rathiel chuckles again. “I spread my wings and flew up through the ceiling, into the sky with Thodhan on my back, Szostes in my mouth-”

“Listen to this part.” Janus whispers, slapping Rathiel on the shoulder.

“I called on my god for assistance, for strength. And I suppose he found me worthy enough then in that moment to give it to me.”

Rathiel sets his mug down and using one hand motions a swooping action. With his other hand he extends two fingers and begins to make them fall.

“I was empowered by my god, and dove in to finish the fight. I dropped Szostes and Thodhan, sorry, and rounded up the orcs with enough time to tie them up and pile them outside. I returned to Dorain to heal her-”

“Save my life, Janus was useless” Dorain teases.

Janus rolls his eyes. “Don’t interrupt!”

“Ha! You’re one to talk.”

“Shhhhhh” Szostes hisses at the two.

Rathiel laughs and shakes his head. “I just managed to do all that and then return to Szostes and Thodhan to catch them mid air. I really prefer not to tell that story.” he sighs in defeat.

“Why not? You saved them all!” Annabelle presses, her eyes wide with adoration.

“Because he dropped us, and had to ask a god for help.” Thodhan answers plainly.

“But you caught them didn’t you?” Alex asks.

“Context is, Rathiel made us an oath, a promise when he took us on, that when the going got tough we could rely on him to, and I quote “never let us fall.”

Rathiel puts his head in his hands and groans.

“He let us fall.” Thodhan reminds everyone again.

Janus chuckles and shakes Rathiel's shoulders. “This sorry son of a bitch owes us drinks for life now.”

“It was a technicality!” Rathiel protests, seemingly still trying to get out of the deal.

“Technicalities kill” Szostes teases with her hissing tone.

“So a god truly aided you? That hasn’t happened in… many many many years.” Alex seems to have latched on to that portion of the story, which Casper hadn’t even considered as possible strange.

“I told you you wouldn’t believe me.” Rathiel says solemnly.

“It is a little far-fetched.’ Annabelle agrees, “but how else would he have done what he said he did?”

“I promise you I saw it with my own eyes.” Janus confirms. “Pure white wings, vibrant golden halo, eyes pure gold as well, I even saw the aura about him. The clouds themselves parted for him! It was unlike anything I had ever seen in my life.”

Rathiel nods. “It’s true.”

“So the rumors about you truly being a champion of the divine?” Alex leads.

“All true. I am in fact a champion. Though it embarrasses me to admit it.”

“How could that possibly be embarrassing! It's basically prophetic.” Annabelle chimes in.

“He’s got a stick up his ass about doing everything on his own merit.” Dorain groans.

“I have made it a point for myself that everything I have done, I have done because it was right and just. Because I wanted to do it, and because no one else will. I made my name by effort alone. I had no sponsors aiding me in my quests. I had no noble backing. I had myself, and the teachings of my mother. I prided myself on that. Ever since becoming chosen by a god it’s taken that away.”

“It has not taken it away.” Dorain insists.

“Not in actuality no, but in terms of how others see me it truly has. I am no longer my own man, but the man the gods made me. I am no longer righteous because my mother raised me well, I am righteous because a god deemed me thus.”

The girls nod at that. Casper too. It's frustrating being perceived as something you are not. Your effort accredited to something or someone undeserving. He could feel for the man.

“Now, please, enough about me. Truly.” Rathiel chuckles uncomfortably.

He seemed to politely indulge the others as they asked him about his time as an adventurer. He didn’t seem to directly mind sharing stories about the others but he very humbly struggled to talk about himself. In only the few they have heard, the other members of Rathiel's party had to encourage him to keep speaking, or butt in themselves to ensure the man received his due praise.

“How about a game?” Janus asks, accepting Dorain's hand as he guides her down into his lap.

“What kind of game?’ Casper asks, curious.

“There is a game we play whenever we camp with other travelers on the road. Its been an enjoyable experience. Thodhan invented it.” Rathiel explains, motioning to the big man who holds up the necklace he is making to the light. “Hmm? Yes, it's good fun.” he confirms with a smile, moving over, extending the necklace in one hand to Nephinae.

“Thodhan!” Rathiel reprimands the large man before he hands it over.

“Sorry, forgive him.” Rathiel apologizes for the big man.

“She’s a slave Thod, I'm sure that Casper wouldn’t appreciate-”

“No no, please it’s quite alright.” Casper dismisses.

“Truly?” Rathiel asks, further relief coming over him.

“By all means.” Casper motions for the momentarily embarrassed Thodhan to continue.

The giant man bows and offers the necklace to Nephinae. “For you, a gift.” he smiles wide.

“Thank you kindly my lord.” Nephinae returns the man's smile and accepts the necklace. Placing it around her neck.

For such a large man with large hands, the detail on the necklace itself is incredibly impressive. The thin leather band sits high on Nephinae’s long neck, the charm resting in the pocket formed by her collar bones.

The charm itself is a small delicate flower, carved and filed down from a silver coin.

Rathiel mouths a silent “thank you” to Casper, who in turn offers a nod.

“Now, the game!” Janus shouts, clapping his hands together. “The game is called daring to go deeper. We sit in a circle and starting from the youngest, moving to the right, you ask anyone you wish any question. May it be deep and personal, hence the name, or superficial and fun. Should the person refuse to answer the question, instead they must perform a dare, some action chosen by the person. Should they refuse to do that they must drink.”

Casper shifts a little in his seat. He definitely wanted to get to know the others better, but he also worried about the manner of questions or dares his companions would conjure up.

“Well then, who is the youngest among you?” Janus asks Casper and his group.

“I think it’s me.” Elisayra raises her hand. “I am 18 years of age.”

“Wonderful! In that case-” Janus grabs the bottles of liquor and fills everyone's mugs up to the very brim, before rejoining his cousin. “Starting with you then, ask away.”

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Elisayra turned to her right, where Alex sat. Both Elisayra and Alex were red in the cheeks and swaying slightly due to Janus’s generosity.

“Deep question?” Elisayra asks herself as she studies Alex’s face.

“Ask away,” Alex smiles.

“Um… what’s something you wish you could tell your younger self? You know, like, something you wished you could have heard, or something.” Elisayra asks.

Janus whistles at that. “That’s a good one, damn good one.”

“Something I would tell myself? Runaway sooner.” Alex says confidently, then quickly closes her mouth as she realizes it may have given something away.

Casper, catching the slip, quickly interjects with a lie to help the buzzed Alex. “It would have been good to get away from home before the marriages were arranged, that way our bachelor party wouldn’t feel like “the last thing we ever do.” Casper offered.

Alex quickly caught on, nodding her agreement to the statement. “Would have saved us alot of trouble.” she adds. Flushing slightly at the near slip.

Perhaps this game wasn’t a good idea, Casper thought. With how much everyone was drinking it was only a matter of time before someone let something slip. Casper would have to keep his ears open for anything.

He could take all of them, he figured. But not without the mark. And this Rathiel person was no joke either. Blessed be a god? He didn’t know where that sat in terms of potential damage output but it had to be stronger than anything else he had encountered before.

“Alright sir Alexander, it’s your turn.” Janus urges.

Alex looks to her right, where Nephinae sat. No longer in her traditional noble maidly attire, the full elf looked more the part of a lady than Alex ever did. It was strange. A part of Casper wanted to address her as lady too, just by the sheer presence the woman gave off.

“Let me think.” Alex ponders to herself for a moment, before snapping her fingers. “I got it. My question to you is this. Were you not a slave, what would you have liked to do?”

Casper flinched slightly at that, as did some of the others.

Not only was that a difficult question to answer, it felt a little insulting, Casper thought. Evidently Rathiel and Thodhan thought similarly though they didn’t make it known outwardly.

“Were I not a slave?” Nephinae speaks softly.

“Must I drink if I do not have an answer?” She asks Janus.

“Depends I think? Just give your explanation and ill let ya know.”

“Well…” Nephinae starts. “So much of my life has been spent as a slave, in service. I fear I do not know what I could be. In fact, in my training to be a handmaid, a servant, I was stripped of all want and desire. I do not believe I can recall any desires of my own if I ever had them to begin with.”

The air hung with uncomfortable silence for a time, because Janus coughed slightly to break the spell.

“I think that's a fine enough answer.” he dismisses, eager to move on.

Nephinae turns to Casper then, her expression it's typical mask of professionalism as she considers what she wants to ask.

“You speak of your father often, and your village. But you rarely ever speak of yourself. You talk of your fathers teachings but not of the things you have learned on your own. I am curious, master, what is something that has happened to you personally that you believe has shaped you, disconnected from the village or your family. Your own, personal, private experience.”

“They are really good,” Dorain whispers to Janus, who nods his approval.

“Definitely the best group yet.”

Casper thinks about the question for a time. Sifting through memories until one wiggles its way into his mind.

The panting of breath, the warmth of her skin. The low voices, the sweet whispers. Casper's body pulls at him. His stomach and heart in equal measure twisting at the scent of blood. The rising panic, the terror that coursed through his blood like ice. His breathing catches, his skin grows tight around his body as a faint sweat threatens to trickle out.

He couldn’t tell them that, he couldn’t relive that moment. He barely knew how to recall it himself, and now it was the only thing he could think of, the only thing in his head threatening to devour him in scattered flashes of distant terror.

The memories stir in his mind, he opens his mouth to speak, as if to speak it would release him of the burden he carried and had since forgotten, but closed it just as quickly.

That wasn’t something he could ever tell them. Never.

“Pass” Casper says, unable to think of anything other than the rising imagery that flooded his psyche with colors of crimson and the feeling of cold surrounding him.

Nephinae frowns slightly at that. “I get to choose a dare then, yes?” She asks.

“Right, you get to tell him to do anything, and he has to do it or he drinks.” Janus confirms.

Nephinae considers her possibilities for a second, and then settles on one. “You must return to the tent, and put on one of Elisayra's tops.”

“...” Casper blinks as the others around the campfire laugh at his expense.

I supposed he didn't expect the elven slave to have a sense of humor, even if it was delivered with the same air of professional monotone as everything else she said.

“Or you can drink!” Janus offers, raising his own glass.

Casper casts his attention to Elisayra, the small woman's torso was approximately one third the size of his. It wouldn’t be ridiculous, it would be impossible.

“I'd rather not damage your shirt.” Casper offers as an excuse and downs his drink.

The gathered members of the campfire clap as he empties the contents into his stomach, and gasps at the burn that works its way through him.

Casper shakes his whole body to settle himself after the drink. Eventually gathering enough of his senses, he turns to face the nameless girl.

“Alright Engee, how about you tell me this. How many individual partners have you been with?” Casper asks, having recalled her mention of being experienced before, and using the acolytes to help with her needs, he was curious to hear the exact number.

Engee blushed slightly, a faint hint of annoyance on her that only lasted a moment.

“Ah, I see you want to play that kind of game.” She noted.

It wasn’t. But dammit now that she had put the thought into the air it was only a matter of time before Elisayra or Laihal ran with it.

“I have been with 4 individuals.” she answers, turning her attention away from Casper, not bothering to hide the mild embarrassment that worked its way through it.

The nameless girl shifted her back to Casper to look at Thodhan.

“When and how did you start making necklaces?” she asks the large man.

Thodhan smiled at the question, as he often seemed to smile at most everything.

“My daughter loved them, but we were very poor and I didn’t have the money to buy her anything nice. So I decided I would learn to make them myself. I find it all very calming.” he explains.

“You have a daughter?” The nameless girl asks, a little surprised.

“Mhm! She is why I do all of this. I love her dearly.”

A few of the women, namely the nameless girl, Annabelle and Elisayra all let out an “awwww” in unison.

Casper's opinion of this party went up a little then, at the very least the company this man kept was good.

Thodhan looks over to the serpent woman, who Casper was honestly the most curious about given how little she spoke and how much she seemed to keep to herself.

Even after everyone else in the camp had changed out of their armor and into more casual clothes, some of which they actually received from Rathiel's people, Szostes had not changed.

The reptilian female had kept in her silken, loose fitting clothing. Saying next to nothing at all ever since she got there.

“Szostes, I've wanted to ask you this since the last time we played, but is it true you lay eggs?”

Janus spits some of his drink at that, while Rathiel slaps his hand over his forehead.

Casper tries his best to suppress a laugh, and instead it comes out as a squeal.

Szostes hisses audibly at Thodhan. “Of course I do fool! I am a Szet-kahl! We all lay eggs!” she spits the words at him.

“Oh! Okay.” Thodhan responds earnestly, seemingly entirely unaware that she was angry with him.

“Imbecile” Szostes hisses once more, before turning to Dorain.

What the hell was a Szet-kahl Casper wondered silently to himself.

He supposed his assumption that the origin of their names was Celestial in nature, given the whole “chosen by a god” thing Rathiel had going for him.

Still, Casper felt out of his depth. Looking around the camp at everyone laughing, drinking, talking, asking questions…

He never thought himself to be ignorant. But as the more everyone talks the more he realizes he isn’t. Not because he didn’t want to talk, but rather because he really desperately wanted to but didn’t know how.

Back in the village, he was friendly with everyone. He would share the stories of him and his fathers journeys to the outskirts or the towns and cities they visited infrequently. He would listen to the others talk about anything and everything. He felt home there.

He wanted to feel home here too, to feel that same kind of companionship and familiarity. But every time he tried to tune in, to listen to the stories or engage with them he found the words dying in a breath.

He had no idea what a knight of dawn was, or a guardian of the veil. He didn’t know what a Szet-kahl was, and if he wanted to maintain that lie, the lie they had agreed upon in order to keep them all safe, he couldn’t admit that ignorance.

So, instead he took another drink, and tried his best to listen, to learn, and not be jealous of the attention these others were getting from the people of his camp.

“Darrlinnggg Dorain, telll me, how can you stand camping with this fool?” she flicks her eyes back to Thodhan who has since stopped paying attention.

“Oh come now, he’s wonderful. Perhaps you should be more open about yourself?” Dorain counters.

“My religion!-” Szostes starts, only to be cut off by Janus.

“Yes yes, we know. Purity and all that. Dorain darling, me next.” Janus ushers the attention of Dorain over.

“Fine, fine.” Dorain rolls her eyes and flicks Janus’s nose. “Janus, if you could sleep with anyone in all of the kingdoms we have ever been to, who would it be?”

“This devolved quickly.” Casper notes, prompting the faintest nod from Nephinae visible from the corner of his eye.

“The answer is easy, obvious even!” Janus exclaims with a dramatic wave of his hand. “That woman there.”

Janus points a finger to Laihal.

Nearly everyone nods their agreement in the statement, even Dorain.

“You flatter me.” Laihal dismisses with a wave of her hand, though she still watches the eyes of the others on her as she crosses one leg over the other to better define her hips and thighs.

“Please, Janus… I beg of you, let's not make these kind people uncomfortable.” Rathiel sighs. “I am so sorry.”

“I do not mind.” Laihal reassures him casually, purring the words with self satisfaction.

“She doesn’t mind!” Janus echoes, bringing an arm around Rathiel.

“You’re drunk.” Rathiel chuckles, letting the man lean on him.

“And you, my friend, are not drunk enough! My question for you, why do you insist on being a stick in the mud, hmmm?”

“I am no stick in any amount of mud!” Rathiel protests, shoving Janus off him and into Dorain.

“That's not an answer! Now you need to do a dare, I command thee to pour yourself and me another drink!” Janus tosses back his mug of liquor.

Rathiel rolls his eyes and pours the man another drink, finishes his own, and then refills his own mug.

“I truly am sorry for the behavior of my companions.” Rathiel apologies once more.

“It's really no trouble. You should see my companions when they aren’t in the company of fame.” Casper teases, turning his attention to Annabelle.

“Believe it or not, there was a challenge in camp once of who could throw our little half elf into the air the highest.”

Annabelle bursts out laughing at the memory, meanwhile Elisayra blushes and hides her face. “You said you wouldn’t tell anyone!” Elisayra shouts.

The circle of people around the fire laugh some more, drink some more, and laugh again.

Rathiel wipes a stray tear from his eye, and turns his focus over to Laihal to ask his question over the ambient murmur of other passing conversation.

“Laihal, I need to ask you.” Rathiel starts, bringing his mug up to his lips to drink again. “Do these people treat you well?”

Casper's senses tune to the man's words, and it makes the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

Rathiel's words are spoken in such a casual nature, without any indication of ulterior motive, yet something in the man's movements alerts him to impending danger.

Something subconscious, or a gut feeling. His body, or maybe the mark, noticed something he did not.

Casper quickly examines Rathiel, studying him, watching the twitching of his muscles, the scent of his body, the sound of his heart beating so incredibly slowly on his chest.

The nameless girl seemed to feel something similar, her own body tensing slightly as she became aware or some otherwise imperceptible change in atmosphere around him.

Rathiel in the same breath, seems to have realized that Casper and the nameless girl were aware of this change.

Rahtiel's eyes flick to Casper, watching him in turn as Laihal smiles. “They treat me better than I could have possibly expected.” she explains.

The marks alert to danger subsided slightly, though still Casper felt a passive tension around Rathiel.

“When I was being trained, I was left to believe that any master who would have me would be cruel, would abuse me, would violate me. This is what we all believed. Master Alexander has been anything but. He is kind and generous. I am treated more akin to the position of a house maid than a slave. I am fed, given shelter, I am protected, and not a one has laid a finger on me, though I wouldn’t complain if they did.” Laihal winks

Once Laihal finishes speaking, the sensation Casper was getting from Rathiel vanished entirely. The man turned his eyes away from Casper then, and smiled at Laihal. “I'm glad to hear that! I know it’s uncommon, but I have a soft spot in my heart for the downtrodden. If they had been treating you, or any of you poorly, I would have offered to buy you myself.”

Casper didn’t believe that, not for a minute. He could feel that nagging pressure of righteousness and retribution radiating from the man. Had Laihal responded in anything but the truth, and had that truth been anything but acceptable, Casper had no doubt that Rathiel would have attacked them outright.

His opinion of the man just went up even more.

“Well Laihal, it's your turn to ask your question to Elisayra.” Rathiel’s tone never once wavered, but the preternatural edge it had melted away as if it were never there to begin with. In fact the switch was so sudden it made Casper doubt if he was correct in assuming it was there in the first place.

“I'm free to ask her anything I wish?” Laihal asks, looking to Alex for permission

“of course, I insist! This is a game after all. please don't hold anything back” Alex confirms with a smile and very red cheeks.

Laihal hums to herself, tapping a long nail to her full lips in a rhythmic pattern as she scans the small half elf up and down.

“Were you not a half elf, what would You want to do or be?” She asked, a sly half smile making its way over her lips.

Tension returns to the air around the campfire.

“Oh… uh….” Elisayra stammers slightly, her hands subconsciously moving to touch the tips of her pointed ears.

“I think that, if I weren’t a half elf I would want to be a part of a family…” Elisayra answered softly.

Her words hit Casper like a punch in the stomach.

Even as the others continue with the game, drinking and laughing, Elisayra joining them, Casper can't seem to find the right state of mind to allow himself to move on after the shock to his system that was the half elf’s answer.

He supposed it made sense. The way he had found her living out of a small cellar with a bunch of other thieves and pick pockets… how desperate she was to prove her own usefulness, to prove she was worthy of attention, affection, of love.

What a terrible thing to have taken for granted, Casper thought, as the memories of his own home surface in his mind. The rage he felt for having lost that, the pain and agony. That pain and agony were only possible because he had something. Elisayra had never experienced that to begin with.

Casper hadn’t even considered… how fucking selfish he was, to be so incredibly caught up in his own vendetta he had failed to see just how much Elisayra was holding in. It wasn’t even like she had revealed some incredible secret or spilled her heart to the fire. It was so much more simple than that, yet it held such an incredible weight in Casper's heart to have heard it.

Looking over the orange glow, as the sun finally sets beyond the horizon casting everyone around the campfire in long shadows, he allows himself to really look at Elisayra.

She drinks and laughs, eager to move on and keep the mood light as the next round of questions get asked and answered. She doesn’t even seem to linger on her own answer long, that is, until Casper see’s that spark in her eye fade for just a moment, as her ringers rub the slightly pointed tips of her ears. He watches her smile slip, just for a moment, as she looks at Nephinae, at Alex… and as her attention turns to Casper and she notices him watching her, she blushes slightly, pressing her ears to her head, covering them up, and offers him a disarming grin.

He had talked to everyone the past couple of nights, everyone but Elisayra. He had talked to Alex and Nephinae about the night in his tent, but he didn’t talk to Elisayra, he figured she was fine.

Did the fact that he never acknowledged it, good or bad, weigh on her? Fuck it would weigh on him and he wasn’t nearly as prone to misunderstandings as she was, nor was he that emotionally desperate for someone to validate him.

Dammit he had really messed up, were all the thoughts now swimming around in his head.

Some part of his heart twisted into a knot for the girl. He needed to do right by her… he had no idea, or rather, maybe a part of him knew she felt this way, and he simply chose to ignore it.

“Casper.”

A tap on his shoulder pulled him from the depths of his spiraling mind, jerking him back to reality.

Nephinae lay a gentle hand on his shoulder as she spoke his name. “Did you hear my question?”

“What? No… sorry.”

Casper shook his head, and examined the contents of his mug as she spoke.

“My question to you. Why did you not want to answer the previous question I asked you?”

Casper swirls around the last bits of alcohol at the bottom of his cup, watching his reflection shimmer in the bottom.

“Because, I enjoy my friendship with all of you, and I didn’t want you all to look at me differently if I shared that.” Casper said, quickly throwing back the contents of the mug and swallowing hard.

“I need to get some air.” He grumbled, wiping his mouth and getting up.

“But you must ask me a question!” the nameless girl protests, watching Casper leave.

“What’s your favorite color!” Casper shouts backwards without bothering to listen for an answer, as he already walking into the night