I was feeling pretty pleased with how today was going.

Green wasn't mad anymore, I could sense Dioda following us from every angle, and Mina and Della didn't look terrified anymore! We were even managing to hold a conversation!

So, what you're telling me is that not only is both a mouth and a pair of ears required to hold a conversation, but there's a whole language where you use your hands to create gestures instead?

Della nodded, suddenly looking nervous. Yes, but I don't know how to correctly use it. Holding a hand out with your palm facing forward is universal for 'stop', but that's the only one I'm certain of.

I know how to use it, Mina added. I was surprised when she spoke - she hadn't been talking all that much since we started heading for their home.

And that was another thing! There was an entire place built for more of Della and Mina's species, called a 'town', and there were supposedly thousands of people there! Neither of them wanted to go into detail at first - for that matter, neither of them had wanted to talk at all - but based on my experience with Green, I'd discovered that simply asking questions over and over will eventually make someone talk to you.

I knew she surrounded us, but I turned my head to a particularly noticeable tree, one that curved and twisted in strange ways. Hey, Dioda! Do you know the hand language?

Her presence pushed into the area like a cloud. No. I have no hands with which to perform such a task.

I was concerned - that could potentially be a bit of a downer. Can you just look like a person for a bit? I mean, I look like one, so it shouldn't be too hard for you.

A distinct sense of confusion came from all around me, and it took a second to realize Mina and Della were watching me too. I glanced between them and the tree, feeling an odd sense of defensiveness coming over me. What?

Della seemed unsure of how to breach the subject. Are you saying... that you don't always look like that?

I shook my head amusedly. Of course not. All limbs and physical existence, can you imagine if I looked like this all the time? I might be having a bit of a hard time switching out right now, but back home, I used to...

My sentence trailed off to a stop as I thought about home. I wasn't sure why, but I... I missed them. Everybody back there. Skal'dryn, Grandpa, Noy'qrova... they'd changed their faces often, and I found myself wishing they hadn't. It made them hard to tell apart, hard to clearly recall.

But I could remember their work. I could remember Skal'dryn's hard-earned Mastery in physics. Grandpa's tendency to tear realities in half just by existing, even though he fixed them afterward. What would they think of this place? It was incredible, down to the flawless physics Skal'dryn would probably kill me over and the organics I was getting so used to. I still didn't know why it was banned to travel here. I just knew that no one would look for me here.

Even though Della and Mina were right in front of me, even though I could feel Dioda's presence pressing on my mind, I felt lonely.

Dioda pushed, buffeting my mind. Shold'ler? Are you alright? You seem unlike yourself.

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I paused. Yeah, just... I don't know. When I came here, I wasn't expecting any of this. I just wanted to get away from home. I don't even remember why anymore.

She seemed uncertain. I do not understand that. I am my own home. How would I leave myself?

I thought about it for a second. I mean... you're not wrong. I guess you wouldn't get it. That's not a bad thing, just to be clear, but... I turned towards Della and Mina. Do you guys ever miss home?

No. Della promptly said, and Mina added, This is the first time I have been away from the house.

I slumped. Oh.

We kept going after a moment, an awkward silence pervading the atmosphere. It was a weird feeling. Most people back home hadn't really talked to me all that much. I was used to silence, so why was this one so loud?

Did I really miss home?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

A good way back in the forest, a gap sat in the air. For the most part, it was hard to notice. It'd mostly fixed itself when it had appeared, and the eldritch entity that had come through it had tried to fix it the rest of the way. Reality had a longer memory than most would give it credit for, and so the rip remained.

Its edges flickered briefly, and a cold breeze brushed through it. The grass blew away from the tear uneasily, and the trees shivered. It was far enough from the true Forest that not even Dioda could possibly have felt it, and yet the Forest somehow knew not all was at rest in the world.

The area around the rip shimmered, as if from a haze of heat, a spontaneous mirage. Seconds later, the tear opened, and something fell out.

It was not something that should have existed in three dimensions, or even four. It was made of darkness and emotions and pure will made manifest, and so reality forced it to stop existing. It was too powerful to force from the universe and too abstract to pushy away, and so reality decided to make do with the resources it had available.

The cloud of darkness and emotion and will was compressed, shrinking and dilating before its consciousness caught up with the rest of it. Swirling in a dense fog of matter and the absence of all matter, it gradually took shape.

It became a physical entity. The head appeared first, with pale purple skin and feminine features. A pair of high-ridged eyes, closed as the entity slumbered. A large nest of slim tentacles sprouted from the back of its head, lengthening and curling to rest at the base of the rapidly forming waist. The remainder of the entity's body was slowly created as reality forced the will and the darkness and emotion into a vessel. A slender body, with few curves and a petite build. Clothing formed around it, more sensible clothing this time, that would allow the vessel to better traverse the world. After a fraction of a second of consideration, reality chose to add a mouth, ears, and a nose. The previous Engineer was presently experiencing some difficulty due to his lack of such features; it would not make the same neglect twice.

The entity appeared to take a breath, though no air went into its body. Its violet eyes opened sharply and she gasped as she inhabited the body she'd been given. Reality and the invisible weavers of webs and veils behind it sat back, satisfied with their work. This one would be much better.

The newest Engineer looked herself over, appearing to have great interest towards her fingers and her tentacled hair. It was difficult to tell if she approved of it or not, but the Court felt she probably would.

She licked her lips, moving her mouth in strange ways and contorting her tongue. "What the-" She froze, taken aback. Coughing, she clearly enunciated, "What the heck is going..." She paused again, then muttered, "Okay, words are weird. I can't do this."

Closing her eyes, she strove to rid her being from the vessel and promptly failed. The Court expressed smugness among themselves; their work was not so easily undone by any Engineer. It was unlikely that even the Oldest One could remove himself from a vessel they had created, although it was unlikely he would ever come here.

Frowning, she looked at herself. "What gives? I don't have a problem changing back home... where's..." She made a frustrated groan of exasperation. "By Grandfather's will, Shold'ler, why'd you have to go somewhere so weird!?"

Rolling her shoulders, she began carefully walking in a random direction. Of course, it wasn't actually random - the Court were in unanimous agreement that the Engineer known as Skal'dryn should be reunited with Engineer Shold'ler, however clumsy they both were.

It was only a matter of time, and the Court had nothing but time.