"You just wear it." The shopkeeper held up the little statue that looked like a very pious nun with her hands clasped before her. Her head was sunk in prayer. "If something tries to get frisky, her eyes will open, and it stops. Easy as that."

The shopkeeper handed over the little statue, which Daisy placed around her neck. "Thank you. I'll try not to break this thing."

The shopkeeper grinned at that. "They sell very well. And breaking it is half the point. It breaks so you don't have to, ma'am." He gave a little bow. "I wish you luck."

Daisy nodded to him, paid for her items, and left.

It didn't take her long to get home, back to her dorm room she shared. "Dhiren, you there?" She peered in the open door. "I picked up something I think you'll find interesting."

Dhiren had been reading at his desk, but he looked up when Daisy came in. "Oh?" His eyes flicked to the dangling new amulet. "Ah, you got one. That puts to rest one of the theories I had."

She looked back down at it, lifting the little statue in her palm. It looked up at her, hands clasped as it looked down its nose with closed eyes and a serene expression. "What theory is that?"

"You seem to have been less interested than I expected." Dhiren nodded towards the door behind her. "Theodore isn't exactly subtle about how much he wants you." He rolled a hand. "I figured if you kept not buying one, you were either that entirely confident in your abilities, or, perhaps, you secretly hoped he would get closer over time."

Daisy snorted and pushed the door closed. "No, I'm pretty sure I'd break his everything if he tried to get me while I'm asleep."

Dhiren shrugged at that. "There are many methods the desperate may employ. Coming while you sleep is a little tactless. In either event, you look chipper. Just the amulet? Something else?"

She moved over to sit on her bed. "This and that. I had a talk with Professor Ziller." She smiled at him. "I've been invited to try out another dungeon. One that is a little more challenging, but not so much that it's suicide. Full of undead creeps that should hate my healing gift, if I can learn to use it while I'm cutting them in half."

Dhiren perked up at the idea. "Excellent! It will be good to see you grow in the field." He gestured with his pencil. "You already look ready for such a place."

She huffed, reaching back to where her shield rested. "Is it wrong to have my tools close at hand?"

"Not at all. I am just surprised you haven't taken up walking around in your armor as well. I've seen many who did." He flipped the page. "You said you met with Professor Ziller?"

"He suggested I take my studies on the field, and drag Cedric and Theo along with me." She frowned at the thought. "Not sure how much I want Theo along."

"Ah." Dhiren turned back to his own work. "Well, he does have good skills for your needs, and he is no stranger to the undead."

Daisy rubbed over her muzzle. "And he's a jerk." She whipped her tail in a lash sharp enough to make a crack of a sound. "Ugh, whatever. They're asking me to be the bigger mouse." She felt over her pendant. "At least I have some of these if he gets the wrong kind of thoughts."

Dhiren laughed gently. "We can always hope he has been taught his lesson. He is not stupid." The lion man smirked a bit. "Just young. He has been learning." He resumed writing a moment. "He has to grow. You don't strike me as young thing. How old were you, before you became what you are now?"

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Daisy looked down at her hands. "44."

"And now?" Dhiren waved a hand. "It seems a fair trade, given your health and vigor. But I am curious."

She looked down at herself. "I, uh, am not entirely sure." She stretched out one arm, then the other, inspecting herself. "I feel damn young. Young and energetic. I love that part. Mmm, if I had to guess, which I do, I'd say, what, 20s? Maybe as low as 24?"

He nodded at that and set his pencil down. "You are not alone in your fate, though there are not many of you here." Dhiren gestured in the air. "Otherworlders are not unknown, but not exactly common. They often come with unusual abilities, and less sense to make use of them. Did you get any, other than being a brood mouse in the first place?"

Daisy laughed at that and shrugged, thinking back on what her character sheet listed as special abilities. "It's a little odd, but I can analyze people I meet. I'm not sure how it works, but I can get numbers for people. Near as I can tell, nobody else deals with numbers." She examined Dhiren critically, ignoring the breeding stats. "Like you have an Intelligence of 17, one of the higher I've seen, you brainiac."

Dhiren huffed and rolled his eyes. "You are not wrong that I am a scholar, but how do you quantify a quality?" He shook his head. "You are probably seeing the gods' sense of what things are, or perhaps their own view of the numbers. As I said, otherworlders come with unique gifts. What a strange one. I'm uncertain how it will aid you, but hold it close."

She frowned. "It's not like anyone else believes it's there."

He snorted at that, then laughed. "If the gods granted you the ability to see more of reality than most of us ever would, what does it matter what they believe?" He took up his pencil just to twirl it. "Use your gifts." He smiled softly. "And if you are leaving, I get the room to myself. Unless they assign someone else? Unlikely this far into the semester." He shooed her out with his hands.

Daisy laughed and got to her feet. "Alright, alright, I'm going." She waved over her shoulder and left to find her fellow students.

It didn't take long to find Cedric busily cleaning a nearby building. He looked up to see Daisy approaching and waved at her. "I'll be with you in a minute." He hurried through the last few bits of his work.

She waited patiently and then gave him a little nudge when he finished. "Hey." She offered a hug, an offer he was quick to accept. "Good to see you. They're nudging me to head out into the field, into the undead dungeon to give that a shot. I was wondering if you wanted to go with."

Cedric blinked at her, but he didn't look away. "Undead?" He shivered. "Ew."

"Ew, yeah." She stuck out her tongue. "Hate the idea too, but they said I'd be right against them, and to bring backup, like you." She squeezed at his sides, rubbing down his flanks and making him wiggle. "You are such a fluffy thing."

He smiled gently and leaned into her more. "It sounds like it would be good for you, though."

"And you." She leaned in to go nose to nose. "I was told wizards need field credits along the way. This'd count towards that."

His ears twitched as he considered that. "That is true, but I'm not eager to face zombies. But I'm sure I have enough magic to keep them from being an issue, so long as I'm not fighting on my own."

She flexed an arm, showing off her firm muscles under her softer appearance. "You wouldn't be alone. Oh, ugh, they suggested I take Theo too, but I won't if you'd rather I didn't."

Cedric frowned at that and looked aside. "I'm still not sure how I feel about that, but it doesn't sound like he's been bothering you since you put a stop to it."

"No, other than bothering you, which I'd say is worse." She flicked her tail at that memory. "If he says one sour word about you again, I'm slugging him. At least once."

He laughed gently. "You don't need to do that. I think we're getting to the point of understanding. He has been working with some of the other people, and he seems to be helping them."

"Really?" She rolled her shoulders. "Glad he can get along with some people. Fine, wait." She held up a finger. "If I ask, he'll take it as me practically asking him on a date. You ask, please?"

He tilted his head at that. "Me?"

"He's not gonna take me inviting him anywhere well, since it'd be like a date, but if you invited him, and I just tagged along? Just a normal student outing, among us students, right?" She smiled at Cedric. "For me? And to keep an eye on him?"

He gave a nervous little smile back. "Alright, I can do that." He hugged her close. "Let me go find him."