Cinder vanished in a shimmer of rainbow colors just as Lady Nova opened the door, balancing a stack of fluffy towels and what appeared to be some of Lance's old clothes.

"I hope you slept well?" she asked cheerfully, her feathers shifting through warm pinks and golds. "The clothes might be a bit big - they're Lance's from last year - but they should do until you can get back to the cathedral."

"Thank you, ma'am," I replied politely, accepting the stack. "You're too kind."

"Not at all, dear! Breakfast will be ready in twenty minutes. Justice Nova had to leave early for work, but Lance and Lenora will be joining us," Lady Nova beamed, her feathers shifting through happy pinks.

"And Cassiopea?" I asked.

"Oh, umm," Lady Nova's feathers shifted to stormy-sky dark gray-blues. "I knocked on her door earlier but she just yelled that she wasn't hungry. Typical morning with her, I'm afraid. Though..." her feathers brightened slightly, "she did actually respond this time instead of just throwing something at the door!"

I considered how Cinder was invisible right next to me and was also yelling from her bedroom.

"Perhaps I could try talking to her?" I offered. "Sometimes it helps to have a friend's perspective in the morning."

"Would you?" Lady Nova smiled. "That would be wonderful! Though... be careful. She can be quite... volatile in the mornings."

"I'm sure she just needs some gentle encouragement from a friend," I smiled innocently. "After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. As the Slayer teaches us, 'A healthy body houses a righteous soul.'"

"Oh my, how wonderfully thoughtful you are!" Lady Nova beamed. "You really are such a good influence. Her room is just down the hall, East Wing, third door on the left. The one with all the... interesting posters. I'm ever so glad that Cassie has found such a nice young man to be friends with!"

"Indeed," I smiled warmly at Lady Nova. "Though I must admit, I'm still learning about Cassiopeia. She's quite... private at school. Perhaps if you could tell me more about her? As her mother, you must know her better than anyone."

Lady Nova exhaled. "Oh, my starshine... she wasn't always so withdrawn, you know. She used to be such a bright, happy little firebug."

I nodded.

"She was always so musical, even as a hatchling. Would sing for hours in the garden, making up little songs about everything she saw. The neighbors used to joke that we had our own personal songbird."

"What changed?" I asked softly, projecting perfect sympathy and concern.

"I... I wish I knew," Anitta's feathers drooped. "The smoking, the dark clothes, the troupe... Sometimes I feel like I've failed her somehow. Like I should have done more, been there more... I'm the Keeper of the Hearth of Nova and yet one of my sparks has gone dim and I just don't know why."

"You haven't failed her," I said. "Teenagers often struggle to express themselves. They push away the people who love them most because they're trying to figure out who they are. It happened to me too when I was younger."

Anitta's feathers shifted through grateful pinks. "You're very wise for your age, Alexander. I just... I miss my little starshine. I miss her songs, her laughter. Even when she's right here in the house, it feels like she's a million miles away."

"She's not as far away as you think," I said softly, subtly directing my words at where I knew Cinder was invisible to all. "Sometimes people need to hear how much they're loved, even if they act like they don't want to."

"Oh, I tell her every day!" Anitta's feathers shifted through pinks and warm golds. "But she just... rolls her eyes or storms off. Last week I tried to hug her and she actually hissed at me! Like an angry little kitten!"

Sharp, invisible claws dug into the side of my hexasuit.

"But I'll never stop trying," Anitta continued. "Even when she's being difficult or rebellious or... setting things on fire in the garage."

"That's what makes you such a wonderful Hearth-Keeper," I rolled on with the Goodly-Nazarite-boy chatter. "From what I heard from Lenoralynne, Lady Xastigar is an excellent Primo-Mother as well."

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"We... manage," Anitta smiled softly. "Though I do wish... we were a bit closer. Well, it doesn't matter what I wish. Xasti provides very well for the family, and that's what's important."

"And you provide the heart," I said. "The fire. The unconditional love that makes a house a home. I... I hope this isn't too forward, but... being here, experiencing such wonderful, full family warmth... it reminds me so much of what I've lost."

"Oh, you poor dear!" Anitta fluttered. "Of course, I didn't mean to... that is... it must be so difficult, being all alone."

"The cathedral dormitory is quite comfortable," I said quickly, ducking my head. "Father Matthias has been very kind. Though..." I hesitated deliberately. "He often completely forgets that I exist, even though a photo of him, me and my dad is hanging in his office. You know how it is with Elder Omnids. One days he's smiling at me and praising me for my choir work and the next he doesn't even know who I am."

"Oh darling," Anitta's feathers shifted through concerned blues. "That must be so difficult for you, having no real stability..."

"It's quite alright," I smiled bravely. "The Slayer teaches us that trials make us stronger. And the cathedral work is very rewarding, even if Father Matthias sometimes forgets who I am mid-conversation and starts wondering what a human is doing in his cathedral hall... on the account that I look nothing like my Thunderbird father."

Claws dug even deeper into my side as Cinder caught on to what I was doing.

"Still," Anitta fretted. "A young man needs more than just a dormitory room and a forgetful, old priest. You need proper care, regular meals, a real home..."

"Oh, I wouldn't want to impose," I demurred perfectly. "You've already been so kind, letting me stay the night..."

"Nonsense!" Anitta declared, feathers flaring with determined pinks. "We have plenty of room, and my trio could use a good influence like you around. And..." her voice softened, "perhaps having you here might help draw Cassie out of her shell a bit. She seems... different around you. More present."

"That's very generous of you, ma'am," I bowed my head. "But I wouldn't want to create any difficulties with Lady Xastigar..."

"Oh, Xasti is hardly ever home," Anitta waved off my concern. "And when she is, she's usually working in her study. Besides, having a proper Nazarite influence in the house might actually please her. She's always going on about maintaining appropriate social connections..."

"I... I don't know what to say," I managed, letting my voice crack slightly. "This is more kindness than I deserve..."

"Then it's settled!" Anitta beamed. "You'll stay with us, for as long as you need."

"Are you..." I began.

"I insist! There are far too many empty rooms in this house as it is! Now, why don't you freshen up and then see if you can coax Cassie down for breakfast?"

After Lady Nova left, invisible claws released their death grip on my side.

"You manipulative little tech gremlin," Cinder hissed as she materialized, her feathers shifting through amazed gold-violets and irritated reds. "Did you just... trick my mom into adopting you?"

"Technically, she offered," I grinned, rubbing my side where her claws had left bruises. "I just... helped her reach that conclusion naturally. You only have yourself to blame for this."

Cinder squinted at me.

"I was perfectly content with my Phantom-of-the-Academy hammock location. And now thanks to you and your Hearth-mom's big heart, I have to actually live in a proper house and have to behave like some kind of civilized person. Do you know how hard it is to maintain a mysterious aura of dark intrigue when you're eating pancakes at the family breakfast table? Also, what's a tech gremlin?"

"A tech gremlin is you," she rebutted. "Someone covered in cameras with an AI in their pocket that sleeps on catwalks. I think I heard it from dad once as a dumb name for humans, but never understood it till now. Like Holy Shit everything you do somehow connects with everything you say and then nobody can get rid of you 'cus you've already infected everything and everyone with your presence like some kind of social virus!"

"Rude," I scoffed. "I prefer 'Digital Artificer' or 'Cyber Shaman' if you must use labels. Also, how are you in two places at once? Why is the other you so angry? Have you considered sending her to therapy?"

"Oh that?" Cinder waved dismissively. "Just a hexashard bound to my door. It's got a few pre-recorded 'piss off' variants in my voice that respond to whatever time it is. Mom's used to it by now."

"Clever," I nodded approvingly. "Though maybe we should update its responses to be a bit less... hostile? Your mom seemed pretty hurt by the constant rejection."

"Don't," Cinder's feathers bristled. "You don't get to just... waltz in here and start fixing everything. My relationship with my parents is complicated."

"My relationship with my parents is that they're dead and MIA," I walked into the bathroom and closed the door. "I'm not fixing anything, I'm incepting myself into your social structure. The longer you keep me here the more inevitable your demise will be from Alexfluenza."

"Your what?" Cinder called through the bathroom door.

"Alexfluenza! It's terminal," I called back. "Stop hovering over me like an angry ghost and go to your room and shower and then pretend not to come out or something."

"I'm not hovering!" Cinder protested through the door.

"Uh-huh," I replied, turning on the shower. "And how exactly are you planning to explain to your mom why you're lurking outside the guest bathroom while I'm showering? That's not very proper Nazarite behavior, young lady!"

Cinder growled something about annoying gremlins, but I heard her wings rustling as she moved away from the door.

I dug the lighter out of my pocket. It looked perfectly mundane.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror and spun the wheel with my thumb. A spark ignited the hissing gas, producing a flash of flame.