[https://i.imgur.com/FTYJ6XR.jpg]

The following is an excerpt from the journal of one of the quieter Helping Hands:

Today I had the job of touching up a photo that will be used as an advertisement and promotional photo to motivate the Tower 'Pilgrims.' Pretty far below my skill ceiling, but there aren't many tech jobs these days, so I don't mind.

This photo features the famous duo of Miss Nightingale and Miss Galtry, and it came out pretty damn well, to be expected of Owl.

...Except, it also features a heaping helping of empty space on the left side. I don't know why, but Miss Galtry asked me to extend the parameters of the photo like someone I couldn't see was standing there.

In between the empty space and Miss Galtry, we have Miss Nightingale as the focus; she's the reason everyone is here after all. Speaking of which, Miss Nightingale has a lot more whimsy about her than I think some people realize. She seems to live in the moment and sometimes lets her desires move her. An example of that is Miss Nightingale choosing not to wear her more orientate and aesthetic arc suit but instead a newer, more combat-orientated variant for her photoshoot.

Oh, and I saw her look at Miss Galtry, and almost as if they were talking, Miss Galtry just shook her head and said, "Yes, you look really crisp. Though, I still wish you'd wear one of your nicer arc suits."

Then when Miss Galtry noticed me, she left without a word or howdy-do. I was curious, but whatever, I've seen other Hands having conversations with no one before. It's all about the art of what we do, and sometimes the mind of an artist can be hard to understand. I wonder if Miss Galtry could enter our ranks as a criminal artist of sorts?

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...Anyhow, the combat arc suit includes many upgraded defensive features, like a bulkier chest plate, bigger bracers, a thicker helmet, and less cloth that can get caught up in things. All in all, it's just a touch more utilitarian, focusing on the practical. Hell, you can even see the arc suit above her chest plate.

Honestly, I didn't believe the whole Fairy thing like Owl did at first, but that arc suit... it has absolutely no airflow. How Miss Nightingale hasn't suffocated or fallen over from heat exhaustion is beyond me. Don't even get me started on the helmet. The hole to put your head in that thing is only ten inches around. A child may not be able to wear it. Let's not forget the eyes, I thought it was a blacklight we installed in the helmet at first, but nope, it turns out no one has any idea what's going on with that.

So anyway, on the right, we have Miss Galtry herself. Miss Galtry is as gorgeous, put together, and cold as ever. I've always found the cloth more interesting than her iconic eye. The eye helped make Miss Galtry a household name in NYC, but the cloth, combined with her looks, took the Hex Church from cult to a legitimate religion. That's more interesting, in my opinion.

I've thought about asking how I get some stitched to me. It's not like Frankenstein or whatever; that stuff is surgically implanted. Seems rather obvious based on the carefulness of the stitching anyway.

I heard rumors it might even grow back, I'm all for believing anything these days, so I kinda wanna see if I can get my hands on some.

- Wolf, Helping Hand's Tech Guru

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Note: This is non-commercial because I, unfortunately, do not own the background. I thought the commission came with a custom background, but apparently not. I will be replacing it sometime in the nearish future. When I do, I'll post the final copy, making it the official cover of Book 2.