I’m going to be honest, this is so easy to talk about. If you’d hesitate on a topic like this I guess I could understand that; It’s a tightrope to walk. On the one hand, you want to mine the absurdities, and dissonances for six tons of twenty-four karat ore. But on the other, you want people to be seen, and understood. You want them walking away feeling lighter, having seen ugly truth and laughing in it. That in the end they are human, like everyone else.

  But that hand was [Destroyed], so I’ll just skip all that malarkey!

  Oak was officially a cripple now. Woohoo! Yay! Everybody clap—except for him of course. He was handling the change rather well, all things considered. In fact, Oak was much more interested in how uncomfortable the people around him were when they learned of his new development.

  Apparently being recently altered was devastating. Always been blind? That’s just the way it is. Oh that’s an old wound? That’s a shame, glad you’ve made it this far though. You lost your hand yesterday!? …I’m so sorry.

  People were so silly! Though, it warmed Oak’s heart when the woman at the vegetable stand teared up when he shared the news. They didn’t even know each other!

  It was just so… fascinating! He wanted to see even more people react in all sorts of ways. He smiled to himself as he remembered the complete tool that tried to mock him for it. Heh! People were so silly.

  “—and I’m saying that I can’t just throw in my support on your word alone.”

  “Sir, it isn’t just my word. There are many others that can vouch for me.”

  “You already said that. I’m sorry, but I’m perfectly happy to trade with the Jillhammers. It’s as safe here as anywhere, and they pay on time.”

  “I see… I apologize for taking up your time.”

  Tegan placed her hand over the mans, and nodded stoically. As she parted, she caught Oak’s curious look, and sighed.

  “It’s a vicious cycle. I need people to make progress, but I can’t recruit anyone because I don’t have the history of a good employer yet. I’ve been running in place for weeks.”

  “I could be a good reference.”

  Tegan’s eye’s flickered to Oak’s missing hand—then away. “No. I’ve learned my lesson. Rushing you into situations you aren’t ready for leads to—you four need more time. You’ll become much more helpful once you become elites.”

  Wait a moment… Oak slowed at her words, and walked behind her for a moment, thinking. She didn’t know, did she? Hadn’t he told her? He couldn't learn [Skills]. Oak couldn’t become an elite. Not like Fig, Toni, and Roy could.

  At the thoughts of his friends, a wave of loneliness splashed over his back. That’s where they were right now. Training to become strong. Without him. Sometime soon, maybe even the next time he saw them, they would far surpass him. And… And then what?

  “Oak?” Tegan asked, looking back at him.

  “Coming.” He said absently. He scratched at the back of his head, but failed. He looked down at his missing hand, in confusion, before he remembered. He shook his head.

  He had to unlock more Achievements. Over Achieve. Keep up.

  He took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. He could feel so many feelings biting and scratching at each other in a frenzy… Like a bag of hamsters. Oak nodded. Yeah, like a bag of loud, angry hamsters. They shouldn’t fight like that…

  “…Tegan, why did you come to Weskalderna? What are you here for?”

  She cocked her head at him. “Why the sudden interest?”

  He shrugged. “I want to know more about you! And I haven’t had the chance to ask.”

  Tegan smiled, softly. “Always selfishly thinking of others…” She reached out a hand, and grabbed him by the bicep. She drew him close. “What’s your guess? I’m certain you and your friends have your theories.”

  Oak snorted. “That’s a strong word for wild gossip.”

  “Now you have me so curious.”

  “Fig thinks you’re looking to get married.”

  “What?” Tegan laughed. “Where’d she get that idea?”

  “Well, uh… She assumed that you were a… ‘last scion?’ When you said you were working for the future of your house—marriage is the most direct way to create a legacy.”

  “That’s not a terrible consideration. But no.” She paused in front of a stall that made cheap jewelry. Wood-carved bracelets with polished stones. “Who’s next?”

  “Roy thinks you're hiding something.”

  “Girls are always hiding something. Why do you think we wear such cute clothes! Especially the ones that show something off.”

  “I… what?”

  Tegan rolled her eyes. “The trick is the deliberate withholding of certain sights. This is especially important with immodesty—one must lead the eye, but still hold something back, even if by the slimmest of margins. By the very nature of covering something up, one can’t help but to desire to see what’s underneath. But what makes it work is the implication. The extra bit of information that makes the imagination grow wild… What?”

  Oak was staring at her, slack-jawed. If there were two things that Oak liked most, it might be clothes and women. So to see a woman, talking about being a woman, wearing clothes, in such a novel way? …You might say that he liked it. Just a tiny bit.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  “This is fascinating. I want to hear every thought you’ve ever had about this.”

  Tegan blushed.

  “What do you mean? I feel like this is common knowledge.”

  “It’s new to me. Please, continue.”

  “Okay, okay.” She turned her head away a little. “I have… a couple examples I could use. Do you want the most obvious one, or one of the more subtle ones?”

  “You can’t give me everything?”

  She gripped his arm tight as she scoffed.

  “You’re so insatiable!.” She side-eyed him. “You lost the others. Obvious one it is.”

  “Hey, wait a second—“

  “Too late!” She held up a finger as she continued her point. “One of the most potent forms of implication comes in the form of a well-endowed lady who takes her modesty seriously. Unless she takes special measures, it will forever be known to any who see her, that she has what others do not.”

  “Taste, I presume?”

  She pushed him, and pulled him back as he laughed. “Don’t play coy, Oak. It’s the first thing one notices about her, and since there is such bounty to be unveiled, it becomes so much more alluring.”

  “There’s so much I want to see.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Oh. I mean yes, I was also referring to your point.”

  She stopped in place and peered into his eyes with a suspicious squint. He gave her a winning smile, that for some reason, only made her glare harder. His smile grew strained.

  “Oak.”

  “Yeeees, Tegan?”

  Before Oak could burst out of his pants, Tegan pressed him.

  “You haven’t been staring at me inappropriately, have you? While I was talking of such delicate matters?”

  “NO! I mean, no I wasn’t. I mean I was thinking about—but really something else was on my mind, believe me.”

  “Quite. And that was?”

  He spoke over-quickly. “That I like seeing you talk like this. I didn’t know this was something you thought about, so seeing such a fresh perspective, your perspective was wonderful. I thought, I’d like to see so many more sides of you I haven’t yet.”

  “O-oh.” Tegan flushed deep red, again, like only a single time before. From her neck to her ears. She looked as far away from him as she could. “That’s okay, then. I suppose.”

  Oak averted his gaze with a smile, and stepped forward to continue perambulating.

  “Of course I’d love to see more of you, but I thought that was implied.”

  "Ah!” Tegan shoved him away, and he went sprawling. “Shut up!” As he got back to his feet, Tegan walked away without turning to him. “That’s two theories. What’s your last two?” She said furiously.

  “Bit too far again? Ahahah… sorry.” Oak also kept his face looking studiously ahead. “Toni says she doesn’t have enough data.”

  “So then there’s you.” She said curtly. “Why do you think I came here?”

  Oak sucked on his tongue for a moment. He thought back to the sight of her struggling to lift her chin back up. The fight to straighten her back. “I think you wanted to push yourself.”

  “Ah,” she whispered to herself. “Too clever for you own good.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’re more right than you think you are. I’m here for the same reason anybody else is. For power.”

  “Ah.” He said. “It always comes back to power.”

  She slowed, and nodded. “Freedom doesn’t come cheaply.”

  Oak held up his bare wrist, and nodded to himself, simply. The body was always such an easy target for costs. So often it was the first line of defense, when it didn’t need to be. It was like exercise, in a way. You could pay the price of time, and effort, or you could leave it up to fate to decide… This was the result of playing when he didn’t have what he needed to back it up. He would never give up joy, but more effort was a better price to pay.

  “Let me know if you see fish.” He said.

  “…Did you do something?” Tegan looked around warily.

  Oak blinked. “What? No! Not this time. I just need about eighty or so fish. It’s for a… personal project.”

  “Do I want to know? Or should I just be ready.”

  Oak chuckled. “This one shouldn’t affect you.”

  “Hmm.” Tegan grabbed him by the arm again, and steered him to a room that jutted out of the floor. There were many like it, but most had been monopolized by stalls, and shops. Tegan sat down primly, while Oak settled next to her. She closed her eyes, and breathed in the smell of the market.

  Oak decided to just watch for now. The Green Way, or just Greenway, as it was sometimes called, was huge. A large, branching tunnel enclosed by homes and rooms, often with tributaries of other paths intersecting it along its length. It was a major part of the city, and here was only a small piece of it.

  It’s hard to really capture its atmosphere unless you sat there and looked at it for a while. Unlike Redway, where sunlight supplemented the display, this place was monochrome. No reds, no indigos, or yellows, not as such. They just looked different down here. Add to that the orbs of transparent light that drifted through the space, and it was like walking through a world filled with lime jello.

  But then someone would bring out a candle or a torch, and the illusion would break.

  “Why are you like this, Oak?”

  “Excuse me?” Oak turned to Tegan with an unsure smile.

  “You have to know that you are strange. Some would say that you ‘don’t act like you should.’ Last night, a few times before then… today.” She paused. “You could revive at a church and have your hand back in less than an hour. But most people don’t take such a change well, even knowing that. Yet, here you are, more interested in flirting with me, than the fact that you were… attacked.”

  “So we were flirting?”

  Tegan frowned at him. “This time I really do need you to shut up.”

  Oak winced.

  Tegan looked away. “ I don’t understand why you’re okay right now. Why do you risk yourself for such ridiculous things? Tell me Oak. Help me figure you out.”

  Oak leaned back, as if he’d been pushed. He took a breath, and put on his armor; A good, normal smile.

  “That’s a question that cuts pretty deep.” He said lightly. “And I’m guessing that saying, ‘that’s who I am,’ wouldn’t be satisfying.”

  “No, It would not.”

  “Well.” He said. “You’re going to stay disappointed for a while.”

  Tegan pursed her lips, and turned more fully towards him.

  “…I thought this was the right time.”

  He shook his head, and lifted his hand to cup her chin… Before he remembered again. He grimaced and dropped the arm, and turned back to the sight of the market.

  “It’s not. I’m sorry.” He sighed.

  They sat in silence for a moment, watching the people slowly trickle out of the market as night drew close. Stalls closed down, and were packed up, while others took their place. The night crowd would be in soon.

  As Oak and Tegan made their way out of the Green Way, I finally decided to give them a break.

  “Fish.” Tegan said. “I didn’t see him earlier.” She nodded to a stall being packed up. As they walked up to the two men, they caught the end of their discussion.

  “—bad day. I have about a hundred fish left.”

  Ooh! Now that was perfect! Oak marched up to the two men, and held out his good hand to shake. After a brief discussion, it came down to the same thing it always does… rock paper scissors.

  “—shoot!”

  The man threw out scissors… and stared blankly at the space Oak’s hand should have been. “What does that count as?”