Remarkably quiet for a noisy day, the sky still rather pristine this high afternoon, the winds carrying air more chilly than warm though tolerable. The foreigner sighed as she made her way down the street ahead, once again outside in the world beyond.

  After the spellcard assessment, she was asked to remain whilst that last-to-go denizen had her turn—which that denizen passed quite easily. Afterwards, that assessment’s proctor took the time to handwrite some kind of ‘priority recommendation letter’ of sorts which she was told to keep with her and submit alongside the ‘application’. Unlike that prodigy, she herself was not exempt from the rest of that process, for she was then tossed off to the last of her ‘assessments’.

  That final assessment was just a written ‘examination’ of ‘evident knowledges’. This ‘test’ of sorts was apparently necessary for all ‘aliens’, and as she was presumed to be Far Western, she was thus tested on so-called ‘Far Western sciences’ and arithmetic of both ‘basic’ and ‘advanced’ categories. The proctor of that so-called ‘exam’ had told her that assessment would require around three hours to complete… She finished it in one.

  Indeed, the apparent ‘advanced’ categories of mathematics that exam had were just…basic algebraic equations which she practically knew how to solve by instinct. Although the so-called ‘Far Western sciences’ turned out to be…far more sophisticated and developed than she had presumed, she nevertheless felt she had to conceal the extent of her understanding and…avoid correcting certain details, lest she accidently ‘revolutionize’ entire domains of the denizens’ comprehensions.

  Truly… What a lengthy and tiresome process that had been. Nevertheless, she had passed all of it—more than passed, even. And now in her hand was…less a document and more a clipped packet of things to be filled and things to be handed… This was that so-called ‘application’ that she had spent…all of her usable coin to get.

  Alongside that application packet, she also had that letter, that initial special exemption card, as well as that document which the proctors had filled out and stamped throughout that process; all of which she was supposed to keep with the application. She was not given a deadline in when she had to provide this application back to them; it was implied she had ultimate time in effect, so as long as she kept everything together…

  Yet the foreigner again sighed, her mind processing and…cogitating… It was difficult to ‘rejoice’ in this moment of triumph, considering all of the…things she had learned…after getting the application… Indeed, she had a lengthy conversation with the application issuer, where upon she learned…the general details of what the application process entailed, what the Collegium’s ‘programs’ even entailed, and what…she had actually been trying to qualify herself to ‘apply to’ this entire time…

  As it turned out, the process of becoming even a recognized arcane specialized was hardly simple, requiring a multi-year commitment to a dedicated ‘education program’—she was told upwards to four years for reaching that ‘level-3’ rank; up to five to six years if allowed to advance to ‘level-4’… However, since her ‘magical talents’ were ‘exotic’ and ‘alien’, the process was likely to be more…complicated for her.

  Such outcomes, of course, were perhaps easily inferable in retrospect and would be things she would nominally be willing to tolerate, were it not for the fact that she had to endure quite the information dump regarding these so-called…‘regular tuition payments’ and ‘general service costs’, all of which were measured in golds not silvers… Although, they did go on to stress the ‘fee exemptions’, ‘scholarships’, ‘work-study programs’, and ‘loan opportunities’ to alleviate the costs…

  Nevertheless, her being ‘broke’ notwithstanding, that was not even the most problematic issue she had: if accepted into the Collegium, she would have to relocate to the Collegium—which was apparently located deeper within the continent’s interior, at the center of some lake.

  Indeed, this was…the ultimate detraction. Not only was the foreigner simply accustomed to this megapolis, but a total relocation would also require a lengthy travel beyond a settled locality and into the greater continent, which…

  ? You will have to tolerate this. This may seem unreasonably stupid, but they do not follow into heavily populated localities and settlements; they actively avoid them, in reality. So, this city is safer than any cavern… And, if you remain here sufficiently long, they will eventually forget about you… ?

  Such words reverberated throughout her… Indeed, and this last year seemed to have confirmed this theory, considering that her only struggles were adapting to the denizen’s absurdity rather than… Well, the other alternative.

  Regardless, the foreigner had every reason to presume that traveling beyond this settlement would put her at risk… It was entirely possible that she had long already been compromised, and that those unknowns were simply waiting for her to leave this city. Indeed, her former associate had said she was traveling ‘somewhere beyond here’ before departing, and she never returned… It was entirely possible that, by adjacency, the foreigner had…compromised her too.

  Under most circumstances, she perhaps would be willing to take such a gambling risk… What did she have to lose, besides finally perishing in service? Yet… Who was going to transport her, if not the denizens? Indeed, she would be putting them at risk if not herself… She did not want to do that.

  The foreigner let out yet another exhaling breath, staring at the application packet and all of the other such documents to be kept along…

  Yet she had effectively exhausted all of her coin in getting this; now she had nothing left to pay next month’s rent—the entire point of her even doing this… Indeed, likewise, she would not even be able to pay that apartment’s rent if she were absent, and she obviously had not the surplus to ‘prepay in advance’…

  Yet… What else could she do? She was…effectively guaranteed acceptance considering the letter she received… Yet such was only by revealing, quite stupidly in retrospect, aspects of her arcanity she would have otherwise preferred the denizens to…not know too much about, and by consequence she would likely be beset with hordes of denizen magicians slobbering with curiosity…

  Sighing, the foreigner opted to place all of her Collegium documents and such into her carry bag, repositioning something else within it so that it remained quickly retrievable.

  Hmm… However, she then eyed the sky… The sun was clearly beyond noon, but it was not yet evening completely; there was still some day left in this day. She sighed yet again, such having long become as much of a frequent impulse as yawning… She will do one last snoop around to see if she could stumble upon…alternatives. If not, then she will…fill out this ‘application’ and continue down this path.

  Thus, she decided.

  -||-

  “Sorry… I get your willingness, but… Look, we do a lot of heaving lifting—crates, sacks, imports and exports… Lot of it’s Company-shit too, so we gotta be extra working and extra careful. This type of work just don’t befit a lady, especially not one like you… You shouldn’t be the one working at all…” thus spoke a storekeeper of sorts.

  Sighing, “Of course… Well, I will take the leave, then…” the foreigner merely spoke, before…thus, respectfully taking her leave.

  She stepped out back into the world beyond this building, the sky now more orange and yellow than that once pristine blue… Hours had passed, yet the outcomes seemingly remained the same. She was hardly angry or upset, simply… Well, not that she even knew what was happening within the hollow flatness within.

  The foreigner eyed around, cogitating… Whelp, she might as well make way for home, then… Wherever that even was considering she had…wandered so…

  Indeed, where even was she now? Ugh… She began to scan around, attempting to identify indicators… Buildings, buildings, streets and pavement… A weird pillar of sorts… Truly, it was all a blended mess of denizenness without distinction…

  Oh well, she will figure it out on the way.

  The foreigner thus walked and strolled, aimless even if with a targeted goal… The streets and city around were remarkably quiet, at least in her immediate location. Not that many denizens were outside and in the open… It seemed that the city overall was shutting down earlier than it usually did, perhaps being another so-called ‘holiday’ of theirs—the scent of feast was in the air, seemingly.

  Nevertheless, it was rare to find such humble tranquility in this otherwise always preoccupied and busy settlement. A moment to savor, indeed, considering how…difficult tolerating the typical denizen…noise was, especially so as of late… She still did not know why something as mundane as a denizens’ laughs, cries, and…such struck her so in ways…unpleasant.

  As the foreigner continued to stroll, the routes and ways became increasingly more…familiar, yet also increasingly more…sparsely populated. Whatever special occasion or not, she had never seen any part of this city’s outer layer feel so…empty. Or perhaps she had not paid much attention until this point of…contemplations.

  Yet abruptly: Caw. Caw. Caw.

  As if having spontaneously materialized out from no prior detection, such cawing caws came lancing in a surprise suddenty that had stunned her frozen still. She immediately lanced her attention in kind as if alarmed, only to see…

  ? Un’aves? ? Indeed, a bird staring her down, yet one rather peculiar in ways…esoteric and hard to define. ? Corvos… Eone’ta vocatùr? ? A corvid of sorts, she identified. She knew not how she even knew such a species designation, considering such creatures were hardly ever common sights for those like her; she had no memories of the last time she had ever seen a bird like this, such having long eroded from time’s decay.

  Nevertheless, calming, the foreigner looked up at this corvid as it stared her down… Its feathers were not necessarily black as much as a very dark midnight-blue… Its eyes, likewise, were quite…strange, somewhat glowing in a brighter nightly blue sort of color. Staring at it for a few seconds was more than enough for her and more especially her essence to immediately notice…exoticisms.

  ? Oi chimaera…síe?ne? ? Indeed, it was obvious that this corvid was no ordinary avian, rather it was most likely some kind of chimera, and therefore had active chimeric essence.

  Interesting… Though, redundant to her present objective.

  The foreigner shook her head and simply continued to stroll down this way ahead. Yet as she did so, her mind continued to linger… Was that corvid the same bird from earlier? Or…perhaps just another avian of the same chimeric species? Hmm… Throughout her time stranded in this place thus far, she had observed many kinds of avians, but…none of them were chimeric.

  The streets only became more and more denizen-sparse as she continued to make way. Hmm… Weird… Mask-obscured eyes scanning around, it was evident she was in some kind of designated commercial or ‘industrial’ sector. All closed for the day, and thus no denizens around.

  However, she had been through here before; in fact, turning her eyes, she immediately saw a specific store in which she had attempted to…find employment… Staring at that store made her feel…odd and…weird; strange feelings that were…

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  Caw. Caw. Caw.

  Immediately, the foreigner once again froze as her attention came lancing above… Her breaths were amplified, her alert attentive and reactive; her hand had nearly reached into her handbag, in fact. ? Quid nefas?! ?

  Glowing midnight-blue eyes stared her down once again, as if a wandering shadow with wings… It was that corvid again, she immediately identified; it had once again caught her by complete surprise.

  Breaths easing, her posture relaxed as she…backed away just a little, her sight remaining locked as much as its… How long had it been there? She pondered… How did she not notice it? How has she not been noticing it?

  Normally, her augmented senses and especially essence would have long picked up on something that was…following her… Watching her…

  Truly, being in this place was as if there were a perpetual shroud obscuring her senses… Indeed, it was difficult to know when something else was watching her, considering she was already being watched… A certain presence always felt.

  Regardless, relaxing once again, she simply recontinued her strolling walk. Yet this time she remained attentive, glancing at the corner of her visual field and seeing that corvid lingering at the roofs atop as it hopped and following, still staring at her.

  Hmm… As she tracked this stalking bird as it tracked her, she began to realize additional characteristics of this chimeric avian… It was awfully difficult to tacitly track outside of her direct focus, almost as if becoming a spectering amorphous shade whenever in her visual field’s periphery. However, now that she was fully aware of that corvid’s presence, these strange effects seemingly diminished.

  As for why this chimeric bird was following her, she did not bother to ponder too much. Although chimeras were generally far more intelligent than ordinary animals, having more sophisticated nervous systems, they were still…ultimately animals; it was pointless to unravel what could possibly be happening within their heads. However, it was most likely the case that…it was merely curious; her aura had likely attracted it.

  It did not take long for its presence to be tuned out, although she never lost awareness that it was there, following.

  Continuing her strolling walk, she turned an empty corner and entered a narrow passageway…

  Caw. Caw. Caw.

  That corvid once again so cawed and cawed, its wings fluttering as it finally took off and into the air. The foreigner paused, however not from freezing surprise; she looked up at the dimming sky up high, seeing it fly down the same direction she was going. ? Hem… Qual étran?ea crea?ura… ? What a strange creature, she merely remarked.

  Recontinuing her walk, she headed further through this passageway, noise from the city around and afar evident though none emanating from here. She was close to her apartment, she knew. Turning down this curving pavement, she entered an area of thinner street and older…more abandoned…building. Yet, almost immediately, she began to slow in her pace, having so quickly identified…

  A denizen up ahead; his back leaned against the building as if dozed off and waiting…

  ? …fantasticissim?… ? Her breaths shifted; even at this distance, it was rather obvious…who that denizen was. And since she needed to walk down this way to head home, their paths were going to intersect.

  Hearing echoing heels emerge to his left, coming closer and closer, the dozed off denizen so seemingly awoke; eyes glancing to their left, they widened as if surprised. “Oh, hey! Haha! Hey, mask lady! Wow!” He thus waved his arms high and away…

  Indeed, there was no mistaking that tail for hair, and most especially voice… It was that specific patron. He swiftly departed from that wall of his and began to make way towards her…

  The foreigner so sighed… ? …?h optim?, ?e ? homo sapiens inodiantissimus ? síc appro?hat… ? Truly, out of all the days to bump into that denizen… Nevertheless, relaxing her face, she quickly donned that feigning charm and pleasant smile. “Oh! Hello you… Greatly seen!” She thus waved as he approached.

  She was not naive to the fact she was presently within a rather conveniently empty street with no eyes or ears around to see or hear… However, she was in no mood for any further incidents with the locals. Maybe if she humored him, he would peacefully leave her alone.

  “Haha! To think I’d ever see your sexy ass again!” thus that patron blurted; catching up to her, he began to just trail along whilst she continued to walk, strolling next to her and rather…close. “I haven’t seen you and that nice body of yours in ages, so glad we bumped into each other just like that, haha!”

  “…The ‘ages’, you claim… But it has only been the week.” she merely replied, perhaps too bluntly.

  “A week?!” His voice was rather loud; “Lady, more like two! And, well, what can I even say? I’m not used to not seeing your sexy ass in that dump; so, it’s felt like ages for me, teha” he replied, annoyingly as if by intent.

  “Oh, how you flatter me so, fine sir…” the foreigner, again, merely replied, again, perhaps too bluntly dry… Right, normal behavioral expectations for a denizen lady in this situation—being accosted by such a male in such an empty location—would be…concern, fear, and…anxiety. Her breaths abruptly tensing, her posture became more…tightened; “So, uhm… For what cause are you…following me, uhm, in…this empty road?” she inquired, voice now more timid and…awkward.

  The patron cackled; “Tehaha! I mean, why not? We’re just two ol’ pals bumping into each other by Fortune’s luck after forever!” He unsolicitedly wrapped his arm around her shoulder, bringing her closer to him; “And Trinity’s sacred angelic toilet have I missed you!” His grip squeezed lightly.

  Ugh… The foreigner, nearly grumbling, tolerated this. Her former associate had made it clear regarding the implications of this sort of behavior following…an incident; thus, she was not completely naive. However, this denizen was ultimately an annoying fly easy to be squished… He was no true threat to the foreigner, and she remained in ultimate control of this situation.

  “You know…” his mouth-noises so began to noise-make, “that old dump of a shit-tavern isn’t the same without you… Nope! And, you know… What happened that night, nobody blames you either… Not even the other sweet asses you worked with!” He so moaned aloud; “Gods, the women of this continent are something else entirely!”

  “Uhuh… I see…” the foreigner replied, ostensibly discomforted; she had been trying to gently tug herself away from his arm but failing to do so—although, of course, this was merely a feign.

  “Haha! Sorry, my own head got distracted there…” His head shook away his apparent leering thoughts; “But yeah, you know… Your ol’ boss was just an overreacting petit bourgeois full of himself—a total ass… Like, even that fuckwit who got his head cracked open… As soon as he came back to, he was like, ‘oh Trinity’s Son’s asshole, I must’ve had it coming’!” he remarked, his voice so cheery and…weird.

  “Oh… So, that is to say, then, that… He is finely? He is still with the life?” the foreigner…quickly inquired, somewhat softly…

  “Huh? Teyeah, of course he’s fine!” The patron was frank; “He knew what he was getting himself into, and he’s about to get the fattest pile of platinums he’s ever seen; makes it all worth it…” he thus so causally spoke; “Besides, life magic is more common out and about these days, thanks to all those sweet assed freelancer gals—Father in Heaven and His Son, our King of Earth—do I love those gals too…” He made…more of his noises.

  “Oh, well… That is goodly heard, then…” Yet the foreigner had tuned out all of the…gibberish in-between the details she wanted to know.

  Truth be told, she was…perhaps…relieved in some way…deep down within, even if she could not comprehend it. Indeed, she did not want to be responsible for that denizen’s death; she did not want to add yet another echo to the list of the damned and forsaken.

  Nevertheless, the patron’s grip only tightened as he drew her even closer to his figure, hugging her in effect… She could feel the contact between her and his…sweaty-ish being. Ugh.

  She gently pulled herself away from him; not aggressively enough to fully detach his arm from her, but enough to deny further bodily contact.

  “Well,” the foreigner began to promptly say, “I give the thanks to you for telling of that person’s…survival… But unless you have with you more of the ‘silver’ tips, I ask that you now leave me alone, for grace.” she requested, bluntly.

  Yet the patron, unaffected, so chuckled up; “I mean, you say that, but I’m more than willing to give my favorite lady all the golds she wants…” He once again pulled her to him, this time somehow even closer; “Especially for additional services…” There was a tonal shift in his voice, his hand abruptly becoming more invasive and intimate in its touch.

  Yet… ? [‘Golds’]’, jam énquitne? ? The foreigner did not necessarily react; her mind’s attention had fallen astray, it seemed, as she began to cogitate, completely tuning him out… Such was indicative of how little of a threat both she and her essence perceived him as, even in this moment… For better or for the worst.

  Nevertheless, she had been stranded in this place long enough to know what he was and had been implying regarding these so-called ‘additional services’. It was obvious that he wanted to engage in reproductive activities with her, and he was willing to exchange coin for that… Indeed, she was aware of that certain profession.

  Hmm… Yet unlike the denizens who were driven by such procreative drives, lusts, and active ‘libidos’, she herself was both inert in that regard and…most likely sterile; she had no libido, or any proper concept of ‘attraction’ or ‘desire’ for that matter. But in denizen places such as here, such reproductive-oriented activities tended to be done for expanded reasons beyond the blunt utilitarian necessity of species’ continuance.

  Hmm… She contemplated, her mind tuning out everything else. Now that she was thinking of this, in a way… This would be a fairly simple and easy source of coin.

  All she would have to do was allow this—or any—denizen to attempt to mate with her—which would result in minimal consequential outcomes since she was, again, most likely incapable of procreation at all—and suddenly to behold: golds in exchange, months upon months of rent prepaid… If she developed a large enough surplus, she could probably afford the relocation to the Collegium—risks notwithstanding.

  Such would be, indeed, a very logical and strategic usage of her humiform in an environment where the biological, physiological, and phenotypical distinctions were very relevant to the point of total absurdity. This would only be temporary anyway.

  Yet… Even so, her cogitations began to drift… If such a method of coin-making was so simple and strategically sound, why was it not…already common?

  ? One more thing… There may be moments where you will find yourself desperate for currency. So, I must forewarn: do not ever sell your body to them—which is to say, do not offer to engage in sexual activities—direct reproductive intercourse or otherwise—in exchange for currency. It might appear to be a logical and tactical option, but that is not how these denizens think. And most have nothing pleasant to regard about that profession, and they will treat you accordingly… It will remain a perpetual stain, both from their eyes and…even your own… ?

  Such were amongst the penultimate words of her former associate prior to her…disappearance, abruptly echoing in mind.

  Right… Even though there was a rather unambiguous and objective logic to such a strategy, the viability was confounded by the denizens’ own cultural abstractions and normative attitudes. Indeed, ‘whore’, as she had so heard… That word existed as a scathing insult for a reason. The denizens had evident stigmatizing schemas regarding those who engaged in such a profession, thus it was best to avoid such a socially degradative affair.

  His groping having only become more…abrasive, she finally, respectfully but firmly, yanked his arm off her shoulders; “I give sorry, but I am not the ‘whore’. So, I must decline.” she spoke bluntly, stepping off more to the side to distance herself slightly.

  “Wow, lady! That sure took you forever! I was wondering when you were going to react… Almost made me think you getting into it, teha!” the patron’s breaths merely expunged; “Seriously, though, don’t tell you were actually considering it? You were, weren’t you!”

  “Neh…” Her mask-obscured eyes averted away, guilty indeed…

  The patron, perhaps finding an answer in her reaction, cackled aloud; “I’ll be… That’s something. But hate to break your horny heart, I was just kidding around!” he declared, before his hand so brazenly struck her in the buttocks, before walking ahead.

  ? Tnk. ? This abrupt act of aggression made the foreigner tsk; it required a great degree of restraint to actively resist the automated defensive impulse to retaliate… Ultimately, he was still no threat to her. ? Qual parvulos hemonculos irritantissimos… ? Though, still… What an aggravating little bug he was, indeed…

  Although he was still nothing more than a denizen no different than the rest to her, out all of the denizens she had encountered so far, he seemed to more specially make her feel so…irritated, frankly, even if only within the obfuscated shadows of her mind… It was as if he were trying to illicit a hostile reaction by triggering her defensive protocols with his antics.

  Indeed… There was always something about him; his voice, his affect display, his demeanor and behavior; that had repeatedly made her feel strangely…off, yet in ways she could not operationally define; in many vague and inferential ways, there was always that…sense of there being more controlled intention behind his actions than mere mindless automated impulses done without inhibition.

  Hm…

  The patron continued walking more ahead of her, she having not the choice but to stare at his now hunched back, his hands within his pockets. There was an odd silence to him now. It was as if the sense radiating from his posture had shifted, intentions remaining obfuscated.

  The foreigner looked up and around, evaluating the roof tops about… That same corvid, she spotted again; trailing and following…

  No… It was not only him himself that felt so off; this entire situation was off and had been off… Indeed, what was he doing in this conspicuously empty area to begin with? Was it truly a coincidence that they had so happened upon each other in such a way?

  Hm… Although the foreigner opted to remain docile and non-antagonistic, continuing to follow this flow, she nevertheless clenched her handbag tighter, positioning her right-hand to be more…prepared to respond—a preliminary precaution, for now…