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Description
Dusk had fallen over the sleepy cul-de-sac, robbing me of the little natural light that had been filtering through the drawn curtains. Illuminated by the glow of my laptop, I took a moment to study the silent house. No one else was home, which was exactly how I liked it.

Nestled in a cozy nook, I glanced over my immediate surroundings. I had a sizable pile of snacks beside me, a comfortable pillow at my back, and my behemoth of a laptop warming my legs. I'd already donned my headset, and was waiting for two different programs to load before diving into a night of raiding.

There was nothing particularly special about the MMO I played. It boasted a fairly generic fantasy setting, and it wasn't doing anything horribly innovative gameplay wise. What had initially drawn me to it was the promise of a "Fully Customizable, Living Magic System", but that had left much to be desired. I would've dropped it after the trial period ended had it not been for the friends I made along the way.

It's strange to think back on the start of my relationship with the Uncommon Grackles. They'd been looking for a healer, and I needed four other party members, so by the grace of the algorithm, we were randomly paired up. Like some of the other groups I'd matched with, things probably would've ended with that encounter had it not been for a single text chat message.

"Hey, if you've got a mic, you're welcomed to join us in voice chat."

Their tank, whos name I'd later learn was Ben Foster, had sent that completely unprompted. I was extremely against it at first, even if it would make my life easier. But, I already had the gear, so what harm could it really do?

The Uncommon Grackles were obviously friends outside of the game, I could tell that the moment I joined their chat, but surprisingly I fit in really well. That successful instance led to another, and another... then a second day of playing together. Before I knew it, I'd been invited to become the group's official healer.

Now we had weekly raiding nights, which I desperately looked forward to. We talked outside of the MMO, and even played a few other games on occasion, but there was something special about hanging out in this particular environment. Maybe it was because here it was much easier to pretend I wasn't a four inch tall fairy masquerading as a human.

"Willow! How's it going?" Ben cheered obnoxiously the second I got online. "Your week go ok?"

Audibly sighing, I rolled my eyes. "It was alright. Busy, but good. How bout you?"

"Eh, nothing spectacular, work was work. I'm seriously looking forward to this weekend though."

Our banter continued as two more of our friends, Ben's roommate Cameron Hanks, and their mutual friend Preston Shipman, logged on and said their hellos. Once we'd all taken care of some light in game business we gathered at our usual idling spot, a small pond in a secluded part of town, while we waited for our final party member.

"Morgan running a little late tonight?" I asked gently, trying to hide the nervous edge to my voice with a hollow chuckle.

An awkward silence echoed in my ears as Preston sighed. "Yeah, she's in the middle of her overtime this week," he explained. "She said she'd let me know the second she's leaving, and as usual she apologizes."

Glancing nervously at the time, I did another quick scan of the house. Like before there was still no one home, allowing me to relax a little, but I knew if we lagged behind schedule too much I'd be in some serious trouble.

My sudden silence hadn't gone unnoticed. "Hey, Willow. You gonna be ok?" Cameron inquired, taking charge like any respectable group leader would. "I know you've got a touchy situation with your roommate..."

"I'll be fine, don't worry about me," I blurted out. "They won't be home for a while, so there shouldn't be a problem."

Fingers drummed on a desk, and I could practically hear Ben's blood pressure rising. "I wish you wouldn't be so secretive about you home life," he muttered, repeating a line I'd heard many times before. "You're our friend, and we all just want you to be ok. If something really bad was happening, you'd tell us, right?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, sure..."

"Come on Will, why can't you just-"

A loud smack interrupted his sentence. "Ben, shut it," Cameron snapped. "You do this every time, and it always ends with you pissing her off. If she's not comfortable with it, then she doesn't have to say anything."

"Oh, so now it's wrong to worry about a friend?" Ben countered. "What's so bad about being curious about someone you've "known" for the past three years, but don't actually know anything about?"

Cameron growled while he readied his rebuttal, but I threw them all for a loop by laughing. Ben's insistent questions were becoming harder to dodge around, and while it pained me to see them all so frustrated, I knew it was for a noble cause. Namely, my life. However, something about tonight felt different.

"Cam, it's alright," I chuckled into the stifled air. "We've got some time to kill, and it seems that I'm feeling a little generous."

Ben's character not so subtly moved closer to mine. "Really?" he gasped. "Does that means we're finally going get a glimpse behind the curtain?"

"Oh, I don't know about that," I quipped in what I hoped sounded like a playful manner. My heart hammered against my ribs, making it hard to breathe, but I powered through. "Why don't we start with something simple. What do you know, or think you know, about me?"

The question had be directed at the group, but the stoic silence of Cameron and Preston made it clear that they intended on sitting this conversation out. That being said, their intrigue was palpable as we all waited for Ben's response.

He hummed thoughtfully to himself for a few seconds before exploding into a flurry of words. "Let's see... You're smart, funny, and super into tech. You've never corrected us when we've used she or her. I'd guess that you're probably around your mid to late twenties, and based on your availability, you live relatively close to us too, since we've never had a scheduling problem time wise." He paused for a moment before chuckling. "You seem to work some kind of nine to five, since you're always busy during the day, and... you're short."

"Wh-What?" I yelped, flinching away from my laptop.

Ben laughed softly again, though I could tell he was holding back. "Come on, every character I've ever seen you make has always been tiny! You're trying to tell me that doesn't mean anything?"

Breathing a sigh of relief, I fixed my hair and cracked an awkward smile. "How do you know it's not the opposite?" I replied, somewhat scathingly. "What if I'm very self-conscious about being tall, and this is my way of coping with it?"

Preston and Cameron snickered, but Ben did not share their amusement. "Oh, I um... Will, you know I didn't mean anything by it. I just..."

I couldn't stop from joining in the others' merriment, but I managed to control myself. "Ben, Ben! It's ok, I'm just messing with you. Besides, you didn't know."

"That's hardly my fault," Ben grumbled, apparently over his fluster. "We've never seen so much as a picture of you for any kind of context."

While Cameron muttered another warning, I thought over his words. He wasn't wrong, I'd shot down many attempts to send them any kind of picture. There must have been something weird in the air tonight, because the pain in his voice stung.

'Maybe I could try without giving anything away,' I mused. This particular corner of the bookshelf I was camping out in didn't have anything nearby that hinted at my less than normal stature, and my wings were hidden, so I didn't look like anything other than a normal human woman. "I guess it is long overdue, huh?"

A strangled gasp escaped Ben that was unlike anything I'd ever heard before. "Who are you, and what have you done with Willow?" he asked with an air of poorly muted excitement. "Seriously, are you drunk or something? Normally this conversation would've ended like five minutes ago. What's different? Have I finally won you over?"

"I... I don't really know myself," I answered honestly. "Give me a second."

With the soundtrack of Ben's giddy chatter in my ear, I tried to set myself up for a self portrait. It took some work to get a good angle, and with the help of a magically conjured light, I drew in a deep breath and pressed the button on my phone.

On the screen was a person who could've easily passed for a normal human being. Short, light brown hair framed her round face, only slightly obscuring her sparkling blue green eyes. Her pastel green shirt and black pants looked like something you could find at any average clothing store, and the wood grain behind her could simply be an artistically paneled wall.

It had been a while since I'd taken a good look at myself, and I was grateful that I was at least somewhat presentable. I hesitated for a moment when it came time to send the image, and ended up screwing my eyes shut after tapping the screen. My loudly beating heart was the only thing I could hear as I waited for their reaction.

"Willow, wow," Ben whispered with a laugh. "Guess I was right about one other thing too."

"And what's that?" I murmured.

"You're cute."

In my flustered stammering, I didn't noticed someone else joining our call. "Is that you Willow?" Morgan cried out excitedly. "I was just leaving the building when I got the message. So spill, was it a dare? Did you lose a bet? Has our darling Benny finally become too much?"

As Morgan made her way home the group chatted away. I tried to hide my relief that they shifted the topic off me very quickly, but even so I think they could all feel it. Ben remained uncharacteristically quiet during all of this. A sinking feeling settled in my gut at the idea that he was staring at the picture I'd sent. Only time would tell if I'd come to regret that lapse in judgement.

When our last party member finally logged on it was all hands on deck. Everyone knew their roles, and we got down to business almost immediately. The raid we were doing this week we'd done a few times before, but some new gear had been added recently. So, like pretty much every other player, we were trying to grind it out. It was along process, but by the end of our fourth attempt we'd all gotten it. A fifth run was suggested, but it was getting late.

Back in our usual spot, we were winding down for the evening when my phone let out a blaring alarm. "Shit," I hissed, glaring at the time. The homeowners were on their way back, and I needed to make myself scarce. I tried to dial back the fear in my voice as I became acutely aware of the lull in the once lively conversation. "Alright, that's my cue to get going. As always, it's been fun." I'd meant to sound casual, but the words tumbled out of my mouth way too fast.

"Will, please just be careful, ok?" Ben begged. "We're all here for you if you need-"

"Yes, I know," I snapped, itching to log off.

"You can talk to us anytime-"

"Look, I gotta go. I'll see you all Saturday."

This time I didn't wait for a response. I cut off the spell powering my internet connection as I let my laptop power down. In a flash I gathered up my things, stuffed it all into my pack, and slung the heavy bag over my shoulder. Once it was in place I flared my wings to life. Four semi-transparent shafts of copper light appeared at my back, and after fluttering them anxiously, flew off the shelf. Another alarm went off as I hovered, this time announcing the homeowners turning onto the street. Without another thought I was off like a shot.

Deftly zipping into the kitchen, I pried open one of the vents and slid inside without making a sound. From there I rose up through the second floor, and clawed my way out into an alcove between the attic and the roof. The final alarm went off as I was catching my breath, and I scrambled to silence it as two car doors slammed outside. I stood completely still as the humans entered the house, listening carefully to their faint chatter as they moved from room to room. It wasn't until they both went to bed that I let out the breath I'd been holding.

'Another night undetected,' I sighed, dropping my pack and fishing out my pillow. 'I'll do some light restocking tomorrow, and then head out the first chance I get.' Staying in one place for too long only invited trouble, and that was a risk I wasn't willing to take.

As I settled down my eyes kept wandering over to my phone. Even though it was lying completely inert, I could feel a strong pull emanating from the device. The others, my friends, were undoubtedly worried about me, and for some reason it bothered me more than usual. There was little harm in just touching base with them so they'd know I was fine, right?

'Listen to yourself!' my paranoid inner voice rebuked. 'You don't owe them a thing! Why would you put yourself in further danger for the sake of a couple of humans?'

My hand crept closer to my phone. 'They're my friends. Shouldn't I care about what they're going through, especially if I'm the one making them worry?'

'This is all because you sent that stupid picture! You're getting too attached to them, and you of all fairies should know why that's dangerous. Have you forgotten what happened the last time you got too complacent around a human? Remember-'

I closed my fist around my phone as a shuddered ran through my body. 'Of course I haven't forgotten, but that was four years ago. I've done a lot of growing up since then, and I'm not about to make the same mistakes. Plus, this is a completely different situation. For all I know they could be miles away in another state.'

Now that I'd silenced my doubts, I cast a simple spell to bring my phone to life. Double checking that the volume was off, I started typing a message to Ben.

"Hey, sorry for rushing off like that. I'm safe, and everything's fine, so please don't worry about me."

Unsurprisingly he was typing milliseconds later. "Thank god. You really freaked us out, but I'm glad to hear you're alright." There was a brief pause, and then another message. "Any chance of you getting back online?"

It was pretty late, and I knew I was pushing my luck already as it was. "Not tonight. I've got to get up early tomorrow morning, so I really should get to sleep."

First came a winking smiley face, followed by Ben's actual response. "I gotcha, no worries. Well goodnight, and I'll maybe talk to you tomorrow?"

"We'll see. If not, I'll talk to you all Saturday." That was my silver lining, the all day event that we were participating in over the weekend. It had taken a lot of effort to find a suitable spot where I could be undisturbed on my computer for the duration, which was why my day tomorrow was going to be so crazy. "Goodnight Ben."

"Night Willow."

After shutting off my phone for a second time, I laid down and stared up at the dusty wooden beams. Today really had been a big step, but I couldn't tell which direction it was taking me. Every word I said, every drop of personal information I gave out had the potential to become another bullet in my back. My nomadic life was perilous on its own, which should've been incentive enough to keep my mouth shut. Too bad that every day it got just a little bit harder.

The Uncommon Grackles had become my closest friends, and by now probably knew more about me secondhandedly than any fairy I'd ever known. It'd been years since I'd seen another of my kind, not since my clan had kicked me out. Every now and then I'd catch hints of others in the wind, fragrant waftings of magic that were undetectable if you weren't paying attention, but as always I went out of my way to avoid them. I was hardly the norm when it came to "respectable fairy society", and if maintaining my freedom meant steering clear of my people, it wasn't even a question.

A muted roar echoed through the vent, bringing with it a chilling draft as the AC kicked on. Reaching into my pack, I pulled out my threadbare blanket and bundled up. This was just one more reminder than the seasons would be changing soon. Fall wasn't so bad, but winter could be brutal for someone my size. My mobility decreased drastically with the cold, and finding a secure enough hiding spot would be crucial to my survival. Over the years I'd gotten better at hunkering down and weathering the cold, but who knows what could happen...

'Alright, alright. That's enough,' I berated myself. 'I really do need some sleep, and at this rate I'll be up all night.'

My mind continued to wander for a while longer, but it was all inconsequential. Thoughts on the fringe of my consciousness drifted back to Ben and the others, but I didn't let it concern me. Even with the new information, there hadn't seemed to be any negative effects, at least not yet. With a cool down period throughout tomorrow, I was sure that come Saturday, nothing will've changed between us.

Description
Dusk had fallen over the sleepy cul-de-sac, robbing me of the little natural light that had been filtering through the drawn curtains. Illuminated by the glow of my laptop, I took a moment to study the silent house. No one else was home, which was exactly how I liked it.

Nestled in a cozy nook, I glanced over my immediate surroundings. I had a sizable pile of snacks beside me, a comfortable pillow at my back, and my behemoth of a laptop warming my legs. I'd already donned my headset, and was waiting for two different programs to load before diving into a night of raiding.

There was nothing particularly special about the MMO I played. It boasted a fairly generic fantasy setting, and it wasn't doing anything horribly innovative gameplay wise. What had initially drawn me to it was the promise of a "Fully Customizable, Living Magic System", but that had left much to be desired. I would've dropped it after the trial period ended had it not been for the friends I made along the way.

It's strange to think back on the start of my relationship with the Uncommon Grackles. They'd been looking for a healer, and I needed four other party members, so by the grace of the algorithm, we were randomly paired up. Like some of the other groups I'd matched with, things probably would've ended with that encounter had it not been for a single text chat message.

"Hey, if you've got a mic, you're welcomed to join us in voice chat."

Their tank, whos name I'd later learn was Ben Foster, had sent that completely unprompted. I was extremely against it at first, even if it would make my life easier. But, I already had the gear, so what harm could it really do?

The Uncommon Grackles were obviously friends outside of the game, I could tell that the moment I joined their chat, but surprisingly I fit in really well. That successful instance led to another, and another... then a second day of playing together. Before I knew it, I'd been invited to become the group's official healer.

Now we had weekly raiding nights, which I desperately looked forward to. We talked outside of the MMO, and even played a few other games on occasion, but there was something special about hanging out in this particular environment. Maybe it was because here it was much easier to pretend I wasn't a four inch tall fairy masquerading as a human.

"Willow! How's it going?" Ben cheered obnoxiously the second I got online. "Your week go ok?"

Audibly sighing, I rolled my eyes. "It was alright. Busy, but good. How bout you?"

"Eh, nothing spectacular, work was work. I'm seriously looking forward to this weekend though."

Our banter continued as two more of our friends, Ben's roommate Cameron Hanks, and their mutual friend Preston Shipman, logged on and said their hellos. Once we'd all taken care of some light in game business we gathered at our usual idling spot, a small pond in a secluded part of town, while we waited for our final party member.

"Morgan running a little late tonight?" I asked gently, trying to hide the nervous edge to my voice with a hollow chuckle.

An awkward silence echoed in my ears as Preston sighed. "Yeah, she's in the middle of her overtime this week," he explained. "She said she'd let me know the second she's leaving, and as usual she apologizes."

Glancing nervously at the time, I did another quick scan of the house. Like before there was still no one home, allowing me to relax a little, but I knew if we lagged behind schedule too much I'd be in some serious trouble.

My sudden silence hadn't gone unnoticed. "Hey, Willow. You gonna be ok?" Cameron inquired, taking charge like any respectable group leader would. "I know you've got a touchy situation with your roommate..."

"I'll be fine, don't worry about me," I blurted out. "They won't be home for a while, so there shouldn't be a problem."

Fingers drummed on a desk, and I could practically hear Ben's blood pressure rising. "I wish you wouldn't be so secretive about you home life," he muttered, repeating a line I'd heard many times before. "You're our friend, and we all just want you to be ok. If something really bad was happening, you'd tell us, right?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, sure..."

"Come on Will, why can't you just-"

A loud smack interrupted his sentence. "Ben, shut it," Cameron snapped. "You do this every time, and it always ends with you pissing her off. If she's not comfortable with it, then she doesn't have to say anything."

"Oh, so now it's wrong to worry about a friend?" Ben countered. "What's so bad about being curious about someone you've "known" for the past three years, but don't actually know anything about?"

Cameron growled while he readied his rebuttal, but I threw them all for a loop by laughing. Ben's insistent questions were becoming harder to dodge around, and while it pained me to see them all so frustrated, I knew it was for a noble cause. Namely, my life. However, something about tonight felt different.

"Cam, it's alright," I chuckled into the stifled air. "We've got some time to kill, and it seems that I'm feeling a little generous."

Ben's character not so subtly moved closer to mine. "Really?" he gasped. "Does that means we're finally going get a glimpse behind the curtain?"

"Oh, I don't know about that," I quipped in what I hoped sounded like a playful manner. My heart hammered against my ribs, making it hard to breathe, but I powered through. "Why don't we start with something simple. What do you know, or think you know, about me?"

The question had be directed at the group, but the stoic silence of Cameron and Preston made it clear that they intended on sitting this conversation out. That being said, their intrigue was palpable as we all waited for Ben's response.

He hummed thoughtfully to himself for a few seconds before exploding into a flurry of words. "Let's see... You're smart, funny, and super into tech. You've never corrected us when we've used she or her. I'd guess that you're probably around your mid to late twenties, and based on your availability, you live relatively close to us too, since we've never had a scheduling problem time wise." He paused for a moment before chuckling. "You seem to work some kind of nine to five, since you're always busy during the day, and... you're short."

"Wh-What?" I yelped, flinching away from my laptop.

Ben laughed softly again, though I could tell he was holding back. "Come on, every character I've ever seen you make has always been tiny! You're trying to tell me that doesn't mean anything?"

Breathing a sigh of relief, I fixed my hair and cracked an awkward smile. "How do you know it's not the opposite?" I replied, somewhat scathingly. "What if I'm very self-conscious about being tall, and this is my way of coping with it?"

Preston and Cameron snickered, but Ben did not share their amusement. "Oh, I um... Will, you know I didn't mean anything by it. I just..."

I couldn't stop from joining in the others' merriment, but I managed to control myself. "Ben, Ben! It's ok, I'm just messing with you. Besides, you didn't know."

"That's hardly my fault," Ben grumbled, apparently over his fluster. "We've never seen so much as a picture of you for any kind of context."

While Cameron muttered another warning, I thought over his words. He wasn't wrong, I'd shot down many attempts to send them any kind of picture. There must have been something weird in the air tonight, because the pain in his voice stung.

'Maybe I could try without giving anything away,' I mused. This particular corner of the bookshelf I was camping out in didn't have anything nearby that hinted at my less than normal stature, and my wings were hidden, so I didn't look like anything other than a normal human woman. "I guess it is long overdue, huh?"

A strangled gasp escaped Ben that was unlike anything I'd ever heard before. "Who are you, and what have you done with Willow?" he asked with an air of poorly muted excitement. "Seriously, are you drunk or something? Normally this conversation would've ended like five minutes ago. What's different? Have I finally won you over?"

"I... I don't really know myself," I answered honestly. "Give me a second."

With the soundtrack of Ben's giddy chatter in my ear, I tried to set myself up for a self portrait. It took some work to get a good angle, and with the help of a magically conjured light, I drew in a deep breath and pressed the button on my phone.

On the screen was a person who could've easily passed for a normal human being. Short, light brown hair framed her round face, only slightly obscuring her sparkling blue green eyes. Her pastel green shirt and black pants looked like something you could find at any average clothing store, and the wood grain behind her could simply be an artistically paneled wall.

It had been a while since I'd taken a good look at myself, and I was grateful that I was at least somewhat presentable. I hesitated for a moment when it came time to send the image, and ended up screwing my eyes shut after tapping the screen. My loudly beating heart was the only thing I could hear as I waited for their reaction.

"Willow, wow," Ben whispered with a laugh. "Guess I was right about one other thing too."

"And what's that?" I murmured.

"You're cute."

In my flustered stammering, I didn't noticed someone else joining our call. "Is that you Willow?" Morgan cried out excitedly. "I was just leaving the building when I got the message. So spill, was it a dare? Did you lose a bet? Has our darling Benny finally become too much?"

As Morgan made her way home the group chatted away. I tried to hide my relief that they shifted the topic off me very quickly, but even so I think they could all feel it. Ben remained uncharacteristically quiet during all of this. A sinking feeling settled in my gut at the idea that he was staring at the picture I'd sent. Only time would tell if I'd come to regret that lapse in judgement.

When our last party member finally logged on it was all hands on deck. Everyone knew their roles, and we got down to business almost immediately. The raid we were doing this week we'd done a few times before, but some new gear had been added recently. So, like pretty much every other player, we were trying to grind it out. It was along process, but by the end of our fourth attempt we'd all gotten it. A fifth run was suggested, but it was getting late.

Back in our usual spot, we were winding down for the evening when my phone let out a blaring alarm. "Shit," I hissed, glaring at the time. The homeowners were on their way back, and I needed to make myself scarce. I tried to dial back the fear in my voice as I became acutely aware of the lull in the once lively conversation. "Alright, that's my cue to get going. As always, it's been fun." I'd meant to sound casual, but the words tumbled out of my mouth way too fast.

"Will, please just be careful, ok?" Ben begged. "We're all here for you if you need-"

"Yes, I know," I snapped, itching to log off.

"You can talk to us anytime-"

"Look, I gotta go. I'll see you all Saturday."

This time I didn't wait for a response. I cut off the spell powering my internet connection as I let my laptop power down. In a flash I gathered up my things, stuffed it all into my pack, and slung the heavy bag over my shoulder. Once it was in place I flared my wings to life. Four semi-transparent shafts of copper light appeared at my back, and after fluttering them anxiously, flew off the shelf. Another alarm went off as I hovered, this time announcing the homeowners turning onto the street. Without another thought I was off like a shot.

Deftly zipping into the kitchen, I pried open one of the vents and slid inside without making a sound. From there I rose up through the second floor, and clawed my way out into an alcove between the attic and the roof. The final alarm went off as I was catching my breath, and I scrambled to silence it as two car doors slammed outside. I stood completely still as the humans entered the house, listening carefully to their faint chatter as they moved from room to room. It wasn't until they both went to bed that I let out the breath I'd been holding.

'Another night undetected,' I sighed, dropping my pack and fishing out my pillow. 'I'll do some light restocking tomorrow, and then head out the first chance I get.' Staying in one place for too long only invited trouble, and that was a risk I wasn't willing to take.

As I settled down my eyes kept wandering over to my phone. Even though it was lying completely inert, I could feel a strong pull emanating from the device. The others, my friends, were undoubtedly worried about me, and for some reason it bothered me more than usual. There was little harm in just touching base with them so they'd know I was fine, right?

'Listen to yourself!' my paranoid inner voice rebuked. 'You don't owe them a thing! Why would you put yourself in further danger for the sake of a couple of humans?'

My hand crept closer to my phone. 'They're my friends. Shouldn't I care about what they're going through, especially if I'm the one making them worry?'

'This is all because you sent that stupid picture! You're getting too attached to them, and you of all fairies should know why that's dangerous. Have you forgotten what happened the last time you got too complacent around a human? Remember-'

I closed my fist around my phone as a shuddered ran through my body. 'Of course I haven't forgotten, but that was four years ago. I've done a lot of growing up since then, and I'm not about to make the same mistakes. Plus, this is a completely different situation. For all I know they could be miles away in another state.'

Now that I'd silenced my doubts, I cast a simple spell to bring my phone to life. Double checking that the volume was off, I started typing a message to Ben.

"Hey, sorry for rushing off like that. I'm safe, and everything's fine, so please don't worry about me."

Unsurprisingly he was typing milliseconds later. "Thank god. You really freaked us out, but I'm glad to hear you're alright." There was a brief pause, and then another message. "Any chance of you getting back online?"

It was pretty late, and I knew I was pushing my luck already as it was. "Not tonight. I've got to get up early tomorrow morning, so I really should get to sleep."

First came a winking smiley face, followed by Ben's actual response. "I gotcha, no worries. Well goodnight, and I'll maybe talk to you tomorrow?"

"We'll see. If not, I'll talk to you all Saturday." That was my silver lining, the all day event that we were participating in over the weekend. It had taken a lot of effort to find a suitable spot where I could be undisturbed on my computer for the duration, which was why my day tomorrow was going to be so crazy. "Goodnight Ben."

"Night Willow."

After shutting off my phone for a second time, I laid down and stared up at the dusty wooden beams. Today really had been a big step, but I couldn't tell which direction it was taking me. Every word I said, every drop of personal information I gave out had the potential to become another bullet in my back. My nomadic life was perilous on its own, which should've been incentive enough to keep my mouth shut. Too bad that every day it got just a little bit harder.

The Uncommon Grackles had become my closest friends, and by now probably knew more about me secondhandedly than any fairy I'd ever known. It'd been years since I'd seen another of my kind, not since my clan had kicked me out. Every now and then I'd catch hints of others in the wind, fragrant waftings of magic that were undetectable if you weren't paying attention, but as always I went out of my way to avoid them. I was hardly the norm when it came to "respectable fairy society", and if maintaining my freedom meant steering clear of my people, it wasn't even a question.

A muted roar echoed through the vent, bringing with it a chilling draft as the AC kicked on. Reaching into my pack, I pulled out my threadbare blanket and bundled up. This was just one more reminder than the seasons would be changing soon. Fall wasn't so bad, but winter could be brutal for someone my size. My mobility decreased drastically with the cold, and finding a secure enough hiding spot would be crucial to my survival. Over the years I'd gotten better at hunkering down and weathering the cold, but who knows what could happen...

'Alright, alright. That's enough,' I berated myself. 'I really do need some sleep, and at this rate I'll be up all night.'

My mind continued to wander for a while longer, but it was all inconsequential. Thoughts on the fringe of my consciousness drifted back to Ben and the others, but I didn't let it concern me. Even with the new information, there hadn't seemed to be any negative effects, at least not yet. With a cool down period throughout tomorrow, I was sure that come Saturday, nothing will've changed between us.