i'm starting with the man in the mirror/ i'm asking him to change his ways
and no message could have been any clearer: if you wanna make the world
a better place, you gotta look at yourself and make that change

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Phoenix practically leapt out of bed. Today marked the first performance on the stage at Vintage Volumes, and Phoenix wouldn't miss it for the world. It meant that he might get to see Miles' smile, after all. He wondered how far he would go just to see it. It really was a rare treasure.

"Larry!" Phoenix barked at his friend, passed out on the couch as per usual. He had a room of his own (even if it was the size of a closet), but he wasn't someone who managed his time well, meaning he often passed out here after watching TV or playing video games.

"What, what?!" Larry groaned.

"I usually don't wake you if I don't have to, but did you want to come see the concert at the shop today? Iris and Dahlia will be there. Ema and Maya and Pearl, too."

Larry blinked his eyes until they widened, startled.

"Is that today?! I got my weekdays totally mixed up!" A silence, and then he smiled an odd, glassy smile. "Geez. I sound just like my friggin' mom. Dammit." He hissed at the pain of the sunlight entering his eyes and squeezed at the bridge of his nose.

Phoenix frowned. It was something Larry would never have brought up if he wasn't half asleep. He thought about pushing the subject, about asking if she was okay and if Larry had seen her recently. He decided against it. Larry rolled off of the cushions and stood, slurring something about taking a shower. Phoenix took a moment to try and save his now dampened mood.

Phoenix was lucky to have supportive parents and an apartment of his own. Because he'd worked so hard to get a full scholarship, saving them the cost of tuition, they insisted on paying to put him up here during the summer. It was small in terms of living quarters and the not-kitchen, but it had a big open space with a great deal of natural light that made an amazing studio, one big enough for him to paint and for Larry to sculpt.

His parents had agreed to also put up Larry, without question. They'd known the boy since he was little, after all. They knew about the truth that he didn't like to talk about.

Phoenix, having already showered, made the two of them a quick breakfast. Larry wolfed it down. He had seemingly forgotten what he'd let slip and had returned to his usual demeanor. Phoenix snuck glances at him as he ate. He wished there was something he could do to help, but he knew Larry would withdraw from him if he dared breach the subject, and he didn't want to hurt his best friend, even with the best of intentions.

"I'll drive us, if you wanna get there quick," Larry offered. His car was barely big enough to qualify as a car, but it got the job done. "I'm investing, y'know. I wanna get a van big enough to drive us all around, since none of you people can drive."

Phoenix laughed as he buckled his seat belt.

"Hey, Maya can drive. It's just best for us all that she doesn't."

The trip, by car, was almost shockingly short, making Phoenix wish for about a half of a second that he could drive. He checked his phone for the time— he was early. This was okay, as it meant he had time to talk to the others first.

Miles seemed to perk up when he saw Larry and Phoenix enter together. Thankfully, Larry didn't betray the fact that they had shared a car and made for the back of the store, where he apparently found Maya, as Phoenix heard her loud greeting.

"Hello, Phoenix. I hope he hasn't been bothering you too much," Miles grumbled, eying the other man's back as he left. Phoenix snorted. Then, he realized that Miles had called him by his first name, and he made a conscious effort to remain standing.

"No, no, he's fine. He came to see the performance. Nice flyers, by the way." Phoenix flashed a cheeky grin and Miles rolled his eyes, though he let out a quick huff of a laugh. Phoenix had drawn the artwork for the poster himself.

"They are nice," Miles said quietly, not meeting Phoenix's eyes.

Phoenix gulped, warning himself not to blush. Miles had, however indirectly, complimented his artwork.

It occurred to him just then that summer break was truly nearing its end. If Miles was considering a transfer, he didn't have much longer to do so. Not if he wanted to get a decent dorm, anyway. Ivy U allowed students to pay a fee to pick a dorm, to reside in one alone, or to choose a roommate, and many people took advantage.

"So I don't wanna put any pressure on you right away or anything, but have you put any more thought into transferring?"

Miles paused, looking slightly uncomfortable. He kept wiping the same spot on the counter, and it seemed like he was doing it just so that his hands had something to do and he had an excuse not to look up. Phoenix noted that Miles had a lot of nervous tics, particularly his habit of squeezing his elbow.

"I don't know. I would feel bad about having to go through all the trouble of a transfer. I already waited so long to get started on my degree—"

"Wait, what do you mean you waited? I thought you said you and I were the same age!"

Miles stared blankly at him for a moment, and then his mouth formed an ah. He stood up properly to face him.

"Oh, right. In the end I ended up going at the acceptable age. I meant that there's a long gap between my graduating high school and my starting college."

"W-Wait, how old were you when you graduated high school?!"

Miles flashed a strangely haughty smirk for a fraction of a second.

"I was fourteen."

Phoenix only stuttered, and couldn't form words to respond. He already knew quite a few 'geniuses'— Maya, Ema, and Franziska were all barely eighteen, and yet they all were preparing to enter their second years. It was almost as if the universe wanted to constantly make him feel inadequate. Now, he realized that Miles was another such 'genius'. He'd managed to get high school entirely out of the way at the same age that Phoenix's voice had finally dropped. Just thinking about it made his head hurt.

"S-So what did you do in your gap years?" Phoenix tried to act unimpressed and failed miserably. He thought he saw Miles laughing at him for a brief moment.

"I managed to qualify for some overseas programs in music, and I was sponsored for some other special courses. They certainly look good on a résumé, and Uncle Ray insisted I take the opportunity. I also had trouble narrowing down my college options out of all the scholarships I received... In the end, we decided to go with the best music school in the area."

Phoenix grumbled under his breath at that. He had worked tirelessly to get into Ivy University. For him, there had only ever been that one option, that one dream school. And here Miles was, lamenting having to narrow his list down. It wasn't like he could fault him for it, though. Miles had clearly given his best effort.

"S-So did you meet the musicians yet?" Phoenix asked, trying to distract himself from his self-deprecation. Miles nodded.

"Twin violinists. That's a new one. ...The red-haired one doesn't like me."

"She doesn't like anyone," Phoenix retorted instinctively. Miles raised an eyebrow.

"You know them?"

Oh, dammit. They're only supposed to be friends of Maya's.

"U-Uh, sort of. They go to Ivy U. Dahlia's got a reputation that follows her around. Iris is cool, though."

"I see."

Phoenix managed to slip away from the conversation before he put his foot in his mouth again, and he snuck to the back of the store. Ema, Maya, and Pearl were laughing with Larry, and he was told that Iris and Dahlia were busy preparing for their performance elsewhere, likely in the enlarged and refurbished break room. Miles had told him it no longer had to share its space with inventory.

Before he could look around, Maya practically tackled him and dragged him to the break room. Ray sat with Dahlia and Iris, who were still polishing and adjusting their instruments while Ray helped put their stands together.

"I know a thing or two about these," Phoenix heard him say. "I've known musicians all my life. 'S why I took up the harmonica. Can't say I'm great at it, but Miles enjoys playing his piano along with me."

Iris giggled. It seemed that her sister was focused, and wasn't intent on destroying her happiness for the time being.

"I suppose that explains the piano by the stage. I'm sure you can play beautifully, Mr. Shields!"

Ray shook his head and looked incredulously up at Maya.

"Where did you find these two? This girl is a delight!"

Maya ruffled Iris' hair. "She is. A real angel!" While Iris blushed, Maya turned to Phoenix. "Got a few things to go over with you. For one thing... Is Larry okay? He seemed a little off his game."

"He got his weekdays mixed up this morning and accidentally brought up his mom."

Maya's expression turned sad for a moment. Phoenix didn't have to say anything more than that.

"Oh. ...Anyway, second thing. Did you see Pearly out there?"

"You grabbed me before I could see anything!"

"Oh, did I? Sorry. Anyway, she's here because Aunt Morgan is being mean again, so we're all being super nice, okay? We're all going to the ice cream place down the street afterwards, and she wanted to know if it was okay to go to your apartment to watch the newest episode of Pink Princess after that."

"Of course it's okay! I need to finish some more paintings, anyway. I'll just be in my studio." Phoenix smiled as reassuringly as he could.

"Is that you, Phoenix?"

Phoenix paused to look past Maya. Iris was smiling at him and waving. He waved back, eying Dahlia to make sure she was still preoccupied.

"I came by to see you two play! Is this the first time you've performed by yourselves?"

Iris blushed and glanced at Ray, who had finished with Dahlia's stand and moved on to set up hers.

"No, but this is our first time being professionals. Mr. Shields has insisted on paying us. I tried to tell him that it's no trouble, but—"

"Now, now, I plan to treat all of my artists like real professionals. I'm sure you're all tired of having your services treated like an afterthought, right?" Ray interrupted. Phoenix winced.

"If I had a nickel for every person who wanted me to paint them for free or complained about my commission price... Well, I wouldn't have to do commissions at all."

"Oh," Ray chirped, suddenly reminded of something else. "By the way, thank you for the poster artwork. As promised, you'll be getting paid as well."

"Thanks again for that! It doesn't take me long to whip up something like that, so whenever you need it—"

"I see we're all having a party in here."

Phoenix gulped and turned to find Miles standing in the doorway, looking slightly confused and suspicious. Phoenix blushed as he tried to stammer for words.

"O-Oh, hey, Miles! Mr. Wright here wanted to meet the musicians. They're friends of mine, so I told him I didn't mind introducing him." Maya looked at Iris while she said this, and the girl looked confused for a moment, but nodded that she understood. Ray suppressed a chuckle.

"...I'm just here to remind everyone that the concert starts in about five minutes. People are beginning to show up, so if you want good seats, I'd recommend getting them now."

"Ah!" Maya hopped in place. "I better get out there and make sure I get good ones for me and Pearly. I laid stuff out to try and reserve them, but you can't be too careful. I'll see you out there, Mr. Wright!"

Miles did a little bow as he left with Maya on his heels. Iris bowed her thanks at Ray as she took her music stand and scurried off, Dahlia following more slowly behind. Phoenix and Ray completed the procession. Phoenix managed to grab the last empty seat in the front row, one right between Pearl and Ema.

"Mr. Nick!"

Phoenix beamed down at the little girl, who was dressed not in her usual robes, but in a cute sundress with a large ribbon, her usual hairstyle replaced with a braided bun. It was clear that she'd had a bad day by the forced nature of her smile, and Maya often dressed her up when she'd been feeling sad. Pearl didn't get to wear "normal" clothes very often.

"Hi, Pearls. I'm happy to see you!" Phoenix said cheerfully. He ruffled the girl's hair as he looked over at Ema. Are you coming with us for ice cream? he mouthed at her. She nodded and winked.

"He's cute, by the way," Ema whispered, gesturing behind them with her shoulder. Phoenix turned to see that Miles and Ray stood together behind all the chairs. "It's the first time I've seen him in person! I've been providing support from the shadows."

That statement immediately worried Phoenix, but he didn't have time to reflect on what she meant. The lights of the back of the store dimmed, until the only real light was that coming from the stage. Phoenix could barely make out the figures of Iris and Dahlia standing in the shadows by the stairs leading up to it. For now, Uncle Ray hopped up the stairs and took to the microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is my most sincere pleasure to introduce our first musical act. Please give a warm welcome to the beautiful Hawthorne sisters!"

He slowly stepped aside as the audience applauded and whistled, descending down the opposite flight of stairs, as Iris and Dahlia took the stage and sat in the chairs provided for them. Iris quickly adjusted the microphone. It seemed they had already done a sound check. Iris positioned her instrument and inhaled a breath as she waited for Dahlia's first notes.

Phoenix had wondered what two violins were capable of, and it seemed he'd vastly underestimated their musical capabilities. He never felt that their songs were missing anything, and much of the audience swayed from side to side as they listened, enraptured. It was also interesting to see Iris play while up this close. Her eyes closed, and her mouth settled into a small, peaceful smile as she coaxed warm notes from her beloved instrument. She looked truly alive when she played. In contrast, Dahlia maintained a slightly toned-down version of her usual haughty expression. She seemed to be more serious about music, about the technicality of it.

When he had the chance, Phoenix snuck glances back at Miles. As he'd hoped, Miles looked truly mesmerized, and he couldn't help but smile every once in a while. Ray seemed to he thoroughly enjoying himself, too. Phoenix found that this made him happy because he was sure that it made Miles happy. Miles cared deeply for his Uncle, after all.

When they had finished their set, Iris and Dahlia stood, linked elbows, and bowed to the audience. Phoenix mentally counted off seconds in his head until, as he had predicted, Maya and Ema and Larry stood to holler and scream. He decided to join them, and little Pearl eagerly imitated her older friends. Phoenix thought that he heard Miles laughing softly.

It was in this happy reverie that Phoenix became careless. He, along with his friends and Ray and Miles, quickly joined the girls in the back corner of the store, in the shadow of the stage, as the audience began to dissipate.

"You were as spectacular as always, my sweet flower," Larry praised. This earned him a glare from Dahlia, though Iris blushed and waved him off with a hand.

"It's so nice to see you, Larry. The school year is starting soon— will you be rooming with Phoenix again this year?" Iris asked, as innocently as always. Larry flashed her a thumbs-up, not noticing that Miles, standing behind him, had tuned in to the conversation.

"Oh, totally! We managed to get a place with more windows this time around—"

"Rooming together?"

Phoenix froze. He swore that he felt his heart stop, and he was too afraid to turn around. Larry hissed through his teeth. Poor Iris didn't even realize what she had done, though to be fair, Larry had gone along with it. Phoenix worked up his nerve and slowly turned to face Miles, who had narrowed his eyes.

"D-Did I..." Phoenix roughly grabbed hold of both Larry and Maya, putting a casual arm around each of them. "Did I fail to mention that these two are my best friends?" Phoenix laughed nervously and felt a bead of sweat run down his neck.

There was a very long silence in which Phoenix could see Miles looking back and forth between the three faces, mentally recalling every moment he'd spent with them. Phoenix held his breath.

"You intentionally avoided mentioning it," Miles finally retorted. He had his arms folded protectively across his chest. It seemed he hadn't drawn any conclusions from this, but he still seemed miffed at having been deceived.

"What? No, of course not! Why would I do that?" Phoenix tried to feign innocence. When Miles' expression didn't change, Phoenix sighed and moved forward to take him aside alone. "Look, would you want to be associated with Larry right out of the gate? I mean, he introduced himself by asking where you keep the porn—"

"Keep your voice down!"

"—and Maya's a very nice girl, but she tends to scare people off with all that energy. I didn't want you to think I was weird for the company I keep, but..." Phoenix snuck a look back at his friends, who waited anxiously for him to return to them. "...When it comes down to it, they're the best friends a guy could ask for. And I shouldn't have kept that a secret. Can you forgive me?"

"...I suppose I can't be angry that you brought more people into the store," Miles huffed after a quiet moment. Phoenix flashed a thumbs-up at Larry and Maya behind his back and heard Maya breathe a sigh of relief. She waited only a moment before she sprung forward to stand before Miles and profusely apologize. Larry seemed to think it would be easier to simply play it off. Within moments, the three of them were having a separate conversation. Miles still seemed annoyed, but not truly angry, and for that Phoenix was grateful.

Phoenix couldn't help but notice Ray watching from the background. His expression betrayed that he had known all along. At the same time, he didn't look unhappy— far from it. After a moment of smirking at Miles, he turned to Iris to reassure her. She still seemed embarrassed that she had caused Phoenix trouble, even if she didn't understand the full story.

"While we're all chatting— hi! I'm Ema Skye. I go to Ivy U, where I'm studying chemistry and literature. It's nice to meet you!" Ema had elbowed her way through the remaining crowd to introduce herself. She extended a hand, and Miles looked suspiciously at it for a moment before taking it in his own and giving it a limp-wristed shake. Ema tried not to laugh. Maya took her introduction as an opportunity to start telling Miles all about Ema and how great she was. The man was clearly overwhelmed.

Phoenix, unable to get a word in edgewise, looked down and noticed a small girl clinging to Ema's leg. Pearl was always a bit shy around crowds. To his surprise, though, she didn't look frightened. She was looking up with an expression that he couldn't place, one that he'd never seen before.

"Hold on a second, guys," Phoenix said firmly, motioning at his friends to quiet down. He knelt down until he was at Pearl's eye level. "Is something wrong, Pearls?"

"Pearly!" Maya jumped when she saw her cousin and took her by the hands. "I was wondering where you went! I thought that you must have been talking to Iris."

"I'd like to," Pearl began, "but she is busy speaking with Mr. Store Owner— er, Mr. Shields— and her sister. I can wait!"

As soon as she'd finished speaking to Maya, Pearl's expression settled once more into that face that Phoenix couldn't identify.

Now, he was able to see that she was looking directly at Miles.

"...H-hello there. What's your name?" Miles stammered when the girl's droopy grey eyes didn't leave him. Phoenix could tell just by looking at him that Miles wasn't good with children.

"I'm Pearl, Pearl Fey. Master Maya is my cousin!"

"I-I can tell you're relatives. The two of you have similar eyes. Um..." Miles looked like he was holding his breath. Pearl didn't look away, and after a moment, she slapped her hands against her own cheeks as a strange, dreamy smile overtook her face. She looked at Maya.

"Can I ask, Master Maya?!"

"Ask what?" Pearl waved her down, and Maya knelt so that Pearl could whisper the question in her ear. Maya suppressed a laugh as she stood and nodded. "Sure, go ahead!"

Pearl beamed up at Miles, her cheeks turning pink.

"Are you a prince?!"

"...I beg your pardon?"

Everyone started laughing before Miles could properly voice his confusion. Pearl wasn't wrong— the man did look like a prince, between his formal stance and his shiny hair.

"He's not a prince, Pearly, he's just pretty," Maya eventually replied. She could barely force the words out through her laughter.

By the time everyone had recovered and Maya got to reassuring a very embarrassed Miles that it was okay to be pretty, Phoenix looked to the corner and found Iris standing alone with Ray.

"Where'd Dahlia go?"

Iris perked up. She somehow managed to look both lost and relieved at the same time.

"U-Um... She said she had someplace else to be and that I would only slow her down if she took me with her. She said she'll be back here to pick me up afterwards. So... Here I am," she explained. Ray frowned, but said nothing.

Phoenix looked around and saw that most of the other customers had left. Kay had arrived to look after the counter. The only people lingering near the stage were Phoenix and his group of friends, along with Miles and Ray.

This seemed to give Maya an idea.

"Oh my god, Miles, I just had the best idea. You should totally come with us for ice cream! We're all taking Pearly out on the town, and you need to get out more!"

Phoenix wasn't sure who was more shocked and embarrassed— Miles, or him. Thankfully, no one paid any attention to Phoenix's sputtering.

"I-I cannot just drop everything and go get ice cream with a bunch of customers. I have to work!"

"Not today," Ray interjected. "Kay is here, and I'm here. You can go."

"I don't have any cash on me—"

Ray fished twenty dollars out of his pocket and thrust the crumpled bill into Phoenix's hand. Miles glared at his uncle, engaging him in a silent argument. Ray only shrugged innocently.

"Just go out and have some fun with your new friends, okay?" Ray pleaded with a final wink and a half-hearted shove. Miles blushed furiously upon hearing the word "friends". Phoenix grabbed Miles by the forearm and gently led him away before he could offer any further protest. Kay giggled as she watched the large group leave.

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Surprisingly, it was Iris who managed to keep Miles calm on the short walk to the ice cream parlor. She kept him talking about classical music, and they discussed their favorite composers. Phoenix made a mental note to thank her later and to look further into Beethoven, as Miles said he was his favorite— something about "the simplistic but emotional beauty of his Moonlight Sonata."

"What kind of ice cream do you want?" Ema asked Miles. He shook his head.

"I don't like ice cream."

Pearl gasped and covered her mouth as if she'd just heard the highest form of blasphemy. Maya drew the girl close as if to protect her.

"Who the hell doesn't like ice cream?!" Larry argued. Miles shrugged.

"It's all too sweet," he insisted. "I don't do well with—"

"One scoop of green tea and one scoop of espresso for him, please," Phoenix told the clerk, handing over the bill Ray had given him. Miles opened his mouth to respond, but seemed too confused to think of a criticism. Phoenix handed him the cone as soon as it was ready. "It's not too sweet. ...Go on, try it!" Miles glared at the cone. Phoenix sighed. "...Just trust me, will you?"

Miles looked a bit embarrassed by that, but huffed as he lifted the cone and took a tentative taste. His features relaxed as soon as his mouth absorbed the flavor.

"...Well?"

Miles looked down at the floor tiles.

"It's good," he mumbled. "I like it, actually. ...I suppose."

"Such a tsundere," Phoenix laughed, looking at Maya out of the corner of his eye. Miles raised an eyebrow.

"A what now?"

"Uh, nothing. What are you having, Iris?"

Iris held up her elegantly wrapped cone and giggled.

"It's like cheesecake with strawberries in it. So delightful! I've never seen so many flavors." Without her sister around, Iris was able to smile freely and effortlessly, and her laughter sounded light.

Phoenix agreed with Iris about the flavors as Pearl settled on a cotton candy one and Larry kept demanding more sprinkles for his mint chocolate chip. Maya's cone seemed to be mixed with lots of caramel and fudge, while Ema picked the oddly-colored blueberry. Phoenix, with his plain vanilla and strawberry cone, felt like the odd one out.

"Let's go, troops!" Maya shouted suddenly, charging out the door with Pearl in tow. Phoenix made sure that everyone had paid before he rushed to follow her.

Maya seemed to be headed for the park at the end of the street. She'd said she wanted Pearl to scope it out, as she planned on having her stay over more often. It was the sort of place where people went to feed the ducks and draw beneath the trees and walk their friendly dogs, and it had a spacious playground. He struggled to finish his ice cream, hoping to help Pearl get up on the monkey bars.

About halfway down the street, Phoenix turned to find that Miles was still following, but doing so shyly and with his eyes fixed on his own feet. He lingered several paces behind the rest of the group. Before he could remedy this, he saw Ema slow her pace so that they walked side by side.

"So what kind of books do you like to read? Me, I read and write sci-fi!"

Ema's distraction worked. Miles looked up at her, and Phoenix slowed to casually join their group.

"It's... funny that you should mention science fiction. I actually just finished re-reading Ender's Game for extra credit."

"Yeah? What did you think?" Phoenix asked. Miles chuckled as he glanced at him.

"It's about the same as I remember, but something struck me as humorous— for such a homophobic man, Orson Scott Card spends an awful lot of time describing male bodies."

Both Ema and Miles shared a knowing laugh, while Phoenix reeled in his surprise.

"He's homophobic?!"

"Oh, absolutely!" Ema confirmed. "Betcha didn't know that H.P. Lovecraft was horribly racist, too... Even by the standards of his time."

"What?!"

"It's true," she laughed. "It's why the World Fantasy Awards removed his bust from their trophies."

"I didn't realize there was so much politics to science fiction," Phoenix mused— not that he didn't understand why they would make such a change. He wouldn't much like receiving a statue of a racist as an award.

"And a lot of bitter old men complain about that. I always feel compelled to remind them that the genre got started because a nineteen-year-old girl got creative about telling a ghost story during a vacation," Miles said.

"...Did it?" Phoenix felt like he was learning a lot in the span of this short conversation. Being around Miles seemed to make him smarter, even if only by osmosis.

"It most certainly did," Miles confirmed. "Frankenstein is considered by many to be the first true science fiction novel, or at least instrumental to helping define the genre, and Mary Shelley was only nineteen when she wrote it."

Phoenix looked over at Miles, who seemed more relaxed now, and smiled brightly.

"I learn something new every time I talk to you," he said cheerily. He made an effort not to sound too flirtatious. Miles' face flushed, and he hid it behind his cone. It seemed that he didn't take compliments well.

Ema winked at Phoenix from past Miles' shoulder.

I like him, she said without speaking. Phoenix was glad to have her on board.

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"Careful! Don't kick me!"

Phoenix tried not to sound nervous as he hoisted Pearl up until she could reach the monkey bars. As soon as she had a grip, she started her attempt at crossing. Phoenix watched as her arms wobbled. She really wasn't getting enough exercise in her little village. Despite the struggle, she managed her way across the obstacle.

"How old is she?" Miles asked Maya. The two of them stood off to the side, making sure Phoenix didn't get injured. Iris was seated on a bench at the edge of the playground, Larry was trying to woo her, and Ema was attempting to keep him in line. It was unfortunate that a visit to the park with one ten-year-old, for this particular group, involved babysitting two children.

"She just turned ten!" Maya answered. "She's really smart, and she loves seeing everybody, but she doesn't get to go to places like this often. Kurain is small and traditional, after all." A quick pause, one in which Maya's expression saddened somewhat. "We're trying to cheer her up. My aunt Morgan can be pretty mean sometimes."

"...This seems like a little family." Miles watched Phoenix push Pearl down the slide as he said this, though it seemed like he was looking through them, or perhaps thinking of a time long past. Maya smiled.

"It is."

"He's a bit of a strange one." It wasn't a proper reply, but Maya knew who he was referring to and what he meant.

"Who, Nick? He's a great guy! Pearly just loves him. He lets everybody crash at his apartment when they need to, and he's always willing to lend money, even when he's so broke that he can't afford ramen."

"Is that so? I thought he seemed nice, but it's a bit odd that he associates himself with, er..." Miles risked a glance at the bench, where Ema had Larry partially restrained. "That one."

Maya groaned and gave Miles a light punch in the arm.

"See, that's why he didn't tell you! You shouldn't just judge people because of their friends! It's not like he tells Larry what to do!"

"Why him, then? Iris said something about them being roommates."

"Listen..." Maya eyed Phoenix and made sure he was distracted. "Nick and Larry have been friends since they were both, like, five. They go way back. And for your information, Larry has a really rough home life! And Nick has always taken care of him. He looks after his own."

Miles didn't respond, but Maya could see that he was beginning to understand. They watched as Pearl and Phoenix played, until eventually Maya joined them and Miles quietly watched.

When everyone else was distracted, Miles looked back at the bench, where Larry seemed to have settled down and Iris and Ema were talking. Larry's hair was unkempt, and his clothes were too big, and his stubble didn't look like an intentional beard— more like an untrimmed five-o'-clock shadow. He seemed like a completely and totally unreliable person.

But then again, Miles thought, one should never judge a book by its cover.

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"Watch the hair, Princess!"

Pearl laughed gleefully as she was hoisted up onto Larry's shoulders. As soon as he had her balanced, he began following the rest of the group, who headed to the pond in the center of the park. It was framed by weeping willow trees, and a small wooden deck extended into it. There was a railing around most of it, but there was an open space at the very end that allowed one to put their feet in the water or more easily see and photograph the ducks.

Everyone stopped on the deck and waited for a minute as Iris jogged back from the nearby snack stand.

"I was just informed that bread is actually bad for ducks," she said sadly, holding up a little pamphlet, "but the nice salesman told me that they like birdseed. He sold me a bag of it."

"Really?!" Ema seized the pamphlet before anyone else could and skimmed it with her eyes. "Well, dang. Now I feel bad. Guess we know now, though."

Larry took the bag of seeds and handed it up to Pearl. She took a fistful and threw them as high as she could, watching as they landed in the water and the ducks swarmed to eat. She giggled, not noticing Larry discreetly shaking excess seeds out of his hair. Maya helped her get down so that she could stand on the end of the deck. Larry chuckled nervously as he continued removing seeds from his head. Phoenix gave him a firm pat on the back as he laughed at his misfortune.

Miles noticed all of this from his place behind everyone else. He snuck a glance at his phone. He'd been out with all of them for over two hours already, but it somehow hadn't felt that long, and he feared what that meant. When he lowered the device, he caught Phoenix's eyes on him. Phoenix grinned. Miles looked away, and he heard the other man snicker.

"He's such a tsundere," he repeated, elbowing Larry. Miles frowned.

He was going to have to look that word up later.

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The original plan was to head back to the store as soon as their visit to the park was finished, but Pearl got distracted by the Pink Princess poster in the window of the nearby gift shop. Maya dragged the group inside the store, where Miles immediately returned to his stuffy former self. He didn't seem to like being suddenly thrust into a place crowded with people he didn't know. Phoenix, sensing this, stuck closely by his side, occasionally touching his arm just to let him know that he was there, and that he was safe. Miles seemed to appreciate this.

Phoenix wondered, briefly, if Miles was only shy, or if he suffered from some kind of clinical anxiety. It wasn't uncommon, after all— not that he wanted to jump to conclusions.

"Master Maya, you don't have to that!"

"It's okay, Pearly. It's limited edition! I can't let you pass up an opportunity like this!"

"What are they so excited about?" Miles asked. Phoenix clicked his tongue, but couldn't help his smile.

"The Steel Samurai, probably. Limited edition trading cards or something."

Miles watched them for a while. He seemed to be thinking about something. Phoenix, meanwhile, glanced around as he fished in his pockets for the rest of the money that Ray had given him.

Larry had calmed down, and gotten back to his usual upbeat self. Phoenix assumed that Iris was mostly responsible for that. Whenever she was around, Larry was either complimenting her or behaving himself in an effort to impress her. At the very least, he didn't harass her— he said she was "too much of a lady" for that. Ema was looking at books. The store sold graphic novels, and Ema seemed intrigued by its sci-fi section. Phoenix heard her say something about the drawings being remarkably accurate. He didn't want to know what she meant by that.

When Phoenix finished counting his money, he found Miles standing near the far wall and looking at all of the capsule machines.

"I've never seen ones like this," Miles observed. "Normally I only see these in movie theaters, and they dispense bouncy balls and stickers."

"Oh, they have plenty like this in Japan. I think they're called gacha-something-or-other? They dispense anime merchandise and keychains and things," Phoenix informed him.

Phoenix followed Miles' gaze and found that he was looking at a machine full of cell phone charms. They all looked like cute animals, and one could choose from cats, dogs, and a few other creatures, with plenty of varieties of each kind. Phoenix quickly ran to the counter and exchanged the remainder of Ray's cash for coins. He put several quarters into the machine full of dog charms.

Miles, at first, looked like he wanted to protest having Phoenix buy him something. He quickly closed his mouth, though, and Phoenix guessed that he'd resigned himself to it knowing that Phoenix would insist. After a minute, a plastic ball with a blue cap popped out of the slot. Phoenix picked it up and hid the charm inside with his hands.

"Try and guess what kind it is!"

Miles sighed, but looked at the sign that advertised the available breeds.

"Is it a bulldog?"

Phoenix opened the capsule.

"Nope. Border collie. Here, let me see your phone."

Miles handed over his phone and took the charm for himself while Phoenix read the instructions and found where, on Miles' phone, he had to attach it. When Phoenix looked back up, he found that Miles had a faraway and strangely affectionate look on his face directed at the little dog. He jumped when he saw Phoenix looking.

"Ah, sorry. I was just thinking that it looks like Pess," he mumbled.

"Pess?"

"He was the dog I had growing up. Died when I was still little. I'm sure that he was a border collie, though he may have been a bit small for one."

"In that case..." Phoenix affixed the little dog to Miles' cell phone before he could argue with him. "You can think of it as a guardian angel."

Miles cracked a wry little smile at that.

"So all dogs go to heaven?"

Phoenix smiled back, though his smile was far from little.

"Of course they do!"

Miles' face settled into that soft expression for only a moment, and then he snatched the remaining quarters from Phoenix. He pushed him aside, looking at the various machines, until he found one that he liked and inserted a few coins. He refused to let Phoenix see the sign, but Phoenix could see in his eyes that he was hoping for a specific charm. When at last his capsule popped out, he grabbed it and pried it open. It was the first time Phoenix saw him grin.

Miles extended his hand with a victorious look in his eye. Phoenix handed over his cell phone. When it was returned to him, he let out an incredulous sputter of a laugh.

"A hedgehog?!"

"Because you look like one."

Phoenix tried to feign offense. It was difficult to do so through his laughter.

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The sun had started to set by the time the group returned to the shop. They found a very annoyed Dahlia there, impatiently waiting to pick up her sister.

"I hate to leave all of you behind, as I've had such a lovely time. I'll have to see you again sometime soon, okay? Goodbye, friends!" Iris waved sadly as her sister dragged her away.

Maya told Ray about everything they had done that day. Phoenix saw her wink briefly at Miles as she lightly shoved Pearl in his direction. Though she seemed confused, she followed him to the back of the shop. Miles apologized to her as he looked up something on his phone and clicked a few buttons. As soon as he was finished, he smiled at her.

"You've seen one of these before, haven't you?" Miles asked as he touched the top of the piano. Pearl nodded.

"I certainly have! It's a piano. Do you play, mister prince?"

Phoenix chuckled at the way Miles bit back his correction of her continuing to call him a prince. Miles took a seat at the bench behind the instrument. By now, Maya had finished relaying everything to Ray, and the rest of the group had wandered over.

"You gonna play us somethin', man?" Larry asked casually, leaning on the side of the instrument. Miles gestured Maya over and whispered something about the printer in the break room before responding.

"I don't mind, since none of you have been particularly forceful."

"So what do you wanna play?" Ema asked. Miles looked up as he thought, and then his gaze settled on Phoenix's t-shirt. He smirked. The logo had probably given him an idea or two, Phoenix realized.

Miles closed his eyes for a moment. He was mentally recalling notes, and writing himself a sort of imaginary sheet music from his memory. As soon as he was certain he'd found the melody, he placed his fingertips elegantly on the keys and began to play a familiar tune. Though it seemed Pearl was too young and sheltered to know the song, everyone else lit up.

"Hold on, let me help!" Larry took a seat on the bench beside Miles, trying not to laugh as he made a very serious face and clutched a fist in the air. He cleared his throat, and then he started singing in a strange and gravelly voice that was probably supposed to be an imitation of most power ballads.

Phoenix raised an eyebrow. ...He wasn't bad, actually.

"They say that the road ain't no place to start a family—"

"Knock it off, Larry!" Phoenix was laughing too hard to breathe now. Even Miles couldn't help but smirk.

"And right down the line, that's been you and me—"

"So charming," Maya chuckled. Larry stood to lunge dramatically towards her and take her hands in his.

"And lovin' a music man ain't always what it's s'posed to be. Oh, girl, you stand by-yy me—"

It seemed like Maya had joined Larry in finishing off the verse, but Phoenix couldn't hear them over Ema laughing. Another moment, and Miles stopped playing, letting the notes linger and fade. He nodded at Maya, and she took off for the break room. She reappeared seconds later with a few pieces of paper, which she handed to the pianist. He studied them with a serious expression and placed them on the piano's music rack.

Sheet music.

"Say, Pearly, do you remember that video game that Nick plays with you sometimes? The one with all of your favorite Disney characters?" Maya asked the question to distract from Miles studying the sheet music and experimenting with the piano's notes. Phoenix could hear a vaguely familiar melody in the casual chords, but it wasn't complete enough for him to piece it together. Pearl smiled shyly.

"I do. I'm not very good at video games yet, since we don't have them in the village, but Mr. Nick gets me through all of the hard parts! I like to watch the story."

Half of that damn game qualifies as "hard parts", Phoenix thought bitterly. Who the hell decided that game is for kids, anyway?!

"And do you remember that song from it that you love so much? The one with the really pretty singer?"

Maya was grinning in her excitement, and it seemed that Pearl was beginning to understand. It clicked for Phoenix just then, as he was finally able to identify the melody. He felt his eyebrows raise.

He can't just play that on the spot, can he?! I mean, there's sheet music, but still!

Sure enough, Pearl beamed in joy as Miles played the first notes of the song. Phoenix had to admit that he had a soft spot for it. He hummed along, mentally filling in the words, as Miles found the melody and his body began to sway with it ever so slightly. Pearl's dancing was much less subtle. Larry didn't seem to know how to react— he looked shocked. Maya watched the performance with her hands clasped in front of her and her eyes watering, a blush on her cheeks.

Miles, it seemed, turned into a different person when he got caught up in playing, and Phoenix decided that it was something he could watch forever. He would occasionally close his eyes and his expression would settle into a soft smile— one reminiscent of Iris, and one where his long eyelashes fluttered like he was imagining a happier place. His shoulders loosened, and his fingers danced across the keys, while the silver eyes that followed them sharpened and focused even in his state of bliss. Though he was happy, he wasn't playing around. This, surely, was a nearly spiritual experience for him. Other people might find that strange, but Phoenix understood.

He understood completely, and he was glad to have been allowed to see something so personal, so intimate. Phoenix truly didn't know if he could ever be comfortable with letting someone watch him draw.

Finally, Miles finished his song. He released a breath and allowed his eyes to close, looking strangely tired. There was a pause, and then everyone applauded, including Ray at the counter, who went out of his way to be loud and obnoxious about it. Larry still seemed genuinely surprised.

"Did that actually just happen?" Larry mumbled, looking at Phoenix. Miles laughed in a more open way than Phoenix had ever seen him laugh. The piano made him seem more vulnerable. "No, seriously, did you HEAR that?!It was insane!" he whispered, elbowing Phoenix in the ribs. Phoenix was still too flustered to say anything, so he watched Pearl weep into Miles' chest as he laughed awkwardly.

"I had no idea you were so talented! Man, I wish Iris could have heard..." Ema whined. Miles scratched the back of his neck, unable to form a reply. Phoenix heard Ray bragging about his nephew to a couple of customers over at the counter, ones who had overheard the performance.

What does it mean that he felt comfortable playing that for us? Does this mean that he really does think of us as friends? Phoenix wondered.

"Well, it's getting late," Maya half-shouted as soon as everyone had finished swarming and fawning over poor, overwhelmed Miles. "Nick, you should head to the apartment and get it set up for Pearly to play some more of that game! And we still wanna stay the night, so you'd better made sure us ladies have a proper place to sleep."

Phoenix blinked at Maya for a moment, not understanding. Her gaze was resolute, so he made up his mind to go along with whatever she had planned for now.

"Sh-she's right. We should go, Larry." Phoenix stopped by the piano and risked giving Miles a gentle pat on the shoulder. "I-I'll see you soon, okay? We all had a lot of fun today. I hope you did, too."

Miles looked away. Phoenix didn't need him to respond. He made his way for the exit, where Ray reminded him to contact him about their first gallery so that he and Larry could display their artwork. Phoenix promised that he would do so as he dragged Larry out of the store. Ema, taking the hint, said her goodbyes and ran after them.

A silence where Miles found himself missing all of the noise, and then Maya cleared her throat. Ray seemed to be able to read the atmosphere. He disappeared into the inventory room.

"I just wanted to stay behind to thank you for that," she said, not caring that Miles would not meet her eyes and seemed to be coming down from his high. "It was really sweet of you. I hope I didn't make you feel pressured or anything,"

"No," Miles insisted. "It was... nice, I suppose. It's been a long while since I had an audience that didn't pay. A part of me missed the part where you get to see people's genuine feelings." He smiled a wistful smile. Maya let the silence linger for a moment longer, grateful for Pearl's patience.

"You know..." She squeezed Pearl tightly as she sat the girl on her lap. "We really are a family, Nick and the others and I. Pearly doesn't have a dad, see, and her mom can get mean sometimes, plus she's busy with running the clan until I'm old enough to do it by myself."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Miles mumbled. "But if you don't mind my asking, why don't your parents assist you? I'm sure you love, er, Pearly, but you're far too young to be worrying about raising a child, and you do have your schooling."

Maya's eyes flickered with something that was painfully familiar to Miles.

"It's because I don't have any parents. I never knew my dad, since he died when I was little, and my mom disappeared not too long after that. And then my big sister, you see, she was going to move the clan into the modern world, and she took a job at Ivy U as an arts professor. She was doing really well, and more and more people were hearing about our clan, and then... and then someone killed her. So she's gone, too. It's just me and Pearly and Aunt Morgan, really."

Maya gave her young cousin an even tighter squeeze, smiling sadly at Miles, who kept opening and closing his mouth as he struggled for a response.

"I'm... sorry to hear that," he eventually blurted out. It was all that he could manage.

"No, no, don't worry about it! The point is that I don't have a lot of family, so it means an awful lot to me that I have Nick and the others. Pearly feels the same way."

She smiled, and this time the hint of sadness was gone. Miles bit back his words. Only one question repeated over and over again in the man's head: How can you still smile at me like that? He couldn't even begin to comprehend this girl and her boundless energy. And maybe, he feared, that said more about him than it did about her.

As uncomfortable as the question made him, it was what prompted him to make his next decision.

Maybe, if he started living a freer life, he would be able to smile like that one day.

Maybe, if he decided to follow his heart for once, he would be able to have friends and feel unashamed at using the word.

Maybe, if he just tried a little harder, he could extend his tiny and broken family.

"Okay," he breathed quietly.

"Okay?" Maya echoed, turning the word into a question and tilting her head. Miles glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, afraid to say it for fear of how strongly she would react.

"...I'll transfer."

Maya took about six seconds to process what he meant, and then she reacted even more loudly than Miles had anticipated. Her screams attracted the attention of his Uncle, and he heard him approaching from the break room. Maya had apparently informed Pearl of things, as the girl clapped gleefully and congratulated him. Maya wrapped her arms around him as tightly as she could manage from the angle and nearly squeezed the life out of him. Miles could barely manage his groan. When she was done with her attempts to strangle him, she placed Pearl on the ground and hopped to her feet.

"So it's settled, then! Don't tell the others, okay?! I want it to be a surprise! Oh, they'll all be so happy, I just know it! I'll see you soon!"

Then she took Pearl by the hand, and in an instant, she was gone. The door behind him opened, and Ray stepped out and looked at the entrance, bewildered.

"What was all that screaming about?" Ray approached the piano bench and put a hand on his nephew's shoulder. Miles took a deep breath, deciding to breach the subject while he still had the guts. He only hoped he wouldn't come to regret it later.

"Uncle Ray? ...I need to discuss something with you."

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A/N: THIS FANDOM NEEDS MORE FLUFF AND I AM HERE TO PROVIDE IT— LARRY AND EMA AND IRIS AND MAYA AND PEARL AND PHOENIX AND MILES FOR THE ULTIMATE FLUFF PARTY (OH MY FUCKING GOD WHY DID THIS END UP SO LONG??? I NEED TO BE STOPPED)
i also got weirdly excited about maya/miles friendship. they get each other, you know? anyway, next chapter is when this officially becomes a college au! not that the bookstore is going anywhere. ;)
(also, the information about orson scott card, lovecraft, the world fantasy awards, mary shelley, and ducks/bread is all researched and correct. the first song that miles plays/larry sings is journey's "faithfully", and the second one he plays is a piano cover of "simple and clean/hikari", one of the titular songs of the kingdom hearts franchise, by hikaru utada, which is a beautiful song. something about it just makes your soul feel at peace. i found a very pretty version by kyle landry on youtube.)