Ongoing analysis of assignee: Senior Seer Phelann

  Surveillance has been reduced to absolute minimum due to lack of access.

  Subject is no longer a member of the Seer's Council and has taken on an unspecified role within Holding Syl. Lack of assets within the Holding prevent anything but the most distant observation.

  Only information of note since last report:

  Holding Syl has retained an Arbiter once employed by Velli who's contract was terminated according to observer destruction protocol.

  No records we have access to indicate how they might have come into contact. Requesting investigation by authorized individuals and instructions on how to handle situation.

  ~ * ~

  "No. Absolutely not. Never again. That. Was. Disgusting," Anya spat as she looked around desperately for somewhere remotely clean.

  She could feel Seb's discomfort slowly being overcome by amusement at her words.

  What, she all but snarled over the band.

  You're complaining out loud, he sent back.

  I- she began before she realized the absurdity of the moment. She never complained out loud, at least not to him. Why would she when he could feel her thoughts, when he understood her meaning without her having to explain.

  It got in my mouth! she explained. I had to deal with that.

  They'd taken a different path through the Depths today, explored new caverns and run into something new. Still goblins, still the growing intelligence and tactical understanding that forced them to improve and not simply coast. Goblins, but also slimes.

  Slimes that dropped from the ceiling, that crawled out of crevices, that were launched by the goblins and intentionally burst. Slimes that slowed them, that coated them, that left them messy, fighting for balance and sometimes even stinging from the residue.

  Her arms felt burnt, her face itched beneath the coating, her body- No, she wasn't going to even think about where slime had gotten. It tasted worse than it smelled, and the smell was rank to begin with.

  Seb had avoided the worst of it, he might be coated head to toe, he might be trying to wipe the worst of it off when the entire cavern was gooey, but he hadn't spent hours at a near standstill holding the attention of the Depthsborn.

  How is anyone supposed to deal with this? Seb sent. Without this happening.

  Energysts? Barriers? By deciding any time slimes are involved that they're smart enough to stay away? she answered.

  They sloshed their way to the entrance of the cavern, to clean ground where they could drop their War Husks and regain a touch of sanity. She could still taste the slime, she could still feel it. She knew it wasn't actually there but that didn't help her imagination.

  We're clean, or at least as clean as we can be before scrubbing, Seb sent.

  Never again Seb. If you want to fight slimes ever again you're taking my role.

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  You know? I think I've had enough of being slimed, so I agree, he answered, still only barely masking his amusement.

  It's not funny!

  Remember when I got slimed and you-

  It's. Not. Funny! she interrupted even as she started to smile.

  -and then made fun of me for trying to avoid every drop? he continued, no longer pretending to be serious.

  Not. Funny. she sent before starting to laugh. She couldn't help it. He was enjoying the moment way too much and he was right. She had teased him about it, she had found it much too entertaining.

  Do we go collect the- Seb began once they'd stopped laughing.

  No! she answered. Well, I guess we should.

  With an exaggerated sigh she stepped back towards the cavern, shifting into her War Husk at the last moment before pushing herself to the limit to get everything collected as quickly as possible. She could tell Seb was doing the same. Luckily the earlier groups had been slime-less or this would have been even more of a nightmare.

  ~ * ~

  Seb glanced up at Fay before looking back down into his coffee. It felt strange being in Kaf-Fay without Anya, strange to be anywhere without her really. He'd never been the most social of people, he'd never gone out of his way to make friends, yet here he was, sitting with the person who was his second closest friend, the person who meant the most to him other than the one he was waiting for, Anya.

  She'd gone to meet her mother, to have that private conversation. Neither of them was sure what it was about, but Sovereign Lys had made it clear she wanted to speak to her daughter, and only to her daughter.

  "She'll be fine," Fay said.

  "She is fine, she's anxious, but she's fine."

  "You can tell? But they're in the Shallows and we're in Deep Earth."

  He nodded. The band had dropped, they couldn't keep in touch, but he knew where she was. He could point to her if he tried. Not that pointing at some spot on the ceiling would do much good. She wasn't hurt, she was mostly calm.

  "Just over the bond. No specifics, no details, I just know."

  He saw Fay's eyes narrow in consideration before clearly deciding not to press.

  "I'm going to ask Yshe to add new quarters for me in the expansion," she said quietly.

  Seb took a moment. She wanted to move out of her room? She wanted different quarters?

  "I want to keep the room," she clarified before her tone grew more uncertain. "Just Briana's roommates are moving into the new apartments and she- living in your house in the shallows- it's-"

  "It's ok Fay," he answered, cutting her off gently. "We have plenty of space, and if that makes things easier for you both."

  "We can still do breakfast, still-"

  "Fay," he said then waited for her to look at him. "The room will be yours as long as the house is there. You don't have to use it unless you want to. And a room in the Holding, even in Deep Earth would be what, thirty seconds further away than upstairs?"

  She smiled and gave the slightest of nods.

  "I know, I just didn't want you to think I…"

  "I know, so does Anya," he answered before tensing.

  Anya wasn't simply anxious anymore, she'd been growing upset over the last few minutes. He'd been trying not to focus on the change, to be patient as he waited. The most recent spike in emotions was another thing entirely.

  He could feel her pain, her shock. She wasn't in danger, wasn't injured, at least not physically. She was moving, enough that he could tell despite the distance. He could see Fay's confusion as he stood up.

  "Anya," he said before turning and rushing out the door.

  ~ * ~

  The trip back into the Holding was quick, too quick. From there he was in their house within moments and halfway out the front door before stopping. There was no point in rushing off. There was no way he'd be able to find Anya, to re-unite with her while she was on her way.

  She was getting closer, he could feel their connection growing stronger. He could feel her determination. He might be able to run fast enough to catch a car, he might be able to even outrun one, at this point he wasn't sure. But she was headed towards him, her focus had shifted as he came through the Holding, she'd been determined to get away, to get somewhere safe. Now she was coming to him.

  There wasn't much difference, but it was there. He forced himself to step back inside while leaving the door open for her. He made himself tidy up a few things, keep himself busy despite the sensations over the bond become more clear with every passing minute.

  Finally he heard their car, heard it come to a stop and the door open then slam faster than any Unawakened would have managed. He turned just in time for her to crash into him, to drive him back onto the couch. The band was there, words and emotions could have flowed freely, yet Anya said nothing, she just held him, just took deep breaths.

  He held her. There were no tears, no explanations. There wasn't anything to fix, any problem to solve. He held her until finally he felt her thoughts shift, her focus coming to the moment and to him.

  The words she'd heard before? My father said them.

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