Chapter 18

  "You know."

  Lorel opened one eye- only to close it again as his hair swung back down. "Yes?" He asked, injecting as much sickly innocence into his voice as possible. Even with both eyes closed, he felt Aria cross her arms.

  "When you said we still had time to be lazy, I thought you meant all of us. I didn't realize that meant you'd be sitting around while we tended to your whims."

  He shrugged, fighting the urge to shake his head. "I offered to do it on my own."

  "Right. Because there's no possible way that could go wrong."

  "My point still stands."

  "Uh huh."

  Lorel opened his eyes. "How long do I have to sit like this?"

  "About half an hour."

  "And how long has it been?"

  "Not even five."

  He groaned. "Great."

  Aria shrugged. "You asked for this. It would've been done by now if you didn't insist on messing around." Loch, for his part, wore an expression of vague amusement.

  "I did. That doesn't mean I give up the right to complain."

  "I think it does, actually."

  "And yet, here I am, complaining anyways."

  Loch chimed in, the sense of light amusement carrying into his voice. "I don't think I've ever seen you sit still for that long."

  "That's not true. I sit still in class. Sometimes."

  Aria raised one eyebrow. "Is that true?"

  "Not even remotely. He's always fiddling with something."

  Lorel laughed. "Guilty as charged"

  "So?" His sister asked, arms still crossed. "Why did you suddenly ask me to dye your hair?"

  "... The answer might upset you."

  She shook her head. "Just tell me."

  "I want every advantage possible. My hair stands out too much. If it keeps me from being identified as an Augmented even once, it's worth it."

  "... I see." Aria took a deep, shaky breath, then shook her head once, as if trying to chase away the negative connotation. "You've put a lot of thought into this."

  "... Not really. This was something recommended to us."

  Her brow furrowed. "Recommended by who?"

  Lorel looked right at her. "The Tideguard," he answered quietly. "You may be more involved with the military than either of us, but we're a direct part of it."

  She audibly swallowed. "Right. You went through basic training."

  He nodded. That had been a grueling 12 weeks. "And our handbooks are updated every so often. Speaking of which..." Lorel stood, careful to keep from disturbing his hair too much. He stepped over to the kitchen, opening a drawer and pulling out a pair of glass vials.

  They were similar in appearance to the cells provided by Svyke, but rather than Coral, each held plain water. "Are you carrying yours?"

  Loch shook his head.

  "Why not?"

  "The chances of anything happening today are practically zero," he answered, his voice barely audible. "And... It would've weighed on me."

  Lorel arched one eyebrow at that. "More than it already did?"

  A nod, this time.

  "Fair enough. But-" He tossed one of them to Loch. "None of that matters now. Carry it."

  The hesitance on his friend's face was clear, even as he caught the small glass cylinder. "Alright," he acquiesced. "I'll give you one of mine later."

  Lorel returned to his seat. "Sure thing."

  "What about your eyes?" Aria asked. "They also stand out."

  "They're smaller. Harder to notice. And they don't stand out that badly. At least, not as badly as dark blue hair. And I don't feel like wearing colored contacts."

  "And your eyebrows?" The trace of a smile touched her lips. "Are we dyeing those, too?"

  "As much as I'm sure you'd enjoy doing that, no."

  "Figures."

  "Uh huh."

  "If I get you colored contacts, would you wear them?"

  "Would it make you feel better?"

  "... A bit."

  "Then yes." That was a small concession to make if it eased Aria's mind even slightly. "But I'll complain the whole time."

  "I'd expect nothing less."

  "Uh huh." Lorel stood, raising one hand to his head. "Do you think it's dried yet?"

  She leaned forward to run one of her own through his still-damp hair. "Partially."

  "So just avoid shaking my head?"

  "Yes."

  He lowered his hand, tapping his watch to bring up a holo-terminal. His own face stared back at him; the navy hair he'd had all his life now a deep, dark black. "Look!" Lorel looked up at Loch with a grin. "We're the same now!"

  The other boy rolled his eyes. "Right."

  "Do you think you can get me blue contacts? That'll really complete the look."

  "I'm sure I can manage," Aria responded dryly.

  "Excellent. We'll really look like twins soon."

  Loch's response was even dryer. "Just kill me now."

  "Pass." Lorel closed the window. It was 18:58, now. He'd successfully turned the simple process of dyeing his hair into a long, drawn-out affair. Complete with exasperation- and, more importantly, plenty of laughter- even if it was begrudging.

  Even so, it was obvious each of them was on edge. It was nothing so apparent as a spoken word or dour expression, but there nonetheless. A sort of intangible tension, so thick he could nearly taste it.

  Lorel took a deep breath, then raised his hand once more. His hair was never something he'd taken pride in, but seeing his vision cut by strands of black rather than dark blue was odd. He shook his head. Is that really what I should be worrying about right now?

  "What time is the broadcast supposed to be?"

  As if on cue, their holo watches played a sound. It was a single, low-pitched note, each perfectly layered atop the others.

  He looked back down as a small holo-window opened unbidden, two words spread across its meager form. EMERGENCY BROADCAST. All caps, all written in red ink.

  Lorel frowned. "Isn't this time a bit awkward?"

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  "Supposedly this will reach the most people. Everyone else will see it one way or another. Even those on the other side of the planet."

  ".... Fair enough." He paused. "We're watching this together... Right?"

  Aria and Loch both nodded- although his sister, he noticed, did so somewhat hesitantly. "You don't have to watch it if you don't have to," he said quietly. "It's not like it's anything new- and we can fill you in on the details."

  Loch nodded again, but Aria shook her head. "Turning my eyes away won't change anything," she said softly. "There's no point in trying to ignore it."

  "Alright." Before he could lose his nerve, Lorel swiped up on the terminal, projecting the feed onto one of the house's glass walls. Loch's father appeared, seated at a pure white desk.

  Another figure stood behind him, dressed in the telltale blue-and-gold of the Tideguard. Though their head was out of frame, cut off just below the shoulders, Lorel had no doubt it was his father.

  As for Loch's father, well. In many ways, he simply looked like an older version of his son. Even taking their direct relation into account, it was almost uncanny. They shared their raven-black hair and their dark blue eyes- right down to the shade.

  Even their expressions were similar; an odd mix of barely-repressed apprehension and some sort of calm serenity. "Is this a live feed?"

  Loch shook his head. "No. Apparently they went through quite a few different renditions before settling on one. For all I know, they could've come up with another between then and now."

  For all their similiarities, there was one stark difference between them: age. It went well beyond whatever years lay between them, represented by a weariness that seemed to shroud his entire body. It was there to see; in his eyes, his expression, even the way he carried himself.

  One agonizing second of silence passed.

  And then another.

  Finally-

  "Greetings." The blue-eyed man spoke. It was a single word, but it carried a bundle of emotions that transcended the boundaries of language. Fatigue, fear, anxiety- and an eerie sense of acceptance. The sort that only appeared once everything else had been exhausted.

  The same silence as before stretched- and then was broken by a sigh.

  Loch's father leaned back in his chear, clearly spent. "By now, I've gone through many, many different iterations of this trying speech. Many different ways to inform you of our impending doom. But in the end, I thought this the best course of action. And so, today, I talk to you not as any sort of official, but as a fellow citizen of our planet."

  Another stretch of silence, this time broken by a breath. "The first five versions began with an apology for my failures. But, for reasons I couldn't quite articulate at the time, that felt wrong."

  A wry smile spread across his lips. "To be clear, however, I do consider this a failure on my part. This is in no way an attempt to assuage this difficult news. It's with a heavy heart that I announce the following: war will come to our waters."

  He paused. "Shocking as it may be, I suspect it will come as no real surprise to many of you. Our home's precarious position has been something we never shied away from; neither in educating our children, nor in our daily lives."

  Another breath. "As for the reason behind that wrongness, I feel I can now properly articulate it." He leaned forward in his chair again, a new, fiery anger burning in his bright blue eyes. "Time and time again, I have asked this of you. Whether you would prefer to bend, and live under the rule of another government. And time and time again, you have answered the same, with a resounding no."

  He laced his fingers together. "I am here, speaking to you today, to say that I have provided those beyond with your answer. Should peace no longer be an option, we shall fight to protect the waters that we call home."

  "But people are fickle things. And the gravity of this situation is unlike any our nation has faced before. And so, I will ask you one final time: shall we forfeit our freedom, and live under another's flag? Or shall we burn ourselves for that freedom that we so covet?"

  He stood, then bowed, the camera panning up ever so slightly to reveal Lorel's father. His expression was as stony as ever, and his back ramrod stiff.

  "The choice, as it always has been, is yours." Loch's father straightened. "In the meantime, I announce the following." His voice took on a nearly mechanical tone; he'd clearly rehearsed this part many times. "From now until our fall, we shall remain on an elevated state of weariness. It is my hope that, for you, my fine fellow citizens, that this will not drastically alter your day-to-day lives."

  "Every Tidal remaining in the civilian reserve is hereby placed on notice." He smiled wearily. "I know that the same fire burns in each and every one of you; and yet, I respect your decision to remain distant from the military. And yet, I know that when the time comes, not a single one of you will hesitate to take up your arms."

  "You were right," Lorel whispered, his eyes still fixed on the feed. Loch said nothing in response.

  "I realize that the brevity of this announcement is at odds with its weight. More information regarding our decision will be disseminated, along with one final poll. I ask that you spent this time with your loved ones." Loch's father bowed again, more deeply than before. "No matter your answer, I will deliver it."

  And the feed winked out.

  The three of them stood there, staring at the place where it had once been in silence. Lorel was the first to break it.

  "Wow. That was short."

  Loch nodded wordlessly. Aria, for her part, scowled. "Is that all you have to say?"

  "Yes. There's not really much else to say."

  She chewed her lip. "True, but..." Her words were broken by another simultaneous notification.

  "I'm guessing that's the vote. You know, the one that decides our future."

  "... Are you going to vote?"

  Lorel yawned. "I don't know," he admitted. "I'm still tired."

  Aria's expression turned into one of concern. "Still? You should rest, then."

  "But..."

  "Go," she said, gripping his shoulders and gently pushing him towards his bedroom. "You said dad needs you tomorrow morning. You need rest. I'm perfectly capable of entertaining Loch for an hour or two."

  "... Just a little while, then," Lorel agreed, stifling another yawn. The fatigue was a result of last night's poor sleep. "Don't get up to any funny business while I'm sleeping." He laughed as both their faces reddened. "What happened to not sweating the smaller stuff?"

  "You make it difficult." Aria pushed him more firmly than before. "Go. We'll still be here when you wake."

  Lorel's body seemed to grow heavier with every step. He climbed up onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling. There was an odd dissonance that came with the menial action. Nothing was different; and yet, at the same time, everything was.

  He closed his eyes-

  And then woke up, seemingly in the same moment.

  How long was I asleep? He wondered, sitting up and rubbing one eye blearily. 20:30. About an hour and a half. Closing his eyes again, he flopped back down on his bed. He did feel better now. In some ways, at least.

  The fear from before was better defined now, but no longer laced with the edge of fatigue. Worse, though, was the knowledge that this feeling would be permanent.

  Lorel sat up again. Enough of that, he scolded himself, shaking his head. Time to go find them. That was a large part of why he'd dragged Loch with him, after all.

  Pushing himself off his bed, he opened his door and stepped towards the living room. They were nowhere to be seen. Where...?

  His eyes found something placed on the stovetop- the tea kettle. He smiled no surprise there. He retrieved a mug and teabag from the pantry before pouring himself a cup and heading to the roof.

  Aria was seated on its edge, just as always, with Loch to her right. The sight was bittersweet, now. These moments would come to an end one way or another.

  He took care to quiet his footsteps, then leaned down between them. "Boo."

  Aria visibly jumped, while Loch simply flinched.

  "Wow. You two look like you got caught doing something you shouldn't be."

  "Because you scared us!"

  Lorel chuckled as he took a seat on her left. "I think you're protesting a little too much." He took a sip. The water was lukewarm; but still held plenty of flavor.

  "Whatever you say."

  "What were you two talking about?" He asked, fixing his gaze on the distant horizon.

  "... Stuff."

  "Uh huh. What kind of stuff?"

  Aria looked down at her mug. "The poll," she answered quietly.

  "Ah." Lorel took another sip. "Did you already vote?"

  She shook her head.

  "Why not?"

  "I don't know how to."

  "Why not?"

  "Because you're both Tidals," she answered, her voice now just barely audible. "You're both Tidals. If I vote for war... Doesn't that mean I'm part of the reason you'd end up fighting?"

  "Hey." Lorel gently bumped his shoulder against hers. "I don't care about that. Do whatever you want."

  "How can you say that?" She asked hoarsely. "You two are the most important people in my life. If anything happened to either one of you..."

  "Then don't vote."

  "What about you? What are you going to do?"

  "I don't know," he admitted "I've always thought that I'll fight if I have to. And... And I will. But it feels different now." He leaned forward, looking past Aria towards Loch. "What about you? Have you voted yet?"

  He shook his head. "Not yet. I don't think I'm going to."

  "Do you think our votes will matter?"

  Loch visibly hesitated. "I'm not sure. They've always resulted in a landslide victory, but now..."

  "Things are different."

  "... Yeah."

  "Different enough to change the outcome entirely?"

  He shrugged. "I honestly don't know."

  Lorel took another sip. Just as he was about to say something more-

  "You look strange with black hair."

  He looked at Aria- and then burst out laughing.

  "What?" She asked, defensive.

  "Because," he responded, calming himself, "it's funny. One moment you're worried about the fate of our planet, and the next you're worried about my hair."

  "It's because I've seen you with navy hair all my life," Aria said indignantly. "I can't help it."

  "Sure, sure." Lorel drained his cup, then stood. "If whatever dad's having me do tomorrow ends early, we should go into the city. Get our mind off things. And if not tomorrow, then the day after. Have Sela and Arel said anything else?"

  "No," Loch answered. "And I'm not sure they'd want to see me."

  "And how would you know that without asking?"

  "... I don't."

  "So ask."

  "... Alright."

  "You haven't met them before, have you?" That question was addressed to Aria.

  "No."

  "Are you okay with meeting them?"

  "Sure."

  "Sounds like a plan, then. I'm going to get another cup. Anyone else want more?"

  Sai slumped back in his chair with a sigh. "It's done."

  In all his life, those two words were the most difficult he'd ever spoken.

  Nira just nodded once. "So it is."

  Sai snorted. "Is anything capable of cracking your composure? Besides Lorel, I mean."

  A slight smile tugged at his friend's lips. "Not often."

  "Right." He paused. "Lorel doesn't have to do this, you know."

  "... I don't know if that's true," Nira responded, somewhat stiffly. "It's an official request from the ICC. And from a rather high ranking member, at that."

  "It doesn't matter," Sai said, more forcefully than he'd meant to. He sighed again. "It changes nothing in the long run. It's inconsequential."

  Nira seemed to consider that for a moment. "I'll leave it up to Lorel."

  "... You're only saying that because you know he'll agree to do it, won't you?"

  A real smile appeared, this time. "Yes."

  "Your son truly is an enigma."

  "Not really. For all his bluster, it's like he always says... He's serious when it matters."