V sat alone consumed by her own shame, guilt tearing down even the faintest hopes as she awaited the outcome of her reprimanding. Yet little did she know that Scorpio and Isla had heard of her troubles and had arranged for someone to come an alleviate her undeserved sorrows. While she contemplated what had transpired the gentlest of all voices roused her from her conspiring thoughts. "So it's true?" Fae's gentle voice teased V's eyes upwards as she sighed "They put you on the naughty step?" V looked up in shame, fighting her sorrow and silently nodded. "Is this the first time?" Fae added, her gentle voice encouraging a long sullen nod from V as she clenched herself tightly. "Well don't feel too bad" Fae softly uttered as she came to rest beside her "I remember my first one too" gently she scooched closer to V to console her as she gently spoke "I felt terrible the first time too, thought about it for weeks and nearly gave up too" Fae fell silent as V shed a tear before offering "Almost packed the whole thing in" V looked upon Fae, distrusting her words as Fae merely nodded to confirm her words "But you are not me" Fae offered her hands to V with a soft flutter of her purple eyes "And you are too important for that to happen" V pensively smiled back with a conflict of shame and sorrow burning deep within as Fae settled again. "Scorpio asked me to come help, she thought that I might be better to help you than she would be" pausing as V merely listened as she giggled "I mean she almost collects bans" Fae paused smirking proudly to herself "I wish I could have been that confident" pausing again as she giggled gently "I'm surprised there's not a Scorpio shaped groove on that step where she sits here so often". V merely listened, wringing her fingers as she shyly mumbled back "I brought shame upon us all" her voice trembling as she withheld her shame. Fae glanced down instantly "No you haven't!" anger burning as she added "What did you truly do? Just be yourself?" pausing as she let V absorb her wisdom and adding wryly "I mean perish the thought that beneath all that clothing is some flesh". Winking as she forced a faint smile to befall V's lips as she sarcastically jibed "What did they think you were hollow under there?" the faint smile growing just enough to almost bare teeth as Fae lunged with her fingers for V's stomach, the faint touch forcing her to finally smile truly and erupt giggling. Fae allowed V to settle down as she gently smiled "See, you're not some monster are you?" her soft eyes teasing V into a sublime smile "Just a kid, flesh and blood" V's eyes grew softer as Fae added "Perish the thought that you kids should ever be seen or heard?" Fae slid round to rest before V and softly ask "What's your real name V?" her gentle voice and eyes all but finally forcing V to reply "Virika" Fae's gentle smile confirming that she had done the right thing. Fae offered her hand with a softened smile as she coaxed Virika from her shell "I want you to know something" her gentle tone all but forcing Virika to take her hand "It's not your fault" pausing deliberately to draw Virika's eyes to meet hers "None of this is you fault" Fae's assuring tone coaxing life back into Virika's eyes as she smiled gently "Look at those beautiful eyes" exhaling slowly as life befell the deep blue eyes of Virika. Fae took a slow breath and calmy added "You are going to become more than them without even trying than most people will ever manage and they don't like it." Fae paused and sullenly sighed "All three of you are paying the price for mistakes we made some time ago, but some people just can't let things go, so we are going to manage that. All three of you need to focus on doing exactly what they don't want you to do" Virika looked upon Fae confused as to what she truly meant, Fae knew and as she gently cupped her chin until their eyes met, she softly uttered "Go and become the very thing that they don't ever want you to become". Virika sat silently looking upon Fae's purple eyes glistening with hope as her fingers intertwined, forcing her to ask of her "What about you?" Fae smiled gently "Our time is over and this is all about you, Isla and Scorpio now" Fae composed herself thinking of all that had come to pass before proudly adding "I need you to look after each other, you all know what to do and I have no doubt that you will do incredible things" Fae fell silent as Virika asked of her again "But what about you?" Fae thought briefly and sighed "I am going to do something that we should have done some time ago" Virika fell silent as Fae whispered silently to her, forcing a tear from her eyes as Fae winked one final time "Look after each other and I'm so proud of what you will become, no matter what that is" Fae slowly stood, her mere presence forcing Virika to rise in kind and stand pensively as Fae gently smiled and pulled Virika into her arms and off the step which she had been condemned to rest upon "Virika, Go and become more".