Shadow

5

Teval stares up at the house where Delian's team lives and is honestly impressed with the size of it. He's never taken the time to really study it, but the large, two-story house looks somewhat awful. The gray tiles on the roof have been there for what seems like too long, some cracked or missing here or there, and the blue painted wood paneling has seen better days, which matches the state of other houses on the street for the most part. Teval just hopes the inside fares a bit better for five people living together.

He passes through the gate of the wooden fence that feels sturdier than it looks to climb the front stairs, and he gives the door a knock to find that it sounds solid. Maybe this place isn't so bad.

Risol is the one to answer, letting Teval step in on the lovely rug inside, and he notes her more comfortable appearance with looser fitting brown pants and similar white shirt tucked into it, the cords at the top half tied. Her straight black hair is undone, hanging down her back and Teval realizes this may be the first time he might see everyone dressed a bit more casual. His eyes stray to the stairs before him, following them up as they turn and come back toward him before reaching the second floor. Under the top half of the stairs sit shoes and boots lined up against the lower half, coats and jackets hung under the stairs. He's impressed by the organization and bends down to undo his own boots.

"It never stays like that," Risol tells him. "I've tripped over Delian's boots too many times over the years."

Teval snorts and places his boots next to the others, and he looks around the main sitting room he stands next to, couches and plants taking up the edges of the area as well as a large bookcase to his right on the wall. The warm blues, greens, and deep browns of the furniture and accents that fill the room make it feel welcoming, and Teval has to resist the urge to sit down without being invited.

As his eyes wander, he realizes the inside of the building looks much nicer than expected, much more updated than the exterior, and he suspects Delian lets the outside look hideous so people don't assume anything nice is kept inside these walls. That or everyone knows the team lives here and they avoid breaking in because that would be foolish on all levels.

Past the stairs and sitting room is a dining area that leads to a kitchen. He glances left to find a door cracked open, but he's not sure what lays beyond. He steps forward as his gaze follows the stairs upward, and he sees a few doors, assuming that maybe there are bedrooms, similar to where he lives currently.

"You know," Risol draws his attention, "that the academy uniform you used to wear never suited you. It was so bland. You look much nicer in your own clothing."

Teval glances down at his outfit, black fitted pants with a jacket to match over a sea blue vest. "Are you flirting with me again?"

"That's silly, why would I flirt with you?" The sly smile means she is, but it feels different now, like he's in on the joke.

Teval returns the smile. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Come on," Risol says and gestures for him to follow toward the door on his left. She pushes it open to reveal a comfortable office with a desk where Delian sits facing the door, as well as an area to the side that holds a large table with chairs around it. Next to the table, a window lets in light from the outside wall, the adjacent wall holding a chalkboard with notes and doodles while the wall opposite the window holds an empty pinboard

"Hey, Teval," Delian says as she looks up from a notebook. It seems she also likes to wear more comfortable clothing at home, in a loose beige shirt. "We'll be starting in a moment, so you can take a seat anywhere," she says, pointing to the table.