The Inter Elementals

by TheOverzealousOne

Summary:

Following the events of A Lumen Ripple, Ember and Wade find themselves settling into life in Elementopia. A recent spark has encouraged Wade to pursue becoming a therapist, whilst Ember is to complete anger management therapy to keep her job at Aquatecture. Even with new goals set, Elementopia and its people have more challenges to reveal. Join Ember and Wade on a journey to unite Elementopia and its people.

Chapter 1: Ignis Irae (the Fire of Anger)

"Change is inevitable, and our fear of it doubly so. We will experience it in our lives. It is a part of the Elemental condition. In an ideal coming of age, our guardians equip us with the appropriate tools to deal with it, though it depends on one's upbringing. You'll face it regardless, and when you do, you'll learn when to stand in defence or yield the sword and let the bridge down.

If not? Well, heh- you can't play a flamin' hot game of chess without moving a piece forward.

In your case, what happened during that fateful week was merely part of the Elemental condition; the transition into adulthood. Understanding the weight of responsibility, building discipline, and healthy habits, all the while dealing with your emotions. Yet, funnily enough, the latter is the one most struggle with.

We find it easy to do 'important stuff' like having a work ethic, but love, happiness, and purpose. They're treated as 'temporary escapes via external validation'. That is until life gives you a reality check by picking you up by the face and throwing you to the ground. That is when you're faced with your real enemy...

Anger.

Whatever form that comes in, be it stress, frustration, anxiety, self-deprecating thoughts, or a throttling sensation to burn everything on sight. At rare times, it's glorious! However, 95% of the time, it's a result of our deepest insecurities rearing their head into the fray.

Anger is a window to a soul at its most vulnerable.

Hence why we're here.

I am to equip you with tools to recognize anger - to say it out loud, to control what you can of it, and to accept that it will always be with you. Anger isn't something that can simply be eradicated, so you need to learn how to channel it in a way that won't harm yourself or others, and that starts with small - excruciatingly small steps.

Do you understand?"

. . .

Tick, tock, tick, tock went an antique clock on the wall. A tense silence spoke loud - deafening, it's call. The room was comfortable yet sterile all the same, with an eerie, slithering whisper past the ear of "there's no shame."

A gentleman of fire sat with glasses, a clipboard and a stabbing stare, prodding, prodding the poor fire girl to share. Her fiery fingers gently wrapped around her opposite elbow. Usually, these kinds of talks were a lot easier with her beau.

Alas, her free hand balled into a fist, clenching with tense might. In her chest, a fiery chamber, responding fight-or-flight. Like a dragon breathing fire into a balloon, her stomach flexed in and out with an exhale, strewn.

She finally spoke up to the gentleman's demand...

"Yeah. Yeah- I understand."

This wasn't coming from an elemental who wanted to be there. But, she had to. It was for 'the necessity of the job', or however Lin put it. She couldn't quite recall that. All she could was 'Go to anger management to keep a job, underlying tones of Elementism', yadda-yadda. What she failed to realise was that she had a public outburst, which endangered several lives in the process and prompted a city-wide hunt for her.

So perhaps anger management could help.

"You have a tinge of hesitation in your speech," the therapist spoke.

The little flame lady could tell her stress was getting to her, as could her on-the-ball therapist. One leg of hers crossed over the other, feet pointed outward.

"Yes. I understand," she responded.

The therapist pursed his lips, his brows furrowing. He looked to Ember, leaning forward.

"Talk to me about that time, and how it's affected you," he asked.

"That time? Whew. Well...

A bunch happened.

I thought it was over; my career, my relationships, everything. It felt like I was back to square one. I felt like I did before I met him. Things felt like they were getting good, and then they weren't.

Like, why does life do that? Why does it take order and stability and push it over?!"

The therapist twiddled his pencil around, jotting down some notes.

"I noticed you delivered that last sentence with more aggression than before. Whyis that?" the therapist queried.

Ember went to pour herself out before briefly pausing in hesitation.

"I just ... every time something good happens, and I feel like everything is finally okay... it's not. It's worse all over again, and I can't do a thing about it. I can't help but feel... ugh! I want to burn everything in sight when that happens!" she exclaimed.

As she let herself go, the therapist took a long breath, writing more notes down. Ember looked over at him, stressed and vulnerable. He looked his notes over for a time, teasing, eating at Ember's composure.

"Right," he said.

He put his notepad in his lap, nodding to himself and giving Ember his full attention.

"Okay, Ms Lumen. I'm going to ask you some challenging questions now. Please stop me if you get uncomfortable." he said.

Slightly confused by the request, Ember raised an eyebrow, mouth slightly agape.

"Okay?" she slurred.

"In one of these scenarios where you've found yourself feeling threatened, do you stop to think that your reaction could be the problem?" the therapist asked.

Ember looked up at her therapist with a thorough look of confusion, offended even.

"Huh?" she sounded.

The therapist got up from his chair, and began to pace the room.

"It's a legitimate, inoffensive question. Do you?" he reiterated.

"I- I guess, I-" Ember stammered.

"Because coming from past client's experience, it seems to me that this has happened on multiple occurrences." he went on.

"Multiple occurrences? I-" she stammered again.

"Perhaps you find yourself clinging to hostile tendencies in times of stress to make yourself feel strong." he reckoned.

"Clinging- what?" she put in frustration.

"Look, let's face it, fire people who come into my office; their issues are similar. Their anger did this, or it did that." he blabbered.

"F- Fire people?" she retorted.

"Are you angry, Ms Lumen?" he pressed.

"I- I don't -" she stammered.

"People of fire have trouble controlling aggressive tendencies. Empirical evidence has shown that time and time again." he escalated.

"Empirical evidence - you have no clue what you're talking about." she disagreed.

"Do you feel angry as I tell you this, Ms Lumen?" he queried.

"Can you please -" she began.

"Does this endless barrage of questioning anger you?" he questioned.

"Well, objectively, yes." she retorted.

"Ms Lumen -" he began.

The therapist stopped in his spot. He leaned down to Ember's level, starting at her face. She wore an angered look on her face; jaw clenched.

"Ms Lumen, are you angry?" he pressed again.

Ember's jaw began to slack, and she shook her head slightly.

"What is going on?" she said, a tinge of vulnerability in her tone.

"It's a simple question. Are you angry?" he pressed once more.

"Y- yeah, a little -" she stammered.

"What about now?" he pressed further.

"Still a bit-" she began.

"Or now? Does my interrupting make you angry?" he pressed sharply.

Ember paused, looking at the therapist directly and angrily.

"Yes. It does." Ember sharply put.

In rising tension, the therapist swiftly rose to his feet again, pacing around. He could tell he was getting to her.

"Miss Ember Lumen, born in Fireland, I presume?" he exclaimed.

Ember remained in silence, seething, staring with a sharpening frown.

"Tssk-tssk. Spoken from experience, Firish people especially don't take too kindly to criticism." he pushed.

Appropriately, Ember scoffed at her therapist's prodding comment.

"...so it makes sense that, compared to other fire nationalities, their culture is considered to lack diversity." he continued.

"Watch it." Ember snarled.

"So, are you feeling angry now?" the therapist pressed.

Ember began to clench her fists by her sides, her teeth showing.

"Yeah. I'm feeling pretty angry right about now." she expressed sternly.

"Perhaps now?" he continued.

"Yup. I'm still pretty mad." Ember escalated.

"How about now?" he escalated

"Yup. Angry." Ember growled.

The therapist leapt to his feet, meeting Ember face-level close.

"Miss Ember Lumen, of Fireland, are you angry?!" he yelled.

Having had enough, Ember's flames raged as she too leapt to her feet, arms straight behind her back.

"YES!" Ember screamed.

She let out an explosion, splitting atoms from their nuclei in thorough fury. The noise was deafening. But for poor, angry Ember, all she saw was red, and a thick cloud of black smoke that slowly dissipated.

As the smoke cleared, Ember's chest flexed sharply and quickly like a metal sheet.

"Yes- I'm angry now. Is that what you wanted to hear?!" Ember yelled.

As she came to, she expected outcry and a stabbing utterance of 'get out!' from the poor therapist.

However...

None of that came for some reason.

In fact...

Nothing had changed at all.

She stood in disbelief and looked around, unable to grasp what she saw.

The room was the same as it was before. No trinket, memento or keepsake moved an inch. It was like nothing happened.

Ember faced the spot where the therapist was standing, angered and confused out of her mind.

"What the?" she murmured.

RRRRING!

A sharp ring rattled Ember, causing her flames to distort in shock. She looked over to the left at the source of the noise. Sat back in his chair, holding an antique stopwatch in the air, the therapist shut it off.

"Unfortunately, our hour is up, Ms. Lumen," he told calmly.

Ember looked at him with a big ol' SHC sandwich; shock, hostility, and confusion. As she ate away, the therapist stood up gently, his hands held at his core in a non-threatening manner.

"I will see you next week." the therapist said.

"What just happened?" she queried forcefully.

The therapist gave Ember an incriminating smile as he handed her her bag, itching at her composure as he ushered her toward the door.

"You didn't stop me once," he said, tilting his head.

Ember looked around the place as she was shuffled along, still unable to grasp what was going on. She looked at a poster on the wall whilst on the move. Pictured was a fire person letting go of a rock, with a text above it that read "Don't hold it. Let it go." She slowly realised what happened, lapsing into a frustrated groan.

She gently turned to her therapist, pointing a thumb behind her at the poster.

"Mm- yup. I see it now." she delivered unenthusiastically.

The therapist slowly walked past her and opened the room's door.

"Simple mistake," he said.

She stopped at the door with her arms folded and rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry about it. We'll speak about that in length next session," he said.

Ember chortled with slight aggression, turning to make her way out.

"M-kay. Thanks, Dr. Chillout." Ember thanked, slightly passive-aggressively.

"Ah- it's pronounced She-low. It's Frensch." Dr Chillout said.

Ember stopped at the doorway, letting out an exasperated groan.

"Of course it is." she sassed.

"Yes-yes. Firish, I assume?" he queried.

She turned her head to Dr Chillout with a flat expression.

"Yes, Doctor," she said in a sarcastic tone.

"Right. Well, Frensch is pretty much the same as Firish, but it's a richer demographic." Dr Chillout continued.

Ember pursed her lips, shaking her head slightly.

"Are you done?" she sassed further.

Dr Chillout began to chuckle, opening the door wider for Ember.

"Heh- yes, Ms Lumen. I'd like not to start another revolution." he joked.

Ember let out her fakest laugh imaginable.

"Hah- a revolution joke. N- nice." she put with further sarcasm.

Before she could walk out and leave - which she was beyond keen to do - the therapist put a hand on her shoulder.

"I do apologise for the testing exercise. We had to establish a threshold," he said.

Ember stopped and bruxed her teeth with a half-angered, forced smile.

"No- no. It's fine. I- I'm used to it," she accepted.

Chillout proceeded to let out another bright, incriminating smile at Ember.

"Well, good! We'll see you next time. Have a lovely day," he said joyously.

Ember looked at him over her shoulder, tugging at her bag in discomfort.

"'Kay. See you next time, Doc." she said, rather unenthusiastically.

...and with that, the luckiest flame left the room. Her first anger management session went differently than she'd assumed. A chill crept its way up her shoulder where her bag was slung, causing her to grip it tightly as it hung. Though she tried to keep her composure, as she walked, it began to unfurl. As she walked, she thought to herself...

Chapter 2: Safe Space

"I really am the luckiest flame in the world."

...is what Ember would have thought a while back, legs kicked up in the air on her carved-out-log-bed. However, after being stripped of her dignity, all that remained was a sense of despair.

Storming out of Chillout's safe space, she metaphorically slammed the door in his face. But fear not for the lady of flame, for support came in spades. Stood against the wall to her right was her dewdrop, Wade. With low energy she walked past in a huff, throwing her hood on in stress. The outside was choleric but inside she thought "Wow am I a mess." Regardless, her wavy duke beamed and gleamed, leaping to walk by her side. She tried to ignore each step he took, but he stared with utmost pride. Her body language was closed for business, but he's one to go with the flow. With interest and excitement, as ruddy always, he asked...

"Ember! How'd it go?"

"Fine," she replied.

Talk about a buzzkill. Ember wasn't in the mood to continue the rhyme.

"Just fine?" Wade asked.

"Just fine," she repeated.

Nevermind.

Ember continued power walking, gripping her bag strap over her shoulder. Wade looked at her with an altruistic expression. He went to extend an arm over her shoulder, but before he could make contact, he hesitated out of respect.

"I'm proud of you for doing this," he admired.

Ember slowly looked over him, a crack in her façade. However, she quickly built her walls up in defence, looking away.

"Thanks." she delivered with faux carelessness.

Wade could see that she was putting on an act somewhat, smirking slightly.

"You wanna talk about this over some hot pot?" he offered.

Ember closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and hiding a smile. She slowly tore down her defences, letting quiet molten tears trickle down her cheek. She nodded in response to Wade. He gently brought himself close, holding one of her hands, which she gripped back in response.

"That's the Ember I know and love." he thought.

-----

Following a short walk, the two went to a nearby restaurant, aptly titled Ristorante Tutto. By this time, Ember had visibly calmed, her hands held at her core. The two stood at the front of the restaurant, waiting to be seated.

Their gentle aura was jerkily interrupted when a young lanky teenage Earth waiter rushed up to serve them.

"Hiya!" the waiter exclaimed, waving.

As he waved, the waiter slung a heap of dirt from his arm onto the tiled floor, quickly kicking it to the side without looking. Ember and Wade took a step back in discomfort.

"Welcome to Ristorante Tutto, where we serve everything!" the waiter greeted.

Ember and Wade glanced at each other, waiting for him to elaborate. The waiter stood in his spot with an awkward look and smile.

"Oh, I stopped talking." the waiter notified.

Ember gripped her hands anxiously, nodding.

"Gotcha." she delivered awkwardly.

"Right this way, please." the waiter directed.

The two followed the waiter in and got seated at a booth. Wade sat facing the back wall, while Ember had a view of the front. The light from outside shone through Wade, causing Ember to smile. Wade picked up a menu and began reading it through. All Ember could do was stare at him, content with his usual bubbly demeanour. She looked down at her menu, gently holding it up.

Wade quickly put his down. "They got freshwater soup. I'm sold," he affirmed.

Ember glanced up at him over her menu, letting out a slight smirk. "I reckon I'll do an extra-hot hotpot," she decided, gently laying the menu on the table.

"Nice!" Wade said.

Ember took a deep breath, leaning back in her chair. Wade leaned his elbows on the table, looking in admiration.

With a cross of her legs, Ember spoke up middlingly. "You look like you're ready to explode with expression."

Wade let out a rapturous squeak, shaking about in his chair. Though she maintained her flat demeanour, Ember couldn't help but giggle.

"Go on, then. How was your day on campus?" she delivered with a tinge of hesitation, mirroring Wade.

Though he was more than eager to share, he took a second, considering Ember's demeanour. "I have a lot to share. Is that alright?" he asked.

"Sorry. I'm just... tired. I should've said it in a better tone. I want to hear it." she clarified.

Wade let out a chuckle, taking a deep breath.

"Well, today was amazing! We learned all sorts! We learned about Seedmund Freud and Puddl Jung- a bunch of those guys! That Freud feller sure made everything sound overtly..." Wade began.

"...intimate?" Ember finished.

Wade slacked, sitting back in his chair.

"Yeah," Wade said, shuddering.

Ember let out a light chuckle in response.

"I didn't realise going in that there'd be so much psychology, but I guess it makes sense, the brain and all- hehe!" Wade blabbered. He poked at his head in gesture, causing his head to wobble about. Ember smirked at him in admiration. Wade slowly calmed, looking over at her warmly.

"You know, this is a nice change of pace," she said.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"All this talk about me and my problems today was exhausting, so it's nice to just... listen," she said, looking back at Wade nicely.

He stared at her with overwhelming gratitude.

"Thanks. I needed to hear that," he said.

Ember let out a cutesy chuckle, returning a loving gaze. A short silence followed.

"So, go on! Keep going!" Ember exclaimed.

"Oh- oh! Right! So, we learned this cool expression today!" he said.

"Oh yeah?" she asked.

Wade leaned back, painting a picture with a gesture of his hands.

"Tu flamma mutationis," he spoke.

"Fancy. What does it mean?" she queried.

"It means 'you are the flame of change'," he answered.

Ember let out a chortle. "The flame of change, huh? Subtle. I like it." She admired.

"Right? Well, I thought it was appropriate, given-" he began.

"What you just picked me up from?" she answered.

Wade paused for a moment. "Yeah," he said.

The two both fell quiet for a moment, looking at each other lovingly.

"BAM!"

The same Earth waiter from afore exclaimed as he slammed both dishes in front of Ember and Wade. They leaned back in fright, arms extended. Rather quickly, a small part of the tablecloth near Ember's hotpot set on fire. Panicking, the waiter frantically blew it out. As it distinguished, he chuckled nervously.

"Heh- please don't forget; tutto amounts are an acceptable tip!" he quipped with the wave of an arm.

Sat in their seats wondering what just happened, Wade and Ember looked at him blankly.

"I'll just grab the menus from you." the waiter said, swiping them and scuttling away.

Ember and Wade looked at each other in disbelief for a moment, before chuckling and leaning back. They both took a deep breath, remaining silent for a moment.

"Wade, can I ask you something?" Ember asked.

"Of course," he said.

"So, after that whole... you know..." she began.

"The thing?" he answered.

"Yeah- the thing. How did, um... how did you decide?" she queried.

"Decide?" he asked.

"Yeah," she confirmed.

"Decide on what?" he said.

"The whole therapist thing." she elaborated.

"That? Believe it or not, that was your trainer Phil's idea!" he admitted.

"Really?" she asked.

"Yeah, when we were down at the cop station. One thing led to another, and here I am," he answered.

"Seriously? Is that it?" she queried in surprise.

Wade looked up slightly, scratching his chin in thought.

"Well..." he trailed off.

-----

Some time ago...

Wade, once lost, found himself at a bar in Pebblebrook with Ember's trainer, Phil. Why? After a light discussion regarding a new career path, Phil invited the droplet out for a night of talking and, more importantly, far more drinking than Wade anticipated.

Half intoxicated, Phil sloppily turned to him, prodding a finger on his shoulder repeatedly.

"You- you're the- you're a- wow, Ember loves you." he rambled.

Not the heaviest drinker, Wade let out an uncomfortable smile.

"Th- thanks, Phil. I love her, too," he responded meekly.

Phil slung an arm around Wade's back - what he could, anyway, given he was a good foot or two shorter.

"Nah- I mean it. Y- You should've seen her at the site. She was rocking the test, like, brr- bam- bang! Then, sh- she... she got in her head, then BOOM!"

Phil yelled as loud as he could, gesturing a big explosion with his arms and legs.

"H- Haa! I ain't- I ain't ever feared for m'life like th- that." He rambled.

"I- I'm sorry." Wade apologised.

"Agh! These- these things happen. But, you-" Phil said, once again poking at Wade's arm. "You are a star. Y- You like- fixed her well."

Wade let out a sizable gulp, staring at Phil with worry and smiling.

"I- what I- what I'm gettin' at is... what I'm gettin' at... you're a good lis'ner, and helper, and'd make a good- dang good therapist."

Once again, Phil poked at Wade's arm, causing it to wave about. Trying to see through his intoxication, Wade let out a muddled smile, holding Phil’s hand away.

"Thank you, Phil. That means a lot." he thanked.

Phil let out a garbled growl of approval, tugging at Wade's arm.

"I mean it!" he loudly put.

Phil slowly fell off his chair, prompting Wade to leap and help carry him.

"Okay - let's get you home," Wade said.

-----

Present Day

"Let’s not get into the specifics. What matters is that I'm trying something new, and maybe- just maybe... I'll find my calling. And, if I'm being honest, things look pretty good right now!" Wade reckoned.

Ember let out a hearty laugh, shaking her head. By now, the two dove into their food, conversing as they ate.

"Okay, now I have more questions than answers!" Ember said.

"I have no puddles in my closet! None!" Wade barked excitedly.

Ember let out a hearty laugh, holding her stomach.

"Hah- well, I'll just ask him tomorrow!" she teased.

"Don't!" Wade cried, wearing a massive smile.

The two began to cackle in unison. Wade calmed as Ember continued, watching her in admiration. She shakily went to take another mouthful of her food, still giggly. She gave him a goofy smile, cheeks filled to the brim. Wade chuckled softly, smiling warmly.

"First day back at Aquatecture tomorrow. How has time gone so quickly?" he said.

"Right?! One minute, you're blowing up a miniature house you made, the next, they want you to work on an uber-secret city project. Haha!" she joked.

She let out a loud laugh, getting a few onlookers’ attention. Wade looked around at them, quickly looking back to her with a smile.

"You must be so excited... and nervous." he pondered.

"Oh, boy- my head is spinning!" she exclaimed.

The statement caused her to chortle, breaking eye contact and looking down at her food. Wade noticed her reaction, slightly concerned.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.

Ember sharply put her spoon down, her body constricting slightly.

"I'm worried about tomorrow. W- what do they think of me now? W- what if my anger comes out again?" she panicked.

Wade put his utensils down in tandem, opening his body language.

"Hey." He began.

Ember stopped herself from panicking, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Wade slowly reached over a hand, prompting her to look up at him.

"Look at it this way. They didn't fire you. They kept you on because you matter to them. That must count for something, right?" he reminded.

Ember looked back down at her food, picking up her utensils and finishing the last of it. Once she did, she let out a tired exhale, leaning back.

"Yeah. I guess you're right." She considered.

Wade leaned over, picking her chin up.

"Whatever happens, I'm here for you now. More than ever." He stated.

Ember looked at his hand, gently taking it and squeezing softly.

"Thanks, Wade." She thanked.

The two smile lovingly at each other, leaning inward.

But they neglected to notice their waiter of afore, stood right in front of the booth, silently watching them.

"Naww!" the waiter obnoxiously chimed in, holding his hands at his face.

Ember and Wade slowly looked over at him – her, slightly annoyed, and him, puzzled.

"Doesn't it hurt when you, 'ya know..."

The waiter laced his slowly fingers together to gesture them holding hands, looking at the two inquisitively.

Ember and Wade both looked at each other, unamused.

Chapter 3: Never a Dull Moment

Shortly after their eventful meal out, Ember and Wade strolled back to the Sea-Near apartment block. As they entered the foyer, they could both be heard giggling like children.

"Now, I should warn you. Uncle S has something for you upstairs." Wade said.

Ember guffawed without hesitation. "Is it pants?" she joked.

She quickly burst into laughter as Wade stood frozen in bewilderment.

"What- no!" he exclaimed.

They made their way to an elevator, and Wade pressed the button for the 25th level.

"Although, I keep finding pairs on the side of my bed, so who knows?" Wade remarked as the doors closed.

-----

The door opened to the 25th floor, and out strolled the two goofy lovebirds. On the way up, Wade had asked her to cover her eyes while he guided her along.

"Make sure they're closed!" he instructed.

Ember giggled childishly. "They are!" she assured.

As they approached the door, Wade stopped for a moment, reaching into his satchel to get his keys.

THUNK!

Ember walked face-first into the door, sending Wade into a panic.

"Ooh- sorry, Ember!" he exclaimed, consoling her with keys in hand.

She laughed it off heartily, shaking her head and covering her eyes once more. Wade let out an exhale of relief, wiping sweat off his head and unlocking the door. He gently pushed it open, linking arms with Ember and guiding her in.

Like a water foundation, both Uncle and Aunty Sea-Near leaped out of the water, arms high.

"Surprise! Welcome home, you two!" they exclaimed.

Ember promptly uncovered her eyes.

"Whoa!" she sounded.

The Sea-Near apartment now had little stone paths running around the edges of the rooms, as well as one up to the stair well. Ember gasped, looking around in marvel.

"You guys!" Ember exclaimed.

"We've been thinking. You've been living here a while, and you've had to navigate around the place in that bulky suit! How exhausting! So, we figured it was time to fix that." Uncle Sea-Near announced.

Lost for words, Ember smiled gratefully at Uncle Sea-Near, mouthing 'thank you'. She respectfully placed her bag at the front door, gently walking about the path in marvel.

"The pools are connected under the paths with 'arch culverts' - whatever those are - so no need to worry about us. The important thing is that you get to travel around the house stress-free!" Aunty Sea-Near chimed in.

She stopped and turned to the Sea-Nears, holding her hands at her core.

"It's perfect." she recognized.

Wade picked up her bag, giving the Sea-Nears a hug and following Ember.

"It took a lot out of me to keep this a secret." he admitted to her.

As Wade walked by her side, she leaned over, giving him a smooch on the cheek.

"You're perfect." she delivered passionately.

Wade drunkenly smiled, blushing like a prepubescent sapling.

Ember tiptoed along the path toward the kitchen, with Wade and the Sea-Nears following suit. 

Mid transit, Uncle Sea-Near leaned close to Aunty Sea-Near.

"I didn't believe that MacGuffin feller when he said he could have it done within the day, but colour me blue, he did it!" he said.

Aunty Sea-Near giggled, bumping him on the shoulder.

Ember made her way to the kitchen, taking a seat on one of the bar-stools at the bar-height counter. As she decompressed, she noticed a small whirlpool just outside of the kitchen area. She looked over at it, raising an eyebrow with a smirk.

"Sorry, boys. Caught you red handed." she said.

Suddenly, the three Sea-Near kids appeared out of the water, disheartened.

"Aw, man!" one said.

All three slithered up to Ember and gave her a hug all at once, nearly knocking her over and creating a loud sizzle.

"Hi, Ember!" they exclaimed.

They crowded around her, arms behind her back. She looked between them, thinking to herself. 

"I hope I get this right."

She pointed to them left to right, one by one.

"Splosh... Splash... Splish? How'd I do?" she queried.

The kids looked amongst one another, playfully giggling.

"0 out of 3!" they yelled in unison.

Ember let out a playful grimace, stamping her foot. "Agh! Bummer!"

Without warning, they gave her a hug again.

"It's not like you all look the same." she muttered to herself.

As she hugged them, she caught a glimpse of Wade heading upstairs.

"Your bag will be in our room." he exclaimed.

"Thanks, Wade!" she responded.

The Sea-Near kids started playing, jumping back into the pool floor and splashing at each other. 

Uncle and Aunty Sea-Near walked to the other side of the kitchen. Aunty Sea-Near began putting dishes away, while Uncle Sea-Near went to the fridge and took out a cup of jelly. He went to open it with one twist, but it didn't work, beginning a struggle to take the lid off.

"How'd the session go today, Ember?" Aunty Sea-Near asked.

Caught off-guard, Ember looked up at Aunty Sea-Near sharply.

"That? Oh-ho..." she began.

She broke eye contact, holding her arm in nerves. "It was fine."

Aunty Sea-Near paused in concern as Uncle Sea-Near, still struggling to open his jelly, held her arm to get her attention. Aunty Sea-Near took the memo, closing her eyes and nodding to him. Uncle Sea-Near looked to Ember, jelly cup in hand.

"You're a brave woman for agreeing to do something so confronting." Uncle Sea-Near gestured with a fist in pride.

Ember let out a flat chuckle, looking down at her lap. "Yeah. I guess so."

Always one to change the vibe of a room, Wade made his way downstairs, whistling in a jolly manner.

"How about you, Wade? How'd Psychiatry class go? Tell us everything!" Uncle Sea-Near garbled, trying to rip the lid off his jelly with his teeth.

"It's Psychology, Uncle S. But, it... was... amazing!!" Wade exclaimed.

Without any reason to, Wade leaped a good few feet like a ballerina onto one of the bar stools next to Ember. As he landed, he splashed a bucket's worth of his water all over the counter. Ember leaned back in shock of the impact, whilst Uncle Sea-Near quickly went back to gnawing at the lid of his jelly.

"It was just baby steps today. We mainly went over what we'll be doing throughout this semester. But! We did go over some of the famous psychologists over the years! Puddl Jung, Seedmund Freud, Airbraham Maslow, Tree F. Skinner – all sorts!" Wade said.

Aunty Sea-Near interjected with her arms folded. "That Freud feller always makes things sound so-"

"Wet!" Uncle Sea-Near exclaimed, slamming the cup on the counter in frustration. As he did, the lid finally opened. He grabbed the cup and a spoon, licking his lips.

Ember's dour composure wavered for a glimpse, letting out a confused giggle at it all.

"I know, right? But, in all seriousness, it was fun! It was nice to have something to direct my energy into, you know? With the whole... city worker thing... I just didn't feel right. But, this... I haven't felt this sure about something since..." Wade began.

He paused for a moment as he caught a glimpse at Ember. She gently looked him in the eyes, smiling slightly. He returned that smile.

"Well... you get the picture." he finished.

Uncle S excitedly ate away at his jelly, obnoxiously chewing it with his mouth wide open. "No, we don't!" he exclaimed.

Ember shook her head in response, smirking for a flash. Wade leaned toward Ember, elbowing her gently.

"Well, once class finished, I grabbed this one from her session. She wasn't feeling 100%, so we went down to Ristorante Tutto. Weird service! Anyway..." he began.

Ember leaned on the counter, staring blankly at Wade while he shared. He seemed so bright, cheerful, and hopeful, completely unlike how he did during 'the incident'. It struck her like he came out of their ordeal unscathed while she had to do all this work on herself just so that she could keep a job, and part of her felt resentful about that. As she thought about it, an air of sorrow wafted through her. She quickly fell upon some of the things her therapist was saying to her earlier.

Do you stop to think that your reaction could be the problem?

Her smile dropped and eyebrows furrowed as she thought about it. She visibly became tense and uncomfortable, further exacerbated by the prying eyes in the room.

Perhaps you find yourself clinging to hostile tendencies in times of stress to make yourself feel strong.

That thought hit her especially hard. She shuffled around her chair, turning away from everyone.

Wade caught on, put a pause on his storytelling and turned to her.

"Ember. Are you okay?" he asked.

Her eyes fluttered as she tried to take a deep breath quietly. She got to her feet, closing her eyes and extending her fingers.

"Do you guys mind if I head upstairs for a bit? I need a break... after today." she asked.

Wade and the Sea-Nears looked between each other in worry, turning and nodding in agreement.

"Of course." Aunty Sea-Near responded.

Ember stroked her head and chuckled instinctively, quietly heading upstairs.

Wade watched her in concern, taking note of her demeanor.

-----

She made her way into her and Wade's room, sitting on the edge of her bed. She breathed heavily, holding her head in her hands. Her eyes darted around the room, fixating on her and Wade's bags sat in front of the mirror. A dark blue piece of paper sat underneath them. Ember caught her breath, slowly getting to her feet and walking up to the bags inquisitively.

"Huh?" she sounded, raising an eyebrow.

She gently moved the bags out of the way, revealing the blueprints for her exam draft from ages ago. She picked it up, dusting it off with a hand.

"Oh, wow." she thought.

She took it and sat on the edge of her bed, looking it over. She gently smiled impressed, considering it was from the first week of work. But alas, she couldn't help but recall the exam's events and its aftermath.

Her emotions conflicted as she laid back on her bed, looking at it whilst dazed in thought. She tried to calm herself, focusing on her breath. Her session earlier evidently took it's toll on her.

"Ugh." she sounded.

She leaned up and she sat aimlessly, looking toward the window and noticing that it was dusk outside. She put the blueprint down and slowly walked up, looking out the window.

It was a lovely view of the Mineral River streaming its way through the urban landscape, coated on either side with crystallized minerals. She watched people up and down a path running alongside the river - walking, running, cycling, jogging, exercising, all sorts. She looked up and around the dazzling cityscape - dozens of tall buildings of all shapes, sizes and colors. Yet, she couldn't help but feel empty as she looked - a bittersweet reminder of the last time she stood in the same spot.

She eventually locked eyes with her reflection in the window. She didn't look happy nor sad. She looked haggard. A couple tears came out, sliding down her face.

"Never a dull moment, huh?"

Her trance broke, quickly turning to see Wade quietly standing at the doorway, gently shutting the door behind him.

She wiped up her tears with an arm. "Yeah."

Wade slowly walked up by her side, looking out the window with her.

"Uncle S was right. You're brave for agreeing to do something so confronting." he said.

Ember looked at him with innocent eyes, while Wade returned her gaze with a gentle smile.

"...and I have always loved that about you." he admired.

Ember began to tear up again, smiling bitter-sweetly. She hugged him, squeezing tight and digging her head into his chest. Wade let out a couple tears himself, hugging her back. 

The two stayed silent in this embrace for a while, bar a few sniffles. They eventually leaned back, holding each other whilst sharing eye contact. Ember smiled at him, but Wade could read her eyes. They read unhappy, they read hesitant... they read scared. Wade closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"You're going to kick butt at work tomorrow. I am voting yes on Proposition Ember-will-have-a-good-first-day-back-at-Aquatecture!" he remarked.

Her eyes read a bit more positively, her smile more genuine.

"I'm serious! Are you voting yes or no?!" he exclaimed.

She began to giggle, going limp in his arms. Wade took notice, playfully shaking her back and forth.

"Hey! Earth to Ember! Permission to give a compliment?" he yelled.

Her giggle crescendo-ed to a laugh, and she shook her head, sniffling.

"Permission granted." she answered meekly.

Wade beamed with joy, hugging her tight and lifting her up. She cackled like a kid, kicking her feet up and down.

Their playing about gradually died down, and Wade let her back onto the ground. The two held each other by the hips, beaming lovingly. Ember balled her fist, holding it at Wade's heart.

"Thank you." she mouthed.

Wade smiled wider, bringing her in for one last warm hug.

"You're going to amount to great things. I am passionately sure of it. This... is just another speed hump. Tomorrow will be great. I'm sure of it." he assured.

Chapter 4: Right On Time

Notes:

A/N: I'd suggest you find a way to listen to "Stayin' Alive" by The Beegees whilst reading the start of this chapter. Enjoy!

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Thoughts of yesterday evidently left their mark on Ember this morning. As her alarm blared in the background, she rose like a zombie from its grave – complete with arms extended, a slacked jaw and a deathly groan. She slowly looked over at her alarm clock with the same expression, broodingly smashing a fist on the snooze button.

She slithered to her feet and sat on the side of her bed, hunched over like Arc de Triomphe. Her eyes sat half open, blinking slowly and groggily at the visage of Wade's empty pool bed.

"Ughhhh..." she grumbled.

Like a corporate robot, she got to her feet, stomping up to the cupboard. She dozily flicked through the clothes – or, more precisely, a great surplus in pants – and took out her bulky Aquatecture suit. It took her a good minute or two to get the thing on before slowly making her way downstairs.

Halfway downstairs, one of the Sea-Near kids came hurtling into the wall next to her, splattering upon impact. Ember jumped out of her slumber in shock, but the pesky child merely reformed and ran away. She hunched back over, huffing aloud.

"Me too, bud." She remarked.

She made her way down the stairs, watching as the Sea-Near kids ran amok around the kitchen. Uncle and Aunty Sea-Near were in the kitchen, one packing their lunches, while the other tried to catch them.

"Have you checked your bags, boys?" Aunty Sea-Near spoke up.

The Sea-Near kids yelled "Yup!" in unison as they played around the house.

Ember stood in her spot trying to process everything before a loud smack sounded from the kitchen.

"Ow!" Wade yelled out.

"The heck?" Ember thought.

Wade stood up, holding some clear wrap in his hand. Ember took one look at his face, screaming aloud.

"Gyeaugh!" she screamed.

Half of Wade's face was missing, but he didn't realise a thing. He stood blankly, his one eye staring dead at her.

"What?" he asked.

Ember gestured to her face, trying to throw a hint at him. Initially puzzled, he caught on, looking at his reflection.

"Oh." He sounded.

He held his remaining nostril, blowing as hard as he could. Thankfully, his missing side came back, good as new. Ember let out an exhausted exhale while Wade handed the clear wrap to Uncle Sea-Near, letting him wrap the kids' lunches and put them in their lunch boxes.

"Alright, now you get one cup of jelly each today! Got it?" Uncle Sea-Near announced.

The kids ran laps around the kitchen, replying "yeah, okay!" in unison.

"Splash, I'm looking at you." Uncle Sea-Near said with the point of a finger.

Splash came hurtling onto the top of the counter, splattering all over it. He reformed, cackling in Uncle Sea-Near's face. Uncle Sea-Near huffed, slumping over.

"Always one to make a splash." He quipped.

Aunty Sea-Near grabbed the lunch boxes, packing them into the kids' bags. As she did, she looked up, seeing Ember slowly take a seat on a barstool.

"Why the dour expression, Ember? How'd you sleep?" Aunty Sea-Near asked.

Ember let out a groan in response. Wade sat down next to her with a bowl of freshwater soup for breakfast. She slowly looked over at him, still slack jawed.

"D'you know what the time is?" she mumbled.

Wade put his spoon down, looking at his wrist. There was no watch on it.

"Wish I could help you, Em." He said with a shrug.

Ember grumbled again, slowly turning around and looking over at the clock.

8:55 AM

She gently turned back to the counter, idly gumming for a few seconds. After a few seconds of delay, her eureka moment came. She slammed both hands on the table.

"8:55?! I'm gonna be late!" she exclaimed.

She quickly sprang into action, running around the counter, grabbing a pack of Kol-nuts from the pantry and running out the door.

Wade turned on his stool to face her. "Ember," he said.

Ember stopped dead with her hand on the door handle.

"What?" she asked.

Wade chewed his soup with bowl in hand, pointing upstairs with his spoon. "Your bag?" he asked.

Ember grimaced impatiently, sprinting along the paths upstairs. She burst the door open, yanking her bag from the ground and racing back downstairs.

"Bye, Sea-Nears! Bye, Wade." she wished.

"Bye, Ember!" Uncle and Aunty Sea-Near said.

She ran to the door on a mission, only to find Wade standing at it.

He extended his arms. "One last hug before work?" he asked.

Ember hurriedly hugs him, squeezing him rather tight.

"Oof!" he grimaced.

Then, for no reason at all, she gave him a smack on the butt.

"Butt smack! Gesture of love! See ya!" she barked.

She raced out of the door, slamming it behind her. Wade scratched his butt, puzzled.

"That's a first." He remarked.

-----

Ember raced down the hallway, sliding into the elevator and pressing the ground button several times.

"Come on- come on." She begged.

The door slowly closed, taking her to ground level. As soon as it opened, she sprinted out. A couple of elderly water ladies stood at the foyer desk speaking with the desk lady, conveniently right in Ember's way. She contorted her body to run around them.

"Sorry!" she apologised.

She sprinted out of the foyer and down the street, tapping her pocket. She let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank the Eternal Flame." She mumbled to herself.

She took her phone out, looking at the time.

8:57 AM

"Agh!" she yelped.

She ran down the grandly confusing quad-elemental sidewalk, running up to a behind an obese fire person.

"Gah- I hate these paths." She muttered.

She shook her head, hopping over to the air path next to her. She didn't get far before being stopped by an intersection at a walking signal.

"Ugh." She grimaced.

She jogged on the spot impatiently, her suit squeaking and farting as she did. The signal for the water folk went first, halting the other 3 elements in their place.

"Ugh, come on!"

After roughly 10 seconds, the earth path signal went off.

"Argh!"

Then after another 10 seconds, the air path.

"Gee- hurry up!"

Finally, after what felt like half a minute, the fire one lit up. She went from 0 to 100, sprinting down the street. She looked upward at a group of skyscrapers ahead – one of them being the Aquatecture building.

"Oh, yes!! Thank you." She exclaimed.

Without warning, she sharply tripped over, landing face first. "Oof!" she sounded.

She gently got up, looking back at what she feel on. An elderly tree man sat on the ground a few feet away, holding what looked like a leg in his hands. A sharp spear of guilt hit Ember in the heart.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." She apologized.

The tree guy very slowly looked up at her, before starting to laugh weakly.

"Gotcha! It's a prosthetic." He remarked.

Ember groaned with an eye roll as she got to her feet. The tree man chuckled weakly, cradling his leg in his arms.

"Glad to know you're okay," she said with a fake smile.

She pulled her phone out, looking at the time.

8:59 AM

"Crud." She said with a grimace.

She resumed her run down the street, conscious of the pedestrians around her. It didn't take her long before arriving at the front courtyard of Aquatecture. She came to a skidding stop, nearly stacking it. She looked at her phone for the time.

9:00 AM

She posed victoriously, throwing her arms in the air.

"Yuss!! Right on time," she cheered.

She put her phone in her pocket, slowly walking down the courtyard to the foyer.

-----

With a slight bit of nerves, Ember walked into the Aquatecture building and past the desk lady.

"Morning!" Ember wished.

Usually one to greet enthusiastically, the desk lady shot her an intimidated look.

"G- g'morning!" she stammered.

Ember raised an eyebrow as she walked past. As she looked forward, she couldn’t help but feel… off. She continued her stroll down the hall to the Glassitecture department. Part of the way through, a couple of passerby construction workers gave her strange looks as well – even beginning to walk single file against the wall.

Ember waved at them, rather confused. She walked into the staff room.

"Morning, all!" she called out.

Oddly enough, not a single response was heard. She felt a tinge of anxiety, looking around as she put her bag in her locker. When she closed it, she saw a worker of water at the locker next to her, sweating profusely.

“Can I help you?” Ember asked.

The guy began walking backward, picking up pace and stumbling over things. Ember watched his every move, positively slack jawed.

“Oh... kay.” She thought to herself.

She shut her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to compose herself.

She strolled into the sizable Glassitecture department, where she saw her favourite trainer Phil working at his desk. As she noticed how deep into his work he was, her first thought was to try and sneak up on him. She deviously grinned to herself, silently walking up and leaning in his ear.

"So, you caught up with Wade without telling me?" she whispered.

Phil didn’t react in the slightest, picking up one of the documents on his desk and flipping it over.

"I got absolutely fertilized that night. I have little recollection of it," he said.

Ember stood to her feet and huffed, letting out a laugh.

“Boy, it’s good to be back.” She remarked.

Without a second’s warning, Phil spun around in his chair, handing her a clipboard without looking. It clocked her right in the stomach.

"Oof!" she grimaced.

Phil rose to his short, stumpy feet, grabbing his mug.

"Welcome back. Here's your list of stuff to do today. I'm off to make a cuppa," he put succinctly.

Ember watched, hunched and holding her clipboard at her centre as he nonchalantly walked off. Phil turned to face her, walking backwards.

"By the way; your episode a little while back has made you very popular, Miss Lumen," he yelled out.

Ember could feel the dozens of eyes in the department look her way, causing her to cower slightly.

She looked to her clipboard, slightly afraid. That was before she realised there was only one thing written on it: Visit Lin in her office.

She stared at it blankly, tension rising.

"Oh, flame..." she mumbled.

-----

A minute or so later, and Ember arrived outside of Lin’s office, clipboard clutched in her arms. She hesitated before knocking on the door.

"Miss Da'Dropplet? Ember Lumen here to see you." she said.

Suddenly, she could hear a voice from right behind her. "Did Phil send you here?" it asked.

Ember jumped, sharply turning to see Lin.

"Gah!" she sounded.

"Oops! Didn't mean to startle you. Come on in." she invited.

The two entered the office. Lin confidently strutted behind her desk, clearing some space. Ember joined her, seated meekly.

"Miss Lumen. Might I say, it is fantastic to hear that you'll be staying with us!" Lin opened.

"Yeah. It's, uh... fantastic to still be employed, after... you know," Ember said.

"Yes!" Lin exclaimed, leaning forward.

Ember leaned backward, slightly frightened.

"And might I say, it is brave of you to take action against your weaknesses for us. Not a lot of employees are willing to go to that length to keep their job!" Lin stated.

Ember’s reaction was a mix of fright and being offended, doing her damnest to hide it through a strained smile.

"Yeah... weaknesses!" she half-heartedly agreed, holding her clipboard closer.

"Well, we value you here, Ember. That is why... I have special news for you." Lin said.

Ember paused, looking left and right. "Special news?"

"Yup! You, my lucky little flame flower... have been approved by the Aquatecture board to be a part of Team Aqua Futura!" she announced.

Ember’s eyes opened wide, relaxing her body a little.

“The skyscraper project?” she queried.

“The very same!” Lin confirmed.

The tall water lady rose to her feet, extending a hand for her to shake.

"Welcome aboard!" she exclaimed.

Ember lit up in surprise, dropping her clipboard.

"Really?! It- it's going ahead?!" she exclaimed.

"Certainly is, young lady! I think you'll be happy to know that, in light of your recent... experiences... Phil is part of the team as well." Lin notified.

Ember’s eye twitched at the “experiences” dig, but her excitement couldn’t be restrained.

"My Eternal Flame... that's great news!" she exclaimed.

"Very much so! Oh, I am just overjoyed for you!" Lin shouted.

Ember let out a giggle, giving herself a hug in pride.

"The project will officially be announced at the mayor's next rally – and Ember, due to your unparalleled experiences at such a young age, you will be attending that rally with Phil and the rest of Team Aqua Futura to represent the Aquatecture spirit!" Lin shared.

Ember sat in disbelief, unable to wipe a stupid grin off her face.

"Wow! Thank you, Lin. It's such an honor." She thanked.

Lin sat down and leaned forward, framing her face with a giggle. A good ten seconds of awkward silence followed.

"This is the part where you leave." Lin requested.

Ember nodded quickly in agreeance. "Right- yes- leave. Of course."

She quickly rose to her feet, grabbing her clipboard and making haste out of the room. As she opened the door, she stopped for a second, looking back at Lin with pride before leaving.

-----

Ember returned to Phil’s desk with a pep in her step, something he could see from a mile off. He stared directly at her as she approached, taking a sip of his cuppa.

"On a scale of 1 to 10, how awkward was it?" he asked.

Ember paused, exhaling. "All of the scales," she reported.

Phil let out a chuckle, leaning back with feet up on his desk.

"But she told me I'm on the team." Ember revealed.

Mid-way through a swig, Phil spat out his cuppa, dropping it on the floor. He leaped to his feet, gesturing both hands in the air in celebration.

"Someone is buying a new machine, because that cuppa was terrible!" he quipped.

Ember leaped up and down in her spot, hands held up excitedly.

"Yay?" she hesitantly answered.

Phil pointed both fingers at her like his favourite sports team won.

"Team AF!! High five!" he said, throwing his hand in the air.

Ember’s eyes widened at his overzealous reaction, folding her arms in discomfort.

Phil gently looked up at his hand before quickly falling back to his usual stoicism.

"I retract my reactions within the last minute." He remarked.

Chapter 5: A Ripple in the Works

Notes:

There's a section where Wade listens to "I Got You (I Feel Good" by James Brown. Feel free to listen along!

Meanwhile…

Back at Casa de Sea-Near, the Sea-Nears hurried themselves along.

“Come on, boys. We'll be late for the school trip!” Aunty Sea-Near exclaimed.

The kids played around as the 5 of them walked out the door, back packs on. The last to leave, Uncle Sea-Near, grabbed the door handle, looking back to Wade.

“Have a good day, Wade!” he exclaimed.

Wade’s head popped out from the couch, floppily waving.

“Have a good day, guys!” he responded.

Aunty Sea-Near blew him a kiss as Uncle Sea-Near slammed the door in a hurry. The kinetic energy of the door slam summoned to Wade as he sprung up the minute they were gone. He grabbed his satchel laid next to the couch on the ground, yanking his headphones out. He put them over his ears, letting them slap on. He quickly grabbed his phone, playing some music – "I Got Dew (I Feel Good)" by James Drown.

Oh! I feel good!

Wade started bopping his head to the beat, throwing his satchel over his shoulder. He raced over to bathroom, looking in the mirror with a beaming smile. He quickly slicked his hair up, then grabbed his toothbrush and toothpaste. He brushed his teeth, which wobbled his head back and forth. He spat out the toothpaste, grabbing some mouthwash. The moment he put some in his mouth and swished it around, he turned a dull green. He spat the excess out, exhaling sharply as he looked in the mirror. He winked to himself, storming out of the bathroom and throwing the door shut energetically.

Just as he headed for the door, he checked his satchel.

“Keys? Check. Phone? Check. Wallet? Check. Mints? Check. Pepper spray? Check.”

He pulled out a mysterious item midway through his check. It looked like a little cloth bullet covered in plastic with fine print writing. Curious, he took a closer look.

Flampax; because flamestration can happen anytime, anywhere.

“Huh.” He sounded.

He shrugged carelessly, throwing it back in his satchel. He threw it over his shoulder, exhaling as he checked the time.

9:13 AM

"Ready to roll," he said.

He did one final check locking up the house and headed for the front door. He shut it behind him, locking it and making his way downstairs.

He strolled out of the elevator through the foyer, hands by his sides as he walked out onto the street. Even half an hour later, the street was at least 3 times as busy as it was when Ember left. He stopped at the edge of the foyer out onto the street, looking up and down the quad-elemental path. He held his leading foot out, waiting for his turn to walk. When a big enough gap came, he put his foot down, strolling down the street towards a bus stop.

An intersection stood between Wade and the stop. He stopped at the signal, minding his own business. Stood next to him on the earth path with a short, stout elderly lady, who looked up at the foot-or-two-taller dewdrop. Wade glanced at her in his peripheral vision, turning to her in confusion.

“Can I help you, Miss?” he asked.

The lady slowly leaned over to him, slowly opening her mouth.

“Where are your pants, son?” she asked.

Wade guffawed, nodding his head. He leaned down to her level, gesturing a hand in secrecy.

“I don't wear pants.” He whispered.

The water signal went green, prompting Wade to walk and leaving the lady extremely confused. As Wade got to the other side of the street, a bus was already waiting for him at the stop.

“Lucky me,” he thought.

He quickly boarded it, gung ho for his destination; Elementopia University.

-----

A short bus ride later, and Wade arrived at the university. The bus departed behind him as he stood in front of an archway, staring at it in marvel. On the archway was ‘Elementopia University’ in steel-welded lettering. Wade shed a tear, tugging at his satchel as he walked.

He walked through a big courtyard on the way to class. It had one big tree in the middle, with 4 footpaths sprawling from it coated with small trees that hung over each of them. Wade walked to the big tree, staring up at it, slightly weak in the knees. He looked at the time.

9:46 AM

“Right on time,” he murmured to himself.

He pulled up his online class schedule, double-checking where his room is.

"Introduction to Occupational Therapy. Leakemeier Hall, Lecture Room A. Cool."

He looked up and around, scanning the myriad of buildings around the courtyard. The building to his left had small but bold lettering at its entrance, reading Leakemeier Hall. Wade smirked, putting his phone in his satchel and moving along.

-----

He arrived at the lecture room, briefly standing at the doorway. He looked about at the half-full room, a lump in his throat. He swallowed as he moved through, moving up the tiers to roughly 3 or 4 rows from the back – close enough to see, but far back enough to be cool. As he ascended the tiers, he looked left and right at the students in curiosity. Even this early in the semester, and they all looked tired or bored out of their minds.

Wade took a seat, placing his satchel on his desk. He took out a small notepad and pen; funnily enough, the same one he used for EBID. He looked at the logo that adorned the front cover, chuckling lightly in reminiscence before flipping to a blank page.

Wade looked up at the smart board where the teacher’s desk was – on it, read ‘Introduction to Occupational Therapy’. He let out a sigh of relief, putting his pad and pen on the desk and leaning back. He looked around the room, noticing a big air guy roughly 4 or 5 seats to his left looking down at the ground, frazzled. Being his affable self, Wade leaned over.

“Nice to know you're in the right place, huh?” he said.

The air guy looked over at Wade for a moment blankly, before his eyes popped over to the other side of his head. Wade chuckled; the move slightly hurting his ego.

“Oh- kay. Good talk.” He mumbled to himself.

Suddenly, another air guy came into the class, floating up to Wade’s row. This air guy was slightly darker, yet not a storm cloud. He moved past the big air guy, who held up his legs to let him through. The move caught Wade’s attention, prompting him to do the same. As the dark air guy passed, an interesting smell caressed Wade’s nostrils, prompting him to take a bigger whiff.

“Ooh! What is that smell?” he asked in intrigue.

The air guy took a seat, putting his bag underneath his feet on the floor. He leaned back, leaning his arm over the back rest.

“Y'all wanna know the secret?” he asked.

Wade stared inquisitively, nodding.

“Air freshener,” the air guy responded.

Wade nodded slowly with a smirk, thinking to himself.

“Huh,” he sounded.

Suddenly, the lecturer – a tall, lanky tree man – snapped a branch off his head, slamming it on the desk to get everyone’s attention. Wade and the students shot up, stiff as a pole.

“If I could have your attention, please.” The lecturer began.

The tone of the lecturer’s speech was nothing like Wade expected. He spoke in a slow, monotone, dour cadence.

"Good morning, everyone. My name is Professor Longbranch, and I am your course co-ordinator for Introduction to OT this semester. We will be going through an introduction to occupational therapy. Does anyone know what that is?" he asked.

A tree frat boy at the back of the class raised a hand with a mischievous smirk.

"Is it boring?" he asked.

Longbranch sighed, ignoring the student and looking around the room.

“Anyone else?” he asked.

The class went dead silent – all but the air guy next to Wade. Longbranch huffed, willingly choosing to ignore him as well. But he answered anyway.

"Is it taking your girlfriend to get ice cream when she's mad?" he remarked.

The teacher facepalmed. "Try again. Anybody else?"

Rather intimidated, Wade gently raised a hand.

"Water guy,” Longbranch answered.

Wade looked from left to right, pointing to himself. Longbranch nodded, giving him the green light.

"Uhh... helping those who are in need emotionally… a- and giving them the tools to… t- to help control their emotions?" he asked.

Longbranch guffawed, genuinely taken by surprise – in an odd, unreadable way.

"Would you look at that? A sensible answer in my class,” he acknowledged.

Wade grinned, leaning back and relaxing. The dark air guy looked over with a smirk.

"However, you are not a hundred percent correct. Occupational Therapy is a type of therapy based on encouraging those who may be suffering physically or mentally engage in meaningful activities in everyday life." Longbranch continued.

Much like the elderly lady that morning, Wade noticed the air guy staring at him in his peripheral vision. He tried his damnest to focus on Longbranch but couldn't help glancing over periodically.

“You look familiar.” The air guy asked.

Wade turned his head, looking at him blankly. “I'm sorry?”

The air guy squinted his eyes. “I think I seen yo' wavy butt on the news ridin' a scooter on the freeway.”

Wade’s eyes opened wide, unexpecting of a reference to that time. “Oh- heh,” he stammered.

He looked away from him, scratching his neck in embarrassment. The air guy nodded slowly out of respect.

“Mad respect, wave,” he admired.

“Hah—thanks.” Wade answered.

“Just one q. Why'd you do that?” the air guy asked.

Wade exhaled, breaking eye contact and looking at his notebook.

“Oh, uh—it's real complicated. It was a weird day,” he answered.

“I'll say- not every day y'all see someone riding one of those thangs. Like, 50 Shell$ to get the damn thing started?” the air guy remarked.

Wade quickly lit up, letting out a smile. “Right?!” he exclaimed.

The two laughed in unison, shaking their heads. Longbranch suddenly snapped another branch off his head, throwing it like a javelin straight at the air guy’s head. The air guy leaned back as it went straight through him, pretending to yawn.

"Talk one more time Airon, and I'll send you back to the Chancellor's office." Longbranch warned.

The air guy raised his hands in the air with a smug look. “Okay- okay!”

Longbranch stared at him with daggers for eyes, resuming his lecturing. “As I was saying...”

Wade stared at the air guy, leaning away from him in shock. The air guy let out a smirk and chuckle, extended a hand to shake.

“Name’s Airon,” he said.

Wade looked at his hand, gently shaking it. “I'm Wade.”

“Nice to meet you, bro.” Airon said.

“Same here.” Wade responded.

As the two shook hands, a small episode of water vapour occurred. The two watched as it rose to the ceiling and disappeared.

“Hah—that some crazy stuff,” Airon remarked.

Wade continued staring at the ceiling in wonder.

“So, you a Freshie?” Airon asked.

Wade looked back down, raising an eyebrow. “Freshie?”

“First time?” Airon clarified.

“First time?” Wade queried.

“First class here, wave!” Airon put in frustration.

“Oh! Uh—yeah, for this course anyway. You?” Wade answered.

“Yeah, wish I could say the same. Been floatin' to and from classes, bro.” Airon answered.

He looked down as he answered, kicking his bag about.

“Really?” Wade asked.

“Yeah.” Airon confirmed.

Wade paused, looking down at his closed notebook and sighing. “I'm sorry to hear that.”

Airon chuckled as if Wade weren’t being serious, looking over at him with an eyebrow raised. "Oh... you being fo' real?"

Wade stared at the EBID logo on his notebook, slightly pouting. "Yeah. I just- I know what it's like."

Airon smiled, slightly taken aback. “I like you, Wade.”

Wade turned, meeting his warm smile.

Having reached a snapping point, Longbranch whacked a branch on his desk.

“Airon, I'd like you to leave my class, please,” he requested.

Airon shot daggers back at Longbranch. He quickly got to his feet, slinging his backpack over his shoulders and floating to the exit without question.

Wade watched the ordeal, mouth agape in intrigue. He turned back to Longbranch, slumping down in his seat.

-----

Wade left the lecture room as it concluded, hanging back the large flux of students. Right outside of the room was a small student lounge, complete with a bean bag and two small couches. Airon sat across one of them, surfing on his phone. Wade caught a glimpse, deciding to approach him.

“Airon?” he asked.

Airon glanced up at Wade, texting on his phone.

“What're you doing here? Why'd you leave class?” Wade asked.

Airon sighed, putting his phone on his chest. “That barky mother fluffer hasn't liked me for years. Why should I be in his classes when he puts me down in front of everyone?”

Wade went quiet, looking at the ground. “Oh...”

Airon picked up his phone, resuming his texting.

Wade nervously played with his fingers. “When you said you were 'floating to and from classes'...” he began.

Airon glanced over at him again, still knee-deep in his texts.

“What'd you mean by that?” Wade asked.

Airon let out a huff, turning around on the couch and ignoring him. A vulnerability showed in his eyes, which quickly prompted him to stop. He turned back around, putting his phone face-down on his thigh.

“Y'all kind, but why'd you care?” he asked.

Wade watched his fingers as he twiddled them. “I know what it feels like... to not have direction,” he answered.

Airon let out a scoff, slightly offended. He got to his feet, grabbing his stuff. “I have direction, wave. Just not the one people want me to have.”

He strutted past Wade in a huff. Wade watched his every step, clutching his satchel in discomfort. He closed his eyes and exhaled, composing himself.

He quickly ran up to Airon’s side, but he wasn’t in the mood.

“I learned from someone very important in my life that sometimes, you gotta fight for what you love,” Wade exclaimed.

Airon stopped in his spot, eyes wide. Wade stared him dead in the eyes with mouth hung low.

“That came out wrong. I'm trying to say that taking it out on yourself will never work.” Wade said.

Airon’s expression darkened, looking at Wade without blinking. “Who are you to comment on anything on my life? You're not living it.”

“You’re right, but… I have.” Wade retorted.

Airon let out a scoff with a snarl, shaking his head. “Y'all crazy.”

He turned away from Wade, strolling off with arms straight by his sides. Wade quickly ran up, grabbing his arm and holding him.

“Hey!” Airon barked.

“I started studying so that I could become a therapist, and I did that because I want to help people.”

“I... don't want to be helped.” Airon growled.

Though defensive on the outside, Wade could read vulnerability in his eyes – he got good at that being with Ember. Wade shut his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Okay.”

Airon stared at Wade, squinting at him with mouth slightly agape. He went to turn to walk off, but a hint of remorse stopped him.

“I can’t decide for you, but… would you mind... helping a freshie out?” Wade asked.

Airon turned his body language toward him, holding his bag strap tight.

“Please.” Wade requested.

“Why me?” Airon asked.

“I need to get a foot in the door with all this uni stuff, and... you seem cool.” Wade admitted.

He gently got a glimpse of Airon’s surprised reaction without him noticing, smiling to himself.

“I gotta learn Longbranch’s throwing pattern too, y’know?” he quipped.

Airon stared at Wade warmly, smiling with more than his mouth. He let out a huff, rolling his eyes.

“Fine,” he accepted.

Airon reached a hand into Wade’s satchel without warning.

“Ooh, uh- that's an invasion of privacy.” Wade answered in discomfort.

“Waive that talk,” Airon remarked.

He took out Wade’s phone, trying to get in but being blocked by the passcode. He tried two or three more times, struggling in the process. He exhaled, handing it to Wade without making eye contact.

“Can you put in your passcode?” he asked.

Wade gently took it out of his hand, clutching it at his chest. “Why?”

“Just do it,” Airon demanded.

Wade held it close to his chest, putting in the passcode. Airon quickly yanked it from his hands, turning away from him.

“H- hey!” Wade exclaimed.

Airon held up a finger as he typed with the other. Before long, he handed it back.

“Here's my Elementstagram handle. DM me, call me, give it to a girl, whatever. Having someone at uni to talk to... won't suck... for a change,” Airon said.

Wade let out a smirk, holding his phone in his hand. Airon took note of Wade’s overly optimistic demeanour, tugging at his backpack strap and walking off.

Wade watched him walk off, grinning to himself.

“I'll send you memes!” he called out.

He laughed to himself, looking down at his phone. He unlocked it, taking a good look at Airon’s profile.

He had a good thousand followers, whilst only following 4 accounts. He chuckled to himself, taking a closer look at his profile picture. He tapped on it to expand it, showing a picture of him at some kind of busy event, fist raised in the air.

He tapped out and looked at his description, which read ‘dark cloud with a darker sense of humour, volunteer, Proposition IE ally, @tun_ie_a <3.’

Wade smirked to himself, locking his phone and putting it in his satchel.

“Huh,” he sounded, thinking to himself.

Notes:

Story update. July 6th, 2025.

Why, hello there! Tis I, TheOverzealousOne! Now, I won't lie to you, I haven't touched this fanfic for months. For those who closely follow me and/or this fic, I apologize for leaving you hanging.

Unfortunately, I am considering cancelling The Interelementals for a few reasons. One; I'm a busy mf. Two; I'm a perfectionist, so if I commit to this book, I'd want to do a third and frankly, I do not have the interest or drive to force through two books. Three; I honestly think A Lumen Ripple is good enough as a standalone fic.

But, for those interested in The Interelementals, I'd like to know what you'd like to see from it. Who knows, perhaps a few fresh ideas will give me inspiration!

Once again, I apologize for leaving you all hanging. That's all for now. Me, signing off. :)

Chapter 6: Bright Side Up

Ember trudged down the courtyard of Aquatecture HQ later that afternoon after clocking off. The afternoon air was fresh, yet she was tired and evidently tense. Sat on a bench next to a tree person, Wade awaited her. She caught a glimpse at him, and a part of her inner flame sparked in joy.

"Wade?" she mumbled to herself.

He heard her approaching, leaping to his feet. The two mirrored a quick pace, impacting with a sizzle, a tight hug and a gentle laugh. As their embrace ended, Ember noticed Wade holding a takeaway box.

He handed it to her and said, "I had spare time after class today, so I thought I'd grab you some dinner!"

Ember let out a weary smile, gently taking it from his hands. Her expression brightened when she opened it up - a warm serving of Kol nuts.

She looked up at him, smiling with her eyes.

"You're so sweet. Thank you," she said.

She hugged him again.

"It's the least I could do," he said.

He gestured for her to walk with him. Ember began nibbling at her Kol-nuts in the process.

"So? Tell me how your day went!" Wade enthused.

Ember began with half a mouthful. "It was...", she hesitated before lighting up, "Interesting!"

Wade chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "How so?" he asked.

She giggled, facing the path ahead.

"People caught on to my... episode... so now things are a little weird. But! Thankfully, Lin and Phil have been understanding about it," she said.

"Well, that's good," Wade admired.

Ember averted his gaze and blushed, continuing to nibble on her Kol-nuts like a wild mongrel. "You'll be... super proud of me," she said.

Wade laughed, "as if I'm not already?"

She laughed with him. She gave him a smirk and responded, "Do you remember that offer Lin and Phil talked about?"

Wade caught on, scratching his neck. "The night of our-"

She chuckled, putting a hand on his chest. "Yeah..."

The two came to a stop at a walking signal nearby the Sea-Near's. Ember looked down, smiling warmly.

"It's been confirmed," she said, "I got on the Aqua Futura team."

Wade took a moment to register. "Oh... my... wave, Ember! That's so exciting! What- what is that?" he asked in a curious tone.

She grinned at his naivety. "Phil showed me on one of my first days. It's one of those 'revolutionizing certain thing as we know it' type of deals."

The signal went green for the water folks. Wade gave Ember a cheeky look, snatching her hand and running across the street.

"H- hey, Wade!" she cried giddily.

Onlookers were up in arms. "You can't do that! She's of fire! Fire goes last!"

A careless Wade shouted "run!" as the two raced across the street. Ember giggled like a schoolgirl as they made their way to the Sea-Near's.

They came to a stop at the apartment's foyer laughing. A lady at the foyer desk giggled at the two. Wade waved back as he and Ember made their way to the elevators. He pressed the up button, taking a moment with Ember to catch his breath.

"Sorry. What were you saying before?" he asked.

Still catching her breath, Ember said "I'll tell you later."

Wade tugged at her hand. "But I wanna know now!" he played.

She laughed, shaking her head.

-----

The elevator doors opened to the 25th floor, and they made their way to the Sea-Near's door.

"Can we save it for after dinner?" Ember asked.

Wade huffed playfully. "Fine."

He grabbed his keys to open the door. Luckily for him however, the door was open with half a turn.

The two lovebirds were greeted by a joyous sight; the Sea-Nears were sat at the dining table with a smorgasbord splayed all over.

Uncle Sea-Near roared with enthusiasm. "Wade! Ember! Welcome home!"

"We hope you're hungry," Aunty Sea-Near chimed in.

Ember and Wade stopped at the doorway beaming. Ember chuckled, looking over to Wade.

Before she could say anything, Wade said "I did not plan for this."

She wasn't wholly convinced, yet it didn't bother her. "I could go for seconds," she remarked.

She dumped her bags on the spot and winked at him, racing off to the table. Wade stood frozen in disbelief.

"You little-" he began, rolling his eyes.

Ember took a seat at the table, swinging her legs like a child. In the background, Wade barely managed to get both his and her bags upstairs.

Aunty S began. "I went by FireMart earlier today and grabbed a few things for you, including some charred twigs."

She slid over a container of them – burned twigs covered in red dust.

Ember's eyes went wide. "Charred twigs?!" she exclaimed, grabbing one. "I haven't had one of these since I was a kid!"

She tore off a piece with a good snap. Her eyes fluttered in delight. "Mmm! So good! Mister and missus S, you shouldn't have!"

Wade came barrelling down the stairs. For some reason, he had the audacity to do a flip onto a chair at the dinner table. This being Wade, he botched it, splattering all over the table.

Ember leaned back with a mouthful, eyes wide. "Why?" she thought.

Wade reformed in a chair next to her, sighing in disappointment. "I really thought I had it that time."

He eventually looked at Ember staring at him in confusion. He shrugged, turning to the Sea-Nears.

"Thanks for the food, Uncle and Aunty S! What've we got?"

"You're welcome!" Uncle S said. "We've got freshwater soup, mineral juice and ice!"

"Nice!" Wade exclaimed.

He went straight for a bowl of freshwater soup. Ember leaned over, handing him a charred twig.

"Try this," she offered.

Wade took it, looking at it curiously. "Ooh!"

He stuck it straight into his mouth. He sat stiff as a statue with a smile waiting for something to happen. Ember looked at him blankly, hoping for a reaction. Instead, she watched as it slowly moved down his body. Wade caught on, slowly looking down at it.

"Neat," he remarked.

Uncle S chimed in. "So, tell us about your day...s!"

Both Ember and Wade go to speak. They both stopped, looking at each other awkwardly.

"Oh- you go first," Ember offered.

"I went first yesterday. I insist," Wade said.

Ember smirked at him. "Okay."

She looked over at Uncle S, crossing her legs. "So... work was interesting."

The Sea-Nears reacted like golden retrievers. "Yuh-huh!"

Ember smiled innocently. "Yeah..." she trailed off.

An awkward silence pounced just for a moment.

"So... I got on the Aqua Futura team," Ember continued.

"The Aqua Futura team?!" Uncle Sea-Near yelped.

He grabbed onto Aunty Sea-Near's arm. "She got on the Aqua Futura team!"

They both turned their heads to her. "What is that?" they asked in unison.

Ember giggled. "It's this building project; apparently Aquatecture reckon that it'll revolutionize city architecture on a scale we've never seen before," she said, chuckling and shrugging. "Some jargon like that."

Uncle Sea-Near slammed both hands on the table. "Our Ember," he began, leaning back and folding his arms, "taking the bad and making it good!"

Ember couldn't help but laugh again, looking down at a charred twig in her hand. "Thanks, Mister Sea-Near."

Wade looked over at her, putting a hand on her shoulder. Ember looked over at him, innocence in her eyes.

Aunty S spoke up. "How about you, Wade? Anything exciting about today?"

Wade lit up, putting both hands on the table. "Actually, really exciting!" he said.

He took a deep breath, looking around the table.

"I... made a friend," Wade revealed.

Ember's eyes went wide whilst having a mouthful of twig. The Sea-Nears erupted in joy. "Wade, that's wonderful! What's his or her name? Are they nice? What do they smell like?"

Wade laughed, sitting back down and looking cool about it. "His name... is Airon."

Ember slung an arm over her stomach whilst holding another twig with her other hand.

"Airon! Wow! Sounds Frensch," Aunty Sea-Near reckoned.

Ember giggled. "Nah – Frensch is fierier."

Wade joined in. "He's an air guy. Dunno what kind, though. He's a little darker, so maybe like a... storm cloud?"

Aunty Sea-Near quickly got her phone out and did some research. "Says here that the Galeanese are a society of air folks from the Galean region", she said, looking up, "wherever that is."

"Galean. Cool! You learn something new every day," Wade admired.

Ember looked to Wade with half a mouthful. "What does this Airon guy do?"

"I...", he began. "I honestly couldn't tell you. He's more mysterious than the Wind Breaker's loss last season."

Uncle Sea-Near scoffed. "Don't get me started – they lost by one goal! By Poseidon, that boils me to no end."

Wade showed Ember his phone. "This is his Elementstagram profile."

She looked it through for a moment before noticing something. "Proposition IE ally. What does that mean?" she asked.

Wade shrugged.

Without missing a beat, Aunty Sea-Near searched it on her phone and read it aloud. "Proposition IE are a-" – before she could read on, her phone screen went black. "Oh- darn it! It went flat."

Uncle Sea-Near shrugged. "I guess we'll never know," he said.

Ember gently led to her side and looked away, chewing on a twig. Wade looked her way and caught on.

"You okay, Em?" he asked.

Her eyes wandered his way, a bit off guard. "Me? I'm fine," she said.

Wade's cheery manner faded, beginning to feel concerned for her.

Ember took a deep breath, sitting upright. "Well, today's been a long day. Mind if I congregate upstairs?" she asked.

Wade looked down at the table. The Sea-Nears looked at each other. "Of course. We'll bring some leftovers upstairs if you like," Aunty Sea-Near said.

Ember smiled at them with weary eyes. "Thanks", she mumbled.

She spun out of her chair and made her way upstairs.

The Sea-Nears looked to Wade with concern. “Was it something we said?” Uncle Sea-Near asked.

Wade watched as Ember made her way upstairs. He sighed, "No, Uncle and Aunty S. Times have been tough for her."

He sat to process for a moment, before spinning around and heading upstairs after Ember.

The Sea-Nears looked to each other in concern.

Suddenly, one of their children spoke up. “Can we have more ice, please?!” one barked.

Uncle and Aunty S looked to the kid, then back at each other with eyebrows raised.

Chapter 7: No Overthinking

Wade made his way upstairs to the guest suite. He gently opened the door to find Ember splayed on her bed exhausted with her arm hung off the side. Wade tiptoed in, gently closing the door behind him. He sloshed up at sat beside her bed, legs crossed like a preschooler. He took her limp hand and she exhaled.

Wade spoke up. "You wanna talk? Or do you want some alone time?"

Ember slowly turned over to face him, holding his hand. The two locked gaze, staring for half a minute in silence.

She exhaled again. "I feel terrible," she began.

Wade caressed her palm with a thumb and asked, "how so?"

"I don't know." she began, grimacing, "It's just - as soon as you said you made a friend, I felt... anxious."

Wade began smirking. "Anxious? Why?" he asked in a curious tone.

Ember took a deep breath. "Because!" she began, trailing off for a moment. "You're so affable, a- and I feel like you might find happiness... without me."

Wade's eyes softened like a mother's to an ailing daughter. He squeezed her hand and, in the nicest way he could, said "I think you're overthinking this."

Ember's eyebrows furrowed as she thought about it. She leaned up. "Maybe you're right," she acknowledged.

Wade took her other hand as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

"Ember, you're my ride or die," he affirmed. "If you think a friend is going to get in the way of us, you're dead wrong."

Ember smiled back with vulnerable eyes. Wade stared back at her, squeezing her hands. Her expression gently calmed.

Suddenly, something came to Wade. His expression lit up. "I got an idea," he enthused. "Stay here."

He sprung to his feet, racing over to the dresser. Ember leaned on the edge of her bed with an eyebrow raised.

Wade grabbed a jumper for the both of them, tossing it her way. She tried to catch it but fumbled it, landing on her lap. The inertia swayed her flames about it. She took a puzzled look at it, then back to Wade.

"My ceremony jacket?" she mumbled. She wore this particular jacket at her ill-fated takeover of her family's restaurant back in Element City. A strange feeling overcame her looking at it.

Wade put his jacket on - the same he wore during their ship ride to Elementopia - turning to her. "We're heading out right now!" He enthused.

Ember turned to him with an eyebrow raised. "Wade, it's a weeknight," she observed.

Wade lit up like a golden retriever. "Who cares?! I think we'll have a better time talking it out on a walk instead of in here, don't you think?"

Ember faced forward, holding her jacket in her hands. Her eyebrows lowered as she pondered. She looked out the window at the vibrant neon city skyline. She began smiling, quickly putting it on and leaping to her feet.

"Yes! I knew you'd say yes!" Wade exclaimed.

He quickly shuffled to the door, opening it for her and following her out.

-----

The two made their way out the apartment foyer. Wade strutted along like a cooler, while Ember was holding her sides expecting to be cold - ironic for her. The warm evening air brushed past her, and she slowly let go of her sides.

"Whoa. It's nice out," she said, waving her hand in the air in admiration.

"It is, huh?" Wade agreed.

They walked to a set of walking lights and stopped. Wade waited at the lights with hands in his jacket pockets smiling. Ember gently looked his way with mouth slightly agape. She looked either way of the street - there aren't many cars coming. She smiled mischievously, snatching Wade's hand and running across the street carelessly.

"Hey- Ember!" he shouted playfully.

The two darted their way across the street, nearly getting hit twice. They both held their knees and laughed when they crossed.

Wade looked over at Ember, shaking his head. "You seem to be in a better mood already," he noticed.

"No overthinking, right?" she said with a smirk.

Wade mirrored her smirk. "I didn't mean jaywalking," he said.

The two linked arms and began skipping along. They laughed like little children in the process. They eventually got puffed out, unlinking arms and slowing to a stroll.

Ember spoke half out of breath. "You always cheer me up. How do you do it?!" she queried.

Wade shrugged, wheezing. "I hate seeing you down," he answered. He looked forward, thinking about it. "I hate seeing anyone down, y'know? I just want everyone to have a good time. We only get one life, so why worry?"

Ember looked forward as well, chuckling in amazement. "That is insanely profound. Your optimism is infectious. I want some," she enthused with a gesture, "give me some!"

"Five bucks" he quipped.

The two laughed, walking along with arms in pockets. Wade looked back over to Ember, who was looking dead ahead with a smile. He admired her smile. "You always cheer me up too," he thought.

By that time, the two had reached a busier part of Elementopia's downtown CBD. They looked up and around at the extraordinary night lights; many shades of neon colors, illuminating a deep blue sky.

Ember looked over to Wade, who was already looking her way.

"Did you still wanna talk about today?" he asked.

Ember glanced away for a moment in thought. "Nah. I wanna live in the moment right now," she reckoned.

Wade began beaming in reaction - on the verge of joyful tears.

Ember looked around the street curiously. She caught a glimpse across the street of a cool looking bar.

She tapped Wade on the waist. "Wade," she said.

He took the hint, looking across the street. The bar lit in a soft pink with a bright neon pink sign that read 'The Stoner' in a cursive font.

"Wanna check that out?" Ember asked.

Wade instinctively rejected her offer. "Oh- no. Last time I went to the bar, it did not end well," he reckoned.

"Come on!" Ember egged on, elbowing him in the hip, "Don't overthink it, right?"

Wade shot her a smirk of suspicion. She winked back. He sighed, "Really? Using that against me, huh?" he noticed.

Ember smiled a wide, toothy grin. No overthinking, right?

-----

The two made it to the Stoner and walked in. Inside, the place had an alt feel - the walls were decorated in black and white photography of important political moments, had interesting contemporary art framed on the walls, and modern rustic furnishings. Even the patronage was alt looking.

Ember and Wade approached the bar and sat on a couple of stools. A barman popped up in front of them out of thin air.

"Welcome to The Stoner! How're we getting stoned tonight?" the barman said.

Wade began tapping his hands playfully on the counter as he decided. "Mineral spirit for me, thanks," he said.

Ember's mouth fell agape in surprise. "Whoa! On a weeknight?!" she exclaimed.

He shot a cocky side eye at her. "Don't overthink it, right?" he remarked.

She returned a devious stare, addressing the barman. "Deep Ash & Cola, thanks."

"You got it," the barman said, floating away.

Wade chuckled naively. "What's a Deep Ash & Cola?"

Ember looked over, head tilted to the side. "Okay- so DA and C uses the ashes of a deceased fire person and mixes it with cola."

Wade nearly choked. "That's gross! Why would someone drink that?!"

Ember cackled. "I'm messing with you, Wade!" she barked.

The two got their drinks, prompting them to get their wallet and purse out.

Ember continued, "DA and C takes the ashes from the bottom of a Kol-nut cauldron and turn it into this gravy, then mix with cola."

Wade nodded while shuffling through his wallet. "Oh, cool," he reckoned. "That sounds spicy!"

Ember went on, "you'd think it'd be counterintuitive, but it's actually really good!"

The barman spoke up. "Students get 50% off tonight," they said.

Wade's face lit up. "I'm a student! I'm a student!" he exclaimed.

He frantically searched through his wallet and took his student card out, handing it to the barman.

The barman nodded, handing it back. "20 Shell$ for both tonight."

Ember's jaw slacked in amazement, looking to Wade as he paid.

"Enjoy," the barman said.

The two took their drinks as the barman left, tapping their glasses.

"Cheers," they said in unison, taking a sip.

They both immediately coughed.

"Whoa, that's intense!" Wade sputtered.

Ember laughed mischievously. "Wade, we're insane!" she exclaimed, putting an arm on his leg.

He laughed along, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"No overthinking, right?"

Ember nodded rapidly, taking a bigger swig of her drink.

-----

Later, the two strolled out of the bar feeling loose cackling, arms hung over each other's shoulders.

Ember barked, "you were like 'I want a mineral spirit' a- and I was shook! Shook, I tell you!"

"N- no!" Wade said with a slight slur to his speech. "That d- Deep Ash Cola was the smokiest drink I've ever tasted!"

They stumbled along the footpath, giggling like children. Before she knew it, Ember lost her footing, stumbling into an alleyway and falling against the wall while laughing. Wade tripped trying to catch her, falling face first onto the ground at her feet. Ember struggled catching her breath, leaning her back against the wall wheezing.

Wade tried getting to his feet but immediately lost balance again, falling toward the wall where Ember stood. He extended his arms to cushion the fall, landing around Ember.

She stood between his arms, panting heavily. Wade matched her panting, and the two locked gaze. Their breath slowed as the gaze got more intense. They inched closer toward each other, slowly shutting their eyes. Their lips touched, kissing for a solid minute.

They gently backed off the wall, exhaling and looking down.

Wade took a moment and grabbed his phone out of his pocket. The time read 12:14 am.

He looked up at Ember with a slightly troubled expression. "We should head home," he reckoned.

The two got up off the wall, brushing themselves off. Ember exhaled and nodded in agreement. "Yeah."

Chapter 8: Meet the Team!

The next morning, Ember found herself in the last place she wanted to be. She sat on the edge of a therapist's chair, holding her head not out of stress, but out of nursing a slight hangover from last night.

Looks like the 'no overthinking' thing didn't pan out well.

Dr Chillout sat across from her, legs crossed with a pen and notepad in hand. The sound of his scribbling notes ground on Ember like nails on a chalkboard. The clock in the background didn't help either - it's ticking pulsed in unison with the throbbing in her head. She slowly looked Chillout's way with a foul expression and groaned.

"Uuggghh."

Chillout clicked his pen, putting his notepad in his lap.

"Apologies for the early session, but Miss Da'Dropplet wanted you sharp and shining today," he began.

Ember leaned her head in her hands but remained silent.

"Anything keeping you up at night?" Chillout asked.

Ember's eyes lethargically looked his way. She slowly stretched herself out, grimacing exasperatingly.

"Miss Lumen, I can't help you if you won't talk," he said.

Ember continued defiantly, rolling her eyes and folding her arms. Chillout folded his arms as well, exhaling.

"I don't need to be here," Ember began.

Chillout smirked. "Why's that?" he asked softly.

Ember huffed, looking at her feet. "I'm fine the way I am. People get angry, and fire people? We're the ones who do it the messiest. So what if I have issues? We all do."

Chillout laughed merrily. Ember shot daggers at him.

He reminded her, "Miss Lumen, you don't have to be here. You can walk out any time you like, remember?"

He points his pen to the door, prompting Ember to look toward it. She tilted her head to the side and huffed. Without hesitation, she gathered her things, heading for the door silently. She swung it open, but stopped in the doorway. She let out a loud exhale in frustration and dropped her bag on the floor, forcibly shutting the door.

"I want this job so bad. It's why I'm even in this town," she admitted.

Chillout invited her back to her chair. "Please, take a seat."

Ember gently made her way back, head hung low. Chillout leaned forward and asked her to "take a breath."

Ember closed her eyes, doing so.

"You are a very interesting person," Chillout observed.

She opened one eye, looking his way with a raised eyebrow.

Chillout grabbed his notepad and pen. "You have a spouse, correct? How're things with him?"

Ember shrinks in reaction, holding her core subtly. Chillout clicked his pen and took some notes - he knows the answer. "Anything between you two?" he asked.

She exhaled. "I don't know," she began. "I guess... part of me likes the fact that he has a friend now, but-"

He interrupted her. "Are you mad about that, Ms Lumen?" he asked.

She looked his way, conflict in her facial expression. "No, I'm not mad about it," she stated.

Chillout asked another question. "Are you worried?"

Ember looked away for a moment. "Yeah, I guess," she answered, fiddling with her thumbs.

"Then what do we do about it?" Chillout asked.

Ember took a short, sharp breath. "I don't know."

"Will you control your anger?" Chillout pressed.

Ember rolled her eyes and got tense. She'd heard that one before.

"Is everything is anger with you?" she interrogated.

"That's why I'm here. That's why you're here too," he reminded.

Ember groaned, shaking her head. "But do you have to be so passive aggressive about it? I have other emotions beside anger," she said with bite.

Chillout defended himself calmly, poking at Ember's nerves. "There is no passive aggression in my speech, Miss Lumen. I'm just here to help. Like I said, you're free to leave at any time."

She began to escalate. "We've already talked about this; I'm here because I want a job! If I leave, I wave the job goodbye!!"

Chillout reiterated. "Are you mad at the moment, Miss Lumen?"

Ember felt like he wasn't even listening. "Yeah, I'm pretty damn mad!"

"Then what will you do about it?" he pressed.

"Will you stop saying that?!" she barked.

Chillout didn't hold back. "Okay. Will you control your anger?"

"Of course I will – I control it just fine!" Ember yelled.

"Say it calmly then," Chillout pressed.

Ember broke eye contact, closing her eyes. "I will control my anger," she said, clenching her fists.

Chillout watched as she grew more explosive. Still, he kept going. "You aren't," he disagreed.

Ember's eyes snapped open, and she stared his way with a snarl. "Really?! Would you control yours if I kept prodding, prodding, prodding at you?!" she yelled.

"This isn't about my anger. It's about yours," Chillout continued.

Ember grimaced loudly. "Gah- everything's a head game in here! I hate it!"

Chillout rubbed salt on the wound. "You're not doing a very good job controlling it."

Ember escalated once more, beginning to grow. "Bull! I will always control it!" she scowled.

Chillout watched as she grew, smirking in marvel. "I don't believe you," he said.

Ember got closer and closer to her breaking point. "I will control my anger! I will, I will, I will!!" she cried like a defiant child.

Chillout stood to his feet and raised his voice ever so gently. "Really? What happens when you don't have your safety net? How will you react then?! Will you control it?!!"

"Shut up!" Ember cussed.

"I still don't believe you!" Chillout exclaimed.

Ember's flames became unruly. "I said," she began. Just like that, she exploded in a fiery rage once again. She flipped the coffee table, running up to Chillout's desk and picked up an ornament. As she did, she noticed the ornament was made out of a squeezy rubber material, like a stress ball. She looked it over, dropping it in disgust.

"Is anything in here breakable?!" she screamed.

Chillout pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're not my only client, Miss Lumen."

Ember shot him a scowl. She looked over toward a window, heading behind his desk and picking up his chair to throw it out.

"You break it, you buy it," Chillout said.

Ember dropped the chair as soon as he spoke, causing it to crash to the ground. She fell to her knees, shrinking and panting.

Chillout jot down some notes, clicking his pen. In a much calmer, disappointed tone, he said "your progress is slowing, Miss Lumen. You need to get on top of it."

She looked up at him, wiping up a couple of tears. "Yeah, I know."

He stood to his feet, handing over her bag. "Do you?" he asked.

Ember shot him a weary disgusted stare. She snatched her bag, putting it on and storming out.

"'Til next time, Ms Lumen," Dr Chillout said.

"Fat chance," she muttered, slamming the door on her way out.

-----

Needless to say, by the time Ember was to start work that day, she wasn't in the best of moods. She walked down the Aquatecture front courtyard with a dour expression. Blob, the security guard, greeted her, but all she could muster was a gentle wave. Same goes for the poor old desk lady in the foyer.

She walked into the Glassitecture department to a curious sight. Crowded around her trainer Phil's desk were 5 coworkers - some of whom she'd never seen before.

"Ah! Here's our woman of the hour," Phil rejoiced in his own masculine, stoic way.

Ember tilted her head in confusion. "Uh- hello."

Phil gestured to her coworkers like a game show host. "Ember, meet your Aqua Futura team of rag-tag rascals," he presented.

He went one by one. He pointed to the first, "Roc, who you've already met" - a familiar short over-confident rock man with a thick accent.

"What's the haps, Jani Storm?" he quipped.

Phil went on, pointing to the next. "Fido," a rake-thin, hunched, meek water guy.

"Hi- hey- hiya!" he stammered, playing with his fingers.

"Brock", Phil continued - a built rock man easy on the eyes. "Ready to help carry the team," he opened.

"And Skye," Phil concluded - a tall, chubby air woman who was currently obsessed with preening herself.

"With an E, just so you're aware," she pressed.

Ember stood in her spot with a blank stare - her mind was on other things. She had no time for unsolicited character introductions.

Phil leaned in her ear and whispered, "I wish I could've put you in a better team, but we kinda need someone to wrangle them together."

Ember bat her eyes, unphased. Phil leaned up and clapped his hands, getting the team's attention.

"Alright, you stark group of specimens. Welcome to Team Aqua Futura A," he began. "My name is Phil, training lead, but more importantly for now, lead for all Aqua Futura teams. Just so you're aware, A stands for fumble, as I have no doubt all of you will at some stage."

Ember pursed her lips in reaction, holding her hands in her pockets.

"I'm kidding. It's anal," Phil remarked.

Roc sniggered in response. Phil glared at him. "That means you will be on time, you will do what you're told, and you will be consistent. Am I loud and clear?"

Nothing but silence followed.

"Am I?!" Phil barked.

"Yes, sir!" the team said in unison.

Phil scoffed. "Don't call me sir. We're a team, not slaves."

"Yes, sir!" they acknowledged.

Phil groaned. "Now that we're all clear, I have some fantastic news. The mayor is coming to Aquatecture today."

The team immediately erupted with gasps and muttering. Ember's eyes went wide in daunt. "Ooh- boy," she mumbled.

The chatter quietened down as Phil spoke once more. "I will tell you this once and once only," he began, "the mayor is very anal-"

Roc immediately interrupted by bursting into laughter. Phil gave him a dirty glare, sighing. Roc caught a glimpse at him, quickly composing himself.

"As I was saying," Phil snarled, "he is strict, so we must be on the ball at every moment. Got it?"

"Sir, yes sir!" the team responded.

Phil exhaled in defeat, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Like smelling a Methanean," he quipped to himself.

He turned to Ember - apparently, the most sane one at that moment. "Lin has asked me to appoint you as this team's number one," he began. "But, that means we can't have any episodes on the job, or it's your position."

Ember appropriately gulped in reaction. Phil pat her on the shoulder in comfort.

"Chin up. I believe in you regardless," he wished.

Ember took a deep breath, nodding. "Yes, Phil."

Phil returned her a warm smile. As he took his hand away, he realized the tips of his fingers were burnt. Ember's eyes went wide, bruxing her teeth.

Phil looked back up at her. "At least it wasn't 'sir'," he remarked.

In the background, Brock noticed a panicked Lin frantically running around the department.

"Uh, boss," he said trying to get Phil's attention.

Phil looked his way, seeing Lin over his shoulder.

"What the-" he muttered.

Lin approached Phil in a hurry. "He's here!" she said, dancing on the spot.

Phil raised an eyebrow, folding his arms. "Who? The mayor?" he asked.

"The mayor!" Lin confirmed.

Phil's eyes went wide in shock. "Uh oh."

He turned to address the team. "Excuse me."

Phil quickly ran off after Lin to the entrance.

Ember and the team looked between each other.

"Whelp - we're done for," Fido said.

"I'm not even wearing my good work vest!" Skye remarked.

"You have a good vest?" Roc retorted.

"Shut up," Skye barked.

Ember sighed to herself, looking away. "No overthinking, right?" she thought.

Chapter 9: El Alcalde

Notes:

Hello, readers! Author here. I regularly post story updates on the Wattpad version of this story, so I figured I'd start doing it for my AO3 audience as well!

The story has made excellent progress so far. The next 6 chapters are drafted, with many more to come!! Thank you to those who've been patiently waiting for this A Lumen Ripple sequel. I hope you enjoy it as it comes out!

As of August 30th 2025, The Inter Elementals will have weekly chapters.

Bye for now. :)

A limousine rolled up at Aquatecture's front door. Like a blue, slippery red carpet, Lin was racing to greet the man of the hour. Phil struggled to keep pace with his short, stumpy legs.

One of the mayor's security team leaked out of the passenger door, reforming and opening it. A suave, built water man with shades exited the vehicle, looking up the marvelous Aquatecture building ahead. Another man exited behind him – a rake thin, slender earth man also with shades, poison ivy for hair, and a stoic expression.

The mayor preened his suit, strutting down to meet the greeters. Four of his security team circled him like vultures, looking around each and every way.

Aquatecture doorman Blob held the front entrance wide open as the mayoral pageant paraded through.

"Pleasure to have you, sir," he greeted.

The mayor gave him a warm grin. "The pleasure's mine, my friend," he said.

The party made their way past the speechless desk lady. The mayor shot a cheeky wink at her.

He and the team came to a halt just past the foyer. The mayor took his shades off and looked around in marvel.

"Our taxpayer's hard-earned dollars put to good use," he admired.

Lin and an out-of-breath Phil greeted them with open arms.

Lin extended a hand to shake. "Mayor Leakemeier! I'm Lin Da'Dropplet, Aquatecture CEO. This is one of my trainers, Phil."

Phil extended his on prompt. "It's a pleasure, sir."

"Pleasure's all mine, you two," Leakemeier recognized. "Thanks for having me."

He shuffled aside, gesturing his shades to the slender earth man.

"I'd assume you know of my Vice Mayor Prickle?" he asked.

Lin recognized him instantly. "VM Prickle," she said. "Welcome to Aquatecture."

She went to shake his hand, but Prickle kept to himself.

"A simple nod and hello is fine," he declined.

Lin retracted her hand, smiling awkwardly. "Oh- Kay." Her bubbly demeanor quickly returned. "Well, let me show you around!" she said with a wave.

-----

Ember stood before Phil's desk with a daunted expression. Her team gathered around her, not emitting the most welcoming energy. They stood with arms folded and stared without blinking.

Ember tried to lighten the mood. "H- hi, everyone."

Skye let out a scoff. "Why'd they make you team leader?" she denounced.

Roc echoed her. "Aye, right? I ain't got no gold medal for blowin' up during an exam."

Brock came in Ember's defense. "Come on, guys. Have some faith."

Ember looked over at him with a hesitant smirk. "Thanks."

She turned and addressed the others. "Look, if you're not aware, I've been doing Anger Management Therapy. I'm really trying, so please be considerate."

Roc and Skye didn't have a bar of it. "M'kay," they seemingly accepted.

Ember sighed in rising frustration. Adding insult to injury, Fido meekly approached her without her knowing.

"Miss Ember?" he asked.

Ember jumped, holding a hand on her chest. "Flame!" she muttered.

"Sorry," Fido apologized, "but can I go to the bathroom?"

Ember's hand fell to her side, raising an eyebrow. "W- what? Of course you can go to the bathroom."

Like an excited pre-teen, Fido silently rejoiced to himself and went on his merry way.

Roc and Brock watched every moment of that interaction, flabbergasted.

"That Flop guy is weird," Brock thought.

"Yeah. That ain't how you flirt," Roc remarked, folding his arms.

Brock looked at Roc. "That's... not what I meant."

Before things could get any more awkward, Lin, Phil and the mayoral party burst into the room. The whole department looked their way and froze like they'd just got caught for something.

Ember's heart raced. "Whoa. That's him," she thought.

Leakemeier held his hands on his hips, looking around. "So, this is where the magic happens."

He walked through with a pep in his step, touring to all the teams present. It didn't take him long to arrive at Ember's.

"Well, hey there folks," Leakemeier greeted.

He suddenly heard a loud inhale come from his side, prompting him to repel his hand. "What the?!" He quickly turned to see Fido at his hip.

"You smell like lavender and river water!" he admired.

Leakemeier relaxed, laughing it off half-heartedly. "Thank you, son," he said.

Ember facepalmed in the background, "and this is our first impression," she thought.

Phil quickly defused the situation. "Meet Aqua Futura Team A, sir. Led by Miss Lumen here."

Leakemeier looked over to Ember with a smirk. Ember's first instinct was to gulp. He approached her, extending a hand.

"Ah- the fire girl. I've heard a lot about you," he opened.

Ember looked at his hand, gently reached for it. As the mayor realized his hand bubbled the closer she got, he hesitated, slicking his hair back.

"On second thought, I shouldn't be playing with fire," he remarked, chuckling.

Ember mirrored his chuckle, holding her hands at her core respectfully.

Leakemeier turned to Prickle, gesturing to Ember over his shoulder. "Prickle, shake her hand for me, will you?"

Prickle let out an exasperated sigh, extending his hand. Ember pursed her lips as she went to shake a second time.

"Don't shake," Prickle ordered. "Acknowledge it and move on."

Ember's hand hung in the air for a moment. She slowly pulled it back, nodding hesitantly. Prickle took a few steps back to where he was before.

Leakemeier meanwhile had become distracted like a toddler, wandering around the department with hands in his pockets. Lin shadowed him, holding her hands in a prayer position.

"We are thrilled to be working with you," she reminded.

The mayor looked at her over his shoulder. He turned to her with a curious look. "So, where is this Aqua Futura project?" he asked.

Lin lit up like Christmas lights. "Oh! Well, Phil will show you the way."

She turned to Phil standing right behind her. "Oh, there he is!"

Phil gestured to the mayor. "Right this way, sir."

Ember watched as the two walked to the project room. A loud clearing of the throat snapped her out of her trance. She sharply looked over to see Prickle towering over her, stood with hands behind his back like a soldier.

"A moment?" he said.

Ember's eyes darted from side to side. "Me?" she asked, pointing to herself.

Prickle nodded with as minimal neck movement as possible. Her team watched with eyes wide as the two excused themselves.

"Ooh- she's in trouble!" Roc reckoned.

Brock backhanded him on the shoulder. "Dude, be cool," he reminded.

Prickle came to a halt in a lonely corner of the Glassitecture department. Ember stopped as he did, staring blankly.

The vice mayor threw her a peculiar query. "Are you familiar with the term 'acta non verba'?"

Ember shook her head naïvely. "I don't believe I am."

"Very well," he said with a nod. "It's Latin for 'deeds, not words'. Do you know what-"

Before he could start lecturing, Ember interjected with a tinge of frustration in her tone. "I know what deeds are," she acknowledged.

Prickle took a breath. "Excellent. Now, forgive me if this comes off as prejudice, but as a fire lady leading a team, you must keep your cool."

Ember felt her eyes sag. "With all due respect, Mister..."

"VM Prickle," he reminded.

"Mister Prickle," she began. "I attend Anger Management therapy. Is that enough of an answer?"

Prickle didn't hold back. "That tells me you have issues," he said.

Ember sighed in frustration. "Of course it does."

Prickle exhaled. "I'm giving you word of advice. Aqua Futura is a very important project for Elementopia's city infrastructure. If all goes well, it will-"

"Revolutionize building infrastructure as we know it," Ember finished. He didn't need to say a word more.

Prickle let out a small smirk of respect. "You're privy - living up to your... well..."

"Were you going to say 'lineage'?" she sassed.

"That's one word for it," Prickle retorted.

Before things could go awry, Phil and Leakemeier wandered back into the department. The mayor announced his return with a thunderous clap.

"Prickle!" he sang.

Prickle turned his head like a hawk. "Yes, sir?"

"All is looking good for the project," Leakemeier announced. "Organize an announcement for our partnership with Aquatecture for my next rally, please – and prepare a script."

Prickle nodded. "Absolutely, sir."

Lin quickly approached the mayor, catching him off guard. She took one of his hands with both hands, shaking it excitedly.

"It's a pleasure to be working with you, sir," she enthused.

The mayor repelled slightly. "Agh- pleasure's all mine, Liz."

Lin's eye twitched. "It's Lin."

The mayor looked her way puzzled. He put on a smile, patting her on the shoulder.

"It sure is," he responded.

The mayor broke away, looking up at the ceiling hanging for an exit plan.

"Pick one of your teams to accompany you at my next rally. I want the people to see who's working for them," he said.

Lin lit up again. "Y- yes! Absolutely!"

"Fantastic," he said.

He turned to Prickle with a point. "Prickle!"

"Yes sir?" Prickle responded.

Leakemeier started making haste for the exit, hands in his pockets.

"Send them an invitation to our next rally ASAP," he directed, twirling his index fingers in the air.

Prickle nodded in acknowledgment. He approached Lin, pulling out an envelope from his suit. Lin took it, looking it over.

"He's lucky I have one prepared. We'll see you this Saturday at Mineral Lake square, 1pm sharp. Arrive at 12," Prickle advised.

Just like that, the mayoral parade made its way out. Lin quickly ran up beside them, hovering.

"Thank you, gentlemen! I hope you enjoyed your visit," she said.

Ember stood and watched as they left the department. Phil stood beside her, leaning on his desk.

"Ember," he said.

Ember snapped out of it, looking at him.

"I'll push for Lin to select your team," he asserted, "so make sure you look the part."

He gave the rest of the team a look. "That goes for the rest of you too."

"Sir, yes, sir!" they responded.

Phil rolled his eyes. He turned to Ember with a smirk. "They'll learn eventually."

He grabbed a mug off his desk, strolling away. "I'm off to grab a cuppa. Digest that," he ordered, twirling his finger in the air like Leakemeier.

The team whispered to each other like middle schoolers. Ember stood in her spot away from the group, gulping heartily. Her pupils were smaller than atoms, but she couldn't wipe a silly grin. Team leader Ember had a nice ring to it.

Notes:

Thanks for reading! As of August 30th 2025, The Inter Elementals will have weekly chapters. Chapter 10 will be out next week at the same time! :)

Chapter 10: Vapour

Notes:

Story Update - 6th September, 2025

Hey, readers! Happy to share that Chapter 10 and 11 are fresh off the presses! You've got #10 today, and will get #11 Saturday next week.

Happy reading!

Contrary to what Ember might believe, Wade didn't have it much better that morning - at least feeling wise. The poor water man found himself in class, face down on his desk stiff as a statue.

"Mister Ripple," an authoritative voice beckoned.

Wade didn't move an inch. He felt if he did, a whole slew of things could go wrong. His headache could get worse; his stomach ache worse; he could hurl. Suffice to say, he was content staying in the exact same position despite protest.

"Mister Ripple," the voice demanded.

Wade caved begrudgingly, groaning. He lifted his head, staring straight half-asleep. His mouth hung open, and he had bags under his eyes.

The lecturer stared at him - an air gentleman by the name of Professor Whinds with a burgundy coat, glasses - and of course, no pants.

Whinds was not amused. "If you're not here to learn, don't waste your time," he said.

A creature of guilt scuttled up Wade's spine. He lifted an arm lethargically, resting his head on his desk.

"No- no, Mister Wind," he pleaded. "I'm here... to learn."

Whinds didn't believe him. "Mhm. Okay, class!" He focused his attention to teaching.

Wade's arm slowly lowered to the table, acting as an anchor as Wade tried to sit up right. A rush of acidic liquid tried escaping his mouth, but he barely managed to hold it in.

Airon sat next to Wade, looking over in concern but trying to act cool about it. "You alright, wave?"

Wade looked over at him. He hadn't even realized Airon was in the same class. "Airon? You're in this class?"

"Yeah, I'm in this class," Airon confirmed with a gesture. "I've been watching you nod off for the past 20 minutes."

Wade tried sitting back, struggling to keep his heavy head upright. "20 minutes?" he grumbled

Airon laughed, shaking his head and looking at the lecturer. "I don't blame you. Guy's about as charismatic as a statue."

Whinds suddenly popped up out of thin air beside Airon, arms on his hips. "Wanna repeat that?" he interrogated.

Airon slowly looked over at him. "I didn't say nothin'," he denied.

Whinds didn't have a bar of it. He scoffed, disappearing and reappearing at the front of the class. "As I was saying," he continued.

Airon looked back at Wade. "What gets you like this on a weekday?"

Wade gave him an absent stare. "Not overthinking," he remarked.

Airon chuckled with an eyebrow raised like he was watching a circus act. "I like you, Wave," he admired. "Just can't expect what's gonna happen next with you."

Wade gave a comedic toothy grin, drool leaking out his mouth.

-----

Following class, Wade made his agonizing exit out of the lecture theater. The other students raced past him as he did his best impression of the hunchback of Notre Dame.

Wade detoured into a nearby vacant student lounge, immediately slumping face first on a beanbag. He groaned a good ten seconds in relief.

Airon hung behind the pack and walked up, arm holding one of his bag straps. Wade rolled over, rubbing his eyes. Airon chuckled and shook his head - he couldn't believe this guy.

"I'll catch you on the flip flop, wave," he wished. "Don't stop being you."

Wade closed his eyes and hung his head back, waving a hand in the air aimlessly. "Later, Airon."

As Airon departed, Wade's phone began to vibrate. His entire body vibrated in unison with it. He grumbled, picking up.

"Flo' Master Wade," he answered.

Ember was on the other line - indicative of a husky, just as tired voice. "Hey, Wade. Is your day as off the rails as mine?"

"Define off the rails," he remarked.

"Having the mayor show up at your work out of the blue?" she queried.

Wade lifted his head in surprise, squinting trying to see clearly. "Not that off the rails," he responded. "I just got caught nodding off in class."

Ember laughed. "That doesn't sound like you."

"I can't tell if you're being sarcastic," Wade disputed.

"Not really. Maybe a little," Ember joked.

Meanwhile at the end of the hall, Airon opened the door to exit the building. He stopped for a moment, holding it open and looking back. He sees Wade on the phone man spreading.

A part of him became conflicted leaving him there. "C'mon, cloud," he said to himself.

Wade let out a lethargic chuckle. "So what happened with you today?"

"Anger management in the morning," Ember said.

"Oh yeah? How'd that go?" Wade asked.

Ember went silent. "About as well as you'd expect," she mumbled.

Wade sat up to console her, trying to hold his head up. "I hope you're doing better now."

"I am, Wade," she said, her tone sweetening. "Thanks."

Wade smiled to himself. "So, what happened with the whole mayor thing?"

"It's a whole story," Ember began. "I walk into work, and the first thing I see is Phil and a few coworkers gathered in a group. I thought 'uh oh'. Turns out, I'm the leader of a team for this Aqua Futura project - team A, no less."

Wade lounged around his beanbag excitedly. "Oh, awesome! Congrats!"

"Thanks - but get this; the mayor shows up out of nowhere, and he says," she put on a voice to imitate him, "I want these folks at my next rally when we announce the project to the city."

Wade's eyes went about as wide as he could muster. "Wow, Ember! That sounds amazing!"

"Yeah!" Ember said with an air of sarcasm. "I can stand up on a podium and confess to the town that I'm the meltdown girl! Me; a dangerous fire person who could go off at any moment! What were they thinking?!"

Wade could hear she was beating herself up. "Ember," he interjected, slurring in his speech.

"What?" she asked.

"Stop. Relax. Take a deep breath," he instructed.

He closed his eyes, doing it himself.

Ember followed. "Okay. Yeah, you're right."

Wade hung his head low, beginning to snore quietly.

"Are you sleeping?" Ember asked.

Wade quickly woke up. "Whoa! S- sorry, I think I just micro napped."

Ember exhaled in stress.

Wade quickly came to the defense. "Just... don't overthink it. We'll talk about it later if you like. No overthinking, right?"

"Yeah. 'No overthinking'," she disputed. "Where did that get us?"

"Ember, I'm being serious," he assured.

Ember took a deep breath. "Okay," she acknowledged. "We'll talk later then. Bye, Wade. I love you."

Wade smiled warmly. "Love you too, Em."

Ember hung up the call. Wade looked at his phone, blinking trying to get a clear look before putting it back in his satchel.

He looked back up to find Airon on a sofa across from him.

"Gah!" Wade jumped. "Airon? What're you doing here?"

Airon was looking around the building curiously - perhaps trying to cover himself. "It's pretty, isn't it?" he admired.

Wade raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

Airon sighed, looking at him and leaning forward. "I thought about what you said yesterday and... you're right."

Wade slowly leaned up, touched. "Right about what?"

Airon shrugged, looking away. "About pot plants! I dunno." He chuckled, smiling. "I think I could use... a friend... here."

Wade began smirking. "Really? You came back to tell me that?" he asked sincerely.

Airon shrugged again, looking at him. "Yeah! That, and..." He trailed off and looked away, twiddling his thumbs. "I wanted to ask... if you wanted to hang... tonight."

Wade began grinning. He leaned forward as well, resting his arm on his leg. "I mean, sure."

Airon lit up.

Before he could respond, Wade elaborated. "Why tonight?" he asked. "Why so soon?"

Airon got jittery, shrugging and looking away again. "Doesn't have to be tonight. I- I'm just sayin'."

Wade could see it was hard for him to admit that. He took a deep breath, thinking about it.

"My girlfriend isn't in an amazing place right now," he admitted.

Airon looked at him, slightly guilty. "Oh. Sorry to hear, wave. N- no hastle, I..."

Wade interrupted. "But, I can quickly have a chat to her to see what she thinks."

Airon looked at him, unsure if he was serious. "You playing?"

Wade shook his head. "No."

Airon began smiling, scooching around in his seat. "Alright... alright! Bet! Do that. Yeah, I'm cool with that."

He extended a hand to shake. Wade took it, and the two shook hands. A small episode of water vapour occurred, prompting the two to watch as it rose to the ceiling.

Airon slapped his leg. "A'ight! Might catch you tonight then. I'll send you my deets on Elementstagram."

Wade pointed back. "You know it!"

Airon rose to his feet, grabbing his bag and departing with a pep in his step.

Wade relaxed, hanging his head back again and sighing in relief. He gently grabbed his phone out, calling Ember.

"Hey, Wade," she answered. "What's up?"

Wade exhaled. "Em, Airon asked me to hang out tonight."

Ember went silent for a moment. "That's... awesome," she said.

Wade could tell she wasn't the most enthusiastic at that moment. "But- if you want to hang tonight instead, I'm cool with that," he offered.

"No-no-no!" Ember quickly interjected. "You can... you can go out. I don't mind. Just... thanks for letting me know."

Wade let out a smirk, touched. "Alright. You sure you're okay with this?"

Ember chuckled. "Yeah- it's fine! Go for it. Don't overthink it, right?"

Wade grinned. "Yeah."

Ember continued. "Alright. I'll uh- see you a bit later then?"

"Absolutely," Wade agreed. "I love you, Ember. Thank you."

"Love you too, Wade," she wished. "Bye."

"See ya," Wade closed.

He ended the call, sitting back and closing his eyes with a smile.

-----

Meanwhile, Ember found herself sat in a bathroom stall hunched over. She watched as the phone call ended, putting it in her pocket. She cradled her stomach, wearing a worried expression. She tried her best to hang in there, looking up and trying to smile.

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 2 of The Overzealous Elemental Saga