Changeling

BEEP BEEP BEEP.

Nestra slammed the alarm and sat up blearily. It was still dark as a shadowbeast’s asshole outside yet she had to stand up to a new day. Accursed drive to get stronger. Accursed time limit before someone inevitably discovered her secrets, despite Sereth preventing the Americans and Allfather from spilling what they’d learned. Accursed capitalism! Never had she worked harder in her entire life. It had come to the point where she was forced to stay and sleep in human shape!

Nestra made her way to the bathroom for her morning ablutions. Her Aszhii self might be more powerful overall, but it was also lazy and a bit more simple in the way it approached everything. She had experimented a bit and she was sure of it now: her brain wasn’t the same when she was transformed. In order to keep to a strict discipline, it was much easier to stay human more often.

After she was done brushing her teeth came time for stretching. Nestra turned on all the lights and put on some music so she wouldn’t feel so goddamn exhausted. It was December by now, and even the temperate Threshold had turned frigid with people having to wear thick coats. Coats! While you could bake an egg on the pavement in July! At least it justified hot chocolate. As she finished stretching, Nestra focused her mind on the promise of the sweet drink with her breakfast.

Training her body had become necessary because it had started to change again. While her baseline self had remained untouched after she awakened, her ability to grow had unlocked with her newly rebuilt core. Now she was forced to train so she could be the strong girl she’d always been meant to become. She took care of that next in the gym side of the den, first with muscle training for the anaerobic part of her routine, then aerobic via sword forms and cardio. Nothing like doing burpees in full plate to make one regret the life decisions that led to this point. Nevertheless, it was necessary. After a shower, she was ready to go.

Nestra’s morning continued at the Palladian corporate building. Today, her mom would be teaching her but sometimes it was Dad with the fencing. When they were all raiding, she would practice with other members of the house or by herself. The plan for this afternoon was to join the Little People League for more raids, then at six she’d be back to her den and then it was Aszhii Nestra’s turn to come out and play.

At least when one form was active, the other one rested.

The Palladian’s corporate building was not at the manor, which was mostly used for social stuff. Situated not too far from the Beacon, the building was a modest-sized one they shared with another gleam group — those tended to rotate but for now it was the allied Century Guild. She greeted the receptionist before taking the elevator to the third floor which served as a training and practice spot. It was specifically reinforced to fill this role for D-rank members. Her mom was already waiting for her, deep in discussion with a Century Guild officer. They talked at high gleam speed so Nestra didn’t pay much attention. Her mom was done soon anyway.

“Today, we will keep practicing the spikes. Again.”