"How is Du Pome a better playwright than Gerde Deanea? You just like Du Pome because she makes all her main characters lesbians." Spat Fredericka.

"Oh, and the knight romance in Gerde Deanea's best work isn't coloring your opinion of her? Besides I bet your opinion is based on flawed translations." Hayli spat back. "Probably Frisk's translation"

"A good play is a good play. That should shine through regardless of translation, right Layla."

"I suppose so."

"Yeah. See. I mean everyone loves 'Errgo Vun Fera' in both tongues it's written in."

"That's on the strength of the translation. It wouldn't work if Gertrude wasn't a genius of localization."

"That's a translator not a translation, scale girl."

Vern coughed, "Why are we listening to you complain about this?

"Layla asked us our favorite plays."

"And Fredericka had an awful opinion when she answered and as the only one here with experience in plays, I decided to tell her to get better taste."

"My taste isn't shit."

"I enjoy all of them." Layla smiled.

"Yeah, but you like all plays." Ophelia remarked.

Zeke balked, "That can't be true. No one can like school plays."

"Those aren't plays. Only professionals write plays."

"I don't think that's how it works."

"Look, stalker. As much as I enjoy some trash, I at least don't enjoy shit like Gean Deap or Henry Jui."

"Those guys are underrated. Just because they use some outdated language and aren't fully up with the times doesn't make them bad."

"Yeah, if they weren't still making the same mistakes in their modern outputs!"

"They've gotten better!"

I groan, finally moving my head out from under the covers, "Can you do this somewhere other than my bedroom?"

"This is the living room, sis."

"I do not care."

The others shrugged and dispersed to do other tasks. I stretched and went grab an outfit from upstairs. As I exited the bath, freshly bathed and hair wrapped wearing a skirt and oversized shirt Hayli was on the bed.

"How's the couch, traitor."

"I seriously don't get how agreeing to not be around each other for a bit is being a traitor Hayli."

"I got blamed for all the hugs and stuff but you initiated a lot of them." She pouted.

"And I apologized to you about that." I reply heading to the door but then I was suddenly grabbed by a tail and tossed onto the bed.

"You can sleep in here again." She stated.

"Oh? Are you done being mad at me?"

"No. It's just cold at night." She said laying her head down on my chest. "By the way, I won the argument earlier right?"

"Did everyone else side with Rica?"

"The ones that have seen or read the plays did."

"Not really fair since you're my girlfriend."

"Yeah, why'd you think I asked you? So?"

I smiled, "Yeah. You totally won the dumb argument."

She pulled me in closer and yawned. "Always good to have someone who agrees with me."

"Again, we're dating and the other person was Ricka."

"Shut up and let me hug you."

I sighed and closed my eyes and fell asleep in the comfort of an actual bed. (And in the arms of the woman I love.) (Hayli sign your notes or I'll stop letting you read this.) (It wasn't a note it was an edit- Hayli) (Don't edit the book. She won't even let me do that without asking- Vern)

One day, while outside enjoying the weather a bird dropped a letter on Zeke's head. We had been cleaning out the shed that we had found that was full of tools for gardening and farming and trying to figure out what any of them were for since they were all old and not used anymore. Vern and Ophelia gathered around us after they followed us inside

Vern coughed and read the envelope: "To Heroes and Guests."

"Wow, contact with the outside world." Ophelia deadpanned.

"Honestly I thought we were forgotten about." Laughed Vern.

"I'll gather everyone else." Zeke said. "Let's meet at the table."

We nodded and went to the dining room and sat down. A few seconds later everyone arrived. Amber started chanting for Zeke to read the letter as soon as he came in.

"Yeah, just let me open it first Amum." Zeke said carefully opening the letter with a steak knife to avoid harming the contents inside. After a minute of trying, he did so.

"Dear Heroes of Our World,

How are you? Good, I hope. Are you enjoying your stay? I hope you enjoy the Hero only house." The Shields laughed at that. "Anyways, the magic should be activated about three months after this letter arrives. As we assume the last month has bored you, so we have some news. A miniature quest! On the island, in the forest jungle or whatever is an altar, deep below a lake. Dive down, touch it for a few seconds. It will allow all languages to be learned. Useful huh? Also, it's anyone touching it that can get it and it won't work for another twenty years so choose carefully who gets it. Also, a side quest, or rather a request: There's some ruins on the island. Eastern most point of the island. Just explore it and clear out traps for the research team we want to send. You may each take on artifact you find with you if you do this.

Thanks for your time,

The Office of the High Mother and the Council of Human Kingdoms"

"Well. That's a long wait still." Layla remarked.

"Yep. But we got stuff to do now!"

"Two things." Ophelia interjected.

"Some of us can only do one of them." I complain.

"Eh, I was going to have Fredericka get it anyways. Makes her way more useful."

"Yeah, I think anyone that can dive to it should touch it." Zeke said.

The others nodded their heads in agreement.

"Okay, tomorrow we go and find the lake, okay?" Layla asked.

Another round of head nodding followed.

"You are coming right?" My brother asked me.

I groaned and he took that as a kind of yes. After Ophelia and Amber and I idly chatted for a bit, I went around the base to clean up while Zeke and Amber began to prep the kitchen for cooking. I finished really fast since I wasn't really trying all that hard and sat on the counter while the two cooks prepped a mirror for the hungry masses.

"So, what kind of magic lets you learn any language?" Asked Amber as I whisked eggs together for Zeke. He added spices every now and then but forbid me from stopping. He was the cook, so I did as I was told, even though it seemed excessive. 

"Good question. Most translation magic is temporary and only really available in peer to peer capabilities. This however is probably archaic magic. Like old school shit."

"Oh, cool." Amber said checking on whatever she was cooking,

"Kind of weird that the altar is submerged. Like who would enchant it with archaic magic if it's that hard to get to?"

"It probably wasn't under the lake when they did it." I reply as my eggs are taken and poured into a mixture of things and poured into a skillet.

"Yeah, probably." Zeke replied as he brought some salted water to a boil.

"So, you can't do it Terra? Why not."

"Can't swim."

"So, are you dating Hayli to avoid drowning or?" She leans in towards me and takes away my whisk and tosses it into the sink.

"Look you nerds can learn to speak Hinean while I get to relax by the lake."

"If you can relax, you can fish for us."

"Who says there's fish?"

"Won't know until we find it."

I shrug and go and gather the other for the starter, leaving the chefs to finish the rest of the meal. The table was set by Hayli and Ophelia. Soon everyone was mindlessly eating the starter. A bread that was designed to be dipped in an oil sauce. It was fine. The oil really was what made it. But it was when the main course of noodles arrived that it really shined.

Soon everyone was eating and enjoying a meal, chatting about the lake and ruins since it was something we could actually do on the twins forsaken island. As the meal was winding down I helped clean up the kitchen while Amber stayed to clean up the places of people who finished. By the time Zeke and I were done only Fredericka and Layla were still eating. I ignored them and left.

I plopped down on the couch and stretched out. My couch. My former bed.

The others continued to chat and gossip or what not as I spaced out for the rest of the day. The sun was hot today and it bathed the house in a nice warmth that only added to my apathy. Eventually Vern and Ophelia wanted to sit so I had to sit up the right way. Vern and I chatted idly while Ophelia gave Fredericka a run for her money in snoring. A bit early to rest but it was a busy day tomorrow I supposed. Eventually the last meal of the day came and went as well, the excitement still at an all time high for the island. I wasn't given a choice to stay downstairs, being carried by Hayli's terrifyingly strong tail to our bedroom by the exhausted looking Water Dragon.

"Terra, are you worried about tomorrow?"

"I mean as long as you're here no one will drown right?"

"Oh, so you're doing it?"

"I can't even swim, let alone dive. Besides, don't have a bathing suit. Unless you want everyone to see me nude."

"Yeah, that makes sense."

"Honestly I'm mostly worried that it's too deep for any of you to get to."

"I'm a Sea Dragon. I'll be fine."

"A Sea Dragon? That's the subspecies?"

"Yep, the kind that gets their tails sold on the black market."

"Wow, aren't you special."

"Yep. The most beautiful creature in the sea with a tail that people would kill for." She grinned pulling me into the bathroom.

"Hayli. You still have me attached." 

"I know." She said letting me go. "Hurry up this time. I bet they want us up early."

"I don't take that long compared to you."

"I think Sairah would say 'when it comes to miles an inch doesn't matter' to that." She winked and closed the door.

I shake my head and get in the tub, enjoying my time until Hayli burst in and forced me out. She took longer than me, but I was enjoying a nice long slumber without being gripped by a tail. Of course, by the time I awoke she had me in it again anyways.