Gender: Female
Age: 12
Height: 4’11″
Weight: 90 lbs.
Hair: Honeydip
Eye Color: Azure blue
Body: Thin, Banana-shape
Blood Type: O+
Zodiac: Virgo
Sphereshift Affinity: Water
Related to: Lancer(Layne), Kanin

—–

“I wonder why Lancer can’t sphereshift? Kanin is amazing and my teachers say I’m just like him when he was younger. Do you think he’s not trying hard enough? If I help him, I’m sure he’ll get better!” -Rei

—–

Reisalily smiled, her bright white teeth flashing between two prim and proper lips. “Yes, Ms. Allen.”

“If you’d like extra credit, let me know, Rei. I’d love to see another panorama like the last.” Ms. Allen stood at the door to the small school building, handing children their homework as they left. “Do you know if Lancer is babysitting tonight?”

“Just me. He said he’d help with my homework.” Translated, this meant Rei would end up helping with his.

“If you want company, why don’t both of you come by my house at six? I’ve got something I need to do, but I haven’t been able to. A sitter is so hard to find. I’ll make hot chocolate.”

Rei nodded, taking her homework paper, folding it into a neat square, and putting it into her purse. “I’ll tell him.” She skipped outside.

The lower school building was on the outskirts of town near the forest, and Rei had to walk down a dirt path, through the village, and out the other side to get home. Lancer(which, she thought, was a silly nickname, considering his real name was Layne) and the older kids had to walk even further, though. They went to school somewhere inside the forest; a secret, Lancer said, but Kanin had told her it wasn’t anything special. She wandered around school, waving to teachers and friends before going to the forest path where her brother would come stumbling along on his way home.

An older boy and girl, twins, exited first. “Rei,” they said. “Your brother is going to be late,” the boy added. The girl giggled. “He tried lightning sphereshifting. If you touch him, you get shocked like you’ve walked on a rug with socks on,” she said.

“First time Jaylee’s not tried to touch him in years,” the boy said.

Jaylee pouted, her hands on her hips. “Don’t say it like that, Jared! I just think he’s nice. There’s nothing wrong with hugging someone. Anyways, I did hug him when you weren’t around. It tickled.”

“I’ll tell Dad to plan for the wedding.”

“Don’t you dare!”

The twins ran off. Rei waited alongside the path, watching other boys and girls leaving. Some talked to her, others passed by. An hour later, the sun creeping downwards from its peak, her brother ambled through the forest.

Electric sparks clung to his shirt like cockleburs. He walked without paying attention, eyes focused on his shirt, hands brushing off sparks. They avoided his touch, shimmying about. He grumbled and gave up.

“Layne!” Rei ran and pounced on him.

He looked up, startled, then fell backwards. The electricity on his shirt crackled. Rei giggled and squirmed as the jolts tickled her skin.

“Rei,” Layne said, rolling her off of him, “Could you call me Lancer? Everyone else does.”

“Nope.” She shook her head.

He grumped.

“Jaylee said you’re cute and she wants to kiss you.”

“Ugh.” He looked less annoyed than he sounded.

“Ms. Allen asked if you would babysit Francine tonight. We can do homework together.”

“Ugh.”

“Are you going to say something besides ‘ugh?’”

“Ergh.” He scrunched up his eyebrows and tried to look serious, then burst into a grin. “Alright, I guess. Sure. We can go. I’m great at homework. What are you studying? I’ll help you both finish in no time.”

“I’m doing advanced meteoroshifting, but Francine’s doing basic pyroshifting.”

“I’m an expert in both. Don’t worry.” He pounded his thumb into his chest.

“How do I shift water into a cirrus cloud?”

He stared at her. “Uh. We aren’t even home yet. I’ll tell you later.”

“What sphereshifts are you learning?”

He mumbled. “General sphereshifting classification.”

“I did that a few years ago.” She took his hand and skipped alongside him while they walked home. “It was fun. I really like water sphereshifting. It’s neat, don’t you think? Ms. Allen says I’ll be able to make cumulonimbus clouds if I practice, but I like regular water more.”

“What huh?” Lancer looked up at the clouds as if they had nametags for his recognition.

“Thunder clouds! Maybe I could shift thunder and lightning. Kanin can.”

“Oh, yeah. I did that today. Easy! Thunder all over. Nothing to it.”

Rei poked at a spark on his sleeve. “That’s lightning Thunder is the the sound it makes.”

“Right. That’s what I meant. I did it so much I got bored and forgot.”

Rei smiled. “I can help with your homework if you want.”

Lancer made excuses and tried to turn the conversation to something else. Halfway through the village he finally conceded and said he might let her help if she somehow finished before he did.

“I always do.” She giggled and ran away when he made a grab for her arm.

He chased her home. “I’m a monster!” he yelled. “One who eats little girls who know the difference between thunder and lightning!”

When he caught up with her, backing her into a corner by their shed, she wiggled and feigned cowering, then jumped into his looming, monster-like arms.

“Caught ya!” he said, hugging her and picking her up. The sparks had dissipated, and now his touch was warm.

She squeezed him, nuzzling her head against his shoulder.