I commissioned  Aquila-Chrysaetos for this one. Thanks so much, Aquila!
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Viola has been a resident of the Forest for some time now, and has settled very well into her senior researcher position at Shift-Tec. Her background in alchemy from her home 'verse, a more swords-and-sorcery sort of place, has served her very well in bringing a fresh perspective to the challenges faced in the laboratory. In many ways, this supposedly modern biotech firm has been researching the very same phenomena as her guild back home, just coming from an entirely different direction. Ultimately, her skill set dovetailed nicely.

But Viola reckons that it is a poor sort of life which is wholly devoted to research, with no room for leisure or personal growth. Fortunately, the interpersonal side of her life has been growing as well. In her time here, Viola has formed friendships both with interesting colleagues and with people outside of work. In her estimation, one person stands above all, both in physical stature and with the fascination with which Viola regards her. Cellina, the director of the company and an enigmatic figure if ever she's met one, has become what Viola would regard as a best friend.

From the start of Viola's employ, Cellina has periodically stopped by her office to check in on various projects and to make sure she's been adjusting well to Forest life. In the ensuing discussions, they've each come to find in the other a sort of compatible intellect. Cellina has the sharp mind of a shrewd businessperson, and Viola's adventuring past as an Investigator has similarly honed her senses. One might expect two people with near-Sherlock-level analytical and observational powers to have trouble getting along, but in their similarity Cellina and Viola find a shared experience and perspective. Both of them have found that other people are often annoyed or intimidated at being picked apart and analyzed with a glance, but when they turn their powers upon each other, it instead seems to enable a rather rich sort of communication. Expressing ideas and forming plans turns out to be much easier when both parties have an extremely accurate understanding of the other's motivations and state of mind. In fact, while Cellina is known for being very adept at emotional masking and for playing her cards close to her chest in both business and in private, Viola is discovering that the amount of time they've spent talking has been tuning her senses to the crane. While Cellina has from the beginning had no problem reading Viola's open, heart-on-her-sleeve demeanor, Viola now finds herself one of the few—perhaps the only one—who can read her right back.

This particular office visit has stretched into the late evening, so much so that Viola has given in and turned on the blasted electric desk lamp. It was easy to lose track of time speaking with Cellina, and this particular conversation had been a wide-ranging discussion covering topics both fascinatingly new to her as well as those she was already well versed in. It was with more than a little reluctance that Viola finally had to admit that the hour had grown late, and the two of them parted for the evening.

Back home and laid in bed, Viola stared at the ceiling. The apartment furnished for her by the company was of comfortable size and amenities, and was positively opulent by the standards of her home 'verse, where the air conditioning alone would have make it worthy of royalty. The lodgings were spacious, safe, quiet, comfortable, and free. She wanted for nothing and yet... she found herself melancholic. It wasn't that she disliked the Forest, goodness no, but this room... she couldn't quite put her finger on why she disliked it. For some reason, she seemed to prefer being in her office.

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Viola belongs to  Caedere. Cellina is, of course, mine.