Have I Seen You Before?

The air was filled with the clanging of metal on metal and the occasional shout of encouragement or correction from Mage Thompson. Alice was attempting to execute a new tactic that made use of her Surge ability, repeated cracks echoing as she practiced.

On the edge of the yard, Penny, ever the driving ****, was attempting to convince Ethan and Mei to generate some essence, eager to see what Mei could do while Boosted.

"Come on, you two," Penny urged, her voice laced with excitement. "I know you’re just as excited as I am to see what you can do!"

Mei hesitated, her eyes flickering between Ethan and Penny. "I think I'm fine waiting until another session to practice with Boosting my abilities," she said unconvincingly, her voice giving away her desire to do as Penny suggested.

Penny shook her head firmly. "No way. We need to find out what you can do so we can better plan out our training. Also, it’ll be fun!"

Mage Thompson, focused on instructing Alice on the finer points of electricity in combat, gave them a distracted wave as Penny grabbed Ethan and Mei by the hands, leading them out of the training yard. They made their way down a quiet hallway, the sound of their footsteps echoing off the brick walls.

Penny opened the door to what appeared to be a staff break room. Several tables and couches were scattered around the room, creating a cozy atmosphere. The scent of old coffee lingered in the air, mingling with the faint aroma of cleaning supplies.

"Tada!" Penny put her arms out, presenting the room. “Our very own break room!”

“How did you find this place?” Ethan asked, opening up a cabinet door, investigating. “This building is the next thing to abandoned.”

“I got a key.” Penny hopped up to sit on the edge of a table.

“They hand out keys to students?” Mei questioned, her eyes following Ethan as he looked around the room.

“I asked Mage Thompson. She knows about the sexual aspects of our team in rough terms.” Penny leaned back on her hands, kicking her feet. “It wasn’t hard to convince her.”

Mei blinked. “Wait, so she probably assumes we came in here to refill on essence?”

“We did come in here to refill on essence.” Penny continued in faux innocence.

Mei’s mouth opened to respond before she caught herself, realizing Penny was teasing her. She leaned back against a table, crossing her arms.

Penny hopped back down to her feet. “If you won’t I will.” She said over her shoulder to Mei as she began to walk towards Ethan.

Sensing Penny coming closer Ethan stood up from where he was checking out the room, spinning to face her. Penny slid in close to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and looking up. “I want a kiss.” She demanded.

He gave Mei a look that said following Penny’s lead was the best option, and that he had no say in it. He leaned down, kissing Penny until she pulled away. Penny took Ethan by the hand and led him back to where Mei was leaning against the table, positioning him in front of her. With a gentle push on Ethan’s back she edged him closer to Mei. “Your turn.”

Ethan gave Mei the same look as a moment before. “I’ve learned things go best when you listen to her.”

A smile tugged at Mei’s lips, cracking the mask of composure she was trying to maintain. “I suppose if Mage Thompson already thinks we’re in here for essence, we may as well.”

“Yes, yes, now more with the listening to me.” Penny teased, giving Ethan another playful push towards Mei.

Mei, leaning casually against the table, arms crossed, barely had time to react as Ethan was nudged forward. Instinctively, her hands lifted just as Ethan caught himself on the table, palms landing on either side of her, framing the space between them. Her crossed arms unfolded mid-motion, reaching up to steady him, but the gesture stalled as they found themselves face to face. Her hands, meant to catch, now rested lightly against his upper chest.

Penny clasped her hands under her chin like a delighted matchmaker. “Oh my.” She murmured dramatically.

Ethan looked back to Mei, smiling at Penny’s dramatics, long used to them by now. As his eyes met Mei’s, he found her staring at him, cheeks flushed, biting her lower lip. His left hand moved from the table to the small of her back, pulling her tight against him. Mei’s body betrayed her, an involuntary lean forward revealing her true feelings. She was flustered and off balance, her lips the inches from his.

Ethan leaned forward, closing the distance. Mei’s heart leapt as he did, never before being the focus of such dramatics. Her hands clenched his shirt as she gave in to the kiss completely. Her lips still tingled as he broke the kiss, her eyes still closed for a moment after it ended. She opened them to see Ethan looking at her.

Ethan glanced down to the fabric still clenched in her fists. “Is that your way of keeping me close?”

The heat in Mei’s cheeks deepened and she opened her mouth to protest, or maybe deflect, but no sound came out. Instead she looked down at her hands, then back up at him. She did the only thing she could to hide the embarrassment, she tugged him back in for another kiss. Her lips met his again, this time with less hesitation.

The kiss went on longer this time as Penny watched with barely contained glee. When it finally broke, both of them turned to face her. “I knew it.” She said, her mouth twitching upward in a grin. Mei tucked her head down against Ethan’s chest, attempting to turn away from Penny’s gaze.

Ethan straightened with an exaggerated purpose, pulling Mei up with him away from the table. He wrapped his free arm around her shoulders as she buried her face against his chest. “Alright Penny, I think you’ve made your point.” His tone was light and teasing, but still protective.

“No slow clapping?” Penny asked, lips curled in mock disappointment.

“No slow clapping.” Mei chimed in to her own defense, peeking over Ethan’s shoulder to look at Penny. Ethan saw the playful smile on Mei’s face, glad she was taking Penny’s theatrics in the good spirit they were intended.

With a lingering flush still on her cheeks, Mei took hold of Ethan by the crook of his arm, leading him towards the door. “Come on,” she said, “You’re getting some payback as soon as we’re back out there.”

Falling in on the other side of Ethan and taking his other arm, Penny grinned. “I regret nothing,” she declared.

“You will.” Mei promised.

The dining hall buzzed with the usual midday chaos, clattering trays and and dozens of conversations filling the room. The group claimed a corner booth, their conversation shifting from a review of the morning training to something far more intriguing.

“We had a meeting with Guild Master Warren.” Ethan explained to Mei, relating the team’s meeting with him before Mei had officially joined the team. “Guild Master Thompson wanted us to hear him out about a possible candidate for the defender role on the team.”

Mei raised an eyebrow, pausing mid sip of her iced tea. “And?”

Alice continued as Ethan took a bite of his meal. “There’s a transfer student. Guild Master Warren wanted to meet with us and suggested her for the team.”

“Not just any transfer student,” Ethan picked back up. “Apparently she’s some sort of prodigy from out in California.”

Mei frowned. “Why transfer now? Shouldn’t she already have some team mates in mind? She’d be behind, starting from scratch out here.”

“She wouldn’t be behind at all if she landed a spot on our team.” Penny added. “Maybe she can’t find anyone that could synergize with her?”

“Or,” Alice countered. “She’s transferring because nobody wanted her on their team. Maybe prodigy is code for ‘problem child.’”

Ethan chuckled. “Master Warren didn’t give me that impression, nor did Master Thompson. It seemed like he didn’t want to reveal much about her reasoning for transferring, though. It might be something personal, not his story to tell.”

“Maybe they’re some kind of secret weapon,” Penny said, voice dropping theatrically. “Raised in isolation. Trained by a retired legend. Only released into the wild when the stars aligned.”

“Or,” Ethan said, grinning, “maybe she’s exactly what we need.”

The group fell quiet for a beat, the weight of that possibility settling over them. Then Mei stabbed a piece of melon and said, “Well, if they’re joining us, they’d better not be weird.”

Penny smirked. “Oh, Mei. Have you met us?”

That got a laugh out of the table, Alice nearly spitting out her water. “Serious question, though, how do we broach our ‘unique dynamic’ with someone who's a stranger to us? Mei, you knew all of us before any of this happened. We’re not going to have that same sort of relationship to fall back on. What sort of person would hear about essence and opt into that? If she’s actually a prodigy she’s going to have options beyond us. We’re all good, better than good, really. Nobody goes around calling us prodigies, though.”

“You could explain the long term benefits.” Mei suggested. “It’s what made me decide to consider your offer, despite the challenges. My initial reaction was to reject you, the offer was crazy. When I heard about the growth I actually took the time to really think about what you were saying.

“We can start with the practical side. Then we can ease into the intimate side” Alice nodded slowly. “She’ll probably freak out if we sound like we’re inviting her to an orgy.”

“We kind of are, though?” Penny said, stirring her now mostly melted smoothie. “I mean not an orgy, but close enough. ‘Hey, would you like to join our harem? It’s super chill we promise and the perks are amazing.’”

Ethan nearly choked on his rice bowl.

“A harem?” he sputtered, staring at Penny like she’d grown antlers. “You think our team is a harem?”

Penny grinned, utterly unrepentant. “I mean, look at the lineup. One guy. Three gorgeous, powerful women. Emotional intimacy. Good sex. It’s textbook.”

Alice didn’t even look up from her salad. “She’s not wrong.”

“It’s not a harem,” Ethan insisted, gesturing wildly. “We’re a team. Class Marked. We raid dungeons together. The sex stuff is only because my class forces us.”

Penny leaned her chin on her hand. “You seem pretty into the sex stuff, you can’t hide it.”

Ethan sputtered, trying to think of a way to defend himself. “Okay but who wouldn’t?” He said, realizing he couldn’t deny it. “Like you said: Three gorgeous, powerful women. I’d have to be a Buddhist monk to not enjoy it. Still not a harem, though.”

Ethan turned to Mei, ****. “Back me up here. You don’t think this is a harem, right?”

Mei blinked, then shrugged. “I mean... it’s kind of harem-adjacent.”

Ethan looked betrayed. “Mei!”

“What?” she said. “You’re sort of the center of the team. In a fight or outside of one, we all orbit around you. Outside there’s the intimacy, creating essence. Inside the fight you take over like a general giving orders.”

Penny clapped. “See? Even Mei agrees. We’re a wholesome, emotionally complex harem.”

Ethan buried his face in his hands. “Warren is going to regret ever suggesting to us a fifth.”

Alice chuckled. “Or maybe the prodigy will just fall in love with all of us and complete the circle.”

Mei nodded. “A love pentagon? Doesn’t quite have the charm that a love triangle does.”

The days that followed unfolded in a steady rhythm of work and routine.

Sparring drills filled the mornings, the training yard echoing with the clash of steel and magic. Ethan called the fights, coordinating the explosive offense of Alice and Mei with the battlefield control of Penny. Trainer Harris goaded them on, pushing their limits as he sent an endless stream of training constructs at them. Synergy built as they repeated the drills, the pile of broken training constructs building as they practiced their Boost timings and teamwork.

Afternoons were for strategy. Strategist Lee had a bevy of different scenarios for them to run through, expecting each of them to memorize the different contingencies built for their team. With hundreds of different monster varieties identified over the last few decades since the dungeons first appeared, there was no shortage of enemies for Lee to prepare them for. Ethan was pressed hardest here, expected not only to be able to recall the different scenarios, but also ensuring the team all stayed on the same page. Mei contributed heavily here, her personal experience raiding becoming invaluable to Ethan as he worked through the logic of the different scenarios.

Evenings brought quieter moments. Lectures from Mage Thompson on ability usage and discussions on the different exercise methods they were expected to keep up with to ensure their magic grew. Penny and Alice led here, not the lectures, but with questions. Each question helped uncover unique nuances in each of their teammate’s approaches, sparking fresh insights into their own abilities.

Amid the training and planning, they made time for each other. Shared meals, laughter over a training mishap, the quiet comfort of studying together. Ethan was at the center of it all, not only directing their tactics in the fights, but also in the moments between work. Checking in with Alice after a rough spar, helping Penny channel her chaos into precision, ensuring Mei had the space to find her place in the team. By the fourth night, just as they began to feel a comfortable routine starting to take shape, Guild Master Thompson asked them to meet.

The final candidate for their team had arrived.

They arrived early. Not out of nervousness, they told themselves, but out of respect for the Guild Master. They took their usual seats in the briefing room, awaiting the arrival of their prospective teammate. Penny tapped a rhythm on the table, Alice sat with her hands folded and eyes on the door, and Mei leaned back with her arms folded. Ethan glanced at each of them in turn, trying to gauge their feelings, noting the tension behind the practiced calm.

Sensing the tension, Ethan stood and stretched with exaggerated flair, earning a smirk from Penny and a raised brow from Mei. “Alright,” he said, voice light, “we’re not about to face a dragon. Just a person. Let’s not act like we’re waiting for judgment.” He cracked a joke about Mei nearly singing his eyebrows off the day before. The tension didn’t fade completely, but it did soften. Ethan didn’t say it aloud, but he wanted them grounded and comfortable when their candidate arrived.

The door creaked open, and Guildmaster Thompson stepped into the chamber with his usual measured calm, his presence commanding without effort. Behind him, a figure followed. Tall, composed, and unmistakably confident in the way she carried herself. The team rose instinctively, but Ethan and Alice froze mid-motion. The figure’s eyes swept the room and landed on them with equal surprise. Her hair was darker now, her posture sharper, but the resemblance was undeniable. “Grace?” Ethan asked, stunned, Alice echoing him.

The young woman blinked, her expression flickering between disbelief and recognition. “Ethan? Alice?”