Chapter 23 by Alex_Jay

Where do you go?

Imagination park

Imagination park is beautiful - the old fruittrees and soft young grass mingling to make a lovely set of scents. Like everywhere in this world seems to be, the place seems to be filled with vivacious young ladies, many of whom shoot you admiring glances.

Shania sits under a tree, looking out over the park, and you join her. She's clearly nervous about something, not at all her usual, lighthearted self.

"So what did you want to talk about?" you ask, and she nods.

"I'm concerned about our arrangement," she blurts out. Your confusion at that is clearly evident, because she pushes on, "I feel separated from the other students as a consequence of it. It's obvious to everyone that I have an unfair, early advantage, and it's been making it hard to develop any meaningful relationships besides with yourself".

That hadn't occurred to you, and seeing your concern she continues, speaking quickly, forcefully. "It's not fair that I have this kind of advantage. It's not just a problem for my social life either, society suffers when families like mine monopolize m-men like yourself..." She trails off, realizing you might not like being described that way.

It is a little upsetting, but for completely different reasons than she might think - for the first time, you're aware of a flaw in the world you've made. "Utopia means 'no such place'", you remind yourself, but you can't help but feel a little defensive of the world you have, for all intents and purposes, created. You look over the park, wondering whether you've messed things up, just more subtly than on your first try.

For some reason, it's the butterflies that make your mind up. Your old world didn't have this many butterflies, nor this many flowers for them to visit. There was talk of some varieties going extinct. Whatever mistakes you've made, you decide you'll adjust rather than reverse them.

Shania seems to take your contemplation as being lost in thought, and she breaks in - "So I was thinking - what if I... delegated half the mentorship you provide me every week to some classmates? It would be a lot more equitable, and I'd feel a lot better about the time I still got to spend with you?"

She looks at you, and you can see how her family is in positions of leadership - it's kind of hard to say no, actually.