Ayuu had been staring at the letter for the better part of the last half an hour. Even though ze was about as far from a braggart as one grimm could get, ze had always been aware of zer musical talents. They had kept zer going through the tougher moments of zer youth, the embarrassment, the fear, and now they were going to propel zer forward, whether ze wanted them to or not.

The letter was an invitation to supplement zer senior studies at Arkham with tutelage under a master pianist, Arith Grae. Zer answer was an immediate and unqualified yes, but that didn't mean ze wasn't nervous, that zer trepidation wasn't at an all-time high. Playing the piano had always been an end goal, but now it seemed as though ze would be doing it in concert halls rather than during freshling playtime at a local day care.

Zer first impulse was to tell zer best friends. Bo and Ellis. Ellis and Bo. They would scoop zer up and hug zer and tell zer how happy they were. As welcome as it would be, it wasn't what ze needed right now. Instead, after a quick grooming, ze headed over to the freshling music room, to see Ela and Sothen.

The fallen sat at the center of a group of wide-eyed children, all of their focus on him. Ela watched from the door to the storage closet, furry arms hugging close around her middle, eyes sparkling. Ayuu approached, handed Ela zer letter, and was soon enveloped in a hug of zer own. The imp led zer into the hall, exuberance practically bursting from her.

"You're not excited? I would be bouncing off the walls! I am bouncing off of them! For you! Congratulations, honey!"

Ayuu smiled. "I am excited. But mostly my nerves are eating away at me so insistently that I can't do anything but stare off into space. Arith Grae. I mean..."

"I always knew you'd be the best of all of us."

"Really?"

"Of course."

Somehow, that was all ze needed. Ayuu could feel zer nerves begin to subside with the knowledge that someone ze so admired thought ze could do this, and ze reached out, taking Ela's clawed hand. She had been the one who had convinced Ayuu that playing instruments with such unruly paws was possible. Ze owed her everything.

"Thank you, Ela. I... I'll make you proud."

"You already have, my dear."