Xarya hears heavy footsteps, closing in to where she's hiding. She peeks at the dark forest, through a slit between two of the many branches which are entwined to form the colossal roots of the tree she chose as her hideout. Even if she lived for a long time on the SunSide, her night vision is excellent. Especially on Earth, where nights are much brighter and days much dimmer than on Exon.

Soon enough, a shadow makes its appearance and crosses the section the extraterrestrial is watching. The silhouette seemingly belongs to a human male, a tall and muscular one. His head is shaved and enhances the sharp edges of his face. He is wearing an army green hunting coat, opened over an untucked brown and black flannel shirt. His pants and boots suggest he spends a lot of time hunting, most likely in the woods surrounding them both. She also notices the silvery wedding band on his left hand. He cannot be an employee if he isn't sporting a pair of the mandatory denim overalls, which begs the question: who is he? And, is he allowed on the premises? Seeing as he's glancing over his shoulder every second, he must not be. His eyes scan the trees, his irises intense and redder than an Earthling's blood. X squints, surprised. Humans don't have red eyes... Right? She mentally repeats the possible eye colors that the inhabitants of Earth may possess: brown, blue, green, black, grey, hazel and amber. Indeed, red isn't an option.

Fortunately, the stranger doesn't catch sight of her and keeps moving, weaving through the forest with ease. Can he also see in the dark..? Could a human be so accustomed to their surroundings that they wouldn't experience difficulty travelling them in the evening? The young female represses her questions back into the depths of her mind, focusing back on the situation at hand. In a matter of minutes, she is standing in front of the teachers' housing, entirely ready to sneak in and find the nearest first aid kit. 

She slips her key out of her back pocket with her right arm, momentarily letting go of her left elbow, which she usually holds - out of habit - to reduce the prickling pain that runs through it whenever it has to endure weight. Before the copper tip can even enter the keyhole, a voice startles her:

     " Miss Pepper?! What in the world happened to your arm? Here, let me help you! "

The alien recognizes the delicate and arguably low-pitched voice of Theadora Hennessy, one of her fellow teachers. Xarya cannot remember what her field of expertise is, but a quick scope inside her mind while the young Earthling rushes to unlock the door allows her to revive her memory: theatre. As Theadora steers her into the building, with her right hand gently clasped around her unmaimed upper-arm, a strand of her colleague's black hair, which is notable for not being curled and intricately set into rolls around her head, brushes the Exon's shoulder. Before she can utter a word of thanks, the theatre instructor has already closed the door behind them and briskly tells her:

     " You can wait here, I will fetch something to take care of that. "

The extraterrestrial watches the toned young woman stride off in the directions of the female dormitories, stunned. She rapidly steps to the side, hiding herself from anyone who would look over at the entryway from the lounge area. X has only rarely seen a woman wearing her hair so freely, as Theadora does. Although, maybe if females had soft-looking, silky, unwaveringly straight hair like hers they would. Xarya's hair was abnormally long when she first morphed into her human form, but it was still slightly wavy and it curled naturally closer to the end of the threads. Therefore, when B recommended that she should style her hair to blend in amongst other Earth women, since it would already be vibrant green, it wasn't too far-fetched. She agreed with them that it was wiser and snipped her hair short. In a few weeks, she had learned and mastered the art of hair styling. The sound of heels against the wine-colored carpeting announces Miss Hennessy's return.

     " Do you have enough strength to climb the staircase? I believe we could use a surface and some silence... " She pairs her proposition with a wide yet enigmatic smile.

Coincidently, the booming voice of another teacher is heard from the common room, followed by roaring laughter over the already omnipresent recorded track of Billie Holiday's enchanting vocals. Accompanied by a saxophone melody, the two ladies ascend the stairs to reach Theadora's bedroom. The occupant explains, pushing the door to Room 4:

     " My roommate is still working at the Institute, we shouldn't be disturbed. "

     " Thank you, Miss Hennessy, but this is truly not necessary. "

The dark-haired female is already fidgeting with a first aid kit, standing in front of her sink.

     " It's nothing! You may sit on my bed, the one with red covers. "

The bedroom's layout is exactly the same as in Room 6, but the decorative elements differ. The right-side bed is Theadora's. Along with the deep red beddings, a turquoise fluffy pillow and a dark blue velvet pillow create a colorful arrangement. The owner of said-bed leans over the English teacher, standing with her right knee propping her up against the mattress. She steadily unwraps the torn pieces of X's former apron, glancing inquiringly at her.

     " You're in luck, your cut seems to have stopped bleeding... I can lend you something to wear if you'd like, too. " The theater teacher indicates the splattered blood on Xarya's overalls with a nod of her head, making a few wisps of her soft hair brush the alien's nose. The unearthly creature blinks, wriggling her nose.

     " That would be too kind, I am already putting you through so much trouble, " she replies, selfless as always.

Furthermore, the less ties to the moment they are spending together there are, the better. Her fellow teacher's generous help will probably require the Exon to erase the human's memory. No one was supposed to witness her injury or her stained clothes. Her translucent blood may have soaked her hand-crafted bandage, but it thankfully isn't visible and gives the impression that the incision is minor.

The process of "erasing" a memory that belongs to another conscious being is overly simplified with its appellation, since it insinuates that the memory is forever gone and completely destroyed. On the contrary, even a Mind could not have the power to utterly obliterate recollections. In the presence of insurmountable mental distress, any brain with the ability to retain memories will be able to regain access to something a capable Exon would have crossed out of their psyche. Regardless, the sheer amount of agony needed to allow an erased memory to resurface is not only nearly unattainable, but would also very likely mean that the victim of such perturbations is on the verge of either physical or psychological death. Thus, whether their memories are intact - or not - wouldn't matter.

     " Not at all... Careful, this might sting. "

The Earthling's warning is useless, though, since an antiseptic solution is one of the least painful liquids to have ever entered in contact with the alien's skin. On Exon, powerful acidic or basic substances are commonly used for various reasons, such as personal hygiene. More precisely, its inhabitants' scales entail very specific treatments.

In under five minutes, an irreproachable bandage covers X's wound. While her helper has her back turned, washing her hands, the extraterrestrial penetrates her thoughts. Instantly finding the last hour of her life, she deftly seizes their encounter. Except, as soon as she orders the memory to vanish, an acute pain strikes her head. Panicking, Xarya exits Theadora's cranium. She attempts to calm down, but her normally peaceful respiration is now reduced to smothered breaths and obscure dots are cribbling her habitually spotless vision.

     " M-miss Pepper?! Are you alright?! "

The educator's voice is drowned by an increased buzzing noise, and the alien's eardrums begin thumping and aching as if they were violently yanked towards the middle of her skull. X shakes her head and the other young woman kneels down at her feet, grabbing Xarya's hands within hers. They are cool from the cold tap water and, without thinking, she brings the human's left hand up, pressing her refreshing fingers against her diaphanous cheek. This doesn't stop the scorching heat that is coursing inside her veins, but the green-haired female is feeling decreasingly nauseous. After an incalculable timespan of untainted suffering, the room's tenant suggests:

     " Maybe I ought to bring a nurse over, I can ask my roommate to watch over you while... "

Suddenly, every ounce of discomfort leaves the English teacher's body. The young lady finishes her sentence:

     " ... I run to the infirmary. "

Xarya swallows, looking around the small bedroom. She is feeling... Great. Healthy as usual. Serene. She offers Miss Hennessy her prettiest, most convincing smile.

     " No need, I am doing much better. Thank you. " In saying so, she releases her colleague's hand.

The Earthling sits next to her, staring into her sparkling black eyes.

     " Are you certain? I wouldn't want you collapsing on me! "

Her tone is light, joking. Obviously, she isn't excessively concerned by the extraterrestrial's impulsive action. With a wary, but quick and almost involuntary observation of her mind, Xarya acquires proof that, indeed, all she cares about is her new acquaintance's well-being.