Octavia vaguely remembered Mina saying as much, in terms of skillful Maestros abound--albeit not in reference to her newest strangers specifically. Still, it was a bold claim.

"That's a bold claim," Josiah muttered. She was glad she wasn't the only one.

"I promise you, we're not saying it to be arrogant," Briar reassured. "It's more of a…literal fact."

"We can prove it, too," Francisco continued, his voice tinted with a bit more pride than was necessary.

For a moment, River's smile slipped in the slightest. It took him a moment to find it again, and he offered it to Octavia. "Would you be interested in meeting our partners?"

Her heart skipped a beat. "I-I'd love to! Y-You can meet ours, too!"

"Finally!" she heard Madrigal exclaim far too loudly behind her.

Octavia waited for River to make some sort of movement towards his Harmonial Instrument--wherever it may have been. In reality, none of them did. Stradivaria's case slipped from her shoulder more slowly than usual, and four gazes followed her with confusion. She feared breaking eye contact, for whatever reason. River tilted his head.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I thought you said we were…you wanted us to meet your partners, right? So I was…going to introduce you to mine. Is that okay?"

River nodded. "No, that's perfectly fine. It's just…why are you taking it out?"

Octavia blinked. "What?"

When he was silent, she shrank under his gaze. "I…always take him out when I want him to be here. Do you…not do that for your own partner?"

River shook his head. "You don't have to. None of us do."

Viola, too, seemed taken aback. "Wait, have we…not had to do that this whole time? I thought that was necessary."

"What are you talking about?" Francisco asked. "You can just leave them in their cases. As long as you have someone with the right gift to help you out, that's all you need. We…only had to do that the first time we got to actually see them. There's no point in doing it now."

"Maybe ours just…like not being in the dark?" Harper offered.

"I'd still prefer to take mine out. Is that okay?" Octavia tried timidly. "I don't feel right if he's…not physically with me when I'm seeing him."

River nodded again. "Of course. Do whatever makes you feel comfortable."

"Faith, come here a minute, we need you," Francisco called, eyes cast behind him into the depths of the meadow once more.

Mint laid a hand atop his shoulder, shaking her head. She gestured towards Octavia subtly, although not enough so that the motion eluded the Ambassador's eyes. Francisco winced.

"Wait, nevermind, it's fine! Damn it, I forgot," he muttered.

"She's the Ambassador. She's Heartful," Briar whispered.

"Yeah, I know, I forgot," Francisco hissed. "I'm so used to it by now."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, forget it!"

"Nothing" wasn't enough to satisfy Octavia's newest stranger. She had absolutely and completely forgotten that there had been five. One had simply been far too distant from their conversation, utterly detached from the situation. Up until now, she'd been content to stay isolated in the comforts of the soft grass below, stray blades sneaking their way between the buckles of her flats.

When she finally arose, she was perhaps the most striking of all, save for the rush of the sea that had blindsided Octavia at first glance. By comparison to colors much more muted, she stood out in their ocean of quiet attire. The girl tucked several fraying blonde strands behind her hair cautiously.

"What did you need?" she asked, perhaps with equal caution.

Francisco sighed. "Nothing. I'm stupid. I forgot that she's Heartful and she can do it herself. You don't have to do anything."

The girl's eyes widened somewhat as they settled onto Octavia. "She's Heartful?"

Octavia blinked. "Wait, are you Heartful?"

The girl nodded slowly. "I'm…yes. I haven't met a lot of other Heartful Maestros or Maestras, sorry. It's a surprise."

"It's a surprise for me, too," Octavia said. "I haven't met any."

"She said she was Heartful earlier," Briar added, his eyes on the girl. "Didn't you hear?"

The Heartful stranger blushed. "I-I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention."

"Did you miss all the other important stuff, too?" Francisco grumbled.

She winced. "I'm sorry! I…didn't think the conversation involved me, so I was trying not to eavesdrop. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to."

River held up one palm, a gentle plea for silence. "It's okay. Faith, this is Octavia. She's the…Ambassador."

River's words were enough to elicit a mirrored Heartful reaction to his own from before. She might've been even more shocked, by comparison. The girl practically froze, her folded hands trembling somewhat in front of her dress. When she bowed--a true, genuine bow--Octavia physically recoiled.

"I-It's an absolute honor, Ambassador," she blurted out quickly, bending so low that the dangling tips of her hair kissed the grass. "I'm so sorry for my rudeness. I didn't mean to ignore you like that. I'm really, really sorry."

Octavia was practically flailing, desperate to diffuse whatever incredible discomfort was beginning to bubble in her stomach. "N-No, it's okay! There's nothing to be sorry about, honest! You didn't do anything wrong!"

Even with her blessing of forgiveness, it wasn't enough to keep the girl's eyes out of the dirt and anywhere Octavia could see them. She resisted the urge to sigh.

"Octavia, this is Faith," River introduced on her behalf. "She's the…she's with us. She helps us out a lot. We appreciate her."

"There's not a lot of Heartful Maestros here, so it helps us a ton that she's willing to stick around and lend us a hand pretty frequently. She's a hard worker," Briar continued.

The Heartful girl in question flushed, still refusing to raise her head. "I-I just want to do whatever I can. The work the Ensemble does is really important."

Octavia tilted her head. "The…Ensemble?"

"The four of us," Francisco clarified. "River, Briar, Mint, and myself."

She paused. "Huh."

"Oh. I get it," Renato deadpanned.

"That's…actually kind of cute," Harper added.

"Why don't we have a cool group name, again?" the Strong Maestro whispered.

"Why would we?" Josiah muttered.

"Because it's cool."

Octavia's eyes flickered down to Stradivaria in her arms. She hugged the violin tightly to her chest. "This is Stradivaria," she introduced. "He's my partner."

The instrument's visage was a catalyst for raised eyebrows fourfold. Discomfort settled onto the Ambassador's shoulders instantly. She tensed, particularly as their gazes each moved to Faith in turn.

"W-What's wrong?" Octavia stammered.

For all their talk of not bringing out their Harmonial Instruments, they wordlessly seemed to settle on a singular exception. Even Mina, silent as she'd been for a while, seemed equally as enraptured. Faith made for a case upon the grass, settled neatly within a circle of similar monotone homes for presumably similar partners. Like Octavia's companions, they, too, seemed to lean towards coagulating into a pile.

The only thing more jarring than the exceedingly familiar shape of the case was the horrifyingly familiar shape of the instrument the Heartful girl withdrew from its linings. Ultimately, it was almost the splitting image of that which Octavia had come to know well. There were differences, granted--it was maple, for one. Larger, albeit not by a notable margin. If she flipped it over, Octavia wondered if the Harmonial Crest would still lie engraved in the exact same spot. Somehow, she doubted it.

"Oh my God, there really is a difference," Mina mumbled.

"I…guess that counts, then," Francisco added with mild surprise.

Harper blinked several times over, apparently equally as confused. "Uh…what?"

"I don't think I've ever seen more than one of the same…'kind' of Harmonial Instrument," Josiah said. "That can happen?"

"It's not supposed to," Viola countered, crossing her arms. "At least…I don't think so."

"They're not the same," Octavia answered. "It's a viola."

When Viola raised her head, Octavia had to fight for her life not to laugh. "You know, I knew for a fact you were gonna do that."

Viola rolled her eyes.

"They look so…similar, though," Madrigal observed aloud, balancing on the tips of her sandals for a chance at a better look.

"There's some things that are different about them. They're two different instruments. A violin and a viola aren't the same thing," Octavia explained.

Priscilla had drilled that into her enough times that she'd never forget it for the rest of her life. For once, surprisingly, it was useful.

"You meet another Maestra from the same legacy for the first time ever and she's got almost the exact same damn instrument you do," Renato muttered.

Octavia stifled a smirk, too. Instead, she did what she could to give Faith's partner the respect they deserved. "What's your partner's name?"

Faith stiffened slightly, her fingers tightening around the neck and bow of the innocent viola. "This is Jadareverie."

Octavia waved with a smile. "It's nice to meet you."

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Somehow, her gesture got a separate soft smile out of River. It was almost enough to make her self-conscious, had she not been more fixated on being a catalyst for eleven resplendent faces at once. The idea of her friends' respective Muses manifesting with their bodies sealed away in the dark was somewhat somber. Octavia still wasn't particularly fond of the idea. Regardless, her first impression was a work in progress at the moment. She didn't want to start a problem.

Play nice, okay? she teased within.

I will endeavor.

Octavia made the wise and conscious decision to close her eyes. Eleven simultaneous flashes of light would've been enough to jeopardize her eyesight, at least temporarily. She could inspect the damage once it had been done. She wondered if any of the others had the conscious thought to do the same.

Initially, she worried whether she'd managed to call upon them correctly at all, involuntary as the act was. With her eyes closed, she feared for their presentations, second-guessing River's insistence that they could stay sheathed as desired. Whatever unfamiliar charisma was greeting her eardrums put a stop to those concerns immediately.

"Orleanna? Is that you?" came a voice dripping with equal parts femininity and satisfaction. "Am I to believe what I see? Is it truly Orleanna once again?"

When Octavia finally opened her eyes, the sound of Orleanna groaning--honest to God groaning--was the second-most confusing observation she made. "Yes. You are correct," the Willful Muse answered curtly.

Her physical figure matched with her voice, vehemently dripping with sassy femininity as it was. She was slender, lithe in a way that left her only slightly larger than Orleanna herself. She was a radiant gold, glimmering with such fervor that it stung at Octavia's pupils somewhat. Like Ethel, she was simply too vivid to witness with the naked eye, an honest testament to her legacy. Even with her body a ways away in the grass, concealed beneath whichever mysteriously-shaped case was relevant, she still stuck close to her Maestra. They all did, really.

"My Orleanna, once more," the Muse spoke with muted joy. "It has been far, far, far too long. That fate should see fit to bring us together again is a true miracle. Would you not agree?"

Orleanna's voice was nearly strained, monotone or not. "It has definitely been some time, of that I will agree."

"You are just as splendid as when last we parted, if not more so. The Descent has perhaps made you ever more beautiful. Tell me, my dearest Orleanna, how badly have you missed me?"

Orleanna paused. "With absolute certainty, not as much as you have missed me."

The soft, more gentle femininity of Lyra's voice was incredibly off-putting, by immediate comparison--even touched with surprise. "Is that--"

"Yes," Orleanna sighed once more. "It is, whether for better or worse."

"Lyra?"

Lyra tilted her head at the muted masculine tone that called for her. "You are here, as well?"

"As are you, it would seem. A coincidence?"

"For myself? Perhaps. As to your own? I suspect otherwise."

The Muse that stuck close to Francisco, idling within several feet of his cap, was a stunning scarlet that Octavia had come to associate with the will of fire long ago. Their radiance told all, filling in the gaps where prior introductions could not. He reminded her of Stratos, somewhat, square in the center of what she would consider an average build. His tone was gentle, yet confident all at once. She liked it enough--or, at least, substantially more than the excessive and low femininity that was almost grating to his left.

At Lyra's words, he chuckled. "I may be inclined to agree with the same. My greetings once more, Orleanna."

It was to Octavia's surprise that the Willful Muse genuinely bowed in response, humble as the motion was. "I offer the same to you at last, my Apex."

Octavia's eyes widened almost in tandem with Josiah's. The look of surprise they exchanged was identical.

"Your…Apex?" he tried aloud cautiously.

"Oh, for my sweetest Orleanna to shirk the same praise for myself, is that not the greatest cruelty?" came that dramatic voice once more. Octavia was very slowly beginning to find it outright annoying, if not extremely confusing.

Orleanna, if her body language was anything to go by, had her far outmatched on that front. "You should not need my rationale as to why. Either of them."

"And you, then," she heard of Brava, near to Viola as he was. "You have found yourself in much the same company, as well? I am…remiss to believe such to be a true coincidence."

It was not to the Muses that clung to Mint nor Francisco that he spoke, but one which shared much of his own radiant hue and build. They weren't identical by any means, what with their subtle differences in vocal cadence and size. It remained to be seen whether or not the borderline arrogance was a split trait. That Muse, in turn, seemed content to linger closest to a contently-smiling Briar.

He nodded. "It is as Lyra has spoken. It is not, perhaps, so much a coincidence as one could believe. Still, it is somewhat of a relief to find her once more."

Lyra dipped her head in the softest of bows. "And my sentiments to you in turn, all of you."

Ambassador.

The gentle tone that greeted her ears alone made her jump slightly, soft masculinity buzzing in her head. It didn't quite match that of those she'd observed thus far, her eyes flickering to every unfamiliar Muse one by one. It took time for Octavia to trace its source to the shimmering viridian that enjoyed the company of yet more seafoam. He gazed at her from on high. She could only blink back in silence.

Yes? Octavia offered hesitantly. She hoped she was talking to the right one, at least.

He tilted his head in the slightest, a subtle gesture only for her. Please…do not speak of the Apex of Spirit aloud. This is my…personal request.

It was Octavia's turn to return an identical tilt, albeit with far more confusion. Apex of Spirit?

His eyes--or lack thereof--trailed to Lyra. Octavia followed. It didn't help anything. Why not?

She is our beloved Apex of Spirit, he began, but I simply ask that you do not mention her aloud as such. We will endeavor to do much the same.

Octavia stared. This was uncomfortable.

She turned within to a Muse who hadn't offered any guidance as of yet. Is there a reason I can't say Lyra's an Apex, exactly? Is it rude, or…something?

He was silent. Stradivaria? she tried once more.

When he continued to ignore her, Octavia lifted her gaze above her head. His own had long since dismissed her, offered only to that of the Muse who stared him down in equal measure.

She didn't flinch. She stood--rather, floated--with confidence, in stark contrast to the Heartful Maestra who clutched her body nervously below. She was a far cry from the delicacy of every feminine form Octavia had visualized thus far, her remaining softer features be damned. She was tall, and somewhat bulkier. She was every bit as splendidly radiant as Stratos himself, crowned by the most glistening of soft yellows. It was his name and his name alone that she offered, their visual line of sight unbroken forever.

"Stratos," she spoke plainly. With two syllables, Octavia found the exact poise and strength she could expect from a form so imposing.

He, too, was just as simple. "Jasse."

"That you would all…and in such a place," Brava spoke with a tint of surprise, crossing his arms.

"It was no simple feat," came the foreign scarlet Muse. "Of this, there is gratitude to be granted to the prior Ambassador."

"And to our own, I would assert," Briar's presumed partner added.

The way Viola emulated her partner's body language was almost comical. She, too, crossed her arms over her chest. "So you all know each other pretty well, then? That…works out."

"That is not so much as the least of it," Mente muttered.

"As to the fate of our own Apex, such is a trial to be dealt with even now," Aste added with equal annoyance.

"What's this whole Apex thing, exactly?" Renato tried. "I feel like I've heard that word before."

Francisco beamed with pride. "You really wanna know?"

If Octavia spared a moment to eye Lyra, she could catch the way several Muses gestured to her subtly and wordlessly. She, too, returned similar motions of her own--nods, headshakes, and flickering glances. The amount of times they settled upon River, even briefly, was uncomfortable. The fact that she wasn't even the only familiar Muse to do so was infinitely worse.

The observation, apparently, was hers alone. Francisco was undeterred. "Apexes are the strongest of their legacy. You could almost say they're like leaders of their legacies. You know what that means, right?"

When Renato shrugged, he only seemed to grow more satisfied. Francisco's grin was ceaseless.

"It means," he continued with far too much satisfaction, "that their partners, then, would make the strongest Maestros."

Renato's eyes widened. "Wait, seriously?"

"That's amazing!" Madrigal cried, literally jumping for joy at least once.

"Wait, all of you, then?" Viola asked incredulously, flicking one finger between each of their new Maestro companions in turn. "All five of you are…partnered with one of them?"

Mint shook her head. Briar filled in where her wordless gesture could not. "Myself, Mint, and Francisco, specifically."

Francisco's partner offered a gentle bow to Octavia, for once. "It is a pleasure to meet the Ambassador. I am Kalist, the Apex of Will."

She almost forgot to return the favor, scrambling for a curtsey of her own. "I-I'm Octavia. Ambassador. I mean, you knew that already."

"Parsephii," Briar's partner said calmly, one hand where Octavia imagined his heart would've been. "I am the Apex of Soul. I also am delighted to meet the Ambassador at last."

Octavia made much the same gesture. "You, too. I, uh, look forward to working together."

"Orleannaaa," the Muse that clung to Mint drawled, far too comfortable as she practically reclined above the girl's head. "That boy you have claimed as your own was a wise decision, indeed. Even for a human, he is a pleasing sight. I would not quite mind bringing the world to ruin for him."

Harper blushed brightly, fidgeting as he tossed his gaze into the dirt. The way Orleanna moved significantly closer to him was absolutely not lost on Octavia, the slender rays that composed her fingers curling into fists.

"Curb your tongue and speak your name!" Faith's assumed partner boomed. The power behind her voice was not at all surprising, admittedly. Mint rolled her eyes in what appeared to be quiet agreement.

"As you wish," the golden Muse offered with a half-hearted shrug. "You may address me as Seliza, Apex of Essence. Learn my name well, Ambassador, and we shall get along splendidly."

Octavia blinked. For her alone, an earnest greeting was difficult to come by. She still tried. "Uh…I'll do my best. It's nice to meet you."

"I am Jasse," the confident Muse offered, her tone far softer by comparison to her shout. She, at least, attempted to bow with some semblance of respect. "I am not an Apex, but I will strive to serve your cause all the same."

The degree to which River's partner had been largely quiet was somewhat startling, his voice aloud rather than within equally so. He, too, paid his respects. "And I am Rondelio," he offered, softly and simply.

It was hard to curtsey to them both at once, and the gesture was beginning to make her muscles ache. Still, Octavia did her best yet again. "It's great to meet both of you. I look forward to getting to know you guys better."

"We haven't found the Apex of Spirit or the Apex of Strength yet," Briar clarified. "That being said, with the power all three of us have combined, we've got everything we need to defend Tacell with our lives."

"There's six of them in total, then, right?" Harper tried, still shrugging off the remainder of the red that lingered on his cheeks.

Briar nodded. "One to each legacy, and only one."

Josiah raised an eyebrow. "But then…wouldn't the Apex of Spirit be--"

He didn't get to finish. Instead of words, he found fingernails digging sharply into the back of his hand. He hissed in pain under Octavia's tight grip, glaring her down with confusion. She shook her head fervently. Puzzled as the look he gave her was, Octavia counted her blessings that it was enough to shut him up. She counted her blessings further that she hadn't previously had four more companions privy to the term "Apex" explicitly--even those who had witnessed Lyra's incredible power firsthand. She still wasn't sure why, exactly, she was supposed to be grateful for that in the first place.

Their interaction wasn't particularly subtle, and Viola side-eyed them both. Still, the Maestra continued. "What about the Apex of Heart? Is there…one of those?"

"The Apex of Heart is our own Lord of All," Stratos clarified gently. "He would not be found in such a place."

"As to the Apex of Strength," Orleanna said, "I…believe we may know the answer. It is not a simple one, and it may be best suited for another time."

Kalist tilted his head, one hand raised to where his mouth would be thoughtfully. Octavia still enjoyed watching the way they emoted, expressionless or not. "I…see. I will not pry."

"Ambassador, should you find yourself in need of assistance, our strength is yours," Jasse offered. "Please do not hesitate to inquire. Our own will surely provide the same."

Octavia nodded quickly. "Y-You guys are all really nice. Thank you for everything."

"There's going to be a lot you'll have to have to deal with here," River warned softly. "It's...going to be rough. I imagine performing the Witnessing that many times won't be very fun, and I don't exactly know what you'll see. We'll figure everything out together. We have your back, so use us whenever you need us, okay?"

The first words he'd spoken in some time were more uncomfortable than reassuring. Octavia wasn't particularly fond of the idea of "using" anyone. With how many eyes were settled upon her, the title of Ambassador had suddenly been filled with thick lead and laid heavily upon her back.

There was a greater, secondary, and far more embarrassing pressure in knowing that she was going to forget every single name she'd just learned in the span of several hours. For the sake of preserving her fragile first impression in Tacell, Octavia would've rather forced a toll down her own throat than admit it.

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