Neicha woke with the sudden and overwhelming sense of having forgotten something very important. She sat up, blinking hard against the morning light filtering through the shear curtains over her bedroom window. She must have been rolling in her sleep because her sheets were wound around her legs, tight and damp with sweat. 

"Neicha!" the shout proceeded the bang of her door being thrown open with too much force. Neicha blinked hard again, forcing her bleary eyes to understand the mass of yellow bearing down on her. "Why are you still in bed?" her sister demanded, her bright yellow dress even more accosting that her shouting. 

"Mm 'wake," Neicha mumbled into her sister’s shoulder as she was gathering into a tight if awkwardly angled hug. 

"We told her to give you more time," someone said in a much more reasonable volume from the doorway. Neicha tried to pull back to see who had accompanied Hilaynia's intrusion. Apparently, all of them.

Coremdel was leaning against the wall near the door, his stoic features revealing nothing of what he thought of Hilaynia's antics. He had decided to keep with his festival attire and was wearing a pristine dark blue shirt with a matching pleated kilt, the inner panels a paler shade of blue that had a slight gleam.  

Ira was stepped into the room, her brown work trousers reaching her knees, tan tunic smudged with dirt. She had piled her dark brown hair into a messy bun between her horns and had not bothered with any adornments for the occasion. 

Sadey was the voice that had called from the doorway and she had clearly already fallen prey to Hilaynia's ministrations. The dark green dress she wore had to be Hilaynia's, Neicha had never seen Sadey wear anything so frilly before, not of her own volition. She had also been adorned with various bright pink ribbons that matched the shade of her hair and had glittering silver bangles dangling above her hooves, the delicate metal rings clinked as she shifted her weight. 

Hilaynia finally released her, leaning back and allowing Neicha to admire her golden hair in its various braids that had been made with long strands of dark green ribbon that matched the shade of Sadey's dress. She had even wrapped a few of the smallest braids around her twisting horns, drawing attention to the bright gold paint she had capped each horn with the day before the weeklong festival had begun. 

"Why're you all here?" Neicha asked, the words coming out more as a mumble as she tried to wake by sheer force of will. 

"Hilaynia insisted we see you off," Coremdel told her, running a hand through his short dark hair between his horns, making it stick up as if he was the one who had just rolled out of bed. 

"We didn't want you to be nervous," Sadey added from the doorway. 

"She made us come," Ira grumbled, staring around Neicha's room as if she expected something interesting to have appeared in the small space since the last time she had been there.

Neicha did not keep much in this space, just a desk, chair and her bed. Her clothing was hung on the pegs on the wall or in the baskets under her bed. She, unlike her siblings, was not much for collecting trinkets and nicknacks. Her desk sported a few drawers full of a work material but she always put everything away when it was not being used. 

"But-" Neicha was going to protest that they had not done this for any of the others’ naming days; if they had she had not been included. 

"Last person is always the most nervous," Hilaynia interrupted, "and I don't trust you to get up on time. Look I was right; left to your own devices you would sleep right through your ceremony."

Neicha wanted to argue but decided it was more prudent to work on extricating her legs from her sheet. 

"Have you decided what to wear?" Hilaynia was asking as she picked her way through the tunics hung in neat rows. 

"No. I'm not nervous. And I am awake," Neicha answered finally free from her cocoon she swung her legs over the side of the bed. 

"She's excited not nervous," Coremdel accurately pointed out. 

"Of course she's nervous," Ira snapped, her scowl aimed at Coremdel as she spoke, "she might get a name as awful as mine."

"Ira is not a bad name," Coremdel replied, the words weary with repetition.

"It’s a forester name."

"Foresters are important," Coremdel said for the hundredth time in the last three days.

"Foresters chop down trees, destroys nests, its... barbaric," Ira fumed, staring down at her bare hooves. 

"Only the trees that need to be felled, and you can help make sure the nests are moved before that happens, that will fall into your purview now. Besides, keeping the trees healthy is part of the work is well, you will be protecting the bird nests as much as the trees," Coremdel explained patiently.

Neicha had heard this argument too many times since Ira had gotten her adult name three days ago. It was tiresome and repetitive.

"Today isn't about you Ira," Hilaynia told her gently, placing a hand on the shorter woman's shoulder to further soften her words, "it's Neicha's day," she turned back to Neicha before she said, "you'll be fine, if you get a vision you have to tell us about it."

Ira scoffed, "no one gets visions anymore, Tezlos doesn't care enough."

"You’re just bitter," Hilaynia chided. 

"And you’re not?" Ira demanded.

"Not at all," Hilaynia said, waving a hand to dismiss the notion, "I am privileged to carry this name... plus, I’ve never seen mother so thrilled."

Neicha wondered if that was a good reason to be pleased with your name. It was true that Mother had been ecstatic to find out that Hilaynia would be a performer but everyone knew that was because Mother had always coveted that profession, her own name had relegated her to teacher until she had pursued becoming a guardian.

"That's because mother thinks it’s the same as getting the name herself," Ira complained, crossing her arms tightly as if she could make her point with a show of tension.

"Perhaps," Hilaynia allowed, "is there a job you are hoping for Neicha?"

Neicha glanced at her siblings, they had discussed their hopes many times before the festival, more so in the last year as the ritual neared, but she doubted Hilaynia expected her to provide a new answer. If she had to guess Hilaynia seemed determined to keep the conversation focused on Neicha, which was kind but not necessary.

"I've already told you,” was all Neicha offered in answer.

"I hope you are a healer," Coremdel said.

"We know," Ira groaned, "but Neicha already told you she will help with the mathemetrics no matter what job she gets. Stop worrying."

Coremdel frowned but did not reply. Hilaynia let out a deep sigh as she selected a white tunic with diagonal blue patterns.

"I'm sure you'll love your name," Sadey said from the doorway, bouncing where she stood, her bangles jingling. he had been nearly vibrating with joy since receiving her own name. 

"Ugh, you are too happy, it's nauseating," Ira groaned, turning her head away to stare at the curtain covered window.

"Yes, I am sure you are right Sadey. Your experience is very inspiring," Neicha said, wanting to approve of her sister's delight to counteract Ira's dourness. Sadey had gotten her name yesterday and had been ecstatic ever since. Her profession, unlike Ira's, was perfectly matched to her interests, the only way it could have been better was if she had been called to be a professional pangolin player.

"Father said I will start my training after the festival," Sadey told them, still bouncing in place, smile so broad it looked painful.

"Congratulations," Hilaynia said with sincerity as she put the blue and white tunic back on its peg and moved on to a pale white linen dress that Neicha rarely wore. 

"At least one of us is genuinely happy," Coremdel remarked.

"You know your eager to be a healer," Hilaynia said with a roll of her eyes.

"Being pleased about it does not equate to being well suited for it," Coremdel said with a dour twitch to his lips.

"Why would you get the assignment if you are poorly suited to it?" Neicha asked, she had never understood that perspective. The whole point of the naming ceremony was to have your role and adult name revealed through divine communion... could there be any room for error in such a ritual?

"You wouldn't. Coremdel will be a great healer, and you will be amazing at whatever profession you are named to," Hilaynia said with a gentle pat to Neicha's shoulder, offering her the dress with her other hand. Neicha glared at the dress; it was a shapeless thing that never seemed to fit quite right and didn't pass her knees. 

"I did not need reassurance," Neicha said, "I only meant that it is illogical to think that Tezlos would assign an ill-fitting profession. Why would I wear this?"

Ira snorted, turning back to the group so she could glare at Neicha, "yeah, sure. because I’ll make a great forester and Hilaynia definitely wanted to be a performer. just because they say it's Tezlos deciding doesn't mean-"

"Ira!" Hilaynia cut in, "would you let it go? just because you don't see the value of forestry doesn't mean you won't learn. You may end up enjoying it.” Hilaynia softened her tone as she answered Neicha’s question, “because it is not your favorite, you almost never wear it... and the tea can cause a bit of nausea..."

"Just like mother enjoyed being a teacher?" Ira ground out.

"Yes. and she did. she just enjoyed being a guardian more," Hilaynia snapped, turning her head so her words would not be directed at Neicha.

"Don't fight, it's Neicha's day, we should be celebrating her," Sadey said, her bouncing finally coming to a stop.

"Your positivity is sickening," Ira informed as she pushed past her to storm out of the room. 

"Don't mind her," Sadey told Neicha with a grin.

"I don't," Neicha said, "am I going to throw up? None of you mentioned that."

"Probably not and nothing bothers Neicha," Coremdel says.

"That's not true," Sadey argued and Neicha was not certain which thing she was responding too "lots of things bother our Neicha, or do you not listen?" so not the nausea then. 

"No arguing," Hilaynia warned. "I almost threw up but Ira definitely did, I saw her shirt afterward."

"I listen," Coremdel muttered.

"Then what bothers her?" Sadey asked, tilting to the side to catch his downcast gaze.

Coremdel sighed, his eyes raising to the ceiling, looking for an answer "ugh...wet gloves," he finally said.

Hilaynia stared at him as Sadey burst into giggles, "that is... very specific," Sadey finally said.

"I do not like wet gloves, this is accurate," Neicha confirmed. She pulled her sleep shirt over her head and tossed it on her bed, replacing it with the dress. She was still sleepy enough that her first attempt to pull the fabric over her head got one of her horns stuck in the sleeve. Hilaynia reached down and untangled her.

"Sure, who does?" Sadey said through another giggle, "I’m going to go watch the setup for the game, do you want to come with?" she asked her siblings.

"They won't be starting for hours," Hilaynia groaned.

"But they start setting up soon," Sadey repeated.

"You are obsessed," Hilaynia accused.

"No more than Ira is obsessed with birds," Sadey said sticking her tongue out to punctuate her comment.

"...I feel that you just proved my point," Hilaynia sighed, "I’ll catch up in a bit, what about you Coremdel?"

"Sure, I guess I will go with you," he said and Sadey's delighted squeal made Neicha wish they would hurry up and leave. 

"Only ten more years," Sadey said with a dreamy expression, eyes glassy.

"Yes, and then you will abandon your housing duties to become a professional player," Hilaynia teased.

"Never!" Sadey refuted with a stomp of one hoof, "I am made to be a houser... besides, I can do both. Come on Core," She grabbed for their brother's arm and dragged him from the room, already rambling about this year's teams. 

Neicha stared up at Hilaynia, the dress bunched around her waist. 

"Are you going to get out of bed?" Hilaynia asked with a teasing smirk. Neicha held and arm out and Hilaynia grasped it at the elbow, helping to drag her to her hooves. The dress settled around her, still as short as she remembered. At least she was not as tall as Hilaynia, on her the dress would be a shirt. 

"If you throw up, I’ll clean that for you," Hilaynia told her, tapping the dress over Neicha's collarbone. 

"Alright," Neicha agreed. 

"No need for accessories, after the ceremony you can come back and change into something more appropriate, maybe this," she said pulling a blue tunic with orange spirals from a peg. "And this," she snatched a pair of purple trousers with flared hems and green vining embroidery from a neighboring peg. She laid both articles out on the bed, smoothing them out so they would not wrinkle. Both items were things Hilaynia had gotten for her during last year’s festival and were much more vibrant than Neicha's typical attire.

"Sure," Neicha agreed. She did not care what she wore as long as it was comfortable, but dressing her seemed to please Hilaynia so she typically put of up with it since Hilaynia respected Neicha’s rule of comfort; she drew the line at those frilly dresses however. She had tried a few on but they felt like wearing nothing and she was always worried she would get them caught on something and ruin the thin material. 

"Are you nervous?" Hilaynia asked, watching her with a suddenly somber expression. 

"I do not think so..." Neicha turned her focus inward, checking to see if her assessment was accurate. "No, I believe I am experiencing anticipation. By end of day I will know what the next four decades of education will entail, and how much free time I will have to expand outside of it."

Hilaynia smiled in a gentle way that usually meant she thought Neicha had missed something important. "Yes... and you will know your place in the tribe."

"Yes. That too," Neicha agreed. She needed to clean her teeth and while she was meant to be fasting, she was allowed to drink water before she went to the healer’s house and planned to down several glasses before she headed out. 

Hilaynia blocked her path, stepping closer rather than allowing her to pass. She raised both hands and placed them on either side of Neicha's face, staring her down with those soft amber eyes, "little sister," she whispered.

"We are the same age," Neicha pointed out, arm limp at her sides. 

"Little sister," Hilaynia said again, "whatever she names you... you will be amazing. You are brilliant, loved and unique. The others know you are smart but we, your siblings and I, we know that you are so much, much more than that."

"...okay?" Neicha was not sure what Hilaynia's point was. When Hilaynia did not let go of her face she finally added, "being smart is enough for me."

"It worries me that you believe that," Hilaynia tells her, leaning forward to plant a soft kiss on her forehead. "No matter what happens know that we love you and you are amazing," with that she stepped back, letting her hands drop. 

"I already know that."

"And humble to."

"That is a lie."

Hilaynia's laughter followed her out of the room.