Elijah walked up and down the edge of the soccer pitch, shouting encouragement to the kids on the field. The season begun a few weeks before, but their full-time coach already injured himself trying to show off. Still, Elijah happily stepped in to coach on his own. The team consisted of fourteen boys and girls, now in brand new red and blue uniforms. An anonymous donor sponsored them after their win last season, paying for a range of new kit. The kids loved it, of course, but Elijah was intent on finding out who the sponsor was.

One of the kids sent the ball soaring into the net and immediately began showboating. “Keep focused, Danny!” he called out amidst a round of groans from the rest of the team. Typical behaviour for the star player, and they all knew it. Elijah raised his voice to be heard over the cheering of the soccer moms edging the field. “The game doesn't pause because you scored a goal, get back in there!”

The boy jolted out of his ridiculous act and raced back down the field after the ball. After ten minutes more, during which time the score was evened by one of the girls, Elijah blew the whistle for half time. The kids poured into the crowd of parents to accept juice boxes and snacks, all except one. At ten years old, Steven was the smallest kid on the team, but not the youngest, and he struggled to make friends. Given the chance, he could be an excellent player. Elijah picked up a juice box and an apple and made his way onto the field.

“Hey kid, you hungry?” Steven nodded and put out his hand, saying nothing. Elijah handed him the apple and popped the straw in the juice for him. “Don't you want to come say hi to your fans?” Elijah offered, nodding his head to indicate the parents on the sidelines. No one ever came to watch the game or wait for Steven, he walked to and from the field every week by himself, and his father was a single parent who worked double shifts.

Still silent, Steven gave a tiny, hesitant nod. “Great, I'll introduce you to Hope's parents, they're really nice.” Elijah smiled and led the boy from the field. Hope's parents were his favourites, they cared about the whole team, rather than just their own kid. If anyone would help bring Steven out of his shell, it would be them. He found them talking to their daughter and two of her friends. “Mr and Mrs Solo, this is Steven.”

---

Flying soothed Dianus the way rocking soothed a human infant, or floating in a pool soothed the aquatic types. She often questioned how humans could be so happy not having wings. Of course, they had those enormous, metal flying machines, but sitting in one of those was nothing like real flying. She swirled around skyscrapers, swan dived from the clouds, and flew low to the sea, dipping her hand in the water. When she arrived at the coffee shop in her façade, she felt refreshed. 

She flashed her trademark smile at the barista and ordered a summer berry slushie. Taking her drink to the back of the shop, where she would have the best view of its customers, she settled into a booth seat and opened her new journal. As she looked up, pencil held delicately in her hand, she spied quite an interesting sight: another Shade, at the front of the store with a laptop. Though dressed in her façade, Dianus could see what she really was. She leaned back in her seat to watch the Shade, idly sketching the interior of the coffee shop between looks.