Simon wasn't the most apt at reading people and situations, given his very limited number of encounters with other people, but the good thing about not having met many people meant that those that actually were around you were those that you could follow even the smallest tick on, when there was no need to form more general rules. Or so he believed either way. And right now, his mother was more worried that usual. His words had caused this. Lilia, too, was surprised, but she didn't appear quite as worried as Cassandra was. No, she had this strange hopeful air about herself. Like she'd been waiting for him to say these words, even if she had not been expecting them. He'd seen that so many years ago the last time it happened. And now it was here again. He accepted the hat that she'd spoken at length about and held it in his hand. So this was her attempt at making him more human, was it?<br/><br/>In truth, despite all of the words about how if he accepted the change the glamour would settle in easier, if the transformation was guided by his body, helped by his inner adaptation, everything should go more smoothly. But he didn't know if he truly believed in the fact that he wanted to change. Did he honestly want to be a human among humans? Simon turned the hat in his hands a few times, his eyes adopting a vacant look that readily betrayed that he wasn't on this plane of existence in his thoughts. He wasn't a human, and he knew this. He had never been a human, and that much had been obvious even when he'd believed he still was one. He'd always known, and being told that it was indeed the case, it had both surprised him and it had not. The façade had stood long, but rotten on the inside for all that time. Now they aimed to build it anew. Would he accept that role? No, he didn't think he would. But he would try, for it was asked of him. Simon raised the hat to his head, and felt a tingle of magic over himself.<br/><br/>This time the spells worked as had been intended to the point of him not feeling discomfort with them. Yet past that point, the results were disappointing. His eyes may have shrunk a little, but even a casual observer could tell they were still much too large and for a human, never mind the fact Simon was squinting here in the light of the climbing sun. His hair, well that he might have been able to stuff under the hat if he tried. He hadn't really. After all, this was trying to find something to test if it worked on his eyes. And even if it had, would it really have made a difference with how there was an obvious shift of colour towards his sides and back, even up his neck when it came to the colours of his body? Simon didn't believe this would be nearly enough. And with his disbelief and unusual nature, the magic truly had a hard time setting in, fighting his own magical aptitude. The most well versed ones could see this. Cassandra, for one, had no difficulty seeing the proverbial sparks flying. But she elected not to say a word. It was what her son felt, and discrediting it would be silly.<br/><br/>It wasn't easy for the mother to let her son fly from his nest. Especially not if he was unable to pass himself off as a human even with the aid of a skilled witch like Lilia. But then again, if there ever was a time when he could allow Simon to go, it had to be now that he had a pair of capable hands with him that she could trust to watch over him. The older witch allowed herself a hint of a smile when Lilia's fingers wrapped around Simon's hand and her son raised his head up higher, those unchanged eyes with the faintest ripple and splash of colour in the otherwise dull irises. They would do fine. No matter what the decision was, all she could do was trust him and her on this one. She'd done all she could.<br/><br/>Simon slowly raised his hand back to the hat when Lilia had leaned back, and as he lifted it off his head he felt the shroud of her magic falling away more keenly than he'd felt it setting upon him. "So how was it then?" he asked, scepticism audible in his voice. Cassandra subtly shook her head, quite aware of one big obstacle in the way of the disguise. Simon himself. As his suspicions would be confirmed, Simon would sigh. "Then we will just have to be more careful, won't we?" he asked and crossed his arms, considering their next destinations. And of those two, to either seek out things about himself or to try to hide them even further? It didn't take the young man three consecutive thoughts to form an opinion on that.<br/><br/>"We should go South. If my nature is in the way of all this, then we need to find out what my nature is. I don't know much myself, and that mystery gnaws at me", he openly admitted. Cassandra had told him all she knew. That he had been brought most of the way here by his late father, but he had perished on the way. Yet he had survived this violent attack, and been brought up here in secrecy. If he ever found his true parent, it was insinuated, it would not end well. But he had to know. So it was with young hearts and minds. They chose the foolhardy path out of principle. "We might not know much to go on, and I might not be able to talk with people, but…" he listed all the things that were in the way of this plan working out. These two quite hefty roadblocks. But damn him to hell if he would not make an honest attempt at overcoming them! Without even noticing it, he had stood up with his hands pressed against the table. A few seconds later he became aware of the fact, took a confused look around and sat back down, making eye contact with Lilia. So what was the first step here? Did she have anything to go on?<br/><br/>Yet the last person he expected that answer to come from was his mother. "You are born from alchemy, Simon", she reminded her son. "There are not many people who would have the ability to create something as complex as you, or the blind pride to go after someone that bought from them out of some bizarre principle. No other reason comes to mind. No other reason for your father to be attacked like that. That thing… that was no animal of natural origin. The one you came from, the one who took my dear Harris from us… they are one and the same. And people like that don't make appearances often. If there is someone alive from back then, they will remember." To see her precious children depart was a pain in her chest she could hardly endure, but worse off would they all be if she hadn't spoken these words to set them on a trail. She'd only have to hold until the two would be out. Then she could cry of the next loss and fall in line with the lonely life. But that wasn't yet. It was on the horizon, but just now they were still here. Why say the goodbyes before she had to? Oh if only it was so simple.