Will and three of his deeply apologetic kidnappers were walking the forested path that led from Virgil’s estate into town. One of his deeply apologetic kidnappers was instead floating about a foot off of the ground, and another was playing the harmonica as he walked.

“Explain to me,” said Will, who was still getting used to digitigrade feet, “Why we’re going into town?”

“We need you geared up and to start a formal quest for the return spell’s ingredients,” Virgil said.

“A quest?” Will asked. “What’s stopping us from just going and getting it?”

“Nothing, technically,” Virgil said, “But we wouldn’t get paid for doing it.”

Will hummed. “Okay, that makes about as much sense as anything else.” He paused and looked to the side of the road, where fireflies were blinking in the encroaching night.

Virgil turned to look back at him. “Are you alright? Is this about the pea plants again?”

Will shook his head. “No. Well, maybe. I just… haven’t seen live fireflies in a long time. Since I was a kid, I think.”

“Did you miss them?”

“I didn’t think I did.”

“We should take five,” said Glorious Purpose, who planted his feet on solid ground and did an upward stretch. “It is a bit of a hike.”

Will sat cross-legged on the side of the road, watching the fireflies. Virgil sat down next to him, his attention split.

“Looks a lot like Photinus pyralis, the big dipper firefly,” Will said, studying the way they moved.

“Big dipper?” Virgil asked.

“It’s a constellation where I’m from,” Will said. “Supposedly looks like a spoon. See how the firefly moves in a curved path as it lights up? Close enough, I guess.”

“Why do they light up like that?” Virgil asked, though he already knew the answer.

“To attract mates,” Will said excitedly. “The males are advertising to females in the grass. See how there’s flashes on the ground, as well? They’re responding to the males’ advances. If you mimic their flashes, you can attract them too.”

Virgil smiles, and a lavender light flickered onto his index finger. He studied the blinking for another moment, and started copying it. A firefly landed on his hand, crawled around for a moment, and took off again.

“That’s amazing! I didn’t know that,” he said, which this time was true. “Thank you.”

“What’s really cool is that we aren’t the only copycats. Other fireflies in the genus Photuris mimic the flashes as well, but kill and eat any males who approach, like tiny little succubi.”

“What’s a succ-” Virgil attempted to ask, before Rex clapped his hands loudly beside him.

Rex signed something fairly involved. Will didn’t understand very much ASL, but he recognized his own name.

“No.” Said Glorious Purpose firmly from a short distance away, though he hadn’t been looking in their direction. “Not right now at least.”

“You can understand him?” Will asked, turning to the angel.

“Well, I can read minds,” said Glory. “But yes, I can understand American sign language.”

“What did he say?”

“Nothing important,” Glory said.

Rex scowled and held up his middle finger, but cracked a smile.

Glorious Purpose sighed and pinched his nonexistent nose. “No, sorry, you’re right. It was important but not your concern.”

Will hardened. “You brought me here against my will and forced me into your doomsday situation. Please don’t make this more awkward than it already is.”

“Fine,” Glory said. “It was a sex thing. I didn’t want to remind you of that. I know you’re not here for it.”

Will turned to Rex, who gave him a bemused wink. The metal he had used for the harmonica was reshaped into a bell, which he rang thrice.

“Okay, break over,” Will said, getting to his feet with only a minor stumble. “Let’s just get this over with.”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Will left in a huff as Rex and Virgil picked their things back up. Glorious Purpose flew after Will.

Glory appeared over Will's shoulder. “It wasn’t a catcall or anything,” he said, which was technically true. “If that’s what upset you.”

Will trudged without responding for a moment. “I’m not going to faint at the thought of sex, you know. Don’t hide it, that just makes it worse.”

“Right.” Said Glorious Purpose. “Apologies.”

“I have a girlfriend. Well, maybe more of a roommate now. Things are complicated. Things are more complicated now that I’ve dropped off the face of the earth.” Will growled flatly, and kicked a small rock, which went much further than he had anticipated. “Why am I even telling you this?”

“Because I will listen,” said Glory.

Will harrumphed. “Whatever. Point is, you don’t need to baby me.”

“I will refrain from doing so in the future.”

“And why does Rex know ASL? How do you know what America means?”

“Well, you think of it as ASL and what we’re speaking right now as English, which I know because I can read your mind. Here it’s known as common and signed common.”

“And English and common are the same? Is it some sort of translation system? Was my brain rewired?”

“It’s magic, Will. It’s best not to crack open how it works and just appreciate that it does.”

Will asked something that had been on his mind for a bit. “Why doesn’t Rex use magic to talk?”

Glorious Purpose gave Will an odd look. “He uses that bit of silver to make sounds, you’ve heard him.”

“But why? Surely he could—“

“You mean, ‘why doesn’t he use magic to give himself a speaking voice?’”

“Yeah, is there some kind of bonus to make up for it? Some games—”

“This isn’t a game, Will.” Glorious Purpose said sharply. “And Rex is fine being mute. That’s all there is to it.”

Will thought about that for a moment. “Right. Sorry. Really.”

“I know you meant well.” Glory said quietly.

“Stop reading my mind.”

“Believe me, I would love to stop reading minds. Can barely hear myself think half the time.”

Will actually snorted, which was the first time he’d non-ironically laughed in quite a while. “This is stupid. All of this is so fucking stupid.”

“And yet you’re thinking about staying.”

Will narrowed his eyes slightly. “I just said to stop.”

“And I just said I can’t. No use pretending, right?”

“It’s not like I’ve made up my mind,” Will balked.

“That is true,” Glory said. “But you’re considering it.”

“Fine, yeah. I am considering it.”

“Why?”

Will rolled his eyes. “You can read my mind.”

Glory smiled. “But you can’t read your own. Vocalize your rationalizations.”

“I’d feel guilty if I left you all to die.”

“I’m sure you would.”

“And I can’t just… leave everyone else who didn’t kidnap me.”

“It’s true, they didn’t.”

“I…I don’t know. You really seem to believe in me, I guess?”

“I do believe in you,” Glory said, smiling confidently. “Virgil’s spell is perfectly designed.”

“Mmph, righ," Will said flatly. "The spell. The spell that failed twice before.”

“Third time’s the charm. The parameters were different, this time they’re perfect.”

“You seem… concerned, for my well-being. I don’t think most extradimensional kidnappers would’ve been this nice about it.”

“That’s possible,” Glory said coyly.

“You sound like you’re trying to coax something out of me.”

“I am.”

“Fine. I don’t know… I’m morbidly curious about what this place is actually like.”

“Getting warmer.”

“Fuck, Glory, I don’t know. You’re endearing. Virgil is endearing. I don’t want to disappoint him cause it looks like he’s put everything on me.”

“That’s a correct assumption, though he’d never admit it. He also finds you very attractive,” Glory said.

Will tensed like he'd just been slapped. “I didn’t need to know that.”

“If you didn’t, I wouldn’t have told you.”

“Don’t play matchmaker with me. I’m not gay, and no matter what happens I’m not planning on sticking around long-term.”

“I’m aware.”

“Then what’s the goddamn point?”

“Mortals always think there’s a point to the truth,” Glory began. “Sometimes there is, and sometimes there isn’t. The universe is chaotic and unpredictable. Focus on what you can know, and what you can learn from it.”

“This is going nowhere.”

“Virgil is a good man, but he exists very much in his own head.” Glory said. “I’ve done what I can to coax him out of his shell, but I think your companionship would do much for his self-confidence. He's already been uncharacteristically forward with you.”

Will tilted his head, ears flopping slightly. “You’re working on fostering his interpersonal skills while the world is ending?”

“I’m an angel," Glory said with a monocular wink. "Fostering personal growth is the purpose of my existence.”