"Partner?"

Rou's voice echoed in the silent domain.

"That stupid title Aether gave us. It was meant to be a joke, but because you went and tried to throw yourself on the sword to protect me, Creation seemed to think it was… an amusing punishment." Affection spat in the general direction of where Creation was before he left.

Her behavior surprised Rou a little who sat his swords on the non-existent ground and walked a little closer. "Do you dislike me that much? Not that I ever planned to coerce you for such a thing, your… frustration with it surprises me."

There was a faint hint of concern in his voice.

Affection almost snapped at him but hesitated, realizing it would have been cruel.

"Obviously I don't hate you, idiot. But I don't very well… ugh." And with that she sat down in the void in front of him despite nothing being under her.

Rou moved next to her and asked, "Can you teach me how to do that?"

"No. You can manipulate the aether of the lower dimension as you can see it, in a very crude manner. This is me using high-dimensional energy."

"In that case… make me a chair too? I've always imagined you sitting like this, quite comfortable while we have talked in the past, so I want to find out just how comfortable it is." Rou pointed at a spot next to Affection who cackled slightly and flicked her fingers, causing Rou to suddenly turn and be sat onto the void beside her.

Of course, as he stared at the same view she had - which was nothing at all from what he could see, Rou did add softly, "Seems I was right. It is comfortable. But a little more enjoyable knowing I'm finally able to enjoy it with you in person instead of imagining it." All in all, Rou really did consider Affection a friend. Perhaps his only actual friend in this world. Sure, he had his parents, but actually having friends? …he really hadn't ever been around anyone his own age in his 'short' period here. As a child, during the castle trip, after while wandering around then in an adult body.

Affection balked at it but did reach over to poke his side. "Don't go and get weepy on me like your mother. Can't say I'd enjoy being hugged like a stuffed toy, or bathed or used for emotional support."

"Oh please, you'd love it." Rou retorted, "You probably get your tail regularly brushed by Aether, yeah? A regular highlight for you."

"SHE TOLD YOU?!" Affection screamed in dismay.

"Nope. Just guessed." Rou was looking at her from rather close as Affection had whipped around to stare at him in panic. That panic turned to frustration as it seemed his guess had caused a rather instinctive response from her, then her ears folded back a bit and she was clearly embarrassed.

"...fine, I like getting my tail brushed. As a high-dimensional being, this body is fun. I've always wanted to try a lifetime in the lower world, but as a precaution against causing problems, our memories would be sealed and we'd only get them back after we pass and return. And… enjoying a life only in retrospect seems so pointless." Affection's words revealed a rather strong wanderlust and desire that she'd likely never have. It actually made Rou feel for her all the more.

"Hand?" he asked, offering his towards her.

"What am I, a dog? Go get a flea."

"Hand."

"I'm not a dog, quit asking me for paw!"

"Give me your damned hand already and quit acting like you don't want to. We both know you're lonely. I've known it since we first started talking." Rou chided, causing Affection to tense up only to look away from him and casually reach her hand over, gripping his rather tightly as she subtly confirmed his claim.

–

They sat in silence for quite some time, side by side. Sure, he could have pressed for things, taken advantage of the awkwardness or the moment, but Rou didn't. "I was being playful earlier today… with the node and all. That's what it was called, right?"

"Mm? Yes, it was, but what about it was playful?" Affection finally turned to look at Rou, her guard having lowered nearly fully by this point and returning to how she usually was when they talked at great distance.

"When I managed to kiss you accidentally. I just wanted to ask, I didn't somehow take away something you had wanted to enjoy with someone else, right? Like, dunno, Aether or something?"

Affection snorted, "I might have had a crush on her but high-dimensional beings like us don't naturally have bodies. The idea of kissing or having sex or anything like that is for lower types. We… are content just to coexist and occasionally share energy. Sure, it would be nice if she ever had an interest in trying a body like I did. Other gods like us do have a body we use - some more than others - but she's never had the desire. So wanting to kiss her is like one of your kind wanting to kiss the sun. …something that shouldn't be possible despite your strange ability to beat the odds and do it anyways."

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Rou chuckled, only to ask rather simply, "Now that I'm here, want to try again? This time, not having it be an accident?"

Affection's instinct was to slap him but she hesitated, realizing he wasn't wrong. Seeing romance and lifetimes of bonding and happiness among mortals in the lower dimension did leave her more and more pained as time went on. She wanted it for herself. She couldn't have it. At best she could hope that Aether would take pity on her and spend time with her.

Rou could even see that realization in her eyes and felt rather bad about it. It was something he understood from his own past life. Sure, he never tried for it, but it always seemed so nice. "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked, it was in bad taste."

Though he seemed quite confused as a large area of the space they were in suddenly changed and rippled a little, looking more opaque before blacking out and showing a starry view as if from space all around in every direction.

"What is going on?" Rou questioned only to hear, "It simply means I desire privacy and expect it to be given unless there is an emergency. Which is to say I don't want anyone bothering us until you are gone."

"..."

–

Therapeutic.

Not just for one or the other, but both. Both of them had certain… desires and needs and as it so happened, not only did their tastes align for an easy friendship, but physically and emotionally their needs aligned well enough that several months had passed, or so it seemed. There was no need to eat or sleep in the higher dimension, time did not pass, at least, not in a literal sense.

Instead, it was a hideaway where Rou and Affection got a chance to finally explore those desires they both had with each other, someone they implicitly trusted, without any risk of being judged for it. Why several months? Because Affection had been alive for who knows how long and had a great many things she wanted to experience, but also… before long she actually did find herself rather enchanted with the idea of having a partner and Rou wound up coincidentally being perfect for her.

Despite Rou's week and a half with that panther woman, he was rather inexperienced and needy as well, just like Affection, and it gave them both a chance to learn and grow with the other until several months in, they knew each other rather perfectly both inside and out so to speak. There was no more pretension on Affection's part, no more gentle prodding on Rou's part trying to get her to snap or anything.

Just endless bonding.

Between rounds of 'bonding', Affection had begun to let Rou into her personal life. Sharing all the little things she's ever found enjoyable over the years, letting him into her world, her life, her private space that only Aether had ever seen. Sharing her memories with him and he in turn letting her browse his memories of his old life, leaving her a desire to see his old world better one day. And eventually her home became his in a sense, actually granting him permissions to freely modify her existence there as he desired. Not that he really could, given the lack of ability to manipulate energy in the higher-dimension, but the granted permission meant a lot to him.

While they never quite officially 'married' in the literal sense, the idea of the two of them being bound together was very much non-verbally agreed. It wasn't love so much as just… perfect friends. Two peas in a pod. Only those two peas furiously rocked the pod more often than not when simply counting their activities while together.

By the time Rou actually got around to reopening the node to where he'd been, it was hard to say just how much time he spent there. Apparently not much time actually passed for him in the lower world - sort of in a pocket dimension where the sense of time was so vastly different that it was hard to notice. A few days or a week at most. But he'd had his lifetime with Affection in the higher dimension so to speak. She'd even changed the color of the fur on his right ring finger to make it look like there was a ring there.

But what surprised Rou the most? Was her lack of jealousy. Sure, he was hers, but… Affection had even said it. "What you do down there is your business, and I'll never hold it against you." Why? In truth Affection had already come to grips with the idea of his lifespan. Sure he'd live for a dragons age, but part of her knew she couldn't have him forever and she didn't want his life to be worried about what she'd think as she could see his every move and breath from her place in the higher-dimension. He got to live a life that she wanted, so rather than restrict him?

She encouraged him to live the life however he wanted. She was wanting to live a low-dimensional life through him.

Even prodded him to try and have offspring, and not wind up like the dragon. Strange as it sounded to him, for Affection, it was probably the only way she'd ever have offspring of 'her own'. Apparently high-dimensional beings couldn't reproduce in the traditional sense. They either spontaneously came into existence naturally, or were born from a low dimensional being climbing the existential ladder. Of which their world wasn't yet capable of allowing. So for her… someone who could never live that life without having her memories suppressed and enjoying it second hand, Affection was beyond grateful to experience it like this with Rou. At least that was the hope.

In exchange?

Notice

Affection is viewing the world through your eyes. Permanently, until you say otherwise.

Status

[Affection's Five Senses in the lower dimension]

It wasn't what Rou expected, but really… he didn't mind. In fact, he was flattered beyond reason. She had no control, but she got to live through him. And he could visit her anytime he wanted for the rest of his existence and enjoy spending time with her in person.

'By the way, dear… your Father mentioned you can return whenever as your mother has calmed down.' She thought it was funny to refer to him as dear and it just kind of stuck around between them.

Rou smiled and nodded, only to start wandering back through the capital on foot, taking his time and letting Affection enjoy the sights, sounds and smells, good and bad.

–

Creation and Aether both peered through the dimensional barrier after Affection lowered her privacy guard.

"Did you expect that?" Aether asked, uncertain as she looked towards Creation.

The elder high-dimensional being answered simply, "With those two, expectations are just a path towards disappointment. But I am content with how things turned out. Better than hoped for all parties involved, wouldn't you say?"

Aether did smile at that despite not having a mouth. High-dimensional beings could smile in their own way. "Mm… Affection gets her dream fulfilled and her desire for companionship and wistfulness is completely removed, likely forever. I can't imagine a better outcome for her. As for the boy, hard to say. Though I suppose I am glad there is no sense of conquest or victory in him. I worried at first that he would feel like he achieved victory after she let her guard down, but… no."

"Mm…" Creation said nothing to that, just a soft grunt of agreement.

"Are you sad she won't be asking you to brush her tail anymore?" Creation's teasing towards Aether caused the god to playfully reach out and smack at him. "She'll still ask."

"Perhaps, but only after his lifetime has passed."

"Why is that?" she seemed uncertain.

"Because why ask you when she can simply invite him back up here to do it himself?"

Aether couldn't deny it. She felt a bit like she lost something that she never knew she had. And ever so briefly, Aether was jealous of Rou and Affection's bond.