Unfortunately, Reiss had more pressing issues than the stardust clinging to his body like a horny dolphin.

One such pressing issue was tightening an iron bolt on a cartwheel so it wouldn't fly off and cause an accident. Another was adjusting a loose shingle so that it would fall on a purse thief's head as he tried to flee. Then there was the anonymous note sent to the local Watch informing them of a drug ring operating out of the graveyard. Finally, a flower in the hair of a young woman who stood at the edge of the roof, along with a few choice words.

Reiss spent a long, long time running around and trying to fix every little problem throughout his lives. He knew practically every event major and minor that would happen in Thorsten over the next 4 years at least. After so many resets... he became numb to those graphic memories.

Preventing the public beating of a young boy from his father ended with Reiss finding the boy floating in the sewers the next day. Killing the father in his next life caused the boy to become an adventurer and perish from a bandit attack a year later. Stopping said bandit attack somehow leads to a full-blown rebellion. Soon, Reiss found more blood on his hands than in his body.

Similarly, Reiss knew that preventing that pretty girl from jumping off that roof will lead to her living and dying utterly alone.

It crushed Reiss. Every. Single. Time.

Knowing that all his effort to save lives and prevent grief would somehow turn out worse or with an equal outcome.

One day he just stopped saving people.

He allowed that cart to lose its wheel, crashing into that boy and crippling his legs. He watched the thief get away and slowly morph into the infamous Lady Killer of the Southern Province. He sat by while a smuggling group distributed narcotics to the local populace. He let Yerali jump off that roof, only to survive the fall and be crippled for years.

What was a death caused by narcotics compared to that of one caused by spreading wildfire, or an insurgents blade? What changed it all? Why should he care how people died?

"It is not how they die; it is how they lived."

He couldn't remember the face behind the words. Still, they echoed within him now.

So, before Reiss made his way to the wedding, he rushed back to find Yerali sitting on the edge of the roof, smiling while touching the white lily in her auburn hair.

"Yerali?"

"Oh, I never got to thank you for the flower."

Reiss smiled warmly and sat next to her, looking out at the sunset bouncing off the shingled rooves. Almost shoulder to shoulder, he turned and asked mischievously.

"Say, are you free tonight?"

Yerali blinked several times, and couldn't bare to look at him.

"It's not like I had planned anything for after I..."

"If you are, would you mind accompanying me to a wedding?"

Her face turned the color of an apple, but her voice remained level.

"A wedding?"

"I have to deliver flowers to the bride and intended to stay for the free food."

"Oh. That makes sense. I suppose... I mean, yes. I will go with you."

Reiss got to his feet without any fear of falling and offered Yerali a hand.

"Thank you. Um... The stairs are back that way.

Reiss smiled wryly, his eyebrows dancing dangerously.

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"I have a better idea."

"What do you- AH!"

Reiss scooped up Yerali's modest frame in his arms. Looking out at the city, he faced an identical three-story residence twenty feet away, separated by a busy street.

"This way is faster."

Reiss was grinning from ear to ear while Yerali fought to be let down. With a small cry of shock from Yerali, Reiss jumped. She clutched on tight as they went airborne and Reiss laughed evily. With a soft ting, he landed on the opposite roof's tiles.

"There, see how fast that was."

"Did you... Did we? Did you just–"

"Here we go again!"

Yerali shook her head, but there was no helping it. She screamed.

Reiss bounded from roof to roof, the distance sometimes growing or sometimes shortening. Reiss handled the twenty-foot gaps with feline grace. Before long, Yerali's outcries of fear turned to laughter and gleeful cheer. It was over too soon. With a final leap, Reiss leaped off a two-story abode and down into a sidestreet below.

"Here we are. The cathedral is right up there.."

"Why didn't we go the entire way?"

Yerali eyes shone like she wanted to do it all over again. Reiss chuckled good-naturedly.

"It's not my wedding is it? Crashing it wouldn't be nice when I'm supposed to make a delivery."

She looked dejected. Reiss postured and lied.

"Plus, the cathedral is in a plaza. The only place left to go was down.?"

Yerali hit Reiss' shoulder.

"You're teasing me."

"Oh? How could you tell?"

A smug smile was repaid with another hit to the shoulder. After the moment passed, Reiss led Yerali down the streets, where things became normal. Mostly.

=

Yerali was reliving the experience of a lifetime, wondering how it all happened. She had been on the roof and...

Her thoughts turned.

Was he feeling pity for her? Was saving her life not enough? Then a realization hit her like a donkey kick to the gut.

I'm at a wedding. With a stranger! I must be crazy.

"Why the long face?"

Yerali was caught between stuttering like a schoolgirl and drooping depressively.

"This is a wedding, and I am not even wearing a dress."

Reiss tutted.

"It is the bride's job to wear the best dress and outperform everyone. Were you planning on wearing your best product?"

"What? No. I don't wear what I make. But I can't just show up like-like this."

Yerali thrust her hands down in the direction of her... everything.

"I look like a worn-out [Seamstress], which I am, to be fair. And look at my company. Has no one told you you're gorgeous? You look like the stars sharted all over you."

Yerali was startled when Reiss burst into laughter. Yerali flushed and became irritable.

"What? Am I wrong? You look like the Nine dressed you for dinner, and you are ready to ascend at any moment."

The laughter petered out, but not before Reiss became misty-eyed. When he was done, he actually had the audacity to thank Yerali.

"I appreciate your honesty. I have a perfectly good reason as to why the stars sharted all over me."

Yerali scoffed.

"Which is?"

"Doesn't matter. What does matter is that I can make it look like they sharted all over you."

Yerali's face scrunched up before she understood his meaning. Then she visibly brightened.

"Really? Can you do your hair like yours, big sis?"

Yerali had the pleasure of watching a scowl form on Reiss' face. It was over quickly, as Yerali didn't have a good poker face and failed to hide her mirth.

"You. That's not funny. I've had enough people today thinking I am a woman. I don't care for the propositions either. If you want it so badly... [Ornamentation]."

Before Yerali could even jump in surprise, Reiss moved. It all happened in an instant for her. Her brain malfunctioned as she now saw a Reiss who did not sparkle. His features appeared more normal, his hair slightly less vibrant but no less magical.

"What happened?"

Reiss smiled smugly as he pulled out a hand mirror from seemingly nowhere. Yerali's jaw disconnected and fell to the floor as she peered at her own reflection. Her hair was a clean, untangled autumn brown. One thin ribbon of hair tickled her cheek. The rest was braided or combed towards the back of her head. None of it moved out of place as she tilted her chin every which way.

"This happened."

Reiss pulled out a second mirror somehow and positioned it behind Yerali so she could see the back of her hair. She let out a low breath.

Her formerly dirty, tangled hair was perfectly healthy and vibrant. It flowed down her neck, waving like a river. It barely touched her skin as it seemed to float away shyly. The waterfall braid wrapped around her head, forming a circle that tied together around a white lily. It sat like a crown jewel and cornerstone holding everything together. Stars seemed to shine and peek out from the natural shadows in her hair, twinkling.

Yerali was stunned. Her mouth flubbed like a fish as she processed what had changed. Even her skin look revitalized, and the bags under her eyes from long hours of knitting disappeared.

"How?"

She breathed.

Reiss, who was still holding the second mirror, shrugged slightly. As if it wasn't special.

"I have a skill."

Yerali was entirely unsatisfied with that answer.

"What are you, a [Hair Dresser]?"

"Not at all. I am a [Florist]."

"I've never seen a [Florist] jump buildings."

"I've never seen a [Hair Dresser] do it either."

"But how? How high-level are you?"

She was entirely indignant and wanted a clear answer, but Reiss only smiled. Yerali thought it was a shame it didn't reach his eyes this time. She liked the way his eyes shone when talking, even when he was teasing her.

"Come. Let's try not to steal the show."