Devick wanted to suck in a breath and loudly gasp, having so directly asked a question that had been burning in her chest for a long time. She took a half step back, almost flinching from her own inquiry.

Or perhaps she flinched because Hungry Eye’s face cycled through a dozen expressions very quickly. Hesitation, resignation, compassion, desire, hesitation again, before finally settling on affection.

“...for now, let’s plate the bisque,” Hungry Eye eventually said.

Devick lifted her chin. She felt very proud that she didn’t allow even a single tremor through her body. “Look, I understand this night isn’t about us, and I don’t even know what to call us, but I deserve some clarity-”

“I agree,” Hungry Eye said with an amused huff. He picked up the large pot and tilted his head toward the bowls on the shelf. “I meant more… let’s work while we talk. I doubt the walk will be that long, not in dress that Lowanna was wearing.”

“Of course, that was what I meant too,” Devick lied.

The two walked out to the main room with their respective burdens. The lit candles played a tune of light, setting their shadows to dancing on the walls behind them. Devick laid down the bowls in the middle of the two place settings and Hungry Eye used a ladle to serve out the red liquid.

Just as Devick’s impatience was beginning to build up, Hungry Eye spoke. “I think I would like to have a night like this… about us. I’m slow to these sorts of things… and a bit lackadaisical once they get going… but you’ve been quite persistent and focused. Maybe I’m the weirdo for saying this, but the consistency sets me at ease.”

“Consistently crazy, that’s me,” Devick let out a shaky laugh.

Hungry Eye finished with the first bowl and moved on to the second. “But while I believe I would enjoy the process, I’m not sure we have the time, Devick. After leaving the memory… there is a reckoning waiting outside. Elhume, not the one we faced but a twisted version who is but a shell of himself—”

Hungry Eye paused, his eyes widening. His ladle froze mid serve and some liquid splashed up onto the sides of the bowl. He set the massive pot down and produce a napkin from his pocket and wiped away the extra liquid. Hungry Eye chuckled. “Sorry about that. I think I just realized something. Not relevant to our current situation. Well, anyway, that doesn’t change the dangers circling outside of the Sonora. And that includes the you of the present who… well, honestly the sorts of feelings are different, but is similarly possessed with an obsession with owning me. In a much less flattering manner. She wants me to be a toy of hers, a doll used to play a deviant version of house.”

Devick felt a flash of jealousy toward this version of herself with power enough to rival Hungry Eye, but suppressed it. She simply watched his face. Hungry Eye finished the second bowl and straightened, finally meeting her eyes. He looked tired and sad. She wanted to comfort him. Which was ridiculous, because he was essentially saying: no, you are not allowed to comfort me.

No, you are not allowed to use your ravishing body to comfort me, as I have imagined you doing so many times at night, Devick’s impulse to daydream seized her. In her imagination, Hungry Eye- no, Randidly Ghosthound- got down on both knees to plead. His eyes were wide and so, so green as they trace the curves of her body. Please, if you tempt me any further I will lose control-

“Everybody deserve a little pleasure for themselves,” Devick hiccuped as she wrenched herself back to the present.

The corner of Randidly’s mouth twisted upward. “Sometimes… especially with my new Class, I feel like I am not a person at all. Just a force. One who would stop at nothing to protect the people of my Alpha Cosmos.”

“Even forces deserve some pleasure,” Devick countered.

Randidly cocked an eyebrow. “...do they now?”

“You might have grown powerful, you might have gained responsibilities… but the core portion of you hasn’t shifted all that much. You can still take a day for yourself, for the living beating heart that fuels this force. How about… how about a week after we have left this memory? So you have some time to go out and fight whoever.” Devick said. “I’ll take care of the preparations. I can handle it all. Just… a real date. Like this. With candles and fancy dress up.”

He looked at her and the mask of his amusement and affection fell away. In that moment, Devick felt the whole of his presence, the same near-absolute power she had witnessed watching him forge his new Class. “I hate to disagree, but I think I’ve traveled very far from the individual who first woke up in the System. That original heart… is gone. I can’t remember the desires of that me at all.”

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“But he remembers you,” Devick sucked in a deep breath. Perhaps she wouldn’t have had the nerve to speak up in front of his stoic weariness a few days ago, but she had learned the value of shamelessly pushing for what she wanted. So she spoke from the heart, hoping it could reach him. “I think that is one of the great unifying fears we all possess. That no matter how far we travel, no matter how much we like to pretend we have changed… that we can never leave our past selves behind. That it would take just the smallest shift and we would tumble back down, becoming that person once more. That those desires are waiting below for their chance to once more climb into the light of day.”

Randidly stared at her for several seconds. Then he laughed. “Maybe so. Okay, you win. A week after we’ve left the memory, we will have a date. But you are buying.”

“Certainly,” Devick agreed, fully intending on secretly contacting Neveah and Tatiana for help.

Randidly gestured with a hand. A gust of wind swirled in the small cottage, causing the candle flames to flicker. The silver cart and its meal rolled into the room and stopped next to the table. “Alright, they are heading back up the hill, time to make ourselves scarce-”

Now or never.

Devick walked up to Randidly raised herself up by standing on tip toes. From his expression as she moved, he understood immediately her intention. Before she could reach him, he blurred into motion, sweeping her up with two hands on her waist and lifting her so they could kiss without any extra effort.

It was very gentlemanly, Devick believed.

His hands were warm, almost uncomfortable so. As their lips were pressed together, Devick could almost hear the roaring of blood, Nether, and Aether in his body, just beneath the surface. It made her feel like she stood on a rickety bridge above a raging river. As though the thin membrane between them could shatter unexpectedly and she would be swept away by the intensity of what lay beneath.

She reached out and tightened her hands on the shoulders of his shirt-

Before she was satisfied, Randidly pulled away. He studied her for a second, then gently set her down on the ground. His lips twitched; she hoped he was remembering the kiss. “This is a bad idea.”

“Surely, you knew well enough that becoming involved with me would fill your life with bad ideas,” Devick flashed her most dazzling smile, hoping to channel even a fraction of the effortless allure she had witnessed from Lowanna in the salon.

It might not be tonight, but Devick intended to be her own version of irresistible soon.

Randidly rolled his eyes. Devick snuck forward while he was distracted and tried to kiss him again, but his hands on her waist held her back. Outside the cottage, Devick could hear the voices of Lowanna and Enmya as they approached.

Randidly waved a finger at her. “Not now. We have a date, no need to spoil it by ruining the fun early. Isn’t that half the point of the date? To have an event to anticipate in those days leading up to it. But okay, let’s get out of here before we spoil their fun.”

Randidly flicked his wrist, producing an item and opening up a portal. As they walked into it, Devick looked around. “Speaking of fun… did you really need to remove the bed from the cottage? Maybe these two will end up-”

“Neveah is surprisingly scandalized by others using her bed. Especially for sex. Not that I blame her.” Randidly laughed, and then both vanished from the cottage as the door opened. For the rest of the night, theirs was not the important story here.

*****

Randidly woke up the next morning, refreshed and ready for work.

He straightened from the pillowed pallett and rubbed his neck. He would need to do quite a bit of public speaking today and wasn’t looking forward to it. He wanted to reinforce his claim that the world was ending and that he was the only one who possessed a way out. Just thinking about it made him want to sigh; definitely, he sounded suspicious.

But on the other hand, the upside of Cerulean showing back up was that the average person would take his words much more seriously if the powerful individuals inside the memory seemed to believe him. Doubly so when he also received the support of Westrisser, Lowanna, and Enmya in concert.

He walked outside of the temporary lodging started a fire. Soon he had some bacon happily sizzling in a frying pan and munched on some old rolls he found in his interspatial ring. Based on the fact he couldn’t remember when he had gotten them… they had been sitting in the corner for a long time. Maybe even from before Expira got its name. Still, the stasis effect of the isolated space meant they tasted delicious.

What he didn’t expect was to receive a message from Charlotte Wick.

Sir, I believe we have a situation. Her message stated.

Randidly raised her eyebrows. He supposed now was as good a time as any to start putting out fires. What is it?

A woman approached the slum you gave the empowered plants to with an offer and a warning. When I did some investigating, she has been spreading word as much as she can, all across the Aether lands. That you and the Nether Arbiter struck an underhanded deal with Cerulean and Westrisser, essentially dividing up all the power in the universe between the four of you. She warned that you would appear soon, prophesizing doom and gloom if others did not capitulate to your demands. And that you might turn… violent if you did not get your way.

Randidly couldn’t wrap his mind around the words for a moment. And then it took another few seconds for him to think about what this would mean for the people in the memory. His hands clenched into fists. …who did this?

A woman I had never heard of before. She simply goes by Diane. Right now, she is staying very publicly in Homewell.