"Damn Venetian bastards!" Zelus swore. "Backstabbing, treacherous dogs..."

"We've discussed the issue of racial slurs before," Geras said calmly, his yellow eyes casting a sideways glance at Zelus, who immediately fell silent.

"Sorry," Charon said, scratching his ear. "I've got business to attend to."

"Ottoman cannons, fire. Accuracy and damage checks--roll two d20s." Aether manipulated the interface, and two marble-white twenty-sided dice rolled from the edge of the map. They both landed on twenty.

"You've got to be kidding me..." Zelus groaned, tugging at the fur on the sides of his face. He looked like he was about to lose it again, but another glance at Geras made him clamp his mouth shut.

"The cannonball strikes the weakest point of the wall with perfect accuracy. With a deafening crash, Theodosian Walls, which had protected the city for a thousand years, finally crumbles. And whether out of bravery--or foolishness--Constantine XI, who was personally commanding from the wall, vanishes in a cloud of dust. This officially marks the end of the Roman Empire."

Zelus' fur was disheveled from his frantic scratching. His expression was hollow as he listened to the conclusion, his ears drooping so low they were almost flat against his head.

"In the great fire, the City of World's Desire falls. The once-glorious achievements are now scattered ashes. But the ashes still retain some heat, and if they land in the right place, the flames will one day reignite. And this, this is the legacy of the Empire, the fire that will soon illuminate the new world--look forward to it next summer in the 'Dawn of the Renaissance' expansion, exclusive to the Steam platform!"

"Well, you know what they say about Paradox Interactive," Geras remarked, tilting his head. "Endless expansions."

A few of the Nyx laughed, starting to pack up, while Zelus got up and trudged to the bathroom, looking defeated.

"Uh..." I scratched my ear and looked at the other black wolves, seeking their input. "Is he... crying?"

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Zelus is a very emotional person," Geras replied, sliding his finger across his terminal. "Though... he's not very restrained, but he's always very invested." He raised an eyebrow and tapped a few more times on his terminal. "If you'll excuse me."

After Geras left the room, Charon also took his empty glass and bowl to the sink to wash.

"Hey, I hope you weren't too bored," Aether said softly, crouching down beside me, trying to pick up the now-sleeping Momus. The wolf pup squirmed a bit, flicking his tail over mine, tickling me.

"Not at all," I replied, gently supporting Momus' lower half to help Aether lift the pup onto the bed. "I enjoyed the historical reenactment--Ottoman cannons killing Constantine XI? That's so cool, like the proletarian revolution happening four hundred years early."

Aether laughed at that. After I mentioned that it was time for me to go, the black wolf offered to walk me out.

"I think he likes you," Aether said as I put on my shoes at the entrance. I followed his gaze to Momus, who was curled up on the bed. "He's always wanted... a friend who's more like him."

"Oh." I looked back at Aether, meeting his yellow eyes. "I think we could... you know..." I scratched my ear. "...help each other out."

Aether nodded and escorted me to the hallway.

"By the way," he said, operating his terminal, "we should exchange contact information."

"Oh, sure." I felt my tail wag slightly and couldn't help the smile creeping onto my face.

"This is my account." He held his terminal interface toward me, turning his head to the side. I noticed a faint blush at the tips of his ears.

"Actually, I..." I hesitated, scratching the back of my head as I pulled out my own terminal. "I don't know how to use it."

"Huh?" He tilted his head, taking my terminal and fiddling with it. "You're even using the default profile picture? Have you really never used the communication function?"

"I..." I lowered my head, feeling a tight pressure in my chest. "...I never had the chance."

"Oh, sorry." Aether's ears drooped as he apologized, realizing he'd said something wrong.

"It's okay," I waved my hand to show I didn't mind. "I'm used to it."

"All done." He handed the terminal back to me. "Now we can contact each other directly."

"Thank you." I slid the terminal back into the strap on my arm, glancing at the nearby transport pod. "I'll just..." I gestured upward.

"Right. Goodnight." Aether bowed to me, and I returned the gesture before he turned and left.

What an interesting experience... The multiplayer mode of Imperator: Rome was much more engaging than I'd expected.

Does this mean that simply imagining things without real experience only leads to distorted results? If I ever get the chance...

"Hey," Aether's voice caught my attention, and I turned to see him standing a short distance away. "You should smile more." The black wolf's yellow eyes met mine, the blush on his ears now visible through the thinner patches of fur. "I think it looks really good."

"Oh." His words made me smile involuntarily, my tail wagging gently, and Aether responded in kind. "I'll try." I bowed to him once more. "Goodnight, Aether."

"You too, Richter." After he left, I kept watching the spot where he'd disappeared until the transport pod arrived.

As the pod carried me upward, I stared at the steadily increasing numbers above the door, lightly clutching the fur on my left chest along with my shirt. My heart pounded, sending a wave of chaotic, unfamiliar emotions through my veins, leaving my limbs tingling and my head light. But the smile on my face, that was something certain, something sure.

I think... I could get used to this feeling.