Archive of Our Own ^beta

“...Sometimes I wonder if you are holding some sort of grudge against me, Bae.”

The Embodiment of Chaos, who had been leaning against the counter flicking through photos on her phone, spared a glance at her wife, eyebrow raised. “Huh? What do you mean?”

“Well, it has to do with our current... decorations for the bar,” IRyS said, gesturing to the rest of the room.

The rat-girl looked around at everything. It was late in the evening, with only one other woman in a corner booth nursing a glass of beer being present. For the most part, everything remained much the same in the bar. The normal pictures and decor depicting their fellow Hololive members remained, the lights above lit everything through their white and purple shades, and the overhead speakers played music with no issue. Not a single thing was out of place, and there were no messy tables from the earlier dinner rush.

The only difference was that now there were more... festive decorations for the holidays now.

Christmas wreaths were hung at regular intervals along the walls in a pattern of green to white, with big ribbons on them themed for other members (she really liked Okayu’s light purple one with rice ball pictures on it). The far end of the bar - opposite side to the jukebox - had a piece of mistletoe hanging above it for couples who wanted an excuse to make out. There was even a Christmas tree by the door, covered in red, teal, purple, and white ornaments, and a special star on top that looked like her lover’s symbol colored gold.

Bae scratched her head as she looked at the results of her hard work at the start of the month, not seeing the issue. “Um... what’s wrong with it? I mean, I guess we’re very geared toward Christmas and not so much any of the others, but that should be fine, right? If people have a problem with it, then they can go somewhere else to-”

“That’s not the issue... or, it kind of is I guess,” the Nephilim said, pinching her nose as she leaned back lightly against their wall of drinks. “Look, I already questioned putting all this up immediately after Halloween was over-”

“Oi! The start of November is a perfectly acceptable time to decorate your house or store for the Holidays!” The Embodiment crossed her arms defiantly, glaring. “It’s not my fault a bunch of stupid Americans think that Thanksgiving has to pass by first. Besides, it’s better than some of the places down the road. They had their tinsel out at the end of September!”

“That’s not what I-” IRyS began, cutting off as she sighed in frustration. “Listen, you did a good job setting everything up. I can appreciate the effort that went into everything. I just...” She gestured roughly at everything, especially the Christmas tree. “Why is everything geared toward Christmas? Not because of some angry Karens or anything, but...” She sighed deeply. “Bae, you know I don’t like this holiday.”

That finally made things click for the rat-girl, who felt a bit ashamed for not realizing the problem sooner. She rubbed her hands together nervously. “I know, but... well, it’s just Santa that you hate, right? I thought that if we just focused on the other aspects of Christmas that it would all be fine. I’ve... always wanted you to be able to enjoy it with us, especially after your Long Sleep.”

The Nephilim stared at her for a long moment, then let out another breath. “I appreciate the thought, Bae. I know that it’s always upset you, even before the whole thing became so... commercialized? Well, whatever.” She stood up straighter, looking down at herself. “But if that’s your intent... then what’s up with the new uniforms?”

For the season, Bae had thought it would be a cute idea to put a little spin on their normal bar clothes, and had them finally wear them today. Her normal navy blue suit had been switched to a green one, along with her undershirt and pants now being black. Her tie also now had white stripes to make it look like a candy cane. Finishing off her look was a pale blue snowflake hair clip on her left pigtail, which she thought added a nice bit of contrast to her traditional Christmas colors.

IRyS, meanwhile, had a long red dress instead of her normal black one. It has white straps to hold it at her shoulders, that faded into the rest of the dress an inch below the chest line. Near the bottom of it were also some white snowflakes, all seeming unique and very intricately designed, whether they were big or small. The look was finished by a striped scarf around her neck in various shades of purple, which was hung loosely due to the room's heating keeping everything nice and toasty.

The Embodiment had been rather proud about picking out that dress, so hearing that her wife hated it made her animal parts droop slightly. She pouted up at the other woman, pushing off of the counter. “What’s wrong with them?”

The Nephilim huffed, rolling her eyes at what she seemed to think was a joke. “Oh, come on! If you think that dressing me up like Mrs. Clause was going to endure me to the celebration, then you frankly should have known better. The decor around here, I can deal with. But this...”

“Huh?” the rat-girl let out, completely befuddled at her lover’s thinking. “That’s not... I’m not dressing you up like Mrs. Clause! You don’t even have the hat! And if that’s what you think, then why did you put it on?”

“Oh please - like you aren’t planning to sneak one onto me in the next few days,” IRyS retorts, tugging at her scarf. “I’m honestly amazed you let me put this on considering that plan. Don’t ever remember seeing a tale where she wore anything purple.” She leveled a flat glare at the shorter woman. “Also, you hid my normal dress, and I don’t have my normal streaming outfit due to the ‘redesign’ - I haven’t gotten the new one yet.”

Bae blinked, remembering that she did indeed lock up their normal uniforms for the next few weeks. She coughed awkwardly, looking to the side. “O-okay, fair enough on that last one. But I’m serious! I didn’t get-”

She was interrupted by the sound of the door to the bar opening. The Embodiment held back a groan, wanting to continue this discussion with the half-demon. They had a job to do, however, so she took a deep breath before facing the door with a bright smile. “Hello! Welcome to Chaos’ Dro- Oh, hi Kson!”

“Howdy, partners!” the yakuza boss said with a fake Southern American accent, smiling widely. She had her purple hair up in a ponytail and was wearing her regular streaming outfit, with even the pants that said “fuck.” There was also the addition of a white sweater over her normally exposed torso due to the weather, as well as a light pink scarf around her neck. She did not have her blade with her as well - not that it was needed much in this town.

“Well, that’s our first VShojo girl now,” the Nephilim said, acting as though no argument was being had earlier. “I’m surprised it took this long.”

“You keep saying that whenever anyone new shows up,” the rat-girl said with an eye roll. It was a bit unfair to phrase it that way, too - plenty of people had started coming in from Hololive. It just did not feel that way because a lot of them had come and either sat away from the bar as a group (like Holo Gamers) or got wasted before any conversation could start with them (like Lamy). She liked some of the conversations they had in those first few weeks of this place’s opening, wanting more of them. Maybe Kson will be willing to talk. It’s a slow night, anyway.

Her hopes were increased in that regard as said woman sat down in front of them. “I’m your first visitor from VShojo?” she asked, grinning cheekily. “Does that mean I get a reward?”

“Yes - fast service on whatever drink you want,” Bae replied with exaggerated extravagance. “So what does the former queen of Hololive wish from us?”

The yakuza boss tapped her chin, looking at the rows of alcohol and a menu she grabbed from a stand nearby. After a few moments, her eyes widened as she noticed something on the wall. “You have imports from the Sun Realms?”

The bar owners looked over to where she was looking. They tried to keep their “mythical” drinks separated from the human ones, and had an entire section displaying a few of the former on the side near the jukebox. Lots of them looked pretty distinctive, whether they gave off a soft glow, the liquid inside seemed to be a swirl of color as if alive, or just a distinctive bottle not often used by humans except in the fanciest of circumstances.

The one their friend was looking at intently was pretty plain at first appearance. The bottle was dark brown, its shape not too different from one used for wine. Looking closely, however, showed that it was blocking a pretty intense light from within. From the angle it was laying down, its label was also half visible - a black piece of parchment with writing in some archaic language looking like a combination of Kenji and Arabic.

IRyS walked over and grabbed it off the shelf, giving their customer a better view of it. “You mean this? We got the recommendation from Elira over at Nijisanji. It was kind of expensive to get sent here, but-”

“Well then let me make it worth the effort!” Kson said, practically slamming her wallet onto the counter. “I’ll buy the entire bottle there! I love that brand, and it has been ages since I’ve been able to have any.”

The couple was surprised by the eagerness, but the Nephilim brought it over nonetheless. “A-alright. It’s going to be a bit costly, though, just as a warning.”

“Perfectly fine! Been making some real dough here lately!” The yakuza boss was nearly vibrating in excitement as she got her hands on the bottle, uncorking it immediately. A bright beam of light came from the top as she did this, but she ignored it as she took a hard swig of the drink. She sighed in bliss, relaxing against the counter. “Like tasting a warm summer breeze. Wish it was a bit chilled, though.”

“I’m on it!” the Embodiment said, leaving her wife to ring up the card. She got one of the magical rods out of the holder nearby and tapped it against the bottle, its tip glowing blue as it cooled the drink. Interestingly, she noticed that this seemed to make the light inside grow brighter. “Wow. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that something from a Sun Realm glows like this, but still. You said you had this before?”

“Yep! Used to visit those places all the time when I was a younger dragon.” Kson took another sip of her drink, seeming satisfied with the coolness. “I may not be a sun dragon myself, but their cultures have always been fascinating to me, just behind humanities. They’re the forefathers of all other dragons, besides those from the Moon Realms. Just having some of their booze is like tasting a bit of my heritage, you know?”

“I guess that’s one way to look at it. I wouldn’t know anything about that, though, being a concept and all. Don’t have a heritage of any kind due to that.” The rat-girl tilted her head. “By the way, what do you want us to call you by? I mean, Kson is sort of a fake name, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, but I like to make people call me it anyway. Helps to make sure everyone is in the habit of it in case they mention me on stream and such.” The purple-haired woman grinned and winked at the couple. “But hey, I know you guys didn’t really get the chance to know me as my ‘true’ self. Call me Coco all you want!”

The bar owners nodded, both clearly glad to know that they would not be offending the other woman over any slip-ups. It was known by basically everyone that Kson and Coco were the same woman transformed, though never acknowledged directly online. The former Hololive member had done it so she could continue streaming without causing any branding issues with Cover Corp. It also helped that she had used this human form before joining them, too, to blend in among humans, so it was an established identity, too.

Still, even for an immortal like her, it was a bit confusing to think about the specifics of the transformation part of things for the rat-girl. Seeing an opportunity to alleviate some of her questions, she decided to ask a few while she had the former dragon. “Speaking of... are you actually a human right now?” Seeing a raised eyebrow, she elaborated. “It’s just that I know you’re a few thousand years old, and dragon strength is quite different from a human’s, so... I was just curious about how this -” She gestured to the other woman’s body. “-works.”

“Ah, I see what you mean.” The yakuza boss leaned back, looking at her arm as she flexed it a bit. “Well, I suppose the most accurate way to describe it is that I’m technically human. If you ran a DNA test or something right now, you would find no traces of draconic blood inside me. Our way of transforming leaves it so that we can pass for humans in every respect, unlike our hybrid forms which leave obvious signs like our tails. No conventional tests can reveal the deception, and the only way you can tell is by using strong divination magic.

“There are two parts of our true nature that carry over, however. One is our increased lifespan, which causes our ‘human’ cells to age far slower than normal - normally undetectable, but it does mean we have to update our form every few decades to avoid suspicion. The other is the ability to call upon our natural strength, which can be fairly obvious depending on what it is we’re using it for. These two things are a requirement for us to be able to defend ourselves and not risk dying prematurely from age.”

The VShojo member leaned forward, giving the two immortals a shrug. “Other than that, though, by all accounts I’m a human person. My thoughts and emotions are altered slightly - though I’m still ‘me’ in almost every regard. I’m more susceptible to human illnesses, but have a faster recovery time than most..” She glanced at her bottle and smirked a bit. “And I can get drunk a lot easier like this. It’s like a beta-trial run for being a shorter-lived mortal race.”

Bae nodded along, thinking she understood things a bit better. Though, there was something that still confused her. “That all sounds great, but... well, that’s not how I usually hear transformation goes. I don’t have much experience with it, to be fair, but I always got the impression that transformations were not that... smooth, normally?” She glanced over to her lover, who she thought might have some more info from having fought magical enemies for the sake of hope in the past.

She was not disappointed as IRyS nodded in confirmation. “Yeah - every warlock and witch I’ve had to deal with who used transformations had some pretty big drawbacks. Like if they changed someone into a lion, that person would not retain their human thinking and would be more like a tamed beast. I’ve also known it to sometimes be very difficult to change back to your original form, or the whole thing is permanent with long-term side effects to reverse it. Even definitively temporary changes to a new form of your own species are supposed to be painful to do.”

Kson gave an impressed whistle. “Wow, you’re really well informed there! Are you a magic user yourself? I know you’re a warrior of some kind.”

Blushing lightly, the Nephilim shook her head. “Um, no - I prefer to use blades, and my magic is innate, not learned. A lot of that was just because I was helping our Kouhai in Holostars, Magni, with arranging some potions the other day. He had some for transformation, and I made the mistake of asking a question about it. He... talked for a long while afterward. It’s all still fresh on my mind.”

That made the Embodiment laugh, causing her wife to blush harder. “Well, can’t blame the guy for being passionate about his work!”

“Hell yeah! Take pride in what you’re good at, motherfuckers!” The yakuza boss punctuated this with another long sip from her drink, sighing happily before continuing. “But your friend is right - most transformation magic, no matter the source, often has side effects, with pain being a common one. They can be minimized, but usually not gotten rid of entirely...” She grinned widely. “Unless you’re a dragon, of course.”

The rat-girl perked up at that, leaning forward eagerly. “Oh? Is there something special about you guys that makes it easier?”

“Close - it’s a special ritual that we know that has been perfected over the eons,” Kson corrected. “We guard the specifics with a passion, since in the wrong hands such effective transforming can lead to disaster depending on the intent of the user. Hell, some dragons don’t prove worthy of it, and those cases have been highly disastrous, believe me. I don’t want to know what other races could do with it, mortal or immortal.”

“And that’s worked out over the years?” IRyS asked, and the redhead was equally curious. Dragons were no pushovers, and could be quite greedy when it came to secrets and treasures. Still, there had to have been some leaks with how long they had had this magic.

“Well, nothing has ever been learned without it being given over willingly,” the yakuza boss explained. “All most magic users have been able to learn as a fact is that it involves some crystals from our native realms. None of them have any real clue which ones and how to actually use them, though! Even the immortal ones that are still alive continue to scratch their heads at how it all works.

“Some have tried to acquire various gems and crystals from our worlds to work on it independently - always fruitlessly so far. Others have tried to steal prepared crystals from dragons directly, which... A plus for dedication, but even those that get away from the initial owner find themselves continually hunted. The ones I consider the smartest are those who ask to prove themselves worthy, doing tasks in exchange for being taught. Among them are the lucky few that have learned our special transformation magic.”

“But if your kind offers to teach it to some worthy few, why do the trial and error method?” the Nephilim asked. “And surely wizards have learned about how they’ll be hunted if they try to steal from you by now. They have to have done research into people who have tried to before them and learned of their fate.”

“For the first group, some either know they won’t pass our trials or who already tried to and failed,” Kson explained. “And as for the stealing... you underestimate how narcissistic some practitioners can be. So many think that ‘they know more magic techniques than those who came before them,’ or ‘they have a full-proof hiding plan that will hold up for centuries.’ There will also always be those dumb enough to just try it without researching dragon behavior - young and foolish mages that have to learn things the hard way.”

Bae sighed, shaking her head. “This is why I don’t bother with learning spells that often. Too much to keep track of in terms of disciplines and how protective some people are about their techniques.”

“You do learn some, though. I’ve heard about your rope trap at the door.” The yakuza boss gestured to the red- and violet-colored entrance. “Or is that an innate thing?”

“Eh, a bit of both. I like the feel of a good combo of my own abilities and others. There’s a subtle bit of chaos to it, even when they are in ‘harmony.’” The Embodiment glanced at the bottle in her friend’s hands, trying to gauge how much had been drunk so far. “So, do you need me to call a cab here in a second? You say you still have a high tolerance, but... Well, I don’t know how strong that stuff is. I could barely make anything out on the label.”

“I’ll be fine,” Kson reassured, starting to get up. “I’m going to get home and see if Kanata wants to help me finish the rest of this off. Let me know if you get more drinks from the Sun Realms imported. I’ll buy them if no one else is having them. It’s their loss!”

“We’ll keep that in mind,” IRyS responded, double-checking to make sure everything was rung up properly. “You have a good evening, and tell the rest of VShojo that they’re always welcome here.”

“Definitely! Nazuna could use a comfy place like this to relax after all the drama she’s dealt with.” The yakuza boss paused for a second, giving an awkward smile. “And hey, uh... if you guys want to do some stuff off-stream and hang out, then I’m all for it. I know we’re kind of ‘friends’ by loose association right now, and... I’d love to be closer with new Hololive people as they come in.”

The rat-girl did not even need to think about her response as she smiled in return. “Sure thing. We’ll see you then... Coco-Senpai.”

A small cackle escaped the purple-haired woman, then she waved to them and headed toward the door. Once she was halfway outside, though, she turned back and shouted something to them. “By the way - love all the Christmas stuff! And your outfits there are adorable! Very festive! Be sure to have them on if Nyanners or Ironmouse come in - they’ll go into cuteness overload.” With that, she took another sip from her bottle, going out and letting the door close behind her.

Bae flinched a bit at that last statement. She did not blame Kson - the woman did not know what the couple was discussing before she walked in - but now she could feel her wife’s eyes boring into her. She tried to ignore it, giving the best nonchalant laugh she could as she started to pretend to wipe the counter with a nearby rag. “Well, uh... did you hear that part about Kanata? Do you think that means they’re still living together secretly? Or maybe they visit often and-”

“Bae,” the Nephilim interrupted, her voice flat. “Can you please just give me my actual uniform back? I’m not putting up with whatever scheme you’re cooking up.”

The Embodiment took a deep breath, trying to not get annoyed by the constant accusations. “First off, it’s back at the house, and it’s pointless to change when we’re nearly done with our shift anyway. Second off, there is no scheme! Just because a dress is red-”

“You’re not fooling me, Bae!” IRyS exclaimed, leaning against the counter to that her crossed face was visible. “The snowflakes are a dead giveaway that you’re going to do something holiday related to me. Just let me have my uniform when we get back to the house, okay? I’m not letting Saint Nick laugh at my misery of celebrating his holiday more than he probably already is!”

Tired of not being listened to, the rat-girl suddenly slammed her hands on the counter, glaring at her now startled lover. “You know what? Fine! I’ll give you your stupid black dress back! Then you can feel all better about not wearing a few fucking snowflakes! That’s the last time I try to do something cutesy for you at work! Ugh!” She roughly leaned forward, resting her head on her arms as she faced away from the half-angel, staring at nothing.

The bar became silent, only broken by the remaining customer quietly leaving the place to give them privacy. Then, after a minute or so, she felt the Nephilim hesitantly put a hand on her shoulder. “Bae? Are... are you okay?” When she got no response, she let out a sigh. “Hey, I’m... I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Her burst of anger quickly fading, Bae sighed as well as she looked at some of the reefs on the wall. (They even had one with a rainbow ribbon for Omegaα.) “No, I... I shouldn’t make such a big deal out of this. It’s just... I don’t get it. Your attitude this time.”

The hand on her shoulder slowly moved to her hair, threading through it as IRyS continued speaking, sounding lost now. “What do you mean? Was... it going to be a funny prank? Because I can put up with it a bit longer despite what I said! If we could just maybe do it in front of our friends and not-?”

A growl escaped the Embodiment. “There is no prank! Get it through your head! Of all the reaching you’ve done to maintain your hatred of Christmas, this one really takes the cake!” Her voice trailed off into a whimper. “All I wanted was for us to look cute - something nice that did not directly link to the Holidays. The only pranks I’ve got are for the party Cover Corp is putting together for everyone.”

The fingers in her hair stopped. When the Nephilim next spoke, her voice was tinged with guilt. “...You’re being serious, aren’t you?”

“I have been the whole evening,” the rat-girl whispered, closing her eyes. “I thought you would like it. I’m sorry that I chose so poorly this time.”

She felt her wife flinch at this, the hand in her hair going down to start rubbing her back. “Sweety, I... I didn’t mean to-”

They were interrupted by the sound of the door opening again. Letting out a huff, Bae batted the arm of her lover away and smoothed out her suit. No need to make the customer worry or feel awkward about a trivial argument, she thought. I should probably use those ropes to flip the sign out front to “closed,” though.

Still, she did not want to be rude and turn this last guest away. She looked up to greet the new arrival... and was pleasantly surprised by who it turned out to be. “Oh, Fauna! Welcome!”

“Hi, Bae! Hi, IRyS!” the Keeper greeted. She was dressed in a fluffy, light green coat, and had on a dark green toboggan with holes for her horns. It was technically not needed - as nature incarnate, she could warm herself up if needed, and things like frostbite were rarely an issue. However, ever since she had discovered cute winter clothing, she tended to forgo that ability unless in dire circumstances, preferring to use the same methods as humans. (A way to remind her that humanity was not all that bad, or so she said.)

Putting the conversation from a moment ago out of her mind for the moment, the Embodiment grinned at her fellow Council member. “Well, well, well. I never thought I’d see the day that you of all people wanted to get drunk at a bar.” She put the back of her hand to her forehead dramatically. “Oh, who has corrupted our sweet, pure Mother Nature? It’s inconceivable!”

The kirin-girl giggled at her antics, sitting down on a stool. “You can put your worries to rest. I was just passing by and was hoping you guys served some hot chocolate. The temperature is dropping fast lately.”

“On it,” IRyS said, heading over to their coffee machines - one of which they recently changed to accommodate the season. The redhead noted that, at a quick glance, her lover had put up a facade to hide their bickering from seconds ago as well. When she had a mug of hot chocolate ready and came back over, though, she did not fail to notice the brief sadness that flashed in the half-demon’s eyes.

The rat-girl ignored it for now, however, not wanting to worry their friend over what was honestly a small dispute. She grabbed the drink without a word, then slid it over to the green-haired woman. “Here you are! Do you want any marshmallows? I think we have a packet of vegan variety somewhere in the back.”

“I’m fine, but thank you.” Fauna took a sip of her drink, humming happily at the taste. When she looked back at the couple, though, she seemed to pause for a second, frowning as she looked between the two. “Um, are you two okay? You seem a bit... tense.”

A bit shocked that someone picked up on it so easily, Bae tried to wave it off. “Y-yeah, we’re fine. We were just arguing over something trivial before you came in. There’s no need for you to worry.” When she received an uncertain look in response, she got defensive. “Seriously, we’re fine! We’re married - married couples fight sometimes over stupid things! It’s not something you need to worry about - honestly!”

Her Genmate was taken aback by the exclamation, making the Embodiment cringe a bit as she slumped her shoulders. “Sorry. I... I shouldn’t get so mad. I know it’s only been a couple of months since we had our... argument. I-”

“No, I’m sorry for wanting to pry,” the Keeper said, grabbing her friend’s hand. “I know you guys are happy together and can sort out your own problems - I shouldn’t let what happened last summer make me forget that. If you say everything is fine, then I believe you.” She looked between the bar owners. “Just remember that you can talk to any of us if something serious like that comes up again, okay?”

“You got it!/Of course!” the rat-girl and Nephilim said at the same time. They blushed a bit at this, as well as the giggles they got in response, but they were still smiling. The bit of lingering tension had seemingly left the room, which suited everyone just fine. As if I’m going to let a stupid talk about snowflake dresses ruin my night! the redhead thought.

Despite wanting to maintain the lighter atmosphere, though, Bae had her own concerns about her friend. Clearing her throat, she tried to word her question carefully as she grabbed the hand holding hers back. “So... how are you doing? I... don’t want to make you feel bad, but I... well, I just wondered how you were handling... Clover being gone. I never got the chance to check on you in person, and...”

The kirin-girl gave her a reassuring smile, though it was tinged with sadness. “I’ve been as fine as I can be, I guess. Ina has been staying over at my house to cuddle and comfort me, and Mumei came by to visit me a couple of times. Don’t feel bad about not coming yourself! I know you’ve been busy with some stuff for streaming. I also heard that Omegaα was still making you do paperwork for your chaos duties, to make up for not being able to do the jobs yourself?”

This made the Embodiment groan loudly. “Oh, it’s so much worse than paperwork. That would imply that I’m not having to make the ‘documents’ from scratch and not have to keep redrafting them over and over until they meet their standards. My only saving grace is that I only have to do it once a month.”

“It’s a massive pain,” IRyS confirmed, giving her wife a pat on the back. “I’ve helped her a few times, since I don’t have to do any of that for my duties. I swear, I think your boss is trying to punish her for not consulting them before we made deals with the Ancient Ones.”

“Wouldn’t surprise me,” the rat-girl grumbled, her expression earning a few laughs from the other two. She sighed, shaking her head as she looked the green-haired woman in the eyes. “But seriously, I’m sorry for not being able to stop by. It hurt me to trust Beastie with another family. To actually lose a pet like that...”

“It’s the price we pay for allowing ourselves to get attached to temporary objects and mortal creatures,” Fauna said simply, her gentle tone not matching the pain in her eyes. “I knew what I was getting into when I got him and Snail. It hurts, but... I like to think the happy moments we have with them make it all worth it. Something nice being fleeting doesn’t mean we should avoid it.”

Bae nodded slowly, feeling much the same. “Yeah, definitely...” She wanted to say more, but she did not know how to express those complicated emotions that came from mortal and immortal relationships of any kind. So instead she gave her friend’s hand another squeeze, hoping that would be enough. The small smile she got in return helped her to think it was.

Her wife watched the two of them for a time, letting them have their moment. Once they let go of each other’s hands, the Nephilim then tried to steer the conversation to something lighter, grinning at the Keeper. “Can we back up for a second? I think you said something about Ina staying over at your house? Does that mean...?”

Appearing glad for the diversion, the kirin-girl gave a small smile as she blushed. “Yeah, we... worked out what we would be when Sana got back. The answer we came to was... well, three-way polyamory.”

The Embodiment smiled widely, reaching out and giving her friend a shake on the shoulders. “That’s wonderful! Congratulations, both of you! I’m sure Sana’s going to be happy not to have to make a hard choice between you. Everyone knows how much she cares for you two.”

“Oh, believe me, we know. Our backs still feel the phantom pain of the last big hug she gave us.” Fauna glanced between the couple, suddenly seeming a bit awkward. “To be honest, I wasn’t sure how you two would react. N-not that I thought you’d hate me for the news! But since you two have always been more monogamous types of girls, I thought...” She sighed, taking a long sip of her hot chocolate. “I don’t know - nothing bad, but I still thought there would be something for some reason.”

Eyes softening, the rat-girl gave her fellow Council member a reassuring look. “Fauna, we would never let something like who you love affect our friendship. Just because I and IRyS only have room in our hearts for each other, doesn’t mean we’re going to judge you or anyone else if you want to give your love to multiple people. If this makes you happy, then who am I to judge?”

“Yeah - you’ll always have our support!” IRyS agreed with a smile. She then took on a more serious look. “Let us know if anyone else in town gives you crap for it, though. I’ll beat them up while Bae hogties them, and leave them out in a park as an example.”

The Keeper snorted at the offer. “I think I’d be more upset by you two going to prison over that than someone not being cool with multiple partners.”

“You think a human prison can contain immortals like us?” the Nephilim asked with a grin.

“That’s hardly the point... and I think you’re forgetting you two are a bit limited in powers right now,” the kirin-girl retorted, before taking on a thoughtful look. “Besides, I’m not sure everyone who’s against polyamory does so just to be mean. There are legitimate concerns about trust and jealousy with it that don’t come up with a single partner. Ina and I had to talk about it pretty thoroughly to be sure we understood where we stood.”

A thought then occurred to Bae at the reminder of who one of her Genmate’s partners was. “Hey, speaking of Ina - is everything good on the whole ‘Ancient Ones’ front? I have some bad memories of how much they’ve hurt you in the past.”

“I worried about that too, but everything seems to be alright there,” Fauna reassured. “I think it has to do with the intent of the user. Her presence and spells cause my soul to be... ‘chilled,’ but we tested it out, and even being fully enveloped by the feeling isn’t painful. It’s sort of like...” After a moment of thinking, she looked over and gestured to the shelves of alcohol behind the bar. “It’s kind of like being intoxicated or drugged, except... cold. A blanket over my emotions and thoughts, which I can fight off if I want to.”

“That’s good,” the Embodiment said, tail drooping in relief that her friend was not in pain. “Still, it has to be a bit annoying that just being with her makes you cold, especially with winter in full force out there.”

“...It’s quite pleasant, actually,” the Keeper quietly admitted. Noticing the teasing grins forming on the other two’s faces, she rolled her eyes and finished off the last of her drink. “I’m not going into any more detail than that, you degenerates. And before you can even think of trying to pry me for answers - no, we have not had sex. We still have to wait for Sana to get back so we can make things official.”

The rat-girl raised her hands in surrender, smiling widely. “Alright, I hear you! Do you want some more hot chocolate before you go? I trust you to bring back the mug.”

“I’m fine, but thank you.” The kirin-girl stood up, stretching her back and readjusting her coat. “You two have a pleasant evening. I can only imagine how busy you’ll be once we get closer to the Holidays properly.”

Bae waved after her. “Be sure to visit during that time - we’d love to see some friendly faces. Oh, and flip the open/closed sign before you head off! We’re just going to finish cleaning up from today before leaving.” Once the green-haired woman was gone, she let out a happy sigh. “Ah, new love. I’m glad she has someone to get her through this rough period for her. Now, let’s-”

The redhead cut off with a yelp as she found herself picked up by her lover and carried across the room. Before she had time to say anything, she found herself being set down on the side of the bar counter opposite of the jukebox. She raised an eyebrow at the other woman. “IRyS? What are-”

IRyS raised a hand, asking for her silence for a moment. The half-angel took a deep breath, looking sad about something. “Look, Bae, I... I’m sorry about the dress thing earlier. It was dumb of me to just assume you were doing another one of your tricks.”

Bae blinked, having almost forgotten their argument from earlier. She gave her wife a gentle smile. “Hey, it’s fine. Like I said, I shouldn’t have gotten so worked up over it.”

“You weren’t wrong, though,” the Nephilim retorted. “I really was just looking for an excuse to be annoyed at all the Christmas stuff. You were trying to do something cute for me, and I ignored that in favor of trying to snap at something. So... I’m sorry.” She looked down, her guilt obvious.

Shaking her head, the Embodiment gently grabbed her lover’s chin and guided her gaze back up. The Council member gave her a sweet smile, filled with love only for her. “I forgive you. It was a dumb situation to begin with.”

IRyS smiled with obvious relief. “Thank you, honey.” She gleaned down at her dress, her expression becoming gentler. “It... does actually look pretty nice, now that I’m not worrying about a Santa hat being put on my head.”

The rat-girl giggled at this. “I’m glad to hear. Now, we should probably get started cleaning.”

Before she could move to get up, though, the Nephilim set her hands on the counter, trapping her between her arms. The half-demon leaning forward with a wicket grin. “Actually, I was hoping to make things up to you before then. Maybe by... following a certain tradition, just this once?~”

Bae was confused for a moment... before realizing where she was sitting, looking up at the mistletoe hanging above them. She then looked back at her lover with an equally sultry grin, tail wrapping around the other girl’s waist. “You are one saucy minx - you know that?”

“Like you’re any different,” IRyS said, before leaning in and capturing her lips. They both moaned freely, holding each other closer as they deepened the kiss, tongues entering each other’s mouths. They did not have a care in the world as their hands became more explorative, trusting their friend to have flipped the sign. While they knew better than to have sex in their own establishment, they were still eager to rough each other up for later, trusting that no one would show up to interrupt them...

...At least, that’s what they believed until there was a flash of blue light near the counter, followed by a familiar-sounding yelp as someone crashed to the floor.

The bar owners jumped apart, with the Embodiment just barely keeping herself from falling off. They shared a look, still flushed from the kiss and silently thankful they did not manage to remove any clothing. Straightening their clothes as best they could, the redhead jumped off the counter and rushed over to check on their uninvited guest.

Hopping back on the bar to get a better look, the rat-girl looked over along with her wife at the prone figure of a familiar blond, face down on the floor. She was dressed in a slightly darker version of her normal detective coat, and her normal hat was replaced by a dark homburg with a strange gear logo on it, but there was no mistaking the identity. She groaned, slowly picking herself off the floor.

Ignoring her annoyance at the interruption, Bae chuckled down at her Senpai. “Well, you certainly made an entrance this time, Ame. Very graceful. Can you try not to teleport into the middle of our bar next time, though?”

She expected some sort of retort from the time-traveler. Instead, the other woman froze, then jumped off the floor, backing up from them with fearful eyes. “W-who are you? H-how do you know my name?!”

The Embodiment blinked in surprise, her brain telling her that there was something... off about her friend’s face. The Nephilim spoke before she could figure out what, though, sounding as confused as she felt. “Huh? What are you talking about? Did you hit your head, or-?”

Her lover suddenly cut off, her eyes widening as she stared at the blond. The rat-girl followed her gaze, trying to figure out what was off about what they were seeing...

...And then it hit her. Her own eyes widened as she realized what was wrong with this picture. The woman before them was almost completely identical in appearance to their Senpai. Her hair was in the same cut, she had similar freckles, and she even had a golden pocket watch in hand - presumably her time travel device.

But there was a major difference - one she was surprised she did not realize immediately. It was obvious in their guest’s panicked eyes... Her panicked green eyes.

The alternate Ame took a step back, her free hand patting her coat and along the now visible belts and pouches on her waist. “A-answer me, dammit! How did you bring me here?! What do you want from me?!”

Snapped out of her shock, Bae jumped back behind the counter, hands held up in placation. “Hey, easy there. We didn’t do anything! Whatever happened with your time jump, we had nothing to do with it. Just calm down and tell us where you were trying to go.”

The detective (?) rested her hand on a holster on her side, but did not draw whatever weapon was inside it. She was very tense as she looked at them like they were crazy. “What? ‘Time jump?’ What is that? I wasn’t trying to go anywhere! I was just investigating a black market anomaly shop. Wait - are you with the Red Syndicate?!” 

“Wha- No!” the Embodiment exclaimed, feeling more lost by the second. “What even is that? And why is ‘time jump’ confusing to you? Isn’t that the base requirement for the Ame Network to know all kinds of terms like that?”

To her surprise, the alternate version took her hand off her weapon, apparently realizing they were just as confused as she was. Still looking frightened, she looked between the couple, asking her next question slowly. “What... what is the Ame Network?”

There was a brief pause as the two immortals processed this. Then, a lightbulb seeming to turn on in her head, IRyS glanced at the watch still in their guest’s hand. “Did... you just find that watch you’re holding?”

“Huh?” The alt-Ame glanced at the device, holding it out in front of her. “This? It was part of the contraband we were collecting from the criminals’ shop. I was trying to figure out its magical properties, and when my thumb brushed my thumb over the nob here, I felt... something flash through my head, and...” She blinked slowly, looking back at them. “This... is the thing that transported me, isn’t it?”

The rat-girl nodded, still in shock but finally understanding a bit about what was going on. “And this is your first time traveling through timelines, yeah?” She flinched. “Wait, that probably sounds super weird on your side. I mean... well...”

A silence fell over the group, everyone looking between each other. An odd mix of understanding and confusion was on all of their faces, no one knowing how to proceed. It felt like the stillness would stretch on forever as they all waited for the pin to drop...

...which came in the form of the Nephilim gesturing to the various alcohols beside her. “Do you want a drink while we talk?”

There was a pause, then Bae whipped her head around to glare at her wife. “That’s not the thing to say right now, IRyS!”

“Huh? Why not?” The Nephilim turned to her, a befuddled expression on her face. “A bit of alcohol could help her relax a bit. It’s not like I’m planning to give her much!”

“She just made it clear she does not know where she is or who we are. What is your first assumption when a stranger offers you a drink when you’re all alone and are clearly not there for a hookup? That you are lost, in fact, and don’t know where to go?”

“...In this case, that they’re nice people who are trying to help?”

“Drugs, IRyS. That they are trying to drug you for a kidnapping, at the least.”

“You’ve watched too much TV lately. Sure, that happens, but plenty of people do it just to be kind. We have non-alcoholics, too, if she doesn’t want any. Which is another thing - we just made clear this is a bar, and we’re as confused as she is. Surely that makes it clear we don’t have any bad intent!”

The Embodiment opened her mouth to retort that fear and disorientation can make things like that hard to think about, and that nothing had actually been proven by them. The words died in her throat, though, as she heard some muffled giggles. The couple turned to the detective (?), who had a hand over her mouth as she tried to stifle her laughter. Noticing the attention, she blushed slightly, but still smiled a bit as she removed her hand. “Sorry, sorry. It’s just... you two sound like an old married couple having an argument.”

The rat-girl sighed, unable to help from smiling herself. “We are an old married couple having an argument. Trust me, the years don’t really show on our faces.” She took a hesitant step toward the counter, leaning against it as her tail swished nervously. “So... are we good?”

“...Yeah, I think so,” the alt-Ame relented, walking up and sitting on a bar stool, leaning heavily against the bar as she rested her head on it. Up close, it was clear how tired she was, with small bags forming under her eyes. “Sorry about... well, going for a weapon. It’s been a long week, and I’m normally careful enough to not set off a magical device like that. I should have realized that I was the cause of the sudden transport, not you.”

“Hey, you showed up at a place you don’t recognize, and some random people you’ve never met called you out by name,” IRyS said, stepping next to them with a reassuring smile. “I think you had every right to freak out a bit, even if you weren’t exhausted.”

The blond blinked at the reminder, giving them curious looks. “How do you guys know my name, anyway? You said I made a... ‘time jump,’ was it? Is this the future or something?” She looked around the room and its decorations. “This... seems too different from what I know, though. It would have to be decades in the future at least, but if you recognized me like this - while I’m young - then... have I just... time traveled here a lot?” She then muttered under her breath. “Damn, that’s strange to say.”

Well, she has the sleuthing skills of our Ame, at least, Bae thought, glad for a bit of common ground. She shared a glance with her lover, scratching the back of her head. “That’s... a bit hard to explain. And I’m not sure either of us is the right person to give one.”

The detective (?) stared at them for a long moment. Then, with a heavy sigh, she straightened up in her chair. “You know what? To hell with it - give me a drink. How about a...” She trailed off, perhaps realizing that whatever drink she was about to ask for might not be here like it was in her time. “Um, do you have any low-alcoholic beers here?”

“Coming right up - on the house,” the Nephilim said, moving to the shelf and back almost in a flash. She handed a bottle of Dry-Hopper Clausthaler to her wife while grabbing her phone from behind the counter (her dress lacked pockets for it). “Can you handle her? I’m going to call our Ame and see if she knows any way to help her out.”

Nodding, the Embodiment grabbed a glass and poured the drink while the half-angel stepped through a door into the back. She handed it to the blond. “Here you are. Hope this is alright.”

The new time-traveler accepted the drink, taking a small sip. She frowned, but did not seem disgusted. “A bit lower in alcohol than I meant, but it’ll work. I probably shouldn’t be drinking at all, since I still technically have a job to do, but... I need this.” She then paused, looking up at her with curious eyes. “So... she just said ‘your’ Ame. Is that, like, a future version of me?”

The rat-girl sighed, wishing that Kronii or their version of the blond was here to explain things, being the experts and all. Still, she was not going to leave this woman confused out of her mind, so she cleared her throat, determined to do her best. “No, by our Ame, we mean... a different version of you.” At the blank look she got, she elaborated. “Like, someone who is almost like you, but developed on a different timeline. Has her own history. A few key differences in appearance, too - her eyes are blue, unlike your green ones, for example.”

That appeared to make things click for the alt-Ame, who sat up straighter with a glint in her eyes - one the redhead knew from their version when she stumbled on something amazing. “Wait... the multiverse is real?! I-I always loved those theories as a kid, but so many people dismissed them as the mad ravings of people too close to the Ancient Ones. I-” She suddenly jolted, looking at the watch still in her hand. “Oh my gods, I traveled to a new universe. That’s...” A wide grin came to her face. “That’s amazing! Terrifying, but amazing!”

Bae laughed at the sudden turn of enthusiasm. “Our Ame would agree with you there! That’s why we were so confused earlier - there’s actually a whole bunch of Ames’ out there, and they make up one big network that helps across several timelines. We just assumed that any alternate version that came by would be fully familiar with everything.”

“Ah, I see,” the detective (?) said, finally seeming like she was at ease as she rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “This is... incredible. I mean, this is the sort of thing I fantasized about as a kid - worlds out there parallel to my own. And as it turns out, not only are they out there, but some are aware of each other! Not sure how I feel about it all being versions of me, but still!” She hummed lightly. “I wonder how it managed to form, and how it's possible so many of me managed to gain travel like this in the first place."

“...I have no clue - I mostly leave this stuff to my time-related friends,” the Embodiment sheepishly admitted, feeling bad that she did not have more answers for specific questions like that. Still, at least she seems happy thinking about it all.

“Wait - time friends? As in more than one?” The blond seemed ready to ask more about this, but then shook her head. “Actually, put a pin in that. I wanted to ask about that model of phone your wife was using.”

“Huh? What about it?” the rat-girl asked with a tilted head at the sudden change in topics. “Do you not have mobile phones where you’re from?”

“Of course we do!” the alt-Ame said, pulling a device out of her coat. It looked like a bulkier version of a smartphone, but made of brass with a blue glowing orb on its back. It had a screen, but its weird triangular setup suggested it had different functions from the ones the redhead was familiar with. Plus, thanks to her animal ears, she was able to hear a faint ticking from within, as if it was filled with gears.

The green-eyed girl made a show of the phone, tapping the strange orb on the back. “I was wondering how you guys hid the mana orb on your devices. They have to be exposed for long-distance communication without a wire, you know? How did you guys get around that? Also, why isn’t it brass? That’s the best metal for this sort of function.”

Bae stared at the strange device, deciding to just be blunt with her answer. “Um... we don’t have mana orbs. We use electricity, created from things like oil.”

The new time-traveler blinked at this. “Wait... only electricity? For everything - not just your lightbulbs? No magic at all to help?”

“No, not commonly among humans or on Earth,” the Embodiment confirmed. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m getting a ‘steampunk’ kind of vibe from you. (God, I hope she understands lingo like that.) I’m guessing you don’t have things like circuit boards?”

“Circuit... boards...?” The detective (?) trailed off, looking around the room again with a fresh look of wonderment and setting her phone on the table. “Hm... I’m starting to realize that there might not be a lot of similarities between my timeline and yours.”

“Doesn’t sound like it, no,” the rat-girl agreed as she continued to look at the familiar yet different object. As she stared, though, an idea came to her, making her grin as she looked back at her guest. “Hey, maybe we could do that to pass the time! We can ask each other questions about each other's timelines, and about ourselves. If what we’ve been discussing so far is any indication, we should have plenty to talk about why we wait for my Watson to respond to IRyS.”

The blond slowly nodded, starting to grin as well. “Yeah... that sounds great! Who should ask the first question?”

“You can, if you want,” Bae offered. “If you decide to keep that watch, you’ll probably be having to learn about new timelines a lot, so you should get some practice.”

“Fair point,” the alt-Ame conceded, tapping her hand on her glass of beer as she thought. After a moment, her eyes widened a bit, looking back at her with a light blush. “Um... well, it occurs to me that I never asked who you guys actually were, so if you could...?”

Giggling, the Embodiment pointed to herself. “Hakos Baelz, chaos incarnate, at your service.”

The new time-traveler furrowed her eyebrows. “Is... that some special job title?”

“No, I’m literally chaos made manifest,” the rat-girl confirmed. “I am part of a council of immortals that are also concepts personified: space, time, nature, and civilization.” She gestured to the rest of the room. “Despite our status, though, we have all found a liking to living like humans, so we’re staying on Earth as entertainers for the time being.”

The detective’s (?) eyes went wide at the information. “Wow... a genuine immortal living among the shorter-lived races. I mean, I already guessed that you were a mythical being of some kind.”

Bae snorted, deliberately twitching her rat parts. “What gave it away? My teeth, perhaps?”

The alt-Ame rolled her eyes. “Shut up. As I was saying, though, immortals where I’m from usually stick to other realms to live in - an occasional visit, but never for long. It stems from some wars had a few centuries back that I guess either didn’t happen here, or were forgiven more easily. Would you guys exist where I’m from, like there’s apparently more of me?”

“Most definitely. If we’re keeping our distance from Earth where you’re from, though, it probably explains why you’ve never heard of us. By the way, when you get back to your time, your version of Kronii might be able to help you figure out your watch - she’s the Warden of Time, you see.” The Embodiment paused, lips pressed into a line. “But... be cautious when you do. I think I remember her saying some versions of her are... not fans of time-travelers, to say the least.”

The blond’s expression became more serious. “Heard loud and clear. I’ll see about arranging a meeting in a place with a lot of protection.” She glanced at the door IRyS walked through. “So, is your wife one of those members, too?”

“Hm? Oh no, she’s a Nephilim,” the rat-girl clarified with a smile. “She is charged with spreading hope to the people of the world, and has been the best lover I could have asked for. She has a great singing voice, is always super sweet to me, even when driving me crazy...” A blissful sigh escaped her lips, remembering all the good times they’d had.

“...And is quite the kisser, it seems,” the new time-traveler added. Receiving a confused look, she smirked and pointed to the other woman’s cheek. The redhead touched there... and blushed brightly as she realized there was fairly obvious lip gloss there, making her guest laugh. “I noticed some nail marks on her near her neck before she left, too. Is... ‘public affection’ more widely accepted here? Or are you two that eager to show everyone how much fun you two have? I won’t judge your answer.~”

Dear God - we got an Ame who isn’t embarrassed by romance and sex, Bae thought as her blush deepened. She’s capable of more than just joking about our mothers without Gura, Kiara, or Ollie’s help. Truly, she is the ultimate being.

Shaking her head, the Embodiment decided to try and steer the conversation away, both for her dignity and to sate her own curiosities. “I-I think it’s about time I got to ask some questions! So... um... are mortal mythical races common where you’re from? It’s only in recent decades here that they’ve started to walk more freely around our world, just like us.”

“Yeah, they’ve been pretty common - even ones related to nature despite how industrial everything is getting,” the alt-Ame explained. “Not sure what one’s you’re familiar with, though. Fairies? Clockworks? Marine-folk?”

“Know the first, but have never heard of the second,” the rat-girl answered. “As for the last one... does that include things like mermaids, and hybrid races like that came from Atlantis? Wait, did you have an Atlantis in your timeline?”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about,” the detective (?) confirmed, though her eyes became a bit dimmer. “And yes, we had an Atlantis. It fell several millennia ago, however. There are still survivors that were alive for it, and are still disheartened by it. I know one of them - a shark-girl named Gura, who seems to be doing everything in her power to forget her origins and start a new life. It doesn’t sound so bad, but... if you saw it, you’d know how painful it is.”

“Similar history here. You’re friends with Gura here as well, but she has a different set of problems to yours. I’m sorry to hear that - I hope your friend gets better.” Bae frowned slightly. “It’s... kind of weird to be thinking about other versions of the people I know, with their own sets of issues. They’re different people, but... also not. I don’t know how my time friends deal with this regularly, because I can feel a headache coming on.”

“Trust me, I’ll probably have one later once I’m able to calm down a bit more,” the green-eyed woman said, taking a good few gulps of her beer. “I can’t imagine anyone not having a hard time processing something like this. I doubt I ever will if I try to deliberately time hop again.”

That made the Embodiment frown, wondering briefly if her Ame and Kronii had a similar dilemma. She shook it off, though, trusting that they would come to the others if any problems they might have got out of hand. They’ve been opening up to their girlfriends, at least. I know they can get a bit frustrated by us not comprehending their jobs, so it’s best to let them continue doing so at their own pace. As long as they’re safe, I won’t press.

Speaking of jobs, the redhead decided to confirm something about the alternate version in front of her. “By the way, what’s your job where you’re from? My Ame is a detective. Is it the same for you?”

The new time-traveler chucked. “Well, we prefer the title ‘private eyes’ where I’m from, but yes, I am. I’m partly employed by law enforcement, though, and not a true independent. I help do a lot of preliminary investigations on a criminal group, then give the authorities the information so they can raid the place.” She shrugged. “It’s thankless work most of the time, but the pay is good. They even let me join in on raids that involve esoteric magic contraband sometimes. I took some classes on it at university, you see. I was in the middle of one when I came across this watch, but I think I said that already.” She held up the circular object, still in her hand with her fingers far from the turning nob for the clock hands.

“You’re really keeping a good grip on that thing, huh?” the rat-girl pointed out.

“I don’t want the nob to accidentally get pressed while it’s in my pocket, or for it to disappear after I set it down,” the blond explained. “This is the safest way to handle it as far as I know so far.”

”If you say so,” Bae replied. “I don’t think it’s quite that sensitive, though. I’ve never heard a complaint like that from our Ame, at least - she uses a pocket watch as well. Still, don’t blame you for being cautious.” She held up the bottle of beer. “You want any more?”

“Oh no, I shouldn’t, even if it’s extremely light on alcohol,” the alt-Ame said, taking a few more sips from her glass. “Once I’m home and off the clock, however, I’m going to get completely drunk because of all this. I know it’s not been too exciting, but this whole thing... it’s still crazy to think about.”

“Just don’t become an alcoholic - I will not take the blame for that,” the Embodiment joked. She leaned forward again, eager for more questions. “So tell me about this raid you were on. You said something about a ‘Red Syndicate’ earlier, right?”

“And here I thought we would be taking turns asking the questions,” the detective quipped, not seeming annoyed in the least. “So, the Red Syndicate is one of the most prominent criminal organizations in New London. It’s-”

She was interrupted by the Nephilim suddenly coming back into the room, phone in hand as she faced the other two. “Alright - finally got in touch with Ame via text. She said she was too busy with case stuff to come over, but offered to send some advice. But first...” She looked down at the phone, seeming confused by what she was reading. “She says she needs to know what it was like ‘mentally’ when you time traveled?”

The new time-traveler blinked a few times at the sudden conversation change. “Oh, er... I...” She scratched her head, appearing deep in thought. “The best way I can describe it was that, when I pressed the button and started traveling, it was like... there were a bunch of glass fragments, with light bouncing around them in a sky with no ground. Most were clear, but a few were obviously a bit... aged, or were dull enough that they barely reflected any light. They all looked so similar, but I swear each one had its own unique shape, almost like a snowflake.” Noticing the confused looks she got, she blushed lightly. “Look, it was more complicated than that, okay? That’s just the best way I could simplify it right now. I only ‘saw’ it briefly.”

Still clearly befuddled by the description, IRyS nonetheless typed it out. “Well, hopefully our Ame knows what to make of... that.” Once she finished writing, she quickly hit the send button. There was silence for a good minute afterward, with the rat-girl looking between their guest and the phone, hoping that there was some way to be of further assistance.

Finally, a ding went off. The Nephilim looked at the new message... and furrowed her eyebrows. “Um... she says to set your watch’s face to twelve o’clock, then picture going to a fragment that seems more... artificial than the others, shaped like a circle. Everything else you need to do mentally should come naturally after that. You’ll get all the help you need once you arrive there.” She looked up, looking awkward under the gazes of the other two. “Why are you staring at me like I understood what that meant?”

The detective sighed. “Well, it’s better than nothing. I’ll try it and pray that I don’t end up anywhere dangerous.” She paused as the said this, arm halfway done with putting her clockwork phone in her coat. “Huh... it just hit me that a random jump like this probably could have ended up a lot worse for me.”

Bae grimaced a bit, picturing the blond ending up in the middle of a volcano or something. She shook off such dark thoughts, though, and offered her a smile. “Well, I’m glad we could make your first jump a relaxing experience.” She then realized something and started pouting. “Wait, you have to leave now. But I wanted to hear more about your timeline! We’ve barely gotten to anything specific, and I was having so much fun!”

The new time-traveler giggled at her expression. “I had fun doing it too! I should work on getting back home, though. Don’t want my friends in the Force to start a manhunt about my disappearance, and I need to get some sleep soon.”

The Embodiment almost wanted to argue, but she remembered that her time friends sometimes had issues with returning to the present, so she let it go. Instead, she gave a wide smile. “Well, if you ever come back to this timeline, just look for ‘Chaos’ Drop of Hope’ and we’ll serve you a proper drink. I’m sure IRyS here would love to talk to you properly some time. Stay safe out there!”

“Thanks! And have a happy...” the alt-Ame glanced around at the decorations around the bar. “Er, what fey holiday is this? It looks familiar, but...”

Looking confused by the terminology, it was IRyS that answered. “It’s Christmas, though we’re set up a bit early.”

The detective’s eyes widened, looking around again. “Oh, so this is what a classic Christmas setup looks like! I don’t even think my grandparents saw stuff like this in person before it went out of style.” She stood up and walked backward a bit, smiling at the couple. “Well then have a Merry Christmas! I’ll visit again - I promise!”

The bar owners voiced their delight, waving their guest goodbye. The new time-traveler nodded, looking at her watch and fiddling with it. Then, with a deep breath, she pressed the button on its side. In barely a second, she was surrounded by a ball of blue energy, and a moment later, it was gone in a flash, the woman inside it having disappeared.

The rat-girl sighed, stretching a bit. “Well, that was an interesting encounter. I hope she gets the help she needs wherever our Ame has tried to send her.”

“Yeah, I hope so, too. I can’t imagine how panicked she must have been by all this. Tell me what you guys were talking about some time.” The Nephilim paused, glancing over at the mistletoe. “So, you want to...?”

The lack of subtlety made Bae smirk, but she shook her head, grabbing the glass with what remained of their last guest’s beer. “We should probably start cleaning up now. Besides, you need to rest up for your ‘re-debut’ in the next couple of days.”

IRyS sighed. “You’re right. I still need to get a haircut, and get my appearance touched up a bit with some magic.” She then gave a small smirk of her own, gesturing down at her dress. “Do you think I’ll still look good in this after everything is done?”

The Embodiment grinned wider, leaning up to steal a quick kiss before they got to work. “You always look absolutely divine, my dear. But I hope you’ll be willing to ‘show off’ yourself a bit in this dress for me once everything is done. I’d love to give my... expert opinion.~”