Archive of Our Own ^beta

Near the back corner of the bar, IRyS was messing with the jukebox’s music settings. The place was still decorated for Christmas, but the process of packing everything up had clearly started, with several wreathes gone as well as their “mistletoe corner.” It was a decently quiet evening, with the room mostly empty save for some office workers taking a load off after a long week at a few of the booths. None of them seemed to care about what exactly was playing over the speakers, which meant that there was no protest about the owner choosing the songs herself.

Of course, she had not actually picked any tracks. So far, it was still playing what previous customers had selected for the playlist, which currently was her own song “Gravity.” She was not looking to change the selection, though. She was just checking on something, and with the current slowdown in activity, there was no one to bother her about it.

...Except for her wife, who was at the counter wiping down some glasses and kept eyeing her as she kept flicking through songs. Eventually, Bae sighed and walked over to the side of the bar so she could look at her properly. “Alright - I give. What song are you trying to find?”

The Nephilim did not look up from her search, frowning as she scrolled past a selection of her songs from her Journey album. “Nothing in particular. I’m just... browsing.”

“For thirty minutes?” the Embodiment asked, leaning over the counter more to get a better look at the jukebox’s screen. “You could just do this once we’re closed in that case. I need your help to make drinks and entertain customers if more come in.”

“I’ll come back there if I need to,” IRyS answered, tapping away at the song-selecting settings. She backed out of her own discography and pulled up the full search list. Every Hololive member was represented by their name written in the English alphabet, as well as a small picture of their channel mascot or representation of their fans. Another few clicks and she was left with only the songs from EN, of which everyone had a few - even Ame, with the inclusion of their group songs and covers.

The one she was interested in, however, was that of her sister-in-law. She picked Calli’s icon - a black blob with a skull face - and in no time, she was looking at all of her albums and covers. There were a good number of them... about as much as hers. Perhaps a little more, but she had not counted yet. She was about to check.

This selection did not go unnoticed by the rat-girl, who perked up at seeing her sister’s songs. “Oh! Have you been trying to find her new album to play? I know it’s really good! I thought about putting it on a loop for a while, but I didn’t want to take away people’s ability to-” She cut off, and even without looking, the half-demon could practically feel her eyebrows furrowing. “But, wait - you know how that thing works. There’s no way it took you this long to find it! What are you trying to do?”

IRyS did not answer this time, bringing up the reaper’s second mini-album, Your Mori. It was a lot shorter than her second one, but it had some classics on there - hell, fans would probably call all of them classics! Are any of my tracks from Journey like that to them? Do they talk about them often?

Bae continued to talk next to her. “Seriously, not even a hint? I don’t get how looking through your songs then Calli’s is a good way to kill time unless you’re actually going to listen to them. Like, seriously, you both have amazing songs! And...” She trailed off, and in the corner of her eye, the half-angel could see a frown start to form on her face. The redhead hopped over the bar - ignoring the counter door - and walked up beside her, putting a hand on her arm. “...And you’re comparing your work to hers again, aren’t you?”

The Nephilim grimaced, finally letting her hand fall away from the screen. It was a stupid thing to do and she knew it. It was not as though she hated her Senpai’s music - on the contrary, she greatly enjoyed it and sometimes listened to it while working on projects off-stream. They had plenty of discussions on music, too, ranging from talking about their favorite artists or questioning how one had never heard a particular song (the shinigami’s disbelief was quite funny in those instances). She knew that they both did amazing work, and that their fans loved what they both put out.

...She still felt a bit self-conscious at times, though. After all, she was the one who was introduced specifically as EN’s music talent, yet it was the pink-haired woman who was signed on to Universal Music. IRyS did not resent her for her success at all, but that fact still nagged at her at times, making her run comparisons before she could stop herself.

It made her question how good she actually was at singing and producing songs. She knew it was illogical... but her heart never seemed to get the message.

When the Embodiment grabbed her hand, she offered no resistance as she was led back behind the bar. Once there, her wife set aside the recently cleaned glasses and gave her a sympathetic look, free of her normal teasing. “What brought it on this time?”

The Nephilim sighed, letting her eyes wander along the walls and settling on a poster they had of Kobo manipulating alcohol like water with her powers. It lifted her mood again somewhat. “I don’t know. I... guess it’s her new album. I love it, but... it’s dragged out old feelings, it seems.”

The rat-girl held no judgment in her eyes, but she still looked a bit sad as she gave her a quick hug. “You don’t need to feel this way. You’re such a talented singer - it doesn’t matter if you’re officially signed off somewhere or not. As long as people are still buying your stuff, then who cares?” A bit of her regular mischief returned to her eyes as she smirked. “And if it helps, her beauty doesn’t hold a candle to yours.”

IRyS blushed lightly, glancing at a nearby mirror. They had gone back to their regular bar attire, which still clung nicely to her form despite her appearance change. The enhancement of the angelic side of her bloodline had done a lot to make her look cuter and more approachable, and her fanbase had been very supportive of her new appearance. (It had been mercifully mostly painless to do, since it was technically just “exaggerating” a part of herself rather than a true transformation.) Overall, she was glad about how it turned out.

Her lover, meanwhile, had been very vocal about how adorable she was... and quite handsy about it as well. She giggled as she returned the smirk. “Thanks for the compliment. Though, maybe compare me with someone other than your sister?”

Bae gave her a light glare. “Hey, don’t make it weird! I can think of family members as beautiful without it being perverse!” Her eyes then softened as she gestured out at the bar stools. “Now, how about we see if serving a customer or two can help distract you? I don’t want to see a single hint of doubt in you by the end of the evening!”

The Nephilim raised an eyebrow, looking at the currently empty seats. “Um... everyone in here right now has what they ordered. Who exactly are you asking me to-?”

She was cut off by the sound of the door opening, followed by a yell. “Hey! Is this you two’s bar that I’ve been hearing about?”

...IRyS glanced at her lover, rolling her eyes at the smug grin she was giving her. “Don’t act like you planned that.” She then turned her attention to the approaching arrival. “Hey, welcome Shion! Yes, this is our bar.”

“Perfect!” the witch exclaimed, taking a seat in front of them. Interestingly, despite the cold weather outside, she was wearing her original streaming attire - belly window and all. She had no obvious bits of winter gear, yet she was not shivering from having just come in. On the contrary, she was acting like she just came in from a nice summer day.

As if in response to these thoughts, their Senpai took out a purple cloth and dabbed her head a bit, letting out a huff. The half-demon was so shocked that she seemed hot for some reason that she almost missed her next words. “Phew! Hey, can you give me a cold drink? I don’t care if it has alcohol or not - I could probably due to being a bit lightheaded anyway after this past week.”

The embodiment, who also looked weirded out by this odd behavior, managed to shake herself out of it and nudged her wife. “IRyS, pick a drink. I’ll get the cooling rod.”

The half-angel nodded, looking around her shelves. She did not know what Shion’s preferred tastes were, though was pretty sure that she did not drink that often. So, she decided to grab what she considered a safe option from their selection of cans - Honey Lemon Lemondo that they had shipped in from Japan. She brought it over to the rat-girl, who used their magical cooling rod to chill it a lot more, to the point that a bit of frost built on it.

Satisfied that this would be cool enough, she walked back over to the white-haired woman and set the can down in front of her. “Here you go. Do you want any water to go with it? It’s not that high in ABV, but if you’re planning to scarf it down...”

“No, this will be fine,” the witch reassured. She cracked open the can, taking a long, slow sip, before setting it down again with a satisfied sigh. She dabbed her face a few more times with her cloth before putting it away. “Thanks for that. It felt like my body was going to catch fire there for a moment. I’m not much of a drinker, but I much prefer this type of burning in my gut.”

The couple shared a look, with IRyS deciding to be the one to speak up. “Right, happy to help. But, um...” She gestured vaguely to the side, where they had hung up their toboggans and coats. “Why are you feeling warm exactly?”

Shion blinked at them for a moment... then her eyes lit up in realization. She laughed, shaking her head. “Of course! My bad! You wouldn’t know what happened earlier.” She smiled at them as she took another sip of her drink. “It was a small mixup with some potion testing I was doing earlier. It’s been having a few side effects on me.”

That did a bit to ease some of the confusion - magic could be a fickle thing when it went wrong, and the JP girl dabbled in so many forms of it. Still, Bae could not help but voice the thoughts that her lover was currently having, giving a teasing grin. “You actually made a mistake when making something? Our glorious Shion - the best magic practitioner in town?”

The witch’s eye twitched along with her smile, which now had a forced composure. “...Well, even the best slip up from time to time! Sometimes it’s not even a magician’s fault that something goes wrong - they can’t help it if the ingredient they bought was faulty in some way, or if there’s an unexpected interruption! Things just happen sometimes!”

“That’s true - it doesn’t make you any less amazing,” the Nephilim conceded, stopping her wife from riling up their Senpai any more. Everyone knew how seriously the white-haired woman took her job, and how well she did it. It was also well-known how defensive she could get when that was even jokingly brought into doubt, and she was not interested in finally being subjected to one of those rants.

Even so, the half-demon did want to take her lover’s advice and try to distract herself. Thus, she tried to steer the conversation in a slightly different direction. “So what kind of potion were you trying to make, and what went wrong? I’m a bit curious about potion craft, since we might be able to implement them as an option of drink here if we can get the right permits.”

Shion raised an eyebrow. “Couldn’t you ask Dezmond about this? Not that I’m unwilling, but he is focused specifically on the alchemy side of magic and is a part of your branch.”

“Yeah, but his explanations can get a bit... long-winded,” IRyS responded, shuddering at the memory of that long talk they had last November about transformation potions. She then offered an admiring smile to the JP girl. “Aside from that, though, I’m sure hearing a story from you, who juggles so many types of magic craft, would help broaden my perspective on the topic. I mean, who better to hear it from than the best?”

The bit of ego-stroking was very effective, with the witch sitting up straighter and giving a superior smile. “Ha! I should have seen it sooner - of course you want to hear from the best first!” She paused for a second. “Er, you should still ask your friend for more information - he’s worked with far more potion varieties than I have so far.” Her gusto then quickly returned as she laughed. “But I am sure you’ll agree after I’m done that I can teach even the non-magical a thing or two about our arts with ease!”

The bar owners shared an amused look as their Senpai continued to boast herself up, with the embodiment giving the Nephilim a high-five under the counter. It was quite funny to see the other woman try to both claim she was the best while also not trying to belittle the skills of her fellow magic-users too much. She may have acted smug at times, but the white-haired girl did have a heart that wanted to help people beneath that.

Shion cleared her throat, beginning her story. “Well, to explain things a bit better, this whole thing started when I got a commission the other day. It’s not anyone you know - some mage who lives in one of the Fey Realms. But anyway, he wanted magic that would make him immune to the cold, as he wanted to visit the arctic regions there. He has no talent for alchemy, though, and learning an immunity spell like that takes time, so he sought me out for my reputation to help him.

“Eager to continue proving that it is well worth ordering from me despite the different worlds, I got to work starting last night. I decided to go with the potion route, as there is no need for a recharge on them and they take ages to expire. So long as he takes normal doses, he could use a single bottle to last several weeks out there! Once I had everything ready, I started the brewing. It took several hours to-”

“Wait, hours?” the rat-girl asked, tilting her head in concern. “But you just said you started last night, right? Are you tired right now? Is that why you made a mistake?”

The witch scoffed. “Oh, please! Like I would let something like a need to sleep stop me from working.” She pushed up her sleeves, revealing intricate, circular gold symbols on her arms that seemed to have lightning-like symbols inside them. “I use these energy glyphs to get around the need for sleep for longer projects, or ones I need to get done quickly. With them, I can go a week before I even begin to feel a bit exhausted. I could technically work for three just fine, but as much as I like working with magic, I try not to go that far unless the project is really important. Like a big payday, or a vital part of some dangerous endeavor my employer is going on.”

Bae grabbed her Senpai’s arm briefly, studying the symbols in fascination. “Wow! I’m no mage, but I swear I can feel the potency of the magic just by looking at them. You really are good!” She then dropped the arm, glaring at the other woman. “You are not allowed to show these to Calli, though. I will tie you up with enough strings to make you a yarn ball.”

IRyS giggled at her lover’s threat. “We should probably extend that ban to the rest of Hololive as well. Gods help us if Kaela ever gets a hold of this magic.”

Shion shrugged at them, not seeming phased by the demands. “Eh, it's a self-cast spell, anyway, and I doubt many of them have any aptitude for body enhancement magic.” She finished off her drink before continuing. “Getting back to the story, though - I worked all of last night on brewing the potion. The version I was making is not a complicated one, but it takes a lot of time to settle, and ingredients had to be added at the right times. I could have made a faster brew, but I wanted him to have one of quality - lasting several hours between doses - so that he might keep coming back or tell his friends about me!”

“What kind of things go into making a ‘cold immunity’ potion, anyway?” the Nephilim asked, not overly familiar with magical ingredients.

“Depends on the version you are making and the exact effects you are going for,” the witch explained. “You would be surprised how many varieties there can be for a single potion type. It’s why I haven’t actively worked to master alchemy, yet. In this case, it took a lot of material that I collected or had imported from some of the Sun Realms. The way this version works is by generating heat from within the body in response to cold conditions - how much heat depending on how chilly it is. It’s an automatic process once the brew settles into the person, and it makes them feel comfortable throughout the entire duration of the effects. Material from the Sun Realms are vital for this, since they naturally generate a lot of warmth.”

The Nephilim nodded along. It was admittedly not the most interesting thing to hear about for her, but she loved seeing the white-haired girl’s enthusiasm on the matter. It was evident that she did her research on these things, whether or not she had mastered them, and strove for nothing less than perfection. That sort of drive was admirable, so long as one did not overwork themselves. (She was not sure how to judge that because of the glyphs.)

That did make a certain question more prominent, however. And next to her, the Embodiment decided to ask it again. “So... what ended up going wrong?”

Shion frowned, slumping a bit as she remembered whatever her mistake was. “It... was an error in two parts. The first thing I did wrong was not have one of the ingredients needed in the room with me. My workshop does not have windows, due to some of my materials being sensitive to the sun. I give my plants magical sunlight, but sometimes I take them out of the room and let them get the real stuff so it does not affect their growth.

“Unfortunately, one of the plants I needed - its name roughly translating to ‘rose breeze’ - was one of those plants I took out, and I forgot to grab it. I did not realize this until just a few minutes before I required it, and I was not at a good point to just move away from my cauldron. So, I had to quickly call on Aqua to grab it for me.”

The Nephilim suddenly got an idea of what went wrong. “And... I’m guessing she was not able to find it and there was an accident as a result? Or did she not understand the instructions and grabbed the wrong thing?” She had heard that, despite being the wife to a witch, the maid was often confused by magical things. It was not hard to imagine-

Her thoughts were cut off by a hand slamming onto the counter. She jumped, withering slightly under the intense glare the JP girl was giving her along with her icy tone. “Aqua did nothing wrong here! She knows how to fetch the ingredients I ask for when I describe them. Hell, I’m pretty sure she’s been trying to memorize their looks to better assist me!”

Her eyes softened again as she looked down, sighing heavily. “The issue was that I was not specific enough in my description to her. It had completely slipped my mind that there was another flower that looked nearly identical to the one I needed. She did not know to look closely for the small black dots on the orange pedals that marked this other kind. Instead of ‘rose breeze,’ she ended up bringing me ‘rose flames,’ and I did not notice it when I mixed it into the brew.

“I figured it out, though, when I took a sample to ensure the quality was up.” She raised a hand. “And before you say that testing the potion myself was reckless, I have plenty of ways to slow down magical effects on myself in case I need to make an antidote, which I always have active when doing a test! I only take in a few drops from brews, too, which greatly reduces any potion’s effects.” She grimaced slightly. “Not that it helps much in this case.”

IRyS tilted her head. “Why? How did the different ingredient change the potion’s effects?”

“Well, ‘rose breeze’ is supposed to be the main ingredient for the potion to ‘merge’ properly with the body’s senses,” the witch said. “It helps to make the effects only happen when in decently low temperatures, and otherwise keep you from getting too hot. It’s often used in many brews like this that need to adapt to situations.” She sighed, pressing her still frosty can against part of her face. “‘Rose flames,’ meanwhile, is solely meant to make things warmer. Useful for different versions of this potion, or any that require some sort of heat manipulation... but in this case, it means that the person drinking it will just feel hot constantly. And it is very potent in the amount I used.”

“Huh, that’s...” the Nephilim began. Then, however, a thought occurred to her and she leaned back a bit with wide eyes. “Wait, does that mean you were actually in danger of bursting into flames a second ago?!”

“Of course not!” Shion exclaimed, looking at her like she was stupid. “If that was a danger, I would have removed the potion’s effects entirely! It’s more that it makes me feel like... I’m in the middle of a summer heatwave all the time. It makes me sweaty and requires me to hydrate a bit, but otherwise, it’s harmless. ‘Rose flames’ are a heat supplement, not a fire one - though it is sometimes used in those brews too to help with energy generation.”

IRyS slowly nodded, not really understanding the distinction, though was happy to hear her Senpai was not in danger of dying. She was still confused, though. “So, what ended up happening to the potion? And why haven’t you removed the effects?”

“Oh, I managed to salvage that brew,” the witch explained, leaning back as she continued to press the can against her exposed skin. “Took a bit more ‘rose breeze’ than normal and a few other ‘cooling’ powders, but the potion now has the desired effects - Aqua offered to test it for me. It does mean that it is a bit sweeter and slightly thicker in consistency than normal, but I doubt my client will mind. It still has the markings of masterful craftsmanship.

“As for why I did not remove the effects... well, simply put, I did not want to waste the materials on an antidote for such simple side effects. So, I decided to wait this one out. I went for a walk around town to be out in the cold to cool myself off as much as possible. I needed a rest, though, and I was feeling a bit parched, so...” She gestured vaguely at the bar.

“Ah, that makes sense,” the Nephilim said, moving over to their ice box for a moment to start scooping some out. She figured the white-haired girl would appreciate anything more to help keep her cooled off for the next little while. She paused as she opened it, however, and gave her Senpai an apologetic look. “Hey, I’m sorry if I offended you earlier about Aqua. I was just trying to joke around, but...”

The reminder of her reaction caused Shion to blush, glancing away. “N-no. I should be the one apologizing. I can understand why you would think she made the mistake - and she would probably insist that it was her fault if she was here.” Her eyes hardened slightly. “But it wasn’t. She did everything right when I asked her to, as always. Being a bit of a clutz has never stopped her from doing that.” She looked back at her Kouhai, gaze softening again. “But don’t feel like you can’t joke around about that. I just get a bit too defensive of her at times. Streams are one thing, with chat and everyone else. Outside of that, though, I’m the arbiter of how much she gets teased, being her wife and all.”

IRyS giggled. “Well, I’ll be sure to get your permission outside of streams.” She put some ice in a plastic bag, passing it to her Senpai. “Here’s this. You can either press it onto your skin, or take a few out to let them melt in your mouth. Maybe crunch on them a bit if you're hungry.”

“Thank you,” the witch said, taking the item before standing up. “I should head out. The potion should finally wear off within the hour, and given my current attire that I wore to be comfortable, I should probably get home soon. Aqua will want help with dinner, too. Thanks for the drink!”

“No problem! Please come again!” The Nephilim sighed as the JP girl left out the door. “Man, who knew potion brewing was so delicate, huh Bae? I mean, I guess making regular drinks is kind of the same in terms of taste, but to think one wrong thing completely changed the effects! We’ll definitely need Magni to consult with us if we want to add them to the menu.”

...The half-angel was confused when she did not receive a response to this. Realizing that the Embodiment had not spoken in a while, she turned to look at her... only to find her staring after their Senpai. There was a strange emotion she could not place in her eyes, along with... worry? It made the horned woman frown, giving her wife a shake. “Hey, Bae! Are you okay there?”

That managed to startle the rat-girl out of her trance. She looked up at her briefly, then looked down at the counter awkwardly. “Sorry. It... the way she talked about Aqua and how she seems to regard her... it reminded me of...” She sighed, grabbing the can off the counter and throwing it away. “No. It’s nothing. I think I’m just overthinking things.”

IRyS stared at her for a moment longer, but decided to let the topic drop. Instead, she gave her lover a teasing smile. “Now who’s the one who needs a distraction?”

Bae snorted at this, smiling at her. “Yeah, we’re as bad as each other in all things, huh?” She leaned against the counter, giving her wife her full attention again. “How are you doing there, by the way? Feeling better?”

“Somewhat - it’s not preoccupying my thoughts anymore at least,” the Nephilim admitted. She paused as she listened to the overhead speakers, which were playing another one of her songs, though she could not place the title right now. It made her smile a bit. “I guess some people like to listen to me sing a lot. Even if I don’t see a lot of discussions outside the MVs.”

“They’re around - you’re just looking in the wrong places,” the Embodiment said firmly. “It is too easy to get caught up in echo chambers online these days. If you look for something to confirm your biases or fears, then it’s hard to get out of that territory to see the opposite side. Or, in this case, to see how many people love your singing!”

“...You’re right, of course,” IRyS replied, looking idly around the room. “I should do a proper search for discussions on my work after we’re done here. Maybe I should talk with Calli as well. She seems to know how to get people hyped for her music. Maybe she can give me some pointers?”

“You get people plenty hyped, but we can ask if you want,” the rat-girl said, standing up straighter and stretching. “It might also help you to let some of that doubt off of your chest by finally talking to her. I keep telling you she won’t be mad if you make it clear that-”

The sound of the door opening again ended the discussion for now. Bae immediately took a place near the shelf to grab something, while the Nephilim turned to greet the new arrival. “Welcome to ‘Chaos’ Drop of Hope!’” She then recognized the new arrival. “Well, well, if it isn’t Mumei’s dragon friend? And our first member of Nijisanji to finish off visits from the big Vtuber companies!”

“Geez, don’t make me sound so important!” their guest - Selen Tatsuki - said with a laugh. She was dressed in casual clothing - a black t-shirt and coat and a thick pair of jeans, and her tail in a black woolen warmer. Her hair was styled the same as her original stream outfit, though, and her dragonic hand was still in its glove. She sat down at the bar, her normal hand tapping on it in a rhythm. “Seriously, though - am I the first Nijisanji person here? I would have thought Pomu would come here with Kiara since they’re dating. And what do you mean by ‘big companies?’”

“I think the two of them are still trying to work some things out about their magical natures, so they haven’t had a chance to stop by for a date,” the Embodiment explained as she hovered between their normal drinks and their imports from other realms. “As for the big companies... You know - Hololive, Nijisaji, and Vshojo? Regardless of what people’s opinions on all of them are, they are sort of the main players in terms of Vtubers.”

This seemed to amuse the lunar dragon. “Wooow! The disrespect to the other Vtuber companies out there, and the independents! Who knew that Hololive members thought so highly of themselves? And while you’re friends with one of those other streamers! Isn’t Pikamee a part of you guys' friend group?”

The couple blushed lightly at the teasing, with IRyS clearing her throat to speak. “Oh, come on! We didn’t mean it like that! And Pikamee is more of Coco, Ina, and Gura’s friend. She’s been busy with her fellow VOMS members these past few months, too, so we haven’t had much of a chance to hang out. It’s hard enough finding time sometimes with people in EN, let alone different companies entirely!”

“Ha! Yeah, I can imagine. I’m just teasing you guys.” Selen’s eyes then fell on something on the shelves, her heterochromatic eyes lighting up as she pointed to it. “Hey, I'd heard you guys had imports from the Sun and Moon Realms! Pour me a glass of that stuff, will you?”

The Nephilim turned to her lover as she grabbed a bottle off of the shelf. It was very elegantly designed, with purple-stained glass that was covered in designs of flying dragons like from western culture. There were some words written on it with a silvery-looking substance, but she could not read them. The whole thing also glowed lightly from within due to the liquid inside.

When the rat-girl brought it to the counter, she got out a glass as instructed and poured some of it inside. In the clear glass, they could now see that it was a violet drink, with small sparkles inside that looked almost like stars. There also seemed to be a living whitish mist inside the liquid that moved around, making the whole thing look almost like viewing a color-filtered version of a clear night sky.

The lunar dragon wasted no time grabbing the glass, bringing it to her lips and taking a small sip. Her whole body shivered as she did, sighing in bliss as she held the drink before her. She looked at it while swirling it around, making it appear like a sky whose stars were shifting around. “Man, it’s been ages since I had one of these. It’s not just the taste you need to savor with a lunar drink, you know. They’re also made for you to admire, encouraging you to take it slow. Not normally my thing, but I’ve made exceptions for these.” She chuckled wistfully. “They’re made for moon dragon eyes, though, so I doubt you’re seeing everything I am.”

“I think it’s pretty regardless of what I’m missing,” the Nephilim commented. She grabbed the bottle, making sure it was sealed before tapping on it. “You can buy the whole bottle, if you want. We did the same with Coco, and we can always get more.”

She barely had time to react before money was slapped onto the counter and the bottle was snatched from her hands. Selen hugged it to her chest tightly, her glass now sitting on the counter, but her expression was a mix of playful and gratefulness. “Thank you! And let me know when you get more drinks from the Moon Realms! I’d love to just come here and savor these things for a while - take my mind off streaming.”

IRyS nodded, giggling slightly at the purple-haired woman’s enthusiasm. She glanced at her wife, who was counting the money that was given to them before giving a thumbs up. With payment out of the way, she decided to try and make some conversation. “You know, we’ve been hearing a few things about the Sun and Moon Realms here lately. They sound like such interesting places. Haven’t been to most of them, though - my duties spreading hope rarely take me in those directions.”

“Yeah, it’s the same with my job maintaining chaos,” the rat-girl agreed. “They somehow manage to keep order and disorder in a good balance over there, seemingly.”

“Not surprised - there are lots of dragons like me in those places, and the leaders take pride in keeping things secure and their lands joyous places to be,” the lunar dragon explained. She gave the couple a curious look, setting the bottle down. “Do you want to hear more about them? I don’t know much about the specific politics - I’ve always been more concerned with racing and training dragons - but I can still share what I can about the culture.”

The Nephilim rubbed her chin, putting some genuine thought into whether she wanted to hear about this right now or not. She also considered asking about how “dragon training” worked when a lot of them were sentient from what she knew. She was sure it would be an interesting discussion either way...

...But there was something else she was curious about, which she asked as she looked back at their guest. “Actually, I was wondering... could you tell us how you met Mumei?”

That question seemed to surprise Selen, who gave the couple a raised eyebrow. “Has she not told you guys herself? We’ve known each other for centuries. It must have come up.”

Bae gave the purple-haired woman a flat stare. “...Bruh, she literally did not even tell us about you until you had your first collab stream. And when we confronted her about it, she responded:  ‘I forgot I didn’t tell you.’ A similar response was given when we tried to ask how you met.”

The lunar dragon stared back at her for a moment, before bursting out laughing. “Hahaha! Yeah, that sounds about right. I don’t know what I expected!” Once she calmed down, she looked between the bar owners and shrugged. “It’s not that dramatic of a story, though it was pretty funny, if you really want to hear about it.”

“Oh?” IRyS said, leaning forward alongside her lover. “Please, do tell.”

Snickering at their response, Selen took another slow sip of her drink before continuing. “Let’s see... it had to have been like... four centuries ago. It was when the British were first starting to set up their colonies in North America. It was in that small period before either they or the Natives really started to harass each other and the tragedies started - not peaceful per se, but skirmishes were well contained at that point. Or maybe I was just in a nicer area and that stuff passed me by. I don’t know - human politics held less interest for me than dragon ones back then. Only care about them now because I live here.

“I’m getting off track, though. The point was that I was in one of those early settlements. Don’t remember where it was or what the Native tribes were in that area. I was more concerned at the time with wrangling in some escaped wind dragon children that had ended up there. They’re a pretty lively bunch, but from birth, they are mischievous little critters, and knew how to run away and cause us trainers some problems. And this lot managed to get to an old teleporting pedestal and ended up on Earth.”

“Wait - an old teleporting pedestal?” the Embodiment interrupted. “Do you mean like those teleportation circles a lot of people use to get between Realms?”

“No, those came later,” the Nephilim said, this perhaps being the one bit of magical history she knew thanks to her parents. “Those require the creation of an artificial rift and require regular magical maintenance to keep operating, and you can shift their transport locations. The pedestals use naturally occurring ones, so that all you need to do is impart a bit of magical power into them and you can get to where you want, but where you end up is fixed. They were mainly created and used by angels, demons, and dragons, but a lot were abandoned and sealed off after some Holy Wars between them, leaving wizards to create the circles to get to other worlds instead. The pedestals still exist, though, and should all still theoretically work given how good the craftsmanship of those races are.”

...The rat-girl stared at her wife for a long moment, eyes narrowing. “Are you sure you’ve never had an interest in learning magic? Because you seem to know a lot of surprising facts.”

“Never studied formally,” IRyS said honestly. “I guess the topic leaves an impression on me when I do hear it, though. I mean, it’s not like I could tell you how each of them actually works. I just learned about the development from-”

“Hey!” the lunar dragon said in front of the couple, looking slightly annoyed. “Do you want to hear my story or not?”

The Hololive girls jolted, turning to their guest with embarrassed looks as the Nephilim spoke. “S-sorry. Continue.”

Selen huffed, though she did not seem truly mad. “ Anyway! Those wind dragons found an old pedestal and ended up near the Colonies, and once we learned this, I was sent to get them - being offered a promotion for my efforts. It was a bit hard to get information from the settlers. I had an amulet that did translations for me, but I realized pretty quickly that they did not believe in stuff like dragons, so I had to play things cautiously to make sure they did not freak out... or get violent.”

IRyS could not help but grimace at that. Her Long Sleep meant that she had missed a lot of humanity’s dark ages where they did not believe in the mythical, or thought they were all dangerous creatures that would kill on a whim. She often heard about that time from her immortal friends, however, and it made her a bit sick to listen to it. Being attacked or treated with suspicion for their powers and unusual appearances. I still like humans - they can be a innovative and tenacious people when they have an open mind - but damn have they had a learning curve on prejudices. (Not that some other species were much better - particularly between pureblood angels and demons.)

“It was tricky due to my hair color, but I convinced them that I was human,” the lunar dragon continued. “It was one of the few times I was able to transform completely, getting rid of all of my dragon parts.” She lifted her gloved dragon hand. “Still don’t know what I do wrong there that causes this. But anyway, I did catch from them that they saw some ‘weird light green animals’ roaming the nearby forest. They had not gone over there to look, though, because the Native tribe had some traps set up out there to catch some food in that place.”

Once the words settled in, Bae gained a look of concern. “And... those children were just running around there unprotected.”

Selen nodded, looking uncharacteristically serious. “Yeah, I became worried for them as well when I heard that. Despite their name, wind dragons can’t fly at such a young age, so there was no hope they would fly over the traps. So, once I had the information I needed, I ran headfirst into that place to get them.” She sighed heavily. “Kind of stupid to do in retrospect, especially given what happened.”

Seeing the couple’s curious looks, the purple-haired woman shrugged. “After about a half hour of searching, I managed to finally find the little rascals. Or, well, I heard them, since they all had fallen into some pit traps and were whining and crying for their parents. I was still worried, but that actually brought me some relief - they had not been seriously injured, at least. All I needed to do was to get them out of their traps before the Natives came to check on the traps, then get them all to the pedestal and head back home.”

The Nephilim hummed, thinking that it all sounded simple... but something told her that it ended up not being that way. “So what happened?”

The lunar dragon suddenly started blushing, looking away from them. Still, she did grumble out her answer from behind her glass as she took another sip. “...I stepped forward to help them... then fell into a big pit that was still covered and ate a mouth full of dirt.”

There was a beat of silence, which was then followed by the bar owners bursting out laughing, leaning against the counter. The Nijisanji member rolled her eyes, though had a small smirk on her face. “Yeah, yeah - laugh it up. Not like I sprang my ankle or anything falling down. Or that I couldn’t get enough purchase on the walls to crawl out, since I couldn’t become a dragon in such a small space. I was just fine .”

Once they calmed down a bit, it was the Embodiment that spoke up. “I’m sorry - I’m sure it was a hard situation. It’s just... Imagining your face when you suddenly started falling...” She trailed off, bursting into more giggles.

Selen snickered along with her despite her pink cheeks. “It certainly was a shock. Though, that’s not even the funny part of the story! That came when Mumei showed up out of nowhere!”

IRyS nodded, not surprised that the Guardian had been in that area. She had heard from the rest of the Council that she often found her way to new major settlements when they sprung up, as if sensing they would grow to importance later. “I can imagine... though I wonder what she was doing out in the woods? Did she know there were some dragon visitors around?”

“I think she was just going for an aimless stroll,” the lunar dragon responded. “No need to worry about getting attacked by Natives when you’re an immortal, I guess. When I noticed her at the top of my hole after sitting there a while, I thought she was a settler at first, but my dragon eyes recognized the aura of power about her. I called up to her, hoping that she might be able to get something to pull me up.

“She smiled at me, saying she was happy to help. Then...” For a moment, the purple-haired woman was unable to speak, starting to laugh as she clutched the counter in front of her. She was not even able to take another sip of her drink to calm herself with how much she was chuckling. Eventually, however, she forced her next words out. “A-and then, she... s-she jumped into the hole with me!”

That reveal got the couple to start laughing again, too, with the rat-girl barely managing to speak. “A-are you serious?! I mean, I’m not entirely surprised, given who it is, but...”

Selen nodded amid her giggles. “Yeah! Then, when she recovered from the drop, she - heh - she tried to get me to climb on her back! Said she would climb back out. But then she seemed to notice that it was very cramped for us to do much maneuvering like that. She also could not summon a pair of wings for herself for the same reason!” She snickered harder. “She looked so lost at that moment. More so, she looked at the walls like they had betrayed her somehow for ruining her rescue attempt. I thought we were as good as trapped there, and I was going to strangle that woman for being so stupid.”

The Nijisanji girl brought a hand to her face, though it did nothing to stop her newest burst of belly laughter. “B-but then she patted around the coat she was wearing. Then her eyes lit up, saying she remembered something as - pfff - as she pulled out some rope with a hook!”

This caused everyone to lean heavily against the counter, unable to stop their loud guffaws and uncaring of the few other patrons still in the room. It was just such a bizarre, yet expected thing for the owl-girl to do. She was far from an idiot, and could think problems through when she wanted to, but it was also very common for her to just do stuff like this without a care thanks to her forgetful nature. She seemed to revel in the reactions she got out of people from her antics, too, whether or not she actually succeeded in what she set out to do, or if it was even done purposefully or not.

Eventually, all the girls managed to laugh themselves out, slumped over and trying to catch their breaths. Once she was mostly calmed down again, the lunar dragon tried to finish her story. “Phew! S-so yeah, we uh... eventually managed to throw the hook out and get a purchase on something. It was hard because of how tight everything was, but we managed to get out of there. I was so bemused at the time that all I could do was thank her, which was when we exchanged names. I asked for her help getting the children out, which she agreed to...” She gave a helpless smile, shaking her head. “At which point, she walked over to another pit and... just jumped right in again.”

More breathless giggles escaped the Nephilim. “Seriously?! She forgot about the rope that quickly?! That’s impressive, even for her!”

“Actually, she did that on purpose that time,” Selen admitted. “I think she recognized how frustrated the whole affair left me and wanted to make me laugh. It didn’t really work, but I appreciated the attempt.” She shrugged, swirling her drink in her hand again. “After that, we got the wind dragons out of there pretty quickly. We got them to the pedestal without issue, I gave her a communion stone so we could stay in touch, then I left with the children back to my native Moon Realm. Everything worked out well after that... especially after we disciplined those brats for running to another goddamn world without supervision!”

IRyS smiled at the imagery. “It’s hard to imagine you giving a serious lecture to anyone.”

“What are you trying to imply?” the lunar dragon asked playfully after another slow sip of her drink, nearly leaving the glass empty. “It’s part of my job! I have to be able to do it!”

“Yeah, sure,” the Nephilim said with a smirk. Before another comment could be made by their guest, though, she shifted the topic. “So you kept in touch with Mumei since then?”

Selen nodded. “Yep! The two of us have been a duo of mischief and chaos ever since! All have suffered from our schemes and jokes when we’re together.” She glanced over at the redhead. “Sorry that I never introduced myself before now, by the way. I heard a lot about you all from her, but we just never found a time to get us all to meet. Either my taming job or her duties as Guardian of Civilization always seemed to get in the way. It’s a bit worse since she ended up meeting some of my family during that time as well.”

“It’s fine,” Bae reassured. “It was rare for our Council to really meet up in one place for very long until just recently, so we didn’t make it easy for you.” She paused for a moment, her rat ears flattened against her head as she suddenly looked uncertain about something. Her voice came out hesitantly. “Though... what did she have to say about m-... about us at the time, if you don’t mind me asking? What did she... mention?”

The sudden shift in demeanor confused IRyS for a moment... before she realized why with a small jolt. The Nijisanji girl would have become friends with Mumei during the time of her Long Sleep... which had left her lover in a bad headspace a good amount of the time. It was also the Guardian who took care of the redhead when that pain became too much - watching after her as she drank her sorrows away and desperately hoped the half-demon would wake up.

In short, the owl-girl had seen the Embodiment at her lowest... so what was said about her during that period? This question also made the Nephilim start to worry, since she knew that the brown-haired woman had been very upset with her for not better preparing their leader before she entered that slumber. She found herself staring at their guest, wondering if they were about to get an earful from Mumei’s good friend.

Instead, though, the lunar dragon fixed them with a sad, sympathetic look, picking up on their worries. She shrugged, staring into what remained of her drink - appearing like the barest sliver of a fading night sky. “Well... she was always praising Kronii and talking about how beautiful she was - let it be known that I called that relationship! She expressed a sense of wonderment toward Sana, wishing that civilization would one day spread to the stars so she could always hang out with that ‘ball of sunshine.’ Still does, too. Fauna, she always had sweet things to bring up about. I got the sense after a while that they had some sort of history - not all of it good - but that she was grateful for the friendship they had now.”

The purple-haired woman caught the rat-girl’s eye... and smiled sadly at her. “And you, she said were one of the best leaders and friends she could ever have, going on about how the three of us together could cause so much discord!... She just wished she knew how to better comfort you.” Her eyes shifted over to IRyS. “She also commented on how funny and kind you were when you were awake, even if she had some... choice words about your ‘lack of foresight.’”

The Nephilim flinched at that, but it was not like she did not agree, so she stayed silent. A glance over at her wife showed that she was still feeling down, but had at least relaxed, seemingly having expected a worse response. Said woman took a deep breath, looking back at their guest. “Hey, look-”

“Stop whatever you’re about to say,” Selen interrupted, holding up one hand to emphasize this. “You don’t need to apologize or anything like that to me. I was not even involved in that whole affair, and Mumei never gave me a reason to be angry at you.” Her eyes hardened ever so slightly for a moment. “If you’re still feeling bad about that whole situation, though... I recommend you show her some more appreciation for what she does. She’s always jumping at the chance to help with your guys’ burdens, in case you haven’t noticed. It would probably mean a lot to her if you thanked her for that more often.”

The couple processed that for a second, then they both gave resolute nods. Bae offered a smile to the Nijisanji girl. “Yeah... I can definitely do that. Thanks for the tip.”

The lunar dragon’s eyes softened again, smiling back. “No problem. It’ll make her happy - trust me.” She finished what was left of her drink, then grabbed the bottle and started standing up. “Well, I should get going. I have some things I’m doing with my sister late. Don’t worry about calling a cab - this drink isn’t very alcoholic, both by human and dragon standards. See you!”

“Come again!” the Embodiment called after her. Once she was out the door, the redhead grabbed the empty glass and began to wash it silently for a time. Feeling her lover’s stare, though, she let out a small sigh. “...We’re never going to get over that whole debacle, are we?”

“I wouldn’t say never,” IRyS said gently. They were immortals, though - feelings like that linger for a long time, even if they had technically moved past it. She knows how much the redhead hated that part of their existence sometimes. With that in mind, she placed her hand on her wife’s shoulder, smiling gently. “As long as we keep supporting each other through those dips of doubt, I’d say it’s not so bad no matter how long it takes. And you should remember those lingering feelings apply to happy memories, too.”

The rat-girl smiled up at her, setting the glass aside so she could place her hand on top of the half-angel’s. “Yeah... It’s all about time and recovery in the end. Doesn’t matter if your mortal or immortal.” Her eyes flicked toward the speakers above them, looking at her lover curiously. “Speaking of lingering problems... you seem to be doing better.”

The Nephilim shrugged, stepping away. “Kind of hard to keep worrying about some songs when I remember real problems I’ve had in my life.”

Bae laughed a bit at this. “Fair enough.” She started to wipe off the counter. “But hey, if you still want to talk to Calli about it, I can set something up. She’ll be happy to clear the air with you, even if we all know the problem is silly to begin with.”

“I’ll think about it. Maybe we could talk it over during some Karaoke!” IRyS then frowned for a second. “Wait... is that a bit tasteless due to the topic?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say tasteless, but-” the Embodiment began. She was cut off, though, by the door to the bar opening. She turned to look at the new arrival. “Hey, welcome! We were just about to start closing up, but if you want a-”

The redhead then froze, her eyes widening as she seemed to pale in shock at what she was seeing. Immediately worried, IRyS turned to see what had caused this, hand at her side to summon one of her crystal blades if needed. (She may not be spreading or fighting for hope right now, but her deals still allowed her to fight with her weapons otherwise.)

She ended up freezing too, however, as she saw who it was who came through the door. Ambling toward them with a tired but stiff posture was... well, Ame. It was not their version, though, nor was it the “Steampunk” one that showed up last November. That much was obvious at a glance at her appearance... which sent so many conflicting signals to her.

The most obvious sign of difference was her hair. At a glance, it appeared to be black and shiny, cut in a similar style to their version. Though, when the half-demon looked at it for longer than a few seconds, it seemed to... shift. It was like it suddenly became a shadow, then slowly started to ripple like water. It seemed to expand and shrink without moving, with something alive slithering all over and under it, just out of her eyes' focus. When she blinked, however, the hair returned to normal... though there was still something uncanny about it.

The Nephilim quickly looked elsewhere on the body, getting a headache trying to sort it out. The detective’s clothing was almost identical to their Ame’s minus her hat, though she had long pants and black gloves to hide all her skin from the neck down. When she was close enough to see her face more clearly, the horned girl could guess why. There was an uneven claw mark on her cheek, and her neck veins, which should have been blue, were a sickly purple. Similar stuff must have been all over her body.

What chilled her, however, were the eyes. They were the same blue that they were familiar with... but something was missing from them. Not that they were damaged - they seemed rather healthy despite the discolored veins. But a certain “spark” was missing from them that she was used to seeing in just about everyone. They were almost lifeless, but they still scanned the room and settled on them. The half-angel thought she saw the signs of some kind of emotion in them for a moment as she approached, but even that seemed to be without life, making her unable to tell what it was. (There was something... familiar about it, too.)

IRyS was not sure what she felt as she took it all in. Half of her wondered what had happened to this version of her friend, filling her with concern. The other half screamed that something was very wrong about this woman’s very existence and she needed to either run or attack. Looking over, she could see her wife had a similar conflict of emotions on her face. The remaining patrons apparently strongly felt the latter, given how they all quickly got up from their tables and booths and left in a hurry. (They had already paid for their drinks, so there was no need to stop them.)

Still, despite the instincts screaming in her, the magenta-haired woman did not move or speak, not wanting to judge this new arrival unfairly. So she watched as the time-traveler slowly shuffled her way toward them, each step seeming measured but heavy. When at last she was at the bar proper, she did not say a word as she took a seat on one of the stools. Then, she just stared down at the counter, her dull eyes focused on some specific spot on it.

There were a tense few moments of silence, with neither of the bar owners knowing what to say. At length, though, the rat-girl managed to break from her small trance and cleared her throat. “Um... welcome... I guess? Did you, um... Did you want to order-?”

“I’ll have a beer,” the alt-Ame said, tone flat and without emotion. Even so, though, her voice was surprisingly normal when overlooking this. 

The Nephilim blinked for a moment, feeling like a fool for being so shocked by the request. “Just... a beer? Did you have a specific kind you wanted, or...?”

She almost regretted speaking as those lifeless eyes glanced at her for a moment, making her flinch. Their guest quickly looked back at the counter, though, shrugging. “Don’t really care. Some brands don’t exist in other timelines. It can be strong or weak. Some of the others just wanted me to at least pretend to unwind. Thought I might as well, to put them at ease.”

That response made many questions pop into IRyS’ head. She did not voice them, however, and diligently went over to the shelf, letting her lover keep an eye on the detective. She scanned through their selection, before deciding to go with Dry-Hopper Clausthaler like they did with the last alternate Ame. Not sure I want her getting drunk. She’s clearly out of it... and I’m sure I remember our version saying some versions of her were less sane and stable than others.

With that in mind, she quickly returned to her wife’s side, pouring a glass and putting the drink in front of the time-traveler. The black-haired (?) woman barely acknowledged this - simply putting some cash on the counter and grabbing the beer. Moving almost robotically, she took a sip, not seeming to react to the taste at all. When she set it back down, her eyes flicked across the room, a hint of weariness in her dead stare, but then she stared at the counter again, unmoving.

Very slowly, the Nephilim tried to let the tension leave her body. She was still weirded out by the behavior of this alternate version of her friend, and something about those dull eyes nagged at the back of her mind - like she was missing something obvious. Despite this, though, so long as she did not stare at that strange hair, it was easy to push aside the alarm bells in her head. Even if she still wished to keep an eye on her, there was no reason to be practically ready to pounce. It was not like she had actually done anything yet.

Bae was clearly trying to do the same, taking a deep breath as she tried to smile at their guest. “So... um... How have you... I mean, what are you...” She trailed off, not appearing to know how or if to start a conversation. She looked to her lover for help, but the half-demon could only shrug, not knowing what to do either to ease the atmosphere.

...Then, suddenly, the alt-Ame spoke up first and broke the silence with a simple, emotionless word. “Sorry.”

The couple started a bit, but IRyS quickly recovered, frowning at this. “Huh? What... do you mean ‘sorry?’”

“For making you uncomfortable,” the detective replied, like it was the most obvious thing. “I tend to do that. Don’t exactly have the most welcoming of auras. My hair alone puts people on edge. My demeanor just confirms the feeling.”

The sudden callout shocked the Nephilim, though she should have expected it, given how observative their own Ame could be. Seconds later, however, she gulped heavily as she was filled with tremendous guilt for her behavior so far. Forgetting about that strange feeling in her head about the black-haired (?) woman’s eyes, she tried to apologize. “N-no. You shouldn’t have to-”

“It’s fine - I’m used to it,” the time-traveler interrupted, tone still unreadable (the half-angel wondered if she even was feeling anything right now). “The scars of the Old Gods are hard to ignore. They are not natural.” She paused briefly, taking another stiff sip of her drink. “...You probably should be wary of me regardless. I’m not... quite right anymore.”

The Embodiment, looking quite guilty as well, tensed up again at this, her tail straightening. “Um... can you be a bit more specific? What even happened to you? Is all of...” She gestured to their patron’s entire body, especially her strange hair. “... that old or new?”

“Old. Caused over a long time. It’s...” the alt-Ame stopped speaking for a moment, glancing around the bar again, her face twitching to reveal a bit of discomfort. Her toneless voice suddenly had a weariness to it. “...Has... something happened here recently? Why can I...” Her body hunched ever so slightly. “Why do I feel their influence so close by?”

IRyS had to think carefully about what this version of their friend was referring to. Then her brain caught onto what the other woman had said a second ago. “Wait, you mean the Ancient Ones? Is that what you meant by ‘Old Gods?’ We made a deal with them due to some circumstances that-”

She cut off at the sharp intake of breath from the detective. The couple jumped back at her suddenly sitting straighter, staring at them with shrunken pupils - eyes still missing that “spark” but now undeniably showing fear, and perhaps a bit of hatred. Her arms went down to her side with a fluidity she had not shown so far, rapidly patting around for something. The half-demon found herself getting ready to summon her blade again, not understanding the violent reaction, and saw her lover summoning some strings.

But then, just as suddenly, the time-traveler stilled, blinking hard as if to clear her vision. Her eyes flicked between the two of them, taking shuddering breaths as she spoke again, voice tense. “Are... they safe here? Did you give up a part of yourself to them - do they control you?” She took another deep breath. “Have... they hurt In-... caused harm to this timeline?”

The Nephilim was not sure what to make of the questions. The rat-girl, however, apparently decided to answer them, perhaps hoping it would de-escalate things. “No, they... don’t control us. We gave up a part of our powers to gain access to some information, but it’s temporary. There have been some pretty awful followers of them in the past, but they themselves are mostly neutral. They don’t seem to actively seek to cause harm - they don’t put up much of a fight to undo their more destructive bits of influence, or protect their more deranged followers that well in hindsight. They help out Sana in her duties occasionally, too.”

The time-traveler closed her eyes tight at this, stiffly setting her hands on the counter and gripping its edge tightly. She took several shuddering breaths, and listening closely, the half-angel heard her muttering “it’s fine” to herself over and over, as if willing herself to believe it. The sight made the magenta-haired woman ease up a bit, despite her training as a Bringer of Hope screaming that it was an awful idea when dealing with someone clearly not well mentally.

Something compelled her to not be so ready to attack, though... something about that stare...

Eventually, the alt-Ame managed to calm down, breathing more normally. She opened her eyes again, gaze emotionless again, and looked between the couple. With a sigh, she took another sip of her drink - motions still robotic - before speaking. “Sorry about that. That... habit does not rest easy. It’s useful in fieldwork, but not for relaxing. I’m aware of it. I left my weapons back at the Network Hub due to it. Have always been able to stop myself before causing harm... Still don’t like to chance it, though.”

IRyS shuddered, not wanting to imagine how she and her lover would have reacted if the black-haired (?) woman had pulled a gun on them. Even if they were immortals... wounds like that still hurt, and she herself was not unkillable. Based on Bae’s expression, she was equally disturbed by the implication, muttering under her breath. “Dear God... what’s up with this girl?”

The detective paused, apparently having heard the comment. There was no anger about the judgment in her expression as her gaze shifted down again. “I’m sorry... I can leave if you want. The others know I came here. I should have enough alcohol on my breath to convince them I tried to relax. I’ve taken enough of your time.”

Something twisted inside the Nephilim’s gut at these words. Despite still feeling on edge - for more reason than one - some part of her felt... bad about sending the time-traveler off. After all, it was not like the other woman wanted to cause them harm - she had taken precautions against it, in fact. If all she wanted was to drink...

Still... she was not sure what else there was to do. Their guest was clearly dealing with... issues, to say the least. Stuff beyond any problems their own version seemed to have. Neither of the bar owners was exactly qualified to deal with something like this. It was not like she had come here seeking help, either. On the contrary, she seemed almost resigned to... to...

And that was when it finally hit IRyS what had been nagging her about those eyes. She almost wanted to hit herself for not recognizing it immediately. She had been so distracted by the alt-Ame’s uncanny hair and worried about her lover that she had missed it initially. It was a look she had seen several times, however, when she was spreading hope to people.

It was the look of someone without hope - who had nothing special left in her life. The exact depths of this kind of despair always varied, but she could tell this was a very severe case. Right now, this woman was simply going through the motions, uncaring about tomorrow and following what routine was left for her... unmotivated to push beyond those bounds...

...and she knew that sometimes, people like this decided to... end their routine... the quick way.

The Nephilim vaguely registered the Embodiment stepping forward to speak - probably to politely send the detective off. A different type of worry and fear to what she had felt earlier, however, made her rush forward and cut her off. It was only remembering how jumpy their guest clearly was that kept her from leaning in too close or reaching out. Even so, she offered the best smile she could. “No - you don’t need to leave yet. Let’s talk for a minute, okay?”

The dull blue eyes in front of her managed to convey the time-traveler’s surprise. The half-angel also heard her wife give an indignant “huh?” behind her. She turned and caught her eyes briefly, silently pleading for her to trust her. Her official job with spreading hope may have been on halt, but just because she could not use her usual abilities to help her... that did not mean she could not help reignite that flame in other ways.

The rat-girl met her stare for a long moment. Then, sighing, she gave a nod to her, but also created some strings between her hands and pulled on them. The message was obvious: if something went wrong, she was ready to subdue the black-haired (?) woman. The magenta-haired woman accepted the terms with a nod. Even with her desire to help, she recognized that precautions were in order.

IRyS turned back to the alt-Ame, who was still looking at her with a tilted head. Swallowing, she tried to quickly think of what to actually say, kicking herself for not thinking this through better. To buy time, she tried to start with small talk. “So... you said some people sent you here, right? Who were they?”

The detective shrugged. “Other Ames’. They insist on this sort of thing from me every once in a while. They’re trying to help.” Her gaze flicked down again as she bit her lip. “So many seem... upset that they can’t do more for me. I don’t like it.” She then frowned, eyebrows pinching. “At least... I don’t think I do.”

The Nephilim felt a pang of sorrow hearing this. “‘Don’t think you do?’”

A heavy sigh left the time-traveler’s lips, her expression tired. “It’s all... disconnected. Like my thoughts and feelings are only connected by a thread to me. Nothing feels... right about my life. It hasn’t since I-” She suddenly went rigid, taking a shuddering breath. “I... I failed to stop them. Now I don’t have a home to go back to. I have to live with those expressions of... fear. Pleading. Their cries for me to save them. Eyes that, despite their growing madness, said they trusted I could do it...”

There was a long pause, before her voice came out a whisper. “...But I couldn’t. I failed them... failed her, then later another. I... couldn’t even save the ones I loved most. It’s so... hard to feel satisfied since then. It’s my own fault - I tried for too long. I did not quit on my own, either - I was forced to stop. Even after all this time, I’m still recovering from it...” She closed her eyes, lowering her head. “I’m not sure it’s possible, though. I’m not trying to be pessimistic... not intentionally. I know my condition, however. I’m a shell, clinging to the fragments of my old self to pantomime life. It doesn’t change the hollowness left by what I could not grab. I live on... but I’m not sure how much of me is left.”

...IRyS had no idea how to respond to all that. She bit her lip, properly for the first time regretting her deal with the Ancient Ones. The truth was that she had become reliant on her magic to help with bringing people’s hopes up. She was out of practice with doing it with words and actions. Sure, she had cheered her friends up in the past, but none of them - not even Bae last summer - had been traumatized like this. It did not help that she was missing several parts to this story and who was involved, yet who knew if it was okay to ask for those details?

She did not call it quits, though - she would not just offer a shallow apology and wish their guest would get better. Her brain was drawing blanks right then, but she was still determined to offer... something. Anything substantial to help, even slightly...

She was surprised when her lover stepped up next to her once more. The Embodiment was still looking at the alt-Ame with caution, but there was pity in her gaze as well. Releasing a breath, she spoke up to help with the situation. “With that attitude, you’ll definitely not get better. You said you had friends, right? I don’t understand why you can’t go back to them - if they’re dead or something else. But either way... would they want you moping around in misery, regardless of whatever happened?”

The detective stilled at this, eyes twitching under her still-closed eyelids. This stirred something within the Nephilim. She could tell what the redhead was doing - reminding a person about people who cared about them to inspire renewed hope. Even if they were dead, the memories of those old laughs and dreams shared between them could push someone a bit farther. It was a simple tactic, and while not entirely effective on its own, it could lead to more substantive comfort if done right.

...But the half-demon had an instinctual feeling that it was not applicable this time. Something about how little their guest was moving now made her worries skyrocket, and she tried to stop her wife. “Um, Bae...?”

The rat-girl continued on, though, not catching the change in demeanor immediately. “I know it must be hard. I’ve lost plenty of friends over the eons to all sorts of battles, disasters, and sometimes just time. But I know that many of them would be happy that I’m still going on and keeping their memory alive.” Her eyes were downcast for a moment. “And while I can’t say it’s the same, I know what it’s like to be without someone you love for a long time... though I’m sure it’s worse for you. At least mine eventually returned.” She looked up again, giving a kind smile. “I figured that’s what you were talking about when you said you failed someone. Still, whatever happened, I’m sure they would be glad that-”

All words cut off as the time-traveler slammed her hands hard on the counter and shouted. “SHUT UP!”

The couple jumped back, with Bae nearly crashing into the wall of alcohol with how far she lept. Before either could do anything else, the lights in the room suddenly started to dim, brighten, and flicker, casting strange shadows everywhere. The speakers overhead stopped playing music as well, suddenly letting out static that droned on at increasing and decreasing volumes. A gust of cold air passed over them, making them shiver.

At the center of it was the alt-Ame, who was clutching her head and shaking it, making her hair look like an angry blob of darkness with several things slithering inside it. Her voice was cracked, having the most emotion in it since she came in. “Y-you don’t know them! You didn’t see how they were changed! You don’t know - looking into their eyes each time, wondering how much was them and what was their corruption! You don’t know how they felt! I don’t know! I doubt they even knew! Not with their whole beings twisted to... to...” She trailed off into whimpers, head resting against the counter as she pulled at her hair more.

A quick glance at her lover showed IRyS that the Embodiment was getting her strings ready. She reached out and grabbed her arm to stop her, however, ignoring the disbelieving look she got. She recognized the signs of eldritch magic going haywire - both from fighting evil cultists and witnessing some of Ina’s failed spells. She could also tell that this instance was not dangerous, despite how frightening it could appear to some. There would be more signs of reality being distorted if that were the case.

Guilt still churned in her stomach, though - she may not have caused this, but she had made their guest stay longer. All she had wanted to do was help this woman... but in mere minutes, they seemed to had made things worse.

She carefully stepped closer to the black-haired (?) woman, who did not open her eyes or react to her presence at all. The half-demon bit her lip, trying desperately to think of a way to make this better. She hated being so powerless to help someone in such despair - feeling like a horrible Bringer of Hope. A more practical voice in the back of her head also pointed out that if they did nothing soon, the phenomenon around them could suddenly become a threat. She took another step closer to try and speak-

There was a moment of disorientation as the Nephilim felt a memory - one she could tell did not belong to her - flitted through her mind. It was gone in an instant, leaving only the vaguest impression of what it was - somewhere dark, and something sinister lurking nearby. She blinked hard, vaguely wondering how she was not getting onslaught by more images in such an obviously untamed expression of emotion.

She paused, though, and filed that for later... because while the memory was quickly fading, it left with her an idea of what to do.

Without waiting to think about it and praying it was not some sort of trap, she reached out her hand and put it on the detective’s head. She ignored how cold and clingy the other woman’s hair felt as she ran her fingers through it. Then, with a deep breath... she started to hum a song. (She noticed that she was doing it to the tune of “Nameless Sadness.” She did not know if it was due to something from the memory or if it was simply a random choice on her part.)

The effect was immediate, as the flickering slowed and the speakers went completely silent. IRyS heard the time-traveler’s breath hitch, but she continued humming her tune, continuing to move her hand despite how prickly they felt from the contact. She could see in her peripheral vision that her wife was looking at her with a strange sense of wonder.

She did not cease her actions for several minutes. Gradually, the room started to return to normal. No more cold breezes passed by, and eventually, the lights above them cast their normal white and purple glow again. After another few moments, the speakers crackled to life, and the normal music of the bar started to play again.

The Nephilim slowly trailed off, stopping the motions of her hand as well but keeping it on the black-haired (?) woman’s head. Worried about breaking the calm stillness, she nonetheless cleared her throat. “Are... you okay, Ame?”

The alt-Ame was quiet for a few seconds. Her eyes hesitantly opened and caught the half-demon’s... who had to force her expression from crumbling. For that brief moment, the corrupted girl’s eyes held actual life to them, but in them were depthless pain and regret as a few tears escaped them. There was a broken quality to them that she had rarely seen, and had even fewer times been able to help on her own, even with her powers.

And yet... at that moment as the other woman stared at her, she swore she also caught a glimpse of... longing?

It was all gone just as quickly, however, as the detective seemed to remember where she was. Her eyes became dead again as she jerkily but gently removed the hand from her head, voice blank once more. “I’m sorry for scaring you both. The Old Gods scars... extend to more than just me when I’m not careful. It’s usually harmless, outside of the uneasy feeling of it being unnatural.”

IRyS remained quiet, not trusting her voice at that moment as several feelings swirled around her head. Bae picked up the slack, though, as she faced their guest with her ears flat against her head, rubbing her hands. “I’m... the one who should be sorry. I didn’t mean to cause you to... I didn’t realize that what happened was so...”

“It’s fine. Reactions like that are hard to predict. Sometimes it’s milder.” The time-traveler grabbed her drink - nearly forgotten during everything - and finished it off with a quick gulp. Once the glass was set down, she seemed to think something over. “...You weren’t wrong in what you said.”

That caught both of the bar owners' attention, their eyes widening. “Huh?”

“It’s hard to think about... what life was like before everything went wrong - most of the time, I can only remember my... failure,” the alt-Ame explained. She took a deep breath, something resembling warmth entering her lifeless eyes. “But... I often overlook that time before. When everyone was together and we laughed, cried, bonded... I should know how they would feel about what I am now, before they ended up...” She shuddered, but did not break down again as she shook her head. She met the redhead’s eyes. “The other Ames’ haven’t tried to remind me of that in a long time. Thank you for doing that. I’ll try to push past the pain and see if I can still recall those happier times. They all deserve to be remembered more like that.”

The Embodiment seemed conflicted on whether what happened was something to be thanked for. However, she ended up nodding in the end. “Y-you’re welcome... I guess?”

The detective appeared unbothered by the response. She stiffly got up from her stool, turning to the exit. “I should go. I still have jobs to take care of, and I’ve freaked you both out enough. Thank you for being so hospitable. I wouldn’t have blamed you if you sent me off sooner.”

As the alternate version of their friend started to walk off, the Nephilim once more felt her insides twisting up. It felt... wrong to leave her like that, even if she had technically provided some comfort like she wanted to. That haunted look clung to her, making her want to do more. She could not keep the other woman there any longer - they all had places to be - but maybe...

“Please come back again,” the half-angel found herself saying.

The time-traveler stopped in place, looking back at her without expression. With no interruption from her or the rat-girl, she pressed on with a deep breath. “I... don’t know what I can do to help you. I can’t claim that I can take all your pain away...” Her gaze became determined. “But we can listen to you. Let you rest here whenever you want, or if the other Ames’ want you to ‘pretend’ again. So... if you want, we can at least try to help in whatever way you want.”

The alt-Ame’s face did not twitch as she finished. “...I’m not stable. I told you this. I could end up getting violent if I come back.”

“We can deal with that - even if the Ancient Ones’ ‘scars’ get more dangerous, there are magical defenses we can prepare,” IRyS reassured. Her eyes became pleading. “Just... please, let us try to help, or at least give you a place to rest... even if you don’t think either is possible.”

The detective stared for a moment longer... and for a fraction of a second there seemed to be another spark of life in those eyes. It was impossible to catch the emotion in that instant, but in the end, she ended up shrugging. “...I’ll think about it.”

With that, the black-haired (?) woman finally left out the door. (Why she had to leave to time travel, the magenta-haired woman did not know.) Once she was gone, a loud sigh/groan came from the rat-girl, who slumped against the counter. “Jesus, what... I mean, what the hell just happened here? What was all of that?”

“I... don’t really know myself,” the Nephilim admitted, looking over at the empty glass as she whispered her next words. “I just know that I want to help.”

Bae looked back at her, eyes softening somewhat but still maintaining a firmness. “I wish you had asked me before making an offer like that. She’s self-proclaimed to be dangerous, and I believe her.”

“I know,” IRyS said, not backing down from her wife’s gaze. “And we’re mythical beings who can handle her and provide assistance.”

“You don’t know that for sure - who knows what other kinds of powers she has!” the Embodiment countered. Then, though, she gave a long sigh and nodded to her. “But... I can see that she needs help, too. I don’t think we’re qualified in the least, but if you want to try... I’ll help you with this.”

The Nephilim smiled. “Thank you. And even if we can’t make a big difference for her, some small bits of comfort have to help out some, right? Maybe we can inspire her to go to a professional.” She frowned heavily. “...if a professional can even help. Just... what happened to her?”

“...Mystery for another day, honey,” the rat-girl eventually said, walking to the bar door. “I’m going to collect the glasses from our earlier patrons. You start washing up. We should go visit someone after this - get our minds off of things. Maybe Calli to do that karaoke session you wanted. Or Mumei! I want to see if she’s remembered that encounter with Selen or has it written down somewhere.”

The Nephilim nodded, grabbing the glass still on the counter to rinse it out. In the back of her head, she thought about the odds of two different Ames’ - both so drastically different - coming to their bar before their own had. She idly wondered if they would see even more versions coming through their door...

Whether they came to relax, by accident, or to vent their problems, though... she was happy to keep their doors open to them. All the better to hear interesting stories or provide help...

(She barely noticed that she was also mentally trying to judge which of her songs were the most comforting when sang or hummed - ideas of comparing herself to the reaper far from her mind.)