Part XXXV: Snake Charmer


Cami Lopez rolled her shoulders, easing out the cramp that had worked its way into her sore muscles from hours spent holding the shears and shampooing, drying, and dying hair. Ever since the death of her close family friend, a weight had settled on her heart that was impossible to lift, and never seemed to lighten. She had no choice but to return to her workplace if she didn't want to get fired and simply pushed through day for day.

Elissa had promised her that although the aching weight never went away, although it would never become lighter, it would eventually begin to feel less foreign - become a part of herself, one that she could live with. Cami clung to these words, hoping the day would soon come that the grief no longer crushed her, but simply existed.

They were nearing closing hours and Cami had put her all into providing the clients of the small salon exactly the hairstyles they requested. She maintained a steady stream of small-talk, nearly without thinking, as her body settled into the automated rhythm of one well-versed with their occupation. She massaged her sore shoulders briefly as she waited for the next appointment to show up. She absolutely needed to visit Elissa soon and thank her for all the support she had so freely given as Cami had mourned the loss of Jeremy, a beloved family friend, and a man both humorous and goodhearted

A war veteran who never once let his smile falter, never once betrayed the grief that lingered in his kind, blue eyes. He had shared with them tall tales, ridiculous puns, and the joy-drunk weariness that followed after laughing to the point of tears. They never learned of bloodshed, of war, of the atrocities man could dole out to his fellow man. He shielded that from them, hiding away what he knew, and offering instead, gently, what he wished were true. Cami realized that now and it only made the aching grief more painful. She could not help but wonder if he had needed someone to talk to about his suffering. If she should have been that someone.

She heard the front door of the establishment swing open and hastily wiped at her tears with the back of her hand.

"Welcome!" she greeted, turning to the visitor with a smile that strained every muscle in her face, belying the tears not yet dried on the back of her hand. She did not recognize the visitor who, by all appearances could be either a man or a woman. Long, silky black locks were tied back in a high ponytail, eyeliner elongated the visitor's pale eyes, and an almost serpentine grin stretched the corners of their reddened lips.

"Do you have an appointment?" Cami asked, turning towards the stranger. She knew the answer already. Mrs. Johnson was the one scheduled for the 3 o' clock appointment and this stranger was most certainly not Mrs. Johnson.

"Appointment?" The visitor sneered, as if the idea was laughable, even as their eyes twinkled with a mischief or a disdain Cami could not quite interpret.

"If not, I'll have to ask you to come by another day. We can only serve customers with prior appointments, I'm afraid," Cami continued resolutely. However well-off this stranger might be, rules were rules.

Without warning, a hand shot out and caught hold of Cami's tresses so suddenly she squawked in alarm and nearly fell backwards.

"Well," the stranger muttered derisively, observing the strands of Cami's hair intently. "I do not believe I require the services of one who cannot even tend to their own appearance. I will indeed take my leave and do not deceive yourself for a moment into thinking I will return." With a last tug on Cami's locks, the stranger suddenly released her and turned on their heel, bumping into the stout, curly, red-haired Mrs. Johnson on their way out of the salon.

"Well, I never," the elderly woman declared, watching the androgynous individual leave. "Are you alright, dear?" Extending a hand to Cami's shoulder, she tutted in concern.

"Yes, I'm fine, thank you. They were just a little… weird," Cami finished,, for lack of a better word. She rubbed at her sore scalp as her eyes slipped back towards the glass door the ominous stranger had disappeared through, before refocusing her attention on Mrs. Johnson.

"Never mind that, Mrs. Johnson. Why don't you take a seat and we'll get started right away. Sorry to keep you waiting." Cami reached for a hairdressing cape and tied it around the elderly woman's neck before setting to work, none the wiser about the broad grin on the stranger's face outside, or the few, long strands of light-brown hair twirled around their fingers.


Elissa pulled the door open, blinking in surprise when she saw the long-haired young woman standing just beyond it, dressed entirely in her black work uniform, with a green parka coat thrown on top.

"Cami!" She greeted with a smile as she stepped back, allowing her friend entrance to her apartment. "Hey. What're you doing here?"

Her friend stared back at her a moment, before nodding in greeting.

"Aren't you meant to be at work?" Elissa asked as Cami stepped past her. Her taller friend's light-brown hair hung loosely over her shoulders as she surveyed the apartment with a curious air, as if she were visiting for the first time.

"I was," Cami answered curtly as she shrugged off her parka, revealing a dark blue, high-collared, knit sweater and black skinny jeans. A gold bangle hung from her thin wrist and small, golden hoops glittered in her ears.

"Did you get off early?" Elissa asked, closing the door behind her. She had been about to leave for a walk in the fading sunlight, eager to get out of her four walls.

Ever since the day of the attack that had transpired in the alleyway outside her apartment, she'd avoided going out alone outside for the most part, keeping her doors and windows securely locked at Itachi's instruction and limiting her travel to car journeys only. But a week had passed since then, and being cooped up indoors was starting to feel aggravating. A short walk to grab some much needed fresh air and light exercise before the winter sun set and with lots of people still about outside, surely wouldn't do any harm, Elissa reassured herself. Afterward, she intended to hop straight into her car to go out to stock up on groceries at the nearest supermarket.

She'd dressed appropriately, sporting a soft cream, pearl-embellished sweater, a tan suede skirt that grazed above her knees, teamed with a pair of dark brown, woolen tights underneath. She'd thrown a warm brown, knee-length coat on top, hastily wrapped a brown-scarf around her neck and had just been about to step into her thigh-length, flat suede brown boots when the doorbell suddenly rang. To see Cami at this hour - when the salon was still open - was surprising, but a twinge of guilt kept Elissa from questioning it too deeply.

"Yes," Cami answered shortly.

Elissa blinked in surprise at the curtness of her tone. Was Cami upset because she'd been so terrible at returning her messages lately? She'd fallen behind on answering everyone, which wasn't surprising given everything that had been happening in her life. She'd been far too busy trying not to lose her own mind and learning to accept that the supernatural was, in fact, real.

"I'm really sorry I haven't been keeping in touch lately. I've just had a lot going on," Elissa winced at the explanation. It sounded selfish and pitiful to her own ears. "I'm sorry, that's really no excuse."

When Cami did not answer, floating slowly down the hallway instead, still looking about as if she were searching for something, Elissa pressed on, "Hey, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," the other girl answered absentmindedly.

"What are you looking for?" Elissa watched her, bemused.

Cami shook her head, but kept looking around. "Nothing."

"Are you sure you're alright?" Elissa blinked at her back. Cami had been very out of it at the funeral. On the other hand, if she was healing from her grief - albeit faster than she had expected - that was a good thing, right? But she was acting strangely. She seemed distracted, unlike her usual, chatty self.

"Fine."

"Hey." Elissa placed a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder, drawing her to a sudden stop as her head whirled towards Elissa, fixing her with an almost indignant look. "If there's anything you need, please, tell me. I know it isn't easy to be the strong one all the time, but I'm here for you."

Cami's eyes flicked to the hand on her shoulder before swallowing and answering in a detached voice. "That is kind of you. I appreciate it."

"Come on," Elissa smiled encouragingly. "I'll make us some tea and we can catch up."

Cami watched Elissa slip into the kitchen, before venturing further down the hallway, her fingers trailing along the wall beside her as she continued scanning the apartment with her eyes. She paused by Elissa's bedroom door and wasted no time in turning the handle and stepping inside.

Cami paused in the doorway, seeing the fluffy, black cat curled up in the middle of the bedspread. A wry smile crossed her lips as she stepped closer.

"It's you," she greeted, strained mirth lacing her low voice.

Vetty turned towards the visitor and her eyes narrowed in distrust as her bushy tail lifted in warning.

"There, there, nothing to be afraid of, kitty," Cami purred.

Vetty hissed angrily, but in just that moment, Elissa reentered the room.

"Oh, here you are." She smiled as she placed the tray of tea on the side table. "Want to hang out here instead?"

"I would, but I don't think your cat likes me," Cami laughed weakly.

"Really?" Elissa lifted Vetty from the bed, "Vetty's just being grumpy." She said, popping a quick, affectionate kiss on her pet's forehead. "You remember Cami, Vetty? She's been through a lot, be nice." She gave the fluffy cat an imploring look as she carried her out of the bedroom, hoping Cami wouldn't think it was weird that she was talking to her cat and would not notice that she was actually expecting her to understand.

Depositing Vetty in the living room, Elissa turned back towards her bedroom, hurrying back to her grieving friend. She knew grief could manifest itself in many forms, and chalked Cami's odd behavior up to just that - reorganizing her emotions until she was able to heal. It was just further proof that Cami needed her right now.

"Fool of a mortal."

Elissa froze in place, turning slowly back towards Vetty. "Did - did you just talk to me?" she whispered in disbelief.

For all of her efforts and idle chatter, Vetty had been very intent on ignoring her completely, and now - now, of all times, where Elissa didn't have the time to pursue further conversation with Cami waiting, Vetty chose to address her? What did she mean by calling her a fool? Was she just annoyed at being carried out of the room? Elissa had learned that Vetty was even more tight-lipped than Itachi, as impossible as that was. She swallowed thickly before attempting another question.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she hissed under her breath, mindful of the fact that her friend might overhear continued conversation.

"Things are not always as they seem."

Giving Elissa a disparaging look, Vetty lifted her bushy tail and stalked off with all the arrogance of a wealthy matron.

Elissa scowled. What could that possibly mean? What was she overlooking? Why did Vetty have to be so vague?

Hesitating in the hallway, Elissa finally turned back towards her bedroom, deciding she would have time to deal with Vetty later. She found Cami laying on her back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. She stared hard at her for a long moment, before shaking her head.

"Sorry about her," Elissa rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, trying to remove the tension prickling her skin. "She's not too good with people." Retrieving the tray of tea, she placed it on the bed and sat beside it.

"Hm." Cami hummed, as she sat up beside her, her eyes shifting to the steaming cup of tea resting on the tray.

"How've you been? Are you holding up alright?" Elissa gave her friend a sympathetic look, remembering how inconsolable she had been at the funeral.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Cami returned her gaze indifferently.

Elissa's mouth fell open, only for her to shut it wordlessly in silent concern. Why wouldn't I be? What was Cami saying? She had just experienced a loss. It was almost as though she were avoiding that truth entirely, and struck Elissa as peculiar.

"Well, because…" she offered vaguely, not wishing to open fresh wounds that probably had not yet fully healed. She knew what grief did to a person. She didn't want to overstep, and yet her friend's detached manner was worrying her. "I mean, you know…" Her voice trailed, when Cami simply stared back at her expressionlessly.

Taken aback, Elissa hastily sought to change the subject. Perhaps Cami simply just didn't want to talk about it - but before she could, a seething hiss caught their attention and the two girls turned as one towards the doorway where Vetty stood, hissing at Cami with her eyes narrowed.

Had Vetty followed her back into the bedroom? Was there something wrong? Something that warranted such aggressive behavior? Elissa's hazel eyes drifted back towards Cami uncertainly. She was watching Vetty through half-lidded eyes.

Why was she looking at her cat like that? Almost subconsciously, Elissa shifted, increasing the distance between them on the bed - a thoughtless, instinctive reaction as her eyes darted from feline to human, unnerved by the inexplicable tension in the air. Her mind raced. It wasn't like Vetty to be openly hostile for no reason. And it wasn't like she had never met Cami before. What was the meaning of it?

"Something needs my attention," Cami dismissed abruptly. "I have to leave."

"What?" Elissa frowned in bewilderment. "But you just got here."

Cami rose to her feet and strode out the room. "Until next time, Elissa." She was halfway to the exit before Elissa had caught up.

"Wait! Cami, are you sure you're alright? You seem… I don't know, out of it." She stood, wringing her hands in the hallway as she watched Cami slip back into her shoes, greatly confused by her erratic behaviour.

"Fine, thank you. See you another time."

"But-!" Before Elissa could so much as say another word, her friend had pulled open the door and closed it behind her, leaving Elissa gaping after her, stunned, helpless to explain the dreadful unease whispering through her veins.

Something definitely was not right with her friend. Her sudden, aimless visit and abrupt departure were disconcerting. The brunette could make neither head nor tail of it. Was this simply one of the many faces of grief manifesting, or was this something more? Something she should be worried about?

Shaking her head incredulously, Elissa pocketed her phone and plucked her keys from the sideboard. She needed to get out of the house.


Elissa's feet carried her without conscious instruction. Her mind was buzzing with concerns she could not truly assign away as they prompted one unanswered question after another. Was Cami's odd behavior merely one of the many possible manifestations of grief? Or did it symbolize something more sinister? Was she being paranoid? But then, what could Vetty have meant by saying, "Things are not as they seem?" Or was that statement related to something else entirely? She felt a throbbing in her head as her mind raced in circles, an ache not even the crisp winter air could clear away.

Before she knew it, she drew to a stop by the riverbank, whether it was habit, nostalgia, a need for comfort, or the desire to see the individual she associated with this idyllic place that had prompted her subconscious to lead her down this path, she did not know. It was highly unlikely Itachi would be making an appearance. A couple days had passed since she had seen him last, but their meetings seemed to consist mainly of midnight visits to her apartment where he inquired after her wellbeing and she fumbled in vain for words resembling human speech until he took pity on her idiocy and bid her good night. She winced to recall all the awkwardness that had spilled from her lips.

But the last visit…

Elissa looked out at the glittering surface of the river's pristine water flowing by, as if to distract herself from the memory of Itachi's last appearance in her living room. It was such a fateful place. This was where they had met the first time, and this was where the truth had come to light.

It was a fairly mild winter's day and the breeze blowing by did not sting her cheeks with the same biting cold it had that climactic day. The snow had melted, leaving not a reminder of what had transpired here and yet, she felt it still in her bones. The cold vice-like grip of death as her muscles seized in the freezing water, only to be saved by the very one who had no business prolonging her life, and yet, had chosen to do so - on multiple occasions. He had explained his actions, that her time had not yet come, that he was displeased by the interference in his domain, but - she couldn't shake the feeling that somehow, in some way, his uncharacteristic actions might have something to do with her, personally. Was it egoistic of her to think so? Hadn't the poem Slayte had shown her and his demeanor just the other day suggested as much? Was it sacrilege to even consider the idea?

She recalled Itachi's last visit to her apartment - one wholly unexpected. She bit her lip, all thoughts of Cami and Vetty and even the peril that haunted her fleeing her mind as she recalled the warmth of his arms closing around her waist. His touch had never been cold, always warm and comforting, almost feverish even. Or was that merely her own reaction to his proximity?

He desired for her to receive all that she desired? She closed her eyes with a sigh, inhaling the fresh, woodland air as she thought back to those simple touches that allowed her no rest, nor any reprieve from her own misguided affections. The feel of his strong arms around her, that firm chest pressed against her back, the warm breath on her ear, the long bangs that framed his face, tickling her shoulder as he leaned in close. That low voice, the way it rumbled from his chest - the way she felt it against her back - the way it made her insides clench with a feeling she could not name as he offered her simply worded promises that robbed the breath from her lungs.

"It is not wise to wander on your own."

Elissa jumped to hear the very voice her memory had been straining to reconstruct, speak up beside her as if conjured by the intensity of her desire. She whirled around in surprise, her face consumed by a fierce blush, mortified to think that she might have summoned him with her thoughts. Was that possible? Did he know what she had been thinking? She could only hope not.

"Itachi!" Elissa exclaimed, struggling to keep calm. "You surprised me."

She found him standing beside her, shrouded as always in that thick cloak he wore, his head angled ever so slightly in her direction, glittering, ebony eyes fixed firmly on her from behind a gilded, black mask. The raven hair framing his face floated gently in an imperceptible breeze as his cloak billowed behind him, although Elissa could have sworn the air was still and not so much as a branch swayed around them.

There was a note of displeasure on his proud lips and Elissa could not stop her gaze from lingering on them longer than necessary, even while she dimly registered she had done something he did not approve of. The delicate curve of his lower lip, the defined cupid's bow, the surprising fullness of them - why had she never noticed before? Were these the lips that had brushed against her own in this very place? Had it been a kiss?

'Oh, for God's sake, Elissa,' she censured herself. 'Don't start.'

"It is inadvisable," he murmured quietly. "To be about on your own."

Unable to hold his intent gaze with her wayward thoughts still running rampant, she turned back towards the river, staring unseeingly at the water's surface shimmering in the winter sunlight.

"Was it irresponsible of me?" She chanced a glance at the deity, turning back to the river when she found him still regarding her intently. "I just - it's really difficult for me to just stay cooped up inside all the time. It's not me. This probably sounds dumb to you, but I…" she bit her lip, feeling a little like a spoiled child who refused to accept what was best for them. "When I stay home alone all the time, just - doubts and things start to creep in and drive me crazy. I need to go out, to see things, and people and not be alone with myself all the time."

She sighed as she lowered her eyes to the grass at her feet. "And I figure, whoever is out to get me can corner me in my apartment just as well as out here. If I'm going to die anyway, I might as well die doing the things I like, rather than hiding away like a mouse."

After a moment's silence, Itachi answered, "Your friend -" but Elissa cut him off.

"Slayte's not my babysitter. She has a life of her own, I can't just ask her to come over every time I want to leave the house." She cast Itachi a glance, hoping he understood, hoping he wouldn't ask any more of Slayte than was absolutely necessary. The bare minimum.

"There are protections in place at your residence," he informed her patiently. "And Vetty watches over you as well."

His recent encounter with the God of the Seas had made apparent beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Underworld feline knew more than she let on. And yet, she had stressed to him that she had revealed all that she was capable of and seemed to rue that very fact herself. There would be no further information to be gained from her. The bonds between familiar and master held fast. Her loyalty to Elissa, however, was beyond reproach. She was one of the few that could be trusted. More powerful than she let on.

"But… if someone were to attack me all out like they did that day, would those protections hold them back? Would it really make a difference?" She lifted confused, hazel eyes towards him, wanting to hear the truth, wanting to be able to assess the danger for herself. When he only returned her gaze quietly, she took his silence for an answer.

She sighed miserably. "I was only going for a short walk anyway. I just want what freedom I can get. I don't want to give in to the fear."

Catching sight of a smooth, flat stone at her feet she bent to pick it up. She recalled his advice as she turned it over in her hand, could almost feel his fingers around hers as she pulled her hand back, angled her throw, and sent the stone skipping across the river's surface, flicking her wrist at just the right moment. She counted once, twice - it skipped five times before sinking beneath the river's surface.

"There were so many things I wanted to do. I don't feel alive these days. Just like I'm waiting for doom to come for me. But if I'm going to live, then I want to go as far as I can with what time I have." Elissa pointed emphatically at the river's surface as she turned back towards Itachi, indicating the stone's journey. "I want to make far-reaching ripples. I don't want to go quietly."

"I wanted to go to so many places, Itachi." She could not contain the note of complaint in her voice as she bemoaned her predicament. "Now, I don't even know if I can go to the grocery store."

Itachi, who had been listening quietly up until this point to Angelissa's increasing distress, turned towards her as he spoke gently. "I will take you wherever you wish, Angelissa. You need only wait for me."

"Thanks," she smiled wryly. "But I don't just mean walks like this. Who knows when I'll get the chance to travel again. Makes me wish I had taken the opportunity when I had the chance."

She failed to notice the spark of indignance in his ebony eyes as she dismissed his offer. Still avoiding his gaze, she did not see the way his eyebrow arched at her words, clarifying that she wanted more than "simple walks". She was entirely ignorant of the fact that she had inadvertently slighted the god of death and underestimated him severely.

It was only when she felt his fingers intertwine through hers that her head shot up and she met his eyes, surprised to find that he had closed the distance and was now standing just in front of her.

She knew what he was - a deity, a prince, death incarnate. She knew that there would never be anything at all between them. That to entertain the thought was likely sacrilege. Slayte's warnings buzzed in her ears, but she paid as little heed to them now as she had when they were spoken. For reasons she could not logically explain, she found her fingers closing around his.

At her action, the faintest flicker of surprise passed through his ebony eyes, fixed firmly on her own hazel irises. His other hand lifted to graze past her hip, to wrap around the small of her back and hold her close to him. Before she could form the words to ask him what was happening, a gust of wind burst to life around them, a furious tempest that tugged at their clothing as a flurry of black feathers whirled around them, blinding her to everything apart from him.

When the sudden gale subsided, the inky black feathers glided slowly to their feet, before disappearing the instant they touched the long blades of grass on the ground. Elissa blinked up at Itachi, too stunned by his touch, the hand still burning against her back, the fingers intertwined through her own, to summon any words at all. She was so dazed by his proximity that at first, she did not even think to look at their surroundings.

It was only when a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips, and his hand slowly withdrew from her side that she stepped back and, doing so, finally saw where she was.

They stood in the middle of a vast field of tall, flowering grass. Elissa gasped in amazement as she saw violets and bellflowers in varying shades of royal purples, whites, and pale pinks. The bellflowers in particular, caught her eye. Like inebriated, round-bellied kings tipping and swaying with the slightest breeze, swathed in royal purple velvet. The stems bowing low under their proud weight. She was almost certain she had noticed a few belladonna flowers as well. Rolling, verdant green hills spread in all directions, dotted by the lovely flora. The scent caught on the breeze and blew past them, a delight to the senses, eliciting a gasp of elated surprise from Elissa as stray petals blew past the two of them. It was like a world made for the two of them alone, where all her worries could fade away into nothingness.

Turning towards Itachi in awe, she saw that he had extended his hand towards her, palm facing upwards in invitation, his head inclined towards her in an unspoken question. Feeling giddy and adventurous, she slipped her hand into his and allowed him to lead the way across the rolling hills, enjoying the wonders around her in wordless admiration, hoping to imprint the image into her mind, wondering if she could capture it in words.

They drew to a stop at a lakeside where Elissa was stunned to find pale lotus flowers blooming in the pristine waters. In the middle of the lake stood what she assumed was a temple. A circular building, ornate in detail if not in size. Marble arches supported the dome of the small temple and she could tell that there were images and possibly other inscriptions engraved into the marble that she could not possibly discern at this distance. The columns were worse for the wear and one had crumbled away until only a stony stump remained, but somehow, the temple still stood tall and majestic.

"It's so beautiful," she breathed, before turning brilliant, sparkling hazel eyes towards him. "Where are we?"

"Hellas," Itachi answered simply, lowering himself to be seated in the tall grass at their feet. Elissa followed his lead and settled beside him. She recalled the foreign word, one he had explained to her so long ago.

"Greece?" Her jaw dropped in surprise. "But- but that's so far away! Did we just teleport here? How does that even work?" Was that even scientifically possible? Well, she supposed nothing was impossible for a god and yet, it all felt so unreal. Too good to be true. Such a stark contrast to the four walls of her apartment and her daily commute to work. She felt as if she were positively brimming with life, as if she, herself, had soaked up the beauty all around them.

"How do I know this isn't an illusion?" she murmured, half to herself as she beheld the wondrous sight.

Itachi angled his head towards her, considering the question seriously. He had placed illusions on her in the past, largely to spare her mind some terrible truth she had not been ready to bear. Or had she? Had his assumptions to the strength of her mind held any truth? Here they were, side by side, her knowing precisely what he was and yet, still holding his hand as if she considered him a dear friend. It would not be the first time he had been mistaken in assessing the boundaries of her endurance.

"Illusions only vaguely resemble reality." Falling briefly silent, his eyes skimmed over the surface of the lake, before coming to rest on the temple in its center. Serene and lifeless, despite its honored position at the axis of the marvelous, sprawling lifeforms surrounding it. Unchanging, while all the flowers would bloom and wither away, to be replaced with new blossoms. Still, while the lake would stir, bowing and dancing with the winds and the rain, whispering of tales the temple turned deaf ears to. Such was ever the custom twixt mortal and immortal.

"Although a reality twisted to one's own views is a far more condemning illusion. One few ever break free from."

The words were spoken softly, reflectively and Elissa did not speak as she lost herself in those pensive, onyx eyes, feeling subconsciously that those words were meant more for himself than for her.

"How can I tell the difference?" she ventured, feeling bold enough to try and draw his attention. In this ethereal setting, where nothing resembled what she knew, she could almost make herself believe that the boundaries of mortal and immortal, of human and deity, the boundaries she had etched in stone between them, were, themselves, little more than illusions of her own making. Maybe she was simply drunk on the splendor of her magnificent surroundings. Maybe she was unreasonably emboldened by the time and the attention he favored her with. She could not explain it. All she knew for certain, in that instant, was that she wanted to draw those fathomless, ebony eyes away from the crumbling temple and back to herself.

When those thick lashes lifted, however, and that heavy gaze shifted towards her, she feared she might be crushed by its weight. Forcing a casual smile, she prompted, "There must be a way to break free from an illusion, right? To tell the difference? Can you teach me?"

His expression softened and he inclined his head in the slightest nod. "Teach you? And yet, you have broken free from my illusion once already."

Elissa's eyes widened in surprise as she tried to recall what he could be referring to. "Me? Are you sure? All I remember is that time at the bridge - and I don't remember doing anything special."

"Not the bridge," he corrected. "By the riverside."

Elissa bit her lip in contemplation. The riverside? "Actually, how many times have you put an illusion on me? I'm not sure I know what you're referring to."

He did not answer, but held her gaze quietly, waiting for her to arrive at the correct conclusion. Elissa thought back to the time she knew with certainty she had been under an illusion - the day at the bridge. It had been a very intense illusion. A pleasant one - but still nauseatingly dizzying in its intensity. It was as if every other thought had been barred from her mind - as if she had been unable to think in any direction other than the one the illusion was leading her in. When else had she felt like that?

Suddenly, it dawned on her with startling clarity. "When you told me to return?" She lifted her chin to fix him with curious, hazel irises. "Was that an illusion?"

"It was." Itachi's simple confirmation sent her mind racing. She bit her lip, trying to solve the riddle, as she turned back towards the lake's still waters - missing Itachi's small smile of approval at her conclusion. Elissa reevaluated the encounter, step for step, as well as her own actions - had she broken free of that on her own? Her feet had seemingly developed a mind of their own, and his words had rooted in her mind as indisputable fact. It had been almost as if going back home had been her own idea. She had felt disoriented, once more incapable of thinking in any way other than the one the illusion dictated. How had she broken free from it?

"I was so pissed," she whispered aloud unthinkingly, before clapping a hand over her mouth at her own crude language. Her head shot up to meet his eyes, hoping against hope he hadn't heard her. The small, amused smile that was still fixed on his lips proved otherwise. Elissa forgot her embarrassment at the sight. Itachi, smiling? The sky and the earth must have come to a standstill for something so beautiful to happen.

"The severity of your anger aided you in dispelling the illusion," he confirmed. It took Elissa a moment to remember what they were talking about. "That was, however, merely an auditory illusion, establishing control of your senses with a spoken command."

Elissa nodded in understanding. She hadn't hallucinated fantastic images as she had by the bridge, rather, his simple, spoken statement had compelled her to obey.

"The strength of an illusion - and whether or not it is possible to break free from it - depends on the power and skill level of the illusionist. The caster also has a degree of control, and can determine the strength of the illusion they wish to project."

"So, there are others who can cast illusions as well? More illusionists?" She queried, curious.

"Yes," he nodded.

Elissa hesitated, the admittedly impertinent question she wanted to ask weighing on her tongue. "How skilled are you then? Among the illusionists?"

He turned towards her then, the faintest smirk on his lips, yet another expression so rare she could only stare in awe as she heard his subtle answer. "My skill is at an average level."

"Is it?" Elissa stared back at him, wide-eyed. It wasn't the answer she had been expecting. Yet another reminder that there were further deities out there, potentially more powerful than Itachi, and any one of them could be the one targeting her.

"The key to distinguishing reality from an illusion is in the minute details. An illusion recognized is half dispelled." He murmured gently, the smile vanished from his lips as he began his explanation. "You may see this hand in an illusion," he began, turning her hand over in his, revealing her palm to her eyes. "But you might find that the lines on your palms are absent entirely, or do not reflect your own." His fingers traced over the lines of her palm as he spoke and she could not help the shiver that travelled down her spine at his touch.

"An illusion is nothing more than a world conjured by the illusionist. Therefore, the distinction between reality and an illusion is best discerned in the finer points. The more talented an illusionist, however, the more complete the illusion will be, down to every inch. You must look more closely, then."

Elissa swallowed thickly, committing the advice to memory. There was no knowing when she might need it again. Her brow furrowed in thought as she recalled the illusion he had shown her on the bridge. She could recall every individual feather of the hummingbirds that had flitted around her. The individual petals and thorns of the roses blooming to life. The way they curved, the jagged edges of the waxy leaves… was that the level of an average illusionist?

She glanced at Itachi but did not dare to question his statement. Perhaps there were simply other illusionists even more talented. She had no way of knowing. She drew her knees up to her chest and stared contemplatively at the lotus flowers passing by.

"Could we practice?" she asked suddenly, turning towards him. "Maybe you can put me under an illusion and I can try and break it?"

Itachi was silent beside her. The wind teased his long hair as the silence stretched on. Elissa felt herself withering beneath his stare. Had she misspoken? Was it a disrespectful suggestion? Was she wasting his time?

Before she could further overthink the matter, Itachi broke the silence. "An illusion is not without burden to the mind. I would not place such a strain on you again." There was a note of regret in his voice, almost like an unspoken apology.

Elissa remembered how ill she had felt after the events at the bridge, although, in retrospect, she was now certain she would have felt far worse had Itachi not chosen to distract her from the massacre playing out before her. She shuddered to recall the terrible sounds and felt immense gratitude that the corresponding images were not burned into her brain. It felt selfish, knowing that people had suffered there and she had remained ignorant of it, but would her having witnessed it help them in any way?

Suddenly, she was glad Itachi had been there for another reason entirely. It was through his swift interference, summoning their souls - whatever that entailed - that he had freed them from those flaming, steel prisons. Releasing them from their suffering. She had never thought to think of it that way before. What if he had been delayed? Would that mean those people would have had to suffer even longer? He had appeared almost instantly. His expression had been solemn, almost resigned. It struck her in that moment, recalling his expression, that he was not indifferent to mortal suffering.

The realization hit her like a punch to the gut. He was Death, without a shadow of a doubt. But he was kind. Gentle. Thinking about it objectively, wasn't it far preferable to have someone like Itachi take one's soul, rather than some terrifying, ruthless being? Perhaps he eased them into death, offering comfort to their souls. Maybe they followed him willingly, so pleasant was his company.

What was she thinking? She was getting ahead of herself. She couldn't really claim to know any of that. They were mere assumptions, based on her perception of him.

And yet, he had interfered, when neither her life nor her physical wellbeing were in danger. He had shown her an illusion simply because he likely suspected how terribly her mind would be broken if she were to witness that massacre, as terrible as she was at coping with death. It had been an unnecessary kindness, and entirely in keeping with everything she thought she knew about him.

"You were only trying to help me," Elissa answered slowly, her gaze fixed on his cloak, not quite daring to meet his eyes. "I don't think I would have been so freaked out if I just knew what was going on."

In a hushed, embarrassed voice, she added, "It wasn't that bad." She reached out absentmindedly, unthinkingly, and plucked a stray flower petal from his shoulder, freezing as she withdrew her hand - suddenly realizing how casually she had touched him.

"I wouldn't mind," the warmth burning in her face meant she was blushing furiously, she knew, but she forced herself to finish her sentence. "If you were the one to do it."

"Is that so?" the gentle murmur seemed to seep into her very skin, embedding itself into her bones. She did not dare to look up at him. What would she find there? A smirk? A smile? Indifference? Not ready to deal with any of those, she simply nodded, fixating further on the periwinkle flower petal between her fingers.

"Another time, perhaps, Angelissa." His tone was reassuring, intended to put her at ease, to release some of the tension in the air between them and Elissa was grateful for it.

The sun had set unnoticed during the duration of their conversation, slinking away beneath the horizon to seek its rest. The light of the full moon illuminated the flowering fields in its absence, peeking shyly from between the clouds like a timid child.

"Whose temple is that?" Elissa questioned, noticing how ethereally the white marble glowed in contrast to their increasingly darkening surroundings. "Is it yours?"

Itachi fell silent as his gaze lingered on the small, circular building. The frown etched onto his features gave Elissa pause, before he finally answered.

"No. There were no temples erected in honor of Thanatos."

A pang of sorrow tore through her heart at the statement. Weren't deities meant to be worshipped? Wasn't that important to them? "Never?" she breathed in surprise, her brows furrowing in concern. "Not even in the old days?"

Itachi angled his head towards her, his frown fading away at the sight of the sympathy in her eyes. "It is understandable," he offered by way of explanation. "Why should one wish to remember Death? To worship it?"

"But that's not fair," Elissa countered before she could stop herself. "Doesn't everyone wish for a gentle death at the end of their lives?"

"And yet, very few seek to remember death before that time." Itachi placed a hand on her shoulder, a reassuring gesture. "You need not concern yourself, Angelissa."

The dismissal, the easy way he accepted receiving less than he deserved frustrated her.

"I'll build you one." Glowing, hazel eyes, burning with determination, met his own confidently. "I will build you a shrine - or a temple - and even if I'm the only one who visits, so be it."

She felt inexplicable tears sting her eyes. "You deserve more."

Itachi's hand lifted to her face, wiping away the tear threatening to fall from her eye. "Do not weep, Angelissa. It is hardly a circumstance worthy of your grief. I care little for such formalities."

When she could not lift her gaze, still struggling to regain a handle on her emotions, he cupped her chin and lifted her face towards himself. "You need not trouble yourself."

"It isn't fair. Why should you be cursed and despised? Why? When you're so kind? When you care so much?" She bit her lip, not wanting to burst out crying. "When you're so good?"

To this, Itachi said nothing. He watched her wipe at her eyes and take deep breaths, seeking to regain control of her rampant emotions. For once, he did not know what to say. Many a mortal had wept before him. Never had a mortal wept for him. Neither mortal nor immortal for that matter.

"Angelissa," the understated tone of voice he called her name in, brought her head up to meet his eyes, her own still brimming with tears. "I do not require the worship of mortals. Nor do I desire their praise and affection. Whether they curse or despise me, it is no concern of mine."

His words did not make her feel better. If anything, her heart only clenched with further grief.

"If a mortal chose to give me their affection, however. Or desired to worship me of their own volition…." He looked down the length of his nose at her, his ebony eyes veiled beneath a curtain of thick lashes, unreadable as he cupped her face in his large, warm palms, and wiped the tears from her eyes anew.

"One would quite suffice."

Elissa's cheeks burned against the smooth skin of his hands, his words registering dimly. She stared mutely back at him, searching his eyes as her mind conveniently blanked. She did not dare to consider the implications of his words. What he could possibly mean by claiming a single worshipper would be enough for him, what the intent way his deceptively calm gaze was burning into her sought to convey.

"I… Well, I mean…" Her heart seemed to want to burst out of her ribcage, so furiously was it pounding in her chest. She tried to make sense of his statement at the same time she tried to pretend the words had never left his mouth. It was utter egoism to think he meant her, wasn't it? To assume a deity so wonderful, so highborn and noble, could want anything at all from her humble self was the height of narcissism - wasn't it?

Itachi saved her the trouble of answering by drawing slowly back and rising smoothly to his feet.

"Is it time to go back already?" Elissa asked, hastening to rise to her feet as well.

Itachi reached out for her hand, "I was under the impression you would appreciate a closer glance." Elissa stepped closer and took his hand automatically as her eyes darted towards the temple in the center of the lake. Had she been that transparent with her curious glances?

"Is that allowed?" The question was out before she could stop it, and Itachi glanced briefly back at her, an amused smile on his lips. She bit her lip in embarrassment. Of course it was, otherwise he wouldn't have suggested it.

They drew to a stop just before the grassy field gave way to the waters of the lake. Itachi shifted slightly, until he stood just behind her. His left hand held hers aloft as his right hand came to rest on her hip.

"With me," he murmured into her ear before stepping forward, bringing Elissa along with him. She advanced at his gentle instruction, certain she would be wading through the lake's cold waters. A gasp of delight escaped her lips when her feet never broke through the water's surface. She reached unthinkingly for Itachi as she stared wide-eyed at her own booted feet, stunned to see that the lake supported her weight as surely as if she weighed little more than any one of the lotus flowers.

When she turned towards him, she was slightly embarrassed to see how the fingers of her right hand were curled around his cloak in a death-grip, even as he held her left hand securely in his own.

"This is amazing," she breathed in wonder, drawing slightly back as she stared around herself at the water glimmering in the moonlight and the lotus flowers floating around them. Itachi led the way further along the lake and Elissa held his hand firmly even as her eyes drank up her surroundings, turning back to see the shore shrinking into the distance before her very eyes.

At length, they arrived at the marble steps of the temple and Itachi released her hand as she climbed the two stairs to the temple's circular platform. Up close, the temple's interior was only slightly larger than the ground floor of her friends' tea shop. She flew over the gold-inlaid marble floor and twirled in circles, arms spread out and overjoyed.

Visiting Greece in person, seeing the temples of the very deities she had studied so much about had never been anything more than a far-off dream to her, one only ever preceded by the words, "Maybe one day". These were the deities she had fashioned an entire world around, her head full of the stories she had read - and the one she wanted to write. Lifting her head to the domed ceiling she saw an intricate display of imagery and ancient writings spilling and sprawling over one another just overhead.

"Wow," she breathed, mesmerized by the entire experience. Turning back to Itachi she found him lingering between the columns, arms folded over his chest as he observed her quietly, an emotion indiscernible weighing in those slate-black eyes.

"Itachi," she called, hoping to rouse him from whatever sobering thoughts weighed him down. She pointed upwards, a smile lifting the corners of her rosy lips, "Could you tell me what that says?"

Hesitating only a merest moment, he unfolded his arms and crossed over to where she stood. Stopping just beside her, he lifted his eyes to the inscription before reading aloud.

"The divine temple of the exalted Goddess Nyx, Queen of the Underworld."

"The goddess Nyx!" Elissa exclaimed, clapping with delight as she turned towards him. She had thought they might have stumbled upon the temple of some minor deity, but the Queen of the Underworld herself? "She's very well-known," she explained to Itachi before grinning at the ceiling.

"Amazing. To think I'm standing here in the temple of Nyx. She's your mother, right?" Elissa asked, glancing briefly at him before redirecting her gaze to the ceiling, her eyes trailing over the inscriptions.

A tight nod served as Itachi's answer and Elissa - too entranced by her surroundings - did not notice the subtle way the death deity tensed.

"I'm so lucky to have met you," she gushed. "I've seen and experienced so many wonderful things because of you. The field, this temple - I've dreamed all my life of seeing the ancient temples - and I," she whirled back to face him, "I even walked on water! I'm almost afraid I'll wake up tomorrow and it will all have been a dream. Thank you so much."

She noted that he did not seem to share her joy. The expression in his eyes was conflicted, as far as she could tell, and the way his lips were pressed stubbornly together was nothing like the easygoing, amused smile he had indulged at her expense only moments earlier.

"You have nothing to thank me for," he refuted quietly.

The slight emphasis on the word "you" rang familiar. She recalled how he had spoken similar words, once. "You have nothing to fear from me." The intonation had seemed to imply that even if the entire world feared him, she could be at ease. Similarly, was he now saying that whoever chose to thank him, she was the last person who should do so? Why?

"Itachi, I feel so fortunate to know you," her hazel eyes met his entreatingly. "There are so many wonders I would never have known anything about were it not for you. You've shown me beautiful things, things I could never even have imagined. And helped me out so many times where you didn't have to. Of course I'm thankful to you."

"Fortunate?" Itachi echoed with a frown. A short contemplative silence followed, before he spoke again. "My interference in your life has caused you nothing but grief. The pain you were made to endure up until now is due to my shortcomings, I am well aware of the fact. How then, can my presence indicate good fortune for you?" His ebony eyes searched hers for an answer, but found none that satisfied him.

"Itachi, there's more to it than just that," Elissa attempted. "Whatever has it out for me, that has nothing to do with you. That isn't your fault. And you've done everything you can to help me. Even if you hadn't, even if you didn't spoil me with so much of your time and your attention, you… by the riverside in those early days already, you gave me so much peace." She swallowed, embarrassed by her own confession. "Even for that alone, I can never thank you enough."

He lifted a hand slowly, and Elissa watched, mesmerized, as shadows lifted themselves from their places in the darkness and approached at his command, settling in the palm of his hand, twisting, morphing, transforming into something of his desire. A single, black peony bloomed in the palm of his hand, with undertones of royal blue and violet. Itachi stepped closer and tucked the flower behind her ear - a gentle, affectionate gesture that took her breath away. Her forehead rested nearly on his chest as he adjusted the flower just so.

"Forgive me, Angelissa." The quiet, regretful tone of voice cut her to the quick. "For that which you have lost. For that which you were made to suffer. For my hesitation in being forthcoming with you - and the grief you were made to endure as a result. For not yet having resolved the danger that looms over you." He paused briefly, before stepping back ever so slightly, his eyes skimming over the flower at her ear.

"I have wronged you, Angelissa."

Elissa sucked in a sharp breath of air. She had blamed him for many of the things that had happened, but to hear him acknowledge it, in so mournful a tone, broke her heart. He had only been doing the best he could. He had only intended to save her from harm. There was no need for him to be this regretful, was there?

Boldly now, with the confidence of one speaking the truth, she repeated the words she had spoken into the darkness three days prior.

"There's nothing to forgive."

Itachi's lips parted slightly as if to speak, but Elissa pushed on. "You did your best for my sake, I know. Even Slayte has only been able to protect me so far, because of the powers you gave her. We would have been lost many times over without them. If you weren't involved in my life, this mysterious enemy would still have it out for me, only I wouldn't have a protector anymore."

She swallowed thickly, realizing the truth of the words as they left her mouth. "So, please don't apologize to me. I realize now that you never intended to hurt me. I think, maybe you just didn't realize how important you were to me. How much it would hurt me if you cut me off."

Her cheeks tinged red at her confession, unsure if Itachi would take it as such. He stood with his usual effortless elegance, regal and unintentionally proud as he listened quietly.

"Really, Itachi," she repeated. "It's not your fault. Please, don't think that it is."

When, still, he said nothing, Elissa closed the distance between them in frustration. She lifted her hands to his mask, wanting to tear it away, wanting to see the expression behind those ebony irises. She wanted to know, finally, what he was really feeling, and not have to guess anymore.

Itachi made no attempt to stop her, but the instant she pulled the mask from his face, she froze.

Those familiar onyx eyes, as black as a moonless night, veiled beneath a curtain of thick lashes and flecked with the faintest greys if she looked closely, were always walled off to outsiders. The emotion within carefully concealed by his iron will and by the mask he wore. Was it simply because she had begun spending more time with him that she was learning to see beyond his exterior? Or was he lowering the barriers intentionally, allowing her to see the tempest buried deep within? A sorrow so poignant and enduring was etched into his dark eyes, the weight of it was crushing. It felt as old as time and as heavy as the universe.

"Oh," the mask fell to the marble floor, where it disintegrated into gold dust. She stepped closer, still, lifting her hands despite herself to cup his face. Her eyebrows furrowed in distress, as her heart clenched painfully.

"Oh, Itachi," she whispered, the words catching in her throat as an ache flooded through her chest. Her hazel eyes searched his own dark ones, and she brushed the pads of her thumbs along his cheekbones in a comforting gesture.

"How can a god be so sad?" she asked, her voice breaking. "Please, don't be sad. Not for my sake. Please."

"Angelissa." His now familiar hand came up to catch her wrist, but he did not pull her hand away, stroking his thumb along her pulse point on the inside of her wrist. If he felt her pulse scrambling beneath his touch, he did not comment on it. "Your plight and your safety are my concern. Not simply because someone interferes with my domain." He paused, his eyes boring into hers, and she could not bring herself to remove her hands from his face, let alone step back. The muted pain she had seen in his eyes had lessened at her touch - it made her want to never remove her hands at all.

"But because a discourtesy to you is an insult to me. And a threat to you," he paused, his eyes boring into hers as he allowed his words to sink in. "Is a declaration of war to me."

It was as if time had come to a standstill - and her heart and mind along with it. To hear him confirm aloud what she had not even allowed herself to entertain in her thoughts - that she meant something to him. That her wellbeing was a personal concern of his. That her suffering hurt him, much like his own broke her heart. She felt herself shatter like glass at his touch, at his words, at the same time she felt blissfully whole and content. To feel acknowledged by him, to feel cherished was euphoria to the highest degree. She was drunk on the very notion. But… was that allowed at all? What could that mean for the two of them?

Elissa withdrew her hands slowly, conflicted. She clutched them to her chest, suddenly realizing how bold she had been with her touches, her words, her affections. What had she been thinking, skirting the clear line between them that way?

"Why would you say that?" she asked, hopeful she would, for once, receive a clear answer, although she feared his response just as much.

"Because it is the truth." He extended a hand in invitation, not reaching for the one she had snatched back in horror, allowing her the freedom to take his hand or not.

"The hour grows late, Angelissa. Allow me to escort you to your quarters."

Hesitantly, she took his hand, and almost immediately a familiar flurry of black feathers fluttered around them. By the time she had blinked through the windy onslaught of feathers and oriented herself in the new setting, she realized that they now stood in her apartment.

She looked around, dimly noting a vase of flowers on the ground that Vetty had likely knocked over. She looked back up at Itachi, who stood shrouded in the darkness of her unlit apartment, his features were impossible to make out in the dark, only the vague silhouette and the warmth of his body reassured her he was close.

Under cover of the night, hidden by the shadows of her apartment, she felt emboldened, hidden, safe. She reached out hesitantly, until her hand met his chest, flitting over the golden claps holding his cloak closed, and coming to rest over his heart, beating faithfully against her palm.

"I don't understand," she whispered miserably into the darkness. "I don't understand you. I don't understand myself."

She felt his hand on her shoulder, felt his fingers slip under her hair to grip the nape of her neck, felt the cold metal of his silver rings press into her skin as he drew her in, holding her fast against his chest. His warmth enveloped her, his heart thudded dully against her ears - its pace faster than she would have expected. She closed her eyes. Unable to see anything, she could pretend this wasn't happening, couldn't she? Was it safe here, hidden away in the dark? Was it allowed?

"There is time," he murmured quietly. "Time to decide what it is you desire, Angelissa." He paused, and he seemed to be weighing his words carefully. "My wishes…" Itachi withdrew his hand slowly, his fingertips brushing tantalizingly in a feathery touch across the nape of her neck - a move so deliberate she could not deceive herself into thinking it had been anything other than intentional. That he had fully intended to make her shudder against him the way that she did. "Should be clear."

She drew back, searching for his eyes in the darkness, even as slats of moonlight slipping between the curtained windows dimly illuminated the planes of his handsome face. She trembled - bereft of his embrace and a storm of confusion brewing within her. She could not reconcile what her rational mind insisted upon with everything she had seen and heard.

"Take rest, Angelissa." He whispered gently, cupping her cheek briefly. Immediately warmth seeped into her skin and she felt her racing heart slow. "I bid you good eve."

Elissa nodded numbly, realizing what he was doing, even as her mind still reeled with the entire experience - the events of the past few minutes no less concerning than the words he had spoken to her in his mother's temple.

"Good night, Itachi," she whispered, finding her voice with difficulty.

He nodded in return, holding her gaze for a fleeting moment, before he disappeared before her very eyes, leaving her awash with an emotion so intense, it threatened to drown her where she stood. With trembling fingers, she withdrew the ethereal peony from behind her ear, staring down at the lovely petals in wonder. It was real. It hadn't faded away. As real as everything else that had happened that evening.

Was she allowed to entertain hope? Did she want to?

Numbly, Elissa turned to the kitchen, retrieving a small vase and filling it with water. Retreating into her bedroom, she set it on the nightstand, and slipped the peony into the lukewarm water. She admired its beautiful colorings again in the dim light of the small lamp. A gift from Itachi. Her very first. She hoped it would never wilt.

She blinked as her gaze fell onto a piece of foreign jewelry resting just beside the vase. She picked it up to get a closer look and was surprised to find a thin, golden bangle that appeared to be a serpent's head biting its own tail. Red, glittering stones indicated the snake's eyes and she replaced the bangle on the nightstand with a frown. She didn't own such a piece of jewelry.

Had Cami left it behind during her visit? She would have to ask her about it in the morning. With a sigh, she got back up to change into her pajamas and prepare for bed. Her stomach growled with hunger but she ignored it, the grocery shopping would have to wait for another day.

Curling up beneath her blankets, her eyes slid shut. Bewildering words of affection echoed in her ears, the skin at the back of her neck tingled, and the smell of bellflowers lingered in her nose. She slipped away into the world of sleep, Itachi's sorrowful eyes still lingering in her mind's eye.


"Tell me you were successful, serpent."

The clandestine meeting of the two tall men, veiled in heavy cloaks and shrouded in shadow, bore an ominous aura. No passerby would dare to linger in their presence, or rather, none would dare to pass at all.

"It is done, my Lord." The eerie hiss that sounded in response to the first speaker was strangely inhuman. A strange piercing sound, like pressured steam escaping, passed between those thin, curved lips whenever the stranger spoke.

"She has received your gift, then?" The dark, booming voice sent a shudder down the thin man's spine.

"Indeed, my lord," the meager lips curled into a sneer, revealing glittering sharp teeth. "Imbued with your very own chakra, awaiting your command."

"It has taken root?"

A brief, pensive silence caused the taller man's aloof expression to morph into one of disapproval. "Speak, snake."

"It will be implanted shortly. The feline…" the lanky man frowned in renewed irritation. "What manner of beast is it? She carried an overpowering chakra, it was not possible to implant it without arousing suspicion."

"You dare lie to me?" The booming voice, seethed. The slender man had as much as assured the task had been completed - falsely. "You owe me your very life. You were rotting away in Tartarus, tearing your throat with screams of agony before I took pity on your wretched state and offered you life, security, and the means to continue your research. You dare speak falsehoods to me?!" The deep voice bristled with dangerous wrath.

"My Lord, I assure you, the seed will take root at the first opportunity. Allow me to prove that there is no cause for concern." The slender, long-haired man hastened to appease his superior.

"You are dismissed," the elder spoke in a dissatisfied drawl. "I will have it within the day. Your report or your head."

"Certainly, my Lord." A deep, humble bow hid the man's scowl from view as he retreated into the shadows, not straightening until he was safely out of sight.


It was a mild winter afternoon in December, easing slowly, imperceptibly, into the evening. The sun humored the residents of Canterbury with a rare glimpse of her jovial face that day, and its fading rays tempted the owners of the Wings of Freedom tea shop to enjoy their last tea of the day on their rooftop terrace where a wrought-iron table topped with a thick, shattered-glass surface on a black backdrop like a starlit sky stood flanked by a loveseat and two armchairs of polished, black-lacquered wood with pristine, white canvas cushions. A string of lightbulbs hung overhead, providing soft, dim lighting in lieu of the setting sun.

The young couple sat side by side, curled up on the loveseat with a blue and white plaid, woolen throw blanket spread over their laps. Two steaming cups of tea rested on the table. Levi sat with his legs outstretched, one crossed over the other, engrossed entirely in his newly purchased For All the Tea in China: How England Stole the World's Favorite Drink and Changed History, a compelling take on how tea - and England's obsession with it - had changed the very fate of the world.

Slayte had started out sitting beside him, absorbed in her own book, then resting her head on his shoulder, posture growing increasingly more lax until she had slid down to rest her head on his lap, her legs curled up under the blanket, staring intently at her phone as he stroked her hair away from her face absentmindedly. A comforting action he had been repeating mindlessly the past fifteen minutes without being truly conscious of it. Her own preferred reading, Classical Poems of the Eighteenth Century rested beside her tea on the table, both equally neglected.

Levi's gaze slid briefly from the sprawling text of his book to her furrowed brow. He momentarily considered smoothing out the expression with his fingers but resisted the temptation, continuing with his gentle caresses instead.

"When was she last online?" The murmured question took root immediately, and Slayte huffed in annoyance.

"I don't know," she lamented. "She hasn't posted anything new recently. The messenger app says she was online an hour ago, but I wrote her a message to check and she hasn't read -" Slayte cut herself off, lifting her eyes from her cell phone screen to meet Levi's unimpressed, grey irises staring down at her blankly. His hand stilled in her hair and she bit her lip, realizing her mistake.

"Falling back into old habits, are we?" He asked, returning his attention to his book.

Realizing that he had baited her, and that he wasn't about to continue with his affectionate touches anytime soon, Slayte lifted her head from his lap and sat up. "I'm just worried about her. Anything can happen at any time and I can't trust anyone."

"Define 'anyone'." Levi drawled, turning a page.

With a sigh, Slayte reached for her tea, draining the last few sips that remained. "I don't know what's going on. I don't know what he wants from her. He wrote her poetry, for goodness' sake!" Slayte glared at the neglected book on the table as she complained. "I have to take care of her."

"Let me get this straight," Levi retorted, pressing his index finger between the pages he was reading to hold his place before shutting the book, and angling his head towards her to give her his full attention.

"Elissa is being hunted by some shitty god and you can't figure out who it is. She has some ugly fuckers stalking every corner to attack her. When we've saved her - and we don't have a 100% success rate - it's only ever been by a hair's breadth. And your problem is that the only one who stands a chance at saving her ass likes her more than you're comfortable with?"

She felt ashamed at the obvious, undeniable logic, but persisted nonetheless. "Wouldn't you be worried?" Slayte implored, "He's not just a god. He's a god of death!"

"Why would I be?" Levi shot back, "It's not any of my business, is it?"

The gentle reminder - that it wasn't any of her business, either, went entirely over her head.

"We've always looked out for her, haven't we?" Slayte tried again, gesturing in exasperation.

With a sigh, Levi turned back to his book. "Why do you think she turned away from you in the first place, Slayte?"

"That was because of Cain -!"

Levi shot her a sharp look before turning back to his book, "Don't blame it on that asshole. If she trusted you, nothing he said could have come between you."

"Well, then, what would you say it is?" Slayte crossed her arms with a pout. "She didn't want to believe me but I was clearly right about him. I always am! But no one listens to me. She needs me to look out for her, to fend off the assholes."

"No, she doesn't," Levi shot back. "This is exactly the reason she wanted out. She doesn't need us to be her parents, Slayte. She needs you to be her friend. To listen to her. To show some understanding and stop trying to manipulate her life on your own. Stop shaming her for her choices."

Slayte gasped in dismay, "I do NOT do that!"

Levi merely stared back blankly until Slayte recalled how she had shouted in the tea shop, aghast that Thanatos had revealed his face to Elissa and then kissed her.

"You keep this up, you'll end up right back where you started." Levi glanced at his book and, realizing he hadn't understood a word of what he had read, flipped back a page. "Is that what you want?"

"She may have apologized. Did you? You think this was just her fault? You can give her the information she needs to make good choices. But trying to make those choices for her - are you going to do that again, now that you've finally made up?"

"Should I just… let him -" she began, irritated, but Levi was having none of it.

"She knows what he is. The rest is up to her. Would you take kindly to someone telling me to stay away from you?" He raised an eyebrow, giving her a meaningful look. Both of them knew full well just how Slayte would react to such an interference.

"You and I are different," she insisted quietly, hesitantly. "They're not like us."

"You don't know that. It's an egoistic assumption. She knows more than I did, going into this. You think I knew you didn't intend to stay? That you couldn't have kids? That you came from some creepy-ass zombie world? You don't think that's stuff I should have known before starting things with you?" The accusations he leveled at her were spoken so matter-of-factly she could only stare at him, wide-eyed, stunned to realize that these were things that upset him.

"I didn't want to get involved with you. I told you as much more times than I can count. I told you it was complicated." Her voice came out in a hushed whisper. She felt both hurt and ashamed, feeling that she had wronged him somehow, with her prolonged silence. But what could she have done? It wasn't as if she could have come out and told him directly.

"Yeah, I remember." He retreated into stubborn silence, leaving her staring at him, conflicted. Should she have held out back then? Insisted on maintaining a distance that had been eating her alive?

"I had no choice, Levi. I was certain you would die if you learned about the underworld. That was a belief I was raised with, I didn't realize the truth until just recently!" She folded her hands in her lap, trying to still their trembling as guilt washed over her.

"Right. But did you try and figure out a workaround, or were you relieved to have a valid reason not to tell me? Because the way I see it, you didn't even try." He seemed to be entirely engrossed in his book, not even looking up at her as he spoke. His casual, laidback manner only frustrated her further.

"You talk a lot about how short our lives are. Then you probably know that humans are selective in who we choose to spend time with. Our time is an investment. A process of figuring out who we want to spend our lives with." Every word cut through her like a jagged knife. He listed off his complaints without emotion, like the ingredients of a recipe, but Slayte could only look on helplessly, brows furrowed in confused hurt.

"But you don't care about stuff like that! You never cared about labels!" She felt disoriented, as if a fundamental truth she had always believed in had just been torn from beneath her feet.

"Just because I don't care about labels doesn't mean I don't plan for my future." He spared her a glance before his grey eyes shifted back to the botanist's adventure scrawled out on the pages before him. "But you were just going to disappear at a time when it was too late for me to start over, and think nothing of it, right? That was your master plan?"

Slayte did not know what to say. Of course, he planned for his future. With how he ran his business, with the fine-tuned five and ten-year plans. With his detail-oriented budgeting. With the love and care he poured into every bit of the shop, it was obvious that he laid out careful plans, that he had a vision for the future. She had just never seriously considered back then that she, herself, was a part of those plans. After all, she was insignificant, right? Replaceable?

It had seemed wise at the time. Self-sacrificial and noble, even, to force herself to leave rather than involve him with the dark mysteries of the underworld. It would have broken her heart, but she would have accepted that, rather than shatter the peaceful illusion of life on the surface that he shared with all other mortals. She had thought it would be the right thing to do.

She was ashamed to admit that she had never even considered how unfair that plan was to Levi. He was devastatingly handsome, his rugged manner - rough around the edges - only added to his charm. She was certain he could find another - at any age. Who wouldn't want him? He turned heads wherever he went. She could only count herself lucky that it was herself he had taken an interest in. It wasn't as if he felt for her with the same dizzying, breathtaking intensity that she felt for him, right? It wasn't as if her very absence would rob him of the will to live - the way that separation from him felt for her, right? He tolerated her presence, he liked her, she even let herself believe that he loved her, but Levi was not the type to lose his head over any woman - not even herself. If she disappeared one day, he would likely shake his head in disappointment, then pick himself up and move on, wouldn't he? He was practical that way. He wouldn't be tempted to fling himself to the depths of Tartarus. He wouldn't weep for days and nights, the way she was sure she would if she were forced to separate from him.

And still, the fact remained, that she would have had wasted his time and ruined his carefully-laid plans, and he would never have known why. She swallowed thickly, awash with guilt and shame. Why had she thought that was a good idea at the time? Was he angry with her? He had every right to be.

"Oi." The familiar rebuke had her lifting her head to meet his eyes, now fixed firmly on her. "That's not the point. The point is that Elissa knows what's going on and she knows what she's getting herself into. Tell her what you're worried about but don't manipulate her. That's all I'm saying."

Slayte nodded, still wringing her hands uneasily. "She knows it in theory, but not in practice. There are things you simply can't grasp without having seen it and I - I just don't trust him."

In the silence that followed, Levi set his book on the table before picking up his teacup and turning towards her. "Why?"

"Because…" she trailed off, trying to summarize her concerns.

He sipped at his tea, his piercing grey eyes never leaving her face. "Is this even about Elissa? Or is it about you? Are you jealous?"

The question was like a slap to the face, adding insult to injury.

"Levi…" her brows drew together in hurt as her lips parted in stunned betrayal. "How could you say that?"

"Don't make this about me," Levi waved her concerns away. "There's something going on with you and you need to figure it out before you get her killed. I want to know why you're trying to keep her away from her only ally in all of this, when as much as I can't stand the guy, he hasn't shown any ill-will towards her. You've said yourself that he can be trusted and now, all of a sudden, you're singing a very different tune. Is it because he's paying attention to her after ignoring you for 800 years? Are you pissed about that?"

Slayte averted her gaze, wanting nothing more than to go inside before tears spilled from her eyes. His relentless interrogation wore down on her defenses, leaving her feeling weak and vulnerable. The accusation made her feel low and dirty.

But was there some kernel of truth in Levi's statement? Was there some ugly jealousy in the depths of her heart, asking her why Thanatos had taken notice of someone so far removed from his world while remaining entirely ignorant of someone who had been by his side for eight hundred years - wholly loyal and faithful to him, admiring his every word and action? Did it make her feel inferior? Did it hurt? Was she acting on some selfish jealousy rather than out of concern for Elissa's wellbeing? The very thought made her sick. It made her hate herself with a scorn so violent she wanted to be swallowed up by the earth itself. Such selfish friends should not be allowed to live. Was there truth in Levi's suggestion?

But she did not love Thanatos. She never had. She had never wanted him to hold her the way Levi did. She had never caught herself staring at his lips as if they were the sweetest ambrosia. Had never lost herself in the shimmering, silver pools of his irises as if they were the doors to Elysium. She had never felt anything for Thanatos that even resembled the tempest of emotion that Levi awakened in her with the merest of glances. So, what then, was there to be jealous of?

"I wanted him to be my family." The words were out of her mouth almost before her mind had produced them. "I was given into his service. He was the first person I could call my own. My master. It was not a loving or a familial bond. But it was the very first bond I ever had. I wanted him to see it as such. I wanted him to recognize me, to tell me I was doing well. I wanted so badly to belong. But, if someone as perceptive and all-seeing as Thanatos couldn't see what had been beside him for eight hundred years, then… there must be something wrong with me, right?" She met his gaze with tired chestnut eyes.

"I keep asking myself if there was something I should have done differently. I just want to know what was wrong with me that everyone despised me, even the one god who didn't despise anyone. What was so wrong with me that he didn't see me? That no one cared?" She clenched her fists in her lap to keep them from shaking and dropped her gaze. "And I am afraid… I am afraid he will make Elissa feel this way, too. That he will make her feel worthless. Flawed and broken. Because what his eyes see is no illusion. What he sees is the cold, hard truth. His judgment is a verdict. If he looks at her with those unfeeling eyes one day…" she shuddered to think of it. Elissa's devil-may-care attitude was only a front to cover a heart that loved deeply, defenselessly. She never wanted her friend to find herself on the receiving end of his callous, cruel demeanor. With a sigh, she continued. "But he didn't see me. That made me ask myself, what am I?"

She turned sorrowful eyes towards him, hoping he would have an answer for her, but only saw his impassive, unreadable silver eyes looking back at her patiently.

"Are you going to blame yourself because someone else is blind? How can you hold a grudge against him when you're doing the exact same thing?" Levi's firm scolding had her biting her lip in confusion.

"You're pissed because he didn't see you, but are you seeing yourself? Or are you looking everywhere else? When will you stop and take notice? You think some shitty god gets to decide your worth? You're not waiting for his verdict, you're waiting for your own."

Depositing his teacup on the table, he scowled in annoyance. "Tch, always philosophizing over the shittiest things. Maybe you weren't made for his eyes," he turned his head towards her, his steely-grey eyes shimmering with an emotion she could not place. "Maybe you were made for mine."

The breath caught in her throat as her heart skipped a beat at his words. She felt warmth pooling in her face, but she could not drag her gaze away from the pull of his cloudy-grey eyes.

He was right. If Thanatos had taken notice of and acknowledged her, she would never have escaped to the surface and she would never have met the man sitting across from her. Everything playing out the way it had, was what led to this moment - and she wouldn't give it up for the world.

She sniffled and could feel tears stinging the corners of her eyes, ready to embarrass her again. Without another word, she crawled across the loveseat and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest.

Levi lifted a hand to her back on reflex, rubbing gently with a sigh. "We need this guy. We don't have to like him, but we need him. Learn to play your cards better, Slayte. Lose to win, and all that."

She nodded against his chest, not trusting herself to speak with the lump in her throat. Minutes passed in which Levi leaned back against the armrest, staring up at the sky beyond the string of incandescent lightbulbs, glittering with stars. His hand stroked up and down her back absentmindedly, the instinct to comfort Slayte so deeply rooted in his subconscious he hardly put a thought to it.

"Are you angry with me?" she finally whispered quietly, daring to speak at last. "For not telling you sooner? For wasting your time?"

A long moment's silence passed in which Levi blinked up at the stars overhead. Was he angry at her? Far from it. He was unnerved to think she would have left him so easily - but angry? It was hard to be angry with someone who was always so angry with herself. "Remember what I told you back then?"

Words from a time long past echoed back to Slayte's ears. Words he had spoken after she had insisted for the umpteenth time that there could never be anything between them due to a past she could not tell him about. Due to the ties that bound her - that would always bind her - no matter how far she ran. Things she would never be able to tell him. To begin a relationship with him was a ridiculous notion - an impossible suggestion. She had wanted nothing more than to throw caution to the wind and indulge in it, to pass through the door he was holding open for her without looking back. But it wasn't fair to him, not in the slightest. What had he said to her back then? How had he changed her mind?

'There is nothing you could tell me that would make a difference. Nothing you could say that would make me not want this. Whatever it is, I don't give a damn.'

"I remember," she murmured quietly, blinking at the interwoven yarns of his beige, knit sweater, clutched between her fingers.

"I'll take whatever you give me, Slayte. Even if it's only a day."

Her heart flooded with warmth at his answer, her guilt and shame washing away in the face of his honest acceptance of her, his forgiving affection. She closed her eyes, contentment consuming her. She felt the tension and worries fade from her body as sleepiness settled in. Somewhere on the table, her phone lit up with an incoming message, but Slayte hardly noticed, safe and securely wrapped up in his embrace - his warm arms keeping the cold night air at bay.

"I love you, Levi," she mumbled, eager to get the words out before she fell asleep entirely.

Unbeknownst to her, Levi's eyes had slid shut as well, his hand stilling on her back. "Hm," he hummed, half-asleep.

"I know."


Vetty crossed one leg over the other, her feet resting on the coffee table and her long, wavy black hair falling freely down her shoulders as she leaned back on the sofa. One hand in a bag of potato chips she was nearly certain Elissa wouldn't miss - she was too distracted lately to notice much of anything, anyways - and the remote control in her other hand. Vetty frowned as she watched a woman in a corset and bustling skirts curtsy to a man in a heavily-embroidered, brightly colored suit. The man peered down at the woman with a lopsided smile as a single, dark curl fell over his forehead.

Vetty clicked her tongue, her bushy tail swaying back and forth in annoyance. Was this what mortals considered attractive? Some pompous young mortal, leering suggestively at a woman blinking up at him through long lashes, feigning innocence? She preferred the raw, heated way mortals in reality went after one another. That was amusing, at least. Honest.

And was this man supposed to be handsome? He couldn't hold a candle to Indra. What with his long, soft brown hair. His penetrating, vermilion eyes, thick-lashed and shaded in purple. His tall, proud form. His voice that could make you forget who you were. And when he smiled at you…

Vetty shook her head and changed the channel with a scowl.

Waste of time.

Flipping through the channels, Vetty's frown grew more pronounced. None of it was even mildly interesting. With a sigh, she dropped the remote on the sofa, leaving an infomercial on cat food running. She lifted the bag of chips and tilted her head back, letting the last crumbs tumble into her mouth before crumpling up the bag. With a careless toss over her shoulder, it landed neatly into the trashcan standing in the corner of the room.

She leaned back into the sofa and let her head droop to the side, her eyes falling on Elissa's bedroom door. Vetty's eyes narrowed as she recalled the events of the day, before Elissa had left the premises. What had it all meant? There had been something unnatural about her friend. Her demeanor, her expression, even her very aura had been decidedly unlike the talkative, friendly girl who had visited Elissa on a few occasions. The young woman's reaction to herself, too, drew Vetty's suspicion. At least Vetty had been able to ensure the woman left the apartment shortly. Still, there was a prickling of unease in the back of Vetty's neck that she could not make sense of. Vetty blew a stray strand of hair out of her face as she tilted her head against the backrest and closed her eyes.

Feeling along the connection of their blood bond, Vetty sensed that the mortal was in safety, and if the prominent, dark aura surrounding the girl was anything to go by, she was likely in Thanatos' company. Sweat beaded on Vetty's forehead and she could feel her muscles cramping painfully. She hoped Elissa would soon return. The blood bond was strongly influenced by intentions. So long as Elissa did not intend to separate herself from Vetty, physical distances were tolerable. It would seem, however, that this time, she had gone somewhere further away than she ever had before and Vetty was feeling the effects of it. Perhaps she ought to explain a thing or two about the blood bond to Elissa. Maybe she could answer the next time the young mortal sought to make conversation.

On the other hand, though, Vetty knew that Elissa sought comfort from her feline companion. She suspected a part of the mortal would be disappointed to find that Vetty was, in fact, a snarky, mischievous being older than everything Elissa had ever known or heard of. The young woman was quick to approach Vetty when she felt low, when she needed an embrace or any sort of affection. Vetty did not want to deprive the girl of that through her true identity. Some misconceptions did more good than harm, after all. And besides, she was utterly disinclined to answer the countless questions Elissa likely had.

There was something akin to a ripple of chakra in the air and Vetty immediately morphed back into her feline form. She had never shown her true form to a soul besides Indra, and she preferred to keep it that way.

Sure enough, a familiarly annoying face appeared in water within the vase of flowers set on the low table. Vetty frowned at the troublesome deity. Exactly what she didn't need right now. She was still holding a grudge from their last meeting, when Poseidon had so rudely turned his back on their agreement and attacked the mortal she had chosen to protect. What could he hope to gain from approaching her now?

"Hey!" Suigetsu leapt straight into the offensive, frustration radiating from his voice. "You damn brat! What's with the royal underworld pain in the ass, god of doom and gloom?"

Vetty's frown faded at the exclamation. Thanatos had been to see Poseidon? Had he begun to suspect the ocean deity's involvement in his attack on Elissa? A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.

"What were you expecting, ocean brat?" she shot back telepathically. "Even a day-old deity knows better than to underestimate Thanatos of the Uchiha. Did I not warn you that the mortal is under his protection?"

"How was I supposed to know he would have the balls to attack me in my own realm?!" Suigetsu's pout was clearly visible through the long stems of the white tulips.

"You might have listened to me, instead of going off on your own like an insufferable child." Vetty's haughty tone of voice came across loud and clear.

"What does he know now?"

"As much as I do," Suigetsu huffed in aggravation. "That there's this shitty prophecy and some out-of-luck humans littering my oceans."

Vetty fell silent. He knew about the petrified humans? He must have been furious, and yet… he had not sought her out anew. Did he know that she had already told him all she was able? He was the wisest of the underworld deities, Vetty hoped he would be able to piece it together. She was still bound as familiar to Nyx, and could not reveal anything to the god of death without Nyx's unsavory paramour being alerted to the betrayal and possibly bringing harm to the young goddess. As much as she found Nyx's actions deplorable, she could not help but recall the young maiden goddess she had watched grow up, accompanying her through all her grievances, before she watched her be corrupted by Cronus. Whatever actions she could take to prevent harm befalling the goddess of night were preferable.

Not to mention the seal Nyx herself had set on her, to prevent her communicating the details of her service to the goddess to anyone. Thanatos was clever, he would figure it out. Slayte was reckless and shortsighted, but uncannily astute when it came to identifying the dangers that lingered around the brunette. If the two of them worked together, surely it would only be a matter of time?

"We used to be a team, Vetty. We were out there, wreaking havoc everywhere. This whole save-the-world gig isn't really our thing." Suigetsu complained. "But ever since you shoved the stick of righteousness up your ass, we've been doing nothing but arguing and it fucking blows. You're no fun anymore."

"And yet you came to complain to me, again." Vetty remarked dryly.

"I've got a bad feeling about all this. Can we even trust that Uchiha's cryptic ass? How do we know things won't get even worse if she falls into his hands?" Suigetsu mused aloud.

"Now you ask, for once, instead of flinging accusations?" Vetty's drawl dripped with sarcasm.

"What the hell happened to working together, huh?"

Vetty leapt from the sofa to the table, narrowing her eyes at the deity within the vase. "You nearly killed the girl. Did you think I would be so quick to forgive? Prove your worth before seeking reconciliation."

"Prove my worth?" He sneered. "Watch it. Have you forgotten who I am?"

With a smug smirk, Vetty lifted a paw, claws extended, "Oh, I know what you are, Poseidon of the Seas…." without further warning, she tipped over the vase, spilling the flowers and water onto the carpet.

"A sorry little puddle."

Vetty leapt from the table and sauntered out of the room, her tail swishing proudly behind her.


The front door of the tea shop opened as the bell overhead jingled. Elissa stepped inside, pocketing her key as she entered. She was dressed down today, wearing dark blue skinny jeans and a white, high-collared, knit sweater. Her long, wavy brown hair was tied back in a ponytail.

"Elissa!" Slayte turned to the door with a smile. Levi stood at her side, making adjustments on the coffee machine. He glanced over his shoulder briefly, nodding at her in greeting before turning back to try and fix whatever seemed to be malfunctioning.

"Morning," Elissa greeted with a smile of her own, hanging up her coat and stowing away her purse. Her mind was still abuzz with the events of the night previous, Itachi's words and his gentle touch still lingering in her memory. She shook her head to banish the thoughts. She had scarcely slept that night, tossing and turning as she tried to make sense of what had transpired. It was nearly dawn when she fell into a restless sleep, none the wiser.

There was no time for such recollections now. Today marked Elissa's third day of working in the tea shop, and she was quickly realizing that quite a bit had changed from the last time she had worked here on weekends a few years ago. She was giving it her best, but still getting used to the work. She passed by the counter, where Levi and Slayte were still fussing over the coffee machine. Plucking her apron from a hook in the kitchen, she tied the strings into a bow behind her back.

Making herself a cup of morning tea, Elissa made sure to wipe all the surfaces down, for fear Levi would notice any stray water droplets. One thing that hadn't changed was Levi's pedantic standard for cleanliness. It was a wonder the chaotic Slayte managed to put up with his clean-freak tendencies.

Just as Elissa returned to the shop, a sudden hiss of escaping steam met her ears, followed by Slayte's cry of delight that the machine was working again.

"What was wrong with it?" Elissa asked over their shoulders as Levi gathered up the tools he had used to coax the machine into cooperation.

"Beats me," Slayte answered, "But at least we won't have to break bad news to a stream of caffeine-deprived mortals."

Levi placed a large mug beneath the dispenser. "Turn it off when the cycle is through," he instructed the two of them with a stern look.

"You got it, boss!" Elissa grinned with a false salute.

"Don't call me that," Levi frowned, before retreating into the kitchen with his tools.

"Yes, boss!" Slayte and Elissa called in unison at his retreating back. He shot them a disapproving look and the two girls couldn't help but laugh.

"You're early today," Slayte turned back to her friend, wiping her hands on a dishcloth.

Elissa took a sip from her chamomile tea as she leaned against the counter, "I was awake anyway, so I thought I might as well come over."

"Didn't sleep well?" Slayte asked, shooting her a concerned glance as she folded up the dishcloth.

Elissa bit her lip, wondering what to say. She couldn't tell Slayte what had happened with Itachi. There was no doubt in her mind that her friend would lose it completely. It was unfortunate, since Slayte was the only one who could give her some much needed perspective on her situation.

"I guess," Elissa finally answered anticlimactically. Annoyed at herself for not just coming out with it.

Slayte fell silent, acknowledging that the brunette's mannerisms didn't seem to align with her statement. It was likely just as Levi had said, she had made Elissa uncomfortable with her overbearing manner, and her friend no longer felt comfortable sharing her concerns. Slayte frowned. When would she finally learn to be a better friend to the people who mattered to her?

She glanced through the doorway into the kitchen where Levi was making sandwiches for those first customers on their morning commute. How was he so insightful? How did he always know just what to say? She wished she had just a little of his wisdom.

"Everything okay, Slayte?" Elissa asked, noting the taller woman's distracted manner.

"Yeah, I just… I need to talk to you, Elissa."

Elissa laughed weakly, wondering what it could be. With Slayte it could range from not knowing how to work an app to another mind-shattering revelation, "Well, I'm listening."

Slayte sighed and ran a hand through her hair, mulling over her words. "I wanted to apologize. You've always been so accepting of me. Always just took me at face value. You made me feel like it's okay to just be myself, but I think… maybe I've made you accept things that aren't okay."

Elissa blinked at her friend, lost. "I'm not sure I know what you mean."

"I'm not very good at respecting boundaries. I just think that wanting the best for you gives me the right to do whatever is necessary to take care of you, but… that's not the case, right?" Slayte spoke haltingly, as if she were still trying to understand her shortcomings herself.

Elissa stared at her friend, stunned. Unable to believe what she was hearing.

"I want you to feel like I'm on your side. I want you to trust me. In order for that to happen, I have to trust you, too, I think. And I've just been… doing my own thing, I guess. Even when it wasn't my place to do so."

Slayte sighed, gesturing awkwardly as she tried to express her concerns. She lifted large, brown eyes to her friend, worry written on her countenance. "Do you know what I mean?"

Elissa set her cup on the counter and crossed over to her friend, drawing her into a firm, reassuring embrace. "You're my best friend. You're so good to me, what is this even all about?"

Slayte hugged her friend back, sighing with relief. "I want you to be comfortable with me, Elissa. I want to be there for you."

"You're just worried about me," Elissa acknowledged, drawing back. "I'm not stupid, I know that."

"That doesn't make it okay," Slayte shook her head. "Just stop me when I'm going too far okay? I will just tell you everything I know, but the choices are yours to make. That would be better, wouldn't it?"

Elissa smiled softly at her friend, wondering what miracle had occurred to allow Slayte to arrive at that conclusion. "I would like that."

"Oh, that's a relief. Let's do that, then," Slayte beamed, relieved. "There's one more thing I have to tell you, though. So that we can start off on the right foot."

"Sure," Elissa agreed, reaching back for her tea. "Go ahead."

"So, um… when we weren't talking, yeah? I got a background check on Cain." Slayte confessed, her words running over one another as she rushed them out nervously.

"Did you?" Elissa lifted her brows in surprise as she drank from her chamomile tea. She registered dimly that this admission would have likely made her furious a few months ago but now, with everything that had happened in the meantime, with all the supernatural elements added in to the equation - what with double headed dogs, vortexes, deities, and immortality to juggle in her mind, she could hardly find it in her to consider that an oversight. Was this how Slayte had been weighing events the whole time? No wonder she had found it difficult to take Elissa's concerns seriously. Privacy and personal boundaries paled in comparison when one was being hunted by literal gods.

"Did anything weird come up?" Elissa asked, lowering her cup.

Slayte stared at her friend, surprised. This was far from the reaction she had been expecting. She caught herself, and answered with a shake of her head.

"Nothing really. Just that he up and left a very promising position to come here for no reason," Slayte frowned, still not clearly making sense of that. "But Levi says that isn't a big deal."

"Hm," Elissa frowned thoughtfully, wondering still, if Cain was simply an asshole or if he had somehow come to Canterbury specifically to give her a hard time. But she had spent so much time alone with him, surely, if he intended to kill her, he had had more than enough opportunity?

"Are you okay with this?" Slayte asked hesitantly, openly confused.

Elissa waved a hand in dismissal. "Knowing what I know now, I get why you felt that was necessary. But I hope you'll talk to me, before taking a step like that again in future."

"Yeah, of course," Slayte agreed instantly.

Her friend looked at her thoughtfully. "Is Cain really just a regular human? Or is there something else going on there?"

"I've never felt an underworld aura from him. He seems mortal through and through, but he's enough of a nuisance for me to doubt it anyway." Slayte frowned.

Elissa considered this. So much of what was going on was shrouded in mystery, it was hard to say what was related to the underworld and what wasn't. She knew that humans could be assholes even without being demons, but lately, she couldn't help but be suspicious of everything.

"Remember that beach house?" Elissa found herself saying, wanting to return one confession for another. "Cain booked it."

Slayte's jaw fell open. "That - that gorgeous little place you said was a surprise?!"

Elissa winced guiltily at her friend who hastened to compose herself. "I knew you wouldn't set foot in it if I told you, so I kept it to myself. See? I haven't been totally honest with you, either."

Slayte took a moment, before shaking her head with a smile and shrugging it off. "Well, that's that. We should have emptied the bar while we were there."

Elissa laughed in response, draining her tea before asking, "Anything else I need to know?" She found herself enjoying their newfound frankness, despite herself.

Slayte wracked her brain, "Um… well, I threatened Cain and almost killed him."

"What?!" Elissa sputtered, a smile forming on her face that she was almost ashamed of, "When was this? Why don't I know anything about it?"

"It was when you got hurt at that construction site," Slayte clarified. "I almost choked him to death and told him, well… I told him what I would do to him if you didn't recover."

"Oh," Elissa responded numbly, remembering the terrible accident that had nearly cost her her life. "Served him right. Thanks for that, Slayte."

A grin crept across the raven-haired woman's face, "Anytime."

"You have any more secrets for me?" Slayte laughed, finding their candor intoxicating.

"I don't know what's normal for Itachi and what's flirting."

The girls fell silent, Elissa scarcely believing the words that had just crossed her lips. What was wrong with her? Slayte would freak out for sure. She watched Slayte's face carefully, certain she had crossed a line. She knew there was baggage there, that every mention of Itachi seemed to put her on edge.

The raven-haired girl gaped at her, but caught herself. "Well…" she got out at length. "He's uh... a pain for sure and incredibly difficult to read. Maybe…" she took a deep breath, reminding herself to be a good friend. That was what Levi had said. That was what Elissa needed. "Maybe you can tell me about it, if you like, and maybe we can try and figure it out together?"

"Slayte…" Elissa's heart constricted with affection for her friend. She knew Slayte had concerns when it came to Itachi, that she was overprotective and didn't trust him. This calm reaction, that clearly took a great deal of effort on the taller woman's part, was a clear sign of how serious Slayte was about building a more open relationship between the two of them.

"You're the best."

Slayte laughed weakly, "I'm not. But I want to be here for you, if you ever need to talk."

"Oh, right!" Elissa exclaimed suddenly, "That reminds me. Are there any other underworld creatures around me, apart from you, Vetty, and Itachi?"

"Not that I know of," Slayte supplied. "Why? Did something happen?"

"Cami was over the other day, but she was acting so strange. I mean, she did just lose someone important to her, and I know grief can manifest itself in unusual ways, but it was just… weird." Elissa frowned to herself, reliving the experience.

"Do you want to go see her together?" Slayte offered, "I can look and see if there seems to be underworld influence."

"That would be great," Elissa smiled, relief flooding through her at the suggestion. "I'll let you know when I see her next."

"Sounds like a plan," Slayte nodded reassuringly.

"Oi," the voice that sounded from the kitchen had their heads turning towards Levi in unison. "Are the two of you actually going to be working or are you just here to chat?"

"Oh, shoot," Elissa responded, catching sight of the wall clock. They were opening in five minutes. The two young women bustled around the shop, hastening to put everything in order ahead of the doors opening.

In what seemed to be no time at all, the first customers streamed in and the three of them fell into an easy working routine, making small talk with the visitors and working together in easy tandem.

Hours passed and Elissa retreated back into her thoughts - to moonlit temples and ethereal peonies - as she worked robotically. In a lull ahead of the lunch hour, she had taken to wiping down the appliances and Levi and Slayte exchanged a glance as they noticed her wipe down the same coffee machine for upwards of ten minutes.

Slayte turned towards the brunette, "Is everything okay, Elissa?"

Jumping nearly out of her skin, Elissa laughed nervously. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"Well, for one, I'm pretty sure the coffee machine is clean now," Slayte offered her a smile. "Did something happen? Is it the thing with Thanatos?"

"What? No," Elissa denied, even as she flushed in embarrassment. "Of course not, what could have happened? Nothing - nothing happened."

Levi glanced at the brunette over the edge of his newspaper. "Sure as hell something happened," he announced dryly.

"No! I just," she shot Levi a horrified look before turning back to Slayte. "I just - I'm all over the place with Itachi right now," she confessed. "I keep having these thoughts and feelings that I know aren't right. I mean, obviously, I'm just a human, right?" She glanced at Slayte, conflicted, before continuing. "So, it's not like anything ever could - or even should happen, right? But my brain," she lamented, squeezing her eyes shut as she pressed her hands to her temples. "My stupid, stupid brain just won't listen. It's like my stupid head just refuses to accept how completely impossible or even blasphemous it is. It's just me, needing to set my head on straight."

Slayte glanced at Levi, confused and concerned about her friend's apparent anguish. They had discussed being more supportive, but this sounded awfully like Elissa was fast approaching a breakdown. Levi returned her gaze with a look that seemed to share her verdict but also clearly intoned he wasn't going to help her out on this one.

"We're just friends, that's all," Elissa was saying now, looking like she hoped someone would make her stop talking. "So, I'll get over it, right?"

Slayte opened her mouth to reply, but at that moment a customer stepped through the door, calling out an order for a tri-color latte macchiato as he approached the counter. Slayte took the man's money and handed him the appropriate change as Elissa set about making his drink. Slayte cast Levi an imploring glance again, dreading the upcoming conversation and feeling out of her depth in all things Thanatos. He didn't need to so much as part his lips for her to understand the message in his blank expression as he returned her gaze.

She's your friend, figure it out.

"What the hell is this? This is just a regular latte! I ordered a tri-color macchiato! Goddammit, I understand labor shortages, but if they're hiring college students then they should at least know how to do their jobs!" Elissa flinched as the man yelled at her and Slayte whirled around, ready to berate the man for his tone of voice in addressing her friend, but Levi beat her to it, already on his feet.

"Oi." He stood at the counter, placing a hand on Elissa's shoulder and drawing her behind him and away from the customer as he stared the man down through cold, grey eyes. "No insulting my part-timers. Find your goddamn manners or find your coffee elsewhere."

The ruddy-faced man glanced at Levi and quickly backtracked, "No, I only meant… I'm running late for work, and… I didn't mean any disrespect."

Taking the coffee out of the man's hand he handed it over to the raven-haired woman at his side. "Get the man his coffee, Slayte."

"Sure thing," Slayte took the cup out of Levi's hand and turned to her friend. "Don't worry about it, people are stupidly sensitive about their coffee. Tri-colors are tricky, though, let me show you."

Elissa stepped back, trying not to be hurt at having been yelled at, as she allowed Slayte to remake the coffee, listening carefully to her softly spoken instructions and admiring how easily she maneuvered the machine.

"Got it?" Slayte asked with a smile, and Elissa nodded, hoping she would be able to remember all that for next time. "Thanks, Slayte."

"Don't worry about it." Slayte reassured her, "In one ear and out the other. They'll be dead in a century anyway, and who cares, then, right? That's what I always tell myself."

Levi and Elissa stared blankly at Slayte's statement before Elissa laughed weakly and conceded, "That's one way of looking at it."

With the customer served and out of the way, Elissa turned back to working with renewed vigor, not wanting to make another mistake. Slayte watched her quietly, sympathetic to her plight.

In no time at all, the lunch hour rolled around and the three of them sat down for a lunch of grilled-cheese sandwiches and tomato soup - courtesy of Levi. The three friends ate companionably, chatting about the events of the morning shift, laughing and poking fun at one another in good humor.

In the remaining half hour until they opened back up for business, they busied themselves with odd jobs around the shop. Elissa was carrying the new shipment of tea into the storage space as Slayte wiped down the tea shop's surfaces for the second shift.

When Levi suddenly sneezed, Slayte turned towards him in horror. "Are you okay?" she asked, concerned.

"Fine, it was just a sneeze." He waved her off, turning into the kitchen, only to sneeze again before he made it through the doorway.

"Levi, you're sick!" Slayte determined, aghast.

"I'm not," he denied quickly. Slayte was an absolute pain when he had even the slightest cold. The underworld nymph was never sick herself, but the minute he sniffled or worse, had a fever, she panicked something terrible, certain every illness was a precursor to imminent death. It didn't matter how many times he explained the statistics to her and explained that most people had colds all the time without serious consequences, she would refused to listen to reason, asking what made him so confident he wouldn't belong to the 1% who succumbed to their colds, never to breathe again. Asking how he could weigh his life on probabilities. There was no real distinction between cancer and the flu, for Slayte, so the last thing he needed now was to catch a cold.

When he was safely in the kitchen, he reached for the tissue box, only to sneeze again. The third time in succession. Before he rightly knew what was happening, Slayte had entered the kitchen and ushered him into a seat at the kitchen table, bustling about to put a cup of tea together to fight his symptoms.

"Slayte," Levi frowned in annoyance. "I said I'm fine."

"You're not," she scolded. "You're sick! Elissa and I can take care of it from here. You need to focus on getting better."

Pouring water from the kettle into the mug she had prepared, she continued, "Oh, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have fallen asleep out there. It was too cold for you."

"How is that your fault? I fell asleep too, idiot," he deadpanned.

Slayte paid him no heed, turning to the wardrobe where she plucked her navy-blue shawl from the hook it hung on. She collected his tea and set it gently in front of him as she wrapped the shawl around his neck.

"I said I'm fine, Slayte, you're making a big deal out of - what's in there?" Levi blinked at the tea, full of a myriad of spices floating in the steaming, amber liquid.

"Cloves, cinnamon sticks, lemons, ginger, and honey. It will help, trust me, I got the recipe from the internet." She listed the ingredients as she tied the shawl gently around his neck. "You need rest, Levi."

"Slayte, we've been through this, a cold isn't going to kill me." Levi met her gaze with unimpressed grey irises.

"How can you be so sure?" she whispered, looking close to tears.

"People have colds all the time, are you stupid? How many times have I had a cold before? Haven't died yet, have I?" Nonetheless, he lifted the tea to his lips, surprised to find that the concoction didn't taste as terrible as he might have thought.

Slayte positioned herself behind his chair, placing her hands on his shoulders as she began massaging them with firm squeezes and circular movements of her thumbs.

"What are you doing?" Levi glanced up at her over his shoulder.

"The circulation is good for your immune system," she answered, continuing her movements. "Just relax, if we do everything we can, it will hopefully pass without too much harm done."

"Slayte, I told you I'm not sick," Levi frowned, leaning into her touch despite himself. Did one really have to be sick to enjoy a shoulder massage?

The two of them were entirely oblivious of Elissa who stood in the doorway, smiling fondly at the two of them.

"Do you guys have to be so adorable in public?" she grinned at her friends as she entered the kitchen to make herself another cup of tea. "When are you guys finally getting married? It's been years, right?" The teasing question was out of her mouth before she could think better of it.

She wasn't prepared for the way both heads swiveled towards her in shocked unison, and the pin-drop silence that ensued. Slayte froze in place, her hands stilling on Levi's shoulders as she flushed a deep red.

Levi was the first to recover, pulling away from Salt's touch as he took his tea and got to his feet. "Ask your friend," he muttered quietly, passing by her and heading back into the tea shop.

Elissa turned around, surprised at Levi's curt reaction. She blinked at a nervous Slayte. "What does that mean?" she questioned with a gasp. "Are you? Did he-?" A slow, excited smile curved on her lips. "Oh my God!" she clasped her hands together in delight. "Slayte!"

"Forget about that," Slayte dismissed, eager to turn the focus away from herself. "What about you? Have you made up your mind on what you're going to do with Thanatos yet? There was something bothering you, right?"

"What? Well, I..." Elissa's smile faltered, and her voice trailed off, feeling nervous and put on the spot. She gulped.

"Now's as good a time as any to tell me about it," Slayte offered with a strained smile.

Elissa glanced at the doorway Levi had disappeared through before turning back to her friend.

With a defeated sigh, Elissa set the empty cup back on the counter, giving up on making the tea she had hoped would settle her nerves. "I'm losing my mind, Slayte."

The raven-haired woman sighed in return and wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulders, drawing her in for a brief embrace.

"I know," she answered glumly, sympathy written in her brown eyes as she drew back and met Elissa's eyes. "Thanatos has a way of doing that to people."

Elissa bit her lip, thinking back to everything that had happened.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Slayte prompted gently.

"Is that.." Elissa glanced hesitantly at her friend. "Okay with you? I always worry about bringing it up. You were in love with him for a long time, weren't you?"

Slayte fell silent for a moment, considering. "I certainly loved him, but I doubt I was ever in love with him." She shook her head. "He is… admirable and infuriating at the same time, right?"

"Yeah," Elissa agreed with a small smile. The two girls leaned against the kitchen counter, side by side, as she began retelling recent events, the confusing statements, the nuanced promises, Itachi's insistence that she be the one to decide what she wanted. When Slayte only listened quietly and patiently, withholding judgment, Elissa spoke freely relaying even the gentle touches and warm embraces he had indulged her with.

"I don't know what to think. My heart pounds so hard, I think it's going to burst out of my chest." Elissa closed her eyes miserably as she pressed a hand to the treacherous organ. "But that's not okay, is it? I'm not allowed to feel this way, am I? Nothing good can come of this, right?" Her voice was fading, growing smaller and miserable. If anyone could knock some sense into her and put things into perspective, it would be Slayte, right?

Slayte was silent, still, contemplating what Elissa had told her thus far.

"It is not unheard of for deities to involve themselves with mortals," she decided finally. "It is certainly not forbidden. The nature of his role however, makes it more unlikely for him to do so."

Elissa watched Slayte carefully as the raven-haired woman stared at the tiled, kitchen floor turning the situation over in her head like a complicated algebraic equation.

"Thanatos wouldn't take such actions lightly. The poem he wrote, and the things he's done up until now all point in the same direction. He seems to be sincerely interested in you, Elissa."

Elissa felt her face flush with warmth to hear it confirmed.

"I have to warn you, though," Slayte began, glancing nervously at her friend. "I'm not telling you what to do, just so that you know," she explained before continuing, "He is the prince of the underworld. His situation is complicated. It always has been. He's not really free to do as he pleases. There is a lot that is expected from him, and what I don't understand, is… I don't see where he thinks you fit in, in all of this. I'm not sure what he wants in the long term, that's what I keep thinking about and what keeps making me angry."

Slayte took a deep breath, not wanting to rage anew. She cast a glance at her friend, who seemed to be hanging on her every word. "But I think he knows that. Maybe that's why he hasn't asked anything of you, but keeps saying that you should be the one to decide what you want. It's a lot to ask of you, he knows this, too."

"But what does that have to do with me?" Elissa countered, "What do I have to do with whatever's going on in the underworld?"

Slayte sighed, "That's what I don't know, either. What kind of relationship does he have in mind with you? Or is he undecided? Would he just take as much or as little as you want? Is he going to make up his mind after hearing what you want? I honestly don't have a clue, Elissa. Whatever you decide to do, think it through carefully, ask him what you need to know and don't let him worm his way out of answering you."

Elissa turned wide eyes to her friend. "This is all so unreal. Why me? Of all people? It doesn't make any sense. He should be interested in some goddess as perfect as he is, not some boring and ordinary human like me."

Slayte smiled at her friend, "That is one question I can answer. You are special, Elissa. You're sincere and honest. Nothing like much of the superficial immortal company he's probably used to. There's no one like you anywhere. You deserve everything and more."

Elissa scoffed, bumping Slayte with her shoulder, "You're just saying all that 'cause you're my friend."

"Well, then, I guess that's just one more thing you'll have to ask him. He should have an answer to that." Slayte nodded in conclusion.

A pensive silence ensued, when Elissa suddenly recalled something that had been bothering her. "Hey. Is the art of illusion common in the underworld?"

"It's complicated, but the more talented deities practice it," Slayte confirmed, angling a curious look at her friend. "Why do you ask?"

"Do you know who is the best at it? Itachi said he was average and I'm just wondering what the ranking is, I guess."

"He said what?!" Slayte questioned, louder than she had intended, only realizing she had snapped at her friend when she saw Elissa jump.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to yell, just… oh, he's insufferable." Slayte shook her head.

"Why? What do you mean? What did he do?"

Slayte glanced at her curious friend. "Thanatos is a specialist in the art of illusions. His prowess is feared throughout the three realms. There isn't a deity alive who doesn't know better than to meet his eyes in combat. His illusions are more deadly than any blade, and he knows it."

Elissa felt foolish, recalling the small smile with which Itachi had claimed to be of average skill. Was he being modest? Humble? Sarcastic? Downplaying his abilities, so as not to alarm her, or because he disliked tooting his own horn?

Perhaps he had said it in simple jest, knowing it would sail over her head entirely. Who would have ever thought he had a cutting sense of humour like that? Elissa was intrigued and astonished in equal proportions.

What a tease.

"That's… pretty embarrassing," Elissa exhaled in disbelief. "I took his word for it."

"I guess he thought he was being polite," Slayte shrugged. "Or maybe he didn't want to scare you? I don't know."

"Thanks, Slayte," Elissa picked up the mug she had abandoned as she set to making the tea she had come into the kitchen for. "I'm so lucky that I have you to talk to. What would I do without you?"

"You'd probably have less headaches to deal with," Slayte smiled wryly at her friend.

"Don't be ridiculous. I would be lost without you. Want some tea?" Elissa asked, already reaching for another mug.

"That would be nice, thanks." Slayte hesitated, before adding, "See? I can pull myself together. You can talk to me, right?"

Elissa grinned at her friend, "Yeah. You did great. It looked like you were about to explode a few times, but you managed."

"Well…" Slayte shrugged unapologetically, "It's Thanatos. It is what it is."

When the water boiled, Elissa poured the tea and the girls caught one another up on whatever questions came to mind until the doors of the tea shop opened for the afternoon shift. They threw themselves into their work lightheartedly, their concerns no longer weighing them down as heavily and the rest of the day passed by like a breeze.

At length, the work day drew to a close, and the friends bid one another good night. Levi and Slayte watched Elissa wave goodbye one last time through the store windows as she made her way down the street and Levi frowned, watching her go.

"So, when am I meeting this Grim Reaper who's got her so distracted?"

Slayte turned towards him, hand still half-raised in goodbye.

"Hopefully never," she muttered, turning towards him and readjusting the shawl she had wrapped around his neck. "If I have anything to say about it."

"Why?" he narrowed his eyes at her, watching her fuss over the shawl.

She glanced briefly up at him, before pulling back. "You're too angry. You could get yourself hurt." She crossed her arms, shaking her head. "It's bad enough I have to pull myself together and let Elissa deal with him, but you…"

She sighed and collected his empty teacup, "I'm going to keep you to myself."

Slayte disappeared through the kitchen doorway, and Levi watched her go, oddly touched, but not at all in agreement.


AN: That's a wrap! Reviews are worth their weight in gold, folks! 3