Chapter 16 - Sealing the Deal
After Lucia unlocked her power, Mead had been focusing even harder on meditating so she could do the same. Occasionally, she would open her eyes and look over at Azel, who had been staring at her with a hopeful look the whole time. With a stare into his eyes renewing her motivation, Mead would return to her inner thoughts.
Azel… I want to learn my power.
Between the law and my parents, it feels like everything I love is restricted in some way. I love fermentae, but all the best stuff is illegal. I love working and hanging out here, but I have to cut that time short because of a stupid curfew.
I love seeing you use your power to express yourself, but that's illegal too! But every time I've seen you do it, you make it look like so much fun! Throwing away all those things that say you can't and just going wild! I'd love to know that feeling, who wouldn't?
To break free! To let loose! To go wild!
To have even just a little bit of freedom!
To share that freedom, to share that feeling… with you.
Azel…
"There it is! Your power! I knew you could do it!"
After a few hours of meditating, Mead was drawn out of her trance by Azel's voice.
"Hm… Azel? Wait, my power?"
Mead looked up and noticed a faint green halo over her head.
"Holy shit, I did it!"
Azel got up and started getting closer to Mead. All the while, her excitement rose, her halo glowing brighter with her mood.
Azel, I did it! I finally awakened my power!
With that thought, Mead's halo flared, and her power properly activated. A growing cloud of white smoke poured out of her body, quickly extinguishing the mood in the bar. Soon enough, Mead was engulfed by the effects of her own power.
Mead was speechless. Wh-what's going on? My power… I can't control it!
"Shit! That's not a power I can stop!"
"Me either, love! I can't aim my power where I can't see!"
"Mead!"
"Azel, wait! My power says-"
What was Azel doing?
"It's… an inhalant hazard… Mead… Azel… Oh, spirits…"
Did Azel rush in for me? All because I lost control of my power… Wait, an inhalant hazard? Shit, no, no! Azel! If anything happens to him… All because of me…
—
Azel rushed into the cloud of smoke pouring from Mead's body. He heard Lucia shout something, but he could hardly register what it was before being immersed in the smoke himself.
His normal eyesight quickly failed him, but his heat vision still let him see Mead, if only as an outline of her heat signature. In a few moments, he noticed even his heat sense becoming blurry. His sense of balance also started to fail him, and he stumbled slightly as he approached her.
Smoke… doing something to my head… What if it's doing it to her too…? Have to reach Mead… Spirits, Mead, please be safe…
After a few moments that felt much longer than they should have, Azel wrapped his arms around what he was only half certain was Mead's heat signature. He started speaking to whatever it was he was holding on to, his words slurring as he spoke.
"M-Mead? 'Zat you? Spiirits, pleas say somethin'!"
"A-Azel? Wha- why did you… Oh, spirits, Azel!"
Azel felt the feeling of four arms embracing him back.
"It iz youu… Thank… thank tha spirits. Ya gotta turn ya powa off."
Mead gasped. "My power! It's doing something to you! Oh, spirits, what if it…"
"Tu-urn id off, then. Jus' gotta focus."
"Focus? How can I when you're like this?"
"Ah'll be fiiine… Yoor mor' 'importnt."
Mead's voice started breaking as she spoke. "Didn't you hear Lucia? My power could be killing you! Why did you even…?"
"B'cauz… Can't letcha git hurt… Couln' liv wit' maself… Mead, I-I think ah' love ya."
Azel couldn't stop himself; the words just came out. Love? Yeah, now that I think about it…
"L-love?" Mead paused. "Azel… You… is that true?"
"I-I think, yea? Smoke's, makin' it 'ard ta think… 'Daz not impor- Imp po-shit. Dusn' mattah. Ya gotta focus. 'Fore it gits wurs."
"I… Okay, Azel. I'll try."
Mead paused for a moment to focus. As she did, her halo dulled and started fading out. As the smoke started clearing, Azel could see Mead looked shaken, but otherwise fine. She's all right! Thank the spirits! Mead… she's so beautiful…
"Hey, it's working! Azel, it-"
Azel kissed Mead before she could finish speaking.
—
Moments after Azel rushed in, just outside of the smoke cloud, Lucia, Fen and Nadine were in shock. With the cloud growing, they retreated back to the wall of the bar to avoid it.
"Shit, fuck, shit! This went about as wrong as it could!" Fen said, pacing in the small area still available to him. "Fuckin' Azel an' Mead are both in there, suckin' in spirits know how mucha that shit!"
Nadine put a hand on Fen's shoulder. "Hold on now, Fen. Now's not the time to panic."
Fen took a short breath. "Ah. Shit. Yeah, yer right, 'Dine. But what're we gonna do?"
"If I use my power to make a mask, I could head in there myself and help them. But I think I'll need more information, first. Lucia?"
"U-um, yeah?"
"You should stay calm and keep using your power, love. It's the best way for us to know what's going on."
"I… Y-yeah. You're right."
Nadine started using her power to wrap a thick gold ribbon over her mouth and nose. As she did, Lucia activated her own power once again and stared at the smoke cloud, pausing to take its information feed in.
"Okay, inhalant hazard, I got that… Hang on, it doesn't work on Mead! That's so obvious, I can't believe I didn't think of it!"
"Yeah, I guess it would be a shit power if it ended up poisonin' its own user… But Azel's still gettin' tha full effect of it!"
"Okay, love, is there anything else I should know before I go in?" Nadine asked, slightly muffled.
"Right, let's see… Why does my power have to say all these things I already know… Wait, it's nonlethal? Why couldn't it have said that before?"
"A nonlethal inhalant hazard?"
"Yeah, apparently it's an intoxicant! It just makes whoever breathes it in drunk!"
"Fuck me, an' here I thought Azel was gonna die! Lucia, ya really gotta figure that power of yers out, yer takin' years off my life, here!"
Lucia looked down. "Sorry, but, well, I did just learn it a few hours ago…"
Fen shifted. "Shit… I, I'm sorry, Lucia. I got all worked up, an' I shouldn't be takin' it out on ya."
"It, it's alright, Fen. You're right though. If I just spent a little more time using my power instead of freaking out…"
"Hey, don't beat yerself up over it. Like ya said, ya only learned yer power a few hours ago!"
"Nevermind that right now, loves, the point is that neither Mead or Azel are in danger. I think I should still go in and help Mead power down, though…"
Just as Nadine started making her suggestion, the cloud shrank as the smoke started to vanish. In a short time, the three could see Azel and Mead, embracing each other.
"Or they could just do it on their own…" Nadine muttered, canceling her own power out.
Moving closer to the center of the bar, Lucia, Fen, and Nadine overheard Azel and Mead talking.
"A-Azel?" Mead asked.
"Yeah?"
"You're feeling better now that my power's stopped, right?"
"I've got a bit of a headache, but yeah, I think so."
"So when you said you loved me, and just when my power was turning off…"
"I'm so sorry, I said some weird shit, and then I just forced myself on you. I know I couldn't think straight or control myself, but that was still wrong…"
Azel's tail started rattling. He tried pulling away, but Mead hugged him tighter.
"Azel, It's fine! I didn't mind, actually. The kiss was kind of nice, even! And Azel?"
"Y-yeah?"
"I think I love you too…"
"Mead… I…" Azel pulled her in tighter, and his tail stopped rattling. "Now that I think about it, I meant what I said. I love you, seriously."
"Azel…" Mead paused, still holding Azel close. "Um, this is kind of weird to ask, but…"
"Yeah?"
"Could you… Could you kiss me again?"
"I, well… Yeah. I think I could."
Lucia, Fen, and Nadine watched on as Azel and Mead shared a deep kiss.
"Holy shit. Didn't think I'd be seein' this happen today!"
The two of them stopped kissing, pulled away from their hug, and looked over at the rest of the group.
"Ah, I guess without the smoke cover we were just doing that in front of an audience…"
"Heh, I guess so!" Mead chuckled, half blushing.
Fen laughed. "Guess yer bein' a couple is official now! Good fer tha both a ya, honestly!"
Nadine gave Fen a stare. "Really, Fen? You're teasing them about that again?"
"Hey, who's teasin'? I really am happy for 'em! An' ta think all it took was Mead's power ta go crazy fer it ta happen!"
"Heh, I guess it'll make for a great story," Azel said with a shrug.
"I don't know, Azel. 'My girlfriend got me drunk one day, and that's how we got together,' doesn't sound like a story you would want to tell anyone if you ask me. Even without mentioning Mead used her power to do it!" Lucia said with a laugh.
Azel and Mead stared at Lucia. After a moment, they both started laughing.
"Spirits, that really is what just happened, isn't it?"
"Heh, heh, yeah! When you put it that way, It would be a pretty bad story!"
Nadine smiled. "Well, regardless, it's good to see you're both okay."
"Better than ever, I think." Azel said, looking at Mead. "Good to finally get my feelings out, even if it took that happening for me to do it!"
"Yeah, that's for sure!" Mead said, grabbing Azel in another hug. "I knew learning my power would bring us closer together, but I didn't expect this! I don't think today could get any better!"
Everyone in the group smiled as Azel and Mead shared the moment.
—
With the evening moving into night, the group spent the few remaining hours discussing Lucia and Mead's newly awakened powers, and where to go with training them from there. In time, it got late enough that Mead needed to make her return to Sabbaton.
"Well, it's that time again, time to head back home…"
Mead looked Azel in the eyes and gave him a hug.
"Good night, Azel. I can't wait to see you tomorrow!"
"Um, about that, I've been thinking…"
"Hm?" Mead paused.
"This whole curfew thing, I hate it. You deserve so much better than to have to put up with it."
"Ugh, yeah, but try telling that to my parents…"
"Actually, I was thinking I should. If we're going to be together, I want to spend as much time with you as I can. I don't want them to stand in the way of that."
Mead looked at Azel. "You're gonna try to… Azel… Thanks, thank you so much!"
"Wait, you actually want to try and talk Mead's parents down?" Lucia asked. "I don't really see you getting very far with that…"
"I'm with Lucia, love, I don't see you as the type to talk someone down."
"An' these are law-abidin' people we're talkin' about, right? It's not like ya can just use yer power fer a confidence boost."
"That's true," Nadine said with a nod. "I suppose you have some sort of plan, at least?"
"I, well, not really… Still, I have to try."
"Fuck yeah, that's tha kinda thinkin' I can get behind! If it's fer tha two of ya, then ya gotta fuckin' go for it!"
"We can think of something together on the way!" Mead exclaimed. "Azel and me, putting our heads together, we'll figure out something that'll work!"
"Y-yeah, that's already a better plan than what I had in mind. So, should we get going, then?"
Mead nodded, with a wide smile on her face. "Yeah! With the both of us thinking about it, I'm sure we can find a way to convince them! Okay, so the thing about my parents is…"
Mead started telling Azel everything she could think of that could help with planning as the two made their way to the exit. In a moment, Lucia, Fen, and Nadine were left in the now much quieter bar.
"Another spur of the moment plan, huh Azel?" Lucia thought aloud.
"Hey, give the guy some credit! He comes up with some clever shit when he has ta think quick! An' I'd know, I've got a scar ta prove it!"
"Well, that was from a fight, love. A conversation with someone's parents isn't exactly the same thing. And like you said, he won't even be able to use his power."
"Come on, what's tha worst that could happen, 'Dine?"
"Well," Lucia said, "going off what I've heard about them, If Azel and Mead screw this up, Mead's parents might just decide to cut the Dry Vein's funding altogether…"
Silence lingered for a moment after Lucia spoke.
"Shit…" Fen said. "Now ya've actually got me worried…"
—
"So, we'll be giving them a sales pitch?"
"Yeah! They really only care about lucre at the end of the day, so if I can convince them staying late at the Dry Vein will make it more profitable, they'll have to let me off the hook!"
"That's a great idea, actually. And a sales pitch kind of works like a performance…"
"Hey, you're right, I hadn't thought of that!"
Mead and Azel continued talking over the plan as they made their way down the dark, wind-chilled streets of Ruskol to reach the telepad station. As they approached the district tower, they moved into the crowd of other dreamkeepers who were also headed to the last telepad to the Sabbaton Towers.
Before they could enter the tower, a robin woman in police uniform patrolling by the entrance stopped them.
"Excuse me, sir. Officer Holt, CRPD. I just need a moment of your time."
"Ah, h-hello officer."
"Is there a problem, officer?" Mead asked.
"Not a problem exactly, but your friend there matches the description of a person of interest to the Police Department. Would you mind answering a few questions for me?"
"A-a person of interest? T-this wouldn't have to do with me bumping into that officer the other day, would it?" Azel stammered. His tail started to rattle.
Officer Holt shook her head. "I assure you, sir, this is much bigger than something like that."
She moved closer to Azel and whispered to him.
"Did you know there's a power user loose in Ruskol right now?"
Azel stumbled away from the officer. "A-a power user? I-I wouldn't know anything about that…"
"Is that so? You wouldn't happen to be familiar with a Mr. Atrox, then?"
Azel froze in place and his tail started rattling even harder. Mead spared him a glance before turning to glare at Officer Holt.
"Excuse me, officer? Are you seriously accusing Azel of being a power user? What proof do you even have that he's the guy you're looking for?"
"I, well, the lead we have on the case suggests someone of his exact description."
"One lead? Really? One lead makes it okay to accuse him of something like that? What if your lead is completely wrong?"
"I… To be fair, ma'am, he's been suspiciously quiet since I mentioned it."
"Yeah, no shit! You're suggesting he's a criminal! Who wouldn't be scared to speak up when that's the kind of thing you're saying?"
"I-" Azel's tail slowed down as he spoke. "Y-yeah! We were just going to take the telepad, I didn't expect to be accused of being a power user!"
"And to top it off, this is the last telepad to Sabbaton for the night! If we miss it because of you, both of us will be in deep shit with my parents! That's enough stress to make anyone freeze up!"
"I… that would…"
Officer Holt paused for a moment.
"…I'm sorry to have wasted your time. Go, take your telepad. Stay safe, and keep an eye out for anything suspicious."
Azel sighed as his tail stopped rattling. "T-thanks for understanding, Officer."
Mead gave Officer Holt one last glare. "Yeah, thanks. Come on, Azel."
The two of them moved quickly to get away from the officer, making it to the telepad with only moments to spare. Once they arrived in Sabbaton, Mead and Azel found a place away from anyone that could overhear them talking.
"Spirits, that was too close! Thanks for bailing me out there."
"Of course! I couldn't just let her say all that stuff to you! But, she said something about a power user, and mentioned your last name, even! What if the police know about your shows?"
"Shit… It'll be a huge problem if they do. I don't even know how they could've got a lead like that. Hopefully you managed to convince her that it might be wrong…"
"Spirits, I only hope so. And I thought talking to my parents would be the most stressful thing tonight!"
Azel blinked. "Shit, that's right! We still need to figure out the sales pitch for them! How far is it to your place? We need to get this down before we get there."
"It's not too far from here, but we still have time before we actually have to show up."
"Good. Plenty of time to get the pitch down, I hope."
Mead smiled. "Right! So, what do you think of…"
—
Mead and Azel kept bouncing ideas off of each other on the way to Sabbaton's residential levels. Eventually, they settled on a plan and arrived at the door to Mead's home. It was a condominium unit much like the other homes in the area, but with sparse decoration around it compared to the others. The only evidence that anyone lived inside was the light coming from the windows and a gold plaque on the door with the word "Luxmyn" engraved on it.
"Well, here it is," Mead said with little enthusiasm. "Home sweet soulless cube."
Azel stared for a moment before responding.
"This is it, huh? No decorations? Not even any plants outside?"
"A 'useless waste of lucre' if you ask my parents. They're so serious about that shit that it stops being funny."
"And that's your family name on the door? First time I've seen it, I think."
"Yeah, my parents changed it to that as a branding thing before I was even born. it's so pretentious that I never bother mentioning it."
"Sorry if I'm being rude, but, how is that even pronounced?"
"Like 'lumen', and no, it's not rude, Azel. I hate my last name so freaking much."
Azel shrugged. "Well, I guess we should head in, then. No use putting it off any longer."
Mead grabbed Azel's hand. "Yeah. Time to meet the monsters. Let's get this over with."
"Just another act, right? We can do this. Together."
"Yeah. Together."
Steeling her resolve, Mead unlocked the door and headed into the condo with Azel. The inside was just as plain as the outside, bearing few furnishings beyond the essentials for living. The two of them passed through the foyer and into the kitchen, where Mead's parents were sitting down at the table. Their expressions hardened as they saw Azel, whose tail started rattling slightly. Mead forced herself to stay calm staring at them. Her father, a burying beetle with two gold band markings on his elytra and four arms like her own, was the first to speak.
"Mead. What exactly is the meaning of this?" He asked, almost devoid of emotion. His dead delivery made him seem much more imposing than his average stature would imply.
"Hey dad, mom. I'm home."
"Mead, you haven't answered your father's question. You're home on time, we expected that much. But who is the boy you brought with you? A friend of yours from that lucre sink you call a workplace?"
Mead held back a shudder as the vampire moth she had the misfortune of calling her mother spoke.
"This is Azel, he's from work, yeah. We wanted to talk to you about my curfew."
"Hm. That's what it is, then. Well, does Azel here actually speak, or were you planning on appealing to our sense of pity?"
Azel spoke up, stifling his tail's rattling as he did. "I-I can speak fine, Mr. Luxmyn. I'm here to help Mead propose a deal. I-in exchange for lifting her curfew, of course."
"Yeah, what Azel said! And it's not like either of you ever felt pity for anyone before!"
Mead's father stiffened. "I'll choose to ignore that little outburst, Mead. But I will not tolerate any more."
Mead shrank back. "R-right. S-sorry, dad."
"Moving on then," her mother said, "Mead, Azel, you say you have a proposal for us?"
"Right. I'm planning to start making a new type of fermentae at work, and Azel's going to help me with that!"
"A new drink experiment? You must be joking. As if anything you try can pull that brewery out of the mire of irrelevance it's stuck in."
"Now, Azel, I'm sure you're sharp enough to tell that if it weren't for Mead's insistence on working there, we would have pulled our funding from the Dry Vein years ago."
"I have to say, it really has been living up to its name, though." Her father said flatly, earning a muted chuckle from his wife.
Not funny, dad. And way to be a condescending bitch, mom. Mead thought to herself. She didn't dare make any moves on the thought for fear of the repercussions.
"I know the Dry Vein hasn't been doing well lately." Azel said. "But I'm sure our new idea is going to turn that around. With what we have in mind, we're planning to make something that can compete with Scinter's Mark in terms of popularity!"
Mead smiled. Nice upsell, Azel!
"Ha! Now I know you're joking! The black market fermentae trade is the entire reason businesses like Laurent's are on the decline! And you think a new little gimmick is going to rival that kind of infamy?"
"That's just the thing though, dad! What we're planning is something even the Marks won't even be able to match!"
Azel made a sweeping gesture. "It's an idea that harkens back to the earliest days of fermentae brewing, a fresh new take on the idea of refining a deadly substance into a beloved beverage!"
"Oh, that sounds surprisingly interesting. Do tell us more."
"I'd be glad to, Mrs. Luxmyn, but before we begin, do you have a bowl I could use to help demonstrate?"
"A bowl? Whatever for?"
"Trust me. It'll all make sense soon."
"Well, I admit you've got my attention at least. Very well."
Mead's mother got up and pulled a plain bowl from out of a cupboard. Wordlessly, she handed it to Azel.
"Thank you. Now, this might surprise you, but I assure you it'll be worth it."
Azel opened his mouth and extended his fangs. Then, he took the bowl and bit down on the rim. Mead's parents watched on, confused. The slightest sound of liquid filling the bowl could be heard.
After a moment passed, Azel placed the bowl, now slightly filled with a sickly yellow liquid, down on the table, bowing slightly as he did. Mead's parents stared at the bowl with confusion and slight disgust. Mead couldn't help but smile as they recoiled.
"Spirits! What… what is that?"
"This, dad," Mead announced with a flourish, "is the reason Scinter's Mark won't be able to match our idea!"
"But, what exactly is it? Azel, would you care to explain?"
"It's my venom. Much like diony nectar, it's deadly if not prepared properly. But besides that, it's also the main ingredient of our new fermentae."
Mead's father paled. "Venom? You're going to make fermentae with something like that?"
Azel nodded. "Rest assured, the brewing process will make it perfectly safe to drink."
"Yeah! Diony plants are hardy enough to grow even in venom! The growing process will even help denature it! Then, once the nectar's ready, boiling it will kill the seeds like usual, with the added benefit of rendering the venom completely inert!"
"Hm. I'll admit I don't have a strong understanding of the brewing process, but it seems almost too convenient to believe."
"Oh, trust me, Mr. Luxmyn, I was just as shocked when your daughter first suggested the idea. But she's assured me the science behind it works, and the both of us agreed it has potential."
Mead nodded. "Azel and I have put a lot of thought into this! And I've been workshopping new flavor profiles with Mister Laurent to make it a success in terms of taste!"
"Well, Mead, Azel, if you're serious about this, then are you really sure you'll be able to compete with Scinter's Mark of all things?"
"For sure! Even if the Marks tried to copy it, would anyone really trust a black market version of something like this? On the other hand, our fermentae will be confirmed completely safe and legal!"
"We can picture dreamkeepers from all over Anduruna coming to get a taste. Your daughter really is a genius when it comes to fermentae. If anyone can make this idea work, it's her."
"The only thing we need from you is to let me work on it full-time. No more curfew. The diony plants will need to be monitored regularly while they're growing, and I can't force Azel to spend all of his time taking care of that."
"Besides, Mead's the one who really understands the diony's growing conditions, I'm mostly just here for the venom supply and branding."
Mead's father put a hand to his chin. "And there's the rub. If Mead doesn't get her curfew lifted, this idea doesn't take off. But it'll still take at least a year for the diony plants to mature before we can see any real results. I can't imagine you having gotten a start on growing any for how much you're insisting her involvement is necessary. It's all very risky, I have to say, and you already know how I feel about unnecessary risks, Mead."
Risks? What the hell are you even risking? The thought boiled in Mead's head for just a moment before she came up with a response.
"W-we can keep track of the growth process through the coming year! If anything, anything at all goes wrong, we can just shelf the project! I'll… I'll even go back to being on curfew. You won't have to risk anything."
"Well, with a contingency plan like that, I suppose I could be persuaded to agree…"
Ugh, damn it, dad, can't believe I have to include a backdoor for you just to sell this…
Mead's mother gave the pair a faint smile. "Well, Mead, Azel. You've made quite the argument, and managed to catch my interest. You have my support at least, no strings attached."
"Really? I-I mean, thanks, mom!"
"Really, Salera? Just like that? No terms of your own to add on?"
"Well, Gage, dear, all I really want for Mead is for her to act her age, and a business plan like this is quite the mature thing to commit to."
Mead was completely still. Of course that's what you would want from it…
Mead's father took a moment to think. "Hm, yes of course. Mead's a young woman now, and I suppose the contingency plan should be enough to make her take this seriously. Very well."
He turned to Mead and Azel, and stretched both of his right hands out to them.
"Mead, Azel. The two of you have made your case, and the terms seem agreeable to me. I'll be looking forward to how this all plays out. Just remember, if anything goes wrong, it's all over."
Mead gave her father a serious look. "That shouldn't be a problem. We'll make sure to keep on top of everything."
Mead and Azel both shook hands with him, then did the same with Mead's mother.
"I'm eager to see some results from the two of you, going forward."
"R-right. Thanks for listening to our pitch, mom, dad. I'm sure we can make this idea work!"
"Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Luxmyn. I promise I'll do my best to help Mead with this."
Mead's father smiled faintly. "Good. I'd expect nothing less from our daughter's business partner. Now, the thing is…"
"Y-yes?"
"It's gotten quite late now, and we aren't prepared to handle a guest staying the night. I imagine you'll have no trouble getting home yourself?"
Azel paused. "I, well, yes. I should be fine."
"I'll see Azel to the door, then, you don't have to worry about him!" Mead said, taking Azel's hand and leading him out.
Once the two of them were outside of the condo, Mead let out a deep sigh.
"Uugh… 'We aren't prepared to handle a guest.' I cannot believe those two!"
"I don't mind," Azel said with a shrug. "I'm honestly just glad we were able to get them to agree to lift your curfew, even if there are strings attached!"
Mead grabbed Azel in a hug. "Thanks for helping me with that, Azel. I know if I tried to do it alone, I probably would've just ended up arguing with them all night!"
"Oof, I can imagine. And you have to put up with them all the time? Spirits…"
"Well, the point is, we did it! And… thanks for agreeing to the venom fermentae idea. I know it's never been a favorite of yours…"
Azel looked into Mead's eyes and smiled. "Honestly? I think it's kind of growing on me. And just like the pitch, I know we'll be able to make it work. Together."
Mead smiled back. "Azel…"
"Mead…"
The two of them embraced each other and shared a long, deep kiss. Mead knew once they stopped, Azel would have to take the long way back to Ruskol, so she savored the time and hoped he would be warmed up by the feeling of their moment together the whole way back.