When finished weeping, Alain quiets down, staying in place for a bit of time. She’s allowed as much time as is needed, though she eventually speaks up, saying, “I want to help you succeed.”

“You will, Allie,” he replies. “We’ll be there together, side by side.” What he says isn’t necessarily untrue. The two of them will practically be one mind using Caspian’s body as a vessel to traverse the new world with. Alain’s body will be left in a stasis in Chassa, sitting under guard of Chassan Knights and designated members under the Council who will collect data sent back. The thought of it all still frightens Alain, however. Cas, too, though he certainly won’t even think the thought.

The Elf pulls herself away from him, nodding. After wiping her face off, she reveals that the reddened skin has left her cheeks and traveled to her eyes. This behavior is far from normal for her, so her guest stands up from the bed, taking a step away to give her the slightest bit of privacy. She stops him, however, by grabbing the sleeve of his shirt. When he turns, she musters up a smile, saying, “I’ll give it my all, Agent, for us.”

He fully turns his body to face her, then drops to a knee to get to eye-level with his Controller. “I know, and I will give the same, Allie... for us.”

Her eyes widen, heart overflowing. “Stay.”

“No.”

“...H-huh?”

Cas takes her hand gently, as if to keep her from losing the high she just reached. “Not when you’re in such a vulnerable state, when you could do something you’ll regret.”

Not quite defeated, but let down nonetheless, she nods. “Then, can we at least finish what we started before?”

Thinking it over, he finally decides she needs the support. With an assuring smile, he agrees. The two make their way back out into the living room, enjoying wine and desserts with much more lighthearted topics. They don’t speak of the newly discovered something between them, but the feeling remains in the air throughout the night. The one glass of wine turns into two, which becomes the rest of the bottle, and they move from talking to watching videos just within reach of one another. When they begin to lose conversation, Alain suggests going elsewhere, saying, “You told me you couldn’t stay here, after all.”

The undeniable request takes them from her home to Ascentia, making their way to a rather luxurious part of town where two specific deities spend their nights. A large structure covered in one-way windows is where the Goddess of Music, Muse, and the God of Harmonics, Corum, have created a place for deities, Angels, and all other residents of Ascentia to enjoy a safe and entertaining nightlife. It is incredibly difficult for any who are not from Ascentia to get in due to security issues, but the guards at the front seem to just wave Caspian by, Alain attached at his arm wearing a different outfit, this one tighter yet less revealing than the nightgown was.

The moment they enter, the deafening music fills their ears, so Alain takes to the mental link to converse. “How did you do that?” she asks him.

It takes a moment or two as they weave past groups and couples alike, but he eventually responds, “Not for you to worry about, Allie. We’re in, aren’t we?”

“Did you use your Reaver powers for other than Reaver duties?”

“Nonsense,” he replies, pulling her along. “This is for the health of my Controller, which will result in a more secure mission.” Cas shoots a glance to the side, which somehow wills an Angel server to step over to them with tall, curling glasses of colorful liquid. A light fog leaves the drinks, falling over their hands and contributing to a layer of smoke a few feet off the ground below the two. As they make their way, it becomes clear to Alain that Caspian is taking them somewhere specific. He has been here before, she thinks to herself.

Up a ramp skirting up the walls of the building’s main chamber, the two bring themselves to a quieter lounge, this room darker than the initial one. Another Angel escorts them to a corner of the lounge where they are given a curtained off room, which holds an exceptionally large sectional couch covering the floor all along the walls save for the entrance. There is a large screen of light displaying the God and Goddess hosts of the club, the two fully adorned in outfits that would, outside of this setting, be considered ridiculous. They are dancing to the beats of the music, which still echoes throughout all edges of the building. In the center of the room, there sits a tall apparatus with hoses attached.

Alain finds a spot on the couch, observing the room while sipping on the drink. The wine before certainly helps her keep what liquid is in the glass down, and she has no problems savoring the taste. “What is this?” she asks him, which could be referring to any number of things.

“I suppose I can welcome you to our little hangout spot for the evening,” Caspian speaks in her mind, settling down next to her. “This is called a ‘V.I.P.’ lounge, and we were given specialty drinks created here with some... magic components. You’ll find that attending a party in Ascentia is much, much different than anywhere else in any world. Tell me, what would you like to have? Refreshments, entertainment, paraphernalia?”

Alain leans forward, taking one of the hoses hanging from the apparatus. “Tell me what this is.” When told to breathe in on it, she obeys, lifting the end of the hose to her purple-colored lips. She sucks in, taking a heavy breath before pulling back. Her exhale releases multi-colored vapor, dancing through the air in front of her. The Elf gives a laugh, asking what the meaning of it is.

“It’s called a hookah, and it can create any number of effects for you. Here,” Cas says as he leans in to take a container of varying, labeled cubes from the table the hookah sits on. “Which do you want to try?”

She looks over the many cubes, finally pointing to one labeled “Rapture.” Her choice is taken from the container and placed within the apparatus, and after a minute or so, she’s told to try the hose once more. She does, taking a hesitant, though heavy breath from the tube. This time, her mind lights up after inhaling, lifting to incredible heights of ecstatic enchantment. She mutters “What... the...” just before the hose is taken from her hand. Her companion guides her to lean back, looking up at figures beginning to form in her mind’s eye. The deities on the screen seem to pop out at her, speaking purely to her with gibberish, but it doesn’t matter in this high she’s given. “Incredible,” the pale Elf lets out, giving in to the rapture bestowed upon her.