I burst through the door, kicking it and ignoring the loud bang as it bounced off its hinges. “Hey! Mister-” My voice and adamant attitude warbled and disappeared as I felt a heaviness in the air. Raevin was...err...dead in the corner. That was the first thing I noticed.

“What!” I ran over to him and shook him. Nevin used all that work and energy to save him but now he lay there, dead. His soul still lingered close by but his body was...well. “Dead.” I repeated my thoughts aloud. Initial shock turned to concern then turned to anger. I turned on my heel and glared at the celestial-god-whatever who was practically man handling Stare. I pointed to the dead elf.

“Why this! Nevin work hard to fix!” I pointed back at him as I closed the gap between us. “Stare no like hug! Get off!” I was close enough now to grab onto Stare, pulling her in the opposite direction of the man-god-celestial. “Leave Stare alone!”

“Ow, Eteri, ow!” Stare wrenched herself away from my grasp. She threw me a warning look. Beneath her the still form of the man was lifting his head and peeking open a single eye, calmly looking at the two women.

I paused. I slowly let go of her. Did I misread the situation? “You.. want this man to hug you?” I tilted my head, ears swivelling toward the two. I glanced curiously up at the man. Then back to Stare...come to think of it she looked rather relaxed in his grip compared to earlier when everyone was on edge. Rather...everyone seemed tense around the man. I didn’t get the big hooblah about it all. “Explain please?”

Stare paused and angled her eyes up to the white-haired man, before a quiet, silent communication seemed to pass between them. After a moment he grunted and his arm slipped away, eyes sliding closed again.

“Thank you,” she said quietly, as she moved onto the ground. She paused for a moment before nodding to a door on the other wall, that did not lead out to the corridor. “Let's … talk privately?”

My gaze lingered on the man. I was still….frustrated with him but whatever anger I had bubbling up inside of me had dissipated. He looked tired. Just as tired as Nevin. “Mmmm….” I reluctantly agreed to Stare’s request giving her a nod. “Ok.” My eyes were still on the sleeping white haired man. “He is your boyfriend?”

“No,” she said quietly, her eyes looking over him for a moment. “It's … complicated.” She pulled open the door, gesturing for me to go first. I went first into the next room. It was a plain living room. An extinguished fireplace sat on one side of the wall and two cushioned armchairs faced it. There was a writing desk pushed up against another wall and piles and piles of paper surrounding it.

“Is ok if he is.” I continued the conversation. “Nevin is Eteri’s god and is also Eteri’s boyfriend.”

Stare started speaking in Akashiman as she moved to an armchair. <“Raevin is dead because the potion we used was based on my blood. I …”> she paused, and spoke in a quiet, sad way, <“I heal when I die. Then I wake up, a few hours later, perfectly healthy. Raevin will do the same.”>

<”Oh.”> I followed Stare and sat in the other armchair, sinking into it. My feet barely touched the ground. <”Is this what Nevin was referring to when he said that man did that to you? He made you uh… immortal?”> This intrigued me. From our past conversations that day I knew she was immortal and that she was unwillingly so, but I didn’t know it was the sickly man in the other room that had done it.

<”I’ll punch him!”> I offered as I raised my fists. <”One in each eye, bam! Bam!”>

The kenku smiled a little and shook her head. <“It's okay. It's done now and he's had enough from me complaining about it. I don't let him live it down, don't worry.”> She looked down. <“But he's not my boyfriend. Just … my employer. Complicated.”>

I lowered my hands. It honestly sounded like they had something going on but it wasn’t really my business to know what. <”Can you reverse it? The immortality thing?”> I pushed myself out of the arm chair and shuffled so I was sitting at the edge of it, leaning forward toward Stare. Wide and yellowed eyes staring intently at her. <”Nevin wants me to be immortal too. I’ll do that for him. I think the difference is that I’m willing to do so. You never were willing, were you?”>

Stare seemed to get a little sad. She looked down and shrugged. <“It's done now. It's not reversible. In fact there was an- ... a god involved with the whole thing and it got complicated. It is. My wings were a whole other surprise. But nobody made them. They just … happened.”> She looked up at me. <“I've dealt with worse.”>

That’s it. If some creepy ass celestial white haired-whatever the fuck he was...was allowed to hug Stare then dang-nabit I was too. She looked so dejected. She sounded so sad. I personally would do anything to become immortal so I could stay by Nevin’s side but that was MY choice, and I did not like the fact that this man didn’t give her the option. It was downright rude.

I pushed myself off the chair and practically lunged at the unsuspecting Kenku. My arms wrapped around her tiny shoulders as I pulled her into my grasp. “There!” I proclaimed as I struggled to keep us both balanced. <”You need a hug.”> I said again as I nestled my head next to her feathery one. <”And friends. Nevin and I are your friends. Even if you don’t think so.”>

<“Fuuckk - Eteri!”> she gasped in surprise as she slipped. Underneath my arms hers flailed, and from her struggling we fell off her armchair onto the floor, with a loud thump. I refused to let her go. <“Ahh …”> She struggled a little more before she stopped, and sat there, still and dejectedly under my hug, her eyes tight shut.

<”Even if you don’t like it.”> I added as I nuzzled my face into her plumage. Tail flicking leisurely at my victory. Eteri one, Stare zero.

She let out a groan. <“Eteri, you're so like a cat that-”>

“Oh. Right,” said a low, definitely male voice. State seemed to freeze.

<”Mmm?”> I lifted my head to see the tall and looming figure of her boss standing in the doorway a bemused expression on his face. His hand tight around the wooden cane at his side. His body tense. I grimaced. “What? What want?”

Stare sighed. <“I am not being attacked, no. And Eteri, he speaks Akashiman.”> The brow arched on his face as he relaxed a little.

<”Good!”> I spat as I let her go and dusted myself off. I had a few things to say to the man. <”You!”> I said as I stepped over a very alarmed looking Stare and stood in front of the man.

I jabbed a finger into his chest, over and over again with each word. <”You. Do. Not. Do. That.”> I huffed as I crossed my arms over my chest staring up at the strange man. <“Who do you even think you are? You can’t go make someone immortal without their permission!”>

Cold blue eyes looked down and ground into mine. The man stood, rigid, but the edges of his being tender. He stared at me with irritation before a lip curled upwards into a snarl before he turned to start leaving again. <“I'm going back to rest,”> he hissed low.

<”Your selfishness upsets her!”> I shouted at his back. <”If you really cared about her you’d fix your stupid mistakes!”> I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest. I had more to say but I held my tongue. I was furious. I didn’t care if he was hurt. He had hurt a friend and he was all aloof and self centered. Not very ‘godlike’ material. <”Nevin is a far better god…”> I mumbled under my breath.

The man slowed in his step. Behind me there was a small whimper. The sound seemed to catch his ear and he turned his head slightly to look back over my shoulder. He paused, and then his eyes stared at me.

<“You do not know anything about me. Or how much I care about her.”> he said coldly. <“I have made mistakes with Stare but making her immortal was not one.> He looked to Stare, and continued in the common tongue. “I'm going back to Beinost. Alert me when Raevin is awake.”

And with that he twisted around. The air shimmered a little as he took a step … and vanished.

I sighed and turned back to Stare. She was curled up ball, her knees drawn up under her chin. I blinked. Did his presence bother her that much? What an asshat of the biggest proportions. <”Hey it’s ok, he’s gone now.”> I padded over to her and sat next to her. I reached over and offered a comforting pat around her shoulder. <”I will punch him if you want.”> I offered. Trying to make her feel better.

She let me hug her, offering no resistance. <“He doesn't make me upset,”> she whispered. <“Just … his anger.”>

I nodded. Not quite understanding her fear. <”If he gets angry around you. I will punch him. In his jingle jangly balls.”>