"Sounds like a likely culprit! Sensitive eyes?"

"Aluvai eyes. We see better in the dark, but too much light hurts."

"Well, conveniently you were slapped with a shit ton of magical powers."

"I have so fucking many magical powers! It's great!"

"Pity the acquisition method doesn't sound pleasant or repeatable."

"It was really unpleasant, yeah."

"Do you need, like, a hug, or anything?"

—he seems startled and confused by this question.

"Or not? I was not designated comforter of the traumatized in the war, I did healing and refugee stuff."

"—nobody's ever asked me that before, is all. You know what, sure, I will take a hug."

"- quick question, do you know if there is hug etiquette to do with wings."

"Huh, dunno. If the wings are too confusing there can just not be wings," and his wings neatly vanish.

"Hmmmyes." He manages to put his vantablack wings away.

Hug?

Hug.

Hug! What a good.

"Thanks," he says, letting go. His wings fluff out from his back again.

"No problem."

He looks at Cor thoughtfully.

"I'd be pretty annoyed if you died," he says. "I hope you don't get eaten by the disappearing planet."

"You and me both. With the hoping, not the being annoyed, I'd be too dead to be annoyed."

Giggle.

"I will try my best not to let anyone who has not yet been eaten by the disappearance points get that way."

"Nice of you!"

"I try."

"Anyway, how'd the telling people you found a planet go?"

"It went well! They're dismantling the moonshot project and picking scouts now."