"It would mean that everything... meant something. That somebody likes us."

"I suppose. And Hisame is likely modeling whoever introduced her to her girlfriend and keeps giving her opportunities for chaos as an ally."

"Well, they don't seem to be working against us."

"I still don't have my Nausicaa back, though - everything is... Not perfect, at least."

"Now that you've brought it up again, maybe the next world will have a solution."

"Hopefully."

"Then again," Eliana says, "what's a story without a little conflict?"

"Point. Though it's hardly anything dramatic."

"A small thing is made more poignant against the greater backdrop, perhaps."

"Perhaps..."

"It depends on their sense of humor, I suppose."

"I suppose there's an extent to which we'll have to just see..."

In the morning, the goddess's body is waiting downstairs.

"Good morning!" Hisame chirps.

"Good morning. I trust you were satisfied with my acolyte's guidance yesterday. She does love meeting new people."

"We had quite a lovely tour!"

"Excellent. There is a god of my acquaintance who I allow to maintain a small presence here that you may wish to meet. Her domain is preservation."

"Oooh, yes, I do think that'd be in our interests. Thank you."

"Allow me to lead you to her."

Ellayania shows the way to Tisvet's little enclave.

Tisvet's little enclave is a modest, out of the way little building carved into a hill. The dark obsidian steps lead down to a warm and slightly humid nook with a matching floor. The walls are a green glass, back lit with a light that looks mysteriously like lava. In the back are another set of steps, leading down to a steaming pool of water that looks... rather like a hot spring, actually. Complete with little seats along the wall.

A redhead in a bikini is lounging in one, paging through a book perched on the lip of the pool.

"Hello!" she says brightly, her voice matching Ellayania's echoey panlingual quality. "My, yes, that's very interesting. I'm Tisvetaia, pleasure to meet you."

"Greetings. I am Eliana Fabil." She points out each of her companions in turn. "Mora. Hisame. The Keres."

"Hello!" she says. "The pleasure is ours."

"I assume you'd all here for the holy nose boop of an extra decade of life?"

"Is that what preservation is?"

"For humans, yes. If I touch a mortal once a decade I can keep them young indefinitely. I also do it with Ellayania's books, it's one of the reasons we get along so well."