I assume so. I definitely carried most of the stress on this one, my alts are probably both fine today.

All right. That went astonishingly well, considering. 

He grins.

Yeah, it did, didn't it.

I like being powerful enough I needn't hurt anyone.

It's a really good feeling, he agrees, and he falls a little more in love again, and feels it in his soul, and it's so utterly lovely, he still isn't used to it being so tangible... he closes his eyes and makes his wings appear and hugs himself with them, basking in the sensation.

He laughs. What are they like?

The wings? They're - I don't know, you're reading my mind, you tell me.

When they're not there he doesn't miss them, but when they are, they feel exactly like a perfectly natural part of his body, as familiar as his arms or legs. And his feathers are so unbelievably beautiful, and so soft to the touch, he is so cozy right now... it's a little bizarre, suddenly having wings, but he doesn't regret it for a second, he loves them, they're amazing. The prettiest wings of any Taliar, with their soft black feathers edged in shimmering blue-silver-gold. He's terribly smug about them.

As you should. How's your alt, what's he like?

I technically still haven't met him, I only know him from Elaneth-imire's memories. I think I remember catching half a thought from Liran-alore indicating that the Suranse alts had all manifested their souls and gone home to tell everyone the good news, but I don't even know if they've picked soulnames yet. I really want to meet his siblings, actually, that's so weird - and the thing Inlaith did where he just put on Ashras's entire personality for a second, what's with that - and he grew up in a world with no soul artifacts, I bet he's not nearly as good at steering his head around as I am, he'll pick it up fast though, he's still essentially a Taliar...

And you don't have to worry 'oh no, what if this is a paragon-of-virtue-who-wants-to-murder-me alt'...

Yeah that must be really fucking unsettling. No, I do not. And I genuinely can't imagine what it would take to get it to go the other way - if I met an alt of myself who'd done things so horrifying I wished he didn't exist, I wouldn't kill him, I'd, I'd Taliar him. And if he was in any sense actually an alt of me, he'd be delighted about it.

Hug.

Awww.

Snuggle. Feathery snuggle. Except that the wings take up enough space that he doesn't feel so small in Maitimo's arms, so after a moment he puts them away so he can get that feeling back. He likes that feeling.

Perhaps I should get a pair myself.

I bet they'd be beautiful, he says, hugging him.

Can you fly with them?

I haven't actually tried but I get the impression everyone can.

Oh, and he still hasn't seen his own Sphere yet. Maybe he should make a portal and Maitimo can step in and think about his proudest accomplishments.

I cannot be proud of anything until all of my people are alive and safe.

...hug.

I love you.

Hug.

He snuggles contentedly into Maitimo's arms, and feels his love for him shining in his soul, and - he doesn't ever want to die on him again...

...oh so that's how Dawn-shining became immortal—the thing that was missing was being loved, being loved and knowing it—

"I swear on my soul I will never let anything take me away from you," he says, and it clicks and it's right there, a golden glow rising from his skin, the light lingering for only a moment but the power staying rooted in his soul, as irrevocable as Maitimo's access to his thoughts.

"...convenient. Sorry it couldn't come in earlier -"

He smiles and cuddles him some more.

—and then he remembers—oh, right, he was upset about being tortured unexpectedly—he isn't upset anymore, he managed to work through it in the back of his head while he wasn't looking, but it's probably still worth having a conversation about at some point.

"I'll warn you." He kisses his hair.

"Thank you. I love you."

Snuggle.

"What would you say to us?" They dropped that conversation to get back to the ongoing emergency, but there isn't an ongoing emergency anymore.