...hug.

Hug. 

"... You'll be happy to know this is only the third building I've blown up, and one of the others was on purpose. And I'm pretty sure I've only killed people who've deserved it, thanks to you." 

Very hug.

"Nobody died, I made sure of that. Okay. My turn?"

Hug. "Okay."

"Okay I have no way to say this that will make any sense so I'm just going to pick one of the ways that doesn't make sense and hope for the best. Um. When I said I can fly... I'm - two people, and it's the other one who can fly, because we're both mages but she's a different kind than I am. When we heard the explosion she flew us there, and she put out all the fires and I healed people."

"... Whoa. Have I met her already? Have I been dating both of you this whole time? Because that's cool. A little freaky, but cool." 

"No, you haven't met her, but she knows everything I know and she likes you. She doesn't usually - the person we're being on the outside is usually me and not her. But she was helping me draw when the bombs went off, so we flew there as her. Uh, she actually kind of jumped out the window without knowing for sure if she could fly. She expected we could figure something out if it turned out she couldn't."

"I already like her back." 

Ruava grins. "Do you want to meet her?"

"I dooooo!" Kiss. 

"... I should probably not be kissing you when you start being her, that would be a bit awkward."

"A bit," she agrees fondly. "Okay."

And she—

—changes.

It's the same body, but there's almost nothing similar about the way she inhabits it. Poised, graceful, motionless except when she means to move - wary, alert, with an intense focus in her eyes - distant, reserved, minimally expressive - if Ruava is the sun, this girl is the stars.

"...hi," she says shyly. "I don't really have a name, but when I was talking to the hero we met at the fire, I introduced myself as Idain, so I guess that'll do for now."

"... Hi, Idain. Should I still be hugging you?"

She smiles. It's not at all a Ruava smile, but it's lovely in its own quiet way.

"You can still be hugging me."

Hug.

"Good. I like hugging you." 

Hug!

Smile. Hug.

...she's still kind of tense and wary, but maybe she is just literally always like that.

... Does petting help?

A little bit!

Then she will pet softly. 

"... So I guess you know me, but not really the other way around. Anything in particular I should know?"

"I don't usually interact with people other than Ruava. When we met that Jayce person today it was the longest conversation I've had as myself since I learned how to be her."

Awwww. 

Hug. 

"You wear... the whole thing... more obviously than her. I remember when I was like that. I'm still like that sometimes, honestly. The habits get into you. Which is why..." She gestures at her tattoo. 

"When bad things happen to us, I'm the one they happen to. It's - easier. She wouldn't handle it as well as I do."

... Hug.

"Thank you for protecting my Ruava."

Hug.

"She's so - good. And warm and bright. I don't want to let anything hurt her."

"See, something we agree on already."