Well, Terel has been putting off thoughts about turning to think about his classes. Now that he can't do that anymore... Eh. 

"And here I thought I'd talked myself out of indecision. This is- Super permanent. I don't know. I told myself I'd follow through and that usually works but..."

"You should be super, super sure. I will never ever do it without your consent."

The part where if he dies she will become a nonfunctional wreck for the rest of eternity goes unsaid.

"Well, my opinion on the whole mortal peril thing is still the same."

"Then I will consider this advance consent," she says, neutrally. "...does death of old age count as mortal peril?"

"I'll almost certainly decide to turn or not by the time old age is a concern. So, sure, might as well count it."

"Okay," she says softly.

This is such a touchy subject. They're going to get into a depressive spiral. "Okay but. It's summer break now, and I haven't enrolled in another semester of college yet, and I don't usually go back to my family over these breaks so they're not really expecting me but I'll have to write them a letter sooner or later... Um, what was I saying? Oh, yes, let's go on a trip somewhere. Either my last hurrah as a human, or just a nice break."

"Okay," she nods. "Like I said, it's entirely your choice, you can do it whenever you want, if and only if you want. I love you, and I want you to be happy and to do whatever makes that most likely."

"How would you deal with... Um, some people what they say they want and what would actually make them happy are different. I don't think I'm that, but how would you approach it if I was?"

"...I would probably trust what you say. I don't—I wouldn't trust my judgement of what's best for you, you're the one in your head not me."

"Hm, alright. Thanks." Kiss. "Anyway, yeah, we should take a little vacation somewhere. Bet I'll decide to turn, or how long to wait, by then."

"Okay. Where should we go, love?"

"I don't have strong preferences. Just, away, somewhere to not think about much of anything. Probably just pick a fancy-looking aircruise liner in Windvale and be done with it. I always hated how my brother plans out every hour of the family vacations."

"Okay. We could pick randomly? Or go somewhere I've never been. Oh, have you visited the World Tree? It's gorgeous."

"I haven't! They're not really a tourist-friendly place though, from what I hear. Somewhere you've never been is probably also somewhere I've never been, let's do that."

"Not very tourist-friendly, true, but stunning nonetheless. Anyway, alright, do you have a list of popular touristic destinations?"

He produces such a list. Sadde's never been to any of them except Windvale. Shelling Point is a merfolk tourist city. Practically the entire above-water structure is shops, shows, cultural centers, artisans, malls, concert halls. Avernus is a famous historical site - the oldest city within three thousand tiles, at least eleven millenia of age. Protected from less than ideal weather by the Wardwall, a beautiful city-size glittering and shimmering magical field. There's the World Pillars, a set of improbably steep mountains with lots of diverse and interesting rock formations around. Regarded as one of the best places for beautiful mountain climbing, stunt flying, or skiing in this corner of the world. And so on and so forth.

"...so do we have to pick just one of these places?"

"I suppose not."

Shelling Point sounds like a delight, Avernus sounds cool, and she'd love to do extreme sports at the World Pillars but if Terel would rather not it's okay.

"We can totally visit those three. There are other sights to see along the way I'll add to the list, but again, let's not make too big a hassle out of planning it. I'll probably join in on some of the less extreme extreme sports at the World Pillars. Shall we go pack my stuff into storage and then get a ticket to Windvale, then?"

"Yeah!"

Kiss?

Definitely kiss.

Packing goes very, very swiftly, thanks to a vampire helping out. Terel keeps just two big suitcases of stuff out of storage - a few sets of clothes and other necessities, all the tools and projects and notes they've built so far. He does a bit of paperwork to finish his sign-out. And then they're on a six-hour flight to Windvale, with their own private cabin. Whatever will they do there.

One wonders.

"I love you," she sighs, cuddling him.

"I know. I'll say the same when I know it's true."

"I know. No rush." Kiss.

They can snuggle until they get to Windvale.

When they ask for a two day stay in Shelling Point at a travel agency, the agency takes their identifications and says the travel visa should take only a few minutes to get approved.

"Really? A few minutes? That's kinda surprising."

"Travel visas to Shelling Point are rather perfunctory. Our organization has a direct line to both countries' tourism offices, too."

...That said, they're gone for at least twenty minutes while Terel and Sadde go over pamphlets of Shelling Point's events and attractions.

Twenty minutes is way less than the several hours visas can take on Earth, and definitely within Sadde's credibility interval for what was meant by "a few minutes."

Sadde might be able to tell that all the office staff here seem a bit nervous. And she probably hears the tromping of a lot of boots up stairs before Terel does.

Nothing to worry about?

...she wouldn't expect it to be, it's not like they've done anything, but she keeps an ear out nonetheless.

The boots get out on their floor. "No reason to think they're violent, but one is fair folk. Be careful."

Quick scan of the crowd—

"Er, I think there's some government guys after us," she murmurs to Terel.

"What would they- Call your lawyer."

The government guys take up positions by all the exits. Two, in intimidating uniforms, start to approach them.

She does.

She picks up immediately. "Hello, Sadde. Need me again already?"

"I might need you in a minute—it would appear there are people from the government interested in me and my mate for some reason—"

"Right, standing by. I would activate the recording function if your crystal has one."

"Right." If it does, she does it.

It does. 

"Terel Kaland and Sadde Woods? I am Captain Herold Dreys of the royal enforcers. I regret to inform you that you are under penalty by Royal order."

"What? Since when?"

Since Julep 27th. We're getting your IDs back and then you're coming with us."

"..Yes sir."

And during this, "Ask him what the reason listed is, and the order number! Go with them without arguing. You don't have to admit anything. They can't separate you or take your stuff if you reference declaration, um, 3367, unless you're acting hostile or it's a weapon. They can make you hang up. I'm arranging someone to come represent you."

"Might I inquire what the listed reason is, and the order number?" asks Sadde, who does not have the phone close to her ear—does not indicate she's using it at all. Superhearing and such.

The police guy gives a little sigh. Difficult customer. "Order number 19 of the year 9410. An attempt to avoid lawful taxation through schemes. I'm going to have to ask you to deactivate any active magical items that are not critical to your health."

She hangs up. "What schemes, and what taxation?"

"We can discuss that at the station."

Terel has apparently decided not to say anything. Lest he break down in panic or something.

"Okay," she says agreeably, and takes Terel's hand.

Terel grabs her hand and nods and stays quiet.

And so they get their identifications back, and they're read the local equivalent of the Miranda Rights and escorted into a very magical vehicle.

When they arrive at the station they are both led into the same room as that sales executive guy from Empire Imports and his lawyer. Sadde's lawyer is also waiting. Everyone ends up arranged on two sides of a long table, with a couple of officers watchful for escape. Nobody talks.

An important looking woman - highly decorated uniform, if nothing else - clears her throat. "Let's get this over with. Empire Imports colluding with Sadde Woods to get around tarrifs. We've been investigating you both for a while. A few days ago we got a Royal Order approving us to shut down this whole tax evasion scheme. I have several packets prepared for each of your legal teams. Terel Kaland, you're here because you're Sadde Woods' sponsor into the kingdom. So you're punishable if she evades her punishment. Nobody's leaving until we sort it out, one way or another. I'm interested in enforcing the spirit of the law. That's why Royal Orders exist, for situations like this when it's the spirit and not the letter being broken. We're not going to grill and pressure you like in cheap detective novels... But, again, nobody's leaving. Any questions before I give everyone twenty minutes to go over the accusation packets?"

Nope, no questions from these quarters.

(Spirit of the law? Bullshit.)

This guy is definitely not saying anything. Nope. Nope. He's not crying either.

"Alright, you can go over the packets now."

Sadde's lawyer takes it and demands a private room to consult with her clients. One is provided. Empire Imports' lawyer wants to talk privately to Sadde's lawyer. This is very definitely forbidden.

"Okay," the lawyer says, "They're probably listening to us but if they are can't use any of it in court. This is a clusterfuck. The wording on an obscure tariff ordinance changed about a week after your arrangement - not sure if that's a coincidence or an opportunity - and apparently nobody at Empire Imports noticed. Now, probationary citizens are only exempt from various tariffs if they are salaried by a company owned by a full citizen. You weren't salaried, and Empire Imports is owned by a Kavan. It would have been a whole lot of misdemeanors except for the Royal Order which lets them basically do whatever the hell they want."

"...what a delight. What do we have to actually do? Can we just pay the King back with some interest and call it quits? I'm not particularly attached to any of my money, it's just a means to an end."

"That's probably the quickest way out. Empire Imports will fight tooth and nail to keep their legal importer status, they'll probably try the same thing. They're probably finished in this country though. Heads will roll, I imagine. Only probably metaphorically. Then the strategy we want to take is innocent misknowledge of the law, which of course as soon as we learned of it in such a brutal fashion we strive to fully comply. How much money are you willing and able to give up to avoid every other consequence?"

She shrugs. "I mean, I'd like to not have to restart my research from scratch but I did kinda arrive on this world a few weeks ago with zero Kavased on my name, I can deal with that happening again if it needs to."

"Mm. I'll try to bargain down as low as possible of course, but I'll need a hard number on what you actually have so I can tell when to stop pushing hard enough to risk them tacking things like banishment or prison sentences on."

She gives the number.

"Okay, the analyst team should be here soon. Waiting puts the advantage to the state. We want this over and done and signed off on as soon as possible. Both of you, please sign this. Just to warn you - our bill's going to be murder, but just a drop compared to the King's."

It's a very short form saying that their lawyer is allowed to represent them in the following sizable list of fields, and has no conflicts of interest as far as she knows, for the next 24 hours.

Terel signs it. Not like there's any better options coming along. "I just want to get out of here. Maybe never come back."

"Same." Sign sign.

"I wonder if they'll try to make it up to us when we won't build computer infrastructure for them in ten or fifteen years."

The lawyer is confused by this comment, and thus ignores it.

"Oh, let's not be so petty, we'll be way richer than the King then," she giggles. "Also I bet this is what that prophecy was about."

"Something to tick off the list. It even covers two of them - harrowing, and a king being our enemy." Sigh.

"This was prophesied?" The lawyer asks. "Probably not relevant, especially since it's not entered into records, but any more predictions that seem relevant to the situation?"

"No, none immediately come to mind."

"Okay." She goes back to writing and checking her watch every minute or two. 

"Right, time to go back in there. I advise you to let me do all the talking unless they ask a direct question and I don't object. Don't lie if you can possibly help it. Try not to look too nervous. They'll bring food and water in and give restroom breaks if it goes on for more than a couple of hours - or whatever sustenance you need, Sadde. But again, don't be surprised if it's faster, even with this much money and legal power being thrown around. Every minute we spend in custody shifts the advantage a bit more."

She nods. "Understood. I don't need anything for sustenance, though."

They are asked direct questions a few times. Sadde's questions are mostly on details of the services done for Empire, which both lawyers heartily object to, citing NDAs. Terel only once. That sales executive looks... Haunted. Ruined career will do that.

Two hours and a bit, and Sadde is asked to hand over just over a hundred million Kavased, yes right now you can get it from your suitcase sure, and they're free to go. "I think I'm going to throw up. That was so - ducking - tense."

"Let me take you somewhere. Else, away, let me make it up to you—I'm so sorry—"

"Away sounds good. And it was half my idea, the money was for both of us, shared projects... We did get that travel visa in the end. But I feel like some cheap greasy food and a hotel and sleep for ten hours, after that."

"Okay, can do. Let's find a place with that."

Terel walks quietly for a while.

"Maybe it's just the anxiety, and getting past it together. But... There's no other word for it. I can truthfully say I love you now, Sadde."

Well she might be unable to contain herself now and spin him in the air and kiss him right then and there.

He giggles and kisses back. "It went quicker than I thought it would! Now I know why everyone says falling in love is mostly indescribable - but there it is." Kiiiiiiiss.

They're attracting some attention from passersby, who are mostly looking amused at the public display of affection.

Yes yes she really could not care less about the passersby if she tried. "I love you so much—yes, indescribable—" Another kiss because she can't communicate using words right now.

Very many kisses, yes.

"...Should probably go to the nearest hotel before we end up getting arrested again."

She pulls away, giggling. "Right, right. Before or after food?"

"Hotels have room service. And I kind of want to ignore craving food until I'm really hungry just to prove the point - that I want to be with you for hours and hours right now."

"Then let's find a hotel right now."

She goes find a hotel right now with him.

The first hotel they see is perfectly happy to have one more pair of guests.

And now they're in a room and those suitcases can just wait right there by the door because kissing is more important than suitcases right now.

It's so important!!! And Terel doesn't need to be wearing his shirt does he—

Well, neither does Sadde. And their socks and shoes can go away and they can go onto the bed because isn't that most of the point of a hotel.

That is so much the point of a hotel!

She believes trousers should go away, too. So unnecessary.

Maybe not quite yet. But soon, very soon...

Now the trousers can go away.

Good yes bye trousers, hers can go, too.

It's much the same thing they've been doing for a while now, but more... Tender? Terel's not in a huge hurry here.

He mutters "I love you," into Sadde's neck.

Oh my god oh my god this is way too overwhelming—

"I love you. So much. I want you forever, I want you to be the happiest person in all worlds, I want to make all your dreams come true and give you interesting challenges and new things to learn and new places to discover and new magic to invent, I love you."

"We're going to have forever."

She's not going to question that now, nope, she is going to kiss him and snuggle him and be with him for as long as he'll have her.

Well. He'll have to go be human for a while eventually. Food, shower and the rest, sleep. But he puts it off as long as possible.

And she'll be just as delighted to accompany him while he humans as she is to do anything else around him.

The next day they schedule a trip to the World Pillars. "Thinking about going to shelling point from here makes me nervous, as if we're going to be locked up again. We'll get around to it."

"It's alright, love, it can wait. We have—" Pause. "Did you mean that? When you said we have forever?"

"Well, I don't have any reason to expect the world to end. And I don't have any reason to expect to prefer dying of old age to turning. It's just - not yet."

She nods vigorously. "Okay. Good. I love you."

"I love you, too."

And eventually they go to visit the World Pillars.

The ship that brings them there is a slow, ponderous thing that isn't really very shiplike at all. It's designed more like a floating town. There are a lot of sports equipment shops, since most people headed to the World Pillars could probably use sports equipment. Terel chats with shopowners about how-to-outdoors.

Sadde half-pays attention—which is of course much more attention than a human could ever pay—since she won't really be needing most kinds of equipment, and half looks around at the place and the people and, well, Terel. There's always a part of her brain focused on Terel.

Terel has less attention to distribute, but it follows the same general pattern.

The place really is a floating town. It's easily the size of a large Earth cruise ship, including parks and bars and stores and a hospital and a bank and so on. It doesn't have engines, and floats along at five or ten tiles per hour (slow, but they're in no hurry), inviting a consistent breeze through the streets. There are gardens and greenhouses behind and above most buildings.

The biggest fractions of people on board in descending order are passengers or visitors, locals (shopkeepers, cooks, hoteliers, and so on), and tour guides or sports instructors. People here are more cheerful and relaxed than average. It's nice. A wandering tourist town.

Sadde wants to do things! Does Terel want to do things?

"A little dependent on the things, but sure!"

"Wanna waste money on a casino?"

He snort-giggles in surprise. "Sure! Not too much though, even if we're not exactly pressed for cash it'd be weird."

"Yeah, we're probably not gonna win anything but," shrug.

This is a casino! All the games are different. Terel doesn't really know them either.

They'll probably lose a few hundred kavased just getting to know them.

They have lots more! This is loads of fun.

Yeah, it's okay fun. He doesn't see the appeal as much as Sadde does but he's glad she's having fun, he'll enjoy the delicious complimentary food and drinks meant to make you stay longer and be more pliable with your money in between games, and cheer valiantly when he actually wins at Starstacks or whatever.

They can go do something Terel finds more fun, then.

No, no, this is fine for an hour or two. Really. Good food, cheerful relaxing atmosphere if you're not worried about money. Just not forever.

When Terel picks, they can go to an arts-and-crafts mall thing. Where arts-and-crafts range from glassblowing and smithing to golemcraft, enchanting, weaving, artfully sculpted baking, two dozen other things.

That sounds like fun, too! Does Terel want her to buy him anything?

Maybe if he sees some especially charming shinies. Kiss.

Oh good then she'll buy him whatever especially charming shinies he likes.

He does see some shinies that set him to musing quietly about rings. 

In terms of shinies he'd like right now, not so much.

...musing quietly about rings, you say?

Shhh. Terel doesn't want to confirm or deny ring related thoughts yet.

(It's kind of an obvious eventual step though, turning or not.)

Then she will only eeeeeeeeeee in her own head.

Say, does Terel want to eat Exotic Foods?

Sure... Exotic foods fits with getting the most of being human. Especially if Sadde gives herself taste buds and joins him, vastly inferior to blood as the taste may be.

Sure, she can totally do that for him.

"This is a good place. Good food, good crafts, good hotel. Great girlfriend to spend it with. Pretty much everything about right now is good."

"You keep saying these things, it's almost like you want me to kiss you everywhere."

"Not my goal in saying the things, but still a desirable outcome."

So she goes and kisses him.

Lots of kissing!

This town-ship is relatively permissive of displays of affection. They can kiss as much as they want as long as they're not blocking a path.

Oh good then she can just continue kissing him for a while can't she? After all she has the objectively best mate in all worlds and he needs to be kissed.

Kissing can continue for a good while, yes. Along with occasional contented sighs and happy mumbles.

Those are all very good!

Eventually Terel, being human, will probably want to do other things, yes?

Eventually, yes.

The three and a half day trip to the World Pillars passes pleasantly and relaxingly at this rate.

And then: World Pillars! He bets they're gorgeous. Are they gorgeous?

Yup! They're visible from a day away, hundreds of ten-mile-high spires at more than forty-five degree slopes, narrowing to plateaus near the top. Multicolored cliffs, open veins of ore in some places. The sides are dotted with vertical farms and towns and gardens, and between two particularly close mountains is a whole city built upon bridge upon bridge upon bridge. "Wow. The Mountaingate is really cool."

"This place is absolutely gorgeous," he agrees. "This whole world feels a lot like a video game and it's beautiful."

"Too bad I can't, like, actually play a video game, the way you talk about them. Mountains don't normally get this steep or tall. We're not actually sure why - the native culture here wasn't good at writing things down - obviously a Fate put them here but we don't even know if it was deliberate or not."

"I did not in fact spend much time playing video games—not my thing, really, I had more interesting things to do with my time. But yeah, the scenery is very fantasyland-style, the kind of thing you'd put in your game to wow your players."

"Well, it's kind of a big world, and maybe it's easier to have dramatic-looking things here because of Fate magic. I'm sure you want to go sky-diving or something. I might even come with, it's not like we can't afford good safety magic."

"Eeeeee! That'd be fun."

"Let's do it, then!"

So where might they go to get the appropriate safety magic safely magicked?

There is a massive tourist industry devoted to skydiving! They can just drop a few thousand Kavased for the VIP package at one of those.

What does it include?

Professional skydiving trainers for the duration, practice runs in a wind tunnel, four fast trips up high to dive from (first go attached to a skydiving trainer). Triple redundant parachute-equivalants, plus rental of crash tolerance amulets similar to Terel's force-shield. Participation in a sort of air slalom course, or gliding down the steep sides of a mountain instead of falling through open air, if they want.

He's game for pretty much everything. He'd be pretty cool just jumping, without any charms—he still has his wings. But the training is fun, anyway, and also Terel.

Well, Terel is not about to skydive without training.

But soon: Skydiving! He whoops in thrilled delight pretty much the entire way down.

Eeeeeeeeeee it is a thrilled delight, yes, falling is so much fun—flying it, too, for that matter—do they have a way to make people fly he'd love to take Terel flying—

There are lots of ways to fly! The supposedly most thrilling-yet-still-safe one is to buy or rent a very expensive magical item called a Wing Pack - a backpack that produces half-intangible wings that flap on their own but fly you according to your mental direction.

Ooh where can he get Terel one of those?

There are high-end bespoke sports gear shops.

Terel is not aware of this plan of Sadde's, he suggests a hike up one of the known-to-be-prettiest mountains.

Sadde bids Terel wait a bit because he wants to go buy him a present.

"Ooh, should I be excited? Bit hard to be when I have no idea what it is. One to ten?"

"Hmmm... I predict minimum eight."

"Heh, okay, I'll wait here for the promise of a minimum-eight present."

Zip! To the store!

It's almost like one of those absurdly fancy jewelry stores on Earth. Lavish decor, spacious interior, shiny things hung on the walls, with the addition of a big warded testing area in the back. No prices listed, two impeccably dressed salespeople.

"Good afternoon, sir. Welcome to Custom Flight."

"Good afternoon! Would you happen to have a Wing Pack?" asks the man with wings.

"We do, ah, manufacture and sell those, sir. Would this be a gift for someone?"

"Indeed! Although I'm presenting it just now so I'm not sure a wrapping will be necessary. ...it might make for a nice effect, though."

"I could definitely wrap it for you. We offer a variety of models and customization options. Pick one you think they'll like and we can make some visual adjustments later... Let me show you our options."

There's a surprising amount of subtlety in wing packs. Wingspan, weight, tactile feedback, ease of control, maneuverability, safety features, ability to change wing colors...

Minimal weight, as much tactile feedback as is comfortable, most ease, maneuverability, safety, ability to change wing colours, can he also change wingspan, speed...? Honestly just go with the fanciest, see if he can afford that.

Adjustable wings (in more characteristics than span) is a high end but available feature. It's kind of like buying bicycles back home. If bikes were ten times as expensive to start with. More expensive flight packs start to have marginal improvements per cost and there is a big difference in cost between the low and high end.

Would he like to try a few to see how strong the tactile feedback is? Despite already having wings?

Sure, why not.

They figure out a way to make it work with the wings in the way. 

Wearing a wing pack and feeling its tactile feedback is... Not like actually having wings. There is proprioception, there's some sense of the wind blowing over them, and more expensive ones are better, but even the best aren't quite the same. It's unlikely to be overwhelming to a human.

Cool he'll want one. The fanciest one. Wrapped.

Certainly. They start packing all the accessories and manuals.

Would he like it engraved with someone's initials? A new outer cover is relatively cheap. Insurance policied? 

Sure, Terel's initials and his own sounds good. And yep, insurance!

Insurance: Is frequently a good idea. He'll have to pay it every month or charge up an account with a lot of money, like with the call crystal, or he'll lose the policy, though.

In all of five minutes here is a very tidily wrapped in linen or something (wrapping paper: not a thing here) fancy box containing a wing pack.

Okay! He thanks them warmly and quickly returns to his mate.

"...Wrapped box? I probably don't want to know how expensive this gift is, do I?"

"It's well within our means and I don't actually care about money."

"Two excellent points."

He sees the logo on the very fancy box. "...Oooh, I've heard of these guys." And he hurriedly opens it and examines the wing pack. "Ooh! Wing pack! I think your estimate of eight minimum is probably accurate! Further testing is necessary to make sure, of course."

"Naturally. We should fly instead of hiking."

"We definitely should! I don't want to fly anywhere particularly dangerous the first time I use this though... They're supposed to be a little tricky, aren't they?"

"I bought the fanciest available one, it should be pretty easy. Try it!"

So he puts the pack on, and a pair of fluffy white wings appear in a little burst of light. They move a bit, twist.

"Huh." Flap. "I might need instructions after all, this is weird."

So he can instruct his lovely mate.

When he finally gets it down, "Flying is AWESOME!"

"It is! Come on, let's fly up the mountains, I have zero reaction time I'll catch you if you fall."

They don't even need to pack food, Sadde can just make it! Off they go!

Wheeee flying!

All the way up the very pretty mountainside, along paths not usually explored. Kind of romantic. They're probably not literally the first people to see these places - but they're definitely off the beaten trails.

Terel might keep flying until he falls asleep in midair at this rate. Wing packs don't get tired.

If that's what he wants to do Sadde is perfectly content to accompany him in this trek and make sure he doesn't crash into a tree or something.

Not crashing into trees is good.

He turns back early enough to land back at their hotel in Mountaingate about an hour after sunset. "I'm going to use this every day for years, I bet."

"That sounds like a lovely idea. This world's magic is great."

"It is, isn't it?"

"Is there something else you'd like to have that you never thought you would or deferred because money was a barrier?"

"Proper wards. A full set of defensive magic. I don't care if it makes me look like a paranoid tool, defenses are good."

"Then we can buy that when we're downtown again."

"I almost want a bunch of miscellaneous amulets. They give persistent powers, but are all super expensive, most people rent them if you ever use them at all. But I don't feel a pressing need for them and we can always get them later."

"What kinds of powers can you get?"

"Telekinesis, water-breathing, so-called 'immunity to weather', defenses, and various healing things are probably the five most common."

"Oooh, telekinesis sounds fun. The other ones I think it makes more sense to rent, given that you're going to turn and they'll be all but useless."

"Makes sense. The telekinesis is closer to the level of 'grab my keys from the table' not 'move the table' though."

"What's its range? Does it multitask well?"

"More is more expensive, and mostly depends on your attention but there's a maximum weight, I think."

"None of which are objections, but I guess it's not that much of an advantage."

"If you get me one I'll use it. I just don't have a burning desire for such."

"Fair enough."

"Anyway let's talk about which mountains to fly around tomorrow. This one's supposed to have pretty geothermal stuff..."

Ooh other mountains, he's curious about what options there are.

Different varieties of forest, geothermal, hobbit-like burrow town, a small colony of birdlike Fair Folk, mer living in the steep pools and streams and waterfalls in one place, a zone of dramatic sandstone cliffs and arches, a mountain face that is someone's millenium-long art project...

Millennium-long?

It's an entire mountain face carved into little statues and big faces. By all available sources, one Fair Folk did it and continues working on it to this day.

Oooh yes he wants to go visit that!

They can go visit that, then. It's kind of a long flight by wing-pack. The world pillars are an entire continental region.

Sadde has no objections but if Terel prefers to take some faster transportation method he's up for it too.

It wouldn't be 'faster', it'd be 'more comfortable than flying for hours and hours'. And, nah, flying is great.

It really is. Flying, then!

Whee! He's adventurous enough to try some stunts more daring than 'gentle banking turn' now.

Wheee! Sadde is of course always ready to catch him if he needs to be caught.

The wing pack is very good about safe flight.

Such a useful wing pack.

Now what will come first: Terel's biological needs like food and sleep or the mountain?

The mountain! Its aesthetic sense is a bit foreign to both of them, but it is clearly very aesthetic to someone. Lots of fantastic or improbable plants and creatures carved into the rock. Battle scenes. A smattering of landscapes of distant places carved into this landscape.

Foreign but still very pretty. And a single Fair Folk did this? Anyone knows who or why?

"Apparently, 'a dragon who doesn't like names' and 'because it was bored'."

"...I am forever baffled by the sorts of things immortal, incredibly powerful people choose to do with their time."

"Well to be fair, this dragon is not also a Fate. And dragons' magic mostly revolves around fire."

"Generation? Manipulation? Survival in? Need for?"

"Generation of, happier in."

"Interesting. And it... carved these things with fire?"

"Well, probably used its claws. Though, look, it's smoothed like glass there... So a combination of both. Huh, look at that snake thing... It's really detailed. Very pretty, in a brutal sort of way."

"Yeah. I guess I shouldn't judge people for not using their resources in the most altruistic possible way, I myself am not doing that all the time."

"Yeah, not much point to life if we did that."

"Oh, some point, but yeah, the problems we're going to solve won't get significantly worse at the scale of days."

"Yeah, but either way I feel like the vacation before going into invention and tech mode is good."

"Yeah it definitely is."

"So let's take a good long look at all the pretty carvings that are a silly use of someone else's time."

"Do let's!"

So they do. Terel finds the giant Kings set - pieces loose so a vampire or dragon could actually play - particularly amusing.

"Wanna play?"

"Well, you'll have to move my pieces for me..."

"Sure!"

So they play a round of Kings.

(Sadde wins)

And then he scoops his mate up, twirls him in the air, and kisses him.

Kissing is more than acceptable! And then he turns on the wing pack and flies into the air.

Eeeee best mate. He follows.

They can kiss in midair! The wing pack can't hover, but it has something close enough to an autopilot.

Vacation continues apace.

It does. They visit the rest of the Pillars, and Avernus (that historical city), and several other places, finally ending at Shelling Point again, after the negative associations are mostly gone.

Terel is probably less eager to spend much time here even before the whole debacle. But it makes a nice stopover... Before going back to those Pale Shadows people and finishing their requests because Terel has decided that in fact, yes, he wants to turn now after all.

She has produced a vial with a needle and filled it with venom. "Are you totally, completely certain?"

"I have to tell my family first... And we have to find a nice piece of wilderness. I think you've already taken care of that. But I'm very certain other than those two caveats."

"Yeah, nice piece of wilderness is easy with the shadow people helping. Telling your family... I'm not sure I can help with."

"They'll want to meet you. They'll want to talk me out of it, maybe. Then again maybe not. But it'd feel wrong to turn without giving them any idea."

"Yeah, fair enough, especially because after that you'll probably be a year without seeing them."

"I'll give them a phone call, and then we go physically visit? My brother's probably home, too."

"Yeah, sounds good."

So they do that.

He tells his family, first off, that he has a - girlfriend. She's fun and smart and has brilliant ideas and they're going to start a whole new industry together, on Sadde's money.

His mom wants to meet this 'girlfriend' and see if they're a good sort. His dad wants to give him two hours' lecture on financial responsibility (and calms down when Sandy's name is dropped as a probable CFO). His brother just wishes him luck in a tone that says 'like that will ever work, hah'.

Terel addresses everyone and then calls Sadde on the link crystal. "I think you can come over now, Sadde."

So she does, wings and all.

"Hello, Sadde." Terel's mom smiles kindly. "I'm Samara. Do you want to join us for dinner? Maybe tell us how you met my son?"

"Sure! He hasn't told you the story?"

"I, uh. Don't usually ramble on about stuff like that."

"Which is a no," his mom smirks, "But I'm quite curious."

"It's... unusual. Has he mentioned I'm from a different world?"

His father gives her a pointed look. "That's the part of this I credit the least, but if the both of you say so I'm not going to waste my breath arguing that it's impossible."

"I could show you but I've been told it looks distressingly like a rift."

Samara loudly inserts herself, "Yes, let's just skip that. Sadde, tea or coffee?"

"I'm not picky, whichever's easiest for you."

"I'll have coffee." 

"Of course you will, dearie. Coffee for everyone then."

Terel's dad asks, "What's this revolutionary idea of yours, anyway, Terel?"

"Computing devices!" Cue a layman's introduction into the idea.

With which Sadde can help, of course.

The father remains skeptical, but Brother Lawyer seems interested despite himself.

The father can be as sceptical as he likes, Sadde's already rich and not even off the globally changing tech.

It does seem to bother Terel a bit, though.

Samara serves coffee to everyone, with a plate of creamer and stuff on the counter. "Now Sadde, don't take this as a personal attack... But I am a little concerned about - you're a Fair Folk?" Left unsaid: What even are you?

Well she does have wings. "Mmm not exactly. My world doesn't have Fair Folk the same way here does, everyone is or used to be human. Nothing just randomly appears. No idea how the first vankire or wolf or child of the moon appeared, though."

"...She's worried you'll mistreat me or startle me with foreign social norms or magical properties of vankires. Don't worry, Mom, I'm fully informed on Sadde's species and I am okay with it."

"There aren't any magical wiles vankires in general can use on other people."

They only have their word for that, but it's comforting to hear.

"But... They do have a lot of advantages. And some disadvantages. And one thing they can do is turn humans into vankires."

His whole family stares in some disbelief at this.

"So... You're going to do that?"

"Yes."

His dad makes an exaggerated 'hmm' sound, while his mom glances nervously between Sadde and Terel.

"The main advantages being immortality and nigh-indestructibility," she points out helpfully. "But lots of others."

"Son," his father says, "You are an adult and you can do what you want. I've tried to raise you well and, while I question this decision quite a lot, it is certainly your decision to make. We'll pay for another year of college if you want us to, as we agreed, and I hope you come visit once in a while, but I'm glad you're finding your own way."

His brother agrees. "Yes, indeed. Your choice to make, even if it is a big change... You'll have to talk to the crown office, I think, to register a change of species. I've never even heard of such a thing. It certainly counts as a special case..."

"Just remember. You're always welcome back home if you need it, Terel."

He almost beams. His family relationships are rocky sometimes, but they came through for him right now. "Thanks, dad. I'll make sure to do that, Brell. And thanks, mom, but I probably won't need it. I'll be sure to visit sometimes. And maybe in a few years we can talk about some of you becoming vankires if I don't find it utterly disastrous."

She does beam. Then gets a bit more serious. "One of the disadvantages, though, is that for... about the first year after he turns, he probably should not be around humans. He can still take crystal calls and most other species aren't as much of a problem but, yeah."

"Don't ask why, please. I have it covered. Maybe I'll say... Later." He glances at Sadde. "And a year is the high end but better safe than sorry, correct? We'll get started on computers then, there's a lot to figure out."

"Yeah, you'll probably be less, and you can keep in contact anyway."

"Yeah, I'm going to go get three new pairs of linked crystals for us all, we might not have Charlescomm's service where we go."

Terel's mom asks, "You'll stay for dinner, right?"

"Sure!"

Samara tells childhood stories over dinner, which Sadde probably doesn't actually enjoy except as a social function. Like the time he lost a toy golem by setting it up to do some kind of maneuver that ended up higher than it started, and putting that in an infinite loop. It's probably still in the sky somewhere.

Sadde actually does enjoy them! Sadde is incredibly socially curious and moreover anything about Terel is absolutely fascinating. Not to mention that Terel losing a toy while breaking the Second Law of Thermodynamics is ridiculously adorable oh my god.

He's a little mortified by the childhood stories, which Samara has a lot of now that she sees Sadde likes them, but it's the low-key semi-good kind of embarrassed. His dad and brother join the fun - like the time the Jenses had him over and he ended up poking through their utility closet, fixing their thermostat because 'you fix things that are broken!' and outright refused to acknowledge the idea that he might have broken it worse.

Smol Terel is so ridiculously adorable and she'd kiss him if she didn't predict this might embarrass him but dear gods he's too cute for words.

Samara is greatly reassured by how much Sadde smiles at Terel, and how genuine it looks. The dinner isn't all cute childhood stories though, they get to know Sadde some. And eventually it is over.

"So that went well."

"Yeah." And when they're outside parental visual range she spins him around and kisses him, as she likes to do. "And you are wonderful and I love you."

He grins. "Aww thanks! I guess you liked the kiddie stories huh..."

"Yes, a lot, you must've been such a cute child, and in hindsight they're so very obviously things you'd have done."

"I guess they are. Childhood stories are always leaned that way though... Now that I'm not going to disappear on them without an explanation, anything else we still need to do? I don't think so."

"Yeah, I don't think so either. We just go to the shadow people and... yeah."

"Yeah... Let's go, then."

Thankfully both of them can fly.

Terel is pensive on the way out there.

That's a reasonable thing to be. She'll let him say what he wants to say if and when he does.

When they're close, he quotes poetry.

"The mountain of labors is conquered. Mortal efforts give mortal fruits. Immortal fruits require immortal efforts. And to shed the weakness of the flesh and the frailness of the mind. To become eternal is to take a duty to the world that your work is forever sacred. Hm. Never gave much thought to religious poems, but it kind of has a point, don't you think?"

"...yeah. Sounds like me. There's a religion about it?"

"That's from a religion about Fates actually."

"There's a religion about Fates? ...that's obvious in hindsight."

"There's like two hundred religions about Fates. That poem's by a Corelliest Great Sage. Vartuva Jindo. They're all about how hard work and simple living is all you need to be happy, I think. The poem struck in my mind from all the required reading for that silly Comparative Culture class a couple years ago."

"How is a religion about Fates telling people about hard work and simple living being keys to happiness?"

"I think they're trying to encourage those two qualities in Fates, at least a bit."

"That sounds like a waste of potential."

"Doesn't your Earth have religions that you might occasionally quote but not agree with in all respects? ...Oh, we're here. Here we go."

"Yeah, I wasn't judging you, I was judging the religion."

And yep, there they are.

They land. The shadow people express their thanks for all Sadde's help.

Terel asks for a brief demonstration of the effect, and gets it, and nearly falls over.

"Moment of truth. Let's have the venom, here comes Terel two-point-oh..."

She has the syringe. "You should probably be under the effect from the start."

"Give me like two seconds without it? Yes, I know, severe pain, but feels right to do that."

"...if you're sure."

Syringe: meet heart.

He gasps. "Yesokaydoitdoit-" and he flops over, insensate.

She sits by his side.

He twitches occasionally, reacting to whatever the pain is being rendered as.

The Shadows switch after a few hours. And switch again after less hours than last time.

She's nervous each time that happens, but doesn't leave his side.

They warn her that... They aren't going to be able to keep this up for three days. Not consistently anyway.

"What? Why not?"

It's tiring. They'll keep it up to the point of exhaustion, as promised. If it would be better to drop the effect for a little while now rather than later they could do that.

...yes it's better to save it for the end. Er, can Terel be made sensate enough to talk?

...Sensate enough to scream in shock and surprise and of course pain despite the two pain suppressing amulets he's wearing is apparently doable.

No not that sensate less than that -

He's back to flopping on the ground, breathing hard, crying. He says something garbled.

"We do not have fine control!"

...shit.

Okay she has to make this choice, she knows it gets worse later, she hugs him and whispers, "Okay, how long can you keep it up?"

"I don't know. We've never attempted to hold someone under this long before. But we already are straining."

"How long will you need to rest, and how long will you then be able to hold?"

"-Perhaps five hours rest for an hour and a half more effect. Traded off."

"Oh my gods—would ten hours rest do three hours—?"

"Most likely. We maintained it for many hours at first, and the accumulated strain is what forces us to stop."

"...can you rest now for long enough to cover the end of his transformation?"

"I believe so."

"Okay. Please do."

"We're sorry. You were promised more."

"You'll do what you can do, I can't ask for more."

Oh, here it is again. "Gaaaaah put it baaaack -how long -"

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry—a few hours—they needed rest, but they'll come back before the end so they keep the worst off—but look you're already getting better and it's working—"

"You - were - right. Unimaginable."

"I'm so sorry my love—I swear it's worth it, you'll see, it'll be so good, I'm sorry—" She holds him tight—she can, now, he can take it, and it's not like the venom won't just fix him if she breaks something.

He chose this hell, the pain, he chose it. Remember that. Remember- 

What was he trying to remember? The utter confusion of the shadows from before? Impossible. Too much pain. Eyes boiling. Jaw roasting. Belly like a volcano's pit. Arm-

Arm, he should have two arms, one feels like it just - oh.

"Sadde. Arm. Can't - augh - feel my arm. Do the other one."

"Can't—oh—"

There's a snap and he can't feel anything from the neck down anymore.

"Oh... Still so much. But. Almost tolerable now... Distract me?"

"Okay. Should we talk about computers? We could talk about computers—" She starts talking about computers.

He listens and manages to - very occasionally - comment and ask questions. Mostly he listens.

She will be as distracting as she superhumanly can, she will focus every ounce of energy and brainpower on this.

He's very distracted. It's just that the burning is moreso.

Only a few more hours. Only a few more hours.

And then his spinal column heals with a distinctive cracking and gasp of agony.

"Shit shit shit—Terel, love, I—should I do it again? I don't know if it could screw something up if I do it this late—"

"How long... Must be- Two days? One day left? Just. Bring the shadows back."

"The last hours are worst, it only gets worse and worse, they're resting so they can give you as much time uninterrupted as they can—"

Time for failing to not scream, then.

Would you look at that, she altered her biology enough to be able to cry.

He tries to clamp his mouth shut on the desperate idea that springs up - a way to stop the pain - but says it anyway. "If you love me make the shadows do the thing or kill me."

"No—Terel—please don't ask me this, anything but this—it'll be worse, I—"

Okay he can shut his mouth and repeat defiant swears against the pain in his head, fuck you pain.

She clings to him extremely hard and sobs and tries to be as soothing as she can and pretty much fails.

Time passes. Terel manages to restrain himself to choked painful noises and occasional 'you didn't say it would be this bad'. His skin starts visibly changing. It's probably about time for the shadows to start their thing again, right? Right?!

Right. Please?

They do.

It's peaceful here again. The Shadows look sympathetic, for however you can see it on nonhuman faces.

She breathes more easily, then, and continues snuggling him.

His heart beats faster eventually. Last stage. He starts breathing harder. The shadows are tired but still holding. Pain going through the shadows' efforts?

Gods she hopes not but it's almost there almost ending he'll be fine forever—

He twists and flinches as his heart stops... And it's done.

"The end?" The shadows ask, "Can we release him from the change?"

"Yes."

"Sadde!" He looks at her and his eyes widen. "Oh stars oh stars I'm so sorry... I should've kept quiet."