"...alright. Sorry for, uh—"

"No no no it's fine, don't worry about it. Not your fault."

"Okay."

And Tōkan almost breaks his rule of no exposition by asking what the hell a "guardian" is but he thinks he knows enough to get by for now and can move on with the relationship building subplot.

"So, blowjob or no blowjob?"

"You know, I kinda do wanna kiss you and maybe let my hand wander a bit but let's take a raincheck on the blowjob. It'll be sundown soon and the village's preparing a farewell bonfire and barbecue."

"Makeouts and handjobs sound just swell to me."

But maybe not directly under the waterfall. They can have their fun with each other in the calmer parts of the lake instead.

But soon the sun gets low enough that it's actually just cold in the water, and although both of them can cast the warming spell on themselves they should probably just get going.

"Don't suppose you have a spell for getting us dry?"

"...'course I do. Did you expect me to just shake myself like a wet dog and call it a day?"

"—okay! This whole 'magic' thing just sounds better and better all the time, honestly."

Zei casts a powered-up version of the warming spell that gets them dry in short order so they can put their clothes back on and start on their way back to the village.

"You're not making me any less curious by saying stuff like that."

"Yes but you see, the audience already knows what my tragic backstory is so I'm just teasing you instead of the readers. Which is a lot more fun."

"Your putative readers are missing a lot of context from the native Spiran!"

"So now you're claiming I'm not a native to anywhere here at all?"

"Yep. —wait, if you don't have magic how do you use that sword?"

"...I swing it? Not very well? Am I about to learn something fascinating?"

"Hoo boy you will not be able to keep up if you don't enhance your body at all—wait. You're pulling my leg."

"I am?"

"You can breathe underwater, of course you know magic."

???????????

"...okay I'm going to need more to go on than just your face of absolute confusion here."

"Nope! No exposition. Tell me about, uh, tell me about Wakka and the lady with the belts and the lion guy."

Zei chokes on his spit. "Do not," he says in between gasping breaths, "call him that out loud. He is going to cut you and I'm going to have to heal you."

"Sure, I did not imagine that was the best term, but it got the meaning across."

"His name is Kimahri and his species is ronso. And the woman with the belts is Lulu."