"A friend of Rou's? Of course, come in."

  Shiela seemed quite happy to hear that Rou had a friend. She wasn't even sure if he did. Sure, her son had a habit of wandering here and there, and she teased him in the past about his popularity with others who had an interest in him, but actually having a friend?

  "He should hopefully be back soon, would you like to wait for him? Or… perhaps we can go out together and see if we can't find him? If you're friends, I'm sure you know he's a bit of a creature of habit, even… even these days." Shiela's voice was slightly soft as she said that last bit.

  Who was there? Well, that would be Celia, who was dressed rather simply and seemed happy to be speaking with Rou's mother for the first time. She could feel just how much Shiela loved her son and it made her respect the woman all the more. Silently comparing Shiela to her own mother, though as of the past few weeks as she worked up the nerve to come see Rou, not knowing if she could stomach things if he was truly different and suffering.

  "I do not mind waiting for him. If anything, I would be happy to get to know you a little. We haven't had a chance to speak before after all.

  –

  It was a few hours later when Rou finally returned. As he opened the door, Rou looked around and softly announced, "I am back." mostly towards whoever happened to be nearby. He also tapped a crystal near the front door that caused a sound to echo through the house. Each member of the family had one, from Millet's siblings to Millet, his parents, and Rou. Each produced a different sound, slightly, so others could know when someone returned even if not within ear range of the large manor.

  His steps were shaky, wobbly even, but he managed to stay upright. His entire body by this point was physically mostly back to normal. After his long stay in the higher-dimensional realm, his appearance had been returned to normal by Affection as she couldn't stand the sight of him without his fur and normal looks thanks to the dragon's fire cleansing.

  Thus physically? He looked alright. Though the faint disconnect between his mind and body as things were as they were, he began to undress casually. Nudging off his simple slippers, and then undoing the shirt he had on, his body's fur and hair and all a bit limp with exhaustion.

  For a change he had been running, running himself ragged trying to see if he could convince his mind and body to rejoin properly if he moved enough. It was hard to say if it would work, of course, but it didn't /not/ work either. But as he had just gotten properly naked, not having heard anyone call back to his welcome-home or tapping of the crystal chime, Rou assumed rather simply that everyone else was out and not busy.

  Thus the sudden gasp and laugh of his mother as she said from nearby, "Ah… Rou, you have a guest. A friend of yours?" As Rou had been walking towards the nearby bathing chambers on the first floor in this side of the manor, suddenly he turned and… saw his mother standing there, trying to hide her laughter as she covered her face with one hand, and the nearby Celia looking at him with amusement.

  "...Celia?"

  –

  Though naturally all had seen the others undressed before, and it wasn't embarrassment so much as slightly awkward given he hadn't meant to be exposed to others with his undressing, eventually the three reconvened and relaxed in the bath together.

  Sure, Rou did enjoy the occasional bath alone, but ever since his condition became what it was, the off chance that he might… just mentally freeze and slip into a bath and drown? He was never truly left fully alone even when bathing now, so there were no complaints.

  "I meant to ask… what brought you here today, Celia? It's… been a while." It wasn't an incorrect statement. For everyone it had been a while.

  "Mm… I came because my mother wanted to invite you to dinner. I had never told her about you and I being friends, but… one day I slipped and admitted I knew you and she seemed to think I have looked a bit happier ever since we got our apologies out of the way of each other."

  Her choice of words helped Rou realize what she meant, but when Shiela asked curiously, "Apologies? Were you two at odds with each other at some point?"

  Celia tried to find a good way to put it, but Rou saved her as he seemingly had the story already in mind. "I met her the first day after I came out of the Crystal, before returning to your place. She guided me there. And… a few days later while things were still awkward for us, Dad recommended I leave for a bit and give you two time to sort things out, and I came across her again. She made fun of me and laughed at me for not knowing things that most everyone knows and we got off on a rather poor start. Eventually she came back to apologize a few months later, but… she was too proud and stubborn to do it before then, and apparently it'd been eating at her because she felt like an ass for it."

  "Hey!" Celia grunted out in surprise as Rou threw her under a cart so simply. He wasn't… wrong, but he also left out the whole truth.

  "Ah… well, that can certainly happen. But really I'm just glad my little boy actually has a friend. I never really get to meet anyone he knows, and it's not like… he had a normal childhood or anything. No schooling, no friend groups or all that."

  Shiela was still a little sad about it, but did actually slip close to Celia and hugged her. This surprised Celia who wasn't used to hugs, only to slightly sink into it and Rou smiled slightly, knowing full well she was a sucker for warmth but was too proud to admit it. "Thanks for being his friend?"

  "Sure, it's not like I'm paid for it. I like him well enough."

  It wasn't long after that Shiela was called away to deal with something, leaving the two alone. And for a brief few moments, awkward silence. Then Celia broke the ice. "We're not having sex here by the way. I'm open but this would be awkward even for me."

  The two began to laugh, though as Rou reached a hand over towards her, she wasn't sure what he was after and took it only to feel herself tugged in close and kissed lightly. "That's fine, I don't think I have the energy for it. Unless you feel like doing all the work. I've been running all day, and I'm surprised I can even walk at the moment."

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  She wanted to thump his nose but relented as he admitted why he was so tired, leaving her kneeling in front of him in the bath. "Why run yourself ragged?"

  "My… mind, and my body, are not fully together anymore. It's… it's difficult to explain, as it's more something I feel than I can show. I would be lying if I claimed not to be worried about it, that for the rest of my life I will be like this. So I'm trying everything I can to regain control fully. To regain coordination."

  The two sat in silence briefly before she leaned in, kissing him this time, and rather adoringly, even if she'd never admit it. "Let me guess, you just want to make everyone happier to know you're doing better?"

  Rou snorted at that. "Well, no. …not in full anyways. Yes, it would be nice not to feel like everyone is watching me, just waiting to see if I stumble, but… I do very much want to feel self reliant again. I guess you wouldn't know, as I never told you, but this body of mine, this… life of mine…"

  –

  On a whim he trusted Celia with the knowledge that he had been reincarnated. Not simply normally, but with his past lifes memories intact. She was a bit confused by it all, but she trusted him implicitly enough at this point that she didn't think he was the type to lie, and took it at face value.

  "So that's why you're so scared? How… funny."

  Rou was a bit aghast. "Funny?" It was rare he felt offended, truly, and Celia had just touched it. But she quickly corrected herself. "I feel like we are opposites. When you gain, I lose, and when I gain, you lose. More than ever I have felt a bit more free, you allowed me to make up with my mother, and my home life has changed for the better. We bonded again over her realizing I tended to smile a bit more coming home on days after we had met. Not that I'm in love with you, so don't go getting ahead of yourself, but…"

  Celia tried to think of how to elaborate, sitting beside Rou and taking his left hand, holding it with both of hers and staring at the far wall of the room.

  "I have had an arranged marriage since before I was born. In a sense. My parents were unable to have children and made a contract with someone for children. His condition, for some reason, was their third child. Me. When I reached the age of departure, my body and soul would thenceforce be his."

  She chuckled dryly. "So they have always felt quite guilty about selling me like that. The irony? They tried to avoid having me after the first two of my siblings, but fate works out funny like that and I was an unhappy accident for them. But after all these years of hating my mother and father for it… the little smile I would have on my face because of you led me to grow close with her. Your pain, your suffering, gained me my mother again. I have looked into it a bit on a whim. It really does seem like, when you suffer, I gain, and when you benefit, I lose."

  It felt strange talking about this with anyone.

  "Would you like me to… try and deal with the contract? I may have my ways."

  Rou's offer came, as she imagined it would, and she reached over to thump his nose lightly. "Quit trying to play the hero. I do not need to be rescued." That was a lie, every part of her screamed out and wanted her to beg him for help, but once again, like their first night together… she was too proud to ask for, or accept help in this matter.

  "Please, Celia? Now that you've told me this, how can you expect me to just… do nothing and let you while your days away?"

  "Because I asked you not to. If you are truly a friend, you will respect my choices. It might not make sense to you, but what life I have, I want to retain control of it. Fully. And if you go and give me a life, a new life, but it wasn't bought by my own hands? I know how I am. I could not suffer it." Celia laughed and grinned at Rou, who most certainly wasn't grinning back at her. "My personality is shit, no one knows that better than me."

  It would seem her assumptions were true. The happier she was, the sadder Rou was. As she was feeling quite free now having gotten that off her chest.

  And Rou in turn felt chained by that knowledge. He'd never wanted to be the hero, but to just… let her choose a short life, fully in control before her end, compared to receiving freedom in a way that was out of her control even further?

  He couldn't process it.

  And Celia knew it. She knew Rou was too good natured. That was why she truly came. Not to invite him to dinner.

  To poison the well so to speak. His well.

  She loved the idea of him and his happiness dearly, everything that he had, that was the Sage of Fluff, she adored. But she would rather be happy and in control, and if that meant making him sad?

  Well, she would make him sad.

  Celia was not a good-natured being. She was easy-going and friendly, but her selfishness showed. She chose her own happiness, not at all the type to sacrifice herself. After all, her life was cursed, why shouldn't she be happy while she can?

  Rou could even see it. The look on her face, in her eyes. Celia was truly happy at the moment, even as she looked at him and realized just how much she'd upset him. In spite of it.

  "How long do you have?" He had finally managed to ask this, to ask anything.

  "Not telling~ You'll just have to wait it out, day to day, not knowing if it's the last time we'll ever speak. The last time you'll ever see me. It shouldn't be a problem, right? It's not like you're in love with me or something. …right?" Her taunting stung.

  "Stop this Celia, it's not like you. You've never been cruel like this on purpose, why are you…" her behavior confused Rou tremendously.

  "Because I know you, silly, and I know you are too good natured. You want me to be happy, and I am betting that even if I have just destroyed you a bit inside… you will suffer it for me. Because you are who you are." Celia turned and knelt over Rou, kissing him again, this time to Rou though, the kiss wasn't sweet, or enjoyable, it was bitter. As if a favorite candy was suddenly wrong. "I'll be on my way, don't worry about dinner. You have a lovely mother, thank her for me for the hospitality?"

  –

  Eventually Shiela returned while looking for Rou, and found him sitting quietly in the bath chambers, alone, looking… she couldn't quite tell what was wrong with him.

  "What's wrong?"

  But Rou didn't answer, instead just apologizing softly, saying he couldn't put it in words. He wasn't sad though. Rou was angry. Bitter because Affection wouldn't answer his questions. It had happened before, but rarely had he ever directly expressed a question to her only to have it ignored.

  It was a 'mortal matter'. Even when he tried to blackmail Affection lightly, by demanding an answer lest he do something 'drastic', she whined in pain and refused to answer. It made him realize he was being needlessly cruel to her, causing Rou to relent and apologize, the two making up quickly enough as she knew he didn't really want to hurt her.

  But he couldn't live his life like this. Even if Celia was simply a friend, she was wrong about one thing. Him being good-natured didn't mean he would simply suffer in silence until it was too late. But he had no idea remotely what he could do if even Affection and the gods were stonewalling him.

  An invisible countdown to failure, someone who didn't want to be saved, and him, stubborn and wanting to save the person regardless for his own sake. Because he didn't want to be sad from knowing he did nothing. From knowing he failed.

  –

  Meanwhile, Celia was a mixed wreck. As much as her life was awful, waiting for an ending that was unavoidable, she was walking on sunshine so to speak. Not only did she have her enchanted slippers which she adored, tail flopping around happily and getting a few giggles from nearby folks who passed, but even she looked rather content.

  The irony was that she was also hating herself more than she ever had.

  The thing Celia truly loved the most was simple, pure happiness. The little things. Anything that was unadulterated. Everything about her, from her day to day life to what she did to feel alive and in control was very much adulterated. So simple, pure things were her most precious thing.

  And she had just ground her foot onto the simplest, most pure thing she had in her life - her time with the Sage of Fluff. She had gone out of her way to be cruel and awful to him because she'd convinced herself that when he lost, she gained. And Celia had decided that she was going to live in this selfish fantasy no matter how much it killed her inside.