Ranryu

"Ah." She chuckled. "I can empathize with that. Some people..."

“It still seems like an overreaction to me. Or maybe I just don’t understand mortals very well.”

She shook her head. "I just find it strange and a seemingly civilized people would attack us like that."

"We're not wasting time. Saving the universe from Malum is worth a few hours waiting. But we don't just have to sit here and do nothing. Tell me, is everyone in your dimension as terrible as the ones who welcomed us?"

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"What something?" She smiled at him.

"A lot, yes. But in hindsight, time flies so quickly. Let's not waste any of it."

She smiled at him, a hint of sadness in her expression. "Nothing is forever. I promise, the battle will be over long before you get a full taste of immortality. I will not let it put us in jeopardy."

"Not much, for now. Having access to this much power is dizzying, but I'll live. As for down the road, I can't say... but it'll be fine."

Wynn sighed. "I'm not gonna lie, I had second thoughts too. It's not like I sold my soul to an evil god, though. I trust..." She couldn't finish the sentence, so she tried again. "I know what I signed up for, and it's not that bad. Something like this was bound to happen eventually. I think I made the right choice."

She removed her arm. "Maybe there was, but not one I could see. What's really bothering you?"

She put her arm around him. "You don't have to like it. It's better than all of us dying, at least."

"Nope. This isn't up to me. Another thing that you might find useful. Don't be afraid to make deals with beings more powerful than yourself. Almost anything they can do to you can be undone. If it's truly permanent, make sure it's for a good cause."

She chuckled. "Of course it's dangerous. That's how... these things go. It might take me a while to get used to this, or maybe I never will. But I'm still myself, at the core. A few Shadows won't change that."

"Feeling? That's hard to say. Imagine if the essence of Shadow and the spirits of a thousand monsters were coursing through your veins- your soul. I don't really want that kind of introspection right now. Not sure I'll like what I find."

Wynn inhaled deeply and the moment was over. She put the carving away. "Who would've thought frog people had the capability to mind and carve such pure alexandrite? It's a hard stone- not easy to work. Do not judge a person by their civilization, is what I'm trying to say. I had to learn that the hard way."

Wynn's eyes sparkled, and for a second, she was herself again. "I want to show you something." From a pocket, she pulled out a tiny statuette. Intricately carved from alexandrite, it depicted a barn swallow fighting a snake. The treasure subtly shifted colors in the light, like some sort of delicate apparition. "This type of carving can only be found in a tiny backwater dimension inhabited only by frog people." Wynn held the gem out to Lerac, looking him in the eyes. "You are an immortal, but you must never forget that the universe is infinite, and things of value can be found anywhere. Do not look down on someone because of their class. In the same way, respect the 'gods', but do not let them rule you. You'll always end up regretting it."

"See the universe? Find new things? That's good." She looked distracted.

Wynn subconsciously scratched the runes on her arms. "So, Lerac, what will you do when all this is over? You're immortal. Boredom is a very real danger."

So, the new semester means new teachers, even if it's for the same class. First period, my new teacher is an old guy, kinda cranky-looking. Turns out he's super cool, and a total weirdo in the best way. At the end of the period yesterday, he asked a girl to go grab a bag sitting in the corner. It was one of those cloth Walmart ones that never contain anything fun. THERE WAS A TURTLE IN THE BAG! A FREAKIN' LIVE TURTLE WAS JUST CHILLING IN THAT BAG ALL MORNING. AND WE'RE ALLOWED TO PLAY WITH THE TURTLE WHENEVER WE WANT!! Turtles make everything better.

"Well it can't hurt to try. He'll still probably notice it, but maybe he won't realize what it is."