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"Don't hope to catch me by surprise this time, though." It wasn't hard to return the hug in full force. "And... good. Wouldn't expect anything less from you."

"Don't suppose you're aiming for the other cheek this time, hm?" As Brisa approached, Aria turned to her with a faint smirk. Her voice was light and tongue-in-cheek, despite the melancholy in the air. Or perhaps, it was because of it.

Aria sat up, grinning. "If that's all it takes... deal." <><><><><>

"Ooor..." Aria tilted her head to look at him. "You could try singing along. It'll be fun!"

She shrugged the best she could while still lying down. "Sometimes, yeah. It's not often I get the chance to... so that's another reason why I wanted to come here."

"Oh, no. We'll be singing, alright." Aria walked back, falling flat onto the couch with a satisfied sigh. With a flex of her paw, small bits of solid aura began playing with the terminal in place of fingers. Neon lights and a percussive beat kicked in as the ambience shifted to something closer...

With a snort, Aria hopped off the couch and headed for the terminal that had been long forgotten. "You sure that'll be less embarrassing? No harm in trying something new, but I won't force you to." Humming a simple tune, she tapped away at the screen, and the lighting — and walls — dimmed to...

Her grin didn't fade, but Aria raised a brow, looking at him closely, curiously. Then, her eyes twinkled with an impish light, and she made sure Ben saw it. "Well, I suppose I do act like one," she offered, all too slyly. "If that's what you'd like to go with."

"And you can do that—" Aria reached up with both paws, and traced curves up from the corners of his mouth. "—by putting a smile on your face again, you big lug. I wasn't lying, y'know? You say it like I put on a mask, but... that is me. Even if you took away all my powers, all my...

Aria blinked, the earnest gushing briefly throwing her for a loop. It was… uncomfortable, but in a nice enough way. "I don't think they'd be all that willing to believe you," she said, laughing softly. "And I don't think I need any of that, either. It… might not happen anytime soon, but you'll...

Aria tilted her head quizzically, her smile gaining a touch of color. "Honour me?"

Things were quiet between them for a moment, Aria gently stroking his mane. Then, she let out a soft exhale. There was a faint quiver in her voice, but it was clear that old wounds stayed healed. She made sure of that. "I was strong enough to save freaking time itself, but not what...

Well, sitting face to face with him made things easier this time. Aria leaned forwards, and pulled Ben in for a hug. "Shh. Not yet you have."

The pressure was building. Every nerve, every ounce of sense in her body screamed at her to give in, and strip him of his shadows. But Aria willed it back down, if only for a few seconds. In that moment, it was all up to Ben. "And... is that really how you want me to remember you?" she asked...

Aria sucked in a sharp breath, her expression softening again. She was quiet for a bit, before reaching over to brush some of the fresher tears away. "...What happened, Ben?"

"Ben." Her voice was unusually firm, and laced with a hint of something much more raw. Rolling off him, Aria shifted to meet his gaze, cupping his cheek so he couldn't turn away. "I know what that's like, and I also know that dwelling on it does nothing but hurt the people you still have."

"...A break from being me? Now that's an interesting thought," Aria mused, still halfway lying on him and consequently feeling every little hitch in his breath. "Visiting worlds is... complicated. I can try, but I can't make any promises. Besides, it's okay to say goodbye sometimes, you know...

"You might not be able to do all that, but... you will remember," Aria promised, a wry lilt slipping into her voice. "Memories aren't that easy to get rid of. Just ask Owen." Then, it was gone, a soft sadness replacing it. "And... I know. Thank you."

Though their different sizes got in the way, Aria draped an arm over him in a some approximation of a hug. "And we won't be. Not forever."

"It's okay, Ben," Aria whispered, leaning in and resting her head atop his. "You don't have to hold back. Not from me." Taking her own advice, she stopped resisting the faint pressure in the back of her head, and Ben's corruption started to seep away.