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Ionys nodded. "Yeah, yeah. I won't." And this seemed genuine, one way or the other. "And if there's anyone who can manage stuff like that and know what to say, it'd be Diyem, huh? He probably knows all about that. So... Yeah. You can at least go back with some peace of mind."

"Aah." Ionys waved dismissively. "I'll do what I can. Guess I'm gonna be Uncle Ionys for Mia now and then. Wonder if I can get my head around her mindset, see if there's a way to nudge her into acting... uh, you know. Normal. Should probably get to that sooner than later before she matures...

"Yeah, I'll do that," Ionys replied. "And don't forget, she's got the King of Darkness keeping her in check, too," he added with a smirk. "How's that for good influences?"

Ionys sighed. "Once Maple starts working on restoring Telum, I'm gonna be stuck there for a while," he said. "No going around that. I'm probably not gonna be very tangible, either. Or... visible. Or... maybe anything, if restoration gets intensive..." There was a ghost of doubt in Ionys' eyes...

"Flesh is learning Terrestrial," Ionys replied with a proud grin. "We've been having lessons for a while, y'know. Hey, Flesh! What's some of your favorite things?" Flesh made some growls, trying to adjust his mouth, and then said, in broken Terrestrial, "LIKE... FOOD... I... LIKE... HUGS..."...

"AHHHH?" Flesh asked, his mouth half-full with the final quarter of the pine tree, which was covered in needles that apparently left Flesh completely unbothered. He let out a few more growls, and Ionys translated for him. "Says he's gonna try to be a peacekeeper," Ionys said. "Probably a place...

"Guess so," Ionys said, rolling his eyes. "Something tells me some of Maple's habits are gonna rub off on me, though. You'll probably hate my guts next time we meet." He smirked. "Might tell you to get your ass into shape if you aren't in some top, 'Living' form, or whatever."

"Don't give me that," Ionys dismissed with a wave. "I chose this, too. And you gave me closure. Shut the fuck up about trying to blame anyone but me for my choices. If I didn't die... someone else would have. Or more would have." He prodded a claw at himself. "I knew the risks more than anyone...

"Never that specific," Ionys said to Dave's first comment. "Only stuff that involved working with a Voice and how far it can go. This whole soul-bond thing was a bit of a surprise... but it kinda all made sense when she said it. Tied it all together. As for what it means..." Ionys leaned back...

"Already talked to Maple about it," Ionys said dismissively. "Flesh will be fine. I'll be nearby. In fact, once I'm in Telum, I'll be a quick trip away at all times..." He sighed. "Yeah. I guess Maple should have told me. But maybe she didn't want me to panic about it. In the end, I still had to...

"Maple... sacrificed a lot of power to resurrect me in a new body, and it still wouldn't bring me back to a place I'd died in. Most worlds make it pretty hard to bring someone back once they've died. Natural balance crap." He glanced back at Destiny Tower. "Even here... only large portions of...

"Well," Ionys said, "it takes energy for Maple to keep me tangible, but since she doesn't really have a place she needs the energy yet, it's no big deal right now... Yeah. Still relocating to Telum. Flesh is gonna be just fine there, got some places and plans..." His voice was a little quieter...

Flesh halted his eating--which was rare for him--to address Dave with a nod. He seemed more solemn than usual, and then went on with breaking down the tree trunk, leaves and all. "Hey," Ionys greeted back. "All things considered, you guys had a pretty solid win, eh? Only one person died, and I...

It was hard to miss Flesh, mostly because when Dave was a few minutes away from the forest proper, one of the trees fell over, snow and pine needles raining down with it. "Yeah, yeah, enjoy yourself," Ionys said with a sigh, shrugging openly. "Only one this time, alright? Forest might be big...

Maple hummed, thoughtful. "I had a talk with Diyem about this," she said. "I don't think it was a coincidence in the way mortals see it. Eien and I were both eternal beings, or as close to eternal as I'm familiar. We both traveled worlds for a long time and we both did largely the same thing...

"Oh, leaving so soon?" Joule asked Nate, for there was no escape. "I thought you wanted to evolve! I promise, the power of a thousand suns doesn't hurt for very long, near instant, really!" "I think he's fine," Maple replied with a chuckle. "Joule... Thank you, really. I was worried, even if it...

"Hmm... Hmmmm..." Joule tapped his chin. "That is true. Some of these outings can take much more than a few weeks. Still, Maple, you will be dormant for a while during different phases of world reconstruction, won't you? Perhaps I can seek out longer trips during those times. Hmm, yes. That...

"Hmm? Something important?" Joule looked down at Maple, crouching until he was belly-down in the snow to get to her level. "Yes, Joule, I..." Maple hesitated. "As you know, I'm going to be... the Voice of Telum again. And that means I won't be able to leave." "Yes, certainly," Joule replied...

Maple blinked, thinking. "Yes. I do remember seeing... more than just the darkness of others, once he was removed from me. It's... a relief, in a way. But it's also strange, like any kind of change..." She sighed. "I'm sure I'll get used to it all over again, though. And--" Maple's thigh...

"...I don't know," Maple said. "That's what the recruitment is for. Dark Matter can... learn about the world beyond just its negatives. See that he has a place in it, even if it's not pleasant. It's not the usual way that he is accepted, but perhaps it's an alternative path. We'll be keeping an...