[ Hey Lethe, before you look too cool, remember that one skill you got? And Minuet's still dead?

He sees--

Lethe's collar turning, Styx's confession, firing a rubber bullet;

Lethe tossing meat through Bluebell's window to help appease a rampaging lycanthrope Fantasia, the surprise and gratitude and relief at that small act of unsolicited assistance;

a cheerful disembodied voice, 'Speedrun challenge! Quick, tell me five things that make you happy. Anything you say can and will be used against you. I didn't mean to say that last part, please ignore it';

minds meeting to pull Perci out of his deep sleep, Lethe's concern genuine and humbling;

a lurch of surprise, a little disbelief, when Lethe knocks on his mental door just to check on him; 'You're full of surprises, aren't you?' 'If I didn't keep surprising people they'd get bored'; 'You're too tall, your hair is distracting, you're uselessly perceptive, and your personality could use some work';

'Because I care about you! Obviously!' 'WHY?' 'We're friends!' 'I know that but why do you know that!' 'Is it a secret?!!?!';

a dream, a lab, a tank, two scared children-- 'So? I'd rather get in trouble than not do anything';

'If you keep talking about humans like that I'm going to dump this tea on your head-- Like some weird philosopher benevolently looking down on humans from the outside like it's got nothing to do with him. It's gross', the surprise, the dismay, and the lack of retort;

the familiar panic and chaos of Charon's kidnapping, Lethe's voice harsh, 'I'm glad you can think rationally no matter the situation, as always! Why don't you ask Blossom about her feelings on the matter so you can understand them better and then do nothing about them?';

shortly after that, still panic-driven, desperate to understand, 'What are you looking for?' 'Just you.' 'You don't need to get into someone's head just for that, Minuet. There's not much to see.' 'Sometimes it helps, when words clearly aren't working';

multiple nights of wine on his balcony with a single note, discovered after spending an hour alone in the shared kitchen every 4am;

at the edge of the Mist, anxious but resolved, 'You're actually one of the nicest people that I know, and I like spending time with you. It's nice to be able to just mess around from time to time. And...thank you. For everything you've done for me';

'...If something like that happens again, don't just leave afterwards';

the subtle but rending way something in his world shifts when Lethe says 'If you...want help with that, let me know';

Lethe's silent, seething anger after Minuet's death got Charon killed, and the piercing guilt at having wronged Lethe, too;

quite literally weeping over a garden planter box on his balcony, and together tending to the plants in that same planter some weeks later;

just the entirety of the bracelet emotion bond ritual tbh;

Lethe, looking close to tears, 'Don't give away your points if you'll need them later, stupid!!!!';

a party in the kitchen, after that;

making countless breakfasts and dinners in that same kitchen, Lethe fussing all the while about making sure the kids eat a nutritious meal;

a name;

a dream;




He also becomes a feathery nuclear reactor. Much to consider. ]