#humanborn

When Vindemietor was told about feeding sessions his first impulse was to decline with as much of offended dignity he could muster. Then he thought about it logically and, keeping in mind that not many things in this world can be worse than what he had to do to survive with Kody, asked where and when he should come.

The very first person requested him to change his appearance. He did it, of course, despite the freelancer's voice in his head repeating that he never has to. The whole thing wasn't as bad as he imagined but it still left a bitter taste in his mouth.

And at night the humanborn would come. At some point, he asked why only at night, to what they plainly answered: "Because I am not allowed to, of course, but since when am I the one to ask permission." None of his reasonings that it is dangerous worked on them - "I want to see you and I can take care of myself, relax", was the answer he was always getting, so he gave up. Not like he didn't want to see them. And feel them.

Their mutual affection remained painfully chaste but their lips at his temple paired with fireworks of their energy could satiate him better than an hour of scheduled feeding.

They wouldn't do much during these nightly visits - most of the time they just stayed in his room and talked (the first two spells the freelancer learned on their own in the academy library, where they were spending most of their free time during the day, were soundproofing and invisibility). They talked about everything - their new experiences in the academy, new people they met, potentially important information they learned. One of their favourite topics however was "tell me about home". The freelancer marvelled at his stories about Aria and pure magic and Vindemietor had dreams about their home city despite never having seen it (his imagination painted him something foggy and fluid but beautiful).

Sometimes the freelancer would show him another secret place they had found. One of his favourites was a secluded pergola in the academy garden, where they would sit close to each other in the cold night autumn air and smell fallen leaves and withered flowers.

Sometimes in his room, they would cuddle and his heart would always skip a bit when they put their head on his chest. One time they've fallen asleep like that and never in his life was Vindemietor more tempted to do anything than he was that night to let them stay and sleep with him. The voice of common sense won, of course, and he had to wake them up.

They both were slowly settling in their new lives - the humanborn as one of the best students in their class and Vindemietor as a model behaviour demon of the 'haven'. He was coming to terms with Avior too and warming up to him. He knew that the inchoate meant good.

Today he almost regrets his newfound friendship because Avior told him about The Meridian Problem. Vindemietor doesn't know what to think. If anyone told him that a month ago it would have been the best news - this awful plane disappears and he goes home, but now... He thinks about the freelancer, about their home city they want to see again so badly, all the forests and seas they've described to him. He thinks how many more people like the humanborn are there and he suddenly doesn't want the world to end.

This night Vindemietor decides to surprise them.

"It's my turn to show you something interesting today," he leads them to the roof, through the door Avior has shown him. The sky is clear today but the weather is very windy, so he takes the blanket from his bed with them.

The stars are shining bright as ever and he can hear their amazed gasp when the freelancer lifts their head up.

"Come sit with me," he puts the blanket beside him settling on the roof.

When they land on the blanket Vindemietor wraps it around their shoulders, he doesn't want them to be cold, sure, but it's also an excuse to be closer to them for a few moments.

"What about you?" the freelancer asks, meaning why is he not wrapped in anything.

"Demons don't get cold."

"Of course they don't," at times they can beat the inchoate director in sarcasm, "I am not taking any of that nonsense, come here," the humanborn lifts up the side of the blanket, "there's enough space for two, come on."

Vindemietor pretends to be annoyed with their doting, but obediently scoots closer to the human and lets them put an arm with the blanket around his shoulders.

They do feel warm. They put their head next to his and lift their gaze again. He looks at them and sees stars reflect in their eyes. The thought that both the stars and the eyes are bound to disappear creeps up into his mind and apparently shows on his face.

"What's wrong?" they fully turn to him and inspect his face closely.

"Nothing, cutie, everything's fine," he smiles at them but even he knows that it must look fake.

The human arches an eyebrow, "You can tell me you know, right? Is someone giving you trouble? Did someone hurt you during your feeding?" he sees them getting more and more worried.

"No, no, no! Nothing like that, it's just..." Vindemiator doesn't really know how to phrase it, "The world is ending."

The shock on their face would be almost amusing if he didn't have to explain further.

While he explains, going on tangents to elaborate on details they don't understand, the surprise drains from their features slowly being replaced with their "so that's how it is, huh" expression he has already learned so well - their eyebrows are slightly raised, lips twisted a bit and their eyes start looking almost as tired as they did the first day he met them.

When he's finally finished, they theatrically fall on their back and hum.

"That's it? Aren't you going to say something?" did they even understand what he was saying?

"Well, as I see it - you're finally going home and I'm going to see my grandmother again, so it's win-win, wouldn't you say?" they look up at him, "oh, don't look at me like that - I'm not saying we wouldn't try to prevent it. I don't know how yet, but we definitely will. Just if it does happen, there are still upsides."

He lies down beside them and pulls the blanket over them.

"You're so odd sometimes."

"I'll take that as a compliment," they chuckle and roll to their side to face him and seemingly out of nowhere ask, "have you ever wondered if there's life on this plane but not on Earth?"

He's taken a bit aback by that question, "No, why?"

"Well, there," they make a wide gesture directed at the sky, "are so many other stars and planets, it would be so strange if we were the only ones."

"Do all humans think about it?" Vindemiator can't imagine himself thinking about such things. Well, he couldn't, a few moments ago.

"Not all, but some of us do. Some even wanted to go into space themselves but Imperium decided that it was not worth it and the space project ended with the Sputnik," they are rambling a bit and he thinks that it's very cute, "Oh, there it is, look" they point at the moving little dot in the sky, "Hi, buddy, it's good to see you again," the freelancer says addressing the satellite. He had never seen them be so childish but he's definitely not complaining, if anything, he would love for them to be like that more often.

"Would be so sad," they get more serious again, "if our stupidity and greed ruin not only our world, but someone else's too."

"We'll try to make it so it doesn't ruin anything, right?" he tries to reassure them giving them back their own words.

"Right," they sigh and move closer to him putting their head on his shoulder and their hand on his chest.

They lie like that for a while looking at the night sky and each other. At times the freelancer starts to quietly sing something and Vindemiator can feel their breath and the vibrations of the voice in their chest. He wants that night to never end.

But no planet

Waits for us like this one

Dear planet

Called Earth