Several hours later, as the sun was setting, Alasafor Rixx strolled out to the beach to find Nestira. He had taken her feelings about his appearance into consideration, and gone with a dashing human version of himself.

The most difficult part was the eyes. Humans had color in their eyes, which was all at once fun and annoying. Which one to choose? Was there a meaning to these colors? A proper choice?

He ended up with blue. For no other reason that he felt it was the least like his normal Rodulan eyes – and it was a disguise after all.

Then a sonic shower, a fresh change of clothing, and he felt like a whole new man.

“Ah ha, I found you!” He started walking towards Nestira.

“You did.”

The place Nestira had chosen was lovely, care and thoughtfulness woven into every detail. A natural rock formation provided gentle privacy, shielding them from wandering eyes. It was quiet, but for those who truly listened, the distant laughter of children echoed through the air, mingling with the tender footsteps of couples walking hand in hand by the water’s edge.

A cozy blanket on the warm sand awaited its guests, while food and drink sat ready to nourish and delight.

For now, the sun still bathed the scene in a warm light, but soon, the lanterns would flicker on and cast their soft glow over the waves.

“I have come to you as a brand new man.” Rixx stated cheekily, offering the lightest smile which hovered gracefully on his thin features.

She regarded him thoughtfully, and while she wanted to reach out, she did not. Instead, she indulged in a gentle, telepathic caress.

“I very much enjoy your real face.” she admitted.

“I am glad.” Rixx gave a nod. “This is comfortable.”

And it was good to see her face too. He allowed the hint of that thought to brush her mind, without fully forming into words.

She gestured for him to sit. “I am curious what kind of home you have chosen for us.”

“Secluded,” he murmured. Telepathically, he offered her a flash of images, a stone lane that led off the beaten path to a small bungalow that featured a traditional fireplace, small kitchen, and a warm bedroom area tucked behind an old-fashioned heat stove. It was tastefully decorated without being ostentatious, with large windows that allowed one to see the foliage – and anyone approaching – while at the same time allowing the sunlight to spill in. “Quiet.”

“Defensible.” she added, tilting her head to the side ever so slightly. It wasn’t something she disagreed with, but it was something she wouldn’t have thought of.

“I am trying, oh so very hard, to enjoy life and not be paranoid. But… I also ensured that security measures were present if needed.” He drew in a long, slow breath and admitted. “That sets my mind at ease.”

“It is understandable. Thank you for thinking of it.” Nestira nodded, feeling that perhaps she should have thought about that when she selected the place at the beach here. She found that she was still very new to living in a galaxy that was a dangerous place. Things had always seemed so… easy.

Rixx leaned back, looking up at the puffy clouds with the setting sun to his back.

“I admit, paranoia is not pleasant. It is more pleasant to be here, now, in the moment, and enjoy it.”

But paranoia had kept him alive for several decades, so he couldn’t disparage it too much.

Nestira gave a slight nod, and found a place next to him. She looked up at the clouds thoughtfully, and realised that it had been months, if not more than a year, that she had the opportunity to do something… mundane. It was odd that life could take such drastic turns so suddenly.

Recognizing the tenor of her thoughts, she banished them, and listened to the rhythmic ebb and flow of the waves instead.

“I think…” she said eventually “That I want to find a home again. A place with a door that only opens to us, and to those we invite. One that has a bed and shelves and personal mementos. Like the one you chose, but not just temporarily mine.” She hesitated. “And I want you to be in it, too.”

Rixx sighed. Home was a hazy concept for him, being a drifter and a traveler for such a long time. It was a foreign idea, but it was enticing nonetheless.

“I would like to be in it. So long as I can come and go as I desire.”

It was a fairly modest way of hanging on to some of the old comforts while dipping his toes into the new.

Nestira laughed. “You can leave, yes, but be home for dinner.”

It was a phrase she had heard others use, and right now, it felt appropriate to echo it. It hid the fact that she, too, was new to all of this. She had lived comfortably and friends had visited while lovers stayed the night – but she had never desired for either to be a part of her home.

“Home for dinner.” Rixx smiled. “It has been ages upon ages since I last had the pleasure.” He leaned back, considering the sky. “It feels like a change. A change and yet a homecoming, strange and yet familiar, frightening yet comforting.”

“Like the clouds.” She nodded. “They travel. They change. They join others to create rain and seas and mists and snow. But they remain part of Risa, never straying too far.”

It reminded him of what Rodulan society was like. Change was not only tolerated but welcomed, as long as it was individual. Families formed and then broke their ties, but no one ever left. Even death was always believed to be the first step to rebirth.