Zyriko's head was spinning, and he needed to squat. The Red Goddess would be giggling at him right now, he knew, but Suri was just staring, placidly.

Just now, Zyriko had learned something about his fiancée, and felt a ripple of joy even stronger than when he had processed her comment about his eyes. He had new insight into why her mana and general coloring so much resembled not the sky, precisely, but the sky reflected in a calm pool of water.

Suri defaulted to expressionless or subtly frowning stares, either into his eyes or, while collecting her thoughts, off into space or at a convenient nearby target, such as her nails, earlier. Even when she was in her initial emotional storm on the bench, to an observer lacking supernatural empathy, she had only been blushing inexplicably--overheated?--while staring sedately at the garden.

Zyriko had a hunch that while in his limited experience, she seemed to blush often, in fact it was extremely unusual. Who wouldn't blush if directly connected to the mind of someone who genuinely wanted to marry her?

He knew from that brief episode with her concealer deactivated that she was far from emotionless, but outwardly, she was restrained, always in control. Just about every word Suri had spoken to Zyriko so far had been carefully considered, with precise diction, and a specific intent. Aside from expressionless staring and the act she had put on for his parents, Zyriko had seen only irritation and distaste when they first met, which had probably been calculated, exactly one giggle, disgust at the state of their world and her own impotence, and a few blushes that did nothing but turn her face red under circumstances that would have reduced the average person to stammering and an inability to decide what to look at. Otherwise, placid mask, always.

As someone who had also spent most of his life hiding his emotions for fear of discovery, it was not difficult to infer this trait's origins. Zyriko etched 'be someone Suri feels it is safe to be unrestrained around' as item number two on the list of purposes of his existence.

When Zyriko stood again, Suri finished her carefully considered talk.

"One last thing. The concealer active right now is for the others, not me. I have not chosen to conceal myself from you. I intend the opposite. That time we spent linked, completely exposed, is precious to me. Those few minutes were..."

Suri paused again, for another period of only breathing and expressionless staring.

"They made me want to marry you and paint my nails red."

And another blush that only turned her red.

"I have spent months looking forward to when we would be able to do it again, to the extent that I am at this moment strangling the impulse to suggest that we delay our meeting with the Goddesses. I will never again use a concealer of my own. In the future, you can provide equivalent countermeasures for us both, when necessary."

It seemed like Zyriko was already doing a pretty good job at purpose number two.

"There. That's everything. Honesty, for honesty."

At Suri's signal, her parents walked over.

"So," her mother said, "we were already considering not participating in the meeting with the True Goddesses. Mentally linking is more than a little intimate, and, given what we have learned about the significance of the appearance of manifested power, we are sure that the Goddesses will approve of Suri most."

She smirked a little at them both.

"And now in addition, we did not need to hear the words of that little exchange to know that we would be intruding."

She grinned at Suri.

"You think you know how happy I am that things have worked out for you, but you have no idea. This process is never easy for Keyics, but your strength constrained the plausible options so much, and to the sort that tend to be most conceited and delusional. I was terrified from the moment you were born. Let us hope the Goddesses appreciate the risks we take."

She turned to Zyriko.

"And so I am grateful, Zyriko of Keyic. You just provided all the confirmation we require. We will not participate in the meeting. Suri will be our representative, and that is enough. Now, we will finish introductions, then show you inside, and leave you to it. Afterwards, we will have a tour. Try not to make things too awkward for the Goddesses, mm?"

Oh, right, uh...No, the Red Goddess already knew everything anyway, and being a True Goddess of red magic, She would be able to filter on Her end if She wanted.

In the meantime, Suri's father looked Zyriko up and down.

"Tyri, it's so unfair," he pouted at his wife. "Why did I need to make my own?"

Tyri side-eyed her husband. "Hmph. Like I would let anyone so pathetic that he couldn't make his own armor join Keyic."

She jerked back to Zyriko.

"Uh, you're fine. You're not blue. Besides," she side-eyed Suri this time, before smirking at Zyriko again, "...she does love her color. Immur, let's continue the introductions."

Zyriko knew from Suri that her parents' quasi-benevolence was less pure than hers, motivated partly by expectation of reward, but this family environment was still a massive improvement over what he was accustomed to.

----

The Keyics left Suri and Zyriko on a sofa in a sitting room, from which they would connect to the Red Goddess.

Suri had been waiting for this for 129 days. "Can you do it now?" she asked.

Zyriko nodded, and in a few seconds, she could feel his mind again.

It was so intoxicating, not to need to hide things. Even from her family, she had needed to hide how suicidal she was about the whole marriage situation, and how little she valued this world's version of glory and prestige. Serving the True Goddesses faithfully so that one day the Keyic lineage would stand triumphant, preeminent, elevated above the delusional and faithless, had never been a precise description of her true motives.

Right now, Zyriko was seeing at least as much of her as she could see of him. He knew more than anyone ever had. Wholehearted admiration and approval and loyalty and affection and desire were all present nevertheless--no, as a result of what he saw--all unwavering.

While walking over to gather their parents that day, with time to reflect on what had just happened, Suri had felt foolish at how quickly she had grown attached. Not only had she agreed to marry someone eight years younger than her, not even of marriageable age yet, based on a few minutes of conversation, she had been as blushfully eager to accept as if it were the culmination of years of courtship. She had felt giddy at the idea of being Zyriko's wife. Was she that pathetically desperate? When had she lost control of herself and fallen prey to such rashness?

But then she had realized that most people needed those years of courtship to develop an imitation of the level of trust and understanding that had fallen into her lap within minutes. Not everyone received a wholehearted marriage proposal from a perfectly honest telepath of historic power while mentally linked to him, literally minutes after abandoning hope.

No, what would have been foolish was fumbling the miracle by doubting her own judgment and blowing the conversation with her telepath's parents. She had not. The only thing she might have to be embarrassed about would be failing to be as candid with him as he had been with her. She had just now taken care of that.

And now here they were, in a sitting room, in her home. If she looked away, she might miss the sunset that surely must be coming soon.

<Is it like this for every red couple?> she asked. <This certainty? Perfect understanding?>

<No. I am more powerful, and have received some instruction, demonstration, from the Red Goddess, so linking with me is much more vivid. This feeling of having as unimpeded a view of me as you do of yourself, perfectly clear, is not normal,> Zyriko explained. <And, I could block you out. Most do that, choose not to be open, which is the only reason I have survived so long. I block out everyone, and it's not odd to do so. Everyone except the Red Goddess, I mean. Not needing to hide anything when speaking with Her is pleasant. I judged that you were worthy of the same trust, based on instinct mixed with a few clues like your mana, and decided that I would like the same openness with you, if you were willing. And thank you.>

Suri could feel his shyness. She smiled knowingly at him, and could feel his resulting...it felt boastful to call something that she had caused so easily 'euphoria,' but that's what it was.

<Is it completely symmetric?> she asked.

<Not quite, although I try to make it that way. You can feel only what I send through the link, but I send everything. I also need to place my voice in your mind for you to hear. To hear your voice, I instead peel thoughts from the top of your mind. I could look deeper, to see your deeper thoughts and memories and so forth, but I do not, and that part also requires real skill and power. The Red Goddess is so powerful that She cannot avoid seeing everything when She connects to me. She says She can passively, without connecting, hear thoughts similar to the ones you make to speak to me, which is amazing. I can only feel dominant emotions and strong sensations passively.>

Suri could feel Zyriko's reverence. She was looking forward to meeting Her, and the Others.

<On that note, when She connects to me, soon, it may look like I'm in pain or suffering. Don't worry, I'm not, only awed, so awed that it...even though She is as benevolent as She is powerful, it is primally terrifying...She is so...>

He sighed aloud, frustrated at his lack of eloquence.

<She is so literally a deity. Sorry, I can't do better. There is a profound feeling of insignificance and...complete submission, like submission is the only possible response. Imagine if you were falling toward a star. Would you be thinking about how to resist your fate? All you could do is accept that the star will determine the outcome of the encounter, accept that you are helpless, and wait to learn what the star has decided will happen. Even if you know the star loves you, it is still intimidating. That is the feeling of linking directly to Divinity, with red power, and so I may crumple a little.>

Suri felt like she could understand.

<Can She connect to me like that, through you?>

Zyriko shrugged.

<From what I know, it is impossible, but who can say? If I asked you about the limitations of a Blue Goddess' ability to make planets, what could you tell me? I can see that you want to try, so I will ask Her. Or, actually, we won't need to ask. She will know.>

Suri's expectations were high, and she had a feeling that her imagination was failing, and so they would turn out not to be high enough.

A minute later, Zyriko warned, <She's about to connect. I'm going to break our link, in case there's feedback to you from the process.>

Suri saw a pulse of red divine power fill the room, and Zyriko gasped while leaning over, supporting himself with arms on his knees. She gripped his left arm, the one closest to her.

"She says...She is happy to see you...and offers...to connect directly. She warns...that the method is close...to mind domination," Zyriko was wheezing a little, and translating as best he could in real time. "She will send Her mana through me, to you...and fill up your...vessel...with it. When filled with Her mana, you will be a red mage, temporarily."

Suri knew that the Red Goddess was a True Goddess. She had known it for as long as she could remember knowing anything. This knowledge was a core part of her worldview. But, those few sentences made it real in a new way. This was the nature of a deity. This Goddess was not a delusional pretender. She did not need to demand worship.

"She says that if you want to proceed, empty your pool as much as possible, for the best connection. She will take that as consent, and...She emphasizes that anyone doing this without consent is the most unforgivable form of anathema, the only kind She exterminates Herself."

Suri nodded. A real Goddess asks consent, but never permission. She emptied herself as much as possible. Shortly later, her remaining blue power buzzed, and then she was flooded with what she could only describe as the Essence of Love. She collapsed, but Zyriko had anticipated this, and caught her.

What by all things sacred was this?

And then she herself buzzed, not her power vessel.

Zyriko's description had been accurate. She waited for the star to decide what would happen to her.

"It's alright," Zyriko murmured. "She will not hurt you."

Hurt her?...No...That was definitely not what was happening right now.

She was drooling.

"Me too, the first time," Zyriko murmured as he dried it.

The Language of the Goddesses flooded into her, as Zyriko had described. It took a while.

<Hello Suri. It's good to meet you, and I am glad that you really are as wonderful as Zyriko described. I find your unique ability fascinating. We had always wondered what an extremely powerful blue mage would be able to do. It's the only color We had never seen at a high enough level. We will discuss it with My Sisters, soon, and I think They will agree that We ought to show you a special tunic We have in storage. You should have enough strength to keep two copies of it charged indefinitely. But first...Teeteeteet!>

Suri trembled. This was her ambition. This was what a real benevolent Goddess was. Unlimited power, giving freely, answering prayers, all without restraint, because She was infinite, and the costs were finite.

<I'm glad you have such a high opinion of Me! Don't worry, We will discuss your ambition soon! But first, I need to tell you what Zyriko thought the moment that he saw My younger Sister for the first time, just before I spoke to you. His very first thought was: 'I did wonder, but it's amazing that Suri really is even prettier than the Goddess of Beauty.' Teeteeteet! My poor Sister is devastated!>

As the True Red Goddess' giggles became cackles, Suri considered whether she might be dreaming, but concluded that was impossible. This experience was way too intense to be a dream.

<On the bright--,> She snickered, <sparkling side, this might help with the vanity issue She has been worrying about.>