[Somewhere deep down, those words manage to touch some small part of Aether that's still barely holding on to his sanity. But only so he can think of them later, in isolation of this night. It really did put him at ease in a way, just knowing Dain was here. For all that this world constantly threw him for a loop, Aether always felt like Dain was someone he could depend on.]

[Unfortunately, that Aether isn't the one in control right now. And as they enter the alley, Aether's hidden expression twists into a grin, as the first hints that something is off begin to slip through.]

What happened... oh, right. You really let me have it, didn't you? I had to spend my birthday in agony... did you know it was that week?