Villain Retirement

"What sort of creatures did you see in the Unknown, Princess Aerith!?"

"I… still haven't explored much of it. But the Unknown is completely different from the Known Universe. The laws we know here barely apply there. And wow… wow…

…What is in this thing?"

The festivities were loud.

Aerith could hear everyone around her cheering and shouting; their words, traveling even through the thick layer of snow that endlessly drowns the entire encampment in white and cold.

Cold.

At least that's what is supposed to be wrapping Aerith right now, but no; the only thing wrapping her right now was the exaggerated warmth crawling through her skin, penetrating deep into her bones. Just a few seconds ago, she was getting ready to leave with Riley—but now, she could not even center her thoughts.

The only thing she knows right now is that there was a mug the size of her head in her hand, filled with wine her lips have never touched before.

"What is in this thing?"

Aerith could not help but repeat her words as everything around her started to become… weird. Everyone's eyes seemed clearer, as if Aerith could see her entire life in each and every one of them.

"And why can't I stop drinking it?" Aerith then let out a small giggle as she chugged the entire mug; her legs, seemingly moving on their own as they pushed the heavy snow beneath her feet. It wasn't only her, each and every one of the members of the sisterhood was dancing and laughing.

"Wait, where… where's Riley?" Aerith just drank an entire mug, and yet she cleared her throat several times as she started looking around for her murderous companion,

"Riley!? We need to go right—Pft…"

And for some reason, Aerith just couldn't help herself from laughing as she suddenly imagined Riley dancing along with them.

"Riley!" Aerith once again screamed as she started walking away from the crowd. It was starting to feel weird—there were more than 50 of them here, and yet Aerith was slowly feeling like she was the only one there.

There was music flowing, and yet for some reason, the only thing she could hear was a whistle. The chilling fractals of snow that was once almost non-existent to her, she could now feel as it touches the skin of her shoulders.

"...Uh," Aerith could then hear her own breath as everything started to move slowly—and not in the way that the themarians could sense things moving even at the speed of light–no, it was almost as if time itself slowed down.

"Hoo…" Aerith's breaths started to tremble as the snow on her shoulders started to melt, inserting themselves through the openings of her collars and wetting her neck. The melted snow should be cold, and yet it was almost as if someone's hand was wrapping around her neck… slowly trailing down her clavicles and in between her chest.

"Hn—" Aerith quickly covered her mouth as a moan threatened to escape from her lips. She looked at the others to see if they noticed, but they seemed to be busy dancing amongst themselves.

Weird, Aerith thought. Just seconds ago, all of them were just talking and catching up—but now, all of them were just lost. The heat from their bodies, now melting the snow even before it could land their heads.

Heat.

"..." Aerith then cradled herself, only for her to quickly move her hands away as she felt… an almost burning sensation touch her skin. Aerith then once again touched her arm, this time, just gently tapping.

"!!!"

And with just a light touch, Aerith gritted her teeth as a trickle of electricity seemed to pierce through her bones, causing her head to tremble and her throat to once again turn dry.

"Guys…" Aerith once again looked at her empty mug, before her eyes started trailing around the snowy encampment for something else to drink. But then, the woman that had been filling her mug once again appeared in front of her; this time, however, she seemed completely out of it as she just danced while waving around the large keg.

"...I'm thirsty. Can I have more of that?" Aerith then gulped. The woman, however, just glanced at her—and with a smile, nodded her head and started filling up Aerith's mug.

"There's more where this came from, Princess," the woman nodded her head as most of the wine coming out of the keg landed straight on the snowy ground,

"There's been a migration of Kahn Mollusc wine near our hole lately, so there's lots… and lots… and lots…

…and lots."

And with those words repeatedly whispering in Aerith's ears, her hand lost all of its strength; dropping the mug and also her mouth.

"Kahn Mollusc, you mean…" Aerith's eyes started to turn wide; her pupils, seemingly not knowing whether to enlarge or reduce in size.

Kahn Mollusc, its closest equivalent to Earth are oysters—except perhaps a million times more potent.

An aphrodisiac on themarian steroids.

"..."

"..."

"Riley!" Aerith then let out a scream strong enough to cause a ripple in the air clearing out all the snow within the encampment,

"Leave this place, now!"

There's really only one use for kahn mollusc, and that is for themarians to become excited for heated sexual intercourse that is about to take place. And Riley, as the only male in the encampment…

…was the only target. With his broad shoulders, skin that is even smoother than hers, the ferocity that was just oozing out of his—

"Oh no…" Aerith quickly shook her head off of the dangerous thoughts that were slowly rising deep within everything other than her rational mind,

"Oh no, no… this can't be happening."

Aerith could really only drop to the cold ground as the thoughts rushed into her like a storm. The snow that dropped like rain from their heat, causing every inch of Aerith's skin to turn… moist.

And soon, she felt a loud beat drumming from her chest.

"..." Aerith then gritted her teeth as she closed her eyes; trying her best to collect herself. If she could not collect her thoughts, then she would at least try to collect and calm her raging breaths.

A second.

A minute.

An hour.

5 hours. She had been sitting on the ground for 5 hours with her eyes closed; her breaths had become calm; her thoughts, however, grew worse by the second.

"Aerith."

"!!!"

Aerith's entire body once again jolted as she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulders, she quickly looked behind her, only to see Riley standing there—his torso, completely exposed and almost glittering with the snow.

"R—"

"I believe it is time for us to leave."

And before Aerith could even open her mouth, she felt Riley's chiseled but gentle arms wrapping around her; her vision shifting as Riley carried her away from the encampment and through the hole down the Subtheran.

"..." Aerith could really only bite her lip as she felt the warmth of Riley's chest on her cheeks. And soon, as they were wrapped in the darkness of the hole, Aerith accidentally placed her lips on Riley's chest.

"Hm…" Aerith quickly leaned her head away as she cleared her throat. She quickly looked at Riley's face to see if he noticed, but even as they escaped the darkness and basked in the light of the Subtheran—Riley's face remained stoic as he continued to dive down.

"..." Aerith stared at his eyes which reflected everything around it, and then toward his lips which seemed like they could swallow her whole. And then, out of her control…

…her lips very slowly started to move toward Riley's.