Lyner had just gotten the Sailor Bunny Dress onto a hanger in his room when there was a knock at the door. A little curious who would be visiting and not wanting to yell in the full inn so late at night, he walked over to the door. Already he'd been visited by Misha and he'd stopped in on Aurica and then Lady Shurelia, who had slept with her head half on his lap while he'd finished the dress.

Grathmelding was an odd craft to him, but the sheer challenge was enjoyable. Even when it involved crafting bunny ears (with high stats, else he really wouldn't have bothered with something so ridiculous).

"Ayatane?" he gasped when he opened the door. Lyner's first thought was that something bad was happening and he threw open the door to look at his friend. "Are you okay? We're far enough from the tower, aren't we? Will...?"

"I'm just a little tired," Ayatane replied as he stepped into the room and reached to close the door. "But... I am worrying as well. I don't want to hurt you."

"I don't want to hurt you either," Lyner said quickly. He smiled and gestured with his free hand over at the bed. "There's room for both of us..."

At about that moment, Ayatane's eyes seemed to meet his own realization about what he was still holding.

"New nightclothes?" Ayatane asked with a soft chuckle as he sat down on the bed. Without his traditional red armor, his outfit wasn't unlike Lyner's own, the only difference being that where pale skin was visible, red tattoos also spun and looped to make exotic trails.

"N..No!" Lyner exclaimed. "A new recipe. Except it doesn't seem possible for a Reyvateil to equip this."

"Were you trying to put Lady Shurelia in that?" Ayatane question, his tone staying even. "Even if she is travelling with us, she's still our commander."

"You sound just like her," Lyner lamented before walking over and sitting on the bed as well. He held the outfit out to Ayatane, who took it and began examining the work.

"I'm sure she likes the ears," Ayatane said after a moment. "Apparently she likes bunnies."

Lyner flopped back and closed his eyes. He didn't even want to know how Ayatane knew something so trivial. Except that it had been Ayatane's mission, after all.

"Hey..." Lyner reached over in Ayatane's direction, but his friend wasn't there.

"Ayatane?" he asked, a little concerned that he'd missed Ayatane slipping away. He had almost managed to sit up when a hand shoved him back downward before he could do anything.

"Keep your eyes on the ceiling," Ayatane said softly as Lyner heard the first rustles of clothing. Ayatane... wasn't...

Lyner had been considering giving the outfit to Krusche, though she'd never wear it, or even to Radolf as a bit of a joke (the Bishop had to have a few non-Reyvateil women in the church, but that probably would be even worse than giving it to Krusche...), but he hadn't intended to actually have anyone test it out quite so personally.

"I never expected you to become a Grathmelder," Ayatane said after a moment. "If we succeed and there aren't any more viruses, you'll still have something to do."

"I can teach you," Lyner said quickly. "It's not difficult, really."

"Lyner," Ayatane said softly. Lyner could still hear the movement of clothing. "Don't forget that I am a..."

"I don't care!" Lyner exclaimed far too loudly for it being the middle of the night. He jumped off the bed and had reached for Ayatane before even processing that indeed, his friend had slid into the almost flattering little outfit - complete with perfect bunny ears perched atop silvery hair.

Ayatane just smiled - the typical thing for Ayatane to do.

"I do feel a bit stronger," Ayatane said as he stretched his arms out. "And if I wore it into battle, it would be an easy victory as any foes would be making that same face you are and wouldn't notice a sword through their midsections."

"Sorry," Lyner said before averting his eyes. "I never thought I'd see it on anyone. I just like to make things in the evenings, and..."

"You're welcome to look," Ayatane commented. "You made this, remember? Don't tell me you make things without having anyone try them on after..."

"Well, sometimes Misha or Aurica will give things names or Lady Shurelia will tell me long, boring explanations of how things work, but..." Lyner trailed off, instead focusing on the red trails on Ayatane's legs. "Have those always been there?"

"No," Ayatane said, "and yes. They've become more visible."

"Oh..." Lyner wasn't sure what to say until a terrible, horrible thought flashed through his mind. "A...Ayatane?"

"You're making that face again," Ayatane commented as he reached up to make sure the ears were straight. "I can take it off if you're that disturbed."

"D...Do you... Are you like a Reyvateil? Er, do you have a cosmosphere?" Lyner asked quickly. "Some... some of your tattoos remind me of install ports."

"How many have you seen?" Ayatane asked with a chuckle. "If you dare hurt Lady Shurelia..."

"You didn't answer me." Lyner frowned and glanced around the room. It was a bit of a personal topic, but he was talking to Ayatane, one of few people he would and already had forgiven for anything.

"I... I don't know," Ayatane said. "What would you do if I did?"

"Dive," Lyner said firmly. "I mean, if you'd let me."

Ayatane smiled and started to take off the outfit.

"We should get some sleep, Lyner," he said as he revealed more and more of the corrupted hymnnos that traced over his skin. Lyner dumbly nodded, watching cautiously and trying to figure out why he found Ayatane's body so much more interesting than any of the girls'.

"Lyner, I'm okay, I'm not..."

"I don't think I'm okay," Lyner said quickly. "I shouldn't have said any of that. Next I'll be thinking about you coming into my room in the middle of the night and asking me to sleep with your head on my lap or my head on your lap."

Ayatane pulled his clothing back on and smiled as he neatly put the dress back on its hanger.

"Lyner," he said as he glanced over at his friend who did not miss the deliberate smirk. "Can I sleep with my head in your lap?"