Sizer had a problem. It was a big problem; in fact, it was precisely 1.82 meters tall and fond of green. Worst of all, it was---she hated to say it, but it was true, damn it, and it was wrong to pretend otherwise---pretty good-looking for a problem.

She sat up in a tree, watching as her problem played through Saint-Saens's third piano concerto. It had been a while since she'd last seen him. At the time she'd concluded that he was a rare breed: honest, caring, gentle. She'd be sorry when the time came for him to lose that optimistic innocence.

But that time had already come and gone. He had suffered through countless tragedies and was still a bundle of bright, shining, stupid love. Nothing escaped his affection, not even the murderous Red Witch of Hameln.

His incessant vows of loyalty, protection, and unconditional love had bothered her so much that she couldn't stand it any longer. She leapt from the tree and landed atop his piano so that she faced him.

"Sizer-san! It's so wonderful to see you again! I was worried."

The sincerity of his words made her wince. Worried about her? He had been the one with a hole in his lungs. "We need to talk."

"Okay!"

"No, I mean..." Why was he smiling? Damn him! "This is serious. I'm a monster, Raiel."

He didn't seem to understand. "What do you mean?"

"Raiel, I'm a murderer. I've killed people and I've enjoyed it. I know you mean well but the fact is that I'm not who you think---"

He interrupted her with a particularly angry-sounding G-minor chord. "That's not true, Sizer-san. You're a beautiful person and I'm not going to stop telling you that until you think so too."

She wasn't sure what made her more embarrassed: what he had said, or the confidence with which he said it. "I'm a monster, and no matter what you think I look like---"

"I'm not talking about what you look like." This stopped her, so he went on. "Everything about you is beautiful, Sizer-san! Everything from how you act to how you feel to---"

"SHUT UP!"

She sprang forward, her fingers pressed around his mouth as though she would suffocate him. His already wide golden eyes grew wider.

"Just...shut up," she said. Her voice shook. "You're scaring me."

Raiel kissed her hands.

Fin.