A Sky-Serpent, scales shimmering like cooling obsidian, uncoiled from the depths of the spring.
They worked under the halo of the relay, cutting a line here, sealing a node there. Each cut was a small war—a pop like a bubble bursting, a flare of light, the brief scream of displaced code. The Bond retaliated. Memory-waves rushed through Mira: fragments of strangers’ joys, strangers’ griefs, the warm tiredness of an old woman’s hand in a child’s. Each memory fancied itself a right to remain. Each was a temptation.
: This specific part is often noted for increasing the "lewd" or "hot" factor, moving from the initial setup of the marriage to more explicit or tense romantic encounters between the husband, wife, and surrounding characters.