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And indeed, the stranger did not answer him. Instead, he merely returned a smile.

A very striking smile. It had a warmness to it that was difficult to describe. Cisco had never seen the like before. What an odd feeling.

The stranger looked between Cisco and Koh for a moment. "What is your name, cedo?" he asked.

Cisco didn't quite feel like answering that. "What's yours?"

"Heh. You remind me of someone, cedo."

He wasn't sure what to make of that, so he said nothing.

The stranger turned toward Dunstan and stepped closer. "In any case, I came to meet with Damian. If he does not wish to reveal himself, then that is a problem." He raised a hand toward the other young man. "Would you mind assisting me?"

Dunstan's thick, furrowed brow suggested that he would mind. But he, too, chose to say nothing.

"I won't hurt you," said the stranger. "I ask for but a trifle. A moment of your time, only." His hand moved closer.

Cisco was intensely uncomfortable all of a sudden. Like the whole world was abruptly turning upside down or inside out, like everything was no longer as it should be, like he should speak up. Intervene. Anything.

Yet his whole body hardly seemed to be listening to him. And thoughts arose in his mind as if from nowhere, both for and against that nebulous feeling.

Something was wrong. Everything was fine. Do something. Relax. This horned guy was creepy as hell. He seemed kinda nice, actually.

Dunstan was just sitting there, too. And the reapers weren't saying anything, either. Surely, if this situation was so odd or disturbing, then one of them would do something, no?

It would all be over soon.

There was nothing to worry about.

The stranger's hand stopped, mere inches away from Dunstan's face.

Damian Rofal was standing there, gripping the stranger's wrist.

"Ah. There you are, old friend."