Luna returned to Canis triumphant, eager to spill the news of her new escapade. She skittered past bones and dust, certain of her destination, and for once, certain of fortune to come - that is, if she could find the second task as easy as the first.

"Collector! I have found! A Lover!" They announced, paw pressed to their bejeweled chest. "Or something akin! We went on a date, which I believe confirms the nature of the relationship. It went... Uh. Splendidly!"

"Now, what shall I do with this lover of mine, for the grand prize I seek?" Luna was willing to do anything. She had no shame about throwing Rena to the wolves almost immediately. Such was the nature of business.

No... It couldn't be... Luna was......

Underwhelmed?

Well, they were expecting a bigger ask, a true sacrifice. They'd given him a treasured possession last they'd met, and this romance was... Uhhhh. Not that, quite yet. Maybe if Luna had picked a better lover, this would be a dramatic breakup. But Rena seemed reasonable. The relationship would just return to the ether they'd plucked it from.

........Renasonable.....

The only trace of this internal conflict was the way their smiled faltered some. "So gracious of you to offer such a... Generous trade!"

Luna's paws met in front of their chest, dextrous fingers tapping. "But I feel... The cost doesn't match the prize? It could be greater, is all. Perhaps a more... Permanent, severing of the union. Greater damage. More drama."

It was her turn to lean in. "I've heard rumour of a Gembound by an altar of five great pillars, and tales of unions bound by magic... Perhaps?"

That was where her knowledge ended. She'd let the Collector do with it what he willed.

Hahaha! Yay! Yippee!

"Well. It's not much of a betrayal if it's just begun. It's a mutual experiment, low-cost - if it's drama we want, why not up the stakes? This... Matron need not be officially involved. "

A paw raised to brush their cheek, struck by a (seemingly) sudden thought. "But I find myself discussing this with The Collector. There is magic for that kind of subterfuge, no?"

A brief aside - they returned to the main focus. "In my travels, I have heard, whispered in the shadows - a word. It is called... Divorce."

"I have met none in the caves who've been divorced. This could be brave new ground for these cramped little caves. Surely you would support such an event?"

"Methods vary. I am not a violent Gembound - I outsource that work to my beloved employee." (Who they were already planning on bringing into this.) They fell into another silence. This time Luna stiffened, an epiphany rocketing through their nervous system.

"Speaking of outsourcing."

This could be brilliant.

"What if. Theoretically speaking, you officiated the union."

Luna looked down at the scroll, and was struck by the immediate fear a blank page induces in any artist. They had talked a big game, now it was time to put money where their mouth was.

"So. Divorce requires marriage. Which needs something binding. There is nothing more tragic than a deal gone wrong." Hearts? You can break them on any day of the week. The LAW??? Difficult. Enticing. A challenge.

"You," Luna gestured to the notes on the desk. "Deal in contracts. What is a break-up... If not a broken contract? Me and my lover... We sign it in tandem to seal our togetherness in ink... And then I! DIVORCE her! And leave in the arms of another!"

She clapped her paws together. "Better than a minor spat. Something with real consequence, recorded, archived, eternal."

Luna grinned. "Do we have a deal??"