Earlier...

Wisdom held the young crab in her arms. His shell was cracked, blood dripping onto the artificial reality of this construct. Her foremost thought processes paid attention to this defining moment. She ran parallel [Thought-Stream]'s to extrapolate second and third tier effects from this planet's imminent destruction.

They'll need to abandon this sector to the encroaching dark. It had only been a few thousand years since [System] inception and the local akasha wouldn't be able to handle the impending aspect deviation. The mortals collective unconscious would collapse and their primary defense against [CORRUPTION] would fall.

It was a shame.

She had almost started to like this world.

Seconds slipped away, an eternity of thought compressed into a single moment as she prepared for the aspect shift. She waited patiently, clearly expecting the fool to try and save itself from death. It was to be expected really. In the end they all tried to escape her grasp. [Thought-Stream] #9,763 prepared to shuttle the crabs soul to the afterlife. The manifestation of Innocence, Passion and Disdain would shatter his ego and sever his connection to mortality. What would be the fitting punishment for the death of his world, she mused. One of the burning hells perhaps.

As she felt the crab summon his meager will and channel it through [Eyes of Intent] she prepared herself.

She wasn't ready.

"I rescind my request. I choose to speak with the present Intelligence."

Her [Thought-Stream]'s ceased. For a long moment, the multiverse shuddered. Reclusive sages lost their stream of thought, enlightenment curtailed. Ice cracked on a billion worlds, it's coherence shattered. As the dead lay dying, the cold touch of her hand was stilled.

She was... surprised.

It was a novel experience.

She looked at her fellow aspects and saw the shock mirrored on their faces. The crab's response was outside of all expectations. Spirit and self-sacrifice were qualities gained by time, tempered by the knowledge that a single death can alter [Fate] itself. As the crab fell into unconsciousness she spoke,

"He has learned from the past, and chose to remain grounded in the present. By doing so he has shown WISDOM."

Toriana nodded,

"He has chosen death over dishonor. By doing so he has shown CHARISMA."

Aethir added,

"He has considered the impact his choices would make to himself and to others. By doing so he has shown INTELLIGENCE."

They all looked at each other.

Aethir spoke first.

"All in favor of saving the crab?"

"Aye"

"Aye"

"Aye".

***

A little bit later...

Toriana gently placed the snowglobe on her nightstand. She leaned down and looked inside of it. In her view she could see a tiny crab on a beach, coast pounding the shore. Her murmured words mirrored the [Simulacrum] inside...

"Shh, shh Crabby. It's okay. Sleep now, I'll return soon."

As the crab faded to sleep she straightened up. Sir Crabby would need time to recover. She [scuttle]'d out of her bedroom and into the divine realm. A twist of will and the surroundings shifted, depositing her elsewhere. The Hall of Aspects lay before her. Massive on a scale that defied perception, marble stone comprised the structure. Gold veins threaded throughout, layers of beauty and elegance embedded in rock.

She scampered into the hall and ventured to her section. Countless plinths stood before her, receeding beyond sight into a distant fog. She continued through, idle thoughts tickling her awareness as she looked at some of her favorites. Astarte, Bastet, Aphrodite, Eos, she passed form after form before finally reaching an empty space. A new plinth rose from the ground as she hopped on top. She removed her consciousness from the body she inhabited and looked at the frozen crab she left behind. Critically eyeing the pink shell and gentle curves, she remembered the crabs first words; then laughed in delight.

"I AM very pretty!"

Turning away from the plinth she stepped into the material plane. Thinking for a moment, she made a mental note and sent it to Aethir. She had a proposal for the next time all the aspects met. A planet full of [Sapient] crabs seems like it would be a good idea. She faded into immateriality, looking for a prospective world.

***

A bit after that...

Aethir immediately dismissed [Physical Reality] and [Mortal-Divine interface]. As the skill ended, the construct faded away in motes of magic. He took a second, then left, returning to his domain in the divine realm. Ethereal lines traced in the void, endless calculations glimmering in the black of space. Shining winds caused them to glimmer in the dark, waves of magic caressing the endless permutations of existence. He returned to his work, countless thought-streams bent into considering and discarding threads of [Fate].

He received a [Message] from Charisma and scoffed.

"An entire planet of nothing but crabs? Ridiculous. I am not going to appear to be typing on a keyboard made of seashells anytime I need to interact with an entire planet."

As he returned to his work a sudden thought struck him.

"Speaking of planets..."

Aethir materialized a screen in front of him. The window showed Arthos, the planet shining gently in the black of space. He considered, and then a full third of his [Thought-Stream]'s bent to the task of determining [Fate]'s trajectories. Nothing seemed amiss, everything appearing to be within standard ranges.

Nodding, he turned his attention back to the universe. As he was about to start working, a niggling doubt started to surface. Frowning, he re-ran the analysis for Arthos. This time, he focused on one of the idle filters he had developed. A short laugh sounded in the void as Aethir chuckled.

A moment of intent and a filing cabinet materialized. He opened the drawer and thumbed through the files, looking for Arthos. Finding the folder, he opened it and went to the very back, where he kept one of his favorite lists. He turned to the final page and erased the last line, before writing in the new information. The list read:

Aethir attached a copy of it to a [Message] and sent it to Toriana.

**Error: [Message] dropped**

Aethir frowned, annoyed at the [System]. He sent it again and received a confirmation. He dismissed it from his mind as his unease settled. He was sure Charisma would find it funny. Placing idle musings aside, he returned to his work... afterall, the multiverse wasn't going to run itself.