Desire cannot start fresh; Desire is, layers and layers upon emself. Like a tel -- you can dig so deep into the rubble underneath to set a foundation, and you can build and smooth until the face of the city bears no resemblance to its bones, but you cannot change the character of the city. Desire has a character, old as those bones, a course that ey must keep. But ey may try building once more.

Only one of them has truly tried to start with a blank slate, unmarked, and the result stands before em, an emerald around his neck.