Liang is a painter. While there's nothing else he'd rather do, he's ready to be finished with his current commission; he's been in one place far too long and it's starting to wear. His only relief is in the lucid dreams he's been having. They feature the same strange man, and though he seems to find Liang incredibly frustrating, he keeps returning to Liang's dreams. The conversations are often odd, but the company is welcome.

Xerxes is an incubus. When he's drawn to the dream of an attractive foreigner, he's expecting a fun night and a tasty meal. He is certainly not expecting to be given a sweater. All his seduction attempts fail spectacularly, leaving him annoyed and confused.

But more than anything, he's curious—curious enough to visit Liang in the waking world. Unfortunately, the waking world also holds danger for Liang, in the form of the man who commissioned him. A man who has decided that no one else should be permitted to enjoy Liang's skills.