"I would pine."

"We can't have that. Hugs whenever you wish."

"Yaaaaay! You are an obliging hug dispenser."

"You're perfectly welcome."

"Thanks for helping clear the freezer space. For more fish."

Adarin laughs. "Happy to help."

"If nobody in the house eats fish for too long he has to stop going fishing, and nobody wants that."

"He could always catch and release, if he liked."

"Not very satisfying. I throw back the little ones, sometimes I don't catch anything all day, but if I catch food I bring it home."

"Ah, I see. Makes sense."

"It's a good thing most people like fish."

He snickers. "Yeah, but if not I suppose you could set up a business selling to people who do like fish, that way he could still fish."

"Oh, I don't catch enough to do that. And you probably need a license."

"Oh, well. Casual fishing for supplemental food works out well, then."

"Believe it or not, I stopped for a picnic in Nowhere, Canada, and he stumbled across me by pure accident. I gave him a lift since he needed to be someplace a little less nowhere for a shopping trip, we got to talking..."

"... Then she mentioned her project about immortality and I was kind of hooked," says Adarin, with a smile. "Also, systematic magical testing. That is the way to get to my heart."

"But we weren't officially dating for a while. An uncharitable person might describe him as shy."

He snickers. "I wanted to treat you like the lady you are and not tackle you and kiss you immediately," he replies primly. "Also, yeah. Shy."

"Where in the world did you get the idea that witches are ladylike?" inquires Ranata archly.

(Charlie snorts.)

"Not from witches in particular, but I was raised to treat a woman I'm interested in like a lady."