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A few months after the business with the chalice, Annie (with a gold engagement stud in one earlobe, now receiving mail at Aldaras's apartment, and thoroughly comfortable with Being Necklaced, to the point where she's helping mold the thing towards more exacting standards for real-world-practical as well as theoretical compatibility) is in bed with some unidentified sort of head cold or flu. Aldaras doesn't have it so far, so she is snuggled under the covers while he makes her spicy soup to help clear her sinuses and because she's having a little trouble with non-liquids. He's worried, she's mostly just groggy. Zzzz.
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darkest_evening
"Okay," he says, gently. "Should I just go completely against my nature and put all of my cards on the proverbial table so you know how to deal with them, then?"
namesthesky
"I'm obviously not handling it very well, by no means do you need to feel obligated or feel responsible or feel anything," she says, burying her face in her hands, "and I'm sorry."
darkest_evening
Prime looks at her.
"Sp- Aya. Shh, no. You're handling it beautifully. Any obligation or responsibility is something I'm choosing on my own, not anything you're causing by guilt trip or manipulation. I'm - sorry, it's been so long that I've lost all my tact, that was a genuine offer, not a 'your actions are making this necessary.'"
"Sp- Aya. Shh, no. You're handling it beautifully. Any obligation or responsibility is something I'm choosing on my own, not anything you're causing by guilt trip or manipulation. I'm - sorry, it's been so long that I've lost all my tact, that was a genuine offer, not a 'your actions are making this necessary.'"
namesthesky
The plantlike lean is back. This time she doesn't seem to notice, possibly because her face is still in her hands. She takes a deep, shaky breath, and nods.
darkest_evening
Prime, congratulations, you get to re-learn some tact. Remedial tact lessons. In your own head. First lesson of the day: think before you speak.
"I'm worried," he says, slowly and softly. "Scared, even. I - feel like any relationship we could have is going to be forever tainted because a necklace made you fall in love with me."
"I'm worried," he says, slowly and softly. "Scared, even. I - feel like any relationship we could have is going to be forever tainted because a necklace made you fall in love with me."
namesthesky
There is a peculiar tension in her shoulders from the moment he says 'relationship we could have'.
"They're engaged," she murmurs.
"They're engaged," she murmurs.
darkest_evening
"They are. I would interrogate them on their feelings and the situation that led up to their engagement, if I were there. But I'm not. I'm here."
namesthesky
She rubs at one of her eyes. And catches herself leaning and stops again. "I don't know what to tell you."
darkest_evening
"Okay. According to the native Bell - Annie, I think? - you are basically intact aside from the - love thing, but that it's very thorough. How thorough, exactly?"
darkest_evening
He nods.
"I won't ask for specifics," he says, in the same soft and gentle voice from earlier. "Would it be at all helpful if I explained my view on - this?"
"I won't ask for specifics," he says, in the same soft and gentle voice from earlier. "Would it be at all helpful if I explained my view on - this?"
darkest_evening
"Okay. I feel as if you're the victim here, and that this is a no-win situation no matter what I do. If I politely tell you that we can never be a couple, I break your heart, which I would rather not do. If I don't, if I do absolutely nothing, I leave you in a permanent, uncertain middle-ground. And, if I try to start any sort of relationship with you, I'm taking some sort of advantage of you, because your consent was stolen by a disturbing conspiracy love necklace."
darkest_evening
"I - don't know, yet," he sighs. "I do rather like to win. I'm still trying to find a way of winning."
namesthesky
"Usually when I want things I try to - cheat and get them all at once without compromising, and that - would not be a good idea right now."
darkest_evening
He blinks at her, and then understanding dawns.
"Oh," he says. "That. Makes sense." Pause. "... That's - I'm - thank you. Sincerely. I'm genuinely touched."
"Oh," he says. "That. Makes sense." Pause. "... That's - I'm - thank you. Sincerely. I'm genuinely touched."
darkest_evening
"I'm still holding out hope," he says carefully, "for a fourth option of, 'and then we win,' but I'm currently leaning towards the third option, if winning is entirely impossible."