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In the morning, Sylvi's up first, having suffered no worse in her second chunk of sleep than eighteen-year-old Lu tripping and skinning her knee because the pet zebra she usually rode was getting reshod and she had to walk to the theater to meet her friends. Charp sets about making breakfast as soon as she stirs. It puts a kettle on to boil for Avedan's tea and fixes eggs and toast with jam for Sylvi. She reads more of her notes while the food cooks, and Charp delivers to her at her desk. It's all just how she likes it.
the_charm
"That's actually how I found you, there'd've been no chance of tracking you down if I had to comb the whole planet parrots or no parrots - I heard about - the slavery thing is your project, right?"
do_over
"... Yes. It is."
(Should he be running? Screaming, maybe? Fleeing to the authorities? He's not sure. He'll just. Stand here, he guesses, because she's still hugging him.)
(Should he be running? Screaming, maybe? Fleeing to the authorities? He's not sure. He'll just. Stand here, he guesses, because she's still hugging him.)
the_charm
She lets him go and takes a step back, squinting.
"You've - had a lot more time than me to have dreams... I mean, I know I look different but not more than Kib did from Aly..."
do_over
Blink, blink.
"Yes, you are definitely you?" he says, slowly. "I'm sorry, can we - I am tremendously confused, what's going on, how do you know about the people from my dreams, why is a bird divebombing me and me having dreams sufficient evidence for snuggling?"
"Yes, you are definitely you?" he says, slowly. "I'm sorry, can we - I am tremendously confused, what's going on, how do you know about the people from my dreams, why is a bird divebombing me and me having dreams sufficient evidence for snuggling?"
the_charm
"I'm the most recent reincarnation of Aly and Kib. I went to Lapis and found the house and Charp and read most of my old notes and then went looking for you just in case because I missed you. The bird can tell you're the same person as Aydanci."
the_charm
"Oh, please don't tell me you've been getting all - childhood and the part before he met Kib, or something, that would just be positively unfair -"
do_over
"I also remember Aydanci being married to a boy called Kib, and a woman called Aly," adds Kidan.
the_charm
"Right, well - those were me, and I remember some of it and I've caught up on their notes about the rest and I have to admit I wasn't expecting to be greeted as a stranger, not with the age gap like this, not when - I'm sorry."
the_charm
"Can I even talk you into coming to Lapis and reading your old notes - oh, and your math, all your old math - or do you not want to go anywhere with me because you think I'm out of my mind, or - what?"
the_charm
"I'll - go get a hotel room, I guess," she says with a weak laugh. "But - will you tell me where I can find you later? And how long a bit is?"
do_over
"I -" He takes a deep breath, and then rattles off an address. " I don't know how long it'll be? I'm - in the middle of things here and didn't even think the dreams were real, just bizarrely specific, and I was extremely busy and real people matter more than whatever strange things my head spits out at night, but - apparently the dreams are real, too. And I need to think."
the_charm
Lu writes down the address.
"I'll - drop by in a few days, I guess. I'm sorry for - I'm sorry."
She turns around before it is more than a medium amount of obvious that she's trying not to cry. Her zebra kneels for her and she climbs on and trots away.
"I'll - drop by in a few days, I guess. I'm sorry for - I'm sorry."
She turns around before it is more than a medium amount of obvious that she's trying not to cry. Her zebra kneels for her and she climbs on and trots away.
do_over
Well that's absolutely heartbreaking. He's - frustrated, though, he can't just - jump aboard the zebra and go running off with a strange woman he just met and go be married with her because his dreams said so.
"I'm sorry, too," he sighs.
"I'm sorry, too," he sighs.
if_at_first
Sylvi dreams about Kib etching instructions onto Charp and Lu chasing the dead end of self-programming golems and Aly affixing wings to the first storks -
Sylvi wakes up.
Sylvi wakes up.
do_over
And Avedan dreams abut Aydanci organizing quarantines and Kidan looking up at the sky while cuddled with his wife and wondering if there's an end to the reincarnations or if it just goes on forever, and then Aydanci again when he's alone and in a dark, cold house and all he can feel is a cold determination to fuck up the pox for touching his wife.
He's still asleep, when Sylvi wakes up.
He's still asleep, when Sylvi wakes up.
if_at_first
Sylvi is yawning and sitting up. She peers at Avedan; still asleep. She wanders into the bathroom.