"Oh good, otherwise I'd feel awkward having said that."

"I didn't feel awkward loving you first. Possibly because I thought I was going to die, though. That's a great distraction from feeling awkward."

"I bet it would be." Kiss.

"Everyone involved living forever is an important romantic criterion."

"Dang, there goes my hobby of running with the bulls."

"No running with the bulls until I can resurrect the dead. I'd be so sad."

"Okay, I promise." Kiss.

He asks Rete for advice on asking Lorica to marry him.

"You should probably clarify whether that is a proposition or a proposal," says Rete.

"Hmm?"

"Since it is likely that the soul bond will fail," Rete clarifies, "there is a distinction between taking a chance with physical intimacy, and booking a venue to be used regardless of the result there."

"Oh. Uh, I wouldn't take a chance with it. I wouldn't do it at all if I didn't want the result, even if it doesn't, uh, work. With humans or with Lorica specifically."

"You should specify that," Rete advises.

"Okay. Is that all?"

"What other details do you want advice on?"

"Don't really know. Will she say yes?"

"If I were attempting to credibly imitate her my imitation would accept, but I am at low confidence as she has not discussed it with me nor has anyone asked her to marry them credibly before."

"Okay."

He investigates human customs. ...gemstones are really expensive here. They're abundant back home. He goes for synthetic ones. 

Sometimes when he goes out flying Lorica joins him. He waits for one of those occasions.

The shuttle is a convertible now, they can have the top down in nice weather. Whee!

Whee!!! Ocean is pretty. 

"So," he says, "it's unclear if we can get married my way. But we could get married your way. And I would like to. - and then we could stop worrying about maybe getting married my way."

"- oh. Um. You should meet my mom. Yes. Autumn?"

"Yes! Local custom is ring and Elven custom is also rings so I got rings. Rings?" They are hella pretty. "- it's also magic - helps balance and reflexes -"

She laughs and holds out her hand to be ringed.

Ring. Kiss. 

Kiss!