"Of course we'd go find you both." Squeeze.

"It's just kind of different wishing he'd die. I didn't like it the first time at all."

"Nothing's happened to him yet, right, he's not missing any time and he hasn't gotten any dreams. You don't need to wish he'd die yet."

"I would rather he continue not having had anything happen to him and I don't know how long we get - I don't know why we get any time at all -"

Sigh. Hug.

Hug.

"Is there anything we can do for you?"

Shrug. "Like what?"

"I don't know. Alt-filtered accounts of the summoning rollout back home, unconvincing reassurances, Timothy says you'd like it if we just talk for hours about how wonderful you are and all the things we love about you..."

"Timothy's boyfriend is recovering from having committed genocide. I mean, I admit it sounds fun but he may be oddly calibrated about how fun."

He laughs. "I missed you very badly, Kib. If you have more fun activities in mind you could suggest them."

"Got an endless supply of movies, Bar can recommend them if my alts fall down on the job... we are somewhat constrained in things we'd want Aydanci not in the room for because he is going to be in the room even though this is honestly not that helpful he can't be inimitable without talking and he doesn't talk in his sleep I'm just indulging paranoia..."

Squeeze. "Wasn't in a hurry there, promise, you can indulge paranoia for as long as you need - could probably find some magic that makes him not need to sleep but I take it that's worse since you lose the information source -"

"Yeah. Have to sleep, have to get dreams, the more we get of our first lives the less space there is to hide in..."

Nod. Hug. "How much are you still missing, there -"

"I've got years to go even with nothing other than Aly to dream about, it's almost three times slower than living it in the first place. Aydanci's got longer."

"Would putting you both in a coma until you're caught up help any?"

"I can't think of anything obviously wrong with the idea..."

"I don't know how unpleasant this current setup is. That's an option if you want it, I guess." Hug.

"It's comfy. It's just he's right there and something could happen -"

Nod. "I can imagine."

"Fuck, I hope not."

"So would it be better to just dream Aly until you're all caught up -"

"My guess for what this one was for before Aydanci was here was that they were killing time until I'd got her all back and they could delete my whole second life and torture her for a change. That's... less likely with him here..."

"It's not very helpful for me to speculate, is it."