"Yeah. The mes are uncanny."

"I like alts. Doesn't make sense but -" Sigh.

"I - there is a way it is obvious to be alts, for mes, and they were already doing it before they got me to entertain the concept."

"Well that's -

If it's real you got captured."

"I have to take it as a given that both of us got captured either way."

"Well, I didn't, when everything got absurdly implausible again I got to take comfort in the fact that meant you were probably safe at home."

"Being safe at home while you were in Angband was in fact pleasanter on a daily basis than being, myself, in Angband, but I don't think I'd elevate it all the way to 'comforting'."

"I'm sorry. We could've - been more paranoid, had more backups, made sure everyone had a way to suicide on hand, settled farther away, stayed in Valinor and intervened remotely..."

"I had a way to suicide. Charp was right there. I hesitated."

Hug.

Hug.

"How's Aydanci -"

"Almost as nervous about not being in the same room as I am but this is looking like it'll go on a long time, human standards..."

Nod. "Useful to be able to go around the corner, sometimes."

"Also, if I wake up first and need the bathroom I have to drag him out of bed and when he's groggy he sometimes resents that."

Giggle. "In that case I will applaud your progress."

"Thanks."

"If this is real I think I'll be okay, eventually."

"That's good."

Nod.

"Is it mostly Ruviri? You didn't seem optimistic before."

"Mostly, yeah. When she's doing the magic thing existing is not moment-to-moment very unpleasant and also she can tell Findekáno how to sit so as not to scare me and then I have - space to work on my head."

"Maybe Findekáno could bounce posture stuff to me too."

"I bet he'd be happy to. Redmages would have such a great set of powers if not for the cost -"

"I can't say it appeals to me but I can see why you'd like it."