Giggle.

She also giggles, fondly ruffling a hand through his hair. Then: reading. She's invested, now.

Cozy snuggles.

The book is really emotionally engaging. The characters and their conflicts are complex and believable. When the lead pair breaks up, it feels painful but understandable, and when they get back together at the end it feels like they really earned it.

.... She becomes so invested that she forgets to pet him. Also what time it is. Is Sekar going to keep track of time for her, so they can pick her brother up on time? Because she is not equipped to be the responsible one right now.

You wouldn't know it to look at him, but yep, he's paying attention to the time.

Good. Then she's free to get really invested in this imaginary couple and their troubles.

She hasn't finished the book by the time her brother needs retrieval.

He doesn't actually need to go anywhere in order to make the portal.

Here is a brother!

"Hi!" he says, looking mildly amused at the two of them. "It went well, I should just be able to show up and reveal myself dramatically without making anyone think you resurrected me."

... Eselle is slightly distracted by her book, and has trouble looking away. She manages it, because brother, but there's a struggle. She finishes the paragraph.

She beams when she sees aforementioned brother, though. "Hi!" ... Then she makes a face. "Do you want your face back because this is weird now."

He snorts.

"I would love my face back. And to stop being fluffy. The fluff is charming but this is like, the opposite of how I want my hair to be."

Solekaran waves a hand theatrically and restores Zeothe's face.

"Aauuugh thank you I'm free!"

Eselle giggles, then carefully marks the page she's on and gently scootches out from under Sekar to go hug her brother.

Hug!

"Was it that terrible?"

"It was fine for a day undercover but not as a life choice I want to make. I could maybe see myself with longer, less fluffy hair? But curly hair at that length and fluffiness is. No. Opposite of how I want my hair to be."

His sister giggles again.

It's pretty funny.

And for a minute there can just be familial hugs.

... But they cannot last forever, not practically, and so Zeothe gently releases Eselle and looks at Sekar.

"I think I'd like to handle being legally dead and convicted with murder sooner rather than later. My judge was bribed, want to go terrify him?"

"Sounds good!"

"He was -" begins Eselle, then she stops herself and lets her breath out in a hiss. "Right. Have fun."

"Yep." He kisses his sister's forehead.

He rattles off the name and address of the judge.

Portal! Judge's sitting room!

The judge is in the sitting room, having a cup of tea and reading over what looks to be paperwork of some kind. Upon the portal's creation he makes an undignified shrieking noise.

"Hello! Do you remember me?"

He makes another undignified shrieking noise and scrambles to his feet. Tea goes all over paperwork.

"I normally don't poke my nose into this sort of thing, but Zeothe mentioned to me that somebody'd been bribed to have him executed. You're really not supposed to do that, you know."