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Aldaras doesn't bring up the knife with Annie again, nor his sister, or various ways she could be hurt. Annie has homework, so she doesn't stay at his apartment too long. He goes back to having nothing to do - there's some more pacing, some quiet freaking out over Annie and her safety, and then he distracts himself with obsessive preparation for taking care of the knife.
He'll - pack with the assumption that he can save his sister. There's lots of non-perishable food, packing as much as possible with the least amount of weight. Water, too, but that one's a bit harder. It's always heavy. Whatever, that's fine, he'll just - obsessively pack some more things. Pack, pack, pack.
Predictably, he runs out of things to do. Except think. Which has become something of a minefield, lately. To keep him from doing something stupid. He can't think about Zevaia, can't think about the knife, can't think about the Dean and how insanely long it's taking him to get the smallest tidbits of information out of him. He can't think too much about obsessive ways to make sure Annie's safe, for fear of becoming some kind of psychotic, controlling stalker or something.
But trying to not think about Annie is a recipe for failure or insanity, so he distracts himself with - what ifs. What would have happened if he'd met her without the necklace's and tracker's side effects combination, what he would have done if she'd asked him to kiss her...
That helps the time pass by faster.
touchedinthehead
touchedinthehead
"Were you?" says Aldaras, sounding - somewhere between gooey and in love, sorry that he worried her, and genuinely touched.
keep_busy
"Yeah. If you'd touched the knife after being necklaced it might still have gotten you, if order of operations matters."
touchedinthehead
Is he floating two feet off of the floor? No? Well, that's odd, because he definitely feels like it.
"Thank you," he says, genuine and lovingly and sounding like he wants to hug her and tell her she is the best person in all the world. Also probably some of the adoring looks.
"Thank you," he says, genuine and lovingly and sounding like he wants to hug her and tell her she is the best person in all the world. Also probably some of the adoring looks.
touchedinthehead
"I'll be back at Drofnfjord soon," he assures, in the same voice. He can't wait to see her again.
keep_busy
"If you call me when you're here we can hang out," she says.
(The new happy couple wander by, engagement piercings fresh in their left ears, holding hands, pausing every four steps to kiss eagerly.)
(The new happy couple wander by, engagement piercings fresh in their left ears, holding hands, pausing every four steps to kiss eagerly.)
touchedinthehead
"Yeah, I'm..." He sees the happy couple. "... Looking forward to it. Sorry, the - couple I mentioned earlier are now engaged, that's a bit..."
touchedinthehead
"It is," he agrees. "It's just - surprising."
Among other things. That is a complicated subject that he doesn't really want to get into over the phone.
Among other things. That is a complicated subject that he doesn't really want to get into over the phone.
touchedinthehead
"Okay, then - it's - I really want that," he admits, desperately. "And I know I shouldn't, and I know it's the freaky non consenting magic talking and I'm not going to - to -" He trails off, searching for the right words. "If you asked me to marry you I would say yes immediately and then after I'd make sure that you weren't - going crazy or under the effects of anything terrible and that you didn't feel like you had to out of obligation rather than an actual desire to. And that's - I'm - I'm jealous and also worried for them but I want them to be happy and wish there were a better option but it's still better than being cut, and, and I don't even know, I'm just - it's really hard to explain but I'm trying."
keep_busy
"It's okay to want it. I mean, I understand. You're being very responsible about not being - gross about wanting it, but the wanting part is fine."
touchedinthehead
"I'm trying to be responsible and reasonable," says Aldaras. "I - don't think I always manage it, but I'm genuinely trying. Tell me, when I screw it up?"
touchedinthehead
"Good. I -" Pause. "I love you. I've been trying not to make it awkward by saying it, but I do."