falling ill

[keep_busy]

A few months after the business with the chalice, Annie (with a gold engagement stud in one earlobe, now receiving mail at Aldaras's apartment, and thoroughly comfortable with Being Necklaced, to the point where she's helping mold the thing towards more exacting standards for real-world-practical as well as theoretical compatibility) is in bed with some unidentified sort of head cold or flu. Aldaras doesn't have it so far, so she is snuggled under the covers while he makes her spicy soup to help clear her sinuses and because she's having a little trouble with non-liquids. He's worried, she's mostly just groggy. Zzzz.

Comments

[come_midnight]

"...Please avoid accidentally torturing her."

[darkest_evening]

"I was trying not to? But for safety's sake, what do you consider 'accidentally torturing her'?"

[come_midnight]

"I have little to no idea what you've been saying to her, but I have been in a comparatively very abbreviated form of the situation where an Adarin's opinion is for some reason both important and negative. It doesn't really help much if the opinion is negative for outside reasons and there is technical acknowledgment of victim status where it belongs."

[darkest_evening]

"Oh. No. I can go make sure, but - I'm quite certain I didn't do anything of that sort."

[come_midnight]

"Strictly positive opinion? So you consider her rational, competent, trustworthy, useful, pleasant company, an expert on her own brain, the works? And I suppose you were really here for Phix's advice and that only because Spring was coy?"

[darkest_evening]

"Ah. Right. Bells like to be evaluated positively on important things," he says.

[come_midnight]

"Yep."

[darkest_evening]

"... I think I understand now. Thank you."

[come_midnight]

"You might have legitimate non-insulting reason to talk to the new Adarin. Get information about the necklace's effects in nice neat numerical terminology."

[darkest_evening]

"Mm. I feel like it would be more prudent to talk to Spring." Pause. "And apologize for accidentally insulting her by treating the love effect as 'not her own.'"

[come_midnight]

"That works too. But you can and probably should talk to the new Adarin at some point."

[darkest_evening]

"Yes. Eventually. Thank you."

[come_midnight]

"You're welcome."

[darkest_evening]

Aaaand back to Spring. He knocks on the front door to her house.

[namesthesky]

There is a delay, and then she opens the door, just slightly red around the eyes but otherwise composed. There is a half-drawn many-legged starfish on her desk.

[darkest_evening]

"Hello. I have an apology to make."

[namesthesky]

"O-oh?"

[darkest_evening]

"The - I suppose most succinct way of putting it is in English. I misplaced the comma. I was treating it as, 'Aya, in love because of a necklace,' rather than, 'Aya in love, because of a necklace.'" Pause. "I did turn out to need to go to the other Bells, but not for the reasons I'd thought. I was mistaken. I'm sorry for doubting your judgement."

[namesthesky]

"It - is compromised. You aren't wrong."

[darkest_evening]

"I wasn't right, either."

[namesthesky]

"Do you want to come in again, or...?"

[darkest_evening]

"Sure. If you don't mind, anyway...?"

[namesthesky]

She shakes her head and stands aside and sits in front of her starfish.

[darkest_evening]

He finds a nearby chair and also sits, looking between her face and the starfish. This is - going to be like navigating a maze. Or a minefield.

"Please let me know if I have another comma problem?"

[namesthesky]

"I can't necessarily tell the difference between - comma problems, and accurate but unpleasant observations."