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

[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."

[darkest_evening]

"You have more skill at it than I do. Just look at my track record."

[namesthesky]

"I don't think I could have identified this one as the thing you're saying it is."

[darkest_evening]

Oh. Oh, damn.

"Well, would you like to hear my logic process on it?"

[namesthesky]

"Sure."

[darkest_evening]

"Well, first of all - if I were caught off guard any sort of mind-affecting magic, I would want everyone around me to not believe a word I say until it was out of me no matter how convincing I was. Even if it was relatively minor. Even if it seemed like I was combating it, because I am extremely paranoid."