"All right, then, so tail? You've got it covered." And he doesn't need to add that she's brilliant and he's got full faith in her; it's in his face.
But watching her reaction to the last suggestion, that's the one that hit: he can tell. He'd had the idea, but he couldn't be certain until it was out. If anyone would appreciate a companion like that? It would be Ulla. And he, thankfully, was the kind of person who only wanted that for her, wanted her to have that.
He'll sway just a little and nod.
"Well. Sounds like you have something you want. And you should get it. You deserve to get it."
"Absolutely not," he says plainly. "Not with this place in the state it's in. They're going to need all. hands. on. deck. Both to clean things up around here? And to keep an eye out on unstable actors."
AKA he fully expects there to be any number of people who are ready to cause trouble.
But he'll give her another squeeze.
"And? I just got you back. I just got... a lot of people back. And it's like I said: no one's pushing me out the door. I'm? Not on a time schedule. And the only person who'd be inclined to hurry me, well-"
He shakes his head.
"Jacobi had people to check on too. And he'll need some time to adjust to the idea of leaving. Same as me."
Her arm tightens around him in return and she nestles in closer, forehead
pressed to the side of his neck. "Then I'll stay."
No deal would be enough to tear her away from Warren right now. Not with
the past month so fresh in her mind. If he decides later to leave before
she has her deal, that's a current to cross when they reach it.
There's very little that would make her tell him no right now, and
moreover, she trusts Warren not to request anything of the sort. But she'll
do him the courtesy of not promising until she hears what he asks. "What is
it?"
"I'll be sure to trip you if you try to run away with him before you manage
to get married," Ulla tells him dryly. A public service.
But she likes the idea of it. That he wants her there, for something that
important. She would have been next to Signy at her wedding, once upon a
time, if she'd been allowed to. If Signy and Roffe had deserved her loyalty.
"I knew I could trust you to take care of that," he says with a big grin before he breathes in deep and breathes out low. He's starting to relax now, having her close.
But there's other logistics to wonder about.
"We need to find a spot for you to swim for the moment. I didn't see much of anything yet in the area below. Think you can magic up a little pond for yourself here?"
"There's a greenhouse, but it looks and smells different. Probably best I get you up on the deck anyway, since there's a call for healers and I know from personal experience that they don't come much better."
"I have my magic back. I have you back." That would have been more
than enough for one day. But there was more. "And I have my freedom. How
do you think I'm feeling?"
Ulla is just fine. He doesn't have to worry about her today. She even
leans in to kiss his cheek in return.
She's too grateful for his presence to smack him at the moment, but she
does roll her eyes. "Was I not clear enough?"
But fine, she'll answer the question. "I don't feel hopeless anymore."
Because she did. By the end of her month on the Clipper, she couldn't see
any way out of it short of disappearing back to her death. She didn't want
that, but it was starting to feel better than the drawn out alternative.
"Was it terrible on the other ship?" Ulla asks. Physically he looks fine,
but there are plenty of other ways to hurt people. "Iris and Jacobi were on
mine. Were you on your own?"
Maybe he had Lark with him, but she knows several of his most important
people were on the Clipper.
Her arms tighten around Warren's shoulders when he confirms that he'd been
alone, with no one to lean on or hold onto, only people to worry over. "If
I had seen him again, but not you, I would have drowned him."
"...you also would have been an inmate, where that sort of thing is allowed," he points out fondly, "and he would have gotten up afterwards. But. That isn't how it went. So you are going to want to play nice.
"I didn't kill anyone the whole time I was an inmate. I suppose I can
resist the urge now." She's mostly joking. She doesn't have any intention
of trapping herself here again, and she does take this seriously.
But if she hadn't gotten Warren back, she wouldn't have graduated today
anyway, so Eiffel would have had her to worry about.
"A record we both hold," he says cheerfully because yes, he's proud of that. He takes pride in Ulla's accomplishments. And this is an accomplishment for both of them.
"But if he mentions it. When he mentions it. I didn't want you to be surprised."
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"All right, then, so tail? You've got it covered." And he doesn't need to add that she's brilliant and he's got full faith in her; it's in his face.
But watching her reaction to the last suggestion, that's the one that hit: he can tell. He'd had the idea, but he couldn't be certain until it was out. If anyone would appreciate a companion like that? It would be Ulla. And he, thankfully, was the kind of person who only wanted that for her, wanted her to have that.
He'll sway just a little and nod.
"Well. Sounds like you have something you want. And you should get it. You deserve to get it."
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"What about you?" she asks, trying to keep the trepidation from her voice. "Are you leaving right away?"
She just got him back. She isn't ready to lose him again. Not even for a chance at Hjerte. No matter what he thinks she deserves.
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"Absolutely not," he says plainly. "Not with this place in the state it's in. They're going to need all. hands. on. deck. Both to clean things up around here? And to keep an eye out on unstable actors."
AKA he fully expects there to be any number of people who are ready to cause trouble.
But he'll give her another squeeze.
"And? I just got you back. I just got... a lot of people back. And it's like I said: no one's pushing me out the door. I'm? Not on a time schedule. And the only person who'd be inclined to hurry me, well-"
He shakes his head.
"Jacobi had people to check on too. And he'll need some time to adjust to the idea of leaving. Same as me."
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Her arm tightens around him in return and she nestles in closer, forehead pressed to the side of his neck. "Then I'll stay."
No deal would be enough to tear her away from Warren right now. Not with the past month so fresh in her mind. If he decides later to leave before she has her deal, that's a current to cross when they reach it.
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"I appreciate that, sweetheart. I don't think I could handle it if you skipped off early."
His hand will settle back at his side as he glances around, considering.
"There is one thing I have to ask you, though. And. Keep in mind? You're welcome to tell me 'no'. But I really hope you don't."
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There's very little that would make her tell him no right now, and moreover, she trusts Warren not to request anything of the sort. But she'll do him the courtesy of not promising until she hears what he asks. "What is it?"
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"Would you be willing. and. keep in mind. I'm giving you full aethetic control of your wardrobe for this but-
"Would you be one of my groomswomen? For the wedding?"
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She laughs, because that's an easy thing to give him. As if she would refuse!
"I don't know what mortal weddings entail, but I think I can safely agree to that."
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He has to reconsider that before he moves on.
"In my case, you're probably going to be making sure I don't scoop him up and carry him on my shoulder out the door before the ceremony is over."
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"I'll be sure to trip you if you try to run away with him before you manage to get married," Ulla tells him dryly. A public service.
But she likes the idea of it. That he wants her there, for something that important. She would have been next to Signy at her wedding, once upon a time, if she'd been allowed to. If Signy and Roffe had deserved her loyalty.
Warren deserves this.
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But there's other logistics to wonder about.
"We need to find a spot for you to swim for the moment. I didn't see much of anything yet in the area below. Think you can magic up a little pond for yourself here?"
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"Did the pool or the greenhouse survive intact? That would do, until we see if the cabins will sort themselves out."
She can deal with clearing the pond or the pool as necessary. Either of those options seems more sensible than creating a new pond.
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"There's a greenhouse, but it looks and smells different. Probably best I get you up on the deck anyway, since there's a call for healers and I know from personal experience that they don't come much better."
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"The deck will do for now, and we can worry about water later." She's been beached for a month. What's a little longer?
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"How're you feeling?"
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"I have my magic back. I have you back." That would have been more than enough for one day. But there was more. "And I have my freedom. How do you think I'm feeling?"
Ulla is just fine. He doesn't have to worry about her today. She even leans in to kiss his cheek in return.
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"I don't know. That's why I asked."
She can smack him. It's fine. He'll still keep carrying her, holding her close.
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She's too grateful for his presence to smack him at the moment, but she does roll her eyes. "Was I not clear enough?"
But fine, she'll answer the question. "I don't feel hopeless anymore."
Because she did. By the end of her month on the Clipper, she couldn't see any way out of it short of disappearing back to her death. She didn't want that, but it was starting to feel better than the drawn out alternative.
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"I'm feeling... a lot of hope right now, honestly."
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"Was it terrible on the other ship?" Ulla asks. Physically he looks fine, but there are plenty of other ways to hurt people. "Iris and Jacobi were on mine. Were you on your own?"
Maybe he had Lark with him, but she knows several of his most important people were on the Clipper.
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"You weren't there. Jacobi. Iris. Lark. Zack." A pause. "No one. Just... people to look out for."
A pause.
"You know? I told Eiffel I'd let you have free reign on him. But now? You're going to have to just... almost drown him."
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Her arms tighten around Warren's shoulders when he confirms that he'd been alone, with no one to lean on or hold onto, only people to worry over. "If I had seen him again, but not you, I would have drowned him."
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"He isn't worth losing your freedom."
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"I didn't kill anyone the whole time I was an inmate. I suppose I can resist the urge now." She's mostly joking. She doesn't have any intention of trapping herself here again, and she does take this seriously.
But if she hadn't gotten Warren back, she wouldn't have graduated today anyway, so Eiffel would have had her to worry about.
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"But if he mentions it. When he mentions it. I didn't want you to be surprised."
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