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[galvanising]

crystal // note // action

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[galvanising]

You will not.

[exequy]

You tried to hide it, but there was the slightest wobble to your lower lip as you thought about—did you have siblings?

[galvanising]

It's nothing compared to the way you cry for your mother in your sleep. Before every battle, tossing and turning and whimpering.

[exequy]

[ HOW DARE she do to him exactly what he’s doing to her. ]

[exequy]

At least I didn’t sneak out at night when we were in Nevarra to comb the streets like a lost puppy.

[galvanising]

No, you were too busy clutching a pillow you called 'mama' and sobbing into its bosom. The few times you did leave your bed it was to scour the taverns for men and women of a certain age--

[exequy]

That has nothing to do with my mother.

[galvanising]

Are you sure? You know I'm generally very open minded, but I have to say, I found rather disturbing the things one told me afterwards about some of your requests.

[exequy]

[ How did this table get so turned. ]

You lost credibility at requests. Whereas if I say you want people to spank you—

[galvanising]

Then make sure you also tell them where to find me if they feel up to it, it's been too long since I met anyone with a decent arm.

So should I say demands rather than requests? Let me write that down, I want to get it right when I tell Marisol.

[exequy]

I will throw you into the harbor.

[galvanising]

[ Nell laughs. ]

Sure you don't want to spank me first?

[galvanising]

For future reference, I had four siblings. I've no idea how many I have now.

[galvanising]

[ several hours later ]

Maker's tits, I can't believe I missed the chance to make a joke about that being the only way you can get a woman wet. It was right there.

[exequy]

It was. Are you feeling all right?

[galvanising]

No. It will take some time for me to recover from this.

[exequy]

Perhaps by then the agents I've contacted will have leads on the whereabouts four mouthy Ander gingers who do not know when to quit.

[galvanising]

What makes you think they'd be anything like me? Assuming they're even alive.

[exequy]

Why shouldn't they be?

If I ask for four ginger Ander siblings— [ he's not asking for any Anders, for the record, because whether or not anyone wants to reunite with a family they haven't seen in decades is their own business ] —they will bring back a quarter of the country.

[galvanising]

All the more reason not to ask. If me throwing you in the harbor wasn't incentive enough.

We spent a tiny fraction of our lives together. We have almost nothing in common except the ginger.

[exequy]

Four quiet, ginger pushovers?

I might have to try doubly hard to find those.

[galvanising]

Who knows if they're even ginger. Sometimes people grow out of it. Or they could be bald--one of my brothers was older.

[exequy]

It would not be that hard to ask around in the right places about Vosses.

[galvanising]

And if I had wanted to do that when we were in Nevarra City, I would have.

[exequy]

All right.