in which bella does not have long to think of something

[subtly_artistic]

There are more elves now. They're impatient. They ran off Bella's escort with private whispers Bella didn't hear, Bella's subtle arts are jammed again, and they're faster than she is.

Where is she -

Celo's there, there are more elves now but maybe there's someone with him or he can put Bella where he puts his stuff or something -

And this is how Bella runs headlong into the outdoor session of Mixed Melee with seventeen armed elves chasing her, and spots Callahan, and has an even better idea.

"MY WARRANTY," she screams at the top of her overtaxed lungs, "IS AT RISK!"

Comments

[pythbox]

"Sure I could," he snorts. "And by sure I mean like hell."

[subtly_artistic]

"Not your style, huh?"

[pythbox]

"No way I'd remember every time." He grins. "Besides, I like the surprises."

[subtly_artistic]

"Like finding silver pieces in the couch," suggests Bella.

[pythbox]

"Exactly! It feels like you're getting a present even though it is a present from your own ability to lose things," he snorts.

[subtly_artistic]

"I'd just as soon not lose the things in the first place, but I get the appeal, sorta," laughs Aether. "Keeping lists is definitely my style."

[pythbox]

"I know," he says fondly.

[subtly_artistic]

Om nom nom, candied orange segments.

[pythbox]

Celo is giving her sappy looks again.

He takes a candied orange segment. He nibbles on it. He gives Bella a sappy look. He looks back down at his candied orange segment.

[subtly_artistic]

"You're giving me funny looks," Bella remarks.

[pythbox]

"Are they funny?" he asks, with something not quite exactly like innocence.

[subtly_artistic]

"As in peculiar."

[pythbox]

"Oh." He studies the candied orange segment. "Well, maybe I am."

[subtly_artistic]

"Are you gonna tell me why?"

[pythbox]

"...Because I like you?" he says, oddly shy.

[subtly_artistic]

"We were over that subject a few minutes ago," Bella points out.

[pythbox]

"Yeah?" he says. "It's not like I have exactly one thing I do because I like you and nothing else is ever about that."

[subtly_artistic]

"All right," laughs Bella, shaking her head. She takes another candied orange section.

[pythbox]

Mm, candied orange.



His sappy looks now come with an added layer of shyness.

[subtly_artistic]

"And now you look all - tentative. Like you met me five minutes ago and don't know if we're going to get along yet."

[pythbox]

He grins and looks down at his candied orange segment. "Yeah, you caught me."

[subtly_artistic]

"But we did not meet five minutes ago and have been getting along for a while now," she points out. "So where's that coming from?"

[pythbox]

Celo takes a deep breath.

"...Wow, how do people do this?" he wonders plaintively. "I mean - when you say you like me. What does that... mean?"

[subtly_artistic]

"You're the sort of person I'll happily have a picnic with?" says Bella confused. "I like your company, I like your food, I like how you rescued me from mad elves - what do you mean, 'how do people do this'?"

[pythbox]

"I - never mind, I guess," he says, shaking his head.