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 Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 12:44 pm
Michael smiled. It seemed that Lissie wanted to make him happy as well, but why did it hurt a little to see? He continued on without pausing in step to look at the new flowers.
"I did not, no. We had a dog when I was young, but no cats."
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Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 12:55 pm
"We had a dog, too," Lissie smiled in memory. It'd been a small one, it'd kept her company on lonely days out in the garden as a child.
"My father set up a swing under that tree," she gestured, "More for my mother than me, but I was often on it." She'd fallen off of it, almost as often, too.
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Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 1:00 pm
One could never be sure what sort of swing a 'swing' might be, so for this Michael did not initially conjure it. He reflected that, although women learned less and faced oppression, men were not allowed to swing or enjoy themselves, even as children. The double-standards existed on both ends, though some were certainly worse than others.
He had an idea then and started toward the tree, tugging Lissie with him gently. "Come!" He conjured a swing not as she remembered it, but a strong one with a wooden seat and braided rope. When they reached it, he held the cords so Lissie could mount it, beaming.
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Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 1:20 pm
Lissie studied the swing he conjured for a long moment before smiling at him. She sat, taking a rope in each hand. "You are amazing," she said. "This one is much better." And probably wouldn't fall.
"I've never met anyone like you, Michael," she marveled. He was special. Talented. So kind. Oh, why couldn't she have been born a few decades earlier? They might've met.
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Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 1:37 pm
Michael politely stepped beside Lissie, far enough away that she could swing but not so near that he might accidentally touch her. He wouldn't push her unasked, as that meant a potential touch to either the back or, worse, the rear end, even if he only tried to work the ropes. The swing would move like a dream, however. Illusions didn't always have to match actual physics.
"I've never met another like you either, Lissie." That was probably a bad thing in this case, but he was smiling.
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Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 1:46 pm
They spent the majority of the day in that garden. Marveling at the flowers, talking, enjoying the tea and cakes Michael had provided. Lissie didn't want the day to end; but when the sky started to dim and the conjured birds went back into their tree, she knew it was time to go inside.
She leaned up--not asking this time if she could do something improper, and placed a kiss on Michael's cheek before bidding him goodnight.
Inside, she went to Toby. "May I ask you something?" She asked. She offered him her hand. "Upstairs. I don't want your friend hearing, that'd be improper."
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Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 5:06 pm
Wandering the garden with Lissie was much different than wandering a garden with Maia. It might have been the location or the moment or the blistering nostalgia, but Michael had a feeling he knew another facet of the preference. In fact, it was feeling that was the problem.
Michael simply smiled and accepted the cheek-kiss, and waited for Lissie to disappear inside before he dared let the expression fall. He wandered the blooms, his heart sagging, then dropped the illusion and walked some more. He disappeared from all view halfway, and when he came inside he walked through the wall and then fell against it. His heart groaned. His face twisted. He frown. His brow furrowed. He clutched his chest, slid down the wall, and sat on the floor with his knees bent. Why did love have to hurt? Why did it have to happen now?
- - -
Toby eyed Lissie's hand confusedly. They were going to touch? Michael had been very, very awkward about physical contact at first and had explained it as cultural, but the girl who had previously made him violently ill had decided to give her hand? There was something suspicious about all of this.
"Isn't holding hands 'improper?'" he asked. He didn't want to make her angry, so maybe if she knew he knew it was odd she wouldn't be upset. "I, uh... sure. Sure, whatever you need. Do you want Dari to come?" He nodded back to the alien, who looked up from the monitors and smiled.
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Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 5:18 pm
"I suppose." Lissie started to frown. "No, I don't want him to come," she led Toby to her room, holding the door open for him.
When he stepped in, the door slammed and there was an audible locking noise. Lissie turned to face him.
"What's love like?" She asked. "You can't leave until you tell me."
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Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 5:39 pm
Toby followed, and rolled his eyes visibly when the door locked. Really? He was trying to act in good faith, and a teenager was locking him in the bedroom. He should have known. She'd done this to Maia, hadn't she?
At least her question was legitimate. In fact... hadn't she just spent the day with Michael? He raised a brow and half-smiled. Well then!
"What do you mean 'what's it like?' Physically or once it's started or...? Romantic, right?"
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Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 5:53 pm
"What's it like?" Lissie echoed, and frowned athim. "How does it feel?" She paused and sat on her bed. "I never got to experience it in life."
"But is it all warm and swelly feeling?" She conjured a plate of cookies and offered it to him.
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Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 5:57 pm
"Yes, actually!" Toby said. Poor Michael was in so much trouble! "it's sort of right here." He made a fist and laid it just at the top of his heart. "Sort of like a chest cold, but nice. Warm and fluttery. Like you're nervous, but you like it. I don't see why it'd be any different in death. -- No, thank you." If you learned anything in the field, it was to not accept food from people with any reason to want you gone.
"So... do you have a thing for Michael, then?" his voice was low, sweet, but conspiratorial. "I swear I won't tell him." It hadn't struck him yet how bad of a situation this could be. Maybe he had so much hope because Maia had been a client too. Either way, he was excited like a schoolboy.
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Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 6:21 pm
Lissie went quiet for a moment. "But how do I know if he feels the same?" She asked. He acted like it, didn't he? He was special and so kind. "You won't?" She was surprised at Toby's kindness. "Thank you."
She gave him a grateful smile. "I don't want him knowing until I know how he feels."
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Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 6:24 pm
Toby grinned. "You do!" He caught his excitement and shook his head. "Sorry." Michael had been so lonely until now! Everyone he knew was-- dead. So was Lissie. Suddenly Toby was realizing how bad this might all go. Maybe not, though? Maybe there was hope? He'd never expected to fall in love again himself, and now he had a wife and a son. His spirit only dampened slightly.
"Michael can be tough. You can just ask him, that's probably the best way. I can't say for sure if he'll be honest, but he might. He's not super forward." Of course that seemed like a Victorian thing at this point. "I won't tell him. That's not something to hear from a friend, unless he's trouble and you want me to tell him. I'll do that too." If there was any chance of this going well, he wanted it for Michael.
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Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 7:06 pm
Lissie was quiet for a long while, considering Toby's words. "Maybe I'll just tell him," she said. "When do you have to leave? Not tomorrow?" She looked concerned.That was too soon. She didn't want Michael to leave.
She moved closer and hugged him. "Thank you for keeping my secret."
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Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 9:21 am
"No," Toby said, "Not tomorrow, but soon." He knew better than to imply that they were waiting for her to cross over. Elise might never be a completely sane person, but Michael hadn't been either for years. People changed, even dead. Nobody had said anything about it, but Elise looked a little healthier and wasn't wandering around in her nightgown any more.
He startled a little when she went for a hug, but in a moment he reached around and patted her back. That would be acceptable, right? It wasn't that he felt uncomfortable so much as he didn't want her to be uncomfortable or get angry with him for accepting her gesture. Ghosts weren't always the most reasonable.
"Of course. Just let me know if you want me to tell. Dari ended up getting my wife and I together." He nodded back toward the floor. "I mean, he was sneaky about it. I didn't ask. I won't do that to you, though." Even if it had worked.
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