[Clever little shit. He had a spoon the whole time, didn't he? A spoon that he surely would have lent her if only she'd asked (but of course, she didn't know one would be necessary).]
You're impossible. [But despite her words, the fondness in her voice is unmistakable. The extra spoon floats back to the counter to be put away later while she continues her search for chocolate.
Wanda has to admit, it's a very well-stocked kitchen and shows the same forethought their hosts had put into her wardrobe - she almost missed the chocolate completely. Much of the food looks familiar, but there are plenty of ingredients she can't quite place at first glance. Things to play with later, then.]
I have some ideas after the feast. You should tell me now if there are foods you hate so I don't make them.
[She takes one of the copper pots hanging over the fireplace and starts breaking off pieces of the chocolate into it. As if sensing her intention, the hearth sparks to life in brilliant golden flames.]
[ He pauses, resting the edge of the spoon against his bottom lip. ]
Well, I'm not overly fond of sugary things... [ Wanda might have noticed his avoidance of the majority of desserts offered at the feast -- namely those that looked capable of inducing cavities at the mere sight of them. Desserts that focus on their main ingredients rather than sweetness itself are more to his palate. ]
Mmm, then I will try not to make so many desserts.
[She's used to providing sweet things; even before the experiments Pietro had never met a dessert he didn't like. Wanda likes them well enough, but like Loki, she prefers them with some kind of actual flavor. Like this, actually. Wanda was able to taste enough of the fruit to be pretty sure that Loki's chocolate suggestion was a real one.]
It is just melted chocolate to pour over them, like you said. I'm not going to add any sugar.
[Simple? Loki? Never. Wanda laughs and gives the chocolate a lazy stir with a tendril of scarlet. Why dirty a spoon?]
That sounds nice. It looked so beautiful when we rode in. [She can't swim, but it might be fun to put her feet in the water for a while.] I think maybe they named a wine on Earth after it?
I suppose it's curious how certain elements make their way to Midgard, [ he murmurs, absently stirring the pulp of the passion fruit with his spoon. He nods toward her, brow arching. ]
[She laughs, still lazily stirring the chocolate.]
I never tried it. We could never have afforded it even when Sokovia was at peace. [She looks away, her smile turning bitter.] And even though Strucker tried to pretend he was our friend, you can't have alcohol with the 'medicine' he gave us.
[Her expression softens as she chances a glance back at him.]
[ His expression falls flat as she answers. Something cold inside him stirs, like a mist of -- disapproval, he wants to call it, but it's more than that. A possessive flavor of irritation on her behalf.
He reins it in before she finishes settling her glance upon him, expression smoothed over, and offers her another cocked brow, lips quirked in a lop-sided smile. ]
Like today? [ After a brief pause, he adds, ] The name isn't just for show.
[That smile is also cheating and Wanda can't hold his gaze for long before turning her attention back to the pot. It's just in time - the magical fire has melted the chocolate much faster than Wanda had anticipated, even if there wasn't much in the pot to begin with. Something to keep an eye on later so that she doesn't accidentally burn their dinner, then.
She'd probably never hear the end of it.
Wanda rescues the pot from the fire with her powers and sends it to rest on what appears to be a safe countertop. She's expecting this to taste good - Loki had sounded sincere and she knows well by now how picky he can be. She drizzles some chocolate onto the fruit, takes a bite...and closes her eyes at how delicious it is.]
[ Just then, watching Wanda savor the treat, something else stirs inside of him. There's a delay in response as he catches himself staring and shifts his weight to favor the window again. ]
It occurs more often than you think.
[ The words themselves are rooted in centuries of bitterness, but their actual delivery lacks any of it -- a mere throwaway response. ]
Of course. I have the best guide in the Nine Realms.
[Even if he's not looking at her, the smile's evident in her voice. Wanda lacks the context to fully understand any greater significance to his words. After all, their entire relationship has been built on a fragile initial trust, and she's always defaulted to believing Loki unless there was a good reason to suspect he was kidding.
He looks so pretty the way the light from the window hits him...now it's Wanda's turn to stare for a brief moment before snapping out of it.]
Thank you...for everything. [Suggesting this trip, coming with her...all of it.]
[ The expulsion of a breathy laugh follows her initial response. Best, well, even he might not be pompous enough to consider himself as such -- but he's not very far.
The shift in tone is subtle, but noticed. Loki looks over his shoulder, meeting her gaze, and the sincerity behind it. Always with that sincerity. He suddenly wonders if it will be his downfall.
If he needs to re-evaluate his definition of it.
He allows the smile that wants to form: a genuine, slight curve to his lips that holds for a moment before it turns into a lighthearted grin. With leisurely steps, he returns to her side. ]
Your gratitude comes so quickly. Are you sure you've given it enough thought?
[Oh, she is deeply in trouble. That grin...Wanda can feel her cheeks heating and she can't help but reach for Loki's hand. Seeing him like this, so relaxed and beautiful in the setting sunlight, she wants--more, but it's nothing she has the words to articulate. And so she continues to dance away from fully stepping up to that line, showing but not telling that something has shifted since her recovery.]
I had many weeks to think about it. You've been very kind to me.
[Thor sets a low bar of 'not putting her in mortal danger,' but still.]
[ She doesn't need to tell him. In this moment, Loki can feel her yearning for that something more. There's not doubt about it in his mind; he has intentionally cultivated the very same thing in others before, knows how to pick it out. A means to an end. Flattery. Something to fill the gaps he avoids acknowledging.
There's a difference between all of those and Wanda. One might scoff, find it a waste of breath to say so -- of course she's different, she's his soul mate. But it's not just that.
It's them. The tenuous trust they had to place in each other's hands reluctantly, hesitantly. That sliver of vulnerability afforded to pursue personal gain, only for it to morph into this unspoken thing that terrifies and excites him, now hangs like a heavy storm cloud threatening to spill that first drop.
He sets the fruit down, not drawing away from her hand. He lifts his other hand, slender fingers molding to the curve of her cheek. ]
You should know better than to trust my kindness, [ he murmurs, looking down at her with a glint of amusement in his eyes. There is undeniable truth to his warning, but no bite behind it.
It's almost like an invitation for her to fully step up to that line. ]
[They have been close in the past, but this is different, like the night they'd both accidentally fallen asleep on her chaise. Choice rather than fate. Wanda leans shamelessly into his touch, eyes sliding shut in bliss as her free hand comes up to rest on Loki's. This is what she wanted, the culmination of the unspoken something their growing trust and affection has blossomed into.
It feels like her heart might hammer out of her chest, but this sudden intimacy has given her courage. Wanda opens her eyes to look up into his, taking a small step closer. Her gaze is utterly lovestruck. She feels so exposed now, but as usual, there's an odd kind of safety in her vulnerability with him.]
I trust your heart. [Slowly Wanda turns her head to press a kiss to Loki's palm.] I love you.
[ Despite all his mental hemming and hawing, Loki feels an almost otherworldly defiance to live in the moment. Her admission rekindles the hearth in his chest, its warmth a reminder of matters undeniable. Brushing loose strands of Wanda's hair behind her ear, he smiles wryly and sighs. ]
Against the caution of many if they knew.
[ But Wanda is sharp -- sharp enough to trust his heart, upon which Loki has acted more often than not no matter how much he'd like to claim otherwise. ]
[An answering warmth only grows in Wanda's own chest the more he touches her and the longer this moment extends. Loki displays no interest in stopping or slowing down and so it only feels natural for Wanda to mirror him and lay a gentle hand on his own cheek.]
I don't care. I only want you.
[Her thumb traces gentle arcs over Loki's cheekbone. His skin is soft, softer than she'd imagined, and slightly cool. Slowly, to give him ample time to stop her if he wishes, Wanda closes the distance between them. The height difference doesn't intimidate her - if anything, she feels perfectly safe in his presence. And if Loki lets her, she'll rise on her tiptoes to finally kiss him properly.]
[ Understanding her intent, Loki cups her jaw and meets her halfway. His kiss is gentle, but certain -- an encouragement. 'Yes, this is the right choice' because he doesn't want her to reconsider, not after they've come this far. He has always handled rejection so poorly.
Before parting, he tugs softly on her bottom lip, savoring the taste of fruit, chocolate, and her on his tongue. The heat in his chest radiates like an old comfort, as if he were returning to something from so long ago that he cannot remember it.
He withdraws just far enough to search her eyes for validation. Her own certainty. ]
[Any doubts Wanda had about whether this was what Loki wanted too are soundly banished. She lets go of his hand to wrap an arm around him instead, pulling him as close as she can and melting into the kiss. Oh, this was definitely the right choice. She can feel their bond glowing in her heart and mind, a sister channel to what she used to share with Pietro. Loki feels like home, like the warmth of a fireplace.
A soft sound escapes her as they part, both from the sensation of Loki sucking on her lip and a deep reluctance to let this end. Wanda leans into him for balance but she doesn't let him go, not even to settle back on her heels.]
Loki...
[Wanda's flushed and breathless and certain in her need to be close to Loki again. It's not fair that she hasn't had a chance to taste him too, so after another breath she closes the distance between them again, tongue darting out to trace the seam of his lips.]
[ Turns out he doesn't need to search her eyes at all; her voice carries enough conviction for them both. His response is fluid, as if there were no other conceivable option but to place his palm on the small of her waist and draw her closer, allowing just enough time for her to sample his lips before he claims her mouth in a kiss both confident and thorough.
Their bodies pressed together feels like the most natural thing -- two puzzle pieces in an incomprehensibly vast universe that somehow managed to find each other and fit. He wants more. The desire hits him so suddenly that a moan escapes into her, unbidden, and he withdraws once more. ]
Wanda. [ Breathless, pointless. What is there to say? So, so much -- and what a convoluted mess it would be. He cannot-- cannot say those three words held so precious across multiple worlds. Not right now, not even as it burns beneath his ribs. That isn't him -- and so Loki is, in this moment, genuine.
Gazing down at her, quietly struggling to contain that ethereal passion, a thought pops into his mind. The corners of his lips twitch with amusement. ]
You ought to stop using that name or you'll draw suspicion on us.
[Right now nothing needs to be said - Wanda can feel him, and that's enough. She tilts her head back to grant Loki better access, yielding to his greater experience and letting him claim her as thoroughly as he wants. It's the most natural thing in the world: Wanda is his, and Loki is hers. But despite how perfectly she fits against him and how closely he holds her, Wanda still wants more.
She does not want to let him go, and even as she settles back on her heels she stays as close to Loki as she can. There's seating in the living room that's much more conducive to making out but that would require moving. Everything in Wanda is screaming at her to stay close, to not let Loki slip away, to steal just one more moment in his arms.
It really is like falling all at once.]
No one can hear us. [Tenderly, Wanda strokes one cheek and presses another soft kiss to the other. Behind his back, she wiggles her fingers and the curtains slide shut.] And now no one can see us.
[ His smile takes on a smug hue, the entirety of his countenance resembling that of a cat playing with its catch. Indulgence is inevitable. The matter is simply when.
Loki leans into the crook of Wanda's neck, lightly tracing the line of her contralateral jaw with his knuckles. ]
See us do what, I wonder. [ Said lowly, aloofly as his lips barely brush the surface of her skin with each word spoken. A tease, mostly -- but also an offer to set her boundaries. This is an entirely new context for them, and while he might feel comfortable hazarding a guess, there is greater value in not fucking this up. ]
[Wanda shivers at his touch, a soft moan escaping her. What indeed. She'd be perfectly happy to continue as they are, but Loki's not wrong in his assumptions that she also wants more.]
Maybe things we should not do in a kitchen. [She shivers again, clutching at him. His touch has made her bold.] If you're sure you want this.
[This is her biggest fear, that tomorrow Loki's mind will fall out of sync with his heart and he'll pull away from her again. That would be the surest way to fuck this up. Wanda would much rather wait until Loki's absolutely sure - she can't just pretend that nothing has changed between them and go back to the way it was.
Poor Loki, so worried about rejection when reality is...quite the opposite. There are other concerns, protection chief among them, but there's no point in asking him about it if this is going to be a stumbling block.]
[ A challenge? His lips spread into a devious smile against her neck. ]
Sounds like our criteria for propriety may be misaligned.
[ With damnable fluidity, he scoops Wanda into his arms. Her fear is, unfortunately, an accurate assessment of Loki's character, and not the aspect of concern to himself. Naturally. ]
Shall the living room suffice? [ he asks, scanning the area of interest with that same smug look. ]
[It's less a matter of propriety and more that she's expected to cook here later, but the protest dies on her lips as Loki scoops her up. Wanda's arms wind around his neck and she can't help but laugh. It's thrilling how easily he carries her, as if she weighs no more than a bag of feathers.
This time it's her turn to nuzzle into his neck and slowly kiss her way up to his jaw.]
We don't cook in the living room. [Her tone is teasing, but but her smile fades to something more serious when she pulls back. That wasn't an answer.] I mean it. Are you sure?
[Wanda's losing her will to protest. She knows Loki wants her in this moment, that her kisses aren't unwelcome, and the temptation to let that be enough is great. She wants so badly to just surrender to what they clearly both want.]
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You're impossible. [But despite her words, the fondness in her voice is unmistakable. The extra spoon floats back to the counter to be put away later while she continues her search for chocolate.
Wanda has to admit, it's a very well-stocked kitchen and shows the same forethought their hosts had put into her wardrobe - she almost missed the chocolate completely. Much of the food looks familiar, but there are plenty of ingredients she can't quite place at first glance. Things to play with later, then.]
I have some ideas after the feast. You should tell me now if there are foods you hate so I don't make them.
[She takes one of the copper pots hanging over the fireplace and starts breaking off pieces of the chocolate into it. As if sensing her intention, the hearth sparks to life in brilliant golden flames.]
Do you want some?
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Well, I'm not overly fond of sugary things... [ Wanda might have noticed his avoidance of the majority of desserts offered at the feast -- namely those that looked capable of inducing cavities at the mere sight of them. Desserts that focus on their main ingredients rather than sweetness itself are more to his palate. ]
What is it you intend to concoct?
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[She's used to providing sweet things; even before the experiments Pietro had never met a dessert he didn't like. Wanda likes them well enough, but like Loki, she prefers them with some kind of actual flavor. Like this, actually. Wanda was able to taste enough of the fruit to be pretty sure that Loki's chocolate suggestion was a real one.]
It is just melted chocolate to pour over them, like you said. I'm not going to add any sugar.
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[ The irony of saying such isn't lost on him, not by that twitch of his lips.
He scans the room once more, gaze settling on the window that faces the direction of the Chardonnay. ]
Would you like to visit the river after this? We've at least a few hours of light left.
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That sounds nice. It looked so beautiful when we rode in. [She can't swim, but it might be fun to put her feet in the water for a while.] I think maybe they named a wine on Earth after it?
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You'll have to let me know how the two compare.
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I never tried it. We could never have afforded it even when Sokovia was at peace. [She looks away, her smile turning bitter.] And even though Strucker tried to pretend he was our friend, you can't have alcohol with the 'medicine' he gave us.
[Her expression softens as she chances a glance back at him.]
Maybe we can try it together someday?
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He reins it in before she finishes settling her glance upon him, expression smoothed over, and offers her another cocked brow, lips quirked in a lop-sided smile. ]
Like today? [ After a brief pause, he adds, ] The name isn't just for show.
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[That smile is also cheating and Wanda can't hold his gaze for long before turning her attention back to the pot. It's just in time - the magical fire has melted the chocolate much faster than Wanda had anticipated, even if there wasn't much in the pot to begin with. Something to keep an eye on later so that she doesn't accidentally burn their dinner, then.
She'd probably never hear the end of it.
Wanda rescues the pot from the fire with her powers and sends it to rest on what appears to be a safe countertop. She's expecting this to taste good - Loki had sounded sincere and she knows well by now how picky he can be. She drizzles some chocolate onto the fruit, takes a bite...and closes her eyes at how delicious it is.]
Mmmmm...you were right. This is wonderful.
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It occurs more often than you think.
[ The words themselves are rooted in centuries of bitterness, but their actual delivery lacks any of it -- a mere throwaway response. ]
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[Even if he's not looking at her, the smile's evident in her voice. Wanda lacks the context to fully understand any greater significance to his words. After all, their entire relationship has been built on a fragile initial trust, and she's always defaulted to believing Loki unless there was a good reason to suspect he was kidding.
He looks so pretty the way the light from the window hits him...now it's Wanda's turn to stare for a brief moment before snapping out of it.]
Thank you...for everything. [Suggesting this trip, coming with her...all of it.]
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The shift in tone is subtle, but noticed. Loki looks over his shoulder, meeting her gaze, and the sincerity behind it. Always with that sincerity. He suddenly wonders if it will be his downfall.
If he needs to re-evaluate his definition of it.
He allows the smile that wants to form: a genuine, slight curve to his lips that holds for a moment before it turns into a lighthearted grin. With leisurely steps, he returns to her side. ]
Your gratitude comes so quickly. Are you sure you've given it enough thought?
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I had many weeks to think about it. You've been very kind to me.
[Thor sets a low bar of 'not putting her in mortal danger,' but still.]
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There's a difference between all of those and Wanda. One might scoff, find it a waste of breath to say so -- of course she's different, she's his soul mate. But it's not just that.
It's them. The tenuous trust they had to place in each other's hands reluctantly, hesitantly. That sliver of vulnerability afforded to pursue personal gain, only for it to morph into this unspoken thing that terrifies and excites him, now hangs like a heavy storm cloud threatening to spill that first drop.
He sets the fruit down, not drawing away from her hand. He lifts his other hand, slender fingers molding to the curve of her cheek. ]
You should know better than to trust my kindness, [ he murmurs, looking down at her with a glint of amusement in his eyes. There is undeniable truth to his warning, but no bite behind it.
It's almost like an invitation for her to fully step up to that line. ]
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[They have been close in the past, but this is different, like the night they'd both accidentally fallen asleep on her chaise. Choice rather than fate. Wanda leans shamelessly into his touch, eyes sliding shut in bliss as her free hand comes up to rest on Loki's. This is what she wanted, the culmination of the unspoken something their growing trust and affection has blossomed into.
It feels like her heart might hammer out of her chest, but this sudden intimacy has given her courage. Wanda opens her eyes to look up into his, taking a small step closer. Her gaze is utterly lovestruck. She feels so exposed now, but as usual, there's an odd kind of safety in her vulnerability with him.]
I trust your heart. [Slowly Wanda turns her head to press a kiss to Loki's palm.] I love you.
[Folly, perhaps, but the folly she's chosen. ]
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Against the caution of many if they knew.
[ But Wanda is sharp -- sharp enough to trust his heart, upon which Loki has acted more often than not no matter how much he'd like to claim otherwise. ]
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I don't care. I only want you.
[Her thumb traces gentle arcs over Loki's cheekbone. His skin is soft, softer than she'd imagined, and slightly cool. Slowly, to give him ample time to stop her if he wishes, Wanda closes the distance between them. The height difference doesn't intimidate her - if anything, she feels perfectly safe in his presence. And if Loki lets her, she'll rise on her tiptoes to finally kiss him properly.]
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Before parting, he tugs softly on her bottom lip, savoring the taste of fruit, chocolate, and her on his tongue. The heat in his chest radiates like an old comfort, as if he were returning to something from so long ago that he cannot remember it.
He withdraws just far enough to search her eyes for validation. Her own certainty. ]
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A soft sound escapes her as they part, both from the sensation of Loki sucking on her lip and a deep reluctance to let this end. Wanda leans into him for balance but she doesn't let him go, not even to settle back on her heels.]
Loki...
[Wanda's flushed and breathless and certain in her need to be close to Loki again. It's not fair that she hasn't had a chance to taste him too, so after another breath she closes the distance between them again, tongue darting out to trace the seam of his lips.]
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Their bodies pressed together feels like the most natural thing -- two puzzle pieces in an incomprehensibly vast universe that somehow managed to find each other and fit. He wants more. The desire hits him so suddenly that a moan escapes into her, unbidden, and he withdraws once more. ]
Wanda. [ Breathless, pointless. What is there to say? So, so much -- and what a convoluted mess it would be. He cannot-- cannot say those three words held so precious across multiple worlds. Not right now, not even as it burns beneath his ribs. That isn't him -- and so Loki is, in this moment, genuine.
Gazing down at her, quietly struggling to contain that ethereal passion, a thought pops into his mind. The corners of his lips twitch with amusement. ]
You ought to stop using that name or you'll draw suspicion on us.
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She does not want to let him go, and even as she settles back on her heels she stays as close to Loki as she can. There's seating in the living room that's much more conducive to making out but that would require moving. Everything in Wanda is screaming at her to stay close, to not let Loki slip away, to steal just one more moment in his arms.
It really is like falling all at once.]
No one can hear us. [Tenderly, Wanda strokes one cheek and presses another soft kiss to the other. Behind his back, she wiggles her fingers and the curtains slide shut.] And now no one can see us.
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Loki leans into the crook of Wanda's neck, lightly tracing the line of her contralateral jaw with his knuckles. ]
See us do what, I wonder. [ Said lowly, aloofly as his lips barely brush the surface of her skin with each word spoken. A tease, mostly -- but also an offer to set her boundaries. This is an entirely new context for them, and while he might feel comfortable hazarding a guess, there is greater value in not fucking this up. ]
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Maybe things we should not do in a kitchen. [She shivers again, clutching at him. His touch has made her bold.] If you're sure you want this.
[This is her biggest fear, that tomorrow Loki's mind will fall out of sync with his heart and he'll pull away from her again. That would be the surest way to fuck this up. Wanda would much rather wait until Loki's absolutely sure - she can't just pretend that nothing has changed between them and go back to the way it was.
Poor Loki, so worried about rejection when reality is...quite the opposite. There are other concerns, protection chief among them, but there's no point in asking him about it if this is going to be a stumbling block.]
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Sounds like our criteria for propriety may be misaligned.
[ With damnable fluidity, he scoops Wanda into his arms. Her fear is, unfortunately, an accurate assessment of Loki's character, and not the aspect of concern to himself. Naturally. ]
Shall the living room suffice? [ he asks, scanning the area of interest with that same smug look. ]
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This time it's her turn to nuzzle into his neck and slowly kiss her way up to his jaw.]
We don't cook in the living room. [Her tone is teasing, but but her smile fades to something more serious when she pulls back. That wasn't an answer.] I mean it. Are you sure?
[Wanda's losing her will to protest. She knows Loki wants her in this moment, that her kisses aren't unwelcome, and the temptation to let that be enough is great. She wants so badly to just surrender to what they clearly both want.]
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pity for anyone but himself? inconceivable
let her have her dreams
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I'm so sorry, I've either had migraine brain or soup for brains
no worries
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omg sorry!!!
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