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[prone-to-panic.livejournal.com]

Today Archie is not on duty. Today he is sprawled happily on one of the couches with his tea and a book. He looks mighty comfy. He looks like he might enjoy some company.



((OOM: And the mun is off to work. Will tag from there. Slowtimes are Love.))

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[prone-to-panic.livejournal.com]

He looks away, into the fireplace.

"I knew them. In the first, Svava was... with Alain Johns. She called me 'Kennedy'. She barely knew me."

He takes a deep breath, and the words begin to pour out.

"And in one Hel told me she'd died at Ragnarok. And in another Sharpe told me she'd drowned, Jack told me she'd burnt to death on Arithon's world, and Jason tore her to bits under the curse, and she fell off Notre Dame, and Tim's Other had her skull for a drinking vessle, and... and in the last, she'd never been there, and... and you and I were..."

His voice breaks, and he can't look at her.

[the_lioness]

Images flash through Alanna's mind as Archie speaks. She pictures the people, the place, but it seems incomprehensible. For all their sakes, she hopes these were just dreams sent to further test Archie.

"We were...?" She leans forward at the waist, trying to get him to look at her. "What, Archie?"

[prone-to-panic.livejournal.com]

"When I came through the last door, I was greeted with a kiss. I thought I was home. I didn't know it was you until I realized that Svava... tastes like berries..."

[the_lioness]

Alanna blinks.

Wheels slowly turn as she pieces together what he's saying. Her eyes widen. Sitting back on the couch, she absently taps her index finger against her lips.

"Hmm. I tend to favor apples." She blinks again with a trace of an impish smile. "Was it a good kiss, at least?"

[prone-to-panic.livejournal.com]

He glances at her sheepishly then smiles down at his cup.

"It was at that."

[the_lioness]

Alanna can't think of a thing to say that's not going to get her in trouble with somebody, so she remains quiet, fiddling with her hair. She makes a conscientious effort not to blush further.

After a minute or so, she clears her throat.

"Well. That's... yes."

Because that helps.

[prone-to-panic.livejournal.com]

Archie grins a little wider, relieved that her reaction is mostly similar to his own.

"Er, well..."

He chuckles softly, pulling her into another half hug.

"Imagine my surprise when I realized it was you."

[the_lioness]

Hugging him again only makes the blush worse. She laughs softly and nods.

"Oh, I can imagine. So we were... together?"

[prone-to-panic.livejournal.com]

"Aye. And happy from what I understood. You couldn't understand why I would want to find my way back to my own world. I told the you there that I wouldn't begrudge the Archie that was supposed to be there his happiness with his Alanna."

It seems that Archies all across the multiverses fancy strong women.

[the_lioness]

"That sounds about right. I hope for her sake that the other me got the other you back."

She shakes her head as if to clear it.

"How entirely odd. It's hard for me to imagine you without Svava." She smiles. "Or me without Adam."

[prone-to-panic.livejournal.com]

"Me too. I like this world best, I think."

The other ones are entirely too strange for his taste.

[the_lioness]

"As do I."

Pulling her feet up under her, she makes herself comfortable and leans her head back.

"Mind if I take a nap here while you read?"

[prone-to-panic.livejournal.com]

He chuckles softly.

"Not at all, dearest. Make yourself comfortable."

[the_lioness]

Smiling, she sighs softly and closes her eyes, patting his arm as she starts to drift off.

Kissing Archie? It's hard to believe.

She almost wishes she could remember it, just so they would have something to laugh about in the future.