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[thefirstemperor]

[Absolute silence. Fou-Lu does not know what an inbox is.]

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[thefirstemperor]

He's silent a moment and then turns to stand properly face to face. "For all I value thy freedom, thou wilt be missed." He can't imagine how dreary it'll be around here. Ugh. A better use of the moment is to straighten up a bit (and, well, it's not quite standing tip-toe, but he does have to roll a little onto the balls of his feet) and steal a kiss of his own. It's careful, always a bit of a question, but the question was answered long ago. His fingers land gently under their chin to tip down just a little.

[oohforeshadowing]

"I'll miss you too," Trouble says, meeting his gaze, and they do actually....mean it. They still feel like they don't know Fou-Lu half as well as they could or should, but that feels like an opportunity. Something to look forward to in the future, if he chooses to come spend that future in Etheria.

"You're - quite probably the first person I've become this closely acquainted with without some ulterior motive."

[thefirstemperor]

Knowing Trouble as he does, even a careful show of this sort of honesty, however carefully curated, is a gift, and he tries to accept it with due grace. "A lucky fool I, then." He brushes their cheek with his knuckles before he lets the hand fall. "Forging such an acquaintance outside the bonds and obligations of godhood and empire is new to me. I hope not to have erred overmuch."

[oohforeshadowing]

They smile, small but sincere.

"Not at all, darling. You've helped keep me sane, and for that I'm indebted to you."

[thefirstemperor]

"And thou, in turn, to point me to questions I would not think to ask. No debt between us." But perhaps Trouble would rather think of it that way. He backtracks a little, leaning on old political instincts. "Or perhaps a hundred small obligations, crossing back and forth."

[oohforeshadowing]

Trouble laughs softly.

"Maybe one considers it a relationship when they stop keeping score, don't you think?"

[thefirstemperor]

"As good a sign as any," he agrees, glad to find he didn't offend, in any case. "And lucky for me. If I were to begin again in an unfamiliar world, I fear I'd have no choice but to lean on thy expertise for some time." Fou-Lu's thoughts are immortal-slow at the best of times, and ideas are just beginning to stir up. It's a real concern.

[oohforeshadowing]

"I'm a performer, darling. I'm not afraid of a little exposition," they promise. "And there are so many locals who are just painfully friendly, you'll have no end of answers to your questions."

[thefirstemperor]

He smiles his appreciation, sensing a lot of people they can mock together in this hypothetical future. It sounds fun. "So long as I am not a burden, then," he agrees. And, not wanting them to feel like he's looking for unnecessary problems, he adds, "Not for my, what was it, paragon of loveliness?" It's not wrong to borrow much better lines from himself, right? This version of him simply isn't the sort to use words like lithesome unprompted.

[oohforeshadowing]

Trouble laughs, delighted.

"Your paragon of loveliness shall not find you burdensome in the slightest, darling."

[thefirstemperor]

Oh, good, he wasn't sure of the etiquette of hardening back to a breach self. Their laughter is catching, though in him it's more of a smirk and chuckle. "Truer now than twas then," he adds absently. The human-looking DT was certainly charming, but he prefers the real one.