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They both watch Ephebe beat a hasty retreat from the room, then promptly bust out laughing.
After a moment, Tam sighs and says, "Well I guess I'd better get you back downstairs for the rest of your lessons. Maybe we should continue this lively debate tonight? Though I think you're really onto something with the whole 'cyclical argument' thing..." he adds with a impish look in his eyes. ;)
They both watch Ephebe beat a hasty retreat from the room, then promptly bust out laughing.
After a moment, Tam sighs and says, "Well I guess I'd better get you back downstairs for the rest of your lessons. Maybe we should continue this lively debate tonight? Though I think you're really onto something with the whole 'cyclical argument' thing..." he adds with a impish look in his eyes. ;)
"Sounds like a good plan. I look forward to some very heated debate," she said, laughing.
"In the meantime, I should probably apologize to Razule for running out of the room crying during dessert after he worked so hard making it."
"Probably a good idea, yeah. Alright, let's go," as he stands and pulls her up with him.
Sneaking one more quick kiss as they leave the room, they head back downstairs and into the dining room.
He hands Aanandareavekki back her handkerchief (cleansed of course).
"Thanks for that. Now I'll surrender your student back to you...for a few hours anyway." :)
"Has anybody seen Razule? I wanted to apologize. And tell him that actually the dessert he made was wonderful. I don't want him to think I didn't appreciate his hard work."
"He went upstairs a little while after you guys did, then came running back down here screaming something about 'What was seen cannot be unseen!!' or somesuch. Then he locked himself in his room. Razzy always was a bit emo..." ;P
"Has anybody seen Razule? I wanted to apologize. And tell him that actually the dessert he made was wonderful. I don't want him to think I didn't appreciate his hard work.""He's out in the garden with Adsila. I'm pretty sure she set him to weeding out the flower beds."
"I have a feeling they'll be leaving the weeds alone when the aerial show starts," Tam says with a smile.
"Time to get back to work, I guess," he says as he grabs a doughnut from the table on their way back out to the garden.
"Has anybody seen Razule? I wanted to apologize. And tell him that actually the dessert he made was wonderful. I don't want him to think I didn't appreciate his hard work.""He's out in the garden with Adsila. I'm pretty sure she set him to weeding out the flower beds."
"Thanks, Ryo. I'll catch up with you in a couple of minutes," she told her future self and headed out into the garden to look for Razule.
Adsila stands up in the middle of a grove of tiny trees, and a small hand raises out of a bunch of large flowers to wave.
"Do you need the garden again? I'll finish the trimming later if you do."
"It looks like they do, but Aananda needed to talk to Razule before they resume the lessons. Do you know where he is out here?"
"Well, unless someone else got stuck in the flowers, he's right over there." She says, pointing out his location in the flower.
"And he had better not be only pretending to work either, because I will know!"
"Thanks Adsila - it should only take a few minutes I think," he replies as they head over to the flower bed.
Razule finally manages to stand up, barely tall enough to be seen above the flowers.
"It's okay, I understand."
He picks a flower and holds it out for her.
"Here, to um.. cheer you up."
She smiled and took the flower. "Thank you, Razule. That's very thoughtful of you. I hope you don't get in too much trouble with Adsila for it."
"Well, I have to get back. Future me is giving me flying lessons. I'm not very good at it yet," she added, wrinkling her nose.
She walked back over to the part of the garden where her future self was waiting.
"Before we get started, I have something for you," she said, pulling a medallion on a very strange looking chain out of a pocket. "I would have given it to you earlier, but Ephebe wasn't done making it yet. The chain is actually composed of nanites, so it's self-healing and virtually impossible to cut. Make sure you wear it at all times, no matter what," she explained, fastening the necklace around Aananda's neck. "It's a temporal anchor."
"Now, I hope you're ready to practice flying again. And don't forget you have a tail this time," she added with a grin.
He chuckles.
"Yes, it actually works out. The secret to that," he says conspiratorially as he leans down, "is to STOP OVERTHINKING THE WHOLE THING!!" as his younger self reels at the shouting in his ear. :)
"It doesn't matter what she is. It's who she is that counts. The rest just falls into place very nicely once you get rid of that stupid hangup. But I think you already have, judging by the way you look at her now. You just needed to hear that outside of your own head. Well, so to speak..." he says absentmindedly.
"All I'll say is that it's amazing what somebody can do when they know someone cares for them unconditionally, warts and all," he says, grimacing slightly for a second.
"Now I need to spend some time with my baby girl. I'll leave you to the air show up there," he says with a wink as he claps his younger self on the shoulder and goes back inside.