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[That gets him to laugh.]

Then you're very lucky I'm here now, ja? Don't worry, I won't ever leave you to suffer without me for too long~!

I should certainly hope not.

[He seems comfortable today, more relaxed than he was a few days ago; it seems discussing the entire dreamdive thing helped settle him a little, at least.]

[That's good, he's really glad to see it. He's feeling calmer too after discussing that.]

So what have you been working on?

A few things I wanted to sort through. Nothing related to my past life today, however; I'm interested in more relevant matters.

[He doesn't seem shy or bothered at having been asked, though he does pause a bit before continuing.]

I think we ought to discuss the future, if that's fine with you.

[More relevant matters... That's really nice to hear, honestly.]

Ja, of course. We do need to talk about that, don't we? Where should we start?

Well, I'm fairly sure I know your answer, but just to ensure that we're on the same page - it's been a month since we discussed things, give or take. Marriage is still what you want...?

Yes, absolutely.

[...]

Is that still what you want too?

It is.

[...]

You seemed rather certain, at the time that you asked, that I would tell you no. Might I ask why that was?

Oh, that was...

[He seems a bit flustered by that at first, but the embarrassment fades quickly enough.]

...Well, you were reluctant to date me in the first place, for several reasons. I'm not saying that what we have isn't permanent, and that we didn't mean it when we promised we'd be here for one another forever, but marriage is... well, it's a big step, ja? We never talked about it before, so I wasn't sure if that was ever something you would consider.

And there are... several reasons why I can think you might not want to agree to something like that given the way things are now. If we get married and then one of us is taken off Retrospec... well, that would be very difficult. There's also the memories you have left to get - while I doubt there's anything quite as bad as what you've already remembered, there really isn't any telling how bad things will get. Same goes for the physical changes.

[He almost brings up Uroboros, but stops himself before he says it.]

...There are plenty of reasons why getting married might not be the best idea, and I wasn't sure if it would be something you wanted.

[His gaze darts a bit at that.]

Uroboros is still an active concern.

[It takes him a moment to recover, but eventually he does.]

I think we ought to discuss potential issues like that - just to make sure that this really is something that we should do, as opposed to just something that we want. But for the time being, it is something that I'm willing to consider, and something that I want to do with you.

[He nods at that.]

Yes, of course. I... really do want this, so I'll admit I'm going to end up being a bit biased... But I do think it's a good idea to lay everything out and discuss it.

[He pauses for a moment. Gathers his thoughts.]

With regards to one of us being taken off of Retrospec, I don't see that as a reason to not proceed. That can happen at any time, it's true, but there's no guarantee that a time will come where that isn't a concern. If we don't do it because of something like that, then we're never going to.

I agree. I don't like the idea of living in fear of something like that happening, and besides, it's going to hurt regardless of whether we're married or not. I certainly wouldn't leave you if you were taken off the network, so it's... well, saying it's not a concern isn't accurate, but it's not something that would stop me from pursuing this.

...As long as both of us are willing to try to make it work in the event that something like that happens, I think that's the most we can ask for.

Yes, of course. I know we'll do whatever we can, should it happen.

Of course.

[He shifts a bit, the motion a bit awkward; he isn't really sure where to go from here.]

You have some other concerns in mind, ja? What worries you the most about this?

...Something else happening to our memories. Of our pasts here in Recollé, and our current lives in general.

Like that time in Bosuma? I can certainly understand, losing our memories of our time here... it sounds terrifying.

Yes, like that.

[...]

I try not to mention it, since there's no point in dwelling on it. It's over now, and no one was harmed. It was temporary. But it's something that still crosses my mind from time to time.

No, I understand. If it could happen once, it could easily happen again. It's something to be worried about.

[He's quiet for a moment, his gaze dropping to his hands, where he's picking at his sleeves.]

There isn't... really anything we can do about that, is there? It's something that could happen, but we have no way of knowing if it will.

I wasn't expecting it the first time; there was no warning, and no indication that it would happen. It was sudden.

So no, I don't think there's anything that can be done. If it's going to happen, then it will.

[...]

Do you think that's something we'll be able to face together?

I know you're worried about hurting me, if it happens to you again. I can't promise you I'll leave, but I can promise you I'll be very careful. I won't let you hurt me.

You need to be able to promise me you'll leave if necessary.

[He's adamant about that point, at least.]

You've seen what happens when I'm not in my right mind. It was a dream then. The only reason what happened then is tolerable to me is the fact that it was a dream.

[He nods.]

Yes, I can promise you that. I've seen what you were like; I know what to look for. I mean it, Albert, I won't let you hurt me.

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