Charmera wrote: - snip -
Clarence's mind went blank for a second. Again. Strangely enough, or perhaps not, his first thought was: I've got to stop blanking out like that. It could get me killed in the next battle. Then his actual thinking abilities recovered their functionality. Laura had just ... Co je ten termín ... asked him out, hadn't she? Well, it shouldn't surprise me that much. She did kiss me. But surely she wasn't serious? Nobody could possibly ... Not with someone like -
"Cut that out right now." Boali felt very stringent.
"But ... I ... It can't -" Clarence felt a noise growing in his mind. Laura's hand was on his cheek, her eyes boring into his own and capturing them irrevocably. He didn't want to change anything to this moment, but still realized that it needed to be done; but if he accepted, Laura would have to put with him, and he would have to reveal himself to her completely, and ... The red mist of biological tissues disintegrated by mortar strikes rose up in his mind, wrestling with the radiance that was trying to fill it. Surely I can't expose her to this ... this filth?
Boali gave him a metaphorically resounding mental slap - the Demon host dimly realized that he seemed to require a lot of those. "I said cut it out. I can't put up with this kind of shoujo-esque reaction from you of all people, not when we're sharing a mind, so stop loathing yourself and accept her proposal. You love her, don't you? So don't delay the ship. This isn't a romantic tragedy."
She gave him a slight push.
Clarence put his own hand over Laura's, finally managed to say, "I would be honored," and leaned forward to kiss her softly.