[She's been ignoring the device all day, and even now, the message barely gets her attention. She has much better things to do, getting all her materials together. She's out in the City, and it's getting late--she needs to make use of the remaining time.
For the time being, she doesn't even bother responding, although something about him nags at the back of her mind as she goes about her work.]
[ Part of him wonders if he's being annoying when he tries again a while later, but after everything that happened, she should understand how he feels... It has to be something with a curse. As far as he knows, he didn't do anything to make her mad enough to leave before he woke up and ignore him the rest of the day.
Maybe the last message annoyed her? Ugh. ]
I know you can protect yourself and you don't need to come back or tell me what you've been doing, but you have to have noticed what kind of day this is... [ And with some irritation of his own: ] Just say something already.
[The messages are annoying her--because she's not the same Rita that loves him. Irritation makes her reach for the device, maybe to snap a reply that will make him stop, until finally she remembers what that little thing that's nagging at the back of mind is.
Runes. Magic. Soul Eater. Some of the details feel like they're missing, but she remembers enough that she's suddenly filled with an intense desire to examine it. Already, she can theorize some uses to which she might put it...
Her other work is forgotten now. She needs to get her hands on the rune, and she lifts the device again. She's a poor actress (and isn't interested in being that indirect), so she keeps the voice reply short-]
[ He definitely pissed her off somehow. Too much for her to even directly and outright tell him to shut up? He tenses up a little, and his voice is uncertain as he responds: ]
The beach...
[ And for fear that he'll continue to annoy her, he leaves it at that. Maybe it's in his head, but he's never seen her like this before. ]
[Maybe she's not exactly being subtle, but she doesn't need to hide. She's the genius mage, and if she wants him, she'll have him.
She sets off immediately, and arrives at the beach shortly, striding through the sand as she keeps an eye out for him. Even though it's warm, she's wearing a red cloak over her clothing.]
[ Tyr is...so confused. Maybe she's not angry enough to hide from him, and that's good enough for him. He really is worried about her...
From the moment he receives her message, though, he's listening for her, and when he finally hears her footsteps in the sand, he abandons his fishing rod and stands up.
And a cloak? This gets weirder and weirder... Even he's wearing a t-shirt. He tries to joke a little: ] Feeling cold?
[Fishing? There's a useless activity. Rita gives the rod an unimpressed glance before looking at Tyr, and she doesn't bother making her expression any less cold. When she speaks, her voice is full of contempt.]
[ His feet shift in the sand, and he almost wishes he didn't see her now. She's obviously cursed, and he really doesn't like her like this...but she's still Rita, and she never abandoned him, so she deserves the same.
He just doesn't want to open his mouth or do anything when she's like this, either. After spending the better part of the day worried about her wellbeing, he doesn't have it in him to fight with her. ]
[ His eyes flicker down to her arm and then back at her. She's definitely not his Rita... His heart beats a little faster, but he tries to look just confident. ]
[Well, he's not a coward. Rita wouldn't say she's impressed, but she snorts and waves a hand in the direction of the beach house--what she remembers is the house in which she lives, though she doesn't necessarily recall that anyone else lives there, too.]
[ Definitely not his... He nods and leaves his things on the beach; he can replace his fishing gear if he needs to, but he doesn't want to have his back to her. ]
Lead the way...
[ And ahead enough so he can use the sleep spell against her. He doesn't have a doubt that this is someone else. ]
[She never expects anyone to trust her, even if that would be pretty convenient, so she doesn't think for a moment that he'll just follow along, and firmly adds-]
[By force it is, she thinks. Her expression is cold, and she doesn't falter at all--still coming towards him as she swings her fist in an effort to daze or knock him down.]
[ If he wanted to, he could fight her, but he can't make himself. He trips over his own feet trying and failing to miss her punch. As much as he wants to fight it, he can feel the ache in his skin - almost feel it through his glove when he lifts it to his head - and his vision is blurred by tears and the sheer force of her hit. ]
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