Secrets Make You Sick

[[This.]]

Aislin watched quietly, then asked, "Alright so...who moves first?"

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Alex sighed, but smiled. "Gee, thanks. I'm funny."

Door laughed brightly. "M-hm. And tall. And just the tiniest bit awkward. But just a bit." She grinned, squeezing his hand. "But you're Alex, and that's okay with me."

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"White," Thatch said, nodding towards Aislin's side. "Always and always.

{{...Racist game creators. }}

[[Bahaha XD]]

Ariel grinned again.

"I see..." Aislin said thoughtfully. She lay a hand on a piece and moved it.

{{It is difficult when my characters have talents I do not. Add chess to that list.}}

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Alex smiled. "Well, then. There may be hope for me yet."

{{Y'mean Aislin can do the whole chess thing!!??! Ahaw, yeah!}}

Tremor watched, moving another piece with hardly any hesitation.

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"There's always hope," Door agreed. "For everyone. Remember Pandora's box? Hope was the only thing left. For everyone to have. No matter how evil, or devious, or conniving, or..." She trailed off realizing who she was describing in her mind. "...Hope's for anyone."

[[ Ariel, however, cannot.]]

Aislin countered.

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He looked at her, slightly amused. "...Uhm, alright. Thanks, then."

{{lol}}

Tremor scooted a pawn forward, not missing a beat.

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"...You're welcome," Door said semi-absently, millions of thoughts running through her head.

...You need to tell him...

"...Alex," she began quietly, staring at the space between them. "I need to tell you something..."

He stopped walking and turned to face her. "What is it?"

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Aislin frowned at the board, placed a hand on her bishiop (loldunnowhatI'mdoing), and hesitantly moved it.

Ariel watched for a moment, grinning at Aislin's feigned ignorance.

Tremor moved again, unhesitant.

"Why am I so worried for you right now, Aislin?" Thatch grinned.

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Door stared at the ground, breathing steadily. She could already see the soldiers pounding down the door to get to Flit and Jetta...

Her head shot up, eyes wild and scared. "You can't tell anyone," she blurted. "Promise me, please. You--you just can't."

[[Because Mallorie knows not the game of chess...All I know is that you're supposed to protect the queen. And that the horsie is a knight.]]

Aislin shrugged absently, waving a hand at Thatch, "Hush, you." she half-smiled, "I'm attempting the impossible right now."

She smiled a little, then moved suddenly.

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Alex blinked, "Alright, alright," he said reassuringly, trying to hide his apprehension, "I won't tell. I promise. Now, what is it?"

Tremor blinked, raising an approving brow. He eyed Aislin in an amused manner for a moment, then scooted his castle forward to capture a pawn.

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Glancing around to ensure that they were alone, Door motioned to a nearby bench. "Uhm... sit." She wrung her hands, obvisouly distressed by her decision. "Alex, I..." She swallowed, biting her lip before taking a shaky breath. "It... it's about Flit and Jetta....

Alex sat, his eyebrows quickly knitting. "...What about them?" he asked after a moment's pause, apprehension marking his voice.

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Aislin bit her lip, puzzling over the board for a moment. "Hmm..."

It was a minute or two before she moved again.

"They... I know where they are," Door said, her voice getting ever quieter. "I..."

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Tremor chewed on his bottom lip, narrowing his eyes. It took him a bit longer this time, but he eventually scooted another piece toward Aislin's side of the board.

Aislin frowned, her eyebrows knitting in concentration.

"Alright then..." she nodded, considering his move. She countered.

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Alex stared at Door, schocked. "You...what? How? Where are they?"

He didn't wait for an answer, "It's Kakariko, isn't it?"

Tremor countered her counter.

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She nodded. "Y-yes."

Aislin countered his counter to her counter to his move.

"Uhm..." she hesitated, but released her piece. "Yeah...okay..."


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Alex sat back against the bench, breathless. "Why didn't you...why didn't you tell anyone? Why didn't you tell the authorities?! Door, they tried to kill you!"

{}

Tremor frowned, then scrutinized Aislin across the board.

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"I couldn't," she said quickly, head jerking upright. "A-and, you can't! I..." She took a breath to calm her voice, then went on. "I saw Jetta... and she was... pregnant. She said that she and Flit were married."

"She's lying." he said automatically, quickly. "There's no either of them could ever..."

He scowled.

[[Because it's so easy to fake pregnancy...? Alex XD]]

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Aislin glanced up and grinned. "What?"

"She wasn't," Door pressed quietly. "I saw it. She's... quite pregnant."

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Tremor just shook his head, raising a brow before going back to the game.

And so they carried on, move after move until Aislin was so thoughtfully absorbed, she scowled until she was sore.

Another move, another scowl. "...There we go..." she mumbled.

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Alex blinked, "...So they're...they're really...?"

Door nodded slowly. "And I can't bear to tell the authorities now, because they'll come and take them away, and the baby will be parentless... They'll kill Flit, and leave Jetta to rot in a cell once the child is born... and I just can't do that, Alex..."

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The silence was tangible.

Thatch blinked. "This is insane," he muttered.

"What is?" she asked, her voice dream-like and distracted.

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Alex frowned, sighing. "...But..."

He shifted uncomfortably. "...Married? Really?" He gave pause, rubbing his forehead. "They make it so hard..." he mumbled.

"I know," Door said softly. "I've been fighting with this ever since we came back from Kakariko... I had to tell someone... Someone who would listen and not go pounding off to the guards... Someone who could maybe understand."

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"You're, like... alive still. You can play."

Aislin nodded, moving once more. "Well, yeah." she said, matter-of-factly, her eyes flicking to Thatch's face. "I'm no stranger to the game."

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Alex nodded, his temper cooling. "...So that's it then? From now on we leave them be, let them have their happy ending..."

He paused, then glanced at Door, "...Soyou...actually talked to them?"

Door shook her head. "No. I ate an an inn, and as I left, I caught sight of someone... She looked familiar, so I followed her. She dropped something, and when she turned around we saw each other... and she more or less told me everything... She was scared, Alex."

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"Oh. Okay. Now she tells us..." Thatch frowned, shaking his head.

Aislin smiled faintly, before taking her turn. "Yeah, well...nobody asked."

Ariel looked at Thatch from across the table. "Her and Dad have been doing this since she was about eight," she explained. "I never got into it, but she's pretty good."

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She was scared?

He was quiet, digesting her words. "...Married and a baby, huh?" Alex sighed deeply. "I guess we can't go...ruining things for the child."

There was a pause. "...They're really trying the straight and narrow? You're absolutely sure?"