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[egyptologist]

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[egyptologist]

Oh, no, dear -- you've done nothing wrong.

[ Just in case that came across wrong, Evelyn isn't mad. She's married, for heavens sake.

But...still. ]

I supposed it's natural he's different. I'm different. Eight years passed for me.

[demonicbeauty]

I guess time can change people. Still...

[She's struggling to explain it out loud as much as she was struggling to understand it that afternoon in the orchard.]

He just doesn't seem like...Sam. He looks and smells like him. But I find it hard to believe that Sam would...

[Ariadne doesn't have the words. In any language. And she speaks them all.]

[egyptologist]

No, I understand what you mean. He was never the sort to just...

[ She gestures, not that it's visible. ]

I wonder if he's going through something. A spat with his brother?

[demonicbeauty]

None as far as I can tell. They seem to be settling in together quite well. Sam came to get some fruit from my orchard for the whole family.

[A family she almost felt like she was a part of. But she doesn't know how to reconcile that with her strange encounter with Sam.]

[egyptologist]

[ Hm. She's stumped. ]

That's...strange. I saw him recently, he did seem off, I couldn't quite put my finger on it. But he felt different.

[ And she knows that likely wont make sense but it's all she has. ]

[demonicbeauty]

[She mulls it over a moment.]

If it were just me, I'd leave it there. But if you're sensing something too..

[Clearly, she must know Sam better than Airy. If the two of them were mates or lovers or whatever term Humans are using at any given moment...]

There might be something. Who else is there to ask? Dean? That man in the smelly coat? The other Sam?

[egyptologist]

[ She is sensing something, and she isn't sure why. That's also bothering her - she can't figure it out, but something is different with her, too. ]

The smelly coat...?

[ lol wat ]

[demonicbeauty]

The scruffy man. With the blue eyes.

[Give her a second...]

Cas! He seems to spend a lot of time around the family.

[egyptologist]

Oh! Yes, yes. Of course.

[ He'd been quieter, less inclined to talk to many people. She'd just...given him his space, best she could. ]

Yes, I'd say Dean or Cas. They all seem like a fairly tight knit group.

[demonicbeauty]

Perhaps we should take our concerns to Cas first.

Dean is...defensive. Protective of his brother.

[egyptologist]

That's probably smart.

[ She doesn't know the man - Dean - well, but he's...twitchy. War torn, like Jonathan was, after he came back from the war. Dean has seen some things, that much she knows. ]

[demonicbeauty]

Do you think we should just...show up on his doorstep?

[She doesn't really know how to do this...]

[egyptologist]

He may not like being ambushed...perhaps if you called him?

[demonicbeauty]

I guess I could. But if he wanted to meet, we should probably both go. Two voices can be stronger than one.

[egyptologist]

Yes, of course. I'd be happy to come with you.

[demonicbeauty]

All right.

[She's working up her nerve a little. It's evident in her voice.]

I'll give him a call and let you know. Um...hold on, I suppose?

[egyptologist]

Of course. Let me know what you find out.

[ Cas seems like a sweet man. Surely there's nothing to be nervous about. ]

[demonicbeauty]

[A few minutes later...]

He's agreed to speak with us. And I think he's aware that something's...wrong.

Why don't you come to my shop? I'm beside the orchard in the Willful Machine. There's a red banner hanging from the cinnamon tree.

[egyptologist]

Alright, I'll do that. I'll be there shortly.