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Too bad <span class="mu-i">Madrigal</span> got rid of him— great job! Round of applause! You doubt he's cured, though, if years with sickly-sweet Anthea didn't do the trick. All you have to do is convince him, with your masterful oratory skill, that he needs to go crazy for your benefit.
«Charlie. I mean no offense, but—»
All you have to do is <span class="mu-i">goad</span> him into going crazy for your benefit. Much better. "Um, I was just thinking about what you said— about how you could <span class="mu-i">do anything,</span> or whatever stupid—"
It's clouded straight back over. Ellery's mouth is a line. "What?"
"I mean, we just haven't see any of that from you, have we? I've just noticed that every time I meet you, you kind of get plastered, and—"
Earl's holding a hand out. "Hey! Maybe we lay off on the guy for a while?"
"Maybe <span class="mu-i">she</span> lays off on the guy for a while," Madrigal says. "<span class="mu-i">I've</span> been waiting for this for six fucking—"
"Thanks, Maddie," Ellery says, but he just looks flatly at you.
Double— triple-damnit! You've been foiled! This just isn't working out.
Ahem?
Okay, this is where <span class="mu-i">Richard</span> usually slides in and offers his "services," but you guess he's too lazy to...
«There's no need to be passive-aggressive, primrose. I'm happy to help when you ask me to.»
«You're just looking to suitably convince him? Easy enough. Hold still.»
>[-1 ID: 12/14]
A bloom of warmth in your throat. Your jaw feels elastic. "Um," you say, and somehow that comes out sweet. "Um, I'm not saying anything <span class="mu-i">mean</span> about him, I'm just stating facts, which is that I don't really believe him that he's secretly cool and awesome, and that he really needs to demonstrate it as— as distinctively as possible, even if it might cause mental strain, and—"
Flatly? Ellery's gaze holds a honed edge, now. "Who the fuck is this?"
"Huh?" you say. "What? It's me. Charlotte? Have you already gone—?"
"Who is this? Who's the guy?" He flings his hand toward you. "And what fucking bill of goods am I being sold? Get his words out of your mouth."
"They're not <span class="mu-i">his</span> words," you say defensively. "Um, I mean— hey! What's your problem? I'm just talking normally, like a normal person, so—"
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