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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ankh-Morpork Guard" data-source="post: 2974378" data-attributes="member: 10079">Chapter 386: Choice“I don’t feel anything,” Jyren said with a sigh, shaking his head and trying to avoid the pointed look that Marix was directing at him. He was smart enough to not stop there, though, “But that doesn’t mean your wrong.”    Though the sharpness of her gaze didn’t lessen, she nodded at least, “I need to be there.”    “I know,” nodded Jyren. He spared a quick glance to his side, where Rulae was watching carefully...but remaining politely quiet.     [I could make you come with me.] Marix said over the link.    When Jyren nodded again, Rulae knew he was missing something. He could tell something was up, at least...but what it was, he didn’t know. And they had gone suspiciously quiet.    [I know.]    Marix sighed and rubbed her forehead. [I’m not going to force either of you to come.]    That surprised Jyren. Not so much that she wasn’t going to force him, but that Marix was including Tobias in that, too. [Do you feel okay?]    Rolling her eyes, Marix caused further confusion in Rulae by speaking outloud, “Yes, I’m fine. And I’m serious. You should know that by now.”    “You know he won’t go back if you give him the choice,” Jyren also shifted to normal speaking, giving the poor Duros the correct feeling that he had missed a vital part of this conversation.    “It is his choice to make,” Marix said sternly, that icy look sliding back in.    Not one to fight that look, Jyren instead said, “Then I’ll go where he goes.”    [You know he won’t go home.] her voice sounded just like his had with those same words.    “I’m sorry.”    At that, Marix shook her head. [Don’t say that to me.]    Jyren sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He knew she wasn’t going to like what he was about to do, but he didn’t care at this point. Ignoring the fact that Rulae was still watching them, Jyren stepped forward and drew Marix into a warm embrace, saying quietly, “You know I’d rather stay with you.”    “I know,” she grumbled into his shoulder, going slightly red and fighting that while ignoring the Duros. [But there is a reason linked Alraxians stay close to each other. It...] she trailed off a moment, obviously not liking having to admit it, even though he knew exactly what she was going to ‘say’.    [Because it hurts.] Jyren finished for her. [I know it hurts...but we’ve been through worse, right?]    She pulled back enough to give him that look again, which didn’t get the desired effect. He laughed. When he did this, Marix took another step back so she could add crossing her arms over her chest to the look.    [What?]    The voice that could kill anyone was back.    Shaking his head and still with a grin on his face, Jyren said, “If only your father could see you now. You’d never hear the end of that one.”    Marix just rolled her eyes, glanced over to the Duros and gave him a sharp glare, and then finally turned around and headed to find Toby. It was obvious what he was going to choose, even without the knowledge that Jyren would go wherever he did. But she had to ask...just to make sure.    And in another few hours they would likely be going there separate ways again. It seemed that they were meant to be on opposite sides of the galaxy for this. And she wasn’t going to force them to come back with her...being the Empress meant she had certain obligations, but neither Jyren nor Tobias needed to be tied down by them. Besides, she wanted to protect the Empire. It was as if she wanted to run away from it like she had tried so many years before.    But, as she headed to the cockpit where Loki told her Toby still was, Marix found a stray thought through the link. It was definitely Jyren’s, but it made her question giving Tobias the choice to go home or not. She saw...the twins...and it caused her to stop completely for a moment.    She cared about them a great deal, obviously, but they had been almost inseparable from Jyren since the day they were born. This had been the first time he had been away from them for any more than a matter of days since then. Was it really fair to force Jyren to stay in this part of the galaxy, so far away from them, just because Tobias was bent on staying away from the Empire?!    But then Marix was walking again. The answer to that was obvious.    Yes.    Jyren had made his choice...and even it would deprive him of seeing the twins for that much longer, he would be able to make sure Tobias was alright. And one of them had to do that. At least, Marix knew he wouldn’t strangle the kid like she sometimes felt the need to do.</blockquote>

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