"Then why the fuck didn't you say that when you had the opportunity to do so? Several opportunities. Is 'thanks but no thanks' so hard for you to say?"

He sighs.

"Well, like I said: she won't try that again, so you can stop being annoyed over it."

Picks at his own food.

"And apology accepted. But. Tell me Autor. You've been poking about the history books haven't you. You tell me why someone like myself should worry about losing someone special. If my faith in her isn't as strong as it should be, then why would it be so?"

It's not being consumed at the moment.

"Autor, you happened upon me that first time. Not the other way around. So I can't really answer you as to why I didn't, other than to say that it's probably for the same reason I don't seek others out, and I'm sure those history books you've read have an answer for that too.

"But this isn't a case of 'have to'. I don't 'have to' here. Because there is no 'have to'. This is 'I want to'. I want to talk to you. I want to be friends with you. I want to know that you can trust me and that I can trust you.

"As for pranks, well. Elea teases me. A lot. So do her friends. But they don't dump a bucket of ice cubes on me when I'm sleeping, and I am very sorry for what I did to you in retaliation. You could've been hurt badly. I have magic. You don't. Defending yourself against a magic-user is almost impossible even if you've memorised all the spells he can do.

"And I don't know why you didn't go to security or Mia about it when you could have. You've got good reason to."