[ ah. that air of levity dissipates. he touched a sore spot—something she may not want to consider happening, he supposes, or something close to that.

he takes her cheek in hand and searches her face worriedly. ]

If you're still Karlach at all, it don't matter how you look. I know I made a stink about when we were back at that muddle-fudgin' mirror, but you know I mean that.

[ he cranes his head and kisses between her horns. ]

You wanna turn back? We'd find a way, maybe with that polymorph spell or whatever. We got Scien too. Point is I lived without you this long. Ain't no way I'd walk away now that I got you, tentacles or whatever.