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[cache_coeur]

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”Allô, mon amie! Je ne suis pas disponible pour le moment, mais laissez-moi un message et je vous rapellerai dès que possible! À bientôt!”

CODING

Comments

[maellum]

[Well...]

Have you seen the jars of the sour strips? The strawberry ones.

[cache_coeur]

I believe so. One jar? Two?

[maellum]

Three. Just to be safe. You never know what my mood will be.

[She shoves more candy into her mouth, trying to hide her amusement.]

[cache_coeur]

Mm, true, I seem to remember some few and far between but very fierce temper tantrums...

[maellum]

Yeah, right? And we wouldn't want to disturb Lune or Gustave with all that...

[The eventual belly ache might serve the same purpose.]

[cache_coeur]

That is true! [Gravely serious:] And we both know both of them are very frightened of you when you get into a mood.

[maellum]

[She almost nods in agreement before remembering Sciel is cutting her hair.]

Not you, though. You're fearless.

[cache_coeur]

[She nods, smiling.]

I'm invincible, obviously, given the smaller, shriller children I've wrangled.

[maellum]

Do you miss it? Wrangling kids.

[Maelle can be worse if need be!]

[cache_coeur]

I do.

[Genuinely, maybe in a way that hurts a little to think about. It was always the most consistent way to still be close to Pierre, and certainly the closest she'd ever get to having her own kids. Her eyes are on the scissors and the hair pinned between her fingers, and her smile is a little rueful.]

Good thing I get to spend so much time with you now, hmm?

[maellum]

[Maelle watches Sciel's expression through the mirror. They all left their lives behind, hoping for the best but preparing for the worst when the Continent could kill them well before they reached the Paintress.]

Sounds like I need to cause trouble to keep you on your toes.

[cache_coeur]

[Her gaze flicks up to find Maelle's, smile broadening.]

I'd be disappointed if you didn't! These are peak troublemaking years, you know. You should be climbing out of windows and staying out late with scoundrels your own age.

[maellum]

[She laughs because none of that sounds like her. And Gustave would be upset.]

Our apartment is a little too high for me to climb out the windows and I don't know any scoundrels my age. I can... stay up late?

[cache_coeur]

[She undoes the top of Maelle's hair to start a new layer.]

Good enough. Not sure that'll trouble me, but I'll take it.

[maellum]

Mmhmm. You would have to be home and trying to sleep for that to bother you, yeah?

[ 😇 ]

[cache_coeur]

[Sciel gives Maelle's ear a playful pinch and shake.]

Hmm! Maybe I should start bringing my dates home so you have more opportunities to be sassy and rude!

[maellum]

[Eek! Maelle giggles. Her ears are ticklish!]

Oooh, that would be very, very bold of you. I would have so much fun.

[cache_coeur]

A good time for you, and less so for me, but it's what I'd get for asking for trouble.

[She is under no circumstances doing this.]

[maellum]

Soooo...

[Maelle smiles innocently.]

Any good dates, lately? I might be nicer to them.

[cache_coeur]

Definitely.

[Auriel is now behind them, a place they’ll never see again, but the experiences there are… forever. Sciel’s attention goes back to hair, still smiling.]

Nothing serious, though, so no one’s coming for dinner any time soon.

[maellum]

What would "serious" look like for you?

[You opened this can of worms, Sciel. Maelle may not have any interest in relationships herself, but she sure will be nosy about others.]

[cache_coeur]

[Hard to say, but she has to say something. Her shoulders rise and fall in a shrug.]

Something where I could imagine a future together. That cuts most people here out, doesn’t it? Unless they have no intention of going back to their own world.

[maellum]

Guess so. A future together is... what, exactly? Marriage and a family?

[Things in Sciel's grasp, once. She had some of what people dream of with what little time alotted to them.]

Getting old together?

[cache_coeur]

Most likely. I loved being married. I wanted a family.

[Maybe not nearly as much as she had the moment she’d lost it, but she had.]

I’d be okay if it never happened, of course. But it’d be nice.

[maellum]

I don't know about being married, but you have a family here.

[Even if she's not into Gustave! Maelle has it on pretty good authority he's the best family.]

I can draft up adoption paperwork if you want. For us to sign, not you.

[Sciel can be adopted.]