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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

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[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.]

[cache_coeur]

Oh, you and Gustave are like family to me even without the paperwork.

[She sets the scissors aside for a moment to wrap her arms around Maelle's neck and hug her from behind.]

[maellum]

[Maelle smiles, closing her eyes and leaning back into Sciel. She's grown quite fond of her hugs.]

Good. If you forget, I'll have to go the paperwork route. I'd rather not have to do all that thinking.

[cache_coeur]

Mm, can’t do that to you, can I?

[She presses a firm kiss to the top of Maelle’s head and squeezes her so, so tight.]

[maellum]

Oof. She's trying to take me out so she can escape...

[What a way to go, lovingly crushed in a hug. Maelle laughs.]

[cache_coeur]

Escape? I’m simply trying to keep you forever. [But she does let go, slowly and with a grin.]

[maellum]

You could if you don't mind sharing with Gustave.

[Please, being kept forever is heaven. It's all she wants.]

[cache_coeur]

I never mind sharing with Gustave.

[They’d shared Sophie for a long time, after all.]

Now! How short are we cutting your fringe, again? Did we decide?

[maellum]

Not too short. Maybe... here?

[She holds up her index fingers to her cheekbones.]

Do you think that will look okay? Or no?

[cache_coeur]

I think it suits you beautifully.

[Partly because it is almost the same as she’s worn for ages, but an easy fix, no doubt.]

Plus you’ll be able to style it different ways, at that length.

[maellum]

You mean to spice up my ponytail?

[She may play around with fashion a little more here, dabble in make up thanks to Sophie, but hair is still beyond her.]

[cache_coeur]

It doesn’t have to be just a ponytail.

[Says the woman who usually starts the day with a decently arranged bun and ends it with her hair practically loose.]

[maellum]

I think I'd get a headache from a bun.

[Concentrated weight and all that.]

Sophie curled my hair but I can't imagine sitting down and doing that every day.

[cache_coeur]

If you sleep with it in braids it should give you some decent curls in the morning.

[She runs her fingers through Maelle’s hair and sections it into two. She’ll pull the rest back first, and then tackle the bangs.]

[maellum]

Would you help me braid my hair? I can never get the sections even.

[Because she lacks the patience to section her hair neatly. Maybe that's the real problem here.]

[cache_coeur]

Of course, of course.

[It’s hard to see the back of your own head, anyway. Sciel starts braiding, starting right from the top, gathering more hair in gradually.]

It takes so much practice, it took me forever to learn how to braid my own hair.

[maellum]

Gustave used to be pretty good at braids, believe it or not.

[Maelle stays as still as she can even if she wants a drink of her soda. Patience!]

Emma, too. They took better care of my hair than I did. I at least make sure to brush it out, now.

[cache_coeur]

[“Used to be.” That’s certainly a thought; all that unruly red hair getting snagged in the joints of a mechanical finger.]

Well, you may be all grown up, but who doesn’t love an opportunity to baby you?

[She works her way down to the nape of the neck.]

Both of them have such curly hair, they were meant to be your guardians.

[maellum]

You and Gustave really need other hobbies besides babying me.

[Maelle doesn't sound upset about it at all. Things she used to scoff at she embraces now--fussing with her hair, house rules, chores.]

[cache_coeur]

We have plenty of hobbies! I go dancing and he tinkers at his workbench until his spine is shaped like a shrimp.

[She ties off the one braid.]

[maellum]

And then when he gets up it sounds like firecrackers. Maybe you need to drag him out more.

[Dancing is probably better for his back!]

[cache_coeur]

[She laughs.]

That’s because he doesn’t stretch enough. But you’re right, I should. It’s funny, dancing here though. Just two people and music. It’d be better if we could convince more people to come.

[maellum]

There's Lune. You might be able to convince her.

[... and Verso, who would certainly like to dance, but Maelle knows better than to suggest that.]

[cache_coeur]

[Sciel pauses, only partly because she’s moving to braid the other side, and then develops a wicked little grin.]

And maybe I can make them dance together.

[maellum]

[Maelle lifts a brow at her through the reflection of the mirror.]

Sounds like a diabolical plan, Sciel.