cheated

[mute_pen]

The castle is livable indefinitely. Etty flies over the space around it, but she's not as fast as the Baron was in his owl form, and she can't fly for very long if she's hungry and can pack nothing if she travels as a swan; she doesn't range farther than she can travel in a half-day, and she doesn't find Astgabels or anyone who knows where it is. (Not many people are willing to talk to a girl in a feather dress from out of nowhere, but a few are.) She flies home to Nona after each failed journey. They feast on what appears on the dining table. They snuggle. They pick through the library. Etty writes her thoughts. They sleep, curled up together in Nona's bed.

One morning they wake up together and are lying there in comfortable silence when Etty scoots up and kisses Nona.

Comments

[subtly_artistic]

"You going to be okay, Nona?"

[growcrooked]

"I don't know," she mumbles.

[mute_pen]

"You didn't know it would hurt me," murmurs Etty, reaching out to touch Nona's hand.

[growcrooked]

"Well, now I don't know if you're going to love me anymore," she says, sniffling.

[mute_pen]

Etty squeezes her hand.

She writes faster.

[subtly_artistic]

Remind me not to even think about ever being a sex therapist.

[pythbox]

Don't even think about being a sex therapist, Celo says obligingly. Sucks for Nona, though. I'd want to give her a hug, but her girlfriend might knife me.

[subtly_artistic]

Etty isn't going to knife you. For one thing, she doesn't have a knife. At what point during the proceedings did you find out that Nona had a girlfriend?

[pythbox]

It didn't really happen like that, he says.

[subtly_artistic]

?

[pythbox]

I mean it's not like we were going along and she was like, 'By the way, I have a girlfriend'. I just kind of... gradually picked up on stuff. I obviously didn't pick up on the fact that Etty was going to be upset that we'd had sex, or I would've, you know, told Nona.

[subtly_artistic]

When did you figure out that Etty was like me?

[pythbox]

I had half a suspicion, and then I got a look at her and it was just obvious.

[subtly_artistic]

I'm not sure what to expect her to conclude from the thinking she's doing.

[pythbox]

No? Nothing like it on your end?

[subtly_artistic]

I haven't been motivated to consider it.

[pythbox]

So you don't secretly wanna date me? he says whimsically.

[subtly_artistic]

Is dating even a thing nymphs do?

[pythbox]

Ask me if I care, he giggles.

[subtly_artistic]

Fine, is dating even a thing you do?

[pythbox]

Not yet, he shrugs. I was joking, anyway.

[subtly_artistic]

Thought so.

[pythbox]

He giggles again.

[subtly_artistic]

Bella waits, while Etty writes.

[mute_pen]

Etty pauses to ask Nona a question.

"If there are ever more people around - all the time, not just here - how much do you need to do this...?"