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]

"...Difficult. But not impossible. If Nona doesn't mind. I don't think I can do that and filter content at the same time, so Nona will have to present me with anything she wants to show you, on purpose, specifically."

[growcrooked]

"Okay!" says Nona. "...What do you want me to show you? Specifically?"

[mute_pen]

"I'm not sure. I don't know what there is."

[subtly_artistic]

Not a sex therapist, not a -

Today, a sex therapist. Okay. Fine.

"I'm gonna tentatively recommend," says Bella, "how you feel about Etty. I think that's probably the best thing."

[growcrooked]

"Okay," says Nona agreeably. "There's a lot of that."

[subtly_artistic]

"Concentrate on some for me and I'll do my best to bounce it."

[growcrooked]

Okay.

She thinks about Etty. That's easy.

She thinks about how much it hurt to know she made Etty upset, and how much it scares her that Etty might not like her anymore, and how much she wants Etty to be safe and happy and okay. She thinks about the lovely warm feeling she gets when they snuggle, and the other lovely warm feelings she gets when they kiss. She thinks about - Etty. Just Etty. Lovely warm snuggly Etty.

[subtly_artistic]

Bella focuses, hard, and reads and projects, and these are two things that are not her natural affinity and she has to do them at the same time, but she can just - about - manage.

[mute_pen]

Etty makes a soft noise, almost like the trill she sometimes does when she's happy and a swan.

[growcrooked]

Awww, does she like it?

Nona blossoms.

[mute_pen]

She does like it!

[subtly_artistic]

Bella can't keep this up for long.

She falters; the bounce stops.

[growcrooked]

Nona hugs Etty, then turns to Bella and holds out her arms.

[subtly_artistic]

Bella shakes her head. They are not hugging friends.

[mute_pen]

Etty will take another hug! If Nona wants!

[growcrooked]

Okay!

Hug.

[mute_pen]

Hug.

Then Etty goes and re-reads her notes, and then she carefully tears those pages out of Bella's notebook and offers it back, with the pen.

"It'll be okay," Etty says to Nona.

[growcrooked]

More hug.

[mute_pen]

Plenty of hug.

[subtly_artistic]

This is really cute. Celo gets a picture, too.

[growcrooked]

So much hug!

[pythbox]

Awwwwwwww.

[subtly_artistic]

Bella goes back into the bar to ask someone relatively unoccupied for more information about how this place works. She comes back armed with the results, shares with the group, and budgets a few more hours to stay and talk to Etty before it'll be ruinous to her sleep schedule - the holiday will be over soon and Celo will thereafter be in violation of Milliways rules, anyway. Any of them may find a door again in the future, so it's not necessarily goodbye forever; even if they aren't there at the same time they'll be able to leave notes at the bar.

[mute_pen]

Etty and Nona have clothes and no pressing obligations at home, but Etty thinks she'll probably leave when Bella does.

[pythbox]

Celo thinks that if there's going to be rules about him not being naked in a little while, he's going to make the best of the time he's got. He goes back inside.