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]

"She looks like you could be siblings," decides Bella after a long look at both faces. "Awfully similar siblings." She turns to Etty. "We should compare life histories."

[mute_pen]

"All right. I can't remember my name, but I can remember everything else."

[subtly_artistic]

Bella goes first. Parents, little town in Blackwater, subtle artistry, school, introspection, her questions -

[mute_pen]

"Our questions," inserts Etty when she hears them.

[growcrooked]

Celo and Nona simultaneously giggle.

[subtly_artistic]

Heh. And school and her inauspicious first meeting with Celo and the business with the elves and what she's at liberty to share about the business with Callahan. That's pretty much the story of her life.

[mute_pen]

Etty's story is shorter and less pleasant. Parents, unremarkable upbringing, figuring out that she only yearned after women and not men, getting picked up by a giant owl and cursed, meeting Nona, turning into a swan (she demonstrates), the hurt and the violation and the terms of his immortality and their ultimate victory. Poking around at sorcery, flying over the countryside looking for home.

[subtly_artistic]

Bella hugs her, partway through this recitation.

[growcrooked]

Nona hugs her as soon as Bella has stopped.

[pythbox]

"I could hug you too," says Celo.

[mute_pen]

Etty's reaction to this offer is silent but extremely dubious.

[subtly_artistic]

"No," translates Bella.

[pythbox]

"I got that," says Celo. He hugs Nona instead.

[subtly_artistic]

"...Etty, you're not going to like this and I guess Nona didn't warn you, but nymphs, like Celo, don't predominantly recognize each other by face, but by an - involuntary - read of their - sexual characteristics, basically. He's working on 'squinting' but he's not very good at it yet."

[mute_pen]

Etty peers mistrustfully at Celo.

[pythbox]

Celo throws up his hands, takes his hot chocolate, and leaves their little cluster by the door to head for the other obvious door in the room.

[growcrooked]

"We could go that way too," says Nona. "It leads to a nice little lake and a forest and some things, and it's a lot - quieter out there. Not as many people."

[mute_pen]

"That sounds better - but -"

[subtly_artistic]

"He already saw you. Unless something changes, he can't get any new information," says Bella, shaking her head. "Otherwise do you think I'd hang around him? I can't even block it with subtle arts." She follows the nymph to the outdoors.

[mute_pen]

Etty goes after her alt.

[pythbox]

By the time they get outside, Celo is not visibly nearby.

[mute_pen]

Etty and Bella sit next to each other on the grass.

[subtly_artistic]

I can relay you conversation, if you want. And I explained that you've already got what you're going to get off her.

[pythbox]

I got that she's you plus trauma and some different stuff, he says. I didn't look at which stuff was different. Which means you're wrong, by the way, I could slip up and see her properly anytime, it's just easier not to when I already know somebody. And I knew about the trauma already; Nona didn't exactly say, but - it was just obvious. So whatever. Why even talk to me? I'm just the nymph. Give me a shout when somebody needs a good fuck.

[subtly_artistic]

[Name], what'd you want me to tell her? I couldn't not tell her. I'm sorry I got it wrong, I'll let her know, it'll make her feel better. I wish Nona had warned her but she didn't.

"Apparently he was squinting some and didn't get everything," Bella reports quietly. "He's going to stay away, at least for the time being. He says you look like me plus trauma and some details he didn't get."