summoned

[mute_pen]

Etty is awoken not by her transformation, but by her summons, a few minutes after dark. In her sleep, she drifted to shore; she's lying in human form - arm intact - half in and half out of the water when she feels it.

It's very insistent.

She cannot bring herself to move. She tries - she does; intellectually she knows it's the smart thing to do - but - she can't. Cannot get up and go to him.

Comments

[mute_pen]

Etty sighs and sits quietly. It appears to be their unspoken agreement that they don't discuss exactly what the Baron has done to either of them.

[growcrooked]

It appears to be, yes.

Of course, the problem with unspoken agreements is that it's hard to be sure about them.

[mute_pen]

Etty's not going to be the first to volunteer.

She reaches a hand down to the dirt and starts drawing idle shapes.

[growcrooked]

Nona curls up close by.

[mute_pen]

Etty pauses, and thinks, and then reaches out to pet Nona's hair. Gently and quite chastely.

[growcrooked]

She closes her eyes and smiles.

The curse approves.

[mute_pen]

That is good. The curse should approve. Etty goes on with what she's doing.

[growcrooked]

Nona goes on smiling.

[mute_pen]

Etty's arm being tired is the least of her worries. She'll stop if the curse - or Nona - stops approving, or when the operative arm becomes a wing.

[growcrooked]

How about if Nona falls asleep? Because Nona falls asleep.

[mute_pen]

Etty stills her hand but leaves it where it is otherwise.

[growcrooked]

Nona sleeps.

[mute_pen]

Eventually -

Etty becomes a swan.

She doesn't fly away immediately. She sits under the tree with sleeping Nona instead.

[growcrooked]

Nona wakes.

Nona smiles.

Nona reaches for Etty.

[mute_pen]

Etty watches the hand approach and doesn't move.

[growcrooked]

So Nona pets her feathers.

[mute_pen]

Etty leans the entire length of her neck along Nona's arm.

[growcrooked]

"I love you," she murmurs. "I want to love you forever."

The curse likes that a lot.

[mute_pen]

Etty fluffs her wings and makes a sort of a whistling noise. She hasn't figured out all her available vocalizations but she thinks this one sounds happy.

[growcrooked]

Nona grins and cuddles her some more.

[mute_pen]

When Nona gets close enough Etty can actually get her neck a fair bit of the way around Nona's neck.

[growcrooked]

Nona giggles.

[mute_pen]

Etty whistle-sounds again. She puts her neck back in a more natural position, and then, after a moment's indecision, bites a dangling lock of Nona's hair.

[growcrooked]

She giggles again and pets Etty some more. Does Etty want to be in her lap? Nona thinks that it would be lovely to have Etty in her lap.

[mute_pen]

Etty will happily sit in Nona's lap.