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]

And there aren't any leftovers on the table, either, are there.

[pythbox]

No.

[mute_pen]

Of course not.

Etty goes out to the orchard, and finds her writing materials, and does her day's processing.

[pythbox]

She is not interrupted.

[mute_pen]

She puts her scroll away, and -

Is remarkably bored, really.

She climbs a fruit tree, falls, hurts her foot, and chooses lower-hanging fruit, limping around, when she has room to put away more food.

She waits for Nona, if Nona should choose to come.

[growcrooked]

Nona comes a little past midnight.

[mute_pen]

Etty limps in her direction. "Hi," she says.

[growcrooked]

"Hi," says Nona. "What happened to your foot?"

[mute_pen]

"Fell out of a tree."

[growcrooked]

"Aww," says Nona. "I want to hug you."

[mute_pen]

Etty trips her way towards Nona to accept hugs.

[growcrooked]

Nona hugs her!

The curse approves.

[mute_pen]

"Mmm," sighs Etty, leaning on her.

[growcrooked]

Nona hugs her lots.

[mute_pen]

Good. Etty can stop putting weight on her hurt foot, then.

[growcrooked]

Instead, snuggles!

[mute_pen]

Yes. Etty approves of that.

[growcrooked]

So does Nona. So does the curse.

[mute_pen]

"The curse really likes it when we snuggle," murmurs Etty.

[growcrooked]

"I really like it too," says Nona. "That's probably why."

[mute_pen]

"That is probably why," agrees Etty. "I doubt the fact that I like it enters into it much."

[growcrooked]

"It does, though," says Nona. "I wouldn't if you didn't."

[mute_pen]

"What if I was very good at pretending?" asks Etty. "I'm not, but."

[growcrooked]

"...don't," says Nona. "Don't pretend you like stuff for me. Okay? Don't."

[mute_pen]

"I'm not even good at it. You'd be able to tell."