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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.
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mute_pen
subtly_artistic
Bella picks her way through thoughts. She gets a brainful; the detail isn't graphic but it's not something she'd have asked for.
"...Okay," she murmurs eventually. "What I'm getting amounts to - you would be just about as bewildered if Etty were deeply hurt by you trying hot chocolate - you don't have so much a sex drive, an impulse to be lovey with someone, as you do an arbitrary number of these things that may or may not be operative at any time, and Etty gets her very own over here -" Bella gestures - "and it's just completely failing interact with whatever you do with Celo -" gesture far away from the first. "Am I putting that into words in a recognizable way?"
"...Okay," she murmurs eventually. "What I'm getting amounts to - you would be just about as bewildered if Etty were deeply hurt by you trying hot chocolate - you don't have so much a sex drive, an impulse to be lovey with someone, as you do an arbitrary number of these things that may or may not be operative at any time, and Etty gets her very own over here -" Bella gestures - "and it's just completely failing interact with whatever you do with Celo -" gesture far away from the first. "Am I putting that into words in a recognizable way?"
growcrooked
"Yeah," she says. "I guess. Do most people just have the one impulse to be lovey and they can only point it at one person at a time? That's weird. I think I have - well, one per person I feel lovey about."
subtly_artistic
"Most people at least approximate the one-impulse model," confirms Bella.
mute_pen
Etty nods.
She looks at what she has written, which includes notes on what Bella reported.
"Is there a way I can see what you see?" she asks Bella.
She looks at what she has written, which includes notes on what Bella reported.
"Is there a way I can see what you see?" she asks Bella.
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."
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."
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."
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.
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.
subtly_artistic
Bella can't keep this up for long.
She falters; the bounce stops.
She falters; the bounce stops.
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.
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.
