we live until we are too bored or lonely

[dark_light]

She flies home. He has to return the boat that he... borrowed... (Isabella is not clear if this was authorized of him, but as long as he's going to return it she doesn't care that much) and then he's going to return to Rockland from there.

Isabella continues her work on motion magic. Metis has been paying less attention to her even when she's around; Isabella's learned enough that the marginal value of working with a teacher is diminishing and the apprenticeship will probably be brought to a formal end soon enough. Then she'll have to find somewhere else to go, probably her dad's house or the clan enclave. The former will be easier to secretly practice her new branch of magic in. The latter will be easier to have sex with Kas in without unwanted interference. Maybe she should just find her own place, somehow. She's not sure how to find opportunities for it. Metis stumbled across her house by sheer accident. But she's got a few months to think it over. (And an alethiometer, for that matter. It can probably find a house that she can just move into, with Kas reading it.)

Comments

[truthwright]

"We don't like," says Kas,

"having to do things," says Petaal,

"or do them in a particular way,"

"just because somebody with power over us,"

"will fuck with us somehow if we don't."

[dark_light]

"I know," soothes Isabella. "I have no reason to believe that any of me will care why you are not going on uncontrollable murder sprees as long as you don't. It can be because you don't feel like it - as long as you reliably don't feel like it - or because it would upset me - as long as you reliably don't want to upset me - or whatever."

[truthwright]

"We don't feel like it," says Petaal.

"And we don't wanna upset you," says Kas. "We don't ever, we love you."

"But it still just—" says Petaal, and shivers.

"There's good afraid and bad afraid," Kas murmurs, "and that's the bad one."

[dark_light]

She kisses their heads each in turn again. "If you want, you can send me in ahead of you next time you find a door to check for that alt's presence, if she spooks you."

[truthwright]

"You're sweet," says Kas.

Petaal nuzzles her leg. "Love you."

[dark_light]

"Love you too," she murmurs.

[truthwright]

Snuggle time?

Definitely snuggle time.

[dark_light]

Why yes. It is that time again.