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MAYBELLINE'S RESIDENCE - LATE AFTERNOON
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Maybelline scampers around the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on a few of the dishes she's been preparing today. She's dressed in her usual simple attire, with a white top and red skirt, and a chef's apron tied around her waist. For the most part, things have gone exactly as planned as she's followed the recipes exactly, now just waiting on Louma.
Louma spreads her wings and lands with a soft scuffling, a woven basket with some baked goods hanging from her arm as she's just come from the marketplace. She adjusts the silky scarf-like dress as she approaches May's door, smiling to herself as she reaches to knock on the frame.
Maybelline jumps at the noise, heart racing in a bit of excitement as he heads to the door, throwing it open with a wide grin. There's a little bit of smoke that escapes from the house, and a wafting scent of something (hopefully) a bit familiar to Louma. The stoat squeaks at the sight of Louma, extremely nervous and clearly excited. "Ah! You made it! I mean, yes of course you did, you said you would! But you did! You're here! Uh, come in!"
Louma is of course already looking down towards May with a warm smile, though she's a bit startled by the sudden opening of the door. She giggles a bit at May's excitedness, catching a bit of second hand excitement off her as she breaks out in a grin. "Yes, of course! May, take a breath! In and..." She inhales deeply in her slight teasing of Maybelline, perking up a bit. "Oh... That smells familiar... May, you didn't?"
Maybelline takes a few deep breaths, though not exactly as measured as maybe Louma meant, breaking into a nervous giggle. "I might have?" She glances back at the stuff still cooking and quickly scampers back to the kitchen to make sure nothing is burning, "It's almost done regardless, so make yourself comfortable! I uh... I hope it all turns out okay."
Louma watches May scamper off, slowly slithering inside and closing the door behind her. The guard looks like she's not sure what to do with herself, though she can't help but smile at May as the vividly familiar smell encompasses her. She makes her way to the dining table, setting the basket down and coiling up where she can watch May cook, peeking around her at the counter top.
Maybelline checks her oven, putting out the flame as she looks in at the buns and begins to pull those out. Across the counter is a very carefully measured mess, clearly a lot of time spent preparing everything without much time to clean up yet today. A few fresh kabobs are set out on the opposite end, as well as a large pot of some kind of stew. "I know, I know, it probably won't be as good as you remember back home, but I have heard you say nothing beats Orelan cuisine."
Louma sees the food and the mess, considering how much she'd have to have been trying out to make such a mess with her baking. Her eyes linger on the pork buns as their aroma spills from the oven. She pauses for a moment, watching her wonderful partner, choking up slightly from both the display and the memories dragged up by so many familiar smells. Her voice has a bit of a quiver to it; "Oh May... This is so much..."
Maybelline pulls the pork buns from the oven and sets them down with the kabobs, then starts plating them very carefully. She glances back at Louma upon hearing her voice, giving her partner a smile. "It's something you said made you happy. So..." She shrugs, turning back to finish putting everything together. "I wanted to do my best for you."
Louma nods, smiling warmly, though she wipes a building tear away from her eye after May turns away. She slithers up behind the stoat as plates are being filled, carefully wrapping her arms around her in a warm hug. "Oh my wonderful sweets, you are the best for me."
Maybelline squeaks at the sudden hug, but giggles, "You don't know! You haven't even tasted it yet!" She wiggles a little to raise her hand, looking upwards at Louma and gently caressing her feathers. "You always say I make you want to try to be worthy of me. But that goes both way, love."
Louma hums, giving May a kiss before reluctantly releasing her hug. "You're right, of course... I just wasn't expecting such a gesture... When did you have time?"
Maybelline shrugs, "I visited Nesseth, since Plume told me he was off duty for a bit helping them handle a patient. He gave me the recipes and walked me through making them. I spent some time getting the ingredients, including a couple local spices that Erika recommended replace the rarer Orelan ones, then spent today uh, testing things out? I finished up work on the containment cell two days ago, it just needs charging now."
Louma sighs, giving May a deeply loving look as she caresses the stoat's cheek. "I appreciate all your effort, my love. Thank you~" She looks over May's head to the plates, unconsciously licking the side of her beak. "Do you want me to carry anything over to the table?"
Maybelline giggles again, nodding. "Take the meat plates over and I'll get put the stew into some bowls, alright?" She glances at all the food on the counter. "I... might have made too much."
Louma grins, nodding as she picks the plates up. "Perhaps a little bit, but that's not a problem~" She carries the plates over as instructed, settling into her coil again as she waits for Maybelline. She's tempted to sneak a bite of the food, but manages to keep herself under control as she watches May.
Maybelline lets out a deep breath, then gets out two bowl and stirs a ladel through the stew, scooping out two portions of the somewhat spicy smelling stew. She brings the bowls over to the table, only to deflate a little, "Oh damn... I forgot the bread..."
Louma giggles, smiling. "I wasn't sure what we were doing, so I brought bread and dessert, though it's not Orelan bread." She lifts the cover of her basket, revealing the fresh loaf and wax-paper wrapped tarts. "I hope it will suffice."
Maybelline looks at the basket, then over to Louma with a warm smile. She nods, "More than suffice, I'd say. I may have to look into how to bake Orelan bread?" She climbs up into her boosted seat and looks across the table. "Do... they have any traditions in Orela before you start a meal? My family always just kinda... dug in."
Louma nods, settling comfortably into her coil as she lays her palms on the table top. "My family wasn't particularly observant of traditions, but even we still did meal prayers at gatherings. I don't always do them, but this is certainly a special occasion." She closes her eyes, taking a breath. "Our thanks tonight to the sun and the moon. The sun for providing light and warmth for our food to grow and thrive. The moon for watching over our providers and protecting their ancestors through the cool night. May the spirits continue to provide and protect as they please."
Maybelline dips her head respectfully, closing her eyes and listening to Louma give prayer, and thinking on the words, giving her own silent thanks to whatever forces conspired to bring Louma into her life. After a moment of silence after Louma finishes, she cracks an eye open to peer at Louma, then whispers, "Do um, should I say something too?"
Louma shakes her head with a quiet laugh as she opens her eyes, looking across the table. "You don't have... to." Louma stares into the empty space above May's head for a few moments, before pulling her palms from the table and blinking a few times, shaking her head. The orange of her bill seems to have paled a bit, and her eyes are glassy as she clears her throat.
Maybelline blinks at Louma's reaction, "Wh-what? Did I do something wrong? Louma? You alright?"
Louma looks to Maybelline, as if just remembering she's there. She wipes at her eyes before offering a warm, if slightly strained, smile to the stoat. "No you didn't... It's... Silly. I ah... With the smells and the prayer..." She looks aside, her voice faltering. "The last time I had both, mother was sitting where you are... I thought I um... saw her."
Maybelline watches Louma for a moment, feeling a bit of heartbreak for her. "Oh... oh, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to bring back old memories, I just thought..." She trails off, uncertain what else to say.
Louma shakes her head, smiling though still wiping at her eyes. "No, no! Don't be sorry... I'm happy! She was smiling... I think she's very happy for us, as well." She sniffs, resting her hands on the table top again. "I think she would have loved you."
Maybelline blushes slightly. Dipping her head again, "W-well, if she is here, if she can hear me, I'm sorry we never did meet but... I promise to do my best for your daughter." She looks back up at Louma, smiling a little sadly, "I just want her... you, Louma, to be happy."
Louma smiles warmly at May, wiping her eyes dry finally. "You already do all that, sweets, thank you." She looks down at the food in front of them, letting out a single dry laugh. "I'm sorry for bringing the mood down so suddenly... Let's enjoy this delicious looking meal you've worked so hard on~"
Maybelline shakes her head. "Don't be sorry, love. Not for that." She just continues to watch Louma and lets her smile widen. "I love you, Louma."
Louma giggles, looking back to May as she takes up a kebab. "I love you too, Maybelline."
Maybelline picks up a spoon for her stew, "We can finish up dinner, and if you want... you can tell me more about your Mom. If you feel comfortable with that... I'd like to learn more about her."
Louma pauses for a moment, nodding. "I would like that, actually. Thank you." She takes a piece of the speared meat into her beak, freezing for a moment before quickly eating the morsel with a hum. "Oh my... It's not exact, but it's so good~" She quickly starts on the rest of the kebab, voicing her enjoyment without much restraint.
Maybelline manages a quiet chuckle watching Louma eat. "I'm glad you like it. I can always change the recipe to make it better next time." She starts to eat the stew, shocking herself with how good it actually tastes.
Louma shakes her head, chuckling. "It still tastes and smells like cooking from home, my love, you've done an incredible job!" She sets the rest of the kebab down, turning to the stew as well. She takes a piece of the bread she brought and dips it in, letting it soak for a moment.
Maybelline grins, taking a piece of bread for herself to try as well. She blushes at the compliment, and the two continue to eat in slightly more subdued fashion, simply enjoying the food and the company.
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A SHORT TIME LATER
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Maybelline finishes washing her hands off as the two finish cleaning up for now, both well satisifed by the meal. Setting the towel down, Maybelline turns to walk back over towards Louma, "Thanks for helping, Love."
Louma sets the last of the cleaned plates away in their cupboard, turning to May and giggling. "Thank you for such a delicious meal, sweets. I'll have to scold Nesseth for handing you another key to my heart~"
Maybelline grins. "My pleasure. And don't scold him too hard. I'd like to think I'd have found that key eventually~." She walks closer, and settles a hand down on Louma's tail. "We could make ourselves a bit more commfortable while we let our food settle."
Louma blushes a bit at the touch, smiling. She bends down and scoops May up into her arms, kissing her as she slithers out of the kitchen area, coiling up next to a side window. She lets the stoat down onto her scales after settling. "I wont give him too much trouble, I guess. He'll owe you for my mercy though~"
Maybelline giggles as Louma carries her over. She lets herself get cozy atop Louma's coils. "I suppose that'll have to be fair enough. I'm sure he can handle it."
Louma smiles warmly at May, setting herself cozily as well. "You'd be right about that, we spent a lot of time hurling insults at eachother before we settled our respective issues. I said some things I'd never repeat to get a rise out of him. Mother would not have been proud of my words."
Maybelline chuckles lightly, "Well, if my Mom knew half the stuff I did at the University... the important thing is probably that you learned from it and made amends with each other. Seeing you and Nesseth now, you'd never know there was so much bad blood between you."
Louma chuckles, nodding. "The reasoning was pretty thin, but more than enough to hold our unrest up. He's stuck with an honestly reasonable dislike for the Coatls, old royalty in Orela, winged serpents. Well..." She shakes her wings, giggling. "I didn't care one way or the other, but the way he looked at me every day was um... infuriating." She blushes a bit, now embarrassed. "I was much more hot-headed five years ago..."
Maybelline giggles, "Weren't we all. But I know what you mean... sorta... folks back in Sarn saw a stoat enter their store and suddenly they'd tense up. 'One of them little thieves'. Could just see it in their eyes..." She sighs. "Definitely been a nice change of pace here. Even if I was guilty of it myself when I first got here."
Louma sighs, nodding. "I understand how they feel, with the way you've stolen my heart."
Maybelline sighs dramatically, but clearly taking it in good humor, "Okay, so maybe I was just waiting to steal something that really mattered? What're you going to do about it, Ms Guard Captain?"
Louma giggles, giving May a coy smile. "I don't know, it's a pretty serious crime. I'll think on it and give you your punishment later. For dessert."
Maybelline laughs, "Since it's a punishment, I'll try not to look forward to it too much~." She shakes her head, "Been a weird week, that's for sure."
Louma nods, sighing. "Has it been? I've had more reports to go through than usual, I suppose. Have you been having odd troubles assembling the generator?"
Maybelline: "That's actually been the least weird part of this week. Just..." She pauses, thinking. "You know Annika, right? The fox who works as a maid for the Lanier estate?"
Louma doesn't have to think long to recall the fox, nodding. "The young lady who had the accident, correct? I recall my meeting with her being strange, but she seemed nice enough."
Maybelline nods, "She's a good friend of mine... had another accident, it seems. Magical this time. Grew an extra tail. I'm no magic expert (contrary to what some might think)... but it made me a bit uneasy."
Louma pauses, tilting her head slightly. "Did she say how it happened? This isn't another flower incident, I hope..."
Maybelline frowns, "She was evasive about it... She touched some gem of Mr. Lanier's and now it's stuck in the back of her paw. She was worried about a curse, which is troublesome because I get the sense Mr. Lanier deals in some shady stuff, but she won't talk about that and I can't prove it."
Louma hums, shaking her head. "I... Have reservations about her employer, but wouldn't talk about them. Still... Magic gems that transform parts of people are concerning, for certain. Annika seemed determined to stick with her stance on them, though." She shrugs, glancing out the window. "Nothing we can do if she says everything is fine."
Maybelline nods, "Yeah, that was my thought too. She 'seemed' okay. Concerned at first, but still herself. Just worries me, that's all. And, I mean, compared to that, the other thing that happened this week is just comical."
Louma turns back to May, with a curious look. "Oh? What might that be, then?"
Maybelline chuckles, "A wolf dressed up like a pirate looking for some weird magitech. I thought he was a smuggler coming to sell parts or something, but he said it was just a fashion statement."
Louma chuckles in turn, nodding. "Ah, so you've met Gareth then. He's an interesting one. Remember those bruises I came by with a few weeks ago? A gift from him in the sparring ring."
Maybelline frowns, folding her arms across her chest. "If I had known that I wouldn't have been so willing to help him."
Louma giggles, gently rubbing May's back. "It's alright, I got him as good as he gave. He didn't seem the type to use much magitech though. What was he looking for?"
Maybelline sighs, unfolding her arms and relaxing in response to Louma's touch. "Mmm. Good. He wanted something like anti-grav tech? That stuff's expensive and rare though. Or... unorthodox. But I know Strix sells some oddities like the lamp I bought from him, and I think Nesseth has some stuff he took on your expedition too."
Louma nods, humming fora moment. "Yes, Nesseth mentioned he had something he'd bought from Strix a while back that might help with bringing Garwin back to town. Hm, well I can see how that conversation would be a bit odd. Where did you run into him?"
Maybelline: "Here, actually. He came to the house, looking for the City Engineer."
Louma 'hm's, looking toward the door. "I wonder what he wants lifting devices for... Unless they've got a bounty that they'll need to carry... Hopefully because they're bound."
Maybelline blinks. "Bounty? I thought..." She pauses, thinking back. "...hm. I guess he never really said what he does for a living."
Louma nods, turning back to May and moving from a slow back rub to a gentle shoulder massage. "Mhm, him and his partner Fiora. It makes sense, there have been names coming up in personnel manifests that are fairly well known bounty hunters. Someone has pulled attention here, but we have no idea who they want."
Maybelline frowns, but it's hard to keep that expression when Louma is working the kinks out of her neck. "Mmm. Don't think I'd have helped him if I knew that either..."
Louma smiles; "It's alright, they seem like good people. I'm more concerned that someone with so much attention on them chose to hide here. Not the kind of excitement Respite needs, I think."
Maybelline nods. "Not with all the other excitement Respite has had lately, no."
Louma rubs lower, massaging May's back and waist. She lowers her voice, her beak inches from May's right ear. "Besides, I think there's plenty of excitement to be had here~"
Maybelline blushes, "Heh, forward. But mmmm, you're not wrong. Though it does make it a bit awkward if I want to ask about your Mom next, doesn't it?"
Louma coughs out a laugh, blushing as she leans back from May's ear. "Just a-a little bit... What would you like to know?"
Maybelline giggles, "Sorry, sorry! I don't know. You piqued my curiosity at dinner... what kind of person was she?"
Louma sighs, relaxing into her coil as she recalls. "She was stern, unapologetic, and didn't stand for foolishness or ignorance. She never did cook from what I remember, which is why I never learned either. Mother just wanted her children to be strong and happy, so she taught us how to fight and take care of eachother."
Maybelline shifts in Louma's coils to cuddle besides her. "She sounds like a strong person herself. I was raised to have a healthy bit of foolishness myself, but ignorance wasn't tolerated much either." She chuckles, "Were you a difficult kid?"
Louma puts an arm around May's shoulders and grins, shaking her head. "I was obedient and careful not to upset my parents. Doesn't mean I didn't play around otherwise though. My sister... She liked to cause trouble for trouble's sake. Mother didn't care for the legacy Father's side left for us, she was very insistent on pushing good morals and encouraged me to leave. I do miss her."
Maybelline chuckles, leaning against Louma when her arm goes around her. "She'd have gotten along just fine with my parents, then. A strong sense of right and wrong... And doing the hard things, even when you know they'll be hard... because they're the right things to do. From what I've seen, you've lived your whole life like that. I imagine she's certainly proud that you left, then. Even if it meant you had to leave her."
Louma sniffs, giving May a gentle squeeze. "I'm happy that you think so, truly, and thank you."
Maybelline shifts to hug back. "It's why I pushed so hard to work on the generator when I got here. I wasn't happy about my situation, but... it was the right thing to do. Respite has given me a lot of reasons to give it my all since then, but there was never a time I wasn't going to try my hardest. If that's why you think your Mom would have liked me... I'm honored."
Louma chuckles quietly, leaning into the hug. "Everything about you." The two cuddle for some time, relating stories of time with their families as the evening winds down before heading to sleep off May's delicious dinner.