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LOUMAY'S HOME - AFTERNOON
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Maybelline manages the door open with a the small side step she installed, carrying in her basket from the market along with a few extra bags and such as she has done her best to balance all the bags, with a bit of extra care given to one in particular. She calls out into their house, "Mmph... I'm back! I got... almost everything I wanted though."
Louma blinks the drowse from her eyes as she wakes from an impromptu nap, coiled up by the window at the rear of the dining room. Her only detour from Plume's orders had taken a lot of the remaining energy out of her, but really, sleep at home was better than anywhere else, even if it was a little restless so far. She looks towards the door when May enters, stretching her arms over her head as she slowly begins to uncoil. "Mmph, it's so wonderful to welcome you home, sweets~ Let me help you with that." She starts on her way towards the door, poorly hiding the slight tweak in her slither for the sore spots.
Maybelline watches Louma stretch, smiling at the sight of her waking up. "It's pretty wonderful to be welcomed home again." Her expression gets a bit stern, "But you should still take it easy. And it's just a few bags of groceries. As much as your help is appreciated, I can handle it." She leans up as Louma gets close to give her a peck, before turning towards the kitchen to start unpacking. "Besides... there's at least a few surprises in here."
Louma leans down to peck May, giggling a bit as she nods. "Yes, of course. I'm glad to have you looking out for me, love." She does as told, but does slither alongside May to the kitchen. "Am I allowed to watch, or are these surprises supposed to be secret?"
Maybelline giggles, "You're allowed to watch, love~. But Plume said you need rest. And I'm just making sure you get it." She sighs as she sets down the bags by the counter, taking a moment to slide out the steps they built in together. She pauses a moment to look at Louma with all the seriousness she can muster. "I was worried. I wanna make sure you're alright."
Louma nods, her expression softening. "Thank you, May. I think I will be, after a bit. A few sheds, and there wont even be any scars." She pauses, eyes glancing down toward May's side, sighing quietly. "I am beginning to run dry of luck, I think. Thankfully I met you before now. I promise, I am going to be far more cautious." She looks back into May's eyes. "I couldn't stand to make you worry again like that."
Maybelline sighs, not breaking eye contact. "You know... my Dad always said I should never get into a relationship with someone who upholds the law. I thought he was just saying that because of my families... businesses." She glances away a bit embarrassed, but manages to smile past it. "Guess I always was a bit of a rebel though. But I do have a bit of bad news."
Louma tilts her head slightly, chuckling at May's explanation. "Problems tend to find us, indeed. Bad news, though? Was there something you couldn't find in the market? If it's a spice, Nesseth might have it, his pantry is full of things like that."
Maybelline giggles, shaking her head as she steps down from the counter and closer to give Louma a hug. "The bad news is... I think I'm always going to worry about you." She manages to hold onto the hug without choking up, but after a moment, she lets out a tiny sob, trying to break back into a joke, "A-and yeah. They were out of cinnamon."
Louma watches May, setting a hand on her back when the hug starts. She feels a lump in her throat at May's sob, leaning down and hugging the stoat tight. "Oh May... I know... I'm so sorry that you will..." She wipes away the tear that May's hug worked free before it drips from her bill, sighing. "There should be less though, soon... I hope. Not just for our sake, for everyone..."
Maybelline squeezes back, leaning into the hug and pressing herself against Louma. "S-sorry! I didn't mean... I know. I know. It's your duty, and... there's more at stake here than us. But... just... right now, I'm just glad you're back." She slowly starts to laugh. "Plume and Vix were just as worried for Nesseth, you know? Vix baked just... so much bread. She kept dropping some off for me at the generator."
Louma smiles warmly at May, pecking her gently on top of her head. "I'm glad you weren't alone, my love."
Maybelline gives one final squeeze before she pulls back, frowning, "I'm... I'm just sorry you were. I wish I could have been there for you. I... will be here for you, though. Always. I promise you."
Louma kisses May, nodding. "You were in my thoughts every night, that was enough for me to find a way back." She shakes her head after a moment of just looking into May's eyes. "If we keep this up, everything you just bought is going to spoil, sweets."
Maybelline kisses back, resting her head against Louma for a moment as she laughs, "I did promise to make you dinner~. And also... came across someone rather strange in the market." She turns back towards the groceries and reaches in to pull out a rather plain looking jar, albiet with something rather strange inside. "Another magic user who seemed... pretty eccentric, but nice enough. Went by Sammi, said she lived up by the waterfall?"
Louma watches May, beginning to coil up next to the table as the stoat heads to the bags. She leans forward a bit to look at the jar, hesitating for a moment. "Oh Sammi, the erm... Well, I don't know much about her background, she wanted to join the guard. I know Gareth has taken an interest in her, and she seems skilled enough. Eccentric is a good word, yes."
Maybelline presents the jar, with the little electric-fire stoat inside. The little thing seems rather curious, sniffing about at the air inside the jar before scampering in a circle. "She crafted this in... seconds. That's some incredible skill. Pulled it from her bag like it was nothing. Uh, careful with the jar, it's warm. It's definitely putting out some power. His name is Mayfeld, by the way. I'm thinking of building a little installation for him at the Generator... a very secure one. He could be something of a mascot."
Louma peers at the little stoat as he scampers around inside the jar, reaching toward it and tracing her talon tip across the glass. "That's... Incredible. So full of life. I... Well..." She chuckles quietly, looking past the jar at May. "In the snake cities, life-creating magic is strictly forbidden... But this isn't Orela." She looks to the jar, lifting it to a more comfortable height and smiling at the little element critter. "Hello Mayfeld. You're adorable~"
Maybelline frowns slightly, watching as Mayfeld pokes his snout up against the glass of the jar and makes some kind of sound, somewhere between squeaking, chirping, and crackling flame. "You think it's... alive? Like, sentient alive? Sarn has pretty strict rules about that too... I mean, this isn't Sarn either but... I just thought it was a very clever magical... thing? I uh, don't know magic that well."
Louma tilts her head the other way, giggling at Mayfeld's vocalizations. "Well I don't know... He seems to be thinking, not just reacting. I'm not a mage, though." She sets Mayfeld's jar down on the table, as her hands were indeed getting quite warm. "Sammi didn't clarify?"
Maybelline shakes her hand a little, "Sorrrta? She was very vague. Said it was a gift, and that she always gives gifts to folks she just met... and that he was a sweet little guy, and that I should make sure he gets excercise and give him a name and... Wow this uh, really is just a pet then? A Magical pet but... that actually might make it more responsibility!"
Louma looks to May, humming, before she giggles nervously. "I mean, you already have so much responsibility, my love. I'm sure we'll be fine to raise him, though. First we'll have to figure out what he eats-" Her stomach gurgles a few moments after mentioning food, the now-blushing Captain clearing her throat in a vain attempt to cover up the sound.
Maybelline giggles, "Well, a very good reminder that I do know what you eat. Well... feel free to keep Mayfeld company while I get things ready... I just... yeah, we can definitely manage to deal with a pet together." She goes back to unpacking the groceries, intent on not letting herself get distracted now as she starts into the dinner prep. "If he even eats? I guess we'll have to find out?"
Louma nods, giggling quietly while she leans down on the table to watch Mayfeld closely, letting him chase her fingertips around the jar some more. "If he's more magic than animal, maybe he feeds off ambient magic, like how your generator did? We've got a few magical experts in town, but as far as I know, none of them deal with anything along those lines."
Maybelline sighs, setting about chopping some vegetables, "Yeah... Teis might know a little, she's got some talent with fire magic? And there's Elizabeth, but this isn't her expertise... though I've not seen her much lately since... that incident. I just want to be careful with him. He's cute and all... and seems well-intentioned... but stoats are by nature always poking their snouts where they don't belong." She tilts her head back to wink at Louma.
Louma catches May's wink, giving her a saucy smile. "Oh? I've never noticed you putting it where it didn't belong~" She givers her tail a wiggle, catching her breath and glancing down at her bandages. "Mh. Going to need another cup of that tea Plume prepared for me, I think."
Maybelline sets down the knife and hops over towards the counter with the tea kettle, deftly climbing the added steps, "On it!" She turns on the burner, and starts filling the kettle with water.
Louma had just started to move to set the kettle when she stops and blinks at May, sighing. "I... Didn't mean to... Thank you, sweets. You're too good for me."
Maybelline sticks her tongue out. "I'll tell you what, once you're feeling better, you can pamper me all you want, okay?"
Louma smiles at Maybelline, settling back onto her coil. "Oh, you can bet on that~"
Maybelline sighs, "I hope I'm not being overbearing? I just..." She shakes her head. "Alright, lets compromise. I'm making the meal, you take care of the drinks. Kettle is boiling, once it's ready... you get us both tea, okay?"
Louma giggles, moving toward the cupboard with the tea and cups, sneaking a kiss on May's cheek as she passes. "Yes ma'am~" After retrieving the items, she carefully slithers back toward the stove, making sure to kiss the other cheek on her way by the chefstoat, before setting everything up and beginning to wait on the water. "I think I can handle that."
Maybelline blush a bit, leaning into each kiss in turn. "Good. I remember when I was still recovering from the explosion, and Plume telling me to stay rested, and not do any lifting, or to do anything that might aggrivate the scar..." She glances at Louma's tail. "But I know for sure I also disobeyed them."
Louma chuckles, shrugging. "I mean, you had a great deal to do. And you did so much for everyone with your work. And still do. You really are quite remarkable, Maybelline." She also looks at her own tail. "I'm happy to be here and resting, but I mean... I've let Nesseth have full reign over my office for a month now. There is going to be so much organizing to do..."
Maybelline giggles, blushing hotly at the compliments. "You mean a great deal to everyone as well. They all came to me, you know." She pauses as she prepares to resume cutting the vegetables. "They came to comfort me. And some of them were my friends, like Annika, and Strix, and Vix... but others just came to make sure I was doing okay. I think tkhey came because... they didn't know how else to help you. Almost all of the guards in your command. Including Nesseth. If you go back and that office is anything less than perfectly in order, I'd fire the lot of them." She giggles.
Louma does a horrible job of not choking up over this, thinking back to the meeting earlier in the day with the others. It had been a solemn few hours, discussing those who had been lost on the scouting party, the saurs, their village, and evidence that could lead them to those mines, but not once did she feel like an afterthought. She nods along with May's words, laughing quietly at her joke. "You always know just what to say, sweets, thank you." Louma turns to pour the boiling water into their tea cups, steeping the mixes and spooning a little honey into her own.
Maybelline giggles a little louder at Louma's reaction, focusing on making a sauce for the meat (sadly one which will be missing cinnamon) "We were all worried, love. ...we're all still worried, I'm sure. But you being back... I think it's raised a lot of hopes."
Louma shakes a little as she sets the spoon back down, closing her eyes for a moment. Her voice is quiet when she replies. "I hope the others are alright... I wasn't treated so poorly... They're all in the mines, or wherever else they may have been taken... I was treated like... Like one of the captors. There w-were guards but... I was more or less f-free..." Her hands shake for a few moments until she clenches her fists. "I should have searched for them... Or... I don't know... Done something. Anything but be tended to by their doctors and then run..." She takes a shaky breath in, trying to relax.
Maybelline sets down the food and hops down, walking over towards Louma again to put her hands against her. "I know. But you did the best possible thing you could have, love. You came back, and you told the others everything you could." She looks up at Louma. "I know I'm selfish... I... I got you back. Others are still waiting... but you wouldn't have done anyone any good getting caught again. You said they came looking for you. And quickly. And they said those mines were guarded, right? Well, now Nesseth has all the info he needs from you, and from Baldwin, to be able to know right where it is. You said you were reckless flying off on your own in the first place... you'd have been way more reckless doing anything more than what you did to escape."
Louma opens her eyes on feeling May's hands on her side, nodding with a sigh as she leans down and scoops May into a tight hug. "Y-you're probably right but... I can't help feeling like an impostor... I... Want to be strong for you... I'm so sorry, love." She hugs May for a few moments longer before setting her down on the counter platform.
Maybelline can't help but laugh as she hugs Louma back. As Louma sets her back down, she reaches out to take Louma's hands in hers. "I said the same thing every day you were gone. I just... I couldn't let myself break down. I couldn't let everyone who depends on me down. Cause I wanted to be strong for you. Strong so you didn't need to worry about me." She sniffles, reaching up to wipe a bit of moisture from her eyes. "A-and I failed about as much as I succeeded... But I don't care! I don't care. You're strong enough that you didn't give up on coming home to me. And I didn't give up on you. And I won't give up on you."
Maybelline swallows, "Vix told me... sometimes... you're allowed to be weak. A-and I was here. With our friends. And I was able to be weak because others were nearby to be strong. You were... there. Alone. And you were strong because you had to be. Now you're here... a-and you're allowed to be weak, Louma. You're allowed to do what you need to do to get better, until you're ready to be strong again. And I'll be here for you. And so will our friends."
Mayfeld gives Louma an encouraging trill.
Louma squeezes May's hand gently, nodding as she seems to deflate a little, though she feels a warm spark in her from May's encouragement. She can't help but chuckle quietly, the sadness in her eyes vanishing as she looks upon the love of her life. She gently kisses May before resting their cheeks together. "Always the right thing to say... I am going to lean on you then, my strong sweet stoat... Thank you."
Maybelline returns the kiss tenderly, then nuzzles against Louma, blushing once more. "I... I just... I love you, Louma. And I want to see you happy. So lean on me for as long as you need."
Louma nuzzles back, enjoying the moment. "I think that might be forever, but you make sure to lean back so we don't fall."
Maybelline hums, "When I need it... you'll be the first to know. Forever doesn't sound bad if I'm sharing it with you."
Louma nods, drawing back from May and squeezing her hand again before letting her return to her task, turning back to her tea. "It does sound good, doesn't it~?" She's clearly putting on a bit of a show, but the love in each glance toward the stoat is just as obvious as the cracks in her confidence.
Maybelline nods at Louma, squeezing her hand before letting Louma go to turn back towards the table. She goes back to preparing their dinner, smiling. "You know... we've talked about holidays and how they celebrate things different between Sarn and Orela... I... I think it'd be pretty interesting to learn how... they handle marriage in Orela... and in Sarn too. D-don't you think?" She swallows, swearing that Louma can probably hear her heartbeat from across the room.
Louma sets her teacup down, giggling quietly as she glances over her shoulder. The uninjured end of her tail wraps partway around May's tail. "Oh? I... Think it would certainly be something to explore some day~"
Maybelline 's tail isn't nearly so prehensile, but she still manages to wiggle it in Louma's grip as she grins wide, "Yes! I mean, uh, ye-yeah. I would like to explore that some day... with you."
Louma slides her tail along May's, giving the gentlest of tugs before the grip is released. She turns back to Mayfeld. Her heart is pounding as well, though she's only managed to push the cloud away thanks to May's loving presence. Resting an elbow on the table, her chin on that palm as she observes Mayfeld and sips at the tea. "A bright future, then."
Mayfeld plays cheerfully, seeming to have become quite attached to Louma in their short time together. Perhaps simply because of May's own emotional connections between the two of them? Hard to say, but it certainly seems to be chirping and posturing quite a bit for Louma.
Maybelline gives a tiny squeak at Louma's pull, breaking into a giggle as she tries to get back to cooking, stealing a glance back at Louma. "Bright and beautiful~, yes."
Louma winks at May, turning back to watch Mayfeld upon hearing his chirps. She giggles a little, giving him a talon to chase against the glass again. "Seems our little friend here thinks so too. ... Thank you, May."
Maybelline glances at Louma with a loving gaze over her shoulder. "Always, Louma. Thank you. Love you."
Louma continues to fawn over Mayfeld until May has finished preparing dinner, where Louma switches to fawning over May's incredibly authentic Orelan cooking. The two curl up together, rather early as Louma manages to pass out just before May for once. Unlike the nap earlier in the day, the stoat's closeness gives her a restful night.