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BEYOND THE WALLS - EARLY EVENING
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Louma banks lightly to her right as she flies, starting to arc from the perpendicular path she'd been taking away from the city wall. The evening air is quite cool up where they are, Louma having wrapped herself in a soft cardigan of Rhask's design, having had the lizard lady make it just baggy enough to fit easily over May's passenger harness. She sighs softly, just enjoying the rushing air for a moment.
Maybelline is peeking out from both the harness, and out from the cardigan. She's taken to wearing her goggles on these flights to keep the wind out of her eyes, but is otherwise dressed in a simple sweater and skirt. She's plenty cozy and warm, even when Louma pushes higher, and her time is split between watching the landscape below, and tilting her head up to watch the absolute joy on Louma's face.
Louma spreads her wings, gliding for a few moments as she looks down to catch May looking up at her. She grins, blushing. "What are you thinking about, sweets~?"
Maybelline giggles, blushing as well. "You~. The view is always so beautiful when we fly like this. You're always so happy."
Louma blushes brighter, grin turning into a loving smile. "Flying was always a joy, love, but being able to share it with you makes it so much more." She flaps gently, finishing her turn after glancing toward the town they'd left behind them. She'd brought them out far enough that the entire city can be seen, slowly rising to bring all of the lights into view. "Not to sound too cheesy, but it's not just my life you've brought so much warm light into."
Maybelline glances down at the lights and smiles. "That's just a little cheesy, scoops~. It's my job, but it is amazing to see what it looks like from this height..." She glows with a bit of pride. It's just her job, she says, but it's also her passion. This town and its residents have certainly come to mean something to May.
Louma nods, glancing at May and smiling at her expression before she looks back toward Respite. "You did get here just in time. Your introduction to the generator might not have been the best, but if it weren't for you coming here, we would have been left in the dark. I couldn't even imagine not having you around, at this point, sweets."
Maybelline giggles, letting her pride shine forth. "I did save the town. Twice technically." She shifts a bit to look back up at Louma and grins, "If it weren't me, it'd be someone else. But they wouldn't have done as good a job as Maybelline Frecklemeyer! Hah!"
Louma chuckles, nodding. "I agree with that. They'll certainly remember your name for decades to come, Miss Frecklemeyer." She thinks for a few seconds, humming. "Perhaps we should have the generator building named for you. I can figure out the paperwork for that in the morning."
Maybelline snorts. "Wait, does the building have a name now? I mean, I don't do it for the recognition. But I have you to humor my pride when we're alone and I'll keep out of the spotlight for everyone else."
Louma giggles, shaking her head. "I don't think it does, but perhaps you're right. It would draw a lot of attention, after all." She reaches toward her chest, gently stoking May's cheeks a few times before reaching past her to dig into the snack pouch on the harness. "Perhaps we can reconsider that when you decide to retire." She hums. "If. If you decide to retire."
Maybelline nuzzles against Louma's hand. "That'll be a long time from now before I have to make that choice, probably. I'll be an old gray stoat, and you'll... what? A lot longer?"
Louma sticks her tongue out, but nods. "Yeah, somewhere in the vague guess of a foot a year down to around half per year after forty-five, by my family history. I don't recall anyone living long enough to start molting, but who knows?"
Maybelline hums, "Just more of you to love... and I love every inch of you."
Louma draws her hand from the snack pouch, pulling what she was looking for out and offering the snack-sized box to May. "I'm glad you feel that way. Say, since we can't stick your surname on the generator building, how about something a little more private. Like ah... I don't know... Me?"
Maybelline tilts her head in confusion, wiggling to get her arm out of the harness to take the box from Louma. "Louma Frecklemeyer? Would that make you Captain Frecklemeyer? Or would you still go-" She pops the box open and stops talking.
Louma can't help but smile nervously at May's sudden silence, easing up on her speed as she chances a glance own at the stoat. "I do like the sound of it, yes."
Maybelline stares at the contents of the box, slowly finding her voice again, "Th-this... this is my Mom's ring?"
Louma nods slowly, smiling as she's careful to conginue gliding as smoothly as possible. "It is. Your father-" She pauses to breathe a second, "-Gave it to me, back when we were having ice cream." She giggles nervously. "I was waiting for the perfect time to give it to you, to ask you properly and officially. I got a little impatient though, so proper and official is going to have to take the backseat to tonight."
Maybelline simply stares at the ring longer. "Y-yes... I mean... Obviously yes!" She squirms in the harness, pulling the box in cautiously, and lifting her googles up from her eyes as tears well up. "Y-you just had to do it up here, like this, when I can't just pounce you as hard as possible, d-didn't you?"
Louma giggles as she feels May squirming, keeping an eye on her to make sure the stoat or ring don't fall. "I told you I didn't plan this out very well at all." She wipes at her own eyes with one hand, reaching down to May with the other. "I had a feeling you would say yes, though. J-just an inkling~"
Maybelline has stowed the ring safely, reaching back out with her hand to grasp Louma's hand. She sniffles, clearly choked up. "Of course! I love you, and I'll love you even when I'm that old retired stoat, and every second in between. If you want my name... i-it's yours. You already had my heart."
Louma lets out a choked laugh, almost too happy to focus on flying, May and not crying out of happiness all at once. She tilts them slightly, turning to head back to town mostly on gliding wings as she squeezes May's hand. ""I love you too, May, with everything I have~"
Maybelline laughs, equally distracted, as she lets the tears flow. Her other hand is clutching the ring box close to her heart. "S-steer us down, love. I want to try it on. A-and I want to kiss my fiance~"
Louma felt her heart jump at her new title, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment as she lets out a squeak. Her hand shifts, pinning May and the box tight to Louma just before her wings fold, rolling rapidly in the air before spreading her wings again, letting out a happy cry amid a cloud of air-dislodged down and feathers. She obeys after the display, bringing them quickly down to just inside the North gate with a soft landing.
Maybelline eeps at the sudden roll, clinging close with another laugh as Louma holds her close. Once they've landed, she hastily works to unstrap herself, grinning wide as she squirms out from under the cardigan in what must surely be amongst the weirdest display for folks watching from the gate. She rolls out, then stands, finally releasing the box from her death clutch to open it once again, and removes the ring, looking up at Louma lovingly as she slips it onto her ring finger, blushing and crying. "I do... or just, um, 'yes'. Yes! I will. Do. Marry you."
Louma waits very impatiently as May works her way onto the street and into the ring, chuckling nervously as her tail wriggles in anticipation. As soon as the stoat's said those two words, Louma, with all the grace she can muster half blinded by happy tears, sweeps May up and kisses her future wife. "Happiest snake ever~!"
Maybelline kisses back with every inch of her passion, only breaking away reluctantly to take a breath, whispering to Louma, "Happiest stoat ever too~"
Louma holds May's ringed hand, her thumb tracing over the band as she blushes brighter. "We should probably go show off, because I ah... Don't plan on letting you get much sleep tonight. We're probably both going to have to skip work~"
Maybelline giggles, nodding. "I... yes. Yes to All of that. We need to celebrate."
Louma continues holding May close, hiking her up into a half-hug half-carry as she slithers off towards the Thirsty Minnow, really just searching for anywhere along the way their friends may be lurking to share this with as many as they can.