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[maellum]

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[cache_coeur]

Well, it’s like Lune says… “Men!”

[Sciel sighs, and she slowly drapes herself over Maelle’s hip, arms folded against the girl’s waist, trapping her in her own bed.]

How are you feeling?

[maellum]

[Sciel's weight feels good. A gentle smooshing.]

... bad. I shouldn't have told Verso to leave, but seeing Gustave like that...

[There was no way she wasn't going to react.]

[cache_coeur]

[Sciel gives her a sympathetic look. Poor kid.]

They both scared you, for different reasons. Verso will have to live with it.

[maellum]

Against his will, apparently.

[Given what Gustave had said. Maelle's little frown becomes bigger, a grimace as she recalls the look on Verso's face.]

[cache_coeur]

[Sciel says nothing for a moment, her expression still, and then she nods.]

He’s unwell, right now, but he’ll be okay. I talked with him awhile.

[maellum]

Did he say anything?

[About the rooftop, about her. Her eyes finally meet Sciel's, still tucked in her blankets, pale face worried.]

[cache_coeur]

[Oh, Maelle. Sciel unfolds an arm just to reach over and brush Maelle’s bangs out of her face.]

About you? Or about the jump?

[maellum]

Either.

[For some reason, she doubts he did.]

[cache_coeur]

Mostly we talked about what we’d been up to without him, but we talked a little about you, yes. [Maelle deserves honesty, where she can have it.] He was worried. I think you startled him, that’s all.

[Sciel returns to leaning fully on Maelle, watching her calmly.]

The jump… not so much. But he’s healing, even if a little slowly, so I don’t think he’s in any danger. I felt okay leaving him alone last night.

[maellum]

[It's of some comfort, knowing Sciel wouldn't have left him if she thought he wasn't okay enough.]

I need to tell him I'm sorry. He's still... Verso.

[Frustrating, but a part of their team. A part of her world that she's missed.]

[cache_coeur]

[Sciel nods.]

You’ll get to. We’ll give him a few days to settle in, and hopefully he’ll be itching for company by then.

[It’ll be up to Gustave, of course, but there’s no need to warn or remind Maelle of that now.]

[maellum]

Are you sure about that? After the greeting he got from Gustave and then me?

[She'd want nothing to do with them. If Gustave hadn't mentioned the roof, she might not be as remorseful as she is now. How rotten.]

[cache_coeur]

[Her brows pinch the slightest bit, gently concerned.]

Well, I’m not letting him off the hook that easily. We’ve been through too much to let an ugly fight scare him off.

[maellum]

Maybe that's it, though. Maybe we've just... been through too much.

[Between Gustave feeling out of step and Verso complicating that now in a new way, Maelle feels defeated.]

I don't know why he came with Gustave here or why Gustave even brought him.

[cache_coeur]

[Sciel eases up off Maelle, but only to crawl up enough to flop down beside her, sprawled on her side on top of the covers. Humour slips into her voice.]

This isn’t grains of sand tipping a scale, we only have to give in when we decide to.

[And a bit more seriously:]

They might be at odds with each other, but they have us in common. Gustave couldn’t come back empty handed, and Verso wouldn’t let Gustave knock out somewhere alone. I wish they hadn’t brawled, but… their choice.

[maellum]

[Maelle watches Sciel settle down beside her. As always, she seems so sure.]

Verso gets this one pass. Regardless of who started it, if he does anything like that again, I'll...

[She trails off. Do what? Put his immortality to the test? Maelle sighs.]

[cache_coeur]

Stay out of the crossfire and wait for Lune to sort them out? That’s what I have planned.

[Much as she loves a good spar with either, she’s not interested in refereeing theirs.]

[maellum]

If they want an innocent teenager caught in the crossfire, the guilt will eat at least one of them up.

[Maelle is always happy to remind people she's all but sixteen every now and then.]

[cache_coeur]

[Sciel laughs under her breath, and reaches out to squeeze Maelle’s shoulder. It’s not funny, but…]

They both better faint from it.

[maellum]

Hm. Might be easier for the rest of us.

[Another sigh, and Maelle still feels like someone is squeezing her heart in her chest.]

I don't want to hurt Gustave again.

[cache_coeur]

[She nods. That’s on her heart and mind, too.]

By defending Verso, mm?

[maellum]

Yeah. It feels like... wanting Verso's company, or just... talking about him, hurts him. Even if he says it's okay. I know it's not.

[The easy thing would be to ignore Verso. Somehow. But she can't even entertain the idea without it feeling like a knife in her chest.]

[cache_coeur]

[Sciel runs her hand along Maelle’s arm, firm through the blankets.]

It’s going to be uncomfortable for him for a little while, and he may never like it, but he brought Verso back here himself. How we make a team with both Gustave and Verso is up to all of us, and we’ll make sure Gustave’s feelings are tended to, too.

[maellum]

I think he's always uncomfortable now. In some way. Because of what happened, because of Verso...

It was easier when he wasn't here.

[It's the awful truth.]

I missed him, but... I don't know.

[cache_coeur]

Easier, but unresolved, non?

[She could live with not knowing the answers to every question that’s come up since Verso first strolled into camp, but tension over that could bleed a friendship out, over time. Better to address it, and…]

I think Gustave needs answers that only Verso can give.