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[It's all over. And yet not, because they're going to continue traveling together. One thing ends and another begins and the world hasn't ended.

But however final that conversation with the Head Housemaiden had felt, it turns out that beginning and end are a lot less distinct than anticipated. It's not like they were gonna immediately take off on a new journey, after all. Especially not when the whole of Dormont is eager to celebrate with their heroes.

The End Of The World party has become a The World Didn't End party, as promised, and the shift in theme only seems to have amped up the energy of the festivities. Which is fair enough. Mirabelle, the Chosen One, has been mobbed nonstop by both grateful townsfolk and friends from the House, and she looks happy enough to see everyone safe and movie that a rescue isn't even warranted. Odile looks genuinely happy, deep in conversation with the librarian from the House. And it looks like Bonnie is making friends with some of the local kids, or at least enjoying the awe as they regale them with stories of their adventure.

It's good. Everyone is happy and full of life. It's just kind of...overwhelming? Siffrin wasn't exactly big on crowds even before the timelooping business, and it's been so long with just the same few faces repeating the same lines that this is all A Lot. Their general air of quiet mystery and exhaustion has kept most people from doing more than offering their thanks in passing, but Siffrin still feels drained regardless. It's so loud.

But he couldn't spoil the fun for everyone else. They deserve it after saving the whole country, and especially after dealing with all his nonsense. So he quietly slips away while they're all otherwise occupied. He doesn't intend to go far – the idea of not having his family nearby spikes anxious tightness in his chest, and he doubts that's gonna go away anytime soon – but just...around back of one of the buildings should be fine, right? He can peek around the side periodically to reassure himself with a glimpse of everyone. He just needs a wall to muffle the festivities somewhat.]

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[Seeing those shoulders sag in relaxation is the greatest reward he could ever receive from something like this. Second place would be liking the work he does, but even if Sif is ambivalent on that front, he's happy just for the chance to pamper them. They deserve it! He starts tracing his fingers through the different layers of their hair as he combs it, working his way around to the back.]

I don't think it looks awful. There are some hairstyles that purposely dye the tips, and yours has grown out for so long that it pretty much looks like that now.

[He huffs an amused breath.] And if you don't wanna keep up with your hair anymore, trim or not, you can just let me take care of it from now on.

[He got to ask! And it was fairly natural! Score.]

[Beyond just not hurting, the combing actually feels kinda nice when Isabeau does it. The gentle scrape of the teeth of the comb against their scalp is like a good head scratch. And Isa's totally casual offer to keep doing it moving forward brings a small smile to their lips, turned away where they don't have to be self-conscious about it.]

I think you'd probably be too nice to say anything if it did look bad. But I guess if you take over that job from now on, then it's your fault if it doesn't look good.

[It's lighthearted, humorous. But also maybe indirectly accepting that proposal.

Siffrin has to wonder what Isabeau would do with their hair if given absolute free. If Isa actually liked the lightless look better. Most of their hair was dyed back when they first met, after all. Maybe the growing out process was change for the worse. The thought nearly has them abandoning this idea entirely, because... Well, because they want Isabeau to like them. Keep liking them. Whatever. They mull it over in silence for a few moments as Isa works his magic.

Ultimately, that instinct to preserve this little bit of home wins out. Maybe that's why the King grew his hair so absurdly long. It's all they have left, really. They don't really know how to feel about understanding the King that well, so they push the thought aside.]

...Would you cut it for me sometime?

[Even with all Isabeau's enthusiasm for this, it still feels like they're asking a lot of him, so they follow that up hurriedly.]

You don't have to, I've always managed fine just doing it myself with my knife. But I figure you're probably better at it than me.

Why, Siffrin! Are you implying that I'm biased when it comes to you?

[He leaves a long enough beat between phrases for his companion to realize he is making a self-deprecating joke, and then he continues.]

...Yeah, Mira is probably the one you'll want to go to for a truly impartial judgement. Not that you'd need one if I'm helping you out every morning.

[Madame Odile and Bonnie wouldn't hold back in their scathing assessment of Siffrin's hairstyle, but they're also way less likely to be fashionably correct. Which is the best kind of correct. Mira will have Sif's back in that regard.]

Oh! Would you trust me with that? I've only ever trimmed my own hair before. [He sets his comb aside for a moment and starts to guide Siffrin's hair through taut fingers, getting an eye for where healthy hair ends and split ends begin. Probably feels like weirdly stiff, but gentle tugs.] I could definitely do it, if you really don't mind...

[Honestly, he'd meant it in more of a general sense. He can't imagine Isabeau telling anyone they look bad. But even as a joke, the suggestion that he gets special treatment is...something. Strange, but nice. His cheeks feel a little warm, and he's once again glad he's facing away.]

Then I'll ask her and see just how biased you are.

[The thought of Isa cutting their hair is a little thrilling, even. They want to see what he'd do with it. They want to put a blade in his hand and sit with their back to him and revel in that trust.

It wasn't just a lack of funds or a decent hairdresser that'd had him chopping at his own hair with a dagger, after all. Once upon a time, he couldn't have imagined letting anyone near his head with a sharp object like that. The time he'd spent on his own wasn't always pleasant, especially in the earliest years when he was barely more than a kid and still struggled with new languages while his native one was lost to him. Not everywhere was as kind and accepting as Vaugarde. Some people were wary of a nameless, penniless, storyless drifter. Some people saw an aimless lone teenager far from home as a target.

Exhaling softly, he leans his head back as if pulled by the gentle tugging, bumping his head back against Isabeau's hands. It's a little reminiscent of a cat butting its head against someone's palm, seeking pets, but Siffrin guesses he can live with the risk of more cat Sif jokes right now.]

Yeah, I trust you.

[With anything and everything, really. They weren't sure they could ever really convey the depths of it. But that's probably a little heavy to dump on Isabeau out of nowhere, so they'll leave it at hair for now.]

[He is! He's super biased! And he's been in love with them for so long that he borders on being proud of it. He's only going to get more embarrassing about this with time...

There's a quiet "oh!" from him when their head bumps back into his hand, startled from his thoughts by something impossibly precious. It's probably a good thing they can't see his little blush and the way he smiles so fondly it hurts, because the urge to call them cute for that is so obvious, it borders on deadly (for Isabeau). He swallows down that urge and instead takes a break from measurements and combing to plonk his hand in their hair and give their scalp a good scratch. It undoes some of the work he's done, but that's fine. Who doesn't like a good head scratch?]

Then I'd be happy to! Gimme a few days to get used to caring for your hair, and I'll be able to trim it any way you'd like.

[He can make that promise because he's already pretty sure Siffrin isn't going to ask him for anything complicated. He can imagine they don't want something that would be a pain to wash or care for on their own.]

Hmm... [He pulls his hand away for a moment, picking up his comb so he can resume the de-tangling. Careful fingertips brush to Siffrin's forehead as he folds his bangs back, gently combs through them, and lets them fall back into place again.]

Between the morning brushes and the new stretch routine, you might have to wake up a little earlier than you're used to. Think you can handle it?

[He does like a good head scratch! Isabeau is rewarded for it with a near imperceptible sigh, Siffrin's head tilting into the touch.

Their eyes drift shut until their bangs are dropped back over their face, freshly fluffy with the detangling and immediately tickling their nose. They reach up to nudge the strands back into their usual place and pause to finger the ends, examining it idly. His hair's gotten pretty long, huh? He'd kept it shorter for so long until everything with this journey had kept him too busy to worry about it for a while. It hasn't been this long since he first started cutting it as a teenager.

He used to wear it longer all the time, he thinks. He's not sure, but it was that long in his earliest memory, so it feels likely. It wasn't this tangled at the beginning either, was it? He'd only started cutting it because it was such a struggle to deal with it when it got messy. That it was so tidy at first has him wondering whether he'd had someone that regularly helped him with it like this, or if he'd just forgotten how to do it himself along with everything else.

That somber thought shrinks his smile a little, but at least it doesn't vanish entirely. Not with Isa here.]

It's fine. You can always throw me out of bed if I'm not getting up.

[Since...he assumes the bed sharing will continue? He hopes it will, anyway, even when they're in situations that don't necessarily require it. It's nice. And to be honest, it'll probably be a while before he's comfortable being left alone anywhere for hours at a time. His friends are just gonna have to deal with this newfound clinginess, and hopefully it's more endearing than annoying.]

[The way they push their head into his palm is not just a reward (though it definitely made his heart do a weird twirl)! It is also a signal, one that lets him know to do that much more often. Rest assured Siffrin will be getting all of the headscritches from now on.]

I promise to aim for something soft if I do. [The gave him permission, they can't be mad if it happens for real.] Sounds like we've pretty much decided bed sharing isn't weird.

[This can still change between now and later tonight, but let a guy dream, yeah? For all that he and Sif both fretted over the idea of things changing last night, an evening of shared whispers and snuggles seems to have bridged the gap those worries formed. Whatever comes up in the future regarding beds and tents should be way easier to talk about.

He finishes combing their hair, pausing in his work to run his hands through their newly softened tresses and fluff it out, really get a good feel for their hair type. It's thicker than he's used to handling, and all this length has made his curls more wave-like. Isabeau hums in thought as he swaps to the brush, adding further fluff with gentle strokes.]

...And, in lieu of "weaponizing the timeloop trauma," maybe we could use our new meditative morning stretch routine to talk about what you went through during your loops?

[He offers this tentatively, like he's testing the fragile peace that had settled around the subject of being lost to time. It's still weird to think about. There's an entire chunk of time that Siffrin spent with everyone that only they remember. Isabeau regrets not being part of it, and he's fairly certain the rest of their party has similar feelings on the matter.]

I mean! You don't have to, but. There are probably parts of it that you'd like to tell all of us as a group, right?

[They won't be mad if it really happens. A little surprised, maybe. Would Isabeau really do it? It'd admittedly be really funny. At what point does the bias win out over the dedication to comedy?]

Yeah, if you're okay with it. It was nice? I slept really well for once.

[Granted, after yesterday, they'd probably have passed out that hard regardless of the sleeping situation. It bears further experimentation, at least. Siffrin feels pretty optimistic about it.

Unsurprisingly, broaching the timeloop subject does somber him up a bit. Siffrin frowns, silent and thoughtful for a long few moments as Isabeau continues fussing with his curls.]

...I guess. I mean. If the others also want to? I don't want to dump anything on anyone that doesn't want to hear it.

[And even then, there are things he wants to talk about, and things he wants to bury and never acknowledge again. He wants to share the nice moments, the bonding, all the banter from their exploration of the House that never got to happen now. But surely the others would notice something's up if he only talked about the happy times, and he doesn't know what he would say about the rest. How would they look at him if they knew the worst of it? All the breakdowns in the bathroom, forgetting their names, letting Bonnie die, letting all of them die–]

I promise you, no one is more okay with that than me.

[Isabeau won't say he's never slept that well before, but it did check off a bucket list item for him! Except now, instead of having to cajole Siffrin into agreeing to it just once, he's gonna get to have late night cuddles all the time? Forever, potentially?

(He's not already thinking about forever, he's not. Stop that, self.)

He continues to brush their hair, moving at a steady pace as the tough bristles pull away broken strands and surface level tangles. Each brush comes with the gentle brace of his hand, fingers trailing through his hair in a slow chase. Could he have been done with this already? Yes. Is he indulging in some extra brushing for the sake of continuing the conversation? Also yes.]

Of course we wanna hear it. I'm so confident in that, I'd bet dating you on it.

[Siffrin still may not seem to think so, but each and every one of this little group loves him terribly. Enough to weather everything that happened over the last two days. Enough to try to join him on a journey they can't recall, to help shoulder a trauma they couldn't be there for.]

...If I had to guess, there are probably parts of it that you can't share with all of us. Is that right?

[People don't really say they're going to "dump" an experience on someone unless it was a particularly heavy one.]

[Isabeau wouldn't be the only one thinking about it. Forever is a comforting possibility. Everyone wanting to keep traveling together has punted the issue hopefully a good distance down the road, but Siffrin knows it'll come to an end someday. Everyone's reassured him that still won't be the end, that they'll all stay in each other's lives and all that, but it's not like he has anywhere to go himself once that happens, and the thought of going back to wandering aimlessly on his own leave him feeling painfully empty.

They can't ask any of them to keep roaming around with them forever. But they can't help but wonder what forever with Isabeau might entail, there might be a place for them even when the journey comes to an end.]

Well, I know a bunch of everyone's secrets now, so I bet you all don't want me sharing those.

[He knows that's not the kind of stuff Isabeau meant. But this is a nice morning so far, and he doesn't really want to bring the mood down, so he jumps on the easy pivot. And luckily, it gives him a great option for a distraction.]

Oh yeah, I found out what Odile is researching.

[It's okay if the subject pivots. He made the point he wanted to make, and forcing Siffrin to talk about anything sooner than they're ready to wouldn't be any better for them than bottling it all up would be. Siffrin is the one steering the ship. Isabeau is here to rock the boat if they start treading water.]

Oh! So it wasn't just me you had a super secret bonding hangout with? It was all of us?

[Makes sense! Not like he's the most important person in their life. That all said, he is done brushing their hair. He sets said brush aside and pulls up his little jar of hair oil, dumping a very small and reasonable amount of it onto his hands. Rubbing them both together, he will stick those oiled up fingers right into Siffrin's hair, carefully avoiding getting it down to the roots as he fluffs and styles everything for them. Almost done...]

Oh man, Madame's research topic... I'm dying to know, but at the same time, I definitely don't want you to tell me. I want to figure it out on my own.

[This is probably the feeling Mirabelle had when she told Siffrin she didn't want any "spoilers." Isabeau has it narrowed down! He's definitely going to figure out her research topic soon. It wouldn't be any fun if Siffrin just told him it, jealous as he is that they figured it out first.

He's distracted from fluffing Siffrin's hair by the sound of a few loud thumps and a couple floorboards creaking above them, and with a grin-] You could totally tell me Bonbon's secrets, though.

[A resounding "YOU BETTER NOT, 'FRIN" echoes from above, and Isabeau snorts.]

[Hair oil sounds counterproductive to Siffrin. Isn't oily hair gross and dirty-looking? But he supposed Isabeau knows better than him. Trust the process and all that.]

You wouldn't even do the super secret bonding hangout with me until I'd done it with everyone else first!

[They tilt their head way back to look up at Isabeau and stick their tongue out at him. Sir, you cannot be jealous when your friendquest was only unlocked by doing all of them.

At the distant shout from upstairs and the sound of footsteps on the staircase, Siffrin grins, still looking up at Isa, and cups their hand around their mouth to stage-whisper loudly.]

Oh, I know everything about Bonbon now. I even know their three favorite foods.

[Siffriiiin, there's a huge difference between the natural oil build up that comes from the roots, and Official Hair Care Product Oil!

Which is to say, it's mostly just there to add softness and texture to the far more dried out split ends that come with having longer hair. Especially when those ends are chopped with a knife! Sif didn't need much, but what little Isa did use added such a nice sheen, enhancing the natural velvety texture of their hair. They're gonna be sooooo impressed. He did a good job!]

I made you wait? No, hold on, lemme rephrase. [He takes a very silly breath of preparation and puts a hand on his chest.] I, made you, wait??

[He pulls his hands from their hair so he can grab the back of their chair, leaning over it to look at them.]

Why?? Why would I do that? You gotta give me the details.

[He's shocked! There's surely context available to explain it away, but Isabeau can't envision what it might be. And while he badgers Siffrin for said context, they continue with the teasing he'd begun. The scurrying upstairs abruptly stops when Siffrin mentions the Three Favorite Foods, the very key to Bonnie's heart. It's clear they're listening extra hard now. Isabeau whispers back, loudly.]

No way! Do you think you could name them? Right here, right now?

[Siffrin almost repeats it sarcastically. You, Isabeau, made me wait? Shocker. But they hold their tongue. That's mean, and Isabeau is literally pampering them right now He doesn't deserve that. And while they could provide the requested details, it's clear Bonnie is listening, and that whole encounter feels...private. As much as they're teasing about sharing secrets, they wouldn't actually spill anything any of said in those moments. Siffrin places a finger over his lips as if to say It's a secret.

Of course, Bonnie wasn't the one who'd shared their favorite foods, and they'd seemed happy that Siffrin knew them, so that's probably alright to tell.]

Rice, pineapple, and samosas. Specifically, samosas with potato and no cheese.

[See? He's the Bonnie expert. It makes him feel a little guilty, knowing he only knew that by abusing his looping. And he can definitely never tell Bonnie he had to die via allergic reaction to learn one of those. There were enough bad feelings just from Siffrin having been hurt protecting them that one time.]

[He almost huffs when he sees that little "it's a secret" move from them, even while completely understanding that they have an audience. Sighing a little, his expression shifts to something more empathetic, and he'll nod. Siffrin will just owe him a chat later.]

Oh, nice work! I didn't know about pineapple.

[Very good, Siffrin! A plus for Siffrin! Isabeau can easily imagine the smile on Bonnie's face, hearing that. Things have been strange between the two of them ever since Sif lost his eye, and Isabeau had no idea how to intervene. So it's kind of nice, between yesterday and now, to see that things might be patching themselves up on their own. Something definitely changed.

To Bonnie's credit, the thumping upstairs resumes, and gradually moves away from the staircase. Seems like they're done eavesdropping for now, but it probably won't be long until they make their way down here. Isabeau gives Siffrin's hair one last little fluff, just for effect, and steps back.]

All done! What do you think? [He didn't want to do anything too wild, so in the end their hairdo matches how they usually style it. It's just also neater, fluffier, shinier, and is completely free of the usual rats' nests.] There's a mirror on the wall behind me if you wanna check it out.

[Isabeau knew everything else already? Of course he did. He's an actually good person who pays attention to others without having to be given a quest to do so first. Siffrin nods absently, glancing upward and listening as the sounds of Bonnie getting ready for the day resume. Ok, good, it's probably safe now. He lowers his voice anyway for Isabeau's ears only.]

Yeah, uh. Maybe let me know if you see Bonnie put any in anything else? Apparently I'm allergic.

[And he doesn't want Bonnie to feel bad or stop eating them or wonder how that was discovered, but he also doesn't want to risk dying again. No more loops to fall back on, after all.

Freed from the prison of haircare, Siffrin gets up and turns to see the results.]

Oh. [He tentatively, lightly touches his hair, as if afraid he'll ruin Isabeau's hard work.] It's pretty soft. Is that what the oily stuff does?

[It looks nice. It occurs to Siffrin belatedly that he'll have to muss it up anyway to get dressed...which is something he should probably do soon, huh? Bonnie's already up, after all, and who knows when Odile and Mirabelle will rejoin them.]

[They're allergic to pineapple? Woof, talk about unlucky, considering the circumstances. He wonders how Siffrin found that one out, but their request is what makes him pause first.]

I can do that, sure, but why not just tell them yourself?

[He doesn't quite get it! Is it embarrassing for Siffrin? That can't be more important than letting the group chef know about an allergen so they can avoid putting it in Siffrin's servings of things.]

Your softness is about seventy percent natural fluff, thirty percent oil. My brush did most of the heavy lifting here.

[He sees him hesitating, drawing careful fingertips along their hair like it's something fragile. Is he worried he'll mess it up? That's super thoughtful of them! Means Isabeau should lay out the facts for them.]

Feel free to stuff your hands in there! You aren't gonna hurt it, and it's gonna naturally deflate through the day anyway. You'd need a gel or spray to make it stick up the way mine does all day, but that wouldn't be nearly as soft.

[Siffrin just shrugs dismissively at the question, acting more distracted by their hair at the moment. He just...doesn't really want to get into the details right now, all Bonnie's guilt about the eye thing and their burning desire to protect him in return, which was really sweet at first but now sorta stresses him out every since the incident with the King, which he is absolutely not thinking about right now, just the fact that he doesn't want Bonnie even remotely near anything that might hurt them, even just emotionally–

His jaw tightens just slightly, and he aggressively shoves his hands into his hair to distract himself. It really is soft. Siffrin forces himself to stop short of tearing at it the way he wants to for a moment.]

...I think I'd look pretty ridiculous if I tried sticking mine up like yours, with this texture.

[They'd probably look like a sheep.]

[...He still doesn't get it, but. Of all the things he might end up having to push Siffrin on, one way or the other, telling Bonnie about their allergy themself ranks pretty low on the list. Isabeau's energy for confrontation among friends is already lower than most folks' to begin with. He huffs, and it is a sympathetic kind of huff, and leaves that particular topic at that for now.

Especially since it's a little funny watching Siffrin just dig their hands deep into their own hair after his very light encouragement.]

You'd look soooooo silly. Not that I'd tell you, apparently, if you did so of your own volition.

[Something something, his biases. He puts his hair supplies back in his bag, careful as he always is with them.]

We'd better get dressed. Bonnie's probably gonna want breakfast soon- or, I guess, brunch? Considering how late we slept.

See? I knew I couldn't trust you to tell me if I look bad.

[It's playful, unserious. He's fine. They're having a nice morning and everything is fine.

Siffrin nods, turning to grab the clothes he'd brought down and unceremoniously shucking off his sleep tank. He starts pulling his regular clothes on – the same from yesterday, which are technically the same ones he's been wearing for months without washing from his perspective, but at least they remained only a day old at most through all that time. His tolerance for dirty clothes is probably higher than everyone else's, save maybe Bonnie, but that'd be a little gross even for him.]

Any idea what time it is?

["Just one of my many weaknesses!"

Is what he would say. If he wasn't still feeling a little raw about yesterday. Instead, he blows a playful raspberry at them as they turn to grab their clothes, and looks away just as quickly when they take their shirt off. They both quickly get changed in the privacy that staring at opposite walls provides, trading pajamas for proper pants and sweater vests and all that. The fixing of his own hair will have to take place in the bathroom, alongside some running water... He hums to himself as he falls into his morning routine.]

Not sure. But we slept inside a clock tower, so I suppose we'll know once we go outside?

[Now that they've saved Dormont's House of Change, the craft that made the clock run should be working again.]

I can imagine the day will go something like- eat brunch, let Mira say her last goodbyes at the House, help Madame Odile with supply shopping, and head out sometime late afternoon.

[There's no particular rush, but they'll probably want to make some headway toward Bambouche before nightfall. Camping is going to be pretty nice with a lot less of the King's Sadnesses around after all this, now that he thinks about it.]

Was there anything you wanted to do in Dormont before we leave?

[Siffrin nods along with Isabeau's musings absently, pausing only to pull his turtleneck on. And despite the prior reassurances and his own rough treatment of it moments before, he can't help but check his hair again in the mirror afterward and tentatively fix his bangs. Is this a good kind of messy or a bad kind? Hell if he knows. He certainly wasn't a member of the Beauty Alliance.

As they look in the mirror, Isabeau asks his question, and a bitter huff of laughter escapes them before they can control it. They shake their head.]

I think I've had enough Dormont to last me a few lifetimes.

[Everyone needed rest, they needed to resupply, and Mirabelle deserved a chance to enjoy being home before they whisked her away again. Intellectually, Siffrin knows all that, which is why he's tolerated this lingering so far. But if he were to be totally selfish, he'd have dragged them all out of Dormont at the first opportunity. He'd give up sleeping in a bed in a heartbeat just to be free of this place as soon as possible.

Granted, it's not like sleeping outside has ever been a big deal for him anyway. He did plenty of it before joining up with the party, and he didn't even have a tent back then.]

[That laughter is cold and also completely understandable. If being stuck in a timeloop was enough to make Siffrin break down the way they did yesterday, both emotionally and physically, then yeah. They must hate Dormont's guts by now. He wants to ask how long they were stuck to begin with, but now seems like poor timing.]

Yeah, that might've been a dumb question on my part. Sorry, Sif.

[Genuine apology! After all, Isabeau's experience with Dormont, while not anywhere near as traumatic as Siffrin's must have been, are still almost exclusively his best friend being really upsetting for seemingly no reason, a crazy House of Change with warping doors and unsettling Head Housemaidens... Oh, and the world almost ending in a way that managed to top Vaugarde being frozen in time. If he's not especially eager to linger, he can imagine Siffrin wishes they were already halfway across the planet.

He throws on his stripey pants and with a twist, turns just in time to catch Siffrin fixing his hair in the mirror. Isabeau tries, and fails, not to look too fond at the sight.]

Hang in there a little longer, at least for Mira's sake. I'll see what I can do to speed things along on my end, too.

[He tilts his head to the side, returning to his thoughts.] Maybe if I go help Madame Odile with her supply gathering, we can scoot out of town a bit sooner after brunch? Hmm...

[The apology makes Siffrin wince, and they turn back to Isabeau.]

It's fine. I don't want Mira to have to miss out on time with her friends for my sake.

[And he does mean it. She deserves that much. He can put up with this place a little longer for her sake.

Tentatively, he reaches out to take Isabeau's hand with a feather-light touch. He'd left his gloves with the rest of his things upstairs, and the brush of skin on skin has him taking a breath before he continues.]

But we can both help Odile out? It'd be a decent distraction, at least.

[And they'd rather Isabeau not leave them alone, but they don't say that part. It feels too needy, and despite all the shit from them that Isabeau has already put up with and forgiven, they still feel like they might manage to drive him away if they're too clingy. Admittedly, they could just hang out with Bonnie, but they really want to stick with Isabeau right now. The vibes are good and they're getting more comfortable, so they wanna ride that out as long as they can. And it gives them more opportunities to experiment and analyze this whole situationship and so they can give Isa a proper answer as soon as possible.

There's something there. And he's hopeful about it. It's just...well. He's not the resident romance fan of the group, but it's not like he's never read anything involving romance. There are even some plays he likes a lot that heavily feature it. And everything he's ever read and seen has made it seem...bigger, sort of? Like it's this all-encompassing thing, overpowering and unmistakable. His feelings towards Isabeau are...not smaller, necessarily, but steadier than that. Softer. Warm and comforting, more like having a home to come back to than fireworks or anything like that. Sure, fiction doubtlessly dramatizes things somewhat, but how much?

Siffrin has never particularly lamented their lack of experience in this realm before, but they do now, if only because it'd at least give them a point of comparison. Is it enough to just compare it to how things feel with the rest of their friends? It's not like what they feel for any of the others, after all, so maybe that's something. But then again, it's not like what they feel for Bonnie is the same as with Mirabelle, and Mira isn't the same as Odile.

Still, they haven't thought about trying to kiss Mirabelle or Odile. Maybe it's just curiosity, or the urge to make Isabeau happy, but it's something.]

Edited 2024-08-08 05:27 (UTC)

[That's really the crux of the matter, isn't it? Mirabelle went on a several months long quest to save her home and the people she loves, harrowing in its own way. Different but not dissimilar to what Siffrin must have gone through, or so Isabeau thinks. Accommodating Mirabelle's desire to stay and Siffrin's desire to leave is something that's surely been on everyone's minds. That's part of why he's so sure Odile is working on gathering supplies for the trip now, rather than making a plan with everyone first. Mid to late afternoon seems like a decent enough compromise for both their needs, even if it isn't a perfect one.

He's shaken from his thoughts by the now-clothed Siffrin's approach and an almost shy press of fingertips along his hand. Isabeau hesitates at the same time they do, their unfamiliarity with touch meeting his excitement to be approached in any way whatsoever, and he beams as fingers edge along his. He quickly sweeps that hand into his, palm to palm, and enjoys the way his heart goes pitter-pat just from having them near. Apologies for the way he radiates happiness.]

Yeah, let's go together!

[In a way, things haven't changed too much from a few days ago, relationship-wise. He's still every bit as thrilled as he always is whenever Siffrin is in his peripherals, except! Now there's all these bonus hand holds! And he doesn't have to catch himself and tone it down when he looks at them like they've got his whole heart in their hands. Holding Sif all night and brushing his hair effectively broke down quite a few of those touch-based barriers for Isabeau, who now almost absentmindedly reaches up to fix the hair that got mussed up from getting dressed. Tucking bright strands back into place, running his fingers through it to re-fluff a bit...]

We can help the good Madame with our extra arms to carry things, and also annoy her by being aggressively cute. Huhu, I'm looking forward to it...

psl

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