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[witheredpeonies]

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[somebodychildofanyone]

A nod. At length, River puts her cup down, and closes her eyes. "I'm scared to die," she admits quietly. "Shit thing for a necromancer to be scared of, I know, but I am. You haven't seen it yet but there's a scar on my stomach...spear through the guts, I had no right to live. Still get nightmares, I hate it, but being alive, doing alive-person things, they help. Work, cuddling Eddie's chickens, a stiff drink, a good meal, sex...they stave off the fear."

"But you and Erik feel like home. That make any sense?"

[witheredpeonies]

"You're cheating on us with Bobbin?!" This melodramatic response is clearly and absolutely a joke.

And the 'us', that comes so easy, so naturally. Erik, at least, Annabel Lee has accepted as part of River's life and support network.

[somebodychildofanyone]

River squeezes Annabel's hand and with the kind of gravity you use to deliver news of a loved one's death, says: "She stole my heart."

[witheredpeonies]

"That thieving bitch! She'll be coq au vin by evening if I have anything to say about it!"

And then she dissolves into giggles.

[somebodychildofanyone]

Trying to keep her grave expression only makes River break down laughing faster, holding herself up with her palm against the table.

This, too, is life.

[witheredpeonies]

This is what life is about. This is joy, and mirth and everything Annabel has needed.

"I'm serious, though. I want to make a home with you."

[somebodychildofanyone]

Blink. Blink blink.

"I. Was trying to - like, moving in together?"

This mugs the River, who had rather been expecting either a lack of understanding or the sudden presence of understanding about the line she just tried to express between her lusts and her loves.

[witheredpeonies]

Beat.

"...I dunno, does that include hand massages with finger kisses and late night mugs of warm milk?"

[somebodychildofanyone]

"It'd fuckin' better, there's so much stuff to move either way but - where's this coming from?"

Her cheeks are red. Her ears are red. Her hair is - well, that was always red.

But it's not an unhappy red, even if the Practical Concerns can be seen behind River's eyes.

[witheredpeonies]

"Oh, part of it's that irrational desire to keep you. Not to hide you away or keep you from others, but. To know you'll come home to me when you come home. To give you space where you can be soft and silly and sweet. Where your ears can wiggle freely."

Yeah, no, it isn't a perfect answer. But it's an honest one.

[somebodychildofanyone]

"Wren take me I really wanna go get that ribbon and see what happens." River swallows, laughs. "...I like that idea. But like...do we move one of our shops? Meaning yours because you can't pay me to move that forge with all the riches of the earth? Or...if one or the other of us brings someone home? Erik as the obvious example but," River gestures to All Of The Annabel. "It's not like you couldn't, y'know."

She's so open to being persuaded. River doesn't wanna be Reasonable she wants to be crazy and in love and tied up for Annabel to ravish.

[witheredpeonies]

“I could? Really? You wouldn’t have problems with it?” She’s still sort of slow to understand what’s going on.

[somebodychildofanyone]

"Annabel I'd genuinely be through the moon to hear you took another lover, assuming, y'know, she's someone we both respect, but if you did there's the distinctly not sexy practical question of relative privacy and sleeping arrangements."

Beat.

River picks up her drink. "I suddenly understand so much better why my sister's spouses are each other's lovers too."

[witheredpeonies]

"Yeah, that's not going to work with me and Erik. But I will talk with him."

It'll be an interesting talk.

"But you're right, we need to consider logistics."

[somebodychildofanyone]

"Even just the little things." River's voice gets smaller. "...Those nightmares are pretty frequent, you know. I'd hate to keep you up at night."

To say nothing of being well before the invention of U-Haul.

[witheredpeonies]

"That might be another application for a spool of ribbon."

This is, for legal purposes, a joke.

[somebodychildofanyone]

River gets hit by the mental image of spending the night tied up under Annabel's care and makes a noise of unrestrained lust that may or may not qualify as a prayer to Kora.

[witheredpeonies]

"Noted." Annabel laughs brightly. River will not survive.

[somebodychildofanyone]

"Ifeelsafelikethatokay." Bright red. Already dying. Weak point hit for massive damage. She tries to rally by focusing on her brandy for a bit. "...We really discussing this, then? Moving in? Maybe expanding the house so there's room for...everything? I don't want to rush anything, I...the last thing I wanna do is hurt you by mistake. Again."

[witheredpeonies]

"I think we're at the 'floating the idea' stage, but not making any important decisions today. You're tender and I'm overwhelmed."

That's pretty solid and certain.

[somebodychildofanyone]

"Good thinking." River closes her eyes, sighs. "Being responsible suckssss...but with me staying for a few days we can figure out how we feel about it, yeah?"

[witheredpeonies]

Is that Annabel's cue to lean in and kiss River's eyelids? Yes, yes it is.

"That will definitely help."