how long has it been?

[small_magics]

Isibel's beloveds are home. And they are with her. And they are quite undisturbed.

Anyone who could not guess the ensuing events would not know them very well.

She has spent over a sennight, now, with them, entangled and sleepless and so very, very glad to have them again.

It is during a lull in the proceedings - if it can really be called that, when they are sandwiched around her, Ansharil in one of his humanoid shapes, Aianon with his wings wrapping them all up in a bundle - when it occurs to her that Lycaelon was promised a kiss, once, years ago.

Comments

[small_magics]

Also beloved-enjoyment, more generally. Lots of it. A sennight is not enough after sixteen years.

[endragoned]

Not nearly enough. Try three, or four. Or more than that. More, generally. More time, more pouncing, more kisses, more of everything they missed.

[small_magics]

And there was so much to miss. (Not least because Ansharil keeps turning into things. When he's an angel he makes the loveliest sounds when Isibel strokes his wings.)

[endragoned]

His wings as an angel are the same vivid array of purples as his hair in any humanoid shape. They are very beautiful, and he loves to wrap her up in them and kiss her.

[small_magics]

And she loves to be wrapped up and kissed! What a lovely arrangement.

[endragoned]

Yes. If possible, Ansharil would like to go on touching her for - oh, the next several years at least.

[small_magics]

She would not dream of sending him away from her.

[endragoned]

Good. He'll just do that, then.

[small_magics]

Of course, several years spent doing what they are doing now might be excessive, time-dilation or no, but that doesn't mean she wants to stop yet. And she can bring Ansharil with her wherever she goes, shaped like this or that, without it necessarily always devolving into sennights or moonturns of prolonged "reunion".

[endragoned]

Perhaps he will be some sort of small pretty extravagant bird and perch himself on her shoulder. Small, pretty, extravagant, and purple.

But for now - reunion. Yes. That.

[small_magics]

Very very much that.

[endragoned]

Very much of that. As much of that as they want. Especially now that they are tucked away out of time, there is absolutely no reason to stop until they are entirely done.

[small_magics]

That will take a lot of that.

[endragoned]

Yes. It will.

[small_magics]

Best get started. Well. Continue, more.

[endragoned]

Yes.





It takes a very long time, but eventually, they are snuggling and snuggling and have not kissed in a while and Aianon decides that he might like to have a nap.

[small_magics]

Isibel kisses his forehead, not to break the lull but to punctuate it. She sits up. She squares herself presentable and clothed, ensures that the tree won't allow anyone in to disturb or be disturbed by Aianon, and stands and stretches, yawning contently.

[endragoned]

Ansharil becomes a small purple creature with a long fluffy body, a longer, fluffier tail, and beautiful feathery purple wings. He flutters up to Isibel's shoulder, perches there, curls his tail loosely around her neck, and nuzzles her cheek.

[small_magics]

She pets his fluff. And she breaks the time dilation on her tree, and takes a step outside.

[endragoned]

Will she be seeking out Lycaelon now?

[small_magics]

She should think about that, shouldn't she. Hmm.

She likes being her beloveds' - favorite, for lack of a better word. She does not begrudge them their affection for others, but none of it is central in the same way as what they have for her. She is wondering how she will do if there is another in their Bond, another Binding permanently anchored, on the level with hers. Perhaps it would change nothing, particularly since Lycaelon likes to be alone so very much of the time. But perhaps she is wrong.

[endragoned]

Well...

Ansharil knows it would not change how much he loves her, or how. He does not know what it would change, exactly. Neither Isibel nor her beloveds has ever thought about adding another Bonded before; they are thinking new things, and Ansharil is not sure he understands all of them. It would be new. It would be different.

He wants to do it. But if Isibel feels that she would be losing something with the change, something important that she does not want to lose, then he won't. He does not want it that much. How could he? She is his Bonded, and he loves her.

[small_magics]

Isibel takes Ansharil from her shoulder and tucks him under her chin and holds him, eyes closed.

She thinks, and sends along thoughts as they happen.

They haven't ever considered adding another person to the Bond. There have never been that many people - bodies? - in a Dragonbond before; she didn't know it was possible. But from the shape of her beloveds' thoughts now, this fact was doing more work for her than for them. She was - only. Not the only person they loved or made love to or anything like that, but the only something, and here is another person - who she does quite like, but who - threatens is not the right word. But who presents himself as a second of this thing that she was previously all by herself.

This doesn't seem to have been important to her beloveds. It isn't how they work. But it is how she works. The onlyness has been doing something. Replacing it is not impossible, and then everyone could have what they want, but it is potentially fraught.

[endragoned]

So...

What else could she be the only one of, if she was no longer their only Bonded?

She could be their only wife. That seems to be working for some other Bells. Would it work for Sarion?

[small_magics]

It would, except - that all of her feelings about marriage are elfy feelings, not angel feelings or enchantress feelings. And elf-marriage is about soul-sympathy. And that is only operating in one direction, here.