ma fille

[beheld_beauty]

Belle has just laid a grand enchantment over the city of Changsha in Cathay, and returned home to attend to her husband in the wake of this activity, and now she is telling the kitchen to fix her some lunch.

Comments

[mindfields]

Dominique finds her there.

"Hello, Maman," she says, giving Belle a hug.

[beheld_beauty]

"Hello, Dominique, how are you?" she says, hugging back.

[mindfields]

"I want to learn enchanting," she says, and then she puts her hand over her mouth and giggles. She hadn't quite meant to just say it like that.

[beheld_beauty]

"Do you. The long way around, or the shortcut that other Bells use just to get their auras?"

[mindfields]

"Well, I'm not sure," she says. "The shortcut is faster, but is there something better about doing it the other way?"

[beheld_beauty]

"Wishing for it on a pentagon will tell you what ought to work - and generally it will," says Rose. "Experience and study will tell you what to do when it does not work, and why it might not have worked. When Bells and Jokers were enchanting Saturn for Pattern, I was the one who was able to notice and repair small errors in the spells."

[mindfields]

"Then I will do both," she says reasonably.

[beheld_beauty]

Rose laughs. "I believe that is Glass's plan as well, or I don't know why she would have wanted a copy of my library. Very well." She produces a Heart-power-colored pentagon. "Here you are."

[mindfields]

Dominique wishes, and hugs her Maman.

"And I want to do a wish like Luc, so I can channel with myself," she adds.

[beheld_beauty]

"Of course. If you want to copy it exactly you may do it yourself; if you want any adjustments from Luc's version then perhaps I ought to, beginning as I do with more knowledge of the subject."

[mindfields]

She shrugs. "I'll copy it."

[beheld_beauty]

Belle offers her a hexagon, also in Beast's color.

[mindfields]

Dominique wishes again, and hugs her mother again. "Thank you, Maman."

[beheld_beauty]

"You're welcome," says Belle, hugging her tight. "You will do marvelous things."

[mindfields]

"I will," she laughs.

[beheld_beauty]

"Where are you going to start?"

[mindfields]

"I have no idea!" says Dominique.

[beheld_beauty]

"Well," laughs Belle, "when you have acquired an idea I will be most interested to hear it."

[mindfields]

She giggles.

"I want to go tell Papa," she declares. "Is he resting?"

[beheld_beauty]

"He is resting, yes."

(Dominique's papa spends rather a lot of time resting.)

"But he may be up and about within the hour."

[mindfields]

She giggles again.

"All right. I love you, Maman."

[beheld_beauty]

"I love you too, my Dominique."

[mindfields]

Dominique makes a face of mixed feelings.

[beheld_beauty]

"What is it?"

[mindfields]

"I don't know," she says, although evidently she does.