ma mère

[beheld_beauty]

Jane's out again.

But at least this time Rose fetched Renée up from Downside first. Renée's been reacquainting herself with life; Charlie has been catching her up. Belle was a small child when her mother died, and her mother has spoken with her a little, but mostly wants to catch up on the past decades from Charlie, who is more or less as she left him.

Today Renée is ready, she says, to meet her son-in-law and grandchildren.

They walk, because why not. Céleste is obliged to leave Rainier at home; creatures more mythical than grandchildren are not for today's revelations for Renée. Renée is living with Charlie, of course, in his cottage that he has allowed Belle to renovate but not expand.

Belle knocks on the door. Charlie opens it, and holds out his arms to solicit hugs from granddaughters. Céleste provides gladly.

Comments

[cross_and_bow]

"Rose's?" says Juliet, inspecting Hyacinthe's world signature via her torchabling power.

[carillons]

"My maman is Belle Cygne and I am Hyacinthe Avril Cygne," says Hyacinthe. "Who are you, besides more mamans?"

[incanted]

"We are," says Aurora, and she points with every name, "Aurora, Juliet, Shell Bell, Tab - she's new, you won't have heard of her - Stella, Golden, Pattern - that's Pattern's boyfriend Ripper - and Glass. We're collecting all of us to sync up the worlds again. Wanna take us home with you?"

[carillons]

She peers at all of them, especially Ripper because he is not a maman.

"What is a boyfriend?"

[bellfounding]

Pattern says, "We're together, like your parents, except we aren't married."

[carillons]

"Oh," says Hyacinthe. She nods. "Okay. Would you like to see Maman now?"

[luminous_regnant]

"Yes, please."

[carillons]

She turns around back the way she came, and opens the door, and leads many mamans (and one boyfriend) through it.

[she_sells_seashells]

[Rose!] calls Shell Bell, with Hyacinthe and the other two rosebuds and Beast and all the Bells and Ripper conferenced in. [We have an alternative timesyncing solution and then we're going to see if we can fetch the welcome committee.]

[beheld_beauty]

[Oh! Hello, welcome!]

[carillons]

[I found many mamans,] Hyacinthe contributes. [They were in a place. Now they are here. One of them has a boyfriend.]

[deslandes]

[A boyfriend?] says Beast.

[bellfounding]

[I was out for sixteen years,] says Pattern. [It happens. Beast, Ripper; Ripper, Beast.]

[giftedandtalented]

[And a new Bell. I am novel and exciting and come bearing the alternative timesyncing solution. I'll just stick it in your Janepoint if you don't mind.]

[beheld_beauty]

[Yes, please.]

[tearingup]

[Hi, Beast,] says Ripper. [I've heard about you.]

[deslandes]

[Have you,] says Beast. [Pattern, may I borrow your boyfriend please? I will return him in good condition.]

[bellfounding]

[Ripper, you want to hang out here with Beast or come with us to Samaria? Shell Bell can swing by to pick you up on our way home.]

[she_sells_seashells]

[Well, that depends on what, exactly, got the welcoming committee stuck. But certainly I will if I can.]

[tearingup]

[Eh, it's not like I'll be much use if you run into something nasty out there.] He gives Pattern a hug and a chocolate-flavoured kiss. "Good luck," he murmurs.

[giftedandtalented]

Meanwhile, Tab has finished installing the Kersible.

[bellfounding]

Pattern kisses her boyfriend and hugs him tight. "Have fun," she murmurs back, "we'll be back in just a little while, only Samaria and New Bell's World left to go."

[self_composed]

"Awww."

[cross_and_bow]

Juliet starts laughing again.

[beheld_beauty]

Rose appears, having bidden her husband and elder daughters goodbye. She kisses Hyacinthe on the forehead. "Shall we?"