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We earned this, [she echoes softly.

There's something in the back of Lune's head that won't let her take that sort of credit. Every day of her last twenty-eight years has been dedicated to creating this possibility: sitting quietly with a loved one, enjoying the day, being able to look down to the harbor and over the sea without having to see the promise of death looming on the horizon. And now it's here, but it still doesn't feel as though she's done enough, as though she's truly finished the work, as though she's earned this happy ending. Especially when Sciel is right: there are countless Expeditioners who gave their lives for this, people whose names will never be remembered, except in the archives Lune has studied so meticulously, people who died violently and alone so that Lune could sit and eat oeufs cocotte with her girlfriend.

She runs her thumb across the back of Sciel's knuckles. Whether she's earned it or not, her happy ending is here, sitting across from her, smiling, with a smudge of chocolate on her lower lip. And her heart feels as though it could burst with how much she loves her, with how lucky she is that, after twelve years of mistakes and missed opportunities, Sciel still wants her.]

Still, we could live to be... Seventy. Eighty. [An impossibly high number. The oldest people Lune's ever met were in their sixties, and that was when she was a very young child. She only knows that people can live into their eighties and beyond from old records and stories.] Even older. Can you imagine?

[She reaches out and runs a finger along Sciel's lower lip, gentle but fastidious, wiping away the chocolate. And then her hand lingers, hovering just above Sciel's lips for a moment before she draws it back.]

My whole life, there was one goal: defeat the Paintress. Everything revolved around that. If it didn't help further the mission, I... [Ignored it. Avoided it. Sciel knows; she was one of the things that didn't further the mission.] But now... there is no goal, other than the ones I set myself.

[She can't help but feel a little adrift. Even with her plans to return to the Continent, there is no specified end, no moment when she'll know the work is done. No mission parameters.]

Edited 2026-01-06 14:06 (UTC)

[ Can she imagine it? Yes. She does, every day. Even now Sciel allows herself to drift off into a version of that daydream: the pair of them sat here almost exactly the same, but with grey hair and wrinkles and aching bones. So she laughs in reply, leaning a little into the touch that swipes at her lip, winking in gratitude. ]

'Course I can. I love imagining it. [ Here she leans forward, lacing her fingers together and setting her chin atop them. ] When I do, you're just as gorgeous. A little more distinguished, maybe. Still working too much.

[ That'll never change, because as this morning has already demonstrated, there will always be more that could be done. And Sciel will never begrudge Lune doing what makes her happy when there's still so much to learn in their world, and -- more crucially -- finally opportunity to seek it out.

Her demeanor softens with the prospect of the future and the empty space that exists now where a path once stretched out before them. Sciel leans back again, turning her smile outward toward the harbour. ]

...Exactly. That's your new mission, Lune. Figuring out what you want for yourself and for your future. [ This is a nice segue, so with her usual, breezy air, Sciel transitions a bit: ] ...For example, I'd like my future to involve a nice dinner with you. Are you free tonight?

[ Sciel already knows that she is, had seen to it that she would be, but! ]

[Maybe one day, 'no mission' will sound like freedom instead of an endless, unnavigable ocean. Maybe one day, she won't catch herself feeling discomfited when she stops work at dinnertime instead of late at night or when she picks up a pencil to write music instead of notes. Maybe enough time with Sciel will finally teach her how to relax. Maybe some of that breeziness will eventually rub off.

They have so much time now, after all. They'll get to grow old together. Watch Sophie and Gustave's children grow up. Watch Maelle grow up. Sciel might be able to imagine it clearly – and she smiles fondly at Sciel's description of it – but to Lune it still all seems... fantastical.

As for what she wants...]

There is one thing I know I want for my future.

[She leans across the table and plants a soft kiss on Sciel's lips. The unspoken end of that sentence: you.]

And yes, of course I'll have dinner with you tonight.

[That's the promise she's made to herself, after all: knock off work at sunset every day, and devote the rest of her time to Sciel. If she doesn't, she might just lose their relationship, and she's already lost too much time with the woman she loves.]

I've been told there's something called a work-life balance. [A gentle tease, echoing words that she originally heard from Sciel.] And, allegedly, it's supposed to be good for you.

Edited (hit post too soon whoops) 2026-01-08 21:50 (UTC)

[ Sciel knows this of herself: she has no intention of leaving Lune (quite the opposite, given her plans for the day). She's a realist, but also knows deep to her core that nothing so flimsy as Lune being unable to stop herself from burning the midnight oil could scare her off. Even when it's just the pair of them in their flat, sitting in a shared silence where Lune is scratching away at a paper and Sciel is ruining something in the kitchen, the time is something she treasures more than she can put to words.

Even so, it is nice to get more of her girlfriend lately. More often than not, the eternal scholar has managed to set things aside when the sun goes down, emerging from her study only to be rewarded with a glass of wine, amusing story, or a passionate kiss. Often: all of the above. This pleases Sciel, of course, not only because it gives her more time with the woman she loves, but because it also seems to be doing some good for Lune. Letting her more easily fill the room in her life that she'd worked so hard to earn, to carve out. To be able to look up from her many tomes to see the impact that her efforts have had on the people around them.

The soft kiss is met with a deep, adoring smile as Sciel rises out of these musings, steeped as they are in her overwhelming fondness for the other woman. ]

Phew, wasn't sure that would work out. Glad you're taking a chance on me. [ There's a lilting laugh as she leans forward again to steal a kiss of her own, thumbing, feather-light, over Lune's cheek. ] I promise, ma belle, that you won't be disappointed.

[ Sciel, for her part, is...only slightly nervous. Just a little!

The echo of her own past words earns another laugh as Sciel leans back, crossing her arms and nodding approvingly. ]

Believe it: it exists. [ It'd actually been difficult for Sciel herself, first being a farmer and then a teacher, but she at least subscribed to the concept. ] I think I've seen the results firsthand. Your mind's not off someplace else...at least fifty percent of the time? Up from something like...twenty.

Not chance. I analysed the statistical likelihood of disappointment and found that it was far outweighed by the probability of having a good time.

[She's joking, a little bit of gentle self-mockery at her tendency to overthink. Lune knows she gets in her head about things, thinks instead of allowing herself to feel, builds walls of rationality and research and books around herself when what she should be doing is pulling those walls down and existing in the world, this wonderful new world they've helped to create.

Sciel helps with nudging her towards that. Little by little, the more time she spends with Sciel, the easier it becomes to simply be – enjoying Sciel's company, smiling fondly at her jokes or the fifth failed dinner attempt in a week (not that Lune's an any better cook), playing music while Sciel hums along and even sometimes dances, knowing that Sciel has had so much darkness in her past and trying, in however small a way, to give back the light and joy that Sciel's given to her – without her mind getting in the way.

At least fifty percent of the time.]

Have you got anything in particular in mind for dinner? [she asks, as she finishes up her eggs.

A pair of laughing children run by, maybe nine or ten years old, one shouting at the other to keep up as they barrel along. Not too long ago, those children would have had a life expectancy of barely more than a decade. Now they have all the time in the world, plenty of time to just be children.

Lune's eyes follow them as they pass, and suddenly all those unnameable doubts and strange uncertainties curl through her mind like sharp black fingers clawing at her. But when she tries to grasp onto them, to put words to what they are, they vanish, leaving a sour taste in her mouth and her head fuzzy and ringing.

She blinks, realising she hasn't heard Sciel's answer to her question.]

Sorry. I must not have gotten enough sleep last night.

[ She's joking, but that this is Lune's idea of a joke makes Sciel smile all the more, eyes softening in that deeply, stupidly-in-love way that people can be. ]

No pressure, then. [ Sciel murmurs, voice light and teasing in return. There's a deep breath -- one tinged with the salt of the water not far off and the aromatic steam wafting up from their drinks -- and then a satisfied exhale as she leans back in her seat, crossing one leg over the other.

Of course there's some pressure, since she wants things to continue as they have been...or progress, in this case. But it's still Sciel, and she, for the most part, is still able to move through life with a sort of ease unique to her. Especially since they'd succeeded in their mission and come back home, where every challenge now feels like it pales in comparison to their previously-thought-impossible task. ]

What's on your to-do list for the day? Besides dinner later. [ There's always a list, with her girlfriend, and so she asks after it with pleasant focus, as if it's the most important thing in the world to her right now (and not because she'd happily listen to Lune talk about anything).

At the question, she hums and tilts her head the other way, stalling a little. She does have a plan, but it'd be suspicious if she admitted as much, since she's usually the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type. ]

Well, since we're out now, I'd been thinking...more of a picnic. I've got some things I want to get together, and maybe I'll even scrounge up a blanket. [ The food she'll grab later in the day, once she's parted ways from her partner, at least for a while, along with some wine, maybe some flowers. The blanket and everything else is already tucked away in their flat where she hopes very much it won't be found.

Lune seems...especially unfocused, and so Sciel frowns a touch as she notices. Once that ends, though, and her attention returns, so does the little smile. ]

S'okay. I was just saying that I'd been thinking we have something like a picnic. Unless you meant what kind of food? If so: anything you want, or don't want, in particular?

[ A low-key dinner is all the better for tonight, if Lune's already a little tired. She leans in again, reaching out to take her girlfriend's hand in her own and give it a little squeeze, thumbing over her knuckles. ]

Maybe...you can get some rest between now and then, hm?

[Lune takes a slow breath in, relaxing into the warmth of Sciel's and allowing herself to drown the world out and focus only on Sciel. Slowly, the ringing dims, the sensation of her head stuffed with cotton fades away, and, before long, it's as though it never happened at all. Whatever 'it' was. There was something, there was... Lune's mind, usually tenacious to a fault, tries to remember what was bothering her, but it keeps sliding away like water off oilskin and she can't even recall what the problem was no matter how much she wants to piece it together.

She must be tired. That's all.]

Nothing to worry about. I'm more used to having sleepless nights than not.

[It's easy to brush off sleep deprivation when it's all she's ever really known. Even now, her mind has a regrettable tendency to latch onto some problem or question late at night, turning it over and over and refusing to let her sleep until it's the small hours of the morning and she needs to get up in just a few hours.]

I've been going through the 42s' journals. They were in contact with the grandis for most of the year before their deaths, and they learned a lot about the Continent, the terrain, the flora and fauna, grandis culture. The 53s also had information about Continental flora in their journals – they were testing the use of plants in medicine and poisons. If we make a return trip to the Continent, the information those Expeditions gathered will be invaluable, especially if we want to establish more permanent lines of communication with the grandis and create sustainable settlements on the Continent. It's a lot more than a day's work, of course– [Of course.] —but I was planning on working through more of those two journals today. I'm trying to collate all the information I can and organise it by subject matter so it can be easily referenced.

[She could go on. She might, if she had all day to sit around and tell Sciel about her work instead of doing the work.

Maybe...

Well, she's not sure how interesting Sciel would find it, but she likes talking to Sciel about anything at all, really. And Sciel has a very different way of looking at the world that sometimes gives Lune a new perspective on whatever she's working on. Maybe she could take a day off and spend it just... talking. About her work, about Sciel's work. Sciel's work must be so different now that her students can expect to live past their teens. She'd love to hear about it.

Yes, that might be nice. And Lune's got so many days in her future now, she wouldn't have to feel nearly as guilty as she once would about taking a day for herself.]

I could go over it with you some time. There are a lot of really interesting findings in there.

[And, oh, Sciel's asked a question about dinner, hasn't she?]

A picnic. What's the occasion?

[That's purely a joke. She's found nothing out of the ordinary in the flat and has no clue what Sciel is planning.]

It sounds lovely, [she adds hurriedly.] And I wouldn't ask you to cook. [No offense.] Salad would be good for a picnic, wouldn't it? I think the place around the corner does a salade landaise and a salade périgourdine? You could pick up one of those. And, [she adds with a smile,] a bottle of wine.

[ Yes: Lune is a classic overthinker, and one that is up late too many nights attempting sleep even as her own thoughts make it impossible to slip into slumber. Sciel doesn't need as many hours as some people, but is quick to pass out and snoozes away in relative peace, most nights. There are still some of the old nightmares — some new ones, too, even — but blessedly, those are lessening with time. ...And/or with the presence of the woman at her side, who is a comfort in any situation.

Sciel listens to her girlfriend talk about he 42s, their journals, and how it all factors into her day with a small, but earnest smile. She would listen to Lune talk about most anything, as they've established, but it's more than simply humouring the person she loves. The way Lune talks about it makes Sciel care about it all the more, as the mage is able to present the details and questions and everything in a way that makes it feel...accessible, and important. Sciel doesn't get the sense it's something Lune is doing on purpose, as if to bring it down to a more approachable level, but the effect is there all the same. Her...enthusiasm, maybe, or something like it effuses into the words and draws Sciel in every time.

By the end, she's leaning forward, chin on her palm and braced against a propped-up elbow, eyes twinkling fondly. ]

I'd really like that, cheri. [ She stresses. ] I want to hear more about what you've found, and how it's going to shape our upcoming 'expedition.' [ There's a pause, and then a flash of her teeth in an impish grin. ] ...Plus, I'm all for visiting the Grandis again to see if they've got any more clothes for us. That first set was incredible.

[ She's no fashionista, but, come on. Who wouldn't have liked the uniforms they'd been given, dyed to shine as brilliantly as the surrounding snow?

That's more a joke than anything, though, but she's still looking a little mischievous as they move back to the subject of their evening. ]

I'd offer to make dinner, you know I would, but...well. I'd actually like it to be nice. [ No offense taken! Cooking is decidedly Not her thing.

Lune helpfully suggests something she would be interested in, though, and Sciel commits it to memory, nodding as she taps a finger on the table. ]

Sounds perfect. [ A bottle of wine goes without saying. ] And the occasion is that it's a day where I'd like to have a delicious, private meal with my favourite person. So...just another day, really.

[ Far from it. Though...to be fair, she'd say the same thing even if she didn't have an ulterior motive. They've got all this time and they'd managed the impossible, so each new day is a reason for celebration, big or small.

Sciel cants her head a touch, peering across the remnants of their morning. ]

No rush, but...when you're ready, let's take the scenic route back.

[No rush. The scenic route. Concepts that, not long ago, would have been anathema to Lune's worldview. There's never been enough time, and no matter how much Lune would love to stop and bask in the myriad wonders of the world, the work is always there, pressing on the back of her mind, never letting her truly enjoy it all the way she wishes she could. Even now, when there finally is time, those journals are calling to her, and she reaches out to give Sciel's hand a regretful little squeeze.]

I don't know about the scenic route. I really do need to get back. Tonight, though, I promise I'm all yours.

[For the few moments it takes her to finish up her coffee, though, she allows herself the indulgence of letting her eyes wander over Sciel's face, studying the little twitches of her lips as she speaks, the way the corners of her eyes crinkle, how her smile distorts the topography of her skin and tugs at the scar tissue on her cheek and nose, the shifting colours of her eyes as the light hits them differently whenever she moves her head. Lune could study Sciel for years, she's sure, and still find more details worth remarking upon. And the more she thinks of Sciel, the further away that strange, momentary headache feels, until she's forgotten all about it.

She sets her coffee cup down and deposits a few francs on the table, enough to pay for the meal and tip the serveur.]

So. Is this picnic going to be in the flat? Do I need to move any of our furniture around? Or have you got a spot outside in mind?

[ As Lune insists she's still got work to do today, Sciel's hand finds its way back across the surface of the table to cover hers, thumbing enticingly over her knuckles. ]

"Need" to get back? Or...? [ It's a key distinction, with Lune. Because not everything needs to be done as soon as possible (one of their many, recurring subjects of conversation when it comes to the mage's work). ] Not to be greedy, but...I will, a little bit. Could I convince you to spend the day with me? And tomorrow you can get back on track, I promise.

[ Probably. Sciel is weak when it comes to her beautiful girlfriend, and she's often unable (and/or unwilling) to just let Lune work. Not if there's a kiss to be stolen, or a story to be shared, or...anything else, honestly. It doesn't take much. ]

Ah. [ Back to the picnic. ] I've got a spot in mind. Nothing you need to worry about, though I'd like to keep it a secret until it's time. [ Then, quickly: ] Don't set your expectations too high. Set them...medium-high.

[ Her plans involve the roof of their building, after all, which is not the most glamorous place in the city. It will have a lovely view, though. Especially if it ends up being a clear night. ]

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