thaumobabble | semiautonomous kitchen

The remaining two days of the walk are much more affectionate, and also much more free of wizards and snakes than the first two days were. Somehow, all three travelers manage to not realize that Bella has not yet produced her name, even though on at least one occasion it would have been convenient for Tony to have.

And there is the castle, and there is the -

"Skyvault," sighs Bella, diving into her hat for her specs.

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"Confidence," Sherlock murmurs. "That sounds promising."

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"Oh, Cricket thinks I can do anything," laughs Bella self-consciously. "I can do a lot of things, but 'anything' is pushing it."

"Mewew."

"Cricket," says Bella dryly, "she's not a cat. She doesn't go into heat."

"Mow!"

"Whenever, okay, and that's all I'm telling you about that."

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Sherlock giggles.

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"Mooooow."

"Cricket says to tell you," Bella relays to Sherlock, "that you'd better be good to me."

"Mew."

"Or you may be scratched. 'Ket-cat, I don't think you want to try that."

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"I will be good to you," says Sherlock, "regardless of Cricket's opinion on the matter."

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Bella beams at her.

"Meow."

"Cricket thinks we're cute," laughs Bella. "Anyway, Cricket, I'll be home to pack up everything, including you, soon, but not likely four days soon. You'll be okay?"

"Mrrrrow."

"If you need to, yeah, I'll pay her back - in fact, you could go anyway, tell Bobbin to tell Sanda the news."

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"Meow."

"Yes, I could call her, but if you're going to be over there anyway - look, Cricket, I told you first, I haven't even called Ranata and Charlie yet, and I have other things to do, I lost a moccasin -"

"Mew mew."

"Tony carried me most of the way," Bella admits. "Don't interrupt. So I have new moccasins to make, and a Skyvault to look at, and maybe a sword, and of course there's Sherlock and Tony to get to know, I'm calling you because you generally expect me to feed you and you need to know how long I'll be gone but Sanda's down the priority list some."

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"Mow."

"If that were what 'getting to know' meant, I certainly would not tell you."

"Meeeeow!"

"If you're just going to make dirty jokes, then this call is over," says Bella firmly.

"Mowww."

"Apology accepted."

"Mew?"

"There's knowing someone well enough to be sure you want to keep them and then there's knowing them really well. You should know that, you'd decided I was going to be your witch - after a fashion - when you were five weeks old and had spied on me talking to Sanda for about ten minutes."

"Mew."

"Yes, you were very clever about it, but that didn't mean that you had nothing new to learn at the time I was convinced and brought you home, did it?"

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Sherlock grins a little.

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"Meooow?"

"In this metaphor neither I nor either princess is a cat. It's not a direct metaphor like that."

"Mew."

"You'll just have to live with it."

"Mwow."

"No, we don't have a wedding date set."

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"Mew."

"I will certainly not name my firstborn after you."

"Mew!"

"I don't care if it's unisex. I'll probably only be able to produce daughters anyway."

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...Sherlock giggles.

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"Meow meow."

"Thanks, Cricket. I love you too."

The mirror goes blank.

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"Shall we come up with a wedding date? Or would you like to make more calls first?"

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"More calls will probably be to people who also want a date," Bella says, leaning her head on Sherlock's shoulder. "So we should probably pick a day. Hmmm."

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"Anytime within the next year would be likely to satisfy Mother."

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"Late summer? Maybe mid-Umber."

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"Entirely acceptable."

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"And Ranata won't have to take off work then either, although Charlie will no matter when it is. Umber fifteenth." She kisses Sherlock on the cheek and beams.