the capture

[instar]

Bella is, uncharacteristically, home alone; Andi is over at Robin's, and Renée is visiting a friend of hers in the hospital, though she could be home relatively soon depending on how much the two get caught up in conversation.

Bella is memorizing the map of Phoenix.

Comments

[instar]

"You okay?"

[aeskhyne]

"...Yeah," he says. "Mostly. Kind of."

[instar]

Bella puts her hand on his shoulder, lightly. "Anything I can do?"

[aeskhyne]

He leans into her hand a little.

"...A hug would be nice," he admits.

[instar]

Bella hugs him.

[aeskhyne]

He hugs back.

"I love you," he murmurs.

[instar]

"I'm glad."

[aeskhyne]

He smiles and hugs her tighter for a moment.

[instar]

Hug.

And then Bella lets go, puts the bowl away again, and heads up the stairs.

[aeskhyne]

After a few minutes, Trouble gets dressed and follows her. His clothes are a bit the worse for their encounter with that lemon tart, but most of it just brushes off and what's left isn't egregiously noticeable.

[instar]

"Do you want to come to Olive Garden or would it be easier to make good your escape if you went home briefly?"

[aeskhyne]

"...I think maybe... no," he says. "It won't help anything if I go home and come back, but I don't really wanna go to Olive Garden either. I will if it's the best way to end up here again afterward, though."

[instar]

"You could wander off somewhere else and show up here again at like eight," Bella says. "If that works out better."

[aeskhyne]

"Yeah. I'll do that."

[instar]

"Okay. Andi's probably already on her way home from Robin's; I'll call Robin anyway." Bella heads for the phone.

[aeskhyne]

Trouble wanders off.

[instar]

And Bella calls Robin.

[hold_infinity]

"Hi, Bella!"

[instar]

"Hello. First, before I explain what happened today, I want to say that there is no longer an emergency, everyone is fine."

[hold_infinity]

"...Go on," says Robin.

[instar]

"I'm not sure how much to say over the phone, but Trouble was temporarily... not fine. You should come over at around eight when me and Andi are back from the Olive Garden and Renée's at the movies, and bring Ethan."

[hold_infinity]

"Will do," says Robin.

[instar]

"Okay. See you then."

And when Renée and Andi are home, all three of them go and eat pasta and bring home the leftovers and investigate the presents Trouble left for dessert, and Renée goes to meet her friends at the movie theater, and Bella tells Andi what happened, and then it is eight.

[hold_infinity]

Robin and Ethan and Trouble arrive all together.

[instar]

"So," says Bella briskly, when they are in and the door is closed and the curtains have been checked. "Trouble got Yeerked. I chased her out, she's in the basement in a bowl of water."