per admirabilem ascensionem tuam

[jovahs_heiress]

Peninnah is now five, and her wingspan should be sufficient to carry her aloft; she's just having a little trouble with the necessary coordination. Isabella has worked with her, and so has Rinnah, but Peninnah is impatient and has given up on both of them in favor of asking Damaris for help, on the poorly articulated theory that Damaris, at age thirteen, is closer to Peninnah's own size and might make more sense.

Comments

[inherpiety]

"Are you sick?"

[pythbox]

"Not... exactly," she says falteringly.



"I am afraid you will not like me if I tell you."

[inherpiety]

Well, that makes two of them with secrets.

"Did - did you do something? Mom can probably fix that too, just - I won't not like you, I like you, really," says Keziah.

[pythbox]

"I did not - I am not - I am going to - "

Junia starts crying.

[inherpiety]

Keziah pitches forward and hugs her on complete impulse.

[pythbox]

Junia clings.

[inherpiety]

"If you can't tell me can you tell my mom?"

[pythbox]

"I do n-not know," she sniffles.

[inherpiety]

"What would happen if you stayed?"

[pythbox]

"I w-would grow up," she says, "and I would not - I - I would not appear to be a girl any longer."

[inherpiety]

Keziah takes a moment to figure this out, but then she makes the necessary connections.

"Oh! Mom can fix that. We know somebody like that," she adds. "It'll be okay!"

[pythbox]

"...How?" she says plaintively.

[inherpiety]

"It's -" Kez starts, but then she says, "Maybe I'd better let her explain. Let me get her." She's about to brainphone when she decides she'd better actually leave the room. "I'll be right back - will you wait here?"

[pythbox]

Junia nods.

[inherpiety]

"Okay. It's going to be okay!" Keziah assures her, and she hugs the other angel again and slips out of the room, closes the door, and runs to her mother's office.

[jovahs_heiress]

Isabella, fortunately, is not doing anything time-critical, and at her daughter's hasty explanation of the problem comes to the music room in question.

She sits down. "Hello, Junia."

[pythbox]

Junia shrinks a little.

"Hello, Isabella," she murmurs.

[jovahs_heiress]

"It's okay. There's nothing to be afraid of. Do you think it would be all right to include your mother in this conversation?"

[pythbox]

"...Why?" says Junia.

[jovahs_heiress]

"Because I can fix it," says Isabella, "and perhaps she would find that surprising if it happened without warning."

[pythbox]

"...it would be all right," says Junia.

[jovahs_heiress]

"Keziah, treasure, will you run and find Junia's mother, please? Their quarters are in the north section on the third level."

[inherpiety]

Keziah nods and dashes out again in search of Junia's mother.

[pythbox]

While Keziah is looking, Junia continues to be sniffly and unhappy.

[inherpiety]

Keziah is back a few minutes later with a slightly graying mortal woman in tow. "Here she is," she announces.