"I don't know if I'm just imagining things, but why do you keep acting so strange lately, Amiya? It's like you're actively trying to dodge me."
Pushing a heavy supply cart down the corridor, Jeanne paused to eye the young Cautus beside her. The rabbit's body had gone completely rigid, her long ears twitching awkwardly as she avoided direct eye contact.
Did I sleepwalk the other night? Jeanne wondered, frowning slightly. Did I accidentally tie her ears into a knot in my sleep and scare the poor kid out of her wits?
Lost in thought and completely withdrawn from the outside world, Amiya stiffened further at Jeanne's words, wearing a look so profoundly unnatural it would make anyone suspicious.
"N-no! Nothing's wrong at all! Absolutely nothing!" Amiya stammered, frantically waving her hands to deny the accusation.
Her overreaction only confirmed Jeanne's suspicions. Oh, there is definitely something going on here.
Ever since morning, Amiya had been acting entirely out of character. Even while they were handing out food rations to the displaced Taran refugees earlier, the young leader kept stealing furtively, lingering glances in Jeanne's direction.
Tilting her head in confusion, Jeanne wondered what on earth could make the normally composed girl act so secretive.
Noticing the steady gaze, Amiya's cheeks flushed an even deeper shade of crimson. She dropped her head, staring intently at the floorboards and refusing to meet Jeanne's eyes as she walked in silence, her mind racing with a chaotic whirlwind of thoughts.
"Jeanne..." Amiya finally blurred out, unable to suppress her burning curiosity any longer after minutes of agonizing debate. "If you don't mind asking me... what kind of relationship do you and Miss Talulah have?"
"Relationship with Talulah?" Jeanne blinked, caught entirely off guard by the unexpected question. Why on earth was Amiya asking about that out of nowhere?
"Well, if I had to describe it..." Jeanne didn't need to ponder for long before answering with a soft, natural smile. "I suppose we're like family living together."
"Family?" Amiya repeated the word, her thoughts drifting back to the way the two women interacted. Watching them bicker, relying on each other, and sharing the weight of the world—it genuinely mirrored the quiet rhythm of a long-established household.
"Of course we're family," Jeanne continued, a nostalgic warmth softening her gaze as fond memories of the past few years flickered through her mind. "We've lived side by side for years now. We were bound to become a family long ago."
Although the recent period had been hectic and she hadn't visited home in quite a while—meaning she hadn't even checked if Talulah had actually set aside a room for her in Chernobog, or if she was going to end up sleeping on a park bench—the bond remained unshakable.
Listening to Jeanne, Amiya was suddenly reminded of the dynamic between Doctor Kal'tsit, the Doctor, and Theresa. Although Kal'tsit's sharp demeanor always threw a wrench into things, the underlying care and devotion among the trio carried that exact same weight.
"It feels a lot like the Doctor and everyone else," Amiya murmured, a gentle, bittersweet smile replacing the bashfulness on her face. "Always fussing and bickering over small things, but sharing that deep warmth of people who have lived together for a long time."
"Well, even if we haven't technically known each other since the dawn of time, you aren't wrong," Jeanne replied with a light shrug. Although she had no idea what mental gymnastics had brought the rabbit to this conclusion, since the child seemed to have recovered her composure, Jeanne saw no reason to dig deeper.
As for Amiya, she simply decided to keep the embarrassing secret of what she had accidentally witnessed between Jeanne and Talulah buried forever. Bringing it up would only mortify Jeanne, and keeping quiet was the kinder option.
Still, you've definitely got that look of someone hiding a secret, Jeanne thought with a faint, amused sigh, shaking her head.
Dropping off the supply cart at the cafeteria, Jeanne turned on her heel and headed toward Kal'tsit's office to check their coordinates and estimate how much longer until they reached Chernobog. The journey should be nearing its final stretch.
"There you are! I was wondering where you wandered off to. I haven't seen you around for ages."
Talulah rounded the corner of the corridor, freezing mid-step as she spotted Jeanne walking toward her.
"I was just downstairs helping distribute rations to the Victorians," Jeanne replied, grinning as she stepped closer and playfully bumped her shoulder against Talulah's. A mischievous glint danced in her eyes. "What's the matter? Miss me already? Were you worried I'd slip away and start running my mouth about—mmpf?!"
Before Jeanne could finish her teasing remark, Talulah's hand shot out to clamp firmly over her mouth. Her golden eyes narrowed into dangerous slits, carrying a silence, unyielding threat: Do you really think I'm going to let you finish that sentence? Even if you weren't planning on cursing us, I'll choke out every last possibility with my bare hands before I let you speak!
Jeanne struggled against the grip, trying to pull away, but Talulah held fast. Finding herself trapped, Jeanne instinctively tried to nip at the palm covering her lips. Her teeth slid harmlessly off the smooth skin, sending a ticklish, scratchy sensation up Talulah's arm.
"Ugh—hey!" Talulah flinched, pulling her hand back in disgust and wiping her palm against her coat. "Where did you even learn a trick like that? Who goes around biting people? Have some dignity!"
Standing a few paces away, Amiya watched the domestic scuffle with an amused, knowing smile. Viewing it through the lens of a shared household dynamic, their rough-and-tumble interactions suddenly made complete sense.
In fact, compared to the Doctor constantly trying to pull pranks on Kal'tsit and getting beaten black and blue for their trouble, this was remarkably tame.
"While I have no objections to close bonds between friends, could you two at least check your surroundings?" Kal'tsit's flat, emotionless voice chimed in as the office door slid open. The feline doctor looked out at the pair with absolute deadpan neutrality, though she reached out to pull Amiya safely out of the splash zone. "There is a minor child present, you know."
"My apologies," Talulah muttered, her cheeks flushing with sudden embarrassment as she hastily dropped her hand. Getting caught wrestling in the hallway by Kal'tsit was a quick route to losing whatever dignity she had left.
"I have no interest in mediating your personal disputes, so long as your interpersonal dynamics stay within the boundaries of common sanity," Kal'tsit remarked smoothly, brushing past the awkward tension. "However, there is a matter of business to address. We have successfully crossed out of Victorian territory. From this point onward, you will need to handle the logistics on your end."
Hearing that they had cleared the border brought an instant wave of relief to both women. They had managed to slip out of Victoria far smoother than anticipated—proof that keeping Jeanne's mouth securely locked had been a brilliant strategic choice.
"Leave it to me," Talulah said, straightening her posture. "I'll establish contact with Chernobog immediately. I'm certain the city is already fully prepared to welcome our new arrivals."
She turned her gaze toward the massive cargo held deeper within the vessel, where hundreds of displaced Tarans waited anxiously for a fresh start.
"We'll leave the reception to you, then. I trust your competence in managing them," Kal'tsit agreed approvingly. "Though I imagine you'll both have your hands quite full starting today."
Without wasting another moment, Talulah and Jeanne hurried off to secure a communications line, eager to send word ahead to Chernobog. The real work was only just beginning.