Welcome to Gaia! ::

For the first time, Melisande didn't need to knock. She pushed the door open, wings spreading in the warmth as she slipped inside.

"Good morning~"

Her voice was soft, perfectly pitched against the music winding past the display cases and still unset chairs. The bakery smelled amazing in the early morning, as she knew it would…things freshly mixed and things freshly baking, sweet and warm and almost indefinable. She shot Cesc a smile and set her bag and sweater near the apron rack without being directed, turning then to face him slowly.

Maybe there were things they needed to talk about. Maybe she was supposed to be subdued, or coy, or bashful. She'd spent the entire trip over thinking about it…but the moment she saw him, surrounded by a field of her flowers with icing on his wrist and light feathering over his cheeks, Pasha forgot all about it.

The little feeling was still trapped in her chest, and she closed the distance between them…slipping her arms high over his shoulders even though his hands were full. It didn't matter to her in the slightest. She'd picked the little white corseted peplum she wore just for that reason. Flour wouldn't show, and any smudge of color would look artful if nothing else. Pasha hugged Cesc tightly, taking a breath of his sunlit scent as she angled her face against him. "They're beautiful." Her voice was muffled until she pulled back, eyes bright.

They were even more beautiful this close. From afar, they looked like a field of her flowers, as full and sweet as they had been the evening before. Pasha drifted back, laughing with Cecs at his warning before accepting it with both hands. She cupped the delicate confection gently as she gazed at it. Up close, it was a work of art. Every single petal had been carefully hand piped, giving each cupcake a sense of precious and ephemeral beauty. She looked up at Cesc, eyes widening.

"I don't..know…if I can eat it! It's so lovely!" Her lashes lifted as she glanced up at the other Sigel, admiration warming her eyes. "You're very talented, Cesc." It was a small and simple compliment, but it carried a different weight coming from a Muse. With careful fingers, she eased the cupcake in half, offering some silently to the Stag.

The taste was as graceful and lovely as the treat itself looked. Her eyes widened slowly. "It's a special flavor! It's delicious…and there is something…new...I can't put my finger on." Pasha's voice lifted in excitement, and she took another taste. "And it's so light! Cesc, it's perfect!"

"That's a very creative idea…" An idea of her own was brewing, and she took the last nibble…poking it into her mouth so she could capture the last of the icing from her fingertip. She smiled at him as she savored it.

"Putting you on?" She laughed a little, ruefully. "That's a skill I've never really learned, for better or worse." Melisande met his eyes for a moment, taking in his smile and matching it for a moment. "I love them. Thank you. They're…amazing." She reached for him with a graceful touch and smoothed away the streak of frosting. Her thumb went automatically to her lips before she turned to drift back towards the sinks. Baking was one of Cesc's talents, and he was naturally exceptional. This was rather like learning someone had written a song for her, and the little bird stirred sweetly in her chest.

"Perhaps we should stay closed today, and open a bottle of champagne while we sample another?" Melisande laughed, twisting back to peer over one shoulder at the Stag as she washed her hands briskly. She dried them on a clean towel, and closed the distance between them.

"Or…I suppose…we could save that idea for the weekend. Where do you need me?"

Melisande slipped into the apron, tying the strings deftly as though she'd done it every morning for a month. There was no disappointment at Cesc's polite deferral…of course they couldn't close. The smile was all she'd been after. "Some weekend soon. I'd love that."

The Muse listened carefully, taking in the list of chores and tasks. She committed it to memory like lyrics, nodding as he spoke. "It's a lot." She admitted, wings closing a bit as she drifted closer to him. Melisande took one of his hands in hers without the slightest bit of trepidation, and smiled up at the other Sigel. Her touch was warm and delicate. "I want to help in every way I can. You already have such a talent for this…may I offer that extra bit of inspiration, to make up for Vivi being away? It's up to you!"

Her eyes sparkled, hopeful to be more than just another set of hands righting chairs. Most of the tasks in the bakery took years to master…Melisande already knew she was dismal at decorating, despite the fun they'd had last time she'd tried. Cesc, though, was a natural. Their talents combined would make for a grand re-opening to remember!

Pasha watched him with a growing smile as he did a few impromptu exercises. She'd never known Cesc to be silly before, but the fact that he could be lighthearted after so many trials gladdened her. She popped a hand up to her forehead in her best imitation of a salute and ended it with a wink and a laugh. "Okay then!"

It happened almost without effort. One moment she was preparing to focus on Cesc, and the next all the colors around her seemed to brighten. Everything except for Cesc slowed just the slightest bit, and the air pressure seemed to change…as though there were less resistance to every action and thought. It didn't stop there. Melisande could feel the inspiration radiating back at her, as well. The desire to be productive burned brightly, the memories of Cesc in the kitchen came back to her like long practiced lessons.

Her eyes widened. She'd been warned about using her power for herself and for others…but Azure and Amira had always made it seem like a directional choice. The Muse had no idea she could actually do both at once! It was almost like feedback, the way Cesc's talent fed her own inspiration, which fed his talent…

Melisande shut her eyes for a moment, lashes lowering against pale cheeks. Slowly, the heady feeling faded. It was bittersweet, but her heart was beating fast. Her smile as she lifted her eyes, though, was almost as brilliant as it had been the evening before. A new blossom had opened at her temple, among her pinned back curls...one more than had ever been there before.

"I'm ready! We can do this!" She floated closer, but paused suddenly. She'd been about to kiss him on the cheek! Was that okay? Would he mind? Doesn't matter now…time to work! A little laugh rose, and she turned to the first task at hand. "Just say where you'd like me!"

It seemed like such an simple thing, when Cesc laid it all out with such confidence. The Muse curtsied with easy grace at his direction, white peplum and bakery apron fluffing for a moment with the gesture. Her smile hadn't dimmed. She watched him first, the way he set the bakery floor, before joining in a few tables over once she was sure she had it down.

The combination of her inspiration and his aura left her with an almost euphoric sense of excitement and well being. Pasha realized she was humming as she set the chairs into place. She trailed off with a laugh.

"Does it make sense when I say that I've missed this?" Her eyes were bright over her smile as she glanced back at him, watching the Stag for a long moment before turning back to the task at hand. "Missing something new sounds strange!"

She wiped down the table with what looked like a practiced flourish, stolen from Cesc, and waltzed sideways to the next set of chairs. "You have a good life here."

She blushed easily at his mention of the early days. She could count the times - but only barely - that she'd knocked tentatively at the bakery door before the sign had flipped. Her smile spread unchecked.

As the silence stretched after her comment, though, the smile faded into thoughtfulness. Her thoughts weren't the same as Cesc's, but there was obviously something that kept him from agreeing sooner. Nostalgia? Modesty? Melisande cast a quick glance to the side towards the Stag, leaning forward over a table as she wiped in large circular motions.

She knew that single thin line at the corners of his eyes. The way his lips pressed together as though he wished to smile, but the corners didn't curve. He was thinking of things far more serious than she intended.

Melisande knew the feeling. There had been years where even the most innocent comment triggered thoughts of times past…dark or bright. The Muse stayed silent, putting her focus into adjusting the chairs just as he had.

Finally, he spoke his thoughts, and she smiled down at her apron through the line of her long bangs. 'Yes…I think that I do. She took a glad breath, glancing towards the ovens. The inspiration was still bleeding out of her…every task seemed like a simple and joyous thing to the Muse. With a practiced motion, she re-twisted her hair into a high bun and flitted towards the sink to refresh her hands.

"This is a wonderful home," She continued, rubbing her hands briskly without looking at the other Sigel. "…but have you ever thought of getting your own space? Every home I've had has been a…gift."

There was nothing of judgement in Melisande's tone. It was obvious with the careful balance and delicate pauses in her tone that the question wasn't just altruistic. She opened the oven carefully when Cesc was ready, cheeks and nose growing pink as the warmth radiated past her.

"Or do you hope to own the Bakery one day?"