why is there a word for that

[alicornucopia]

Finnah's just arrived at work to open the store for the morning shift; she has her apron on but hasn't put her hair up yet. She lets in the customer who always takes half an angle to determine that he wants four buttercreams, again, and then nips into the back to tend to her hair and check the overnight progress of the rock candy.

This isn't the back.

But that -

No, he's too tall to be Mial, if this is a Mial prank it's a stupidly elaborate one.

"Okay, I give up," she says, "what the hell?"

Comments

[first_and_final]

Milo scowls thunderously.

[thisvorlunatic]

"Milo, unsurprisingly, is thoroughly in Mial's court here," says Miles.

[abeance]

"Ah, can I...?"

[thisvorlunatic]

"Sure," says Miles. He shows Jann the messages.

[abeance]

Jann reads them.

"Yeah," he says, "me too."

[unmarred]

Mark continues hugging Mial. "All right?" he murmurs.

[thisvorlunatic]

Mial sniffles and hides his face in Mark's chest and nods.

[unmarred]

"Thank you all for your contributions," says Mark. "We may yet postpone his suicide indefinitely."

[middlingalong]

"I'm not sure if I should be apologizing for setting Ivan up -" Aurin ignores Ivan's vigorous disgruntled nod - "or trying to figure out how to apologize on behalf of my species or what, but I'm sorry."

[unmarred]

"It's not really either of your faults as such. The situation was fundamentally unstable to begin with and can be entirely blamed on Draconic being stupid and evil. But thank you," says Mark.

[middlingalong]

Aurin makes a face but doesn't try to rebut the assessment of Draconic.

[unmarred]

"Capable of speaking yet?" inquires Mark of Mial.

[thisvorlunatic]

"You're doing such a good job of speaking for me, I don't see why I should bother," Mial mumbles. "Ugh. Ugh ugh."

[middlingalong]

"I could stick my head out the door and get Finnah," says Aurin. "Your parents too maybe."

[unmarred]

"Parents almost certainly a good option. I don't know enough about Finnah to guess her effect."

[middlingalong]

"She used to be a shren too," says Aurin, "she'll - she'll get it, I think. And she'll be right outside the door anyway because it's at her work." He goes to the door and opens it, looking for Finnah and his aunt and uncle. His aunt and uncle were apparently able to teleport away before time stopped.

Finnah's there. "All done?"

"Nnnnot exactly. I taught my alt three words of Draconic and he mixed, uh, a suffix with something else, and now Mial is having a breakdown, come back."

"A suffix with something else."

"Yeah." Does he have a crystal to Aunt Koridaar or Uncle Avar on him... nope. "Do you have crystals to his parents, too?"

"I have one to Koridaar."

"Give it here." Aurin takes it and strikes it.

[greatcomposure]

"Yes?"

[middlingalong]

"Mial is having a breakdown come back to the candy shop Uncle Avar too please."

[greatcomposure]

"...Will do."

Barely a tick later, Koridaar and Avar appear.

[on_my_word]

"What's going on?"

[middlingalong]

"Just - come in."

Aurin ushers them all three inside and shuts the door.

He gestures helplessly at Mial.

[on_my_word]

"...This does not," says Avar, "exactly answer my question..."

[greatcomposure]

Koridaar hurries to where Mark is hugging Mial, and does some hugging of her own.

[isthisart]

Linya produces the explanatory pen messages and goes over to display them for Avar and Finnah.

"Holy fucking hell," says Finnah. And she goes and hugs Mial too, as best she can.

[thisvorlunatic]

Mial is extremely hugged.

"Thanks," he sniffles.