* THE NAME OF LOVE!

After waking up that morning before her girlfriend, Ellie carefully snuck out from beneath her arms and tiptoed her way to the kitchen. She thought that, since she’d woken up before Rosa, that making them both breakfast in bed was a nice thing to do.

She made sure to be careful and quiet as a mouse as she’d cooked, and soon tiptoed back into the bedroom, tray of food and drink in hand. “Rosa?” she whispered, biting her lip to keep from giggling. She almost felt bad, waking her up, but she had made breakfast, and wanted to eat with her before it went cold.

Moving carefully, she laid the tray aside on the bottom of the bed and moved to perch on her side, leaning over and brushing hair from Rosa’s face, “Rosa… Hey, moonbeam. I made us breakfast,” she told her quietly, unable to stop her smile.

rosa was buried under blankets of moons and stars and her giant floofy cloud. the sound of ellie’s voice slowly lulled her out of dreams of singing and dancing. she sighed and slowly opened her eyes, poking her head out from under the covers, pushing her face from the cloud enveloping her.

ellie’s smiling face slid into view. her tender fingers caressed rosa’s face and pushed all her stubborn hair out of her face. rosa smiled and clumsily pushed herself up, rubbing sleep out of her eyes and touching ellie’s face in return.

     ❝ thank you. i’m starving, ❞ she said softly. it seemed to her like cloud was all ready to dive in, so she kissed his head and gave him is bowl, in which ellie has made him a breakfast treat. 

     ❝ thank you from cloud too. we both love and appreciate you, ray of sunshine. so what’re your plans for today? ❞

         ❝ …hi. uh, no thanks. not a big fan of sugar. ❞

the girl looks shy and, frankly, not likely to be much HELP, but then again — sympathy’s in no rush to meet back up with nick. it’s barely been a month and already she’s beyond sick of   ‘ shadowing ’  him.   ( more like doing all the work while he leers at the local women and hogs all the credit. )

         ❝ i’m here for business, actually, ❞    she says.    ❝ not the service. i’m, y’know, i think the technical term is lapsed… anyway. ❞   sympathy produces the photograph she’s been flashing around town all afternoon — originally a glossy picture from one of kitty’s pre-oscillex fundraisers cropped so kitty is the one in frame, now creased and smudged from sympathy’s rather rough handling of it.

          ❝ i’m looking for this woman. seen her around anywhere ? ❞

rosa’s rather lapsed herself, but she will never admit to it. perhaps this lady has the LIBERTY to say so. and she sounds american. it’s much more intriguing to help this lady than to listen to reverend crisparkle give the same service he always does. and it’s more interesting than the nuns chiding her for not singing loudly enough or being happy enough.

     ❝ oh, perhaps i have, ❞  she says, now adjusting her glasses and leaning into the photograph. she knows the lady doesn’t consider her much help, but it sounds like this nick is highly unpleasant. perhaps this lady is going through the trouble of avoiding the wandering eyes of men. in which case, rosa feels very sorry for her.

she narrows her eyes, trying to get herself to focus. if this lady is a spy (which, it sounds like she is, and a very important one), then rosa better provide useful information.

rosa:

         ❝ excuse me? ❞

she’s pushing her luck --- going to the ceo’s office door and letting herself in is surely grounds for dismissal, but rosa’s heard mrs. mavis everheart is understanding and fair, if intimidating. still, it seems odd, even to her --- smallest intern, seeking an audience with a literal ceo, but... too late to go back now.

rosa hesitantly clears her throat.

          ❝ oh. hello. ❞

she’d been under the impression that she knew everyone who regularly attended sunday service, but it seems she does not. this lady is tall and imposing, and rosa is certain she’d remember her.

         ❝ i didn’t --- expect anyone to be outside during service. i’m sorry. i’m not trying to miss the christmas celebration, i just... it’s warm in there. ❞

too warm, from mr. jasper’s eyes. still, rosa forces a smile and holds out a sugar lump for the woman.