*-*-*

[2:45] Paige:

so hey Bela you know that thing you said the other day?

about getting drunk and using the powers of magic and/or dance to my advantage?

[2:46] homobipboa:

holy fuck did you actually

this is the best thing to wake up to i don't even care that it's so early anymore ahahahahahaha

[2:47] Paige:

i

i did

but

the man i "seduced" was not Sam?

[2:47] homobipboa:

WJAT

PAIGE?????????????????????

ohmygod i need to find footage of that ball ASAP

EXPLAIN URSELF BOI

[2:48] Paige:

PRINCE HARVELLE WASN'T TALKING AND WE NEEDED TO KNOW SOMETHING

I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO

[2:48] homobipboa:

*Paige Mains voice* oh no!!!!! idk what to do i guess i better sEDUCE THE HELL OUT OF THIS MAN

hooooly shit Paige im watching this footage now, you really pulled out all the stops

[2:49] Paige:

SHUT UP!!!!!

[2:50] homobipboa:

SDGHKDJL ok this is GOLD have you seen any of it

[2:50] Paige:

do you THINK i watched it?????

[2:50] homobipboa:

OK OK NO BUT YOU HAVE TO

the LOOK on Sam's face im LAUGHING one of the cameramen got a close-up

PAIGE HE'S BLUSHING

[2:51] Paige:

no way omg no

why would he be blushing??????

I mean I guess I did lay the spell on pretty thick

[2:51] homobipboa:

I bet he likes youuuu

you said yourself that hes always clingy af

AND that he always seems happier when youre with him than when you observe him w others

Paige and Sam sitting in a tree

[2:52] Paige:

sTOp

[2:52] homobipboa:

K I S S I N G

[2:52] Paige:

ssttttoooooopppppp im dyinnggg

[2:53] homobipboa:

i bet he likes u ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[2:53] Paige:

ok but like, in that case, i made him watch me flirt with another guy???

[2:54] homobipboa:

oml and according to this video, right after that you ran straight into his arms??? Paige

[2:54] Paige:

he was supposed to have my champagne that's why i went to him!!!!!!!!!!!

[2:55] homobipboa:

boi ur not foolin me

i cant believe this how long did you just stand there and hug him

Paige this is so transparent im YELLING

[2:55] Paige:

look

he just

hes a really good hugger okay

[2:56] homobipboa:

i hope u know im actually cackling over here

[2:56] Paige:

i figured you would be...........................

[2:56] homobipboa:

HOW LONG WAS THIS HUG

[2:57] Paige:

...a very nice amount of time for a hug?

[2:57] homobipboa:

T R A N S P A R E N T

he TOTALLY likes you, Paige. doesn't it feel like it????

[2:58] Paige:

i mean... i can definitely feel that he likes me?

not as in like LIKE like, but just. regular like

but you know its really hard to tell that sort of thing...

if i barely know when IM feeling romantic feelings for someone how the heck can i tell when i feel someone ELSE'S romantic feelings, y'know???

[2:58] homobipboa:

yeah yeah that makes sense!

i guess its good tho, like at least you know he does care abt you for real and stuff, romo or not

[2:59] Paige:

yeah! it makes me feel better to know that, haha

[2:59] homobipboa:

"better", you say? as in like, perhaps, more confident?

confident enough to pull those moves on HIM this time??

[2:59] Paige:

i did dance with him after that. did you stop watching?

[3:00] homobipboa:

oh. yeah i did, im actually about to have to go lol

there's some sunrise-related spellwork to do, ugh

ok ok ill actually go do that considering its 3 for you and you should sleep!

[3:00] Paige:

haha okay, yeah i am about to fall asleep

[3:01] homobipboa:

ok!! in that case i will interrogate you further about this dancing tomorrow. good night Paige! ♥

[3:01] Paige:

good night Bela, have fun spellcasting ♥

***

*Charlie's P.O.V.*

All in all, as the week draws to a close, Charlie can confidently say that the negotiations were successful. As the junior representative of House Bradbury and the standing representative in court, due to her dad's absence as he runs the estate, she found herself stuck in stuffy meeting rooms most of the time, but as a plus, at least Joanna was in there too, so that's been nice. They had to focus on business, but that didn't stop them from smiling at each other from time to time. The ceremony that officially closed negotiations was this morning, so it's all over now, really.

Right now, she's in the sitting room of Deanie's apartments, with all of the usual gang and then some gathered to have a casual, impromptu celebratory tea party. Jo is at her side, comfortably leaning against her shoulder, while Dean is lying across the couch with his feet tossed in Paige's lap. Sam is perched on the armrest next to Paige, and Channing is in the armchair near Charlie's other side. Prince Michael and Kev are both standing, eyeing each other as if to gauge who's going to go for the single remaining empty armchair first, while Georgia lies at Sam's feet.

"We could get the board games out again," Kevin suggests after a moment of silence.

Deanie's head snaps up. "If you want to play Monopoly again, I will actually kill you where you stand right now, Tran."

"Now, now, Deanie," Sam says, amused. "Don't you think that would be rude?"

"Monopoly is rude," Dean glares balefully. Paige pats his knee soothingly, sipping her tea. Charlie stifles a snort—how carefully timed that tea-sipping is, just so she doesn't have to actually say anything.

"We could always play Jenga!" Jo suggests brightly. "I love Jenga!"

Channing snickers. "Oh? Are you good with your fingers, Jo? I'm sure Charlie can attest—"

Charlie guffaws, Prince Michael chokes, Jo squeaks, and Deanie hurls a pillow across the room to hit Channing in the face with surprising accuracy and maybe a little more force than was strictly necessary.

"There are minors present, you hag!" he screeches. Paige, wide-eyed, pats his leg again, wordlessly passing her teacup to Sam when Deanie flails his way into sitting up. "Shut your filthy mouth!"

"Prince Dean, please," Kevin attempts to placate him, and Charlie sighs to herself while Channing buries her face in her hands at his defence. "That's a little far—"

"Shut it, Kev," Deanie huffs, crossing his arms and glaring around the room. "I hate all of you. Disgusting."

"What would you like to do, Dean?" Paige asks, ever the peacemaker. "I mean, we are in your rooms, so it's only fair that you should get a say in what we're doing. If anything."

"Thank you, Snap Pea," Dean grumbles. "The only one of you lot who isn't a complete moron at all times. And by you lot, I mean the Ruritanians because I can't call you two morons without Aunt Mary yelling at me." He gestures vaguely at Jo and Prince Michael, and a chuckle goes around the room. Tensions are pretty low, now that formal negotiations are over, and everyone here is fairly used to Deanie's antics. Plus, they're in private and not at court, which goes a long way towards letting them all interact like normal people for once.

It's nice.

"Snap Pea?" Prince Michael inquires, tilting his head to one side curiously. Charlie has to stifle a giggle at what's going to come next.

"Yes!" Sam beams. "It's his nickname for Paige here! Is that not the most adorable—"

"Call me cute one more time and I swear, I will incinerate your dog—"

Sam gasps. "Deanie! How could you! I wasn't even calling you cute, I was calling you adorable! Leave Georgia out of this, she's innocent, you little monster—"

"So am I 'adorable' or am I a monster?" Dean crosses his arms and flops back against the armrest, laying his legs across Paige's lap again, and does that adorable little pouty, model-esc glare up at Sam. "Make up your goddamn mind! And don't call me little, I have had it up to here with your goddamn short jokes!"

"Only up to there, hmm? Is that the highest you can reach?"

Paige quietly takes her teacup back from Sam, sighs, and leans over to wrap her other arm around Georgia protectively, casting a long-suffering look at Charlie across the coffee table as the two of them keep going back and forth over Paige's head. Charlie offers her a sympathetic smile and mouths 'be strong'.

"Are they always like this?" Jo whispers.

"Look at Paige," Charlie answers, pecking her cheek fondly. "Tell me that that isn't the face of a broken woman."

Channing snorts.

The bickering ends when Georgia wriggles away from Paige, hops onto the couch, and settles down with her head on Deanie's chest. Dean freezes.

"Make him move," he says, staring down with wide eyes.

"Why?" Sam asks, blinking. "Is something wrong? You know she likes you."

"I know," Dean hisses. "I can't have her looking at me with those stupid big puppy eyes when I was just talking about—I feel too guilty to even say it out loud now, make her get off me!"

Sam bursts out laughing as Georgia snuffles and nudges Deanie's chin with her nose, and Deanie lets out a little whine. Prince Michael laughs softly. Jo hides a giggle behind her hand, and Charlie gives her a quick squeeze because she's adorable and it really sucks that she has to leave tomorrow.

"Sam! Get her off me!" Deanie hisses. "Snap Pea! Do something!"

"Wait," Charlie says before Paige can cave to Deanie's demands, like she so clearly is about to. "Just a second."

"No!" Deanie exclaims. "Badbury, don't you dare—"

Charlie pulls her phone out and snaps a picture of the three of them, a family photo on the couch! Sam, grinning unrepentantly. Paige, laughing helplessly into her tea. Georgia, tail wagging as she nudges Deanie's chin again. And Deanie himself, looking somewhere between outraged and helpless. 'Dean's grandfather will like this photo,' she thinks. Supposedly, from what Paige has told her, the Queen would too—the Queen apparently likes having photos—but Charlie is a little bit too intimidated to send it to her.

"I hate you," Deanie groans. "Someone please get this dog off me."

"Oh, wow, he said please," Sam hums, entirely too amused by this situation. Paige lightly smacks his arm, then turns to Georgia.

"Georgie! Georgie, come here," she croons, and then adds a series of Pandorian endearments that Charlie barely catches. She does recognize that she's using the dialect from her hometown, though, instead of standard speech. Maybe she should learn it?

Georgia picks her head up from Deanie's chest, hesitates, and slowly ambles around to make herself at home in Paige's lap, sitting on Deanie's legs in the process while Paige lets out a quiet 'oof' as she focuses on saving her tea.

"Aww, Paige, but it was so cute when Deanie and Georgia were cuddling!" Sam protests. Then he pauses. "Although... Georgia cuddling with you is plenty cute, too."

Paige goes a little bit pink in the face and laughs. "He didn't want to cuddle with Georgia, though."

"It was still cute!" Joanna says, grinning, and Dean graces her with a dirty look. She continues to smile, unrepentant, and Charlie winks at him when he glares.

"There are too many people flirting in this room and I am going to kick all of you out," Dean huffs. "Why are you even in here."

"Because you're the one who has all the board games," Kevin reminds him. "By the way, did anyone ever actually veto Jenga, or are we doing that?"

"I have no idea, actually," Paige says, looking around. "We can play Jenga, right?"

"Aren't there a lot of us for Jenga?" Channing asks, also looking around. "Everyone might not even get a turn before it falls!"

Dean scoffs. "Well, if you're so worried about that, just make sure you're not the one who knocks down the tower and it'll be fine! Or are you just afraid you're not gonna be able to do it?"

Channing raises an eyebrow. "Are you trying to pick a fight?" she asks. "Because, no offence, Your Highness," she says, glancing at Sam, "but I like to think I'm a little harder to needle than your cousin. Also, I don't enjoy arguing with you as much as he seems to."

Deanie rolls his eyes. "Whatever," he says. "Let's play Jenga. I'm gonna beat all of you."

"Whatever you say, Deanie," Charlie teases. "Who's getting the box?"

They all look at each other. It's rather comical, and Charlie bursts out laughing, full of that warm sense that they all fit here together, like a few oddly-shaped pieces of a puzzle all finally coming together to make something whole. Not for the first time, she wishes the Víteliens didn't have to leave tomorrow.

"I don't know where it is," Prince Michael points out, which is a fair reason why they can't make him (or Joanna) do it.

"I don't feel like getting up," Sam contributes, which is... a less fair reason, but if he doesn't want to get up, he won't get up.

"I can't get up," Paige says, patting Georgia to prove her point. "It would just be immoral."

"I'm not the one who wants to play a game so bad," Deanie says when the room's cumulative gaze slides to him.

"Don't look at me," Charlie says, pulling Jo close against her side. "I'm too gay."

Kevin heaves a long-suffering sigh and walks toward one of the cabinets by the bookshelves. "You are all useless," he says, "and sometimes I really wonder why I put up with this."

"You know you love us, Kevin!" Charlie teases. "Thank you for getting the game!"

Georgia ends up knocking the tower over before any of them do. Dean declares that since she's Sam's dog, by extension it's Sam's loss, and is so satisfied with himself for this brilliant logical conclusion that he's not even mad that he didn't get a turn himself before Georgia ended the game.