There is a moment while Mazikeen is telling Wishbone all that she can when she thinks this is too much. It is too much to ask of her friend, too much to ask of anyone. She wanted to protect everybody from getting involved in this story, wanted there to be only what casualties had been decided at the beginning.
So it is with no shortage of relief that she watches Wishbone greet the twins, when she hears the confirmation that they will be safe here. Her eyes close against the shine of tears that threaten, thinking this is a very foolish time to cry - especially when this was part of her plan. She had been hoping for this. Her heart aches at the story she is given in return, about Wishbone's own children, and it solidifies something in Mazikeen. Makes her feel like this was absolutely the right choice. Her friend will love these twins, maybe even more than Mazikeen herself was capable of.
When Wishbone presses a sincere kiss to Mazikeen’s cheek she leans into it slightly - smiling, thinking how wonderful it is to have friends. How glad she is that so much kindness has shown up in her life recently. “Thank you.” Those two words aren’t enough but it is all she can manage. She isn’t sure what she’d do if Wishbone had told her no - found her mother and dragged her here, maybe. Not that Agetta would’ve needed much convincing. She might still do that, though she had complete faith in Wishbone’s ability to protect the twins. Having an extra, slightly fight-prone shifter around might not be the worst.
Her orange eyes open again and she lowers her head to brush against each of the twins. She wishes the world were kinder, wish she hadn't had to build a warning into her story for Wishbone not to trust Gale if Mazikeen wasn't with him. She wishes that she wasn't having to think about covering her tracks when she left, hiding the scent of Tephra on her coat in whatever way she could. She wishes that she was bringing the children here to meet their aunt, and then stopping off to visit every single one of Gale’s brothers and parade the perfect twins she had made with him in front of them.
She wonders if Wishbone will tell them about her, even if she can’t come to visit. If they’ll know she’s their mother or if it’ll be easier to let them believe the fierce purple warrior birthed them. Mazikeen can’t even begin to sort out her thoughts on the matter - it feels like her head might split into two if she tries to come up with any more plans or lies.
Her attention turns back to Wishbone and uncertainty creeps back into her. It feels strange to be asking this question but she asks because she is worried there's a chance it'll be a no. “Do you think it’ll be okay if I spend the rest of the day with you?” She’s tired - so tired - and she’s not sure she could make the trip back to Hyaline even if she wanted to. And she wants today with them, this part of her family. Mazikeen doesn’t know if the feeling in her is love, and if it is it’s so different than the other forms of it she has known. She just knows that whatever it is it's strong enough to root her here, just for a little longer.
@[Wishbone]