The Gilded Frame

6- A Breath of Fresh Air

Warning: Drowning

*+*Two Weeks Later*+*

There's a knock at the door of the Wafflebot Hangar.

Espresso opens it.

Clover smiles, holding up a bag of coffee beans, "Delivery from Herb!"

"Oh, thank you, Clover Cookie." Espresso smiles back, taking the bag of coffee beans.

Clover nods and turns to leave, but runs into someone.

Clover looks up, "Oh, hello Madeleine! I was just dropping off Espresso's coffee beans."

Madeleine forces a smile, "It's not a problem, friend!"

Clover leaves.

Madeleine looks at Espresso, his smile disappearing.

Espresso asks, "What's wrong?"

Madeleine hugs Espresso, "Can we go inside..?"

Espresso picks him up, "Of course. What happened?"

Madeleine sniffles, then starts to cry, "I had a nightmare! Everyone in the kingdom was dying and I couldn't save them!"

Espresso sits in the lounge area Strawberry Crepe made. He gently combs his fingers through Madeleine's hair, "It'll be ok. The police have been more alert than before, so it's less likely for anything to slip past them."

"It was a monster! It looked like- It was-" He's crying too much now to be understood.

Espresso sighs, "Would you like me to preen your wings while you try to process the nightmare?"

"Mhm.."

Madeleine turns around. Moving his hair and cape so Espresso can carefully pull out the loose feathers.

Strawberry Crepe looks at them both, "MADELEINE HAS WINGS?!"

Madeleine freezes, "Please do not tell the others!"

"I won't.. If you buy lunch for us until the next time you leave."

"Alright!"

Madeleine gets out a hairbrush and starts brushing his hair.

Strawberry Crepe goes back to building a new wafflebot.

By noon, Clover has finished all his deliveries for Herb. He passes Madeleine and Venti, who are talking about Light magic. Madeleine moves his sleeve to check his watch, "Oh, I should get going! I have to buy lunch for Espresso and Strawberry Crepe!"

Venti nods, "I'm gonna go find Raspberry. Have a nice lunch!"

"Will do!"

Madeleine goes past Clover, who's on his way to the park.

Clover gets out his guitar as he reaches the entrance. He smiles and starts playing music.