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[babettexdurand]

Babette squeezed her eyes shut and hugged her friend, trying to angle her face to not get mascara on Elena's top. It was funny; Babette was usually the one leaving. But she had built a life here, a bit by accident, and now Elena had to go and build hers. Hopefully her purpose would make it a smoother ride.

"I can't wait to visit." She grinned, "I know you're going to do great."

@displacedprincess

adiós, au revoir || elette

[babettexdurand]

Babette's work could be isolating too- in many more strange ways, as she'd learned recently- living in someone else's home, as she most often had, not always having time to socialize outside of a familie's circle. Moving to Swynlake hadn't been easy, leaving France had broken her heart a second time, but she was starting to form her own circle here. It felt good.

"I never say no to a glass of wine." Babette grinned over at her, fishing her phone out of her purse, "here, put your number in? My job- I have a strange schedule sometimes, so sometimes it's not easy to make plans super far in advance, and I probably can't amke it to these classes all the time, so."

@aurora--briar

Still Life and Sauvignon | Babette & Aurora

[babettexdurand]

Babette didn’t like to assume, but you got to know a lot about people in her line of work, and Raksha was a busy woman with lots to worry about, so she could do with at least one thing taken off her plate– or put on it, rather. She’d never mastered the fine art of portion control for one, and now the practice had gone entirely out of the window given how often she cooked for Tibbs and Tibby. So when she was making dinner for herself and Dhaumya, she made enough for another plate or two. It was something she did for a lot of families, regardless of how casual her work with them was, because it was a great way to connect more with people and honestly, she was already cooking anyway so why not save them a bit of the hassle? 

It hadn’t been a difficult day with Dhaumya, so she’d had plenty of time to prepare something nice, and after they ate she’d found some german kids cartoons to put on in the background while he was drawing and she flicked through a magazine, circling all the pretty dresses. 

Raksha’s knock was right on time, and Babette greeted her cheerfully, quietly observing how tired she looked. She’d thought she might just box up the leftovers and offer them to her, but… Well, it was never a bad thing to try and make a new friend, and the worst thing she could do was say no. “He’s been no bother today, we did some reading earlier and he  has been working on a nice drawing for you, I think. Would you like to come in for dinner? I made a sweet potato curry and there’s still plenty left.”

@raksha-bhediya

Reaching Out | Babette & Raksha

[babettexdurand]

Reaching Out | Babette & Raksha

[babettexdurand]

Babette was hesitantly hopeful. A bit scared, maybe. But she'd been stuck in the mire of this alone for a long time, while it was an entirely fresh challenge to Hera, and still fairly new for Tibbs. Though, challenged he certainly had been in that time. Her propencity for flirting had been well indulged as of late, now she had someone to shower with attention.

It felt like Hera sucked all the air out of the room when she said it; price. Or maybe just Babette's lungs, given how easily Tibbs took the idea. She didn't know how much money a ruthless sorcerer would want to remove a curse, but she was pretty sure she didn't have it. She'd always told herself she would pay any cost to deal with this, that she'd save up or find the money somewhere, but she didn't make much more than she needed, and Swynlake had a spinning wheel of disasters that could be quite the resource drain.

"Right. I... Figured it might come down to something like that." Almost funny; something as spectacular as magic and its roots were in ordinary money, of all things. Babette swallowed around the panic and managed to smile over at Tibbs, squeezing his hand back. Bless him for being able to find a positive slant. "Me neither." She told him softly, leaning in towards him a bit for a moment, "is it nice out there?"

@exsgttibbs

every journey begins with a single step || bib ft. hera

[babettexdurand]

Long distance friendships were not a new concept- Babette had many friends in different cities in France, her childhood friends from Colmar, families she'd gotten seriously close to and kept in touch with. Saying that first real goodbye, though, it didn't get easier.

"Oh, stop it you." She said, bottom lip already wobbling a bit. It was true for her, too, Babette had been so lonely when she'd gotten here. She sniffed loudly and sipped her wine, laughing at herself, "we helped eachother be brave, I think. I'm just glad all that food didn't end up going to waste." She grinned, "I don't think I can send you dinner all the way in Avalor, though..."

@displacedprincess

adiós, au revoir || elette

[babettexdurand]

Maybe this would be good for her and Belle, a chance to chat properly? Maybe they'd both be lucky to make it through this without Babette wincing too noticeably at Belle's remarks, or finally asking what on earth her problem was. Babette, she prided herself on being able to get on well with most people- part of her job, of course, and she could tell well enough when her attempts weren't hitting the mark, but she couldn't understand why Belle seemed to take issue with her. Jealousy seemed a stretch; it wasn't like they were after the same thing from Tibbs, and she couldn't recall any inciting incident. Some people simply made their minds up very quickly.

So she resolved to be as polite and out of the way as possible, slipping off her jacket and hanging it with Tibbs', figuring that sticking to his side would keep her from messing up some way. "Oui, well-- I may have had one too, but you have gotten so good at baking." She chuckled across at him, "I tried to find time to make some mroe this morning, but ended up getting called on for some last minute childminding. Busy busy busy, hm?"

Enough for everyone? Yeah, she definitly wasn't supposed to be here. "How has everything been with work for you?" She asked, trying her best to breeze through the awkwardness, "I'm sure your schedule must be just as unpredictable as our sometimes."

@labellerose-acheron @exsgttibbs

The girlfriend who came to tea || Beaubibbs

[babettexdurand]

Babette chuckled and shook her head, "oui, that makes sense for you." She could picture Elena well enough in her youth, causing chaos despite her status. Or perhaps in spite of it, sometimes. "Still, I find it stressful enough when people become the topic of gossip in those silly dreams, I couldn't put up with it for long."

"I suppose it will be nice to have an easy way to know what you are up to, even when you are too busy to call." Babette teased.

@displacedprincess

adiós, au revoir || elette

[babettexdurand]

It was a little more difficult these days, meeting a new family. Remembering the turmoil she'd put one she cared about so much through, and the nightmare she'd faced after. This was a relationship that needed trust on both sides, afterall. What had happened with Emily... Was not something she was proud of, but it had felt real, and Babette knew that she was good at her job, that she could be trusted to do her job.

Her own life being in a bit of a chaotic phase, she was hopeful that finding some more consistent, repeat work would help her feel better. "I have some certifications in taking care of children with illnesses or disabilities- they're in with the rest of my paperwork there- and yes, I have had real expereince working with them too, and would be happy to lend a hand if there might be a poorly timed doctors appointment or what have you- Is he on any sort of medication at the moment?"

@raksha-bhediya

Trust Your Instincts *O* [Babsha]

[babettexdurand]

"Ah." Babette lifted one shoulder in a shrug and giggled, "an outsider will always have a fresh perspective on your problems." It was impossible to entirely avoid becoming something of a councellor, in her line of work, and as such there was little that caught her off guard these days.

A little unsure about your career, well, it was very common. "But only you know what's best for yourself, in the end." Babette reminded her softly, "no good making a career change on the advice of a stranger if it's not a move you're certain of. You have to trust your gut."

@aurora--briar

Still Life and Sauvignon | Babette & Aurora

[babettexdurand]

It had been hanging over Babette's head for so long now, she wasn't sure she'd even be able to get her hopes up. Everything had just happened so fast. The affair getting out, their last kiss, her mad rush out of that house and the nightmares that had followed. She'd left France for Swynlake without thinking it through for long, terrified that since he knew she'd survived the encounter with Emily her husband might turn to even more drastic measures.

She didn't encounter a lot of problems she couldn't solve alone, and the head count on this one was already starting to make her feel like a bit of a failure. Why had this been so hard to do by herself? Maybe she'd been trying to keep people at bay. But Tibbs- he was undeterrable, in the end. Even now he was unshakeable, while Babette fidgeted and fretted.

A lot like a witch I used to know. It wasn't much, but it was closer than she'd ever been before, even if it seemed like redundant information a moment later. "...Do you think she'd help us, then?" Babette asked, doubt colouring her tone. "Or even point us towards someone else who might know how?" She sighed, not meaning to sound defeated, "I mean, not to say that I am above going on what might feel like a wild goose chase, at this point." She glanced back over at Tibbs, managing a more real smile, "I mean, we've got to find something to keep us busy."

@exsgttibbs

every journey begins with a single step || bib ft. hera

[babettexdurand]

Babette smiled wider, trying not to think about the stretch of time between now and then. Settling in as queen certainly couldn't be a short process. And she had plenty to keep her busy in the mean time herself, mind, there was always work and Tibbs and Swynlake's spinning wheel of disasters.

She raised her glass in a cheers before sipping, "do you think you'll end up all over the news like the royals around here?" She asked, teasing a bit and rying to lghten the mood, "I don't want to know what the Avalorian press would have to say about me."

@displacedprincess

adiós, au revoir || elette

[babettexdurand]

When Tibbs invited her along to tea at Belle's, Babette assumed she'd been... Well, invited. Which was surprise enough in itself, but things had been a bit better between the two of them as of late, so Babette hoped this was a way of crossing a new bridge for them. Besides it was Tabitha's birthday, and she'd been so happy to her she would be joining them. They'd spent Christmas together, the three of them, and however unconventional her relationsip with Tibbs might be, she had a right to celebrate this, too.

So Babette had put a stopper on her doubts, put on a pretty outfit, and gone. All effort was rendered null quite quickly, however, tempered by Belle's reaction when she opened the door. She wondered if they'd set the table yet, or if it would be easy to hide that she'd been unexpected. They locked eyes for a moment, and Babette... This was for Tibby. Whatever strangeness existed between the two older women, it shouldn't disturb a party. She plastered a bright smile on her face, used to bucking up under the weight of her own discomfort, "Bonjour!" She trilled, as breezily as she could manage, gripping Tibbs' hand as the three of them came in, her heart hammering in her chest as she tried to ignore the... Dog.

What should she do? Stay until cake? They were having dinner, that would be the end! This wasn't anyone's fault-- hers, maybe, all over again-- they could survive one dinner, right? It wasn't as if Belle hated her or anything, they just... Didn't quite click. "Oh, it smells wonderful in here, what have you been whipping up?"

[outfit] @labellerose-acheron @exsgttibbs

The girlfriend who came to tea || Beaubibbs

[babettexdurand]

It could be hard to find the right fit for your family- Babette had been turned down or jobs in the past plenty, especially as her work had first started to pick up outside of Colmar. She always tried her best of course, though the issue which came up here more often than before was that she didn't have a wide network of other childcare workers who she could suggest in her stead.

She did her best to commit the word to memory- Kumaoni, she was not familiar with it, but Babette apprecieted working with families who helped her grow in some little way while she was helping them, it was always good to learn new things. "Ah, oui, I cook. A lot of my work before I came to Swynlake was live-in, so I've prepared meals for plenty of different tastes and diets before, vegetarian is no problem." Babette glances back over at Dhaumya for a moment, "does he tend to prefer creative activities like colouring?

@raksha-bhediya

Trust Your Instincts *O* [Babsha]

[babettexdurand]

Babette hummed, nodding as she considered her attempt at painting, figuring there was no use being shy about getting some more colour on the page; not like she was expecting it to be good either way. "It can be tricky to picture ourselves doing things we have never done." She said with a soft smile, "I have always had the same job, so, I understand. You could always ask around, maybe knowing if people are really interested or not would help you wth decidingwhat you want to do."

@aurora--briar

Still Life and Sauvignon | Babette & Aurora

[babettexdurand]

Babette had gotten too used to being on the outside, perhaps. To putting on a big smile and doing her job, taking on all the emotional ups and downs of a family and then leaving them to do it all again. It felt so strange to unpack her own life for someone else to see, especially when what she had bought was so heavy, so... Intimate, really.

She looked like she was taking it all in, at least, though Babette could tell right away why her and Tibbs might not work too closely together-- they were already so different in their methods. Tibbs had been all questions as soon as she'd started to share.

"...Yes." She confirmed, clearing her throat and saying it again when the word came out a bit strangled. She was somewhere else for a moment, in a kitchen she'd kissed a woman in so many times, running around the island while that same woman chased after her with a steak knife. "Just once. Supposedly it... Ends. After twenty-four hours, and they don't remember." Obviously, she hadn't reached out to ask. "That's what I was told, anyway, by... Well, she never followed me to Swynlake to try again, so perhaps it is true."

Lord, Babette hoped it was. Presumably breaking it would break that kind of power over a persona anyway, but she hated to think of Emily as trapped in an artifial murderous rage indefinitley. "Like I said, I don't know if you'll be able to help... But I don't know who else to ask, either." She gave Hera a small, rueful smile, "I'm just sorry if we're totally wasting your time."

@exsgttibbs

every journey begins with a single step || bib ft. hera

[babettexdurand]

She watched Raksha and her little boy interract with a soft smile, accepting his nod and leaving him be. Kids often took time to warm up, she was certainly no stranger to that shyness.

In Swynlake she'd worn a few different hats, as it were, in terms of childcare, and she'd always tried to be flexible like that- at the end of the day, her work was about being there to support the parents. Supporting her own parents was what had spurred her to start babysitting, even.

"Some water would be great, actually." Babette nodded as she handed over her paperwork, finding herself a seat, "I started through an agency when I was nineteen, and left that to work independantly when I was... Oh, twenty three?" She hummed and shook her head, chuckling, "do not hold me to that exactly. So just over ten years, all told. And yes, some experience working with children learning English, though I should also say they were French children, so I did speak both languages. I'd be happy to learn some- I'm sorry, I'm not actually familiar with what language you were speaking." She was not well travelled, and did not want to make assumptions, better to admit ignorance. "But, I was saying of course I would familiarize myself with some of the basics for better communication should we end up working together."

@raksha-bhediya

Trust Your Instincts *O* [Babsha]