Chéri laughed “I have been here three days, monsieur, if you actually know less than me I’d be worried about it.” They raised their thick eyebrows meaningfully, shaking their heads.

Chéri shrugged again “Oh, you have time, I wouldn’t worry. But also, I am resilient. And quick to respond if needed.” Which meant they were brave more than not scared. And yet, they didn’t look it, still enveloped in that odd gleam of distant beauty.

Calliope extended their arm with a lascivious gesture, too distracted to be something they had planned and waited for the glass. “You like soft and beautiful things, don’t you?” Chéri looked around the room. They looked at the painting. Maybe if they had had more used to art critique they could have said something useful, extend their thoughts and maybe bring an artist to new height of thinking. But Chéri was a creature of body more than anything, so they didn’t say. “To art!” Was all they added.