Blue Jay Gets A Cold

[Blue Jay]

Elly leaned into Fae's touch, the way she cupped her cheek. She felt a sheepish touch of warmth at Fae's praise, though she bristled a little as Fae chided her. Or perhaps that was because the touch stopped as she did so. "Give me some credit for taking care of myself before you came along."

She felt a bit like a prisoner being escorted to her cell as Fae followed close behind on her ascent. Elly couldn't deny it was prudent, though. Even just one flight of stairs left her unexpectedly winded, and her bed was up on the fourth floor. "Oh please don't feel like you need to nurse me," she said as she paused to get her breath back. Fae may have winked, but Elly knew she fully intended to do it. "I'm sure a bit of rest will be enough in and of itself." And if it wasn't, restorative magic in the morning would handle the rest. "I don't want to take you away from your work."

[FaeOndoron]

Elly leaned into Fae's touch, the way she cupped her cheek. She felt a sheepish touch of warmth at Fae's praise, though she bristled a little as Fae chided her. Or perhaps that was because the touch stopped as she did so. "Give me some credit for taking care of myself before you came along."

Fae giggled lightly, already untying the apron she was wearing and draping it over the stool Elly had almost toppled over, "Yer right. I'm glad you made it this far so I could handle the rest.."

She felt a bit like a prisoner being escorted to her cell as Fae followed close behind on her ascent. Elly couldn't deny it was prudent, though. Even just one flight of stairs left her unexpectedly winded, and her bed was up on the fourth floor. "Oh please don't feel like you need to nurse me," she said as she paused to get her breath back. Fae may have winked, but Elly knew she fully intended to do it. "I'm sure a bit of rest will be enough in and of itself." And if it wasn't, restorative magic in the morning would handle the rest. "I don't want to take you away from your work."

It was about half way up the stairs when Fae put a hand of support on Elly's back. Fae didn't push, or try to move any slower or faster than Elly was trying to climb, but as they paused at the top of the stairs, she still frowned. 'Yer this bad an'yer tellin me ever'thin's fine?' She had half a mind to let her internal thoughts become external, but an argument would only make Elly feel worse. So silently behind her, she just frowned a little and looked down the hall. "Come on.." she said coaxingly, putting pressure on Elly's back as she led her from the stairwell toward the closed door across from the study. To her room. "No offense 'er nothin' but I don't think stair climbin' gon'be good right now. Sides, I got t'bigger bed to spread out in." she said as she moved to the door, keeping Elly between her and the direction she was heading to hopefully make any protests in vain.

[Blue Jay]

Fae giggled lightly, already untying the apron she was wearing and draping it over the stool Elly had almost toppled over, "Yer right. I'm glad you made it this far so I could handle the rest.."

Maybe it was Fae's giggling in her ears or maybe it was the fever, but Elly's head spun at how expansive "the rest" could potentially be. "Don't say things like that unless you mean it, Faenoir." She leaned back into Fae's hand "Because I'm going to believe you."

"Come on.." she said coaxingly, putting pressure on Elly's back as she led her from the stairwell toward the closed door across from the study. To her room. "No offense 'er nothin' but I don't think stair climbin' gon'be good right now. Sides, I got t'bigger bed to spread out in." she said as she moved to the door, keeping Elly between her and the direction she was heading to hopefully make any protests in vain.

In principle, Elly would have preferred to be in her own room, near her workbench, in case she got a second wind and could get some work done. Three more stories seemed like it would take a while, though, and she didn't want to keep Fae. So she let Fae lead her without thinking too far ahead about where they were going.

It had been a while since Elly had ventured into Fae's room, but it was the same chaos she remembered, just reconfigured. There were the mismatched piles of clothing and the random trinkets and interesting rocks that caught Fae's attention. There was also a haphazard stack of handbills for various stores, stages, and shows. Being half Fae's height, Elly had to be routed around piles that Fae could have (and likely did) stepped over.

It was only when Elly was standing directly next to Fae's bed that she fully grasped the situation. Somehow she had thought Fae would steer her towards one of the guest beds instead. It was rather late to suggest an alternate plan now, however. Elly reassured herself that it wasn't as though Fae was going to be climbing into the bed with her. She placed her hands on the mattress to hoist herself up.

[FaeOndoron]

For all the fight it had taken to get her up the stairs, Fae was surprised at how easily Elly had submitted to entering her room instead of continuing the climb. Normally, the idea might have garnered a flush of the cheek, a stutter, some confused innuendo about sharing her bed. 'She must really be out of it...' Fae had to wonder as she gently placed a hand on Elly's neck to both comfort and guide her along the path. Fae rarely had other people in her room, so it was only after they had rounded a the crumbled shirt she had worn to sleep the night before that she wondered if maybe she should clean up a bit. But to her, everything had a place and everything was in that place. Everything organized so she could always see what she needed to see from her bed, or from the single solitary corner of the room near the window that was distinguished by its emptiness.

"Here we are now. Do y'want some help gettin' comfy? Fae asked, her voice taking a soft, dulcet tone, hoping to relax Elly into slumber. The window was open, cool air filling the room along with the sounds of the city at work. "I can close that if y'like?" Normally, she would keep the window open to let Esgal fly in and out as he pleased, but the bird had been stationed in the kitchen since Fae discovered Elly on the floor, keeping watch over the cooking. "If y'like y'can borrow one'a my shirts if that'd make things more relaxin'?" she offered as she slid onto the side of the bed, sitting facing Elly as the gnome made her way up.

[Blue Jay]

Levering herself up onto the bed, Elly rolled over and layed spread eagled. "I think I can take it from here," she said. "Some fresh air might do me some good anyway." As Fae slid onto the bed and offered up the use of one of her shirts, Elly pulled her arms in and crossed then over her chest nervously. "I—I don't think that will be necessary, but I know where to find one if it need it." She hadn't expected Fae to follow her onto the bed, didn't know what to do with how close she was.

"I really don't want to keep you away from your cooking." Well, she didn't and also she did. On the one hand, Fae's touches on her neck and forehead were lovely. On the other hand, they weren't necessarily making it easier for her to relax. Elly lifted an arm up to wipe her forehead and the shielded her eyes. She focused on making her breathing slow and regular, her chest rising and falling with each deep breath.

[FaeOndoron]

Levering herself up onto the bed, Elly rolled over and layed spread eagled. "I think I can take it from here," she said. "Some fresh air might do me some good anyway." As Fae slid onto the bed and offered up the use of one of her shirts, Elly pulled her arms in and crossed then over her chest nervously. "I—I don't think that will be necessary, but I know where to find one if it need it." She hadn't expected Fae to follow her onto the bed, didn't know what to do with how close she was.

"Ok then, so long's yer comfortable." Fae replied gently, shifting up on the mattress and resting a hand on Elly's ankle. Fae's fingers delicately traipsed along the rounded joint as she looked down at the bed, her normally puckish expression softened to a more relaxed, warmer gaze as she looked tenderly at Elly trying to relax.

"I really don't want to keep you away from your cooking." Well, she didn't and also she did. On the one hand, Fae's touches on her neck and forehead were lovely. On the other hand, they weren't necessarily making it easier for her to relax. Elly lifted an arm up to wipe her forehead and the shielded her eyes. She focused on making her breathing slow and regular, her chest rising and falling with each deep breath.

"Oh don't worry 'bout that. Ever'things mostly running on its own now an' I got an ear an' an eye on things even when I'm not there." There was something so warm in her voice and smile. It felt so easy to fall back into the role of nursemaid, comforter, caretaker. Like putting on an old hat that still fit so perfectly. Watching as Elly tried to cover her eyes, Fae did a quick scan of her room, "Now y'just stay right here, al'right. I'll be back in a jiff with'a nice cool towel. Floor's creak so don't go thinkin' I won't hear if y'try an sneak out."

[Blue Jay]

Fae's hand on Elly's ankle drew her foot to rotate towards her, toes flexing out, like a flower turning towards the sun and blooming. The warmth in Fae's voice washed over her. She wasn't accustomed to this kind of attention, to letting herself be taken care of, anymore. Her arm over her face became as much about hiding her embarrassment as blocking out the light. She may have lectured Karon once about accepting material support from others, but having to accept care was turning her into a hypocrite. "Okay, but you really don't to do all this. I'm sure I'll be asleep in short order."

[FaeOndoron]

A gentle pat, that was all, and then the bed rose ever so slightly as Fae's body lifted away and back to her feet. "Well if that's true then guess I'll be happy either way."

Fae took a brief moment to tidy her room, just a bit. Just the odds and ends that didn't need to be where they were, providing a clearer path toward the small washroom just in case. She kept Elly in her line of sight the entire time, making sure she wasn't being too disruptive and seeing just how quickly Elly might fall asleep after all. Then, as quietly as she could, Fae opened the door and slipped back into the hall, letting the latch click quietly behind her as she leaned back against the door and let out the smallest of sighs. "That girl... Fae blushed and shook her head at the same time.

Tiptoeing down the stairs, Fae took a few moments to check on her works: rotating the bread in the oven to keep it from burning on one side, stirring the pot for dinner and ladling out some of the broth to taste. "Mmm. Oh.." an idea lit in Fae's mind, taking some of the stew and ladling it into a small clay pot, working it over with a tenderizer until the soft vegetables became more of a mash before adding more liquid to make a creamy, thinner soup. "This'll be good when she wakes up.." Fae told herself with a satisfied nod before setting the pot just beside the heat to keep it warm.

A quick trip down to the well under the kitchen to fetch some cooler water, and Fae found herself trying as carefully as she could to sneak back into her own room to check on her patient, not saying a word as she peeked her head in first to see if Elly had truly fallen asleep as quickly as she promised.

[Blue Jay]

Fae getting up from the bed made it easier for Elly to relax, and she had every intention of doing so. There was no use denying that she was sick, that her single-minded focus on her work and kept her from noticing how tired she was. Fae's puttering around quickly became just another part of the background noise along with the street noise drifting in through the window. By the time Fae closed the door, Elly was already beginning to doze.

Once Fae's presence no longer occupied her mind, Elly's consciousness started to drift. She had gotten sick a few times in Waterdeep, but the last time she had had anyone to take care of her was back in Daggerford. Donella would sit with her, Wrenn would come around and keep her from getting bored by demanding play, and—

Elly bounced off the line between wakefulness and sleep and found herself trapped on the conscious side. She turned onto her side, thinking that if she couldn't sleep, she could still rest. But no, she found herself restless, unable to just lie there. With a groan, she turned over the other way and opened her eyes. There was a pile of clothes next to the bed, and the shirt on top was losing a seam along one of the sleeves. Well that was hardly work at all. She didn't even need to leave the bed.

Elly leaned over and picked up the shirt, then retrieved the sewing kit from her sash draped over the end of of the bed. Reclining against the pillows, she fetched out needle, thread, and thimble, and began repairing the tear.

[FaeOndoron]

A number of thoughts ran through Fae's mind as she pushed the door open a bit and peeked through. Thought one: 'Hope the door don't creak like it does an'wake her up..'

Thought two: 'Hope she nodded off well enough inn'ah first place. Gods know might not be comfy bein' in someone else's bed..'

Thought three: 'Wonder how cute she looks all sleepin'in. Bet its real cute..

"Now whut in the nine hells'a tarnation you think yer doin'?" Fae said with a audible huff and a visible pout as she pushed the door open fully, neverminding the creak as she saw Elly sitting up in bed, stitching the seam of Fae's shirt. Holding the vessel of water with both hands, Fae stormed into her own room to loom over the bed.

"Yer supposed t'be sleepin' 'Er at least tryin' tuh." she said with a frown. Her tone wasn't angry at the discovery, though perhaps a bit disappointed primarily because the image of Elly asleep was dashed on the rock of the reality that Fae was slowly realizing: that Elly didn't know how to relax. "I got that rope right over there, don't ferget. Fae pointed to the chest at the foot of the bed.

Setting the vessel of water down, Fae sat back on the edge of the bed again, "Shirt please. Not that I don't appreciate the sight'a you bein' all domestic. But y'ain't gon'feel any better if y'don't get a little shut-eye."