RPG Grove

Elly didn't look up as Fae pushed open the door and scolded her, but she did wince. She had been banking on the remote hope that she could finish before Fae checked in on her, and that accomplishing some small task would make it easier for her to fully rest.

"Tried that. Didn't work," she said evenly, not taking her eyes off her work. Elly sped up as much as she could manage while still sewing an even stitch, trying to finish in case Fae tried to physically pull the shirt out of her hands. "Let me finish this stitch. You don't want to lose your sleeve, do you?"

Fae did her best not to deepen the frown on her face as Elly kept her eyes on her work. In part she understood, she had stitched plenty of shirts back to some semblance of working condition - the shirt Elly was currently working on included. Patchwork was something she had grown accustomed to being mediocre at, mostly because she didn't have the tools to do a finer job. That's what she told herself at least. Blame the tools, not the fact that the shirt in question might not have really been hers to begin with and thinking about that made her want to give up or move on instead of finishing.

Still, she had to be thankful Elly hadn't decided to go snooping around and finding other things in far greater need of repair.

"Fine.." she said in a heavy breath, busying herself by dipping a towel into the water and ringing it out until it was just the right amount of wet to feel comforting without soaking her own pillow. "But after yer'gon lay that head back. I'ain't tryin' t'be demandin' Elly. But y'need t'rest 'er yer gon'collapse. An'that'd make me worry. You don't want me worryin' do ya?" she teased, sliding onto the bed and leaning upright against the headrest to watch the gnome as nimble fingers tried to finish their work.

Fae's reluctant acquiescence gave Elly room to slow down a little, which was good, because having her sitting next to her on the bed was incredibly distracting. "I did try," she repeated. "And I will. But it was starting to feel like I was going to start chewing on the headboard if I didn't find myself something to occupy myself with." As if to punctuate that thought, Elly knotted off her thread and broke it with her teeth. She held up the shirt inside out to inspect her work.

Satisfied that she had reinforced the seam, Elly lowered the shirt with a sigh, holding it out to Fae and leaning her head against her arm. "I don't want you to worry, but I also don't know how to not follow a work obsession when it seizes me." She buried her face in Fae's arm. "I appreciate you trying to take care of me despite that."

Blue Jay wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2024 8:05 pm Satisfied that she had reinforced the seam, Elly lowered the shirt with a sigh, holding it out to Fae and leaning her head against her arm. "I don't want you to worry, but I also don't know how to not follow a work obsession when it seizes me." She buried her face in Fae's arm. "I appreciate you trying to take care of me despite that."

With the gentlest of motions, Fae plucked the shirt from Elly and rested it on her lap. Her fingers had somehow found the newly fixed sleeve, were softly rubbing it as Fae shifted her feet up onto the bed to give Elly something more substantial to nestle against. Reaching across with her other hand, she cupped Elly's cheek and stroked it delicately. "I'm happy t'do it.." Fae told her, moving her hand from Elly's cheek to stroke along her hairline, "But now there'ain't no work t'be doin'. Nothin' important anyway. Yer only job is'ta close those eyes an'let me take care a'ever'thin else y'need."

She smiled, more genuinely than normal, tilting her head so her eyes met with Elly's, "Ok?

FaeOndoron wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2024 8:23 pm Reaching across with her other hand, she cupped Elly's cheek and stroked it delicately. "I'm happy t'do it.." Fae told her, moving her hand from Elly's cheek to stroke along her hairline, "But now there'ain't no work t'be doin'. Nothin' important anyway. Yer only job is'ta close those eyes an'let me take care a'ever'thin else y'need."

She smiled, more genuinely than normal, tilting her head so her eyes met with Elly's, "Ok?

Fae's hand on Elly's cheek threatened to undermine the dams holding back her emotions. Her shoulders quivered as she burrowed her face deeper, clutching at Fae's arm. "Are you sure?" came her muffled voice. "I imagine you have a lot of things I could mend if I'm just going to be lying here."

Elly already knew the answer to that question. With a sigh, she released Fae and slumped down onto the bed from her seated position. "Ok. But. Can—can you stay with me while I fall asleep? It's easier to stop when I have someone to distract me from what I think I should be doing." She couldn't quite meet Fae's eyes after all the noises she'd made about not wanting to inconvenience her, not to mention the warm feeling in her face and chest from having Fae next to her on the bed.

Blue Jay wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2024 8:52 pm Fae's hand on Elly's cheek threatened to undermine the dams holding back her emotions. Her shoulders quivered as she burrowed her face deeper, clutching at Fae's arm. "Are you sure?" came her muffled voice. "I imagine you have a lot of things I could mend if I'm just going to be lying here."

Her smile brightened a bit more as she looked down. Fae knew from her past life how people regressed when they felt sick and needed comfort, but she couldn't help feeling a deep well of joy at how Elly seemed to both resist and succumb to Fae's method of treatment. "I'm sure I do sweetheart. An' more in'th future but I don'think its th'right time t'go rootin' through my clothes..."

Blue Jay wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2024 8:52 pm Elly already knew the answer to that question. With a sigh, she released Fae and slumped down onto the bed from her seated position. "Ok. But. Can—can you stay with me while I fall asleep? It's easier to stop when I have someone to distract me from what I think I should be doing." She couldn't quite meet Fae's eyes after all the noises she'd made about not wanting to inconvenience her, not to mention the warm feeling in her face and chest from having Fae next to her on the bed.

"Of course!" Fae said, her body already squirming downward so that Elly could rest on her arm more comfortably. Fae tilted her body a bit, wanting to see the look on Elly's face, part of her still enjoying how the gnome lit up in embarrassment whenever they were close. But she knew that teasing Elly too much would send her in the opposite direction from rest, so Fae resisted going too far. Instead, she shifted a bit closer, close enough that she could press gentle lips on Elly's brow as a hand stroked through her braided hair. "All y'need t'be doin' is this lil'bird. I'll be here th'whole time, an'I'll be here when y'wake up."

Elly slunk down with Fae until she was lying on her side, arms pulling Fae's arm into her chest, head resting on her shoulder. "You don't have to be here the whole time, just until I get to sleep," she said. She felt overly warm with Fae's body heat next to her on top of her clothes and the fever, but she would rather have that than try to do anything about it.

At Fae's gentle touch, the lines in Elly face began to smooth out as she relaxed, though the flush remained. "It's not fair. To you, I mean." Her lips brushed against Fae's shoulder and her words began to slur. "I used to have a whole extended family to take care of me. Can't ask you to do all that yourself." Nevertheless, Elly's grip around Fae's arm remained, and she nuzzled into Fae's shoulder as her chest swelled and contracted with each slow breath. "'S'not fair." Elly stifled a yawn with a small noise.

For the briefest moment, Fae imagined scooping Elly into her arms. About rocking her gently as Elly fell asleep. It was silly, really, but Elly was just small enough that Fae might have curled the gnome into her chest and let her nestle in there until she was out. She was just as contented though to lay there though, fingers carefully tracing between Elly's woven braids as she mumbled. "Shh..." she whispered between murmurs. "I'm happy t'.." she added, though in her mind she thought about saying more.

'T' be yer family..

Fae's gentle smile faded a bit as she watched Elly's eyes flutter closed. She still felt that same warmth there. The warmth of another body. Elly's fingers still clung to her arm, slowly relaxing as she began to drift. Her mind began to wander as she thought back on her own past, and wondered more about Elly's life and family. Her mind slowly settled though. If Elly needed family, then that's what she could be. "I'll be yers, if you'll be mine.." she said in a sweet, low hum. It was meant mostly for herself, said softly that she wondered if Elly would hear her at all as she drifted to sleep.

FaeOndoron wrote: ↑Tue Aug 20, 2024 5:46 pm Fae's gentle smile faded a bit as she watched Elly's eyes flutter closed. She still felt that same warmth there. The warmth of another body. Elly's fingers still clung to her arm, slowly relaxing as she began to drift. Her mind began to wander as she thought back on her own past, and wondered more about Elly's life and family. Her mind slowly settled though. If Elly needed family, then that's what she could be. "I'll be yers, if you'll be mine.." she said in a sweet, low hum. It was meant mostly for herself, said softly that she wondered if Elly would hear her at all as she drifted to sleep.

At Fae's low hum, Elly's eyelids fluttered but did not open. There was the faintest squeeze of Elly's fingers on her arm before she relaxed completely. "...'kay," came her response, soft as a sigh. She'd given Fae fair warning about saying things like that, so there would be no room to complain when Elly took her at her word.

Elly sank into the quicksand of sleep, mouth slightly open, not yet drooling on Fae's shoulder. She dreamed again of being watched over by family, and this time, the kingdom of sleep did not turn her back at the border.

Blue Jay wrote: ↑Tue Aug 20, 2024 6:25 pm At Fae's low hum, Elly's eyelids fluttered but did not open. There was the faintest squeeze of Elly's fingers on her arm before she relaxed completely. "...'kay," came her response, soft as a sigh. She'd given Fae fair warning about saying things like that, so there would be no room to complain when Elly took her at her word.

Elly sank into the quicksand of sleep, mouth slightly open, not yet drooling on Fae's shoulder. She dreamed again of being watched over by family, and this time, the kingdom of sleep did not turn her back at the border.

There was a low huff of air as the smile returned on her face. 'Course she still would'a heard me, even driftin' off like that'. It wasn't any secret though that Fae had felt an aching need to be more than just passing shades with Elly. It was true for all of their little group. Ever since their first meetings, Fae had felt a need to be closer, even if she had been so guarded with them; with her especially. She hadn't even told Elly half of the truth about everything, but for now that didn't matter. There was the warmth of home. Not just a place to rest her head, but a home that they were slowly building around each other. And it made her feel warmer than Fae had ever thought she could feel again.

She let herself sit there in the warm glow of the room, eyes roaming around it. Her past looked back at her, her present and maybe her future breathing against her arm on the bed. Fae waited until she was sure Elly's breathing was slow and even before she attempted to slip her arm away. She didn't intend to go far, but she wanted to make sure if Elly needed anything, she was ready. It wasn't her that was sick, after all. Careful as she could, she peeled off the bed, leaving her newly sewn shirt near Elly.

In a few quick moments, Fae would slip away. Rather than try and avoid the creaks of the house, the young girl drew the shadows around herself and shifted, appearing in the tavern below her. Her plan was simple. She gathered a few items from the kitchen and return. If all went well, she could set up a chair close to Elly as she slept to keep watch over her. When Elly woke up, Fae would be there, a bowl in her lap, a basket of apples by her side and a paring knife in her hands set to peeling. 'A nice apple tart fer when she's got th'appetite' Fae thought.

Quietly she would hum, peeling the apple skins, watching Elly breath, letting the otherwise silent little world wrap around her for a brief moment and forgetting the busy city that was around them.