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"Oh dear... please, don't get any closer. I really don't want to get anyone else sick... it is quite my own fault that I am..." The poor teenager starts to fret, not really of the physical prowess at the moment to really move her and he certainly doesn't want to be rude enough to push here. As is his only recourse of action, he backs up against the headboard.

"Yes, learning is fun, unless you learn things the hard way."

The poor teenager looks for a moment as if he will die of shock, but seeing that Pappila won't be moving away anytime soon and it's already too late, he sighs resignedly. "I am not used to being ordered around by someone so young," he muses aloud, as he lays down, and then looks up at her youthful face. "Better?"

Actually, it was better for him. Perhaps Cervus had sent this girl himself- whether or not she realized it, she was making him do what was probably best for his health and not necessarily what was most productive (such as reading up on psychology).

"What's it like being older?" He contemplates this for a moment, as he does with all questions, wanting to give her as good an answer as he would any of the adults. Aesculus is the sort to take everyone seriously, regardless of age, although he is noticably trying to be less verbose with her than he might be with Cervus or Rosa.

"Well, despite the obvious pleasure of being taller, not much. I do not fancy... er... think I am much different than I was when I was a child. Some people, I believe, stay much the same over the course of time. My best friend has matured, true, but in the grand scale of things, he has changed little."

"Talking gets a lot easier the more your practice. I remember I was hesitant to speak at all when I was younger until I was sure that I was saying what I meant clearly and in at least semi-coherent sentences." He muses over this thought for a moment, remembering fondly how happy his mother had been when he finally did speak, for she had feared that perhaps there was something wrong with him. His father had, of course, been reassured by the intelligent look in his son's eyes but realized that it was in a mother's nature to worry, especially over her only child.

"You speak quite well for your age, Pappila." He then covers his mouth as he is seized by a coughing fit. Although it sounds painful, it has actually improved over the course of a few days as these fits less frequently and they are less dehabilitating.

"I don't need you worrying about me little one. It's gotten a lot better than it was..." his voice drifts off as he muses half aloud and half to himself. It was something of a half truth- it had gotten better, but there was cause for worry in the fact he'd been sick nearly a week and still wasn't out of bed and moving around. Perhaps he was the type when he got sick it was a real kicker.

He seems amused, although it's not his smile that portrays this, but a twinkle in his golden eyes that seems extraordinarily strong. "Now now, I think I've been quite honest with you, but I have a right not to tell you everything I'd tell my doctor, don't I?"

He stifles a yawn then, one that luckily is not closely followed by a fit of coughing. The days have been passing slowly and without visitors, and to suddenly have two people with whom to be on his best manners is somehow exhausting.

Alces quietly walked down the corridors of the castle. With him, he had a gift for Aesculus. He set the rather heavy miniature garden down and looked down at the splashes of water he had gotten on his tunic. "Perhaps I should have given it to him...without water in it." He muttered to himself, shaking his head. He placed it just off to the side of the door to the other's quarters and bent down to leave a note with it before returning to his own chambers. The note read:

Dear Friend-

I have heard that you have not been feeling well as of late. I do hope that changes and you get well soon. Here is a gift for you; I hope you like it. Lady Xannyia tells me, that these types of miniature gardens can be quite relaxing and perhaps this can help you with your recovery.

-Your friend,
Alces



(While out wandering in Gaia, as he so often did, Alces had come across this small miniature bamboo garden and figured it would make a great gift for Aesculus.)

Aesculus stumbled across his room towards the door. He had to go to the bathroom, and he could swear he kept hearing this strange water sound coming from outside the door. As he swung open the door, he seemed surprised that it wasn't just a delusion and that there was actually a water garden there; so surprised, it almost masked the surprise of finding a tiny garden there... and beside it, a small black cat! Picking up the cat and notes, and then returning to get the garden, he put them atop the wooden chest on the end of his bed.

As he read his notes, he was silently amazed that the two people seemingly closest to Rosa would be giving gifts to him at all! Despite the fact he knew she was wrong, he was sure after her last visit she was advocating to have him evicted and put on trial for being a moon court spy. Not only were they gifts, one hopes that he'd be getting better and another thanked him for being so kid.

Looking around his room, he seemed to just now suddenly notice that the furniture was so scarce, he didn't really have anywhere to put his cherished presents. Walking over to the bookcase (as he is finally regaining his strength and free of his hideous cough), he took out some books and laid them on the floor. Taking two trips so as to handle the gifts most delicately, he displayed them there next to the tomes that his father had passed down. Smiling faintly, he decided he felt better mentally if not physically, and that all that took to change the latter was will.