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 Posted: Fri Nov 26, 2021 5:26 pm
The human bath was warm. Soothing. Calm. It had the curious power of making the rest of the world disappear when one submerged oneself in it. Nothing of the technology or its properties explained that. It was simply a basin that could be filled with water to quantities that made Aliez visibly anxious. But Aliez was not in the room right now. Neither was anyone else. There was only Fae-Fae, and even she was barely present. She was here with the intent to vanish. For the fourth time this week. She sank into the water, eyes drooping shut and ears under the surface. Her own heartbeat and breathing drowned out any knocking that might have been coming from the other side of the door.
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Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2021 10:51 am
Vyn knocked, because it was the polite thing to do here on Earth, because they didn’t have chimes or tones to announce their presence. Inside the house, at least. There was that obnoxiously loud ding-dong bell that reverberated through the house (but loudest in the entryway) anytime someone pressed the button by the door outside.
The bathroom had no such button. The bathroom was, apparently, a place of relaxation, where loud noises were generally deemed inappropriate.
During their first few days in this house, Vyn often wondered how the humans could possibly relax in the same place they disposed of their bodily waste.
Then he discovered the bath.
His high regard for that basin full of water was one he shared with Fae-Fae. Which was why the bathroom was the first place he looked for her when he didn’t find her in her room.
“Fae-Fae,” he called when she didn’t answer his knock. It was, after all, rather impolite to invite oneself into the bathroom. “Fae-Fae, did you fall asleep again?”
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Posted: Sun Nov 28, 2021 7:33 am
A tired, languishing, mumbly groan floated through the door in response. Then, a bit of sloshing as she begrudgingly pulled her head out of the water and tried to sit up. Another groan. She did not want to leave the warm embrace of the bath, even if it inconvenienced her friends. It had been like this for a while. Fae-Fae had rarely gone outside since they'd all settled into the house. She would busy herself with housework, fall back into bed, and repeat the process throughout the day. Sometimes she would pull an open window closed, as if the amount of space out there was suddenly too much to comprehend. What time was it? A sluggish arm reached out of the bath and attempted to retrieve her ComTech so she could check.
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Posted: Mon Nov 29, 2021 9:58 am
At least she was groaning and sloshing around, Vyn thought. That was a good sign. That meant she was at least partially conscious, and not…
He wouldn’t let his thoughts continue in that direction.
Vyn knocked again in case she hadn’t heard him the first time. “Fae-Fae?”
She hadn’t invited him in, but Vyn was concerned enough to push the door open. Just a crack. Just enough for a single green eye to peer through.
“Fae-Fae, how long have you been in here?” he asked. “The water gets cold after a while.”
Not the mention the uncomfortable pruning of one’s skin. The first time that happened, Vyn wondered if he'd done irreparable harm to himself.
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Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2021 3:32 pm
There was a small bloop! and a clunk as the ComTech fell into the tub. Fae-Fae sighed a bit before fishing it out. Its water resistance meant no damage, thankfully. She looked at the clock, and responded, almost tonelessly, "38 minutes."Her fingertips showed signs of advanced pruning. The drain stopper was reluctantly removed. She pulled herself out, clumsily, and, after pulling a towel around herself she stood there for a moment to watch the water swirl and gurgle its way out of the tub.
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Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2021 9:18 am
Vyn backed away from the door once Fae-Fae drew herself out of the tub, giving her the time and space to dry off and clothe herself.
Only time stretched on, and all Vyn heard was the sounds of the water swirling down the drain.
“Fae-Fae?”
Maybe he shouldn’t have disturbed her. She probably shouldn’t spend that long in the tub, and it might be a bit dangerous for her to keep falling asleep in it, but Vyn usually felt like a bother among his comrades and housemates, and this situation was no different.
He frowned to himself and fiddled with the hem of his sweater, then cleared his throat and said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude. I just… I have a gift for you.”
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Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2021 6:05 pm
A round, surprised little oh! escaped Fae-Fae's lips. A gift? She had assumed Vyn was here to ask for a turn using the bathroom. A little pinprick of curiosity wiggled its way through the gloom that had overtaken her mind, and she wriggled into a pink-striped sweater of her own a little bit faster than she might have otherwise. The door opened, and Vyn was met with a pair of questioning deep-red eyes. What was the gift, and the occasion for it? She was ready to know.
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Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2021 4:48 pm
A bashful little smile twitched onto Vyn’s face. A faint flush colored his cheeks. The flower crowns had been an unexpected hit their first morning on Earth, but after everything… it seemed almost foolish to continue making them.
Even so, he presented Fae-Fae with a new crown, this one made of large yellow blossoms.
“I made this, and I wanted you to have it. The craftsmanship is much better than my first attempts, and I used synthetic materials, so this one won’t decay. The humans call these flowers sunflowers. They’re said to symbolize adoration and loyalty. When they grow, their heads follow the sun across the sky. When I heard that, I was reminded of our first sunrise, and… I thought they would suit you.”
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Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2021 7:15 pm
A soft, quick breath drew Fae-Fae's lips open in surprise at the offering her friend had presented. Her bleak and weary eyes widened, and brightened, just a little bit. Thoughtful. This was such a thoughtful gift. He had done research to design it. It was clear he had been reading about Earth flowers extensively. She wondered if he realized that, that his scholarly side was showing here, that his intelligence was woven into the artificial leaves along with his care. A smile spread across her face slowly, making her cheeks ache a bit, and her eyes welled up as she admired the sunflower blossoms. It was a wonderful, Velencyan gesture, made of Earth materials. What a brilliant friend she had.
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Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2021 10:09 am
Vyn watched the subtle changes of Fae-Fae’s face. Being somewhat of a self-conscious person, he did not always like to rely on his own observations when determining how others felt. His determinations often leaned toward the negative, or were otherwise inaccurate due to his habit of feeling poorly about himself.
But Fae-Fae smiled. Vyn didn’t think she had many reasons to do that as of late.
Cautiously, in case she didn’t want him to, Vyn lifted the crown of sunflowers to Fae-Fae’s head.
“This vibrant yellow is quite striking against your hair,” he said. “The humans consider yellow to be a happy color. It evokes optimism, enlightenment, and creativity. I know at this point the crowns might seem sort of trivial, but… it meant a lot to me when you liked them at the start. Our first day here was… illuminating.”
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Posted: Sat Dec 18, 2021 2:50 pm
He had even researched what the color meant. Fae-Fae made a little hum of gratitude as the new, immortal crown was placed on her head. The tears began to flow more readily. She had cried quite a lot in recent weeks, but this time they weren't tears of grief. As soon as Vyn's hands were free, she threw her arms around him in a tight hug, weeping out of love for her friend.
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Posted: Sun Dec 19, 2021 1:07 pm
Vyn liked hugs. He didn’t experience them often, but from the right people, they were safe and warm. His recent hug from the Commodore had been a glorious moment he would not soon forget. And now, from Fae-Fae…
When she'd seemed so hopelessly sad in recent weeks (and for good reason), Vyn was deeply appreciative of any small sign that she might feel more like herself.
“You’re welcome,” he said, soaking in her gratitude, her affection.
He put his arms around her and hoped he was able to express the same.
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Posted: Sun Dec 19, 2021 5:29 pm
The gift, and the words, and the embrace, had all stilled the grief. Just a bit. Parted the heavy clouds, just a bit. Brought her old self back into her body... just a bit. Vyn's first flower crown had fallen apart, as predicted, the day before that horrible battle. It didn't matter anymore. This one would last. --FIN--
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