Mene
It was late at night and Lily, uncharacteristically, couldn't sleep. Her work took a lot out of her, and so she typically had no trouble sleeping, especially after a relaxing shower. But tonight she was restless. So she'd gone down to the dining area for a mug of warm milk. She sat at a table in the corner and set the mug in front of her. She made a little face at it. I'm exhausted--why can't I sleep?
Lily opened and folded her wings restlessly, then unbraided and shook out her hair. Anything to try and relax. She leaned one elbow on the table and propped her head up with her hand, tracing the curved handle of the mug back and forth with one finger. She breathed in the gentle steam that curled up from the mug, and the back-and-forth motion she made with her fingers started to soothe her mind. Oh good, it's working. I'll go up in just a minute, after I finish...
Her eyelids became heavy and soon she had dozed off completely.
Lily opened and folded her wings restlessly, then unbraided and shook out her hair. Anything to try and relax. She leaned one elbow on the table and propped her head up with her hand, tracing the curved handle of the mug back and forth with one finger. She breathed in the gentle steam that curled up from the mug, and the back-and-forth motion she made with her fingers started to soothe her mind. Oh good, it's working. I'll go up in just a minute, after I finish...
Her eyelids became heavy and soon she had dozed off completely.
Luna
Wolfmane had managed to sleep well that night, with a uncharacteristic smile upon his face. His dreams were unusually vivid that night, a mix of reds, oranges, yellows, glowing shades of fire and...dancing.
He woke this night with a spring in his step and eagerly got to work, greeting the other fellow night scouts and securing his designated route for that night. The others razzed him a bit about seeming slightly different tonight despite him admitting nothing was wrong. Which was the honest truth. Apparently him being happy was just too odd. Still he shrugged it off and went about his way.
At some point it was his break time and he had wandered towards the dining area for his usual break coffee and sandwhich when he noticed someone else here at this hour. Now that was unusual. However he quire clearly remembered that brown skin and long hair and blinked, freezing in his steps. Lily? Is that really her? What is she doing here? At night?? Shouldn't she be sleeping? Wait....is that her? he blinked again, stepping quietly over and noticing the wings now draped behind her.
But not any kind of wings....leaf wings.
What in Laisidhiel.... he swallowed nervously before noticing she was asleep over her mug, just like she had found him prior. Did he wake her? Did he let her sleep?
Eyeing the night chef he waved at the faun who knew all too well what order to place in and gently pulled out a chair to take a seat opposite of Lily as quietly as he could. "... Lily?" he finally said, as soft as he could. He didn't want to startle her.
He woke this night with a spring in his step and eagerly got to work, greeting the other fellow night scouts and securing his designated route for that night. The others razzed him a bit about seeming slightly different tonight despite him admitting nothing was wrong. Which was the honest truth. Apparently him being happy was just too odd. Still he shrugged it off and went about his way.
At some point it was his break time and he had wandered towards the dining area for his usual break coffee and sandwhich when he noticed someone else here at this hour. Now that was unusual. However he quire clearly remembered that brown skin and long hair and blinked, freezing in his steps. Lily? Is that really her? What is she doing here? At night?? Shouldn't she be sleeping? Wait....is that her? he blinked again, stepping quietly over and noticing the wings now draped behind her.
But not any kind of wings....leaf wings.
What in Laisidhiel.... he swallowed nervously before noticing she was asleep over her mug, just like she had found him prior. Did he wake her? Did he let her sleep?
Eyeing the night chef he waved at the faun who knew all too well what order to place in and gently pulled out a chair to take a seat opposite of Lily as quietly as he could. "... Lily?" he finally said, as soft as he could. He didn't want to startle her.
Mene
His voice saying her name curled into her mind, even sleeping, and she smiled. Her eyes fluttered and she sat up slightly and looked around. "Hm?" she asked drowsily. She yawned and stretched, wings fluttering. She hadn't been sleeping very deeply, and as such, it was hard for her to wake up completely. "Wolfmane?" she looked around at the empty dining hall. "Oh no, am I dreaming again?" Her voice was soft and had a far-off quality as she spoke, as if she were still dreaming. "I didn't feel so tired last time~"
She rubbed her eyes and looked down at her mug, and her memory returned. "Oh, that's right." She blinked a few times, then looked up at Wolfmane and blushed. Hopefully he would charitably pretend he hadn't heard what she'd said. "Oh dear. Wh-what time is it?" She smoothed out her hair nervously. She looked down at her mug again. "I came down for some warm milk to help me sleep.....I guess it worked...."
Had she been more in possession of all her wits, Lily might have entertained a self-effacing internal monologue about how she'd just made friends with him and now she was going to scare him off by being too strange, but as it was she smiled sleepily at him, eyelids still heavy. But her heart thumped in her chest. "Thank you for waking me, I would've felt so silly if I slept all night here. I should head home..." However she made no effort to actually get up.
She rubbed her eyes and looked down at her mug, and her memory returned. "Oh, that's right." She blinked a few times, then looked up at Wolfmane and blushed. Hopefully he would charitably pretend he hadn't heard what she'd said. "Oh dear. Wh-what time is it?" She smoothed out her hair nervously. She looked down at her mug again. "I came down for some warm milk to help me sleep.....I guess it worked...."
Had she been more in possession of all her wits, Lily might have entertained a self-effacing internal monologue about how she'd just made friends with him and now she was going to scare him off by being too strange, but as it was she smiled sleepily at him, eyelids still heavy. But her heart thumped in her chest. "Thank you for waking me, I would've felt so silly if I slept all night here. I should head home..." However she made no effort to actually get up.
Luna
Wolfmane watched her reactions and swore he heard her mumble to herself. Something about sleep or being tired...dreams?
Deciding not to pry he simply nodded. "Ah... suppose now I see how you saw me before." he added with a sort of dry chuckle, something he wasn't used to doing either, before he glanced at her mug. He had never thought of warm milk to help him sleep, for some reason the smell of coffee did that on its own despite him having it for the complete opposite reasons.
As her wings seemed to keep fluttering however he found himself drawn to them again. He wanted to ask but he also didn't want to keep her there if she really needed to get back to sleep. "Don't let me keep you if you need to go. Wouldn't want you hurt on the job." he added, something he WAS used to saying to his fellow night guards at least. Getting hurt meant not being able to work which of course meant the job not getting done.
However that tickle in the back of his mind was telling him he had said it for quite different reasons and he seemed to fuss with his own inner monologue.
Deciding not to pry he simply nodded. "Ah... suppose now I see how you saw me before." he added with a sort of dry chuckle, something he wasn't used to doing either, before he glanced at her mug. He had never thought of warm milk to help him sleep, for some reason the smell of coffee did that on its own despite him having it for the complete opposite reasons.
As her wings seemed to keep fluttering however he found himself drawn to them again. He wanted to ask but he also didn't want to keep her there if she really needed to get back to sleep. "Don't let me keep you if you need to go. Wouldn't want you hurt on the job." he added, something he WAS used to saying to his fellow night guards at least. Getting hurt meant not being able to work which of course meant the job not getting done.
However that tickle in the back of his mind was telling him he had said it for quite different reasons and he seemed to fuss with his own inner monologue.
Mene
Lily, who had perhaps begun to nod off again, sat up with a "Hm?" She blinked a few times and shook her head. "I dunno why I'm having such a hard time sleeping," she said, shifting in her chair. She crossed one leg over the other. Beginning to wake up just a little, she was able to notice how her friend's demeanor was different. "I s'pose it's like the middle of the afternoon for you, isn't it?" she asked with a little giggle. She knew there was a tenderness in there under that grumpiness. Maybe the grumpiness was sleepiness. "I bet you're real sweet," she observed. These three statements made perfect sense to her, but to someone a bit more lucid they must seem like non sequiturs.
She picked up her mug and had a sip, then made a face. "It's gone cold," she said regretfully.
She picked up her mug and had a sip, then made a face. "It's gone cold," she said regretfully.
Luna
Wolfmane was about to argue that she did not, infect, look like she was having a hard time sleeping and should probably be escorted safely to her bedroom (nevermind the afternoon correlation) when the comment about him caught him rather off guard.
At first, he was naturally grumpy about it. Not someone who liked to admit things about himself, especially not things like that, he had to take a breath and bite back a comment or two. He then pressed his hands to his cheeks, the coolness of his hands calming compared to the heat in his cheeks. He simply sat there, taking a moment to collect himself before sharing her regret.
"Let me go warm it up for you." he said, standing up and taking her mug before walking back to the little chef window to process what he had just been called while he waited.
At first, he was naturally grumpy about it. Not someone who liked to admit things about himself, especially not things like that, he had to take a breath and bite back a comment or two. He then pressed his hands to his cheeks, the coolness of his hands calming compared to the heat in his cheeks. He simply sat there, taking a moment to collect himself before sharing her regret.
"Let me go warm it up for you." he said, standing up and taking her mug before walking back to the little chef window to process what he had just been called while he waited.
