FF PSL | ❝ two-toned echoes tumbling through time. ❞

[crystallinedreams]

song of hope

BOOK 3: TWO-TONED ECHOES

One brings shadow, one brings light
To this riddle all souls are tied
Brief our moments, brazen and bright
Forged in fury, tempered in iceCODE BY TESSISAMESS

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[shepherdtostars]

Aymeric, you are not well. There is no need to apologize. [ She gently shakes her head against the pillows. Her fingers gently brush across his forehead. ] Of course you will be alright. I would hardly let anything else befall you.

[ She kisses the crown of his head then. ] No, I will stay at your side, where I ought to be. Stay here a moment, my love.

[ With one more kiss placed to his forehead, Alkaid regretfully pulls away from him. First, she tends to the fire, putting a few more logs on it and stoking the flames once more. Second, she disappears into their bathroom. The sound of running water can be heard before she returns with a bowl in her hands. She places the washcloth inside it, making sure it soaks the cool water, before wringing it once. Then, she takes her seat beside him on the bed and motions for him to roll towards her.

The cool cloth is placed onto his forehead and she smiles gently at him. ]

If I fall ill, you will just need to care for as well.

[thewayforpeace]

[ He opens his mouth to speak once more, to gently rebuff her worries, but he finds himself interrupted by yet another shiver brought on by the chill the illness is causing. Strange that he should be cold and yet too warm at the same time, but he finds his mind too fogged to make sense of that.

A sort of haze seems to be falling over his eyes, and he blames that upon his elevated temperature. Still, he forces himself to focus upon her and to be present with her even as she moves away from him to the fireplace and then to the bathroom. As she goes about her business, he nestles further against the pillows, but he is hardly comfortable.

He cannot recall the last time he became ill like this, but it is certainly not ideal. There is no finding comfort, as he is either too hot or too cold, but he tells himself he must wait for this to pass.

While he waited for her to return, he allowed his eyes to slide closed once more, but they open when he feels the cool cloth resting on his forehead. He tilts his head slightly so that he might see her better, and he manages a small smile for her benefit. ]

Should that happen, I will spare no expense in caring for you. [ Having said that, he has to reposition his head once more as looking up at her seems to cause the beginnings of an uncomfortable ache. ]

I am certain this is not how you wished to spend your evening. [ Or is it considered morning now? It is dark outside, but he cannot quite tell what the hour is. Perhaps they do need to obtain a clock. ]

[shepherdtostars]

[ While she does not say it, Alkaid admits to herself it is the first time she has ever seen him ill. Of course, there had been when he was tempered, but she does not consider that similar in any way. A cold he can overcome on his own with aid, and he does not need to worry of a primal goading him on. Yet, there is a small shake in her hand at the memories of him nestled in the bed in a similar away, sleeping on end, barely finding rest.

She closes her eyes and forces her mind to focus on the here and now. At least, she attempts, as the shake remains in her hand as she keeps the cloth on his forehead. ]

I would expect no less. [ She smiles for him regardless of the haze in his eyes or her own worries. ] I wish to spend all time with you, regardless if you are at your best or at your worst. Where else would I rather be than with you?

[ She tucks her legs underneath her and scoots closer to him so he might curl around her if needed. ]

Does it hurt?

[thewayforpeace]

[ For his part, he is finding that focusing on her words is becoming increasingly difficult as he continues to shiver even as his temperature seems to rise. Of course, he is aware that Alkaid is by his side, but his mind keeps replacing her image with that of his mother, and then switching back once more. The part of him that still is capable of thinking rationally knows his mother is not here, as she is long gone to her rest, and yet that does not stop her image from alternating with Alkaid's or forming a strange combination of the two.

His eyebrows draw together as he tries to clear the confusing images and focus only upon her and the coolness of the cloth upon his brow. She asks if it hurts, and he has to pause as if taking stock of what he feels beyond the chilling sensations and the unpleasant heat of the fever. His head aches, but only if he moves it too much.

In response, he does curl around her, and the resulting movement causes the pounding in his head to intensify for a moment. All he can do is slowly nod once, because to move any more than that only causes a worse ache to form. ]

I have certainly felt better. [ He finally manages to audibly answer her, while simultaneously chastising himself for the actions that contributed to this bout with sickness. If he had cared for himself more, perhaps they would not be dealing with this now. ] I am sorry for this.

[shepherdtostars]

[ Alkaid nods gently in return to his. She turns slightly, gently moving his head to rest in her lap once more. Her hand keeps the cold cloth on his forehead while the other rests atop his head to gently run her fingers through his hair. She could already see why the head maid had been so concerned, but this certainly elevates that worry further. Surely it is exhaustion, as well as a combination of not enough sleep and perhaps even food. Has he slept with the room cold and unattended as well? What of his office, does it remain warm or cold? ]

There is no need to feel sorry. We will see you through this and will work together to avoid it in the future. [ A smile forms on her face with her tail swaying at her side slightly. ] The fire will warm the room again in a few moments, and I can fetch another blanket if you are in need of it.

[ Alkaid smirks. ] Or, I could curl against you to give you heat. Although... perhaps my smaller stature may not be of aid at all.

[thewayforpeace]

[ Perhaps he has come to rely on the comfort she gives him far more than he should, but he knows that nothing calms him more than resting with her and lying beside her, often with his head in her lap. Somehow, her presence helps calm and comfort him more than anything else could, easing the burdens he carries with him and helping him be himself once more.

He is still cold, and the shivers still settle in at odd intervals, but at least his heart is warmed by her being there with him. ]

You mean that I ought to care for myself more. [ He is all too aware that his present state is the result of his own actions, or inactions, as the case may be. He did not care for himself properly in her absence, and this seems to be the consequence of that. ]

Everything you do is of aid to me, and if I have not made that plain, then that is also my error. But I still fear that you will also become ill, and while I will gladly care for you and wait upon you hand and foot, I do not wish to see you become unwell either.

[ He always relishes her comfort, but he feels that doing so is selfish, especially if she ends up sick or worse because of her continued presence by his side. ]

I suppose I cannot convince you to sleep apart, at least for a time.

[shepherdtostars]

I cannot make you do something you work against. Instead, I mean to care for you as often as I can. Which, I intend to see that it becomes far more of a norm than a moment here and there.

[ Her fingers gently move his bangs away to readjust the cloth. The simple resolution is that she leave the Scions and she intends to do just that. She does not need to be a Scion to help others or to be a Warrior of Light. If they are in need of her aid? They can come to her and ask, instead of expecting her to jump when they give the command. ]

If I am to fall ill, then it would be of exhaustion of what transpired on the First, and not you. [ A gentle tap is given to his forehead. ] Let us see to your health first, Aymeric. Ishgard has need of her Lord Commander, and I have the far more selfish need of my knight to be at my side.

[ Alkaid adjusts so she might lean back against the headboard. The fire cracks with warmth. A hand moves to rest on the back his neck to rub the tension from his body as she keeps the cloth to his forehead. ]

No, you cannot. [ The volume of her voice drops then. ] We already spend too much time away from one another...

[ After a brief pause, she continues in the same tone: ] ...please, don't send me away when you need me...

[thewayforpeace]

[ Once again, he finds himself silenced by the awe he feels when he is faced with her love and how much she cares for him. It still feels undeserved to him, even though he knows that saying as much to her will earn him a gentle reprimand.

Before he speaks, he gives an involuntary shiver as the alternating heat and cold continues to take turns affecting him. ]

If more people on our star were as kind and as good as you, it would be an even better place than it already is. I have no doubt of it. [ And yes, he still believes that, on the whole, their star is made up of good people. There are those with less than good intentions, but he finds their actions outweighed by those of the same mind as Alkaid. ]

Then you must allow me to care for you in turn, as soon as I am able. [ He coughs once, doing his best to keep it quiet so as not to concern her more, but he knows that she keeps such a close eye upon him and his actions that she will surely not miss it. ] Similarly, I have need of my dearest, and I also have a deeper desire to see that she is well and cared for.

[ Before he responds, his mind chooses this very moment to remind him that he has several meetings that he must oversee in the morning, and he realizes belatedly that he must take whatever rest he can if he is to be prepared. He knows by now that he sleeps easier when she is present, and so he concludes that insisting that she sleep in another room for her health would be counterproductive. It is a selfish notion, and he knows he should continue to insist, but he decides to be selfish just this once. ]

... Will you stay? [ He is aware of the contradiction, but he knows that she will understand how he wrestles with what he knows is right and what he desires. ]

[shepherdtostars]

[ At his shiver, Alkaid reaches for the covers to tuck them around him further. She removes the damp cloth, leaning over to place it beside the bowl. Then, a hand returns to the top of his head and the other rests on his arm. She gently rubs it in an attempt to comfort through what his body surely is struggling with. She will need to make a potion once he is resting entirely, which reminds her that perhaps she ought to fill a small basket of medicines for the manor... ]

One by one, people can be reminded of kindness and hope. [ Her fingers brush his bangs away. However, she pauses as he continues. Her tail comes to a stop before swaying happily at the term he has picked for her. He rarely uses it, unlike her, which surely makes it all the more special. Perhaps she should act in a similar manner. ] Then, you can care for me all that you wish, and show me all that Ishgard has to offer with the restoration and the happiness you have all found.

[ She laughs gently. ] Of course, Aymeric. As long as you wish me to stay... and perhaps even longer, just to indulge my own wishes.

And, if you wish, I will tell you all that happened on the First in the morning.

[ Alkaid closes her eyes as she continues the gentle touches to lure him back into something of a restful sleep. She has quite the list of duties forming for the morrow. Medicine crafting, tending to the home and Aymeric's fever, telling him what transpired on the First, and giving him the present she had made that she neglected to give him that evening. However, it did not seem like the appropriate time for a gift. His needs are far more important at the moment. Especially as she sees it partly of her own doing that he is in the state he is. ]

[thewayforpeace]

[ A part of him wishes to nestle further in the blankets while also remaining as close to her as he can, but the other, more rational part of his mind is telling him that he must find a way to sleep so that he will be prepared for his duties that await him in the morning. An illness such as this is no reason for him to shirk his responsibility. ]

You and your sister remind them of that, as do the Scions with whom you work. [ In times when he stops to consider Ishgard and the state of her affairs, he wonders if their present reality might be somewhat different if he and those in positions of authority had been kinder and more open than they had been. The fact that much of the history as they knew it had not been conveyed truthfully did more damage than anything else, and yet the fault lies with all of them, not simply the Holy See. ]

There is so much that I wish to tell you. [ He raises a hand to his mouth, intending to stifle a second cough, but his efforts to suppress it are not quite so successful. ] And as you know, I would have you stay with me always. [ But they both know that there will always be something to pull them apart, at least temporarily but far longer than they wish.

And in keeping with that, he adds: ] I will be able to remain with you for a time when morning comes, but I am afraid that my presence is required with the House of Lords and Commons. [ And he must rally in order to be ready. He has chosen to push aside his private doubts that he will truly be prepared, but he sees that he has no choice.

If he truly could choose, he would stay with her, to hear more of her tales from her time on the First, and to simply be with her as he always longs to do. He knows he will have to content himself with coming home to her when the day's work has concluded. ]

[shepherdtostars]

( continued here! )