When she stepped inside she looked around. She’d always thought Cael’s bedroom was beautiful, with silk curtains hanging from the walls in rich blues and purples, gauzy cloth softening the light streaming in from the large window next to his bed. Unlike Lydianah’s, his bed was large; big enough for three, truth be told, though it was only in the last year or so that he’d had anyone in it besides himself. She smiled for a moment. She liked her; she was nice, she made Cael happy, and more importantly got him out of the general vicinity of the shop when she was home. A large bookcase was along the wall at the foot of his bed, a wardrobe near the door... and Lyandiel Silverstorm was nowhere to be seen.

She heard a sound coming from his bathroom. Shhhh-shhhh, shhhh-shhhh…

When she rounded into the bathroom and saw her mother, she sighed. Cleaning. Lyandiel had a stiff-wire brush in her hand and she was scrubbing down tile on the shower wall. There was a crutch that she leaned on, and she was up on her good toe as she reached. “You know he’s meticulous about keeping clean, right?” she asked, striding into the room and standing right behind her mother.

“I know,” Lyandiel replied, continuing her rhythmic scrubbing motions. “Lydi-bean, I have to do something. I’m going a little crazy, and the sooner I’m done with all of this the sooner I can get back to life, and the sooner Jericho can stop feeling so guilty.”

“It’s not his fault,” Lydi said with a sigh. Maybe she sagged a little more than she should have when she leaned against the wall nearby. She was so bone-tired, as she had been for months. “Why don’t you stop scrubbing an already clean wall, go sit on the bed, and let me look at your ankle? You know I can help speed it along.”

“I do. And I also know you’re dead tired from speeding it along for two weeks,” she retorted. Regardless, she stopped scrubbing, lowered onto the flat of her good foot, and tossed her scrub brush into the bucket she’d carried over, where it landed with a sploosh.

“And the sooner you’re healed, the sooner I can rest,” Lydi said stoically, watching as her mother carefully picked her way out of the shower. “I love you, Minn’da, and I want to see you get on with your life as much as you do.”

“I love you too, Lydi-bean, and I will.” Andi leaned in with a smile when she was close enough to her daughter to give her a short kiss on the forehead. “But you’re not going to kill yourself for me.”

“Let me look at it, at least. And I bought you your favorite scoo-oone!” She practically sang that last word as she ducked out of the bathroom and waited for Andi to join her. That, at least, made her mother move a little faster.

“Fine. I’ll let you look at my ankle, but only if you share that scone with me.”

“Deal.”

The pair moved to the common area and Lydi deviated to grab the treat and plate it. By the time she got to the couch, her mother was already perched there, her legs up on the cushions. Lydi set the plate down on the tea table. “He’s worried about you, you know,” Lydi said softly, seating herself just beyond her mother’s feet and taking a look at the casting around her foot and ankle.

“I know. And he thinks it’s his fault, which it is not,” her mother replied, sighing. “I wish… I don’t know. He’s been distant, and I don’t know what to do for him right now. You’ve been distant, too.”

“Excuse me? I’ve been up in your face every day!” Lydi protested, settling one hand over Lyandiel’s toes and one hand on her calf, just above her cast. She closed her eyes, settling into that focus that she’d developed and feeling her way through the injury. It was getting there, but there were a few places that were questionable… and so, before her mother could protest, she fed part of herself into it and guided bone and tendon to repair itself.

“Stop, stop, stop!” Lyandiel half-shouted, suddenly leaning forward and peeling Lydi’s hands off of her.

“Minn’da!”

“I told you I don’t want you spending yourself like this! Why won’t you go out and live a little? Call that cute guy you told me about! Unwind a little bit!” Her mother’s voice was fraught with concern, her eyes almost pleading. “Lydi, you’re hiding.”

“I’m taking care of you,” Lydi protested.

“You’re hiding.”

“Trust me, I’d call that cute guy if I thought he was even remotely interested in getting a call from me. I screwed that one up before there was even anything to screw up.” She huffed a bit and looked over at the scone she’d brought with her. She’d have to wash her hands before she even thought about touching it. “I’m doing much more good by helping you recover. Minn’da, you have a life, a man who loves you, and you’re going stir-crazy in here!”

“And you need a life, and people who are not related to you who love you.”

“I have Arandoros. And Se’lysona. I should call them.”

“Yes!” Andi said, throwing up her hands. “Call them! Call anyone! Get out there and live; I want to see my daughter happy and thriving, and right now you’re pushing yourself too hard for me and wilting. I’ll be on my feet again before you know it, and I promise I’ll be careful while I’m working myself back up to full speed. But you need to go out. Have fun. Figure out what you want out of life.”

“You already know what I want out of life.”

“And you’re not going to find it in this apartment.”

Mother and daughter stared at each other for a long time. There were so many things that Lydi wanted to say to her, like, I can’t, I’m afraid, I just don’t have it in me anymore… I’m broken. Instead, she just sighed. “You’re right, of course. I’ll… call someone.” Reluctantly she got to her feet and started toward the kitchen sink to wash her hands and find her com. Then she went and retrieved the bag she’d left by the door, put away groceries, and deposited a pair of books on the table. “For you.”

“Ooh, thank you! Oh! The two most recent Sunspell novels! I’ve been wanting to read these.” Andi grabbed one of them and began reading the back of it. “A human man and his elven friend with a complicated history. There’s something more there, for sure. Oh! Love Eternal, Part 2! It’s out!”

“You and your romance novels, Minn’da,” Lydi teased, and then broke off half of the scone held it up near her face to speak to it in a theatrically sultry voice. “Oh, Master Scone, you are everything I’ve ever wanted! I’ve been so afraid to give you my heart, but none could ever measure up to your baked goodness. Say you’ll be mine forever!” Her mother tossed a pillow at her and she almost dropped the scone, giggling as she snatched it up from certain floor-death. “No, my love! You cannot leave me like this!”

“You’ll be reading them next,” her mother chided as she grabbed the other half of the scone and took a dainty bite.

“Oh, of course! You’d better finish Eternal Love first, though, because I want to find out what happens with the San’layn.” With that, Lydi bit into the scone and hummed her appreciation. “Mmm. I’ll go make that call now so you’ll stop bothering me to do it.”

After parting words were shared, Lydi made her way downstairs and outside of the shop, plopping down on the nearest bench. And thumbing through her comm. She could call Arandoros—she had no clue what he was up to these days and she missed him. She could call Se’lysona—they needed to meet and catch up, and she missed her, too.

Zayneth’s name popped up on the screen and she hesitated. She’d left things on a semi-good note with him… maybe. And they had talked about going on a friend date that had never happened. Oh, what the hell.

She pressed the call button. Waited. No answer. She very nearly disconnected, but something stopped her, and when it came time to leave him a message, she hesitated there as well. “…Hey,” she said, after a couple seconds of silence. “It’s Lydianah. I hope you’re doing well. I know you’re probably busy and I’m sorry I haven’t reached out, but I… well, I suppose I am now. Get in touch if that friend thing is still on the table.” She’d tried to sound cheerful about it, but exhaustion was creeping up on her like a second shadow, and the tiredness was there in her tone. “Be safe,” she said before she hung up, and then leaned forward with her elbows on her knees.

What are you doing? That little voice inside her asked.

“I’m trying to make a friend,” she responded aloud, closing her eyes. If she let her mother see how tired she was, she’d never get her out of the apartment.

Who is the most affectionate?

Strangely, Arandoros. Naivaria is affectionate (and even downright snuggly), but not as much in public as he is. 

Big spoon/Little spoon?

Aran = big spoon. Always. I cannot imagine Nai trying to big spoon Aran. That’d just be silly.

Most common argument?

“Why is there always hair in the shower drain?”“That’s not my hair.”

Favorite non-sexual activity?

People watching. Sometimes they will sit on a bench for hours, pointing out people (and usually parts of people), or they will make up stories as to what someone they see is doing or saying. It gets pretty hilarious.

Who is most likely to carry the other?

Aran. He’s bigger, stronger, and not in pain all the time.

Nicknames?

Naivaria: Nai, LoveArandoros: Aran, sweetheart, “Lady Sunforge”

Who worries the most?

Aran. That’s what happens when your partner is somewhat frail.

Who tops?

Aran... most of the time. ;)

Who initiates kisses?

Both of them! I would say it’s probably equal.

Who wakes up first?

Aran. Gotta get them forge-fires burnin’!

Who says I love you first?

They both say it now fairly equally... but as for who said it the very first time?  ... I don’t remember.

It was not often that she ate breakfast, but she found this morning that she was quite hungry–something that had been slowly increasing since her forays with Arandoros and Lady Devonshire when she’d forced herself to eat.  As her stomach rumbled its polite suggestion she closed her eyes again, concentrating hard on making the aching simply go away.  This was a morning ritual–unlike breakfast–that she had adhered to vigilantly for over a decade.  Were it possible to get rid of it completely she might have done so by now, but she knew of no way to do so, and anyone who might was like to charge an exorbitant amount of money for their services–money that she now had in the form of a note in Lord Bladerunner’s name but refused to use because… well… it wasn’t hers.  She was going to need that money when her apprenticeship to Lady Devonshire was over to set herself up with her own studio. The pain reduced to a dull ache, as it always was, Naivaria got to her feet and began preparing herself for the day.  After dressing she made her way to the kitchenette, and plucked an apple from the bowl on the counter.  As she munched she read Arandoros’ letter again, nearly having a heart attack when she bit into the apple and a bit of its juice shot onto the page.  “No, no, no!” she breathed, finding a handkerchief and blotting it dry before the ink could bleed too much.  It did bleed a little, but it was still readable, thank the gods. When she had had her share of staring at the letter and the apple had been consumed, she rid herself of the core and rinsed her hands before settling down to write a response.

Dear Master Sunforge, Your letter was a pleasure to read, and let me be one of the first to put to writing just how happy I am for you to be moving forward in your craft!  It is not often that these kinds of opportunities find us, but when they do they are the sort that change a person’s life.  I hope that because of this, yours will be changed for the better. I would be remiss if I did not tell you that I hope letters are not all that are shared between us as well.  I am, however, of the same mind: If it must come to that, I am grateful for each word that is put on a page, even if it is merely a hasty note. To alleviate your curiosity, my apprenticeship to Lady Devonshire goes rather well and I am pleased with each interaction that the two of us share.  She is truly an inspiration to me, and were I to be quite honest I hope that one day when I am older I am able to possess even half of the youthful spirit and the wisdom that she displays daily.  After speaking with Theylia, the decision to move in with the lady is final.  All letters from here on should be sent to her estate, the address of which I have provided with this letter. To say that bumping into you the other night was pleasant is an understatement, as I quite enjoyed that walk home.  I find you surprisingly easy to talk to, and with each passing day I grow a little more distracted just wondering how you are faring.  I should think that if a meeting is to be arranged it should be soon–though you are welcome at any time to come by the estate for a visit when you have free time.  And besides:  I have your order ready, and you must come and try it on.  As good an excuse as any, no? I wish you every success with House Silvercrest, and I hope to see you soon! Yours,

P.S. Tell Tooki that I miss her already.

She gave the letter a good once-over, and once the ink had dried she folded it up and brought it to her lips to linger there.  Her heart fluttered at the thought of introducing this man to her sister or Lady Devonshire–would he be good enough to meet their expectations?  She truly hoped so.  With a sigh she addressed the letter to his new location and set out to send it along.