[005] Before the summer, there is the spring

[tristranthorn]

"Well, I really think we ought to be moving along once more," Tristran says as he begins to pick up the mess of things left in their room -- socks, dirty plates, cups, and other things of the sort. "We've been staying here for far too long."

He's been dreaming of home lately. As soon as he regained the ability to breathe properly and move about as energetically as he used to, he's been feeling restless for the journey ahead of him.
At first he didn't think much of these dreams, but soon he was dreaming of Victoria again, and of the day he returned to her -- with the star.

A sock hangs off the end of their bed, and he scoops it up, turning to Yvaine with a slightly serious expression on his face. "And we haven't had the chance to check on the unicorn either," he adds. Perhaps if he appeals to Yvaine's fondness for the unicorn, she will be more likely to cooperate with him. "I'm sure he must be eager to move around in Faerie once more."

Now, he manages a slight smile of a sort as though to say, 'Hmm?'

Comments

[an_evening_star]

"I do not see why you are in any great rush," she says, head tilting slightly to one side. "It is not as though the sun had so much as shifted the last time we returned."

She pays attention to those sort of things.

Another slow blink and she eyes him critically, "You are looking rather dusty yourself."

[tristranthorn]

He knows this...he knows, and yet --

"I can't help it," he replies, running a hand through his hair. It's beginning to get a little long -- well, longer than it had been before he left. "It just feels like staying here has been...taking up so much of our time."

He shrugs. "And I'm not dusty."

[an_evening_star]

It looks better like that, really. Not that she'd admit to such things - but it's true all the same.

"I did not see you checking for it," she murmurs.

Her good leg swings slightly, hands splaying out behind her and head tilting back - as if basking in some invisible sun.

"It has been such a long while and we hardly spent any of it doing anything at all," the star says. "You don't really get much time to yourself when you are one of several million - and you get no time to yourself when you are a decoration. Or one would imagine."

[tristranthorn]

Tristran rubs the back of his neck, that awkwardness returning once more.

Usually he is quite daft when it comes to these things, but that strange tone of voice and those words are unmistakable.

He doesn't say anything, only clears his throat again and looks out of the window.

[an_evening_star]

"And this is a place for exciting things, is it not?"

Not that things aren't exciting back where they belong - more exciting, even. Also a great deal more dangerous, but that's not what we're aiming for at the moment.

In fact, going back is exactly what we aren't aiming for.

... forging on!

Her chin tilts up, just enough to be able to see him, "There should, at the very least, be some stretching of legs beforehand."

[tristranthorn]

He would have argued that she could easily have gone off to stretch her legs while he lay sick in bed.

Except...

Well, there was a little matter of the chain keeping them tied together. So there goes that argument.

"And then we can leave?" he asks, instead.

[an_evening_star]

Yvaine just smiles again - a full, wide, and bright smile - and leans back up the rest of the way, pushing her hair from her eyes.

The hard part's over with.

And if he can artfully avoid responding whenever whimsy strikes, she can do it just as well - and look pretty while doing it.

[tristranthorn]

Tristran lets out a little sigh but doesn't let the anxiety show in his face.

"So, where do you want to go to stretch your legs?" he asks, watching her carefully.

He can't help but feel something odd, when Yvaine smiles. It's unexplainable and it hits him in the pit of his stomach. Not entirely unpleasant at all, but strange.

Anyway, what, really, is the point in fighting her right now?

[an_evening_star]

There very rarely is a point.

The smile quirks slightly and she blinks back at him, rubbing self-consciously at her wrist, everything strangely still for a moment.

"Outside?" she replies quietly, tugging the chain lightly. "I promise not to push you into anything."

[tristranthorn]

He nods, letting her lead him by the chain this time.

"All right...I suppose we can check on the unicorn while we're out, too."

[an_evening_star]

That earns him another grin, though it flickers and fades as they reach the top of the stairs, shoulders straightening and fingers curling around his arm automatically - she hasn't done these in a while.

"This would be easier after stretching," she laughs stiffly.

[tristranthorn]

He smiles a little in return, fully prepared for what was to happen next.

Of course, Yvaine's leg hadn't healed yet (though it was, he noticed earlier, getting better day by day), so walking about is still a bit of a labouring process. Putting an arm around her waist as support, Tristran carefully guides her down the steps. The silver chain linking them together glimmers and shines upon each movement, swaying a bit.

"Don't worry," he assures her, "I'm here to help you."

[an_evening_star]

She fumbles for a moment, fingers fluttering absently before settling at his back, and chin ducking - more to shade the unnecessary rush of color than to watch their careful progress.

It's not terribly difficult - not really - but she's distracted and that is utterly horrible all on it's own. Her heart is far too fast and her stomach is fluttering worse than her hands.

"Conveniently," she manages to snort. "Or else I would be dragging you after me."

[tristranthorn]

Well...

Tristran's smile widens a bit. They've reached the halfway point now. Only another ten or so steps to go.

"I wouldn't mind," he responds automatically, before catching himself. His little blip causes him to tighten his hold around her waist only slightly. "I mean -- that way, we'd get to our destination quicker, I imagine."

[an_evening_star]

The star pauses for another awkward second, breath caught in her throat and eyes wide.

Oh, then.

"We would also be a great deal more tangled," she returns automatically before she remembers to blink, cheeks bright enough to glow, and she hastily adds. "Possibly broken as well."

[tristranthorn]

Tristran makes a 'hmm-ing' sort of sound as they finally finish climbing down the staircase with great effort and enter the bar proper. Luckily he's better now, or he would never have been able to do any of this without falling over, or hacking up a lung.

"Are you all right to use your crutch, now?" he asks, arm slowly withdrawing. The Y-shaped crutch is in his other hand.

[an_evening_star]

"Of course - it is not so terribly difficult here."

She can, after all, take care of herself. She took care of him just fine.

The star holds out her hand expectantly, eyes skittering quickly over their door and past the people milling about, other arm wrapping around her stomach as if to balance out the absence.

[tristranthorn]

"You're right," he says as he passes the crutch to her, still carefully watching in case she does need help.

He knows well enough about Yvaine's pride, after all. Living with her has certainly taught him a lot.

"Would you like to take a little walk around the lake, first?"

[an_evening_star]

Yvaine flashes a grin, the crooked sort that implies 'I always am.'

She is, it might be noted, perfectly self-sufficient and doesn't need him to be saving her like some useless pastry-damsel in distress. (Except for when she does - but seeing as 'when' isn't right now, such things can be ignored in favor of continued self-reliance.)

"It sounds pleasant enough, I suppose."

[tristranthorn]

Of course she's always right.

Tristran would never argue with that (it would only force him to face her more discontent side, the one that calls him moron, and throws things at him). So, instead he makes his way to the back-door, only a couple steps ahead of Yvaine, and holds it open for her -- as a gentleman would -- while he waits.

[an_evening_star]

She's been rather entirely well-behaved as of late - name-calling has been sparing and she hasn't tossed anything in his direction in quite some time.

Though this could very well be an exercise in lulling him into a false sense of security - if the smile wasn't quite so genuine. It is, perhaps, more a matter of him learning how to properly placate cranky stars. (Which is surprisingly simple once you get the hang of it.)

She bows her head politely - a lazy sort of curtsy - and peers outside curiously, "Well then, it seems we have slept through an entire season."

[tristranthorn]

He turns his head for a moment, then nods.

"So we have," he agrees.

Can he help being reminded of home and the passing time? No. Even if Milliways is quite comfortable in comparison to the wilderness of Faerie, he's a determined young fellow, and there is a quest to finish.

Turning back to the star, he smiles, offering her his hand, quelling these thoughts -- at least for the moment. He promised Yvaine the time to stretch her legs, and so he will give it to her. "Shall we?"

[an_evening_star]

They'll get there - Yvaine can't particularly ignore the call of home either, as far away and impossible as it is. It's lovely here, but the skies aren't the same.

She rolls her eyes with a mild grin, "We shall."

It's warmer now - far more pleasant - and she accepts his hand gratefully, though she doesn't precisely need to lean quite so much anymore.

"How many sisters do you have?"

It isn't a question of whether one has sisters - people obviously have sisters - it's just a matter of degree.

[tristranthorn]

Oh, of course. Luckily for Yvaine, Tristran does have a sister.

"One," he replies, helping her down the step -- crutch and all -- and to the outside grounds. There is a soft breeze that floats past them, clearly smelling and feeling of spring.

"Her name is Louisa." It is through her that he met Victoria, after all. But he isn't going to say that aloud.

[an_evening_star]

Very good - the state of tranquility is maintained, and nothing gets ceremoniously tossed in any direction.

She breathes deeply, chin tilting back again. It's warm enough that his fingers won't freeze and their words don't fog, but the sun isn't harsh enough to make her skin prickle unpleasantly.

"Only one?" she asks, eyebrows furrowing almost incredulously. "It must be significantly easier to get time by yourself, I would imagine."

A pause and her nose wrinkles, "Though there are less options to blame things on as well."