Back To Normal?

Gar Hold Infirmary

Cress is curled up with a brown lizard in his arms, much like a stuffed bear, and two others lying against his back warming him. A slight snore comes from his throat, and his eyeballs are moving under the lids.

Linora peeks in hesitantly. She wasn't /going/ to come back, really... she /meant/ to stay away... but just maybe she was a little worried. Or something. Her eyes instinctively find Cress, softening at the sight of him curled up like a little boy. She comes closer, quietly sitting down on the cot next to his and hugging her knees to her chest. Just looking.

Cress wakes easily, even if he's sick. Something he's learn from his Turns on the road. His lids flutters and he sees Lin sitting there. "Oh, hello Lin," he says and sits up. Feeling much better now. "How're you feeling?" Yes, he's more worried about her, than himself.

Awful. Linora's eyes are firmly fixed on her hands, clasped around her knees, and she can't remember feeling more miserable. "All right." It's not a lie, though... not if he was asking if she was still sick. "You feeling any better?"

Cress nods, taking a testing deep breath. No coughing although it /did/ sound a little raspy. "I'm fine," he says, feeling well enough to get out of her. "I'm thirsty, though. Wanna come with me to the dining hall?"

Linora looks up, surprised. "Sure." That'd be safe enough. Public enough. She slips her feet back onto the floor and stands up.

Cress swings his legs out on the cold floor and searches for his boots. Finding them he pulls them on fast as not to be more chilled by the floor. He then stands up, feeling no real dizzyness anymore. "Ready?"

Linora nods and goes to the door, opening it without a word... then hesitates a moment, waiting for him to join her.

Cress comes across the floor more or less steady on his feet and gives her a smile as he gets to the door.

Cress moves slowly to the Main Hallway.

Dining Hall

Cress walks over to the sideboard to check on the days meals. Pouring a mug of juice, he surveys what's being offered.

Cress glances at the chalkboard to see what the menu is for today.

Some of today's lunch is still left, it was: Smoked wherry sandwiches with carrots and pickle spears. There's also: Carrots, celery, and cucumbers with creamy dip, fresh redfruits, and the inevitable meatrolls.

Cress is in no mood for wherry today, so he just picks out some fruit and brings it to a table to sit down...not bothering to wait for Lin.

Linora is starting to wonder why Cress asked her to come with him, since he hasn't said a word to her or even looked at her since they left the infirmary, but puts on a brave face as she crosses to the sideboard to pick over the fruit there. Any one will do, really, since she isn't feeling much hungry... Then she pours a mug of juice and crosses the room to stand near Cress's table, chewing her lip slightly as she decides whether to sit down, or just leave him alone.

Cress fiddles with the mug, as he sits there, thinking. He hears Lin come over, and looks up at her, the puppy-eyes working this times, as he genuinelly feels sad. He nods for her to sit and attempts to say something. "Lin...." He looks into the mug again, the fruit laying, forgotten, on the table beside him. "I been thinking.. And I think you might be right that we need to spend more time on our studies...." He can't get out the part about 'spending more time apart.'

Linora drops into the chair across the table from Cress, setting fruit and mug on the table in front of her, and listens with big eyes. He's right, of course... but that doesn't make it any easier to hear. She sits perfectly still, eyes unfocused and hands clasped nervously on her lap, unable to speak.

Cress' tongue's been tied too. He's said what needs to be said and can't say anything more on the subject can he? So he just sits there and picks at the juice. Yes, he's actually picking at the juice, one forefinger in the fluid.

Linora sits numbly for a long moment before apparently deciding there's not much point in sitting here, not saying anything and not being talked to. "I prolly oughta get started on my project, then." She swallows hard, not getting up right away, half hoping he'll ask her to stay, like before.

"Please stay," Cress says, his eyes growing wide. After all they /were/ in a public space, and had a table between them. He just doesn't know what to say, other than; "Did'ya have a chance to think over a specialty?" The usual question, which he'd probably ask her till the day she decided on one.

Linora manages a smile, even as her eyes fill... she blinks back the tears and shakes her head. "Haven't really had much of a chance," she whispers. Not being sick and all.

Cress shrugs, he still doesn't know what else to say. Then he looks at his lizards, looking somewhat faded, after some time without oiling. "Guess I better oil these guys," he mumbles.

Linora blinks as she realizes she doesn't even know where Spray /is/. After a long distracted moment she realizes that Cress really /does/ want her to stay. "I could help," she offers hesitantly. Maybe it'll be like before...

Cress smiles crookedly as he looks up at her again. "Yeah?" He rummages through his pack, which he didn't realize till not that he'd brough with him. He finally finds the little bottle of oil and puts it on the table. "Who d'you want?" Dixie or 'Doru, since 'Mute is nowhere to be found.

Well, Lin does like 'Mute best. She looks from one to the other and shrugs. "Whichever... I like 'em both." She smiles a bit.

Wintermute blinks in from ::between::!

Wintermute swoops down to land on the table, right in the middle. This lizard is perfect at landing, see? And he's heard that oil had come out..

Linora blinks as 'Mute appears, her smile beginning to reach her eyes now. "Aw, look who couldn't stay away when the oil came out," she teases. She reaches for the bottle and pours a bit into her hand. "C'mon, ya monster," she says fondly, holding her other hand out for 'Mute to perch in.

Cress' smile comes out at the way she treats 'Mute. Almost as fondly as she treats her own blue, he'd say. He decides to oil 'Doru first as she's the most impatient of the two left and puts her in his lap, taking the oil-bottle and pours oil into his own hand.

Linora focuses her entire attention on 'Mute, carefully smoothing the sweet oil into his soft hide. If her hands are busy, her mind is busy. If her mind is busy, she won't think about... things.

Cress' hands slowly rubs oil into 'Doru's hide. He's really neglected the lizards, over the last sevenday or so, and he hoped that they'd been feeding themselves. Most likely they had, since they were calm enough to be oiled. He glances up at Lin, and smiles at the way she gives attention to 'Mute and the way the brown loves that attention.

Linora can't help but feel calmer, as her hands gently work the oil into 'Mute's delicate wingsails. She draws the little brown into the crook of her arm and begins to oil his soft belly, completely absorbed. She doesn't even notice Cress looking at her.

As he watches Lin, Cress' hands work the hide of 'Doru almost by themselves. He just can't take his eyes off of her and he automatically turn the lizard and starts rubbing oil into her bellyskin, which all his lizards enjoy immensly.

Linora gently arranges 'Mute on her lap, both hands smoothing sweet oil along the length of his neck. Poor thing must be oiled half to death by now, but Lin doesn't stop the gentle rubbing of her hands on his soft underbelly.

A loud chitter from Dixie, reminds Cress that he has another lizard to oil and he gentle puts 'Doru on the table. He takes the youngest brown off his shoulder and starts the oiling treatment on him.

Linora's hands slow, and her eyes drop out of focus a bit. 'Mute actually seems to have fallen asleep on her lap, and there's no missing the gleam on his well-oiled hide. It's not the same at all, is it? She peeks up to see Cress beginning to oil Dixie, and focuses in on his hands. Loves to look at his hands... especially when he's oiling those flits, so gentle... After a seeming eternity of staring, Linora blinks. She looks down at 'Mute as if surprised to see him in her lap, then gently lifts him into her arms and stands up. "I guess I better get back ta the dorms and stuff," she says, not quite looking at Cress... rather at a nick in the surface of the table.

"Yeah," Cress mumbles, looking up at her, and 'Mute. "Thanks for the help." He eyes 'Mute once again, they lizard so oily and shining you'd think he was proddy. He's not happy that she's leaving but maybe it /was/ for the better.

Linora carefully arranges the dozing 'Mute on the tabletop, giving him one last scritch before dropping her hands to her sides. "Sure." She can't read Cress's look now; maybe it's because her eyes are a little blurry. She blinks, but it doesn't seem to help. "See ya," she whispers, turning to leave.

"Bye," Cress says meakly, trying to sound... Well, almost happy, but sad. Oh, shells. He's sad that she's leaving, isn't he?

Linora doesn't look back. Wouldn't help. She can't tell him how she's feeling either. Someday, maybe. With a little sigh, she lets herself out of the dining hall and heads back to the dorms.

Next Day...