7th Attack . spam

[inhell]

[ In the garden, there's a new, fresh-built structure. It's a bit rough, a makeshift little fence and shelter. And currently it houses a little heap of figures. It's 2-3 dogs, a lamb, a load of hay, and Ellie. Two or more of these figures may be covered by a heavy blanket. Depends on the time of night/morning and how much the dogs flop around.

Ellie entirely fails to show up for any shifts she may have agreed to attend. She cannot be found, except here.

If you'd like to catch her awake, she might be bottlefeeding the lamb, walking her around the garden, or snuggling her. ]

Comments

[architrave]

Then what has you upset?

[inhell]

I'm not upset!

[architrave]

[ This face, Ellie. ]

All right.

Are you going to stay with her all day every day until she's better?

[inhell]

I've got shifts in the kitchen.

[architrave]

Want me to stay with her while you're gone?

[inhell]

....if she likes you, maybe.

[architrave]

Let's find out if she does.

[inhell]

[ Ellie isn't eager. A selfish part of her wants Matilda to be hers alone, despite the roles that Door and Iris played in helping her get the sheep. Ellie is fully familiar with this selfish side of herself, and she knows she shouldn't indulge it.

So, reluctantly, she nudges the lamb out into the open, where she could come investigate Door. ]

[architrave]

[ Door is patient, both for Matilda's sake and Ellie's, sitting with hands folded in her lap until the lamb approaches, stretching her hand out towards her to see how she responds.

She's never dealt with an animal this size before. Well, other than Digby. ]

[inhell]

[ The lamb does edge over, and dip down to smell Door's hand. Warm whuff of breath. ]

How old are you?

[architrave]

[ Door is careful to keep her hand steady, and to move her other evenly as she reaches out to pet the lamb's side. ]

Nineteen? [ A moment, and a nod. ] How old are you?

[inhell]

Not nineteen.

You don't sound very sure.

[ And you're younger than I thought, she doesn't say. ]

[architrave]

Old as your tongue, a little older than your teeth? [ A soft smile. She misses Hunter, even if she'd betrayed them. ]

I'm not. I'm either nineteen or eighteen, but I think eighteen happened already.

[ She shrugs. ]

[inhell]

You don't know when you were born? Or you don't know when it is now?

[architrave]

I know when I was born, I just hadn't paid much attention to the date back home.

[inhell]

Someone must have told you, though!

[architrave]

Not really. [ A shrug. ] The Marquis probably knows. Or Richard, but he's not here.

[inhell]

You should find out. Imagine, not knowing your birthday.

[ Though Ellie knows full well that none of them had any idea what date it was, after a while. Just the endless progression of days, the slow roll of seasons. ]

[architrave]

[ Door laughs a little. ]

I know when my birthday is. [ She pets the lamb a bit more. ] When is yours?

[inhell]

Wasn't December when I left. Doesn't that mean it's all mixed up?

[architrave]

Probably. We are outside of time, after all.

[inhell]

Then maybe I don't know.