Winter Solstice [Log]

[vernal_miss]

Date: December 19th through 22nd
Characters: Nel, family, and anyone about in Moss Manor
Notes: Feel free to tag at any point in time through the days, including if anyone in the family takes it upon themselves to try to wake her Friday (21st)


Entering into the final week of school before winter break, Nel is full of excitement with an abundance of holiday cheer. Except, despite the weather holding relatively clear, the usually active girl has been avoiding going outside as much as possible both at home and school. When she must, she bundles up far more than any child would willingly do without their own aversion. Ever since the day the whole of Mossgate thinned the poppies, she's noticed that when she's outdoors during the times when the temperature has slipped into a chill then she starts to get drowsy. The effect comes on faster and faster as the week progresses, so that she barely makes it out the walk at the house before she's longing for her bed merely trying to walk to school in the morning. By midweek, she has to rest on the way leaning against walls or trees to close her eyes for well...what she thinks is only a minute. A gentle nudge would get her back on her way to try to hurry before she ends up late.

The second to last day is when it begins to creep into the indoors. Her teacher has to wake her several times during the lessons, and that gets a note from the teacher brought home to her mums that must be signed and returned. Worsening further still in the evening, Nel dozes off right in the middle of dinner sitting leaning on one arm and her head sagging towards her plate even as her other hand holds to her utensil stubbornly.

Come Friday morning on what should be her last day at school, Nel is lost in a sleep far deeper than anyone can reach.

Then as though nothing has happened, late in the morning on Saturday, she rouses on her own with a sudden deeper breath drawn into her chest, and a tiny note of sound in her throat as she breathes out. Brown eyes flutter open only to close against the light with a hard blink, and she reaches to rub at the lingering heaviness holding to them.

Comments

[vernal_miss]

Living in a family of seven makes it hard to sleep too much, so the notion is novel for Nel. Even so, the fatigue she has struggled with is a recent phenomenon rather than a new one, "I hope so... I've been so tired this week."

The promise of breakfast however offers a reward on which she can focus, and with a deeper breath in, she tries to rouse herself a little further towards it by pushing with her hands to sit up. Her body feels heavy, but not so much that she cannot manage to walk herself upright, and coming up, her head lulls briefly as she finds her balance with a lightheaded sensation washing in and out of her senses. Gravitating towards her grandfather, she reaches a hand to his arm as she steadies.

[scarsolderthanyou]

He puts an arm around her shoulders to steady her, too. "There you go. Surprised you're not itching for the bathroom. I sure would be, if I'd slept a whole day." Keeping it sounding unconcerned. That's what Sam does best, really.

[vernal_miss]

His arm acts as an anchor both in security and weight, hastening her recovery of basic balance. Her small hand finds his to grasp at the end of it, and she slouches as she leans her head over against his sleeve. The mention of the loo makes her pause to consider, yet she stays put without any sort of squirming, “...not yet, but soon maybe? ...yeah. Soon is okay.”

As it is, she’s trying to gather the initiative to stand. “...Grandpa? Did I talk in my sleep?”

[scarsolderthanyou]

"You didn't even move in your sleep, you certainly didn't talk, at least not where anyone could hear you." He squeezes her shoulders gently. "Why? Bad dreams?" If she dreamed during that whole day she was out... that would be a lot of potential bad ones.

[vernal_miss]

By the sound of it, she had been completely disconnected from the world for the day. Nel does not hesitate to rest the concern of nightmares with a little shake of her head, "No, not bad dreams..." Then her brow knits as she tries to think of the right way to describe the perception from her side, and as the words come, she looks up to his eyes with her hand tightening faintly in grip, "...it was more like, waiting. Like I had to be patient."

[scarsolderthanyou]

"Well, you were definitely that," Sam agrees, dryly, giving her shoulder another squeeze to off-set the tone. He's just glad she's awake. Really glad. "Patient enough that you did nothing but wait. Do you know what you were waiting for?"

[vernal_miss]

Beginning to feel more grounded with the contact as she curls into his side with the squeeze, Nel is not so afraid as she had initially felt when she learned she had lost a day of time entirely. So when prompted, she focuses on that feeling of waiting as she stares across the room and passed what she sees, “It was...” For someone? No, something. Something to arrive? Not quite. “...for something to end,” she says with a sense of correctness born of instinct, not knowledge.

[scarsolderthanyou]

"And did it end?" Sam has to ask, trying not to sound concerned. She woke up, but that doesn't necessarily mean whatever kept her under is gone... At least he's pretty good at the casual-sounding thing.

[vernal_miss]

Gaze focusing back within the space of the room, Nel looks up to her grandfather once more. She has no distinct awareness of an ending, so she answers as well as she can, “It must have. I don’t feel that way anymore.” Nel releases her grip on his hand to twist towards his side as she reaches her arms around him for a weak hug. He may not sound distressed, but she knows him well enough that so many questions means something is bothering him.

“Grandpa, do you want to get Mum now? She can make sure I’m okay,” she suggests, feeling steady enough to be left on the bed.

[scarsolderthanyou]

"All right, honey." He hugs her back warmly, kissing the top of her head. "You wanna wait here, or come with me to say hi to her on your feet?" He'll accept either answer, though he'll probably move a lot more quickly if she waits there-- less chance she might nod off again. Of course, he might actually just call from the bedroom door....

[vernal_miss]

That kiss at the top of her head stirs a happy smile and a little more strength in the hug. How lucky she is to be so loved and looked after. Her smile lingers as she answers, “I’ll stay right here.” As nice as it would be to go to her mother, she does not want to incite more worry about doing too much too quickly. So, releasing her arms from the hug, she puts her arms to use instead holding herself up with elbows locked when Sam gets up from the bed to wait.