Lonely Lullabies

[Lixue]

Summer 6th, 512 AV "Get over," Lixue mumbled sleepily. Weak hands pushed at Ly's bare chest, even as she snuggled closer. A mess of tangled black hair lay under Ly's chin, tucked into his neck. Lixue was curled into a ball, legs folded into her petite form. Ly had one arm strewn haphazardly across her waist, resting dangerously low on her back; the other was used as a pillow. A droplet of drool dangled from his bottom lip. Lixue used the bedroll that covered both of them as a place to rest her head, fingers clutching the tattered edge. As they were a married couple, but best friends first, the pair had decided to waste less space by sleeping on the same, oversized, bunk. Ly's bed had previously been on top and Lixue's on the bottom, but the top was now used for storage and the like. Lixue kept her meager belongings there. Ly mumbled something incoherently, barely moving. "...snow… Morwen…" echoed in the air quietly, more of an exhale than actual speaking. "No! Dad… dad…" the tone turned soft, sad. Lixue, half awake, listened with one ear. Her mind was elsewhere, stuck in the process of waking up. Mentally, she went over the to-do list of the day. Dansh, a patient who recently lost his sight, needed to be up and walking. Tessa, one of Lixue's two assistants, was to have a lesson. Ly had claimed her for lunch and the herbalist was to be teaching Lixue later in the evening. The main layout of her schedule was very flexible, as Lixue often had to deal with emergencies at the ward. "...Please… do not leave…Dad!" Lixue's green eyes popped open at Ly's voice, tinged with desperation. Her head tilted upward to listen, trying to make out the words. Ly was talking in his sleep. Again. He had been doing so since his father died, on the first of the new year. Unfortunately, Lixue's father-in-law had been at the Coolwater Hold when the heat arrived. The hold was flooded. Lixue had lost her youngest sibling to the dangerous waters after he had wandered into the liquid. Ly's father had been visiting a friend and died in the onslaught of water. "...why… why him…" Ly continued, silent tears dripping down his cheeks. One landed on Lixue's forehead. The poor man! A frown settled over Lixue's pale features as she fought the urge to feel pity. Ly had not responded well to such behaviors. Perhaps the wound was still too fresh? All she could do, for now, was comfort Ly. "Honey? Ly, babe, come on, it is time to wake up," she cooed, gently shaking him. Her husband kept muttering "no, no" and tossing his head from one side to the other. "Ly?" A newly calloused hand was slapped against his cheeks softly. When the action failed to awaken Ly, Lixue's nose scrunched in thought. Though it was apparent he was not going to wake up from the nightmare, Lixue wanted to try. Several more attempts, including shaking him like a rag-doll failed to work. By this time, Lixue was sitting up. Instead of forcing the male awake, she was leaning back against the longhouse wall. Ly's head was pulled into her lap and the rest of him stretched out on the cot. Lixue was gently smoothing the hair away from his forehead and tucking it behind his ears. Softly, more of a whisper than anything else, was she singing a lullaby. Her father had sang the same song when Lixue was young, to will her to sleep, and later with her siblings. Lixue had only hoped it would calm Ly down and it had! He had stopped thrashing and instead of mumbling, whimpered.

[Lixue]

"Sleep, my child, and peace attend thee, All through the night Guardian angels Kihala will send thee, All through the night Soft the drowsy hours are creeping, Hill and dale in slumber sleeping I my loved ones' watch am keeping, All through the night Angels watching, e'er around thee, All through the night Midnight slumber close surround thee, All through the night Soft the drowsy hours are creeping, Hill and dale in slumber sleeping I my loved ones' watch am keeping, All through the night While the moon her watch is keeping, All through the night While the weary world is sleeping, All through the night O'er thy spirit gently stealing, Visions of delight revealing Breathes a pure and holy feeling, All through the night…" The tune was slow and the notes were held long. Especially the last words of each line. Up, down, down, and up again went the tune. Lixue was not naturally musical, but she could sing a lullaby with some ease. With her soprano voice, the tone of the song was almost lovely. If one ignored the small cracks on the high notes and the quick inhales of air, that is. While she was singing the lullaby, Lixue's mind wandered. Her father, a jovial man with a heart made of honey. Lonis stood at nearly six foot two and was round in circumference. He loved to laugh and meet new people. And Lixue adored her father. He helped shape her life to how it was. Kept her head out of the clouds and encouraged her to chase her dreams. Lixue missed him dearly. Missed seeing his face light up at a corny joke. Missed his warm hugs. Missed hearing her mother giggle when he whispered softly in her ear. Lixue missed her father. He had supported her traveling with Ly to the Spires to help, but sometimes she wished he had forbidden her to go. Kept her near home. Who was she to go to for advice? Who was she to marvel at the workings of life with? Ly now… But he was her husband, not her father. Not the man who raised her. The man who was always there. Starting the song over, Lixue's voice wobbled. A lone tear dripped down her face. She failed to notice. Gentle fingers repeated the pattern of pulling Ly's hair away from his face. When Lixue was six, Lonis helped her make a snow-fort big enough for him to stand up in! Her mark from Morwen had helped. The two spent the day together, laughing and teasing each other, tossing snow-balls in each other's direction. Lunch was eaten inside of the fort and they pretended to be Icewatch protecting the city. The two stocked up on "ammo", AKA snowballs. Later, when her mother came to retrieve them, Lixue and Lonis attacked her. After everyone's clothing was full of snow and they were chilled to the bone, the family disappeared back into the house to warm themselves with hot milk and laughter. Lixue could still hear the sound of her high pitched giggles, of Lonis's deep chuckles and her mother's joyful scolding. Without being aware of it, Ly had awoken. Upon seeing Lixue crying, he first seemed alarmed. Trying to gather her attention failed and he pulled her into his arms and whispered words of nothing into her oblivious ears. Silent tears slid down Lixue's face from eyes squeezed shut. Instead of ruining the song with wobbles and shaking, the song was stronger and steadier. She still sung softly, but seemed more confident when oblivious. However, instead of being soothing, the tone was sad and lonely. The last note was reached and Lixue could not finish it. Her throat closed up and she was left with a low sob. Ly cradled her in his arms as Lixue whispered, "Daddy… Oh, Daddy…"

[Creeper]

Skills Observation: 1 Planning: 1 Singing: 1   Lores Comforting Nightmares with Song Father's Lullaby: Sleep, My Child Memory: Lonis Helping Build a Snowfort   Other A lovely little character development thread, I loved in particular the song. Did you do the lyrics yourself?