1x1 with hollyglow and Consulting_Angel

[Consulting_Angel]

Ashton Rouleau
Ashton liked the warm, safe feeling that he had while being next to Jem. He was also fairly exhausted from the day's events, which would contribute to him falling asleep quite quickly. He had a fairly dreamless sleep - certainly one where he did not remember any of them. However, a thin veil of cold sweat appeared on his forehead and around his temples a little bit later, his bandaged hand throbbing slightly.

Loralei Waverly
She waited patiently, allowing Elsa all the time she needed to figure out what she wanted to say, and how to put it into words. She'd wait for as long as was needed, even if it was days or weeks, or even longer. Maybe it wouldn't get to be quite that extreme, of course, but Loralei felt that it made a good point in her mind. And, when Elsa did speak, Loralei listened, waiting until she was sure that Elsa was finished talking before she spoke. "Possibly because they get caught up in their own minds, thinking of only what they want, that they avoid thinking about any consequences." She suggested. Then, she hummed in agreement - it would be much easier if other people understood what they were really doing. That maybe they didn't have all the answers or foolproof solutions to everything.

[hollyglow]

Elsa Alina Asbjornson

"I supposw that's true," I murmured in agreement. "A bit like Erek," I added, almost as an afterthought. Not wanting to get sucked into that endless cycle of distrust and unhappiness again, I shook my head, as if I was shaking the thoughts away, and closed my eyes. "I---" I paused, uncertain of what I'd meant to say, then finished awkwardly, "well, good night." I relaxed into the bed and Loralei's arms, content.

Jem Laceburn

I slept rather soundly. Somehow, despite the fact that I was a prisoner, I felt safe. Safer than I had for a long time. Maybe it was that I had a full belly for once, or a warm bed, or that I knew for better or for worse that I was securely guarded...or perhaps it was just that I could feel Ashton near me, and that in itself was like a blanket of security.

[Consulting_Angel]

Ashton Rouleau
A little while later, Ashton woke up of his own accord. He was still tired, and it was still fairly dark outside. However, he felt that his breathing was a little more shallow, and there was an uncomfortable cold sweat across his forehead. He was glad that he remained lying down, because he wasn't sure if he'd be able to sit up for long. He tried not to move much - if at all - with Jem close to him, so that he didn't wake him up, and he attempted to get back to sleep.

Loralei Waverly
From what she knew about Erek, Loralei did have to agree to what Elsa said. She could definitely see the relation made between her statements and Erek. She did want to ask what Elsa had been about to say, but she decided not to push for an answer, as to not make her uncomfortable. Loralei smiled, and said, gently, "Goodnight." And she relaxed into the bed as well, closing her eyes, but making sure not to fall asleep until she could feel that Elsa had fallen asleep first.

[hollyglow]

Elsa Alina Asbjornson

I fell asleep quickly, mere moments after Loralei said goodnight. I was exhausted from the last few days, despite having slept earlier, and quite frankly, the thought of sleep was just an immense relief. Since I didn't always dream, and when I did it was about fairly inane things, sleep had always been a sort of escape.

Jem Laceburn

I woke up, not so much feeling Ashton moving as sensing the shift in his breathing. Groggy from sleep, though, I wasn't completely cognizant of everything anyway, so I didn't register his discomfort in a particularly clear manner. "Everything alright, highness?" I mumbled, cracking an eye open---not that it did much, as there was almost no light.

[Consulting_Angel]

Ashton Rouleau
There was a moment of hesitation, and Ashton considered pretending that he was either still asleep, or that he hadn't heard Jem. However, for some reason, he guessed that neither of those would work, since Jem had clearly sensed something to know that he'd woken up. "Yeah, I'm fine..." he murmured back in response, and just wriggled himself a bit closer to Jem.

Loralei Waverly
She was glad that Elsa had fallen asleep quickly, because she knew that she would likely be exhausted from the past few days. She liked feeling as though she was keeping her safe, and that it was a bit easier to sleep because she was there. Loralei soon also fell asleep, drifting off shortly after Elsa had.

[hollyglow]

Elsa Alina Asbjornson

My sleep was deep and dreamless, which was how I preferred it. Some dreams I found relaxing, but when I was younger, I'd been terrified of nightmares. I was over that now, but I still didn't like how quickly dreams could turn bad, and so I preferred not to have any. Sometimes I enjoyed them, but deep, dreamless sleep was always more relaxing. Especially when combined with the warm, secure feeling of sleeping next to Loralei.

Jem Laceburn

"Mmhm," I mumbled in response, feeling Ashton move closer. Still mostly asleep, I continued to mostly not notice anything that might be wrong with him. "Lemme know if you need anything," I added, my words a bit slurred by a sleepy haze.

[Consulting_Angel]

Ashton Rouleau
There was a few more moments of silence, before Ashton murmured his response, his voice quiet and a little muffled, "Okay." He paused, then added, as he was starting to drift off back to sleep again, if a bit uncomfortably, "I just need you."

Loralei Waverly
She didn't have much in the way of dreams - perhaps the odd image or scene, but those were forgotten once they'd passed. Loralei didn't have much in the way of an opinion about this, though. As long as she was relaxed, and she had Elsa safe by her, then she was perfectly content.

[hollyglow]

Elsa Alina Asbjornson

I woke up for no particular reason at all. I thought it might just have to do with the fact that I wasn't used to having anyone sleep next to me for the whole night, and I wasn't certain that Loralei would be there when I opened my eyes. But she was her arms still around me. It almost made me want to cry. Loralei seemed to provide something I'd been missing for years. My parents had always been distant. Erek had hugged me and protected me, but he'd always been to busy to really stay with me. None of the people I knew had ever really wanted or made an effort to be there for me. But Loralei was, and I never wanted her to leave. I relaxed back into her arms, closing my eyes.

Jem Laceburn

I yawned, shifting a bit, and made a mumbled sound of assent. "Mmhm," was all I said for a moment, and then added, "well, highness, I'm here. No matter what." I knew he was already half-asleep, if not more, but I kept murmuring similar words until his breathing evened out and I was certain he was asleep. Only then did I allow myself to drift back off.

[Consulting_Angel]

Ashton Rouleau
Jem's words almost immediately comforted Ashton a little more, and he found it easier to start falling back asleep. His breathing evened back out, if a little shallow still, and he went back to sleep after a few more minutes.

Loralei Waverly
Feeling - or sensing - a slight shift, Loralei slowly woke up as well, though it was more of a half drift back into consciousness. She lifted her head up slightly, half-opening her eyes. "Is everything okay?" she asked, in a drowsy whisper, looking towards Elsa. It seemed that she was still asleep, but she thought that she had better check, just in case.

[hollyglow]

Elsa Alina Asbjornson

As I was mostly asleep, I didn't respond---not really, anyway. However, as she asked the question, I curled in towards Loralei, even more than I already was, my head fitting perfectly into the curve of her shoulder.

Jem Laceburn

Comforted by Ashton's breathing as it returned to, if not normal, at least even, I let my voice trail off and allowed myself to fall back asleep, one hand still hovering over Ashton's cheek, dropping down to rest on his jaw as my own breathing evened out and I relaxed.