Ambassador Fluff: Stubborn

Ambassador Fluff

Stubborn

Her hair was still damp from the bath she took, the light colored curls resting down her back rather than tucked away within the Eliatrope’s headwear. The morning was like any other, early and with nothing thrilling on the horizon and it was therefore Alys took it easy. Her eyes were on the open books on her desk, another round of research for an upcoming visit to the temple of Eniripsa. She wished to be properly prepared and had gathered all the books she could find on the matter in the collection she was gifted over the last year. It would be a diplomatic visit, so good impressions were important.

A sip from the honeyed and heated up gobball milk was interrupted by the chiming of a bell in the hallway, the familiar sound indicating someone was at the front door. Alys looked up from the page she was skimming over while enjoying the sweetened drink, looking a little surprised at first before she touched her still wet hair. She wasn’t decent, or well… decent for an Eliatrope with their wings exposed. Not knowing who was at the door, she reached for her veil laying folded on the desk while summoning a Zaap to do several things at once. She unlocked the front door with the turn of a key before pushing the handle down to allow who was there entry, all by sticking her hand through the portal while she covered her damp hair and Wakfu wings with the dark blue veil.

There was no sound of footsteps, but a creak from the hallway proved someone came inside shortly after her Zaap closed and the front door was opened. It wasn’t before long someone appeared in the open doorway of her office, the movement she caught from the corner of her eyes making her sit up more in her chair. “Welcome to the Eliatrope…” Alys paused with a resonating pang of surprise in her chest when she immediately recognized her visitor, her hands slipping away from the piece of jewelry which kept her headwear in place,” embassy...”

“Good morning, Alys.”

“Joris… Good morning. Is everything alright?” She looked her unexpected visitor up and down before she rose up from her chair and walked around her desk to meet the Bontarian master, a hint of worry present on her face,” you don’t usually ring the bell, or come by during the day.” Was he alone? She peered into the hallway to make certain he was by himself before she knelt down by him and smiled, though the worry stayed. It wasn’t until he lifted the silver chain he wore around his neck from the shadow of his hood that her concern simmered down, the medallion he showed off proving he was no imposter. Nothing more needed to be said to prove his identity, though she still wondered about his uncommon way of visiting.

He nodded for her after releasing the necklace and took his small backpack from his shoulders. “All is well,” he said, sounding a little more quiet than usual while he searched for something in the leather container before holding out a neatly rolled up parchment,” I am running errands in the city today, mostly for members of the Royal Court. Maester Dormu asked of me to give you this before the Council sent me on my way. He sends his regards and hopes this list may be of use to you.”

“The list from the archive,” Alys gleefully said after she accepted the parchment, the list indeed useful as it would aid her in her preparations for the visit to the Eniripsian temple,” I was waiting for this, thank you.” She was about to give Joris a grateful peck on the cheek when he averted his gaze with a tilt of his head while his attention returned to his backpack, the token of affection kept to herself. He swung the bag back over his shoulders before hiding the silver necklace and medallion within his tunic, the nod he gave the only response to her gratitude. The distant behavior caught her off-guard, the wonder and worry spiking up again. “Are you sure everything is fine, Dragon?”

The reluctant but caring question made him finally look at her before he somewhat turned away and nodded once more,” apologies…” He blindly took her hand to caress the back of her fingers, his own feeling rather warm to the touch. “I’m rather occupied at the moment,” he said with a sighing tone, sounding as if he was very tired,” but as said, all is well. Please do not worry.” He released her hand and reached for the doorpost to lightly lean against it, saying to her,” I best be on my way… I am sorry for ringing the bell rather than use my key to enter. I figured it would be safer to act like a visitor while on duty and needing to keep up appearances.”

“I figured that was the reason. It’s still a pleasant surprise to see you like this,” she said, her gaze resting on his backpack while he stood with his back turned towards her,” will you come by later tonight?”

“Maybe… Have a pleasant day.”

His short and uncertain sounding answer didn't soothe her worry in the slightest and neither did his quiet leave. The sound of front door closing left Alys with a dreadful feeling in the pit of her stomach, her eyes on the empty hallway while she sat on her ankles before the open doorway. He acted odd… and though she believed herself to be overthinking it, instincts spoke far louder. She pushed herself up to walk over towards the tall windows and gaze to the street below, her eyes searching for the familiar blue of the master’s hooded coat. He soon appeared in her vision, in front of the storehouse which served as her home, before he walked down the street. The fact that he descended the stairs leading up to her front door rather slowly crossed her mind, her eyes narrowing at the thought.

Something was amiss.

She tried to shake it off after she looked back to the books and spread pages on her desk, her gobball milk beckoning her to sit down and continue with what she had planned this day. No matter how alluring it was, it couldn’t beat down her worry for the one she believed to be her soulmate. Her eyes were soon back on the street to catch a final glimpse of Joris before the female Eliatrope bolted for the door and made her way outside, her research and unfinished drink left behind.

He sounded tired. He was acting distant. He didn’t even look her in the eye when he tried to reassure her. It was very unlike him, so how could she not worry or be suspicious?

She jogged to try and catch up with the small Bontarian until a thought crossed her mind and slowed down her pace. She couldn’t be seen chasing after him or approaching him, not in public. She had to be careful and find the right opportunity to talk with him, keep her distance so anyone unsuspecting wouldn’t think anything inappropriate. Such a hassle… but it was needed to keep their secret safe. She picked up her sprint again after making the decision, needing to find him first and see where he was headed before she would follow him until a good moment to talk would present itself.

It wasn’t before long she found him after she jogged down a few streets and arrived at the foot of a bridge, but to her little annoyance, he was running towards his next destination… and Joris wasn’t exactly someone one could easily keep up with. She watched him and his reflection as he shot past the canal she was about to cross until he rounded a corner and disappeared from sight. This would be quite a chase if his reputation as one of the fastest beings alive rung true… and she knew it did. To keep up with him, she would need to take to the air and follow him with portals, something which she had done before, although stalking the master was new. It used to be the other way around...

The early morning held no meaning for a city like Bonta. People were up and about, the many streets and squares bustling with life. Yet hardly had eye for the sky above, the deals, wares and crowd far more intriguing. Alys swooped over many heads and rooftops without being seen, the flickering of her Zaaps obscured by the sunny day. To her greatest surprise, it turned out to be fairly easy to keep up with Joris, something she thought to be almost impossible. He stuck to the less crowded sidewalks and streets to pass through swiftly, but even she noticed that he wasn’t all that fast and that was alarming in its own way. Was it because he sounded tired, or was there another reason for his slow pace?

Alys landed on the wooden awning of a balcony to observe her lover after he appeared to arrive at the first location of his errants, the building he entered an office she visited before to pick up a few recall potions. A few alchemists worked there, unlicensed and without a guild, but still found valuable by a few people of the court. It was a small place and therefore she wasn’t all too surprised to see Joris leave fairly shortly after arriving, the small figure soon dashing down the street to be on his way again. He was indeed running errands from what she could tell, but that still didn’t explain his odd and distant behavior from earlier.

She looked after him while staying out of sight before once more conjuring a portal to follow after him, the chase back on. She had to admit to herself that this was exciting, but also very wrong. She shouldn’t be tailing him… She should trust him if he tells her all is well, but his reassurances weren’t strong enough to convince her and so she continued on with mild regret and shame.

Throughout the following half hour, Alys found herself waiting for Joris to catch up rather than needing to try hard to keep up with him. He was still running, but it surely wasn’t an impressive speed. It truly puzzled her… Her concern grew with the minute until she recognized where they were; a calmer part of the city. If she was waiting for the right opportunity to talk with Joris, this was it.

She brought herself down to get her feet on the ground rather than stay suspended in the air before traversing the maze of narrow streets and alleys on foot. She didn’t know this part of the city all too well, safe from the main streets, but she would try and find him while she walked alongside a shallow trail of water which flowed through the cracks in the pavement. The dome-shaped rooftop in the distance was one she knew and she could guess it was Joris’ next destination for his errands, the large building housing the Court of Justice. It was the only place of importance she knew of in this neighborhood.

Her pace slowed when movement on the edge of her vision claimed her attention, her eyes drawn to a dark alleyway which branched from the street she was traversing. Something or someone was there, though that shouldn’t be a surprise in a city like this. Was it a bow meow…? She stood still for a moment to peer into the shady corridor while her mind came up with various scenarios of what she may stumble across if she were to go into that alley way, but also what may happen if she decided to continue her way down the narrow and deserted street. Too many what if’s, but what she needed were facts.  

With a deep inhale through her nose, Alys stepped into the dark alleyway with caution in her step, the daylight growing more dim the further she went in. Whatever movement she saw in the shadows, it was no longer there. Perhaps it had moved on or it was nothing to begin with? She rounded a corner until her feet refused to take another step and she held her breath, the thought something had moved within the alley having been fairly correct. Leaning against the wall and quietly panting, Joris stood hunched with a hand hidden within his hood while his other gripped the wall for support. The sight nearly drove the Eliatrope mad, the worry she tried to suppress flaring up and heating her cheeks. She didn’t make a single noise, and yet his head snapped around to look at her with a bewilderment which made her flinch; he was on high alert for reasons she had yet to fathom.

His eyes were large in the shadow of his hood, the startle he felt for seeing her all too obvious, but it was his cracking voice which finally thawed her from the spot she froze in. “Alys…? Why are you here…?” he asked when she slowly approached and closed the distance between them, a grimace present on her face. She didn’t answer him, not at first and that only riled him up more with a paranoia he couldn’t explain. She instead grabbed for him after she bent through her knees, catching him off guard with the unexpected movement as she usually wasn’t forceful. He struggled in an instinctive reaction to the sudden grabbing until her cool feeling hand slipped across his forehead and her palm pressed against his dark skin. His eyes grew a little larger at her touch before his shoulders sank and he gave up in his struggle, knowing he could no longer hide what he tried to keep from her and everyone else.

The Eliatrope’s wings folded and lowered within her veil. He felt hot to the touch and was sweating, his breathing heavy. If it weren’t so dark in the alleyway, she would see the wrinkles under his averted eyes but she didn’t need to see them to know what was wrong. Her grimace deepened while she kept her hand against his forehead to gouge his temperature and said while not holding back on her concern,” you have a fever, Dragon… Why didn’t you tell me you’re ill?”

“How did you…?”

She shook her head to his unfinished question, already guessing he knew the answer and was therefore the reason he didn’t finish his question. “You were acting strange… It made me worry, so I decided to follow you for a while and see if my worry was justified or if I was overthinking things… It didn’t feel right to go after you, but I am glad I did. Goddess, you can hardly walk… You need to rest.”

Joris pulled an arm free while he shook his head in objection. “I can’t,” he said as he backed away from her with a few unstable steps backwards,” I have things to do. People are counting on me.” He didn’t dare to look at her after the edge of his sleeve slipped free from her clutching fingers when she reached for him in an attempt to keep him near, the urge to stay loyal to his duties feeding his stubbornness.

“Joris…”

“Please, Alys. I understand you are worried and I’m grateful for your care, but I need to deliver these messages before the sun sets. It is my duty to the Crown; I can not disappoint them, or let them find out I am not--” He fell silent on purpose but then he didn’t need to finish his sentence. She understood how important it was to keep his reputation intact, but that still didn’t make it right. He tensed up when her fingers trailed along his chin and jaw after she brought herself closer, her own stubbornness almost as strong as his.

“It isn’t healthy to push yourself like this,” she tried while cupping his warm cheeks to have him look at her, an attempt which failed,” your fever is high. You’ll only get sicker, or worse…”

“I’ll manage…” he muttered after he took Alys’ wrists and guided her hands down from his shrouded face, a motion he did regret. The way she slowly clenched her hands into fists brought a twinge of doubt to his resolve and decision, but he turned around anyway to not be tempted by her pleading. This was something he had to do for the both of them, all to keep their future assured. It was what he believed was right and he would therefore stick to it.

The second saying of his name didn’t stop him when he walked away from the female Eliatrope, his pace becoming quicker. The shuffling of her feet echoed in the alley as she brought herself up to go after him after he ignored her plea, the sound of her movement only increasing his hurry. He pulled a sprint before the alleyway ahead suddenly tilted to the far right like a capsizing ship and grew pitch black, a dizziness overtaking him.

“Joris!” Alys’ hand snapped around his wrist before he could hit the cobblestones after he swayed and lost his balance and though she couldn’t prevent his knees from slamming onto the uneven pavement, she did save him from a nasty fall. He hung limp in her grip with a hanging head, something which made her panic as this was the first time she saw him like this. Did he faint? She pulled him towards herself and easily caught his small frame as there was no resistance, soon holding him in her arms after she slumped onto the ground and took a deep trembling breath.

Beads of sweat shimmered in the faint daylight falling in from above when Alys frantically examined him with her eyes alone. He was panting, his hidden sweaty face twisted in anguish but his eyes were clenched firmly shut. He was on the brink of slipping away into unconsciousness, the fever pushed beyond the limit by Joris’ own stubbornness.

Her hold on him tightened with the increasing fear for his wellbeing. This was something new, something different. He was always the strong one. Even in Ecaflipus, when Percimol got the best of him and she had the intervene to save him, he was still able to pick himself up and act like he wasn’t winded. This was the most vulnerable she ever seen him and it scared her. What was she going to do? Find a doctor? Where…? She didn’t know this neighborhood. Her breathing quickened with the flaring of her panic, hysteria taking over.

Home. She needed to bring him home.

The thought almost blinded her and kicked her into motion, the desire to bring him somewhere safe and quickly all that was needed to not crumble underneath the fright. She shuffled to her feet while shifting Joris in her arms, the realisation she never carried him before making her waver amidst the torrent of panic and determination. Would he be against it? Embarrassed perhaps? Did it matter right now? She took a deep breath to try and calm herself after finding her worries go rampant with little thoughts and held Joris against her chest, a hand resting on the back of his hood and head. She was on her own this time; he couldn’t guide her. Instead, he needed her.

A rightful worry was how she was going to get him home without being seen. She couldn’t explain this to anyone, not with taking too many risks which could end what they had. Zaaps were the only secure and safe way, but the side effects of traveling by portals would not be kind to him... no matter that he handled it better than most. Her embrace grew even tighter at the thought. Was that risk worth it? He was already doing terribly… What if he--no. Fast. She had to be fast and believe he was stronger than she thought him to be; it was the only way.

It was an excruciating travel back to the storehouse. She went as fast as she possibly could after she brought herself up in the air and teleported herself and an unconscious Joris across the rooftops. She unintentionally counted the Zaaps she summoned and jumped through, the growing number increasing her crippling worry for Joris’ health. She prayed as the colorful scenery below flashed by until the familiar rooftop of the Eliatrope embassy came into view. A single jump, a long distance crossed with a single Zaap and the soles of her shoes soon slipped across the wooden floor planks of the familiar hallway before her shoulder collided with the wall of her kitchen. The abrupt halt in her hurry made her slump onto the floor and against the wall before she hunched over Joris and cradled him in her arms, a breath of relief leaving her.

She made it. Did he…?

She straightened herself with a gasp at the wonder before she looked at the master and cupped his face with her free hand. He was breathing, but there was no response. He was still hot to the touch and sweating, showing no improvement. She grimaced at the observation before she pushed herself up and crossed the hallway to carry Joris upstairs to the attic, where her bedroom was. Now that she was home, she could think more clearly. Worry still ruled and so did panic, but she knew where she was and where everything was located. What he needed to do was rest. What she needed to do was bring his fever down. It sounded far more simple than it actually was, but she would care for him to her best capability. Just like he did for her countless of times.

She laid him on her bed after drawing back the sheets, making certain he was comfortable. His eyes had yet to open and his breathing remained heavy, but there was no denying he had a sense of awareness as a hand would weakly grip her arm or blindly reach for her while she tended to him or returned upstairs with a bowl of cool fresh water. She kept quiet the whole time, thinking of what needed to be done.

Her eyes were drawn to his backpack when she wrung the water from a cloth, thinking about how he tried to ignore his fever to deliver some messages. She knew his reputation to be important; she too had a reputation to uphold and would try and pretend not to be sick, all to not disappoint the people who relied on her… but to go as far as Joris? What if he fainted in the city? What would have happened to him then? She rather not think of it. While there was understanding for his actions and reasons, she was disappointed he pushed himself hard enough to be immobilized. Still… Her gaze was glued on the ivory and blue bag after she dabbed the damp cloth against Joris’ cheeks and neck to wipe away his sweat, his words about needing to deliver the messages resounding in her head. He sounded fairly desperate then.

A soft but thoughtful sigh left her when she rinsed the cloth and wrung it out before laying it across his forehead, hoping to cool him and his fever down. There was nothing more she could do for him… and it bothered her. She watched him as she sat on the edge of the bed, observing how his chest rose and lowered with his breathing before she smiled for him after a long while of silence. “Hang in there, love,” she whispered to not wake him and tenderly stroked his cheek before she stood up and lifted his backpack from the floor, soon heading downstairs until the sound of the front door closing and locking in place was the final sound to break the calm silence within the embassy.


Joris drew a long breath with a startled wheeze a long while after Alys locked the front door behind her, a hint of bewilderment beginning to show in his tired eyes after they slightly opened. The white curtains before the large round window beside him were partially drawn shut, the daylight falling in through the crack. It seemed bright at first, far too bright for the headache he endured until his sight adjusted and he became aware of his surroundings. But there was something that distracted him… a small weight on his forehead. Something was partially blocking his vision. It felt lukewarm and somewhat moist. He reached for it, the thought his arm felt heavy crossing his mind as he plucked the cloth from his face and let it rest in his hand. He looked at it with mild confusion until it dawned to him he was in a familiar room… and a familiar bed. His gaze crept over the few pieces of furniture in the small room until it rested on his chest, his dark skin a far too sharp contrast against the white of the sheets he laid on and under. His coat… His shirt. His gloves. Gone. His shoes too.

He blinked at the realisation he was partially undressed, but no matter that he was only wearing pants, he still felt very warm and fatigued. His fever… He pressed the lukewarm cloth against his forehead and over a closed eye while a deep sigh left him and laid his head back in the pillow, his thoughts beginning to fall into place. The cat was out of the bag; Alys saw through his pretend and acted to it… Why else was he in her bed like this? What exactly happened? Where was she? Recent memories were foggy.

He stared up to the sloped ceiling and walls while he tried to bring clarity to the blurry memories, weighing what was a fever dream and what was real. Her concerned expression pushed forward, the memory of her finding him in the alleyway becoming more prominent. So that wasn’t a dream… Did she bring him back home, their home? Obviously. He didn’t recall joining her though. He remembered walking away to continue with his errands and then… this bed. A piece was missing.

Tired. He felt so tired.

His eyes snapped open after he allowed himself to indulge in the softness of the bed and drift off in his fatigue, the sudden but soft voice startling him. “How are you feeling…?” He searched for the source of the voice he knew before finding the woman he loved in the doorway of her bedroom, the sight of her ridding the tension which flared up with his startle.

“Better…”

“You’re a horrible liar,” Alys jested after she lifted his backpack from her shoulder and placed it down beside the bed, a knee sinking away in the mattress and blanket as she propped herself onto the bed to lean towards the felled master. She smiled at him after she took the almost dry cloth away from him and dipped it into the bowl on the nightstand to soak it, saying as she prepared it for him,” but it is good to see you awake… You gave me quite a scare.”

He watched her before he closed his eyes when the wet but thick fabric of the folded cloth touched his forehead, the coolness instantly waging a war against the warmth of his fever. “I am sorry,” he quietly said, knowing he upset her. He may not remember what exactly had happened after he walked away from her, but before that… the way she grabbed him and showed a hint of disappointment… that already said enough.

“It is all right… I know why you did it,” she said while she lay herself down beside him and played a little with his medallion, the subject at hand a sensitive one. “I was just so worried about you. And to then see you succumb to your fever after you refused to listen to reason… It made me angry, but mostly scared. But you’re safe now and that is what matters. There is nothing left to worry about, aside from your recovery. You won’t be leaving this bed until your fever is gone.”

“But I--”

Alys threw him a stern look before she asked with a faint coy smile and leaned a little closer to him,” are you really going to try and argue with me after what happened, Dragon?”

He looked at her with arched brows and large eyes before he slightly shook his head, not intimidated or offended by her question but definitely surprised. There was a hint of amusal in his reaction, the way Alys acted motherly towards him different from usual and it brought a light tone to the atmosphere that hung in the room. Had the tables turned? It was strange to think that. Usually it was him looking after her and deciding what what good or bad, but this time it was the other way around.

“You don’t have to worry about your errands either,” she continued after her expression softened, relieved that he dropped the argument before it could even start,” I hope you don’t mind, but I took it on myself to deliver the messages for you and had a look through your bag to find the correct recipients. It wasn’t easy… but I managed to deliver everything without being seen. There may be a complaint or two,” she said with a nervous chuckle,” but at least everything arrived in the right location. Zaaps can be useful for such… Though tomorrow, I think you should let the Court know you are taking a day or two off.”

He smiled for her, not wanting to worry about the mentioned complaints. It was already a weight off his shoulders that she was considerable and also kind and gracious enough to do his work for him on her own accord, all so he could rest without issue. It was far more than he could have ever asked for and he was grateful for it. “As you wish…” He took a deep breath while steadily allowing himself to feel sick rather than try and act strong, his fatigue still having the upperhand. “Thank you,” he said after his eyes almost fell shut, his smile growing a little as he looked to her from under the damp cloth. That he could be himself around her and show weakness meant a lot to him, even though he would like her to think he was always at his best and strong. But even the best had their lows and luckily he had her to help him through it.

Alys nuzzled him after she brought herself closer and curled up beside him while remaining on top of the cover, her hand holding his to stay with him while he would rest. She would be there for him, just like he was always there for her.