A Routine Visit
The Professor visits Edomie for their usual Tuesday lunch. During the visit, several puzzle pieces click into place for the Professor, which leads to a startling realization for Edomie.
jordan.nova - Edomie DresdenG - Professor Grinstead
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DresdenG Professor Dresden Grinstead hefted the worn leather strap of the satchel at her side up a bit farther on her shoulder. She paused, taking a moment to shield her eyes against the early morning sun and survey the field ahead of her.
Flowers waved back and forth in the brisk breeze that plucked at her tightly wound hair. She sighed. It seemed no matter how many pins she used, a few hours in the elements sent decorum to the wind. Literally.
With the sun out of her eyes, the middle aged professor spotted a curl of smoke not far off. An irresistible little smile tugged at her lips, deepening the crinkles at the corners of her eyes. Edomie’s cottage.
Their Tuesday visits had become a treasured part of the Professor’s week. She looked forward to taking the walk from the Academy to the young girl’s home. Their talks filled her chest with a pleasant ache, and she welcomed the respite from days upon days of rigorous digging and building and researching.
Additionally, Professor would never turn down an opportunity to have Edomie’s marvelous cooking. Though she never expected it, the pumpkin pie was always a welcome treat.
Reaching up to tuck the many stray, windswept strands of black hair back into their proper place at the nape of her neck, Dresden resumed walking.
When she arrived at the stairs leading up to Edomie’s front door, the Professor took them one at a time with purposeful strides, pausing once she reached the top.
She straightened the pale green scarf around her neck, tucking it into her purple sweater, and made sure all the buttons were fastened in order. Check and double check. She smoothed the front of her outfit and closed her eyes for a moment.
She raised a pale fist to the beautifully crafted door and knocked firmly, three times. Then she waited politely, hands clasped in front of her, for Edomie to appear.
jordan.nova A striking silhouette appearing on the front porch startled a yelp out of Edomie when she saw it, and she nearly fell backwards and bolted back up the stairs. Fortunately, she recovered before she reached for her pickaxe, and realized it was a guest, not a monster. She was so used to it being skeletons taking shelter from the sun too close to her door.
Edomie squinted again at the visitor through the door windows, and gasped in frazzled excitement. It must be sunhigh. She'd gotten distracted and nearly forgotten.
She bounded across the main floor and yanked open the front door. "Professor!" she shouted excitedly. "You didn't - sorry, I didn't realize you were already here! You should've said something - I wouldn't want something to come after you out here!"
DresdenG The scramble inside the house made Dresden's heterochromatic eyes narrow, worry flashing through her mind. Was something wrong? Did Edomie have another visitor, perhaps one with ill intentions? The Professor's fingers twitched over the axe hanging from her belt, and she widened her stance at the clattering of feet heading for the door.
Relief washed over her when she saw Edomie, but concern still creased her features. She didn't flinch at the shouted greeting, as she'd grown quite used to the way the blue haired girl spoke.
"Hello Edomie," she murmured with a nod, and patted the axe at her side. "No need to worry. I don't go anywhere without my axe, as you know. It's good to see you."
Had she not heard the knock? Strange. Dresden was sure she'd been loud enough...perhaps Edomie had been upstairs, but even still...it struck her as odd.
"May I come in?" she asked, putting concern from her mind for now, "My apologies if it is not a good time."
jordan.nova "No, it's fine! I mean, yeah - yes - yes, come in." Edomie stepped aside and waved her arm in invitation before scurrying over to the kitchen area of the open space.
Edomie took a thick cloth from the counters and picked up the potatoes that were propped carefully on the logs of her fireplace, giving each an experimental squeeze. They were more than hot enough, but could be softer with just a moment longer next to the strange, blue flames. At least Edomie hadn't forgotten them long enough to ruin. Like she had with the previous night's batch.
"Um, lunch will be ready in a little bit," Edomie called over her shoulder apologetically. "Or, if you're hungry now, I have some things in the cabinet. Oh! I made cookies - found some cocoa plants recently. Do you want to try?"
DresdenG A quiet sound in the back of Dresden's throat held vague resemblance to a chuckle. "Thank you."
As she stepped into the warm, inviting room, a wave of relaxation swept over the stolid professor. Something about this place always put her at ease. She could never quite be sure if it was the space itself or the hostess. Most likely, an indistinguishable combination of both was to blame.
While unbuttoning her cardigan, Dresden watched Edomie check on the potatoes. She tilted her head to one side at the mention of cookies, a sparkle glimmering in her eyes. This girl had resurrected the woman's penchant for sweets, and she couldn't bring herself to be upset by that fact.
"I'll never say no to something you've made," she replied, striding across the room to the chair she always sat in. She draped her sweater over the back and smoothed out the fabric just so. She laid her satchel on the chair as well, before moving into the kitchen near Edomie.
"I would love to try one. Where did you find the plants?" As she waited for a reply, she plucked at the buttons on her cuffs before delicately rolling each sleeve up twice. It wouldn't do to get chocolate on her clothes, but she was bound and determined to enjoy a cookie.
jordan.nova Edomie stood on tip-toes to check through each of the cabinets in succession. Then she returned to the first one and picked through the stash of bread and vegetables until she found what she was seeking. A little gray-blue jar fashioned from clay held about seven cookies left inside of it, as well as a tiny knit satchel.
"There's a jungle maybe a sunset away by boat! No, wait, maybe it was two... No, two, some villagers in a desert let me stay the night on the way there. But not far." She said absently. As she rambled, she collected a single cookie and the satchel for herself, and tilted the jar to Dresden to offer her the remaining contents.
DresdenG "I see," Dresden responded with a nod as she reached into the jar and plucked out one cookie, the edge pinched between her thumb and forefinger. "I've yet to find a jungle myself. Perhaps you can show me the way sometime." She took a delicate nibble, her eyes slipping closed as she relished the rich flavor. A soft grunt of approval sounded in the back of her throat.
"Edomie," she exclaimed, opening her eyes and looking down at the cookie, then back to the girl. "How? How do you do this?" She shook her head, taking a seat at the small log dining table and perching her elbows on the edge, still admiring the treat she held.
jordan.nova Edomie's face flickered to alarm for a moment, then relaxed just as quickly. She often found herself nervous that her food would not be up to Dresden's standards. And it had been too long since she'd made cookies. Not since she'd lived in Poshi.
"Oh, um, it's not hard! I found the recipe in a book once," Edomie explained nervously as she sat the jar down on her birch countertop. She shoved her cookie into her mouth in one bite, and had swallowed it by the time she struggled the satchel's knot undone.
"I can write it down, if you want. And I'd love to show you the jungle! I want to go back and explore soon. Maybe set up a base there." As she spoke, she tipped the little satchel over into her hand, and spilled a few cocoa beans out into her palm. "If you want, though, I got some extra cocoa so I could share."
She picked out about ten beans - hardly a fraction of the bag's contents. Edomie, truthfully, had been a little beside herself to discover the familiar plant in such abundance, and couldn't keep herself from hoarding it. She joined Dresden in sitting at the table and extended her hand to offer the little beans. "Here, if you need them for your samples! Or if, you know, you wanna try baking!"
DresdenG Dresden tilted her head to one side at the offered cocoa beans, reaching out to take them. Her gaze drifted up to Edomie's eyes, and she felt that nostalgic ache twinge in her heart. Edomie reminded her so much of another young person with vibrant hair. Someone she wished could give her random assortments of samples one more time...someone she wished she'd actually told how much they meant to her.
She wouldn't make that mistake again.
"Thank you, I'll--these will be...very useful," she murmured, absently, taking a moment to gather her thoughts before she realized Edomie was suggesting she bake with these beans.
At that proposition, the professor let out a rare laugh, closing her fingers around the beans and covering her mouth to keep any crumbs from flying. She shook her head, unable to suppress a smirk.
"Oh my dear, I fear the mysteries of kitchen artistry elude me." She pressed her curled fingers to her lips and cleared her throat, regaining her composure. "I'm sorry. I don't believe I've explained that fact before, it simply amused me when you suggested it. I..." She pondered for a moment before giving up on finding better words. "I cannot cook."
jordan.nova At the mention of cooking, Edomie suddenly remembered the potatoes she'd left baking in the fireplace. She slipped out of her seat in a way she hoped looked less frazzled than it felt and walked across the room to check them again.
"Uh, well, cooking's not - I don't think I'm very good at it either," she called over her shoulder with a nervous laugh. "I'm just following books and stuff. Well, I - no I try some stuff out, I guess, too."
Edomie transferred the potatoes to the counter and fetched her handmade ceramic plates to season and serve them on. She chuckled to herself, a little embarrassed at the underwhelmingness of it all. "I guess I... mostly just, get it wrong until I get it right. How i figure out anything I couldn't find in a book."
DresdenG Dresden resumed nibbling on the delicious cookie as she listened to Edomie's reply, her gaze trained on the girl as she prepared the food.
At the mention of books, the professor's eyes sparkled, and she glanced over at the satchel she'd brought along. She'd brought a gift for Edomie. She couldn't give it to her yet, of course, but after lunch...she dearly hoped Edomie would be pleased.
"Well, as much as I've read about cooking, something ought to have stuck by now. I believe it might be a skill I can't learn," she admitted, a touch of defeat in her tone. "But, I excel in other areas, and for all of Tatum's faults he can at least cook. That much I'm--"
A distant crack! cut off the professor's words. Her head swiveled, brows knitting together as she craned her neck to look out the window. The noise was far off, but still unnerving. Had a tree fallen? Was someone working nearby? Or, perhaps, something more foul was at play. Regardless, she couldn't leave it alone.
jordan.nova Edomie giggled a little. "Oh, no, don't say that- you're so good at studying! Maybe it's a practice thing!"
Potatoes prepared and fluffed up in a satisfactory manner, Edomie suddenly felt a twinge of nerves at how modest the dish looked. She mentally scolded herself for not preparing something nicer or more complex. She worried, as she often did, that it wasn't going to impress Dresden.
Too late now. Edomie scooped up the two plates and headed back to the table to serve lunch. She froze when she saw Dresden, her head whipped around to stare hard out the window and her whole body tense. "What?" Edomie stuttered nervously as she sat the plates down and leaned over the table to stare out the same window. "Did you see something?"
DresdenG Dresden's shoulders tightened, her eyes still fixed on the window.
"Heard something," she corrected in a low, steely tone.
She stuffed the rest of the cookie in her mouth and stood, moving to the panes and looking out. Her breath fogged a spot on the glass, and her eyes narrowed. Her fingers drummed against the handle of her axe. Nothing looked out of place, but still...
After a few moments of tense silence, she glanced over her shoulder. "Don't tell me you didn't hear that?"
jordan.nova Edomie's face twisted in concern, but she weaved around her chair to join Dresden at the window. She rested her hands on the glass as her eyes darted through the surrounding oak and birch. She really needed to thin the trees again.
She could only see an expanse of green and trees. "Heard what?" Edomie pressed, squinting at the trees so hard her nose bumped the glass. "Something outside? What'd it sound like?"
DresdenG Dresden strained to hear it again, the hairs on the back of her neck tingling. Trees could fall naturally, right? That sound alone shouldn't make her feel so threatened. Why was she so jumpy, lately?
"Like a tree falling," she answered Edomie, her voice still a whisper. She rested her hand on top of the girl's head, a frown setting in as she continued to stare out the window. "I want to take a look around. I'll be quick, don't worry." She unlatched the sheath of her weapon.
jordan.nova "Oh, uh, are you sure?" Edomie stuttered, turning to look up at Dresden without dislodging the comforting hand on her head. "I can - here, let me come with you! There's witches out there sometimes."
Her heart dropped into her stomach and her voice dropped with it. "I've seen... you remember that time pillagers cornered us out here? There's still patrols sometimes. Maybe we should stay inside."
DresdenG Dresden's breath caught in her throat at Edomie's wavering voice and questioning eyes. The professor's frown deepened and she sank her spindly fingers into Edomie's soft curls, sliding back and forth in what she hoped was a comforting manner.
She remembered it well. The pillagers had been relentless, the magic user in particular. She watched those around her die. Over and over again. Trying desperately to get out. Sometimes, when Dresden laid down to sleep at night, the scream of vexes still echoed in her mind. No, she would not soon forget that day.
"I remember..." She slid her hand along Edomie's cheek to gently cup the girl's chin. "But I have to make sure you're safe. I'd rather we find them now, together, than you face them alone."
jordan.nova Edomie blinked in surprise, a little distracted as Dresden's delicate hand stroked her hair and titled her chin up. Still, she fidgeted and hummed uncertainly, her eyes darting back to the window for a second.
"Mmm... usually they go away..." Edomie muttered. Her hands rose absently to wrap around Dresden's wrist. She chewed into her lower lip. "They haven't attacked my house. They just poke around the swamp, and just... wander off..."
Edomie forced an uneasy smile and laughed nervously. "B-but it's, it's probably nothing! We'd hear a patrol out there, right? All shouting, and stomping around and stuff... I didn't - I never heard a tree, or whatever. It was probably nothing."
DresdenG Dresden tilted her head to one side, her eyes flicking to Edomie's hand on her wrist, then back to meet her gaze. This wasn't the first time Edomie had missed hearing something that should've been perfectly apparent. The last several Tuesday visits had made something increasingly obvious to Dresden, and she had to wonder if Edomie had any idea at all.
With a reluctant exhale, Dresden latched her axe's sheath closed again. She would take her time after lunch and make a thorough pass around Edomie's farm. Only when she knew the coast was clear would she return to the Academy.
"What do you mean you didn't hear it?" she questioned, giving Edomie's chin a gentle squeeze before withdrawing her hand and moving back toward the table. "It was quite loud, if a bit distant. I'm sure I wasn't imagining it." She took her seat again and crossed one leg over the other, lacing her fingers together over her knee.
jordan.nova As Dresden drew away from her and settled back at the table, Edomie's gaze followed her apprehensively. "I mean, I didn't... I didn't hear anything," she repeated.
She walked slowly back to the table and propped her hands on her chair rather than sitting in it. "Was it, like, when you were talking?" she pressed with a tight voice. "I heard you talking, so, maybe that's why I didn't notice."
DresdenG Dresden shook her head at Edomie's postulation, closing her eyes for a moment as she considered how to voice her thoughts. The idea of saying nothing more passed through her mind, but she dismissed it. If she didn't bring it to the girl's attention, she would be doing her a disservice. Edomie would be better for it in the end, even if it might be difficult to process.
"You didn't hear me knock on your door when I arrived, either, did you? That's why you were surprised I was there, even though I made my presence known." Dresden inclined her chin, regarding Edomie with an academic gaze. One of calculation and assessment.
"You aren't an oblivious person, Edomie. Far from it. You pay close attention to those around you, more than most. I've never seen you miss a facial expression, and you're always pointing out details others could easily miss. I find it hard to believe you 'didn't notice.' I find it much more likely that you did not hear it. To put it more precisely, that you could not hear."
jordan.nova A pang struck Edomie's heart, and her blunt nails scraped on the back of the wooden chair. She carefully lowered herself into her seat, wide eyes fixed intently on Dresden's face in an unwavering stare.
"What do... you mean?" Edomie said slowly. Cautiously. "No. No, I can hear okay. How're we talking if I can't hear you, huh?"
DresdenG Dresden nodded, and as she watched Edomie sink into the chair she chose her next words carefully.
"You can hear okay," she agreed, "But not well. And I think it's important you know that."
She closed her eyes for a moment, focusing on the sounds she could pick up from nearby. The crackling fire, the wind whistling across the eaves, birds chirping in the tree branches outside.
"Do you hear those birds?" the professor asked, her voice soft. She had no wish to distress the girl any more than necessary.
jordan.nova Edomie's eyes darted to her left and right, and her face scrunched a little. This was a trick question. She wasn't used to trick questions - not from Dresden anyway.
The professor's carefully composed expression had not wavered. Not a trick question.
Edomie turned her head more fully, eyes scanning the nearby windows before squinting uneasily at Dresden again. Maybe the professor was messing with her. Teasing her. But that felt even more incorrect.
"N... wh- what birds?" Edomie managed in a low voice. "I th... you said it was a- a tree, or something."
DresdenG The Professor stood up, holding out a hand to Edomie.
“Come with me,” she instructed, keeping her tone calm, “This isn’t something to be afraid of. It’s an opportunity to learn more about yourself.”
jordan.nova Edomie knew a flicker of fear darted through her eyes anyway. She had no reason to fear Dresden, she reminded herself. Dresden had not, and would not hurt her. Not on purpose.
She reached out a shaking hand and took hold of Dresden's, standing up to join her.
DresdenG Dresden curled her fingers around Edomie’s, reaching up with her other hand to brush a large, wayward curl away from her forehead. The flash of uncertainty and fear did not go unnoticed by the Professor, and it needled at her heart. She did not wish to be the one who made this marvelous girl feel unsure of herself.
After a moment of standing together, Dresden turned and led Edomie toward the door. She hadn’t heard anything else amiss outside, so it should be all right to at least open it.
A turn and a click of the knob, and the door swung open just a few centimeters. The singing of the birds intensified with the barrier removed, and Dresden watched Edomie’s face for any indication of whether she heard them.
jordan.nova Edomie tightened her grasp on Dresden's hand, eyes flicking between her and the open door. "Is- we shouldn't-"
She swallowed nervously, and gave a feeble tug to try encouraging Dresden away from the door. "I believe you, if you say there was something out there. But if it's still there, we shouldn't go look. I don't - I don't see anything, it might be hiding."
DresdenG She still can’t hear them...? Dresden raised her eyebrows and closed the door, her frown deepening. This might be more difficult than she thought.
“I only wanted you to hear the birds,” she murmured, shaking her head a little as she gave Edomie’s hand a comforting squeeze.
“I’m sorry if my opening the door frightened you. That wasn’t my intention. Perhaps we should go about this a different way.”
If the sounds outside were too faint or distant, perhaps a more controlled sound would have to do. Something the Professor could adjust as the experiment called for it. Its not an experiment, she reminded herself, frustrated she’d even thought of it that way, I simply want to help her...
jordan.nova A relieved breath tumbled out of Edomie, making her tremble slightly. She nodded and gave Dresden's hand a grateful squeeze. "N-no, no, it's okay. It's fine. I just... wasn't..."
Her eyes slowly drifted down to the floor. Nervously, she ran her calloused thumb in little circles over the back of Dresden's thin hand. "Um, I'm not sure... I haven't... seen any birds around here. Maybe that's why... I can't... hear any..."
As the words tumbled clumsily off her tongue, they already sounded wrong. But she wasn't wrong. She hadn't seen birds. And things get quiet when you don't look at them. How was she supposed to hear something she couldn't see?
DresdenG “People can...” Dresden faltered, for a moment unsure of this was an actual revelation to Edomie or if she was about to make a fool of herself. But she pressed on nonetheless. “People can hear things without seeing them, Edomie. Most people, that is.”
jordan.nova Edomie's brows pushed together, bewildered and skeptical. Mostly skeptical.
"I, um... well, sure, some- some stuff," she agreed awkwardly. She really didn't want Dresden to think she was stupid, or something was wrong with her. She laughed, like she was joking, but she didn't find the conversation very funny. "But, I mean, like... hear stuff really good. Not all quiet and mumbly. Like, if you- I could hardly hear you if I turned around. It's not... you don't hear the same."
DresdenG Dresden pressed her lips together, a worried look knitting her brow. She really doesn’t know...
“That isn’t normal, Edomie,” she stated plainly, not wishing to be unclear on her point. “You have a hearing loss. You aren’t the first person I’ve met with one, there were a few back at the University.” She reached her free hand out so she could hold both of Edomie’s.
“If I turn around and you speak, I will hear you loud and clear. I can hear the fire across the room, the birds outside, and you might have a loose shingle on your roof, I’m not sure, but there’s something the wind is rattling up there.”
jordan.nova Edomie flinched a little. She only didn't draw back because Dresden was delicately, tightly holding both her hands. Edomie clung to her for support instead.
Something uneasy was starting to twist up in her stomach. The same odd apprehension she got when an ender teleported away. It felt like an answer to a problem, but it made her very nervous, and she wanted to crawl under a rock and hide somewhere very badly.
After staring hard at Dresden, she turned and glanced over her shoulder to the fireplace. She squinted at the flickering blue flame, the way the lights flickered on the surrounding stone and gray smoke curled up the chimney. "Wh... what do you mean... hear the fire? Do the - it could be weird, if - it's got soul sand in it..."
Her voice lodged in her throat and trailed away. She couldn't take her eyes off the flame. She'd heard the loud crackling and splintering when the woods across the river had caught fire. She was used to the bubbling hiss of lava if she stepped too close. Did everything hot make sounds? Was she supposed to hear the silent blue lights?
DresdenG The Professor observed the journey of emotions across Edomie’s face. The dawning realizations, the worry, the look over to the fire. Her heart hurt as she watched, and she wished she could instantly make it better.
Wordlessly, Dresden held on to one of Edomie’s hand and led her toward the fire. Not too close, but near enough that the heat radiated against their legs in waves. The Professor knelt beside the fire, and patted the floor next to her as she looked up at Edomie.
She wanted the girl to understand what the obstacle which stood in her way, and then...hopefully...she could help teach her ways to overcome it. Dresden didn’t know much about hearing loss, but what she did have was an extensive library. There would be no rest until she came up with a plan to help Edomie.
jordan.nova Edomie allowed Dresden to lead her towards the fireplace in a numb daze. When invited, she sank down onto the floor and adjusted her legs to her side. It was awkward getting onto the floor without letting go of Dresden's hand, but she managed.
Her eyes went to the mesmerizing fire again. It was such a lovely color, and a soft glow of light. She was obsessed with its beauty since she saw a similar fire nestled in the Wayhouse for the first time. Still, after being told it got its vibrant hue from the soulsand kindling, she had been reluctant to build one in her home. Anything from the Nether set her on edge. It reminded her of being in the Monster's home. The eerie light, the unnatural colors, the soft hissing like whispers, the-
Wait.
The little hissing. The faint, almost a fire crackle, but not. Like someone whispering down the hall.
Oh.
Edomie felt her heart sink as her eyes slowly drifted to the front door. Where they had stood when Dresden could, allegedly, hear the noise the fire made.
Oh.
DresdenG Dresden released Edomie’s hand and reached up, gently rubbing the girl’s back in slow, calculated circles. One...two...three...reverse direction...three...two...one... A rhythm she hoped would be comforting as she made sure to space the strokes evenly across her shoulder blades.
The silence stretched on between them, and she watched the girl’s eyes, trying to read her thoughts through those shimmering brown pools. All that remained of Edomie’s usual sparkle was the firelight reflecting in them, and Dresden’s heart grew heavier the longer she said nothing.
She did not know if she should speak. A revelation like this deserved its proper emotional weight, and the last thing she wanted was to interrupt the process.
For now she contented herself to sit beside the fire with Edomie, running through all the possible questions that might be asked when she did decide to say something.
jordan.nova Edomie couldn't be certain how long exactly she sat in front of the fire and spaced out, staring vacantly at the flickering blue light. It was pleasantly warm in front of the fire - not unbearably hot - and Dreden's hand rubbing gentle circles on her back felt soothing and nice.
Eventually, she blinked groggily and her stare drifted to her lap. She tipped to the side and let her weight fall hard against Dresden's side, her head propped against the older woman's shoulder. "I'm... oh, gosh..." she weakly muttered. "I d-didn't... know... I'm so stupid..."
A miserable whine slipped out of Edomie and she pushed her face harder against Dresden's shoulder. "No wonder I'm dying all the time... Everything sn- sneaking up on me... And - ooooh my poor dog... wh-why didn't I think... I could... I should've..."
Edomie sniffled. She reached up clumsily for Dresden and twisted her fingers hard in some amount of sweater. "Wh-what do I do?" she moaned. "What do I do? What do I do?"
DresdenG The tiniest alarm went off in Dresden’s brain as Edomie shifted closer, grabbing hold of her sweater. An alarm that told her to get out. Go home. This is too much, she shouldn’t be so close to Edomie—to anyone.
She silenced it as she had many times before, shutting it away in its own mental compartment to contemplate later. Or never.
Caring for Edomie was her choice, and she refused to be controlled by the past. She knew better, now. She wouldn’t let herself make the same mistakes. She couldn’t.
So, as the girl leaned in and buried her face into Dresden’s shoulder, the Professor turned toward her and curled her arms around her in a close embrace. She pulled Edomie against her chest and rested her chin on those pearlescent blue curls.
“Sssh,” Dresden whispered, squeezing the girl close, “You are not stupid. I’m a teacher, so believe me when I say I know what stupid looks like.”
She paused before continuing, debating how much to say just now. She’d mentioned a dog...while Dresden held little love for most animals, she knew other people formed deep and lasting bonds with their pets. Something big must’ve happened.
Dresden kept her voice and as soothing as possible, while consciously speaking a bit louder than she normally would in this situation. She didn’t want Edomie to have to strain to hear. “There is no ‘should’ve’ in this, Edomie. You couldn’t have known without someone telling you. How would you? You’ve been alone, or nearly, for so much of your life if I recall correctly.”
’What do I do...?’ She wasn’t ready to answer that just yet. She began to gently rock back and forth, combing the fingers of one hand through Edomie’s hair as she held her.
“What happened, to your dog?” she probed, “Tell me about that.”
jordan.nova Edomie squeezed herself into Dresden's arms as the woman held her. Maybe if she curled up tight enough she could squish the hurt out of her chest.
"I checked - I looked - I tried to look out -" she stuttered immediately. Her voice cracked and she choked on a dry sob. She cried a little, then managed to pull it together.
"...we didn't make it home to the village one night. So I dug us a little pocket in a hill and went mining. And in the morning... I checked outside, I did... I was so scared something would get us. But, I didn't... I didn't see anything..." Edomie rubbed her fist hard against her eye and wiped some wetness from her cheek. When she found her voice again, it was quieter. "We went outside... and a creeper went off. It- It was - on top of the hill..."
Edomie whimpered. Her fingers idly traced little circles on the sleeve of Dresden's sweater. "I'd never had a dog before... Cobble was the first one. And he followed me everywhere. He killed so many stupid skeletons before they could get me. He saved me all the time... and I couldn't... I didn't..."
Her hand flinched, then twisted tight around Dresden's arm again. "...I should've heard it up there," she muttered.
DresdenG Dresden listened intently as Edomie recounted the tale, sitting silently with her through the crying and the whimpers, squeezing her close each time speaking got to be too much. She'd assumed the dog must have passed, but to hear how...she could only imagine how hard the must be hitting Edomie.
She wanted to say she was sorry to hear that happened, to thank Edomie for sharing it with her, to offer more comfort, but Edomie's final statement hit her like the blunt end of an axe to the stomach.
"No," the professor chided, leaning back a little to look down into the girl's eyes. "Listen to me. It was not your fault." She slid her hand from Edomie's hair to gently touch her ear. "This is not your fault." Her expression remained firm and unwavering, raised brows daring Edomie to argue.
jordan.nova Edomie's lip wobbled, and she bit into it hard. Her eyes flicked away from Dresden's for a second, ashamed to look at her, but Dresden's gentle touch encouraged her to look back back up. "I, um... well..." She swallowed the rest of that thought. She shouldn't keep arguing, that was a bad idea.
"I just wish... I could've done something..." she decided instead.
Birch, her current dog, padded quietly into the room and flopped down beside Edomie with a whump. He shifted his giant head insistently into her lap in a comforting gesture until Edomie untangled one hand from Dresden's sweater to gently stroke her fingers between his ears. Edomie turned and stared down at his pale fur. "My dogs don't go outside now," she said. "I'm not... I don't want them to get hurt because of me. I don't know what else to do..."
DresdenG Dresden nodded, dropping her hand to Edomie's shoulder. "That's understandable, wishing things could have turned out differently. But you can't blame yourself, all right?" She gave one last stern look, before moving on from that point. She didn't want to chastise the girl any more than necessary.
The professor cast a cursory glance at Birch, glad that he nuzzled up to his owner rather than attempting to make any contact with herself. Whatever her own thoughts on pets, Dresden was happy Edomie could find comfort in the creatures.
"Perhaps we can find a way that you won't be so frightened to take them out with you," she murmured, thoughtfully, shifting a little on the floor. Her hips creaked, and she knew she would regret this when she finally decided to stand up. No matter, it was worth it. "If you want, that is."
Now we come back to the question at hand...'What do I do?' Dresden exhaled and thought for a moment. "You asked, earlier, what do you do now. While I don't have a perfect answer, I do know this: knowledge is a weapon." Her lips curved slightly in a small, encouraging smile. "It might be hard to process at first, but you're armed now and what you can do is learn more. Learn how to work with what you've got, and how to compensate for what you don't. And I'll help you, if you'll have me." She gave her shoulders a squeeze.
jordan.nova A single hiccup slipped out of Edomie, and her blue curls fell over Dresden's shoulder when she leaned back to look up at her. Her eyes lit up with a spark of relief. "If I - yes, yes please, will you help me?" she begged. "I need help, Professor... I don't want anybody to get hurt because of me."
DresdenG Dresden's heart swelled, warmth spreading through her chest as she nodded. "I'm not going anywhere, you can count on that. And we'll get this figured out as best we can."
The professor's eyes fell on Birch again, and the seed of an idea wriggled its way into the bed of her mind.
"You know, a colleague of mine at the University back home...he was almost completely deaf. Moreso than you, for sure. He had someone train his dog to alert him when there were things nearby that he needed to pay attention to." She tapped a finger to her chin, her eyes turning to look back into the fire as she summoned up the memories.
"I didn't know him well, but It was fascinating. I wonder if we could figure something like that out." She glanced at Edomie again, aware that idea might not be appealing. "But we'll only try whatever you're comfortable with, all right?"
jordan.nova Edomie let out a snort of laughter, despite herself. She smiled and wiped a few more tears from her eyes. "I doubt he'd want to do all that," she said, patting Birch on the head. The wolf huffed and flicked an ear, and otherwise kept up his impression of a carpet. Edomie's fingers tickled the white patches on the end if his nose, quietly indicating the sign of his age. "He's super old. I think he's pretty happy to not live in the woods."
Edomie hummed as her eyes narrowed in thought. "I heard... I heard from Phoenix creepers don't like cats, though. I've got a cat now... maybe I should... I could try taking him out with me..."
DresdenG It pleased Dresden to hear Edomie's familiar laughter, though she was simultaneously taken aback. Was the idea so preposterous that it warranted such a response? The explanation gave it more context, however, and the mention of a cat...well now there was a thought.
"I've heard that myself, from time to time. A young halfling I met in a village not far from the Wayhouse has cats everywhere." She shuddered slightly, shaking her head at the memory of Mr. Grindelfox's village...littered with cats... "He said they kept the creepers at bay, and that did seem to be the case. Yes, that's something worth trying."
Dresden felt the small of her back begin to tense, and she sucked in a sharp breath. If she didn't want to be stuck down here forever, she'd have to stand. She looked down at Edomie. "I don't mean to distract, but I've grown a bit stiff sitting here. Would you mind if we moved back to the table?"
jordan.nova "Oh! Oh I'm so sorry!" Edomie yelped with a startle. She untangled herself from Dresden's arms and shoved the great wolf off her lap so she could jump to her feet. He flopped over onto his side without any protest.
Edomie grabbed both of Dresden's hands and offered, "Here, let me help you up."
DresdenG Dresden’s eyebrows raised at the startle and she blinked, shaking her head in amusement at Edomie’s scramble. As the girl took her hands, she nodded her appreciation.
“Thank you,” she grunted as she hefted to her feet with Edomie’s help. Her back and knees protested, but once standing she stretched, relieving the tension before it got out of hand.
“No need to apologize, either,” she chided, wrapping an arm around Edomie’s shoulders as they both moved back to the table and settled in. “I’m the one that took us down to the floor in the first place.”
She folded her hands on the tabletop, her mind already running with ideas of how to go about researching hearing loss once she got back to her study. If she couldn’t find anything in her books, perhaps the Librarian...
jordan.nova Edomie fidgeted in her seat a little, and she spared a glance back at the fireplace. It felt silent again, as hard as she listened for it.
The whole house felt so, so, silent.
Edomie's gaze returned to Dresden's neatly folded hands on the table. Waiting patiently, as she did, for Edomie to process things. She timidly reached out for Dresden's hands.
Impulsively, she flung herself across the table instead to hug Dresden around the shoulders. It was awkward to stand half out of her seat and squeeze her close with the table between them, but she needed it. Badly.
"Thank you," she murmured, pressing her face into the crook of Dresden's neck. "You're so nice to help me, professor. Thank you so much."
DresdenG “Oh!” Dresden let out a startled little noise, but she did not shrink from the hug. A smile curved her lips, and she stood to ease the awkward angle of the embrace. Wrapping her arms around Edomie again, she rested her pale hand against the back of the girl’s head.
Nice...? Dresden could almost laugh at the thought of anyone calling her nice. But then, the relationship she and Edomie were building...she could not deny how different it was from the way she acted with anyone else.
Tatum would have a heyday if they’d seen how she conducted herself here.
Various responses darted through Dresden’s mind, and she settled on the simplest and most sincere.
“You’re more than welcome, my dear,” she whispered. “You can count on me. I’m not going anywhere.”
...at least, she dearly hoped she wasn’t.
