❀‧̥ — memes / accepting!
@mahawllan (zevran) said: ♪ : singing them a lullaby and brushing their hair
she complained only once, earlier that day, about the state of her hair. it seems incredibly trite of her to be worried about what her hair looks like right now, in the midst of a blight, with her country on the brink of civil war, and so she's tried to keep that concern to herself. except the momentary lapse in self-control as she was trying to tame it that afternoon.
the truth is, she misses all the products she used to have to keep her curls under control, and she has not been able to afford buying anything for that purpose since their quest began. when zevran offers to comb through the inevitable tangles that evening, she has already reached the end of her patience. so she agrees to sit still by the fire and let him work gently through the knots, eyes fluttering closed when he starts to quietly hum, then sing an antivan lullaby in a low voice.
it's a familiar tune, the words a simple rhyme about mermaids on the boeric sea. she thinks maybe she might've overheard oriana singing it to oren once or twice. the memory stirs an ache in her chest; she swallows back a swell of tears. not here. not now. later, maybe. if she has the time.
instead, elspeth hums along with him softly, focusing on that to keep from breaking down where the whole camp can see. yet still, it's somehow comforting to hear something known to her this way, and that he should choose this lullaby from all the lullabies out there...the gentle stroke of a wide-toothed comb through her curls, easing the tangles out...
when she thinks he must be long since finished, and now simply doting on her, she turns and catches his wrist in her hand, smiling softly at him in the warm, low firelight. “thank you, zev. that's enough for tonight. i'm...tired.” and spontaneously, she leans in to press a kiss to his cheek. “wake me when it's my turn for watch.”
