[Writing] Yarrow is gone and the imps are talkin'
[Context: Yarrow is away on a personal journey to find his mum, leaving Jesper home alone for some time. Jesper had told the wild imps about this trip ahead of time, so Kena and Sol have made their way over for the evening.]
Jesper and Sol are sitting on Yarrow's bed facing one another. Kena is a short distance across the room. Jesper keeps making her laugh by overwhelming her with small, quick kisses. Each time he pulls away, he opens one eye to watch her reaction.
"Silly imp."
"Strange imp." Kena corrects.
Without looking in his direction, Sol knows he's being playful.
"Kissing like a person does. Strange imp."
"Kena is not so serious, Jesper. He is very jealous he is not getting any person kisses." Sol bumps her forehead into Jesper's chin. "Do you kiss Yarrow, Jesper?"
Kena looks over.
"YUCK!" Jesper fakes a gag, following it with a fit of laughter. "DOES NOT! Does NOT kiss Yarrow---hehehe---only does to be silly! Yarrow is not like imps! Is not like friends! Is much more like..." He opens an eye, searching the room for the right word. He whines. "um... is like how persons talk about family? Or home? Place to go back to, yes? Yes! Hehehe---Yarrow is like these things! Is like warm bed! Does not want to KISS!"
"Oh!" Sol smiles. "You do not do what we do with Yarrow?"
"Would hope not." Kena mutters. "The sprite is not in our bond."
"The sprite is not an imp! Ona would not let in a person."
"Is..." Jesper begins. "Is friend Yarrow like person? Lives like person, but has seen tail, yes? Climbs tree like squirrels! Is not at all like persons in town. Imp has not seen any persons climb tree like Yarrow can! And persons are all very frightened of friend!" Jesper pauses, tilting his head. "Does think about sometimes..."
"Is person enough."
"Kena! Come up here!" Sol beats the bed with her tail. "Stop acting like you don't care! It's Jesper! You like Jesper!"
Kena finally budges from his spot in front of the fireplace, and makes his way over to the other two. He makes an attempt to climb the sheets without flight, but acts nonchalant as Jesper helps him up. Kena is sat between them.
Jesper catches Kena off guard by kissing the side of his face. Kena turns to shoot him a look, but is met with Jesper mischievously sticking his tongue out. Sol chuckles.
"Imp thinks about..." The subject switches back as Jesper suddenly begins to recall his previous thoughts. "if Yarrow is person or... animal? Hmm." He opens his eyes and pulls Kena close against him, careful of his wings. Kena does not resist, sitting there stiff, like a teddy bear. "Does think about."
Jesper's arms wrap around Kena's waist. Sol can't help but he entertained by witnessing Kena look so resigned. She's aware that he is thoroughly enjoying himself. Kena shuffles his wings in a way that seems to tuck them out of the way. Jesper seems lost in thought as he chews on one of Kena's ears.
"Strange imp." Kena snickers.
"Is not so strange..." Sol begins crawling on all fours to get closer to both of them. "Is just grooming you in a different way." She sits back down on her bottom.
Fast forward a bit... It's the afternoon, and the sun will set in a few hours.
Kena rubs his forehead against Jesper's, an attempt to lock horns with Jesper if he were able. Jesper opens one eye, catching a glimpse of Kena looking rather content for once.
"It'll be dark soon."
"Yes!"
"Will return with food for us. I do not know what it will be---but Jesper will not see it. Will only see when ready to eat."
"Yes! Imp thanks!"
"Keep Sol close. Stay inside. Jesper and Sol stay indoors."
"Yes."
Kena approaches Sol, and locks horns with her. They linger before parting. He tells her the same.
"Stay close to Jesper---indoors---do not leave. I do not know if I will be back before dark, but do not leave."
"We won't."
He locks horns with her briefly once more before heading towards the door to leave.
The door shuts. Sol and Jesper exchange a glance. Sol smiles warmly. Jesper drags his bed, a large pile of linens and scrapped fabric, over in front of the fireplace. Sol invites herself to sit beside him.
"Is, um..." Jesper groans. "is nice... um."
"What's wrong?"
"Does not know the words. Does not have the word. Does not know it."
"What are you trying to say?"
Sol looks up at him. Jesper's eyes are closed. Jesper whines.
"Um... Kena... leaving... stops to talk to Sol. Is..." Jesper whines again. "Is nice... is nice to watch." A string of quick, throaty whines continues to escape him. "Is not the right word. Imp does not know it." He begins pulling on his ears, frustrated.
"You think it was nice to see Kena say goodbye?" Sol is a bit confused, but trying to navigate what it is that Jesper is trying to say.
"Yes! But is not the word! Is... very nice to see!" He begins fussing once more. "Is..." Jesper thinks for a moment, but fails to produce the word he wants.
"Sweet?"
"Yes! Is sweet!" Jesper celebrates, drawing her close in an embrace. "Is sweet! Yes!"
"Ohh! Yes! Kena is very sweet!"
"Yes! Is very sweet to see Kena say goodbye to Sol!" Jesper nuzzles their faces together. "Sol."
"Yes?"
"What is sweet?" Jesper's tongue flops out from his mouth, blankly.
"What!" Sol laughs.
"What does sweet mean?" He opens one eye, squinting.
"How can you say that's the word if you don't know what it means?"
"No---hehehe---does know what word means. Does know what sweet means. But does not know..." He thinks. "does not know what word means."
"Hmm." Sol pauses. "Pleasant?"
"Yes!" Jesper claps. "Yes! Sol is so good with words! Knows many words!" He begins laughing uncontrollably.
"Thank you!"
"Jesper is not so good with words."
"Some of the other imps are not as good as me, that's okay!" There's a short lull in the conversation. The two of them stare at one another. "Some of us know how to read, and have taught others... Once, we found a book on a person, and took the book! These words do help to learn more words!"
"Imp can read!" Jesper, carefully, but excitedly, snatches up her hand to hold. "Imp does not know many words, but can spell! Can spell words like LEAF! Or write!"
Sol grins.
"How does Jesper spell leaf?"
"L... E..." He gets stumped for a time, instinctively turning around wanting to grab his practice book from the nearby desk. "A..."
Sol chuckles beneath her breath.
"You know the last one! The letter starts with Yarrow's favorite thing, flowers!" She says, but suddenly grows uncertain. "I think... He seems fond of them from what you say, Jesper..."
"F!" Jesper heard nothing of that last bit, as he erupts into laughter.
(I know Yarrow and Jesper have some sort of water situation happening since they have a working toilet, but do they have running water into the tub? Is the running water cold only, and still needs to be heated over the fireplace for a bath, or can it simply fill the tub like modern day...? Does the tub NOT have plumbing? Do they have to run buckets from the kitchen to the tub? So many questions.
Regardless, paint in your mind's eye, would you, a freshly warmed tub... At a slightly lower water level than usual since it's just Jesper...)
Jesper grabs the handmade stool resting in front of the toilet, and drags it over to the bathtub. He carefully steps into the tub. Kena, holding Sol on his hip, watches, confused.
"Could just teleport, yes? Into tub?"
"Yes! Could, yes!" Jesper laughs. "Is silly! Forgets! Imp forgets."
Kena approaches the stool, grasping onto Sol tight. He raises her up over the ledge to pass her to Jesper. Jesper holds her close.
"Careful with Sol! Jesper, be careful with Sol. She is too small. Hold her on lap to keep her from the water."
"Kena!" Sol huffs. "I'm okay!"
"You are too small... Must stay high on Jesper."
"I'm okay!" She reasserts.
"Yes! Keeps water low, and Sol high to keep Sol safe! Imp knows!"