She sighs.

You were going to tell them what you need, and I'm pretty sure you didn't.

I realized that all I really need is everyone around me to be happy.

Okay.

Goodnight.

Goodnight! Thank you for everything.

Mmhmm. Her ears twitch back.

She goes. She changes her necklace to monitor his room rather than her cave. She brings her bed to the new room, tucking it into a corner where the Eldar-style bed hides it from the door, and burrows in.

She doesn't sleep.

He does.

She waits an hour, concludes that she's not going to get any sleep this way, and teleports back to the Ñolofinwëan camp.

It's quieter; more people are sleeping.

She makes her way quietly to where they're camped out, and after a bit of searching finds a free spot to bed down for the night and lets the sound of their breathing lull her off to sleep as well.

They wake up before her, being Eldar, and get back to work and singing.

She doesn't sleep through that, but does conclude that it isn't actually time for her to get up yet and go back to sleep for another couple hours before getting up and going about her day.

She checks in with Findekáno while she eats. Good morning.

Morning! How'd it go?

Not how I was hoping. No problems exactly, but they'd told me they were going to tell their siblings about what they need and they didn't, and they've decided they want to try to lie to me about everything now. I hope they don't end up regretting it.

Okay. I bet he'll be fine.

I hope so.

She pokes listlessly at her breakfast, and then sighs and starts eating again.

I think it's empowering for him to be able to reassure people, even if maybe he's not reassuring them with the whole truth.

Mmhmm.

They could do that and get some of what they need, though. The important things.

What things do you think he's not asking for that he needs?

Not to be touched. We even had an excuse all ready, they wouln't've even had to say anything at all about why. And instead they're - she swallows and sets her plate aside.

Maybe he finds it helpful to prove to himself he can do it.

Maybe.

You don't think that's what's going on?

Last time I talked to them about being touched they considered it so obvious that it'd count as torture that they didn't even need to clarify that. They have been working on tolerating it, since then, but I'm pretty sure they weren't intending to do this as recently as a few days ago. Not like this.

He can look out for himself. Really.

Yeah, I know.