Not really an introduction

[sophie_darling]

Here is a little girl of 7, toying with an old doll on the stairs of the Mansion.  She's talking to herself, or to her toys, who knows? Today is her birthday, but she hasn't fussed about it.

Her auntie (is she her mummy ?  she forgets sometimes), is away more and more on mysterious errands, and her best friend is old, now, as are the boys she used

Comments

[thenotsofair]

Cleeg has been running all day.

Not literally running, but fleeing various locales because he does not want to talk and he does not want to see people who are going to make the dull ache in his belly worse. And there are a lot of them.

However, he has to come in eventually, head and shoulders down, more weary than he's been in a while and trying not to let his head go in circles.

[sophie_darling]

Sophie catches sight of him and runs down the stairs, almost tripping in the process and falling on her face.

"UNCLE TYELKO!!!!" And here's a leg hug for you.

[thenotsofair]

ALSKDJFSLKJDF - oh.

He staggers a little and tries to catch her. "--Sophie?"

[sophie_darling]

"You remember me, you remember me!!!!" She's holding on to his leg, but if he tries to scoop her up, she'll let her be, and she'll give him a hug. "Where were you? I missed you...."

[thenotsofair]

He might, just to snuggle someone who's not going to hurt him. He hopes. "Of course I remember you."

[sophie_darling]

Yay, snuggles! We like snuggles. Espescially after the terrifying encounter with Sandor. "Oh, good. I missed you. Where were you? Did you go away too? Uncle Niko says that Uncle Cal is away travelling but I know it's not true. I think he's angry at me. But I don't know what I did, and ----"

[thenotsofair]

"I'm - I'm sorry. I wasn't...well, for a while. I should have come and found you."

[sophie_darling]

"It's alright. You're here now." She gives him a beaming smile, and puts her hands on his forehead, like Sugar did when she had the flu. "Are you better now? I can take care of you if you need ---"

[thenotsofair]

He might push her hand down, gently. "I'll be all right." Kind of a lie, but. "Don't worry about me."

[sophie_darling]

"No." Her voice is surprisingly firm. "I'm tired of people telling me when to worry when nothing is well. So I'm going to worry about you, Uncle Tyelko. Please."

[thenotsofair]

He is a little surprised, and kind of shakes his head. "I'm just telling you there's nothing to worry about."

[sophie_darling]

"That's what they all say." Despondently.

[thenotsofair]

"Because it's true. No one wants you to have to worry."

[sophie_darling]

"But they worry me more! They think I don't understand anything because I'm a child, but you know, that's not true, that's not true! So please, pretty please....." she puts her head on his shoulder. "Let me worry about you, at least?"

[thenotsofair]

He sighs, a little, and snuggles her a bit more. "...all right."

[sophie_darling]

She's really snuggling a lot, and it's sweet and innocent. "Thank you, Uncle Tyelko." She rests her chin on his shoulder, and asks, --- "So, why are you so sad?"