Poppy thought for a moment, her posture still and alert. She turned towards the sleeping Francis, frowned, and pulled the blanket over his shoulder. The forest was getting colder at nights, she had noticed. Evan's plan better work, she thought, resigned. Taking a deep breath, she crawled over to the tent opening. Peering over the edge, she checked to make sure that the scouts were gone, and then she began to continue work on the fence from the previous day. (Time skip until Francis' first shift or until he wakes up?)
(First shift.) Francis moved around, his hands reaching out into the air as if to grab something. He opened his eyes, hands in the air.
Night had fallen in the world around him. Poppy had finished putting up the fence half an hour before, and she was sitting on the edge of the deck, her legs dangling over the side. At the sound of his shifting, she had turned to look at him, a bit confused, and when he opened his eyes, her expression was on of concern. "Francis?" she asked tentatively. "You alright?"
She glanced at her wristwatch before squinting up at the moon. "Right now, it's 9:12," she said, pulling her legs back up on the deck. "No sign of those scouts, but I finished the fence."
"I should probably start the shift." He crawled out of the tent, kneeling at the edge. "You need sleep."
"You sure?" Poppy asked, raising an eyebrow. "I don't mind keeping watch, and I don't seem to need as much sleep as you do." The moonlight lit up the forest, extending shadows and changing the shape of the world. It was beautiful, but oddly intimidating, and Poppy wondered what else was out here. The forest extended for miles; who knew what creatures resided in the trees that they had climbed so casually?
She paused, and then nodded to herself, reentering the tent. "Alright, thank you," she said. "Wake me up if anything happens, okay? I shouldn't need more than 45 minutes or so, and then we can switch back."
He nodded, taking place in the spot she had previously sat. He stared into the woods with mistrust. "Goodnight, Poppy."
(You can decide if anything happens during Francis' watch.) Poppy was quiet for a moment before curling up on the ground. "Good night, Francis." She stared into the darkness for a while before sleep took over.
During the vigil, nothing particularly special had happened. Francis lost track of time, waiting past due, just staring out into the darkness.
Poppy was still in her sleep, her body curled and compact. About half an hour after she had fallen asleep, she began muttering, her brow furrowed, and her face turning towards the ground. She was quiet, but clearly troubled. Her breathing was panicked and rapid, and her muscle tightened with nervous energy.
She didn't answer, still asleep, but her expression was visibly upset. Her hands were curled into fists pressed against her eyes as she dealt with whatever poisoned her dreams.
He moved over to her, lightly touching her arm. "Poppy, it's Just a nightmare," he spoke softly, but loud enough to be heard.
Poppy's eyes opened, scared and tense. She sat completely still for a moment, frozen in the moment as she remembered where she was. She glanced up at Francis, her whole body trembling.
Poppy's eyes were dark as she uncurled herself. "It was just a bad dream," she muttered, almost to herself. "Just a bad dream.
