Distraction
Once Rita gets focused, hardly anything can snap her out of it, so when Judith plops down beside her on the ship deck and that makes Rita glance at her, she knows that the mage isn't really working right now. Sure, Rita's still hunched over all her books and blueprints, and sure, Judith doesn't know the first thing about these magical formulas, but she does know her girlfriend well enough to realize when research isn't actually getting anywhere.
"Hey," Judith greets, gently bumping her shoulder against Rita's. "We've been up for a long time. Let's get some rest."
"Ah, you go on ahead," Rita mumbles, rubbing at her eyes a little before turning back to her papers. "I'll get to bed in a bit."
The answer was not entirely unexpected, but Judith frowns at it nonetheless and doesn't move, remaining determinedly by Rita's side. She continues to stare for a while, in hopes of regaining her attention, but after it becomes apparent that the other has no intention of listening to her, Judith gives a slight sigh. And without bothering to give warning, she promptly reaches out to poke Rita in the shoulder.
Judith will get her to sleep one way or another. Even if it means resorting to petty pestering.
So she prods at that same spot again, gently but repeatedly, and while Rita doesn't look up from her work at first, Judith can tell that she's actively trying to ignore her. But Judith is insistent, persisting in her assault until Rita shifts away from her, to which Judith responds by changing targets to poke at the soft, squishy flesh of the other's cheeks.
Rita's brow visibly furrows with irritation, and at last, she groans, sharply swatting Judith's hand away and leveling her with a glare. "Stop that already!"
Judith chuckles a hint sheepishly and obeys, ceasing in her attack to instead reach up for Rita's forehead, brushing messy brown bangs aside. Upon getting a better look at her eyes, Judith frowns to see that they're drooping and slightly red.
"Rita, I don't like seeing you force yourself to stay awake."
"I…I'm not." But the protest rings weak and Judith doesn't believe it for a second.
She quirks a brow pointedly at Rita before shrugging, pushing herself back up onto her feet. "Well just so you know, if you pass out here, I won't be carrying you back to bed."
It's a coy, playful warning, but it comes laced with a fair share of concern as well. Rita just stares up at her, blinks several times and bites her lip in what looks like contemplation, before finally giving a resigned sigh and shoving the blueprints away.
"Alright, alright. You win."
Judith beams, and extends a hand down to Rita. "That's my girl."
Rita shakes her head but takes the hand readily, and once she's on her feet, she trails after Judith obediently. Or at least, she thought Rita was being obedient at first, but the moment that Judith reaches out to open the cabin door, sudden, simultaneous jabs are dealt to both her sides from behind, and she yelps aloud in surprise. Flailing a little, Judith whirls around to face Rita, who shoots her a face-splittingly wide and thoroughly unapologetic smirk before pulling her hands back.
"That makes us even," Rita drawls, and Judith narrows her eyes at her.
And oh, there's a challenge staring right back, dancing in those impish green eyes, and were it any other time, Judith would probably have accepted it—she certainly has never been above tickling cheeky and stubborn Rita Mordio into submission. But as it stands, Judith is plenty ready to head to bed herself, and if they launched into that sort of war now, they'd both get too worked up to be able to fall asleep afterwards.
"Yes, we're even," Judith laughs, promptly bending in to disarm Rita with a quick kiss to her forehead. She pulls back, delighting in the sight of Rita's cheeks taking on a slight hint of pink, and finishes, "Now can we sleep?"
"Yeah, yeah," Rita grumbles, dipping her head down, obviously trying but completely failing to hide her smile. "You don't have to tell me twice."