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 Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2015 11:51 am
Henry barely backed off, without a single flinch, as Claire hissed in protest. She was handling it very well, the nurse thought. ”You landed on your arm, correct? It hit the cinders the hardest so it’s deeper – I’m not at all surprised that it hurts worse.” Once he finished dressing the burns, he finally backed off and stood, thought it took him less than a couple of seconds to sit beside Ethiriel, who was lost in thought. ”It’s looking great, though! You’re taking very good care of yourself!”
The Frei, not paying attention, was brought back into reality by Aaron calling her name. Her expression blanked as she glanced upward. ”O-oh,” she stammered, trying to fix her face with a gentle smile. ”I am fine, thank you. I was just thinking about a friend.”
The nurse glanced to the Frei with a gentle smile; he could only imagine who exactly she was thinking of.
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Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2015 9:44 pm
"Both, kind of," Claire answered. "I uh, fell down the hill and landed on my back. My neck hit the embers hardest, I think that's how I got the laceration." She reached up to touch her neck and apply pressure to the bandages there, but she thought better of it and lowered her hand to her lap again, clutching it with the other one. "I rolled over to get myself up again and that's when my arm touched the embers." With the bandages now finished, she had to restrain herself from touching them, as she had been fussing with them since the first dressing; as such, she felt a twinge of guilt when Henry complimented her on her care of the burns, and she flushed a bit. "T-thank you, I've been trying." As though in tune to her distress, the burns throbbed, and she clenched her fingers on her lap. "And thank you again for doing this, you really didn't have to." She gave a cursory glance towards Aaron as she readjusted herself to sit facing forward on the couch again.
Aaron, meanwhile, had his attention on Ethiriel, trying not to focus on his wife's pointed gaze and the thought of her injuries couple with the anxiety surrounding them. He took up his cup of coffee with a long draw. "A friend of yours got hurt?" Such things were prone to happen to anyone, he figured, so he was not sure why he was so surprised to hear it happened to Raevans too - if it was, indeed, a Raevan she was thinking of. "That sucks." He took a sip and glanced at the tea plant Frei, and he hustled to say something else rather than leave it hanging with something so blase as saying 'that sucks'. "But I'm sure they're doing fine now! Has it been a while since you've seen 'em?"
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 2:39 pm
”Anything for a friend, Claire,” Henry said with the warmest of smiles. To the twitch of her fingers, the nurse lowered his hand to rest on hers, then gave a quick pat before taking his hand away. ”Just be careful not to fuss with it too much, and be sure to give them some time to breathe every once in a while. A lot of people forget that.”
As Aaron spoke, Henry’s attention wandered to Ethiriel as well. The Frei hardly talked about anything prior to the nurse’s care, and none of her friends were presently hurt as far as he had been aware. The man raised his brows and watched with the slightest of smiles.
”Oh… Yes. He had been hurt by the time we first met. He is fine now, thankfully. I see him somewhat regularly – we go to musicals and operas together.”
Ah, Cesc.
”I hope we are due for another outing together sometime soon.” Ethiriel said with a smile.
Whenever the Frei smiled, it was so contagious for the nurse – he smiled too, his brows lowering and eyes softened. This must have been what it was like to have a child; seeing them happy always warmed Henry’s heart, and taking care of Ethiriel did about the same. It certainly didn’t help with his wanting to start a family, but the Raevan was enough for now and Henry couldn’t imagine a baby getting between them.
Oh well, he thought – smile still ever present.
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Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 3:05 pm
"Yessir," Claire replied with a smile, tipping her fingers at Henry in a mock salute that would make her husband proud. In fact, he glanced over at the motion and the corners of his mouth turned upward while he still gave his full attention to Ethiriel. The couple tended to adopt each other's mannerisms when they were getting more comfortable, so this was a very good sign. Claire, too, turned her attention to the tea Raevan, noting the subtle shifting in her demeanor as Ethiriel spoke of this friend. It was clear to the woman that whomever she was speaking of was very dear to her, particularly with the way her smile brightened.
"He certainly sounds very nice," Claire replied with a smile of her own. Her own gaze wandered momentarily to the window, where the sun was shining brightly and birdsong was heavy in the air. "Speaking of outings though, why don't we finish coffee outside? It's a nice day, we should take advantage." Aaron nodded enthusiastically.
"Sounds like a plan to me. I'll have to fish out a couple more chairs from the garage but that'll just take a minute." He stood up and stretched towards the ceiling, groaning appreciatively as his back popped. "Up for a garden tour, you two?" His demeanor was all smiles, this time taking a cue from his wife.
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 3:16 pm
Henry knew that smile well – it always appeared when the Frei was talking about the white stag. Somehow, she didn’t share it with any other thing or person, and even with it being obvious to Claire, it seemed like Ethiriel never really noticed. Then again, what is an expression to someone with limited sight? It’s just a natural thing; she doesn’t know what it looks like. Still, ever contagious.
Rising to his feet as Claire saluted, a chuckle escaped from Henry’s chest at the gesture.
”Oh…” Ethiriel started with a small blush, ”Yes, he is beyond wonderful. With your Raevan on the way, perhaps you will meet him soon.”
”What a great idea! We’d love a tour of your garden, for sure! Right, Ethiriel?”
The Frei gave a small nod, rising from her chair. Ethiriel offered her hand out, which Henry took immediately, and hooked their arms together with a gentle pat of the nurse’s free hand. The Raevan’s smile softened. ”I am in no need of a chair, in all honesty. Do not trouble yourself for my sake.”
She wanted to be near the grass and dirt, anyway.
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Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 1:11 pm
"I'm afraid it's not much right now," Claire amended with a wave of her hands, "it's still a work in progress. But I'm going to put some more work into it in earnest coming up here soon." She stood up and reached for her own coffee cup and Ethiriel's hot water mug. "Did you want me to take your cup?"
"I'm gonna get a refill when I come back through, I got it," Aaron replied. "Meet you guys outside!" With that, he headed down the hall, towards the side door to the garage. Claire, for her part, smiled at the other two once Ethiriel had hooked her hand through Henry's arm.
"Follow me, then. Please pardon the mess." She led them around the coffee table and through the kitchen, the overstuffed breakfast nook, and to the back door. She emerged first onto the back deck and held the door open for them, taking a critical glance around. Claire was now doubly wishing she had had more forewarning, eyeing the unstained wooden boards beneath their feet and the pots messily scattered around the two wicker chairs that were already out. The backyard still looked pretty sparse but for a few trees that flanked the fence, but she had done what she could to brighten up the deck area until more work could be done. "Please have a seat, I'll take the chair Aaron's bringing." Her gaze swung over to the tiny patch of garden she had been working on before the trip to Russia, but it looked pitifully small compared to the rest of the garden.
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 4:41 pm
”I’m sure it’s lovely!” Henry exclaimed, as enthusiastic as ever. Ethiriel nodded in agreement, but to Claire’s question she perked back into reality.
”I am fine for now, thank you,” she said, raising her free hand to deter the woman. Aaron was quick to speak up and Ethiriel nodded, her eyes locked on the rings on her fingers. She could hear the small sounds the house would make, the creaks of wooden floors under feet and the wind against the sides of the house. She focused on those rather than her silly imaginings.
With a smile, Henry unlooped his arm from Ethiriel’s and placed both knuckles at his hips in a triumphant pose. ”It doesn’t look too bad! Work in progress, sure, but I know you’ll get this place up and running in no time!” The nurse looked to Claire and winked before saying, ”Ethiriel’s learning to tend to gardens from Duncan and Aina; I’m sure she would love to help you with what she’s done!”
”Henry—“ she stammered, a blush crossing her cheeks. ”Forgive me, Lady Claire, I do not know as much as he claims… Though, he is right. I would gladly help you if you wanted.”
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Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 5:08 pm
"Been a bit backlogged since our vacation but it's definitely in the works. Thank you though," Claire replied to Henry, smiling at the playful wink. Her attention returned to Ethiriel as she studied her hands and her guardian roped her back into the conversation. Claire chuckled softly at the Frei's surprise, the corners of her eyes creased happily at the offer of help. "We could likely help each other out on that account. My mother is an avid gardener herself, I'd love for you to meet her sometime." Sounds of footfalls from inside the house caught her attention and soon enough Aaron reappeared, another of the wicker chairs looped through one arm and the other hand holding onto his coffee cup, freshly refilled.
"Here we go!" He grinned, scooting past the group and depositing it next to the other two chairs on the deck, scooting it closer to the tiny, matching table with his hip. "We usually don't have this many guests around at once, the extra chairs could use a bit of air, don't you think?" With that, he unceremoniously slumped himself into the chair he had brought, the wicker scratching against the boards, and gestured grandly with his free hand. "Come one, come all, have a seat at our tiny table." Claire laughed, placing a hand to her cheek, and instead turned to Ethiriel.
"Want to take a turn around the garden with me, Ethiriel? Maybe we can trade a few gardening tips while the boys do what they do." Her smile read clearly in her tone.
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2015 11:05 am
”She sounds wonderful already,” Ethiriel said, giving Claire a gentle smile. ”Perhaps someday you shall see my sunroom… if you are interested, of course.”
Henry chuckled as Aaron made his way back into the group, though for now his eyes rested on Ethiriel and Claire. ”Glad to give them a chance to see the sun!” he exclaimed, nestling into his own seat. The Frei hadn’t taken a chair, however, as she lowered herself to the ground and ran her fingers through the grass. She was closer to Claire than anyone, giving Henry a good vantage point to watch.
Had he ever taken her outside like this? Just to relax in the sun? Henry couldn’t remember – he usually took her on runs or walks, but had they really just chilled before?
At Claire’s invitation, Ethiriel rose from the ground – her smile still in place. She gave a nod and offered her hand to the to-be guardian. ”I would love that, Lady Claire.” Perhaps she could meet some new plants or flowers? She only knew a few, and that was within her own garden of sorts.
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Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2015 11:41 pm
"And they sure as hell need it." Aaron wriggled around in the seat and swatted some dust from the wicker arms. "They smell like the garage. Don't let that put you off though, s'why I took the musty seat." He grinned, his eyes also flickering over the girls at the edge of the patio before returning to Henry. "So, you two got any other plans today? Other than tending my wife's hurts, anyway. Thanks again, by the way." He lowered his voice at the tail end of the sentence, letting his eyes convey the gratitude.
Claire, meanwhile, blushed at Ethiriel's acceptance of her offer and the unexpected title of "Lady Claire." Ethiriel was every bit the gentile lady that the couple had met in passing at the Halloween party. She clasped the Frei's hand in her own and tugged at it gently. "Let's go around the edge of the yard, there's a few pansies I planted there." With a squeeze of her fingers, she took the lead, guiding Ethiriel towards the fence. She and Aaron had planned on a flagstone path and had half started it, but it ended suddenly, and Claire stepped into the grass roughly in her surprise. There was a lot they had planned to do, but everything had gotten sidetracked in the whirlwind of events covering their recent past. Now, however, there was time to do it, and Claire decided she would start with this perimeter garden.
"There isn't much yet," Claire apologized, "I'm sure your sunroom makes my garden pale in comparison. What kind of plants have you gotten for it? Curiosity radiated from her being and soon she was picturing the Frei in a large greenhouse, tending potted plants. "And I would love to see it sometime, if you would do me the honor." At the mention of flowers, Claire started. "Oh, I'm sorry! Started rambling a bit.. the pansies are right over here, would you like me to guide your touch?"
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2015 3:56 pm
The nurse laughed as he reclined back into his own seat, his glance passing to Ethiriel and Claire as they walked away before fully giving his attention to Aaron. They had only talked a few times over the phone, but Henry enjoyed his humor and their personalities seemed to mix well – he could see a friendship in this man already, and he wasn’t one to turn down friendships. Especially with members of the Lab 305.
”Really, it’s no big thing. I’m glad to help,” he said with a wave of his hand, leaning forward despite his recent change in seating. ”I actually made sure today was free for you guys. I figured Claire would like to get to know a Raevan in anticipation, to be honest. Sorry if that’s presumptuous,” Henry chuckled, his expression sympathetic. ”And I wasn’t gonna just do my thing and leave, that’d have been rude!”
Meanwhile, Ethiriel’s other hand rested itself gently over Claire’s hand on her arm. She was used to this, and in some ways it was what she preferred. They were outside so she didn’t have to worry about bumping into much, and luckily for both of them, she had no feet to stumble and ruin any plants in the garden.
The idea of feet was still so foreign to the Frei.
”Nonsense, I am sure it is quite lovely. Besides; the grass is always greener, yes?”
Claire’s “rambling” actually amused Ethiriel and a gentle smile graced her lips as she listened. However, once the woman apologized, the Frei gently shook her head and lifted a finger to lightly tap Claire’s hand. ”There is no need for apology. All is well.”
And to her question, Ethiriel nodded, lifting her free hand away.
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Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2015 8:45 pm
"Oh no no, not at all, dude." Aaron waved his hand and laughed, picking up the coffee cup from the tiny table to cradle between his hands. "Thanks for sticking around! And it's great to get to know the both of you a little better. Considering Claire's only met a few Raevans in passing, I think it'll be good for her, as things have.. not been very good to her lately." His gaze dropped to the quickly cooling coffee in the mug; it was hard to say why he felt so comfortable talking about this now. Henry seemed like a very easygoing guy, and truth be told, Aaron did not have much in the way of good friends nowadays. Many acquaintances, work associates, and friends from the past he made spotty contact with over the years - perhaps he was somewhat starved for conversation himself. But as always, he fell back somewhat in his point, and gestured vaguely behind them to where the girls were exploring the yard. "I mean like.. as you can kinda tell with the burns and all. But I'm glad she and Eth are getting to know each other, I think they'll hit it off." He nodded enthusiastically, wanting to commit to this idea, and hoping somewhere inside that things continued to coast in the right direction.
Behind them, Claire's cheeks flushed a little when Ethiriel tapped her hand gently, her lips graced with a small smile. She was so gracious and ladylike that sometimes it left the blonde woman somewhat confused. Raevans surely ran the gamut of personalities and appearances, and there was no telling how old Eth was without asking outright, but she carried herself so maturely that she was duly impressed.
"Thank you, I'm trying to make it something.. trying being the key word." Claire's laugh was light and soft, perhaps a touch self-deprecating. She stalled their footsteps directly in front of the pansies and took the Raevan's extended hand. She knelt down slowly, guiding the tea Frei's touch towards the yellow and burgundy blossoms that peppered this portion of the yard, leaving her fingers just near the petals. They were new, just recently replanted from the store planters, and still lively from their greenhouse home. The smell of turned soil and plant food was thick in the air. "They're bright, and still young, but I hope to plant neighbors for them soon, I'm just not sure what." She pulled her own fingers back so Eth could explore the plant of her own volition. "What kind of plants do you have for your greenhouse?"
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2015 9:11 pm
Henry winced at the wording; yes, she hadn’t had a very easy time. From what he had come to understand, aside from receiving burns from an unfortunate fall, soul capturing wasn’t the easiest thing to deal with. Ethiriel’s couldn’t have been too bad, though neither he nor Leo had to do it – she was a simple tea plant; yes, living, but not sentient. The nurse couldn’t imagine having to kill a living being to make a Raevan, and he considered himself very lucky to have been able to skip out of that.
”I’m sure they’ll be good for each other,” he said, returning that bright white smile to his strong jaw. ”In the meantime, us men will have to keep each other company. Think you can handle that?” Henry laughed, reclining into his seat once more.
Turning her face toward Claire, Ethiriel smiled enough to meet her eyes. ”Trying is the most important part. From the smell of things, it already seems wonderful… so, I would suppose you are already doing a good job.”
Ethiriel fell silent as her hand was guided down, and as soon as her delicate fingertips touched flower, she gently rubbed its petals between her thumb and forefinger; it was soft and healthy with a touch of leftover dew from the last time they were watered. The Frei smiled again, this time with a small hum. It was obvious that Claire cared for her plants and put forth effort to take care of them, and it was enough to make the Raevan’s rune thrum happily.
”Oh…” she started, lifting her chin. She thought for a moment, recalling the names that Henry had once read out to her at the nursery. ”Lilies, Amaryllis… Unfortunately I do not know the man-made names for them. They all smell wonderful, just as your garden does.”
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Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2015 10:59 pm
Aaron laughed as the tension suddenly broke, taking a long draw from his cup of coffee and set it back on the table. He stretched his arms out behind his head and grinned back at Henry, who was quickly becoming one of the fastest friends he had yet to make - something definitely in the other man's favor. Considering he did not have much in the way of close friends (and thinking back to when he did, that was during high school and he had all sorts of appearances to keep up), it was a breath of fresh air. "I think I can handle it, bro, but thanks for thinking of me." He batted his eyelashes playfully and burst into another peal of laughter.
Claire's ears perked at the sound of Aaron's laughter, and she glanced over momentarily to gauge how the conversation between the two guys were going. To her relief they were all smiles, postures easy and relaxed. Despite anxieties about the sudden visit, especially when she had worked out her husband's reason behind such things, both Henry and Ethiriel had proven to be gracious, lovely guests, and Claire was growing very fond of them herself. The Frei's kind words about her sparse garden drew another smile from her lips, and her gaze drew downward as she heard Eth hum happily and feel the flower petals between her fingers. When she took a moment to answer her question, Claire laughed softly, very touched at the unexpected phrase. "Well thank you, I'm glad you like it so far! With a little more work, I hope to get it smelling much more fragrant. I was thinking of an herb garden too - something my mother isn't very good at, it'd be nice to have the market cornered on something since she's more the flower garden type." She chuckled again and opened her mouth to add more when she felt a distinct vibrating in her pocket. "Oh sorry, hold on, phone call --" She knelt down, soft earth coating her knees, hands scrambling for her pocket and the answer button on her smartphone - she did not even stop to check the ID. "Hello?"
"Claire?" The grainy, distant voice of her mother, cutting in and out. "Sorry to call out of the blue, but I need a favor if y'can --" Claire glanced around with a slight frown, Aaron having looked over from his vantage point with a curious glance.
"We've actually got company but --" The phone must have scrambled her response because her mother, usually so attentive, marched on.
"Listen - I'm stuck at the vet, Misha's appointment got pushed back and the car's getting the oil done - I've gotta pick up my pills and they're closed tomorrow --"
"Why did you wait so long?" Claire could not suppress the slight ripple of frustration; Ivy was excellent when it came to caring for others or her own hobbies but useless when it came to errands. "It.." She sighed. "No problem, I'll grab 'em for you."
"Thank you so much, Claire, you're a life saver. Just leave 'em by -"
"- By the phone, right?" Claire smiled despite herself, finishing her mother's sentence. "Got it. Talk to you later." She waited a beat for her mother to say goodbye and the call ended. By this time Aaron had stood up and taken a few steps towards the girls, and she squeezed Ethiriel's hand and looked to Henry in apology. "I am so so sorry but it looks like I'm going to have to cut things short, Ma's got some errands that need to be run."
"What lousy timing," Aaron replied with a frown, crossing his arms, before extending one hand to get his wife's attention as an idea came to mind. "Y'know what, though --" He stopped, hand retracting a moment as he seemed to change his mind. It had been on the tip of his tongue to offer to run the errands for her, but instead he grinned and darted a glance towards Henry before barreling forward. "Why not let Eth tag along? You've been wanting to stop by the nursery, right Claire? You can do that while you're out, I'm sure, find some plants you'd like."
"Oh Aaron, I don't want to bore her with my mother's errands -"
"Oh c'mon, it's just one, and she gets them from that drive-through pharmacy, right? You'd be in and out." Now he turned his attention towards Henry. "What d'you think? We can hold down the fort here for a while while the girls get some, uh, girl time I guess." He shrugged, grin every widening. Claire pursed her lips, but she had to admit the idea had merit. She squeezed her hand one more time.
"If Ethiriel's okay with it, then I'd love to have her along. I'm sure we can find something nice at the nursery here."
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2015 5:35 pm
Hearing the term ‘bro’ being used caused Henry’s grin to grow further and the nurse suppressed a laugh in response. Yes, they would get along famously, he figured, and he was already looking forward to more time with him – something that it seemed like the girls would about to offer. His attention was grabbed as Claire argued over the phone, curiosity piqued.
Meanwhile, while she could hear and understand the conversation, Ethiriel felt it was none of her business and gave her attention to the flowers before her.
”If she needs you, then feel free to help! I’m sure we can hold down to fort here, and – yes, yes! Maybe Ethiriel would love to go with you!” Henry cheered, his expression excited and eager. Already, he felt that he could trust this family; they were pretty down to earth while being unique at the same time. ”Would you, Ethiriel?”
This time, the Frei’s attention was grabbed intentionally.
”I… yes. I suppose – I would love to visit the nursery again, if Lady Claire would have me.”
”That settles it!” the nurse exclaimed.
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