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 Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2015 5:21 pm
A Walk In The ParkLazarus specially invites Ethiriel (and by extension, Henry) to meet with Dr. Kyou properly.
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Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2015 11:38 am
QUEST
It wasn’t long since Henry had excused himself to do paperwork and the living room fell to complete silence as Ethiriel sat calmly in her usual spot on the couch. Even when the nurse had been present, the only sounds to break the quiet were the turning of pages, or a gentle scoff if something had been amusing – with the Frei generally being immersed in her own audio books, Henry hardly found himself with music or the television on while he read along in his own book. Silence was a normal thing in the Knight household now, but it was far from uncomfortable.
Now that she was alone in the room, the silver Frei idly hovered her thumb over the walkman’s play button, running it lightly over the textured plastic. She had stopped it shortly after her guardian excused himself, now thinking over every little thing that ran through her head.
Tomorrow was the day. It was already time…
Nerves were getting the best of her now. This was what she wanted; she had said it few times before and thought it many others, but… this was it. The big change. She was hopefully going to be able to see the world as everyone else did, and while this was exciting… the complications wore on her now. What if this damaged her? What if they had spent all of these resources, this time, on something that wasn’t going to change? With her being a Raevan, she wasn’t exactly built like a human. What if it didn’t work on her kind? What if she was putting Henry out with this endeavor just for it to come fruitless? With one earbud held daintily between her thumb and forefinger, Ethiriel pressed her knuckle against her lip in thought.
Minutes passed quickly as she mulled things over. While the house was quiet there was some ambient noise, such as the house settling or birds outside, that sounded so faint and distant. Even the front door opening and a familiar jingle of keys went largely unnoticed.
Some familiar words cycled in and out of Ethiriel’s thoughts; about change and how one felt about it. How she was born the way she was and shouldn’t fret about things she couldn’t change… but she could. She could change this, or at least she had the possibility. Maybe Gabe was right – maybe this couldn’t change. She was born of magic, maybe only magic could change her; but this was real and soon.
Very soon.
Dull footsteps moved between a few rooms at a calm pace, eventually moving into the living room and past Ethiriel towards the kitchen. Rummaging was brief and scarcely audible, save the sound of the refrigerator door closing, before the footsteps returned.
This time, they stopped before passing her by.
”You zoned out, or what?”
Ethiriel’s eyes rounded in surprise, having not noticed that the younger Knight brother had stopped by. When did he come home? Dropping the ear bud down to her ribbon, she offered a small smile as she righted her expression.
”I would suppose so,” she replied, taking a second to remove the other earbud from her ear. ”I did not notice your arrival -- I apologize for not greeting you, Gabe. How are you today?”
”It's fine. It was only a couple minutes ago,” Gabe said as he sat himself into the spot his brother previously occupied. Ice clinked against glass as he settled, drink in hand – just water.
There was a slight hesitance to his response. ”Not too bad, I guess.” Though he sounded a little rough, it seemed sincere. “What about you?”
Unsure of exactly what to word her troubles, Ethiriel let out a soft hum to let Gabe know she hadn’t ignored him. She closed her eyes, and once they reopened the rested on the silver ring hanging off of the Knight’s neck. With a hum, she finally started; ”Tomorrow is the big day.”
The glass clinked as it raised.
”Yup,” Gabe said after he took a sip, ”Time ******** flies.” He cleared his throat and adjusted in the seat to a more relaxed position. ”You ready?”
Ethiriel’s chin raised at the sound of the ice shifting in the glass, her expression resting in its usual form – calm, seemingly collected, and rather neutral. ”Most of me is. I have never gone through such a procedure and do not know what to expect. I’m excited to see the world in the same way you do, your brother does.” She sighed, leaning back as figuratively as she could given her lack of torso. ”What if I do not like it?”
He gave a short murmur in acknowledgment but seemed to take a moment to collect his thoughts before speaking. ”It's always a risk,” he started, dipping his voice a moment later – perhaps to censor from Henry's ear down the hall, ”You didn't seem worried about that a few months ago.”
”It seems things come to light when the line draws closer. There is the chance that this may not even work,” Ethiriel said, her voice naturally light and hardly carrying. ”It is still something I would like to try. Even if I do not like it, I suppose I will learn to live with it. This was my decision, after all.”
Even if the idea wasn’t her own.
”You still have time to bow out if you want to,” Gabe took another drink of water, though he let out a small dismissive noise almost immediately after speaking. With another moment of thought, he amended, ”but – they're your eyes. If it's something you really want, then you should do it.”
With another nod, the Frei allowed a subdued smile. ”I believe it is worth a try. I feel as though the pros outweigh the cons in this situation.”
To be honest, she was relieved that Gabe seemed a bit calmer about the topic compared to the last time they spoke of this. While he was often a bit rough with his words, he seemed to be a bit more empathetic towards her now – or, at least, sympathetic. It was a welcomed change, given how busy the younger Knight had been lately.
”I am eager to find out what you look like.”
He scoffed – not the bitter, spiteful sound he would make when annoyed but a little bemused. ”Prepare to be disappointed.”
Brows knit in sympathy, Ethiriel let out a small scoff of her own. ”You know… beauty is supposedly in the eye of the beholder. For me, everybody is going to be beautiful. Even you… but I suppose I will just have to find out.”
”What makes you so sure?”
”To be honest, I’m not,” she smirked. ”But one can hope.”
”Yeah,” Gabe let out another scoff, the same tone as before, ”Yeah, you can.”
He exhaled, deep and slow, and brushed his bangs back with his fingers. ”Look,” Gabe's voice evened to a more neutral tone, though he quieted himself again, ”Don't let me s**t on what you want to do for yourself. Alright? I mean it.”
”Hmm…” Ethiriel hummed, her expression a bit more serene, though the gentle slope of a smile remained. ”I have never intentionally encroached on your space, but… would you possibly allow me to “see” you before I actually see you?” She then lowered her chin, eyes meeting the silver ring again. ”’No’ is an appropriate answer, if you so choose.”
He murmured, in turn, before falling into a short silence. ”With your hands, you mean?”
”Yes.”
Gabe tended to his glass of water; when there was little left he chewed quietly on a piece of ice. There was more sound of adjustment, sitting up straighter. ”Yeah. Go ahead.”
The corner of Ethiriel’s lips turned upward just a hair before she closed her eyes and nodded. Hovering away from the couch, the Frei offered her hands for Gabe to take and lead her over the table. Once close enough, her hands found their way to the Knight’s arms, sliding up toward his shoulders, neck and then eventually found the beginning of his jaws. As soon as she made contact, Gabe tensed – not quite a flinch but still with some noted discomfort.
She stayed like that for just a second, her fingers lightly tracing Gabe’s jawline, before gently pressing her fingertips up onto his stubbled chin – which, for a brief second – she lingered, enjoying the feel of his hair against her fingertips. They then traveled again, her palms hovering without touching, and her fingers traced along his nose and eyebrows.
As she explored, he didn't seem to relax; he breathed slowly and more carefully, kept his back and shoulders straight. Each time her fingers traveled to a new part of his face Gabe would stop himself from instinctively pulling away – it only registered as a slight twitch.
Without realizing, Ethiriel had pulled herself rather close, though there was still about a foot between them as she continued her exploring. The only indication she had was Gabe softly clearing his throat.
”How long does it usually take?” he asked after a few quiet moments.
While she had admittedly been in her own little world there for a moment, even despite Gabe’s tenseness, she was brought back the instant he spoke. She retracted her hands entirely, and once she was another few inches away, now hovering over the table, she bowed her head. ”Long enough,” said Ethiriel. ”Pardon my curiosities.”
”It's fine.” He scratched at his chin, ”What, uh... hm.” Gabe cleared his throat a second time. ”How was it?”
Without turning, Ethiriel held her arms back behind her and hovered backward until she felt the cushions of the couch give way beneath her hands. She hummed again as she settled herself. ”You are very different from your brother. Thinner face, more hair and more pronounced features. If it weren’t for my little knowledge of others, I would dare say you haven’t disappointed me.”
Once she was back at the couch, Gabe reclined again. He took to finishing off what little was left of his water and ice while she spoke. ”I guess we'll see how things match up in a few days.”
”Indeed. I will let you know as soon as I’m able,” she said with a slight lilt in her voice. Once she heard the ice clink against the glass, she relaxed a bit more, herself.
His fingers tapped lightly on the side of the empty glass. ”Did you tell him you were nervous?”
Ethiriel shook her head, staring blankly at the darkness before her. ”I have not, but I feel that he knows, anyway. He has that… way.”
”It is part of his job,” Gabe sighed, ”At least you know he'll give halfway decent home care.”
”Well, I must say I am happy about that.” Ethiriel paused again, gently smoothing out the wrinkles of her night shirt. ”I would like to extend the invitation to your company during my recovery, if you are willing.”
There was a low chuckle from Gabe as he stood from the chair, scarcely more than a breath. He only took a single step when Ethiriel asked and he pulled himself back to a neutral stance. ”You want me to visit?”
The chuckle was not missed, even with how light it was, and Ethiriel smiled a little easier. Rather than giving a vocal answer, she gave a deliberate and slow, single nod; yes, she would want him to visit.
”I can do that.”
”Thank you; it means a lot.”
Ethiriel drew her attention from the dark abyss of her vision to find Gabe’s necklace, making sure to give another deliberate nod. ”See you tomorrow.”
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Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2015 4:39 pm
QUEST
This was it; today is the day.
Ethiriel sat nervously in the passenger seat as Henry took the wheel – for the most part, the trip was silent, though far from awkward. Any time the nurse piped in or asked a question, the Frei was quick to answer, even with her disposition. The surgery itself was what bothered her; after some research, they learned that the procedure itself was barely over ten minutes, and save for the shot next to your eye, painless. The silver Raevan had only really felt pain once in her life, when Rivener had saved her from those people, and to be quite honest, she was terrified of experiencing it proper.
However, Henry said it was safe, so…
Swallowing hard, the Frei stared into the distance for what she thought, hoped, would be the last time. There was a strange comfort in the idea – she had been born with this strange set of vision, and while it wasn’t necessarily bad, she was eager to learn anew. She could learn to read, to write, and then everyone could understand her properly given not many people knew braille and books had to be special ordered by the library. With Henry’s help, maybe Candice could teach her the basics.
Despite her nerves, eagerness took over. Ethiriel’s lips held a gentle curve, though her eyes were heavy lidded and she didn’t bother trying to focus – not that it was difficult; the car was moving too fast to really register if any passersby wore any silver.
Gabe had given his good luck yesterday, and while he was encouraging in his own way, he held a grounded impression that held Ethiriel strong.
After a small bout of silence, Henry finally spoke up.
”Everything’s gonna be a-ok, Ethiriel. You’ll do great! And soon, you’ll be able to see!”
Hopefully, thought Ethiriel, still inwardly worried over the fact that her cataracts were somehow magical rather than physical. They weren’t normal humans; they didn’t have the same illnesses or tendencies. What if all of this was for nothing? For a moment, she let the thought swirl in her head but she soon shook it off, not being able to afford such thoughts for long.
No, this was going to help. This would be successful. This was going to happen.
”Yes,” she said, averting her gaze from the outside world and onto the silver chain Henry had loosely hanging from his wrist. Ethiriel allowed herself to stare at the one thing that ever grounded her – would her sight of silver change, too? Not that there was much use for it other than what she had now, but it would be a little strange having it look like everything else. Maybe it was just a comfort, she supposed.
”You don’t have to speak if you don’t want to, but I want you to know that I’m here if you’re nervous or uncomfortable.”
That rather hit the nail on the head.
Shaking her head, Ethiriel added, ”I suppose anyone in my position would be a little nervous. I am eager and scared of what sight may be like.”
Especially the fact that she knew nothing but darkness – light had been explained to her, or at least attempted to, in the past by Luka. Oh, Luka, what were you doing now? It felt like so long ago that they had last seen each other, but perhaps he and his guardian were busy. And, by extension of “uncle” Jez, what of Leo?
Why in the world did she think of him? Of all people?
Ethiriel shook her head and returned her gaze to the outside world, the world she would be seeing soon. What a strange yet exciting thought. Soon, the world would be hers as it was everyone else’s.
The rest of the car ride hadn’t been very eventful; Henry kept his attention on the road and allowed Ethiriel to stew in her thoughts – he didn’t like the Frei worrying excessively, but he knew this was a hard thing to do, especially when you were born blind. After today, things were going to change in several ways.
It was chilly for October, and Ethiriel (especially while in the car – mostly for comfort) had taken in her silver, both her crown and branches, so that the cold couldn’t easily seep into the deepest parts of her. She was wrapped in an oversized scarf, from her nose to her collar, as well as a fluffy green jacket and a dress that covered half of her ribbon. Henry had taken the liberty to park as closely to the hospital as possible, making sure the Frei’s discomfort was short lived.
”Hello!” Henry chimed as soon as they had entered the waiting room. He was met with varying stares, some pleasant while others seemed less than pleased with his sudden outburst. Still, the nurse kept his smile in check as he proceeded to the counter.
”Hey, Henry; hey, Ethiriel. Good to see you two,” the woman at the counter said. ”Ready for your appointment, Eth?”
A lot of the staff had taken to the nickname. It didn’t bother Ethiriel, but it certainly wasn’t her favorite.
”As ready as I will ever be,” the Frei responded, giving the woman as genuine a smile as possible – the nerves were starting to get the better of her, now. However, she did little to let it show, remaining as positive as she could.
”Don’t fret; you’ll be in and out!”
It had been Ethiriel’s first time to the hospital proper – she would often come with Henry to see the kids but she had never been a patient, herself. Henry had to fill out her paperwork so that she could be in the system; neither had expected for her to be a patient in any way, so it was a little strange for them both.
”And now, we wait.”
And indeed they did.
Without an audiobook to keep herself distracted, Ethiriel could only stew in her worries as the wait seemed to take so, so long. Was it normally this long? Henry seemed placated enough with the magazines, sometimes making little quips about items or just general observations.
Finally, she was called.
”Ethiriel Knight?” another nurse called from the newly opened door. ”If you would come with me.”
Henry was allowed so far as the door as he handed the Frei off to the new nurse. ”You’ll be fine,” he reassured, letting his hand linger on hers for just a moment longer.
”I know.”
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Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2015 3:35 pm
QUEST
It hurt.
Why did it hurt?
Coming to, Ethiriel instinctively reached up and felt at her tightly closed eyes, immediately trying to block out the light that seared her vision. Oh god, why did it hurt so bad? She felt a hand grab at her wrist and pull her own away, but every inch of her wanted to block out that terrible pain. Was this light? Was this what it was like for everyone? The Frei let out a sound of distress at the new sensation ripping at her head – she even felt headache for the first time.
”A-ah, wh—“ she said in her daze as the doctor’s tried to encourage her eyes to open. She wanted to cry out, to let them know that she wasn’t alright, but in her drugged stupor she couldn’t form the words.
”Keep your eyes open, Ethiriel,” one of the doctors said, delicately placing a pair of paper-and-plastic sunglasses onto her nose. The relief was minimal but it was definitely appreciated. ”Would you like Henry to come in?”
There was a hesitant pause, another attempt at reaching her eyes, but the Frei nodded as she weakly attempted to keep her eyes open. Once the lamp was moved and the light less harsh, it was easier to do but it was still very, very difficult. As the other nurses removed their hands from the Raevan, she brought them back up to shield from the light, hovering closely to the pair of glasses they had provided. The idea of it being a mistake wasn’t forethought – even despite the pain, she didn’t regret the decision at all – but wow, this was a bit much. She had never experienced this kind of pain before, in any way.
”Everything okay, Ethiriel?” Henry asked as he came into the room. His expression was sympathetic as he watched the Frei desperately try to block out the light. Stepping closer, he gently rested a hand on her shoulder. ”Can you see?”
With Henry’s touches and goading, Ethiriel tried to open her eyes as wide as she could. She didn’t know which person was her guardian and she glanced pathetically between the small gaggle of nurses surrounding her. Ethiriel’s expression was obviously pained, and even with her hand hovering over her eyes it was hard to block out much of the light, if any at all. ”W-which…?” she had started – which were you, Henry? – before she realized that he had been touching her shoulder. Still dazed, her gaze travelled up the man’s arm to finally meet with his face.
Immediately, she felt tears stinging her already sensitive eyes.
They had opened a bit wider despite the discomfort as she stared into the eyes of her guardian – she hadn’t expected the emotional outcome but as she met his gaze the more her eyes welled in appreciation. This was the man taking care of her. This was her family.
This was it.
”C-can… we… can we t-turn off… the lights…?” she murmured, the drugs still taking effect.
Henry was the first to relent, but as soon as he had moved to turn them off, Ethiriel’s hand held tightly to his wrist. After a moment of surprise, a smile resumed as he nodded toward one of the other nurses, who then turned off the room’s lights.
After a moment, Ethiriel’s eyes had mostly adjusted. Things were relatively blurry and colors were extremely muted – not that she would know – but she did her best to take in every little detail of Henry’s face as he stood before her, their hands finally clasping, fingers twining together. The Frei had allowed the tears to stream down her face as a smile of her own formed on her delicate lips. None of the other nurses held her attention or at the moment, care, as she focused on the man.
”I c-can… I can see…”
”Then it was a success!” Henry cheered, bringing back his usual pep and step. He let out an enthused laugh as he brought himself closer and moved a strand of hair from the Raevan’s face. ”It’s going to take some time – maybe even up to a month – but it worked! Now we just have to deal with the healing stage!”
And who better than Henry to take care of her.
”I-I can…” she mumbled to herself, finally removing her gaze from her guardian to stare at her free hand. She watched its subtle twitches and examined every inch.
Even though Ethiriel didn’t see, Henry nodded with just as much enthusiasm as one would expect from him. Unknotting their hands, the male nurse pulled back after giving another gentle pat to Ethiriel’s shoulder. Turning to the doctor, he said, ”I’ll look over the paperwork and make sure she heals properly. Thank you so much, man. It means a lot.”
”It’s no problem. Not like we don’t do this every day,” the doctor chuckled, patting Henry’s shoulder himself.
This was met with a smile.
While this exchange happened, Ethiriel had taken to staring at both hands. This was it, she could see. They were able to help her. This was real. A chuckle escaped from her lips as they spread into a wide smile. Even though she was shaking from excitement, she held it together as best as she could.
This was going to be amazing.
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Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2015 4:27 pm
QUEST
”Ethiriel, keep your eyes open, please.”
Shapes were new – her dresser didn’t look like she would have imagined just by description alone, and she never would have guessed what a reflection properly looked like aside from her experimenting with her silver a while prior. Everything was a little blurry and colors were muted – not that she would know this, having never experienced color before. Her room was smaller than she first thought as well, but that generally came from not having the necessity to explore fully; she only needed her bed, to be honest, but now she would have to make use of everything she possibly could, now that it was available to her. The light was still very bright, even with the overhead off and the blinds drawn closed. It still hurt, but it had only really been a couple of hours.
Any time the Frei opened her eyes, the light stung and her hands instinctively went to cover them. Henry would not allow it, however, and gently took her hands in his own. He would glance to the side at the sheet of precautions and instructions that the doctors had given them. Raising his brows, he said, ”Look at me.
“I know it’s hard, but you’re going to have to get used to it. Okay?”
After a brief moment, Ethiriel nodded. This was enough for Henry and he continued. ”There’s a bunch of things we need to do to take care of you, okay? I don’t think you’re in any danger of this, but you can’t drive a car today. Think you can do that?”
With a chuckle, Ethiriel nodded as she attempted to keep her eyes open. The pain was searing and unfamiliar, making it beyond difficult to do, and it caused a nauseous pit in her rune – had she the ability to vomit, at least then some of the pain would have been released. Unfortunately, she was stuck with the sickly feeling the brightness caused. If the migraine had been any worse, she probably would have cried.
”Don’t do any heavy lifting – because I have you do that every day, don’t I? Don’t do it.” Henry continued with a chuckle of his own, trying to add as much humor to his voice as possible – not that, that was hard, with his goofy voice. ”Don’t sneeze or vomit… not that I’ve even witnessed you do either of those. Be careful of doors and walking, apparently. Do not swim or immerse in water – more things I don’t think I’ve ever seen you do.
“Don’t let outside irritants into your eyes – with the sunglasses, that shouldn’t be much of a problem. Also,” Henry started, squeezing Ethiriel’s hands. ”Don’t rub your eyes, please. We’ll get you better and then everything will fall into place!”
Ethiriel fidgeted with her hands clasped between Henry’s, giving a pained smile. It still hurt quite bad, but he was right – she needed to get used to this if it was to be her life from now on.
”You can do this!” cheered Henry, removing his hands and raising his fists into the air. ”You’re the toughest girl I know!”
To this, Ethiriel laughed. ”I will do my best, Henry. Thank you for this… for everything.”
The nurse’s expression softened, though the humor was still present. ”I’m sure you can’t wait to see Candice’s kids next time you go on a walk!”
”Indeed, I cannot wait.”
”Now, the doctor will want to see you within a couple of days, just to make sure you’re healing properly. We’ll also have to give you eyedrops several times a day, and I’m sure with you never having seen anything come directly towards your eyes, so it’ll be pretty weird. I bet you can handle it just fine, though.”
”I can handle anything, Henry,” Ethiriel joked, bringing up her hand and hovering it lightly over her eyes before remembering not to rub.
The nurse chuckled. ”In a couple of days, the folks and Candice would like to come see you once you’re rested enough. Think you can deal with that?”
Ethiriel nodded, lightly dropping her hands into her lap. ”I would like to see them.”
”Good, good.”
A few hours had passed – the sun was still up, barely trickling through the holes and cracks between each blind on the window. It had been relatively warm today so Henry had insisted, despite the blinds, that the window be open to let in the nice air.
Ethiriel admittedly grew impatient waiting for Henry to arrive with his brother; she had already studied Henry the best that she could through her dark sunglasses – even with them, it was quite painful to have her eyes open, having the feeling of a lash perpetually in both eyes as well as the headache that spawned from the brightness. It felt so long waiting, and waiting, and waiting, but eventually there was a polite knock on the door to announce their entry.
”You ready, Ethiriel?” asked the nurse as he poked his head into the room.
With a smile, the silver Frei pushed herself away from her bed to hover at standing-height. ”As ready as I will ever be, Henry.”
The door opened further with care not to let too much light follow and cause the frei more discomfort. Henry entered first with Gabe a few paces behind; he took a far more leisurely stride than his brother and shut the door behind them.
”Hey,” he greeted with the usual calm indifference Gabe used when merely announcing his presence to her – a well worn habit by now.
”Hello, Gabe,” Ethiriel responded, wincing slightly as the door was opened. Silently, she was thankful for the light to go away once it was closed and it took her a moment to adjust again. Once she was able to open her eyes a bit wider, she stared at the two brothers intently – attention held on Gabe more than Henry as she had already gotten to take a good look at him for, well, a couple of hours now.
Ethiriel studied his appearance; worn and tired, not exactly the picture of health – but given only knowing Henry visually, it was a stark difference. She did not point this out, however, as she looked him over. Far skinnier than the older Knight, less muscle mass, and he held himself in a way opposite of Henry as well. Her expression remained about as neutral as Gabe’s announcement, but her eyes searched every bit of him before she finally smiled.
”You are not a disappointment,” she said after the long stretch of silence.
Such prolonged scrutiny caused Gabe to avert his eyes after only a few moments, but with Ethiriel's comment they were brought right back. His brows knit at first but then he seemed to recall their conversation – he let out a light scoff.
”Your eyes are still adjusting,” Gabe quipped, clearly sarcastic but still carrying something a little more good-natured than his usual fare.
”Hmm, mused Ethiriel, a smile forming as she gave him another once-over. ”I suppose they are, but my opinion still stands.”
Henry, lost in the conversation, stood and grinned as Gabe and Ethiriel spoke. He didn’t know that they had talked about this prior, but he was glad to see that there was at least a little bit of humor in his brother’s voice – a thing he rarely got to hear.
With a shrug, Gabe moved the conversation forward. ”How's the rest?” He paid Henry a side-long glance, only to give his brother a slight squint in response to all that grinning he was doing.
The squint went entirely unnoticed by Henry.
”Your vision won’t be perfect within the first couple of hours, so if things are blurry there’s nothing to be worried about.”
”You forget that I have never seen before. I do not know what exactly ‘blurry’ is, nor can you describe it to me.” Ethiriel said, lifting her chin. There was no malice in her words, just a matter-of-fact tone.
Bringing a hand to the back of his head, Henry scratched in his hair. ”I suppose that’s right.”
”Everything is bright and painful, but I will survive – after all, we did make a promise to Miss Aina.” she said with a smile.
On the other brother's end, Gabe was wholly unaware of any promises made. Tucking his hands in his pockets, he cast a cursory glance around the dim room. ”How long is it supposed to be until light doesn't suck anymore?” Gabe lifted his chin, indicating that question towards Henry.
In response, the nurse lowered his own chin and smiled. ”In best cases, a couple of hours. Considering whatever was up with Ethiriel’s eyes were some kind of magic – and I say this loosely, I don’t claim to know or understand what her cataracts were – there’s no telling. Plus, it was practically full-vision blindness, so it could possibly take up to a month or so.”
”So we're flying by the seat of our pants,” Gabe returned humorlessly, ”Good to know.” He turned back towards Ethiriel, though he looked past her towards the window. ”I'll hang a towel over the blinds. It helps when I have migraines.”
”Unfortunately, yes, but we’ve got the means to take care of her. In fact, soon I need to give her some eye drops.” Henry said, now with his attention fully on Gabe. Brows raised curiously at the younger Knight’s offer and he smiled.
”That would be wonderful. Thank you, Gabe.”
”No problem,” Gabe shrugged his shoulders once more, then looked to Henry, ”Where's a spare towel you don't mind going missing for a few days?”
”Any of the larger towels will do. I think we have a large beach towel in the hall closet.”
That would work. The days might have still been unseasonably warm thanks to Gambino being what it was but the water was still getting cold – definitely not beach weather. With little else to be said, Gabe nodded and made for the door which left Ethiriel and Henry to their own devices for a few moments more.
”You okay now, Ethiriel?” asked Henry as he watched Gabe head toward the hallway closet. His expression was calm with a lazy smile spread across his face – he was glad to see his brother be so helpful, even if he didn’t know that the two of them had born a friendship behind the nurse’s back. He knew what either of them did wasn’t particularly his business, but he was glad that Gabe seemed to have Ethiriel’s back.
Meeting his eyes – forever a new sensation, making Ethiriel’s heart flutter – she nodded with a smile. ”It is a miracle that this even worked, isn’t it?”
Henry’s expression became a little bit embarrassed. ”A little, but if you’re happy I’m glad it worked."
”Yes. Thank you for everything, Henry.”
”You’re welcome.”
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Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2016 3:48 pm
QUEST
Bleary-eyed, Ethiriel laid in her bed and stared at the ceiling blankly through her sunglasses. It hadn’t been long since the procedure and her eyes were still weak against the light, so even with the blinds drawn and her eyes covered, it hurt. She didn’t let this bother her, however; having the ability to see negated how she felt about the pain.
She lifted her hand above her face, flexing her fingers and examining every inch of her skin and its creases. It was amazing – this is what she missed out on for so long. Lowering her hand, she rested her fingers lightly on her face.
Her face.
It was a slow movement, but eventually Ethiriel lifted herself out of her bed and hovered hesitantly toward the mirror. She had seen Gabe’s and Henry’s faces, but she hadn’t seen her own, yet. In a way, she was afraid to – she had no idea if she fit the idea of pretty or beautiful and she wouldn’t know the difference, anyway. She had seen the vague shape of her face when she experimented with her silver, but she hadn’t properly seen herself. With closed eyes, she rested her palms on the dresser that held up her mirror – something she had never needed before now.
Finally, she opened her eyes.
At first, the sunglasses took her by surprise; she hadn’t expected them to cover most of her upper face and she stared dumbly for a moment before hesitantly lifted her hands to remove them. Again, her movements were hesitant, but with some internal convincing, a short wince and nearly closed eyes, Ethiriel took them off entirely. She squinted at her reflection but the Frei looked over every inch of her exposed face with interest – she couldn’t tell if she was exceptionally pretty, but with her lack of comparison she could only imagine. Her brows rose once she had gotten used to the light and stared intently into the mirror. Her nose was petite and her eyes narrow, her lips full and skin tan. Her hair was straight with some body at the ends and her ears were pointed, sticking out from behind the curtains of hair. She hovered back to get a fuller look at herself before leaning in closer again.
So this is what she looked like.
Startled by a sudden knock on her door, Ethiriel backed away from the mirror and stared in shock before finally being met by Henry’s voice on the other side.
”Ethiriel? May I come in?”
She stared for a moment longer before giving a firm yes.
Henry cracked open the door and winced as soon as the light from the hallway shone in Ethiriel’s eyes and he closed the door quickly behind him with a soft apology. Concern quickly took over as he searched her expression while she recovered from the sudden sound.
”Are you okay? Why aren’t you wearing your glasses?”
Swallowing, Ethiriel gave Henry a sheepish smile. ”I—I wanted to see what I look like.”
Not expecting that answer, Henry’s brows rose as well before settling above his eyes, a small smile forming on his face. ”What do you think?” he asked, taking another couple of steps over to stand behind the Frei and stare into the mirror as well.
It took Ethiriel a moment to answer, but when she finally did, her voice was much stronger. ”I do not know. I am the first female I’ve seen—“ she admitted.
”If it helps, you’re very beautiful.”
Eyes widening, Ethiriel looked from her own face in the mirror to Henry’s, then back to her own. Her hands met her skin as she examined herself closely. With Henry and Gabe, she could compare the two, but neither of them was unattractive to her, exactly – but with herself, she had absolutely no one to consider. Her expression softened as she looked back to her guardian, this time turning her head instead of looking into the mirror.
”Is something wrong?” he asked, concerned again with her silence and contemplation.
”No… I am fine. Thank you for both your worry and compliment,” Ethiriel said fondly, gently placing a hand on Henry’s shoulder. She offered him a smile and a gentle nod before reaching for the glasses she had set down earlier – her eyes were getting tired and hurt.
Henry sighed and smiled. ”You’re welcome,” he said, reaching a hand to meet hers. ”Oh, right. I came in to see if you wanted some water or something.”
”Oh,” Ethiriel responded, brows raised as she placed on her sunglasses. She nodded confidently, beaming up at Henry. ”I would love some water, and perhaps some tarnish.”
With a smile, Henry nodded as well. ”Coming right up.”
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Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 12:47 pm
QUEST
Ethiriel had been given a few days to heal before the extended family were to visit -- Henry had been so excited on the Frei's part, eager to have her visit the folks now that things were settled. In fact, the nurse had this planned since they first agreed to the surgery, and with each passing day he became more and more excited.
Before the week was out, Henry issued a call to Clem and Jonas, then to Candice -- it wasn't a surprise for the Frei, having been explained early on as to what was happening, so that she could agree to. She did, and she was about as eager as the nurse.
“Mom and dad’s car just pulled up!” Henry exclaimed as he pushed himself away from the window to beam at Ethiriel. “Candice shouldn’t be too far off, either!”
Smiling warmly, Ethiriel responded, “Shall we meet them?”
Giving a goofy, toothy grin, Henry nodded and took Ethiriel by the arm, headed toward the door. Opening it wide, the nurse greeted his parents – while Ethiriel backed away as the light causing immediate pain, even with the sunglasses. “Hey mom, hey dad!” Henry shouted, though there wasn’t much need to raise his voice on such a calm, crisp day.
Despite her pain, Ethiriel was no less happy to meet with Clem and Jonas.
Hearing Henry’s excitement as he exited the bathroom, Gabe stared down the hall at his brother and Ethiriel flocking to the front door.
The Knight parents stood at the doorstep smiling warmly; Clementine’s face lit up at the sight of both of them while Jonas inclined his head and smiled more behind his bushy beard.
Holding back something of a squeal, Clem exclaimed, “Hello you two!” Reaching out to hug Henry first, she then touched Ethiriel’s hand on her son’s arm. “Congratulations, dear! I can’t imagine how excited you must be!” With a small nudge to her arm from her husband, the woman let out a surprised “oh!” and moved into the house – Jonas following just behind.
Henry immediately went in for a hug from both parents before leading them inside fully before shutting the front door. Ethiriel smiled warmly as she had been touched, though she stills quinted from the Sun.
Humming contently once inside and the door shut behind him, Jonas asked, “Are you still recovering?”
Immediately grateful as the sun was shut out, Ethiriel nodded to Jonas. “Ah, yes… I am rather sensitive to light, but it improves every day!”
Clem giggled at Ethiriel’s smile and the enthusiasm in her response. She reached out to the Frei as well, offering a hug, though she was careful not to startle her out of habit.
Nodding and Smiling at the three of them, Jonas noticed Gabe approaching from down the hall. “Hi, son.”
“Hey, dad. Mom,” Gabe offered, though much less exuberant than Henry – but when was that new.
Peeling back from Ethiriel enough to look him over, Clem made sure to stay connected. “Oh, you look thrilled.”
In a tone that sounded much the opposite, Gabe said, “I’m smiling on the inside.”
Clementine’s tone remained chipper, but still she sighed, “Would it kill you to smile on the outside?”
“Maybe.”
Ethiriel gave a sympathetic smile to Gabe once the attention shifted to him, pushing her sunglasses back up the bridge of her nose.
Without looking as unhappy as his last comment sounded, Gabe returned Ethiriel’s glance with a neutral one of his own.
“Well! Now we just have to wait for Candice and the party can start!” Henry chuckled, trying to lead the conversation away from potentially deep waters. He knew how “well” Gabe and their mother got along at most times and he certainly didn’t want that to affect the current mood for Ethiriel.
Finally releasing Ethiriel from the hug, Clem clasped her hands together. “Oh, I’m so excited! How long do you think she’ll be?”
Admittedly grateful once the hug was released, the Frei hovered about a foot away from Clem. With as close as she was to Gabe, or seemed to be, she could easily see the certain qualities from the Knight mother that affected the younger son so negatively – and she could also see them in Henry, despite how well she and the nurse seemed to get along lately.
Looking to his watch, Henry’s smile softened. “Any minute now, actually!”
“She is rather prompt—“ Ethiriel said.
“Wonderful! Let’s go to the living room, then, so we don’t block her way in,” Clem chuckled, starting on her way there with Jonas not far behind.
Jonas gave Gabe a pat on the shoulder as they passed.
Nodding in return, Gabe stepped aside so Ethiriel and Henry could move into the living room before he did.
Hovering just behind Clem and Jonas, a pace or two in front of Henry, Ethiriel took her usual place on the closest couch. “It is wonderful to have you both here,” she said, giving them both a soft yet genuine smile as she folded her hands in her lap. She did enjoy their company when things were tense between the mother and youngest son.
“Always ready for some family time!” Henry said, his voice sing-song.
Taking her seat next to Jonas on the couch, Clem laughed, “It’s wonderful to be here. You always make the commute. I’m having trouble remembering the last time we all got together here.”
Scratching his beard, Jonas glanced to Henry. “Was it three years ago?”
“Probably closer to four,” Gabe said.
Henry nodded at Gabe. “Yeah, that sounds about right.” He then turned to Ethiriel, “But we’re here for her as family! How do you like seeing so far, Ethiriel?”
With her gaze lingering on Gabe for just a moment, the Frei’s attention was pulled immediately as she met Henry’s eye. “It hurts, but I can handle it. I’m just excited to see what you see.”
Gabe didn’t return her glance this time, his quiet attention on his parents.
“Oh, sweetheart. I hope that goes away soon,” said Clem, giving Ethiriel a sympathetic smile which morphed into a warmer one. “What are some of the things you’re most excited to see?”
Henry looked to Ethiriel with an expectant smile.
“W-well,” Ethiriel stammered, put on the spot, but recovers relatively quickly. “I am most excited to see my friends. I hope to contact them soon…”
--
After an overstretched day, Candice was glad to finally end it with such an exciting occasion. She hastily parked near the sidewalk and paced to the front door, a dessert in hand, and tidies her hair and outfit before knocking on the door. Taking a deep breath, she smiled.
--
Ethiriel perked at the sound of the door and glanced behind her toward the hallway, then back to Henry with a soft smile. She was starting to grow more content with the counselor the more she spent time with her, but much like with Clem, the Frei could see where she got on Gabe’s nerves.
“And there she is!” Henry exclaimed, happily hopping off of the couch and bounded toward the front door. He opened it wide and carefully pulled Candice into a hug without danger of knocking the dessert away. “Glad you could make it!” he said, easily heard from the living room. Giving a quick peck to her lips, Henry guided Candice in with his hand on the small of her back and led her into the living room with everyone else.
The woman smiled as Henry opened the door, stepping forward. “Hi, sweetheart!” she exclaimed, carefully hugging him back and laughing as she returned the peck with a smooch of her own. Leaning back, she grinned at Henry. “Glad to be here!”
“It is good to see you, Candice,” Ethiriel said, offering a smile as well as making room on the couch for them both.
Clem had perked up at the door as well, brightening further when Henry confirmed it was Candice while Jonas quietly smiled beneath his beard.
Gabe took this as a cue to pull out his phone and occupy himself so that, as Henry and Candice returned, he need do little else than way absently.
Standing, Clem hurried over to Candice with an excited giggle, first to offer a hug and then to take the dessert. “It’s great to see you again. Let me take this to the kitchen for you, so you can have a seat.” Jonas stood as well, but waited before Clem was finished and Candice was unoccupied before giving her a small wave and a broader, bushy smile.
Walking in further, Candice waved to Ethiriel as well as noticing Jonas, Clem and Gabe in the corner of her vision. “Hi, Eth! I’ll be bugging you in a little bit, I just have to set down this dessert—oh—“ Turning toward Clem as she took the dessert, the counselor nodded to both her and Jonas. “Thank you, Clem! Good seeing you.” She extended a hand out to Jonas. “And how are you, Mr. Knight?”
Ethiriel smiled as well, giving a small wave until Clem stood between them, refolding her hands into her lap.
Chuckling at the interruption, Henry sat down in the loveseat, making some room for Candice. “You didn’t have to bring anything, Sweetheart! Thank you!”
“Yes, thank you,” Ethiriel offered as well. She couldn’t really eat any of it, but she was thankful all the same.
While Clem hurried to the kitchen with the dessert and a giggle, Jonas took Candice’s hand and smile, though it was a little hard to tell with the beard save for his eyes crinkling happily. “Doing well, thank you. It’s nice to see you again.”
Staying as he was for now, Gabe remained detached and unengaged.
“I didn’t want to come empty-handed! It’s nothing big.” Candice said with a wide smile at Jonas. “It’s been too long since we’ve gotten together. I’m going to have to talk to you and Clementine about fixing that!” She then turned to Gabe, smiling wanly and waved. “It’s nice seeing you too, Gabe!”
Gabe lifted his brows at Candice’s greeting but kept his eyes on his phone. “Yeah, it’s been a while.” Jonas chuckled appreciatively in response as well.
Beaming at all of his family members (Candice included) getting along so well (save for Gabe), Henry said, “Thank you! I’m sure it’s delicious!”
“Thank you all for coming; it certainly means a lot,” Ethiriel beamed as well, her smile reaching her eyes despite the sunglasses covering them.
Teetering back in from the kitchen with a broad smile, Clem said, “SO, I was thinking – maybe today would be a good time to introduce you to some new things, Ethiriel?” She then looked to Henry curiously. “I don’t know if there’s been any time to do that, yet. Showing her specific things?” Murmuring under her breath, Clem continued, “that must be so exciting.”
Firsts; so important.
Candice’s smile fell a bit when Gabe didn’t so much as glance up from his phone, but she walked over to the loveseat to sit at one of the handles next to Henry. Grinning, she folded her hands together over her lap. “What do you have in mind, Clem?”
Only having so much time before Clem spoke, Henry wrapped his arm around Candice’s waist before perking up, himself. “Oh! Well, we haven’t had time for much thanks to the healing, actually!”
Nodding and looking over to Clem, Ethiriel said, “This is the first I’ve really been out of my room or in the light.”
Brightening more, Clem offered, “We don’t want to tire you out, obviously, so maybe just starting small…” She looked to Henry and lifted her chin. “Do you still have the photo album I gave you when you moved here?”
At this, Gabe finally looked up from his phone to stare at the back of Clem’s head.
Brightening as well, in part from noticing Gabe glancing up from his phone, Candice smiled widly. “Oh my gosh, could it be a coveted baby album?”
Immediately, Gabe’s gaze flicks to Candice at that comment.
Looking over his shoulder to Clem with a smile, he gave Candice a very quick peck on the cheek as he stood and pulled his arm from around her back and lead Clem to the bookcase to look. “Yeah, actually! Should be on the shelf!”
Watching Henry curiously, Ethiriel passed a glance to Gabe at Candice’s remind, then back to Henry with a torn smile. Admittedly, she was curious about it but the younger Knight was obviously put off by all of this and it pulled at her mood just a tad.
Following her son over to pick out the book in question, Clem’s expression was happy but somewhat mischievous as she giggled to Candice. “Not entirely…”
Gabe ran a hand down his face and cleared his throat before trying to concentrate on his phone again.
“Let me see… A, there it is. Thank you, Henry!” Clementine said, plucking out a thick book with a hard cover from the sheft; the front and back are decorated a bit floral with a simple chess knight symbol, but upon closer inspection it’s practically just a photo binder rather than a proper book. “This should have all kinds of pictures. The more specific time period ones we still keep at home.
Candice hopped off of the loveseat to follow after Clem to take a look herself, eyes bright as she peered over at the little family binder. She laughed, tickled pink. “Wow, that’s so cute! Is that a little chess piece—for the knight? That’s adorable.”
The symbolism was completely lost on Ethiriel, but she passed Gabe one last glance before hovering over to Clem, Henry and Candice to take a look, herself. The floral was nice, but she didn’t understand – she never would have made the connection without having it explained (but even the explanation was little and she merely gleamed that it was from chess).
“I always liked that! We usually put it on all of our albums,” Henry explained, moving a little so that Ethiriel could join in.
From the couch, Jonas watched over the back with a smile.
Giggling with Candice, Clem nodded. “I thought it was nice, too,” she said with a smile, beckoning to Ethiriel when she hovered closer, holding up the binder so that the Frei could see it better. “We’ll have to start another one soon, so we can put in pictures of you two.”
Pushing himself from the couch to stand, Jonas offered, “Should we sit at the table?”
“Oh! God idea. That’ll make it easier for everyone to see,” said Clem, peering over her shoulder. “Gabe, are you coming?”
Letting his arms drop, phone still in hand, Gabe shrugged. “Sure, yeah.”
“Good!”
Laughing, Candice stood near Clem to peer over at the photo album. “Aw, that’s very sweet of you, Clem. If you’re interested, I can try to dig up some of my family’s old photo albums, too. My mom really loves this stuff.”
Getting a better look at the cover once the book is lowered, Ethiriel examined it carefully – though even still she didn’t understand the connection at all. Glancing back at Gabe once he’s dragged back into conversation, she smiled a little easier once he agrees.
“I’d love to see your old photos, Candice. For now, you get to see my timeline,” Henry chuckled.
Smiling at Candice’s suggestion, Clem beamed. “Of course! Any copies you can spare.” She then chuckled at Henry’s comment, turning to Ethiriel. “I’m sorry we don’t have any photos of when you were younger, dear, but we do have ones from holidays with you at least. Henry, you should take more!” she said, patting her son’s arm playfully before leading the group to the dining table.
“I’ll ask my mom about it now!” Candice exclaimed, pulling out her cellphone briefly to send her mother a text. Raising her brows, she giggles toward Henry. “I’m going to have to take some pictures of baby you.” She then glanced over to Ethiriel. “Oh, we definitely should! Clem, I have a bunch of pictures of Eth during our hikes. Would you like those for your albums, too?”
Gabe didn’t put his phone away yet, holding onto it in case he can get away with being distracted again soon, but he took his seat at the table that didn’t put him directly next to his mom, Henry, or Candice.
Opening the book, Clem started looking through once she was seated. “Let’s see, what are the earliest ones here…?” She then perked up, moving her seat closer to the table – she was the shortest among those with legs here. “That’d be wonderful, Candice, thank you!”
Laughing, Henry responded, “You can take as many pictures of me home as you want!” He then glanced over to Clem with an excited nod. “I really should! Maybe I can invest in a better camera!”
Sitting near Gabe once he was seated, Ethiriel craned her neck to see the photos until Henry moved it closer on the table. “It’s quite alright. I am sure I have not aged much in the last three years.” She smiled, glancing down at the album again.
Clem offered, chuckling at Henry and Ethiriel, “Time changes us in other ways, too.”
Henry chuckled at an old photo of himself and Gabe playing with the water hose, staring fondly. “I remember before Gabe got sick, we used to play with water every day in the summer! It was definitely a lot of fun—“
Beside Ethiriel, with his phone in one hand against the table – currently inactive but at the ready – Gabe leaned a hand against his cheek. At Henry’s ehtusiasm, all he lets out is a tired ‘mhm,’ though he wasn’t even looking at the pictures, but an empty spot on the table.
“If it wasn’t the hose, it was the sprinkler,” Jonas said, laughing softly.
“I think there’s one of him chasing you with one of those foam dart guns; I forgot what they’re called,” said Clem as she flipped through the pages a little before finding one, pushing the book a little closer to Ethiriel for her perusal. “Most of these are from a long time ago, but in the back there’s some more recent ones. “Looking to Henry for confirmation, she said, “I think this one got filled up somewhere around 2008?”
Watching the album intention, Candice grinned. She laughed a bit, then chimed in, “Oh, nerf guns? My brothers used to play with them all the time!” she said with a smile toward Henry as Clem looked over at him, too. “Wow!” she exclaimed, facing Ethiriel as she’s handed the photo album. “We’re definitely going to have to start a photo album for you, Eth. We can decorate them together~”
Leaning in to get a better book once the book os moved toward her, Ethiriel held an automatic but amused smile. She didn’t quite understand the nerf guns until a picture was found, but she was even then still lost on what they did – until she remembered Riv saving her all those years ago and let out a subtle, unnoticeable shiver.
“That sounds about right, mom! Lemme go check if I have a recent one!” Henry said, hopping up from the table and bounced toward the bookshelf while they continued perusing.
Glancing up to Candice, her smile still in place, Ethiriel said, “That sounds wonderful. I would enjoy that, Candice.”
Clem laughed when Henry jumped up and shook her head, “Don’t worry about it, let’s concentrate on this one for now.” At the suggestion, she smiled at Candice and Ethiriel as well. “Oh, I’d love to see it.”
Both Jonas and Gabe sat quietly, father smiling and paying attention while Gabe pretended that he wasn’t there at all.
Picking up on this, Clem raised a brow slightly and peered at the next page. “Oh look, Gabe, it’s one of your birthday parties.” She said, reaching out to press a finger to it for Ethiriel’s benefit. “That was the year you got that light sword toy.”
Gabe grimaced. “Seventh.”
Giggling, Candice glanced toward Gabe discreetly. “A light sword toy?” she glanced back at Clementine. “Did you throw lots of birthday parties for your sons?”
Leaning in closer, the Frei smiled softly at how happy Gabe looked.
Laughing, Henry came back from the bookplace and unceremoniously plopped back into his chair, peering at the photo with a grin. “Yeah, every year! At least until we were teens and it became unnecessary. I always loved seeing Gabe light up!”
The younger Knight didn’t look up, at least not directly at Candice, though he did drop the arm holding his phone to his lap rather than keeping it on the table, momentarily defeated.
“One from those Space Wars movies,” Clem said, waving her hand. Dhe didn’t seem to notice Gabe running a hand down his face. She had just been about to respond for Henry piped in and she nodded. “I’d still like to, but it’s so hard to pin you boys down anymore.” Gently and playfully, she tugged on Henry’s ear as if giving discipline.
Jonas leaned over to continue the album search while Clem was busy, chancing upon a polaroid Henry took of his himself and Gabe, who is looking a bit paler and tired but managing at least a half smile, anyway. “You were always a trooper.”
Scoffing, Gabe leaned against the table without looking at the album.
“Oh, A lightsaber?” Candice asked, amused by Clem’s mixups, then leaned forward to look at the photo of the boys. “Aww, how cute!”
“Star Wars was always Gabe’s favorite! Anything I saw I’d get for him!” said Henry, leaning both elbows on the table and his chin rested against his knuckles.
“You always looked out for him…” Ethiriel hummed, eyeing the sick young child in the photo, expression sobering.
Smiling warmly, Henry said, “I’d do anything for him.”
Both Clem and Jonas beamed at their eldest child, but as soon as the talk turned to him more directly, Gabe stared incredulously at the table and, with Henry’s last jovial comment, he pushed out of his chair.
Looking concerned for a moment, Clem frowned, “Oh, don’t be such a party pooper.”
As he headed out of the kitchen and toward the bathroom, Gabe said, “That’s what I’m good at.”
Candice’s brows furrowed, and then she laughed a bit quietly and awkwardly at Henry and Clem’s comments. She watched as Gabe headed out in silence, then returns to looking at the photo album – specifically at the photo Jonas had been looking at. “Was this around when he got sick?”
Henry’s smile faded as Gabe left the room and his mother’s comment, but as soon as Candice spoke he switched gears. “Yeah, around that time. It was pretty rough.”
Keeping her eyes on the door that Gabe had exited through rather than the photo book, Ethiriel didn’t look to any of the family. Again – even when she couldn’t see, Clem always did something to cause Gabe to ollie out and it tugged at the Frei’s heart. Henry’s was in the right place, but definitely the wrong time, as she forced herself to look away from the door.
Frowning in the direction that Gabe went, looking after him just as Ethiriel did, Clem sighed a little and leaned closer to the album. “He’ll be alright. This is normal,” she assured Candice, though she glanced to the Frei, too. When Ethiriel didn’t look back, she reached over to rest a hand on Ethiriel’s arm and tried to smile reassuringly.
Jonas remained quiet, but if the younger son didn’t return he would check in on him later. For now, Gabe needed space.
With upturn brows, Candice replied, “It’s no good that it’s normal…” She quieted for a moment, but then clasped her hands together quickly, cheering up to return her attention to Ethiriel. “Anyway…! We can check up on him later… what other special things do we have planned for you today, Eth?”
“Yeah, let’s do something else—“ Henry said, placing both hands flat on the album, looking to Candice. “Yeah! What would you like to do, Ethiriel?”
Still staring away until Clem’s hand gently touched her arm, Ethiriel offered a gentle but somewhat forced smile – until everyone’s attention was on her. “Oh, well… hmm…” she hummed, looking down to the book under Henry’s hands, thinking. “M-maybe it would be nice to just chat casually. I cannot think of much else to do—“ More than anything she wanted to check on Gabe, but she knew that now wasn’t the time. They were too similar and both needed alone time whenever possible.
“It’s okay, Ethiriel! We can do that!” Henry exclaimed.
Clem and Jonas watched the exchange a bit sympathetically, but at Ethiriel’s humble request, Clem let out a surprised laugh. “Oh! I think we can do better than that,” she giggled, turning to Jonas and pat his arm, to which he scooted his chair aside so she could hop up.
Speaking quietly, Jonas said, “We got you a few things—“ but was quickly overtaken by his enthusiastic wife.
“There was this cute bohemian shop I passed a while back and it made me think of you. I’m sure there’s plenty more things you could pick out there for yourself but we got you a little goodie basket at least,” said Clem as she hurried away from the table with a quick “just a minute!” as she headed back out to the car.
Ethiriel was visibly confused at Jonas and Clem as the two of them spoke, and even more so as Clem scurried away. She watched curiously with raised brows, glancing between the doorway and everyone else in the room as if they were in on it.
It didn’t take long before Clem’s return with a small, decorative basket with samples; some potpourri, handmade soap, incense sticks, among other things. “I hope you like them! I know it’s not really related to what’s changed but we thought you deserved to treat yourself.”
“You really didn’t have too—“ Ethiriel said, still glancing to everyone for an answer.
“Oh, wow!” Candice exclaimed, “How thoughtful, you two!” She then smiled at Ethiriel. “Now you’ll be able to put some sight to the smells, huh, Eth?”
Henry chimed in, “Wow, mom! This looks great!”
Still looking concerned, Ethiriel smiled. “This is amazing… you really didn’t have to, but thank you…” she said warmly, looking to Candice with a soft smile. “I suppose so. I will make good use of these. Thank you so much.”
Clem giggled delightedly at the response, nodding in agreement with Candice; that seemed to be the idea. “Why don’t you go find a spot for it in your room for now, dear? Tell us how you like everything when you have the time.
Jonas then murmured, leaning forward against the table. “Rest your eyes a bit.”
“Oh! That’s right. You’ve been up to a lot today already, haven’t you? We’ll be here when you’re ready but you should rest a bit.” Clem laughed, glancing to Henry and Candice for approval. “Just working her to the bone, so early in her recovery.”
Smiling, Candice nodded in affirmation when Clem glanced over. “That is true. We can get set up for anything while you’re resting up, Eth. How about that?”
Another confused look washed over Ethiriel, her tired eyes still hidden by her sunglasses. Her smile sobered, still there but much more subdued, and she gave a gentle nod. “I suppose that would be a good idea,” she said, delicately lifting the basket and its goodies into her arms. “Thank you again… so much. It means a lot that you would do this for me.”
With that, the Frei excused herself with a small nod of a bow before heading off to her room. Henry was quick to pick up the pace with leading everyone back into the living room so that they could hang out and chat.
About an hour and a half later, Ethiriel emerged from her room and they continued the festivities in celebration of her new sight.
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2016 8:43 am
QUEST
To: Rhedefre
From: Ethiriel
Read for, I have some splendid news. Would you perhaps be available to stop by today?
Atma: To: Eth
From: Rhedefre
Audio recording: tap to listen
"Sure thing, Eth. Whenever would be best for you. Just let me know."
To: Rhedefre
From: Ethiriel
As soon as possible would be lovely I would like to share something with you
Cesc stood on the stoop of the Knight household with a light heart. It always pleased him to see Ethiriel, and he was generally also happy to see Henry as well. He hovered outside in the autumn air with a warm beige sweater on and a dark red scarf, his hair curled by the wind. He checked his phone to make sure he hadn't missed any calls or texts and then pressed the doorbell.
There was a brief silence after the doorbang rang, followed by the scuffle of slippered feet making their way to the door. It was unlocked, opening immediately as the movement stopped -- and there stood Henry with a large grin.
"Hello, Cesc! It's good to see you!" he said, opening the door wider and standing aside to let the Sigel in. "Ethiriel's in her room; she has something special she wants to show you."
Once led to the correct door, Henry hovered nearby for just a moment before shuffling into the living room, stupid grin still in place.
Now there was a touch of confusion touching Cesc's brow. He greeted Henry with a smile and a hello as he answered the door, but the nurse seemed beyond excited to lead him inward. Cesc half-thought of asking Henry the reason for Ethiriel's excitement and news, but quickly decided against it. A few strange thoughts filtered quickly through his head. Was it her birthday? (No.) Was it his birthday? (Obviously no.)
With no further clues, Cesc just smiled helplessly and opened the door. "Eth? May I come in?"
A gentle "yes" sounded from behind the door, just loud enough for the stag to hear.
Upon entry, Ethiriel sat upright on the side of her bed as prim and proper as ever -- however, a noticeably larger-than-usual smile rested still-ever-daintily on her face. Above her nose was a pair of lightly tinted sunglasses, effectively covering her eyes in the already rather dim light.
"It is wonderful to have you here, Rhedefre. Come, sit," said Ethiriel as she gently patted the bedding beside her.
Cesc opened the door. He looked around the room for a brief moment, a touch confused. But what has he expected? Balloons? A giant cake? He laughed at himself inwardly and took a seat beside Ethiriel on the bed. Gently, he took her hand to show her that he was near.
The appearance of the sunglasses didn't quite parse to Rhedefre. He had seen other blind people wearing sunglasses during the day; perhaps Eth had found that they improved her own comfort? Or that she made a purchase?
"Good to see you as always, Ethiriel," he said, smiling. "What can I do for you?"
As soon as Cesc had taken his place next to her, Ethiriel maneuvered in a way she wouldn't have before -- she followed him, her ribbon twisting against the bedding. She seemed eager about something, especially with that wide a grin.
"Well," she started, pausing for just a moment to stare at him from the protection of her glasses before bringing both hands up to daintily take the frames by her fingers, then pulling them off entirely.
She squinted at the difference in light, still rather sensitive to it. However, once adjusted, her darker pupils landed squarely on Cesc's face. Ethiriel's grin remained as she eagerly awaited his response, glasses held tightly between her hands.
It took a moment.
From all the things Cesc might have expected, this was not one of them. The idea that Ethiriel would pull off her sunglasses and reveal to him spring-sapling green eyes, eyes that squinted and focused and followed him--
"--Eth?!" Cesc started, leaning forward. His lips parted, drawing slowly into an incredulous smile. In his chest, his heart began to beat quickly, like it was running toward her. How could it be possible? "Wait, Eth--?"
His hand on hers tightened, and he paused, speechless.
Ethiriel let out a relieved laugh, though under her breath. Her own smile met her eyes as she felt the sting of tears come forth, though she held them back just fine. Her hand changed to tangle in his once his grip changed.
"The doctors were able to help. I can see."
The incredulous smile on Cesc's face burst, and he laughed, letting go of her hand and gently touching the sides of her face with both of his hands. His eyes welled, and his face lit with joy.
"Ethiriel!" Cesc exclaimed, his happiness ringing in his voice. "You can see me? Right now-- right now, you can see me?"
Her smile faltered for just a brief moment as their hands separated but returned immediately as he held her head instead.
In the other room, Henry let out a small giggle of his own.
"Yes," she confirmed, bringing her hands up to mirror Cesc's on his face. "I can see you, Rhede..."
"That's amazing!" Cesc breathed. He sat back, his hands falling back down to the bed, his head slowly shaking. He lifted his hand to his mouth then dropped it again, and was only torn from his reverie as Henry laughed and Etheriel touched him.
"Well, there you have it," he said with a smile. "Now you know what I look like."
That did give him a strange niggling feeling of self-consciousness, now that he realized it. He'd never really been present and so wholly aware of the first time someone had studied him, saw him, before. So she knew now that he was pink, that his face was stubbled from having skipped shaving this morning, how his antlers stretched from his skull and his ears poked from his hair, how his shoulders fit in his shirt and how his knuckles were dry in the cold. She knew the angle of his nose and the tilt of his smile, the gold of his eyes and the line of his jaw to his neck. She saw him now, all of him, imperfections and all.
All of these things and more... to an extent. Colors were largely muted for her, nothing was particularly sharp, but she didn't know these things. All she knew was that Cesc was here and she could finally see him after wanting to for so long. She couldn't exactly compare him to anyone, having only seen Henry, her doctor and briefly, Gabe -- but she couldn't help but stare in awe. She didn't know visual social cues, her gaze falling anywhere on his face and body as she did everything she could do to soak him in.
With brief hesitation, Ethiriel lifted her hands to meet Cesc's cheeks, hovering for just a moment, silently asking for permission, before making contact. She didn't mind his stubble; she never did. Even from their first meeting.
"How do you like it? The world, I mean," Cesc said quietly, not moving as she touched him. His happiness hummed from him, his aura of calmness spreading from him widely, like warmth. He could not help himself, could not tame it. He was overjoyed for her.
While her eyes had moved from feature to feature, her hands idly searching like she would have when she couldn't see, they met Cesc's at his question and she stared in awe for just a moment before responding.
"It's very bright. Henry explained to me that what I must have been seeing all this time was darkness," she said, eyes softening after a small silence and bit of lingering stares. "It is certainly different, but I will grow accustomed."
"Mapping me out?" Cesc laughed as Eth's fingers traveled around his face, his expression pleased. "I'm sure it is, though. You should keep those glasses on until you get acclimated to the light. Don't try to do too much too fast."
"Is there anything you want to do? See?" He asked, unsure of what to even offer.
Smile softening at Cesc's words, she gives a small, silent nod before cupping his cheeks between her hands. Keeping them there, Ethiriel let out a contented sigh. "I suppose I am... Forgive me, it is habit."
She thought about the possibilities -- in fact, there was so much she couldn't even wrap her mind around how much her new vision had in store.
Smile meeting her eyes once more, she said, "For now, I am quite content here with you."
"No, go right ahead," laughed Cesc. "I'm sure it's interesting to know what your hand saw and what your eyes see. I hope you're not too disappointed."
His voice was teasing, good-natured as he spoke. He could only imagine that she was content here now--he would want to suggest they leave, that she see whatever she could, explore the sighted world in the sense she did not have access to until now. But Ethiriel's gentle disposition was not adventuring, and he did not wonder it was not so now. Let her rejoice in the sight of her home, her dog, her family and her friends. Those were best work seeing, anyhow.
"With you, I am never disappointed," Ethiriel said, attempting to meet Cesc's teasing with her own. Pulling one hand away, she brought the other to meet the middle of his forehead, dragging solftly down the line of his nose and onto his lips. She stared there for a moment, eyes resting on said lips for a brief second too long before snapping back into reality and moving her hand again. Letting out a silent chuckle, she retracted her hands just enough so she could meet one of his.
"On second thought, perhaps a walk would be nice."
Cesc was cheerily oblivious as Ethiriel touched him, rejoicing in her newfound sense and in his excitement for her. Then, as her fingers traced over his lips--that had never happened, she had never done THAT before, not like this, not with this gentleness, this lingering touch. There was something in that touch that felt like a caress. In the gaze of her eyes that seemed tender. In his chest, Cesc's heart skipped a beat, tightened. His eyes, squinted from smiling, rounded. His smile relaxed, his lips parted with surprise.
Then she drew away, and he tried to feel comfortable again. Her hand pulling to her side felt as though she'd taken all his breath with the motion. He dropped his eyes and straightened and tried on his smile again, but it felt strange on his face for a moment.
It wasn't...
She wasn't...
He'd misunderstood. She was mapping him, seeing if her eyes and hands had come to the same conclusions, probably realized belatedly how that sort of intimate touch might be construed. Gentle Eth! Sweet, composed, reserved, gentle Ethiriel... she could not have harbored, all this time...
It didn't feel right. They didn't feel like they were on the same playing field. A flash crossed Cesc's mind--a memory of her at Zul's side, looking pleased, at the harvest party so many months ago. But that wasn't right: Zul was with Melisande, with Rivener. Why had that thought entered his mind?
At any rate, it was impossible, and he was being an idiot to let his mind dwell on a simple touch.
"A walk would be great!" he exclaimed, cheerful. He rose, wetting his lips. "Shall we bring your dog?"
Cesc's worries were far from fabricated; while the initial intimacy of the touch was unexpected, even for Ethiriel, they were painfully true. He was close to her, so close, much like Cruz... but this was different for the Frei. She had felt a spark like this before, once with Zul, but Cesc... she felt so strongly for, and she didn't know how to bring it to light -- and besides, he never seemed that interested in her, not in that way, so she felt the need to let it slide as he seemed to so easily.
"Nedhudir would love to come. We have not had an outing in some time; the air will be wonderful for him!" the Frei said as she glanced down toward her bed, partially to look away from his wonderful radience as well as to grab her glasses. It was still early on and the sun was out, at least partially, and she knew she would need them.
Henry was given a quick rundown of what they were to do, and he didn't give any fight as he knew Rhedefre would be there to guide and protect the sensitive Raevan in case the sun was too much. And, with that, they were off to the park.
On their way, Ethiriel "habitually" kept her arm locked around Cesc's while the other clung lightly to Nedhudir's leash, its loop hung around her wrist.
"I never knew how beautiful the Fall colors would be from words alone; it is spectacular."
"I'm glad you think so," said Cesc as they continued on their way to the park, escorting Ethiriel as he had always been wont to do. Now, he was very aware of her hand on his arm, the pressure of it, the feel of their closeness. The colors of the day were indeed spectacular, reds and oranges and golds and browns mingling with the remaining green. The dog's paws rustled the piles of leaves below them.
But Cesc was more in tune with Ethiriel's motion, anxious of the expression on her face and the soft scent of tea on her hair. The thought that she might prefer him did not leave him, not yet. It felt… alien, reshaped his perspective.
"He's such a beautiful dog," Cesc said absently, looking down at him. He looked back to at Ethiriel as they reached a clearing in the park--beyond them was a rolling hill used for sledding in the winter, and close by was a bench they often frequented to rest. "It must be great to see him, ah? Off duty, so to speak."
To ease Cesc's worries, Ethiriel held such a content, happy appearance -- something that used to be foreign on her elegant form, but it seemed natural all the time.
She, herself, was very aware of Cesc as he was of her. She wanted to slide her hand down his arm and clasp it with his, but her assumption of his feelings kept her from moving forward, from being daring. Instead, her hand lightly clenched at the fabric of Cesc's sleeves.
A soft hum escaped her lips as she aimed her glance toward the collie at her other side, and her hand instead unclamped and smoothed her Raevan companion's sleeve. "I never would have imagined such a beautiful creature. I don't know how I have been so blessed with such attractive friends and "family..."
Cesc laughed--Ethiriel's mild sweetness, her excellent temper soon set anyone at ease. From their first meeting, Cesc had known this of her, and while many other things in her bearing and carry had changed since then--her confidence grown, her contentment increased--that had not.
"He's a great dog--and you deserve a great dog, great friends, and great family. I'm glad you have them and hope you'll have more," said the stag. He paused at the clearing, filling his lungs with the clean, crisp air. "It seems a shame to just sit, ah?"
He knelt, picking up a pinecone and tossing it lightly in one hand. He smiled at Ethiriel, holding it out to her. "Game of fetch?"
Smiling, Ethiriel dared to slide her hand down to his wrist but stopped there, hesitant, before pulling her arm away entirely and mimicking Cesc's breath. "I thank you. I truly have been blessed."
The Frei had been looking away, momentarily lost in thought; he was more than she expected, and while she couldn't name his colors they were, indeed, pleasing to the eye. His stubble, antlers, everything -- she wanted to take him all in again as she passed a glance just in time for him to kneel. Ethiriel watched with curiosity at the pinecone in his hand, and finally she turned her attention back to Nedhudir.
Another smile replaced her thin line of thought, and she looked back up toward her friend. "I am sure he would love that."
Cesc's smile turned familiar, teasing. He lifted his arm to throw the pinecone, watching as the pup's ears cocked up, at attention--and then thought better of it. He turned toward Ethiriel and offered her the pinecone instead.
"Actually, let's see you throw it," he suggested, grinning.
The silver Frei raised an eyebrow and watched as Cesc began to rear back, pulling back herself just a little even though she was in no danger of getting hit -- but then, he reared back and offered the cone to her, instead. She stared for a moment, first at the pinecone and then to Cesc, himself, before attempting to mirror his grin.
"I see. I shall try," she said, delicately taking it in her comparably smaller hands. However, she took a moment to remove the leash holding the collie back so that she wasn't dragged along as he ran.
Glancing at the cone again, she took reference in the way Cesc was about to throw and reared back similarly. Her throw was less than graceful, and definitely nowhere near as far as the stag could have thrown it, but she put her all in that toss.
Nedhudir immediately made chase once he was sure that this was "off duty" time like Henry sometimes gave him in the back yard.
Ethiriel's eyes sparkled as she watched the dog run so fluidly and his speed was a surprise -- he was normally so slow with her, generally a walking pace, and his fur blew back as he bolted. It nearly brought tears to the Frei's eyes.
Cesc let out a little laugh at her graceless throw--why would she know how to throw well?--but the sound was fond and pleased. He watched the dog bolt after the pine cone and then slid his eyes to Ethiriel, his mouth open to speak, until he saw her expression.
Of course this would be moving for her. It was all a new experience, to be sighted, to see what she had only imagined before--the sight of a dog running in autumn, the pleasure in his face, the movement of the leaves in his rushing wake, it was all new for her, all thrilling. He shut his mouth and let her enjoy it, up until the dog brought back the pinecone, eyes bright with pride.
"You want me to teach you? How to throw, I mean." Cesc asked, his head inclined, his eyes bright.
Thankfully for her, Eth merely welled in the eyes and they did not pool over, but her brows remained knit and a small smile graced her face.
She turned to Cesc, expression a bit more pleased after a moment of silent staring, studying, appreciating, she nodded. "I would love to learn if this is to be a regular event."
"Alright," laughed Cesc. He clapped his hands and wiped them off, then leaned down, rummaging in the leaves to find another pinecone. He smiled up at Ethiriel as he did so. "This is going to be ridiculous, but you'll be surprised how far you can throw after. I'm sure Ned'll be happy about it."
He stood then, rolling his shoulders. There was a feeling of anticipation in his hands-- he usually felt this way before playing baseball, which he told himself sternly that this was NOT. Basic throwing mechanics were easy, though.
"Alright. It's gonna feel a little funny at first--but hold be ball, or pinecone, whatever, like this. See my fingers? It's an easier way to throw when you've got a grip like this-- and then just stand up straight and square your shoulders," he said, suiting action to word, broadening his shoulders. He stretched out his arms and lifted them to a T position, elbows as high as his shoulders. "Then you put your arms up like this, see? Your hand will be turned away from where you're aiming, to start."
Then, in slow motion, he pivoted his body, turning his torso and his arm forward in a clean throwing motion. "Then you'll twist this way, see?" He grinned over at her as he moved. "Just like this. When you put it together, this is how it'll look."
He set up again and this time, he moved quickly, taking the pinecone and hurling it cleanly, the ball soaring through the air.
With his demonstration, Ethiriel kep her eyes on every little movement that Cesc made, only tearing her gaze away to look at her arm or hand and make sure she was doing it right. Even with his slow-motion attempt, her eyes were glued on him. Each time their eyes would meet, she would smile a little sweeter.
Nedhudir sat patiently as Cesc demonstrated despite his urge to take the pinecone from his hand. Once Cesc launched the makeshift ball, the collie rocketed forward and after it as it hardly bounced off of the ground.
Ethiriel attempted to make the same movements, though she didn't let go of the pinecone just yet, making sure she was doing the right thing. She wasn't used to physical activity and it was certainly new to her body, but it was oddly enjoyable.
There was little Cesc liked better than baseball--his constant hobby since early Frei-hood, no matter what else he picked up and dabbled in, he always returned to it. The sport was fun, it was challenging, and it helped him through periods of difficulty, depression, aggression, and even times of deep and tangled thought. It struck Cesc suddenly that although he had participated in the hobbies of others: his work at the bakery, training with Iorek, surfing with Shepard, he rarely introduced anyone to his own favorite sport.
"That's good! That's good!" Cesc said, smiling brightly at Ethiriel. He approached her, ripping up her elbow slightly to align with her shoulder. "Just like this. Don't be afraid to give it a shot! I'm sure he can bring two pinecones back.”
Ethiriel had never participated in anything that wasn't tame or relatively mundane; her handicap keeping her from doing much else. This was nice, beyond nice, and she got to spend this time with Cesc on top of it.
To be honest, she couldn't remember a time where she was happier.
She gave a muted chuckle, but as the stag spoke, Nedhudir was back at their side, wagging his tail happily for the pinecone to be taken again. She tried to take away the first cone and he obliged happily.
Taking a second to regain her posture, she mimicked Cesc again in her attempts to throw and indeed, she had thrown farther much to Nedhudir's enjoyment.
This was met with a heartier laugh, abnormally loud for the Frei, but she deeply enjoyed this. She never thought of Nedhudir as a pet but a companion, someone to help her, and here she was -- having a great time and finally feeling the need to let loose.
It was different and she loved it.
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Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2016 8:06 am
QUEST
Anya paused at Eth's bedroom door before knocking, looking back over her shoulder to where the two male voices were spilling out from the other room. She had been told that the Silver Frei had her operation and was now at the point in her recovery where she could have company. Anastacia had been quick to ask about visiting and so as soon as Zeke got the okay from Henry she and her Guardian had shipped themselves off for an afternoon.
Zeke would come by and say hello in due time. Anya, he had chipperly stated, should have the majority of the visit with Ethiriel herself. She was not at all opposed to this idea. She turned away from the sound of catching up between Guardians and put her hand to the door, knocking softly twice.
"Ethiriel? It's Anastacia." She had been told to go right in and that the Tea Raevan was expecting her. It was still proper to announce oneself before doing so, however. She took the latch in hand and turned it, letting the door creak open. "I'm coming in."
"Do come in," Ethiriel said lightly from the other side of the door.
Henry had been quite ecstatic about this, always eager for Ethiriel to be with friends whenever possibly. The silver Frei had only good things to say about Anya when she was brought up in conversation, so that doubled the nurse's excitement.
Upon entering the room, for normal eyes it was quite dark with the lights off and the blinds shut, but for Ethiriel it was still enough to make her eyes sting and drop in and out of focus.
Anya was surprised by the darkness of the room at first but she found that her eyes adjusted to it after she shut the door and waiting a few moments. She could see Ethiriel in her bed and so the spider floated toward her, but in doing so kept one hand resting on the bag she had dangling from her left shoulder. If Zeke and Henry were to be believed, Ethiriel could actually see now. If that was true then Anya didn't want the girl peeking, now did she?
"How are you feeling?" The question came out mildly spoken but with twinges of concern to it all the same. Although she had been led to believe corrective surgery on one's eyes wasn't a daunting affair, there was still something that lingered that made Anastacia rather...uncertain. She made it to the other Frei's bedside and stopped there, looking down at the other Frei with only the barest of frowns. Even in the dark of the room it was clear Ethiriel wasn't bandaged up but Anya couldn't tell if there was any difference to her eyes either.
"You certainly look well, if anything."
If Ethiriel had legs, she would have been sitting at the edge of her bed; instead, her ribbon hit the bed ad fell downward, its curl softened.
I am quite well," Ethiriel said as she finally moved her eyes. She couldn't tell if Anya's frown was good or bad, and the manners of eye contact were lost on her, but the Frei continued to stare directly in Anistacia's face.
"Forgive me; I may not have a stool to step from, but I can finally say that you are lovely."
From the moment Ethiriel looked at her, Anastacia knew there was indeed a change. Before when Ethiriel 'looked' at her, it felt as if the Frei was looking through her or even just a little to one side. Now the look was encompassing - not through, not to a side, but full on her. It was a little unnerving at first and made the Widow shift just a touch with her wings and crown both flicking open to display the shock that her face rather lacked.
Or had lacked. Once Ethiriel complimented Anastacia, the Virus Raevan's frown vanished into an open gape and her brows lofted as far as they could go beneath her four unblinking eyes.
"You can see me?" It came out as a question but perhaps it was meant to be a statement with how quickly she caught herself at the tail end of the words. "Of course you can. Zeke said your surgery went well and that means it cleared your cataracts."
The Frei couldn't help but smile at Anya's small, escaped reaction from her crown and wings, followed shortly by the widow's gape. Even with maintaining eye contact, there was a brief moment where Ethiriel's eyes went out of focus, so she blinked them gently.
"Yes, the surgery was successful. I can see you, now."
She saw Anastacia's reaction. Smiled at it, even. When they had reunited Anastacia had felt that the decision to get one's eyes repaired was the right one and one that she would take if she had the option. She hadn't counted on how others would react to the end result of such a thing, herself included. Suddenly she felt a little out of place, like her limbs were all askew when they were merely hanging by her sides or that her outfit was not on her body anymore when that was clearly not the case. It felt odd to float, even, and so she chose to take a seat on the bed, watching to see if Ethiriel's eyes followed her as she did so.
"Thank you. For the compliment, I mean."
She had heard much the same so many times before from so many others, but it was different coming from Ethiriel. She supposed she should be pleased - and in some part she was - but to be vain at this moment would be out of sorts.
"I can tell." Still there was awe. "How do you like it? Is it strange? It must be, I'm sure."
Ethiriel gave the spider queen a light nod in response. "Unfortunately, save for Sir Cruz, Henry and his kin, I have not seen any others and cannot compare. However, in my eyes, you are beautiful."
The Frei had already become acquainted with Anastacia's vain personality and never was bothered by it, but it was interesting being able to see her body image -- though they were completely opposite of Anya normally. Ethiriel had no idea and thought that this was the view of confidence.
"It is... interesting. Painful. But I hear I shall get used to it in time."
"Thank you."
Anastacia dipped her head at the earnest remark, listening to what the younger femme had to say regarding her questions. The mention of pain made her frown again, but she was quick to speak a few words on that matter.
"Zeke said the pain is only a part of the healing process and that once your eyes are fully healed, you'll be fine." He had also explained why her room would be dark and explicitly stated to shut the door as soon as possible behind her when she entered. Ethiriel would get to see the sun soon enough, but until her eyes recovered she would have to be sheltered from it. Anya could understand that.
"Did Henry tell you how long it would take?"
"No," Ethiriel said, her hands fidgeting to touch now that she could see, but she remembere Zeke's fair warnings when they first met. "It was said it would only be hours, but I feel as if the answer to my sensitivity is based on my prior vision. Everything was dark for so long."
"Mm..." Zeke had said as much. "Perhaps, but Zeke was speaking on human terms."
Raevans were different after all. Things that worked for humans in a short period of time perhaps worked longer for Anya, Ethiriel, and their kind. The reverse was probably also true.
"At any rate, you'll be recovered and out of the dark soon enough. I saw the sun room when I first came in. It's looking nice." Ethiriel had talked so happily about it before. To see the room for herself when it was complete was sure to add to her delight. "And once you're free, we can do all those things we planned too."
"We are far different creatures from humans. Sometimes I find it strange, but it is how life is."
Ethiriel giggled lightly, covering her mouth out of polite habit. "Ah, yes. I would love to see my flowers blooming for the first time. Hopefully soon I can. If it weren't for the pain, I would love to show you now. And yes... yes, I would love for our plans to unfold."
Anastacia relaxed a little more than she had been since sitting when Ethiriel giggled.
"One day they will, I'm certain of it. You don't want to rush yourself before you're ready." The mention of the Tea Frei's garden, however, reminded Anya of what she had brought. She turned away to slip her bag from her shoulder and rifle through it. "You mentioned flowers and that reminded me. I have something for you."
She found what she sought and plucked it from the bag, turning back with an amigurumi flower pot cupped in her hands. From the pot - and appropriately colored yarn dirt - "grew" a single flower, white in color simply for the lack of anything silvery on hand at the time. Two leaves sprouted off the stem, with lighter green veins stitched into them for the appropriate accuracy.
"It's not real, of course, but for the time being I figured this would suffice..." Even in the dark and with limited vision Anastacia could tell that the yarn bloom would be suitable for decoration if anything at all.
Watching, Ethiriel kept her eyes on Anastacia's hands the entire time she dug through her satchel. It was with great interest that her eyes widened upon seeing the stitched flower. She hesitated to reach out and grab it as she looked to Anya's eyes before doing so. She turned it in her hands to see every angle.
"This is the first flower I have ever seen..." Ethiriel cooed, completely enamored. "Anastacia... thank you, so much..."
A well of pride bubbled in her chest just watching Ethiriel turn over the present to view it from every angle. It damn near burst when the other Frei spoke so happily regarding it.
"It would have been silver, but I ran out at the time. White was the closest second I had." Gray was the other alternative, but who had ever heard of, seen, or wanted a gray flower? "It's held up with wire so you can bend the stem any way you like."
Although Anya hadn't tested it out on the finished product herself for fear of ruining it before it was given away, the wire she had used was very good for it. Now that it was hers Ethiriel could pose and do with it as she wished.
"You're welcome, Ethiriel. Congratulations on your successful surgery."
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Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2016 7:26 am
QUEST
About a week in advance, Henry had begun switching topics in his texts with a certain Aaron Holmes, filling he and the Mrs. Claire in with every detail leading up to Ethiriel's surgery. Most of the Frei's visits were on a dime and unscheduled save for a brief and quick, same-day phone call, but with the way that Claire and Ethiriel had hit it off (as well as Henry and Aaron), Henry made sure that they knew in advance. They were to-be lab parents, and he already felt rather close to them.
Claire had been the one to suggest a stop at the nursery; there had been a bit of a pause there while she perused the aisles, trying to find something bright and cheery to urge Ethiriel on in her continued recovery. It did not take her long to settle on the same flower that had stopped them the last time they had been in. She clutched the Boogie Woogie dahlia in its peach and green-glazed planter in her lap while Aaron drove, the two all eyes to find the right house.
It was good that they had left early, as they had some trouble navigating towards Henry's house, a place they had yet to visit despite the growing closeness between the two households. Aaron pulled up to the curb, shutting off the engine, and jogged lightly around the other side to let his wife out as she juggled both plant, a gift of tea packets, and her purse. He took the planter from her, a gesture she replied to with a small smile and a "thanks," and together they ascended the steps.
"Ready?" Aaron asked. Claire nodded, and he knocked.
The pause after their knocking was short lived as Henry seemed to practically be waiting at the door. Swinging the door wide open, the nurse beamed at them both.
"Good to see you!" he exclaimed, offering single armed hugs as they each had their own hands quite busy. "Oh, how lovely! She'll definitely love those!"
Henry was quick to lead them into the house, ushering them to the door on the left -- the livingroom. Ethiriel was sitting on the couch opposite of the entrance and had a great view of the Holmes' as they walked in.
"Oh! You shouldn't have!" Ethiriel said, brows knit and a gentle smile as she placed her hand over her heart. It wasn't until she picked up on their scent that her smile grew in recognition.
"Hey man, thanks for calling us!" Aaron returned the one-armed hug as enthusiastically as he could given the planter in his arms, and Claire beamed at his side. The two followed him in and both stopped on the threshold of the living room when they finally spotted Ethiriel. How her features brightened when she noticed them and their small gifts, but when her smile grew, so did Claire's.
"It was our pleasure, Ethiriel." She entered the room in earnest and offered the tea sampler. "Thought you might enjoy this, I've included a few of my favorites."
"And this little guy," Aaron added, holding up the planter with a grin. "Maybe there's a place for him in your sunroom." He joined Claire and both took a seat next to the tea Raevan.
Ethiriel was all smiles as they entered, easily meeting her eyes as she watched them cross the room. "Thank you so much, Claire, Aaron. It means quite a bit."
"They were excited when they heard the news, so of course I was to invite them to see you once you were better!" Henry exclaimed.
"Light is still sensitive," Ethiriel started, turning to Claire in particular, "but it is far more tolerable than when I first left the hospital."
Claire frowned sympathetically. "I can imagine." Her hand reached over to Ethiriel's and patted it once, softly. "All things in time, though."
"Yeah Eth, you'll settle in soon enough. I'm willing to bet you've made some good strides already." Aaron nodded as he set the planter gently on the table in front of him, careful to avoid scratching it. "Sounds it by the way Henry was talking about you." He nodded at the nurse and grinned.
The Frei's smile warmed with each word said. She nodded. "Only with Henry's help, of course," Ethiriel replied, glancing over at the nurse with a smile.
"I can only do so much, Eth. You're getting better on your own!" Henry said.
"It's true, though," Aaron agreed. "I'm sure it's been a wild ride so far."
"Undoubtedly." Claire nodded and turned her attention back to Ethiriel. "Now then.. it's not too sunny out. Shall we take Boogie Woogie to his new home?" She reached over for the planter, holding it between slender fingers with a smile. "I must admit I'm really eager to see your sunroom."
Letting out a hum of appreciation, Ethiriel's attention returned to Claire. For her healing she had stayed clear of the sunroom, and until then it was mostly in the back of her mind. "Oh," she said, hoving slightly higher above the couch. "Yes, I would love to show you!" Picking up a pair of sunglasses from the table, Ethiriel nodded toward the kitchen.
Henry was last to leave the room, following close behind as they passed through the rooms and into the back door.
The nurse had tended to most of the plants in Ethiriel's absense, all well kept and trimmed by the man in question as the Frei never could trim them on her own. Everything looked nice and tidy -- as if they were expected to visit.
Ethiriel stared for a moment with a wide grin before ushering Claire and Aaron into the warm sunroom.
Claire took a deep breath as she entered the sunroom; the air was thick and warm in here, moist, and smelled of earth and flowers. Her fingers flexed on the flower pot when she took in the scope of the room - Henry certainly had done some good work here. "This is beautiful," she sighed, her eyes finding the familiar blooms from their excursion a few months prior, now flourishing well in their new home. "And look, I've found your friends." She smiled down at the Boogie Woogie and made her way over. She glanced to and fro at the different strains of lilies Ethiriel had told her about on her way.
"Dang," Aaron commented with a whistle. "This looks pretty nice." Their property did not accommodate for a sunroom, but seeing what had gone into this place was certainly turning some gears in his head.
"Mordekai and I built the sunroom quite a while ago and Ethiriel has been enjoying it ever since!" Henry said, practically sing-song as he stepped up behind them. "I'm glad to keep it tended but I'm sure Ethiriel would like to do the honors now!"
With a light chuckle, the Frei nodded her head. "It's a hobby I very much look forward to."
"Well we can both work on our gardening together, yeah?" Claire beamed from her position in front of the dahlias. "I've still got quite a bit of work to do in my garden once things warm up again."
"And I think things are gonna look better in here once you really get rolling, Eth," Aaron added, nodding approvingly. "But for now, you've got a good start." Claire hummed from her vantage point and then nodded Eth over, holding up the Boogie Woogie.
"Should I put him inbetween these lovely ladies here?"
"I would love to help," said Ethiriel, hovering closer to Claire. Placing a hand gently on the woman's shoulder, she smiled. Once Aaron spoke her smile grew and she nodded. "With your encouragement, I cannot see how we wouldn't make it better."
Looking back to Claire, Ethiriel passed a single glance around the room before nodding. "I believe they would look perfect," she confirmed, softly reaching for one of the buds as the pot was sat down. "Perhaps we should get a matching set for your garden, too?"
"That would be wonderful." Claire set it snugly in place, fluffing up the blossoms as soon as Eth was finished doing the same. "I'm sure you'll be just as beautiful as your sisters here," she whispered to the Boogie Woogie with a fond smile. Aaron, meanwhile, was still taking in the room a few steps from them, pacing around, admiring the work both Henry and Mordekai had put into the construction. He lingered over a bundle of amaryllis that smelled very fragrant, and he found himself picturing Ivy's garden.
"Yo, Claire, doesn't Ivy have some of these in her garden?" He pointed to the plants below him and Claire straightened, craning her neck to see.
"Oh! Amaryllis. Yes she does." A lightbulb seemed to click in the blonde's head at the thought, and she turned excitedly to Ethiriel. "You must come over sometime, I'll take you to Ma's place. She's always ready to pass on gardening advice." Which was quite a compliment, as Ivy's garden had won a few housing association awards - a fact she took much pride in.
"Picture perfect," Ethiriel nodded, keeping her palm flat against Claire's back. The Frei admired her new flowers as well as soaking in her old ones, the ones she had spent so long with without knowing how beautiful they were from smell alone.
This was nice.
There was a pause in Ethiriel as Claire and Aaron spoke and she glanced over to the flowers in question -- just as lovely as the rest. "Oh?" she piped, turning back to Claire with a raised brow. "I believe I would love that very much."
Henry, still near Aaron, crossed his arms with a lopsided grin plastered on his face. "Yeah, that sounds like a nice trip! I'd love to tag along if you'd have me!"
"Seems Ivy's going to have a lot of new gardening friends," Aaron commented with a laugh, one eyebrow quirking up at Henry when the man spoke. "She'd love it, honestly, probably make it into a huge garden party."
"Ma is rather partial to those," Claire giggled, fluffing the dahlias one last time and standing back to admire them. The Boogie Woogie looked right at home between its much more understated sisters, adding a nice splash of color. She breathed out a soft sigh in content. "Maybe in the springtime we can get something going. Just let us know when is best for you two. I know you have a work schedule to accommodate for." The last part she directed towards Henry with a smile.
“Sounds like a plan then!" Henry exclaimed, placing his hands triumphantly on his hips. "As for scheduling, it's really a day by day basis aside from the weekly -- never know when you'll get a call as a nurse."
Ethiriel, much like Claire, hung back and admired the new addition to her little sunroom with a smile. "Thank you again, Claire. I would love to see yours and your mother's gardens whenever possible."
"Very true." Claire nodded. "Once the weather turns, we'll just have to start making some plans, then!"
"Doesn't mean we still can't hang out in the meantime though," Aaron added enthusiastically, clapping a hand on Henry's shoulder. "Don't wait forever to text me, bro. We should all totally do something for New Years if we can."
Claire hummed happily as she watched Aaron and Henry chat, and then returned her gaze to Ethiriel; she took a moment to rest her hand on the Frei's forearm with a gentle smile. "You're very welcome. You're always welcome at our house, and I know my mother would say the same. She's been dying to meet some more Lab folks as it is and you struck a very nice impression at the tea party." She followed this statement with a soft pat.
Henry chuckled and leaned into Aaron's hold, playfully resting his head on the man's shoulders. "I'm so down for that, you have no idea!" he cheered, gently nudging Aaron's rib. "You don't have to wait for me, either!"
"I am relieved to hear that," Ethiriel responded, offering Claire a warm smile. "I've been wondering if I've been too... well, I'm not sure how to put it in words. uninteresting, I suppose? Boring?"
Despite her words, her expression remained pleased.
"Noted." Aaron snorted, his own arms crossing over his chest. "Let's get something down for New Years coming up then, once I figure out what the hell my work is doing around then."
Claire, for her part, frowned only just a touch at Ethiriel's words, but the smile was quick to return as she shook her head. "'Boring' and 'docile' are two very different words, and I feel you fit the second option more." Her smile was nothing short of genuine. "Some of us just take a little longer to get to know others is all, myself included. And my mother knows that very well. And you've got a nice set of friends, if the company you were keeping at the tea party was any indication."
"Good," Henry affirmed, allowing his head to loll against Aaron's shoulder. "I'll definitely see if I can put in a request at work. Maybe they'll be nice to me this time~"
Claire's words softened Ethiriel's expression and she nodded. "Thank you, that is something I needed to hear.
"And my friends would be proud to hear that," she continued, gently patting Claire's hand. "I do try to keep good company if I can help it."
"I'm glad," Claire replied. "I've met Rhedefre on one occasion other than then, but I was glad to see how well acquainted you two are." She remembered how Eth and Cesc had joined them all, cutting such a fine image together, and she laughed softly at the memory of the stag Raevan cheering the crying Aina up so quickly just before that. "Good company is very important."
"You can say that again," Aaron added with a grin, flopping his head against Henry's. "We're trying to work out some New Years Eve plans over here, y'all down with that if we can do it?"
"Sounds wonderful," Claire agreed with a laugh.
Even the mention of Cesc was enough to shower Ethiriel with thoughts over the stag, and it clearly showed on the accidentally dreamy expression on her face. She was quick to sober, however, and she offered a nod. "He is one of my closest friends. I do so enjoy his company."
As Aaron spoke, Ethiriel turned to look. She wasn't exactly used to being able to pass glances now, and it was hard for her to keep her eyes on one thing. "That sounds wonderful."
"Then that settles it!" Henry cheered, pulling away from his friend to stand straight. "We just need to figure out the game plan!"
Ethiriel nodded cheerfully, then glanced back to Claire. "They sure are a handful," she joked, softly touching the woman's arm.
Claire's fond smile at Ethiriel's dreamy expression dissolved into a giggle when the tea Frei joked about their two goofball companions. "They are impossible, aren't they?" she replied with another soft laugh. Aaron jutted his chin out in a mock pout, hands on his hips.
"Hurtful, slanderous lies," he sniffed dramatically. "We are an absolute -delight-." The sunroom rang with the sound of cheerful laughter from both husband and wife. She could not argue with the truth.
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Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2016 8:20 am
QUEST
How many days had it been? Just a week? Maybe two? Ethiriel couldn’t quite piece it together – she had slept most of the time since coming home from surgery, resting her eyes, so it all slurred together in her mind. It was still bright, even with the blinds closed and the lights off. She didn’t dare rub her eyes to remove the sleepy-blur from her eyes, afraid of damaging them one way or another.
Henry had suggested a visit now that the Frei was awake, and one of the first people she immediately thought of was Cruz; the raevan she considered her best friend. Though others were able to visit before him – it had been a long time since they last spoke, in fact -- Ethiriel was more than excited to finally see him.
Ethiriel didn’t leave the room, already uncomfortable with the dim light seeping through the window to brighten her room just a bit and she wasn’t ready to deal with open windows and burning lights. She hoped that she would become accustomed to this soon as even the dimmest of lights burned her sensitive eyes. Was it like this for everybody? Probably not, otherwise Henry would have walked around with sunshades even in the house. There was improvement from when this all started, of course, just not enough for her liking. If only she could get used to it faster – but that was her only complaint.
==
Time felt strangely fleeting to Cruz after the events of Summer. It still felt like it should be August but the leaves were changed, his birthday and even Halloween had flown by, and a Thanksgiving celebration at Duncan's was looming on the horizon as seemed to have become a tradition. The air was cold again and his tan long faded. Beneath his coat and scarves, it was almost impossible to tell there was added length to his body; the only clue was that his ribbon twisted lower than it once did.
When the call was received, the croc expected a certain silvery voice on the line but Henry was a pleasant surprise, as well. With how truncated this year felt, how obsessed and entrenched he had gotten with his goals, Cruz scarcely realized how long it had been since he spoke to Ethiriel, let alone visited. He agreed to the invitation eagerly but the guilt still nagged at him for it. Tunnel vision encompassed him for months and now he was coming to realize just how much he missed – just how much had changed for her and he hadn't heard a word. It was hard for him to remember now, in his single mindedness, if he ignored her without meaning to.
He chose to make the trip today alone; Anita and Minerva were both at work but would be returning shortly so Tango wouldn't be without company for too long and the hound seemed intent to keep lazing the day away. Cruz could hardly blame him, it was overcast and a bit gloomy which Cruz found difficult not to feel sluggish under. He approached the Knight house that afternoon, suddenly feeling timid for not bringing a gift of some kind; there was no time, anyway, and he hadn't the slightest idea of what to get someone recovering from surgery, but he hoped his own presence would be enough. Henry assured him that she specifically requested his visit, after all. After a few knocks, Cruz folded his hands in front of his ribbon to hold his fingers and keep them warm in the fabric of his gloves.
==
It was nearly as if Henry had been waiting by the door with how quickly he was to open it, greeting Cruz with arms open wide and a smile to match. He was dressed casually: a simple t-shirt and jeans with bare feet and a silver chain bracelet wrapped around his wrist. When he pulled away from the croc, the nurse lightly rested a hand on his shoulder.
”It’s good to see you again, Cruz! Glad to have you!” Henry practically cheered, pushing the door away so he could lead the Raevan into the house. He was right to business as he added, ”Her eyes have gotten more adjusted since her last visit, so maybe we can get a little light in her room this time!”
Cruz was led to the middle door to the right of the hall, and with a quick knock Henry had addressed Ethiriel.
”Ethiriel! Cruz is here!”
”Do let him in!” she called. Some slight shifting could be heard as she ‘jumped’ from her bed to greet them at the door. Henry had already opened it by the time she had made it across the room, her eyes a lovely, foreign green and her smile bright. ”Cruz!” she exclaimed, gently placing her hands on his cheeks as she gave him two quick pecks beside his lips.
==
Such a warm welcome wouldn't have normally caught Cruz off guard but the abruptness of the door opening, mixed with some of the croc's quieter misgivings, caused the most subtle of delays in returning Henry's hug. It felt nice once they were both wrapped up and seemed to end far too soon. Though Cruz smiled as widely as ever, his brows were upturned.
”Good to see you, too,” he assured Henry as they broke contact. Cruz breathed easier at the good news; with a nod, he rumbled approvingly. ”That sounds nice.”
From there, the man wasted little time in leading Cruz along. They passed by an open door down the hall first, where an only vaguely familiar member of the household sat typing at the keyboard with spindly fingers. His eyes met the croc's for barely a second before returning to the screen without greeting. Ethiriel spoke of him before and Cruz had seen the man a few times in passing but the name was eluding him. He wasn't given much time to reflect on it, as Henry was quick to alert the tea raevan to Cruz's presence and he was brought back to the task at hand.
When the door opened, she was a trail of excitement, smiles, and eager kisses. Ethiriel's offerings were met by half-gloved hands cupping her own against his face. The corners of his lips blossomed with warmth that spread throughout him with her soothing taste. Cruz closed his eyes, brows still knit uncertainly but his smile and sigh carried only contentment.
”Thiriel,” he murmured fondly in turn, hands slipping from hers. Cruz moved forward, arms wrapping beneath hers and around her delicate back. The croc brought his head to her shoulder and hid his face against soft fabric and silky hair. ”You been good?”
==
As they embraced, Ethiriel’s arms gently coiled around the croc’s shoulders and held him close. She wasn’t sure when the last time she had seen him was, nor could she remember the last time she had a hug this nice. When she pulled away, her hands slid down to the small of his back and then rested there, her expression surprised. Ethiriel smiled wider, however, and smiled warmly.
”Cruz! When did you grow? This is wonderful!” she chimed, looking him up and down again. Ethiriel’s smile and demeanor was so genuine and radiated from the Frei as she beamed at her friend.
Henry, only noticing when Ethiriel had, gently placed a hand on Cruz’s shoulder and boasted as well. ”Congratulations, Cruz! Sorry I didn’t notice sooner!”
”There must be wonderful news all around!” Ethiriel exclaimed. She looked at her friend with fondness, a serene expression that was both new and common for the Frei washed over her face. With a quick glance to Henry, she nodded and the nurse knew that everything was under control as Ethiriel led Cruz into her room, having only squinted vaguely at the light before – her room was still dim, but still brighter than it had been as her eyes adjusted to the light finally.
After leading the croc to her bed to sit, she sat just a foot away from him and stared – she still didn’t know about manners when it came to looking upon someone else, but for now she was too eager to feast her eyes on her friend.
”You must tell me! When did this happen?” she asked, vaguely gesturing to Cruz’s new torso.
==
Suddenly, all eyes and praise were on him and Cruz found himself with an uncharacteristic timidness brewing in his brand new stomach. He chuckled halfheartedly between Ethiriel and Henry's mutual excitement, smiled to the nurse when he touched his shoulder and shook his head. ”It's okay,” he assured the man before being swept away into the tea frei's comfortably low lit den.
Her bed was plush, the comforter softer than most of the ones they had at home. Cruz felt along it before letting his palms rest, at which point he noticed just how long Ethiriel had been staring. Again, he laughed.
”Um, August.” Two months ago. He grimaced through a smile. ”What about you?” Cruz took the fastest opportunity he could to switch topics. The croc raised his hand to cup Ethiriel's cheek, though just before making contact there was a hesitant pause – he pressed a hand to her skin, warm and smooth, and smiled easier. ”How is it? Do you like it?” With how exuberant Ethiriel was, surely her chain of events surrounding this change was far more positive than his own. He didn't want to make this about him, anyway; he was here for her now, not the other way around.
==
Opening her mouth in response to the date, Ethiriel quickly closed it as Cruz switched gears and sent the focus to her instead. It was now obvious that he didn’t want to discuss those events further and she immediately understood. The Frei’s smile softened as she looked to the croc’s hands as they took their places gently resting on her cheeks.
”The procedure took place last month. I’ve been working on getting better since then,” Ethiriel said, raising her hands to meet Cruz’s. Her eyes remained on his as well, and while the color was toned down and muted, she enjoyed the ability to finally see them regardless.
”I do, I do,” she cooed. ”It is wonderful. So many things I’ve missed out on – I can finally enjoy things in the way others do.”
==
All of Ethiriel's satisfaction with her situation allowed Cruz's smile to grow; in warmth, in size, and authenticity. He breathed a sigh of relief for many reasons, the least of which was that only a month had passed since and it wasn't as though this was delayed from back in July. There was still some guilt on his part but it could have been far worse. Her touch and the lilt of her voice expressed so much more joy than he was ever used to seeing from Ethiriel, it was almost awe inspiring – but something about the last thing she said caused his smile to go crooked.
He knew of some inconveniences she felt in the past but never the full scope. Ethiriel was never one to complain, at least in his presence; even when she was first getting settled into this house and things still seemed rocky, she remained stalwart.. or, so it had seemed to Cruz.
”That's great,” his sentiment was still genuine, and he sounded it, ”I'm so happy you're happy.” Untangling their hands, the mistletoe raevan took some of her hair between his fingers; it was silky, as always, and his claws moved through it without even a single snag.
That was an intrinsic difference between them Cruz had never given much thought. While he generally preferred to come to his own conclusions and carve his own path – much to the detriment of himself and others, as this past summer plainly showed – Ethiriel preferred to not go against the grain and, he supposed, her uniqueness was too against the grain for her liking from the outset. ”You wanted to do things like everyone else?” There was no judgment in his voice, but perhaps a hint of hesitance in asking at all. Plenty of people existed in Ethiriel's situation before so everyone wasn't accurate, he knew, but perhaps it hadn't felt that way to her or maybe it wasn't enough.
==
Ethiriel’s own smile softened, though it still met her eyes as she relaxed into Cruz’s touch. His hesitance, of course, wasn’t missed and she raised her brows.
”It’s hard… not seeing the world. I’ve missed out on such beauty, both of nature and of people, that I never could have imagined otherwise.” she explained, her hands sliding down Cruz’s arms to rest at his elbows, holding him gently. It was true, Ethiriel didn’t like to go against the grain at all, preferring the easy way out – at least, she had for so long. Had she not stepped out of her comfort zone and taken Zeke’s advice, putting things into her own hands, she might not have ever gotten this chance.
She could finally see him.
See them.
See all of everything.
The Frei moved her head along with Cruz’s hand as he ran his fingers delicately through her silken locks, her eyes closing in comfort and enjoyment. ”It was painful in the beginning… and it is still uncomfortable now,” she pulled away from the croc just enough to gesture toward her darkened room. ”But it is like a whole new life has been given to me.”
==
As Ethiriel explained, Cruz nodded. He knew things had been hard for her, though perhaps he never understood quite how much. After all he had done this summer, perhaps that lack of knowledge was for the best; she did make this decision on her own and seemed all the happier for it. If this was good for her, if experiencing the world in the same way she believed everyone else to made her happy and secure, then that's all that mattered.
Cruz's smile regained some of its strength. ”Good,” he sounded more sure this time, his voice wading in a familiar rumble.
His fingers brushed against Ethiriel's cheek before he lowered his arms and slid his hands down to take both of hers. ”Wish I could have been there for you when it was hurting...” Cruz's eyes cast down at their hands, her skin pale like his own these months – maybe even more with how limited the light had to be to spare her pain. ”Sorry I've been so out of touch.”
==
The Frei’s expression softened, brows raising as she settled more into her smile – more so once their hands met. At first she glanced down, rubbing her thumbs against the backs of Cruz’s hands, but as the croc spoke her eyes met his once more. Her smile twitched, brows now knitting, but her smile remained.
”I do not know what you have been doing in these last months, but… it seems you have come out fine. I wish I could have seen you more but you must have had your own battles,” she said, flipping their hands so that their palms could meet. Ethiriel looked down briefly at Cruz’s torso, then to their hands as she twined their fingers together. ”You have been sorely missed, Cruz, but I understand. All I ask is that we keep contact more regularly!” she said, her voice holding a playful lilt – another seemingly foreign action for the Frei.
”It is so, so good to see you again, figuratively. This is only our first visible meeting,” she joked, flashing the croc a dazzling smile.
==
His hands in hers, Cruz listened to the sincerity in Ethiriel's voice. He watched her flip their hands and tangle their fingers, rather than look her in the eye. Cruz really did shut most other things out when he was on a mission, didn't he? Even the most important people to him, if they weren't directly involved or had no way of furthering his immediate goal. He truly was a selfish creature, the croc was realizing. Before these thoughts could spoil his smile, turned so humble from the tea raevan's kindness, she cut a joke that took Cruz off guard enough to draw his eyes back to hers. It took a short moment for him to muster but a low peal of laughter escaped him and brought out more of his smile. It was good to see her smile like that, too.
”It is,” he chuckled and gently squeezed her hands.
With a bow of his head, Cruz nodded; it was a sobering topic but the relief that Ethiriel wasn't upset with him for not checking in kept him from falling back into that well of uncertainty. ”Promise, I'll be around more.” Cruz wanted to promise this to everyone he inadvertently ignored in the wake of his meddling, but there were more things for him to promise than just that – and to apologize for.
Offering a small grimace of a smile, Cruz tugged softly at Ethiriel's arms. ”Have you been out of your room much?” It was unstated, but the question was clear enough – did she feel up to leaving her dark little den?
==
”So long as you promise,” Ethiriel asserted, though her smile remained. She couldn’t help but feast her eyes on her friend – every inch of him – and it made her smile harder. It was still a little painful with the lights seeming as bright as they were, but she wanted to keep her eyes open as long as she could so long as she could see her friends.
At Cruz’s gentle tugging, the Frei’s brows rose and her smile tightened. ”A few times, but I have been resting my eyes in the dimmed light. Is there somewhere you would like to go?” she asked, pulling him upward into standing height.
She hadn’t thought about leaving her room much; what with all of her friends coming in to see her rather than going out. Claire and Aaron had taken her into her sunroom the first time – seeing all of those flowers and plants made the silver Raevan feel so much at home; she could get used to it. Ethiriel’s fingers tightened around Cruz’s lovingly. Oh, how she’d missed the croc in their time apart.
She considered Cruz and Cesc to be her best friends.
==
With a nod and a rumbled murmur, Cruz glanced toward the door of Ethiriel's bedroom. Ever so gently, he swung their arms in thought. ”Anywhere you'd be comfy.” The low light, he understood, was for the benefit of her eyes but it felt so dreary and closed in that it wasn't making it easy for the croc to put on a sunny disposition. A change of scenery, he hoped, would be good for the both of them.
”If your eyes get tired, we can go back,” Cruz offered, then added after a little thought, ”or if it's too much we can stay.” It wouldn't be right of him to force her out if she needed to rest, as much as he'd like to see her smile in proper light.
==
Smiling, Ethiriel allowed Cruz to swing their arms and even added just a tad of the motion, herself. Much like the croc’s rumble, the Frei hummed in thought as her smile softened. She glanced around the room before her gaze landed on the door.
”Perhaps the sunroom?” she questioned, bringing her eyes back to her friend’s. She had no idea what vibrancy Cruz’s eyes held, their acidic green muted in Ethiriel’s vision, but they were beautiful all the same. As she stared, her smile continued to soften until her lips were a light, relaxed curve. ”Claire brought me a new flower when she visited. I would like to show you.”
==
The silvery raevan's suggestion was met with a pleased raise of Cruz's brows. It had been a long time since he saw it, all of the hard work that was put into it by several of his friends. He would have agreed to the visit on his own but mention of a new flower, and the one who bestowed it, drew the croc's interest all the more.
”Miss Claire came by?” Cruz asked with a smile, ”What kind of flower is it?” He still didn't know a whole lot about gardening, or all the different types of flowers, but his knowledge and interest in both had undeniably grown thanks to his time with the Clarke-Kantors and their entire household.
With an eager but still gentle tug, Cruz rose from Ethiriel's bed and guided her into doing the same.
==
”Yes, not long ago. It was a pleasure to see her again,” Ethiriel said, gently tugging on Cruz’s hand to lead him toward the door. ”It has a rather silly name: Boogie Woogie dahlia. She picked it out because the time we saw each other before that, we picked out a similar flower. It is rather lovely.”
As they passed the hallway into the living room, Henry gave a quiet wave as he looked up from his book with a dashing smile. The Frei offered a small one in return as she led Cruz away – it was different being the one to lead rather than follow, and Ethiriel quite enjoyed it.
Past the kitchen and out the door, Ethiriel didn’t let go of Cruz’s hand as she passed a look around at all of her flowers. Her smile grew and she took a deep breath, enjoying the flowers around them. ”This one,” said the Frei as she pointed at the vibrant purple and yellow blossom. Beaming, she continued: ”The one next to it is what we picked out the first time. Aren’t they beautiful?”
==
Cruz offered Henry a smile and waved to Henry as Ethiriel did. The other one, Henry's brother if he remembered right, still seemed to be using the computer in the other room from the soft sound of typing. Her other housemate, Nedhudir, was curled up on the couch in the living room while Henry read. With Ethiriel in her room most of the time, the service dog was off duty most of the time, but at the sight of her coming out the collie stretched and followed the two raevans toward the flowers.
It had been a long time since Cruz was in this particular room, back when it was still new and the flowers not as plentiful. Everything seemed to be growing well, even better in the wake of the summer sun, and colors painted the walls with a natural vibrancy. When she introduced him to the newest edition, Cruz couldn't help but laugh.
”Boogie Woogie,” he repeated, peering over the purple and yellow petals. Maybe it got the name for reminding people of the disco. ”Oh, wow,” Cruz floated lower, as though crouching, and cupped a hand around the white cameo dahlia without touching it directly, ”This room's amazing.” The croc didn't say that lightly, awe clear in his voice. Before long, he imagined it to be as sprawling in variety and green as the Clarke garden; the thought maybe Cruz's eyes shimmer with delight – though it was short lived. His smile softened and he drew his fingers back; Cruz covered his mouth with the same hand, as if he were suddenly lost in thought.
==
Nedhudir took his place next to Ethiriel and looked up at her, panting. In response, the Frei floated lower and rubbed the top of his head lovingly. ”Good boy…” she sighed, smiling down at him before returning her gaze to Cruz.
”Is everything alright?” the Frei asked, bringing herself back to standing-height and hovered a tad closer. Their fingers still entwined, she slowly pulled his knuckles up to her lips to plant a gentle kiss. Cruz had been different than usually – more pensive, quiet… he was normally sunshine and happiness from the memories Ethiriel could muster. Her brows knight high above her eyes, but her smile remained sympathetically.
Without thinking, Ethiriel released her pheromones to ease the croc’s discomfort.
==
At first, Cruz only rumbled his acknowledgment; it was the kiss to his knuckles that bade him look at Ethiriel again. For a brief moment, his eyes reflected worry with his brow knit upward but the warmth of her kiss and the calming nature of her tea fragrance allowed it to dwindle to a look of uncertainty. To reassure her, Cruz pulled his fingers tight without moving his hand so that his mouth was no longer hidden and there he wore a small smile instead of a pout.
”Just-- kinda wondering,” the croc began hesitantly, his gaze wandering back to the flowers, ”if I ever did anything bad to you.” His voice was low, half a whisper but not quite graveled.
==
Ethiriel’s own smile faltered and eventually fell as Cruz spoke – she wasn’t familiar with uncertain or forced smiles, so that had been lost on her but his words… Bringing her free hand up, she held the croc’s one between her two.
”I don’t understand, Cruz… You’ve been nothing but a source of love for me.”
Nedhudir whined beside Ethiriel at her sudden change in demeanor, to which she gently shushed him without looking away from Cruz. Her eyes searched his, trying to make sense of what he had said. Had he been bad to others? It didn’t make sense to the female Raevan.
==
What she said helped Cruz's smile grow but, at the same time, drew his brows tighter. He squeezed one of Ethiriel's hands softly, though he refrained from locking eyes with her and instead occupied his gaze with the dahlias.
”This summer... I did some bad things,” there was a slight waver to his voice as Cruz began to explain, ”Thought it was helping but it-- it made things worse. A lot worse...” He hung his head, pale claws pushing his hair back. ”I hurt a lot of people I didn't mean to, Thiriel. People I love a lot. So... just want to make sure.”
The croc swallowed some of the emotion building in his throat before braving another look to the tea raevan's newly bright eyes. As his smile seemed to grow wider, so did its strain and pitiful look in his eyes. ”Sorry if I did... Please-- tell me if I do, okay? If anything makes you sad or uncomfortable.” There, his smile gave out and Cruz let his head fall. His voice quieted as it soaked up the feelings he tried to stifle. ”Don't wanna do that to anyone else...”
==
The more Cruz spoke, the more Ethiriel’s smile faltered until finally it was a thin line beneath her nose. With knit brows, she held tightly onto his hand as he explained. She couldn’t for the life of her imagine Cruz doing bad in the entire time that she’d known him, but knowing that it was eating at him this badly put a pain in her chest.
Wordlessly, the Frei threw her arms around Cruz’s neck and gave him a gentle squeeze. Ethiriel didn’t let go, as if her life would end if she did. ”You have never caused me pain…” she said, holding strongly yet loose enough to be pushed away if need be. ”I will always tell you the truth. I promise.”
==
No time was wasted in returning Ethiriel's hug, Cruz's arms wound around her gently but just as desperate. Her reassurance drew a shaky breath from him, almost like a quiet laugh. Cruz tucked his face into Ethiriel's shoulder and nodded. ”Thank you... Gonna try real hard to be good,” he assured, though it was unclear whether it was for Ethiriel's benefit or his own.
They stayed like this for a time that felt much longer than it really was, before Cruz finally drew back. He kept his hands on the tea frei, softly holding her arms, and leaned back to look at her face while his own was covered in misty-eyed apology – and, still, a smile.
”Sorry. Shouldn't be talking about this when it's supposed to be happy, here.” Cruz did manage a laugh that time, though it was weak and followed by a short sniff. ”Everything's looking up for you, that's so good.” As if to sweep his derailment away entirely, the croc turned back to the flowers. ”What's--” he faltered with another shallow breath, ”Which one's your favorite?”
==
A wave of relief swept over Ethiriel once the hug was returned. When Cruz’s forehead met her shoulder, Ethiriel tilted her head to give him a quick kiss in his hairline before resting her own against his. ”I’ll hold you to it,” she said, her voice light and airy despite the discussion. She wanted so hard for the croc to feel better – she wasn’t very good at consoling, in her own eyes.
”It’s okay,” she assured, mimicking Cruz’s hold with her fingers lightly resting on his inner arms. Offering him her best smile, despite her own misty eyes, she leaned in and gave him the most gentle of kisses to his lips – innocent and chaste, a light snack and a signal of good will.
Ethiriel hummed at Cruz’s question, taking a quick sweep of her sunroom to assess. Which was her favorite? Goodness, that was like asking who was your favorite child! The Frei bit her lip lightly as she looked around and gave a very soft chuckle. ”I cannot choose,” she said, her voice still sing-song. ”They’re all so beautiful to me, I have no idea!”
==
It was warm, her kiss – soft and kind; it branched out from his lips all the way to his new middle, to the tips of his fingers, and soaked into his rune. These kisses felt so much better than the ones he used out of necessity, to right some of the wrongs he did; they were cold and tasted stale, they provided him with no nourishment except to his guilt. He never wanted those kisses again.
With a smile, Cruz watched his friend try to pick from the litter. When she couldn't decide, he laughed. ”I like the Boogie Woogie... but you're right, they're all too pretty.” Finally, Cruz allowed himself to return to a standing height as he took one of Ethiriel's hands in his. ”You have to see the flowers at Aina's house soon. There's so many, everywhere, all kinds of colors.” That sparked a thought, letting Cruz light up again. ”Mm! Do you have a favorite color?”
Maybe that would be easier for her to answer.
==
”Mmm, it is quite a wonderful flower. As a gift, I would have to say it may be my favorite, too,” Ethiriel decided, giving Cruz a solid nod and smile.
Ah, Aina’s garden. That was something she had always wanted to see, and Cruz’s words fed into that hunger. Smiling, Ethiriel was glad to see Cruz light up again – while it had been short, she didn’t want her first time seeing her friend to be depressing; she wanted him happy! It was a strange urge in the Frei to keep others content, so it lifted a weight off of her shoulders when he seemed in higher spirits, whether her pheromones did any of the work or not.
Ethiriel gave another hum in thought, lifting a hand to gently rest on her chin. ”I still do not know colors well by name… but…” she started, glancing around the room again before resting her eyes on Cruz’s hair. She stared for a moment, her smile softening, before reaching over and taking a few strands between her fingers. ”This.”
==
As she pondered, Cruz offered a rumble after Ethiriel's hum. He watched her fingers reach for his hair and comb through it. When she confirmed, the croc smiled.
”Green,” he stated, then looked into her eyes. Without the milky cataract covering them in a silvery film, Ethiriel's eyes were quite a vibrant green as well. ”Both of our eyes are green,” Cruz gave a cheeky smile as he gestured between their faces, ”It's my favorite, too.”
One glance to the flowers and he found more; red petals, pink petals, white and purple. Cruz guided her to each of them, expressing the same sentiment while introducing her to their names. He liked all colors, truth be told, but most specifically ones that dealt with either Christmas or Valentine's day. ”Henry used to have green in his hair, for a while,” Cruz noted with a curious glance Ethiriel's way. He brushed his fingers through his bangs to illustrate. ”Little streaks – and then all of it. Now it's just brown, like Nita's.”
==
”Green,” Ethiriel confirmed with a nod, smile meeting her eyes – green as well. She paid close attention when Cruz taught her each color and she nodded along with his words. She would learn them well enough with time – something she had.
She seemed surprised at the comment. People could change their hair? Interesting, she thought, as her brows rose in surprise. Ethiriel wished she could have seen it, but the past wasn’t as important as the future, as now. She nodded firmly. ”I see,” she said, looking back to her flowers and greenery. When she couldn’t see, Henry took care of keeping plants trimmed and tidy, but now it was in her hands – a thought she quite enjoyed.
”Compared to mine, Henry’s is… lighter, yes?” she asked, still not used to the different shades and saturation of colors.
==
”Mhm,” Cruz nodded. It was his turn to take a few strands of Ethiriel's hair between his fingers, ”You and Nita are closer but yours is darker than hers, too.”
Without dropping her hair, the croc pursed his lips and looked toward the ceiling – or rather, the glass panes that revealed the overcast sky. He was glad it wasn't bright out, now that they were here, but it was much more lively than in the dim of Ethiriel's room.
”Let's see...” Cruz paused, sorting through the names of all of their mutual friends, ”Aina's got white hair, it's kinda like silver but really pale and bright? Duncan's hair's kinda silvery, Momo's is yellow... Mm, Cesc's is pink!” Eager for an example, Cruz pointed again to one of the pink flowers nearby – it wasn't quite the same shade but it was close enough. Zuri--” did Ethiriel know Zurine beyond his birthday party debacle, he wondered, ”Zuri's got blue hair, like the sky when there's no clouds. You'll see that when your eyes don't hurt so much.”
There were many others but for the life of him he was having trouble recalling who Ethiriel knew well enough to list. Instead, the croc gave her a waning smile in the hopes that she would take the lead and ask the colors of their other friends herself, or other things.
==
Ethiriel continued her nodding as Cruz began to describe their closest friends and her expression softened tenderly. Oh, how she longed to see Aina. She had seen Cesc since gaining sight, as well as Anya and Claire with her husband… she hadn’t even had the chance to contact the raindrop. Soon, she decided.
Looking up to the cloudy sky, the Frei nodded again before turning back to Cruz. ”I would love to see them all,” said Ethiriel confidently.
Without thinking, Ethiriel reached out and gently ran her fingers along Cruz’s features, much like she had with Cesc during his visit. She mindlessly mapped him out until content, when her palms rested gently on the croc’s cheeks. She smiled warmly, the look in her eyes softening to fondness as she stared into Cruz’s eyes. She was beyond glad to have him here.
”Is there anything you would like to do while you are here? I’m afraid the house does not have anything of much interest—“
==
”You'll see 'em soon,” Cruz smiled, feeling sure of this.
He met Ethiriel's touches openly; the croc leaned into her hands and closed his eyes to enjoy each caress. Cruz rumbled affectionately as she familiarized herself with him between her new senses, smile growing wider
Cruz's eyes fluttered open as her movements ceased. He brought his hands up to hold hers against his cheeks and couldn't help but rumble with a soft laugh at Ethiriel's admission. ”That's not true,” he teased, ”it's got you in it. That's what I'm here for.” His eyes glimmered with a content sort of sincerity, far from the worry they carried earlier.
==
Beaming, Ethiriel’s expression remained in adoration. Cruz really was one of her closest friends and she couldn’t get enough of him. His response gave the Frei a toothy grin as she leaned in to press their foreheads together.
”And I’m glad to be here for you.”
She remained this way, her head against his and her hands cupping Cruz’s cheeks. In her contentment, her pheromones were kicked on at full power to match her good mood and surrounded the both of them with sweet scents and comfort.
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Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2016 10:34 am
QUEST
HILLS AND HORIZONS -
Mid-July 2015
The start of summer was always an exciting and surprisingly busy time for the staff at Fairview Middle, but they were happy to sacrifice their hours of the day to prepare for an annual school tradition that lasted for longer than most of the staff had worked on campus. While the sixth graders and eighth grader students began their summer-long lazy days, seventh graders and staff volunteers were rearing to go for their weekly Friday hikes.
Candice happily volunteered this year around to be one of the supervisors - she'd worked at Fairview Middle for four years, now, and always lamented missing the occasion. By the time Candice had volunteered, it was a little late - Fairview seventh graders had already taken a few Friday trips to Bass'ken - but the school was more than happy to greet another volunteer, and they already had a job lined up for her. They were running short on useable hiking supplies, and needed her to go pick up more.
In most parts by her own request, Candice made sure to try and visit Eth every week - or every other week, if her work schedule didn't permit it. On a humid, hot Monday, Candice picked Ethiriel up from Henry's in the early morning to start their day at a local sports store in Gambino. Candice's expression seemed to fall when she realized a lot of her days together with Ethiriel were spent shopping and running errands; and, while they were always pleasant times, nothing about them conjured any particular mirth.
With a few backpacks in her cart, Candice touched Ethiriel gently on the shoulder - she seemed shy, an expression she rarely wore. "Ethiriel, I have a proposal for you - well - I'd like to ask you something," she corrected, smiling playfully, "Have you ever gone hiking?"
Ethiriel was used to these small outings -- she never minded that they were simple errands; in fact, she quite enjoyed the time out with Candice now that she knew her a bit better. It was true, there weren't exactly examples of merriment, but it was often the times of quiet or relaxation that the Frei enjoyed the most.
"Hm?" Ethiriel hummed, tilting her head a little to the side rather than glancing toward the woman. "Hiking? I believe not," she said, her mouth in a thin, neutral smile. "I have been on walks and runs with Henry. Am I to expect an invitation?" The last lilt of the sentence was playful, though her voice was even and soft.
"You read my mind," Candice laughed in turn, giving Ethiriel another soft pat on her shoulder, "Well, Fairview - have I ever shown you around campus? Anyway, Fairview has this summer hiking program, and I'm volunteering for it; which is why we're here shopping for backpacks. I was wondering if you wanted to go hiking with us?"
Giving a soft chuckle, the silvery Frei bowed her head in thought. She listened carefully, however, but her mind wandered to what exactly the difference was. "I would not mind. It is very kind of you to volunteer -- and to offer."
A genuine smile grew on Candice - grinning, she let out a soft laugh. "That's great! I mean - thank /you,/ Ethiriel." She pushed their shopping cart onward past the backpack alley, a hand still on the Frei's back to guide her. "It's every Friday, and we take a trip out to Bass'ken lake, so it isn't too far... it's right in between Barton and Gambino. Oh!" she clasped her hands together, looking back at the backpacks, "We're going to have to get you some hiking gear, too...!"
"I am sure I can find time in my /busy/ schedule to come with you on Fridays," she joked, following along closely as she was lead. Ethiriel's brows raised in thought, having never needed gear for an 'outing' before. She really had never been on a hike if she needed to prepare for it, so this would be quite interesting. "Then we shall, won't we?"
Candice grinned wide, glancing back at Ethiriel teasingly - she nudged her, giggling. "/Thank you,/" she replied in return, "I probably have a few things at home I can give you, but we'll get you a cute backpack - oh, I'm excited!" Candice bounced, "The kids are going to love you."
Candice's excitement was rather contageous, even for the Raevan with such a calm disposition. She nodded with a smile, allowing the councilor to lead her. "And I am sure that I will love the kids."
The following Friday, Candice made sure Ethiriel was ready with all of her hiking equipment and drove them both to the Fairview Middle campus. It was a modestly sized school, and they were all to meet at the parking lot, where a handful of buses were parked to take them all to Bass'ken. The other supervisors were talking to their groups of students nearby, and Candice made sure to line up her own little group front and center in front of Bus #3.
A few of the students seemed nervous, others excited and clearly with their friends. Among the seventh graders talking amongst themselves was a girl with a white cane.
Raising her hands up, Candice attempted to rally the kids. “Alright, everyone – a little quieter, please! Ethiriel and I are new supervisors to the hikes, and I can pick out who some of you are, but we’re going to have a little ice breaker so we can get to know you a little more, okay? Hmm…” Candice hummed, clasping her hands together and turns to Ethiriel, smiling sheepishly. “Can you think of any icebreakers, Eth?”
Despite being put on the spot, Ethiriel was rather calm and collected in front of all the students. She listened carefully, as she thought the kids would too, while Candice commanded their attention. Then, she placed it on the Frei.
“Hm,” Ethiriel mused, humming similarly to Candice. Raising a hand to lightly rest her knuckles on her chin, she thought it over. “Names are important, for starters,” she said, a small smile growing on her lips. “Are you all excited for this hike?”
Candice’s smile widened as she nodded. “That’s a really good question! Okay… how about we make a little circle, and everyone tell us their name and what they’re excited about?” she asked. Holding Ethiriel’s hand, she stepped gently forward, as to the kids, to create a circle formation. She the smiled to Ethiriel, “How about you start us off, Eth?”
Following easily as she’s lead to the circle, Ethiriel’s free hand reached out to take the nearest child’s. There was a bit of a fumble – the child having been the one with the cane: blind, like herself – “My name is Ethiriel, but you may call me “Eth” if it is easier.”
“Hi, Eth!” smiled Candice, taking the girl’s hand. The girl fumbled a bit, raising her brows, but nods. “So, Eth, What’re you most excited about for the hike?”
Ethiriel chuckled silently as Candice greeted her, waiting for the rest of the children to do the same. “I am excited to get to know each other you,” she announced before gently squeezing the blind girl’s hand, letting her know it was her turn to share.
The girl smiled wide, knowing it was Eth after having heard of her before. Letting go of the Frei’s hand just a second to offer a wave to everyone, she quickly grabbed the Raevan’s once more with a nod. “Hi, my name’s Hyunae Johnson. I’m most excited about… um,” she said with a small shrugs. “I’m most excited about playing games when we have dinner.” Nodding again, she then swings the hands of her and the student she’s next to.
Ethiriel offered her hand as soon as Hyunae was ready for it.
Excited, Candice smiled wide and brightly, glad that Hyunae and Ethiriel finally made acquaintance. The next seven kids made their introductions; Rita Riverez, Michael Majubnar, Joseph Avidan, Katrina Norman, Amelia Lindquis, Jack Shearer, and Midori Meadows. When everyone had their turn, Candice nodded and takes her own. “Alright! It’s really nice meeting everybody… my name’s Candice Wallace, and I’m going to be hiking with all of you – Ethiriel and I are going to be your supervisors. I’m most excited about blazing this trail with you guys – it’s my first time going to this one!”
As the group was wrapping up, a man by the name Emile walks up to them and taps Ethiriel’s shoulder, speaking mostly to her. He smiled, “Hey, if you guys are almost down, we’re ready to head to the bus!”
Much like Candice, Ethiriel was smiling, though a fair bit more toned down. The Frei gave Hyunae a gentle, reassuring squeeze and pulled her just the tiniest bit closer. With every child, she offered a bow of her head and a small word of encouragement, but once attention was back on Candice, she lifted her chin. At the tap to her shoulder, she turned her head and gave a quick nod. Turning back to the group, she announced, “I believe it is time,” and gently nudged Candice with her shoulder, though Emile had said it loud enough for the both of them to hear.
Smiling over at Ethiriel and Emile, Candice nodded and gestured toward the bus. “Okay, everyone, the bust is ready for us – one at a time, please!”
Hyunae nodded, excitedly being the first to take the steps toward the bus. She let go of Ethiriel and Rita’s hands, then with her cane, taps the floor in front of her as a guide.
As the students file into the bus, Candice smiled wide as she watched them with a small laugh. Then, she tapped on Ethiriel’s shoulder. “Hey – before you enter… can I talk to you about something?”
Ethiriel had pulled away just a tad to stay out of all the children’s way (though, being a floating torso, the only thing that counted in their way was her ribbon). Once Candice had come closer, she perked, “Yes, Candice?”
Candice smiled, putting a hand over her chest as she sighed happily. “I’m really glad you were able to meet Hyunae for the first time – I’ve talked to her a lot about you… she started developing cataracts when she was very young, but she lost her sight just a couple years ago… so she’s still learning a lot,” she said with a nod. “I think you’d be a really wonderful mentor for her.”
Listening carefully, Ethiriel’s expression softened the more Candice spoke. “I see,” she said with a nod, reaching toward Candice’s hand to link their arms together. “I will do my best to be worthy of your kind words.”
Linking arms with Ethiriel, Candice smiled again and led her to the bus. “I know you will – thank you, Eth – and oh! By the way…” she said, rustling through her jacket pockets to pull out a bag of silver coins – opening the string latch, she held it out for the Frei to see. “I thought these silver coins might come in handy when we’re hiking! We can use them like little markers. I have a bunch for you.”
About to assure her that it was no big deal, Ethiriel perked up as Candice suddenly became excited about something. Once one coin was out, her eyes were immediately drawn to it and widened in response. Glancing down at the visible coins in the bag, her brows raised, rather impressed. “What a wonderful idea, Candice! Thank you. I am sure they will be of great help.
“You’re welcome! You can go ahead and take this bag…” Candice said with a grin, putting the coins back into the bag and places it securely in Ethiriel’s free palm. “And I have a bag of my own, and so does Emile. Let’s go sit in the front with the rest of the supervisors!”
Smile widening a little, Ethiriel responded, “It is good to know that you all have my back.” Nodding at the suggestion of seats, the Frei allowed Cnadice to lead her again. To gauge its weight, she raised and lowered the bag in her palm.
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Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2016 10:46 am
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Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2016 7:43 am
QUEST
With Gabe following close behind, Ethiriel tugged at her cardigan as the harsh bite of cold embraced them, the large doors of the cabin closing behind them. The faux fur of her new scarf brushed against her chin, its soft texture sending a shiver down her spine – or was it the cold? Her expression became torn; fondness for Cesc was immediately met with the image of him kissing Zurine so passionately and the tears already present threatened to pool over.
She was first to make it to the car, and she hardly waited for Gabe to catch up before climbing in and closing the door. The air was still but just as chilling. With a turn of the key, the car rumbled to life. Its heating system was old and shoddy, meaning it would take a nice handful of minutes before it was comfortable to drive.
Ethiriel fought to not look back at the warmth of the cabin; instead, she stared at the familiar blackness of the road ahead of them – a heavy contrast to the welcoming and warmth of the cabin. Staring into the dark, it gave the Frei a strange sense of familiar comfort, something she had once had.
Did she miss not being able to see?
She had calmed then, the eye of the storm, as she began losing focus in her thoughts, eyes still centered into the darkness. Had she never gained sight, she never would have seen the kiss. Maybe she never would have even known it had happened. Ethiriel sighed, leaning her elbow against the door with her thumb and the length of her forefinger resting at her eyes. Yes, in some strange way, she found comfort in the idea of no sight. The Frei hadn’t even noticed that the car had been started or that they had began moving.
But… then how would she have had concrete evidence that Cesc was meant for another? Was this a wakeup call? The universe telling her that she would never have him?
With her free hand, Ethiriel tugged the infinity scarf tightly.
I’m such an idiot, she thought, letting go of the scarf and instead burying her face into her hands with a sudden and loud sob.
The car slowed as her cry slipped out, just for a moment. They had driven long enough for the heat to start up, though compared to the warmth of the cabin its relief was minimal. It was well out of sight now, swallowed by snow and the dark sky behind them.
Gabe glanced at Ethiriel but said nothing. He drove a few minutes longer while her tears came, just until he found a reasonable spot to pull over. The steel blue Escort stopped and the engine cut, leaving only power on for the lights and heat. Still he said nothing, seated awkwardly on the driver's side with his arms on his lap while Ethiriel cried for the first time he was aware of in months and the first time directly in front of him.
”What's going on?” he asked after a few moments more. His voice was low, softer than he'd ever used with her.
His voice was almost missed, swallowed by the sound of another sob, and while Ethiriel’s sense of hearing felt somewhat impaired lately, she managed to catch it. ”I…” she choked, shaking her head into her hands – the tears wouldn’t stop coming. Why was this so hard to accept? Why did it have to be this way? Why couldn’t she be happy for her friends?
Why is it that she hated sight now?
”R-Rhede… he… I…” she stammered, unable to remove her face from her cupped hands. Ethiriel sniffed hard, clearing her throat futilely as another sob broke through. How was she to say this? She had never put it into words before – not once. ”I… I have had feelings f-for Rhede… and he… he and Zurine…”
She stopped, taking another hard sniff followed by another choke. Ethiriel felt like she couldn’t breathe as she refused to look at the younger of the Knight brothers.
Gabe took a deep breath once she managed to get her thoughts out. ”You know, everyone was--” he stopped himself and leaned back in his seat; that tone was too coarse and he corrected it, softened it – just a little, ”Everyone was kissing.”
Well, not everyone. He certainly didn't. ”Was that the guy who came by?”
”N-no, he… There was passion that he gave to her, and not me…” she said a little more clearly, but the thought of Cesc’s kiss to herself brought on another wave of sadness and nervousness. ”Rhede is the stag…”
Gabe's hand met his forehead as he leaned an elbow against the door. He had read that situation somewhat clearly then, even if only half paying attention; Ethiriel's mood seemed to drop as soon as the stag showed up so enthusiastically but Gabe didn't have anymore context then that at the time to piece things together.
He gave Ethiriel another minute or so to choke out her sadness until there was a lull. It seemed she was far from finished but her breathing calmed enough for him to get a word in edgewise.
”I don't know what to tell you,” he prefaced. Normally something like that from him would carry a harsh tone but it was absent for now. ”Cry if you need to – but these things happens. That's life.”
”I-I… I already figured… already knew that… that he did not share my feelings. And yet… here I am,” Ethiriel said pitifully, her face still buried in her hands. Why did this hurt so bad? Why couldn’t she accept that Cesc would never be anything other than a friend? This wasn’t a bad thing – not at all. She wouldn’t want to lose his friendship, and perhaps that was why she couldn’t bring herself to confess. Not to mention, it really wasn’t her place. If the stag had similar feelings, he would mention them.
No, she was being foolish.
Why did she have to see it? Why? Why did she want to see so badly before? Without vision, this pain wouldn’t have happened. She would have been blissfully unaware and perhaps happy. Things were going wrong in many ways – her hearing felt so impaired and touch seemed muted; her body was no longer compensating for her lack of sight.
Why was she regretting?
She wanted this –
And she got it.
The adjustment of her wording – figured, knew – caught Gabe's attention and he turned to look at her. It was brief and he soon looked forward again at the dark expanse of rural Barton.
Something didn't feel right.
”He told you?”
Ethiriel’s heart sank. ”Well, no…” she said, having finally come back from her tears. Now that it had gotten out, she admittedly felt a little better, though the initial sting remained. ”We are just… friends…”
That time, his look lingered. His brows furrowed, blue eyes tired and dim.
”Look... I'm not going to talk to you about dating, because I am the last person to ask about it,” Gabe turned away, ”but I know you – and I know what you don't do.”
His hand returned to his head as he slouched into the seat, the other gesticulating vaguely. There was a beat or two of silence before he continued, ”No one can read your mind. No one else knows what is going on in your head except you. If you don't speak up, you're going to be disappointed every time.”
Face wet and eyes tired, Ethiriel looked to Gabe with furrowed brows. She let out a long, silent sigh while turning back into the familiar darkness.
”But what if I am to ruin our friendship? I want him to be happy, but… but , it hurts.”
Some of the familiar bite returned to Gabe's voice. ”Frankly, ******** him if everything's ruined just by asking.”
Ethiriel couldn’t think that way – not at all. Her daily routine involved Cesc in one way or another; they texted and saw opera and musicals regularly and if he wasn’t there for her anymore she couldn’t imagine standing it. Sure, Gabe had a point; asking is important and she needed to stand up for herself more, but the Frei just… it didn’t feel like her place and she sighed again.
Staring out into the darkness, she became numb.
That welcoming darkness.
No… no. She couldn’t regret her decision. Wouldn’t. This was the “beginning” of her life, in her eyes, and there had to be paint with growth.
She would survive this, even if it hurt.
”I suppose you are right…” she lied, trailing off into her own thoughts. ”I just… I have always figured that it is unladylike to give unwanted or unwarranted feelings or emotions.”
As if it wasn’t obvious already.
Gabe let his arm drop to his lap as he stared sidelong at Ethiriel.
”Who gives a s**t?” There it was, back in full force. ”Honestly, tell me, who gives a rat's a** about you being ladylike? What is being ladylike to you?”
The Frei turned to Gabe in relative shock, her eyes wide and brows furrowed. There was a click in her throat as she attempted to speak, but words failed her as she stared dumbly at the Knight. Honestly, who did care? Finally, Ethiriel glanced back toward the darkness.
”I… I do not know…” she fumbled, still in shock.
He let his head fall back against the car seat, his tone leveling off, ”Exactly. You're the only one. You're holding yourself to some invisible standard that no one else expects you to.”
Gabe pushed himself to a full sit, quiet for a moment, then leaned forward and folded his arms against the top of the steering wheel. When his chin came to rest on them, he shook his head. ”I have been doing it since I was born… perhaps even worse, then,” Ethiriel corrected, glancing sideways toward Gabe.
He looked as well, finally catching eyes with her. ”Has it ever done you any favors?”
Turning her head once their eyes met, Ethiriel mulled it over. ”It hasn’t necessarily done me damage, as far as I have been aware.”
”Sure it hasn't, if you want to lie to yourself.”
Another sigh as Ethiriel looked back out of the window. Had she not let loose, she wouldn’t have had as much fun at the party. She wouldn’t have played in the snow and would have missed out on such a good time. Perhaps she would have pursued another kiss, a more intimate one, but she held herself back. For the latter, in her mind, it was for the best, but Gabe was right. She was holding herself back from so much in life just by trying to be prim and proper. Even in speech she was too strict, calling people by titles and their full names. Ethiriel returned to her first position; her elbow against the door and hand over her eyes.
”You are right,” she agreed again, more truthful.
Quiet returned between them for a time. Little more disturbed it aside from the faint whisper of the vents and a few cars passing by. Others were leaving the cabin as the hours ticked by. It was half past twelve now; they wouldn't be making it back before three.
”So,” Gabe's voice mellowed. He pulled himself back from the wheel and looked at Ethiriel. ”What are you going to do about it?”
Ethiriel glanced back at Gabe once his head had turned and she slumped, defeated.
”I… I’m not quite sure. It’s… hardwired.”
”Try.”
His voice was firm but far from angry, there was a strange sense of encouragement in it.
There was a moment of silent eye contact, Ethiriel trying to read into Gabe’s mind. She had heard this tone before, and while it wasn’t often that it happened, she did appreciate when he used it. The Frei attempted a smile, one corner of her lips raising, she glanced back down after some time had passed.
”I will try,” she finally said, though her voice still sounded defeated.
He didn't look away when she answered; there was little reassurance in her voice. Gabe set one hand on the wheel and sighed. ”If you've been doing this since you were born, no one taught it to you. You wired yourself this way. If the wiring's bad, and it is--” he looked pointedly at her for emphasis, ”--you can change it.”
While Ethiriel hadn’t returned her gaze, she could feel Gabe’s eyes on her and she nodded solemnly. She didn’t know how she was supposed to change, but he was right – she needed to. Rubbing her eyes, the Frei sighed and nodded again. ”I will try,” she stated again.
This time he nodded and relieved her of his stare. ”Then tell me the truth,” Gabe turned the key and, once more, the engine thrummed to life. He gripped the wheel with both hands and straightened his shoulders. ”Say something you think about me that you don't want to say to my face.”
Immediately Ethiriel floundered, quickly passing her glance back to Gabe with a quizzical stare. It was a tough thing to answer regardless of emotional disposition. She scoffed, thinking it over as she looked front and center.
”…I wish you and Henry were able to get along better, I suppose… Like you supposedly had when you were younger.”
The car was in drive but it didn't move.
Gabe stared ahead, lips tight and grip shifting. It took several seconds but he turned to look at Ethiriel again though she was turned away. ”Why?”
The Raevan could already feel the anxiety growing. ”I have a hard time with familial bonds. I do not know how to feel or understand them. I have seen you content, but I want to see you happy.”
He searched her face, for what he wasn't sure. Gabe looked forward and turned the wheel; the car drifted back onto the main road and adjusted to a steady pace before he responded. ”Family's overrated,” he said, eyes on the road, ”I don't need my brother in order to be happy.”
”But he needs you,” Ethiriel said, surprisingly sure of herself.
Gabe's posture stiffened in his seat. His head tilted slightly, as though he were about to face her, but he refrained. Several moments ticked by before he cleared his throat and took a slow breath. ”Good try.”
A small, timid smile threatened the Frei’s lips, to which she only obliged a little, and she turned away. It was hard, but it did admittedly feel nice being able to speak her mind and say her peace. Ethiriel leaned her arm against the car door again, but this time she didn’t cover her eyes and instead rested her cheek against her knuckles. She didn’t know how she was supposed to talk to Cesc about her feelings… but that would come with time.
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Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2016 8:49 am
QUEST
It was only a couple of weeks since the New Years party that Lab had held, but Ethiriel had definitely been looking forward to this time with Aina. They had planned it then, eagerly looking time together since their usual babysitting routine had been interrupted by surgery. The silver Frei had felt terrible for so long about having not reached out for the younger Raevan since her initial surgery -- though it wasn't exactly either of their faults given scheduling.
Henry had offered to give them a ride to the small outlet mall not far from either of their homes. He had also suggested that it just be between the two of them -- Ethiriel could see now and was responsible enough to take care of Aina on her own, much like she had at the Clarke or Knight households.
Plus, in the nurse's eyes, they needed a little bit of girl time.
With Aina’s hand tight in her own, Ethiriel floated mindlessly forward, glancing at all the signs. Letting out a light scoff, the older Frei leaned down toward her companion. “Can you read, my little one?” she asked. She certainly couldn’t, especially in the small amount of time she had, had vision – there were no chances to learn.
Aina nodded happily up at Ethiriel with a large smile, “Mhm! Um…” she said, looking around. Finding the directory for the outlet, she pointed toward it and hovered closer. “There’s lotsa shops here…”
Glancing down, Ethiriel smiled at Aina, then, glanced around a the different windows. “We’ve got a few hours to spend… Is there any shop you would like to go to first?”
With one hand against her cheek, Aina looked up at the directory with a soft hum. “Umm…” Hopping up a little to point, she directed Ethiriel’s attention to a sign that said ‘Una Giostra Sweets Shoppe,’ then smiled up at Ethiriel. “Can we go there?”
Ethiriel chuckled, glancing down at Aina after having attempted to understand the signs. “We can go wherever you please.”
“Okay!” Aina grinned. “Everyone there’s really nice! An’ they have a lotta sweets… I know where it is!” Smiling, she guided Ethiriel along the outlet to get to Una Giostra – it was a few minutes’ walk away. “Can we get sweets for everyone? Does Henry like sweets?”
Humming out a laugh, Ethiriel gave Aina a quick nod and followed closely as the younger Frei led the way. “Why, of course! Henry did allot me some funds – we can get whatever you want.” Like a child, Ethiriel glanced around, soaking in the surroundings now that her eyes were mostly free of pain. “He does! Despite his diet, he does eat his fair share of confections.”
“What kinda sweets does he like?” Aina mused, swinging her and Ethiriel’s hands a little. “We get lemon candies for auntie Leigh an’ my uncle really likes toffee chocolate…”
Feeding into Aina’s swinging, Ethiriel said, “Well, Let’s see…” She swung Aina’s arm higher with each swing, her attention fully on the other Frei now. “I believe he likes sour candies in moderation. Perhaps we could get him something like that?”
“Okay! Um… does he like pastries too?” asked the pomegranate, leading them into a narrower alley of the oulet, looking at the stores – Una Giostra was nearby now, but she stopped to hover in front of a tea shop, her free hand pressed against the glass.
“He does certainly like pastries, though he only eats them every once in a while I am sure he would enjoy it, regardless.” Said Ethiriel, nearly continuing forward but stops when she feels Aina halt. Looking in at the teas and fancy dinner ware, the silver Frei smiled. “Would you like some?”
“Umm…” Aina hesitated, looking over at Una Giostra, then back to the tea shop; but after a moment, she looks up at Ethiriel with a shy smile and nods a little.
Gently squeezing Aina’s hand once she’s made her decision, Ethiriel met her smile with confidence. “Let’s go!” she exclaimed, pushing her and Aina’s arms out toward the door before gently leading them inside. “What is your favorite tea? Or maybe some porcelain caught your eye?”
Aina giggled as they reach past the doors, looking around the store cheerfully. Tilting her head side to side, she answered, “I like all kindsa tea…! What’s porcelain…?”
“That is wonderful! Tea is very good for you,” Ethiriel said, taking a glance around the shop for herself. “Hm? Oh, it is what most tea cups are made of. People make it – kind of like glass.”
“Mhmm!” she exclaimed, eyes widening. “Ooh… can we make tea cups too?” Aina asked, already distracted. Wandering off, she lead Ethiriel into the floral teas section and opened up a small tin to smell – rose, strawberries and vanilla; breathing in deeply, she held it out for Ethiriel with a smile.
Making faces as if she were thinking hard, Ethiriel raised her free hand to stroke her chin (something she had seen Henry do…), before answering, “I don’t see why we can’t! I shall talk to Henry and Duncan about that soon!” Smiling softly, she followed a couple paces behind Aina. “Oh?” she muses, leaning in to take a whiff rather than grabbing the tin. “Hmm… what a wonderful combination. Is this for Duncan?”
“Do you think he’d like it…?” Aina asked, holding the tin closer and looking at its contents before taking another whiff. She smiled, then looked at the label. “It says… um… ‘Sweetheart.” She glanced over at the shelves again and picked out another tin – rosehip, citrus peel, chamomile and lemongrass – then held it out to Ethiriel. “This one’s called ‘Mr. Sunshine!’”
Leaning in to take another whiff, Ethiriel closed her eyes with a hum. “I am sure he would love it,” she said, chuckling as she gently placed her palm against the back of Aina’s head. “It certainly fits the title. And ‘Mr. Sunshine,’ hmm?” Breathing deeply, she gave an appreciative sound. “These are all very lovely. Do you have an intended for this one, too?”
“Hmm…” Aina thought, a smile growing off on her. “Henry! Can we buy this one for him?”
Ethiriel watched Aina ponder, the younger Frei’s making hers grow as well. “What a lovely idea! I’m sure he would love it!” she said, holding her hand out for the tin.
Smiling wide, Aina nodded. “Okay! Um…” Looking around and smiling, she picked up a few tins. “Um… should we get more stuff for other people too…?”
“What a wonderful idea!” Ethiriel smiled warmly, gently running her hand once through Aina’s hair. “Perhaps Mordekai would enjoy some, as well?”
“Ooh… okay!” the raindrop grinned, eyes wandering around the shop. “Umm… what kinda tea?”
Ethiriel grinned as wekk and chuckled, “Well, let’s see…” Browsing the aisle for a moment, she picked up a tin of Jasmine Pearls and looked it over for a moment before showing it to Aina. “Maybe this?” She laughed. “I cannot read; I am sorry. It smells nice, at least.”
Aina stared at the tin for a moment, then reached out for it. “What’re jasmine pearls?”
Staring at it for a moment, Ethiriel handed it to Aina and shrugged. “To be quite honest, I am not sure,” she chuckled, looking back at the packages with flowers and fruits. “Perhaps packed into small spheres?”
“Ooh…” Aina nodded, holding onto the packet of jasmine pearls, then thinks over who else might enjoy tea. She bounced a little, tapping Ethiriel on the arm. “Can we get tea for Cruz an’ Anita, too?” Falling a little quiet, she continued, “Cruz is all sick an’ stuff ‘cause of winter…”
“Another wonderful idea,” Ethiriel agreed, smiling down at Aina and offering her a gentle nod. “What kind do you think he would like? Maybe something with honey?”
“Yeah! Somethin’ with honey… an’ peppermint?” Aina suggested, wandering a little ahead of Ethiriel, staring curiously between the aisles of tea. “Lots apeople eat peppermint when it’s winter…”
Ethiriel hummed in thought, “that sounds absolutely perfect!” The Frei was mostly sure that Cruz liked most things Christmas related, anyway. “I don’t know if honey and peppermint would be in a mixture, but we can certainly try to find some. If not, peppermint may be a better choice than honey for him.”
Glancing up at Ethiriel, Aina presented a few packages of tea containing peppermint. “Mhm! Peppermint tea’s really tasty with honey!” she said, holding up the various teas for Ethiriel to examine. “Do these sound tasty?”
Beaming, obviously pleased, Ethiriel took a couple of the teas and observed them, bringing them up to her nose to smell but raised a brow when she couldn’t smell through the package – then, looked over their labels. “Would you mind reading these? The pictures don’t explain much—“
“Uhuh! Um…” Aina said, holding the teas back down to eye level and stared at each package, slowly reading over them. “Umm… once’s peppermint an’ vanilla… an’ this one’s peppermint an’ ginger an’ cinnamon…” she giggled a little, staring at the last package for a moment. “This one’s got candy cane an’ black tea in it!”
Ethiriel listened carefully as Aina read the teas off, hovering closer so she could look at the pictures alongside her. “How about we get the vanilla and cinnamon ones? I’m sure Cruz would love them!”
“Okay!” Aina nodded, putting the rest back in their proper cabinets, then returns to holding one of Eth’s hands, the teas they selected under her other arm. “D’you want tea too, Eth?”
“Thank you, little one, but not today. Let us pay for these and we can look around some more outside at the other shops?” Ethiriel asked, taking Aina’s hand and held it close to her side as they hovered toward the counter, digging out her wallet to pay.
Once paid for, the Two Freis left the shop to move back out to the shopping center.
Looking around at the different shops, looking through each one since she couldn’t read the signs, Ethiriel stopped Aina short as they passed a music store – more specifically, to look at a grand piano that had caught her attention. “Would you like to go in there? Their piano is much larger than Duncan’s.”
Pressing her palm to the glass, Aina’s nose poked at the surface. “Oooh…” she giggled. “it’s all big an’ silly! Can someone really play it?”
Giggling along with Aina, Ethiriel responded, “I would assume so. I have seen a movie where someone had played one this large. I wonder if we are allowed to play?” She then gently nudged Aina’s arm with a grin.
“Ooh…” Aina giggled again, up at Ethiriel. “Um, um… can we ask someone?”
Gently patting Aina between her wings, Ethiriel beamed down at her. “Let’s go find out, shall we?” The silver fre glanced around to find the door and lead Aina in, then looked around for an associate – before they could find one, they’re approached by a man.
Aina was quick to hid behind Ethiriel as they entered the store.
“What can I do for you ladies today?” he asked, looking over them with raised brows.
Smiling brightly, Ethiriel motioned toward the piano. “Are we allowed to play?”
Looking to the piano for a second, then back to Ethiriel, he nodded. “Sure! That’s what it’s there for! You two interested in buying?”
Staring wide-eyed at the associate, Aina glanced up at Ethiriel with uncertainty. “Um…”
Chuckling as Aina hid, Ethiriel lifted her chin and smiled brightly at the man. “Oh, I’m sorry – not today. Maybe if we find something we like.”
Deflating, the man responded, “Okay. Well, if you find anything, lemme know.”
Turning back to Aina, Ethiriel cupped the back of the younger Frei’s head as the man walked away. “Are you ready?”
Aina nodded at Ethiriel – once the associate left, she floated a little closer to the grand piano, her smile broadening.
Floating just behind Aina, Ethiriel sat on the bench before the piano. She lightly ran her fingers over the keys, then looked back to her companion. “What should we play first?”
With her arms folded over the edge of the seat, Aina didn’t quite sit yet. Thinking for a moment, she hummed, “Umm…” She then smiled sheepishly up at Ethiriel, wiggling a little. “I dunno…”
Ethiriel chuckled again, and then turned to the piano. Running her fingers over it again, she pushed down one key and reeled back at the rich sound in surprise.
Gasping in surprise, Aina grinned. After some struggling, she managed to hop onto the piano bench to look at the keys closer – she pressed on another key after Ethiriel, and at the loud sound, she giggled and glanced toward the older Frei. “It’s really loud!”
“It certainly is!” Ethiriel laughed, pressing down another key and gently nudges Aina playfully. “I never heard the difference in the movie!”
Aina laughed and rested against Ethiriel’s side. She then nodded, extending her arms out to play a little jingle, then glanced up at the tea Frei again.
Ethiriel’s smile softened as Aina played, then showed a playfully toothy grin when Aina looked to her. Looking back down, she placed her fingers on the ‘appropriate’ keys and started to play, but she kept hitting the wrong noes – surprised, and slightly annoyed, she then tried to play again but the keys made her dizzy just to look at and backed off a little. “O-oh, wait…” she said, smiling again at Aina, a little nervously, but tries – and fails – again with a small scoff.
Aina stopped playing when Ethiriel chimed in with her own keys and watched curiously Her smile fell when she noticed Eth’s struggle. “It’s okay, um… d’you want this key?” she asked, pointing at one an octave or so away from where the silver Frei was playing.
Glancing at the offered key, Ethiriel hesitantly nodded and switched places with Aina. “Maybe that will help…” she said, getting dizzy staring at the keyes again, not used to repeated patterns, and fumbles once again. This time, the silver Raevan was a little more frustrated. “Hmm.. I don’t understand…” she hummed, pressing down a single key and held it until the sound tapered off in the end.
The pomegranate watched Ethiriel with some worry. Cautiously, she asked her a question, “U-um… it’s okay… have you been practicin’ an’ stuff…?”
Ethiriel exhaled slowly, but perked up at Aina’s asking. “Well… not since before the surgery – loud noises hurt for a bit…”
Immediately, an understanding hit Ethiriel.
“Oh… then maybe you just gotta practice a little more! It’s okay…” she smiled reassuringly at Eth. “Can you find the middle C?”
Humming, Ethiriel nodded. “That’s probably what it is,” she said, nodding again at Aina’s question, then turned back to the keyboard and immediately became confused. “W-well…” she said. After a short moment, she exhaled and closed her eyes, then ran her fingers over the keyboard. Counting in her head, she quickly found the right key.
Nodding, Aina kept quiet as Ethiriel found the key – when she did, Aina clapped, overjoyed. “You found it! Umm… d’you remember how to play… the first song we learned together?” she asked, smiling a little.
Chuckling at Aina’s response, and after a moment of thought, Ethiriel nodded. “Of course, little one. How could I forget?” she asked. Smiling softly, she attempted to play with her eyes open but immediately fumbles and becomes exasperated and slumps in her seat. “I say I do—“ she laughed, then tried again with her eyes closed and manages to play through, though rather slowly.
Aina looked between Ethiriel and the grand piano while the tea Frei attempted to play, wincing a little at the first attempt, but when Ethiriel managed it on the second try, she became relieved. “You did it!” she exclaimed, looking up at Ethiriel and nudged her arm. “Ethiriel, you’re doin’ really good!”
Leaving her eyes closed for a brief moment, even as Aina cheered her on, Ethiriel sighed in relative relief. She finally glanced down at the nudging, however, and grins again. “I clearly need more practice…” she said, looking first to the keys and then back at Aina. “What about you, little one? Have you learned any new songs in my absence?”
“You can do it! We can start practicin’ again together soon, right?” Aina grinned at Ethiriel, then glances back to the keys, humming. “Umm… not a full song… I’m learnin’ a song by Ms. Joplin!”
Smiling warmly, Ethiriel nodded. “Of course we can. We shall discuss it with Duncan later, yes?” Her eyes remained on Aina, even when she looked away. “I would love to hear it.”
“Okay! Oh—um… it’s not gonna be very good…” Aina wiggled closer to Ethiriel, extending her hands out to begin playing some rough keys along the lines of Cry Baby.
Ethiriel watched her little one play, and even with the fumbled notice and cautious playing, she enjoyed every moment of it.
However, the tea Frei couldn’t stop thinking about how much better she was at playing “blindly.” The more she thought about it, the less surprising it was – the patterns of the keys were too much for her eyes and she had learned by feel rather than sight. For a brief moment, she thought about that night in the log cabin, seeing that sight, the image of Cesc kissing Zurine, the thought of not being able to see – or rather, not wanting to see. Shaking her head, Ethiriel brought herself back into their current realm, of Aina playing before her.
This was what she wanted, right?
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