[PRP] I'll Be Good [FIN]

[DystopicRhythm]

Who: Hyunae, Candice (Rookeries) and Ethiriel (NeonMace)
When: Mid march 2016
Where:At Fort Richmond, a family friendly camping grounds in Bass'ken.
Weather: Chilly and damp.  

[DystopicRhythm]

It was such a relief. A weight had been lifted from the Frei's shoulders as Hyunae led her up the hill, hand in hand. There was still some tension, of course, but already things seemed to be looking up. Ethiriel hoped that Hyunae would come to forgive her, sincere or not, and she squeezed her hand lightly.

She had come a long way, Ethiriel realized. If it hadn't been for Hyunae, the Frei might never have come out on her own. She had always relied on others – Henry, Gabe and all of her friends, but this young, blind girl taught her to reach out and become self-reliant. Hyunae was an inspiration, a role model, and Eth couldn't help but be proud of her. Having been through her own hardships, highs and lows, the Frei appreciated this girl's blunt speech and determination.

Ethiriel floated just behind Hyunae as they climbed up the hill, allowing the girl to lead since, again, she had feet while the Frei did not – and she certainly didn't want Hyunae hurting herself, again.

She had come a long way.

Along with Hyunae, Ethiriel had a few other people she could admit helped her a lot... Gabe, especially. He had helped her come out of her shell and be her own person rather than the Frei trying to conform and be something forced. He had only ever helped him and she figuratively spat in his face. She could live freely thanks to his advice, and her poor behavior was how she repaid him.

And Henry. He had only ever been supportive of Ethiriel in the time he'd known her.

Even Candice. Rhedefre. Anyone who could be called her friend. They only ever tried to help her. So many apologies to give, so many wounds to heal. Ethiriel had done a lot of thinking over this trip, over her time with the counselors and with the kids; she needed to change – and she was going to.

For the better.

Hyunae gave the Frei so much strength, whether she realized it or not. She had a spitfire personality, bold and brave, doing anything in her power to rely on herself and no one else. Ethiriel admired these features in her from the moment they met and longed for them in herself. After her disappearance, the Frei could only focus on one thing and one thing alone: finding her and apologizing. It felt like her sorrows fell upon deaf ears with Hyunae's personality, but she hoped her words were sincere enough to reach the girl, even through her tough exterior.

Their walk was quiet, and after their prior discussion, Ethiriel was somewhat glad – not that she didn't want to talk things out, but because silence was sometimes the best medicine: it gave them both time to think of what to say properly rather than blurting out whatever nonsense first came to mind.

She didn't mind it.

The more the Raevan thought about it throughout this trip, her behavior over the past few months had been absolutely ridiculous: losing her sight wasn't such a bad thing and it never had been. It was part of who she was and would always be, it seemed. Ethiriel liked having her “original” senses back, what she was used to, and how she would stay. She didn't need sight – and Hyunae was proof of that. Listening to the girl's footfalls as they trudged up the hill helped ground the Frei. She closed her eyes and listened to the crunches beneath Hyunae's feet.

Hyunae's words about being a child, having to learn more -- it hit Ethiriel hard. She had never thought in those terms, of those circumstances, and it struck a chord in the Frei. Yes, she needed to learn. She wanted to learn. Hoping to learn more from Hyunae, from Henry and Gabe, from Candice, Cesc and her other friends. Ethiriel was technically still a child... she had only turned four a few months prior, but she had always been treated as an adult in the eyes of others. Sure, she was born from science and was inhuman despite appearances, but she was still a child. She had a lot that she needed to find out, to grow from.

Ethiriel would learn. She had to.

She didn't want to taint Hyunae's idea of her. Or anyone's. Ethiriel wanted to learn from her mistakes.

She had to.

Long had Ethiriel admitted to poor behavior. She had been aware of it for a while, yet she didn't make any efforts to change it and dug herself even further down into her self pity. The Frei knew this had to change, and that first step would start now. With Hyunae in her hand, Ethiriel felt like she could take on the world, her fears and burdens, her limits. She could gain from this.

Already she was feeling much better, slowly climbing out of her deep hole she had dug herself into.

Ethiriel wanted to speak up but couldn't find the words, lost in her own thought. Hoping the silence was as okay for Hyunae as it was for her, the Frei continued to follow just behind her. With each step closer to camp, the more the Raevan came to ease in spirit. They'd be back to the cabins soon, to the warmth and the welcoming arms of other worried friends. Back into safety.

Just as promised, Ethiriel read the posted signs on the way aloud for Hyunae. She kept her voice low, soft, private and only for the girl to hear despite their being alone on the trail. Her pheromones were in full effect, calming both of them enough to not worry about being lost anymore – though a good chunk of that was relieved by them being on the trail to begin with.

”We're just about at the peak,” said Ethiriel as she squeezed Hyunae's hand again, her hand sliding off the pressed metal of the sign. ”That means just down the hill, about a mile, is the cabin. We're almost there.”

Gently guiding Hyunae forward instead, Ethiriel lead slowly up the hill. She was careful of any movements the girl made as to not allow her to trip, but now the Frei was confident enough to take charge -- especially after their conversation.

The walk remained quiet other than Ethiriel reading off the various signs along the way, making sure they were on track. The sun was to rise soon but the air was still crisp and chilly as they walked. It wasn't long before the opening of the campsite was near, the Frei confirmed, and she let out a heavy sigh of relief, her hand gently squeezing Hyunae's.  

[Rookeries]

Hyunae squeezed Ethiriel's hand in return. She couldn't place how much time had passed since they began their walk - her stuffy nose and the sound of birds up on the trees made her head feel numb. It was bound to be sunrise soon, and Hyunae had never stayed up this late before; all she wanted to do now was crawl into bed and sleep, maybe after having a bite or five of something to eat. Remembering the pasta she'd left behind to go on her disastrous walk made her regret everything so much more.

What made her regret everything the most, though, was hearing voices up ahead: "Ethiriel! Hyunae!" came someone from the distance. She remembered Winona's voice, and the camp guide's footsteps were accompanied by a few others. With a grimace, Hyunae sighed.

"Is it too late to turn back around?" she asked, "I really don't wanna deal with... everyone."  

[DystopicRhythm]

Even with Ethiriel's silver withdrawn and away from the cold, a shiver still ran through the Frei as the dew settled on her clothes and skin. Her own nose had become stuffy and uncomfortable, but she held down her sniffles as much as possible.

The voices calling them made the Frei perk, a wave of relief washing over her -- they made it! They were home free! However, Hyunae's interjection made Ethiriel chuckle and offer another squeeze.

"Where will you go? There is no one to drive the buses," she said, her tone joking despite it being a serious note. "Everything will be fine."

Finally, the two girls reached the top as the sun finally peeked over the horizon. Its light was enough to bring a warm comfort to Ethiriel, who closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She'd never been awake this long either and she was beyond tired, grateful that their little misadventure was finally coming to an end.  

[Rookeries]

Despite Ethiriel's reassurance, Hyunae wavered, freezing in her steps as the impending sound of footsteps of everyone at the campgrounds drew closer. In the mix of voices that called out Ethiriel and Hyunae's name, she could hear her friends'; Ivy was chief among them, and Hyunae shrunk. "Everything's not gonna be fine," Hyunae replied, trying to rub the grime off of her face, "I got lost, and... Ivy and everyone else is gonna laugh."  

[DystopicRhythm]

"If they laugh, you can direct them to me," Ethiriel said, releasing Hyunae's hand and placed them both on the girl's shoulders. Lifting her chin, she silently motioned for Hyunae to continue forward before waving blindly at the group of approaching people. "We found each other! We're okay!"  

[Rookeries]

Hyunae didn't have much time to reply, but she smiled, comforted at last by Ethiriel's words. Before Hyunae could even think, Ivy tackled her into a firm hug, sending them both rolling onto the floor, the other students around them circling the two returners.

"Hyunae, we thought you were dead! 100% dead, like, a ghost!" Ivy cried, clinging to Hyunae, "Where were you?"

"I'm fine! Get off of me!" Hyunae screamed, pushing Ivy's face away; despite her indignance, Hyunae was laughing. When Ivy didn't budge, Hyunae hugged her instead, sitting contently on the ground. "I was taking a walk. Loser."

"Liar. You got lost, didn't you?" Ivy snapped, "I told you I would've gone with you!"

"Girls, can you calm down, please?" Winona asked - she placed one hand on Ethiriel, concerned. "Ethiriel, what happened? We've been trying to look for both of you for at least... it must have been four hours," she said, glancing at her wristwatch for the time. "Are you two alright? Where'd you find Hyunae?"

"We were really gone for that long?" Hyunae asked, and Winona nearly reeled in surprise.

"You've been gone for even longer, believe you me!" With a deep breath, Winona shook her head, placing a hand on Ethiriel's back to lead her into the campsite. "Anyway, we should get you and Hyunae to bed. I'll call everyone back while you two rest."  

[DystopicRhythm]

Ethiriel retracted her hand as Hyunae was tackled to the ground, but laughed as soon as the girl bit back. With a hum, she crossed her arms and turned her attention to Winona. "I accidentally separated from the search party early on, but figured that covering more ground would have been the better solution. We found the trail because of my silver, so I'm glad Candice came up with that idea. We--"

As soon as Winona's hand found its way to the Frei's back, Ethiriel froze in place, eyes widening in shock.

With one labored breath, silver pooled out of the Raevan's pores, coating her skin as she hovered in place -- even over her clothing. Forming just below Winona's hand, the silver overtook the Frei and soon became a cocoon. Ethiriel didn't fall to the ground despite this, staying afloat. Her silver glistened in the morning sunlight, reflecting like a mirror. Any words or actions taken towards the Frei were missed as the silver overtook her.  

[Rookeries]

Winona could only gasp and reel back as Ethiriel froze in place, eyes widening at the display. A few of the students nearby screamed, and Ivy clutched Hyunae closer to her. A flurry of chaos ensued thereafter; a gaggle of people rushed to the newly formed coccoon, and Winona hurriedly tried to shoo them away.

"What's happening?!" Hyunae asked, struggling against Ivy's grip; she quickly stood, clumsily running toward the direction of the footsteps. Quickly, Ivy pulled Hyunae back toward her, holding her tightly around her waist.

"Stop! You're gonna get trampled!" Ivy shouted, gripping her fingers against Hyunae's jacket. "It's fine!"

"Everything's fine, everyone," Winona echoed, holding her hands out to block away any students from Ethiriel. "Head back to your cabins!"

Before Hyunae could object, another group of people approached from behind the campsite entrance. Among them was Candice.

"Oh my god - what is that? Silver? Wait..." Dropping her backpack, the brunette jogged as quickly as she could from the front of the group and through the crowd of students. "Winona! Where's Ethiriel?"

"I really don't know what to tell you," Winona replied, staring meekly at the floating cocoon. "She just... stopped moving."

"Oh, no," Candice whispered, covering her mouth with one hand; shakily, she warily placed her other palm against the surface of the strange object. "Ethiriel? Are you in there?" she asked, leaning in.  

[DystopicRhythm]

Unable to hear any of the commotion outside of the cocoon, Ethiriel remained frozen in place -- she wasn't even able to breathe. Slowly, the silver began to run further down where her stomach would be, nearly dripping as if an icicle would, but rather than creating cascading cones of silver, they rolled down like paint dripping down a canvas. This process took several minutes, picking up near the end as the silver finished -- not a single drop had hit the ground.

Starting with her crown, the silver began to soak back into the Frei's skin, and as soon as her nose and mouth were exposed, Ethiriel took a deep, desperate breath.

Breathing heavily, Ethiriel blinked once, twice, thrice, before glancing around in the darkness. She saw the last of the silver littered along the trail towards the campsite.

She felt... amazing. Her nose still tingled and she was cold, but Ethiriel could feel magic flowing through her. Her hands shot down to her newly formed torso and she gave out an amused scoff, a wide grin on her face.  

[Rookeries]

Only silence followed her question, and Candice slowly pulled her hand away, moving a few steps from the silver cocoon. The remaining supervisors and search party had caught up to the rendezvous by the time the cocoon began shifting - the small crowd inched away from it, many of the adults having to coax the surrounding kids back into the cabins.

In the din of concentrated whispers, Hyunae found it hard to stay still. "What's going on?" she asked, pushing herself up to stand as soon as she felt Ivy's hold on her weaken. The two girls walked just beside Candice, who immediately drew her hand out to block the two from going any further.

"What's going on?" Hyunae asked again, and Candice shook her head, her hand against her mouth in horror.

"I really don't know," Candice whispered.

As the minutes drew on, it felt like ages; the crowd thinned, most of the students dispersed back to their cabins to sleep for a few more hours before their morning began. Even Hyunae and Ivy returned to their cabins, even if it took some convincing on Winona and the supervisors' parts.

The only person that stayed to watch was Candice. She stood, frozen in place, as the cocoon continued to drip. She was beginning to wonder how long it would go on, if she'd have to return home to Henry while Ethiriel was in a strange stasis.

She thought, for a moment, if Ethiriel was stuck like this forever. Did Dr. Kyou know how to free her?

"Ethiriel?" Candice whispered, watching as silver trailed into the Raevan's skin. As soon as Ethiriel took another breath, Candice gasped, laughing in relief as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Oh my god, honey," she cried, running forward to hug Ethiriel as soon as she saw the grin on her face. "Are you okay? What happened?" she asked, face rested against Ethiriel's shoulder. After twelve hours and nearly six of them having lost Ethiriel, too, she felt overwhelmingly relieved. Sweaty, ragged, and tired, but relieved.

NeonMace

 

[DystopicRhythm]

Ethiriel's eyes widened at the sudden embrace, but as soon as what was happening fully registered they closed and she wrapped her arms around Candice in return. She let out another chuckle before sighing in relief, herself.

"I'm fine, I'm fine--" the Sigel assured, patting the counselor's back gently. "When I found Hyunae, we settled things. Everything is okay, now."

Parting, Ethiriel kept her hands on Candice's shoulders as she offered her a gentle, content smile. "It's cold..." she said with a sniffle, chuckling under her breath. She had been in the cool dampness of spring night for far too long with far too little clothing -- what she had on now was a bit more comfortable, but the fabric was still thin enough to chill her. "I'd like to rest..."

Rookeries

 

[Rookeries]

"Thank goodness," Candice cried, giving Ethiriel a gentle squeeze before leaning back to look at her. She hadn't quite processed the fact that the Raevan had changed, even with the dramatic change of clothes. "You're-- different," Candice laughed, flustering at her own unawareness.

It had been a long day. Her awe quickly faded to worry as soon as she remembered how long Ethiriel and her had both been up. "Oh, I'm sorry, sweetheart," Candice murmured, wrapping her arm around the Sigel to guide her to the cabins. "Let's all go get some rest. I think we can spare to sleep in... should we take you home early, honey? You must be exhausted."

NeonMace

 

[DystopicRhythm]

"I feel different!" Ethiriel laughed, relishing the contact for its brief moment. The shock hadn't worn off, leaving her almost as unaware as Candice despite having felt her new stomach with her own hands -- the magic coursing through her continued without pause. Despite the raw feeling of her throat, her nose becoming stuffy and the lack of sleep catching up, the new Sigel felt so much more alive than she had in quite a while.

She felt great.

With another laugh, Ethiriel shook her head as she was led forward. "It's okay, it's okay," she said, following without question. Her skin was chilly to the touch. "No, no... I'm fine! I'll be fine. I'd like to stay."

Even with the sun coming up and the warmth following, Ethiriel felt the chill deep in her bones and shivered under Candice's touch -- her hands were so warm, so welcoming.

Rookeries

 

[Rookeries]

Despite the harrowing circumstances that had lead to all this, Ethiriel seemed perfectly fine - so much so that it jarred Candice somewhat. Not an inch of the newly formed Sigel seemed scratched up or injured, and in the chaos of it all, she hadn't expected Ethiriel to laugh, let alone stand on her own.

But Candice was not going to complain. If this was the sudden end to an awful scenario, so be it. As soon as she let herself feel a hint of relief, the tired she'd pushed back for so long hit her with full force. She found herself leaning on Ethiriel just as much if not more than the Raevan was on her.

"If you're sure," Candice replied meekly in response, letting out a soft, happy sigh. Even if she wanted to protest the Raevan's decision, now was not the time to do it, especially with Ethiriel in seemingly good spirits. Clumsily, Candice laughed, walking carefully to the cabins. "Oh, this has been such an odd day," she mused, breathing in. She closed her eyes.

"Let's... just relax," she said, slumping. "And then... I have to give Henry a call. Okay, honey?"

NeonMace