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 Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 8:57 pm
Who: Candice (Rookeries), Henry and Ethiriel (NeonMace)
When: Mid March 2016
Where: The Knight's
Weather: Clear and a little chilly
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 9:04 pm
As promised, Henry was kept in the dark about what exactly had happened. It was amazing, it was wonderful -- words of reassurance were given to the nurse. He had worried over them, but a long talk with his brother put Henry in his place and he had finally learned to calm. Worry and excitement kept him on the edge of his seat as he waited for the return of Candice and Ethiriel; Gabe would have thrown a fit to see his brother sitting on the porch waiting for them to pull up.
At least he wasn't fidgeting, but rather messing with apps on his phone.
Ethiriel, almost the opposite of Henry, rested calmly in the passenger side seat, her head leaned back and eyes closed. She breathed evenly, her hands resting against her new stomach just to feel it as she inhaled and exhaled. It was really calming and gave her a new spin on life. Things were okay. They were always okay.
It took all of Henry's strength not to jump off of the bench as the two finally pulled up. He waved excitedly at them both, but faltered when Ethiriel didn't immediately jump out of the car -- if something good had happened, why was she still so still?
Sometimes he forgot that, that was just how the Raevan was.
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Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2016 1:07 pm
After Ethiriel's transformation, there were only two more days left of camp. Those two days went by quickly and smoothly, better than Candice could hope for. The trouble only came when they returned to Fairview Middle.
Unlike the successful reassurances Candice had given Henry, Hyunae's family was less than receptive of the news. Their accusations weren't surprising - what kind of school would let a middle school girl wander outside alone in the middle of the night? They called all of Fairview irresponsible, and more crassly, idiotic. Despite Hyunae's protests that the situation was more complex than her parents could imagine, her mother and father were intent on never letting her on another field trip again. Minae, her older sister, had even broken down in tears at the front of Fairview's campus. The other guardians and parents looked on worriedly at the sight until Candice ushered the family into her office.
Hyunae's family hadn't even blinked an eye when Candice explained how Ethiriel had found her, how much the Raevan had endured to keep Hyunae safe. As Hyunae's family left in a fit of rage and hurt, Candice couldn't help but think that she'd somehow ruined this for Ethiriel and Hyunae both. Hyunae had confided in Candice that her hikes were a solace away from home, and she knew Ethiriel had a special bond with the girl. Now they'd never see one another again, if the Oungs had their way.
It was a difficult decision, but Candice thought it best not to tell Ethiriel about the family's decision. Candice didn't want to disturb the newly formed Sigel's sense of peace, however out of place it felt for her. She could only wish she could siphon a fraction of Ethiriel's calm for herself. And, even if Candice was glad to be home, she couldn't help but feel a sense of dread as she pulled up to Henry's parkway.
"Here we are, Ethiriel," Candice let out a small sigh, unbuckling herself. She waved at Henry from behind the windshield. She laughed at the enthusiasm that seemed to brighten the man's whole being. "Henry's pretty excited to see you. Let's... not keep him waiting."
Candice had to mentally pry herself away from the seat. She extended her arms out to Henry for a hug, smiling tiredly. "Hi, honey. How've you been?"
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Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2016 6:04 pm
Not knowing that Hyunae's parents forbade her to go on trips anymore, save from what little backlash she heard upon Candice speaking to them, Ethiriel had still been winding down from the high of growth. She was exhausted, sniffly and ready to be home, and surely hearing this news wasn't the best for this very point in time.
She would learn the hard way, however.
As Candice piled out of the car to embrace Henry, Ethiriel slowly pulled herself out of the passenger seat and hovered just enough to where she assumed they could both see her face. She smiled as the two of them greeted each other.
"Hey, sweets!" Henry exclaimed, scooping Candice up into his arms to spin her around once. As her feet hit the ground, Henry beamed. "Restless! But luckily I had plenty of work to keep me busy!" He then leaned in and gave her a gentle yet lingering kiss on the lips, smile still present. Looking over to Ethiriel, the nurse couldn't help but soften his expression -- she seemed a bit better! There was a gentle smile, to say the last. "How'd your trip go, Ethiriel?"
There was a momentary pause on the Sigel's end as she thought of what to say, lingering behind the car for just a moment before coming around. "It went well, I think," she said, unfolding her arms as she presented her new stomach to her guardian.
This was met with widened eyes and a slack jaw, though Ethiriel couldn't see it.
Turning to glance at Candice, Ethiriel, back to Candice and finally rest on Ethiriel, Henry's slack jaw twisted into the widest of smiles. He gently squeezed Candice before letting the counselor go so that he could round the car to meet his Raevan. "Ethiriel!"
"Everything is fine."
After his initial approach and general hesitation, Henry threw his arms around Ethiriel's shoulders and held her close. The Raevan did much the same, wrapping her arms around Henry's waist to bury her head in his shoulder. While he didn't outright cry, there was emotion in the nurse's voice. "I'm so proud of you! Look at you! You're so beautiful!"
Once they finally let go, Henry rested his hands on Ethiriel's shoulders at arm length's away. "So this is the surprise?" he asked, glancing back at Candice to beam once more.
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Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 12:38 pm
Being picked up and spun around by Henry came at a pleasant surprise, and despite feeling so worn, Candice found herself laughing. She returned the kiss, smoothing out Henry's bangs to admire his face. "I knew you wouldn't be bored," she replied, smiling as she backed away from the two to grab the luggage from the trunk.
By the time she rounded back around to Henry and Ethiriel, her arms piled on with sports bags fat enough to overshadow her face, the three were met with silence. It didn't take long for Henry to break out of his stupor, and Candice rested the bags on the floor, chuckling while Henry and Ethiriel reunited. She felt happy for them, overwhelmingly so, and admired them from her seat on top of her suitcase.
"This is the surprise," Candice grinned, letting out a small sigh. She let out a rattled laugh. "Oh, boy, Ethiriel had me worried at first. I don't even know how to describe what all happened..."
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Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 6:20 pm
"Worried, huh?" Henry asked, looking back to Ethiriel -- she looked fine; in fact, she looked so much better than she had in what felt like so long. The nurse didn't quite know or understand what made Raevans grew, so her harrowing adventure would come as a surprise. "Let's go inside and get some refreshments! It's still a little chilly--" A sniffle from Ethiriel made that clear.
With a smile, Ethiriel locked on to the silver ring on Henry's middle finger as he lead the both of them into the house. Her throat was a little scratchy and her nose was beginning to stuff up -- all new experiences for the Raevan.
"That sounds lovely," Ethiriel said, reaching out to lightly touch Henry's arm. "I would love some hot water."
"Hot water it is! And what about you, Candice?" Henry beamed again, unable to stop smiling now that the beans were spilled. Ethiriel had grown! He had wondered for a while how and when that generally happened to Raevans, and soon he'd learn how difficult it had been. For now, instead, he was in high spirits.
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2016 12:42 pm
"Very worried, but it's all fine now," Candice punctuated with a laugh, sighing lightly. She stood, grabbing their luggage off of the ground to follow behind Henry and Ethiriel. Already flustered from the sordid affair at Fairview, and heavily dressed to boot, Candice hadn't noticed just how chilly it was outside.
"Oh, I hope you're not catching a cold, honey," Candice frowned, resting the suitcases at the foyer, wanting to deal with them later. She was already headed to the kitchen by the time Henry had addressed her. "I'll go get the drinks. Do you want anything, Henry?"
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Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2016 4:26 pm
As they walked inside, Henry kept his hand planted squarely but gently on Ethiriel's shoulder, leading her. Once they were inside and out of the chill, however, the nurse consciously removed them so that the Sigel could lead herself like he knew she could.
Ethiriel greatly appreciated this, though she didn't say it. "I'm sure I'm fine, Candice..." Another sniffle, "Thank you for your concern, though."
Henry, as Candice set down her bags, scooped them up, himself, and set them aside -- in the excitement of Ethiriel's growth, it had skipped his mind to help his girlfriend carry her bags and as reality set in, guilt grew. "Oh, okay! I should have some ice tea in the fridge!" He didn't feel the need to mention that she could have whatever she wanted since she was over often enough.
Everyone's footsteps led into the living room and Ethiriel followed silently, eyes heavily lidded with a serene smile on her face. Despite her stuffy head -- a strange, new experience -- she felt amazing; the magic that coursed through her felt stronger, she had more energy and she just felt so much better physically and emotionally than she had in quite a while. She couldn't shake the feeling of all the apologies she needed to offer, but those would come soon enough.
Floating over towards her normal spot on the couch, the Sigel lowered herself gently into place and relaxed, leaning her head back like she had been in the car. After all that adventure, it felt good to be home in a peaceful environment. Ethiriel loved the kids -- but children were noisy and constantly busy.
"I'm glad you guys seemed to have had a good time!" said the nurse, loud enough so Candice could also hear from the kitchen as he sat down across from his Raevan. "So, what exactly happened? If you wanna talk about it, anyway?"
There was no flinch, no movement at all at the question, just a gentle hum as Ethiriel considered her answer. It had been a lot, a lot, and she didn't quite know where to begin or what details to offer.
"Well... the long and short of it, really, is that one of the students -- a young, blind girl -- wandered off and became lost. She's quite special to me so I set out to find her... I got separated from the search party but I was the one to locate her. We found our way back to camp and, well, this happened."
At the last statement, Ethiriel gestured towards her stomach.
Throughout the explanation, Henry stared intently -- while his brows had shifted expression as things changed, his lips remained in a solid smile. To be honest, the nurse wasn't even all that surprised! He knew Ethiriel had greatness in her, that she could do anything that she set her heart to.
And he was beyond proud.
Engrossed, attention fully on Ethiriel, Henry hadn't even noticed Candice's return with the drinks -- the Sigel already having the mug of hot water in her hand after issuing a nod of thanks.
"That's so great!" he beamed at both of them, his smile growing. "Thank you so much for suggesting this trip, Candice... It did wonders and wonders!"
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Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 4:15 pm
Candice let the two speak as she silently prepared the drinks in the kitchen. With the house's layout, it was easy enough for her to listen to them both as she spoke. She rested against the counter and waited with crossed arms as the Keurig heated up Ethiriel's water, and Candice stared at the two cups of iced tea resting across from her.
Just the mention of Hyunae made Candice flinch. But she breathed in deep, collected herself, and set the cups on a breakfast platter. She headed for the living room during the expanse of silence between the newly formed Sigel and Henry, smiling gently at Ethiriel when she received her mug.
"I'm glad you came out okay, honey," Candice said, kissing the Sigel on the cheek. She rested the platter at the foot of the couch and finally sat next to Henry, smoothing out her pants. After the spat with Hyunae's family, the last thing Candice had expected to come from Henry was a word of thanks. It was difficult not to hide her wincing gesture, but she smiled brightly at the brunette, and reached for her cup of iced tea.
"I guess so," Candice said, letting out a sheepish laugh. She took a sip of her tea. "I just wish... things didn't have to happen this way," she said, eyeing Henry. Was this a good time to admit what Hyunae's parents had said to her? She didn't know. "With... Hyunae going missing and all. I'm just glad our girls are okay."
Her smile grew more genuine, and Candice turned fondly to Ethiriel. "You were very strong, Ethiriel. Thank you so much. I'm so sorry you couldn't grow in a more comfortable place..."
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Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 4:30 pm
Ethiriel instinctively leaned her cheek into Candice's gentle kiss, her own smile softening just a tad. Yeah, she was okay -- everything was okay... at least, as far as the Sigel had been made aware. For now, she was at peace and home safely, comfortably; she knew she was going to sleep well tonight in her own bed with her own pillows, and Nedhudir nestled warmly at her side.
Feeling around for the platter to grab her mug, Ethiriel relaxed with a hum. "It was unfortunate that it had started out the way it did, but... I mean, some good came out of it." Even though it was Candice addressing her, the Raevan's eyes remained planted on Henry's ring -- surely the counselor was beside the man given their relationship and all, so it wasn't that far off course. "I think... these hardships were what caused my growth. Perhaps if things had been fine and comfortable, I might not have changed. I needed to realize a few things about myself and this trip really did help me come to terms with a lot of things.
"I have many people to apologize to; especially you two." Ethiriel said, brows furrowing lightly above her milky green eyes. She took a breath and fixed her smile. "I had been unfair to both of you. Henry... I never should have yelled at you or demand you leave me. All you were doing was trying to help and I pushed you away like an angry child."
Before Henry could interject, the Raevan then tried to glance to where she thought Candice was. "And Candice... I completely neglected to contact you at all during my tantrum. I'm more than certain that Henry had filled you in on everything, but I distanced myself greatly from those who care. I'm grateful you even wanted me to come on this hike after my attitude." In that pause, Ethiriel lightly stroked the side of her mug with her fingers, feeling the bumps beneath the resin.
With a moment's hesitation, she took an experimental sip.
When it seemed that Ethiriel was content with her words, Henry finally spoke up. "It was... it was a very, very hard time for you, Ethiriel. Nobody can say that they've experienced what you had, in the way you had, so we don't have the right to judge you on that." The nurse reached to his side for Candice's hand, squeezing gently. "I'm sure Cesc--" he paused, his own brows furrowing before he took a breath to continue. "He'll be more than glad to accept your apology. Given the way things ended... I'm sure he's already forgiven you -- it's just how he is. He's not mad."
Ethiriel had no idea that Henry had been keeping tabs with the stag behind the scenes.
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Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2016 4:16 pm
Candice had hardly been regaled on the nature of Raevan growths, and the research she had done on her own time had produced little results. Despite Ethiriel's own reassurance that this was how things were meant to be, Candice couldn't hide the concerned press of her brow from her expression, her hand reaching for one of Henry's as the Raevan spoke. Still, she wanted to say, if comfort meant no growth at all, it would have been better.
But there was no shaking how Ethiriel felt, and if she had seen any light in this scenario, Candice was not going to darken it. When Ethiriel began sisuing her apologizes, Candice glanced at Henry, frowning, her hand holding tightly onto his.
"Honey, Henry is right," Candice began, tone soft and sweet. She set her iced tea back on the coffee table in front of her, and she put her other hand over Henry's, too, shaking her head. "Thank you for your apologies, but... really, all we wanted was for you to be okay. It's a relief to hear you feel better," she said, smiling.
"I'm not sure who Cesc is, sweetheart," she glanced at Henry with a confused smile, "But if it's someone you care about, Ethiriel, the best thing you can do for him is to talk with him. I don't know what he could be mad at you for, what he even has to forgive you for," she continued, reaching forward for Ethiriel's hand, "But if you're feeling better... there's never been a more perfect time to address those problems between you two. Henry and I will always be there to support you."
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Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2016 4:26 pm
Feeling the sting in her eyes, Ethiriel's heart thrummed. Her smile trembled but remained strong otherwise as she nodded, bringing the back of her knuckles against her cheek, followed by another sniff -- both from emotions and residual cold. "I do feel better..." she said, wiping her face delicately.
Candice was right; she needed to speak with Cesc as soon as possible to clear the air... as well as sort out a whole new worry for him -- with his comforting aura, Ethiriel had let slip some of her feelings at the worst time... who knew what he was thinking now? They desperately needed to figure things out after their last meeting. The Sigel nodded, keeping the back of her hand against her eyes while her free one took Candice's outreached one.
"We're here for you no matter what, Ethiriel. No matter what you need, we'll do our best to help."
Squeezing Candice's hand, Ethiriel let out a choked laugh. "Thank you... Both of you..."
Henry reached is hand out to meet both Ethiriel and Canadice's, giving them both a warm, sturdy squeeze. "You're part of the family, Eth. We've got you through thick and thin."
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