Welcome to Gaia! ::

The hallowed fallen had been feeling right as rain and in good spirits of late. The magical healing of her collarbone had taken easily and Riya no longer had any soreness or issue with moving her arm. The actual cast was almost a badge of honor. Every so often in the beginning it would twinge, but Cherry had been most helpful in giving her a few exercises to do to keep her muscles from atrophying too much from their immobilization. As part of her appreciation, she had asked for her "autograph", offering her a sharpie to sign her cast, and offered to buy her a coffee sometime. Or whatever drink she may fancy. She didn't want to assume drink preference.

On this particular day, Riya had perhaps her final check up. About the necessary time had passed for her wearing her cast to give her wrist ample time to heal. Arriving a little early, she didn't have to wait hardly any time at all before being called back into an exam room. She had never minded visiting the doctor before, but after her broken arm, she almost seemed chipper when going in to get checked out on her follow ups. Any, why not? When there was a cute, kind nurse looking after her, how could she not be enjoying herself?

Riya had gotten a kick out of how Cherry's face blazed after being asked for her autograph, and she assured the cute hybrid that tea was perfectly fine in her book and that she look forward to sharing a drink with her sometime. The fallen felt at ease with the quiet nurse and was enjoying the growing friendship between them. When Cherry had caught up with her, Riya smiled, asking about her day, how work was going, and so forth while the doctor was gathering the saw for removing her cast. Letting the conversation pause during the actual cast removal, she thanked the doctor for their time as they skirted off to see to another patient. Rubbing her newly freed arm, she chuckled at the goosebumps that formed when her skin was exposed to the air. "Man, you never realize how much the little activities of your day-to-day effect your muscle mass." Her now no longer casted arm was somewhat more slender from the lack of use during its immobilization compared to its opposite.

Accepting the offered wrist brace, she slipped it on to sort of ease it into its new liberty. Plus, all the air on her newly bared skin made her feel a little cold. There wasn't any pain and once she got outside into the warmer air of the outdoors, she'd probably slip it off, but for now she wore it. "I can assure you, Cherry, you'll be the first to know. I may be okay though. After all, I've had a humdinger of a nurse making sure I've been on the mend." It had taken some work on her part, but when the shy geist/grimm met her eye, she had to bite her tongue to not gasp. Not from fear or anything, Cherry's skull pupils didn't bother her in the slightest. In Riya's opinion, her eyes were just about the loveliest shade of purple she had seen in a while. Emboldened by their shared solitude, she reached out to give Cherry's hand a squeeze. "When do you get off of work? I think a shared pot of tea is in order to celebrate, if you're up for it. There's a little hole in the wall tea lounge that's a chill, out of the way place that's got some good tea and snacks to sample from."

Ah, there was that little smile. Riya shifted the the small pheonix wings upon her back, their trailing feathers lightly crossing behind her. "That's wonderful! Since you're not going to be long, I could just wait in the waiting room until you're off and then we can head to the tea lounge together. Or, if you'd prefer, I can head over and snag us a nice table, that way it'll be waiting for you when you get off. Have you been to the Twilight Tea Lounge? If not, I can just hang here, so we can go together." Her interest was piqued. Something that couldn't be discussed at work? She'd gotten to know Cherry enough to know that she was a shy, private lady. Perhaps work life and home life were kept separate, even if for just personal comfort's sake. "I'd be happy to talk about whatever you're needing to. Let me go pay my co-pay in the front and I'll just be waiting for you in the waiting room." The fallen gave Cherry's hand another squeeze before slipping out of the room, turning back to flash a smile and give a little wink. "Don't keep me waiting too long," She practically chirped playfully. It wasn't like she was going to leave if Cherry got held up with whatever work thing that may happen. She trusted that she'd let her know if there was a holdup. Riya made her way back to the front desk to pay her bill and wait for Cherry to finish up with her shift.

"Sure thing! You know where to find me." Riya had no problem waiting in the waiting room for the little bit of time for Cherry to finish up with the last bit of her work. While she waited, she paid what she needed to and then casually paced around the room, pausing at the low coffee tables here and there to look at some magazine or another before putting it down and continuing her trek around the waiting room. Before getting too far into her third round of the room, out came Cherry. Riya stretched her limbs, her wings and arms, out and up as she moved to join the cute, shy hybrid at her side. Settling her wings back to their resting positions, she offered an elbow to Cherry. "Shall we? It's not too far, so it'll be a nice walk."

The Twilight Tea Lounge was several blocks away from the clinic, but the mild weather and pleasant company made the trek an easy one. Nestled on a partially obscured lower floor of a building built on along a steep hill. "The first thing that clued me into this place was just a short stairway leading down. I had no idea this place was here until I went exploring to see if I could find anything new," Riya explained as she held the door open for Cherry. It was a small place, with four small, round tables, a seating area made up of a couch and coffee table which were backed up to the big window which acted as the store front, shelves lined with loose leaf teas, and flowers and herbs for mixing you own blends, and a counter which had a small case of baked goods on top and a small kitchenette behind it, really just a tiny refrigerator and a small cooking range for heating kettles and any dairy for the teas/blends that required them.

"Feel free to sit wherever," Chimed the person behind the counter. "The menus of our blends and available mixes are on the tables. Plus, the lists of our loose ingredients are on the back if you'd like to make one up yourselves. I can help you whenever you're ready."

Riya nodded as she moved to sit opposite Cherry. "Thank you. We'll let you know when we are. What looks good?"

Riya had only ever come back by the tea lounge a couple of times since discovering the little hidden gem. She was pouring over the menu, debating on whether or not to get one pot to split, or get two smaller pots so that they could both try and share different brews. Plus, those pastries were looking pretty fantastic. Cherry's sincere question snapped her out of her tea and sweet treat based reverie. Lowering her own menu with a soft gasp, her eyebrows inched up a couple of degree higher on her forehead. She half wanted to crack a joke, but Riya knew better than to make light of such a request, especially with such a sweet, sensitive lady as Cherry. A broad smile slowly spread across her features, with one hand she clutched her menu to her chest while the other hand sought out one of Cherry's from across the table. "You mean it? Oh, Cherry, it'd be such an honor! I'm more than happy to help you get a family started. When were you wanting to go get the stones? Perhaps after tea? Or when you have an off day, so we both know that we'll be perfectly rested and ready? I'm up for whenever. My classes are pretty light right this moment."

"That we can do! After celebratory tea, it is!" She tapped the soles of her shoes on the ground in her excitement. The person behind the counter had sidled up to their table with a smile, scribbling down Cherry's order. They looked over towards Riya who was pouring over the menu. "I'll have a small pot of lemon meringue green please and perhaps a bearclaw to split, please." With that the person scooted back behind the counter with the assurance that they'd get their orders out shortly. Refocusing on Cherry, Riya hummed while she pondered. "I don't think I'd have the heart to separate them. I was a cache baby myself, so I wouldn't want to deprive them of the close bonds of a direct sibling." She drummed her fingertips on her chin. "I don't really have a place of my own. I mean, I've just got a room in my friend's townhouse. We've roomed together since the Academy. She lives pretty centrally, so it's easy for me to get to school. It's not too far from the town center and all that either. I can be pretty nomadic though. Traveling mama maybe? Or if they don't see me as a mother if I'm not around all day, everyday, I'd be content to be an aunt. I'd at least want them to know that I love them, that I care. That their creation wasn't just some frivolous flight of fancy. I'd want to be there for them when I can. Really, whatever would easiest and best for you and them, I'd be game to try."

The offering of lodging deeply touched the fallen. She beamed to the hybrid across the table from her. "I'd love nothing more than to have a chance to be close to them. Thank you! Whenever I'm around I'll do my damnedest to help out with the kids and around the house. I don't want to impose or be a burden. If you need anything, let me know. I'll help with cooking and groceries too." She nodded, punctuating her statement as fact. Riya reached out to claim one of Cherry's hands on both of hers, giving it a squeeze. "The world would be a kinder, more loving place if there were more people like you in it. I've never met your family, but no doubt you are every bit as important to them as any of the other wild, crazy, brave, adventurous sorts. Those types of folks need someone like you in their lives. Someone to tether them to the here and now, to the important things at home, to remind them to take care of themselves, to not forget themselves or those dearest when adventure is trying to sweep them away."

The person behind the counter, having heated the water sufficiently, brought the two small, colorful teapots out their table, along with a couple of mix and match mugs, a plate that bore the ordered bearclaw, and a spare plate, just in case for sharing the pastry or for setting the tea sachets tucked steeping in the teapots aside so as to not over steep the tea. "Here y'all go. Let me know if you need anything else." A total was given and Riya paid.

Riya inhaled deeply, giving an appreciative sigh. "Everything smells so good! Feel free to get into the bearclaw. They warmed it a little."