Welcome to Gaia! ::

Sleep had been difficult since Rhona had been impaled and then tossed around by a literal chimera with no explanation as to how it got there or why it wanted them or how it sent out those jack o lanterns or even if it was the chimera that sent them out. But what did Rhona really expect? This was Destiny City, where nothing made sense!

Rhona dabbed on more of the foundation that Lavender had helped her find to hide the burns and sores from her previous sickness. No need to display them right? Just another reason to be pissed at this damn city, right? Not that Rhona was a vain woman, but she wasn’t particularly fond of looking like the walking dead. It hid the discoloration but not the ridges and roughness of the wounds. Maybe Lavender wouldn’t notice? Lavender would definitely notice. And then she would worry. Because that’s what this city did to people. It made people worry.

“Pack your things, Alois. We’re moving when I get home.”

The bag of pistachio muffins, freshly baked that morning, were sitting by the door, ready to be picked up as Rhona swept by and out. With irritation propelling her, Rhona made it to Lavender’s apartment in record time. She didn’t even bother knocking anymore, and made her way to the kitchen to begin setting out the muffins for easier access.

Lavender’s voice drew Rhona’s attention from the dish of butter she was arranging next to the plate of muffins. She smiled despite her lingering irritation over what had happened the night before. And the smile gave way to a warm wash of feeling that started at the crown of Rhona’s head and rolled down her body to her toes. A feeling, that she realized very suddenly, was safety. Something that she hadn’t felt since she was someone else altogether. Lavender had that effect on her. Lavender made her feel safe. And that only made Rhona smile brighter as she set out a few smaller plates to catch muffin crumbs.

“Well. in my defense, I didn’t choose this. It wasn’t like Altea where I was bullheaded and stupid. You know that jack-o-lantern that I got in the mail? Well, it came with a card and early last night I got this… I dunno a feeling. You know like when your compact goes off when you’re powered? You just know that it’s going and you need to look at it? It was the same feeling.”

Rhona set out two plates for the muffins and utensils while she continued speaking.

“So I get there, thoroughly pissed off with the whole situation and got down to this basement where the card ignited and something else happened, but after that this giant chimera materialized… I’m not sure if it was a youma… but it tossed us around a bit -- there were like a dozen or so people there? The worst I got was a weird metal quill through my shoulder. The rest were bruises. I’m more pissed off than anything.”

Rhona had her back turned, setting the kettle to boil when Lavender spoke again. The suggestion moved Rhona, to be sure, but it also worried her. All of her irritation from the night before melted away in the face of Lavender’s statement and shifted the full breadth of Rhona’s attention. She quickly swept away from the tea and muffins and over to Lavender, taking both if her hands in her own.

“You take wonderful care of me,” she whispered into Lavender’s knuckles. “And God knows I don’t deserve that care.” She kissed each joint in turn and then rubbed the affection in with her thumbs, turning her eyes to meet Lavender’s with a smile

“You know I’ll support whatever choice you make. 100%. No questions asked. I just want to make sure that you go into this for yourself, and not for me. Nursing school is a huge undertaking. I want you to enjoy it, and for it not to feel like a burden.”

Yeah, Lavender had told Rhona to throw the keepsake away and no, Rhona hadn’t listened. Even though she should have because Rhona had a long history of making bad choices. But it was done and Rhona had smashed that little pumpkin into pieces before throwing it away in a dumpster across the city for good measure. She hated to worry Lavender, and it wasn’t like she did it on purpose.

“Yeah, Alois didn’t like the thing either. He kept hissing at it. I should have listened to the both of you. Next time I’ll listen. Scouts honor.” Rhona held up three fingers for good measure as she made her promise while Lavender seemed to be thinking. Rhona, in turn, used that time to keep kissing Lavender’s knuckles and fingertips as she had been, waiting for whatever was in Lavender’s head to work itself out.

“I’m not sure there are any,” Rhona answered, finally lifting her face to meet Lavender’s. “At least none that I know of. Certainly, none that call me out like this.” She finished with a cheeky little wink and a half smile. She would have followed up with a wisecrack about always being Lavender’s focus, but then Lavender made the quip about her graduation speech which made Rhona cackle.

“Oh, okay, I get it! I’m supposed to be getting you the sympathy vote, right? Should I pop in for a visit in crutches? No, wait, a wheelchair! And as long as I’m dying, can you make it more tragic than a chronic case of bullheadedness, okay?”

Her cackles listed until Lavender kissed her, and she met that kiss with equal fervor, her hands lighting gently on Lavender’s hips. When Lavender finally broke to speak, Rhona was still chuckling, but answered, “I love you too, Lav. And I agree, you’d make the cutest nurse. I’d get to dress you up like a sexy nurse whenever I wanted.” She might even feign sickness over it. Maybe not though.

Lavender held Rhona's gaze and she held it right back. A smile played on her lips and she didn't bother to fight it. Time hung between them like an unfinished note, playing lightly in the air as it lingered. It intertwined with Lavender's voice as she spoke.

"I make no promises about the casts," Rhona finally laughed, "but you have to give me credit, I have gotten better. I could have launched myself at whatever was down in that basement, but I didn't so... I mean baby steps?"

She leaned into Lavender's hand on her cheek closing her eyes for just a moment as she allowed the touch to soothe her. She reached out for Lavender as well, resting her hands lightly on her hips and rubbing gentle circles with her thumbs against Lavender's hip bones. In truth, Lavender's sentiments were... not heavy... Rhona would never describe them as negative. But she suddenly felt a surge of responsibility not only for her self but for Lavender as well. A response bloomed to life in her throat, but it was a language that Rhona didn't know. She opened her eyes and searched Lavender's for what she needed to say.

But plans were never Rhona's strong suit, and her instincts took over, moving her forward to meet Lavender's lips, aligning the whole line of her body against hers. Somewhere in the kiss, Rhona was sure she would find the words that she needed, and when she did speak it was without forethought.

"I'm honored, Lavender, and humbled by that. And I'm sorry that I make you worry. I'll keep doing better..." Even if there was only so much she could do... no. No excuses. She would keep doing better. True, she hadn't bodily thrown herself on the monster, but a better choice would have been to never have gone at all. Avoid the feeling and go back to sleep.

"You're my everything too. And I'm behind you, 100 percent, whatever you do."

The praise made Rhona shine, and she was sure that it showed. Even with the facial squishing Lavender was now putting her through. Not that she minded of course. Whatever Lavender wanted to do was fine. She smiled through it and wrapped her fingers around Lavender's dainty little wrists and held on. Held on like a lifeline. Because that's what Lavender was, a lifeline. An anchor in reality. No matter how tumultuous Rhona's life got, Lavender held her down.

Like roots.

Rhona finally had roots. And the realization of that made her smile even harder. Lavender was right. Everything was good. And it was going to keep being good, she could feel it.

Do you think we'll get married?

Rhona paused to consider the question, the smile never fading, but rather transitioning into one that was more pensive. She certainly hoped that they would get married... but they were just now coming out of that fun honeymoon phase of their relationship. And while it looked like they were going to remain stable and make it through to the other side... Rhona didn't want to jinx it. From where she was standing she saw no reason that they wouldn't travel down that path but...

"If there is one thing that I learned from living in this city for the last 10 years, it's never to talk in certainties. I always assumed I'd grow up to lead and unremarkable life. That'd I graduate from DCU with my brother and be... I don't know what. Then I was awakened. And then I thought I would never corrupt and well... here I am." Now she pressed her forehead to Lavender's, "And I never thought you'd give me a second chance. But here we are. That alone proves that anything is possible, even getting married. And a hope above all else that we make it that far." If this damned war didn't kill her first, that was. As it stood, that was the only obstacle that she could see stopping them at that moment.

"I think we can go that distance, yeah. I mean I can't see a reason why not." but nothing was assured, even if Rhona's heart ached at the thought of not having Lavender with her for the rest of her life.

The kettle went off behind Rhona, and she gently kissed the knuckles on Lavender's hands before finishing, "unless you're asking me right this second, that is," with a cheeky smile and a cocked eyebrow. She knew Lavender wasn't. Knowing the other woman, if she was the one to pop the question it would be a perfectly planned and terribly romantic event. Not just a question int he kitchen while Rhona was still aching from a battle the night before.

Rhona's smiled turned positively wicked as Lavender breezed by her to silence the kettle. She turned to follow Lavender with her eyes as the other woman stood with her back to her, no doubt aware of the mischevious glint in Rhona's eyes.

As Lavender spoke, Rhona crossed the kitchen, pressing up against Lavender's have and sliding her hands into her front pockets.

"Aw, shoot, Lavender," she muttered into her ear, nuzzling the short, fluffy hair that tickled her nose. "You keep tlaking like that, I might get the idea that you fancy me. But if that's what you really want, then I'm not going to complain. I'd say it's a fair trade too."

Yeah. Things were better than last year. Rhona wasn't fighting as much. She wasn't risking as much. She had more to lose. And she was learning. Learning how to listen and not just hear. Learning how to prioritize. Learning that she had to work at this relationship like it was her job.

"So we'll stay in tonight," she chirped, smacking a kiss right on Lavender's cheek bone, "and then I want you to come with me to the Church tomorrow. I was saving this surprise for spring, when it was all done, but I just love you so much I can't hold it in for much longer."