Imprints in Stone [AU]

[Bethany]

Aveline? No, that doesn't- Marian. He means Marian. "Carver..." Bethany tries, she really does. Tries to say how it's different, how Malcolm was just weak and feckless while Marian was taken by a demon and hurt until she was too afraid to trust anyone, even them. Instead, she just curls her upper body around and over Carver's head and weeps with him for awhile.

[Coquette Blacquin]

When Cindy first woke, there was a warm, comfortable, familiar body curled up beside hers. She reaches down, gently, lovingly stroking the hair she knew was there, under the illusion of... some dwarf. Different than Eli, she notes, soothing the twitching, fevered brow with her hand. Must be a new identity. Where... are we?

It didn't matter. She was with Liz, and the door was unlocked, cracked open. If Liz were frightened, she wouldn't sleep; if they were captives, the door would be shut. So they were somewhere safe. With a sigh, she curled onto her side, spooning around Liz's body, and fell back asleep.


Morning, properly. Garrett made introductions between herself and the little blue child -- Seeker Helene -- who brought their breakfast; as they ate, Garrett gave her the brief details she needed as Helene went to get their healer, someone named Beth, to look her over. 

"What do they know?" she asks quietly. 

"Nothing. Mostly."

"Alright, then. I am Cindy, here?"

"Yes, sorry. I told them we were lovers."

Cindy smiles, patting Garrett's leg. "Good. Truth is often the best way." 

"It's.. more complicated than I have time to get into," Garrett warns, unable to meet her eyes.

"Oh good."

"Good?"

"Now I know I'm not dreaming. When has my life ever not been complicated?"

A smile -- small but real -- rewards Cindy as it blooms on her love's unfamiliar face. "Alright, then."

[Bethany]

Okay. Okay. Just... just pretend you don't know. After all, you don't know (yes you do), you just have... strong (certain) suspicions. Just Dad's cousin... whom he's never mentioned before. No, just... just ignore her. Him. It, the entire thing? Ignored. Worry about Carver, then Merrill, Dad, Don (oh gods, how can I ever make up for what I did?), Helene, Ari, Silence and Hunter, the Bandanas, Wynne and Aveline, Shiny Cat... see, you have plenty to worry about, don't go borrowing trouble from things you aren't (are) sure about.

Knocking on the door, Bethany opens it a bit more to peek in. "Hello? It's... it's Beth, the healer?"

[Coquette Blacquin]

"Come in!"

Bethany had seen Cindy before -- but she was sleeping at the time, her long silver hair braided back away from her pointed ears, so she hadn't seen the brilliant violet eyes that graced her too-gaunt face. Whatever she'd been expecting to see, it probably hadn't included Garrett lying in the bed where Cindy sat up, his head in her lap, as she pets his hair gently, almost tenderly, with her still-bandaged hand.

[Bethany]

Mar- "It's nice to see you awake finally," Bethany says, her healer's training coming to her rescue. Her eyes lock on Cindy's face and never budge after that first glance at the room. "How're you feeling?"

[Coquette Blacquin]

"Glad to be awake," she laughs, casually. "Garrett tells me I've been asleep for some time. I had horrible nightmares, I'm much relieved to be awake once more."

[Bethany]

"...not all of them were nightmares, I'm afraid. But I should look you over now that you're awake," Bethany says briskly, moving towards the bed. "Do you think you can move to the side of the bed?"

[Coquette Blacquin]

"Of course." When Garrett's head doesn't move, she bends over him, saying quietly, "Love?"

He makes a sleepy noise of protest, and she chuckles, stroking his hair. "just for a moment, alright?"

Then he lifts his head, letting her shift to the edge of the bed, dangling her legs over the side as he settles back in. "Thank you."

[Bethany]

Bethany looks back from the wall she'd directed her gaze to during all that, as if for modesty. "Of course. Now, let's take a look..." She starts checking Cindy over, saving the hand for last. As she works, she continues to ask questions. "Does anything still hurt? And please don't be stoic: masking pain can be useful in a fight, but if you lie to your healer, they have to start assuming the worst and getting out the really bitter medicine. Or worse." She flashes a smile, warm but impersonal, to make sure Cindy realizes it's just healer's humor. Mostly.

[Coquette Blacquin]

Cindy laughs. "No worries here. My hand aches, in the palm, but I assume that's normal. Otherwise, I'm feeling fairly fit. Eager to get back on my feet."

[Bethany]

"Mmmh. You're going to have to start slow and build your endurance back up. Between the gem, the bedrest you needed afterwards and the... hellish mockery of a hospital you were in prior, you're muscles are a bit wasted and your body reserves are nonexistent. I'll be watching your diet very carefully over the next two weeks or so to make sure that starts coming back and you can join me and Me- join me for my morning exercises. Hopefully, by next week, you can join Carver- my twin- for his more involved ones," she rattles off as she finishes the general stuff and starts carefully unwrapping the bandages on Cindy's hand.

[Coquette Blacquin]

Cindy's smile freezes for a second when Beth mentions the hospital prior -- but it thaws back out as she continues on. "I'm certain it's not as dire as you think. I lived a very active lifestyle before this gem," she adds, though her gaze falters as she spies the puckered scar in the center of her palm.

[Bethany]

"I've only been training full-time as a healer for less than a year- though getting close- but my teacher, Wynne, has been a practicing healer for... gods, sixty years? She's mostly retired, but she's one of the best in Nyra, with a speciality in helping possession victims recover. And she's already looked you over, I'm just making sure nothing changed. You're badly underweight and weak. I wouldn't be surprised if I could take you in a fist fight now now and I'm crap without magic," Bethany says bluntly. Meeting Cindy's gaze, she offers a smile. "Look at it this way- follow your healer's orders for six weeks and be back in fighting trim or try and do it on your own, permanently cripple yourself and end up back on bedrest for weeks, then have to listen anyway."

[Coquette Blacquin]

"Again, I'm afraid you'll be surprised," she says, with a coy smile. Then, setting aside both Garrett's head and the blanket, she stands, stretching. "But, I will take it easy for a few weeks. There's no harm in that."

[Bethany]

Bethany scowls a little, then huffs. "Right, the curse and blessing of an adventurer patient," she grumbles. Heal faster than most and strong enough to survive what should be fatal most of the time, but they never listen and they're always sure they know better, even the ones without any healing talent or skill. She studies the merikos elf for a moment, focusing intently on her balance and posture. "Think you're up for walking to the kitchen? It's about sixty feet, give or take, no stairs. After I put more salve and rewrap that hand, of course."