Awakening
While Alveena was looking after her new patient, Kaida and Ray returned to the field where they had found the girl, to search for clue's about her identity. Maybe even to find something that would explain what had happened.
Returning to the shop the next day they weren't surprised to hear the girl hadn't woken up yet.
However, their search had been successful.
Everyone was currently standing around in Alveena's study, she was reading up on some medical books to see if she could figure out what kept the girl from waking up since she hadn't been able to find any real injuries at all.
Even her tiny pet frog didn't know what was wrong with the brunette, who was slumbering through all the noise around her.
"How are you so sure this is hers?" Jay asked while Ray handed over a shredded and torn cloak, it didn't look like there were any bloodstains on the item of clothing, but it sure had seen better days.
"Her scent," the dark haired boy supplied, slightly unsettling Jay.
"Ah, right," he said through a wide fake smile before he pouted, "You vlekim animal," the fae muttered under his breath.
Which Ray still heard loud and clear, "Shut up, it comes natural when you're transformed into an actual beast," he grumbled. "The girl also smelled of blood and blights when we found her."
Kaida propped herself up on the end of the stair's wooden railing, looking back and forth between the two boys standing in front of her, "Point is, she must have been attacked by something vicious," she declared.
Jay seems to be shaken out of his glaring contest with Ray. "Hold on, you said the smell of blights— Really?" He asked, a bit of worry apparent in his tone.
"Everybody knows not to get close to those horrid things. Did you see any?" Alveena suddenly questioned. Normally she stays out of their bantering, even if she's present in the same room as them. Which, seeing as they're all hanging around her study, would be the case now too.
"No, didn't even see the tiniest mark of darkness the whole way here," Ray said.
Jay saw a chance to lighten the mood, "Ha, that cannot be true, Kaida was there wasn't she?" his lopsided smirk was almost affectionate while still poking fun at his tiny friend.
But Kaida was seething in the background, how dare he compare her good and amazing powers to some magic as toxic as blights?
She stared forward with a hard gaze, not directed towards Jay, though her next statement was.
"I will set fire to your wardrobe." She swore.
"And I will shut up now." The fae knew her better than to assume those were empty threats.
After everyone fell quiet an odd tension settled over the group. The store had been closed so Jay didn't need to help any visitors and Kaida and Ray were still deciding on what their duty of care was in this situation. Ray wondering what Kaida's reasoning was for being concerned in the first place.
And Alveena...
"I have to step out for a bit, there's some specific things I need in town. I'll try to make a medicine that'd hopefully help the girl recover soon," she said, getting up from the only actual chair in the room.
There was something wrong about the girl, she seemed to be healed of any wounds she might have had before she was even brought here. Things didn't add up, why was she even still asleep?
She grabbed a bag and held her hand out for her tiny frog friend to hop onto.
"Oh sure thing!" Jay sang.
Alveena walked passed him to the other room, putting on her witches hat, "Keep an eye on our mystery girl," she instructed the three.
Jay stuck his head out of the room just before she left the shop, "Hey, when will you be–" The sound the store's bell chimed through the air, "—back?" Jay let out an exasperated sigh, his long pointy ears drooping down a bit.
"Guess we'll watch over her then." He mumbled.
It wasn't long before his mood shifted as an idea came to him.
"Kaida! Let me try a spell on you!"
Even though she didn't fully trust Jay not to pull a prank on her, she couldn't see why she should refuse to humor him, "Sure why not?"
With a giddy smile the lanky fae asked her to 'please take off her cloak'.
Kaida was still sitting on the stair's railing adorning quite the disinterested look on her face, when her theatric friend proclaimed, "Now, sit tight, close your eyes and only open them when I say so."
She gave him a relaxed smile and lightly shut her eyes, still not moving from her spot and keeping her arms crossed. Her brother was watching her like a hawk, Jay better not turn her hair pink like he had done with him a while back.
She may or may not cause the guy physical harm if he tried something stupid.
But then his sister's clothing lit up with a faint shimmering trace magic.
Kaida herself also saw light appear and disappear, even from underneath her eyelids. This better be something interesting instead of another prank Jay, for your sake.
"Okay, open your eyes my little mistress of darkness," he sounded very nice and proud, Ray also hasn't gasped in horror yet so it shouldn't be that bad.
She let out a gasp of amazement when she looked down at herself.
"Awesome!" She shouted.
A glowing armor had formed over her clothing, weightless and probably only a visual illusion, but gorgeous nonetheless.
She saw Ray's bewildered expression just before he dug his own grave.
"Holy–hey, do me next." Ray said, sharing Kaida's awe.
Jay being Jay however, saw his poor choice of wording as a good opportunity to tease him.
Plastering on a wide smile he turned to face Ray, "If you weren't such an ass I'd he happy to 'do you' Ray, but I'll kindly decline your offer," he stated, his snarky and pestering tone having an immediate result.
"Oh you're so dead-" Ray had rasped out before he charged the cocky bastard.
Said bastard letting out a very unmanly 'eep' as he ducked out of the room, Ray hot on his heels.
Would Jay say it was worth it?— Listening to his tiny friend laugh at their antics, he'd say it was.
After Kaida's laughter calmed down to a soft chuckle she couldn't help but look fondly at her two idiots fighting in the shop.
They were making so much noise she almost missed the chocked gasp escaping the other occupant of the room. She startled as the girl laying in the small bed at the other side of the study started to toss and turn.
Kaida had practically forgotten she wasn't the only one in here at the moment. Her hands shot out in front of her as the girl groaned and opened her eyes to look around. Though a bit unprepared, Kaida was very alert, ready to use her magic if need be.
The girl's gaze stayed unfocused and drowsy until it landed on Kaida.
Okay, Kaida could handle this, she was a star at conversing with new people.
"Eh,—" she dragged out while finding the right words to say— "Hi?" She settled on.
It was like a puppeteer pulled all the girl's strings in one go, she shot up from under the covers and pushed herself against the wall in an instant.
"You eh—" Assure the girl she's okay, better yet, ask if she's okay! She's looking very freaked out right now. "— feeling alri–" Before she has a change to finish that question the girl practically threw herself out of the room.
"Yeah, fair enough," Kaida admitted under her breath.
"Guys!" she shouted with urgency, kicking herself off from the railing's pillar she had still been sitting on, pursuing their fleeing patient.
The two boys stopped their bickering once they heard Kaida's call. Ray saw the girl trying to run out of the shop first and moved without thinking, shooting after her and grabbing her arm.
The girl jumped, but also appeared to act on instinct when she shouted, "Let go!" decking Ray straight in his face with her free arm while yanking her other arm from Ray's–now loosened– grip.
"Vlekim—That's a strong left hook you got there," Ray groaned, hand flying to his hurt nose.
That was unexpected, he looked at the girl, she had stopped moving, arms guarded but ready to strike again.
"Hey–" he said softly, "everything is okay, we just want to help you."
The girl's eyes darted all across the room, taking in the sight of an apprehensive and nervous fae behind Ray, as well as Kaida lingering in the open doorway.
"W-what?" she uttered, sounding confused and agitated. "Who are you?"
"Name's Ray-" he said with a wince– letting go of his nose and wiping some blood away. "Gods," he cursed.
Unbeknownst to Ray, Kaida was keeping a close eye on the situation. She had rushed to case to girl, however, she stopped at the arch when she saw her punch Ray right in his face.
Needless to say, she thought it was hilarious.
Girl didn't even hesitate!
"Oh my stars, oh Frôna, she's woken up-" Jay was frantically spouting words while fanning his now ignited hair.
Flustered firemages are a real hazard.
He didn't know what was happening anymore. The fae probably would have been laughing if the situation hadn't left him this startled, "Are you two okay?" He asked at the pair currently still staring each other down, none of them daring to move.
He glanced over to Kaida, thinking it wasn't at all surprising to find the little spawn of darkness trying to hold back her laughter.
Incidentally, it calmed Jay down to see his friend failing to keep quiet about her amusement. The tension was broken in the room, but the air still felt uneasy.
"So eh," Ray began, "can you tell us your name?"
Different approach, ask her a simple question. She was still guarded, ready to run or attack if given a reason to.
"Hey–" he tried again. The girl shook her head, eyes now shining with unshed tears.
Skut, he mentally cursed, that's not good.
"Hey, you're fine, you're safe." Everyone was looking how Ray was trying to calm or reassure her, but it didn't seem to work out like he'd hoped.
She shook her head, "I-I don't think I have one."
She sounded so unsure her answer came out more like a question.
Ray had to backtrack a bit, "No name?" he guessed.
When there was a tiny nod he continued, "Okay, maybe you know where you came from?—Who hurt you?"
Her posture got even more tense as she brought up her shoulders, tears were starting to fall as her voice cracked, "I don't know, I can't remember—" she gasped for air, cutting off a sob and didn't finish her sentence.
That's when someone else decided to step in.
"It's okay," a soft voice told her, Jay walked forward, gently taking one of her hands into both of his, "You're fine sweety, come sit down for me?"
She looked a bit surprised, but didn't pull her hand away from his.
"I–" she started but Jay shook his head, shushing her. He began to slowly guide her to the deep windowsill so she could sit down comfortably basked in warm sun rays.
Kaida and Ray were just about as thrown off as the girl, they knew Jay could be a nice guy–though Ray would never admit that to anyone– but this was unexpected.
Sure enough, the girl seems to calm down. She starts to look around the charming, magic filled room when her eyes fall back on Jay.
He gave her a warm smile before making a small bow, "Pleasure to make your acquaintance miss," he looked up to meet her eyes again, "The name's Jay."
The girl looked less on edge, dare they say– comfortable?
That actually worked? Ha! Take that you rabid dog.
Jay kept up his calm demeanor, only celebrating his victory within his own mind. He hoped she'd stay calm as well.
"Oh..." The girl seemed to contemplate something, "Well, I–" she glanced up at him again, "I like your ears Jay." she said, giving him a sweet and honest smile.
He was slightly shocked for a bit, but flattered nonetheless. Of course the girl had taken a liking to his long pointed ears, they were adorned with his favorite ear accessories after all.
"Oh I like this one already," the fae said out loud, he was being honest while also trying to aggravate Ray in the process.
Ray however, was busy trying to ignore his sister, who had finally made her way over to him.
Both of them were close, but not crowding them, keeping the girl in mind.
But, he saw his spunky friend hadn't really read the mood much and was laughing at her brother yet again. Kaida grabbed a hold of Ray's fingers and shoved them up his bleeding nose, only making her fold over with laughter even more.
The moment was almost nice– and got interrupted when the chime of a bell rung through the shop.
All heads turned towards the door. Alveena stepping inside with a neutral expression that soon turned to irritated disappointment. The tiny frog on her hat seemed to give them a questioning look as well.
"Do I even want to ask?"
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Alveena locked eyes with the girl sitting in front of her tall friend, now fully awake and seemingly well.
Somehow the girl looked as if she belonged in this picture. The two siblings busy being idiots, her close fae friend standing next to the calm girl with flowing fawn brown hair basked in sunlight.
"My name is Alveena," she started, "–and this little guy here is Bartholomew." She held her hand at the edge of her witches hat, feeling cold tiny frog feet step onto her palm.
Her patient squinted to see the small amphibian from the other side of the room, she did look intrigued though.
Jay turned to the girl, thinking he should elaborate. "So his name is Boris for short, but the 'B' is silent," he helpfully supplied, but only succeeded in making the girl confused.
Alveena shook her head, hoping her patient hadn't had to deal with this bunch of dorks for long before her arrival. The brunette still seemed sane enough, if not a bit dazed and wary...
Or maybe just plain rude, since she had yet to introduce herself.
"I am the one who tried healing your nonexistent injuries," Alveena explained as she walked towards her, paying no mind to the two siblings she passed by.
She caught the girl's attention, her relaxed form straightening up a bit, but she didn't comment.
Alveena decided to continue, "Though I am glad to see you've awakened–" she said, thinking that probably didn't sound too genuine without her smiling– "I wanted to ask what happened to knock you out in the first place."
Now the girl definitely didn't look relaxed anymore, blinking quickly and face scrunching up in thought, "I don't remember I just..." she stopped, Jay looked at her with worry, her careful smile from before was nowhere to be seen.
Her expression was troubled, eyes closed and body guarded yet again.
Kaida and Ray even noticed the change.
Something was off.
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