RP:Yule Eve
This is a Bard's Guild RP.
Summary: Raven makes a visit to Lanara.
Kelay Healer
Bells chime as they are brushed against by the opening of the door. The hut is indeed as cozy as the exterior suggested, with plants and flowers of all varieties lining bins against the walls and counters. Sitting peacefully in the back, a robed figure of obviously elven descent greets you by name. Pointing to a list hanging on the wall over his shoulder, he offers his healing services.
Raven would receive Lanara’s lovely gift when she got back home because a large carriage that seems big enough to host only four avians at most swoops down from out of the skies and lands before the healer in Kelay. The first people out are four avian men dressed in black suits and scouting the area before the door opens so a group of about twenty students and a few guild members step out one by one… That’s odd - it doesn’t seem large enough to host that many people! Magic ~ amirite? The last one out is Raven and Miss Dewfoot-Barrows, but it seems Corvo is not with them - he’s on time out! Each of them hare holding gifts big and small or edible. Raven reaches the receptionist desk, “Lanara,” is all she offers and she’s directed to a room, it better be a private room, too. “Remember, don’t crowd her,” she’s suddenly regretting the open invitation for them to come. Raven gently losers the turtleneck to her sweater as it’s warmer inside than out and she knocks gently on the door, “Lanara?” She told the rest to wait out in the common area and if it allowed she would assist Lanara out to them. They all put their gifts around the little tree the healers has set up in the common area and play gentle music for the sick.
Lanara lies flat on her back, ankle and wrist restraints binding her to the hospital bed, and a scowl on her face. She wasn’t one for lying around all day, and those bone fusion potions hurt like hell once they kicked in. Not to mention the taste! Yuck! At the sound of the bells chiming and a door closing, she lifts her head and narrows her gaze. Was it another patient being admitted, or had Eirik returned with some actually palatable food? Food at the healing center sucked almost as much as that bone potion! However, as there is a rapping at her door and a feminine voice calling her name, she quirks a brow. That was not her sister’s voice. Who would come and visit her, in Kelay, of all places? “Please, come in!” She was curious and bored, and if it happened to be a foe and not a friend, she’d pay the price… But it was better than being alone in this stifling room, and strapped to a bed because they didn’t trust her enough to give her free reign of the room. As the door opens she sees the beautiful mocha-skinned avian, and she hears soft music in the background. Was there some sort of party going on in the reception area? “Raven!” Lana is happy to see the woman, and she awkwardly tries to motion for the woman to take a seat, though her restraints make it rather difficult. “Or should I say Queen Raven? I’m happy that you won the contest at the Yule Ball. I’m –still- paying for attending with my back. And I wasn’t able to dance or stay the whole night, but it was wonderful to see everyone and all the decorations. And the King was my date! I’m glad you two were able to meet. I know he met Brennia before… But now he’s officially met you, too. And please, ignore the restraints. They’re keeping a close eye on me, because whenever I’m left alone I like to wander around. How am I supposed to get back on my feet if they don’t let me try and use my body?” Chocolate hues sadly settle on the woman’s fair face and she offers a sad smile. Lana looked broken, and despite what the woman may have seen at the ball, this Lana is covered in bruises from neck to ankles, extremely pale, and seems to have dropped ten pounds. The witch was not herself, in the slightest.
Raven lets out a sound that sounds like a ‘pfft’ at the mention of ‘Queen’ and a half a chuckle, “it was definitely interesting.” That was all she would comment as she hated contests like that when she was alive the first time, but Brennia would have jumped at the chance and secretly enjoyed that attention. Raven listened to the woman and it was a welcome string of words aside from listening to Corvo drone on and on and on…. Her thought process goes back to their screaming match - yeah thinking about this peaceful, calm and bored seeming woman scream at someone is a hard thought. It must have taken a lot to get her there, “Lanara,” That velvety Veretian accented timbre starts. “After seeing you at the ball I asked Corvo what happened and he told me there was a parcel for me from you in the mail. Which he felt the need to file under low priority…” her jaw tenses once more just remembering and she has to pause for a deep breath. “Needless to say, I got your letter later than I was pleased with his ~thoughtless~ action and came as soon as possible, but…” she glances to the door where the music was coming from, “some students wished to come visit you because they wanted to show their love for you on Christmas Eve. I told them to wait, but if you don’t want them to see you like this I understand and I’ll tell them you are getting rest. We brought some treats and presents.” Maybe a little bribe is in order?
Lanara is grateful that Corvo isn’t in sight as the man had always bored the life out of her, and scowled over the fact that he labeled her low priority. The outcome would have been very different if it had been Miss Dewfoot, but either way, Raven was here now and that’s what mattered. The tiny dancer’s eyes well with tears as word of treats, presents, and visitors, reach her tapered ears. They went through all that trouble, on Christmas Eve, for their professor?! “I-I am so touched, Raven. And of course! I’d love to see everyone. I hate being here. The food is awful, the nurse is downright abusive, and earlier I had a rather rough encounter with Doctor Yerrel! It’s not a pleasant place to be, especially around the holidays. Can you undo my restraints? They are so unnecessary. If the nurse came when I beckoned, I wouldn’t need these in the first place!” Lana waits patiently for the avian to undo those leather straps, watching the woman closely and smiling. “It’s so sweet of you to come! I know how busy you are with the campus and the campaign. I can’t believe you came all this way for me…” She’s touched, and it shows, as she gently takes Raven’s hand in her own and gives it the gentlest of squeezes. “Is my hair alright? Do I look presentable for the students?” The blanket is tugged up to hide the cloth gown they had forced her into upon admittance, as she waits to see the rest of her visitors.
Raven’s expression didn’t change much from her half smirk, but we can assume that’s as good as it’s going to get from the closed off woman, “I knew you wouldn’t be alone on this Eve, but I wanted you to know you were being thought of.” Raven helped Lanara pull her blanket around herself and gave her a gentle squeeze of her hand in return. Her free hand smoothed some of her hair down, but it doesn’t take much and she even checked for those weird sleepy boogies that get in the corner of your eyes sometimes, but one surprising thing is that the avain slips the satin sash, which is colored a deep red today, off her wings and drapes it around Lanara’s shoulders for a little bit of pizazz. Lanara would find the sash smelled like all avians - of her favorite own scent. “I’ll let them in,” as soon as Raven made her way over to the door and cracked it open the music paused and she motioned for them to file in. All of them, some guild members, some students, meander in all dressed up in pajamas like some pajama party, some of them have cookies, brownies, cupcakes while others are holding containers from their Yule Feast consisting of mashed potatoes, ham, turkey, stuffing - you name it! One thing everyone had was a wrapped box varying in sizes and smiling faces - they were excited and none of them looked like they were feeling sorry for her. Without missing a beat some of them talk of classes and midterms and playing music at the ball while Raven just watches over all of them with that half smirk on her lips. Each of them place their presents around Lanara waiting in anticipation for her to open them, some items being a lovely scarf, some being new ballet flats or tap shoes, one even got a colorful tutu. “And for your boredom,” Raven pulls out a couple of romance books written by The E.L. Landon, “they were Brennia’s and this was her favorite author.” The pages her worn and one of them she even got signed by Hudson’s mom(the only woman she’s openly fangirled over.) “It might not mean anything coming from me, but I have a feeling Brennia would want you to have them.” One student perks up, “and this!” They hand a tiny looking guitar to her that is new to these lands (ukulele) with a silver colored bow on the heart of it, “it’s so fun to dabble with, it has such a sweet sound since it’s so tiny… We thought it fitting,” the student added sheepishly.
Lanara is touched that Raven parts with her satin sash to dress her up a little for her many guests. It was so unexpected, and for a moment, the elf looks as though she may cry from such a gesture, but she nips her lower lip and smiles as the room fills with familiar faces. The food is welcomed, and she’s eager to point out where the cutlery is being kept, and as some food is piled upon her tray, she can’t help but partake. It was delicious! The stuffing appears to be her favorite, as she shovels mouthfuls into her mouth, between ‘oohing’ and ‘ahhing’ over each delivered present. She felt important. She felt loved. For Lana this was a very big deal, and she makes sure to give every gift the right amount of praise, as well as a hug or kiss on the cheek to the giver of each gift. Raven is kept at her side, and every so often, Lana will point out the present received, or offer the woman a bite of her food. She didn’t think it possible, since the loss of Brennia, but here she was, bonding with the Avian that had filled her shoes, considering her already a close friend. The elf howls in laughter at the rainbow print tutu, and holds it up to her waist over the blanket, comparing it for size. Three Lanara’s could easily fit into the get-up, but she was far too touched to complain of the boy mistaking her for someone much larger. It was the thought that had counted, and she’d be sure to take it straightaway to a seamstress to have it fit to her slender hips. The ukulele is gently held in her grasp, and she strums a few chords, beaming at the tiny guitar and hugging it to her chest. “I love things from foreign lands. It’s so lovely!” The is placed to the right of her, in the hospital bed, so that she could entertain herself in the middle of the night, when she was bound to get lonely. The various assortments of tasty treats are piled up on three chairs in the corner of the room, and the shoes rest neatly on the floor, though the scarf is tied carefully about her neck to provide extra warmth. The witch is shocked to see Hinder hand her a pair of expensive ballet slippers, and he blushes as her lips grace his cheek with a chaste kiss. Friscus, the small avian boy that she knew had a bit of a crush on her in the past hands her a pair of tap shoes, and giggles like a schoolgirl as she ruffles his hair. “Thank you all so much for coming! I love everything, and you all didn’t have to go through all of this trouble. I would’ve been happy with a card, or just seeing all of your smiling faces. I love you all, so much, and I’m so touched that you thought of me and took the time out of your holiday to visit me. Here! Of all places! I… I hope that I can return in a few weeks, or months, to the school. I take three steps forward, then something happens, and I have to start all over. The treatments are very painful. Apparently, my back was broke in four places, and that’s not including the ribs and all my other injuries. But I feel stronger every day. I miss you all, so much. I miss the school. Hell, I even miss Corvo and his stupid man bun!” At this, everyone giggles, and the woman has to clutch her ribs as she chuckles. Her chocolate hues lock onto those lovely turquoise eyes of Raven as the avian hands her several romance novels, and she lovingly brushes her thumb across each cover as she reads the titles to herself. “Oh… Raven… These are so wonderful. I know Brennia cherished these, as will I… And this one is signed! Are you sure you don’t wish to keep them for yourself?” Each book is lovingly placed to her left, for late night reading, and the author is noted. Hudson was an old friend of Lana’s, her very first friend she made in these lands, as a matter of fact! However, she had never gotten the man to open up about his famous mother, nor had she been able to get her hands on a copy of the sold-out everywhere books. This was hands down, Lana’s best Christmas!