xx❅ Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Hospital Wing - Entryway xxx❅ Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Ella xxxx❅ Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Trying to help xxxxx❅ Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?Hopefully a healer is nearby
The two walked up the stairs in silence, with Ella occasionally pointing out their directions. Thankfully, even though she was a teenager, the girl weighed practically nothing... though it wasn't healthy, from what he understood. The girl had been so badly neglected and malnourished at the Antonov family that she was still paying for it. The first time he'd been invited to one of their family dinners it had been mentioned, but apparently his solution of just piling more food onto her plate wasn't helpful either. Actually, it'd seemingly caused the girl to regress a bit. It made no sense. Shouldn't she want to just eat more food to counterbalance?
He glanced down occasionally at the girl, but she was keeping her gaze anywhere but on him. The sad part was that he couldn't blame her at all. His one bit of blessing was that the halls were still mostly barren, so she wouldn't have to worry about being seen with him. Serghei wouldn't mind being seen helping out anyone, much less Ella specifically, but he had a feeling that she would hate any modicum of attention turned upon her. Blessedly, their journey was short and within only a few moments he was carrying her into the Hospital.
"Ar trebui să te las jos? Au scaune aici. Sau ar trebui să aștept până când cineva ne conduce înapoi, ca să nu trebuiască să te ridicăm din nou?" He asked, carefully using an elbow to ding the small bell at the counter. There were also fill-in forms, but he figured they could wait. Not like he could fill it out with her in his arms. "Asistenta ar trebui să fie aici chiar acum. Nu cred că mă pot ridica dacă stau acum." Well, at least she was still talking, even if she wasn't looking at him. Her trembling hadn't slowed down any, but he couldn't just ask "hey are you still terrified of me" after all that. It was already a very, very tenuous connection she allowed anyway. Maybe he should have just suffered through one more year in Durmstrang so he wouldn't have re-ruined her life....
S1 - "Should I put you down? They have chairs here. Or should I wait until someone leads us back so we don't have to lift you up again?" E1 - "The nurse should be here just now. I don't think I can get back up if I sit now."
Linsey Grey-Cavendish Ravenclaw │ Seventh Year │ Seventeen Years Old │ Single │ Head Girl & Ravenclaw Prefect │ Quidditch Captain │ Art & Culinary Club Captain
It was a quiet weekend morning up in the Hospital Wing. Linsey was sitting at a desk, taking advantage of the peace to work on an extra credit paper for one of her classes. She was sitting in for another of the NEWT students, who’d wanted to free up the time to go on a date, something she was more than willing to do to help out a friend. The Seventh Year was looking forward to getting or making a nice, lazy weekend breakfast once her relief showed up, and getting in a nap before heading off to chair her two club meetings.
Linsey was dressed comfortably and casually for her shift in the Hospital Wing, a long-sleeved dress shirt under a Ravenclaw Quidditch sweatshirt, paired with a simple long sea gray skirt and her wool-lined slipper shoes which she found perfect for weekends, while a full-length Hospital Wing apron was added. Stretched out beside her was Blannat, whom she brought up, not so much as company for herself, as to be there for any student, particularly younger ones, who might be finding an overnight stay in the Hospital Wing to be a daunting experience.
It was a bit of a surprise to hear the bell at the front desk ring, as it was unusual for anyone to need help so early in the morning, and it took a moment for the fact that it rang to register in Linsey’s mind. Blannat gave a soft ‘woof’ at the sound of the bell, and as he sniffed the air, the emotional support wolfhound gave another, more insistent ‘woof’ as he got to his feet. Linsey got up from her work and was rushing over to the desk with her canine companion loping along at her side. Coming around the corner, she saw Serghei was there at the desk, cradling Ella in his arms.
“Oh, goodness, Serghei, Ella. What happened?” she asked, a note of genuine concern in her voice, as she rushed over. Linsey ushered them towards an examination table, where she took up some of Ella’s slight weight, and helped her to sit atop it.
OOC:
Cinnabun Gryffie
"All my life I never really knew me till today Now I know why, I'm just another step along the way
I lie awake for hours, I'm just waiting for the sun When the journey we are making has begun Don't deny the feeling that is stealing through your heart Every happy ending needs to have a start
All my life I never really knew me till today Now I know why, I'm just another step along the way "
xx❅ Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Grand Staircase, just over ground floor xxx❅ Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Linsey, Serghei, and Blannat xxxx❅ Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Rescue xxxxx❅ Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?Why did he help me? Why am I helping him?
Ella was wondering just which person in the heavens was responsible for this bad chess move. How was it possible that the one morning she gets hurt, the first person to happen upon her was Serghei?! Had she done something to someone and now she was stuck in this situation? Not only having one of her brothers show up... but have to actively trust him to help her? As she was lifted up, she curled her hands tightly into the soft yarn of her cardigan, absolutely waiting for the moment she'd be dropped back down the stairs, or heavens forbid tossed over the railing on one of the floors.
The only thing she could admit (but only to herself) was that she felt weirdly secure in his arms. It was like he was anyone other than... well, an Antonov. Like, if this had been any of the other males she trusted (of which it was a very, very short list), she wouldn't be worried about any of these thoughts, but she had years of proof that the Antonovs - Serghei included - had been horrible to her. So why was he trying so hard to be nice?
Thankfully they weren't terribly far from the Hospital Wing, but the fears were still increasingly painful for Ella. Once they'd made it inside, the younger brunette allowed herself a sigh of relief. No way he'd do something mean in front of the healer on duty. And there, the stars must have aligned because the one on was Linsey of all people! She was even followed by Blannat! "Mulțumesc Domnului că este Linsey." Ella glanced up at Serghei, who'd barely whispered... but was he glad it was Linsey for her sake or for his own?
"Oh Linsey, I was on a walk this m-morning and I was trying to wear heels... and I tr-tripped on the stairs and now my ankle is all swollen and it hurts really bad." She was helped onto one of the exam spots, carefully shifting her stance to show the affected injury. Serghei stepped back a step, pushing hands into his pockets. Ella sent him a look, but it wasn't one of malice or stress. Honestly, it was mostly confusion. Was he seriously here to turn a new leaf or had he just been the best actor for Father to send after her? But.. no. His reaction at Cloak & Coven had definitely been genuine... so what was his game?
"Da, and she was unable to put any weight on it, hence why she was carried. I could not just leave her on the stairs." Serghei offered, and Ella knew that tone of voice. It had been used whenever Father accused the boys of things. Though he'd only done that without her in the room... to their knowledge. Ella had always been good at climbing through the house and to the rafters for safety. But why was he defensive? He'd done nothing wrong here - but did he perhaps worry that Linsey might think he did? Maybe he thought Linsey would assume he'd caused the injury or something...
Maybe Ella should throw him a bone here? He had gone out of his way to help her, after all. "R-right. I borrowed some shoes from someone 'cause I wanted to try taller ones. B-but my feet are too little, so they were wobbly." She nodded, turning her carnelian gaze upon her sister. It would all come down to her in the end.
Linsey Grey-Cavendish Ravenclaw │ Seventh Year │ Seventeen Years Old │ Single │ Head Girl & Ravenclaw Prefect │ Quidditch Captain │ Art & Culinary Club Captain
Linsey winced empathetically as Ella described her travails with a borrowed pair of shoes. Standing beside where Ella was seated on the table, Linsey could feel Ella was trembling, and knew from experience her little sister was scared, and saw the silvery track of tears down her cheeks. Blannat knew this as well, as his keen nose picked up on his smaller kid’s fear and that she was hurt by the changes in her scent. He went over to the other side of the examination table to lick Ella’s hand, before trying to work his head under it so he could get pets, and all the while his tail was wagging, letting her know he was there and all was good.
“Well, you’re here now, and you’re with family who loves and cares for you,” said Linsey gently, as she rubbed Ella’s small back, and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, while the dog offered his own version of comfort. After giving Ella a kiss atop her head, Linsey moved to start taking Ella’s shoes and socks off, being very gentle as she noted the badly swollen ankle.
Listening to what Serghei was telling her, Linsey was assailed by the troubling thought and image of poor Ella stuck in some lonely part of the castle, in pain and frightened for maybe hours until some kind soul happened to come to her rescue, or she and Finn went out looking for her when she missed breakfast. There was a haunted look in Linsey’s cerulean eyes when she looked up at him. “No, of course not. Good thing you were there to save the day,” she said softly, offering him a gentle smile.
Setting aside the borrowed shoes and socks, Linsey looked over at Ella, and said, “Now let’s get a look at that ankle, see how bad the ‘Stair Monster’ got you,” referencing the one feature of the castle she wouldn’t be missing, all those bloody stairs, and how they could catch the unwary. It certainly wasn’t the first time somebody showed up at the Hospital Wing after having tripped and fallen on those steps.
The Seventh Year gently used her long sensitive fingers to examine the swollen and discoloured ankle and the surrounding area, noting how much warmer it was already, and how things didn’t feel quite right. “Nothing seems broken, but we’ll double-check.” Linsey gestured and breathed the words of a spell and conjured a nimbus of light above the table, where Ella could see what she was doing, and inside the pool of ethereal radiance an image of Ella’s form appeared.
With a long finger, she touched the area of the image where Ella’s injured ankle was, gestured and that portion of the image enlarged, as though Linsey was manipulating an image on her cellphone. Indicating what the image showed, she pointed out to Ella, “It’s what I thought, there’s no broken bones, but you did sprain your ankle. Pretty nasty sprain too; absent magical healing, you’d likely be crutches for a while. However, there’ll be no need for that….”
Taking great care in how she weaved her spell with her hands and spoke softly the incantation, a soft amber glow appeared about her fingers. Linsey carefully traced the swollen area on Ella’s leg with her fingers as though she were handling a brush. As she worked, the swelling retreated and the discoloured skin restored to normal healthy tones, while wherever her fingers passed was left with the feeling akin to warm sunlight on a spring day. When she was done, Linsey let out a deep sigh as fatigue washed over her.
Linsey stepped back to where Serghei was standing, and she wrapped a hand around his arm and laid her head upon his shoulder. “Thank you,” she said to him in a voice barely louder than a whisper.
OOC:
Cinnabun Gryffie
"All my life I never really knew me till today Now I know why, I'm just another step along the way
I lie awake for hours, I'm just waiting for the sun When the journey we are making has begun Don't deny the feeling that is stealing through your heart Every happy ending needs to have a start
All my life I never really knew me till today Now I know why, I'm just another step along the way "
xx❅ Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Grand Staircase, just over ground floor xxx❅ Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Linsey, Serghei, and Blannat xxxx❅ Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Rescue xxxxx❅ Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?Linsey makes everything better
Ella knew her sister was worried. Heck, even without injuries, Linsey was worried about Ella. The girl wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her sweater, sure that the elder had noticed the tears. Ella still found it very strange that she hadn't yet been punished for the "weakness" that was crying. Father would never allow it from the boys he hoped to become 'soldiers' in whatever fictional war he'd invented, and since Ella was unwanted as it were, she was raised to the same standards. Father hated how easy it was for Ella to cry, so he frequently did things to bring about tears so he could punish her... for fun, usually. Though Ella had long decided she'd never tell the Grey family any of that, she had no idea if Serghei had - or would with any prompting.
Dark eyes looked over when her hand was licked and nuzzled, the girl providing soft pats to Blannat's soft noggin. He was probably the best dog she'd ever met... though she only knew of a few. Linsey said she was fine and with family, so the smaller girl leaned into her sister. "I know, Linsey. I'm glad you were here this morning." She sent over a shaky smile, feeling a bit more confident while in her sister's protection. If anyone could face off against her brother... it'd be Linsey.
She looked over at Serghei when he said he was glad he'd been there, and apparently Linsey agreed. "Da, it was all luck. I took a different route on my morning walk." Ella glanced over, wondering if that was true. She'd never seen Serghei out in the mornings, but she usually stuck to the shadows. What would have happened if she'd followed her own usual walk? She might not have been found for ages! But Serghei was the one who'd noticed the look in Linsey's eyes, so he nodded subtly. His own dark gaze betrayed his worry, though it went far beyond the current predicament.
When Linsey gently pulled off the offending shoes and socks, Ella squeaked in pain. Her eyes scrunched closed, trying to prevent any tears from making an escape. Serghei reached out a hand, preparing to gently pat the girl's back, but with a worried look, he slowly retracted his hand. Would it be weird? Would it just scare the girl further? It wasn't hard to tell that she was terrified, nor that he was far from qualified to provide reassurance. That was something that Linsey was far better equipped to handle.
Ella pat Blannat's head softly as she looked back over at Linsey. She was poking at the area, albeit gently, which was causing Ella pain. "Good that it's not broken, right?" Ella tried a small laugh, but it was still obvious her pain. Though she did draw in a deep breath as she watched the colors dance over the scene. It was always so fascinating to watch the Healers at work, though she rather wished she was watching from afar. She vaguely wondered how much information Linsey could garner at a glance, even if she focused in on the actual injury.
A small gasp sounded from the girl when told it was a nasty sprain that would normally require crutches. That would attract way too much attention! How would she hide if she was clunking around? Thankfully, Linsey had another plan. The brunette softly tugged at her long hair, watching the blonde work with careful precision. Within moments, the pain had all but vanished, the swelling gone with the bruises. Her own small fingers gently brushed the area, so confused about how it had just been so painful and now felt perfectly normal.
Serghei watched as well, a glimmer of curiosity in his dark eyes. It was a wonderful sight, watching someone truly skilled showcase their craft. He'd only seen a few people truly engage with their skills in such a way... but only a specific one kept hold of his attention. Once she had finished, he let his gaze drop, returning focus to the tiny girl at the center of all of this. She was still shaking and he briefly wondered if he might have to carry her to her common room after this. Or perhaps she was cold? That was something he could solve, and without magic at that. He slipped out of his warm jacket, wrapping it around the girl.
Ella looked up in surprise, before she subtly pulled it closer to her. Serghei felt a million pounds of weight lift off his chest at her gesture. She seemed so much smaller like this, but at least she didn't seem to be shaking. Though he had something new to focus upon. Her hand was on his arm and head tilted onto his shoulder. That caused a warm flush to touch his cheeks, but her words made him feel even better. "Mulțumesc, yourself. I am glad she has you." He gently set his other hand atop hers, feeling a bit of a flutter beneath his ribs.
xx✩ Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Hospital Wing xxx✩ Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Tsia xxxx✩ Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Getting healed xxxxx✩ Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?I need her to know...
Despite his face and head hurting pretty bad, the fact that Tsia said she wanted to walk up to the Hospital Wing with him made him feel a little better. She said that most people wouldn't want to get into an actual fight for her, but Benji would do anything for her. "It was my honor," he said, putting on a goofy smile. They walked up to the hospital wing in relative silence after that, but Benji was just happy for the company. Once they arrived at the front desk, Healer Morgan came around and huffed a heavy sigh. He quickly diagnosed Benji and cast a mending charm on his nose. There was a quick snap and his nose was fixed. Morgan also repaired a couple bruises that were forming on his face and arms. After that, he returned to the desk and sat down. Benji pointed to the chairs in the waiting area, then asked, "Can you wait with me until Mea gets here? Besides, there's something I wanted to say to you." After getting her assent, he led her over to the chairs and sat down with her. He opened his mouth and drew a breath, then closed it and paused, trying to figure out what to say. Should he be direct, or try to think of some flowery way to say it? Tsia would just say it, right? That's what she'd done downstairs.
Drawing in another breath, he reached up and pushed her hair out of her face so that her burn scars were visible again. The boy smiled at her, glad to see her whole face, cradling the cheek with the burn scar. "I don't care what that prat Rian said downstairs. I see the beautiful face of someone who survived something scary. That scar is proof you're alive and I think it's wicked cool. And I... well, I'm glad you showed me. Cause... well, I've kinda have a crush on you. And I'm glad you told me about this. You're my best friend and even if you don't like me like that, I wanted to tell you. And you're never a waste of time." He took his hand off her cheek now, letting her hair fall back over her face. "I don't care about getting detention, or losing house points. Punching that numpty for what he said was the right thing to do. I'd do it again too. Maybe aim a little lower first though," he said, chuckling a little. His cheeks were flushed a deep red at admitting his crush, but he felt a lot better now that he'd told her about it.
xx♡Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Hospital Wing - Front Lobby xxx♡Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Benji xxxx♡Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Hospital Wing Talk xxxxx♡Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?It's all my fault...
As they walked, Tsia couldn't help the immense guilt that all this caused. She'd been so preoccupied by her own secret that she didn't consider the perils of telling her friends. Of course, she'd been hoping that they'd both be super supportive and very nice about the whole deal. Honestly, she should have known better. The last people she'd showed teased her relentlessly, using the same words that her primary school bullies used. The girl was droopy as they walked, nervous for what would happen. Meallan seemed very adamant that Benji and Rian would both be in huge trouble. Upon entry to the Hospital Wing, Tsia filled out the form at the front counter, then waited while the healer swiftly fixed up his injuries. As she was about to tell Benji she'd see him after detention, he asked for her to sit beside him.
After she did, the girl froze in panic as Benji reached up to push her hair out of her face. Tsia bit her lip, waiting for him to say something else that would destroy her. But instead, he held her face, notably over the part that was the most scarred up. She was about to tell him that he didn't have to do that, but he spoke first. He waxed poetic about her beauty and the fact that she'd survived something scary. When he admitted to having a crush on her, the girl felt very strange. The only person she'd had a crush on before was Rian, and that.... didn't go so well.
He continued, saying she was his best friend and that he didn't mind getting detention or losing house points... and that he figured Rian deserved to be hit. "I... wish it hadn't come to that, but I guess I should've just... not told anyone. I wasn't planning on ever telling anyone. I've had really bad experiences telling people before, and this just adds to the pile. I really thought he was my friend and I could trust him. I knew I could trust you, Benj. You've always been really trusty. But I followed my stupid heart and wanted him to know too." She reached a shaky hand up, taking Benji's hand and gently pulling it away from her face. Tsia shook her hair back down, letting it cover her face once more. "Remind me to tell you the whole story sometime, 'kay? And I'll try to see if I can get you out of some of the trouble, maybe. It wasn't all your fault, after all." No, he'd just stood up for her. It was all her fault, even if she knew Benji would disagree. Maybe she could ask Roxie for her take on the issue?
