Recovery (For Riley)

[bewitchinghaze]

Val got the text from Alfie about Tristan's death and immediately went into overdrive. Abandoning the repotting she was in the middle of, she washed her arms of soil and tossed her apron to the side as she rushed into the main part of the house. She slid into Riley's bedroom and pulled down the covers, hauling out her favourite pyjamas and fluffing up her pillows. A quick sleep charm on her pillow, and she was out the door again, gathering her medical herbs and brewing an extremely strong pot of lavender and valerian root tea.

Pausing, she ran to her room and changed into a comfortable hoodie, figuring she'd be doing a lot of holding once her sister got back and wanting her to have the most comfortable surface to rest against possible. Chewing on her lip, she sits at the kitchen table and runs through a list of things she might need. Knocking her out and letting her sleep through her initial grief may be the best choice, she figures. The lavender tea would help with that but she stuffed a bit of dried chamomile into a pouch and shoved it under her pillow to infuse it through the room.

She sighs, feeling useless as she finishes what she can prepare before Ji-Yun arrives, and sits down on the corner of her bed. Wringing her hands, she waits and tries to prepare herself for the state her sister might be in.

Comments

[jiyunnies]

"Last time I took my potions outside you nearly knocked me out trying to get me away from your garden which, by the way, is everywhere."

[bewitchinghaze]

"Outside like... at the beach. Where you can't hurt the house or my flowers," she tsks, sticking her tongue out. "I can't help it if my babies are overactive..."

[jiyunnies]

"You're lucky I have Les to experiment with. He'll offer up his apartment, I'm sure."

[bewitchinghaze]

Val shrugs. "You can blow up his apartment then. As long as you remove any plants first. It's important."

[jiyunnies]

"I honestly think if Les had plants in his apartment, they're probably dead by now...or Alfie took them...speaking of, I should see how he's doing."

[bewitchinghaze]

"Maybe I don't like Les as much as I thought I did..." Val jokes. "Do you want me to get your phone?"

[jiyunnies]

"Please. You like him because he'll take me out of your hair every now and then." She nods, surprised she even managed to hold on to all the events of the night before. "Please. I'd really like to thank him."

[bewitchinghaze]

"Damn, you're right. I guess I do like him," she grins, getting out of the bed and fishing her phone out of the clothes she dumped on the floor last night. "Here, tell him thank you from me too, please."

[jiyunnies]

She takes the phone, frowning when she sees she had a text from Tristan waiting for her since yesterday. "Ow." She quickly opens Alfie's contact information and texts him before slipping back under her covers.

[bewitchinghaze]

"Unnie?" she asks carefully, concerned. "What happened?"

[jiyunnies]

She hands Val her phone, showing her the text Tristan sent about what a good time he had on the date. "I must've missed it." Riley's face is back in her pillow. "I was on my way to his bakery when it happened."

[bewitchinghaze]

Val rolls over, scooping her into a hug again. Stroking her hair, she sighs. "Do you want me to delete it for you?"

[jiyunnies]

"No," she mutters into Val's shirt. "I want to keep it."

[bewitchinghaze]

"We'll keep it then, okay? You know how happy he must have been, right?" she murmurs.

[jiyunnies]

Riley nods, pouting. "He was just so nice, Val. He didn't do anything wrong."

[bewitchinghaze]

"I know," she soothes, playing with her hair. "This stupid fucking mist seems to go for the good people though."

[jiyunnies]

"I hate it. And whoever brought it to us." Val's statement immediately reminds her of Moira's and suddenly she's remembering. "Wait. Did you know Moira's back?"

[bewitchinghaze]

Val frowns slightly. "She is? Is that... police guy back too? Grant's friend?"

[jiyunnies]

Riley nods. "They showed up just as the mist hit again...Moira found me with Tristan."

[bewitchinghaze]

"...I wonder if the mist... exchanged them? Like, we got Moira and that guy back but lost Tristan at the exact same time," she frowns, thinking it over. "The timing was just too perfect."

[jiyunnies]

"Oh God...poor Moira. She's probably already thinking that."

[bewitchinghaze]

"I hope she isn't blaming herself. It's not her fault. It's that stupid fucking mist and whatever asshole, or assholes, are controlling it," she snarls, getting a bit heated now.

[jiyunnies]

"You know Moira. She probably already is, and her mom probably won't help with that." Riley rubs Val's back, sensing her anger as it starts to get the best of her. "I know. We'll just reassure Moira on that."

[bewitchinghaze]

"What if I punch her mother out? I'll stop being angry, she can't upset Moira... It's a win-win situation."

[jiyunnies]

She smiles softly. "You'd both feel better. But let's not pull the wrath of Mrs. Coombs on us, okay?"