Who: Audrey Leradine & Lavitz fon Amell What: A Feelsgiving Special Where: Vivi's Guest House When: November 30th, evening. Rating: G Status:complete
Lately Audrey was unsure whether she was lucky to be conscious or not.
The in pain her chest swelled and it had gotten far too difficult to breathe. Her throat ached, and the herbal remedies Ms. Han had procured for he did little to help the throbbing. So she lied there. Her eyes stared up at her ceiling. In two days it would be her birthday, and Faram knew whether or not she’d live to see her 26th year. A knock on the door drew her attention from her thoughts as her eyes traveled down. Pulling the comforter over her mouth, she spoke in the loudest tone her weak voice could muster.
“Come in.”
As the door drew open and Lavitz appeared through it, he had to wonder what it was about being beckoned to bedrooms as of late. He sincerely hoped that this meeting wouldn’t go as terribly as his last with Leola, but Audrey, who had contacted him not long ago, meant something different to him. Not less, not more— just something else. She, like many other people in his life, held a piece of his heart, a piece he so hesitantly gave, and she was one of the few who cherished it with all she had.
He sucked in a shuddery breath, unable to put on a smile, even for her sake. “Hey,” he greeted, softly, approaching but keeping his distance not because of illness, but out of politeness.
As she saw him peek through the doorway, she couldn’t suppress the smile that pulled on her lips. “Come in,” she waved him in. “I’m glad you came.” The door was quietly pressed shut, to offer them that required privacy and cut out a world that had gone so wrong in so little time. The dragoon crossed the room in long strides, bringing him to her bedside in seconds.
His brows knit together in concern. “Thanks for asking me over. How are you feeling?” Awful, no doubt, but he wanted to hear it from her.
“Miserable,” she broke out in a small laugh, though the action made her roll to her side and grip at her chest from the heaving pain. The smile never left her lips though. “How have you been? What are the stories of the outside world? I rarely check my communicator anymore.”
That honesty was appreciated, but Lavitz’s own chest surged at the sight of her in distress, so he delicately perched himself on the edge of her mattress, figuring she wouldn’t mind and needed that support lest his knees give out. “There’s a large group heading out to find an herb to help with the cure. If there’s been any progress in the clinics, I haven’t heard anything, but they’re probably waiting for that,” he offered her, hating the robotic sound of his words.
“As for me,” he continued, voice softer this time, “I’ve been okay.” It wasn’t the full truth, but it wasn’t an outright lie, either. She didn’t deserve his lies, laying there so ill. His hand twitched against the comforter from wanting to reach out to her, to assure her she wasn’t going to leave Juliette behind, but he refrained, for the moment.
“Ari made a mention of that,” she cleared her throat, rolling on her back again. Her hand left the comfort of her blankets and she reached out for his hand. “Will it be dangerous? I didn’t bother asking, I couldn’t even focus on reading the words anymore.” Not a word of permission was asked before his hand met hers halfway, scooping it up into his.
There came a shake of his head. “I can’t say, but there are a lot of fighters from my guild, people I trust—” (love) “—and who I know won’t let the city down. I know Arielle will be fighting hard for you.” He squeezed her hand, gently.
“And I would for her.” There was a pause, her hand emitting some newfound strength in an attempt to squeeze Lavitz’ hand. To him, it would feel miniscule to Audrey’s efforts. “I need you to tell you something. I—” she struggled to find the words. “Vivi has named me her heir,” her face looked pain as she spoke, pushing down the knot in her throat. “Vivi named me her heir and she isn’t even aware that I’m suffering from the same malady. What will happen to Juliette? I do not wish to tell Vivi in case she names my sister. I won’t know how she’ll deal with having two inheritances. But if I—” her body convulsed in coughs, Audrey forcing herself to roll over in another feeble attempt.
And at her side, Lavitz immediately put concern for her health before a response, switching hands to place his free one on her forearm. “Audrey, please tell me you have a white mage on staff,” he pleaded, not waiting for an answer as he cast Cure on her, not knowing how much it would help but understanding that doing nothing was worse.
The warmth of the heal filled her chest and the coughing subsided quickly. Audrey shook her head. “Darius comes to check up on me, but I just have Juliette and Ms. Han here.”
He fell silent for a short time, considering his options. Eventually, he settled for what seemed the most likely to give her peace of mind.
“Do you want me to stay a while?”
"If you'd like." Audrey didn't want to force him to. She could be miserable company during this time. "There was a favor I wanted to ask of you. It's about Juliette."
A frown. “What is it?” Something that felt suspiciously like paranoia settled in his stomach.
“If it turns out,” Audrey had to pause, almost as if gathering herself before continuing. “If it turns out that I wont,” she paused again, biting her lower lip and finding a way to word it. “Well, you know what I mean. Juliette will be left alone again. I don’t want her going back to the Demiels, ever. I—Could you?”
She took a deep breath.
“Could you care for her?”
That paranoia coiled painfully inside of Lavitz; he had expected something dire like this, but hadn’t wanted to entertain the notion. Audrey not beating this illness, Audrey dying— and Juliette, how could she cope with finally finding her sister only to lose her again? Having never been reunited might’ve been a kinder fate than that.
He sucked in a deep breath, met her eyes, and nodded, squeezing her hand most gently. “If it comes to that, I will. I promise.”
Audrey squeezed his hand, a smile forcing out of her lips. She lied her head back on her pillow, swallowing and holding back the tears. Her smile seemed to be the only thing holding her together. “I often wanted to die. I used to think, I should be dead. I was meant to be dead. And I thought why only me? I wanted to go back to my brothers and my parents so badly. But now that I’m borderline there, I don’t want to.” It was then she couldn’t hold it any longer. Her tears flowed down, and her breathing out of beat. “I don’t want to die, Lav. I’m scared.”
Chest contracting with the words, Lavitz leaned over toward her, gingerly thumbing the tears off one cheek. How could he reassure her what he didn’t know? How could he give a promise he didn’t know he could keep, or advise her on something he struggled with on a near daily basis? There seemed to be only one thing he could say, and it took him another breath to prepare for it.
“I don’t know much about should have’s and shouldn’t have’s, but I don’t think you were meant to be anything but alive. You’re a fighter, Audrey. You’ve fought hard this whole time, and you revealed yourself in public, to Juliette, because you don’t back down even when you’re scared. You know what needs to be done, and you go at it with everything you have.” He drew his hand to her other cheek to thumb at her tears.
“It’s okay to be afraid, because I’m afraid, too.” His other hand tightened around hers. “Keep fighting, Audrey. Fight for the people you love, alright? I know you can.” In the place of a smile, Lavitz laced his fingers through hers.
“And for what it’s worth, I’m happy you’re alive.”
Audrey’s other hand came up to rub her eyes, as her smile grew wider. She nodded at Lav, her eyes only reflecting a genuine gratitude. Squeezing his hand back, she looked back up at him.