No Problem Can't Be Solved [Finished]

[carcinoGeneticist]

True, the cups may have been more simplistic in design than the rather glorious teapot, but Raina found herself running her fingers lightly across the twining patterns. It was beautiful china, that was utterly undeniable.

And it was incredible tea, both in scent and in flavor. A soft sigh escaped the young woman as she lowered the cup from her lips, keeping it close for long enough to take in another deep whiff of the vapors. There was something about it that, in some unconscious way, made her think of home. Specifically, of her father. When he'd had time for her and her siblings, she'd crowded her way into his arms and just smelled his smell - often he smelled ever so slightly of chemicals from his studies, sometimes of the fizzle of magic, but beneath it, there had been a floral bouquet. She'd eventually traced it to the same shampoo that was used on her hair as well as Bernard's, and until this moment, she'd thought that had been the end of it.

Clearly, it hadn't. Pushing the small tug of longing and homesickness in her heart aside for the time being, she set the cup back lightly on its saucer and smiled. "It's absolutely incredible. I've never tasted such a tea in my life. I'm finally beginning to understand why Donnie might send me all this way to gather it for her."

At Esme's next statement, Raina blinked. She hadn't been aware of the condition of things at the house, and she felt a slight pang of guilt for arriving unannounced. However, this seemed to her as if it was a part of her quest as well, and so she sat up a little straighter, her smile soft, understanding, and maybe even a little sad.

"If it would be easier on yourself and your mate, it wouldn't be a problem at all for me to check in to an inn," Raina began, speaking easily. Then she leaned forward, hesitating for just a moment before placing one delicate human hand atop the biped eagle's talon, giving the woman a full smile. "If you wouldn't mind the company, however, I would be honored to stay with you and also to help out in any way I might be able to during the duration of my stay."

[The Jenn]

"She sent you all this way to get it because she's a lazy lump who doesn't want to listen to any of her old Auntie's stories anymore," Esme replied with a snort and a smirk, completely in jest. "But you're certainly welcome to have a few cups while you're here, at any rate. Just don't try to brew it yourself. Hands in the tea cupbord get bitten off. I doubt you'd be so nosy, though, a sweet young thing like you." She doubted no such thing and so she wanted it stated plainly.

The genuine, full-force smile caught her by surprise and she blinked before slowly returning it around the beak. "I wouldn't mind the company in the slightest, provided that you pick up after yourself and you're not the sort who needs to be contantly entertained. Like two of my nieces. I don't mind them as visitors, but overnight right now is just not working if their mother doesn't want them driving me to the asylum. Which she might, I don't know. She'd probably think it was funny. Regardless, I won't make you help in tending to an invalid. Might send you out on some errands at some point, while the leaves are drying, but nothing more than that."

Humor seeming back to its previous levels, she sat with Raina for another half an hour, chatting and pouring them each another cup of tea before showing the girl to her guest room. "The nicer one," as she put it. "The larger one smells like mildew in one corner and it makes me sneeze. No matter what we do to that wall short of magic, it doesn't help after a good rain. And then the bugs get in. Eugh. The others fight over it just because it's bigger, and all of the rooms here are small, but I'd much rather sleep in this one if I didn't have my own."

[carcinoGeneticist]

Something about Esme just put Raina at ease in a way she'd never thought that people who weren't family would be able to do, especially not after such a short period of time. But here she was, a smile on her face, as full and genuine as any. There was a bite of wit to almost everything the eagle said, a throwback to the girl's own adopted mother of sorts. And that smile, around the edges of the beak... That made her think of home as well, of Nikolai and Sascha. The pang of homesickness was pushed aside in an instant, and Raina was as quick to play back to the Eagle's good-natured teasing as she'd been before.

She was beginning to understand that this trip was going to be a lot more fun than she'd anticipated. The room she'd been given was lovely and comfortable, and Raina found herself at ease. It was a good place to rest after a long day, to write down the events in a leather-bound journal that she'd bought expressly for the trip.

The week came and went quickly, with Raina exploring the nearby town and all the sights she could on some days and helping Esme out with whatever she could on others. Meeting the Eagle's ill mate had tugged at her heartstrings in an odd way, and she'd volunteered to make dinner one night, just to try and do something for the two of them. It was halfway through the week that Raina realized that, beyond everything else, she missed Donnie.

How couldn't she? There was much of the Queen in her aunt.

But when the final day came, the Solandrian couldn't help but feel at least a little bit sad. She'd enjoyed her trip here, after all. She'd loved getting to know Donnie's family. She sat back in the chair she'd come to rather like, taking a deep sip of tea - the very tea she was bringing back to the court with her. "That's absolutely amazing," she breathed, her eyes closing. Much better than the older stuff from her first day here. "The coach will be here for me soon... Is there anything I can do before I go, Miss Esme? I could never thank you enough for your hospitality."

[The Jenn]

The two of them had spent one afternoon early on tromping through fields of flowers until they reached a series of lakes. Well, more like the four of them. Esme's previously mentioned nieces had turned up for a visit and been roped into the exercise, chattering both of their ears off in the process.

The following day, the process of preparing the leaves had begun and it was another bout of conversation for Esme with the King. She learned about a few more of Donnie's childhood exploits in the Gardens, her tense relationship with her Villa sister, a few of her favorite teas and snacks, and her allergy to plums, among other random things.

Esme's mate was a Yarrow chihuahua, a few years younger than her despite the fact that she looked several years older and very ill. Her condition left her partly immobile and with great difficulty breathing, though she could still throw out a joke or two to "lighten the mood" when conversation stalled after a coughing fit. It was sad and sweet the way they looked at each other. They knew they didn't have much longer and it showed in the lingering touches. This was a very bonded couple.

On the last day of her visit, the eagle sat with her and sipped lightly at the tea, keeping her there as long as she could with idle conversation. "Dear, you've been a delight to host. Even if that niece of mine won't tear herself away from her duties to come and visit, she can foist you off on us anytime she likes. And please feel free to write anytime. We do love getting mail here and you have the address."

[carcinoGeneticist]

As she sat there, alongside the proud Eagle, Raina couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow. She had become quite entangled in the lives of these people, shared in their happiness and their pain, and now she was just going to leave. She knew that she hadn't been the person Esme had really wanted to see, that she'd been more of a teasing insight to a person they loved. Did her own family feel this way, when she was away at the courts?

Raina swallowed back the feeling, standing slowly and giving the woman a tight hug. "Thank you. I'd love to come visit again, and I'll be sure to write. I'll make Donnie write, too, if I can manage it." She smiled slightly. Maybe she could convince Bernard to let her borrow his camera and she could even send along a few pictures of herself and Donnie... It wouldn't be the same as seeing her in person, but it would at least be a visual representation of the family they missed. "And... don't hesitate to write back. I don't get to talk to many people from outside the court anymore. It would be a real pleasure."

She'd have to speak with her father fast, to make sure the pictures arrived in time for Sha'calla to see them as well. Something like that would hopefully give the pair of them something to enjoy for even a short time.

The coach arrived a few minutes later, and Raina gave Esme and the house a wave before loading herself in for the long trip home. As soon as she was in the seat, she was gripped by a wave of tiredness that only a vacation could give one, and she curled up, head on her suitcase, and drifted off to sleep. She'd be home again soon enough.

[The Jenn]

Esme saw her off with regret and the weather agreed with Raina's trip home, doing little more than gusting wind and a brief hour of light rain. The drive was far more unpleasant for her driver than for her. The eagle kept her long enough that she arrived back at Court well into the evening, and almost the morning of the next day.

Donnie had been quite busy during the week of Raina's absence. There were of course the usual requirements of her jobs, the meetings and the decisions and the paperwork. There were the social demands around the palace. She didn't have to travel anywhere, but quite a few people came to her, many by request. Getting Spades a better reputation required a lot of reaching out and sticking her nose in others' business.

She'd also begun to suspect something happening of a more personal nature and had an appointment with a doctor the day before. That could wait, though, for a little while at least.

In the late morning, maybe an hour before noon, she sent for the young King. After someone told her what time the coach got in, she'd decided to forgo the anticipated pleasure of a morning cup in exchange for afternoon tea instead.

[carcinoGeneticist]

For the amount of sleep she'd gotten while she'd been in Yarrow, Raina found herself feeling entirely exhausted upon her return to the court. She'd pretty much stumbled out of the carriage, shown herself to her room, and fallen into a deep sleep. A sleep that, as much as she'd wished otherwise, did nothing whatsoever to quell the drowsiness that was utterly permeating her mind. She felt... Ill. Quite ill.

But that was the price she would have to pay for her trip to the Yarrow. For now, all she could do was roll over to try and sleep a little longer. After all - Donnie would want to see her soon.

Luckily, at least for the girl's throbbing head, Donnie did not send for her in the early morning, a servant coming in to wake the King an hour or two later than she'd expected. Her head felt as though it was full of cotton balls, her stomach lurching oddly, but she gave the messenger a wane smile and excused herself to prepare to meet with her Queen. A quick shower later, Raina made her way (quite slowly, because she just couldn't muster the energy to move any faster) down the hall towards the room she knew she'd find Donnie waiting in.

Once she'd gotten there, of course, she couldn't help but smile. She'd missed the Wolverine while she'd been away, unexpectedly, and seeing her once more just made the truth that much more obvious. "Good morning, my Queen," the girl commented, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her. In one hand was a bag full of the tea she'd been sent to gather, and she placed it lightly on the Queen's desk. "Esme sends her regards. She also had a choice few words about your sending me, but I did have a lovely trip."

She had, too. Even if she was really suffering for it now.

[The Jenn]

"Good morning, Raina." The poor thing looked exhausted. Donnie smiled in return, motioning her forward after she placed the much-anticipated bag carefully on the desk. Then she took her hand and steered her around the heavy wooden piece, pulling her into a loose hug on her furry lap. Thick arms settled her in place and a nose whuffed in her hair. Even if she couldn't smell the tea sitting on her desk, she could smell the Yarrow in Raina's mane, stronger than her shampoo normally left it.

"Aunt Esme has a few choice words about a lot of things. I'll take the regards, though, with thanks. I just wish I could have gone with you without feeling guilty about leaving." She ran one finger along a hairless cheek and frowned slightly. "And you don't look like you're feeling very well. Are you sick, or is it just the Yarrow getting to you?" Her mother and sister had always come back drained from a visit to see Dad's side of the family. She was familiar enough with the side-effects.

With her current little 'issue', however, it seemed silly to automatically assume that symptoms of illness meant illness.

[carcinoGeneticist]

Truth be told, Raina was exhausted. It showed most in the lines around her eyes, the dull haze that had settled across her gaze. She was glad to be home, really, but whatever illness that had settled in her mind made her feel entirely miserable. It had to have been the Yarrow, though it seemed odd that she hadn't felt the traces of illness until now...

The feeling of arms around her woke her from her thoughts and she smiled, letting Donnie pull her into the position that she wanted. That was one of the things that she liked about the Wolverine - when she was bundled in those fuzzy arms, it was like an all-enveloping blanket of warm, soft, and safe. With her head feeling as fuzzy as it was, that hug was welcome. She couldn't help but laugh at the feeling of a nose whuffling through her hair, her eyes squeezing closed as she made a soft and happy nose. She twisted in the Wolverine's grasp, pressing her nose into the fur until she found warm skin, her lips pressing lightly against it.

"We'll go back at some point. It was a lot of fun - your aunt is hell on wheels in the best possible way." Raina laughed softly, then her limbs went somewhat limp in the Queen's grasp, her eyes slipping shut. Her face moved against the furry hand. "I think it's just the Yarrow. I managed to keep myself together while I was there, and I'm suffering for it now."

Slowly, the girl twisted in the woman's grasp, rolling so that her back was curled against Donnie's front, her head resting lightly against the fluffy chest. She inclined her head back to look up at the woman. "Anything interesting happen here while I was gone?"

[The Jenn]

Such a cuddly girl. That was one thing Donnie had missed 'between relationships'. The casual touching was a wonderful perk. Even if this pretty little thing wasn't the love of her life, it didn't really matter. Far more serious were the implications of her condition on their relationship. Hopefully, hopefully she wouldn't take it more seriously than it was.

"A trip to visit family is definitely in my future. Maybe a year from now, or a little more, we'll have time. Or, hell, just make time. Maybe I can even convince family to come and visit us." Her mother would want to be present. She knew that. She'd pay the coach fare with no problems. It would be worth it to have the bird on hand for emotional support before and after. Her mother only had eggs, so she didn't want to distress her with the 'during' part...

"Actually... yes. A surprising amount of interesting. Did you know that Vessie's pregnant again? Apparently spring is in the air." Stall.