2020-03-07 - Welcome Home

(TXT to Minerva) Ciprian : Hey, sis. I made it back. Everything's mostly okay, but I went to the hospital to get checked out just in case. I'll come by as soon as they give me the all clear.

(TXT to Ciprian) Minerva : Are you hurt badly? Do you need us to bring you anything?

(TXT to Minerva) Ciprian : No, I'm okay. I'll be over in a little bit.

It's not too much longer before Ciprian shows up -- maybe another hour or so. There's a knock at the door, and when it's opened, it reveals Ciprian. There's a telltale sign -- that Minerva would certainly recognize -- of new, pink skin on his forehead, instead of a bruise or laceration that would surely be the reason he was in the hospital. Someone must have healed him. "Hey," he says quietly.

(TXT to Ciprian) Minerva : Alright, we were just worried. See you soon.

Minerva had been waiting, Ashira was already asleep and didn't have any idea that her father was out doing silly veil trips. So when she opens the door there's an immediate focus in on his head with her good eye. "What happened?" she asks as she lets him in to get out of the cold and the snow.

"Well." Ciprian looks a little bit guilty -- which probably means he feels a lot guilty, but hey. At least he's alive and here! "We went. And it was..." He trails off, reaching up to rub his hand over that new, pink skin of his forehead. "Not great," he admits after a moment, and there's a brief flash of a smile across his face, though it doesn't really look amused or anything like that, more wry. "The grafts that August did had made the trees sick, like they were parasites. They attacked us, until we managed to remove them. Some of us barely made it back." Possibly him, but he doesn't say that.

"Thanks for keeping her," he says after a moment's pause. "I didn't want her to see me in the hospital like that."

Minerva gives him a look over and there's a bit of a head shake, but she lets him get in and settled, "I'm guessing by the look of your head it went rather poorly." she tells him. "And it's no problem. She never gives me issues. Sort of a blessing really." she smiles to him as she sits down on the couch. "Are you the only one that was hurt? Is August alright?" she asks him.

"Yes. It went poorly." Ciprian nods, before he amends, "Well, we did do what we came there to do, but it definitely wasn't smooth sailing." He goes to sit down next to her on the couch, settling back with a bit of a tired sigh, though not a pained one. Someone has already taken care of that, obviously. "Some other people were," he admits. "August, but he's all right. Another woman there, Finch. Everyone's all right, though. Nothing too lasting. We're all okay."

Minerva listens to him and there's a soft nod. Then she looks to him, "She's asleep. Do you want me to wake her or just talk to her in the morning over...things?" she asks him. Then there's a bit of a look around before she looks to him, "I'm glad everyone made it out alright. You're might priority, but, I know others risk themselves as well." she explains. "Have you ever thought of packing up and moving?" she asks him out of the blue.

"Let's leave her, and talk to her in the morning," Ciprian replies. "I don't want to wake her." He looks a little bit like he does want to wake her, instinctively as a parent, just to make sure she's okay, and maybe hug her, but intellect overrides instinct. The question of the move, though, seems to take him aback initially...but then he lets out a little amused snort. "Sometimes," he admits. "But I can't leave you here. And now..." He trails off, before another little laugh escapes him. "I'm seeing someone, too. And she's pretty settled here, so." There you go! "And I still need to meet Elazar."

"We'll leave her then. Azrael is sleeping with her so I doubt anything is going to bother her. She got to play with the spiders this evening so she was SO happy." Minerva chuckles. "You can absolutely leave me here." she muses. "But our family is here. I don't think I'll ever leave with everything." she frowns to that. "Seeing someone, huh? Is it serious? Good candidate for step-mom?" she asks him. Yes, Ashira was a priority.

Then she sighs, "Yeah, you do need to meet him. I'm going to be surprised if he sticks around for the wedding and things. Especially with all of the weird that likes to hang around." she shakes her head. "We at least set a date for the wedding. I haven't told Ashira yet, wanted to do it when I had more plans, but I figure she'll have fun being a flower girl." she smiles.

"Oh, good. I'm very glad she has an aunt who's able to play with spiders with her." Ciprian smiles a little more widely, even though there's a bit of a shiver at the idea of the spiders. He is not a fan, as she knows. He gets a little more sober when she goes on, however, and says, "Yes. It's Beth Lawson. I mean, we're taking it slow, but I wouldn't start anything with someone I didn't think had the potential for that." He says it fondly with a glance toward the door where Ashira is sleeping.

He looks back to her, though, and there's a light frown when she says he might not stay. "Really?" he asks. "Well...there is a lot of weird. But I'll be disappointed if he lets it get to him. I know Ashira will be really excited whenever you tell her. Probably best to wait, or we'll never hear the end of it all the way until the wedding."

"Don't really know her, but, I'm happy for you." Minerva states to that. "Well...it's an arranged marriage. Not like there's any real feelings tying him to this place." she shrugs. "And I know she will. Just been trying to make sure it's going to be alright with mom and dad to not be so freaking traditional for the wedding." she laughs.

"We should all have dinner soon," Ciprian suggests. "I can meet him, you can get to know her. Ashira can feel adored by all." He smiles, but then continues, "There may not be, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't think he was really short-sighted for losing out on you." He lets out a laugh then, too. "Good luck with that," he remarks dryly. "I'll make some popcorn to watch the discussion." He does sound like he's joking, though, or at least a little bit joking.

"Not sure I'm up for having dinner with everyone. I'm just...I don't want to get attached to new people. Gives Them too many things to go after." Minerva tells him. "But, we'll do dinner. I'll say hi and all that. Let Elazar be his charming self." she sighs. Then there's a chuckle, "I think he'd be smart for running while he had the chance." she admits. "And yeah, mom and dad are like 'we have to do this!' and I'm just shaking my head. His parents seemed pleased with the date. Especially when he compromised on my want of not having it at New Years." she frowns.

Her wedding to Abel had been scheduled for New Years, but he died two months prior.

"I get it," Ciprian replies, his tone a little bit quieter, "but I love you a lot and I want you to know people who are important to me." He doesn't push it, though, and he's happy enough that she's acquiesced to a dinner. "Why do I feel like that's said ironically?" he asks, but it sounds rhetorical as he shakes his head. He does have to give her a skeptical look at her next words, but he doesn't answer -- instead, he focuses on the latter as his expression softens a bit. He reaches over to touch her arm, and nods once. "That's good."

Minerva sits there for a few moments quietly and there's a bit of a smile to him, "I know. So it's why I'll do it." she tells him finally. She wasn't as stubborn with it as she was on other things. "So do we want to do dinner at your place in a few weeks? I've got to deal with the Murray House the 17th and I'm not sure how banged up I will be given I've laid out a no healing for me mandate." she muses.

"Thank you." Ciprian smiles, squeezing her arm briefly before he releases it. "We'll do it in a few weeks. I'll see how you're feeling after that and we'll play it by ear." He's obviously worried about that, but he isn't going to say too much about it. Instead, he just says, "Thanks, sis. I appreciate you."