[center][h1][color=c76ef0]Aurora[/color] & [color=60cf11]Céline[/color][/h1]
A collaboration between BlackRoseSiren & SkeankySnack
[sub]Location: Aelios Temple[/sub][/center]
[center][h2]~~~Previous Day~~~[/h2][/center]

As the temple doors closed shut, Céline was left alone with two uncertainties. The white haired woman didn’t seem a threat, just a passive body, the guard however didn’t look particularly happy to be here. It probably didn’t please him any to be left as a lone guard, especially to a blightborn, as every time his gaze found her she could feel his wariness grow.  To be fair, both were exuding a fair amount of anxiety, her stomach making protests at the feeling. Céline’s ears drooped slightly as she turned to gain a little distance from them both. Their anxiety persisted regardless, but being further away from them helped somewhat and she could distract herself with the crackling of the brazier..

The blightborn doctor gazed into the flame, allowing her mind to wander as the blaze sparked and danced, the light reflecting back from her glassy irises. She wondered if anyone would try to make their way to the temple, if anyone would need aid rendered, would they even accept her help? She was an unknown to this town, hadn’t even properly introduced herself to the prince yet. She sighed, knowing she couldn’t let something like fear stop her from doing what she needed to. She knelt down in front of the steps leading up the brazier, unstrapping her bag from her shoulder she began rummaging through for some supplies. Some medical tools, bottles with herbs, odd colored liquids or thick looking pastes, cloth wrappings. All were necessary in the event someone was wounded or injured, there was still one more thing she was looking for as she rummaged through the bag, arm deep in the satchel.

As Aurora watched the heavy temple doors shut behind the guard and priestess, she felt a wave of anxiousness wash over her. On noticing this, she took in a deep breath and thought, [colour=#c76ef0][i]Focus Aurora, everything is fine, you need to stop worrying[/i][/colour]. She soon began to shake off the feeling and glanced at the guard, she soon noticed his expression of unease and gave him a reassuring smile, [colour=#c76ef0]”I’m very sorry for my outburst, I didn’t mean to worry you, I am just a little worried about the alarm. As it is the first one that I have experienced.”[/colour]

Her attention then shifted to the purple and green-haired lady. Aurora’s eyes followed her as the lady walked away. Watching the lady stop. Aurora decided to walk towards her and introduce herself, [colour=#c76ef0]”Hello miss, my name is Aurora, What is your…”[/colour] Her voice trailed off when she saw the lady pulling what looked like medical supplies from her bag. Excitement surged through Aurora as she looked back up at the lady and asked, [colour=#c76ef0]”Wait, are you also a healer?”[/colour] Her tone had a slight hint of glee and excitement to it.

Céline’s arm stopped moving as the woman’s voice broke the silence. She turned her gaze towards the other, then back at her poultices, before continuing to rummage. [color=60cf11]“I am..of a sort, though probably not what you’re used to,”[/color] her hand brushed the corner of a wooden box, an exclamation of realization escaping her lips as she lifted the container from her bag, setting it on the stone steps. She pushed herself up from the ground, dusting herself off as she turned towards her new acquaintance, extending her hand. [color=60cf11]“My name is Dr. Moreau, though you may call me Céline; a pleasure to meet you Aurora.”[/color] She was only a little taller than the woman before her, though the ears towered over, as they did for just about everyone else. [color=60cf11]“You said you were a healer as well? That’s reassuring to know that I’ll have an able hand just in case,”[/color] she smiled softly, reassuringly, [color=60cf11]“though hopefully neither of us are needed tonight.”[/color]

Once pleasantries had been exchanged Celine knelt back down in front of the box, opening it up to reveal some kind of [url=https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1349938639013937152/1351769491616305296/anBn.png?ex=67ed6131&is=67ec0fb1&hm=9797ab9f009423962369451bac57f3cda8a330e87f81c44b8b70567b1447c667&=&format=webp&quality=lossless&width=350&height=350]apparatus[/url] and began setting it up. [color=60cf11]“You’re more than welcome to use anything from my pack if you’d like, though I must warn you that nothing in there is magically charged.”[/color] She pulled out a flask of water that she poured into the metal chamber, then pulled out another jar containing some brown powder that she carefully measured into the glass chamber beside it. Once satisfied she grabbed a small piece of flint and tinder, lighting the candle beneath the water, watching the tiny flame lick at the metal, [color=60cf11]“I figure it might be a long night, I don’t suppose I could interest you in some coffee?”[/color]

Aurora patiently waited for her to answer the greeting and question she excitedly asked. When she heard it, she was amazed and thought to herself, [colour=#c76ef0][i]“Wow, she is a doctor. I wonder if I could learn more ways to help people from her.”[/i][/colour] On noticing Céline’s outstretched hand quickly extended hers too. Because they were face to face, Aurora was able to see Céline’s ears more clearly, which made her stare at them, she soon realised she was staring at them and came to her senses she smiled and watched as Céline quickly went back to what she was originally doing.

The excitement exuding from the young woman was a welcome change compared to the anxiety Céline had been feeling for the past couple of days. As they shook hands, she couldn’t help but taste it just a little, like a child licking the sugar from a freshly glazed sweetroll. The warmth Céline felt flooded her body, like a hot broth coating her throat and stomach, but as quickly as it came, it was gone. A fleeting moment, it would bring no relief to the blightborn and ideally the young woman would be none the wiser of the intrusion. Still, Céline’s hand pulled away just as quickly as it embraced hers, resuming what she had already begun.

When Céline asked her a question, Aurora noticed she was doing something so she decided to move closer to get a better look at what she was doing and replied, [colour=#c76ef0]“Yes, I am a healer, and I will assist you to the best of my abilities. However, I also hope we won’t be needed tonight.”[/colour] She smiled reassuringly and watched in amazement as Céline pulled various items out of her bag. She recognised some of these items. She remembered an elderly man from her village whom she would visit with medicine, and he would tell her stories from his younger days when he was a doctor.

Hearing Céline talk brought Aurora back from her thoughts, and she replied, [colour=#c76ef0]“Thank you. I recognise some of these items; an elderly man in my village taught me about them.”[/colour] A sad smile appeared on her face. She then turned her attention back to Céline, watching her closely as she boiled water and measured out the brown powder. Aurora wondered what the powder was until Céline answered her question before she had a chance to ask. With a smile, Aurora said, [colour=#c76ef0]“Yes, it looks like it will be a long night. I would love some coffee, thank you.”[/colour]

The liquid sputtered and steamed as the hot flame began to work its magic, pressuring the hot water to evacuate into the neighboring chamber. [color=60cf11]“I wholeheartedly agree, as prepared as I am, I hope I won’t have to use my skills unless necessity dictates it.”[/color] Céline felt a sense of relief knowing that there was another healer nearby to help her, it wasn’t always easy working alone. There was some worry that if it was needed, Aurora would need to use some of her magic, something Aurelians were sorely lacking these days. Céline’s ears perked up though when she mentioned recognizing the ingredients, an elderly man teaching them to her, another doctor perhaps?

Aurora stood entranced, her gaze fixed on the bubbling liquid, which sputtered and hissed as it heated. Wisps of steam curled upwards, dancing and twisting in the air. She took in the sight with rapt attention, her mind swirling with memories of the number of experiments she had conducted alongside the elderly madman. Each moment was a vivid reminder of their shared enthusiasm, as she fondly remembered the way his eyes had sparkled with passion and wisdom while they explored new ways to help people.

[color=60cf11]“An old man you say?”[/color] A small click sounded from the apparatus, signifying that the brewing process had been completed. Just as quickly as the water filled the glass chamber, the liquid, as if by some unseen force, was being pulled back into the metal chamber. [color=60cf11]“He sounds like my mentor,”[/color] she mused for a second, losing herself to a somber moment as she watched the black liquid get sucked back up. [color=60cf11]“He taught me everything I know, told me to use it to help those who couldn’t help themselves.”[/color] The blightborn retrieved a couple of tin containers from her pack, wrapped in thick stitched leather so as not to burn the hands. She placed the mugs beneath a spigot, turning the handle to allow the black gold to pour freely.

The now full steaming cup she handed to her new compatriot before her gaze wandered towards the young guard eyeing them curiously. Celine knelt down to retrieve another cup, pouring the dark liquid into it before crossing the threshold to deliver it to the guard. The young guard eyed the rabbit-eared woman suspiciously as she handed him the mug, [color=60cf11]“You don’t have to take it if you don’t want to, I just thought you might need the boost since you’re here protecting us.”[/color] The man looked at the mug, then back to her, nodding silently as he accepted the drink. She returned to Aurora and finally poured a mug for herself, lifting it up to show the guard before sipping it, the hot liquid steaming down her gullet. [color=60cf11]“My mentor used to say, ‘love your fellow man, for even if they can’t stand you, you can stand up to death for them’.”[/color] She shrugged, chuckling a little, [color=60cf11]“I feel that applies to myself now more so than ever.”[/color]

Upon hearing Céline’s voice, Aurora turned to face her and listened intently, making sure not to miss anything. Not long after, Céline handed her a mug of coffee, she smiled and placed her hand tightly around the warm mug, [colour=#c76ef0]“Thank you.”[/colour] On taking a sip, she noticed it was stronger and not as sweet as she was used to, however, she appreciated having it. As she continued to listen to Céline, she noticed her offering a mug of coffee to the guard as well. Aurora began to feel irritated by the guard's suspicious look towards Céline, but she understood that people affected by blight blood were treated this way. She sighed loudly enough for the guard to hear before redirecting her focus back to Céline.

When Céline had finished speaking, Aurora smiled and said, [colour=#c76ef0]“I don’t know if I can call the man I knew a mentor; he was more like a grandfather to me.”[/colour] Her smile faulted slightly, but she continued, [colour=#c76ef0]“I used to visit him with the medicine my mother and father made him. During my visits, he would show me how to use the medical instruments, share stories about his past experiences, and discuss his research on various ways to treat people without relying on magic. He always said that while magic is helpful, we shouldn’t rely on it completely. It’s important to know different methods of treating others, so we don’t overuse it and can reserve it for extreme cases.”[/colour]

Céline brought her mug up to her lips, imbibing upon the dark liquid, savoring its light and fruity notes. Even without feeling emotions, she could see the look upon Aurora’s face as the bitterness hit her. Normally she’d have a jar of honey just for this situation, but her personal supplies had been dwindling. Even the pot she brewed she did so knowing that even her beans would not last much longer; all in all, it was just another reason to enter town. Pushing the thought aside, she returned to the present and listened intently to Aurora’s personal recountings of the elderly healer. Her finger absentmindedly tapped at her mug, Aurora’s tale made Céline reminisce her own mentor, of his teachings, his philosophy; it all felt word for word.

[color=60cf11]“I’ve never personally understood how magic works, I don’t know what it’s like to produce light or to touch flames without fear of burning my flesh.”[/color] Her mind wandered back to a darker place before moving on, [color=60cf11]“We live in a land of eternal night now, where healers cannot help others, let alone themselves.”[/color] Aurora’s interest, openness and willingness to stand up for her gave Céline the sense that she could trust this woman. She looked Aurora in the eyes, [color=60cf11]“I agree with everything you said and I also believe that right now, in this time, we are living in one of the worst ‘extreme cases’ anyone could imagine.”[/color] Céline gripped her mug tighter, [color=60cf11]“I would like to teach others my skills, my profession, just as my mentor did and if you’d like, you can be the first.”[/color] She let the statement linger a moment before continuing, [color=60cf11]“You don’t have to answer right away, but I know I won’t be able to do this alone, not as I am.”[/color] Céline emphasized by wiggling her ears, [color=60cf11]“You seem interested, as far as I can tell you have a basic grasp of what I do, and most importantly, your morals are in the right place.”[/color]

After Aurora finished explaining her thoughts, she turned her gaze back to Céline, curiosity in her eyes as she awaited her response. A flutter of anxiety remained in her chest; she feared that Céline might dismiss her ideas as trivial. However, Aurora was pleasantly surprised to see a look of understanding and agreement in Céline’s words. For the first time, apart from her supportive parents and the wise old man, someone truly resonated with her perspective.

As Céline continued, Aurora continued to listen, she felt her heart race when Céline revealed her desire to share her skills with others. And hearing that she could be the first to learn from her ignited a spark of excitement within her. Her eyes widened with anticipation, and she exclaimed. [colour=#c76ef0]”I would love to learn from you if you truly don’t mind.”[/colour] Each word was filled with a mixture of hope and eagerness, reflecting her genuine desire to embark on this new journey of learning and discovery together.

Céline smiled upon hearing her answer, feeling a newfound sense of determination and purpose. Aurora’s excitement was all too plain to see and feel, becoming somewhat overwhelming for the blightborn herself. In an attempt to settle Aurora down somewhat she continued, [color=60cf11]“I still need permission to live here first, but I’m happy to teach you all I know when I do. All being said, I see this as the start to a beneficial partnership,”[/color] she swirled the contents of the black liquid in her cup, [color=60cf11]“suppose what I’m saying is, glad to have someone like-minded on board.”[/color] Céline raised her cup, clinking it against Aurora’s, the metal making an audible clang before the blightborn raised it to her lips, supping its contents.

As the night waned on, not many came to the temple and those that did were not injured in any way. It was a good time to just discuss the future with Aurora, as well as reviewing her knowledge to see what would need to be taught. Eventually Ranni returned to the temple, looking haggard and exhausted as she collapsed on the pew. Her twin soon followed shortly after, relieving the guard from his post. For now the alarm was over, the citizens were free to return to the town and Aurora left the temple, following the guard and escort. It became clear at that time that Céline’s own exhaustion was starting to catch up with her. She cleaned up her things, retiring to the guest chambers for the evening.

[sub]In partnership w/ [@BlackRoseSiren][/sub]