::Cadence stepped through the portal and made her way to find Sha'uri and Lyndra at the Citadel. She carried some cookies she'd baked and some flowers that she and others had picked and put together as a gift from the students to their teachers. She made her way to the front door and looked to a guard that was standing there::

Please, Sir... I am looking for Mistress Sha'uri and Mistress Lyndra. I'm Cadence. I work at the Academy with them. Can I see them? cause... I got these cookies and flowers for them. And... well, I just miss them.

::pretty blues sadly pleaded for directions::

Lyndra heard the movement by the doors and looked to see Cadence with a guard. She was up in the gardens overlooking the sanctuary where Sha'uri sat in meditation. Lyndra was wading in the stream just before the waterfall where a clump of flowers were growing. The scent was very perfumy but she had no idea what kind of flowers they were except maybe some kind of lilly.

"Well, 'Ello Cadence! Wait there I'm coming down!"

She waved and then made her way along the clif edge to the path and followed it along the edge until it came round to the back of the Sanctuary. Unlike Sha'uri, Lydra was smiling as she approached.

"Thanks fer coming, Cadence. Oi now, are those cookies I smell in the boxes? They smell delicious! And the flowers... those are so nice! How are things in Ravensheart? Is the Headmaster well?"

She motioned to a bench were they could sit down at and came closer to speak in hushed, somber tones.

"Mistress Sha'uri hasn't spoken a word these last few days. It's all she does is sit an meditate. When she's not doin that, she's crying herself to sleep. It's a real chore just to get her to eat anything, though it seems I'm able to get her to take a few bites. I worry for her that she's turning into such a recluse. I hope ye won't be offended if she doesn't come over here to chat. She's just been so withdrawn."

Lyndra frown sadly as she took it all in. She hoped Briarius was in a better mood by now and for that she worried. As for Triv, she honestly couldn't say that she'd seen him at all and that was true for Bryce. She didn't have a clue where they were. She didn't even know where Tina was. She didn't know a lot of things, only that her friend was deeply hurt and withdrawn. Someone needed to be here for her and she was compelled to be that one. Her gaze also glanced towards Sha'uri and back to Cadence.

"Honestly, Cadence, I don't know. I've nae seen him or their son. I haven't even seen her daughter and don't even know where to look. I just know they haven't been around as far as I can tell. I've been pretty focused on her so I may have just.. not noticed them there. Ye'd think I would've, though. No?"

She grinned sheepishly but deep down she knew she hadn't been thAt unobservant. Taking the offered box, she opened up the cookies and smiled, thankful for the gesture and for the sweets.

"Oh hun..." she swooned.. "Ye've made my favorites! White chocolate macadamia nut...... and oatmeal raisin and.. Oh, is that turtle crunch or chocolate toffee?"
Her fingers picked up the last one for a closer view, gaze wide with anticipation switched from the morsel to Cadence with a whole lot of warmth. She set the cookie down and gave the little fae a gentle but heartfelt hug.

"Thank ye, Cadence!"

She could've kissed the fae and in fact she did just that, planted one on her cheek and shifted back to gaze at her with intense thanks in her hazel green hues.

Alex had been keeping a close eye on his mother. He hadn't gone back to Zed since the day they lost his sister, Isabel, though he did check on the crew several times through the day. This was true with his mother, always checking on her several times throughout the day and night.

He came into the Sanctuary a few moments before he found the two girls hugging and Lyndra was swooning over cookies, so he had heard their conversation. Even he could smell the sweet scent of the morsels all the way from the doorway.

There was no intent to startle the two, but his steps were naturally quiet, silent even as he approached them and laid a hand upon Lyndra's back.

"Hello laides. I thought I smelled cookies so I followed the trail..."

He let that bait trail from his lips and hang in the air for a moment as he smiled to them both.

"And if they don't make my mother smile, well then I'm sure I can find a suitable substitute. In fact, He'd be very happy to volunteer for the position of cookie tester."

Cadence wasn't the only one to jump. Lyndra stiffened in her seat, though the warmth of his hand seemed to keep her steady as she turned to look at Alex. A warm smile spread.

"Aye now are ye lurking upon us?"

Lyndra winked and let the Fae get her hug in.

"And we very much appreciate ye coming. It means so much to know ye care. Why don't ye take the cookies to Sha'uri now? Perhaps ye can coax her to eat something."

She nodded with somewhat of a hopeful plea in her hazel green hues.

Gaunt were her features, dark circles under her puffy eyes bloodshot and sore from so much crying. Sha'uri was to the point that she didn't think she had any tears left to shed yet somehow they would always come.. seeping from her eyes like the moisture in a dark damp basement.

She had been depressed before, but never thought about ending her existence. She wanted to shut everything out, to be alone.. to just not be.

Somewhere in the background as if from a long distance away, she could hear Lyndra, Cadence and eventually Alex speaking. She didn't bother to even turn and look, she just sunk further into herself and wanted desperately for the pain to just end. But no matter how hard she tried she just couldn't make it go away.

She was about to pray for her own existence to be wiped away when she felt Bri's touch and heard his voice like an angel. To her, in this moment, he was an angel.

The tears welled up in her eyes as she opened them locking her sapphire hues with his deep blues. Pain, remorse, sadness and regret were all pleading for forgiveness in her heart as she felt his mirrored to hers. The tears spilled down her cheeks unchecked. One hand reached to take his fingers from her forehead and hold his hand.

"Not your fault" she whispered in Celestial. "Take no blame Briarius. I am the one to blame if blame is upon anyone's shoulders. And yet.. If I hadn't acted so rashly.. so... irresponsibly.. you might be.. "

She just couldn't finish that sentence with more tears falling in a new rush.

"I'm the one who needs your forgiveness...."

He started talking about conditions... and She was all ready to hear the serious gravity of it, but her brain froze trying to digest what he just said. She just stared at him, dumbfounded and jaw dropping to open her mouth. She looked so much like her mother right then.

Blink.

"What? Cookies?"

Well, it got her to stop crying.

She smelled the cookies and glanced back, noticing what he was talking about. Then she turned her gaze back and looked at him with the barest hint of a smile twinkling in her eyes and something else...

"Only if you have one with me!"

Her arms opened and she gestured him for a hug.

That's what she needed. That hug right there. She melted into it as she hugged him right back and she felt the need for the tears ease away.

"Um...I believe I was the one naming the conditions."

That comment brought a smile instantly tugging the corners of her lips... and she couldn't stop the soft snicker from escaping. The mention of presents also seemed to perk her up a little more. She assumed they were from his travels. She stood with his help though she held on to him, still needing that emotional support. He comforted her. And he wasn't all wet....

She noticed something different in the magical weave around him. Indeed, she knew what was different.

"I'm guessing the presents are from your travels? I would like to hear about it .. all about it, my friend."

She paused and really pondered that word. Regardless of how she looked at it, or what was happening ... she could truely say that she'd found in him a true friend. The Celestial words, though whispered, flowed melodiously from her lips.

"You know, I would really be lost without you."

Her hand squeezed his arm warmly while her gaze held his for a moment. The nod of her head served to confirm her words.

Her gaze followed Cadence's line of vision.

"Ye're right... We should wait."

She shifted her gaze to Alex.

"Aye.... So, how's that expedition coming on Zed, Alex?"

She was content to chat quietly while they all waited.

The Headmaster led Sha'uri towards the trio watching them with the cookies. He spoke up before Lyndra or Cadence could.

"I hear everything at Ravensheart is doing fine...except The Headmaster has been a real pain in the posterior recently."

Lyndra looked between Alex and Briarius with a grin and a devilish gleem in her hazel greens, which twinkled teasingly emerald.

"Oi now, Headmaster! I didn't know ye were into givin posterior lessons!"

Snicker.

"An I always thought that maybe... well, ye know..."

She let the words hang while her thoughts were trailed by her emeralds gazing between herself and the Headmaster. Then she sighed deeply with the back of a hand to her forehead, feigning disappointment, but was so teasing.

"Aye, well... ye win some, ye lose some. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride! Aye me...."

A sad half grin tugged at the corner of her lips, giving her that crooked smile as she walked up and everyone seemed to chime in about the Headmaster. Her gaze was particularly on Alex as he came up to her. He was holding something back from her, using the humor to cover something up. Though, the thought never entered her mind as to what that was until Lyndra chimed in.

Blink! Those large sapphire hues widened with pure surprise and pointedly looked between Bri and Alex. Could they be?

"What?! You mean you're ...?"

She could barely mouth the word *Gay*

The thought that either of them were that way .... even though that would explain much... had her laughing initially. It was a nervous laughter of denial more then anything. She just couldn't wrap her brain too much around the idea that either one of them were gay.

"Nuh uh..."

How could she refuse Cadence? The girl was so innocent, the word was almost visible across her forehead. It was refreshing to know such innocence still survived anywhere connected with RhyDin. The offered cookie was taken, then another as she handed one to Bri with a wink. Yes, she knew he wasn't. After all, she had her mother's memories. Then she thankfully, and immediately, began eating the other cookie just to keep her mouth shut.

One thing was certain, for the first time since it happened, Sha'uri wasn't thinking about Isabel... and it was a relief.

He couldn't believe what sorta came out of his mother's mouth. His look was incredulous indignation.

"Hey!"

He just laughed and shook his head. He had half a mind to play along with it, but then he didn't want to get turned into some toady thing or worse, a zombie thing by his Grandpa... incase the Headmaster didn't play along.

Instead he reached over a delicate shoulder, long digits snitched a cookie out of the box the fae held. He peered down at her as if taking stock of her for the first time. Cadence seemed so tiny and fragile compared to his height. He sniffed the cookie, taking in an extra long inhale attracted by its scent.

"These smell really good, Cadence.... like a little bit of heaven."

Emerald hues fixed their gaze on Cadence. He was impressed.

"Did you make these?"

The Headmaster looked at Sha'uri oddly as he took the cookie.

"Maybe you do need a little more rest..."

That heavenly cookie melted in her mouth and blissfulness washed over her visage. She grinned and gently nudged his hand with hers, moving his cookie closer to his mouth. Her tones were gentle yet humorously firm.

"Maybe you should hush and eat your cookie, Bri."