∞ 100: Silent night [action]

[chikaidestroyer]

[Backdated to the late evening of December 24.He is not surprised to find it snowing when he returns to Luceti and climbs out of the tunnels. The snow had proven to be irritating while he was outside of the barrier, and he is looking forward to getting inside before heavier snow begins falling

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[wise_maiden]

[In the air and around the house, as late as the evening is, there are lingering scents that hint of baking having taken place during some part of the evening.

In the kitchen, several familiar trays laden with dozens of Raine's christmas cookies lay resting on the island, some with varied shapes and flavors mostly varying from lemon to sugar. Raine herself is dozing lightly while she waits for them to cool, as she can be found sitting at the kitchen table with a book open about ancient "Christmas" traditions.]

[chikaidestroyer]

[The walk back to the house leads to Albert collecting more snow all over his person; the snowflakes seem to be getting even bigger, and he finds himself vaguely wanting some sort of visor or headgear to keep the snow from blowing into his eyes. Even with his gloves on, it's a finger-numbing walk.

His shoes crunch through the untouched snow in the front of the house, and he again pauses to look at the pale lights decorating the windowsills and gutters as he catches his breath. He stomps a little harder than necessary as he walks across the porch, trying to get snow off of his shoes; he quickly regrets this when he slightly twists his already-aching ankle, and he sighs to himself as he tries to open the door.]

[wise_maiden]

[There's some sort of sound out there, and Raine finds herself blinking to further awareness, forcing herself to attention as she tilts her head in the direction of the front door. Had it just been her imagination, or...?

No; another sound. Not loud but not too subtle, and she is quick enough to rise, making her way over to the foyer to investigate.]

[chikaidestroyer]

[What is with these hard-to-open doors? He can only guess that his difficulty is a combination of cold fingers and cold lock mechanisms, and he grunts as he finally gets the door open. The wind that accompanies the strengthening snowstorm blows the door open further, and Albert heads inside as quickly as he can so he can shut the door behind him.

It's already bad enough he's showing up this late and tracking in snow. He doesn't need to let all of the warm--and sugary-smelling?--air escape the house, too.

Albert takes a moment to lean against the door wearily, ignoring how the snow on his hair and shoulders slides all over the door and frame.]

[wise_maiden]

[That blast of cold air rushes right into the house, greeting Raine as she steps through the foyer, eyes widening when they rest on a certain housemate resting on the door.

There is a pause, as she studies him carefully as he catches his breath, while she runs in her mind all the things that should be done first, things that should be offered to make him comfortable -- blankets, beverages for warmth. Possibly food.

And at the same time, that feeling of relief. It really had felt too long. The last time wasn't nearly as long.]

... welcome back, Albert.

[chikaidestroyer]

[Albert raises his head when he hears that familiar voice, the bleary surprise evident on his face; he hadn't been expecting someone to be right on hand as soon as he entered the door. He runs a hand through his wet and knotted hair, revealing healing scratches across his left temple that seemed to complement his bruised face.

He doesn't move, though his better judgment tells him he should remove his wet clothes before he starts getting sick. He needs more time to recover.]

Raine... Thank you.

[wise_maiden]

[A very faint smile, though it's hardly the time for pauses on her end. Instead she takes a critical look at his condition, wondering if he had the strength to get those layers off. Though she'll step forward to brush some of the snow off of him.]

I'm going to get you some towels and a blanket... but are you soaked right through?

[chikaidestroyer]

In some places. [He watches, without moving, as Raine dusts some of the snow off of his clothes. It's only after her hand moves away that he begins unwrapping his soaked scarf. The neck and upper part of his sweater, exposed by his coat, are also soaked.]

It's been awhile.

[wise_maiden]

It has been. [She shakes her head a little. It felt even longer due to the draft happening, and all of the difficulties associated with it. But it wasn't time to dwell. She watches him remove his scarf, taking note at how soaked he is. Maybe she'll grab a fresh shirt, too, or a robe... but first.]

... Here.

[Those bruises and faint scratches on his face alone haven't gone unnoticed, and she'll hold out a hand to cast a healing spell. At the very least, she hopes it'll ease some of the strain and weariness on him so he can have an easier time removing those layers.]

[chikaidestroyer]

[A quiet sigh escapes him as he feels his muscles relax a little, though this only serves to have him lean more against the door. He carefully rights himself, frowning at his scarf before beginning to unbutton his coat. To distract himself from his own difficulty with the garb, he asks a question.]

How are you?

[wise_maiden]

[She'll frown a little at his slow progress, and will put off heading to the other room to help him with his layers if necessary, and indicating that it is what she is standing there to do, taking the wet scarf for starters and how slowly his fingers move.]

Me? ... Well, we've had a draft while you were gone, so in some ways I'm still recovering from that. Aside from that, I'm well enough. And you're safe and sound, which is more important right now.

[chikaidestroyer]

...Ah, yes. Sheena mentioned the draft. [He relents, allowing Raine to take the scarf. His hands are already without gloves because it made little sense to put them back on after they were already ruined, so they are once again quite cold despite Sheena's earlier efforts.

He finally gets his coat off, and it makes a wet sound as it falls to the floor. Albert frowns, leaning over to pick it up. It's as he does so that he remember he should take off his shoes, so he starts tugging at the laces.]

[wise_maiden]

[Raine moves to take the coat instead, noting his almost immediate preoccupation with it before he switches his focus to his shoes. Her voice takes on a slightly sterner tone, if only for a moment.]

... Honestly. Just focus on getting out of those wet layers for now. I'll take care of the rest.

[chikaidestroyer]

[Albert says nothing in response, concentrating on untangling and loosening his shoelaces enough to remove his soaked shoes. It's only after he's barefoot that he starts pulling off his half-wet sweater. His skin is pale and cold, and there's a bandage on his left arm that was covering a gash. There's some bruising on his sides and one shoulder from falling and crashing into things, but they're older and more healed than the bruise on his face.

Overall, it's probably the most injured he's been in awhile, but still nothing nearly as bad as he's dealt with before.]

[wise_maiden]

[As he focuses on that, she finally leaves the room -- making sure the coat doesn't drip all over everything -- so she can retrieve the dry towels, blanket, shirt and -- well, pair of slippers that was actually intended as a gift.

It doesn't take long, and she returns, frowning a little at more apparent signs of injury. But that would be dealt with later. Instead, she holds out a towel to him, almost a trade offer for that wet sweater.]

[chikaidestroyer]

[He takes the towel gratefully and hands over the sweater, now standing in the foyer in nothing but his pants. An obvious shiver passes through his body as he starts scrubbing at his cold arms. He frowns as he steps away from the damp carpet, silently walking towards the living room and away from the draft from the front door.]