Private Needed Respite

[Everest Vale]

Tag: Katherine Holt

Eve sat quietly by the wide window, propped in a borrowed wheelchair that had become more about caution than necessity. She could walk — she had, stubbornly so — but the truth was, each step still ached. Not just the body, but something deeper. So when Kat had mentioned a short outing, something gentle and quiet just to feel the wind again, Eve hadn't hesitated. She'd said yes before Kat could even finished the sentence.

Now, she waited.

Isari lay draped across her lap like moonlight spun into fur, the Miralune fox half-dozing under the soft rhythm of Eve's fingers moving through her silken coat. The connection between them — still new, still strange — pulsed like a heartbeat in the back of her mind. It wasn't always clear what the little creature was feeling, but Eve could sense the steadiness, the calm. Like the fox had rooted itself in her presence as much as she had in its. And after everything that happened on Zeffo, it was as if that bond had gotten stronger already.

A quiet, steady breath escaped her.

Her eye — the one that remained — drifted across the courtyard beyond the glass. She hadn't stepped outside since returning to the Temple. There was comfort here, in the safety of walls and stillness. But also... immense restlessness. She missed the green. The wind. The real things.

Kat had promised her that, and Eve trusted her to keep her word. She didn't need much today, just a breeze. A leaf falling. A reminder that the world still moved.

And soon, soft footsteps would echo down the hall.

 

[Katherine Holt]

Everest Vale
​

The soft footsteps grew louder, but so did the apparent conversation she was having with someone. It was a separate presence within the Force, although one that was seemingly floating around the redhead’s head.

A very…energetic presence, if their erratic movement was anything to go by.

“I know you’re excited, but let’s dial it down a few; some notches, okay? Everest is only just now being able to leave her room. She probably doesn’t need that level of excitement right now.”

Silence followed for a few moments, presumably as the other presence replied, though their voice was inaudible.

“Good, now if you could-” But before Katherine could finish, the presence seemed to vanish from existence. The Valkyrie let out an audible sigh, before the room was punctuated with the sounds of the door sliding open.

“Hey there,” Katherine greeted, a warm smile on her face as she stepped into the Echani’s hospital room. “How are you feeling today?”

 

[Everest Vale]

Tag: Katherine Holt

Eve stirred at the sound of the door, her silver eye lifting from where she had been idly stroking Isari's fur. The little fox twitched an ear, but this time, something else caught her attention. Isari lifted her head, gaze sharpening, and with a soft, inquisitive noise, slipped off Eve's lap to the floor. She padded toward Kat, her nose twitching at the air around her, weaving in slow, careful circles as if searching for something unseen.

Eve blinked, sensing it too. Not through sight, but through the gentle tug in the Force. A presence, playful and lively, like a whirl of leaves on the wind... yet somehow centred near Kat. A small, real smile tugged at Eve's lips when she saw Katherine step inside, warmth breaking through the haze of weariness that still clung to her.

"Hey," Eve rasped softly, voice still a little rough from long days of healing. She shifted slightly in the wheelchair, wincing just a little — but it was a familiar pain now, not nearly so sharp. Manageable. Her gaze flicked briefly toward Isari, then back to Kat with a quiet glint.

"I'm..." Eve trailed off for a second, as if testing the answer on her tongue. "...better. A little tired. But... better."

The words were slow, but they were true, even if 'better' felt like a different shape than it used to. She watched Isari sniff curiously around Kat, tail giving a slow, puzzled swish, before she continued, her voice teasing but soft.

"Did you... bring a hurricane with you?"

It was a small tease, light enough to be playful, but with that familiar gentleness underneath it that the young Echani was known for.

 

[Katherine Holt]

Everest Vale
​

It was good to see Eve in good spirits, relatively speaking at least. With everything the Echani had recently gone through, it was a welcome sight to see she was still able to smile. But Katherine knew it wasn’t quite the same smile as before, the ordeal Everest had gone through had changed her.

Something the Valkyrie knew all too well, especially so being confined to a wheelchair.

The redhead watched as Eve shifted in the chair, wincing in pain as she did so. Katherine remembered her own time being stuck in one of those, feeling trapped even though she could still freely move about.

But it never felt the same, being unable to walk on her own two feet. That inability paralyzed her motivation for a long while, from doing practically anything else. But she managed, she healed and recovered.

And Katherine was confident Everest would too.

“Hello to you too, Inari.” She smiled, looking down at the Miralune Fox as she began circling around her, sniffing the air. Katherine didn’t look too surprised by her actions, and could only look with amusement as she knew Harmony was just waiting to pop out dramatically.

“A hurricane? Yeah that would be an apt description of her levels of excitement.” Katherine chuckled, shaking her head. “Harmony? You may as well do your ‘grand reveal’.”

The Valkyrie barely got the words out before in a flash of light, a blue fox appeared floating in mid-air.

“Hello!” Harmony practically lit up the room with her excitement, bushy tail wagging excitedly. “Ooooo, new friend~” She didn’t hesitate to float-run down to meet Inari.

Katherine rolled her eyes, but was smiling all the same. “Meet Harmony, she’s been my spirit companion for some time now.”