Tree Climbing - Shanoa's folly
Albus's jaw was set off-kilter, as per usual when he was irritated. Normally he would be fine with his present situation but as the factors were different than the usual fare he couldn't help but just let his mood tank.
"Was it worth it to save that cat?" He asked, trudging along with an injured Shanoa whom he carried piggy-back style. She had twisted her ankle when she had miscalculated her last jump out of a tree she had climbed to save a stranded cat. Which had run squalling off into the bushes right after. Ungrateful little hairball.
It was a long way back to Ecclesia and he did not have the energy to warp or hasten his movements for himself, let alone with another person in tow. It was going to be a long evening. She did not say much in response, and there was a quiet 'I'm sorry' in there somewhere - he could not be bothered to remember as it all became a blur of both anger at his failing to catch her, and his concern for her injury.
What felt like hours later, they made it back to Ecclesia and he took her to the infirmary. Though it was past hours for the resident nurse to be available, Albus took it upon himself to bind Shanoa's ankle with bandage strips himself, and then assisted her in hobbling back to her room. Once they got the rest of her armor off, he insisted she get some rest and tucked her into her bed.
She grabbed his hand when he attempted to leave and whispered a quiet 'thank you', her face though tired and in pain, was sincere concerning her gratitude.
Albus let out a breath, which sounded a bit like a laugh. "Get some rest." Afterward he leaned over to brush her bangs out of her eyes so he could place a kiss on her forehead.
Tree Climbing - 2nd Generation (AU Headcanon that one or both (preferably both) of the Ecclesians parented Carrie Fernandez. Shush I think it's cute.)
"Daddy!" The six-year-old Carrie screeched from up the tree she had gotten herself stuck in, while sitting on a sturdy bough and wondering how to climb back down again. She was dark haired and bright eyed - small for her age but she made up for her physical limitations with her intelligence and spirit.
As her father was magically inclined of sorts, he suddenly appeared next to her on the bough of the tree. He was always well-dressed, stood tall and proud, though his hair was either a golden haystack or a sandy-brown mess, depending on the season. Nothing could tame that hair.
"Whoa, no falling, dear." Albus uttered as he moved to steady his understandably-startled child. Observing the scenario, he soon gave her a soft smile and quietly stated that she was just like her mother, to which Carrie flushed pink, and crossed her arms in a huff. "Now, what's all the screaming for?"
"I'm stuck up here." She stated, her face very much communicating her disbelief that he had no idea what the problem was.
"And what if no one was around?"
"You're never far - you always hear me when I call." A nonchalant look as she turned up her nose, satisfied with her reply.
Her father's expression flattened, however. Though he was amused by his cheeky daughter, he wouldn't let on to the fact readily. "Just because your mother can fly and I can teleport does not mean you'll be getting free rides your whole life."
A light pout formed on her lower lip, but like a good girl she had too much dignity to let it devolve into whining.
"Tell you what, we'll climb down together - if you promise to pay attention to the method?" Though she nodded, he shook his head and peered at her closely. "Say it then. Say 'Papa I promise to listen to your brilliant lecture on how to climb out of a tree or else I forfeit my desserts to you for a week.' All right?"
Put in modern terms, the closest description of Carrie's reaction was 'Oh my god, dad are you serious?!'.
"Close enough." With a laugh, Albus shook his head and turned his back to Carrie, allowing her to gingerly climb so that she could be piggy-backed down to the ground.