Now that Isabella has a medallion and a library card, they go to the Avalon more than just "as necessary to replenish her cash." It becomes something of a habit for Vivian to arrive, drop Isabella off at the library, and then wander around to sell her charms, do her shopping, catch up with her friends, or whatever else she feels like exploring that day. The critters are blinder to human society and politics than she might like, but she thinks she's getting through to some of them. If they want to blend into human culture, these things matter, after all.
Today in particular being a nice day, Vivian and Isabella took the whole day to go out. After a protest demanding equal rights for LGBT employees, they head into Avalon. Vivian leaves Isabella at the library and goes to grab a cup of tea from the cafe next to the marina. She drapes her jacket over the back of her chair, but when she sees the woman at the next table eyes her Out and Proud! button on it warily and grimacing, she removes it from the coat and puts it onto her shirt, front and center. Take that, nosy lady.
"Hi!" she says brightly. "You look lost, can I help you?"
Healing magic is hard. She knows a little, bits and pieces. By herself, she certainly couldn't cure anyone of late stage cancer- and she's assuming that anyone wandering around an Avalon asking strangers about healing magic is dealing with a pretty serious case. She could make their life a bit easier, perhaps. That's all.
But some of the sources she's read about sphinxes mention healing.
...but she can't say that without exposing her daughter.
What to do, what to do.
"I'm very sorry about your brother," she tells the pretty stranger. "I... might have to look into it. I could at least make his life easier, but cures..." she nods at her table in the cafe. "Would you like to sit and talk? We don't need to block the docks."
At the offer of money, she shakes her head firmly. "If I wind up using ingredients I might ask you to buy them, but for me- no. Thank you, but that's not necessary." She squirms. "I wouldn't say no to dinner, but. Not as payment. Just if you wanted."
Smooth, Vivian, very smooth. Not.
After a second's thought she adds, "I'll help either way, of course, don't feel pressured, I just," thought you're gorgeous and sweet about your brother and your accent is delicious and noooo she will not be saying any of that out loud, "think you're cute."
They turn onto the second shopping district street and head down it. The magic shop sign can be seen a couple blocks down. "When did you learn English? Did you always want to be a translator?"
They're not far from the magic shop now. Vivian nods at the sign, which is now close enough to be easily read. "The shop's right up there. Don't worry about the owner, he's standoffish and bitter to everyone, just be polite and you'll be fine."
Once they're safely in the car on their way home, Vivian circles back to the subject. "One more thing, sphinxette. I didn't want to say anything in the Avalon in case anyone heard, but I've read a couple books that said that sphinxes were often healers. I can't find anything saying what exactly they did, so I know I'm not being very much help, but I think you might be able to do more than just the spells I've shown you."
Vivian's 'big reveal' of a daughter at home elicits an "Awww, how come you decided to adopt a baby?" from Gianna, which is significantly better than some of Vivian's past experiences. She trots out her usual excuse, a somewhat rambling speech about how she shouldn't have to wait to get married if she wants a child, traditionalism has its place (she is the one who brought the flowers) but it's not like women can't have it all if they want to. Which has the benefit of being entirely true, if only distantly related to her actual reasons for 'adopting'. Pictures and stories are brought out, motherly cooing ensues, and Isabella is tentatively established as precocious but adorable.
Gianna eventually admits rather haltingly that she has no connections to the critter community at all; she's neither a critter nor magical, and essentially tricked her way into the Avalon. Vivian finds this both hilarious and enterprising of her, and promptly confesses to being similarly human and at least previously unmagical. This turns into an impromptu quiz from Gianna, curious about all things critter and Vivian laughingly attempting to satisfy her curiosity without sounding too insane.
It's eventually a good three hours into their conversation before Vivian realizes how late it's getting. (She could listen to that accent forever.) She reluctantly returns Gianna to her hotel. She grumpily reminds herself that kissing Gianna should wait until after attempting to heal her sick brother, but when she hugs Gianna goodbye she gets a smile and a blush that make up for it in sheer adorableness.
She reminds Gianna to call her once she has news about Illario or she's back in town, and returns home to her daughter. They have magic to research!
And maybe a little bit of excited gossiping on the phone with her best friend. Carefully censored, of course, but just a little.
(That accent!)
"Isabella? Oh my god, Isabella!" Vivian rushes to her daughter's side. When she sees Isabella's still breathing she begins breathing herself, but what just happened? She crouches over her daughter, feeling her neck. Her pulse seems perfectly normal, but it's not like she can call for a doctor when Isabella's like this. "Gianna, could you- the door- Isabella, love? Isabella, love, please wake up..."
If she can't wake Isabella up what does she do, she can't medallion things for her, she'd have to get her out somehow...
(When when when when not if. She'll be okay she has to be.)
She glances at Ilario. She's glad he's better. She supposes. She'll be a lot gladder when her daughter is awake. "I thought maybe- I'm not a critter! I knew, maybe she'd have healing, that's it. Not- this. I don't know what this is, I don't know what to do, I can't even ask the doctors!"
"Smuggling her out is a good idea," she agrees immediately. "I might have something- I can't go invisible, but I can be unobtrusive for a bit, and if she looks normal wrapped up-" she wraps Isabella in her jacket as best she can and then layers it with the nearest blanket. She'll... send the hospital its price later. Or something. She doesn't care right now.
Doctor... maybe. She can get Isabella home, cast some spells, make sure everything's functioning properly, wait for her to wake up- but if it takes too long, if the spells say anything's wrong, if Isabella does anything but seem unconscious she'll face down whatever horde of angry dragons she has to if it means she gets her daughter back.
She loses the smile looking back at Isabella. "I can't talk once I cast this," she warns Gianna, "it'll break the aura. I'll call you once she's awake, okay?" She's going to wake up. "Good night, Gianna. I'm glad your brother's better." She murmurs something in Cantonese and scoops up her daughter.
And then an entirely commonplace, boring figure is headed out to the lobby.
Once they're home Isabella is moved to the bed and carefully tucked in. Vivian pulls herself up a chair and holds her daughter's hand. She's just going to wait here for a while.
Hearing her voice rising, she takes a deep breath to try to calm herself. "I'll do research. Get all my old sphinx books, go through them again now that I know what I'm looking for. I don't want you healing anyone until I know it's safe, but I will try to find out."
"Awww, sphinxette." Vivian cuddles her. "You didn't get sick while we were walking through the hospital, remember? You don't have to stay hidden in the house or anything. And don't forget, we always have spells and nice, boring human medicines. Both of which are, if not as good as you, still extremely competent."
She gives Isabella the good news, but says firmly that healing people will wait until they are sure they can do it without revealing her either to the humans (as a critter) or to the dragons (as a sphinx).
And, after some dithering, she calls Gianna to tell her that yes, she checked, Isabella is totally fine, and how are she and her brother doing?