ways_infirmary | New Arrival + Boyfriend!

After getting Ichigo settled, Arithon appears in the infirmary. He then...hands Zuko bandages because Arithon can heal with magic about as well as Zuko can.

Just be glad he didn't see the pants burning. He'd've made the WTF face.

Zuko blinks once, but goes back to what he was doing. He is quick and sure -- because he HAS to be or his nervousness will show and he'll fuck something up. Instead, decisiveness and not second guessing himself to death is demanded.

"Is that bastard going to get any help?" he asks tersely, likely refering to Ichigo. "This isn't the first time."

"Bastard,"

he points out,

"is a state of parental marriage. I am a bastard. He is demon-ridden. There is a difference. I will help if I can, and I will consult with other members of Security. He will spend some time in the cells."

He's looking at Steph, not at Zuko.

"An e'torbrand'ka, anka seth i'daer. An'cierl ankshed anithael anka ankshed, bretah."

"He lied about getting help before," Zuko says, replying to nothing of that malakary about parentage and honor blah blah blah. "How can he be stopped from lying again?"

He... also looks at Arithon a little funny when he goes all weird-language on him. Uh. Yeah. Anyway. Moving on now.

"She is my friend."

Is the only answer Zuko's funny look gets,

"I do not know. It is part of what I will speak with the others on Security about."

"Oh. She's mentioned-- knowing you, is all."

And that's all he can say, really.

He shrugs a little,

"She is fond of my illusions, I am fond of her desire to be upon Security. Her temper reminds me somewhat of what the histories say my forefather was like."

They're casual friends. And Arithon is married. And even if he wasn't, he's thirty something years older than Steph.

Zuko doesn't suspect that! Ew!

But he looks down, and then says, "I've thought about that-- too. Joining security." He has things he wants to protect here now. Things like the girl they're patching up. "But I don't even know where to start, and I-- still have things in my world that ... demand my attention."

Princedom's a bitch.

Thank God because ew, really.

"I do understand. I am lucky in that my world does not move when I am here, and here does not move when I am there."

It really, really is. And it doesn't even put out.

"My world-- runs by it's own rules. Time doesn't flow when I am here, but if I'm there... It doesn't run quite right here. Four days is months, a week is half a year..."

Good thing time doesn't flow when he's over here! Or he'd get back and find his sister's already captured the Avatar or something!

"Awkward."

Its really the only thing he can think to say,

"I see why you do not think you could choose Security right now."

"There's-- something I'm pursuing on the other side, something I can't give up." He begins to settle Stephanie in to her bed now, tucking her in-- "Where is a doctor? She needs that leg set?"

"I do understand."

He really does,

"I do not know. Would you like me to seek one?"

Zuko nods quietly, and then goes to pull up a seat.

It's going to be a long night.

He leaves, and after a time (and a very polite conversation) returns with Moiraine Sedai,

"Thank you for coming."

His voice is soft.

"You are welcome."

The Aes Sedai is composed, and her tone is one of cool serenity. She glances at the girl lying so still before she inclines her head to Zuko, studying him carefully.

"I might wish you a good evening, but I suspect that it would not be accurate at present. Perhaps someone might tell me how it is that she came to be injured?"

"A boy possessed beat the--"

A beat.

"He beat her. They fought, and he came out the victor. I happened on them when I was looking for... looking for Stephanie."

And that's the truth. Man, Zuko deals with a lot of possession!

He sighs, and leans against the wall quietly. ~~So his player can finish her homework.~~ He'll only get involved again if directly asked.

"Possessed, is it?"

Although her tone remains calm and steady, there is something fierce in the depths of that dark-eyed gaze.

"I shall wish to hear more of this, I think. Still, it is fortunate that you were present, perhaps."

She glides toward the bed, pausing beside Stephanie and looking down at her now.

"You must not attempt to interrupt while I am Healing," she says clearly. "If you do, things may go very ill indeed."

"I told him to go to you," he says simply. "He-- lied to me and said he did, and then..."

He gestures.

This happens!

"...I will be silent." And sit in his chair and sulk.

At this, her glance snaps up to meet his with focused intensity.

"It is Ichigo who has done this, then?"

Something in her tone bodes ill for the other young man.

He nods quietly, and then blinks. "Did he go to you?" Because he said he did, and it was all magically fixed! "He said you helped him. You took the demon and bound it away."

She does not move, but in that moment she seems somehow taller and almost regally forbidding.

It is an expression and a demeanor that Arithon s'Ffalenn will have seen before, and it promises nothing of good for those who cross her.

"I find that interesting to hear," the Aes Sedai says crisply. "Insofar as I did make the attempt, but advised him that the creature within would require more than myself alone to successfully bind."

Her tone is almost perfectly level, and very even.

"It would seem that he was unable to maintain the control he indicated himself capable of."

Zuko has to count to ten.

No, seriously. His eyes close, and he mentally goes through it in his language, and then again in Wells'. And then he exhales steam, a steady cloud of displeasure, and then says, simply, "I hate liars."

Arithon can, perhaps, be forgiven if he chooses not to draw attention to himself right now.

He does, however, note the look.

"Well." Moiraine still looks extraordinarily displeased, but sets it aside. "Perhaps there will be more to done about that matter in the near future. For now, I will attend to Stephanie as best I may."

A golden aura appears around her, something like the sun's corona, and she sets both hands upon the unconscious girl's abdomen.

Moiraine closes her eyes and grows very still, concentrating. For a moment, nothing at all happens-- and then hundreds of threads of silver-white light, washed through with gleaming blue, explode from her hands and race over Steph like a wave.

The contusions and bruises vanish before the watchers' eyes, but the Aes Sedai does not cease there, continuing to focus.

Oh. Well. Zuko will sit there and STARE. Sure, he saw what she did to him while he was ridden by the Desh-Thiere, but... that was different from sitting here and watching her do it to another!

She has a particular Talent for Healing, as it happens; and yet it is fortunate that Stephanie is not more seriously injured than she is, as the Aes Sedai is still somewhat exhausted from the previous evening's efforts.

She is very still, and very pale, but it does not stop her. Slowly, a band of green-gold wraps itself around the unconscious girl's chest and tightens, strengthening and reshaping the shattered bone of her ribs.

Another similar band aligns itself with her leg, which straightens as they watch. Moiraine frowns slightly, and a streak of bright fiery red flies along the same line, from her fingertips, burning away infection from the wound within.

One final surge of power, a complicated weave of Air, Spirit, and Water, and then it is done. As the glow around the Aes Sedai fades, Steph breathes more easily.

"It is finished," Moiraine says, a hint of weariness in the otherwise serene tone. "I have done what I may for her."

Zuko can be a bit of a rod-up-his-ass dick, but... Even he knows when to show gratitude. Rising, he bows at the waist, till he's almost paralell to the floor, and straightens.

"Thank you, Moraine," he says simply, his face set into something like ... stoic appreciation. "For Stephanie and I both."

"You are welcome," she says simply. "I am pleased that I was able to assist in this matter, although I might regret that it was necessary in the first place."

Zuko nods quietly. "Still," he says. "I owe you twice over now."

And Arithon, too. God, he's getting a lot of debt around here.

"There is no need to speak of debt or prices for this, I do not think," Moiraine says.

She gives a barely perceptible, weary sigh.

"It is little enough, but even the smallest thing has its part in the Pattern."

"Still," he says. He doesn't like debt. But a gift, well... Sigh.

"You seem tired; perhaps you should rest?" He glances to Arithon; the man escorts her regularly, it seems, so why not away to a bed to sleep like a person ought when they've exhausted themselves at another's request?

No, no. The man tends to petition her when Zuko is around. There is a difference. He looks rather confused at Zuko's glance at him,

"Is there anything you will require, Lady?"

"I do not believe so, at present," she tells Arithon, serenely. Moiraine inclines her head to Zuko in acknowledgement. "But I believe that I shall return to my study."

A beat.

"Perhaps we may talk again at a future time -- and not all that far in the future, I might hope."

Zuko nods, though he doesn't grasp her request. Why would anyone want tom talk to him, anyway? Especially a Lady as powerful as she?

Eh! Who knows.

"Thank you," he repeats, and then goes to sit by Steph's side and wait for her to wake.

Zuko doesn't have to wait too much longer. She's dreaming, but it's peaceful, and when she wakes up she feels fine.

... Physically, anyway.

"You know, I'm really starting to hate this place," she says aloud, and then shifts to sit up in the bed, only mildly surprised to find herself not hurting any more. Ugh, who put this hospital gown thing on her? These things are gross. And institutional green so isn't her colour.

Zuko smirks at her a little, and then says, "Well, thanks to Arithon and Moiraine, you're free to go," he says, and then leans over to kiss her. Yes, he hates it here too and understands the loathing of healers and their halls.

"Your clothing was ruined--well, your pants were, anyway. I had to burn them to get them to come off around your leg." Yes, he's your first aid and probably your hospital gown dresser-upper! At least he meant well, right?

"'S okay. ... Thanks." She glances up at him. "And I should - go find Arithon and Moiraine, too."

You know, she'd really like to make it out of a fight without someone carrying her to the infirmary, one day.

...and that thought reminds her of why she was in a fight in the first place, and her expression goes blank. Jaw tight, she asks "...Ichigo?"

"Celled. Moiraine found out about his-- lie, and is really displeased, I think," Zuko says, as he reaches out to brush her hair back. But then he offers her his hands. Come on, up out of that bed! You're fine now.

"Let's get you upstairs and in proper clothes. And take a blanket or I'll have to walk very close behid you." NO ONE IS STARING AT HIS GIRL'S BUM!

Yes. NO MORE HOSPITAL BED PLZ. She gives him a tight sort of smile and gets up carefully, testing. Everything feels fine!

"Displeased, huh."

Steph is displeased too. Just a little bit.

"She seems to be some sort of all powerful-- avatar-woman," Zuko says. SHe used elemental magic in a way he'd never seen! "So I imagine her 'displeased' is fairly severe. Maybe she'll turn him into a frog or something?"

He thinks that yes, Ichigo deserves FROGGING LIKE WHOA.

But he gets her a blanket to wrap up in. HIDE YOUR BUM. IT'S HIS NOW!

She wraps up absently. She's too pissed off to laugh, even though frog!Ichigo would be funny. It could have an orange head.

"He lied," she says, pulling the blanket close. All wrapped up like a mummy! ... but she's still got that fight-or-fight air about her. Like she wants to either hit something really hard or hit something really hard.

Ichigo LIED.

And beat her up, but she doesn't mind that so much. Getting beat up is pretty regular. Being betrayed by someone she thought was a friend, that kinda sucks.

(Especially when it's landed her in the infirmary for the second time in - what, two months, not even. She's gonna have to stop trusting people if this keeps up.)

Zuko stops-- then, as she doesn't laugh or smile, and then just looks at her a moment, before he-- slides his arms around her and holds her. He's not good at this comfort thing! Really! But he can try.

..even if it comes off totally awkward.

"...you going to be alright now?"

"I'm fine," she says, stiffly; it's the sort of 'I'm fine' that precedes someone else's DOOM. But then she melts into him, and lets herself be held.

"I'm just so angry."

"It'll be handled," he says, and just holds on lamely. He doesn't know what to do! He's not good at this! He doesn't like it! IT confuses him! He doesn't know how to comfort! WAH!

Holding on is good! Even though she has arms stuck inside the blanket and can hardly hug back. She tilts her head away to stare at him, though.

"How can you just be so casual about it? He lied! He had a demon that was going to skin you alive and he pretended it was gone so he could - so - I don't even know! He knew I was - he knew how I felt about that thing's threats, and he just - acted like it didn't matter - and then he tried to blame me for it getting out --"

Cranky, cranky Steph.

"... because if I'm not calm," he says quietly, "I will go in there and I will set him on fire and end up in the cells myself with him. He-- he said things about you--"

That still make his blood go cold to contemplate. He holds a little tighter, and then says, "He could have, just now. But you're -- okay. You were roughed up, but we got you-- healed and-- now we're going to go upstairs, and we're not going to come back downstairs until you have a security shift, okay? Moiraine knows about his lies and his lack of control. Arithon's going to take it to security--he's not seeing the outside of that cell for a while now."

And that all that can be done. Sure, Zuko is not the best at being sensible, but sometimes, he can manage it.

But he steps aside, to usher her off. He's angry, she's naked, and he's sure they can find a good medium upstairs that doesn't involve coming downstairs and killing Ichigo.

She breathes in, slowly, and out, slowly, forcing herself to relax a little bit.

"...okay."

Because if Zuko can be calm, she can. Calm. Serene. Deep breaths. Okay, Steph, you can do this.

"Upstairs. Yeah, that sounds ... good."

New Arrival + Boyfriend!

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