For Dave Strider and Dave Strider

[not_only_wisdom]

Nynaeve is taking this time in the infirmary to portion out and label more of her simples, tisanes, and poultices for general use.

Her hair -- shorn now to her shoulders -- is pinned up, and she wears a yellow-fringed shawl on her shoulders.

" -- for headache," she mutters to herself, writing down dosage instructions in neat, even letters. "One cup at need, no longer than a week."

Comments

[bloodyvirgo]

Kanaya is silently marvelling at how tiny thirteen year old Dave is, but then again, they were all smaller back then. His pallor and the way hes hunched over his juice doesn't help any, though.

"Perhaps Later, Then. Though I Do Assure You That This Place Is Not A Hallucination. It's...Similar To A Nexus Of Dream Bubbles. A Pocket Of Space-time."

[not_only_wisdom]

Nynaeve snorts. Loudly.

"Foolish, more like. Trying to stop a time loop -- honestly."

[stridersgonnastride]

"fuckin' a because that's exactly what we need to simplify our understanding of the universe recursive dreambubbles it's mindfucks all the way down and kmart has a blue light special

"future me left a note but he didn't explain a lot probably didn't want to fuck anything up by saying too much about the timeline. when are you even from you're not glowing anymore which is great because even the lights in here feel like sharp pokers directly to the eyeballs right now"

Dave is sensitive to bright light on his best days.

[stridersgonnastride]

Dave frowns, slightly. "you know a lot about time stuff or something

"i've made more time loops than you've made shitty cups of tea okay"

[not_only_wisdom]

Dave deserves the withering glare he is presented with.

"I've been coming to Milliways for quite some time, which always helps. As for the rest, I'm a healer, and a good one, so if you'd like that ache in your head to go away, best get to drinking."

At least she does not threaten to box his ears?

[stridersgonnastride]

"that's what this is"

He eyes the tea. "i've had worse i could probably walk it off

"or maybe skateboard it off"

[not_only_wisdom]

Nynaeve hmmphs.

"You'd give any woolheaded sheep farmer a run for his money. Sit there in pain, then. But you'll not be leaving here until it's past, then."

Take that.

[stridersgonnastride]

Dave blinks at her. "you and what army huh i'm fine i could totally get up and like fucking fly out of here right now"

Maybe.

If he felt like it.

[not_only_wisdom]

Nynaeve just scowls at him. Darkly.

"As if I needed an army to deal with a patient."

Never in her life.

Ever. Not even Rand al'Thor.

[stridersgonnastride]

"you gonna sit on me you're a buck twenty soaking wet"

Dave hunches a little more, then is distracted by the crackle of paper under his cape. He pulls out a folded letter. Looks like future-him left a note.

[not_only_wisdom]

Nynaeve lifts her chin.

"I am Aes Sedai."

She'll pin him with flows of Air, is what she'll do.

Or, you know. Quell him with the force of her crankiness. Whichever.

"Now drink the bloody tea!"

[stridersgonnastride]

"fat chance"

Dave's voice is flat and uncaring, but his eyes are glued to the piece of paper. It has a few spare lines of red ink on it. It isn't signed.

"huh"

[bloodyvirgo]

She reaches to ruffle his hair, a deliberate action rather than an absent one, and she takes care that he can see her hand right up until it disappears into his hair.

"I'm From Your Future, Obviously. Two Years Or So Down The Line. And I'm Not Glowing Because I Learned How To Stop It.

As For This Place In General, This Is Called Milliways. People Come Here From All Kinds Of Universes, Though It Seems To Be Mostly Humans. Or Human Shaped.

The Three Main Rules Enforced, Are No Nudity In The Bar, No Violence, And This Is Neutral Ground. Lo-- Jack Could Show Up Here And We Are Not Allowed To Strike First. If We Do Feel The Need To Fight, One Is To Take It Outside."

[stridersgonnastride]

His non-reaction is very careful. He isn't sure Kanaya has ever touched him before. Maybe their hands brushed if she passed him something, or they might have bumped into each other coming out of a transportalizer.

"okay," he drawls. "that's weird as shit but okay sure i can roll with it"

[bloodyvirgo]

She smiles at him, retracting her hand after a moment and folding them both in her lap as she sits in the chair beside his bed.

"There Is Lodging To Be Had Upstairs, And The Bar Provides Pretty Much Anything You Could Want. There Is A Special Tab For Those Underage That Reside Here, Though I Dont Know About You, But I Will Never Hurt For Boondollars."

[stridersgonnastride]

"no i'm fucking loaded remind me to tell you how i scammed every last boondollar from those shitty alligators sometime"

He finishes the glass of juice and sets it on the table next to the bed.

"they just give you shit here what's the catch"

[bloodyvirgo]

She shrugs, rummaging through her sylladex until she comes up with a plate of dino nuggets on one of those plates that the bar uses to keep food warm. She sets that on the table, and the glass disappears.

"They So Often There Is A Call To Pay Up Your Tab, If You Have One. Occasionally One Is Asked To Tend The Bar While She Rests."

[stridersgonnastride]

Well, okay. He didn't think he could eat anything until he saw that. But the juice has settled his stomach enough that he picks up a chicken nugget to nibble at.

"future me said a couple of you came here. trolls i mean"

[bloodyvirgo]

Kanaya nods, watching him nibble at the food.

"Nepeta And Karkat Are Here. Though The Karkat Here Is A Different One Than The One Back On The Meteor. Shenanigans.

Terezi Came Through A While Back, But I Have Yet To See Her Again, And She's Made No Indication Back On The Meteor That She Knows Of Here.

Rose Knows About Here As Well, And You Might Occasionally See Aradia."

[not_only_wisdom]

Nynaeve exhales sharply.

"Good, so you've found it."

Then she goes back to the desk, sifting through her bag of herbs and simples until she finds a sachet of the same herbs in the tea.

Maybe if she brews some more and drinks it herself . . .

[freedom_is_grey]

Ysalwen, who has a stack of healing poultices in her hands and a bag of stamina potions hanging off her arm, pauses halfway into the room.

Liranan is lurking by the door. He does not want to scare little Dave! He knows big Dave is not comfortable with him!

"Um. Dave? I -- I didn't know how you'd be feeling except for having incredible head pain -- that's what the other you told me, anyway, if I remember what concussion means, so. Um. I hate waking up in infirmaries alone, so. Um."

Um.

"Hello?"

[stridersgonnastride]

The note vanishes into his sylladex for further study, when he has more privacy.

"did you talk to him"

[stridersgonnastride]

Dave groans. "aw man what did i do to deserve fucking multiple karkats

"did i actually die and this is hell tell it to me straight kanaya"

[not_only_wisdom]

Nynaeve arches an eyebrow, though it doesn't really disturb the scowl on the rest of her face.

"Who? The other you?"

She's already begun brewing another pot of bitter-tasting tea. Judicious (and visible) weaves of fire make that a lot easier than having to find a stove.

[stridersgonnastride]

"hi"

Dave stares blankly at her.

"and who th fuck are you supposed to be"