2020-03-12 - On Healing

(TXT to August) Beth : He is conflicted on the healing. He doesn't want his kid to see him like this so he might say yes. Would you mind coming over? It's 10 Oak Avenue.

(TXT to Beth) August : don't mind at all. be there shortly.

Ciprian and Beth make a pit stop at Ciprian's house, because while it's certainly not the best thing to be magically healed and attract the attention of things you'd rather not attract the attention of, there's the other part of a parent who has to pick up his kid and probably doesn't want to be seen with a bandaged head and moving like they should be telling a story about how 'you should see the other guy.' Only the other guy was trees, and actually most of the trees ended up looking better than they had at the beginning of the fight.

So, you know.

He opens the door once he and Beth get there, and when they're inside he starts toward a couch, sinking down on it with a little sigh. "Now I know how Riya feels all the time," he remarks, a little dryly.

Beth closes the door behind her when they come in and starts towards the kitchen to make a pot of tea. Because that's what you do when someone doesn't feel well. You give them tea. They haven't been dating long enough that she is entirely familiar with his kitchen so she opens several cabinets before she finds the kettle. "Did they at least give you good drugs in the hospital or is it just some bullshit ibuprofen?" She asks as she goes to the sink to fill the kettle. She then says jokingly, "You know if they gave you Norco that'll be excellent with a glass of Arbor Mist."

August arrives not long after Beth and Ciprian do, in Eleanor's Element since his car is, shall we say, not in great shape. He's bundled up against the cold in a black pea coat, but underneath at it's all comfort-wear: a dark purple, slub tee, a dark grey hoodie, and black commuter pants. Since getting back from the forest he's done nothing but cry while Eleanor held him and then make dinner once he got himself back together.

And now, here he is, pale, tired, but oddly more energetic than he's been all evening. This is something he can do to help. To fix it. Whatever 'it' is. He knocks on the door, peers around at Oak. He's not here often, and is only passingly familiar with it.

"Ha ha," Ciprian replies as he fixes Beth with a look that pairs very well with the dryness of his tone, and in fact much better than Narco and Arbor Mist. "I told them ibuprofen was fine. The last thing I need is to become the prosecutorial version of House."

He looks up when there's a knock on the door, though, and calls, "One second!" He levers himself up from the couch then, starting over there to open it and admit his guest. "Hey, August," he says, and he smiles, pulling the door open a little wider. He's pretty bandaged up, but that's probably not that surprising, and he actually looks to be in relatively good spirits, too. "Thanks for coming. Please." He gestures for the other man to enter the house, which is about what one might expect a house with an eight-year old to look like -- a little bit messy but not too bad, with lots of pictures around, both of the photograph variety and the hand-drawn variety.

"You're not nearly a big enough asshole for that." Beth points out helpfully from the kitchen. "And you also don't have a cane or a rad motorcycle."

When there is a knock on the door Beth calls out to Ciprian, "Stay there and I'll get it!" But he has already gotten up so she just shakes her head a little and lets him go towards the door. She comes out to the doorway leading to the kitchen to smile softly at August. "Thanks for coming." She says once Ciprian has greeted him. "Do you want some tea of coffee? Ciprian's parents dropped off some rugelach last night and it's pretty tasty."

Although August winces to see (and sense) Ciprian's injuries, the fact that Ciprian's in a relatively positive mood helps immensely. He manages a small smile, pulls off the green and bronze knit cap he has on as he comes in. "Hey. Yeah, no problem. Anything I can do to help." He unwinds his scarf, glances around. Ah yes, a house containing a child; he's knows this layout well. He smiles at the drawings and photos, since they remind him of his own nieces and the similar things he's received from them.

That translates into a smile for Beth. "Ah, tea'd be great, actually. And the Kosimars' rugelach is as good as it gets, so I can't say no to that." He turns back to Ciprian. "Thank you for being there, Ciprian. We'd have been in way worse shape without you. I'm only sorry you wound up getting..." He hesitates, because there might be a little girl listening. "...the amount of attention you did."

"It is very good," Ciprian agrees with a chuckle as he starts back toward the couch to sit again. "I remember when RIya and I were little, we used to try and sneak pieces off the trays when they were right out of the oven." He settles back, looking to August again, and his expression softens a little bit. "Well," he says, "I'm glad I was helpful, at least at the end. I'm glad everyone ended up okay."

He also seems to sense the hesitation, and the reason for it, because he adds, "Ashira's not here. She's at Riya's. I need to go pick her up soon, but..." He trails off, and there's another wry smile as he admits, "I don't know that it's a good idea to have you do this, but I don't exactly want her to see me like this, you know what I mean?" There's a glance to Beth, then back to August. "It's a bit more of a cautionary tale than I was planning on."

Beth goes into the kitchen again and returns with three mugs with tea bags hanging out of them precariously balanced in her hands, the hot liquid threatening to splash out onto the floor at any moment. She manages to get to the coffee table without an accident and puts the mugs down on the table. Then she returns to the kitchen for the rugelach and some napkins.

"Some trees whopped your father's ass might be a bit of a hard welcoming into it all." She says in agreement with Ciprian as she puts the plate of pasties down and sits down next to Ciprian on the couch. "Then again it would probably be an easier lesson than some of us got." The last part is said a shade grimly.

"Yeah I was like that about my mom's egg bread. Kind of lucky, though--it never seemed to burn me. Only now I realize, probably because of the Art." August smirks a little; for all that he struggles with wanting the Art at all, he can't deny the fringe benefits. And he's even thinking of that as he watches that water slosh. But, Beth's got it. No burns.

He relaxes visibly when Ciprian says his daughter's not there, moves to sit on a chair. His expression tightens. "Yeah, I...yeah." He can relate, oh can he. "I was lucky, it was really gradual for me. But a lot of folks, it's rough." He glances between the two of them, down at his hands. "So, I'll just give you the run down on why some people avoid it." He takes a slow breath, lets it out. "Aside from how They can notice, there's been at least one case of a few people...reliving all the injuries that they've ever had healed this way." He looks up at them, raises his eyebrows. "Which in the case of some of us? Is a whole lot. That said. I don't not heal people who need it. Maybe it's not the best idea." He shrugs. "If you want, I can heal some, enough that it's easy enough to tell her you had an accident, but you're all patched up and getting better." A pause, then he adds, "If she's like me, though...she'll know. That you're hurt, and that she can heal you. And in all honesty, it's better if I do it, than her."

"Handy," Ciprian replies to August, though in a tone that's a little sympathetic -- he knows something about not being sure if he wants it at all. They probably all do on some level. Especially in light of Beth's words, and there's another look in her direction as he reaches over to touch her arm briefly. "I just broke a lot of stuff." It's said in a tone that's at least a little bit joking.

He does get more serious as August goes on, quieting to let the man speak, though there's a little pull at the side of his mouth as August describes the possible side effects. "Well," he says, "I've never been healed before today, so at least there's not a chance of that. If I have to relive getting hit in the head with a pinecone, so be it." He does trail off at the end at the thought of his daughter possibly trying her hand at doing it...and it seems to make the decision for him. "Yeah," he continues, "that wouldn't be the best thing." He takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly, before he says, "Okay. Go ahead." He'd be lying if he said he wasn't looking forward to not having injuries.

So I have to cast it 3 times (lol AM and KB are gonna come for me) but I'm gonna also do a roll here to represent the sort of detecting and such.

Beth cracks a smile when Ciprian says he just broke some stuff. "You know people are never happy when they come into a funeral home." She smiles a little sadly for her younger self suddenly having to navigate everyone else's feelings while not even knowing her own yet.

She picks up her mug and holds it in her hands while she listens to August and Ciprian talk. She doesn't add in her own opinion, but she is very clearly paying attention, and when Ciprian agrees he can feel some tension drain from her. She nods encouragingly and adds in support of his decision, "Ash doesn't understand yet. She'd just want to help you." A glance is given to August, "Is there anything I can do while you do this?"

August winces in sympathy for Beth. "That had to be pretty rough." He sounds like he's speaking from some level of experience there, though he doesn't specify.

He nods at Beth. "Exactly. Though I'd suggest you sit her down for a talk about it, so you can get her used to the idea of not using it." But that's a talk for after this next part. He pulls off his scarf and sets it and the cap aside, shrugs out of his pea coat as well. "Just keep an eye out. This is going to be a lot, and...They might show up for a chat." He takes a few steadying breathes, and his gaze shifts somewhere just past Ciprian, unfocused. Whatever he sees makes his brow furrow. "Well they sure did a number on you didn't they," he says, soft and low.

The sensation starts slow, with the injuries healing at their deepest point and moving outward. It's a little painful, in some ways, since the tissues that were damaged or destroyed register numerous complaints as they come back into being. The pace is steady and consistent, and as August works on the wounds, there's a sense of being watched, of something staring at them. From the shadows, through the window, around the corner in the hall.

Ciprian reaches over to Beth again, and this time he takes her hand, squeezing it a little bit. Out of the three of them, he was probably the best off. He turns back to August then, and he nods. "We talked a little bit about it," he confirms. "But we'll have to keep having the conversation. I just hope she feels like she can come to me about it."

He quiets then, though, letting August do as he will, even though he's gone a little bit pale at the idea of them showing up. He has not met them, and he has no desire to do so, either. However, it's happening, and so he closes his eyes, taking a deep breath himself. He winces as it begins, shifting just a little bit in his seat as that uncomfortable feeling, coupled with the pain, grows. It's very uneasy, and there's a little shiver that runs through him, too.

Well, that's not ominous at all. Beth looks at August's face a moment before she nods her head in agreement to keep watch. She keeps her hand in Ciprian's, but her head turns periodically. She has apparently taken the request to keep watch seriously. She squeezes Ciprian's hand gently as he winces.

"Hopefully They'll stay interested in me," August says, tone absent. "So when I go, They'll follow." He's trembling, and there's a fine sheen of sweat on his forehead. The mending continues, skin growing back, bruises clearing. There's a suggestion there were injuries; not scars so much as new skin bright pink with fresh growth. Maybe it'll color up properly in time, though maybe not.

August sags when he's done, sitting back heavily in the chair. He shakes his head, looks around them like he's trying to see something flying around on the ceiling. After a time he focuses on the tea mugs, starts putting one together. He's pale and flushed, but he's managed to not throw up. "So. Yeah. I'm sure you can both...feel that. They really don't like us healing people. At all."

"Whoa." Ciprian sits back, too, blinking slowly as he comes out of the feeling that he was feeling. He reaches up experimentally to touch his head, poking at the worst place, and then unwraps the bandage that's there. He'd seen it done, and August had told him that it was going to work, but having it happen is something altogether different than understanding it on an intellectual level. "That was..."

He looks over at Beth, then back to August, but now that he's refocusing, too, it's easy to tell that the man isn't doing that well now. "Are you okay?" he asks, sitting forward quickly with a frown. The fact that he can sit forward quickly without pain doesn't even register. "I shouldn't have let you do that," he says, a tiny note of frustration creeping into his voice, but it does seem to be directed inward.

"We should have done this at my place." Beth murmurs under her breath. Her eyes flick over to the hallway as if expecting to see someone coming out of it, but of course no one does. Her attention turns to Ciprian as he unwraps his bandage and she lets out a surprised murmur before she lifts a hand to touch his forehead where pink flesh has formed gingerly. "They are on the other side but trying to find a way out when you heal?" She guesses, and her gaze goes to August before she says, "I'll get you a glass of water." Releasing Ciprian's hand she starts towards the kitchen again.

August shakes his head at Ciprian, holds up a hand. "No, it's--it's okay. This is just how it is. And it's better we did this, than your...daughter do it." He doesn't say 'because then this would be happening to her' but he gives Ciprian a brief look which telegraphs it strongly.

He watches Beth get up, murmurs a thank you. "It, ah...I'm honestly not sure, if they're sitting there on the Other Side. I guess they must be, but...They don't have a form. A shape. In fact that's what some of us call them--the Unshaped. So if you were to open a door here, right now? I expect it'd just take us into one of Their constructs." He runs a hand over his face. "People call them Dreams, but they're more often like nightmares." He pulls a face. "They're attracted to us using our power, the Art, but some people say that They like it when we do bad things--cause pain, hurt others. Even ourselves. Healing though, they hate that. We're using the power to take pain out of the world, which isn't what they want. So." He opens his hands in a helpless gesture.

Ciprian opens his mouth to say something. Perhaps to argue -- well, he is a lawyer, after all. But after a few seconds, he shuts it again, glancing away and reaching up to run a hand back through his hair. There is nothing to be said, and it isn't as though he doesn't agree. So, instead, he just decides on, "Thank you. I appreciate it." The gratitude there is certainly genuine.

He reaches for the tea that Beth has made him then, wrapping his hands around it and taking a sip as he listens to August. His expression is very solemn, and he just nods once at the end. "That makes sense," he says after a moment. "I haven't been in that many, but all the ones I have could probably better be categorized as nightmares."

Beth goes into the kitchen to get a glass. She opens the freezer to get some ice despite how cold it is outside and puts it into the cup before she closes that door and opens the other to get into the fridge. Water is poured into the glass. A wash cloth is dampened under the faucet as well and ringed out before folded neatly to use as a compress. When she returns to the living room she offers both to August. "Can I get you anything else?" She asks sympathetically. She doesn't have to be a mentalist to see he is feeling unwell. "They sound like a real bummer." She says a little dryly.

August smiles faintly at Ciprian. "You're welcome. Just remember, that was my mess you helped me clean up." He murmurs a thank you to Beth, accepting the glass and wrapping both hands around it. "No, thank you, though. This is perfect." He proves that to her by drinking half the glass in one go, then setting it against his forehead for a moment.

After a time he sits back in the chair. "You've been in at least one, with me. That thing, that was," he makes a face, "eating people, over near the coffee shop? That was definitely one of Theirs."

Ciprian is looking thoughtful, but when August mentions Beth having been in one with him -- and about something eating people -- he looks over at her with wider eyes. "Wait, when was this?" he asks. "Something was eating people by the coffee shop? You didn't tell me about that." BETH. He doesn't sound exactly accusatory, but, well...you didn't tell him about that, Beth. There's really no arguing that point.

Beth thinks for a moment before her eyes widen slightly as she remembers. She sits down on the edge of the couch. "It was constructed from corpses and ice but breathed fire. Yes, I remember now that you mention it." She shakes her head before she asks, "Why do I feel like I forgot it until now?" It may not be accusatory, but she gives Ciprian an apologetic look all the same. "I'm sorry. I think it happened right when that thing started stalking me." She then mentions to Ciprian, "The woman who looked like me in your dream. The scary one? Probably them. That time we were trapped on the side of the road and Ashira was missing? Probably also them. The time all of the corpses came alive while Yule was in my embalming room? Totally them. That was terrifying for both of us and we are both pretty desensitized to corpses." She shakes her head softly as if fighting disbelief. "Fuck."

"Them," August agrees, nodding about all of that. He fingers the glass of water. "The main thing to know, about the shaping Art, if it's double-sided. I can heal, but I can harm too. Break bones..." His voice fades, and he shrugs, letting the obvious, worst case scenario go unsaid. "And it's not just people. Animals, plants--objects. I can break things, and fix them. Make plants grow." He gestures at one of the drawings. "Which means your daughter can too. She'll be able to sense damage and illness too. Especially in people." He finishes off the water. "Good news is there's a few of us who're fairly strong in this one. So if you need help explaining it to her, or teaching her to not use it? Plenty of people to ask." A brief lift of his eyebrows includes him in that statement.

The mention of the Not Beth from the dream as Ciprian shivering again, and it doesn't help when August goes on about all the things he can do, and that Ashira could potentially do. Probably much worse than sending objects clattering to the floor like he said was the worst that he did when he was manifesting things.

However, at least there's a little light at the end of the tunnel at the offer. "That's good," he says, with a bit of relief and a bit like he's trying to convince himself of it. "I should go get her," he continues after a moment with a look to Beth, before looking back to August again. "Thank you, August. Really. I really appreciate this. And the offer. I'll probably be taking you up on it soon." Sooner than he'd like, even.

Beth frowns in concern at August's words. "She could accidentally hurt someone." She mentions to Ciprian in a low murmur. "Not that she'd ever intentionally hurt someone, but she's a little girl." And children aren't exactly known for good judgement or self-restraint. She looks like she has something at the tip of her tongue but whatever it is she swallows back and doesn't say it. Instead she regards August a moment, trying to gauge if he's okay, before asking, "Are you sure you're okay?"

August nods at Beth. "Including herself. I can't heal myself? But injuries, those I can do, just fine." He cuts a look to the side, sighs. "I know some people who've hurt themselves pretty bad on accident. So." He sets the water glass down, nods at Beth. "Yeah. Believe it or not, this isn't the worst it's been." He laughs, quickly adds, "Which isn't to minimize how injured you were. Just." He tilts his head, then admits, "I've been at this a while." He smiles, faint but sincere. "And while it's not a good idea for us to heal too much, this is a case where I'd rather not tempt fate."

He runs his hands through his hair, slides his coat back on. "Let me get out of your hair. If you want me to chat with her, or want someone else to, just let us know. She does a class, to help orient people, since we can't seem to write much down. Might be a good one to go to, maybe ask people for ideas on how to...ease kids into it, safely." Since they won't be believed by anyone who doesn't have the Talent.