The fight was over swiftly enough, and as the last of the idiots fell, Nia felt a sense of accomplishment she had not encountered before. There was something to say for doing it for herself, for once… something to say about the way success wore on her… She hated to admit it, because it meant admitting he wasn't entirely crazy… but the good general might not have been off base…
Still, there were other things to worry about than whether or not she'd ever really live up to her potential. Turning to Kazu, she frowned softly at the shoddy patch job she'd done on his arm. It held up for the fight, but she could already see red leaching through the ribbon, "C'mon, Little Pup." She said, with the barest hint of affection, "Let's go see if the medical tent's worth it's salt, yeah?"
Kazu forgot to listen when Fong Xu addressed them. Well...he kinda remembered some words, but they didn't really make sense when put together, but it was okay. They did it! They won! Now, he just wondered what the prize was. Or wait. Maybe this kind of game didn't come with a prize...He forgot to ask the general about that too. Whoops.
However, he blinked back to reality when Nice Lad--...Nia's voice reached his ears. "Salt? Does that work like the spicy water too?" he asked, a goofy grin already forming. His knuckles tingled just remembering it...Hah, that was fun.
Laughing softly, dryly, Nia shook her head, "Not quite. Though they might give you some, if they gotta sew that arm of yours up." Gesturing towards the tent, she followed alongside him, "...Hey, Kaz? Can I ask you something?"
"...Who?" Kazu muttered, confusion seizing him. Who was Kaz? And why did this person's name have to sound so close to his? That was just gonna confuse him and make him think a lot more than he thought was safe for his head and-- "Ohhhhh. You mean me!" He had enough sense to look embarrassed, shoulders shrugging a bit as they neared the tent. "And yeah. You can ask me something. Just like, this one time, I asked my roommate if it was okay to swallow metal things and if someone could die from that, because like, I did it accidentally. But not purpose cuz like...it was in my food and I was really hungry and not really paying attention, or chewing as much as I usually do, so I swallowed some, but only a little bit. So my roommate said...um…" He paused a moment, then brightened. "Oh! Right! He said, I won't die right now, but I will some day and as I've always been. Special."
He grinned at that memory. Those were good times. "...Wait, what's the question again?"
"Yes, you." She noted, with a smirk, shaking her head at his rambling. He was a mess and a half, the poor kid, but what could you do… War would either even him out and he'd learn the hard way how life could just… bite… Or, he'd make everyone around him crazy and they'd give up fighting for the farm life. She found him endearing, somehow, but she was still pretty sure she'd kill him, someday… if he didn't kill himself.
"...You said you had a warden. What's that all about?"
"Oh! Yeah, I did! Um." Kazu's head tilted, as if willing his brain to work a little faster. Waste of time. It was always a waste. "Not anymore though, which is nice. He yelled a lot, anyways. Kinda scary, you know?"
"Sorry to hear that…" She frowned faintly, "I know a thing or two about how that goes. Was it a prison? Don't exactly seem the type to wind up in a place like that. No offense to what I'm sure is your super-intense, infamous reputation."
Kazu shrugged, humming a bit to himself. "S'okay. It was just yelling and stuff. And yeah, it was prison. Was always dark in there for some reason...I didn't really like it. Don't like the dark now. Gives me the crawlies. Not, like, giving me crawling animals and stuff, cuz that'd be
so cool and nice." If darkness and night time gave him pets every time they rolled around, then Kazu would conquer his fears in no time.
Then he blinked, eyes shifting about in his skull as he tried to figure out Nia's last few words. Those...were big terms that he wasn't very familiar with. "I don't...really...know what those words are, but I don't have any of them," he said.
Poor kid. How he ended up in prison was a complete mystery. How he'd ended up where he was, she couldn't figure out for the life her. This wasn't the world for someone so fragile and vulnerable. And yet, she'd seen him fight. Seen what he could do, and she knew he was more than capable…
"That's alright, Little Pup. You don't need any of them. Hey… wanna know a secret?"
Instantly, his eyes lit up, eager by the sudden offer. His voice dipped in volume until it was nothing more than the ecstatic whisper of a child, "Yes please!" Secrets were like...super important and Nia was just about to share one with him. That must've meant they were really friends now.
"When I was younger…" She started, with a conspiratorial glance around, "I was pretty afraid of the dark, too. Used to be, I couldn't sleep, cause of it. Know how I got over it, though?"
Kazu gasped loudly, as if the woman had spilled to him confidential information from the Fire Nation themselves. This...this was huge. Way huge. Quickly, he tugged her over and a short distance away from the tent, just to make sure the medic inside wouldn't hear them. "How how?" he asked, a hint of impatience mixing with the fascination.
"I made a fire, Kazu…" Tapping her temple, she looked over at him, "In here. Just pictured it in my head, any time I started to feel that fear, and it went away. Just like that. Cause fear, Pup… it all starts in your mind. And if you can conquer that… you won't be scared of anything."
"Fire in my head…" Kazu muttered, scratching said body part with a thoughtful pout. That was...new. He never heard of that method before, but he would definitely try it out. Nia was a smart and nice lady, so everything she said must've been right. Slowly, he nodded. "Mmkay, Nia. Fire. Fire...Not like, the kinda that hurts me and stuff. Good kind. Got it." His smile was renewed, practically beaming at the woman.
"Right… not scary fire. You know… the kind you sit by at night, and roast nuts in… The warm kind, that makes you cozy." She wasn't this person, she wasn't… but there was just something about the kid that made her wanna help him out. It was almost annoying, but never
quite enough that she felt like fighting it off…
"Now, here… Let's go get that arm taken care of, yeah?"
"Cozy nuts...wow," he whispered, a wistful gleam in his eyes as his smile softened. Those were all really nice and relaxing images, and he latched onto them happily. Nia sure had a pretty imagination. He wondered if he would dream about that tonight? Probably, yeah. Either way, her next words snapped him out of his reverie and he nodded, finally entering the medic's tent...Well, after he fussed with flaps for a few moments, struggling to understand how they parted.
"Gah! I'm stuck! I'm stuck! I'm--Oh...nevermind, I got it!" he chimed before waving ahead. He hadn't even taken the time to confirm that someone was inside, but it didn't matter. "Hey! Um, I got a cut so...can you fix it?"
Apparently, the medic was present. She was sitting casually on a stool next to one of two desks, studying a unfurled parchment with steady and focused eyes. However, at the pair's noisy entrance, her gaze snapped up and a pleasant, plastic smile graced her young features. "If it's a cut, then that's considered child's play. Come in. Sit." She nodded to an empty cot before standing up, meandering over to a low table covered in ointments and natural remedies. Out of the mass, she snagged what appeared to be a small jug. "Am I merely treating one of you? Or both?" Her questioning gaze fell on Nia.
"I'm good… He's got a gash on his arm. I wrapped it mid-field, but it's not pretty. Didn't have time to clean it or anything." Nia answered, looking to Kazu with a smile nod, "You got it from here, Little Pup?"
"Mmkay," Kazu said before obeying the medic and seating himself, legs swinging idly. However, at Nia's question, he gave pause and pursed his lips. "Um...got what? Did you, like, give me something or…?" Perplexed, he started rummaging through the inside of his robe and patting himself down. He couldn't find anything and with every second passing, the confusion increased.
"I don't think she meant...Nevermind." The medic stopped herself while she was ahead; instantly, she could tell that something was off about the boy and had no problem overlooking it. Her job was to heal, not analyze. Sighing, she uncorked the jug and sat next to Kazu, holding her hand out. "Arm, please?"
"Who's Arm?"
A pause.
"I'm just...going to grab this…" Gently, she unfurled Kazu's arm, exposing the patch job, before gently unwrapping it.
"I'm gonna go, now, Kaz…" Nia continued, with a small, sympathetic nod to the doctor, before she looked to the younger man, "See you tomorrow, alright?"
Kazu's expression fell a little upon hearing this. "Oh...uh, okay. Yeah, tomorrow. Like, soon tomorrow? Wait...yeah, yeah. Okay. There's only one type of tomorrow. I'll see you in that one," he rambled. He didn't really want to see Nia go, but he could
kinda understand her leaving. It was fine though, he was used to it.
"This is going to sting a little," the medic warned. She had discarded the ribbon already and was already in the process of waving a single hand over the gourd. There was the distinct sound of sloshing, before a strip of liquid rose up and encased her hand like a glove. She placed gentle pressure on the wound, somewhat surprised to see little reaction out of Kazu at the moment of contact.
"Huh," Kazu mumbled, "...Not as bad as the spicy water."
A brow lifted as his face fell, and for a moment, she almost ignored it. She tried. Really, really hard to ignore it. But there was a twist in her stomach, a familiar sense drawn by that reaction and biting her cheek, she moved instead to the edge of the cot, "I guess I can stick around a few more minutes. And it's like I told you before. You just gotta learn how to drink the spicy water. We'll work on it."
And just like that, his bubbly mood was restored and he wiggled a little in place as she came back. The movement earned a half-hearted glare from the medic, but she didn't say much else before focusing on his wound once more. "Yay," Kazu cheered simply. "And I already did! I...don't really like the taste. Kinda strong and bitter." Disgust twisted his features, as if he was glaring at the actual memory. Yeah...spicy water wasn't his favorite.
Luckily, his cut wasn't anything significantly bad, and mending the tissue back in top condition was achieved in a matter of seconds. The medic released his arm, leaving behind a thin layer of water as it adhered to any openings she had missed. "Well...I'd say you're just about good to go." Then, a hint of intrigue glimmered in her eyes as she surveyed the pair. "I'm assuming you're the recruits?"
"That's cause you gotta work up to the stuff I gave you, Pup. But hey, it ain't for everyone, and that's alright." Grinning, she shrugged, patting the small flask at her hip. As the doctor spoke, she looked to the woman, and nodded faintly, "That we are. Though, I guess we just got a promotion. General says were Rebels, now."
She had to fight the urge, in that moment, to wave her fingers in mock celebration. It was a habit… the sarcasm, but one she wasn't sure would be appreciated by everyone, equally, "Nice work on the arm. Thanks."
"So I've heard," the medic chuckled. She willed the water wrapped about Kazu's arm back into the gourd and placed it back in its rightful place. As she dried her hands, she smirked somewhat at the pair. "The scuffle outside was hard to miss. Personally? I'm grateful that asshole Jin and his followers are out of here." She shrugged. "It's got a nice ring to it, you must admit. Rebels, the Armada's special squadron. And that?" She giggled again, gaze momentarily veering over to Kazu's newly healed arm. "That was nothing."
"Why is...nothing a thing? When nothing means, like...not a thing?" Kazu suddenly asked.
The doctor nodded in his direction again. "Now
that was something. Good question though...I guess."
"It's a hard one," Kazu said, eyes squinting in concentration...then his attention switched over to Nia again, the question completely forgotten. "But I
want it to be for me! You drink it too, right? I can...maybe...kinda like it." Not a single ounce of confidence was found in his voice, highly doubtful that he could adapt to the taste.
"Ain't sorry to see 'em go, myself." Nia admitted, "And yeah… I'd say it ain't a half bad name."
Kazu spoke up, and Nia had to bite back a laugh at the doctor's reaction. It seemed to be contagious, really, whatever weird charm the guy had. He vollied back to their conversation prior and shaking her head, she offered him a hand up, "How about we start small. And not tonight, Pup. You heard the General. We gotta rest up."
"You'd best to heed the General's advice," the medic insisted with a light chuckle. "He may care greatly for his men, but he doesn't exactly go easy on them either. You're...bound to go through a lot. So save your strength."
"Small…" Kazu's brow furrowed. "So, like, a tiny bottle of spicy water?" However, at Nia's suggestion to rest, tagged with the doctor's insisting, he finally got the message and nodded. He hopped off the cot, nearly tripping over his own feet, before righting himself and giggling goofily at the almost-accident. Heh...that would've been funny. "Mmkay then. I'm not really sleepy, but I'll just, like...sit and wait. And close my eyes and do that...that thing. Um." His eyes screwed shut in intense thought, before snapping open. "Meditation! Meditation. Heh, yeah!" He felt incredibly proud for recalling that one.
"Thanks, Doc…" Nia nodded, and as Kazu stumbled, she shook her head with a small smirk, gestured to the tent opening, this time, holding it for the kid, she he didn't somehow managed to get tangled up in it, again, "C'mon, Pup. You meditate, I'm gonna sleep till the rooster crows… I'm half dead, here." Pausing, she added quickly, "Ah… Not… not really, just a figure of speech."
Kazu stepped out, grateful as Nia held the flap open for him. Just as he was about to open his mouth, her last second clarification clammed it shut and he opted instead for humming a low, "Ohhh" of realization. He knew that...Well, now he did. Sort of.
In the next instant, he was hugging the woman tightly while mumbling, "Thanks for taking me to the doctor lady, Nia. You're a good friend."
Blinking, Nia froze for a moment, before, with a small nod, she gave him a pat on the shoulder, "Sure, Kaz. It's no big deal. Heck, I'd probably be really dead, if you hadn't showed up when you did, to help me out with those creeps. Thanks for lookin' out for me, Pup."
Kazu froze at the same time Nia did, almost worried that he had crossed the line...before she patted his shoulder and he released a low breath of relief. Good. He almost thought that would turn out the same it did with that one nice man...who turned out to be Fire Nation. That wasn't fun. Once he released her, he pouted and said, "I don't want you dead ever, so...I didn't want that to happen. Those guys were way too mean for, like, no reason. Um…" His fingers fidgeted among one another, taking a hesitant step back. "Uh, okay then. See you, Nia. During tomorrow. Like you promised?"
"Like I promised, Kaz." She said, firmly, with a small pat to his arm again, "Now go and try to get some sleep. Seriously… Sounds like tomorrow's gonna be pretty tough on all of us, alright? Goodnight." With a wave, she turned and heading back across the small field, slipping behind the flap of her own tent.
"Kay," Kazu muttered. His steps were still stuttered, caught in a loop of staying and going, until Nia was finally gone. With her disappearance cemented into place, he was finally able to make himself leave and head for his tent. He ran through his normal routine. Counted everything he could. Then did it two more times. Finished off by sitting in the lotus position.
He had a lot to think about...and hopefully not hurt his brain in the process.
Collab with @Mobley Eats