[Action] After the Temple...

[hungry_for_justice]

[Someone broke her arm during events at the temple-and rather than clean herself up and set the bones in the comfort of a shack or in the dubious safety of the women's public restroom, Nelia has made camp by a mountain stream in the jungle to peel out of her armor, treat her wounds, and wash off the blood and slime from her body.

And she's doing it in privacy for the same reason why she hasn't taken her helmet off in days-if you're very quiet while sneaking up on her, you might make out her pointy-eared, cute little fangs secret.]

Merde. I shouldn't have left this for so long...

Comments

[im_gonna_heal_u]

Well, Konoka wasn't very fond of demon hating jerks, considering her girlfriend was half one and had confidence issues already, but she had seen the footage and knew the foolhardy knight had not yet visited the medical quarters. After assuring that Setsuna was alright, she began looking for the woman in the forest, armed with just some magic and her wits.

To her surprise, though, not only was the journey unremarkable, but she managed to... spy someone washing. Was this Nelia? For real. Konoka was stunned, and quiet. Her hatred of demons... it all made sense.

She was just like Secchan in a way.

No telling if Nelia noticed, but so far Konoka made no sound.

[hungry_for_justice]

Nelia was far to engrossed in the mess that was her left arm-left to stew in her armor and underarmor for hours, she had stripped to the waist to clean herself and was now busy with a bottle of what looked like iodine as she poured the stuff over the wounds-it looked like she had broken both the bones in her forearm-and judging by the way it was swelled up, several of the bones in her hand as well. The wound was ugly-but apparently half-demon constitution had stopped the bleeding early, so she hadn't gone into shock or blood-loss. But still, the white of exposed bone shone through the bloody mess and Nelia had a piece of leather in her mouth as she staved off her screams of pain.

[im_gonna_heal_u]

No, that won't do.

As much as Konoka didn't like her attitude, her obvious suffering was as plain as day. Nelia needed better healing than what she was doing, and frankly she was only stalling for much worse pains. Konoka already blew her daily megaheal, but repairing that should still be within her capabilities!

So to announce herself in a way that wouldn't startle the other woman, she raised her wand and cast a gentle soothing spell that would close up some smaller wounds and slowly appear in the limelight.

[hungry_for_justice]

Well that did actually startle Nelia causing her to drop her piece of leather from her jaw as she cried out-and then crying out again in fear as she dove for a piece of fabric to wrap around her head. "Who's there? What are you doing here? I want to be left alone!"

No more time for fussing around-she grit her teeth and set the radius herself, bone scraping against bone until it snapped into place.

[im_gonna_heal_u]

"It's me." Konoka's voice is soft, but loud enough to be heard.

"H-hey, stop moving that around!" The healer was close to her arm in an instant, more or less helping her fix it into place with a makeshift cast.

"Anyway, there's no point in hiding your head, you'll just bump into stuff," Konoka dithered.

[hungry_for_justice]

"You! I don't need your help! This is...a private matter!" The Knightess was a huge woman, taller than most men, but she shrank inward reflexively.

"I had to set it you fool! I can splint and heal my own bones!" In her eyes it was neccesary-but not as needful as hiding her ears, so the piece of cloth was now a makeshift headband. "I will not just bump into things, you are being silly!"

[im_gonna_heal_u]

"So you say, and yet..." Well, Konoka's going to help you anyway, because not only does she set it, but she's already casting the necessary healing magic to repair the arm now that it's properly locked in place.

"Besides, you have nothing to be ashamed of. I saw the pointy ears," Konoka added. And wow, Nelia was huge--but she wasn't going to think very much of it.

[hungry_for_justice]

There is worse damage than it looks like-the ulna is broken in at least two places, and her fingers are in a couple of places nearly dust-but Nelia barely whimpers and instead places her good hand over it to whisper a prayer of her own and add her own healing power. "I've told you that I can heal myself over and over, why don't you believe me?"

"Ngh. Lot's of people have pointy ears. Like...half-elves." That's as close to lying as she can come. And she's plenty aware that it's a shakey

[im_gonna_heal_u]

Sure, Nelia does help. The fact that she is makes Konoka's work a lot easier as admittedly she wasn't sure how much her powers would work on older wounds. "Two hands are better than one, right?"

"I don't think half-elves are part of this situation," Konoka murmured, cutting that lie short.

[hungry_for_justice]

"I don't need an extra pair of hands right now, so don't quote your little sayings at me." Tsun harder, it might make you more attractive Nelia. Still, she's concentrating more on the feeling of bones knitting back together properly-it's been a while, but they still seem to know how to fix themselves.

..."There are also half-nymphs and half...mermaids." She was grasping at straws at this point. "Certainly, no paladin of a line of paladins stretching back five generations would have congress with the creatures you are suggesting!"

[im_gonna_heal_u]

"I might have believed you if I weren't best friends with, dating, and planning to marry a half demon," Konoka said. "But as far as I know, you don't have any characteristics that make you either one of those."

Konoka watched slowly as her powers seemed to rapidly speed the bones and skin repair, and any smaller bruises rapidly disappear. "So is this why you hate demons so much? Because people judged your lineage?"

[hungry_for_justice]

Nelia looked at Konoka like she had grown a third head. Not a second one, a third one. "You...No! I hate demons because they are evil creatures without exception! My lineage has nothing to do with it at all! I have relentlessly purified myself without relaxation or pity for the taint within my veins!" Nelia clenched her good fist and punched the ground. "My mother is the one who has been judged unfairly, not I. It is an unquestionable fact that I am tainted. But she was only foolish for one night and has done nothing since to deserve the harsh treatment she has recieved!"

[im_gonna_heal_u]

Konoka was mighty confused considering she had no idea where a second head could even come from, her body was rather cramped!

But that told a lot--her mother got undue hatred, not herself. Tis the horrors of a judgmental society. What could she possibly say to that? "Ah..." It made her worry a bit. Did Secchan's mother suffer the same fate? Secchan never talked about or really knew her parents, as far as she knew it was her own father that practically raised her.

"It's really not fair." Konoka murmured. "That a single demon and people's prejudices turned you that way."

[high_on_daylight]

*Aaaand there's a rustling in the trees above Nelia. A certain ten year old just sort of grins.*

I thought you had magic for that?

[hungry_for_justice]

Aahhh!

[And Nelia is so surprised that she has been ninjaed like this that she tries to use her left hand and winds up sprawled on her side, groaning softly as she cluches at it.

Who...who are you! How did you sneak up on me?

[high_on_daylight]

I'm one of the Student Council, also known as the judges of the competition.

And you look very, very injured.

[hungry_for_justice]

...It will be fine once I set the bone so they do not heal improperly and use my power on it. You did not answer my question!

[high_on_daylight]

I am Councilor Evangeline McDowell. And I didn't have to do anything special, I just wandered along the trees.

*She's lying, but it's hard to tell. She actually flew.*

[hungry_for_justice]

...you're lying Councilor. There are only my footprints here. Still, what else should I expect from one who consorts with demons openly?

There is nothing in the Paladin code against spitting in disgust at the notion of Demons and people associating with them.

[high_on_daylight]

I said along the trees. That could mean in them, you know.

And what of you? You've had to survive here somehow. Wouldn't that be consorting with demons in and of itself?

[hungry_for_justice]

...you do not seem to be an elf.

Actually, it has not. I have been completely self sufficent...to an extent. Gazella has been a great aid.

[high_on_daylight]

Oh? So only elves are capable of moving along trees?

And you've avoided being a goody-two-shoes by going to class or the like?

[hungry_for_justice]

Not at all-but you seem far more like the sickly girls I tend to in the hospices than any elf-maid who runs along branches leaping from tree to tree.

...demon clasess are no concern to a fully-trained member of my Order.

[high_on_daylight]

I am a trained expert in Aikido, you know.

Avoiding class? Pretty 'Honor Student' of you.

[hungry_for_justice]

...What is Akido?

I don't subscribe to ridiculous backwards demon morality, so why should I care what their standards of attending class are? I am not sworn to uphold all laws in all places.