waterbenders can / if they will apply themselves / learn the healing arts

[roc_on]

Beila studies waterbending, and when she has the basics (waves, ice, the water whip, other relatively simple forms) she's permitted to specialize in healing.

Later on she'll be able to volunteer at a hospital and get her practice in that way, but to start, her teacher advocates practicing on oneself - just a few times, to get a feel for what one's healing bending is doing on both ends at the same time. This dojo produces more and better healers than most, so Beila's inclined to agree with the practice. It's only a few minor injuries, the teacher will be right there to patch her up if Beila doesn't manage the trick by the end of the lesson, and - it's not like she minds, in the right mindset.

Beila gets this faster relative to other students than she did the ordinary waterbending forms. The teacher says she has a natural aptitude. Over the course of her three-hour lesson she heals several burns (these are the easiest injuries to handle with waterbending) and then moves on to slicing her palm shallowly and then pressing healing water into the cut.

It's almost meditative, almost hypnotic. The teacher is satisfied she doesn't need immediate oversight and has gone to see to another student; Beila loses track of time. She's sitting in the dojo courtyard with her bowls of water (one bloody, one clear) and slicing her hand open again at the time her boyfriend is supposed to pick her up.

Comments

[thinklikethis]

"...I am not even sure I know what that means," says Dao. "Ocean-aspected, I mean, I know what a masochist is."

[roc_on]

"Ocean-aspected means liking to be bossed around. Contrasted with moon-aspect. Moon pulls, tide follows." She makes a wavy gesture.

[thinklikethis]

"Gotcha," says Dao. "Okay. Um. You're kind of awesome, have I mentioned that recently?"

[roc_on]

"Yeah, not long ago. You're taking this well," she remarks.

[thinklikethis]

Dao blushes.

[roc_on]

"Aaaaaand now you are blushing."

[thinklikethis]

"Yep," he says, still blushing.

[roc_on]

Beila waits.

[thinklikethis]

"I am blushing because you're a masochist," he says. "Is why I am blushing."

[roc_on]

"Okay, but why does that cause blushing?"

[thinklikethis]

"Um because I like it," he mumbles.

[roc_on]

"Ooh."

[thinklikethis]

Blushy blushy blush.

[roc_on]

Beila's going to sit here and enjoy the cuteness and wait for him to elaborate.

[thinklikethis]

He seems to just be blushing a lot!

[roc_on]

"Were you going to be any more specific?"

[thinklikethis]

"How much more specific do you want me to get?" he asks, half-laughing.

[roc_on]

"I dunno. I guess there's no rush."

[thinklikethis]

"Well - good. I guess."

He covers his face with his hands and hangs his head.

[roc_on]

"Are - are you okay? I was worried you'd be weirded out, but you seem to be having some completely unrelated reaction that I don't understand."

[thinklikethis]

"You don't weird me out," he says. "I weird me out."

[roc_on]

"...Why?"

[thinklikethis]

"Because I am weird," he mumbles into his hands.

[roc_on]

"So'm I."

[thinklikethis]

"Yeah but you're okay weird," says Dao.