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[scrubscrub]

Ah, hello! I'm sorry if I'm interrupting anything; please, don't mind me if I'm troubling you!

[Koala's familiar, unnatural smile has appeared! She seems to be in her black jumpsuit and white tank -- though she's taken to Han Solo's advice and bought a blue dress for herself, which appears to be hanging up in her closet next to her yellow dress. And it appears there is a clown-fish shaped child's mug on her dresser, and a strangely ice-sculpted flower in a pot behind her (thanks, phantom person). It's not much, but it's still a far cry from her plain room from her first few weeks. And not only that, but a new revelation! She has a pillow with a cat on the pillowcase! GRANTED IT'S A VERY ODD CHOICE FOR AN ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD... but hey, progress! 

Still clean as hell, though. She's clearly just gotten finished with her chores, wiping her bangs out of her face. They've been growing out a little, getting in her eyes.]

I - I wasn't sure if I should say, before, but... That is, I wasn't sure if I would be punished for it, when I arrived here! But now I am trying to listen to Mr. Zuko and the others, and... and try not to think like a slave! So I will not stay quiet when I have questions! Forgive me if that is very straightforward of me. 

I was wondering, um. If you have a burn, and it is not... If it's healed, but it itches badly sometimes, what... should you do?

S--sometimes it is when I am working, but it can also be when I sleep; some nights it itches so fiercely, I have trouble falling asleep!

The first time it happened, I was not allowed to say anything, but... But now, I think I can.

... I'm allowed to, right?

It's okay to ask for help for such a thing, right?

Comments

[unconfines]

Ah, no need to worry about that. It comes with the territory, you see, the healing thing. [He tilts his head in Cole's direction.] He likes to help, in case you weren't sure. And he's good at it, too, make no mistake.

[He crouches a bit so that he's more on her level, and holds one hand out.]

May I have a look?

[killedwithlove]

[Cole crouches down to eye level with her and looks at her eyes, his expression sincere.]

You are as worthy of being helped as any other person. Your suffering is as real and valid as any suffering, and if you're suffering, I want to help you. Your pain matters to me.

Anders can make it better. And I can help him make it better.

[scrubscrub]

[Such sincerity! Sometimes she has a hard time looking back, when people are like that. She's just so unused to it. Even when people like Aladdin or Hatchan had been like that, she couldn't help but tuck her chin and fidget.]

... Thank you...! Y—yes, sir!

[Don't be alarmed, boys, but she's turning her back and unbuttoning the front of her black jumper; once he's tied around her waist by the sleeves, she can easily tug the back of her white undershirt up. Beneath the cloth is a bright pink burn. Not just a burn, really. A brand, made from a branding iron in the shape of a sun. It covers her whole upper back, and while it's mostly healed up now, it's still sensitive and rather raised scar tissue.]

This is where I've been, um... itchy! They said it means it's h-healing... but I wasn't sure if anyone knew how to stop it from being scratchy...

[unconfines]

[It's not what he was expecting at all. And a brand in the shape of a sun is— familiar in an uncomfortable way. His expression goes a little taught, corner of his mouth tugging down, but his tone is still easy and light.]

We'll see what we can do, hm?

[He doesn't actually touch, just lets his hands hover over her back. Blue-white magic spindles from his palms, spreading cool then warm. He can't do anything about the scar itself, but he can at least speed up the healing process to get it past the itchy scratchy stage.]

[killedwithlove]

[Cole doesn't touch either of them, just steps back to near Anders and relaxes. Last time they did this, Cole wasn't really himself, struggling with here and now. This time he can focus and actually enjoy the process.

He exhales and lets his head fall forward, eyes closed and then opening, glowing the same soft blue as the magic. He doesn't crackle with energy, it's much softer than that as he feels the itch and pull of the burn on his back and lets that empathy, that Compassion, flood from him to Anders.]

[scrubscrub]

[She ducks her head and holds her breath, waiting for them to do their work; maybe she should have asked the others on the ship if this was okay, because... well, she's never met anyone aiming to hurt her here yet! And she can already feel the itchy, annoying sensation fade a bit as time moves forward.

She clasps her hands in front of her as if in prayer, though it's more just a way to keep them busy as she breathes out a sigh of relief.]

I think... I think it's working...