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Chapter 33
Loki: He sighed heavily, not having it in him to argue with her and deny her wishes. He pressed his lips together as he continued to eye her up and down. "Very well," he complied, shifting so that he was sitting directly across from her. He eyed her hand for a moment, believing it would be best to begin with simple wounds such as scrapes or cuts. He tried to think of the way that Eir had managed to teach him when he was learning. It had been a rather recent lesson, considering he never cared much for healing until he was very much so injured... He studied for decades in order to perfect every aspect of it, but merely for the purpose of using it for himself, never others.
"Healing, more often than not, requires a certain amount of knowledge of anatomy. You must be aware of what you are comprised of, from the veins, arteries, muscles, glands, to the composition of your skin. It will take years to master each... decades to hundreds of years... which is why, in Asgard, we have such beings as Healers, who dedicate their lives to the healing of others..." He explained easily, looking for any sort of changing expression.
Luna: She took in his each and every word, knowing that if she failed, it wouldn't be because she did not listen to him closely enough or heed his instructions attentively enough. It would be her simple lack of skill and energy, no more. If such healing existed on Midgard, there would be so much less death, she knew... Regardless, it would be one of the most useful skills to possess. "I've spent a lot of time with Zane while he was learning for his line of work, a lot of it stuck with me, I think," she informed him, trying to bring back all of those facts which she kept stored somewhere in her mind; she knew it would more than likely not be enough, but she took comfort in the fact that she was not entirely clueless. Medicine was something she was quite drawn to, yet she chose a different path for herself, deciding that whatever she wished to know, she could learn from her brother.
Loki: He nodded. "I see... However, I do believe the casualties are greater with such healing, yes? This is rather different... Perhaps you should understand when I teach you as best as I can... I believe it is best if we begin with simple wounds. It is not so difficult with them, as there are several approaches to healing such cuts, depending on the size. I feel it is best to learn by example – that is how I learned. Unfortunately, it is also necessary to learn by experience, and considering my flesh is much more... difficult, it must be you to be wounded..." he muttered, looking up to her questioningly.
Luna: It wasn't something she did not expect, as the healing properties his skin naturally possessed would interfere with her trying to learn, as it would heal itself before she could do anything about it. "Yes, your healing and ours differs, but it's better than nothing," she shrugged. "It'll be me, indeed," she said with an indifferent shrug. She's had injuries more difficult in the past, and if they were to start very small, it would not be all too terrible or painful for her.
Loki: He nodded, glad she acquiesced. "Very good, " he replied thoughtfully. "Before we do anything, it is also necessary that you know what you are trying to accomplish. Magic, being the energy of nature of its own sort, has the healing qualities that ones such as I innately have within them... I am unsure how to explain such a phenomenon to one such as you in simple terms. However, this gives magic the natural ability to repair and mend wherever it is placed. Often, one can do so by weaving similar to what I believe you Midgardians call stitches, or even simply placing a denser mass of the energy upon the flesh... Either way, it should very well begin to repair any broken tissue it comes in contact with."
Luna: While he was speaking, she divided her attention - though keeping the most on him, still - so that she could begin summoning the energy it took. She was so very glad to notice that each time she was to beckon the energy towards herself and hold it, it grew increasingly quicker and easier. "All in all - the magical energy consists of healing properties of its own, in its very being? And so, I do not need to do anything overly special with it, but just place it over the wound with the intention to heal?" she tried to make it all clear to herself before they began. Misunderstandings were confusing and dangerous as they were, yet in such circumstances, she absolutely had to prevent them from arising.
Loki: "That is somewhat correct, my lady," he replied with a nod, his eyes looking over her hands skeptically. " It changes when it comes to internal wounds, however, but we shan't get into that." He sighed heavily as he considered what was going to happen, feeling as the energy shifted around him, her getting an eager beginning, he supposed with a small smirk. She was so very ready to learn. He could not ask for a better student to teach, he mused. He pressed his lips together as he summoned his knife into his hand, holding it out in front of the both of them. "Do you wish to do it, or shall I?" he muttered.
Luna: She would feel quite odd in either case, as she's never injured herself before, yet letting him do it was... She was reluctant at calling it risky, but it was the most prominent word in her mind. Nevertheless, she took the knife from him, feeling as if she had three hands - one which held the knife, the other which was about to be hurt, and an invisible one which held and maintained the energy. She gave the tip of her finger a scrape with the very point of the sharp blade; it did not hurt - no more than getting blood drawn in a hospital - and it was the tiniest she could have made it, wishing to give herself as good of a chance as she could. Then, as she looked at it, she guided the energy over to the thin slit and covered one with the other, meticulously ensuring that it was covering each and every millimeter of it.
Yet that is as far as she got. She felt nothing, save for the energy in contact with her skin and the negligible pinching of the wound. Several minutes later, even though she slipped into deeper concentration, she was getting no results. "Loki," she murmured, "can you help me? I don't think what I gathered is strong enough..." she said, not knowing how, exactly, to intensify that which she held, or bend it to do as she wished. It simply lay there without doing anything. If he could add some of his power onto it and guide her to heal, perhaps such an example would prove to be conducive.
Loki: He watched her struggle for a long time, the blood from the wound slowly beginning to trickle down her finger. When she asked for his help, he only looked at her for a moment before acquiescing with a nod. He gathered what he could of the energy, scooting so that he was closer to her, attempting to feel the magic she seemed to be failed at gathering. It was not that it was strong enough, but it was simply the fact she was hardly applying it. Regardless, he placed his hand over hers, feeding her the energy he managed to concoct. "You must bind it with your flesh... Think of guiding it through the wound, aiming directly upon the cut, and therefore replacing the broken flesh together," he explained as he attempted to concentrate, even as his abdomen felt as though it was beginning to split once more.
Luna: Nodding in acknowledgement and agreement, she sensed the energy which she held grow more acute as he added onto it. However, such strength of it was not something she was accustomed to just yet, but she knew she had to do so eventually - why not now? She attempted to grab hold of that which he provided, though it put much more of a strain on her body, her heart beating more heavily as she tried to maintain it properly. Several times she noticed herself holding her breath, after which she'd release it immediately, knowing that she should not be exerting herself so much. Nevertheless, this was important... She attempted to heed his words, but to hardly any avail. Her brow was furrowed in part aggravation that she let slip through her focus, and in part the focus, itself. She tried seeing and feeling all that he so clearly told her to, but even so, she seemed to have been doing something wrong, as neither the magic nor the small cut would listen.
Loki: He made a grimace as he watched her yet to be successful. He sighed, his mind beginning to work through the pain to figure out another way he could explain what she needed to accomplish, a grimace coming upon his lips. "Your energy is... is too unfocused. You are applying something much too large for a small cut. You must try to focus the magic upon the wound and the wound only, not the entirety of the finger. You are not giving it purpose, you are expecting it to do most of the work," he explained quietly, as he came nearer to her, his frown deepening as the sharp pain began to grow.
Luna: Once more came a nod from her as a response, though this time followed by a mutter, as she knew that his pain was greater than hers: "You don't have to hold it anymore, I got it..." she said, trying with all her might to keep what she conjured and what he gave her as one. It was growing more tedious, but if she let go of it now, she would have to go through the entire process of acquiring it again, it would be even more difficult, perhaps. No, she would do it. She knew she would. Her eyes narrowed, though she tried to expel all such negativity from herself, if only to concentrate better. She directed the energy to the cut and the cut alone, wishing to let the magic know what she was attempting to use it for, willing to evoke such quality of it that would help her in her goal... She willed the cut to close itself up, to vanish, to be consumed by the magic which would weave the unseen, minuscule tissue together into something whole once more.
A long while later, after such work that she felt would crumble her, she widened her eyes as she finally witnessed the red line begin to sew shut, slowly, but surely leaving smooth skin behind, and no trace to indicate there was ever an injury there to begin with - save for, perhaps, the small smudge of blood. She hunched over from the effort. However, before it could close entirely, it ceased about halfway through, and no matter how much she kept pushing it forwards, it would simply not close the rest of it., much to her dismay and irritation. Why would it stop just like that? She did nothing different.
Loki: He watched with slight relief as the skin begin to close, but not quite enough. "You must continue to keep the full concentration. Do not get ahead of yourself and begin to lose focus as you just did," he explained. "You excited yourself before you finished," he said with a small smirk, as she was so very similar to him in learning such a thing, it was entirely comical.
Luna: With a displeased noise, she allowed the magic to return to where it may, and with such an action, she laid back onto the pillows, her breathing heavy, and feeling as if she'd been swimming in relentless waters for hours upon hours... "Small break," she breathed out, and though she did not want to release the magic, she had to; otherwise, she would be in no shape to continue. She needed the practice, but she had to constantly remind herself of moderation, so that she wouldn't burn herself out. "The rest of the cut's not going anywhere," she added. It could wait for several moments while she rested.
Loki: He sighed. "It shall if you do not rush it. Perhaps you are simply too worn for the moment, yes..." he explained with a nod. "I know you are frustrated, dear, but not everything shall come so naturally." He was almost glad - he hoped she would not begin to have high expectations of her abilities only to have them crushed, simply because she could not manage to have everything come to her. Then she would be too much like him, and that simply... was not good.
Luna: "I know," she sighed, rubbing her brow. "I'll try again in a few minutes," she said before getting up gingerly and going to fetch some water for herself. Truly, she was parched, as if after relentless exercise... She glanced at her partly mended cut with a frown; she would finish what she started, indubitably. She knew that she ought not be pressured by anything for good results, but constantly on the back of her mind sat the fact that their time was limited, and that she only had so long to learn. If only she grasped the basics, perhaps she could continue teaching herself and merely practicing until she saw improvement.
Loki: He nodded, watching her wearily; she looked as though she was discouraged, with a slight slump in her shoulders. He frowned, knowing that there would have so be some exterior issue that would discourage her from anything she did, considering she was incredibly stubborn. She would not relent, no, but there was something pressing her to simply continue and do everything she can. "You shall grasp it, I assure you," he said without thinking much about what he said. "In time..."
Luna: She nodded and smiled at him a little wearily, retaking her place on the bed and downing the contents of the bottle. "Thank you, I'll certainly try," she left the bottle aside and looked at her finger again. She knew that she had to try her very best now, because who knew how tired she would be later on, and who knew what circumstances may arise that would prevent her from even trying again? Without a word, she began collecting the strands of energy again, meshing them together into something more substantial, guided by what Loki has shown her and told her. At least she could summon it without very much trouble, now, she thought in an attempt of encouraging herself. The moment she had it with her, the familiar blunt weight returned to her still unused body. Then, pushing back that weight to the back of her mind, trying not to let it interfere with her concentration, she set out to utilize it; she focused the energy onto the very spot that needed to be repaired, and nowhere else. She attempted to mimic that which she did several minutes ago, to redo it and to finish it. She still held in her memory how it felt, how it was supposed to be like, and according to that did she try to repeat. After a while that was a little too long for her liking - though she could hardly complain, at this point - she felt the peculiar sensation again as she watched the skin finish what it began doing. This time, however, she maintained her focus and not let any emotion in particular addle it. She had to do this right.
Loki: He watched patiently as she attempted to continue what she had started, her brow furrowed, looking as though she was much more determined from his words, and that partially gave him some sort of confidence in her. If his words helped, then they might just continue to and they may get through more lessons than he had originally thought they would accomplish. He smiled and nodded when she finished, seeing that she had managed to entirely heal it, as small as it was. "Very good," he said lightly, looking to her hand and then to her eyes. "However, you must keep working at it, my lady. After you rest, of course..."
Luna: She looked at her renewed skin with wonder and a tired, but massively satisfied smile on her face. The fatigue did nothing to lessen her sense of accomplishment and happiness, and the ever present marveling at the magic, itself. She's seen with her own eyes her own skin patch itself together, as if no harm came to it in the first place. It was something incredibly precious to her, something that will never lose her fascination and her interest. She then looked up at Loki, "I know, I know, and I will," she nodded in acquiescence. "This is... amazing," she shook her head, the smile not wavering.
Loki: He came to find the curve of her smile quite flattering upon her, brightening up the entirety of the room. He smiled in return. "I am sure," he replied lightly, knowing that this was quite possibly the first time she had ever seen such a clean healing process. He rose from his seat to grab a tissue from the bathroom, seeing that there was still a trail of blood down her finger. He handed it to her and sat back down besides her.
Luna: Somehow, she managed to neglect the blood on her hand, too overwhelmed by what she actually did. She took it from him with a "thank you" and proceeded to clean it up. "I think we'll need quite a bit of these during practice, hmm?" she let out a small chuckle. "But, Loki, this.. This is one of the most incredible things, to be able to do something like this..." she shook her head, knowing that, to him, she most likely seemed strange with her amazement, but she could hardly help it. Such a skill would render some medical equipment useless to her, she thought.
Loki: He nodded, knowing very well how much of an improvement it would be if the entirety of her race would have such a power, but alas, mortals were called mortals for a reason. Their lives were fated to be short, to be small. If such a fate were to go unrecognized, the entirety of the nine realms would go askew, he knew. It would change, and he could not afford to be the bottom of such an event. "Yes, it is quite amazing, my lady. But you must know that this cannot be used for anything but your own personal reasons... It cannot be spread throughout your realm, as the magic cannot. If you so choose to "share" your skill, I would no longer be responsible, as that would be your choice and therefore your consequences."
Luna: She nodded in understanding. "Very well..." she said. She felt the urge to share such a thing with Zane, as she knew that he, of all people, would find it as fascinating as she did, what with his interests and his occupation. Even though she was unsure that she would show him, she knew that he would grow suspicious if he saw her get injured, yet no physical evidence to prove it, or even find it odd, the fact that she seems to never get hurt anymore. And yet, if she showed it to him, she could not claim for certain what he would expect of her to do with such an ability, which is why she decided - for the time being, at least - to not let him know. Besides, it was early for such thoughts, she reminded herself, as she had no clue as to how long Loki intended on keeping her with him. And if he would even let her go in the end, a small voice nagged; she ignored it – at this point, it was increasingly difficult to believe he would simply end her at the end. "I'll use it for my own needs," she confirmed with another nod.
Loki: He saw the calculating look behind her eyes as she paused between her words. He nodded reluctantly, but knew she did not lie when she confirmed her words. Besides, it mattered not whether Midgard would throw itself into a hole, as he would be long gone. "Very good," he replied quietly.