Fixing the Wrongs

Here they are again, in the research facility of Valmasia. Lately, Arthur has been spending most of his time around here, surrounded by the dead, learning how to remedy their flaws and fix their mortal wounds. It's something useful, you know? If they're resurrected with physically nothing holding them, they become vulnerable quite easily, and that's not something he had in his mind.

This scenario was one of such cases.

Immediately, the undead that lingered around the area were called over. With the greet offered to their Adjudicator, Arthur merely offered them a nod, before promptly speaking up.

"Get me the body that I retrieved from Eidolon."

It's one thing to operate on the bodies that were already in the prime state, but what about the ones that were burned, scorched, or even slashed thoroughly? If Arthur wished to actually work with such bodies in the future, it's important for him to learn how to fix them properly - the theory was covered, but the practice was still a way to go.

At least, there's one advantage when working with the dead - you don't need to worry for them to die again, or to make a mistake that would end their life. Readying up the body on the table, and acquiring the tools such as needle, thread, the flesh donated by the others, and bandages too, he looked over at Bei.

"Anyway, how's your own progress going?"
(Arthur Rowan)

There are more imperative matters that she had wanted to discuss, especially, with her fears concerning that of her own best friend. Some could say that she had been watching the steady change of Joy lately - and seeing her move from the shy 'thing' that she used to be to the woman that she is now is...Rather different. Frightening, even. She didn't know when this happened or how - but to act in such a salacious manner to a Dryad brought more than just suspicion. You just don't... Touch people like that. You just don't hunger for what they have in that way...And it's something strange, something that happens so fast that it's easily brushed off. Bu this uncertainty and Joy's clinging to the Archon brings this wonder.

 "...There's not many people here who can match me. I went to the vampires though - and I've fought against them a few times." she says silently, her gaze looking elsewhere. "They're...Different. The one, Bauk, who threatened to kill me is also dead - and ah.." she says while trailing off..

 "There are other things too. I wanted to talk to you about my friend, Joy. I think that she's...Losing herself, perhaps? I don't know- I don't know. Getting wrapped in the Archon is one thing but...It's really, really hard to explain." A frown.

 "Not sure what I'm supposed to do." She adds while propping herself up on the table. Sigh.
(Bei Bei)

Sure, there were always other matters to tend to.

Mostly, internal. In the ever shifting environment of Agartha, taking the tactic of letting all of the enemies that Valmasia may have to kill each other in eternal war while they focus on retrieval of Azraelite relics and improvement of the art? It's wise. It's something that might as well grant them the victory they were denied in the first place.

But they must bid their time, for now.

"Oh? Bauk is dead? That's good. I'm afraid I wasn't going to be humble to him, the moment I encountered him. It's, ah-- it's probably for the best he's gone, for I fear that I would just... kill him."

Surely, that would cause troubles between them and the Vampires. Nonetheless, Arthur had to focus on the task ahead too - slowly, he began to stitch the areas over the body he retrieved from Eidolon, the ones that seemed to have large gashes and cuts were mended by the wound stitch, restoring the visage of something human-like.

And at the places where stitch was not enough? A sacrifice of his own blood, to restore the flush of colour to the flesh he mends, and a bit of blood magic - it's almost good as new, in particular areas.

"What about Joy?"
(Arthur Rowan)

"She's acting...Different as of late. I guess I've seen it every now and then but, I guess, it's starting to be a little more noticeable to me." She says, her hands folding carefully behind her back, her frown beginning to deepen considerably. "I'm supposed to trust them-...To trust her but, I guess my main concern is that maybe Shiva did something to her. And if Shiva didn't, then maybe..Maybe she's just growing up and I'm not used to it." Or her third ideqa...But she doubts that Joy is such a thing..

 She couldn't imagine it.

 Or could she. "There's always something happening with her though. But I do think that the ' spirit mess ' might bring some sort of troubles. You should be careful with that daemon." Shiva will always be a big problem. And if she's not mistaken, she can imagine the Archon quickly rising to Tragedies own level. There's just something inherent about the umbral kaors...Something odd.

 However, for now, she simply taps a single finger against her lips. "Eh-...Just forget about the joy thing, I guess. Maybe she's just stressed. Maybe, she's just not feeling well- I...I don't know. But she knows that her own eyes don't lie to her. She knows..

 She feels something.
 But she doesn't know what it is..
(Bei Bei)

In truth, he already knew what's happening with Joy, but perhaps it's not exactly wise to tell her right away? Considering that they were friends, or at least that's what he believed, she may want to know after all. A train of thoughts ran through his head, enough to re-consider his own decision a few times, and yet he spoke.

"I know."

"She's showing the symptoms of Sin."

Silence. Instead, his gaze trails back towards the body, the needle stitching the final cut that he discovered upon the body. He sharply inhales, his eyelids narrow in contemplation at the words he said, and his gaze briefly turns.

"Theodore was meant to stop her from turning into one. To keep her at bay, to not let her indulge or slip, but... I'm not sure just how successful he was. I suppose not that much."

His hands continue their work. Ah, but of course, the burn marks. There's no point grafting the skin, especially when he's likely to awaken a wicked abomination right on this table rather than a stable undead - although, he spares some mercy to his creature and bandages the burns too.

"I'm concerned just as much as you are, you know. I don't wish to speak much to Joy, to let her grow attached to me, because I know the way she looked onto me, and the way she looked at Theodore as compensation."

"And I know the things she's capable of. It's best I stay away. As for you? Maybe you'll be able to give her some comfort."
(Arthur Rowan)

"Why would you do that..?" There is disbelief, if only for the moment. Her hands lightly press against her cheeks in reply - the gentle, slow exhale of held breath spilling past her lips. It is...Different than what he could have imagined. "You shouldn't have done that - especially when he doesn't...Doesn't like her. Especially when you don't know her history." The issue is that many people don't seem to understand all that Joy has been through. And why her own inferiority complex had come about. Bei knew that the boys of the academy weren't 'subpar' save for Arthur. Bei knew that none of them could never be like the Rowan. And unfortunately, amongst the group, also happened to be Theodore.

 They were all fickle and afraid of commitment. Of desire. "...That is-..That would make sense, you know. He thinks that he's helping her, but he only makes it worse. And if he leaves her now - if he tells her that this was a mistake, she won't be able to understand." How could she? He said that he'd give it a shot and she put her all into the relationship. And when it comes time for intimacy- well....

 Why wouldn't he?
 Why would he?
 Why shouldn't he?

 "She asks questions- you know...Of how we manage. Of how our relationship is. She wants to her own to be like ours. She wants Theodore to genuinely love her and I-...I don't think that he could ever. I think that if she's a sin, he's pushing her on that very path." But she does not condemn Arthur entirely for his actions. No, she pins part of the blame on Theodore, because she warned him. She told him.

 And he's doing the exact opposite.

 "My compliments won't work, Arthur. I'm not her 'lover', I can't just tell her that something is okay. She'll be fine after but she'll forget and go back to the way she was before. What Joy wants...What Joy might be most envious of is love. I think it's all that she wants. But nobody can give that to her-..Not the kind that she wants. Not the kind that she needs." It takes a special kind of man to do that.

 And in this world, finding that man is nearly impossible.
(Bei Bei)

She wouldn't understand.

He expected that from Bei, really. Her own heart and mind could not fathom the fact that she would, in fact, carry on with trying to find love somewhere else, and that may have led her to eventually betraying Valmasia. Even though he appreciated the fact that Bei Bei was here, with him, there's one fact that he cannot deny - she was of Jianghese blood, and yet, here in Valmasia.

What if Joy's story would be similar, and she betrayed them all for someone she loves?

"Do not be so hasty to call my decision a mistake." - a mutter, as he lays the final touches on the body to make sure it's all ready to go. A snap, as one of its shoulder blades is forced back in its proper position, and then a cast is laid to support it properly.

"She would run off. She would cross the continent, betray Valmasia and lay with the enemy just to find the visage of love you speak of, but she would never find it. Instead, all that she'd achieve would be her own corruption and betrayal of her friends and family."

"Instead, she's safe and... almost sound, in Valmasia, with a man that is developing feelings to her. Theodore is not exactly careless about her, you know? He did admit he feels something to her."

He pauses. The body was fixed, and his gaze turned to her. It was full of resolve on his decision, and clearly, it'd take a very, very strong argument to convince him that it was wrong.

"So tell me."

"What would be the right decision be, then? Theodore made her feel better than she was before. She may have fallen to influence of Sin, but at least she's stable."

"And she's not on the side that opposes us, either. What would you have me do?"
(Arthur Rowan)

It's different. Or so, she would believe - if that were the case. It's different. Because she didn't forsake her own people for the sake of love - there was more to it than that. There was more to it than something that she once deemed to be an 'impossible' concept. But the truth of the matter is that he was right. In the same way that Bei Bei had turned against her own - had decided to stay within the ruins and dance within the ashes of her own people. Joy, could very well seek love elsewhere and find it in the worst place. So yes, she could blame him for it - could always say that he didn't have the foresight for these decisions but...

 He was looking at the bigger picture.
 He was always looking at the bigger picture.

 And it is often what makes her mad. Because she doesn't think of those things - because, it often makes her feel odd. But to digress, the young girl just finds herself beginning to look elsewhere. "Is it worth it though--? Eidolon crumbled upon itself because of sins and things of that nature. If...If she were to find love elsewhere, she wouldn't be a hazard. She wouldn't harm anyone-...And I can't imagine Joy leaving. Not when her standards are so high. Not when-...When she made a promise."

 But that's the truth. And it's her own naivety speaking. Some promises are made to be broken, especially, the ones that are the most easy to keep. In the end though, a gentle sigh spills past her lips...Her gaze drifting elsewhere in thought. "Has Theodore made her feel better?-….Have you decided to speak with her about those things? You don't know...But I do. He ran away from her in their most intense moments. He...Refuses to give himself to her and it frustrates her so, because- because she looks at others and sees the connection that she doesn't have." she adds, shaking her head.

 "I can't have you do anything, because there's nothing that you can do. It's all on Theodore...I just hope that he doesn't hurt her." She made him promise after all...Hah.
(Bei Bei)

It's always about the bigger picture in this scenario.

He finished fixing the body by now, and his gaze turned entirely towards her. There's a hint of displeasure to his expression, one that was disappointed by the fact that she lacked vision to see the calculated maneuver he took on this turn. It's either losing Joy to unknown forces, or letting her stay by Theodore's side, tempted as much as possible - besides, he knew exactly why Theodore did not succumb to it.

"Theodore followed my word."

"The only reason he did not give in because we thought that she might become Lust Sin, but we were wrong. Turned out, she's more into... Envy, instead."

A pause. The gaze of the Rowan turned towards her entirely, meeting the eyes of Drakaness with scarlet hues of the Storm.

"You rely on the fact that she made a promise, while she's falling into Sin. You rely that she would not betray her ties to Valmasia, while she's ready to betray herself and all that she is."

"Do you really think your trust is not misplaced, that your method is better? Theodore only avoided her because I told him to, because we didn't wish to indulge her, while she's potentially a Lust Sin."

"Now that we know what seems to be the problem, it will change. Theodore will yet have someone to admire, and Joy will have the man she wishes for. A happy ending, one where she does not betray us, or becomes a victim of abuse for a stray man."

"Do you really think what I did is wrong, then?"
(Arthur Rowan)