60.) Text

[havea_heart]

 Sergei's is open again.

theers cake here to celebrate

[Herz will be manning the fort for a little while at least. He's still a healing, stuttering mess, but he's refusing to hide in his room for longer than fourteen hours any given day.

Sitting out are a few various cakes--some meant to be taken more seriously than others. Enjoy the sweets,

Comments

[noturmother]

[Cake. Mother of god she could use some cake right now. Who cares if it's late at night. She wants cake, damnit. So Katara lets her door swing shut behind her as she strolls off towards Sergei's, pocketing her keycard.

It's not long before she's wandering into the Bar and Grill, eyes wandering in case there was anyone she knew about. Not so far. To the kitchen! Herz had posted, so maybe he'd still be around?]

Ca~ake? I-I mean, Hello?

[havea_heart]

[You found him! He's off by the sink, cleaning the bowls and pans he done soiled with cake-mixins. The teen promptly turns off the water to give Katara his undivided attention.]

Hhheh--hello.

[noturmother]

Hi, Herz!

[In she wanders, glancing at the dishes. And then back to him.]

Want some help?

[havea_heart]

Y--you--

You--

You don't--d-don't have ttth--to.

[He chokes on every other word. Goddammit.]

[noturmother]

[She doesn't even bat an eye to it. Instead, she sidles right up next to him, and reaches for a dirty dish. No fancy bending, even though the project is full of liquid.]

You made cake for people; I'm sure you can stand getting help from at least one person.

...Maybe in exchange for a big piece of cake, even.

[havea_heart]

[Yes, ma'am.]

Shhh-sure.

[Accepting that he won't be kicking her out that easily, Herz spaces himself accordingly and gets to scrubbing. There's no hiding his bruising--well, 'cept for the stuff on his stomach--but Katara thankfully doesn't seem to call him on it, so he's not going to bother. Yet.]

[noturmother]

[She's from a world where unless you know the person, the occasional bruise or five isn't something you really talk about. It's become so droned into her mind, that it actually takes her a while to even notice he's got any.

But when she does, her soaking and scrubbing and passing off starts to slow. What was it that Zuko had called it...?]

You.. Didn't happen to be part of that 'Fight Club', did you?

[She motions her eyes down to the bruising at his wrists. There's no accusation in her tone; just light curiosity.]

[havea_heart]

[Herz actually stops to look at her. How the hell does she know? Most of the people who pestered him the other day didn't know.]

I...

Y--Yeah...

I--

I--I--I was...

[He returns to the washing, but slower, attention still to her in case she wants to push a little further.]

[noturmother]

[Blame the Fire Nation Derp! Prince! Just try it, it's pretty easy to do.]

Thought so. Who did you end up fighting? [Again. The Zuko-bird told her many things.]

[havea_heart]

Did--d-didn't catch his--his name.

[noturmother]

Y-You don't even know you you were fighting? [She would smack her forehead, but her hands are covered in suds.]

Well.. When we're done here, I'll help you out. [Firm nod.]

[havea_heart]

[Herz, literally, does a double take.

HOLY CRAP, EVEN THE PRE-PUBESCENT GIRLS KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THEMSELVES BETTER THAN HE DOES?

...Oh right, girls have school-funded self-defense classes in some places, huh?]

Uhm...

[noturmother]

[That or you grew up in the middle of the Arctic. His surprise gets a raised eyebrow and a half smile. What's the matter with you?]

I mean with those.

[She motions to his wrists again, the bruises. She has yet to notice the ones on his neck; he is a lot taller than her after all. Herz your man-shoulders are in the way.]

[havea_heart]

[Good.

Herz glances at his wrists, then back to her. He is still totally confused. You're gonna do what to them now?]

[noturmother]

[Her hands slow again on the dish she swears she's cleaned four times now, to look at him again.]

What? I can fix them. [Another eyebrow t'wards the hairline and she goes back to scrubbing. Again.]

[havea_heart]

H--

H-How?

[Bending; he knows nothing about it.]