World Tree MUSH

    So. Things happened. Castiel was not happy that things happened, and when Itana returned *hurt* the little angel was PARTICULARLY ruffled about this.
    That is not to say she was mad, but she was beside herself while tending to Itana's wounds.
    It is a new day though and Castiel has calmed down.
    A bit.
    She's returning from a brief outing to get some fresh medical supplies after exhausting them the other day.
    "I'm back."

Itana has had better outings. She hadn't wanted to show to the others just how hurt she'd been - that would've meant asking for help, and Itana has a hard time doing that. She'd slunk off somewhere, curled up in a tiny ball, chugged several numbing potions and limped home with the help of a chocobo.

Castiel will return to find her patient sitting up on the couch, the blanket over her partially pushed off - though Itana hasn't made it any further. She's pressed her lips together and done her best to push aside the pain in her back, to little headway. She's in the process of mustering the willpower to actually swing a leg over the couch when she's caught more or less in the act.

Itana draws a heavy breath... and lets it out before beginning to sink back on the couch again.

As much as she wants to get up, Itana cannot possibly disappoint Castiel. It would make the little guardian angel sad. A sad angel would be too much to bear.

    Illumiel has remained rather crestfallen and quiet under the sheer lack of admonishment from her sister.

    She was /there/ but did nothing to cover for Itana, instead she flew off chasing glory and combat... but that thought wars with her nature. She /is not/ a Guardian. She's an Avenger, the polar opposite.

    This still doesn't sit well in her mind, and she's been cloistered away from the main area, avoiding both Itana and Castiel as she tries to resolve the inner turmoil.

    Oh no. Castiel walks in on Itana trying to do something that is not allowed.
    A slow breath and the small blonde sets down her bag of supplies. Walks right over to Itana. Sets hands on the woman's shoulders. And gently but firmly guides her back down to the couch.
    "I thought I told you to not move until I returned." She says like an irritated mother hen at a ward that has disobeyed instructions.
    She couldn't bring herself to admonish Illumiel. She knows her sister's nature, but that does not mean her twin isn't in hot water either.
    "Illumiel, could you please come out here." She calls for her sibling while tugging the blanket back into place upon Itana.

Itana hasn't been active enough to chase down Illumiel. She's been alternating between sleeping, receiving Castiel fussing and trying (and failing) to get herself out of bed.

Castiel promptly pushes her back onto the couch. Itana tenses a little as if she's going to try and push back, but eventually sighs and closes her eyes, sinking the rest of the way back onto the couch until her head comes to rest against the couch arm. "I am feeling a little better," she attempts to protest, but there's not a lot of force behind it.

She accedes to the Blanketing. As much as it's being helped, Castiel's different.

"I hope you found what you were looking for." Her voice is still thin, though there's more there than there was earlier in the day. As Castiel calls for her sister, though, Itana tilts her head and looks off to one side.

    Illumiel stands from her exile... she's been summoned and will obey.

    That doesn't mean she's /happy/ about it.

    She peeks her head out from the side room... barely more than a closet really. Saying nothing, the blonde girl steps out and stands in view, but doesn't approach. She looks at Itana, pain etching into her child-like features, before blue eyes fall on the mirror-like face of her sister.

    Ah there's Illumiel.
    "Oh by our creator--" Castiel huffs, setting her hands on her hips. "Will the both of you stop this? Illumiel it was not your fault. And Itana you need to learn when to listen to when someone is helping you." The Guardian angel chuffs, irritated.
    This is when she motions for the bag. "Get me the lidocane patches and painkillers." This command is to Illumiel.
    "And you- roll onto your side, we are going to deal with this now." That is to Itana as the normally gentle and peaceful Castiel is uh.
    ... There's no denying it, she's in den mother mode now.

The other angel appears. Itana could swear that Illumiel's in as much pain as she is - metaphysically.

That's about when Castiel starts /mothering/ her. Itana opens her mouth slightly -

Snaps it closed.

Begins to blush intensely as she looks down at the couch below her. It is not often that Itana's stoicism breaks. Here she actually bites her lower lip and lowers her chin a bit, looking not unlike the family dog after being chastised for getting into the trash bin.

A bright red Itana rolls onto her side with a faint and indecipherable mumble. The bruises along her back are still deep - not as bad as they were the other day, but at least the broken bones are mending and she's not getting any worse.

"...It was not anyone's fault," she finally says, her voice uncharacteristically small. "These things happen in fights sometimes."

    ... Well, there's no denying Castiel when she's like this...

    Illumiel scampers over to the bag, digging through it and checking a few of the things before finding the specified items. These are brought over to Castiel, and the Avenger is about to withdraw again, when Itana's voice squeaks out like a child's.

    This breaks the Avenger's heart and she just... drops to her knees and stays there.

    With the requested items retrieved, Castiel rubs at her eyes with one hand as Itana rolls onto ther side to reveal her bruised back. Castiel sets to tending to her ward.
    Itana is practically her ward by this point, anyway.
    Small hands set tenderly upon the nomad's back, glowing with a gentle radiance and warmth. A warmth that spreads into Itana's body as Castiel lays hands upon her, knitting bone back together and mending bruised muscles and ribs slowly.
    This lasts for a good moment until Illumiel collapses to her knees and Castiel heaves a faint sigh.
    "I've done what I can. The rest is upon you to take it easy, rest, and recover." She says very pointedly to Itana as she makes her way to her sibling and guides Illumiel back to her feet.
    "And that is enough of that from you." She says gently embracing her sister for a moment.

    Illumiel's voice is tiny, barely audible outside of Castiel's embrace. "You trusted me, and I failed... I wasn't fast enough... I wasn't strong enough."

    She doesn't return the embrace, standing like a plank of wood in Castiel's arms, eyes squeezed closed. "I failed you, I failed Him... but worst of my sins, is I failed Itana."

Itana hasn't been someone's ward since she was a little girl, in the care of her parents. Now she's being fussed over as a grown-ass woman. Part of her wants to buck and complain and go it alone - but disappointing someone as sweet and kind as Castiel would be unthinkable. The angel has bent over backwards to be there for her... and Itana care for her far too much.

The radiant touch helps. Itana inhales slowly, then lets it out, turning back to give Castiel a quiet look. "Thank you," she murmurs, the colour still glowing at her cheeks.

That's about when Illumiel drops.

Instinctively, Itana begins to sit up. It's a little easier now - there's no immediate pain, but she takes it slowly anyway, simply propping herself up on an elbow and turning slightly to better face Illumiel.

"...Can you bring her over," she asks Castiel, voice still low.

    There will be no bucking and complaining. Castiel would not have it. Itana is to rest and that is final. Though she starts easing Illumiel towards the couch at Itana's bidding, with a gentle shushing in her twin's ear.
    "No. You stop that. Cease and desist this instant. I already told you it was not your fault."
    Once she deposits Illumiel by Itana, Castiel starts prepping the more mundane treatment options, gently taking a moment to apply a few pain relieving patches to the nomad's back.

    Illumiel is guided. She doesn't resist and the admonishments still her voice.

    Still, she refuses to look either in the eye, staring down at the floor as she's set next to Itana, fists gripping the hem of her dress with a white knuckled grip.

Itana bows forward to better expose her back to Castiel. Someone was kind enough to furnish her with a halter top.

When Illumiel is guided over, Itana bites her lower lip - then leans in and drapes both arms loosely around the avenging angel's shoulders. She bows her head forward, touching her forehead to the little angel's hair.

"You do not have to feel like a failure," she murmurs, the pain in her voice waning some to give way to a different sort of ache - a quiet empathy. "I saw the way you fought. You should be proud that you did, and not blame yourself for things like this. Fighting, struggling... things will happen that we can't control."

She gives Illumiel a little squeeze about the shoulders. "...Besides - you brought me back here. I am...

"...grateful. For that."

    With Itana tended to, Castiel is able to relax to some degree. Though the nomad will still need time and rest, she has done everything she can for her. But what of Illumiel?
    Castiel joins Itana now in embracing her sibling.
    "You see? You are not at fault. And even if you were, you would be forgiven, sister."

    And that, will seem to be that. Illumiel heaves out a breath... like she was holding it in since the incident. The tension leaves her body, and she allows herself to be forgiven.