Tarek respected her boundaries. After all its not like he really cared. Just wanting to get to know the new face a little bit more.
He sat quietly while she cleaned the blood. Mainly just looking at her, watching. He'd always been fascinated with the healer. Amaused that they helped life instead of taking it. "Did you just start here?" His English being surprisingly good for practically being raised in the arena.
She nodded, wiping off the last of the blood and setting her rag down so she could grab the next thing she needed from her bag, “The ceremony for the newest healers, one of them being me, was a few days ago. We got our official robes then along with our bags and assignments.” Araceli pulled out a small tube of antibiotic ointment and squeezed some onto her fingers, gently spreading it on the skin around the gash and wiping the excess on her sleeve.
"Welcome to our humble hell, then." He rolled his eyes, and winced slightly when she touch the wound. Gosh he'd never get used to that. A gash or cut being tended too. He somehow found that worse then getting the actual wound.
Attempting to make some sort of small talk, she asked, “So, what’s your name?” If this was going to be her work assignment for the majority of her life, she figured she better meet some of the fighters and get to know them. Araceli went back to her bag and dug around for a moment until she found the bandages she wanted, unrolling the start of them before beginning the somewhat tedious task of wrapping the gash.
"Tarek," he said, still watching her carefully. He didn't really trust the healers to much, Even if their only purpose was to heal. At least that's what he hopped. "And yours? Or shall I just keep calling you beautiful?" He remembered a story of a healer killing one of the fighters once. But it had been told to him when he was still small. So could it really be true?
Her cheeks flushed, thought it wasn’t very visible in the single beam of sunlight, “You know, you shouldn’t flirt with your healer…but my name is Araceli.” Going silent again, she focused on her work, refusing to make it any less than exceptional just like all the other bandaging she had done. She wanted to him while she worked, but she figured Tarek wouldn’t be too fond of it.
"Who's to say I'm not just stating the facts?" He raised a slender eye brow that was plain white, just like his eyes and hair.
At this point Tarek was more so looking down and watching Araceli's hands then her face. he was fascinated by how easily she seemed to work, and at how little pain he felt. Unlike with other healers, she seemed to know what she was doing.
“I’ve seen myself a few times, I know you’re just flirting with me,” She replied, cheeks flushing more as she got to the end of the bandages and tied them off. When she was finished, she sat back and looked for any flaws in her bandaging, nodding in approval when she saw barely any. “Now, Don’t go fighting anyone or anything for at least a few days now, and get plenty of rest. I’ll return in a few days to check how it’s doing and to change out the bandages.”
"Yeah yeah, I know." Tarek stood, and winced at the pain. Though he was used to that kinda stuff, it'd always hurt the same. "Thanks. Be safe on your rounds." He leaned against the stone wall of his cell and continued to watch the healer. "Pherhaps get a guard to keep watch. I know you've already heard the stories." It was almost like the guards wanted the healers to die, never keeping watch. Especially when he himself had just recently killed.
She nodded, packing up her back and standing as well, “You're welcome, and I’ll be safe.” Surprisingly, Araceli wasn’t usually worried or scared when she was working with the fighters who could easily rip her in half if they wanted to. It was just something she had to be careful of. She pulled the key out of her bag again and walked back to the cell door, shaking her head, “I’ll be fine without one, the stories don’t scare me much.” Pulling open the door, she slipped out and locked it behind herself, glancing at Tarek again, “Don’t hurt yourself any more, at least not when your in there.”
"I don't get much say in when I fight or when I get hurt." He almost crossed his arms over his chest, but opted the idea for fear he'd hurt himself more.
"Keep in mind who you're tending too. The stories aren't just stories." Tarek enjoyed this healer so far. So wasn't arrogant, nor did she look stupid. Besides that he didn't want the best healer they'd hade in a while end up dying on her first day.
“I’m aware that they’re not just stories, I see the healers with missing limbs or wounds daily,” She reminded him, fixing her robes over her shoulders, “Now get some sleep, it’ll help you heal faster.” With a wave of goodbye she headed back down the hall of cells, checking in on the other fighters she was assigned to work on even though she had already tended to them. From the small amount of light she could see through the windows in the cells, the fighting was over for today. Plus she didn’t hear the roar of the crowds from the arena.
Tarek waited for a while after the healer left, and just stood there. For the most part it was silent, and if anything a little unsettling. After a few moment's he sighed and slid to the ground. He was tired, and needed to sleep. Especially since it would supposedly help him heal. So he closed his eyes and slowed his breathing untill he drifted off into a dark, dreamless sleep.
The rest of her rounds went by with no big wounds or anything to deal with. Soon, she was walking back through the city to get to the healer’s apartments and her warm bed so she could sleep. Her bag of medicine on her hip was quite empty and she made a note to herself to refill the bag before she would leave for the arena the next day.
(Skip to morning?)
(Yeah)
Tarek awoke with the sun much like most of the other fighters, and got ready for the long day ahead if him. Though there wasn't much to do in the mornings. Eat the crappy food that was tosed in the cell, and look presentable for the arena. Which mainly consisted of getting a few buckets of water tossed over his head while guards held him in place. It seemed unpleasant, but if it qas the only thing you ever knew, it was normal.
Araceli thankfully didn’t have to be to the arena until after the first match had gone by, which meant she got a few more minutes of precious sleep before getting up. A nice shower with hot water and soap, followed by a good meal and even an apple to take for if she got hungry. She slipped into her work robes, though abandoned the fancy cape for ceremonies and just went with the same colored long sleeve top. After slipping into a pair of -again- silver and maroon pants, she laced up her glossy leather boots and headed back to the arena. Pack full of more medicine and bandages as well.
Tarek had been greatfull he wasn't the first fight of the day, after seeing how messed up the guy got. It seemed like the higher ups where dumping dangerous people in with the newer fighters. Which in his opinion seemed messed up. "Looks like our newbie is struggling to get back up," said the fighter next to him. They had all been in that spot once. Fighting someone stronger, trying to survive just long enough. But in the end the poor kid failed, and Tarek saw just as the light left his eyes. "What a shame," muttered one of the others, a few others shaking their heads in agreement. Tarek just sighed, death was any every day thing here.
She arrived back just in time to see the end of the fight, biting her lip and shaking her head. She had just been in that kid’s cell yesterday, checking to make sure he was ready to fight, and now he was dead. That was he hardest part of her job, watching the fighters she tended to die. Before she could get emotional though, she headed down to the cells. Today there weren’t as many healers on duty which meant she was in for a long day. The guards were there though, taking up space and getting in the way.
"Number three twenty six! (326)." Called a guard. Tarek groaned, and stood. He really didn't feel like fighting three dudes that where already tired as it was. Especially with that kids body still out there. Man he wished they'd at least clean up first. "And drag the kids body back in if you survive!" The guards chuckled, and he rolled his eyes as the door shut behind him. Closing him in with the men.
Araceli heard the next number being called and sighed, knowing who it was and hoping he would survive. She wished they all would survive but then there would be no arena and no reason any of the fighters would be kept alive in the first place. All she could do was patch up the fighters and keep them in good shape. Taking up a spot at the front of the hallway, she sat down and dumped out her bag, organizing it while she waited for anything to do.
Tarek was panting not long into the fight. Who where these guys, and why could the fight so well? Heck, why weren't they tired. This was there second fight.
Tarek managed to slam one of the against the wall with his tail, but there was another one on him before he could ready himself. He cursed as he felt his wound from the day before start hurtting.
The match ended, the three men left dead, and Tarek left standing there. But just barely. If anything he thought the higher up where trying to kill him by sending in three men who knew how to fight. Either that or trying to spice things up. Cheers, just like every other day erupted. They didn't care who won, as long as blood was spilt. He started his way back, making sure to grab the kids body. He'd make sure the kid had a proper funeral. At least as proper as a fighter could get. "Call the healer," he huffed, knowing he'd collapse soon.
The gruff voice of a guard snapped her out of her organizing as she dropped the last bandage into her bag, hearing something about one of the fighters needing a healer. Faster than seemingly possible, she was on her feet and down the hallway to the entrance to the arena to see what was wrong. She sighed quietly and was clearly relieved to see Tarek was still alive, the sight of the kid’s body making her look away. “Can you make it back to your cell before I start working?” She asked, looking around to see if any of the guards would object to her helping him right there if needed.
Tarek gave a grin that seemed to say he could, but the way he moved seemed to say other wise. But before he could collapse a guard was grabbing him and dragging him back to his cell.
"We don't need you in the way up here. We have have fighters coming in and out." But since his cell was down a ways, the guard dropped him near a drain and simply chained him there. "you can tend to it here." said the guard before leaving.