1x1 -- Sarish and Stormy

[stormy tom]

James' head shot up at Sanjay's approach. Ah, and there was Kareena as well! He returned their grins with his own.

"We had a good time," he explained. "I even got Sarish into surgery, would you believe. We did plenty of exploring. Oh yeah, I brought you guys maple syrup."

But everything was in his bag, so he would have to get it later.

Carter returned with tea and sat beside his friend.

"Hey, how'd you heal up?" James asked, looking down at carter's stomach area.

"Pretty good," he pulled up the edge of his robes to displayed the healed wound, and an impressive scar. "How was the climb?"

"Not nearly as hard as the first time," James chuckled. His expression grew serious. "Something didn't seem... right. With Sarish, I mean. He didn't say anything about what it night be, but he kinda gets that look in his eyes. I didn't bug him about it, but if he needs to talk to the head master it must be important enough."

And he looked to Sanjay because who else would have a clue to what might be bothering Sarish? Maybe he had just been homesick and the return home was a bit of a shock. Cement to thick forest, cars to long mountain hikes... James couldn't help the nagging feeling in his stomach, however.

And he was tired.

James finished his tea and stood up. "I'm glad to be back," he smiled. "But I need to get some sleep... I'm kinda worn out."

"You can tell us all about things in the morning," Carter nodded sincerely.

"Of course," James rubbed his face. "Tell Sarish goodnight if you see him."

And he waved his friends goodnight before heading off. His room was just the same as always. James unpacked his clothes and changed, then curled up under his covers and closed his eyes. Something wasn't right...

His lion had been... quite silent recently. James didn't know why. Maybe it just had nothing to say, or having been away from the monastery had made it harder for them to communicate. Regardless, he was back now. Things could move on. He could go back to training, improving, healing.

How strange it felt to be back, yet how natural. This was home. With people to happily welcome him. And he smiled. That was a good feeling.

[Sarish]

Sanjay's eyes went wide, his mouth falling open. "Sarish got surgery?" No way! After all that time... how much had it fixed? Was he all healthy? Was everything where it should be, or had it just fixed some small things? Now he just wanted to demand that his friend get back here and explain what in the world happened in Canada... though he knew that Sarish knew that he would be demanding to speak with him the moment he was finished telling the Head Master whatever it was that was so important, so he could wait. For a little while, anyway. Sanjay had been without his best friend for so long now, and all he had done was worry!

"Maple syrup?" Kareena asked quietly, nudging her master, who was equally as shocked. "Is that allowed?" she asked him. Sanjay shrugged.

"I don't see why not," the apprentice brightened even further, obviously very excited though she was trying to stay calm and not draw attention to herself. They listened to Carter and James talk, Sanjay sobering a bit when he heard that something was off with Sarish. That was worrying. His friend hardly ever outright said anything was wrong, but if you looked close enough he had some telling signs that hinted that something was off. It was good that he had gone to see the Head Master, then... but hopefully he would talk to Sanjay afterwards. If there was an issue, hopefully it could be resolved swiftly. At least Sarish seemed to be asking for help or guidance with whatever it was.

"I'll have a talk with him, but you should definitely get some rest," Sanjay prompted. "But I want to hear some amazing stories that we may not understand tomorrow!" he laughed. Kareena nodded, chuckling softly as she departed with a soft 'good night'.

---

Sarish slid the door open to the study and stepped inside. The Head Master was seated behind his desk as usual, and lifted his head from a long line of script that he had been studying. The younger monk bowed deeply, and the other returned the gesture.

"It is nice to see you again, Master Sarish. I must admit that I am surprised to see you standing here so soon. Thank you for alerting me that you have returned. Nothing noteworthy happened in the time you were gone, although the monastery did narrowly avoid sustaining damage from a mudslide. Tensions have lowered considerably since you two have left, and you should find that the stigmas are less pronounced than before. We have been hard at work," he admitted, but did not clarify. "There is nothing else to explain. Go rest, I am sure you must be tired from your trek."

"Thank you, Head Master, but... I actually need to speak with you... I'd call it a pressing issue," Sarish countered respectfully, one hand curled tightly around the opposing wrist. The elder straightened slightly, taking a closer look at the young master.

"Very well. Please, sit," the Head Master gestured to the cushions on the other side of the desk. Sarish took a seat, lowering his arm so that the parrot could hop onto the floor. The bird considered it for a moment before stepping down onto his knee instead. The younger man took a deep breath, a bit confused as to why the Head Master hadn't asked him to stay and talk about the issue in the first place. Wasn't he aware when someone... unfavorable passed through his illusion?

"Head Master... I have to admit something. When we were traveling on the path and turned onto the monastery's land... I could not see it," he whispered, rubbing his wrist anxiously. "I saw your illusion. James did not see it. I'm not sure why... I don't know how..." Sarish sucked in a shaky breath. "Are you... aren't you aware of this?"

The Head Master watched him for a long moment, face expressionless. "I do not know who can and who cannot see through the illusion. My powers do not alert me to that. I simply put it in place and hold it strong. You saw the overgrown and densely forested path?"

"Yes. I honestly... I honestly don't know why. I just wanted to return home..."

The old master was silent for a time, eyes downcast as he considered. The parrot peered up at him curiously, head tilted. "Iiiiinteresting," it intoned.

"If you truly do not know why... have you spoken with Sanjay yet?"

"No, that's next on my list. I thought that maybe he could read my mind and figure out what's wrong... I honestly just wanted to be back here, I don't know why..."

The Head Master nodded slowly, holding up one hand to silence him. "My powers are not faltering. The illusion should be doing its job correctly. There must be some reason that it activated for you," Sarish swallowed, hands shaking. "I do not know what that reason would be. But the very fact that you came to tell me right away is paradoxical; why would you come to alert me if you truly meant to do wrong..." it sounded like he was talking more to himself than anything. "I don't believe this has ever happened before. A mistake, I mean. I suppose it's always possible, though."

"And if it's not? Would it be better if I leave for now...?"

"You've been away for long enough. Your punishment is over. I don't understand what this means, or why it occurred, but for now I would just be cautious. Your telling me means that I can at least be aware. And asking Sanjay to root out a cause is a good idea as well," the Head Master sighed. "I do trust you, Master Sarish. And I'm grateful that you told me. Please let me know if you figure out why this might have occurred, and I will do the same."

Sarish wasn't convinced. If the illusion had stayed strong for him... he wasn't welcome, was he? But this, this was a start at least. And he would go to speak with Sanjay immediately. If there was something wrong and he needed to leave, he would do so immediately. No more trouble. No more trouble for anyone. He bowed to the Head Master and departed, realizing that it was quite late. He paused. Oh, there was something else he had wanted to ask him... well, perhaps he could save that for another day...

"Hey, Sarish!" and oh wasn't that a welcome voice? Sarish had realized towards the end of the trip that he had actually missed hearing his friend's voice in his head, as strange a notion as that was.

Sanjay. It's amazing to hear your voice again. Do you have time to talk? Is James still awake?

"I always have time to talk to my favorite grumpy cat! And no, James went to bed already. He told me to tell you goodnight, by the way. Sarish winced. He had kind of just ran off, hadn't he... "And yes, I've got time to talk. I kinda assumed... I'm waiting under the maple tree, if that's alright with you?"

Oh. Well. Sarish hadn't been planning to go there so soon... but he supposed that would be alright, and told his friend as much.

Through the halls, down the stairs, out along the clear path (clear now that he had fully broken the illusion), veering off and padding over to the maple tree. There it was, the same as always, though its vibrant cherry red leaves were already starting to turn brown. And there was Sanjay, standing from his seat underneath the gnarled branches, trotting over with a grin on his face. He didn't stop, enveloping Sarish in a tight hug. The latter huffed, returning it for a moment before his breath hitched and he had to pull back.

"Wow," Sanjay said as he pulled back and held his friend at an arm's length. "Look at you. Still in one piece." Sarish managed a small grin.

"You won't be able to get rid of me that easily." Sanjay laughed heartily, pulling him back over to the tree. Sarish pointedly did not stare at the branches or leaves for too long.

"Now, I have a hell of a lot of questions for you, but I think there's something a bit more serious to talk about first, yes?" the younger nodded and immediately explained, the both of them settling into a serious mood. "And you have no idea as to why you wouldn't be able to see the path?"

"No. I just wanted to come home..." he gazed up at Sanjay, his gaze unwavering. "But you can figure out if there's something wrong, right? You can dig through my thoughts..."

"I can..." Sanjay started, sighing. "That's difficult for me to do, though. I usually can only read the thoughts that a person is currently thinking. Not only do I have to be completely focused, but you do as well. And I'm sure you're tired. Why don't you get some rest, and we can talk about this tomorrow. We'll figure it out, Sarish," he assured confidently, patting his friend on the shoulder.

"Yes, I suppose... thank you for listening, Sanjay. How were things while we were gone?"

"Ah, ah," Sanjay waved a finger. "I said rest. Go, go on. We've got plenty of time to talk about things tomorrow. Oh, and Sarish," he called as the latter stood to leave. "It's good to have you back. You and James both. Something's up with James as well, but we'll figure it out. It'll all turn out alright, yeah? Here and now," Sanjay smiled gently, and the tension in Sarish's shoulders lessened.

Here and now.

His room was exactly how he had left it, though there was very little dust. Perhaps the room had been cleaned while he was away. And his futon... oh, how wonderful was it to see that thing? Sarish had never really gotten used to sleeping in a bed. It was strange... a bit more dangerous too. One could easily roll off and fall. No, he preferred futons greatly. And... he really was exhausted... a few short moments and he was out like a light.

---

Sanjay sat with Kareena in the mess hall the next morning, eagerly awaiting James and Sarish's arrival. Sarish was still asleep, but he might wake up soon.

"Do you think they had a nice time in Canada?" Kareena asked quietly, eyes down and focused on her hands.

"I'm sure they did. Sarish is very open-minded, so I'm sure he had an interesting experience, at least. James... hopefully. We'll just have to wait and hear it from them!" Sanjay responded. Who knows what kind of shenanigans they got up to in Canada... and surgery! I can't wait to hear about all of it...

[stormy tom]

James awoke early, but not early enough to beat Sanjay and Kareena, or Carter, who got there just ahead of him.

"James! Sleep well?" Carter prompted as his friend sat down with breakfast, already dressed in his robes.

"Pretty good," James replied, closing his eyes taking a bite of breakfast. The fod sure tasted different, but that was fine. He wasn't focused on the food.

"You sleep outside? Your skin's cold," Carter pressed his hand against james' bicep.

"You're one to talk, ice boy," James replied, unable to hold it a smile.

"You gotta tell us all the cool stuff you guys did," Carter prompted again.

"Well I think the coolest thing was getting Sarish into surgery," James smirked. "And boy, you're gonna like this. But I'll let Sarish explain all the bizarre things he said while high on morphine."

Oh yes, if there were ever a time to rat on his friend it would be now. Very carefully, James fed a few memories of the incident into his mind for Sanjay to enjoy if he wanted, watching the older man with a sly grin. "Feast your eyes," he was practically cackling with his own eyes, which Carter was pleased to find were alight again with a vibrance that had been previously lacking.

James was glad to be home, for sure, but something wasn't right, and Carter would certainly notice. He paid very close attention to James. What exactly had happened that had brought both master and apprentice back not exactly... right?

[Sarish]

"Good morning, James!" Sanjay greeted enthusiastically, just as excitable as ever. Kareena echoed him, smiling widely. A quick check offered that Sarish was just waking, a bit confused but relieved in a subdued way when he realized where he was. Good, we can finally get some answers... I can't wait to hear about everything that happened!

"Nothing terribly exciting happened while you were away," he explained, waving a hand dismissively. "I swear that you two are excitement magnets. I suppose we'll just have to wait and see what happens now that you're back!" Sanjay laughed, shaking his head. He still couldn't believe that Sarish had had surgery. How, when, why? Just because he could, or had his back really been giving him grief in Canada? Sanjay hadn't really been paying attention to how his friend carried himself last night.

Ah oh, that look James was giving him... oh, he was letting him read his mind... which he did immediately, spurred on by that sly expression on the apprentice's face. Sanjay snorted, eyes going wide with delight as he read the thoughts that James was bringing to the forefront. A hand flew up to cover his mouth as he burst out laughing, tipping in his seat as he nearly fell over. "Oh," he huffed out, gasping for breath as he wiped the tears in his eyes away, Kareena holding on to one of his arms in case he lost balance. "Oh my goodness. Can we," a wheeze, "can we get some of that stuff up here? I want to see this with my own eyes, oh my lord..."

On cue, Sarish padded into the dining hall, spotting his friends easily and heading over. He stared at Sanjay, who turned to spot him and immediately bit his lip, trembling with barely suppressed laughs. Sarish frowned slightly, one eyebrow raised as he came upon the table and Sanjay could restrain himself no longer. "Good morning, Sandwich. Look, I got my hand back!" and then promptly dissolved into hysterics again, leaning against Kareena.

Sarish glanced helplessly around the table, terribly confused. "I, uh...? Good morning?"

[stormy tom]

Carter didn't need an example to demonstrate the powers of morphine. He had seen it at work for himself. Sanjay's amusement at the memories James supplied was enough to crack him up too. And then Sarish showed up, and Carter could only imagine what might have happened. He just... he couldn't picture it. But suddenly Sanjay's comment brought to mind a few scenarios...

"Yeah Sandwich, siddown," James grinned like the devil and finished his breakfast. There was so much to tell... he wondered what his friends might want to know. Not many heroic adventures had taken place... nothing exciting or worth telling in James' opinion. Maybe Sarish's surgery, but that was it. The only other truly notable experiences were things he really didn't want to talk about.

Not now, while he was enjoying the company of these people. His friends. He wasn't ready to share some of those deeper, darker secrets. Sarish had been enough, for now, possibly.

Was it enough...? James had never known... he had a hard time discerning if the time was right. Was it better to wait?

And Carter was placing a hand on his shoulder, as if he could feel that ache in his chest too. Had that ache always been there...? Ah well, life had never been easy for him.

"James, anybody break into your house while you were gone?" Carter asked.

"Thankfully no," James smiled. "Oh, I brought this." And how could he not be proud of it? How could he not want to show this to his friends? James pulled out a rolled up piece of paper and pushed it across the table, unrolling it. It was one of his posters.

Carter grinned big. "Wow. I think I remember seeing one of these on a visit back. You kept one?"

"How on Earth could I not?" James laughed.

[Sarish]

Sanjay just laughed harder as James played along, snorting and coughing and absolutely losing it. Oh how he wished he had been there to see that. That would have been so much fun trying to talk to Sarish when he was like that... James hadn't taken advantage of the opportunity as much as he could have. I can only imagine what else he might have said... maybe I would have turned into a howler monkey with all the laughing I would have undoubtedly done. 'Where's Sanjay? Take his hand back and get the demon monkey away'! Oh, honestly, this was just too perfect.

Sarish, meanwhile, wasn't sure what he had missed. Sandwich? Are they talking about that horrible sandwich I had? I didn't think James knew about that... maybe I made a face or something. He shook his head and blinked heavily before shuffling over to sit next to Carter. A quiet fell over the table as Sanjay finally managed to calm down, Kareena having resorted to rubbing his back as he recovered, coughing a bit breathlessly. Sarish frowned a bit and turned to see Carter placing a grounding hand on James' shoulder. The monk immediately craned his neck to see if something was wrong, though he seemed to have missed the moment.

And then there was a hockey poster on the table and Sanjay and Kareena were leaning in to take a better look. Sanjay's face lit up again, his apprentice staring at it wide-eyed. "Well, well, well! You know, sometimes I forget that we have a sports star in our midst! Just look at that!" the master said excitedly, pointing at the poster and turning to his apprentice, who gave him an awkward look that conveyed 'yes, I can see that, silly'. "My goodness... you know, I can't say that I've seen you two spar with staffs very often," he then glanced between James and Sarish. "He might give you a run for your money, Sandwich!" Sarish chuckled softly, opening his mouth to reply before Sanjay cut him off.

"But hey, I heard from Mr. Hockey Star over there that you got surgery!" he pointed almost accusingly at his friend. "And if I hadn't read his mind, then I would have thought he was lying. In fact, I'm still not sure if I believe it! Are you going to tell us why and when and how in the world he convinced you to go through with it? How much did it fix? How long ago did you have it? Why in the world were you talking about iguanas afterwards?"

Sarish listened to his questions, amused until the very last one. He frowned again. Iguanas? I never said anything about iguanas... "Am I going to tell you about it...?" he sat back in his seat a little, mock-sighing. "I just don't know if I can until you quit calling me 'Sandwich'..." he stoically ignored Sanjay's gaping and little noises of protest, pointedly turning to look at Carter instead. "How are you? Did you have any complications with that wound of yours?"

[stormy tom]

Carter beamed. "No no, it was fine. Master Chihaya said the bullet puncture my liver, but with Nirmal's help that's all fixed. I was sore and tired for a while, but it healed. It's all fine now. And he'd have done it a thousand times over to save James' life. A million. Ten million. And so-on.

"Good to hear," James offered, gathering up his poster proudly and tucking it away. "And Sarish did indeed agree to a surgery, Sanjay, and honestly I'm glad he did. If you won't tell the story I will, Sarish, and I might give away details you'd rather not share." Though the only details worth sharing were the times spent on morphine. The times where James had been Jill. They didn't need to know anything else, really. Not about Amy, or the x-rays, or the pain that had brought them to decide to go to the hospital in the first place. Unless of course Sarish wanted to tell them about that, in which case he was more than welcome. James had no embarrassing things to hide.

--

Perhaps it was because she was an intelligent historian that she found herself with a man who would change her life. Maybe it was because she just... had the air of potential about her. Or maybe it was because she was just bored. And bored people were always good to recruit, because they needed something exciting to do. Bored, smart people made the best recruits.

And so Lillian Blackwood found herself in America. By chance or by fate, she would never be certain, especially since she was dubious of such things as destiny. Though perhaps she would undergo a slight change of perspective.

The museum was... not all she had hoped. Lillian wandered the archives, searching for anything to further her Egyptology research, but there was nothing that particularly caught her eye. She did her day examining rare pieces, taking notes and photos, sending information back to her computer in London where she would compare it later to her other research.

And that was it. The more into history that Lillian dove, the more she realized how repetitive human beings really were, and that she needed a change of scenery. Since the present was currently dull, the past had been the only other option to explore. And not that felt... just as boring as the present.

And now she needed something... new. What that might be, Lillian had no idea. But she was about to find out.

And didn't the best stories often start in a coffee shop?

[Sarish]

Sarish winced at the description of the injury, but nodded gratefully when he heard that it had healed. Guns... we are so terribly unprepared for guns... but then again, we've always been behind the rest of the world. We are stuck in the past for the most part. But now we are closing ourselves out from the outside, from people who need help, who could use our assistance... to what end? Will we shut ourselves away forever? We have always run the risk of being found out, of being attacked. That's nothing new. But now that we have actually experienced it in a few different instances, everyone is actually scared. How do we move on from here?

"Fine," Sarish sighed, a bit hesitant to let James tell the story because of whatever the 'details you'd rather not share' were. What details? Was there something he didn't want them to know? Not really, though not all of it was necessary to the story. Maybe James didn't want to name names or bring up the fact that he knew some of the hospital staff. "A few days after we arrived in Canada all of the lingering power that kept my back mostly capable drained away, and I was in a lot of pain," he admitted. "We went to a hospital to get it checked out, and the doctor said that a surgery might help. I wouldn't have agreed to it unless I thought that it would make the trip a bit easier, which it did."

"I'm still not convinced," Sanjay teased lightly. "Honestly, I never thought you'd step foot in another hospital ever again. And the surgery? What did it fix?"

"Well... I'm not entirely sure. I don't really remember the specifics, but he took some broken bits out, shifted some things around--"

"And is it all better now?" Sanjay interrupted, eyes wide as he leaned over the table. Had Sarish been completely healed? No more bad back, no more disabilities, no more terrible rainy days and hellish monsoon seasons?

"It's better," Sarish said slowly, unsure if he was finished healing or not. "It gets sore if I stand or walk for a while, but it feels a lot better. A lot less pain, though I have to be careful about it getting stiff. I just feel like an old man."

"And just imagine what it'll be like when the monastery's powers are back in your bones! Sarish, just think about it!" Sanjay mused, nearly bouncing in his seat. His friend chuckled.

"I have thought about it, and I'm very interested to see how much stronger it becomes. It should only take a few days before we find out."

"And training?" the older master continued, looking between his friend and James. "Are you guys going to pick right up and start training again?"

Sarish hummed softly, considering. He'd have to be careful about any physical training until he was as healthy as he was going to get thanks to the monastery's powers, but obviously they could work on other things as well. "I'm not sure. What do you think, James, are you up for getting back into the swing of things right away, or would you like a few rest days?"

[stormy tom]

James was thinking about his leg while Sarish explained. It was already starting to feel better since arriving. The brace would help, though he would prefer to leave it in his room for emergencies. Amy's present, his replacement cane, would be just fine for now. It would help. The more he used the tools prescribed to him many months ago, the more he realized they really did help and make his life easier. Even if he did not entirely like them...

But his cane, he had missed that. And now he had it back again, brand new, just like the old one. Unbroken, unbent... yet still it was the same device his brother had ripped from his hand and bent out of shape. Identical to the object Sarish had used to strike his brother down to protect everyone. Still a cane, still something he needed because of a physical flaw.

Training, right.

"I think a couple of days to readjust would be a good idea," James offered. "Though if I recover faster than Sarish I can always tag along with you guys." And Carter nodded, because he would happily allow James to join in with his training. The younger apprentice realized how... how safe James made him feel. Yes, his Canadian counterpart brought trouble. Yes, he was not exactly a docile, naturally gentle creature. But still James made Carter feel safe. And happy. And he wanted James to feel the same way.

"I'm sure Master Chihaya will be glad to see you," Carter added. "She's mixing medicines right now, but she'll come see you later."

"I can't wait," James smiled, because Chihaya felt so motherly he could almost believe that he was her son. But, that was just part of her character. She had taken to Carter much the same way. Perhaps she even felt for Sarish that way too, and Sanjay, and Kareena, and anyone younger. Anyone who needed or wanted a warm wing to tuck under.

I've missed all these people, James thought. Did they miss me just as much?

[Sarish]

Yes, a few days to readjust was a smart idea, a smart move. It was strange to be back and not be actually working to improve something, though. Sarish knew that this was probably for the best, but he had been resting the entire time they had been in Canada. He had been taking up space, useless. Now he was back, and he wanted to get up and go. What did he want to work toward? Anything. Any improvement. He was happy as long as he was working, not taking up space and not being a burden. Nobody liked a burden.

"A few days of rest, then!" Sanjay confirmed, nodding. "Carter, why don't you take the day off? I'm sure Master Chihaya wouldn't mind. You two can have a day to yourselves," he offered, looking to James and then to Carter. It seemed like an innocent suggestion, but Sarish knew better.

"Hey now, don't be so quick to judge my intentions. I'm sure they would enjoy a day to catch up, and we'll need a while to clear both of our minds if you still want me to try what we talked about last night. Especially if your thoughts are as scattered and worried as they have been since returned."

Sarish smiled faintly. I sure have missed your intrusions in my head. I never thought I'd see the day.

"That's because I'm your favorite," Sanjay preened, his well-practiced expression not changing as he talked to his friend via his powers. "And then once we get you sorted out, we can turn our combined attention onto James. Something's not quite right with him either, but I can't put my finger on it."

You did mention that earlier... are you certain that it's not a pressing issue? I'd rather we focus on him first if--

"If it were pressing, it'd be much more present in his thoughts. I don't think he's sure of what's wrong either. You two are birds of a feather."

Birds of a feather.

'Monsters of a feather flock together.'

"Sarish...?"

S-sorry, it's nothing, I... the monk blinked, pretending to look at something on the other side of the dining hall. Where had that come from? That was such an old thought, an old notion...

"I think that's a good idea," Sarish affirmed as he recovered swiftly, turning back to face the apprentices. "And Chihaya can come scold us if she's upset that Carter was given a day off," he grinned a bit at Sanjay, who laughed.

"Yes, though I think I might hide behind you... she's less likely to become cross with you!"