[ the somber mood weighs heavy, but for taair, he does what he always does. he will tend to the injuries of the wounded diligently - check bandages, watch for infection. he sits with the others - quietly with richie, in moments when things are at their darkest, when cheer or falsities don't cover it. and more than anything...
he writes. he talks to the other soldiers, no matter who they are. if they're willing, he asks questions - gentle and kind, never annoying, knowing when to back off and when to gently coax until he can draw out the stories of the soldiers of the battalion and recording them. he asks about yukong, from people he thinks will be willing to share. about feixiao.
despite it all, he's still a hummingbird, quietly flitting from person to person, a kind and steady presence through the worst days. and on his worst day of the week, he just sits with marcoh, and looks out the window at the world going by. ]
[ on his worst day, marcoh sits with him, and keeps him company.
one day, they come to a stop for the night to make camp and eat dinner. marcoh vanishes for a bit, but when he comes back, he looks kind of alarmed? he moves right up to taair and kind of urgently just goes: ]
okay, well, marcoh leads taair off towards some ruins nearby. this looks to be like maybe it was a house once, or a series of houses that got razed. pretty much immediately you can tell that this is the work of the borisin, judging by the remaining pieces of building, but also because marcoh tells him to cover his mouth and nose as they come close. there's lupitoxin in the air, he says. it won't affect marcoh, but taair is a foxian (?) so he should be careful.
in any case, marcoh leads him to a crumpled building, and says: ]
There's a kid in there. He won't come out. [ marcoh is too scary looking. ): ]
[ Claude thinks it's kind of unreasonable for Yae Miko to hold so tightly onto patient confidentiality when one of their few generals is missing, and their little town is on the ropes. They need all the information they can get their hands on if they want to avoid losing more people.
It's frustrating, and it kind of makes him wish he was in charge instead of stuck here at the bottom of the ladder.
Especially now that they're on this mission to retrieve her.
But it is what it is. They march on, meet new faces, and for some reason, though he kind of wants to talk to them...
He's going to try and dig up a bow and practice arrows for himself if he can, to practice. They're going to be on the battlefield after all, and it's a good way to let off some steam. ]
[ claude said fuck leadership, i should be in charge
he can do that! one of the days that they're sitting and recovering for a bit, he pulls together a bow and some arrows, and finds a place to practice his shot. nobody stops him from doing it. it's probably a good idea that their healers can take care of themselves on the battlefield. as he's doing this, he'll get the impression that someone is watching him.
when he looks, the newest general, judith, is keeping an eye on his form. she raises an eyebrow at him, if he looks. ]
No, he's not. This is neither the time nor place for a coup. So he lets out his angry baby feelings by firing arrows into a target. It relaxes him, even though it strains his muscles, but he pauses when he notices Judith's observation.
of course, mizu is still a medic. in general, a good amount of time is dedicated to making sure the previously wounded are taking proper care of their injuries, providing supplies as needed and simply being A Creature in the direction of anyone who dares push themselves too far when it's not truly necessary. do not fucking aggravate your injuries or mizu will murder you before the borisin can. :)
when not actually living up to the medic part of being a combat medic, though, mizu will check out the scenery and keep a careful eye on the group's surroundings. after getting caught unawares by the borisin just the other week, situational awareness seems really fucking important. doubly so, when everything about these ruins feels off, and it may be a little hard to distinguish between that sensation and the sense of something actually fucking alarming happening.
[ MIZU the soldiers are probably pretty intimidated by him honestly, so they behave themselves.
situational awareness is important! one of the nights, mizu is assigned watch with lingsha, who is one of the other healers and also richie's bussy buddy. she's a no-nonsense woman, but she's kind and she treats everybody the same, which is to say she is equal opportunity mean. she settles next to mizu at the edge of camp, staring out into the darkness. and after a while, she glances over at him. ]
Hm... [staring at the murky darkness of the ruins for a long moment, brows furrowed as if that would help.] Feels as though there should be water here. Or perhaps like it shouldn't exist at all. But...
[well, can mizu see it? maybe the sim plumbob will work as a third eye. (no)]
[ for a minute, as mizu concentrates, the air is like... strange. for a second, he gets the sensation that he is underwater. like he's drowning. oh boy! that's bad! ]
[It's rough. He is a soft touch at the end of the day, and Yukong was something special to him. Richie can keep going of course. He's hard to keep down, but he's kept chatter to a minimum and has trouble keeping his cigarettes rationed. He might even rebuff Lingsha for a time — unless she doesn't mind his sentimentality. It's a casual affair so he aims to keep it casual, doesn't expect much for coddling or emotional support. It's not fair to lay that on her. If she offers, he'll take it. If she takes him to bed, he'll go, but it might start to feel like the rush of nicotine or the swill of amber spirits. Something numbing, not an ecstatic spark.
In the meantime he does take comfort in Marcoh's brevity and silence, though they've had trouble talking before (opposites, in speech and acts of affection alike). He also gets chummy with the new guy, Eddie. Something of a kindred spirit there, coaxes the bullshit back out of him with a pressing need to tease, and the guy squawks and shoots back but keeps coming back for more.
Judith is nice, he bangs her.
No jk he is respectful of this fine woman. You could never replace Yukong. 8(
The incongruity of the scenery does get to him. It should be underwater? No. No it can't be. He might confide in one of the three people he came in with — the only ones with funny pseudo halos he can see — just to triple check he's not losing it. He didn't nosedive that hard, come on now.
The closer they get the more serious he'll be, working perhaps a little too hard in preparation. Supplies, brush ups on technique, conferring on strategies and best strengths. The best he can do to stop the worst from happening.
But then again, this is war. What good is any of it gonna do when the shit hits the fan?]
[ she doesn't mind the sentimentality, though she probably is a little rough about it. she's not so good with the bedside manner, but - she tries. lingsha lets him take the lead, and while she's never all in on the emotional support, she's kind enough at heart that she doesn't mind taking care of him sometimes.
eddie, on the other hand, is practically up richie's ass with how much he enjoys hanging out. he's a bit of a germaphobe, which is funny considering he's also a healer, and a couple of the rougher soldiers fuck around with him here and there. but richie is eddie's favorite, and he sneaks him cigarettes sometimes.
it's closer to the end of the week when eddie comes to find him. ]
Hey - uh, hey man, there's... a problem. Come handle it for me, will you? I don't know what to do with this.
[That's all right, he can handle tough love. It might make it easier in fact. They can continue the affair...
My god it is almost as if they were always meant to be friends!! He absolutely rips into him over being a healer germophobe, how does that even work Eds. Thank you for the smokes though.
When he's approached Richie's ears prick up at once.]
Hm? How's that Eds? Is there a beautiful naked woman with nothing to lose out there? It's only natural to be nervous for your first time.
Oh, sure, sure, I'm just only nervous because it's your mom and I was looking to show her a good time.
[ okay, ]
Anyway, shut the fuck up, there's one of the soldiers and they're... they've got - just come look.
[ and he'll lead richie off towards the quieter part of camp, if he'll go. there's a section of tents where, inside one of them, there's a man sitting on a blanket, staring down at his arm. there are... yellow flowers, curling up out from under his skin. unfortunately, in this universe, richie knows exactly what they represent.
this soldier is mara-struck, or at least, he's in the beginning of it. essentially, richie will know that this is a disease that all xianzhou citizens will eventually die to. it's the onset of old age, and typically it turns the victim into a raving beast with incredible bloodlust. but. it can be treated, and it can be suppressed. it's just... inevitably, they'll turn. it is a little weird that someone this young has it, though... well, stress can set it off, too. ]
Just take your E.D. pills and put a blindfold on her, Eds, it's that simple.
[Oh, an actually for serious matter. He will shut the fuck up then. After you.
When they get to where they're going, it's a great deal more serious than he expects. Even in war. There's a tense knot between his brows as he bends to take a closer look at the bloom. Is it contagious? Does he know of any immediate pain or symptom relief? He will employ it if so, having taken along a kit he has constantly at his side.
Moreover — if it's an inevitable bloodlust and the logic follows through, what is the usual method of "taking care" of things?]
Hey, don't sweat it. We'll get this looked after. But first, can you tell me when this all started? What happened?
[ it's not contagious, no, and like - richie, as a foxian, you won't ever encounter this. you'll die far before you get affected, most likely. but you've seen it before. it happens to soldiers a lot, ones put through situations that would destroy any other person's sane mind.
the usual end method is that... well, someone ends your life for you before you hurt people. immortality is a curse, after all.
the soldier startles a little when richie speaks, and looks up at him. ]
Just... earlier. We walked by a village. I think, um. I think it was the one I grew up in. I'm not exactly sure where we are right now, but it... I think we walked by my childhood house.
[ as richie is trying to figure out how to treat this - which is usually just a combination of painkillers and removing the flowers as they sprout - he'll get a weird vision of something. he sees a pink haired foxian, grabbing a glaive and ramming it through the chest of - jing yuan? jing yuan, covered in yellow flowers, clearly mara-struck. he doesn't recognize the foxian, and the vision is gone after a second.
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holyspirits) wrote2025-02-16 05:05 pm
AND SO IT GOES...
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he writes. he talks to the other soldiers, no matter who they are. if they're willing, he asks questions - gentle and kind, never annoying, knowing when to back off and when to gently coax until he can draw out the stories of the soldiers of the battalion and recording them. he asks about yukong, from people he thinks will be willing to share. about feixiao.
despite it all, he's still a hummingbird, quietly flitting from person to person, a kind and steady presence through the worst days. and on his worst day of the week, he just sits with marcoh, and looks out the window at the world going by. ]
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one day, they come to a stop for the night to make camp and eat dinner. marcoh vanishes for a bit, but when he comes back, he looks kind of alarmed? he moves right up to taair and kind of urgently just goes: ]
I need your help with something.
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Marcoh. What is it?
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[ and he'll lead taair away from camp, if taair will go with him? ]
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imagine making good decisions. he immediately sets his hand on his arm and nods, expression going to determination. ]
Of course - I'm right behind you.
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okay, well, marcoh leads taair off towards some ruins nearby. this looks to be like maybe it was a house once, or a series of houses that got razed. pretty much immediately you can tell that this is the work of the borisin, judging by the remaining pieces of building, but also because marcoh tells him to cover his mouth and nose as they come close. there's lupitoxin in the air, he says. it won't affect marcoh, but taair is a foxian (?) so he should be careful.
in any case, marcoh leads him to a crumpled building, and says: ]
There's a kid in there. He won't come out. [ marcoh is too scary looking. ): ]
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It's frustrating, and it kind of makes him wish he was in charge instead of stuck here at the bottom of the ladder.
Especially now that they're on this mission to retrieve her.
But it is what it is. They march on, meet new faces, and for some reason, though he kind of wants to talk to them...
He's going to try and dig up a bow and practice arrows for himself if he can, to practice. They're going to be on the battlefield after all, and it's a good way to let off some steam. ]
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he can do that! one of the days that they're sitting and recovering for a bit, he pulls together a bow and some arrows, and finds a place to practice his shot. nobody stops him from doing it. it's probably a good idea that their healers can take care of themselves on the battlefield. as he's doing this, he'll get the impression that someone is watching him.
when he looks, the newest general, judith, is keeping an eye on his form. she raises an eyebrow at him, if he looks. ]
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No, he's not. This is neither the time nor place for a coup. So he lets out his angry baby feelings by firing arrows into a target. It relaxes him, even though it strains his muscles, but he pauses when he notices Judith's observation.
Looks back at her for a moment. ]
Can I help you, general?
[ Good... Keep Judith FAR AWAY from Richie... ]
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judith watches him, and then comes closer when he speaks up. ]
Your arm's in the wrong position. Here. [ and she taps his elbow, nudging it. ] Less strain if you do it this way.
[ ... ]
How's your head, boy? You handling things?
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Don't I look calm and collected, general?
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[ she says dryly. ]
But nobody has. I'm trying to get an idea of what the morale is like. It's been a while since I've led fresh blood into battle.
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of course, mizu is still a medic. in general, a good amount of time is dedicated to making sure the previously wounded are taking proper care of their injuries, providing supplies as needed and simply being A Creature in the direction of anyone who dares push themselves too far when it's not truly necessary. do not fucking aggravate your injuries or mizu will murder you before the borisin can. :)
when not actually living up to the medic part of being a combat medic, though, mizu will check out the scenery and keep a careful eye on the group's surroundings. after getting caught unawares by the borisin just the other week, situational awareness seems really fucking important. doubly so, when everything about these ruins feels off, and it may be a little hard to distinguish between that sensation and the sense of something actually fucking alarming happening.
godspeed, gang.]
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situational awareness is important! one of the nights, mizu is assigned watch with lingsha, who is one of the other healers and also richie's bussy buddy. she's a no-nonsense woman, but she's kind and she treats everybody the same, which is to say she is equal opportunity mean. she settles next to mizu at the edge of camp, staring out into the darkness. and after a while, she glances over at him. ]
You've noticed it too, haven't you.
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Yes. Something feels... wrong.
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But I can't see it. Can you? Do you see what's wrong?
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[well, can mizu see it? maybe the sim plumbob will work as a third eye. (no)]
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In the meantime he does take comfort in Marcoh's brevity and silence, though they've had trouble talking before (opposites, in speech and acts of affection alike). He also gets chummy with the new guy, Eddie. Something of a kindred spirit there, coaxes the bullshit back out of him with a pressing need to tease, and the guy squawks and shoots back but keeps coming back for more.
Judith is nice, he bangs her.
No jk he is respectful of this fine woman. You could never replace Yukong. 8(
The incongruity of the scenery does get to him. It should be underwater? No. No it can't be. He might confide in one of the three people he came in with — the only ones with funny pseudo halos he can see — just to triple check he's not losing it. He didn't nosedive that hard, come on now.
The closer they get the more serious he'll be, working perhaps a little too hard in preparation. Supplies, brush ups on technique, conferring on strategies and best strengths. The best he can do to stop the worst from happening.
But then again, this is war. What good is any of it gonna do when the shit hits the fan?]
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eddie, on the other hand, is practically up richie's ass with how much he enjoys hanging out. he's a bit of a germaphobe, which is funny considering he's also a healer, and a couple of the rougher soldiers fuck around with him here and there. but richie is eddie's favorite, and he sneaks him cigarettes sometimes.
it's closer to the end of the week when eddie comes to find him. ]
Hey - uh, hey man, there's... a problem. Come handle it for me, will you? I don't know what to do with this.
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My god it is almost as if they were always meant to be friends!! He absolutely rips into him over being a healer germophobe, how does that even work Eds. Thank you for the smokes though.
When he's approached Richie's ears prick up at once.]
Hm? How's that Eds? Is there a beautiful naked woman with nothing to lose out there? It's only natural to be nervous for your first time.
[they're both almost forty.]
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[ okay, ]
Anyway, shut the fuck up, there's one of the soldiers and they're... they've got - just come look.
[ and he'll lead richie off towards the quieter part of camp, if he'll go. there's a section of tents where, inside one of them, there's a man sitting on a blanket, staring down at his arm. there are... yellow flowers, curling up out from under his skin. unfortunately, in this universe, richie knows exactly what they represent.
this soldier is mara-struck, or at least, he's in the beginning of it. essentially, richie will know that this is a disease that all xianzhou citizens will eventually die to. it's the onset of old age, and typically it turns the victim into a raving beast with incredible bloodlust. but. it can be treated, and it can be suppressed. it's just... inevitably, they'll turn. it is a little weird that someone this young has it, though... well, stress can set it off, too. ]
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[Oh, an actually for serious matter. He will shut the fuck up then. After you.
When they get to where they're going, it's a great deal more serious than he expects. Even in war. There's a tense knot between his brows as he bends to take a closer look at the bloom. Is it contagious? Does he know of any immediate pain or symptom relief? He will employ it if so, having taken along a kit he has constantly at his side.
Moreover — if it's an inevitable bloodlust and the logic follows through, what is the usual method of "taking care" of things?]
Hey, don't sweat it. We'll get this looked after. But first, can you tell me when this all started? What happened?
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the usual end method is that... well, someone ends your life for you before you hurt people. immortality is a curse, after all.
the soldier startles a little when richie speaks, and looks up at him. ]
Just... earlier. We walked by a village. I think, um. I think it was the one I grew up in. I'm not exactly sure where we are right now, but it... I think we walked by my childhood house.
[ as richie is trying to figure out how to treat this - which is usually just a combination of painkillers and removing the flowers as they sprout - he'll get a weird vision of something. he sees a pink haired foxian, grabbing a glaive and ramming it through the chest of - jing yuan? jing yuan, covered in yellow flowers, clearly mara-struck. he doesn't recognize the foxian, and the vision is gone after a second.
weird. what the fuck was that?
eddie shakes his shoulder. ]
Hey, you in there?
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