[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.
[There's something tugging at him. A childhood home. Sure, sure, that'd rattle anybody, but in the pit of his gut there's a hook, pulling him towards some vast, nebulous thing. It's not a sensation he's gotten before, and by now he's seen and heard a lot of disturbing things.
Then there's a second pull. More visceral.
An explusion.
"General."
Charlie...
Richie snaps out of it with a sharp shake of the head. In part courtesy of Eddie, the other is him shaking it off like a dog.]
Huh? [His breath feels strangely short all of a sudden.] I uh...Sorry. Sorry about that.
[He'll look to them both in assurance, stable. Sound of mind. Completely, 100% fine as paint. Uh. Back to the matter at hand.]
Listen, that'd knock the socks off anybody. It's not unheard of. And there's ways to stave it off, longer than you'd think even. So don't get to panicking just yet. Come with us back to camp, all right? We'll get you set up with the works.
All right all right all right! [Waving it off, exasperated. It is not a Matthew Mconnaughey impression. He does not know who that is.]
Look. You're a far ways off from losing your mind yet, okay? And we may be at war but if a soldier goes dead or missing in-between active combat, there's a helluva a lot of questions why. So the first thing we're going to do is regroup. We won't let you turn on anyone, and we won't leave you in the lurch while figuring out how to proceed.
So, gimme your hand, let's get up and get going. No one's going to take you behind the barn for sprouting a few fronds.
[ the soldier looks a little relieved at this, and takes a deep breath. he holds out a hand to be helped up. ]
... Thank you. [ he says, with a shivery exhale. ] I just wasn't expecting... I'm not really that old, I thought...
Okay. Thank you.
[ there's a pause, where eddie kind of hover hands this poor man like he's gonna pat him on the shoulder, and then doesn't, just gently... wiping his hand on his pants. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
holyspirits) wrote2025-02-16 05:05 pm
no subject
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?]
no subject
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.
no subject
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.]
no subject
[ 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. ]
no subject
[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?
no subject
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?
no subject
Then there's a second pull. More visceral.
An explusion.
"General."
Charlie...
Richie snaps out of it with a sharp shake of the head. In part courtesy of Eddie, the other is him shaking it off like a dog.]
Huh? [His breath feels strangely short all of a sudden.] I uh...Sorry. Sorry about that.
[He'll look to them both in assurance, stable. Sound of mind. Completely, 100% fine as paint. Uh. Back to the matter at hand.]
Listen, that'd knock the socks off anybody. It's not unheard of. And there's ways to stave it off, longer than you'd think even. So don't get to panicking just yet. Come with us back to camp, all right? We'll get you set up with the works.
no subject
Really? But... I don't want to hurt anybody.
[ a pause, and then: ]
I thought he was going to go get someone to put me out of my misery. [ thumbs at eddie, who looks vaguely offended. ]
no subject
[Turns to Eddie.]
Were you going to make me put him out of his misery?
no subject
listen ]
No! Probably not! Look, you -- no! [ well if it was necessary, yknow. ]
no subject
Look. You're a far ways off from losing your mind yet, okay? And we may be at war but if a soldier goes dead or missing in-between active combat, there's a helluva a lot of questions why. So the first thing we're going to do is regroup. We won't let you turn on anyone, and we won't leave you in the lurch while figuring out how to proceed.
So, gimme your hand, let's get up and get going. No one's going to take you behind the barn for sprouting a few fronds.
no subject
... Thank you. [ he says, with a shivery exhale. ] I just wasn't expecting... I'm not really that old, I thought...
Okay. Thank you.
[ there's a pause, where eddie kind of hover hands this poor man like he's gonna pat him on the shoulder, and then doesn't, just gently... wiping his hand on his pants. ]
no subject
Come on, Eds, surely you couldn't catch syphilis twice.
[But to the soldier he'll give a more genuine smile.]
Don't mind him, he's all right. And so are you.
[They can get to moving! Back to safety (i think) (:pleading_eyes:)]
no subject
back to safety for them! for now. ]