tushanshu | 003 - early September

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003 - early September - video

[Raine looks serious when she starts the video feed. This isn't unusual, per se, but she also looks like she might have been ill recently. Either that or she needs a lot more sleep than she's getting.]

If you were wounded in the recent altercation, even if you were healed at the time, please check in with one of the Foreigner healers at the hospital, just to be sure. Whatever toxin was on those weapons is a nasty piece of work; I thought I'd purged it from my system almost immediately, but still suffered some not insignificant illness. [If anyone's familiar with how quickly she can heal most things -- very -- this may be slightly concerning.] Given who exactly was most probably at the root of the attacks, this is not the time for stoicism, especially if you were exposed to a greater dose.

If you were hurt, and especially if you notice anything out of the ordinary, let someone know. If the hospital bothers you, or if you have privacy concerns, you can come to me directly. Even if it turns out to be nothing, it's far better to err on the side of caution when it comes to the enemy. There are few enough of us that it's foolish to take needless risks.

[Raine is far, far too familiar with how hiding potentially serious injury or illness goes. She's not even sure there will be any aftereffects, but this is something with which they can't afford to take any chances as far as she's concerned. And given that the majority of Foreigners she's met seem to have a similar sort of stubborn independence... well, she's not even sure she'll get a response, but it's worth trying.]

---

[[ooc; this should be only a few days after the big fight. timeline slightly fuzzy but definitely not after the fifth of September or so.]]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I see.

[Anton had great respect for healers. Even as terrible as it had been to be a soldier, the decisions he'd had to make, he felt healers had it far worse. They had to balance far more, and frequently far more valuable things.]

You are in your apartment, correct? I will be there shortly with some food.

[Raine is reasonably sure she should have had some input in that decision.] ...yes, I am, but that's not necessary.

You are attempting to care for a city, Master Sage. Who is caring for you?

[She doesn't respond to that for a moment, mostly because he has a point. Her brother is a world away, and it's for the best he stays that way. Finally she gives Anton a resigned little smile.]

You, it seems. Thank you.

Think nothing of it. I will be there shortly.

[And so he is, perhaps half-an-hour later owing to the need to shut up the Hotel and gather together the food. It's all cold, so at least it won't be unappetising when Raine eats, though Anton isn't intending to leave until she has; but it's good. Bread, eggs, the vegetables that pass for salad in Keeliai, cheese, even some ham equivalent.

[He knocks on the door.]

[She really does think something of it.]

[The intervening half hour is spent on notes and theorizing for the most part, and though she knew he was coming it's somehow still something of a surprise to hear a knock. She sets her notes down and goes to open the door.]

Ah-- hello. Come in.

[And she takes a step back to allow him in, holding the door.]

Thank you.

[He enters and glances around, taking in her chosen surroundings, and finally finds a place to put down the tupperware that isn't too surrounded by things which might stain.]

I presume there are plates in the kitchen. Tea?

[It's not his kitchen, but she's obviously busy and he has nothing immediately pressing--or at least not more pressing than ensuring his foster-turtle's other parent, and one of the chief healers in the city, is able to attend her duty without too much distraction.]

[The common area is usually kept more or less tidy, but there's a small beachhead of clutter around where Raine's been thinking. It's mostly paper, though, notes she's been making in an unfamiliar, looping script. There's frustratingly little to go on at the moment, and she's gone in more circles than she's like. It's resulted in a few crumpled pages.]

There are, and yes. There are a number of varieties-- one of my suitemates runs a tea shop. [Tea is unavoidable here, but fortunately pleasant. She neatens her notes a little, and when she realizes she hasn't made any meaningful progress on the topmost page in over an hour, finally sets them face-down and instead heads toward the kitchen as well. She probably could use the interruption.]

Good. Take a seat. Rest your mind for a time.

[Since Raine seems to prefer to eat in the kitchen, Anton brings the box into the kitchen and goes about using its resources to prepare the food into a simple but nicely arranged plate, which he delivers first, and then a pot of tea, choosing leaves he knows has relaxing properties. It's not until he watches the pot boiling that he realises he's stalling, in his own way; because at some point he came to a conclusion, one born of necessity, and hadn't even realised it.

[He fills the pot, arranges the tray and carries it to Raine.]

Have you spoken to Skulduggery of late?

[Easier said than done. She sits, but watching Anton makes her feel like she should be doing something, anything more productive. Breaks may be important for optimal function, but they've always been difficult, and it takes some effort to sit peacefully and turn her focus from the ills plaguing Keeliai to simpler things. The sound of boiling water, the feeling of another living person's mana, the light that angles through the windows. Breathing.]

[She looks up when Anton comes back, offers a nod of thanks.] Earlier today, yes, but he kept to text. I haven't seen him in person since the battle. Why do you ask?

[Anton doesn't answer until he's seated opposite her, with a cup of tea of his own. This is a big leap he's taking, even though Raine may not understand the implication. Under other circumstances, any other, Anton would go to another Dead Man--to Corrival, or Dexter, or Saracen. He can't do that here. Here, he can only choose the most discreet person he can find--Skulduggery's healer.]

Skulduggery has a temper. People don't see it, because he needs to be controlled ... as controlled as I. He's dead. He's tied to his skeleton through emotion, and his rage is most prominent. He feels it always. If he ever loses control he will be consumed by his wrath and his magic will become that of death, and our adversary here won't have the chance to finish us. Skulduggery would kill us first, and he would enjoy it.

[He speaks evenly, letting the heat of the tea cover the heat of the gist in his chest. He's thought about this a lot over the past few days. He's put together all the pieces.]

We cannot allow that to happen. He needs to be cured of the taint.

[No one from that world can do anything small, can they. Raine laces her fingers together, around her cup, and thinks that over. Maybe she doesn't understand the direct implications of Anton coming to her, but she can guess he wouldn't bring this to anyone unless the threat was very real and very present.]

He can use Necromancy? [She considers what she's seen of Solomon's power, imagines that uninhibited by conscience and driven by rage. That's grounds for a moment of fear, shown mostly in the tightening of her hands and the way she looks down at her tea with studied blankness. One moment, and no more: this hasn't come to pass yet, after all.] Finding a way to cure him is urgent, it seems. I'll do everything I can.

[Leaving out that she doesn't know what that is, as she's already proven not particularly useful when it comes to healing Skulduggery.] I plan to visit him in a day or so, with some of my notes; perhaps I can convince him to let me see if anything has changed. ...Does he know you're telling me this?

[No. No, they really can't. Anton sips his tea, watching Raine and waiting patiently for her to recover her composure.]

He can.

[It's said quietly, more because of the implications Anton knows than because he expected Raine to understand; but the fact that she knows enough to identify the discipline is both curious and relieving. At the final question, however, Anton puts down his cup and folds his hands, and gazes at her. Impassive though the expression seems on the surface, there is a hardness in his eyes she won't have seen before.]

He does not. He no longer has the right to choose how his issues are handled. That's why he came to me.

[Finally.]

If he falls, if he shows evidence that he can no longer remain in control, I will kill him. I don't wish to kill him, but I will. That's what he expects. What he doesn't expect is that I might take steps to save him. That is why he'll disapprove of my having told you anything: because he seems to believe that his power and his issues are self-contained. He's a fool, and I will not allow him the ease of self-destruction.

[Oh, the lot of them are making her heart hurt. As impassive as Anton seems most of the time, the math of a long history and a desire not to kill Skulduggery is not difficult to do, and she doesn't doubt by this point that he cares for Skul.]

If he believes he has to deal with everything himself, he certainly is a fool. Still, he's one worth saving. [To do otherwise, to not even try, would be unconscionable. Having to kill a friend, even one who's become a monster, is a heavy weight. One she'd spare Anton, if she could. She nods, mostly to herself, to affirm that. Even if she's failed before, she will find a way.]

Is there anything specific you need me to do at the moment, beyond continuing my research? I'll... admit I don't know nearly enough yet to even guess at a cure, and Skulduggery's nature presents a unique challenge. Although-- do you know anything about how he's been healed in the past? [Even if it's not something she can reproduce, it may give her another way to look at the problem.]

[Though his tension may not have been as obvious as one might expect, some of the lines on Anton's face smoothed. He hadn't truly been certain that Raine would understand; she had simply been his best bet. That she did, that she knew foolishness wasn't condemnation, meant more than he knew how to express.]

He can't be healed. In the past he has simply replaced those bones that were damaged.

[Anton frowned.]

It's a course of action he should have considered himself, but the taint combined with a lack of graveyards may have driven the idea from his mind. And we cannot rely on his being able to take such measures now, so we will have to take it for him.

[For a few moments he stared at the wall, and then focussed his attention on Raine.]

You recognised Necromancy. Did you hear that from Skulduggery, or from Solomon Wreath?

[The initial emotional response passed, Raine's settling back into something resembling calm thoughtfulness, and sipping at her tea.]

That's possible? Hm. [That makes sense, actually; she recalls Skulduggery saying something about having misplaced his skull for several years.] That at least may mitigate the effects while a proper cure is found. I'll see if I can confirm which bones were damaged, and perhaps we can find some that aren't in use to match.

[It's better than nothing.]

From Solomon. The matter hasn't come up with Skulduggery.

Yes. Perhaps a third of his skeleton aren't his original bones, give or take.

[Anton would have liked to think that Raine was smarter than to associate with a Necromancer, but then again, he had only met Wreath once, and that hadn't been an auspicious occasion.]

I would recommend asking Wreath for aid, then. Skulduggery said he would speak to him, and if anyone can find unused bones where none are readily available, it will be a Necromancer.

[He inclines his head.]

However, I am going to request that you liaise with him alone on this matter. The last time he and I met was not conducive to amiable relations, and I do not feel able to navigate such politics.

[Not so soon after Skulduggery's bombshell. The skeleton wasn't the only one out to minimise irritants.]

[That's a startlingly high proportion, but at least the procedure has precedent.]

[Generally Raine probably would be smarter than to associate with most Necromancers, but she's fairly certain Solomon is atypical as far as Necromancers went.]

He would be the logical choice. I'll do that afterward, then.

[She's been looking for an excuse to check in with Solomon anyway. With that out of the way, Raine studies Anton for a moment. That's an interesting choice of phrasing.] You said you, also, needed to maintain control. May I ask what necessitates that?

My gist.

[It's a simple answer, but Anton has found that here he needs to explain himself. It's wearing a touch thin, but he can't fault anyone for it.]

It's a manifestation of my rage and hatred. I keep it bound within me and can unleash it at need--if the need is greater than the collateral damage. But if I lose control, the gist will take over and I will be the one bound within it, and it will blaze a trail of murder as far as it's able.

Hm. [She's getting downright accustomed to people here holding that kind of danger within themselves, and on the scale of recent bombshells it registers fairly low. She rests her chin in one hand, watching him. He is not, she's observed, a very emotively expressive sort of person, and that necessary control is likely why. It's almost a little sad.] Also not a risk to take lightly. But you'd have to rely on that if Skulduggery does lose himself, correct?

Hear me out for a moment, then. Should the worst come to pass, and it becomes necessary to try to end him, I'd ask that you allow me to attempt something first, if the situation permits. The arte I used to heal myself, that day-- because of Skulduggery's nature, it has a high probability of interfering with the way his mana is bound to his skeleton. We concluded then that it wasn't worth the risk, but if there's nothing else left... well, it will most likely either help him, or end him. [She doesn't think no effect is probable, but she's more than adept at simply getting out of the way in that case.]

[Her tone's been cool up to this point, but now she softens a little, and adds,] It's not a burden lightly carried, killing a friend, and your gist sounds like it has the potential to cause much damage to you and to others. That choice, that responsibility, is of course yours, but if the option exists, please let me help.

[It's of course entirely possible that things won't escalate that far, especially if replacing the damaged ribs helps. Still, it's better to plan for the worst and never have to use that plan than to ignore it.]

And have you carry that burden instead?

[Anton's voice is quiet and measured, and he doesn't glance away.]

Thank you for the offer, and if I am unable to perform this duty it may be necessary. But he is my brother, and the burden of his death his mine to carry if that is what must occur.

[Raine meets this unflinchingly, and after a moment inclines her head slowly.] Yes, I rather thought you might say that. Still.

[She would carry that, if necessary. But she understands.] As long as you remember that you aren't alone, either.

[Maybe she doesn't have to tell him that; after all, he is here. It bears saying, though, sometimes even to people who should know it.]

I appreciate that.

[He did. Were he home, he knew he would have half-a-dozen men to call upon if he truly needed the help. Here he felt their absence, even though he hadn't spoken to them in years even at home. The knowledge that they wouldn't be on hand to help was enough.

[After a moment he picks up his tea-cup again.]

Ryder wished to come and visit. Shall I bring him, next time?

[She in her turn takes note of the reminder for herself, as well. She might be absent any of the people she would usually call on, but that doesn't mean she lacks for friends.]

[Raine smiles, though mostly at her teacup.] Yes-- please do. I'm sure he knows the way, but with the city as it is lately...

[She's been a little remiss in parenting duties lately, too. Anton is keeping him safe, though, and that's what matters.]

It would be safer were he escorted, yes. I will be sure to bring him by tomorrow, then.

[By implication, when he came to check up on Raine himself, to ensure she was sleeping and eating properly. He finishes his cup and rises, picking up his utensils and holding his out for Raine's.]

If you've finished, allow me to wash up for you.

003 - early September - video

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