tushanshu | 004; video; notably completely unencrypted;

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004; video; notably completely unencrypted;

[Raine hesitates, for a very short moment, at the start of the video feed before firming the line of her mouth and plunging ahead. She looks tired, but determined.]

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Raine Sage. Please pay attention; I’ll try to keep this brief.

[She sounds more like she’s lecturing a classroom than delivering potentially shattering news.]

If you have previously thought none of this affects you, or if you simply missed the information, at the end of last month our enemy asked us to guess where it really is. Some of you will have already formed your own conclusions about this; I know I’ve certainly talked to some who have.

[Deep breath.]

There’s sufficient data with independent verification that I’m now sure, and everyone needs to be aware of this, sooner rather than later.

Our enemy has possessed Asti himself.

[A pause, considering. Well, the words are out now, no taking them back.]

That’s all. If you wish me to justify myself, either my conclusions or my lack of caution, I’ll do so, but more pressing right now is coming together to find a way forward, now that everyone is apprised of how severe the situation is.

[She lifts her chin a little then, and adds, not to any Foreigner but to the being she is pretty sure is watching,] Well? Do you care to confirm or deny?

---

[ooc; this actually is directly related to Nilin’s post a few days ago! I have talked this out with a few people, Xhan (Nilin-mun) included, and I’m keeping track of what’s happening there for continuity’s sake, but Raine is unfortunately not the most subtle person in the world and is past the point of waiting and watching. For questions comments plotting or concerns, I can be reached at

makaricrow, ceryu (AIM), or makari.crow@gmail.com.]

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[Sokka recognizes Raine the moment she comes into the lobby. He catches the wave and immediately picks up and tries to, as nonchalantly as he can, head on over to her. And from the looks of it, she's not just going to stop and chat here in the lobby, so Sokka can play along at that game. In retrospect, it's probably for the best. He knows how it is in enemy territory; you always have to be on the move. Though he's never quite been in a place where there was no safe haven whatsoever.]

Thanks for coming, [he says with a slightly muffled voice. For once, Sokka's face looks more serious than joking.] By the way, I don't think I introduced myself. I'm Sokka, Aang's friend and Katara's brother.

[He's found that name-dropping those two usually gets him quickly pinned down as to where he's from since he's so new.]

[She nods to him, picks a direction once they're outside the hospital and starts walking. She knows the streets around the hospital well enough, at least.]

No, I don't think you did. I know of Katara. [Aang only in passing. But the names do cause her to give him a brief, thoughtful look.] It's nice to meet you, despite the circumstances.

You wanted to know about something I've been working on. [Pause to consider. Most of her research isn't exactly public knowledge.] The taint?

[There have definitely been some interesting reactions whenever Sokka name-drops his friends. At least he hasn't name-dropped Zuko yet; while technically a friend, he knows enough that that one is probably going to set off some stronger opinions.]

The pleasure's all mine, or at least I hope it will be. [Because yes, she pretty much picked out Sokka's intention without so much of a guess.] And... in a manner of speaking, yes. I actually came about the poison, but being that the poison and the taint are all one this time around, I give you that one.

[He'll give her that one, huh. Raine raises an eyebrow at that, though doesn't comment.] Of course. I'll answer what questions I can. What would you like to know?

[He hasn't asked an actual question yet, after all.]

[Well, at least he came to the right place, or at least so he's led to believe. He'll have to thank Anton later.]

Well, for starters, I don't know all too much about this poison... or the taint that it's got inside of it. I've got a friend who's... been pretty messed up as a result of it. What part of all of that is the taint, and what does the poison do? Can someone get rid of it? Am I ever going to get the Zuko I know back?"

[Well, if Sokka was trying to keep Zuko's identity a secret, he already knew it.]

[Fortunately she already knew Zuko had a problem.]

The poison carries the taint with it; the taint is what lingers after everything else, and what resists healing. As poisons go, it's not a particularly bad one physically, but the aftereffects...

[Not fun. Raine sighs a little, and starts at the top.] It depends on the severity. If I, or another healer, can get to the wound immediately, it doesn't cause much more than lingering sickness for a few days. If a healer's attention is delayed... Magnified aggression, compromised judgment. Nightmares. Persistent pain from the wound. It's caused good people to do some foolish things. Zuko is among the worst cases.

[She does wish she had better news to give him, though, if Zuko's his friend, and she sounds sympathetic as she continues.] There's no cure yet, unfortunately. All we've been able to do is mitigate. The presence of the children seems to help.

[It definitely is bad news all around. While it doesn't start off being bad, the story does become worse and worse as she explains the story. The poison starts off not seeming that bad. But it just gets worse. And when he finds out that there's no cure...]

No cure! You mean, right now, you're telling me that he's going to be like that forever?

[Sokka certainly looks a little crestfallen at this; he's certainly concerned for his friend, especially after all the things that have happened.]

The children... as in the turtle kids? [Sokka looks a little concerned at that.] Is there anything else that can help perchance? [He gives her a toothy grin.]

Not necessarily forever. [Not said, but definitely present in her tone: calm down.] We simply haven't found a solution yet. I'm convinced there is one, however.

The turtle children are the ones I mean, yes. They give a -- sense of peace, I suppose, much like Tu Vishan does. Or did. I believe in some instances meditation has also helped. [She wasn't quite sure why he was grinning at her, but his eagerness to help was promising.]

[Telling Sokka to calm down is like telling a platypus bear to stop chewing on the furniture. However, he at least doesn't freak out for the next few moments as they talk.]

Well, I'm glad you still remain hopeful about being able to break the taint. I mean, I suppose someone needs to remain positive for the rest of us. [Sorry, Raine; he's still going to be a bit sarcastic over it.]

I know that sense of peace that you mean. I've... only really met my turtle Taraja once so far, and there's definitely an aura that she gives off. But it is really wise to keep the tainted so close to the turtles after all that business with turtles dying?

[If he's not freaking out, he's still capable of rational thought, and, presumably, listening. She'll take it.]

It's not unfounded hope. The taint can be prevented from setting in, after all.

[It isn't certain, but it follows that there should be a way to root it out. And perhaps if they can end Malicant, one way or another, it'll have the same effect.]

[He does have a point about the turtles.]

I don't believe Ryou and Dante have been leaving Yin alone with Zuko much, at least. Caution is being exercised; everyone's protective of the children, especially lately.

[Well, Sokka isn't a doctor or a medic of any sort. And his knowledge of human physiology is rudimentary at best. But he supposes she's got a point.]

I suppose it depends upon how the taint actually sets in, though that it can be pulled out is promising at the least. So long as it doesn't fuse somehow internally, I guess you should be able to separate it back out?

And I don't blame them about being cautious with the... turtles. [It still felt weird calling them children, given their relationship with them.] So that's good, though I suppose they could always drag Yin there in an emergency. [Pause.] And if there's enough people there to keep Zuko tied down first.

[...he demonstrates at least some understanding, even if it's not quite the terms she would have used. She'll take it.] Something like that is my hope, yes.

[To his remark about caution she just nods.] Those who are tainted are -- for the most part -- also cautious, as they recognize the danger they pose. Despite that, though, I know there have been some mishaps. Fortunately, none with the children.

[Sokka's a quick study, though his imagination can be a little... rampant with the explanations and the words used to explain things.]

I'm somehow not surprised by the mishaps. Never surprised by mishaps. Nothing ever goes quite as smoothly as you'd like it to go. [Such the pessimist, this one.] But at least the turtle kids—well, the remaining ones, at least—haven't had any mishaps.

At any rate, I don't suppose you've got anything I can do to help with things? Or I don't suppose you've got any ideas about what we should be doing now? [Sokka, if nothing, seems eager to get involved and somehow contributing to the general effort.]

[Oh, good, he has a solid grasp on the way the world works. Something always goes wrong, somehow.]

What I'm most concerned about immediately is the general reaction, both among Foreigners and kedan. This is perhaps one of the worse possible outcomes. It was important that people know, but I also don't expect that everyone will take it with equanimity.

If you could keep an eye on your friend Zuko, to watch for any change in him, and on the interactions between Foreigners and kedan as well-- either would be helpful. I don't anticipate things will remain calm for long.

I don't know yet what we should be doing, but I'll let you know when I do.

[It's also possible that his relative newness will allow him to spot things that people who are closer to the problem and have been here longer won't. And he's handling this better than some other people have been, which is points in favor of his ability to stay reasonable.]

[Sokka knows how the world works; he's seen way too many things go wrong in the past. Usually they happen to him.]

You mean... see if anything comes out of this other than or rises above a categorical distaste for us, hm? [Sokka really does feel like being in the Fire Nation, having to sneak his way through enemy lines just to get daily life taken care of.] I, for one, am pretty glad to know what's going on now, even if the news is terrible. But yeah, I expect things, at least with the kedan, are going to get worse before they get better.

But it also means we're on borrowed time. We've got to do something sooner than later.

But yeah, I can keep watch. I already am, in a manner of speaking, though before it's just been over my sister and some of the injured. [He sighs.] Zuko and the kedan though? Shouldn't be too hard to keep track of either of them.

[The kedan are already everywhere. As for Zuko? If you can't find him, just wait until you see fire anywhere or loud shouting.]

[Raine nods; Sokka's grasped exactly what she wanted. And he's much of the same mind she is, that it's better to know even when the facts are bad rather than to wonder and guess.]

Yes. The longer we wait, the worse our chances get, I'd imagine.

Thank you. I live in Earth, Tu-Gai, if you ever need to find me, or Taraja can ask Ryder.

[Sokka will totally remember that. He already has a rough idea of where that is, even if he's not actually spent all that much time in the Earth Sector; he's got the map already memorized with how much time he's stared at it.]

Don't you worry, Raine. I already know where that is. I'll make sure to find you if something comes up.

But otherwise, thanks for letting me know what you know. It makes me feel... a little better about our chances?

[And if he doesn't know where it is, he probably will soon; she lives with Iroh, after all.]

Of course. With more people on the same page, our chances of finding a usable solution increase.

Be careful, going forward. There aren't that many of us left these days.

Will do. Don't you be doing anything I wouldn't do either. Good meeting you, Raine.

[Sokka continues walking onward past Raine, turning around briefly to give her a false salute as he does so.]

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