chroma | catchall for estinien

[countermeasures]

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[countermeasures]

[thanks estinien, you're a pal.

jiuqing is well and truly fucked up, even after three hours in a pod; when he walks in, it will be easier to see her injuries than it was before. partly because the black blood is gone; partly because she's


uh




bandaging her own injuries. they're extensive - you would struggle to find somewhere on her that isn't bruised or bleeding (or rather, would have been bleeding, if not for the beginning of healing from the pod; still, she is going to have to bandage her wounds and be very careful not to reopen them). she's struggling with a particularly nasty wound on her shoulder when he enters.]

...nngh.

[she's pretty focused, and doesn't seem to notice him right away.]

[vedrskogul]

...

[ Okay he's raising a brow at this, crossing his arms.

And clears his throat once to catch her attention ere the sound of his speaking voice terrifies her again. ]

Jiuqing.

[ Excuse me ma'am. ]

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[ ! ]

E-Estinien?

[she didn't expect him to come back?!

it's being startled more than being terrified, at least, but she turns to look at him and has the audacity to wonder why he's got his arms crossed.]

...did you need some of the supplies?

[vedrskogul]

[ SO AUDACIOUS. ]

Nay. You've got all yourselves covered, it seems, or would rather be left alone.

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...it's not that, exactly, but... I have somewhere I need to be, and these wounds needed bandaging... and there wasn't anyone else here...

[and she's fully capable of bandaging it!

what, was she supposed to just sit there and wait for someone to come along and fix her?]

[vedrskogul]

And where is that, exactly, that you cannot stay sleeping for even one hour longer in our very-magical healing pods?

[ Looking at them, and then at her. It's been like, three hours? He knows you could spend another hour in there at least, he spent four when he returned from his first one and made it in time for curfew. ]

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The library... but I think even if I spent another hour in there, I'd still move pretty slowly.

And... I don't want to risk getting caught outside alone.

[vedrskogul]

Surely not alone. You wouldn't take shelter with someone who wouldn't be kind enough to help carry you there?

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I'll be meeting Percy there, along with Vax... and most likely Emet-Selch?

[they're kind of joined at the hip?? they are just conceivably doing other pcs right now.]

[vedrskogul]

They do seem to stick together often, don't they...

[ It's... it's just such a funny group. Anyway. ]

I'm sure they would be glad to help.

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[she gestures at their surroundings. but, like, carefully and mildly so she doesn't aggravate her injuries.]

Perhaps they would be. But they weren't here when I woke up, so I saw to it myself.

[vedrskogul]

I would offer, but -- tell me, have you calmed down aught from your post-return panic?

[ Adrenaline rush and all that. He gets it. Despite the objective words, he says it neutrally. ]

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...

[she nods]

I have. At least, I think I have. ...I'm sorry, you didn't deserve that, earlier... that was all me.

[vedrskogul]

I am full aware of how these ventures can addle one's mind. The first one left me feeling unable to tell apart what had happened in reality and what hadn't. I'm sure Aymeric and others had their hands full in having to deal with me until my recovery.

[ Anyway... ]

However, if you could recount to me what happened to you, that would be for the better.

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...a lot of things happened... I'm... really not sure where to start.

[vedrskogul]

From the beginning when you walked through the archway, perhaps.

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...well... I found myself alone on a tundra. And then the first people I encountered called me a heretic and attacked me.

[so that was cool.]

[vedrskogul]

You ran into a troop? Did you say, or were you dressed in some manner that implied hereticism?

Animals, the lot of them...

[ Roasts the Temple Knights and their fanatics casually. They all suck. ]

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I didn't think I did... they said I didn't look Ishgardian, so that I must be a heretic. They didn't listen to me at all when I tried to talk to them...

[bad.]

...but, I got lucky. Before they could hurt me too badly, a woman named Ysayle stepped in and helped me.

[vedrskogul]

If this is particularly real, you ran into an especially stupid group, or the memories took some liberties.

[ Both sound equally possible. Sometimes, Ishgardian soldiers dumb, indoctrinated, and eager to just get their promotions.

He's just dragging the shit out of these theoretical soldiers though when Jiuqing mentions the name, and this may be the closest to flinching that anyone has ever seen Estinien do. ]

You saw her?

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They seemed pretty stupid to me. I healed one of them after they got attacked, thinking something else was going on, and they immediately tried to kill me again.

[SO rude.

...she looks concerned at that almost-flinch, though.]

...yes, I did. She helped me, and... allowed me to accompany her to Dravania. She said that the dragons might be able to find my way back to where I belonged, if anything could.

[vedrskogul]

You'd have my permission to beat them up and leave their sorry arses in the snow. Aymeric's too. He's Lord Commander.

[ Tbh. Just volunteers this. But anyway, he sighs. ]

Sounds like her. Always hopeful and a dreamer for the best solutions, as impossible as any of them seemed.

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...you know her, then?

[she thought he must have, since it was drawn on... aymeric's memories? his memories? she saw them both there, so honestly, she's really not sure.]

I wonder if she and I would have gotten along in reality, or if whatever caused that adventure simply made it so that she would help me regardless because it wanted me somewhere specific and it was easiest to have her lead...

[vedrskogul]

Aye. Not well, when she was alive. The lessons she taught me only sank in afterwards.

[ Somber and calm, voice even. ]

Lady Iceheart, the leader of the heretics, she who dreamt a dream of an age far past when dragon and man lived in peace, held upon her faith in Saint Shiva and the Saint's lover, great wyrm Hraesvelgr.

Everything opposite of me, who only held onto life to fulfill my single goal of slaying Nidhogg, the terrible wyrm, Hraesvelgr's broodbrother.

She gave her life so that we may stop the war.

[ So, yeah. She would most definitely have helped Jiuqing. Ysayle isn't even here for real but this particular lesbian pair would be an honest dream.............. ]

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[when she was...

oh, no.

jiuqing brings a hand up to her mouth to cover a gasp.]