welcome_rpg | welcome to mayfield: day 3

You're not going to get very far.

[This was to Charles; he'll do what Ciel asks without any complaint; however, he will lean against one of the broken mirrors to avoid putting weight on his leg. It steadily hurt, and was definitely worse than he imagined now that he's able to look at it.]

I'm not the one who managed to get burnt. [he doesn't know if it was fire or acid or something else entire but wow, did it ever smell like ruined flesh. his tone is rather disdainful and he lifts his chin in a small display of haughty arrogance. yep, even now...

but he'll be stopping as soon as he feels Ciel's hand on his shoulder, turning his face from Holland to her. he can hear the faint crinkle of paper, and his nose wrinkles.]

This is going to prove itself problematic quickly.

[She halts her movement at Charles' words.

...'Problematic'?

She already reasoned out the various possibilities that may cause such a change in his demeanor. She didn't jump to any conclusions because she didn't want to assume, but with the sound of this...

She turns around towards Holland. Holding back the folded note in her palm, she'll gingerly rest her outstretched index and middle finger on Charles' temple. Not going to touch his eyes, obviously, but the proximity should be enough to convey the gesture's question. 'Is there something wrong with his sight'? Because if so, that would indeed be among the most difficult outcomes they could find themselves in, in which case...

As long as Charles sticks with them. She's going to take a closer look at Holland's wound right after Charles gives an answer to her wordless inquiry; no use lingering on something she's powerless against. Holland's wound might be caused by the town, but trying to heal it may still be worth a shot.]

It's not. . . it's not exactly burnt, I don't think. . .

[He really didn't know; it felt like something was digging into his leg, though that sensation had largely stopped once he held still; there's a reddish, brownish splotch over his thigh, pretty much looking as though someone had spilled something on it; the brown is about the color of his trousers, though darker as the fabric fused to his skin, and he definitely has not wanted to touch it to see what it feels like. Even the smallest movements felt like someone was digging a knife into his thigh. He'll warn Ciel.]

I don't think you should touch it. We should get outside.

Edited 2012-07-12 00:05 (UTC)

[even if the touch is gentle, his irritation is enough to have him brushing her hand away instantly. the message is conveyed, though. he seems somewhat reluctant to admit it (showing weakness is showing weakness after all), but like there's any way he could hide this from Ciel for an extended period of time. he wouldn't even be able to manage that if she didn't have to use correspondence he can no longer read.] I believe some of the gas got into my eyes. [and rather than say anything further, he simply passes his hands in front of his eyes without blinking to indicate just how poor (or nonexistent) his vision currently is.

and then, in Holland's direction:] Getting outside would be in our best interest, yes. [this said in a very 'it's not like I've been suggesting that this whole time or anything!!' tone...]

Edited 2012-07-12 00:35 (UTC)

[Ah, so that's it.

She doesn't insist on keeping hold of Charles, but if they were both quiet, they might hear her make a small sound of frustration from her throat. Letting go of Charles, she'll open the note that was originally addressed to Charles, flip the paper to the other side where the page is still blank, and get writing after giving Holland a sharp and cautionary gaze. The next note is for him, so he better wait up:

I can't speak and Charles can no longer see. I apologize for the inconvenience, but you will have to help us communicate. You're not well enough to walk on your own; please hold onto my shoulder for support until we get out. Tell Charles that I'll keep my other hand on his shoulder to direct him. I'll treat your wound once we exit this place. Is that acceptable?

If it reads like an order? That's because it sorta is one, yes, even if it's politely worded and there's that question at the end... She's giving him a very sober stare. He might've never met or got to know her well before, but that look is definitely one of someone who knows perfectly what they're doing.]

[He'll read it, then look at her with some curiousity, almost as if to ask what happened to her.

But there's not really any time for that at the moment; he'll stand up and take a few steps as a test. ]

I should be okay if you're there for balance.

[It wasn't as if it were a long distance; now he'll talk to Charles.]

Charles, the hand on your shoulder is hers and she'll tell you where to go.

I'm aware. [but it's more weary-sounding than irritated now, like he's already tired of their attempts to make it out of the maze without looking like a band of morons even if they haven't even started moving yet.

...allow him to fix that, actually. yep blindbeard over here is just going to try leading the party someone tell him this is a bad idea.]

[she hasn't told anyone, Holland. He doesn't have good odds of getting an answer... but yes, if he insists on asking, that can still wait till later.

Nodding, she'll step up next to him - put his arm around her shoulder or something, that ought to be enough--

--and Charles...

Son you're not going anywhere!! The puppy legit needs a leash this time, so Ciel will be latching onto his shoulder and stopping him by exerting a small amount of force with digging her nails into him before he can walk headfirst into something. But it's just to pressure and yank him back; there's far from being enough strength to cause pain or discomfort.

She'll look back towards Holland. Ready when he is, and she'll start to steer Charles by giving a gentle push forward this time. Who cares how they look, as long as they get out of here okay. :|]

[He can hobble pretty pathetically, and he'll follow after them with the occasional gritting of his teeth as he makes his way through the glass. Every so often, Ciel will feel him hold her arm a little tighter, and only once they're out does he put much more of his weight on her shoulders, catching his breath.

After a moment though, he'll take one more breath and then sigh deeply. He'd definitely had worse, so much pain that it was all he could ever think about from one second to the next.

This wasn't that. The look he gives Ciel is a bit apologetic as he lets go of her.]

[he actually manages to pick his way through the maze pretty gracefully for being blind as a bat, though being honest it's mostly because of Ciel's patient guiding. even if his hearing is above-average, a glass-and-frame covered terrain isn't exactly easy to navigate. maybe next time he'll keep his mirror breaking escapades to a smaller area...

as soon as he feels the warmth of the sun outside, he moves to step away from her hand without so much as a word of thanks. it's not like he's really grateful for what she just did or anything!!]

Well that was a thoroughly fruitless endeavor. It's the first time I've seen anything outside of one of our own here, though. Hazmats again, hm? [his brow furrows, and while he's speaking he absently shifts his head skyward, blinking rapidly in an attempt to clear his vision.]

[He may or may not notice that she's pretty flexible and mindful of his state. She'd try to adjust her pace whenever he seems to be in a pang of pain more severe than what he can take, staying vigilant whenever there's something she can do to make the walk a bit easier for him. Gonna continue keeping an eye out on Charles too, she's prone to give harder yanks sometimes and steer him aside when he's either going to step on too much glass or getting close to ramming his head into something... She has eyes of course so they definitely wouldn't get into any close shaves with sharp broken mirror fragments!! Not even straying close, we're not sustaining any more injuries than everyone's already got, okay.

Charles might actually even be able to tell the exit is coming close before he can feel the sun; Ciel's grip will slacken more than it ever has, and he'll break free effortlessly once they're completely out. It's fine, it's fine. She'd figure that he would want his own bubble back!

She's going to keep listening to him, but her focus is back on Holland. No Holland you're getting help sitting down on the floor before she lets go. On her knees now next to him, she's gonna write a note to him while Charles talks:

Please stretch out your leg the best you can, I should be able to do something for it.

She'll set down the bag she also carried around her neck after handing him the paper, taking out a first aid kit. It's complete with a pair of scissors, a bottle of disinfectant alcohol, cotton nubs, some bandage, and... a roll of red cloth? Either way, she definitely looks well-geared - for good reasons, as they're all coming to be useful now.]

Edited 2012-07-12 04:06 (UTC)

I really don't think you should touch it.

[He'll go so far as to simply slide away, and move his leg away slightly with a wince. He really wouldn't want any of whatever that thing had sprayed at him to get on her in any way.]

I think it would still hurt if it got on you.

[He won't resist if she insists, though.]

[he's turning to face their direction curiously, but otherwise remains silent. being left out of the loop sucks!! though he has a feeling Ciel's busting out her ridiculous medic skills or something similar, what with the noises and accompanying fretful complaints from Holland, and he puts his hands on his hips.]

It couldn't hurt to let her give it a try. She's sturdier and more competent than she looks. [that might just be a vague respectful compliment under the insult...]

[She'll vaguely gesture with her hand for him to settle down, it'll be fine, she knows what she's doing. Yes, she insists, so if he'll let her (or watch out himself so she doesn't accidentally cut him instead), she'll start by cutting open the sleeve of his pants to get a better idea of just what this wound is. Fabric comes off to reveal skin. That... thing doesn't, though Ciel is precise enough to not have to touch that area even as she works to expose the real whole of the affected zone of flesh on Holland's thigh.

Gonna hover her hand above his knee now and cast her spiritual healing. It'll lessen the pain, heal the human tissues, and numb the nerves at least, a temporary measure for the time being. Next she'll unwrap that roll of red cloth she was carrying, and raising his leg, attach it at his upper tight above where he got sprayed. She won't tie it gently either, being rather firm as she pulls the two ends together. It might cause him to wince, but the moment after...

Holland'll find that he won't feel his wounded leg anymore at all. It was quick, but with that, she's practically ready to operate on the spot if that's what she needed to do. Given that the nature of this spray is still quite mysterious, she won't do anything rash, but she will be leaning closer with narrowed eyes to get a better look. Charles' comment was amusing, and in any other time she would've responded with a chuckle and a pat on his head, because omigosh a compliment from Charles really truly!? But now, the focus is Holland and his injury.

...And yes, if it wasn't obvious already, she's meshing medicare knowledge with 'magic'. It works, alright!!]

Edited 2012-07-12 06:11 (UTC)

[No more complaints then . . . ]

Nnh-

[Except for that one when she pulls tight. But once he realizes the pain is gone, he'll give her a look that's somewhere between satisfied and astonished. Whatever healing ability she had was so incredibly useful. . . he'll remark to Charles.]

She's more than competent.

[It's hard to tell if he simply wanted to disagree, but he does look impressed. Now that he has a better look at the brownish splotch on his leg and can see how the fabric of his pants had melded into the skin, he'll make a face, a bit disgusted. ]

Edited 2012-07-12 06:53 (UTC)

[he simply gives Holland a knowing (and still somehow smug) smile in reply to that. he knows she's more than competent! she's the only person in Mayfield to successfully kick his ass and then turn around and heal him with even more precision than his own brand of healing could manage at the time...

there's a certain amount of pride in his expression, almost like he's being complimented by association, but he'll turn away from the two of them after that with little else to say.]

Edited (coherency...) 2012-07-12 08:23 (UTC)

[charles no WHY ARE YOU PROUD OF IT...

She's too focused on examining the wound to look up, but just feeling the smugness crashing in waves from Charles' direction is giving her a subtle case of heavy secondhand embarrassment. DON'T GET HER WRONG this is very flattering! And she'd definitely openly show a positive reception if things weren't like this right now! But still...

(also does she really look that innocuous ~~though yes the usual chipper moe outlook does help tremendously in disguising just how utterly terrifying she has the potential to become~~...)

Gonna pull back a bit and write a line before handing her notepad to Holland:

As a precaution, please let me know immediately if your leg starts feeling anything at all, though it shouldn't. This set aside, have you been affected anywhere else? Check all your senses too, if possible.

That question is posed also as a distraction. Because the quickest way to get an idea of just wtf happened there is to try cutting into the flesh, she does plan to make an incision. Advising him to look away would just attract his attention, so let's try to get away with it without his notice while she reaches for and cracks open the small case containing a clean portable surgery knife. She's only going to make a few millimeters deep cut; just enough to check how much the composition of the affected area has changed from a normal person's biology. Making clean cuts and healing it would be super simple, she can be fast and discreet with both and make it off as it never happened. If it's some sort of weird new material that his skin, blood and flesh has been changed into, on the other hand...

Then she'd just have to resort to a temporary solution that'll last him until they get out of here. It may be hoping for too much, but she's got a feeling this injury will be easier to treat once they return to the normal Mayfield. She'll have more resources too, not to mention. So for now...

Is he gonna be focused elsewhere? She only needs a brief second or two.]

[He will test his senses just like she asked, so that will distract him a bit. When he'd seen and had worse, he could hardly care; he knew she was trying to help.

He knew Charles had a more sensitive sense of smell, and really all the other's senses were likely much more keen than Holland's. Still when she tells him to check his senses, he realizes he couldn't smell any kind of smell from the injury, and when he checks further he realizes he can't smell at all, nor could he taste.

They weren't as vital as his sight and hearing, but it's still disconcerting. After he checks that, he'll watch Ciel, surprised that he doesn't feel a thing, and then he gets slightly worried.]

You definitely did that, right? Made it so I can't feel anything? I shouldn't be feeling any pain and that's because of you, right? I don't feel anything at all.

[Not because, for example, he lost that sense too.]

Edited 2012-07-12 15:00 (UTC)

[shh he can be second-hand embarrassing all the wants!! this is the payment due because you managed to get on his good side, Ciel...

and while his vision may be gone, his sense of smell is still above the level of the average human. the smell of blood released after Ciel makes the incision is what draws his attention, but there's a faint undertone of something else - something vaguely familiar - and it makes the smug smile fade into an expression of muted curiosity.]

What happened to your leg, anyway?

[CHARLES...

--Oh. Yeah, she manages to draw some blood, but this...

It's not flesh. At least, not completely flesh. The material is... No, she can't identify it, though odds are even if she could, it wouldn't help them any. Whatever this is, it's part of Holland's biology now, and trying to cut that off...

She won't risk it, not here, not now.

Quickly casting a heal to close the cut, wiping the wound clean, and putting the knife away, she nods. Pulling back, she'll get to adding a few extra line under her previous note:

The red cloth has magical properties, I've used it in conjunction with another spell to temporarily cut off response from your leg's pain receptors. You can pinch yourself if you're concerned about anywhere else. How are the rest of your senses?

And can't answer Charles unfortunately, nope... "red cloth" sounds better than "Burial Cloth", and "magic" is the simplest way to describe what she's doing. Hopefully that'll do, this isn't the time to explain the technicalities.]

Edited 2012-07-14 00:41 (UTC)

[He's more looking at what she does to his leg; it doesn't go unnoticed that she doesn't seem to be able to do much about what's happened to the flesh there. ]

I just . . . I can't smell or taste anything. I wanted to make sure I could still touch too.

There was gas coming out of it, but it sprayed more and that's what got my leg.

[oh, he was actually right about rushing in there being a death trap? what a surprise!! this sentiment in its entirety is all conveyed in Holland's general direction with about the flattest look Charles can muster...]

You're fortunate you didn't lose an entire leg in the process.

[She presses her pen against her chin for a little, and gets to writing again after a beat.

That gas neutralized your senses. You've had a larger intake than Charles, correct? That would explain why you have both smell and taste affected. As for your leg, it's transformed into a different kind of material entirely. I've healed the biological tissues surrounding it, but I won't risk doing anything else for the time being. There's a good chance that this may wear off once we return to the usual Mayfield, I can check back with you and do a follow-up for this once we're out if you'd like. Within the next hour, the sensitivity of your nerves will be restored to 30%, enough to stifle major pains while keeping you aware to not over-exert yourself. You should be able to walk, a makeshift cane will also be easy to craft. Do you have any questions about this?

She's being pretty clinical about it, at least, and incoming disdain from Charles' direction once more... but focus on Holland now, yes.]

[He'll lift a brow as he reads, glancing from her to the paper a few times. It was just a bit disturbing, that she couldn't remove the substance. However, it was true what she said; he didn't feel anything in his leg anymore.]

I wouldn't mind a follow-up. Thanks for helping my leg.

[He'll touch the red cloth.]

Do you need this back?

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