Day 288

[polariity]

Who: The Helmsman and you
Open: Open
When: Day 288
Where: By the entrance to the Skyway
What: The Helmsman ventures out and comes back with some shinies he's heard so much about.
Format: Any
Warnings: The usual difficulties that come with chatting it up with him

Regardless of the tension that's flared up because of recent discussions, it seems as though the Helmsman's schedule hasn't changed particularly greatly. Today, just like every other day, he ventures outwards from the Tower. Unlike every other day, however, he doesn't venture off onto Dragonfield or wander about the Bastion or lay face down on the grass. Instead, when he shows up again, it's from the direction of the Skyway and a bruise blossoming on one side of his face.

And then he lays down on the grass where anyone could step on him.

At least it's not just laying, this time. Sparks of red and blue lift up tiny little shards for him to inspect curiously. For anyone in the area, he's not hard to miss.

Comments

[bakegarasu]

Otoha stops as he notices someone in the grass, and heads inside the Hospital again for a minute. When he comes out, he's got a bowl with some water in it and a small towel, and he crouches near him.

"Here. Put the towel in the water for a minute and then put the towel against your face. Bruise is going to be nasty if you don't."

[polariity]

Oh. Well, that's a new face, or at least someone Psii hasn't particularly dealt with face to face. The shard he's toying with gets lowered as he looks over to Otoha. There's a tilt of his head towards that last sentence. Sorry, what?

It seems he hasn't even noticed he's bruised up...

[bakegarasu]

He touches his own face where the bruise is on Psii's. "Right there. Can you not feel it or something?"

[polariity]

Carefully, he raises his hand to touch where is being indicated. It really doesn't seem like he can feel it much, or, if he can, it simply isn't registering. In fact, he presses even harder against it and it's only when it looks like his claws might puncture through skin does he pause with a kind of 'oh' expression on his face and pulls his hand away.

Sorry, Otoha. His sense of pain is a bit.... off.

[bakegarasu]

It's okay, Otoha doesn't have it at all.

"... I can't feel pain. I know what that's like. You should still take care of it."

He gestures to the bowl and towel again.

[polariity]

There's an utterly uncaring shrug, but he still complies. The towel gets surrounded in the same glow that was toying with the shards a moment ago, dipping in the water and squeezing it out accordingly before he presses it against his face. There's been no use of his hands so far although considering the state of his limbs in general, it's probably not possible to begin with.

[bakegarasu]

He watches, a little interested, and sits back. "You got a name?"

He might as well ask, at least.

[polariity]

There's a nod, but then his hand gestures straight across his throat. He has one, but there's no way he's going to be able to get it across. Learning to talk would be good right around now... But it's something he's being particularly stubborn about.

[bakegarasu]

"... That's fine."

It doesn't really matter, with how few people are here. It's not like this guy is hard to miss. He's not really big on talking, either. ... He looks down at the shards and nods.

"Looks like you've got a decent haul for today."

[polariity]

He follows the other man's gaze, giving a shrug as the entirety of the shard haul is lifted up in glowing psionics to twist each one around curiously. He's not sure if this is good or not- this is his first time getting it on his own. Disciple, after all, doesn't like it when he ventures alone.

After a moment, he points back to Otoha. It's a gesture that, admittedly, could mean anything.

[bakegarasu]

"It's a pretty good haul."

He just tilts his head a little. He doesn't get the gesture. He needs a little more context for this one.

[polariity]

Miming is such a motherfucker. There's a faintly annoyed sound in the Helmsman's throat before he tries again. Psi forms jagged letters in Alternian over his head- his title although he doesn't expect it to be understood.

In contrast, if Otoha looks up over his own head to where he's now pointing, he'll find just a question mark.

[bakegarasu]

"... Oh. My name's Otoha."

Is that what he was asking? He has no real clue.

[polariity]

Judging by the thumbs up, Otoha has gotten it, and the psi fades away. Next is a point to the towel he has on his face and the symbol of a clock.

So... how long does he have to deal with this?

[bakegarasu]

Oh.

"Give it a few minutes and it should reduce the swelling." He thinks. Maybe? That sounds right. He never paid much attention to it either but if he's going to act as some kind of doctor he should at least try.

[polariity]

So just that long... He nods. That sounds like enough time he can waste before Disciple starts to worry. With that decided, he lays back down, but his eyes stay locked on Otoha curiously.

[bakegarasu]

He just tilts his head but doesn't say anything. After a few moments, he flops over, too.

... The grass is kind of nice. It's not that he'd never felt grass as a kid but living in a city kind of limits the green spaces you can find.

[polariity]

For that, Otoha will find a thin hand smacking him lightly against the shoulder in congratulations.

Yes, good human. Enjoy the grass.

[bakegarasu]

He jerks his head to the side - oh. Yeah, okay.

"There's parks at home, but I never spent much time in them."

[polariity]

Parks? Oh. A city-person. He remembers how it was like to be that kind of troll, before he got trapped in that den of seawater and biowiring.

Another symbol, this time a question mark once more.

[bakegarasu]

"... Why? Oh. I was busy. My brother ran... an organization that did a lot of illegal things, and they needed someone to take out rivals."

He doesn't really care how bad that makes him sound. Whatever. People can make their own judgements. It doesn't matter to him.

[polariity]

If there's anyone who doesn't care, it's the Helmsman. There's just a shrug. Worst things happened on Alternia. What Otoha is describing is downright mild. Common sense, honestly, by Alternian standards.

But he still raises an eyebrow, the question mark shifting into a rapidly spinning clock. No time to even visit a park? Seriously?

[bakegarasu]

"I guess I could have, I just wasn't really interested. Most of the green spaces had temples all around them and I wasn't exactly interested for a long time."

He chuckles, amused at the thought. "Now I'm supposed to be protecting those kinds of places."

[polariity]

And the question mark again.

It's a bit of a change, after all, and he's moderately curious as to what brought it about. Taking out rivals for someone close to you, and then protecting temples, or whatever? It's quite a change.

[bakegarasu]

It's reasonable to question that kind of thing.

"I got recruited. Kind of. I would have died otherwise, so..."

He's still not sure if he's okay with it, but he can't exactly change it.