INTRODUCTION

[petoskeymods]

INTRODUCTION

A sound wakes you up, muffled yet somehow near - the sound of a trumpet being played, from somewhere outside the building you're in. There's no fog, no headache as you greet a new day - only the confusion of being in an unfamiliar cabin, lying on top of an unfamiliar bunk bed in somewhere that is certainly not where you last closed your eyes. You're also pretty sure you weren't wearing this outfit before you somehow arrived here - so that's an uncomfortable thought. Yet, the cabin you're in is comfortable, but looking in the steamer trunks near the bunks will only result in finding normal toiletry items and sets of underwear and more of the same strange uniform. Your personal items have been stripped away - well, in the cases they're not absolutely essential for you to live.

Stepping outside, you find yourself in a very forested (and ungodly humid) area, outlooking a wide lake - there's cabins and other buildings next to yours, but the main thing that'll most likely attract attention are the three adults standing out in front of the largest building, bearing the name 'LODGE' on it in large letters. A woman, an older man, and a man in full priest garb, tooting away on a trumpet - your wakeup call, apparently. Just in front of them is a picnic table littered with markers and 'MY NAME IS' nametags.

Maybe you should go and demand some answers? Or will you just decide to explore...and try to find a way out of this weird camp?

Comments

[soylentprotag]

[Lenka comes rushing back from the lodge with one of the kitchen knives, skidding a little to a stop when he arrives. The number of people around Ren has definitely increased, so he stays on his feet for the moment as he does a quick visual check on the bleeding. It doesn't look too bad since he left. Good.

He does blink at the... redhead from back with the strawberries? Where did he come from?]

Do you need someone to hold him?

[Back to all business mode here. His bedside manner sucks, though, sorry.]

[le_mat]

Hold?

[His eyes widen and now he actually legit looks a little afraid.]

[soulcandy]

To hold your arm, so you don't move on accident and get hurt worse.

[Jeez guys, bedside manners!]

[bladeisme]

[...Welp. Hi Kon. Ichigo gives him one of his trademark scowls.

To Ren:]

Yeah, twins. I'm Ichigo, he's Kon.

[And then back to business - he looks at Lenka, and nods. Lenka might notice Ichigo is scowling, whereas the other one...well, Kon doesn't.]

We're going to have to get him into a sitting or lying position - and he's probably going to jerk around, so I could use the help.

[Time for liedowns, Ren. To Cielo: ]

Alright. I'll trust you - Do the best you can.

[velocirainbow]

... Ren.

[ Gently: ]

Listen, I ain't gonna lie. It's gonna hurt, but if you jus' healed it, it would get all messed up. I'm askin' you. Can... can you trust us? Can you let us help you?

[le_mat]

[He stares at Cielo. He just met these people, why should he trust them? But they are trying and... well, he still has Hope that people are good]

...okay. I warn you, I'm probably going to freak out - I... have some bad experiences with being held down so - just fight through it and do what you have to do, okay?

[soylentprotag]

[Ironically, it's kind of natural to scowl in this sort of situation, but he'll note it later when they're not busily trying to excavate a bullet. Lenka looks between Ichigo and Kon in confusion for a moment -- but twins makes sense, he just hasn't met any before, come to think of it -- right now the more the merrier on this mess.

The others are definitely better at this reassurance thing than he is, so he just lets them do their thing, lowering his voice a little in response to Ichigo's request:]

All right. I can do that. [his voice is calm, assured; he's definitely done this before] And...

[This one is to Ren, because he knows they're all strangers and there's no way to improve this situation without first worsening it. Quietly:]

We'll make it as quick as we can.

[bladeisme]

...It'll be alright, Ren.

[Ichigo nods at all of them, and gets into position - If Ren is lying down for this, it'll be easier on all of them. He'll brace one side, while Lenka braces the other.]

Alright. Does anyone have something he can bite down on?

[velocirainbow]

I've got it. Don't worry.

[ Cielo will lay him down gently as he can, and direct the others to hold his arm out for him. He'll hand Ren the scarf, and gently place it in his mouth. It's obvious he's meant to bite it. ]

Dis is so you don't... you know... bite off your tongue or somethin'.

[ ... All right. He'll get the knife from the others, exhale, and, as gently as he can while still applying enough force to dig out the bullet, use the knife to try to get it out.

It's... definitely gonna hurt. And he winces--he feels bad. No matter how many times he does this, he always feels bad. Now the question is, is the injury shallow or is it deeper? Because if it's shallow, they won't be here long, but if it's not... well. ]

[le_mat]

[Ren bites on the scarf and takes a few deep breaths. He's dealt with worse, and can't look too pathetically weak now.

When Cielo starts digging it's quickly clear it is deep in there, and Ren grunts, biting down as hard as he can]

[velocirainbow]

[ ... Yeah he can tell as much when he doesn't hit the bullet immediately, and he makes a face. ]

... Bro, I think it's lodged in your bone. Dey got you good. It musta been a seriously high-powered weapon. I can't make a guess on de kind until I look at de bullet, but... dis ain't no pistol injury.

[ Deep breath. Inhale. Okay. He's gonna have to really attack this. ]

... It's gonna be worse den it looked. Bear wid me.

[ And he's going to attempt to start actually digging in deep enough to get to the bone now. This is gonna really fucking hurt. ]

[killtheanimals]

[And then he turns his attention to the boys and...

Wrinkles his nose. Ew?]

You're seriously going to dig that out.

[A statement, not a question as he strides over to check out the scene. He may be eleven, but he doesn't seem as fazed about a gunshot wound as one might.]

[velocirainbow]

You bet I am. He's hurt, and even if you got magic to heal, it'd heal ova de bone. Dat'd be... real bad, brudda. Real bad news. Trust me.

[ He is not enjoying being bloody but HERE HE IS, OPERATING ON SOMEBODY. It's slowly coming out, though? ]

[killtheanimals]

[Gross.]

Stop. I can pull it out more cleanly, and I don't need a knife to do it.

[Gross.]

I have a spell that will work.

[velocirainbow]

Why in de heck did you wait dis long to say that?!

[ Oh he's pissed, sorry Mitsuru. ]

It better be able to get de bullet out. If it's just closing up de wounds, it ain't gonna work.

[killtheanimals]

Because I was busy dealing with everyone else hovering around here.

[Sorry Cielo, but there's a lot going on?? Still, he won't bother answering the effects of the spell, instead turning his attention to the wound. It's super gross, but he's seen worse.

This one doesn't even need an incantation. Instead, the bullet simply begins to pull itself out, and quickly at that - he's got no real desire to drag this out. His precision suffers a bit due to visibility and lack of experience with bullet wounds, but assuming nothing interrupts his work, the bullet will eventually pull itself into the air where it will float all nice and bloodily.

Gomen Ren that probably didn't feel real great but at least it wasn't a knife and also it's out now???]

[le_mat]

[Ren flicks his eyes between the two of them: that did sound better than a knife but- oh, yep, here we go. Ren screams around his gag as the bullet plops out and-

-well, night night Renren.]

[velocirainbow]

[ Welp. That works. He'll flick the knife out and sigh. ]

Thanks, I guess. What a mess. I knew it would be a bad idea to just bolt outside de perimeter. War 101, mon. De enemy captures you, dey gonna have defenses. Why de heck dey actin' like dey're our friends, I dunno. But dis just proves dey ain't.

[ ... All right. Tearing up his shirt to cover up the wound and staunch the bloodflow with a fresh bandage. ]

'E taken care of.

[fallbymyhands]

[well, sometime after this exchange]

Excuse me.

[Mitsuru's raises her voice slightly as she approaches, gun (Evoker) in hand]

If you step aside, I can heal him. You'll need to transport him back to his cabin afterwards so he can rest.

[sophistryking]

I see it's so bad that he has to be put out of his misery?

[He doesn't seem to worried though. What you going to do shoot him?]

[killtheanimals]

[Mitsuru hadn't even moved yet from his place near Ren's side when Kirijo shows up. Healing sounds like a fine idea to him, but then he lays eyes on the gun in her hand and...

Eyes wide, he staggers to his feet and away. Sorry, but he's no human shield, he is only eleven.]

[yunolikebugs]

[EXCUSE YOU IT LOOKS LIKE SHE HAS A GUN.

You have a freaked out wild-ish man running after her!]

WAIT! STOP! NO SHOOT REN AGAIN!

[He's shouting from the back of the crowd, so it might take a second for him to tackle her. Doesn't stop everyone else from doing it first.]

[bladeisme]

-!

[He doesn't tackle her like everyone else, but it's obvious when he places himself bodily in front of Ren, just in case, staring her down.]

And how are you going to do that?

[soylentprotag]

[He's been keeping quiet and loosely staying at his station by Ren up until Mitsuru (short) actually did his thing -- Lenka braces, carefully, before stepping back a little to let everyone breathe and to get a little distance himself. The smell of blood is familiar but still unpleasant, overpowering in close quarters.

So when Mitsuru (tall) steps up, Lenka just blinks at her and the gun (gun) in her hand, not registering the connection between that and healing. He does step between her and Ren for the moment, though.]

I think you should put down the gun first. If he wakes up with a gun next to him...

[That's apparently the important thing here.]

[velocirainbow]

[ ... The gun makes him really suspicious but it's the girl from before. And she seemed together. He's on-edge, though. ]

Jus'... you better have a good reason why you wanna be near 'em wid a gun after he jus' got shot. You sayin' you can heal him, and I believe you--I could too, if I'd switched me Mantra skills, but... I didn't think to, so now I can't.