video; un: newt | three days after battle / sans and finn's post!

[groupiedrifter]

[This entry to the feed is definitely not as happy and energetic as the first time he'd posted, way back before the mission began. At the moment, he's left it to video, especially since he wants everyone to see what he's got hidden away in his room; he's a bit beat up, much like he's sure a lot of others are after that monster tussle three days back: a big swelled bruise on one side of his forehead with six neat stitches running across his temple, a small sprain splint on his right-hand wrist, a bit of sleepiness in his eyes, like he's spent the day wringing his hands and hyper-fixating on something instead of catnapping.]

Newt here, hey. So... this has been all kinds of terrible, huh?

The whole — being duped thing. Hope we've had some time to absorb this awfully terrible conclusion.

I hope you're all recovering. Um... I'm not sure if anyone who was taken by those guards can hear me, but... Anyway. I'm sorry the Lord and Lady may be colossal assholes, or that we've been pretty much pitted against infected, angry citizens instead of the big bad monster army they tried to pitch to us. For the record? A few of us had to literally steal back these monster specimens I've got here, because the guards refused to let me keep even a baggie for analysis, despite it being our mission to help them stop this 'terrible enemy', so I admit, I kinda felt this was coming.

[Finger-quotes, obviously, followed by a biting of his lip. Then, a sharp breath, followed by gesturing-]

Let me back up. I've been studying some tissue samples from the fully infected monster samples, comparing them to my own healthy human cells, as well as some from the locals who inhabit the area, too; don't worry about how I got those. But also: turns out, as long as you can barter something cool, you can get a dude to give you some skin cells and a vial of blood, no problem.

Now, trials show that when someone who isn't native to this place is contaminated, the rate of infection moves at a much slower pace than it would to the natives here in Gyeongje. We're not impervious to it obviously, but we do have a tolerance to it that the people who live here definitely do not have. So I just wanted to get that data out of the way here.

[He switches the feed from himself to close-ups of what the microscope is recording: indeed, you can see the infection spreading through healthy human cells; the next shows the infection spreading through the local Gyeongje citizen cells... but the footage looks rather sped up, compared to the other recorded data. No doubt about it, the Orbers get sick much more slowly.]

It took approximately three days for the local Gyeongje man's skin samples to be fully engulfed by the contagion carried in the creatures' cells. I can verify that the monster tissue and the three day old infected civilian tissue are a match. Ghost girl's right on the money; these creatures are from this town, and are likely victims of not-so-unrelated plague that had hit this place and left parts of it abandoned.

[He clears his throat, adjusts his glasses.]

As you guys might've heard a few days ago from Finn, he was given some abilities by that gal, So-Yeon. The ghost chick? Her abilities are past onto him just enough that he can temporarily help treat those afflicted with the disease. The good news is, Finn's blood absolutely helped improve the state of the infected cells...! They essentially began to revert back to their usual selves when Finn's blood was introduced into the dish. So whatever she's got going on, it does fix the problem. The only issue is I can't manufacture anything that works long-term from Finn's blood; it has an unwritten expiration date, and the longer the blood is outside of Finn's body, the less effective it is.

So yes, it's a great short-term, and it could definitely slow the progression of the illness, but we won't get anywhere in fixing these people — and our people — without the source of what's in Finn's bloodstream. I feel confident, though, that this plague is truly reversible, and that a cure lies in the orb, and in So-Yeon's abilities. If you can speak with her, please do your crew a big ol' favor and ask her as much as you can about how this magic works. This might be a job best suited for the infected from our crew, though; I don't know how much she trusts the lot of us.

Also, what the hell is up with my personal goal being to kill one of these infected people, huh?

Thanks for nothing, Ximilia, great to know I almost murdered a sick person who needed help.

This sucks.

[After a long moment, he sighs, drags a hand down his face.]

Anyone ever hear the story of The Monkey's Paw?

It's probably just me, but I'm getting some serious Monkey's Paw vibes from The Golden Eye.

... Never mind, forget it. I just need a break from staring down this microscope.

I'm gonna get a drink, maybe. Anyone wanna come with?

If this stupid palace with all its fancy banquets is good for something, it's gotta be the liquor.

Comments

[coordination]

Hmmm.

[ He focuses on his drink, considering - and he's fine with whatever "that one" is if it's strong. Weaker things don't do much for a Coordinator, give him the dankest shit for him to feel it. ]

I assume if they really are that strong, then a whole bunch of them together can possibly do something like undo a bunch of our regrets.

What else that entails, I figure we'll find out along the way. Sabriel and I talked about that. Your study and her magic got us this far here - but those guards, and the royals, they didn't want you to have the chance to learn more about the monsters in the first place. We could have still been in the dark about a lot of this if we didn't take our own action. If we're completely barred from being able to do something similar with this orb when we get our hands on it, I'd be pretty suspicious of that.

[ He doesn't feel the need to lie about that - but he also feels that way in general, when it comes his own opinions. He's suspicious about a lot, after two wars full of suspicion and clawing his own way out the dark, be it alone or with some aid from his friends. ]

Being worried is good. It means you're not willing to be fucked with, lied to, or used as a pawn.

[ He takes a small swig of his drink - and seems pleased enough with it. It passes the Yzak Judgement Test. ]

Would you be able to say right now that you'd know exactly what to do if there was some shady stipulation attached to this whole thing that we weren't told about? The fact that we don't know if something like that even exists yet means we don't have much of a choice but to continue down the path we're on right now until we learn more. Thankfully, though, paths can be corrected if you realize the one ahead of you is going somewhere bad.

[groupiedrifter]

[He smiles, but it's more of a wince.]

Yeahhhhh, that's a good point. It's not like we're awful people if we ended up working for an awful group, right? If they lie by omission about whatever it is they get out of this, anyway. Or are we culpable for our gullibility? Who's to say.

[He takes off his glasses, rubs the lens with his shirt.]

Oh, man... My dad loved that old gem 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions'. Yeesh.

[coordination]

A saying we've all heard. And from what I've gathered of this crew, experienced firsthand in most cases.

But you're right. I'd say we're only awful people if we decide to go along with clearly awful things. [ Of course there's a whole other discussion to be had about things that aren't as clear - the varying shades of grey that most situations are. Nothing is ever that simply black or white. It's something Yzak continuously keeps his own eyes on, because he's gone down those bad paths before.

He watches Newt do that, and then asks: ]

How's your hand, by the way? And your head.

[groupiedrifter]

[Newt blinks, holds up the splinted wrist to eyeball it.]

Totally hurts like a bitch. But the good news is, I think that little concussion I accumulated from violently hugging that pillar back there is finally gone.

[He runs his good hand over his hairline, shaking his head in disappointment.]

Hard lesson in learning I really have no clue how to fight outside of a bar.

... Not that I've ever won those, either, but I at least had a hell of a lot more tenacity.

[coordination]

[ Yzak would hOPE he is no longer concussed if he's out here having drinks, Newt p l e a s e. ]

Alcohol does make people a bit more tenacious . [ He sounds like tenacious can be synonymous with stupid in this case, when he says that. ] But I wouldn't compare a bar brawl with something like what happened.

Simple self-defense and self-preservation aren't hard to learn, though. And in your case it'd be worth considering so you don't end up concussed one day to a point where you wouldn't be able to do what you've done here.

[groupiedrifter]

[Would you honestly be surprised if he were???? Really???]

Yeah, that'd be unfortunate, huh? Last thing I need is to lose the thing that people keep me around for. [He snorts, leans in.] You think you can show me some defense moves, then? You're a soldier-type, right? Teach me a move or two! Teach me how to be one with my inner Jet Li or Stone Cold Steven Austin!

[Perfectly logical examples to pull right off the top of your head.]

[coordination]

[ Maybe a little because NEWT WE NEED YOUR BRAIN HERE, PLEASE UNDERSTAND, PLEASE TAKE CARE OF IT. ]

You're right. I've been in the military since I was sixteen. So if you're serious about learning, I can do that.

—But, don't expect me to go easy on you! Because nothing in a real situation will do that!

[groupiedrifter]

[Geez, talk about real child soldier material...!]

Kinda young to be pulling people into war, huh?

You sure I can't kick your butt? What if I have to go easy on you?

[Judging by his impish smile, he knows full-well he's gonna get his ass kicked.]

[coordination]

Hardly, by our standards.

[ It's true that one (of many) things Yzak takes pride in, is that he's not considered a 'child' by Coordinator standards, even when he was at that age. He's had teammates younger than even that, after all.

And yet, there's a stretch of silence after he says that. Because all personal pride aside, it's not like he doesn't realize it himself. ]

Not that it makes it any less bullshit when soldiers that had so many years of living ahead of them fall in battle.

[ He's cursed for knowing many, and lucky for still being alive himself. Death has been something Yzak has danced dangerously close to more than once.

He takes another sip of his drink, and then glares at Newton.

Yes, he can tell he's not being serious.

But also no, Yzak does not possess a real sense of humor. ]

You go easy on me!?

Give me a break! Are you sure you're not still concussed saying stupid shit like that!?

[groupiedrifter]

[Yzak, that's a fucking buzzkill of a statement if ever he heard one.

... But it's also true. He tries not to think too hard about like like Chuck or the Wei Tang Brothers, who were younger than him and, quite frankly, deserved to live long lives into retirement. Even Chuck, who was a big pain in the ass — he wasn't as bad as people made him out to be. Ego up the wazoo, but he always did what was ultimately right.

So many lost lives. The Kaidonovskys, Marshall Pentecost — and a sea of pilots before that. Raleigh retired for that very reason, didn't he? Ahhh. Shit, that's heavy. He changes up the conversation into something easier: him getting his ass kicked.]

Hey, don't go underestimating me because I'm not some 6'4" jaeger pilot!

I almost bit a kid's finger off in primary school! You better watch that pinky finger.

[coordination]

[ This is why buzzkills like Yzak might have a natural gravitation toward people like Newton, who are much better at steering things toward more of a lighthearted territory.

He does automatically pull in his pinky finger when he says that. Sind Yzak is a 100% a pinky out drinker. ]

You bite me and I'll kill you!

—not that biting isn't excusable when you're in a desperate situation. But I had less barbaric ideas in mind for this!

[ Oh he's gonna have fun with this tiny little nerd man now. ]

[groupiedrifter]

[He holds up a finger.]

... If you kill me, that'll just waste all the time you took teaching me stuff.

[Checkmate.]

What kind of ideas? I'm not gonna break any bones, am I? I like my bones unbroken.

[coordination]

[ Stop using LOGIC on his empty threats!! ]

What did I just say about not being barbaric? Of course I'm not going to actually hurt you! There's a big difference between hurting someone and just roughing them up a bit during training!

[ He seems to unbristle some as he gets into it - since he gets like an angry hissy cat when he's teased. Or when he feels inconvenienced. So bascially extremely often. ]

Of course these defensive actions are against humans. Though I would guess that as long as someone is vaguely human shaped, there'll be enough similarities. Not to mention once you get used to spotting weaknesses, you'll be able to tell that sort of thing depending on how something carries itself and moves no matter what it is.

... have you ever handled anything like a smoke bomb? Those are useful, too, if you're looking into defense and ways out of situations.

[groupiedrifter]

[Ah, yes. The old 'roughing up =/= hurting someone' line. He's heard that before, dude!!! It hurts anyway!!! But he's quickly distracted by being offended instead, putting a hand to his chest in mock indignation.]

... I was a teenager once. Of course I know how to use a smoke bomb.

I also know how to use a gun; shocking, I know, but that's kind of mandatory training. Not that I'd ever carry one around — I'd probably just end up shooting myself in the foot.

[coordination]

Part of weapons training like that should have also taught you how to properly carry and handle said weapons. What the hell? Shooting yourself in the foot would be an amateur's mistake!

[ But, he rolls on. Even if training was mandatory for Newton, he understands that not everyone wants to have that kind of deadly power in their hands. ]

But handling something like a smoke bomb properly is important, too. And easy enough to learn so you're not setting it off too early or damaging it.

Either way, once your injuries heal up more, we can get started. So make sure you don't fuck yourself up more by accident while we're on this mission!

[groupiedrifter]

I won't, I won't! I'll be good and stay out of the firefights.

[He says, unaware that he will end up thrust into the firefights later on, caught up in a throng of monsters heading for the city. It's fine, it's fiiiine. Hasn't happened yet, so doesn't count as a lie.

Smiling, he holds up his glass.]

A toast to not getting any more fucked up on this mission! For luck!

[Sheesh.]

[coordination]

That's something I can toast to.

[ Clink clink, Newt! ]