eastbound | [Video; UN: heavenly four seasons]

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[Video; UN: heavenly four seasons]

[He sits before a mirror, smoothing his hair into a tight top-knot. His expression is cold. Blank. A bottle of something strong - liquor most likely - sits on the table before him, half-full. Pushing himself onto his feet, Zishu rises and takes another, smaller, bottle from his robes, downing the contents in one swig.]

Welcome to all of the new faces. I must ask, shamefully, if any healers have arrived since my last request?

My name is Zhou Zishu and should you find yourself in danger, please feel free to call upon me. I will not fail you.

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I should be dead. [It should have happened months ago.] Magic...healing...keeps me alive. But the pain makes my days and nights difficult.

Then I will help in any way I can.

[He keeps rubbing warmth into Zhou Zishu's hand, as if this conversation isn't something with which to argue.]

I may not be able to heal you or make things much better when it comes to your body, but I can offer small comforts. Food, a blanket, conversation...any of it. You do not have to suffer alone needlessly.

I believe you. [He exhales and smiles at the effort. Bringing one of Xingchen's hands to his chest, he bows his head.] I'm very blessed to have your companionship. It does me more good than you realize. If I reach my limit, I will let you know. I'm sure you can help me.

[Ever pliant in the hands of those he trusts, Xingchen lets Zhou Zishu move him as he will. But he also breathes a little easier at the reassurance. Good.

Of course, whether or not Zhou Zishu actually follows through is another matter entirely.]

See? I told you I was stubborn.

Everyone makes mistakes. What's yours?

[ There's no shame here. And no apology. ]

Do you think the volcano is what's kept you alive this far? The dark waters?

...if you're not well, should you really be drinking?

[She doesn't sound scolding but worried. Look, she's assuming here but she knows from back home that sometimes alcohol is how adults deal with adult issues, but it's is supposed to be bad for you, right?]

[Cute. Impossibly, unfairly cute. Zishu can't stop himself from beaming, ignoring how exhausted he feels. No, exhausted isn't the right word. Hollow would be better. Like his inner fire has been blown out.]

I give up. Your stubbornness has conquered me.

I embedded nails into my meridians. [And if that isn't bad enough...] I then expelled them all at once.

Healers have helped me and I don't think the volcano hurt. [Besides the burns.]

I have yet to find anything else that numbs the pain.

[Unfortunately. He knows it's bad for him, but with how he has tortured himself, it won't be what kills him.]

Meridians? That's Eastern medicine?

[ Don't ask her what it means, other than it's generally a bad idea to poke yourself full of nails then dig 'em out again. But her own methods are a mix of traditional and witchcraft, so maybe it isn't that far removed. ]

It won't hurt to have a look.

Is it only pain you deal with or something... more?

[Huh.]

What is the cause of the pain? Um, that is...I'm not a healer and you should definitely find someone who can help solve the actual problem! [She is definitely not a doctor and this is not medical advice!!] But, depending on what it is, if it's just pain I can probably help with that?

Each person, to my knowledge, has physical meridians and spiritual meridians. The physical meridians keep the vital organs functioning.

[So guess what the nails did.]

I embedded the nails in both my physical meridians and spiritual meridians.

My body is dying.

I'm not sure I want to say. [Not to someone so young and innocent anyway.] I am searching for healers. I don't know if a solution exists, but I'll try.

It's more than pain.

I think we might use different words.

[ She's scrutinizing him through the screen again. ]

Physical wounds can usually be healed. Anything spiritual's probably between you and someone else.

Oh, well, that's okay too. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be nosy...

[She isn't sure if apologizing is the right call but it doesn't seem like it could be wrong to apologize!]

What I mean is...I can't help with anything else, but I have a way to help manage the pain that's probably healthier than drinking. It's just, if the pain is caused by something like broken bones it might do more harm than good, that's all.

[Because all she can really do is make your brain think you don't feel pain or isn't injured but illusions created by hypno are, at the end of the day, still illusions. Walking on a broken leg because you don't feel pain will only make it worse in the long run.

She offers this, without having thought of a way to lie about it yet because she's also trying to hide that she has powers like this.]

I'm sure that someone here can stop it. Or have an idea of how to.

I'm not surprised since we likely come from different worlds.

[But the ideas must be similar? He hopes?]

No. The spiritual meridians lie within the body. They are what martial artists cultivate.

I hope so. I was making progress when my Lao Wen was here. Since he disappeared, I have begun to deteriorate again.

You are welcome to ask me any questions you wish. I just don't want to burden you unnecessarily.

[He cares far too much about the youth to accidentally give her nightmares.]

I'm not sure I follow. Why would taking the pain away be dangerous?

[With him, he could push himself too hard if he felt no pain. But he also wouldn't regret helping or protecting another even if he paid for it dearly.]

Oh! That's okay! I just want to help.

[Also, it's fine. She has enough stuff to fuel nightmares for a lifetime. What's one more thing?]

Well, I can only take away the feeling of pain, it doesn't actually address the original issue that caused the pain to begin with. [And it wasn't even like painkillers where it's numbed, she knows. She can make it feel like the body is entirely healthy. And while she can apply the theory in reverse to cause a body to die it doesn't cause it to heal.

She pressed a finger to her lips, thoughtful.]

It's like, if you leg was broken but you don't feel the pain you might end up putting more weight on it and cause the problem to become worse...something like that, I guess?

[Nevermind that depending on how things are, the way she can fool the brain into thinking there was no pain was different as well...]

[He pats Zhou Zishu's chest gently a few times in acknowledgment and general companionship.]

Are you hungry? I think I can grab something from the kitchen without too much trouble.

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