eastbound | un: white pawn; video

Entry tags:

un: white pawn; video

[Anduin appears in the image, looking tired and more than a little blood-spattered. Don't worry. None of it is his...

He offers the flash of an exhausted smile before just getting on with it:]

My apologies, I fear I am out of practice with this. In the hope of appealing to your better nature, I am putting out a call for aid.

[Anduin's expression sobers.]

If you have spent any time down in the Wards at all then you understand the conditions there are very poor. Crown Prince Haiva has informed me that the King has dedicated a third of their army to the city’s most vulnerable and the evacuation attempts, but...

The more attacks this city should suffer, the less they will be able to spare for what is already considered by some to be a waste of resources.

I understand that we all have our own very vital assignments to undertake in this conflict. I would implore you however, in the coming few days, to give of whatever time you might have and help us prepare for the next few waves of evacuations. These people need to escape this mountain if we wish to give them any chance of surviving this. Just as I have been tasked with tending to the wounded on the towers and to the Crown Prince himself, are there those among our number that we might direct this assistance towards?

[Speaking of the Prince. Anduin hesitates, before pressing on:] I understand that Prince Haiva is busy enough, as it is. I am certain he would appreciate any and all assistance that can be given. I am only sorry I have not been able to offer him any relief from the illness which continues to plague him. I don't suppose the other healers among us have had any further luck than me?

[Sharing is caring, friends!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ with an immediate “down to business” voice: ]

What do you need?

[Anduin offers him a grateful smile as he replies:]

Whatever can be offered, in truth.

For the evacuation, we need supplies. These people have very little as it is, and they will be leaving what home they know behind. Whatever we can give them will help them survive both the journey and the continued road ahead.

Beyond that... First aid? And if I am being honest, security, both in mind and body. The guards in this area do not necessarily approve of our charity. At times our assistance has been met with resistance, and we have had to redouble our efforts to see that everything stays with those it is intended for.

So they’re skimming off the supplies?

You don’t need their approval. What you need is for them to not know you’re doing it at all. If they don’t know there’s something to steal, they won’t steal it.

Where’s the current aid coming from?

[Anduin nods, grimly:]

There are some among the guards who believe the rations would be better suited going to the men on the towers, and not to those who cannot serve their city "as they should".

You may be right in that they resent the fact that it is sanctioned aid. Specifically from the Crown Prince himself, no less. There may perhaps be a tension there among the men as well, given the broken chain of inheritance.

The men on the ground won’t care about the inheritance. Not in a war. They care about their next meal and whether they have to fight tomorrow.

[ He says it with complete confidence, though he’s not actually sure. He doesn’t think it’s important: inheritance or not, men under siege will find reasons to grumble and simmer regardless. No point losing focus over it. ]

Deflect it. Make them think you’re helping them first. They take because they aren’t making enough for the risk. So make them feel special. Like they are the ones the crown cares about most, is supporting most.

A little love there, they’ll stop noticing the love is going elsewhere.

[He certainly sounds confident. And a bit like he understands the position of the men in question. Certainly more experience being one of the men on the ground than Anduin himself, who — while he has been in the trenches with his men, still is their king…]

This is not a bad suggestion. Although resources are scarce enough as it is. Whatever extra affection given towards the men might only be able to be superficial at best. Or perhaps…

[Anduin hums in thought.] The merchants may be persuaded into giving a little extra here and there. For the right price.

I can supply protection if need be as well as food.

[ After all, that's something he's good at. Fighting and cooking. He can supply a bit of both if it truly comes down to it. If it means the people get both then even better. ]

[It has been some time since these people have had a home-cooked meal, assuming they can arrange the food to begin with.]

Protection is more than welcome. These are the most vulnerable people in the city. Those who are not capable of defending themselves. Children, the elderly. They need our assistance now more than ever, especially if they want to stand a chance in surviving long enough to escape.

[ He has his ways of getting what he needs in order to give these people a home-cooked meal if need be. Everyone deserves a good meal. ]

I've actually done a bit of that back home before. So, I'll gladly help defend those that can't defend themselves.

[ Or teach them how to defend themselves or both. Find a way to give them a bit of peace. ]

[Anduin's expression softens gratefully.]

Thank you. I am sure that it means a lot to them. They do not have much -- every little bit of assistance helps.

You have done something like this back at home?

It isn't a problem. I'll help where needed.

[ As for that last part... ]

I have. When I was helping a young lady and others get safely to the 48 Stronghold.

[Anduin isn't going to share his own experience as readily, though he has some. A strange mixture of Haiva and Deimar's position, as King and healer. Trying to see his people through both war and potential apocalypse both...

He offers the other man a soft smile.]

Then it sounds as though you are exactly the person we need for the task.

[ There is one thing that Xie Yun keeps to himself and the only one who knows is Beitang Moran but only because he'd noticed it. What he'd given to Anduin was as a mere traveler and nothing more. Though, it would seem as they both had a bit of royal dealings in their life, as it were. Neither of them a stranger to war.

He does give a smile of his own. ]

Then I will set out and make sure things go as planned.

[There are those in the city who have seen through Anduin as well. Not that, he supposes, it was all that difficult, in hindsight. The signs are there, if you know what you are looking for. What you are looking at. He has a feeling that Moran has seen it too, although they have yet to address it head-on.]

Thank you, my friend.

I guess we've all had our chance by now.

[ It's a statement more than it's a question. She assumes they've cycled through them all in turn. ]

As far as I could tell, I didn't do him much good at all. He insisted I was very helpful.

Yes… He did his best to pretend that I was help to him as well.

How was he? When you saw to him?

Feverish.

Common symptoms aren't usually a problem, but I couldn't find the source, whatever infection was causing it.

Feverish?

[Anduin looks momentarily troubled.]

I -- attempted to heal him myself. My methods are... Nontraditional, from other healers. But my magic, for lack of a better way of explaining it, had no more luck in seeking out the source of his illness either.

But he was not feverish, when I attended to him. His skin was cool, clammy. And he had trouble with his breathing. A cough, he had said. Headache.

I didn't see anything like that.

[ Which is strange, but after the conversation she'd had with him in the Wards, not unexpected. ]

Whatever he's in the grip of, no traditional or magical cure will get us anywhere without knowing what's causing it.

[ That much, she's convinced of. ]

[Anduin frowns.]

No, it won't. And for better or worse, he does not seem to know what that is. Or at least he is not sharing if so.

He told me he has been ill for a long time now. Since childhood. And he has been seen by quite a lot of healers since then. Whatever it is, perhaps it has an anchor outside of the prince himself. Less of an illness and more a... Curse, if you would.

[ Sarah's frown deepens, only because she's been thinking the same. ]

He said he thinks his body likes to taste different symptoms.

[ She's oddly quiet, considering for a moment. ]

He mentioned a trinket, a token of favor from a friend. He said he'd been better since she gave it to him.

A trinket.

[Anduin's alarm bells start going off.]

Did he say anything more about it? You did not happen to notice if he was wearing anything on his wrists, when you visited with him?

[ To give her any credit for subtle observation...bless. However, ]

He claims he doesn't wear it anymore, something about gossip.

[Anduin's (figurative) spidey senses are tingling.]

Gossip...

[He frowns.]

We have been doing investigations in the Wards, regarding the recent deaths of the young men there. They were all found with a white thread tied around their wrists. The string may be an indication of a token of favor, so I wonder --

[He shakes his head.] We will need more information to be sure.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

un: white pawn; video

un: bee

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

un: anzhi

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

un: ivory doll » video

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject