( text | un: jbb )

[traumatology]

if you know this guy —

( here, he presents a picture of lan wangji, looking pretty beat up and battered, holding up some scales. wangji does not smile, doesn't say cheese. )

he might need a little help when we get the hell out of here. i forgot my first aide kit and the things down here keep tossing him into me like a lawn dart.

and if anyone needs these lake scales, he's been talking like their important. i'm just making sure he stays alive.

Comments

[traumatology]

Nothing called me literally but we were trying to find ways out.

( and so he'd punched a wall. smart, huh? )

Other ways out that weren't being monitored and weren't going to have us running into a bunch of nasties.

( oops. )

[somebadnews]

[ It's a talent Five wouldn't knock. ]

These days you're lucky if you managed to get away without being possessed. You'd think we'd know to steer clear of lakes by now.

[traumatology]

Been there, done that.

( maybe it's not exactly possession but it's close enough. )

You guys have dealt with things coming out of lakes before?

[somebadnews]

[ Who hasn't? Although he sounds like that happened to him before he came here, which... isn't really an advantage. ]

They seem to be breeding grounds for this kind of thing. If there's not something coming out of it, there's a curse on it.

[ Or something cursed at the bottom of it that follows you around for years. ]

Any body of water really.

[traumatology]

Good to know.

( not really. )

Think I'd prefer the crap coming out of them, really. I don't want to deal with any curses.

[somebadnews]

[ It's always so easy to spot the people who have been here all of a month. ]

Glad I could put a positive spin on it for you.

[traumatology]

Yeah, you're a real saint.

( got the halo and everything. )

Guess it's good to know, at least. Never dealt with a curse and I don't want to start now.

[somebadnews]

[ Give it another week or two. Assuming the world doesn't end by then. He's being nice on account of him putting up with Wangji, so he keeps that to himself. ]

Just possession?

[ Call him curious. ]

[traumatology]

Possession of a sort.

( that's probably about all he's gonna say about it. )

Either way, not something I'm looking to repeat.

[somebadnews]

[ Well, it's not like he's sharing his stories. Fine. ]

You're off to a good start.

[traumatology]

It's all a facade.

( he's screaming inside. )

[somebadnews]

Nothing is ever as fun as it looks.

[traumatology]

Yeah, learned that one a long time ago.

( unfortunately. )

[somebadnews]

[ At this point he realizes he's just making conversation while he waits for the others to show up. How are they this slow? ]

Some of that might have to do with the company you keep. [ It's no coincidence that things always go to hell where Lan Wangji is involved. And since he couldn't glean it off of his other conversations, he asks, for his own notes: ] Your name?

[traumatology]

Bucky. You?

( he's gonna tell wangji that you said that, five. or maybe he won't. )

[somebadnews]

[ He hopes he does! Asshole getting himself concussed for some shiny objects. ]

Five. [ Speaking of... ] Is he awake?

[traumatology]

Somewhat.

( he's awake...ish. )

Awake but not really with it.

[somebadnews]

[ Good. So he probably won't notice. ]

Think he'd miss a scale? It'd be nice to know what was worth almost dying over.

[traumatology]

I don't know if I wanna answer that for him. But if you wanna take one, now's the time to do it when he's not all the way with it.

( he's helpful. )

[somebadnews]

[ Sure, he could do that, but what are the odds that they'll show up as soon as he blinks over? ]

You're suggesting I swing by while he's concussed and take one?

[traumatology]

I'm not suggesting anything.

( he's not gonna get himself in trouble. )

I'm neutral. Switzerland.

[somebadnews]

[ Uh huh. He might not need it, but... it's a point. ]

How far are you from the lake?

[traumatology]

About halfway between the lake and the entrance to Gut's Bind.

( making slow progress and all. )

/action

[somebadnews]

[ Okay, sue him for using the excuse. Even if he takes a few blinks to find them, he's still faster than the others and arrives only a minute or two later. It helps that Lan Wangji is never hard to spot.

He takes a look around to make sure that he doesn't see anyone else, then appears like he was just around the corner. His eyes fall to Wangji's sorry state and he tries to judge how much he's perceiving him as he approaches. Then he addresses Bucky. ]

Right. They should be here soon, so I'll make this quick. [ He nods to him. ] Do you have them?

[traumatology]

He does.

( he nods at the other man since he hadn't taken the scales from wangji. he'd had a pretty intense death grip on them. )

You even have an idea of what you want with them or just because someone else has them?