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living to serve, serving to live - Chulane - 09-11-2020
Something was happening to the world, and Chulane felt himself lose a grip on what was real and what was not.
And he wasn't even sick. Not as far as he was aware, anyway.
Deimos had gone missing. And the last time Chulane had seen the monolith of a man, he'd been very unwell. A knot of anxiety settled somewhere in his stomach as he thought about the man he considered a friend. He didn't know what to do - but then, that wasn't a new feeling, in recent times.
There was a sickness going around. He could only assume it was going around due to the great many encounters he'd had so far with those exhibiting the same symptoms.
There was a moment where Chuy almost declared this world not for him. Where he just, didn't want to try anymore. Didn't want to leave his house, his room, his bed.
Then Auni rose, and the little luxere's determination filled the bond they shared, and Chuy got up.
He had always been bound by a duty to serve. And the people of Halo trusted him to do as much. That had to mean something - right now, he wasn't sure what anything meant.
But he went through the motions anyway. He went to the building he'd help build, to where the Warden could usually be found, and let himself in without much ceremony or announcement. He sighed, as if bracing himself for a difficult conversation (every conversation felt like a difficult conversation right now).
[say]"Morgan? We need to talk."[/say]
RE: living to serve, serving to live - Morgan - 09-11-2020
The world certainly was dealing out a lot of unexpected cards at the moment; Morgan herself had had an unsettling encounter with the General, still wasn't sure what it was that had taken him over when she'd seen him in the Grounds. She'd had to move on, come back home and do her work, but her thoughts did drift back there in spare moments, her stress obvious in the frequent sighs and the way a strand of hair stuck out in front of her ear where she had been fiddling with it.
Chulane came into her office just as she was setting down finished notes on the Citadel for the day, what had happened and what was to be done (from small things like meetings with merchants to large matters like furthering the defense of the walls), thinking about going to the Kraai for a drink and putting up with Neron.
When her council member entered she made an effort to straighten up and nod, gesturing for him to sit. [say]"Then please. Talk."[/say] While Morgan did pride herself on being ready for anything, she did privately hope this was not another disaster.
RE: living to serve, serving to live - Chulane - 09-12-2020
He knew he came across as all seriousness, and not just because he brought news that wasn't really worth smiling over. Smiles that once so easily jumped to his lips and softened his expression were simply out of his reach. Too much had happened, too recently - the Chulane who smiled easily was not the Chulane who was currently living and working in Halo.
A nod, as he settled in the chair across Morgan's desk. He intended to cut right to the point. [say]"General Deimos is gone. I visited him, and he was ill, so I stayed with him, to make sure he was alright. I fell asleep, and when I woke, he wasn't there anymore."[/say] He frowned, uncomfortable with the emotions that were stirred up. But he kept himself steady, kept his voice talking. [say]"None of the locals saw him leave. No-one I've spoken to knows where he went, where he is."[/say] And I have to believe that he isn't dead.
But there was more. [say]"I've now encountered five individuals all exhibiting a spectrum of symptoms that I believe to be the same illness that afflicted Deimos. Three of them are ascended."[/say] He knew Morgan would appreciate the implications of that, that Ascension was meant to stop those sorts of ailments. [say]"Loren and Neron are the only local infections I know about."[/say] Yet another implication he hardly needed to expand on - their healer was incapacitated, and the Kraai was a hub for the town. He fell silent, to let Morgan take in the information, and let him know what she wanted him to do next.
RE: living to serve, serving to live - Morgan - 09-12-2020
Morgan didn't expect Chulane to speak of Deimos so quickly, when the man had been in her own thoughts. Concern immediately flooded her chest, but she thought back on her own encounter with him, how lost he'd seemed...it was entirely possibly he had just run off again, and his Unicorn would hopefully not be too far behind. [say]"When was it you last saw him? On my last trip to the Grounds, I came across him as well. He was confused and delirious, had hit his head - and was lost. I took him back to safety."[/say] It had been a few days since that then, plenty of time for the General to lose himself again.
It was news to her that the General's illness was spreading, though: she had suspected it might be some sort of internal genetic failing, perhaps something brought on from how he had struck his head. That Ascended were infected was indeed of interest, the mere thought an apparent contradiction.
[say]"Neron?"[/say] She asked, a frown overtaking her features; for a moment she did not consider that it might look odd she was more concerned for their once-enemy than her Grand Healer. [say]"..This is worrying. Does the illness seem to be particularly contagious? Should we be isolating them?"[/say]
RE: living to serve, serving to live - Chulane - 09-15-2020
Chulane hesitated before answering. The sun never setting in Halo had thrown off his ability to track the days, his body reacting similar to how it had during the Longnight; generally restless, sleepless, and with no clue as to how much time has passed from one day to the next. [say]"Two days? I returned here shortly after ascertaining that he was not anywhere in the Grounds, and encountered Wessex, Neron, an ascended named Amun and Loren since my return."[/say] He's not dead, he's not dead, he's not dead, he kept repeating, clinging to the hope that the mighty General had simply miraculously recovered and decided to go on an adventure.
[say]"I don't know that was can isolate them, realistically. But perhaps we should try?"[/say] If it were a herd of horses, he'd certainly be suggesting a quarantine paddock for them. But he'd never dealt with a herd of horses who could also teleport at will about the place.
[say]"As for how contagious… I'd wager their infectious period has passed. I… I think that it has something to do with the Climb. Loren mentioned he had a visit with Frey, who observed something different about him, that he himself had not recognised."[/say] Could it be this illness the Herald had seen? [say]"The illness presents much like what you saw in Deimos. Confusion, delirium, fever, and thirst."[/say] He frowned slightly, the expression becoming more common his face as late. [say]"For ascended, it means a thirst for blood, specifically."[/say] He added softly.
RE: living to serve, serving to live - Morgan - 09-15-2020
[say]"Ah. That is...a little later than I last saw him, I'm afraid. Still, he is a resourceful man and hopefully will soon return. We cannot put too much of our own efforts into the search, I'm afraid."[/say] Morgan was sure the Grounds would be searching for their General, competent man as he was. Still, she appreciated Chulane's concern, felt much the same herself; frowning she held her hands in her lap, staring down at them. [say]"I will ask those I know that pray to ask for his safety."[/say]
She raised an eyebrow, certain if they needed to isolate the twins, she could find a way. While, yes, they did present some unique challenges, Morgan wasn't the type to shy away from that sort of thing.
If Chulane believed the infection period to be over though, she would trust him for the moment; he seemed to be more knowledgeable on these matters. [say]"The Climb? Loren was going to establish a camp at the tunnel leading to it...I will send some guards to the entrance to prevent anyone else travelling there for the time being."[/say] The symptoms were indeed what she'd seen in Deimos, until he got to the Ascended; Morgan's mouth opened in a small 'o'. [say]"...I see. Is Neron dangerous, then?"[/say]
RE: living to serve, serving to live - Chulane - 09-16-2020
He nodded, understanding; No, they couldn't put Halo's resources into searching for the man. He had to trust that the Grounders would indeed be searching for him on their own, and that Deimos himself would return when he as well and ready to. If he was ever well again.
That the Climb would have guards posted made sense to Chulane, who had already ventured there for more personal reasons, but had incidentally encountered one of the sick there too. [say]"Have them explain the reason… but if people are willing to take on the risk of exposure, I'm not sure it's worth risking guards' lives to have them forcibly stop them."[/say] Perhaps he was revealing how soft he was, how naïve he was, in matters of government in a world like Caido, as he cautioned the Warden. Surely the risk of an illness like the one he'd observed was enough of a deterrent to those who were sound of mind?
[say]"Neron? No, all ascended I have come across still maintain a rule of consent, even when they are thirsty in this sense. They claim going to their goddess' shrine not enough to satiate the thirst."[/say] He supplied, thinking over his recent experiences. [say]"I think we do the best we can to keep the brothers confined to their homes. Have the guards alert us if they try to leave, but depending on how lost in their delirium they are, it's sometimes best to let them act it out, as long as they aren't hurting themselves, or anyone else."[/say]
Chuy didn't have a lot of experience with humans suffering from delirium, but he did have loads of experience dealing with animals. And with animals, you never did have full control of them, you more suggested in just the right way that they behave in certain ways - he was using similar principles in handling the sick. [say]"I think trying to openly restrain them could make them react poorly - violently."[/say] He thought back to Deimos, to the way the General almost lit him up with his magical fire. [say]"We just… we need to be careful."[/say]
RE: living to serve, serving to live - Morgan - 09-16-2020
[say]"I'm not asking anyone to give their lives. If someone has been warned sufficiently and still very much wants to go, they are free to - they just not might be welcomed back."[/say] Morgan shrugged, more than sure her guards could handle any conflict that might arise out of the situation. At the end of the day, her concern was for the well-being of the Citadel as a whole, not individuals who wished to put themselves in danger.
Neron was apparently not a danger, though Morgan wondered if that might change the more desperate he grew; delirious people were not often in control of their reasoning, after all; eventually the desire might be so intense he could not hold back. Terribly, the thought occurred to her that it might be for the best to let him bite her, as she as used to it and could stop him before he took too much. [say]"Alright. I may go visit Neron soon..we have been talking a lot recently."[/say] And that was as much as she wanted to admit about their relationship.
Being careful was something she always approved of. [say]"Wise words. Thank you for telling me about this...hopefully, it will quickly pass. How is your other business going, Chulane? The agricultural projects?"[/say]
RE: living to serve, serving to live - Chulane - 09-17-2020
He was glad to be on the same page of his Warden, to have an understanding of expectations set. It made their working relationship all the more prosperous for Halo, after all, that he felt he could come to her with mostly anything. Nodding along to her words, he simply let his thoughts drift to where Deimos could've gone, and how much he could dedicate himself to searching, in-between all his others tasks. But it was a moot point - with an outbreak of an unknown illness, on top of trying to keep things ticking over as normal in Halo, he had no wiggle room to go gallivanting across all of Caido in search of a single man.
[say]"Neron?"[/say] Chulane asked rhetorically with a curious quirk of his brow, the ghost of amusement dancing behind his gaze - but it had risen and faded so quickly it would be easy to pretend it never existed. The vetwasn't one to hold onto amusing thoughts for long though, in fact, his expression became rather sheepish. [say]"I may have locked him in the Kraai. He'd uh, redecorated while under the influence of the illness."[/say] He'd let Morgan discover exactly what that meant herself.
It was nice to have a lighter moment, amongst all the heavy stuff.
[say]"The office has given me the perfect place to set up the start of the breeding program,"[/say] he launched into the retelling easily, slipping into Chief of Agriculture mode naturally. [say]"And the community have so far welcomed the idea of the freezer, and made quick use of it as well. I am confident that when the farm gets in full swing, it will store more than enough to get us through Deepfrost comfortably."[/say] He was pleased to deliver the news, his own insecurities about the whole idea nowhere to be seen - he had proved that it could be done, had secured the trust and support of the town. [say]"I want to head to Whitebrim soon, but,"[/say] he paused, and gave an expression that basically said that might have to wait until we see whether all of us are about to go insane from some unknown illness. [say]"I think it's prudent we see how this illness progresses before we risk our lives out there."[/say]
RE: living to serve, serving to live - Morgan - 09-17-2020
Expectedly, Chulane was bemused by her new unlikely friendship with Neron; Morgan could hardly blame him, because she was too. With little to say on the matter she was glad when it was moved along from quickly as she found that when she did try to talk to or about the ex-Warden, she always ended up saying something she regretted.
[say]"I see. I assume it is shut for business for the time being, then?"[/say] She asked, wondering where she was going to go for her dinner (one day, she needed to set aside the time to learn to cook for herself, but it seemed like the furthest priority from her at the moment). [say]"Probably for the best. In case there is still a chance of infection."[/say]
Listening to Chulane tell her of his successful plans for the Citadel's agriculture, Morgan smiled, glad that this was going well. With her plan for something to assist with the ambient temperature and the food storage, this Deepfrost would be a new era for Halo. [say]"Yes, it is probably wise to wait - but good progress so far. I am proud of the work you have done for our council so far, Chulane."[/say]
That was all for business, but a more personal question did linger in her mind. Morgan tapped the top of her desk with her fingers for a moment, considering it, then finally decided to go ahead. [say]"How are you doing...yourself? After...after what happened with Kiada?"[/say]
RE: living to serve, serving to live - Chulane - 09-19-2020
Nodding to confirm the temporary closure of the Kraai, he agreed that it was for the best, for now. The bar was too central, too much of a regular spot for the locals - there were other taverns around for those who didn't want to cook, other options available. The freezer held food enough for the community to access to get them through this time as well, though the food it stored would take some preparation from the person before it could be eaten.
He let a smile tilt his lips at her compliment, a pale flush of colour tinging his tanned skin slightly pink for a moment. He was proud too, but he also knew that Morgan only spoke such things when she truly meant it - and that made it all the more meaningful to him. [say]"Thanks Morgan."[/say] He accepting the praise, knowing it would be rude to deny it - it was true, after all. And it was also one of the few things that he could focus on, that he could keep working towards.
Lingering, because the Warden appeared to want to keep talking, he was a bit surprised by her question. His gaze darted down for a moment, as he steeled himself, sighing softly. Blue eyes rose again soon enough, to meet her own, appreciative that she would take the time to ask, and to listen to his response. [say]"It's been hard."[/say] There was no point denying it. [say]"I bonded to her companion, Auni - Deimos and I found him in time."[/say] He wasn't sure if she knew that, assuming she'd seen him with the little luxere in tow before, but perhaps not the full history behind the new bond that had formed.
[say]"The farm has given me a purpose… something to work towards and focus on, as I deal with my grief."[/say] He didn't know if it was healthy, but it was the way he was coping, having never been through something like this before.
RE: living to serve, serving to live - Morgan - 09-19-2020
Morgan nodded, always happy to praise when it was deserved: she knew it was the best motivator, more effective than punishment, if given appropriately. Not only that, Chulane needed the positivity at the moment, something she was only further reminded of as he continued to speak.
[say]"I see. I didn't know that was possible."[/say] She said of his bonding to Kiada's companion; it was sweet, to think those that loved someone could take on their companions after death (in the back of her mind, she wondered if there would be anyone to take Eunike; unfortunately the conclusion was that there was not). [say]"Does it help to have Auni around?"[/say]
Morgan was in full support of throwing oneself into work to deal with crisis. [say]"I did the same after my father's death. I became thoroughly dedicated to my work and let the time pass as I was busy. I think..."[/say] She paused, trying to find the words. [say]"As long as you do not try to forget it happened, being busy is not a bad thing."[/say]
RE: living to serve, serving to live - Chulane - 09-20-2020
[say]"I wasn't aware either,"[/say] he echoed. He'd had no idea of the workings of companions, of the impact they could have on one's self - of the awareness of a soul they could bring, particularly to the atheist-minded being that Chulane was. [say]"It does,"[/say] he smiled a small, soft smile. [say]"He has bits of Kia in him, and a determination to live, which I… needed more than I care to admit, at the time."[/say] It was a quiet confession by the end, but he trusted Morgan, trusted that he could be honest with her in this - and was further vindicated as she spoke of her own experiences with grief.
[say]"I could never forget her,"[/say] he spoke not with defensiveness, but with agreement, with a promise delivered in sure, determined tones - and a hint of a smile, remembering the first time he'd ever met Kia, and she almost challenged him to grow bored of her over Deepfrost. That hadn't happened either, and nor shall this. No, he could never forget her, not when his whole experience in Caido was shaped around her - he wouldn't be where he was today without her.
RE: living to serve, serving to live - Morgan - 09-20-2020
It was good that Chulane had found a comfort in Auni; Morgan had seen grief run it's ravaging on her soldiers and guards before, knew that if there were was nothing to lift them from the darkness they could stay there forever. [say]"I understand. Sometimes I think we do well to remember the simple motivations of animals...the mountains always reminded me of how strong the determination to live, to keep going, can be."[/say] She'd seen birds there carve nests out of ice, fish living in waters she would not have imagined viable, Ursurs creating comfortable places to rest in the midst of the Tundra.
[say]"Of course. I was wondering..."[/say] Morgan hesitated, unsure if she was overstepping, but she'd already said too much. [say]"...would you like to create some kind of memorial or whatever you feel is appropriate in her honour, in the Citadel? I know she was from the Grounds, but...well. You'd see it more if it was here."[/say] She shrugged her shoulders. [say]"I just want you to know you are welcome to create one, if you wished to."[/say]