You sure havin' a bunch of chemicals in a room with [ two people with tails and then maybe two more people one who also has a tail ] all that goin' on is safe?
[ a little ping of amusement at being told not to joke, because he is a little bastard. ]
Most of them. I can tell by smelling them, too. [ which is bad don't sniff chemicals but whatever ] Some of them are unfamiliar to me, but I don't touch those.
Oh, of course. [ little pings of yay at this, actually. he likes teaching... ]
It can be difficult. It's a lot to remember. [ he glances back down at his bottles, and chrono can watch him like... tap at them? he misses the bottle the first time, a little to the left, but manages it the second time. ]
Would you like to try the glowing ones first? They're simple.
[ most of his movements are like this, actually. he's very deliberate, but sometimes it's like he didn't quite aim right. he corrects himself very quickly, each time.
but he will show chrono how to make the glowy liquid! i don't know how to do this, but jiaoqiu does. so he shows him step by step. ]
... And then you add this one, and it should glow.
[ it's easier to notice it when they're doing more fine motor skill tasks like this, where chrono is naturally paying attention to jiaoqiu's hands. the flicker of concern grows to a low hum of it, under the attentiveness and curiosity native to the goal at hand.
chrono carefully follows the instructions, and-- yep, it's glowing. his face and pride light up not unlike the vial he's holding. ]
[ he taps his fingers on the counter, for a moment, like he's debating on how much he wants to say. and then: ]
It's a long story, but the short of it is that in order to make sure the man that mauled me would be too weak to kill everybody on my ship, I poisoned myself. His kind eats their prisoners before battle, you see, and I knew that either way, I was going to die.
[ a tremor of dread affects chrono physically as well as mentally, his shoulders shaking in abject horror. he'd known there must be some awful deaths amongst their number, but hearing one outright is a different story. ]
[ if it helps (it probably doesn't) jiaoqiu is so very serene about it. it doesn't seem like it hurts him much to recount it, and very carefully he rests his hand on chrono's arm, if he'll allow it. ]
Yes. The poison shut down a good portion of my body. I assume that if I had survived, I would have been permanently and completely blind. As it is, I can see enough to make my way.
[ a beat. ]
I'm sorry to tell you the details. It isn't exactly a heartwarming story.
Ah... not to be every other adult in a hard situation, but life often isn't fair. [ a little smile. ] It doesn't change much for me. I can make my way around just fine, and I can still perform my duties as needed.
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[ puts these little glowing suckers in his bag. ]
Why?
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You sure havin' a bunch of chemicals in a room with [ two people with tails and then maybe two more people one who also has a tail ] all that goin' on is safe?
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They're not that dangerous. And in any case, if I die by glowing chemicals, I think I'd have to ask to never be revived...
[ don't joke about this ]
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[ he's more exasperated than annoyed, though. hypocritically, he goes to poke at one of the vials. ]
You can tell what these are just by lookin'?
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Most of them. I can tell by smelling them, too. [ which is bad don't sniff chemicals but whatever ] Some of them are unfamiliar to me, but I don't touch those.
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...can you show me how? [ he's attentive and intrigued. ] Chemistry's not somethin' I'm great at, but its one of the things I was studyin' back home.
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It can be difficult. It's a lot to remember. [ he glances back down at his bottles, and chrono can watch him like... tap at them? he misses the bottle the first time, a little to the left, but manages it the second time. ]
Would you like to try the glowing ones first? They're simple.
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he decides not to pursue it, though, nodding instead and following the rest of his movements. ]
Yeah, that sounds good.
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but he will show chrono how to make the glowy liquid! i don't know how to do this, but jiaoqiu does. so he shows him step by step. ]
... And then you add this one, and it should glow.
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chrono carefully follows the instructions, and-- yep, it's glowing. his face and pride light up not unlike the vial he's holding. ]
Woah, it's really just like that.
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Very good. You're very good at following instructions. That is really all that alchemy is.
[ he reaches up to tap the bottle gently with a claw. ]
You should keep that one.
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chrono's wonder makes him temporarily set his concern aside, nodding as if he didn't just make a comment about having chemicals in their rooms. ]
Ah, you think? Need a cork or something...
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Mmm... [ squints, looking around for one. it takes a minute, but he finds one. it's the same deal, he seems to misjudge the distance. ear flick.
but he hands chrono a cork, after a moment, and then looks over the rest of the bottles. ]
I originally came here to see if I could make some sort of medicine, but these ingredients aren't exactly right.
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Medicine? Got anythin' to do with why you're strugglin' with depth perception right now?
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he pauses for a second, and then brings a hand up to rub at his eyes. ]
... No, the medicine was for all of you. [ a very quiet feeling of something like shame, uselessness, struggling pride. ]
I suppose there isn't much use in hiding it. You're right, I can't see well.
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Hey, it's okay. Don't worry about it, you're doin' great. Do you know what happened?
[ something like koharu's eyes, last week? ]
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It changes nothing, I'm still capable of plenty. [ a beat. ] It's a result of my death. I've been this way since I arrived.
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[ how are those related...? ]
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[ he taps his fingers on the counter, for a moment, like he's debating on how much he wants to say. and then: ]
It's a long story, but the short of it is that in order to make sure the man that mauled me would be too weak to kill everybody on my ship, I poisoned myself. His kind eats their prisoners before battle, you see, and I knew that either way, I was going to die.
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Then- you- i-it's still affecting you, even now?
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Yes. The poison shut down a good portion of my body. I assume that if I had survived, I would have been permanently and completely blind. As it is, I can see enough to make my way.
[ a beat. ]
I'm sorry to tell you the details. It isn't exactly a heartwarming story.
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No, no, I did ask. Thanks for telling me, just... [ shakes his head ] You're suffering even now. It's not fair.
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Ah... not to be every other adult in a hard situation, but life often isn't fair. [ a little smile. ] It doesn't change much for me. I can make my way around just fine, and I can still perform my duties as needed.