[Well, if Daan is ever concerned that he isn't a decent chef, he just needs to think about this moment a little and feel immediately better about himself.]
So you boiled the water to the point of completely evaporating or burning it. [he sighs softly.] At this rate, I wonder if I should see who's willing to do cooking classes...
[But for now!]
Did you do anything else after? Put the burn under water?
I'm going to just assume you've never been burned before. [Seems like the right thing to conclude.] Cool water applied to a burn can help slow down and limit the damage.
Hm, it happens this morning? And then I looked for you on the device right after.
[ hong lu's head tilts. ]
I've been burned before, but the first time I was burned was the most memorable. Most of my body burned off, after all. But I got better right after, so having it last like this is new. So I was supposed to have put cool water on the burn?
Your body-- oh. Because... your manager repaired you.
[Still. Daan feels like he's going to have a migraine after he's done with Hong Lu.]
In the future, if you get a burn again, apply cool water on the wound. Although your burn distinctly looks pretty rough so we'll see what I can do with you.
Come on, inside this building. We're the first floor, thankfully.
Yep. Tick-tick-tick, and then when the clock rewinds, all the hurt is gone.
[ hong lu cheerfully follows. the building proper seems the same as any other, he thinks. the exteriors of the buildings rarely match the interiors. after all, people have changed things up based on how they want things to be decorated.
hm. ]
Hey, Doctor Daan - how do you choose what to put inside your apartment?
[While Daan is immensely curious about this manager, he decides that it is a question based saved for later when he doesn't have to fuss over an injury.
Though Hong Lu's inquiry earns a flat look, then a resigned sigh. Yeah this guy is going to definitely ask those sorts of things.]
I went with something that would give the feeling of a doctor's office. If you're looking for advice on interior design, I'm not your top choice.
[On account of things as they are -- namely, that Vergilius lives here now -- Daan hadn't bothered to lock his door, so he just goes in.]
Follow me. I have an examination room. You will sit down and show me that burn, and I'll see what I can do.
[ hong lu follows. his gaze roams. what an interesting building, he thinks. he's never been in a clinic before, or an examination room. the doctors at the estate simply came to his room. he takes a seat in the sole chair that looks like it ought be his seat, and primly tucks himself into place.
hong lu holds out his hand. the burn is still raw, still red. the blackened edges of it seems to have grown. ]
Do you know where to find a sprig of a plum blossom?
[Naturally, the burn is looking worse. Rather than panicking, Daan exhales slowly, sounding irritated as he snaps on some disposable gloves before he's starting to fetch some supplies, as well as a glass of water.]
You know, I'm going to worry about answering that kind of question after I'm done dealing with your burn.
[Daan holds out the glass.]
It's important for you to drink a lot of water right now. Before you drink, tell me: do you feel this?
[A firm prod of Daan's thumb goes against the burn. It's brief, but he's making sure to determine how bad the burn has gotten before he's tackling it further.]
[ hong lu smiles. daan's thumb comes for his burn. he observes it with the detached air of someone observing the bisection of someone else's limb.
it hurts a little, hong lu thinks, but it isn't anything to worry about. it merely looked fascinating, and hong lu wanted to know how long it would stay this way. ]
Hmm... not really. It's nothing like being dissolved into goo, or turned into a pancake by a trashcrab. [ with his other hand, hong lu takes the glass. he looks at it from two different angles, and then, deciding that the refraction of the glass is rather pretty, takes a sip.
Yes, well, I can imagine most things pale in comparison to all that, but if you don't really feel this...
[screams internally.]
Well, congratulations, you may have have a third degree burn. Absolutely astonishing. [wait, he remembers that sarcasm seems to float over Hong Lu's head--] I'm not being serious about that, don't be proud or happy or celebrate. A third degree burn is bad.
[Can he get by without using magic here? Daan is legitimately not sure. He doesn't have everything he needs to accomplish proper treatment here.]
Drink your water.
Hong Lu, if this is a third degree burn, I may need to remove the damaged skin so you can heal properly. I'm not concerned about doing this, but it won't be pleasant. I'm sure you can handle it, but I need you to be aware of what I'm about to do. After I do that...
Well. I have a method of treatment to use that's unique. It'll help kick off your healing. But it might have a side-effect.
[ hong lu beams. and then goes crestfallen. because he'd thought he was being praised??? ]
Oh, I wasn't being praised? Third degree sounds better than fourth or fifth degree, though. It's better if it's a smaller number, right?
[ the household tutors were always happy when hong lu scored in the top percentages - so this meant that they weren't happy very often. hong lu obediently takes another sip of his water. the damaged skin will need to be removed. it won't be pleasant. hong lu's never had his skin removed, though. it sounds like fun. ]
...Hong Lu, how do you feel about coming to my first aid classes in the future?
[should it be one-on-one classes? he feels like maybe it'd be more like tutoring.]
I'll try to guide you on what I'm doing.
[Well. Hong Lu doesn't seem like he's at all disturbed, which is pretty suggestive toward both his personality and also his experiences alike. In any case, Daan is getting the closest thing he has to a scalpel, which is a craft blade. Not quite the same, but for now, it'll have to do. Thoroughly sanitized, and prepared for the first surgery.]
After I remove that part of your skin, I'm going to use a magic spell, since magic is something that does exist where I'm from. You may feel a little different for a few minutes, but it will pass. Your wounds won't completely mend on account of how powers have been affected here, but it should mean that your burn will not be as dangerous to you and new skin will be forming.
And then I will tell you how to care for yourself. I will also tell Yi Sang, to make sure you're healing.
Do I have your permission to continue?
[Not that he technically needs it, but he would prefer it.]
[ hong lu looks. for a moment, that cyan eye of his glimmers, just so. they say his eye gleams like a little star. but the glimmer that is most native to a human eye is a tear.
fascinating, hong lu thinks. he leans in, just so. ]
You're asking me for my permission? Nobody's ever done that before. [ there's a bit of bemused wonder there, as if listening to an amusing riddle. a sphinx by any other name. ] Hey, if I said 'no', would you really stop? You wouldn't take a piece of my skin, or cast your magic, or tell Yi Sang?
It's easy to think that Hong Lu is naive, and... well, that is part of it, Daan believes. But there's also this part of him that is clearly so curious and fascinated as he floats by in his life, in a way that feels analytical. For better or for worse.]
I don't need your permission. I never took any kind of oath that binds me to anything other than my own nature.
If you wanted me to stop, then fine. I'd just toss you out and leave you to your own devices. I don't have to do anything.
[ he doesn't have to do anything, hongn lu thinks. no oaths, nothing but his own nature. but is a man not bound to his nature? or is that cage just another name for freedom?
ah, hong lu thinks. that's lovely. for a moment, that cyan eye continues to gleam.
and then - hong lu smiles. he leans back. he folds back into the neat of box of his existence. he closes the loop with a single, cyan knot. ]
I want to see your magic, Doctor Daan. Can you cast it on me? And does it only affect my skin? I want to become a dog, you see.
[The effect of "Hong Lu, Why" strikes again, and Daan just sighs before he's getting to work, taking the injured hand and dabbing the area with some rubbing alcohol.]
My magic heals, I can't transform you into a whole other creature.
But all right. I'm going to remove your damaged skin, then I'll cast my spell.
[This part comes easily enough.
While Daan isn't thrilled with the lack of supplies for a proper surgery in this damned city, he has enough to work with that he can accomplish this much. He wishes he had even just some anesthesia for the man, but that's not stocked in the pharmacies he's investigated.
So here they are, just. Going in for the plunge.
The blade comes down, just so, just enough to start cutting in a straight line. Hundreds of practiced surgeries, and this is one of the less demanding ones. He only stops to dab at blood, wishing he could a bit more for that too, but there isn't much to be done for it yet.
No matter how Hong Lu may react, Daan perseveres, aiming to remove the damaged skin in its entirety, depositing it into a plastic bin he has set aside. He'll find a way to dispose of it later, but for now, he has to focus on the next part.]
[ as the effect of 'hong lu, why' joins the effect of 'kaveh, why' to presumably explode into the aether, hong lu observes with the curious glint of someone watching surgery happen to entirely someone else. the scalpel finds purchase. it excises hong lu's skin from his flesh. the pain is minimal; barely noticeable, really. or rather, hong lu thinks, he doesn't know what pain he ought to be reacting to and what he ought not, only that he's had worse and this level isn't new enough to warrant him to think twice about it. he holds still beneath daan's surgical precision, and smiles when daan lifts his head to deposit hong lu's skin into the trash bin.
so this is a kind of doctor too, hong lu thinks. he'd thought that all doctors were merely men who talked about ailments and consulted charts. but there were those that didn't mind getting their hands dirty, even for something as small as a burn. truly, daan is exceptional. ]
Looks like you got it all, then. [ hong lu observes. he flexes his hand a little, and winces. ] Oh, it still hurts a little. Are you going to cast your magic now, Doctor Daan?
[ hong lu looks up. he smiles. ] Is it going to hurt, too?
[Not even a peep from Hong Lu. Admittedly, it's kind of impressive, but Daan focuses primarily on ensuring his work is immaculate. Actual medical license or not, his finesse is actually exceptional as he works. Honestly, he only wishes he had more adequate equipment.
The open wound is dabbed away of blood so he can examine it, ensure there are no foreign particles. Eventually, he looks satisfied enough before he goes to obtain a liquid solution to cleanse it.
As he does, he sees Hong Lu's smile before he answers. It's a bizarre thing, seeing this man smile and take all of this with a hint of interest and almost a sense of naivete, but also strongly and genuinely curious.
Truly a strange man.]
No. This spell doesn't hurt, Hong Lu. That I can assure you.
[Loving Whispers has only ever been to the benefit of man. Even Sylvian can grant her mercy in such a way, if one could call it that. Mercy.
But Daan holds his hand over the wound, and begins to murmur softly. The words sound strange and impossible to hear clearly, but that is not the important part. What does happen is a series of runes appear in the air around them, glowing, and a woman's gasp is heard.
As the wound on Hong Lu's hand at least begins to scab over and reduces the burn's damage, the man might find himself feeling flushed. After all, Sylvian's effects can vary from person to person; it could be that Hong Lu experiences a sensation the way that he understands as love, however that is defined to him.]
[ disappointing, hong lu thinks. if he were to have magic casted on him, it'd be nice if it hurt. perhaps it would be a different sort of pain. or would he feel something else entirely? hong lu doesn't get a chance to ask. not really. daan holds his hand over the wound. he murmurs something. it's too soft of hong lu to catch, but he leans in anyway to see if he can glean any of the magic in the words. a woman's gasp.
before his eyes, his wound begins to heal. hong lu feels warm, he thinks. this must be what it's like for dante to see the rest of them come back to life over and over again. hong lu has always wanted to see what he himself looks like when he's being revived. is this it?
his mismatched gaze turns towards daan. for a moment, he simply looks. and then, he smiles. ]
It's really warm, Doctor Daan. Your magic must be what a hug feels like.
[ because hong lu has loved everyone that he's ever met. he already loves daan. he loves yi sang, and vergilius, and all the sinners - he loves everyone he's met here in the city, and everyone he has yet to meet. he loves the ones he's killed. of course he does. that's love. so of course nothing has changed. nothing can, when you induce someone who already loves you. ]
[If his magic was not restrained, he could heal the wound more. Remove the damage truly done, replace the skin and undo the burns completely. But as it is, this is the best he can do, which is still more ideal than leaving Hong Lu to his own devices.
This way, the burn is improved.
The comment is actually kind of a relief; he's heard and seen all kinds of reactions to it. Tsuruno could feel Daan's familial love toward her, for example. There has been worse, and it's a bit different every time.]
Not so terrible, then.
I'm going to text you some instructions on how to care for your injury. How is it feeling, by the way?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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I'll be on my way to collect you and get you to my office. It's actually not far from the park.
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[ shockingly, hong lu does. he is a pleased form hanging by the entrance to the apartment building he had wandered into.
the hand by his side is has a blackened, reddened char of a line across it. ]
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He gets the feeling how it happened is going to be extremely dumb.]
Hong Lu.
Let's hurry up and get you to my office. Follow me, and tell me how your injury happened.
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[ hong lu waves his good hand. he obediently begins to follow, the way a little chick might. ]
And I was boiling water in a pot, but the pot exploded? There wasn't any water left. I think the water was burning.
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So you boiled the water to the point of completely evaporating or burning it. [he sighs softly.] At this rate, I wonder if I should see who's willing to do cooking classes...
[But for now!]
Did you do anything else after? Put the burn under water?
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Hm? Why? Water won't wash away the wound, though?
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How long ago did this happen, Hong Lu?
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[ hong lu's head tilts. ]
I've been burned before, but the first time I was burned was the most memorable. Most of my body burned off, after all. But I got better right after, so having it last like this is new. So I was supposed to have put cool water on the burn?
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[Still. Daan feels like he's going to have a migraine after he's done with Hong Lu.]
In the future, if you get a burn again, apply cool water on the wound. Although your burn distinctly looks pretty rough so we'll see what I can do with you.
Come on, inside this building. We're the first floor, thankfully.
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[ hong lu cheerfully follows. the building proper seems the same as any other, he thinks. the exteriors of the buildings rarely match the interiors. after all, people have changed things up based on how they want things to be decorated.
hm. ]
Hey, Doctor Daan - how do you choose what to put inside your apartment?
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Though Hong Lu's inquiry earns a flat look, then a resigned sigh. Yeah this guy is going to definitely ask those sorts of things.]
I went with something that would give the feeling of a doctor's office. If you're looking for advice on interior design, I'm not your top choice.
[On account of things as they are -- namely, that Vergilius lives here now -- Daan hadn't bothered to lock his door, so he just goes in.]
Follow me. I have an examination room. You will sit down and show me that burn, and I'll see what I can do.
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hong lu holds out his hand. the burn is still raw, still red. the blackened edges of it seems to have grown. ]
Do you know where to find a sprig of a plum blossom?
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You know, I'm going to worry about answering that kind of question after I'm done dealing with your burn.
[Daan holds out the glass.]
It's important for you to drink a lot of water right now. Before you drink, tell me: do you feel this?
[A firm prod of Daan's thumb goes against the burn. It's brief, but he's making sure to determine how bad the burn has gotten before he's tackling it further.]
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it hurts a little, hong lu thinks, but it isn't anything to worry about. it merely looked fascinating, and hong lu wanted to know how long it would stay this way. ]
Hmm... not really. It's nothing like being dissolved into goo, or turned into a pancake by a trashcrab. [ with his other hand, hong lu takes the glass. he looks at it from two different angles, and then, deciding that the refraction of the glass is rather pretty, takes a sip.
with a curious gaze: ] Am I supposed to feel it?
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[screams internally.]
Well, congratulations, you may have have a third degree burn. Absolutely astonishing. [wait, he remembers that sarcasm seems to float over Hong Lu's head--] I'm not being serious about that, don't be proud or happy or celebrate. A third degree burn is bad.
[Can he get by without using magic here? Daan is legitimately not sure. He doesn't have everything he needs to accomplish proper treatment here.]
Drink your water.
Hong Lu, if this is a third degree burn, I may need to remove the damaged skin so you can heal properly. I'm not concerned about doing this, but it won't be pleasant. I'm sure you can handle it, but I need you to be aware of what I'm about to do. After I do that...
Well. I have a method of treatment to use that's unique. It'll help kick off your healing. But it might have a side-effect.
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Oh, I wasn't being praised? Third degree sounds better than fourth or fifth degree, though. It's better if it's a smaller number, right?
[ the household tutors were always happy when hong lu scored in the top percentages - so this meant that they weren't happy very often. hong lu obediently takes another sip of his water. the damaged skin will need to be removed. it won't be pleasant. hong lu's never had his skin removed, though. it sounds like fun. ]
Hm~ Will it be a surprise?
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[should it be one-on-one classes? he feels like maybe it'd be more like tutoring.]
I'll try to guide you on what I'm doing.
[Well. Hong Lu doesn't seem like he's at all disturbed, which is pretty suggestive toward both his personality and also his experiences alike. In any case, Daan is getting the closest thing he has to a scalpel, which is a craft blade. Not quite the same, but for now, it'll have to do. Thoroughly sanitized, and prepared for the first surgery.]
After I remove that part of your skin, I'm going to use a magic spell, since magic is something that does exist where I'm from. You may feel a little different for a few minutes, but it will pass. Your wounds won't completely mend on account of how powers have been affected here, but it should mean that your burn will not be as dangerous to you and new skin will be forming.
And then I will tell you how to care for yourself. I will also tell Yi Sang, to make sure you're healing.
Do I have your permission to continue?
[Not that he technically needs it, but he would prefer it.]
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fascinating, hong lu thinks. he leans in, just so. ]
You're asking me for my permission? Nobody's ever done that before. [ there's a bit of bemused wonder there, as if listening to an amusing riddle. a sphinx by any other name. ] Hey, if I said 'no', would you really stop? You wouldn't take a piece of my skin, or cast your magic, or tell Yi Sang?
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It's easy to think that Hong Lu is naive, and... well, that is part of it, Daan believes. But there's also this part of him that is clearly so curious and fascinated as he floats by in his life, in a way that feels analytical. For better or for worse.]
I don't need your permission. I never took any kind of oath that binds me to anything other than my own nature.
If you wanted me to stop, then fine. I'd just toss you out and leave you to your own devices. I don't have to do anything.
So what'll it be?
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ah, hong lu thinks. that's lovely. for a moment, that cyan eye continues to gleam.
and then - hong lu smiles. he leans back. he folds back into the neat of box of his existence. he closes the loop with a single, cyan knot. ]
I want to see your magic, Doctor Daan. Can you cast it on me? And does it only affect my skin? I want to become a dog, you see.
cw: surgery
My magic heals, I can't transform you into a whole other creature.
But all right. I'm going to remove your damaged skin, then I'll cast my spell.
[This part comes easily enough.
While Daan isn't thrilled with the lack of supplies for a proper surgery in this damned city, he has enough to work with that he can accomplish this much. He wishes he had even just some anesthesia for the man, but that's not stocked in the pharmacies he's investigated.
So here they are, just. Going in for the plunge.
The blade comes down, just so, just enough to start cutting in a straight line. Hundreds of practiced surgeries, and this is one of the less demanding ones. He only stops to dab at blood, wishing he could a bit more for that too, but there isn't much to be done for it yet.
No matter how Hong Lu may react, Daan perseveres, aiming to remove the damaged skin in its entirety, depositing it into a plastic bin he has set aside. He'll find a way to dispose of it later, but for now, he has to focus on the next part.]
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so this is a kind of doctor too, hong lu thinks. he'd thought that all doctors were merely men who talked about ailments and consulted charts. but there were those that didn't mind getting their hands dirty, even for something as small as a burn. truly, daan is exceptional. ]
Looks like you got it all, then. [ hong lu observes. he flexes his hand a little, and winces. ] Oh, it still hurts a little. Are you going to cast your magic now, Doctor Daan?
[ hong lu looks up. he smiles. ] Is it going to hurt, too?
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The open wound is dabbed away of blood so he can examine it, ensure there are no foreign particles. Eventually, he looks satisfied enough before he goes to obtain a liquid solution to cleanse it.
As he does, he sees Hong Lu's smile before he answers. It's a bizarre thing, seeing this man smile and take all of this with a hint of interest and almost a sense of naivete, but also strongly and genuinely curious.
Truly a strange man.]
No. This spell doesn't hurt, Hong Lu. That I can assure you.
[Loving Whispers has only ever been to the benefit of man. Even Sylvian can grant her mercy in such a way, if one could call it that. Mercy.
But Daan holds his hand over the wound, and begins to murmur softly. The words sound strange and impossible to hear clearly, but that is not the important part. What does happen is a series of runes appear in the air around them, glowing, and a woman's gasp is heard.
As the wound on Hong Lu's hand at least begins to scab over and reduces the burn's damage, the man might find himself feeling flushed. After all, Sylvian's effects can vary from person to person; it could be that Hong Lu experiences a sensation the way that he understands as love, however that is defined to him.]
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before his eyes, his wound begins to heal. hong lu feels warm, he thinks. this must be what it's like for dante to see the rest of them come back to life over and over again. hong lu has always wanted to see what he himself looks like when he's being revived. is this it?
his mismatched gaze turns towards daan. for a moment, he simply looks. and then, he smiles. ]
It's really warm, Doctor Daan. Your magic must be what a hug feels like.
[ because hong lu has loved everyone that he's ever met. he already loves daan. he loves yi sang, and vergilius, and all the sinners - he loves everyone he's met here in the city, and everyone he has yet to meet. he loves the ones he's killed. of course he does. that's love. so of course nothing has changed. nothing can, when you induce someone who already loves you. ]
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This way, the burn is improved.
The comment is actually kind of a relief; he's heard and seen all kinds of reactions to it. Tsuruno could feel Daan's familial love toward her, for example. There has been worse, and it's a bit different every time.]
Not so terrible, then.
I'm going to text you some instructions on how to care for your injury. How is it feeling, by the way?
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1/3
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wait until daan finds out their shared grave is just... their living room...... face in hands
fellahs is it gay to call ur living room a shared grave
FACE IN HANDS