The Drug Trade (Dula)

[Joran]

The small Tunawa, panicked though he was, did take a look at Dula's wrist upon request. Unfortunately, early on as it was in the injury, he had no idea what to make of it. It was one of the downsides of being made of wood--intuitive things like the impending swelling didn't make a lot of sense to him. Wood was wood; it didn't puff up or get red or generally do its best to die whenever somebody nicked it. Joran could tell her arm was warm...but then, Talk Folk were all warm in his experience. So, as he studied her arm, he decided to just take her word for it.

Joran didn't seem to be judging her too harshly; he was more concerned that she might be hurt. After all, he couldn't carry her back to Desnind, and traveling the Lori with only one usable arm was inadvisable at best. That might change once everything calmed down a bit, but for now he had other matters to worry about than her competence. He glanced around again, as if expecting a medic to materialize out of the underbrush. Only when she spoke up did he rein himself in. Wide, dark blue eyes flicked back up to Dula's own as she challenged him to be somewhat useful.

He blinked once, slowly, then shook his head. "We just breathe to talk," he answered, because of course a tangential question was his priority. He took a deep breath--contradicting himself--and then set to work. He tried to be a little bit bossy, because that was what Tey'droa did and said worked best with injured patients. Needless to say, he wasn't particularly good at it, especially after his obvious lack of confidence in his own medical abilities. He took her arm if allowed and warned her, "This will hurt a little." And it did--he gently pushed his hands against the top, sides, and bottom of the wrist to figure out exactly what hurt and where. That was a bit of Tey'droa's influence; none of the lies about something not hurting.

Next, he tested the bones all along the forearm to see if anything moved when it wasn't supposed to. It hurt a little more than if he had larger hands and could do it faster...but he didn't do too much unnecessary tweaking. Finding no misaligned bones, he nodded to himself as if worrying at a puzzle. "Hold it still. Like this." He brought his own arm up, forearm ninety degrees with the upper arm and crossed across his stomach in the classic "broken arm" pose. "Do you have any cloth for a sling?" Joran asked her. After all, it wasn't like he had a shirt to use or any spare rags on his zipper. They couldn't hold such cargo without noticeable encumbrance. "I don't think it's broken. It feels like it's just a sprain, but you should get it checked out by Tey'droa just in case." Failing a cloth large enough for a sling, he would next try to find some relatively-straight sticks in the underbrush to use to tie something resembling a splint for her to keep it stabilized for the walk home. Regardless of the solution, if she allowed him to do what was needed to help her out then he took several steps back and grinned toothily at her. "Ready to go back home?"

[Dula]

¤

For all of his panic Joran seemed to collect himself somewhat when she presented her wrist to him. Maybe he DID know what he was doing. His comment about their "breathing" would have interested Dula a lot more if she wasn't in so much pain. Her right wrist was throbbing and felt as if it were on fire. Knowing it had to happen she steeled herself as the Tunawa moved her wrist. For all her teeth gritting it didn't stop a hiss from leaving her lips followed by a long groan when he bent her wrist the opposite way.
"For the love of Moseke!"
Came a cry as she threw back her head and the inspected arm. Which was not the most strong curse in the world but an honest one, she would rather be dead right now than continue to be poked and prodded. Turning her head away and uttering a pitiful, dramatic whimper she stuck her arm back out to continue to be inspected. Dula was grateful when he started his inspection of her forearm and left her wrist alone, though his beady fingers were quite the opposite of "a treat". Every poke earned him a hissing breath and she was sure this was going to bruise her.

Daring to peak she turned her head and opened one eye into a squint at him. He was done. Now he was asking about cloth for a sling.
"I don't have cloth, no. Something else will have to do. Just please FIX IT! A sprain, a break! At this point I won't be able to use it for eighty-five trials! Ohhh what did I do this time?"
While she sat through his next process of tending to her wound she was fidgety and noticeably had to force herself to sit through it. While the wound was clearly painful it might be obvious to Joran that she was being a tad melodramatic.

Once finished she was grateful to him, though the wrist was still very sore.
"I would hug you if I could, Joran. Thank you. Figures I fall out of that tree. I swear there's some Chrien priestess out there just for me, some Mer who found a lock of my hair and is casting curses on me somehow."
At least he was more competent than his mount. She followed him and his annoying zipper back through the Lori when he was ready to depart. It was a relief to be making it back to Desnind.

[Strange]

Thread Review

Joran

Joran

Skill Points: +15 (cannot be used for magic)
Magic XP: None.

Renown: None.

Injuries/Overstepping: None.
Wealth Points: None.
Loot: None.

Skill Knowledge:

• Discipline: Collect yourself when surprised and carry on
• Climbing: Using a rope-pulley system
• Medicine: Treating a sprain
• Medicine: Working out in the field
• Medicine: Using a splint to stabilize an injured limb
• Mount: Zipper: Zippers don't like being underground
• Mount: Zipper: Zippers can hover and fly vertically
• Mount: Zipper: Forcing a zipper to move at a slow pace
• Mount: Zipper: Keeping a zipper moving in a straight line
• Socialization: Social Contact - Dula: The clumsy alchemist
• Socialization: Social Connection - Dula: Tey'droa's great-granddaughter

Non-Skill Knowledge:

• none requested.

Notes: n/a.
Player Word Count: 4075 words.

Dula

Dula

Skill Points: +15 (cannot be used for magic)
Magic XP: None

Renown: None.

Injuries/Overstepping: Arm sprain that requires 40 trials to heal.
Wealth Points: None.
Loot: +Six Syanan Okan flowers.

Skill Knowledge:

• Endurance: Keeping up a full run through Desnind
• Endurance: Resting after running to catch your breath
• Field Craft: Syanan Okan: Gives the user “visions”
• Field Craft: Syanan Okan: This purple flower blooms at night
• Field Craft: Syanan Okan: Grows on vines high in the trees
• Field Craft: Syanan Okan: Used by Tsabar for finding familiars
• Socialization: Joran: Is a healer under Tey’droa
• Socialization: Joran: Uses a zipper as a mount
• Climbing: Larger branches as foot and hand holds
• Climbing: Using rope as a pulley to get up a tree when the branches are too high
• Climbing: Using the largest branches to hold your weight on a tree

Non-Skill Knowledge:

• General: Zipper: Give the beast a wide berth

Notes: n/a.
Player Word Count: 4286 words.

This was a great team-building/foraging thread. I'm a fan of both Joran and Dula, so it makes for a great partnership to read about. Each have their own strengths and weaknesses to complement the other, plus they play off each other well with things not being too conflicted, but not overly smooth either.

Both characters felt well-developed, consistent, and independent with their own lives coming together for a mutual aim. Joran's mutual acquaintance with Dula's great-grandmother was an interesting overlap, as well. I wonder if Dula will use the Syanan Okan to help find her familiar after all.

Excellent job the both of you and enjoy your rewards!

PM me if you have any questions, issues or concerns.

Total Word Count: 8361 words.

Review Request Link: viewtopic.php?p=122512#p122512
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