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Post by Your Mom~ on May 18, 2013 5:25:11 GMT -8
As the gates closed behind them, Olesya released a breath of relief. Not exactly a sigh, but that feeling you get when you're finally home. Over the last couple months, Dragon Territory had become her home in more ways than one. She had her 'family' with David and Maddie, her job as the Voice of the Storm Dragon. The responsibility was refreshing, it gave her a purpose. The power was enlivening, though she made sure to keep herself in check.
"Thanks. Is there a doctor on site?"
Olesya nodded at Mitsuki, before turning to one of the younger soldiers.
"Run ahead to the doctor. Let him know we're coming."
The younger soldier closed his right fist over his heart with a 'yes ma'am' before running off down one of the alley ways. Les turned back to Mitsuki, nodding her head after the boy.
"This way. We have a full med unit, David's doctor is here heading the unit, and he has a handful of apprentices. It's about a block or so from here."
She informed the young woman as they walked the short way to the doctor's office. When they arrived, one of the apprentices was in the doorway, holding it open for them.
"Doc is with a patient, but he said he's be right with you. We have a bed open, in and to the left."
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Post by Mitsuki Park on May 18, 2013 18:22:19 GMT -8
Full medical unit? Mitsuki's face seemed to have brightened, if only for a flash second.
"...think he'll take on more apprentices? I was a year away from getting my MD."
A soft 'heh' would escape her, shedding more light on what Mitsuki had been up to in Chicago. But although she didn't actually get a piece of paper saying she was authorized to see patients, she regretted nothing- the three years of brutal work went not in vain.
Mitsuki stepped through the door and followed the directions to set Kari down on the empty bed. It was a struggle to stay emotionally detached from the girl. Repeatedly, she had to remind herself that having the same name didn't mean much. The girl was also well in her teens, whereas her daughter would be six. Still, the memories just from hearing the name were painful, but ironically not unwanted.
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Post by Your Mom~ on May 18, 2013 18:36:05 GMT -8
"I don't see why not, especially someone with extensive medical training."
She nodded, taking note of the brightness in the young woman's expression. About half of the apprentices here had little to no medical experience prior to working with Doc. The bottom line had been with the world the way it was, with all the warring and ever present danger, Doc needed all the help he could get. Even if that meant just people to change the sheets and take inventory of the supplies.
As if on cue, a tall, middle aged man with short cropped hair came into the room, adjusting the stethoscope around his neck. He had a kind face that was only beginning to crease with wrinkles that showed when he smiled.
"Hi there, you can call me Doc, just about everyone does here. And what have we got here?"
He asked, coming to stand by the bed the younger girl was in. Kari had her arms crossed over her chest, still feeling really nervous about her change of scenery, and who knew what she'd been through.
"Her name is Kari, we found her about twenty clicks south of here. Saved her from a couple bandits, she's beat up quite a bit. Don't know much more than that."
[ooc: Forgot David's doctor's actual name XD lulz. You can play them both as well. Docs just a nice guy whose seen a lot of shit, and he's David's doctor for his crazy illness]
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Post by Mitsuki Park on May 21, 2013 12:55:17 GMT -8
Mitsuki's first impression of the doctor was probably the most normal, yet friendliest anyone could ever have. The years of wisdom the doctor had was shown in the kindness of his face and the wrinkles forming upon his smiles. Honestly, she probably could have fallen in love with the guy. The doctor did a quick scan of Kari before gently lifting up the wounded leg, noting silently of her reactions of both pain and something akin to fear.
"Your ankle isn't the only one that hurts, is it? Can you point to me where it hurts, Kari?"
The young girl was hesitant and looked over to Olesya and Mitsuki, as if asking if it were okay. Only after she received some sort of sign from both the girls would Kari point to an area around her ribs, where it had been kicked by a couple of the bandits earlier that day.
"Couldn't help but overhear that you have medical training. Can you check up on her torso while I grab some supplies for her ankle?"
Mitsuki nodded her head. He was a smart doctor. Mitsuki did a quick check, checking around her bruises by pressing and asking how much it hurt. Man, how awesome useful would it be if she had x-ray vision right now. The check-up was done in a jiffy and, right around when she finished, the doctor came back with an ankle brace, some wrap, ice, and other shenanigans.
He turned toward Mitsuki, expecting...
"Bruised tissue around the ribs, but no fractures or broken bones."
Which was good. If her ribs had been fractured, she would be keeling over in pain- even more so if her ribs had been broken. The doctor would finish wrapping Kari up before handing her some generic pain killers in a small, clear plastic baggie.
"Alright, I need you to come see me in a couple days so I can check up on your ankle. Until then, try not to run around too much."
And just then, more people would arrive seeking out the doctor. Mitsuki wouldn't get the chance to talk with him, but she would arrive later- she assumed for now that they would need a place to put little Kari...to which Mitsuki would be of no use, because of her lack in permanent residency in the area.
...were they dismissed?
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Post by Your Mom~ on May 22, 2013 2:51:51 GMT -8
Olesya stood back, the corners of her mouth turned upward ever so slightly as she watched Mitsuki and the Doc work, practically in unison after just meeting for the first time. Is that how all medical professionals were? No...Les had seen her fair share between her ER visits as a kid and the asylum and halfway house where she received treatment, and not all doctors and nurses worked together in such tandem.
She entertained the idea of Mistuki sticking around. She knew the woman was a bit of a wanderer, she didn't have the air of one being able to be tied down. However, she also knew that they could greatly benefit from her expertise in the medical field. Les knew some basic first aid and CPR Doc had taught her, and the fact of the matter was that most of his assistants had about the same amount of training she did. They were volunteers, helping out where they could. Doc was the only one with actual medical training in the territory. Olesya was sure it was taxing on him, but he always wore a smile. She respoected that.
When Doc left the room, Les turned her attention back to Mitsuki, her Cheshire smirk in place.
"Nice work there, Dr. Park."
She teased, standing up from the wall she'd been leaning on to stay out of the way. She walked over to the girls, looking down at Kari.
"Do you wanna rest for a bit? I'm sure Doc won't mind, there's enough beds, and I need to make arrangements for you here."
The girl nodded, laying back with her ice pack, her ankle propped up on pillows to reduce swelling. She didn't look to eager to get back up anytime soon, and Les didn't blame her. Poor thing looked exhausted. Les tucked in the side of the girl's blanket subconsciously, a budding maternal habit from taking care of Maddie, before turning back to her old friend.
"You got anywhere to be? I can show you about while I register her with bookkeeping."
Les wasn't sure what the actual term for the people who kept records on the territory and its inhabitants was, but 'bookkeeping' worked well enough to suit her purposes. The kept track of actual Dragons, active soldiers and units, civilians, and temporary visitors as well as a long list of people that weren't allowed within a hundred yards of the gates. Barker was on that list.
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Post by Mitsuki Park on May 22, 2013 12:48:16 GMT -8
"Ha," she would grin in response. Not quite doctor; there was something about not finishing the last of her board exams that didn't make it seem right for her to claim. There was still a year's worth of material she hadn't gotten the chance to even explore; a year's worth of rounds covering patients with all sorts of nifty odd kinks in their bodies. But then again, the experience she received as working on a medical team, back in Chicago, probably covered all that. Though, truly, there was something about being questioned with case studies, on the spot, that she found to be an odd highlight of her school days.
She watched silently as Olesya took care of the girl. Mental sigh- her mind wandered a bit, spacing off until Olesya's question snapped her back into reality.
"Hmm? Ah, no, not really."
She wasn't sure what bookkeeping was..but with all the times she visited Dragon territory, her name was probably listed under visitors 'less Kazuya and David forgot to record it. She never really came into Dragon territory the conventional front door way, though, but she didn't hide herself (not...often, anyway) else they'd probably think of her as a threat if she was found.
Once they were outside...
"So- Dragon, huh?"
She would chuckle. It seemed like everyone she knew was either a Dragon, Crow, or a God. Truly, Mitsuki Park was an outsider to the world of California....
...and strangely, she had no qualms about it.
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Post by Your Mom~ on May 23, 2013 8:45:31 GMT -8
Olesya wasn't sure what the actual term was, Records or Tracking or....whatever, she had no idea. It was there way of m1aking sure that all those in Dragon Territory were present and accounted for, that visitors were actually visitors, and civilians were marked separate from soldiers in case the territory came under fire. It was a safety thing for everyone, really.
She led the young woman out of the health office toward the place than handled all the bookkeeping. It was a couple minutes of weaving between buildings heading almost toward the entrance where they came in. Off to the side sat a squat little building that had soldiers filing in an out at different intervals. A sign above the door read 'Welcome Center,' though Les wasn't sure if that was meant to be ironic or not.
They walked inside, meeting a short balding man behind a desk. He was reading a couple forms, his spectacles bent slightly at the bridge. Les cleared her throat to get his attention. The man looked slightly annoyed before setting down his forms.
"Can I help you?"
"Yes, I need to register a civilian. Newly arrived."
The man pursed his lips. "New civilian? Did you get the proper approval?" He asked, a slight sneer to his voice. At this, Olesya flashed her badge, the markings above it denoting her rank and title. The man's eyes widened slightly and he sat up straighter.
"Yes, she has the proper approval."
"Uh, yes. Yes of course. Let me get you the paperwork so you can be on your way."
He dug in his drawer for a book, setting it on top of his desk and opening it to where the lines of writing ended. He took a pen from the chaos of his desk and offered it to her.
"We just need her name, age, arrival date, and approving officer. You can just...sign there..."
Les ignore his behavior change, taking the pen and signing the girl in. Because she didn't know the girl's name, she simply put an 'X' after 'Kari', the girl's approximate age, and her own signature of approval. The man handed her a badge that had the Dragon on it, but the colors were gray and tan as opposed to the officers' black and gray. A civilian's badge.
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Post by Mitsuki Park on May 23, 2013 18:11:56 GMT -8
Mitsuki grinned at the drastic change in tone when the man saw the badge, but otherwise made no comment in front of the bookkeeper. She waited patiently beside Olesya while she handled the paperwork, eyes roaming around the office. Security was high in Dragon territory, which wasn't a surprise.
When Olesya finished and they were out the door, Mitsuki would still be grinning in amusement.
"Someone's a bigshot here," she teased.
Hands slipped into her back pocket.
"Anywhere we can go to catch up?"
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Post by Your Mom~ on May 28, 2013 4:16:49 GMT -8
Olesya shrugged at Mitsuki's comment, a small smirk in place. She took the badge and a couple pieces of paperwork from the man without another word, nodding and turning on her heel to leave the 'Welcome Center.' Once they were out the door, and the man was out of sight, did she answer Mitsuki's remark.
"I know of that guy, a real stickler when it comes to paperwork. Approval this, triplicate that, sign here, cross your t's and dot your i's, that kind of thing. I mean granted, it's good to keep track of everyone here for security and consensus reasons, but still."
At the young woman's question, Olesya glanced about, the corner of her lip between her teeth as she thought for a second. A thought donned on her, and she nodded, folding up the badge inside the paperwork and putting it in her pocket.
"The civilian side of the territory is pretty nice and docile. We have a pretty lively marketplace now, and they've rennovated the cafe and such. I'll show you."
Olesya led her away from the war and busieness side of the territory they'd been walking through toward the civilian side. As they got closer, vendor stalls began to crop up on the sides of buildings, selling everything from scavenged goods from the neutral lands to fresh fruit and vegetables grown in the greenhouses and rooftop gardens.
Les gestured in a 'ta-da' sort of way as she reached the cafe. The menu was much more limited than it had been before the bombs fell, but supplies were much more rare than they had been before.
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Post by Mitsuki Park on May 29, 2013 10:26:27 GMT -8
Mitsuki followed silently beside her, eyes roaming from vendor to vendor. It was nothing short of amazing to see humanity pick itself back up after the apocalypse. Heh. Although Suki wasn't much of a shopper, she'd have to stop by again and look around.
"Cute place."
California was always known for its little cafes, from what Suki remembered. She always went to study in those little bakery/coffee shops when things got a little too hectic at school or at home. It was nice because she never ran into people she knew.
"You going to get anything?"
She would ask as they stepped inside.
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Post by Your Mom~ on May 30, 2013 3:17:35 GMT -8
"Thanks, we operate mostly on the barter system, but theres still a good amount of coin floating around since they're hardier than paper money. You'll find bartering mostly in the vendor stalls, in shops like this, they're more likely to take coin."
The walked into the cafe that had seen better days, but it was obvious that they were trying to fix up. Broken panes had been fixed up with recycled panes of smashed up bottles thats had been super-heated, giving the glass a multicolored swirly effect. A couple sets of mismatched tables and chairs sat about, a couple of the tables having been refitted with new legs. It had a kind of island of misfit toys feel to it, Olesya liked it.
She walked up to the counter where a middle aged woman stood organizing a shelf of mismatched cups. It looked more like a kitchen shelf than a cafe shelf with the 'World's Best Dad' mug sitting next to a Disney-themed collector's cup like the ones you got at McDonald's years ago. They were all salvaged, a couple chips missing here or there, but they did the job.
"I'll take a lemonade. What about you, 'Suki?"
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Post by Mitsuki Park on Jun 4, 2013 18:35:32 GMT -8
It was good to know what kind of monetary system these vendors used. Not that Mitsuki had much to barter with, but she did have a couple of valuables that would prove to be useful in this day and age. She wondered if the Gods used the Barter system as well; they had many skilled smiths there and she was looking for a particular make...
Island of misfit toys was an excellent way to describe what Mitsuki thought of when she saw the layout of the cafe. And although the Asian wasn't exactly a 'color' person, she thought the mismatching furniture had a more fun feel; it made the shop all together more 'homey'- more...
"Just water is fine."
After the two got their drinks, Mitsuki would follow Olesya to a table and seat and the first question to be asked...
"How have you been?"
But the way Mitsuki asked the question wasn't really the way one would ask during small talk. There was genuine interest and concern in her voice, really asking 'Les how she was holding up since the bombing.
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Post by Your Mom~ on Jun 4, 2013 19:01:29 GMT -8
"Fifty cents."
Olesya dug into her pocket as the skinny girl turned to get the lemonade and water. She had long red hair and freckles across her nose. She looked about eighteen, though everyone looked older these days, it was hard to tell. The barista returned with two mismatching glasses of about the same size, one with water and a couple ice cubes and one with lemonade. Les handed her the coins and took her drink, following her to the table. She sat down with a sigh, letting the spent energy from the day's adventures roll off her shoulders.
She considered Mitsuki's question, taking the liberty of sipping her drink and setting it down slowly before replying. She felt the instinct to launch into the 'small talk' of 'Oh, just fine. You know, bombs falling, people missing, I've been great.' kind of nonsense, but the genuine concern threw her for a loop. Olesya found it difficult to trust most people these days, the only people who saw her at her very most vulnerable was David and Maddie. However, Mitsuki was an old friend, their bond went deep down past the scarring of her 'lost time' as Doctor Twist had called it. She was one of the first friends Olesya made when starting at PHS #259, that had to count for something, albiet the long long time since they'd stood face to face.
"I'm...better. Much better. I don't know how much you heard about the school since your disappearance, but there was an abduction junior year. Barker took some kids and experimented on them in the hopes of making super soldiers. Emily was one of them, David was one, and so was I. The effects were instantaneous, I was stronger, faster, smarter...but not 'super' like Barker had hoped. The side effects, however...were not...they were bad. Most of them were physical. Emily got white hair, as did I eventually," She gestured to her head, "But the psychological effects were worse. A couple of the kids went insane in the facility, absolutely feral. Mine didn't hit the breaking point until a couple months later. Memory block, I forgot everything, I disappeared. It was...they were dark times. I'll spare you the details."
She cleared her throat, taking another sip of her lemonade. Mitsuki may or may not have wanted to hear Les's full sob story, but once she started talking,the words just kept flowing.
"I ran into David, actually. On the roof of a club. The run in shattered the memory block, and I was left with two sets of memories. I lost it, completely lost it, and did a lot of drugs to try and make myself forget again. I was eventually picked up by the cops and thrown in the loony bin. I got cleaned up, analyzed, poked and prodded and examined under a microscope basically. There was this doctor there, though, Doctor Twist, he was a former employee of Barker's. He recognized some of the symptoms, he'd helped create the initial chemicals years ago until his conscience caught up with him. He treated me, removed the toxins from my system, and kept me at his office, this halfway house to re-acclimate me to normal life."
Another paused, another sip.
"Wouldn't you believe, I ran into David again. I also found Maddie, the little girl Jon and I took care of for our school project years ago. David took care of her while I went back to finish my treatment with Doctor Twist, and then when I was cleared I came back. He had a house set up here in the territory and I moved it. We're like a strange little...family, I guess."
Olesya shrugged, looking a little sheepish. It was a complicated relationship, if you could call it that. Olesya and David was like pseudo-parents to the orphan, and she and David....almost...kind of...had something. There were a couple moment where she thought he was interested, but then something always got in the way. Olesya was still working on understanding her emotions, making things kind of awkward between them. Like I said....complicated. She'd leave a pause for Mitsuki to ask any questions she might have before turning the conversation to her in return.
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Post by Mitsuki Park on Jun 7, 2013 10:39:44 GMT -8
Hnnh. She didn't really 'hear' about the abduction, per say, but there were many angered people who wondered of Miss Park's whereabouts during this time- it was her duty and obligation and 'job' to protect the students, and so with her lack of participation...it was only natural that she would catch wind of what had happened, though exact details were left out. For Olesya to fill in the missing pieces drew out a frown from the Asian; to hear that Barker made experiments out of the students was a bit heartbreaking, especially because Mitsuki knew Barker was still going on about his experiments, having run into a couple when she crossed Barker Territory.
And then there were the names.
Barker, Emily, David, Doctor Twist, Jon.
Barker- everyone in the world knew this man. Emily- who Mitsuki realized was a girl she didn't know all along. David- once her pillar, now her friend. Doctor Twist...? And Jon. She lightly tapped her glass of water before taking a drink.
Mitsuki wanted to apologize for her lack of presence during the 'darker times' of PHS #259. Wanted to...but didn't. She was pregnant with Sierre at the time- and although she hated to admit it, she wasn't sure if she would've joined the search and rescue team (if there was one).
And although she could only imagine the psychological problems that came with all the experiments, she couldn't help but...
"I admire the physical changes," she commented, "..they're a testament to your survival."
And strength. And courage. And willpower, among others.
As for the whole little family bit, Mitsuki was a little jealous. Not because Mitsuki had feelings for David (nope, their relationship was strictly platonic), but because she missed her own family and the emotions that 'family' brought out of her; the responsibilities that came of being a part of a family, and the unconditional love that stemmed from it.
She missed Chicago, but more than Chicago she missed the people there- her brother, her close friends and comrades, the familiarity.
"How long ago did treatments end?"
Meaning, how long had it been since she recovered?
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Post by Your Mom~ on Jun 9, 2013 1:03:59 GMT -8
The sheepish smile returned when Mitsuki said she admired Olesya's physical changes. The white hair, the kaleidoscope eyes...there were days when Olesya would wake up and wish she saw the punky brunette in the mirror with her brilliant hazel eyes. Hair dye was too rare in this day and age, and even if she'd managed to get her hands on it, it was too difficult to upkeep without getting weird-looking white roots growing in. Les had learned to embrace her strange look, and was thankful that her old friend saw it as a badge of courage as opposed to a resume for a circus freak show.
"Mm...I finished the end of January, I believe. I initially stopped treatments about a month after the bombs fell since Jon sent some of his men to come find me...but it became obvious as time passed that I wasn't completely cured. I went back in October, I think it was. Sometime around then."
It sounded like she was describing chemo treatments or something. In a way it was, Doctor Twist used a variety of shots to neutralize the remaining chemicals in her system. The strength, reflexes, and smarts were all still there, but the mentally decaying aspect of the chemicals had been stopped. All she had to worry about was the damage it had already done.
"But enough about my craziness,-"
She laughed kind of awkwardly, waving it off. Social interaction was still a bit...rough around the edges. She missed the subtle nuances that had once been second hand to her.
"What about you? Where've you been all this time?"
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