@justgaia | Video

[hammerbearer]

[ In line with the ongoing events here. More or less. ]

[ Queue a video feed. There was probably a bit of audio, the typical noises of someone figuring out a new system and trying to find the video button. ...Aha! There is Gaia, sitting on one of the trolley cars. Behind her, mostly in frame, is Cidolfus Telemon. He probably looks okay. But Gaia's words suggest he's not. ]

I hope this is right. I'm on the blue line trolley between... the Farway stop and the next island. A man named Cid just jumped on after burning his aether to a life threatening level. Because he missed it while picking up something at a place called the Kwik Stop.

I don't have healing spells, so I'd appreciate anyone that can catch up to the trolley who might come and look him over. It's not exactly fast.

Well, if anyone's looking for him and worried, he's here.

[ She sounds more than a little bit worried exasperated. ]

Comments

[levindicated]

[It is only when she starts narrating like that that he catches on completely. So he does the only thing he can do, and just leans back and laughs.]

[And then pulls out a smoke. He lights it, takes a puff, leans forward and smiles as he gently shakes his head.]

I’m just fine, everyone. [And he does look basically okay. He always looks a little rough- a bit tired, a bit rumpled. He had to run for a mile and a half to catch up to the trolley. He’s a little sweaty, but he’s not dying.]

Don’t waste your time. …Or risk your own neck with the snakes, for that matter. Gaia, dear, no one is worried and looking for me. How much of a doddering old man do you take me for?

[hammerbearer]

[ Cid you did not just take out a cigarette.... Gaia might not have a clearly defined understanding of modern earth narratives on the dangers of smoking but she's still fairly confident that sucking smoke into your lungs after coughing blood is going to do you no good. ]

Are you serious right now? [ She does momentarily forget that she needs to keep him in frame and turns her head. How to camera again? This is a little different from the last 'network'. ]

I don't know where these snakes are, but I'm sure we'll be past them fast enough. Far moreso than waiting until the trolley makes it to the hospital. Also you're smoking now, do I need to really spell it out for you, Cid?

[ Yeah there's certainly a lot of thoughts about how much of a doddering old man he might be in comparison to her seventeen years or so. ]

[levindicated]

I always smoke after I have a little coughing fit. Soothes it all down.

[He has the nerve to look at her incredulously.]

You don’t even know me! As I said, I appreciate the concern, but I’m just fine!

[She was starting to sound like his own daughter, but that was an entirely different pain.]

I don’t need to go to the bloody hospital. I’ll be healed up on my own soon enough.

[hammerbearer]

[ There's certainly a lot to unwrap here. But this hands free network device sure is handy for letting the teen place her hands on her hips and give him the absolute best of teenage accusatory regards. ]

I may not know you but I do know your type. Also, may I clearly state your friend Barnabas just told me that was probably beer you went through all this for? Alcohol? And you don't think it's perfectly reasonable to think that you might be the last person I'd trust to state your actual health?

[ That's right, Barnabas, Cid. You're friends in her book. ]

Don't think I haven't heard you and that other fellow chattin' it up. I have a name which I did give you. It's not 'girl' or 'girlie' or 'lass'. It's Gaia.

[ Unfortunately, Vander isn't here to share in the pain of being viciously corrected. ]

Voice; un: Hound

[cantilevers]

[Oh. Damn. That's not great, he supposed.]

He was livelier the last time when I saw him. Sorry, he seemed like he could handle it better.

Re: Voice; un: Hound

[hammerbearer]

He did this before?

[ Unbelievable. ]

[cantilevers]

Oh no. He was just drunk when I met him.

[hammerbearer]

[ Public drunkeness at some other time doesn't necessarily qualify as a point toward Cid's current condition. ]

Well I guess it's a relief this isn't a repeat of earlier behavior that everyone is just brushing off.

[ Cid. She's turning to to look at you with a severe expression. ]

1/2

[odinpusrex]

[...Cidolfus...]

@JossSweden; Voice

[odinpusrex]

He will recover.

Re: @JossSweden; Voice

[hammerbearer]

[ She knows that voice. ]

You know this [ stubborn idiot ] man? I mean he might recover this time but you do realize I said the Kwik Stop right? As in snacks and beverages? He had some sort of case but it's tucked under the seat so I can't see what it is. Does he burn himself out like this all the time for convenience?

[ Yeah she's calling it the Kwik Stop when it should be Kwik Trip, but give her some slack, she just arrived! ]

[odinpusrex]

He is a foolish man driven by foolish desires. He will not heed the wisdom he is determined to evade.

[There's a slight tension to his voice as he speaks. She is not alone in her frustration.]

The case he hides. It is alcohol, like as not.

un: gorgug, voice

[tinflower]

[ This is. Confusing? Confusing. ]

He burned up something 'cause he missed a train, now he's dying?

[ Wow, Cid. That sounds cringe! ]

Re: un: gorgug, voice

[hammerbearer]

[ Fortunately, Gaia's got some experience under her belt with people not knowing what aether is. ]

Yes, basically it seems like he went through his reserves for magic and fed into his life force. And well... I can't say he's dying I suppose.

[ She supposes she'll give you that one Cid. ]

But he's sure to be injured.

[ Absolutely ignoring that Cid's protesting in the background he'll heal up soon and that he's fine. ]

[tinflower]

[ ... ]

...I mean... I guess can heal him, kinda, if no one else is around. And I'll call him stupid. Tell him I'm gonna tell the others about this. I'm gonna tell them he's getting old!

[ Cid, can you hear him!! You're getting old!! The kids get to sass you now!! ]

[miniroth]

[A good while later, this is being reviewed with amusement, but he knows better than to weigh in.]

Video; un: kafrizzle

[snapp_crackle]

Hmm. So that's what I'm going to be like when I'm fifty.

[ Popp has eyeballed Cid as probably somewhere in his forties. He's being annoying on purpose, for morale. ]

Re: Video; un: kafrizzle

[hammerbearer]

I should hope not.

[ Gaia seems very set on being firm that Popp should in no way take Cid as an aspiration for his golden years. ]

[snapp_crackle]

You're into fashion, right? Do you think I could pull off that facial hair?

[UN: swordcandy | Video]

[cultivatingsin]

[Huh.]

Is he dying? Show me.

[Why? He's pretty good at handling corpses, that's why. If Cid is a corpse, he wants him.]

Re: [UN: swordcandy | Video]

[hammerbearer]

Somehow I doubt it at this point.

[ She grumbles as if she's vexed to be proven wrong about this whole dying thing and reluctant to admit it's not as much an emergency as she first thought. ]

There's another person that's meeting us at the next stop just to be sure. Cid probably isn't going to die anytime soon, if that's what you're asking.

[Video]

[cultivatingsin]

[He makes a sharp, frustrated noise through his teeth, but it doesn't last. He pulls himself together, smirking a split second later.]

If you come across any bodies, you will let me know, right? I'm Xue Yang.

Don't worry, I can put them to good use.

[UN: philanthropist | Video]

[ghostlord]

Why did he do that? [He is an excellent healer, but healing dumb people seems like a waste of effort.]

Burn his aether, I mean.

Re: [UN: philanthropist | Video]

[hammerbearer]

Apparently because he missed the trolley and didn't want to wait for the hours it'll take to come around again.

[ Clearly an idiot. ]

[Video]

[ghostlord]

That's all? Useless. [Pursing his lips, his gaze grows cold.] Let him sleep it off.