Etrian Odyssey Short Story II
NOTE: Until I can properly set up the character sheet, any and all info related to my EO1 guild will be seen here and here
Remedial Fixations
“Hmmmmmm, what about ~asphyxiation~?” The crass huntress Ahana cooly enunciates, as the sun’s warm rays peer through the open window. She’s slyly tracking the guild’s doctor, Walker, as he paces around her room concocting an herbal remedy to soothe the swollen, purple ooze splattered at the top part of her kneecap. Lazily lying upon her bed’s puffy mattress, her right calf is being propped up by two sets of pillows, as to help make the process of treating her afflicted ailment easier. Few seconds later, after grinding some of the herbs together to bolster his medicine’s strength, he delivers a frank and straightforward response to the inquiry: “Nah, too meticulous and dangerous; put too little energy and the partner’s gonna feel squat, put too much and at that point you’re teetering on the line of manslaughter.”
Pouting, Ahana whines back “Awwwwwwwwwwwww come oooooooooooonnnnnn, that’s what makes it so enticing!” Overjoyous, albeit carefully so as to not disrupt her position, she exclaims “Not knowing if your partner’s being taken away due to the force of your grip, the discordant yet delectable tension you two feel as you stare at each other, all while the space between you two ever dissipates as you unknowingly get closer and closer… how could you not find that romantic?!”
Walker coldly sighs and furrows his brow, “Personally speaking, I’d rather not deal with the potentiality of homicide and the runoff of bounty hunters who are erroneously looking to turn me in, all because I made an oopsie and/or my self-defense ripostes kicked in.” Finalizing the homemade remedy, and solidifying his content with the results, he shuffles over to the bedside, moving the chair next to him in position. He figures some light reassurance should help ease her into the irritable procedure, if marginally so. “Now, I’ll need you to hold still and relax, alright? It’ll sting… pretty damn awfully. Ready?”
“Go right ahead, but all I’m sayin is that, as long as you and the consenting partner set a guideline of strength factors and a safeword, or safewords even, you’ll be- ACK!”
Within a moment, Ahana sinks her teeth deep on her tongue, watching him slather one of his vials over the ooze and gazing at its bubbling singes. She shuts her eyes, while also pulling her hair puffs to the side as a way to counterplay against the sore’s venomic reaction. After Walker begins to unwrap the remedy around the kneecap, topping it off with three dabs worth of pints from another of his salves, he does a thorough survey, and stretches on up. “Told ya. Anyway, the numbing will take effect after a few minutes have passed. Although both the ooze and the remedy should subside within the next two hours, I suggest waiting in your room for most of the afternoon, just so any muscle exertion doesn’t cause the inflammation again.” Examining the room, he notices her tea set, and huffs it over. “Since we both know you’re not gonna do that and beeline towards the training dummies, however, I’ll just remain here until the allotted time has whizzed by.” Instructions delivered, he starts to pour the two cups, handing the half-filled one to her while carrying the near-topped other for himself. Ahana, in a fidgety manner, responds “Ehehehe… thanks, Walks. Although, answer me this,” as she angles her head, befuddled and appearing strained, “how uh, did this ooze drop on me to begin with?”
“Right, right, I suppose it makes sense you wouldn’t be able to remember.” Walker, finishing his first sip of the tea, and pining for the starting point of her expunged memory, starts to recount the ordeal; “So after me, Soejima, Aya, and Alicia decided it was best to return to Etria via the newly discovered Geomagnetic Field, due to our exhaustive bout against Fenrir and their rout, we were suddenly startled by the abrupt screech of your domina- er, free-spirited, persona, after which you began to… lose yourself, wailing and repeatedly cracking your whip in tense, circular motions. It was unlike anything we had seen prior or especially during battles, almost as if you had completely altered your rationale and became someone else entirely. We only managed to settle the affair once you conked against the tree near the door, and saw the ooze lay dormant right there on your kneecap, along with two leaves between your…”
Ahana, in a manner of downcast reflection and anxious concealment, dolefully darts her eyes to her legs. “…I’ve heard enough. I’m, sorry about that, I-” Walker, sharply, attempts to deflate the worrywart, “Hey, don’t worry about that. No one was gravely wounded or becoming a turncoat, and both of us are in your room, away from the bustle of the Primitive Jungle. I won’t pry about that third persona, nor if it’s even an element buried within your psyche at all. When you’re comfortable enough to share, you’ll tell me, alright?”
Solemnly, Ahana nods her head. After a few moments of empty words, he decides to break it by opening up about their next move. “So, since we’re gonna be spending the next few days scoping out the populace, I was thinking about obtaining more medicine ideas and whatnot from the Apothecary, while Soejima does his research back at the Radha Hall. Which sounds more interesting to you?” Grimacing, Ahana crooks her head in displeasure. “Gee, I wonder what’s cooler: gathering clinical info from the guy that can stun three wolves with just his staff while bluntly sharing his forms of non-laboral pleasure, or boring homework with my mentor?” Chortling, Walker retorts with “Hey, I thought you were the one that brought up the topic of training with Soejima, and don’t drag me down on the topic of ribaldry!” As he continues to laugh, Ahana’s eyes begin to roll hard, letting out a groan from discontent. “Anyway, I’m just asking because we’ve already heard from Val, Hoffman, and Quinn that numerous folk are already beginning to converse amongst themselves in regards to our recent exploit. The ‘Mentor’, Arle, and Boktai are eyeballing the Labyrinth with newfound resolve, and it seems like Aya and Alicia are enjoying themselves with how they’re being treated now.” Leaning back, he elaborates, “Me? I’m just content that we’re steadily improving ourselves. I wasn’t sure if we could even make it, but thanks to your intuit thinking with the Blaze Oil, we were able to succeed. You wanna expand on your training, or what?”
Pondering about it, Ahana puts her left index on her chin. After more moments of silence, Walker sipping his tea in wait, she bulges her eyes in pride, and answers with vigorous boom: “I haven’t a clue!”
Falling back behind the chair, tea spilt half over the wooden floorboards and half on his coat, some of his vials even rolling out from their pockets, Walker immediately bolts back up and viscerally barks “What the hell do you mean you have no idea?!” Giggling profusely, Ahana could barely muster the words together to give her answer; “I’m sorry but like, I just thought it’d be funny to say that after seeing you take it so seriously!!!” Bitterly annoyed, Walker only groans back as a response, and staunchly pulls his appurtenances back up from the floor, then soon after centers the chair into place once again. Simmering down, and with Walker pouring another spot of tea, Ahana plainly delivers her actual answer. “I wouldn’t mind training more, obvs, but all that bookwormy shenanigan is Soe’s thing, and I’m far more content letting my other handle the brunt of the whip. Now, herbs on the other hand…” She cheekily smirks and glances towards the increasingly disgruntled Walker, “that’s a specialty I don’t know about, be it by provocation or smarts, and considering we have someone that just so happens to know what they’re doing with those….”
“….you can have me teach you the ins-and-outs of it for use, yea yea…” Walker finishes in lugubrious coos. “I won’t deny that you have been getting about herbalism, but I’m still confused as to what exactly you’d even need it for. It’s-” Ahana chucks the pillow into his face, having him spill a small pint of his tea onto the floor again. “Ay, I have no need for it. Aren’t you into exotic lifestyles just cause it sounds fun? I want to do the same with herbs, it’s cool. Also uh, maybe more tea brewery - I heard spicing a set with a chamomile does a sublime job in getting one anesthetize, which would help even out all the rowdy people that crawls into the Inn!” Reluctantly, Walker gives a slight nod of approval. “Just be sure to take it seriously, I don’t want to pull double duty on your hyperactive imagination. I’ll bring you over to Hoffman as usual to give you more prep work about it.”
“Why tomorrow?”
They both stare at the bruised kneecap again.
“Oh, right.”