voice | un: karma

[torpour]

My name is Nehan-- I'm researching how medicine works here, and how to merge it with the methods I'm used to. If my research goes well, for instance, I will be able to act as a doctor and pharmacist, among other roles found here.

To that end, I'm requesting samples of blood from fellow Sleepers. I understand it can be quite personal, so whoever does not want to do that need not respond. Those who do, so I can perform the phlebotomy myself, and can privately send you my address, and answer questions you may have.

Whoever wants to help but doesn't want a needle in their arm, I still have a job for you, if anyone is interested.

[very straight to the point, almost unwelcomingly so. but at least people know what they're getting into if they decide to deal with him?]

Comments

[unmelting]

Contracts are more the specialty of Liyue back home. Mondstadt operates a bit more freely. But those sorts of agreements do have their place.

[A hum.] Rigidity has its place too. I suppose for a physician in particular it would make sense.

[torpour]

["glazed moon"? interesting name for a place... but then again, if it's any parallel to his own homeland, perhaps that wont be such a surprise. he's only rarely ventured into the lands outside of karm, but he still remembers.]

I wasn't serious about the contract. But if you really want to... I can. I just cant guarantee it would be nice, for either of us. Or to the standards of Liyue or Mondstadt. [and he speaks "liyue" in a way that shows he may or may not know how to speak the language as a native, not as a person who learned it later in life.]

[unmelting]

I'm happier as a freelance delivery man myself.

[Kaeya answers with a laugh. But oh that is curious. No missing the fairly expert pronunciation there at all. Very interesting.]

In any case, have you figured out the challenges of taking your blood samples, given that some of us don't bleed so much as, crystalize, or shimmer?

[torpour]

I've learned some blood magic since we first met, if you're a darkblood, and I have no issues working at night if you're a paleblood, for instance. I found myself someone willing to teach me at a pace I'm willing to learn at. [which is to say, fast. there are perks to having an extraordinary memory.]

[unmelting]

How very efficient. As for me personally, I'm a coldblood, so probably not the most challenging to draw.

[Certainly not as challenging as a darkblood anyway, so there's that.]

[torpour]

That will be easy. Hopefully you're not afraid of needles or surgical knives.

[unmelting]

I'm not. That may not speak well for my self preservation, but oh well.

[torpour]

Good, I can just cut you and insert a tube into your veins then. [he's kidding.]

[unmelting]

Your bedside manner is a bit questionable. You know that, don't you?

[torpour]

If I can get someone to tell me that at least once a day, I consider it my greatest accomplishment for that day.

[unmelting]

Is that so? Well then, I'm glad to help you meet your goals. Honored, in fact.

[torpour]

That's appreciated. [a soft, bland tone, before he changes the subject back to business again.]

I'll be sending my address in Willful Machine soon, let me finish typing it. Feel free to come any time.

[unmelting]

I'll keep my eye out for it. I'll be by in short order to bleed for you.

[Cheery cheery.]

[torpour]

You'll get candy once we're done.

[finally, nehan manages to send the address to kaeya's personal inbox. who knew that typing with one hand is more time-consuming than writing?]

[unmelting]

Candy? Well well. Now I'll be an extra brave boy.

[He chuckles to himself but notes the message coming in.] Got it. I'll see you soon.

[torpour]

Very well.

[nehan will certainly interpret that as immediately and decides to simply wait.

his address leads to a row of terraced houses deeper into willful machine, away from the lamp in the canals, but it's easy to tell which one is his-- the erune is curled up in the chair on his front porch, feet propped up on a footstool with his wolf omen's head in his lap. instead of his usual coat, he's draped in a thick cardigan a few sizes too large for his frame.

he looks like a small old man with a deceptively youthful face.]

[unmelting]

[Kaeya, for all his many assorted and cultivated bad habits, can be punctual. So Nehan won't find himself waiting long at all.

And it certainly is hard to miss the good doctor once Kaeya gets close. He raises a hand in a brief greeting as he approaches.]

Nice neighborhood. I haven't explored this part of the city much yet.

[Most of his time in Willful Machine has been spent in the market and shops.]

[torpour]

[nehan pushes himself up to a more alert sitting position, but has to pat his omen's head multiple times before it deigns to get off and let him stand. the wolf snuffles at him as if irritated that its perch needs to move, but the wolfman pays it no mind. he simply stands and straightens his clothes, the sleeves falling past his fingers. evidently, it was made for a much larger man than he.]

It can be noisy at night, but Willful Machine never sleeps, in any case.

[then he shrugs, and opens the door.]

Come in.

[unmelting]

Mm... Cellar Door has its lively times too. But not quite to the same extent.

[Kaeya nods his acknowledgment and moves to follow Nehan inside. He glances briefly at the omen. It's always interesting to see the shape that people's omens take. He wonders where exactly they draw their inspiration from.]

So have you had many volunteers for your blood letting?

[torpour]

[the inside of nehan's house is nothing to write home about, when it's mostly just furniture needed to make a dwelling inhabitable and comfortable. a table here, a cluster of chairs there, and a few bags of medical and essential living supplies on a bench.

no sign of personalization, to make this place a home.]

Yes. But for privacy, I wont be telling you how many, or who they are. [perhaps going back through the archives will give him some idea, but nehan will still keep his mouth shut.]

Come, we'll do this in the kitchen, the tiles are easier to clean in case of trouble.

[after hanging up the coat, nehan turns to the side, headed to an open doorway to what's supposed to be the aforementioned kitchen, though it lacks in a proper dining table to be serviceable. and the erune inadvertently reveals that his clothes have been tailored to lack a back panel, and that he is far more scarred than he lets on.

rather than stick to its sleeper however, the wolf follows the human instead, keeping a close eye on him.]

[unmelting]

Fair enough.

[Oh Kaeya peeks through way too much on the network. It's amazing. People just say things right there out in the open. Amazing. He'd love to get some similar technology in Mondstadt. It'd make his information gathering all the more effective.]

There's that warm and fuzzy feeling again. [He sets a hand over the center of his chest. His heart can hardly take the tender bedside manner and care. His gaze flickers to take in the back of his clothes, curious but biting back the question for the moment.

He glances back at the wolf and laughs.] Your guard takes his job seriously. I hope you pay him well.

[torpour]

[when nehan gets to the kitchen, the first thing he does is pull out a messenger bag from a cupboard, and set it on the counter. and the second thing he does is climb onto said counter next to his bag sitting down like he's done this so many times already (because he has).

and then he snorts at the human.]

He gets paid in a comfortable bed every night and a comfortable chair every day, but it's never the bed nor the chairs I have. [because, of course, he's the comfortable bed and the comfortable chair.

on cue, the wolf flops on the floor just underneath the erune's feet.]

[unmelting]

[Kaeya follows along, stopping beside where Nehan has perched himself on the counter.]

Not a bad salary, all things considered.

[He spares a grin since he certainly did see Nehan serving as the dog's comfy spot when he first arrived.]

So then, I thought I saw you speaking with Diluc before. You two have met?

[He's nosy and has zero shame in the fact that he is.]

[torpour]

[mondstadt men and their nosiness. nehan has to roll his eyes.]

He pulled me out of the sand when I first arrived. [and now he punches the man in the face.

pulling forceps, cotton balls and alcohol from his back, nehan beckons the human to come closer.]

Now, don't ask any further than that, because I need your arm, and to ask you a few medical-related questions that will remain private.

[unmelting]

He's very good at that.

[Kaeya is another beneficiary of Diluc's assistance on the beach. But he shrugs and goes about shrugging out of his jacket and rolling up his sleeve, stepping into reach.]

I do appreciate the discretion. But all right, ask away. And I suppose jab away.