Strange Brew. [Day 8, Morning]

[Daidoji Fuichi]

Still awake after a long night of patching together the wounded, Fuichi was beginning to feel the weight of fatigue. Unfortunately, he could feel his control over his breathing slipping. Desperation forced his hand. He would have to try the Priestess' herbs.

With a small amount of haste he made his way to the galley. He might have liked to do this in private, but the risk of something going wrong was just too great. Best to be near others who could help. He reached the door of the galley and was forced to pause to breathe deeply. No sense entering in the midst of a coughing fit. Give it a moment... There.

Daidoji Fuichi stepped into the galley area with his customary serene smile, fixed himself a plate (with about 1/3 of the normal ration) and a cup of tea and sat down at a table to eat. The experiment could wait for a moment or two to give the others a chance to enjoy their meal.

[Volsung]

Cook was there, handing out portions. She kept a careful eye on the Daidoji though, doubly so after he only took a tiny portion of what was already a small meal. Still, she said nothing though, content to watch for the moment.

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

Qian-Fan was already there, staring at his untouched rations with a blank look on his face.

[Daidoji Fuichi]

Eating while trying not to breathe too deeply is rather difficult, and the Crane coughs and sputters once or twice. It was times like this that made the lack of appetite a blessing. Sated, or at least able to survive, Fuichi stared at the cup of tea for a long moment before reaching into his obi and pulling out a packet.

With trembling hands Fuichi unwrapped the tiny bundle, revealing a mixture of orange and green powder. He frowned as though in consideration, and then began to mix it with his tea.

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

Eventually, Qian-Fan started on his food. No point in surviving the combat of the night before if he were to starev himself afterwards. He was still somewhat distracted, but not distracted enough to see the Crane add something to the tea. He paused in eating to give Fuichi a thoughtful look.

[Daidoji Fuichi]

When the powder was well and truly mixed into the tea, the Crane took another shallow breath then looked up into the Agasha's eyes. He couldn't trust himself to speak without making a serious mess, so he tried to put as much meaning into the glance as possible. If this goes wrong, please, please help.

Courtier roll to convey thought in body language=20

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

Qian-Fan blinked and carefully laid his chopsticks beside his bowl, never once taking his eyes off the Crane.

Just what are you doing?

Politeness alone kept the question unspoken.

[Daidoji Fuichi]

Fuichi bowed his head for a quick prayer to Jurojin, not that they had had a particularly close relationship up to this point.

Then he downed the tea.


It ran down his throat with a fiery vengeance. Unused to the heat that seemed to suffuse the Ivory Kingdoms, his eyes widened and watered with pain. A gasp was followed, inevitably, by the cough he had feared. Desperate, he dropped the tea cup and gathered up a sleeve to cover his mouth. Unfortunately, he was only partly successful, and a portion of the blood that had been pooling in his lungs from the night before ended up on the table. He would have moaned out his misery, but he was too busy hacking.

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

Fuichi had been very careful with his previous behaviour and Qian-Fan was therefore unaware of the Crane's illness. To him it looked like the powders Fuichi had just imbibed with his tea had caused the bloody cough. He rose and crossed the distance to the Crane quickly.

"Daidoji-san, what have you taken?"

Politeness didn't hold back the question when the Crane was coughing all over the place anyway.

[Daidoji Fuichi]

"Med..." cough. "...cine. Lungs." The slight body continued to expel air in great gusts. Rheumy eyes tried to keep the rapidly-saturating sleeve in sight, with some partial success.

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

Well at least it wasn't poison. With suicide apparently not occurring, Qian-Fan then did his best to help, taking hold of the Crane with deceptive strength and holding him steady.

"A purgative? Don't try to talk, just nod if it is."

[Daidoji Fuichi]

The Crane wasn't sure. Of course, he also didn't know how else to convey that, so he attempted to say it. "Unnnh..."

Well, that didn't work.

He shook his head negative.

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

It wasn't a purgative then, but that was an awful lot of blood. Qian-Fan's mind began to race.

"Is this bleeding normal for you? Well not in these amounts or I would have noticed earlier."

[Daidoji Fuichi]

The coughing stopped and the Crane slumped, trying to catch his breath. "Yes, normal if I'm under strain. With the surgery, no sleep...I try to be careful."

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

Not many had slept at all well after the night before, Qian-Fan amongst them.

"Then we had better get you to rest for some time. The worst of the injuries taken last night are healed or will be soon. No need for you to tax yourself further."

He caught the cook's eye.

"Supaisa-san, I think you had better call one of the eta to clean."

He didn't point out the blood splashes, no need to embarass the Crane any further. The fact he should consider this man a rival never even entered his head.

[Daidoji Fuichi]

With some effort the Crane lurched to his feet, balancing his weight on one arm braced against the table. "My thanks, Agasha-san." He bowed his head. "You are most kind."

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

The Phoenix stood as well, standing ready to support the Crane if he needed it and planning on escorting his fellow priest all the way to his bunk.

"Think nothing of it, Daidoji-san."

[Daidoji Fuichi]

As they shuffled back to the crew quarters, he murmured. "Are there any plans to honor the fallen before we leave?"

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

That brought the reasons for Qian-Fan's earlier quiet back to his mind.

"I do not know, Daidoji-san. Isawa-sama or Moshi-sama would be best to ask for that, but you need rest."

Thoughts of Ram, Cub and the mysterious Scorpion woman flooded past his mental barriers.

"I warned them. Recognised the smell from home. Not in time, as always."

[Daidoji Fuichi]

Fuichi looked to the side. "Nonsense. How many are here with us because of your warning?" A pause as the Daidoji thought through his next phrase. "Without you, I believe that we would not be able to leave at all."