13034/A Message and Returning Home

A Message and Returning Home
Date of Scene:	15 April 2021
Location:	Apartment 214, Hugo Building
Synopsis:	Zhao and Vitali return back to the apartment after spending the night in a cavern. Cookies and tea are shared with conversation.
Cast of Characters:	Vitali Svyatoslav, Xiang Zhao, Willow Rosenberg

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Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
The gents had taken a field trip, of sorts. They'd left the previous morning, and a note had been left on the dining room table to let Willow know that they were venturing together and would be back later. That note had been written by Zhao, and with something resting atop of the note so that it wouldn't flutter from the table to parts unseen.

Late in the evening of that day, Soraya returned to the apartment on her own. By herself, and perhaps with some direction and guidance through the bond shared with her human companion. The balcony door to their room hadn't been closed tightly, a thing that had been intentional. She'd managed to open it farther, far enough to enter through, and then she flew across their room and through the open door of their room before lighting on one of the chairs to the dining room table. One of her feet is held up a bit rather than closed around the back of the chair, and there's a scroll of parchment clutched within her talons. Soraya shrieks, to call attention to herself and her arrival, and then she hops forward to the table to set the note near to the one that Zhao had left. She ruffles her feathers, but she seems calm and at ease, and then she gives another shriek of sound.

The note, when unrolled and read, is in the same broken English that Vitali speaks with: 'Will return tomorrow. Not worry. Are safe. Zhao have damage to magic self. If know way for make better, can make ready please? ~V' The printing is neat and careful, for Vitali took his time about making the note so that it would be legible.

Xiang Zhao has posed:
The next day, as promised, the two men return to the apartment. It's mid afternoon, the sun is shining and there's not a cloud in the sky. For a change, the pair return via the front door, rather than the balcony outside their room. Zhao can be heard as the steps through the front door. "I am fine, Tali'gege. I will be fine. I just need time and meditation. I promise, I will be fine." Xiang Zhao's voice is calm and unruffled as it always is. And as he turns, it can be seen that his fan is, as it tends to be a lot of the time, held in his right hand and is waving calmly, creating a slight breeze that stirs his hair.

"The trip was uneventful. I promise, I do not feel like I am seconds away from falling on my nose. If I start feeling like I am, you will be the first to know." The Chinaman's hair has had the sides and top pulled back, the top twisted a bit and then his white hair stick shoved through it to keep it in place. All seems to be well enough. On the surface. Zhao doesn't even appear to be any paler than he usually is.

Beneath the surface, however, is another story. That damage to his magical self that had been mentioned can be seen by those who can see magic. The pale golden energy that usually courses along about where his veins would course shows hints of deep red, an almost sullen color. And the golden core in the center of his chest, that seems almost overlayed on his heart, has spots of black and he seems to be almost seeping magical power. Not a lot. And it doesn't seem to be leaving his body. But where it could be going is unknown at this point.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow was preparing for final exams. And the return of said gentlemen. Two birds, one stone so to speak. And furthermore she didn't have any of her usual jobs today! What luck!

When they arrived her first thought was that Xiang looked ok, but Willow had been practicing and her second sight had a lot more to say about his health. Namely something was wrong. Desperately wrong.

"Oh dear! What happened?" And she quickly cleaned off the couch to sit him down.

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
A little bit behind Zhao is where Vitali happens to be, following the Chinaman as he enters into the apartment. Once inside himself, he closes the door behind him, and he gives a small nod. "Da, am knowing will be fine, Zhao-gege," says the Siberian. He lifts his right hand, catching up some of his hair to brush it back from his face. "Am knowing are fine, for now," he adds, his brow furrowing a bit. "Am believing will be fine," he adds, sounding a bit perplexed.

The problem, the reason for his worry, is that Zhao has blood seeping into his lungs from somewhere that Vitali isn't able to heal. And all Vitali can do for it is use his magic to move the blood back into the veins and arteries where it belongs. It's a bit frustrating that he can't fix it, that he can only temporarily make it better. "Am appreciating will be first for knowing if not well," he says, giving a small nod and seeming to be mollified with that. He's been trying not to worry, but that's been unsuccessful at best. Though he's not really hovering, at least, so maybe that's something.

Another part of what has him worried, bothered if one will, is that he can't see the damage. He can't sense it. He has no way of seeing any part of what's left of Zhao's golden core or any part of his magic. It's simply not amongst his abilities.

His dark gaze turns to Willow, and he gives a small nod of greeting to her before he tilts his head a touch to one side. "Good afternoon, Willow. Happen other time. Not while together," Vitali says. Yet he doesn't tell the story. It's not his to tell.

Xiang Zhao has posed:
Not hovering. Not hovering? Like hell! It's probably a good thing that Xiang Zhao is so very level headed and calm the vast majority of the time. If he was any less so, he might be pulling his hair out by now. But he isn't. And so he's not. And so he remains perfectly, pleasantly calm. What's left of his golden core is all of it, in fact. It's just sustained some damage. Truth is, if he were asked, he could say exactly how, too.

And Willow would be right, at first glance. He really is fine. But he's not, at the same time, magically speaking. He's leaking spiritual energy. Magic power. Whatever one wants to call it, he's leaking it. The only thing to be thankful for is that he's not leaving a trail of it to be found. It's all staying inside his body. Maybe that's where the blood Vitali is worried about is coming from? "It was nearly a full day since the last time you had to heal me. I am already starting to heal. The meditation helped a lot. I will need to go back into meditation again soon or the healing will slow down again."

As he sees Willow, his lips curl up in a small, but genuine smile. He's pleased to see the redhead. "Good afternoon, Willow. How are you?" He waves his hand in a dismissal sort of gesture, as though whatever had happened isn't anything to worry about. "Oh. A demon tried to eat my power and core. Um... a few days ago, now." He doesn't argue about the place to sit, though, which might give the impression that, for however well he looks physically, he's probably tired anyway. He sits down, just as graceful as normal.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
*blink.. BLINK*

Willow eyes grow wider. And she *looks* at him again. "I don't know very much about magical healing." And opposed to using magic to heal, which she also knows nothing about. "But I've heard it said that kind of wound is worse. It leeches through you and if it is that repaired.." She worries at her lower lip. "Well, I'm sure you have learned better than me what can happen."

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
The Siberian isn't right next to Zhao, hovering right at his side and keeping constant contact with him in order to be monitoring his physical well being at every moment. Thus, at least to his way of seeing things, he's not hovering. But different people may have different opinions about what hovering is.

Vitali pauses at the dining room table, near to the chair where Soraya is perched, and he lifts a hand to lightly stroke his fingers over her feathers. The eagle clicks her beak and tilts her head a bit to one side as she watches him. If there's anything passing from one to the other of them, there's no sign of it. The pair of them are quiet. He scritches the eagle a bit, then lightly strokes down the feathers of her breast as he gives a small nod.

"Can return to cavern whenever wish, if wish to meditate there," Vitali says softly, looking over to Zhao and giving a small nod. He's trying to give his English more thought before he speaks. Sometimes it works, sometimes not so much. He's still going to worry, he's just going to try to be quieter about it. Although, it's not particularly helping him that he's tired. He's been awake since the morning of the previous day. He looks over to Willow, appreciating that he's not the only one concerned by Zhao's injuries, and he gives a small nod to her, a small smile finding the corners of his lips. "Magic can heal body. Not able for fix magic of self," he says softly.

Xiang Zhao has posed:
Xiang Zhao turns his dark eyes to look at Willow. He nods. "Yes," he says softly. "I do. At the very least it could kill me. At the worst, a ghost or demon or some other creature could possess me." He doesn't mention if there's anything between those two choices, but there has to be.

Zhao is typically used to a certain amount of space. Despite that, he doesn't seem to be too bothered by the care either Vitali or Willow show for him. He shakes his head to Vitali's offer. "It is okay. I can meditate anywhere." Zhao snicks the fan closed and lays it across his lap. "Tali'gege. I know you did not sleep. You should rest."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
At this juncture, Willow decides she doesn't know how to help, BUT she can turn the kettle on, and fill a plate of cookies! Other than that? She hustles into the kitchen and begins what she knows can do.

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
That was a thing that Vitali didn't necessarily need to hear at the moment -- that Zhao could be possessed by something. Soraya tilts her head and looks up at Tali before clicking her beak and making a soft and inquisitive sort of sound. He lightly strokes the feathers of her breast, and then he gives a faint shake of his head. "Will not let spirit come and possess, if can prevent," Vitali says softly, looking over to Zhao for a moment. Given recent events, he'll at least be able to tell if a spirit happens to be hovering around, which is more than he could do a couple of days ago.

Soraya gives a soft chirp, and she gently catches one of Vitali's fingers in her beak, nibbling on it. He lightly strokes his thumb along the top of her beak, and he looks over to Zhao to gives a small nod to his words. "Da, are not wrong, Zhao'gege. Did not sleep. Will sleep, will rest. After tea," he adds, a smile quirking at the corners of his lips. He slips his hand free from the eagle, and then he takes a moment to remove his boots and leave them by the door before heading over to where Zhao is sitting. Rather than sit on the couch, though, he settles on the floor and tucks his legs beneath him in cross-legged fashion.

Xiang Zhao has posed:
Well see, here's the thing. Cookies and tea? Are /the/ best. And that makes Willow the best for getting them. Xiang Zhao watches her hustle off, and his lips curve up in a smile. He's fond of her. Just as he's fond of Vitali.

Xiang Zhao's eyes go to Vitali at his words. "Mm." There's a short pause. "Do you see all without physical form? If what comes is not simply a spirit.." He shakes his head. There may be nothing Vitali can do in such a case.

As the Siberian settles, Zhao reaches out a hand to lightly stroke his fingers over the man's hair. "Rest is good, as you are fond of reminding me," he says with a faint smile.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Xiang, where is your tea.. Never mind. Found it!" Willow packed up a teatray with not one, but *two* type of cookies, and with that waited for the teakettle to boil. "I hope you like peanut butter. I made some instead of chocolate chips this afternoon."

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
There's a small nod to Zhao's question, and Vitali lifts his dark gaze to look to Zhao, a smile finding the corners of his lips. Though he usually keeps his hair braided, it's loose right now, clean and soft. Lightly, he rests his head against Zhao's thigh nearest to him, and he closes his eyes before giving a little nod. "Da. If is not having physical self then is spirit. Good. Bad. Somewhere in middle. Can see, can sense, can speak with. Sometimes. Maybe," Vitali says softly, leaning back a little bit against the couch behind him. "Depend if willing," he adds. If the spirit is willing, that is.

He stays where he is, and he does at least sort of rest. Or at the least, he sits still, and his hands rest softly in his lap. "Mmhmm, da, rest good. Will rest, am promising," Vitali says softly. He's been awake for over a day, though at least his energy levels aren't in a bad state like they'd been the day after his birthday. He opens his eyes and then gives a little nod towards Willow. "Da, am liking cookies. And tea," he says softly, a smile tugging his lips.

Xiang Zhao has posed:
Xiang Zhao opens his mouth when Willow asks where his tea is. And then when she announces that she has found it, he closes his mouth again. He'd been about to say that it was in the wooden box on the table beside the bed. But it had been unnecessary. He closes his eyes and leans back against the couch back. A moment later, his eyes open and stops stroking Vitali's hair for a moment. He lifts his legs as he's lifting the front of the lower portion of his robes. He settles his legs cross-legged, and flips the robes over them so they lay smoothly. Once he's done this, Zhao's hand goes back to stroking Vitali's hair.

He goes still as peanut butter is mentioned. And then simply nods. He reaches for a cookie and at least /tries/ it. And blinks at the first bite. He lifts the cookie a bit as he looks down at it, as though surprised. "I... actually like these. Thank you, Willow," says Zhao. He hadn't expected to like peanut butter cookies, but clearly they are a different beast to peanut butter sandwiches. Which he doesn't seem to care for at all.

Xiang Zhao listens attentively as he eats his cookie, to what Vitali is saying about spirits. Slowly, he nods. "You should see anything coming that might come for me, then."