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Post by midori on Mar 11, 2007 20:34:14 GMT -5
Midori was amazed at the amount of chatter that could fill up a room in just a few seconds.
She had entered the small building peacefully enough. The nurse had led her in to the main room – a medium-sized space with beds placed in neat, four-by-four rows, with a small table and a few chairs interrupting the middle. Just a few nurses had filled up the room at that time, but they were chatting lively, and a giggle or two would erupt every once in a while. Contrasting with the infirmary, the tiny room had a quite pleasant aura, and Midori found herself more than happy to pick an open bed to place herself on and watch the others silently.
However, the nurse that had led her to the room, whose name happened to be Sinta, found it only appropriate to round up the other nurses and give a proper introduction.
“Girls…” Sinta began once the giggling had subsided. “This is Midori, and she’s going to be staying with us for awhile.”
On cue, Midori gave a tiny wave from upon her bed, a shy smile light on her lips. After this, Midori expected the casual little chatter to resume among the other nurses, but she was mildly surprised to find that the attention of at least one nurse was firmly upon her.
“Hey… Aren’t you that girl who visited Masuyo today?” “Mesheiko. His name is Mesheiko.” Another nurse quickly corrected with an eye roll. “Oh, right. Mesheiko.”
Midori was momentarily surprised by this, but nodded, her smile quickly embarrassed.
Then, there was an explosion. A thousand questions erupted from each young woman within earshot at exactly the same moment, nearly throwing Midori off her seat.
“What is he like?” “Is he taken?” “How long have you known him?” “Does he have a girlfriend?” “Is he totally sweet?” “No one can be that good looking and still have a personality.” “Are you his wife? Fiancée? His girlfriend?” “Don’t ask that!” There was a pause. “But are you?” “Is he a good kisser?” Laughter. “Alka!”
Midori simply sat open-mouthed for many moments, too shocked to take in a breath to answer. Had her appearance really generated so much interest? Did Mesheiko’s new status really make him such a bachelor? But it was the last comment that unnerved her. Had they seen?
She paused many moments before speaking, picking only questions that were safe to answer. When she uttered her first syllable, she was amazed at the instant hush that fell over the room.
“Well, yes, he’s very sweet. I haven’t known him for too long of a time though.” A few days tops, but who was counting? “I’m really not quite sure if he has a girlfriend or not, so no, we’re not married.”
Midori laughed at this, but her cheeks flushed and her heart jumped anxiously in her chest. Technically, she hadn’t lied, nor given anything away, but their words had made her even more anxious to get a few moments alone with Mesheiko; she was dying to know if Mesheiko had a girlfriend or not.
“But what about the kissing?” Alka whined, invoking more bubbling giggles from the small crowd.
“Why is it so crucial you know?” Midori asked, raising a single eyebrow. Something in her expression made crescendo in the laughter, though, Midori wasn’t sure why they were feeling so victorious. She had not said she had any idea how she would know, or if she had any idea at all.
The chatter continued much later, with Midori avoiding any questions that she found too revealing. The banter might have continued all night, but thankfully Sinta had urged all her fellow nurses to their beds with little reminders of how busy the infirmary had been lately. Midori, suddenly exhausted from her long day and her extensive interview, snuggled contently into her bed, enjoying the warmth and the fact that it was actually a real bed. When had she last slept in one?
This thought had her smiling with pleasant thoughts of old times Mesheiko and she had spent together in that little hotel room in Kei Lan as she quietly drifted into a peaceful rest.
It felt like she had only been asleep a few seconds when she sensed the movement of the nurses, and felt the warmth of the sun flow through the curtains. She opened her eyes quickly when she realized it was morning, and slid herself from under her covers, eager to pay Mesheiko another visit.
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Post by atalanta on Mar 12, 2007 19:46:02 GMT -5
The bright rays of morning spilled in from the small window he had looked through just a few hours before. It was far unlike the night which was so eerily quiet, while the morning brought a rainbow of new sounds increasing as more of the camp awoke. He felt somewhat refreshed, and relieved that the dream of the battle had not returned to plague him. Still, his energy was less than he would have liked it to be. Getting up in the night had taken far more out of him than he had realized. However, it was literally the dawn of a new day.
Unlike when he had awoken early into yesterday, he was not met with brand new surroundings nor was he confused. In fact, Mesheiko was rather at peace. It was actually becoming a swift mental recovery, though he was still scarred and would be for the rest of his life. He yawned, and rubbed at his eyes to clear his vision. Even the infirmary seemed to be at peace in the morning. Some nurses were scuttling around treating patients that needed medicine and care in the morning, while other nurses simply ate their breakfast and drank cups of steaming tea. Suddenly, Mesheiko realized he was very hungry. He had not eaten at all yesterday; he had been too distracted by the pain and events. Now, hunger erupted in his stomach with all the power of a volcano and demanded food.
Mesheiko continued to look around to spot someone with food. A nurse or two strolled dutifully down the aisles, passing out breakfast to those soldiers fit enough to eat. They were far away from him, however, and it would take them longer than his stomach would have liked to reach him. Still, there was nothing he could do. He was still too weary to and walk over there himself to find breakfast. He thought about signaling them, but he would depriving more soldiers of a meal. Mesheiko decided against it and patiently waited his turn. He rose out of the cot to see all, and discovered Cheng positioned awkwardly on a cot in far worse condition than his own. The cot resided by a wall, and there was sudden alarm aroused in Mesheiko. What if there had been some sort of ambush in the night? What if Cheng had been wounded by it? Cheng was truly a motivation to go on that almost rivaled Midori.
Cheng lazily opened his eyes, and saw Mesheiko staring at him in a sort of fear. He rose and set his feet on the floor, then strode over to Mesheiko's cot, although he staggered somewhat. "What's your problem, Mesheiko? You look as if you've seen a ghost," Cheng said, quick to make a joke, as usual. Mesheiko's brow crinkled in confusion. "You mean you aren't wounded?" he asked in a bewildered manner. "Wounded? Nah. By the time you finally had the chance to sleep, it was a bit late and I could hardly make it back to the tent. You know how far it is away from here," he said, pausing, and Mesheiko nodded. He knew indeed. He had served in the infirmary many times before, just never as a patient.
"Well, I didn't want to go back and I thought someone ought to stay here with you. After all, the nurses go back and stay in their own place at night and there's only a few on duty. I thought you might want someone here for support." Cheng said rather coolly, but Mesheiko knew Cheng well enough to know his tentmate's true intentions. One became very close to those they fought with. Mesheiko knew that Cheng cared very much for him. It wasn't as if Hung Yong and Kun Tu didn't, but Cheng just had a different, more meaningful way of showing it. "Thanks, man," Mesheiko said with all the feeling that Cheng put in his words. Cheng smiled, and asked, "By the time those nurses get here, you'll be dead. You want me to go hunt down breakfast for you?" Mesheiko nodded furiously, and Cheng grinned and left to navigate the endless aisles for his friend.
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Post by midori on Mar 13, 2007 19:01:51 GMT -5
Before directing herself through the maze of hallways in the infirmary, Midori to found breakfast to be an appealing option; however, finding a bit of food did not develop to be such a difficulty for her. When she had risen from her bed, almost immediately one of her new roommates rushed over to greet her good morning and to continue with the previous night’s discussion.
“So, you never did tell us. Some girls heard from their patients that…”
“I’m sorry. Can we discuss this later, Alka? I’m really hungry.” Midori interrupted swiftly. She was not particularly anxious to discuss whatever rumors (or worse, truths) that might already be floating around. It was unlikely for her to avoid the gossip forever, but she wished to wait at least until she was sure of what had happened before the interrogations resumed. Plus, she was rather hungry; stomping through the forest and dodging fires did take up a bit of energy, and she hadn’t received dinner last night.
“Oh. Sure.” Alka replied softly, unable to suppress the disappointment that coated her tone. “We can grab something in the kitchen.”
Though the infirmary didn’t sound like the most appealing place to devour a meal, Midori followed Alka, perfectly content in the silence that then enwrapped them. Midori was led through an infirmary door, different than the one she had exited, and found herself within a rather large room, a kitchen she soon discovered, bustling with activity; miscellaneous staff members would enter from another door to pick up trays that were being prepared, while others remained inside, surrounding themselves with the warm smell of bread and relaxing tea.
Casually, Alka drifted over to a table and took a seat there. She hastily motioned Midori to come over and join her, which she did as the nurse began to pour a few cups of sweet, steaming tea. Midori picked up one of the cups gratefully before politely thanking Alka and bringing the tiny cup to her lips and taking a small sip; the tea, she found, was actually quite delicious. The soft bread coated with some type of jam that she was soon served turned out to be quite tasty also. Or maybe any food tasted good when one was hungry.
As Midori savored the last bite of her breakfast, however, she noticed Alka was observing Midori carefully, a somewhat hesitant look in her eye. Midori returned the gaze, her bright green eyes and small smile tinted with curiosity.
“So. Are you going to be visiting Mesheiko soon?” She asked, unsuppressed interest quickly taking over her hesitancy.
“Of course.” Midori replied simply, though, the question made her a bit uneasy. Why did it matter?
“Well, I was kind of wondering if…”
“Alka! Aren’t you supposed to be doing something?”
Sinta’s warm, ringing tone interrupted mid-sentence, causing Alka to sigh heavily, but Midori to smile. For some reason, it relieved her immensely that Alka’s question was unable to be asked.
“Talk to you later?” Alka asked as she stood up to leave.
“Sure.” Midori replied automatically, but the uneasiness was back.
Immediately after her tiny breakfast, Midori exited the kitchen and let her gaze wander around the infirmary as she tried to remember exactly which way it was to Mesheiko’s cot. She found this task to be quite difficult, for the many rooms and hallways did make a maze of sorts, and she had only been through this certain way once. However, after several minutes of searching, she found a familiar hallway and quickly strode down it, hoping Mesheiko was awake.
When Midori came up to him, she was delighted to find he was sitting up, awake and alone too, which was a wonderfully unexpected bonus. She strolled up to his cot casually, her entire expression bright.
“Hey there.” She greeted, smiling. “Sleep well?”
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Post by atalanta on Mar 15, 2007 19:04:58 GMT -5
Mesheiko looked to the side of him at another victim of the war. Why were they forced to suffer in this way? He knew it was a sacrifice they had to make, but they were making sacrifices and it seemed the Fire Nation only got more powerful. Was all they were doing worthless? Would the Fire Nation eventually take control, despite all their efforts? Every day, more villages, towns, and cities fell, and more people were killed needlessly. His thoughts were deep for the morning, but he often thought about such things when he was alone. Now he was doubting.
There was a man directly across from his cot whose entire back was wrapped in his bandages, as were his eyes. Mesheiko shuddered, imagining all the brutal things that could have befell him to be burdened with such injuries. He had heard reports about this man since he had been conscious. Apparently, the man had been blinded and his back was nearly broken. Mesheiko knew he was lucky; he could at least hobble along for now, but this man would be extremely fortunate to stand upright. Great sorrow grew because of the man, and sympathy brewed for him. He was a hero, but so were all these other men. They all risked life and limb for the Earth Kingdom, even though they were all aware of the dangers. Mesheiko simply happened to be recognized.
A nurse came by to feed breakfast to the man; often those more seriously injured received food first if they had difficulty feeding themselves. "Here, Sunan, eat up. We just got a nice donation of mangoes from the tropics." Mesheiko was struck dumb for a moment. Sunan had been a man, although younger at the time, whom Mesheiko had fought with in his earlier days. "Sunan?" he whispered hoarsely. The nurse moved on to the others extremely injured, and Mesheiko knew that it would still be a while before they reached him. The nurses were focusing on the patients, surely he could sneak over and speak with the man for a bit. He rose unsteadily to his feet, and hopped weakly over to Sunan's cot. Mesheiko held onto the man's bedpole for balance. "Nurse Kunthea, is that you?" the man spoke uncertainly. Unlike Mesheiko, this Sunan seemed to be well-rested and his voice was strong, despite its uncertainty. "Hi, Sunan." Mesheiko said quietly.
Sunan was the same person Mesheiko had known only a few years before. He was surprised he hadn't recognized Sunan sooner, but his eyes were bandaged, and his eyes defined him. Sunan had a strong, powerful voice to match strong, powerful eyes. "Mesheiko? Is that really you?" Sunan asked incredulously. "Yeah, it's me. My cot's right across from yours." Mesheiko said, his tone quiet and despaired. "Well, sorry, man, I can't see a thing. I'd heard about your new status and being in this infirmary, but I didn't have a clue you and I were right next to each other. Congratulations, by the way," he said. "Yeah, I guess." Mesheiko mumbled. He knew Sunan had meant on being a hero, not landing himself in the infirmary, but he'd have rather not have done either at the moment.
"So, you know why I'm here. What about you, Sunan? Did you get caught up in the Fire Nation invasion, too?" Mesheiko inquired, his voice increasing in volume now. Now that he had diverted the conversation away from himself, he felt he could speak more freely. The battle was still fresh and disturbing in his mind; he did not want to talk about his ordeal so soon in depth. "Actually, no. I've been here a while, at least a few months. It wasn't a big battle at all, just a little skirmish. A couple of Fire rats got me, and got me good. One clubbed me hard in the back and another got blasted a fire in my face. I had been stationed out in the country, but they transferred me to the infirmary here in Bai Seng Sei so I could get better treatment once they realized I wasn't going to die anytime soon. They thought I wasn't going to live to see the next morning. I thought so, too, but here I am." Sunan's voice never faltered; it was clear that he had come to terms with his injuries. Mesheiko felt a little petty at the moment. Sunan had nearly died; his wounds paled in comparison. It had been months since he had been wounded, but still his condition was terrible. Perhaps that was something he could never fully recover from.
"You look pretty well, then," Mesheiko said positively as he could without being completely fake. Mesheiko then spotted Midori coming his way and thought it was best if she didn't have to discover Sunan's injuries, at least not as personally as he did. "Hey, it was nice talking to you again, but I've got to leave. Can we talk later?" Mesheiko said casually. "Of course. I'm not going anywhere," Sunan joked. Mesheiko hurried to get to his cot before Midori spotted him with Sunan.
His coordination was still poor, however, and while he hurried, his balance became off and the ground rushed up to meet him. It hurt very little compared to his battle wounds, but still it bruised him and provoked those wounds he had already gathered. Midori spoke just before he fell, so even on the ground, Mesheiko felt it would be polite to answer. "You could say that," Mesheiko said, considering he hadn't slept well. It was had taken an obvious toll on him; he was lying awkwardly on his back on the floor.
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Post by midori on Mar 15, 2007 19:59:29 GMT -5
Midori had been rather surprised to discover that Mesheiko was standing up; he had only been injured a small time ago, so it seemed highly unlikely that he would be ready enough to move or even stand successfully for too long. This thought troubled her a bit, but it seemed as if he was fairing pretty well, at least at the first glance she had given him. Her subconscious still fretted for his condition though; what if stressing his body too much made his injuries more severe? It only took a few moments for her concern to become frantic worry, however, as Mesheiko spotted her and rushed over, resulting in a tumbling fall to the ground.
Completely horrified, Midori rushed over and kneeled at his side, her bright eyes wide, not shielding any of her concern. Midori felt a terrible amount of guilt rush through her insides; if Mesheiko had not seen her, perhaps he wouldn’t have felt the need to rush over, and he wouldn’t have fallen. Intense worry mixed within the guilt; what if her presence had caused an irreversible amount of harm? Her heart ached with this thought; she shouldn’t have come.
Mesheiko’s comment, however, lightened the weight off her heart and lungs just enough for her to speak.
“Are you okay?” Midori asked anxiously, tenderly touching her palm to his cheek and tilting his head so their gazes would meet. She examined his face intently, praying that he was; Midori wasn’t sure if she could forgive herself if he had been damaged significantly.
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Post by atalanta on Mar 16, 2007 12:49:18 GMT -5
The pain began to subside gradually, becoming a dull throb. Luckily, he had not landed on any critical injuries. He regretted hurrying so much now. Midori had seen enough of the war now, so one more wounded soldier wouldn't have been a terrible shock to her. He could be such a fool at times. Perhaps Sunan did not get visitors often, considering he had been in the infirmary several months, so perhaps he should have introduced Sunan and Midori. Still, there was nothing he could do now. After all, he had fallen on the ground. "You fell, didn't you, Mesheiko?" Sunan said with his large, booming voice. "Yeah," he said, chuckling. "Then don't you be coming over to see me. If what you said was true and we are across from each other, then we can just shout or pass notes or something." Sunan said, but then became silent. Mesheiko again couldn't suppress a chuckle. Even in the infirmary, there was never a lack in upbeat spirit.
For a tiny moment, Mesheiko was glad that most of the men were either not looking in their direction or simply couldn't because their injuries were too terrible. "Yeah, I'm fine, just a little bruished," Mesheiko said, although he didn't know just how he was going to stand back up. Midori's touch was warm against his cool skin, and incredibly gentle. Their eyes met, but only briefly as Cheng approached with a mango in hand. Mesheiko broke the moment off and looked to his fellow soldier. Cheng's jaw dropped slightly, and the mango dropped entirely to floor and rolled underneath a cot. "Mesheiko," he said, and simply shook his head. "You're just too determined for your own good," Cheng said, and bent down to Mesheiko's level. "Don't I know it," Mesheiko said, and grinned slightly. He wasn't sure what Sunan was doing now, because he didn't hear a word from the man.
Cheng offered Mesheiko his arm, and Mesheiko wrapped his arm around Cheng's shoulders, and vice versa. Cheng rose and hoisted Mesheiko to his feet, or in his case, his foot. Mesheiko grunted but regained his footing and balanced and released his hold on Cheng, then grabbing the bedpost of the cot and hobbling weakly to his cot. He sat down slowly, but the cot provided him much relief. "I got a good mango for you," Cheng began, bending down and reaching under a cot nearby to retrieve the fruit, "but it might not be so good now." Cheng said with a grin. "That's okay. How'd you get me a good one? We normally get the worst." Mesheiko said. Of course he was a hero now, but nurses put their patients first, disregarding status. Before the battle, when he was entirely intact, they normally received the rotten and bruised fruit. "Oh, I have connections." Cheng said mischievously.
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Post by midori on Mar 16, 2007 16:11:39 GMT -5
Midori couldn’t help but chuckle softly at the bit of comic relief that Cheng had so easily provided; it wasn’t hard to imagine him flirting his way to a decent fruit, and it was even less difficult to picture the nurses falling for it, especially with girls like Alka bustling in the kitchen. The small laughter helped her worry dissolve, though, for some reason she suddenly felt a twinge of some other pesky emotion.
Midori simply stood and watched as Cheng assisted Mesheiko to his cot, feeling a wave of complete uselessness wash over her, though, she didn’t know why; she could have easily lent him a hand. Nevertheless, Cheng had popped up right in the middle of their moment, much like he had done before, to smooth over their peaceful little connection with something equally, if not more so, caring, which seemed to win over Mesheiko every time. But, nothing was wrong with what Cheng had done, she reminded herself; he had helped Mesheiko, which was very much a decent act. And he had brought Mesheiko breakfast also, but, while neither of these things were by any means terrible, the acts of kindness made her feel entirely unenthusiastic at his presence.
Casually, Midori folded her arms, silently observing the two soldiers. Mesheiko seemed to be pleasantly surprised at what Cheng had provided, and for some reason this only increased the reluctance and… disgust that she was feeling. Suddenly, Midori froze for just a moment, realizing what the emotion that was filling her – jealously.
She blinked, trying to shake off the feeling. It was so stupid! She shouldn’t be jealous, had no reason to dislike Cheng at all. He was a bit of a womanizer, sure, but he was an overall nice guy, a good friend. It wasn’t as if he was trying to shove Mesheiko away from her. In fact, he had assisted the relationship in a strong way. Midori revived her smile, still amused, but this time at herself. So stupid!
“You shouldn’t encourage those poor girls.” Midori said teasingly, shaking her head in fake exasperation. “Because I’m going to be the one who has to listen to them, and they’re already bombarding me with attention as it is.”
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Post by atalanta on Mar 17, 2007 16:33:02 GMT -5
Mesheiko's fingernails were short, but just long enough to dig into the melon skin and peel a place for him to eat. His teeth dug into the soft fleshy fruit of it, savoring the taste. It was juicy, and very pleasant to eat, considering he had not eaten in far too long. He eagerly peeled back more of the melon's skin to eat. He stopped his feast for just a moment to listen to his friends. Of course, Cheng would find him only the best fruit if a young woman was distributing it. Mesheiko himself would not use the same methods, the same flirt and charm, but Cheng made good use of it. It got them food, at least, and often provided entertainment.
"Ah, you're just like Kun Tu, always raining on my parade," Cheng said teasingly. "Besides, it's for a good cause, Midori. Everyone around here would be so depressed and bored if I weren't around to liven things up a bit." Cheng said with his constantly amused voice. Mesheiko had to agree with him, though. The Army needed jesters like Cheng for morale purposes. "Can't argue with that," Mesheiko said, and then bit into the melon again. He ripped off large chunks with his teeth, chewing and swallowing. It felt so good to have even a little food in his stomach. Mesheiko noticed two nurses pass by him with food, looking disappointed that their opportunity to feed the legendary Mesheiko had passed. They whispered furiously as they strode along near them, and Cheng simply waved with his certain charm. One giggled, and while the whispering continued, one dropped her tray of food. Cheng shrugged. "I don't have any control over the effect and consequences of my actions," he said, like an excuse.
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Post by midori on Mar 17, 2007 17:21:44 GMT -5
Midori simply shook her head exasperatedly at Cheng’s comment, but her smile widened. True, Cheng was a pleasant light in darker times – a good and easy source for laughter and a smile, which was useful for everyone, but especially Mesheiko in this distressing period. However, his antics, while often hilarious, sometimes were on the verge of impossible.
Instinctively, Midori rushed over to the pair of nurses and knelt along with them, scooping up a stray mango that had rolled over to her feet. As she handed over the fruit to one of the nurses, she glanced up at the two sympathetically for a moment, recognizing one of the girls as Alka. A twinge of the earlier uneasiness threatened to turn her expression sour, but she quickly brushed it aside.
“Sorry about Cheng.” Midori said, rolling her eyes, “He can be a bit too much sometimes.”
“Oh, no.” Alka said, taking a not-to-subtle peek over Midori’s shoulder to observe Cheng. The other nurse seemed to find this quite funny, and gave a small giggle in agreement. Midori shook her head once more at this, but her smile was still broad.
“You mean you haven’t tired of his presence yet?”
“Certainly not. Why do you think I wanted to talk to you this morning?”
Midori stared blankly at Alka, uncomprehending. Hadn’t they had been discussing Mesheiko earlier that morning? Or maybe... they had at first, but perhaps the subject changed during breakfast? Midori’s smile returned as she understood, suddenly much more perky and willing to talk with Alka.
Alka shrugged sheepishly at Midori’s reaction as she piled up the last of the spilled meal and stood with the tray. Midori stood up along with her, her lips slowly curling up into a faint smirk.
“He’s always over here…” Alka explained shortly as she turned around to return the tray to the kitchens. She glanced over her shoulder to give Midori (and perhaps Cheng) a sweet smile and call, “Well, talk to you later!”
Midori gave a little wave before returning to the two soldiers, her smile teasing.
“Those poor, mislead women…”
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Post by atalanta on Mar 18, 2007 15:19:31 GMT -5
Mesheiko grinned. Maybe they were a bit mislead, but Cheng was a good sheperd nontheless. In fact, Cheng never tried to hurt the girls he led. He charmed them, but wouldn't pressure them. Cheng was a ladies' man, but still a gentleman, which was most likely why so many young women fell prey to him. "Hey, I'm a sheperd, and the sheep follow me wherever I go," Cheng said. "But, I have to go get some breakfast of my own. The nurses here only feed their patients, and I've got Zeki and Banshee to feed. Wish me luck. Banshee bit me last night," Cheng said, rolling his eyes and showing him a purple mark on his palm. "You ought to know better than to handfeed Banshee," Mesheiko said with amusement.
Cheng grinned, raising an eyebrow, but left without a word. He strode down the aisles with confidence, distracting many young nurses from their tedious work. "Cheng's a good old guy. He's taking care of Banshee until I can. Fortunately, I think they moved Banshee. He's in the elite stables now, or so I've been told. Some of the top ostrich-horses in all the Earth Kingdom live there. I even think there's one of the best female ostrich-horses, Yen." Mesheiko said, proud of his Banshee and eager to boast about him. Banshee was just as much of a hero as himself, he thought. Banshee was the one to sound the alarm. He wondered whether the ostrich-horse had been injured, and how he felt now. Was he scared? Hurt? Happy?
"Anyway, I guessed you stayed with the nurses, right? I saw you talking to them over there." Mesheiko said. Certainly she stayed with the nurses. There wasn't anywhere else to go but the nurses' and staff quarters, and of coruse, the soldier tents, which Mesheiko knew she would avoid. Thinking back on it, the tents were indeed a rough place to be, but there was a certain kinship shared among them. "I know they're a bit...eccentric," he said, chuckling, "but they're nice enough. We'd all be dead without them." He then heard Sunan cough loudly and clearly, and winced. He couldn't imagine injuries any worse. Why was he so easily spared? His injuries weren't anything life-threatening, and he was now a hero. Why him?
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Post by midori on Mar 18, 2007 16:08:06 GMT -5
Midori’s smile grew large at the mention of Yen, but she was unable gather her thoughts in time to tell Mesheiko anything about her involvement with Banshee before he spoke again. She listened to him carefully, nodding when asked if she had stayed with the staff and nearly bursting out in laughter at the word “eccentric.” Her grin was still threateningly wide, however, when she spoke, even though it seemed Mesheiko’s tone and expression had taken a solemn turn.
“I understand. They’re certainly nice.” Midori agreed heartily. “The majority just have an almost unhealthy taste for attractive men and gossip… Or, in summary, Cheng and you.” Midori released a soft chuckle at this, unable to suppress it any longer. “It’s a miracle I even slept last night; talking about you was all they wanted to do.”
Shaking her head but grinning, Midori put her hand on the edge of the cot and leaned on it, happily absorbing the fact that the two of them were finally alone. Or at least as alone as they could be.
“Oh, and I’ve met Yen. As has Banshee.” Midori added on pleasantly, suddenly eager to make conversation. The tone on her last sentence was purposely suggestive, and her eyes held the excitement of the story she wanted to tell. “He was really timid when I saw him; he seemed afraid to even get near me, and I’m not surprised Cheng got bit. But when Cheng led Yen to Banshee’s stable…” Her gaze on Mesheiko, Midori paused dramatically for one moment, gesturing lightly with her free hand. “It was love.”
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Post by atalanta on Mar 18, 2007 18:50:14 GMT -5
Mesheiko shook his head. "Girls will be girls," he said, though curious as to why girls loved romance so. "And Cheng has quite a reputation among the nurses, so it's no wonder they talk about him. Me on the other hand, I'd just prefer they leave me well enough alone." He didn't particulalry like being the spotlight and prefer the nurses would divert their romantic attentions to Cheng. Mesheiko had just experimented with romance with Midori, and he didn't want to be pushed. "Unless, of course, I'm about to die," Mesheiko said, chuckling. In that case, the nurses' attentions would be welcome, but he would prefer the attentions of a doctor.
Mesheiko was incredibly amused to hear that Banshee had charmed the legendary female ostrich-horse Yen. Still, there was a certain despair to it, too. Mesheiko didn't want Banshee to be suffering as he himself was. "Poor Banshee. Is he living well, though? I couldn't stand it if he wasn't. It's my fault he's here." Mesheiko said in despair. Why had he been so foolish as to join the Army again? He knew the risks; he had seen them firsthand. He wanted to protect the Earth Kingdom, of course, but more and more men seemed to die and the Fire Nation seemed only to claim more villages and lives. The war was not going well at all.
"Still, I'm glad to hear Banshee's found a lady friend. He must have my good taste in women." Mesheiko said, partly joking but partly very serious. His tone was light, but the meaning was deep. He looked at Midori gently, as if by a simple glance he could communicate all the meaning in the world. Mesheiko believed what he had said about her. He had never been too interested in women, but Midori was far different.
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Post by midori on Mar 18, 2007 19:39:29 GMT -5
A warm blush rose into Midori’s cheeks as her own stare met Mesheiko’s gentle gaze. His comment had sounded so teasing, but his glance seemed to point to all the opposite; it was so calm and sincere she couldn’t ignore the meaning that surely rested behind it. She could not help but return it either; his eyes were so tender and inviting. And as much as she could try to believe otherwise, she wanted him to look at her that way. And she wanted to look back.
“And Yen must be as intelligent as I to recognize such a good man when she sees one.” Midori replied softly, her voice on the very verge of breathlessness. She hoped her eyes were able to express the same depth that Mesheiko’s seem to reach and her words a similar meaning.
It felt like Mesheiko’s gaze held some captivating force that was slowly but surely pulling her closer. Not only that, but it was pressing down on her heart and lungs to the point she was at its complete mercy. Fleetingly, she worried that his gaze held some different meaning than what she was interpreting, that she was completely mistaken; however, with just another moment of observing him, she realized it couldn’t possibly be true, and if it was, as of that moment, she didn’t care.
Slowly, she walked around the headboard of the cot, a single hand still on the post, and sat gently beside him on the cot, her eyes not once breaking his gaze. Her smile held a tint of embarrassment and shyness as she took her hand and rested against the side of his face that was farthest away and leaned in slightly to press a gentle kiss to his cheek.
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Post by atalanta on Mar 22, 2007 20:03:27 GMT -5
Mesheiko's great cares and burdens seemed to melt into nothingness at that moment. He saw only Midori, and her eyes staring directly into his. For once, he could meet her gaze with the same intensity. He felt confident, and unusually romantic. Midori was really the only girl he had taken such an interest in before, unlike Cheng, who generally was interested in any young woman within his range. The kiss she placed was softly warm and gentle, and very pleasant. The rest of the world seemed invisible and nonexistent to him at that moment. It was as if the same unseen force that made the infirmary, his concerns, and the war disappear was pulling Mesheiko and Midori incredibly close, both physically and emotionally.
A single nurse was hard at work distributing breakfast among those remaining, and also administering medicines in Mesheiko's section of the infirmary. She had returned to give nourishment and medicine to those who could wait, one of them being Mesheiko. She strode quietly through the aisles, her eyes darting between the victims. She saw Mesheiko up and about, and at first hardly thought much of it. Soldiers were constantly moving, and it was always a joy to her. It was best when they could move again. But then, she saw him stand up again and topple onto the ground. "Oh no," she muttered. Rushing over, it took many moments to reach him, and by then another girl, possibly a nurse, although she didn't know the girl. Out of duty, she hurried to his cot, not noticing until the very last moment that the unknown girl and the patient were involved in a special sort of moment. "Are you hurt?" she said urgently.
Mesheiko sighed at the interruption. Cheng, nurses, oh joy. It seemed that while he was in the infirmary, he would not receive more than a slight moment of privacy. His fantasy world was shattered once again, and reality once again took the stand."Yes, I'm fine," Mesheiko said as calmly as he could, restraining a groan. Would the other nurses, the busybody ones, the ones that swooned over Cheng, find out about this? There would then be not even a slight moment of privacy for he and Midori. "Well, here's your medicine," she said with embarrassment, handing him the jar,"wash it done with water if you need to. I'll be back later to make sure you take the doses." She scurried away, leaving Mesheiko and Midori in not a romantic moment, but an exasperated, yet funny one. "If you thought you had it bad before with the nurses, hope that this doesn't get around," Mesheiko said, shaking his head and grinning.
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Post by midori on Mar 23, 2007 16:13:41 GMT -5
Midori could not help but return his smile, though it was much more embarrassed than amused. She always seemed to forget the infirmary’s lack of privacy, even though most every sweet moment she had been caught in was swiftly interrupted. What happened to learning from her mistakes? She would note the ever-wandering eyes next time.
“No doubt it will somehow.” Midori sighed. Even if the nurse that had caught them didn’t tell, there still would be many others who very well could have seen and went straight to gossiping instead of interfering. Though, she knew that even if she had realized that the word would have gotten out beforehand, Midori doubted she would have resisted; moments like that, however small, were still desired and irreplaceable. With this thought, her smile returned.
“I’ve brought it upon myself, anyway. I guess I’ll live.” Midori shrugged, reassurance in her gaze. Her then smile curled into a grin and a soft chuckle escaped through her lips. “Though, avoiding their questions without lying will certainly be more difficult than last time.” No doubt they would be inescapably direct. She paused, her grin broadening, before she looked to Mesheiko with an innocently hopeful and perky expression.
“Do you think they would fall for it if I feigned illness?”
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