inbox.

[countershocks]

messages . action . whatever goes

Comments

voice, un: AMAGIBIGDICK69

[hanikamu]

[ Immediately after asking for Law's contact details, Rinne reaches out. ]

Hello? Sorry, I'm kinda not in the mood for any jokes right now. [ About his username. Yeah... ] I heard you were a doctor?

voice;

[countershocks]

Then maybe you should consider a different name if that is a concern.

[ not that he's about to make the jokes, but choosing a name like that seems counterproductive if you then have to start interactions with a disclaimer... anyway, ]

Yes, I am. Why do you ask? [ what are your symptoms, he almost asks, but it could be this guy is asking for someone else. ]

[hanikamu]

[Rinne's tone is nervous, but earnest.]

I've got a friend. Something wrong with his lungs. I dunno if you've got another term for it in your world, but... you ever heard of tuberculosis?

He's had it for a while now. He's been weak since he got here. Sometimes when he coughs, there's blood in it. He sweats at night even when it's cold, and he's losing weight like crazy.

He hates sitting still and being treated like a patient, but it's gettin' hard to watch.

[countershocks]

Yes, I have.

[ he could give a succinct explanation of what exactly it is — but he assumes rinne knows. he wouldn't be bringing up its name like this otherwise. ]

Has Patho-Gen given him no drugs for it? Why hasn't he asked for any?

un: firefist

[flamebears]

Patho-Gen said I could have you as my doc. They were a plenty excited, so heads up that they'll probably be observing us like they do all Augmented.

Thanks for taking care of me. [ yoroshiku...... 🙇🏻 ]

[countershocks]

[ well.

it's good news, and it's bad news, all at once. oh, he doesn't care about patho-gen observing them; he'll do what he has to, everything that he has to, for as long as it's necessary and not a moment longer.

no, the bad news is that ace is officially placed into his care.

(it's also the good news. he's a complex man.) ]

I work out of one of their facilities. Of course they are observing us.

Thank me after you're feeling better.

[flamebears]

Yessir, Dr. Trafalgar.

Did you want me to set up a formal appointment?

[ he's quite willing to submit himself to whatever needs to be done, to find answers; the simmering, sickly-dark feeling of dread running rampant throughout his mind is eating away steadily at his optimism. and with sabo here... god, he doesn't know what's going to happen, only that he doesn't want to put sabo through it. ]

[countershocks]

[ the instinct to snap back not to call him that is strong, because "dr. trafalgar" makes him think of his parents — but that is what he will have to be here, to the locals, so he might as well get used to it.

so, ]

Considering I've had exactly two patients so far, I wouldn't bother.

Just let me know when you're coming. And make that within the next three days. I don't want Mr. Chief of Staff after my head because you've skipped your appointment.

text, @viciousabyss

[viciousabyss]

hey. i heard you're a doctor?
i have some corruption problems
how affiliated are you with patho gen, and also if i come see you are you just gonna tell me to go to them?

[Because he's not going to go to them, so he doesn't want to waste his time.]

[countershocks]

You heard correctly.

I use their equipment, that is all. They don't even need to know you've been to see me.

[viciousabyss]

ok good. what are your hours?

[countershocks]

Seven to three.

Let me know when you are near the building, and I will get you in the room without anyone being the wiser.

@entei

[firebrander]

( apropos of nothing and with no further explanation — )

We need to talk about Ace.

[countershocks]

[ sabo wanting to talk about ace? colour him unsurprised. also that's another tally-mark on the board, ]

Yes, we do.

Did you know he is dying?

[firebrander]

He's

( driving me crazy and i need to know if this is normal is what he's typing when law's last message comes in — and he doesn't even bother sending it because

ring ring bitch! )

He's what?

[countershocks]

Dying, [ comes the deadpan response in law's bored drawl. ]

I'm sure you're familiar with the concept.

[ just like he's about to be, after this response, ]

voice note; un:snips

[ofmisfortune]

Hello, doctor. I have something that could be beneficial to your research, if you're interested.

[countershocks]

[ oh. the person he spoke to, when he was spreading information about the clinic. ]

If it is useful and free, consider me interested.

[ofmisfortune]

Indeed, it is! I have two deceased that were infested with seeds.

action, 8/27-ish

[takasugi]

Surgeon-kun!

( was anyone expecting a guy to slam the clinic door open today? no? well, too bad. it's takasugi shinsaku, the firstborn son of a samurai clan that only exists in a world beyond this one and has gone from his own history. he slides the flat of his palm against the wood of the door, and the familiar clack of his sandals on the floor echo as he walks in with the fanfare of a guy who tends to act up wherever he goes.

wherever law is sitting or standing or otherwise, takasugi directs his attention. )

I've got something interesting to show you. Take a look at this.

( and then, without hesitation, he begins to pull down the fold of his jacket and the sleeve of his kimono over his left arm. )

[countershocks]

[ of course takasugi is making a scene — his entrance is loud and bright and immediately headache-inducing... though law can't deny that a part of him is satisfied to see him show up. ]

Samurai-ya, [ comes his greeting as he lifts his gaze from the book he is reading, eyes sharpening with that interesting starter... and he gets up, crossing the floor to the door with some quick strides as he says, dryly, ]

Usually patients wait until the door is closed before starting to strip. [ let him close the door and turn to takasugi. ] What is "this"?

[takasugi]

Lucky for you, I'm not the usual.

( his voice fills the small clinic with the confidence of someone much bigger than he is, just like always. but, takasugi gets it. he'll be good ( for once ) and make sure to close the door behind him with a foot before carrying on with his chaos.

once the sleeve is pulled down far enough, takasugi adjusts his clothing to reveal a scabbed over wound close to the lean curve of his bare hip. )

Well? What do you think?

( which explains absolutely nothing. )

ACTION!

[flamebears]

[ Poor Law, who ( even temporarily ) has to deal with the awkward dance between Ace and Sabo. Poor Law, who must juggle his oath as a doctor with a patient both transparently bold and deeply evasive, ducking and side-stepping pertinent questions because of the naked hopelessness of the situation. But also, not poor Law. Because Ace had asked him to do the work on his behalf, and because Ace retained faith in him — he knew there was no saving him, but he'd never asked to be saved. Just made comfortable. Just prolonged, for a little while longer. A little more.

He finds Law in the tiny kitchen area of the boxcar-shaped apartment the three of them share. Haggard and limping with exhaustion, his hand out to catch his weight on the counter as he shifts himself around the corner of the lopsided cabinet made of splintering wood and checker-print drapes to make it all seem homey and warm. ]

Give me your hand, doc.

[ An exhausted tone, but still a warm one. ]

slides here late and grips you!!

[countershocks]

[ these days, there is a tightness to the corners of his eyes that hasn't always been there — and a weight on his shoulders, a cloak woven of anger and frustration at the sheer inability to do anything of note about ace's condition. the cloak grows heavier every day, and he can't do much to shed it.

still. he treats ace the same as always, mostly because he knows, instinctively, that he'd hate being coddled. so he sighs, the coffee cup clinking against the counter when he sets it there. ]

Don't tell me what to do, [ he grumbles, and yet complies with the request nonetheless. ]

[flamebears]

[ At this point, he knows there's no outrunning it; it feels like the slow walk to the gallows once again, seastone heavy on his wrists and ears ringing with insult and injury. At least this time, he knows he'll come back. Even if it is changed. Even if he's scared he'll come back wrong, some fundamental part of him irrevocably brought to light — the monstrous lineage in his blood finally, shamefully on display.

That's why he slips his hand into Law's, and squeezes down on it. A simply, quiet gesture as he joins him in their lopsided kitchenette. Sabo's out — prowling and investigating and preparing to overthrow the world, and Law works hard to court Patho-Gen and provide medical services to the Augmented. He admires them so much. No wonder Luffy made friends with Trafalgar Law. ]

Come on, don't be that way. [ Even with all the changes overcoming Law, making him look,

well,

like he has Amber Lead. Ace isn't shy about taking his hand into his own, black-fingered and oozing faint, pale miasma. ]

I never asked what drew you and Luffy together in the first place, yanno'?