|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2024 8:04 pm
Jianyu worked as he usually did, taking in patients while Jungso observed. As he meticulously went about his tasks, the hum of hushed conversations reached his ears. Among the voices, the lilting tones of an elderly Yaeli woman caught his attention, speaking of a young woman in search of her family. The gossip, like a subtle breeze, had swept through the village, leaving a trail of curiosity in its wake. Jianyu's mentor, Jongso turned towards the women clustered together, listening to the chatter. Jongso motioned for Jianyu to approach. Jongso was too meddlesome, and he could see it now, Jongso was going to want to get involved.
"Jianyu," Jongso's voice was a low murmur. "There's a young woman in the village searching for her family. Go, find her. See if your skills can be of assistance."
Jianyu nodded in acknowledgment; his curiosity piqued by the prospect of a quest that was not his usual responsibilities. Setting aside his current tasks, Jianyu followed the trail of gossip, weaving through the village until he reached its heart where a few other elder women were huddled together and speaking in hushed tones. He spotted a specific Yaeli woman, her animated gestures and animated storytelling marked her as the source of the gossip.
Approaching quietly, Jianyu inclined his head in a polite greeting. "I couldn't help but overhear the conversation," he began, choosing his words carefully. "I'm Jianyu, a healer in this village. Is it true there is a young woman seeking her family?"
The Yaeli woman, initially surprised by Jianyu's sudden appearance, acknowledged his inquiry with a nod. "Yes I am," she responded, her eyes flickering with a mix of curiosity and concern. "She arrived not long ago, asking about her kin. Seems lost, she does."
Jianyu absorbed the information, his mind already formulating a plan of action. With a courteous nod to the Yaeli woman, Jianyu set out to find the young woman in search of her family. Wandering through the village, Jianyu scanned the surroundings. The bustling marketplace, the narrow alleys, and the communal spaces held the potential for encountering the young woman. He headed to the heart again and approached a few people, asking them if they’d seen the woman.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2024 7:43 am
Inej wrung her hands together nervously. She'd often times went just outside her village to search for clues at to where she had supposedly been found by her guardian but she'd never really strayed too far. Until now, that is. She was in another village entirely. It had brought on all kinds of anxiety to be so far from the only home she'd known. When she'd arrived she'd started to ask questions of the women, to see if they might perhaps know of another who had lost a child or even given one up. The enquiry had spread but so far she had no answers. At least no more than she'd had before. Now she was walking slowly through the streets and wondering what she was going to do. Inej had hoped that she might find a clue that would lead her to her family. Or at least point her in some direction or another. Yet she was still empty handed and the hours passed. She would need to find a place to sleep or make her way back to her own village and face the punishment she knew would come down on her for leaving. That wasn't the most appealing option so it wasn't the likely one to be taken. Her yellow eyes moved about to see if she might find some answer on a sign or even be given enlightenment from the gods.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2024 8:01 am
“Have you seen the woman asking about her family?” Jianyu asked what felt like the millionth time one of the villagers.
The man nodded and pointed to her with a flick of his chin in her direction. “Her right there.”
Jianyu turned to observe the individual the man was pointing to. Inej's nervous demeanour caught his attention, and his instincts told him that something troubled her. He hesitated for a moment, debating whether or not to approach her. He could clearly see she wasn’t just Yaeli, she was a Hybrid. The idea of getting involved in her affairs suddenly made him uneasy. But Jongso had made it clear he was to help and Jianyu didn’t like the idea of not being able to help. He mulled his options over before finally relenting. Part of her was still Yaeli, so should he still not offer to help her?
As he approached Inej, Jianyu cleared his throat before speaking, "Excuse me. Are you in need of help? I overheard you're looking for your family. I might be able to help, but I can't make any promises," he said, his apprehension evident. Deep down, he questioned whether he still wanted to get involved, but his sense of duty compelled him to extend a tentative offer of help to the young woman.
There was also the possibility that she had already found her family or the information she’d been looking for, but deep down Jianyu knew that was just a lie he was telling himself. She was uncertain, which was understandable since she wasn’t from this village. He briefly wondered how far she’d travelled to get here and how many villages she’d been to look for her family. She seemed to be looking for her Yaeli kin, but he hadn’t heard of any from their village meddling with Earthlings.
They’d have to dig a bit.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2024 8:51 am
It was unusual for most Yaeli to approach her on their own unless they had been compelled to babysit her by her guardian. So for someone to come to her willingly and ask if she needed help made her come to a full stop and turn her attention to the man. Her hands froze mid-wring and she opened her mouth but paused for a second. Help was nice but she knew a result couldn't be guaranteed. So she gave a soft, half nod of her head. "Y-yes.." The word came out as a stutter since she was nervous. "I was told that I was found as an infant along the side of a road headed toward my village. That road led me here so I thought that perhaps.." Well, she thought maybe her mother was closer than one thought. The next village over. It didn't seem likely as by now someone would have come looking, right? Unless she'd been purposefully left there? "I thought perhaps someone might know of a mother who lost her baby in the woods or had given their baby up.." Inej really hoped she hadn't been given up but there were things in the world she didn't understand so that choice might be one of them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2024 5:32 pm
Jianyu, though still somewhat uneasy about getting involved, couldn't ignore the vulnerability in Inej’s demeanour. Her soft, halting response tugged at a sense of empathy within him that a healer simply couldn’t ignore. It frustrated him endlessly because she was part Yaeli and he wanted to help that part, but the other half… That was another matter altogether.
"I see," he replied, his voice steady but careful. "It's a challenging situation, searching for someone from the past," he added, choosing his words thoughtfully. He might know where to start, probably with the midwives as they would surely have records of the mothers who were in their care. Jungso might also have some records if he’d seen pregnant women. Sometimes they came to them, sometimes not. Best to verify both just in case.
Jianyu hesitated before continuing, "I may not have all the answers, but I can help you ask around, and see if anyone in this village knows something." He glanced around, he knew how the village would be after all he was having the same feelings as they were. "People might not always share such stories willingly, but sometimes a small clue can lead to more," he suggested.
“Let’s start with the midwives. Have you checked with them?” She probably had no idea who the midwives were or where to find them. Jianyu wondered if Jungso would have told him to try and go help her if he’d known she was a Hybrid. Too late now. "I'm Jianyu by the way."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2024 12:11 pm
Challenging was an understatement for the situation she was in. Beyond the small, vague details she had nothing. No name, no description, not even a general direction to begin in. Well, somewhat of a direction. Inej took note of the hesitation from the man almost instantly but she was unsure if it was due to him thinking about his words or him not liking her mixed blood. Either way she ended up fidgeting with her fingers again. A very small nod came forth as she turned her yellow eyes to the side. "I know.. not many people are forth coming with a jinx." Wasn't that what she was? A walking cure or something? Superstition certainly told her that her existence wasn't welcome. "I don't know who the midwives are.." If she had then she would have sought them out. If it had been her own village she could point them out. Being somewhere new was altogether disorienting. When the man then offered his name she brought her gaze back toward him. That wasn't expected. She figured he'd have kept that from her so she had to keep referring to him as 'Sir ' So a smile played at her lips in thanks. "Nice to meet you. I'm Inej." She hoped he didn't mind her strange name.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2024 1:53 pm
“It’s nice to meet you as well.” Too late to back away now.
Of course, she didn’t know who the midwives were, Jianyu silently cursed himself. He should have known better, she was an outsider, and she’d have no knowledge of the village and those who resided within. Still, someone in the village should have pointed her in the right direction, at least she'd be on her way to the next village if her family wasn’t from here. She wouldn’t be wasting time with what he felt was a time-sensitive issue.
"I’ll lead you to them. It’ll be easier than just running about. Follow me," Jianyu said, his voice steady and reassuring. With a nod, he motioned for Inej to walk alongside him as they made their way through the bustling village streets. "This way."
As they walked, Jianyu glanced at Inej, his gaze thoughtful. "The first midwife we're going to see is the older of the two in the village," he explained, his tone gentle. "She's been delivering babies here for as long as I can remember. If anyone knows anything about your past, it's likely her."
With a brief pause, Jianyu continued, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Tell me, Inej," he said. "Where are you from originally? You mentioned you're not from around here." He hoped his questions weren't prying too much, he knew a lot of people didn’t like prying, him included of course, but maybe something she said might uncover some clues of some kind.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2024 7:45 am
Being told that she would be led to the midwives caused her to perk up a little, her spine getting a little straighter as a brightness hinted in her eyes. Inej was thankful to receive the help. So she nodded her head at him when he said to follow him. She fell into step behind him, though as they passed by others she seemed to duck her head slightly to avoid outright stares. With Jianyu telling her about the first woman they were on their way to see she thought carefully. If anything then this woman would be the one to know if she were born here, right? Of course the man surprised her when he asked her more about herself. "O-Oh.. Uhm.. well I'm not sure where I originated but I've been living with my guardian in the small village to the east of here. It's about half a days walk." She pointed in the direction she'd come from. Inej was guilty of not having paid attention to what the village was called. Honestly those that lived within it never really said the name as they already were there. And she was kept away from any travelers since she was so strange.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2024 8:33 pm
As Inej perked up and agreed to follow him, Jianyu couldn't help but notice the slight change in her demeanour. There was a newfound brightness in her eyes, a hint of curiosity mixed with gratitude. At least she’d be pleasant to be with despite his apprehension of the situation. This was probably the most time he’d ever spent with someone who wasn’t of Yaeli lineage only. But she was half and that counted for something.
Jianyu led the way through the bustling village streets, navigating the crowded pathways with ease, while looking back to make sure Inej followed closely behind him. People gave him curious looks, especially those who knew him well but no one stopped them or inquired as to what they were doing.
"It's alright," he said, offering her a small smile over his shoulder. "Sometimes our origins are not as important." As soon as the words were out of his mouth he wanted to smack himself. Here they mattered, they always mattered.
"Tell me more about your life in the village to the east," he prompted quickly to steer away from what he’d just said.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
