[Valkyrie]I Need Money, Too!

by **Lixue** on September 3rd, 2012, 1:15 am

Fall 2nd, 512 AV

Being back in Avanthal was bittersweet. Nearly a season ago, Lixue had left Avanthal with the permission of her father and accompanied by her new husband. She had grown accustomed to living in the Base Camp, even coming to respect and admire the way of living; never the bugs in her bed, though! Working at the Injury Ward was difficult, but rewarding. The Jamoura were a welcoming race and Lixue had made many friends among them. Especially Jorg, an elderly Jamoura who ran the Injury Ward. His mind was slowly taking leave and Lixue doted on him. Soon enough, the city had been cleared of fog and was in the middle of being rebuilt.

Lixue had been shifted to the city to work in Nature's Nurture, overseeing the doctors. Ly and her house was being built. They were trying for children. Everything was going well. And then… Lixue sensed something was wrong. She wasn't getting pregnant. Visiting a doctor, Lixue sought for an answer. The doctor was uncertain in diagnosing her and Lixue was left without an answer. She kept the fact from Ly started working more hours. The stress piled on and, one day during an operation, Lixue snapped. The patient died on the table because she did not pay enough attention.

Then she packed her bags and went home.

Avanthal was different than the Spires. The citizens were normal. They didn't grow to heights twice Lixue and surely didn't weigh as much as a Jamoura. They also didn't have the temperament of a Jamoura. The people Lixue had lived the last season with were gentler, calmer, slower. Not mentally, but physically. There wasn't a rush to live, time had a way of edging along in the Spires. Avanthal was fast-paced, harsher than the Spires, and the citizens were more moody. Lixue had learned how to read emotions in eyes without color changes; seeing the Vantha eyes was a startling transformation.

Though she had yet to go see her parents, Lixue ached to see them. So long had passed without seeing either her mother or her father. Without talking to her mother or her father. For now, however, she and Ly were settling into their arvinta-Lixue still forgot and called it a bunk- and it was necessary for both of them to find jobs again. The question was: would the Whitevine Healing Center leader accept the fact that Lixue had left the city when Avanthal was in need?

Glancing up at the building, Lixue exhaled deeply. Though the place was like home, she still felt anxious. If they turned her away, what then? Avanthal was not like the Spires; there wasn't a constant need for doctors. Stepping under the overlying roof, Lixue stomped her feet before entering the building. For a moment, she glanced around, truly seeing nothing before stepping up to the counter. Reining in her feelings, Lixue pasted a smile on her face. "Hello, I am seeking employment." A pause. "Please."

by **Valkyrie** on September 3rd, 2012, 11:10 pm

A friendly looking female Vantha looked up from the front desk as Lixue spoke and slowly nodded. She stood with a smile and held out a finger quietly to bid her to wait. The woman walked around the desk and quickly began to climb a nearby set of stairs, disappearing from Lixue’s view. A few long chimes passed quietly with no movement to be seen. For a busy Healing Center the building was oddly quiet. As she waited Lixue would have the opportunity to look around the lobby if she chose. Sweet smelling rushes were scattered across the floor to soak up snow from incoming visitors and a few chairs were lined up against the right wall for those made to wait. Hallways stretched to either side of the front desk and the stairs the woman had gone up only a few feet to the left of the desk. A few paintings were hung on the lobby walls but the area seemed oddly sparse and plain compared to most buildings in Avanthal that were bursting with art.

Eventually, the woman returned with a man following close behind her. The man was in his later middle ages but certainly not elderly. Loose black hair brushed his shoulders and a few worry wrinkles creased his forehead and mouth. His face wore a serious expression that seemed natural enough that it was doubtful if he knew how to make any other expression. The woman returned to her seat behind the desk and the man came to stand before Lixue, his blue eyes began to form amber flecks of curiosity. The man began speaking in a polite business-like tone. “Welcome to the Healing Center, I am led to believe you are seeking employment? I’m Seiled and I run the Center. Perhaps you could tell me what sort of position you are seeking and what kind of qualifications you have to hold said position?”

by **Lixue** on September 22nd, 2012, 9:49 pm

Standing at painting for nearly five chimes, it became apparent Lixue was trapped in her own thoughts.

On the way back to Avanthal, Ly had been grumpy. Gone was the patience Lixue had grew comfortable with. At first, she thought it was how sore his body was. Her's had been aching, especially the right knee. When they made camp, Ly never let her do anything. During the day, when they were walking, he never waited for her and when he did, Ly was always egging to move on. Answers to simple questions were short and snappy. Not once did he ask about her knee or offer to take her pack.

Upon reaching the city, Ly had went off on his own. Lixue had rearranged the living, made sure they had their own arvinta. The stiff question was: near his family or her own? The kind helper had explained it did not matter. Finally, Lixue had taken an Arvinta in the Whitevine Hold. Unfortunately, they were not located close to her own parents. Lixue had made a mental note to fetch the belongings she left behind from her old home. Ly was upset over the arrangement, claiming she did not like his parents or the social structure of Avanthal. Both knew it to be untrue. Lixue spent the night avoiding her husband and left early the next morning.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Lixue turned from the painting. If anyone had asked, she would not have been able to tell them what the painting held.

A man approached her. A typical Vantha. For a moment, Lixue was transfixed by the changing colors of his eyes, before remembering that was a common occurrence. The Spires had had no such things. Her own were naturally a calm green, only changing when she was extensively upset. Currently, a trickle of black seeped into the hard emeralds.

Reminding herself that personal issues were best left out of a professional setting, Lixue shooed the thoughts from her mind. Even if she leaned on the cane only a little too heavily, Lixue's posture was straight and she showed no signs of weakness. An air of business and determination encircled her. A polite smile twittered upon her lips, though they held little warmth. There was no doubt the man would see her as an equal, or at least someone with the ability to become an equal.

"Hello, I am Lixue," a pause before she awkwardly spoke the foreign words, "of the Whitevine Hold." Such titles were unnecessary in the Spires. "I am seeking the position of a doctor or surgeon. I have recently returned from a two-season trip to the Spires. They were in dire need of medical attention and had very little knowledge, as they were unable to live in their own city at the time. Most of their citizens had gone feral in the storm. I helped manage and run the Injury Ward, their medical housing. In doing so, I was also expected to go on calls.

"By this I mean, into the wild to help aid victims. I was expected to think on the spot, react accordingly, and follow through with any measures to preserve life. In the ward, I oversaw nurses and the few doctors we had. There were numerous operations completed during the spring season that ranged from stitching and disinfecting bites to amputating." Along with helping a blind man who outweighed Lixue five times and a child burned extensively from a fire. "In the summer season, the city was recaptured. I was moved to the new hospital and was considered nearly an equal as the two owners. Tasks such as overseeing the staff were handed to me. I was often in demand and constantly busy, completing more surgeries than I can count."

The words were spoken steady and akin to that of a woman twenty years her senior. It was obvious Lixue had went through more than someone should in two seasons alone and grew from the fact. "I lost less patients than I can count on my hands and, even then, only because the circumstances claimed their lives. Not from my lack of trying." Except the last one. The last was completely her fault. That poor man…

by **Valkyrie** on September 24th, 2012, 6:14 pm

Seiled bobbed his head vigorously as Lixue described her medical background. He had been in need of someone with experience treating non-Vantha. It was not a skill most doctors at the Whitevine Clinic had and it would prove most beneficial. Where once Vantha had the been the only patrons of the North now every ship brought in new beings who wanted to find a new life in the snowy climate. And more often then not their ignorance of the environment led to injury.

“ It sounds like you have a strong medical background Lixue. With your knowledge of foreign races it sounds like you will be an excellent addition to our team. Typically we work only within the confines of the clinic. Of course there are always exceptions that take us out. Helping birth babies out in the Holds is the biggest one. Most of the time Icewatch patrols are equipped with a trained medic but occasionally we get called out.” Seiled spoke his words fairly rapidly. The serious expression on his face never altered and the amber flecks left his eyes leaving only the clear confidence of blue behind.

“There are a few expectations we have around here. Doctors set the example for the rest of the staff so I expect you to be prompt and polite when dealing with patients. Bedside manner is important but don’t let the patients boss you around. I don’t know if you have any medical specialties that you prefer to work with but we do have a few doctors who specialize so it isn’t out of the question if you are interested in that. Also, there are many members of Icewatch who act as medics for patrols as I have mentioned earlier. While I don’t expect you to run classes and take on the role of a full time instructor, occasionally we do give the medics seminars on emergency care, particularly for wounds and such. I do most of that training myself but there may be times when I am occupied with other tasks and someone will need to step in.” Seiled spoke a little more slowly this time, making sure Lixue understood everything he said. Most of the doctors that worked under him tended to find his speeches absurdly boring and lengthy but no one could deny that he was efficient and informative. He could speak on end for hours but not a single word of it would be fluff or unimportant.

“Also…. I notice that you have a cane. Does your injury bother you much? We are very understanding of injuries here at the Clinic but I need to ensure that you are able to do your work. If it becomes necessary we can commission Iceglaze to engineer a chair for you use. We have enough understanding of the effects of long-term injuries here that we will not discriminate against those who suffer from one but if you lie and allow your work to suffer then we will have a problem.” Seiled made sure to make firm eye contact with Lixue as he said this. He would never turn someone away for being injured. But he certainly wouldn’t let anyone slow them down either if something could be done to aid things.

by **Lixue** on November 3rd, 2012, 10:41 pm

While Lixue listened with one ear to statements she had already assumed, she also studied the man. He seemed very... inspired by his work. There was a light in his eyes as he spoke of how the hospital worked. Did hers do the same? Seiled possessed the same qualities Lixue had learned: speak fast over the whimsical and be forward in business. She assumed Seiled could share a million different stories as examples of how easily patients cycled through emotions with a simple twist of wording. Reanalyzing the unattached attitude, Lixue decided Seiled would not be the type of man to share stories as the rest of his race. Not because of a dislike of words, but because the life of a doctor trained individuals to not beat around the bush.

Though she would rightfully say he worked too hard, Lixue admired the man. Perhaps it was because she could relate to his work and that was a miracle, after she had been surrounded by individuals who did not hold the medical field to the same standard as she did. For some unknown reason, Lixue sought his approval. She did not think he would give it easily.

Teaching? Lixue could teach. Especially emergency care, given her time in the Spires was made up of mostly runs into the wilderness. Nodding, eyes bright at the thought of passing on her knowledge, Lixue knew she would enjoy stepping into his shoes if the time came. In the Spires, Lixue had trained very few. Her time was occupied by healing, not instructing. If she had had more time to teach someone her ways of working, more lives might have been saved. It was a thought that left Lixue feeling slightly bitter, even though there was no reason. The city had done the best they could and pulled for even more help from other cities.

Even as her mind wandered, Lixue was listening to Seiled. He intrigued her. Attentive and clearly interested, Lixue was quiet. She wished to truly absorb all the words and understand. After the time had passed, if Lixue was hired, she would grow bored of Seiled's speeches.

For a moment, Lixue was eerily silent at the mention of her injury. Though she shouldn't have been, Lixue was still sensitive on the topic. Thankfully, the Vantha and the Jamoura had been understanding of her injury. The Jamoura even carried her!

Lowly and clearly, Lixue spoke. Her eyes held Seiled's without faltering. "Thank you for your concern. It is appreciated. However, I feel you must understand something." Here, Lixue's grip on her cane tightened and a patient, yet firm, tone entered her voice. "In the Spires, the comfort level was not debatable. I was placed into situations where those who were not crippled would have trouble, much less someone who was. I spent nearly three fourths of the day, a good fourteen bells, on my feet just at work and having my cane with me was not always a choice. Mile upon mile was traveled through rough terrain." Someone entered the room and Lixue's eyes flickered to the movement before snapping back. "Take my word as I speak it and feel free to toss these back at me. I can and will handle any situation thrown at me to the best of my ability. My injury does not interfere with my work, nor will I allow it to become an issue. If my injury interferes with my working ability, I will not hesitate to deal with it in the most appropriate manners."

by **Valkyrie** on November 8th, 2012, 10:50 pm

Seiled was quiet and still as Lixue spoke, respectfully letting her have her say. His eyes remained the same clear blue color, he was not the sort of man to be easily swayed from one emotion to another. After she finished speaking he nodded for a few moments before opening his mouth to speak.

“Good. I’m pleased you seem to take your work seriously. You seem to have a good head on your shoulders but only time will tell I suppose. Welcome to the team. Show up tomorrow morning. We rotate night shift as needed to monitor patients and be available for late emergencies. Everyone gets a small office to keep their personal things. There is a cot there in case you work a double shift and need to catch a quick nap. Enjoy your time at Whitevine.” Seiled said, his voice picking up speed the more he spoke. He reached out suddenly and vigorously shook Lixue’s hand before spinning on his right heel and walking away. His abruptness was a little odd for the usually friendly Vantha race but he sure knew how to get things done and move on to the next task.

Lixue :

You Will Be Collected if Worthy

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