Starring:
Date: October 24, 2014
Summary:
Red meets some of the local kids in Suna and is subjected to amateur therapy.
"Superfluous Treatment"
Village Entrance [Sunagakure]
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The entrance to the mighty village of Sunagakure is a pair of towering sandstone pillars, with a banner bearing the symbol of the village strung between them. Guards are at the gates, greeting and questioning most of the newcomers to the village. They are wearing what would seem to be the usual wear for a Sunagakure citizen, long heavy clothes, covering the face and hair, to protect from the harsh winds, and driving sand of the desert.
Once a person is cleared through the gates, they enter into a bustling square just inside the entrance. There are many locals offering their services as guides through the desert, for those wishing to leave the great village. There are citizens selling the long cloaks and mantles that everyone wears, as well as dried and preserved food, fruits, and waterbags both empty and full.
Leading away from the gates of the city and further into the town is a road tiled with large flat pieces of sandstone and shale, which are being swept constantly to remove the accumulating sand.
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Early morning in the Village of Sunagakure! But don't be fooled by the time of day, because even early morning is an unforgiving time to be out and about in the desert.
With the sun just peaking up past the horizon, a very tired and exhausted boy wanders in from the East, the rolling sandy dunes in full view behind him. With a loud and tired sounding sigh, he sort of slumps against one of the towering sandstone pillars. Red leans against the thing as he moves to sit down, lifting his small hands to rub his face.
Around his shoulder, on top of the heavy winter clothes he wears, a shoulder pack can be seen. Some herbs and weeds can be seen sticking out of the corners.
While some are coming in, others are heading out…to play! Well, sort of. "Hurry up, Sabure-tan," says a brown-haired girl approaching her teens. "It's gonna get hot soon, and that'll make our survival training tougher." The little boy trailing along beside her with a hand latched to a couple of her fingers looks up quizzically. "Megumi-neesan, isn't it supposed to be tough?" Megumi scowls at the reminder that she's copping out on the spirit of exercise by choosing the easiest time of day to do it in. "Hush up! I'm just looking out for you! We'll get to the hard stuff some other time." When Mommy's there to enforce it. e.e;
As they approach the outer gate, though, Megumi spots something that makes for a good excuse to skip out of the training altogether. In her mind, anyway. "Oh hey, he looks like he's suffering from heat exhaustion!" Megumi says, pointing at the boy leaning against the pillar. "Come on, I'll teach you how to treat it, that'll be a better lesson!" Megumi strides over to Red with Sabure trotting to keep up. "Have no fear, kid, I'll help you out!" n.n
Sucking in some big breaths, Red feels his body beginning to adjust and calm itself down. If he were running about later in the day, he would have really been in trouble! But it looks like that the 'cool' early morning sun saved his skin. Perhaps quite literally.
Letting his hands fall into his lap, his head leans back against the sandstone to peer up at the sky. As it does though, the boy's maroon pupils find the forms of Megumi and Sabure approaching. The girl was even pointing at him! When they approach and she tells him to have no fear, his head tilts a bit to the side. Like a pup told to do a trick it does not know.
"Eeeeehh?" He looks the brown haired girl up and down. "What are you talking about? Who're you?" The youth doesn't stand. Just remains sitting there like a lump. "I dun need any help from a /girl/."
Megumi's eyes flash, and suddenly her fist meets the top of Red's skull. >.< "Shut up! You should be grateful!" Well, she certainly inherited her mother's quick temper. Sabure seems considerably more placid. "Megumi-neesan, that isn't part of the treatment, is it?" -.-a Megumi coughs and regains her composure. "Ahem. As you can see, Sabure-tan, he's clearly in a delusional state of mind, thinking he doesn't need any help," Megumi lectures. "From a girl," Sabure notes. "WHATEVER! Now, the first step in treating heat exhaustion is making sure the patient gets hydrated. I'll hold his mouth open and you pour the water in." Megumi kneels down and moves to grapple Red's head, because obviously he's too delusional to drink water for himself, right? >) Sabure shrugs helplessly and unscrews the cap of a canteen. "Hello," he says to Red, figuring he might as well at least answer Red's question. "I'm Sabure, and this is Megumi-neesan. I think this will be easier if you open your mouth."
CRONK! Red's head falls downwards when Megumi punches him in the top of the skull, a pained 'waugh' escaping his lips at the same time. As quickly as he can, he tries to sit back up straight, though cannot resist rubbing the point of impact with both hands, back and forth.
"What are you talking about? I'm not suffering from heat ex — urgh!"
Any further comment is shut of by the female grappling Red's head. In a normal state, he would probably have more strength to resist. But after being out in the wilderness for most of the night, all he wants is sleep. His strength was long gone. He sort of struggles. Writhes about like a wet fish for a bit, before settling when Sabure speaks to him.
"Fine. Okay." He relents, realizing that this will indeed be over much faster if he plays along. But only for now! He opens his mouth just a little bit, awaiting the fellow boy to fill it with canteen water.
Megumi pinches Red's cheeks to keep his mouth open, though this probably results in more spillage than if she hadn't. "Careful! Water's precious, and we need some of it for the rest of the treatment too!" Sabure splashes about half of the canteen's contents onto Red's lips, then stands back. "Now what?" Megumi releases her headlock. "Now we need to put a damp cloth on his forehead to cool him off. Hmmm, let's see…aha!" Megumi unties an apricot sash that was wrapped around her waist and hanging down in the back. She rolls it into a loose bundle, then grabs the canteen and dumps some water into the fabric. "There," she says plastering it onto Red's forehead. "That should do it." Sabure tilts his head. "So we're done? We probably have time to do our training after all." Megumi shakes her head vigorously. "No, no! We, uh, should observe the patient for a while. Besides, Mom'll kill me if I give my sash away to some scruffy kid." :P
With water splashed into his mouth, some flowing down the side of his cheeks and neck, all Red can do is just lay there. Truth be told, the water WAS nice. It was just the method in which he was receiving it that was the bothersome part. When the damp cloth is applied to his forehead, his eyebrow just twitches.
"Who are you calling scruffy! If I wasn't so tired, I'd definitely… erm… do something bad to you!" Exactly what, he's not sure. "You're being a bit sneaky, getting out of training like this." Red grumps, perhaps catching onto Megumi's plan. "My name is Red, by the way. I'm not a citizen, just a visitor to your Village." That is said more to Sabure, as he is the one that introduced himself.
"How long are you going to observe me for? I got stuff to do! I need to get these herbs back to Mushi. It's part of my mega quest."
Megumi sniffs. "Huh! Well if I had my gauntlet with me, I'd…well, I guess I don't really need it, 'cause you're a patient. But you'd be in for it if you were an enemy!" "If you had your gauntlet." "SHUT UP!" Sabure peers at Red. "Mushi? You mean Mushi-sama the healer? We know her. She got a worm out of Megumi-neesan's hea — " "BAKA! Don't go telling gross stories like that about me!" *>.<* Megumi clears her throat. "Although, I guess this means we're even now, 'cause I saved her kid! HaHA!" >D "He didn't say she was his mom." "Whatever!"
Megumi sits for a moment, then realizes she'd rather get the training over with than just do nothing with this kid for any length of time. :P "Well, if you wanna risk collapsing with nobody there to help you, that's your lookout," Megumi says, grabbing her sash back. "Come on, Sabure-tan, let's go." Sabure gives Red a little bow before following Megumi. "Nice to meet you, Red-san."
Red looks almost a bit perplexed at the exchange between the two siblings, though slowly finds his way to his feet. "You know her? Yeah, she's an okay healer I guess. She's a better cook though! You should try some of the food she makes. They're so good." He licks his lips at the thought, feeling his tummy grumble.
As Sabure offers a little bow, Red lifts a hand to wave. "Bye. Erm, be careful in the sun. It's already pretty hot. See ya 'round." As Megumi and her brother walk off, Red pulls down the skin under his right eye, sticking his tongue out at the sister with a 'beeeeeh' sound. He will get his revenge soon!
And with that, he too heads off as well. Feet shuffle along the sandy ground as he heads further into the Village to get some breakfast.
