Results are Velli / Remaining Great Families / Other sources
- Graduates leaving with close family ties: 60% / 40% / 20%
- Non-tied graduates with strict contracts: 85% / 60% / 35%
- Direct family members involved in Organizations: 5% / 30% / 35%
- Accusations against family or members ruled against family: 1% / 30% / 70%
- Accusations being dropped without judgment: 90% / 60% / 10%
Unfortunately records of dropped accusations are not kept so the only evidence of patterns of Subversion or malfeasance are anecdotal at best. Especially due to second and third hand accounts are not considered sufficient for any investigation.
My searches and information have been purged from all but my private feed and even that will be clean once I have sent this message. I do not wish to risk anyone other than you knowing I looked into this.
~ * ~
Seb found his thoughts spiraling as he considered what Anya had just told him. He could feel her uncertainty, her nervousness, blurring into his confusion and threatening to muddle his thoughts further. Gripping her hand in his he squeezed firmly even as he dropped the band, hoping she got the message even as he closed his eyes to improve his focus.
How did he feel about her? Was it love? He knew how much she mattered to him, how her importance still threatened to keep him from considering clearly despite the fact that he couldn't feel her immediate emotions. The underlying bond was a warm glow in his thoughts, a closeness he hadn't realized he'd want until it he had it.
She meant so much, she'd been there for him even before he realized what she meant. She was still there, still holding his hand as he worked his way through his thoughts. She'd saved his life, but he'd saved hers as well. She'd been in such a panic when he got hurt that he'd almost been lost in the feeling as well. She'd let him walk all the way up from their Dive despite how badly off he must have been, she hadn't stopped him, only supported. She was there, he was there, they were there together.
If this wasn't love, then what was it? If he claimed he didn't love her, then he was pretending he didn't love a part of himself. He hadn't thought of it that way, hadn't thought of her that way. But she was a part of him and he'd told her how important she truly was at a time where he wasn't thinking about what he was saying. He hadn't given himself the chance to consider or hesitate, he'd said the words because, in the end, they were the truth.
Opening his eyes he reached out, both sliding his hand out of hers and up her arm as well he could while lying down and with his thoughts.
I love you Anya. I wish I'd said it soo-
I love you too Seb, she sent, cutting him off and resting her forehead on his chest. We both could have said it sooner, or never said it at all.
He shifted slightly on the medical bed and nudged her with his hand until she looked up at him. I love you and I want to say it. It doesn't matter what we know, what we feel, I'm still going to tell you that I love you when I have the chance.
She leaned into him and they kissed, his arms starting to slip around her before he tensed and pulled back, hissing at the residual pain.
Seb!
I'm fine, he answered after a moment. Just. Healing?
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"You two should probably behave yourselves for the next few days, even if his Husk will seem fine. Bleed through injuries are no laughing matter."
Seb felt Anya straighten abruptly, her hand finding his again as a woman dressed in a lab coat coming over.
"Healer George, we were-" Anya started before blushing.
"I saw, I obviously didn't hear your thoughts but I'd guess it has to do with what he mumbled right before you claimed the new territory."
Territory?
The Depths we were in, it was unexplored, she sent back. I can explain later.
He nodded in response and turned to look at George.
"I have you to thank for not bleeding out?"
"Yes. Lysanya probably had something to do with it as well if she helped you make your way up."
"What do you mean?" Anya asked.
"You were stabilizing him on the way up, weren't you?" George answered.
"You kept saying I didn't need to stabilize him any more, I still don't know what you meant."
George looked at them both, her eyes flicking between them.
"You aren't learning to be a Healer?"
Seb felt Anya's confusion growing at the question.
"I'm a Monk, a Combat Path," she said.
"Dear, you were keeping him from bleeding out when he was on the table. You were feeding energy into him until you stopped touching him. That's a Healer path option."
"I- what?"
"Talk to a Seer, tell them you can stabilize. I suspect they can help you figure out what it means," George said before coming to a stop at Seb's side and resting her hand on his arm. "Now, I'm going to need to stabilize you and look at your War Husk. I won't be able to stop the pain unfortunately."
Seb nodded and took a deep breath. She'd helped him start recovering and kept him from getting worse. His War Husk need to be fixed up as well and that wasn't going to happen while was in his True Self. He shifted into it and immediately bit his lip, pain shooting through him before he could even try to think of anything else.
He could feel Anya's hand clenching his, he could feel George's fingers resting against his forearm, he could feel Energy flowing into him from both of them, feel it meeting somewhere inside him and clashing like two waves in a pond.
"Lysanya dear, I need you to either stop touching him or relax. I can't help him if I'm fighting you."
Anya didn't react, tension and fear visible on her face as she stared down at him. He risked a glance down as well and immediately slammed his head back on the bed, he didn't need to see that, human bodies were not meant to have chunks missing.
Anya. "Anya, I can feel her energy and yours. I can feel the flow. You're both doing something."
Seb, she answered faintly. You-
I'm safe. She won't let me get worse.
He felt her fears start to recede, her attention coming back to the moment and to what was actually going on. He could feel her Energies retreating, her hand warm in his.
"Thank you dear."
"He's missing at least a pound of tissue, his ribs, hips and spine are untouched. His Exo needs rebuilding. You can fix him, right?"
Seb felt George's fingers tense against his arm and her Energies fluctuate within him.
"I can get him started and stable, yes," she began, even as Seb felt something shifting in him. "But talk to a Seer, you have no idea how unfair it is that you know so precisely what is wrong with his body."
Seb nearly started to laugh before pain stopped him short.
Your turn to have a list of questions, he sent after he got his breathing back under control.
You have a list too, techniques to learn, she sent back, her tone slightly lighter despite the situation.
"That's all I can do for now," George sent a moment later. "If you can find a dedicated Healer he'll be better in less than half the time but just focus on rebuilding your War Husk the way you first built it and it will be repaired in a week, two at most."
Seb noticed her Energy slipping away, a strange pressure around his wound that reminded him of unfinished Husk energy. It wasn't fixed, it simply wasn't injured any longer.
"Thank you Healer George."
"An hour a day in your War Husk while it repairs itself. You can meditate beyond that to work on the fix, but you spend one hour, no more, no less, in the Husk so the recovery goes as quickly as possible. Same for True Self. One hour, and no serious exertion until you stop feeling deeper pain."
"Yes Healer," he said in all seriousness before shifting back to his Everyday Husk.
"And you," George continued as she turned her attention Anya. "You talk to a Seer and get this sorted out. And make sure he spends those hours."
"Yes Healer," Anya answered.
"Actually," George said after a moment's thought. "When he spends those hours, take a moment and touch him."
"But- you said-" Anya spluttered.
"I said no exertions. But you can tell what shape his injuries are in. If they get worse you find a Healer even if you have to drag him back here. If they get better faster then," she trailed off with a wink and made her way back to her office. "You can leave once he feels up to it."
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