[OPEN!] At least this maze has plenty of escapes...

[fire_water_wood]

((OOC: S-sorry it's taken so long to get this posted, guys!  I really did think I'd done this already...  OTL))

Characters:  Harlequin and the people of the Winding Way
Content:  With this conversation, Harlequin has agreed to help Gintoki with that HVAC project by mapping out the air circulation ducts throughout the ship . . . from the inside . . .

Comments

Yup, I think I do! ^_~

[fire_water_wood]

Harlequin had no idea how long he'd been at his work this time around, but he'd started shortly after dinner, and he was starting to realize now how really hungry he was. Had he been out all night and now it was almost breakfast time? Goodness...

Well, he'd apparently crawled back into one of the sections of private quarters. If he could find a grate onto the hallway, he'd climb down and make his way back to his own room - thank goodness for his twine! It was kind of odd, though - in some of the sections, the tunnels ran between the walls, so that he was looking out a grate on the side into a room, and sometimes between floors, so that he'd look down (or on rare occasions /up/) from the ceiling (floor).

This section was one of the latter, and Harlequin looked through the grate to spot Ichigo directly under him. Oh! So this was where his room was. Neat! He'd have to come back later and see if he could find his way back from the outside, in the hallways. But for now... There was a very large dent in the wall of the duct right by the vent, forcing the puppet to crawl directly across the grate rather than go around. He only hoped it wasn't loos-!!!?

With something like a scraping sound, the grate more or less dropped right out from under him as soon as his full weight was on it, and he dropped with it, still perched on top like it was a malfunctioning wingboard. With no other recourse, he simply clung to it as he fell. Only, he realized, he was headed more or less straight for Ichigo's face!

"I-Ichigo! L-look out!!"

[flight_15]

All Ichigo heard was his name and a yell. Reflex took over -- before he was even awake, one hand shot up, catching the grate. In one smooth movement, he brought the grate down and around, slamming it into the floor and trapping whatever was on it underneath it.

A moment later, he woke up fully and realized exactly what he'd just done. Hastily, Ichigo pulled the grate up and saw who it had been who had "attacked" him. "Harlequin?!" he exclaimed, worry in his eyes. "Harlequin! Are you--are you okay?" Shit, shit, shit, how much damage had he done this time? If he'd seriously hurt the kid, Ichigo would never forgive himself.

[fire_water_wood]

Harlequin didn't respond, the paint of his eyes having changed to look closed - he was out cold. Without a shirt, the damage to his arms was clear - one forearm just above the wrist had been smashed almost all the way through by the sharp edge of the grate, and the elbow and shoulder joints were cracked, though thankfully the latter was only in the arm portion - his torso seemed to have escaped damage, as had the other arm. His legs, on the other hand, were tangled in a way that...well, it might actually be possible for a limber puppet, but certainly wasn't for the movement restrictions of a human's joints.

Ichigo might also have registered non-wood breaking noises . . . as Harlequin had landed on his backpack of supplies.

[flight_15]

A sinking feeling hit Ichigo's gut like a punch. Had....he done that?

No point thinking about that now -- he had to get Harlequin to a doctor. Or was it a doctor? Would a doctor be able to do anything for him? Or would a carpenter be better? Could Harlequin even be repaired? Would he heal? All these thoughts whizzed around Ichigo's mind as he slid his hands carefully under the puppet's body and lifted him up, bag of supplies and all.

"H-harlequin?" he asked, trying to wake the puppet again. If Harlequin could wake, that is -- he still wasn't sure if he'd killed the little guy. Maybe Harlequin could tell Ichigo how to repair him....

[fire_water_wood]

The supplies in the bag make a small variety of "broken" noises as things inside shift over one another in Ichigo's hands. He'll feel one thing inside, though, that doesn't budge, something that seems like maybe part of it is lodge in the puppet's back. The fingertips of one hand, supporting his upper body, will feel a deep crack in the wood at the back of his head. When Ichigo picks him up, one lower leg slips free of the pantleg to remain on the ground, snapped off at the knee joint.

As Ichigo stands, the puppet gasps and shifts in his hands, murmuring softly in pain, eyes fluttering open within the black domino painted across his face.

[flight_15]

As the leg slipped free, Ichigo stooped to grab it. Maybe someone could re-attach it? Did he need to freeze it, or anything?

There! He was awake! .....what did you say in a situation like this? 'Gee, I'm awful sorry I'm a violent maniac in my sleep, let's get you put back together and call it a day?' "Harlequin," he began, voice low, "I--I'm sorry, I...."

He swallowed. "I need you to listen. You're--you're broken right now. But I'm gonna get you fixed up. Should I take you to a doctor, or a carpenter, or what? How do you...usually heal when you get hurt?" Please tell me there's a way to fix him.

[fire_water_wood]

Panting in pain - yes, he most definitely was capable of feeling pain - he blinked a few times until he could see Ichigo's face a little clearer. "I-I...f-fell..." he murmured, trying to remember what had happened. He'd fallen...from the vent above Ichigo's bed. He'd fallen on Ichigo! "D-did I...hurt you...?"

[flight_15]

"....I was the one who hurt you, stupid," Ichigo replied, but it sounded less like an accusation or reprimand than an expression of consternation. "I need to know how to fix you up. Can you tell me?"

Dammit, the kid sounded like he was in a lot of pain. Ichigo had to hurry.

[fire_water_wood]

Harlequin tried to process that, but it just wouldn't compute. Ichigo wouldn't hurt him! He knew that. Or . . . well . . . not on purpose. Must have been an accident. Yes...of course it was, because he knew Ichigo wouldn't hurt him.

Shifting a little in Ichigo's hands, he tried to tell exactly what was wrong, but . . . he couldn't. "Ah...I-I...h-heal...b-but sometimes t-things h-have to b-be...r-replaced if...if t-they're t-too badly...too badly d-damaged..."

Gods of the firmament, he'd never hurt this badly in his life before!

[flight_15]

It was good to know that the puppet would heal up. It made sense -- he hadn't seen any cracks or minor scrapes that would inevitably come with living life. "Replaced....that means a carpenter, right?" That was good enough for Ichigo. He took off down the hall, headed for the upper deck. He'd just go into town and have the puppet fixed up.

"Just hold on," he said, walking as quickly as he could without jostling the puppet too much. "You're gonna be okay." Shit, he'd really screwed up this time. But he'd fix it.

[fire_water_wood]

Harlequin choked out a chuckle in spite of himself. Ichigo seemed so worried for someone as small and insignificant as he was. "M-mr. Ich-chigo...i-it's okay. Y-you don't...have to rush. I-I...I won't...die..." That was one advantage he had over flesh people, at any rate. If something didn't destroy him outright - or at least destroy his head - he had no fear of dying from his injuries or from blood loss. He'd not necessarily recover fully, not without outside help (namely, a carpenter), either, but that was another matter.

[flight_15]

"You're hurting, though." Because of me. Ichigo took the stairs two at a time, then strode across the deck, hoping no one stopped to ask him what he was doing. He didn't have the heart to explain. It was good to know that Harlequin would pull through, but that didn't mean he didn't want to get the kid repaired as soon as possible.

"The sooner you're fixed, the better, right? That means you won't be in pain anymore."

[fire_water_wood]

H-he...really is upset about this, isn't he? Harlequin felt bad for that. Since being accepted onto the ship, he had tried so hard not to bother or inconvenience anyone, and now...

Not that he could have gotten himself help, not as he was. He needed Ichigo - or someone - to carry him, as he couldn't currently feel his legs. He guessed that was a good thing.

More than anything, though, it was the fact that his friend seemed to blame himself. But...it was an accident... Even if it had been something Ichigo did directly, he'd not meant to. Harlequin knew as much.

It's not your fault...

Harlequin wanted to tell him, but he couldn't quite get the words out in that moment. Instead, he tried to shift his hand . . . but the arm wouldn't respond. He curled a bit, "sitting" up enough to look. ...oh. T-that would explain it. He tried his other arm instead, his non-dominant one. The tiny hand found Ichigo's wrist, and he patted it softly, trying to comfort him.

Everything will be all right. You'll see.

[flight_15]

That just made Ichigo move faster. He strode down the gangplank and into town, glancing around for someone who looked native to this place, who he could get directions from. He could have asked one of the shipwrights on the Way to do it, but they were used to working on a large scale. No, he felt like a carpenter would be better for this. To this end, he began to ask around, stopping people who looked like residents where he could find a carpenter.

Fairly quickly, he secured directions to a carpenter's, and took off down the street, just shy of a run. The only thing that kept him from running was Harlequin's assurance that he wouldn't die.

[fire_water_wood]

The local carpenter jumped and spun toward the door to his shop when he heard it bang open behind him, eyes landing on a distraught youth who looked like he'd only barely rolled out of bed. And...what was that in his hands?

Pulling himself up straight, he met the young man's gaze. "I'm...not properly open yet, sir, but...how can I help you?"

[flight_15]

"This is going to sound kind of crazy," Ichigo said seriously, "but I've got a puppet here that I really need you to fix. As soon as you can. I can pay you."

He'd explain about the magic in a moment.