Scenario:Shao - A Future from the Mire
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A Future from the Mire
Shao examines the mafia substance and discovers it's the same as the one that afflicted symptoms on his sister. Meanwhile (Captain) and company run into a suspicious man selling medicine in town; Shao tells the crew to prepare to leave the island while he goes to confront the man.
Shao: Okay...
Shao is alone in his room, digging around in the bottom of his medicine chest.
Shao: Here it is.
He pulls out a small vial from a hidden compartment.
Shao: The substance from the mafia... It's a perfect match with this sample.
Holding the two bottles side by side, he gives a half-hearted sigh.
Shao: Finally...
Shao: I'm finally on the trail, so why isn't my heart into it?
His voice is full of self-derision. A knock at the door forces him to hastily stash the vial back in the medicine chest.
Shao: Come in.
Lyria: Hi, Shao...
Shao: What can I do for you?
Vyrn: We were doing some shopping in town, when...
Young Woman: Oh, it's the skyfarers!
Lyria: Hm? We saw you at the elderly man's house.
The woman who hails the crew is the same one they saw earlier at the elderly patient's house.
Young Woman: Heehee, thank you for your services yesterday.
Lyria: You're welcome. Is your grandfather doing well?
Young Woman: Yes. He gets some swelling in the morning on account of the chill, but he's just fine by the time the sun is high and bright.
As the conversation continues, a man's voice cuts in.
Suspicious Man: Psst. You there. Wanna hear something good?
Lyria: Eh?
Suspicious Man: Overheard ya talking about your gramps. I got some good meds if you want them.
Vyrn: Where'd you come from...
Suspicious Man: Look, check this out.
The suspicious man forces a glass bottle into the woman's hands.
Young Woman: Um, what's this?
Suspicious Man: I'll have you know it's my last one! That's some really valuable medicine.
Young Woman: Th-thank you... This is all I can afford to pay you though...
Suspicious Man: Tch... That's it? Oh well, I'll give you the discount!
The man practically spits the words out as he counts the money, then nervously scurries off.
Lyria: Something felt really wrong about that, so we kept the medicine for her.
Shao: I see.
Shao takes the bottle from (Captain) and studies its contents carefully.
Shao: ...
Shao: I'll handle this.
Vyrn: That's really dangerous stuff, isn't it?
Shao: Definitely. It's a good thing you brought it to me. You made the right call.
Without elaborating further, Shao stores the bottle, straps on his medicine chest, and heads for the door.
Lyria: O-oh, are you going somewhere?
Shao: Yes, just for a little while.
Vyrn: Wait, are you feeling okay? You're not gonna do anything rash, are you?
Shao: ...
Shao: Nah, everything's fine on my end.
Shao: But something sinister is stirring in this town, and it'd be a good idea to get ready to leave.
Shao: Thanks for catching my drift, (Captain).
Shao: Because the mafia from yesterday are involved. It's best not to overstay our welcome.
Vyrn: Yeah, I got a bad feeling about this.
Continue 1
Lyria: What are you going to do, Shao?
Shao: I'm going to go take care of some unfinished business.
Vyrn: Okay! While you're doing your stuff, we'll get the ship ready to leave!
Shao: ...
Lyria: Be careful out there!
Shao: Thanks.
Suspicious Man: Huff, huff... It's already getting dark.
Shao: Excuse me. This might seem out of the blue, but...
Suspicious Man: What is it?
Shao: You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you?
Shao waves the bottle he got from (Captain) in front of the bewildered man.
Suspicious Man: What the! Why do you—
Shao: So it was you.
Suspicious Man: Damn! You a bounty hunter or something? Well, you ain't takin' me in!
A Future from the Mire: Scene 2
The man selling medicine in town turns out to be the culprit who gave Shao's sister the fatal substance. Shao gives the man a taste of his own medicine, subjecting him to the same pain felt by his sister, and then ends the man's life. Although Shao is reluctant to continue flying with the crew, Lyria believes that his brand of medicine saves people physically and spiritually. With a smile of mixed emotions, Shao finally boards the airship again.
Suspicious Man: What is... The hell'ja do to me!
Shao: Just a little something to keep you from moving. Don't worry, it's nontoxic.
Shao: I can't risk having you run off in the middle of our talk. Call it insurance.
Suspicious Man: Are you with the family?
Shao: Goodness, no. I work alone.
Suspicious Man: What! Then what problem do you got with me?
Shao: ...
Shao: When I spoke with the mafia guy earlier, I felt something was off.
Shao: He insisted on avoiding the topic of where the substance came from—even to a good, upstanding citizen like me.
Shao: That's no smoking gun, of course, but it points to internal strife, doesn't it?
Suspicious Man: ...
Shao: After some internal conflict, you hooked your family on illegal substances. Then you got away without facing the consequences. I can't think of anything more shameful for a crime syndicate.
Shao: Although I for one couldn't care less about your squabbles.
Suspicious Man: Tch. Then why'd you stick your nose in this?
Shao: I'm getting to that. Settle down and let me finish.
Suspicious Man: You piece of...
Shao: When I took a closer look at the afflicted, I found their symptoms had become too advanced to treat.
Shao: Isn't that right?
Suspicious Man: Hell if I know.
Suspicious Man: All I care about is how long it takes for them to bite the dust and how to exploit it.
Shao: Phew... I was hoping you'd say that.
Suspicious Man: Huh?
Shao: I never intended to take this job seriously from the beginning.
Shao: I'm not unsympathetic toward them, but those addicts basically brought it on themselves.
Suspicious Man: Then what's the problem? If you got nothing to do with it, mind your own business!
Shao: Except I've been looking for you for a long time.
Shao produces a different vial.
Suspicious Man: Wh-what's that?
Shao: I don't owe an explanation to you, especially not one that's personal.
Suspicious Man: Wait!
Shao: Feels bad, doesn't it? Not being able to move no matter how hard you struggle?
Suspicious Man: Stop!
Shao draws some of the contents from the vial and administers it to the man.
Suspicious Man: No...
Shao: I believe this dose should be enough to take immediate effect.
Shao coldly stares down at the stricken man lying helpless on the ground.
Suspicious Man: Aaagh... Aauu...
Shao: How is it? Honestly I'm not too knowledgeable about the effects, but...
Shao: Do you feel anything in your limbs? How's your hearing? Your sense of touch?
Shao: Does your body feel hot or cold?
Shao: Or perhaps it feels as if your entire body is crawling with insects?
Suspicious Man: Aaaiee! Gaah!
Shao: Hello? Can you hear me?
Shao: I'm barely whispering, yet it must feel like someone pounding on your eardrums.
In between violent convulsions and belabored breaths, the man struggles to glare at Shao.
Suspicious Man: This... This is about revenge, isn't it?
Shao: ...
Shao: Still holding onto your sanity, huh? It must hurt. That's bad luck for you.
Suspicious Man: Wheeze... You can tell yourself what you want to hear... You and I are the same... We're both villains.
Shao: I'm way ahead of you.
Shao: I've been this way ever since that day.
Shao: Good night, Sister. Sweet dreams.
Shao: I know for a fact just how far away I am from being a decent person.
Suspicious Man: Ngh... I-I...
Shao: Can you still hear me? Then I'll say one last thing.
Shao kneels down next to the man, posing as if to offer a repenting prayer.
Shao: At first I had intended to cast off my obsession for revenge.
Shao: That doesn't mean I planned on forgiving you though. That would just be absurd.
Shao: Ironically the drive for revenge allowed me to discover that the world is brimming with beauty.
Shao: However...
Shao: Leaving you alone would only spawn more tragedy, and that would be irresponsible of me.
Shao: I don't pretend to be a friend of justice. I don't care if I'm a criminal.
Shao: But I wouldn't want these five years of pain to go to waste.
Suspicious Man: ...
Shao puts a phial up to the man's lips and carefully tilts it.
Shao: That about sums it up. Farewell.
Vyrn: All right! We are ready to roll on outta here!
Lyria: Yeah! Just as soon as Shao gets back.
Shao: ...
Lyria: Ah! Shao!
Vyrn: You're just in time! We're ready for takeoff!
Shao: You're still here.
Vyrn: That's no way to say hello. Of course we waited for you.
Shao: Yeah. Because that's just the kind of people you are.
Shao: ...
Shao's Sister: Heehee. Welcome home, Shao.
Shao: ...
Lyria: Um, Shao?
Shao seems to be at a loss. He makes no attempt to come aboard.
Lyria: Um...
(Captain) extends a hand toward Shao.
Shao: You guys are really something...
(Captain)'s hand goes unshaken.
Lyria: Shao!
Lyria senses that something is wrong and attempts to appeal to the healer.
Lyria: I still haven't turned in that homework assignment I got from you.
Shao: Oh yeah. It's overdue.
Lyria: You once said that there's a thin line between poison and medicine.
Lyria: When you cure people of their sickness, you use medicine.
Lyria: But when you end someone's life because they can't be cured, it's poison. But I don't see it that way.
Lyria: When I thought about it, I realized there are two types of medicine—the kind that heals illness, but also the kind that saves the soul.
Lyria: Those are the two ways that I think you help people.
Shao: Then you agree with me taking the lives of those that can't be cured?
Lyria: Well... I still don't have an answer for that. It's sad whenever anyone dies...
Vyrn: Yeah, just like a few days ago...
Son: Sob... Mother... Why...
Shao: ...
Son: Answer me! Was my mother's sickness absolutely incurable?
Son: You don't get it. You don't understand what it's like for someone who's forced to say goodbye!
Lyria: Yes. It's hard to forget what he said.
Lyria: But there are other people, like the elderly woman you treated, who are able to smile because their minds are at ease.
Vyrn: Yep, I agree with Lyria.
Shao: You think I'm saving their souls?
Shao: (You have no idea what I've done...)
Shao: (I wasn't thinking about saving his soul at all.)
Shao: Well—
Once again (Captain) thrusts a hand out to Shao.
Shao: (Captain)?
But this time (Captain) takes initiative and grabs Shao's hand.
Shao: My, my.
Shao: ...
After being pulled up onto the deck by (Captain), Shao reconsiders what has been said.
Shao: Medicine that can soothe the soul.
Lyria: I don't think I answered the homework question perfectly, but...
Shao: Nah. To tell you the truth, I don't know what the correct answer is either.
Shao: The important thing is to keep searching for a suitable one.
Lyria: Hehe, that's true! Let's all put our heads together!
Vyrn: Okay! All aboard! I'll go let Rackam know what's up!
Shao: Sheesh, I've never met a pushier bunch.
A quick laugh later, and Shao's usual carefree expression returns.
However, (Captain) senses something different in Shao this time around, something like a dull pain.
Although Shao's history remains unknown to the crew, they have caught a glimpse of the healer's true self.