[Slovenia] Spomini Slovenija [Open To Anyone]

[Slovenia]

Danica clutched the side of her temple as she wandered the streets of Slovenia, her current "vacation" spot of choice. It was very surreal and confusing, this tiny country. But, for whatever reason, she was just so drawn to it, so intrigued by its sights and people.

And for someone like Danica, finding a certain group of people interesting was very rare and important.

The Metal Sunflower had landed in Croatia for maintenance, much to the displeasure of her crew, mainly Toris. Indeed, the idea that something was going wrong on their ship would cause him much stress, but not exactly in the way most of the crew thought. The first mate was not happy.

And when he isn't happy, no one is.

Danica personally found it utterly fascinating. It was obvious to her who really was in control of the ship, but of course she never brought it up nor really cared. It was simply something to observe for her, merely a speck of entertainment to enjoy. She wasn't sure if the Russian knew that she knew. He most likely wouldn't care since he knew she'd do nothing about it.

She certainly had a...curious relationship with her crew. Most were utterly terrified of her, and most despised the idea of going to her for medical attention. Unfortunately for them, living on The Metal Sunflower meant you most certainly saw the doctor on a regular basis. And in this case, the doctor hadn't the first idea what bedside manner entailed, nor did she want to know. Her patients were nothing more than practice, mere examples of her research. But that didn't mean she was a terrible doctor. In fact, she was very skilled. It was just the emotional scarring that turned most off.

So, with the landing of her dysfunctional ship, Danica decided it would be a good opportunity to shop for medical supplies, and get away from the crew for a while. The repairs would take days to finish, so she had plenty of alone time. As she searched a map of Croatia for the nearest store, her eye caught a particular sight that she would never forget again. The borderline to Slovenia, a neighboring country.

Danica probably stared at that line, that name for a long time. And for reasons she couldn't explain, every fiber in her being told her she needed to go there. So, without a word to her crew, she left and caught the fastest train to the small country.

The train ride was only a few hours long, and during it she felt something that she hadn't felt in a very long time. Anxiousness. What did she have to be anxious for? It was just land...just a place...

When she stepped off the train and onto Slovenian ground, she instantly felt...overwhelmed. Everything was...familiar. It made no sense, she had never been here before. A headache blossomed in her head shortly after, and floods of strange images clouded her sight. Revolts, festivals, invasions...all came to her in waves. She shut her eyes tightly, willing the images away. She managed to slither away from the crowd of people, towards a bit of water. She checked her pulse and looked into the water to check her eyes, but everything seemed normal. She shook her head and splashed some cool water on her face, and eventually the strange images were gone and forgotten.

Much to the displeasure of Slovenia.

Still a bit disoriented, Danica decided it would be best to keep going. Whatever was waiting for her here, she felt it would be important.

[now, I know she doesn't want to be around her crew in this thread, but that doesn't mean she has to be~ This is open to anyone! 8'D]

[Roderich Edelstein]

This was certainly the closest Roderich had come to home in several years. As his residency had progressed, it became harder and harder to make it home and frankly, the odd feelings he got whenever he was back in Austria made him more than a little uncomfortable. Somehow it was just so much easier to focus away from home. Luckily his parents, supporting him in his high ambitions, understood and even came to spend Christmas with him on occasion. How disappointed would they be if they found out he had fallen in with pirates?

The crew (well, the captain and first mate at least) had decided that given the cargo hold was less than fifty percent wurst, the ship needed resupplying. Fine, maybe he was exaggerating but there was certainly enough to last another week at least, even with two mad brothers going through it like air. Wanting no part of their mad shopping trip and promising Katya he would help her shift the boxes of processed meat later so there would be room for "lesser" things like flour and water, he agreed to a drop-off in a rather bustling port city in Slovenia to look for his own supplies.

After spending a quarter of an hour haggling with a chemist over a fair price for several bottles of chloroform (He wasn't sure whether to be surprised that such a good medbay lacked such a important tool or relieved that it meant none of the crew had tried to use it untrained) and was now looking for some place to buy swabbing alcohol and take care of his list of herbs.

As he rounded the wall, he was momentarily stopped in his tracks by the sight of a woman hunched over a small fountain at the edge of the town square, her dark hair hanging around her face like a curtain. He dodged two marketgoers and took several steps closer to her. Was she in trouble?

Without really thinking, Roderich came up and sat on the edge of the fountain next to her, carefully avoiding letting any part of his expensive tailcoat drag in the water.

"Pardon my intrusion miss, but are you feeling alright? Do you need a doctor?" He couldn't see her face yet.

[Slovenia]

As sudden as the strangers voice was, Danica refrained from seeming startled. His question was ironic, and she could barely stop her icy sarcasm from lashing out at whoever it was. An unpleasant chuckle escaped her throat.

"A doctor...?" she said in a snake like tone, "I needn't look too far for one of those. In fact, I only need to look in a mirror..." She trailed off, and slowly turned to face the stranger. She had her usual cold eyes and mocking composure, but when she saw the face of the man who addressed her, she had to catch herself before her face transformed into a dumbfounded expression.

The man who sat beside her radiated the same feeling this country did. She had to know this man, she had to! But damn, there was no way she could have. She didn't recognize him from anywhere, but the feeling of familiarity was crushing. Just like this place.

What on earth was going on?

Deep in her subconscious, Slovenia cried out. She cried for help to the man who was once her caretaker, the nation that basically raised her, but she realized he didn't remember his nation days. She cried and cried out, but no one heard her.

Danica's mask almost faltered. But, she was too strong to let that happen. Her eyes remained cold and unfriendly while she eyed the man. Her headache only worsened, but she ignored it. She would never let it fall.

And Slovenia could only scream.

[Roderich Edelstein]

Well, that was both a blessing and a curse. The former in that she could likely look after herself, and the latter in that she likely wouldn't acknowledge when she really needed help. Not that he had any experience with that, of course...he grimaced inwardly.

She turned to face him and he felt like he'd been punched in the gut. That look on her face was just...so...wrong, in an instinctual primitive way he couldn't even give name to. Someone like her should be refined, tending rose gardens and dancing to music, taking in each word of those who want to help her with kind, serious consideration. Minding her betters when caught out of line with a quiet nod of acknowledgment and perhaps a curtsy, depending on the offense. Not cold. Not like this.

He managed to avoid gaping at her by quickly removing his glasses and meticulously cleaning them with his handkerchief. When both glasses and handkerchief were back in their respective places, he had regained his composure somewhat. What on earth was that?

It occurred to Roderich that these feelings were similar to what had passed shortly after joining on with the Imperial Eagle. But while those had been vague impressions, irritation at people who didn't deserve it, assumptions of familial bonds that had not yet been confirmed, the overwhelming wrongness of these feelings made him feel sick.

I was never formally diagnosed with an anxiety disorder thought I was close. Perhaps schizophrenia? No imaginary people yet...not that I would know if they were. No, I have no other symptoms. Still, I should consider seeing a specialist.

She was staring at him. He had to say something.

"Well, I suppose no one would know better than yourself how you are feeling, then. But forgive me for being concerned. It is not everyday you see a pretty girl by herself hunched over a fountain while the rest of the town goes about Market Day."

[Slovenia]

"My, my, aren't you an honest one!" She smiled that eerie grin. "Handsome and rich with compliments to give; pretty ladies must flock to you." She had a feeling that this was simply not true, although she had no evidence to back it up. He just struck her as someone who didn't have much luck with the ladies.

Except for that one woman.

Her headache throbbed. Ugh, not again!

She chuckled and got to her feet. "Not to worry, my dear, I only suffer from a minor headache. The ailment that only annoys, as it makes patients intolerable, yes?" A minor headache was a bit of a stretch. It wasn't minor, it felt like several madmen with sledgehammers were pounding away at every available surface in her head. But this gentleman certainly didn't need to know that.

She had to admit, for the first time since she had met her "captain" and the first mate, she felt that she actually wanting to stay and chat with someone. Just like this place, something about him was...drawing her to him. Sticking around him, even for a short while, might answer the question. It wasn't like her at all, wanting to stay close to someone else and chat, but the ulterior motives outweighed her pride.

She just hoped she wouldn't scare him away before her mystery was solved. A difficult task indeed!

She spied the bottle of chloroform he held. She raised an eyebrow. Was this man a doctor like herself? "And if I may ask, why does a fine gentleman like yourself have a bottle of chloroform? I though -I- was the only one who carries around sedatives." She laughed again. Uh oh. At this rate she really would scare him away.

[Roderich Edelstein]

Roderich looked down at his hand, momentarily confused. Then he remembered he had been trying to recall the chemist's name and was checking for it on the bottle.

"Please, Gospod Zdravnik, mention my name when you see the herbalist. We give discounts to those who practice medicine."

And he was never one to turn down a discount. But right now he just looked ridiculous. And suspicious with a bottle of chloroform sitting next to a girl. What if the police came by?! He hurriedly stuffed it back into his shopping bag. The comment about himself and ladies was tactfully ignored. If she wanted to act bitter because her head hurt, she could but she wasn't dragging him into that sort of talk.

He smiled, recalling his own experiences with headaches. They often grew in direct proportion to the length of a patient's noble title back in England. Roderich grabbed his handkerchief and dipped it in the cold water of the fountain. Wringing it out, he handed it to her. "If you are a doctor then you know the first thing you should be doing is cooling down the blood in your head."

What was it that made him want to take care of her? It almost seemed as natural to him to make sure she was okay as her cold behavior seemed unnatural. For the moment, he decided to push the thought out of his mind. Doctor or not, she wasn't taking care of the headache so she was his patient. And it wasn't as though his next suggestion would be taking him out of his way.

"And why exactly, miss, would you be carrying around sedatives? I assure you I am only taking these back to my ship where I am doctor. I don't make it a practice of carrying around dangerous narcotics."

He stood up and offered her his arm. "I received a recommendation from the chemist as to a place where I might acquire some herbs. Why don't you come with me and I'll get you some feverfew?"

[Slovenia]

She frowned at the handkerchief, but she took it absentmindedly. "I assure you, sweetheart, I am perfectly fine." A lie through her teeth, but she didn't trust him. She didn't trust anyone. She tucked the handkerchief in her sleeve, trying to be careful enough to not show off the scars riddled on her arms.

Her snake grin returned at his other comment. "For some women, diamonds are their best friends." She reached into her little pouch and brought out one of her syringes. "But for me," she smiled at the tiny glass tube, "these are mine. They have saved me too many times to count." Her smile faded slightly, and for a second, she looked, amazingly enough, sad. "They are my only friends." The expression did not last very long. She put the syringe back into her pouch with ease and experience.

She stared at his extended arm for what seemed like a long time. His offer was certainly helpful to her, as her original purpose was to buy medical supplies. But...she couldn't take his arm. No matter how interesting he was, no matter how much Slovenia screamed for help, she couldn't. Danica had survived an attempted execution in her previous home with no more than a shiver from that cold night, and the idea of extending her hand to his arm was....terrifying.

She didn't like being reminded of how broken she is.

She walked past him. "A generous offer, my colleague in medicine." She turned to him, keeping up that cold stare. "I accept."

[Roderich Edelstein]

Well, there goes that handkerchief. At least it wasn't expensive...

He opened his mouth a few times, then closed it. There was really no appropriate response to being told that sedatives were the woman's best friend. A drug addict, perhaps? He was going to need to keep an eye on her and see. No bloodshot eyes he could see, no shakes. Long sleeves so it's impossible to tell if she has needle marks...

Roderich was a bit startled when she didn't take his arm, but no matter. He gave a small bow and led the way with her trailing nearby.

"Might I ask your name as we embark on this outing? Mine is Roderich Edelstein, and it is a pleasure to meet another doctor by chance like this."

[Slovenia]

"Danica Erjavek." She smiled, a tiny bit nicer than her usual one. "I admit, it is interesting to meet another doctor as well." As she followed him, she took the opportunity to keep an eye out...for something. Anything that would answer why she felt so strange in this place. It only worsened her headache.

Flashes of images kept pouring into her mind. Most were abstract and random, faces and tiny flashbacks of events, such as a drunken New Year's and a festival that had a dozen men dressed in long furs and large masks, to ward off evil spirits. Wait, how did she know that? But what really cemented her worry was the next little scene that her mind teased her with. Because it involved the man she just met.

He was...much taller in this image. Or was she just shorter? He smiled at her, took her hand gently. He walked her to a room with a piano. He looked excited, or at least, his version of excited. He told her he was going to teach her how to play....

But she only remembers how to play one song.

She gritted her teeth. This had to stop! Right now! She willed the image away, she must be going crazy! She was desperate to think of something else, to drag her mind from it. Conversation seemed the only way.

"So...what made you want to become a doctor, my dear?" Not that she was truly curious, but. She was desperate.

[Roderich Edelstein]

"My captain's travel volumes advised that because of the climate and location, this was a better place than most in the area to purchase most medicinal herbs, and the trade routes made the town large enough to support a chemist." He paused and gave her a sheepish smile, realizing he was rambling.

"Still, it is odd to meet another doctor out in the middle of the square by chance."

Why was she so curious about him? It was odd, one moment withdrawn, another asking friendly questions. "Well, my family and teachers thought it would be a good career given my skills, and I was interested in biology already... and once I started the rest fell into place. I was more of an academic, not some idealistic wanting to help people. The bedside manner didn't really come in until later," he laughed, slightly embarassed. "What about yourself?"

What else am I supposed to say? I was going to be a concert pianist until I had a nervous breakdown and my parents picked medicine as the most complicated thing they could think of to keep me busy and off of anxiety medications?

He looked back and forth as they came to a crossroads, trying to recall the directions given to him by the chemist. After a moment he decided on the right branch, taking them down a winding road crowded with lodging houses and taverns. A drunk (so early in the morning?) stumbled out of a tavern and made on an unsteady vector right towards them. Forgetting her earlier aversion to being touched, he grabbed Danica's arm and pulled her out of the way before the larger man could crash into her. Realizing what he had done once they were both of the way, he quickly dropped his hand, unsure of what to say.

[Slovenia]

Danica had hesitated before answering his question; she wasn't sure if she should tell him the true reason she decided to pursue medicine as a career.

Before she could even decide, a drunken man had stumbled towards them; his stench made her nose cringe. Cretin. She once again withdrew a syringe, in case he got too close. And he did. Before she could jam her friend into the idiots neck, Roderich, probably not realizing she was carrying the syringe, grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the way. Oh no.

Danica twitched violently, his touch too sudden. She had to catch herself again. She almost jabbed the syringe into HIS neck. She took a few deep breaths...calming down. She couldn't help that she started to shake. Her shaky hand released the tight grip around the tiny glass tube, and she put it back into her bag. She avoided eye contact. "Ahaha...my apologies dearest. I'm....I don't really enjoy physical contact." What else could she say? Her mask was....slipping. Everything is slipping. Her weakness.....she couldn't let it show. Ever.

"Hmmm, you and I have more in common than I thought." In many more ways than one. She pondered for a moment. "Why I became a doctor....many would argue I am not a true doctor. I never went to school to study it." She grinned, knowing full well she just admitted she didn't have a license for doctoring. There wasn't much Roderich could do if he felt the need to report her, since she didn't work in a hospital, but rather a pirate ship. "It was just...interesting. It takes a lot to get someone like me interested in something..." She chuckled. There was no going back now. "Sickness is fascinating. Injuries are powerful. And I can defeat them. Like you, I do it for the science, not for any idiotic heroism some aspire to be." Any light that shone in her eyes were gone. She laughed. "I don't even know what bedside manner is, my dear."

Danica was never known to sugar coat what she says or thinks. It was the reason why most people found her insane. And they were right. Poor, poor Austria, how far she has fallen.

"And like yourself, I also use my skills on a ship. At least, I assume you meant you work on a ship, as you did mention a captain..."

She stopped in front of a small shop. She pointed at it. "Is this the shop you were seeking?" It was indeed a shop for medicinal herbs.

[Roderich Edelstein]

Roderich felt sick to his stomach. Had she been able to stab the drunken fool with that thing? She had almost hit him!

"You can't just inject random medications into people!" he hissed, trying not to draw attention to them. The police certainly didn't need to come by and ask what was in that bag. "You have no idea of their health, any possible allergies, you could kill a man just for being an idiot!"

His mood grew more agitated as she described herself as similar to him. "I daresay, my dear, that we are not as similar as you like to imagine. I am not so careless as you. While I may be an academic if you believe I would casually experiment on someone without their consent," he frowned, remembering the catastrophe which had led to his leaving England, "Then you are most heartily mistaken. It is not for people like us to decide to endanger lives on a whim!"

He never once raised his voice but there was immense disapproval and a coldness in his manner that was not there before. As though he was hurt personally by her actions and was pulling away. Roderich couldn't explain why he was reacting this way. The girl was psychotic. No credentials, no conscience, and walking around with sedatives like they were weapons. He should be taking her to the police station, not lecturing her in the street.

They were in front of the herb shop. He could stall a moment while he decided what to do. He held the door open for her then followed her in. Smiling at the proprietress, he said, "Ah Madame, the chemist from three streets over sent me. If you might, some fresh feverfew immediately for this young lady's headache, and then perhaps we may discuss my list?"

[Slovenia]

This certainly wasn't the first time someone had said those words to her. Roderich was being tame, actually, compared to others.

She just let him claw into her. Not once did she try to defend herself [how could she?], get angry, or talk back. She just...took it. It was strange, with others, she got somewhat defensive. But with Roderich, she had nothing to say. She felt like a child being told off by her father of the stupid things a teenager does. Of course, in this situation, the weight was much more heavy than teenage antics.

It surprised her how much his words...hurt. Beyond all logic and reason, his words hurt.

There was no such thing as a truth that is not painful.

"I suppose we are not." She said numbly. "You are a good man Roderich. And I am not. That is the truth."

If only he knew the significance of her using his name. It had been years since she used someone's name; it was always "dear or dearest". Mocking labels that should be used affectionately, but were lost in her words.

To her amazement, he still offered an open door. She walked through it silently; not daring to look him in the eye. She was immersed by the scent of various herbs. She shuffled to the corner of the room, keeping her distance from him. Her eyes widened slightly when he asked the woman for feverfew; after all that, he still persisted to help her with her headache?

The woman responded jovially; not exactly appropriate when knowing someone was in pain, but compared to some people, it wasn't so criminal. "Oh my! Of course, of course, I shall make a tea right away!" She bustled her way to the back to bring out a teapot, and she grabbed some herbs, presumably the Feverfew, and began to prepare the water. "You poor thing," she said to Danica, "It's terrible to have such a nasty headache!" She smiled warmly. "But not to worry, this will help!"

Under normal circumstances, Danica would have responded with an icy, sarcastic, but clever insult that the woman may or may not have understood. But not this time. Instead, she wandered over to a shelf of herbs and medicines. Roderich and the woman chatted away; obviously going over whatever was on his list. After a few minutes, Danica spotted an interesting herb, and decided to investigate. As it was on the top of the shelf, she had to reach high to grab it.

And down fell her long sleeve; down, down her arm to reveal one of her most hidden secrets; the long, jarring and painful looking scars that riddled both her arms. Ah, too late. The woman behind the counter gasped, and immediately regretted that she did, probably because she agonized that it was rude to gasp and stare at scars. Not turning around to face them, knowing that they both had seen it, she slowly set the bottle of herb down and slid the sleeve back down her arm.

There was no such thing as a truth that is not painful.

[Roderich Edelstein]

Roderich was keeping half an eye on the...he couldn't even think of a word to call her. Unstable? Psychotic? Borderline homicidal? No, the last one wasn't fair. She was careless, not murderous. As far as he knew. Well. Danica would have to do. She had seemed chagrined enough at his lecture but honestly, he wasn't sure what to make of her. At any rate she was busying herself bustling around the shop and he just wanted to make sure she didn't break anything expensive. The use of his first name as anything special didn't even register.

His list was rather lengthy and he spent several minutes with the herbalist while the tea brewed discussing some of the finer points, how recently things had been picked and such. He was delighted to find that she was willing to sell him an aloe plant. Between accidents in the kitchen and in the engine room, burns were the most common complaint on board, so having a constant supply of fresh aloe was going to be fantastic, even if it was expensive. He was writing down the address of his inn for the goods to be shipped when the lady's gasp distracted him.

Scars. Long, ugly scars. As Danica pulled her sleeves back down, she was looking more unhappy than he had thus far seen her. And that was unique, given that there had barely been a facial expression since he had met her at the fountain. Clearly there was something more going on than a careless not-quite-doctor.

Something told him that the best way to deal with her was by instruction. She would either listen to him or she wouldn't, but the proper way to deal with any problem child was to not let them make a scene and show them the correct way to do things. Where such knowledge of raising a child came from he didn't know, but it seemed as good an option as any. He really didn't have an idea of what else to do.

He paid for a bottle of lemon oil and a jar of thick honey. Going over to Danica, he handed them to her. "To be an effective doctor, you should consider natural remedies as well, not just chemicals. The lemon is a bleaching agent. Apply it several times a day and the darkness will fade. Apply a thick coat of the honey overnight. That will encourage the skin to repair properly."

Roderich confirmed with the herbalist that the delivery would be sent to his room before the Eagle was due to pick him up the next morning, then turned to Danica and handed her the brewed tea. "Drink that then tell me where you want to go next."

[Slovenia]

Danica smiled slightly at him. "You must assume I'm a terrible doctor. Unethical yes, however I assure you I am a capable one." She raised a hand at the honey and the lemon offer. "These scars....I do hide them but," She stared at her arm. "But they are a reminder."

A reminder of how far she's willing to go for the one thing she loves. Her research.

To be clear, Danica was not suicidal. The scars on her arms may indicate it, but the reason she cut up her arms was merely because she needed the experience of patching up injuries.

That was it. The old town she lived in surely never let her touch them, let alone help them when they were hurt. So, she took the one alternative. Self-inflicted injuries.

Well....it had worked in the end.

She took the tea, muttered a 'thank you, dear' to Roderich, and twitched her eyes at the bitterness of the tea. But she drank it all. "Hmm, next..." She pondered for a moment. Honestly, anywhere was fine, all she really wanted to do was explore Slovenia a bit more, to see if she could figure anything out. She smiled. "How about lunch? My treat."