Warfarin: Rarely Serious

Operator Record Rarely Serious
She's lived for centuries, after all. Unlock conditions: Raise Warfarin to Elite 2 Level 60. Have 200% Trust with Warfarin.

Characters
Amiya Amiya Kal'tsit Warfarin Sarkaz Warrior Sarkaz Youth
Backgrounds
1 2 3

<Background 1>
Summary One day before Amiya leaves for Londinium, she receives a physical from Warfarin. Warfarin is unexpectedly solemn this time–
Warfarin is doing a medical check-up on Amiya.
Warfarin	......
Amiya	Dr. Warfarin, is there something wrong with me?
Warfarin	Yep, we've got a big problem.
Amiya	Hwuh?!
Warfarin	You got taller.
Amiya	Don't scare me like that...
Warfarin	This is serious. It's been two centuries since I got any taller. Your physical indicators are all normal, and your Oripathy is pretty stable, too. Not bad. But if you can, try not to take your rings off after you get to Londinium. Though I guess I can't expect you to hear me on that one.
Amiya	Um... Dr. Warfarin, are you mad that we're going to Londinium?
Warfarin	Mad? Amiya, tap into your powers and look at me. How am I feeling?
Amiya	...... Very calm.
Warfarin	Looks like I'm not so muddled that I can't figure out my own emotions. Not yet anyway. Two hundred years ago, I probably would've had something to say about this. These days, though, I'm not going to get upset over something decided by destiny. If I have the time, I might as well do some more research.
Amiya	Decided by destiny...? What do you mean?
Warfarin	Like how you're destined to fight this fight. And Londinium's destined to face war, death, and hate.
Amiya	But...
Warfarin	Stop. I know what you're going to say, and I've heard it more times than I care to count. I'm not trying to blame you, and I'm not angry. If this was enough to piss me off, I would've been pissed to death centuries ago. Here, let me draw some blood. For bloodwork.
Amiya	Okay...
Warfarin extracted some of Amiya's blood.
Warfarin	...... That reminds me, have I ever told you why I became a doctor, even though I'm a Vampire?
Amiya	Oh, I feel like you have. I think you said you used to be a very aggressive, violent lady. Because you had a thirst for blood, like the rest of your kind. But, in the end, you got tired of fighting.
Warfarin	Oh, so I told you already, huh? Hmph, and here I just came up with a story about being a Vampire heroine. I was looking forward to duping some fools with it.
Amiya	I don't think a lot of people would fall for that...
Warfarin	Now that's hard to say. It might just help me rebuild my dignified image here at Rhodes Island.
Amiya	Your image is what it is because you keep doing things like that!
Warfarin	Well, fine. It's not like I actually care about this anyway. I digress, but there's one thing I definitely haven't told you. The truth is, it doesn't matter how much you like doing something. If you keep doing it for a hundred years, you're bound to get tired of it. Most Vampires are sick of fighting for exactly that reason. But at the same time, a century of doing the same thing also eventually turns it into a habit. And when everyone in your tribe has this habit, it becomes the tribe's social norm. In other words, it's a social norm for us Vampires to thirst for blood and war And, to this day, I still haven't overcome my "social norm."
Amiya	But you haven't ever had any real accidents on the ship.
Warfarin	Of course not. I've trained myself for two whole centuries. The stuff you see me pulling is just a pastime of mine.
Amiya	......
Warfarin	Don't look at me like that. I'll admit, I do lose control when I'm with the Doctor. But about that, I've actually come up with a few new ideas ever since we started getting all this new blood on the ship. Still need some tinkering, though... Uh, let's shelve that topic for now. Anyway, the reason I became a doctor is a simple one. I got tired of war. I got sick of it. And I chose to reject the Vampire social norm, and while I looked for a way to overcome my instincts, I inevitably became a medical researcher.
Amiya	Is that how you met Dr. Kal'tsit?
Warfarin	Well, she's a mysterious one, and she holds a bunch of titles, but she's a doctor alright, and I can see why you'd think that's how we met. Though, in your view, is she really the kind of woman who'd sit down and discuss medical theory? Or, actually, do I look like that kind of woman to you?
Amiya	But you met each other a long time ago, didn't you?
Warfarin	Wait a second.
Warfarin picked up an old book from a bookshelf...
Warfarin	Should be this one, I think? Wait, no, this is the book that we did together later.
...but old documents fall on her while doing so.
Warfarin	What's this stinking thing all falling apart? Oh, now I remember. This is the journal where my first dissertation was published, and I kept it after it ceased publication.
Warfarin picks up old magazines from the pile of documents...
Warfarin	There we go. These magazines here.
...which surprises Amiya.
Amiya	These are from decades ago!
Warfarin	I wrote for this magazine at the time, and then, one day, some dipshit showed up to write a long article supposedly poking holes in all my theories. The key thing here is that I wasn't wrong, but all the things she pointed out were indeed issues that I neglected or didn't consider. I wasn't about to sit down and take all that from her, so I followed her reasoning and did my experiment again, and it actually gave me better results. Back then, basically anyone could publish whatever in a magazine, and her article was one of the few that I thought was up to snuff.
Amiya	And she was...?
Warfarin	Kal'tsit, of course. She didn't even bother to use a pen name. You know what really pissed me off, though? I wrote a dozen or so articles after that in response but she never submitted again!
Amiya	That sounds just like Dr. Kal'tsit...
Warfarin	Until one day, a woman representing Theresa, the Sarkaz King, invited me to join them. She even pulled out all these magazines and told me she was that very Kal'tsit.
Amiya	Mhmm. So what happened next?
Warfarin	I blasted her out the door and never wrote for the magazine again.
Amiya	Hm, I still remember when Dr. Kal'tsit said she was going to take me to see another doctor. I thought you were her friend.
<Flashback starts here>
<Background 2>
A Sarkaz warrior lashes out at Warfarin,
Sarkaz Warrior	Warfarin, this is an official summons from the Royal Court! How dare you disobey us?!
Warfarin	Little fella, I've lived for a long time now. Do you know how many Royal Court fancy folk I've met, and how many of them I kicked right out my door?
Sarkaz Warrior	This is war! The fate of our kind hangs in the balance!
Warfarin did something that causes the warrior to feel uneasy.
Sarkaz Warrior	Ugh... W-What did you do... to me...?
Warfarin	Stand here for another ten seconds and your blood will start to coagulate. Fifteen seconds later, you'll be a statue. If you leave now, you can still make it out alive.
Sarkaz Warrior	Impossible. I've never heard of a Vampire power like this!
Warfarin	You're welcome to stay and see for yourself.
Sarkaz Warrior	Gah! Don't you think you can disobey the Royal Court!
The warrior runs away.
Warfarin	Yeah, yeah. I've heard that plenty of times, too. Eh, looks like I need to find a new place to live. Again. I've made plenty of money, so maybe it's high time I moved to Victoria. All this medical equipment would be a pain to haul there, though...
A young Sarkaz show up.
Sarkaz Youth	Hey, Warfarin, can you really turn people into statues?
Warfarin	Of course not. I was just scaring him.
Sarkaz Youth	Well, alright. I didn't know you were such a big shot, though.
Warfarin	Oh, shut up. I told you long ago that I'm a famous doctor among the Vampires.
Sarkaz Youth	None of us have ever heard of any Vampire doctors to begin with... Why are you out here in the middle of nowhere, then?
Warfarin	Because I want to be.
Someone walks toward Warfarin and the young Sarkaz...
???	Because we're close to the Kazdel border, which makes it easy to mail dissertations out of the country.
Warfarin	What's going on today...? There's no end to this stream of unwelcome visitors, is there?
Sarkaz Youth	Who are you?
...who is none other than Kal'tsit.
Kal'tsit	Someone seeking medical help.
Warfarin	Too bad. I don't treat those who fight in wars.
Sarkaz Youth	I'll chase her away for you, Warfarin.
Warfarin	By yourself? Forget it. Better keep your blood in your body. Take the medicine and bring it home to your mother.
Sarkaz Youth	Uhh... okay.
After the young Sarkaz left...
Kal'tsit	Your reputation precedes you here.
Warfarin	It's nowhere near as thunderous as your name. So, what's the big idea, Kal'tsit? You, of all people, need treatment from me?
Kal'tsit	I'm not the one who needs treatment. She is.
The young Amiya reveals herself from behind Kal'tsit.
Amiya	H-Hello.
Warfarin	...... You know my rules, Kal'tsit. No matter how you slice it, Theresa is fighting in this war, and you work for Theresa. No matter who you bring me, I won't take them as a patient.
Kal'tsit	Theresa is dead, Warfarin. This girl is the new King of Sarkaz.
<Flashback ends here>
<Background 1>
Warfarin resumes her story.
Warfarin	At the time, you only came up to my elbow. At this rate, you'll be taller than me in a few years. Four years have flashed right by.
Amiya	I was actually really surprised when I first met you, too.
Warfarin	Because I don't look like a doctor?
Amiya	Yes...
Warfarin	Whatever, it's not like I care about keeping up arrogant appearances like Kal'tsit.
Amiya	I remember Dr. Kal'tsit saying Rhodes Island was preparing to leave Kazdel, and the facilities onboard were in varying degrees of disrepair, so she had to take me somewhere else for treatment. She told me she was taking me to see a Vampire doctor, but that she's special in that she likes research more than blood. She also said that the doctor is very skilled, and that the Royal Court tries to enlist her services every time there's a war, but she always turns them down.
Warfarin	She told you the truth, huh? Here I thought she'd exaggerate things to sully my name.
Amiya	Ahaha. Speaking of which, may I ask you a question, Dr. Warfarin?
Warfarin	If that'll get you to stop sticking a "Doctor" in front of my name. Theoretically, you're my superior now.
Amiya	Hm, but you're the one who saved my life. Besides, it was you and Dr. Kal'tsit who built the foundations of Rhodes Island's medical section together. Maybe nobody else knows that, but I do.
Warfarin	Ah, fine, fine. I get it. Ask away.
Amiya	Why did you join Rhodes Island, Dr. Warfarin?
Warfarin	Why, to research medicine and save lives.
Amiya	But Rhodes Island back then isn't anything like the Rhodes Island of today. At the time we were entirely focused on getting out of Kazdel. So why did you accept Dr. Kal'tsit's request?
Warfarin	......
<Background 3>
Kal'tsit asks Warfarin,
Kal'tsit	How is Amiya's condition?
Warfarin	Physically, there's not much wrong with her, but her mental condition is a bit tricky, most likely because she's the King. She talks in her sleep, she unconsciously reads the emotions of others, and she has trouble controlling her powers. A normal doctor probably wouldn't know where to begin with her.
Kal'tsit	That's why I came to you.
Warfarin	And I thought you'd at least stay and help take care of the kid, but you ended up just dumping her on me.
Kal'tsit	Rhodes Island's command has fallen into chaos after losing both Theresa and the Doctor. There are plenty of eyes trying to snoop on us too. I have to take charge and maintain order.
Warfarin	And given the circumstances, you made the journey all the way here to bring the new King of Sarkaz to me. This is the King, Kal'tsit. Theresa's a cruel one. How could she pick a fragile little girl like her to be her successor?
Kal'tsit	But Amiya is the last bit of hope she had left.
Warfarin	Hope is a poison to the Sarkaz. I've heard much about your past deeds. Now that you have the living King of Sarkaz here with you, surely you've run a few ideas through your head? Perhaps I should let the girl die painlessly in her sleep. It's a better fate than the pain and hardship she is destined to suffer.
Kal'tsit	This isn't how I wished for things to turn out either. If only it could've been another way. But now that things have come to this, as a doctor, I just don't want to see another soul extinguish before my eyes.
Warfarin	As a doctor? Giving yourself a pat on the back now, aren't you? You may be a doctor, but you're also a conspirator, a cold-blooded puppetmaster, and an accessory to a war.
Kal'tsit	I won't deny that, but what about you, Warfarin? You've refused to serve each and every Royal Court. You chose to stay away from war and hide in a border town, refusing to treat anyone but the locals. The name "Mr. Blood" has long been known far and wide across Victorian and Columbian medical circles. You'd rather be an outlier among the Vampires. Can someone like you really save all those trying to escape from war?
Warfarin	...... I know what you're trying to do, Kal'tsit.
Kal'tsit	Oh?
Warfarin	You told me everything about your current situation, you brought the new King of Sarkaz here for treatment, and you act like you're the losers in this conflict. It's almost like you're trying to say you have nothing to do with this war anymore. You're trying to rope me in. And my response is still the same as all those years ago. Not happening.
Kal'tsit	...... Theresa's ideals have always been about more than just the Sarkaz. She set her sights far, and she had grand ambitions, but that was exactly why things turned out the way they did.
Warfarin	Everyone who starts a war has some wonderful ideals to circulate around.
Kal'tsit	She wanted to cure Oripathy.
Warfarin	Now this is the first time I ever heard about that.
Kal'tsit	And we've already put the fundamentals of the research together.
Warfarin	Your handiwork?
Kal'tsit	Naturally.
Warfarin	......
Kal'tsit	I won't deny it. At some point in time, Rhodes Island will take action, because of Theresis. But I can guarantee you–
<Background black>
Kal'tsit	You have the power to keep yourself at arm's length.
<Flashback ends here>
<Background 1>
Amiya	So that's what you two talked about?
Warfarin	Don't get the wrong idea. I didn't accept there and then. I've heard plenty of pompous big talk in my lifetime. It takes more than that to persuade me. But, when she came to take you away the next day, she said she'd already spread the word that Mad Doctor Warfarin had joined Rhodes Island. It was too late for me to turn her down. I was pissed. I'd been on the run for centuries, hiding from the Royal Court, and that was all it took? She even had Mon3tr "invite" and escort me to Rhodes Island.
Amiya	Er...
Warfarin	Tell you the truth, I didn't believe her when she said she and Theresa wanted to cure Oripathy. It wasn't until she showed me the relevant research that I was convinced, albeit only barely. After that, I ended up staying, reluctantly.
Warfarin noticed the gloomy look on Amiya's face.
Warfarin	Hey, Amiya, why the gloomy face? Am I drawing too much blood? Impossible. Even if I was half-asleep, I know what I'm doing.
Amiya	Are you thinking of leaving?
Warfarin	Huh? How'd we get there?!
Amiya	I mean... We're about to enter Londinium. You're being awfully serious today, so I thought maybe you're trying to tell me– You're planning on leaving because what Rhodes Island is doing doesn't align with your goals.
Warfarin	No.
Amiya	Huh?!
Warfarin	Are you going to chase all the patients on the ship away?
Amiya	Of course not. That's why we're stopped next to this mining platform.
Warfarin	Are you going to force me to go with you?
Amiya	No, most of our people will be staying at Rhodes Island. This operation isn't being conducted under the Rhodes Island name.
Warfarin	Why would I leave, then? I'm telling you all this today because Londinium is a big step and a new journey to you. As your attending physician, I should prepare a gift for you.
Amiya	A gift?
Warfarin	I don't think I've talked to anyone about this for some hundred years. It's only when I speak to Kal'tsit that I sometimes get the urge to discuss this. She knows just about everything, though, and a lot of it she doesn't actually need me to point out. But, anyway, since I already started, let me go into it a little more.

Warfarin	Not all of those who start wars are truly fools, Amiya. Most of them are extraordinarily smart. So smart that they know the easiest way to get what they want for themselves or their tribe is to take it from someone else. They know what it is they are doing. That's exactly why they're able to eliminate their enemies and spill rivers of blood without thinking twice. And once they've accomplished their goals and built their new order, they're overthrown by the next one with an ambitious goal. And all this will repeat over and over, almost to no end. Actually, there might just be no end to it whatsoever.
Amiya	Yes, I understand.
<Background 1>
Warfarin	Sigh, how I wish you didn't understand.
Amiya	whine...
Warfarin	Oh well. There's one more thing I need to make clear. Kal'tsit's right. I don't loathe war, per se. I went into hiding when I decided to leave war and the Royal Court behind, and after I became a doctor, I made a rule for myself: Never treat anyone who has anything to do with warfare. But if I truly loathed it, I should've strived to end war myself. I should have thrown myself into its midst like all those with ambitions. I have nothing against the idea. I simply don't believe that line of thinking will lead us anywhere. Some might think my choice is a cowardly one, because I'm tolerating and turning a blind eye to war. I may save many lives, but I've also allowed plenty more deaths to occur by inaction. To use a more scientific way to describe it, war is an endless internal friction. There are better ways to lead us toward the future. By the way, I stole that sentence from a book. Sounds cool, doesn't it? Maybe you should give it a read.
Amiya	It does sound like it has a point. Which book did you steal that from?
Warfarin	I forgot... Er... I'll look through my things and find it!
Amiya	Okay!
Warfarin	Oh, right. Another thing– There's a reason I chose not to become an elite operator. I know there will come a day when the path before you will be devastated by the flames of war. That's the hill I'm going to die on, and I'm not going to change my mind for anyone. So if you think I'm mad or disappointed, you're not quite right. Because I never had any expectations to begin with. But I built Rhodes Island's blood bank with my own hands. I watched Rhodes Island's medical team grow from a few heads to the organization it is. I watched Rhodes Island grow into a pharmaceutical company. As long as I am confident that both you and Kal'tsit haven't abandoned your quest to overcome Oripathy... I will stay at Rhodes Island, treating the patients here. This is my gift to you.
Amiya	Dr. Warfarin... I promise you that I'll...
Warfarin	Don't make it sound like we won't see each other again. I don't want promises, but I'd love a vial of the Doctor's blood before you go.
Amiya	Well... You might need Dr. Kal'tsit's approval.
Warfarin	Gah, you can't always listen to Kal'tsit, you know? You need to form your own opinions.
Amiya	You can say that, but I won't let you take the Doctor's blood for no reason!
Warfarin	You need to learn some academic curiosity. I've been thinking, once you get back, you really should come intern under me.
Amiya	Ahaha, I'll think about it.
Warfarin	It's been a while since the last time I talked so much in one go. I sure could use a drink right now. Amiya, grab me that vial of blood to your right, will you?
Amiya	Hwuh?!
Warfarin	Just playing with you. It's how I like to scare people these days. It's actually pretty fun to spook people with these Vampire stereotypes. The kids, in particular. They all go along with their shots after I pull something like that.
Amiya	You really shouldn't!
Warfarin	Say, Amiya...
Amiya	Hm?
Warfarin	I have a whole ship full of patients to care for. But don't forget, you'll always be my first patient at Rhodes Island.
Amiya	Of course.
Warfarin	So you make sure you come back alive, okay?
Amiya	I will!

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Warfarin: Rarely Serious

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