----------------------------------------------
ERIKA'S GARDEN - MORNING
----------------------------------------------
Erika is laying in the garden, all alert... if a bit twitchy, having barely slept as she waits for Plume to come with the news. One could say she's a bit frazzled, though she's already an okapi so who can tell?
Doc Plume walks up to the gate and rings the bell once before letting themself in. "Good morning, Erika."
Erika perks and looks up, excited in an instant: "M-morning!"
Doc Plume walks over to Erika and squats down again. "So... the results... They're not what we hoped." Their face remains mostly neutral, the sign of someone trained to deliver bad news.
Erika deflates visibly, lowering her head down: "O-oh..." She tries to keep her composure, but fails: "N-nothing a-at all?"
Doc Plume reaches out a hand and rests it between Erika's shoulders comfortingly. "Well, his body is unchanged. However..."
Erika blinks, glancing up: "...h-however?"
Doc Plume gives a small smile. "It wasn't a total failure. Garwin seems to have regained some of his self, his mind... he's started speaking a few words and can understand simple commands now."
Erika looks at Plume, curious: "O-oh. So... w-we m-might be on some right track..." She looks aside: "T-there's always hope. There has to be."
Doc Plume nods. "Yes... also, there's a chance that if you took some of what we made already, it could diminish your prey instincts perhaps. No way to know unless we try, of course..."
Erika nods, looking about her garden: "Yes, I... I have to think on it. Ask Cavro."
Doc Plume nods. "Of course. It's not a decision to make lightly, of course, but at least we know it won't make things worse now. As for how we move forward, I think perhaps... something different. Another part of the plant?"
Erika is quiet for a moment, her ears flicking a few times as she thinks. "...maybe. Probably worth a try. At this point... anything."
Doc Plume gives a little smile. "As I said, we won't give up. But I need you to help me understand the plant. This is a team effort."
Erika turns back to Plume: "...do you mean I should... plant down the one intact individual?"
Doc Plume squeezes their beak shut for a moment before replying. "It's up to you, but if you think it would help, then yes. I can get you a glass dome to keep it under so that it doesn't risk infecting anyone else..."
Erika nods, thinking: "...that would be the best."
Doc Plume smiles. "You prepare the plot for it, then, and I'll bring the bell jar over at lunchtime."
Erika nods, sighing: "...w-we'll figure this out yet. We have to." Her voice wavers a bit: "I c-can't stay like this."
Doc Plume reaches out to give Erika a gentle hug. "We will, and you won't. I promise."
Erika leans her neck towards Plume, going quiet as she sniffs a bit.
Doc Plume hugs Erika quietly, holding their friend for as long as she needs it.
----------------------------------------------
MARKET SQUARE - EARLY AFTERNOON
----------------------------------------------
Maria sits on the porch as the mid day sun begins to heat up the square. she had purchased a large fan that had been rigged. she pulls out a modest sized copper jar attaching it it to a few pipes and engages the fan causing s powerful cool breeze to erupt from the machine. standing there quite pleased with herself as her hair and dress whipped back and forth from the fan. she had already sold all the stores she had cone to town with and now had to produce to order.
Maria twisted and turned happily as she sang and worked happily she had quite a following of children that would come to her for frozen treats at the hottest part of the day. but since her arrival her goods weren't free. either the children had to present school work or accept a lesson of the day. education of the little ones were the price.
Maria passes out all the treats then goes back to work filling canisters. it was her father who designed the system she had just perfected it in her years abroad. Carbons were easy enough to manipulate but find a way to have them keep their charge and retain cold in a system was the trick. pressurized vessels sat before her her hands clutching each one before it was sealed with a copper top. the system designed for nobles now available to all folks.
Maria had drafted a contract and sent it to the head if the guard to get her devices in each guard house. she had been protected by the guard when she first arrived and felt she owed them. her feet kicked as she filled the last of two dozen pressurized vessels setting them in a box. she had a lot of traffic by her store front even if it was just for the quick blast of cold air coming from it.
Victoria is prowling through the marketplace, not really looking for anything so much as just spending time as she waits for the cure for Garwin to take effect. If she's nervous, the feral leopard is not showing it because frankly she has better things to do. Like figuring out either a marketplace dinner or going for a hunt. Some part of her is really hoping for nothing to show up at the marketplace so she has a 'free' ticket to go out hunting...
Maria tilted her head having never seen a leopard up close before she slips off her chair grabbing her basket as her sandal-ed little feet carry her. "Excuse me." she says noting that something about how she held herself was a bit off.
Victoria looks up, blinking. Perhaps not as invisible as she thought she was being. "Oh. Hey." She stops her walk, looking at the fox curiously.
Maria: member of the guard right?" she asks straight forward her smile never fading almost as if she was just happy to be in the city.
Victoria sits down, nodding: "Yep, I am." She tilts her head: "How could you tell?"
Maria: "confidence, plus i may or may not be keeping tabs on the guard." he laughs then stops. "That sounded really bad. Nothing bad, I want to help."
Victoria blinks again, but then relaxes her posture (ever-so-slightly, big feline and all). She looks at Maria: "Reckon the Guard can always use help."
Maria: "Here." she offers a small paper pouch filled with red ice. "strawberries." a rudimentary snow cone, she waves her over towards her stall. "i had business, but i get the feeling you have enough going on in that pretty little head of yours."
Victoria gives a feline frown: "Pretty little head? Wow." She notable does no take the offer, sweets and berries having no appeal at all to this particular carnivore: "Maybe later."
Maria nods then hands the treat to some random passer by. "free of charge." she waves them off the looks back to Victoria. "i can offer a friendly ear and a very cool place to sit if you wanna talk."
Victoria chuckles a bit: "Had plenty of talk lately, really. Everyone wants to know 'what it's like', and I just tell 'em to shove off. You're nice, but I'm probably not the guard to talk with."
Maria: "Truthfully, you are the first non business conversation I've had since I've been here." she says smiling. "I know all about "what its like." talks." she says softly a bit sad but nearly instantly cheers up.
Victoria looks at Maria curiously, then gives a bit of an approximation of a shrug by rolling her shoulders: "It is what it is. Honestly, I don't care. Gonna go hunting for my dinner." She stands up, eager to start heading out.
Maria: "well I won't keep you, thank you for sharing your time with me." Maria gives her a shallow bow of her head. "I don't really get many visitors, hopefully I'll see you again. best wishes on your journey."
Victoria starts heading down between the stalls, her mind definitely already on her would-be meal (that just doesn't know it yet): "Yeah, sure, let's go with that. Laters." The leopard stalks her way out of the marketplace and out the South gate before many even realize she was there in the first place.