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SOMEWHERE - MORNING
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Erika raises her head up from the grass, looking around. She bends her long neck about, not really getting up yet. No predators, good. She's not certain she dares get up yet, so for the moment she just nibbles on a piece of grass in front of her - not really her favourite, the prickly plants and berries up in the trees are a lot better...
Erika dares to get up after a moment, noting that she is alone as it should be. Okapis aren't exactly herd creatures, after all, and nothing near means no danger. Her ears would pick up if something approached, even if her eyesight wasn't the best it had been. Odd memories of it having been able to focus better float up, but she dismisses them as she stretches. First forelegs, then hind legs, back to her taller-than-you'd think glory.
Erika looks about as she's back to standing, trying to discern if something is off. Nothing is, though. Calming down, she steps towards a nearby prickly bush that most other creatures leave alone and starts picking off the berries of it. If something felt weird, she'd notice it...
Narrator: After a moment, a thought keeps bubbling up. That this is not right. That something is off, but... what? She looks around and can't see anything off in the forest-turning-to-savannah she spends most of her time in. Forest is too thick to see predators in, and obviously desert has nothing to eat.
Erika hums, then keeps on eating, but that thought doesn't quite leave her. She raises her head again, looking at her body... nope, the same it has always been. Four hooves, strong back, stripes in right places, ending in that swishy tail.
Erika mentally shrugs, weird as that notion sort of feels. Wait...
Erika now pauses for real. This isn't right! She's not supposed to be on all fours... a-again?! She looks about, realizing she also should also not be alone?! Panic building, she starts this way, then another, not really knowing where to go or what to do. What happened? Did she eat those flowers again? Where is Cavro? Where's Fiora?
Erika finally jolts awake, in cold sweat... and thankfully her hands around her chest as she does, noticing Cavro and Fiora. Fiora's keeping watch some steps away, but didn't notice her Sister getting up yet. Oof. "Just a dream...", she whispers to herself. Swallowing, she sits up for a while...
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SOMEWHERE - AFTER MIDNIGHT
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Fiora sits at a makeshift fire, watching it burn down as she maintains watch, still in her armor, though she's placed her helmet nearby. Now that the adrenline of running out this far, picking fights with territorial giant bugs, and finding her sister out in the middle of nowhere is all drained out, she's mostly just sitting here trying to avoid all the crap in her head she was running from. She fails to notice said sister waking up behind her.
Erika jolts up from her sleeping to a sitting position, eyes wide and in cold sweat. She takes a few moments to gather her surroundings and stares at her hands for a few seconds before letting out a relieved: "...it was just a dream. Oh thank the gods."
Fiora shifts, turning her head back towards Erika at hearing her voice. She rises up in preparation, but pauses when she sees her sitting up. "...Sis? Everything all right?"
Erika blinks, then turns to look at Fiora, still definitely shaken: "J-just a dream. I was... I was back to all fours, a f-feral okapi," she swallows: "A-and I liked it."
Fiora blinks, staring at Erika, concern evident on her face. She slowly lets out a sigh. "Sounds scary enough even without the present circumstances. You wanna talk about it?"
Erika gives Fiora a small smile and nods. "Not like I can sleep after that anyway."
Fiora nods, "I'll throw another branch on the fire and get it going again, if you want to join me." She wanders over to the small pile of kindling she gathered up and pulls out another fallen log, bringing it back to the dying fire that Cavro started earlier that night and going about reigniting it.
Erika gets up and sits down next to Fiora: "It was pretty scary. Like almost like I belonged to that form, well except I obviously don't." She shudders: "I was so helpless then."
Fiora sits down once the fire starts to rise back up. "...I... had only just met you. Here I was coming in with all this baggage to throw at you, but it feels like you've been through hell every second I've been here in your life. Magic stuff is always scary though... especially if it screws with your head like that."
Erika smiles at Fiora: "Hell or not... still better to know you're my Sis. And not like you really caused any of this-" she vaguely gestures around: "-we don't know who or what did."
Fiora raises her hand up, clenching her fist, "I really only know one way to deal with this kinda stuff. Not really knowing how I can help someone I... someone I care for... it's scary too. I only just opened up to you. Been kinda scared in town this past week that I'd made a mistake there too."
Erika leans back on her hand, looking at her Sister: "I'm not sure I really care who did this. I just want to get home." She then blinks, something registering: "Mistake? Opening up?"
Fiora nods softly. "Yeah. I... I sorta suck at this whole friendship thing. Friendship, sisters, love."
Erika starts to nod, then gets a bit of a smile: "...love? I suppose you don't mean just me." Statement more than a question.
Fiora tilts her head at Erika a little sadly, looking rather vulnerable despite the full plate. "I... love you too, Sis. If... if that's alright with you."
Erika smiles warmly: "Of course it is!" She then erks a bit, but Cavro doesn't seem to more than shift sleeping position. "Oop. But yeah, it is. I love you too, Sis."
Fiora manages a smile. "Good. T-thank you." She turns back to gaze at the fire and sighs. "I told someone else I loved them in town. Not like this, I guess. Thought that things would work out. But I guess not. That's why I'm out this far from town." She clenches her fist, "Just... so pissed off at myself. Had to take it out on something or I'd... I don't know."
Erika tilts her head in quizzical concern: "You told... huh. What happened?"
Fiora sighs, "I don't... I'm not a... ugh." She folds her arms and snorts. "Emotion shit isn't easy for me, Erika. I just thought... she would accept me. I guess she just wanted sex, that's all. And I can't... give that to her. It's not who I am."
Erika frowns, slowly nodding: "...if someone wants you just for that, that's not right." She glances at Cavro but doesn't say anything just yet. "Emotions aren't easy, though, t-that's for sure."
Fiora glances back at Cavro as well, "You've got it easy, I guess... you've been telling me about Cavro in your letters for years. I'm guessing getting together like you did just felt like the easiest decision you could make. None of the stress or doubt or questions..."
Erika now visibly winces: "Um, oof, about that..." She looks at Cavro's sleeping form: "Uh..."
Fiora raises an eyebrow. "Bwah?"
Erika taps her fingers together, looking down: "W-we're not really together anymore. Or we're like physically together here, now, but like we had this big fight and I almost left him here and I'm reaaaallly not proud of that and we yelled and..." She trails off, wincing again.
Fiora blinks, taking a moment to process all that. She frowns, glancing back at Cavro. "...I can make it painless for him if you'd rather. I mean, or painful too. I guess I'll leave that up to you."
Erika blinks, looking at Fiora aghast: "N-no! I mean, no. I mean, we made up, we just agreed we're better off not trying to make it together, like together together happy forever like? That sort of thing."
Fiora lowers her fist and slowly turns back to Erika, taking a deep breath. "You sure? I... y-yeah, you're sure. Sorry..."
Erika looks at Fiora with some concern: "Not everything can be solved like that, Sis. Or need to."
Fiora lowers her head down and sighs. "I know... I just... y-yeah." She blinks away at the tears forming in her eyes. "It's so much easier then actually feeling..."
Erika lifts her hand to Fiora's shoulder: "...t-the only way to get better is to do it. I g-guess just like fighting." She glances at Cavro: "...n-not that it's easy even then."
Fiora nods "S-sorry. I didn't... I wasn't... I wasn't trying to do this. I just wanted... I... I don't know. Folks who want to be close to me..."
Erika blinks and looks at Fiora in confusion, then just shifts closer to hug her. "It's okay. We all stumble."
Fiora reaches a hand up towards her neck, reaching in to grip something, mumbling something under her breath. With a faint glow of magic, the plate armor surrounding her seems to fold in on themselves and fade away. Within seconds of the last plate disappearing she has grabbed Erika into a tight, close hug, sniffling.
Erika doesn't seem to even notice the armor vanishing as she hugs Fiora tightly: "You're my Sis no matter what."
Fiora sniffs, the tears flowing down her face. "I was so afraid I'd screwed even that up. Th-thank you, Sis."
Erika gives one more tight squeeze, then lets go enough to look up at her Sister: "Never." She pauses: "I'd say that 'nothing can ever replace us' but that seems pretty dumb thing to say right now." She lets out a soft giggle that's only slightly choked up.
Fiora chuckles softly through her choked up emotions. "W-well, they couldn't. I'm just t-too stupid to see it until I found you again."
Erika looks at Fiora: "You're not stupid," she chides slightly. "You think differently, but that doesn't mean stupid."
Fiora smirks, "Different from good... but thanks, Sis."
Erika lets go of the hug finally, sitting next to Fiora again. She shrugs: "I haven't seen this 'double', I don't know how much 'me' or 'not me' she is."
Fiora lets Erika go, and takes another breath, brining up her now unarmored hand to wipe away the tears on her face. "I... I don't know. She seemed like you. A lot... but also just sorta... off. I guess I didn't think about it much, except it felt like... she cared more about the garden then about me."
Erika frowns, considering this as she looks into the campfire: "That sounds pretty awful and not me. I mean, my garden is important, but nowhere near as important as the people in my life."
Fiora glances away, "I should've known. But I just... thought it was me. I'm glad I was wrong."
Erika turns to smile at Fiora: "Well, it's better now, right? I mean besides the part that we're here and the double is doing... whatever, in my stead? Sort of?"
Fiora smiles back, "Well, I'm feeling better about being here at least. Else... who knows?"
Erika shrugs: "I honestly have no idea. But... we'll tackle it together, yeah?"
Fiora grins wider, nodding, but slowly her expression fades. "You mean 'tackle it' like, work through it, don't you? Not actually tackle them."
Erika blinks, then smiles lopsidedly: "O-oh. Yeah. Well, if my double turns out to be a mean person..."
Fiora chuckles, "Then we'll do things my way. But... um, leave that as a last resort?"
Erika smiles a bit brighter: "Y-yeah, let's do that. I'm... huh." She blinks, considering: "I know I should be angry, but I'm more curious what's behind this all. Does that make any sense?"
Fiora shrugs, "Maybe not... but you're not me. You think differently, but that does'nt mean it's stupid? Right?"
Erika giggles, poking Fiora on the shoulder: "Yep, you're right."
Fiora giggles along, feeling like she's actually made the right choice in coming for the first time in a long while. "Eh, it happens sometimes."
Erika winks: "I'm not right that often either, but I'm pretty sure I'm right when I say you're right, right now. Right?"
Fiora puts her hand on Erika's shoulder. "Right! We'll be back home soon enough and get this all sorted out."
Erika smiles brightly: "Yep, we will. Whatever, uh... whatever it is that waits for us." She stares at the campfire again, humming slightly.
Fiora nods, patting her sister on the back before pulling her hand back and settling to stare back at the fire as well. "Thanks, Sis."
Erika glances at Fiora with a warm smile: "Thank you, Sis."
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TEIS' LAB - AFTERNOON
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Tarbin approaches the Bouquet gates, using the familiar lines of magical flow to guide himself there as if he weren't blind at all. Turning toward where he believes the gate house is, he nods toward it, hoping afterward that someone is there or else he's looking very silly. he needs to speak with Teis while the encounter in Erika's garden is fresh in mind. While he doesn't want to pressure the cat into helping him, a feeling of urgency hovers around in his mind.
Narrator: Jax, the gate guard, lets Tarbin in without fuss, additionally providing an escort much like Tarbin's last visit, over to Teis' lab. He alerts Teis to his presence, to which Teis peeks outside her lab and Jax disappears once more to the mystical realm that is his gate house. "Oh. Tarbin. Welcome. Ah, I'm in the middle of something. . ." Teis apologetically explains.
Tarbin hums, nodding to Teis. "Hello... I don't want to interrupt. Is there a better time to come back and talk? Or I could wait in the garden for you to finish." He turns his head away from Teis.
Teis glances back into her lab, evaluating if her work can wait briefly. Hm. Back to Tarbin. "That. . .Depends. What are you here for, just a general update, or something else?"
Tarbin nods, his tails curling around and resting on the ground in front of his feet. "Yes, I suppose so. Xochi and I had another talk with the being in Erika's garden, a much better result than the first. If you haven't had time, though, I understand."
Teis nod-nods, starting to explain. "I've. . .Been doing some experiments. Plus I spoke to Elizabeth about. . .I'm sorry, what? The being in Erika's garden?" Teis' gears grind to a halt.
Tarbin blinks, nodding shortly. "Yes, the one I wish to help. Did we not speak of her?" He scratches his chin briefly, "Perhaps not?"
Teis: "Uuuuh. . .Nooo?" Teis questions, completely unsure of the situation. "Hold on. Just, stay there. I need to. . .Make sure my lab doesn't. . .Look, I'll be back in five minutes, okay?" Teis replies, quickly closing the door without really waiting for an affirmative answer.
Tarbin pauses, wondering if the magically-curious cat is one that should be told about a doppelganger Nature elemental... Well, if it helps get some of her focus, Tarbin will just shrug it off. He waits for her, idly leaning against the wall near the door.
Teis: Some clinking and popping of objects in the lab later, Teis returns, taking off her PPE. "Sorry, didn't mean to cut you off, but to be fair, the impending explosion would've done that anyway." Teis clears her throat. MOVING ON! "Ahem. Where were we? Oh right. I'm sorry, What? The being in Erika's Garden?"
Tarbin shakes his head slightly. Explosion? Well, as long as she has it under control. "I could come back when you are less busy..."
Teis: "I'm not busy anymore. Besides, the experiment will take another half-an hour to restart now. So. . ." Teis trails expectedly. "Shall we go somewhere more comfortable to talk?"
Tarbin nods, gesturing for Teis to lead the way, as he follows the sound of her voice and footsteps to wherever they wind up for their talk. "Yes, Erika the herbalist, according to Xochi, had changed in a strange way. After I... left here, that day, we went to see her." He recalls the failure with Akire following the failure with Teis, clearing his throat. "She is certainly not Erika."
Teis leads the way to the garden, where Tarbin might feel most comfortable. She sits at the base of the tree there. Her expression briefly lights up, a sharp quiet gasp escaping her lips, "The doppelganger. . .?' She whispers, mostly to herself. Ahem. "What do you mean by, not Erika? Can. . .You elaborate on what happened? Both that day and today." Both the first time and the second time*
Tarbin settles at the base of a tree, humming to himself again. Might as well give her the truth, she may not be able to help with false information. "The first meeting made it clear. It seems her memories are wrong, and her hm... [Mannerisms]... way of speaking changed, but not her body. When Xochi took me to her, however, I could see only Nature, in the form of Erika."
Teis: "Isn't that. . .How you, ah, see people anyway?" Teis questions. "Not that I have reason to doubt you, I just want. . .Clarification what you mean by that."
Tarbin shakes his head, chuckling. "No, I can't see any other magic than the Flow. If anything, I see you as a void out here, something that interrupts Nature, like it's... Hm. Hard to explain. The lines stick to you, like sap. Where you touch, it is drawn toward you, but doesn't flow through you. The one in the garden, though... She looked like part of the Flow. Animated. Beautiful."
Teis nod-nods, following along. "And. . .She's cool?" She questions, with a flat curiosity.
Tarbin blinks, looking toward Teis. "For now. She has fear, and is unsure. She needs our help." He sighs, turning forward again. "She knows the garden and that is all, an elemental trapped in that oasis in the city. If she continues growing the garden outward, something will be done."
Teis: ". . .Can she help us? If she's as you say, then can she provide us with enough of Nature's power to break your curse?"
Tarbin hums, tilting his head slightly. "I... Suppose so..."
Teis: "Then you need to introduce us." Teis flatly states. "While I could eventually just nail this thing, we've already proven that I can at least damage the curse with just brute force alone. But I simply just don't have the power to brute force it all the way."
Tarbin thinks on this for a few moments, shaking his head. "I don't know if she trusts us enough to ask her. If she believes we are just trying to use her magic, it may become impossible to help her. I do not think it is wise."
Teis sighs out disappointingly. "Everything seems so muffin close. . .But then there's this one thing that throws everything for a loop. . ." She mutters, falling into silence to reflect on the situation.
Tarbin nods solemnly, thinking alongside her. "There are no easy solutions. It is a curse, after all. Perhaps taunting us with unusable solutions is part of it."
Teis: "I mean, it's designed for what is effectively exiled slaves. . ." Teis sighs again. ". . .Elizabeth told me that family proximity to the caster can make curses less effective. . . So we've got that potentially in our favour, at least."
Tarbin hums, pausing for a few moments. "How... How is Elizabeth?"
Teis: "Well, I guess? She agreed to take me on as her student but. . .Seemed pretty. . .Self-conscious about it all. I had to convince her that it's what I wanted." Teis questions. "At the very least, she didn't react negatively once she learned I was helping you. So. . ."
Tarbin chuckles dryly at that, nodding. "Good, I am happy to hear that. And her advice has been helpful, yes?"
Teis: "Not as helpful as I was hoping for, but. . .Yes. More like guidance, really. Curses. . .Have weaknesses like anything else. She told me to find that weak spot. But. . .Looking for it, well. . .It's hard." Teis sighs. "I haven't. . .Been ignoring this, by the way. I've just. . .Well, I haven't shared anything because you probably wouldn't approve of what I've been doing to try and fight this."
Tarbin lowers his head, thinking about the insects that sparked him to leave before, but the longer he considers Akire's plight, the longer he is without his eyes, the less he cares about what others do. The selfishness that he wants to be rid of taking hold again, though now that he knows he can't help someone until he's uncursed... "Do what you have to, miss Teis. I need your help, no matter what the path is..."
Teis nods. "I've been absorbing the cursed energy I harvested from you. It. . .Was the only real way I could think of to get as close and familiar with the curse as possible. The. . .Low dose of it, as it were, is something that. . .I've at least gotten used to the feel of. I think. . .I might know where to begin looking for this so-called 'weak spot'." Teis explains.
Tarbin turns his head slowly toward Teis, letting out a short sigh. "For me? Or for knowledge... Either way, just... Be careful, miss Teis. You know the nature of it is not just blindness. Take it too far, and you won't be able to step back without help. Considering miss Elizabeth is without magic, finding someone else to lift it from you might be difficult."
Teis: "Both? It's. . .Fine." She hesitates. "I've been careful, taking it slow, making sure to return the energy back to the crystals after only a couple of minutes. Obviously, losing access to my magic is something I very much do not want to have happen to me. If you have little faith in my safe practices, then please, have extreme faith that I will not so blindly throw away everything I have dedicated my entire life toward."
Tarbin chuckles dryly again. "Blindly, hm?"
Teis: "Uh. . ." Teis pauses for a moment, in silence. "You know what? I'm rolling with it. Yes, blindly." Teis asserts. "Look, basically, what I'm saying is, maybe I'm ready to dive into you again soon, with a bit of a gameplan this time outside of just throw mana at the problem and hope it goes away. I mean, to be fair, if I hadn't done that, I would've have the crystals, which have been the most valuable learning experience. ."
Tarbin nods, leaning back against the tree as he listens to Teis speak, his tails resting across his lap. "I trust you, miss Teis. I want to, and have to. When this is over, I will be happy to return the favor as much as I can." He sighs, considering the garden creature again. "I hope I can do at least some good deeds in return to Respite."
Teis nods. "I look forward to it, Tarbin. But. . .Ah, do let me know if this. . .Nature Elemental, as you call it, ends up agreeing to help us. It would. . .Certainly solve this in one nice swoop. What, I think I'm up to plan N now. . .? Plan N."
Tarbin nods, an extended grumble from his stomach leading the lizard to pushing up from the ground. "I will see, but if it feels like pushing the idea is going to cause other issues, we'll just have to go with plan N."
Teis: "No no, plan N is this plan. Plan L is the weak-spot thing. Plan M is Plan Muffin." Teis explains her plan structure. She stands up after Tarbin.
Tarbin chuckles, looking toward Teis. "I'm glad you have so many plans to follow. Even if I can't follow them."
Teis: "Fortune favours the prepared." Teis nod-nods. "Um. I guess, though. Next step is kind of just. . .To dive into you. Give me like, a couple of days? I'll do some prep."
Tarbin nods, stretching a little bit. "I will return then. Thank you, miss Teis. For your time."
Teis: "You're welcome, Tarbin." Teis sees Tarbin off. Interesting, then, that the doppelganger is real. Should she tell Nesseth? Hm. Maybe not. Play those cards close to her chest, she might learn more by doing so via Tarbin.
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WESTERN RESPITE - AFTERNOON
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Enver is done performing for the day, with business being light in the market after the holiday. Instead of heading directly home or to the Minnow for a meal, he decides to take a walk to ponder on the events of the last few days, mostly his time spent with Teis. His feet carry him through the town without a definite destination in mind, and soon enough he finds himself at the mouth of Strix's old alleyway, which he hasn't checked on in a few weeks. He pauses upon recognizing the place and looks around. Still empty, but the feeling is different tonight. Weird.
Strix himself had gone into hiding, but he couldn't ever really stop what he did, and ..even if he could quell his urge to tinker, he couldn't quell his guilt over not helping out someone he had promised to help. When Enver looked in, Strix spotted a chance to make amends! He had hidden under his cloak when he heard someone coming, and so, when Enver looked around, a rather suspicious pile of junk rustled, and the kobold emerged, hissing softly "Enver here? Strix glad to see. Strix sorry about no hand"
Enver can hardly believe his eyes when Strix emerges. "W-what?" After a moment he walks closer to Strix, fighting his instinct to run up and hug the twitchy kobold. "Oh Strix... I'm glad you're OK. I was worried that they had got you, or something worse..." He waves his bad hand dismissively, letting strix get a look at the new finely crafted but still inflexible wooden prosthetic. "I, uh, did get a new one made though, but not fancy like you were going to make for me."
Strix: "Ah!" He peers at it, still dancing away if Enver gets too close. He's jumpier than ever, even around people he 'trusts' "Very good! Excellent design! Strix has been making upgrades to new hand! Can make it run off body now! Uses people juice!" Blood. He means blood "But your own people juice! Also gives cool swirly pattern, which is main thing" He doesn't reference any of the 'events' that may have led to his shyness...
Enver cocks his head a bit, trying to refresh his memory on processing 'Strix-ese' properly. "Oh, that's great to hear. I'd love to see what you've come up with... and I'd love to have a hand that works." He stays at an acceptable distance to Strix and looks around the alleyway. "So... you've been here all this time? Or when did you get back or..." He pauses, realizing that these questions won't actually help anything. "Nevermind that. Are you OK? No one has hurt you?"
Strix: "Strix has learned Sneakcrafting, but Strix is unhurt. Strix found good place to stay" Like any cornered animal, Strix relaxes once the personal space had been established. The alleyway doesn't show any signs of use, a part from some of the tools being slowly broken down further. "Enverhand is ready though! Well, Mk 3. Strix not think its final version. Thinks its ugly now that Strix has seen new Enverhand. Good start though"
Enver smiles. "Ah, well that's good. I'm happy to help with the hand any way I can. If you need measurements or whatever..." He turns an empty crate on its end and perches on it. "I was just talking about you to a new friend the other day. I think you'd like her..."
Strix: "Huh?" Strix eyeballs his hand "Enver's hand should be same size as before yes? Talk of new friend though. Strix will listen"
Enver blinks. "Oh, yes, right... You did measure it before. I forgot." He blushes a bit. "Oh, um... the new friend. Her name is Teis... she's a magical researcher... but not the bad kind that came after you... She works with crystals and stuff." He gets a big goofy smile on his face just thinking about her. "We're dating... I think. We had a date, and I spent the night at her house... but we just talked..."
Strix: "Ah! Research. Important part of shiny crafting. Sounds like May. Strix like May. Gave Strix lots of clever ideas" He nod nods "Good. Dates important part of things. Exchanging dates strange custom, but Strix not argue" It's quite possible he's misunderstanding deliberately, but its never possible to be sure... "Strix can fetch newHand when talking done"
Enver nods. "I've heard of May, but still haven't met her. Some folks have asked if i'm her brother but like... she's a stoat? and I look nothing like a stoat." He harrumphs a bit and then shakes his head. "But yes, I'd love to see the hand..."
Strix: "Okay! Then..Stay there! Strix would be...uh..fifteen! ..Twenty? No more than twenty!" He puts up a clawed finger "Strix okay to go? Enver will stay?"
Enver blinks but nods. "Uh, sure. I'll still be here... on this crate..."
Strix: "Great!" Strix scramble away, up the wall...
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SEVENTEEN MINUTES LATER
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Strix returns, dropping down to the alleyway, the cloak was a good disguise, dirty brown against the dirty brown of the city scape. Inside his cloak, was a small wrapped package, which he placed down in front of him "New Hand! Very high tier Shiny"
Enver blinks at the sound of Strix's return, having been lost in his own thoughts. "Oh, welcome back..." He picks up the package and carefully begins to unwrap it.
Strix: The hand is made out of simple steel, Strix having found it difficult to make the glass version with all his new ideas. It's..functional appearance wise, but nothing more than that, perhaps with a bit of mechanical charm. Along the outside, were a bunch of clear tubes, running from 'back of hand' to 'fingers "Okay! Strix needs you to take off other fake hand, and put new hand on over Enverhand..Uh..Strix warns there may be a little sting..."
Enver blinks. "Oh, um, okay. I might need some help in getting it set just right." He passes the new hand back to Strix while he carefully unstraps his wooden hand and tucks it into one of his voluminous pockets. He then holds up his half hand with its three stunted nubs of fingers. "Uh, I'm ready I guess?"
Strix: "Okay! Strix is gonna talk, and then he's talking, and talking, and Enver is..." He approaches. His drive to show off overpowering his caution. He attaches the hand, before pausing, and taking a squirt bottle and spraying Enver's hand, to numb it..before he pokes a particular spot..and..well. The hand has been somewhat numbed, but the tubes are still needing to make contact with his internal blood supply. The pain is sharp, but would die away to a small ache fairly quickly "Not work out Strix was talking to distract Enver"
Enver was actually distracted for the initial contact, but then winces a little at the pain. The numbing agent helps some, but it still hurts. He laughs a bit at Strix's joke and just stares down at the hand as he sees his blood beginning to pump through its tubes. "Oh... wow..."
Strix: Eventually, the fingers would start twitching. In modern terms the 'signals' are being received, Enver just has to work out how to get them to do what he needs them to do. "Hand is listening to Enver. Enver just has to say the right things, and..uh..Enver should add extra piece of bacon to meals. Hand is small, but bit hungry. Strix's arm is same" He waves his metallic arm "Hungry. Strix eat many sausages"
Enver looks down at the hand and statles when it starts twitching. He slowly begins to be able to take basic control of it but mirroring the actions of his two hands as best he can. "Oh... oh wow... this is..." He reaches out to touch one of the metallic fingers with his other hand and frowns. "I can't feel them, but just being able to move them is pretty great... and yeah, I'll get some extra meat in me tonight... and uh... is it just... staying on then? You don't need to tinker with it more?"
Strix: "Always need to tinker more! Shinies never really done. Can try and make way to make feeling..make pokey..bits into hand, Enver will know what that means..if.." He rambles for a bit, before slapping himself lightly "Focus! Enver should learn to use new hand first. Then work out how to make better. When Strix put in juicemodule, Strix had to remove lightning thrower...Strix glad Enver like though!"
Enver blinks. "Lightning Thrower?" He works on flexing the hand, soon getting the hang of moving it, though there seems to be some amount of latency in taking the desired actions. He looks up to Strix again. "I guess I shouldn't take it off at all, right? Like, there'd be a lot of blood it feels like..."
Strix: "Uh...Strix not sure how much blood Enver thinks is 'a lot of blood', but maybe. No long term harm! Strix make sure of that. Strix make heal hand when pulling out for next time maybe..probably better than lightning thrower..but..throwing lightning good use of force..." Strix ponders this conundrum "Enver looks making use of it good already! Strix glad. Strix worried hand not obey"
Enver smiles at his friend. "So uh... does it need any straps or anything or will it just stay in place there? I think I'll probably wear gloves to keep it out of sight for a while..." He looks down at the hand again. "What do you mean by not obey? Like, do something else?"
Strix: "It'll stay on! Unless you pull it too hard, but other hand will come off if you pull it too hard!" Strix ponders the other question "Well! Hand doesn't have own mind, if that's what Enver thinks, but..Enver needed to tell hand to do what it should, and Enver needs to say right thing..uh..Metty Four Cally" Strix pauses, and considers if he said that word right. Yeah, that seemed right "Hand can bend ways other hand can't, if Enver wants to tell it to bend, it can..maybe. Strix never actually try to tell own arm to bend weird"
Enver blinks at the explanation. "Oh... neat. I'll test that out, but for now, yeah, a second good hand will be nice." He pulls his wooden prosthetic out of his pocket and looks it over. "Uh.. I guess I don't need this anymore?"
Strix: "Strix always keep old shinies, to remind Strix how far they've come"
Enver nods and smiles. "Yeah.. I mean, I still have my other one, the one that was too small. Oh uh... can you adjust this one if like, I grow more?" He pockets the wooden hand again and stands up.
Strix: "Uh..Strix could put extra hands, if you wanted to grow extra hands. Yes"
Enver laughs. "Well, we can figure it out if happens. But if something goes wrong with the hand, where can I find you again?"
Strix: "Uh...Strix will know if people are in alleyway now"
Enver smiles. "Okay. Thank you so much, Strix." He makes to move toward the Kobold again but pauses. "Um... can I give you a hug?"
Strix considers this "...Strix will accept this"
Enver slowly moves over to Strix and bends down to give him a light hug. "It means a lot that you kept working on the hand for me... I won't forget this."
Strix wiggles uncomfortably "Strix said he would do it! Strix always keep his word"
Enver lets Strix go once the wriggling commences. "Yes, but I didn't know if I'd ever see you again. If you ever need my help with anything, just tell me, OK?"
Strix: "Of course! Strix knows help is important to give AND Take"
Enver smiles. "Well, I'll leave you to you shinycrafting. Take care, friend. I'll come see you again soon."
Strix: "Yes! Good to see too!" Strix sees this conversation is done, and vanished up a wall again.
Enver puts his hands in his pockets and walks off back toward the north end of town and back to the waterfall for the night.