Elaine looks confused, but says, as she continues walking, "Um...My name's Elaine. About myself? Why? Who are you?"
Printable View
"To see what makes you exceptional, if not your birdness." She blatantly does not introduce herself, grinning as they go along.
"What keeps you there? There's so many ways to get out. I think it saw that you were perhaps the exemplar of the city folk. It has a better eye through my eyes than I do, sometimes." Skye laughs.
The Brave Knight Runs away!
A group of gargoyles still follow from the air, trying to keep up with them woman. Eventually they might lose her though as she's too fast for them.
Apartment Complex
We will be in touch. The demon replies before flying away. It had much to do now.
[Below Malechenar]
"You have to excuse me m'am, but could you explain what a 'stonemask' is, since I never heard about it." The guard asks.
[Eastside Demon Fight]
Obriane blinks. "Oh, he was possessed then?" She glances at the body, poor sod. "Like there is some sort of spirit de'mon on the loose?" Obriane looks rather worried as spirits tended to come to her before anyone else and that one didn't look very nice at all.
Run Away!
She's sneaky, fast, and has no intention of going back up to the castle anytime soon: she'll head into the city, away from the castle. You think that she lost? She'd disagree. She had a blast, learned something new, and got away! Seems like a win to her.
Community Center
"Good, now it would probably be for the best if you steadied yourself. I'm going to be applying anesthesia now." Once again, Shayan floods the air with hypnotizing pheromones that should, with Ink's increased bloodflow, knock her out. If she's resistant to the effects somehow then she'll likely just be woozy and suggestible instead of unconscious.
Post Timeskip - Community Alley
"Ah, good, you're awake on schedule. The implantation was a complete success in your case, and if it bears fruit with further testing it will likely be a reliable treatment for many chronic, fatal, otherwise untreatable diseases that the humanoid bodies can suffer. On top of making it much harder for virii and bacteria to take hold in you by hybridizing your cell structures with something they're unable to adapt to easily, the plants that I combine patients with can be keyed to produce special chemicals and circulate them through their bodies, effectively holding off any diseases they already have, like the chemicals that certain coniferous trees produce that are used in chemotherapy." Shayan nearly completely disregards Elaine's concerns, but then audibly remembers to address them with a small cough before her next statement.
"Your body may still elect to reject the hybridization in the coming months, in which case you'll likely molt your bark and branches, leaving you bald until new hairs can grow back in. If your splice develops further in a distressing way, you can call this number and set up an appointment to receive an antibody that will flush it out for you, though that compound is rather expensive to synthesize, and you'll have to pay for any out of pocket costs I incur making it for you, if it comes to that. Was there anything else?"
[Community Alley]
Elaine thinks for a moment, before carefully continuing, "Um...Well, does my new body have any weird...abilities? Like, I don't know, prehensile vines or anything weird like that?"
((Little meta there, but it's probably what came to mind.))
"If you can think of any supernatural powers a lilac tree would hold, then I'm certain you might have them. Otherwise, photosynthesis and having tougher than normal flesh and skin. You can feel through the bark, I tested for that, but it doesn't seem to have any pain receptors, so it won't hurt to peel it off or if something damages the bark but doesn't get through to the flesh underneath. Oh, and in my opinion you smell quite a bit better than you did when you came in, but that might be partially because of the sponge bath."
On the other end of the line Elaine nods, and says, "Hrm...Well, if I don't reject the...treatment, would it be possible for you to give me supernatural powers? I'm tired of being just another background player that can be kicked around by whoever pleases. I want to choose my own fate, and...I think you can do that for me. You've already made me into...This. I wouldn't mind going further, if you want."
Community Center - Ink
When she awakes, much like Elaine, Ink will likely feel stiff and somewhat sore. If her body didn't reject the treatment, then what she will immediately notice is that her bandages have been replaced by a fibrous, papery substance that looks similar when it pokes out from the tears in her clothing. And yet even though this thin, white bark covers all of her skin below her neck, she can feel her clothes and the couch she's lying on just fine. Perhaps the next most obvious thing is that her muscles feel tensed, as if she was holding something up above her head, but it shouldn't put any strain on her or wear her out, it's simply a natural state of her muscles.
And if she had access to a mirror, the third thing to notice is that her hair is laden down with large, red, pink, and purple flowers that are currently small and closed, apparently just freshly grown. Something that might be more easily figured out is that from the ends of her hair bundles of rose hips dangle, the weight of which might give them away.
She received the same bundle of money, waiver, and contact card that Elaine did as well, lying on her chest conspicuously.
Community Center - Elaine
"You're asking for my services directly, in an attempt to change your fate? The irony is palpable. Come by the Westside Greenhouse after a few days of adjustment, to see if the changes actually stick. By then, perhaps I will have something cooked up for you. If I don't, or the changes you've already underwent don't take, then you'll have to take your money and buy a glowing wand and a schoolgirl outfit and change your life the same way all the normal people do it."
Elaine smiles at the snark and Shayan will likely hear a couple quiet, exhaling laughs before she replies, "Alright. See you in a few days, assuming everything works out." With that, she hangs up.
TIMESKIP, AGAIN
A few days later, Elaine shows up at the Westside Greenhouse, completely unsure of what she's supposed to be doing there. However, assuming nothing stops her, she knocks on the door, and asks, "Hello? Shayan? Are you here?"
PLANT SCIENCE!
Ink does note all of this with an interestingly calm demeanor, probably a result of living in the nexus.
She, after examining the changes best she can, puts the money in her pocket along with the waiver, keeping the card in her hand.
After a moment or two of thinking, she calls the number
Westside Greenhouse
A voice buzzes over the intercom, through the decontamination set of doubled doors, "How fortunate, I have the first of several of your possible splices ready, and by the time that one is complete, I will have the second ready as well. I hope you don't mind that one of them is somewhat derivative. It was difficult to engineer things that would work well with your current state and not make you look like a monster, or alter your brain chemistry so that you begin to rampage through the city trying to infect people. Once you're past the first set of doors, remove your clothes, put them in the plastic bin, and then press the button for the shower. Once it's done, you'll receive a hospital gown." The door opens, revealing the plastic storage bin and white, sterile space beyond. There is a sprinkler in the ceiling, and the next door has a slot in it that's currently sealed tight, probably for the gown to be pushed through.
There's also a security camera, but that's likely just to confirm who is stopping by. The fact that it's trained on the area under the sprinkler is a bit disquieting.
Plant Science
After half a ring, it picks up, "And you're waking up on schedule as well. Very promising results. What questions did you have?" Her tone is somewhat clipped, as if she's busy and distracted by something else.
Westside Greenhouse
Eyeing the camera nervously, Elaine asks, "Hey, uh...Could you please turn that off?" She then thinks for a moment, and then continues, "Gah, you've probably already seen me naked...I guess I don't have to worry about it..." before stripping her clothes off, taking one last nervous look at the camera before tossing them into the bin and showering.
Plant Science!
Is the only difference now my appearance, or are there abilities I have now, or anything similar?
Ink asks inquisitively
Westside Greenhouse
"Hm? Oh, the camera. It's nonfuctional, but it deters burglars who would probably be eaten by something unpleasant if they were to enter here." After the decontamination shower is complete, a backless hospital gown is shoved through the now opened slot, "Dress, and then we can have your treatments underway." Once she is dressed, the door will open and she'll be admitted into a curtained off area of the greenhouse, set aside from the possibly carnivorous plant species Shayan tends to. There's a proper operating table here, and some monitoring equipment, as well as a pair of syringes on the tray next to the table. Some strange machine on a table in the corner is whirring, as if something inside it was rotating very fast.
Plant Science
"There appear to be thorns beneath your skin now, held in place by an extra set of muscles you grew just for the task, that can be released if you wanted to give someone a particularly painful hug. They have their own holes, which are invisible when the thorns are retracted, so you don't need to worry about any pain from releasing them. Also, your rose hips may be explosive when enough shock is applied to them, so please be cautious with where you dispose of them. They're quite small, so one on its own would only cause minor damage under ordinary circumstances, but your hair seems to keep a ready stock of them as well as its natural blooms."
[Westside Greenhouse]
Elaine nods, and dons the gown and heads into the room as she says, "Hey, I want to say thank you for doing all this for me. I'm finally able to not be a nobody." She then looks at the table and asks, "So...Do I just lay down here?"
Sticks tries with little success to ignore the sky blue flush reaching his cheeks. It's doubtful that's real blood still flowing through his veins, but it produces a lovely color. He turns aside and pretends to fiddle with one of his shelved toys, narrowing his eyes at the feigned disturbance. Jim remains in his peripheral vision. "I suppose I enjoy some skill in the craft. Hm. Yes. I-it's just..." He holds up one of his hands, glancing sidelong as his apprentice. "People don't like. These. The way I look." He's not even going to start on magic.
Hopefully the technology in the elevator isn't all that new. Sticks and electrical equipment are not fond of one another. The tall man looks about in wonder - not often having the privilege of occupying such a contraption - and looks up pleasantly at his patron. "A bit of research. There's a young woman who has come to me seeking aid with an affliction of the spirit. I suspect the fairest of races or their lesser cousins have something to do with it." Those symbols on Obriane's body strike resonant with him. Or perhaps it's her body that strikes resonant!
He frowns flatly, annoyed with himself, and shakes his head.
"Sorry Lord Magtok," the cyborg corrects, putting emphasis on the lord bit as he attempts to pull Invidia by her hood down to eye level. Given that there's like an entire foot difference in height, it's not the most polite of gestures. It could be worse though, he was initially going to grab her by the hair, before thinking better of it. There are some things that are simply not done, even for the sake of infiltrating the enemy.
"Go tell the man at the counter you accidentally left something in the back, last time you were here. Maybe they'll recognize you."
[Malechenar]
The technology is in fact ancient and would probably not work by conventional physics considering it's using another type of technology. "An fey affliction you say? Those are rather curious. Keep in mind however, the air is rather thin within the library walls to preserve the tomes kept within them." Ryhe warns as the elevator continues moving upwards. "What nature does this disease have? I know of a particularly odd one that caused the afflicted to see the flaws in everything. Quite useful, but also rather depressive."
[Fourth Tower Compound]
"A collection! Yes, the great god of Arbil likes a collection of oddities in nexus. Useless to the eye, but the great one can unlock their true power. What he needs is three of the following goodies:
Red half-dragons Harnel's adamatite bar.
A bra owned by human woman Charity.
A pair of socks owned by cyborg named Magtok.
Boxer shorts owned by drow called Kirk.
Dress owned by halfling girl called Lily.
Antlers from fey being.
Werewolf fur.
Vampire hair.
Hair from pony mane.
Just three of these! You got that?" Bigfang asks.
Run Away!
Not sure if she lost anything at all! She didn't even get wounded! She just didn't make it into the castle, that's all.
In either case, the gargoyle's finally lose her, now she can go and do something else.
The Toy Tinker
Jim snorts. "So? When does that matter at all? There's at least five worlds I know of which would kill people like me on sight, and that doesn't make me a bad person."
Fourth Tower Compound
Arty would actually deck this person if he was in front of him. The first would be priceless; no sane person would give that up and an equal number of people would have it unguarded. Two he's at least heard of the person, but Three and Four are so vague they could match hundreds of people in theory. Five could be simple if any fey behave like normal stags; they'd drop their antlers once a year anyway. Of course, spring is when they're growing them back, so it's unlikely they'd still have them around. Which means the last three were the most doable. The very last he could probably do in about fifteen minutes if he could phrase a request for it well enough. Ponies were always very generous, even though his anatomy often freaks them out a little.
"All right, if I completed this for you, would I just speak to you again or would you want me to do something specific with these objects?" he asks calmly.
[Suncrest Manor]
"Nice to meet you too. Come on inside." Nadia steps back into the house. Inside the house is about as grand as Misaka would expect by now. It looks like the entryway could use a good dusting, though. "Eliseo is just in the living room playing one of his games. Do you want a snack or anything? I could make something and bring it to you two." Nadia gestures in the direction of the living room. Misaka can hear some kind of music coming from there.
"Sad. We can help you out, 've got a place where any are welcome who are strong enough to try. Whadda you say? Rent's just the work to maintain the place and to, well, it'll make more sense once you there."
Skye holds out a hand Elaine.
"You ever want to just make a new start, to just be someone else? Here's a chance."
[Westside Streets]
Nothing terrible happens! Elaine will feel a brief surge of heat, maybe painful, but brief.
"Let's go! Where you live? Have belongings to take, right?" Skye excitedly looks about, ready to follow Elaine, empty her apartment, and leave the city. There's no time to lose.
[Westside Streets]
Elaine gasps as the heat, and stops in her tracks as she asks angrily, "What the hell was that? What did you do to me?"