WATCHTOWER 16: Quick and Dirty

[Deathkeeper]

Front Door -> Barracks

Klitcht pauses to consider the question.
"Humans are called humans pretty much everywhere, aren't they? Well, I've seen folks who look like me and they're called Thri-Keen, even though they're not from my world, so that's what I call my species. I must be a sub-species or variant or something though, because no one else seems to have these-"
He points an upper hand at his back. Two small crystals, a few inches long and half as much in diameter, grow from where his shoulder blades would be, if he had bones, both the same deep purple as his pupils (the rest of his eyes are an off-white/yellow).
Klicht is, by the way, about the size of a large human with his lower sets of arms only slightly smaller than his upper ones and the same shape, and a thorax that's noticeable but not as large as his torso. His player has to specify because Thri-Keen artwork is extremely inconsistent.
Anyway, he shows the lady to a sparsely decorated room.
"This room is unused right now, he says, peeking back into the hall, hoping to find someone passing by, Just stay with me until I can find someone official to report this to and I'm sure we'll get you some decent accommodations. I'm assuming you'd need some clothes? Most people seem to."
He's currently wearing a tan and black, slightly padded uniform, and from the way he asked the question it's probably apparent that if not for the practical purpose and the societal expectation he wouldn't be wearing much at all. He hasn't broken his friendly and cheery attitude the whole time though, which probably severely contrasts with his appearance as a six-foot insect armed to the mandibles.

[Terumitsu]

[Barracks]

Perhaps for relevance, it would be notable that Ghoul had, aside from her almost pallid skin, absolutely no visible hair in the sort of way that implied a lack rather than something achieved from judicious shaving of the head. She was also very visibly fit although in the way of having very tight, wiry muscles rather than bulk like from a bodybuilder. This mixed in with being on the tall side and Ghoul cut a rather intimidating figure albeit it was likely that such was lost upon the Thri-Keen due to the difference of perceptions across species.

"Clothes would be appreciated." she said. She would have to return the sheet at some time and it made for a rather poor toga anyway. The unfamiliarity of clothing did make some sense to Ghoul at least given that the thing was naturally armored. From her walks around the Nexus, that seemed to be a common trait for species that seemed to be fine without garments as their function was one that really wasn't necessary for them. "Also, as a bit of a tip, it's best to assume that if you're talking to a female human and you don't see a ring or whatever passes for a sign of marrage, you'd be safer with 'miss' over 'ma'am.'" she added with a bit of a smirk.

"That's semantics now though. So any idea what those things do then? Or did you just happen to get wierd shoulders from the genetic lottery?" she asked, keeping in stride rather well with the Thri-Keen.

[Deathkeeper]

Barracks

"They're not weird! They help me focus my psionic abilities. and they look cool.
And I'll uh, try to remember that. Gender things kinda confuse me sometimes. Oh, but here, maybe something in my stash of random stuff can fit you."
He reaches into his belt pouch and pulls out a green silk scarf, a large gray shirt, a fancy red jacket, a pair of plain work trousers, and a white dress. The first few things would be rather small on Ghoul, while the dress might actually be a tad too big.
"Does anything look like it'll fit? This is just stuff I found."

[Zefir]

[Kitchen]

"Pehaps you might wish to go shopping first, then?" Shawna offers. "Or you could borrow some of mine, it would not be a problem."

===

[Training Room]

"It is certainly quite impressive. It is good to be proficent with as many types of weapons as possible, however a weapon of that size would be awkward to maneuver in close quarters," Shawna says, scrutinizing the blade closely.

[Kitchen]

"I don't think your will fit me. So shopping should be best."

If I recall right she is taller as Mia. Mia is around 1,6meter-1,7 meter

[Ashen Lilies]

[Barracks]

Boom! Just behind Ghoul and Klitcht is a cat. There wasn't one before, but now there is.

Just a perfectly ordinary cat, though. A white one. With a black collar. Made of stone. Covered in silver runes.

Yes.

Perfectly ordinary.

It flicks its tail from side to side a few times, staring at Klicht intensely, before speaking, in a dry, sardonic voice.
"The last four rooms in the West Barracks building are set up for guests, I believe. Our guest will be welcome to stay in one of them. I can show you there, if you would like."

starestarestare

It is a kitty.

[DC's Lab]

After the smoke from the explosion clears, Wenomir has left, and DC is probably looking to clean up the mess, he might here a voice coming from the charred, smoking ruins of the drone. A familiar voice. A familiar, taunting voice. Crackling and cutting some; the device providing the voice did just survive an explosion after all, but recognizable nonetheless.

Mocking Query: Master? Master? Are you dead yet?
Smug Statement: I knew that you wouldn't be able to resist taking my little toy in for further study. You really should endeavor to become less dreadfully predictable in the future, Master. It does cut into your life expectancy projections somewhat.
Amused Query: Did you like the present I left inside? I hope the damage was extensive.

[Terumitsu]

[Barracks]

A short assessment of the clothes was all Ghoul needed to see. "The kindness is noted but most of it looks like it would be too restrictive except for the dress. That looks like it would just fall off of me if I tried wearing it." she said. While beggars couldn't often be choosers, at the same time it was generally best to get something that would be functional rather than having to force it to work. Plus, she didn't know how to modify clothes to fit either so that route was a bust.

The mentioning of psionics, though, was a trigger of some reminder. Cyberbrains were handy for keeping notes for oneself although she couldn't remember making this one... Though that came clear when she took note of the date it had been made which fell into her missing time. She couldn't understand what would have prompted this note in particular but.. Well, there was something odd about the last thing she remembered. Something about a guy and some lightning and... And then it went blank. Well, might as well find out if the note was leading on to something or not.. "Psionics.. You mean things like telekinesis or something?" she asked. She was about to say more but was interrupted by the sudden appearance of the 'perfectly normal cat.'

Needless to say, that gave her a bit of a start. Coming from a place where animals were quite scarce in general, though, the effect of one talking when it technically wouldn't normally was lost on her. So there would be a shrug and a reply sans any sort of shock or other odd response that might have been expected. "That would be appreciated."

[Deathkeeper]

Barracks

"Too bad. Oh, well. That's luck of the draw." the clothes will get dumped in his closet later.
"My telekinesis isn't very good, honestly. I'm much better at digging through minds and telling them how to not get themselves killed."
Suddenly, kitty!
"That sounds excellent. Thank you."
Klitcht doesn't seem bothered at all by the cat, not even the implications that it's a higher member than he is.

[Ashen Lilies]

[Barracks - Main Room - Courtyard - West Barracks - Guest Room]

Is basically the path they take as the cat wordlessly turns around and walks away, seemingly expecting them to follow. Upon encountering any closed doors, it simply walks through them, form rippling slightly as it phases through the solid wood.

[Terumitsu]

[In Transit To The Guest Room]

Okay. The walking through solid matter bit? Kinda weird.

Still, it was relatively easy to follow.. Hopefully at least. "I guess that makes sense considering your offer earlier." the muse said, picking back up on her conversation with Klitcht. She wasn't exactly sure what having shiny shoulders had to do with it but there were likely stranger things out there. "Sounds like a useful skillset." she said, pausing briefly to take in the courtyard as they passed through it. Was a nice place. Not precisely to her tastes but she wouldn't deny that it wasn't at least pleasant.

"However, is it something that could be taught?" she asked with some interest. That was what her self-note had mentioned. If it was a learnable skill she could at least see it being useful although not precisely why it was worth a note in the first place. She'd have to get back on that once she was settled in.

[Deathkeeper]

In Transit to Guest Room

"It usually can be, but it does require some part of natural talent, and it would be hard for me to teach you since the way I focus would be entirely different from yours." and that's not just because he has psicryatals built-in.

[Ashen Lilies]

[Guest Room]

"There." Announces the cat, stopping in front of one of the four guest rooms. "The bathroom is just down the hall. Now, unless you have more need of me, I believe I shall go announce your presence to my boss, who is far too busy to be here." Some snideness to that.

Unless stopped, the cat walks through a wall nearby, exiting the building to head back towards the main keep.

The guest room is rather large, if sparsely furnished, having been modeled after the rooms in the main keep, which were of course designed as bunk rooms to house multiple soldiers before being converted into single rooms by the fortress' current occupants. There should be most of the things a person should need inside, though. A simple futon style double-bed with pillows and clean sheets, a bedside table with a lamp, a dresser with a mirror, a desk with some drawers and a shelf, a wooden chair, and a comfy armchair that reclines. There's a window with curtains to one side for natural light, and a (currently deactivated) light orb is nestled in the ceiling, with an activation rune by the door.

[The Bushranger]

[Training Grounds]

"It is pretty heavy, so it needs a different balance," Wenomir says, swinging the sword through the air a few times. "But once I practice, it will give me superior reach and a lot of cutting power. I figure I'll bring it along when I don't need the speed and precision of my longsword and bearded axe and just need to cut through things."

"Quite logical," Shawna agrees with a nod. "I was wondering if perhaps you might require a sparring partner?"

[Kitchen]

"I don't think your will fit me. So shopping should be best."

If I recall right she is taller as Mia. Mia is around 1,6meter-1,7 meter

Likely she is, yes.
"Then perhaps we should do that when it is convienent for you," Shawna suggests with a smile.

[Morty]

[Training Grounds]

"I might use one," Wenomir says. "Are you going to try using a two-hander yourself?" he asks with some surprise.

[Darkcomet]

[DC's Lab]

"If you think a lab of mine isn't reinforced and prepared for explosions, you've made a very amateurish mistake. But then, considering what happened to your operation in Inside, I suppose you would forget about that kind of preparation, wouldn't you?" It seems DC is quite willing to shoot right back with the taunts. "Defective programming from all the alterations you've made, no doubt."

[Training Grounds 2]

((Uh. Sorry about the wait here. I...completely forgot what I was doing with the experimental drone shenanigans.))

After a bit, an Evolution Industries transport paradrops a large crate marked with numerous 'DANGER: EXPERIMENTAL TECHNOLOGY' signs on it. "Would someone open that? Unless you want me to flail this image at it ineffectually." DC is speaking through a holoprojector and cannot do so himself!

"Please don't blow up the crate. Just open it."

[KerfuffleMach2]

Training Grounds 2

((No problem. I just figured you were busy.))

Krystal will go to open the crate, then. If it's the kind that needs to be pried opened, she'll pop a crystal from her knee and use that like a crowbar.

[Terumitsu]

[Guest Room]

Well this was a far more open room than had been expected. Then again, this was larger than most dwellings Ghoul had been in given how space had been a bit of a premium luxury from where she had hailed from. Still, nothin more would be required of the feline and it's tone was getting annoying anyway.

Moving over to the dresser to inspect herself in the mirror for a moment, she continued her line of questioning. "Well, would you be willing to try? Far as I understand it, talent just means you're a natural at something. It takes a hell of a lot of work and dedication in some cases but lacking talent doesn't mean it's impossible." she said. It was mostly true as well although coming from a world with the ability to transplant skills, assuming one could pay the price for the really good stuff, skill and talent sometimes became relegated to a secondary role. Of course, there were plenty of drawbacks to simply buying skills and implanting them but on the whole it did allow for a surprising degree of hyper-competence among the wealthy.

[Deathkeeper]

Guest Room

"Well, I can try, but some people are simply not psionic, and I can't do a thing if that's the case." says Klitcht, crossing his lower arms

[Zefir]

[Training Grounds]



"Quite logical," Shawna agrees with a nod. "I was wondering if perhaps you might require a sparring partner?"

[Kitchen]



Likely she is, yes.
"Then perhaps we should do that when it is convienent for you," Shawna suggests with a smile.

[Kitchen]

"There isn't anything right now that is more important."

[The Bushranger]

[Training Grounds]

"I might use one," Wenomir says. "Are you going to try using a two-hander yourself?" he asks with some surprise.

"I could attempt it," Shawna says after a moment's consideration, "Or use a two-ended polearm, of sorts, perhaps. I have not used my blades in that fashion in quite some time, however, so I may be out of practice in the use of them in that manner."

[Kitchen]

"There isn't anything right now that is more important."

"Then let us go," Shawna says with a smile.
And they can go shopping, or just say they did and come back afterwards?

[Morty]

[Training Grounds]

"Well then, pick up any weapon you like, and step into the ring," Wenomir says.

[UncleWolf]

Day After Jezzy's Imprisonment

The door is opened by a woman wearing a long-sleeved zaffre-blue blouse with a fitted grey vest worn over it. She have a pair of black fitted jeans and laced shoes in the same color. Around her neck she's wearing a brown leather necklace with an light-blue sapphire fastened in gold.

She is not standing very tall to Ronai, probably by just being slightly taller than 5 feet and wearing no heels. Her raven hair is cut neck-long with bangs hanging down on either side, framing in her face.

Her eyes are an almost icy blue that stands out against her pale white skin. "Can I help you?" She asks, regarding him with an curious expression.

Day After

The man gives a small bow of respect to the woman and keeps the bow as he introduces himself, only straightening when he's done. "My name is Ronai Strethold. I have come on behalf of my employer, Jezebel Tel'Vree to act as liaison between her organization and your's." He says with a well educated tone that's kept even and measured.

Hospital

Cutter will pass the tests with flying colors and no real effort on his part, but he frowns when his blood sample is taken. When it's examined, it probably starts screeching in alerts. It'll be able to tell that he's only partly human, like he said before, and his blood is full of antibodies to dozens of diseases that it'll be able to recognize, many of which should have been quite lethal like strains of Ebola, and an apparently endless list of traces of diseases that are otherworldly in nature.

He doesn't appear to be carrying the diseases at this time however. And he probably has a lot of explaining to do.

[Morty]

[Hospital]

Wenomir raises an eyebrow when the drone alerts him about the contents of Cutter's blood. He wasn't actually expecting anything important; he just decided to have his blood scanned because they were in the hospital.

"It seems your blood is full of both antibodies and traces of past diseases," he says. "Why's that?"

[Terumitsu]

[Guest Room]

"So, from the sound of it, I'm either gonna wind up as potentially psionic but if not then I'm not actually losing anything in return. Sounds like a good deal to me if you're willing to teach. Can't say I know of anything you'd want in return but I'd be willing to at least attempt reciprocation." she said as she moved away from the mirror and to the reclining chair. Sitting in it proved to be a bit too plush for her tastes but that was really a negligible complaint.

Still, at least here she had the opportunity to start trying to pull her memory back together although... Hold on. Why was there a saved backup dated not even a full day ago? It would be something that would take a few hours to analyze so it would have to wait until later but maybe that would answer a few questions at least.

[Shadowcaller]

Day After

"She informed me about you." The sorceress remarks and then offers her hand. While shaking hands weren't how you greeted each other in Hestopia, it were common enough in other cultures that she finally had chosen to adopt it. She were supposed to be the diplomat fo Watch after all and so far she hadn't really lived up to that. "Has she informed you about me seeing you apparently can contact each other? My name is Cessie Mithar, one of the four leaders and council member of Watchtower. Nice meeting you Ronai."

[Deathkeeper]

Guest Room

"Well, I've got all the equipment I need, and Watch feeds me fine, so I don't really have a pressing need for money. But I don't really know what sort of things I like. I've only been here for three days. So maybe I'll find something you can help me get. Don't know yet. For now at least don't worry about that."
She might be able to tell that "here" refers to the Nexus and not the Tower. Klitcht sometimes forgets to specify things out loud.

[UncleWolf]

Hospital

Cutter starts bandaging the blood sample site as he answers. "During my travels and study, I met a priestess of a god of life, death, and undeath. She taught me how to absorb afflictions from an ill person into myself. Normally such leads to a very short life among the priests, but with my inhuman nature, I could easily live through it as my immune system destroyed the illnesses." The Doctor says.

"With my education and with more practice, I've become able to even remove genetic afflictions such as some cancers. I can even rebuild organs provided they aren't too badly damaged. But every time I do, I am the one that suffers. At least for a while before my body gets rid of it."

Most of what Cutter says is the truth, the only lie being how he got the ability, but even that isn't too far away from what happened.

Next Day

The Quarter-Dragon shakes his head. "No, I wasn't told to talk to you specifically." He says as he shakes her hand. "I was simply told to come here today and offer my services. I do know why she came here before though, and will say that her followers are...concerned despite not knowing where she went." He adds. "Mind if I ask what happened?"

[Morty]

[Hospital]

"Hm." Wenomir is silent for a moment. "The blood sample doesn't contain any actual diseases. Looks like your story checks out." He can tell that Cutter isn't lying. "Well then, welcome to Watchtower. You're not a Watchman Initiate until you participate in a mission."

[UncleWolf]

Hospital

"Thank you, and I understand. In the meantime though, if allowable, if I am to treat everyone effectively, I'll need to do a physical on them all and check everyone for afflictions. I can remove what I find, when I find it, but I'll be sure to inform the member first. It's just that I need to find baselines for everyone so I can provide effective treatment later." Cutter explains as he stands and offers his hand. "And thanks again. It'll be good to be working again."

[Morty]

[Hospital]

"I'll ask around. I'm not sure if tests for everyone here are possible, but something could be arranged," Wenomir says, shaking Cutter's hand.

[Shadowcaller]

Next Day

"Their concern is understandable, what happened here was no less than a complete mess. I have heard both Jezebel's and DC's, one of the other leaders, and as far as I understand it she came here with Magtok for a proposal for Watchtower. It was to have sex in the building which she were refused to. The whole thing escalated and Jezebel requested either an excuse for the death of one of your followers following the events of serpents gaze or a duel to the death. The death was of course a terrible thing but we are claiming self-defense which is why they dueled. In my opinion it's a result of pride and mutual misunderstandings, but I don't think you came here to bring up that discussion again, correct?" She explains, giving him a hopeful glance. Too many people had already been hurt following the events of serpents gaze.