Episode 41
In the back field near the corner of the ranch style house, Dretphi pants at a slowing rate, wipes the sweat off her brow, and drapes her platinum blonde braids back over her shoulders. Standing under the shade of a tree, she stares out patiently and idly stretches in her workout shirt and shorts. A minute later, Bach staggers up the small hill into the shadows from the full green canopy and stops, supporting his upper body with his hands on his knees. He breathes loudly and slowly straightens his back, noticing the obvious sweat spots on his shirt. "Well... At least, I made it to the base of this hill BEFORE almost collapsing... Ungh... I guess that's progress?"
With a perk of an eyebrow, Dretphi smiles kind and encouraging, resting her hands on her hips. "No wheezing."
Pausing in thought, Bach pays careful attention to himself. Breathing in and out several times, he finds no sign of any trailing whine and slowly nods in agreement. "Huh... That's... Wow. Hadn't noticed that. I guess that actually is progress..."
He pulls his shoulders back in a stretch and blinks with his surprise. "And, I feel tired, but nowhere near close to passing out... Like I have felt."
Stepping over to the base of the tree, Dretphi leans over and picks up a water bottle in each hand. She moves over and offers Bach one. "It takes time. Persistence leads to progress."
With an inquisitive eye towards Dretphi, Bach quaffs down the water and swallows to a smirk. "Well, I think that sounds like another bit of wisdom from your birth father."
Rolling her steely gray eyes, Dretphi dons a reserved grin and shrugs her shoulders. "My mother. Her wisdom proves true."
She briefly furrows her brow and glances off to the side. "In certain situations."
Bach wipes the overflow of water out of his short beard and chuckles lightly. "Well, don't think I'll be beating your speed any time soon."
Dretphi stops drinking her water, memories leaping to the front of her mind. Narrowing an examining stare upon Bach, she straightens her posture and cools her tone, hints of suspicion slipping out. "You have moved FASTER than me before."
Bach freezes momentarily, grimaces uncomfortably, and sighs in defeat. Slowly nodding, Bach meets Dretphi expectant gaze, fighting an uneasy squirm, and cautiously approaches the subject. "YES. Mind you... With A LOT of careful magical assistance, for short periods of time."
With a questioning glance, Dretphi cocks her head to the side, squints at Bach, and idly swings her water bottle at her side. Curiosity guides her towards intrigue, and she studies Bach, meticulously eyeing him over. "I do not believe you have used assistance during training. Why?"
Blinking blankly, Bach mentally gathers himself, struggling to compose a response. Tense seconds later, he draws in a long breath and summons up his answer. "Um... Well... I guess because I honestly want to get into decent shape? I mean, the magical augmentation helps in a pinch..."
He furrows his brow and frowns with a sigh. "But... I've learned from experience that you really shouldn't rely just on that. Magic can fail you."
Shaking his head, he averts his blue eyes away with a tinge of shame. "And, it'd be really nice to lessen certain... contrasts of physique... between my brother and me."
A slight frown creeps from the corner of Dretphi's mouth, and concern colors her gaze. Bach cracks a weak smile and glances over to Dretphi with an appreciative tone. "Also, I thought it'd be really disrespectful to you to not take this training seriously. Really, I probably would have given up a bunch of times if weren't for you helping me along the way."
Fluttering her eyes in surprise with a perk of her posture, Dretphi smiles warmly towards Bach, faint traces of blushing in her cheeks. "Thank you."
Moments later, she refocuses herself to the present and inquires further. "I know of people augmenting physical abilities. Great feats possible. Rarely done. Suspect significant risks involved?"
Bach's eyes open wide, and he exaggerates a long nod with a trailing exhale. "Oh gods, YES. I am sure that Aristespha could go into far more details. BUT, if you don't have the body and focus for it..."
Grimacing with a wince, Bach strains a breath through his teeth and shakes his head. "You can really HURT yourself doing anything more than minor assistance with simple actions."
He scratches the back of his neck and wrestles with an uneasy grimace. "I actually don't like doing it, unless I really need to. I mean, as out of shape as I am, I'm surprised I haven't broken a bone, torn a ligament, or dislocated something."
Gazing over to Dretphi, he furrows his brow and grits his teeth. "While the magic helps your body move, you actually need to have a body that can handle the strain. I've only figured out the basics, AND... It's spooky enough already."
Dretphi's attention drifts away to inside her mind, her eyes bouncing between memories. Returning her focus back to Bach, she nods in agreement and eyes her large flow blade resting against the trunk of the nearby tree. "I will not lie... Those are techniques I have interest in. Risky now..."
Lifting a curious eyebrow, she smirks. "Maybe later?"
She walks over to the tree, grips onto the flow blade handle, and hoists it up. "Need to understand this blade. Then, learn augmentation."
Finishing another long pour of water into the mouth, Bach clears his throat and steps over near Dretphi with an encouraging smile. "Well, actually, that's not a bad plan, at all. The flow control required to empower that blade is similar to what is needed for basic augmentation magic. There's a bit more, but definitely will help you with the basics."
Securing her grip on the handle, Dretphi gazes over to Bach and smiles hopeful at him. "THAT is good to hear. Would appreciate your help. I have..."
She briefly fights a frustrated frown. "Given up... Many times... before."
Rolling his shoulders into a stretch against tension, Bach stands next to Dretphi with his eyes illuminating blue. He aims his gaze upon the blade and grants an acknowledging nod. "Only fair to return to the favor. Now, just flow some energy and I'll assess from there."
The old humvee turns right down an entrance roadway leading towards an expansive complex of tall, long brick buildings. The ancient military machine passes by the "Amaranth Valley Medical Center" sign and rolls down the road past a number of other guide posts. Surveying the well cared landscape of closely packed medical facilities, Cideeda stares out into the large parking lot ahead and directs her voice behind the driver's seat. "We're here! Now, the fun part of figuring out where we are supposed to drop you off."
Leaning out from the front passenger seat, Sotalia gazes back at Aristespha with a mischievous grin widening on her light tan face. "Is SOMEONE excited for their first day at work?"
An audibly annoyed groan rumbles out from Aristespha, and she crosses her arms petulantly with an exaggerated sigh, averting her violet eyes to her window. "Really?"
She twists an unamused grimace on her face, squirms with the wave of nervous energy, and fidgets in her seat. Laughing playfully, Sotalia smiles brightly at Aristespha and rolls her golden eyes. "OH, come on! I'm kind of jealous, actually. Most other magical professions don't get the special treatment like medical mages do."
Winking at Aristespha with a sly smirk, she points towards the badge hanging from Aristespha's pocket. "And, you are DEFINITELY dressed nicely for the part."
Aristespha carefully inspects her white doctor's coat, and brushes off her neatly pressed black cotton pants. Tightening the bun of silvery blue hair on the back of her head, she guides clear stray strands off her very long, pointed ears. Some satisfaction arrives upon her ivory face, finishing her checks. With a long exhale, she relaxes her shoulders and wrestles down a frown. "I hope so..."
Sotalia snorts and rolls her eyes. "Are you kidding, girl? That outfit is SO professional... and CUTE."
Rotating the steering wheel through another intersection, Cideeda curiously glances into the rear view mirror at Aristespha. "Nervous?"
Tensing her shoulders, Aristespha draws in a long breath and releases it shakily, hanging her head forward in her hands. "YES. Is it THAT obvious?"
Sotalia quirks an eyebrow and adopts a quizzical tint into her encouraging voice. "Oh, what do you have to be nervous about?"
Lifting herself back into the seat, Aristespha sighs and rests a firm hand upon her stomach. "It's just- I have not been in a clinic environment for close to two years now. It is vastly different in comparison to when you only have to worry about the same small group of people everyday. You never really know what your next patient will be, and what you'll have to contend with. Often with no prior knowledge."
Near a main entrance to one of the buildings in the vast complex, Cideeda spots a series of parking spaces with "Short Term" labels. She navigates the humvee through the clearly marked pathways of the massive parking lot and glances into the rear view mirror. Noticing Aristespha's discomfort, Cideeda projects a confident, reassuring smile. "You have nothing to worry about. I know from personal experience you are an amazing medical mage. This place is lucky to have you for a while."
A reserved smile graces Aristespha, and she closes her violet eyes with a slowly exhale. The humvee rolls in between the lines of a space along the sidewalk, near the front entry. Another stress venting sigh escapes Aristespha, and she stares hesitantly at the automated sliding glass door of the medical center entrance. Blinking, she leans out into the aisle and inquisitively gazes at Cideeda. "That actually reminds me. Has there been any noticeable scarring on your back and buttocks from the bullet grazes?"
Shifting the vehicle in park, Cideeda pauses in thought for a few moments, furrowing her brow with a tilt of her head. She flicks her furry ears, arches her back in the seat, and feels the between the back waistline of her shorts. "Not really. The skin feels a little thick there, but nothing that bad. I wouldn't even call it scarring. I've gotten worse from brushing against scrap metal."
Aristespha nods in thought, her eyes searching her mind, and she settles back into her seat, pondering out loud. "That is good. There are a few simple treatments for that issue. I will check on those later for you."
Seconds of awkward silence pass in the cab in the lull of conversation. Cideeda and Sotalia waiting, expectant stares eventually fall upon Aristespha. Retrieving her aetherphone, Aristespha strains a breath in and taps through a few menus. "Okay. Just... Let me double check the specific procedures at this place and where I need to be-"
Rolling her eyes with a dismissive smirk, Sotalia unbuckles her seat belt, climbs over the center console, and reaches a hand out to Aristespha's seat. She presses the release button Aristespha's seat belt, covers up the screen of the aetherphone, and faces Aristespha's surprise. "You will stop STALLING already?"
Aristespha swallows some of her nerves, chuckles out some anxiety, and puts forth a genuine smile. "Okay. Sorry."
Sotalia smiles and pats Aristespha on the shoulder, a sly grin spreading across her face. "Don't worry, girl. If it'll make you feel better, I'll hold your hand and walk you to the door. Just like I did with my little sister on her first day of school!"
Aristespha closes her eyes hard and reopens them, projecting an unamused stare at Sotalia's ill-humored face with a grumble. Cideeda snorts into laughter and covers her mouth to hide her toothy grin. Shaking her head playfully dismissive, Aristespha groans with levity and fails to hide her smile under a grimace. She opens her door and glances back. "I think I am perfectly capable of walking by myself. But..."
She gazes at Sotalia and cracks an appreciative smirk. "Thank you, though."
Stepping out the humvee onto the sidewalk, she closes the humvee door, brushes off her white medical coat, and inspects her hair bun again. She waves to Cideeda and Sotalia in the vehicle. Cideeda gestures two thumb claws up, and Sotalia exaggerates a wave. Walking towards the entrance, Aristespha's posture straightens, her demeanor calms, and her usual air of confidence resumes, arriving at the automated doors.
Loud beeping rings out into the area. Hydraulics strain, and pistons drive a long crane arm from a heavy duty truck. With a winch reeling in the steel cable, the machinery pries loose up a thoroughly flattened wreck of a vehicle from the street surface, chunks of asphalt tumbling off. A few Hattan city workers lift up barricades and carry them off to the sidewalks. Police officers cut plastic caution tape off and ball up the refuse into a nearby garbage can. Nearby from the clean up efforts, Isaac sits patiently on a bus stop bench and peeks over a notebook, spying upon the activity. His gray eyes focus upon the roadway, intrigue growing on his aged face. The wind rustles his graying white hair and blows his blue scarf around. His mind drifting to other thoughts, his stare wanders, and his attention settles upon a young evuukian man.
Approaching the partially cleared perimeter of the cordoned off area, the young man levels a large, bulky camera and aims his shot through the viewfinder. With an indifferent grimace, Isaac dismisses the activity. The young man presses the button, and a prominent mechanical click sounds out. Blinking through a fit of surprise, Isaac fully focuses upon the young man, watching him crank a winding lever. Putting the notebook away into his backpack, Isaac stands up with the bag over his shoulder and casually approaches the young evuukian man. A minute, Isaac stands near the young man and observes the process of setups, clicks, and windings with the strange device. Scratching his graying beard, he hems politely. "Excuse, sir? Sorry to bother you, but..."
He points to the bulky device in the evuukian's hands and perks a curious eyebrow. "What ever is that device you are using? I had originally suspected it was an old film camera. Admittedly, those are quite uncommon these days, so I had to ask."
Shuddering in surprise, the young evuukian quickly regains his composure and turns around, greeting Isaac. "Oh! Um... Well... Yes, it is TECHNICALLY a film camera... But, not quite, at the same time."
Isaac smiles intrigued and arches his brow inquisitively. "Well, you have my curiosity, young man. If it's not too much, I would love to pry at why it isn't quite a film camera."
A spark ignites the viridian eyes of the evuukian man, and excitement fills his face. "OH! It's not a problem at all! Well..."
He wrestles down an awkward smirk and chuckles. "If you aren't absolutely bored to death by the finer details of magical theory... and other long explanations... I'd be happy to discuss it."
Isaac nods affirmatively and motions towards the device. "Oh, don't worry. I am a bit of a magical scholar myself and have done some work with the Grand Library."
The young evuukian's eyes widen in absolute surprise, and he barely contains his joy. "Really! Wow! Um, yes... This is actually a research project I'm hoping to use for my application to the Grand Library. Quite the fortune meeting, I guess."
With an intrigued smile, Isaac directs the evuukian's attention toward the camera. "I would say so. Okay. So, let's try out a short explanation for the paper's brief. Take your time and summarize the key points for me."
The man nods excitedly, shaking his wild, light blue hair. Presenting the device to Isaac, he clears his throat into an explanatory tone. "Okay... Magical imaging has been around in many forms over the centuries since the introduction of magic. While spells such as mage sight have become the most prominent method, there have been historical examples of using photographic devices to capture light affected by magical flow. Despite such practices being relegated towards novelty in the past, I theorize that, with the refinement today's technology allows with many magical aspects, we can augment these methods to allow fidelity and resolution typically restricted to specialized arcane equipment..."
He nods to the camera and turns out around, showcasing prominent features. "In a portable device."
With a thoughtful stroke on his beard, Isaac projects a scrutinizing gaze upon the young man and device. Seconds of pondering later, he nods with an honestly interested grin. "That, I believe, is certainly an avenue of research that deserves a project."
Crossing his arms, he cocks his head to the side. "Do you have any results so far you could possibly share right now?"
The young man nods enthusiastically, lets the augmented camera hang from a strap around his neck, and opens a satchel at his side, showcasing the contents. "Oh, yes! I've been experimenting with different alchemical solutions for every step of the development process, applying enchantments to a variety of lenses, and doping films with a hybridization of techniques-"
With a delighted grin, Isaac presents a hand to the young evuukian and curiously gazes at him. "Pardon my lack of manners. My name is Isaac. Whatever is your name, young man?"
The man energetically reaches out his bluish hand and shakes Isaac's, smiling wide to the blue tints on his face. "Blesk Ziebens."
Isaac thinks a moment and blinks perplexed. "That actually is an interesting name for an evuukian. Not the common style, I have often run into."
Blesk shrugs his shoulders and chuckles into a trailing sigh. "Ah... My family is a bunch of houseless black sheep. We pretty much do our own thing away from the usual insanity of... Proper... Evuukian politics."
Laughing, Isaac releases Blesk's hand and points down another street. "Well, would you allow this fellow black sheep to treat you to lunch as we discuss this further? I know this sandwich shop that is very nice."
Scratching the back of his head and sheepishly, Blesk awkwardly grins over his embarrassment. "Well... As broke as I am, I can't really say no to such a generous offer. And, I can't turn down an opportunity to discuss my project with someone."
Isaac gestures Blesk to follow and walks down the sidewalk. "Good. Let's eat and discuss things. I would like to see samples of your work. And, I'd be very curious as to how the pictures you just took develop. I think we should come back here later, when things have died down a bit."
Inside the living room of the two-story house, Chad sits comfortably in a couch chair, showing a bright white smile to Tassilda. "WELL... I think it was my leadership that helped organize the masses and guide them to where they needed to go."
Rolling her light blue on black eyes, Tassilda defiantly flicks a lock of black hair over a horn with grumble. "OH. So, yelling at people and pointing in random directions is what passes for leadership these days? THAT explains quite a bit."
Veevi perches herself upon an arm of Chad's chair and narrows her pink pupil eyes at Tassilda with a wry, sharp grin. "OH. So, wandering around putting up magical barriers that did nothing to slow the Nightmare Geist is what passes for magic these days? THAT explains quite a bit."
Tassilda crosses her arms, sneers at Veevi, and growls low, barely audible. Chad smirks at Veevi, and his arm wraps around behind her, patting the side of her leg. Veevi slyly smiles at Tassilda, and her short haired tail flicks over on Chad's shoulder. Laying on the long couch nearby, Trakenthin momentarily breaks from playing a game on his aetherphone and mumbles. "Did not see any of you haul equipment. Set up tents... Be productive."
A flurry of tense words echo out and bleed into the air space of the dining area and kitchen. Modoran peers over the open refrigerator door, pauses a moment to listen, and shakes his head with rolling dark blue eyes. Examining the two flavors of bottled drinks in his hands, he bites his lip hesitantly and indecisively inspects the other flavors in the fridge. With a sigh, he closes the door and quietly sneaks towards and up the stairs. Another outburst of arguments resonate up the stairwell, and Modoran cringes momentarily. Glancing back down the stairwell, he sways his head in a fit of annoyance and walks calmly down the hall. Stopping next to Deedri's room, he slowly approaches the door, places his long, pointed ear near the door, and waits in near silence. Moments later, he cautiously knocks on the door. "Hey, Deedri?"
From the other side of the door, Deedri's voice calls out over a muffled activity. "Oh, uh, come in."
Turning the door knob, Modoran opens the doorway and glances into the room. "Hey, hope I'm not interrupting anything."
Sitting cross legged on her bed, Deedri shakes her head and motions Modoran to come in with a smile. "No. Not at all. Come in..."
Narrowing her auburn eyes, she wrestles down a sneer of her upper lip. "And, close the door, please? I don't really want to hear them right now."
Pulling the door closed, Modoran walks into the modest bedroom. He surveys the various medical texts and neatly laid out equipment on the nearby desk. Stepping towards the bed, he holds out both drinks to Deedri with an embarrassed smile. "Sorry, but I didn't know which one you'd want. Take the one you like the best."
Deedri blinks back to awareness of her surroundings, glances between the two choices, and leans over, happily grabbing one bottle from Modoran. "OH! Thank you! I'm actually a bit thirsty, so perfect timing."
Modoran shrugs nonchalantly and opens the other drink container. "Well, you've been working on paperwork for quite some time. So, I thought you might want something."
A shameful sigh escapes Deedri, and she averts her gaze from Modoran, hanging her head. "Actually, I finished all my paperwork back in Hattan. I just..."
Twisting a grimace on her fair face, she motions towards the direction of the living. "Well... Needed a some time away from-"
The muffled voices of Chad, Tassilda, Trakenthin, and Veevi resound upon the bedroom door, fainting seeping in along the wall against the stairwell, and fade out with the waning squabble. Modoran nods sympathetically and groans, eyes shifting away from the doorway. "Yeah. I completely understand. Had to sneak away myself."
Mustering a weak smile, Deedri scoots over on her bed and pats a clear spot for Modoran. "They've been really... strong willed... since the geist attack."
Modoran settles to a seat on the bed and laughs with a hint of derision. "You mean full of shit."
He watches Deedri roll her shoulders to a slouch and slowly drink her beverage. With a frown, he gazes at her with obvious concern. "Okay, you really need a break badly. You need to get away from this bullshit drama for a bit. I wish I knew where you could go to be free from them..."
Bouncing his glances around the room, he curls his frown with a bit of paranoia. "AND the crew."
Deedri releases a long sigh and shakes her head of loosely braided back multicolor hair, blankly staring down at her legs. "Gods... I can't even go to the forest without a chance of being followed anymore."
After a long swig of his drink, Modoran hums in thought, and his eyes search his mind. "Well, if there was a place they literally weren't allowed to go... But, you could..."
An idea springs to the front of Deedri's thoughts, and her auburn eyes open wide. Her head lifts up and some of her stray long red, blonde, white, and tan hair tosses back over her shoulders. Reaching over to a nearby nightstand, she grabs her aetherphone and swiftly swipes through recent items. With a press on an entry, a guild notice appears, detailing a request for volunteers at the Amaranth Valley Medical Center. Deedri bites her lip, struggling with a rush of emotions. "MAYBE... There IS a possible place."
Perking up, Modoran leans over and peeks at Deedri's aetherphone screen. "So, where would that be?"
With a wavering smirk, Deedri contemplates out loud, her long, fluffy tail wagging. "I could volunteer at the local clinic. The local guild office put out a request for volunteers to assist, since a lot of staff got brought in to Hattan."
Her furry, tufted ears droop, and she sighs. "But, it's only voluntarily. And, my public service requirement quota is very little right now."
A sly grin creeps across Modoran, and he chuckles with a mischievous tinge. "WELL... Does anyone else know those details?"
Pausing in thought, she glances over to Modoran and returns her attention to the phone display. A plotting smile creases her mouth, and she drums her claw tips upon the thick rubber case on her phone. "Um, no. But, how do I convince everyone to let me go work there for a few days?"
With a scheming aura, Modoran lifts an eyebrow at Deedri and cranes his head over, gazing at her face. "Not everyone. Just Chad. I mean, how generous and noble of HIM would it be for HIM to support a fellow party member in their profession? And, for HIM to facilitate the medical mage in providing assistance to the local community in their time of need? I mean, what a wonderful service for HIM and the Flames of the Phoenix to make possible. "
Deedri slowly turns her head and gazes upon Modoran's dark bluish gray face and his dark blue eyes. With a toothy grin, she gradually nods, wagging her long tail. "You know, I think I get where you are going... Could you help me practice saying the right thing, the right way to Chad? I want to see if I can convince him later tonight."
Modoran smiles brightly, winks at Deedri, leaning forward off the bed, and rests his drink bottle on the floor next to the bedpost. "Of course. But, I need to check my tablet in my room. It hung on an update, and I'm trying to see if it finally worked through it."
Deedri smiles excitedly, slides over to the other side of the bed, and unzips a large fabric case. "Thank you, so much! I'll start typing up the answer back to the guild, so it's all ready to go."
The bedroom door opens inwards and Modoran steps out, pulling the knob quietly behind him. Turning immediately towards his room, he moves quickly, near silently down the hallway. He slips swiftly through his door into his room and out of sight. Around the corner of the wall leading to the stairwell, a pair of pink pupil eyes glare harshly towards Modoran's room and shift towards Deedri's. Veevi's fuzzy ears lower, and she grits her sharp teeth. Tossing back her pink hair, she drags a faint groove into the wall with a sharp fingernail. Her eyes drift back towards Modoran's room, and a wicked smirk forms. She slinks down the hallway to her room.
Samantha stares out through the windshield of the Next Adventurers of Nexus crew van. Gritting her teeth in sheer irritation, she maintains a low, annoyed tone towards the person on the other side of the aetherphone call. "So... What you are telling me... IS... that we aren't allowed to step foot on even the SIDEWALK with camera equipment?"
A stern voice resounds through the earpiece’s speaker, and Gerald glances over from the driver's seat and watches the developing twinge in Samantha's face. With a long groan, Samantha sighs heavily, shakes her head in defeat, and rolls her hazel eyes. "NO. It's FINE. Yes, we understand. There's no need to contact the guild about this. You have a... Nice... Day..."
Firmly pressing the end call button on the display, she tosses the phone onto the front dash and runs her fingers through her brown hair with an aggravated growl. "GODS DAMMIT. We can't go in. In fact, if we EXIT our vehicles with camera equipment, they will file a HUGE complaint with the guild."
She plops her head against the headrest of the seat and glares out ahead. "So, we'll just have to record what we can from the vehicles."
Rolling down his window, Gerald nods understandingly, retrieves his camera from behind his driver's seat, and braces himself upon the door frame. "Okay. We'll get a few shots, and let the editing guys do their magic. I'm sure they'll be able to stitch something together with a few good clips."
Samantha sinks into the passenger's seat, twists a sneer, and picks up her clipboard. "It'll have to do. What the hell prompted her to do this? GODS, I can't stand the fact that we already can't put a camera in her room."
Shaking his head, Gerald aims his camera towards Chad and Deedri standing on the sidewalk a few meters ahead. "Again, as per our legal department, no recording devices where personal party medical information may be stored and/or reviewed by a medical professional. Howard has explicitly told me to follow that rule..."
A flit of memory contorts his face, and he sighs. "Especially after THAT last lawsuit."
Just to the side of the black sports utility vehicle, Chad stands on the sidewalk, in front of Deedri. Presenting his trademark bright, white smile, he spots the camera coverage nearby and clearly speaks. "Deedri, I hope you have a nice Wednesday at this fine clinic. Thank you again, for trusting your party leader and giving me a chance to support your esteemed profession. I trust your efforts will bring goodwill towards the Flames of the Phoenix."
Deedri dons a nervous smirk and bows slightly. "I'll try to do my best, Chad. For you, and the Flames of the Phoenix."
Chad gazes over Deedri's white doctor's coat, neat black scrubs, professional identification badge, and hair tightly braided behind her head. Moments later, he notices a few large, imposing clinic security staff approach the crew vans. Glancing over at the argument between crew and staff brew, he gazes at Deedri with a genuine smile and calm tone. "By the way, I just wanted to say you look amazingly proper and professional. If what you did in Hattan is any measure, this clinic should be delighted to have you. I would be surprised if they didn't request us to bring you back in the future."
Deedri's furry, tufted ears perk, and her eyes spring wide open with mild surprise. She smiles and graciously nods with her appreciation. "Thank you, Chad. That's very nice of you to say. I- Thank you."
Tilting her head towards the entrance, she takes a step away. "Well, I need to check in at the main desk."
Chad proudly stands tall and grants a nod to Deedri. "Of course."
Deedri walks a few meters away, turns around briefly, and gives a final wave. With a smirk, Chad returns the gesture and eyes the simmer confrontation between show crew and clinic security. From the confines of the front passenger's seat in the cab of the sports utility vehicle, Veevi leers through the windshield with hands supporting her head, seductively lifts an eyebrow, and gives a long sultry wink at Deedri. With renewed purpose, Deedri speeds quickly across the sidewalk and through the automated doors of the Amaranth Valley Medical Center. Passing through the entryway, she releases a long, slow sigh of relief, spots the front desk, and quickly approaches it. The man at the desk glances up and nods. "Welcome to the Amaranth Valley Medical Center. How may I help you?"
Deedri unclips her badge and presents it to the receptionist. "Yes. My name is Deedri Preetta. I'm a medical mage volunteering from the guild."
The man takes the badge, inspects it briefly, guides an edge of it through a scanner, and returns it to Deedri. "Oh, excellent! I'll inform the head doctor. Another guild medical mage started yesterday to work on her quota, too. I think she went to the bathroom, but she should be here soon."
The man picks up a phone and dials a number. Blinking in thought, Deedri contorts her face warily. A particular possibility arrives in her mind... And, presents herself in reality. Aristespha walks up to the front desk, notices the man on the phone, and shifts her attention to the fvalian woman next to her. Deedri and Aristespha turn towards each other. Exchanging awkward gazes, both remain silent in utter surprise for long, tense seconds. Aristespha musters the situational awareness and assembles some kind of greeting towards Deedri. "Oh. Well. I did not expect to see you here. I assume you are working on your quota, too."
Surprise still keeping her auburn eyes open wide, Deedri nods slowly. "Um... Yes. I thought it would be an appropriate time to assist this clinic."
Aristespha acknowledges the statement, searching uncertainly for an appropriate response. Pausing in thought, she draws a deep breath and gradually dons a professional, stoic demeanor. "As did I. It is good that we share a common interest. I do hope we both can benefit from each other's skills and experience during our time working together."
Witnessing the shift in Aristespha's demeanor, Deedri briefly cocks her head to the side. Moments later, her posture straightens, her expression calms, and Deedri meets Aristespha's stare. "I actually look forward to working in the same environment with you and hope we both can be of assistance to the other."
The man hangs up the phone, and notices both Aristespha and Deedri together. "Oh, good. You both are here. The head doctor is down this hallway in the diagnostics and general practice wing. She should be expecting you."
Aristespha and Deedri exchange glances, both nod to the receptionist, and move down the directed hallway together, rigid and uncomfortable.
Laying on the dark gray blanket on his bed, Modoran props up his tablet upon his chest with one hand and slowly maneuvers a dagger through the fingers of his other hand. An instructional video plays on the display with the audio just rising above the quiet of the bedroom. Modoran nods his head slightly on his pillow, quietly mumbling to himself in a dialect of evuukian. Pressing the on-screen pause button, he glances over to his knife twirling hand and meticulously works through the steps, paying careful attention to each motion. Step by step, he mimics the blade exercises from the video, and reenacts the maneuver cautiously a few times, speeding up each flurry of motion. Modding to himself satisfied, he taps the play button and studies the rest of the video.
Minutes later, a light knock on the door sounds out into the room. Modoran freezes briefly, blinks in confusion, and ponders a moment. Furrowing his brow, he mouths out his bewilderment in evuukian. He places his tablet on the pillow, rests his dagger on the bed, and slides off the top to his feet. Curiously approaching the bedroom door, he listens close for a moment and turns the knob. The door opens inwards, and the suggestively posed Veevi stands confidently just outside the door frame. She flutters her eyes, tosses back some of her pink hair, and firmly grips both sides of the doorway. "Hello... Modoran."
Modoran glances down at Veevi, quirks a bewildered eyebrow, and eyes towards either side of the hallway. "Hey... Veevi. Um, if you are looking for Chad, I have not seen him lately. He might be outside with Trakenthin, or maybe doing some personal interview with the crew?"
Grinning sharply, Veevi hoists a dark pink eyebrow at Modoran with a low giggle. "Oh... I'm not looking for him. I was actually looking for YOU. I wanted to see if we could do some... Training."
A smug smirk graces Modoran's face, and he snorts, hinting towards dismissive. "Well, if it is more stealth training. I am certain we could do some hide and seek, today. I will even give you all the head start you need to find a good spot before I find you."
With mischievous glint sparkling in Veevi's eyes, she suggestively pushes through Modoran into his room, softly raking her fingers across his tight shirt covered chest and dragging a coiling tail over his upper legs. Sauntering through the room, she surveys the average, modest contents, and locks her attention upon the blade on the bed. With a playful, sultry grace, she wanders over, seats herself near the knife, and glides herself upon the sheets to a revealing pose. She runs her fingers up the handle, slides a sharp nail along the blade, and lightly taps the point. With a devious, hungry gaze towards Modoran, she touches the tip of her finger to her lip, and exaggeratedly licks it. "While hide and seek has been... Fun. I was thinking something more... Personal. Physical, even."
A strong surge of unease and discomfort floods up through Modoran's body. Struggling, he suppresses a nervous twitch in his eye. "Uh, sure. I guess you want to learn more about knife fighting? I do have some spare training blades..."
A reserved smile pulls across Veevi's mouth, and she stretches herself out on the bed top with a playfully disappointed sigh. "I guess that would suffice... For now."
Spinning herself around, she slowly places her feet on the floor and gradually lifts herself up, presenting her figure in the most overt fashion. With each step towards the doorway, she sways her hips, hands firmly upon them. With an evil grin, she purposefully brushes against the utterly perplexed Modoran, slows her progress across his body, and drags her tail intrusively behind. In the hallway, she pivots with a suggestive wink to Modoran. "So... See you in an hour out in the backyard?"
Modoran rigidly nods once with a blank face and empty tone. "Sure... For the knife fighting training."
Veevi struts away, a plotting, sinister smirk growing upon her face with the distance between Modoran and her. Carefully closing the door securely, Modoran takes a few steps away and reflexively shudders. His body twists and flexes in a mix of disgust and horror, ending with him pressing the fingertips of both hands on his temples. He shakes his head and mumbles a strong expletive in evuukian repeatedly, dropping his hands dramatically. Vainly attempting to blink off the horrified stare, he subconsciously brushes off the intangible filth upon his shirt.
Bach plants his feet, steadies his stance, and aims the plasma pistol at a steel plate target in the distance. He waits for the wind blowing across the taller grasses on the side of the ranch style house to still. With a gentle squeeze of the trigger, the contacts within click, and the plasma bolt launches out the barrel. The orb of energized gas flies straight over the field and impacts the lower corner of the metal target, unleashing a concussive cloud. Bach sneers his upper lip, glances at the pistol, and holsters the weapon. Crossing his arms, he hums in thought and pivots in place towards Cideeda. "Okay... I'm lost now."
Furrowing his brow, he gazes down at Cideeda and frowns with his frustration. "I can't tell if the sights are off... OR, if I didn't get one of the accelerator stages aligned right."
Awaiting a response, he does not receive one. An amused smile grows on Bach, and he watches Cideeda quietly voice an incantation and methodically gesture through a simple spell. Joy fills her light brown face, and she watches a small bright orb remain steady for a number of seconds over the palm of her hand. Moments later, it dissipates gently into streaks of magical miasma upon the breeze. Cideeda gazes in pure delight at the energy drifting off. Her furry ear flicks over towards the idle quiet around Bach, and Cideeda glances over. Wrestling a bit embarrassment, she nonchalantly plays off her prior distracted moment. "Oh, um... Yes. It all, um, depends on how far off from the target you are."
Her emerald green eyes frantically search for more information, and she sighs with the failing facade. "So, how far off were you, again?"
Lifting an inquisitive eyebrow, Bach chuckles and shakes his head. "Still figuring it out?"
Cideeda rolls her eyes at herself, crosses her arms, and shrugs her shoulders. "Well, I... I know I'll eventually get used to it all, and this will seem like boring, trivial things to do. But... right now..."
She smiles brightly and nearly hops in place. "I just find it SO AMAZING and COOL."
Bach catches Cideeda's contagious grin and laughs. "Don't worry. It actually never gets old. You just find new aspects to explore and try out. Sort of like Legends of Nexus."
Pausing in thought, Cideeda curiously eyes Bach with a wary gaze. "So... You mean you find some new army you want to try out of curiosity, take the time to learn the rules, and then spend a ridiculous amount of money to get everything you need to put it together? While you may never even get a chance to test it out on the field?"
Fighting a hesitant, agreeing nod, Bach sighs and shrugs his shoulders with his hands out to his sides. "Uh... Yeah, actually. But, I mean, it's still fun to explore it."
A giggle escapes Cideeda's smile, and she retrieves a practice focus from her shorts pocket. Holding it in her hand, a green glow gradually climbs up the encircling magical inscriptions on the wooden stick, and she narrows her stare. "Still so much more to go..."
Bach quirks his brow, and a sly smirk pulls at the corner of his mouth. Pointing to the practice focus, he summons up a persuasive tone and idly taps upon his holstered plasma pistol. "You know, there's a number of other effects that can be imbued in those wands and focuses... I could easily alter that focus with one."
Cideeda's furry ears perk at the change in Bach's cadence, and her eyebrow arches over her focused emerald green eyes. "Really? Could you give me an example?"
Bach extends his hand out towards the distant steel plate target. A small few millimeter wide pellet of magical energy condenses at the tip of his pointed finger. With a brief flicker of blue in Bach's eyes, the tiny orb flies off at the hanging metal, impacts with a soft steely ring, and puffs into a faint magical miasma. Cideeda slides her focus away from the pellet and settles up Bach. Presenting a calculating smile, she briefly glances at the holstered plasma pistol. "I think I MAY be interested in that."
She flicks her stare up at Bach and narrows her attention. "BUT... At what cost?"
With an exaggerated sigh, Bach hums in faux contemplation and gestures towards his plasma pistol. "Oh, just a small price, really. Let's say, just a friendly shortcut to diagnosing the problems I'm having with this."
Cideeda dramatically acts out her playful deliberation via exaggerated body language, nods carefully, and hands the magical focus to Bach. "I believe I can accept those terms."
Bach takes hold of the wooden stick and waits, both Bach and Cideeda gripping the magical focus. Wagging her long, fluffy tail, Cideeda perks up her furry ears and grins mischievously. "You've been counteracting your adjustments between the sights and the last accelerator stage. You should have gotten a laser bore sight to check the weapon sights..."
She holds up a claw tipped finger to Bach. "THEN, you should calibrate the accelerator stages."
Cideeda lets go of the magical focus, places her hands on her hips, and grins toothily at Bach with an amused pose. "I was actually curious how long you'd go back and forth, before you'd ask me for help."
Shaking his head, Bach grumbles to himself and sighs out his embarrassment. "Gods dammit. Of course, it'd be something that simple. Oh well...
He nods appreciatively to Cideeda. "Thank you."
After a loud snort, Cideeda laughs, combs her claws through her short mix of brown, white, tan, orange, and black hair, and flicks her long, fluffy, tufted tail. "Oh, don't feel too bad. I'm very impressed you got the rest of the stages aligned correctly so quickly."
Rolling his eyes at himself, Bach directs his gaze at the magical focus in his hands, a blue glow illuminating his face. "Okay. I won't feel too terrible about it then."
Cideeda steps closer and attentively watches magical flows twist, turn, and warp around the wooden stick in Bach's hands. Wonderment captures her completely, and she stands fidgeting in anticipation. Minutes later, the magical flows settle and the wooden focus rests down in Bach's open palm. He presents the artifact to Cideeda with a proud grin, elaborate wave, and an embellishing voice. "Behold, your first specialty wand. It's a finely crafted Wand of Really Minor Mage Bolt!"
Maintaining a tight smile in face of the corny, goofy display, she shakes her head and grasps onto the newly minted wand. "As if it wasn't obvious that you've played quite a few late nights at the tabletop."
Bach relaxes his shoulders, chuckles at himself, and smirks. "I know. Just couldn't resist the opportunity."
Scanning around the area, he squints towards the front of the house. "Hey, do we still have any cans or bottles in the recycling bin? The metal plates aren't bad targets, but there's just something about plinking cans and bottles that make this spell A LOT more fun to use."
Cideeda turns herself towards the front of the building and walks casually in that direction. "We should. It seems like the county collects the bins whenever they feel like it. I swear we need to call the landlord and ask what the deal is with that."
Bach follows behind Cideeda and surveys the tall grasses, pushing a path through the long blades. "By the way, are we responsible for the lawn care or does the landlord do that?"
Stopping in place, Cideeda examines the overgrown lawn, scratches the back of her head, and uncertainly grimaces. "I, actually, don't know."
With a thoughtful hum, she directs a plotting voice at Bach. "I think I might have to check to see if any of the people at Steve's shop have a lawn mower and want to make some money."
A sly smile emerges on Bach, and he eyes Cideeda. "Make sure to ask the Legends of Nexus players."
Cideeda shines a toothy grin up at Bach and chuckles darkly. "OH, those are THE first ones I'm going to ask. Miniatures, paints, and rule books don't buy themselves."