Head Over Heals

Once a healer, always a healer. At least until they fix this thing where we can't log out...

Uta
Overworld - 46 - -5 - 0

    A grunty trudges along the road. It pulls a cart packed with crates, with a canvas covering which can sort of work like a tent, whose main purpose seems to shield the payload from the elements, but in a pinch can serve as a makeshift dwelling. A thin Lander man in his late middle age is quietly holding the reins while keeping an eye on the animal. Meanwhile, in the back of the cart, a young Spriggan woman is sitting with her legs dangling down, swinging alternately, a staff resting on her knees while she tries to lift the lid of a crate through whose cracks one can see jiggling slimes making squeaky noises and trying to peer out. "It's nailed shut too well," she sighs. "It's probably for the best..." she tires to convince herself, the phrase immediately followed by a whimper and a longing stare through the crack, extended hands and all.
Shiruba
Overworld - 46 - -5 - 0

One of the benefits of New World Alliance setting up operations in Eastal is the travel routes having more common patrols upon them. One such patrol has crossed paths with the wagon, and while the other outriders survey the nearby forest a certain familiar wolf girl Cait Sith has taken notice of its occupants.

"Well fancy meeting you here Uta." Shiruba greets as she walks around one side. Her left ankle is wrapped to keep it from bending improperly, but she's not about to let some lingering Numbness effect keep her from her duties. "At least I don't have to ask what's in the boxes this way."
Ainkli
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    A burst of Light magic shines off the side of the road as a bulky-armored, religiously-themed Were Fang smites some manner of local low-threat mob. There's a sparkle of light shining upward that leaves rainbow motes afterwards. Spotting the nearby cart's activity, the Were Fang treads over that way, her staff resting on her shoulder, her oversized, spike-crested tail dragging behind her. Ainkli follows along with the pace of the cart, keeping a mildly polite distance for now.

    "Need any help getting where you're going? I don't have anything else on my plate," she says, smiling in a friendly manner, her expression seeming sleepy or sad even then.
Merek
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    Merek was traveling like he often does, while he comes upon the cart and all of those crates. The man wears that dark attire he often does with the beltcape about the waist, in addition to a hood which he pulls back. There's a look to Uta as well as to Shiruba along with Ainkli, "Ah, good evening," he notes.
Uta
Overworld - 46 - -5 - 0

    Uta's fae-like wings, previously flattened against her back and pointing down, spring up in the standard X-like configuration. "Shiruba! It's so nice to see you again!", exclaims the Spriggan with a wide smile. She grabs her staff, leans forward-

    -and stops. She looks down at the crate of slimes. At Shiruba. At the crate. At Shiruba.

    "NO! I must be strong!", she exclaims. She pulls away, arms extended towards the crate with her palms open and her eyes closed. "Do not tempt me, slimes! I must be strong, and privilege meeting with friends over-"

    The creatures make some adorable squeaky sounds. Uta's lips quiver.

    "Mister Carter!", she exclaims, biting her lips in a superhuman (superspriggan?) display of effort. "Yes, Noble Adventurer?" "Deliver... deliver these crates at the established address. Here...", she says, and tosses the man a pouch of coins. "The rest of the payment."

    While Mr. Carter is busy counting the coins, Uta hugs the crate. "Goodbye, my beloved babies. Tis but a short separation, for we shall be together again soon. Fear not, for you shall always be in my heart, until I draw my last breath. You. Shall. Not. Be. Forsaken." She bows her head, hugs the crate tighter, then pushes herself off the cart, staff firmly in hand. she hits the floor and begins running towards the Cait Sith. A new Adventurer appears on the scene, so she waves to him, "Hey, Merek! Care to join us?", and then she turns towards the wolven Spell Fletcher again "So, Shiruba, how are you today?" she asks.

    Ainkli is noticed, and Uta sinks into thought. "Uh... wait. You're right. I... I was going somewhere...", she trails off, as her previous running degrades to a slow walking pace. "...where was I going? And why?"
Shiruba
Overworld - 46 - -5 - 0

The outriders briefly raise their weapons at the flash of magic, but relax when they see the Reptillian Adventurer approach.

Shiruba just shakes her head a little at the whole display as it is pretty typical of Uta. "Wherever you told the nice man to take those slimes? ... And I'm good other than this lingering numbness in my leg from exploring the mystery jungle." Then looks up to the others. "Hello"
Ainkli
Overworld - 46 - -5 - 0


    Ainkli's mouth briefly hangs open upon Uta's words. She isn't sure how to answer a question like that and doesn't want to guess at it, so she's kind of left in a stupor for a moment. It leaves her with this doofy 'blep' expression akin to the dire monster her shape is based off of, staring blankly. "The Landers have been getting their clothing stolen," she brings up once her mind catches up with her, "Maybe that's what you were thinking about? It's been on my mind, too." On that note, she glances among those gathered, scaly brows perked.

Merek is given a brief nod and a smile, as she does know him in passing. The others? Not as much.

    "You're delivering slimes...? Are you running some kind of slime ranch?" she wonders to Uta, pointing off to the cart as it gets further away from them.
Merek
Overworld - 46 - -5 - 0

    Merek seems to think about it, then he nods a bit to the three, "Well, it looks like you could use a bit of assistance," the man notes, then he walks that way while he seems to assist in preparing. "What's new with the slime ranch?" he asks.
Uta
Overworld - 46 - -5 - 0

    "Wait, you're right! My slimes! They are-" She turns to look over her shoulder. "...oh, right! They're being taken to the port. Gotta ship them to the Quick-Feather Peko Ranch." She laughs. "I wish it was a full ranch... but no, I'm just going to set up a slime lab annex to the monster barn. Still, is far, far more than I've ever dreamt of! I am really indebted to Rylen for gifting me that empty room." Her pupils grow one size or two, and she looks at Ainkli, Merek and Shiruba, addressing all of them at the same time. "I'm finally going to have a slimarium! And it's gonna be GLORIOUS!", hunching over, fists clenched, wings fluttering (the Spriggan equivalent of a dog wagging its tail).

    She blinks", and quickly composes herself, wings flattened against her back and pointing down. "Ahem... I mean... I am going to establish a Royal Society for the Study and Appreciation of Gelatinous Creatures." To Merek specifically, she will add, "The current status is 'this close to final opening'. The crates you saw earlier are the final pieces of equipment needed. The only thing missing is a book on Slimology. Haven't been able to locate one yet, but I do not despair. And, well, just missing this is not going to stop me from opening the lab. Such a book might even not exist at all..." She moves to address everyone in turn again. "You are of course all invited to the moderately sized opening I am going to-"

    She stops, hesitates, and flicks her menu open. "...let me send you a friend invite real quick... uh... also let me inspect you to figure out your name...", she says, fingers dancing in the air as she must be navigating her menu (since adventurers cannot see each other's menu and HUD, other people will have to deduce this merely from Uta's movements).

    "...Shiruba!", she exclaims when the inspection overlay comes up and she accidentally glances sideways to her friend. "Do you know you have a <<NUMBNESS>> status effect?" Well, she technically just said it. But this is par for the course for Uta. "Need me to heal you?"
Shiruba
Overworld - 46 - -5 - 0

Shiruba raises a brow. "Stealing clothes? Does Gwen know about this? Sounds like something she'd get worked up about..."

She sighs softly and just takes the belated question as reason to explain. "It was some kind of animate paralytic bramble. Not very potent but the effect has stayed much longer than I expected."
Ainkli
Overworld - 46 - -5 - 0


    A moment's thought, a hand going up to touch Ainkli's chin, and the reptile blushes at something she's imagining while peering up at the air. "A slime ranch does sound kinda cute," she murmurs, her voice almost cracking from the emotional surge that contrasts her more mellow words. Once her HUD pops up with the invite, she lifts her hand to accept it with a similar gesture indicating her messing with her UI, her face alit with an apparent joy -- and yet that look to her eyes still says 'I am emotionally tired.'

    "Is it okay to hug one of the slimes when I get there for the grand opening?" she asks, though her tone suggests she already knows the answer. "I've always liked the slime designs, even the ones that try to eat me. Makes me feel bad when I have to fight them." She glows with more happiness at this. Seems she's a kindred spirit, though not nearly as enthusiastic as Uta is about the subject.

    "I'm an Evangelist, I could try to heal the status effect, if you like," she proffers to Shiruba, as well, but she's not about to force them to accept her help.
Merek
Overworld - 46 - -5 - 0

    Merek looks between the three and nods a bit, "Alright, well I'm glad, you only need to come ask me, and we'll find you a lot of slimes," the man notes, while he takes a look to Shiruba, "I'm not sure that status effect is as curable as the disease," he says.
Setsuna
Overworld - 46 - -5 - 0


    One of the oddest sights one might see was wondering up a road that leads to the coast, it appears to be a human covered in purples spots , which stand out against his sickly pale skin. Setsuna also had a status effect of <<Diseased>> if someone had to inspect him to guess that he was sick. He walks slowly along , using his staff more to help him stand then a simple walking stick. He was trudging along though and would trudge right into the group that was congregating on the road, fortunately he wasn't infectous, he thinks.
    Looking at the group Setsuna would wave and people would notice he was wearing a bandana across his face. Some culture influences die hard, and this was probably one of them. He looks at the faces, some more familliar then others and waves a hello. " Going to the port?" He asked, though its a little muffled.
Uta
Overworld - 46 - -5 - 0

    "Merek, do I sound like someone who says 'no' to more slimes? Keep 'em coming!", she smiles at the human.

    "Animate, you say? Was it the giant insectoid kind? Yellow, black, stinger and all? Flying at you?", Uta asks Shiruba, concerned. "Fought a swarm of them once. Nasty beasts, those bramblebees." She brandishes her staff. "Anyway, let me help with-"

    Stop. Stare at Ainkli's words. Silent stare, poker face, unmoving posture. She's trying really hard to hide any emotion, and it'd be a complete success were it not for a detail.

    Thos wings spring up in the X configuration and flutter excitedly.

    "...I mean, uh... again, it's not a /ranch/. It's just a room inside a much larger Peko ranch with a monster barn. But if you want to help..." She rubs her chin. "I lead a very active and mobile lifestyle, and as much as I would love to spend my whole time in the laboratory, I will eventually have to leave it to perform duties and take care of the Musical Kung-Fu Nursing side of my career. I /would/ need someone passionate, deeply committed, who shares the vision and values of the enterprise and has the drive, reliability and perseverance to make things happen? We could take turns manning the laboratory." She grins. "Benefits include getting to hug all the slimes you wan- I mean... 'generous amounts of bonding sessions with the specimens'. It's for their psychological well-being. Yes. We are an ethical entity." She leans over, "But be careful! Unless you have the Handle Monster skill, they are going to... ah... 'feel spicy'" She nods. "I speak for experience. I don't have the skill myslef."

    As Setsuna approaches, Uta almost chokes in surprise. She turns to Merek. "I agree with you, Merek, I am not sure if Ainkli can cure it..." She turns to Ainkli, "...but we all agree that she can at least try healing Shiruba, right? Worst that happens is that it does not work, and I think someone here needs medical attention more urgently!" Rapid finger gestures swish through the air, and after a medical-grade inspection of Setsuna, she states, "...Monkey Pox. So, it's that season, huh?" She straightens up and assumes an impressively professional tone. "Setsuna, before we proceed with treatment, we need to run a little interview and take care of some formalities. I am sure you will understand, right? So... did you visit any risk areas for Monkey Pox recently?"
Shiruba
Overworld - 46 - -5 - 0

"If one of you can I'd appreciate it. I didn't want to use a potion with how rare they're getting." Then Setsuna arrives and she frowns at seeing he's still inflicted with the monkey pox. "Maybe one of you should take care of him?"

Then continues with the conversation. "Evangelist huh? I'm Shiruba, a Spell Fletcher. Also moderator for the Silver Sword guild, of the New World Alliance."
Ainkli
Overworld - 46 - -5 - 0


    "Alright..."

    Ainkli holds up her staff with one hand and begins chanting to cast a spell, targeting Shiruba first. She goes over various prayers, her voice rolling out smoothly. The spell takes a moment to cast, coming with a slowly-drawn mandala beneath her feet and a build-up of light motes in the air around her. When she's done, she points toward Shiruba, and a wave of soothing, warm light washes over him, trying to dispel the status effect on him.

    "Oh yes, I could commit some time to watching the lab now and then," she tells Uta. "And I can just tank the burning sensation. Evangelist is a healing tank class." She taps her tower shield with her staff. Clank clank. "As long as they don't get so dangerous that I have to fight them, we should be good."
Merek
Overworld - 46 - -5 - 0

    Merek looks between all of the people, and nods a bit while he thinks about it, "That... Was not the best forest to be in," he notes, while he takes a moment to look to the place in thought.
Setsuna
Overworld - 46 - -5 - 0


    Setsuna may perhaps, just maybe , be overreacting, and making it worse then it actually is. Most MonkeyPox victems would simply have the purple spots and feel ill but sure looks like Setsuna just got it worse. Maybe it had to do with the hallucigen that he got around the same time. Maybe it was all in his imagination, then again wasn't most of this. At the suggestion of being healed Setsuna shakes his head, "Oh if you already have patients I am ok waiting my turn. " He didn't want to cut in line or anything. Setsuna does continue to answer the question, " Risky area? I walked into a herd of monkeys and got attacked by them, would that count?" As Merek makes a comment he swivels his head, "You have a great skill in your ability to understate things. The forest wasn't the best, the sword is only kinda evil. One day it will be the sword only kinda stabbed me."
Uta
Overworld - 46 - -5 - 0

    Uta replies to Merek, "Seems like so. Everyone is getting sick after being in it. You sick too, Merek? You need healing?"

    She shakes her head at Ainkli. "I am sticking to low level slimes for now. If they become a nuisance, you can safely pick them up, carry them around, and place them in a jar. If you do so when your HP bar is complete, they will not dock many points and you will be able to regenerate them pretty quickly. Seriously, the thing you should worry about the most is them running off..."

    "No worries, we have multiple healers in our clinic at the moment. We can deal with more than one patient at once!" She taps her chin thoughtfully. "Let's see... threatening group of monkeys... threatening group of monkeys... last I checked it was considered a risk area for Physical Injuries, Kubrick's Monolyth Syndrome, Hand-Eye Coordination Disorders, and... and... yes, Monkey Pox!"

    She flicks her menu open. "You're lucky. Generic potions of healing are becoming rarer and rarer. Someone is hoarding all the ingredients. But the Monkey Pox is cured with a rather uncommon herb which is not an ingredient of the generic helaing potions, so it's still available in satisfactory quantities."

    When she's done navigating, a medical herp shimmers into existence in one of her hands, and three stoppered bottles of clear water, all three held by the neck, in the other.

    "Now, all we have to do, is just make an infusion. Let's see..." She uncorks one of the bottles with her teeth, slaps the plant into the bottle, places the cork back on the bottle with her mouth and slaps it closed again with her other hand.

    Wait! She's tossing the bottle with the herb up in the air?! And the other bottle as well? And the third one?!

    ...oh, wait. She's /juggling/ them.

    "Anyone has any fire magic to spare?", she asks, glancing up at the bottle with the herb in flight. "I'm taking care of ensuring optimal mixing and diffusion, but we need some thermal support here. And I've left the stove and kettle at home..."
Shiruba
Overworld - 46 - -5 - 0

After the healing spell washes over her Shiruba leans on her left leg to flex it a few times and smiles. "That is so much better, thank you!"

"Now you can keep up with us again," teases one of the guild outriders, who had just been watching from the background.

"More like you keep up with me!" Shiruba retorts. "Speaking of, let's finish our patrol. I'll see the rest of you later!" Though as they're leaving she does open her menus to send Ainkli a friend request. Long range DPS can never have too many Tanks to stand behind.
Ainkli
Overworld - 46 - -5 - 0


    Excellent. Ainkli accepts the friend request as Shiruba and her companions depart, smiling again. She seems in better spirits now that she's gotten some connections. She spares a salute with her staff to the departing group, and says, "Wish you luck!" And then she turns to see... ahh.

    Uta is juggling? "I don't have anything for that prepared, I'm sorry," she says, shuffling in place and scratching her head with her staff. "My spell repertoire is pretty limited just yet... lemme try..."

    She waves her staff, and attempts to cast some fire to heat the juggled items. This is obviously something she's not used to, and it goes FWOOM in a great big flash that has her shriek and stagger backward to fall on her butt. Uta may not fare as well, up to and including probably being set ON FIRE.
Merek
Overworld - 46 - -5 - 0

    Merek nods a bit to people, "Alright, I need to be back to what I was doing, you all take care!" he offers, waving.
Setsuna
Overworld - 46 - -5 - 0


    Setsuna watches the juggling obviously impressed. "Fire?" He asks as he opens up an invisible window and begins to flick through screens. "Fire fire fire..." He is still looking for some form of fire spell." He jumps though when Ainkli suddenly burst flames out. " Well seems like you got fire, do you need more?"
Uta
Overworld - 46 - -5 - 0

    "Later, Shiruba and Merek! Let's meet-"

    *FWHOOSH*

    Uta screams at being set on fire, and starts running around in panic. "AAAAH! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! But I cannot stop preparing the medicine... BUT IT HURTS!", she exclaims. It isn't running around in circles, specifically, more like, all over the place, getting close then far away from the various people present, possibly, yes, briefly running in circle around them. She does flah, and her HP bar gets docked accordingly. The durability of her outfit is eaten likewise.

    During all this time, though, she never stops juggling. The medicine must be prepared. Extinguishing the fire by means of stopping, dropping, and rolling can wait.
Setsuna
Overworld - 46 - -5 - 0


    Setsuna looks at the fire all over Uta and begins to chant as he does, " Smother that which breathes, grow cold that which is warm. Snuff out the flame." The flames on Uta would at least seem to be taken control by Setsuna as they die down. Though his choice of spell words might gain him a look. "Can't have the good doctor burn away before her preperation is complete."
Ainkli
Overworld - 46 - -5 - 0


    Seeing Uta on fire is something that has Ainkli's pupils shrink to pinpoints for a second, freezing in terror, but then she realizes the strange lady is taking it pretty well for being on fire. She stands up and breathes a sigh through her nose, and chants, "Heal thou, healing water," with an ensuing magical shine at her feet again, and she swings some water-themed healing magic onto Uta.

    "Sorry about that!" she says soon after. "I didn't mean to do that!"
Uta
Overworld - 46 - -5 - 0

    Flames quenched, nurse drenched, slimes ranched, and bottle launched: Uta decides the infusion is ready, and with a final flourish, she tosses the bottle with the infusion at Setsuna. "Catch!", she yells, before Ainkli's water-themed magic extinguishes the flames, setting the nurse on water. Well, ok, 'setting someone on water' is not valid English for making someone soaking wet, but we'll let it slide for this time. "Take two sips of these after meals and chim me in the morning"

    "It's okay, Ainkli," she whimpers with a genuine smile over her mildly pained expression. "We've all done this. We have been invested with the Powers of the Elements themselves and we, mere mortals, novel Promethei, are still struggling to come to grips with something more fit for the gods than our humble selves. Mistakes are going to happen, it is part of the learning process. As the saying goes, you cannot make an omelette without setting a few nurses on fire."

    She turns to Setsuna, and stammers. "I... I'm just a humble nurse, nothing more..."