Clothing hunting for an old, ambulatory, lizard-girl-maybe-thing turns out to be harder than first expected. Scrubs won't fit her elongated torso, shorter legs, and thicker tail, so Envoy had to go out shopping! It took several stores before envoy found clothing that would possibly fit Elsa, such as a lined coat made for a Naga with a split partway up its back that may work for her tail. Pity it's bright green, but no one will notice, right? Sometimes sacrifices have to be made for something with battery-powered heating for the colder nights.
Shoes were easy enough to find as Elsa's feet are still roughly human-shaped, so Envoy bought her something that sure looked warm; fuzzy and thick 'mukluk' style boots! Alas, pants were difficult due to her odd leg structure, so Envoy just had to settle for a long dress that could be cut open for her tail. All in all, the outfit is quite the fashion disaster but at least it ought to be warm.
By the time Envoy has returned to the hospital, Elsa ascended from her lair and showered at Envoy's request. She smells significantly better - less lizardy-lactic-acid and other damp cave smells. Her opinion of Envoy's clothing suggestion was diplomatic, but it is obvious years in a cave hasn't completely removed her fashion sense. Still, she does put it on and the pair finally leave the hospital and head towards down-town where Icarus is supposedly seeing the movie with the strange Eeee, Violette. Supposedly she'll be able to meet Walter there as well; that was the agreed meeting point should they get separated.
Night has fallen, which does spare Elsa from too many stairs as the odd couple walk down the streets. Mutters, though, do occur and both of them can catch comments like 'alien', 'freak', 'monster', and things even less polite by the mix of humans and other 'pure' species out and about in the shopping and entertainment district. Even the few Naga about tend to give Elsa a narrow-eyed look of disdain. Abaddon sure isn't as integrated as Sinai.
"People have not changed; they still hate what is different," Elsa mutters to Envoy as they walk. She finally pulls her coat hood up so that she doesn't have to see their looks at least. "Is there anything I should know before we get there?" she asks Envoy. "Should I just be introduced as a friend?" Even with the rasp of semi-reptilian vocal-cords there is nervousness present.
"Well, honesty may be simplest," Envoy notes. "He isn't likely to think of you as a monster. Violette likewise should take things in stride. The twins.. well, they should be used to it by now, honestly."
"Used to the fact I was directly responsible for the death of their relative?" Elsa asks as one side of her brow ridge arches up slightly. "I am not sure that would be wise."
"They wouldn't know that," Envoy points out, then pauses to think. "I suppose it would best to wait until they've gone home though. I'm sure they'll report whatever they see to their father, Born-In-War."
"Likely. They are an orderly, rigid, species," Elsa agrees. Up ahead it looks like the movie is just letting out. Walter is quick to spot since the crowd hasn't exploded out of the theater yet (it is just the initial trickle). Few people here wear a Victorian top-hat along with a grease-stained long coat.
"Ah, there's Walter! He's an Exile, from another universe," Envoy explains. "But he's human and speaks Expedition Standard. I'm sure he'll be interested to meet you!" She then waves to try and get the man's attention.
It takes a few seconds for Walter to see Envoy. He lifts off his top hat and waves it at her! It takes him another few seconds to make his way over to Envoy and her odd companion. When he realizes that the lizard is with Envoy, he blinks. "Ah ... do stores now offer a wear-it-home-for-you service? I hope you didn't pay too much for those, they look, ah ... colorful?" he says, trying to sound polite about it.
Envoy blinks three times. "Oh, they aren't for me," she says, finally realizing what Walter meant. "This is Dr. Elsa Daedalus. Icarus's.. mother.."
"Elsa, this is Walter Thorndike the Third, Gentleman Adventurer and Inventor," she then introduces.
"Pleasure!" Walter says and bows with a flourish. "And thank the great gods of science that those aren't for you, truth be told they look ..." It's now the human's turn to blink, then asks, "Did you say his mother?"
"I am one of the primary genetic doners, yes," Elsa admits as she dips her head slightly in greeting. "I was human once. Please forgive this grotesque body; I needed one that would not age and deteriorate rapidly."
"I think Icarus and the girls are still in the theater," Envoy notes. "It wouldn't be prudent at this time to let the Silent-Ones twins know this is Dr. Daedalus. I could probably claim she is a Jingai from Sinai though."
Thorndike twirls his hat, then places it back on his head. "I could claim she is a friend from the Celestials," he offers, "Since many of my performances have been there. A visiting emissary from Sinai, perhaps?" To Elsa he adds, "And dear lady, you are not grotesque in the slightest. Beautiful in some aspects."
"Jingai come in many forms," Envoy explains. "Technically I suppose she counts as a Shiga. But saying she is visiting from Sinai solves many things, and is nearly impossible to verify or dispute."
"You could also claim she sprouted from your horn and that would be impossible to verify too," Thorndike offers.
"Is he sane?" Elsa asks Envoy.
"For a human, yes," Envoy notes. "But there are lots of Jingai on Sinai, and people here may be familiar with the term at least. And this way I won't be asked to produce another person from my horn in demonstration."
"Can you produce people from your horn?" Elsa asks.
Envoy has to think about that for a moment. "With some preparation, I could produce golems, but those aren't really people," she explains.
"That was great!" squeaks a very high-pitched voice back towards the theater. Sure enough, a purple-splotched Eeee hanging on Icarus' arm can be seen squeezing out of the crowd. Icarus actually looks like he had a good time, too. A far cry from the terrified reaction he had earlier.
"Hm. So your horn has complete cellular structure, then? Can it be harvested for stem cells?" Elsa asks.
"That is a complicated issue," Envoy tells the lizard-woman, then perks her ears. "And that is Violette's voice.. and there she is, with Icarus," she points out.
"He's so grown," Elsa says in almost a whisper. Her scaled, well ... claws, wring together a bit nervously. "Sure, I could approximate his final appearance through progression and aging estimates .. but to actually see him..."
"He's quite sharp and a lot of fun. A little confused with some things, but he doesn't seem that much different than children I've known," Walter comments. "Has the making of an adventurer, I wager."
"He's still just a young teenager," Envoy points out, keeping watch for the twins.
"He's eighty years old," Elsa notes. And sure enough, the two Silent-Ones now appear in the crowd. Their lanky build, height, and well, masks, make them easy to spot.
"I'll go let them know I'm here, so they can go home if they want.. but I may have to get them ice-cream too," Envoy warns, before heading toward the children. "Did you all enjoy the motion picture?" she asks.
Icarus and Violette wave at Envoy as she approaches. "Yes! It was full of explosions and these people called heroes. Apparently a hero has to wear a stupid, skin-tight suit," Icarus explains.
"You could see everything on them," Violette whispers to Envoy.
Envoy blinks at the Eeee's extra detail, wondering just what sort of movie it was now. "I prefer leather myself, but I've been heroic in regular clothes too," she notes. "Did you have more plans for the evening?"
"Food!" Violette chirps. Icarus just shrugs a bit. "It's easier not to argue with her," he admits. "Are all mages bossy?"
The two Silent-Ones slink up behind the children silently, of course. They also sign in tandem to Envoy, "Greetings. They behaved. There was no attempts at courtship rituals."
"Only when they reach Master level, usually," Envoy says. "Except possibly for Mind Mages. Anyway, what would you like to eat?" She also looks to the twins to see if they are hungry as well.
"Bugs?" Violette requests. Poor Icarus looks a little ill at the suggestion. The twins shrug in tandem; seemingly okay with whatever happens next. In the distance Thorndike and Elsa wait patiently.
"I don't think they serve bugs here," Envoy points out. "But.. they probably have meat. Do you two know of any good places to eat?" she asks the twins, and gestures to Walter and Elsa. "An old friend will be joining us. She's from Sinai."
"Oh, hey, its a lizard person!" Icarus comments. "Jingai," Violette corrects and lightly elbows the hybrid.
"Raw or cooked food?" The twins ... yet again sign in tandem. It's probably creepy to normal people. "Or both? We know a place where you can cook to your tastes."
"Both I think," Envoy says. Cooked to taste sounds the most practical, after all.
"As you wish. We will go make arrangements. Will you be here? We can send a taxi to pick you up," the twins sign.
Envoy thinks about that. "One of you should come with the taxi, just to be safe?" she asks. "I do not trust strangers in cars offering me a ride."
"It will be so," the twins sign. The pair then twirl in a small dance around Envoy, Icarus, and Violette, then slink off into the crowd.
"They're really odd," Icarus comments as the twins depart.
"They are going to make reservations for us at a restaurant.. of some sort," Envoy explains. "Then one will come back with a taxi for us." She waves to Walter and Elsa.
Walter and Elsa finally walk over. Elsa waves one claw slightly and says in an obviously forced calm, "Ah, hello there, Icarus. Envoy has told me a lot about you. I've been looking forward to meeting you."
"Really? She didn't tell us she had another friend here," Icarus says as he sticks out his hand to shake her claw awkwardly. "Nice to meet you, though!"
Elsa looks on the verge of tears while Icarus is shaking her hand. That's not the interesting thing that catches her eye, though. She spots an odd glint on the rooftop of a nearby building. There's something small and reflective up there.
"Excuse me," Envoy says, and then spreads her wings. "Icarus, be prepared to defend everyone," she whispers, and then also internally commands: synchronize.
"Defend? Against what?" Icarus asks as he turns his head to look at Envoy. The what is answered pretty quickly. There's the sound of a muffled pop and Icarus jerks forward a couple steps. The hybrid blinks a few times and his legs start to wobble. Elsa doesn't seem to notice the wobble, though. Her eyes are wide as she stares at Icarus in horror. A stain of liquid is spreading out across his chest from beneath his shirt. The smell that hits Envoy is one she recognizes from when she rescued him ... it's his blood.
"Mom?" Icarus forces out as sudden exhaustion enters his voice, his eyes on Envoy. Before he can say anything further, his legs give out and he drops to his knees, his hand slipping from Elsa's. There's a gaping hole in his back; he's been shot.
"NO!" Envoy screams, and tries to get her crystals to activate! "Amplify!" she sings to the crystals. She needs a surge of magic! Barabas's stasis-transformation spell has to work, she thinks.
Elsa's scream joins Envoy's as she drops to her knees and grabs onto him. "Hold on, just ... hold on. Please," she pleads, "I can't lose you again."
Envoy's arms feel like they're on fire when the embedded crystals in her arms flare like miniature suns with a near blinding blue light! The entire block, maybe more suddenly feels like it has a magic level two to three times Sinai-surface normal. The milling people around them are suddenly screaming and running in all directions away the strange aliens ... which turns out to be good for them as another shot rings out and a chunk of concrete near them breaks off when the bullet veers from its course!
Poor Violette is just standing there in abject horror, frozen.
Walter, meanwhile, is digging around in his jacket as if looking for a revolver or some other weapon to defend them. "Get them to cover!" he shouts.
"Assist me!" Envoy commands Violette, trying to shake her out of her shock. She then begins to sing the ritual, hoping to use Icarus's weakened state to overcome his resistance to magic - but the crystals are another issue. She grabs on to Icarus's hand, trying to link up with his own network so she can change him into hard stone.
Violette blinks. "Yes, yes!" she squeaks out and drops to her knees so that she can assist Envoy. Even an inexperienced apprentice can feel the level of magic in the area now (and unfortunately it's likely so can the Caroban encampment).
Elsa's jaw sets in anger and she now positions herself between Envoy, Icarus, and the building where the shot came. "Cowards!" she scream-hisses at the rooftop. "You shot a child!"
Granite! Envoy thinks, and weaves into the ritual, setting the release key to a particular set of tones that only she can produce.
Envoy's head suddenly feels like it's exploding; she's got a near perfect link to Icarus' crystalline network and the shear amount of information she's in the middle of is nearly overpowering her own ability to think. Just trying to weave the ritual in her mind is becoming more and more difficult as the link to the wounded hybrid increases. She can make out only bits of the information that seems to be streaming about; yet she does somehow manage to latch onto what seems to be communication about the amount of damage Icarus has. Collapsed lung? Two torn arteries? Significant Internal Bleeding?
"Initiate Repair," Envoy tries to transmit into the flow. Maybe Icarus' own substantial healing ability can help! Thank goodness Violette is there to make sure the ritual doesn't implode while Envoy struggles to keep her focus.
"Repair sequence initiated," a voice chimes inside her head, "Metabolic energy levels required for repair insufficient. Dismantle non-critical system? Provide alternate power source?"
"Draw metabolic energy from me," Envoy offers, hoping it's even possible.
Envoy's arms suddenly burn. "Systems not one-hundred-percent compatible. Possible cross-contamination may occur. Continue?" the voice chimes.
"Continue!" Envoy insists. Contamination can be dealt with later, if needed! But Icarus needs to be alive first!
"Confirmed," the voice chimes. The burning changes to absolute agony. It feels like she's being eaten from the inside-out. Icarus' blood-stain begins to glow brightly, as does the gaping wound. It's difficult to see now with both her arms and Icarus' back flaring bright; but she can just make out the edges of the hole in his back contracting inwards. At one point she even spots a severed blood vessel snap back together and knit closed.
Just a little more, Envoy urges herself to resist the pain. She does give up on the ritual though, letting it unwind - there's no way she could concentrate on it through this!
There's truth to that because it's all painful at a level Envoy might classify as having to regenerate half of her entire body all at once if she had to describe it later. When it's at a point she's about to pass out, the voice chimes, "Repairs complete. Cross-contamination detected, but within natural variance. Monitoring will continue for contamination damage to main systems, but estimates is minimal risk." The pain abruptly stops, but now Envoy's limbs feel like jello; no strength and sluggish to respond.
The Aeolun nearly falls over, but tries to let go of Icarus instead. "He's healed," she manages to say.
"How ... ?" Violette asks as Envoy finds herself rapidly heading towards the pavement once she no longer has Icarus to brace her too. The corner of her eyes catch the flash of a muzzle far above. She realizes she does not have enough left in her to do anything more of that hits someone. The air around the upper rooftop suddenly twists violently and visibly compacts, tearing out a huge chunk of the roof in the process and stopping anything that may have been heading towards them. And the source of the burst that did that is soon obvious; two tired, color cycling eyes are glaring up at the rooftop ... and a shaking white-furred hand is extended outward towards it, hand clenched into a fist.
"Icarus," Envoy mutters.. and smiles. He's alive! But her own cellular energy was used to manage it, and she needs to recharge. She just hopes they'll still be able to make it to the restaurant. "We need to move. The Embassy, or.. cover." It's hard to talk now. Icarus is healed, and handling things, though, so Envoy should just rest. A quick nap, perhaps. She closes her eyes, and tries not to think of that bright red blossom appearing on Icarus's chest. That image just makes her feel like getting downright draconic on whoever hurt her son!