MERC XIX: Toss a Coin to your Goblin

[Morty]

[Arriving from Skyside]

"I see, I see." Pania nodded. That was all she needed to hear, really. She'd just need to make sure she didn't kill anyone she wasn't supposed to. "Then I think I'll get along here. Assuming this... background check of yours confirms I'm someone you'd be willing to take on, then I shall agree to this deal and work for you."

"We've got some guest quarters. We can set up one for you during the background check, given your... residence situation." Or lack thereof, to be specific. He taps a crystal-studded vambrace on his left arm, which causes holographic images to pop up, hovering in the air. One of them shows a snake-haired woman in sunglasses while the other is a man in a stylish hat whose left ear's tip seems to be made of green stone. "These are our senior officers, Dena Xifhara and Kirk Locke. Dena will conduct your background check, most likely."

[Reinholdt]

[Training Area]

There is no reply.

[Ironsmith]

[Training Area]

...Oh no.

Oh, no.

Siana slips her cane into its hoop and crawls along the fallen rope wall, toward the spot she'd last seen Reina. This wasn't right. This wasn't right at all. She should be celebrating recieving a license by now, not picking her way through a damaged training room and praying to the Lovers she hadn't accidentally killed the proctor.

[Reinholdt]

[Training Area]

There is good news for Siana. Reina can be found and doesn't appear to be dead! The cat has some rope draped over her from the improvised 'net'. It becomes a little clear that the holes being big enough for hands and feet make it big enough for the feline to slip through if she wanted, but if any of it twisted, she could get entangled pretty quick.

So the middling news is that the cat may have been kind of caught? It would help anyone if she just kinda moved a little to see if she was trapped or not.

Because the bad news is that Reina doesn't seem to be all there. Her eyes are so unfocused and distant they may as well be dead. The primary indication she isn't dead is the unintelligible mumbling the feline is doing under its breath. She was not mentally prepared to handle so many visions in one day, this being her first real experience with the Sight aside from the moment she received it.

Reina broke, completely overwhelmed by the details of Siana's life.

[Ironsmith]

[Training Area]

That was either a huge relief or exactly the kind of thing Siana would hope not to find. Reina looked to be... more than a little stunned, to put it mildly. Brain damage? Oh Lords, that might be worse than actually killing her.

Siana cuts the ropes around the cat free and gives her a gentle shake. "Miss? Miss, are you okay?" She asks.

[Reinholdt]

[Training Area]

Reina does not respond to mild shaking and reasonable questions! Though she is very soft right now.

Her words become a little more coherent at best, though they are still carried in a solemn whisper. "Killed the frog, broke the dog. Killed the frog, broke the dog. Killed the..."

It's not particularly helpful.

[Ironsmith]

[Training Area]

Siana scoops Reina out of the mess and starts stroking her, not entirely sure what else to do. She was talking; okay, that was a good sign. Nothing she was saying made any sense, though. At least she was showing signs of improvement.

Siana crosses her legs (as best she can) and sets Reina in her lap, petting her gently. She'd probably come around soon, and Siana wanted her to be reasonably comfortable when she did. At least she was going to wake up to a healthy young strigoi; enough time has passed that there's no evidence Siana had taken a nasty fall of her own earlier.

[Reinholdt]

[Training Area]

Such soft warm pets.

If they provide comfort, it appears to solely be to Siana. As time stretches on it becomes more and more apparent that Reina wasn't coming around any time soon by herself. Indeed, she may be getting worse as her words become incoherent once more.

[Ironsmith]

[Training Area]

...This was not helping.

That became more and more apparent as Reina's speech deteriorated again, and Siana didn't have the slightest clue what was wrong or what to do to fix it.

This was her fault. She dropped a freaking wall on this poor kitty, why did she think she was going to be okay?

Siana shakes her head and puts that out of her mind for now. She could pity herself and wallow in guilt later. For now, Reina needed help, and Siana had to find it.

Fortunately, Siana had an idea for how to do that. She stands, mounting Reina on her shoulder, and heads to the door, opening it and calling out:

"Hey! Someone help! We've got an emergency in here!"

That'll get somebody's attention. Hopefully.

[Shadowcaller]

[Training Area]

"Stay where you are." A voice calls out from a small speaker on the camera surveilling the training area. "Medics have been called, just tend to her until they arrive at the scene."

[Ironsmith]

[Training Area]

Tend to her. Right. Okay. Because the nigh-immortal teenager from a family of similarly-resilient vampires is going to have just the best first aid skills. What could she possibly do that would qualify as "tending"?

...

pat pat scritch pat

[Morty]

[Training Area]

A number of medics arrive, along with one licensed mercenary with medical training who was on hand when this happened. Olvisin, to be specific.

"Tell me what happened," she asks Siana as the medics start checking Reina's vital signs.

[Ironsmith]

[Training Area]

Siana takes a deep breath to steady herself. Okay, this was someone in charge. This situation is serious. And making sure Reina got out of this okay was much, much more important than salvaging her chances at getting a license. Her answer was going to have to be honest and complete.

"Yes, ma'am." Siana begins with a nod. "This woman was taking me through a practical examination; she gave me ten minutes to chase her down and catch her." She points to the fallen rope wall. "I got overzealous near the end. I collapsed the rope wall in an attempt to entangle her so I could catch up." She helpfully points to the holes where she'd cut through to free Reina. "This is where I found her, ma'am. She was dazed and talking nonsense."

That should cover the stuff that was immediately important. Siana braces herself for the inevitable follow-up questions; who was she, why was she taking a practical exam, what was she thinking dropping that on Reina, and so on. She intends to answer those questions honestly; that would be the right thing to do. But she needs to be ready for them first. The first instinct of many a teen in trouble is to say whatever will get them out of trouble the fastest, and Siana was no exception. So if she wants to do this right, her first instinct needs to take a back seat.

[Gullara]

In the Hall

I look forward to it, Cantata responds through her phone with a saccharine little smirk, before choosing to finally slip away should Kirk permit it.

[In the Hall]

Kirk watches her go until she turns the corner. Only then does he let a frown colour his face as she turns to continue walking in the opposite direction.

[Demands of Snakes]

Surely.

Astrana soon opens up, having been expecting them, and she's very much not naked. "Senior-officers, you're right on time." She opens the door for them and moves out of the way. Two chairs have been set up in front of her desk, one more than what's usually here Kirk will note. "Please have a seat. I will go through how this ritual will work and then you can ask questions later. Does that sound like a good set-up to you?" It might be a tad awkward considering what Kirk recall doing on one of those chairs. Not to mention in many other parts of this office.

Dena doesn't sit down immidiately, instead she takes a little tour around the office as if looking for something. "Mm... don't mind me. Just go ahead."

Astrana exchanges a glance with Kirk. "Erm, alright, let me start with a question in that case. Wasn't that scholar supposed to join us? Or did I missunderstood you?"

Dena looks to Kirk. "Right, right, she should probably at least observe."

[Demands of Snakes]

Kirk glances at Dena, but then simply takes a seat himself. He shrugs in response to Astrana's question. "She can, but we never exactly arranged for her to be here. I don't think we should delay too long."

[Reinholdt]

[Training Area]

Reina's vitals are slightly elevated, but if she had been exercising for the last ten minutes, that's to be expected.

An outward examination shows no physical contusions or any suggestion that the cat hit her head. Nothing that could be drawn to something heavy or injurious being dropped on her.

Nevertheless she possesses a thousand yard stare and shows zero indication of recognizing the the medics' or Olvisin's presence. No reaction to that light they shine in her eyes and move. Which should be the easiest test for a cat to pass.

[Shadowcaller]

[Demands of Snakes]

Dena seems to consider this for a moment but ultimately shrugs. "Well, she isn't here." She finally takes her seat, perhaps as a gestures of resignation to this fact. "So let's start."

Astrana seems a bit more hesitant however. "Any ideas of why she isn't here? She's technically a client. Would be good sport to at least wait an hour or so."

"Ehh... mind giving her a call, Kirk? If she doesn't answer we'll go ahead."

[Meowmai]

[Arriving from Skyside]

"We've got some guest quarters. We can set up one for you during the background check, given your... residence situation." Or lack thereof, to be specific. He taps a crystal-studded vambrace on his left arm, which causes holographic images to pop up, hovering in the air. One of them shows a snake-haired woman in sunglasses while the other is a man in a stylish hat whose left ear's tip seems to be made of green stone. "These are our senior officers, Dena Xifhara and Kirk Locke. Dena will conduct your background check, most likely."

[Arriving from Skyside]

Pania peered at the holographic image with immense curiosity. Yet another unusual new thing to her that appeared to be completely normal by this worlds standards. The man's odd ear was curious to her, but her attention was quickly pulled fully to that of the woman. She could scarcely believe her eyes. A woman with snakes for hair? She could scarcely believe it. She'd have to try meet this Dena in person sometime, just to observe this strangeness.

Recovering from her bewilderment, she returned her gaze to meet Dipsnig. "Thank you, I appreciate it. I don't think I have any more questions, at least for now. Is there anything else you need me to know?"

[Morty]

[Training Area]

"She has no outward signs of injury," says one of the medics, an amphibian-like person with grey, blue-speckled skin. "She is unresponsive but there's nothing to suggest it happened due to a fall or other impact."

Olvisin looks up at Siana... not quite suspiciously. She's just confused.

"Was she on the net when you cut it? Or did it fall on her?"

[Arriving from Skyside]

"That's about it for now," Dipsnig says as the images disappear. "One of the staff will direct you to your temporary room. We'll speak again soon, once Dena has finished her check."

[Ironsmith]

[Training Area]

"She has no outward signs of injury," says one of the medics, an amphibian-like person with grey, blue-speckled skin. "She is unresponsive but there's nothing to suggest it happened due to a fall or other impact."

Olvisin looks up at Siana... not quite suspiciously. She's just confused.

"Was she on the net when you cut it? Or did it fall on her?"

[Training Area]

"Neither of us were on it at the time." Siana clarifies. "The net fell on top of her."

Apparently, the goblin lady had the same priorities as Siana right now; make sure Reina was going to be okay first, then worry about everything else. That was good. It was easier to answer her questions without the threat of imminent punishment.

She looks over at the lizardman and takes a minute to process what he said. Nothing from the fall or impact? Did... did something else happen, at the worst possible time?

"Wait a moment..." Siana frowns. "When I first came into the office, she seemed kind of spacey. Like, she'd need to be reminded what was happening every so often. I didn't think anything of it at the time..." her brain was already screaming at her, why in Absum's name not?!, "but... maybe it's related?" She proposes.

[Morty]

[Training Area]

"It might be." Olvisin isn't sure, but this is the best lead they've got. "Maybe she was already suffering from some condition before."

"We need to move her into the medical wing for a better examination, then. And to monitor her condition," the Salarian medic declares.

"It seems that we do, yes. Put her on a stretcher and let's get her there. Come with us," Olvisin tells Siana. "There might be more to it that you'll help us find out."

[Ironsmith]

[Training Area]

"It might be." Olvisin isn't sure, but this is the best lead they've got. "Maybe she was already suffering from some condition before."

"We need to move her into the medical wing for a better examination, then. And to monitor her condition," the Salarian medic declares.

"It seems that we do, yes. Put her on a stretcher and let's get her there. Come with us," Olvisin tells Siana. "There might be more to it that you'll help us find out."

[Training Area -> Medical Wing]

Siana nods and obeys. She briefly considers offering to help carry the stretcher; it is, after all, probably still her fault that Reina needs one (somehow). But a quick glance down at her twisted leg reminds her that some things are beyond her, even with the best of intentions.

So she follows Olvisin and the medics to the Medical Wing, trying to wrestle down the anxious thoughts she had about this whole thing. Was Reina going to be okay? Was this still her fault? Had she aggravated a problem Reina already had? What was wrong with her? What were the authorities here going to say to her? Would they get in touch with her uncle?

Her cane rattles against the floor as it shakes in her hand, her outwardly stoic facade breaking down a little more with each step. This was very much not good.

[Meowmai]

[Arriving from Skyside]

With a nod, Pania headed back towards the door. "Should I just wait outside for this staff member?"

[Reinholdt]

[Medical Wing]

A cat being carried on a stretcher is not all that different from carrying the pharoah gods of old. Surely this is the purpose of humanoids in their subservient nature to their feline superiors.

Shame Reina's too out of it to enjoy the situation.

As the doctors are apprised of the situation, the one in charge demands a pun STAT, resulting in someone mentioning a CATscan and carting Reina off to get one of those. Olvisin has a moment to grill Siana if she wishes. The results from the scan will be back very shortly either way.

[Morty]

[Medical Wing]

The medics will take care of carrying the stretcher. Once Reina has been safely moved to the medical wing and a CAT scan is in progress, Olvisin sits down on a high stool. Siana will have a place to sit available as well.

"Tell me about the first time you noticed something was off with her," the goblin says.

[Arriving from Skyside]

"Yes, someone will be right there." Dipsnig inputs something else into his bracer. "Hopefully the background check is quick and we can look forward to a fruitful cooperation."

[Ironsmith]

[Medical Wing]

The medics will take care of carrying the stretcher. Once Reina has been safely moved to the medical wing and a CAT scan is in progress, Olvisin sits down on a high stool. Siana will have a place to sit available as well.

"Tell me about the first time you noticed something was off with her," the goblin says.

[Medical Wing]

Siana looks at the stool, which reaches about to her waist, and groans inwardly. These were... not very handicap-accessible, were they? She could probably still get up there, it'd just be a pain in the butt.

With a sigh, Siana leans against her cane, turning herself so that the stool is directly behind her, and makes a little hop, pushing off the ground with her good leg and cane at the same time, landing on the stool with a clomp. It sways unsteadily from the sudden shift in weight, but Siana is able to compensate by bracing it with her cane until it steadies.

Still hurt, though.

"Right. Okay." Siana begins, resisting the urge to rub at her backside. "When I first came in, she was on her phone. She put it down when I came over and asked for my name. I told her, and then she just... stared off into space for a minute. She seemed surprised I was there a minute later." Siana holds her cane across her lap, wringing it anxiously as she talks. "She spaced out again a little bit later, and when she snapped out of it, she told me she was hungry." Siana subconsciously licks the tips of her fangs at this point, realizing it'd been a while since she'd last eaten, too, even if that was sort of beside the point here. "After that, she seemed fine, until we got to the training area."

[Morty]

[Medical Wing]

"That does sound like she might have been suffering from some kind of cognitive problem already." Olvisin is still unsure, but they don't exactly have an abundance of other explanations. "But I don't remember hearing anything about it earlier, so it must be recent... we'll know more once the scan is finished."

[Ironsmith]

[Medical Wing]

Siana nods slowly, letting out a little sigh. "...I hope she's okay." She says quietly. "We were only in there in the first place because I was being so... so..." She stops, looking and seeing a large insect crawling around on the floor. A roach of some kind, or perhaps a cricket? Gross either way. It must have slipped in through a crack under the door or something.

Quick as a wink, Siana unsheathes her cane-sword, stabbing directly down at the little bug, impaling it on her weapon. With the little thing still twitching, she pulls it up and carefully extracts the blade from it, rolling it around between her fingers. It was still alive, thankfully. Alive enough, at any rate.

Without another word, Siana pops it into her mouth, chewing it noisily. Whatever it was, touching it clearly didn't bother her and she was hungry enough to consider the option.

"Sorry. That was rude, I know." Siana says with an apologetic smile, re-sheathing the sword. She really should have offered to share.

[Reinholdt]

[Medical Wing]

The doctor return with some news!

"Well, what we have here is a case of over active brain activity. This would be considered normal in the case of emerging psychic powers. But we have her chart from two weeks ago when she came in with a concussion that showed none of the typical precursors of such powers. We would have seen increased brain activity at that time if it were a trigger point. Maybe something latent that we didn't see until she shapeshifted? Since she came in a different form last time. Things always get tricky when people are foolishly and recklessly changing their own bodies to suit their needs without thinking about the long term ramifications of their physical and mental health."

The doctor has strong feelings on shapeshifters apparently, especially ones that trigger their own mental breakdowns. They take a breath.

"Anyways, if it was actually psychic powers our Razometer would have detected something and the levels are remaining at zero. So it has to be something else. Anything else, however, is likely supernatural in origin and beyond our capabilities here."

Looking very solemn, they kneel down to look in Siana's eyes, the moment very somber. "I'm afraid all we can do for your mom or sister or pet is put her to sleep." It's her decision.

[Ironsmith]

[Medical Wing]

Siana takes a shaky breath as she listens to the doctor's explanation, her expression equally somber, right up until the end, at which point...

"...What the hell?!" She squeaks, horrified. "Wh- why are you asking me?! I don't know this woman, we met less than an hour ago! I don't even know her name, let alone enough to decide something like... like that!"

This had to be some sicko's idea of a joke, right? Or a misunderstanding of some form. This... this was just too much. There was no way this was real.

But, as it turns out, strigoi panic attacks are. Siana's shaking and gasping and hyperventilating, completely losing her composure and clearly stressed beyond her limit.

[Morty]

[Medical Wing]

On the one hand, goblins eat bugs as a matter of course, so it's not quite as bad as it would be for a human. On the other, it's still unhygienic. Then Olvisin has something else to worry about, though. She glares at the doctor and growls.

"What the- this isn't funny. Stop this right now. If whatever is happening to her is supernatural in origin, we need a specialist." She looks over to Siana. "No one's going to be putting anyone to sleep."