Aether Shanties RP (PM if interested/Started)

[Cybele]

"I'm sure you'll get the hang of it eventually, or end up dead. I've seen too many new recruits die. Even if you're not on the frontline you can still get your body blown in two by a cannonball. If you'll excuse me, Roy, I think I need a breath of fresh air. "

Roy was taken aback by the captain's bluntness. "Sure, don't let me keep you," he muttered after a few moments had passed, even though Beth was already out of earshot by then.

Roy had been well aware of all the dangers he might face when he decided to join a pirate crew. Still, Beth's words had been disconcerting. 'And so what? We'll all bite the dust sooner or later, why worry about it NOW?' he thought, frowning, and continued to drink the horrid wine and sulk.

"...okay? You look a bit troubled."

Roy jumped from surprise and very nearly fell off his chair when someone suddenly stuck their face in front of his.

"The hell? Ever heard of personal space?" he grumbled, his words slurring together quite noticeably by now. Roy looked the man over, trying to decide what they might want or who they may be. The man seemed to be a few years older than him, which didn't say much, and he was quite well dressed, but then again almost everyone at the party was.

"Something you need?" Roy asked when he finally concluded that he'd be unable to conclude anything about the man in front of him, at least not while as drunk as he was.

 

[Terratina.]

Vaso soon grew bored of eavesdropping alone at the table.

After the two made their exit, he just sat there, leaning on his elbows with both hands underneath his chin. But now, he got up and began to wander around the room, inspecting the other patrons of the party with a beady eye. Soon he spotted another gentleman with the same suit as him. In response, Dr. Roque casually buttoned the jacket up, hiding the waistcoat. The gentleman seemed to be eating some of the food available and looked like he was one of the Neo-Victorians here. The encounter with the Neobedouin taught him why other Neo-Victorians avoided the tribal bunch. And beneath the sound of the hub-bub, it looked like this was more a culture-clash that an actual celebration. Hopefully this gentlman would be more hospitable. Vasco tapped him on the shoulder and greeted him despite his lack of social grace when to came to matters outside of the operating table.

"Good evening. Enjoying what this celebration has to offer?" He asked.

 

[Evrant-Knight]

Garrett could hear the fleeting remnants of the conversation between Adrianna and the rather drunk sounding woman as he moved about the other patrons of the party. Those wings of the other woman looked familiar, he had heard of an infamous Misbegotten with wings, but he couldn't remember her name. Was it Bridgette? Bethany? Bailey?. He cared not for the moment, but he would make a note to keep an eye out for her in the future.

As he pondered the woman's identity, Garrett had finished off the remainder of his food, and handed the plate over to a passing servant. Thinking that a drink would help warm him up after heading outside, he sauntered up to the bar, whilst gently humming in time to the music that was playing.

Upon his arrival, Garrett noticed an array of people had taken up spots along the bar, most of them engaging in conversation with another. Drustan and Annis were busy having an argument amongst themselves regarding the class system and social order of Imperial society; whilst George looked as though he was trying to strike up a conversation with a man drinking something that looked rather peculiar, but wasn't having much luck. Garrett also happened to notice a man wearing a finely tailored black suit with blood red colored piping, along with a black waistcoat and white neckerchief and shirt. The man certainly looked like a Neo-Victorian, but something about him didn't feel right, but perhaps that was the drink getting to him. He soon found a spot at the bar in amongst the assembled group.

"Ah, evening everyone. I trust your all enjoying the party so far?" Garrett asked in a friendly sort of manner, before turning to the barman that came to meet him.

"Listen, I know this may seem like an odd request, but could you do a mix of bourbon, spiced rum, and ginger beer please; on the rocks as well." The barman gave him an odd look, before reaching down to grab several bottles from underneath the counter, and began mixing them into a cocktail of sorts. After adding in a couple of ice cubes into a tumbler, he poured the finished drink on top, which had a rather appealing golden color.

"Here you go, sir."

"Thanks." Garrett said as he took the glass and had a sip from it, breathing a sigh of relief at the cool taste of his drink.

 

[hiei82]

[HEADING=2]Adrianna[/HEADING]

"Oh, do you fear that the rain might make you wet?" the troublesome woman said; everything she said seemed as if it were designed to irk her. None-the-less, she let it slid. She was going to respond, saying something along the lines of "Hardly" when the woman took her outstretched hand and kissed it, running her tongue across it in the most disgusting of manners; thus killing the response in her throat.

"My name is Beth, and my crew will also by travelling east. But no storm or heavy weather will rock our ship, you'll see." she said, a level of arrogance in her voice far beyond that of most drunkards. Adrianna retracted her hand, her eyes narrowed, and wiped it off with a handkerchief. It was as she was doing this - and wondering if the woman had some disease she should be concerned about - that the woman's last sentence rang a bell.

"...Beth..." she'd said. She wasn't from Helium City, she was a Misbegotten with wings, and her name was Beth. there could be little doubt - the woman was Winged Beth, Captain of the Mermaid, and killer of 26 of her crew. Adrianna's blood began to boil at the thought of the woman. It was only because they were at the Helium City gathering that she restrained her desire to challenge the woman to a duel for her unholy crimes. That a pirate was even welcome at the party was a disgusting turn of events.

Adrianna kept her loose smile, doing her best not to reveal her knowledge. Then she began to speak in a slow, measured pace. "You shouldn't underestimate the weather... Beth. No matter how strong a ship is, how well trained her crew, or how powerful her tools, the power nature can bring to bear cannot be so easily fought. You can push back mother nature, you can ride it out, fight back, and perhaps even win once in a while, but nature will always destroy you in the end if you aren't vigilant, careful, and damned lucky all the time." she said, her smile turning to a slight smirk. It wasn't hard to see that Adrianna, despite her words, wasn't talking about the weather.

"In any event; what takes you east Beth? I can't imagine you'll find many things worthy of your time to the east - aside from Everglade or some of the Skycities anyway." she asked, more in an attempt to change the conversation before her wine overcame her better judgement.

 

[blaze96]

Samuel looked at the man as he spoke to him after holding up a finger to silently request the time needed to swallow the last bite of his meal.

"I have partaken in much of the festivities. Though admittedly it has been a long time since I have had Neo-Victorian food. Also it is nice to meet a man of good fashion sense." Samuel said jokingly as he extended a hand to the man.

"Samuel Garland. Please, feel free to join me. I wouldn't mind a bit of conversation actually."

 

[Sehnsucht Engel]

Beth grinned as Adrianna wiped her hand off with a handkerchief. At best she would have considered sleeping with her once or twice, before putting a leash around her neck and passing her off as a slave. Surely, some would pay handsomely for an imperial prostitute, and someone had to break it in.

"You shouldn't underestimate the weather... Beth. No matter how strong a ship is, how well trained her crew, or how powerful her tools, the power nature can bring to bear cannot be so easily fought. You can push back mother nature, you can ride it out, fight back, and perhaps even win once in a while, but nature will always destroy you in the end if you aren't vigilant, careful, and damned lucky all the time."

She just continued grinning. "Luck. Ha! I bet that is how you managed to get this far without crashing a ship, certainly can't be skill, now can it? Nah, they ain't got that among imperials in the first place, so they can hardly teach it to others." Beth placed her hand across her own mouth, and wiped away the grin. "Mother Nature is just another starved slut, and I'll ride her like the rest of 'em."

Just like Roberts had taught her, but he had described it more eloquently than her.

"In any event; what takes you east Beth? I can't imagine you'll find many things worthy of your time to the east - aside from Everglade or some of the Skycities anyway."

"Ah well, it's more northeast, really. I am not that interested in returning home. I just told myself one night, "Beth, you have to fly north and brave the skies there. There will be something worth it waiting for you at the end of the journey," then I passed out on the floor of a tavern."

She managed to keep herself from laughing, because it made her sound insane, and yet, that was pretty much exactly what had happened.

"I suppose you won't tell me why you'll be flying east, even if I asked." Piece of shit imperial She thought to herself, and frowned, before continuing. "Though I might need to lift some of the rules, if we ever meet again. Some of us have powerful friends, which they'd rather not anger by assaulting... those of lesser importance."

 

[Floris2123]

The man responded to his question, by almost falling out of his chair and grumbling "The hell? Ever heard of personal space?" Now that George was quite close to the man, it was obvious that he was a bit drunk. "Something you need?" the man asked suddenly, making George return to reality.

"Not really. You just looked bored, and I am bored as well. So I just figured I would try to strike up a conversation." He then looked at the barkeeper and ordered a beer. He turned back to the man and put out his hand. "My name is George Maelstrom, what is your name?" He asked as he was handed his beer by the barkeeper.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

"Ah, evening everyone. I trust your all enjoying the party so far?"

It was the same Skyfolk who had been on the receiving end of Eddie's tirade earlier; and who had been partaking in the rather intimate dance with the Imperial Admiral. While Zach despised any and all collaborators with the Empire (especially those of Neobedouin and Skyfolk descent) and could have happily picked up where Eddie left off, he also saw an opportunity that he would be a fool to miss.

This man may have been with the Imperials, but he certainly wasn't one of them. If the general attitude of Imperials towards Skyfolk wasn't enough for Zach to make an educated guess at that, then the uncomfortable, slightly guilty way he had responded to Eddie was. It was clear that there was only one Imperial to whom this man gave allegiance, an Imperial who was clearly not cut from the same cloth as the rest if she was harboring a forbidden love or lust (it made no matter which) for a Skyfolk. This Skyfolk could be privy to all sorts of information, even if he didn't fully know it, not least whether the Imperial crew had turned up to this Gala with a Chuno Ggun agent in tow; and his status within that crew, most of the brass of which likely resented his presence among them, made him far more likely to spill what Zach wanted.

This was a rare opportunity, and Zach wasn't going to pass it up.

"It's a little muted for my taste, but it will serve." Zach replied cheerfully, as the Skyfolk had finished ordering his drink, and took up a place next to him at the bar. "I'll have the same." he said to the barman.

"It's Garrett, right?" he asked the Skyfolk politely as he waited for his drink "I heard you talking with Eddie earlier. You'll have to forgive him by the way. He's pleasant enough, once you get to know him. Unfortunately, like so many others, he's got his head wrapped up in old hatreds."

While taking care not to overdo it, Zach had altered his speech and gestures to appear ever so slightly tipsy. The less reason Garrett had to see him as a threat, the better. Making his affiliation to Eddie known was inconsequential. Garrett had a keen and watchful eye not unlike Zach himself, smart enough to know that behind the pleasantries, they were in a pit of snakes. Any attempt by Zach to pass himself off as a neutral would paradoxically create more suspicion. Besides, this was Helium City, where (supposedly) people could speak freely.

Zach drink arrived, and he tried the taste. He took care to take in less of the alcohol than it might look from watching him. He might act the fool, but Zach vowed to be the sober one during this exchange.

"An inspired choice." he said, nodding his approval to Garrett. "I love this city, it's so... refreshing. I say we make a toast, to neutral ground!" he continued, raising his glass in Garrett's direction.

 

[Cybele]

"Not really. You just looked bored, and I am bored as well. So I just figured I would try to strike up a conversation." the new arrival said and then turned to the barkeeper to order something, giving Roy enough time to figure out what had just been said. Damn but it was getting bothersome to lip read. He should probably stop drinking but a few more glasses wouldn't hurt, right?

"My name is George Maelstrom, what is your name?" George asked and held out his hand.

"Well in that case we can be bored together," Roy said merrily and vigorously shook the other's hand, "I'm Roy, pleased to meet ya."

He poured himself another glass, sloshing a tiny bit onto the bar, flicked a feather out of the glass and then quickly drank it in one go. There was no getting used to that drink so the quicker it went down the better.

"Cooking accident?" Roy asked jokingly, pointing at George's missing finger.

 

[Evrant-Knight]

"It's Garrett, right?" The man in the black suit asked as he ordered the same drink that Garrett had. "I heard you talking with Eddie earlier. You'll have to forgive him by the way. He's pleasant enough, once you get to know him. Unfortunately, like so many others, he's got his head wrapped up in old hatreds."

"Indeed, the name is Garrett. Well, given my conversation earlier with him, I don't think I shall be making a friend out of Eddie anytime soon." Garrett said bluntly as he took another sip of his drink.

"I love this city, it's so... refreshing. I say we make a toast, to neutral ground!" The man said as he raised his glass in Garrett's direction. Thinking that he might make a new friend from this party, Garrett raised his glass as well.

"To neutral ground, and all the pleasures it may bring." Garrett said politely as the brought their glasses together before taking another sip. He definitely felt good now, maybe the positive effects of alcohol were finally kicking in.

"As I was trying to say to Eddie earlier, I came here tonight to enjoy myself, to bask in the spirit of the occasion; not to get bogged down in the arguments regarding the fragile relationship between the Empire, and pretty much everyone else. But I guess if someone has such a deep rooted grudge, it can be hard to simply let it go. Sure, me working for an Admiral, and by extension the Empire has probably painted me as the enemy, and I don't deny that; but when the opportunity arises, sometimes you may have to take the fall." Garrett said, sounding a little melancholy as he took another sip; before his smile soon returned.

"But enough about that for now, since that it is not why we are here tonight. So, why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself?"

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

'Well, if the fruits of Empire could be found between your Admiral's legs, I'd have half a mind to turn my coat along with yours, although I take it that the troops don't all get their fair share.' Zach thought to himself behind his smile.

"Call me Zach." he replied to Garrett's inquiry "I'm a novelist, of sorts, only my stories are just for me, and I don't make them by putting pen to paper. You see, why should I spend my time scratching away in a dark room about the wonders of life, when I could be out there in the middle of it?" Zach swept his arm across the landscape to accompany 'out there'. "Everything you need for a good story is already made for you. Adventure, romance, glory, danger, deceit, betrayal, war, redemption and reconciliation. It's all there, just waiting for you to tie the pieces together, provided you're made of the right stuff."

It was the sort of embellishment that took all of Zach's easy, poetic confidence to pull off without sounding ridiculous, but he knew a romantic when he saw one, and Garrett couldn't be any more the 'hero' if he was followed around by a bard playing the lute, telling tales of his humble beginnings, his daring deeds, and the star-crossed love that could never be. Had Zach not needed to take advantage of his increasingly inebriated state with flattery, he would have laughed in his face.

"Indeed, you said it yourself. 'Opportunity', and all the masks it wears, is what's important. The pursuit of it, the way we throw ourselves head first into it, and the struggle against obstacles that hold us back from it. These are the things that make the world turn. I've been in a lot of fights Garrett, for a lot of reasons, and sometimes it seems that everywhere I turn I find people who try to turn their opportunity into your 'duty'." He gave a short laugh, in open mockery of that last word. "They try to make you fodder, the background of their story, one more rung in the ladder they'll climb to reach their ends. From one side to another, the dialogue might be different, but the motifs remain the same. What these people don't understand though, is that it takes more than just making those around you small to be a giant.

There are some though... people like us, if I may be so bold, that choose their own path, and write their own rules. We may pay lip service to their formalities, but our true loyalties are personal, beyond their reach. We play their games for as long as it suits us, but in the end we take what we want; and the more impossible, the more outrageous, and the more forbidden our want's are, then in the end it's all the sweeter."

Zach had learned long ago that good liars are a myth. It's the masters of the half-truth you need to watch out for.

 

[hiei82]

[HEADING=2]Adrianna[/HEADING]

"I suppose you won't tell me why you'll be flying east, even if I asked. Though I might need to lift some of the rules, if we ever meet again. Some of us have powerful friends, which they'd rather not anger by assaulting... those of lesser importance." the woman said, giving up some information in the process.

"They're headed Northeast - not unlike us" Adrianna thought to herself, now a bit more worried then she had been. If they were headed in the same direction, the two ships would invariably cross paths again - giving them ample opportunity to kill each other. And, if they were even headed for the same, vague destination then... it was a troublesome problem without many solutions.

It did however have a response - leaving Helium as soon as possible. If this was going to be a race, then they would need to capitalize on their situation as quickly as possible. They were set to sail in the morning, but leaving tonight seemed a better option.

"I'm afraid you're right; I can't tell you - Imperial orders you understand. But I can tell you this; I won't be lifting any rules - ones you like or otherwise. I wish you luck on your journey." Adrianna replied stiffly. She was done with the conversation and though she didn't truly wish the pirate Captain a good trip, Adrianna wasn't going to sink to her level of uncivilized, vitriolic venom.

She was however, slightly petty. As Adrianna put down her glass of wine to find the rest of the crew, she added "Oh, and long live The Empire."

Now where in the hell was Exeter?

[HEADING=2]Exeter[/HEADING]

"Are you ready?" Exeter asked the cloaked Ggun officer on the roof of the building across from the party. The man - Lt. Com. Ring - held a rifle in his hands and was crouched on the ground and out of sight. He checked and rechecked his gun, ensuring it would fire when needed and would hit his target the moment she appeared.

"She'll be exiting soon enough, just keep an eye out for the missing arm." he said, giving the Lt. Com. the last of the details regarding his target. Soon, their would be one less problem to deal with. "Don't worry; soon she'll be dead and our problems will be over." the man said coldly as he laid the gun to his side to warm his hands for a moment. He turned around to check his escape route. A ladder was tied to the back of the building and a horse stood tied to the back. Whether the shot was a success or not, the escape route was clear and ready.

Nothing would go wrong.

Exeter smiled as he made his way down the ladder and back to the party, content that everything was going according to plan.

 

[deathbydeath]

"Have you ever been to the common areas of an Imperial city, Mr Cynwrig? The people there don't feel hatred. They barely even feel contempt. All they feel is tired. Tired and sad. And those that don't? They love the empire as much as the nobility do, if not more. They know no other life and the world outside is strange and dangerous, filled with things they don't understand. It's not that the Empire is foolish enough to think rebellion is impossible. It's that the Emperor was intelligent enough to ensure it. Even most of the nobility don't know what it's like beyond the walls of the cities."

*pneumatic hiss*

"Tyrannous? I'd disagree. Necessary? Probably not. Invincible? Frankly, damned close."

Drustan pulled at the collar of his shirt, as he was fairly certain the temperature was rising somewhere. "Well, that's where you're wrong first, as you either are invincible or you aren't; there's no middle ground to be had there. Secondly, in regards to your previous point, I'd say that you're cherry-picking examples there. Sure, there are more than a handful of poor folk swearing up and down with the Empire, but the greatest threats are often external. Callous disregard of outsiders and blatantly xenophobic arrogance are some of the quickest ways to earn oneself a knife in the back, and all your size and power changes is the size of the knife needed to stab you with."

Drustan, very much feeling a heat now, picked up something chill and iced off the bar, taking short sips rather than downing the entire thing. "I apologize if I'm being too 'unpatriotic' or whatnot. I'm happy to camp with the Navy and all; the missteps of Imperial foreign policy just irk me severely.

Say, have you been feeling a kind of heat recently? I ask because I'm not sure if somebody's burning down the building or if I just had a really bad drink this evening."

 

[Evrant-Knight]

"Call me Zach." The man replied, finally giving a name. "I'm a novelist, of sorts, only my stories are just for me, and I don't make them by putting pen to paper. You see, why should I spend my time scratching away in a dark room about the wonders of life, when I could be out there in the middle of it?" Zach then outstretched his arms to symbolize what he meant. "Everything you need for a good story is already made for you... It's all there, just waiting for you to tie the pieces together, provided you're made of the right stuff."

"Indeed, you said it yourself. 'Opportunity', and all the masks it wears, is what's important... I've been in a lot of fights Garrett, for a lot of reasons, and sometimes it seems that everywhere I turn I find people who try to turn their opportunity into your 'duty'." Zach then gave a short laugh after saying that last word, as though he was mocking it.

"They try to make you fodder, the background of their story, one more rung in the ladder they'll climb to reach their ends. From one side to another, the dialogue might be different, but the motifs remain the same... There are some though... people like us, if I may be so bold, that choose their own path, and write their own rules... and the more forbidden our want's are, then in the end it's all the sweeter."

"I guess your right Zach, there are always those who want you to follow their story, to bask in their artistic vision, and to force you into making a choice that deep down you don't want to make. And when the storyteller sees that your standing up to them, that your fighting back against the choices that are laid out before you, the ones that don't make sense or fit with the continuity, they'll try anything to appease you. For some, this will be enough, but for others, they'll continue to fight back.

I believe someone once said that 'nothing is true, everything is permitted'. To say that is to say that the foundations of society are fragile, and we must be the shepherds of our civilization; it is also to understand that we are the architects of our actions, and we must live with the consequences, whether glorious or tragic. The path I chose Zach, I believe it to be the best one for me; in fact I think my little chat with Eddie earlier is an example of one of the more tragic consequences of my choice." Garrett said with a short burst of laughter as he took another slow sip of his drink, wanting to savor the taste.

"I can sympathize with the forbidden being the most sweetest, its always the most succulent of fruits to taste. One that you can always see, but its just out of your reach."

 

[Sehnsucht Engel]

Beth

She picked up the glass the woman left behind, and drank what little was left in it. Long live the Empire. She thought to herself, and pocketed the glass. I will make you choke on those words, and mix them with some broken glass.

However, if they did meet again, Beth would prefer if the woman was kept alive for a while. It would be a pleasure to crush the spirit of a stuck up imperial *****. She stayed put, and did not wish the woman luck, even if she was the one who could not fly a ship without it. She wondered why he had asked her to come here, and wished he had been there to tell her the reason.

Wilhelmena

They watched the admiral return inside after talking with Beth. She supposed that it had gone better than expected, as the admiral returned without any noticeable scars or wounds. While she might want to leave the party as soon as possible, it was hardly necessary to rush.

Wilhelmena handed Remmington an envelope beneath the table. "Just give it to her when she leaves." She said, and thought that she would miss Helium City. "I suppose it will be difficult to contact the others when I get back in the air."

"Well, take the automaton with you at least, then you won't be in this alone." Remmington answered her. "He could come in handy, if something were to happen."

Wilhelmena smiled and nodded, then the president got up and left her, to talk with some of her other guests instead.

 

[Terratina.]

"...Samuel Garland. Please, feel free to join me. I wouldn't mind a bit of conversation actually."

Vasco shook the hand and stated his name in return, "Vasco Roque." The comment on his 'fashion sense' did stir up feelings of embarrassment that tempted him to shirk away, to the more secluded areas of the establishment. But at least this fellow was not arguing schematics. For Vasco, there wasn't any divide of sides. Just other people who got into fights who he had the responsibility of patching up. No more, no less. Sure, people could argue that he was deluded, however, how could a pirate argue the virtues of freedom when that pirate used his - or hers - to inflict pain and misery on others? The Empire was taking a stand against such behavior, and that was enough for the doctor. Nevertheless, that was enough thinking about the previous encounter.

"As long as it does not turn into argument, yes?" Vasco replied, "There are too many here as it is."

 

[blaze96]

"I'm not much of the argumentative type. Though it seems my compatriots are more than willing to do so. Good thing I will have what I need to take care of them once one of them does something to get themselves hurt." Samuel said, more to himself than Vasco.

"But please feel free to sit. So what is it that you do? I myself am a sailor and doctor, though before you ask I do not sail or doctor for the Empire any longer. The Empire and I didn't quite see eye to eye on how medicine should be practiced. I preferred not just their traditional medicine but more experimental or untested theories in conjunction. The Empire disagreed and so I left." He said with a smile, there was no real hint of malice in his voice. He treated it as if it were a simple cause and effect, in his own mind it was much the same as a bone was broken so you put a cast on it to let it heal. However he knew that whether he was an imperial doctor and sailor or not could in fact determine whether a party-goer wanted absolutely anything to do with him, so best to get it out of the way.

 

[Terratina.]

"...The Empire disagreed and so I left."

Vasco sat down alongside Samuel while he went on about his profession and whatnot. It was curious, indeed. From Samuel's testimony, it sounded disturbing familiar. The stunning of newer practices, the urge to conform... Dr. Roque could easily see the parallels, but, unlike Dr. Garland, Vasco would never leave the vestige of civilization that was the Empire. Not by choice, anyway.

That talk of 'experimental' theories interested him more than the political side of Samuel's story, however. Seeing as the gentlemen was being quite open about his past, he decided to pursue that avenue further. But, for the sake of fair play, not without giving the other doctor a taste of his story was well.

"I happen to be a doctor who is still with the Empire." Vasco joked, then he took a deep breath and picked a knife and felt the blade, "It is a fine line; isn't it?" The doctor set the knife down on the table, almost precisely where it was before and quickly changed the subject back to Samuel, "You speak of 'untested' theories; if you do not mind, please tell me of them... I understand if you wish to keep them to yourself, but my interest is not lost that easily."

 

[blaze96]

Samuel smiled a bit once the talk of theories came up.

"No no I don't mind sharing at all. I'm not a doctor looking for some award that only comes with being first or for some political allegiance. If it perhaps helps you save or improve a life then that is what is important, and why I left in the first place. I've been working on three things recently. The first is a possible connection between scents and overall healing and survival rates. It is hypothesized that the smell of our work spaces actually hinders the patient's ability to heal. So what I have done is actually masked the scent of the common antiseptic and blood with scents known to have a relaxing and calming effect. It seems to be quite effective at decreasing recovery times.

The second I have been working on is the connection between the mind and the body, as well as the importance of the doctor-patient relationship. I have started becoming something of a ship's therapist alongside my normal duties, reading up on the subject of course. Focusing on overall health of the patient rather than just curing sickness and actually working on a positive and charismatic bedside manner so as to make them feel more at ease. I've actually been able to make far more detailed and complete medical records with this method than when I was a Imperial doctor.

The last is probably the most interesting to a doctor like yourself. I have been working on a surgery to connect a fully articulate prosthetic arm and hand to the nerve endings and musculature of the site after amputation. While prosthesis currently exist this is a new method designed to completely replicate the way the arm used to move. The surgery was actually one of Skyfolk creation and with luck it could greatly increase quality of life for all those with a prosthetic." He gushed slightly. It wasn't often lately that someone was interested in his work, and especially one who he knew could actually understand every word of what he said.

 

[Terratina.]

"...The surgery was actually one of Skyfolk creation and with luck it could greatly increase quality of life for all those with a prosthetic."

He asked, and a stream of answers came his way. The first two were just an application of the placebo effect. Hospitals and sick bays were unnerving places for many and it was a simple case of remove the smell, remove the negative associations, remove the fear, and replace with happiness - which was a key part of well-being after all. Same with the other one, if the patient see the doctor as a trusted friend, then a lot of things became easier. He nodded, a holistic approach was a good approach. However, somehow Vasco could not imagine Annis or Exeter responding in a positive manner to that approach.

But the last one was the most interesting... and most disturbing. If prosthetic got that to that level of replication, then soon development would ensue and with that, prosthetics that would be more effective than the flesh-and-blood limb would come into the world. Dr. Roque had no objections will replacing parts with mechanical equivalents, or using mechanical parts to rectify a problem - just look at Annis. But, he had always made sure that the mechanical parts were as unintrusive as possible. The body was a perfect biological machine, who was he to throw a wrench in the works?

"Yes; indeed." Vasco began, "I have worked with prosthetics myself... and other related things, so there is that. Regardless, I can foresee many difficulties you may have with attaching the mechanical limb. Tell me, how do you plan to overcome them?"