[Cal] Personal Costs

Cal gets patched up, and divulges some of the unusual characteristics mako enhancement has given her. This scene kind of put me in a melancholy mood for some reason when I was reading it afterwards (and omfg, flirty!nurse).
Characters: Cal, Airednas, and a bunch of voyeurs.



Traverse Town Inn - Red Room
The Red Room of the inn is as its name implies. Adorned in red with a heavy reliance on the intricate, sinuous patterns achieved by serpentine draconic forms and embroidered symbols of flames, pearls and brush writing. Paintings are displayed on the walls and there are cabinets and tables abound for the storage of personal possessions. A door leads out to the hall of the inn while another opens to a balcony overlooking the alley behind the building.
Obvious exits:
<Out> [leads to 'Inn - Traverse Town']

[Caliah:] The door opens, disclosing the figure of Caliah; without particular ceremony he strides in, tracking dust all over the carpet. He then, strangely, sets about examining the room's contents, pulling back the curtains, opening the door leading to the bathroom, and rearranging a few items of furniture. Choosing a chair, he pulls it against one of the walls, doffing his coat in a single motion and flinging the garment over it. He stands a moment, his back still turned to his companion, evidently unfastening some of his weapon holsters.

[Airednas:] Trailing silently at the SOLDIER's heels, the young woman pauses by the side of the door, blinking slightly as she takes in the room, and it's rather... eye-catching shade of color. A scraping noise snaps her out of her slight daze, and she turns her attention briefly to Caliah, seeing that the SOLDIER seems entirely too obsorbed in his undressing for her attention.

Regardless, she offers him a slight nod, pulling off her battered pack from her back, and sets it down against one of the tables in the room, and disappears quickly behind the door to the bathroom.

[Caliah:] Unclasping the two belts that had been slung about his hips, Caliah sets them down on the single table, making short work of divesting himself of the other, heavier weaponry, but keeping one of the shoulder-slung holsters that contained his pistols. He shrugs off his vest, a clattering sound issuing from it as he tosses it atop the table next to the rest of his personal arsenal, followed quickly by his shirt, leaving him clad only a thin, worn tank. It's apparent, as he does, however, that the SOLDIER is clearly female; whether that was readily apparent to anyone else in the room, however, would be seen in the next few minutes. "I don't believe any ribs are broken," she mutters; whether Airednas had heard, doesn't seem to matter to her, at least.

[Airednas:] The sound of running water echoing faintly from the bathroom, following by the slosh of a cloth before the light squeak of a faulty sink. Airednas emerges from the bathroom, her face and hands cleaned of the layer of dust and grime, and her jacket gone, leaving her clad in her loose shirt, its right side rather shredded from a certain dorky Elementalist's 'help', and dark pants, her boots removed.

Offering a polite nod at the back of the SOLDIER, distracted as she moves to her pack on the table, unclasping her belt as she does so.

"Where are you wounded?" She inquires, not looking up from her searches of the pack.

<OOC> Mahlovian says, "omg"
<OOC> Mahlovian sits and waits for HLS.
<OOC> Caliah says, "..."
<OOC> Caliah says, "look, breasts!"
<OOC> Mahlovian swoons.
<OOC> Caliah says, "Not you lol XD"
<OOC> Mahlovian says, "sob"

[Caliah:] Slipping off the gloves that she'd left for last, Caliah leaves them on the table as she takes the free chair and sets it against the wall, seating herself in it without visibly flinching. Slashes of red, blotted into the fabric of her tanktop, score her ribs along her left side. She waits quietly for the other to finish looking through her supplies. "Ribs, left flank," she answers brusquely.

[Airednas:] "Status?" Airednas calls out again, pulling out a medic kit from the pack as she turns to the SOLDIER. "Any aller... gie... s?"

Trailing off slowly, her gaze first to Caliah's... feminine endowment, then to...the woman's face, caught entirely by surprise, before she clears her throat, flushing faintly with her lack of professionalism, and seeks to amend so with another inquiry, hesitant in seeking eye contact. "Resistance to mako healing, I would assume, ah... sir?"

[Caliah:] "Slightly, so you may have to attempt more than is customary," Caliah answers crisply, having noted the former nurse's lapse with but a slightly arched eyebrow, nothing of amusement in her gaze. She pulls the chair slightly forward, her dog-tags jingling against each other. "Or merely let it heal the traditional way; we've often had to deal with things like this when we were experiencing materia shortages. Such as now, actually. And no, I'm not prone to any adverse reactions with standard-issue drugs."

[Airednas:] Pursing her lips in disapproval at the SOLDIER's lack of regard for herself, Airednas steps closer to the woman, gesturing with her left hand, the roll of materia twinkling with the motion. Her expression schooling to one of cool professionalism as she regards the damaged area, shifting to kneel by the chair, and setting the kit on the floor.

"Pull up?" She asks, finger brushing against the edge of Caliah's tank top.

[Caliah:] Giving a grunt in reply, the pale-haired SOLDIER complies readily, pulling the thin material up with her fingers, disclosing a lean-muscled, if narrow, torso. There's a slight sound of blood and flesh coming away from fabric as the tank is peeled away from her cuts, presenting a sight that wouldn't be easy on those with queasy stomachs. The thin white lines of scars mar her pale skin, scoring the lithe lines of muscle and limb with a faint, silent testimony to many years spent on the field of battle.

Clad in a simple cotton bra, the SOLDIER holds herself still, observing Airednas with her usual detachment.

[Airednas:] Click, the kit snapping open, quick as Airednas plucks out the pair of surgical gloves, snapping them on to her hands, her attention focused to the sight of Caliah's bare flesh, brows furrowing slightly as she attempts to gauge the seriousness of the wound through sight.

"Hmm." She notes to herself, pausing to pluck out a small bottle from the kit, tossing it loosely in the SOLDIER's lap. "Tranquilizer, I'd offer you better for pain-killing, except..." She trails off with a small shrug, pulling out a swab of cotton from the kit, the blob smelling faintly of ethanol, as she begins to clean the wound of blood, and bits of dirt and fabric.

[Caliah:] "Except there are those who aren't exactly in need of it?" The amusement that had earlier been absent from Caliah's voice tinges it lightly, now, her fingers closing about the bottle and placing it on the table beside her. "Not out of pride or stubbornness, but mako has some unusual side effects on different people." Even then her breath hisses out of her as the other young woman begins to cleanse her wounds, skin and muscle twitching involuntarily at the slight pain, though she holds herself relatively still. "There are limits beyond which it just stops hurting. There are distinct advantages, but from a medical standpoint I imagine if I weren't able to feel if my guts were being ripped out, it'd be more of a disadvantage than anything."

[Airednas:] "Well put, Caliah, sir." Flashing the SOLDIER a quick smile, Airednas pulls away from her side, the swab dark with dirt and blood. Pausing to examine the line of gashes, her gaze trailing from the faintly seeping lines of red, to the ivory pale skin, oddly delicate in its wounded beauty, fragile, yet chilling as the owner's iron control.

"Such a waste..." She murmurs faintly, almost to herself. "But." A louder comment, "Luckily, infection has not set in, at least, that I could see." A wave of her finger, her hand raising near the opened wounds, the cure materia glowing a faint green with her softly chanted commands, seeping along Caliah's side with its gentle bath of light, her gaze stilling as the torn skin twists and folds, fighting the spell even as the muscles beneath knit together, loosely.

[Caliah:] Waiting with a patience borne of long experience, only slight fluctuations of her breath belying whenever the healing process sent twinges of pain through her, the SOLDIER gives but a barely discernible shake of her pale-haired head, not clearly understanding, perhaps, the cause for the other's expressed sentiment, her catlike eyes slightly dimmed. "What is a waste? War's part of man's heritage and his nature; it's a shame, of course, we have to lose so much in the process." Her tone shifts, turning slightly acid. "Like life and dignity. How long have you been serving in the military, if I might ask?"

[Mahlovian(#1827)] Mahlovian has arrived.
<OOC> Caliah says, "VOYEUR!"
<OOC> Mahlovian voyeurs!

[Airednas:] The flow of mana ebbing with Caliah's discomfort, the young woman leaning closer to her side, gloved hands, warm upon contact, probing lightly along the SOLDIER's side, her touch light, nevertheless, against the half-healed flesh.

Glancing down to the kit, she pulls out the roll of bandages, ripping the package open with her teeth at Caliah's retort, silent in her duties.

"Everything is, sir." Her reply vague as she sets the roll on top of the kit, and looks up to the glowing violet gaze.

"You're remarkably resilient to mako healing, I did the best I could, sir, if I may suggest patching that place up, and... leave off any straining activities for a week..." She trails off, leaving the last inquiry unanswered, simple in her eye contact with the SOLDIER.

[Caliah:] Only the slight arch of one dark silver eyebrow marks the lack of an answer to her inquiry; the SOLDIER lifts her arm, examining the half-healed wound critically, seeming slightly displeased at the sight her injured side made, if not at the former nurse's last remark. "If I told you we couldn't afford a week," she smirks, "what would you suggest I do? It's...a rather practical question I'm afraid. The Heartless are unpredictable, and relentless...you've seen that much at least."

[Airednas:] A slim bottle from the kit, spraying a fine mist along the exposed side, smelling strongly of medicine, and not a little too cold as they touched skin. "Under normal circumstances, sir." Airednas muses, dropping the bottle into the medic kit with care. "I would suggest an hour or two in the tank, but, given the situation here..." She spreads her hands, her expression rather annoyed as her gaze returns to the wound, patching the disinfected area up as she speaks, her touches delicate against the semi-sealed gashes.

"I could see about mixing something mild in the regular healing potions to clog up the blood, should the wound re-open, but the side-effects of such would be rather dangerous to a normal human's vital organs..." A slight twitch of her lips at the comment, the faint glow of violet barely distinguishable from her half-kneel. "And check the wound often."

<OOC> Caliah sobs and just stitches herself up XD
<OOC> Airednas says, "scream scars! XD"
<OOC> Caliah says, "Cal already has like a dozen sob"

[Caliah:] "Nothing I couldn't handle, but the question would be if you're willing to risk something like that. The scientists at Shinra..." Trailing off, her fingers splaying on the wood of the table, the SOLDIER takes a controlled breath. "Aren't the most ethical of folk, and were rather willing to ah...push the envelope, to put it mildly. But you know that well, I'm assuming." She smiles mirthlessly, observing as Airednas continues with her bandaging. "They're quite proud of their work."

[Airednas:] "The beauty in final achievement." Airednas murmurs, gloved fingers tracing down the edge of the medic patch, light against bare skin. "Ethics have little to do with science, sir." Her tracing stilled at the top corner of the patch, pressing just so to feel the faint vibration of a beating heart, lingering.

"Losses are acceptable, as long as the final goal is reached." She comments again, her head tilting just so as if quoting someone. "I'll start you off with a low dose of injection, sir, and we'll see how that will go."

[Caliah:] "On the contrary, as we remain largely human, our sense of ethics still influences the purpose of science to some extent. " Caliah's crystalline voice, inflectionless and unmoved, seems singularly at odds with her words, resonating through her flesh in a vibration clearly tangible to the nurse's fingertips, regular as the machinery of her heart. "Reality as opposed to an ideal, you could say. Either way."

In a subtle shift, closing in on herself, she leans back, gaze veiled. "Do as you deem best. I'm relying on my own judgement here as well as yours."

[Airednas:] Lips quirking in a wry smile at the cool reply, fingertips lingering at the feel of scarred skin before pulling away, rising from her kneel by the SOLDIER's side, the medic kit snapping close as she turns towards the table, bare feet padding silently across the floor.

"I have done my share of research in ShinRa, specifically, of mako-enhancements on humans..." A slight pause, and she glances back to the SOLDIER, "You could say that I see the fruit of my work."

[Caliah:] Giving vent to a soft snort of mingled humour and disdain, the lithe young soldier reclines further into the chair, long limbs jutting at angles in the confines of a seat a touch small to contain her. "And just what is it you see in that fruit?" she queries coolly, resting a long-fingered hand on the flat, muscular plane of her stomach. "Every scientist will tell you of the marked improvements to the basic human being that each SOLDIER possesses, but you can always accomplish better. There will come a time SOLDIERs will be regarded as obsolete, tools from a bygone era. So long as we don't outlive our usefulness, we have a place in the world, don't we."

[Airednas:] "That's one way of putting it." Airednas replies agreeably, glancing to the SOLDIER once more, her expression hooded. Slim fingers dancing through the pack, before emerging with a small injection gun, and a few bottles of glowy liquid. Eyeing the set for a moment, she sets about in mixing the injections, commenting again with a wry smile.

"Then again, the concept of 'usefulness' is quite overrated, and rather up to personal opinions, is it not?" She turns, the gleam of the needle in her hand as she gestures to the SOLDIER's arm. "As for what I see..."

[Caliah:] The lamplight casts the blond woman's features into shadow as she bends her head slightly at the other's response, extending a pale, sinewed arm; like the rest of her it bore the corded muscle and one or two faded scars. "Not to the company it doesn't. They try to give the impression they can't afford the luxury of choice." Her lack of reticience seems brusque and matter-of-fact rather than bitter or sarcastic, at least on the subject. "Only the best for Shinra, naturally. It may say much about SOLDIERs like myself, but you do wonder about the rest who fall through the cracks."

[Airednas:] Sliding the needle into the pale skin, Airednas watches the tip burrowing beneath, a tighten of her finger, following by a sharp pulse of air, the injection seeping into the SOLDIER's bloodstream, before she pulls out the needle, dabbing at the spot with a cotton swab.

"By the way, this might sting a little." She murmurs, lips twitching a touch as she presses down on the swab, taping it neatly on Caliah's arm. Her gaze shifts from the bare arm, trailing up to the SOLDIER's slim torso, to the curve of her neck, and finally, to stare into the glowing violet eyes. "Perfect." She breathes, a mix between amused and appreciative, before turning away towards the table once more, clearing her throat as she does so. "That should last you the week, enough for your wound to heal."

[Caliah:] Nothing meets the silvery needle's sharp pinprick of pain in her ivory-skinned arm, just the barest spot of red staining the cotton swab; pale and silent but for each calm, measured breath, the Shinra operative appears to affect ignorance of the young trooper's gaze, her stark profile distant and reserved.

When the woman draws away, she rakes a hand through her short-cropped platinum hair, rising to her feet; tensing visibly at a spell of dizziness that washes briefly over her, she manages to keep herself steady nevertheless, picking up the clothing she'd discarded and tossing the ripped tank aside. "Thank you," she utters quietly, fingering the tears in her coat and vest. "I suppose I'll have to go and see to it that this is replaced or mended."
----

<OOC> Ryu shrugs. "Depends on what you want... maybe I am looking at you from outside of the window, hoping for indecent stuff to happen." ^_~ (j/k)
<OOC> Caliah DIES.
<OOC> Airednas says, "AHAHAHAHAHA!"
<OOC> Ryu says, "There are some moments, at which I wished to have a 'cape of invisibility'."

<OOC> Airednas says, "No pants? :D"
<OOC> Caliah says, "I HAVE PANTS :P"
[Mahlovian(#1827)] Mahlovian has arrived.
<OOC> Mahlovian waves.
<OOC> Caliah says, "More voyeurs!"
<OOC> Airednas says, "Ahahahaha. XD"
<OOC> Mahlovian says, "Yes I'm just here to watch xD"
<OOC> Airednas slaps Manwhore around. "Where's my pimp?" xD
<OOC> Ryu points at himself. "Here... now pay up!"
<OOC> Caliah sobs at Aire XD
<OOC> Mahlovian bitchslaps everyone and demands his monies.
<OOC> Ryu firas Mahlovian, telling him that he should not care about monies.
<OOC> Caliah says, "sob street-corner dealer >.>"
[Ryu(#1462)] Ryu has left.
<OOC> Airednas says, "We scared him off? XD"

<OOC> Mahlovian says, "sob help me come up with a desc"
<OOC> Mahlovian says, "so he'll have nice hipbones for cal to lick xD"
<OOC> Mahlovian says, "broad shoulders? slim ones? boney? thick? sob"

<OOC> Airednas says, "Murahahahaha. xDD;;"
<OOC> Airednas says, "sob xD"
<OOC> Caliah says, "I have a bra. Unlike Cali on CoM XD"
<OOC> Airednas says, "It's fine, bra's are sexy."
<OOC> Airednas says, "They make boobies look bigger. XD"
<OOC> Caliah DIES.
<OOC> Mahlovian says, "sob"
<OOC> Mahlovian says, "xD waterbra"
<OOC> Mahlovian honks.
<OOC> Caliah says, "damn voyeur :P"