Villain Plot - Spa day?

[esperbuthuman]

Elysium's Resort - a few days after the battle for Flotsam

A slender young girl with long green hair flanked by two stoic guards is carefully wheeled through Elysium. She is looking around in wonder, as if she's never seen anything like this. She's also covered in burns and bandages, and currently riding in a wheelchair. While the guards seem keen to keep her away from people, they don't object too strenuously as she tries to talk, and she seems rather full of questions. There's a certain innocence about her, and she seems to be curious about everything she's seeing. A far cry from how she was in the battle, for those who had the unfortunate task of facing her down.

Comments

[redprayer]

Rezo idly catches the sound of footsteps, of wheels against the street; and then several birds fly off at the approach.

"That's right," he says, a little startled at being addressed. It doesn't sound like someone's here to complain about him feeding vermin, however. So he asks "Do you?"

[esperbuthuman]

"I don't know, they don't really let me do things like that."

The "they" in question is likely the other two presences near the girl - Imperials clad in armor who appear to be serving as an escort. The girl herself is being pushed in a wheelchair, likely out of concern for her current wounded state.

[redprayer]

"Hm..."

He'd caught the footsteps and, listening closer, he notes they sound rather heavy. Is that metal he's hearing clinking together? Will he get himself in trouble with the young miss's bodyguards (that is his best guess for the situation) if he stays in the interaction?

Quite possibly, and yet he still doesn't feel like excusing himself.

He crumples a bit of bread in his hand and stands up, slowly enough to keep the birds from startling.

"Would you like to give it a try while you're here?"

[esperbuthuman]

"M-may I? I wouldn't want to cause trouble..."

The guards meanwhile are chatting in a low voice, they don't seem to be particularly attentive or engaged.

[redprayer]

"What harm could feeding a few birds do?" he says.

Carefully, he approaches her and crouches so that he's closer to her eye level- even if he can't actually make eye contact- and holds out his hand. A few pigeons strut closer and coo inquisitively.

"Here. Be sure that the pieces are small, and then just toss them out where the birds may find them."

[esperbuthuman]

Terra tentatively takes the bread and starts shredding it carefully, scattering it before the pigeons. Her guards take the opportunity to take a break and chat about what sounds like some kind of sports team.

[redprayer]

Rezo takes a step back once she has the bread in hand, to give her a little more space to toss out crumbs. The pigeons flutter a bit and a few fly off, instinctive animal skittishness warring with their greed for food.

However, it isn't terribly long before they sort out that the sitting human is now the one handing out food, and a small swarm of pigeons begins milling about Terra's wheelchair, cooing and pecking at whatever bits of bread they find.

Rezo listens in quiet enjoyment of the peaceful moment- and then, an exceptionally bold pigeon beats its wings together and hops up onto Terra's chair to try and nab some bread directly from the source.

[esperbuthuman]

"A-ah! Hey!"

The bird surprises Terra, and she's ill-equipped to deal with it as it manages to claim it's prize with little resistance.

[redprayer]

The pigeon startles at Terra's outburst and hops down to her feet, still dragging the chunk of bread with it. It begins to do its best to horf it down, despite the bread being too big to easily swallow.

Rezo stifles a laugh, not wishing to draw the attention of the young miss's escorts. "Oh dear," he says. "They're not very polite creatures."

As if to underline the point, a pair of pigeons hone in on the first pigeon's stolen prize and the three of them begin pecking it to bits with horrendous table manners.

[esperbuthuman]

Terra looks sullen as she nurses her hand, her voice indicating a certain childlike sense of betrayal.

"Why feed them then?"

[redprayer]

Rezo takes a soft breath, having to think about that.

"They don't know any better; they're only birds," he says after a moment. "Humans may act out of malice, but animals are more innocent beings."

[esperbuthuman]

"I see..." Terra considers this for a moment. "Then, how do you feed them without getting attacked?"

[redprayer]

Rather than immediately answer the question, Rezo's concern is piqued.

"Did it hurt you?" he asks, holding out his hand. "Here now, give me your hand."

[esperbuthuman]

She gives him a curious look and holds out her hand, a little scratched but not bad all things considered.

[redprayer]

Rezo gently lifts Terra's hand and silently casts a minor healing spell, briefly suffusing her hand with light. The scratches fade, perhaps with a tingling sensation before that too fades.

"Is that better?"

[esperbuthuman]

"Yes, thank you," Terra says with a little smile, her relief apparent in her voice. "Do you work here?"

[redprayer]

"I'm simply lending a hand for the time being," he says, honestly enough. "What about you? Am I correct to assume you're a convalescent?"

[esperbuthuman]

"Yes... I got caught in a fire in my dormitory. Slept through the whole thing, if you can believe it! When I came to, they had already moved me to the lab but I guess my burns will heal better here."

Terra's voice is a bit tense, although she tries to be cheerful as she relays the information she had been given.

[redprayer]

That all sounds very strange and Rezo frowns. "The lab?" he repeats, before realizing that might come across as prying. Not a good thing if this is an Imperial heiress of some kind. "Ah, well, I am sorry to hear that you were hurt. That must have been quite the shock."

[esperbuthuman]

Rezo may find some unwanted attention as the guards seem to take notice of the direction the conversation is taking. Terra, however, remains blissfully unaware.

"It really was! Waking up to something like this..." she sounds a bit put out to be sure.

[redprayer]

Rezo at least has the sense to pretend to shrug it off, but by the Gods is he now curious.

"It's shocking how fast fire can spread," Rezo agrees. "However, you've chosen an excellent place to recuperate. Rest and relaxation is essential to the healing process."

[esperbuthuman]

"Really?"

Terra seems confused. "I don't know if I'll have time for that, I don't usually get time to rest."

[redprayer]

"Are you normally so busy?" Rezo says. "Please try to make time for rest, if you can." Though he rather suspects that she may not have much say in the matter of how she spends her time.

"Think of it like this: When you become sick or injured, your body has to work to heal the damage. In essence you're already busy, so continuing with your normal activities will mean you're working twice as hard. And as the saying goes, a man who chases two birds catches none."

It's actually rabbits, but nevertheless.

[esperbuthuman]

"I don't think I have the option..."

Terra looks a bit nervous. "They need me back in the lab. They have to run tests and I need to train. They said to send me here to get me fixed up."