[X] Check out that chest with a note. Odds are it's got your gear in it.
[X] Find medic, talk about Ryan.
-----
Pulling your eyes open with a titantic force of will, you scaned the area patiently. Chest with your shit in it, Ryan, curtain…
Holy shit that was a bathroom. And you definitely needed to pee. Hobbling out of you bed, you clunked over there with one leg asleep and the other smarting for no goddamn reason. Getting in, you dropped your pants and sat down on the cold ceramic seat rather heavily. Thank God for flush toilets, you thought happily as you stretched your arms up. After taking a moment to drip-dry, you stood up, and felt something. Something weird. Looking down, the first thing you realized was you were no longer in possession of breasts, because the second thing you noticed was a dick.
Your dick. It was attached where it was supposed to be and everything (you thought) and if your happy bladder was any indication it was also piped in right. Suppressing something between a vague sense of unease and a rousing panic, you pulled up your pants and got back into the little clinic you were in. When you agreed to the Shapeshifter boon, you hadn't expected this-
"Don't come whining to me if there are some knock-on effects"
Aw, shit. Loki, damn him, had. It looked like your options were simple at this point- master the Gift of the Shapeshifter, or be stuck as a guy. To be fair, though, it's not like the change had been unpleasant, just horribly shocking. Either way, it was time to dig through that chest over there and make sure all your stuff was there. Prearing to open it, you blinked. There was a note there- better read it.
To Whom it may Concern.
After a short discussion with a messenger from our Patron, we have decided to follow a longstanding policy regarding servants of the Trickster. In this chest, you will find your equipment you brought, as well as a small purse of common coin. Our current objective as the Princedom of Tamer is to secure our borders, one of which remains in doubt. Should you choose to work with us and our operatives on securing the border, then a recompsation will be in order.
Regards, Princess Alspeci
Groaning moderately, you tossed the note on your bed and dug through the chest for a pair of pants. The contents were fairly bland; two pair pants and shirts, a set of leather gloves, and a small work knife. The professed coin pouch was light, but it did clink brightly when you shook it. Last was a small clap book with a wax pencil attached on a string, and another note that mentioned you'd want to get that stamped regularly. Deciding against wearing your mail, you slipped a shirt on after and pocketed the clap book. You were going to find a medic, get a clean bill of health for you and hopefully Ryan, and then talk to some people. For example, Princess Alspeci, who you sincerely hoped wasn't Little Miss Poky Stick.
Speaking of which, the person just across the hall looked fairly medical. Stiff uniform, no trim, giant satchel with a bunch of things in it…
"Hello, Nurse!" you called out from your bed, grinning. She was even kinda pretty, too. For some reason when she saw you, though, she just put on this tight little smile.
"So, am I good to go?" you asked, looking her over carefully. Something was off- normally, people's heads bobbed a little when they walked. Hers swayed, though, and when she passed you got a good look at… the… snake… bits…
"Your medical record is empty, you dragged in this poor man who's lost more blood than some cows, the Princess Rosa said not to let you out under any circumstances, and you're not even trying to hide your staring! No! No! No!"
Shit, gotta think, gotta think, gotta think…
"C'mon, hon, you've got to see that the breast solution is just to let me-"
SMACK!
"Pervert!"
Whelp, looked like you may be suffering some small side effects from being a dude. Just a few of them. Either way, it was time to recover and riptose.
"Listen, just let me out and I promise I won't bother you any more."
"No! No! Sit down!" the girl-snake-thing said, pushing you onto the bed. "Now, I need your name!"
"Cass Ward."
"Age!"
"Twenty-two"
"Height!"
You had to gulp. Normally, you were five foot eight, but now? Maybe six foot ish? You had no idea. Fortunatly, though, help in escaping came in the form of a knock on the door.
"Excuse me, Nurse Sellac? It's Castille, I'm here for the guest."
"But I'm still working on his file!"
There was a brief tapping on the floor, and a very annoyed voice came back. "Nurse Sellac, I'm afraid you're not going to like this, but Jenne has been complaining about her prothsetics again. Now, either I can get the light and handsome one, or I can go downstairs and tell her you're not doing anything terribly important."
A sylbant hiss responded. "I just gave her a prescription for laudanum and wine last week!"
"She's out. Make up your mind…"
With a sigh, the nurse got the door and you had to suppress the urge to wolf whistle. Dem hips, man. Whoo hoo!
Then the door opened and you had to pick your jaw off the floor. You were a girl, you told yourself firmly. You might have a rod of iron in your trousers, but you were a girl. A small part of your brain told the rest of it you'd be doing the same exact thing even if you weren't in possession of a set of balls, but it was promptly ignored as you despratly went through your inventory of pickup lines and realized they were all shit. High cheekbones outlining a fine-wrought face, lithe lines revealing a body made of cable and cord, silk hiding steel. Her entire body radiated health and grace, bringing generations of dancers and gymnsts to shame; while her eyes danced over you like star saphires.
It took you a moment, when you realized there was no white or black in her eyes to realize those orbs were not eyes, but actual jems. Their backlit sparkle wasn't an illusion, but an actual light shone through their lenses.
"Well," the woman laughed, "I see for once someone can look me in the eyes!"
You laughed, and stuck out a hand. "I'm just looking at the most interesting part. Cass Ward, ma'am."
"Duchess Castile Thorn, Mister Ward. Seeing as you look like you got through the chest my sister gave you, might I propose to you an alternative deal? Knowing her, she would send you off into the wilds around Gand and expect you to just get stuck in there until the end of time. Lord knows we've been having enough problems with it."
As one eyebrow slowly went up, you looked at her. "So, what is your deal then?"
"Simple, my good mage friend! You see, our southern allies have been proving to be more of a hassle than they're worth, and our arrangement to the affairs of that boarder is no longer satisfactory. Unfortunatly, we can't exactly break it without causing some negative reprocussions, so a free agent working the area would be of benefit. As a bonus, I'll tell you up front that unlike my sister I pay in coin and jems- not her title deeds and mineral rights and, just, eurg."
Nodding, you smiled passively. "I'll think about it, ma'am. Can't promise anything, though."
The duchess laughed, and came forward to kiss your cheek. "Just remember, Cass Ward, that I am always here. A good friend can be more valuable than gold, and I am a very good friend."
As the Duchess left, you sallied forth from the infirmary, looking around and keeping your nose to the ground. Between admiring the rich hall rugs and the simple, clean stonework, you almost ran into a brusque house servant with a perennial frown.
"Mister Ward, the Princess will see you now."
Well, ah, shit. Nodding at him, you made a vauge "lead on" gesture. As he sniffed, you followed him through the halls. At the last room, you saw the matriarch of the castle. Dropping to one knee, you waited for her form to rise.
"Mister Ward," she said formally, the weight of time compressed into years holding her voice steady. "I am glad to see you. I take it you know why you are here?"
Shaking your head, you looked downcast. "No, madam, I do not. I do gather that I am going to be running some fetch quests, though."
Biting back a laugh, the queenly figure relaxed and bid you to rise. "Son, I do believe you have not been informed of your mission. The Winter Lady has a bet here, and the Enemy is readying itself. You, as given patronage by the Silvertounge, will be on the point of the spear. We have been fighting for survival these twenty years, and have made no closer progress of finding and stopping the Enemy. Your work will be to complete tasks and missions to buy us our breathing space, and in return we will provide you a shelter in storm and equipment to continue your work."
You nodded, not needing to ask about what would happen if you refused. You had been seconded to these people, and if they didn't know how to handle someone who reneged on a contract than you were still a girl in her bed, dreaming a dream.
"I understand some of my daughters might want you to do some things for them, and they all mean well, but I myself have an order for you. Learn this world, Mister Ward. Learn it's people and technology, magics and wonders, grand nobles and gutter scrapings. Learn it all well, so that when the time comes you can move among them like the fish in the stream and work well for us."
Accepting the task, you made to leave with her permission. It was time to get to work.
VOTES
Personal Goal
[] Learn Shaeshifting
[] Learn Magic
[] Learn Technology
[] Learn People
[] Write-in
Mission Start!
[] Accept Castile's mission
[] Accept Alspeci's mission
Requisitions? (50pts max)
[] Write-in, with spoilered list of items. As item requisition value hasn't been given out yet, I will reply posts with itemized equipment point costs.
