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- Nov 3, 2021
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Eselberg Hospital:
In the station's relatively new Medical wing, Dr. Zoren continued with his preparations. Today was the day he would perform his big procedure, the one Klaus brought him here to perform. In one of the hospital's surgical suites, several bags of blood sat in chillers waiting for use.
In the days prior to the procedure, Tarkus took blood from Sparrow. He only took a bag each day as to not make her feel sickly.
The room was white and sterile, in stark contrast to the rest of the station.
As he set up, he heard the doors to the room slide open behind him.
Sachiko entered the Medical Wing wearing a cute outfit with a Mask she had. She’d heard about what Tarkus was about to do so he wanted to be there to see it happen and to give her aunt moral support. As she was just learning magic she knew she might not be of help. “hello!” She said greeting the doctor.
Tarkus smiled as Sachi walked in. "Good morning. Here to help out Ms. Sparrow?" He asked turning from his work to greet the young woman.
Sachiko nodded her head “yup, I get to help Aunt Sparrow, and hang out here bonus!” She said with a smile.
Sparrow Therewood, the nemesis-sage, the eternal enemy of the grand duke, the purified embodiment of strength, and self proclaimed 'shrined maiden' strolls down the halls of the station, silent as the grave and sipping what currently passed for coffee on the station from a mug that was almost comically small in her hands; The well-worn print on the porceline mug reading an ironic verse lost to her that reads "My other mug is my sister". She'd just gotten up from a near all-nighter; despite the lack of a day-night cycle on the station performing various tasks.
Her leg was sore from sleeping awkwardly and she tried to stretch it out as she walked toward her shared departmentin the ramshackled medical facilities she partnered with the new demon...
Daemon? Infernite? Mortally challenged?
She wasnt sure of the nomenclature of what the impish-kind actually were...
Frankly, Sparrow knew little of their kind other than that they spawned out of some kind of smelly tar-pit and were renowned canibals and deviants.
It had been Tomoe who had given her that history lesson, the helpful scion in charge of the Spriggans helm giving her a crash course on the strange history of demon-kind and their strange rituals and cultural norms.
Realizing she was stuck in her own thoughts like usual, Sparrow made a complete 180 degree turn after passing right by the conspicious door and passed through the automatic bulkhead before passing into her billet.
Well over six feet of taut muscle on a lithe frame gave little to the imagination of the bodysuit and utilities the Nekomata wore that curved in all the right places ducked under the bulkhead as she appraised the normal goings on.
She was, of course, oblivious to such notions as sex appeal or the oggling of either sex, simply dressing utilitarian or simple. But it was easy on the eyes in all the right ways regardless of her mental vacancy towards such topics until one would remember that who they might be oggling was quite possibly the most dangerous individual on the station with a penchant for unrestrained violence and sudden and intense violence as a solution to most dispites or disagreements.
Realizing she was zoning out again, Sparrow continued further on into the war, completely forgetting what she was there for (like usual), and making a quick bee-line towards the small and disoganized madness that was her desk.
While Tarkus and Sachi spoke, he heard the 'patient' enter their shared space. "Ah here she comes now." Moving to the hall he caught Sparrow entering her office. "Ms. Sparrow, over here." He said gesturing to the surgical suite. "It's about time we made you whole again, don't you agree?" He asked the woman, his eyes glancing to Sachi.
Sachiko turned her head as she heard movement and she followed Tarkus and saw it was her aunt. As Tarkus looked at Sachiko he’d see a look of hope that he could help give her a new arm. Though Sachiko was certain she could easily make one, and with feelings, but the fact he might be able to make one that might be better, would be something Sachiko would prefer. She knew that it would be up to her aunt.
There was a visible pause in Sparrow as she first reacted to her name; Her head slowly turning to appraise Tarkus before she simply stared blankly at the demonic man, her mind processing his statement.
"Ah." came the monotone and clipped response as she suddenly remembered that it was 'today' that they had planned for...
"No." She grunted and continued on past him, giving Sachiko the tersest of nods in acknowledgement before leisurely sitting on her swivel-chair, and tucking her legs into it and off the ground as she rather childishly spun in it to face the two.
"I would like it back; My blood." She stated without further explanation.
Tarkus's formerly pleasant expression turned sour. He frowned in annoyance. The doctor had known she was going to be a difficult patient.
"No? What so you can go on being the one armed bandit queen?" He replied, his voice cold as ice, no humor in his words. "And I'm just gonna toss the blood if we don't use it. You know as well as I do that you've already replaced it." He said matter of factly.
As she heard Sparrow’s words and heard Tarkus’s response, she couldn’t help but blink. “Auntie... “ She stepped forward, and in front of Tarkus just in case. “Didn’t you two agree to this? What happened?” He asked, wanting to know something. “Would you prefer I make you something with technology?’ She asked. “What happened?’ she asked her finally.
The first answer to Tarkus was another simple "No".
And then a quick change to "Yes."
Selfish as it was, and it went unsaid, but the demon had hit the mark. Sparrow thought she looked remarkably... cool... with just one arm.
That it told a story, that it made her look tough (Not that she needed any help to do so). And besides, it was her off-arm. She still had her dominant and was strong enough to tear off someone elses arm with just her one.
She could live with just one arm.
The third answer, was another "No." in regards to the disposing of her lifeblood. She was one of only Six Nekomata currently on the station, and the other three were directly related to her. Her blood was an important resource towards keeping them healthy and alive in the worst possible scenarios.
She did not say this however. Her normal blunt maner of speaking leaving the single-worded answer with a tone of finality towards the demon as she turned towards Sachiko.
Towards her niece she may have sounded the same, but for those that knew her well enough they would be able to pick up the slightest nuance of change and lightening on her tone towards her kin and former ward.
"All is well, Sachi."
With that, the overly-developed muscle-cat simply turned back in her chair and loomed over her desk, the mug of recaff not even spilling a drop as she spun.
Tarkus's eye twitched in frustration. He'd been flown out here to work on her and now she was refusing. Over what?
"Of all the..."
Tarkus was about to continue with a tirade of curses until he looked back at Sachi then back to Sparrow. For Sachi's sake he continued to hold back his flaring temper.
"Let me put this in a way you will understand... without both of your arms you can't fight at 100%. You will always be weak on that side." He said pointing at the stump of an arm.
Sachiko frowned as she listened to the two older people talk. She wished there was some way to convince her aunt that she should go through with this. Then her aunt spoke to her telling her all was well. She took note of the slight change in tone something she’d be familiar with having lived with her aunt for a while. Then Tarkus spoke and honestly she thought his words had merit and so she chose to wait and see what her aunt said.
For all the good his arguments migtht have done, Tarkus made the mistake of insinuating weakness in sparrow.
This, having naturally the oposite effect as desired garnered another terse "No."
Followed up by what would have been her over-used catchphrase of "I, alone, am strong" but not before she effortlessly shattered the nearly empty mug in her iron-grip.
Which, in turn, ironically pierced her palm with more than a few ceramic shards.
The pain was negligable; But was set off by the embarassing irony of Sparrow Therewood simply 'staring' at her punctured hand, and then at the stump of her other arm as she suddenly realized she now lacked the means to avail herself of even the simple inconvience of the porceline splinters without another hand.
If looks could kill, The look Sparrow Therewood gave tarkus would only wound.
"Very well."
Tarkus didn't flinch as the cup broke in Sparrow's hand. He also could see the realization on her face as she realized there was no way to get it out now.
As they stared each other down and she finally relented, Tarkus only nodded as if this was the only possible conclusion. "Come on then."
He snapped his fingers and Sparrow could feel her blood pushing the ceramic out of her hand, before healing over.
Sachiko listened as the two spoke to each other, and she opened her mouth before she eeped verbally as she saw the mug break in her aunt's hand. Without thinking, she moved to grab the medical supplies before she witnessed Tarkus’s magic at work. She thought that was neat and so she decided to follow them, as she thought of what she might see next.
Leading the two women back into the surgical suite Tarkus had prepared, he motioned for Sparrow to lay down on the table. Moving to the cooler he removed the bags of blood and spiked each one, hanging them on an IV pole.
While Sparrow wordlessly laid back on the table and found a seemingly comfortable position her cool-as-ice demenor was betrayed by the obvious and blatant fidgeting she exuded. The rubbing of her legs and constant readjustments, the restlessness and other signs showing an underlying anxiety.
She was no stranger to magics at this point and even their uses and utilities despite not posessing any aptitude for it herself. But the uncertain or unknown and most of all that which was beyond her control naturally agitated the imposing pugilist.
It certainly did not help in the slightest that the bright surgical lights ruined her perceptual vision; Tinting the rest of the room dark and frankly ominous while the closest objects to her where, of course, a multitude of bloodbags swinging menacingly on hooks around her.
While Sparrow was seemingly incapable of fear, forboding and ominous circumstance was well and truely enough to put an unsettling feeling in her when, for once, it was
her
on the table for a change.
"Proceed." was her only utterance, her steely monotone belying the ominous sense of anxiety she was feeling.
If Tarkus noticed the fidgeting he didn't call attention to it. He walked over to her good side and cleaned the arm with alcohol. "First I'm putting in an IV for medicine and to give you your blood back." He said as he slid the needle into her arm. After placing the IV catheter and removing the needle, he hooked up a bag of fluids. "Next I'll give you something for pain." He said taking a syringe and pushing the pain medicine through the IV.
Once all of Tarkus's prepwork was done he looked over to Sachiko and motioned for her to stand next to Sparrow.
"Now then. It's time."
A cut appeared on Sparrow's injury which began to widen. The blood in the bags began infusing into her IV.
Tarkus's eyes glowed as he began speaking words of power in a language neither of them could understand. At the end of the magic babble they heard "Blood magic: Restituo." At the last syllable, blood began to pour from the cut in Sparrow's arm. Looking to the two women he explained "What's happening right now is that I am stimulating the stim cells in your body to regrow your arm. That's why we need so much blood from you.' He explained as before their very eyes, the stump of her arm began to grow. The accelerated healing ached even though Tarkus gave Sparrow the pain medication.
Placing a hand on Sparrow's shoulder he asked, "Do you want more pain medicine?"
Sachiko followed the two much older individuals and watched as her aunt got into place and the young niece desired to stand at her aunt’s side. So when Tarkus indicated to her that she could stand at her aunt’s side. She gently placed her hand on her aunt’s shoulder as a way to show support for her aunt. She didn’t want to hold her hand, fearing that doing so would dislodge the IV or something. She didn’t want to do anything that would disrupt the medication for pain.
She watched with fascination as the arm reformed before her very eyes. She then turned her attention to Tarkus as he spoke and explained things also as he spoke to her aunt. She opened her mouth to tell him yes to give her more medication, but he wasn’t asking her, but her aunt and she didn’t know if her aunt was in pain or not.
Sparrow would have usually responded with a stout "I will endure", but was rather distracted at the moment, any pain easily compartmentalized and little more than a distant and easily overlooked ache.
The teporary arm tarkus had grafter her on their first arrival to Eselberg station had been a suprise and had happened so quick that Sparrow had barely even registered it had happened until it was done and over with.
But now, as a more permenante fixture began to grow and mold, Sparrow was able to take in the entire experience down to the every sensation. She still had no depth of feeling in the growing limb beyond the phantom ache. But there was a new, odd feeling she was keen to examine and understand as the fell and magical energies coursing through her growing stump and into her shoulder and spine as it stimulated new muscles and nueral pathways to meld with the old.
It was indescribeable and neither was it painful nor pleasnt for her as she unknowingly reached out with an unseen organ inside of her that was quickly waking and becoming aware of Tarkus' magics as they stimulated unused arcane conduits and magical circuits that lined her body as it sought to renew and rejuvinate her.
She had no control over this new sensation that rose from her core and sought out the tendrils of power circulating within her. Like all parts of Sparrow it was a simple if brutal defnsive meassure brought about as a once dormant core within her adapted much in the same manner as its host to an unknown situation; It attacked without remorse or consideration towards the rejuvinating qualities of the magic.
In the face of sophisticated and advanced magics like what Tarkus could call upon it was outmatched. But unrefined or not it latched onto Tarkus' rejuvination and began to drag it deeper and deeper into Sparrows body and core like a tiger to its meat, syphoning the power from its source.
On the outside, as this micro-war began to wage inside her, Sparrow, unawares of the finer excentricities of magical countermeasures she was unknowingly developing simply continued to stare at the now much slower growth of her arm as it began to stagnate. She began to frown, which was not all that much different from her usual expression, as the though that perhapse the demon-man had failed or bitten off more than he could chew?
As Sparrow's blood began attacking Tarkus's magic, he staggered back. Not that the attack was strong, it was merely unexpected.
He hadn't planned on using his own blood to power the spell, but sparrow (more aptly, her blood) wasn't giving him much choice in the matter.
Staggering over to one of the tables, Dr. Zoren grabbed a scalpel. "This is such a pain..." he said before stabbing the scapel into his hand.
Blood poured out from the opened wound and began flowing into Sparrow's new limb, which began to overpower her own defenses. He still let her own blood do the repair but Tarkus used his blood to keep her's in check.
Sachiko continued to watch as the limb formed, then when Tarkus staggered back, she looked at him with concern as she began wondering what was going on. She blinked again and gasped as he stabbed his hand. “what?....” She couldn’t help but ask as she watched what was going on, and glanced to her aunt, hoping she was ok as she hoped the same for Tarkus too.
Sparrow offered a small gasp in suprise not for Tarkus' self harm, odd as it was, but for the resulting sensations of first ice in her veins and then the spreading warmth that grew into a blazing heat as fire replaced it and circulated through her system.
Her arm began to grow with renewed vigor and unhindered now, but unbeknownst and unnoticed as the spectacle took the attention of two of the group while the third kept his focus on the task at hand to prevent more setbacks other changes were taking place.
Something... lost... In sparrow was beginning to form as her body leeched off the rejuvinating magics to right imperfections and minor genetic imperfections on a cellular level. Perhapse 'lost' would not have been the right term for it, but more that something that had never developed in Sparrow in the first place was slowly forming and building new pathways inside her.
But as before, the rapid growth of the arm was a rare spectacle indeed, and even the more obvious exterior changes on the nekomata were not seen.
Tarkus pulled the scalpel from his hand and continued to pour blood from his hand and from the bags into Sparrow. He refused to fail, not now. His already pale complexion began to look paler as he used more blood than he realized.
"Come on, gods damn it." He cursed as his magic flowed in waves out into Sparrow. Before he knew it, his vision was starting to swim and he himself was wobbling in place. Any longer and the Doctor was going to be on the floor.
Sachiko watched as the arm regrew with interest as she thought of going into blood magic since it will help with regrowing limbs, but she didn’t really like the idea of cutting herself. She wasn’t one of those people that liked hurting themselves, so she thought Artificers would be perfect for her.
When she glanced at Tarkus, she saw him wobble, which caused a gasp to escape her. She moved over to his side and moved her arms so that she could catch him. “I think maybe we should stop..for now, you're wobbling,” she said to him.
Tarkus rested his hand on Sachi to reassure her, as well as support himself. "We are almost finished... just a little but more." He said softly to the young apprentice sorcerer.
Before not too long the magic had begun to fade as the last bits of the tips of Sparrows fingers formed; Down to even freshly grown fingernails and even down to the finest detail of her fingerprints.
Sparrow herself had simply... Faded. Not in any alarming way, but had simply drifted off and passed out and now simply...
It had taken a moment for Tarkus to regain himself and Sachiko to look away from him and the new arm but there was a noticeable change to Sparrow beyond just her arm.
The person laying in the bed was clearly
her
at a glance but some noticeable and startling changes had taken place. Her frame had shrunk slightly and clearly had been a slow process as not have been immedietly noticeable, and she had lost
alot
of weight that had once been muscle mass that was now less defined on a thinner body with less toned arms, legs, and waist.
Beyond all that she had lost alot of definition in her body as her chest had shrunk and the sharp and stern features she was known for had regressed into the slightly more youthful roundness of youth on her face.
Seemingly Tarkus' magic had rejuvinated
more
than just her arm, and had reinvigorated her body to a more youthful state clearly in her late-late teens and much around the same apparent age as Sachiko or even Kyoko!
Still drained and asleep, A much younger Sparrow stirred in her sleep.
Sachiko held him before she glanced up to the master sorcerer demon concern evident on her face before she glanced to her aunt. The young apprentice artificer’s new gasp was louder as she saw the arm was reformed, but it was actually her aunt's appearance. She saw that her aunt looked younger than before closer to her age. “uh... Tarkus…” she couldn’t help but state though she noted how she seemed to be sleeping.
Tarkus's own eyes had closed as he did his best to concentrate on the spell. As soon as he felt her limb was fully restored, he cut the spell and sealed the wound on his hand. Resting against wall and Sachi, the doctor was merely thankful the ordeal was over with. That was until Sachi spoke once more...
Opening his eyes he took in Sparrow's new appearance. "Well fuck..." he cursed. "During the operation, something inside her blood was drawing from my power which is why I had to add my own blood to equation. She must have drawn even more power when my blood was added." The doctor theorized. "Fuck..." he repeated
As sparrow continued to stir, mostly propigated by the murmuring and cursing taking place the now young woman opened her eyes with a slow flutter as if waking from an exhausting dream.
She looked from Sachiko to Tarukus, measuring the concern taking place and, looking down toward her arm and expecting the worst, appraised it.
Examining it much the same as if she was looking at a new ring on her finger she simply couldnt find any issue which brought about a sense of relief that made her wonder just why she had been so worried a moment before? With her usual attitude being that she would have simply grunted and accepted it at face value otherwise.
"What is-" She started to ask to tarkus but then froze.
The voice coming out of her was... Odd... As it actually peaked at one point, something that had never happened to her raspy monotone was now flecked with newfound emotion. Even her face, a usually stoic deadpan now furrowed her brow as she visibly jerked back slightly.
Her eyes widening in a way they never had before, Sparrow began to once again look from Tarkus to Sachiko with concern and even, for the first time in her life, the beginnings of
panic
.
Something was clearly wrong.
Sachiko blinked as Tarkus cursed beside her, and she saw Sparrow wake up. She saw her reaction, and she saw emotion. Her aunt was deadpan, and she’d never thought she could feel so much emotion, but now she was. She listened as Tarkus spoke of what went on during the operation, and she learned something inside was drawing more from Tarkus. The half Nekomata wondered if there was something in her too, but she chose not to dwell on this, as she helped Tarkus to sit down before she hurried to her aunt’s side. “Auntie, do you feel alright?’ She asked her choosing to think of her aunt’s feelings.
Tarkus was eased to the floor but quickly stood back up and moved to Sparrow's side. "Hey, it's alright. You need to breath." The doctor said in the most soothing voice either of them had heard the doctor use. "Your arm is back but there was an unexpected complication. Your body absorbed my magic and it has made your body younger." He explained in simple terms for Sparrow to understand. Reaching over and grabbing a mirror, he passed it to Sparrow to allow her to see her new self.
Theres a special point in growing hysteria where the mind begins to disconnect and collectivly filter out non-important senses such as sound. Sparrow was not deaf, but the blood rush in her head was quite possibly the loudest thing she could hear and Tarkus' words if they even reached her did not register.
Beyond that there were new senations overwhelming her with sensory overload that she had never experienced before; There was rage in her brain, there was pain in her frame, there was love, there was hunger, and strife. She felt felt lonely, rejected, at times disconnected from it all, as if there was no longer the same certainty in her life.
These were not
new
feelings for her. But somehow they were amplified to what might be normal for anyone but her with her once muted sensations and feelings.
And so Sparrow resorted to the one thing she knew and that drove her every action when all else was lost or uncertain; She acted on pure instinct.
It was no longer Tarkus and Sachiko in the room to her. Someone simply brandished something towards her, And Sparrow lashed out to intercept a weapon and subdue a threat!
Or at least she would have if she had the same control over this new, younger, and weaker form than her old one. Instead she awkwardly threw herself out of the bed, swatted at the mirrior, missing it mostly but still knocking it free of the demons hand, and then fell to the floor with an audible thump.
The hard landing, to Sparrows suprise, actually hurt! And knocked some of the wind out of her both physically and mentally as her brief episode subsided. By sheer coincidence when she opened her eyes she saw the little portal of a mirrior hanging somewhat off the bed and half exposed to her.
The stranger it showed to her as she lay looking up at it was clearly
her
. But the chaos that came with it was not.
Tarkus cursed as he shifted backwards, away from Sparrow's strike. After she ended up on the floor and in near hysterics, the doctor pulled off his jacket and bloody tendrils erupted from his back. Six in total.
Two of the bottom tendrils wrapped Sparrow up and hoisted her into the air. "Sparrow stop!" The doctor roared, a complete 180 from just a moment earlier.
Sachiko watched as Tarkus moved to place the mirror so that her aunt could see herself, but what she wasn’t expecting was her reaction and she moved back, not wanting to be hit. Her wide eyes watched as Tarkus used his magic to try to stop her aunts from flaying. “Aunt Sparrow, it’s ok your safe!”
Sparrow, a bit more in her own wits, could now more understand what was going on. It did in no way make her any calmer, however. Blood-red tendrils practically hoisting her in the air and off the ground where she kicked frantically.
Tears welling in her eyes with a sense of newfound embarassment it was only some repreieve that her usualy tight-fitting clothing had shruken some what to normal proportions on her and didnt leave her flailing naked.
So sparrow thrashed and kicked and snarled and struck out at the restraints until, lacking any of her previous strength and struggling to keep her breath she slumped and began to hyperventilate until even that began to level out into steadier breathing.
For all that she was once stoic and quiet, the new Sparrow had made quite the racket and sounded much like a skinned cat in her failure to understand this new world of emotions.
Tarkus held Sparrow there for several long seconds as her breathing slowed. Finally, he gently lowered her back to the floor. The bloody tendrils slowly receded, moving back behind the doctor as he stood there watching.
He felt bad for Sparrow, and felt guilty that this happened to her. He should have been more careful when she began absorbing his magic. Instead he poured it on...
Stepping further back from the two, he allowed more room for Sachiko to get to her aunt. Pushing himself back to a corner, he held his hand over his mouth and chin as if in contemplation. However the truth was he was merely hiding his shame.
Sachiko frowned as she saw her aunt hyperventilate and she felt helpless since she didn’t know what to do. It didn’t help that Tarkus had held her up in mid-air where she couldn’t get to her. Fortunately, Tarkus lowered her aunt, and she moved to her side. Sachiko knew machinery and was very skilled and understood them, but she knew that her aunt, despite not being a machine, seemed different to the younger girl.
She reached out to hold her aunt’s hand as she moved to hug her, hoping it comforts her.
While she was walking through the living space, figuring she'd settle for something quick to eat in the cafeteria, there'd be a quite noticable racket going on in the medbay. Wait, no, they'd expanded that into a medical wing. That's right. Diverting her course, Elenor walked down the stairs and into the medbay that had been there originally, and past it. It didn't take long to reach the main operating room, and she promptly knocked on the door.
Before Tarkus could react the door slid open, allowing Elenor to see inside. She could see Sparrow and Sachi from the door way, as well as Tarkus... with six bloody tendrils sprouting from his back. His mind raced, knowing that this looked very sketchy to anyone who didn't know what the actual situation was.
Now that Sparrow seemed to have calm down he dispelled his magic, the blood flowing back into his body. Why did people have to start showing up... everything just kept going from bad to worse.
Perspectives were a tricky thing when they have suddenly changed for someone. In her lashing out, and her short suspension by Tarkus, Sparrow still had little perspecitve of her newer, smaller, size comparatively to her old one.
Until now.
For example, Sachiko had always been taller than her, if only by a negligible inch or two. But now Sparrows niece stood easily a head taller than her aunt and Sparrow actually had to crane her neck up to look her own niece in the eyes.
Her body was smaller now. Frailer it felt too. Not in weakness but in a general lack of strength that she felt she could muster that became all to evident with her younger, but still adult body when Sachiko took her hand. It was warm.
Tears unbidden Sparrow accepted her former wards hug.
Which was coincidentally when Elenor came about.
Coming into a room with a near crying girl in loose fitting clothing, even if a slightly familiar looking one, in the comforting embrace of Sachiko while a very frustrated demon sprouting ominous and unsettling looking tentacles after hearing quite the commotion from the struggle could have left an number of unanswered questions or possible scenarios to mind.
And then the demon quickly dispelled his temporary apendages in a way that
totally
didnt look like he was hiding them or covering them up, and in
no way
looked frustrated and just a little embarassed from someone walking in on whatever was going on.
Elenor looked on for a few moments, and sighed, pinching her nose. "I'm not gonna ask the stupid and likely incorrect question right now Doc. I'm just gonna ask the more sensible one considering my own field... Spell gone awry, or an unexpected side-effect?" She asked, lowering her hand to look at Tarkus directly.
"Unexpected side effect of the operation. Somehow her body was siphoning off my magic during the spell. Had to use much more of my own magic than originally anticipated." He explained clinically, eyes fixed on Sparrow. "She became combative once the spell was over, so I had to restrain her for her and Sachi's safety." He added, his eyes glancing to Elenor's for only a moment.
"Right. And this is... Who?" Elenor asked, looking at the girl. She looked no older than 18 now. "Since I imagine this is one of the Nekomata who've been living on the station. I know it ain't me, and it clearly ain't Sachi. Leaves about three others." She said.
"It's Sparrow..." he replied tersely.
Elenor sighed. "Oh great. That can't be going over well." She said, knowing the infamy on the station Sparrow had for the sheer amount of aggression the woman could put out when she wasn't happy about something. Elenor had been on the receiving end of it a couple times already.
"Just, don't blow up my station, got it? UNS already give me enough shit about having Set's be the station administrator instead of it being myself or Lucas."
Sachiko was all frown as she held her crying aunt close to her. Her ears picked up on the distinct sound of whoosh as the doors opened, causing her to glance up as Elenor entered. With Elenor speaking to Tarkus, she glanced back at her aunt and tried to think of a way to help her. “Can she be helped? Be returned to her normal height and age?” She asked with a frown and glanced at Elenor. “I saw you on the list too, Ma’am” she replied to Elenor’s comment about Setsuya being a station administrator.
Sparrow
wasn't
crying!
She was uncontrollably tearing up in what might look like crying. And there was a horrible lump in her throat that kept choking her up. And she wasnt clutching onto sachiko, and...
This was a pain. It was time to take control like she always did and put her foot down on whatever was wrong with her.
"
HEE
"He has stolen my years from me." A non sequitur, classic sparrow response. "I want them back."
There was a logic thread forming for Sparrow that somehow having been reduced in age as she was, had suddenly had the oposite effect and had somehow diminished her life in some way by... By having less... Of them?
It made sense to her, that was what mattered. Younger she might be. More expressive and influenced by new emotions as well. But even with all that Sparrow was still as sharp as she ever was; Which was to say not at all.
There was also the part about how she felt noticeably weaker; He had stolen her strength from her to use as his own.
Her height was gone; He stole her
inches
for some nefarious demon-plot.
Her chest was now smaller and her measurements all wrong; None of her clothes would fit, now she would have to spend money on entirely new wardrobe, bankrupting her.
Her voice was too high-pitched and cracked too much; An attempt to ruin her intimidation and identity which would weaken the clan and put them in danger.
She was also very hungry; Some other michief about no doubt causing it. In fact she could likely not recall a time when she was any hungrier than she was now, ravenous even.
"I wish for this affliction removed or I will cull it at the source."
Sparrow had no idea how geuninely cute she looked now with her brows furrowed and her monotone replaced with the angsty catterwalling of an inconvienced teenager.
Elenor sighed as Sachiko spoke. "I'm technically one of hte co-owners of the station. We only have Sets run the station as the administrator because neither myself or Lucas want to do the job. As for you, Sparrow," She turned to point a finger at the younger woman. "He's given you years if I had ot hazard a guess. And considering what I know of magic and what he's said, I'm more sure you can regain that strength, because your own body's magic kicked in and tried to kickstart itself back into function." She explained. "Physical strength? You can train that back up. Magical strength? Well, looks like you get to learn."
"And if you want to 'cull it at the source', I'm pretty sure you'd need ot cut out your own damned heart."
Elenor was most defintley
not
pulling any punches in this situation. Especially considering who she was dealing with.
Tarkus was about to try and explain... again... how the spell had affected her physiology, but Eleanor beat him to the punch.
He wouldn't have put it as bluntly though, which was out of character for him. Despite how Sparrow was acting, the Doctor couldn't shake his own feelings on the situation. He'd lost control of his own magic. A master of blood magic, lost control. The outcome wasn't disastrous, but it could have been.
The doc stepped forward and brought himself down to her level. Tentatively he placed a hand on her arm. "Listen to me. I didn't take your 'years' away. Your body took my magic and used it to pull back the on the clock. Something inside if you used my magic and made you younger. You will easily regain what you had." He said softly.
As she held her now younger-looking aunt, she couldn’t help but think what her aunt was saying made no sense. She was just an apprentice, but she was certain that if someone were to take years, she’d have to look older, not younger. Still, due to her sympathy for her aunt, she chose not to say anything.
The youngest of the group frowned at the bluntness in which Elenor spoke. “I think they are right, Auntie Sparrow... if you’d like we can go clothes shopping together, I know of outfits that would look great on you.’ She told her aunt, hoping it helped her as to how helpless Sachiko was feeling.
As Sachiko had surmised, Sparrow knew the least of any general knowledge of any magics or divinations. To her it was just a form of advanced geometry beyond her comprehension that made, altered, manafested, or destroyed.
In this case the result had clearly leaned towards
altered
.
She was coming to realize that. Sachi had never lied to her after all (At least not in a way she could recognize). And her former ward had never done or said anything out of her best interests in mind.
So perhapse it could have been a mistake; Weapons jammed or failed, the body can bend and break, and even small faults can destroy stalwart monoliths given time. So too could magics fail or have undesired effects.
But then again... There was now the accusation that Sparrow had
somehow
been the one to steal from Tarkus and not the other way around. Her eyes narrowed at that statement, and slowly the implications of new conspiracies began to form.
She was Sparrow Therewood;
Supreme matriarch of the Therewood clan, the nemesis-sage, the shrined maiden, the enemy of a grand duke! She was a target of many and more from her actions and those of her family.
Clearly-
And then Sachiko naturally changed the track of her train of thought and lead her along just as easily as she had done numerous times before.
She liked clothes shopping. And with what little she had seen of herself now, and looking down to examine her new form more thoroughly and tried to envision some of the cuter clothes she had always wanted but which were either never made in her size or would be too embarassing or innapropriat for someone of her former size or build to wear...
"Ok." She nodded with a grunt to Sachiko. The entire issue practically forgotten with her usual blase attitude. But now, she looked expectantly at her niece, and then Tarkus and in turn to Elenor as if she expected this
now
of all things; Half dressed in ill-fitting clothing and sparsly covered in loose blood splotches.
"I'll see if Lucas is willing to help you with an outfit or two, if you're okay with that Sparrow." Elenor said, glancing at Tarkus. "And you Doc, I ask to keep an eye on her for the next few days, to see if what we think happened is what did happen. I would hate to be the feline that got a guess wrong, especially with Sparrow involved as the subject."
After Sparrow finally spoke, Tarkus nodded and stood giving a slight smile in reply. At Elenor's suggestion, Tarkus looked back at her and nodded. "Already planned on it." He replied.
Suddenly, a white blur jumped into the room! "Status Report!!" the elf yelled. It was Klaus, blue eyes alert to any danger and white spiky hair wet, much like the rest of his body. It seemed he'd just left a shower as he wore a towel around his waist with his katana in his hand and the scabbard in another.
"What happened, people?" he said, as he noted the lack of an immediate attack, and everyone present.
Sachiko smiled as things seemed calm, though she was unsure how Lucas could help, she chose not to comment. The plan for Sparrow to get new fitting outfits was decided, and she was about to say something when Klaus had arrived. “Hi, Daddy! Just an odd magic incident happened, but Aunt Sparrow has her arm back!” She said, feeling pleased that her aunt had her limb back, but she felt bad for Sparrow’s de-aging. Sachiko gave zero concern over her father's state of dress.
Tarkus only sighed as the next person flooded into the room. Pinching the bridge of his nose, the doctor replied. "Klaus this is an operating room, not the lou. Put some damn pants on..."
Klaus got a look at Sparrows new arm in a manner of speaking when, not even a few seconds after he entered it swung towards him in a backhand that struck his cheek. Sparrow, naturally startled and still at least somwhat on edge acted on pure instinct when a crazed and naked fiend appeared with a sword in close proximity to her niece; Proving muscle memory was just as much mental and physical despite her new body.
There wasnt nearly the same force behind it as the older-sparrow might have been able to bring to bear, resulting in just what it was; A suprise slap from a young woman, and not the first one in his life he had recieved.
The followup when Sparrow juked forwards before he could recover, and headbutted him, however, which was much more effective even if her new size made her misjudge and slam her forehead just above his solar plexus instead of his nose. It made a hollow '
thud
' sound much the same as a piece of flat wood hitting a hard mat.
and before she could even register what she had done, and more importantly, to whom. She recoiled and started rubbing at her forehead after learning just how much it hurt to headbutt one of the hardest parts of bone in the body.
Tarkus rolled his eyes and a single blood tendril sprouted from behind him to grab Sparrow. Unlike last time he simply picked her up and sat the woman back down on the table. "Calm down... no more fighting for the rest of the day. You need still need rest."
Oddly enough it only took Sparrow a second time being unceremoniously lifted up like a small child by a magical and questionably sanitary blood-tendril for it to not phase her anymore.
Just seemed to be a part of her life that random tentacles would challenge her mobility for now.
In response, however she shook her head in the negetative to Tarkus' statement while she looked over at Klaus with some visible shame after she realized who it was she had tried to break the nose of just a second earlier. She wasn't tired; In fact she felt like she had an uncomfortable amount of energy she could burn right at that moment.
There were more pressing concerns, however. Like the general curocity she felt towards a certain individual in the room who was just recovering from a rather unimpressive counterattack.
"Is something troubling you, Klaus Therwood that you find urgent enough to come for medical aid before putting on trousers?"
He did have a sword, was wet, and clearly was in a rush. Perhapse he fell in the shower and cut himself? While Sparrow didnt see any wounds or lacerations she was unfamiliar with the nuances of showering with bladed weaponry and clearly anything was possible.
She just didn't understand why someone would want to shower with a sword?
Such questions would have to wait as rapid foot steps could be heard echoing in the hall, followed by the voice of the actual matriach of the Therwood clan. "GODS DAMNIT KLAUS!!!", came the mature and impactful voice of Setsuya as she rounded the door frame with a annoyed frown. "What in the hell is wrong with you that you had to run through the station with just a towel you, white snowflaked haired fool!"
A very grumpy feline growl was given, the woman still dressed in her formal uniform as the administrator. Her eyes gave him a angry stare at laser point accuracy before wandering to the others present. Her own cheeks were now reddened, realizing just how many people he had shown himself to. "Oh for the love of.... So does anyone want to explain to me why it looks like a hospital reunion in here?", Setsuya asked with a sigh as she crossed one arm under her ample chest, the other resting on her chin.
One more had followed her down, if only to keep tabs on the goings on of the station, the intel operative habits never dying. Kyoko calmly walked in, eating yogurt, and taking in the scene. The tentacles got a more wide eyed look from her, the traces of blood everywhere, and..... Her sister, but teened....
"Nope nope nope, I'm out, not here for this Z-Files bullshit.", she simply and calmly stated, before quickly walking back out and to the waiting area.
Tarkus's eye twitched in annoyance once again. The tentacle shot back behind him and disappeared. He was over trying to explain the situation. He was also aggrevated that his surgical suite was definitely going to need decontamination. But mostly he was aggrevated that so many people kept showing up.
A sting of very angry and foul curses was trying to work it's way up his throat but he swallowed hard. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath in and sighed pinching the bridge of his nose. "Someone else explain the situation. If I go though it one more damn time, I am going to start throwing things." He said in an even, yet annoyed tone.
The initial slap surprised more than hurt, but the following headbutt
hurt .
Klaus was left wheezing as his stepsister's skull proved still very, very thick.
"I heard..
wheeze
... screaming. Came running as soon as I could." the elf said, before turning to his wife. "Hi Setsuya. I don't know yet."
Elenor glared at those jumping in. "Out. Now." She stated flatly with a look that spoke volumes. She was ready to start hexing people, and if they didn't move now, she was most definitely going to.
"I will explain outside. That way Tarkus an focus on cleaning up the mess of a surgery room he and Sparrow caused." She said just as Klaus began to open his mouth in protest. "Now if you want to not turn into a
toad
, then by the Void, you will step out of this room."
While Klaus recovered, and Elenor began to banish them; Sparrow also gave her input resulting in a three-way garble of conversation as she, in turn, gave her own input.
"The demon has stolen my years, but i have been assured it is beneficial to my longevity." She affirmed to everyone while giving her prescious elder sister a casual nod in acknowledgement to her presence as if this was suddenly now completely normal.
She was over it now, so if it was normal to her everyone else should naturally be just as accepting of it just the same.
Sparrow did grant a single if brief longing glance towards the door after Kyoko's flight, however. She needed to spend more time with her clearly antisocial younger sister and give her a good and propper role-model like she had done for Sachiko.
Sachiko gasped as Sparrow suddenly punched her dad, and she barely heard Tarkus speaking and her eyes blinked when Sparrow spoke calmly to him as if she hadn’t just punched him. Sachiko was used to it when she’d helped her mother look after her that one time. She waved as her mother had arrived. “Hi, mommy!” Her mother, it seemed, had issues with her dad running in with just a towel, but unlike Sparrow, she thought he grabbed it when he left.
There were many times when Sachiko would leave home without any clothes on, and a lot of those times, Vivi would catch her and bring her back to get dressed. She thought Vivi hadn’t told Setsuya about it, so she didn’t make a comment about it or something to that effect. It seemed, though, that Elenor wanted them out, so she got up and as she did, she tried to help Sparrow get up, too. From there, she’d move to join the others.
Klaus sighed and raised his hands in mock surrender, seeing that it was best to leave the medical wing. Sheathing his katana, he rested it in his shoulder as he stood by door, awaiting the answers to what had happened.
While Sparrow had already acknowledged Setsuya's arrival, the longer her sister stayed in the room the more a sensation began to grow in Sparrows chest and felt like a lump that settled in her throat.
Setsuya was special to Sparrow; She was Sparrows prescious older sister after all! There was a love and bond beyond them that the younger nekomata could not quite articulate.
And while the presence of a loved one like Set was nothing new, the new sensations of sisterly-love she felt for her beyond her usual protective drive was almost overwhelming and forced something unthinkable to happen.
Transpiring in the medical facilities of a rather humble station known as Eselberg station, an event so anathema to what Sparrow was took place and was quite possibly the single most unsettling thing those who knew her had ever whitnessed.
First her lips pulled from a tight line and inched upwards, pulling apart slightly as her eyes half closed. And then Sparrow Therewood smiled at her prescious older sister.
Considering how unnatural it looked on her usual deadpan features, and how much teeth she bared it was a terrifying sight for all to behold.
Tarkus sighed and turned to start cleaning up. Eight tendrils shot from his back and began righting the room once more. Glancing over to Sparrow, he saw the odd expression. A slight smile forming on his own face. Perhaps this was for the best. "Sparrow, out of my surgical suite." With a snap of his fingers a tear in the very fabric of reality appeared. Reaching a hand inside he pulled a cloak from inside. As quickly as the tear is space materialized, it was gone.
Without a glance, he threw the cloak to her. "Go work off some of that nervous energy already. But if I find you have been fighting or get yourself hurt I'm gonna smack you. Understood?" He ordered as he continued to clean.
The Doctor was tired. He had dealt with to many people today. He needed some time to rest, but first he needed to get this place straightened up.
Setsuya having gotten over her initial annoyance at her husband's behavior, was calmer now, and properly mindful to take in the situation. A hand pet her daughter's head as she took in the sight of Sparrow for a moment, before patting Sachi to usher her out. The older sister finding the change all too strange, but oddly able to take it in stride, simply walked up to the girl and hugged her tightly.
"Come, let's get out of the good doctor's hair for now.", Setsuya said before easing up to just a comforting arm around the shoulders as she walked them both out. Set was rather calm about the whole ordeal, missing most of the startling bits, but the change did fill her with a sense of worry and unease. This small thing was what used to be her tomboy brick of a sister, and it felt all wrong, but at the same time, it was the expressive sister she had secretly always wished to have.
The only time she had seen her cry before today was the day they brought.... her home?... From what?... Something terrible she could feel, the same feeling that had been haunting her dreams these last few months. But she could not remember, and only trying to remember, made her head hurt and feel dizzy. It was an idea best left for now, but the phantom pain never left her eyes, which slightly tore at the feeling.
"I am happy to see you are well Sparrow, I was worried when a congregation had gathered in there around you. Are you sure you're feeling alright, can you move okay, do suddenly feel really hungry, or fatigued? I feel terrible for not having been present for whatever exactly happened." Setsuya said with genuine concern, hoping the light tearing could be dissuaded as just a sign of her worry.
Despite all that had happened, changes and all. The world was as it should be for Sparrow Therewood once again.
She was well and on her way to becoming whole again in a new body and ready to experience a whole new world; A whole new life. She had her family, now more odd to her than ever. She had friends and kin, even if one of them was a strange
nosferatu
who had stolen her years and put her in this new shell with all its strange feelings.
But she was happy. Which was something she never could have truly understood in the way she could now, with her precious older sister, her budding niece, and even the oddity that despite her new synapses and thought processing that was Set's pet of some kind; Klaus.
So she let herself be led away by those that she cared for, ready to face whatever the days to come would levy against them. Sparrow might no longer be the indomitable bulwark of her clan she had been prior, but she was something else now and only time would tell if the change was for ill or for good.
Content in this, Sparrow was led away by a doting sister and her clan to face a new day,
together
In the station's relatively new Medical wing, Dr. Zoren continued with his preparations. Today was the day he would perform his big procedure, the one Klaus brought him here to perform. In one of the hospital's surgical suites, several bags of blood sat in chillers waiting for use.
In the days prior to the procedure, Tarkus took blood from Sparrow. He only took a bag each day as to not make her feel sickly.
The room was white and sterile, in stark contrast to the rest of the station.
As he set up, he heard the doors to the room slide open behind him.
Sachiko entered the Medical Wing wearing a cute outfit with a Mask she had. She’d heard about what Tarkus was about to do so he wanted to be there to see it happen and to give her aunt moral support. As she was just learning magic she knew she might not be of help. “hello!” She said greeting the doctor.
Tarkus smiled as Sachi walked in. "Good morning. Here to help out Ms. Sparrow?" He asked turning from his work to greet the young woman.
Sachiko nodded her head “yup, I get to help Aunt Sparrow, and hang out here bonus!” She said with a smile.
Sparrow Therewood, the nemesis-sage, the eternal enemy of the grand duke, the purified embodiment of strength, and self proclaimed 'shrined maiden' strolls down the halls of the station, silent as the grave and sipping what currently passed for coffee on the station from a mug that was almost comically small in her hands; The well-worn print on the porceline mug reading an ironic verse lost to her that reads "My other mug is my sister". She'd just gotten up from a near all-nighter; despite the lack of a day-night cycle on the station performing various tasks.
Her leg was sore from sleeping awkwardly and she tried to stretch it out as she walked toward her shared departmentin the ramshackled medical facilities she partnered with the new demon...
Daemon? Infernite? Mortally challenged?
She wasnt sure of the nomenclature of what the impish-kind actually were...
Frankly, Sparrow knew little of their kind other than that they spawned out of some kind of smelly tar-pit and were renowned canibals and deviants.
It had been Tomoe who had given her that history lesson, the helpful scion in charge of the Spriggans helm giving her a crash course on the strange history of demon-kind and their strange rituals and cultural norms.
Realizing she was stuck in her own thoughts like usual, Sparrow made a complete 180 degree turn after passing right by the conspicious door and passed through the automatic bulkhead before passing into her billet.
Well over six feet of taut muscle on a lithe frame gave little to the imagination of the bodysuit and utilities the Nekomata wore that curved in all the right places ducked under the bulkhead as she appraised the normal goings on.
She was, of course, oblivious to such notions as sex appeal or the oggling of either sex, simply dressing utilitarian or simple. But it was easy on the eyes in all the right ways regardless of her mental vacancy towards such topics until one would remember that who they might be oggling was quite possibly the most dangerous individual on the station with a penchant for unrestrained violence and sudden and intense violence as a solution to most dispites or disagreements.
Realizing she was zoning out again, Sparrow continued further on into the war, completely forgetting what she was there for (like usual), and making a quick bee-line towards the small and disoganized madness that was her desk.
While Tarkus and Sachi spoke, he heard the 'patient' enter their shared space. "Ah here she comes now." Moving to the hall he caught Sparrow entering her office. "Ms. Sparrow, over here." He said gesturing to the surgical suite. "It's about time we made you whole again, don't you agree?" He asked the woman, his eyes glancing to Sachi.
Sachiko turned her head as she heard movement and she followed Tarkus and saw it was her aunt. As Tarkus looked at Sachiko he’d see a look of hope that he could help give her a new arm. Though Sachiko was certain she could easily make one, and with feelings, but the fact he might be able to make one that might be better, would be something Sachiko would prefer. She knew that it would be up to her aunt.
There was a visible pause in Sparrow as she first reacted to her name; Her head slowly turning to appraise Tarkus before she simply stared blankly at the demonic man, her mind processing his statement.
"Ah." came the monotone and clipped response as she suddenly remembered that it was 'today' that they had planned for...
"No." She grunted and continued on past him, giving Sachiko the tersest of nods in acknowledgement before leisurely sitting on her swivel-chair, and tucking her legs into it and off the ground as she rather childishly spun in it to face the two.
"I would like it back; My blood." She stated without further explanation.
Tarkus's formerly pleasant expression turned sour. He frowned in annoyance. The doctor had known she was going to be a difficult patient.
"No? What so you can go on being the one armed bandit queen?" He replied, his voice cold as ice, no humor in his words. "And I'm just gonna toss the blood if we don't use it. You know as well as I do that you've already replaced it." He said matter of factly.
As she heard Sparrow’s words and heard Tarkus’s response, she couldn’t help but blink. “Auntie... “ She stepped forward, and in front of Tarkus just in case. “Didn’t you two agree to this? What happened?” He asked, wanting to know something. “Would you prefer I make you something with technology?’ She asked. “What happened?’ she asked her finally.
The first answer to Tarkus was another simple "No".
And then a quick change to "Yes."
Selfish as it was, and it went unsaid, but the demon had hit the mark. Sparrow thought she looked remarkably... cool... with just one arm.
That it told a story, that it made her look tough (Not that she needed any help to do so). And besides, it was her off-arm. She still had her dominant and was strong enough to tear off someone elses arm with just her one.
She could live with just one arm.
The third answer, was another "No." in regards to the disposing of her lifeblood. She was one of only Six Nekomata currently on the station, and the other three were directly related to her. Her blood was an important resource towards keeping them healthy and alive in the worst possible scenarios.
She did not say this however. Her normal blunt maner of speaking leaving the single-worded answer with a tone of finality towards the demon as she turned towards Sachiko.
Towards her niece she may have sounded the same, but for those that knew her well enough they would be able to pick up the slightest nuance of change and lightening on her tone towards her kin and former ward.
"All is well, Sachi."
With that, the overly-developed muscle-cat simply turned back in her chair and loomed over her desk, the mug of recaff not even spilling a drop as she spun.
Tarkus's eye twitched in frustration. He'd been flown out here to work on her and now she was refusing. Over what?
"Of all the..."
Tarkus was about to continue with a tirade of curses until he looked back at Sachi then back to Sparrow. For Sachi's sake he continued to hold back his flaring temper.
"Let me put this in a way you will understand... without both of your arms you can't fight at 100%. You will always be weak on that side." He said pointing at the stump of an arm.
Sachiko frowned as she listened to the two older people talk. She wished there was some way to convince her aunt that she should go through with this. Then her aunt spoke to her telling her all was well. She took note of the slight change in tone something she’d be familiar with having lived with her aunt for a while. Then Tarkus spoke and honestly she thought his words had merit and so she chose to wait and see what her aunt said.
For all the good his arguments migtht have done, Tarkus made the mistake of insinuating weakness in sparrow.
This, having naturally the oposite effect as desired garnered another terse "No."
Followed up by what would have been her over-used catchphrase of "I, alone, am strong" but not before she effortlessly shattered the nearly empty mug in her iron-grip.
Which, in turn, ironically pierced her palm with more than a few ceramic shards.
The pain was negligable; But was set off by the embarassing irony of Sparrow Therewood simply 'staring' at her punctured hand, and then at the stump of her other arm as she suddenly realized she now lacked the means to avail herself of even the simple inconvience of the porceline splinters without another hand.
If looks could kill, The look Sparrow Therewood gave tarkus would only wound.
"Very well."
Tarkus didn't flinch as the cup broke in Sparrow's hand. He also could see the realization on her face as she realized there was no way to get it out now.
As they stared each other down and she finally relented, Tarkus only nodded as if this was the only possible conclusion. "Come on then."
He snapped his fingers and Sparrow could feel her blood pushing the ceramic out of her hand, before healing over.
Sachiko listened as the two spoke to each other, and she opened her mouth before she eeped verbally as she saw the mug break in her aunt's hand. Without thinking, she moved to grab the medical supplies before she witnessed Tarkus’s magic at work. She thought that was neat and so she decided to follow them, as she thought of what she might see next.
Leading the two women back into the surgical suite Tarkus had prepared, he motioned for Sparrow to lay down on the table. Moving to the cooler he removed the bags of blood and spiked each one, hanging them on an IV pole.
While Sparrow wordlessly laid back on the table and found a seemingly comfortable position her cool-as-ice demenor was betrayed by the obvious and blatant fidgeting she exuded. The rubbing of her legs and constant readjustments, the restlessness and other signs showing an underlying anxiety.
She was no stranger to magics at this point and even their uses and utilities despite not posessing any aptitude for it herself. But the uncertain or unknown and most of all that which was beyond her control naturally agitated the imposing pugilist.
It certainly did not help in the slightest that the bright surgical lights ruined her perceptual vision; Tinting the rest of the room dark and frankly ominous while the closest objects to her where, of course, a multitude of bloodbags swinging menacingly on hooks around her.
While Sparrow was seemingly incapable of fear, forboding and ominous circumstance was well and truely enough to put an unsettling feeling in her when, for once, it was
her
on the table for a change.
"Proceed." was her only utterance, her steely monotone belying the ominous sense of anxiety she was feeling.
If Tarkus noticed the fidgeting he didn't call attention to it. He walked over to her good side and cleaned the arm with alcohol. "First I'm putting in an IV for medicine and to give you your blood back." He said as he slid the needle into her arm. After placing the IV catheter and removing the needle, he hooked up a bag of fluids. "Next I'll give you something for pain." He said taking a syringe and pushing the pain medicine through the IV.
Once all of Tarkus's prepwork was done he looked over to Sachiko and motioned for her to stand next to Sparrow.
"Now then. It's time."
A cut appeared on Sparrow's injury which began to widen. The blood in the bags began infusing into her IV.
Tarkus's eyes glowed as he began speaking words of power in a language neither of them could understand. At the end of the magic babble they heard "Blood magic: Restituo." At the last syllable, blood began to pour from the cut in Sparrow's arm. Looking to the two women he explained "What's happening right now is that I am stimulating the stim cells in your body to regrow your arm. That's why we need so much blood from you.' He explained as before their very eyes, the stump of her arm began to grow. The accelerated healing ached even though Tarkus gave Sparrow the pain medication.
Placing a hand on Sparrow's shoulder he asked, "Do you want more pain medicine?"
Sachiko followed the two much older individuals and watched as her aunt got into place and the young niece desired to stand at her aunt’s side. So when Tarkus indicated to her that she could stand at her aunt’s side. She gently placed her hand on her aunt’s shoulder as a way to show support for her aunt. She didn’t want to hold her hand, fearing that doing so would dislodge the IV or something. She didn’t want to do anything that would disrupt the medication for pain.
She watched with fascination as the arm reformed before her very eyes. She then turned her attention to Tarkus as he spoke and explained things also as he spoke to her aunt. She opened her mouth to tell him yes to give her more medication, but he wasn’t asking her, but her aunt and she didn’t know if her aunt was in pain or not.
Sparrow would have usually responded with a stout "I will endure", but was rather distracted at the moment, any pain easily compartmentalized and little more than a distant and easily overlooked ache.
The teporary arm tarkus had grafter her on their first arrival to Eselberg station had been a suprise and had happened so quick that Sparrow had barely even registered it had happened until it was done and over with.
But now, as a more permenante fixture began to grow and mold, Sparrow was able to take in the entire experience down to the every sensation. She still had no depth of feeling in the growing limb beyond the phantom ache. But there was a new, odd feeling she was keen to examine and understand as the fell and magical energies coursing through her growing stump and into her shoulder and spine as it stimulated new muscles and nueral pathways to meld with the old.
It was indescribeable and neither was it painful nor pleasnt for her as she unknowingly reached out with an unseen organ inside of her that was quickly waking and becoming aware of Tarkus' magics as they stimulated unused arcane conduits and magical circuits that lined her body as it sought to renew and rejuvinate her.
She had no control over this new sensation that rose from her core and sought out the tendrils of power circulating within her. Like all parts of Sparrow it was a simple if brutal defnsive meassure brought about as a once dormant core within her adapted much in the same manner as its host to an unknown situation; It attacked without remorse or consideration towards the rejuvinating qualities of the magic.
In the face of sophisticated and advanced magics like what Tarkus could call upon it was outmatched. But unrefined or not it latched onto Tarkus' rejuvination and began to drag it deeper and deeper into Sparrows body and core like a tiger to its meat, syphoning the power from its source.
On the outside, as this micro-war began to wage inside her, Sparrow, unawares of the finer excentricities of magical countermeasures she was unknowingly developing simply continued to stare at the now much slower growth of her arm as it began to stagnate. She began to frown, which was not all that much different from her usual expression, as the though that perhapse the demon-man had failed or bitten off more than he could chew?
As Sparrow's blood began attacking Tarkus's magic, he staggered back. Not that the attack was strong, it was merely unexpected.
He hadn't planned on using his own blood to power the spell, but sparrow (more aptly, her blood) wasn't giving him much choice in the matter.
Staggering over to one of the tables, Dr. Zoren grabbed a scalpel. "This is such a pain..." he said before stabbing the scapel into his hand.
Blood poured out from the opened wound and began flowing into Sparrow's new limb, which began to overpower her own defenses. He still let her own blood do the repair but Tarkus used his blood to keep her's in check.
Sachiko continued to watch as the limb formed, then when Tarkus staggered back, she looked at him with concern as she began wondering what was going on. She blinked again and gasped as he stabbed his hand. “what?....” She couldn’t help but ask as she watched what was going on, and glanced to her aunt, hoping she was ok as she hoped the same for Tarkus too.
Sparrow offered a small gasp in suprise not for Tarkus' self harm, odd as it was, but for the resulting sensations of first ice in her veins and then the spreading warmth that grew into a blazing heat as fire replaced it and circulated through her system.
Her arm began to grow with renewed vigor and unhindered now, but unbeknownst and unnoticed as the spectacle took the attention of two of the group while the third kept his focus on the task at hand to prevent more setbacks other changes were taking place.
Something... lost... In sparrow was beginning to form as her body leeched off the rejuvinating magics to right imperfections and minor genetic imperfections on a cellular level. Perhapse 'lost' would not have been the right term for it, but more that something that had never developed in Sparrow in the first place was slowly forming and building new pathways inside her.
But as before, the rapid growth of the arm was a rare spectacle indeed, and even the more obvious exterior changes on the nekomata were not seen.
Tarkus pulled the scalpel from his hand and continued to pour blood from his hand and from the bags into Sparrow. He refused to fail, not now. His already pale complexion began to look paler as he used more blood than he realized.
"Come on, gods damn it." He cursed as his magic flowed in waves out into Sparrow. Before he knew it, his vision was starting to swim and he himself was wobbling in place. Any longer and the Doctor was going to be on the floor.
Sachiko watched as the arm regrew with interest as she thought of going into blood magic since it will help with regrowing limbs, but she didn’t really like the idea of cutting herself. She wasn’t one of those people that liked hurting themselves, so she thought Artificers would be perfect for her.
When she glanced at Tarkus, she saw him wobble, which caused a gasp to escape her. She moved over to his side and moved her arms so that she could catch him. “I think maybe we should stop..for now, you're wobbling,” she said to him.
Tarkus rested his hand on Sachi to reassure her, as well as support himself. "We are almost finished... just a little but more." He said softly to the young apprentice sorcerer.
Before not too long the magic had begun to fade as the last bits of the tips of Sparrows fingers formed; Down to even freshly grown fingernails and even down to the finest detail of her fingerprints.
Sparrow herself had simply... Faded. Not in any alarming way, but had simply drifted off and passed out and now simply...
It had taken a moment for Tarkus to regain himself and Sachiko to look away from him and the new arm but there was a noticeable change to Sparrow beyond just her arm.
The person laying in the bed was clearly
her
at a glance but some noticeable and startling changes had taken place. Her frame had shrunk slightly and clearly had been a slow process as not have been immedietly noticeable, and she had lost
alot
of weight that had once been muscle mass that was now less defined on a thinner body with less toned arms, legs, and waist.
Beyond all that she had lost alot of definition in her body as her chest had shrunk and the sharp and stern features she was known for had regressed into the slightly more youthful roundness of youth on her face.
Seemingly Tarkus' magic had rejuvinated
more
than just her arm, and had reinvigorated her body to a more youthful state clearly in her late-late teens and much around the same apparent age as Sachiko or even Kyoko!
Still drained and asleep, A much younger Sparrow stirred in her sleep.
Sachiko held him before she glanced up to the master sorcerer demon concern evident on her face before she glanced to her aunt. The young apprentice artificer’s new gasp was louder as she saw the arm was reformed, but it was actually her aunt's appearance. She saw that her aunt looked younger than before closer to her age. “uh... Tarkus…” she couldn’t help but state though she noted how she seemed to be sleeping.
Tarkus's own eyes had closed as he did his best to concentrate on the spell. As soon as he felt her limb was fully restored, he cut the spell and sealed the wound on his hand. Resting against wall and Sachi, the doctor was merely thankful the ordeal was over with. That was until Sachi spoke once more...
Opening his eyes he took in Sparrow's new appearance. "Well fuck..." he cursed. "During the operation, something inside her blood was drawing from my power which is why I had to add my own blood to equation. She must have drawn even more power when my blood was added." The doctor theorized. "Fuck..." he repeated
As sparrow continued to stir, mostly propigated by the murmuring and cursing taking place the now young woman opened her eyes with a slow flutter as if waking from an exhausting dream.
She looked from Sachiko to Tarukus, measuring the concern taking place and, looking down toward her arm and expecting the worst, appraised it.
Examining it much the same as if she was looking at a new ring on her finger she simply couldnt find any issue which brought about a sense of relief that made her wonder just why she had been so worried a moment before? With her usual attitude being that she would have simply grunted and accepted it at face value otherwise.
"What is-" She started to ask to tarkus but then froze.
The voice coming out of her was... Odd... As it actually peaked at one point, something that had never happened to her raspy monotone was now flecked with newfound emotion. Even her face, a usually stoic deadpan now furrowed her brow as she visibly jerked back slightly.
Her eyes widening in a way they never had before, Sparrow began to once again look from Tarkus to Sachiko with concern and even, for the first time in her life, the beginnings of
panic
.
Something was clearly wrong.
Sachiko blinked as Tarkus cursed beside her, and she saw Sparrow wake up. She saw her reaction, and she saw emotion. Her aunt was deadpan, and she’d never thought she could feel so much emotion, but now she was. She listened as Tarkus spoke of what went on during the operation, and she learned something inside was drawing more from Tarkus. The half Nekomata wondered if there was something in her too, but she chose not to dwell on this, as she helped Tarkus to sit down before she hurried to her aunt’s side. “Auntie, do you feel alright?’ She asked her choosing to think of her aunt’s feelings.
Tarkus was eased to the floor but quickly stood back up and moved to Sparrow's side. "Hey, it's alright. You need to breath." The doctor said in the most soothing voice either of them had heard the doctor use. "Your arm is back but there was an unexpected complication. Your body absorbed my magic and it has made your body younger." He explained in simple terms for Sparrow to understand. Reaching over and grabbing a mirror, he passed it to Sparrow to allow her to see her new self.
Theres a special point in growing hysteria where the mind begins to disconnect and collectivly filter out non-important senses such as sound. Sparrow was not deaf, but the blood rush in her head was quite possibly the loudest thing she could hear and Tarkus' words if they even reached her did not register.
Beyond that there were new senations overwhelming her with sensory overload that she had never experienced before; There was rage in her brain, there was pain in her frame, there was love, there was hunger, and strife. She felt felt lonely, rejected, at times disconnected from it all, as if there was no longer the same certainty in her life.
These were not
new
feelings for her. But somehow they were amplified to what might be normal for anyone but her with her once muted sensations and feelings.
And so Sparrow resorted to the one thing she knew and that drove her every action when all else was lost or uncertain; She acted on pure instinct.
It was no longer Tarkus and Sachiko in the room to her. Someone simply brandished something towards her, And Sparrow lashed out to intercept a weapon and subdue a threat!
Or at least she would have if she had the same control over this new, younger, and weaker form than her old one. Instead she awkwardly threw herself out of the bed, swatted at the mirrior, missing it mostly but still knocking it free of the demons hand, and then fell to the floor with an audible thump.
The hard landing, to Sparrows suprise, actually hurt! And knocked some of the wind out of her both physically and mentally as her brief episode subsided. By sheer coincidence when she opened her eyes she saw the little portal of a mirrior hanging somewhat off the bed and half exposed to her.
The stranger it showed to her as she lay looking up at it was clearly
her
. But the chaos that came with it was not.
Tarkus cursed as he shifted backwards, away from Sparrow's strike. After she ended up on the floor and in near hysterics, the doctor pulled off his jacket and bloody tendrils erupted from his back. Six in total.
Two of the bottom tendrils wrapped Sparrow up and hoisted her into the air. "Sparrow stop!" The doctor roared, a complete 180 from just a moment earlier.
Sachiko watched as Tarkus moved to place the mirror so that her aunt could see herself, but what she wasn’t expecting was her reaction and she moved back, not wanting to be hit. Her wide eyes watched as Tarkus used his magic to try to stop her aunts from flaying. “Aunt Sparrow, it’s ok your safe!”
Sparrow, a bit more in her own wits, could now more understand what was going on. It did in no way make her any calmer, however. Blood-red tendrils practically hoisting her in the air and off the ground where she kicked frantically.
Tears welling in her eyes with a sense of newfound embarassment it was only some repreieve that her usualy tight-fitting clothing had shruken some what to normal proportions on her and didnt leave her flailing naked.
So sparrow thrashed and kicked and snarled and struck out at the restraints until, lacking any of her previous strength and struggling to keep her breath she slumped and began to hyperventilate until even that began to level out into steadier breathing.
For all that she was once stoic and quiet, the new Sparrow had made quite the racket and sounded much like a skinned cat in her failure to understand this new world of emotions.
Tarkus held Sparrow there for several long seconds as her breathing slowed. Finally, he gently lowered her back to the floor. The bloody tendrils slowly receded, moving back behind the doctor as he stood there watching.
He felt bad for Sparrow, and felt guilty that this happened to her. He should have been more careful when she began absorbing his magic. Instead he poured it on...
Stepping further back from the two, he allowed more room for Sachiko to get to her aunt. Pushing himself back to a corner, he held his hand over his mouth and chin as if in contemplation. However the truth was he was merely hiding his shame.
Sachiko frowned as she saw her aunt hyperventilate and she felt helpless since she didn’t know what to do. It didn’t help that Tarkus had held her up in mid-air where she couldn’t get to her. Fortunately, Tarkus lowered her aunt, and she moved to her side. Sachiko knew machinery and was very skilled and understood them, but she knew that her aunt, despite not being a machine, seemed different to the younger girl.
She reached out to hold her aunt’s hand as she moved to hug her, hoping it comforts her.
While she was walking through the living space, figuring she'd settle for something quick to eat in the cafeteria, there'd be a quite noticable racket going on in the medbay. Wait, no, they'd expanded that into a medical wing. That's right. Diverting her course, Elenor walked down the stairs and into the medbay that had been there originally, and past it. It didn't take long to reach the main operating room, and she promptly knocked on the door.
Before Tarkus could react the door slid open, allowing Elenor to see inside. She could see Sparrow and Sachi from the door way, as well as Tarkus... with six bloody tendrils sprouting from his back. His mind raced, knowing that this looked very sketchy to anyone who didn't know what the actual situation was.
Now that Sparrow seemed to have calm down he dispelled his magic, the blood flowing back into his body. Why did people have to start showing up... everything just kept going from bad to worse.
Perspectives were a tricky thing when they have suddenly changed for someone. In her lashing out, and her short suspension by Tarkus, Sparrow still had little perspecitve of her newer, smaller, size comparatively to her old one.
Until now.
For example, Sachiko had always been taller than her, if only by a negligible inch or two. But now Sparrows niece stood easily a head taller than her aunt and Sparrow actually had to crane her neck up to look her own niece in the eyes.
Her body was smaller now. Frailer it felt too. Not in weakness but in a general lack of strength that she felt she could muster that became all to evident with her younger, but still adult body when Sachiko took her hand. It was warm.
Tears unbidden Sparrow accepted her former wards hug.
Which was coincidentally when Elenor came about.
Coming into a room with a near crying girl in loose fitting clothing, even if a slightly familiar looking one, in the comforting embrace of Sachiko while a very frustrated demon sprouting ominous and unsettling looking tentacles after hearing quite the commotion from the struggle could have left an number of unanswered questions or possible scenarios to mind.
And then the demon quickly dispelled his temporary apendages in a way that
totally
didnt look like he was hiding them or covering them up, and in
no way
looked frustrated and just a little embarassed from someone walking in on whatever was going on.
Elenor looked on for a few moments, and sighed, pinching her nose. "I'm not gonna ask the stupid and likely incorrect question right now Doc. I'm just gonna ask the more sensible one considering my own field... Spell gone awry, or an unexpected side-effect?" She asked, lowering her hand to look at Tarkus directly.
"Unexpected side effect of the operation. Somehow her body was siphoning off my magic during the spell. Had to use much more of my own magic than originally anticipated." He explained clinically, eyes fixed on Sparrow. "She became combative once the spell was over, so I had to restrain her for her and Sachi's safety." He added, his eyes glancing to Elenor's for only a moment.
"Right. And this is... Who?" Elenor asked, looking at the girl. She looked no older than 18 now. "Since I imagine this is one of the Nekomata who've been living on the station. I know it ain't me, and it clearly ain't Sachi. Leaves about three others." She said.
"It's Sparrow..." he replied tersely.
Elenor sighed. "Oh great. That can't be going over well." She said, knowing the infamy on the station Sparrow had for the sheer amount of aggression the woman could put out when she wasn't happy about something. Elenor had been on the receiving end of it a couple times already.
"Just, don't blow up my station, got it? UNS already give me enough shit about having Set's be the station administrator instead of it being myself or Lucas."
Sachiko was all frown as she held her crying aunt close to her. Her ears picked up on the distinct sound of whoosh as the doors opened, causing her to glance up as Elenor entered. With Elenor speaking to Tarkus, she glanced back at her aunt and tried to think of a way to help her. “Can she be helped? Be returned to her normal height and age?” She asked with a frown and glanced at Elenor. “I saw you on the list too, Ma’am” she replied to Elenor’s comment about Setsuya being a station administrator.
Sparrow
wasn't
crying!
She was uncontrollably tearing up in what might look like crying. And there was a horrible lump in her throat that kept choking her up. And she wasnt clutching onto sachiko, and...
This was a pain. It was time to take control like she always did and put her foot down on whatever was wrong with her.
"
HEE
- " Sparrow's voice cracked, eliciting, for the first time ever, an 'eep' sound in suprise from her before fighting back the color in her cheeks and taking an awkward amount of time clearing her throught and coughing while mumbling under her breath until she was motivated enough.
"He has stolen my years from me." A non sequitur, classic sparrow response. "I want them back."
There was a logic thread forming for Sparrow that somehow having been reduced in age as she was, had suddenly had the oposite effect and had somehow diminished her life in some way by... By having less... Of them?
It made sense to her, that was what mattered. Younger she might be. More expressive and influenced by new emotions as well. But even with all that Sparrow was still as sharp as she ever was; Which was to say not at all.
There was also the part about how she felt noticeably weaker; He had stolen her strength from her to use as his own.
Her height was gone; He stole her
inches
for some nefarious demon-plot.
Her chest was now smaller and her measurements all wrong; None of her clothes would fit, now she would have to spend money on entirely new wardrobe, bankrupting her.
Her voice was too high-pitched and cracked too much; An attempt to ruin her intimidation and identity which would weaken the clan and put them in danger.
She was also very hungry; Some other michief about no doubt causing it. In fact she could likely not recall a time when she was any hungrier than she was now, ravenous even.
"I wish for this affliction removed or I will cull it at the source."
Sparrow had no idea how geuninely cute she looked now with her brows furrowed and her monotone replaced with the angsty catterwalling of an inconvienced teenager.
Elenor sighed as Sachiko spoke. "I'm technically one of hte co-owners of the station. We only have Sets run the station as the administrator because neither myself or Lucas want to do the job. As for you, Sparrow," She turned to point a finger at the younger woman. "He's given you years if I had ot hazard a guess. And considering what I know of magic and what he's said, I'm more sure you can regain that strength, because your own body's magic kicked in and tried to kickstart itself back into function." She explained. "Physical strength? You can train that back up. Magical strength? Well, looks like you get to learn."
"And if you want to 'cull it at the source', I'm pretty sure you'd need ot cut out your own damned heart."
Elenor was most defintley
not
pulling any punches in this situation. Especially considering who she was dealing with.
Tarkus was about to try and explain... again... how the spell had affected her physiology, but Eleanor beat him to the punch.
He wouldn't have put it as bluntly though, which was out of character for him. Despite how Sparrow was acting, the Doctor couldn't shake his own feelings on the situation. He'd lost control of his own magic. A master of blood magic, lost control. The outcome wasn't disastrous, but it could have been.
The doc stepped forward and brought himself down to her level. Tentatively he placed a hand on her arm. "Listen to me. I didn't take your 'years' away. Your body took my magic and used it to pull back the on the clock. Something inside if you used my magic and made you younger. You will easily regain what you had." He said softly.
As she held her now younger-looking aunt, she couldn’t help but think what her aunt was saying made no sense. She was just an apprentice, but she was certain that if someone were to take years, she’d have to look older, not younger. Still, due to her sympathy for her aunt, she chose not to say anything.
The youngest of the group frowned at the bluntness in which Elenor spoke. “I think they are right, Auntie Sparrow... if you’d like we can go clothes shopping together, I know of outfits that would look great on you.’ She told her aunt, hoping it helped her as to how helpless Sachiko was feeling.
As Sachiko had surmised, Sparrow knew the least of any general knowledge of any magics or divinations. To her it was just a form of advanced geometry beyond her comprehension that made, altered, manafested, or destroyed.
In this case the result had clearly leaned towards
altered
.
She was coming to realize that. Sachi had never lied to her after all (At least not in a way she could recognize). And her former ward had never done or said anything out of her best interests in mind.
So perhapse it could have been a mistake; Weapons jammed or failed, the body can bend and break, and even small faults can destroy stalwart monoliths given time. So too could magics fail or have undesired effects.
But then again... There was now the accusation that Sparrow had
somehow
been the one to steal from Tarkus and not the other way around. Her eyes narrowed at that statement, and slowly the implications of new conspiracies began to form.
She was Sparrow Therewood;
Supreme matriarch of the Therewood clan, the nemesis-sage, the shrined maiden, the enemy of a grand duke! She was a target of many and more from her actions and those of her family.
Clearly-
And then Sachiko naturally changed the track of her train of thought and lead her along just as easily as she had done numerous times before.
She liked clothes shopping. And with what little she had seen of herself now, and looking down to examine her new form more thoroughly and tried to envision some of the cuter clothes she had always wanted but which were either never made in her size or would be too embarassing or innapropriat for someone of her former size or build to wear...
"Ok." She nodded with a grunt to Sachiko. The entire issue practically forgotten with her usual blase attitude. But now, she looked expectantly at her niece, and then Tarkus and in turn to Elenor as if she expected this
now
of all things; Half dressed in ill-fitting clothing and sparsly covered in loose blood splotches.
"I'll see if Lucas is willing to help you with an outfit or two, if you're okay with that Sparrow." Elenor said, glancing at Tarkus. "And you Doc, I ask to keep an eye on her for the next few days, to see if what we think happened is what did happen. I would hate to be the feline that got a guess wrong, especially with Sparrow involved as the subject."
After Sparrow finally spoke, Tarkus nodded and stood giving a slight smile in reply. At Elenor's suggestion, Tarkus looked back at her and nodded. "Already planned on it." He replied.
Suddenly, a white blur jumped into the room! "Status Report!!" the elf yelled. It was Klaus, blue eyes alert to any danger and white spiky hair wet, much like the rest of his body. It seemed he'd just left a shower as he wore a towel around his waist with his katana in his hand and the scabbard in another.
"What happened, people?" he said, as he noted the lack of an immediate attack, and everyone present.
Sachiko smiled as things seemed calm, though she was unsure how Lucas could help, she chose not to comment. The plan for Sparrow to get new fitting outfits was decided, and she was about to say something when Klaus had arrived. “Hi, Daddy! Just an odd magic incident happened, but Aunt Sparrow has her arm back!” She said, feeling pleased that her aunt had her limb back, but she felt bad for Sparrow’s de-aging. Sachiko gave zero concern over her father's state of dress.
Tarkus only sighed as the next person flooded into the room. Pinching the bridge of his nose, the doctor replied. "Klaus this is an operating room, not the lou. Put some damn pants on..."
Klaus got a look at Sparrows new arm in a manner of speaking when, not even a few seconds after he entered it swung towards him in a backhand that struck his cheek. Sparrow, naturally startled and still at least somwhat on edge acted on pure instinct when a crazed and naked fiend appeared with a sword in close proximity to her niece; Proving muscle memory was just as much mental and physical despite her new body.
There wasnt nearly the same force behind it as the older-sparrow might have been able to bring to bear, resulting in just what it was; A suprise slap from a young woman, and not the first one in his life he had recieved.
The followup when Sparrow juked forwards before he could recover, and headbutted him, however, which was much more effective even if her new size made her misjudge and slam her forehead just above his solar plexus instead of his nose. It made a hollow '
thud
' sound much the same as a piece of flat wood hitting a hard mat.
and before she could even register what she had done, and more importantly, to whom. She recoiled and started rubbing at her forehead after learning just how much it hurt to headbutt one of the hardest parts of bone in the body.
Tarkus rolled his eyes and a single blood tendril sprouted from behind him to grab Sparrow. Unlike last time he simply picked her up and sat the woman back down on the table. "Calm down... no more fighting for the rest of the day. You need still need rest."
Oddly enough it only took Sparrow a second time being unceremoniously lifted up like a small child by a magical and questionably sanitary blood-tendril for it to not phase her anymore.
Just seemed to be a part of her life that random tentacles would challenge her mobility for now.
In response, however she shook her head in the negetative to Tarkus' statement while she looked over at Klaus with some visible shame after she realized who it was she had tried to break the nose of just a second earlier. She wasn't tired; In fact she felt like she had an uncomfortable amount of energy she could burn right at that moment.
There were more pressing concerns, however. Like the general curocity she felt towards a certain individual in the room who was just recovering from a rather unimpressive counterattack.
"Is something troubling you, Klaus Therwood that you find urgent enough to come for medical aid before putting on trousers?"
He did have a sword, was wet, and clearly was in a rush. Perhapse he fell in the shower and cut himself? While Sparrow didnt see any wounds or lacerations she was unfamiliar with the nuances of showering with bladed weaponry and clearly anything was possible.
She just didn't understand why someone would want to shower with a sword?
Such questions would have to wait as rapid foot steps could be heard echoing in the hall, followed by the voice of the actual matriach of the Therwood clan. "GODS DAMNIT KLAUS!!!", came the mature and impactful voice of Setsuya as she rounded the door frame with a annoyed frown. "What in the hell is wrong with you that you had to run through the station with just a towel you, white snowflaked haired fool!"
A very grumpy feline growl was given, the woman still dressed in her formal uniform as the administrator. Her eyes gave him a angry stare at laser point accuracy before wandering to the others present. Her own cheeks were now reddened, realizing just how many people he had shown himself to. "Oh for the love of.... So does anyone want to explain to me why it looks like a hospital reunion in here?", Setsuya asked with a sigh as she crossed one arm under her ample chest, the other resting on her chin.
One more had followed her down, if only to keep tabs on the goings on of the station, the intel operative habits never dying. Kyoko calmly walked in, eating yogurt, and taking in the scene. The tentacles got a more wide eyed look from her, the traces of blood everywhere, and..... Her sister, but teened....
"Nope nope nope, I'm out, not here for this Z-Files bullshit.", she simply and calmly stated, before quickly walking back out and to the waiting area.
Tarkus's eye twitched in annoyance once again. The tentacle shot back behind him and disappeared. He was over trying to explain the situation. He was also aggrevated that his surgical suite was definitely going to need decontamination. But mostly he was aggrevated that so many people kept showing up.
A sting of very angry and foul curses was trying to work it's way up his throat but he swallowed hard. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath in and sighed pinching the bridge of his nose. "Someone else explain the situation. If I go though it one more damn time, I am going to start throwing things." He said in an even, yet annoyed tone.
The initial slap surprised more than hurt, but the following headbutt
hurt .
Klaus was left wheezing as his stepsister's skull proved still very, very thick.
"I heard..
wheeze
... screaming. Came running as soon as I could." the elf said, before turning to his wife. "Hi Setsuya. I don't know yet."
Elenor glared at those jumping in. "Out. Now." She stated flatly with a look that spoke volumes. She was ready to start hexing people, and if they didn't move now, she was most definitely going to.
"I will explain outside. That way Tarkus an focus on cleaning up the mess of a surgery room he and Sparrow caused." She said just as Klaus began to open his mouth in protest. "Now if you want to not turn into a
toad
, then by the Void, you will step out of this room."
While Klaus recovered, and Elenor began to banish them; Sparrow also gave her input resulting in a three-way garble of conversation as she, in turn, gave her own input.
"The demon has stolen my years, but i have been assured it is beneficial to my longevity." She affirmed to everyone while giving her prescious elder sister a casual nod in acknowledgement to her presence as if this was suddenly now completely normal.
She was over it now, so if it was normal to her everyone else should naturally be just as accepting of it just the same.
Sparrow did grant a single if brief longing glance towards the door after Kyoko's flight, however. She needed to spend more time with her clearly antisocial younger sister and give her a good and propper role-model like she had done for Sachiko.
Sachiko gasped as Sparrow suddenly punched her dad, and she barely heard Tarkus speaking and her eyes blinked when Sparrow spoke calmly to him as if she hadn’t just punched him. Sachiko was used to it when she’d helped her mother look after her that one time. She waved as her mother had arrived. “Hi, mommy!” Her mother, it seemed, had issues with her dad running in with just a towel, but unlike Sparrow, she thought he grabbed it when he left.
There were many times when Sachiko would leave home without any clothes on, and a lot of those times, Vivi would catch her and bring her back to get dressed. She thought Vivi hadn’t told Setsuya about it, so she didn’t make a comment about it or something to that effect. It seemed, though, that Elenor wanted them out, so she got up and as she did, she tried to help Sparrow get up, too. From there, she’d move to join the others.
Klaus sighed and raised his hands in mock surrender, seeing that it was best to leave the medical wing. Sheathing his katana, he rested it in his shoulder as he stood by door, awaiting the answers to what had happened.
While Sparrow had already acknowledged Setsuya's arrival, the longer her sister stayed in the room the more a sensation began to grow in Sparrows chest and felt like a lump that settled in her throat.
Setsuya was special to Sparrow; She was Sparrows prescious older sister after all! There was a love and bond beyond them that the younger nekomata could not quite articulate.
And while the presence of a loved one like Set was nothing new, the new sensations of sisterly-love she felt for her beyond her usual protective drive was almost overwhelming and forced something unthinkable to happen.
Transpiring in the medical facilities of a rather humble station known as Eselberg station, an event so anathema to what Sparrow was took place and was quite possibly the single most unsettling thing those who knew her had ever whitnessed.
First her lips pulled from a tight line and inched upwards, pulling apart slightly as her eyes half closed. And then Sparrow Therewood smiled at her prescious older sister.
Considering how unnatural it looked on her usual deadpan features, and how much teeth she bared it was a terrifying sight for all to behold.
Tarkus sighed and turned to start cleaning up. Eight tendrils shot from his back and began righting the room once more. Glancing over to Sparrow, he saw the odd expression. A slight smile forming on his own face. Perhaps this was for the best. "Sparrow, out of my surgical suite." With a snap of his fingers a tear in the very fabric of reality appeared. Reaching a hand inside he pulled a cloak from inside. As quickly as the tear is space materialized, it was gone.
Without a glance, he threw the cloak to her. "Go work off some of that nervous energy already. But if I find you have been fighting or get yourself hurt I'm gonna smack you. Understood?" He ordered as he continued to clean.
The Doctor was tired. He had dealt with to many people today. He needed some time to rest, but first he needed to get this place straightened up.
Setsuya having gotten over her initial annoyance at her husband's behavior, was calmer now, and properly mindful to take in the situation. A hand pet her daughter's head as she took in the sight of Sparrow for a moment, before patting Sachi to usher her out. The older sister finding the change all too strange, but oddly able to take it in stride, simply walked up to the girl and hugged her tightly.
"Come, let's get out of the good doctor's hair for now.", Setsuya said before easing up to just a comforting arm around the shoulders as she walked them both out. Set was rather calm about the whole ordeal, missing most of the startling bits, but the change did fill her with a sense of worry and unease. This small thing was what used to be her tomboy brick of a sister, and it felt all wrong, but at the same time, it was the expressive sister she had secretly always wished to have.
The only time she had seen her cry before today was the day they brought.... her home?... From what?... Something terrible she could feel, the same feeling that had been haunting her dreams these last few months. But she could not remember, and only trying to remember, made her head hurt and feel dizzy. It was an idea best left for now, but the phantom pain never left her eyes, which slightly tore at the feeling.
"I am happy to see you are well Sparrow, I was worried when a congregation had gathered in there around you. Are you sure you're feeling alright, can you move okay, do suddenly feel really hungry, or fatigued? I feel terrible for not having been present for whatever exactly happened." Setsuya said with genuine concern, hoping the light tearing could be dissuaded as just a sign of her worry.
Despite all that had happened, changes and all. The world was as it should be for Sparrow Therewood once again.
She was well and on her way to becoming whole again in a new body and ready to experience a whole new world; A whole new life. She had her family, now more odd to her than ever. She had friends and kin, even if one of them was a strange
nosferatu
who had stolen her years and put her in this new shell with all its strange feelings.
But she was happy. Which was something she never could have truly understood in the way she could now, with her precious older sister, her budding niece, and even the oddity that despite her new synapses and thought processing that was Set's pet of some kind; Klaus.
So she let herself be led away by those that she cared for, ready to face whatever the days to come would levy against them. Sparrow might no longer be the indomitable bulwark of her clan she had been prior, but she was something else now and only time would tell if the change was for ill or for good.
Content in this, Sparrow was led away by a doting sister and her clan to face a new day,
together