i've been bitten by the bug ...

[headandhand]

WHO: Open to all residents
WHAT: Inoculation Season, plus your regular monthly NAPs session
WHERE: Throughout the city, with NAPs held at The Ax Hole.
WHEN: Sept. 10-30 for plague shots and associated side effects; Sept. 10-14 for NAPs
WARNINGS: Please use if applicable!

So tell me, what do you prescribe for these symptoms?

Remember that awful plague that wiped out the city's entire original population? You know, the entire reason you've been brought here? Well, the medical science community of Dualis has been hard at work concocting a cure for as long as anyone can remember, with minimal results. But during the morning of the 10th, news of a breakthrough is announced is a special city-wide bulletin. All media channels are overtaken with this message, and alerts hit every citizen's phone. The best part? Science needs your help!

There's no formal approval process for new vaccines and medications, just a series of volunteer trials before it's determined whether what's being tested is effective. All residents are invited to participate in these trials, with a bonus of 200 extra duos as compensation for their time and possible suffering. Simply head down to your nearest MedDualis clinic and inform the MedDroids supervising that you're reporting for your civic duty. Participants will be given a quick, easy, and practically painless inoculation shot in the arm, and will walk out the door 200 duos richer. Neat, huh?

Participants will be warned that like all experimental drugs, there may be side effects. A non-comprehensive list of those possible side effects includes: minor appearance changes (hair/skin/eye color), enhancing or reducing senses (smell, taste, hearing, sight, etc.), sudden mild development of extranormal abilities (telepathy, super strength, super speed, etc.), the ability to share dreams (if you're not tired of that sorta thing after last month), and/or loss of control over abilities you already possess, or those abilities misfiring. Hey, at least death isn't included on this list!

Any intrepid Dualizen who comes down with a case of weirdness as a result of doing their civic duty will find that weirdness will wear off by the end of the month. The Head thanks you for your sacrifice!

Don't you feel the fever like I do?

Look at all of these bright, shining new faces! There’s even a few less bright, less shining faces - maybe even a few folks without faces - but hey, this city welcomes all types. Chances are, if you’ve just arrived, you're seeing some pretty crazy things, unless you're used to an eye-blinding amount of neon, robots, weird-ass technology, magic, and an omnipresent police force...and hey, if you are, congrats, you're gonna settle in juuuuust fine. But for the rest of you, the Head knows this has gotta be pretty overwhelming, right?

Well, since your quaint individual processing units are probably having a hard time, why not link up with another one? By which the Head means...

Hello, new citizens of Dualis,
and welcome to your monthly Network Adjacency Protocol~!

NAPs are a monthly community networking event similar to the Earth concept of speed dating! Two citizens (new arrivals and old hands alike) are placed at a table together with a handy cue card of queries to help break the proverbial ice. Ask queries and receive results, or ignore the card and yeet yourself straight into a brand new friendship! But don't be too shy, you've only got ten minutes together, and if you just sit in silence for the whole ten, the Network Admins are likely to come supervise and try to repair the uplink through a mild shock to the ol' central nervous system. You might find yourself saying all sorts of unintended facts about yourself if that happens...probably better to just make friends, right? Who doesn’t like friends?!

This month’s event is held at an exciting new establishment called The Ax Hole! The 'Hole is an indoor ax-throwing range plus bar plus mid-price grill-type restaurant, the first of its kind to find a home here in Dualis. You must be at least 18 to drink and/or throw axes, and if you are throwing axes, there is a limit of one drink per hour. The bartenders are very strict about enforcing this rule, and employees are available to give safety instructions on proper ax-throwing technique and supervise activities.

This is a family-friendly establishment, so anyone under 18 is welcome in the restaurant section and the viewing room between the restaurant and range to watch the ax-throwing action, but they are absolutely not allowed inside the range, even just to watch. In fact, anyone who wishes admittance to the range must sign a waiver stating that they understand the risks of participating and agree to hold the Ax Hole free of liability in the event of any accidents that cause injury or death.

If that hasn't scared you off yet, come on down and meet your new neighbors! Oh, and do try to exit with at least as many fingers and limbs as when you entered, OK?

Comments

[wickedprayers]

Thane could tell when a customer was going to be trouble from the moment they stepped through the door, for the most part. He would watch them, hover just off to the side, and usually he could prevent an incident. He developed a routine fairly quickly. Of course, there was bound to be someone who slipped by his scrupulous watch.

Then again, his mind might be occupied with a lot of other things, hence that moment where some buffoon manages to cut himself on an axe. His reaction had been minimal — in fact he listed the number of infractions and mistakes the injured party committed while he was being patched up. He doubts a lesson will be learned of course.

"I haven't been here very long," he admits as he returns to his straightened, upright posture, glancing over the customers who haven't yet cut themselves. "But if I had to guess, I would say it's going to be a common occurrence."

[helpdesk_hero]

"And having a trained medic on staff might begin to yield more admission of liability than your waivers indicates," David agrees, stripping the sterile gloves off of his hands as he looks up to the employee. And he doesn't flinch or hesitate at all. Just smiles. Smiles like meeting someone like Thane is a common occurrence.

"New to the city then. Then I suppose I should welcome you and point out that I haven't finished signing my waiver paperwork yet, so I don't think I'm technically allowed to touch the axe the genius was handling. I'm David, by the way."

[wickedprayers]

It's a mixed bag whether or not someone would have some kind of reaction to Thane, usually. But so far since his arrival the scales have tipped largely towards "some kind of a reaction", as apparently no one has ever seen or heard of a drell before.

"Not technically, no. Though I doubt you'll manage to slice your palm open like that gentlemen very nearly did." If he were going to be honest, "one drink per hour" should really be cut down to "no drink". He gets the distinct impression that man was a lightweight.

"Thank you for your assistance, David. You're correct in your assumption that I'm new to the city. I'm Tannor."

[helpdesk_hero]

"A pleasure to meet you, Tannor. Sorry you got stuck in the perfect sort of place to see humans making a fool of themselves. If you're lucky, maybe you'll get to see it from other species too."

Which of course is a quiet, and hopefully tactful, way to invite a species identification from the man. And quiet enough that if it were to be ignored, well no offense could be taken because David hadn't outright asked. He's careful like that.

"You any good with throwing axes, or is this another instance of giving a job to someone that they really aren't up for?"

[wickedprayers]

"Don't apologize. I have seen many a species make fools of themselves before." A joke, but also, not really. "Including my fellow drell. No one is perfect."

He understands the subtle unasked question loud and clear. You don't spend as much time as he did training and honing his skills as an assassin and not pick up on these tiny cues. Though, David could have asked outright and Thane would take no offense to it.

He takes a moment to ruminate on how to answer that question, but his thoughts are swift so it comes as only a short pause. He's thrown many things. Many, many, things. "I'm proficient." Yes, that's his answer. That's it.

"Have you thrown many axes?"

[helpdesk_hero]

Drell. Interesting. Not one David's aware of, but he had already suspected that. And he chuckles lightly at the man's joke. But he takes the directness of the answer with a slightly raised eyebrow. The understated confidence of someone who was a bit more than confident he thinks.

"Personally, I've never used a thrown weapon in my life. But I think I might be able to pick it up."

[wickedprayers]

Thane is sure of his abilities and has given himself no reason to doubt them. If he misses something or stumbles in his ill state it is not for lack of skill.

"I see no reason why you shouldn't. Given enough time and patience anyone can learn it. Once you have your stance and grip down it shouldn't be too difficult."

He prefers knives himself, but that's not important.

"As long as you're sober when you do it, of course." As that foolish man learned earlier.

[helpdesk_hero]

"Either I'll have it by the end of my session here, or it will take large amounts of practice," David says, which is vague, but hey, it has a lot to do with his history and the powers he once had. Remembering other people's knowledge can be useful at times. And hampering at others.

But the other thing? David just chuckles. Finished with packing his supplies he stands and shakes his head.

"I don't drink very often. Don't like the way it clouds the mind, impairs the senses, or messes with the reflexes. I'm really not sure how this place can actually get away with selling alcohol. It's a recipe for disaster. Especially since the rule say one drink and not the amount of alcohol content that drink can have, or considers how potency affects different people."

[wickedprayers]

Thane's quiet for a moment. "There's a large gap between one session for success and large amounts of practice," he comments as idly as his genteel tone will allow.

He chuckles, but it almost sounds like just a rumble in his chest.

"It is becoming quite clear what kind of rules this city prioritizes." He supposes he should leave it at that for now. "But it is wise to stay away from mind altering substances when in forced captivity. Or around very sharp objects."

[helpdesk_hero]

"And as maddening as that worlds of difference is, it will be absolutely true," David promises, a brief smile on his lips. Depends on whether his body has the muscle memories or not. He's more aware of the knowledge he retained than the skills.

You don't know what muscle memory you have until you use it.

"Tell you what, I'll stay away from the mind altering substances, sign my waiver, and we can see if it's going to be one session or tons of practice?"

[wickedprayers]

"That would be an ideal order of events, yes."

And he appreciates every person who comes in here and doesn't think that knocking back several alcoholic beverages and then immediately trying to throw sharp axes around is a good idea.

"I'm looking forward to seeing if the scales tip in your favor or not, David." He can't help but be curious why he thinks it would be either one extreme or the other. An odd mix of overconfidence and insecurity, perhaps.

[helpdesk_hero]

Perhaps just a mixture of experience and a lack of surety where his muscle memories came in. But he does head back over to his table and finish filling out the paperwork before returning to Thane to hand it over.

“Are you a betting man, Tannor?”

[wickedprayers]

"Not particularly. Bearing in mind I am also on the job at the moment."

He is nothing if he's not as professional as can be. But he's curious, at least.

"What did you have in mind?"

[helpdesk_hero]

"A bet on how I'm going to perform at the end of the session."

But he definitely feels confident as he moves toward one of the open lanes and waits for Tannor. He'd rather see the guy throw one first if it was something Tannor would be up to.

[wickedprayers]

Thane follows him to one of the lanes as he's supposed to do, noting the confidence he seems to have.

"I would bet either you're overconfident," he says, gesturing towards where the axes are held — different sizes and types that depends on the person throwing them. "Or you have some sort of trick up your sleeve to make such a bet with your inexperience in throwing weapons." Which he mentioned before when Thane noted the huge leap in logic between 'good by one session' and 'tons of practice'.

[helpdesk_hero]

He lifts and ax, checking ht balance of it. He flips it over and over in his hand, catching the haft repeatedly. In the exact same spot. Every single time. At least he's got the balance of the tool.

"I don't have the trick anymore. I was born as something called a mutant. My brain reached out to other people's minds, copying their knowledge and skills. Throwing weapons is a skill. I just don't know if I have it. I can catalog my knowledge better than the muscle memory things."

[wickedprayers]

He's grateful to see the necessary precautions being taken before throwing. The less he has to deal with careless ax throwers the better. Regardless, he listens to David's explanation of his skill, intrigued.

"I see." He crosses his arms, gaze still on the handling of the ax, not for any distrustful reasons...he's just doing his job and keeping a watchful eye. "I've seen something similar where I come from. The asari meld their minds with others to share thoughts and information. When did you lose this ability, if you do not mind me asking?"

[helpdesk_hero]

When he lost it? Well, at least this guy will give him interesting information in exchange. Asari. What are those?

"At what we call 'M-Day'. A point where most mutants had their genes rewritten, magically."

He rolls his shoulders, settles into a proper throwing stance, and hurls. And there you go. Not bullseye, but he hits the outer ring of the target. And the ax sticks.

"Okay, seems like we're going to be on the damn good at this side."

[wickedprayers]

"I see." How unsettling. He doesn't know much if anything about mutants but having one's genes rewritten sounds like a traumatic experience. He can only hazard a guess as to what "magically" would even entail.

Thane watches the ax embed itself into the target before walking over to it to retrieve it, as part of his job. He of course gives it a once over from where it stuck.

"It would seem so. A very good shot for your first try."

[helpdesk_hero]

It had been a traumatic moment for all the people who had lost their powers.

"There was a mutant where I went to school, Remy. He was great at throwing things. Apparently I've got a touch of his muscle memory left."