kethri !

Kethri looked up, feathers poofing up, "... Really?"

She looked down at her feet and flexed them, walking around in a circle before returning to Doctor, now much more comfortable with her feet treated and protected. Her eyes flicked around his face and she finally nodded, slow and sure, and then she smirked.

"Good," she said, "I was afraid I'd have to deal with Vargas and the rest of the clutch alone- now I have a proper excuse to leave this place aside from fetching ingredients."

She paused and continued after a moment, her voice softer and quieter, "I'm glad you're staying, Doctor. Admittedly I think I'd miss you."

With that out of the way, she brightened again, "I really ought to show you Evil-eyes- they're a berry I found in Eridanus. They can kill lessers very easily and I was curious to see what other things they could be applied to, like poisons, perhaps coating weapons or claws in the substance for an extra kick, things like that."

Exhaling, she started to push the fronds back towards her corner where she was starting to make a stash of things, her talons clicking on stone as she walked.

"Oh, and if you want, I could tag along on one of your flights," she said.

@Doctor

Ah, that was a tad awkward.

"Oh, I--haven't decided yet. I'm leaning toward it. I suppose a workstation here or in Pegasus might be best, though," he added, thoughtfully.

He'd have to do more investigation, more exploration of their surroundings, really.

"Ahh, do Vargas and the rest--disturb you?" he asked Kethri, curious. He pondered, for a moment, his own feelings on the subject. He didn't hate them; he certainly held a healthy measure of respect for them, bordering on fear. But while they claimed authority, none of them had ever hurt him; they'd only provided samples, and never threatened or harmed him in any way. He supposed it had been quite a different story for the owl. His had been a relationship of mutual usefulness. Hers-? She'd practically been a prisoner.

"Ahh, certainly. When you are recovered, or--when you feel up for it? We might fly," he agreed. "In the meantime, the berries sound fascinating. I really must get a stock of test subjects; have you tried to see if there is an antidote, a way to cleanse it? Putting it on the talons is an excellent idea, of course, but if we are to offer it for the others' use--and I'm sure they would appreciate it!--we might, too, offer some way to fix things should they cut themselves, on accident," and here the vulture chuckled. And then off he went, into his half-scientific rambles: "We can test it--if you have not already, of course!--against those who have eaten certain foods--lessers, naturally--those in the cold, or heat; we can ensure the toxins are not less effective in either circumstance. Dried, dampened..." He rattled off a few other scenarios, single eye wide and bright with enthusiasm, and finally fell silent, awaiting Kethri's thoughts on the matter.

@Kethri

kethri !

Kethri sighed, "They think I'm useless, Doctor. A nuisance. A mouth with wings. Though that Chaos-Two annoys me. It's so... caring."

She sneered and flicked out her talons, glaring at the wall, "But I know they think I'm nothing more than another test subject. And as if Garnet-Delta will have my undying devotion after they dragged me all the way from Orion with a dislocated shoulder."

She fluffed up and snorted before turning to Doctor again, blinking slowly.

"I'll be up and running soon," she said, "I already plan on taking someone with me to hunt for lessers to test the effects on. I'd like to know them first and to figure out how many berries are needed for a low dosage or a deadly dosage. After that, you and I can test the other more specific things. I just need to get symptoms and things out of the way."

Kethri let out an excited hoot, "I'm dying to take down a deer and try to see how a larger creature will react to one of these berries. If we can poison food then we can trick groups into eating the tainted fruit or meat and perhaps cull them before they can form uprisings!"

Her eyes glinted for a moment before she cleared her throat, "Completely hypothetical, of course."

@Doctor

Doctor made no mention of the 'hypothetical.' In fact, he seemed to accept the idea at face value with no compunction whatsoever. "Well, it would not kill them, mind you. Only return them to their gemstones. You would need something after, something to destroy the stones," he pointed out, thoughtfully.

"About your value, hm. Perhaps we can prove it to them--or maybe you should speak with them directly. I will try to get a laboratory of sorts set up here, regardless, I think. At the worst I can split my time. It's a long trip but it is a possibility! Have you considered creating a garden in Pegasus--have you done that yet?" and he couldn't remember, now, if she'd mentioned that already or not. "Let's do that? I will make a survey of the Lessers I find there, and you can find a good place to grow some plants for testing. Somewhere high or isolated, so it isn't stumbled upon. And then we can work from there. How does that sound?" and the Doctor tilted his head, his one good eye keen with enthusiasm.

@Kethri

kethri !

Kethri scoffed, "Ah yes, let me just talk to Master Vargas, it's not like I'm the equivalent of a fly buzzing around your head. I have to show him I'm useful before he offers me an ounce of respect. So let's just focus on this, on getting a garden set up and lessers cataloged and collected, and worry about that once Vargas decides to give me the time of day."

She puffed up a bit and sighed, moving on, "No gemstone is indestructible. Honestly if we just got Vargas or Draconua to stomp on them it would probably work. I mean someone did that here, right? So it's not impossible."

"I don't think lessers chrysalize," she mumbled, "Or if they do I'm unfortunate enough to have not seen them. We'll have to test that later. Perhaps if one of Vargas' creations ends up worse than Chaos-Two. We can ask for it as an experiment rather than it being culled or something."

Kethri looked towards Doctor and wondered how he managed to stay so positive, but offered a smile anyway, "Very few wish to come near Draco. Those who know of it, at least. But for ease of access we could put it nearby the tunnel entrance, perhaps hidden in a grove of trees or something."

She'd need a dry place for the Spinebrush, which could be achieved by simply planting them in low-moisture soil, possibly in a skull or a pot. The berries could be most anywhere, and she'd probably plant some other things too so it wouldn't be so... sparse.

@Doctor

Her remark about Lessers chrysalizing had him immediately deep in thought. It was true, none of the ones he'd worked with had, but now he was racking his brain trying to remember which had gemstones, which he'd wounded badly enough-... It was an interesting question and one he'd have to tackle very soon. Meanwhile-!

"Well, we will prove both our worths to them, then; how about that?" Cheerful, even warm, as usual. "Well, we will prove both our worths to them, then; how about that?" Doctor considered. "Toxins as an aside, then, a pre-empt toward assassination, hm? Not something I would normally hold with, mind you, but science is science. I wonder if we can build a cage..." A quiet clack of his beak indicated thoughtful silence, for a moment, and then he nodded to Kethri.

"See if you can find us a suitable place, perhaps? And I will bring my plants from the tunnel we left behind? We can then work from there."

It seemed a sound plan.

@Kethri

kethri !

Kethri nodded slowly, "... Alright. Together."

A team effort. So far she'd been alright working with Doctor (though really it was more like she watched while he did stuff and occasionally she'd do stuff off to the side), but now she had to see if she could do it properly. Seriously.

"We could probably build a cage," she hooted, "That would be something that we'd have to figure out using trial and error. Perhaps we could catch a deer and tie a rope around it's neck so that we can at least get it back easier. We can use it to test the cage."

She shook herself out and fluffed up her feathers, raising her wings slightly, "But first thing's first. I'll head out now and get going on finding a suitable gardening spot. I'd offer assistance but I'm afraid I'd be no more than company with my wings. Good luck, Doctor."

With a hoot and a silent flap of wings, she took to the air, flying towards Draco with the intention to start right away. If she could fly then she could scout, and she wasn't about to sit around being useful.

Exit unless stopped.
@Doctor

Doctor blinked, head drawing back in some surprise. "Oh, dear--Kethri, you ought to rest first. Those wounds won't heal themselves, you know!" he said, with gentle reproach, a quiet 'tsk tsk' on the tail end of his words.

"We have plenty of time, in any case. No rush, no rush! Perhaps if I ask nicely I can gather one of the Master's spawn to help us hunt," he added, thoughtfully. He was large enough, perhaps--and had the magicka--to take down a deer or the like: but he wasn't built for it, and it sure wouldn't be easy. Anything larger than a small Lesser deer would be impossible, too. But throw one of Vargas's creatures into the mix--as training, maybe, they could say?--and they'd be set to go.

"But you rest, for now. I will be back soon," Doctor called after Kethri--likewise departing, it seemed, regardless; he bowed his head briefly, wings spread wide. Then he had himself launched powerfully into the air, slow and heavy wingbeats carrying him from Draco.

@Kethri for visibility;
exit Doctor