tushanshu | oo1 / radio;

[Close enough. They understand each other, at least, which is the main hurdle.]

All right. I'll see you in a little while, then.

[ Cain arrives sometime later. He may have meandered along the way, partially thanks to the heat but also because he's insistent on people-watching and gleaning everything he can about the time he's missed. It will take a while, but that's never been a deterrent to him.

When he shows up, it isn't too difficult to find Raine and he smiles widely when he sees her. ]

Long time no see?

[He'll have had to ask one of the kedan there, who directs him down the hall and a few turns to the small room Raine's repurposed as her office. It's spare, and the primary feature is the desk and the papers. And, of course, the healer bent over them. There's one particularly large tome open to a page that involves no script native to Earth. Raine flips one page of this over, pauses, glances up. Smiles, and stands to come around the desk.]

That is the applicable phrase. Hello, Cain.

How have you found the city?

[ Glancing at the book reminds Cain how out of depth he is here. It's the little things, really, and he resolves to start trying to learn whatever languages are primarily used in the city. He's rather good at picking up new languages by now. ]

Hot, dry, bit better than when I last saw it despite that. I see we've still got the families hanging around.

[ He smiles back. ]

Hi, Raine.

[This one, unfortunately, only one person in the city speaks. But she might be amenable to teaching, if Cain does want to learn elven.]

[Raine stops a few paces away from Cain, still smiling, but she hesitates there like she's not quite sure what to do with herself. It's good to see him, at least.]

There was flooding, earlier in the winter. Of course, now drought is a concern.

[She'd ask what Tu Vishan is thinking, but it likely doesn't have anything to do with the weather.]

There have been some shifts-- for instance, Xuiyu, Zanru's cousin, has taken over the Metalworkers. The Merchant's Guild is becoming more prominent...

[ It could be good bonding time. Besides, Cain likes having languages between just himself and one or two other people. It makes speaking frankly much easier no matter the location.

Her hesitation is noted. Considering he's feeling the same thing himself and has dealt with odd reunions every now and then in his life, it isn't hard to recognize. He steps forward and pulls her close for a hug. There's nothing romantic in it, more like familial coming together. After a moment, he steps back with a faint yet constant smile on his face. It's good to see someone he likes after that odd feeling of missing time. ]

If we could figure out how to purify the ocean around us and get it transported, it wouldn't be an issue. We're not so advanced where I'm from, though.

[ He tilts his head to the last part. ]

Nothing wrong with a strong economy. Unless you mean in some other way?

[Raine's not completely expecting it, but it's not an unpleasant surprise, either, and she returns the hug with similar sentiments. It makes her settle, a bit, relaxing now that she's surer.]

I believe desalination efforts may be pursued in the near future, yes, though I don't know where they'd begin.

[She would, perhaps, if her mind were not so occupied by the Guild's business. Raine will simply trust the scientists among them to bend their minds to the problem.]

No, I don't believe it's a problem. Simply a movement in the city.

[She stops there, considering what other changes would be most relevant for Cain to hear about.]

[ Seeing her stance finally come to a sort of peace, Cain gives a soft smile. There it goes. He's good with that. ]

Generating the energy would probably be the place to start. Come to think of it, hydraulic power might be the way to go considering we're constantly moving on a gigantic ocean.

Movement is good. It means stability without stagnation. Glad to hear it. What about those Chihuleans?

Edited (shhh I can totally spell) 2015-08-10 04:17 (UTC)

[Look at that. Friendship. Whatever else she may feel, Raine is glad to see him.]

There's a number of people who'd likely welcome your input. Perhaps the Metalworkers, or those at the College...

[She nods agreement, but grimaces when the conversation comes back to the Chihuleans again.]

The first conflict was while we were trapped in the Dreaming-- do you remember hearing about it? I don't know as much about it, but many people lost family. Apparently, Celaunn was among the Chihuleans who attacked the city, and the remnants of that force...

Apparently, there's a drug that grants minor shapeshifting ability. Any that remain seem to just want to live in peace, but it appears to be near impossible given the current circumstances.

Right, those guys. Good idea. I'll try to get in contact with them, see what the options are with current resources and relations...

[ Not exactly what he wants to be doing with his time, but never let it be said that Cain can stand back when people he's attached to are related. This isn't for the kedan so much as for the other foreigners that he knows. ]

Now that you mention it... So there's Chihuleans living in the ranks, but no one knows who?

[Another nod. Raine looks something like hopeful. Even if Cain can't specifically help, years of experience are rarely amiss when contributing to a project.]

That seems to be the case, yes. I don't think there can be many of them. We only know now because some of them were blackmailed...

[She shifts, absently touching the bracelet on her left wrist. Cain may notice, if he remembers back then well enough, that her gem is not in the same setting of intertwining branches; rather, it's a broader, less elegant cuff.]

Have you heard about the soul gem thefts yet?

[ That's exactly it. There are some things he still doesn't know how to do professionally, but just anecdotal knowledge with some basic understanding can go a hell of a long way. He's hopeful that maybe some things can start to move with enough effort.

He glances to the fiddling, head twisting into the smallest tilt when he sees it. He remembers, but only vaguely. Even if it was only recent for him, he doesn't tend to focus on wrists. If it had been a necklace? Definitely. ]

No. How many were taken? Or... how many were recovered?

[She realizes she's doing it when he looks, gives him a wry smile and glances down at the gem. The initial fracture, deep in it, is still terribly visible to her eyes, though it's a relatively small thing.]

I don't know the exact number, but all of the gems were recovered. No one died of it. Many of them, however, came back somehow changed, and I suspect those who haven't reported an alteration are simply keeping a potential weakness to themselves.

There haven't been many, if any, recently, but... be careful.

[ Cain actually looks somewhat pensive, thoughtful, considering her words for what she actually said and implied, and then what it means to him specifically. If someone dies of separation from their soul gem, what happens to a man who literally cannot die? Will it come back to him, same as every other part of himself? Will it heal any damage to it just like his body does?

His eyes narrow momentarily before he lets the accrued tension leak out of him. It isn't the best idea, but now he finds himself tempted to test the effects regardless. ]

Is it possible they were altered on purpose for some sort of experimental control group? How were they recovered?

[Cain no. Raine nods, however. She looks up from her gem only after he relaxes, thereby missing the majority of the attitude that would actually cause her to worry.]

Yes, that's what we're inclined to think. Why, however, is still under debate.

Most that I've heard of were recovered by chance, or circumstances orchestrated to appear that way. I know someone actually had theirs delivered to the Hotel, though by someone who knew nothing about it; Bakura and Genis found mine near where it had been taken...

[ It isn't something he's comfortable in acting on alone, nor does he know anyone he'd trust enough to test it with him. About the only one that's ever going to get that close... is his brother, who is realms away and will likely never know Cain was ever here. ]

Do you need a reason why? Typically, peoples' souls being contained outside their own bodies—or something approximate to it—isn't a common occurrence. Someone with less of a moral code would no doubt want to figure out how the soul would affect the person when altered independently.

[ Cain gets it. He doesn't agree, but he isn't one much to really weigh his age over it. This is just a sort of common sense. ]

I'm sorry to say this sounds a lot like those boons from back then. Maybe not quite the same, but there's no way this is harmless. Is there any way to find the names of anyone who had theirs taken or returned?

[Of course it's something she's thought about, but she would need an actual reason to experiment with people's souls. And also consent. ...Some people would not; Raine can think of three Grand Cardinals at least off the top of her head.]

...you have a point, yes.

So far, nothing more seems to have come of it save the lingering effects, and... some people have had dreams, though they don't seem to line up exactly with those whose gems were stolen. [Hm. That bears closer examination.] As for a list-- I can give you a few names, my own among them, but for something more complete it may be best to ask Skulduggery's help, or inquire over the radio.

[ For now, it's simply something he'll give thought rather than consider acting on. The curiosity will drive him for a while but eventually he'll let it go. That's just what he has to do sometimes. ]

Are they related to anyone whose gems were stolen? Any similarities between them? [ A lot sure has happened since he's been gone, but it doesn't seem to be deterring him from trying to piece it all together. Just being idle about it doesn't seem right. ] Right, Skulduggery. He's been following this too?

[ He pauses, voice softens very slightly. ] Your name among them. How are you doing with that?

I'm not sure. [Raine shakes her head.] Some of the discussion is archived to the network, however. I've had... a number of other things on my mind. [Work. The state of the city going forward, especially with the Chihulean problem. The many and varied foibles of that group she's chosen as her family here.]

Skulduggery likely is your best resource, yes. I believe he's been following most of this.

[She appreciates the softness, but it's not really necessary. A little dismissively:] I'm used to it. It's only occasionally an impediment.

The changes vary widely. One man suffers occasional spells of severe vertigo; Zatanna reported only a shift in the magical alignment, if I recall correctly...

That's probably how everyone feels right now. A lot is going on, and here I am just walking into the middle of it. [ There's a brief pause where he allows a short grin. ] Again.

So it's all varied to the individual... [ He's gone back to business now with her answer. Barely a blip in the radar. Cain is taking everything in, but he needs to get more information, or at least find a better platform to involve himself. ] Which makes it harder to pin down, and easier to put aside for more pressing matters.

At least you're not alone. [Almost pointed. Definitely a reminder. And certainly Cain has a leg up on the complete newcomers, even if the political landscape has changed drastically.]

Yes, that's accurate. It's tempting to hypothesize that the alterations have something to do with each person's nature -- for instance, my own shows signs of having been bisected, and occasionally fractures and heals itself -- but I don't think there's enough support. A detailed study would be necessary, but the Guild takes up much of my time and few people are likely to be open about this besides.

No, I'm not. I've been hearing from a few familiar faces since I made my shout-out.

More immediate concerns take priority. This doesn't sound like something that will go away, but, well—cross that road when we come to it. What sorts of things have you been doing around here?

[It's definitely not going away. The magnitude and frequency of her gem's faults haven't changed at all; she's just gotten used to it. Whatever is happening, they haven't seen the last of it.]

Teaching and healing. It turns out that some kedan are capable of learning my artes, and those of other Foreigners besides; I've been ensuring that all the healing techniques we can pass down are being kept. As well as more mundane methods, of course -- magic isn't necessarily a cure-all.

I'm hoping to organize a transcription effort, for some of the more basic medical texts, given that the lack of translation for written languages makes relaying those things somewhat slow and Foreigners are evidently at no risk of ceasing to arrive any time soon. That's not a high priority right now, but it would be nice.

And there's the zhyris, of course. Milyn has been handling the treatment efforts more, but we've looked after some of the quarantined patients. Foreigners are more resistant to it-- [She pauses, gives Cain a thoughtful look.] It's impossible for you to donate blood, isn't it.

[ That last statement/question gets a wry smile out of Cain. ]

No. It's been tried, and it ends about as well for the recipient as you think. There's definitely some kind of physiological aspect to it, too, but... the results of trying to replicate that is unnatural. Wrong. [ He dips his head to the side. ] If there's some way to do it on a smaller scale, I wouldn't know. No one who's studied me is interested in smaller scale.

Anyway. Have you considering looking into digitization of information instead? If that can be done, it would be easier to disseminate and automatically translate. Also: zhyris. That's a new one.

[No one who'd studied him. Implying there had been more than one; Raine doubted it had been consensual, given his description of replication as wrong. Something she had seen back then, one of the momentary flashes of his memory, made more sense now, in a way she rather wished it didn't.]

[Raine blinks at him. Grimaces, sympathetic.]

...ah. I see. I assure you, it's not for that purpose.

Milyn has been trying to synthesize a vaccine from us, since Foreigners are more resistant. That's all. Zhyris is exacerbated by shapeshifting, and there have been some deaths. No one previously healthy, but...

[It's a problem. Raine is considering reminding the other Foreigners herself.]

Digitization? Ah. The platform would be the problem. Even the consoles don't translate text. Something would have to be designed for the purpose, I think. Perhaps Tony... hm.

radio; private

radio; private → action;

action!

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