[META PRP] - Cellular Scare - (Flydra + Engrav)

[Buzzwulf]

It's simple, really. Just a classic misdirection. Look over here!

 

[Buzzwulf]

Engrav had been careful. He'd made sure that there weren't any easy ambushes on this floor of the space tower, and done some quick background work on the tealblood that had asked him to deliver. Hadn't discovered anything unsavory yet, although he certainly knew that she ran with a crew that was very heavily into the military. Scorpa in particular made him nervous, what with her almost fanatical devotion to the tealblood biologist, and the way she'd dismantled whole hordes of zombies like they were standing still.

Engrav sighed.

If they shared everything with each other, like Flydra had said, then it wasn't even particularly insane to think she might have been at a meet if Flydra had been the one to set it up. Engrav hadn't liked that idea. He was concerned that it would have put him in a very compromised position without any leverage, so he'd aimed for a time he'd specifically seen the intimidating yellowblood elsewhere on the space tower. Ideally, that would at least level the playing field.

He took a deep breath. No going back here.

His real hand knocked on the tealblood's door quietly, prosthetic holding a medium cardboard box under his elbow. Glancing around quickly while he waited for the tealblood to let him in, Engrav shoved his good hand into the pocket of his vest, thumbed the button buried in the fabric just to reassure himself it was easy to find.

Yamashii

Got your special delivery right here!

 

[Yamashii]

"Austri? You're early." The tealblood pulled her jacket on and buttoned it up over a basic teal shirt before heading towards the knocking. Flydra opened the door in confusion, not expecting visitors at this hour. She frowned and stepped aside, allowing Engrav to duck inside the room. Shutting the door behind him, she locked it. He must have finally come to deliver on their deal.

If only he had picked a better time for it.

"Engrav Setlar... what do you have to show me?" She took a seat in front of a vanity mirror. Her long hair was loose and her makeup gone. She had just woken up and changed into her uniform when he'd knocked. Picking up a brush, she set to work perfecting her hairstyle as he spoke. The sirens had an image to uphold and she would not go outside until she was made up good enough to be seen with Lorata.

She watched him through the mirror.

Buzzwulf

 

[Buzzwulf]

She said his name? She'd said his name. Oh gog, what if there was a bug or something? What if she was recording him? The yellowblood held a mechanical finger to his lips, miming silence. Without a word, he dropped to all fours and pulled a device from his pocket. The little thing beeped with a soft red glow as he ran it up and down the walls of Flydra's room. Exhaustively. Painstakingly. Finally, the electronic sniffer blinked green, and Engrav was satisfied they weren't being listened to. He sighed in relief.

"Sorry about that. You just... never know who's listening." He watched the tealblood brush her hair for a moment, admiring her poise. Engrav liked this cabin. It was a lot nicer than his volunteer's cot, crammed among the teeming masses of feckless trolls who'd decided on a lark they desired the fame of space. Not Engrav. He had plans.

He set the box on Flydra's bed with a heavy thump. It was heavy. Something inside rattled against something else, the clink of glass against glass unmistakable. Engrav smiled at the tealblood, enjoying the heft of the amount of the research. That weight felt like a job well done. "I have for you, six ships and one flagships worth of samples. Pictures. Notes. Logs." He flipped the top off the box, revealing rows of glass jars filled with curios and seven manila folders. "The notes themselves are partially on pictures from a buttonhole camera concealed in my vest, and partially from recollection. Trust me, however, when I say I have a very good memory. And..." Engrav paused. Picked up a glass from the collection. Something moved within. A tame undead space gerbil. "One live sample. Or at least as alive as one of these is going to be. Maybe I should say animated instead."

He shrugged, put the gerbil back into the box. "If you've got time, I'd love to go over my notes with you. You may have some trouble deciphering them without me. In return, I was wondering if I might ask you a couple questions."

Yamashii