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Post by Fanged on Nov 10, 2019 14:47:04 GMT -6
Voxel Level: 15 Loyalty: 15 Stats: Stamina: 2 Strength: 0 Resistance: 0 Dexterity: 3 Mentality: 5 Special Abilities: Ethereal Moves: Spook, Spectral Bite, Howl The quest board had become a routine stop on Fanged’s shopping route. She’d gone to the city to grab some groceries, taking Voxel along with her. Most shopkeepers didn’t take issue with the Specter. He was relatively well behaved and his ethereal body ensured that he was unlikely to cause property damage. Voxel and her had settled into a comfortable routine, but she wouldn’t mind a change in that normalness with the addition of a quest. Interesting quests were a bit hard to come by and Fanged only ever risked taking the ones that intrigued her. “This one looks new,” she commented. The quest was written in childish handwriting and the content was a bit unclear. From what she could understand, there was a child with a Rakai-Sarane that needed some sort of assistance. Fanged owned a Rakai herself, a baby by the name of Imogen. Though Imogen was a bit of a loner, she’d taught her the basics of Rakai care. (Voxel 11 1/5, 11 1/5) 1
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Post by Fanged on Nov 10, 2019 15:09:10 GMT -6
Though Fanged was not the motherly type, she did have quite a bit of sympathy towards children in unfortunate circumstances. She wouldn’t question this child’s situation, but it was very possible that they did not have an adult around that could help them with their Rakai puppy. Voxel watched Fanged, waiting for the woman to make a decision.
“Yeah, yeah don’t look at me like that. We’re definitely going to stop by and see if we can help out,” she told him.
Voxel shook himself and turned to follow Fanged as she began to walk away. The notice provided her with an address. It was in an area that she knew to be considered less desirable. It didn’t take her long to get to the house from where she was. Voxel and her moved quickly and Fanged knew the area decently well. She didn’t own a house herself, but she’d done casework here before.
(Voxel 11 2/5, 11 2/5)
2
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Post by Fanged on Nov 10, 2019 15:20:56 GMT -6
The house they arrived at was not in the greatest condition. This was quite typical of the neighbouring houses as well. Fanged wasn’t exactly well off herself and any judgements she made about this neighbourhood were simply there to help her understand individual situations. Pretending that life didn’t have issues would be naïve. These houses were a little neglected, which suggested that residents didn’t have the time or the credits to get them fixed. Generally, that meant that the owners worked low-paying jobs. It was a simple fact of life and nothing for the individual to be ashamed about. In fact, if she ever needed a house, this was probably all she could afford.
“Looks like the house we’re looking for is the one on the end,” she murmured.
Voxel followed her like a shadow. The sound of his footsteps was nonexistent and he walked like an elegant predator prowling through its territory.
(Voxel 11 3/5, 11 3/5)
3
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Post by Fanged on Nov 10, 2019 16:41:00 GMT -6
Fanged put on a face of professionalism as she approached the front door. She wouldn’t need to be so rigid if it was only the child around, but if a parent answered, she needed to look proper. She inhaled deeply, calming her nerves before raising a fist to knock on the door. She waited a few moments before the door creaked open and wide, green eyes peered up at her. Voxel watched curiously from a spot behind Fanged.
“Hello? Are you here to see my mommy?” The voice of a child emitted from the small opening. The child was cautious, which Fanged recognized as a good trait to have.
“Hello there, I got a message from you. I believe you were the one that wrote this?” Fanged had taken the quest board notice with her. She handed it to the child who accepted it eagerly.
“You got my letter! Does that mean you’re here to help me?”
(Voxel 11 4/5, 11 4/5)
4
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Post by Fanged on Nov 10, 2019 16:59:32 GMT -6
“Yes, I am here to offer you my assistance. You said that you needed help with your Rakai puppy, right? This is Voxel, he’s my assistant for today.”
The child opened the door fully and Fanged was able to get a clear description of them. The child had bright green eyes and shaggy blond hair. They were short and rather scrawny, but their expression was hopeful. Their clothing was a little ragged, but again she was in no place to judge such things.
“My puppy is very sad. He had a friend, but that friend had to go away. Can you help make him less sad?”
Fanged felt her heart pang as the child described the situation. There were many reasons for a friend to suddenly disappear, especially if that friend was a pet. It might have gotten ill, or even been sold. There were many possibilities for this sudden change.
(Voxel 12, 12)
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Post by Fanged on Nov 10, 2019 21:44:57 GMT -6
“I’ll try my best to cheer up you puppy! But I’ll let you in on a little secret. Voxel here knows all the best games to play. If there’s anyone who can cheer up your puppy, it’ll be him!”
The child’s face lit up in a smile. The door was held open for Fanged to step through. The woman felt a bit wary entering the child’s home, but she supposed it was alright since she was responding to a quest. Voxel followed her, bouncing as he walked. The Specter was excited at the prospect of exploring a new house. His ears pricked forward when they heard footsteps echo across a hardwood floor. A small Rakai puppy entered the room, trying to figure out what all the commotion was about. Its movements were sluggish, as though tainted by a great sadness. She could see now why the child was so worried about their companion.
(Voxel 12 1/5, 12 1/5)
6
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Post by Fanged on Nov 12, 2019 11:20:15 GMT -6
Voxel regarded the baby Rakai with curiosity. His ears were pricked forward in alert attentiveness. The Rakai was unresponsive to him, choosing instead to curl up against the hardwood floor. Her Specter padded over, tilting his head as he watched the Rakai’s movements. Her curled his tail around his front paws, waiting for the Rakai to wake up. While the Rakai was sleeping, Fanged thought now was a good time to get the full story from the child.
“What happened to the puppy’s friend?” With children, it was best to be blunt. You still needed to be tactful, but children best understood direct questions.
“Puppy had a wolf friend, but mommy said wolf friend had to go away. Wolf friend was too old to live here anymore. Wolf friend went to the sky,” the child explained.
From the information given to her, she concluded that Puppy’s friend had passed away. A Vulticus perhaps? Most of the first species had died of old age.
(Voxel 12 2/5, 12 2/5)
7
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Post by Fanged on Nov 12, 2019 11:28:21 GMT -6
Fanged’s pulse spiked a bit when the child referenced their mother. Were they around? She likely should have spoken to them first before entering the home. She hadn’t wanted the child to be left all alone though.
“Is your mommy around now?” she asked.
The child considered the question for a moment before placing a finger to their lips in a shushing gesture. “Mommy is sleeping. She said it was okay for the healer to come and make Puppy better.”
Fanged relaxed. Her presence wouldn’t be completely unknown to the mother then. “Alright then, how about I see what I can do to help your puppy get better?”
The child’s eyes lit up and they grinned brightly. They rushed over to their puppy and lightly shook him awake. “Wake up Puppy! It’s time for you to get healed!”
Voxel yipped happily at the sudden commotion. He was eager to play with the Rakai.
(Voxel 12 3/5, 12 3/5)
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Post by Fanged on Nov 12, 2019 11:55:47 GMT -6
The Rakai puppy raised his head sluggishly. Fanged took note of his movements. His behavior seemed to mimic grief and she wouldn’t be surprised if that was the cause of his behavior. Still, she’d need to check him over to ensure that it wasn’t physical illness that plagued him. She gestured for Voxel to hang back as she approached the Rakai. She held out her hand for the Rakai to sniff. She didn’t want to touch him without allowing him the chance to get used to her. Voxel retreated behind her, his eyes still fixed on the puppy.
“I’ll make sure that there’s no physical illness first and then we can make a treatment plan,” she told the child.
The child nodded along, though Fanged doubted they understood quite what she meant. “How rude of me. I never asked for your name! My name is Fanged.”
The child scrunched up their face. “You have a weird name.”
(Voxel 12 4/5, 12 4/5)
9
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Post by Fanged on Nov 14, 2019 11:39:32 GMT -6
“I suppose it is rather strange. But that’s just what people call me.” She smiled at the child.
“My name is Taylor. My Rakai puppy is Scamp!” Taylor introduced them.
“Well I’ll make sure that we can get Scamp on the road to recovery, Taylor.”
She didn’t quite know what she was looking for, but the Rakai seemed healthy. His fur was shiny and there were no visible signs of illness. That didn’t eliminate the possibility of illness, but Fanged’s suspicions that the Rakai was grieving seemed to be more likely at this point. When Fanged was finished with her initial examination, she stepped back and allowed Voxel in for a closer look.
“Can you tell my anything more about Scamp’s condition?” she asked the child.
Taylor considered the question for a moment, chewing on their lower lip as they thought. “He sleeps all day and doesn’t eat his food.”
(Voxel 13, 13)
10
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Post by Fanged on Nov 30, 2019 6:52:21 GMT -6
Fanged thought over the symptoms before formulating a hypothesis. It certainly sounded like grief or loneliness. The Rakai's friend appeared to have been a Vulticus. The species had gone extinct before the labs had revived them in the form of a version 2. It seemed reasonable to conclude that the Rakai's friend had passed away of old age.
“What sorts of things did Scamp like doing with his wolf friend? Maybe it will help him recover if we can do some of his favourite things with him,” Fanged suggested.
Helping Scamp do the things he loved would hopefully help him to recover. She and Voxel could help Taylor make a plan to assist them with this recovery.
“Scamp likes to play hide-and-seek. He also likes going to the park and playing with his toys,” Taylor replied.
That was a simple enough list and seemed like a good place to start. Fanged glanced at Voxel and Scamp. “Shall we go to the park then?”
(Voxel 13 1/5, 13 1/5)
11
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Post by Fanged on Nov 30, 2019 7:22:17 GMT -6
Taylor’s eyes lit up at the prospect of going to the park. “I’ll have to ask mommy first, but I want to go!”
The child disappeared into a bedroom, moving at a rapid pace that most children seemed to possess. In the brief period that they were gone, Fanged decided to utilize this opportunity to get a closer look into Taylor’s life. The house was unkempt, the perils of having a child and a working mother. Fanged’s fingertips itched to clean, to help out, but she didn’t think such an act would be appreciated. Her help would be given by helping this child’s pet to heal.
Before she could dwell on the situation any further, Taylor emerged from the bedroom, a sleepy woman in tow. Voxel inched closer to Fanged, ready to protect her if necessary. Taylor’s mother didn’t display any signs of aggression. If anything, she looked relieved that Fanged was there.
(Voxel 13 2/5, 13 2/5)
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Post by Fanged on Nov 30, 2019 8:04:27 GMT -6
“Hello, you’re the healer, right? I’m very relieved you’re here to help Scamp recover. To be honest, I haven’t had much time to help him. I didn’t even think it was possible to help him. He’s been like this for a long while now, ever since my Spots passed away.”
When the women proved not to be a threat, Voxel glanced back at Scamp and returned to the Rakai’s side. Fanged watched as the woman’s eyes flickered to the Specter, contemplation clear across her face. She watched the interaction between Voxel and Scamp, surprise lighting up her eyes when the Rakai raised his head to greet Voxel.
“His problem isn’t a physical illness I see. He is grieving and it’ll take time to recover, but I’m here to help him on that path,” Fanged explained. “The presence of another creature seems to be helping so far, but I think taking him out into nature would be even more beneficial.”
(Voxel 13 3/5, 13 3/5)
13
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Post by Fanged on Nov 30, 2019 13:10:40 GMT -6
Taylor’s mother nodded along in understanding. “I’ll go with you then. I’d like to see his behavior for myself.”
“Of course! I wouldn’t expect you to stay behind. Not at all!” Fanged offered a polite smile to the woman.
The mother looked relieved once Fanged replied in the affirmative. She excused herself briefly to get a coat for Taylor and Fanged gathered up the pets, preparing to head out. Voxel followed immediately, but Scamp took a bit more coaxing. She decided it was best not to rush things and allowed Taylor to pick up the baby Rakai. Once everyone was ready, Fanged led the crew outside.
“Fresh air should help to perk him up a bit,” she commented.
Taylor smiled as Voxel followed them closely. The park was just one possible destination. Simply being outside would be beneficial and if they didn’t quite make it that far, the trip will have still been worth it.
(Voxel 13 4/5, 13 4/5)
14
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Post by Fanged on Nov 30, 2019 13:17:27 GMT -6
It was a bit of a walk to get to the park, but Scamp seemed to be holding out okay for the time being. Voxel alternated between walking beside Fanged and Taylor. He didn’t want to leave Fanged unprotected, but he was curious about his new friends. The walk gave her an opportunity to talk to Taylor’s mother a bit more.
“Forgive me for prying, is there a reason you haven’t adopted another pet? It’s pretty uncommon for someone to only have a single pet around here.” Fanged didn’t want to get too personal, but she would need to get to the root of the issue. Having another pet around would be beneficial for Scamp, but Fanged wouldn’t be able to force the issue if the family wasn’t ready.
“I suppose that might seem rather odd to other people. After Spots, I couldn’t really bring myself to replace him. He was my friend for so long, replacing him felt wrong.”
(Voxel 14, 14)
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