video | un: r.chambers

[herbmixing]

Hi, everyone. My name's Rebecca.

[ The video opens on a small, homey apartment, filled with plants and books. Rebecca sits at a small piano, a mug of coffee steaming by her side. She looks...tired, really. It's been a difficult few weeks.

But that's no reason not to keep trying. ]

I was just wondering...what's the state of medicine like in your world? I had thought we were on the cutting-edge back home, but with everything I've seen here, you realise just how far we have to go. Considering everything that happens to us so regularly here, it can be really easy to lose track of your health.

I'm a field medic and a chemist, so I'd never call myself a doctor, but I still wanted to extend an offer to everybody: if you need someone to patch you up or do a quick check-up, call me. If you need medicine - over-the-counter stuff, obviously, not anything serious - then I'll run it over or get someone to deliver it to you. Just... [ She gives a weak smile. ] I want to help a little more, and I don't think being okay with a handgun really holds up against everything others can do, you know?

...anyway, I'm rambling. [ She looks down, playing an idle few bars of a melody. ] I've been staying in a lot. Watching old Disney movies, mostly, and I ended up working on this...

[ She adjusts the sheet music and sets her fingers in position. What follows is a nice little rendition with very few errors. Being able to just concentrate on something helps, a lot. Once it's done, she flashes a quick, embarrassed smile at the camera, then leans over and shuts it off. ]

Comments

[herbmixing]

Practice?

[ Intriguing. She cocks her head and frowns at the camera. ]

I've got a job at an apothecary, so sort of, but - what did you have in mind?

[jadedlynx]

I'm going to open up a place to teach self-defense. Some people here got superpowers, some would lose against a tin can. I don't plan on killing anybody, but it wouldn't hurt to have some trained in fixing them up on hand.

[herbmixing]

Oh, I see. That'd be a good idea.

[ She goes quiet, eyes lowering in thought. Mostly working out schedules. It's pretty early to be committing to anything, but...why not, right? What does she have to lose? ]

I can make some time for that, Ash. If you get it set up, let me know and you can count on me to help out.

[jadedlynx]

Do you have a schedule for the apothecary or do you make your own? The basic stuff won't get too serious. I can slap an ice pack on sore muscles. I'll plan the heavier sessions around the time you can come around.

[herbmixing]

Um...mostly just regular store hours? Morning to afternoon, Monday through Friday. Nothing I can't move around if you need a particular time.

How heavy do you expect them to get, anyway?

[jadedlynx]

Probably nothing more than bruises or sore muscles. I know what I'm doing. The bigger issue will be when I have them practice with each other.

The gun training is going to be a different story.

[ The last bit is more to tease her for the question. Ash idly wonders if she'll catch that. ]

[herbmixing]

That's easy enough. I can handle anything up to broken bones or really serious wounds. After that, it'd be much safer to get them in an ambulance - but I don't think it will come to that.

[ She catches it. ]

Gun training? I hope you're going to be doing it safely.

[jadedlynx]

If it comes to that, I'm not doing my job.

Safely depends on how fast they can move.

[ Ash won't really shoot at anyone who hires him. Probably.]

What's your rate?

[herbmixing]

[ How comforting... ]

Um, I'm not really sure. I've never done anything like this before. We pay for everything in Chroma here, and that's mostly generated through physical touch, so...

[ Wait. That sounds bad. ]

We can work something out. I'm happy to just lend a hand for now.

[jadedlynx]

[ He lives to comfort. ]

There's chroma and demichroma. I can pay you in demichroma, which means no touching but it's worth about half of what chroma is. If you're comfortable enough for chroma, I do it through handholding.

[ As every good gang boss would do. ]

[herbmixing]

Whichever way is most comfortable for you, Ash. We can work out how much is owed once we've actually done it.

[ Giving a blanket yes to any help he requires is probably a little hasty. She's only just met the guy. Still, he seems...nice is a stretch. But decent, and the sort to keep his word. ]

At least for small arms training, I can help there too. Firing a gun when you've got a smaller frame can be pretty difficult.

[jadedlynx]

[ It's important that Ash set his own limits as well. He doesn't think Rebecca is the kind to expect anything untoward, but it's very important for them both to be open in a world where physical intimacy is rewarded. ]

That so?

[ He's been shooting since he was young enough to know, but he doesn't show it. ]

Just small arms? Don't trust your skill in hand-to-hand?

[herbmixing]

[ Who knows, really? She's open to the idea, but that, too, is not really first-conversation material. Instead she smiles and bends forward, picking up her phone. Rising from the piano stool, she begins to move through her apartment, still speaking. ]

I'm not exactly a powerhouse. I know a few self-defence moves, but handguns are more suited to me. [ A light shrug. ] I know my weaknesses as well as my strengths, that's all.

[jadedlynx]

I won't say no. Another teacher's just gonna mean more students.

I learned to fight when I was pretty young. I don't know if I can teach you anything the military didn't, but if you want to show me what you can do, I'll check it out. Maybe I picked something up on the streets that might surprise you.

[ His instructor was also military and skilled enough that Ash isn't sure a human exists who can beat him. Ash included. ]

[herbmixing]

There wasn't much military training. Just basic firearms training and some police techniques. It's nothing you wouldn't already have seen.

[ Actually - she pauses and adds: ] Well, aside from grenade launchers.

[jadedlynx]

I was offering to fill in the gap between what you know and what I know. I'm good with my fists.

Yeah?

[ Ash's own video shows an undecorated wall. He's lounging in his bed, a book in his lap, but the angle hides the fact. The smile, however, is obvious. ]

You so sure New York can't get that crazy?

[herbmixing]

That might be useful. If I don't have a combat knife or a gun, I'm pretty useless.

[ And the grimace that crosses her face suggests exactly how much she hates that. Being tiny and cute has its uses, but not so much in a survival situation.

The next part, fortunately, turns that grimace into a soft laugh. ]

Oh, I know it can. I paid attention in history class.

[jadedlynx]

People are going to expect that. Not many people are gonna take you seriously so if you can learn to move fast, get the first moves in, and learn which moves matter, your size can be a weapon.

[ Even if Rebecca doesn't speak the dissatisfaction out loud, Ash has eyes and sees her tiny stature. Though at 5'11, he has plenty of height himself, he has more of a swimmer's build than a bodybuilder. Additionally, he often seems to be against people even taller than him. Size and strength certainly matter, but only if they get a chance to use it.]

Trade for trade. I'll teach you how to defend yourself, and you can show me how to patch stuff up for when you can't be around. Don't worry. I'm a fast learner.

[herbmixing]

That's what I've been learning. All I need now is practice - and a good teacher.

[ As with so many other things, everything is terrible all the time. She flashes a thumbs up to the camera. ]

I'm sure you are, Ash. It's a deal.

[jadedlynx]

It sounds like our versions of Earth aren't too different so I'm going with the assumption that means our chemicals and medicines are about the same, too, give or two some advancements. How well does this place match up with that? Do they have the same properties? Similiar?

[herbmixing]

This place? It does seem like the molecular basics are the same, though how chroma is generated and harnessed is still kinda up in the air.

[ She leans back on her stool and folds her arms. ]

You can work on the assumption that, save for transformations and the effects of the moons, everything works pretty much the same.

[jadedlynx]

I couldn't find the science behind chroma, either. Demichroma exists so it can be somewhat stored, but it loses a lot of potency. If somebody could figure out how to bottle the real, raw thing, that'd be just as good or better than any medicine they have here.

It's a form of energy. If we can confirm what kind, we might be able to harness it.

[herbmixing]

It sounds like something out of a cheap fantasy novel, to be completely honest with you.

[ And for once, she can make that reference and be fairly confident someone will know what she's talking about. ]

Something so miraculously useful shouldn't be this easy to produce or to store, even if it loses efficacy.

[jadedlynx]

Electricity's pretty amazing. We're grabbing sun, wind, and water. People are able to capture and store a lot of pretty crazy stuff. Even a small battery takes chemical energy and transforms it, and that fits into a pocket.

Identification's important, but the reaction's happening on a scale smaller than what we can see without some kind of equipment.

[herbmixing]

It is...

[ She hums under her breath, thoughtful. ]

You never really think about how amazing these things are, that we consider so simple. It must be the same with chroma. As long as whatever is happening keeps working, it might be best to just not worry about it.