RP:Heads Or Heads?

Summary: Alvina meets with Chisel to deliver her commissioned Marionette body. When asked for payment, Alvina just asked if Chisel knew anything about removing memories. Chisel explains it's a complicated procedure that could kill you and shouldn't be done under light circumstances. Alvina opts to skip it for now, but keeps the information in mind before removing Chisel's head from her old body to her new one.

Botanical Gardens

Alvina arrives, after quite a long delay with no large packages. She’s carrying her usual satchel, slung across her navy dress and cloak. Her long, crimson curls are loose and wild as she approaches the botanical gardens in search of the dryad she’d met a while back outside of Larket’s stable.

Chisel sat on her chair quietly. Drinking tea it seems. Odd for a dryad to be boiling leaves of a plant and drinking it. But she never said it was tea. She is currently toying with medicinal plants and to verify their uses and potencies, she is drinking them, immune to their effects and poisons, she'll be able to distinguish which is which to make medicine. As she still could not move much, her servants patrolled the garden. Flora Colossi wandered about, angrily grunting at any pest they come by while warding off any outsider. But as soon as Alvina appeared by the path leading to the garden, Her little dolls appeared from the forest, though creepy, they hanged there, watching, idle pointing toward the dryad.

Alvina had been looking upward, at the branches of various trees overheard. When she looked back down at the path, she saw the dolls and froze in place for a moment. Oh, that’s right. She’d almost forgotten about them. With an anxious smile, she started slowly back on the path they pointed out for her until she found Chisel in her chair, sipping something. She blinks before announcing herself, even though Chisel is probably already aware she’s there. “G-good morning.”

Chisel turns her head toward Alvina and waving her to come closer. She was able to move from the forest by the north. However it seems she is more... leafy at the moment? It appears as if she has melded with a flora colossi just to be able to move from her last position. "Good Morning Ms. Alvina." her lantern sits on a shelf nearby, still glowing but currently covered in thick silk. "Can I offer you something? A drink perhaps? Fruit?" she wanted to stand but her body was still weak, fearing she would break apart if she stand.

Alvina waved her hands immediately at the offer. “No, no Miss Chisel. I’m all right, thank you.” A dip of her head and the bard tries her best not to stare, yet again. It’s all a mystery to her. “I just wanted to find you to let you know I have the marionette you requested! I wasn’t able to bring it on my own, but it’s going to be delivered here shortly by some nice guards who saw me struggling. You look a bit better.” Is that something she can say to a dryad without a body? “How have you been?”

Chisel smiles and said, "Really? That's wonderful." pondering a bit, "Guards you say... its quite a rarity for people to come visit me, mostly because of fear of the dolls or the Colossi wandering about. But I don't think that would be much of a problem." she turned back to her before saying "Well I was able to walk around, I guess that's better." smiling before taking another sip before jotting down something on her clip board. "Well I was hoping you would see me detach my head and place it into the new body, you seem quite interested to such magics last time. Also.. I don't really know how much should I pay you. You see I rarely ask for other people's help. I don't even know what modifications you have made onto the body as well."

Alvina pressed her fingers together, nervously trying to find something to do with her hands. “Well it’s made out of a ‘living’ wood material. It’s something I’ve been playing around with. It has a bit more flex and give. It isn’t actually living but it moves like young, green wood does. Bends and doesn’t break, you know.” She pretended like she was snapping a branch over her knee and then feels like that’s inappropriate and puts her hands back at her side like a school child. “It’s just a very interesting magic!” she remarks, overenthusiastically. “I hope you don’t think me rude to stare.”

Chisel can't help but giggle alittle as she looked upon the woman, "Well my previous body wasn't exactly... nature-esque. It had iron running into its interior, reinforcing the body greatly. Nuts and bolts, pulley systems, all sorts of mechanical parts for its joints. Embarrassing to say, I found the sturdier body alot more useful. It allowed me to survive this long." Listening to her as she said, "Now now, if only a flower could speak, it would be delighted that someone appreciates its beauty. Its okay. Though you haven't told me how to pay you yet." Tilting her head, already trying to remember how many mortal coins she has.

Alvina blinked. She hadn’t really expected payment, and it seems odd to ask for anything when she doesn’t even have a body with which to fully function. “I hope the body is sturdy enough!” she mused, while she mulled over Chisel’s request for payment. “Is it possible you could....use your magic to wipe someone from my memory?” It’s an odd request but one she makes nonetheless. “I’ve heard of certain magic’s that make it possible and…I think there’s someone I need to forget. It only makes my heart ache to remember.”

Chisel wonders and said, "Well... I can. But its not pretty." she answers truthfully. She tries to carefully construct her words for the woman. Spells that removes memories isn't something that one toys with daily. There are ways to do so but the mind is simply too dangerous to begin with. "I can tell you what to do and what to need but again.. its dangerous and quite complicated."

Alvina nodded, trying to decide if she wanted to pursue this vein of inquiry further. “What would happen?” She asks, curious as to how it’s ‘not pretty’ exactly. Because it’s complicated, she guessed, looking over her shoulder for the guards that have not yet shown up with Chisel’s new body.

Chisel sighs and said. "Well you'll need a bard, a psionic and a healer. A poison and the spell. The spell is easy, any bard who knows the song can use it. The problem is the spell is ineffective. For it to work, one must heighten one's senses and so far... the only way I know for one's senses to be heightened enough is with a poison from a rare flower. This flower uses its pollen to remind a person of his or her favorite moments, while the poison courses into the body, disabling it till only the mind is working. Once the patient is in deep sleep, the spell can work its charm. But the problem is the mind is too fragile to work with. That's why you need a psion."

Alvina focused her bright eyes on Chisel, listening intently. “What does the healer do? Just remove the poison once it’s finished? That’s an awful lot of hands for one thing…I couldn’t ask that of you.” Alvina waves her palms at Chisel, feeling foolish for asking. “I’m sorry, but you really don’t have to pay me anything. I…don’t need anything really.”

Chisel sighs and said, "The healer is there to keep you alive. Once the spell is done, if the spell isn't completely removed, you may become paralyzed. This is something that you need to think about thoroughly. There is the possibility of death or something similar. You may ask a psion to browse your mind but I don't know anyone skilled enough to take out memories. Eradicating something from someone's mind isn't something one should toy with. Lives are at risk upon this." She sighs as she turned her head while the guards waringly moved closer and closer to the garden. They keep looking around as the Colossi roaming about and the dolls kept glancing at them. "I think your package has arrived."

Alvina nodded, letting the conversation die and moving to meet the guards on the path and direct them closer. It’s two young men, fairly strong but wispy thin. One with messy black hair, and one with long brown hair hanging past his shoulders. Both wore the Larket uniform, swords on their hips while they carried what appeared to be a body covered in a sheet. They eased it down near Chisel, looking at her cautiously before stepping back to Alvina to let her know they’d also arranged a place for her to stay, by the Queen’s decree. “Thank you guys.” She smiled, giving them each a gold coin for their troubles. They turned, back down the path talking amongst themselves while Alvina moved to unveil the body to her client. The ‘skin’ is brown color, looking very much like the wood of an old oak but the limbs don’t boast any groves for joints. “The wood will bend to fit any shape you like.” The only distortion already existing in the wood was the female human shape it took along the torso. A slightly curvaceous waist line, hour glass in shape. “It’s the only body pattern I could find…” She explained.

Chisel looked upon the new body and then turned to Alvina, "Thank you. Though it seems this form is alot more... curvaceous than my last. Well... distracting one's enemy is a type of technique, yes?" she simply smiles at the woman but stared at the two soldiers blandly, clearly not enjoying having those petty soldiers entering her domain. "If there are any other ways, maybe I could look for a safer way? Or perhaps.. as mortals say it. I owe you one. You could ask for my assistance for free for anything in the future. Would that do?" vines from a nearby tree began to coil upon the marionette and propped it standing somewhere close. "I could put it on now if you want to watch."

Alvina smiled, "I think that's a fine bargain! I'll take it. If you stumble on something, let me know. Otherwise, I'm sure I'll find you if I need anything." The bard watches the vines pull the light weight body up properly. "Are you sure?" It felt too much like she shouldn't be there, watching. "I don't want to intrude."

Chisel ponders alittle. "I could do it on my own but I somehow enjoy seeing your reactions lately. It seems... too... mortal I guess? I am after all not like most people, I find it entertaining to watch and sometimes mimic people to allow me to live amongst them. Maybe I am simply interested on how you would react. Tell you what. I'll even let you do the honors. Just... pull my head off this body. Don't worry, though my mind is in my head, every tree upon this garden is still upon my control. Even severed from my body, I am still able to control and watch you, guide you if need be."

Alvina shivers with this suggestion. Just pull her head up into the air? That's so creepy!!!! But now Alvina can't necessarily say no, because Chisel had already asked her? What would her head even feel like!? It's so surreal. "O-okay?" The bard stutters, shifting forward with tentative hands reaching out to hoist Chisel's head from her temporary body into the air. Her left eye, the one closest to Chisel's now dangling head, twitched itself closed while the bard shuffled nervously towards Chisel's new upright body to fix the head in place. It's like a scene from some nightmare she had once, only a little bit cooler because she wasn't about to be murdered.

Chisel can't help but smile before finally closing her eyes. All of a sudden however her face lost all its skin, shedding off as she abandons the body she currently holds. The guards went back to wherever, if they have stayed, the dolls probably attacked them. Hair began to fall out, leaving only the marionette head. It does feel... bland at first but as soon as the woman rips her head off from the body, she'll see numerous vines dangling from where her neck is supposed to be connected, various colored sap dripping as her old body collapsed upon the chair. Atleast she isn't speaking right now or talking to Alvina, she doesn't want to freak her out completely, she might chuck her head away.

Alvina recoils from head she's holding, making a clearly uncertain face as she goes. The sap could be blood...she thinks, while her stomach is turning. The sap could be blood and this could be a dead person's head!! Panic back lit her eyes and she rushed to get Chisel attached to the body she made as quickly as possible. Fun nightmare time was over, Alvina wasn't made of strong enough stuff to weather this storm.

Chisel could only watch through a doll or a colossi' eye and simply giggle. As her head reaches the new body, one could see the vines began writhing, moving as they began to flail and coil onto the new body, scouring itself into the small opening provided by the marionette doll's neck hole. Chisel didn't move for a full minute atleast, what for? dramatic effect? Maybe make Alvina think she killed the dryad? ofcourse not. As soon as the body was accepted, skin began to grow around the marionette doll. It was silk, but the pigment used was mimicking a normal skin tone, growing upon the marionette form as the plant fibers were grown and weaved around her body, completely coating it from head to toe. Chisel's face returned, same did her hair. Her clothes were added last as she finally spoke. "I feel... taller..."

Alvina was so glad to put the head down but now it's not moving. What was she going to do? The bard starts to look around at the dolls, are they watching, could they tell her what to do. She thinks maybe, she should reposition it? Is the head not on straight maybe...? When Chisel starts to move and scares the life out of Alvina. Her knees buckle, sending her to the ground with the palest expression. "Gods..." she whispered, holding her hand to her chest to catch her breath. "Y-you are taller..." Alvina says, dusting dirt off her dress when she gets back on her feet.

Chisel moves her fingers before finally opening her eyes, testing the strength of her limbs before slowly trying to move on her own... she can't "My vines still needs to get used to this new body, I won't be able to control my limbs from within if my vines aren't strong enough or used to this new body." Exterior vines takes away her old form, dragging into the trees above before hiding it somewhere in the garden. Groaning as she try to walk toward the chair, maybe sit back down. "I find your reactions quite entertaining. Thank you. It has been a while since I had a laugh." ofcourse she didn't hear her laughing, she doubts the bard could even understand plant language.

Alvina can not understand plant language and is pretty puzzled by all of this. At least it's better to be puzzled than scared. "L-let me know if it doesn't work out?" She tries, looking behind her and missing the old body's departure. "I can make adjustments if you need me to. It's no problem."

Chisel suddenly realized that it is odd to call a language 'language' even though no one hears it. Only those who speaks it. But... you don't really... speak it? Frowning a bit before dropping the thought. "Well if I asked for adjustments, I'll be in debt so much that I am not sure how would I pay."

Alvina shook her head at the implication. "It's part of the deal. No extra charge." Alvina smiled, "Promise."

Chisel nods. "I'll think about it. It would be rude for me to ask for something else after something this beautiful was given to me for free."

Alvina gestures with her index finger pointed skyward. “Not free,” she reminds Chisel with a grin. “You owe me one. Good luck!” And just like that, Alvina takes her leave of the botanical garden, heart racing that she’d survived the encounter. That multi-colored sap….she shivers with the thought.