Construction work! [OPEN]

[thebestandwurst]

Characters: Open
Where: Area between Casualty Communal
Rating: Gen, usually.
Time: July 31 to August 14
Description: People are going to construct Winry's new clinic. Volunteers, come one, come all! Also, people should be hearing construction work going on for the next couple of weeks at the H-P side.

Comments

[stalwartcane]

Watson had stayed away from the construction on-going for Miss Rockbell's new clinic. He was a physician, a former-halfpay soldier, and an old man at that - he was neither built nor had the constitution to manage the heavy labor of construction, nor did he particularly appreciate all the dust that went up because of the construction activities.

Besides, he had his own patients to tend to.

It was one evening, however, that Watson found himself without anything to do and the undeniable urge to move about and expend excess energy. He had made himself some tea, poured a large amount into a large, brilliant green mug, and made his way out. Watson did not intend to go far, what with the warnings of this man, Crane, circulating amongst the guests, but the construction site of the new clinic was merely a step away from the Communal. Surely that was near enough for him to wander?

Armed with his drink, the doctor then took the stairs down and stepped to the yard where the building was being put up. He didn't notice the... creature, at first, but when he did, Watson made a startled cry and nearly dropped his mug. Too tall and imposing, and so frightening! Was this an effect of the fear gas that the other guests had been talking about? But he did not recall smelling anything, and surely he would have noticed--!

[aiursfavoredson]

Tassadar had noticed the movement behind him and hardly found himself concerned by the presence. He could taste the scent of the air across his skin, and hardly found himself feeling threatened. Besides, there weren't many humans alive that would attempt to take on a Protoss warrior by themselves and without weapons.

The cry of alarm did, however, catch the templar's attention. Stepping back and around, the blue glow in his eyes flashed a bright yellow in the darkness as he caught sight of the individual.

The moment he saw the man's reaction, it became obvious his presence had startled the aging human. Relaxing his body stance, Tassadar's mind stretched out to touch on the human's mind as he calmly spoke, "You have nothing to fear, for I will not harm you."

[stalwartcane]

It was startling to have a voice speak in his mind. Watson couldn't help it -- he gave a strangled cry and promptly backed off several steps, nearly stumbling due to his limp and the other obstacles in the area. The flashing eyes did not help. In the doctor's eyes, he was faced with a large and very scary monster! In the dark! With nothing but his cane! And tea.

"W-what! Good heavens!"

Oh noes! Not his tea! <3 one of my other muses now wants to have tea with Watson T_T

[aiursfavoredson]

While he had seen quite an array of reactions in relation to his kind, the Protoss warrior had yet to experience this type of one. His own reaction would be to simply walk off and ignore the entire thing, but this was anything but a normal situation. He was the only one of his kind here, and to distance himself from them here would hardly be beneficial to his cause.

He knew well that he couldn't approach, and so Tassadar did the only thing that came to mind: the templar crouched to make at least his height seem less intimidating.

"I am to believe that you have yet to encounter those not of your planet?" Tassadar found himself asking. While he was more than capable of taking care of himself, the last thing he needed was the entire human population hunting him down for believing himself to be a danger.

/abuses this icon

[stalwartcane]

"Those not of my planet!" Watson echoed fearfully, but dutifully answered. It was almost an automatic response, to answer when asked. Curse his British courtesy-

It was another impossibility on top of another impossibility. It was not enough to drag him here into this world, of a different dimension and time, no, he also had to meet all sorts of creatures like that large cat, and kishin eggs and terrible things like Adachi! Surely there was a limit to the amount of strange and frightening things he had to suffer through in this world!

But he was being asked, so he answered."Forgive me, sir, but I have not heard of such a thing!" What would these creatures be called? Foreigners? Watson took deep breathes to regulate his heart rate, aware that he was a moment short of hyperventilating, or worse, fainting. "You… you are not a figment of my imagination? A result of… of fear gas?"

[aiursfavoredson]

His attempt to calm the situation didn't seem to work, but there wasn't much that Tassadar could do about that. If his presence continued to cause stress, then there would be no other choice to withdraw, but he would watch and observe for now.

It was interesting to see that despite this human's sense of panic and fear, he still appeared to speak with politeness. Such a reaction was something he wasn't used to when it came to the human race, but the templar took it in stride.

"There is no need to seek forgiveness for inexperience," Tassadar murmured before the following question drew a look of confusion to furrow at his brows. He supposed that his race had been quite well known to bring fear to their enemies, and those of the Terran Federation avoided his people unless absolutely necessary, but he was quite real despite what this aging human thought.

"I have heard much of this 'fear gas' you humans continue talking of," He begun before pushing himself back up to stand. Tassadar didn't remain where he was, but began advancing towards the human instead. His movements weren't aggressive by any standards, and Tassadar kept his pace steady even as he reached out with one large hand towards the human, "But whether you count it unfortunate or not, I am very real if you wish to see for yourself."

[stalwartcane]

Watson's face was a painting of trepidation, but the otherworldly being was allowing him time to recompose himself and gather his wits about him. Surely if the creature meant to harm him, it would have done so by now? The doctor was a middle-aged man with a cane, after all, and would hardly be able to put up a fight against something a good two heads taller than he was.

Nervously, he transferred his cane to hang from his arm holding onto the tea, and tentatively and slowly reached forward to grasp at the proffered appendage. He closed his eyes and gasped at the contact, wondering if he was going to be left alive for being so forward, but peered up at the thing when nothing untoward happened.

At least Watson didn't lose his tea <3

[aiursfavoredson]

Tassadar's movements stopped after he'd extended his arm out. He wasn't quite certain just how this human would react to the gesture, and the last thing the templar wanted was to create a man hunt for himself. Dealing with the Terran and the Zerg back in his sector had been taxing enough that he didn't want the same fate to bestow himself here.

He remained perfectly still as he felt the brush of the human's hand touch along his arm. There was nothing said or any gesture given throughout the contact, and it was only when he felt the human's attention on him did Tassadar's voice return.

"While I feel as though I've proved the reality of the situation, your fear has yet to ebb," The High Templar thoughtfully observed while the blue of his eyes flashed yellow momentarily.

[ooc: Tassadar's skin would feel kind of scalely to the touch :3]

[Video]

[stalwartcane]

Warily, he glanced up at the creature before taking a deep breathe and giving the arm an exploratory pat. S-scales? How odd, and not at all like he had expected (he had thought it would be wet and disgusting).

"I-thank you for tolerating my fears and apprehensions of yourself, sir," he managed to say, even as he uneasily finally pulled his hand back to himself and backed away half a step. "I am not so young as to be able to adjust easily to strange… events, around me, moreso after a trying month in Death City, but, er, are you… a guest?" Rambling as a mechanism for self-defense. John Watson, pull yourself together!

[aiursfavoredson]

He stood there quietly while the human explored the touch of his skin. This was, perhaps, the closest a human had ever found themselves to a Protoss without it being on the battlefield. Not even Jim Raynor or his men had been able to venture this close without their marine suits on, but that was more out of necessity given the harsh environment he'd been brought from.

"I have dealt with your kind on many occasions and are aware of your reactions to situations," Tassadar murmured as the human drew back his hand. It was rare for a human to assess themselves in such a way, and it was something the templar had only experienced once or twice while travelling from Char with Raynor's unit.

"Indeed I am. That machine pulled me here a number of days ago. This city does well to find ways to challenge each and every one of us," Inclining his head in acceptance of the reason, the Protoss warrior asked, "You have been trapped here for such a long length of time, then?"

Such a thing did not bode well for him if that was the case. He couldn't afford being away from his people or Aiur for such a stretch of time.

[stalwartcane]

Watson had begun the long and jarring process of recovering his composure from such a shock. If there was anything to be said about him, it was that he was open-minded for his time and easily adaptable to the more extreme situations his friend tended to put him through. This should not be overly different (even if it was extremely so).

"About a month," he recalled, wondering how he had managed to survive here for that long and not miss home all that much. It was Holmes, he decided. Home had become where his dearest people were, and there was no one dear left anymore in Britain for him.

"You were…" He gestures lamely at the construction site, righting his cane and supporting himself with it. "Did I disturb you?"

[aiursfavoredson]

"A month is quite a stretch of time," The thought that he could also be trapped here for just as long didn't sit well with the templar. While he held absolute faith in Zeratul and the others, Tassadar didn't wish for any of them to fight against the remnants of the Swarm. He only hoped that his direct assault on the Overmind had been enough to destroy that vile creation.

Turning his attention back to the site at the gesture, the templar found himself chuckling lightly. "You are hardly disturbing much of anything," He offered before glancing back towards the human, "While I have dealt with humans in the past, this is the first time I've witness such permanent buildings being constructed. I find it rather fascinating."

He had seen what the Terran military and Jim Raynor's men had constructed on the battlefield, but that was nothing like the buildings constructed here. While their methods of construction weren't nearly as effective as the Protoss' own, it seemed to simply suit the nature of their race.

[stalwartcane]

A month was nothing when one had spent nine in bed, waiting to be shipped back home. A month of active service was more pleasant than many things on earth.

Strange the creature may be, he was still very gracious, and Watson could appreciate that in any species. That was why he had become used to Basil the mouse so quickly, after all. He relaxed a fraction and inclined his head in the direction of the barely-made building, considering if it was proper to ask a question. Finally, hesitantly:

"Do you often meet with... humans? Do you perhaps have business with us?"

[aiursfavoredson]

He could sense the one near him relaxing, and for that the Protoss warrior was pleased. It would make the transition into this human dominated city far easier if he didn't have to hide himself. Judging by this one's reaction, the templar wondered if he'd ever seen anything other than the species that were on Earth. It was possible, and something he needed to ask further on later.

"Only within the last few months. The sector of space I am from is at war with a vile race," Tassadar offered. The few that he had fighting alongside him he now considered as his own brethren despite the short amount they'd spent together. To him it felt as thought they were old souls finding themselves once again. Staring intently at the human, he said, "My brethren and a small army of humans fight alongside each other in order to defeat the twisted will of the Overmind."

[ooc: sorry for the fail bb! I've been out and about travelling and won't get back to posting properly until tomorrow T_T]

[stalwartcane]

"Oh!" he said, looking pleased at the answer. "Then our races are allies. I had rather been worried that you did not fancy our species. I do hope the humans in your world have been most useful." Which would have been a problem for him, given his current situation of being very much alone with the alien. Watson grinned, and stuck out his hand properly to shake the large creature's hand.

Simple as his thinking may be, someone harmless to him was still someone harmless to him. And it was easier to accept things as they were in this world rather than... get all up in arms over it. Surely there were odder things that would cross his path in the future.

"A pleasure to meet you sire. I am Doctor John Watson, formerly of the British army."

[aiursfavoredson]

"No, our two races are far from being allies," Tassadar bluntly said. There had been far too much blood between them given his earlier actions against the Terran, and even beside that, the High Templar had no patience for the Terran Dominion or the Confederacy it had once been. If they stood in his way, he wouldn't hesitate in burning every last ship in order to clear a path.

"However," The Protoss warrior said before pausing to make certain he had the other man's attention, "Despite the differences our two species may have, I hold nothing but the utmost respect for the humans I fight alongside of, and may Adun watch over them while I remained trapped here."

The offer of the hand out towards him was returned with a curious stare. Such a gesture was something the Protoss never did among one another, but a brief flash of Raynor and his men supplied him with the answer he desired. The gesture was a form of human greeting.

He eventually returned the gesture, no matter how awkward it felt to the templar, and reached out to take hold of Watson's hand with his own much larger one. Tassadar didn't miss the fact that this one appeared to have once been in the army, and he assumed that the term 'British' was a name given to either a piece of land or another planet under Earth control.

"While I hold no knowledge to what a British is, I find it an honour to be meeting another who serves their planet, Doctor John Watson," Tassadar offered before he retracted his hand. Inclining his head, the Protoss warrior murmured, "I am Tassadar, High Templar and once Executor of the Protoss templar caste."