Brought Down to "Normal?" [Endplot, backdated to before Rebellion]

[meat_mooks]

The crew that returned from Hendersus Villae following their rescue mission was not the same crew that had been sent there in the first place.

Well, they were. They just wouldn't look like they were for a few more hours.

Goliath, Kang, Rainbow Dash, and Crematia were all still stuck as humans, and the reassurance they'd gotten from Zarom Ghartha that their transformation would expire in roughly one day's time was surely enough to allay some of their lingering discomfort with finding themselves still in the wrong bodies, but unfortunately, no amount of reassurance could completely relieve their situation of awkwardness.

Awkward or not, though, they all needed rest and medical attention, so there was no hiding out while the curse wore off. Not unless they wanted to spend the next 12 hours still hungry, tired, and injured to various degrees.

[ooc: setting up subthreads for individual character reactions is a-go!]

Comments

[not_the_philistine]

Goliath, whose usual style of ignoring his wounds until sunrise made him habitually, one could say, a little reckless, was among the more beaten-up of the four.

Fortunate that Kang had chosen to lend him his armor, which had protected him from what would have been much harsher wounds. He removed the leather chestpiece and handed it back to Kang.

"Your armor was worth saving. Thank you for lending it to me."

There was tension between them that hadn't been there before, now that they knew just how hard they could come down on opposite ends of a moral dilemma. Goliath had to wonder how this would affect their friendship.

[governorkang]

"Any time," Kang said sincerely, taking the breastplate. Despite the disagreement of how to handle matters, he still considered Goliath to be a friend; he'd honestly been a little worried about this day coming. He'd never hidden anything about his past or his nature, and didn't intend to any time soon, and the gargoyle had been told more than others, but it was a side of him that most of the crew normally didn't see, or thought was the old him. He eyed the sword, "You can return that to me later."

He had injuries of his own, including a cut on his forehead, scrapes on his arm, and bruises on his torso. He was pretty sure he'd almost broken a rib or two. Unlike Goliath, he was well aware of human capabilities, so he'd been a bit more careful.

[not_the_philistine]

"I'll bring it by the tavern."

Just then, though, they both needed medical attention. Goliath had some very hastily bandaged wounds, and very possibly a few broken fingers from hitting things harder than his human body could take. His knuckles were dangerously deeply scraped. As the adrenaline wore off, the pain was getting harder to ignore.

For a moment he had a burst of respect for humans who sustained such injuries, and dealt with them during the weeks it took to heal. Recovery could not be pleasant, or convenient.

[governorkang]

Kang frowned, eyeing Goliath's injuries, "I told you to take it easy. You're damn lucky you'll only have to deal with the pain for a little while."

[not_the_philistine]

"I will heal."

Not quickly - but perhaps he'd go straight into stone sleep after becoming himself again.

"If 'easy' would have preserved our lives, I would have done it."

Rainbow Dash always dresses in plantsuits [Open to anyone]

[elementofloyalty]

Battered? Tired? Hungry? Sure, these words all described the rainbow-haired girl that stepped back onto the ship, but also "triumphant" and "exuberant" as she punched a fist into the air.

"Another mission handled in perfect style!" she called out. It certainly hadn't taken her long to adapt.

[appletastic]

Applejack was startled out of her usual supply runs by her friend's voice. She spun quickly enough for her saddle bag to flap against her flank, hard.

"Rainbow? Where are you?" Her mind didn't think to register the human shape still halfway across the room as anything important.

[elementofloyalty]

"Uh." She raised her hand a little as she stepped closer. Sure, the shape was all wrong, but was there any mistaking that hair?

"Hi, Applejack. It was... kind of an interesting trip," she said, rubbing the back of her head with an awkward grin.

[appletastic]

That was odd. Applejack had addressed her question to Rainbow Dash, and a human was talking to her. A human with...hair that looked quite like a mane she was familiar with. In that voice.

"Rainbow Dash? What in the hay happened to you?"

[elementofloyalty]

She laughed nervously, fingers running through her rainbow mane. Everyone else on the mission had been turned human too; it hadn't seemed so odd, then. But facing Applejack, and hearing her surprise, drove home a lot more clearly what had happened.

"We all got turned into... humans. It's not permanent, it'll wear off! I just have to wait till then."

For Carson

[governorkang]

The tall man that walked into the Medbay was wearing Kang's usual tunic and kilt (with a clear attempt to make it not fit quite as loosely), and necklaces, but it certainly didn't look like Kang. This man was human, and appeared korean.

He was also clearly injured, though it wasn't anywhere near life-threatening, and didn't look very comfortable.

[atadiscoverer]

And Carson is the one on duty at the moment, sitting and scribbling in his notebook a bit boredly. He looks up as someone walks in, standing up.

"Are you okay?" Concerned, he takes a few steps towards the man, obviously not recognising him.

[governorkang]

"Carson." Kang smiled slightly, taking a deep breath with a wince. "It's me, Kang."

[atadiscoverer]

...And have Carson staring for a few moments, before smiling lightly. "Well, you look different."

You get jaded to this stuff when you've been on Atlantis for 3 years. He wasn't that surprised.

[governorkang]

Kang blinked, "You're taking this rather well. Life on Atlantis must very, very interesting."

He came further into the room (barefoot) and carefully sat down on the nearest empty bed. "Fortunately, it's not permanent. Just for another day, max."

Goliath - in Medbay

[not_the_philistine]

Not being able to heal overnight was perhaps the most disagreeable part of being human. Sustained injuries made Goliath reflect on his respect for humans who endured such lengthy discomfort without complaint, who went into battle time and again even when their healing process was so arduous.

He'd sustained a lot of injuries himself, lacking a sense of human limitations. He had bloodied his knuckles down to the bone, broken several fingers, and pulled a few muscles in his arms by hitting things as hard as he could, with his muscles, but harder than human bones were built to endure. As his adrenaline waned, the discomfort was growing harder to ignore.

Stone sleep not being an option for him for several hours, he waited in the Medbay for a physician to do what they could for his condition. His thoughts turned to Elisa as he waited, and he took the time to contact her over the omnicoms. After several days of battle, he desired a peaceful few hours with her more even than he desired a good meal and a nap, both of which he was also in need of.

Re: Goliath - in Medbay

[nerves_of_steel]

"Right, let's take a look at you," John said, though a cursory glance suggested that a diagnosis of not getting into fist-fights with trucks was in order. "Are you left- or right-handed?"

Re: Goliath - in Medbay

[not_the_philistine]

"Right-handed."

But he'd switched to his left when his right hurt too much to use.

"This being human is a limiting thing."

If he was still himself, he could fight all the trucks he wanted.

Re: Goliath - in Medbay

[nerves_of_steel]

John hesitated and looked up at the man, frowning a bit. "...So humanity's not a normal thing for you then?"

He leaned over to take a look at the holographic chart next to the bed and licked his lips. No, 'human' certainly didn't this man's normal state.

"I'll treat the right hand first..." he squinted a bit at the chart. "...Goliath."

Huh, where had he heard that name? Besides the Bible, obviously, it was something else niggling at him...

[not_the_philistine]

"No," Goliath confirmed, leaning over to glance at his own chart as John did. Oh yes, he'd filled that out once.

"You will not recognize me when we meet again, but I will not forget this." He held out his battered right hand. "It is not often that I need the services of a physician."

His right wrist bore a scar that looked as though his hand had been surgically reattached before. When he DID need a physician, he needed one seriously.

Open for all!

[governorkang]

After getting his injuries tended to, borrowing pants and a shirt from Carson that fit him reasonably well enough, and dropping his normal clothing, armor, and weapons off in his quarters, Kang decided to just suck it up and head to the tavern for something to drink. He still didn't have shoes, though, which made for an odd sight when he entered the building and picked a seat in the corner near the fireplace.

He was tall, at six feet, and had bandages on his forehead and one of his arms. When he sat down, he moved somewhat carefully, mindful of his bruised ribs, and muttered a quiet curse in Nerakese. The two gold necklaces that he normally wore around his neck slipped free from his shirt, hanging loosely against the front of it, as he rested his elbows on the table with a sigh and hung his head.

Re: Open for all!

[kungfu_sexnun]

A breeze accompanied Nima as she sat down at his table, putting a mug each of ale and fruit juice in front of him.

She sat down opposite him, plantsuit unzipped just enough to flash the handsome stranger some cleavage. "You look so down, and I don't even know what you drink yet. Anything I can do to cheer you up?"

[governorkang]

...oh. Nima. Kang looked up and ignored the flash of cleavage, cheeks turning a little pink at being so obviously flirted with. His voice was a bit gruff as he spoke, "Hello, Nima. It's me, Kang."

[kungfu_sexnun]

"That's funny! You're funny. Kang is nowhere near as cute as you are."

She pushed the ale towards him. "But if you wanted to complete the act, this is definitely what Kang would drink. Especially if his barmaid was flirting with him."

[mercyisweakness]

So.

Here she is again. Alone. Naked. But this time, she doesn't have the option change back to her dragon form - no, she's stuck in it.

She's still a sourpuss about the whole human thing. Whatever macabre sense of humor she usually have is gone now.

Folding her arms, she leans against a fleshy wall, not caring or who or what approaches her.