1380/Radiant Infirmary Episode 1380: It's not black tie, is it

Radiant Infirmary Episode 1380: It's not black tie, is it
Date of Scene:	04 April 2024
Location:	Administrative Office
Synopsis:	Bow comes to the Infirmary to ask Nurse Meiou to chaperone the Prom...while there, it's revealed that he's using repurposed Horde tech. Concerns are raised. Words are spoken.
Cast of Characters:	Setsuna Meiou, Bow, Sayaka Miki
Tinyplot:	Princes and Princesses Prom

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Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Ah, the school infirmary. A staple of the high school experience...where students go to deal with the various cuts, scrapes, strains and the like common amongst a building full of 1000 or so hormone-soaked adolescents. Not to mention all the ones trying to scam the nurse to let them skive off of class.

Generally, the infirmary's a fairly small office for the nurse and some equipment. At least, that's the general rule. Given the budget Radiant Heart boasts, the infirmary's a bit bigger and more well appointed than most. There are several beds (which are currently not in use) and to an eye familiar with the medical world, there's enough well-laid-out kit that it's quite likely that, in extremis, one could actually do surgery here.

Still, most of the room is broken up with little rolling-wall medical dividers, with the bulk of the area set up for the kind of service one would need for a typical average assortment of students. Reasonably nice chairs, little triage areas, that kind of thing. The walls have various posters one might see in a doctor's office, though most of them are a bit more aimed at student-level things like common adolescent illnesses and the like. One particular poster, however, probably catches the eye:

    This one's photo surrounded by a black frame in the style of the common 'motivational' poster. The picture is of a woman in a maroon yoga suit who, from about the waist down is lying face down...but she's bent over comletely backwards so that her head is lying on the bed between her legs and her face and upper torso are face up with her arms lying next to her legs. There's a nurse behind her in the shot, and the text reads in large letters: 'GOOD NEWS' In smaller type underneath is added: "The Doctor found your problem'

As is often the case, when one enters the room, Nurse Meiou can be seen passing the time reading a book.

This time said book's cover features a tall, scruffy, trenchcoated man with a staff in one hand and a revolver in the other on a white background.

And rather than her usual fidget of a pen in her off hand, instead Nurse Meiou is...doing one-handed shuffles of a deck of cards.

Bow has posed:
It's been a while since Bow checked in on the infirmary. Considering that nothing's blown up or gone wrong with his henshin, he's not really thought about it. And he probably still isn't thinking about it as he is coming to visit Setsuna for totally unrelated to ANY KIND of medical problem.

Setsuna may have the most boring job ever with all the mahou that try to just walk it off - or annoy Mamoru. There was the whole incident with Adora fracturing his jaw, but again, that got healed and there was plenty of calcium and iron tablets taken in the aftermath. All the milk!

As he enters and his eyes fall on the poster. Tilting his head curiously at it, it's clear from the expression on the Etherian's face that he does not grasp what the joke is supposed to be. He just may have never been exposed to that type of humor, that poor summer child. But he continues looking around and catches sight of Setsuna, her book and... the deck of cards. "Oh, do you do card tricks?" Bow asks, a hint of exciement to his voice. "May I see?" There's a sparkle in his eyes, the look of someone who enjoys sleight of hand tricks - not just because he loves doing them himself.

"Also, how are you, Miss Meiou?" he asks. "Has it been a while?"

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
As Bow enters, Nurse Meiou blinks and looks over at him, then smiles, "Greetings, Mister Armbruster. Enter freely and of your own will."

There's an absent twist of her wrist, and the deck of cards disappears momentarily only to be replaced with...well...

...for all intents and purposes, it looks like nothing more than a bar of pure void. Like someone somehow managed to take a piece of literal nothingness and make it physically manifest.

She raises up this hole in the fabric of reality...and then uses it to mark her place in her book, which she closes to reveal that the title on the other side is 'GHOST STORY' written in large English letters.

She sets the book down on the counter behind her...and then another twist of the wrist brings out her deck of cards once more, "Oh, these? Yeah, I got bored one day and taught myself how to do a few things..."

Whereupon she does a one-handed shuffle...then a waterfall to her other hand, where she does another one-handed shuffle...another waterfall back to the first hand, then she fans the cards out in that hand...before fanning a second identical deck out of her other hand.

She does a quick 'fan' motion with the two sets of cards, and then with another flourish of both hands, all the cards disappear.

That done, she leans back against the counter once more, "It has. I can see you're taking at least decent care of yourself...which then asks the question of what brings you to my humble Infirmary?"

Bow has posed:
Bow grins widely, reaching into a pocket, and pulls out his own deck of cards. Taking them out, he starts to suffle and spread the cards, fanning them out, before flipping it aside in his hand, sliding his hand across, causing the cards to come back together.

When they do, he twists his wrist, and the deck of cards is replaced with a flower, a daisy, which he sets on the desk. "Please, most people just call me Bow these days. I figured if I said it was a nickname because of my love for archery and the violin, it would go over a lot easier than trying to remember the fake name."

"But on to why I'm here. It's because I have a favor to ask." Finding a place to sit, he perches on a stool, and folds his hands into his lap. "I'm sure you've heard about the Prom by now. If not, back on Etheria, we held a dance for Princesses when they were introducing themselves to the world. Or just coming of age to rule. Or whatever, there were so many reasons for a Prom. Scrolls worth!" he admits. "I'm making it a bit easier than all that. But, for the student council to approve that it can happen, I need to have two staff members sign off that they're willing to chaperone."

So, that may tip his hand as to why he's here. "I already asked Miss Inai and she said yes. I was hoping you would be the second. Just in case someone has an accident on the dance floor and gets hurt. Or someone gets sick." he explains. Left unsaid 'in case two people get into a fight'.

"So... would you be interested?" comes Bow's question. "Or, is there something I can do in exchange to gain your support?"

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
When the young man explains that he's found a way to effectively get called his real name as his nickname, Nurse Meiou smiles and nods towards him, "Good to hear, Mister Armbruster...but unfortunately as a medical professional, while on the clock, there are certain standards I must adhere to. Still, I shall keep that in mind for the future.

When Bow goes on to say that he has a favor to ask, however, the nurse arches an eyebrow, "Oh? Please, then, Mister Armbruster. Elaborate."

Then, as he explains, she smiles once more, "Ah...and you need a chaperone and a responsible adult. Having a medical professional as well is just being prudent."

A shake of her head is then given, "No need for exchange. I'll be glad to lend a hand. Just let me know the date, time, and location and I'll be there to keep an eye on things...and to make sure nobody spikes the punch bowl."

She sighs, "Someone ALWAYS gets the bright idea to try to spike the punchbowl."

Bow has posed:
"I know I'm just a teen here, just feels weird to be called Mister anything." Bow admits with a sigh and a rub at the back of his neck where the small disk is implanted on the back of his neck. "I've always just been... Bow, you know?" he asks with a slightly bemused smile.

Of course, he's never been a mahou, or on another world, or any of that.

As she catches on easily enough, Bow nods his head eagerly. "I mean, you were really nice to me when I arrived here and I never really got a chance to thank you for it. And I mean, I guess I'm taking advantage of that kindness again, so once again, I find myself in your debt." the young man admits.

But as she asks for details, he rattles the information off, and then when she mentions that someone always spikes the punch, there's a few innocent blinks of his dark eyes. "Noone would dare do that at a Princess Prom. I remember that one... it was rule two hundred three, subsection four, article three - any attempt to introduce an an intoxicant into the drinks of a Princess Prom can be punished by at least six months in the dungeon or related community service."

A pause. "But then again, outside of Netossa and Spinerealla, most of the Princess were young, so that rule kinda makes sense."

"But yes, I figured if someone gets hurt, it'd be nice to have a nurse on staff, so I appreciate you being willing to help!"

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Nurse Meiou shakes her head, "You haven't been exposed to enough Earth pop culture. The idea of spiking the punch at an event for teenagers is one of those things that certain elements who care very little for rules tend to gravitate towards, because it leads to chaos and they find it funny."

She then shakes her head and makes a 'waving off' gesture, "Don't worry about it. Being around to play chaperone for events like this is literally part of my job description...so it won't be any real hardship for me to be there."

She then grins, "So...who is YOUR date to the Prom?"

Bow has posed:
"No, I haven't..." Bow admits, a chuckle. "Not from a lack of trying. I want to watch more videoes... but there is so much... so much..." he eyes sparkle for a moment. "...OUTSIDE to explore!" he admits with a wide smile. "So many different things to see and do and learn and just... it's amazing! Like Etheria, but on a much grander scale!"

Then he's asked about his date. "I'm emceeing!" he admits. "But I am also taking Sayaka Miki to it." A smile touches his lips at the idea. "I just hope she's okay with me moving about and introducing singers and all that. I think she will be. Just. Worried." Another scratch.

"Uggh, this is annoying me. Is there something you can give for itchy skin?" he asks. "I might be having a little reaction." he admits quietly. "If you don't mind me giving you an actual reason for me to be here."

When she comes over to inspect, Bow pulls down his collar. When he does, there's a small white disk, about the side of a flattened golf-ball on the base of his neck. In the middle of the disk is a small green glow, that has spread a bit from the disk and underneath his skin. Four small posts are pinched into his skin where the disk is held into place - and that's where the rash is.

Sayaka Miki has posed:
Sayaka had just gotten away from a classmate who needed help with things, which is good for her, because her mind was elsewhere ever since she discovered that Bow had a mind control chip from some sort of evil guy who Adora had defeated and yet still existed in Bow's world. And he had given access to it to Crystal Hope, who has been all sorts of weird too with her tendency to withdraw at questions on the First Ones and insistence that Bow stop trying to save his world.

She finally got time to take a look at her phone, and she almost drops it when she reads a message from Bow saying he is in the infirmary. Which is when, pale in the face, she starts heading there in a rush and the first sight there is that of Bow showing that very same chip.

"Hello, Meiou-sensei", the bluenette shakily bows to her. "What has happened to Bow? Has he been... behaving weirdly and gotten hurt?"

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
As Bow complains about itching, Nurse Meiou stands up and walks over on her three inch heels and bends over to look at the place on his neck he's indicating.

When she sees the ominously glowing piece of what looks like tech, she blinks and frowns.

She's about to open her mouth to comment when Sayaka walks in, causing her to glance over at the younger woman.

Said younger woman's question causes her to blink before responding, "Good afternoon, Miss Miki. At the moment, Mister Armbruster here hasn't been behaving any more or less wierdly than is the norm for him as far as I can tell...though he has been complaining of itching."

She looks once more at the little disc, "...and speaking as a Medical Professional...small devices that dig into the skin and glow a rather unpleasant shade of green are generally things to have REMOVED at the first opportunity."

She then turns and gives Bow a rather severe look, "...so while I'm happy to help with the event you're planning, you REALLY should have LED with telling me about this thing here."

Bow has posed:
And Bow was going to explain as soon as Setsuna saw it - he was just waiting so he wouldn't have to lead that much, but with Sayaka's arrival, there's a brief frown of disapproval. "I was here to ask Miss Meiou if she would chaperone prom. I just felt a little itchy." comes the response, before his attention turns to Setsuna and Sayaka both.

"So. Where I'm from, the Horde used these chips as control devices. It interfaces directly to the brain and is controlled from a central station, right?" he starts off. "I modified this one so that Crystal Hope and I could have a better interface to feed me data quickly - and she also uses it to make sure that the magical energy I sucked up when we came through and the collapse of the Etherian portal doesn't overwhelm me. So... I'd thank you not to consider removing it, please?" he asks.

Crystal Hope chimes in in her melodic voice. "As Bow said - I am using the chip to make sure he stays safe. It's for his own good." she offers in a reassuring tone.

"It's fine." Bow smiles at the pair. "I made sure of it before I put it on. So, about that rash?"

Sayaka Miki has posed:
Sayaka starts being less anxious... a little. In part because nothing had actually happened to Bow, in part because of her hearing that even Nurse Meiou agrees that thing does not look healthy. It doesn't help however that the directly interested party gives her a frown of disapproval and starts reassuring that's fine for someone like Crystal Hope to have access to that mind control. Not to speak of the AI herself intervening.

"Bow", the bluenette exclaims. "I am only worried, you know that, right? You gave someone as shifty as Crystal Hope access to the mind control technology from some sort of evil man that is responsible for dooming your world. Can you see why I don't agree with the situation?" Sayaka stays on her position, only bringing her hand on Bow's as he smiles.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Nurse Meiou stands up and pinches the bridge of her nose, sighing heavily.

Shaking her head, she turns and walks towards one of the cabinets on the other side of the room and rummages around within for a few moments before walking back, carrying a small bottle, "Mister Armbruster, you are having an obvious histamine reaction to your modified piece of tech there. Which is basically your body trying to tell you that you're doing something wrong."

She looks down at the young man, "...now, I can't really speak to the character of your AI assistant there, but leaving that aside, when dealing with any kind of method intended to control the mind of another, it is incredibly common for such things to have highly undesirable side effects that the users of such things tend to regard as features more than bugs...such as alterations to mood, thought patterns, erosion of willpower, suggestibility, et cetera."

The nurse rattles the bottle a little in his direction, "Now, given that Miss Miki here is quite obviously worried about said side effects, might it be worth considering that she may have a point?"

Bow has posed:
As Bow listens to the pair of them, he considers their words, glancing down at where Sayaka is holding his hand. "Counterpoint. It is Etherian tech, something I'm an expert in. I realize that the reaction I'm having may be one to the metal in the device. However, as Crystal Hope said, it may be more dangerous to remove it than to keep it on." he points out.

"Before I arrived here, I was not magical. I did not have any powers, or the like. If you remove the device, and Crystal Hope is right, we could end up unleashing all the magic within me at the moment. And I'd rather not find out how that will end up doing to me."

Accepting the bottle with a nod. "So while I appreciate both of your thoughts and warnings, I will reiterate that I know what it is, I know what I'm doing, and I am fine." A frown. "And I'm done talking about it. She's taking what Adora said about the technology and applying the worst case scenario. I feel like I'm being ignored, told I don't know what I'm talking about, and that my opinion and expertise doesn't matter. Is that what is being suggested here?"

Sayaka Miki has posed:
Sayaka regards Nurse Meiou with a thankful look when she sees her position being supported, only to frown when Bow takes her concerns as a personal attack. "Bow, you said you had reprogrammed it. And now I find chose to leave it in. I never said anything about your skills, just about the risks that come with someone getting into your mind and choosing how you think. Why is mind control necessary to using your magic?"

The bluenette squeezes his hand a little. "Had I chosen to ignore you, I wouldn't have taken your word for it that you had reprogrammed it. I instead listened to you, and I am only worried now that the situation is different, and your mind could be getting messed with." Sayaka sighs, not really being pleased about arguing with Bow, and actually faltering slightly due to him bringing his experience onto the table and the drastic consequences he outlined. An uncertain glance is given to Nurse Meiou, silently asking for her to chime in.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Nurse Meiou frowns at Bow, then sighs, "You're not WHOLLY wrong...but if you're not at least PLANNING for the worst, you're doing it wrong. ESPECIALLY when you're dealing with things that can have mental effects."

She hrms, tapping her lips, "...still, your points aren't without merit. Instead, let me ask you a VERY important question: What's your fail-safe? Assume this DOES have some kind of negative side effect that is either subtle or slow-acting. Given it's nature, there's no way for you to be the one to judge. You need to set up a fail-safe that someone you trust can enact to disable and remove this in short order."

She then gives the young man a VERY severe look, "And NO, we are NOT done talking about this.

She then softens her look and sighs, "...though you have a point about the magic. MY point is this: If you're having a reaction to the metal used, things like this only tend to get WORSE over time. So you are on a CLOCK, young man."

She points at Bow, "Now, you're likely correct that you're adept with tech from your world...which means that I advise, AS YOUR MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL: Redesign the thing. You apparently know it's inner workings, so build a new one that's NOT made from a repurposed piece of mind control gear which likely has all KINDS of potential hardware backdoors to use against you and is built from materials that are obviously causing a negative reaction. It will also allow you to ADD features more helpful to said intended purpose...like perhaps being able to either increase or reduce throughput if needed."

She hands over a bottle of water that she produces from...somewhere, "...you claim to have expertise. I advise you to use it and make something BETTER."

She then gestures towards Sayaka, "...if for no other reason than to reassure those who obviously care for you."

Bow has posed:
When Sayaka speaks up, Bow just... he just looks at her, and he's not sure what to say at this point. And then, Setsuna is speaking up at well, the pair of them piling on. Finally, he allows a momentary pause of thought. "Prom's not that far off. I can look into it after that." he says, as he applies some of the cream to his neck and then pockets the tube.

"I appreciate the concern. But I don't think either of you are listening to me. I removed the mind control element. The only thing the device does now is allow Crystal Hope to communicate with me, and to handle the flow of magic within me." There's a sigh of defeat.

"I'll look into it." he reiterates. "After prom." And with that, he's getting up off the stool, because in his mind, he is done talking about it as he looks to Sayaka. "If this means you changed your mind, I'm sorry." To Setsuna. "I'll see you at the dance." And with that, he is leaving, stubborn as he is.

Sayaka Miki has posed:
That was absolutely not Sayaka wanted to have Bow take her words. Alarm, confusion, and sadness settle in the heart of the bluenette as she hears him start questioning their relationship. "I never changed my mind, Bow", she says dejected, taking a look as he goes away. Is it how she said things, or is he really being influenced by Crystal Hope into taking things the worst way possible? Is she just hurting him?

"Thank you for your time, Meiou-sensei", Sayaka tells the Nurse, bowing to her and asking to be dismissed. If she does, Sayaka walks away, pondering what is Bow's doing and what is Crystal Hope's, and now also worrying what his last sentence to her means for them.

Fishing her phone out of her bag, a text is sent.
<PHONE> Sayaka Miki texts Bow: I will be going to the Prom. Waiting for you there.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Nurse Meiou sighs, then shakes her head, "As always, I'm here if you need me."

She pauses, "I don't know what I'll be able to do, but I'll give this some thought."

Bow has posed:
Bow leaves, not another word spoken, his frustration on apparent display as he walks out. As he gets the text message from Sayaka, he glances at his phone for a moment, and sends back a simple measure.

<PHONE> Bow texts Sayaka Miki: I'll be there.

And with that, he puts his phone away to take a long walk to figure things out.