Scene #4169: Not So 'Armless Anymore

Owner	Pose
Yari Takane	Yari's finally out of the ICU portion of Medical, and seems ready for today's proceedings! She's in the slightly higher-tech portion of the facility, dressed in something that looks like a cross between a medical gown and a kimono. In complete defiance of where she is, she's smoking away on her black and red pipe, eyes noticably red. There's still tears on her cheeks that she's desperately using a handkerchief to wipe away. Yet, she seems more overjoyed despite all that's befallen her. Clearly the outpouring of support (and violence, and weird ideas!) has gone to the ensign's heart. If she had any doubts before of her place in the Confederacy, they've been quelled, Ophelia or no. Around the observation table are several helpful robo-assistants, and the basic prostheses ordered for the young operative. They're not combat models, though. And given Yari's history, it's unlikely they'll last long. That's why Yari's called on Taro: she wants a combat model, /and/ she trusts the man to install the stopgap measures with all due skill. For the moment, she waits on his arrival.
Taro	On his way over to her room, Taro calls up and peruses Yari's medical chart while he walks. The most recent logs receive the most attention of course, but he gives the rest a once-over as well to check for any recorded issues with her prostheses, any other medical issues that could complicate surgery or potentially cause long-term issues... ...and the whiff of tobacco in the air tells him a thing or two about his patient as well. He raps on the door twice before letting himself in. While he is not the only cleric on medical staff, but he is one of the few that normally works in the cybernetics/robotics wing. As such, he has a white medical coat buttoned over his cassock, with the symbol of the Church of SHODAN on his nametag. His hair has been pulled back into a short stub of a ponytail, with the rest contained by a surgical cap. He has a datapad tucked under his arm, which remains there for the moment as he glances around the room. Robotic assistance and prostheses have already arrived, which receive a nod of satisfaction, and his patient is smoking in bed...which receives a furrowed brow. "Good evening, Yari. You do realize this is a non-smoking area."
Yari Takane	The ninja's head tilts and slumps. For a moment, she looks her age almost: barely past her teenage years, and just as foolhardy. "...Sorry, it's been a long week. I couldn't help myself." At least she respects Taro enough to put it out. She's a respectful ninja, after all! The medical records are perhaps typical for an Elite out in the field: multiple recorded life-threatening wounds, but mostly recovered thanks to a copious abuse of Confederate super-magi-science. The nicotine addiction is at least kept to more or less safe levels given what's available, and alcohol kept to 'barely avoiding functioning alcoholic'. In short, the typical escapes of a woman with an actual heart in the Confederacy, hiding all of the emotional scarrs it brings. For now, though, the immediate problems are obvious: the lack of arms, one stump very, very freshly healed, and the left eye. She's not wearing an eyepatch right now: from the looks of things, she took some kind of bludgeoning or concussive blow, pulping the entire thing. Nerves, too, mangled. "Good evening, Mister Taro. Thank you for coming on short notice, I know you're a busy man." Her tail flits up, and offers as much of a salute as she can. The smile is warm, and inviting, if heavily forced. Her charts also indicate potential mental issues stemming from past wounds in battle before joining the Confederacy, made worse by her recent attack. "I know it's difficult, but I do have a few requests for a combat model arm, if you'd hear them out." Here, she bows. It's only proper, after all.
Taro	The potential mental issues not unexpected, but they are flagged for a closer look later. Her current battered state aside, she is a relatively stable and functional member of their Elites. He would prefer to keep her that way. Taro waits for her to snuff out her pipe, then pulls up a rolling chair to her bedside, resting the datapad in his lap. "You may dispense with the military decorum," he tells her gently if firmly. "Your wounds are a sufficient excuse." He pauses and glances away from her to tap the datapad's surface, which briefly flashes the symbol of Confederate Medical before displaying a rather cluttered screen. "If you already have ideas for what you'd like, I'm willing to hear them out."
Yari Takane	Yari's back straightens at the gentle excuse, and barely manages to not salute. "Y..yes...Mister Taro." Old habits die hard, it seems! She briefly glances at the screen, but likely can't make out much. She's no medic, after all! Slowly, though, Yari smiles. "Well, I'd rather not involve any rocket launchers or extra arms, as amusing as our colleagues' suggestions are." There's a long, long laugh. Way too long. Stress-relieving laughter. It ends in a few hisses and coughs. "More to the point! It's not always possible to hide firearms or weapons during a mission. Hidden blades, and perhaps a small firearm built into a compartment. Also...an injection needle on the pinky finger, if possible. My opponents have been getting used to my usual methods of poisoning them. A surprise would work nicely." Then, a shrug. "Otherwise, a boost to strength in the arm would be useful." Chin-tap. "That's all I'd need. More than anything, it need to look natural, or at least hold up to scrutiny." She /did/' helpfully upload a few pictures of herself with her arm before they were lopped off to Medical a few hours ago. "Though I'm not against suggestions."
Taro	Taro lets Yari speak - and laugh - at length, without interruption. As usual, his face remains rather unexpressive, but his eyes flick between her and the datapad as she shares her ideas. He brought his own catalogue with him, and so while she talks he narrows the field. "Mm. I have throwing knives secreted in my own arm," he notes. "I've found that to be quite useful. While it's possible to build an internal firearm, I will warn you that it will require extra maintenance and be more difficult to keep its natural appearance." He taps the screen a few more times, then tilts it so that she can better see the image of a wire-frame arm. "It will have to be bespoke, of course, but that would be why you asked for my services."
Yari Takane	Finally back to her senses, she slowly nods. "I needed an expert, after all. Don't worry, anything over the usual Medical budget I'll handle personally. I don't want to be caught like that again. All of this time, I've been afraid. Of turning to people in the Confederacy that aren't like me so I could reach my full potential. But that's already gotten people I love hurt. No longer." She admits, shaking her head. A deep sigh, and a nod. "Next time, Sanary and I will be more than strong enough to fight off those three if they come for any of us. Next time, they'll be the ones facing our anger!" Adds Yari, some of her Imperial fire coming back into her voice. She takes a moment, and she settles down. Cough. "...That aside, I'd like to see your work." She nods to the arms on the table nearby. "Not that I don't believe you, but Mother always said to ask a craftsman to demonstrate rather than tell. Something like...'It is respectful to yourself, and their work'."
Taro	Taro hints a faint smile at Yari's words - more around the eyes than the lips, really - as he sets the 'pad back in his lap to tap away at it again. "'No man is an island' is the phrase, I believe. While it's good to be self-reliant, one cannot be a master of everything, nor can one accomplish everything by oneself." The image expands and focuses on the fingers, and he tap-jots a note to include a liquid resivoir and tube connected to the nail. "I could also include sharpened polyceramic nails. While they won't cut as deeply as a proper knife, they could still be an advantage in your profession." A pause and a glance back at his patient, then to the awaiting prosthetics. "Am I replacing one arm only, or will we disappoint Nurse Medusa by replacing them both?" While she answers, he begins rolling up the sleeves on his left arm. "Your mother is wise," he agrees. "The closest example of my work I have at hand is my current shell. It's my own design, recently rebuilt courtesy of my last encounter with the Fleet..."
Yari Takane	There's a shake of her head, and her tail droops just a bit. "A lesson I've learned very harshly as of late." The ninja then perks, giving an 'nnn!' of asset. "That would be useful, and more natural. Alright!" "Just one for now. I don't want Miss Medusa's work to go to waste. ...And she rarely comes back with anything 'normal'." A small frown. "Maybe I shouldn't have asked her to surprise me. Ah, well. I trust Sanary's tutor." More the fool, Yari. Then, she's leaning in. "May I?" She pauses, and only if he agrees does she start tail-rubbing all along the arm curiously. "So that sound /was/ you? I'm glad your survived. My memories are a bit...hazey of that night. Exalted and concussions go hand and hand I've found." Frown! A glance back to Taro's eyes. "That said, when I /do/ recover enough to fight the Fleet again, do you have any requests?"
Taro	Taro makes a non-committal sound in response to Yari's assessment of Medusa. He and the good nurse do not always see eye to eye on some matters, though he does usually defer to her judgment on biological matters. "A moment," he says once he's folded and pushed his sleeves up just past his elbow. He slips a flap of skin near the inside of his wrist back to reveal an access port of some kind, the motion showing both practice and no pain. Then he extands his arm to her. "Now you may." The synthskin itself feels cool but very close to natural human skin, supple enough to give under pressure and to flex with the artificial muscles beneath, but lacks any hair or irregularities like freckles or moles. "It was. By the grace of the CyberGoddess, a swift rescue, and excellent medical care, I lived." A pause at her offer, and then a deeper frown that's not directed at her. "If you can find out which of them, if any, have started practicing spellcraft, I would be much appreciative."
Yari Takane	That tail crawls all along that arm, rather gently. She makes sure not to poke that access port too much, no matter how much Taro might /not/ flinch. Really, Yari shows almost child-like fascination with the technology. "...I'm glad we're allies. My empire would kill for technology like this." Sigh. "Though the infrastructure would make it useless." Sigh. A rub of the back of her head with said tail. Tail gone, and she nods. "It seems like we've both been lucky." A pause, and another smile, and she takes that hand into a firm tail-shake. It might feel a little weird, but Yari's improvising here. "Let's make a pact. 'Give as good as we get'. Or something dramatic. Sanary would be better at this. Or maybe I should have asked Miss Nero for a script." Pause. Shudder. "Maybe not." Her eye goes wide, however. "The Fleet Daughters...are learning magery?" That comes as a surprise to the ninja. She frowns. "They're already strong enough as it stands. What kind of spell craft? Do you know? If it's a discipline, I can at least consult a few experts before I formulate some sort of test."
Taro	Taro allows her to inspect to her heart's content, observing her reaction to it all. No revulsion, much curiosity and fascination. Positive signs from someone expressing an interest in augmentation. "There are times I find the wastelands around Neo Arcadia as much a blessing as it is a bane. It does make mounting a full-scale invasion more difficult." A task in which he himself succeeded, but that's neither here nor there. "Though carting off the technology and truly understanding how any of it works are two separate things." Then, his hand is taken up in an improvised hand-tailshake, and he smirks ever so faintly. "I have already taken my share of oaths and pacts to CyberGoddess and Master," he notes with mild humor. "Still, I agree with your sentiment. As we take so shall we give." The humor then slips away, his more usual dour expression returning with the subject of magic. "I honestly know little of magic, aside from seeing its effects. The weapon used against me I believe used raw magical energy in combination with a more mundane explosive. Upon reflection," he muses, "perhaps the one firing them had no knowledge of spellcraft at all. Still, whoever designed the munition must know how to use magic and shown them how to store and fire them. That they knew to use it against me is no great surprise, given their affiliations. Perhaps the Union supplied them?"
Yari Takane	One eye closes. "...Explosions and magic energy, nnn? That sounds frighteningly like a magitek cannon. The Union must be supplying them then. I'll keep my eyes open, and bring back any samples that I can." Then, the ninja finally lays back on the examination table. "But back to point, I'm more than satisfied. Your reputation isn't unwarranted at all. I put myself in your hands to help me to the path of being whole again. It's strange to think it's taken all of this to do that."
Taro	"Thank you." Simple words, but spoken with sincerity. "Magical energy is something my systems cannot process, and the overload is both painful and destructive." He withdraws his arm as she lies back, slipping the skin flap back into place but otherwise leaving it bare. "Your trust is appreciated. All the same, you're more than welcome to visit my lab to see the construction for yourself. 'Trust but verify' is something I believe in as well." He taps the datapad screen a few times more, and then sets it aside on the bedside table. "I'll also leave this for you - there are some videos and e-pamphlets you may wish to look at later. Once you've finished recuperating, we can discuss surgery in more detail, if you like." Then, he stands up again in one smooth motion. "But for now, if you're ready, I'll fit you with your prosthetics."
Yari Takane	"I'll be certain to remind Sanary if we three work together." A tilt of her head. "Trust but verify. I'll keep that in mind." Indeed, there's no small amount of curiousity laced on top. Seeing Taro at work would be interesting! A nod to the e-files, and the ninja crosses her legs. "I'll read through them, then. I have therapy in three hours, that should be perfect. Alright. I'm all yours, Mister Taro." The ninja shrugs off the gown to the waist, letting Taro get to work. Thankfully she's still decent thanks to a chest wrap. Mostly out of respect for Taro rather than any shame on her part. She's a fit young woman, and takes pride in staying in shape when she's not being stabbed, blown up, or otherwise mutilated.
Taro	Taro is a professional and generally a gentleman, and so while her state of fitnesses is noticed, the rest is noted in a more clinical manner. So long as Yari isn't bleeding or showing signs of infection, he isn't going to be terribly concerned about anything outside of her shoulder joint. He crosses over to the other side of the bed to collect what should be the temporary replacement from the asisst-drones. "Augmenting you with a proper cybernetic is going to be more invasive than this," he warns idly. "But normally after the implants have been installed, replacing the limb itself is merely a small hassle." He reaches out to run his fingers across the long-healed wound where her arm was lost. "How much feeling do you still have here?"
Yari Takane	The shoulder is still warm, and from the goosebumps, very much still working. "I see. It feels...'normal', for lack of a better term. I'm guessing that some the nerves survived the...incident." There's a wince, before she forces away the remind. "But do what you have to. I can handle a little bit of pain when the time comes." She adds, putting on a brave face. Then she simply lets Taro go to work, curiousity getting the better of her. "But that's good to hear. I tend to be...rough on equipment." Frown.
Taro	"Mm. Good. the more nerves you have intact and functioning, the better sensation and control you'll have." Taro has a deft hand, and while he cannot keep the acts of slipping the support harness over the shoulder and the arm socket into place from being uncomfortable, he does his best to avoid any skin pinchings or other painful pressure points. "Steady...there." He fiddles then with the necessary adjustments, asking "Is this too loose? Too tight?" until it's properly in place and comfortable. "Number Nine is also one of my patients." It's common knowledge, so saying so is not a breach of doctor-patient confidentiality. "If you can be rougher than he is on his augments, I will be amazed."
Yari Takane	Yari helpfully moves as she's bidden to help get it on, and then things get tightened! She only winces once or twice before finally, it's on and in place. She looks it over, and finally, stands up. Streeetch! She moves the arm a bit, the fingers, and finally, picks up a glass of water. Glug glug glug glug! Finally, a hard strike at the air with an open palm! "Not ideal, but it's to be expected. It will suit me until your work is done. Mister Taro? Thank you." Cue a deep, deep bow. "I've...heard stories. No. No I suppose I won't be." Grin. "That should be all for now, Sir. Before you go, come with me. Some tea is the least I can do for your help today. A good test run for this, too." Then, she opens the door, pausing to revel in the act she'd been starting to miss.