Scene #2691:

Owner	Pose
Medusa Gorgon	Like she does most of the times when she's here, Medusa is giving the other patrons of the Bar and Grill an easier time by actually using Soul Protect. It's a habit for most witches when they are in public after all, and even after she joined the Confederacy the seemingly gentle nurse finds it hard to not use the spell that she's been depending on to remain undercover for so long. REven so, most people can probably tell that she's not your regular kind of woman where she sits in her booth, sipping her tea as she works on some paperwork. Which is written in witch writing. Few people understand it, and it's not like she needs to worry wether whatever she's working on gets compromised. Her left hand idly readjusts her braid as she peers down at the paper in front of her, and she narrows her eyes.
Franken Stein	"Uh... No, that's really okay." says a burly minotaur-looking man, looking incredibly uncomfortable as a man with silver-gray hair and wearing a labcoat and glasses stands nearby. "Are you sure? There's so much scientific progress that could be made," Franken Stein says. The minotaur turns his head to the side and says, "Yes, quite sure. I'm just here to drink." "But who knows when the next time will be that I encounter a minotaur? This is an opportunity too good to pass up." "Uh... I really..." Stein attempts to put an arm around the broad shoulders of the minotaur, who starts sweating and looking unhappy as the doctor leans in with his eyes blanked out by reflected light. "Listen, I don't think you understand. There's only so many minotaurs I get to dissect. You're denying me an important chance to research a new species with your selfishness. Why can't you think of others for a change?" The minotaur leans as far away as possible and protests, "I don't want to get dissected!" Stein heaves a sigh as he turns his head just enough for one eye to become visible. "Are you really serious? You've given it all due thought? I can put you back together afterwards. Probably." "I've given it all the thought it deserves! Now get lost!" the minotaur bellows. A bartender pops up behind a counter to say, "Sir, please stop harrassing the other customers!" A little while later, there's Stein, drinking alone in a booth in the smoking section, puffing out skull-shaped clouds, and examining the half-a-horn and some hair he finally managed to convince Mr. Minotaur Crete to give up in exchange for getting lost. Not as interesting as getting to study him fully, but still something. Maybe he'll understand how to negotiate more successfully with minotaurs in the future if he gives these a thorough inspection. Coincidentally, Stein and Medusa happen to be sitting in booths right next to each other. It takes Stein a few moments, but then he looks up from his samples, turns with his arm on the back of his seat, and looks behind him, right at Medusa. There's a long delay with no reaction as he just stares blankly. Stein.exe is processing.
Medusa Gorgon	The Bar and Grill is a big place. Perhaps that is the reason why Stein goes unnoticed by the serpentine witch at first. But as Medusa is deep in thought, writing on her paper... she catches the whiff of a familiar scent. Smoke and formaldehyde, mixed together... the scent of metal, different types of iron. Raising her head, the nurse catches the sight of a familar face. A face that by all signs have spotted her as well, and recognized her. Unlike him however, there is no blank look on the woman's face. Instead she blinks twice... and then an all too familiar smile spreads across her lips. Sure, some people might confuse it for warm and loving, but Stein... Stein ought to know better, considering he knows the woman well enough. Without word the witch rises to her feet, picking up her tea up and her paperwork... and she walks over to Stein's booth, peering down at him with amusement. "Professor Stein... it's been /too long/," she almost chides him. And moves to sit down next to him unless he stops her.
Franken Stein	This is a neutral zone. And the professor has done his research. There may be multiple different versions of the same person in the Multiverse. Though his research has also indicated at least one version of Medusa is well-known to be active. So while there's a very high probability this is the Medusa he knows (and even if she's not, there's also a very high probability that she's a witch masquerading as a school physician), he can't be completely positive without further analysis. And he also can't cause trouble here. Even if he was willing to cause trouble with Mr. Crete. So when Medusa gets up and tries to sit in his booth, the doctor sliiiides over to provide room, and drinks his coffee. The kind that Joe Buttataki would have found intolerable. "Ah, Medusa Gorgon. You seem to be doing well." he answers calmly enough, keeping himself relaxed as much as possible. "Though I've been hearing about you for a while now." He keeps right on smoking for a little while longer as the Witch settles herself down next to him, before putting out the cigarette in the ashtray. Then he turns towards Medusa, all smiles, his glasses opaque once more and says, "Unless there's another of you running around, that is. It's a big Multiverse. You never know who might be an ally..." Then, without changing his expression or tone, or giving any other outwards expression of anything wrong, he adds on in a way that is both cheerful and cautiously probing, "...or an enemy."
Medusa Gorgon	A smile is what he gets in return for sliding over, and Medusa slips in next to him, watching him with a mix of amusement and scientific curiousity. "Oh, I am doing well. I was dead for half a year recently. And that was /after/ the time when you killed me, Professor Stein..." she adds slyly. So that is the last time this version of Medusa remembers him. "So you've heard of me, hmmm? I have been in the multiverse for two years now after I helped release the Kishin," she reveals. When he gets that unsettling look about him that maybe might drive some people away, she merely chuckles and lifts up her tea cup. "So far I haven't run into more versions of me... nor more versions of Shibusen. Kilik is a member of the Confederacy too, you know~?" she points out. Though she cants her head and watches him. "We could be on the same side, you know. I did tell you before. The two of us are alike. And you know it," she adds with an amused chuckle.
Franken Stein	Assuming that Medusa is telling the truth, anyway. It's a dangerous game to play with witches. "Oh-hoh? So the rumors of your death weren't exagerrated?" he inquires with actual interest. He has brought someone back from the dead before, but they didn't look nearly so alive. But then most zombies don't. He doesn't seem fazed by Medusa's mention of him killing her. The news about Kilik is the only bit that surprises him, honestly. He must have missed that in reports. "The Confederacy, huh?" Stein titls his head back to look up towards the ceiling thoughtfully. "They do seem to be more lax about their research restrictions..." He slips his arm off of the back of his seat and grabs hold of the bolt going through his head, twisting it a few times, ratchetting it around, clanking and creaking. His head feels a little bit foggy. But maybe that's just Madness. The idea of siding with the Confederacy has its appeal. But he could just as easily do his research without aligning with either side, if he avoided drawing too much attention. Spirit didn't notice for decades, and he was a test subject. But then again, that was Spirit, so maybe not the best example. "Hmm... It's no good." he mutters. Then seems to realize he's speaking without meaning to, because he turns back to Medusa and squints his eyes kindly as he waves off his own words. "Ah, never mind. Only one version of Shibusen might be a good thing." He doesn't explain why, though it might have something to do with a lack of additional Kishin to be awakened. Then his smile slips away a bit as he takes on a more serious expression. "I won't deny we're alike. But what do I have to gain from joining your side?" He leans in a bit closer and asks, "We both have our scientific curiosity. How do you know one of us won't become the other's experiment?" He picks up the minotaur horn fragment without taking his eyes off of Medusa, and holds it up. "I've already cut you up once, after all. And I doubt either of us has changed so much since then that we'd do something like trust each other."
Medusa Gorgon	"Yes, they do allow most things that the Union would frown upon. Which is why I joined them, and why I'm a nurse with them. Why, they didn't know I was a witch at first~" she chuckles lightly, her fingers wrapping around her tea cup. It appears he's drifting off into thought... ah yes, there he goes turning that bolt in his head. Just what other things are going through his head? He's rather interesting in that regard... But she remains quiet, letting him think. And when he returns his focus back to her, she's smiling that sweetly smile of hers which was mostly saved for the students when they came to see their school nurse. "Perhaps~" she agrees. The smile remains even as he turns more serious and continues down the path she stepped on with her comment. "I do think we both can agree that one of us would try to experiment on the other within too long. As a matter of fact, I think we can conclude that it would be a given that sooner or later we would both be the other's guinea pig... which is part of the fun, wouldn't you think?" Aaah, yes. He did cut her up. Rather well too, if she might add. Her torso split in two, as well as her arms cut off above the elbow. A near nostalgic sigh leaves the witch, and she closes her eyes, not minding that Stein has leaned in closer. As a matter of fact... Medusa seeks to lean in even closer, peering up at him with those golden eyes of hers. Eyes like that of a snake. "I'm too old to change much, and you... you don't want to change, do you~?"
Franken Stein	Stein's eyes widen slightly for a moment and he takes in a small breath as he looks back into Medusa's own reptilian eyes. Those eyes of a witch, full of murder and wicked intent. It's not her appearance that makes him relax his calm demeanor for a moment though. It's her words. He turns away and lets out the breath through his nose as he seals his mouth shut in a lazy frown and looks off to the side. No, he certainly doesn't want to change. He's already had to change a great deal to fit into others' expectations. Authority determines right and wrong, and when the one in authority is Death, there is little one can do to oppose him. Though others can and have, as Medusa herself has demonstrated. And the Kishin... But that's the other thing. The Kishin. Madness and what it does to him. Losing himself to it frightens him more than anything. From past experiences, he has little doubt that Medusa would seek a way to bring that out in him. She has already done so in the past, after all. "I'll pass for now. Even if I don't want to change, circumstances might." Despite the concern about Madness, the dark appeal in what Medusa is saying nags at him. Yes, they likely would wind up experimenting on each other. The fear and doubt associated with knowing his own true nature, and what it might cost him to be true to himself, are things he has had time to grapple with. They don't prey upon him quite as much as they once did, but the fact remains he could just as easily wind up on her side eventually, with the right impetus. And she could just as easily wind up killing him in the future. "So? Was dying any easier the second time?" he asks casually, reaching for his coffee and then pausing to examine it more closely to see if there's any mysterious serpents swimming around in it or anything. He's never died himself, so it's a point of curiousity. But he's not in a rush to experience it either.
Medusa Gorgon	The witch smiles wryly at his reaction to her comment. And his response? She does let out another chuckle, and then she raises her tea cup to her lips before she takes a sip. "Circumstances might change so that you will join us in the Confederacy... I admit, I would like that~" She didn't bother hiding her crush on him when they fought, after all. And she does seem to enjoy sitting next to him, looking oddly relaxed. The question does make her arch an eyebrow, and she... giggles? Well, either way she does look amused. "Oh, this last time was rather tough, I remained dead for half a year. It hurt quite a lot, and several people were needed to bring me back. Except they didn't know it was me..." Another sigh leaves her, and she laces her fingers together before she peers up at him. His inspection of his coffee should reveal that there does not appear to be anything put in it that shouldn't be there.