synopsychic | (no subject)

There are probably people I don't know around now, because I just got back from a dungeon before the last jaunt so! Well met everyone. I'm Pod, and I'm a Beast Healer, or what some of you would call a veterinarian. If anyone's companions get hurt or sick, I should be able to take care of them. Oh! And you'll be hearing a bit from my brother-in-fur Kiga on the network from time to time too.

[There is indeed a psychic grumble that definitely isn't Pod. Kiga isn't bothering with the effort of actual words, but manages to sound long-suffering and fond anyway.]

Anyway, I was Saya again last jaunt, and it reminded me that I wanted to learn more about healing people before I left last time. Tachibana isn't here anymore...

[Her voice goes sad and she trails off for a moment.]

Anyway, if you know about healing, I'd love to learn from you! Or science; I know that science is very important to the healing in a lot of worlds. In return, I can teach all about herblore, cleaning and binding wounds and the like, which is very useful in worlds like the last one, if we don't want to stand out.

The last thing I wanted to talk about was maybe starting a garden, to grow herbs and things. I know that it's easy to just create plants, but I also know that I (and many others) infiltrate a lot, so if it's something that only somebody who was infiltrating knew how to make, we'd be in quite a bind. There's preserved herbs too, of course, but fresh are almost always more potent. Does anyone want to help me with a garden?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I'd like to start with things that will help me be a better healer first, but I'm curious about everything!

[She laughs.]

I think the maths I know are a little bit behind most people. Sums and measurements, mostly. So we'll have to start at the beginning, if you don't mind.

We'll start in on the biology, then--I'll get some slides prepared so you can see the sorts of things that actually cause disease.

And don't worry about starting small! If nothing else, I can make you some flash cards for the basics.

That would be wonderful! I can't wait to see what they actually look like.

[There's a bit of pride in Pod's voice.]

I can do even pretty big sums in my head, and I've got a good eye for measurements for salves and wound-wash and things. I expect I should be able to learn quick enough, as long as you explain it in a way I can make sense of.

They're quite surprising! There's a whole new world out there, only you need a microscope to see it.

Really, there's only one thing to do with that now--when you come by, I'll give you a little bit of a test just to see where you are with things, and then we'll be able to go from there. And don't worry about my explanations--I'm very good at this.

I'll do my best! When should I come by?

Oh, any time should work. I've a few projects I'm working on, but I can show you the microscopes and get you started with a bit of independent study.

I'll come over right away then!

[She does indeed find her way to Sento's space very shortly after. Pod is very excited to learn. The very large wolverine at her side is mostly looking for a place to take a nap.]

Ah, come in, come in! Come on, I just got it set up with some prepared specimens.

[He's already got the microscopes set up, and the only place to sleep, aside from the floor, appears to be Sento's bed over in one area of the lab.]

[Really, Pod is used to very similar set-ups, so it doesn't phase her. She's very excited to get started and her steps have more than a little bounce as she heads towards the microscopes.]

What are the specimens? I should probably know a little about what I'm looking at!

Well, for starters, this one here, it's a cross-section of a piece of grass--you should be able to see the individual cells and how they work together in a multi-cellular organism.

[Grinning, Pod steps up to take a look. And liminal manips herself a stool. Why are so many Travelers so tall? She's not that tiny at home. (okay she's a little on the short side, but!]

Let's see it-- Oh, they look almost like a rock wall. Well, a little rounder than rocks tend to be but...

[She trails off, staring into the microscope in fascination.]

And when the plant's alive, some of those parts actually move, if you can believe it.

Would you like to see some animal cells in comparison?

Oh, I can! How else would sap flow? And yes please!

[Pod hops down so he can get to the microscope.]

"Alright, then, here." He swaps out the slides on the microscope. "Animal cells get a little more complex; keep in mind that, say, a blood cell would look different from these."

"Easy enough to figure out, even if we can't see things so small. Bone and sinew and muscle are all very different from each other. What cells are these?"

Pod is quick to take a peak, making an interested noise. "It is very different, though. I think I see different parts that put it together."

"Mine, actually." Sento laughs. "I took a small scraping of tissue from the inside of my cheek."

Pod looks at turns delighted, and just slightly worried. "It didn't hurt, I hope? Oh, I wonder what other cells would look like since they're different."

Pod doesn't want to bleed or cause pain for the experiment, but she runs her fingers through her hair and a couple strands come out, which isn't unusual at all. "Is hair interesting? It should be made of cells too, right?"

"Not really, no, just a small scratch." He grins. "The surface alone of the hair should surprise you, and it looks a bit different at the root and on the shaft, too. Here, I'll show you how to prepare a slide, too." And he takes the hair, fixes up the slide, and shows her how to get the microscope all set up to view it.