Two figures exchanged blows in a white room. Swiping, punching, even stabbing, clawed hands rent flesh and bone only for wounds to heal within a minute. Lunark and M21 had been at this for hours, and soon they should probably find a stopping point. One could not spar forever.
At that moment, Frankenstein entered the room, holding a try with a jug of lemonade and two glasses. He was curious to see how the training was going, so thought this would be as good an excuse as any. "How's the training going?" he smiled pleasantly.
Lunark took deep breaths, while M21 wheezed on the floor. "Well, I think he's making progress. Taking the hits better than he was." So, becoming more werewolf like. Which was good.
Frankenstein turned his gaze from Lunark, to M-21. "I'm pleased to hear that." He smiled, turning back to Lunark saying, "I've brought some refreshments, I thought you might want to take a break." He held out the tray.
She smiled. "That sounds great." Losing the amount of blood they both had... lemonade was actually a really good choice. She helped M21 to his feet, and they both took a glass.
Frankenstein waited for the two of them to finish their drinks, before turning to M-21, "Don't forget to come for your check up, once you've finished training." M-21 nodded in agreement, as Frankenstein turned to leave. Before leaving, he turned back, looked at Lunark, as he smiled, "I can perform a check-up for you as well if you'd like?"
Lunark hummed. "I don't need one, but if you're asking so that you can gain data on werewolves, I don't mind." It wouldn't be the first time, after all. And would likely be more benign than letting Lagus cut off one of her limbs.
Frankenstein smiled, he'd always wanted to find an opportunity to gather more data on werewolves and now he'd have his chance. "Yes, thank you. I'll make preparations for you as well."
It didn't take much longer for M21 to reach his true limits for the day. The two went to one of the upper levels of the underground complex. Where Frankenstein's lab was.
The doors to Frankenstein's lab opened and in walked Lunark, followed by M-21. Frankenstein was wearing his white lab coat and glasses, looking through data on the tablet he was holding. He glanced up at his guests, "Welcome, I've been waiting for you. The preparations are complete. I'll start with M-21's check-up, then I can do one for you as well." He said smiling.
Lunark nodded. Checking M21's condition was more important, since as a chimera he was assumedly less stable, even with his werewolf cells keeping his regeneration high enough to keep him healthy. "That's fine."
"Very well, let's begin. M-21 please remove your shirt and lie down on the bed. I'll run a scan to check your condition." Frankenstein walked over to his computer, while M-21 followed Frankenstein's instructions. "If you feel uncomfortable, let me know and I'll stop the scan immediately." M-21 nodded as Frankenstein ran the scan. The machines hummed and whirred as two lasers passed over M-21. "There we go, all done. Get dressed, while I analyse the results." Frankenstein tapped away on his tablet for a couple of seconds before turning to Lunark. "Are you ready?" he smiled.
Lunark nodded. "Of course." Maybe Frankenstein would be done analysing M-21's results by the time he was finished with her. And then her suspicions on whether his chimera status was fading or not could be confirmed. As it was... he truly seemed to be becoming more wolf-like over time.
"Good. Please lie back on the table, like M-21 did a few moments ago." Frankenstein put his tablet down and approached his computer again to initiate the second scan. "If you feel uncomfortable at any point, let me know and I'll stop the scan." He stated kindly, as he began the scan.
It was a bit confining, and the coolness of the machine and hum of electrical power around her was different than how she was normally confined. Well. Good thing she wasn't claustrophobic then.
"There we go, you're all done." Frankenstein said with a smile. His tablet made a beeping noise. "Ah, that's be your results M-21." Frankenstein looked at the tablet and read through the results carefully. "Incredible, your stability has improved greatly, and your recovery is on par with most werewolves I've examined."
So, he was improving more on those grounds. That was good. "Becoming more werewolf-like every day, huh?" She flashed M-21 a toothy grin, but he didn't look comfortable. Well, not much that could be done about that, she supposed. He'd either come to terms with slowly becoming a werewolf, or cling to what was left of his humanity without realizing that werewolves were still people. Though she knew which would be healthier for him.
Frankenstein looked at M-21 briefly, before his tablet made another beeping noise. "Your results are also in." Frankenstein looked through the results before widening his grin. "It's just as I expected. You're perfectly healthy, and in peak fighting condition."
She chuckled. "Of course I am." She'd know if she wasn't. She was in tune with her body enough to know whether or not she was fighting fit or not. Ah, but... she did realise there was something health related she'd need if she was to stay here. But then, she could probably just return to the werewolf lands to restock if needed.
Frankenstein's face changed, "If you decide you'd like a real challenge, I'm happy to fight you anytime," he said, in a pleasant tone of voice.
Oh. Another fanged grin split her face. "From you? I'll take a challenge anytime." Her words were purred, just like how they'd been their first fight. She much looked forward to it, after all.
Hearing her reply, Frankenstein wanted to fight her there and then, however, it'd have to wait, it was almost tea time and he had to prepare ramen for his Master. "As much as I'd love to fight you now, I have to make preparations for dinner. Please clean the lab before you leave." Frankenstein smiled before turning around to leave.
Ah. She looked to M-21. She didn't know the cleaning procedures here, so she'd have to rely on his expertise on the matter. After a while, the two had gotten things cleaned, and headed upstairs.
Frankenstein had set the table and cooked the ramen, along with several side dishes. "Ah, please sit anywhere you'd like." He smiled, as he began to serve the meal.
She took a chair that was as close to Frankenstein as possible. "So. Ramen?" It was good, and she'd had it before when in the Eastern Asian countries for business, but it wasn't her favourite dish in the world.
"Yes, it's Master's favourite food." He smiled, glancing at Lunark, who was seated next to him. "I've also cooked some side dishes, please help yourself. There's mandu, kimchi, danmuji, namul and fried rice."
Help herself. But she didn't know what the proper method for doing so was here. "Sounds good. I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the eating etiquette here though. Can you give me a run down?"
"Oh, well in that case allow me." Frankenstein took the side plate from beside Lunark, "This is a side plate, all the side dishes are in the centre of the table. They all have their own serving utensils, so you take whatever food looks appealing to you and put some on your side plate, using the utensils provided." He explained as he moved through the side dishes, placing small amounts of each, onto the small plate, until it was full of food, he then placed the dish next to Lunark. "First, you'll want to try the soup, then the rice. You should use a spoon for both dishes. For all other foods, you should use chopsticks, or a fork. Try not to have the chopsticks or cutlery, hit the side of the bowl while eating and don't make chewing noises. Those are the basics, I guess." He said smiling.
Ah. She could do that. "Thank you." She gave a smile before starting to eat. Was Raizel just... not eating? "You okay, Raizel?"
Ah, Frankenstein looked over to Rai, and sure enough, he was waiting for it to grow. "My Master, prefers to wait for the ramen to grow, by which I mean, he allows the noodles to soak up the broth, until they become a soggy, inedible mess." Frankenstein turned back to Lunark, "I don't recommend waiting for the noodles to become soggy, they don't taste as nice." Rai didn't pay any attention to what Frankenstein was saying, rather he chose to wait for the noodles to grow, to the size and volume he preferred.
Ah. She supposed that made sense. "Well, I suppose I should go ahead and get started on it then. I've always preferred noodles al dente." Just like most people did. Not that she thought letting it soak was a bad choice. Gave the noodles flavour.
Frankenstein made a mental note of that, varying the cooking time for the noodles, might improve his experiments. He wondered if Lunark might like to join his experiment, he'd ask her later, when he had a moment. "Enjoy your meal, please let me know if there's anything you would like." Frankenstein smiled, before looking down at the pristine bowl of ramen before him and began eating.
Lunark made small talk with the other people at the table, much enjoying her meal, though she wasn't fond of mandu, even if it was what she ate the most of. But it seemed to be the only side dish with meat in it, and she did need to account for her higher protein needs as a werewolf.
After everyone had finished their meal, Frankenstein began clearing the table. He noticed that Lunark didn't eat many of the side dishes, apart from the mandu. He wondered why, until the realisation hit him... it has meat in it. He then remembered that werewolves required high levels of protein to keep them strong and healthy. Mortified at forgetting something so simple, he apologised, "Sorry, I must apologise for not making many meat dishes. It's been so long since, I've had a werewolf to cater for, that I simply forgot. If you would like me to make something else for you, then let me know, it won't be any trouble." He said sincerely.
Ah. She blushed. "Well, I didn't imagine you had much experience with werewolves at all. I just kind of assumed you didn't know altogether. But making something just for me is a bit..." He said it was no trouble, but he'd still be going out of his way to do so. "I have some jerky from my last hunt still. I usually just eat that." It worked as a meat supplement well enough. "I would recommend increasing the amount of meat in the dishes in general though. As M-21 becomes more like my people, his needs will probably head the same way."
"Yes, that's true, I've never really had the chance to study Werewolves, since your numbers are few to begin with and they tend to keep to themselves, that is, until M-21 came to live here." Frankenstein took the plates into the kitchen. "At some point, I will have to sit down and discuss Werewolf physiology with you, so I can find out what changes M-21 is likely to go through." He said, thinking it'd be best to find out as much as possible, while Lunark was here.
"Yes. That would be a good idea." She grinned, showing her canines starkly. "He has claws and fur, but does he have our fangs yet? I never seem to be able to get a good look at him for that."
Frankenstein thought for a moment. "He has fangs in his transformed state, but his teeth are normal, when he's human. Although, as he grows closer to becoming a Werewolf, that could change."
She nodded. "As much as he might dislike it, there will come a time where he isn't human anymore. It's the nature of being a werewolf chimera. Hopefully he'll come to terms with that before he actually fully becomes one." Based simply upon his progress... It would probably come sooner rather than later. She'd stick around to make sure the puppy adjusted though.
"Yes, that's inevitable, however, we'll be here to help him adjust, so I don't foresee too many problems." Frankenstein replied, thinking carefully over what the future might bring.
She swallowed before making the offer. "I could stay until he does adjust. Having another werewolf around... It probably wouldn't be a negative thing." Kentas liked M-21. She kind of wished she could suggest he come as well. But Lord Muzaka was terminally unreliable as a ruler and Kentas was left to pick up his slack.
Frankenstein thought for a moment, "That's actually, a really good idea. Are you sure your people will be fine without you for a while?" If he knew anything about Muzaka, it was that he wouldn't be taking his position as Lord seriously.
She hummed uncomfortably, her gaze dropping to the side. "They... understandably... would probably prefer to not have an ex-Union Elder around. Our previous Lord was one, you know. And I was his protege on top of that. With Lord Muzaka being Lord Muzaka... they'd probably feel safer without me around." She smiled as if it was nothing, but the crease in her brow gave away her true thoughts on how bothered she was by the idea of making her people uncomfortable.
"I see." Frankenstein thought on this for a moment, "If that's the case, then you're welcome to stay here for as long as you'd like." he said reassuringly.
Her face visibly brightened a bit. "I'm afraid all I have to offer is myself in return, but I am skilled. As you can imagine, I'm not too shabby at administrative work. And I'm confident in my abilities as an architect as well." She chuckled. "Besides being able to help train M-21, at any rate."
Hearing Lunark's skillset, he thought she'd make a great addition to the household, especially, since his own architectural expertise was lacking, "In that case, could you stay forever?" he smiled. "I'm not sure if you already know, but I own a school, not too far from here. I could add you to the board of directors, and you could help me run the school, if you'd like?"
Eh? A deep flush settled over her face. "I...um. I don't mind staying, I suppose. But I do still need to check in on my people. And stuff." A school... "I don't have any experience with running a school specifically but learning something new has never been a chore." Making failed proposals and overseeing her architecture work being built was a far cry from successfully running a school, even if she still had the basics she needed to help.
"Of course, you can check up on your people, whenever and as often as you'd like." Frankenstein thought he could hear worry in her voice. "Don't worry, running a school is quite easy, and I'll be there with you, every day, so you won't be alone. You'll be free to make whatever decisions you see fit, and I'll leave all architectural decisions to you." He said, trying to sound reassuring.
"I'm going to need to look up the city's building codes and regulations." There were usually laws on specific construction works. She smiled at him offering his help. "I'm not particularly worried. But some prefer genuine experience in specific fields before considering a hire. I've tended to just be thrown into jobs to learn." That was how it worked with the Union, at any rate.
"That sounds like a good idea. I'm not too familiar with architectural practises myself, so I usually tend to hire someone." Frankenstein smiled. "In terms of running the school, I'm sure you'll do fine, besides, if you need anything, just ask, I'm always happy to help. I will, of course be paying you, I don't intend on making you work for free."
Oh? Pay and board? Or was the board just coming out of her paycheque? Either was fine, though the latter was a more equivalent exchange. She blushed, digging in one of her pockets for a small sachet of herbs. "Umm. If I'm going to be staying here more long term, I'm going to need a better supply of these." She held the bag out to Frankenstein.
Frankenstein took the small bag of herbs from Lunark. "Hmm, I don't recognise these herbs, what are they and what are they used for?" He could always look into procuring them, even if it meant growing and cultivating them himself.
"This specific blend is used as a heat suppressant." Sure, if she went off of them, she probably wouldn't have one for another couple of years, but still. She wasn't even partnered. Children were out of the question right now and locking herself up until it was over was uncomfortable.
Frankenstein examined the herbs in the pouch carefully. "I recognise thistle and stoneroot, however the third herb, is something I can't quite identify. Do you know what it is? If we can identify it, perhaps we could grow it here. The other two herbs, shouldn't be too hard to get hold of." He smiled.
"It's a specific type of... I've heard them called 'bog onions' before? Anyway, it's a separate species than what exists in North America. Unique to the werewolf lands, though it carries a similar effect."
"Ah, I've heard of it, but I've never come across this specific variety before." Frankenstein thought for a moment, "Perhaps, I could synthesize it. It shouldn't be too hard to isolate the part of the plant that regulates birth control." Besides, it'd be a nice challenge for him.
She smiled. "By all means. Whatever works." She just needed to not enter heat, after all. "Having a heat is uncomfortable enough I'd end up having to miss work. So as long as I'm not having them, we're good."
"I'll get started on the experiments later on this evening, after everyone retires for the night." A grin appeared on Frankenstein's face, "I'm free for the rest of the evening, if you'd like to spar with me for a while?"
"Oh, I'd love to!" Her words were purred. Sparring was... sparring was good. When was the last time she'd had a fling or a partner capable of giving her a good match? Ah. No. He was being kind enough to let her stay here. Even if he was attractive, she shouldn't think such thoughts about her host.