[ it happens a few minutes after he has sent the message: a blue film spreads through the air, barely visible, and then one moment eli is standing near the front, and the next he is standing inside law's office, having switched places with a scrunched-up paper. ]
Eli? Take a seat, [ says the man behind the desk, dressed in a tank top that shows the curling edges of his tattoos on his chest, and a proper doctor's coat. golden earrings hang from his ears, and his black hair is a mess. ]
[Eli blinks as his surroundings abruptly change, but overall, he doesn't seem too perturbed by it. He's accustomed to perceiving odd things, and he's also teleported many times before. It just wasn't what he expected from a doctor's office.
So the guy is magic. That bodes... Probably well. He doesn't look all that professional, but Eli doesn't care much about that.]
Uh. Yeah. Hi.
[He floats over to the chair and sits. It immediately obvious by looking at him that his corruption is in full swing, with his hands and feet blackened and clawed, his wrists and ankle bandaged, black horns poking out of his hair, and black patches with red boils on his ears, now spreading to his face. He is missing a foot and wears no prosthetic.
[ for about half a minute, law simply looks at eli, makes a mental catalogue of all the things that look strange about him — but because he comes from a place where his best friend is a talking polar bear and some people have horns of their own, he feels the need to ask, ]
Is any of that something you had prior to waking up here?
[Eli shifts uncomfortably in his chair during the silence. He's about to fill it with his yammering when Law finally speaks.]
Uh... My extremities were blackened when I came here, from corruption in a place called the Shadowfell, but it wasn't anywhere near this bad. And I've always had pointed ears. I'm an elf, if you know what that is.
[He looks down at his wrists.]
It feels like a bad burn, but heat isn't the source. My soul is some kind of shadow monster or demon. It seems like it's consuming my flesh, from my extremities inward. Not just my skin, but all of it, down to my bones. Extremely painful, and I don't know what's gonna happen when it reaches my vital organs. But... My hands and foot aren't warm anymore, and they don't seem to bleed. So...
No, [ he says laconically in response to the elf bit — elves aren't a thing in his world, but he assumes it to mean at least the ears are a sign of that particular race.
then, silent again to let eli speak of his suspicions, law meets his eyes with a grave look. ]
I believe you have a very good idea of what it is doing, already. What do you want, then? For me to confirm it? I can do that. But if it is the effect of your natural soul — and I have good reason to believe it is — there is nothing I can do to stop it. Only relieve any possible pain you may have.
[He doesn't want to explain what elves are right now- it doesn't matter, anyway.]
I know. I know it's corruption and can't be stopped. But I need some relief from the pain, and... Yes, I want you to confirm it. That I'm dying, and whether you have any idea if that death is going to be permanent. If I'll still be- me, afterward, or something else.
[His stomach ties into a knot. He wants to curl up in a ball. Instead, he grits his teeth, makes his expression stoic.]
[There's fear in his tone, and his stomach turns. He doesn't yet know how far corruption goes. Does anyone know? Has anyone been here long enough to know? How do they know they aren't all completely turning into whatever their soul is?]
Has any Augmented lost themselves completely to the soul, yet?
[The scan shows what Law likely expected based on the description- strange otherworldly wounds on Eli's wrists, ankle, residual calf, and ears. These wounds are indeed bone-deep. His hands and foot don't seem to be made of living flesh any longer- no blood or pulse. The scan also detects two magical daggers strapped to Eli's thighs.]
I don't believe anyone knows. [ he shrugs, grabbing a notebook and starting to scrawl down some notes about eli, about the extent of his corruption, about what he sees in the scan. ]
Have you heard of Peacock? If I had to guess, I'd say it's what happened to them. Possibly the other local Augmented, too.
[ it is his working theory, anyway. ] But we are more resistant to the radiation, and so probably to the Augmenter, too. [ with that same, contemplative, near-flat tone, ] Your extremities are no longer alive. Once it reaches your heart, I would suspect that is when you will die.
[Eli nods. He had heard about Peacock, and that's exactly what he's afraid of.]
I thought the Augmenter was what made us more resistant to radiation. You think being from other worlds helps too?
[It's possible, he guesses? But everyone is from different places, has different sorts of powers. Perhaps they were selecting for strong, durable people when they brought them here... But Eli can think of a couple people he's met who aren't physically strong or durable. Maybe mentally?
His musing is cut off by Law's dry statement that he will die when it reaches his heart.]
Okay. I just... Need to prepare for that. I can tell it's gonna be horribly painful.
Obviously, [ he says with the raise of a singular brow. ] Why do you think it didn't work for the locals? Long exposure to radiation leaves your body suffering the effects. We have no such exposure, and as such, the Augmenter isn't fighting against years and years of radiation damage.
[ why else would patho-gen have brought them here, if not for the fact they have not fallen victim to the effects of arcane radiation? that must be why the augmenters actually work for them when they didn't work for the locals.
as for the preparations — ] I will give you pain medication. It won't remove the pain, but it will make it... less.
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countershocks) wrote2020-06-29 04:08 pm
no subject
Eli? Take a seat, [ says the man behind the desk, dressed in a tank top that shows the curling edges of his tattoos on his chest, and a proper doctor's coat. golden earrings hang from his ears, and his black hair is a mess. ]
no subject
So the guy is magic. That bodes... Probably well. He doesn't look all that professional, but Eli doesn't care much about that.]
Uh. Yeah. Hi.
[He floats over to the chair and sits. It immediately obvious by looking at him that his corruption is in full swing, with his hands and feet blackened and clawed, his wrists and ankle bandaged, black horns poking out of his hair, and black patches with red boils on his ears, now spreading to his face. He is missing a foot and wears no prosthetic.
He waits for Law to say something.]
no subject
Is any of that something you had prior to waking up here?
[ please. he needs a full list of symptoms. ]
no subject
Uh... My extremities were blackened when I came here, from corruption in a place called the Shadowfell, but it wasn't anywhere near this bad. And I've always had pointed ears. I'm an elf, if you know what that is.
[He looks down at his wrists.]
It feels like a bad burn, but heat isn't the source. My soul is some kind of shadow monster or demon. It seems like it's consuming my flesh, from my extremities inward. Not just my skin, but all of it, down to my bones. Extremely painful, and I don't know what's gonna happen when it reaches my vital organs. But... My hands and foot aren't warm anymore, and they don't seem to bleed. So...
[It's turning him undead, he guesses.]
no subject
then, silent again to let eli speak of his suspicions, law meets his eyes with a grave look. ]
I believe you have a very good idea of what it is doing, already. What do you want, then? For me to confirm it? I can do that. But if it is the effect of your natural soul — and I have good reason to believe it is — there is nothing I can do to stop it. Only relieve any possible pain you may have.
no subject
I know. I know it's corruption and can't be stopped. But I need some relief from the pain, and... Yes, I want you to confirm it. That I'm dying, and whether you have any idea if that death is going to be permanent. If I'll still be- me, afterward, or something else.
[His stomach ties into a knot. He wants to curl up in a ball. Instead, he grits his teeth, makes his expression stoic.]
no subject
[ slowly, he turns to pick up his sword, moves it in front of him, its tip pointed toward the ground. ]
As for if you still remain as yourself... As much as any of us do.
[ a pause. ] Scan. [ eli will not feel anything, but law looks at him as if scanning information that his ability allows him to see. ]
no subject
[There's fear in his tone, and his stomach turns. He doesn't yet know how far corruption goes. Does anyone know? Has anyone been here long enough to know? How do they know they aren't all completely turning into whatever their soul is?]
Has any Augmented lost themselves completely to the soul, yet?
[The scan shows what Law likely expected based on the description- strange otherworldly wounds on Eli's wrists, ankle, residual calf, and ears. These wounds are indeed bone-deep. His hands and foot don't seem to be made of living flesh any longer- no blood or pulse. The scan also detects two magical daggers strapped to Eli's thighs.]
no subject
Have you heard of Peacock? If I had to guess, I'd say it's what happened to them. Possibly the other local Augmented, too.
[ it is his working theory, anyway. ] But we are more resistant to the radiation, and so probably to the Augmenter, too. [ with that same, contemplative, near-flat tone, ] Your extremities are no longer alive. Once it reaches your heart, I would suspect that is when you will die.
no subject
I thought the Augmenter was what made us more resistant to radiation. You think being from other worlds helps too?
[It's possible, he guesses? But everyone is from different places, has different sorts of powers. Perhaps they were selecting for strong, durable people when they brought them here... But Eli can think of a couple people he's met who aren't physically strong or durable. Maybe mentally?
His musing is cut off by Law's dry statement that he will die when it reaches his heart.]
Okay. I just... Need to prepare for that. I can tell it's gonna be horribly painful.
no subject
[ why else would patho-gen have brought them here, if not for the fact they have not fallen victim to the effects of arcane radiation? that must be why the augmenters actually work for them when they didn't work for the locals.
as for the preparations — ] I will give you pain medication. It won't remove the pain, but it will make it... less.
no subject
I assumed they brought us in so as not to subject their own people to it again.
[Y'know, the dehumanizing way. Outsiders are harder to sympathize with.]
And I didn't think the first experiment was after "years and years" of damage, but I don't know much about it, so maybe I'm wrong.
[He nods, relieved for that, and hoping whatever he gives is stronger than what he gets from the pharmacy.]
Okay. Thanks. Imprints seem to help too... Any other tips on dying effectively?