Ethlyn likes to warn newcomers about the dangerous events that attend life in Aldrip. As she strolls through town with a bag of goodies for the clinic's staff kitchen, she stops when she notices that what she's taken for a shadow isn't.
"Oh no... this, again."
Because this isn't the first time she's seen corruption inching into the city. She sets down her shopping bag to get a closer look. Using a stick, she pokes at the black line, drags at it, but it doesn't seem to be liquid in that way.
And then she feels the tremor in the ground beneath her. The crashing... the screams of the townsfolk as a new shadow, writhing and twisting, falls across them. Ethlyn looks up at the writhing, twisting heads of the beast. Around her the townsfolk panic and point--doors begin slamming as they begin, very sensibly, to get down into basements and cellars.
She drops the stick and leaves the snacks, taking off on foot in the direction of the danger.
No safety
Once again, Ethlyn found herself run ragged going back and forth between the Willow Clinic and the places of danger and injury around the city. It wasn't enough that the city was fenced in by the vicious heads of a ravenous hydra. Ethlyn was starting to wonder if the people here were changing... it wouldn't be the first time that corruption infected the Chosen. Checking her device confirmed her fears that she could expect to see her friends and acquaintances turn mad once more.
At least the locals had done a good job of hunkering down. True, that included most of the Clinic staff, but it was keeping the casualties down. The animals were gone, too--not Venture, although it had taken a lot of convincing on Ethlyn's part to keep him from bolting, and even now he was skittish.
Riding through the streets at a canter, she had her staff on one side ready to heal... and her sword on the other for those sickened in a different way. As soon as she spotted the movement of someone in her path, she slowed.
"Are you all right?"
Slay or be slain (for Ange)
When the beast became vulnerable, Ethlyn decided she had to act. Her magic was no good for fighting--she didn't have the sword that Deirdre had gifted her years ago that could burn enemies with radiance, but she did have her staff, and she could support those who could do damage to the beast. And even if it did little harm to the beast itself, Ethlyn was sure that her ordinary sword could at least block its attacks if it dove for someone.
That was when she spotted Ange, too near to the danger. Ange wasn't a fighter... but whether it was the combat with others or the beast's own thrashing, now she was too close. Ethlyn dug her heels into Venture's side. She would have to do a good deal to make up for this day with him, but this was too important.
"Ange! We have to get away from here!"
Wildcard
[Got another idea in mind? HMU! Ethlyn won't be transforming but will be trying to help people who aren't so lucky.]
[czeslaw was out on the streets, headed...somewhere? he's heard rumors of safe places in the city and he's trying to find one, basically. being approached on horseback by a very well armed individual is a surprise, though. he puts his hands in the air, blatantly eyeing ethlyn's sword.]
I-I'm fine! Just looking for shelter.
[unlike certain other tiny children around the place, czeslaw has no desire to get involved in the fighting. it's not like he could help, anyway, he's no fighter and his knowledge of "magic" is limited to alchemical creations. and he doubts throwing a bomb at the thing would help, based on the various network posts concerning the subject.]
[Ethlyn quickly returns her sword to its sheath at the boy's evident apprehension. It's been... some time since she's met a child. (Well, there's Toph, but she's far closer to an adult in manner than this lad.) If it wasn't for the fact that he isn't under battened-down hatches already, she would have taken him for one of the townsfolk.]
You're in luck. [She gives him a warm, hopefully-reassuring smile.] I run the clinic here--it's open to everyone who needs a safe place to be.
[Hm, well, that's not going to happen... there's no way Ethlyn is going to leave this child to fend for himself in this chaos. Glancing around to ensure that they are--momentarily--not in the path of danger, she dismounts so she can offer him a hand up.]
I know how to reach it from every direction in the city. It isn't out of my way, trust me.
[he comes closer when she dismounts the horse, not necessarily so he can comply but so they're not yelling at each other. he hesitates just a touch - debating whether he should try to give a fake name or not - before he gives up on it and sighs.]
I'm Czeslaw. Um, it's very nice to meet you. Though it would be nicer under different circumstances.
[his vocab is a little rich, but he still just gives off "precocious young child" vibes.]
[Czseslaw. Ethlyn hasn't heard a name like that before--though, there have been many names she hasn't heard the like of before, and many more people she hasn't seen the like of before.]
It certainly would be... we'll have to make it up some other time after this monster is gone, maybe over a nice tea. [She holds a hand out to him.] Here, let me help you up into the saddle and we can be on our way.
[it's not like he has a reason to refuse her, after all, and at least she's not outright trying to pick him up. nile would have just picked him up like a sack of rice if he wanted him on a horse.
he steps forward and takes her hand, albeit a bit shyly.]
[If the situation were a little more urgent, Ethlyn would probably do that. But if she has the time to put someone at ease and have it be their choice to accept help, that's much better in the long run.
She helps Czeslaw up onto the horse and mounts up behind him. Venture paws at the ground a little, expressing a bit of an opinion about the extra weight, but otherwise is still calm... given the situation. Ethlyn keeps an eye on the sky as she turns him back towards the Clinic.]
[uncertain of what to do with his hands, czeslaw first rests them at the base of the horse's neck, then hastily moves them to his own legs when it begins acting restless.]
Just a few months. I know some crazy stuff happened before I got here, but this seems pretty bad.
[well, more than "pretty bad" if you ask him, but it seems that people here have a different standard.]
It happens, every so often. I don't know why exactly it is. [In a way. She knows that this town, this world, is a constructed place, like so much set dressing... controlled by some force. She can only assume that the AI, or whatever it is, is dictating these things. They happened before or after the crisis last autumn, after all.
What she doesn't understand is the motives, the reasoning.] It's like a recurring plague... people become corrupted, dangerous, and then it lifts, and we have to pick up the pieces and try to get back to normal before the next occurrence.
[There's no point in trying to hide that truth from Czeslaw, youth or not. He's seeing it now, and undoubtedly he'll see it again in future... it's best to be ready for it to happen again.
She notices Venture's displeasure with having hands on the back of his neck, and Ethlyn makes a mental note to give him some extra treats after this. A mental note she's already made several times today. If nothing else, Venture will be eating well for a while.]
Ange isn't too sure if she's in the right place either. She isn't that good at fighting. Sure, she has been getting better in this place, but that's not saying a whole lot when it's not like she had to do a whole lot of combat back home in the first place.
But Ragna had said that this thing was vulnerable to magic. Her kind of magic. How could she just ignore that? She can't stay somewhere safe if this dumb thing is going to end up destroying the entire city either way. It would be no use.
The more Ange is out near the danger though, the more she's realizing it's a tough spot for her to be in. She can hear Ethlyn, and a part of her says she should just go with Ethlyn and leave here, but she can't, she can't, not when this is the one time she can be useful--
"It's fine!" She calls back, gritting her teeth. Determined to seem confident. "I can-- I can handle it! I have to!"
If Ethlyn had a coin for every time someone said the words I'm fine when they clearly were not, she would have been a very rich woman. As it was, she had to deal with such frustrations on a normal budget.
This close to the creature's necks, Venture danced and whinnied. Ethlyn couldn't blame him. Even the sturdiest of warhorses would have balked at this monstrosity rising from the ground. Ethlyn could feel that her control over him was going to end in the next ten minutes and he would bolt, whether she was on his back or not. She quickly undid the straps for her gear, letting it thump to the ground before dismounting, giving her long-suffering horse a kiss on the nose before letting go of the reins so he could canter off to a place of greater safety.
"Not on your own," she said, turning to Ange and drawing her sword. "Let me at least help you!"
Ange turned her head to look at Ethlyn when she heard some pretty strange noises. The sight of the other confirms that what Ange thought she was hearing is true - the other really did dismount her horse, which practically means Ethlyn lost her ticket to getting out of here quickly if it gets dangerous.
And it's practically dangerous already. There's never no danger around these heads.
It makes the girl's eyes go wide when she realizes the decisions Ethlyn has made.
"Ethlyn! Don't be dumb about this! It's dangerous!" Especially now - because one of the heads sure is looking at the two of them. Ange seems to realize as much too once she manages to pry her eyes off Ethlyn, though her gaze is still filled with worry. "Ragna said they're weak to my magic, I just need a moment to cast it..!"
Ethlyn shook her head. This wasn't dumb, in her opinion. Riding off and leaving Ange to her own devices--she couldn't even face the thought of it. Ange was determined to battle these things with the magic she had, and Ethlyn respected that--was proud of it.
But she couldn't do it on her own.
"I'll make sure you have it." So saying, Ethlyn stepped between Ange and the beast's heads. As one of them darted towards her, fangs bared, Ethlyn slashed with her sword. It was like attacking a piece of wood--the steel practically bounced off, but she kept her grip on it, and it was enough to make the thing rear back with a hiss for the moment. "Hurry!"
At least the girl knows better than to waste the opportunity Ethlyn is giving her. She steps back, just so she's slightly less likely of a target for the monster when Ethlyn is right there, and the next moment Ange sucks in a breath to concentrate. She starts gathering her energy - her hands starting to glow with a soft golden light that slowly seems to grow more intense, a magic circle starting to form underneath her feet.
Ange can feel her own growing impatience, but she also knows she can't rush this process. Even though it feels like it's taking an eternity, she needs to gather her magic in order to be able to do something that might hit the monster at all.
Though she's mostly focusing on her magic and energy, Ange still can't help but keep an eye on what's going on with Ethlyn as well. She's too worried to do anything else.
"Then what about you?!"
Look, Ange may think Ethlyn is impressive. But maybe not fight-off-a-huge-monster-all-by-herself impressive. She's pretty sure no one could do something that ridiculous on their own.
And what about me?! was the impulsive answer that flashed into Ethlyn's mind, but she was wise enough not to say it. Ange was the important one here, the one with the ability to actually do something about this beast that threatened them all.
But Ethlyn also knew that if she was too reckless and fell before Ange could finish her spell, it would be fatal for them both. Ange would be defenseless. And Ethlyn doubted that she could hold concentration on her spell if Ethlyn did something so inconsiderate as to die before she was finished casting it.
It gave her extra impetus when a head dove at her. Ethlyn thrust her sword into its maw, striking against the roof of its mouth. The sword skittered harmlessly down its palate--Ethlyn could see the teeth getting closer. She hoped it wasn't venomous. "Just finish your spell! Then we can both run for it!"
Ange knows that speed is important right now though. She wishes she could hurry her spell along, but she also knows it's practically impossible to do. All she can do here is make sure to keep her own concentration on the spell, if not just so she won't risk getting distracted midway through it and taking even longer to finish it.
(Though not getting distracted is a little hard when she's very much worried about the way Ethlyn is caught in combat with that head. Or the way it's going. But she's trying, she's--)
There is one problem with focusing so hard on the spell though.
Ange doesn't seem to notice in the slightest that there is a second head diving right at her.
Holding off the fanged mouth was not going to work, Ethlyn could feel it failing with each fraction of a second that went by--it was just a matter of deciding how much damage she could avoid, because taking something was inevitable.
But the many heads of the Black Beast could do what they liked. They didn't have to put their all into a single effort. If Ethlyn held off one, another could just pick up where it left off--and from the corner of her eye, she saw one doing just that.
There was no time to even think about thinking. Her legs moved, propelling her away. The fangs of the beast head, no longer blocked by her sword, slashed across her arm. Somewhere she had read about adrenaline and its responsibility for the remarkable feats that a frail human body could sometimes perform in desperate situations, shutting down unimportant considerations like searing pain, unlocking everything the muscles had hidden in their fibers to burst out in speeds they could never reach when thinking rationally.
That was how Ethlyn slammed into the second serpent head. Instinctually, she tried to thrust her sword into its eye. As before it simply bounced off, but the rest of her body followed, slamming into the beast with all of her weight--over a hundred pounds of determined human being might not hurt it, but it would stop it for long enough. Hopefully long enough.
It had surely intended to close its jaws over Ange and snap her up like a fish. Ethlyn had stopped that. The beast head seemed surprised as hell that it had grabbed in its teeth a different person instead. Ethlyn stared right back into it, awkwardly on one foot, half-suspended in midair, as the chemistry in her body drained away to let the screaming pain from her torso rush down her nerves.
Kurama had - up until a point - been keeping his own transformation under control. Quietly using his energy to stop plants from growing from his own body was taxing though, and made it quite difficult to continue supplying help to those in need. He couldn't do as much as he should be able to and he's visibly worn out in a way that's far more familiar to a human with all the running around. Having put most of his energy into the clinic when it seemed a priority was the only way he could help as the month progressed, but he'd reached a point that he could no longer reliably consider himself more of an asset than a risk, even there.
Conveniently, Ethlyn was the exact person he'd been hoping to get a word with before disappearing into the woods to deal with his own problems alone.
"I'm fine…"
Delivered with the smile of someone who was well versed in giving that answer automatically.
“I realize this comes at quite an unfortunate time, but I was hoping to run into you. I'm afraid I will not be much help at the clinic for a while. I did not want to leave without a word, but staying any longer seemed unwise.”
I'm fine. Delivered in the tone of someone who decidedly was not. Ethlyn was so accustomed to receiving such unbelievable answers that she didn't even feel the urge to sigh over it.
"...So you aren't fine," she said. She ran her eye over him--he looked tired, strained, but she wasn't sure if he was hiding an injury. Or, more to the point, a transformation... his face looked clear enough, but she wasn't so sure about the rest of him. "Are you injured, or have you been affected by the curses that are afflicting people?"
So far, she had avoided coming in contact with the corrupted wish seeds, but she knew many had not been so lucky.
Kurama was far too used to people rolling with his blatant lies, or actually believing him. Sure, Yusuke had asked more than once in the past, but ultimately he took whatever answer he was given without directly calling it out.
"I am not injured." That much he can say honestly, but her other questions? That was a little more complicated. He's still smiling at least, apparently relieved by her direct response.
"My powers have not changed, and there's been no physical transformation. However, the plants are responding more unpredictably than they have been. It takes a great deal of my energy to control them now." Which would explain the overall exhaustion. Green eyes lowered to his arms before continuing, but there was no evidence of plant life growing from them at the moment.
"I am not certain of the cause, but I imagine it has something to do with that creature that arrived outside the city at the beginning of the month. It seems to be getting worse since then, I will need time to figure out what can be done and rest, that is all."
Ah. Not injured was a good start. Ethlyn followed Kurama's gaze as they dropped to his arms--she could see nothing there. But she would take his word for it that it was happening. When you thought about it, plants were everywhere. The trees shading the streets, the grass threading up from the soil, the crocuses and redbuds coming into bloom. To have all that reaching for you, unable to stop it, had to be exhausting.
"I think you must be right," she said. "The beast outside the city got hold of artifacts from someone else's world--and its power infected them, and through that, is infecting many of us."
She looked at her healing staff, propped in the corner. It was useful for physical wounds, but against ailments, sickness, it was no good. Still... "What kind of symptoms is the connection with the plants causing? Maybe we can figure out how to make it easier for you to bear."
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expiationlogs2025-03-11 10:18 am
Ethlyn | Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War
Eruption
Ethlyn likes to warn newcomers about the dangerous events that attend life in Aldrip. As she strolls through town with a bag of goodies for the clinic's staff kitchen, she stops when she notices that what she's taken for a shadow isn't.
"Oh no... this, again."
Because this isn't the first time she's seen corruption inching into the city. She sets down her shopping bag to get a closer look. Using a stick, she pokes at the black line, drags at it, but it doesn't seem to be liquid in that way.
And then she feels the tremor in the ground beneath her. The crashing... the screams of the townsfolk as a new shadow, writhing and twisting, falls across them. Ethlyn looks up at the writhing, twisting heads of the beast. Around her the townsfolk panic and point--doors begin slamming as they begin, very sensibly, to get down into basements and cellars.
She drops the stick and leaves the snacks, taking off on foot in the direction of the danger.
No safety
Once again, Ethlyn found herself run ragged going back and forth between the Willow Clinic and the places of danger and injury around the city. It wasn't enough that the city was fenced in by the vicious heads of a ravenous hydra. Ethlyn was starting to wonder if the people here were changing... it wouldn't be the first time that corruption infected the Chosen. Checking her device confirmed her fears that she could expect to see her friends and acquaintances turn mad once more.
At least the locals had done a good job of hunkering down. True, that included most of the Clinic staff, but it was keeping the casualties down. The animals were gone, too--not Venture, although it had taken a lot of convincing on Ethlyn's part to keep him from bolting, and even now he was skittish.
Riding through the streets at a canter, she had her staff on one side ready to heal... and her sword on the other for those sickened in a different way. As soon as she spotted the movement of someone in her path, she slowed.
"Are you all right?"
Slay or be slain (for Ange)
When the beast became vulnerable, Ethlyn decided she had to act. Her magic was no good for fighting--she didn't have the sword that Deirdre had gifted her years ago that could burn enemies with radiance, but she did have her staff, and she could support those who could do damage to the beast. And even if it did little harm to the beast itself, Ethlyn was sure that her ordinary sword could at least block its attacks if it dove for someone.
That was when she spotted Ange, too near to the danger. Ange wasn't a fighter... but whether it was the combat with others or the beast's own thrashing, now she was too close. Ethlyn dug her heels into Venture's side. She would have to do a good deal to make up for this day with him, but this was too important.
"Ange! We have to get away from here!"
Wildcard
[Got another idea in mind? HMU! Ethlyn won't be transforming but will be trying to help people who aren't so lucky.]
safety
I-I'm fine! Just looking for shelter.
[unlike certain other tiny children around the place, czeslaw has no desire to get involved in the fighting. it's not like he could help, anyway, he's no fighter and his knowledge of "magic" is limited to alchemical creations. and he doubts throwing a bomb at the thing would help, based on the various network posts concerning the subject.]
no subject
You're in luck. [She gives him a warm, hopefully-reassuring smile.] I run the clinic here--it's open to everyone who needs a safe place to be.
Have you ever ridden a horse before?
no subject
[he lowers his arms, no longer feeling threatened as she seems rather friendly.]
Um, a few times. But you don't have to go out of your way, you can just point me in the right direction and I'm sure I can find the place.
no subject
I know how to reach it from every direction in the city. It isn't out of my way, trust me.
My name is Ethlyn, by the by.
no subject
I'm Czeslaw. Um, it's very nice to meet you. Though it would be nicer under different circumstances.
[his vocab is a little rich, but he still just gives off "precocious young child" vibes.]
no subject
It certainly would be... we'll have to make it up some other time after this monster is gone, maybe over a nice tea. [She holds a hand out to him.] Here, let me help you up into the saddle and we can be on our way.
no subject
[he smiles at her, and it's quite genuine.]
Oh, I...well, all right.
[it's not like he has a reason to refuse her, after all, and at least she's not outright trying to pick him up. nile would have just picked him up like a sack of rice if he wanted him on a horse.
he steps forward and takes her hand, albeit a bit shyly.]
no subject
She helps Czeslaw up onto the horse and mounts up behind him. Venture paws at the ground a little, expressing a bit of an opinion about the extra weight, but otherwise is still calm... given the situation. Ethlyn keeps an eye on the sky as she turns him back towards the Clinic.]
How long have you been in Aldrip, Czeslaw?
no subject
Just a few months. I know some crazy stuff happened before I got here, but this seems pretty bad.
[well, more than "pretty bad" if you ask him, but it seems that people here have a different standard.]
no subject
What she doesn't understand is the motives, the reasoning.] It's like a recurring plague... people become corrupted, dangerous, and then it lifts, and we have to pick up the pieces and try to get back to normal before the next occurrence.
[There's no point in trying to hide that truth from Czeslaw, youth or not. He's seeing it now, and undoubtedly he'll see it again in future... it's best to be ready for it to happen again.
She notices Venture's displeasure with having hands on the back of his neck, and Ethlyn makes a mental note to give him some extra treats after this. A mental note she's already made several times today. If nothing else, Venture will be eating well for a while.]
slay or be slain
But Ragna had said that this thing was vulnerable to magic. Her kind of magic. How could she just ignore that? She can't stay somewhere safe if this dumb thing is going to end up destroying the entire city either way. It would be no use.
The more Ange is out near the danger though, the more she's realizing it's a tough spot for her to be in. She can hear Ethlyn, and a part of her says she should just go with Ethlyn and leave here, but she can't, she can't, not when this is the one time she can be useful--
"It's fine!" She calls back, gritting her teeth. Determined to seem confident. "I can-- I can handle it! I have to!"
no subject
This close to the creature's necks, Venture danced and whinnied. Ethlyn couldn't blame him. Even the sturdiest of warhorses would have balked at this monstrosity rising from the ground. Ethlyn could feel that her control over him was going to end in the next ten minutes and he would bolt, whether she was on his back or not. She quickly undid the straps for her gear, letting it thump to the ground before dismounting, giving her long-suffering horse a kiss on the nose before letting go of the reins so he could canter off to a place of greater safety.
"Not on your own," she said, turning to Ange and drawing her sword. "Let me at least help you!"
no subject
Ange turned her head to look at Ethlyn when she heard some pretty strange noises. The sight of the other confirms that what Ange thought she was hearing is true - the other really did dismount her horse, which practically means Ethlyn lost her ticket to getting out of here quickly if it gets dangerous.
And it's practically dangerous already. There's never no danger around these heads.
It makes the girl's eyes go wide when she realizes the decisions Ethlyn has made.
"Ethlyn! Don't be dumb about this! It's dangerous!" Especially now - because one of the heads sure is looking at the two of them. Ange seems to realize as much too once she manages to pry her eyes off Ethlyn, though her gaze is still filled with worry. "Ragna said they're weak to my magic, I just need a moment to cast it..!"
no subject
But she couldn't do it on her own.
"I'll make sure you have it." So saying, Ethlyn stepped between Ange and the beast's heads. As one of them darted towards her, fangs bared, Ethlyn slashed with her sword. It was like attacking a piece of wood--the steel practically bounced off, but she kept her grip on it, and it was enough to make the thing rear back with a hiss for the moment. "Hurry!"
no subject
Ange can feel her own growing impatience, but she also knows she can't rush this process. Even though it feels like it's taking an eternity, she needs to gather her magic in order to be able to do something that might hit the monster at all.
Though she's mostly focusing on her magic and energy, Ange still can't help but keep an eye on what's going on with Ethlyn as well. She's too worried to do anything else.
"Then what about you?!"
Look, Ange may think Ethlyn is impressive. But maybe not fight-off-a-huge-monster-all-by-herself impressive. She's pretty sure no one could do something that ridiculous on their own.
no subject
But Ethlyn also knew that if she was too reckless and fell before Ange could finish her spell, it would be fatal for them both. Ange would be defenseless. And Ethlyn doubted that she could hold concentration on her spell if Ethlyn did something so inconsiderate as to die before she was finished casting it.
It gave her extra impetus when a head dove at her. Ethlyn thrust her sword into its maw, striking against the roof of its mouth. The sword skittered harmlessly down its palate--Ethlyn could see the teeth getting closer. She hoped it wasn't venomous. "Just finish your spell! Then we can both run for it!"
no subject
Ange knows that speed is important right now though. She wishes she could hurry her spell along, but she also knows it's practically impossible to do. All she can do here is make sure to keep her own concentration on the spell, if not just so she won't risk getting distracted midway through it and taking even longer to finish it.
(Though not getting distracted is a little hard when she's very much worried about the way Ethlyn is caught in combat with that head. Or the way it's going. But she's trying, she's--)
There is one problem with focusing so hard on the spell though.
Ange doesn't seem to notice in the slightest that there is a second head diving right at her.
no subject
But the many heads of the Black Beast could do what they liked. They didn't have to put their all into a single effort. If Ethlyn held off one, another could just pick up where it left off--and from the corner of her eye, she saw one doing just that.
There was no time to even think about thinking. Her legs moved, propelling her away. The fangs of the beast head, no longer blocked by her sword, slashed across her arm. Somewhere she had read about adrenaline and its responsibility for the remarkable feats that a frail human body could sometimes perform in desperate situations, shutting down unimportant considerations like searing pain, unlocking everything the muscles had hidden in their fibers to burst out in speeds they could never reach when thinking rationally.
That was how Ethlyn slammed into the second serpent head. Instinctually, she tried to thrust her sword into its eye. As before it simply bounced off, but the rest of her body followed, slamming into the beast with all of her weight--over a hundred pounds of determined human being might not hurt it, but it would stop it for long enough. Hopefully long enough.
It had surely intended to close its jaws over Ange and snap her up like a fish. Ethlyn had stopped that. The beast head seemed surprised as hell that it had grabbed in its teeth a different person instead. Ethlyn stared right back into it, awkwardly on one foot, half-suspended in midair, as the chemistry in her body drained away to let the screaming pain from her torso rush down her nerves.
No Safety
Conveniently, Ethlyn was the exact person he'd been hoping to get a word with before disappearing into the woods to deal with his own problems alone.
"I'm fine…"
Delivered with the smile of someone who was well versed in giving that answer automatically.
“I realize this comes at quite an unfortunate time, but I was hoping to run into you. I'm afraid I will not be much help at the clinic for a while. I did not want to leave without a word, but staying any longer seemed unwise.”
no subject
"...So you aren't fine," she said. She ran her eye over him--he looked tired, strained, but she wasn't sure if he was hiding an injury. Or, more to the point, a transformation... his face looked clear enough, but she wasn't so sure about the rest of him. "Are you injured, or have you been affected by the curses that are afflicting people?"
So far, she had avoided coming in contact with the corrupted wish seeds, but she knew many had not been so lucky.
no subject
"I am not injured." That much he can say honestly, but her other questions? That was a little more complicated. He's still smiling at least, apparently relieved by her direct response.
"My powers have not changed, and there's been no physical transformation. However, the plants are responding more unpredictably than they have been. It takes a great deal of my energy to control them now." Which would explain the overall exhaustion. Green eyes lowered to his arms before continuing, but there was no evidence of plant life growing from them at the moment.
"I am not certain of the cause, but I imagine it has something to do with that creature that arrived outside the city at the beginning of the month. It seems to be getting worse since then, I will need time to figure out what can be done and rest, that is all."
no subject
"I think you must be right," she said. "The beast outside the city got hold of artifacts from someone else's world--and its power infected them, and through that, is infecting many of us."
She looked at her healing staff, propped in the corner. It was useful for physical wounds, but against ailments, sickness, it was no good. Still... "What kind of symptoms is the connection with the plants causing? Maybe we can figure out how to make it easier for you to bear."