fried | pc ♠ wiš'adel

You're not now, no.

[ but he thinks it's funny that she's chilling here like a cat that is like don't fucking pet me but i'm hanging out in your space. ]

... How was it on the other side?

Oh, they were all losing their minds about it. It was a real pain to listen to.

What about you? Appropriately bored?

It would've been better if it were boring, for once!

[ugh. disgusting.]

...that Uruha guy said you thought something happened to him.

To - oh.

[ a pause. ]

Yes. My suspicion was that he was mara-struck.

So saying he just did it out of boredom wasn't normal for him, was it.

It was not. He... seemed tired. More than normal.

[ kinda sloth like, even. ]

What does being 'mara-struck' do to you?

It's a disease.

Denizens of the Xianzhou Alliance are long lived. Foxians often do not reach the age it takes to become mara-struck - our internal organs shut down long before that.

But for the others... mara often inflicts victims with inexplicable bloodlust and violent tendencies. The brain can no longer store any more memories. Only the most vivid and extreme memories remain, which usually consist of negative emotions. Regret, grief... or extreme pain, most typically.

It manifests differently in different people. Some go insane. Some struggle to hold onto their sense of self before finally letting the vines take them.

Wait, wait, so you think this disease still got him even though we're dead?

[her tail lashes. great. love that.]

I came here with my injuries. I don't think it's out of the question.

But - I don't know if that's the case. I haven't had the chance to ask.

...ugh. Figures even death doesn't get us out of this shit.

[ glances over at her. ]

Us?

[ curiously. ]

Yeah, us.

[after a second, she casually pulls up the right sleeve of her jacket, showing him the three lines of black crystalline growths on her skin.]

Because if your theory's right, I'm still Infected.

[ oh, wild. okay, well - he squints at her arm from where he's sitting, ears laying back a bit. ]

Infected with what? [ this is the healer in him sneaking out. ]

Oripathy. But it wasn't that close to killing me, as far as I could tell.

... And with any luck, it won't.

Is it similar to being mara-struck?

Not really. We don't get it from long life or anything, we get it from exposure to Originium or to Infected blood. Or dying Infected, if you're really unlucky.

[her tail swishes a little as she explains.]

Throwing up blood's when you know you've got it for sure. You're fucked as soon as that happens-- no need to go get checked. Then you get these.

[a gesture to her crystalline growths.]

They say it's mostly in the blood and organs and whatever, but eventually, it'll probably take out this arm.

... And there's no cure?

[ frowning so very much at this, actually. ]

No cure. We have suppressants, but that's it.

[ silence, for a moment. ]

You won't want to hear it, but I'm sorry.

You're right, I don't.

[a little huff.]

...it's just a fact of life at this point.

So is being mara-struck. It's a symptom of age.

[ ... ]

I'm glad to know it. And I'll be asking the angels if my theory is correct. I hope I'm wrong.

I might as well see if they can tell me whether the Oripathy's still infectious.

[with a wave of her hand-]

At least now you won't freak out if you ever see my blood.

[ he will if he sees it at trial ]

Mm. I do anticipate having to do some sort of medical intervention for you at some point.

(no subject)

sarkazm - 2025-02-18 01:21 (UTC) - Expand