Rebel 3 [Action/Written]

[not_meatbuns]

[After weeks of being with the Malnosso and then being under the influence of experiments afterward, Litchi had almost forgotten the sheer strain the Boundary is starting to put on her. But with the experiment over, the Malnosso influence gone, and everything returning to relative normal, it's back. And it hurts.

The coughing has gotten worse. Before, it wasn't nearly so frequent, and even then, there wasn't always blood coming up. Today, there are fits of coughing. Her handkerchief is already flecked with blood by the time she makes it to the plaza clinic in the morning for her shift.

For a while, the feedback quiets down. It dulls from a loud buzz to a muted hum. The coughing stops. The flashes of sight from timelines not her own stop.

But then, as she's walking to one of the examination rooms to replenish some supplies, it hits full-force. She staggers sideways into a wall as the violent coughing seizes her. The buzz of feedback noise rises to a roar. The clinic floor tiles shift and blur into a city street, a sewer, marble, the hallways of Sector Seven. The wave of dizziness grows until she suddenly realizes she's fallen to her knees... her vision is swimming in and out of focus but she thinks she can see blood flecking the floor before her... and just as a whisper of "I'm sorry, Litchi" reaches her brain without going through her ears, everything goes black. She crumples to the floor, completely unconscious, breathing ragged and shallow.]

[Written | 20% Locked away from Taokaka, Noel Vermillion, and Relius Clover]

[It isn't until much later in the evening, after she's been nursed back into the world of the living, that Litchi writes. When she does, her handwriting is shaky but still legible.]

One thing I have noticed in my time here is that, for all our differences, our worlds are all very much the same. Even those things which we seem to think make our own worlds unique seem to exist somewhere with someone else.

I have a question for everyone. And any help at all would be greatly appreciated.

In my world, we have a place we call the Boundary. It's [Pause. A wider space than necessary appears here.] a lot of things, really. But to keep it simple, it's a source of immense power and knowledge. A colleague of mine theorized that it contains the ultimate truth. In any case, normal humans cannot be exposed to its power for long. It breaks down the body and the mind until there isn't anything left.

I've been trying to find a cure for that erosion for many years. Convential, traditional, and even magical medicines can slow it, but can't stop it altogether, let alone reverse it. They treat the symptoms, not the disease.

If anyone has anything like this in their world, or has found a way to stop effects like this, please let me know. I'd forever be in your debt.

[[ooc: Yui will be finding Litchi, then any doctor is free to jump in to help. ♥]]

Comments

1/2 [Action]

[bigsiskonagi]

[Yui was asked to go and find Litchi since she forgot to take an item with her to restock one of the rooms.]

Litchi-san, you forgot the-

[Action]

[bigsiskonagi]

...!! [Yui drops whatever item she had been holding and rushes over to where Litchi had fallen.] Litchi!? Litchi-san can you hear me!?

[She checks her pulse for a moment, and then gets up and moves back to the doorway] I need some help right away! Dr. Litchi seems to have fainted!

[Action] here we go!

[geniustheveil]

[As soon as she hears the noise and commotion, Ami hurries out to find Litchi and Yui. She startles visibly, and all but runs the few steps between them.]

What happened? [She takes Litchi's wrist for a pulse as her starting point, unaware that Yui already had, and looks at Yui for her answers.]

Were you there when she collapsed? [Start from the beginning, Ami. Get the relevant information.]

[Written | Private Filter]

[rageface]

[Ragna sees her written explanation, and he instantaneously begins to wrap his brain around it. Especially considering what happened between the two of them because of this kind of thing, it forces Ragna to take a bit of action here. He buffs up the filter a bit (around 60%), and makes it private between the two of them. Considering Litchi didn't use the voice function, Ragna won't either.

When he finally writes, he does it slowly.]

What happened?

[Written | Private Filter]

[not_meatbuns]

[It takes her a long while to answer. It's really hard to admit to what happened. She's terrified and weak, but she knows she can't keep this hidden from him.]

I'm running out of time. The Boundary is getting too strong.

[Written | Private Filter]

[rageface]

[That doesn't sound right. It was supposed to have disappeared, wasn't it? There was no way she could have been in Luceti for so long without a second incident--

But she left Luceti for a period.] It's back. [That's all he writes for a moment, considering what else there is to be said on the matter. It's a delicate one. Especially between the two of them.]

Something needs to be done.

voice

[handmotions]

Can't say I've heard of either of those before.

[Although Litchi's story does get him thinking a bit. ]

I'm a little interested in the Boundary, but you need to get that treated immediately. I'll help you in any way I can.

written

[not_meatbuns]

[She'd answer back in voice, but hers is hoarse and weak and. Well, it's just easier in the end to write.]

Thank you. I'm trying to find a treatment for it that will do more than just relieve symptoms rather than the cause. Hopefully something will come up.

voice

[handmotions]

[He replies back into voice because he's not really used to the Journal yet. Had nothing like this back on Gran Pulse. It will take some getting used to.]

Hopefully.

It sounds like it could get serious if you leave it alone for too long.

written;

[catbro]

[He frowns when he reads the message. It isn't too surprising, but there is little he knows that can help. Boundary research...he doesn't even want to go near that place, let alone investigate it.]

If you need help I can ask around too.

written;

[not_meatbuns]

[Part of her is seriously wondering if that's really Jubei answering or if she's seeing through parallel's eyes again.]

Any help would mean a lot to me. I'm not sure what else I can try.

written;

[catbro]

No problem. Stay calm and don't push yourself. I am sure we can find help for you with the town and the Malnosso.

[He wishes there was more he can say. But the Boundary's effects are not exactly something so easily cured.]

[written]

[frost_jewel]

Is it all right if I stop by to talk about this, Miss Litchi?

[written]

[not_meatbuns]

Of course it's all right. I'm still at the clinic if you want to come by.

[She imagines she'll be here for a good long while still.]

[written]

[frost_jewel]

Thank you. I will be there this afternoon.

[Not knowing, in one way or another, that Litchi is a patient and not just working.]

[Written]

[whydidisaverick]

I'm not sure there is anything like that in my world. Or if there is, I haven't heard about it.

[Which is problematic. It doesn't seem like time is on this lady's side.]

...but do you think you could explain more of this to me? I would like to try to help out if I can. It might not mean much, but my name is Dr. Robert Bruce Banner. Back home I'm a scientist. Though I specialized in gamma radiation.

[Which probably won't be TOO helpful in this case, but the man is pretty smart in a ton of other things too so. Also, he's kind of read/heard about Litchi, but he doesn't know if they ever introduced themselves formally or not.]

[Written]

[not_meatbuns]

[She's sure she's heard the name before, but it's really hard to tell what belongs to what timeline. After a pause, she just decides to roll with it.]

It's a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Banner. To be honest, I'm not the most familiar with any form of radiation, so your input would be very helpful. Is there anything in particular you'd like to know more about?

[Because there's so much she could go on about.]

[Written]

[whydidisaverick]

There is actually. This Boundary. Is it sort of like another plane of existence entirely? A kind of "other world" maybe? What is it?

[If it's even explainable that is. But he figures he should find out as much about it as he can.]

[Written]

[tellmejohn]

Greater details, please.

[Written]

[not_meatbuns]

About the Boundary, you mean? There's quite a lot to cover.

[Written]

[tellmejohn]

I'm sure.

If I intend to help - and I would like to do so - I will require more details, however.

[written]

[herd_effect]

[Willock's never heard of such a thing--it ranks up there with a bunch of other phenomena that sound more fitted to the pulp science fiction of his world than anything--but curiosity has him picking up his pen and writing a reply.]

So the symptoms have carried over into Luceti and have continued to worsen? Even though you're no longer being directly exposed to this?

- Dr. E. Willock

[written]

[not_meatbuns]

Yes. Luceti has slowed the erosion effect, but it hasn't completely stopped.

[Voice | Under the same filter]

[semper_cogitans]

[...

Writing feels too impersonal for this. And he doesn't want to spend the time necessary to form the letters his compulsion demands.]

... D-Doctor Faye-Ling...?

[... What does this mean...?]

... Are you... are you i-ill...? Because of this... Boundary...?

[Written | Under the same filter]

[not_meatbuns]

[Part of her wants to answer back by voice, but it's far too hoarse. She can't worry him any more than she's bound to have already, or any more than telling him what's going on will do. Writing for now.]

I'm afraid so, yes. I have been for a long time, to be honest, but I'm certain there's a cure. [There has to be. Somewhere. She knows there are versions of herself who have escaped it.]

I'm sorry, I never meant to worry anyone.