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 Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2022 11:08 am
Perceived mysteries were common place in her line of work. There wasn't a shift that went by that didn't have at least one head scratching moment that required a little more attention that the others. Yet this evening was somewhat different...a seemingly healthy young man had collapsed. Comatose, completely non-responsive, and yet capable of breathing. He had no physical injuries that the doctors in the ER could identify and when all else had failed he had been sent for numerous scans to determine what might be wrong with him.
A CT Scan among other things had been one of the last 'hopes' of the doctors. Outside of tests for toxins and a few other elements that may cause such a reaction, all of which were beyond the realms of her expertise, the radiographer's job had been to try and determine what had happened. Frustratingly the scans had come back and she had reviewed them, found nothing, and promptly sought out a second opinion from her colleagues. What had been a second opinion soon became a third, fourth and so on until the majority of those on duty had been consulting the opinion among all of them was the same.
Physically there was nothing wrong with this man.
The CT Scans had turned up negative, for all intents and purposes the scans couldn't identify any anomalies within any organ and for the most part his brain seemed okay. That didn't necessarily mean it would remain that way, but Margo couldn't fathom how an individual could be fine one moment and then simply colapse the next. If he had been prone to narcolepsy then there should still have been a degree of neurological activity, something that would cause enough of a shift in one of the many tests that had been run... and yet there had been absolutely nothing.
With no answers forthcoming the unfortunate soul had been taken back to the ward for observation with direct instructions to the nurses to alert the nearby on-duty doctor to any changes in condition. For now the young man was stable, but there was no one within her professional circle that believed this would remain that way permanently. An individual needed to eat, they needed to drink and they needed to sleep properly to heal. As this individual could do none of that, the currently 'healthy' body would begin to diminish and they hadn't even discussed the rammifications of a largely inactive mind.
...The comatose rarely recovered well, if at all.
However the 'comatose' generally had something that she could see.
It was difficult not to dwell on this as she waved towards her colleagues and indicated that she would be taking her lunch. Granted 'lunch' was a bit of an odd name for a meal break taken at 2am, but what else would you call it on a night shift? Perhaps with a full stomach she would be able to think more clearly, even if the cafeteria wasn't a place for deep thought or musings. Alas, such was the life of a soul on nightshift and after she had selected her meal she did find a rather isolated spot where she could take a seat and at least enjoy the view as she pondered.
Company within the cafeteria was sparse at this time of day, and with weary employees scattered intermittently throughout (most dozing in their seats), it was safe to assume that Margo would be left very much to her own devices as she twirled her spoon idly in her yoghurt and sighed softly. At first, she spent the better part of five minutes peering down at the bustling traffic beneath her, but her tired eyes soon found the harsh lights a little too trying and she shifted her focus elsewhere.
It went skyward.
It seemed that the odd light shows above their heads had begun to fade. With odd weather both day and night over the course of last few weeks, she did have to wonder if perhaps it might be linked to that? Rare as it was, there were some individuals who were sensitive to such things. That being said, surely they would have been on the radar since childhood rather than manifesting in a perfectly healthy adult?
Her gaze flicked towards the moon and she pursed her lips, one hand supporting her chin as she rested her weight against the table.
No...it couldn't be that, right?
It seemed too improbable and something so odd would have had conspiracy theories running rife online and most likely in the media. The planetarium nearby would have at least published something if there was anything significant beyond 'pretty' about this type of thing, and she surmised that if anything medical had been noticed then they would have been briefed in some capacity already. So what was she missing from this equation?
As a woman who didn't necessarily believe in magic (though she thoroughly enjoyed dreaming about it), she wasn't about to surrender to the possibility that a witch was wandering about cursing poor souls here and there. However if she and her colleagues didn't get to the bottom of it soon then there was no telling what the long term damage to the patient would be.
"Come on..." she thought, a gentle murmur within her mind. "You've had complicated patients before, their answer is out there, you just have to find it..."The Space Cauldron Patient with no starseed! ;-; I figured this would be a good segway and something she could pursue later plot wise once she connects some dots!
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Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2022 7:02 pm
Hope was a powerful tool. A weapon, when it needed to be, and a gateway. Margo might not have believed in magic, but she believed in an answer, and she hoped to find it. Except, the only answer she’d find was through magic. One second, she was on Earth. The next, she stood in a relatively small room. The walls were white and, and maybe at one point in time there were pastel colors on the walls but they seemed to have faded. Behind her, an open arch that lead into a long, empty hallway. There were no decorations. No furniture. No windows or doors. Just a single, floating orb that hummed with magic. It hovered above a pedestal in the center of the room. It was made up of a million tiny specs of light that swirled around in. The light was warm, and safe, and– Watching her. It had no eyes, but there was an acute sensation of someone standing before her. And then, between one still second and then next, it spoke. “How badly do you want to find that answer?”
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Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 3:42 pm
At some point between entering the cafeteria and sitting down she had fallen asleep. That was the only reasonable explanation for this particularly scenario given she hadn't imbibed in anything she shouldn't have, and she hadn't struck her head either. This was the approach Margo had taken to explain how she had come to be in an entirely different area, with an entirely architecture and decor to the hospital.
If not a dream, then what else could it be?
It was quite unlike anything she had ever dreamed about before though. None of her favoured fiction was typically geared towards strange corridors and disembodied, talking orbs. At first she hadn't heard it clearly, it had been a peculiar hum to her, but as she turned to face it and focused properly on what was in front of her, she came to realise that it had said something.
In fact, it was referring directly to her conundrum.
Was this the equivalent of Einstein having the apple smack him on the head for gravity? While not a comparative discovery by any means, the rather unusual manner in which she had fallen into her slumber did pose the question as to whether or not she should play along. Epiphanies under pressure could be hard to come by and to look a gift horse in the mouth would be foolish.
She drew nearer though. If this was a dream (and she was rarely one for nightmares), then this would be safe. Whatever, or whoever stood there, and she was almost certain someone was meant to be there, then they wouldn't be there to kill her.
Either that or things were about to go south really quickly.
When she got closer though she couldn't help but stare at the pedestal and, well, whatever that was on it. The orb might have been floating above it, but why would someone set a giant tablet at the end of a seemingly endless corridor?
"It's not a question of whether I want to find it, it's imperative that I do," she replied gently and clasped her hands delicately in front of her. "If we don't manage to find out what's wrong with him, we might never be able to wake him up and he'll simply waste away," she added.
A gentle pause.
"That isn't an end anyone deserves," she finished and peered at the orb, curious as to what it was supposed to be and represent. She wasn't much for dream books and psychology but she was rather intrigued that her mind would pick this...
"Do you know what's wrong with him?"
Worth a shot.
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Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2022 9:48 am
“I do,” it answered matter-of-factly. “But knowing what is wrong with him doesn’t mean you’ll be able to fix him. It isn’t a question of skill, it’s a matter of not having the right pieces.” The orb continued to swirl, and a fine mist of light specs danced around it. It looked whimsical, peaceful. Almost sad. “You might call it a soul, that’s how humans have always interpreted it. I don’t know everything, and I can’t without being there, but from all that I have seen and felt, I am still certain that he is missing his. We call it a starseed, a tangible manifestation energy. Of life. Usually, it’s protected. But, there is a force on Earth capable of drawing that out of a person, taking it. If they’ve gotten their hands on it, the probability of saving him are improbably slim. You’d have to find the exact starseed and return it to his body, and you’d have to do it before his body withers.” It was quiet, letting this sink in. “I can feel how badly you want to save him. It’s why I noticed you. You have a good heart. A strong starseed. If you’re going to go after his starseed, or try to protect any others, you won’t be able to do it on your own. You need help. You need power.”
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Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2022 1:07 pm
It sounded fantastical, ridiculous to some and completely outlandish. A declaration from a floating ball of light that something upon earth possessed the ability to rip the soul from a body. It was a concept that certainly appeared in numerous books, but the monsters under the bed were supposed to be just that, they were supposed to be something that dwelled in imagination and nothing more...Yet in her hospital there lay a man without his 'heart', and by extension, couldn't exist without it.
This was not the epiphany that she had been expecting. If this really was a dream then she could do little more than shake her head. Now was not the time for her imagination to run wild, to lose itself in whimsy when she was trying to find an answer. However if this was the reality, if this was the answer, and by extension she had found herself in the position to help then surely it would be remiss of her to ignore the offer?
...If this was the answer and she ignored it, if she turned her back and doubted, then that would doom a man to an untimely end.
"If monsters are real then I doubt any smack of a broom will fix it," she agreed softly. "But if it does exist, then I don't want anymore people to have the very core of who they are snatched from them," she admitted.
"If I were to try to find it, how much time would I have?" she asked. "How will I know if I find the right one?" She added.
And as a finality.
"And how much will this hurt if I say yes to your offer?"
It might have seemed like a rather ridiculous question, but she had seen her fair share of power exchanges and there were some that didn't look like they were terribly pleasant.
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Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2022 9:11 pm
“It isn’t a curse,” the Code said. “It’s a responsibility. Accepting it doesn’t hurt. But it is a duty. If you accept, I will give you the power to be more than you are, to achieve more than you could on your own. There is a rising Chaos on your world, and I don’t know that the warriors we have are enough to fight it. The Negaverse is a sickness, a plague. They draw energy from Metallia, who seeks to corrupt all. She would absorb all strength into her own. She is a sickness to the universe and to herself. Her army is blinded by her influence.” The Code gave her a moment to let this sink in. “But that is where the good news ends. I don’t know how long you have to find the starseed. Maybe a few days, if you’re lucky. But it’s impossible to tell if you’ve found the right one. There’s no identifying one from another. If it has a body to return to, the starseed will find its way. If it is too dangerous, or if there is nothing left to return to, it will find its way home. To the Great Cauldron, where all souls are restored and reborn.” Another pause, because this needed to sink in. “But, you will have a better chance if you trust in me. I will ask only two things of you. If I give you this power, you must promise to use it justly. You cannot use it only for yourself, you must be willing to help others. Though, I doubt that will be a problem for you. The second thing, that you will help me protect this world. The Moon Kingdom fell, a long time ago. I don’t think it will ever restore to its former glory, but there are many powerful places here. If Chaos made its way here–and they might yet, they are very close to us–I will need people to help me defend it. I will ask that you take time here, that you visit and restore the Wonder I grant you. And, as you do that, you will grow stronger. It’s a great responsibility. But, I think I can trust you with it. I think you could do good things with it.”
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Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2022 1:23 pm
It was a lot of information to take in. It had all been concise information, or at least as concise as a glowing orb of light could be. Understandably it came with yet more questions, all born from the explanation that had been uttered. However what the Orb had done was answer the question and provide her with an answer she really hadn't wanted.
...In the end, the probability of her succeeding in restoring that poor man to health was slim to none. She didn't much like her odds, but if there was a sickness on Earth that they couldn't see or touch, that modern medicine couldn't cure yet, then it would be foolish of her to ignore the opportunity to make a difference, right? In the end, that knowledge could save countless lives, that power could save them, and perhaps in time their own medical advances could catch up.
A century ago she wouldn't have been able to hear.
In another century, maybe they could preserve someone for long enough to restore their soul?
"I do what I do because I want to help people get better," she murmured gently. "And if this can help better than what I have now, then that's what I need," she replied.
"It sounds like my chances aren't very good for this one, but that doesn't mean I can't try," she added. "it isn't over until it's over," she pointed out with a half smile.
And she would try.
"If I need to look after something for you, in order to look after everyone else too, then that's exactly what I'll do," she confirmed with a curt nod.
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Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2022 11:13 am
For a moment, the Code seemed to watch her; with no eyes, it was a strange sensation. Warmth filled the room, filled her. It was like she had an ethereal, unseen audience, and they were all rooting for her. “I was hoping you’d say that.” Maybe it already knew she would. Before her, a golden lantern hovered. “Take it,” the Code said. Things were still, frozen almost, until she did. And then, power gathered in the air, like something tangible waiting to embrace her–and it did. It crackled in the air, welcoming and accepting. It absorbed into her, it changed her. The sensation was pleasant, if not briefly overwhelming. The light drenched her, faded–and in her stead, a Page of the Moon. “Serenitatis.” A name. A place. “Page of the Moon. It will be the source of your power, and you will be charged with protecting it. I will take you to it, so you can see your namesake. So you can understand what it is. Maybe, what it was. What it can be again.” The orb shifted, churned. A smaller bubble melted off of it and floated towards her, but the greater piece seemed to lose no mass, no brightness. It was the smaller glowing light that spoke this time, softer. “When you are ready, reach out to me. My magic will take us there. Take your time. There is no rush, not here.”
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Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2022 12:28 pm
A warmth, a strange sensation as something swept across her very form and replaced her normal attire with something altogether more delicate. SIt made her smile just a touch and perhaps it was foolish to any who might be used to this, but she felt a little like Cinderella. Gone were her grubby and tired work clothes to be replaced by something more akin to a princess. Okay, so it wasn't as extravagant or impressive as any ballgown out there but it was princess-like to her and that was what mattered, right?
She gazed down at the lantern in her hands, warm to the touch, and with the ever glowing flame within. It seemed to have been intimately connected to the dress that now adorned her, to the delicate slippers that now cupped her feet. Though she didn't entirely understand it, something at her very core told her that this golden lantern was something she needed to keep very close. She needed to keep it safe.
A relic, perhaps?
No sooner had she returned her gaze to the glowing orb than it spoke again, bestowing a name upon her that she did at least recognise in some capacity. Wasn't that a crater or something on the moon, or at least wasn't that what any ordinary human would recognise it as? At the very least there was some degree of familiarity in that, even if it was revealed to be something rather different to what humanity thought it was.
"Serenitatis," she repeated quietly, blinking slowly as the small bubble came towards her.
A dress, a name, and now an introduction it would seem. She reached her hand out towards it and took a deep breath. She wouldn't lie, she was curious as to how this would go. Would it encase her in a bubble and shoot across the moon's surface towards an altogether different location, or would she simply find she materialised elsewhere in much the same fashion as she arrived here.
"I'm ready." She confirmed.The Space Cauldron Annnnd now I shall swing by and make the second one. <3
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