etraya | un: butterfly

Is my room a good enough place? Can look like you're just visiting or something.

Perfectly alright. Tell me where it is, and I'll be there shortly.

[she sends the information over.]

And thank you

[To Shadowheart's mind, this is the exact sort of aimless do-gooding that is almost always more trouble than it's worth. But she has nothing pressing to take care of and, well, a favour offered on her part is a favour owed on someone else's.

And maybe she ought to try more aimless do-gooding.

She shows up at the specified location, big white dog trotting along at her heels, his tail wagging slowly.]

You never know, boy. Maybe she'll have a treat for you.

[She knocks.]

[Maria feels ridiculous for being so nervous about this. part of her wishes she's imagining everything and this person will come over, telling her actually she wasn't sick. thanks for wasting her time!

but she knows her score.

when she opens her door, she's trying to hide how anxious she is and it's easy to do that when she sees the dog. never did she think she'd become a dog person but she was starting to.]

You brought a friend with you? [she opens the door to let them in.] What's his name?

Scratch.

[She demonstrates by reaching down to scratch behind the dog's ears — she assumes he got his name because he loves getting his ears scratched — before walking inside. Scratch woofs happily and looks expectantly up at Maria, waiting for her to pet him.]

Have you got any reason to think this illness is magical in nature? Or the result of a curse? [She doesn't much see the point of small talk, and she's not very good at it anyway, so why not dive right in and deal with the reason she's here.]

[Maria happily pets him and scratches at behind his ears, smiling. honestly she needed this before talking about why they're both actually here.]

Not to be rude, you seem like someone who isn't going to go around gossiping but...you aren't right? A girl has to have some mystery.

[and only three people know about what she is.]

[Scratch leans his head into Maria's hand, thoroughly enjoying the attention.]

Words I've spoken near-verbatim myself on occasion. [She offers something not quite a smile, not quite humour, not quite understanding. Perhaps something that's a little bit of all three.] Your secrets are safe with me.

[Shadowheart is many things, but someone who shares other people's secrets is not one of them. She knows what it is to have something about oneself that must not be told.]

[she is petting Scratch as she thinks over her answer. she doesn't want to go into the whole thing. and who even wants to hear the whole thing?

she stands straight and then speaks up.] It's a long story and I won't bore you with it but that woman I was talking about? I was created to... let's call it, "replace" her. Chances are I'm getting her sickness, too. It's complicated but I've already died three times. I'd rather not die slowly for the next three years.

Edited 2025-01-17 11:01 (UTC)

Created? By a god, or by magic?

[There are all sorts of ways to create beings that approximate one of the sapient species of Fearûn. Spells can create illusions or simulacrums, necromancers can raise spirits and bodies from the grave, and gods can, of course, do all sorts of things beyond even the most powerful of mortals. If this woman is not, in fact, the human she appears to be, this might be more complicated.

It will be especially complicated if there's a god involved.]

If you were spun whole cloth out of nothing, there's no guarantee my magic will work on you.

Depends on who you ask. Some would probably say it's a god. Not me, though. Magic sounds too pretty for it but I guess that's the closest thing to it.

[it doesn't surprise her, though, that this may not work on her. honestly that's just her luck and she shrugs.]

If it doesn't work I won't be surprised. That's my lot. But can't blame a girl for wanting to try, right? Can't just sit around and do nothing.

[No, she can't blame a girl for wanting to try. She herself has been trying to find someone capable of dealing with her own medical condition since her arrival, despite how unlikely it is that anyone here would have that sort of power.]

I'm going to start with a spell to cure disease. If this turns out to be more complex than that can handle, I have a few others I can try. And if none of them work... I'm afraid you'll have to keep trying, though I doubt there are many more healers here more powerful than I am.

[She touches Maria's shoulder and whispers the incantation for lesser restoration, a simple spell that ought to be able to cure just about any mundane disease. A soft blue light curls around her, which she channels into Maria's shoulder. And, as she does, the holy symbol of the goddess Selûne — a pair of stylized eyes surrounded by seven stars — briefly writes itself in blue light in the air between them before fading.]

Feel any different?

[she respects the honesty. Maria has been used to her lot in life and she's not expecting it to get any better. but it's worth a shot. what else was she supposed to do?

Maria doesn't know what to do but stay absolutely still. she holds her breath because what else should she do? she doesn't move an inch but she is surprised by seeing magic because there isn't anything like that where she's from. though she can't say she feels anything and she shakes her head when asked.]

I feel the same. But I don't know if I should know I'm experiencing a miracle right now. Well, miracle compared to where I'm from.

More of a miracle than you might think.

[Given that Selûne has precious little reason to grant Shadowheart access to magic, it continues to surprise her that the goddess has not yet seen fit to withdraw her favour.

She frowns.]

I'll try a spell to remove curses next.

[She repeats much the same process as before as she casts remove curse, though the incantation is different, and she has to draw on more power from the Weave. Once the light dies down, she tilts her head, regarding Maria curiously.]

And that? Did that have any effect?

[she isn't sure what she should be feeling. what should feel differently. doctors hadn't known what was happening to Mary and so, whatever was going on with Maria (a much more cursed version of the illness) was just as mysterious.

but she does feel like there's a sort of difference. Maria has always felt strange. there was always darkness and heaviness surrounding her. coming here, it wasn't as overwhelming until she had started coughing. the darkness inside her creeps again, now that she knows she has not escaped what Mary could not either.

whatever Shadowheart did, she does feel lighter but something tells her it isn't gone.]

There is...a difference. It feels less smothering? [she winces at her own word choice and tries again.] Maybe I'm making myself believe it...[she sighs.] I'm a mess. I'm sorry. It isn't like there's rules or a science to what I am. It doesn't feel like it's gone but like it's been...pinned in place? Does this even make sense?

I suppose it's a good thing I'm not a scientist, then.

[It does make sense. Shadowheart's own condition is "pinned in place," held in a magical stasis. The downside of which is, of course, that the stasis could break at any moment.]

I think I know what you mean. A disease's progression can be halted. Sometimes that lasts forever, sometimes it's merely a temporary reprieve. If that's the case, enjoy what time you have, since it could return at any time.

[There's that bedside manner again.]

[she's really okay with Shadowheart's horrible bedside manner. used to it with someone else honestly. it doesn't phase her.

and if anything, she's just grateful she got the help at all.]

Thank you for whatever time you did give me. It was very nice of you. I have no skills at all but is there anything I can do for you...?

Consider it a favour owed.

[Perhaps she ought to let it go, make a go at pure altruism and simply feel glad to have helped someone for no reason other than to have helped. Some long-dormant part of her likes the idea, but her pragmatism tells her that even someone with no skills can come in handy, when they're in one's debt. But that long-dormant part of her prompts her to say:]

If you feel it worsen, do let me know.

[She whistles for Scratch, who bounds over to Maria in the hopes of receiving a few more pats, and turns to leave.]

[she had thought that this would be a one-time deal and it is obvious she is surprised that there was an offer to help again. she nods.

Maria had been solemn until Scratch comes to her and she smiles, offering the dog more attention. happily.]

Even if it's just helping out with this one, I'll help you. A favor owed, like you said. I'll remember this. I'm good at that.

un: butterfly | text

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