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Who: Angela Ziegler (

valcurie) & Anemone (

winddaughter)
What: A young girl comes in for a medical consultation. Sounds simple enough.
When: The afternoon after Mercy was contacted.
Where: Thesa Station
Warning(s): Probably body horror? Medical stuff too.

( Arriving about half an hour before the appointed time, Mercy takes this time to set herself up a bit in the canteen. She grabs herself a cup of tea--black and bergamot based, just like what she was used to at home, when coffee was too much and before she found herself elsewhere in the world--and cracks open a new notebook to jot down some of her thoughts about the young woman who asked to meet her. She had come across as skittish, self-conscious, and definitely afraid of something. In light of what Mercy'd seen among the other refugees recently, there's a niggling suspicion on her mind which she cannot dismiss: that this is more than a general fear of doctors. Anemone may have a justifiable reason to be scared of someone even remotely like whoever may have subjected her to experiences which were unspeakably traumatic.

If that is the case, she will just have to try to do what she can for the girl. Already what she intended to do, but she would truly exert herself to give her the care which she deserved.

Closer to the appointment, she gets herself a fresh cup of tea and continues to write, though every so often she looks up to see if there are any pinked-haired girls who might be looking for her. She also tucks her hair back behind her ear, crosses and uncrosses her legs, and dusts imagined bits of dirt off her pristine white suit.

When she sees Anemone, she will, instead of standing up, smile and beckon her over with a conscious wave of her hand. Not getting up to greet her seems like the best choice. She can still leave, if she wants to. Mercy won't force her to meet with her against her will. )

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( At the beginning, Mercy's interested. Then, when the girl across from her starts to actually emote, she becomes immersed, her attention absolutely rapt as the story begins to unfold. Although it's an utterly alien version of Earth's history compared to what is her own, it's not something she finds completely discountable from the start. Unlike tales of gods and creators and plagues with fantasy-esque names. There is a very familiar human element in it to which she can relate.

Of course, when she speaks of lifeforms merging, the story starts to sound like fantasy too, but not for long. It occurs to Mercy that there's a very likely scientific explanation for this: whatever that merging involved, it involved a restructuring of their human hosts on the most fundamental of levels. Something has altered her DNA. If it's unstable, that would account for her symptoms, and a whole slew of others she might not even know of.

Mercy's hands go stiff in her lap. If not for the thickness of her gloves, she'd be drawing her own blood. Slowly, she unclenches her fists.

Though Anemone may be looking away, she keeps a calm gaze trained on her. She speaks very deliberately. )

I am sorry that they forced you to fight. That they exploited you in the way that they did.

But...I may also know what's causing your condition. Though whether I can fix it here, with what I have available to me...I will do my best. However, this may involve having to study you. Would you give me permission to do such?

[She doesn't blame the Scub Coral for anything. Probably if they shaped her into a Coralian, she'd be fine. But it was humans that did this to her, and that disgust for those people will always be with her.

...

Nothing takes the wind out of her aggressive sails like the word study. She winces. She was always being studied. That was how they kept track of how she interacted with the Scub while fighting, they observed her--they hardly sat down and asked for her opinion about her well-being. They didn't care, she was just a weapon to be pointed in a direction, and after she was no longer useful to them, well...]

...I recognize the difference. That you're trying to help. But... [But.] I don't know if I can stomach being studied anymore.

( But, she understands. Gently, she leans in towards Anemone, placing one of her hands gently on the table. )

Would you be all right with me monitoring your condition, then? And any progress you may be making, with check-ups, and some tests. Only the ones that I really need to give you.

[It's refreshing to have an option. To not be forced into the only solution that may or may not be Anemone's livelihood. She's not used to it.

This? This is something she thinks she can agree to.]

Yeah. I'd be alright with that.

( Well, it's the least she can do, isn't it? Give her agency. Especially when Mercy's somewhat unsure of she's actually going to be able to do, besides her best. The practical answer--and what will do the least amount harm--is to address this by a combination of working with the skills she's confident of, and to gain the co-operaiton of Anemone. Otherwise, there is no point in pursuing possible treatments. )

Super. ( The German word for it, expressed with such feeling it goes right through the translator. After taking a moment to write down the gist of the important details, Mercy does something a bit odd: she takes off her left glove, and begins to remove the white nano-weave armour fit so snuggly to her skin. )

Now, the treatment I was telling you about? I actually give it to myself everyday. To heal me, but also to help keep my cells healthy. It is in my suit, if you'd like try it?

I... still kind of want to see it, first? [She's not sure how she feels about that sort of thing... in her?] And I... [Find herself in an odd point.] Would prefer having someone I trust with me if I try it. ...Um. No offense.

Well. ( what she can do is take out a small amboule from her bag. it is filled with the rich gold of her serum. she sets it on the table, indicating that Anemone may pick it up and touch it if she wishes. )

I can't provide the person you trust, of course, but here. You may also see its effects on me presently.

[She does pick it up to look at it, because there is that part of her that isn't scared that this will be another one of those things in her life that takes a turn for the worst. She's interested in new things like this.]

I can... call someone later. [There's options. Junpei would, of course, hands down, but she doesn't really want him... to know about any of her problems. Akechi is vaguely aware, but that makes him even less of an option. ...Rhys though. Loathe as he might be to be called it, is probably the older of the people she's gotten close to, and that should help, right?

She's just not sure if he'd agree. She's awfully good at keeping people at arm's reach.]

( And, if she does become scared or overwhelmed, Mercy is here to offer a hand to hold. )

Would you like to schedule another appointment then? We could consider this a consultation.

( Smiling, now, she places her glove and sleeve on the table, just in case, and folds her hands into her lap while she waits. There is no need to hurry this decision. )

[This woman is too nice for her. She really doesn't know what to do with it. Accept it eventually, one day, maybe.]

I-If you don't mind. I'd hate to have wasted your time, but I... [She chews at her lip a moment.] Needed to meet you first, before I asked on anyone else.

[She looks like she wants to say more, but she doesn't seem worried, she's simply trying to process her thoughts. And there's caution.] If I was able to get the medication I used from home, would you be able to study it? It was an injection. [And for the first time, as she's been very careful to hide it, she moves her hair from the left side of her neck to show the injection port.] But I don't think it... would be good for me here, even if I had it. I'm just a bit interested to know what it was.

( It would be nice, of course, but Mercy won't push for it. However, she does need a basic level of trust to get the co-operation she needs to actually help Anemone. )

No, of course not. Getting a consultation first is fairly standard procedure. A good relationship is based on trust. You needed to know if you could work with me. I could say the same.

( At the request, though, her head tilts and she gives it a moment's consideration. It would help her understand the girl's condition, no doubt about it. She's just not sure if she can promise it in a timely manner. ) Yes. I am also interested in knowing what exactly it was they gave you. It may take awhile before I could get any conclusive results, but I would be glad to do it.

Okay. If you say so. [She nods.] That's fine. I'm not sure if they'll be able to get it for me, but they seem open to requests.

[She thinks about timeframes.] I could probably reschedule next week? I want to be able to give time for the person I bring to figure their own schedule out. My job is at least relatively flexible with its work.

There's no harm in asking, of course. And I figure you won't just go giving it to yourself.

( Smiling again, she starts to put her arm bit and glove back on. It only takes her a few seconds to reassemble herself when she's put her mind to it. ) Of course. In the evening, then? I'm afraid my daylight hours will mostly be taken up.

[She might give it to herself under different circumstances, but she hasn't... needed to fight, so she hasn't needed that extra focus. And even then... the thought of having it again makes her uncomfortable.]

That should be fine. We'll make it work one way or another. [She won't run away from this. ~~Probably~~.] I can... call you?

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closed

and i thought it was bad ~99% of my canon's material is non-canonical

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sorry, I've been sick!