[Video | Action]

[hypoxic]

[Video]

[Fitz had intended to send this as a private message to Dr. Foster, but a sudden onset of dizziness and blurred vision meant a text message was out of the question. Video would have to do. He'd remembered to set the privacy settings, hadn't he? Probably.

He addresses the network with a bleary expression, glassy eyes rolling up into his head until he blinks to train them back into place. His skin is an unhealthy pallor, ghastly white with a rash of dark splotches tainting the deep bags under his eyes.]

Doctor Foster... I, ah... The samples from the tunnels? I've been performing analyses, and I've reason to suspect that they aren't quite safe... They react terribly to human DNA samples. It's... I'm not a strong enough biologist to reach a proper conclusion, but some sort of degeneration appears to be taking place.

I also think it might be in our best interests to quarantine off the remaining sediment. The dust has been... It's...

[He grimaces and clenches his jaw, bowing his head for a long moment. He doesn't finish his thought, jumping over to a different one instead.]

Would advise against further reconnaissance trips to the tunnels. At least until we've had more time to study.

[He clumsily gropes along the keyboard next. One of those button presses probably manages to post it. Probably.]



[Action]

[Those who thought the darkness was limited to the subterranean levels of Wonderland might be dismayed by a certain scientist's decision to bring a cursed object onto a higher level. Fitz, believing fully that "cursed objects" were silly superstitions, saw nothing wrong with the idea of bringing it topside for testing and discovery. That was before the illness struck. Now, there's just pain. Pain and... some kind of faint melody. It's too distant to make out yet, a soft buzzing at the edge of his thoughts.

After leaving his message, he abandons the lab entirely, with the intent to return to his room on the fourth floor and sleep until the illness breaks on its own. He's underestimated the frequent onsets of mystical pain, though. He'll most likely be a huddled lump of a person curled against a hallway wall, shivering despite a critically high fever.

He'll still argue any "taint" or "curse" talk, though. It's probably nothing that antibiotics can't cure.]

Comments

video;

[abelmedic]

[From the moment the video starts, Maxine has her finger over the button to reply. Whoever's sending it looks like hell, and she can't begin to imagine what exactly is wrong with him until he starts talking. And keeps talking. And after one zombie apocalypse, that's enough to have her responding promptly, worry furrowed around her eyes and between her brows.]

Are you telling us you brought a biohazard up into the mansion?

video;

[hypoxic]

[He blinks down at the shifting images onscreen. Oh, had he...? That might be problematic. ]

P-potentially. It is my hope to keep this an isolated incident, however.

video;

[abelmedic]

-okay.

[Deep breath. In. Out. Time to take a trust fall into the arms of the closet-issue hazmat gear.]

If you haven't set up containment protocols yet, you're gonna need that next. Plus, you really look like you could use a doctor. Where are you now?

Re: video;

[hypoxic]

I've sealed away the matter retrieved from the tunnels. Ought to -- um. Chemical shower. That'll be a slower process -- experiencing some debilitating symptoms at the moment.

I'm at Doctor Foster's lab, on the fourth floor. But don't feel obliged to seek me out. I've not yet determined how this is transmitted. Not certain if it's infectious.

[video]

[wriggedywrecked]

What the fuck did you do.

[video]

[hypoxic]

[Oh dear, the American. This is fairly high up his list of "Do Not Want".]

In the last few hours? Mostly coughing.

[video]

[wriggedywrecked]

Are you fucking telling me that you brought some goddamn toxic cursed bullshit into the fucking mansion? What the fuck is wr-wr-wrong with you! I-It was staying contained to the fucking tunnels and you brought it here? Holy FUCK!

[video]

[hypoxic]

Curses aren't even real things. I'd thought you at least would be able to see through that rot.

[He'd be rolling his eyes it if wouldn't make his eyes feel like they were exploding.]

[video]

[ttlynotabloodmage]

[Jowan mightn't know much about the Deep Roads or the darkspawn, but there's one thing that he'd have thought everyone knew about the darkspawn, which was don't let their blood get into you and generally be careful unless you wanted to catch the taint and die.

But apparently thinking everyone knew that was a bit of a mistake here, since by the look of it there was at least one person who hadn't gotten that message. Still now's probably not the time to point that out too much, since well... it's not like there's really any cure for the taint, right?]

You should find a healer. They won't be able to do anything but they could make the passing faster for you.

[HELPING.]

[video]

[hypoxic]

[He squints. He must have heard wrong. Probably the fever talking.]

The "passing"?

[video]

[ttlynotabloodmage]

Well there's no cure for the Blight. Usually they just... make it faster, from what I've heard.

Sorry. I wish I could tell you something different.

[wait, there might be something he can offer...]

I do have a sharp knife though, and I know a little about that sort of thing. I could make it quick.

Re: [video]

[hypoxic]

Rather cavalier about death, aren't you?

[Probably a side effect from being here too long.]

If there's no cure, then we'll just have to find one. Tell me what you know about the symptoms. How much worse is this going to get?

video;

[circlejerked]

_{[Oh boy.]}

This can't be happening... Did you really bring things riddled with the taint above ground to try and study them?

<sub>[Here stands at least one Grey Warden grimacing into his camera.

Inwardly, he resists the urge to put his head in his hands at how unbelievably bad the people of Wonderland are at self-preservation. Though he'd been spreading what warnings about the darkspawn he could, he understands it isn't feasible to educate people on hundreds of years of history in a few days. Still, Anders would think "don't go into the dangerous caves with the contagious sickness" would be rather obvious in the long run.]</sub>

You poor bastard.

_{[The pitying observations slips out unthinkingly. He knows that pale, sickly look and it never ends well.]}

video;

[hypoxic]

[Oh, good. Superstition. That's always a conversation worth having.]

We brought underground samples from the tunnel system in the interest of uncovering a means of escape. This illness is a temporary setback.

[He dissolves into a fit of coughs soon afterward, though.]

[circlejerked]

Those tunnels don't lead anywhere except into darkspawn warrens even in the real world.

<sub>[Anders could have told him a pale imitation of them conjured up in Wonderland's backyard definitely isn't going to get anyone anywhere. The only thing this accomplishes is spreading the taint on the surface more quickly. So thanks for that, Fitz. Well done.

Pointing out a man's mistakes while he's on the verge of becoming a ghoul is a bit crass, however. He releases a barely audible sigh instead.]</sub>

"Temporary," yes... _{[Hahaha... ha...]} Do you have anyone with you? This'll get worse before it gets better, I'm afraid. It's called the Blight sickness.

_{[And it's fatal. But though the taint might kill him, Wonderland has the power to revive him. Maybe. Possibly.]}

[hypoxic]

If they were brought here from your world, then there's a high chance that they lead somewhere wholly different. We can't know if we don't try.

[Rubbish superstitions, the lost of them. It's just a means of making people too frightened to ask questions.]

How much worse? And in what ways? It might be beneficial to know what form these symptoms will take.

video.

[ingenii]

( The background shows that Miranda's still in the tunnels - and surrounded by all of that black substance he's talking about )

How do they react?

video.

[hypoxic]

[At least she's taking a scholarly interest in his materials instead of just shaming him for some arbitrary superstition.]

Seems to be some kind of... Corrosion to the human sample. It's most likely not safe to touch. Do take care about covering yourself properly.

[ingenii]

Hopefully my shields will hold up.

( She doesn't want to test that but she may be lost in tunnels that were definitely not friendly looking )

How quickly does it corrode?

voice.

[cutenug]

You brought tainted materials into the mansion?

[ leliana bites her tongue around the words how foolish. they are too harsh for this moment, and won't help at all. ]

There is no cure for the Blight. Many have tried--are still trying to find a cure and haven't succeeded. It is possible the Grey Wardens here could accept you into their ranks, but it is a temporary stopgap. I'm sorry, but the taint will eventually kill you.

voice.

[hypoxic]

I brought a sample into the mansion for study.

[He had no idea it would send a pack of apparent cultists so far out of shape.]

If there's a disease, then there must be a cure. [--and there's the word again.] Perhaps those "Grey Wardens" might be able to offer more of a constructive explanation.

voice.

[cutenug]

Did you not think to ask people who know about this before studying it? We could tell you much.

[ leliana huffs quietly. ]

What a lovely world you must be from, where every disease possible has a cure. But the Blight is not a disease. I know of no disease that can taint things that aren't living.

video;

[onetruemorty]

Oh jeez, you're not lookin' so hot. [ Yes, that is the perfect opening statement to offer to strangers. ] Y-you might wanna back off from the science stuff all the way, uh, until this whole thing blows over, you know? Or, or get someone to take those samples back underground and all.

video;

[hypoxic]

[he tries to smile weakly.]

No.. I suppose I'm not. Sorry to trouble you with it. I'd thought I was sending something less publicly.

The way things are looking, "the science stuff" might be the only solution. But I might sign myself up for a week off following this.

Thanks for worrying.

video;

[onetruemorty]

U-uh. No problem? I'd say go for the vacation for sure, though. I mean, there's always time for it. Science gets way intense sometimes. Boy, but y-you'd probably already know that by now. You just, you never know when something's gonna have a bad reaction with human DNA these days.