Bzzzt.

[socryptidshescryptic]

Who: Sarah Zellaby and Open!
Where: Around the city
When: October 20th
What: Sarah is a giant wasp. And also a telepath.
Style: Use what you're comfortable with.
Note: Please fill out her permission post if you haven't yet since it's pretty important here.

[This is the first curse Sarah's experienced, and it's not a comfortable one. Even beyond the fact that she's had her body suddenly changed to look like an Apraxis wasp of all things, there's the fact that unlike some people she's managed to set up her device to show, she can't still talk. At least she's a telepath, which does lend her some options when it comes to these things.

For those who are susceptible to her active telepathy, they'll think they see her walking towards them, looking like she usually does when she looks human, and opening her mouth to ask a question.]

Can you tell me a little about the curses in this place?

[Those with defenses -- natural or a random result of the weakening the coral does to her powers -- will just see a wasp the size of a shoe buzzing around.]

Comments

[zelda_hylia]

[For just a moment, Zelda feels like she saw a large insect of some sort... but the feeling is gone after a moment. Her own telepathic abilities are something she's still working on, and since Sarah isn't trying to actively invade her mind and is just projecting an image, she falls for it.]

Yes, of course. What do you already know, miss?

[socryptidshescryptic]

I haven't been here very long.

[Sarah creates the impression of shoulders rising and falling, doing her best to remember precisely what the human body looks like but letting Zelda's own understanding carry it's weight in her mind.]

I've really just seen them referenced, is all.

[zelda_hylia]

[She looks distracted for a moment before launching into an explanation like she usually would.]

I see. Well, the curses here are caused by our connection to the coral. On Sundays at midnight, the mark we bear may glow, and that indicates the start or end of a curse. Their effects vary widely, from physical transformation to emotional instability to the environment around us changing. They are not lethal, but they can be quite distressing. Some documents we have uncovered indicate that an emotional response may be what the scientists here are looking for, but it is uncertain if that is their main focus.

[socryptidshescryptic]

An...emotional response? Do most of the people here from various worlds appear to have a similar emotional range, in your observations?

[That seems like an easy enough question for people to answer, right? Anyway, Zelda seems like she would know. She's speaking with authority.]

How many scientists are there here? Is it possible they're divided over what to study?

[zelda_hylia]

[Zelda doesn't know how to speak with anything but authority. It's a habit that sometimes gets her into trouble.]

Actually, the emotional range is quite varied between species here in Vatheon, particularly when it comes to the Alternian trolls. They even have romances based entirely on feelings of mutual hate. It can be a surprisingly productive relationship.

[Nothing quite like trying to improve yourself to piss off your blackrom. Fated rivals indeed!]

As for the number of scientists, I'm afraid we don't know. They keep to themselves for the most part. Judging from the size of the complex on the island, there are quite a few.

[socryptidshescryptic]

Mutual hate? Productive, maybe...

[ And Sarah's highly skeptical on the maybe. She can't see that that sort of thing would do much beyond make it very tempting to make then not hate her. And that would certainly not be productive. ]

But it seems inclined to make people miserable.

Where are they? I haven't been able to find them.

[zelda_hylia]

They keep themselves separate from us, unfortunately. You may see Carol posting on the network from time to time, or you may see the Head Nurse in the clinic - but that is all. We haven't seen most of the scientists in person. They have us at a disadvantage, I'm afraid.

[Zelda holds her hand out.]

My name is Zelda, by the way. I do apologize for rambling on.

[socryptidshescryptic]

They have to live somewhere, don't they?

[Sarah's reasonably sure she could fake the feeling of a handshake from Zelda's own memories, but it seems...complicated, when she can't really hear what Zelda's thinking for feedback.]

Sarah Zellaby. It's nice to meet you.

[zelda_hylia]

[Once again, it feels for a brief moment as if something is off, but Zelda's memories fill in the gap before she has time to think about it too carefully. Besides, she has explaining to do.]

Yes, I'm sure they do live somewhere - but we are enclosed in a barrier. They could be viewing us remotely from outside of it.

[socryptidshescryptic]

Have they even been seen inside of the barrier?

[zelda_hylia]

Very few of them. Only Dr. Alpha, Carol, and the Head Nurse. The doctor has since gone missing. It was implied that we will not be seeing him again.

[She's taken it as a cautionary tale. Best not get too close to Carol or she'll end up like the doctor!]

[socryptidshescryptic]

How long ago was that? And do you know why he went missing?

[zelda_hylia]

Goodness, it's been months now... over half a year. Apparently, Dr. Alpha was a bit too close to us for the administration's taste - "us" referring to foreigners pulled in by the coral, of course.

[Does Sarah want an exact date? Zelda will have to pull out her handy dandy notebook for that!]

[socryptidshescryptic]

[Over half a year is fine for now.]

What did he do to be close?

[zelda_hylia]

He stayed in the clinic down here, for one. He also was responsible for getting us the elevator to the island, apparently.

[Matthew let Zelda view his SFC, but she obviously didn't have time to see everything. Still, she had seen the video of Alpha promising to let them see the sun.]

[socryptidshescryptic]

What's the limit of what the others have done? Just...experimented on us?

[zelda_hylia]

Yes. The Head Nurse also treats people if they visit the clinic, but she doesn't emotionally engage with anyone. I think that may be the difference that counts.

[The Head Nurse seems almost entirely emotionless. It's eerie, really. Zelda feels strongly enough about it that Sarah would be able to pick up on that feeling.]

[socryptidshescryptic]

So if I visited the clinic I could talk to her.

[See how deeply her lack of emotional engagement ran.]

[zelda_hylia]

...yes, if you wanted to I suppose. I would not advise it. When one of the young trolls mouthed off to her, she took his ability to speak.

[Zelda's been bothering Thalassino instead since that incident.]

[socryptidshescryptic]

She took his ability to speak?

...How is that so different from some of the effects of the current curse?

[zelda_hylia]

It is not, other than the fact that we have no idea when or if he will regain that ability. The curses always end after a week, it seems that's how long they need to regain their data. If they are doing it just for fun...

[She trails off. If they start hurting people for fun, they'll be in serious trouble here.]

[socryptidshescryptic]

I see.

[ They clearly have the power either way, it's just how they're choosing to use it. ]

Can I talk to, well, see, him?

[zelda_hylia]

Eridan? Ah, if you would like. I've never spoken to him personally myself.

[She just watched every unfiltered conversation on the post the nurse made! Hilariously enough, Darkleer called her out on it - expected it of her, even. Whatever, it saved him some time explaining things.]

[socryptidshescryptic]

I guess it's just a general concern for the scientists' power you have, then?

[zelda_hylia]

Quite. The amount of power required to pull all these people here and control them so thoroughly... it's certainly something to be feared.

[And studied. Until the threat can be neutralized, though, she won't try to confront the scientists directly.]