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[ Milyn isn't often on the network, preferring to interact with people in person, and her presence on the screen today seems small, more so than her petite appearance normally accounts for. Nonetheless, she makes an obvious effort to recapture her normal bubbliness, although it's tempered by the news she must deliver. ]

Hello, dears. I'm afraid I have some unfortunate... well, no, that seems rude, to call them unfortunate, even though they are -- not that it's through any fault of their own, of course! -- but unfortunate... hm, disadvantaged? No, that sounds even worse. Afflicted? No, they're not... well, they are, but that's another issue entirely. Or it may not be a completely unrelated factor, but that's what I'm hoping to determine.

Coincidences, I just doubt those terribly. Coincidences are never good for anyone at all.

[ She looks momentarily stern, like she'll show those coincidences just who's boss, and then she remembers that, oh yes, there's still information she needs to share. ]

What I mean to say is that I have some news you may not want to hear, and I'm very sorry for it, but that's how it goes sometimes.

Yesterday, I had several kedan who came to my clinic with extraordinary tales. Well, most of them had injuries, you know, that's also why they came. I do like hearing extraordinary things as much as the next person, but I'd hardly expect to be someone's first stop for them if they weren't injured. Although that'd be rather flattering, when I think about it? Oh, yes, the others.

They've all been attacked, very similar to the attacks the Foreigners have been experiencing, and I've been so worried about all of you, how am I supposed to help all of you??

[ She takes a deep breath, as though realizing that she's not actually holding a face to face conversation, and attempts to get herself back on track. ]

None of them are too seriously injured -- seven of them, there's seven -- but they've all… well, they've got the same jewels as the Foreigners do. All of them, they woke up and discovered soul gems next to them. I can't tell any difference from the ones these seven have to the ones all of you appeared with when you came back from the Dreaming.

The other thing, and this goes back to the afflicted part, you know, that I was speaking of earlier, the one I'm not sure whether it's a coincidence or not, but it's really just so strange if it's not one, but all seven of them have come down with that nasty little virus that's been going around; we call it zhyris. Anyway, there's been a fair number of cases, especially in the Wood and Water districts, but not all of these folk were attacked in those Secto--

Oh yes, that's right. They were attacked, so I made sure to ask them what they remembered, I wrote it all down.

[ She looks pretty pleased at that, actually. Look at how helpful she can be to all of you. ]

In any case, on the chance that the zhyris does have anything to do with this, and because it is contagious, I've quarantined all seven of them in the Healer's Guild. Raine was a wonderful dear who let me sequester everyone into one of the unused wings at the Guild, and I'll be looking after them until I can determine just how they've been affected. I don't know that it's safe for any Foreigners or other kedan to come in contact with them yet, so please -- I know I'm not Evastelei, I do miss her quite a lot, and I don't know much of anything about magic. But you'll just have to trust me for the moment, I hope you all can do that. Just until I get this all sorted out.

Please?

OOC: Please be sure to read the entire OOC post that goes with this before replying, thank you!

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[Man, she misses her twisty chair right now. She would so be spinning in it, waiting for Milyn to finish. As it is, she changes position at least three times, waiting for the end of the rambling, twisting a rock idly into a variety of different shapes. (Honestly, given that it's Toph, it's kind of amazing that she waited, but. That's another matter entirely.)]

Couple questions. Mostly just making sure I heard you right.

You say they've all got this virus thing, which I'm not even going to try to say. You say other kedan have had it too, though -- ones who haven't ended up with these gem things. So about how many? And does it go away after you've treated it?

[Still toying idly with the stone, passing it from palm to palm.] Did those seven have the virus before or after they got attacked?

Also: They were all knocked out somehow when they got attacked? Any of the Foreigners who've come to you for healing after attacks, too -- did any of them not get attacked?

[Her hands still.] Last question: And if you're so worried that Foreigners might catch this virus thing, why worry about quarantining these new guys when there's already been cases in at least two sectors?

A number of kedan have the zhyris, but yes, all of these seven do. All told, I've seen more than fifty people at my clinic, although I can't speak to any of the other places of healing in the city. When the symptoms abate, there are generally still traces in the person's system for another few weeks, although it's not contagious to anyone at that point.

All of them had already had the virus insofar as I can tell, although if they managed to contract it between being attacked and waking up, well, I just can't speak to that much bad luck for one person!

All of them said they were knocked out, yes. Well, Pazann said he lost consciousness due to his injuries, which I suppose is different. End result was much the same, though.

Foreigners seem more resistant to the zhyris, for some reason. I haven't gotten enough blood samples to really put together more of a concrete hypothesis as to why. As for quarantining them, I agree it'd be much more practical to ask the Foreigners to stay isolated, although you can imagine how well that would go over...

Not what I was asking on the last question. If you've already been treating at least 50 cases of this zhyris thing and you already know Foreigners are resistant to it, why keep Foreigners away from this new seven on the idea that they might catch it?

Because sweetling, "resistant" is not the same as "immune", and I can't risk that one of you catching the zhyris might do something to your soul gems as well. If something happened to one of you, I don't know what I'd do. I can't fix you if something goes wrong like that!

Do us both a favor and leave the patronizing at home. Eshai loved it, and I think her henchman underguy did too, and it's boring. And cheap.

[Her tone isn't angry, but it is pointed. They say Milyn is different. But Toph has only ever known Eshai's tactics, and isn't about to hand over her trust to someone who, to her, is perceived to come from the same set.]

What do you mean, to your soul gems as well? Because one, being careful like that means you know it could do something to gems. And two, if you know it could, that means you would have had to see it on gems other than ours.

Edited 2015-05-21 15:20 (UTC)

[ Milyn's voice is soft. ]

His name was Evandau, and he was an Emperor as well, Toph. Just because you were not here for it, doesn't mean you should disrespect what happened.

No, it means that I fear the possibility of it happening. Precaution is as much a part of medicine as treatment.

But to answer your not-thinly veiled accusation, I've never seen soul gems other than the ones the Foreigners have, and now these kedan.

[Better. The directness, at least, she can deal with.]

I'm not disrespecting anything that happened. I'm not respecting two Emperors who didn't give us respect. Who talked down to us. Who wouldn't tell us anything they didn't want to. But who were still glad to drag us out of our lives and let us deal with their world's ostrich-horse poo. Titles don't mean anything.

The rest of the stuff . . . less accusation and more making sure you're not holding back. Your timeline was off. You don't see a virus break out and immediately think, "Oh, it might attack soul gems." Something makes you think it might.

Titles may not, but I've done nothing to earn being spoken to like that.

Please come and speak to me when you've remembered some manners.

[ Milyn will end the feed. ]

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