Shameless IC permissions post plugging

[caduceusoncall]

Who: Mercy (caduceusoncall) and OPEN!
What: Practice! Meet the doctor, if you haven't!
When: IC dates May 1st-3rd
Where: Medical Bay
Warnings: Medical talk may come up!



i. May 1st-3rd; practice makes perfect

[The good doctor is less absorbed by books and more focused on patients these days. She's put out the call for others to show up so that she can practice her new skill, as well as update Strange's charts. It makes her a little nervous, still. What if it doesn't work on someone? What if she discovers some anomaly she's not prepared for? What if nobody shows up anyway?]

[Angela puts those thoughts aside as she hears someone enter.]

Greetings. Here for a scan, or is something else troubling you?

[ooc: this is the ic post for mercy's scan permission post, so that we can have an interaction over the scan if you want! feel free to handwave the whole experience by just filling out the form, but if you'd like to talk to mercy or if something unusual would happen during the scan, feel free to respond here! please go here and fill out the form there! if anything abnormal would come up now that wouldn't come up normally, specify that in your reply to this post!]

Comments

[meowna]

I'm not a cat! I just..... look like one for now. In this form.

[The denial is immediate and instinctive; he at least makes an effort to soften it, realizing that there's no way Angela could know better.

Sighing a little to himself, he eyes the exam table; it's not that much worse of a jump than getting onto the counter. There's a bit of a running start, a solid leap--he scrabbles a little with his back feet, and probably messes up any paper that was laid down there, but manages to pull himself up without much trouble.]

[caduceusoncall]

Oh, apologies. There is a wolf here who speaks, I thought you might be in the same general category.

[Perhaps this was a user of transformation magics, or a victim of a magical mishap? Questions for another day, most likely. It feels kind of rude to ask for clarification, somehow.]

[She reflexively reaches out to catch Morgana when he starts to scrabble for purchase, but is relieved to see that the gesture isn't necessary.]

The scan will only take a few seconds. I just need to hold my hand near your body and cast the spell. It will read back your vital signs and any outstanding injuries or illnesses. If you are comfortable with this, we can begin when you are ready.

[meowna]

Well..... I haven't met him, so I can't say for sure how alike we are. But I have two other forms, and one of them is too big to show you on a table like this.

[Morgana turns around and sits down, tail curling neatly around his feet.]

Um, at any rate, go ahead whenever you want! I'm a healer myself, so I know how important it is to get the hang of new powers as soon as you can.

[caduceusoncall]

[Angela nods, holding her hand over Morgana's shoulders and taking a cleansing breath. She's no veterinarian, but so long as she gets a reading that vaguely matches Strange's records, she'll be satisfied.]

[At the very least, there's no injuries or illness present that she can sense. We'll assume the vitals are good and that Morgana's not actively dying.]

You are a healer as well? Are you primarily magic-focused or are you a medical professional?

[Who knows how it works in other worlds. Maybe cats could be doctors. Maybe Earth was weird for having cats as house pets when they could be performing surgery.]

[meowna]

[His Proficiency level is high enough that he might be able to learn surgery, if he needed to--after all, he can pick locks, fix cars, and teach people to make complex items like bombs while a cat and having no thumbs. Who knows how accomplished he could be in his mascot form?]

You'd probably consider it magic. It's actually more of a psychic thing, though.

[caduceusoncall]

[Angela lets her hand drop (resisting the urge to pet Morgana - it seems in poor taste) and picks up her network device to cross-check her findings against Strange's notes.]

I wasn't aware there was a difference between the two. Of course, I only started learning about magic when I arrived here. My knowledge of either field is severely limited.

[Greatly expanded, compared to when she started, but still pretty basic. She puts the phone away and smiles at Morgana.]

Everything seems in order with your health, by the way.

/poof, now he's an exposition fairy

[meowna]

Good! I figured not much could change in that short a time.

[He makes a little thoughtful noise, one leg coming up to scratch at his ear. How to explain it to someone who doesn't know much about either field? It isn't like he exactly knows much about magic himself, but..... well, he'll do his best.]

Okay, so, magic is a way of affecting the world concretely that's beyond our understanding of natural laws, right? Psychic abilities don't influence things in the real world in a way that can be seen with the naked eye. You could be able to see into the future, but that by itself doesn't change anything, right? It's what you do with that knowledge that could change your fate.

[Hi, Chihaya~ ♥ Morgana holds up a paw.]

But! The rules are different when you're not in the real world. There's another world alongside our own that most people never know about or set foot into, one that's purely made up of everyone's minds coming together to define a reality all their own. I call it the Metaverse--a subjective world made out of the subconscious thoughts and feelings of the public. A place where thoughts and feelings are more real than reality itself, because your mind makes them real. In the Metaverse is where psychic powers really come to life. You can do all kinds of things there!

I'm not sure exactly why, but in this world, I can do things I can usually only do in the Metaverse, like heal people. Or do this!

[Poof, now he's a mascot~]

[caduceusoncall]

[Angela listens intently, nodding where appropriate. It...makes some amount of sense. As much sense as a concept as abstract as mental landscapes and manipulation of sub-realms beneath the surface of the physical realm can make. She resolves to look into this field next.]

[When Morgana transforms, she jumps a bit. She's just not expecting it. Resisting the urge to call his new form adorable, she offers a smile.]

I see. It sounds as if psychic powers are partially an extension of intention, which is how magic works in this world from what I understand. That may explain why you do not have to access this "Metaverse" in order to use your powers here. The two realms are perhaps somewhat merged in this world.

Can psychic powers be taught, like a skill?

[meowna]

It's not always intentional, but that's a good way to look at it! I was thinking the same thing; these Fissures impose different a different kind of reality on this one. That forest especially seemed like it could have been a place where the real world and the Metaverse overlapped.

[Morgana is somewhat quieter at the question, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.]

Well..... that's a little harder. New skills can be learned, but my friends and I are able to learn and use them because we've awakened something called a Persona. In my world, I'd say it's probably impossible to teach someone who doesn't have one..... but in this world, the rules seem different enough that I think it could be done.

[caduceusoncall]

A Persona? As in an identity other than your own, or something less literal?

[meowna]

A Persona is the spirit of rebellion you hold inside your heart--the powerful will that enables you to face life's challenges head on without losing hope. It's the inner strength to fight back against the entire world for the sake of your ideals--to even defy fate itself, if that's what it takes to stay true to yourself!

[Just..... ignore that dramatic pose on top of the examining table. He's completely ridiculous.]

It usually manifests as some sort of mythological trickster--a rebel you could personally identify with and admire.

[caduceusoncall]

I see.

[Of course, Angela can't help but wonder what - or who - her Persona might be if she had been born in Morgana's world. If she would even have one. She'd like to think she presses on despite it all, but modesty forces her to question whether or not it's to a fate-defying degree.]

[She smiles faintly.]

Perhaps you could teach me some of your tricks one day, then. Personally, I have been studying various forms of healing magic that focus specifically on accelerating the mending of flesh itself, rather than ones that call upon external forces or deities. While this is effective, it's hardly efficient. The wound will still take time to close and heal, from what I understand.

It could be useful to have a spell that works more quickly or completely.

[Or at least one with a less scientific approach attached. She's starting to get the feeling, through using this new spell, that intention and instinct matter more in casting and controlling magic than understanding every tiny facet of the spell's function.]

[meowna]

It all comes from you, not some other force or god; if you use those sorts of powers too much, you exhaust yourself. But sure! I'd be glad to help, especially if it makes it easier to take care of people around here.

[Have an exaggerated side eye and a mock conspiratorial tone. Healer woes, right?]

Some of them seem reckless enough that they'd need efficient healing, after all.

[caduceusoncall]

Thank you. Er, I don't believe I ever asked your name? Apologies. I have been doing that a lot lately. I have been too eager to practice.

[She smiles apologetically.]

And yes, it seems many here are...less than adequately concerned about their personal well being.

[meowna]

I heard there's even a guy that can't get magically healed at all. Oh, but that's okay! My name is Morgana. Nice to meet you!

[He offers her a paw to shake; may as well, if they're introducing themselves properly.]

[caduceusoncall]

I am thankful my healing is both technological and magical, then. Typically I use my staff, which uses medical nanobots to seal wounds in the field.

[She doesn't have it with her, but she'll show you some time if you want. And technobabble at you until your head spins.]

[Angela accepts the offered paw awkwardly and gives it a politely firm shake. Her hands may look delicate, but her grip is fairly strong.]

But! I am Angela, or Mercy, if you'd prefer. It's a pleasure to meet you, Morgana. I look forward to working with you in the future.

[meowna]

[He probably won't understand most of the technobabble, but..... he'll try, at least? It's the least he can do, trying to learn technological methods of healing while he teaches psychic methods.....]

It's always good to have options, especially in a place like this. I'm sure we'll make a great team!