Public channel; late Day 5

[fourthscribe]

So...seems there's quite a bit I've missed. Would anyone care to fill me in?

Ah, right. Tanyuu Karibusa, make up artist, for any newcomers that don't know me. I've been back in my homeworld for a while, but I didn't realize how long I'd been gone here. Something of a problem with inter-realm travel.

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[fourthscribe]

I'll be over there soon, I'm by the lake right now.

[Time to slither her butt on over!]

[...goddamnit, Ginko.] Well, it has only been Zecora there for a while.

[dontpokethat]

...Right. Now it's, uh...

[Might as well just get it over with.] Zecora is gone. We do have... at least one new person in medical, though.

[Hi, Herbert.]

[fourthscribe]

She left? That's...I see.

[Tanyuu would have liked to bid her farewell before she went, but...such is life.]

At least we aren't completely unstaffed. Have you let them know about the mushi?

[dontpokethat]

Not yet. There's, uh... there's a lot more than that to think about right now. I'll tell him once some of this is... resolved.

[fourthscribe]

...I see. Well, so long as we don't lose our incense supply again [FOSTER] it shouldn't be too hard to handle ourselves.

[scientificist]

What shouldn't be? Herbert West, previously mentioned new medic. I do have the ability to concentrate on more than one problem at once, Ginko, as you should well realise. Animal keeper.

[fourthscribe]

Ah, good to make your acquaintance. Mushi are creatures unique to mine and Ginko's world, and are very largely spiritual in nature. Not everyone can see them, but they can have a physical effect on the world, especially in large numbers.

Ginko unfortunately attracts them as a natural part of who he is, and so we use incenses to help ward them away. Infestations still happen occasionally, and the cures tend to be a bit less...hmm, scientific in nature, I suppose.

[scientificist]

[Spiritual invisible things. It's...Herbert is trying. He doesn't want to be the magical equivalent of ancient people refusing to believe bacteria existed.]

Possibly it isn't the time to go into further depth but I will require further information about these mushi eventually. Could you provide me with an example of one of these...unscientific cures?

[fourthscribe]

[That he tries is all she asks. Besides, it's hard to get skeptics to really understand until a treatment is actually needed, most of the time.]

I would be happy to explain more at a later date. And one I can think of off-hand is the cure for Un. They're a rather common type that cause deafness by infesting one's ear and devouring all sound, but can be driven back out with application of a saline solution.

[Spoilers, the little buggers look like snails and slugs.]

[scientificist]

[This sounds like...some sort of old natural remedy for a middle ear infection. Is that what it is, maybe? But Ginko can apparently see these mushi... A hypersensitivity to minutia, manifesting as hallucinations in regards to noticed infection without an obvious source? If so, Ginko manages it well. That would account for his "attracting" them.

He needs further information.]

If they're unique to your world what makes them a problem here? Ginko can "attract" them across the multiverse?

[fourthscribe]

Actually, yes. Even within our own world, mushi can drift between several realms, as they are not fully connected to the physical. It was still a surprise to us that they followed us here when we were first hired, though. It was quite a concern at first, since usually remaining in one place longer than a week would cause the mushi to swarm to the point of affecting an entire village, but the amount that find their way here is low enough that the incense keeps them to a manageable level.

[scientificist]

I see.

[This all just. Sounds so fake, Tanyuu. But he HAS seen magic. He's going to make an attempt to stay as open minded as he possibly can.

Which isn't much but at least there's effort happening instead of dismissal. Invisible spirit beings are easier than gods, for instance.]

And what is this incense you keep mentioning? What is it composed of? Is depleting your supply something that commonly happens?

[dontpokethat]

Yeah. And that, uh... hopefully shouldn't happen again.

[He's got a LOT to explain once they're face to face.]

[fourthscribe]

It had better not.

[Okay, deep breaths, Tanyuu.]

I'm almost over there, I'll see you soon.

radio -> action

[dontpokethat]

Right.

[He stays put until she arrives, resting an elbow on the table he's sitting at and tapping his fingers idly on its surface.

When he sees Tanyuu coming in, though, he stands up, ears perking up despite his overall state - which, simply put, isn't great. Fortunately he's at least changed clothes by now, so he's not particularly gross, but this is not a man who has been getting enough sleep, or even chances to relax.] Hey, Tanyuu.

[fourthscribe]

[Tanyuu had expected some amount of wreck with Ginko--even with her around he'd still managed to needlessly work himself to the bone--but the sheer extent of it raises her alarm as she hurries over, antennae lifted forward and twitching anxiously.]

Ginko! You look worn to threads, what happened?

[dontpokethat]

Um... a lot. Things went pretty badly wrong in the last world, and we're... still dealing with the aftermath. [More specifically:] Several people ended up afflicted with a type of magic venom; we don't have a cure yet, but a bunch of us have been working on finding one.

[fourthscribe]

Oh, gods...

[Fully closing the distance, Tanyuu reaches out to rest her hands on Ginko's arms, looking up at him with concern.]

Were you afflicted? What are the effects?

[dontpokethat]

[Ginko stays still where he is, not pulling away or freezing up the way he tends to when most people touch him. It's no surprise from Tanyuu.]

No, I wasn't. Those infected have been fatigued, nauseous, often hopeless... at this point, we're pretty sure that's an actual direct effect, not just a result of their situation. And many of them have had body parts turned to stone. The Ringmaster has enchanted them to be able to move, at least.