text | un: j.jones

[hardedged]

[ jessica jones needs a goddamn drink.

she's read over the network, reviewing each and every post in a desperate frenzy to uncover the truth. this plague — it's hit her hard, not physically but emotionally. the infection has spread to someone close to her, and she has no idea what to do.

she hates feeling so ... helpless. ]

i need answers. this epidemic. it's more than just some flu. it's knocking people out. putting them in a goddamn coma.

nothing is working. not water or food or medicine. i don't give a damn if this involves science or magic bullshit. just tell me. how the hell do we wake them up?

Comments

{ Text; @potentia.regere }

[earlofphantoms]

{ Vincent doesn't have it within him to ignore a lady in distress. His sometimes overly cool countenance might come in handy during this epidemic. }

Be patient. They may yet return to us.

{ A part of him thinks a coma is preferable to them being dead. Though not by much. }

Are you alone? I would suggest you surround yourself with friends.

[hardedged]

[ friends — it's such a comical remark, yet she can't bring herself to laugh. jessica jones has no friends. it's how she's carefully constructed her entire life. ]

patience blows

[earlofphantoms]

{ Friends can be dangerous liabilities, but in times like these, they are infinitely helpful. }

What we cannot do, we must wait for another to do for us. I know you will bravely keep watch over the afflicted.

[hardedged]

[ she's not brave, far from it. ]

bullshit. i'm tired of waiting.

[earlofphantoms]

Might I suggest a distraction? Would you like a drink?

[hardedged]

[ well, he sure knows the way to her heart. ]

doubt you have anything strong enough

[earlofphantoms]

You never know and at least you wouldn't be alone.

I promise, I'm not the sort to take advantage of anyone.

{ Ha. Ha. Ha. }

[hardedged]

i'd shove my boot up your ass if you were

[ hilarious. hopefully, she's just joking. (spoiler alert — she's not.) ]

[earlofphantoms]

Really? I've never had someone do that to me before.

{ Vincent, stop. }

[hardedged]

trust me, dumbass, you don't wanna find out

[earlofphantoms]

My name is Vincent. I should have introduced myself before, forgive me. I am the Earl of Phantomhive.

[hardedged]

whatever. is that pretentious title supposed to mean something?

[ this is her version of small talk, vincent. run while you can. ]

[earlofphantoms]

It means I know what is proper and I will adhere to it.

{ Besides - and he probably should have mentioned this - }

I am a happily married man with twin sons.

[hardedged]

not the 1st time i've heard that

[ she's known plenty of "happily married" assholes who have cheated on their wives. hell, she makes a living off of them. ]

[earlofphantoms]

One of my sons is present. I would not change his opinion of me for all the world.

[hardedged]

so you're not a cheating bastard. fine. doesn't mean we're going to make friendship bracelets either.

[earlofphantoms]

I've never made friendship bracelets with anyone.

Have you? { The point.



Vincent's head. }

[hardedged]

[ oh my god. ]

i can't tell if you're just an asshole or if you really are that oblivious

[ maybe both. ]

[earlofphantoms]

{ :D ? }

Who can say? I suppose one can't be both? That would make me interesting, wouldn't it?

[hardedged]

or annoying as hell

[earlofphantoms]

I have been called that before. I admire your honesty!

text: alexpnws

[11calls]

How long have they been out?

[hardedged]

just hit the 48 hour mark

[11calls]

[Alex is entering that into the stuff she's working on, but she tries to offer some hope.]

At least we know that the people in comas aren't getting worse from there. No one's died from this.

Are you sick yourself? Do you need some help?

[hardedged]

[ yeah, no one's died — yet. ]

all i need is to figure this shit out. if you don't have answers, just back off. save your pity for somebody else.

[11calls]

Sorry. I'm working on investigating it though. Would it be okay if I asked you some questions? It's not just to be invasive, I promise.

[Alex is actually not bothered by people being short with her, especially in situations like this one.]

[hardedged]

depends. show me yours, and i might show you mine.

[ investigating, huh? that's right up her alley. ]

[11calls]

Okay. I'm Alex Reagan and I'm investigative journalist. I'm not a doctor or a cop so I want to get that out of the way first.

But what I know is that this seems to be made by someone. Or someones who have knowledge of both magic and technology. Advanced tec. It also was released, I think. What I'm looking for is to see if I can find a point of origin to work backwards from there.

text; un: d.pavus

[tevinteraltus]

Magic isn't "bullshit" any more so than your "science".

Having covered that: who has fallen into this coma? I can see if there's anything magical about it. There may be something I can do.

[hardedged]

all the same to me. [ it's all bullshit. ] like what? you a sorcerer or something?

[tevinteraltus]

Yes. "Or something".

[Oh good.]

Why don't we just call it "magic things" and be done with it? Where might I find them?

[hardedged]

[ this will go well, undoubtedly. ]

i don't know who the hell you are, asshole. i'm not telling you shit.

[tevinteraltus]

Yes, of course. Some strange, alien illness which is not actually an illness is running rampant throughout the Quarantine, a place we cannot, to reiterate, escape. I agree. It's the perfect time to distrust one another.

Fine. I am Dorian of House Pavus, Senior Enchanter of the Minrathous Circle of Magi. I have aided in the treatment of "incurable" diseases in the past. I'm also rather good at the whole magic thing. I'm going to assume via your username you are a "Jones" of some persuasion.

I suppose it could be argued that your comatose friends aren't going anywhere, but how many more need to nod off before you let me do something about it?

[hardedged]

if you're so goddamn great, dickhead of house prick, why haven't you tried out your powers already? find someone else to use as a guinea pig, and then we'll talk.

[tevinteraltus]

Yes. I suppose I could go door to door. "Hello, neighbor. I do so hate to bother you, but has anyone in your residence fallen into a deep slumber from which they are unable to be roused?" You are indeed a gift and we are all blessed by your perspective.

[hardedged]

better than offering up a lab rat for you to experiment on

[tevinteraltus]

You seem to have a skewed vision of what I plan to do.

[There's a moment between text lines.]

Which, admittedly, is my fault, but how to simplify...?
Healing magic is a rather difficult process, but, seeing as this "disease" is not a "disease" in the traditional sense, it most likely will not respond to healing treatments in a predictable fashion. As such, I would simply extend my senses, sensitive to the movements of magic as they are, over their form in an effort to find any tricky magic bits that may be playing havoc with their biological functions and to ascertain a inkling of their origin so as to devise a way to unmake them.

Was that clear enough to follow?

[See, Dorian, you were almost civil, and then you had to be a snarky bastard at the end again.]

[hardedged]

[ to be fair, it's not like jess is much better. ]

crystal clear, dipshit. wanna help so badly? fine. but one wrong move, and i'll rip that pornstache off your face.

[ guess who just went snooping and discovered his friendr? this girl. ]

[tevinteraltus]

[That's fine, Jessica. He's not a bad dude. Really. He thinks a lot about his mind as well as his appearance, but he cares an awful lot, actually.

It's why he hasn't just thrown up his hands in disgust and walked away, actually. People need him. He's a mage. He's morally obligated to lend a hand, regardless of the...thugs he needs to associate with.]

...that was uncalled for, but given what I assume are friends of yours are in danger, I'll allow it.
Where am I to head?

[hardedged]

i don't have friends. [ if that wasn't already obvious by now. ] my place. hurry up.

[ she attaches her address. ]

[tevinteraltus]

Truly a revelation.

[Dorian, be nice.

...Billy Kaplan prepared him for this day. He's going to paraphrase, because 'wizard' isn't precisely what he is.]

A mage is neither early nor late. He always arrives precisely when he means to.
That was a joke. Do try to lighten up. They say such tension can cause an imbalance of humors.