audio | username: olivia

[winces]

[ it's been a long and grueling week of hard work, naive hope, and a desperate need for distraction — but finally, finally, olivia has some good news to share. ]

Good... Hello, all. [ she'd forgotten to check what time it was before beginning this. oops. ] Sorry to bother, but I thought some of you might like to know —

It's possible.

[ exhaustion hangs heavy on her every word, and it is perhaps the true reason she has not opted to do a video this time. but she does not want to worry the rest over something inconsequential, in the long run, because energy can always be regained later. innocent lives, on the other hand, cannot. ]

There is a way to save them, the Deemers. I-It's a very... slim chance. [ she's careful to say this from the get-go, mindful of urahara's own gentle but firm reminders as she worked tirelessly these past few days. ] And it won't... bring them back to what they'd been before this... They actually won't remember anything at all. [ a faint pause, after her voice turns a little low, regretful. perhaps if she'd tried harder— ]

But! [ no no, let's focus on the good here. on that hope. ] It is possible to heal the damage to their minds. We managed to save someone.

[ of the few urahara had managed to keep alive after the extraction, only one among them responded to her fervent healing. ]

He's... doing well. Adjusting. [ despite it all, a part of her wonders if it had been the right thing to do. if his struggles from hereon in would make it all for naught... ]

Um. If you were gifted with the highest level of ALASTAIR's healing magic, or have any advanced healing of your own to spare, and you'd like to help... please contact me. It's... not easy. But it's manageable. [ for it is quite taxing for just one to take on all their own, as haise has been quick to remind her, but she's even more hesitant to lump that burden on someone else. ]

And if you've managed to extract a Taraxa successfully, or you have a Deemer with you... please let us know, too. Thank you.

( ooc; TLDR olivia's max healing alastair abilities makes it possible to save a deemer, post-extraction. she was able to attempt this on some deemers urahara procured his collection of taraxa from. however, it has a very low success rate, on top of the already very low success rate of an extraction, and it leaves the deemer with essentially a blank slate. but!! still!! something???! gently whispers i'm so sorry for only realizing this could be a thing now )

Comments

audio; un:hound

[ofobedience]

Why bother? Perhaps they'd be better off if you killed them.

[He sounds cold and cool and uncaring enough, but the truth is this strikes a nerve in him, something he'd rather look away from but can't. It cuts too close to the bone.]

[winces]

[ her frown is probably noticeable in her tone. ]

Because they should still have the chance to choose.

[ofobedience]

And what if they would have chosen death at someone else's hands?

[His own tone isn't exactly cheery, either]

[winces]

[ EXTREMELY HESITANT TO SAY IT but: ]

There... would be nothing stopping them from still choosing that now.

[ what they do with their lives after she's healed them is their choice, after all. even if she disagrees, or whatever she feels, that's the point. ]

video; un. flameo hotman!

[twinkle_toes]

If there's a chance, we have to try, right?

[maybe it makes him naive, or stubborn, or childish - all things he's been called before, repeatedly - but he still can't help but cling on to that faint sliver of hope.]

AUDIO, UN: BATSHIT

[slushfund]

Well, I stand corrected. (he can admit when he's wrong, but...) Still, it's a tortured fucking existence.

(as long as the change isn't zero percent, it's too late to stop trying. after his run-in with asher and the bandit, hiruma finds it difficult to really make that final decision (it seems right at the time; kill or be killed). all he knows is that he'd rather die than lose the person he is, his goals, precious memories.)

Guess it's like deciding whether to pull the plug on your vegetable of a relative in the hospital — leave it to the family.

still audio

[winces]

[ oh no a bitty...

but if clinging onto hope is childish, then olivia never wants to grow up. ]

I think so.

[ofobedience]

Nothing stopping them from taking their own lives, no, but perhaps it would have been preferable to have someone else do it for them before it reached that point. Without knowing how much of themselves they've lost.

[winces]

[ she takes a moment to answer, chewing on her inner cheek to mull over her words. ]

...They may become a blank slate, but that doesn't mean they still can't decide things for themselves. The man I'd worked with, [ she is hesitant to give his name, wanting to grant him as much privacy as she can, ] he's still fully functional, still able to go about his day to day.

It's just that now he has to decide what that day to day will be.

voice | un: Sasaki

[ex_adept136]

That's great news, Olivia... It's good to hear all of your hard work paid off.

[And he believes, especially with her, that focusing on the positive is a good thing. Some hope is better than none. Some potential is better than none. Even one life saved is something.

In an ideal world they'd help everyone, but this is already better than some of them had begun to accept]

I imagine my spells aren't strong enough, but if I can do something to assist you or others, just say the word.

audio

[twinkle_toes]

[this bitty wants to help!! (•̀o•́)ง]

I don't have any healing powers or anything but I still want to help. Is there anything I can do?

voice | un: Sasaki

[ex_adept136]

[Ah, Giovanni...this hits too close to home for him to politely ignore]

That depends entirely on the person, wouldn't you say? Some would rather try to rebuild than be denied the chance to ever make that determination for themselves.

[There's no bite to his words, but there is a hard certainty there, something that speaks of experience]

[winces]

[ they can always ask others to do it for them, of course... certainly more than enough people within the town (both qorral and not) for that... but that's a reality olivia is definitely not going to mention. ]

...There is always an opportunity to rebuild. It'll be hard, and exhausting, and maybe it won't even work out, but. But I think anyone should have that opportunity.

[winces]

[ with haise, she is able to relax a little bit. let out a long sigh and drop the forced levity in her words.

just a bit. ]

You'll get there soon enough, Haise, don't worry. Continue helping the other healers when needed... [ is it just her, or did their team become particularly more reckless than ever? ] That's already more than enough.

[winces]

[ it would be easy enough to dissuade him. he's young, and the young shouldn't have to burden themselves with this much.

but she can empathize with that desire to help. perhaps too much. ]

I don't think we've ever met before. I'm Olivia. Are there any skills you might possess that can be useful to someone relearning life?

[ex_adept136]

[It might be something of a competitive recklessness...but at least they can look out for each other]

I'll do what I can to support you, and anyone else who has the ability.

[That's what there is, for now. With something so demanding, he knows that kind of backup is needed, even if it's simply making sure people doing the real work get some food or proper rest.

They're a team, after all]

How are you holding up? It seems like it's a pretty intensive process.

[ofobedience]

[it's a point on which they both have strong feelings, then. Haise's words may lack bite, but Giovanni's are acerbic.]

Memories make a person. Without them they're just empty vessels. You can't rebuild on that.

video; un: deathweaver

[respired]

[ Well, that's heartening news. He's been pretty low about the cold reality that the Deemers likely could not be salvaged, even after removing the Taraxa slugs.

But ... it sounds like difficult work. ]

Do not go beyond your own limits, Olivia.

[slushfund]

(what a nightmare. hiruma glances at the town from his position on the outskirts, more skeptical of it now than ever.)

Just make sure you people don't intervene, if they make a choice later that's not to your liking.

un: sieglindesullivan / video

[grunehexe]

What do you mean exactly? They won't remember anything at all about their lives, or is their last memory the day they were possessed?

still audio!!

[winces]

[ she almost laughs. ]

Who...? Me? I know my limits better than anyone, don't worry.

[ it's the reminder of them that has her trying so hard. ]

[respired]

[ Doubts. ]

And I know your penchant for pushing them.

[ FIRST HAND. ]

[ofobedience]

[They could, but sometimes asking for it directly is too painful. Sometimes others need to be provoked into it. Forced to believe they're doing something else.]

You can't rebuild memories. Once they're gone, that's that, and they'll become something less for it. There are some things one can't afford to lose.

private; audio; un: cardmaster

[fateality]

[Yiiiikes. He's not super thrilled to get involved, but...]

'Fraid my healing powers ain't maxed out yet.

...But if I can lend a hand, you let me know.

[ex_adept136]

You say that, but I exist as evidence to the contrary.

[The one instance that will actually get him to just lay it out there in a public forum. They sure are opposite ends of this very specific topic...]

I may not be the person I once was, but I am myself.