sixthiterationlogs | How come they never call free space?

WHO: Ashley Magnus
WHERE: Around the village
WHEN: Last half of October
OPEN TO: Anyone
WARNINGS: None applicable except the Observer is mean

What's the worse that could happen?

Unarmed. No back up in the form of the Sanctuary. Little tech. Ashley is not in the best of moods about this place, and a few weeks there isn't making it much better for her. Trying to avoid outright stealing from others, such as taking knives and such from the storerooms and not returning them, Ashley has been on a hunt to try and make things easier for her in ways she's familiar with. Sadly there is little in the place that really feels normal, except for the plethora of abnormals that can be found in the forests and waters.

It's while studying those, seeking to find ones that might have natural weapons she can utilize, that Ashley watches some birds picking open the purple seeds she's found throughout the woods. Waiting and watching to see that they don't keel over from it, she picks a moment when one is just opening a seed before darting forward and scaring the bird away. It hasn't killed them, so she's willing to take a chance. Maybe it's a chance she shouldn't take, but listening to that kind of inner logic is never priority with Ashley.

Which is why, moments later, she is rushing through the woods towards town, amazed at her speed, dashing around trees and delighting in the ability that she knew could do her well. Careful not to run into people, though when it looks as if she might, panic grips her, causing her to phase right through people and objects in her path the same as she phased out of the fountain when she arrived.

The aftermath

Sometimes that mental question of, What's the worst that can happen? is answered in a swift and harsh manner. Such as finding herself bent double, puking up what seems to be everything she's eaten for the last few years, and then curling up against the foundation of the Inn, not making it much further than that before her eyes close.

Even the next day she still feels disjointed and not completely okay, following advice she's heard from others and heading down for the springs to try and see if a soak will help with the dizziness and the lethargic state of her body.

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"Not usually like this," she says, rolling her eyes. Which hurt as well, but it is sadly the truth. "Usually when I get like this it's from having too much to drink."

Which is a cheap joke, especially given she's never been one to drink that much. But it made more sense than the truth. A truth that she is still working out in her head, not sure what to think about it.

"Honestly? I think it was a nut. Like a walnut maybe? I thought it would be safe, since I saw some birds eating them and that's always historically been a sign of safety. Though depending on how they process foods but..." She shakes his head. "Right. Not the point. It was this purple walnut, and next thing I know? I'm running like seventy miles an hour or something. It was crazy and fun and..."

She sighs, slumping. "And then my body reacted naturally to being pushed harder than it is used to."

Cheap joke or not, it does earn Ashley an understanding sort of smile. Phryne certainly makes every effort to not drink to excess, herself. But even so there have been times when she's ended up distinctly more inebriated than she's intended to be. Not terribly recently of course. But it has happened all the same, even if it seems like there's not much point in admitting to it just at the moment.

"It does sound like it would be a decent sign? Although given that we're most likely not anywhere near where we would normally be from, it's possible they're more used to the side effects?"

Thus the somewhat unfortunate reaction when the apparent effect of the nuts had worn off. Of course, Phryne isn't much of a biologist and there's every possibility that she's completely off-base, but as far as she's concerned the logic is reasonably sound. Especially given what little she knows about the situation thus far.

"That is not something I considered," she admits, looking downright sheepish as well as a bit green around the gills. "Just that they didn't keel over, so I figured it would be okay." And it was decidedly not, though that is a lesson she's learned now.

"I've been through a lot, but damn nothing's hurt like this," she groans, closing her eyes for a moment, trying to get her head to stop spinning. "Take it most are too smart to try those damn things?"

She can imagine most wouldn't, and if they had it might be noticed in a small village. "Might be smart though to visit the farther recesses of this place. Get there and back."

"Well, we can at least say that we know it isn't directly poisonous, now. If a little inadvisable to eat." A pause. "Although if there were a situation where speed was off the essence it's possible that would outweigh the aftereffects."

Which doesn't negate the fact that even she can tell that what Ashley's going through is very much not something enjoyable. Especially when it's been as unexpected as it has. But it's something, and she'd like to think that's at least better than nothing. Even if Ashley is the one who will ultimately be making the call there.

"I'm not certain. I haven't thought to ask. Although I will say that I haven't seen very many people who have been quite this violently ill, if that helps any."

"Which is a lesson maybe not to be learned by eating them," she says, breathless and worn, but still trying to keep her mood up. At least to a degree. She considers that though, making a face. "But have to make sure volunteers know what they're going through, and ... damn I probably would volunteer, even as bad as this is."

That's just the nature of who she is.

Ashley nearly chuckles then, wincing and hugging her arms tight to her stomach, aching from throwing up so hard. "So I'm the dumb one," she says, nearly smiling as her eyes close. "This is literally the epitome of me."

"It's not the most ideal way to learn something like that, no." Not least of all because there's a not insignificant amount of risk involved. "But there's no changing what's happened either."

This is not to say she's without sympathy, though. In fact, it hangs heavy on her voice even if she doesn't actually directly address it any, and her eyes only echo that concern. Even if she'll trust Ashley to know herself and her own body.

"And if it's any sort of consolation... I'd probably volunteer as well."

Even despite having front row seats to what the aftermath is like. But she's always been one to help out, if people need it, and she can't deny being at least a little curious about what the actual effect of the seeds is like, besides.

"I thought watching the birds would show me it was okay, but I guess they fly off when things get bad. I should have looked for the nest," she admits, leaning back and closing her eyes for a minute. Needing a minute to relax, to gain some strength again.

That makes her smile though, eyes fluttering open. "Glad to know I'm in good company then," she says, sighing. "Even if I had known this, I probably would do it again too. At least if I had a good reason to use it. I can think of a few, but there's better ways I can imagine. Like teleportation from that machine maybe."

Not that she has a desire to use teleportation. She's not risking whatever got into Druitt got into her too.

"They might do," Phryne answers with a shrug. "But I was never much of a specialist in the habits of birds."

She's been prone to taking to the skies a time or two, yes. But that's through the entirely normal methods of human flight, rather than anything to do with the sorts of wings birds have. Plus the heights her plane tends to fly at are entirely too high to make looking for any sort of bird's nest impractical, even leaving out the part where she usually needs to focus on flying.

"Both could be useful," she agrees a moment later, with a nod. "But I suspect which one was more useful would depend on the situation at hand. And whether or not the nuts responsible in this case happen to be in season."

That latter assumes they're like normal nuts, admittedly. But until she has any direct proof otherwise, Phryne is going to assume that most of the plant life works on the same sort of patterns as back home.

"Me neither. Spent too much time in a city. When I was out in the wilderness, I was a bit too busy to look at birds." And now she's got a little more time to look into these things.

"I admit, even after this? I'm considering keeping a few on hands. If I'm out in the wilds, I want to be safe. Well, I wouldn't be out there if I was trying to be safe, but I can use the nuts to maybe outrun any dangers." Not the smart of ideas, but a chance to survive, and that's what she's looking for.

"But I'll see if they're written about in the inn and go from there."

How come they never call free space?

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