video | un: r.chambers

[herbmixing]

Hi, everyone. My name's Rebecca.

[ The video opens on a small, homey apartment, filled with plants and books. Rebecca sits at a small piano, a mug of coffee steaming by her side. She looks...tired, really. It's been a difficult few weeks.

But that's no reason not to keep trying. ]

I was just wondering...what's the state of medicine like in your world? I had thought we were on the cutting-edge back home, but with everything I've seen here, you realise just how far we have to go. Considering everything that happens to us so regularly here, it can be really easy to lose track of your health.

I'm a field medic and a chemist, so I'd never call myself a doctor, but I still wanted to extend an offer to everybody: if you need someone to patch you up or do a quick check-up, call me. If you need medicine - over-the-counter stuff, obviously, not anything serious - then I'll run it over or get someone to deliver it to you. Just... [ She gives a weak smile. ] I want to help a little more, and I don't think being okay with a handgun really holds up against everything others can do, you know?

...anyway, I'm rambling. [ She looks down, playing an idle few bars of a melody. ] I've been staying in a lot. Watching old Disney movies, mostly, and I ended up working on this...

[ She adjusts the sheet music and sets her fingers in position. What follows is a nice little rendition with very few errors. Being able to just concentrate on something helps, a lot. Once it's done, she flashes a quick, embarrassed smile at the camera, then leans over and shuts it off. ]

Comments

video; un: laurea

[wearingguess]

I know shamefully little about my world's medicine, though I am certain it lags behind what is possible here. But I believe our high-level healing magic is at least at a comparable level, and it's being further developed all the time.

More importantly, though—that was beautiful! Did you say you composed it yourself?

[herbmixing]

I've heard that a lot, healing magic. There's nothing like it where I'm from. Is it commonplace where you are? Reliable?

[ As for the music, she lifts both hands from the keys and shakes her head. ]

Oh, no, it's from a movie! After I rewatched it, I wanted to learn how to play that song, so I found a copy of the sheet music. [ She drops her hands again, running a finger over the keys. ] I've been practicing over the last week. It's still a little sloppy.

[wearingguess]

Very reliable, but... not particularly commonplace, at least not outside Magnostadt. No other nation comes close in that or any other application of magic, and even a Magnostadt-trained healing magician residing elsewhere wouldn't be able to achieve the same results on their own. ...Moreover, even within Magnostadt itself... not everyone has access to the highest level of treatment.

[ it's largely a problem of scale—there just aren't enough high-level magicians, enough hours in the day, enough life energy available to go all out for every single person—but still, he looks rueful. ]

Really? I didn't think it was sloppy at all! What movie was it?

[herbmixing]

So it's still a really specialised field.

[ Support-type that she is, it's fascinating to her. How worlds that have literal wound-healing magic are structured, and what that means for people like her trained in regular medicine. ]

Um, it's called Aladdin? It's based on an old fairytale. I saw it when I was younger and it's still really nice and comforting to watch. They all have nice songs like that.

[wearingguess]

For now, but I hope it will continue to grow more widespread. ...Still, those who can use magic will probably always be a very small percentage of the population, so... I suppose nonmagical medical advances might ultimately prove more important.

[ but that's even FURTHER from his area of expertise, so... shrug??

he blinks when he hears the name aladdin, then leans in close. (well, close to the camera.) (well, technically, he kind of just moves the device closer to his face.) ]

I apologize—I don't know if I heard you correctly. It's called Aladdin? Meaning it's... a story about Aladdin?

[herbmixing]

I hope so too. Something as miraculous as that should be as available as possible.

[ That, too, is outside her area. She just knows how to heal and survive, in the end, chemistry expert skills notwithstanding.

The second question makes her eyebrows rise in confusion. Had she said something wrong? ]

Um - yes? It's based on One Thousand and One Nights, but it's really about him and the princess.

text | j.valentine

[torsion]

You've gotten a lot better. :)

video; u/n lynx

[jadedlynx]

Medicine back in New York can't compare to what stuff they have here but as dangerous as it was, it's not as dangerous as this place can be either. With technology, the cities here are a lot more advanced.

text | r.chambers

[herbmixing]

Thank you! I've been working on it a lot the last week.
I didn't think I'd end up working on Disney scores, of all things.

[herbmixing]

Oh, you're from New York? I'm from the Midwest!

[ It's more of a relief than it should be to find someone from the same planet, let alone the same country. ]

They really are. When you say it's dangerous back home...what time is it, exactly, in New York for you?

[jadedlynx]

Yeah? What part?

[ It is oddly rare to find someone else from the United States. So many people seem to come from other worlds. Or Japan. Ash was originally from much further East in the country, but New York is a bit closer to the Midwest. ]

2019.

[ And zombie free, but Ash isn't going to get that she's curious about that. ]

[herbmixing]

A place called Raccoon City, in Arklay County. It's... [ Not actually specified in canon, but best guess: ] Sort of near South Dakota.

You're a decade ahead of me, then. Why do you say New York's dangerous then, if I can ask?

[jadedlynx]

Never been. I've been to LA, but we didn't really decide to make a pit stop in South Dakota.

[ You know, because most people don't. It might be a lovely state, and the mansions are likely beautiful pre-outbreak, but it's not among common attractions. ]

I forgot the silver spoon when I got born. It's a great place to live if you're loaded. Not so much if you're not.

[herbmixing]

Oh, I see what you mean...I'm sorry about that.

[ Completely fair. Why ever go to South Dakota? ]

I couldn't really speak about it. Everything I know about New York is from movies or police reports.

[jadedlynx]

Why are you getting police reports from New York? It's a little far from South Dakota.

[torsion]

Arrangements aren't easy, but working with something you are familiar with (and enjoy) is the same in any field. Always easier!
I'm not really familiar with them, but I'd love to hear more -- or join you, maybe?

Just no Moonlight Sonata.

[wearingguess]

That's so many nights!
Please tell me more, if you would. For example, which princess?

[herbmixing]

Well, her name's Jasmine in the movie, but I think that's just a Westernisation. I don't know her actual name, I'm sorry.

She's really confident and pretty. I liked her.

[herbmixing]

That would be nice! I'll be honest, I was looking at Beauty and the Beast as well...and the Lion King. It's so much easier to watch them here instead of dealing with rewinding tapes!

[ It's been one of those weeks. ]

Haha...I think we've had enough of that one for a very long time.

[herbmixing]

Oh, just as research! I was a police officer back home, and the NYPD...well, you know the kind of stuff they deal with.

[ You'd be forgiven for finding that hard to believe. The person saying this is most definitely still a teenager, not to mention not even fifty pounds soaking wet. ]

[torsion]

As long as you've got the sheet music, I'm fine.
DVDs? Right, they're amazing!
Although I kind of miss rewinding. Chris, Forest, and I would sometimes rent some new movie and one of them would always forget to and I'd get a fine. :(

Did I ever tell you the damn piano in Spencer's European Estate triggered a hidden doorway, too?
I hate that damn tune, but at least it's not something I don't know.

[wearingguess]

Hmm... I am not familiar with a Princess Jasmine, but you're right; she might also be known by another name...
I wonder if Aladdin really had such an adventure with a princess. He never mentioned it, but I suppose I shouldn't have expected him to tell me everything.

[herbmixing]

...sorry, 'mentioned'?

[ Oh, she has a hunch here... ]

Do you know Aladdin?

[jadedlynx]

[ It's hard for Ash to write anything off as impossible in a world where magic exists but even with some healthy skepticism toward the world, it would be a little hypocritical to disbelieve her on the basis of her age. While it was through a very nontraditional route, he had military training at the age of 15 and at the age of 19, is a real threat to an entire military unit.

Besides, she mentioned being a field medic. That means she's had some army training too unless the qualifications are different in her world than his own. ]

Fresh to the field?

[ Despite not necessarily disbelieving it, it is a talking point. It's possible she's around 18-19,maybe a really baby-faced 20-21. ]

text; un: professeur

[sycamour]

[Sycamore listened to that entire recital with a smile; he's not sure if Rebecca is quite up to talking to him over the video (or at all, really), but it's hard to resist just...sending a quick message.]

That was beautiful. Have you been well?

[Let's...start with that. At least she looks like she's been all right.]