001; video; open to all;

[nowthatsfunny]

Okay, I get it. [ Tess' tone is brusque, cool, almost flippant. She feels fucking weird talking into a locket, of all things, but it's been a long damn time since she's had anything like a phone, so hey, might as well try this out, right? ] This place is magic. Fairies, trolls, goblins, whatever. You have 'em. Like some kind of fucking fairy tale. [ She honestly isn't sure what to believe right now, so she's getting right to the point. ] I just have one question for you. Cordyceps. Have you heard of it? And more importantly, is it here?

[ Tess glances aside for a moment, her eyes flashing with - fear, maybe. Not that she would ever admit that. ] Because I can live with magic and shit if there's no infection to worry about.

[ Whatever 'living' might entail here, anyway. ]

Comments

video.

[brainiest]

I've never heard of the Cordyceps before -- and I don't think it's something here? At least, not that I've heard warnings for.

[ She tilts her head, pausing. The language is a little crude, but - ]

Is it something you suffered from?

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[thebreakingwave]

I've never heard of it and, as far as I know, there's no infection here. I mean, people do get sick and all, but there's not one thing?

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[willpower]

Cordyceps? I haven't heard about it. Sounds pretty bad... is it a disease?

[poeticend]

[ Ah, so she's from Riley's world. ]I haven't heard anyone mention it. It's like they don't even know about the infected. It's some weird shit.

[ Weirder than the magic and fairies, honestly. Riley never thought she would ever end up somewhere there wasn't the risk of turning into a mindless zombie. ]

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[fakers]

I haven't been here long, but I've heard of nothing like that.

[ he pauses, thinking for a moment before adding: ] Though it must be quite something to worry you to such an extent.

[playmakings]

[ Infection? Cordyceps? Kelsi wrinkles her nose. ]

I didn't really pay attention in science class, but--I don't there's any infection. Or if there is, maybe the magic thing works and keeps it at bay?

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[gandere]

Then I suppose you can live with magic and shit while relaxed.

[ Surely by now she's been told there's no such thing. What does that word even mean, it sounds so absurd. Something vaguely about being a fungi rests in her mind, but she doesn't really speak on it. Reading it flippantly in a book in class one day doesn't make her an expert. ]

What sort of fairy tales are you familiar with? I haven't read one that involved a war of this extent in my life.

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[mixcds]

[Oh, hello again. Kieren looks vaguely uncomfortable. Maybe it's nothing; maybe people just got sick in her world. But zombie tropes are one big ping to him, like he's got to attach a disclaimer to his chest sorry for the zombieism. ]

What kind of infection?

[Because it was dark, when he met Tess. But his room his fairly light, the blue of his lips is obvious now. He always looks worse the later it is at night and the earlier it is in the morning. ]

voice; just before joel finds ellie on the network!

[shittybirthday]

[ There's a silent, tense pause. The sound of something akin to noises of the forest can be heard faintly in the background. The pause goes on for a few seconds. And then, a deep voice, vacant and stunned with a kind of incredulous shock quietly speaks: ]

...Jesus Christ.