video | un: Mercy

[valcurie]

Hello there! ( the image that appears is of a smiling blonde woman, healthy and bright looking, dressed now in pristine weight to present herself, projecting poise and elegance and friendly invitation to hear her out. her German Swiss accent is quite strong, though, so hopefully no-one is overly attached to their w's. ) I hope everyone is doing well this evening. I am coming onto the network to reach out to anyone I might not have been able to yet. My name is Angela Ziegler, and I am a doctor from Earth. Human, as you can see. ( a light, pleasant laugh and an even more pleasant smile ) You may also know me as Mercy. It's my agent name from when I was in service to a global peacekeeping organisation known as Overwatch.

I'm from the 21st century, so the treatment that I can offer you is science based ( a slight pause here as if she's considering one last time how to phrase this ) rather than magic based, but I have a good deal of practical experience with general medicine so there's almost nothing I haven't seen or dealt with. My expertise is in applied biotics, and I also have experience with gene therapy, prosthetics, and cybernetics, if there is anyone here who may need more specialised care. My qualifications also include emergency and trauma response so, if you ever find yourself wounded and in need of immediate attention, please do not hesitate to contact me. Think of me as personal 999 for refugees!

If you do come to me for any kind of care, I promise to do the best I can help you, while upholding all the oaths I've taken as a doctor to do no harm and to protect my patients. I'm not charging anything at this time.

And, if you'd like to humour me and help me to understand our group a bit better, I have a set of questions: do you believe you have a soul? What makes you think you do or don't have one? And is such a belief common where you're from? ( she doesn't mention religion, because it isn't strictly speaking a religious idea. she's known plenty of atheists and nay-theists who thought there was something beyond intelligence that made people paramount to other species. whether they called this unique internal animating light a soul or not, it didn't really matter. )

Comments

video;

[shashka]

Keeping up your generosity, I see.

[ for the record, the energy bar definitely was far better than Russian rations.

and for that, he'll give her a rare genuine answer. ]

And, I guess that depends on what you mean by a "soul". We have empirical evidence that ghosts, or "spirits" exist, but whether it's what people think of as a "soul" or just a different manifestation of consciousness is still up for debate.

[ a pause ]

Personally? I think there's nothing out there that can't be explained by science.

video;

[valcurie]

As long as there's someone to help.

( as trite as that may seem, the delivery is so straight faced it's hard to think that she doesn't believe it. )

Empirical evident of ghosts that can be supported by science? I hope it's more than a blurry shadow on an ancient camera or matrixing sounds on a recording device.

( but then she offers a tight smile. as much as it's nice to think what if she's in the same camp as him. )

video | un: NINES

[idealog]

[ It's his neighbor. She's been pretty kind to him and there's something about her that makes him want to trust her, but this is a really difficult question. His tone is pretty somber. ]

Does it matter if you have a soul?

[valcurie]

( by his tone she can tell this is a serious subject to him, so she'll treat it as such too, but for her part her voice remains steady and at ease. )

Personally? I don't think it does.

video | un: fivestar

[coolerjunpei]

[What's up, Doc Mom? Here's Junpei, skipping all that medical stuff he's already heard and heading straight for the soul question. He's actually given it serious thought before, which is probably a new concept when dealing with Junpei.]

A soul? ... Yeah, probably. Gotta be something. [He'll get to the other parts in a second, but...] What's, uh, what's up?

[why souls???]

[valcurie]

( hey, it's Junpei! she nods at the screen in a kind of greeting. )

What's up with me, or what's up with my informal survey research? ( It's important to specify )

voice;

[fakers]

Global peacekeeping force, you say? [ you can almost here the scoff from the other side of the device. almost. ] I'm surprised I keep hearing that phrase. And every time from a different person, no less.

[ the talk of medicine doesn't interest him too much... it's certainly something to remember, but nothing too relevant to him. "science based rather than magic based"... unfortunately, that essentially means she wouldn't be able to do him much good. ]

Souls though, hm? A rather odd question coming from a woman of science. Why are you concerned with something so nebulous?

voice;

[valcurie]

These others wouldn't happen to have been former Overwatch agents? ( there's a few of them awake, but she's not going to be specific because some of them want to remain anonymous. it is also possible that more are awake, she hasn't really been monitoring the stasis pods like she should. and, she hears that scoff. she can relate to that sentiment really, really well. )

I am interested in how the belief of them may alter the care I give to my patients. ( a slight pause, as this second part is actually a bit nebulous, but no less pertinent. ) And there are so many worlds from which we come. As a woman of science, it is of interest to me to see how many different ways there are to explain the common phenomenon of our consciousness.

video

[lacuscular]

[ Oh! She's definitely heard that organisation name before.. Juvia tunes in partially because of that, and ends up tagging along for the majority of the ride until the very end. Most of it goes over her head but she's managed the gist of it when she's thought of a proper response. ]

Thank you, Miss Ziegler. If I ever need you, I will find you.

[ Needless to say, she's feeling very thankful for the generosity of some of these strangers. ]

And as for your questions.. Yes! [ Her enthusiasm is near tangible through the screen. ] Juvia does believe she has a soul. If I didn't, there is no way I would be able to love as strongly as I can!

[valcurie]

( she offers the screen a smile. ) Just call, and I will be there! That's just what I do.

( Mercy has always been one to appreciate enthusiasm, so she kind of soaks it in and considers it along with Juvia's earnest answer. putting a finger to her cheek, her eyes flick up for a moment as she makes a thoughtful noise. when she looks back down: ) Do you think that's why you love people in the first place?

audio; un: wellsuited

[ofobedience]

I don't have a soul, for reasons you're already aware of.

[Hard to consider oneself as possessing a soul when one was artificially created to be nothing more than a weapon.]

And I can't speak for the common beliefs of my world, as I had little to do with it. But amongst my own kind, at least, I think we'd all be in agreement. That we don't possess such a thing.

audio;

[valcurie]

For what it's worth, Giovanni, I don't think it really matters one way or another what you personally believe. The soul is just an idea. An explanation, really. What really matters is if one possesses the things that qualify them for personhood.

( a little bit blunt there, but she does mean it as something of a comfort. she knows what he is, and yet, she's seen stranger things called a person. he at least is an organic lifeforms. )

text | un: stardust

[insurgent]

[ ah, the doctor. ]

i don't know what i think
but in my galaxy, some believed in a unique life energy for every person

[valcurie]

( hey, now that's ausername she's happy to see. she'll totally play it cool though. )

Does this unique life energy have a name? Or is just some kind of vague mystical thing no-one really understands?

video!

[vacuum]

So we do have real doctors in this place. [ thank god?? Lysa's medicine healed him up but the side effects he had to endure -- well, they weren't as bad as they could have been but he would still put his trust in medicine that looks more 'modern' to him. ]

And I've never thought about that. [ That part with the 'souls'. ] That's the sort of thing you can't really find an answer for no matter how many empirical tests you run, so why waste the time?

[valcurie]

( real doctor has her already sporting a wry little smile. real is certainly one way to put it. ) Yes! There's at least one other among us that I know of. I would rather have refugees come to us given what passes for medical care here.

( and she's yet to see any actual displays of healing magic, so she's not yet including them in her recommendations. ) People tend to believe whatever it is they want, which is another thing the makes such testing a questionable use of time.

On the other hand, personal belief in things like these can play a role in a patient's outcomes. I would like to get a better sense of if they might.

not here.

[personalwar]

[ 76 doesn't offer any response (that would make him far too obvious), but he does watch this, along with any replies that he's actually able to view.

There's a sense of pride in seeing Angela picking up her work even here, but there's also a sense of loss. She's managed to maintain who she is as a person; not all of them were made of such strong foundations. ]

'not here'

[valcurie]

( if circumstances were different, she would have been been happy to know she's made dad proud. though causing him such distress also would have hurt, and sometimes she's wondered, is she really the same? what happened has made her--who can see it with her own eyes--a more conservative person. )

voice;

[xxxxx]

[ Gene therapy and cybernetics might as well be Greek—because, like Greek, they sound sort of familiar to Remus, who had a muggle mother and knows his way around that world well enough, so he might be able to make an educated guess as to their meanings, but they're still funny-sounding foreign words.

Souls, though! ]

We know we have souls. [ Conversationally. ] They're involved in some spells, and we know what happens when they're removed. I think it's a common belief outside of our community, too, but they're less certain of it.

voice;

[valcurie]

( which is pretty much how she feels when encountering people from magical worlds here.

but! here is what she's suspected might be the case in one of them at least. by the tone of her voice she's fascinated. ) Can you explain to me a bit more how they are involved in these spells? I'm interested in the nature of this connection. ( a slight pause. was there anything else? ) And by community, I am guessing you mean people who also practise the same kind of magic?

un: dualhound

[silverhound]

A soul?

[Remember this username? It's none other than that hotheaded young man from a few days ago. Seems like he's a bit calmer now since then and that's a good thing. Loz has a bit of a temper.]

What exactly is a soul? Can you taste it? If so, does it taste good?

[valcurie]

( of course. he was a rather interesting individual, someone she'd like to examine if she's being completely honest. at this questions she's amused though, so her tone is somewhat teasing. )

Ah, now those are some questions I cannot answer! I have never tasted a soul, but I don't think one would taste like anything.

As for what I can answer, well. A soul is something like an immortal spark inside a person. It is constant, and continues to exist after the body dies, if you believe in such things.

video, un: Yousoro★

[ayes]

[Aha! It's the pretty lady from that first night!] Hello, Dr. Ziegler! We met the first night we were all down here, remember? It's really nice to meet people from Earth! Even if you're from a little further ahead of me. [The question makes her take a little longer to think of a good answer.] I think we have souls, don't you? I mean, there has to be something that makes us "us," right?

[valcurie]

( she smiles of course, glad to see that the girl is doing well. she was kind and helpful, things that everyone could use more of just now. ) Indeed I do! You, was it? How have you been?

( she smiles still, but her tone has evened out. ) I do know that we are conscious people. Our self-awareness, and of others arounds us, allows us to achieve much more than we would otherwise.

voice; un: hawks eye

[strictdiscipline]

[ First things first: basic courtesy. ]

It's a please to meet you, Dr. Ziegler. I'm glad to hear we have a few trained medical professionals in our ranks.

[ After the spiders in the forest and more than one run-in with a clumsy teenager, she's more than happy to have emergency medical attention on speed-dial. As for the question: ]

Why the curiosity about souls?

voice;

[valcurie]

Likewise, Miss. Helping is its own reward, so if there's anything I can ever do I am glad to do so.

( a courtesy for a courtesy, though she does mean it with every iota of what she is. )

I would understand my potential patients better. We are a group more--diverse ( a small laugh at how insufficient that description is) than any I've worked with. I also admit some personal interest in the matter, to see what kind of common ground we might have among us.

video | un: zevran

[agradecido]

Mistress Mercy! How lovely to see you again, my dear. Or do you prefer "doctor?"

video;

[valcurie]

( hey, one of the elves! she's come to recogsie him as a Thedosian one based off what she assumes are vallaslin. )

That depends, Schnecke. ( A German pet name, one she focusses on so that it makes it through the translator in tact. Her tone is playful, if not a tad airily haughty. ) Do you have a preference?

video;

[twofates]

[ He's meeting so many different kinds of people already, most of them seemingly filled with an innate goodness he knows he's never possessed, and may never possess. She's chosen to broadcast to everyone that she can help them if help is needed. There's nothing she gains from that, other than - he supposes - a sense of satisfaction derived from helping others. It fascinates him. Does it feel really good, the more people she helps, he wonders? ]

This is kind of you. [ Slight pause. ]Dr. Ziegler. You must help a lot of people.

[ They're opposites in that regard. She's probably saved so many lives, and he's taken so many. ]

What is...a soul? What's it supposed to be? How would you know if you had it?

video;

[valcurie]

I am only doing what I want to. But thank you, Mister. ( whatever anyone thinks it's rare for her to get appreciation, so, rather than being falsely modest or humble, she'll gladly accept what she can get. in addition to job satisfaction, it is a nice bonus. she smiles at him then, kind and gentle and content. )

( as for the question, she puts a finger to her chin as she gathers the pretty standard definition she's been using thus far. ) Where I'm from, a soul is generally thought of as a spark or scrap of something special within us that's immortal. This is thought of as our essence, something which endures after the body has expired. Someone say proof of having one is the fact that we are so uniquely conscious. Others think it's where loves come from.

audio.

[kimaris]

[ He doesn't need any medical attention right now, but you can be certain that he's keeping her message in mind for himself in the future. There's that whole thing in the back of his neck, that particular little detail. He's not even sure how it's still working right now, but in the case of it ever stopping, well.

Anyway, more importantly, he's responding through voice with the username gaelio.bauduin. ]

Your kindness is welcome to see. [ So, thank you, Mercy. You're an angel. ] I believe in a soul that is tied to human nature.

[valcurie]

( it looks like a real name to her so, if she addresses him by name, she'll use that. )

I am glad that just doing my job is a comfort. Thank you. ( again, appreciation where she can get it. blessed be. ) Hmm. Do you think the soul influences human nature, or vice versa?

video | un: a.izunia

[daemonized]

[The face should be one that she recognizes. As should be the smile that accompanies it, vaguely amused and slightly lopsided.]

Doctor, I see you remain ever diligent when it comes to offering your aid to others. I hope the response you’ve gotten so far has been favorable to you.

[But the question of a soul. It’s one he'll approach with interest, though he’s careful with his wording.]

Why the interest in what others think of their soul? Or lack of one, I suppose?

video

[valcurie]

( the smile that hints at an uncannily misplaced amusement? she may have been concussed at first, but she recalls their encounter. she'll take his compliments, and his politeness, at face value for now. )

Thank you, Ardyn. I see you remember me. I must have made an impression. ( she laughs )

To get a better idea of what our diverse group thinks, so that I might treat them better. Apparently, too, some people come from worlds in which such a thing seems to actually exist.

[NOT HERE]

[beatupgrass]

[BUT HE'S STALKING EVEEEERY THING THAT HE CAN SEE, LADY.

Personal reasons, you see.]

Video ; un: Nocturne

[melodiouspacifist]

[Hey look, it's another one of those weird doctors and not a Moogle! How does it even work though?]

Hi Angela..or Mercy.

[He grins.] What did you need a codename for? Was it dangerous? I have one, because my Superior gave it to me.

I'm Demyx, although since I mentioned it, I'm also The Melodious Nocturne, and Nine. I prefer Demyx though.

[He knows it sounds kinda dumb, but well, Xemnas.]

What do you do without Moogles? [He's mostly curious because as far back as he can remember? It's been Moogles.]

Okay okay, your questions. Let me think.

The Superior didn't mention anything about a soul, so probably not. I guess it depends on what you mean by soul. I have will, that's something. Nobodies don't have much in the way of normal human things, and if the Superior didn't say it, we probably don't. It'd be a nice thought. Souls usually move on after life right? We just disappear. I guess it's common, but there's not a lot of us where I live so...and I never asked anyone what they thought.

video;

[valcurie]

It's a pleasure, Demyx. Either is fine, really. I have a codename because I was an agent and colleague to real heroes. Serving with them was the highlight. They are my family. ( she smiles at that. some of those people still are heroes. doing good work on their own terms. proof that they didn't need Overwatch, but that's neither here nor there. )

Honestly, I couldn't tell you. I don't know what a Moogle is.

Nobodies? That's a rather sad thing to call yourselves. But, yes, that's what a soul is generally thought of as--an immortal part of you that will continue on after death. Disappearing, on the other hand, is usually what happens to the consciousness after the body has expired. It seems some people come from worlds where things are different in some ways, but I have yet to meet anyone who doesn't eventually disappear.

Audio

[rhygret]

Hey, Angela. Uhh...just wanted to say thanks--and sorry--for the other day? Back at the party and I know it's been a while, but with the whole move and the getting settled...yeah.

Should've said something earlier. I uh, appreciate it. A lot, actually. Sooo...yeah. That's my message.

[ Nailed it ]

[valcurie]

You're certainly welcome. Honestly ( and have a pause here, as she laughs. ) I am surprised you remember. I'm glad I made such an impression.

( another pause. ) How are you doing?

text | un: carter

[revlon]

[ She's drawn in, at first, by the mention of this doctor having a codename for a "global peacekeeping organisation." It piques her interest for several reasons. But it seems rude to latch onto that without first addressing the rest of the post. ]

Quite the loaded question you've posed, Dr Ziegler. I suppose the next question is if someone believes in having a soul, do they also believe in a god who might pass judgement on it?

[valcurie]

I did not mean it as such, but you are not incorrect. Some people might wonder that, or believe that.

But I am not concerned with questions of gods and guilt. I am more interested in the actual effects that beliefs like these tend to have on treatments administered to patients in critical condition.

[not here]

[winddaughter]

[wait... gene therapy?! oh... it's gotta be coincidence, right??

it's nothing

there's no reason to panic]

video | un:edmund

[exonerated]

Mercy is quite a fitting name, with regards to your line of duty.

Are your questions simply to sate your own curiosity?

[valcurie]

Well, people know what they're going to get when they call it. ( there's some humour in her smile, if not a touch of teasing. )

No, not quite, though you are correct that I have some personal interest in the topic. I also would like to get a sense of what my potential patients may believe. There's really no telling with some of these worlds.