@clarke.griffin

[strove]

Hi. I have some information that I think we should all know about. It's not pertaining to us getting taken. Not exactly. Or anything that's been going on. It's about our lives here, and what's happened to us.

First, I want everyone to know that there's nothing in your chests. I mean, there is, but it's not a physical item. Which ... makes sense. We don't have any scars there, at least not ones that may have been added since we showed up. The ones on the back of our heads? Still there. So, I don't think that's a coincidence. I don't know who found this out for us, or why they decided to go into digging into themselves on their own, but since you're presumably still out there: look up X-rays and MRIs. I'm not saying Morningstar has access to these things. Maybe they don't. But it's worth asking.

Second, and know that this is coming from a ... unique place: trust the hospitals here. They aren't out to get you. I work at one every day. I'm in their database, both as an employee and someone with access to medical records. For those of us with unique physiology, this doesn't apply, but from what I can tell, we're far from the majority. Now that we know for sure nothing is kicking around in our chests, we can safely go.

Where I came from before, it was hard. We didn't have any of the things available to us. If three people needed X-rays, we'd try to figure out who needed them most just in case. And that's before I left where I grew up—a space station, for those of you who are curious—and went down to the ground to help reestablish ourselves there. [This is the prettiest way to put the horrible thing that happened to a hundred expendable kids. She is not going to tell anyone that. The rest of this little anecdote is meant to guilt people enough. That is her goal, and she doesn't really care if it's a transparent one.] Here, it's all available, and it's free. I'm not going to tell anyone to stop helping people, even if it gets you hurt. I am pleading with you to be smarter about it.

Health care here is free. All of it. Whether you have poor vision or you had an accident back home and you lost a limb, it's all free. You don't have to go through with any of it, but I feel that it's partly my responsibility to make all of this known to you.

Comments

@hafid.alghul

[batricide]

So you complain that they went digging around in their chests for anything unnatural, but then say we're clear to go for medical care now that we've confirmed that there isn't anything there?

[ He doesn't even care that he's being transparently annoyed. ]

[strove]

I'm not going to deny that it helped us out, but it was a part of a bigger trend that I was noticing among us. That's all.

[batricide]

We have ample reason to be wary of hospitals. Even if they aren't out to get us, whose to say their databases aren't being monitored by the enemy? Advocating for what amounts to blind trust isn't going to do anyone any favors.

[strove]

If their databases are being monitored by the enemy, I wouldn't be talking to you. And they probably are, based on what Fitz shared about the nurse. We can't let the threat of them keep us from living our lives.

It isn't blind trust. It's taking advantage of what you can so you can fight in the long term.

[batricide]

Sure. If you're comfortable potentially being vulnerable near a threat, knock yourself out. Plenty of us have experience with medicine and medical care.

[strove]

So do I, but I don't have the tools available to me to give the care I'd like to give.

[batricide]

So we get it. Morningstar must have some connections.
The less reliant we are on external forces the better. Especially given many of us have metahuman abilities that we can't fully control.

[strove]

Hey.

I'm not with Morningstar.

I didn't make this post to attack you, or anyone else. But it seems I've struck a nerve.

I have some theories as to why, especially given that last remark. Are you willing to confirm that for me?

[batricide]

You just said it was worth asking Morningstar for equipment. I'm only offering you your own advice.

You can draw your own conclusions.

[strove]

No, you had every opportunity available to you to keep your actions a secret. You chose not to take it.

I don't mind that you did. I'm concerned that you don't have the appropriate supplies to take care of the wound that resulted.

Like you, I'm not inclined to asking Morningstar for help, unless it's something big.

The glowing stuff in our chest is something big.

[batricide]

I'm just saying exactly what you said.

[ He could say more. He wants to say more - but that'd be getting into a very public, potentially very messy fight. And while he'd gladly do that before, with Dick here, he's not about to get into yet another row where he can see.

Not over this. Especially not when he definitely didn't tell him what they did, and he's not sure Jason did. ]

[strove]

[On her end, there's no point of making a fight out of this. She hadn't known who it was, and now that she does, she doesn't see the point. No, he confirmed nothing, but he is defensive and that usually comes with justifiable cause attached to it. In her experience, anyway.]

Look, I'm sorry. I received the information second hand.

There's no reason for us to be at odds. I don't care for the outcome where everyone turns to Morningstar, especially when they don't have medical professionals on staff around the clock. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been stitching people up, giving them antibiotics, and checking on them in our first days here. All of those things did happen.

If we want to succeed, we have to be able to move in this world. It's impossible to be invisible, so we should stop fooling ourselves that we can pull it off. That means taking advantage of the public resources available to everyone, without being beholden to one group. Besides, supplies doesn't equal training. I know some people have more of that than they're letting on, but first aid is still very different from being a trained physician.

I'm saying all this, even though I get the sense that we're in agreement. I just got on your bad side without realizing that it was you in the first place. I mean my apology, but I won't say anything like that again.

@kate.bishop

[fledges]

but duct tape and superglue is just so rugged and badass

[Yeah, she's totally talking shit.]

[strove]

That sounds awfully specific.

[Clarke is currently researching the chemical composition of superglue. It's not that she doesn't know it's toxic, but perhaps it's less so in this world to prevent what kind of infection could come about from that precise ... decision.]

@matches.malone

[reneger]

you know you're into it
don't be rude

[strove]

I hope you know that I never knew who did this in the first place.

Now I do.

[reneger]

duct tape and superglue is a staple on the streets
i didn't do jack shit aside from cover a few scrapes

[strove]

So if I ask Loki if it was you and Hafid, he'll deny it?

[reneger]

obviously
you gossiping with my boyfriend?

[strove]

He offered what was critical information for everyone to know about themselves. I had assumed, but despite my heavily scrutinized suggestion, I don't want to run out of favors to call in from Morningstar.

Were you hoping to keep it a secret?

@loki.odinson / private

[selfimage]

I do hope that you know I am most likely the least straight-forward person that you'll ever meet.
And I was less straight-forward when I told her.

[reneger]

i didn't do anything
don't know how you're jumping from my playing with kate to this

[reneger]

thanks for the warning, lo
really appreciate it

[strove]

I could be leaping to conclusions about superglue and duct tape.

If it's not about that decision, you realize that superglue is rather toxic?

[fledges]

i am completely innocent and not publicly calling out anyone
i can't believe you'd assume i would