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Peridot     Peridot typically liked to create a lot of fanfare when she went anywhere. A display of power here, or a show of force there. All with the intended goal so that the might of Homeworld would be seen and felt by friends and foes a like. To show what could be done with so few resources. To create fear for when the main fleet would one day possibly arrive. But now, Peridot had a different prerogative. She had queitly snuck off her ship, arriving at the citadel in a humble escape pod she had recommissioned to be a transport vessel long ago.

    Her metal boots clanked as she walked. Entering the ward carefully and looking around. she seemed uncomfortable in this kind of setting, preferring to either be on her ship, or surveying ancient gem ruins.

    She approached Medusa's office, and being mostly unfamiliar with earth pleasantries, she simply walked in without knocking. "Gorgon." She started in a stiff tone. "I have kept our appointment as indicated by our verbal agreement."

    She held her arms out to the side and closed her eyes. "Commence the healing!" She proclaimed in an unsure tone. She had no idea how earth doctors worked.
Medusa Gorgon     Generally ward 17 is bustling with activity, and while the ward isn't at full capacity today, the nurses wander to and fro. Used to seeing different elites come and go in this place, they pay little heed to Peridot as she arrives, especially since she is headed towards the main office of the ward.

    If the witch who owns the office is offended or not by Peridot entering without knocking, well... that remains to be seen. She is currently seated behind the large desk that is brimming with paperwork, calmly sipping a cup of tea. Why, it even looks like a freshly made cup of tea is sitting on the other side of the table for the guest. For now Medusa arches an eyebrow at the gem's greeting, looking slightly amused. Even if she isn't looking at her. No, it appears that the witch is busy writing down some strange letters on a piece of parchment. Writing that should not be familiar to the gem. "A good day to you too, dear," she simply says in a calm tone, then reaches a finely manicured hand out to gesture to the chair on the other side of the desk. "Do sit down." While it's said in a calm and sweetly manner, it doesn't sound like a suggestion. And Medusa will remain quiet and continue writing on her current parchment until Peridot does sit down. Only then does she put her pen down and raise her gaze, offering the gem a smile. "Now... for what reason do you require my aid, dear?" she asks serenely.
Peridot     "Hrmm.." Peridot squinted, looking at the chair. Having to take a seat seemed to imply this trip was going to be far more involved than she initially thought. She was more accustomed to more stream lined processes. Each gem a cog in a well-oiled machine. Knowing that would shed some light on her behavior.

    "Sit.. okay." She agrees, doing just that. "Ah, I suppose a diagnostic is in order."

    She is silent for a moment, just so long as it takes to be uncomfortable. "... I am unsure." She finally speaks, looking to the offered cup of tea. She takes it with her floating fingers. Memories of her visit to Margatroid fresh in her head.

    "I have been.. having flashes lately." She squinted. "For example. I was working on repairing a broken injector when I suddenly felt a wave of... fear wash over me. Immediately, I suspected foul play. I believed a union elite had infiltrated my base and was warping my perception. However security scans revealed no foreign presence."

    "Often, it also makes me dizzy. If not magical in nature, I also suspect poison." she looked down at the tea, her expression one of unmistakable suspicion. "Though poison is a poor weapon against a gem- the most corrosive of which will not kill us. it can still produce an affect... although it will be greatly diminished."

    Though it seemed unlikely Medusa planned on poisoning her. Peridot's paranoia was manifesting itself. Even a cup offered to her by an ally was not above careful inspection. But, she does take a sip. Nothing about Medusa had set off any alarms. For all she knew, she was just a kindly polite doctor.
Medusa Gorgon     "I can't help you until I know what ails you," Medusa kindly informs her patient. "And for that you need to tell me what problems you have been experiencing."

    When Peridot does begin to talk, the witch listens intently, lacing her fingers together as she leans back in her seat, crossing one leg over the other. Her expression remains calm, and her full focus is on the gem. Nothing is said to interrupt her, letting her speak. Her expression remains calm, neutral and patient.

    "What makes you suspect poison?" she asks when Peridot stops talking in favour of taking a sip of poison. "Have you been exposed to poison? Has anything specific happened to you lately?" she inquires gently and takes a sip of her own tea.
Peridot     "I haven't been exposed to any that I know of." She started. "But, gems of my position have been poisoned before while handling various chemicals and running experiments. Therefore I am familiar with the affects."

    "I become.. sweaty." She purses her lips. "Dizzy... my fingertips begin to tingle." She looked at her mechanical hands. Her real hands buried underneath all the machinery. "An ill sensation takes over me. However, I have not handled any dangerous chemicals lately, and all scans of the air about my warship have revealed nothing unusual. It has happened several times, lasting from a period of a few minutes to a few hours."

    She frowns. "On my home planet, a healer gem could just.. make all of this go away. I suspect human doctors are ill-equipped to give me proper medical attention. But, I have an important job to do. The fate of my species hinges on my shoulders... on my minds capacity to stay sharp. When these bouts fall upon me, I become illogical. I see assassins in every shadow on my ship. Someone must be doing something to me. It's highly disruptive."
Medusa Gorgon     It's rather simple, though Medusa does let Peridot finish talking before she offers her professional opinion. All the symptoms, how Peridot describes them... Still, Medusa is the very model of patience.

    "How long have you had these flashes?" she inquires further. "What has happened to you the last weeks? Have you suffered any injuries, been in any particular dangerous situations?"

    Perhaps a healer gem would help, or not. "Well, my dear... I'm not human," the witch points out with a smile. "The Confederacy will see to it that you get the help you need~"
Peridot     A tired expression took her face. "Peridot's... We aren't meant to be this close to battle. We are technicians. We do conquer planets, but from a distance. From the helm of a Warship."

    "I've been increasingly under direct assault. A week prior I was cornered and beaten by union forces." She sets the tea down in her lap, still holding it with her floating fingers. "My physical body was even destroyed. That had never happened to me before. When I reformed, I was throttled." She tilted her head up, revealing the ghost of a massive bruise. Now barely visible, but still evidence that her new body had also received some trauma.
Medusa Gorgon     "I see..."

    Behind her desk, the witch leans forward, setting her tea cup down on her desk. Her head cants slightly, the braid resting against her chest shifting slightly. "You are unused to direct combat." So her physical body was destroyed. While she is somewhat aware of the gems allied with the Confederacy, Medusa isn't too used to such beings. There are so many unknown factors. But as a scientist she can't help but be... curious.

    Which might not bode too well for poor Peridot.

    She rises from her seat, revealing her to be a woman of slender build and mediocre height as she makes her way around the desk towards one of the cabinets lining the wall. "It sounds to me like you are suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, my dear."

    It's said without much build up, a calm and factual statement. "It's not uncommon, especially after a traumatic event like the one you went through. Not all of us are used to dealing with such things, sadly..." the witch muses, her fingers moving to glide over the various bottles and ampules she keeps inside the cabinet. Hmmm, where did she put it...?
Peridot     Her eyebrow raises some. "Post traumatic?" It wasn't a condition gems normally dealt with. The warrior gems relished combat. Peridot wasn't entirely convinced that they didn't relish pain either. They mostly all seemed to be in a constant state of battle lust. At least, that had been her experience with Jasper. But gems that didn't set out to fight, usually were never exposed to it.

    But, there was something else that gems did experience which gives her pause. "That... can't happen. But, sometimes.. a battle damaged gem... can become corrupted, without being cracked. It's not a well documented process. We aren't entirely clear on how... or why it happens. Other than it simply happens to gems during war time."

    "When it happens to a gem, they lose their physical forms.. cohesion. They become twisted monsters." She reaches up, touching her face with her fingers, biting one. "Could that be what's happening to me?" She asked out loud, though she already knew Medusa couldn't possibly know. Especially given that Peridot was the resident expert on gem kind. Perhaps the most knowledgeable on the entire planet. Only Pearl came close to rivaling her intellect with regards to gems.
Medusa Gorgon     "Yes," Medusa confirms. "It's a psychological condition unlike a physical ailment. It happens on a regular basis, I have seen it many times across these last centuries." Centuries. Yet the woman doesn't look like an old lady. At most she appears to be a few decades old if compared with human women.

    Even while she picks up some small bottles with medicine, Medusa does pay attention to Peridot. "Is that so? Then by all means, tell me more about gem corruption, what you do know that is." Her eyes glance at Peridot. "Your physical form seems like it was when you first introduced yourself to the Confederacy. Besides, I have dealt with many twisted monsters." She gives Peridot a small, sly smile. "You don't quite look like them~"

    The small bottles are set down on the desk, and then the witch leans closer, getting very much in Peridot's personal space unless she pulls away. "So... that gem is your true self, is that it...?" she wonders, reaching slender fingers out towards Peridot's gem...
Peridot     Peridot instinctively leans back in her seat as her personal space is invaded. Oddly enough though, she doesn't seem to even wonder about Medusa's comment about seeing stuff over the course of centuries. She'd never cared to learn how long humans lived. She knew it was short, but to an ageless being 'short' could mean a few hundred years, or a few thousand.

    "Y-Yes." She stammers. The truth of what a gem truly was seemed like such a common knowledge fact, she rarely thought to hide it. "The bodies we create are.. illusions of sort. Light given solid mass. In our most true form, we are gemstones. Regenerating new bodies requires an excessive amount of energy, and concentration. But we need bodies in order to perceive time in a useful way, and move about."
    
    "Hence, poison has little effect on us, the worse it can do is damage a replaceable body.  We create organs, as we need them. Lungs so we can talk... I had to shift a digestive track, in order to drink tea." She doesn't otherwise stop Medusa from touching her gem. "Is this part of the exam?"
Medusa Gorgon     "There there, I'm not going to harm you~" Medusa coons while giving Peridot a soft smile. Her fingers touch the gemstone on Peridot's forehead, inspecting it carefully. "High level illusions, considering you are able to physically interact with the world around you..." Yes, the blonde woman seems rather curious where she stands.

    "Even as you say so, your words contradict your previous statement where you worried about being poisoned," Medusa points out. "And yes, this is part of the exam. Your gem looks intact to me, though I can't say I care much for gemstones. They do say diamonds are a girl's best friend~" Silly humans.

    "It sounds more and more like anxiety to me. But don't worry. I might have something that will help you when these flashes come," the witch assures Peridot with a calm smile as she stands upright again.
Peridot     She clears her throat. "It may sound contradictory, but it is not. the truth is it is.. complex." She seemed wary still, despite the honeyed words. After all, letting anything near your gem stone was like exposing your neck. It was an intimate gesture, and left you vulnerable.

    "A poison at its worst can't kill me. But, it can still affect me." She mentioned, becoming more relaxed now that Medusa was not hovering near her stone.  "It can create an unpleasant experience that I would prefer to avoid."

    She grimaced a little at that diagnosis. "Anxiety..." She didn't particularly like that conclusion. For more reasons than one. It wasn't just a path that lead to her becoming a mindless beast. It held other unfortunate implications. "I don't know if it's... that but.." She gripped her chair some. "It can't be publicly known. I cannot have my command of my warship thrown into jeopardy."
Medusa Gorgon     "Most things are complex," Medusa agrees with a nod. "Poisons... all work differently too. Some of the worst ones aren't the ones who kill you, you know."

    The conclusion is a sound one. "I'm pretty sure it is, dear. I have seen generations come and go, many suffering from it. It's rather common after going through traumatic experiences like you have, and as I said, it's perfectly treatable."

    Peridot's next words however seems to amuse the witch. "Have you never heard of patient confidentiality?" she teases the gem. "But even if it were to become publicly known, it's hardly enough to take control from you. But I would like to try something... I have many medications to help against these anxiety attacks, though I have to see if they work for you, considering you have a different physiology. Tell me... have you ever been intoxicated?" she asks innocently enough, still smiling.
Peridot     When she is asked whether or not she had heard of patient confidentiality, she blinks. Her expression changing to a strange  almost innocent look.  "No." She never had a right to privacy on her home planet.

    "You don't know Jasper." She mentions, breaking eye contact to look to the side. She still felt hurt that Jasper didn't care she had survived her encounter with the Crystal gems, nor did she care that had been injured in the process. "She is waiting to pounce on an opportunity to take my ship from me. If what you say is true, and I have been... compromised in some way."

    "It is better for us all, that she is not in command. Her methodology for leadership greatly differs from my own."

    "I have never been intoxicated. However, I do have a vague understanding of what it means with regard to a biological performing a controlled self-poisoning to invite a state of euphoric dizziness." She says rather scientifically.
Medusa Gorgon     Poor ignorant little creature...

    "Your medical information is not to be made public. I don't share information on my patients unless I am told to do so by my superiors, and even so I can only do that if I deem that it's important for them to know. Why, even Lord Dracula himself would have a difficult time getting to my information. Mostly because nobody else in this place can read witch writing. So anything discussed in this room remains between me and my patient, my dear."

    Oh right, Jasper is another gem, isn't she? "No, I don't know her, nor do I particularly care~" Medusa responds honestly enough. "And yes, that describes it well enough, I guess," the witch responds with an amused smile. Her hand reaches out to one of the bottles. "Do you think you gems are able to become intoxicated? Have one of you ever partaken of alcohol or similar substances?"
Peridot     "Good. Patient confidentiality serves my purposes." Well, that was an easy sell. It was fortunate that Peridot did not suspect something as simple as anxiety otherwise she would not have risked seeing a doctor. But, the fact that everything was private served to put her at some ease.

    "Yes. When I shifted my internal structure to allow for the drinking of liquids, I fully replicated a biological digestive system. I can be intoxicated, however my system is by default far more resilient than a human beings."

    "I cannot say exactly how much more dosage it will require to create an intoxicating effect, compared to a humans physiology, but there is no reason it shouldn't work."
Medusa Gorgon     Seemingly pleased by the answer, Medusa holds out one of the small bottles. "Please drink this for me, dear. All of it," she requests. The bottle in question has a sweet smelling liquid in it, light red. "It will let me know what sort of medication I should give you. And how much."
Peridot     Peridot furrowed her brows some. This manner of medicine delivery seemed.. archaic somehow. "Very well.." She murmured, quietly reminding herself that it couldn't kill her. She downed the liquid, and then waited.
Medusa Gorgon     The witch stands still as Peridot swallows the liquid in the small bottle. It's not hard to swallow at all, but its effects should begin to work within few seconds, at least it would in a human. Perhaps it takes longer for a gem. For a human it would be rather unsettling, a pain starting in the stomach and spreading along with a sense of nausea.

    And Medusa waits, picking up another bottle with black liquid in it as she /stares/ at Peridot.
Peridot     Seemingly in line with Peridot's prediction. Initially, there seems to be no affect. Despite her physical weakness, the ability to shift internal organs let's one create a somewhat idealized version. So she does last longer than a human might.

    But eventually it does begin to take its intended affect, and Peridot begins to grimace. "It does not feel comfortable." She murmurs initially, setting a hand onto her stomach. "And.. I am beginning to get... the bubble guts." She goes on puffing her cheeks out.

    As the pain progresses, she closes an eye. "Is it supposed to hurt?" She ask.
Medusa Gorgon     Interesting... either gem physiology is slow, or they are more resistant than humans. Medusa cants her head as Peridot grimaces. "I can't imagine it does, no," she responds calmly, twiddling the small bottle between her fingers. Bubble guts? What a silly name. "Interesting..." It does appear that the pain is reaching the intended levels a bit delayed.

    "Yes." It's supposed to hurt. "Is the pain increasing? Decreasing? Or is it evening out?" the witch asks with scientific curiousity and a strange calm, as if not bothered by the fact that Peridot is clearly in pain.
Peridot     "Healing should.. have the opposite.. effect. As is my basic conceptual understanding of healing." She tucks her knees up into her chest, her arms wrapping around her stomach as she doubles over some. "Nngg.."

    "It is increasing still." Medusa can see the pain is having some affect over Peridot's ability to control her floating fingers. Where they were typically very 'hand-like' in where the digits maintained their spatial relation to one another, they were now floating more chaotically. Some were twitching, and others bending and flexing at irregular intervals. One was steadily floating away from the palm of her mechanical hand.

    "Hrrgh.." Her brows arched into a worried expression. "Can you make it stop?"
Medusa Gorgon     "You misunderstand," Medusa explains calmly to Peridot as she leans forward, as if talking to a child. Her pupils turn into slits, her eyes becoming serpentine as she watches the gem where she sits, dealing with the pain.

    "This isn't healing. This is diagnostics."

    When Peridot begins becoming unable to sit still, Medusa uncorks the bottle with the black liquid, humming softly for herself. "Of course I can make it stop," she responds, then reaches a hand out to grip at Peridot's chin. If her fingers aren't working, then she might as well help her. All of the liquid is poured into her mouth, and Medusa makes sure that Peridot swallows it all.

    Fortunately it seems to be an antidote, as the pain begins to disappear after a few seconds. It's still there, but after ten more seconds... it's all gone.

    All in all Medusa seems rather pleased, smiling. "It seems that my potions will indeed work for you, dear. Aren't you glad~?"
Peridot     Peridot begins to relax as the antidote takes affect. Steadily she regains control of her artificial fingers, and lowers her boots back to the ground. She places her hand over her stomach, and lowers her shoulders as the pain fully dissipates. "Ugh.."

    She felt another bring twinge of longing for her old life. Before she was sent to earth. It seemed so far away now- an existance that was predictable and pain free, so long as she did her job. Which itself was never an issue. Working hard was an innate part of her being, something most Peridot's are born with. She was a cog that had fallen out of her machine.

    "Hurray.." She says rather dryly. Not quite sharing Medusa's enthusiasm, but at least she was seemingly satisfied she was no longer in pain.
Medusa Gorgon     It's amusing to see how the antidote works, and Medusa chuckles slightly as she reaches out to pat Peridot on the head. "Cheer up~" she chides, then turns and heads back towards the cabinet. "I can supply you with some medication that fights these anxiety attacks of yours and allows you to remain calm without completely sedating you. Take one or two of these pills if you are starting to feel anxious, and they will work within a minute. Don't take more than four unless you want to fall asleep," the witch instructs Peridot.

    Turning around she holds up a pill glass, rattling it slightly before she walks over and hands it to Peridot. "Come back when you need more of these. Make sure you keep them away from children unless you want to kill them, that is~"

    Just what kind of questionable medication does this nurse keep in her office anyway?
Peridot     Peridot looked at the pills with a dull expression.  She supposed this was better than how Steven utilized his magic healing. As she had learned from Lazuli, the kid had magic healing spit.
    Thankfully she also sort of knows what a kid is because of Steven, otherwise that last comment would have went over her head. Gems erupted from the ground already fully grown.  But even then, Steven was not a typical human kid, and Peridot had tried to kill him several times. So her mental image of human children was inaccurate, at best.

    "Seems.. archaic." She comments,  putting the container into a compartment on her arms. "But.. until a better option presents itself, I am forced to improvise."

    She stands and clears her throat. "Thank you for your service to the gem empire."
Medusa Gorgon     "Sometimes the best solution is an old and tried one," Medusa kindly informs Peridot. "As I have studied humans for centuries and seen generations of them come and go, I do know how to make medication like this, and since it works on you, then this is the simplest. Another way to handle your anxiety is exercises, talking so you can process it... we could always do that too~"

    Why not try to take advantage of this situation? "It often helps to talk about it, then it will be less scary the next time it happens," Medusa suggests. "I am always happy to help my fellow Confederates~"
Peridot     "I keep meticulous logs of my experiences.. usually." She confirms. There could be little doubt that Peridot had a few hundred terabytes of logged data. Video and audio. "I believe the actions I take here will be studied, perhaps used in training material for other gems in similar situations-- or will be important historical documentation one day."

    She does seem to consider Medusa's offer though. She had no one else she could talk to that didn't want to either kill or usurp her. Though Medusa wasn't a gem. There would always be a cultural barrier between them. Still, she was a viable option if Peridot grew desperate.

    "If a need for such a thing arises, I will consider it."

    "Now then, I will be returning to my ship." She stated, much in the same way she seemed to employ little to no greeting ritual, she does not seem to employ a departure ritual either. She simply turns and begins walking out of the ward.
Medusa Gorgon     Instead of forcing the issue Medusa merely nods in return. "Do take care, and let me know if the medication works as it should. If it doesn't I can always try another combination. If it's too strong I can dilute it." Just so Peridot knows that there are options. "It's my own brand of medication, after all. It's far more precise than buying it elsewhere."

    Peridot is allowed to leave, and Medusa turns to clean up the tea cup that Peridot used. Well... this was interesting.