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Purifying Flame Open to Cursed and Interns Finished

After having tested his theory and kept the results under inspection for a month, Kels could finally admit that it was likely really gone. After burning away the black goo from the inside to completion, it did not come back. Illowy had been one of the worst inflicted of the cursed students, so the fact that her skin remained clear for the entirety of October was a good sign. Kels might never feel completely satisfied, if the truth about what exactly it was never arose. What mattered more than than though was relieving the many children inflicted with what had been deemed a curse. Whatever it was, it burned.

Starting in November, Kels, the nursing assistants, and all the healing interns would be prepping for what would no doubt be a few days of concentrated healing. There would be the gear: capes and caps that they would be asked to wear that were flame-resistant, and any who did not have much practice yet with the blue flame spell were given a rush course. The only thing that really needed done was a concentrated blast of the fire-- the most important part was to keep it held for long enough. Too short a time and the black stuff would come back.

After making sure everyone was ready, he'd talk with each student as they came in for their weekly potion during the first week of November. He'd tell them the appointments were over, and they should join him in the wing on any of the days between the 13th-20th, and that he'd know if they didn't come. The reason for this would be no mystery, he would tell them exactly what to expect in as much detail as they wanted to know. Some would cry, some would cheer, but either way, Kels was glad he wouldn't have to keep putting aside so much time to keep the curse at bay. Finally, a weight was being lifted.

On the day itself, Kels would have three chairs lined up for the kids to sit in, his interns nearby, and the beds moved away to keep the area safe from catching. The students would be arriving of their own volition, but he would be keeping meticulous records as usual. He knew who was cursed, and would hunt them down for treatment if they decided not to come.
OOC
  • This is a mass healing thread. This is not neccesarily for any 1 on 1 interaction, but a place for cursed students to RP getting the cure. It takes place any day between the dates of November 13th-20th.
  • You will be given flame resistant gear and held under a blue flame for several minutes. The flame will be cool and harmless, the burning of the curse will feel odd at first, then soothed.
  • You may interact with faceless NPC nurses assistants, interns, or Brumby minimally to say that they are performing the spell, but anything more and you must ask permission.
  • Interns may RP curing their fellow students, either pair up with someone or a faceless student NPC. You must be an official intern (having made a post in the intern thread) to do this.
  • You do not have to post here to be healed, it is assumed you will go through the process. If you would like some exclusion or alternative option, feel free to message me.
Purifying Flame Open to Cursed and Interns Finished
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Healer Intern
open to interactions
They did it. They had discovered a cure for her classmates. Of course not Ileen herself, but the school and today they would finally cure all those who had been affected. It was a great achievement, something to be thrilled and happy about. But Ileen wasn’t. Of course, she was here to support Mr Brumby and to help her poor students, but too many things had been happening lately. There were some things that couldn’t be cured. And Ileen had seen that they all had still a long way to go to become better.

With a deep sigh she brushed a loose strand of her dark hair from her eyes and looked up to the door of the hospital wind, ready to help whoever came in. She was glad to be a part of this. Finally she was able to contribute something, after failing so many times.
A smile was given to her trusted tutor and nurse. The sorrow in her eyes was easily noticeable. The bittersweet pain of memories that she couldn’t brush off as easily as her hair. There was so much regret, so much failure… How would she ever make up for this? Probably there was no way. But this was a good start. It meant hope.

Mr Brumby had prepared them for this. The young Slytherin knew exactly what to do.If it was for her, the students couldn’t get here fast enough. Ready for action she was waiting near the chairs that had been lined up. If someone would approach her, she would give them a soft smile and ask them how they are doing. She would follow her tutor’s lead.
Interacting: @Kelsey Brumby
Last edited by Ileen Knight on 16 Nov 2021, 16:14, edited 1 time in total.
"Some people are in such utter darkness that they will burn you just to see a light."
Purifying Flame Open to Cursed and Interns Finished
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Interacting| -
Mentioning| @Ileen Knight | @ Kelsey Brumby | @Orion Lécuyer
Outfit
Reducio
School robes if not a designated intern outfit.
English | [French] | Irish
Healer Intern
Open to Interactions
Ever since that night in Slytherin, this has been one of the things that Santario had wanted. A cure for the cursed. She had tried to figure it out on her own, but of course, no eleven- to thirteen-year-old would have been able to accomplish that by herself. The nurse turnover rate, however, had forced her to try anyway. Monsieur Brumby’s entrance into the game had been one seen with hope, and while he had an interesting personality and a way of speaking, the intelligence that shone in his eyes made her think of one Professor Elliot Price. One of the people that she had considered a role model and still felt the loss of to this day. Monsieur Brumby and Professor Lécuyer could never fully replace the man; they would do a decent job at filling his shoes, nonetheless.

So today, Santario, hair done back in a tight braid, would stand on the line of defense with her other healer interns and Monsieur Brumby. If any of them made eye contact with her as she looked, they would be met with a resolute nod much like the one she gave her partners before the beginning of a duel. They were in this together, and while the past few months being around the Hospital Wing made her skin crawl, there was nothing short of death that would have made her miss this moment.
Special note to consider
Reducio
Please note my character is a changeling and may do odd things like sniff you or make off-handed comments, but for the sake of this thread, there will be no attempted maiming physical or otherwise done to any character that interacts with her.
Edited in and stolen from Xail: Interactions are not necessary. If you'd like, you can just state Santario healed you. She won't talk much, if at all, and will be quick and firm with the curing process. You cannot godmode strange reactions from her. If you want that you need to directly interact with me.
Healing Sage: +30% healing | Prodigal Charms | Impartial | Fearless
Stamina : 10 | Evasion : 7 | Strength : 3 | Wisdom : 12 | Arcane Power : 10 | Accuracy : 15
Purifying Flame Open to Cursed and Interns Finished
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♠ Tentatively Open to Interactions ♠
♦ On Standby ♦
♠ Metamorphmagus ♠
♦ Cats Grace ♦ Blindvision ♦
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Today would mark a very important time in Hogwarts history. Today, was purging day. The day dark would meet light, and in turn be cleansed. It was quite poetic really. Even if the circumstances weren't so much. Xailah had not expected to see a cure- not in her time as an intern. To be completely honest, she hadn't been expecting to stay as an intern for this long either. It was pretty surprising. She would wonder however, about what she would do now. The curse had been her main focus for volunteering. With a cure found, was there a point in staying around? The cub mulled while she drifted down the corridor leading to the Hospital Wing; pulling her hair up into a smooth bun- out from around her face and reach of patients- while she walked. The infirmary was always going to be an uncomfortable place. For her at least. She walked to a nearby washbasin upon entering; where she would remove her gloves and wash her hands. She scrubbed well, counting silently while sudsing up the pale, slender limbs. She swept the foam under her nails, and over her knuckles. Nessie goes over the rocks and through the kelp. Circles, and then rolls in the seafoam. Don't forget the wrist, and in between the fingers. Your scars too. She thumbed over the whitish marks- which were spread in small dashes, over the top and palm of her hand- mind absent of important thoughts. When she was done, she rinsed in hot water, and patted her hands dry with a towel; before quickly slipping them back into the concealing safety, provided by a pair of gloves. She then assumed a position next to her other interns.

It really did sound too good to be true. A cure? After all this time? Why it was almost unbelievable. But as everyone would soon find out, the unbelievable, was the undeniable truth. And just like that the Headliner had one less thing they could wring the life out of for writing material. The nature of discovery was rather interesting. There had been hypotheses. Lots of hypotheses. A number of theories had been thrown around; many of which played with the idea of introducing cursed blood to sunlight, in some way or another; be it internally or externally. The ideas were on the right track, but they always fizzled short when faced with the issue of how to act upon them. Light had always been the answer. Many a person knew this. But how was one supposed to get light inside of the human body? And into the hardest to access part- the bloodstream? That was the question that no one could answer. Not logically. Not safely. It took months- another year almost- but an answer was found. Just in time too. Who knew what could have happened if the curse was allowed to spread for a few more months? Sure, a few questions would go unanswered now- but that didn't matter anymore. Right? Sure. The student body now had a saviour, but more importantly, they had a solution.

The solution? It was fire. Of course it was fire. Fire was the only solution- the only element that could destroy and purify. It was too simple. Unpredictability predictable. Darkly appropriate, and in a way, drearily comedic. To think if the discovery had been made sooner; many would have been saved a lifetimes worth of pain. If only Finlay hadn't been the nurse when the whole thing had started. Everyone would have been on a much different path in life by now, a better one no doubt. No one would have had to worry about what would happen when the Thick Golden Potion stopped working. The only reason why Finlay had been the nurse was because it kept him under the radar. The man did not have the... cleanest record. Xailah and a few others could vouch for that. The school was certainly lucky to have Nurse Brumby; a man who cared, and was good to his colleagues and patients alike; someone who was determined. To be blunt, the school was just plain lucky. Sort of- for the most part. It was a miracle nothing had been shut down yet.

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Reducio
Interactions are not necessary. If you'd like, you can just state Xail healed you. She won't talk much, if at all, and will be quick and firm with the curing process.

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Before me, you rightly tremble. But, fear is not what you owe me. You owe me awe....
Stamina: 12 ~ Evasion: 17 ~ Strength: 2 ~ Wisdom: 16 ~ Arcane Power: 4 ~ Accuracy: 17
Student Account: Martyr Daeva-Lazarus
Purifying Flame Open to Cursed and Interns Finished
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Cursed and Intern | November 13th
When the word about a cure for the curse first got out, Opeila had been almost convinced that this was a terrible prank. For almost two years the third year had lived with black veins on her body, long enough to forget from time to time that they weren't a natural part of her. She used to scold herself for even thinking such a thing, none of this was normal, but with the months passing it had stopped to matter. The cursed students got their portion of golden potion every week and that was just it. Nothing else. After the disaster at the end of her first year, she had decided to stop experimenting, scared that she might end up killing herself by accident. Not only for her own sake, but also her friends' , some of whom she knew would blame themselves for that.

This... parasite inside her used to keep her awake at night, when she was desperately looking for a way to get rid of it and occasionally got her crying when looking in the mirror. Opeila had never been outstandingly beautiful, but also not ugly. Average. The black marks on her body got her into an entirely new battle of trying to like and accept herself, with all her flaws and things she couldn't do anything about. The curse was a part of her, while at the same time it wasn't and hearing that there was supposed to be a way to cure it now almost scared her to pieces, although she wouldn't admit it.

There were to different fears conflicting inside her. One was fueled by the old paranoid voice inside her, the one that had damaged her relationship with Percival and also Vladimir; What if this was all a lie? What if they were being rounded up to be finished off, believing they were being cured? Opeila was annoyed with herself, but she couldn't shake it off. It was like her own emergency system her mind had developed during her eventful years in the castle.
And then what if there was a cure? How would they be cured? Was it a potion? Would they get something injected? Or a spell maybe? What if it hurt as much as getting infected?

Those thoughts and more had circled in Opeila's mind, when she slowly went to the Hospital Wing to meet with Nurse Brumby and the other interns. The preparations, the clothes, the planning and explanations, it all cleared Opeila's fear and got her enthusiastic. Could it be? Could it really be over so soon? It seemed almost surreal.

After a bit of a thought, she had decided to line up on the first day. As a healing intern, she felt that it was her duty to help now and if she was helping, the whole thing would be a lot more encouraging and convincing when her own black marks were gone. After all, how did you get someone to do something you hadn't done yourself? Having something cooked out of you could certainly be scary if you hadn't visited a Hogwarts ball yet or weren't a duellist.

So Opeila sat down on one of the chairs as one of the first students to get cured. Her heart was racing, something the Slytherin couldn't quite understand- she had been in contact with fire before? Hot, burning fire even, not that cool stuff that would be cast on her in a moment. She nodded to the person in front of her and then pressed her eyes shut.
For a second there was nothing, then a tickling sensation that lasted only a few moments. Carefully, Opeila opened her eyes.

The girls stared down at her exposed ankles that were still black. Some seemingly not ending seconds passed as Opeila stared down, subconsciously holding her breath. And then her skin colour began to change. The black faded, getting lighter and lighter, leaving nothing behind but bare, clean skin. The third year kept staring, something she couldn't define yet was bubbling up inside her. It came out as a noise, a mix of laughter and sob. Quickly she pressed the back of her hand against her mouth, but it didn't stop another of those sounds to escape her lips.

And suddenly, tears were rolling down her cheeks. Opeila had planned to grab some of the fire resistant clothes once she was cured, but she had not expected the wave of feelings that was now crashing down on her. Quickly she got off the chair to make space for the next student, sent her healer a quick smile before she ran out of the hospital wing and slid down the corridor wall.
Just a moment. Just one moment, then she would go back.
With shaking hands she rolled up her trousers, looking for the familiar blackness, but there was nothing left.

The Slytherin raised her hands and buried her face in them, her body trembling with laughter and sobs equally. "Thank you.", she whispered against her palms, "Thank you so much..." Nurse Brumby, the interns, a god maybe?
She didn't know if she had ever felt so free in her life.
OOC: Opeila would come back in later and be there for the following days as well. Feel free to claim that she healed you and also says some comforting words to nervous students.
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Opeila Winters | Raffle | Theodore Duncain
Sta-10 | Eva-14 | Str-4 | Wis-17 | Arc-9 | Acc-15
Purifying Flame Open to Cursed and Interns Finished
Interactions: @Ileen Knight
Mentions: Kelsey Brumby, Illowy Magnard, Flash Holmwood, and Santario Martin
When Nurse Brumby told her there was a cure, that they wouldn't need the Thick Golden Potion anymore, she'd very nearly not believed him. Were it not for Illowy, who though more distant in the past month--because of this or her family crisis?--was very clearly curse-free, the fact hard to miss in a friend whose blackened veins had extended to her face, she wouldn't have. It wasn't that she thought he was pulling her leg; she didn't think he would ever be so cruel. More that... it didn't seem possible. Too good to be true. And so, not really knowing how to react, she'd thanked him after a too-long beat, said she'd see him then, and left.

One year, nine months. That was how long this had taken. Her feelings about the curse had shifted a lot in that time. First, it was just dealing with the trauma--the nightmares, her newfound terror of spiders, and the uncertainty of if the potion's protection would hold. Then, efforts to conceal the markings. It had never really been a concern of how they looked for her, she just hated the reminder of how much her sense of safety had been shattered and the stares and the questions. For her, hiding them was as easy as long sleeves and a glove, the curse confined to her right arm. But it had made her feel bad, being able to hide while others had no such hope, and so she'd abandoned that glove. By then, she'd felt ready to face it.

Much of her time cursed had been spent researching. If something went wrong, you tried to fix it. Book after book, a notebook full of anything relevant. But that was the thing: she learned a lot, but never quite what she was looking for. It was a daunting task she'd set herself to, because the library was huge and what if the answers were in the Restricted Section, dark as the subject was? What if they weren't out there at all? She would have despaired alone, but the knowledge she wasn't, that Illowy and Flash and likely others were looking, kept her going.

One of her biggest concerns about the curse--beyond what its endgame might be, which she'd mostly avoided considering--had been how her parents would react. She'd been petrified going home for the summer, worried they wouldn't let her return to Hogwarts. Here as she was today, clearly that fear hadn't played out, but she wasn't exactly proud of the role her understating--lying, really--had in that. And there were days now she half-wished they had pulled her. The atmosphere since the start of term felt more dire than ever before. Hags, more people cursed, those closest to her attacked and changed. She had compelling reasons to stay, namely that she couldn't abandon her friends in this, but she'd definitely thought about it.

Around the one-year mark, the gravity of that much time and Professor Jensen's admittance no progress had been made when she and Illowy asked left her burnt out. She was up against something seemingly insurmountable and tired of getting nowhere. If the adults, the ones with complete educations and far greater resources, had nothing, how much of an idiot was she to think she was going to make any difference? She couldn't bring herself to open another book she wouldn't find anything in, and so she didn't. Even the guilt of seeing Illowy push on alone didn't change that.

And now she was here. She'd resigned herself to being cursed, to enduring her family's worried looks and questions, to the unfailing weekly routine. The idea of a cure clashed sharply with that. She could see it worked in Illowy--relief by itself, her far-along friend the one she'd most feared for--but couldn't let herself truly believe it yet. Because something could still go unexpectedly, right? Maybe the curse wouldn't react the same, bites delivered by different spiders. And even if the arachnids came from identical shadow, the students weren't the same; could that mess with things? Or what if there was a crazy accident, a botched spell, and it made things worse like a messed-up Lumos making the shadows bigger? Could it linger, only now invisible, and run its course once they let their guard down? She was probably being paranoid, but she couldn't bear to get her hopes up only to be disappointed.

It was November 14th, the second day of curing. Going first had been decided against for want to see it worked in more than just one person. She was nervous as she walked into the Hospital Wing now with that confirmation. Not for the procedure--she was a duellist, used to spells cast at her, and Bluebell Flames didn't even burn--but for how big this was. The curse had been a part of her for almost half as long as she'd been a witch. What did her arm even look like without it?

This part she wasn't going to let herself overthink. She trusted she was in capable hands, that Nurse Brumby and the interns, several of whom were fellow Viridian Vipers, were competent. Her fear about a failed spell was extremely unlikely, she reasoned; mistakes happened in pressure situations when a lot was happening, not here where focus was facilitated. And even if it didn't work, it was worth a shot. Cape and cap donned--she couldn't burn, but her clothes could--attention was paid to any final instructions.

The chair under Ileen's jurisdiction was the one she ended up sitting in. Under different circumstances, she probably would have gone to Santario. A year of working together had created a certain bond she didn't have with Ileen, though she had plenty of respect for and liked her, too. But Santario was not the same, and as much as she hated herself for thinking it, she felt safer with Ileen. "Hi, Ileen. I'm doing alright." She would return her teammate's smile, heart clearly not fully in it. Her voice was steady as she directed Ileen to the cursed veins of her right arm and told her she was ready whenever; doing this thing she'd never done before did carry with it some nerves, but they weren't detectable.

She chose to watch it happen. Maybe seeing the black ichor go away would help her believe it, and she was curious. The blue, heatless flames poured from Ileen's wand. It felt kind of weird, like a weak Tickling Charm. Considering how much getting cursed had hurt, she was hardly going to complain about such slight discomfort, and it faded after a moment anyway. Her lips were pressed together, waiting for the change. And there it was, black receding. The corners of her mouth curled up as it happened, a full smile when the flow of flames stopped after several minutes. No longer did black veins stand out in a spiderweb across her skin. They were gone. As far as she could see, at least; her mind held on to reservations, not completely convinced just yet, but there wasn't stopping the light feeling inside from peeking out.

"Thank you," she said quietly. This time, Ileen would get a far more convincing smile. Then, it was just removing the safety equipment and listening to any last directions. She could leave, and if hope didn't slip out of their fingers this time, she wouldn't be coming back week after week.
Phylicia Stanwood (iNPC) • Aislin Darragh (2nd gen) • Alejandros Espinosa (2nd gen iNPC)
Purifying Flame Open to Cursed and Interns Finished
Interacting: @Ileen Knight and @Kelsey Brumby
[mentions of Ileen and Kelsey approved by the authors]
During that first week of November, it was a huge relief to Aaron to hear from Nurse Brumby that a cure had been found. No way he would've been able to keep it a secret from his parents when he went home for Christmas break. Even though the black veins were mainly hidden by his messy dark hair, the little veins that peeked out at the back of his neck and under his bangs surely would've been noticed by one of them.

Aaron knew he was luckier than some others who had been affected, in terms of placement and timing. Placement because at least his black veins were mostly hidden by hair, even if it had been really unpleasant getting bitten on the head. And timing because he'd only been cursed back in September, so this cure was only coming two months later for him. He'd been told others had been affected for years. The fact that this meant no more weekly treatments for them and for himself was awesome.

And now that November 13th had arrived, it was time! Aaron would waltz into the Hospital Wing on the first day of curing treatments with a broad smile on his lips, excited to get this done with. Ileen was one of the nearest interns working with an empty chair, and since he was familiar with her, he gravitated towards her. After explaining where the curse was, he put on the rest of the fire resistant gear except for the cap. It was only in this moment that he realized the fire was going to affect his hair. He had not thought to ask before, but.. well, maybe he could grow some of it back before the holidays. It was better to go back home with a different hairstyle than with a curse affecting his skin... still, he wasn't a big fan of losing all his hair because of this.

Once the treatment started, all of Aaron's hair disappeared, revealing a bald head and allowing him to see the spiderweb of black veins on his head for the first time. It was a lot more than he had been expecting, and he watched in a mirror as they eventually faded away. The tickling of the flame finally came to a stop once his skin was clear, leaving him with a shiny bald head free of any markings. He grinned at Ileen and sent her a thumbs up.

Reducio
Thank you to @Caradoc Browne for editing this photo for me!

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As he got to his feet, he put his hand on his bald head and thought it felt really weird. He didn't think he'd ever been bald before, except maybe as a baby? After a second, he noticed that Nurse Brumby was looking in his direction and laughing. Aaron dropped his hand from his head and headed towards him with a sheepish smile. He didn't mind the laughing, even Aaron though it was kind of funny. "Don't suppose there's anything you could do about this?"

With a wave of his wand, the nurse cast a spell and suddenly Aaron's head didn't feel so cold anymore. He lifted his hand and felt the familiar feeling of his hair there, and he was quite relieved. "Thank you!"
Aaron has a Calming Presence.
Your presence simply puts others at ease, if it is your carefree personality or the trust others have in you, the result is still the same. With you there, perhaps through your encouragement, your allies are able to better focus.
Exited Thread
PC: Aaron Jones | iNPC: Madeleine Nakamura | Former staff account: Marcus Iwasaki
2nd Gen PC: Idalia della Torre
Best way to contact me? Discord or owl Idalia
Purifying Flame Open to Cursed and Interns Finished
OOC: With over a month passing with no new posts, I am closing this thread for now. If anyone would like me to open it back up again for them to participate I'd be more than happy to, you must only owl me!
Purifying Flame Open to Cursed and Interns Finished
19 Nov 2021

He knew better than to get his hopes up, when news of a cure first reached his ears. His mood rather skeptical and indifferent compared to the joy and excitement of others rushing to the front of the line at the Hospital Wing to further the hype. Plenty of guinea pigs to spare, if early trials went awry. He would not be so naïve as to jump at the opportunity right away, less some side effect cripple his mind and body in a worser off position. He had suffered over a year, well over a year and half, with the curse. What was few days more, as he waited for reports to confirm that this treatment was not just another hoax, another false lead, another empty promise.

At least there wouldn't be much of a crowd, avoiding the influx of test subjects by the end of the school week, when he figured now was a safe bet to make his appearance at the Hospital Wing and witness the miracle for himself. By then, he had gathered enough reviews, seen the relief and unblemished skin on other students, desiring that freedom for himself. Optimism at the brim, it seemed a good day as ever to finally be rid of the curse in time for Hogsmeade, to celebrate on the weekend.

Following the nurse's instructions, Andrew donned his protective gear and bared his left arm for the attending healer. Despite the testimonies and reassurances of others who had gone through the same before him, primal fear was hard to suppress, clenching a fist under instinctive impulse as the blue flame was lit and brought up to his skin. He braced himself, resolved not to yank back or look away as he kept his arm steady, expecting heat or redness or something remotely sharp and painful akin to burning flesh. He stared at the site, twitched his fingers a little, feeling nothing but the opposite, a slightly cold and somewhat tickly-fizzling sensation, like Pop Rocks candy. A funny bone level of uncomfortableness that soon eased and his muscles relaxed, watching the blue flames lick away the inky black veins as they receded to the ends of his arm - farther up the shoulder, farther down the wrist - until they disappeared entirely. Gone. Forever. So they claimed.

And with that, so was he.

[Exit thread]
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