MAdison sighed before causing them to fade.

"I... have no idea. It might be worthwhile to look into them." SDhe then said after a moment or two.

"Because... it might be a connection. I don't know." She just sighed, heavily.

"I... reall don't want to believe that Lindsay just... changed... for no reason."

Madison just sighed.

"I'll go see if ash can help." She added. "I don't know if he can, but... maybe."

---

She stood where she was told to, nothing on, bleeding, but not showing any pain. The taller woman just grasped the pale woman's chin, looking into her eyes to see the current status. They were alone, but that wasn't something too surprising.

"You are a wonderful little toy." The taller, darker skinned, woman said as she released the other womans chin.

"I do wonder what all I can do with you, and your arm.' She then said as she looked toward the markings that were crawling up the shorter womans arm, and across her torso.

"Considering the wounds she had, and the remnants that we had to remove from her... I'm not entirely surprised." The woman commented.

"What does surprise me, is that she survived." She added.

"Those were from hell." She continued, looking to the wood elf that was there.

"The fact that she was alive when you found her, is quite a surprise. The realm will kill those that don't belong there without question." She paused, looking back tot he one that was standing in front of her.

"But with some quick reactions, we were able to capitalise upon the lack of free will that always accompanies a human travelling through there." She looked the shorter woman from head to toe.

"As for your question.... I'm not sure." She admitted with a heavy sigh. "I really do wish I did though. However, we can put it to the test."

"I suspect so." was her response.

"Now, if I am going to test the connection, I suppose the first thing to do would be to try and expand those markings." She commented. "I have been told by at least one of those that I have out there, that they have met the original."

"So, let's see if I can expand that marking. It'd be a lovely test." She commented.

"what about the possibility of identification. What's your counter for that?" The other one there asked, a bit of hesitation to his voice. She just sighed.

". . . that is a very fair point." She agreed. "I suppose I shoudld go with something more subtle." She paused, looking the short woman from head to toe.

"All right then, let's go hard with my mana then." She said before smirking as she brought a hand up, a crimson mana coating it. She let it collect for a few seconds, before just laying two fingers on the shorter womans forehead, right in the middle. As she did so, they could both see the effect of the mana as it was absorbed into the redhead.

Erica sighed lightly.

"I'm all right." She told him honestly.

"My curse is spreading though." She added.

"seems whatever this is ... it's just..." she started before pausing.

"I... " She tried before shaking her head..

"It seems that... I... I mean..." She tried to get out, having difficulty with it, for some reason that no one could identify.

It took a few minutes, most certainly longer than he would have ideally liked, before Erica just shook her head.

"I..." She started, pausing.

"The hell was that...?" She wondered, knowing that he likely wouldn't have an answer. All she knew was that it felt almost as if her brain stopped for a few seconds - or however long.

Erica just shook her head, almost as if she was trying to clear it.

"I... guess so?" She answered with.

"Whatever. Anyway. Uh... the hell were we talking about...?" She asked after a couple seconds.

"To say I lost my train of thought... would be one hell of an understatement."

Erica sighed.

"Yeah... sorry about that." She said.

"It's... something that has been happening more and more lately. Just... brief spells. I think it might be the stress of the shit going on around here." She added with a sigh.

"I've been barely sleeping due to it, if I'm being honest. Probably just something like micro sleeps or whatever." She said before meeting Jake's eye.

"Anyway! Yeah, it's nuts here, and I don't know why. I also don't know why I'm unaffected. I feel fine." She said.

"How about you? How're you feeling?" As she asked, he could identify some concern in her voice. She honestly wanted to know.

Erica just chuckled lightly.

"At least you have Anya." She commented, sincerity in her voice.

"If nothing else, you have someone to help keep you level." She added before sighing and scratching just below the collar of her shirt.

"How is she doing, anyway?" She asked, her voice curious.

"Well, at least there's that." Erica commented as she sighed, crossing her arms on the desk as she leaned forward.

"It's the little things, hey?" She asked with a light laugh.

"Also, what's caught your eye?" She asked, looking around.