okay weird q incoming but what ways do you think speedsters can get sick? Like to my understanding, they can’t really come down with normal virus’ like the flu, right? But they could get things like chronic migraines?
NANOBOTS!!! This is one of the best pieces of canon lore ever. I did a whole post on it but TLDR: normal human metabolisms have so much shit going on that they don't even notice nanobots in their body BUT speedsters have hyper accelerated metabolisms that are the equivalent of the straight A's overachiever in school on meth. So speedster metabolisms do notice nanobots and they attack full force, triggering all of the body's defenses and responses.
But the nanobots are metal so it obviously doesn't do anything. It just leaves the speedster lethargic, feverish, vomiting, dizzy, with a headache, sore muscles and a runny nose, ect. It's basically an allergic reaction.
Now, poisoning them can work depending on what the poison is/what the dosage is. You would need a 100% fatal poison and you would need a fairly high dose. Because speedsters heal fast and they have a hyper accelerated metabolism, so any poison that is based on toxicity (alcohol poisoning for example) would be out of their system faster than it could even take effect.
But poisons that can't be cleared out/processed by the body (take cyanide for example, it binds with the chemical receptors in your body making it physically impossible to use oxygen) wouldn't really be affected by their metabolism at all. So while the speedsters could heal the damaged tissues from these poisons fairly quickly (making it seem as though they were only slightly affected) they would ultimately need time to do so, time they would not have if it kills them first. This isn't technically what you are asking because there would be no substance that 'makes them sick', there would only be 'fine', 'not fine for like a minute and then fine again' and 'dead'. (... unless they were hooked up to a steady supply of the toxin)
Likewise, (this is getting more into theoretical territory, less canon) there might be some illnesses that would affect them? Not for long but if you got something super fucking fatal like Rabies, it might make them display mild cold symptoms for a day or something.
I don't know though. They have really fucking good immune systems. And even super fatal diseases can be fought. Take my example of Rabies, while it is commonly thought to be 100% fatal once symptoms show up there actually have been cases of people surviving it. Rabies is a very stealthy and fast disease, so the main problem with treating it is that your body's immune system isn't fast enough to stop it. People have survived by being placed in medically induced comas (slowing their bodily functions and thus the disease) for long enough that the medication can eradicate it. So for a speedster? That's gone in a minute tops. You would need an insane disease that I'm not sure even exists.
There's also like... pregnancy and menstruation. Growing pains, muscle pain from running is a BIG ONE, being dehydrated/starvation, blood loss, ect. Lots of ways to fuck with a speedster in a way they can't immediately fix.
There are also speedster specific ailments. It's basically 50/50 if a natural born speedster gets a weird highly fatal aging disease. Sometimes speedsters can be born without a kinetic energy shield which makes using their powers at all incredibly fatal to them. All speedsters will have connectivity issues at some point that can be fatal. Sometimes Time Gets Bad™ (shout out to when Barry kept chronically stealing time from people/things every time he used his powers). Sometimes they have too much energy and can't maintain human form (shout out to when Wally didn't know what the speedforce was and was accidentally cosplaying Ghost Rider). Velocity 9 is a highly addictive drug that works on speedsters and makes them display typical addiction behavior (and withdrawal). V9 can also cause a speedster to 'overdose' (burst into flames/lightning/energy). They all have the constant urge to yeet themselves into the speedforce. Ect.
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Throughout Light and Dark
Throughout their journey between worlds Yoru and Vani tend to talk about the similarities and differences, between them as creatures made from darkness. Especially one from the ancient past, and the current present. This is just one of em.
Or
"The kinda smell... That smells... Smelly."
As promised! Some levity after the last few angsty snippets seen here and here.
Scent,
"I can tell you're making faces over there. If you have something to say, say it." Yoruhua says, not looking up from behind their delicious paste.
"...You smell different." Comes Vanitas' voice across from them.
Yoruhua stops mid bite, putting down their treat on oily crumpled paper. Chewing thoughtfully before responding,
"... I suppose I do, yes."
Suddenly aware of it, their thick smoky copal replaces the tasty scent of meaty, buttery puff pastries. Slightly disappointing her. But its Vanitas' own growing burnt palm sugar and rancid iron almost fully kills their appetite.
Vanitas glares at her for a second, still refusing to eat his own meal. The uneaten fluffy white rice in sharp contrast with the black beans and minced meat.
'His food is going to get cold.' Yoruhua muses.
Still, he doesn't mind, if he doesn't want to eat, then he doesn't have to.
"You're supposed to tell me why," he gruffs.
She smirks, "and you're supposed to use your words, and actually ask."
Vanitas looks likes he's about to snap, but carefully takes a deep breath and gives in. The iron fades out leaving only the bitter aftertaste of charcoal in the back of her throat, "Fine. Why do you smell like the Heartless do, but differently? It's weird."
"Well, I'm not just some Heartless, so jot that down. And, you smell too,"
He flushes and snarls, "I-I know that."
She huffs, "sure you did, but regardless- you probably just can't tell since you're not used to actively using it, so it's weakened." She says, "But, I guess it's because I kept my physical form. Unlike the rest of the Homunculi- eh, that's the other original Darknesses- I'm still me, well, not me exactly. But this... Body, you see, still remains from when I was a singular being."
At Vanitas' annoyed look and re-worsening scent, Yoruhua grimaces and tries to elaborate,
"Ah... So, the others all... Blended into one another, without a body to keep them separated. Souls and hearts grossly mixing without care just for power..."
"They aren't like you or me anymore- back then, in the Realm of Darkness, sometimes it would be so dark, that we couldn't even see one another. So we developed scents to detect, identify, and understand each other to prevent fights. Though, mine's changed a bit due to sharing a heart with Orichalchemi," she finishes.
Vanitas huffs, unsatisfied with the answer, "okay first of all; you suck at explaining stuff. Second; so what? You're saying you didn't always smell like a someone was burning s'mores with incense sticks in a graveyard?"
They quirk an eyebrow and ignore his insult, "you seem oddly fixated on the subject. Why do you care what I smell like?"
The boy frowns, looking down at his food and avoiding her own stare, "I... how do you control it...?"
A deep sigh, but a fond one. That's the most direct he's been about asking for their help. Well, their meal can wait.
Slowly, they place an extra of their pastes de tinga on his still full plate, responding cooly, "well, for starters, you can take better care of yourself. The more energy you have- the better. So eat before it gets too cold. A healthy body produces a stronger scent and makes it easier to focus."
Wordlessly he does as she says without a fight.
It's a small win.
Yoruhua smiles to himself, finishing off their own food. And watches over him fondly.
It's moments like this, where he's simply living instead of anticipating the next attack, that she enjoys most. Through she'll never get over how horrible it felt to be trapped within Void Gear, her one window into the real world was always the one silver lining.
Watching him sleep peacefully on those rare nights, or try a new skill and smile where no one else could see him when he got it right...
"What are you looking at?" Vanitas asks wearily, looking up at her.
Yoruhua shakes her head, "nothing, I..."
She looks at him, truly, and decides to just say it, "seeing how far you've come since we've started this journey... Well, I'm proud of you, I've always been."
Vanitas blushes, and glares down at his nearly finished plate, "I don't get how you can just say things like that. Putting your emotions on display like that, like one of those weak sappy Lights."
Yoruhua laughs, "hah, honestly, you call it a weakness, but it's a lot harder to admit than it looks."
"While being genuine puts your weaknesses on full display, it also makes you fully aware of them and easier to defend. You can't protect what you don't understand. Ori showed me that."
They add, "I find it... Impressive, that the Light feels so confident in such emotion, that they leave it out in the open for all to enjoy, because they know they can trust those others with it- and in their abilities to protect it when the time comes."
At that he stays silent but eventually the tension in his shoulders dissipate, "so you... Trust me? Even after all I did to you as Void Gear?"
Yoruhua nods, "of course I do, besides, you didn't hurt me- I was only trapped inside. I got to see tons of interesting things with you. You even freed me." A mischievous smirk creeps on his face as he reaches over to ruffle his hair.
"H-Hey! Knock it off!" He whines.
They laugh, "sorry, I couldn't help myself. You're sweet, even if you are a punk most of the time."
He light heartedly pushes her hand away, "yeah whatever, you deserve it for dragging me behind you everywhere, it's only fair."
"dragging you? We're bonding! This is like... Those family roadtrip Lights take all the time! I'm building your character!"
"You kidnapped me!"
"Same thing!"
While the two bickered, neither of them noticed the sweeter scent shift in the air, incense mixing with palm oil to create a more neutral, delicate sandalwood.
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