abraxaslogs | [open] may catchall

I knew someone who was three hundred years old. [The past tense slips out, an indication that Viktor is coming around to being here for the long haul--or, at least, not making it home before he succumbs to his illness.] A genius, as well, but he was cautious to the point of being functionally useless, when it came to scientific progress.

[That's the most he's bothered to say about Heimerdinger, and the uncharitable assessment comes out almost effortlessly. He's not sure whether or not to feel guilty, about that. Viktor isn't sure he would take all this weird torture and experimentation as the trade-off, but there is something to be said for how prolific Alucard's father seemed to be. How ahead of his time. The trick will be making this usable without the same ethical pitfalls. Summoning armies of demons. That sort of thing.]

Transmutation, obviously, is the most interesting to me, and possibly the most relevant. I was working with similar principles, before I came here. You may have seen it--the Hexcore.

Edited 2022-05-15 17:23 (UTC)

Ethics are difficult. [It feels like an understatement, given everything about his father. He sighs, taking a sip from the wine glass near to him. Wine is for complimenting the food, yes, but also just preparing for all aspects of this discussion. Alucard knows they will be wading into difficult waters.] I think that it comes down to the matter of who you are surrounded by along with your natural disposition.

[Alucard knows that if left alone, he has diceier ethics. It's nothing he's proud of. Just a fact at this point.]

Yes, that was why I sent along what I did. It seemed that even if the language and theories were a little off, you'd have the background knowledge to generally get the gist of everything. Before we go any further though, and because the texts do get into it - is vampirism in any capacity a concept back home, or do I need to explain?

He spoke often of magical cataclysms--societies laid to waste by the quarreling of mages. I understand...restraint, in that regard, but he actively prevented us from helping people because he was afraid of how any given innovation might be used. Natural-born users of the arcane are so rare as to be legends, in Piltover. The anxieties of past centuries were simply irrelevant.

[He shrugs. Not really worth dwelling on, at this point, as they both understand that there's a sensible middle ground between Heimerdinger's inaction and Dracula's lack of regard for human life. Perhaps he thinks a little highly of himself, in this regard, the idea that he would not misuse magic, at least, not in a way that would endanger others. Viktor is nothing if not self-assured.

As for Alucard's question, Viktor gives a nod.]

Again, legends. I imagine the definition will vary from world to world, as well, so for the sake of this conversation, assume I know nothing.

Edited 2022-05-15 22:37 (UTC)

Given that what you just described was something my father was actively trying to accomplish in the wake of my mother's murder, I cannot blame that person for caution in the least. [Alucard can't recall if in that mess of memories, the cause of his mother's death was made clear. Now Viktor knows, for whatever it is worth.] When you see things like that, the memory lingers.

As I said. I do think it comes down to who is in your immediate circle.

[They can and should get away from it now. Alucard finishes the rest of his wine first, placing the glass down on the counter.]

Very well. Those who number among my father's people are rare, but they share several things in common. First, they are by clinical standards, dead. No heart beat, no need for breath, nothing. Secondly, they reach this state by becoming a vampire themselves, usually via bites and then the sharing of blood from the vampire who turned them - that will have come up in the notes.

They subsist on human blood to sustain their existences, and are equipped with fangs that allow for the creation of puncture wounds along veins. They're retractable, like so-- [And indeed, Alucard pauses just long enough to let his little fangies extend, then retreat as he continues.] They're granted a number of abilities along with their in theory immortal life span, including changing form and healing from most wounds, save anything to the head or heart or involving blessed or holy objects. [He pauses, then shrugs.] Most things die if you wound them in the head or heart though, they're not special in that respect.

They cannot walk in sunlight and being a small group of people who are very old, they are both territorial and highly catty. Most see humans as little more than livestock.

[Oh! Time to check dinner. Alucard turns back to the stove and lifts the cover off the pan, giving the chops a gentle prod with a finger just to see if they're done.]

Clear off the table? Everything is finished.

Some measure of caution is warranted. Inaction is...another matter entirely.

[That said, he's not going to argue much further. He knows, vaguely, what happened to Alucard's mother, and he's sure all of it is too raw to press the issue.

Much of this tracks with what he already knows (not that he ever gave supernatural creatures much thought, but informative nonetheless. It follows that there would be differences between worlds, though it is interesting, that certain things seem to be commonplace across universes.

That said, none of this is very comforting. He remembers, the first time he saw Alucard shapeshift, being surprised but otherwise adamant that he wasn't about to judge anyone for circumstances beyond their control. Alucard's lineage is part of that. Given this new information, however, he can't help but be curious. Hopefully his additional questions won't be too invasive.

But, how can it not be, when one of those questions is how an ostensibly dead entity can produce a child?]

What about you?

[There's no not-awkward way to ask that question, so he's glad for the distraction when the food is ready. Viktor pulls himself to his feet and busies himself first with clearing the notes, then with setting utensils out on the table (he has those! Don't worry!).]

You share some of these traits, clearly, but you don't suffer the same...disadvantages.

[Alucard is grateful that Viktor lays off the issue and instead turns his focus to actually getting dinner on the table. The chops go on the plate first, carefully off center and with enough room for asparagus and salad both. The spears go next, the salad sequestered in a corner. With that done, Alucard quickly reaches for the wine bottle, deglazing the pan in order to make a quick enough sauce. It hisses and smokes, sending the scent of pork and thyme and wine into the air with near glee from the dhampir. It is nothing to keep stirring until a sauce forms with a few additional bits of butter and a sprinkle of flour and--

behold. Dinner, sauced and perfected.]

I feel you already know the answer to 90% where the differences lie. [There's a shrug as both plates are placed down on the table before he goes about fussing with wine glasses.] I don't need blood, although I am fond of blood sausage, and if you took my pulse you'd noticed that it is half the speed what it should be.

[Wine poured and everything else settled, Alucard finally sits.]

When you used blood magic before, were you only using your blood?

I was thinking more of the fact that I've seen you out in broad daylight, but yes, that too.

[Maybe a lame attempt at a joke, because clearly they are drinking wine and not blood, but who knows! Maybe Alucard likes it, or needs it to supplement regular human food (like this, which he is starting to notice smells, well, fairly incredible). He helps where he can, sliding things around to make room, but Alucard seems fairly self-assured in the kitchen, so he does his best to stay out of the way while the table is set.

Then, more business. Viktor reaches for his glass, using a first sip of wine as an excuse to gather his thoughts.]

Only mine. [The thought of even asking anyone else to compromise themselves for his experiment is out of the question. Still, he looks momentarily frustrated, a little scrunching of his facial features.] It was accidental, mostly. Then there were the plants. Unfortunately, I was brought here before I was able to perform the experiment I intended.

Like I said, you know most of the differences already.

[The response is light enough, meaning he can take the joke as it is. With everything set and done, the dhampir slides into his seat, quite comfortable. What he doesn't do immediately is pick up his fork. Instead his eyes are on Viktor, waiting for him to take the first taste. Wine is good. But he knows this is better.]

I ask because the first thing that occurs to me in the process, and I mean this respectfully, is if you are ill, then using parts of yourself would hardly be curative. The issue transmits to whatever the subject of the experiment is.

[Accident or not, Alucard is almost certain that problem 1 is the source.]

What was the plan?

[It would be very easy for Viktor to keep talking, but Alucard is clearly waiting for him to eat, so he fights the urge to launch into the details of his experiment, and stabs at the asparagus. He chews thoughtfully, but he's unable to disguise the way his eyes widen slightly.]

This is--[Extremely good, and he is still wrapping his head around someone wanting to cook for him.]--I had no idea you were so talented in the kitchen.

[As for his blood, well. Jayce had said the same thing, but Jayce was missing a vital piece of information about how he planned to go about it. Somehow, the idea of telling Alucard about the Shimmer feels much easier--less like he'll be judged for it.]

It had to be mine. [He's sure of that much.] The blood is the--the activation, that it needs. A signal, nothing more. Given that, the Hexcore reads the instructions--the series of runes, inscribed into the subject--in order to perform the transmutation. I intended to try it on my leg, first.

[Viktor doesn't think he needs to explain why--it's the most expendable part of him. Either the experiment would be successful, or he'd lose it, and, well. Probably he could live with that (if the trauma didn't kill him in the process).

He is starting to think that maybe this plan was not a good one.]

There was an additional element. A substance, capable of enhancing the user's constitution. It was meant to help me-- [There is. There is no good way to put this.] --survive. The transition.

[What he doesn't say is that he had no idea what form said transition would take. What the Hexcore would do to him--if he would even be human, afterward.]

Edited 2022-05-16 15:42 (UTC)

In fairness, I do live in a graveyard as a wolf using a cactus for housing. That's a fair assumption to make.

[It is still an easier space to be in. There's an openess that Alucard craves so that he can be on balance in the city, and at this point, he can't imagine taking up a small apartment like the one they're in now. It isn't for him.

Satisfied, he cuts into his own meal and starts to eat. Listening, considering as Viktor explains.]

So it's the conduit, personalizing the magic to your particular circumstances, and the coding does the rest? [At least, that seems to be what Viktor is hinting at.] With that substance as your temporary support system. That's...very much in line with what I provided then.

[But transition. That prompts a sip of wine.] Do you know what the transitory outcome would have been? You are implying a potential shift in personhood.

[Yeah, about that. Viktor isn't going to judge someone else's living situation, but he guesses Alucard saves on rent. He takes another bite. Offers a shrug, to indicate that he won't press that particular cactus-related issue.]

Something like that.

[He's still learning that the thing he's making has a definition, in other worlds, something his own has yet to define. It's thrilling, to know that what he's doing is so groundbreaking, but having to talk about his own plan out loud just brings to light all of the things that could have gone wrong.

In that, no. He has no idea what the Hexcore might have done to him. He seemed unchanged, in Jayce's memory, but there were signs that something happened to him. His leg brace, gone. The single glove.]

The plants, when exposed to the arcane energies channeled through the Hexcore, experienced rapid vitalization. With the correct combination of runes applied to the relevant areas, I envisioned the Hexcore would have a similar effect...on me.

Edited (ugh sorry phrasing) 2022-05-16 19:44 (UTC)

[It is very comfy and he will bite if anyone tries to change that.]

I can see why that plant experiment would have seemed heartening. [Worth the risk really. Alucard pauses to get a little bit more food in his mouth, but--a similar effect. Alucard breathes out.]

But you didn't localize it to one part, correct? You were anticipating a fully restorative effect on all areas at once?

It was. The potential implications...healing magic, medical applications, environmental restoration...an adaptable power source. Nearly limitless.

[He sounds like he's still holding out hope that the Hexcore can be used in such away, even outside of his illness. It's obvious from his tone of voice and the way he becomes slight more animated that he truly believes in what he planned to do.

But he's getting ahead of himself. He clears his throat, refocuses.]

It's intended to be localized. If the first test proved successful, I would have attempted it here. [He splays a hand against his chest.]

[Localized is good. Localized is reassuring, and Alucard nods thoughtfully to that.]

Medical science is one of the hardest things to look into, because it demands research with humans. And in this case, there's no other possible subject.

[Meaning that ethical or otherwise, the dhampir is well aware that there's no other possible way to experiment. Viktor is the sole subject. That's not...great.]

Do you believe you could use a tissue sample from the first area to start to refine the theory?

I know. And, unfortunately, it remains untested.

[But, of course, his hope had been that his test run on himself would have been successful enough to reproduce, eventually. He hasn't quite lost the idea that he could help the Undercity, with this. Help those with afflictions similar to his own, once the technology is perfected.

All hypothetical, at this point. He needs to live long enough to see his dream realized, first.]

We could. [Already, we, as Viktor grows more comfortable with the idea that he has help, now.] The reason why I planned to proceed in such an unconventional [reckless] way is because, simply, I don't have the luxury of time, when it comes to procedural standards.

[It won't be for long. That much has become very clear already. The only questions are how and where. Alcuard can feel a sense of slight unease in contributing to some of the how, if only because his father's worst impulses threaten to reverberate.

But he already said it. Those around you matter. So he has to be a part of it, or else come in at the end. It seems as if the latter can be avoided next time.]

Being a merchant for time never works out for the buyer. [He understands, but there still has to be some control.] So then start small and see if the theories apply in any meaningful way.

I was working alone. [He sounds frustrated by this, almost a little defensive. Of course he hadn't been able to adhere to proper procedure or ethical standards.] Everyone else...abdicated.

[Even Jayce, for the most part, though certainly not out of malice. He had his own urgent business to attend to, and beyond that, was so deeply entangled with Piltover's politics that Viktor couldn't trust him to act as his friend, instead of a councilor.

It seems moot, given the fact that Jayce has re-affirmed his commitment to their partnership, and there are people here ready and willing to drop everything to help him, but Viktor is still impatient.]

So, a tissue sample, then scale upward as appropriate. The Academy has magical conduits similar to what powered the Hexcore in my world--acquiring it, ehn. May be a challenge, but recreating the device is not what I anticipate might be difficult.

[The drugs. It's the drugs.]

My concern is, frankly, staying alive long enough to complete the testing.

I see. [Alucard has some suspicions about how much Viktor shared prior to taking the nuclear option. His guess is not very much or at least not enough to make it clear how dire things were. He'd be the same way, in Viktor's position. Or Dracula might, if his father was human and staring down such odds. (That's not a thought he likes.)

Alucard takes a long, long sip of his wine in an attempt to dislodge the thought.]

How quickly can you work if you have assistance?

[And moreover:] You'll need blood samples too.

I'll work as quickly as I have to, assistance or not.

[Alucard might already have the idea that Viktor often forgoes things like normal sleeping habits in favor of work, and it's clear that he has no intention of actually changing his behavior, even with an actual team backing him.

After a moment, he seems to realize he's getting unreasonably worked up, so he stops. Takes a breath, and nods in agreement.]

Jayce has been studying healing magic. It's good for occasional pain relief, but we don't know how well it's slowing the degradation, if at all. [Viktor sounds a little pessimistic about that.] In addition to my work on the Hexcore, I need to be employing...temporary measures, to buy myself more time.

[Temporary measures. Alucard breathes out at that, giving honest consideration to what those might look like. There's a forkfull of pork to allow for an all too literal chewing over of the matter.

The obvious statement of fact is that Viktor needs to delegate the Hexcore work, but he won't because some personality types are terribly obvious. The other obvious statement is that the goal right now shouldn't be a cure, but should be a matter of stasis. Keeping things in a holding pattern until there's real time available.

He takes another bite. Then finishes the contents of his wine glass.]

Do you have a plan for maintaining where you are at presently, outside of Jayce's skills?

[Alucard's starting to form his own theory, but he doesn't like it.]

[They both know full well what’s in the book—they’ve both read it, Viktor very recently and Alucard by way of having to recall it for him, in order to manifest it in the Horizon. He’s been obviously fishing, trying to steer the conversation in that direction without making Alucard feel like he would be obligated to contribute in the very specific way he’s about to reference.

He takes the hint, with the drained wine glass, setting down his fork momentarily to pick up the bottle and gesture for Alucard to point the glass his way. He refills it as a way to stall for time, as if they both don’t know exactly where this is going.]

Your father’s notes referenced the, uh. Healing properties of his blood.

[No good way to say it, really. Might as well be as straightforward about it as possible. Obviously, Alucard’s father is not here, but that doesn’t mean the resource is not available to them, in some way.]

Is there truth to that?

[The natural conclusion has arrived. Alucard's just glad he has a full wine glass for it, as swirling the wine lets his mind focus. Formulate the right words in the right order, because all of this feels that it is balanced upon a razor's edge.]

His blood also turns anyone into a vampire. The drawbacks are considerable, and the vampires of this land are impossible to reach at this time.

[He exhales. Best to go with it.]

I do not know what the properties of my own blood are, Viktor. Turning another was something my father rarely did with plans to keep them alive or to have the particular bond that exists between vampire and kin, and you can imagine that in my twenty years, it has not been on my mind. [There. That's the whole of it.] It might turn you. It might keep things at bay. Or the nature of your own illness might fight against whatever my blood does in a human body and turn you into a battle ground between a different species and your illness.

[Someone's already thought about it, clearly.]

And I know time is limited for testing.

[We're not talking about his blood, he almost blurts, because despite the way he's attempting to frame this incredibly fraught conversation, this is about Alucard's blood. Alucard, who has all of the advantages of his father's species, and none of the drawbacks. It follows, logically, that it might have exactly the healing capability he needs.

Viktor has overstepped, clearly, but the intensity of his gaze indicates he's not quite ready to back down, not when everything is at stake and he needs to be open to any option available.]

I know it's too much for me to ask. [But, surely they don't have to jump right to injecting Viktor with vampire--or dhampir, as it were--blood. Still, he's willing to do a great deal, at this point, to stay alive.] If you think it's too dangerous, or too uncertain, I won't pursue it--but, if you're willing, I believe that studying its properties might be worthwhile.

Viktor, I was waiting for this to come up in some capacity. If I wasn't considering the idea, I don't think I'd be here tonight. [It is a massive ask. One with risks. Alucard is the only version of his kind, and there are too many unknow properties that go with it. What his blood might do was a question left unturned by Dracula and Lisa. There was never a need to know.

He breathes out. Slow. Steady. Considering.]

If this proceeds, there will be conditions for everyone's safety. Experimenting with an entirely unknown substance is one thing after all, the fact that it is physically a part of myself is another all together. [He's been has his share of feeling attacked in guises of intimacy already. This? This he has control over.] I am present at every experiment. I see what you see. I take notes along with you. Every step is discussed. I don't mind sacrificing sleep or slowing other work down, but you do not do anything with a part of myself without my explicit approval. I will consider anything less a violation of myself.

[His tone is harsher than intended. Alucard isn't sure if the wobble of his voice, the attempt to clamp down on a rawer emotion, is obvious in his last words. But it is there, and he knows exactly why. It takes total self control not to just chug the wine glass.]

I think…all of that is reasonable.

[More than reasonable. Generous. Above and beyond what Viktor has ever had anyone do for him. He sounds almost surprised, letting out a breath he’s not sure he knew he was holding. His plate is, momentarily forgotten, though his hand stays curled around the stem of the wine glass, as if it’s some sort of anchor.

For all of his transgressions—intended or otherwise—Viktor has been steadfast in only harming himself. Now that someone else’s literal blood is in the mix, he needs to, at least, make some effort to minimize consequences. It’s not just him, now.]

We’ll move forward as much as you are comfortable with. If at any point you decide we need to stop, we’ll stop.

[Even if it’s at the cost of his own life. To go beyond these parameters, as he says, would be a violation. Viktor is willing to take that risk.]

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