[closed] run fast don't stand in the sun there's too much work to be done

[cryptsleeper]

Who: Alucard and Viktor
What: Fucking around with dhampir blood experiments
Where: Viktor's lab, mid September to mid October
Warnings: Human experimentation, references to animal experimentation.

Comments

Late September

[cryptsleeper]

--Here.

[The vial that Alucard passes over to Viktor is small, not much longer than his own thumb. He knows it is full of a terrible mix of his blood as processed and absorbed by a mouse, and it has already been noted in his own log books that the minute he removed the needle, the spot healed in the little thing immediately. The mouse has been given some blood sausage in gratitude, before being put in a pen that has a wheel and a few good spots for it to burrow.

The consistency itself is important. For the first two weeks of the work, it wasn't there. The same mouse might not heal, but it would scorn the light one day, only for it to heal instantly and have no other apparent traits the next. Nothing made sense. Every ability Alucard had manifested itself (the floating), only to wear off.

They had figured the time part out, at least. That was down to the amount of blood given. It was processed by the system of each mouse, before essentially being burned through. Fuel of a sort. Important data to have.

The mouse gets a pat on the head, at least.]

Thank you, Quincy.

[techmaturgy]

[Viktor is not a biologist. He's barely a chemist--sure, he knows some of the basics, given his time at the Academy, but his area of study is, generally speaking, cold hard mathematics. Physics. His engineering know-how will only get him so far, in a situation like this.

And he's squeamish, when it comes to working on animals, even mice, but Alucard is right in that plants aren't relevant to what they're doing right now, and they can't safely progress to experimenting on him. That was part of the deal--slow, methodical. Taking no risks. Despite his dire situation, Viktor wants to respect that. He owes Alucard that much.

Alucard puts Quincy back in his cage and Viktor takes the vial gingerly, slotting it into a centrifuge. They'll have a few minutes while it spins, which he uses to take some notes of his own.]

If there was a way to guarantee the regenerative property--

[Well, they would have solved the whole problem, already.]

--some kind of marker, in the blood, that we could isolate .

[cryptsleeper]

You mean you don't want to randomly levitate at unexpected intervals?

[Alucard's grin is small and fleeting. The ability popping up in the course of the experiments did not surprise him, but it was still very silly to have the chase after a floating mouse.

Idly, he presses his fingers into the cage, aware that their friends like to be pet and offering just that.]

But yes. That would be what we need more than anything else. I also suspect I can only do one more large supply draw for the week.

[Alucard still heals plenty fast, but the volume of blood is posing a new challenge. He's glad to have that information, but he also hates it.]

[techmaturgy]

It's the randomness that makes it unappealing.

[Not the ability to float--he thinks he might like that, actually. At the very least, it would make it easier to get around. He understands the point, though. They haven't yet been able to produce consistent results.

Hence the slide he's currently preparing with an extra drop or two of blood. Getting a closer look at it might help him start to puzzle things out. Viktor seems to think about something for a moment before looking back up at Alucard.]

You're worried it isn't scalable.

[Frankly, Viktor's worried about that, too. They can't keep drawing blood from Alucard, and if he's already tapping out on experiments with mice, who knows how much they're going to need for a human, for the effects to be more permanent?]

[cryptsleeper]

I know. And we can't do what my mother did with levitation and attach a string to your ankle either.

[Alucard's childhood was weird but not for the expected weird reasons.

The dhampir lets Viktor do the preparation with enough quiet to concentrate, idly rubbing at the top of Quincy's head as the little mouse has insisted that he do. Alucard doesn't mind the indulgence. In fact, it feels quite soothing.]

If it isn't, we will have a problem. But we are working at a break neck speed right now. That is going to distort our understanding of what a sustainable model of this actually looks like.

[It's been probably closer to two pints this past week. Definitely more than should be taken, but they need information. And, perhaps, Alucard does not mind the excuse to take a break from working in Libertas's recovery efforts. Those have served as an awful reminder of what awaits in Wallachia. What Sypha and Trevor saw through their travels. Dracula's legacy.

This too could be that. Should it work.]

[techmaturgy]

No, but, an adult-sized harness and lead--

[That's a joke. He trails off because it's a joke. Viktor watches Alucard for another moment, as if making sure that it's going to land before he turns back to the slide, using a pair of tweezers to gently place the cover over the sample and slot it into place.

As usual, Alucard is right that they don't have the luxury of time, or the ability to carry this out to the letter of scientific ethics. He peers into the microscope.]

And our subject is otherwise unharmed?

[Because that is what Viktor is mostly concerned about, right now. The well being of Quincy.]

[cryptsleeper]

[Viktor, Alucard is the last person to be talking kink to.

Alucard just shakes his head, his attention seemingly on Quincy entirely after that bad attempt at a joke. Quincy's decided he is done with attention from the dhampir at any rate, and has darted off to join his fellows.

A little speedier than usual, but huh.]

He seems to be moving faster than his usual pace, actually.

[Which is noteworthy. He healed. And he's fast. That's two things at once, not just one effect.]

spongebob narrator voice: SEVERAL WEEKS LATER

[cryptsleeper]

[The arc of discovery is not linear. It can have logic, but it usually lives in the art of surprise. Rarely will things work out as theorized. And it will always take a toll.

All five of the mice can float, when injected with too much of Alucard's blood. They heal instantly no matter the amount. They run faster for a time. There are no other effects. Haven't been for two weeks. So if it is their bodies adjusting or Alucard's blood figuring itself out, the end results are the same. The effect needed is present. The only thing left to do is to scale up.

Alucard doesn't know what happens next. He's not thinking about it as he slides the needle into the vein, carefully watching a part of himself enter Viktor. (It's hard not to understand how vampirism and the romantic became intertwined in moments like this.) The mice shake a little when they adjust. Who knows what it looks like on a person.

He slides the needle out. Starts the timer. Grabs paper and pen.]

Tell me everything you feel as you feel it.

[He holds his breath. Waiting.]

[techmaturgy]

[In the end, they are not able to fully isolate whatever it is in Alucard's blood that accelerates healing, but it's a consistent enough effect that they decide they don't need to. A risk, maybe, given the general inconsistency of everything else, but after weeks of experimentation, Viktor is at least halfway confident that Alucard's blood isn't going to kill him.

And Alucard agrees, apparently, enough to jump right to human experimentation. They're starting off with so little anyway that he doesn't think he'll be in any particular danger. If it isn't enough, they can go from there.

Viktor has been poked and prodded with enough needles that he doesn't flinch at this one, taking it without so much as a wince. Once the needle is out, he inspects the injection site, watching the little red pinpoint fade as if it was never there at all. He feels, all at once, a little breathless.]

So far so good.

[cryptsleeper]

Okay.

[The needle is sterilized, capped, and then placed in the incinerator pile. Alucard has been specific about this, that anything that has had it's blood in it needs to burn. A particular caveat, one Viktor deserves an explanation for.

His move, checking to see if the wound has reappeared. So far, so good indeed.]

This isn't ideal, but thank you for respecting the particulars I have set down.

[techmaturgy]

[Viktor does not expect anything to take effect right away--he's much larger than a mouse, after all, with a more sophisticated circulatory system, and it's not out of the question that the dosage they gave him is simply not enough. He glances quickly at the stopwatch, but otherwise stays still in the chair, not wanting to unnecessarily elevate his heart rate and botch the current test.

While they wait, Alucard's choice of conversation is a little surprising, but not necessarily unexpected.]

You don't have to thank me. [Viktor should be thanking him, for allowing it in the first place.] It's the bare minimum of courtesy.

[cryptsleeper]

It is, but I've not always had it respected.

[That's why it's worth saying thank you.

Alucard's fairly sure Viktor can pick up nuances from there. It is a terrible topic to fill in the silence, of course, but Alucard is sure that if they don't keep speaking, anxiety and fear of failure will fill the room instead. He's worried already, head in darker places than he likes to go under normal circumstances.

He restrains the urge to drum fingers against the table, but only just so.]

If there's nothing in fifteen minutes, I think we need to reconfigure something.

[techmaturgy]

I understand.

[Alucard doesn't need to describe what happened for Viktor to fill in the blanks. Whatever happened, he imagines it was an incredible breach of trust. The fact that they're doing this, now, is a risk for both of them, but arguably one that Viktor is more willing to take. This is a leap of faith, for Alucard, and he wants his friend to know that he isn't going to take it for granted.

He's about to nod at the timing assessment, but then a warmth blooms in his chest, not dissimilar to the feeling of Jayce's healing magic. Viktor manages to look surprised before remembering that he needs to be describing it out loud, so they can take notes. He spreads a hand against his ribcage.]

Less pressure, here.

November, Oleuni Square, Hunting grounds

[cryptsleeper]

--Thank you for meeting us.

[There were a few places that this could happen. Gambling dens were made for sketchy nonsense after all, but vampires have good eyes in Alucard's experience and it felt like a risk. Better to burrow deep in the woods where separate people can enter and exit, and it is harder to see.

Alucard's accepted a spear for the time being. There's the genuine concern for the residents of the grounds to make an appearance, but it isn't anything he can't handle. Or will worry about. There's only one goal here and now, all misery of the past few weeks put aside: the sap, and the hope it might provide a long term solution to a long term problem.]

[aquaveiled]

[ A meeting with technical strangers in the woods is the sort of thing that would raise an alarm for most, but Himeka's sense of adventure often outweighs any concerns. She can handle herself, of course, but when she makes a promise she will follow through with it. Plus, wandering about the woods at night is something she's done often enough without any real need or call.

Now? There is a sense of duty. A few small magical balls of light float around her to light her own way. She keeps them dim enough as not to disturb the preferred darkness of the realm too much, but she is woefully dependent on light. The limbal rings of her eyes reflect that light back readily and make her look a bit more like a racoon shuffling through the brush as she approaches.

And her approach is friendly. She offers a smile to the assembled. ]

Of course! I'm happy to help.

[ Plus, getting to travel outside the Commune is always something to be excited about. Her gaze shifts from the tall blond-haired man to his more frail-looking companion. ]

Is this something you're going to try...here?

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard, being a dhampir, has no need for the additional light. He's grateful for it all the same, as it adds a needed sense of warmth to the proceedings. This sap represents a very thin sliver of hope that could still go very badly. He has no idea if this will work.

There's consideration of the question. It would be his preference not to be opening his blood and flinging it about in the woods.]

I'll only speak for myself, but I'd like better lighting for something like this.

[techmaturgy]

No, that seems unwise.

[Despite, ostensibly, being the reason for this trip, Viktor is more than content to let Alucard handle the actual transaction, staying off to the side. Regardless, he can certainly agree that experimentation needs to take place in a secure lab, if only to avoid any kind of incident in a place like this. Being able to visit Nocwich regularly should prove to be a boon, for reasons like this and otherwise, and he’s not about to do anything to jeopardize it.

Still, the least he can do is thank her for this.]

You’re Jayce’s teacher. [Despite his generally exhausted demeanor, he manages a small smile.] He’s learned a great deal from you.

[aquaveiled]

[ It's sensible, but she wouldn't blame them for their excitement should they wish to get right to it. (Caution against it? Mayhaps. But understandable either way.) So she nods in acceptance and begins to undo the ties to her satchel.

A pause when Jayce is mentioned. Himeka smiles and nods with the look of a fond but proud instructor. ]

He's a bright and eager student. That's what makes all the difference.

[ And seeing how greatly affected he had been by that mage in his childhood it made perfect sense. She's glad that he can realize that dream now, even if it's far from home.

Reaching into the bag, she pulls out a small, round jar. It looks as if it's been repurposed from something of kitchen ingredients, but now is nearly full with the promised sap. She holds it out to the men. ]

This is what I have, at least until the traders are back in town.

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard realizes he may have missed a beat when Jayce comes up, but he rolls right along with the matter. Of course Jayce had to figure out healing magic from somewhere. This makes as much sense as any.

When the sap is withdrawn, Alucard takes it carefully. Almost reverently, considering the weight of the jar and then holding it up to examine it as best he can. It is nothing especially remarkable, and the volume is fair. More than he had hoped for at any rate, and if they run out, then they run out.

There's a long exhale, and he offers the bottle over to Viktor to take a look at.]

It'll be enough for our purposes this month. I also suspect that if you acquire too much in any transaction, you might raise eyebrows.

AND THEN (later in November)

[techmaturgy]

[Viktor is not a chemist. He's not a biologist. He knows very little about plants and their various properties and secretions--all things he can study in books, but that requires the knowledge to already exist and be recorded in a useful way--this sap from Ikorr is more-or-less an unknown entity. Still, he does his best, studying up on as much alchemy and herbalism and potion-making as he can.

He's not sure if it's helping, but it certainly can't hurt.

With a limited amount of the sap to work with (perhaps there's the possibility of more, but Viktor doesn't want to put Himeka in danger by continuing to offer it to them), they have to be even more careful than they were with the blood, as ridiculous as it sounds.

So here's Viktor, hunched over a rack of vials, pipetting a solution made from the sap into each one--carefully, painstakingly.]

Higher concentration. I think this should get us some results.

[cryptsleeper]

Either way, I'll have to start arranging for more.

[They've had false starts. An hour here, two hours there. Steps in the right direction, in getting the healing process to take for longer periods of time, but there's been no single, perfect dose.

It's stressful. It's tiring. And in the deepest part of Alucard's mind, there's the gear of what happens if their connection to the sap dries up. Not that he's said that part out loud yet. It isn't helpful, and he suspects Viktor may have already considered it.

He doesn't hover by Viktor as he works. Instead, Alucard is letting Quincy explore his hands, the little mouse clearly enjoying it.]

Do I need to bleed again and refresh that supply?

[techmaturgy]

[Viktor is considering all of these things and more. He's trying not to get to the point where he's wholly reliant on healing magic or various potions and injections, simply because they don't know how long his body will tolerate such intervention. Every time he receives healing from Jayce, he might become more desensitized to it. One day it might not even work at all, and then he'll be right back where he started.

That's the whole point of this, though--to keep from becoming dependent on only one method that might fail at any time.]

I have enough for now.

[Enough for this current round of testing, at least. Viktor holds up a vial.]

The good news is, we don't have to inject this.

[cryptsleeper]

I do appreciate not having to stab you constantly.

[Alucard knows his attempts at levity often fall flat, and right now will likely be no different. He pauses to place Quincy on his shoulder, and then stands. This is nerve wracking.]

If we have a sustained effect, then I suggest we at least go for a walk. I'd like to see some sunlight before we have to come back in.

[techmaturgy]

I don't consider that an issue.

[As in, he's more than used to various injections and poking and prodding. Were this an intravenous solution, he'd simply add it to his normal regimen of medications and treatments. He has to admit, however, that a potion taken orally is more convenient.

Speaking of, if he thinks about it any more, he's going to get in his own head about it, so Viktor takes a look at the watch out on the table, and throws back the contents of the vial.]

Record the time, then we'll go for a walk.

[cryptsleeper]

I'm more relieved at not having to inject directly into your lungs.

[Alucard would still be willing to do so, if that was what Viktor needed, but for now the matter isn't required. He's likewise accepted that Viktor seemingly takes every experiment in stride in trying to figure this thing out, and it helps to a certain degree. Medicine was not Alucard's forte. Doing something wrong has always been a risk in his mind.

His eyes glance to the watch. There's a note jotted down, and then Alucard pockets the notebook. They can take notes on the way if they must.]

Any place you want to go in particular?