[I really scared them being a hungry little science man and they all deserve it. GIVE HIM THIS HEART BACK!!!!!! It's fine.
Don't just sit here like a kindergartner waiting for a story.]
I was working on something new. The Hex Core. It was a runic matrix, and... I figured out it could learn. It could evolve. I knew... this Hex Core, it could probably save my life. I knew that. I believed it.
[He frowns.]
...It took blood. No, it... accepted blood. My blood accidentally got inside it, and it became... more organic, it was learning. I found out it could re-establish life in plants. However, the life only lasted seconds before it was stolen away again. I had to push the testing further.
So I used myself, but my body was fragile. I had to stimulate it, to give it something in exchange. I had to use a serum an old mentor had concocted in my leg, I had to carve the runes into myself to connect with it.
[ the vibe is absolutely kindergartner waiting on a story, including where he leans in and puts a hand on his chin as he gets absorbed into it, eyes a little wider. there is nothing better than a classic blood ritual, is there? ]
... And?
[ there's no hint of his typical sarcasm or aloofness in that. only pure intrigue. ]
He frowns. Rather than answer immediately, he closes the multi-tool and puts it back into his pocket. Something to do with his hands to distract from the rise of heavy guilt. He looks at Lucien, at first, but then doesn't look at Lucien.]
The leg had... worked. Marginally. But the hand... [His jaw tightens, the hand around the crutch tightens, the hand on his thigh tightens.] Jayce and I had an assistant.
I don't know... why she came in when she did. To check on me when she left, I guess, like usual. I was testing the Core. It scared her, I guess. She tried to push me out of the way. The... Core... took her life as payment. It turned her to... [His eyes glance at Lucien's hands, then away.] ...ash.
And some of it... entered me. My hand and my leg are connected to the Core.
[ he looks at his hands in turn, before clenching them and burying them in his lap. ]
Sorry.
[ `Matron of Death, Queen of Ravens, pity not our friend ...` There's a reflection of that guilt, there. tentative, like it will burn to the touch. ]
My friend Br-- [ his jaw clenches like he can't make himself say the name. a yawning well of anguish before it cuts off sharply, pushed somewhere deeper. detached. ] Lost a friend of ours when I found the artifact too. We'd pushed too far in and the place started collapsing. Stupid, amateur mistake. I should have been watching the mage. But I wasn't going to leave it behind-- She doubled back for me.
[His expression softens. The anguish is familiar; he hates the echo of it in his chest because the wound still burns.]
So you do know.
[He hates that for Lucien. He would not wish the exchange of a life on anyone else. Shifting the crutch, he uses it and the handle to pull himself to a stand. His left hand appears in Lucien's line of vision, offered palm up. Imagine the busted dude helping you up.]
I'm not at any liberty to dissuade you from what you're trying to do, but I do hope you will be careful when this is all done and you go back. I'm sorry about your friend.
[ he looks blank for a moment, lost in thought - before he seems to realize that the hand in his vision. he'll take it, grip firm, hand covered in ash and dried blood. at least he's limber enough to get up off the ground without yanking too much weight on him, hauling himself up to his feet.
he drops his chin and tilts his head at him, searching his face, like he's trying to determine how sincere that statement is even though the answer is fairly obvious that he means it.]
[His strength is pathetic, but he uses the crutch as leverage to help Lucien up. His expression is earnest. He may have tried to play with the power of a godly void artifact and accidentally vaporized their assistant, but he at least has guilt about it.]
You at least won't have nine toddler mages yelling in your head. You'll sleep like a baby.
[every time it's hate to see u go love to watch u leave
Also don't just say that and walk off, hello? PLENTY OF OTHER THINGS? He really does not know what to make of Lucien other than madman, coming from one madman to another.]
...Not sure if... we're exactly normal...
[Surely they will be normal going forward after airing all of those skeletons out.]
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no subject
Don't just sit here like a kindergartner waiting for a story.]
I was working on something new. The Hex Core. It was a runic matrix, and... I figured out it could learn. It could evolve. I knew... this Hex Core, it could probably save my life. I knew that. I believed it.
[He frowns.]
...It took blood. No, it... accepted blood. My blood accidentally got inside it, and it became... more organic, it was learning. I found out it could re-establish life in plants. However, the life only lasted seconds before it was stolen away again. I had to push the testing further.
So I used myself, but my body was fragile. I had to stimulate it, to give it something in exchange. I had to use a serum an old mentor had concocted in my leg, I had to carve the runes into myself to connect with it.
no subject
... And?
[ there's no hint of his typical sarcasm or aloofness in that. only pure intrigue. ]
no subject
He frowns. Rather than answer immediately, he closes the multi-tool and puts it back into his pocket. Something to do with his hands to distract from the rise of heavy guilt. He looks at Lucien, at first, but then doesn't look at Lucien.]
The leg had... worked. Marginally. But the hand... [His jaw tightens, the hand around the crutch tightens, the hand on his thigh tightens.] Jayce and I had an assistant.
I don't know... why she came in when she did. To check on me when she left, I guess, like usual. I was testing the Core. It scared her, I guess. She tried to push me out of the way. The... Core... took her life as payment. It turned her to... [His eyes glance at Lucien's hands, then away.] ...ash.
And some of it... entered me. My hand and my leg are connected to the Core.
no subject
Sorry.
[ `Matron of Death, Queen of Ravens, pity not our friend ...` There's a reflection of that guilt, there. tentative, like it will burn to the touch. ]
My friend Br-- [ his jaw clenches like he can't make himself say the name. a yawning well of anguish before it cuts off sharply, pushed somewhere deeper. detached. ] Lost a friend of ours when I found the artifact too. We'd pushed too far in and the place started collapsing. Stupid, amateur mistake. I should have been watching the mage. But I wasn't going to leave it behind-- She doubled back for me.
So, you know. The price of the ticket and all.
no subject
So you do know.
[He hates that for Lucien. He would not wish the exchange of a life on anyone else. Shifting the crutch, he uses it and the handle to pull himself to a stand. His left hand appears in Lucien's line of vision, offered palm up. Imagine the busted dude helping you up.]
I'm not at any liberty to dissuade you from what you're trying to do, but I do hope you will be careful when this is all done and you go back. I'm sorry about your friend.
no subject
he drops his chin and tilts his head at him, searching his face, like he's trying to determine how sincere that statement is even though the answer is fairly obvious that he means it.]
... Should try and sleep.
no subject
You at least won't have nine toddler mages yelling in your head. You'll sleep like a baby.
no subject
Hah. Plenty of other things yelling in there.
[ he turns to head out, giving a wave over his shoulder. ]
Maybe we have a normal conversation one of these days ... ?
no subject
Also don't just say that and walk off, hello? PLENTY OF OTHER THINGS? He really does not know what to make of Lucien other than madman, coming from one madman to another.]
...Not sure if... we're exactly normal...
[Surely they will be normal going forward after airing all of those skeletons out.]