sticksandbones | [OPEN] looking for lost items + using one's own body for science

Entry tags:

[OPEN] looking for lost items + using one's own body for science

Who: Thorns + you
What: One netbook post about finding things, one science log that's a bad idea
When: In the Grove, sometime in April
Where: Around + the Clinic
Warnings: N/A for netbook post; gore, self-surgery, human experimentation (consensual?) on the 2nd prompt which will be under a cut

i. Netbook/Phones bc April

I was told my abilities of "finding things" could be useful to people here, so I'm here to offer my services. My specific power is difficult to explain, but let's just leave it at "I can help you find anything physical as long as it's in the dimension I'm currently on". I don't believe I can assist with anything intangible.

My one request is that no one asks for anything they don't want the False God to know about. I'm currently Corrupted, and planning to deal with it at a later date.

ii. clinic / cw: gore, self-surgery, human experimentation, corruption things (click to expand)

[So anyway, Thorns is "dealing with his Corruption at a later date", meaning he's in the clinic hoping to slip past the healers' radars and get some work done. Laid out on the workstation in front of him are a number of test tubes — half of them empty, half of them full of a pale liquid — completely unlabelled, a scalpel, medical scissors, syringes, and enough paper towels and gauze to soak up the blood that's definitely going to spill. Before he starts, Thorns guns one of the liquid-filled vials like he's taking a shot at the bar, waits about five minutes, and then takes the glove off of his Corrupted arm. It's partly tree bark now, visibly blackened like his dark skin has been burnt, tiny little sprouts shooting up from between the cracks.

It's gross. Thorns knows (thinks) he can use it either way, distil his blood for some sort of toxin, cut the roots in his veins out and see just how fused flesh is with plant matter. With the Heart Essence guiding him — turns out his unique abilities work to find things within himself, too — it's a simple matter to cut the bark off and press the scalpel directly into his own skin. The painkillers he took should do wonders to numb it.

It does not. The initial press of a blade is met with a dry, bitten back and muffled whimper of pain, and the tree bark and tiny vines fight the scalpel as soon as he tries. It hurts like cutting into a nerve cell directly, but Thorns presses on, stopping only briefly to draw a syringe and inject the painkiller directly into his flesh-and-blood arm. This still does very little for him, but he feels like it works now — no doubt a placebo effect, but it's enough of one to allow him to continue slicing. Here is the part where you might walk in on this, drawn by the scent of blood and the clattering of glass from the laboratory room in the back proper. You might be just in time to see Thorns loading up another syringe of a different concoction of his, or to see him with various blood-draw tubes in his arms, where his blood is just partly black.

...

Alternatively, you may walk in on him a bit later, alerted by the clattering of a chair as he falls out of it and hits the floor in a heap of limbs, bleeding heavily from that arm, fighting to get back into his chair to grab the antidote to his paralytic toxin off the desk.

Either way, he probably needs help.]

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[It's nebulously mid-April and Add somehow figured out how to escape Neo-Eden. Not that he actually wanted to escape, so he's just going to head right back in the way he came, but it doesn't hurt to do a quick check of the area before returning to his fun sci-fi vacation.

The clinic is flush with useful resources, so that's an important stop to make. Anyway he walks in and stops in the doorway as Thorns falls to the floor, bleeding profusely and obviously corrupted.

...

...]

... Huh.

[Calmly closing the door behind him, he doesn't make any attempt to reach down and help him up, but he does send one of his dynamos over to do a little investigative circle around Thorns. Cool, new horrible affliction for his database.]

That some kind of disease? It better not be contagious. [he should probably sound more concerned about that but yknow how it is]

[Dynamo has many interesting things to say about this man apparently. That black "disease" has spread to about 30% and encompasses a majority of his left arm internally, even if it hasn't fully spread across the surface of his skin; his right arm meanwhile is mostly composed of a strange metal, but still has nerve cells and blood flowing through it; and his cellular composition partially matches Mizuki's, if Dynamo has ever scanned the little guy before. It's very slight. There's a lot going on with this man.

Oh and also the part where he currently has a very strong paralytic flowing through his veins with an obvious injection sight near the blackened skin from Corruption, don't worry about that though because he's antidoting himself and slumping over against the desk a second later.]

It's Corruption. As far as I've studied, it isn't transmittable between people, but you can get it from the black plants or pissing off the False God. ...I happened to do both.

[Said very proudly, by the way.]

There is a cure, but I'm running experiments right now.

[It can't pick up some of the finer details since this Dynamo is specialized in electronics and mechanical subjects, not anatomy and medicine, but oh boy is that some juicy data right there. Thorns gets two drones circling around him while Add just hmmms into his hand.]

It's almost like a parasite... disgusting. [He makes a face behind his hand. Blood in a controlled environment is fine, usually, but this is pretty messy... definitely not taking even a step closer to that. Imagine getting corruption-gunk on his shoes. Gross.]

What kinds of experiments? If you don't need a cure, there must be something else you're looking to accomplish with it. Testing that kind of shit on yourself, though... you're either a real moron or you've got balls.

[My tired ass: I know what the Adds do

Anyway—]

I specialize in neurotoxins and other pharmaceuticals. I'm trying to see if my own body can be used as a poison, not for anyone here, but for something else.

[You know, the guy in the woods making this all happen, yeah. Suri is very aware of what's happening, so Thorns has little reason to treat it like some big secret, but...]

If it's possible to manufacture ones' own poison against him, then I'll figure out how. Unfortunately the plants themselves are simply full of that black ichor, [a nod to the, uh, puddle of blood that he's kicking a towel over now,] so I thought to use my own blood as a biological warfare conduit.

[It sounds stupid when he says it out loud, he's realising. There's a thought here, he swears.]

You could call me either one or both and I'd agree with you.

When you say you have the ability to find things…would you say you could find something incredibly old? Something that could have potentially been lost to the elements over time, but may still exist somewhere in this world? Perhaps a long shot, but…

I could try it. Would you like to meet me outside the inn?

Yes, certainly. I will be there right away.

[Sesa puts his notebook away and leaves the workshop, heading for the Inn to meet Thorns outside. He’s thankful he can actually go out without being accosted by snakes, at least…after returning from Neo Eden, of course.]

[Great, welcome back from the city king. They can also do this in Neo Eden too but sounds like what Sesa needs to do is Not there so.]

Hola. What is it you're looking for?

[Right to the fucking chase apparently.]

[It sure is not! It is something that Sesa, quite frankly, doesn’t have much confidence can be found…if it even exists anymore. But if Thorns believes he can find it, then what does he truly have to lose?]

Operator Thorns, thank you for agreeing to do this…though I apologize if I do end up wasting your time. You see…

[He lifts his hands looking at his claws as he threads them together.]

I recently relived a memory, of a time here long past. My Fiancé and I knew each other in our prior lives, and were courting…of a sort. The memory is a bit hazy, but I do recall agreeing to make something for him. A little glass bird.

I have no idea if it’s still anywhere in the Grove or beyond it, but I ask if you think you might be able to seek it out…could you? I would very much like to gift it back to him.

[Hold on your fucking What. Whomst. What. Thorns has been at sea what do you mean you're getting maRRIED???]

Just Thorns. Or Isidor. [But also—] Fiancé?

[You need to explain real quick bestie.]

Hm?

[Sesa blinks…then chuckles sheepishly.]

Oh. I’ve gotten a bit ahead of myself. Operator Passenger and I…we’ve grown rather fond of one another during our time here. We are to be wed, you see. And given that little glass fowlbeast- [Pretend he said this earlier and not bird] -was instrumental to our past-life courting, I would like to gift it to him as a wedding present. Assuming it still exists, whole and unbroken.

...

I'm shocked I didn't predict this. Lo siento.

[lmao]

A glass fowlbeast, then? I'll see what I can do.

[Time to go on a little adventure Sesa, last you saw this man he did not have one metal arm huh— especially not one that seems to swirl and move like it does as he works his Arts and focuses on the heart essence long enough to get a ping of something. Glass fowlbeast that was important to Sesa and Passenger... hm...

There's a 50% chance that someone else owns a glass birdy here and they're about to rob someone (in his mind, anyway), but regardless, one of the round-but-pointed bloops from his alchemical Arts starts pointing in a direction.

Thorns simply walks. Sesa better follow him, they're headed off north.]

[Sesa is a bit surprised when Thorns just starts off in a direction pretty immediately, but he won’t complain. He’ll just adjust his jacket before following after him, his tail flicking anxiously behind him. Could he really be able to find it, he wonders…?]

Do you mind if I ask exactly how this ability of yours works? Or is it too complicated to explain…?

It's fairly complex. [As things be with him.] The basis of it is that it's alchemy, and the component that I sort of unintentionally fused with [what] is linked to my emotions. In short, if I want to find something, I can find it.

[thorns this is a HORRIBLE explanation]

I see…

[He doesn’t understand!!]

So you can find something even if you’ve never seen it before?

Correct. This is how I found the ocean when I set out to sea... ah, we have a lot to catch up on, don't we?

[So much buddy. SO MANY THINGS. Anyway, he's walking, and on occasion the baubles pointing forward will shift directions. Thorns pivots accordingly. Looks like they're going into the actual woods now.]

It's a power I want to put to good use.

[Man Sesa wants to study this thing so bad. It's so interesting to watch it as it works.]

Well...if you can use it to find what I am looking for, then I would be greatly in your debt. Whatever the price, just name it.

[Hey Thorns do you want a gun-]

[do NOT give thorns a gun—]

It looks like it's over here somewhere. There's no need to repay me either.

W-...wait, are you serious? You actually found it??

[Okay now he's moving a little quicker now because what the fuck? There's no way-]

Sí. The baubles wouldn't point if it wasn't something findable. Now, what state it could be in... that, I can't tell you until I see it.

[It could possibly be a false flag, too, like maybe someone else here has a cute bird ornament made of glass... but if that were the case, Thorns feels like he'd get a sense for it. He is, specifically, using the heart essence to look for something dear to Sesa, not just any old glass trinket.

They go north, then, and into the treeline. He can see a home in the distance, though that doesn't look to be where the glass bauble is buried. As they walk through the forest, Thorns suddenly comes to a stop; the baubles floating around his arm, on which the metal is actively swirling and moving like mercury, are suddenly pointing downwards.]

I think it may be buried.

[Sesa follows close in Thorns' footsteps as they follow the baubles to the treeline, up until he stops abruptly and indicates...]

Buried? That isn't a surprise...mm...

[Alright. Sesa rolls his shoulders and opens his hands from the fists they'd been balled into, his claws sharp at his sides.]

Not a problem. That's what these are for.

[And he's getting down to his knees so he can start digging.]

Do you have any idea how deep it might be?

[Thorns, at least, will help with the process of diggy diggy hole.]

Unfortunately, I cannot.

[But he can pinpoint the approximate location of it, whatever state it's in. It's clearly whole enough to be located, which is a good sign. They'll have to dig down a couple feet; this thing is very much sunken into the sediment here.

But they'll find it. Eventually, they'll find it, whole and... not pristine because it's covered in mud, but. Whole!]

It...it's actually intact.

[Sesa breathes, in complete shock over this because that is GLASS. How did it survive in this condition after so many years...?]

I can hardly believe it...this is really...!

[He's quick to take the little bird carefully in hand as he starts to wipe the mud and dirt off, though he knows he won't be able to get it fully clean until he's able to run it under some water. He might even have to take some gentle soap to it, but that's for later.

He looks up at Thorns, wide eyed.]

I cannot thank you enough for this...won't you at least let me pay you? This is...priceless. Invaluable.

[🌟magic🌟]

It's not a requirement... but if you're that serious about it, is your workshop explosion-proofed? I could use a place to do my own work sometimes.

Oh- yes, it most certainly is! How else do you think my love and I get any of our work done?

[These two are just...blowing up shit on the regs.]

You're more than welcome to use the workshop any time you'd like. I'll have to make sure to clear away some space for you...I know I have a lot of my projects somewhat scattered about at the moment.

( the inn is cozy enough. it's safe, communal, and accessible. it's someplace that's become something like security to sidney, allowing him the first breath of normalcy since that fern-scented letter arrived on his desk all those- weeks? months? years?- ago. a slow morning with coffee, time to research, a spot to read.

his wounds are healing. life goes on, day by day. the scent of blood and fire and rusty metal doesn't linger here...

so when he smells blood, instinct takes over. sidney will apologize later. but right now, he's bursting through the door- )

--Thorns?

[Thorns is on the fucking floor sorry.]

Estoy bien, no te preocupes. [He says, though he's extremely strained as he's hauling his ass back into his chair and patpatting around on the desk.] It's a paralytic neurotoxin — the roots were resisting me trying to cut them, so I thought to paralyze them instead.

[why]

( somehow, i lost this like a fool.

sidney stares for a moment, processing- the corruption, but it's taking hold like- bark? roots? if they're attached so thoroughly did the paralyzing agent affect him, is that why he fell? or was that pain? a mix of both?

jesus christ, thorns.

sidney is quiet for a moment, only shifting to help thorns back up, but... )

What are you trying to do?

[Well he paralyzed his arm but his toxin spread, which is why he has an antidote he's currently shotgunning. He expected this to happen, but he was hoping it wouldn't also combo off the blood loss. A foolish venture, in retrospect.

He is still hooked up to various blood draw needles and things too, but those will be pulled out shortly. There's a mix of black and red blood in there, ichorous and horrific to look at.]

I'm testing how this Corruption affects my body, and attempting to manufacture a poison of a type from the ichor. The roots and bark are a deterrent and distraction, but here I sit.

[Sidney, he's making a biological weapon of war. You know. A war crime. He's making a war crime.]

This sounds like it'd be highly illegal anywhere else.

( he gives the bag a glance and it's almost too much. something is wrong with it, and the 'danger sense' rings like a gunshot in his ear instead of the steady heartbeat of dread and the scratches he's used to-

sidney looks away, instead focusing on tending to thorns. )

... Thinkin' of using it somehow?

Trust me, it's illegal on Terra too. [While only half of him is working adequately, he figures he'll start pulling out the needles now, since the paralytic has him mostly-numb and they won't hurt to withdraw. Not that pain has ever bothered him, really, if the metal arm is anything to go by.] ...but that's the plan, yes. I've never made a toxin using my own blood before, but it shouldn't be difficult.

[The difficulty comes from the process of extracting it, really, and he's still cut open and his healing Arts aren't coming to him quite so easily right now. Once the tubes are all out, Thorns slumps against the cabinets under the desk and breathes a sigh.]

( sidney helps, and then gently starts to wipe the puncture wounds and, if he can, bandage them. it's only a few little things, but- they build up, and he's already dealing with that black blood shit.

after a moment, he sighs. )

You need to rest before you do anything else.

[Thank God they're in a clinic and not somewhere stupid where there wouldn't be bandages, like idk the lake—]

Sí, sí, but there's no rest for the wicked. [isidor thorns arknights—] I have to put the samples in a centrifuge, aside from cleaning up the mess before Señora Lily gets upset...

...

Thorns. Sit your ass down. I don't trust myself with the samples but I can handle the rest. And you need to recover.

( the grip on his shoulder is tight, unyielding- you are going to have an apple juice and a nap or so help him- )

Luckily for you, mi querido amigo, I'm sitting down right now.

[Sidney is gonna have to deal with Thorns mouthing off for the Rest of his life, but at least it's breathed out playfully while he's, uh. Suffering over here.]

...Gracias de verdad.

( sidney's quiet for a moment before he squeezes thorns's shoulder for a moment. )

Stay put. I'm going to get you something to drink and snack on while you recover. Alright?

... And, you're welcome.

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[OPEN] looking for lost items + using one's own body for science

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