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Post by mintedstar/fur🦇 on Aug 13, 2019 4:17:20 GMT -5
Whether Frank was pleased to meet Hange or not was rather hard to tell when all you could hear from him was muttered curses. But it was the thought that counted. At least Hange was being polite. At least Myrnin seemed to get Hange's association to what a computer was. He nodded several times, looking excited. "Yes, like a typewriter." "AM NOT!" said Frank, fury in his voice. Several lights on the computers face lit up like a Christmas tree decoration. There didn't seem to be much too it, since Myrnin didn't look concerned. Then again, he'd had the same expression when a pad full of spikes had stabbed into his hand. Myrnin eyebrow arched for just the merest second when Hange seemed to show no reservation at giving their blood for this sort of thing. They didn't even know what 'this sort of thing' was. But they trusted Myrnin enough to know they'd survive it. That was dangerous. But not this time, at least not more than usual. Myrnin turned from Hang and started typing into the keypad. "Well, for starters, I can show you this." Several keys clicked furiously, then one final one, and then a screen display read-out seeming to feature Hange was visible. Myrnin nodded to it. "And that is all the information that Frank can tell about you from your blood. And doubtlessly anything else he could tell with you being here for five minutes. You can take your hand off the panel. Frank ... Frank, let them take their hand off the panel." The words were commanding and slightly annoyed. He was one thing. Frank wasn't a normal computer. He was, in a sense, a vampire computer. So he did actually require blood to run. But he wouldn't be getting it from Hange - particularly when it would be out of spite more than actual need. The needles, albeit slightly reluctant, retracted. Myrnin waved to the screen with one hand. "Name - only the first one, even Frank isn't that good. Date of birth - look at all those question marks ... Frank's probably basing it off your age and alchemical characteristics which I doubt translate over well. But at least most of that is filled in. Then age - is that accurate? Weight and height, pretty standard. And blood type ... that was what I was talking about before ..." He nodded. "So that is of interest." He'd already knowing it, of course, with his sense of smell being what it was. But now Hange did as well. The facts, however, didn't stop there. Health diagnostics, some records of what Hange had last eaten, anything in their bloodstream, along with predictions on length of life, and future issues with internal organs (apparently Hange had a bit too much stress in their life, though Myrnin wasn't sure if stress and excitement had much of a difference here) and finally ... "And apparently you'd make a stellar vampire," said Myrnin with a low whistle. Something along the lines of "Chance of successful transition to vampire: 100%" was on the screen. He arched an eyebrow at Hange, which might have been a joke ... or might not have been. "Scrolling down a biiiiiiiit," Myrnin said. There didn't seem to be any mouse to scroll with, but the computer screen obliged. "And that seems to be all. If I had a bit of a better idea of your realities DNA, I could probably tell more. But that's what Frank has. For now. Give him five minutes and there will probably be something tacked on at the bottom." Myrnin shrugged.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Aug 16, 2019 22:28:07 GMT -5
Hange watched with sharp fascination as Myrnin pulled up the information, seemingly having forgotten about the needles that were driven through their hand until Myrnin mentioned it. They winced as their hand was freed, and pulled it up, holding their palm up to the light to examine the pin pricks. “Ah, thank you, Frank,” they said politely, ignoring the computer’s bad temper completely. They’d worked with pricklier coworkers. But what an interesting technology - they’d experienced syringes, but they’d never known of a reason to take someone’s blood with one. What would you do with it? Shaking aside that thought for the moment, they turned their attention back to the readout. They were grateful to the House’s translation services - they could read it just fine, despite it almost certainly being in another language.
“Age is accurate,” they confirmed, breathless. “Am I to understand that there are cues to age in a person’s blood? What a lot of information this is...and different ‘types’ of blood for different people? What an interesting idea. I always had a suspicion I would see a lot of interesting things if I were to develop a better form of magnification, and this only seems to confirm my theories...tell me, are these predictions about my health certain, etched in stone, or conjecture based off my current physical state, much like the weather forecast?” Neither possibility seemed to bother them at all - they just seemed, as usual, intensely curious to know the answer. This question, even, was overshadowed by Myrnin’s next announcement, though. “100%...” they repeated quietly, bringing a hand to their chin in thought. “How tempting. A shame this is only a simulation of your real laboratory.”
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Post by mintedstar/fur🦇 on Aug 18, 2019 4:08:11 GMT -5
"There's a lot to tell from a person's blood," said Myrnin with a sharp grin. "But a vampire can tell just a bit more than your classic scale. A lot of things on any chart Frank could make is far more advanced than what the humans have invented yet. Given time, your current emotions at the time you gave blood to him could be displayed." Frank snorted. "You don't need blood to know that. Just a half-way decent pair of ears." Frank had no such pair of ears. Myrnin wasn't really sure where he'd been going with that, other than perhaps a remnant of humor from when he was human. Myrnin couldn't see the appeal. "You do seem rather excited," Myrnin admitted to Hange, an amused and excited light in his own eyes. Hange just needed to ask a question for the light to flair brighter. "Conjecture," he confirmed. "It's your current condition. It can improve or worsen depending on what you do. Human bodies being as they are, I wouldn't suggest any drastic or hasty changes to your lifestyle. Gradual changes seem to work better." His eyes flickered back to Hange, an eyebrow arching. The proposition and statement about it being a 100% likely Hange could make any transformation had been a bit layered. Frank would have been yelling Myrnin's ear off - simulation or not - had Myrnin been direct about the offer. Then again ... when had he ever cared whether Frank yelled or not? "This isn't actually my laboratory," Myrnin said, waving around. "Simulation or not. That would be upstairs." He pointed above his head, even though they were actually underground and several blocks away from where his 'upstairs' was. But the other part of what they had said caused him to smile. There was half of his unsheathed fangs to the smile as a minor statement to what he said, "*I'm* not a simulation." The fangs retreated. "If you ever wanted to take up the offer, I don't exactly need a laboratory." The proceeding protests peppered with four letter words from Frank soon followed, but Myrnin ignored him. He liked Hange. They were amazing. Just chaotic and smart enough to excite him. A good friend. And also one crazy enough to actually like being a vampire, if they wanted to be. But Myrnin would force nothing. It would doubtlessly throw Hange's own world into a rather interesting position. Not like he minded the thought of causing a bit of chaos across the multiverse. He wondered if the House would even allow that to happen. Still ... "Think about it," he said. "As much time as you'd ever like to have to study and experiment. And a world opens up to you." He smirked a bit. "You think there are unsolved mysteries regarding humans? New answers about that but also new questions about whole different things, trust me on that. Indescribably, very sadly, because trust me I have tried describing what it is like to Claire and failed rather impressively. Slightly annoying allergy to the sun for the first thousand years aside, it is truly a fair superior species to be a scientist as. You don't have to worry about the chemical explosions and radiation poisoning, for starters." He wasn't so much trying to convince Hange as he was just stating the facts. He was right ... studying science as a human compared to as a vampire was like comparing the view through a frosted over window to the view from a crystal clear one. Time gave vampires knowledge, but the brain and how it processed information was different too.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Aug 18, 2019 17:21:27 GMT -5
“I’m not overly concerned about it,” said Hange, waving a hand. “I’m not likely to survive past forty or fifty, anyway.” They seemed vastly unconcerned with this time frame for someone who was in their thirties. “I’ll probably be eaten before my organs have time to fail.”
They fell very quiet, though, as Myrnin explained first that he was serious about his offer, and second what the benefits of such a decision would be. After he had finished, they tilted their head to the side, staring with owlish eyes at the person in front of them as if really seeing him properly for the first time. Then, they took a breath, held it for a moment, and let it out, savoring the moment as the possibilities carved new tracks through their mind. Immortality. An infinite amount of time to learn and grow - to develop technology, and learn how to use it. It was most definitely an appealing thought to the scientist.
“I can’t say I haven’t considered what I would do if given the opportunity to become a Titan,” they told him, voice unusually slow and thoughtful compared to their usual level of mania. “I think any scout who’s seen the power of those beasts has asked themself the same question. Is such power something to wish for, or something to be avoided? ‘Great power corrupts absolutely’, and all that.”
Then, rather abruptly, they grinned, a mischievous look replacing the serious one they’d slipped into momentarily. “But then again, most would say I’m already fairly corrupted.” They stood up straight, locking their fingers together and raising their arms in a stretch as if they hadn’t just been offered a completely life-altering procedure. “Well. I will take one blink to think about it, and the next time you see me, you’ll have your answer. Deal?”
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Post by mintedstar/fur🦇 on Aug 18, 2019 18:32:49 GMT -5
Staring at Hange blankly, Myrnin seemed to find this level of dismissal when it came to an already short human life slightly shocking. Still, he made no comment. It sounded more concerning that getting eaten was a stronger possibility than dying some other way. The fact that he could loose people - his friends - very easily in such a sort period of time set him a touch on edge. But then again ... they were human. And humans broke very, very easily. Still, as he watched Hange's face still, he couldn't help feeling his heart flutter to life in anticipation. Would his offer even be considered? In the background, Frank was grumbling something which for all Myrnin cared was nonsense. For the time being, he muted the computer. Frank could unmute himself, but it might take a moment for him to notice what had happened. "I've never been much worried about power corrupting," he murmured, blinked, and allowed the nervous feeling in his chest to calm. A snarky grin fluttered over his lips. "I don't think I've met anyone who wasn't a bit corrupted. It's what makes people entertaining." He turned back to the computer, treating the situation much like Hange by following their lead. "Deal. But don't be surprised if you forget and I remind you." He allowed a small smile down at the keyboard. Even if the offer was refused, he was impressed. Hange hadn't actually shot it down. They were actually going to think about it. One blink was a bit of a lottery when it came to the passage of time. The House, as Myrnin was aware, could sometimes take years to bring someone back to the House and even then, Hange and he might not run into each other. Then again, it might blink Hange out and other a couple seconds could have passed. Either way! Myrnin was in Morganville - or the imitation of it - and so was Hange. There was probably time enough in that for Hange to do some thinking too, even if the next blink was short. Myrnin still wanted to show them some things too. "Frank," he said. "Please turn on the lights in the lab. I will undownload the connect-four game if you don't stop cursing." He glanced back at Hange, tilting his head. "Want to see if we can make it upstairs to my lab? Before the House decides to send us who knows where next." He pointed back the way they had come, down a dimly lit tunnel. "It's that way and then up a rope ladder. Well ... will be up a rope ladder. I'll have to jump up and get the ladder." He shuffled a couple feet in that direction. "I wonder if the House would make a replica of the whole of Morganville or if we are limited to the confines of buildings." There was both a mix of interest and nervousness to his voice. He reached into a pocket and pulled out a silver bracelet. "Would you put this on, perhaps? Just in case Morganville is a bit more open than I assume it is." The bracelet was a thin chain of silver rings, which could be clasped. On part of it was a silver band, which had an embossed alchemical symbol on it. It wasn't any symbol that was at once recognizable, though Myrnin didn't even know if Hange knew what those symbols were. He wondered if the House could translate something so complex. It was a symbol that meant many things. Mostly, it was Myrnin's own name. But it also meant 'under the protect of/owned by'. Those were older meanings, at least the latter was. But it would keep Hange safe from other vampires. Possibly. He would really rather they didn't die.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Aug 21, 2019 13:32:14 GMT -5
“If I did, by some miracle, forget about an offer like that, I would have to hang up my career as a scientist immediately,” said Hange with a grin, recognizing the spark in his eye at their answer. They were guessing he got a lot of outright refusals - most humans wouldn’t want to be a vampire, with all the chaos and difficulty that came with it.
But when were they anything like most humans? The idea held intrigue. So they would consider it.
“Ah, yes, let’s go,” they said, enthusiasm building as Myrnin suggested a visit to his lab. “You got to see my center of operations, I would very much enjoy seeing yours. Oh - what’s this?”
They took the bracelet and held it up to the light, head tilted in an intense sort of curiosity. “Is it supposed to protect me, then? Hmm...how interesting. How does it work?”
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Post by mintedstar/fur🦇 on Aug 21, 2019 19:59:27 GMT -5
"Just a bobble," said Myrnin dismissively. Actually, it was almost with disappointment. "They used to hold properties far different than what you have there. Properties of the blood and loyalty and binding promises. Traditionally there is some nasty paperwork. I don't hold with anything with fancy names on bits of tree-stuff. But that right there is just a bracelet. Vampires and humans alike see it and know you have a vampire patron. Someone who holds your interests. The associated paperwork often includes an exchange of payment. For protection in court and on the streets and occasionally some weight in the school and work system, the protectee gives a vampire a small sum of their income and a monthly 'donation' of some of their blood. But as I said ... I don't hold with names and contracts." He shrugged one shoulder. "It is a gift without strings attached. This is just to make sure no one harasses you if we go out into the town as a whole. My mark is ... particularly unusual to see on anyone's wrist, so only the incredibly stupid would ever think of doing anything. Which isn't common." It also wasn't completely a common practice for the bracelets to be in use anymore either. It was supposed to be slowly working out of the system. But slow for vampires took years, so it was even now still a practice to get a patron. He turned back toward the tunnel and started whistling a bit off-key as he followed the line of electric bulbs. The tunnel was slightly clammy with cold, but Myrnin was only aware that it was slightly moist in the air and not the temperature. Heat and cold didn't have much effect on a vampire. Unless it was fire or the sun, of course. Myrnin did glance down an off-shoot tunnel where a draft was coming from. The tunnel was unlit and a human would not be able to pierce the darkness. But he looked down it as if something was there. His eyes followed the movement of ... something ... and then he turned to follow the lit passage again. They stopped after less than a minute, though it wasn't at once clear why. Then Myrnin pointed up. A good twelve feet above their heads was a trap-door. Myrnin looked up, looked it over once, then seemed to effortlessly leap skyward, one hand pushing the trap door open and the other catching hold of the newly made gap. He pulled himself up with the same sort of grace, which made it look like he was practically weightless. A second later, a rope ladder tumbled down in the place where he had been, down to where Hange was standing. "Come on up," said Myrnin's sing-song voice. (In case you wanted to describe the room or something, which is totally up to you if you do or don't, here's what the main room of his lab looks like. Rearrange the mess as you like. XD Tons of work tables, tons of wires, tons of bubbling things, and things going wiz-pop. Just any mad scientist lair crossed with Hange's lab and you've perfectly described Myrnin's lab. There is no possible wrong content for it. XD )
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Post by <Raintalon> on Aug 22, 2019 13:33:30 GMT -5
“Oh, I see,” said Hange, nodding as he explained the significance of the object to them. That made more sense. “I must say, I’m relieved. For a moment, I thought you were going to tell me it had magical properties - though I should’ve known better, considering your track record of proper scientific research.” Okay, ‘proper’ might be a bit dubious, but he at least seemed like the skeptical type. Not the sort to fall in with the Church of the Walls, if he’d grown up in their world.
They followed him down the corridor, looking around for an entrance until Myrnin pointed out the trapdoor. “Oh, clever..” they remarked, watching him leap up to open it. Another thing they’d be able to do if they took his deal, they reminded themself. “So a human can’t enter your lab without a vampire escort. It’s too high, unless you have those abilities.” Having said that, they began the ascent up the ladder, making their way up it in a quick, graceful fashion that spoke to their career as a soldier. Once they reached the top, though, they stopped dead, stunned as the lab finally came into view.
If you could reach inside Hange’s brain and pull out all of their fondest wishes and wildest dreams, then condense those wishes and dreams into a physical object, you would probably get something similar to Myrnin’s lab. All around them, vials of mysterious chemicals popped and boiled, hooked up to equipment they couldn’t even begin to guess the function of. More wires - those light controlly things from the futuristic house - lined the floor and some of the walls, some of them damaged and emitting sparks every several seconds. There were stacks of paper everywhere as well, some stacked so haphazardly they were falling over, all with chicken scratch handwriting over every available surface and detailed diagrams on the rest. Tools lined the walls, and still more were spread out on the tables, some still with grease or other stains spattered on their edges.
“This is...” Hange slowly began to take a step into the room, and then another, turning in a breathless circle to take it all in. “Well, it’s...it’s wonderful. Magnificent. How incredibly lucky you are to come here every day to work...if I had only a third of this equipment, the things I could do...”
Incredibly, they seemed almost at a loss for words.
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Post by mintedstar/fur🦇 on Aug 22, 2019 17:18:25 GMT -5
(Biology class was ages ago. I forgot the biology of a microscope. Or whatever I'm supposed to call it when I forgot what all the parts are called. So because of useless RP research I looked them up again. XD )
There might have been further comments from Myrnin about why one of the enterances to his lab was so hard to access, but he was too preoccupied with watching Hange's expression shift to that of a child on a holiday. Myrnin's own excitement peaked and he danced into the center of the room (the mess) and around the items which so enchanted Hange. "Oh yes!" he agreed. "Never enough though. So invent what I do not have." He waved at one side of the room, which seemed to - against all odds - be more organized than any other place. "Claire's stuff. She refuses to let me touch anything. Even to improve it." He sighed a bit, resigned to the fate of having a territorial apprentice. He waved to the rest of the room. "Mine. All mine. Well, as mine as anything can be." Then he danced toward a bookshelf, pulling out a terrarium that had been on one of the shelves. "Bob. Or where Bob should be, were he not wondering." Myrnin absentmindedly looked around, as if he expected his pet spider to be somewhere nearby. The spider was not, so he set the terrarium on a wayward desk chair and moved to a different part of a room again. He'd been aiming for a microscope, but he pulled to a complete halt as something Hange had said ages and ages ago registered. "Magic," he said, spinning on his heals and pointing at them with an offended gesture of an index finger. "Is a word people use when they are trying to explain the unexplained. Or the 'unexplained' by the current understanding of science. I do not do "magic". I am an alchemist. They tend to be confused with magicians. Alchemy follows rules, but works with the as yet unexplained. It is a field of exploration." He waved at the bracelet around Hange's wrist. "If you would like, the contract formed between a protector vampire and a human protectee might well be considered "magic" by House standards. It affords certain properties. Any vampire seeing that bracelet knows how high I am on the ladder without ever having to meet me. That seems like magic. It is not the word I would use because that would be like saying a human's ability to think, reason, or to even move is "magic". It is simply not something that the current human science can measure and understand. If it has rule, it is science - or at very least can one day be explained by it. Alchemy is a sadly very understaffed practice of finding new ways to explain the unexplained and do things which are not perceived as possible." He scoffed. "Magic is something which cannot be explained. Not ever. It follows no rules or understanding. It cannot be measured, distilled, categorized, or attributed. It cannot be tracked or predicted - unless perhaps by using other magic. Truthfully, I do not believe magic under those definitions actually exists. I am will waiting to figure that out." Clearly ... he felt very strongly about this. Despite the fact there were some things about the world he could not have explained to them. Not because he didn't understand it, but because ... okay ... he didn't completely understand it. But he was working on it. Regardless, the gesturing finger of offense rose to point skyward. "Anyway, most "magical" properties to anything vampire related is due to our biology. Though that might take a year or some to even explain in part." He nodded toward the microscope. "A practical comparison, perhaps? Can I see your hand? Or rather, could I see your hand that is still bleeding a little and take some of that blood?" He could smell it. He didn't mention that part. He was fairly sure Hange already knew. Bounding over to the microscope, Myrnin looked at it for a second before fiddling around with some of the dials as well as the things beside it on the table. After a second, he pulled away, glancing through the eyepiece and adjusted the coarse and fine focus, before waving a hand at it. A drop of what was probably his own blood was positioned on a thin slide under the microscope's objective lens. "I did say I was going to show you," he said with a slight smirk. If there was any doubt that he was far removed from a human, that would change as soon as Hange had a comparison. Down to the shape of "his" blood Myrnin was different. It certainly didn't look the same. Cells were the wrong shape and color and clearly held far different functions than that of a human's. Which made sense. Myrnin had the same general physical shape of a human - since he been one - but his body worked very differently than Hange's. After this had been set up, Myrnin cast a look around the lab. Less like he was intending to show something to Hange and more like he was looking for something. "Frank," he muttered to the empty air. "Is Samuel here?" He hadn't been upstairs and he wasn't here now. It was a bit hard to remember that this wasn't actually his lab, but even still ... Frank was there, so it seemed logical that Sam should be ask well. "No," said Frank's clipped tone. "He's out." Myrnin's foot tapped against the floor. This was the House, but he still asked the question he always asked when Sam wasn't there. "He didn't come near you, did he? Mess with any wires?" "No," came the usual answer. Myrnin didn't relax though. But he did break his attention away and look at Hange again. The self-satisfied smile that he was able to impress them returned. "What do you think?"
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Post by <Raintalon> on Aug 23, 2019 13:16:56 GMT -5
Hange listened with rapt attention to Myrnin’s explanation of what he thought of as ‘magic, hands clasped in front of them as the weak link in their opinion of Myrnin as a scientist quietly resolved itself. He’d always called himself an ‘alchemist’, and they’d always thought of an alchemist as a chemist who was one too many steps into the occult to see clearly. Needless to say, their opinion of alchemist hadn’t been a high one - but what Myrnin was saying made sense.
“I completely agree,” they said, nodding along with him as he wrapped up his little speech. “In fact, I’ve never heard such an astute description of what some would describe as ‘magic’ outside of my own study. Not to sound arrogant, of course,” they added hastily, realizing they probably sounded a bit more arrogant than they’d intended. As Myrnin requested their blood, they eagerly held out their hand, moving on from the topic of magic in a flash. “Yes, of course - oh, you have a microscope! May I take notes? Some of these inventions, I may be able to build back in my own study. Ah - yes, it’s incredible,” they confirmed, as Myrnin asked their opinion of the lab.
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Post by mintedstar/fur🦇 on Aug 23, 2019 14:30:40 GMT -5
"I don't see why you can't take notes," said Myrnin with just a small 'tsk' stuck in his voice at the suggestion Hange was arrogant. Of course they were. So was he. What would possible be the point if they were not? But notes. Yes notes. He hoped they had paper of their own, because he didn't think that the House would be so willing as to let either he or Hange keep pieces of this mock-up of their worlds. He took Hange's hand, still with drops of blood along it. He didn't seem to mind to much about the messy job he proceeded to do to get a sample of it to compare to his own. But really ... if he was paying complete attention it would have gone smoother. But the two slides ended up side by side under the objective lens and Myrnin tapped a finger against the top of the microscope. "You put your eyes here," he said. "Though it might be better without the eyewear." He sounded amused. He jumped backwards a bit so he could end up sitting on the table. A couple of the glass beakers further down the table shook but didn't fall over. He perched there, glancing around. His fingers itched to work on things, but he was resigned to the fact it would all just unwork itself as soon as he returned to his actual lab. A pity, but that's what happens in places like the House. Sam. His mind jumped to the small boy again. There was a reason he was looking after a ... a child. Technically, he knew back in the real lab he wasn't even there and he knew where Samuel was. But here it was different. It was fake. He had to remind himself that. It didn't make the danger any less. "I wonder if we can go any further out," he muttered, mostly to himself.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Aug 26, 2019 10:47:48 GMT -5
“Without the eyewear, I would barely be able to tell where the microscope is, much less what it’s trying to show me,” countered Hange, equally amused. They pulled a small book from their pocket, along with a pen and a tiny, portable ink well. Notes. Yes. They needed all the notes they could get while this opportunity continued to present itself. Who needed the timeline in one piece when you could invent a microscope?
Eagerly, they leaned over the instrument and put their eye to it to the best of their ability, squinting as they tried to understand what they were seeing. “So this is what blood looks like up close...” they mused, one hand going blindly to their sketch pad and beginning to draw what they were seeing. “It’s in pieces. But then...why does it look whole when it’s not magnified? A liquid made of non-liquid pieces...how very strange. Is everything in the world like this, close up?” The idea that there were particles all around them, making up the building blocks of even the sturdiest materials, fascinated them. “Oh...I suppose this is how spontaneous generation works, isn’t it?”
They didn’t clarify - the idea of spontaneous generation was so widely accepted in their time period, they didn’t even think to wonder if Myrnin would question it.
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Post by mintedstar/fur🦇 on Aug 26, 2019 14:41:15 GMT -5
The corners of Myrnin's lips twitched. He hadn't heard about spontaneous generation in years. "I am unaware to the mechanics of your world," he said. "But so far mine and yours seem to at least run along similar rules. Spontaneous generation has been disproved in my world, at least. And possibly will be in yours. What you're looking at - at least in the case of your own blood - is cells. I don't really have a high enough powered microscope to show you how close you can look at something. But yes. Everything is made of of small things. Perhaps infinitely so." His smile could easily be interpreted as knowing the answer, and just not saying. "Humans can't see the pieces because they do not have the sight capable to. Sadly, vampires have better sight, but it is not exactly up to a microscope's level." It was more up to hunting skills of several other large predators. "What would you like to do now?" Myrnin inquired after a second later.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Aug 27, 2019 18:52:08 GMT -5
“Disproved??” This seemed to stop Hange in their tracks - they’d never really thought to question that particular aspect of their scientific research. It was just simply considered fact, with a few outliers being the only ones to theorize against it.
It made them feel rather foolish, really, to think that they might have missed such a massive hint as to the inner workings of the universe. And oh, how they loved feeling foolish. It always meant an experiment was afoot.
They’d opened their mouth, just about to answer Myrnin, when the computer in front of them vanished abruptly, replaced almost instantly with grass under their feet. They stumbled, very nearly losing their balance, and caught themself against a rough surface - a wall? No...a tree. One of many, towering all around them.
“Stay still.” Their voice had gone very quiet all of a sudden. If their hunch was correct, it meant that their worlds had switched again. And that meant that since they weren’t near any buildings, they were in a great deal of danger.
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Post by mintedstar/fur🦇 on Aug 27, 2019 20:56:59 GMT -5
Myrnin would have been more than happy to explain the details to Hange. Well, he would have been, were it not for the fact that everything warped and changed in front of him. He could have forgotten that this was going to happen. He could have left the whole room just in his own world, where he was comfortable. Where it maaaaay have been safer. Was it possible that the whole of a person's body could freeze so still without being dead? Oh wait. Myrnin's eyes shifted a little, glancing at Hange and then allowed his nostrils to flare a little. Scenting the air as carefully as he could as he also very, very slowly arched an eyebrow at Hange in a question. He waited, trying to see if there was going to be anything. His hearing strained. For now, he couldn't hear anything. But he knew that would probably change. He didn't trust the House.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Aug 29, 2019 19:16:29 GMT -5
Hange, being human for the time being, was unaware of it, but the air carried a distinctly odd smell. It was almost human...but also much, much, different. Like an elephant wearing a human’s jacket, or something similarly diluted. Mostly, it was just unimaginable amounts of blood being pushed through an unimaginably large heart - whatever was around them was foreign, and was absolutely massive. That much was clear.
“This...could potentially get a bit chaotic,” said Hange slowly, their whole body still as their eyes continued to sweep the forest for any signs of movement. “This is my world. Outside the walls. Which means, there could be Titans anywhere. And this is only a guess, but if you’re chewed up into pieces and swallowed, you won’t fare much better than I would, will you?”
With that said, they drew their blades from the sheaths that sat on their hips, the sharp edges of the weapons glinting even in the dull sunlight the trees afforded them. “How quickly can you climb these trees?”
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Post by mintedstar/fur🦇 on Aug 29, 2019 20:30:01 GMT -5
Head swiveling, Myrnin at once located the direction of the sound, though the smell suddenly permeated the air. It had the vampire wrinkling his nose and tensing a bit, though he still remained still like Hange had originally commanded. It was just a small incline of the head that he said, voice soft, "That way." At least, that was his best bet. The sound was growing, making it harder to keep track of it. Myrnin expected to see the culprit very soon. Myrnin didn't see how anything before this had been any less chaotic, but he got what Hange meant. Chaotic, and very clearly dangerous. He would die if something happened to him the way Hange described. If he'd actually been considered alive in the first place, anyway. Titans? Was it wrong he was interested? He watched Hange unsheathe their weapons and the muscles in his hands tensed. Usually, vampires didn't have to bother with edged weapons. Some did. Myrnin could have, but he didn't like direct conflict. It took him less than a second to remember what Hange had said about a Titan's skin, however, and he let his fingers relax. He couldn't break something that was that hard. Instead, he reached to his leg and found something clipped to the side. He rolled up the edge of his pant leg and unstrapped the knife there. It wasn't much in the hands of a human. In the hands of a vampire, it was a bit excessively dangerous. He glanced once at Hange, not answering the question as his body seemed to disappear. No - not disappear. He was just moving very fast, to the nearest tree, where he swarmed up the bark faster than anything ten times smaller and made for climbing. He could have made the stretch in a jump, but he figured that might draw too much attention. When he reached the top, still sheltered by leaves, he looked down at Hange with eyebrows raised.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Sept 1, 2019 23:21:36 GMT -5
“You can tell where they are, even...” said Hange, in awe. “Incredible. I knew your senses were above that of a human’s, but I underestimated just how sharp they are. Truly incredible.” Incredible as it was, they had no time to waste. They’d been about to suggest various ways of climbing the tree when their companion vanished, up to the top in an instant like a squirrel...well, maybe a squirrel that had had a few too many stimulants. Well, that certainly made things easier.
SLAM.
A hand, easily larger than Hange’s whole body, rammed into the tree trunk inches from their position. It shook the tree, but didn’t take it down, and as it started to pull back, splinters caught in its hand, time slowed, and seemed to nearly stop for the scientist, as years of training kicked in in an instant. Before the Titan had time to strike again(maybe this time it wouldn’t miss), they glanced up into the tree, rested their hands on their maneuver gear, aimed, and fired.
Two sharp, anchor-like metal rods took flight from their position on Hange’s belt, flying up and embedding themselves firmly in the tree bark a few feet away from Myrnin. Hange themself followed seconds later, propelling themself upwards with the fuel in their gear and using the tethers to guide their movement. As they passed the point where Myrnin was, they pulled the anchors loose from the tree and deactivated their fuel source, plummeting a couple feet downward and landing lightly on one of the heavier of the tree branches. Panting, they looked downward, just in time to see the massive humanoid form of the Titan slam itself headlong into the tree, shaking it from top to bottom.
“Well,” they said breathlessly, glancing up to meet Myrnin’s eye, “there’s your first look at a Titan. Marvelous, aren’t they?”
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Post by mintedstar/fur🦇 on Sept 2, 2019 18:59:29 GMT -5
Craning his neck, Myrnin tried to get a better look at this Titan, his eyes brimming with interest. He stayed within the safety of the branches, out of sight. He wasn't stupid (yet). He was curious, of course. But he wasn't sure how loud he could be. Bright idea, really. This was the House. It translated languages. Myrnin waited until he was just Hange had his eye before he signed down to them in ASL, Information on Titans. What is their strongest sense? Sight, smell, or hearing? How would they find us? He was grinning far too much, both at the prospect of this new creature and how much work had put into researching them and also that he'd found a way to talk in the House without drawing too much attention. Hange probably didn't know ASL, but maybe there was another form of signing common in their world. Or maybe they'd just verbally answer. He was crouched on the branch, but he bounced ever so slightly (not enough to shake the branch) in anticipation. He still had the knife in his hand, though it was only slightly better than the average pocket knife. Hange had their machine, which seemed to work in the room. They'd used it so quickly that Myrnin felt it was probably muscle memory at this point, since they hadn't even second guessed that it would be functional. Myrnin watched the Titan and then added onto his question. Sentient? Curious, really. He had no doubt they were predators from how they made a grab for Hange. But so was he. The teeth were all wrong though if it consumed meet. The size shouldn't be able to support a life on small humans alone. Theory: he signed to Hange. The biology does not match with the functions? These things ... I do not believe they can be the natural evolution of something? Not if your science runs the same as mine.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Sept 2, 2019 22:30:36 GMT -5
Hange watched Myrnin, tilting their head in confusion as he began to sign at them, but a moment later they blinked, completely thrown as the signals began to translate into words in their head. What an odd sensation...it was like they’d known it all along, only they didn’t. They’d never seen it before. “Oh, the House translation!” they said out loud, apparently not particularly concerned about attracting the titan’s attention. “You’re using...well, some version of sign language, aren’t you? I have served with deaf members of the Survey Corps before, but unfortunately we weren’t in the same squad long enough for me to pick up the language. It’s an ignorance I hope to correct, someday. But you don’t have to stay quiet - that Titan definitely knows we’re here, and once they have our scent, they’re not easily deterred. We could stay up here for days without him leaving, probably.”
They ran through the list of questions they’d just been asked in their head, eyes alight with enthusiasm as finally, someone was actually interested in their observations. “Their strongest sense is sight,” they answered, leaning forward a little to be heard better over the crashing and roaring that seemed to constitute a sort of tantrum in the part of the Titan below. “They can see much, much further than a human can, and their hand-eye coordination is fairly advanced as well. Their other senses seem to more or less mirror a human’s - they have virtually no sense of smell, and though they can certainly hear, it doesn’t seem to be developed much further than a human’s would be.”
The second question made them pause. “Sentient...well, that is the question, isn’t it? In a word, I don’t believe that common titans like the one below us are any more sentience than what one would attribute to an animal. It’s not nothing - they do seem to feel pain - but not any sort of complex emotions. They’re driven primarily by instinct, not rational thought, as far as I can tell.”
His third question made them stop entirely, running a thumb over their chin and narrowing their eyes behind their spectacles. “Hmm...yes, unfortunately that is a question I do not yet possess the answer to. I have observed the same things - their biology doesn’t follow any sort of track that we could consider evolutionarily probable, and their eating patterns are even more mysterious - it seems, at this point in time, doubtful that they need to eat at all for any nutritional reason. You see, one of the oddest bits about titans is they have no digestive system. They simply eat, and eat, and eat, until they’re stuffed up so completely that they can’t anymore, and then they regurgitate the corpses whole, encased in a sort of crystalline material. Almost like a pearl in a clam. So, you might ask, what’s the purpose of the behavior? That, my friend, I do not know.”
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Post by mintedstar/fur🦇 on Sept 3, 2019 9:37:19 GMT -5
Myrnin's hands dropped back down to his side and he shrugged. It had been worth a shot. The Titan's lumbering could have been with intention, but then again, maybe they - he - wasn't smart enough to know they were still there. He resisted the temptation to tell Hange that he could probably teach them ASL (though it probably wouldn't translate over. Pity it was the only form he knew since it was America he had been in when such a language had become popular). He also resisted the biased temptation to tell Hange that if they took his offer, then they would have plenty of time to learn dozens of languages. "Pity," he said with a sigh and looked down. "The tree wont hold up for a day. We actually would do better to find a sturdier one." He knocked his fist against the trunk. "By my hearing, we have a couple more good hits by that fellow before this either breaks or at least becomes unstable enough to bend a good deal. I'm betting on break. The tree isn't wet or subtle enough to allow for bending." He wasn't showing off (probably not anyway). But he wasn't worried by the prospect either, since he just plowed on, far more interested in discussing the Titan. "Hiding from them must be next to impossible," he muttered to himself. While the statement was practical, what he was thinking was much the same as Hange had probably been thinking. Why? Usually the larger the creature the more likely it was to be herbivorous. Even predators of this size had far superior hearing and sense of smell. Sight wasn't usually a concern unless you had maneuverability from a longer range or were fast enough to chase down prey. Personally, from what he had seen, though the Titan was fast it wasn't fast enough to catch anything easily other than scrambling humans. He leaned forward a bit as he listened to Hange's explanation for his second question. There was a humming in the back of his throat and he said under his breath, "Instinct. Hum. Yep. Can relate." He leaned back, rubbing at his chin. These things were far more interesting than he expected. With a faux innocent expression, he looked at Hange and asked, "Can I move here?" Tapping his foot against the wood of the tree, it was clear his eyes were alight with interest. "They're just an all around improbability. Humans, for a creature of even this size, is an illogical meal - if as you described they can be called meals. Deer, or larger herd animals would be more purposeful. Maybe they aren't biological. Synthetic, perhaps? Engineered? I've had dealings with people who twist beings to their own design and they follow similar, unusual design features. But the purpose ... I don't have enough information and neither do you. If they are biological - though the evolution is still missing several links - then they must be gaining some sort of use from what they eat that isn't visible. Minerals? Energy? things much harder to measure?" He did a little dance on the branch, almost pacing. Below, the tree groaned as strain on the trunk continued. "Tiiiiime is also not on our side. I can jump to another tree. Can they climb?"
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Post by <Raintalon> on Sept 5, 2019 16:42:40 GMT -5
“Yes...I’ve had the thought myself that they might be synthetic rather than natural,” said Hange, nodding thoughtfully along with the vampire as he rattled onward, matching their own manic pace perfectly. “We don’t know of anyone who has the technology to accomplish such a thing, but we also don’t know much of our own history, for reasons we can only guess at. As I’m sure you’ve gathered, there are plenty of mysteries. The only problem is the shortage of answers.” Not that it was really a problem. They would be out of a job if they ever learned everything there was to know, after all.
They’d gotten a bit lost in thought thanks to Myrnin’s extremely fascinating thoughts, but they were soon jolted out of their imaginings when the tree shook and groaned ominously, slammed into once again by their third companion. But instead of getting concerned, they simply stood up, a slightly manic grin spreading across their features as they turned to the vampire. “Wanna make him chase us? Their gait is fascinating to watch.”
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Post by mintedstar/fur🦇 on Sept 5, 2019 21:27:51 GMT -5
Looking sharply at Hange, for a second Myrnin had an expression on his face that made an onlooker think that he was about to call Hange an idiot and that it was a horrible idea. But instead, what Myrnin said was, "Of course. Why would you need to ask?" He looked around, saw a nearby tree, and instead of even asking grabbed Hange under the arms and jumped both himself and the other scientist to the next tree over. He had to brace himself against the trunk when landing and had to steady Hange so he was assured they had a proper foothold on the branch directly below, but once that was clear he asked with a grin, "How do we make him chase us? I can run fairly fast, but I'm a bit slower when just jumping." He looked down, considering, then added, "Not that much slower. I just have to think about it more. Make sure branches don't break. That sort of thing." He hopped a bit from foot to foot. "Lead the way however you like though. I'm right behind." His eyes were alight with interest even as the tree they had just left sloooooowly tilted and then fell with a resounding crash.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Sept 6, 2019 19:08:03 GMT -5
Hange grinned. “I did have an inkling that you’d - “
They broke off with a startled squawk as Myrnin grabbed them and took off, launching into the air and landing, miraculously, on the next tree over. They didn’t seem to mind that he hadn’t asked them first - instead, they just brushed themself off, watching with a bemused expression as the tree they’d just been on leaned, toppled over, and then finally crashed into the grass. The Titan hadn’t seen them jump, so it immediately began to root through the leaves and bark, pulling the tree apart splinter by splinter with what was a truly terrifying show of strength. As it failed to find them in the rubble, it beat its fists on the ground, letting out a howl of frustration.
After they had watched this spectacle for a few moments, they seemed to shake themself out of their trance, turning as they registered the vampire’s question. “Ah, well you see, this is where these come in,” they said, tapping the gas canisters that seemed to make up a significant part of their maneuver gear. “I’ve been outmaneuvering titans since I was fifteen years old, and in a forest like this, I shall have no trouble at all keeping ahead of the beast.” They eyed Myrnin up and down, stroking their chin as they formulated a plan. “You could jump, or run. Or I could carry you, probably. Unless vampires are heavier than humans.”
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Post by mintedstar/fur🦇 on Sept 7, 2019 0:24:53 GMT -5
"We aren't," said Myrnin, sounding amused. "Unless you count whatever percentage a set of fangs add onto the over all amount." He considered that for a second, then shook his head. It wasn't important right now. Instead, standing straight, he said, "I can jump for now and if I'm unable to keep up we will revert to your other option." He didn't seem to mind the suggestion that they might end up carrying him. He also didn't think it would end up that way. He wasn't slow. The only concern was whether or not he and Hange could match speeds and still know where to go. "You will have to tell me about those," he said, pointing at the gas canisters. "You seem to be quite prepared for handling these things. How long have they been a danger to you? Recent or ancient?" Because either way the Titans were very interesting as creatures. A set of beings. He just wasn't sure of their history. So far, he wasn't completely sure how they could be so dangerous to the average prepared human. Sure, they would result in some deaths, but they didn't seem much more dangerous than other creatures that Myrnin had faced. But he thought Hange had mentioned other types of Titans and this one was just a ... run of the mill one ... or something like that. It was the best way he could think of it anyway. "Please do show me how it is you get them to chase you," he added.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Sept 8, 2019 17:35:23 GMT -5
“Ancient!” they answered cheerily. “Since before our earliest bit of written history. Our entire society is designed around their existence, and has been for an incredibly long time.” They paused, running through their mental checklist of takeoff calibrations. Canisters mostly full, blades locked into place, straps tightened just enough so they were secure. Hair tied down. Goggles instead of glasses. And, they were ready to go. “I’ll tell you all about the maneuver sometime,” they promised, grinning. “Perhaps I’ll carry blueprints on me for a while, so I can show you how they work if I blink in. Anyway...shall we, before our dear friend the Titan gets tired of searching?”
Not waiting for an answer, they took a slow, deep breath. And then leaned over backwards, plummeting straight off the branch and towards the ground. Seconds later, metal cords erupted from the coils on their belt, and with the help of the grappling hooks that promptly buried themselves in the nearest tree trunk, they swung back up, propelling themself into the air with a puff of steam from the gas canisters. “HEY!! TITAN!!” they bellowed at the top of their lungs, turning their head over their shoulder to grin at Myrnin as the creature looked up, and, with a scream of excitement and/or rage, began to barrel after them. Hange, fully immersed in the game, took off in the opposite direction, laughing hysterically as they flew through the air, swinging from tree to tree in a practiced alternation between cords that made their actual path through the air almost a straight line, except for when they had to dodge trees. The Titan’s gait was incredibly odd - not at all what one would expect from a pursuit predator. It looked like someone had taken a toddler and grown them up to the approximate size of an elephant, without bothering to give them any additional dexterity or coordination to match their size. The massive creature lurched from side to side, arms waving wildly in their air as they gave chase, their movement making it look like they could topple over at any second. Despite this, they were making very good time, thanks to their long stride, and were gaining a bit on Hange, who didn’t seem concerned.
“Catch me if you can!!” they shouted, continuing to cackle to themself as they turned a little to see if Myrnin was keeping up.
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Post by mintedstar/fur🦇 on Sept 8, 2019 20:03:02 GMT -5
Face lighting up, Myrnin raised along after Hange. Well ... raised was a bit of a stretch of the word. Hange used the propulsion of the gas canisters and Myrnin used his own legs and arms. He was the one who moved like a predator. His head turned to follow the movements of the Titan with interest, yes, but there was something natural and completely inhuman about how he moved after Hange. Humans didn't know how to move with such a light step or with such swiftness, but there also seemed to be an air about Myrnin which hinted at muscles with far more power in them and in reactions that wouldn't always be so pleasant. Jumping from one tree to another nearby, Myrnin was stuck closer to the tops of the greenery, and he couldn't match Hange's height when he was also running at this speed. But he could jump for longer distances, leaping over distances between trees and over smaller ones with no effort. He glanced up at Hange, their cackling ringing in his ears, and grinned with exhilaration. His ponytail was almost coming undone, his hair blown away from his face at the speed he was moving. One foot after the other placed down on a tree branch, racing along it and avoiding the smaller offshoot branches from it. Then he would leap away again, aiming for the upper tree branches, gripping with his hands on the more unsteady holds and leaping to the next tree. Sometimes he would reach as high as Hange's level, but that slowed him down. He could almost afford to, since Hange wasn't going as fast as he would be able, but he wanted to keep up with them. Each of his movements were so well timed that it just looked like he was skipping along an even piece of ground, right up until the trees and ground below was taken into consideration. It seemed like he should be having a more tiresome journey, but if anything seemed to be annoying him it was the direct exposure to the sunlight, most of the time without much covering. As he caught up with Hange (not for the first time, his movements were erratic enough that he was either directly behind or directly ahead of them), he said, "You ..." his voice faded as he fell back down to the trees, "... are having ..." His voice rose again as he started rising again, only to pass Hange on their decent. "... fun with ..." He was now even again. "... This." He was grinning still. On the next jump, he twisted and pointed back the way they had come. It did look like the Titan was a bit faster then them. "Can ... you go ... faster?" he asked. He was jumping backwards for a bit of that, checking over his shoulder to see where he was landing. Not all vampires would have been capable of this sort of running and leaping, but Myrnin had done this before when he had lived in forested areas and had kept in practice by traveling by roof around Morganville. No one tended to look up, so he always found it fun to dance around the rooftops and scramble over chimneys. But this sort of stunt wasn't impossible for other vampires. At some point during the run, he'd stopped looking like a predator chasing down something and now just looked like a brightly colored jack-in-the-box figure leaping out from between the trees.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Sept 9, 2019 16:56:50 GMT -5
Hange was concentrating on their path, but at the same time, they were watching Myrnin out of one curious eye. They’d seen titans run easily thousands of times in their lifetime, it was nothing of note to them anymore. But Myrnin...the way he was moving was quick, calculated, and lethal. Every leap was clean, like a snake strike, and it always lead straight into the next one with perfect form.
“This is...the second...best part of...my job!” shouted Hange back at the vampire across the distance between them, then brightened again as Myrnin suggested they go even faster.
“I can!” they said enthusiastically, reaching to twist a couple gears on the back of their equipment. Then, with a fancy sort of flip just below the treeline, they accelerated, gas pouring from the canisters as it pushed them along at impressive speeds considering the minute adjustments they had to constantly make to avoid running into trees. Their reflexes were much, much better than most humans that age, thanks to time and practice, and even at this speed, moving like this was almost as easy as walking.
And then, concealed by the thick underbrush so it was seemingly out of nowhere, another Titan wandered in front of them, turning its head stupidly as it tried and failed to track the motion of the Titan hunter who was mere feet away from them. Hange cursed and pulled hard up on the tethers they’d just attached, swinging violently to the right, but it wasn’t enough. They threw their hands in front of their face, bracing for a collision....
And then, the scene changed.
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Post by mintedstar/fur🦇 on Sept 10, 2019 0:24:01 GMT -5
If it was possible, Myrnin managed to pick up the pace. This was still within the range he could run without needing to rest. He might have asked what their first favorite part was, but he wasn't even sure how to begin to get around to doing so what with the uneven jumping pattern they had. There was a bit of a problem for asking questions. Myrnin had just enough time to start his next leap - unable to see what was happening with Hange because they had descended below the treeline - before the scene changed. Myrnin usually was okay with his lab. It was messy, but he knew where everything was. He didn't actually have a problem working out where he need to be in relation to everyone else. So, being aware of where everything was, he knew exactly what he'd hit both on the way up to the ceiling and on the way down to the floor. When he hit the ceiling it wasn't so bad. It wasn't like he hadn't done it before. The ceiling was low, he'd been jumping forward more than he had up. Momentum carried him alone the flat ceiling like he was skidding across water, right up until he ran up against the far wall. Then he tumbled downward, landing painfully in a tumble of limbs. Glass shattered, shards pressing into his face, nose, jaw, and neck. Wood splinters littered the floor around him, like he'd cut a tree ineffectively before arriving. Parts of his outfit were perforated by the stuff. Really, it was a miracle he hadn't been staked by a table leg. Several larger pieces he could feel pressing up against him - his head, his shoulder, and his ankle - and all felt dangerously close for comfort. He hardly dared move, instead taking stock of what was and was not hurt. There were several cuts just about everywhere, but those were already healing. Similarly, in that slightly unusual way that vampires bruised, those were healing as well. A discolored mark - a slight tone different than how humans bruised - was shrinking and paling on his out-stretched arm. Slowly, trying not to stab himself with glass, Myrnin rolled over and sat up, wincing a bit. Nothing too bad. A human might have to worry, but Myrnin just felt mildly inconvenienced. And his shirt was ruined ... again ... Something else felt a bit odd. He reached back, brushing away several shards of glass from the back of his neck. As if this was all the excuse that the ponytail at the nape of his neck needed, it came away in his hand. Myrnin moaned a bit. "It takes me three months to regrow my hair!" Something around three months anyway. It grew about the same speed as a humans, perhaps just a little faster. Either way, he had a very patchy, uneven cut. "Hange?" he asked, suddenly catching up to speed with what had happened. He knew that they'd been closer to the ground, but he wasn't sure if that meant they were okay or not ...
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Post by <Raintalon> on Sept 12, 2019 8:27:21 GMT -5
The pile of limbs and broken pieces of drywall from the corner nearest Myrnin grunted, twitching a little in response. Hange had been flying much lower than Myrnin, and they’d accelerated to change their trajectory just before the shift happened. The result of this was that they’d flown clear across the room like a missile, crashing full tilt into the opposite wall with little in the way to slow them down. They’d smashed nearly right through the wall with the force of the impact - pieces of it had cracked and come free, scattered on the floor around what was now a large hole next to the scientist.
After a moment of stunned silence, they rose from the rubble, shaking their head and nearly falling backwards from the effort, dizzy from the impact. “Well, that was exciting!” they said in a slightly slurred voice. “Also, I believe my wrist is broken. Are you injured?”
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