[It seems Tox has an even more complicated relationship with magic than Zekarion does, which is impressive. He makes a mental note to himself to tread with care.
His answer is his usual one, though—and it comes out as "naturally" as most of his practiced lies, for how much he's repeated it in these places. Thankfully, his experience here and in Aldrip means he no longer has to pretend to be surprised by it.]
Not to my knowledge. I've had to consider the possibility thanks to the whole "separate worlds" situation, but all the forces and energy I've heard of in mine are referred to in scientific terms.
[It's not like he understands molecular physics, honestly, so it might as well be magic in some senses. How would anyone define where the line is...?]
I have my doubts I'll ever see it there for myself, but perhaps.
[Altius is supposed to be an open-minded sort, after all. There's no point in denying something as possible when you've already seen it happen in front of you, unique as their circumstances may be.
More interesting is Tox's displeasure with his own. With sympathy, he replies,]
I have gotten that impression at times... but what makes you say that in particular? If it's alright to ask.
My magic is that my body can produce and manipulate poison... I've definitely hurt people by accident, especially when I was younger and didn't know how to control it yet.
[He hums as his first response, appropriately low to express his understanding and displeasure at the thought.]
I can only imagine... [His Gem's magic hadn't been the harmful sort, nor inclined towards any loss of control, but his pact later... he did have some difficulty with, at the start. And he was well into his adulthood at that point.] Is it—a sort that's specific to you? Or is it something that you could find remedies for?
[Though it's a natural progression of Altius's concerns for both Tox and those around him, the question is a practical one for Zekarion's purposes, too—paranoid and always preparing for whatever counters he can get his hands on.]
[His brow furrows, and he would be squinting if he had eyes. He doesn't quite understand the question.]
Specific? I mean... I can make a variety of alcohols, acids, sedative and irritant gasses... Some have antidotes, like how a base neutralizes an acid, but not all.
[Like ricin... But that takes a long time to produce and is hard to access, so he couldn't really hurt someone by accident with it.]
The remedy is for me to stay in control. Which I'm good at now, so no one here is in danger.
[And here Altius was just assuming he had his own personal venom, like some kind of species of humanoid snake? Except with magic? Perhaps it wasn't the most cohesive of thoughts anyway, but shame on him for attempting to make things make sense based on his knowledge...
He murmurs a somewhat intrigued huh.
... actually, it sounds almost like a Gem's power. Hadn't he broken one with the aspect of poison or something similar before? He shifts his mindset to that.]
I was only curious if there'd been methods on hand to help you as you learned, but that is a broad spectrum. Your help would be a dream to any of my chemists...
[Ah. Wait a minute.]
Actually. You may be far better than "not a danger."
[It's not you, Altius, the magic doesn't make sense. It's vibes-based, don't overthink it.]
Your chemists?
[This man runs a lab?]
What... Do you mean? [Somehow there's both wariness and hope in his tone. He wants to be good. But he doesn't want to be used by yet another older man.]
[What do you think magical jewels created by concepts given consciousness work off of? Physics? Pshaw.]
My company develops medical technology, so we have a sizable research department.
[So, in a manner of speaking he does.]
I can think of a medical use for nearly everything you listed. Sterilization, purification, anesthetics... Many medicines are poisons in highly specific doses, or mixed in particular ways.
[He scratches the back of his neck, his brow furrowing for a moment with the realization.]
... Kind of stupid that I never thought of that, huh?
[Not really. He was born to be a weapon, not a healer, so it was not brought up to him even once. He learned for himself to make alcohol to sterilize his own wounds when they wouldn't help him with treating it, but even then, he didn't need it much since his body is a difficult place for bacteria to live. On account of all the toxins infused in it.]
I'm more surprised no one else has brought it up to you.
[Surely even those trying to use or imprison the man would put him to work producing useful chemicals...? It sounds like plain stupidity to him, but his tone remains mild and he keeps that particular type of thought to himself.]
Either way, I'm happy I did. We are limited in what supplies we have here, and with who knows what dangers we might face, every little bit counts.
I was bred to be an assassin. Healing wasn't a big priority in our militia, and I guess it was seen as beneath my station.
[Why spend a bunch of time and money healing a gravely injured soldier when you could just breed a better one? He shrugs, and it's clear from his tone that this isn't how he feels about it, just what was expected of him.
He then nods with a cautious enthusiasm.]
I'd like to help. I guess I can be a one-man pharmacy. [He smiles wryly. He wants desperately to be of use, though he's still careful of the potential to be used.]
[It's too bad that Tox can't see the shift in Altius's expression when he admits he was bred for killing, adding a different side to the word produced mentioned earlier that's far more unpleasant than what he'd initially been thinking.
Which is strange of him, really. That he wouldn't know better after all this time, all these different horrific worlds. He should be expecting the worst, thinks he is, and then somehow he's still taken by surprise.
He lets out a disgruntled hum, equally dismissive of the idea that the prospect of healing others is somehow lesser.]
Unlike the place you were raised, you'd have the gratitude of a great number of people if you did, here, myself included—but tell me about how this magic works for you. It must tire you out eventually?
[The gratitude of a great number of people. Those words give him a little rush, almost making him dizzy for a few seconds. He's become so low in his sense of self-worth that it's almost impossible to imagine someone being grateful for him. He thinks that perhaps he needs that, needs it desperately, any kind of positive interaction, any hint that he is of use to anyone. He does his best to hide that desperation. Instead of making any comment or outward reaction other than a subtle change in his breathing, he hums in thought about Altius' question.]
Think of it like... Sweating, but you can control your sweat consciously, and the sweat is literally poison. If you exercise and sweat too much, you get dehydrated and your chemistry falls out of balance. It's like that. It tires me eventually, but it's not a big deal, and I highly doubt our demand would outpace my supply.
Good to know... but let's hope that remains true. [He'd rather Tox not exhaust himself, and he'd also rather there not be any horrible dangers that would mean a number of people suddenly needing medical help.
That won't be the case, obviously, but it's a nice thought.]
Perhaps we should start trying to gather some containers, hm? [But in the meantime...] Would you like me to direct people your way?
Do you... Have reason to think demand will increase?
[It sure sounds like he thinks it will, and Tox is new, so that makes him a little nervous that there's something big coming he doesn't know about.]
Oh, I... I mean, I don't want people to think I'm a doctor or something. But if they're just in need of a substance I can provide, then definitely, send them my way.
[Misunderstandings are the last thing he wants to cause, and he'd rather not give Tox any undue trouble. He takes in a breath before he responds, the sound of it heavy, and his tone is somber when he speaks.]
But to put it simply, I was in a realm like this before. There were periods of calm, but when the real dangers arose, they were... significant. People were killed or nearly so, and I was severely wounded a time or two, myself. I have no real way of saying whether the same will happen here, but I'd rather be prepared.
[He's not sure if "a realm like this" means a cave prison, a place where everyone gets yanked to from different worlds, or something else. Regardless, there's a more pressing question.]
[That does feel like what it boils down to. Even that incident with the doppelgangers would qualify in his mind, given the ones he saw and how violent they were. What would his have done...?]
Aggressive wild beasts, creatures powerful enough to destroy a city, and—us, hypnotized or otherwise changed in a way that made us target each other.
[Uhhhhhh actual mind control? That's new even for him.]
I guess the rest fits in line with the giant worms and bears I've been hearing about. I'm trying to get some sparring partners so I can get my combat back up to snuff. I should probably learn some more first aid stuff, too.
Ha. Really, it feels like I can hardly find enough to do.
[Zekarion is hardly doing a fraction of what he'd like to be doing, but as long as it keeps him from getting drawn into his thoughts, it's fine. This will in no way have consequences later.]
Besides, it's an important set of skills. I'll get some supplies together and try to come by in a couple of days. That said—I've heard there are others who have similar skills, so if you get tired of waiting on me, don't be afraid to ask around.
[There's the sound of flipping pages as he opens his notes to a particular spot. What was the name... ah.]
Renee was one; she has a bit of a rasp. Colonel Miller has military training, so I'm sure he could teach you a few things, and he's got a deep sound with a clipped accent. There was another younger woman who claimed to be a healer, but I didn't get her name, I'm afraid. She seemed very particular about magic, so I suppose there's no guarantee her skills are the mundane sort that can be taught.
[The rest... the rest he hasn't seen around or heard from for a while. He makes marks next to their names in his notes, now that it's been brought to his attention.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2026-04-05 06:30 pm (UTC)From:His answer is his usual one, though—and it comes out as "naturally" as most of his practiced lies, for how much he's repeated it in these places. Thankfully, his experience here and in Aldrip means he no longer has to pretend to be surprised by it.]
Not to my knowledge. I've had to consider the possibility thanks to the whole "separate worlds" situation, but all the forces and energy I've heard of in mine are referred to in scientific terms.
[It's not like he understands molecular physics, honestly, so it might as well be magic in some senses. How would anyone define where the line is...?]
I wonder what it would be like, occasionally.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-05 09:53 pm (UTC)From:[Juno was the same, not even able to fathom some of the magic Seb embodied and told her of. Same with her father.]
Maybe magic exists, but you haven't discovered it or found a way to access it.
[It's hard for him to imagine it simply not existing.]
But, not sure I could tell you. I don't know what it's like not to be magic. It sucks sometimes, though.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-06 01:02 am (UTC)From:[Altius is supposed to be an open-minded sort, after all. There's no point in denying something as possible when you've already seen it happen in front of you, unique as their circumstances may be.
More interesting is Tox's displeasure with his own. With sympathy, he replies,]
I have gotten that impression at times... but what makes you say that in particular? If it's alright to ask.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-07 05:05 am (UTC)From:My magic is that my body can produce and manipulate poison... I've definitely hurt people by accident, especially when I was younger and didn't know how to control it yet.
[He frowns. Not fun to recall.]
no subject
Date: 2026-04-08 12:19 am (UTC)From:I can only imagine... [His Gem's magic hadn't been the harmful sort, nor inclined towards any loss of control, but his pact later... he did have some difficulty with, at the start. And he was well into his adulthood at that point.] Is it—a sort that's specific to you? Or is it something that you could find remedies for?
[Though it's a natural progression of Altius's concerns for both Tox and those around him, the question is a practical one for Zekarion's purposes, too—paranoid and always preparing for whatever counters he can get his hands on.]
no subject
Date: 2026-04-08 02:20 am (UTC)From:Specific? I mean... I can make a variety of alcohols, acids, sedative and irritant gasses... Some have antidotes, like how a base neutralizes an acid, but not all.
[Like ricin... But that takes a long time to produce and is hard to access, so he couldn't really hurt someone by accident with it.]
The remedy is for me to stay in control. Which I'm good at now, so no one here is in danger.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-08 04:06 am (UTC)From:He murmurs a somewhat intrigued huh.
... actually, it sounds almost like a Gem's power. Hadn't he broken one with the aspect of poison or something similar before? He shifts his mindset to that.]
I was only curious if there'd been methods on hand to help you as you learned, but that is a broad spectrum. Your help would be a dream to any of my chemists...
[Ah. Wait a minute.]
Actually. You may be far better than "not a danger."
no subject
Date: 2026-04-08 04:23 am (UTC)From:Your chemists?
[This man runs a lab?]
What... Do you mean? [Somehow there's both wariness and hope in his tone. He wants to be good. But he doesn't want to be used by yet another older man.]
no subject
Date: 2026-04-08 04:37 am (UTC)From:My company develops medical technology, so we have a sizable research department.
[So, in a manner of speaking he does.]
I can think of a medical use for nearly everything you listed. Sterilization, purification, anesthetics... Many medicines are poisons in highly specific doses, or mixed in particular ways.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-08 04:46 am (UTC)From:[He scratches the back of his neck, his brow furrowing for a moment with the realization.]
... Kind of stupid that I never thought of that, huh?
[Not really. He was born to be a weapon, not a healer, so it was not brought up to him even once. He learned for himself to make alcohol to sterilize his own wounds when they wouldn't help him with treating it, but even then, he didn't need it much since his body is a difficult place for bacteria to live. On account of all the toxins infused in it.]
no subject
Date: 2026-04-09 12:38 am (UTC)From:[Surely even those trying to use or imprison the man would put him to work producing useful chemicals...? It sounds like plain stupidity to him, but his tone remains mild and he keeps that particular type of thought to himself.]
Either way, I'm happy I did. We are limited in what supplies we have here, and with who knows what dangers we might face, every little bit counts.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-09 01:33 am (UTC)From:[Why spend a bunch of time and money healing a gravely injured soldier when you could just breed a better one? He shrugs, and it's clear from his tone that this isn't how he feels about it, just what was expected of him.
He then nods with a cautious enthusiasm.]
I'd like to help. I guess I can be a one-man pharmacy. [He smiles wryly. He wants desperately to be of use, though he's still careful of the potential to be used.]
no subject
Date: 2026-04-09 04:18 am (UTC)From:Which is strange of him, really. That he wouldn't know better after all this time, all these different horrific worlds. He should be expecting the worst, thinks he is, and then somehow he's still taken by surprise.
He lets out a disgruntled hum, equally dismissive of the idea that the prospect of healing others is somehow lesser.]
Unlike the place you were raised, you'd have the gratitude of a great number of people if you did, here, myself included—but tell me about how this magic works for you. It must tire you out eventually?
achievement unlocked: make altius hate everything somehow more
Date: 2026-04-09 04:39 am (UTC)From:Think of it like... Sweating, but you can control your sweat consciously, and the sweat is literally poison. If you exercise and sweat too much, you get dehydrated and your chemistry falls out of balance. It's like that. It tires me eventually, but it's not a big deal, and I highly doubt our demand would outpace my supply.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-10 02:06 am (UTC)From:That won't be the case, obviously, but it's a nice thought.]
Perhaps we should start trying to gather some containers, hm? [But in the meantime...] Would you like me to direct people your way?
no subject
Date: 2026-04-10 02:36 am (UTC)From:[It sure sounds like he thinks it will, and Tox is new, so that makes him a little nervous that there's something big coming he doesn't know about.]
Oh, I... I mean, I don't want people to think I'm a doctor or something. But if they're just in need of a substance I can provide, then definitely, send them my way.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-10 05:37 pm (UTC)From:[Misunderstandings are the last thing he wants to cause, and he'd rather not give Tox any undue trouble. He takes in a breath before he responds, the sound of it heavy, and his tone is somber when he speaks.]
But to put it simply, I was in a realm like this before. There were periods of calm, but when the real dangers arose, they were... significant. People were killed or nearly so, and I was severely wounded a time or two, myself. I have no real way of saying whether the same will happen here, but I'd rather be prepared.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-10 10:42 pm (UTC)From:... Can I ask what kinds of dangers?
no subject
Date: 2026-04-10 11:36 pm (UTC)From:[That does feel like what it boils down to. Even that incident with the doppelgangers would qualify in his mind, given the ones he saw and how violent they were. What would his have done...?]
Aggressive wild beasts, creatures powerful enough to destroy a city, and—us, hypnotized or otherwise changed in a way that made us target each other.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-11 12:45 am (UTC)From:[Uhhhhhh actual mind control? That's new even for him.]
I guess the rest fits in line with the giant worms and bears I've been hearing about. I'm trying to get some sparring partners so I can get my combat back up to snuff. I should probably learn some more first aid stuff, too.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-11 01:29 am (UTC)From:[Gratitude is too strong a word for what he feels about missing that one, but it certainly sounded unpleasant.]
I'm sure you can find a few willing to spar. I can try to share what first aid I know with you, though it's not something I've taught before.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-11 02:24 am (UTC)From:[Awful. He'd really hate for his power to be turned against one of his allies. That would trigger a whole mess of shit.]
I'd appreciate that, but no pressure. It seems like you've got a lot going on already.
[What with the railings and the impending sense of doom--]
no subject
Date: 2026-04-11 04:05 am (UTC)From:[Zekarion is hardly doing a fraction of what he'd like to be doing, but as long as it keeps him from getting drawn into his thoughts, it's fine. This will in no way have consequences later.]
Besides, it's an important set of skills. I'll get some supplies together and try to come by in a couple of days. That said—I've heard there are others who have similar skills, so if you get tired of waiting on me, don't be afraid to ask around.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-11 05:56 pm (UTC)From:[The blindness certainly doesn't give him many options, so if Altius is offering him a way to be useful, he will cling to it.]
Sounds good. And uh... Anyone in particular you're thinking of?
[He's a bit shy, so 'asking around' might be easier if he knows who he's seeking.]
no subject
Date: 2026-04-11 08:51 pm (UTC)From:[There's the sound of flipping pages as he opens his notes to a particular spot. What was the name... ah.]
Renee was one; she has a bit of a rasp. Colonel Miller has military training, so I'm sure he could teach you a few things, and he's got a deep sound with a clipped accent. There was another younger woman who claimed to be a healer, but I didn't get her name, I'm afraid. She seemed very particular about magic, so I suppose there's no guarantee her skills are the mundane sort that can be taught.
[The rest... the rest he hasn't seen around or heard from for a while. He makes marks next to their names in his notes, now that it's been brought to his attention.]
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From: