[The need comes a little sooner than expected. Not even necessarily because he can't deal with the situation he's more or less created for himself, or that he's particularly worried about the consequences now that he has a clearer idea of the nature of their existence here... But even like this, he still needs sleep, and he'd like to not have to risk deleting whatever's near him as he tries to do it, though he's willing to give up certain things otherwise...
Rather than broadcast anything across the radios, when it's a reasonable hour one sleepless morning, he heads straight to the room where he may very well find a solution.]
[Tox tends to feel anxious when he wakes up in the morning, especially in a new place, especially newly blind. The transition between sleeping and waking is especially strange when you can't orient yourself by looking around, but he's adapted by using his hearing and touch. Using touch and having a spike of nervous energy in the morning usually leads him to tidy up his space and take an inventory of his things. He makes his bed perfectly and meticulously checks where all of his items are at present. After that, he usually does a workout routine, so this is what he's doing when Altius comes by. Pushups in a near-pristine room.
He pauses mid-pushup as he hears his name, and he recognizes it as Altius' voice, especially with the honorific attached.
He catches himself on a knee and lifts his head toward the door.]
[Tox may be able to tell even through the door that Altius doesn't have the kind of energy he has in the past days, where he's come to ask for a few things to take care of his friend's and partner's injuries. Though he's probably capable, he doesn't attempt to mask it, partly because he feels like it may help him to "display" it.]
I wanted to ask for your help with something. May I come in?
[He knows Altius has been going through some stressful stuff, with the injured states of his friend and his partner, and Tox wonders if one of them has worsened, probably the guy with wounds that won't heal. A concerned frown pulls at the corner of his lip as he stands up.]
Uh, come sit.
[He gestures to his perfectly-made bed, which he is not far from, so he goes and sits on it too.]
[He walks over and sits with a sigh. It's true that Fabian's condition is concerning, but at the very least they've been able to keep his wounds clean—and with the urge of the music passed, Dante's recovery is proceeding to the point he doesn't feel the need to stay at their side most of the day. That's part of why he's finally made his way here.]
I'm having significant trouble getting to sleep. You said you could create sedatives, yes?
Mmm, yes, but I usually make things like... Chloroform. Kind of heavy-handed for insomnia.
[This is the main issue he's running into with using his powers for medicinal purposes- he's trained to use them for neutralizing and killing enemies, not helping people. He's always thought of them all as toxins, not medicines, and the paradigm shift is taking some time to process.]
I want to help, though, so let me work on it. You'd want something you can take in pill or liquid form as needed, I assume?
Ha, I don't know that I'd mind something that instant...
[It would certainly cut down on the risks he's worrying the most about.]
But yes, whatever would be stable enough to measure. I imagine it would be harder to put something into a solid form, but you know your abilities better than I do.
Nitrous oxide would be safer than chloroform, but yeah, kind of hard to store and administer on your own. And yeah, liquids and gasses are easiest... Solids are probably possible but hard to make into pills.
A liquid sounds like the best solution, then. [chemistry joke...? no, he's not a nerd enough for that.]
Under normal circumstances, I would simply let the exhaustion eventually get to me, but... [An exhale through his nose.] It's less that I'm not getting enough rest, and more that it's taking too long to get to it.
His brow stays furrowed. Let the exhaustion get to him? Arsil. Sounds brutal.]
So, a liquid that helps you fall asleep faster. Let me work on it, see what I can do.
[He's realizing that helping people can actually be more intimidating than killing. What if he makes something intended to help and it has a profoundly negative consequence? He's no doctor and he's never done experimental trials on any of this. He only has his anecdotal experience, which is primarily concerned with whether a substance hurt someone or not, not whether it helped them.]
[Oh, you know, sometimes you just have to let it compound until you have no choice but to pass out... Not usually, but sometimes.
There's a pause as he considers. A quiet, bitter laugh leaves him, then a regretful sigh. Still, his tone stays light.]
... no, I suppose not. Between everything that's happened in the past two weeks, along with what I was already dealing with... it's starting to get to me.
[What, you think supervillains are emotionally well adjusted? Altius turns his head to look at the other man, then as he's turning to face forward again:]
Yes...
[No part of him is stupid enough to deny it, though he's still stubbornly determined to keep going regardless. He is hoping for a solution, but if Tox can't come up with a proper one, then he'll deal with it.]
... Dante has no need for sleep, funnily enough. I'm sure they've been watching me also not sleep, which is just another factor I end up worrying about.
Oh, okay, so you're worried that being awake and under the influence of something will make you lose control.
[He nods- he knows exactly what that fear like.]
Maybe chloroform would be best, then... I can't think of anything that would knock you out faster. And it's liquid, so if kept in a sealed container, it could be reused. It might give you a headache though, and it's not healthy to be exposed to it often, so you'd have to use it sparingly. Nitrous oxide would be safer, but I can't figure out how we'd dose it since it's purely gas.
[But the fact that Tox immediately moves on to the solution is... not entirely what he expected, but something he's grateful for. The idea of chloroforming himself isn't the most appealing thought, but if needs must...]
Of course. I can handle a headache, but I certainly wouldn't want to overdo it—something like that I'd use for particularly rough nights only. Perhaps with time I'll be able to get a better handle on it and I could use a different solution.
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action; a few days after infoshare
Date: 2026-04-15 05:34 pm (UTC)From:Rather than broadcast anything across the radios, when it's a reasonable hour one sleepless morning, he heads straight to the room where he may very well find a solution.]
Mr. Tox?
no subject
Date: 2026-04-15 05:49 pm (UTC)From:He pauses mid-pushup as he hears his name, and he recognizes it as Altius' voice, especially with the honorific attached.
He catches himself on a knee and lifts his head toward the door.]
Altius? What's up?
no subject
Date: 2026-04-15 05:58 pm (UTC)From:I wanted to ask for your help with something. May I come in?
no subject
Date: 2026-04-15 06:05 pm (UTC)From:[He knows Altius has been going through some stressful stuff, with the injured states of his friend and his partner, and Tox wonders if one of them has worsened, probably the guy with wounds that won't heal. A concerned frown pulls at the corner of his lip as he stands up.]
Uh, come sit.
[He gestures to his perfectly-made bed, which he is not far from, so he goes and sits on it too.]
How can I help?
no subject
Date: 2026-04-15 06:26 pm (UTC)From:I'm having significant trouble getting to sleep. You said you could create sedatives, yes?
no subject
Date: 2026-04-15 07:03 pm (UTC)From:[This is the main issue he's running into with using his powers for medicinal purposes- he's trained to use them for neutralizing and killing enemies, not helping people. He's always thought of them all as toxins, not medicines, and the paradigm shift is taking some time to process.]
I want to help, though, so let me work on it. You'd want something you can take in pill or liquid form as needed, I assume?
no subject
Date: 2026-04-15 07:10 pm (UTC)From:[It would certainly cut down on the risks he's worrying the most about.]
But yes, whatever would be stable enough to measure. I imagine it would be harder to put something into a solid form, but you know your abilities better than I do.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-15 07:17 pm (UTC)From:[He frowns, a little concerned, but curious.]
Nitrous oxide would be safer than chloroform, but yeah, kind of hard to store and administer on your own. And yeah, liquids and gasses are easiest... Solids are probably possible but hard to make into pills.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-15 07:28 pm (UTC)From:chemistry joke...? no, he's not a nerd enough for that.]Under normal circumstances, I would simply let the exhaustion eventually get to me, but... [An exhale through his nose.] It's less that I'm not getting enough rest, and more that it's taking too long to get to it.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-15 07:37 pm (UTC)From:His brow stays furrowed. Let the exhaustion get to him? Arsil. Sounds brutal.]
So, a liquid that helps you fall asleep faster. Let me work on it, see what I can do.
[He's realizing that helping people can actually be more intimidating than killing. What if he makes something intended to help and it has a profoundly negative consequence? He's no doctor and he's never done experimental trials on any of this. He only has his anecdotal experience, which is primarily concerned with whether a substance hurt someone or not, not whether it helped them.]
Are you... Okay, though?
no subject
Date: 2026-04-15 09:41 pm (UTC)From:There's a pause as he considers. A quiet, bitter laugh leaves him, then a regretful sigh. Still, his tone stays light.]
... no, I suppose not. Between everything that's happened in the past two weeks, along with what I was already dealing with... it's starting to get to me.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-16 02:55 am (UTC)From:Tox turns a little more toward him on the bed, bringing his leg up so he can face him.]
That's completely understandable. You've had a lot to worry about, a lot to keep you up at night.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-16 04:03 am (UTC)From:Yes...
[No part of him is stupid enough to deny it, though he's still stubbornly determined to keep going regardless. He is hoping for a solution, but if Tox can't come up with a proper one, then he'll deal with it.]
... Dante has no need for sleep, funnily enough. I'm sure they've been watching me also not sleep, which is just another factor I end up worrying about.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-16 04:46 am (UTC)From:Hmm. Yeah, that's pretty awkward. I think I've heard rumours of some kind of mushroom here that makes you sleepy?
no subject
Date: 2026-04-16 04:57 am (UTC)From:I fear that might make it worse in some senses.
[A slow breath leaves him as he considers how to explain.]
... You said you had difficulty controlling your magic when you were young, yes?
no subject
Date: 2026-04-16 06:21 am (UTC)From:Yes.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-16 02:50 pm (UTC)From:I don't entirely understand the why of it, but—it means I can't let my mind run free without risking things.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-16 03:14 pm (UTC)From:[He nods- he knows exactly what that fear like.]
Maybe chloroform would be best, then... I can't think of anything that would knock you out faster. And it's liquid, so if kept in a sealed container, it could be reused. It might give you a headache though, and it's not healthy to be exposed to it often, so you'd have to use it sparingly. Nitrous oxide would be safer, but I can't figure out how we'd dose it since it's purely gas.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-16 03:32 pm (UTC)From:[But the fact that Tox immediately moves on to the solution is... not entirely what he expected, but something he's grateful for. The idea of chloroforming himself isn't the most appealing thought, but if needs must...]
Of course. I can handle a headache, but I certainly wouldn't want to overdo it—something like that I'd use for particularly rough nights only. Perhaps with time I'll be able to get a better handle on it and I could use a different solution.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-16 07:09 pm (UTC)From:[But aside from just the sleep,]
Is there anything else I can do to help? I might be able to offer advice on the magic control, though yours might be very different from mine.