Text | un: Headmaster

[eugenesis]

I'm running a few experiments on the properties of Sleeper Blood. I haven't been able to achieve much with my own so far.

If anyone other than a Warmblood is willing to donate a small vial, reach out to me and we can talk.

Though I wouldn't be opposed to having more of this red blood in supply.

Comments

[eugenesis]

Yes.

[In an attempt not to be so ominous, he turns off the video feed right after his response.]

Action

[schoolingfish]

[When Luca arrives at the location, he feels a bit uncertain. Is this really the place? It seems abandoned. But then, how long did Alberto live in an apparently abandoned tower? Maybe this guy just moved into the first place he could find after he showed up. Going up to a large metal door, Luca knocks.]

Hello?

[eugenesis]

[The pounding of heavy metal footsteps are muffled through the door and get louder as Scorponok approaches and opens the large overhead metal door. It has been recently oiled, but it still creaks as it rolls away from the ground.]

So you're here. You're the vileblood, right?

[The warehouse is mostly empty save for several metal tables cobbled together from scrap Scorponok retrieved from the nearby junkyards. He has the start of a lab set up, with stray glass and large heating containers nearby, but it also seems he has a small aquarium of fish from the sea.]

[schoolingfish]

[Luca blinks, surprised at how huge this stranger was. He already knew from the video feed what he'd looked like, but he hadn't realized how huge he was. Quickly recovering from his initial surprise, Luca nods.]

I am, yeah. My name's Luca.

[He looks around at the lab, curious to see what kind of set up he'd find. That's when he spots the fish.]

Oh, I guess that's one way to farm fish if you're on land.

[eugenesis]

Scorponok.

[A quiet response.]

Yes, but that's not important now. Let's see how easy it is to get a blood sample from here. Come inside. [He gestures at Luca and walks into the dark building.]

[schoolingfish]

Right. Okay.

[The building is dark and ominous, but...well, that's not Scorponok's fault, is it? They're all just making due with what they have here. There's nothing to worry about, Luca tells himself, and he follows Scorponok inside.]

Is there a chair or something you want me to sit in while we do this?

[eugenesis]

[He pulls up a small wooden crate in response, then leaves Luca to collect a syringe and a clear vial.]

Your blood doesn't corrode glass, does it? I don't want it to get contaminated after storing it for a day.

[schoolingfish]

No, it doesn't corrode glass. It mostly seems dangerous to living things. You probably shouldn't touch it, but the glass vial should be fine.

[His blood has properties similar to fish venom, and like a particular species of fish venom can cause blood pressure to drop rapidly. Certainly a problem for a living organism, but at least it's not corrosive the way some vileblood might be.]

[eugenesis]

Good, good. I spent too much money already. [There's the syringe. Good thing he's experimented on enough humans that he knows where the important blood vessels are.] Alcohol pads, almost forgot.

[Give him a moment as he goes through his supply chest.]

[schoolingfish]

I know you don't have that many fish in your land farm yet, but if you're having trouble affording stuff I've found a lot of places around here will take fish as payment.

[And clearly Scorponok has a method of catching them in the first place, since he has some in a tank.]

[eugenesis]

Do they? [Scorponok already is losing them to his blood experiments, and selling them will diminish his pool of test subjects. Then again, he needs the money...] How much?

[schoolingfish]

Well...I traded four fish for a vest and a pair of pants? I don't know how that translates to what you want to buy.

[He's assuming this guy isn't buying pants and a vest, and if he did, he'd probably need a much larger size with far more material.]

I mean, depending on how much you need you might have to catch some more, but at least fish are easy to catch, right?

[He's assuming Scorponok knows how to catch fish, because he managed to get these ones.]

[eugenesis]

Yes, when you have claws and a net. [A tiny set of clothes is worth four fish? He'd need a large-scale fishing operation to support his lab]

I'll think about it. [Don't worry about what these fish are used for, little boy.]

Sit down, I'll get a sample. I even have two sets of bandaids for you to pick from. [Both have little cartoon characters.]

[schoolingfish]

Oh, you don't have a net?

[Luca takes a seat as instructed.]

I guess that might be tricky, then. It's getting a bit cold to catch fish by just jumping into the water and catching them. At least for me. It doesn't really get as cold back home as it's been here lately, but I don't know how cold the water was wherever you're from.

[eugenesis]

[Scorponok grips Luca's arm and prepares it for the blood sample.]

Just a small one, not enough for a large haul. The temperature isn't too much of an issue. Metal body, remember?

[schoolingfish]

Oh, right.

[He chooses to ignore what Scorponok is doing, focusing on the conversation so he won't see the needle go in.]

You might not need a large haul, though. If you do, maybe see what they'll trade for a large net? Or see if there's something else they'll trade for. I'm sure there's something you can get easily that people will want.