WHEN: 2 APRIL 1943
WHERE: Eumenides Sanitorium
WHO: Lance and Roesler
--
[11:37] Lance makes his way into Eumenides, only slightly exhausted from his trek up the overly steep pathway that served as the main entrance up to the hilltop Sanitarium. Opening the door and stepping into the building, his gaze comes to rest on those NPCs making their way about the place, as well as - presumably - Niles himself. Should he catch the man's attention, or should anyone else come to his aid, Lance would simply clear his throat and introduce himself summarily. "My name is Lance Song, I've come here about an appointment with Mr. Roesler?"
[11:39] Niles Roesler (ohsoincoherently) waited in the Eumenides lobby as he'd specified in the letter. He was still dressed as Lance might've seen him at the Cabaret - an ornate vest and nicely colored tie, dress shirt and dark slacks. The round glasses on his nose were meticulously polished and his face now bore none of the bruising he'd sustained during his duel with Dorian. The lobby was busy for a Sunday afternoon. Lower risk patients wandered around escorted by orderlies or on their own, a couple visible visiting with an errant family member or two. This first floor of Eumenides was kept in passable condition, though it was by no means pristine. Once Lance entered the doctor stepped out from around the corner and raised a hand, fingers waving. "Yes, good morning to you, Mr. Song. I hope the trek up the hill wasn't terribly difficult?" he asked, stepping forward and offering a hand covered in a black leather glove.
[11:45] Lance shakes his head in the negative as Niles inquires as to the trip up the mountain. It was a small lie, but a polite one - and it wouldn't do to make a first impression by complaining right off the bat.
"Such a thing is nothing much," Lance states, moving out of the door way and closer to Niles, where he can offer a single gloved hand in way of a customary handshake. "I know I just did this, but allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Lance Song, and I've come here to make inquiry about possible employment... Though I will confess, you seemed to have some idea within your letter that evaded me."
[11:51] Niles Roesler (ohsoincoherently) smiled as Lance took his hand. He gave him a firm handshake, a brief one before letting go and gesturing toward the stairs. "Well your situation is unique. Butlers and manservants come, as they say, a dime a dozen. But to be - partnered as you are i rare, even in our... special little island. Come this way. We can walk and talk." Roesler turned to head up the stairs, pausing only to ensure Lance was following before leading him up to the second floor. "You know - antivenin is derived from the snake's venom, correct? All poisons have some role in forming the antidote. Some toxins have a crucial role in creating medicine in the same way. Yours, I think, could do some real good."
[11:54] Lance nods and follows Niles up the stairs, listening to what the latter has to say as they ascend. It was true, anti-venoms were inextricably derived from the venom that they sought to counteract. That thought in and of itself spurs an idea, a hope even, within Lance's mind.
"So," he asks, "You're saying that it would be possible to create an antidote for my flesh?"
[12:03] Niles Roesler (ohsoincoherently) paused in the little sitting area on the second floor. There were patients here too, sitting on the couch, in the dining area. They were more closely accompanied by nursing and other Sanitorium here, a few of them looking less than mentally present. "I believe so. Your flesh, your blood... depending on the nature of the toxin, perhaps there may be other benefits as well." Roesler led Lance away from the communal area and toward the 'rooms', moving to pull a chart from a little holder by the nearest door. "Do you know the difference between a neurotoxin and a cytotoxin, Mr. Song?"
[12:07] Lance thinks for a moment, canting his head ever so slightly as if listening to something. Indeed he was, for even as Niles poses his question, the pale serpent upon Lance's shoulders was offering to him whispers of advice and knowledge.
"Cytotoxin is... Poison which corrupts the flesh. Neurotoxin corrupts the senses," Lance repeats, a little slowly as if unsure. Once he has though, the presence returns to his gaze, and he fixes Niles with a more serious look as he follows him once more, "Is that correct?"
[12:12] Niles Roesler (ohsoincoherently) titled his head to observe the interaction between the two. "Correct, yes. There are some ailments that require flesh to be destroyed, so healthier tissue can grow in its place. It's called debridement. A cytotoxic substance can help with controlled breakdown in such situations. And drugs- well. The argument could be made that all drugs are neurotoxic, in a way." Roesler chuckled quietly. "Your toxin. Which would you say it is?"
[12:19] Lance thinks about Nile's question for a moment, tilting his head to the side once more as he considers the implications of Roesler's question. "My flesh... I would say is Neurotoxic. In perhaps a limited sort of way. Baihe says that a Neurotoxin, properly cultivated, can shut down a foe's mind. But I get the sense that my flesh is much less lethal than that."
After saying this, Lance looks about somewhat nervously - as if perhaps someone might have heard that.
[12:22] Niles Roesler (ohsoincoherently) gestured around them. "This is a private place, however many people may be milling around," he reassured the man. "The staff are discrete." Placing the chart back in the wall, Roesler kept walking, seeming more comfortable in motion than sitting in any one place in there. "I think Eumenides and our connection to the Academy could provide a suitable setting for cultivating your Song-brand of poison, if you were willing. It may not be the most... pleasant process, but it would certainly be lucrative. And has the added benefit of what comfort you may gain from providing a service the people at large."
[12:27] Lance follows after as Niles walks. Not merely for the reason that drawing too far apart from Niles would place a very obvious burden on their continued conversation, but also because this is in fact an unfamiliar place. Familiarity breeds comfort, as they say.
"What sort of process would this be?" Lance probes, "I am of course tempted by the promise of coin - I do not know anyone who would not be so. But I have no desire to be stuck and bled like a pig. Even if my suffering were to bring about world peace, that would be poor comfort for that level of pain."
[12:29] Niles Roesler (ohsoincoherently) paused and smiled, clasping his hands behind his back. "Blood tests. Skin samples. If you regenerate it would likely not be enough to be an inconvenience... if not, well. Fleshcrafting is capable of significant repair." He put a gloved hand splayed across his own chest. "My own abilities include dulling or nulling the experience of pain. That would certainly not be an issue either."
[12:35] Lance pauses, and then nods once. "I have been lucky enough to never need to test this for myself, but I do believe that I have some manner of regeneration... Additionally, I would very much appreciate the pain being dulled throughout this process..."
Lance pauses here, falling into some deep thought. This time, he does not cant his head but merely holds it still. A true state of thinking, wholly dissociated from the pale serpent sitting upon his shoulders. Though she might have her own advices and warnings, this was ultimately Lance's choice to make - and should he accept, it would be his pain to bear alone.
"I think," Lance says, after a while, "I would be willing to do this. Though I reserve the right to make second judgments should the process become wholly unbearable... I do hope you understand, of course."
[12:38] Niles Roesler (ohsoincoherently) nodded. "Of course. I can draft up a list of terms and conditions - a contract of sorts, outlining your expectations and your freedom to pause or stop entirely as you see fit. Even within the supernatural world, legal proceedings protect both parties. As does documentation." He held out his hand for a handshake. "I'll have it mailed to you as soon as it's finished. Sign it, return it, and we can discuss a date to meet at the lab for the first set of tests and your first round of compensation. And... I think I can arrange for a bit of an incentive to be sent your way simply for signing on." Roesler's smile widened. "Does that sound amenable?"
[12:40] Lance extends his hand once more to meet that handshake, and nods once in the affirmative. "Quite so," Lance replies, "All this sounds perfectly fine to me... And, thank you again for taking the time out of your day to meet with me. This has all be a great relief to my worries."
[12:44] Niles Roesler (ohsoincoherently) shook his hand with the same firmness as before. "Good, good. Glad to hear it. Thank YOU, Mr. Song. I'm sure you have some idea but the good that will come out of this is, I feel, monumental." Letting go, Roesler turned to lead him back towards the stairs. "if you have any questions about Eumenides or about the Academy's facilities, please do let me know. I'm less familiar with Khymeia but that'll change shortly, the more I settle into deeper scientific pursuits. Your letters can reach me here and the staff has a postal address for me as well." He paused at the bottom of the stairs, humming. "And there is always the AetherNet, though you've seen how indiscrete communication there can be."
[12:47] Lance nods once, and of course follows Niles towards the door. "I admittedly know next to nothing about the supernatural state of affairs here," Lance remarks, The fact that there was an academy, I was tangentially aware of though I admit I know not where it sits... Markets, castles... The Aethernet is a delightful little window into a world of which I was wholly unaware of until but recently. Though yes, you are correct in that it is absolutely horrible for keeping a secret."
[12:55] Niles Roesler (ohsoincoherently) was careful not to touch anyone or anything other than himself with the gloved hand that had shaken Lance's own. Positioning himself in a relatively unoccupied portion of the lobby he nodded at the door, which creaked open slowly on its own. "A talk for another time. Our first session will be at the Academy, and from there perhaps we can get you temporary access to the library. Plenty to read, unless you'd rather learn from conversation. The supernatural world and its nuances has much to discover. Good and bad." Carefully slipping a finger into the wrist of the glove, he removed it without touching the outside and inverted it before removing his other, clasping the two together in one hand. "The transit station by the pier offers air transport to the Academy for supernaturals... or humans aware of our world. There's a nominal fee for non-students, however. Visit sometime - unless you feel you can wait until our session."
[12:58] Lance listens very carefully to all the things that Roesler has to say, treating the man as a much learned elder who has many things to share and to teach. Once the man is done however, Lance smiles, and makes his way towards the door. "Much obliged," he says, "I'll try to poke my nose around and see what sights there are to see... Get myself acquainted with the world, as it were... With that then, I believe I shall bid you adieu. Until next time, Sir Roesler."