dev 5 - biomods

There ought to be some way in which he could master the technique that he intended to go through with; he felt that with enough practice, it could actually go through just fine, but.. there's also so much that you can refine before more adventurous things have to be done. Something that's not expected, unseen and, quite frankly, bizarre and new.

Something revolutionary.

For now, he would need to refine his art. For now, he would have to settle for the studies within the confinement of the church, confident that Marisol needed her practice as a medic, or perhaps, something of her own. And so, when they enter, he glances off back to her.

"I have to admit."

"This is probably going to be the last time we practice like this together. I feel that my work with Biomancy is going to take me elsewhere - sitting down in the halls of the church and just doing the same thing is not going to get me anywhere."

"But, ah.. my family is going to help me out with something- this also doesn't mean that I won't help you anymore."

"I'll just be more on the helping side, in that case, rather than studying anything of my own."

Of course, he isn't looking to just get whatever he needs and then dash; should she need his help, she should know better that she'd be able to get it. Nonetheless..

"What's our plan for today?"
(Nerin)

She feels alive. It is much different than the uncertainty or anxiety that she once carried around with her. and the feeling that she possesses within her heart - that might still remain naïve, isn't so lost within the clouds anymore. She knows what she desires, she knows what she wants, and she has steeled herself against matters within the church that may make her question herself. She won't run away from people like al-Aziz anymore. Instead, she chooses that she'll fight them despite the words of Juri. Because bowing down and being humble in the face of someone that not only embarrasses you, but insults you is far beyond the teachings of what this church should be providing. Instead, she wishes to refine not only her practices, but her sense of self..

Because having low self-esteem is like nearly committing suicide. And each time she'd speak about those issues, she swears that she could feel herself dying inside. But to digress... "I understand. Our way of doing things is rather different...But that doesn't mean that we can't make something even better together. We could still combine our magics and come out with something great." She says, nodding once, twice.

"I figured that we were going to try to push things a little further this time. Instead of just doing fingers...Why don't we go for something even bigger. Maybe an entire arm...But if not, then, I think our best bet would just be..." A pause.

"Advancing in what we know separately already. Which isn't really about biology at all, but instead, our magics. I-...Never did get the training session that I asked for all those years ago, you know."
(Marísol)

Thankfully, Nerin had no such issues.

It's not that he had nothing to bring him down, really- but as a man of his family, as someone who always saw himself as 'head figure' of said family, he knew that he cannot afford himself weakness - even if it means swallowing up certain feelings, the want to simply roll up and hide away from all the troubles..

He couldn't afford any of that.
He had siblings to take care of.

By that measure, Nerin was growing to become a fine young man, confident in his ability and knowing what he wants exactly- this helped him with Biomancy, no doubt, so much so that he was getting a lot further than anyone else; so much so that even his superiors had to admit how exceptional he is for his young age.

Perhaps, he doesn't even realize just how far he's already gotten.

"Of course it is."

"But, hm.. I was actually thinking. I don't think I want to focus on 'healing' alone you see.. we can do that, of course, as I have no doubt that we'll find a patient around here with damaged limb, however.." There's a pause, and he turns to her entirely.

Starry-eyed, with a smile, and so, so eager.

"Remember I've spoken about biomods? I want to try and do that today. I was busy with refining my technique - first affecting the flesh, then healing it, and now biomods. These are all that I want to do first."

"And today I wanted to refine the third technique, before I go out there and do more."

He doesn't elaborate what 'doing more' implies; because he knew that some could see criminal intent in that.. and truth is, they wouldn't be wrong - because not all of Nerin's goals and doings were 'pure', even if he smiles to people around him.

"What do you think?"
(Nerin)

"Hm."

 She pauses briefly in thought, her head beginning to tilt slightly to the side as she speaks. "You're rather silly, you know." She says while beginning to tap her fingers upon the edge of a patient's bed...Probably annoying them with the idle, rhythmic music. "If there was something more that you had wanted to do, Nerin, then you should've said that, rather than leaving it open-ended to me...There are a lot of things that I'd like to work on, but if it's not going to be beneficial to you as well, then it's pointless. Regardless of what it is that you're doing, you should understand that I'm learning too." Her smile widens slightly.

"Of course, my goal won't be to recreate limbs or anything like that...I'll simply be learning more about the anatomy and how mana and different things affect it. I won't be stealing your...profession. But moreso, coming up with my own thing in the midst of it." She wanted to clarify, incase he might've had doubts.

 In the end, she'd smile slightly, nodding.

"Then let's continue onward, Nerin." Sometimes, it takes doing something bad...Or seemingly bad, so that greater good can come from it. People might not understand such a concept but to her, she wouldn't judge him. Especially, if he was going to do it for all of the right reasons..

"What's the plan?"
(Marísol)

To that, he merely shook his head; it's an idea that just sparked up in his mind, truthfully, and even if he wanted to go on with it earlier, he couldn't tell her - for a simple reason that this idea.. didn't quite exist yet.

Until now.

Not that he didn't nurse idea of biomods before, mind you; he just reminded himself about it right about now. Yes, Nerin can be eccentric like at times.. but it can't be helped.

"I'm not silly.." Even then, he also walks over to the patient's bed, already eyeing the apparent injuries on the arm. "I just came up with that! Well, not really.. I just remembered about it, and so I decided to bring it up." He speaks with a grin, one that's about as wide as life itself.

"What do you want to work on, then? Because you can still observe my own work, the interaction of mana circuits and the likes; besides, you can work on the other side of the patient's body as well, no?"

Something that is very much plausible, really.

"As for the plan--"

"Here's what I personally intended to do: I'm going to repair the wounds on the man's arm, and then I'm going to try and insert a biomod based on his mana circuits, one that should improve durability of his body on more or less permanent basis."

"You can say it's enhancement magic, except taken to a new level." But Marisol said that she's doing her own thing too, right?

"And what did you plan?"
(Nerin)

"-Sounds more like an excuse to me, Nerin. You're going to have to try better than that, if you're going to convince me otherwise." She didn't mind it. After all, she believed that in all essence, he had great ideas for what he had desired. But unlike him, she wasn't necessarily focused on creating biomods or anything along the lines of such. Instead, she was more curious as to how the original body of one person would react to another person's mana suddenly flooding their system. Of course, some things are more compatible with others...But in terms of creating new limbs or forcing the body to become a little more sturdy...

That was the part that she was mostly interested within. The reinforcement of flesh and the directive that tells the body to 'grow' more. To become harder. To restore what had been lost and do so perfectly...Without the threat of 'cancer'. But to digress..

"I was actually more interesting in making things akin to drugs. But in order to do that, I'm learning more about the intrinsic mana system that each human has...And how mana travels, replenishes, and responds to being 'modified' by others." a pause is given.

"It just so happens that your own idea kind of coincides with mine, slightly. Since you're going to be modifying them, I'll be able to see what happens when you touch them. And from there, I'll be making my own notes."

Of course, this is something that she's working on now. "The drug that I'm going to make...Is going to replace rage potions altogether." A pause is given, followed by a hum. "I hope that it doesn't sound too silly.."
(Marísol)

"Oh?"

"No, it doesn't really sound too silly. If anything, it actually sounds pretty interesting." Drugs, after all, could be fairly empowering in their own right- so much so that they could revolutionize the way certain people fight, or how they operate at all. It's something that he always kept in mind. And while the rest of her words, especially about him 'convincing otherwise' are pretty much ignored..

He already gets on with the business.

For whatever reason he's decided to skip over her words like that, his hands are steadily laid against the arm of the patient. Gentle, of course.. before the mana surge already begins spreading out across the pattern of the flesh- the bone of the body is used as 'basis' for this magic, with its mana circuits affected.

And it's not too long before the flesh is affected too.

Most bizarre process, of course.. for it spreads out like a 'virus' of sort, and that much could be seen even with a naked eye. The process would be something that he's already practiced, and the flesh is steadily mended in the same way that he's done it before, with the structure replicated through mana circuits.

Step, by step, by step..

"Then you could observe. Feel free to do so, actually."

Such invasion is slow but efficient. There's no telling what would happen, now that he's jacked in, but.. certainly, it's going to result in something, soon enough. With the mana circuits under his effect, there's only push and pull to be done.

"You watching?"
(Nerin)

She knows the power of drugs. And she most certainly understands that they can either make or break a fight depending on how they're utilized. And so, what she had desired was to construct something that would not only give soldiers the edge within battle. But would also allow them to work without thinking of anything else save for the battle that is infront of them. This drug would push them onward...It would steel their emotions, allow them to think properly...Coldly...But still, do similar things to that of the rage potions itself. However, the drawback is something that might have to be....Reckoned with.

"You weren't lying when you said that it's akin to a virus. It's actually pretty nerve-wracking.." she remains watching intently, making a mental note as to how his mana travelled through the body safely, even appearing to the naked eye as the structure replicates through the patient's mana circuits..

"Yes-...I'm watching. Don't stop.."

 Just how far would he go?
 And what would happen if he pushed too hard.
 Or pulled too forcefully in the opposite direction?

 Such wonders dare cross the girl's mind for a moment.
(Marísol)

Even now, Nerin already knew how to be gentle in his works.

The intricate touch upon the human body was something that required deeper insight on how it works, but thankfully, he was both a doctor and someone who's practiced enough to actually make sure he would know what he's doing - the alteration of mana circuits made much smoother than it otherwise would be.

After all, in such matters, there's no room for mistake; but he came prepared.

"It is, isn't it?" The light spreads across the man's arm, creating something akin to the spider-web of a pattern.. something like unnatural veins on his body, pumping and pulsing Nerin's mana throughout- with each pulse, the flesh seems to shift just a little bit, fixing whatever leftover wounds remained.

Thankfully, they were not pattern damage, and were relatively 'light' in comparison, which made for perfect exercise.

"I feel as if this could be taken to a much greater degree, but hm.. maybe this technique is already known somewhere." Amidst his work, he makes a pause in thought, rather diverting most of his attention to the operation at hand. "Perhaps, even with witches.."

It's a dark thought, but it's likely a true one. Nonetheless.. the color of the 'webbing' on man's arm steadily shifts towards deeper red, almost representing the life energy and blood itself, except buried beneath the pale skin; it begins to inevitably shake a little while under effect of Nerin's mana, clearly undergoing a physical stress of sort.

One that could almost ruin it. Almost...

"It's going smooth so far, I think.. or did you notice any flaws so far?" It's almost hopeful that she may have noticed something that he didn't - then again, nothing went wrong so far, right?
(Nerin)

Imagine all the things that you could do. There was something about biomods that made her question healing in general. Just how far would Nerin be able to go with his ability to replicate and modify? Just what would he be able to do in the future, when so many others look towards him to replace pieces of their bodies that are irreparably damaged or broken? She can only believe that things such as damaged lungs or missing eyes...Would be there, but with this ability, the possibilities seem nearly limitless..

 She envies him, if only briefly, for his own innovative thinking...After all, it wasn't just his intentions that got him this far, but his ability to push forward when there are no other options. And to make something out of nothing. Nevertheless, she continues watching the threading of webs....As if they were veins rising within the flesh, flexing...Pulsing, shifting ever so slightly beneath skin.

 In the end, shift in place. "...Of course it could, but...I don't believe that witches mostly dabble in this type of magic." When she hears witch, she thinks of something more along the lines of. "Curses...Hexes...Potions." It might not be believable, but this is something that she fears that might be true.

 She feels as if she is much more closer to being a witch than him. And although she definitely does not plan on ever becoming one, she does have to say that the resemblance is uncanny. And that his thoughts are terribly, terribly dark..

"Are..They even real?" She had heard something about the, but never actually seen one for herself. But alas.. "No, no...Everything seems perfect to me. Just pay close attention to the shaking arm. If it's too much, it might burst." Or so, she believes.
(Marísol)

It's almost hilarious to which extent Nerin remains humble.

Of course, he's confident.. of course, he doesn't really say that his abilities are worthless or that they're nothing; quite on the contrary, he takes pride in what he does. Yet, at the same time, he never really saw himself as 'above' others, or that he should not interact with some people just because he's anything better than them - even if he genuinely is.

He learned to understand other people a lot more than others could imagine.. perhaps, the result of humbling experience of living as someone who comes from poorer classes, rather than being a noble.

"Mm.. true. And yes, I feel like witches are most definitely real. Have you not heard of the rumors springing up? It doesn't feel like it's for nothing - plus, all of those witch-hunts in the past." Just because they think they exist, however, doesn't mean they really know that whole much about them.

Though, with her remark, he bops his head in agreement; right about now, the surge of the mana began solidify, finding the eye of the storm in his activity and steadily calming the process, the arm's shaking growing less and less intense, until it would stop altogether. And as for results?

The glow subsides, steadily...

And the arm looks healthier, oddly enough. It feels re-vitalized; the mana circuits have been worked in a way to lay a permanent, albeit not that big, enhancement of vitality- it's not uncommon for magi to boost bodies that way, and this was one of them. Except, the imprinting through mana circuits caused the body itself to be affected - by extension, settling it down.

For good.

At that point, Nerin ponders and reflects on his work, the imprinting technique that he's working with surely doing its wonders. If he kept going, then perhaps, there's truly very little limit.. but for now..

"I think this went well?"
(Nerin)

Things would be different, if he wasn't. she imagines that he wouldn't have had as many friends. She imagines that nobody would have really taken him seriously or saw him for what his true worth was if he believed too much within himself. But then again, sometimes, people often mistake honesty for 'hubris'...And when someone knows their worth, others don't really know how to respond to that. In the end though, even Marisol understands that there is a fine-line between sinful pride and confidence bursting at the seams. And she thinks that he handles himself exceptionally well..

 Considering the amount of attention and praise he often gets. Which is strange, because she's one of those people that compliments him on that...Maybe, she should withhold it a little more. "I know that there was something about them...About 'dream-magic' that would result in demons coming from people's nightmares. And how they fell across the lands like rain.." She hums silently..

"I've never really thought nothing of it until the rumors resurfaced. But...I don't think that there is any witch as powerful as the one that Mihail had gotten rid of." A hum is given as she continues to watch the surge of mana and then the decline..

 And to be quite honest, she believes that he's nearly perfecting his technique. Just one more push or so, and he might be ready to...actually move on to more serious things.

"It went perfect...And I've learned much." A nod. A smile. "Also, thank you for distracting me from the pond- Ah...My head's a dangerous place at times and I don't like thinking for too long." Or rather, 'reflecting'.
(Marísol)

Of all the things out there, pride isn't something that Nerin would hold onto.

Even when he lost in something, he would take the loss gracefully, able to smile in the face of defeat and learn from his mistakes. To an extent, this might be his greatest strength yet.. for if he's able to roll with the punches so much and adapt to pretty much anything that comes his way, then perhaps, it's not such a bad life lesson to follow after all?

Seems to be working for him.

"I don't really know about witches or their history that much, if I'm honest." It comes about as true admission, one followed with a shrug; he never bothered to research about them in any extent, really.

Instead, the final bits of mana that were surging in the circuits are carefully channelled through to ensure that they solidify, leaving their essential imprint on the body as a whole. There's no mistake that the effect is permanent.. for the entirety of the arm even looks different now.

Maybe he's a lot closer than one could think.

"Thank you for being here with me. It gets terribly dull to work on things alone anyhow, but, hm.." A pause, and he adds more. "I think I ought to get some other things done. In fact, I already know what I should do."

Something he doesn't really elaborate on.. because he thinks it'd scare her.
(Nerin)