Carxanius stepped inside, taking in the sights of the room and exploring. He tested out the speakers and was pleasantly surprised to find that while the music was simple orchestral works, it added a nice atmosphere to the room. He wondered if maybe he could get some more music for the room in the future. The private bathroom was nice and he took a few minutes to clean up his hair and face before investigating the bookshelf.
He found a few books that seemed interesting and brought them to the bed where he laid down and started reading. The vast array of books would definitely keep him occupied for a while, just hopefully he could get new ones. Despite the place being unfamiliar, he was settling in nicely and it almost felt like his own personal little home away from home.
He found a few books that seemed interesting and brought them to the bed where he laid down and started reading. The vast array of books would definitely keep him occupied for a while, just hopefully he could get new ones. Despite the place being unfamiliar, he was settling in nicely and it almost felt like his own personal little home away from home.
I paused outside the door but took a deep breath and held my clipboard harder against my side. My hand reached up and tapped on the door a few times with my knuckles. The noise rang out for a moment in the silence.
Carxanius had been engrossed in his book, one that was an anthology of various stories regarding mystical creatures. He had wondered on how many of these creatures could be real. The knock at his door had given him a start but he quickly collected himself and put a bookmark at the page he stopped reading. "Come in." He said, setting the book aside and sitting up on the bed instead of laying down.
I carefully open the door, step in and close it in a fluid motion. I lifted my clipboard halfheartedly. "Hello. My name is Maddie Angevin. You can call me Dr. Angevin or Maddie." I smiled, my eyes crinkling and glanced down at my clipboard. "I have a few questions for you if that's alright." I glanced up at him. He seemed pretty normal. I only had a few notes on him.
"So, I've heard that an Eidolon Parasite has taken residence in your body? Is that correct?" I stopped, that being the extent of what I knew and fumbled for more questions. Once I started, they spilled out. "Does that much affect you? Can you hear the parasite? Can you understand it, or are you more or less unaware that it's there? Does it ever attempt to communicate with you?" I stop politely and click my pen.
"So, I've heard that an Eidolon Parasite has taken residence in your body? Is that correct?" I stopped, that being the extent of what I knew and fumbled for more questions. Once I started, they spilled out. "Does that much affect you? Can you hear the parasite? Can you understand it, or are you more or less unaware that it's there? Does it ever attempt to communicate with you?" I stop politely and click my pen.
Carxanius stared for a moment, she seemed nice enough although a bit uninformed it seemed like. "Uh, yes it has, if it is what you call it anyway." He said, leaning back against the headboard of the bed. The next wave of questions were curious enough. 'Hearing' the parasite? Understanding it? It didn't seem like that was the case. "I'm always aware that it's there, like an itch you can't reach. Aside from random chest pains and the abilities, it doesn't really affect me too much."
It felt awkward talking about the parasite as if it had a mind or consciousness. He had always thought it simply acted on instinct, performing actions needed in order to survive and possibly reproduce. But he didn't know if it were possible for it to reproduce. The thought made him shudder slightly.
It felt awkward talking about the parasite as if it had a mind or consciousness. He had always thought it simply acted on instinct, performing actions needed in order to survive and possibly reproduce. But he didn't know if it were possible for it to reproduce. The thought made him shudder slightly.
I nodded thoughfully. He seemed...discomforted talking about the parasite. Or was it simply talking about it in a way he'd never though about it? I made a note on my clipboard. "Random chest pains?" I asked, slightly concerned. I should get a few scans on him as soon as possible. I had heard about the abilities but I hadn't heard about the chest pains. This could mean some kind of eating away at the heart or expanding further into the chest. "Can you elaborate on that?"
"Could you give me an example of one of your abilities right now?" I asked. I wanted to know what he could do on command. I wanted to learn more about his abilities as well.
"Could you give me an example of one of your abilities right now?" I asked. I wanted to know what he could do on command. I wanted to learn more about his abilities as well.
Carxanius stared at her for a moment and began fiddling with the pages on the book next to him. "The chest pains aren't too bad. Feels more like cramps than anything else. And I can't really demonstrate any abilities at the moment unless you're a magical creature." He said, pushing a cluster of hair back under his hat and out of his eyes. He seemed a bit standoffish now, less willing to elaborate on his answers.
I frowned. He was retracting into a skull. Had I said something? I write something down on my clipboard and ask "And what do your powers typically do? To magical creatures I mean." I didn't have a whole lot of information but I was wondering how much he would want to continue to answer.
Carxanius stared at Maddie, his eyes squinted a bit with a dubious expression on his face. "I'm guessing doctor Amerson didn't give you her report then? I explained it to her." His polite disposition from before was fading quickly, he didn't want to talk about this much more but he felt like she'd persist in spite of that. "I'm able to drain magical energy from any creature that has some in them in some form. If they rely on it to survive then they will die if I drain too much."
My face flushed. I was embarrassed. I hadn't thought to go through the report beforehand, that was such a simple blunder on my end. He didn't seem to like talking about how his magic worked. I absently listened and wrote down notes. "Right." I finished. "Well, I'm so sorry for taking up so much of your time, you didn't seem to enjoy it very much. I'll limit my visits to absolutely necessary."
Carxanius looked away from Maddie and down a bit, almost as if he was ashamed or hurt maybe. It's not a problem, you caught me at a bad day is all." He spoke slowly, trying to figure out how best to word things. While that was true, he was partially being deliberately colder towards her. It had been a bad habit of his for a few years now that would be brought out by situations that stressed him out. He could handle being polite to a degree but would quickly lose patience with people.
I cleared my throat. "My apologies." His reaction was interesting I wondered if his cold personality was an effect of the parasite or simply his personality. I decided now was not the time to ask. "Have a good day." I said cheerily, with a smile on my face. "It was nice to meet you."
As Maddie stepped out of the room, Doctor Solari opened the door. “Oh, I wasn’t interrupting an appointment, was I?” He asked as he looked between the scientist and Carxanius. “I just wanted to talk with Carxanius for a moment.”
The room the kid was in seemed pleasant enough, but he knew not all people enjoyed having an open door policy on their living quarters. He’d make things quick.
Doctor Solari looked up at the boy and smiled, hopefully disarmingly. “You might even find the conversation interesting.”
The room the kid was in seemed pleasant enough, but he knew not all people enjoyed having an open door policy on their living quarters. He’d make things quick.
Doctor Solari looked up at the boy and smiled, hopefully disarmingly. “You might even find the conversation interesting.”
Carxanius rolled his eyes once this new doctor had stepped into the room. He was already starting to dislike the staff here, but he didn't really want to make his stay more stressful than it needed to be. "Let's make it quick then. I'd prefer to just get it over with." he said a bit coldly. His tolerance was quickly wearing down it seemed from the way he was speaking. He leaned back against the headboard once again.
I nod at the new doctor looking at him with interest. I hadn't seen him before. "No, we were just finishing. He's all yours."I say lightly, turning and walking away, back to my office.
“Sure,” Doctor Solari said casually as Maddie closed the door. He sat down across from the kid in one of the chairs without asking, then held up a thick file in one hand as he slouched down into the soft cushion. “I read your file.”
He watched the kid for a moment, studying him. His gaze drifted to the kid’s strange heart. “You know what’s strange about your situation in particular, kid?” Doctor Solari tilted his head and lowered the file onto his lap. “Well, there’s a lot of things, but you should’ve spontaneously combusted or electrocuted yourself ages ago. You haven’t, so clearly magic doesn’t play well with physics, which could mean a whole bunch of...” he realized he was rambling.
“I’ll get to the point. Want to be in an experiment?”
He watched the kid for a moment, studying him. His gaze drifted to the kid’s strange heart. “You know what’s strange about your situation in particular, kid?” Doctor Solari tilted his head and lowered the file onto his lap. “Well, there’s a lot of things, but you should’ve spontaneously combusted or electrocuted yourself ages ago. You haven’t, so clearly magic doesn’t play well with physics, which could mean a whole bunch of...” he realized he was rambling.
“I’ll get to the point. Want to be in an experiment?”
Carxanius stared at Drake. He didn't like the way he spoke to him, like he was being talked down to. He rolled his eyes and ignored it for now but made a mental note to comment on it later if he kept calling him kid. "What's the experiment exactly?" He asked. He had known that he should have already been injured or killed by his own magic in his body but he couldn't get a good handle on why he hadn't yet. He assumed it was the parasite keeping his body from randomly discharging magic chaotically but he couldn't be entirely sure.
“It’s nothing complicated for now,” Doctor Solari said with a smile, happy that he accepted the possibility. He’d heard some subjects here were a bit more... difficult.
“I was wondering if I could watch you use your magic with some of my instruments. I want to establish a sort of... baseline for what you’re capable of, before we do some more intensive testing. All with your consent, of course,” he said the last part off-handedly as he studied the kid in front of him.
“I was wondering if I could watch you use your magic with some of my instruments. I want to establish a sort of... baseline for what you’re capable of, before we do some more intensive testing. All with your consent, of course,” he said the last part off-handedly as he studied the kid in front of him.
Carxanius gave him a blank stare. Surely he'd read the file already? He should have known that all he can do is absorb magic. He can't even radiate it out or anything like that, the parasite just eats it all to stay alive and in turn keep him alive as well. "Uh, you do know I can't do much more than just absorb magic right?" He asked almost rhetorically. There was another bout of chest pain at this point. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked off to the side. "I can participate but I can't say as to how much I'll be able to do."
He smiled. "Your ability to absorb magic is exactly why I sought you out first. All I ask is you do what you're capable of, because it's more than enough."
He needed the kid's ability to interact- if only briefly- with raw magic. If he could possess even a slight understanding of magic in its raw form, he believed he'd be able to study its more honed components in other subjects far easier. He needed that baseline to be perfect.
He stood up. "I have to get approval from the doctors, but I think I can start tomorrow. Does that work for you?"
He needed the kid's ability to interact- if only briefly- with raw magic. If he could possess even a slight understanding of magic in its raw form, he believed he'd be able to study its more honed components in other subjects far easier. He needed that baseline to be perfect.
He stood up. "I have to get approval from the doctors, but I think I can start tomorrow. Does that work for you?"
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