Private Concepts and Consequences

[Valaine Valentine]

Tags - Vakhari Lutris

Another morning arrived on Terminus and while most people were just waking up and starting their day to day lives, there was a lab that rarely slept.

Valaine, as always, had awakened bright and early to try and beat her teacher to said lab, just so she could have a cup of coffee ready for her when she arrived. It had become something of a daily ritual for her. Once the young Lutris had appeared they had quickly gotten to work on their latest subject of interest; Virology. Valaine was to gain a basic understanding of viruses, what defined them, how they functioned and propagated, the various types of strains and how they were different from one another.

But throughout the lesson Vakhari would have noticed something amiss with the Sangnir, something she had seen before. Valaine appeared agitated at all times, more alert and snappy in her movements, and there was even a light shake of her hands whenever they weren't braced against something. The girl had once again starved herself and the reason for this fasting was a very silly one; she just hated cold blood that much. It was something of a repeating issue with Valaine at this point who would rather suffer the pain of her hunger rather than sate it on something unappetizing.

She peered through a microscope, studying the sample of virus cells beneath a thin flat piece of glass, and even though she was trying to focus Vakhari would be able to note plainly her distress even though the Sangnir typically tried to hide it from her. Now and then no doubt the doctor would also catch her glancing towards her when she thought she wasn't looking, as if she was sizing her up as a meal. In truth Valaine had very little control over her instincts if the hunger was bad enough, and it was unclear if it was already at that point.

There was definitely a tension in the air between them, like a compacted spring ready to uncoil at any moment. The Sangnir just needed a moment of weakness or inattentiveness to strike...

 

[Vakhari Lutris]

Tag: Valaine Valentine

The ever-present degrading attention span of her student had been carefully monitored, the twisted truth of it all was that Vakhari had consciously made little to no efforts to provide her picky eater with something that satisfied her pallet. It was much easier to go along with teaching while her ruby eyes studied and watched the decline of Valaine over just asking the sangnir if she wanted to starve for the sake of study.

Today however it seemed to be at a breaking point, the doctor's kinship with flesh and blood letting her keep a closer eye on things her eyes did not see. Elevated heartrate, nerves kicking into a jumbled mess she had typically seen in wild animals.

Was this what happened to Valaine's species when starved? An interesting development, silently one of the security cameras in the corner would be moved by the will of the young Lutris. Keeping a secure view as Vakhari was literally keeping an eye on her own back, for now however the lesson would continue as planned.

The girl gesturing for Valaine to move aside.

"What you saw there was a rather basic virus, nothing lethal really. Unless you consider mild sniffles and a headache to be lethal."

Going back to manning the microscope, she takes a drink of her coffee before peering down at the sample she had laid out for Valaine to study.

"So, have you came up with what a virus is?"

Her presence lurked around Valaine like a shark in the water, circling, surgical patience waiting for Valaine's more animal instincts to take over.

As far as an animal could see, their prey wasn't even looking at them. ​

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Tags - Vakhari Lutris

Valaine was entirely unaware of the cameras that watched her every move, or that the doctor had more of an idea of what was going on with her than she believed. When she was gestured to move aside her tired eyes snapped towards the doctor before she managed a nod, "H-Huh...? Oh." she voiced as she stepped aside, her distraction plain to see as Vakhari peered into the microscope.

When the eyes of her teacher turned away is when that security camera could truly see the conflict in the young Sangnir. Her hands flexed and clenched, her movement were more erratic and restless as she couldn't help but glance around as if eyeing for potential witnesses. Everything a hunter needed to do to ensure a clean strike.

Vakhari's voice seemed to be one of the few things that snapped her out of these instinctual behaviors as she turned back to her, something of a light in the dark of her base behavior. "It's... Like my blood, right...? It... overwrites cells, propagates, spreads... Its focus and goal isn't really to apply symptoms to people, it just... Wants to multiply?" she responded. A virus was unthinking, it didn't decide who to infect, it just did. A force of nature in the truest sense.

After the question Valaine seemed to descend back into her hungering state however, and with the doctor paying no attention to her the hunger all but screamed within the Sangnir's thoughts. The camera would've noted hesitance, an unwillingness to go through with it because of what Vakhari meant to her, but poor Valaine was helpless against the will and drive of her vampiric instincts.

Her body tensed, her breath hitched in a pause, and then she suddenly lunged forward. The strike wasn't so much a mindless beast trying to attack prey, but something more sinister and intelligent. She had moved behind Vakhari quickly as both her thin arms tried to wrap around her form, to pin her arms down against her body. The way the Sangnir went about this came with an eerie amount of silence and finesse, letting the drive and hunger entirely take the reigns. That was unless Vakhari's careful watch intercepted her attempts before it could even land.

 

[Vakhari Lutris]

Tag: Valaine Valentine

The webbings of force that were once only patiently surrounding her student would kick into action, Valaine doing all the work for them as she unknowingly pounced right into it. Being stuck in a stasis mere inches away from the doctor.

Vakhari still jumping a little even though she had safety measures planned out the whole time, taking a step back she places a gloved hand on her chin as her eyes studied her hungering student.

Test complete, subject exhibiting animalistic tendencies as hunger takes over.

"A virus cannot replicate on its own, it needs to seek out a suitable host before attaching itself to it. Injecting its infectious structure into the target as the taken cell becomes a producer for more strands."

Others may have ended it right there, opting to eliminate the problem. Vakhari however had taken a nonlethal approach, speaking more on her feelings then she realized.

That feeling, pity... All her knowledge told her that right there before her was just an ignorant and starving beast, an animal that needed to be put out of her own misery. Yet, her emotions told her it was Valaine...

Gritting her teeth she makes her choice, keeping Valaine in stasis for now as she scanned the Sangnir.

"Your body is functioning abnormally, muscles pulsing, patterns in your brain enhancing primal signals... Your body seems ready to kill, how fascinating."

Then that sense of pity, of humanity, it came right back as the doctor stared Valaine right in the eyes. Her student didn't want this, even if it was her own stubborn pickiness that lead to this whole issue.

Letting out a sigh she leaves the room for only a moment, returning shortly after with a pair of bloodied gloves and a messy vial.

Gently prying open her student's mouth while making sure they were still kept unable to bite down, Vakhari slowly trickles the blood in the vial onto the tongue of the Sangnir.​

Don't get soft on me now.

The pour was delicate, not a rush to shove food down Valaine's throat... Maybe she was growing a little soft?
​

I've grown fond of having them around

Her hand kept its delicate rhythm, her own breathing settling as for once in her life she gave someone a show of empathy. Even after the vial was drained to every last drop she would feed the splattering on her gloves to her student in the same gentle manner.

Her test was over, it was done... She felt a coiling guilt in her stomach for only a brief moment before her brain told her it was for Valaine's own good, the girl knew what she was getting into the moment she insisted on hanging around Vakhari.

It was then that she got an idea... Only a rough one, but today was no longer on the basics of viruses.

After some time to make sure the blood processed, Vakhari takes a risk. Letting the stasis around Valaine melt away on another act of empathy.

Starting to feel disgusted with herself she takes off her gloves before tossing them across the room, placing a hand against her temple, rubbing at it as she thought things over.

"T-thus concludes our lesson in viruses for now..."

The girl sighs before taking a seat, still rubbing at her temple.

"This is to be solved today, starting now."

Her tone wasn't lecturing or gleaming with anger, it was more of a promise more than anything.

"I have an idea, but until that idea is fleshed out and the machine made- I am ordering in slaves of a higher pedigree, kept washed, well feed, no drugs in their systems. You will feed off of those until I get my concept off the ground, I won't deal with this again."

Now her tone held some level of anger, but wasn't it justified? Deep within, she didn't want this to happen again not just for her own sake, she just didn't know how to even process or admit such a thing.





​

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Tags - Vakhari Lutris

The stasis came suddenly as Valaine found her body unwilling to respond. For a moment the beast within struggled against its restraints, but when Vakhari's eyes and words settled back upon the Sangnir the sensibilities of the pale girl seemed to return for a moment. Her tired eyes still appeared wild in the stare they gave the doctor but there was also an overwhelming sense of guilt from them, a sense of apology that was only confirmed when she spoke in a shaken and quiet tone, "I-... I'm sorry-... 'Khari-..." she managed, whether she simply spoke Vakhari's name wrong or not was unclear.

Her tired eyes locked onto Vakhari's when she stared at her and the regret and sincerity of the Sangnir was laid bare; she would never willingly hurt her. When the young Lutris turned away that instinct tried to kick in immediately again, restrained by the stasis as her body tensed and shuddered, a complete lack of control when she saw a back turned to her.

For a moment Valaine's thoughts gained some sense of clarity when Vakhari had departed the room. She had messed up. One too many times now had she displayed her lack of control over her nature and the cold and calculating doctor would surely refuse to humor it any longer. Would she kill her? Dissect her into little pieces? Open her up while she was alive and helpless? Her heart sank at the thought. But at the very least if this is how it was going to end then she hoped Vakhari would learn something useful, and maybe that'd be enough to hold her in her memories for a while longer.

When the doctor returned it was the scent of blood that hit Valaine first, triggering another wild look in her grey eyes as they glared towards Vakhari and the source of the scent. Bloodied gloves, a vial of crimson, she had no idea where she got them from but it seemed fresh and recent. Her doubts and fears were dispelled when her mouth was pried open and she was gently fed the red substance. Her body craved this sustenance, demanded it, and while typically her instincts would have continued to thrash against their bonds, in this case it was different. Valaine was calm, comforted even, by the careful way in which Vakhari fed her.

Peace came over the young Sangnir as the last drops of blood landed upon her tongue and the sense of hostility faded. When the stasis was lifted she was unprepared as her form dropped to the floor. She abruptly fell to her knees with a light gasp and steady breathing as she was given a moment to collect herself. Her dark hair fell over her face as she turned to look up towards Vakhari so that she could again vocalize her guilt. "V- Vakhari, I'm sorry, I- I didn't want to... I..." she stammered, barely able to apologize as quick as she wanted to.

She remained on the floor as she watched the doctor take a seat and she knew she had caused her distress, but that look she gave her... She couldn't help but feel there was something more about why she chose to just feed her instead of dealing with the problem in the swiftest most efficient manner. It was such a... human response from her.

Upon hearing that so much was to be done for her the Sangnir lowered her head in some manner of shame. Her nature had caused undue complications for Vakhari and that seemed to bother her, but in truth she was also grateful for her show of empathy. "Th- Thank you..." she lowered her head further in a soft nod. "I-... I'll try harder. I'll work harder. I'll sleep less to get more done, I promise." she began, trying to even the scales if only a little in response to the thought being given to her.

 

[Vakhari Lutris]

Tag: Valaine Valentine

"I know you didn't want to, but you did force it upon yourself Valaine..."

She looks around the room, compiling ideas as she took mental notes of shapes, tools, colors- anything. After a moment she focuses on the emergency Bacta tanks, the container starting to give the young Lutris ideas.
​

"I-... I'll try harder. I'll work harder. I'll sleep less to get more done, I promise."

"Wha-"

Vakhari takes her focus away from the containers and back over to Valaine.

"No no, not that I have any issues with you trying harder. Just get your normal sleep, I think we can only deal with one zombie around the lab anyway."

She jests about herself, the joke could be seen as her lack of sleep, or her ability to come back from the dead.

"Go ahead and stand up, take a seat somewhere."

The girl gets back up, walking over to the table they were using to grab her still warm enough coffee.

"I think I have an idea that can solve the issue, make it so I don't have to deal with more organics in my lab."

Her lab was her space, a step away from the rot she perceived outside. Making the order to ship in and house a bunch of germ riddled juice packs for Valaine already proved taxing, and they weren't even here yet.

However, there was something to be made of this... It wasn't all just that feeling of pity that had been a persistent pain in her ass.

"When we were going over some biology basics, what all do you remember about blood? What happens when a body loses some?"

Vakhari takes a sip of her coffee, a slight smile returning as the idea was coming into form more clearly within her mind. A new tool that would service not just Valaine, even Vakhari herself could get constant use from it. ​

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Tags - Vakhari Lutris

Steadily Valaine got back up to her feet as the pace of her heart lessened into a calmer one. She moved herself over to a chair, dropping into it with a heavy sigh as she looked towards the doctor. "I... Just feel so bad about it, you know? What if I hurt you? I'd feel terrible." she pouted lightly as her tired eyes followed Vakhari as she moved to the table.

She tilted her head curiously at the thought that the doctor potentially had a solution, but as much as Valaine respected and valued her work, she had her doubts.

"When we were going over some biology basics, what all do you remember about blood? What happens when a body loses some?"

"Uhm... It... Just makes more, right...?" answered Valaine with uncertainty. She seemed to have calmed down considerably now as she leaned forward in her chair, elbows resting against her knees as she held her head in her hands while she watched Vakhari. Then suddenly one of her claws extended out, raking straight up the side of her face as it cut into her pale skin. She let out a yelp of pain as she recoiled and quickly sat herself up as the blade retracted back into her hand. The cut wasn't terribly deep, but there was now a red line going up the side of the poor Sangnir's face that bled down her neck. "Ah-! F-!" she cut off her curses as she held her hand against the crimson cut.

Valaine still wasn't used to her new claws and sometimes she'd make a natural reflex or tensing of the muscles that just popped one out suddenly and without warning. On the worst occasions she had almost stabbed herself in the head... What a problematic girl.

 

[Vakhari Lutris]

Tag: Valaine Valentine

A sip of her coffee calms her nerves, the doctor going from normal to a more hyper state as her brain was going off with ideas.
​

"Uhm... It... Just makes more, right...?"

Vakhari nods along, setting her drink down as she heard the yelp of pain from behind her. An issue that had happened a few times, and each time she was ready to patch up her clumsy assistant. Taking out a Bacta laced band-aid out of their medical pack on standby for such little accidents, Vakhari takes a seat in her own chair, rolling over to Valaine with an enthusiastic spin.

"Precisely! A simple answer but yes, it just makes more! Well... Assuming the body is still alive and supplied with energy."

Keeping her chipper mood, she places the band-aid right where Valaine cut herself, giving the Sangnir a playful pat on the cheek.

"A blood farm."

She tilts her head in a satisfied manner, the answer this whole time was something so basic.

"Subject is placed within a vat similar to a Bacta tank, kept asleep and feed through tubes. Different vats can hold different people obviously, with each vat producing blood from the inserted species. A tool that will mend shortages of blood for medical kits, provide me with blood for my own reasons.... And lastly, stop the hunger issue with you. All you would have to do is go to the machine and collect it, no fighting no fuss."

Then she would have just about any blood type desired, on demand.

The doctor, heavily invested in this idea had scooted herself closely into Valaine's personal space, her ruby eyes holding a look Valaine should know well by this point, a spark of creation.

​

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Tags - Vakhari Lutris

Valaine winced from the pain as Vakhari moved over to start patching her up. Even though the Sangnir healed relatively quickly she always appreciated the attention and care. "I swear I'm going to really hurt myself with these things..." she muttered lightly as she was given a pat on the cheek. She offered a soft smile of appreciation in response.

"Mm... A... Blood farm...?" she pondered on the idea. For one it sounded incredibly inhumane, but these people that Vakhari had brought over were just going to be dissected and killed anyway, so in a way this was no different to the status quo. It just served to benefit both of them. "Will they feel anything?" she asked in return, "Ah- And the blood won't be cold either, right?" That was honestly the worst part for Valaine, despising cold blood as much as she did.

When Vakhari had scooted closer towards the pale girl she regarded the doctor with a level of uncertainty at first, but upon the heavier focus her cheeks tinted with that light pink hue again. "S- Something on my face..?" she asked despite the band-aid the doctor had literally just put on her. She couldn't help but blush when she looked at her like this as it spread a warm fuzzy sensation throughout her body. To be the subject of such attention really embarrassed her... And Vakhari was so close she really could just lean forward a couple inches and-...

The thought was blinked away with a flustered look on Valaine's face as she gulped lightly. "I-... I think it's a good idea, yeah." she offered a soft nod of agreement.

 

[Vakhari Lutris]

Tag: Valaine Valentine

Over the time they had spent thus far, day by day she had grown more used to the strange behaviours of her student. The stuttering, redness of the cheeks... The doctor had just accepted it.

And so, as she leaned in, it was no surprise that Valaine had a rosy glow. Vakhari found it more funny than anything by now, of course she remembered what Valaine had told her. Apparently she thought the doctor to be attractive, her mind was able to connect those obvious dots, but as to why they held an attraction to her? Fully lost, the young Lutris was never really one to understand such things.​

"S- Something on my face..?"

"Huh? No no- There is work to be done!"

The doctor kicks herself away, ending up right next to the vats. Crossing her arms she looks them up and down, nodding her head.

"Hmmm, It would need-"

She then remembers a question she was asked.
​

"Will they feel anything?"

"As for your earlier question, the concept I have in mind should have them sleeping away. The machine only taking a portion per day so the body has time to make more product, with it being collected and stored in temperatures standard for the species."

Which also answered the other question on if it would be cold or not.

"By the way, didn't you make something yourself recently?"

Her attention turns from the vats back over to Valaine.
​

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Tags - Vakhari Lutris

There was only ever one thing going through Valaine's head when Vakhari was this close to her; 'she's so cute'. Of course this meant that when the doctor moved away from her she pouted lightly in response as she watched her move over towards the vats, which drew her attention as well.

"As for your earlier question, the concept I have in mind should have them sleeping away. The machine only taking a portion per day so the body has time to make more product, with it being collected and stored in temperatures standard for the species."

The young Sangnir seemed to agree with this idea. Sure she may be crushing heavily on a mad scientist who regularly butchered people and kept slaves, but she herself was still rather soft-hearted all things considered. The clash of such personalities didn't seem to phase her affection for Vakhari though. "Oh, that's good. It'd be... Pretty stationary though right? Something I could only really take advantage of here..." she paused and then smirked smugly towards the doctor. "Means I'll just have to spend more time here I guess..." she spoke coyly, it very much suited her excuses.

She brought a hand up to the band-aid on her cheek, the cut was healing fast but this reminded her to stop putting her hands so close to her face when she had claws she couldn't really control very well yet.

"By the way, didn't you make something yourself recently?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah." she reached into a pocket and produced a small disk-shaped object, it looked like a dial with an indent and a pin centered in the middle of it. She stood up and moved over to where Vakhari had left her now just warm cup of coffee and gestured for the short doctor, "Come here 'Khari, look. I think you'll like it." she spoke as she began her demonstration.

She lifted the coffee cup up, "So, this only works with disposable cups because of the pin but it's pretty simple... You just... Put it here-" she instructed as she placed the cup upon the disk, the pin piercing the bottom of it as the adhesive within the indent quickly bonded with the cup itself. "And then... This dial at the base here?" a slender finger gestured, "It's the temperature you want your coffee to be. You just turn the cup, which will spin the dial, to the desired one, and it'll keep it at that temperature for as long as you want." she paused. "...Or until it runs out of power."

If Vakhari had come close enough to inspect her invention then the opportunistic young Sangnir would've not-so-subtly and casually placed a hand around her waist while she taught her about the Auto-Regulating Temperature Disk.