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 Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2022 7:21 pm
Quote: Heatwaves (11) : An unfortunate dry spell has come over Destiny City, and a heat wave has made it all but unbearable. The heatwave is only projected to last for a week but it’s been rough. Plants are wilting, people are wilting. The city is experiencing blackouts, which isn’t helping. Thankfully, the reservoir is always open. Just, crowded. It might just be the worst part of the summer. People are passing out regularly, and the hospitals are getting too many admissions to keep up with. It’s probably just the heat and not anyone up to anything nefarious, right? Better stay hydrated and try to keep cool, and maybe avoid everyone in weird costumes, just in case.
If Andreiya hadn’t had the greenhouse, all of his plants would be dead. All of his experiments, gone. The generator had already broken twice today, and though he’d been able to repair it, he was still frantic about what dangers tomorrow could bring.
The need to ensure the survival of his projects was his priority, so it had kept him out far later than he wanted–and even if the sun went down an hour ago, it was still hot by the time he got out.
He’d run, all the way home, because he couldn’t risk his plant getting damaged by the poor, ridiculous, awful, evil Earth temperature.
This plant was special, he knew it.
He just needed to confirm it.
And, he knew exactly where to go.
Thankfully both of the experts he wanted to speak with shared a room, so when he got into the house he shared with a crowd of other Vanguardians, he stood under the air vent to make sure his plant was comfortable–and he spent a moment there for himself, too, because he didn’t want to show up looking messy.
…But he also didn’t want to waste time freshening up because he was excited and wanted to talk about things now.
So, he quickly rushed to Vyn and Aliez’s room and rapped on their door eagerly. He balanced his plant carefully in one arm as he did so; it was a pretty little thing that looked mostly like a healthy lily; it had two white buds that hadn’t opened, and strange, sticky, soft leaves. He was mindful not to smush it against him as he cradled the pot carefully.
“Aliez? Vyn? Are you in there? I need to talk to you. Please.”
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Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2022 4:56 pm
Everything was so hot. Unbearable. How did the people of Earth live like this? Aliez had already made a dozen packets of cooling gel to help his fellow Vanguardians deal with the heat.
When he opened the door for Andreiya, he already had one pressed against the back of his neck. He was moving sluggishly, cheeks red from the heat, despite the air conditioning in the house and the late hour. So he was surprised to see Andreiya so animated.
Well, he did have a special love for plants, so seeing the pot balanced in his arms made it a little less surprising.
“Andreiya. Come in,” he offered, because if he needed to talk to both of them, he might as well make himself comfortable and set the plant down. “What is that?”
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Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2022 8:44 am
Heat was terrible. Not as terrible as watching their friends and Commanders die. Not as terrible as knowing their world was on the brink of collapse and their Commodore would die with it. But still, terrible. Worse than snow and ice, in Vyn’s opinion. Worse than rumbling thunder and crackling lightning, too.
Vyn spent what time he could indoors. The air systems on Earth might be subpar, but they were functional. For the most part. There was the risk of a blackout, but… Vyn tried to remain hopeful.
He glanced up when Aliez opened the door. Vyn lay sprawled over the lower bunk, long limbs stretched out like he could absorb more cool air that way. He had one of Aliez’s recently made cooling gel backs against his forehead, but still looked a bit worse for wear.
The heat made his hair frizz. Vyn thought it attractive. Fortunately, it was only Andreiya at the door.
Well, Andreiya and a plant.
Vyn sat up slowly, still holding the gel pack to his head, eyes curiously fastened on the two white buds.
“One of yours?” he asked.
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Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2022 10:02 am
“Mine, yes,” Andreiya said, undeniably proud. He tried to put up a good, professional front despite feeling like his skin was going to melt out. He’d have regretted going outside if it had been for anything other than the plant he held as if it were some sort of holy relic.
He presented it with both hands, although maybe he was also just trying to angle it so it could reap the benefits of the air flow from the vent above them.
“My work has kept me very busy,” he began, “And I have done a very good job growing Earth plants. I used old research to try and create a similar soil quality as to what we might expect on Velenia and estimated what we might be able to expect for air and temperature quality. It is a rough estimate, but the Commodore sent me some files that were very helpful.”
Though, it had been nerve wracking to ask; he’d tried to find as much as he could from their own internal databases.
“I cannot imagine that Earth plants alone would survive up there so I started experimenting,” he continued. “Except, I have had an unexpected outcome. My goal was a self-regulating, self-healing plant. One that could adapt to different environments. I wanted to use that technology and then apply it to medicinal plants, or sustainable crops. But this flower was resilient and made a good starting point.”
He was talking fast, coherently at least, but obviously enthusiastic and eager to get to the point.
“I observed a bug earlier, he came in and took a bite out of the leaf. I removed him, but when I came back ,the leaf showed no damage. But I saw the bite. So I made a small incision–and it put itself back together! So I made another incision. And it put itself back together again! So I have been experimenting with that. Only, today, I was distracted by the heat, and when I made my incision, I accidentally cut my finger. But! Look,” he said, and now balanced the pot in one hand so he could show his unmarred finger. “I have no cut at all! It healed by itself. So I had to come to you two. I have not been able to identify this trait in any other plant, and I do not know if I have been healed or poisoned. I feel fine. But I was surprised. I needed your expertise,” he said, looking between the two of them.
He was hot–flustered, maybe. More than just the heat. But this was important. He hoped.
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Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2022 6:26 pm
Aliez tilted his head curiously at the plant, but his eyes were soon lifted to Andreiya’s face when he spoke. He looked overheated and uncomfortable, no matter how proud he was about his research.
So while Andreiya was explaining everything, Aliez picked up a thick folder he was using to sort some documents, and used it to gently fan Andreiya’s face and neck.
“Self-healing?” Aliez repeated, obviously curious about what Andreiya had discovered. He looked at the plant again, and then at Andreiya’s finger. And then at the plant.
Of all of his research, Aliez hadn’t heard of a plant that could heal itself and Velencians, but…
When Aliez lifted his Source Stone to get a medical reading, he focused it on Andreiya rather than the plant. “How much water have you had to drink? Maybe you should sit down and rest. Ah, but… we should also experiment with your hypothesis. It would do well to have more than just you seeing the results.”
Was he concerned that Andreiya might have just been suffering from the heat and imagined things? Maybe… but he didn’t want to discredit him either! He was just concerned for his health!
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Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2022 6:52 pm
Like Aliez, Vyn tilted his head, gaze still fastened on the plant.
He tried to keep his expression blandly curious, but at the request of expertise, he couldn’t help but squirm. Vyn liked plants. He liked flowers. They were pretty, and occasionally useful. He enjoyed planting them, and decorating with them. He liked to make flower crowns for his friends, and wreaths for their doors, and all manner of crafts. Nature was Earth’s best feature, in his opinion. It was one of the few things he actually liked about this place.
But he never felt knowledgeable enough about any of it to claim any sort of expertise. He would never be as clever or intelligent as Andreiya or Aliez. Vyn thought the best he could offer them was protection.
“Do either of you have a knife?” he asked.
Hearing it out loud seemed drastic, perhaps a bit out of place. He cringed and squirmed again. Experimentation was important. If Andreiya thought he had something worth investigating, Vyn wanted to help however he could.
“I mean… if you cut yourself and it healed, we should try to replicate that,” he said — slowly, like he wasn’t sure of himself. “I would be happy to assist.”
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Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2022 6:55 pm
Aliez was so thoughtful, so kind. Andreiya leaned into the breeze he generated, but after only a few seconds he also held up the plant so it might cool off a bit, too.
“I do need to hydrate, I think it has been too long. But I promise, I have not lost my mind! We can repeat the experiment. I brought it here so I could show you. I trust you two, I knew you would be the best people to consult. I have–somewhere in my pocket, hold on.”
He fished around for a moment before pulling out a small switchblade. It took a slight bit of effort to slide the pruning blade out, but he offered it to Vyn so he could see for himself.
“Mine was a light cut, if you are going to cut into anyone, I think the back of the hand would be best. Just in case. You can use mine, I am not afraid.”
Well, of a little pain, yes, but he didn’t want Vyn to think that he had to hurt himself just to prove Andreiya’s claim. “You can even test it on the leaf first, just to see. It’ll heal, I promise. In seconds.”
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Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2022 7:05 am
As someone who was trying to keep everyone safe and healthy and unharmed the thought of either of them cutting themselves for experimentation was… alarming. Aliez was visibly flustered by the idea, but he was also acutely aware of the breakthrough in research Andreiya may be onto.
“At least sanitize the blade first,” he fussed, setting the file down so he could open his medical kit the Commodore had presented him with. He brushed his fingers fondly over the bag, but then quickly reached inside so he could pull out a small bottle of rubbing alcohol and pulled out some sterile gauze from a little bag.
He placed the gauze over the open top of the bottle and tipped it over just long enough to saturate, but not soak it. With the bottle set down, he held out his hand expectantly, waiting for both the knife and whoever’s hand was going to be cut. He assumed Vyn, since he was the one who volunteered.
There was no doubt in his mind that he could heal them with his Source Stone, but he didn’t want to take chances. They could experiment more thoroughly later once they figured out if this was actually going to work, first.
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Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2022 11:21 am
Vyn didn’t know that he was worthy of trust, or one of the best people to consult, but the thought warmed his heart all the same. He liked to be thought of, even if he didn’t agree with his friends’ assessments of him. He wanted to be what they expected of him. He wanted to be someone they could turn to, even if he didn’t know why they would.
He rose and left the gel pack on the bedding. Carefully, he took the blade from Andreiya. At Andreiya’s offer, Vyn chose to test a leaf first — just a little nick, not enough to leave much damage, but enough that they could watch it knit itself back together.
“I’ve never seen such a thing,” he said, voice a bit low, marveling.
Some plants on earth were hardier than others. They could survive harsh climates. They offered benefits to the humans that cultivated them. Sustenance. Beauty. Some even had healing properties, but those required extra steps. No plant that he had ever encountered in the months of their living here had ever behaved like this.
Next, Vyn allowed Aliez to clean the blade. Then he held out his own hand so Aliez could cleanse the back of it. Andreiya had offered his own, but at least in this small way Vyn might think himself useful.
He put the blade to his hand and made a small, shallow cut — enough that a few drops of blood seeped up from the broken skin, but not so deep that it would cause more than superficial damage.
“How did it heal you before? Was touch enough?”
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Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2022 3:49 pm
Andreiya was already making a little face at the idea of watching him get cut; he thought it might have been more tolerable if it had been himself because the reality of it was probably less intense than his imagination; he rubbed his hands together while he answered.
“When I cut myself before, it was at the same time as the leaf. I cannot say if it was fluid from within the leaf or the leaf itself, but you should start by putting it against the underside of it. If that has no effect on your hand, make an incision in the leaf and hold it there until the leaf repairs. It happens quickly,” he said, shifting positions just slightly.
He was nervous; the leaf might have healed like he’d said, but now his friend was bleeding–even if only just a bit–and he was already worrying that maybe he’d made a mistake, or the plant wouldn’t be enough. He fidgeted, just a little anxiously, and held his breath while he watched.
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Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2022 8:20 pm
Aliez cleaned the blade, but he was not pleased at the idea of either of his friends hurting themselves, even in the name of scientific research. He tried not to make a face as Vyn cut himself, and reached out to place what he hoped was a comforting hand on Andreiya’s shoulder as they watched and waited to see what the leaf would do.
Could this really be enough to heal? Could they use it to heal Velencya? Could they use it to heal the Commodore? Or even Caedus’ starseed? Somehow all three seemed impossible, but then again, they hadn’t encountered plants that--
He gasped as Vyn held his hand against the underside of the leaf. He saw the blood from Vyn’s hand, and the cut, and then…
“Did it work?” he stared in surprise. Maybe it was because Vyn tested the leaf first. Maybe there was still enough of the juice on the underside of the leaf to help the process, but it certainly looked like it healed him!
“We should report this to the Commodore,” he said, trying not to seem too excited. He gave Andreiya’s shoulder a squeeze. “I’m really proud of you for discovering this. Thank you.”
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Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2022 7:18 am
Vyn didn’t mind the injury. It was small, and insignificant. It barely even hurt, just a subtle sting, like a papercut. Considering their circumstances on Earth, he expected injury at some point. They would be lucky to escape their experiences here unscathed. At least with this experiment, they might be accomplishing something useful.
His skin healed. The plant did exactly what Andreiya claimed it had. One second, Vyn worried a single drop of blood might seep out and slide down the side of his hand, and the next, the mild stinging sensation was gone and the broken skin was mended.
Vyn took his hand away and looked at it, turning it here and there as he checked it from all angles, like he thought he might find the wound elsewhere, but… it was gone.
“It worked,” he said, a little breathless.
He trusted Andreiya, of course, but seeing it for himself was different than hearing about it.
Suddenly, the heat of the day wasn’t so bothersome.
“The Commodore would like to know of this,” he agreed, meeting Andreiya with a smile.
Healing a shallow cut was a small step, but even a small step had to lead somewhere.
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Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2022 11:49 am
Andreiya was dizzy from holding his breath, but warm relief flooded over him when Vyn’s hand healed. He hadn’t imagined it, things hadn’t gone wrong. They thought it was important enough to take to the Commodore.
Although, in this heat? Maybe they should spend some time cooling down first. He didn’t want the Commodore to see them all melting. But, he was excited. He wanted to know that this was something worth exploring, something worth working on.
He relaxed with Vyn’s smile and nodded, returning it with one of his own. “I will have to collect a bit more research. I want to have everything prepared for his questions. But. I would like to have your help, please. There are still a few tests I want to run. I need to get all of my data, I can bring it to you to review. If you would not mind! I just want it to be perfect. I know how busy he is.”
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