Have you noticed if they've grown at all so far? I realize it's only been a few days, so even if there was a change, it likely wouldn't even be perceptible at this point if you didn't have a way of measuring, especially since they're not in a location that you can really monitor well.
[ Just picking up a knife behind him, no worries. ]
I say we make a mark right at the base of one of them, so we can track any potential growth. Actually, maybe a set of different kinds of marks, so we can also get a better idea of any regenerative abilities they may have -- like shedding an outer layer, repairing a cut, and so on.
[He'll take the one furthest to the right at the top, so that it's easy to keep track of which one the marks should be on, and... attempt to saw into it slightly with his knife just above where it emerges from the skin, enough to make a visible mark. ]
I haven’t noticed, no. About all I have noticed is that they don’t seem to secrete anything. I was honestly a bit concerned they’d make them venomous or something like that...
[...though, he does think about something as Rideaux makes a mark there...]
I haven’t tried breaking them or removing them, so that may be worth attempting.
[ He marks the next spike to the left with a permanent marker instead...
--Oh, he's definitely pleased by that suggestion. He was going to suggest the same things himself, but it sounds so much better coming from the willing test subject than it would have from him. ]
I was thinking the same. And I'm definitely curious to see if we can figure out exactly where they're originating from. You don't have any strong objections to my making an incision to get a better idea of how deep they go, do you? With the proper sterilization and everything, obviously.
[ Or as much as they can manage under the circumstances, anyway; but he's also used to doing emergency procedures out on the field during missions, so he has a pretty good idea of what he's doing here. ]
[Seteth pushes down the part of him that wants to object down, because it’s not helpful here. This is voluntary. Seteth can probably stop this. He shouldn’t assume Rideaux will immediately try to take him apart the first chance he gets.
He swallows before answering.]
...Yes, that would be agreeable. I know you can probably help heal it, anyway.
[ He's a little curious what that "worse" might have consisted of, but this probably isn't the best time to ask for an elaboration. Anyway, he's been through worse himself, and Seteth has supposedly been alive almost a hundred times as long as he has, so he doubts it's an exaggeration.
Gesturing toward an exam table... that was likely not actually intended for people to climb on, but whatever, it should work for their purposes. ]
Lie down here in the prone position, then, if you don't mind. We'll start with breaking one; I don't expect it will take too much force, but I'd still rather get it out of the way now to avoid potentially disrupting an incision wound later.
[ Applies pressure, and... it snaps about a quarter of the way down from the top. Assuming this doesn't go too badly, he'll break it again closer to the base after this. ]
[...he wasn’t sure what level of pain he was expecting from that, but it hurts enough to get a muffled cry of pain out of him that he just barely manages to grit his teeth down on.
It takes him a second to compose himself before he can give a strained comment on it.]
My... apologies, I was not expecting it to be quite that bad...
Hm... I wouldn't have thought so either. It seems hollow up here toward the end, actually. It's not just pain from the pressure being applied?
[ Seteth doesn't really seem like someone who would be a wimp about pain, or he probably wouldn't be agreeing to any of this, so that's... interesting. ]
Let me know if you're ready to try it again further down or if you need a minute.
...I'm not sure what there really is here that would work well for that, but...
[ He glances over toward the chemistry equipment... well, there's some kind of rubber pipette bulb; that's probably as good as they're going to get, even if it's going to make this look strangely kinky.
He'll pick it up and hold it up for approval as he takes it over to the sink for a wash. ]
He finishes washing it and hands it over, and once Seteth seems as ready as he can be... ]
All right, then, here we go again.
[ It's a little tougher breaking it down this low, but still not terribly difficult.
He... does not expect it to start bleeding like it does this time, though, like cutting an animal's claw too short. They'd compared the spikes to fingernails, sure, but this isn't what he had in mind.
Thankfully the bleeding isn't too hard to keep under control with Sanguis, so there won't be a mess, but yikes. ]
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[ So the point stands. (And these points also stand.)
At that explanation, he nods. ]
It does. So I suppose the question is whether it's more like a fingernail or a piercing. What's your guess at this point?
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[...and, hm...]
I've never had a piercing, but I'd say it's more like a fingernail regardless.
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Have you noticed if they've grown at all so far? I realize it's only been a few days, so even if there was a change, it likely wouldn't even be perceptible at this point if you didn't have a way of measuring, especially since they're not in a location that you can really monitor well.
[ Just picking up a knife behind him, no worries. ]
I say we make a mark right at the base of one of them, so we can track any potential growth. Actually, maybe a set of different kinds of marks, so we can also get a better idea of any regenerative abilities they may have -- like shedding an outer layer, repairing a cut, and so on.
[He'll take the one furthest to the right at the top, so that it's easy to keep track of which one the marks should be on, and... attempt to saw into it slightly with his knife just above where it emerges from the skin, enough to make a visible mark. ]
no subject
[...though, he does think about something as Rideaux makes a mark there...]
I haven’t tried breaking them or removing them, so that may be worth attempting.
no subject
[ He marks the next spike to the left with a permanent marker instead...
--Oh, he's definitely pleased by that suggestion. He was going to suggest the same things himself, but it sounds so much better coming from the willing test subject than it would have from him. ]
I was thinking the same. And I'm definitely curious to see if we can figure out exactly where they're originating from. You don't have any strong objections to my making an incision to get a better idea of how deep they go, do you? With the proper sterilization and everything, obviously.
[ Or as much as they can manage under the circumstances, anyway; but he's also used to doing emergency procedures out on the field during missions, so he has a pretty good idea of what he's doing here. ]
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He swallows before answering.]
...Yes, that would be agreeable. I know you can probably help heal it, anyway.
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[ No risk of excessive bleeding with two Sanguis users on the scene. ]
Just to be clear, this is all going to be without anesthetic, even a topical one. I do have some pain medicine you can take if you'd like.
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[...you know, he is pre-modern, what even is an anesthetic...]
I should be fine with that, I think. It would be nice to have some actual healing magic to help with that, but... well, I have likely endured worse.
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[ He's a little curious what that "worse" might have consisted of, but this probably isn't the best time to ask for an elaboration. Anyway, he's been through worse himself, and Seteth has supposedly been alive almost a hundred times as long as he has, so he doubts it's an exaggeration.
Gesturing toward an exam table... that was likely not actually intended for people to climb on, but whatever, it should work for their purposes. ]
Lie down here in the prone position, then, if you don't mind. We'll start with breaking one; I don't expect it will take too much force, but I'd still rather get it out of the way now to avoid potentially disrupting an incision wound later.
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[Seteth will get up on the table and lie face down, and... okay, it's still kind of nervewracking, but you know.]
Just warn me beforehand so I can brace myself in case it is painful.
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I'm going to try it on one on the upper back a little to the left of the spine, unless you have some other preference.
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[alright. brace himself. brace himself.]
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Here we go.
[ Applies pressure, and... it snaps about a quarter of the way down from the top. Assuming this doesn't go too badly, he'll break it again closer to the base after this. ]
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It takes him a second to compose himself before he can give a strained comment on it.]
My... apologies, I was not expecting it to be quite that bad...
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[ Seteth doesn't really seem like someone who would be a wimp about pain, or he probably wouldn't be agreeing to any of this, so that's... interesting. ]
Let me know if you're ready to try it again further down or if you need a minute.
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[okay. okay, he's over it.]
No, I don't quite understand it either, based on that. You...
[...he sighs in frustration.]
...Can I have something to bite down on, I suppose.
[PRE-MODERN MEDICINE, BABEY]
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...I'm not sure what there really is here that would work well for that, but...
[ He glances over toward the chemistry equipment... well, there's some kind of rubber pipette bulb; that's probably as good as they're going to get, even if it's going to make this look strangely kinky.
He'll pick it up and hold it up for approval as he takes it over to the sink for a wash. ]
Good enough?
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[there's no way this isn't going to end up looking weirdly kinky, let's be honest with ourselves here.]
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He finishes washing it and hands it over, and once Seteth seems as ready as he can be... ]
All right, then, here we go again.
[ It's a little tougher breaking it down this low, but still not terribly difficult.
He... does not expect it to start bleeding like it does this time, though, like cutting an animal's claw too short. They'd compared the spikes to fingernails, sure, but this isn't what he had in mind.
Thankfully the bleeding isn't too hard to keep under control with Sanguis, so there won't be a mess, but yikes. ]