001: Video

[hulkbusted]

[The man on the screen looks utterly exhausted. Haggard might even be apt considering the greyish pallor of his skin under his dark stubble and the even darker circles under his eyes. When the video jostles in his hold for a moment, it displays his bare chest before coming up to his face. He looks like he tried to wash off some combination of mud, sand, and various other things best not examined too closely and didn't do too great a job of it. Despite that, he tries for a tired smile and a finger taps the screen before withdrawing.]

First off, I'd like to say that Tony Stark makes the world's most durable phone. I'd do a testimonial commercial, but that might be in bad taste.

Second, I've read some of the information available and I think you'll understand it's not the easiest thing to swallow, but I'm going with it as a working theory for now. Don't ask why, it's a long story.

Third... [He trails off and turns his head away from the camera before looking back at it] I don't know what the third is, let's say I want to issue a blanket apology and leave it at that.

[ooc: The Hulk ended up getting stuck outside at sundown and fought (pounding and getting pounded on) all night. Between that and a chitauri invasion, I figure Bruce is feeling a little run down.]

Comments

[symmachy]

[She laughed.]

It was the running, wasn't it. Well, for the record, the humani of this age call me "vampire." [And she smiles to show her teeth.]

[hulkbusted]

[Without thinking, Bruce tries to adjust his glasses only to remember that they were probably crushed on a helicarrier in a world he might or might not be in. He leans closer to get a better look at her teeth.]

Hereditary or acquired? And I'll warn you that my blood is poisonous if that's your thing.

[symmachy]

[She takes note of the motion. He'll need corrective lenses. She adds it to her list.

Her lips press together again, but she doesn't stop smiling.]

A bit of both. Neither of my parents are vampires, but they are Immortal. Only my sister and I are like this. The reason why is a long story. [And she laughs again.] And blood isn't "my thing." I'm a vegetarian.

[hulkbusted]

I know long stories. Maybe another time.

Your lips say you're a vegetarian, those teeth say something else.

[symmachy]

[Oh, Bruce. She's liking you more by the second.]

My lips [not hips damn you] don't lie. The teeth are mostly for show.

[Mostly.]

[hulkbusted]

[When you're semi-unkillable, have poisonous blood, and have come out the other side of what should have been a successful suicide attempt, your survival instincts when faced with a vampire might just be a tad skewed, so why not ask questions? What kind of scientist would he be if he wasn't curious?]

I'm not entirely buying it, but let's table that for a second. Why are you a vampire and not just a super-fast, child of immortals, vegetarian with sharp teeth? Or is this a valid lifestyle choice for vampires like veganism for humans?

[symmachy]

[To be honest, it's been a while since anyone has asked Scathach any intelligent questions about her species. So she doesn't mind all that much. Prepare for an onslaught of information that you probably won't understand.]

I was born shortly after Danu Talis sank--you'd call it Atlantis. It was a place of strong magic, and after that magic was released, it changed some of us young ones. My twin and I were born like this, somehow different than other immortals. Some of us were monsters. Others of us found we couldn't feel. [She paused.] In my world, vampyres--with a "y"--drink blood because that is the strongest source of emotions in a being. My clan evolved to go straight to the source. So no, it isn't a lifestyle choice.

[hulkbusted]

[A small, slightly embarrassing bit of Bruce at the back of his head hears her general age and gives thanks that he wouldn't be perving on jailbait after all.]

Atlantis, immortals... You know, if I hadn't been spending time with Thor recently I'd have trouble swallowing this. So what's the source your clan goes straight to?

[While he files away the teeth as potentially vestigial structures, although he's leaving that open-ended because those are awfully wicked looking to be on par with the appendix or a caudal tail.]

[symmachy]

[Haha, no. Sometimes Scatty forgets that she doesn't look much older than seventeen. Being short is sometimes the only thing that helps her remember.]

Thor? Cute kid, last time I saw him. I bet Uncle Odin is just as crotchety as ever, though. [Yes, uncle. In her world, most of the immortals are related via blood or marriage.] The source is called the aura. Each sentient being has one. It's a build-up of a person's emotions, of life-force, that covers them like a second skin. It's usually invisible, but... certain individuals can bring it out. Few humani can harness its power.

[hulkbusted]

Thor's a cute kid... Okay, I'm just going to set that aside too because I feel like I just dropped into Sedona or something. Someone else was complaining about her chakras and now you're telling me about what? Eating auras?

[And now his inner dirty old man has been displaced by the urge to ask her what his aura is like, but he's not sure he wants to know even if he really believed it.]

[symmachy]

[She hums slightly to herself. They're well on their way to a clothing store by now.]

Chakra is an old word, but could mean the same thing. [Maybe she senses his desire, because she pauses and turns to him. One, unnecessary deep breath, and she closes her eyes, then opens them again. A grey sort of steam has started to materialize around her body, and her eyes have become flat, reflective disks of grey. He might not know that an aura should have a scent, but if he did he might be surprised to notice that hers has no smell at all.] It's all about concentration, mostly.

[hulkbusted]

[Okay, now that's weird, and Bruce feels he knows a thing or two about weird. If he had any idea that auras had a scent, her lack of one might rank a little down from the grey steam and eyes though. He cranes his head forward a bit to get a good look at her eyes.]

Is the grey eye thing just for auras? Would you say that you perceive a different spectrum from humans? What's the steam?

[Slightly abashed.] Where would I be without scientific curiosity? [Don't answer that.]

[symmachy]

[Scatty laughs as she lets her aura dissipate around her. She offers him her hand.] Would you just like to feel for yourself?

[hulkbusted]

[It's not like Bruce has a history of experimenting on himself or anything, but... He looks down at her hand and hesitates.]

I assume you've done this before. Does it have any physical effects I should know about? I have... a condition, and I shouldn't get my adrenaline pumping.

[symmachy]

[A condition. This should be nice. She shakes her head.] The opposite, actually. If I fed from you, you'd become lethargic, almost numb. But I wasn't offering to do that. Just to show you.

[hulkbusted]

And I wasn't offering you a snack. [He looks down at her hand again, and damn he's curious, so he reaches out to take her hand.]

[symmachy]

[A small smirk. Almost as soon as he touches her, his aura flares to life around him; bright, bright green, greener than Scatty's eyes. It's a nice color. The scent of machinery is strong around them with it.]

You have a nice aura.

[As if she were complimenting his lawn or something.]

[hulkbusted]

[And somehow Bruce is utterly unsurprised.]

Of course it's green. [muttered] But what's with the smell?

[He's looking at himself and trying to see past the green brilliance to get a good look at her before she decides to end this little demonstration.]

[symmachy]

[She smiles.]

Each being carries a scent that is special to their person. More skilled individuals can change their scent with time, but usually they keep the one with which they are born.

[She removes her hand, and the green fades.] But the color stays constant. Do you not like green?

[hulkbusted]

I'm not so sure I was born with green, but who knows?

[He takes his hand back and gives her a tight smile.]

The green thing goes back to the "you show me yours, I'll show you mine" that I guess I started. Except I can't show you. That would... not be so good.

[symmachy]

[Her eyebrows raise, and she goes back to walking.]

Why is that?

[hulkbusted]

[Bruce falls in beside her and composes his summary, but usually people either already know or they find out the worst way...]

I mentioned I was a biochemist [and a physicist and an unlicensed physician and a modern day Dr Jekyll, but hey, he's a renaissance man] I had an experiment that didn't go as planned.

[He looks a little embarrassed.] I was the test subject. The result is... a friend describes it as turning into a big green rage monster. Hence the green. And by big, I mean about 8 feet tall, and by rage, I mean violent, destructive, city-smashing rage.

[symmachy]

[Secretly, Scatty is thinking that the Hulk is her ideal man.]

Is there a reason you tested whatever this was on yourself?

[hulkbusted]

[That's not disturbing, Scatty. Really.]

We were running out of funding and time. The only way I was going to keep the military from pulling the plug was to demonstrate that it worked.

It was stupid and arrogant I know that.

[symmachy]

[Everyone has issues.]

You're right. It was incredibly stupid. You're probably lucky you lived.