[One For All]: The human bug-zapper

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Insects and other lifeforms intensely allergic to electricity would probably do well to stay away from the section of lab Nikola has appropriated for himself.

Colorful, Serbian curses waft over from his workspace, accompanied by the occasional, impressive shower of sparks.




[ooc: Nikola probably won't electrocute your pup, should you care to stop by. :)]

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Nikola's expression darkens again. "She's 'that special' and more to a lot of people on a scale Will can't even begin to imagine, but we don't all go around talking about her constantly. There are other things in the world that Helen Magnus, and Will seems to forget that more often than not."

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Owen holds up his hands in surrender. "Take it up with him. I'm not trying to make enemies here." He takes a step back, trying to appear relaxed. "Lot of people get out their coffins on the wrong side in this place, don't they?' he jokes nervously.

He casts around for a change of subject. "Anything interesting there?" he offers, gesturing to Nikola's project.

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Nikola shrugs. "You asked why not. I merely told you why not."

He picks up his project, something akin to an old radio, out of its case. "Not particularly. I just wanted something to do with my hands. It was either this or find someone's neck to snap."

He says this casually, of course, but that doesn't mean he doesn't mean it.

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(ooc: sorry I'm being slow, RL keeps getting in the way)

"Yeah, I know the feeling," Owen says hastily and more than a little thankfully. "I used to go for the old slice-into-an-alien-body thing when there weren't any necks around to snap. Fun times... "

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[ooc: No worries. :)]

"Not quite as satisfying as actually inflicting pain," Nikola says, picking up the device. "But it's something."

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Owen is about to say something along the lines of 'you have a thing about pain, don't you?' when his words dry up as he realises he can actually relate to that sentiment.

"Mmm," he croaks. 'Do you find it matters exactly who you're inflicting pain on?" He tries to explain. "Sucks when it turns out to be... someone you didn't mean to hurt."

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Nikola tilts his head, looking at Owen curiously. "I...wouldn't know. I've never hurt someone I didn't mean to."

There was, of course, that time with Helen in the catacombs, but at that moment, he certainly had intended to hurt her.

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(ooc: i have to go now, so goodnight and thanks :)

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Owen shrugs, cursing himself for blundering into another conversational gridlock. He tries to speak offhandedly, holding up his bandaged finger and waggling it. "It's just... when I did this, I hurt someone else as well. Not physically, but it wasn't fair and I really effing regret it now."

His hand drops. "It doesn't matter. Really."

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Nikola regards him curiously. "I'm fairly certain no one would be terribly upset if I were to hurt myself."

He'd like to think it would bother Helen, just a bit. Or Will.

Actually, now that he thinks about it, he's pretty sure it would hurt Will.

"No one I'd mind being hurt anyway."

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Owen frowns uneasily. "So, basically... what you're saying is that you don't give a monkey's about anyone here... and they don't care about you?"

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Nikola shrugs. "What I'm saying is that, at the moment, it's advantageous to both sides that I stay here. I make no assumptions whatsoever as to what anyone else may feel about that on a personal level."

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Owen shoves his hands in his pockets. "I don't know what I'm doing here. In this place I'm like a patient who needs help, when frankly what I just want to do is - go off and cut up a stiff, or something. Something I actually know how to do."

Nikola's situation makes him realise just how stuck he is. He feels like kicking something in frustration, and if the room had belonged to anyone other than Nikola Tesla, he probably would have done, too.

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"So why don't you? The city's full of people dying of mysterious causes. I'm sure no one would notice a corpse or two gone missing."

More than that and people start to worry. Nikola's discovered this from experience.

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"Will found out, he'd kill me," Owen says without mirth. He frowns and shrugs. "Wouldn't accomplish anything, anyway. I want to get on and do my job and not be treated like the corpse on the slab.

I know I am one, but... hey, wonder what it'd actually feel like to be autopsied? Might tickle a bit. But only if I put my mind to it..."

It would be a terrible idea. Interesting, but still...

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Nikola chuckles. "Will needs to loosen up a little.

"I'm not a doctor, or even a coroner, but if you ever feel the need, I'm sure I could oblige you."

Sometimes Nikola's scientific curiosity goes a bit too far.

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(ooc: sorry for the gap. had to go for dinner)

"As long as we stitched me up afterwards, it'd be an... experience."

As does Owen's.

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[ooc: No worries. I had to run off to class myself.]

"I suggest not mentioning it to Helen if we do."

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(ooc: hey, so sorry i haven't replied for a while. RL's been hectic, plus Owen's been going through a bit of a bad time with Will. I'd still like to play on this thread, though, if it's okay with you?)

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[ooc: Yeah, absolutely! I'm guilty of massive slowtimes myself occasionally. :)]

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(ooc: thanks! :)

Owen gives him an innocent grin. "Why ever not?"

There's something else he's been considering ever since Will mentioned it. He just has to ask - it can't do any harm, can it? But he's Nikola Tesla... oh, stop it. Owen tries to pull himself together. No harm in asking.

"Nikola..." Get on with it. "Mate, you know how I'm undead? It must be some kind of energy, and they said you've got a way with that kind of thing...?"

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Nikola chuckles. "I do have something of a gift, yes."

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Owen presses on. "They said the energy could last for thirty years - or thirty seconds..."

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"The energy sustaining you, you mean?" Nikola asks. "Well, I'd have to have a better idea of what that energy is before I could help you."

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Owen sighs, not sadly, just thinking. At least Tesla hasn't laughed in his face yet.

"That's the thing, really. We couldn't find out a lot about whatever it is except it's dissipating - and nothing much seems to affect it." He grins at Nikola. "I stuck my hand in a fuse box once, and it tickled... but that was it."