[Filtered to Herbert]

[greenmoonrising]

[Lots of ink splotches from where he's been holding the quill over the page while trying to write, chewing on his lip the whole time]

Hey.

Are you all right? You've been scarce...



Did I do something to pi offe





Did I piss you off, somehow? I haven't seen you in days and that's a bit weird when we're in the same dorm...

Comments

[greenmoonrising]

[Bruce's eyes glimmered at the explanation, a very thoughtful look appearing on his face.]

Sounds potentially promising... need my blood then?

[preanimator]

[Nods eagerly!] Yes. Actually, I'd like it at several different, ah, emotional points. Perhaps one when you first wake up in the morning, one at night, or when you're tired or sleepy, and one during a period of heightened emotion. It would be fantastic if we could get a sample after you'd changed, but the logistics of that might be difficult.

[greenmoonrising]

[Nods, ducking his head with embarrassment.] Mm, that might be a bit... dangerous. Everything else is fine though.

[preanimator]

It might not be too bad, actually. [slowly, thoughtfully] If there was some way to set a time release spell to do it, or use an enchanted item ...

[greenmoonrising]

We'd need a more secure location than the shack then - somewhere where you could actually contain how much freedom he has. [Rubs back of neck, thinking.] Man, I wish we could put a cage in there to hold him... Unfortunately, sometimes people DO get into the shack and poke around, and I guess a shining new cage in the middle of a room might raise a few eyebrows.

[preanimator]

Actually, that part wouldn't be hard at all - all you'd have to do is shrink it down, then grow it again when you wanted to use it. [points out with a little smile]

[greenmoonrising]

[Wrinkles his nose.] You saw how I was after just one night. By the end of the full cycle I'm as weak as a kitten and capable of just as much magic as one. I'm not sure it would be safe to leave a cage unattended until I'm well enough to shrink it back down.

[preanimator]

[rolls his eyes] Honestly- Bruce, I could shrink it down, it's easy enough.

[greenmoonrising]

[Raises brow.]

Herbert, you know that means you'd have to take care of me every time after fullmoon, right?

[preanimator]

[shrugs] Well, someone has to. I don't mind if it's me. [Even if part of that is going to be sheer torture, he'd still like to be the one to help, if he can't be the most important for anything else.]

[greenmoonrising]

[Stares a bit longer before smiling gratefully.]

Thanks.

[preanimator]

[shrugs again, looking down at his hands] It's a thing friends do. Anyway, it's for data, so it's fine.

[greenmoonrising]

Then I'm glad I have you as a friend.

[Ducks his head and glances at his essay, correcting it here and there.]

So uh, how's your essay going anyway?

[preanimator]

Hm? [he glances down, and shrugs] I've only got a few more inches, I think. This is a little more technical than what Rhydderch usually assigns, thank god - I really don't want to have to do another twelve inches on the ethics of love potions.

[greenmoonrising]

Ugh, the love potions essay was just annoying. You'd think students would know better by now. [Sighs and rubs his eyes.]

I mean, if love were that easy to get with no ramifications, more people would be settled down by the time they graduate from school.

[preanimator]

[Herbert's just silent for that, only nodding faintly as he pretends to be looking over his essay again. He's considered using them himself more than once, not for forever, but maybe just one night ... but he's smart enough to know that it would just make everything feel worse after, anyway. Ugh.]

[greenmoonrising]

[Bruce resumes writing.]

Have you ever looked into making them? Love potions, I mean.

[preanimator]

What? Why would you ask that? [Herbert asks, too loudly and defensively, then lowers his voice.] You know I'm not ... interested in that kind of thing. It's a waste of time. I mean, I understand them theoretically of course, but that's all!

[greenmoonrising]

[Chuckles quietly, dipping quill in ink carefully.] I was just asking, no need to get your boxers in a twist. It just seemed like a lot of students were trying them out in February, judging by how the teachers were all reacting on the journals.

Besides, it'd be an interesting challenge to make a successful Love Potion without any nasty side effects... but then there's that whole fiddly thing with ethics and morals I guess.

[preanimator]

And then you'd have to test it on someone, so it wouldn't exactly be theoretical any more, would it? [a little bitterly]

[greenmoonrising]

True but what if you got willing test subjects? I mean, short of death, there aren't many spells that can't be reversed, even if you have to take the person affected to St. Mungo's.

[preanimator]

But what would be the point? So then you'd have a working love potion, wonderful, it's just been a waste of time. There are far, far more important things than having someone love you - all of that is just rubbish anyway. It's useless.

[He spits it, vehemently, not looking at Bruce any more but staring down angrily at his essay.]

[greenmoonrising]

[Okay, that made Bruce look up.]

... Did something happen, Herbert? [Sounds very concerned.]

[preanimator]

No. Nothing. [Really, that's the whole problem, isn't it?] Can we talk about something else? [still not looking up]

[greenmoonrising]

... So how's your research going? With reanimating the dead I mean...