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Who: Guren Ichinose (

swordfucker) & Ryo Asuka (

apocalypticist)
Where: Starting on some random street in Ruga
When: 4/26
What: Satan and a half-demon talk drugs?
Warnings: Drugs... so descriptions of things like needles and drug use, also Satan is here ig, idk

[It had been a day since things were back to normal. Guren hadn't wasted any time getting back into things. He was around, checking on everyone that he could, but he also took frequent trips to the forest, though he never went too deep, and into a part of town where he always seemed difficult to track.

There had to be somewhere he as going, since he always went there with arms full of who-knows-what and came out empty handed, but it was always alone, and he was always careful about who saw him doing what.

Today, he knows he's being watched. It might not even be the first time, but he catches onto it and doesn't show at all, continuing his walk as normal. He collects some of a certain unique plant at the edge of the woods, and then heads back into town, but like usual, when his pace picks up suddenly and he starts taking weird turns— he vanishes.

Normally, that would be that. This time, his curious stalker will find a black katana with a red streak down the middle pointed straight at his head from behind, Guren standing tall with a menacing expression on his face.]

Following someone around like this is a good way to get killed. [But, notably, he's not doing a thing.] What do you want?

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[ One instance doesn't warrant suspicion, but a pattern certainly does. And Ryo can recognize a pattern here; Guren is making far too many trips to the woods in a short period of time, and he always returns from the same part of town empty-handed. He's up to something that he apparently doesn't want others to know about.

Curiosity is a human biological imperative, much like hunger and thirst, and Ryo isn't immune to it - so he decides to follow him and find out what he's doing. Of course, stalking someone without relying on technology like cellphones and GPS isn't Ryo's forte, so it's only natural that his target is going to realize they're being followed.

You must've noticed me, then, he thinks the moment Guren suddenly picks up the pace for seemingly no reason and then disappears. Ryo halts mid-step when someone appears behind him and he tosses a glance over his shoulder to see a familiar face and a sword that's far too close to his head. ]

So is hunting demons, or traveling deep into the Peruvian Amazon. [ He replies, expression calm as ever. ] I want to know what you're doing, Ichinose-san.

Then you should come a little more prepared, or ask me upfront. What if I had chopped your head off just now?

[If he didn't recognize him, or even if he did recognize him and was up to something no good... There are plenty of reasons, but Guren just gives him a long, hard stare before he lowers his sword. He doesn't put it away yet, of course.]

What I'm doing isn't your business.

["Come ask me like a normal person" and "it's none of your business" in the same breath. That's just like him. He just needs a little more encouragement before he shares.]

[ Then he'd be a headless corpse on the ground right now. But Guren didn't chop his head off, so Ryo considers it a moot point. ]

Your behavior suggested you're doing something you don't want others to find out about, hence why I didn't simply ask.

[ Look at him saying two contradictory things in the same breath. Which one is it, Guren? Contradiction is a human habit, it seems. ]

Is it something unethical or dangerous?

[He really doesn't like that attitude, and he could, hypothetically, put a stop to it right now... But that's jumping to a lot of conclusions, and ultimately, he does care about Ryo. He sighs, slipping his sword back into its sheath.]

If I said "yeah, it's both," then what would you do?

[What's your aim...!!]

[ He knew it. If Guren was doing something normal and harmless, he could've easily done so in his own house instead of carrying a bunch of things to a secret location where no one can see him. His expression remains calm, a small glimmer of satisfaction behind his eyes. ]

I would ask you to tell me what you've been doing in secret. Carrying out strange experiments? [ It's just a guess, but it's what comes to mind first since some people suspend or ignore ethics in the name of science (or more commonly, profit.) ]

[Hmm. The kid's smart, but that doesn't mean Guren is sure he should just go telling him everything. He's making drugs for the better of everyone, but not everyone will trust that, and not everyone will like that, anyway. It should be in secret, so that he can provide them without explanation later, and everyone can use them in need without worrying about where they came from.

But what's this kid going to do if he doesn't tell him? Run off and blab? Guren shoves his hands in his pockets.]

Give me a reason I should tell you anything.

I may be willing to offer my assistance.

[ As long as Guren's secret hobby is interesting enough, he'll consider it. Ryo never does anything out of the goodness of his heart, and this is no exception - he's merely looking for ways to utilize his time in a productive manner and to satisfy his need for intellectual stimulation. ]

[Ryo is intelligent. He knows that. He's not the type of person who would let emotions get in his way, either, which is perfect for helping him out with these things. He himself gets way too emotional over it all, so having someone who could think rationally...

As long as he was there to make sure that it was morally, in the end, what he was going for. It should be fine, right? There was just one thing.]

First, tell me how familiar you are with working with chemicals.

[ The ends of Ryo's mouth tug up into a slight smile. If Guren is asking about his familiarity with chemicals, then his initial guess of him doing experiments can't be too far off. ]

I minored in chemistry, and I've developed drugs that can be used to unmask demons. [ He's also good at making explosives, but he decides to tactfully omit that part. ]

[So he is useful. Guren pauses only a moment before he jabs his thumb to the side, turning to start heading in that direction.]

Alright. Follow me.

[It's simple, or it seems simple, but there's a lot of thought involved. But it's better to discuss this in the apothecary itself, rather than outside. So, he'll lead the way there, and once it looks like they're standing nowhere important, he'll wait for Ryo to stop with him and teach him how to find where it is he keeps going.]

[ Ryo slides his hands into the pockets of his coat (which is looking less pristine these days since there's no dry cleaner here and properly maintaining your expensive white coat is rather difficult without modern laundry equipment) and falls into step behind Guren.

He remains quiet as he follows him to wherever he's heading and when Guren stops, he does the same. ]

Let's see how we're going to do this.

[He places his hands on his hips, staring around them once they've stopped.] The building we're looking for is here, but it's hidden from the average human eye. It's an illusion. Can you find it by knowing that?

[It would require some magical or psychic ability on Ryo's part, which he's not sure if he has the potential for at all. But, if all else fails, if he can't see past an illusion even when he knows one is right there— then Guren has another way.]

[ His eyebrows crease slightly at the question. Visual illusions occur when the brain misinterprets what the eyes are seeing, because the brain is prone to taking shortcuts - it can make inferences, fill in the blanks, and resort to default estimations based on normal rules of perception. He can't possibly stop his own brain from doing that.

Still, knowing that there's an illusion helps a lot. Being Satan also helps, probably - were he a normal human being and not divinity, his gut feeling wouldn't be stirring. ]

I'm not sure, but... [ He gestures toward the building Guren is referring to. ]

You're guessing?

[He can't see it, from the sound of it, but he's guessing that it's that way. That's a unique thing. Is he really just some kid? Guren glances forward again, but ultimately he sighs and reaches to take Ryo by the wrist. If he can find it, below that puffy coat, geez.]

Then I'll have to walk you in. Stay right behind me.

[Things will change once they pass through the door. What seemed to be a normal, useless abandoned house changes into something much different. An apothecary, filled with various chemicals in strangely shaped bottles. Guren has taken over it completely. Things are sorted, and there's a few things covered over with sheets in one corner. It's a makeshift lab. There's no technology at all, so it's a bit primitive for his liking.]

I've been trying to develop different sorts of drugs.

[ Once they step inside the building, Ryo sweeps his gaze from one side of the makeshift lab to the other, then back, taking in the plethora of bottles lined on the shelves and the sheet-covered things. It's nothing like the modern labs Ryo is used to working in, but all things considered Guren has done a good job with what they have available. ]

What kinds of drugs? Medicine, performance-enhancing substances, analgesics...? [ Recreational drugs? ...Probably not, Guren doesn't seem the type. ~~What is this, Breaking Bad?~~ ]

All of those. Whatever I can find that might help someone. It's a vague direction, but going off of what was already here, I can enhance and work with the local flora and fauna to create drugs that could aid in even dealing with the forest.

[He walks over to one of the shelves, his fingertips brushing over one particular bottle.]

Like this. [Picking it up, he holds it for Ryo to see, but not touch.] I'm trying to create something for Dextera. You saw him bite at one of the harpy hearts, didn't you? It seems like they help him.

Enhancing what causes that "boost" of energy and healing properties, and stretching out the supply to make it go further... Something like that could mean life or death. It seemed like the easiest first step.

[Or, he just cares a lot.]

[ Ryo regards the bottle with curiosity without trying to touch it, because he isn't going to start touching things without permission. He's just a visitor right now, he doesn't work here yet. ]

I didn't get a good look since I was paying more attention to the harpies, but I saw it.

[ At the time he just dismissed it as a Bizarre Thing Dextera did for... reasons?? But now it makes sense. ]

A bottle is more convenient to carry in a pocket than animal organs, too. [ Sure, Dextera could just keep a heart or two on him in case he needs healing, but... dude, that's disgusting, and raw meat spoils quickly. ]

Exactly. Things like this... things that help people. That's all I'm interested in.

[He places the bottle back, looking to Ryo directly once he has.] If you'll help me with that, then I'll share what I'm doing with you. I could use someone to watch me test them out, anyway. If you're fine with watching reactions that will probably be disturbing and risking your own safety by being beside me at a time like that, then I'll share information with you.

How's that sound?

[ Ryo considers this for a short moment. ]

I'm interested. I've seen a lot of disturbing things so that doesn't bother me, and I'm far more useful in the lab than, say, the defense force. Chemistry is something I enjoy, too.

Then we can start right now.

[Guren doesn't hesitate to move along the shelves, pointing out ingredients that he's gathered so far, and how he's applying them to his current tests. He's nearly finished with Dextera's potion, so he doesn't want any help on that. Instead, he points out a grey looking thing, like most of them are.]

We can't rely on our laptops outside of our homes, and pen and paper still isn't working, unless you have supplies from home. I'm labeling them entirely by location on the shelves, so don't mix them up.

This one, if it works properly, should increase strength and endurance enough to stand up to even a supernatural creature for three minutes. Pushing it more than that is too much of a strain on the body. Even three minutes is long, so I doubt I'll be able to erase side effects completely...

But I want to be sure the side effects can be handled by someone normal. I want you to watch me try this now, and if it goes wrong, wait for me to heal and suggest what I should alter in the ingredients.

[ Ryo follows, listening to Guren attentively and with clear interest, asking a few clarifying questions about the ingredients, but otherwise he doesn't interrupt him. He doesn't have any supplies from home to write with which is a little inconvenient, but committing where everything is located to memory shouldn't take too long. ]

Alright. [ He says with a nod. Let's do this, Guren. ]

Back here.

[He has a special area set aside for testing like this, back behind all the shelves and through a door that he closes once Ryo is through, too. He takes the glass of grey liquid and looks over to Ryo, waiting for a nod that he's ready before he takes a drink.

He's been struggling with this particular one. If he takes away one plant too much, it does nothing, but if he adds too much, it strains the body so much that it goes into overload and his organs stop wanting to function. He passes the glass to Ryo so not to drop it, but the reaction is immediate. He stumbles back, body hunching over, and then he's coughing up blood. Way too much of it. Something ruptured inside.]

[ Ryo takes the glass and steps back, just in case Guren is going to vomit or cough up blood or do anything else that might get his expensive coat dirty. He watches calmly when the other hunches over, his gaze scrutinizing and steady. That reaction certainly is violent and unpleasant to watch, but Ryo sees no need to be concerned when Guren can heal. ]

Are you experiencing any negative side effects aside from the internal bleeding? [ The bleeding is definitely the big issue here and definitely needs to be fixed, but that doesn't mean it's the only dangerous side effect. ]

[Hold on, he needs to be stable before he can Talk like this, Ryo!! He holds up a shaky hand for a short second before it's clutching at himself again, but the meaning is clear: wait a second. He's trying to think on that question, think past the dizzying pain, the nausea, the weakness, the beating of his heart.]

Nausea. [He says it like a croak, grabbing onto a wall for support as he struggles to breathe.] Before this started. That's all.

[Just nausea... and then organ explosions (which then created more nausea).]

Nausea followed by internal bleeding. Got it. [ Ryo nods, impassively watching Guren grab onto the wall. Vaguely, he wonders about the limits to Guren's healing ability, if he's like Akira whose limbs can be reattached if they're torn off. It's not something he's particularly interested in finding out, but the question crosses his mind briefly. ]

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