[ His eyebrows lift in honest surprise. It takes him a second before he claps his hands together, realizing that this must be the Forgemaster. ]
Will wonders never cease? I was told about you earlier. Most of the vampires seem to think that the two of us are peas in a pod... it's hard to tell who that is insulting more, am I right? [ He barks out a laugh at his own joke. ]
And Lord Dracula can hear all about it, because I'm revolutionizing the whole forging of the dead. [ With his free hand, he makes small circles in the air. He clenches his hand into a fist. ] I've found a way to bring them back... but without using magic.
[Hector isn't mollified by the vampire's jokes. Usually, having a sense of humor would endear a person to Hector, but not when it interferes with his forging.
Still brooding, he nonetheless can't help but nibble at that bait.]
Explain what you mean, 'revolutionizing' forging. It's a magical process. Alchemy applied to biology.
[Hector has made some amazing advances in his field, but there's no way to do it without magic. It just... it doesn't work. He's baffled to the point that it outweighs his anger.]
I found a way to forge my own soldiers using science.
[ he throws his arms open like he expects others to come rushing in to give him a standing ovation. of course, no applause happens. it is just hector and heisenberg among a lot of dead bodies. ]
Fill their bodies with enough electricity and you restart something in 'em. [ he walks over to the nearest corpse, giving it a little kick. ] We can't just rely forever on you, ya know? We have to try to change with the times.
[ which is a very un-vampire thing to say, he knows. most of the lot that he is around like to keep things "as they were," but he can't say that he approves of that mentality. it might be because he was changed only a few decades years ago, but he just isn't about moving forward. ]
[The vampire is simultaneously intriguing and infuriating. Hector would be much more impressed with his innovations if it wasn't a direct threat to Hector's livelihood.
He scowls.]
Electricity? There's a world of difference between simple nerve stimulation and my craft.
[Hector's an artist.]
I'll show you. We each take one corpse and make something of it, and we'll see how yours measure up to mine.
[Hector doesn't actually have the authority to demand a corpse, so it's entirely up to Heisenberg if he wants to indulge Hector's little competition.]
A fascinating bet. I'll take you up on it since I need to see if I can create one of my creations outside of my laboratory.
[ Heisenberg accepts that he might always be able to be in the best situation in order to make one of his soldiers. He might actually have to do it on the fly if "Mother" figures out what he's up to, and he lets out a sigh. ]
You know... vampires should be allowed to live free. [ It's an abrupt comment that he makes as he grabs one of the legs -- picking a corpse from the pile. ] Lord Dracula is a good, ol' lord. He only calls us in every so often, but really... he's very hands off. It's the ones that like jamming their nose into everything that you have to worry about, Hector.
[Hector bites his tongue at that reanimating comment. Not all methods are created equal, damn it. Hector makes quality night creatures, bespoke horrors. But no, actions will speak louder than his protests.
He drags his own corpse from the pile, giving it a quick once-over to make sure there are no bits of weaponry still sticking in it. Some of the vampires get lazy about cleaning up after themselves.]
Do you need to be somewhere specific for us to continue?
[He's got no vampire strength, but he's strong enough from swinging a hammer all day to drag one bloodless corpse to the vampire's laboratory of choice.]
...and yes, he's a good lord. He keeps those types of vampires well away from me. We have a good arrangement here, he and I.
[Well, up until today and Dracula's indulgence of this other necromancer.]
I'd have to take you all the way back to my ritual area. I don't think Lord Dracula would take too kindly to that, however, and may view it as me attempting to steal you away.
[ Heisenberg tilts his head back as he starts to bark out a loud laugh. ]
It's a real fine arrangement that you have. I wonder about it sometimes, but I'm sure everyone else does, too. [ Letting the corpse fall out of his hands, it hits the ground with a wet plop -- despite it only being lifted only a little bit off the ground. The vampires that murdered the poor sap really went hog wild on 'em. ]
I suppose he has a soft spot for humans due to his late wife. [ He holds his hands over the corpse. ] I wonder if he's attempting to make a new family with you two.
Bold of you to accuse the Vlad Tepes of sentimentality while you're within impaling range. We have a business arrangement. There is no replacing the late Mrs. Impaler, and I advise against bringing her up if you wish to keep operating here.
[He sighs as the corpse drops onto the ground. The things he does for his art.]
You may as well bring that to my lab, then. It's well stocked, and if there's something you require that I don't have, I can send someone out to fetch it.
I guess that's as good a place as anything. [ he fills his mouth full of air and lets out puttering noises. ] Having you drag the body all the way there would be funny.
[ heisenberg steps forward to reach down to take the corpse from hector. ]
But I'm feeling generous. So, I'll take it along with mine. Seems fair, right? You're letting me use your lab, so I should be a good guest and bring the materials.
[Protective? No, Hector just doesn't see the point in unnecessary violence, and speaking ill of Lisa Tepes results in excessive retaliation from his lord.
Hector fully would have called up a Night Creature to carry his corpse, but now he's going to let the vampire haul it for him.]
How chivalrous. I'll lead the way. Be sure not to damage it any more than it is.
[Hector's lab isn't far, at least. And having his 'rival' toting his materials for him soothes Hector's bruised ego a little.]
[ He quips back as he carries both of the corpses on his back. Heisenberg doesn't seem to mind whatever entrails or nastiness seems to pour out of them as they walk; it isn't really a concern of his, if he's honest.
It might be because he's just gotten a little too used to rummaging around the dead, but shh. ]
Might I ask why you started to resurrect the dead? From what I heard, you were doing it well before Lord Dracula came to your door and found your talent.
[Well, Hector's not in charge of keeping the castle floors tidy, so the trail of entrails isn't his problem.
He isn't here to get all buddy-buddy with his rival, but he doesn't get many opportunities to talk about his work with someone who understands it. So he figures there's no harm in answering.]
I started as a boy. I was being trained in more classical alchemy, but all I wanted was a dog. My... the man who trained me wouldn't allow any 'unnecessary expenses', but I thought he couldn't protest a pet that cost nothing to acquire and would have no need to eat. Suppose I had a natural bent for it, because I was able to piece together a ritual to raise a dead dog I found.
[ Isn't it nice to have one's reasons for doing something boiled down? His smile is bright, if not a little bit cheery. ]
I suppose every boy wants a dog. [ He tips his chin up as he tries to remember what he wanted when he was a child, but that was so long ago that he can't actually recall what it might have been. ] It's one of those fundamentals of childhood, yeah?
[ Even though he is totting the corpses, he leans to the side so that he can nudge Hector's shoulder with his own. ]
But from what you're saying, that man did protest to an undead dog, huh?
[ At first, Heisenberg is about to let out a bark of laughter. He is about to agree that he no longer remembers what is a normal childhood. It is just something that he "recalls" but can't be certain if it is just "a belief" he heard once.
His mouth is open wide for the laugh, but it freezes. He turns his head slightly toward Hector; his fangs visible and sharp. Heisenberg lets his expression relax as he lets out a snort, and finally closes his mouth. ]
I can't say that I'm not surprised that's the ending of that story, Hector.
[ A beat passes. ]
You really an interesting guy. I feel like the two of us have a lot in common, actually.
[Heisenberg may snort out a laugh, but Hector is serious.]
The humans who make their living in the night world rarely have happy childhoods.
[So, yes, it shouldn't come as a surprise.
He looks over at the vampire, who is much more personable than he's used to. Most of the vampires in Dracula's court either disdain him for being human or resent him for having Dracula's favor. Nobody engages him in small talk like this.]
Guess we should try to do something to fix that, hm?
[ His tone is rather flippant, but he figures that if they are going to technically share the night with their food/resources, they should attempt to make things pleasant for them. Why not? ]
It's a bit of razzle dazzle, as the kids would say.
[ What kids? Who says this?
In any case, he is shuffling himself into the laboratory to toss the corpses onto the nearest surface. Pressing his hands on the small of his back, he stretches in an exaggerated fashion, like that actually put him out. ]
I am. With Dracula in power, people like myself will have a place in the world.
[It's a lie, but it is not one Hector is telling to Heisenberg, per say. It's the lie he tells himself. Some days, he believes it.
Hector is similarly out of the loop with what the youths are saying, so he lets Heisenberg's second comment go by unquestioned. With a snap of his finger, a night creature emerges from an alcove and lifts the corpses onto the slab-like tables Hector keeps around his lab for his work. He didn't need to snap to get the job done, but it's as much a show as the vampire's feigned back pains.
A couple more creatures slip out from the shadows. All of them have glowing blue eyes, the mark of Hector's handiwork.]
You can ask them for the materials you need. They don't talk, but they understand well enough.
[ Heisenberg pauses to tilt his head up to look toward the ceiling, like he is directing his gaze upon Lord Dracula himself. His voice isn't filled with disbelief or good-natured humoring, but honest curiosity. Mother, again, tends to keep her brood relatively under heel. They are only brought out because Dracula forced her hand -- which may one day result in her trying to murder him which in turn will get her killed.
But he hopes that doesn't happen, because he wants to be the one that kills her. ]
Oh. [ His gaze is directed down and towards the creatures' arrival. He purses his lips as he gives an appreciative nod at the creations. ]
You know, one of these days, all of this is going to be possible through science. [ He steps forward towards the little helpers and starts to give them instructions on what he needs. It is mostly items that would help amplify and carry a current of electricity. ]
Magic, as we know it, will become something even the common folk can do.
I haven't been chased by an angry mob with pitchforks even once since I came to this castle.
[That protection might not extend past the borders of Dracula's admittedly extensive domain, but it is an improvement on how life had been for Hector before. Hector doesn't need to be loved or accepted. Being feared is enough to keep him alive and able to work, so he'll take it.]
I'm not one of those who argues that magic and science are two distinct practices. Some 'magic' is just science. But whether the common folk will accept either one, that's another conversation entirely.
[And of course, there's the question of whether those with power will allow it to be handed off to the masses. Hector is not one who would try to stifle learning, but many of the vampire lords he's met in Dracula's employ are worse than dragons with how they horde their knowledge and power.
But Heisenberg is another odd one like himself, willing to show his methods to another practitioner. Maybe he would be willing to make his teachings more widespread.]
[ Heisenberg decides not to say that most of the humans think that he and his family are lords of their land. Not that they don't do anything other than turn them into werewolves, and engage in other experiments, but details. ]
That is, indeed, another conversation. It's like with any thing... you can lead a horse to water, but yadda-yadda-yadda.
[ He makings a talking gesture with his free hand. With his other, he starts to arrange the various objects that he has asked for. While he says that it's all science, well, that is what he believes even as he starts to charge the bolts that are jammed into the body with electricity that he creates. ]
[Hector makes his preparations on his corpse- straightening out the limbs, assessing any wounds he'll need to account for. It's quick since the corpse is relatively intact, and when he finishes, he cranes his neck to see what the vampire is doing on his side of the lab.]
Yep. Humans are stubborn sons of bitches. Almost as bad as vampires.
[It's a joke, but also the truth.
Hector picks up his favorite hammer. Time for his magic vs. Heisenberg's science.]
As a vampire, I take a little bit offense to that, Hector.
[ He spreads his hands out over the corpse, striking it with electricity. Some portion of the flesh start to sizzle and it smells well like a rotten barbecue, but more importantly, the body twitches enough to actually sit up. ]
It's alive! Alive!
[ Heisenberg says with a little too much drama and flourish. He fuses swords onto both of the once corpse's arms, and calls it good. ]
[Hector sure hasn't. And he's met quite a few vampires in his short years.
He rolls his eyes at the dramatics. 'Alive', huh? Well, the thing is moving, at least. It's impressive, for someone who isn't a necromatic practitioner, but Hector is definitely bias to his own process.
Hector looks down at his own corpse, tries to envision what shape it will take. He swings his hammer, which stops in the air above the body but rings out a metallic clink as if it struck an anvil. Magic washes over it, glowing and blue, forming the connection between the empty shell and a damned soul from hell offering up servitude in exchange for an escape. A second strike to bind them together, and third to reshape the body into something more suiting for Dracula's army. He sticks with the classics, an aquatic merman. Dracula likes to keep a few in the watery caverns in the basement of the castle, a little surprise for trespassers.
A few more tweaks, and the creature's eyes open. It hops up from the slab and twirls, seeking out its creator.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
No, I'm mad you're dipping into my stocks. What are you even doing with them? They've been drained of blood and your kind don't eat flesh.
[Even worse than having his work interrupted is the thought that his work is being interrupted for no good reason.]
It's a fucking waste and Lord Dracula will hear of it.
no subject
[ His eyebrows lift in honest surprise. It takes him a second before he claps his hands together, realizing that this must be the Forgemaster. ]
Will wonders never cease? I was told about you earlier. Most of the vampires seem to think that the two of us are peas in a pod... it's hard to tell who that is insulting more, am I right? [ He barks out a laugh at his own joke. ]
And Lord Dracula can hear all about it, because I'm revolutionizing the whole forging of the dead. [ With his free hand, he makes small circles in the air. He clenches his hand into a fist. ] I've found a way to bring them back... but without using magic.
no subject
Still brooding, he nonetheless can't help but nibble at that bait.]
Explain what you mean, 'revolutionizing' forging. It's a magical process. Alchemy applied to biology.
[Hector has made some amazing advances in his field, but there's no way to do it without magic. It just... it doesn't work. He's baffled to the point that it outweighs his anger.]
no subject
[ he throws his arms open like he expects others to come rushing in to give him a standing ovation. of course, no applause happens. it is just hector and heisenberg among a lot of dead bodies. ]
Fill their bodies with enough electricity and you restart something in 'em. [ he walks over to the nearest corpse, giving it a little kick. ] We can't just rely forever on you, ya know? We have to try to change with the times.
[ which is a very un-vampire thing to say, he knows. most of the lot that he is around like to keep things "as they were," but he can't say that he approves of that mentality. it might be because he was changed only a few decades years ago, but he just isn't about moving forward. ]
no subject
He scowls.]
Electricity? There's a world of difference between simple nerve stimulation and my craft.
[Hector's an artist.]
I'll show you. We each take one corpse and make something of it, and we'll see how yours measure up to mine.
[Hector doesn't actually have the authority to demand a corpse, so it's entirely up to Heisenberg if he wants to indulge Hector's little competition.]
no subject
[ Tomato, tom-ah-to. ]
A fascinating bet. I'll take you up on it since I need to see if I can create one of my creations outside of my laboratory.
[ Heisenberg accepts that he might always be able to be in the best situation in order to make one of his soldiers. He might actually have to do it on the fly if "Mother" figures out what he's up to, and he lets out a sigh. ]
You know... vampires should be allowed to live free. [ It's an abrupt comment that he makes as he grabs one of the legs -- picking a corpse from the pile. ] Lord Dracula is a good, ol' lord. He only calls us in every so often, but really... he's very hands off. It's the ones that like jamming their nose into everything that you have to worry about, Hector.
no subject
He drags his own corpse from the pile, giving it a quick once-over to make sure there are no bits of weaponry still sticking in it. Some of the vampires get lazy about cleaning up after themselves.]
Do you need to be somewhere specific for us to continue?
[He's got no vampire strength, but he's strong enough from swinging a hammer all day to drag one bloodless corpse to the vampire's laboratory of choice.]
...and yes, he's a good lord. He keeps those types of vampires well away from me. We have a good arrangement here, he and I.
[Well, up until today and Dracula's indulgence of this other necromancer.]
no subject
[ Heisenberg tilts his head back as he starts to bark out a loud laugh. ]
It's a real fine arrangement that you have. I wonder about it sometimes, but I'm sure everyone else does, too. [ Letting the corpse fall out of his hands, it hits the ground with a wet plop -- despite it only being lifted only a little bit off the ground. The vampires that murdered the poor sap really went hog wild on 'em. ]
I suppose he has a soft spot for humans due to his late wife. [ He holds his hands over the corpse. ] I wonder if he's attempting to make a new family with you two.
no subject
[He sighs as the corpse drops onto the ground. The things he does for his art.]
You may as well bring that to my lab, then. It's well stocked, and if there's something you require that I don't have, I can send someone out to fetch it.
no subject
[ he lets out a single sigh. ]
I guess that's as good a place as anything. [ he fills his mouth full of air and lets out puttering noises. ] Having you drag the body all the way there would be funny.
[ heisenberg steps forward to reach down to take the corpse from hector. ]
But I'm feeling generous. So, I'll take it along with mine. Seems fair, right? You're letting me use your lab, so I should be a good guest and bring the materials.
no subject
Hector fully would have called up a Night Creature to carry his corpse, but now he's going to let the vampire haul it for him.]
How chivalrous. I'll lead the way. Be sure not to damage it any more than it is.
[Hector's lab isn't far, at least. And having his 'rival' toting his materials for him soothes Hector's bruised ego a little.]
no subject
[ He quips back as he carries both of the corpses on his back. Heisenberg doesn't seem to mind whatever entrails or nastiness seems to pour out of them as they walk; it isn't really a concern of his, if he's honest.
It might be because he's just gotten a little too used to rummaging around the dead, but shh. ]
Might I ask why you started to resurrect the dead? From what I heard, you were doing it well before Lord Dracula came to your door and found your talent.
no subject
He isn't here to get all buddy-buddy with his rival, but he doesn't get many opportunities to talk about his work with someone who understands it. So he figures there's no harm in answering.]
I started as a boy. I was being trained in more classical alchemy, but all I wanted was a dog. My... the man who trained me wouldn't allow any 'unnecessary expenses', but I thought he couldn't protest a pet that cost nothing to acquire and would have no need to eat. Suppose I had a natural bent for it, because I was able to piece together a ritual to raise a dead dog I found.
no subject
[ Isn't it nice to have one's reasons for doing something boiled down? His smile is bright, if not a little bit cheery. ]
I suppose every boy wants a dog. [ He tips his chin up as he tries to remember what he wanted when he was a child, but that was so long ago that he can't actually recall what it might have been. ] It's one of those fundamentals of childhood, yeah?
[ Even though he is totting the corpses, he leans to the side so that he can nudge Hector's shoulder with his own. ]
But from what you're saying, that man did protest to an undead dog, huh?
no subject
I'd have no idea what constitutes a normal childhood. It could be a universal childhood desire.
[He sidesteps so the vampire can't brush him again. Hector isn't inclined to rub elbows with him, the two corpses he is carrying notwithstanding.]
Yes, he did. And then I killed him. And then I got to determine what pets I could keep.
no subject
His mouth is open wide for the laugh, but it freezes. He turns his head slightly toward Hector; his fangs visible and sharp. Heisenberg lets his expression relax as he lets out a snort, and finally closes his mouth. ]
I can't say that I'm not surprised that's the ending of that story, Hector.
[ A beat passes. ]
You really an interesting guy. I feel like the two of us have a lot in common, actually.
no subject
The humans who make their living in the night world rarely have happy childhoods.
[So, yes, it shouldn't come as a surprise.
He looks over at the vampire, who is much more personable than he's used to. Most of the vampires in Dracula's court either disdain him for being human or resent him for having Dracula's favor. Nobody engages him in small talk like this.]
Perhaps we do. I'm interested to see you work.
no subject
[ His tone is rather flippant, but he figures that if they are going to technically share the night with their food/resources, they should attempt to make things pleasant for them. Why not? ]
It's a bit of razzle dazzle, as the kids would say.
[ What kids? Who says this?
In any case, he is shuffling himself into the laboratory to toss the corpses onto the nearest surface. Pressing his hands on the small of his back, he stretches in an exaggerated fashion, like that actually put him out. ]
no subject
[It's a lie, but it is not one Hector is telling to Heisenberg, per say. It's the lie he tells himself. Some days, he believes it.
Hector is similarly out of the loop with what the youths are saying, so he lets Heisenberg's second comment go by unquestioned. With a snap of his finger, a night creature emerges from an alcove and lifts the corpses onto the slab-like tables Hector keeps around his lab for his work. He didn't need to snap to get the job done, but it's as much a show as the vampire's feigned back pains.
A couple more creatures slip out from the shadows. All of them have glowing blue eyes, the mark of Hector's handiwork.]
You can ask them for the materials you need. They don't talk, but they understand well enough.
no subject
[ Heisenberg pauses to tilt his head up to look toward the ceiling, like he is directing his gaze upon Lord Dracula himself. His voice isn't filled with disbelief or good-natured humoring, but honest curiosity. Mother, again, tends to keep her brood relatively under heel. They are only brought out because Dracula forced her hand -- which may one day result in her trying to murder him which in turn will get her killed.
But he hopes that doesn't happen, because he wants to be the one that kills her. ]
Oh. [ His gaze is directed down and towards the creatures' arrival. He purses his lips as he gives an appreciative nod at the creations. ]
You know, one of these days, all of this is going to be possible through science. [ He steps forward towards the little helpers and starts to give them instructions on what he needs. It is mostly items that would help amplify and carry a current of electricity. ]
Magic, as we know it, will become something even the common folk can do.
no subject
[That protection might not extend past the borders of Dracula's admittedly extensive domain, but it is an improvement on how life had been for Hector before. Hector doesn't need to be loved or accepted. Being feared is enough to keep him alive and able to work, so he'll take it.]
I'm not one of those who argues that magic and science are two distinct practices. Some 'magic' is just science. But whether the common folk will accept either one, that's another conversation entirely.
[And of course, there's the question of whether those with power will allow it to be handed off to the masses. Hector is not one who would try to stifle learning, but many of the vampire lords he's met in Dracula's employ are worse than dragons with how they horde their knowledge and power.
But Heisenberg is another odd one like himself, willing to show his methods to another practitioner. Maybe he would be willing to make his teachings more widespread.]
no subject
[ Heisenberg decides not to say that most of the humans think that he and his family are lords of their land. Not that they don't do anything other than turn them into werewolves, and engage in other experiments, but details. ]
That is, indeed, another conversation. It's like with any thing... you can lead a horse to water, but yadda-yadda-yadda.
[ He makings a talking gesture with his free hand. With his other, he starts to arrange the various objects that he has asked for. While he says that it's all science, well, that is what he believes even as he starts to charge the bolts that are jammed into the body with electricity that he creates. ]
no subject
Yep. Humans are stubborn sons of bitches. Almost as bad as vampires.
[It's a joke, but also the truth.
Hector picks up his favorite hammer. Time for his magic vs. Heisenberg's science.]
no subject
[ He spreads his hands out over the corpse, striking it with electricity. Some portion of the flesh start to sizzle and it smells well like a rotten barbecue, but more importantly, the body twitches enough to actually sit up. ]
It's alive! Alive!
[ Heisenberg says with a little too much drama and flourish. He fuses swords onto both of the once corpse's arms, and calls it good. ]
no subject
[Hector sure hasn't. And he's met quite a few vampires in his short years.
He rolls his eyes at the dramatics. 'Alive', huh? Well, the thing is moving, at least. It's impressive, for someone who isn't a necromatic practitioner, but Hector is definitely bias to his own process.
Hector looks down at his own corpse, tries to envision what shape it will take. He swings his hammer, which stops in the air above the body but rings out a metallic clink as if it struck an anvil. Magic washes over it, glowing and blue, forming the connection between the empty shell and a damned soul from hell offering up servitude in exchange for an escape. A second strike to bind them together, and third to reshape the body into something more suiting for Dracula's army. He sticks with the classics, an aquatic merman. Dracula likes to keep a few in the watery caverns in the basement of the castle, a little surprise for trespassers.
A few more tweaks, and the creature's eyes open. It hops up from the slab and twirls, seeking out its creator.]
There. This one's actually alive.