Alyssa's Shack

[Zalini]

He nodded. "I didn't mean to offend, friend." He stated quickly watching as she held it closely to her face, nearly cuddling it like a small child would cuddle her favorite teddy bear. Although one could not see past his matted hair, he cocked an eyebrow as she seemed to drift away as she spoke once more. "What kind of chemicals?" He asked, a wide, but subtle smile stretched across his face. He had been searching to learn, but maybe fungi and plants didn't hold the answers he was searching for, but he wasn't sure just yet. His mind wandered on what insects could teach humans, a few he could guess at mainly. Things like how life is short and that beauty is more than skin deep but these things are simply speculations at the hows' and whys' of insect life.

[Alyssa]

After a moment of debate, Alyssa decided to divulge some of her well kept stores of insectoid knowledge. Gingerly she returned the spider to its home, shutting the cage as it scurried back into its trap. Crossing the room with practiced care to avoid the hidden traps the deposited tomes and papers created, she began to inspect one of the shelves while speaking.

"Many species produce a variety of chemicals in defense or assault. Obviously you would know of the more basics, such as spiders venom used to paralize its prey, but some insects also utilize defensive ones. From these chemicals we can produce antidotes, anti-venoms and the like to counter others one might encounter, or even produce chemical weapons. Some of these natural chemicals can even be used to assist in the work of medicine... ah! Here we go.."

She withdrew a fairly dirty looking tome, the name once lettered in the same gold spirals along the spine now too faded to legible. She popped it open, flicking through a few pages until she found what she was looking for. Satisfied she picked up the journal from her desk and placed it on top of the open tome, opening this as well.

Fixing her glasses she returned to Mutts side, gaze sliding from her books to the cages repeatedly. As she spoke her hand moved to point out the subjects she spoke of. "In eastern medicine, they commonly use unique methods in medicine, including insects. Centipedes are know to be used to treat tetanus, seizures, and convulsions. It is also said to relieve sores and carbuncles on the skin, to alleviate pain, especially that of headaches, and to be a cure for snakebite. The Black Mountain Ant is believed to have almost divine abilities in medicine. Research has led to believe it works in a number of ailments, has qualities in anti-aging, and so forth.."

[Zalini]

If Mutt had animal ears, they would have perked up the moment she opened that tome. He listened much more closely, much like an eager teacher's pet that sits just a little to close to the teacher's desk. "Do you believe any of this?" He would ask, once she paused to look up another interesting tidbit from that tome of hers. "If these insects can do all that, but what about affecting the brain?" He asked, nearly out of the blue. "Reversing the affects of aging is astounding, don't get me wrong, but chemicals that enhance certain feelings?" He asked, tapping his chin, trying to find the right words. Barely realizing that he sounded a little strange, he cleared his throat. "Just a bit curious is all." He added quickly, sounding mostly innocent.

[Alyssa]

Ah. Now they were getting specific. Right down to brass tacks, as it were.

Dipping her head in a nod Alyssa flicked through her journal. "Well it depends on the emotion your seeking to intensify. Pheremones could certainly used for some of the more... intimate ones. As for the others, I'd have to research first which chemical the brain creates for the emotion, and then find an insect that excreets these. Most insects create an Alkali based chemical, though there are some exceptions, for their defensive based excreetions."

"Unless..." she added as she moved about, now checking her numbers in her book with those in the cage. "If you meant things like paralysis, seizures and the like. Those are easy to create." She sounded less interested however when she said this part. As if she hoped he meant emotions, eager to conduct new experiments. One of the cages she inspected were empty save a white rat, whose eyes and throat and tongue looked swollen and hardly twitched when she tapped the cage, its chest struggling to rise and take in air. Nodding to herself she tugged out a pen and wrote a quick observation note.

[Zalini]

he shook his head. "N-no, nothing like those, paralysis and seizures aren't what I'm after." He explained, shuddering at the thought. "I'm more looking for inducing the feels that induce adrenaline." He started to explain. "Seeing living things escape fear by doing the impossible just because they are afraid something." he continued. His gaze followed her as she inspected the cage with the rather unfortunate rat inside. "Not to break off from the conversation, but whats wrong with your rat?" He asked.

[Alyssa]

A light, amused chuckle slipped past her lips. "A shame," she replied in an almost disappointed tone. "Here I thought you had a challange for me. Though I suppose I could answer such a simple question as that. Indeed, there are some insects with the ability to produce an artificial invoker of adrenaline. Although it does come with... side affects."

She continued her notes, showing not the slightest concern for the poor suffering creature. "How observant you are. Indeed, I am testing a specific insects ability against an adversary. A form of moth specifically. Im trying to create an accurate chart of each symptom, and the time lapsed versus the dosage. The equation will certainly be useful for future not in weaponizing this particular insect."

[Zalini]

He nodded, closely observing the poor creature. "How fatal is it?" He asked, taking a step closer to the cage getting a few view of it's specimen. Quickly changing subjects however, he turned back to Alyssa. "Sorry to disappoint, friend." He said with a small chuckle. "But what sort of side affects?" he asked as he took out his own, rather weather journal and something to write with. "I hope you don't mind me taking notes?" He asked quietly as he started to jot down the ideas anyways, knowing that he couldn't keep everything in his head.

[Alyssa]

Alyssa chuckled and there was a certain menacing quality to the tone. "Left untreated it can mean a prolonged, agonizing death from suffocation." She answered him as she finished off her notes. "And no no, feel free." She added looking pleasantly surprised at the action of the more beastly looking figure. His appearance led away from the thought of him as an intellect, and even this aside she wasn't exactly used to others showing interest over disgust and abhoration when it came to her gruesom studies.

"As for the adrenaline well," she continued on the subject. "One of the major and most likely side effects would be similar to the overuse of certain other emotion enhancing drugs. When one over stimulates a naturally occuring chemical in their body repeatedly, it can result in the body having trouble creating enough when off the drug as it had adjusted its own natural chemical output. While not perminant this 'let down' can be quite uncomfortable to endure, even maddening. Or so Ive read. Id have to do more research of course but..."

[Zalini]

He jotted down the specifics of the poor rat's condition, leaving a few question marks to personal questions he wrote down. "Is that from ingesting the moth, or a toxin?" He asked still looking into the cage. "That makes sense..." He trailed off in thought as he nodded. "Why don't I help you with this research?" He asked, a large smile spreading across his face as his slipped his journal back into its hiding spot within his ragged clothes. "I could help gather and get things ready for testing." He took a look around and chuckled. "Also help clean up the place a little too..." He stated trailing off as he though about what could be done to safely do these tests and what, or whom to do them on.

[Alyssa]

"It's... a bit of both..." there was a deep hesitancy to be heard in her answer. Was she willing to share such secrets of her craft? If she wasn't cautious he could use such knowledge against her after all, and there was no evidence to ward against the theory he might be a mage of the guild tracking her. This thought alone made her begin to feel on edge.

Perhaps she could test him. Certainly his inquistory show seemed to be made of pure intentions. Clicking her tongue in thought she continued. "It's a toxin in their bodies, in the blood. When it comes into contact with sensitive flesh it can cause irritation and swelling." As she explained this she opened the cage and a moth that had been sitting near the rat shifted, crawling onto her open palm. She held it up for him to see a moment before she began to play with it.

"The nature of my research is... sensitive... dark. Not for the faint of heart. And certainly not for the pure of spirit..." her voice softened, and a hint of loneliness seemed to seep into her tone. "Many ... disagree with my... manners and other such things... I need to know I can trust whomever I bring into this personal sanctum of my existence." She flicked her gaze to his a moment. The entire emotional display was a ruse of course, or at least the manner on which she presented her words. In all honesty she cared little for others opinions, but she needed to tug on the heartstrings, look for some flicker of doubt or dishonesty to give him away as n eenemy.

[Zalini]

He nodded as she explained. "It must be fast acting, to preserve the life of the moth at least?" He questioned, scratching his head in thought. "Unless they can sweat out or shoot their own blood out when in danger..." he thought aloud. Hearing as she started to show sorrow in her tone he tilted his head. "Progress can't always be pretty, sacrifices must be made for true research." He stated with a nod, a wide smile spreading across his face. "I'm not afraid of what we will need to do." He added, taking a step forward to observe the moth as he she played with it in her hands. "Whatever we need to do, on who or what ever it needs to be tested on, I'm there until the bitter end." He added further.