text ; @Qubit (backdated prooooobably a week-ish?)

[superposition]

[ AND NOW IN THE RIGHT COMM... ]

Qubit here. Keeping this quick: I need a few volunteers to provide blood samples for testing purposes. These will need to come from both sick and healthy individuals, please. Contact me if you're interested. Thanks in advance.

Comments

[superposition]

[ ok but. he's not at home right now??? i mean yeah he did tell her where he lives but he's not there right now. ]

That won't be necessary. I'm out and about already, it's not as if it's an imposition for me.

[birdical]

[But she wanted to come over. :( If disappointed huffs translated through text, one would go here.]

I am at the park. I will await you.

[superposition]

Thanks. I'll be the man in green.

[ SORRY ELLERU NEXT TIME I PROMISE..... blame whoever put him on call 24/7 (oh wait he did that himself.) ]

[ He heads to the park within a few minutes. It's a big place, but Elleru and her bright pink hair aren't too hard to spot.

In spite of the circumstances, he's fairly well put together at the moment - sufficiently fed, recently washed, tired but not exhausted. He has loads of practice keeping his body running through a protracted crisis, after all. With him he has a white carrying case marked with the biohazard symbol and the words "BIOSAMPLE KIT." ]

Miss Elleru?

[birdical]

[Sitting near the edge of the lake, Elleru turns when she hears her name, her magenta eyes landing on Qubit as he makes his way over. She gives him a smile, one warm and welcoming... and maybe just a bit playful as she looks him up and down, giving him an obvious inspection.]

Qubit. [Key-U-beet, again.] Would you sit with me? Or should I stand for you?

[superposition]

[ His eyes are up here, ma'am. Qubit does not fail to notice that expression, and a flicker of dismay crosses his own. He thought he'd successfully deflected her interest, whether or not it was genuine, but no, she's right back on her flirty bullshit.

Well, at least now he knows to expect it. She's not going to surprise him this time around! (Or so he thinks.) He smiles back, though his is merely polite rather than warm. ]

Tempting [ /s ], but I'd rather not perform your phlebotomy in the dirt.

[ He motions to a nearby picnic table instead, heading toward it. ]

[birdical]

[Happy to oblige, she gets to her feet, dusting off the backs of her legs before stretching to her full height. Oh, she's tall. She's real tall. She follows him over to the picnic table, taking the seat across from him.]

Are you a doctor, Qubit? I do not believe I know your profession.

[superposition]

[ Hmm! Yeah, she sure is considerably taller than him! Good thing he doesn't find that mildly threatening for no good reason or anything, that would be ridiculous.

He doesn't actually sit down, but sets his kit on the table and opens it up, revealing a small assortment of devices that look like what you'd see in Anchor's medbay (since that's where he found this thing). Also, disposable blue gloves, because the more things change, I guess - although it's maybe not obvious that they are gloves until he takes out a pair and puts them on. ]

Not as such, no.

[ No point in claiming credentials he doesn't have. As for his profession, though... "Superhero" might not go over well at this stage, since he's not sure she really gets the distinction between magic and non-magic powers. So he'll go with something a little less fantastical, a little more relevant. ]

But I am a scientist, and what is medicine if not a science?

[birdical]

[Doesn't seem too bothered by his being a scientist rather than a doctor, her ears pricking up with visible interest as she examines the contents of what she assumes is some kind of medkit. Her eyes trail to Qubit himself as he puts the gloves on.]

And what science is it you study? You must have a passion for it, if it is 'everything you do.'

[superposition]

[ In spite of himself, Qubit's smile grows a little less guarded. ]

You could call it that. [ Often it's more like a mania. ] I study everything to some degree, but my specialty is quantum physics.

[birdical]

That sounds very complicated.

[She knows little of upright studies, but knows physics is more specialized than not. Quantum physics must be even more so.]

If you spend so much time studying, what is it you do for fun? What are your hobbies?

[superposition]

[ Aaaand that gets a more cautious side-eye. Asking about his qualifications is perfectly reasonable, given that this is technically a medical procedure, but that is unambiguously a getting-to-know-you question. ]

... Not that I've had the time lately, but I dabble in the culinary arts. Have you ever had blood drawn before?

[ Why no that's not an attempt to keep her on topic, why would he do that? ]

[birdical]

No. Should I have?

[She wants to ask about those culinary arts, but he seems like he's trying to stay on task, maybe even avoiding talking about himself. He must be shy, so she'll let him work for now.]

[superposition]

[ Whaaaat? Qubit? Avoid talking about himself?? That would never happen. ]

[ Shakes his head. ] Not necessarily, just wanted to see if you were familiar with the procedure. It's nothing invasive, don't worry. Lay your arm on the table, please?

[birdical]

[She does as she's told, laying her arm on the table, hand down. She doesn't like the sound of 'procedure.']

Will it hurt?

[superposition]

[ Qubit shakes his head. ] No, not especially. You shouldn't feel anything worse than a pinprick.

[ While he's speaking, he gets out the inflatable cuff and wraps it around her upper arm. As an afterthought, though, he adds - ]

Oh, and this will get snug in a second. That's normal.

[ And he'll just go ahead and turn that on. It's quieter than a 20th-century cuff, at least, but yeah, it does get quite snug. ]

[birdical]

[Elleru watches with great interest as he wraps the cuff around her arm, even greater when it starts inflating. It does get quite snug, but not uncomfortably so. Her magenta eyes flick from her arm to Qubit.]

And what is it this is for? [Because it's certainly not drawing her blood, nor does it seem capable of doing so. Unfortunately, even with all the pressure it's putting on her arm, her veins are a bit hard to find, and her skin tougher to pierce than it ought to be.]

<s>12 years later</s>

[superposition]

The tourniquet? It's to restrict blood flow in your arm - make your veins more prominent, so they're easier to locate.

[ He is starting to relax again, a bit. She may lack a lot of foundational knowledge, but sincere curiosity is a quality he instinctively likes, and feels drawn to cultivate in others. He takes her arm and gently turns it palm-upwards on the table. ]

Clench your fist for a moment? Yes, like that.

[ He goes into his kit and pulls out the little gun-looking thing, which he presses against the inside of her elbow and moves it around for a few seconds, keeping an eye on whatever kind of readout it has. In a moment, though, he frowns slightly. ]

Hmm. [ The vein should be right here, shouldn't it? It's not showing up. He widens the search slightly. Everyone's body is different, so it's not that unusual, but... ]

Better late than never!

[birdical]

[Clenching her fist as instructed (and yes, she did smile when he touched her, however brief and gentle the contact may have been), Elleru continues to watch with great interest as he presses the device to her arm. His disappointment is met with more curiosity.]

Is something the matter, Qubit?

[In good news, she does have a vein in her arm, but it's much farther that-a-way than it really ought to be.]