Chapter 272: Choice
Though it took some convincing—including multiple concessions on his part—Vahn managed to persuade Bonney to have her blood and marrow tested to ascertain whether she was aging properly. After what she had gone through combating her Sapphire Scale Disease, she was right to be wary of researchers and scientists. However, with access to innumerable worlds, those of the Pavilion's Research and Development Division were among the best, brightest, and ethically aware from various settings.
"Gnnuu...are you sure this gloomy-looking girl knows what she's doing?" groaned Bonney, her face set in a pained grimace as she had refused to be placed under anesthesia as a twelve gauge needle was inserted into her pelvis bone via her lower back to extract a sample of her marrow. To make matters even worse, she had to endure the procedure twice, once in her adult and once in her child form.
"My specialty is biopsychology, but I'm the second-best biophysicist in the Pavilion after Tearju-sensei..." stated the aforementioned gloomy girl, Nunotaba Shinobu, a young woman with an average build, unkempt black hair, and apathetic, nearly unblinking muted purple eyes. Before coming under the umbrella of the Dragon's Pavilion, she was a child prodigy, groomed and manipulated to assist with the creation of Mikoto's Sisters. Now, after being rescued from nearly being sold off to another research association, she was among the more dedicated junior members of the Pavilion's R&D Division.
"Ugh...when I imagined something long and hard jabbing me in the pelvis, this isn't what I pictured..." grumbled Bonney, casting an accusatory glare at Vahn.
"Some thoughts are best kept in our heads..." expressed Vahn, exhaling from his nose in exasperation but allowing Bonney to continue squeezing his hand like a vice for support.
"Alright, revert to your base form and take a moment to steal yourself while I prepare this sample for processing..." stated Shinobu, taking the syringe of Bonney's bone marrow and dividing it between several culture dishes. Some would be tested to evaluate Bonney's genetic markers and the effect various types of energy had on her cells, but the principal test was fairly simple—placing a sample into a specially prepared medium and seeing how many times the cells would divide before achieving replicative senescence and ultimately dying.
While Shinobu was preparing the samples, Bonney reluctantly reverted to her true form, shrinking to nearly two-thirds of her adult size as she sulkily demanded, "Rub my butt to distract me..."
"I'll pass..." responded Vahn. He did, however, place his hand on the small of Bonney's exposed back, using a combination of Wounds Transfer and his S-Rank Petting to eliminate her pain nigh-instantaneously while easing the tension in her body.
"You promised you would do whatever I asked for a full day..." reminded Bonney, closing her eyes and exhaling a sigh of relief as the intense pain in her back disappeared, replaced by a faint, tingling warmth.