[action] We don't need greenhouses where we're going...

[made_of_science]

[So there's all this snow. Snow is a novel thing for Vitalia, and a troublesome one, because 1: it's uncomfortably cold and 2: it kills plants. But Srta. Ruiz is not one to take this affront lying down! No, she has been cultivating things! Things which are now thriving happily near the treehouse! Things like pretty roses, and lilies, and several fruits! And a plant with fanged, snapping jaws! And a plant that grows eyeballs instead of berries! And a horrible, shriveled black thing that occasionally spits a fireball out in a random direction. (Thankfully that one's range is only about a yard, so there's no damage beyond a blackened circle around it.)

[And in the midst of this is a cheerful and heavily-bundled young lady, inspecting each plant and noting its progress down on a pad of paper, humming as she goes.]

Comments

[made_of_science]

Miss, I do believe you've gotten the wrong impression! We have no need to commit murder to obtain our materials- Papi purchases his entirely legitimately, and I have no need of human bodies at all on my own!- and every precaution is taken to make certain that casualties are minimized! We are certainly not unprepared for unfortunate circumstances arising from a failure.

[dragoninstalled]

If its only purpose is stoking your pride, there should be no causalities at all.

[She folds her arms and purses her lips. Truth be told, she hadn't even thought about where the "human" part of the hybrid would come from until Vitalia had mentioned it — which, upon reflection, is somewhat surprising, given what she herself is.]

Bodies... Already dead?

[She certainly hopes so, but all things considered she doesn't feel like she can take that for granted.]

[made_of_science]

[She sniffs, offended] My pride is of no consequence! It is my duty to advance the frontiers of science!

[Some people write and print religious brochures; Vitalia does terrible things to plants.]

Generally. It is rather difficult to obtain a willing living specimen, even from among the peasantry.

[She is unaware that this is only part of the truth; Dr. Ruiz has kept from her the occasional entirely immoral purchase.]

[dragoninstalled]

Hn.

[She doesn't seem particularly content to accept either of those statements at face value, but it's not like she can prove otherwise. So, instead, she says:]

You should think more carefully about what is and isn't worth the loss of human life.

[Has this phrase ever been delivered so pointedly?]

[made_of_science]

And what makes you believe that a human is so far elevated from the rest of the creatures of Earth that his death is worth more? Are we not all, in the end, beasts?

[dragoninstalled]

Yeah, we're beasts. [And she had certainly seen enough in her long life to know that humans could be just as beastly as any other animal. However...] But causing pointless death is monstrous.

[made_of_science]

The pursuit of knowledge is never pointless, Miss!

[dragoninstalled]

Maybe not, but murder to meet that end can be.

[made_of_science]

I tell you, there is no murder staining the reputation of my family! How dare you!

[dragoninstalled]

Causing death isn't murder?

[made_of_science]

"Causing death"?! My good woman, were we to spend our time worrying that any particular move on our part might potentially lead to the death of some unknown individual, there should be no advancement whatsoever!

[dragoninstalled]

It you do these things carelessly, you'll cause death sooner or later. Act more carefully and think through what is and is not worth that.

[This is like talking to a (verbose) brick wall, though, and it's just making her angry. So, with her usual lack of tact and social grace, she's just going to turn on her heel and walk away like they weren't just in the middle of a heated discussion.]