[ Viktor hums at this, eyes on Jayce's leg even though it's covered by layers of blankets and pants. ] It's possible there was nerve damage, either from the bullet or the spell. Or the nerves are regrowing at a slower rate than the tissue itself.

[ There are a slew of possibilities, and without proper equipment and clean working conditions, trying to puzzle out the answer as to what's really going on is a risk to Jayce's health.

Stewing in his thoughts, he perks up at the question posed as a statement. Of course Jayce would be interested in his choice of magic catalyst, he's been interested in magic his entire life and now he has yet another form of it to study. Well, if being his subject means that they can keep this tenuous peace between them, Viktor will lie on the metaphorical examination table. ]

It was part inference, part... instinct. I had already discovered that runes placed on my body were exponentially more viable than runes written on any other surface. [ He thinks about the metal skin now etched with runes, so similar to his body scarred with his efforts to fix it. ] You're familiar with the stories of dark sorcerers using blood magic, and you saw how the Hexcore responded to organic matter.