voice | un: karma

[torpour]

My name is Nehan-- I'm researching how medicine works here, and how to merge it with the methods I'm used to. If my research goes well, for instance, I will be able to act as a doctor and pharmacist, among other roles found here.

To that end, I'm requesting samples of blood from fellow Sleepers. I understand it can be quite personal, so whoever does not want to do that need not respond. Those who do, so I can perform the phlebotomy myself, and can privately send you my address, and answer questions you may have.

Whoever wants to help but doesn't want a needle in their arm, I still have a job for you, if anyone is interested.

[very straight to the point, almost unwelcomingly so. but at least people know what they're getting into if they decide to deal with him?]

Comments

[tonedeaf]

I guess that makes sense too.

[ still hard for venti to wrap his brain around having changed blood, but. he's trying! probably easier to think about than other things. ]

So... you'd probably prefer to have a sample of my blood, then.

[torpour]

Only if you're willing. [even as he says that, nehan is already typing his address so he can send it if venti does want to help.]

[tonedeaf]

I'm more than willing. Donating a little blood shouldn't hurt, even if it doesn't look like blood in the first place.

[ too sparkly, and it required some focus to make it actually look the part. ]

[torpour]

[that... sounds like either paleblood or darkblood. or perhaps vileblood?]

I know how to draw all types now. Perks of having a mentor.

[tonedeaf]

Oh! That's... that's good to hear!

[ not like he's positive on how the actual process would go anyway, but. hey. ]

Then, I'll do it. And I can help look for whatever else you need too!

[torpour]

[luckily, nehan has finally managed to finish typing his address because he hasn't yet learned the concept of copy+paste and sends it off to venti.]

Feel free to come at any time.

[tonedeaf]

( it's okay. this kind of magic through the omni... it's pretty amazing and incredibly user-friendly, so. he'll be able to figure out how to get wherever he needs to be.

copy and pasting though? nope. )

I will. I'll be seeing you soon!

[torpour]

Yes, yes.

[it's easy to figure out which house nehan's is, anyway. out in the block of terraced houses away from the canals, the erune sits on his front porch, curled up in a chair with his feet on a footstool, bundled in a fur coat for warmth.

and of course he's just waiting in front of his home for guests-- meaning, blood donors he's spoken to on the network.]

[tonedeaf]

[ it's actually a lot easier than he thought it'd be to find where nehan lives--- mostly because of his presence on the porch, wrapped up to keep the chill off of him. some are obviously more affected by that weather than others. venti makes do with a coat of the same color as his eyes. the color of anemo.

as soon as he spots nehan, he immediately raises a hand to wave as he approaches. ]

Hey! Weird... I feel like I've walked past here once or twice before already.

[ and somehow without the most obvious landmark of a resting erune, too. ]

[torpour]

Oh, did you. [mild interest, more interest than what nehan can muster at any other time. venti would be honored if he knew.] Perhaps you just never noticed a single house stand out among a row of them.

[and the only way nehan's would stand out is if its tenant were to be outside. like right now.

nehan stands up, tucking his coat around him like it's a cloak instead, and opens the door.]

Come in.

[tonedeaf]

You may be right.

[ but it does make him wonder what exactly is going on? he may not have a good sense of time or place, but the general ability to sense the wind does help him figure some things out?

and he's quick to follow nehan, nodding with a polite smile as he walks into the house. ]

But there might be more than meets the eye around here at times.

[torpour]

[nehan tilts his head, curious, before he just shrugs and closes his door, locking it for good measure. it may not be enough to completely stop a beast, but it can certainly stall one long enough for nehan to shoot it between the eyes.

of course, he has a supply of incense now, and heads to the kitchen to the side of the living room to retrieve it and his tools.]

I know. But I haven't encountered anything strange yet, in my short time living here.

[tonedeaf]

[ he's not here to doubt what nehan has or hasn't seen, but man! maybe it's just how the other has lived his life up to this point; the concept of blood and corruption, beasthood and a cycle of living and death that starts and ends with squiddom... well. the first things are somewhat familiar. the second? he can't imagine being a squishy seafaring creature.

they're gross, after all. ew. ]

That's good! That's good...

[ his voice trails off, taking a seat in the living room. his eyes flicker back and forth. ]

... have you always been a doctor?

[torpour]

Yes. [nehan trails off for a moment as he takes his bag of tools and an empty vial, hanging his coat up so he has his arms free. only when he returns to the living room does he speak again.] Even in childhood, I was already assisting my parents with tonics and potions.

[nehan's answer is a literal "always". because of course.

but as he speaks of helping out his parents, his voice softened, just a little bit-- as it tends to do when he's reminiscing. then nehan wraps it up again, returning to his usual blandness, as if nothing happened.]

Now... what's your blood type?

[tonedeaf]

Darkblood.

[ he smiles faintly. can he imagine a smaller nehan trying to carry around vials, determined to have a level of focus beyond his size and age? did he smile as he helped his family with whatever they could allow him to do, have some kind of pride with every task completed with a desire to help his parents...

venti would never know what having a real family is like, but in a way every person that lives in mondstadt is his 'child' of sorts. that he is proud of each and every one of them and more than willing to lay down his life to protect their individual freedoms. ]

It barely showed itself when I got hurt not too long ago...

[torpour]

[nehan clicks his tongue, before returning to his kitchen and pulls out a basin and some incense form the cupboards.]

That's because you need blood magic to draw out darkblood. Come, we'll have to do this out in the back yard.

[despite laden with materials, nehan still walks as briskly as his leg will allow, and pushes the door to the back open. there's nothing there, not even the plants nehan would like to grow, except for a few chairs dotted here and there.]

[tonedeaf]

[ to the backyard he goes, following after nehan. he shouldn't feel nervous, but venti definitely does--- it's the process that has him curious but a little out of sorts. it's not like archons have their blood drawn on a regular basis, unless in combat! so... ]

Huh... really?

[ he doesn't doubt the doctor, but. a demonstration certainly would help. ]

[torpour]

Yes. Fortunately, I know how to perform that. [nehan sets the basin down on the ground among the chairs, before setting some incense on the perimeter of his yard and lighting each stick up with a stove lighter. the incense stinks, but better than having a beast sniff around.]

But because you're a darkblood, I cant simply stick a needle into your arm. I have to cut you with a knife.

[tonedeaf]

Eh!

[ venti's eyebrows raise, taking a seat closest to the basin. the scent of the the incense makes him wrinkle his nose but the purpose of it keeps him from commenting on it. ]

Cut me? [ a nervous laugh, the smallest 'ehe'. ] Do I get to choose where you do it, at least?

[torpour]

If you choose a place that can bleed easily, I'll cut there.

[then he realizes that maybe he should put this person at ease, because he's been nothing but polite to nehan.]

Venti. I will do my best to make it as painless as possible.

[tonedeaf]

[ a place that can bleed easily... ]

My palm. Will that suffice? Or would you rather cut somewhere along my arm?

[ he shouldn't be that nervous about it. ]

I'll... I'll leave it to you if those don't sound okay. [ venti huffs. ] You are the doctor here.

[torpour]

The palm will hurt, and I'm sure you would want functionality in that hand after this.

[but he knows venti is nervous, so he holds out his left arm.]

Here, give me your arm, and I can show you where I can cut.

[tonedeaf]

[ yeah, he certainly does his need his hands. for playing the lyre, for holding a mug... and so venti holds out his left arm toward nehan with a hint of trepidation in his voice. ]

I don't know why I'm so nervous.

[ he's never trusted anyone with his... ah, blood? before??? at least like this, anyway. ]

[torpour]

It's natural to be nervous, if you've never had certain medical procedures before.

[then nehan takes venti's arm in hand and traces a path with his other hand, starting from the man's wrist.]

The wrist is a common place to cut because of all the prominent veins... but I don't want to kill you. The elbow has very obvious veins as well, but you'd want full functionality of your arm afterwards. [then the erune pokes at a spot just below the elbow.]

Right here, this should be fine. Veins can easily be encouraged to come up, and it's easy to heal from a wound here.

[tonedeaf]

This would be my first one. You'd be surprised how lucky I've been to avoid real harm.

[ voice as cheery as he can make it, though venti can certainly feel his fingers trembling slightly as watches nehan make that trail leading up to his elbow. the bard does his best to not flinch or move, again his attention as razor focused as he can make it.

with the exception of a punch to the gut (and then some)... ]

I trust you to make the right cut. Especially if it means it'll help those here in some way, at some point.