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Video; UN: seeingtheworld

[When the video comes up, it shows Reaper and Luca on the cold and frozen beach together. Whoever's filming them is standing back and very low to the ground, seeming almost like they're trying to stay out of sight. Luca is bundled up just in case, even though he's wearing Fern's sun pendant which keeps him warm, and is starting to do some stretches.]

You know...I know I've seen people on the network call you a monster before, but I think they're wrong. I think you're actually really nice. You're teaching me how to defend myself, and you helped me get around all those traps when people were hunting vilebloods, and when you lived in the house with us you cooked food for us every day!

[He shifts positions and goes into another warm up stretch.]

I think they're just scared because you look scary. Like how people are with sea monsters back ho--

[With one of the stretches, he turns his body enough to spot the individual broadcasting this.]

Camilla? What are you doing?!

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I certainly have no issue. Though if I sound too clinical, call me on it. I've been in medical research for a long time and it's colored my mannerisms a little too deeply.

I was about to ask if you've had any problems with Corruption? I've heard hints that people with Vileblood are a shade more prone to it, but that could be a warning they gave me, since I work in Blood Ministry. I've been careful to avoid that, so far. We'll say I've worked in situations where prevention was the only protection I had. [He says this with complete seriousness.]

Almost sounds like a hunger response only more ...powered, for lack of a better description.

[He flips open the journal and starts jotting.]

Good to hear. If it's any assurance, I'm one of the persons in this town looking to better understand and maintain these conditions and the persons living with it. And you're not alone in feeling a bit weird: the magic here is beyond my range of experience. There's little magic where I came from. Much science that looks supernatural to an outside observer, but there's always a natural, if very odd cause.

Edited 2022-01-27 05:14 (UTC)

I have, yeah...but I'm sure a lot of people here have. It got really bad after the Sleeper Farm. I know I forgot who or what I was for a while there and with the smell of blood I just...

And for a while after I left I'd sometimes start to slip back into it and start to get the teeth and claws again if I let myself think about what happened too much. I...think I have it under control better now? For now, anyway.

[Who knows how he'll be doing when the next traumatic thing happens.]

I had some magic at home, but just the magic I use to make myself turn human. It's instinctive, so I don't really think about, it just happens. Having actual powers I can control is new.

I'm still getting the worst of the shadows of the Farm out of my head. You have my empathy there. [He'll glance away into the shadows of the room for a long moment before regaining his composure.] I hope you have someone to confide in, if the shadows arise in your mind?

So... would you say it's stress that causes the Corruption to flare up more?

[More jotting, more scritching away.] I have the opposite problem: Something happened to me in my world of origin, and it granted me superpowers, so to speak. In the world I came from, I had to take medicine to keep those powers from growing too strong. Here, I have to take in blood, usually by transfusion, to keep my powers working. This place seems to have affected a lot of Sleepers this way, giving them powers or giving them different levels of control over the ones they had.

Oh, yeah. Definitely. That's the thing that causes it the most. And meditation and incense and stuff like that helps keep it under control.

[So a stress link definitely seems to be a prominent feature of corruption.]

And yeah, I have people to confide in. I life in a whole house full of kids, and we look out for each other and stuff, so I can talk to any of them about anything I need to.

I've noticed the new powers, too. I can get a poisonous slime coat now when I need to defend myself, and I can heal much faster as long as I drink blood.

I'll admit, a holistic method has been a little tricky for to adjust to, but I see the merit in it. I just might be more practical than most of the Sleepers.

Ahh, the one they call the Disaster House? I think I heard the name from Luz.

Hmm...! [An intrigued sound of approval, and more jotting.] The only difference I've found is that my blood is more acidic, to say the least. And a healing factor certainly is an asset in this place.

Edited 2022-02-04 06:20 (UTC)

Yep! The Disaster House.

[Which he's becoming aware is apparently rather well known as the house full of kids, since this is not the first person who instantly knew where Luca was referring to when he's said that.]

I haven't noticed my blood being more acidic. Although I have noticed when a monster ingested some of it, it became confused and disoriented, and remember those parasites coming out of the water? I think my blood killed one of them when it tried to burrow under my skin.

[Or maybe it was just extremely unwell. It was hard to tell, and at the time Luca just wanted to get away.]

I managed to take a sample of one of those parasites; hopefully I can find a countermeasure to keep them from infecting others, should there be another outbreak. Thankfully folk like you and I taste terrible to them. [Look, he's trying his best to put a clever spin on it.]

I'd heard some folk with Vileblood report that their blood or tears or other similar fluids turned acidic, but I suppose it's a little different for everyone. I've had something similar happen: A band of pirates captured me when I arrived here. One of them tried to bite me, and I say 'tried' because the pirate fell into a fit, after taking just a nip off me. That gave my captors something else to think about. And it bought me the chance to fight my way to freedom, eventually to the shore, where Luz found me.

Oh, that sounds like a great idea! Those parasites were pretty scary, so it would be nice if there was a way to keep them away. I ended up needing to stay out of the water the whole time while that was going on, because even though my blood killed them, I still didn't like getting bitten.

[He'd been running away terrified, even though his vileblood nature ensured he'd be okay.]

Yeah, while I haven't noticed acid, I've definitely noticed my blood having an effect kind of like yours when ingested. Luz and I ran into some pirates, too, but none of them tried to bite me.

Mmm, I was fortunate that time, and I have a healing factor, but I would not want to test it. Pain is one thing I'm not immune to.

[More scritching as he speaks, but eventually, he closes the black-covered notebook he's been using.]

Well. This has been interesting and useful to my research, but I'm sure you'd rather be doing something else besides answering the questions of some nosy adult. I shan't keep you, but if you ever need a healer or a transfusion, don't hesitate to give me a call or to ask for me at the Lumenarium.

Okay, but let me know if you ever have more questions. I'd love to help out! And I'll let you know if I need a healer or blood or anything.

Should I think of any, I'll drop you a message. And let's hope the things that go bump in the night will leave you alone so you *don't* require my ministrations any time soon.

[He'll reach in to cut the feed.]

Edited 2022-02-11 04:30 (UTC)

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Video; UN: seeingtheworld

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