video; un @fran.bow.dagenhart | July 24th

[keeperofkeys]

cw: blood, event related body horror

[Fran waves at the camera happily, looking excited. A part of her upper arm is wrapped tightly in a neon strip of t-shirt she'd torn from her last gas station haul, though the rot has crept down below where the bandages end.]

Everyone, I think I may have solved it. It's in this book. [And she holds up the book, open to the pages with the illustrations in question.] Does everyone have this?

You see, everyone looks so upset at their limbs being eaten away by whatever it is. But then they put red on it and they're happy and whole again.

Friends, I think the red might be blood! I think we need to get blood on the parts of us that are rotting. Or simply shattering, in some cases.

Comments

un: @sadi; video

[singularwidower]

[His video is taken from low angle from where he has gently braced his smartphone on the dilapidated table in his cabin. His expression, as he peers down at it, is deeply concerned.]

Do you need blood, then?

[Because. Well. He can SEE the rot.]

[keeperofkeys]

You're so sweet to offer! No, I don't think so. I think it can be our own blood. I'm just trying to think of the best place to get it from.

Last time I did a spell that required blood I cut my hand, and that hurt quite a lot. So I'm wondering if there's a better place to cut that might not hurt so much?

If my own blood doesn't work, though, I'll definitely come find you!

[singularwidower]

[A pained expression flickers across Daemon's face.]

I would imagine it did hurt quite a lot. And I would prefer to assist rather than have you bleed, if at all possible. I know some small Healing Craft, and I have...also often provided blood for ritual purposes.

[keeperofkeys]

I have a knife, it just needs some cleaning. [She rubs her thumb over a faded scar on her palm, from the last ritual she performed, studying it with a furrowed brow.]

You can use your small healing craft on the cut afterward, how about that?

[singularwidower]

Cleaning. [He closes his eyes briefly, lets out his breath, and reins in his instincts.] Of course. Although--I am now curious. What was the last...spell you performed?

[keeperofkeys]

[Fran frowns and fidgets a little with the bandage on her arm.] It... wasn't very nice. But it was in self defense. Are you sure you want to hear about it?

[singularwidower]

I would. Even if it was not so nice. I must admit that I have performed spells that could not at all be considered nice, myself, and only a small fraction of them might be considered proper self-defense. [Heh.] But don't let me pressure you.

[Video, @atlas]

[theprezident]

Oh, wow. I ... really hate that.

[ That's so gross. How would that not just make you sick? That's gross. ]

[keeperofkeys]

Admittedly, it's not ideal. But if it will keep our limbs attached to us, I'm willing to do it.

Are you having trouble with any of your limbs? Or have you avoided this whole thing?

video | un: @nie.huaisang

[porndealer]

Blood?!

That's disgusting... are you sure?

[keeperofkeys]

I could be wrong. But it's definitely something red they're putting on the wounds. I'm not sure what else it would be?

[porndealer]

Paint? Makeup? Wine- I-I don't know! But why blood?

[Mostly the idea of how anyone would have to go about getting said blood wiped over whatever ails them.]

Are you going to try it?

[keeperofkeys]

The last spell I had to do, you needed blood. So I suppose it just makes sense to me that this one might, too.

I am going to try it, of course. Once I get my knife clean enough.

[porndealer]

What kind of spells- actually no, no I don't want to know.

[Spells with blood... sounded like wicked tricks, bad things. Things that people back home accused his friend of doing. Let's not judge things too quickly then.]

Just be careful and um you'll tell us if it works, right?

[He's not bleeding if it's not proven to work okay.

[keeperofkeys]

It wasn't nice, but it was something that had to be done.

Like this, I suppose. I'm willing to give up a little blood, if it will save my arm.

Should I go do it and get back to you, then?

[porndealer]

If you could!

[A little blood for fixing what's going on... he guesses it's not the worst way of going about things. If it's what actually works. Just a little paper cut and some bleeding. That's it. Right?]

Ugh, I hope it's only a little blood. If it is blood.

[keeperofkeys]

[Fran's voice floats in from off camera] It's just blood, there's nothing awful about it.

[She returns and shows her freshly cleaned knife to the camera] Now, last time I did this, it was on my hand, and that didn't heal too poorly, so I might as well do that again.

[Carefully, she unwraps her arm, which is in less than good condition. A piece of flesh comes off with the bandage and she winces slightly.]

Let's hope this works... [Fran bites her lip and draws the knife across her palm, watching it well up with blood. Then she places her bloody palm onto her arm. And waits.

It takes a few moments, but the rot and decay starts to recede, to which Fran smiles.] I did it! I solved the riddle! It was blood, after all.

[porndealer]

There's everything awful about blood! It's gross and messy... and it's the worst to get out of clothes!

[... not that he was usually the one to wash his clothes back home, but details. Fran is still talking and now she's back in the little square on the phone that shows her and oh- oh no. Huaisang actually has to hold back a gag at her arm and the flesh and- no. Nope. He hates everything about his.

There's just uncomfortable whining from his end, the tiniest bit that he doesn't manage to keep from eking out as she cuts her hand and he watches with curious horror as she smears the blood over her arm.]

Oh my gosh-

[A mix of surprise that it DID work and that him having to watch all of this actually was worth it in the end.]

[keeperofkeys]

That wasn't so bad now. [The decay is visibly retreating from her arm, and Fran takes another strip of fabric out of her backpack to bind up her hand]

Now we can tell everyone for certain that it works! We can help a lot of people this way.

[porndealer]

Why does it have to be blood...

[Huaisang whines, pouting, not that she can see him.]

I don't think it will fix my arm, but I guess it should stop more of me from turning to glass.

[keeperofkeys]

I know it isn't very nice, but if it helps...

Would you like me to come over? You could use mine, instead.

[porndealer]

I guess you're right, it's just so gross.

No, no that's okay. Thank you for figuring it out and showing me.