first experiment; 9:53 PM

[originallutece]

For our more vampiric population, I come to you with a solution for your dietary problems.

I've invented artificial blood. A substance you can consume without harming others, but that will sustain you much as food and water. I owe a debt to Elena for helping me test them.

Unfortunately, it cannot yet be used in a medical sense-- for blood transplants, which are, by the by, a very important part of medical knowledge, which makes up the second part of this announcement.

If you do not know your blood type, come see me, and I can at least determine it. Blood types are a vital bit of information in a place where one routinely gets cut to bits. Transfusing blood-- that is, the act of giving one's blood to another-- can save a life in many cases. However, if the wrong sorts of blood interact, the result can be deadly.

Many of you do not know your blood type. This will, inevitably, come back to bite you.

So. I suggest you come by my lab within the next few days and find out, before you nearly die of an injury, manage to make it back to town, and then die of your original blood sensing the invader and killing off the cells that came to theoretically heal you. What a horrible, ironic death that would be.

Comments

@silent

[callada]

Might just want to have everyone tell you or get typed anyway and keep it on file. Can't ask someone if they're already unconscious.

Type S, for your records.

[originallutece]

The trouble is, a good majority don't know, or think I'm somehow lying when I ask them. Or, evidently, don't know what I mean when I ask.

For example: this. There are four blood types: A, B, AB, and O, with variations being positive and negative.

Your world, clearly, has S. I have no idea what that means, or what's compatible with it. But looking at it under a microscope may help. You are human, yes?

@darkness

[evulsed]

So you tried to kill me twice?

@missprincessmary, voice

[withsadness]

There are different types of blood?

[She had no idea!]

I thought it was all just the same!

[callada]

I am. Don't mind if you want to have a look sometime with your microscope also.

@hux

[therewillbeorder]

Are you an actual medical doctor and trained to do blood transfusions?

[originallutece]

No, if I'd tried to kill you, you'd be dead. My perfectionistic tendencies spread across all my endeavors.

I took a chance. It paid off.

[originallutece]

[One single resident gets an excuse b/c she's baby.]

An easy mistake to make. It's more accurate to say they're variations upon the same thing: blood is blood, but the types we each have are specific. Much like hair color: we two of us both have hair, but yours is blonde, and mine is red.

[withsadness]

But how can you tell the difference when all blood looks the same?

[We are here to Learn!]

[originallutece]

I'm a doctor of physics. But I'm also a genius, and taught myself how to do many necessary things. Blood transfusions are a specialty of mine.

[. . .]

And beyond Dr. Geiszler, we haven't a single medical professional in this town. Not anymore.

[originallutece]

Come by, then. It won't take very long.

[originallutece]

Why don't you come by? I'll show you on my blood and yours. You can help me deduct your own.

[therewillbeorder]

So you trained yourself. Why would you teach yourself how to do that if your specialty is physics?

I suppose we can't be picky here then.

[callada]

[Cool let's just do that then. He knows where the lab is. He held test tubes like a good lab assistant! And didn't drop them. Big achievement.

He knocks first just because walking in on people as a surprise is pretty rude, but then goes ahead and pushes the door open. The limp he'd been managing for the last few days is gone, as is the bandaged cut over his eye. Clearly he's all healed up in a very normal way. Smacks the top of his head on the doorframe as he comes in though, and hisses through his teeth, then rubs his head through his hat. Ow.]

Hey. Didn't have anything else going on anyway.

[originallutece]

Because a man I knew required several blood transfusions, and I was the only one who could administer them. Are you always so nosy?

[BIG WORDS FROM A WOMAN WHO NEVER STOPS ASKING QUESTIONS, ROSALIND.]

[evulsed]

It was your responsibility anyway.

[therewillbeorder]

I don't consider it nosy to inquire about someone's qualifications, especially if you're asking to be trusted to carry out such a procedure.

[originallutece]

How important I feel, hearing that.

[It's not as if he knows her well, but still, even he'll be able to hear an edge to her tone that isn't usually there. And when she turns--

--she's an eyepatch over her left eye, and a vivid cut going down her cheek, her neck, until it's abruptly cut off by her high-collared shirt. So maybe that's the source of her ire.]

Take a seat, please, and bare an arm up to the elbow.

[originallutece]

Was it. Do tell.

[callada]

[Well, okay, fine. He'd meant it as "no I'm not weird and jumping up and down to get my blood typed" but if she's going to take it as a slight, that's her prerogative. Doesn't surprise him much given their limited interactions -

But then yeah. Ow, fuck that looks horrible, and he immediately frowns a little. The reminders of those two weeks are widespread and will remain so for a while, he fears, much like Kuai and his missing ear.]

Sorry. Not having a great day myself, didn't mean to put you down.

[Though hey, he's alive. It's not all bad. He sits in a too-small chair, sets his lantern on the floor, and pushes his sleeve up as high as he can manage. Old scars cut lines across his skin. Never happy about showing those off but what are you going to do.]

[originallutece]

[That's a very valid point. However, consider: she's not quite in the right frame of mind right now. So there's a lot of typing, and then a large pause as Rosinante enters, and--]

It may be easier to list what I cannot do versus what I'm capable of.

But. I suppose it was not the most illogical question.

[originallutece]

[God. It'd be easier if he'd snarled at her in return; instead, he's kindly about it, which is honestly worse. She exhales harshly, a sound of irritation that's as much directed inwards as anything, and moves to swipe the inside of his arm with disinfectant.]

It's been a very long few weeks.

[That's as close to an acknowledgement of her own behavior as he'll ever get. Her fingers don't linger on the scars, but she does hold his arm steady as she readies the needle. And, assuming he doesn't balk, she'll go ahead and slip the needle in his arm, right where the biggest vein is.]

[evulsed]

For someone that acts so smart you sure like to look stupid, don't you?

[callada]

[He just acknowledges it with a nod. It has, they've all been dragged through hell and back and he knows it. Most of them still just don't even want to talk about it. Those that weren't killed outright suffered tremendously, as Doctor Lutece's eyepatch can clearly attest to.

Thankfully he's not squeamish about blood or needles or anything of the sort. He sits patiently and waits.]

Military had us all typed on enlisting for exactly this same reason. I hope you manage to get everyone to come in, or at least tell you what they are. Type S is the universal donor where I'm from. Dunno if it's useful here, though.

[originallutece]

I'm certain you hold many opinions.

But do tell me: if the incident in question had turned out opposite? Would you have fought to save my life, Vanitas? Or would you have left me to bleed out and die?