Deer Country [INBOX]

[distant_one]

VOICE | TEXT | VIDEO

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TEXT | un:gaia (Throughout May, after Vampire Talk)

[hammerbearer]

[ Sometime the day after Gaia brought over the blood for D a text arrives. ]

So. You don't have to answer. Especially if I'm prying too much. But I was curious. Since you're half hume, can you eat regular food too?

text | un: JustD

[distant_one]

[D eventually gets around to responding several hours later.]

If 'hume' is your word for human, yes. Don't bring me food either.

[hammerbearer]

[ It's not like Gaia was expecting an answer at all. But she does answer a little more quickly. Delay is likely because of the whole 'hard to type with talons' thing. ]

Yes, human. And obviously not.

[ Like she needed to be reminded he's dangerous regardless of options! ]

But it's good to know it's not rude to offer if we happen to run across each other.

[ You know. Because social situations might happen. ]

[distant_one]

[D has no idea how Gaia got to 'it's not rude to offer D food' from D saying 'don't bring me food'.]

In small amounts.

[She is right, it's technically not rude. He just won't enjoy any solid food. The only reason D answers at all is to reduce the amount of food he might one day have to politely accept.]

[hammerbearer]

[ Mostly indirect thoughts about how it'd be rude to offer food to someone who can't really eat it. Or a waste. Or some half-thought social nicety. Something like that. Though his response does seem to clue her in there may be more to read into it. ]

It's alright to say not at all. If you don't have interest in it, or there is some other reason, I'll keep that in mind.

[ Another text follows shortly after. And what's probably the real meat of the question. ]

Sorry. I'm probably just being rude. I got to wondering what it must be like to be a dhampir.

[distant_one]

I met an old woman once, the most human-appearing Dhampir I've met. She had lived in a town once, had a family.

Her son lost control of his blood thirst just before he was to be married. Dozens of people died very quickly before they were able to kill him.

That's what it's like to be a Dhampir.

[hammerbearer]

[ It takes a bit to respond again. But honestly? She probably has to think about this one. ]

When one loses control, is it forever gone? Can you get it back?

[ It seems she won't be offering condolences or sympathies here. It doesn't seem her place, nor has she the right to. ]

[distant_one]

It's not impossible to get back.

[hammerbearer]

But it's probably rarely the best of terrible options to wait and hope.
[ Seems she has that much awareness. She also recalls what he said about how people turned vampires seem to lose their compassion- humanity for lack of a better word. ]

I wouldn't envy your position. But I admire that you have such strength to try to hold onto your... empathy, I guess? Whatever your reason that is. Even if it's just for survival's sake.

[ Gaia seems aware there are other, very realistic reasons than 'compassion for humanity' or 'the sake of others'. And there's nothing wrong with being selfish. ]

[distant_one]

Thank you.

[There are a number of things D places higher than his own survival. His decision not to bite humans is one of them, even if human lives usually aren't.]

[hammerbearer]

You're welcome. Anyway I'll talk to you later I guess. Well. You're welcome to ask me any questions if you ever have them in return for answering mine.

[ Note this reprieve is probably only going to last until she gets bored again in a day or so. ]

[distant_one]

I'll ask if I think of any.

action;

[swellter]

[ Shouto leaves a wooden crate at D's door the day before the bake-off. Inside the crate are 12 half-pint mason jars full of jams, each labeled with their names (apricot jam, strawberry jam, etc). On top of the crate is a small card that simply says

- From Shouto

Behold your very own anti-corruption jam, handmade with TLC (tough love and carelessness). Beware of taste, but good for corruption! Some lucky people may wait to try it after they see his poor performance at the bake-off and may want to think twice about trying it. Doesn't help that he was robbed for all he's worth spending about two pints of blood for ingredients. Also, a few of those jams might be cursed. Please look at the 'Seasonal Details on the Boardwalk' to see just what curse you've got with each jam and yup, all the cursed fruit is there. He really knows how to pick 'em! ]

1) Apricot Jam
1/2 cup apricots (not pitted)
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoon oyster sauce
3 half-inch pieces of ginger
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

2) Strawberry Jam
1/2 cup strawberry (stems and all)
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoon fish sauce
3 half-inch cinnamon stick (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

3) Mango Jam
1 mango (not pitted or skinned)
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoon hoisin sauce
3 whole stars of anise (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

4) Papaya Jam
1/2 Papaya (seeds added, not skinned)
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoon tamari sauce
3 whole cloves (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

5) Blackberry Jam
1 cup blackberries
1/2 cup sugar
4 basil leaves
4 tablespoon light soy sauce
3 whole cardamom pods (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

6) Raspberry Jam
1 cup raspberries
1/2 cup sugar
4 bay leaves (dried)
4 tablespoon Japanese soy sauce
3 whole nutmeg seeds (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

7) Blueberry Jam
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
4 mint leaves
4 tablespoon dark soy sauce
3 whole mace seeds (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

8) Marmalade Jam
1 cup blood orange (w/skin and seeds)
1/2 cup sugar
1 bundle of cilantro
4 tablespoon mushroom soy sauce
3 tablespoons of whole fenugreek (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

9) Grape Jam
1 cup concord grapes (w/skin and seeds)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup of water
1 bundle of parsley
4 chipotle peppers
3 tablespoons of whole cumin (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

10) Grapefruit Jam
1 cup grapefruit (w/skin and seeds)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup of water
1 bundle of chives
4 pepperoncini peppers
3 tablespoons of whole mustard seeds (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

11) Apple Jam
1 cup Apples (w/skin and seeds)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup of water
1 tablespoon of rosemary
4 banana peppers
3 tablespoons of whole coriander seeds (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

12) Lemon Jam
1 cup lemon (w/skin and seeds)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup of water
1 tablespoon of dill
4 shishito peppers
3 tablespoons of whole dried red chiles (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

text | un: gaia

[hammerbearer]

D. You need to look at that video that the ShenYuan user just posted. And I mean right away. I know you have blood roses out at the outpost haven. Looks like they ended up growing into something dangerous. Best not to take risks.

[distant_one]

I've kept an eye on Varre and his roses. The roses are fine, or at least the ones I took to put at the outpost are. Something may have happened to the roses left there.

Varre carries cursed blood, from a source similar but different to my own. They don't spread through bites, but from injecting blood. There's no good equivalent for what he is in terms of the Nobility, except that he'd be similar to a bite victim.

[hammerbearer]

Good to know. This fellow I was speaking to also says you were the one who managed to stop their fight. Well I say fight but it sounds like it was some kind of unthinking rage against anything in his vicinity. I don't know what part Varre was playing.

[ Well other than probably being murderously angry that his roses were victims. ]

I'm relieved to hear those roses are supposed to be normal. Er, as normal as blood-eating roses can be. Are you sure we shouldn't check them again? If one went haywire, maybe other plants of its same time are affected.

[ We probably refers to D and Gaia. Even if Gaia has no real ability to do so; consider it a slip of the tongue. ]

Apparently that hurricane was also caused by another fellow trying to interfere with the Pthumerian Mariana's domain. Or something. And given the timing it's probably connected with why Shen Yuan and those roses went haywire.

Also injecting blood? Don't tell me that Varre can do what was done to him to other people with his blood?!

[ It's clear that this is quite an alarming thought. ]

[distant_one]

I wouldn't call it stopping when one person is dead and I'm just preventing a further corruption rampage. I left him at the Sanctuary to recover.

The basics is that he attacked the roses, Varre was killed defending them. The mobility is new, but some kind of external influence. They weren't hostile to me.

I've continually checked the roses, they have potential medicinal and healing properties and remove blood pollution from the soil to fuel their growth. They may be the fastest and easiest way to handle that problem.

I'm aware of the difficulty with Mariana as well.

I don't know if Varre can spread it successfully or not because he's a vileblood, but it's a possibility. I've warned him to keep his blood to himself.

text; un: dabi

[burnitblack]

oy. you the one settin up that outpost in the forest?

text; un: JustD

[distant_one]

Yes

[hammerbearer]

Ugh. Maybe I heard him wrong. Of course he also mentioned he wasn't in his right mind at the time. Glad you were able to get there before there were more casualties then.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I wonder if the mobility was whatever wave caused Shen Yuan's aether to imbalance or if it's to do with Varre's blood being absorbed during that fight. I guess it's more reasonable to consider it was the former though. What a mess.

I'll keep that in mind about Varre. Like, never take anything he offers or volunteer anything. It's a shame though. I almost wanted some of those roses to make sure blood pollution couldn't spread if it was spilled at the house but it sounds like it's risky to make a deal with that guy.

In any case, I just wanted to make sure you saw that in case it did mean something.

you saw nothing

[burnitblack]

do ya really think it's worth makin a target out there? or are ya tryin to attract a buncha beasts and monsters?

I saw EVERYTHING

[distant_one]

It's worth it.

[distant_one]

Accepting things he offers can be done with caution, just don't let him blood minister or give you any blood directly.

He's been working as a blood minister and aside from the usual corruption concerns seems to do well enough at his job.

[D disapproves heavily of blood ministers as a healthcare system.]

I'll bring you some cuttings from the outpost once they're large enough. With all the blood being spilled they're growing very quickly.

shiiit

[burnitblack]

that's one way to start pushin the boundaries.

[distant_one]

That's one way of putting it. Are you going to join us?