WEEK 4

[bathymetric]

Another trial, another week, and still you're probably running lower on answers than you'd like. And on people - you lost three since last Sunday. By the end of this week, you'll have been here for nearly a full month, yet still the days crawl on.

You wake up Sunday, again with no memory of Saturday, but this time with a simple message on your devices: You may resume requesting items, if you like. Enjoy. Guess it really was just a stealth motive after all, but at least it's being communicated that it's over! That's something, at least.

And when you leave your rooms on Sunday, there's another new area to explore! This one is... certainly more ambitious in its construction than the last one, to say the least. But hey, you have a pretty neat place to host parties, if you feel so inclined! That's... fun...

Hey, you gotta find the fun in situations like this where you can! Silver linings, right?



SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY

[ ooc: Welcome to Week 4! Remember to turn in AC here, threads for regain coins here, and if you feel so inclined you can visit Angel's office hours over here! ]

Comments

[emberserker]

I'll see what I can do, but if the magic's sealed... No, I will get results.

[archboxer]

There must be a way. [...Wait. If Anna is willing to try...] In fact, if you are willing... Would you be so kind to help me with my experiments? Admittedly they would be hard to do by myself.

[emberserker]

I don't see why not. Our magic is probably different, but I'm sure I could make something of it. After all, it's my life's work.

[archboxer]

It likely is but there is a inheritable element to it. At least, that is what I have come to believe... That is, I believe my blood might not have been affected.

[emberserker]

That's true. Our magic is hereditary as well. I can trace my lineage back to the Carmine Witch, over a thousand years. So you believe blood might be the key here?

[archboxer]

Yes. I believe that there could be a transfer of power through it. It is a ritual not uncommon in the higher tiers of the Church -- albeit with some other elements... I would need to give you some of my blood.

[emberserker]

I see... I've got a power source here, and an old magic stone dropped out of the machine, although that's worthless now since it's broken. Power could still be returned to the pieces had we magic, if this world isn't truly without it, so that's a consideration.

[She thinks for a second.]

Very well. I'll take part. This experiment might well be worth something.

[archboxer]

I would have simply asked Seteth, of course, but we are of differing bloodlines. Mixing our blood would be unwise. [Like deadly unwise.] Thank you, Anna. Once I am finished washing this I shall return to my room--it probably would be wiser for me to extract it myself.

Where could we meet to conduct it, I wonder.

[emberserker]

Somewhere that won't be cluttered with people, so nothing in the new wing. Everyone's likely to be all over the place investigating that. And Therion's probably bound to be checking all the washrooms. The man's got a compulsion.

[archboxer]

I would suggest the chapel but both Seteth and the priest may be there. [Hm...] What about the laundry room, then? I doubt it will be used within the next few hours.

[emberserker]

Very well. Most of us have more clothes now than before, anyway, so it isn't likely. Are there any supplies you suppose will be needed, then?

[archboxer]

Just some cloth from the sewing room if things get, ah, you know. This is blood, after all. The machine recently supplied me a knife so it may be easier now.

[emberserker]

All right, that and the old stone. I'll be there.

[Anna smirks, nods at Rhea, and turns to walk out of this totally normal sink conversation.]

tw there's gonna be blood

[archboxer]

[She nods back, a bit bemused. She didn't think it would be this easy to get a volunteer! Some people are like that, she thinks.

Soon, it's time for an equally normal laundry room meeting. Rhea has the bottle, with some obviously not alcohol sloshing in it, and... the combat knife. This is perfectly normal.]

[emberserker]

[Anna comes in and sets down a quickly made towel, with a shattered blue stone earring off to the side.]

I doubt the stone will help any, but there's no reason not to test it if we're experimenting. What do you have in mind?

[archboxer]

We need to transfer my blood to you. Either through a cut or... [Thanks, Alice, for making this awkward!] Ingestion.

[emberserker]

Very well.

[Anna... grabs a shard, tenses, and slices her upper arm open. Okay, so no one wants to be reminded of the previous case right now, but does she have to do this.]

Nn--!

[archboxer]

[It didn't have to be so violent! But Anna seems to be the sort. Taking out a cloth that seems to have been at one point part of Nic Cage's face, Rhea pours some of the blood onto it as she walks over to Anna.]

This should work. [She begins to wrapping the bloody bandage around Anna's arm.]

[emberserker]

[Anna breathes in and out, tensing her arm.]

It's only a crescent moon, if my pocketwatch is correct, but if there is magic here we can't feel, it might not be beholden to that. Is that what you're thinking?

[archboxer]

Yes... if this does not work, there may be other tests we may try with my blood. Certain individuals are blessed with unique blood. [She ties the bandage just tightly enough to make sure that the blood can mingle with Anna's.] Think of it as a way to amplify magic.

[emberserker]

[She nods.] Like using a larger stone with more power stored in it. That's what a mage would do in my world, provided they had access to one.

[archboxer]

Yes, something like that. [She pauses.] Do you feel any different?

[emberserker]

...Not entirely. Not yet, anyway. It's different, but I don't sense magic, much like I can't in the surroundings. If magic is intrinsic to your blood, then it must be true that the seal preventing the use of such power is on us and not on the world.

Even so, we can't simply decide based on that. Especially after one attempt. If all else fails, I'll attempt to access it again come the full moon.

[archboxer]

Strange... yes. It might be that. This is just the first attempt. It may simply be that it might take some time for it to settle into your blood as well. One failure does not mean anything.

What of the stone?

[emberserker]

That one's useless now. It's broken, after all. But if magic does exist in this world, I thought I'd be able to recharge the pieces. That was possible in my own world before Magiaconatus. So, another experiment.