blood drive at the sanctuary

[dohaeris]

Who: anyone who wants to help
What: an actual legitimate community blood drive for medical use only
When: the middle of august, broadly
Where: the sanctuary in crenshaw
Content Warnings: needles, intravenous needles, tourniquets. anything that can be found at an irl blood drive


[more and more cases of a curious, greyscale-like illness affecting sleepers seem to be filtering in to the sanctuary's infirmary and lady sakura's wellness center. the treatment, sansa has learned, requires a massive blood transfusion, and supplies are running low. she has therefore rallied the medical staff at the sanctuary and any potential volunteers into an effort to collect usable blood for transfusion; warmblood is especially appreciated.

donors will be directed first to one of the bigger spare rooms in the sanctuary as the infirmary is full of patients being treated for this disease (as well as the more usual ailments found around trench), though chairs have been set up in the main wing to serve as a waiting room. everyone gets a quick snack of juice and cookies upon completing their donation, and is encouraged to eat a full meal in a dining hall set up for this purpose.

sleepers must wait a full day before donating again, but are welcome to rest and convalesce in the sanctuary in the meantime.

this log is super open! please feel free to toplevel with whatever your character's doing, whether it's drawing blood, handing out cookies, or simply enjoying the sanctuary's various amenities! do you have another cool medical idea? go wild!!]

Comments

numbing services for the needlephobic

[faceblocks]

[are you needlephobic and not a vileblood? or maybe you're a vileblood who doesn't know that your blood's a numbing agent? just want to see what it feels like? no judging here, just step on up for a dab of blood before you go on your way for the draw. hands gloved, her blood in a small vial, vi is transferring it to a tiny clean piece of cloth and then possibly to you, be you familiar face or stranger. cloth gets tossed in the bin and a new cloth is selected for the next one up. for what it's worth, palamedes: she is remembering to use antiseptic first.]

[fogsong]

[ Sharon’s never thought she was afraid of needles; she didn’t like needles, just the sight of them made her stomach dance in her upper abdomen as if it could shy away, but she never considered it a fear. Not until she watched someone get their blood drawn here and then she was very tempted to nope the fuck out. It brought back a lot of memories she’d rather remain tucked in the back of her mind.

Someone takes pity on her when they notice the sickly pallor of her skin and her doe-eyed expression and points her in Vi’s direction. She approaches with surprising confidence for someone who looks like they could vomit at any moment. ]

Someone said you could help? [ but she’s eyeing the vial and cloth with doubt. ]

[faceblocks]

[that queasy look? vi has seen it a fair few times - and she may not have all the remedies, or even half the remedies - she does have cold water bottles at the ready in another basket near her chair, a chair that she will motion to immediately.]

You should sit. And yeah, I can.

Here. [sharon can take the bottle, or vi can gently set it in her lap, but either way, she'll offer this:] You don't have to drink it. You can put it behind your neck, or on your forehead. And if that doesn't work, worse comes to worst I've got an empty bucket, but I bet you won't need that.

[she ignores the doubtful look - she has been doing this for a while now, and even if sharon were her first, she's not about to add to the girl's fears.]

[fogsong]

[ she takes a seat like it’s a relief to do and then gratefully accepts the bottle of cold water. she immediately presses it against one cheek and then switches it to the other.

the moment Vi mentions the bucket Sharon bristles but the bristling fades with the older woman’s addendum! damn right she won’t need a bucket! fuck the bucket! ]

I will swallow that shit down if it even tries. [ look she’s big stubborn. it’s why she’s still here instead of walking out. she cracks the bottle open and takes a cautious baby sip and lets out a deep breath.

she’s got this! ] So. How do you help? [ she’s more curious now than truly doubtful (but it’s still there, she doubts everything). ]

[faceblocks]

Well then the bucket's out for sure.

My blood numbs the area up so you won't even feel the---

[know what? she is going to avoid saying the word needle, just in case. doesn't know if it will help, but hey, it can't hurt.]

---draw.

Just let me know when you're ready. You won't feel anything.

[literally. vi presses a fresh cloth to the bottle, dampens it and waits.]

[fogsong]

[ the fact she refrains from saying the word needle makes Sharon smile. that’s very thoughtful not that the word bothers her even a bit; it’s just the visuals of it all. ]

All right. Yeah. [ sure, her stomach was doing that same song and dance from earlier but maybe if she couldn’t feel it and made sure not to look it’ll be fine. she rolls up a sleeve past the elbow. ]

Let’s do this shit.

[faceblocks]

[it's a light swipe of one thing, then the other, but not before she quickly double checks the arm for any cuts - that's supposed to have been done before sending her vi's way, but shit happens.]

Shit's done. Good job, you.

And just look the other way when they do it, or maybe have your Omni play you a song you like. A distraction helps.

[fogsong]

[ there’s no cuts or bruises marring her arm; there’s just pale skin that doesn’t see the Sun often and blue tinted veins.

she wrinkles her nose as Vi dabs the blood on her arm. it’s a little gross but that mostly comes from years of health classes reiterating the dangers of blood. ]

Goddamn, I’m such a big kid now. [ the sarcasm could not be any thicker. she slides off the seat, pallor still a little strange but flush returning slowly. ]

Thanks for the advice. You can bet your ass I won’t be watching. [ a shiver runs down her spine. Mm-mm, nope, she knows better now. ]

[aetherweaver]

[Nara's not needlephobic necessarily, but he doesn't have much experience with them. So he heads over to Vi and holds out an arm.]

This is all very new to me, so someone suggested I go see you.

[He rolls his sleeve up, the red fabric giving way to very pale skin. It's cold, too, because... well, coldblood.]

[faceblocks]

[swiping the disinfectant across, eyeing it and seeing no issues, but ...another cold one. Huh.]

Which part? Giving blood, or the whole thing? It's the whole thing for me, I've only been here a few weeks.

[still, she's confident in her ability to do this, readies the vileblood and presses it in a small area, which is faintly tinged now, a muddy looking splotch of mostly green. she pokes it lightly after a moment.]

Can you feel that?

[aetherweaver]

The giving blood part. Though I've only been here a few months.

[He shakes his head. Nope! No feeling.]

That seems to work... vileblood is very useful, it seems. More useful than mine, at least.

[Sure he's a coldblood, but that doesn't mean he can really use it yet.]

[faceblocks]

[she nods, pleased. good, good. no feeling is what she's aiming for.]

You're a coldblood. I wouldn't call that a wash as far as blood goes. Plus, it's not poison. Well, the poison's a ...mixed bag, but it's still something to worry about.

[this is a pattern, now. well, maybe not exactly but two outpost coldboods. it's something.]

You given any blood for that mortar mixture, yet?

[aetherweaver]

I haven't been able to make much use of it yet, but I'm still learning things.

[He nods at her and then shakes his head.]

Not yet. D and I haven't been talking much lately, so we're still patching things up.

[faceblocks]

Awww, shit. I didn't know there was trouble there. Sorry to have kicked that nest, but I hope it's a quicker patch instead of a slower one.

[...it's d. she would very much like to help, but she doesn't want to meddle. and that's a fine line.]

He's a reasonable guy, I've known you all of two minutes, but you can't be the worst if you're willing to do this, right?

[her line of thinking - and it hasn't failed her so far - is that if you're at the outpost, you can't be that much of an asshole.]

general assistance

[dohaeris]

[sansa herself can mostly be found directing people to the appropriate rooms or handing out juice and cookies to donors, but she has learned how to perform the blood draw, and will do it if the sanctuary is particularly busy.

lady watches regally from an out of the way spot somewhere in the vicinity of sansa. she will graciously accept pets and attention, but vhagar the black borzoi-shaped hellhound will seek out those anxious or uncomfortable and happily distract them with nuzzles, kisses, and noodly antics.

her omen winter manages knight the blood hound's corruption treatment services elsewhere.]

Supply Drop Off

[stoicsilhouette]

[ Eyes trace the wooden grooves of the archaic architecture, silently taking in the hustle and bustle of the blood drive. Some folks appear nervous while others just confused. Directing the flow of traffic, Megumi spots Stone or rather Stark as he recalls getting a notification through the network earlier that month. Just before reaching her, he dips down close to the ground. Two small metal boxes are pulled upward out of thin air just above his shadow. It mostly appears as an illusion or trick of the eye.

The two are neatly labeled "blood" and "meat" accordingly.
Opening up the first container there is the equivalent of 2 bags of coldblood sitting on a bed of ice. Each vial tightly marked and preserved with care. ]

Where would you like these? [ motioning to the blood box. The other he plans to leave in the cold food storage and mark it additionally as "lady's" just to be sure it doesn't get taken in error. ]

[dohaeris]

[lady, of course, catches his scent first; sansa glances over in time to see him pull boxes from the shadows. it looks like darkblood magic, but she has to assume the coldblood is his own, as darkblood is much more useful in transfusions and she doesn't imagine megumi would withhold it purposefully (although it is a possibility).

regardless she approaches gracefully, in a grey linen dress embroidered at the shoulders with grey-green greenery hiding silvery wolves and a chatelaine strapped to her wide leather belt. lady in her matching collar follows, nose pointed politely but firmly at the box of meat.]

Lord Megumi! Thank you, it's good to see you. The blood can be taken to the infirmary, I think. They'll know where to keep it.

[she bends down to retrieve the box marked blood he gestured at, and rises with a smile.]

I hope you've been well? It hasn't been an easy summer.

[her tone edges towards ironic at the end. summer is not usually the season of most concern in westeros.]

[stoicsilhouette]

[The sound of his first name out loud is a bit-foreign. When was the last time he heard it said from someone else's mouth? Not understanding the honorific that she uses- his lips quirks to the side but he quickly returns to a nuetral resting face.

Fushiguro is fine. [ Purification, beasts, festivals, nightmares, both man made and natural disasters.
Yeah its been a hell of a ride, and the summer can't end fast enough.]

No that's for sure. Shaking his head back and forth. I'll take winter at this point.

[Skipping fall completely would be fine with him too. A shame really, before arriving in the Trench, autumn was a time Megumi always looked forward to back at home. His dogs got a break from the oppressive heat and the wind always seemed to be exactly the right temperature.

But last year all he can remember was a season filled with blood, crazy cultists, land sharks and a torture tower.]

[dohaeris]

[it was what allen had called him. sansa is used to people brushing off 'lord' and 'lady,' but she's not entirely used to 'miss' and 'mister.' she smiles faintly, grasping the box of blood.]

Fushiguro. Well, winter is coming, but I'd like a good harvest first, even if it is only a few months long.

[it's hard to see how three or four months of winter could be very much trouble for anyone, and she's very much looking forward to the snow, but she wouldn't be a stark if she didn't look to the winter, any winter, with caution.]

Have you eaten? We've set up an extra dining hall for everybody donating blood.

[she'll just...hand off this blood box to someone with the infirmary...she glances around for a volunteer.]

for donors, volunteers, or targets of vendettas🌹

[blessedwithlove]

Blood's so feared and valued here. It's still refreshing to see, two months into his residence.

Varré had missed the first signs of the new illness spreading, too focused on his own affairs. But when the need to collect blood was announced, of course he would attend. He wanted to watch others work, and to learn new techniques. As a vileblood, his own donation would be of limited use, but he'd had quite the experience with bloodletting in the Lands Between. He'll donate that skill instead.

He watches the collection method with interest, clasping his hands before him to keep them occupied while he focuses on the technique. If one turns their attention to him, they might notice a red glow in the depths of his eyes. Even his uniform, stained and patched and boiled clean, seems to be dimly radiant.

Once that's done and he's sufficiently proven himself to those present, he's left to the donors. Those with difficult veins are a favorite of his--the more tries one might normally need to draw blood, the more Varré takes that as a challenge. And he's certainly not above using tiny little sparks of red magic on the needle to force the issue, if necessary. Any who see a faint glow of blood red light before the jab might find their blood flowing with alarming speed for the first few seconds. But don't worry--he's brought medicines with him to stop their bleeding as soon as the needle's removed, a red paste precisely applied before the gauze.

He'll chat quite amiably with the donors or any who pass by, in the disturbing way of phlebotomists everywhere--"Oh, your veins! How pleasant they are to work with."--and keep up conversation if so desired. He's quite cheerful, with no artifice about it. But that red glow hasn't left his pupils either.

ni hao, b*tch

[xiaoxiuya]

Blood donation has a fraught historyin mainland China, and of course it's almost totally unknown in xianxia settings where a qi transfer had almost all of the same utility and none of the mess, but Shen Yuan had always liked to consider himself a modern, enlightened sort of person, with scientifically-based opinions. He'd donated blood once in his first life while he was attending university, and floated around on the high of his own altruim for over a week afterwards. Surely donating again, in the midst of a health crisis, would only boost his reputation in Trench. So of course, that bastard Varre had to go and make things difficult for him again.

At first, Shen Yuan's tempted to just avoid him. There are plenty of people doing blood draws after all, there's no reason for them to say two words to each other. But then he catches that bastard staring at him across the room like he thought he was Hannibal Lecter or something, and all of a sudden the humiliation was just too much. And not just on his own behalf; he was embarrassed for Varre's sake too, honestly. Who did he think he was, acting so scary? Wasn't he the one who'd been murdered by a madman who could just barely use his own sword? It was ridiculous. Totally ridiculous.

With a huff, he slides his outer robe off and folds it over one arm before walking over and sitting down with a plop in Varre's collection chair. "It looks like I'm next," he says softly, with a challenging sneer on his face.

[blessedwithlove]

"Indeed. Such a relief to see you here. I'd worried you'd leave us bereft once again." His voice tone is normal--or as normal as it ever is for Varré, bearing that singsong quality that quickly becomes familiar to any who speak to him. But his eyes are just a touch wider than they should be, behind his mask. The lower lids are pulled taught, the only sign of his anger. How dare this creature, freely offering blood to the Sanctuary, but not to the one he's so wronged?

"Are you certain you have enough to spare?"

[xiaoxiuya]

"I see no reason why I shouldn't," Shen Yuan says coolly, brushing aside the first stirrings of trepidation as he looks Varre in the eye. "After all, nobody else has taken me up on it."

That's right, he's thinking. Don't forget that this stand-off is your fault, asshole. He tried to make things right.

"But I suppose I can go to one of the other stations, if being around me makes you uncomfortable," he sneers.

[blessedwithlove]

He ignored the posturing, setting out the fresh tools for the collection. The band to bind the arm with, the needle to make the puncture, a flexible tube and flask to catch the blood--what marvels those were. More comfortable than the inflexible metal he'd used for bloodletting before. Pity.

"What a relief you've recovered. You seemed incapable of making the journey to Lumenwood under your own power before. You simply must come visit, princeling. See how the roses are recovering."

[xiaoxiuya]

"I'm not going anywhere near that house ever again," Shen Yuan says flatly. "Living together was a mistake for us both."

He watches Varre's face to he doesn't have to watch his hands while they apply the tourniquet and needle. "You may not have taken my apology seriously, but I do," he eventually added in an attempt at a calmer voice. "What's the point in causing any more trouble than I already have?"