"Ah, here we are," Makani said as they stepped out of the jungle, revealing a modest hut constructed of bamboo and thatch. "We'll just set the boar down on that stone slab over there, to the right of the doorway. Anyway!"
He guided them both over, and carefully lowered his end of the boar.
"It's all in the execution. When done on a person, it's not like I'm gutting them. It's a small, precise cut here," he said, tapping his inner elbow. "Or a prick of the finger. Or anywhere else that bleeds well--with a goal of not actually damaging the person. A finger will do for a little blood, an arm for more. I keep my knives sharp enough that you hardly feel it when it happens, unless I want you to feel it. If you're quick about it, the blood won't have time to change. But sometimes, you want it to change."
He stretched, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck. "I use my own when I can. I'm used to it, so it hardly bothers me--unless I need it to, in which case I have ways to improvise. Someone new to the matter might get nervous, of course, and that can affect things, but that can also be a good thing depending on what we need. Really, it all depends. There are...ways of gaining whatever effect you need." He paused, looking at her, trying to gauge how comfortable she was with the topic.
It could be a queasy subject for some people, and very easily misunderstood.
"So long as you have the continued consent of all involved, of course."
