"As if I needed your permission," she replied, her smiled edged with more amusement. "But I recover faster than most people, so a pint of blood is nothing to me and I don't think it will harm you in any case."

Valdis rummaged in a drawer for a knife, a small one that she could easily use to keep the wound open. She placed the cup in the sink to reduce cleanup if she spilled. Then she slipped the blade into her wrist, twisting it a bit to open the wound wider and holding it in place to prevent the wound from closing.

"My name is Valdis, by the way," She said, almost casually as she let her blood flow into the glass.