"Very well," the man said impassively, then stepped over to the homunculus. With one hand still firmly on the staff, he reached into the giant's body with his other, hand parting and sliding into flesh as if it were bedsheets.

A moment passed before he withdrew a small, brown-red globule. Pacing over to Ruffnut, he lifted that hand, then without warning thrust it into her flesh in turn.

No pain. Just the incredibly alarming feeling of a hand searching through her internal organs, seeking out something -- it wasn't clear what. Then the hand opened inside her, releasing whatever nodule it had held, and withdrew.