un: a lifetime ago

[aprescoup]

( The transmission seems to come from an inside quarter battered by Anurr's howling winds outside. Somehow, the speaker seems unbothered. )

Is this wo — I'm never good at this. One, two, three. One, two, three. Hello? That's... that sounds right.

Hello, everyone! I'm Matthias. Awful weather, isn't it? Can barely hear myself think. ( As he finishes his sentence, voice increasingly chilled, the winds quiet. )

There! There we are. Much better, isn't it? You've been well? I don't know what you make of the place, but if you're hungry, there's... try old man Thrael's, down Gentian street. Best buns you've ever seen! And his food's not bad either, haha. Do try it! Kamala, have you tried it? I think there were... more nice little family shops with cookery, I just... don't remember. Don't exactly remember.

( An awkward pause. ) ...right. A little bird tells me your group has something of mine. Very... very literally. Some parts of mine, as it were. A heart here, a tongue there, a hand... small inconveniences. I think that was all of them? I don't quite recall. I was hoping to unburden you of them. If I may? It's just... very strange. Feeling part of yourself across a city. I'm, of course, open to barter. I know you've come a long way, I suppose you're expecting something for your trouble! A... finder's fee?

And... you haven't seen her yet, have you? My Cose — ...no. Of course. You've only just started. I'm sorry. Let's not speak of it! This is us: not speaking of it.

Comments

voice | un:slothbaby

[cosplayqueen]

[Well so much for her plan to quietly ghost him. Seriously he remembers her name?! Hers?? Didn't he literally torture one of them?! Kamala swears she read that on a post!

She should ignore this. Five is probably going to kill her if she doesn't ignore this. He called her out by name. It doesn't feel like she can totally get out of this. Anyone with half a brain can guess she lurks on every post like the teen she is. Better to talk in public so to speak than risk a private message situation or him wandering up to her again. She had been banking he had already forgotten she existed. That's not working out for her, is it?]

... I haven't tried the food there. I've kind of been trying to cook for everyone because I'm pretty sure we're on a budget here? Don't quote me on that.

[She sounds so unsure until it's time for an ask. That comes out more smoothly.] I also know we aren't talking about it, but could you maybe share some things the person we're not talking about likes? That would probably help us find her.

[aprescoup]

There you are, Kamala! Try the buns. The... the scallion ones, I think. I promise they won't make your breath unpleasant. I know girls are very... but you have to get them fresh. Early morning, you wake up, and you tell him I sent you.

( Pleasantly: ) How can I help?

[cosplayqueen]

[Welp now she's committed to this, she guesses!!] Okay, I'll go early morning. Maybe he'll let me wash dishes or something, when I explain most of my payment on this journey, was the friends I made along the way.

But, okay. I'm not really supposed to be investigating this. It's not what I am good at. I just figured if you were young and not really sure what's going on around you, you'd go towards something you like, right? Is there something she would want to see here? Like buns, for example! I don't want to default to dolls just because it's the only thing I know about her other than her name and who her dad is.

un: ut malum pluvia | audio

[somebadnews]

[ So he knows exactly what they have, and just when Five assumed everyone else forgot. That's fantastic news. It's all he can do to not bark at Kamala not to respond, but he was too late, and now here they are. There's only one surefire way to distract him. ]

You talk pretty well, all things considered. [ Not that he's implying anything. ] I would have cut out something less vital if I were you.

[aprescoup]

I'm an engineer at heart. A tinkerer. I don't need to speak well. Trust me, the hand hurt more.

[somebadnews]

Don't sell yourself short. Personally, I would have thought it'd be the heart. [ Which... he actually doesn't know where that went after Kaneki had it, but he does know that they didn't hound him nearly as much as they did Five. Not that he's too surprised that someone held onto it. ]

It must have been important, to scatter yourself like that. Did we get all of them? Allegedly speaking.

un: headless ragdoll | audio

[matermali]

You seem to have kept your head, and manage well enough.

[ Try bartering that and it's a deal. ]

Perhaps she does not carry the same desire as you. Peace may be her wish.

[aprescoup]

I don't understand. As opposed to?

I have no wish but for our peaceful reunion. I'm... even planning to bring flowers. Actually. Daffodils. She liked them.

[matermali]

As opposed to losing one's head.

[ It's only a little saying, goodness. (And one body part he's managed not to rid himself of, so it should be good enough.) ]

You are certain that the reunion will be peaceful?

@plan jane | video

[captain_marvel]

[Mentioning Kamala's name is a surefire way to at least attract this one's attention and she slides into the chat with a orange cat sitting over her shoulder, swishing her tail unhappily.]

You normally spend your time giving out food recommendations? Or is that just a nice side bonus?

[aprescoup]

I do! Is there a good life without a good meal?

[captain_marvel]

Guess I can't argue with that one. Though I'd like to believe I'd be okay with food that's just fine if I'm surrounded by good people.

[The people are important, and she doesn't want to lose those.]

un : deft hand of little deaths (voice)

[scrapgege]

... How long have you been chasing after this soul?

[aprescoup]

Here? Only since I've arrived in Hatthevar. It must have been... call it, nearly a year. Since Kamala gave me her doll.

[scrapgege]

... It's been longer than that, sir.

[Said very kindly, because Xie Lian is kind, but he can see this other soul is... probably not quite all there either. He might actually not remember.]

You've been looking to get her back for longer than that.

un: witchful thinking

[nochnaya]

Shall we speak instead of entertainment? I recently watched a puppet show in the bazaar—the day you bid us there, in fact. It was an affecting performance.

[aprescoup]

...really? Would you look at that. What about?

[nochnaya]

A daughter quarrels with her father over his frequent absences, then flees into the woods in her upset, but the father refuses to go after her. There she is killed by wild animals and her father grieves, but it is too late to save her.

It was a tragic story.

un: pillar of the heavens | voice

[inkfire]

How many pieces of yourself did you lose? Not sure why we should trust you when you can't even keep your bits attached.

[aprescoup]

More than you've recovered, though some have returned to me.

I would remind you: I didn't lose them. I gave them willingly away.

[inkfire]

So you did. Still makes me not trust a guy who would give away his bits.

How do you manage to talk?

@taken for granite

[rumorate]

What if coming back to you isn't what she wants?

[She senses the hypocrisy in the question almost as soon as she asks it - Allison certainly hasn't asked Claire if she wants her mother to fight for her the way that she is. But Matthias is causing much more harm than Allison ever did, so she thinks it's worth asking.]

[aprescoup]

Why would a child not want to come back to a loving parent?

un: worm wife / text

[wifedup]

Usually people work a little harder to keep their parts attached.

[aprescoup]

Be fair! Usually, they don't have to work at all!