Number FIVE ☂ (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
somebadnews) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
eastbound2022-03-18 05:07 pm
somebadnews) wrote in eastbound2022-03-18 05:07 pm
un: ut malum pluvia | audio
[ Five has, maybe predictably, not yet shared the information he overheard when he and a few others followed Sairen some days ago to his secret gambling arena. When he decides to in the middle of the night, it really sounds like he's just postulating out loud while he's pacing around a room, because... that's exactly what he's doing at two in the morning. ]
What do we know about the Beastmaster? The village has ties to him, and the Hok-Shinn's offering didn't satisfy him the last time he came. How often does he come, and what were they offering? I'd assume either bodies or weapons, but they seemed purposely vague about it.
Then there's that chemical that the clan controls to make the land fertile enough to grow on. Supposedly they withhold it from farmers who rebel against them, but where does it come from and where do they keep it? Without it they wouldn't have the same hold over their people. And who is the white wanderer that gave it to them the first time? Is that related to their deal with the warlord, or is it something we can exploit?
[ He just says these things like they're already public knowledge. Be useful and fill in the gaps for him, he'll appreciate it. — The next part comes out more direct, because he's really getting sick of spilling hot drinks on himself whenever a pair of gossiping ghosts wander through the wall. (He gets it, Klaus. They might have driven him to drugs too.) ]
Also, I need to borrow an exorcist. If one of you knows how to dispel ghosts, we've got two who don't know how to mind their own business.
[ He's absolutely looking directly at them when he says this. Take a hint, ladies. ]
What do we know about the Beastmaster? The village has ties to him, and the Hok-Shinn's offering didn't satisfy him the last time he came. How often does he come, and what were they offering? I'd assume either bodies or weapons, but they seemed purposely vague about it.
Then there's that chemical that the clan controls to make the land fertile enough to grow on. Supposedly they withhold it from farmers who rebel against them, but where does it come from and where do they keep it? Without it they wouldn't have the same hold over their people. And who is the white wanderer that gave it to them the first time? Is that related to their deal with the warlord, or is it something we can exploit?
[ He just says these things like they're already public knowledge. Be useful and fill in the gaps for him, he'll appreciate it. — The next part comes out more direct, because he's really getting sick of spilling hot drinks on himself whenever a pair of gossiping ghosts wander through the wall. (He gets it, Klaus. They might have driven him to drugs too.) ]
Also, I need to borrow an exorcist. If one of you knows how to dispel ghosts, we've got two who don't know how to mind their own business.
[ He's absolutely looking directly at them when he says this. Take a hint, ladies. ]
no subject
Okay, Jan.]
Do you not think it would be wise to at the very least attempt to get rid of the curse first, then? You can't stay ahead of the curve if it keeps taking over, and doing more harm - nor if it follows you to the next location.
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They're just a few cuts. [ He knows... he should do something about it in case they keep getting worse. But he has no idea what 'atoning' means, and there's too much else going on. Including his own siblings he helped get cursed. ]
You haven't done anything about yours. [ He did notice the bruises, and the smell. In case she hasn't. ]
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It's not as easy as dragging up the dead and telling them they were terrible. I'm not able to work on pacifying the spirits, so I'll just leave their living families better prepared against such an attack in the future.
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How are you planning to do that?
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Education, of course.
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Let me know if that works. Next I'll teach them how to tell if their neighbor is planning on murdering them.
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Right. At least I have something to fall back on if I run out of sane ideas.
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Although...it's not a terrible idea. Creative thinking might do the trick.
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You're full of helpful suggestions tonight.
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You can always practice first, to check you'd be a good teacher. I could volunteer as your student.
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Not that he really wants to tell her. ]
So your theory is showing them you tried is enough to break a curse.
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It's definitely doing more than whatever the hell they're doing for themselves.
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I'm kind of surprised they lasted this long, considering they gamble with their own limbs. Nothing we show them is going to help that.
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Shh. We don't talk about that anymore. That whole night was just... [SHUDDER.]
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Come to think of it, that would be an easy way to track some of them down. Find all the recent amputees. [ He trails off mid-thought when he notices her again and he runs a hand through his hair. This isn't the first time it strikes him how young everyone is around here. ]
I would have thought you'd seen worse by now.
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Yeah, well. In hindsight, bringing a group of teenagers out there wasn't the best plan. We were lucky to get what we did out of it.
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We were lucky in many ways, honestly. Why did you bring me along?
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I can't be everywhere at once. I needed someone else who could teleport if we needed it. ...Obviously, I would have made a different choice if I knew what we'd be walking into.