un: ut malum pluvia | audio

[somebadnews]

[ 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. ]

Comments

[somebadnews]

[ He was about to comment on how suspicious it is, but then she says that and he has to laugh. If she knew who she was asking.

Not that he really wants to tell her. ]

So your theory is showing them you tried is enough to break a curse.

[reparo]

[Hey she caught that.]

It's definitely doing more than whatever the hell they're doing for themselves.

[somebadnews]

[ He agrees with her on one point; they're idiots for living here. ]

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.

[reparo]

[She goes pale with the flashbacks.]

Shh. We don't talk about that anymore. That whole night was just... [SHUDDER.]

[somebadnews]

[ Like he hadn't heard her, he continues on one of those 2am thoughts. ]

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.

[reparo]

I have also felt worse things - that doesn't mean I'm any less affected by them.

[somebadnews]

[ That makes him feel just a little awkward, and he looks away. He'd hand her sleep aid back to her but... giving something back seems like a crazy notion. It's safer with him. ]

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.

[reparo]

[One day there will be an intervention for that hoarding problem, but that is not going to be today.]

We were lucky in many ways, honestly. Why did you bring me along?

[somebadnews]

[ He can't blame her for asking. At the time, he had a few reasons, but the one he'll admit to: ]

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.