un: lady of the willow tree | video

[aprescoup]

( Fortune favours the bold, or those who have never crossed paths with the witch Karsa. She has been biding her time aboard the Queen Zanyra, manning the new recruits — and appears in good health, but for how half of her face sometimes catches the light strangely, nearly silvered. A flicker of oddity, and it's gone.

She addresses the group in whispers now, from an ill-lit quarter — days before the ships enter the Crossing. )

Hasten. Wash the silt and stale water from your ears. You fools. What are you doing? Sleeping, when they tell you to sleep? Rubbing their decks? A little polish? Is that what you are for? On your knees, and saying 'please'? And 'thank you'?

( Tch. But she seems too rushed to scold:) ...in any case, you are alive. That is surprising. But good. Now, let us keep it so. They have not told you much. They never tell you much. You are for the Crossing — old stories say it is... where things that should not be find their brothers. Things that lived and died. Things that died before they ever breathed. Things that should not be born. It is a turbulence. On merchant routes, they avoid this sea by a distance of several days of sailing.

( A creak, as if steps. She stops, searches each way, before trusting enough to continue: ) Why do they take this path? Luck does not love them? Women do not love them? No one would cry for them? I do not cry for them. I spit on them. But we can't spit from the grave. They believe, these captains, and the stupid animals and bundles of bones that man their ships, they believe they can survive.

I do not know why. But we must learn, if we are to be protected. Ask carefully: they do not like questions. Quicksilver, he is mad. Not in the way of men's madness, which is natural to them. They are fools of the blood. This is the different. He is mad of the mind. And the other one, the Rope... he seems mad of the heart.

But we must know what they know, else they might be fools, but we are even more foolish. Go. Be swift and careful.


( ooc: threadjack away, and feel free to share any information your character's unearthed about the voyage here, or in your own posts o/ )

Comments

[somebadnews]

[ Nope. He’s convinced they do this intentionally out of spite. ]

Have we not caught up yet? We’ve been making quite a name for ourselves.

[aprescoup]

Why must you be like little dog who barks loud?

Why can you not be little dog who is silent?

[somebadnews]

Ask my brother. [ Or don’t. Knowing Diego, he’d fall in love with her and Five will have to deal with that. ]

How loyal is the crew around here anyway? They all buy into the stories?

[aprescoup]

You tell me. We are on the same ships.

[somebadnews]

[ Sigh. She really doesn’t know more than this vague warning, does she? ]

Fine. I guess we’ll find out.

[aprescoup]

Be careful. There is... strangeness. In men who go to death this easily. Something missing. Maybe sense. Or more.

[somebadnews]

… [ He’ll have to ask Winnie. Maybe Wrath. They’d be able to tell, depending. ]

Someone should tell them they’re doing that the hard way. [ If death is their goal. He debates saying what follows, but she didn’t have to tell him that. ]

Thanks. I’ll look into it.

[aprescoup]

You try to start a mutiny?

( A pause, then: ) ...not the most foolish thing you've done.

[somebadnews]

[ Unexpected compliment. ]

I didn’t say that. [ He didn’t not-say that either. ] But it’s good to know we have your approval.

[aprescoup]

Am I mother to you?

[somebadnews]

Not quite. I haven’t figured out your strange obsession with us, but as long as you stay out of our way.

[aprescoup]

You understand... what it means to work?

[somebadnews]

That depends. Did they decide to start paying you?

[aprescoup]

Starved, am I? I look it? Feed me, then.

[somebadnews]

No, you seem perfectly content with this arrangement. Far be it for me to question it.

[aprescoup]

...what do you want, little boy? Other than ladder.

[somebadnews]

[ There are more pressing issues, but he's been called that one too many times. ]

You surprised me when you weren't dead. Just thought we'd get reacquainted.

[aprescoup]

Why would I die? To spit on hell too? I do not have that much water in my mouth.

[somebadnews]

You can't blame me for jumping to conclusions, considering when you left. How close was it?

[aprescoup]

If it were close, would I tell you?

[somebadnews]

[ That all but confirms it. ]

You look good, in either case. I wouldn't have noticed.

[aprescoup]

You look small. Like the manhood of Unhalad's followers in the cold.

[somebadnews]

Sensitive subject, I understand. I'm just glad you don't hold any grudges.