audio | username: haltham

[aprescoup]

He... llo? Hey-ho! Hello. Got the hang of it now —

( But does he? A sudden spell of background laughter would indicate the channel remains disrupted, until… it suddenly quiets down. )

...there we go! How’s you lot? This is Haltham. Me? Been good. Real swell. Got me a... got a goat now. She’s a handsome one. Met’er coming down from the mountains, minding my own business, might’ve had a little to dri — ...but keeps the body warm, don’t it? And there I was, and there she was, and I think she’d just killed a man? Can’t be helping it, happens in a mountain. And we looked each other up, then down, though she’s mostly sideways, think she’s, hm... her eyes sort of cross, but you know, she’s a looker, and she walks the leash right, and we headed on together, so. And now, I take her everywhere.

( He seems, suddenly, to remember the point of his outreach: )

Anyway. You’ll have your own goat! Maybe. We’re taking you. Taking you elsewhere. On a walk. To a new place, better place, for living. Mostly better. Well... right, it’s not all that better, but it’s a home, a farm. And... look. Can’t be having you at the… ladies’ house no more. There’s trouble in the city now, with all them folks rising for Anurr, and... heard some of you got involved with all that. Keep your heads down! Oi! Oiiiiiiii. Down. Don't be dying before I even see you.

( A pause, then: ) So, this farm. Used to be a woodhouse. It’s... closer to the forest, where the old blood live, and it’s farther out, but… you can still walk to the merchants’ places, and it’ll do you good. Proper, honest stroll each morning. Works an appetite. Old man thought it might be rough, but I talked him into it, and it’s all yours, now! You can head on tomorrow, and Karsa’ll even... you know, sort out your speech pieces, so you can talk smart there too.

Now, it’ll need some cleaning... and some urging along of the wolves. And rats, and... the trouble with the... you'll see. I don’t think some walls are holding, but you’ll prop them, won’t you? Bit of sweat and mud and snow, and it really is all yours, once that’s done! And no one will come along to bother.

Just... don’t open your doors at night, no matter what the wind tells you. Or people. Them’s not people, in that forest.


( ooc: A mission log for the move-out and the delights of the 'farm' will be up tomorrow :) Characters with jobs at the House of Dew can hold on to their posts, even after they relocate. Translation devices will work throughout. )

Comments

[somebadnews]

[ He watches him with narrowed eyes. Bringing up his sister unprompted automatically puts him on edge, but he reels in his hostility. ]

You've seen her?

[ He has no idea who might have seen what she did on the ship, but Mingyu tends to find these things out. They've got an arrangement for a reason. ]

[descendency]

[ And here Mingyu thought he was a wounded, fractured thing. Five really has a way of making him re-evaluate his own damage. He just smiles, motioning for Five to sit. Maybe unclench a little, old man. ]

Vanya, right? Unassuming girl. Well, at least she appears unassuming. How is she settling in?

[ He like to keep informed. Now that Fox is here, Mingyu's going to have more information than he knows what to do with. The kid's nosy, full of seemingly boundless energy and curiosity, and above all never stops talking. God, Mingyu loves him so much.

At any rate, he does like to keep informed, but he's rather personally informed when it comes to Vanya, the overlap between serendipity and making a genuine effort on Five's behalf. ]

[somebadnews]

[ Five takes a moment to stare him down before taking a seat. Apparently he's got a lot on his mind, because he's really struggling to take a polite question at face value. ]

She's been through a lot. [ He keeps his eyes locked on Mingyu, considering him carefully. ] The conditions on that ship made the jail look... well, no that was horrible too, but at least you didn't have to worry about getting sea sick.

[ Let's just pretend that's all she's been through for one minute, and that he can bring this up while sounding casual. He takes a breath. ]

It goes without saying that she's off limits.

[descendency]

Just what kind of designs do you imagine me having on your sister?

[ It's a tease, Mingyu's smile sharp upon his lips. ]

I thought our agreement was a mutually beneficial partner ship. I fully intend to help you look after your family for as long as you keep an eye on me and mine.

[ He takes a sip of Five's drink just as you know, a show of good will. He's been hanging out with Archeval too much, probably. And Lee Chang. God, does Mingyu know anyone at this point who doesn't live with the expectation of being poisoned? It's not good for his mental stability. He puts Five's drink in front of him, then picks up his own. ]

No offense, but she seems like a hard one to keep out of trouble.

[somebadnews]

[ That response makes him clench his jaw, and he only loosens it when he picks up the glass and takes a sip. He'd let it stay that vague, but this is a little too important. As much as he'd like to believe he satisfied all of Mingyu's curiosity.

He holds the glass in front of him, eyes dark as he holds his gaze. There's more to that story that he doesn't really want to go into, except to say this. ]

That means to keep your abilities to yourself. She won't take mind reading as well as I did.

[ But he dials the tension down, because he does need to get through some things. Let it be known that he does pay attention, even when he's got family around. ]

You must be excited. Did you find Fox first, or did he find you?

[descendency]

Elated. [ Mingyu's voice is flat and desert-dry, lips thinning at the mere reminder. The corners of his eyes soften a bit, however, the way they always do when the topic shifts to Fox since the bright, bubbly boy has been back in his life, fully intact. ]

He found me working, so that was fun. What do you know of him so far, out of curiosity? I'm just trying to get a read on the kind of damage control I'm in for. The idiot leaks information like an open drain.

[somebadnews]

[ Did he make that threat clear enough yet? ... Maybe. But he brought up Fox intentionally, because the timing really is convenient. Five raises an eyebrow, but makes no other comment about his work. ]

Not a whole lot more than what you've told me. He seems eager to show off his magic and lend a hand to anyone asking. [ Shrugs, like he hasn't been paying special attention. ] I haven't introduced myself.

[descendency]

Don't worry, I'm keeping him well-appraised of the situation here as well as your unique circumstances. Is Vanya the type you keep informed or the type you keep under control?

[ Mingyu's tone is light and conversational, his efforts to maintain a good working relationship with Five a genuine one. Different people take different handling, as far as he's concerned. Fox is the type to give as much information as is safe for him to have, lest he hang himself on his curiosity.

Mingyu doesn't know if Vanya is the type better told the harsh truths so she doesn't learn them the hard way later, or if Five would prefer her sheltered. His instincts and what he knows so far of Five's general modus operandi say 'sheltered', but.

Best not to assume. ]

[somebadnews]

[ He frowns at that. They've already been discussing him, is that what he's saying? What unique circumstances, exactly? -- But when the focus moves back to his sister, he can't quite move back to it.

It's a little terrible to use that phrase for Vanya, who spent her entire life drugged and convinced she didn't have anything special about her, who just recovered from amnesia, who knows she was the cause of two apocalypses that they had to avert... so. He'd prefer to use a different one. ]

I'd like to keep her safe. [ What that means is hard to put into words. It's a delicate situation that he doesn't expect him to understand. ] I'll tell her what she needs to know.

[ He doesn't want to keep things from her. She's his sister, and the only person he can really trust. So telling this now to Mingyu is something he has to debate up until it comes out of his mouth. ]

She's like me, but her powers are less predictable. When she gets upset... [ It's bad. ] I just need to her to be calm and we'll work on it.