eastbound | audio { un: hide-and-seek }

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audio { un: hide-and-seek }

[ Clara isn't sure how long it is before she feels capable of having a conversation, one where she's able to coherently explain her interaction with the Child. She's been sitting with her thoughts, turning over every level in her mind, all the things she saw and felt. By the time the Doctor had found her on Level Three, she'd already been through enough to hide in a dark room, uncharacteristically unsure of what to do. They'd wound up getting to the top of the tower together, he'd seen her through the sickness, but he'd gone back for others. That had left her alone to talk with the Child when he appeared without a sound by her side. Now, it's time to share what she's learned.

She may be feeling up to conversation, but not enough for video, and after this, only enough to text. When she begins, her voice is already hoarse, rough around the edges. ]

Right, jumping straight to it this time 'round. I had an interesting conversation with the Child. The kid in the fox mask. He said some things I'm sharing so we can talk them out or whatever we need to do. This may be a coincidence since I dunno know what the tower was or wasn't manipulating at that point, but anytime he stood with his umbrella over me, I felt better, less like I was sick. I also still have it, the umbrella. He left it.

[ She'd tried to give it back to him, and he'd let her have it without saying anything about it. ]

Alright, I'll get to it because we're all exhausted. The conversation started when he told me I 'wouldn't like what I see' and followed that hit up with 'seeing the undead isn't the same as knowing what's happening.' I guess he knows about the dragon eyes and what they do. I asked him who could help us know what we need to understand the rest, but his only suggestion was to ask his parents. He mentioned his father knows everything. Lots of kids think that, though.

Third fact of fun: fox-face told me his father could help anyone except me. And I dunno if he meant me specifically or all of us? Because he finished that bit up by saying he—as in himself—'made things sick' but didn't mean to and he's sorry. The kid also referred to a 'him' and 'he' a lot. Mentioned if 'he' were here, 'he' would know why we were sick. I'm assuming the father is the same 'him,' but it was never clear. Could be two totally separate beings.

[ But here's where things get even more interesting. ]

Next, kid says he was in Serthica after a ship dropped him off to play with the dragons. He seemed pretty excited about the idea that said dragons were big enough to eat 'him.' Still dunno if that's different from dad.

[ Now for the real dick move: ]

The Child said he was playing with me, with us. I think I guilted him into admitting we're his toys, just playthings. The dollhouse built just for him with us as the living dolls. Then he was gone. Not before saying he was glad to have us as toys.

[ Clara rubs a hand over her face, sighing audibly. ]

Other fine details include: he doesn't know how to keep us from getting sick, he doesn't understand why we get sick or how to stop us from dying (so he claims), and he blamed me or...us, I guess, for coming to a place where the sickness is. He insisted he was a good kid who only came to play with dragons.

[ By the time she's done, she's satisfied she hasn't missed anything — hopes so at least. ]

That's all I know. Or at least it's all I can remember. Was a long day, but I don't have to tell you lot that. Hopefully, this helps with something.

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The only thing he repeated more than once was that he didn't 'mean to.' So what now, next time we find him we send him back to wherever he came from?

If it simply happens, wherever he goes, I am sure he didn't mean to.

If we are correct, the White Wanderer granted him this gift as he did to his father -- potentially, to his whole family. That means he could take it away. We don't know of any other such means to do so ourselves, to change a person permanently. The unfortunate thing is, if he makes people sick then nowhere with other mortals is safe for him.

The person we need then, is the White Wanderer, but that isn't the same person as his family. Maybe that's who the Child was hoping a dragon could eat.

I suspect the White Wanderer brought him here. I suspect the White Wanderer has acted as a friend to him. The current guess is the child's parents are Hyang-Won, who became the undead lord the Beastmaster, and Anui, who became the Huntress. We know they did have a child, and Anui -- who was devout -- took that child to be an offering at the House of Ravens. Hyang-Won was not devout, and became enraged. At some point, the White Wanderer spoke to him, and after that he became the Beastmaster, and his wife the Huntress, and he chased her down seeking revenge. Anui came back to her home when the House of Ravens was due to re-open, to see if her child was still alive. He wasn't there, but we know he did survive for quite some time. It would have been years, so I'd think whatever kept him alive was unnatural.

If this is correct, and he didn't go as willingly to be scarified as his mother suspected, I'd expect if he wished harm on anyone it might be her.

Everything in the tower had some distant echo of Ke-Waihu and the House of Ravens. Mutated half-human creatures? Those lived in the volcano there. The skeleton ancestor? Honour your father, dishonour your mother. The scarecrows wore the robes of the priestesses of the House of Ravens, and played a game of offering each other as a sacrifice.

It all does add up.

[ It all reads like a transcript of Dateline: London. One of the episodes that needs to be a three-parter because it goes deep. Reading the message a few times, Clara frowns at her device but has to agree. It makes sense. ]

Is anyone actually trying to help the Child? This isn't his fault, he didn't ask to be a pawn between his parents.

People rarely ask for harm to be done to them, but not all harm can be easily undone. How would you suggest we help? You had the opportunity to speak to him. Did he seem open to reason?

Does any child who grows up without discipline in any way ever seem open to reason?

I don't want people forgetting he's a kid. A kid that's in a really—pardon my language—fucked up situation. I don't know how to help him, but I'm not ready to write him off, either.

Kids shouldn't have to be the ones to solve problems adults create.

Sometimes, they are the only ones who can solve those problems.

Doesn't mean he deserves to be treated like he's inherently bad.

I'd like that to not be forgotten.

[ Ha ha haaaaa. ]

We are not in disagreement.

[ Being treated like you are inherently bad is unpleasant, Wrathion would know. ]

However, there is a price here. We have one child, causing death potentially unwitting. How much do we risk to save them? How many more lives, for a task we are not even sure can succeed?

This is not to save it should not be tried, only to consider how long for.

Just floating an idea. We could send a group ahead and let the people who want to stay, try to help the Child until an agreed time.

I'm not trying to take unnecessary risks, but until we know there's no separating the kid from the things his mother let happen to him, I can't walk away.

And how long would you stay trying? Risk succumbing to the sickness yourself? What do we consider a reasonable time for some to stay behind?

Hours? Days? When it's obvious the child isn't being used and we can't do anything for him.

I don't know when that is, no one does. The only thing we can do is decide if a little kid is worth the risk. It isn't to some, and that's fine. That's why it's a choice.

That was rather my point. There is no definite timeline to this. My fear is people being unable to let go, even when it seems there is nothing that can be done.

what if there are people who can trap him until we figure out what to do from here?

[ An interesting, sharp topic change which says nothing to Clara's ability to let go if there is nothing that can be done.

Well, as she said, it's all choice. ]

It is potentially possible, but without knowing the full extent of his abilities it is difficult to know what he can overcome. I did not see the child myself beyond the brief image in the unwinding. I don't know if he can teleport, thus rendering traditional prisons useless, but if this tower is of his doing then he is potentially quite powerful and no doubt it would make him upset.

[ If they can help the Child, she knows the only way to do it might be to contain him until they figure it out. If there's a kid in there somewhere, he deserves to be free. ]

He did sort of appear out of thin air, and then he was just gone.

[ It's at least a full minute before her next text, typing, deleting, trying to make sure she's getting her words right. ]

There have to be people here who, combined, could have more power and control than he does. We're all here for a reason, I thought. No one said there was only one reason. Maybe we're supposed to help him too, and if he's trapped in something, if we can figure that part out, then we buy ourselves time.

I do realize that's a big 'if'.

[ She isn't sure if she's coming at it from too human a perspective, too maternal of one, maybe. She could be, but she isn't blind to what last resorts could be. Clara wants them to be just that — last resorts. ]

[ ... Quite a big if, and he's not sure if she's talking about being in the city for a reason or the world as a whole. In his opinion, he was dragged to this world on some whim and he was in this city to find a beacon to return home.

Still. He cannot exactly prove her wrong. She may well be correct, he just dislikes the idea of predefined fate. ]

I hope for his sake and ours, that you are correct.

If we left and found out later he could've been saved, that something could've been done, I'm not sure I could ever be okay with that.

[ She thinks she's being as reasonable as they both can be, walking a fine line between all of them being as safe as they can against one child who has an uncontrollable power he uses when he's angry—because he's never had a boundary in his life. Or a real parent. Or a chance. ]

Sometimes you only learn the detail that would make a difference too late, but so long as you survive you can still use it to save someone else later.

[ Clara stares at those words for a long while, trying to decide how to respond. She has no idea if what she wants for the Child is the right thing. Who's right and who's wrong might not be obvious until something's actually done. ]

A wise thing to say.

Failure gives us a chance to learn and do better next time. Except I'm hoping we pull off a miracle. Not likely, but a girl can dream.

It is not in our nature to hope for failure.

[ A pause, as if that might be the end of it, but Wrathion can feel Anduin's bleeding heart concern getting to him. ]

If I can help, you are welcome to find me in Minaras. I spoke with the figure we believe to be his mother at length, and know a fair amount about the man we believe was his father. If you intend to reason with him, context may assist you.

I think the more I can understand, the better.

I know people in Minaras, so I'm positive I'll find my way there sooner or later.

Contact me when it suits.

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