audio; un: hopscotch

[clavesregni]

I know who killed Vataz and the others. It's--

[Her voice is strained. She sounds as though she's in pain and out of breath.]

It's complicated. We need to be cautious not to worsen the situation any further. Someone else was killed. A woman. Her death is what started it all. There's someone else I need to question; I'll be able to share more once I have.

[There's the soft thud of someone's back hitting a wall.]

For now, young men should stay out of the Wards and the Keep, if at all possible. The killer can't distinguish between its true target and other men who appear similar. And don't go down into the glacial lakes. It isn't safe.

[Another pause, followed by a wince.]

If any medical personnel are able to spare supplies, I could do with a bandage.

Comments

[clavesregni]

May I ask you a favor? Would it be possible for you to make a second healing potion? There's someone I know who could use one.

[reparo]

What kind of injury? I have two I can spare right now.

[clavesregni]

None at the moment. At least, nothing serious. But she's the sort of person who won't stop fighting until she's grievously injured, and...

[It's not necessarily rational, but she's spent pretty much every waking moment here worried that Vi's going to get knocked off a tower or have her face clawed off by harpies, or even get shot by an errant bullet from her trigger-happy sister.]

I worry for her. Having something that I could do, should anything happen to her, would allay at least some of my worry.

[reparo]

[ It does not take a genius. ]

...by any chance are you talking about Vi?

[clavesregni]

[A momentary stutter. HOW COULD HERMIONE HAVE GUESSED?

A pause, a little huff, and finally:] Yes.

[reparo]

[ A SIGH, and amused: ] Don't worry. I'll make sure Vi gets healed - we've been fighting together on the Eastern tower for a while, I know what kind of throwing herself into the battle she does.

[clavesregni]

Thank you. [Ideally someone would figure out how to explain the concept of 'taking care of yourself' to Vi, but since that's probably impossible, at least she has someone watching her.]

[reparo]

You look after her too, don't you?

[clavesregni]

I'd do anything to protect her.

[reparo]

[A small little smile.] That's very good of you - I can tell you must care about her a lot.

[clavesregni]

I. [The blush is audible.] Yes. I suppose I do.

[reparo]

[And the smile is encouraging.]

It does show in how you two act towards each other.

[clavesregni]

Uhm.

[How they... How Vi acts? Has Vi done something that Caitlyn doesn't know about? Has she said something? Does she talk about Caitlyn when she's not there? What did she say?

There's a long moment of silence as Caitlyn's thoughts trip over themselves wondering whether Vi has made any overt indications of. Affection? Towards Caitlyn? What has she done to make Hermione think? To let Hermione know? That they. That she.

It's astonishing, the effect Vi has on Caitlyn's ability to think coherently. It's also astonishing that she still gets butterflies in her stomach when thinking of Vi and all the ways in which Vi's actions might be showing that she cares about Caitlyn.]

It does?

[reparo]

Yes - it was very quickly obvious that you knew each other, from your world, even back in the desert. And that there was a level of care that came with that knowledge and familiarity.

[clavesregni]

Has Vi... said anything? [She's fishing a little. The last time they actually discussed their relationship, Vi called them 'oil and water,' but maybe how she feels has changed.]

[reparo]

[ Oh dear. Nope, she's familiar with the whole 'do you think she's interested in me, Hermione?' conversation (thanks, Harry) to know she is not getting involved in this one. Confirmation was what she wanted, and she feels she has it. ]

Oh, you know - we haven't had a lot of time to have talks.

[clavesregni]

Oh. N-no, of course. Of course not. [She's overstepped. Of course she shouldn't involve Hermione in her relationship issues. And besides, if Vi said something to Hermione, she probably said it with the understanding that it wouldn't get back to Caitlyn. She shouldn't pry.]

Just. Please. Make sure she's safe.