video | un: slothbaby - after hell is sealed/on their way to safety

[cosplayqueen]

[A very tired teenager waves at the camera. As usual, she's got a smile on her face. Apparently a lack of sleep, murders, and run in with another crazy person isn't enough to ruin her mood. Kamala Khan everyone.] Hi, guys! Stuff has been super crazy, huh? I'm 90% sure we saved the day so yay! Another win for the team! Great job, guys!

[Those who know her or maybe just have a good ability to read people may pick up on the fact she seems nervous. She keeps chatting away like nothing is the matter.] Irenia is back too! Isn't that awesome? And I got food for us! Look... [She moves her pendant around to show a collection of dead wildlife, berries, etc.] I've been asking around for help preparing this stuff because yeahhhh city girl. No clue how you do this! If you want to help out, please and thank you? There's a lot of it and I know we've all been super hungry for what feels like forever. As far as I'm concerned everyone should eat as much as they can once we get it all cooked and stuff.

[Her eyes dart from side to side. Kamala clears her throat.] You might be wondering how I pulled this off and if you're not? I guess click off? But, yeah.... so I may have been carrying around a doll that belonged to someone else's daughter from a couple of places back? He told me his name is Matthias. I returned it to him because hey I'm not a jerk. It belonged to his daughter so it should go back to him.

He gave me this food in return or I guess his undead friends did. Not going to lie, pretty scary stuff. But, that's how I got the food. We talked about some other stuff too. His home world, Ellethia, and what he used to do for a living when his daughter was alive. His hot take on the whole undead thing. It really got me thinking about their deal. He seemed to know a lot about it.

And you know just out of curiosity, what do we know about the undead? Share if you want since I know we have bigger problems right now. I'm mostly worried about this food going bad.


private to Five and Allison

So, don't panic, but I may or may not be in danger here. Can we talk? About everything? This is pretty much the safe version of what happened. I don't want to freak out the the others, but if I were a questionable guy who didn't get their way just now? I'd totally go after you guys first since spoilers you're my favorite people! And Emilia, but seriously I've seen Emilia in action. I feel sorry for anyone who tries to hurt her to get to me. So yeah. We should talk. 

Comments

un: Black Prince; voice!

[blackscales]

[ Wrathion switches over, since she seems to prefer talking and texting someone who talks back is... probably rude? Anyway, his voice is probably at least familiar to her from the spa if nothing else! He speaks carefully, thoughtful. ]

Our details are, at least, one side of a story since we've never spoken to him. My personal impression has always been that he may well believe he is helping, but be... misguided. Of course, it could well be the reverse.

Matthias was q scientist working at the Ellethia Institute of Technology, that much we know for certain. Scientists chased the secret of immortality there, and that investigation involved... mirrors. These mirrors are dangerous, powerful, some grant wishes but... not always in a way you might expect. They give power at a cost.

We learned that the previous... leader of the project left citing ethical concerns. Matthias took over. Then Ellethia... Well, many people there died. Whatever they unleashed is still happening, and I suspect Matthias is touched by that power. Many of the undead lords we have met have interacted with him. My suspicion has been he is granting them their powers, powers that are useful and yet terrible in kind -- much like the gifts the mirrors give.

Sethica, for example. The child there. Matthias.... helped him, but kept things from him too. Brought him to Serthica, where he spread his sickness until everyone began dying, and trapped those there as puppets to keep the child from being lonely. He never told the child his father searched for him. We cannot know if he thought this all a kindness, but you see why we find him difficult to trust?

[cosplayqueen]

[She recognized his username, but the sound of his voice clearly pleases her. Kamala does appreciate how he helped rescue and then repair her sloth back then.] This is actually really helpful information. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since you usually are.

[Kamala compliments sincerely. She pulls out her notebook and gets to work starting to draw what he describes so she'll remember it later. Kamala actually seems more focused as she responds, not skipping a beat in the conversation.] And yeah I see what you're saying. Everything in Serthica was pretty awful. Even if he thought what he was doing was good, the people there still suffered a lot because of it.

SORRY FOR TYPOS, WROTE THAT ON A TRAIN sob

[blackscales]

[ Oh yes, tell him he's helpful again. And clever. And handsome?

Anyway: ]

I would agree. I also have other... suspicions about our friend, Matthias -- The White Wanderer as they call him. He knew the child's father, who we called The Beastmaster. The Beastmaster was, too, an undead lord -- powers you may guess from the name. Control over inhuman creatures. He was searching for his child, and... spoke with Matthias, shortly before becoming The Beastmaster. Matthias knew his father was searching, did not tell the child or help reunite them. Instead, brought the child to Serthica. I'm certain he had some... reason, but it does seem like an elaborate game. Each person he has helped is suffering, in some way, yet his help feels as if it causes yet more damage to the living around them.

[ A pause, then: ]

We may be missing things, but I do wonder if whatever has been done to him has... twisted his mind.

you're all good. :)

[cosplayqueen]

[Wow only one compliment unless you're Emilia or Captain Marvel!!!] That's really disturbing. I don't know how he could keep a son and father apart while he's mourning his daughter.

[Kamala is clearly confused by it. She gives credit even to people who behave like monsters evidently.] I got the impression he wasn't completely there. I thought it was grief. If my dad were in his shoes, he'd be a mess. They don't really recover from that stuff.

[blackscales]

[ Another pause, thoughtful. ]

... I'm not certain if I know when his daughter died, in the order of events, but if it was before the fallout of Ellethia it may have... coloured his view of things. Of death. It may have given him... a drive.

[cosplayqueen]

A drive to do horrible things to bring his daughter back to life? [Kamala is just throwing it out there. She can sympathize, but not excuse it. The Avengers didn't commit atrocities to bring back half the galaxy.]

[blackscales]

... Perhaps. Or a drive to sympathise with the undead, to believe their presence is... natural. I cannot say it has been so in my world, I cannot prove it isn't natural here, but... if someone struggled to let go, they may well want to believe it is so.

[ If his... daughter was trapped here, and he didn't want to let her go, he may come to believe she simply couldn't.

He has no evidence to say it's true, but it's... not impossible. ]

[cosplayqueen]

That's what got me to be honest. I really don't know how any of this stuff works. Maybe to him, it is natural if it means reuniting with his family again.

[How incredibly sad is that? Kamala can't help pitying the man even now.]