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

video | un: wooden sword

[vdovy]

[ Yelena begins with a wave to the camera as well. It's only polite. ]

I can help to prepare the meat.

What did he say that got you thinking?

video | un: jinx

[hexgem]

[ Jinx frowns suspiciously into her pendant. ]

He gave you all of that in exchange for some doll?

un: ut malum pluvia | private

[somebadnews]

[ This isn't what Five was expecting to hear today. As relieved as he is that Kamala doesn't sound overly traumatized, he's on edge the moment she starts talking about a doll and Ellethia. Who the fuck is Matthias? There's only one other person from there that has been following them around and he's no one she should be making deals with.

...He's also not used to hearing he's anyone's favorite person. It hits him strangely, but he puts that aside, because she gave him many more important things to focus on. ]

Where are you now? ...You're not with Allison?

[cosplayqueen]

That maybe the undead are a part of the ecosystem of worlds. My earth doesn't have undead. I've been raised to believe our bodies are given life, die, and our souls return to Allah to be judged. There isn't really a third option here to stick around.

[cosplayqueen]

Yeah, he did. I got the impression this might be all he has of her now. To be honest? My dad would probably give even more in his shoes.

[cosplayqueen]

I'm not with Allison. I try not to follow her around all the time, but clearly, that was a mistake. She probably wouldn't have let me talk to him.

[And they wouldn't be in danger. That's what she feels guilty about. Kamala reads off her current coordinates since that's probably what he wants, right?]

[vdovy]

So he thinks the undead remain because they have nowhere to go?

[hexgem]

[ A nod. She thinks that Silco might too but she isn't so sure. There is always a nagging doubt. After all, Jinx has been left before. It would be foolish to think it couldn't happen again. ]

You're not worried he'll come back? It seems a little too easy.

[somebadnews]

Lesson learned. [ Allison could have done a lot more to get him talking, but more on that later. It was a stroke of genius to give Kamala that compass. Five takes a few deep breaths and tests his powers. Going to Hell was... not as great of an idea, and he hasn't bounced back as quickly as his young body should be capable of.

She might make out a couple quietly frustrated 'come on's and few muttered curses before he appears in a flash beside her. He steadies himself as he looks her up and down for any obvious injuries. When he doesn't spot any, or see anything other than the food she gathered beside them, he doesn't trust it. ]

How long ago was this? Where did he go after you spoke? [ Then, not... at all calmer or waiting for her answers: ] What did he look like?

[cosplayqueen]

Yeah, it's their only way to live was pretty much the message. Is that possible?

[cosplayqueen]

I'm pretty sure he will. I guess it's up to him whether it's a good or bad thing he's back for.

Video @whitewolf

[northerndragon]

I don't know if everything he said to you was a lie, or anything, but he cannot be trusted. Words can be true, and the meaning can still have some falseness in it.

[SOMEONE is still bitter about the whole mirror situation! The one where a man who was probably Matthias yanked him into a magic mirror, tortured him for several days, and maybe tried to steal his body a little.]

If he wore white... much and more of everything we've done in this world has been to set right what he has broken.

[cosplayqueen]

[Kamala looks both concerned and relieved to see Five in equal measure. That was not as easy as usual. What exactly has he been up to? She approaches him with both emotions warring plainly on her face.] A couple of hours ago. He disappeared. Teleported, maybe? I don't know.

[She digs in her bag for the art supplies Bones secured for her.] I can draw a picture of him. Hang on.

[cosplayqueen]

If I drew you a picture, would you recognize him? I just want to know the truth even if it's complicated.

[somebadnews]

[ Of course. Everyone teleports these days, so he expected as much. He opens his mouth for a follow up question when she suggests drawing him to answer his last. That isn't something he would have thought to ask, but he doesn't stop her and does what he can to swallow his impatience while hovering over her.

That jump took a lot out of him, so he folds his arms and eyes the gathered food briefly before refocusing on Kamala. She thinks she might be in danger. ]

Do you expect him to come back?

[cosplayqueen]

[Kamala sits down in a cross-legged position and gets to work. This won't be terribly long. She is a quick, efficient drawer when the need arises. It will take a couple of minutes for certain. She focuses exclusively on putting pencil to paper while chatting.] Sooner or later. I'm pretty sure he's pulling a Najima. He told me a sad, probably kind of true story to get me to do what he wanted. I didn't do it so he'll be back to either try again or punish me for not doing it.

[Kamala explains this with an eery amount of calm, almost frustrated by how unavoidable it is.]

un: owllady

[traaaaaash]

Ohhh, that's quite a loot you got there! Good going, kid!

[ But Eda does pick up on the nervousness. ]

Hey, uh, you okay there? Sounds like you had a wild few weeks.

un: Black Prince; text

[blackscales]

[ Ah... ]

What exactly did Matthias tell you?

For context, every place we've been so far Matthias has been first. I'm quite sure the Merchant is deliberately following his trail, and places we visit appear to be... chaotic. We've long been under the assumption its Matthias doing, given he worked in Ellethia where it all began, but we've never spoken to him.

[somebadnews]

[ As alarming as that is, Five takes a moment to be impressed that Kamala saw a manipulation tactic for what it was. She’s a smart kid. Who, he realizes now, he’s going to need to watch like a hawk. ]

I wouldn’t assume. It’s possible he doesn’t even have a daughter. [ Just saw Kamala alone with a doll and thought she was an easy target. ] What did he want you to do?

un: absterge

[downswing]

Do not trust in the man in white.


( Says man in white. )

[cosplayqueen]

Thanks! I'm just glad we'll all finally get a decent meal. I don't know about you, but I'm seriously losing a lot of weight here. Ammi is going to freak.

[She laughs because it's the opposite reaction to most other people. Kamala stops at the question, blinking twice as she tries and fails to dodge it.] Uh... yeah... no. I think it's all just kind of hitting me. We've been fighting for our lives for weeks with barely any food and sleep not so great for a lot of it. It's just.... a lot. All of it.

[cosplayqueen]

That the undead might be a natural part of life. He told me that if they weren't in those bodies they'd be tormented. They don't pass on to the afterlife. That's why I'm asking now if that could be legit since my world does not have this problem.

[Once that is explained, she addresses the rest. That is actually the information she needs.] So we might be following Matthias. We know he's visited these places first. What do we actually know he did for sure?

[cosplayqueen]

I am saying this respectfully and lovingly. [Kamala deliberately pauses because she's not getting in trouble for this again! Well that and Wangji is nice. She actually wants to show respect to him.]

Being a man in white is kind of your thing. That might not be the best way to describe him. [Just pointing that out. Don't tell her mom!] Why shouldn't I trust Matthias a guy who happens to wear white too?

[cosplayqueen]

[Her pencil movement slows because that actually hurts to consider. Kamala can see where he got the idea from especially after having it confirmed someone watched her long enough to report back to the Merchant.] ... I was sleeping with the doll. Don't laugh, but I thought her face would scare off Djinn.

[She smiles. It'd been the only relief she could get until Allison helped her. Kamala isn't ashamed of what her sleep-deprived brain needed to cope.] I am pretty sure he wanted me to tell you guys that the undead are people too. We shouldn't just destroy them because it leaves their spirits wandering around and in pain.

It goes against everything I believe, but he was so convincing. I think I would have fallen for it enough to share his side of the story if the Merchant hadn't called up to tell me he knew Matthias was talking to me. Super creepy for the record, but the stuff he told me made it pretty obvious Matthias was probably messing with me.

[She adds details to his face with aggressively.] It is actually kind of scary how he knew exactly what to say to get me to listen to him. That stuff about being a dad, his daughter, and the idea that we showed up and hurt people just trying to live their lives because we didn't know better or care... it's like he knew exactly what would hurt me the most to hear. He knew I'd want to make it right.

[She finishes a cartoon-ish, but accurate version of the man she met earlier and shows it to Five. That can't be right, right? He probably just guessed a brown girl from Jersey City would have feelings about dads and people rolling up and wrecking the lives of people native to the land they're in. Maybe he would have said the same thing to you.

[She shrugs like it could be a real possibility and not something she's saying to feel better.]

[downswing]

He has accompanied all misfortunes.