un: man's greatest treasure (video)

[reparo]

[ooc: This is set during the Annointed event of Unkharil.]

[The video shows the jungle for a moment, followed by a close-up of Hermione's face in the dark, illuminated by the Lumos spell at the tip of her wand. She looks wide-eyed, a little dishevelled, leaning against a massive tree trunk. She looks at the camera, trying to figure out the point she was going to make, opens her mouth, closes it. Pauses.

Then:] Drugs are bad. Prophecy drugs are bad. Don't do drugs, kids. [Another pause.] Are there even any kids around for this public service announcement? Probably not awake at this hour anyway...[She rubs one hand over her face, the wand still in said hand creating a bit of strobe light effect for anyone watching.]

Right - the point. I found the giant snake - not a Basilisk as I had suspected, given that I'm not petrified this time, but that's beyond the point. I have a vial for Deimar - and instructions, which I'll deliver, but I wanted to see if anyone else has...gone in? The jungle, for the anointment venom. [Merlin, this place is weird and these people are weird.]

For people keen to keep track - our Alem prince is meant to find who in his midst has bloodshed on their hands. I tried to ask if that meant people from Alem, or included us as well, but Kharil-asuk didn't answer.

[A pause.] Yes - that's it.

Comments

[reparo]

I admit I was mostly skeptic it would work - I thought it was mostly just snake oil.

[ Already regretting the pun. ]

[somebadnews]

But your curiosity won out?

[reparo]

Honestly, I just wanted to be right.

[somebadnews]

[ ...He can relate to that, but that's not a good thing. Too many people he tolerates nearly die when he doesn't pay attention. ]

Shame about the Basilisk. If you'd taken someone, they might have been impressed.

[reparo]

If I'd had someone with me then, they might have been dead.

[ Here she is, erroneously thinking he's talking about her Basilisk. ]

[somebadnews]

Begs the question why you wanted to be right this time.

1/2

[reparo]

[reparo]

I did a reckless and petty thing.

[somebadnews]

[ Why are you... this isn't like bickering with his siblings, they'd never admit that. ]

Yeah, well. That can be hard to see when you've always got luck on your side. [ He wants to ask her to tell him next time, but... that feels weird. He isn't her father. ]

It's wearing off now?

[reparo]

No, I meant - in the House of Manouk.

[somebadnews]

[ That sure gets his attention. ]

What did you do?

[reparo]

[ Pauses, then covers her mouth, then blurts out muffled: ] I set it on fire?

[somebadnews]

That was you? [ He doesn't need to repeat it, but that's going to take a second to absorb. ...Make that several seconds. ]

Were you trying to kill them?

[reparo]

And a few conspirators. And no, not really - I think the initial intent was to free the spirits, though I don't know if it was accomplished since we had to run... Mostly, it was to prevent them leaving.

[somebadnews]

[ Huh. Honestly, he didn't think she had it in her. ]

Everyone seems to get hung up on that. [ Freeing spirits. Call him crazy, but his priority is the living. — Still, he can't find it completely objectionable, besides being dangerous and unnecessary. ]

They're stuck in their own pocket of time, so no harm done.

1/2

[reparo]

I'm worried about the fact that I wanted it. Harm to be done.

[reparo]

So I took on this bloody mission to attone or prove myself, and now I'm in a tree, and - I think the cooler teens call it high?

[somebadnews]

[ It's a little like she wants him to judge her. Maybe that's why she's telling all this. ]

There's your mistake. If you're trying to balance all the damage we've done to this world just to make yourself feel better, you'll only drive yourself insane. ...Or high, as the case may be.

How long are you staying up there?