un: ut malum pluvia | audio

[somebadnews]

Let's break it down, shall we? [ Starting in the middle of his thought? You bet. Keep up. ] It's been over two months. 63 days, give or take, since the original escape. So far that's taken us about an hour's walking distance from where we started, earned us just enough coin to keep us afloat, and possibly helped inspire the uprising of a previously defeated undead warlord to rival the one we were already dealing with.

[ It's also been two months before someone finally figured out how to change his username. Not that it was ever important, until it is. Call it a signal to the rest of his siblings, wherever they are. (Two months and he's still grasping at straws. It's embarrassing. Anyway.) ]

We numbered around 15 of us back then. And it's been 41 days since the rescue on the ship where we picked up another dozen or so. Less than a month since we set up at the farm and now all of a sudden they're trickling in one by one. I'm assuming a few wandered off on their own, so how many does that make us now? -- This isn't a social call, just the number is fine.

[ Sigh. This is the part where he's going to engage, and he's already tired. ]

The point being that there's enough of us that it's hard to tell when someone goes missing. If you're going to engage with the fanatics, you're asking for what's coming to you. [ But. ] In the event that you do find out something worthwhile... maybe it's time we had that meeting.

[ The one they kept talking about, and never did anything about. In person, like the good old days, and yes this is him proposing it. He's not promising to share all he knows, but he's definitely not going to subject himself to some mystic tree after he's already dealt with those nut jobs. He's kind of expecting a few of them to join the cult at this point. ]

In the meantime, if you want to actually be useful, I could use a hand transporting a few things from the citadel. We should get moving.

[ A pause. In case you didn't figure out who this was already since he's being so calm today: ]

Oh, and be mindful of my sister. I'll take exception if you don't.

Comments

text ; un: knelt lady of swallow and song

[sankta]

an idea of what people can do wouldn't be such a bad idea, either.

thanks for starting the round up.

[somebadnews]

[ ... Being thanked is weird. She's still weird.

He's tapping his finger on something. There are too many new faces, too many unknowns. ]

You're right, our list is outdated. We won't have a better chance to see them with our own eyes.

[sankta]

couldn't hurt while everyone's gathered.

if you need help, i'm around. you don't need to do it all yourself.

un: heart-fluttering hummingbird

[downswing]

What manner of items?


( Is it bodies, demon? )

[somebadnews]

[ He's not going to answer that directly just because it's him. ]

Are you offering to help?

[downswing]

Perhaps.

Audio; un: fishcious rumours

[royal_venant]

[ Not exactly an offer of help, more just curiosity because this magical idiot is B O R E D. And nothing good comes from an idle member of the Black family. ]

What do you need help moving?

[somebadnews]

[ He doesn't care if he does it out of boredom, he just doesn't want to make ten trips to the farm or use up all his energy teleporting. His accountant can check that he isn't missing anything once they're done. ]

Buried treasure.

[royal_venant]

[ Interest further piqued ]

Where's the citadel? How far?

[foxable]

I can help set up teleportation if you've got the materials - I've already got one set up for Mingyu to get him to-and-from work, so I know that the theory transferred over from home and remains in tact.

I'll come to a meeting. Anything to get us the hell out of dodge.

[somebadnews]

[ That would... actually be a big time saver. His teleporting doesn't work as well long distances, and it's much more exhausting when he has to calculate for more than himself. ]

What materials?

[ He thinks on it for a moment, then adds: ]

Good. Bring whoever you can.

[foxable]

[ Fox rattles off a short list. It isn't cheap - powdered gems are involved - but he does give an idea of substitutions where they can be made, and he adds: ]

If it's bound to a single person it's easier. Then I can use their hair or whatever as part of the components, which is a hell of a lot cheaper than using something generic to indicate that it can be used by all people. [ Blood, too, but he never uses blood. Hair is a lot more stable. ] Besides, uh, I don't really want to have teleportation circles in the city that can be used by just anyone to suddenly get back here. That sounds like a terrible plan.

And I need to know both ends of the path, and how to get to them really well. This is the kind of magic that if you fuck up someone gets half stuck in a wall.

un: azure stream (guess who finally got his own crystal, thanks babe)

[jeoha]

The meeting may be the best way to make a count.

And to set a course. My concern is that we're poised to be pawns in a game we don't understand whether we wish to engage or not.

(so much better...not that it ever bothered Five at all but also thank god)

[somebadnews]

[ Five was expecting to hear from him, seeing as this was originally his idea, so he doesn't have trouble recognizing the voice. He doesn't remember if that first meeting happened, or if they had it without him, but he's more interested now. ]

Exactly. So long as everyone can manage to pull together for an hour.

[ Which is a big ask, he realizes. He knows what he's opening himself up for by doing this, but he doesn't see a way around it. ]

There are options available.

audio: xianxian of yunmeng

[weifinder]

Xiao Five! Ah, let me know of a time, I'll be there.

[somebadnews]

[ Good. This is just... great. Doesn't seem too easy at all. ]

Think you can direct yours back from whatever they're distracted with now?

[weifinder]

Ah?

( This is a busy man not listening in to all the chatter or reading everything on here, thus: ah for which ones of his and what distractions? )

[beitangmoran]

You have been keeping quite exact count, young master.

And yes, I do believe convening is probably a good idea. The main problem being, of course, that we don't all speak the same language, and thus would have to use the crystals, which means a chance of being heard by unknown people, even if less plausible than back in the city.

[somebadnews]

[ Does he want to admit what hadn't occurred to him? No particularly, but it does give him pause. It's a helpful reminder to curtail what he might share with the group, more than he's already planning on. ]

We don't have much of a choice. There are spies who know more about us than we do at this point, we can at least catch up with them.

That was the wrong dude lol

[beitangmoran]

No, we do not.

And why would you want to catch up with spies?

[handmaiden of unsheathed swords] voice posted:

[darkeststars]

Oh? Decided that strength in numbers isn't so terrible an idea after all, have you?

[ He keeps his voice neutral rather than mocking. No reason to put undue strain on the tentative agreement they managed to strike up recently. ]

If herding these lothcats weren't such a tedious task, I'd go so far as to say regular meetings wouldn't be remiss either. It's only become more and more clear over the weeks here that the only vaguely reliable resource this group has is one another.

If you need assistance getting in and out of Sa-Hareth, I have a few talents in that direction. I assume given your previous track record that you're probably already familiar.

[somebadnews]

[ He did not decide that at all and admits nothing. ]

That's yet to be seen.

[ This monologue is Five recognizing that the train is going off the tracks. He already ran across two people (soon to be three) who joined their group unannounced, and he's 100% positive that at least one person is conspiring against him. More active measures need to be taken. -- That doesn't mean he's going to start holding a happy hour every week. ]

I'm not holding my breath. Half of that reliable resource just decided their time was best spent tailing a group of cult worshippers.

[ His track record of paying attention? There's a moment of thought before he shrugs it off. ]

Just a matter of manual labor. Distributed among more people would draw less attention.

[darkeststars]

[ his voice is a wry drawl ] I did say vaguely. But I've worked with worse. At least half this group isn't actively looking for a chance to kill one another.

[ As far as he knows, anyway. ]

Yes, though, about that. I can take care of the less attention part. If you're dividing up your cargo, put me with whoever you most want to avoid prying eyes on the goods -- yourself, I presume. If it's not too large a group, I can make sure everyone, hmm... fails to take notice of us.

[ and you're welcome for showing his hand like that, Five, but he's spent enough time volunteering his talents around here there'd be no real point in stopping short now. Eventually Eleven would've probably blabbed about it anyhow. ]

audio, un: salmon had to say it

[conjurechaos]

Us. Them....

you do know that all that would be an alliance is this displacement. It's tenuous at best. How are we to know or trust what resources are given if any at all?

[Wait for it.]

...why am I speaking through a fish moniker?

[somebadnews]

[ He doesn't disagree, really. It's yet to be seen if these deals he's been making are going to be worth his trouble. As refreshing as it is to hear someone come out and voice his own doubts, he's suddenly very distracted by the fact that he hasn't heard her before.

God damn, another one? ]

Who are you?