video — un: starburst.

[valeas]

( Wei Wuxian and Emilia are perched up on a tall building.

Two dragons act as their wind buffers — recent arrivals from Serthica, for those who remember the fissured citadel. The narration feels compelled to stress that despite the buffering in question, the hair of these characters billows fabulously behind them, even as they look a bit rundown.

Emilia's anger has smoldered away somewhat, a low murmur in the background. )

Yesterday, a soldier of the Hand requested Wei Wuxian and I demonstrate hand-to-hand combat for the new recruits of the army. These recruits were ferocious, unpredictable, and ... eerily good at mimicry.

Their handlers were frightened of them.

After this session concluded, we were offered a 'booster' to replenish our strength. We refused, as we learned it was essentially diluted black water. The same black waters that resurrected the dead in the arena today.

Comments

un: absterge | audio

[downswing]

You are... in health?

[Video, un: howl in one]

[mustact]

[ Colour him so surprised. ]

I believe, then, we can conclude that the Hand is most likely behind the attacks on the banquet and at the arena.

[ Which he very much doesn't like. It seems no one in this mess of a city has morals. ]

un: yiling laozu

[weifinder]

( here he waves, with a sunny smile. it makes him seem less tired for the moment. )

Quite possibly, and furthermore, very little about the hand is living. It is, I'd say, built upon the dead.

Now if it's the Hand or those who stirred the hand may be worth questioning, because those creatures we saw, they weren't making decisions. Neither were the soldiers of more usual means. And they've been supplying black water to everyone within the revived army under this Caybus fellow ( Caius, but he doesn't particularly care ) since they discovered its bounty under their land.

( He taps his temple, head canted to the side. )

Those memories I saw before, the guilt? From the dead man when he still lived. What they pulled out of those farming fields, what must have happened in those granaries, the Brotherhood's tendrils have been here for a lot longer than we may have thought.

un: yiling laozu

[weifinder]

Ah, Lan Zhan, question: have you in the past applied qi to any of the dark waters? Or worked with the islanders in Ke-Whatever who were using it to farm?

[downswing]

To experiment?

un: absterge

[downswing]

Then, they must face justice.

[weifinder]

Yes, in part, you can throw more at it than I can, but I did know what the watering of crops looked like.

[downswing]

...I may attempt. To what end?

[weifinder]

... If I'm honest, curiosity to any response it does or doesn't have, watered down like this. We could aim to try and claim some of the viscous stuff, but I'm more interested what you can sense with the kind being given freely around to the soldiers.

[downswing]

On your head be the consequence.

[mustact]

[ The Brotherhood ... That black water made him think of them, too, thanks to those very memories. There are so many different parts to this puzzle, and it's starting to feel like they're misstepping by trying to blend in like this. Shouldn't they just have been left as background? Why place them in such important positions? What's the actual play, here? ]

In that case, Ephes may not have much choice but to join forces with Messalina.

[mustact]

I agree, but I am not sure what we could do to arrange that.

[downswing]

Blood answers blood.

[valeas]

I should be all right with some rest.

[valeas]

I fear you may be right.

One of the things first apparent to me was the jittery state of these recruits: how they struggled to contain themselves, as if fighting some terrible instinct. It would be difficult for the Hand to consistently manage.

( Impossible, in the long-term.

And now they know how to mimic her combat maneuvers. Wei Wuxian's. )

[weifinder]

They usually are!

[weifinder]

I don't know. Anurr was not a better option so much as one which didn't appreciate his territory impinged on by the Brotherhood. Messalina does not offer a good option, any more so than Ephes itself does in empire building thoughts.

There is no good deal made with the dead. Only degrees of what acceptability you'll face.

[downswing]

You were exerted past bearing?

[downswing]

Far more, now.

We play with nightmares.

[weifinder]

Don't mistake this for play, Lan Zhan. Or my intent for the kind.

[downswing]

If you are readied, so am I.

[weifinder]

Mm, then... tomorrow?

[downswing]

With evening. After Messalina's will is done.

[valeas]

No, not quite.

But I was not expecting the events of today to add further stress.

( her heart is still mortal, even as the rest of her isn't. )

[weifinder]

Until then, Lan Zhan.