PC: Alisaie

[voltadomar]

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Week 3, Friday

[voltadomar]

[It's not quite noon yet, but the lieutenant is standing out in the courtyard, smoking a cigarette.

He sees Alisaie nearby, and turns to face her.]

Ah... Miss Alisaie. I understand you were badly wounded last night. How are your injuries?

[veraltwin]

[She's moving stiffly, but she at least looks much better than she did last night! It takes her a moment to respond--she has to place the voice and figure out based on Taf's knowledge who it is that's speaking to her, as she doesn't recognize his voice immediately. But after that moment--]

Better today. I would say I've suffered worse, but the truth is that those were isolated incidents; never so much at the same time.

[She's going to continue to find a place to sit, though; she's familiar with convalescence and isn't quite reckless enough to push it for no reason.]

Thankfully, my brother is a skilled healer.

[voltadomar]

Good.

The notion of actual working maegic is still very new to me... but I'm glad we can rely on it.

[veraltwin]

Whereas I can hardly imagine a world without. [How do any of you handle anything when you have to recuperate everything every time???] I'm only grateful that we may regain it from the Watchers should we ask.

[...]

Do you trade with the Watchers as well?

[voltadomar]

Sometimes. I admit I haven't been as proactive as some of the others about it. Why do you ask?

[veraltwin]

I was simply curious to know what one might ask for had they not magic of their own to regain. My brother, as you know, has regained his healing abilities, while I've traded with the watchers to utilize my own aether.

Week 4, Friday

[voltadomar]

[The lieutenant seems to be patrolling the area, on alert for their soon-to-be-returning allies.

But seeing Alisaie in the square, he changes direction and approaches her.]

I'd hoped to talk with you. A moment?

[He nods towards a less-traveled back road connecting to the square. Somewhere a little less public.]

[veraltwin]

[She glances his way--still unseeing, mostly, but able to focus a little bit better than before--and Alisaie nods without hesitation.]

Of course.

[She won't ask until they've gotten away from everything else and there's a little more privacy. But then--]

What is it?

[voltadomar]

[He'll get right to it, his voice low and calm.]

You and the prosecutor received something last week. Do you think it's still among his possessions?

[veraltwin]

[--he told?! Her head whips toward him, and Kim can probably read the surprise on her face. But it's quickly gone, replaced by a frown as Alisaie thinks fast.]

...that particular detail has been seen to.

Judging by your knowledge, I would venture to guess van Zieks trusted you. But you and I are not close companions, so you will have to forgive me for not divulging more about its status. With that said, I trust his judgment enough to make a leap of faith.

Let us share what knowledge we have. Without him here to vouch for either one of us, we must needs decide whether to trust each other quickly.

[voltadomar]

[If he's surprised at her response, he doesn't show it.]

So it's safe?

[He considers her suggestion. It doesn't take very long.]

I can agree to that.

[veraltwin]

Yes. As soon as we learned what had happened, we took steps to ensure its safety. The last thing we need is to lose it so soon after we received it.

[And then a nod.]

Good. This mystery will unravel far faster if we join our forces rather than working separately. I'll let you begin.

Week 4, post-trial

[veraltwin]

[Yeah so THAT WAS AWFUL. After the trial, Alisaie's going out to run some of her energy off in spite of her poor vision... but she'll pause when she sees Kim before slowly making her way over.

What do you even say about that trial?]

We can't go through another of these like that.

[voltadomar]

[He's smoking a cigarette and looking out past the ramparts. He glances at her, and nods.]

Yes... We need to do better next time.

[He's calm, but there's tension in his voice. He's trying to keep it from showing too much.]

Week 5, post-trial

[veraltwin]

[If Kim wants to wait for her to calm down from the trial a bit, he may need to wait a couple of hours... but then he'll be able to find her out behind the lodging buildings near the hot tub area, just hanging out on one of the benches close enough to the pools that the air is acceptably cool and not absolutely frigid.

Taf is closer, prowling in the space between her and the pools. It's he who sees Kim first--his back goes up, but he doesn't do anything else before he bolts back to her side and Alisaie twists her head to look at him.]

Is this an intentional meeting, or did you just happen to have the same idea as I?

[voltadomar]

I didn't expect to find you here, no. But I was hoping to talk with you before the week ended.

If you don't mind, that is. I know today has been... a lot.

[Cecile is here too, of course. She flies in behind him as a great skua, landing on the ground and seating herself there.]

[veraltwin]

Please. [She lifts her hand toward him, palm out.] I'd much rather have something to think about than all that.

["All that" is going to take a while to untangle.]

[voltadomar]

Okay...

[He'll come a little closer, then. Just standing next to the bench, at a comfortable talking distance.]

It's not exactly a "light" conversation topic, but I wanted to ask about the... thing you were entrusted with. Have you told anyone else about it?

[veraltwin]

[Not a light conversation topic... compared to everything else going on in her brain right now, talking about this is a walk in the park.]

Yes. I've told my brother, Yuri, and Spike. I trust all three of them and they know not to spread it to sources we cannot be certain of.

Akira has told Yoo Joonghyuk.

Rin had not told anybody the last time we spoke, but the three of us have not met yet this week to check in. I shall ask him tomorrow.

Are you aware of any others it has been spread to?

[voltadomar]

No. I assumed your brother knew... That was about the extent of my knowledge.

I wanted to suggest, if you haven't already, to share this knowledge with some of the dead.

Week 7, Tuesday

[veraltwin]

[WELL YESTERDAY SURE WAS A THING WASN'T IT!!! Ever since everything came out yesterday Alisaie's been a little more subdued than usual, but... there's still work to be done if they're going to get all of this figured out.]

Have you been managing all right? [With a nod toward his arm.] I'm surprised the Watchers haven't been able to replace it yet for you.

[voltadomar]

[He greets her with an amicable nod.] Somewhat. It's been taking some getting used to.

I was able to get a task to restore it, but... to do so I need to help others complete their tasks. So I don't have a lot of control over how quickly I can proceed with it.

[veraltwin]

[That...

It shouldn't be funny, but after everything that's gone on these past few days, there's something about this that's almost its own level of absurdity--Alisaie doesn't laugh, per se, but she does let out a huff of it, shaking her head and smiling faintly.]

That's convenient--I've a task I meant to complete myself. Mayhap we can help each other.

My task is to help somebody else, but it must needs be something more complex than a simple errand. Is there aught you can think of?

[If nothing else, she didn't miss how he seemed so shell-shocked coming back from their venture last week...]

[voltadomar]

Something to help with? Hm...

[He looks around. There is a lot of work to do here.]

Maybe it's not a "simple" errand if it's something I'm not currently capable of doing myself. We are low on firewood at the moment, and while I have the appropriate tools, I cannot use them.

[veraltwin]

[THIS WAS VERY MUCH NOT WHAT SHE HAD IN MIND?????

...which probably means it's the exact sort of thing she ought to do, too. SIGHS. Still, though, is splitting wood even something she can do? Her rapier is probably much lighter than any tools they'd need to use...]

...Well, I know not how competent I'll be, but I can certainly try. If they say it doesn't count, we'll find something else.