Red Fish Pond

[mortalcoil]

Who: Anyone aboard the SS Red Fish
Broadcast: Probably Not
Action: SS Red Fish
When: Through the end of May

[as usual, all is friendly smiles and laughs on the most lovable ship in the fleet!]

Comments

[theboogieman]

[...was that a smile? no, no. probably just a coincidentally timed facial tick. he is certainly not pleased that she's been practicing, or that she'd bothered keeping up with it after he'd left. no sir.

but now he's free to sign back.] Good. Maybe I will stop g-o-i-n-g e-a-s-y on you.

[the bit in there is spelled out, since that's much easier than trying to figure out how to sign the specific phrase.]

[child_of_bhaal]

[It's okay. She can smile for them both. For some reason, it's easier in the last half hour than it has been in days.]

I love a c-h-a-l-l-e-n-g-e.

[theboogieman]

[good, good. he's still worn out and his patience for most of life is thin... but this is probably the nicest time he's had in a week.]

What about you? [because he's already asked about everyone else.] How have you been?

[child_of_bhaal]

I got drunk

[It should be pretty obvious how she's been, just off that. But she thinks, holding her hands up, ready to say something else.]

Lost people.

[But it's more than just that. She hesitates, trying to think how to say it, sign it.]

I learned something...

About me...

About my mother. It's bad.

[theboogieman]

[oooh. he rarely emotes in any way beyond narrowing his eyes or tilting his head, but the shapes of his skull-face manage to portray actual worry. or... sympathy, or... something of the sort. maybe it's all the same lumped-up feeling, with Zhas.]

...Do you want to tell me?

[she doesn't have to. she did just get really drunk, possibly to forget about all the stuff she just mentioned. if it wasn't about family, he probably wouldn't have asked at all.

but family is important, so the offer is there.]

[child_of_bhaal]

[She swallows and nods. She's had her tears, but it's so soon after the feeling lingers, takes her a second to suppress.]

She was going to kill me. I was a baby-

[She shakes her head. That's not the right word.]

-child. Little child. S-a-c-r-i-f-i-c-e.

[theboogieman]

[they have a sign-word for "sacrifice", but Zhas isn't going to teach it to her.

he doesn't actually know much about Syeira or her relationship (or lack thereof) with her mother, or about the gods in her world or their magics... but it doesn't take a stretch of his imagination to understand that this can't have been easy to learn.]

Is that about... [he gestures across his eyes... and then, thinking better, reaches forward to gesture towards hers instead. the glowy eye thing, the monster she doesn't talk about.]

[child_of_bhaal]

[A nod.]

They were sending me...my...e-s-s-e-n-c-e back.

['They', not 'she'.]

I killed her. My first kill.

[Can you blame her for being upset?]

[theboogieman]

[it bothers him to hear that she was capable of something like that at such a young age. it's that vampire-hunter instinct of his; the only reason he's okay with her potential destructive power now is because he has full permission to kill it if it ever gets out.

she's obviously upset. which is good... morally, but bad for right here and now, because he doesn't really know what to... say, or do. or if he's even supposed to do anything.

with a small nod, his response is to sign:] Is that what the drinking was for?

[child_of_bhaal]

Yeah...

[She's back to talking because there's just too much in her about this. She has a voice and she's used to using it. She can't quiet herself with all of this one the surface.]

I lost a lot of people, but I was just...putting those aside. I have responsibilities, you know? And then Robin disappeared. He's the one who saw it.

I had a Calibration -did you know that? [She clearly doesn't expect him to, as she just railroads on.] And he went in it, saw this memory of mine. The only reason I even have it is because Robin gave it to me. And then he just vanishes. It was too much. I needed [She gestures to her head vaguely] this. Just to not deal with it. Just for a night. I-

[She shakes her head, staring at middle space, at nothing, before focusing back on him, her expression so lost.]

I killed my mother. What kind of child could do that? I never had a chance.

[theboogieman]

[he doesn't really mind (or even notice) the change to speaking on her part; even when it comes to his own words, some things are just meant to be said aloud.

so he listens patiently, even if he doesn't have any words to offer her in return. upon being fixed with that look, his pause seems no longer or heavier than it always is. he glances away to think, but when he signs back, he seems certain of himself.]

I still mean what I said.

[child_of_bhaal]

I know.

[And it's a relief. Having him back, knowing that he'd do what needs doing, if it comes to it, is a relief. But now, things feel different. And she doubts.]

Others know, but they don't... they don't get it, not like you do.

[She shakes her head, raises her hands again.]

Will you be enough?

[theboogieman]

[he laughs. it's a laugh for Zhas, anyway--a breathy exhale, a smirk, and the raise of his shoulders with the sound. an inappropriate reaction, but it strikes him as terribly funny.]

Coil will be happy to help.

[oooh, it's mean to both of them, so he looks up at the ceiling as he signs this next part:]

I will find a way. If I cannot do it, I am not worth much as a hunter.

[and he looks back down to spell H-U-N-T-E-R, in case she doesn't know.]