soulsrob | (no subject)

Your wisdom begged.

[She raises an eyebrow at the message. interesting.]

My wisdom is there to share! What would you like to know?

Counsel. What gifts curry the favour of women?

[. . .]

Did you fight with your wife?

No.

Gifts do not compensate a skirmish.

( One does not bribe one's wife???? Do you know nothing, girl. )

Tell that to half the men in existence!

[Oh Wangji, you're so funny]

Well, what kind of gift are you looking for? Flowers are nice, but don't last very long. Jewelry typically works--a necklace or a bracelet would definitely do! If they're a more studious sort of woman, you can't go wrong with a good book.

Who are you trying to get presents for? What kind of women?

Those who provide service.

[Her eyebrows are making permanent residence in her hairline as they speak. Er, type.]

Oh. I see.

[So Wangji is THAT kind of person, huh.......]

I think jewelry would be the best way to go then. Earrings if their ears are pierced. A neckless if they're not!

They're pretty, but they can also quite useful for the ladies in question should they fall on hard times later.

To be sold, from land to land?

Perhaps things are different here, but where I'm from sometimes jewelry is the only thing a woman can depend on.

Pretend something happens and I'm separated from the group entirely. What do I have to sell for money? Jewelry is the quickest and safest option.

Plus, it's pretty and makes women feel prettier when they wear it. Truly I don't think you can go wrong with it.

( He had not anticipated —

But should have, with strange, haunting inevitability. )

To be a woman is to fear uncertainty.

The idea was born more out of paranoia than logic. Five knows this. Karsa talking about the crew 'missing something' was probably metaphorical, or simply an insult that he wasn't supposed to read into. There is also a chance that it wasn't. With everything else out of his control, it's hard not to obsess over something when he happens to have an easy (not insane) way to find out.

He's on his way to where he thinks she's staying, but he hesitates outside the door. It would be easier just to blink inside before anyone saw him, but he's still not sure how familiar he should be around her. Their last conversation seemed amicable enough that he's considering this. And it's potentially important that he follow up on his hunch if it means getting them ahead of any horrible curse that they're sailing into.

"Winnie. Are you in?" He looks to either side of him and rocks back on his heels with his hands in his pockets. They're... good now. He's sure this won't be a big deal. "I have something I need to run by you."

There's stillness for a moment, and then a flurry of activity as Winnie bounces around to straighten some things up before she pulls the door open to grin at him.

"Hello, dear! How wonderful to see you, I'm glad you stopped by! And you knocked this time, I'm shocked!"

She laughs brightly and steps aside, tilting her head with a raised eyebrow. "Come in?"

Would he? Last time he was in her rooms the outcome wasn't one he was very happy with, even if his body had gotten the rest it needed. How much is he trying to trust her again, she wonders?

Winnie always puts on a show of being happy to see him, and he never understands why she feels the need when he's one of the few who knows about her. There's still a large part of him that expects her to get revenge the moment he lowers his guard, and he tenses whenever she's closer than arm's length from him. Yet he still decided to come to her. Because... she's also a friend, and he thinks she'll do it if he asks her to.

This could be completely pointless. And possibly extraordinarily fucked up if he's wrong and he's asking her to put someone else through something that still haunts him. But then at least he'll know.

He takes one glance behind him and gives her a small nod as he steps inside.

"I hope I'm not interrupting." He looks briefly around her room, maybe wondering what she does all day, but doesn't let his eyes stray from her for too long. Remember: arm's length. "...I was wondering if you noticed anything. About the crew."

"Oh, Five, I always have time for you, it's not an interruption!"

At her little makeshift desk is stacks of paper, but even a cursory look will only show that she's been copying down poems, or re-creating sketches of other paintings she's seen.

She lets the door close behind him and takes a few steps back, folding her hands in front of her as she watches him. His question makes an eyebrow raise and she tilts her head, humming thoughtfully.

"They're a little off, but no more so than I suppose men out at sea all the time might be." Winnie responds airily, but she looks back at Five curiously, moving to sit on a chair. "But you think there's something more to it."

Five paces towards the center of the room before he turns back to her. He feels more comfortable this way, with her sitting and him having the illusion of height. He wonders if she does that intentionally for him, but banishes the thought so he can focus on what he came for.

"It could be nothing." But when is it ever nothing? The ship is clearly cursed, so it would make sense if the crew was too. "Karsa said they were missing something. I don't know what she meant, but they seem... wrong somehow. And I thought you might be able to tell."

He looks to Winnie to see if she follows, or remembers anything now that he's mentioned it. Taking cues from Karsa. These are dark days.

She watches him, blinking slowly, a predator cat watching potential prey. "Something like their souls, you mean?"

She sounds amused though, especially since he didn't seem to want to ask outright. "I haven't been close enough to try checking on their souls-- I'm afraid I'm not well-trained enough to be able to just detect things like that."

Winnie sits up a little then, eyebrow raised in interest. "Would you like me to check?"

He clenches his jaw when she connects those dots without him having to say any more. It'd be easy to just tell her yes, that he wants her to do what she did to him to settle a question he's obsessing over, but it feels like they should have some discussion first. Make sure this isn't just paranoia speaking.

"When you do that, can you tell anything else about them?" He only knows how it felt, not... how it was for her. "If it's there but part of it is missing, or unusual, could you see it?"

( How does a ragtag barely-breathing party in need of a shower
Somehow defeat an undead superpower?
How do we emerge unwhipped, our heads held higher?
Leave Serthica with our dignities not a pyre?
Yo, turns out we have a secret blade
A sociopath you know and love, a pretty maid
She's constantly confusin', confoundin' the souls who trust'er
(Boys, you know we should've probably just trussed'er)

Winnie P!

She's taking this town by the reins
All soft, smooth smiles and damn cursed gains

Winnie P!

And she's gonna kill all them scatterbrains
Tip-toeing not to dip her skirts in the remains

Winnie P!

Watch'er con, she's got no brawn
She's holding on -

Winnie P!

She goes to nap, sighs, deadpans

Winnie P!

And comes back with more plots
And plans
Watch our girl as she scams. )

Waken. We require your... ease of presence.

Oh dear, that sounds a tad ominous!

I will do my best to be of... ease-ness?

Has something happened?

The cure's distribution. We require...

( Someone with more social sills than the Heavens' crustiest toothpick. )

Warmth. Charisma. An approachable manner.

( Fake it. )

Oh, well then you certainly came to the right place! I can do all of those things!

What do you need me to do? Smile and jab people with a needle? Hold them hostage until someone else can do so?

...perhaps gently persuade them to drink. Without injury.

I can do that! I'm very good at persuading!

I'll be like one of the cute shop girls handing out free samples. How exciting! I've never had the chance to do that before!

Without rousing suspicion.

Of course I can do that! When have I ever been suspicious?

( Okay, but. )

( No, just. )

( Come on now. )

( This face has seen things. )

Cannot fathom.

You toil beneath your layers?

( Yes. The proper and most anticipated subject of a woman's undergarments. )

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un: absterge

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un: absterge | I come with Loaf's blessing

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un: absterge | time to wreck his marriage in one comment