I'm not scared of anything

[somebadnews]

WHO: Five and Allison
WHEN: some nebulous time after this conversation
WHERE: still aboard the Pariah
WHAT: failures in communication / on curses and secrets
WARNINGS: language probably

[ It's about time that Five confronted Allison, he just didn't know how overdue it was. He's had concerns since the volcano, but instead of handling that, apparently she's been taking it upon herself to solve his problems behind his back. Those problems got more clarity recently, and now he has to deal with them.

He doesn't knock, just blinks in wherever she is like he owns the place. He held it together for a while, but the party is over. ]

Good. You're not busy. [ He gestures to the nearest seat and leans against the wall, expectingly. ] I need you to explain something to me.

Comments

[rumorate]

Like specifically? No.

[Not really. She really wishes she had a better way to explain it but:]

Every time I'm around you my brain itches.

[Because that's helpful.]

[somebadnews]

[ Around him. Whatever happened to her in the volcano, it's clearly still affecting her. There's an inkling in him to test what else she can sense, and if it's getting worse over time. Itching doesn't sound painful, but he's experienced with how magic can be absorbed and accumulate in a body.

Five nods quietly and reaches under his collar to pull on a string. He eventually tugs it free from his shirt to show her a severed finger tied to the end. ]

...It was a gift. [ It's an explanation, but he assumes she's going to have more questions. He frowns deeply and holds it up. ] You can feel this?

[rumorate]

[Yes, she has many questions, mostly just kind of weirded out that he's been carrying around a dead finger, but that's not really the point.]

Yeah, I guess. That must be it.

[Now she's sensing dead things. Great.]

[somebadnews]

[ He keeps holding it out for a moment more, studying her, but when she doesn't immediately ask any follow up questions he tucks it back away under his shirt. Their family is fairly desensitized to that kind of thing, but there's no need to rub it in her face.

He's talked enough about his plans, it's time he focused on a more pressing issue. ]

How bad has it been? Better or worse since the volcano?

[rumorate]

[She honestly doesn't want to know, though it will make their later body part conversation a little more concerning.]

Better, I think? It's not as loud as it was then. I'm feeling more like me.

[somebadnews]

[ He's thankful she lets it slide, even if he's acting like he's just now realizing how weird that might look as he readjusts his shirt.

Better is good. He nods. ]

It must have been the mirror. Maybe it's working its way out. [ Even if he does change the timeline so that never happened, he's relieved. Mirrors are a bitch. ] Did you find anything that helped?

[rumorate]

Hermione gave me a sleeping draught. It's helped sleep become less of a struggle.

[Less focus trying to drown everything out, so better sleep in the end.]

But mostly it's just tuning it all into white noise. I'm trying not to pull a Klaus.

[somebadnews]

[ Hermione did? ... He'll have to bring that up with her later, if he gets the chance. He's well aware of how bad it got with Klaus, mostly after he left, but that puts it into context. ]

I'd hope you weren't that ambitious. [ Klaus would have hated it here. Allison could tell him, but he doesn't ask. Instead he runs a hand through his hair and gives her a resigned, if apologetic, look. There's a lot of work left to do before he can fix this. ]

You'll let me know if it starts back up again?

[rumorate]

[She nods. Honestly, she's hoping that the fact that it's been lessening means it's finally wearing off, if that's at all possible. But it's also a good warning system for bad shit, so she'll take it if it tries to go off.]

Yeah. I'll let you know.

[somebadnews]

[ Five accepts that with a nod in return. After coming in so angry, he's distracted now. Hearing that Allison is improving, and that she'll alert him if anything changes, helps settle some of the guilt he's been feeling over letting that happen. ]

Good. [ He's barely helped her at all so far, but if his plan works... hopefully she won't have to worry about it. ]

I won't let that happen next time.

[ He stands there a moment more, like he wants to say something else, then turns and disappears in another flash of light. ]