eachdraidh | video;

[ There are two brown puppies eating a Christmas pudding off the floor when the camera activates, little tails wagging as they trip over paws that they have yet to grow into. Their muzzles are oddly long even now, but they're not quite as bulky as they will be -- not yet.

A quiet chuckle from behind the locket reveals, to those who may have heard it, the surprising owner of the pups -- the Outsider. The smaller of the pups looks up from the pudding at the sound and scampers over, whining and pawing at his legs until the Outsider bends down to scoop the little one up. The locket, which is floating in midair via magic, is pushed back -- just in time for any viewers to watch as the pup attempts to burrow into the Outsider's shirt. ]

You are unlike others of your kind, little one, [ the god murmurs, smoothing a hand over floppy brown ears. The other pup is still eating the pudding, though at this point it looks more like she's getting in a fight with it. ]

In my world, Wolfhounds are kept and trained by Overseers of the Abbey to hunt heretics. That I should now have a pair myself is rather ironic and more than a little amusing. But then, they are terribly intelligent creatures.

[ The small pup licks at his chin and he starts, blinking. The locket turns off just as his mouth twists up until a slight smile. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Was she one of your marked?

She was, yes.

[ Past tense. ]

[ He's so great about humoring her curiosity. It doesn't stop there. ]

So, then, was she killed or did she die?

She attempted to possess the young Empress-to-be. Another of my Marked stopped her.

[ Of course, she should asked why he would do that in the first place, but he has stated a few times before. He does it with those who are interesting. She shrugs it off -- it serves her right, doesn't it? It must get boring sitting there in the Void. ]

I suppose that's good, especially for someone so young. You have interesting followers, certainly.

I certainly do. My other Marked had grown rather boring until he fell into that role. [ Until he killed the Empress. ] It was certainly exciting to watch.

[ That doesn't make her feel inferior or anything. ]

She sounded so sure of herself, much like that man you spoke of that left you tributes and demanded your attention. Are there many mortals like that in your world?

There are many who are proud, power-hungry, yes. There are also many more who are simply trying to survive.

Is that because of a war or something else?

[ She's already gathered from his commentary the death of a political leader has happened, so things must be chaotic. ]

The rat plague.

[ Things were chaotic before Jessamine was killed -- they only grew worse. ]

[ Curiously, Alice pulls herself up, just a little, she doesn't disturb the puppies. He has mentioned rats a few times. ]

That wasn't your doing, was it?

No, it was not.

[ It doesn't surprise him that she asks, though. ]

A man in a position of power released them to try and kill off the poor. But the rat plague does not care about status.

Why would he kill the poor? What point is there in that? Who else is going to do the work of the aristocrats?

You are assuming he put much thought into it.

I suppose that's true, yes. Individuals like that never think that far ahead.

And he nearly doomed all of Dunwall for it.

And himself, I hope?

It did catch up to him eventually, yes.

That makes for an excellent bedtime story.

[ She's joking. Mostly. Alice is more or less sprawled out with the puppies and if he's not going to say anything, she's not budging. ]

[ He's not going to say anything. ]

It certainly has a... plot, I suppose.

A pitiful one. But aristocrats should learn to respect workers; there are only so much of it we can take before we stop it.

[ Alice feels safe enough to close her eyes, just for a little while, while bracing her head against her arm. She's slept on many floors, but no floors with puppies. What's there to complain about? ]

The plague may have hit them harder, in the end; they betrayed each other to gain what power and money and land the others had, saying that they were ill when they were not.

[ Alice. Alice there's a bed you can lay on... ]

[ CANNOT MOVE, not with puppies. The puppies keep her there and Alice is too content to move. If he's not telling her to leave, she'll stay. ]

It's always hilarious to watch those sorts crumble like that. To watch their small world ripped out from underneath them.

[ Like Bumby, for one. ]

[ Oh yes, she would do well in Dunwall. ]

Destroyed by what they helped create, [ he says softly, idly using magic to Pull a pillow off of his bed and set it next to her. ]

[ Dunwall almost sounds like London on steroids. But don't mind Alice, who sucks in a breath and decides she won't be getting up anytime soon now that she's covered up. It's a risky thing to share a blanket with two puppies, but she does so, anyway. Alice eventually falls asleep thereafter. ]

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