video | unseelie

[extramural]

[ The locket, as always, is held up in mid-air when the Outsider turns it on. He is not alone in this recording, though; behind him are four women in long, gauzy black dresses and veils. With them are several children, eyes all black; the women are gently ushering them along the shore of the beach behind them while two massive dogs run back and forth.

In the distance is the black line of the Void, creeping over the ocean.

Next to the Outsider is another one of the children, and next to him the resemblance is clear: the same eyes, the same curious tilt to the head, the same bony cheeks. The child looks a bit more fey, but he sticks close to his sire, hands clutching to his arm. ]

Do not harm the children, [ the Outsider begins, and his voice is cold, shows every century of age and power. ] Do not harm the children or we will use your blood and bones, and you will be lucky if you are dead when we start.

[ A large palm smooths over the hair of his son. A daughter comes up on the other side, humming. She smiles at him and her teeth are sharp and red. The Outsider leans in so she can murmur in his ear. ]

Ah, yes. Should anyone find themselves with a need to desecrate shrines further -- the same warning applies to you. I will know, should you touch one of mine.

[ His daughter giggles and takes the hand of his son, and the two go to join the others. The Outsider watches, head half-turned. A seagull swoops down and perches on his shoulder, ruffles its wings, and the feed ends. ]

Comments

[chaoticwhimsy]

That is not an answer, Lev. [Lumina crosses her arms.]

Away where? Do you need help?

[extramural]

They wish to stay by the coasts. For that, I cannot blame them, but... there are few places the coasts will be safe. I believe near the Brucolac's holdings would be the best, for now.

[ A beat, and- ]

If you wish to offer it.

[chaoticwhimsy]

No, I was justasking out of curiosity.

[She smirks, then laughs.]

Sure, get them in a group, I can pop them over there. [She looks at Brenna again.]

You want to see a magic trick?

[extramural]

Yes! [ And her eyes are wide, excited; she has seen magic, in her short life, but she is eager to see more.

The Outsider chuckles and teleports to the others, gathering them all to him. The group moves over the sand of the beach to where Brenna and Lumina are, the other children a bit less bold but each obviously staring, the Maidenfish moving protectively around them. ]

[chaoticwhimsy]

[Lumina grins at the younger girl's excitement.]

Good! Because this one will be a doozy.

[She reaches out and offers her hand to the girl, then straightens up as the Outsider and the others come over.]

Okay! Everyone has to hold hands a circle. But...not too big a circle.

[This was the most people she had tried at once...]

[extramural]

We could, perhaps, take multiple trips.

[ He's just saying. Still, the children gather close; none of them are particularly claustrophobic. Probably comes from being hatched. ]

[chaoticwhimsy]

That would probably be a good idea.

[Lumina said, with a little grin on her face, and before any of them could react, she teleported anyway. The chaos magic swept over all of them like a wave, and for a moment everything was shivering cold and crystalline light, and then they were standing outside of Bru's spire.]

Whew. [Lumina let out a breath and then dropped back onto her rear, clearly short of breath.] We made it. Go us.

[extramural]

[ Or they could do it that way. Many of the children gasp, the Maidenfish flutter a bit in distress, but the Outsider is calm, cool. He checks over them each and then ushers them toward the water. ]

Thank you.

[chaoticwhimsy]

[Lumina grinned at that, though she remained sitting, looking through the kids until she spotted Brenna again.]

See? Magic.

[extramural]

[ Brenna laughs and tugs a bone charm out, offering it to Lumina. ]

For luck, [ she says, suddenly shy again. ]

[chaoticwhimsy]

[And Lumina almost looks embarrassed as she takes the charm.]

...Thank you.

[She pulls her necklace off to clip it there, along with the other two she has been given so far.]

[extramural]

You're welcome, [ Brenna says, then, after a moment, decides to go and run toward her siblings to the sea. ]

She's fond of you, I think.

[chaoticwhimsy]

Well I am pretty hard to resist. [She grinned as she stood, brushing off her dress.]

She's cute, though. [She looked at the bone charm she had been given.] Soooo...do I have to worry about this having some kind of unknown magical power?

[extramural]

Unknown? No. As she said -- it should bring you luck. Good luck, specifically.

[ Who would want a bone charm that gives bad luck? ]

[chaoticwhimsy]

Huh. Shame I didn't have this last week, then.

[She smirked, looking at the little charm again before letting it drop back around her neck.]

So is that all of them?

[extramural]

There are more on other coasts. But this is... many of them.

[ It was a big clutch of eggs. ]

[chaoticwhimsy]

Jeepers, Lev. You sure were prolific.

[She leaned back on the balls of her feet for a moment.]

Wanna go get the rest?

[extramural]

Not yet. I will have to gather them together, first.

But thank you.