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[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

[extramural]

If we have another decade.

[ #optimism ]

But perhaps it will. Some have adjusted readily enough. I am simply... not used to being active in the affairs of any world.

[semiurge]

I'm going to be optimistically naive and keep hoping this universe has another decade. Even if I'd like to go home long before that.

[ The longer he's here, the more Billy wonders if any of them will ever make it home. ]

Yeah? I'm used to being active in my world, but not always hugely active. My team has moments.

[extramural]

If that is all this universe has, that is all any universe has.

[ Not a lot of people seem to be placing bets on that outcome. ]

I tend to observe, to wait for what catches my eye.

[semiurge]

Yeah, it sounds worse when you say it.

[ There's no real sting to the comment. ]

Something must have. [ Glances at the kids again. ]

[extramural]

Ah, yes. Many things do, in this world.

But their mother is chief among them.

[semiurge]

That's pretty awesome. Finding someone, I mean.

[ Billy's imagining an epic romance now. ]

[extramural]

There are many people here.

[ He doesn't understand what you mean, sorry Billy. ]

But she is... unlike most others.

[semiurge]

[ It takes him a few seconds, but he realizes that The Outsider didn't quite get it. ]

I mean, finding someone you care about enough to have kids with. That's the awesome part.

[extramural]

Oh.

[ Beat. ]

We did not... plan it.

[semiurge]

Yeah, that's not completely unusual? At home there's birth control and a lot more interest in planning babies out, but I guess that's a little harder here.

[extramural]

We did not plan the intercourse, either.

[ so blunt. I'm so sorry. ]

[semiurge]

[ Billy's eyes are going to get a little bigger, as he waves his hands in surrender. ]

Wow, tmi.

[extramural]

[ Blink. ]

Tee-em-aye?

[semiurge]

Too much information. Generally, anything that ends with the word intercourse is tmi.

Unless you're talking to the person you have intercourse with, I guess. [ Billy really hopes he can stop saying the word intercourse soon. ]

[extramural]

I see. What other topics would be considered "tmi"?

[semiurge]

It depends? On the people you're talking to, on culture, stuff like that. Something that's tmi for me might not be the same as what's tmi for the next guy.

Not that I can't give you some general stuff. Like discussing gross medical conditions, squicky things, sometimes stuff about sex, and things like that.

[extramural]

I see.

[ Well. He certainly knows that the culture of Dunwall is different to the culture here, and the culture of shardbearers is different as well... ]

"Squicky"?

[semiurge]

Something gross? Or more like physically repulsive, I guess. It's really individual.

[extramural]

I see.

I suppose I can imagine what many would consider- "squicky", but I do not know if I have any myself.

[semiurge]

Which would make you unsquickable.

[extramural]

I see.

Is that unusual?

[semiurge]

A little unusual? Most people have something that squicks them.

[extramural]

I am not most people. Or human.

[semiurge]

Yeah, I kind of figured on that last part? I'm a mutant, myself.

[extramural]

I believe I met another, when I first arrived here. Very... stubborn.

[ Erik, he met Erik. ]