audio;;

[prodigalvampire]

Okay, everyone, I can't take the silence anymore. What's the consensus on the party Halcyn's throwing? It smells like a trap to me, but that's never kept me from a good time.

[There's a pause here as though he's shifting verbal gears.]

And has anyone else noticed the altars around town? Weird, right?

Comments

[prodigalvampire]

True, though it sounds sort of desperate when you think about it. Halcyn either feels responsible for what happened or she's trying to lull us into a false sense of security.

[And he's not sure which way it's pointing, to be honest.]

I'd kind of like to know who or what I'm making an offering to.

[stickyflippers]

The question is, what could the ulterior motive be if she does want us to lower our guard?

[Caelan wasn’t sure at this point himself, a party was nice and all. He was really excited to go, regardless of the possible danger, but it didn’t really make up for being mauled to death by the accidental bear.]

Guess we’ll both see if there are consequences to not making one.

[prodigalvampire]

Who knows? I'm just wondering if they're straight with us, is all.

Maybe we'll be visited by the ghost of Christmas past.

[stickyflippers]

It’d be nice if they were, but somehow I doubt it.

[That joke gets a laugh,]

Depending on who’s past the ghost is from, that could be fun.

[prodigalvampire]

I mean, in the end it worked out for Scrooge.

[stickyflippers]

True, do you expect we’ve got a few Scrooge-like sorts that need a haunting?

[prodigalvampire]

Who knows? We barely know each other.

[stickyflippers]

Yeah, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens. Not my favourite thing to do, but potentially entertaining.

[prodigalvampire]

Mine either. I prefer to have the information up front so I can get started on the stupid mistakes right away.

[stickyflippers]

[Now that scores some excellent points in Caelan’s book, for all that his team back home would frown at him for it.]

Now you get it. It’s more fun that way.

[prodigalvampire]

[He chuckles.]

I don't know about more fun, but it definitely expedites the horrible things that can happen.

[stickyflippers]

I suppose so... But I would say if it doesn’t turn out to be fun, at least in some way, then a mistake’s been made.

[prodigalvampire]

Or you're lucky and you're only slightly doomed.

[stickyflippers]

I will grant you that being slightly doomed is better than entirely.

[prodigalvampire]

Yeah, too bad that doesn't happen often.

[stickyflippers]

Sounds to me like you’ve had some experience with the worse sort of luck.

[prodigalvampire]

I wouldn't go that far. I just like to play it safe. I know someone who tends to take too many risks. He's almost died more times than I can count and I've sort of taken responsibility for his well-being. Someone had to.

[stickyflippers]

[Hm... Sounded like Thomas was a little like someone he knew back home. Someone who was probably more than a little frustrated with him and his own risk taking...]

Ah, you’ve found yourself having to take on the role of a more responsible sort, then.

[prodigalvampire]

Well, I am the big brother. I think that makes it my job.

[stickyflippers]

Ah, I suppose that is the rule. Lucky for me I’m the irresponsible one, mine are generally more sensible.

[prodigalvampire]

That's good to know. Who's watching your back around here?

[stickyflippers]

Mostly watching my own back, if I’m being honest.

[Aside from the Gullwings themselves, most people trusted him to have things handled. Which was mostly by his own doing. Not trusting people and presenting one’s self as being quite capable did that.]

[prodigalvampire]

That's not exactly ideal, is it?

[stickyflippers]

Maybe not? But I could argue that very little of our situation is ideal, anyway. We just have to adapt and do what we can, and I’ve never been known to back down on a challenge. This all definitely counts as that.

[prodigalvampire]

Maybe I'm way off base here, but in my experience, it's a hell of a lot easier to do things together than alone.