un: trienemybest; video

[droptheious]

[The video feed opens in Varian's creepy basement lab where health and safety regulations go to die. The boy himself isn't looking that great, his skin has a grey-ish tinge to it and he looks more exhausted than usual. But that's fine, he's fine. He turns the camera around to take in some sapphires on his workbench. Some are soaking in various chemical substances, some are under a microscope, some are in various steampunk-y machines: it's clear some testing has been going on. ]

So, Flynn was kind enough to give me some of the crystals that grew on his corpse during...whatever weird new thing death is here. [He doesn't sound as excited about this as his usual projects and anyone who knows about his deeply unfortunate past will know why.] I have experience in creepy, magical death rocks -no...no I'm not going to elaborate on that- so I decided to study them. They seem to be crystalising the actual cells of the body- so not just a separate coating. I also found traces of warmblood within the crystals themselves, which I think is what Flynn is? A-anyway, it seems they're working on a cellular level, like they're what jumpstarts the reversal of the cell degeneration after death- so- so it's possible they're what reverses then entire process.

Anyway, moral of the story is, they're probably super important in resurrecting people so maybe don't mess with the process when it's happening? Of course, without having any other samples to compare this to, it's all conjecture right now.

[A beat, he turns the camera back to himself, grimacing.]

Sorry, I forgot who I was talking to. Please don't take that as encouragement to get yourselves killed in the name of science.

[Another beat, then he waves a hand airily.]

Thaaaaaat said, this is October, so statistically, there's a high chance that a not-insignificant portion of the population will be dead by the end of the month. So...if you wanna donate your death crystals for science then, that would be less...morally grey. Probably? Probably.

Comments

[droptheious]

[He nods understandingly. ]

Yeeeah I know, it's so dumb. And I don't know, maybe? I guess they're just not in the business of telling us what they want from us.

[Like the aforementioned Awkward Situation. ]

I wonder if we could find their usual haunts and just...ask them? They might not listen but we can try?

[entreats]

.. you want to just go and ring their metaphorical doorbell like we're a bunch of kids trick-or-treating?

[ Sure, there's deadpan in her voice as she says it, because the idea is a little ridiculous when it's standing by itself.

But.. at the same time, it's not like it's totally a bad idea, Ange thinks. And it's also an infinitely better plan to carry out together, rather than anyone to do by themselves. ]

Which one was the one messing with us last month? The one with the crows, or.. whatever those birds were. Do you know?

[droptheious]

...I only just about understand that reference and why not? We're stuck living here, don't we deserve answers?

[This is a kid who straight-up threw chemicals at a forty-foot tall demon. Why not yell at the Basically Gods?]

Never Mind- from what I've gathered from my research. He likes learning. And I think they were ravens.

[entreats]

[ Varian might only barely grasp the concept of trick-or-treating, much like how Ange barely grasps the concept of the fact that there's a difference between crows and ravens.. Are they not all just black birds. ]

He likes learning.

[ Ange repeats it flatly. Not because of anything Varian is saying, but just since it feels like such a mundane fact about a being that's messing around with them. This is just their life now, huh. ]

Did you find anything out about where he.. lives? Do these things live anywhere?

[droptheious]

[Maybe it's just a big black bird conspiracy? Maybe Qrow's behind it all. Like a dastardly mastermind. ]

Yeah, didn't you hear him last month? Encouraging people to go to Gaze and learn?

[He rubs his chin thoughtfully. ]

I don't know about where they live- but if he likes learning I expect he could probably be found in the school- or at least...uh summoned to the school? Do you summon gods?

[entreats]

[ Please, Varian.

Anyone who encourages others to learn is clearly evil. ]

Demons. [ She replies, apparently finding the nuance important enough. ] But maybe the principle of it might not be so different?

[ That's an audible question mark though. Ange really isn't sure. ]

I don't know what kind of magic circle you'd draw to summon one of those beings though. I'd wonder if that information is somewhere in the library, but.. well, finding anything specifc there is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

[droptheious]

[Oh that's a lie! Learning is the best, gosh wow!!!]

We definitely don't need more demons here, we've got enough. But I guess they're roughly the same?

[Are they, kids? Are they really? ]

It might be? In the library I mean? It's pretty extensive, and I've found if you think very hard about what you're looking for you can kind of...sense where it is? [He scoffs.] Because apparently it's too much to ask for an actual sensical reference system.

[entreats]

.. you can.. sense it?

[ Ange is well aware that Varian is using a general 'you' there. But she seems a little sceptical of this idea all the same. Is that really something she could do? Does anyone just turn into a human dowsing rod inside there? ]

Are you sure you weren't already studying for a little too long when you started to get that feeling? [ Who knows, Ange knows Varian wouldn't lie, but it's not like that means he can't be convinced of fatigue-induced delusions, right? ]

[droptheious]

Yeah! It's really weird.

[That's exactly what it's like and he hates it. He just wants just one thing in this world to not be bullshit magic, please and thank you. ]

No no! It's definitely not me... overstudying. [Though his tone suggests she's COMPLETELY FAIR in assuming that.] Luca was doing it too and he confirmed that's what he could sense.

[entreats]

[ Thanks, Varian, for acknowledging the fact that she's making a fairly reasonable potential observation here. If anyone here would develop overstudying abilities.. ]

That's so odd. There's got to be something magical about that library for sure then. Maybe that's exactly Never Mind's influence.

[ Since Varian is saying that he likes learning. ]

It'd sure help if anything bothered to be a little more clear to us for once in our lives.

[droptheious]

[It's the most reasonable of observations. ]

Maybe. I wouldn't be surprised, this place is already full of magic, why not the library too?

[Such a bitter betty about the magic as always. He says this to the witch but that's how it rolls sometimes.]

I know, right? The dream was bonkers enough, but at least we could say "hey it's dream logic, it doesn't have to make sense" this place has no excuse.

[entreats]

... I guess I'll try seeing if I can find anything about a way to contact them in the library.

[ But it comes with a small sigh in that pause ahead of what she's saying, because.. yeah. Yeah, everything is just a pain in the ass.

(Him being bitter about magic is something she's definitely giving a pass though, since Ange was exactly like that up to a point midway through Deerington..) ]

It seems like our best bet right now.

[droptheious]

Let me know if you figure anything out, okay? Or...y'know, if you need help.

[He appreciates her so much, she's so good to him. ]

We really should be used to putting a lot of stakes in long shots by now, but here we are.

[entreats]

[ She nods. ]

Don't worry, I will. [ Finding information about it should be something she ought to be able to do by herself, even if it might take a while.. But she doubts that if she finds a process that it's going to be something she can easily do by herself.

Ange's thoughts momentarily trail off though, and she pauses for a moment, almost hesitating, before she adds: ]

And.. um.

[ God, she's so awkward. Why is she always so awkward about these things! Why do they have to be so hard! ]

I'm.. glad. That stuff isn't super awkward between us. [ You know. After last month. ]

[droptheious]

[Oh, wow. He picks up on the awkward at least and offers a small smile- a little nervous.]

O...of course. I mean, I wasn't...planning on it being awkward? So- so glad that it's not?

[Okay, maybe NOW it's a little awkward.]

[entreats]

[ Please Varian, she was just worried, o-okay! ]

I just wasn't sure. [ She manages to say in a way that sounds way less nervous than she might have felt about it.

Thankfully she can at least do that much. ]

So I'm glad for the confirmation.

[droptheious]

[He'll let out a slightly awkward chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck.]

Of course. I- I wouldn't want things to be...weird or anything? Like. I'm still me and you're still you...right?

[entreats]

Yeah.

[ It's a little quiet, but it doesn't sound uncertain. ]

It's just that I usually don't throw out my usual three months' worth of emotion output in half an hour. [ It's not often that she has emotions that intense. ] But.. yeah, you're right. We're still just ourselves.

[droptheious]

It kinda depends on the day for me.

[He can be an emotional mess once that dam breaks- but it's usually Fern who's around to pick up the pieces when he crumbles, who's used to weathering that particular storm. ]

We are. We'll- we're okay. I mean- it's not like Deerington wasn't good at pulling all those bad emotions and memories to the surface. Same here, I guess. We'll figure out how to deal with them.