AUDIENCE FOR: Harrowhark

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Comments

[outsidebones]

Well. It doesn't seem quite in the spirit of the entertainment we are intended to provide if we arbitrarily come back to life.

But if there are rules and a strategy behind it, perhaps I could see it.

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[ they shrug. ]

Don't really know anything about anything like that, but, who knows.

[outsidebones]

Even if you did know, could you tell me? I assume the bodies who were buried were a hint about Clementine, but it strikes me as something like my role, too.

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Cover your eyes with a single leaf, all you see's the world in front of you. Least, that's what people say, anyway.

[ aquila taps their fingertips absently against their other hand. ] I just know about the world in front of me. What can and can't be said, that's probably best stuck to thinking through without us, y'know?

[outsidebones]

So in other words, you can't tell me.

[unimpressed by their leaf metaphors!]

That's fine. We'll see if it happens again. Though I will not get in the habit of expecting it.

[...]

I admit that I was not impressed by the necromantic displays with Sieghart's body. The skeleton constructs - to animate them for so long, on independent tasks, well, that is a bit more difficult. But it is nothing I can't do.

But reviving Cloud's body a full day after his death, well...he has my attention.

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[ they shrug a little bit to the first part. sorry harrow that's all they got... metaphors.

as she continues, though, aquila does the verbal equivalent of making a face. ] Ugh, necromancers. [ but it's offhanded and doesn't sound that offended. ] The host has your attention, you mean?

[outsidebones]

Ugh, necromancers.

[a small smile, because yeah obviously this is a big pissing contest between her specifically and the host???]

Indeed. I'm curious. We will be dispensing of the pretense that he couldn't undo these things if he wished to.

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[ of course it is. you're doing amazing, sweetie. they actually snort when she repeats the comment, ducking their head to muffle their laughter. it's very genuine. ]

I like that confidence of yours! Well, I don't know shit about skeleton wrangling or whatever the hell it is you do, but maybe the Host'd come down for a bone-off.

[ the host would not come down for a bone off. ]

[outsidebones]

If the host would like to have a "bone-off," I would gladly accept.

[she also does not think the host will be coming down for a bone off but he should. so it's fine that aquila is laughing at her because actually she's right.]

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well they totally lose it at harrow saying bone-off ] Harrowhark! [ HELP ] Ohhh, man, imagine we use the theater for that!! A bone-off!

[outsidebones]

[she understands she knew they would laugh.]</small Give me my power back and I will make it count.

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[ captures your html typo

they laugh, reaching up to rub under their veil. ] Hooo. That's not how that works, unfortunately.

[outsidebones]

[rude.]

...Yes, I know. But I will continue to demand it, because it makes me feel better to recall how ridiculously inequitable these situations are for those of us who use what I suppose you might call "magic" as our primary tool rather than brawn, and how I will still prevail anyway.

Ask Lup, I never stopped demanding she give it back the entire time at the space station. Though there at least it made some sense, as necromancy does not typically work well in space.

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Yeah, kinda sucks, doesn't it. I bet someone told you you should learn self defense back at the other place you were in, or something equally useless.

[ no bone magic here. ]

You do seem like the type to keep asking. We'll just have to keep saying no, no matter how cool it would be to see you go bone hand to bone hand with somebody.

[outsidebones]

Yes, they did. And yes, it was useless advice. Even if I learned how to throw a punch or some nonsense, it isn't going to change my physical circumstances.

[she's not just scrawny for lack of muscles, she's built like a sickly person.]

Quite. I am stubborn.

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Yeah, you kinda look like a stiff breeze'd blow you over.

[ like one of her skeletons... ]

And y'know, if I've learned anything about you in the past couple weeks, it's that you're stubborn. [ that comes with a laugh. ] But, hey, the more people underestimate you, the more you just give em hell with that big brain of yours.

[outsidebones]

True, but only at present.

[she can compensate for her physical weakness with bones otherwise. anyway, she'll give a slight smile.]

I do intend to, though between you and I, a big brain only goes so far when someone much stronger than you is trying to kill you.

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[ there's a matching smile in their voice, too. ]

True. Just gotta catch em like a rat in a trap, but, then again, I'm not the brains of any operation, so, I wouldn't really know. But I'll keep that secret for you. [ hehe ] Don't worry.

[outsidebones]

I am a little worried about it. Not your secret keeping abilities, more...things going a bit badly.

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Worried you might get targeted?

[outsidebones]

If I die, God will die and the star Dominicus may become a black hole, destroying all life in the Nine Houses, so the worry has crossed my mind.

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[ whiteguyblinking.gif ]

That. [ ... ] Hoo, yeah. That'd do it.

[ they pause, tilting their head back and forth briefly. ] ... The winning foot's always the first to climb. I'm sure you've weighed out all the options of going for it already, right?

[outsidebones]

We've discussed this, yes.

[she chews on her lip.]

I know that you're right. If anything, I'm procrastinating. There's no justification for it.

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[ ah.

their tone softens a little. ] ... I don't think "I don't want to kill someone" isn't justification, really. But... well.

[ they make a thoughtful noise, looking away from her for a moment. ] Sometimes - sometimes, the duty put on your shoulders, or your origin in life, or whatever, sometimes that determines what you're supposed to do, but, sometimes it determines what you can't do, too. What you want, and what you can't want.

Kind of stuck between the head and the heart. Right? Except the heart still knows what you're supposed to do, too. It's a shitty position to be in.

[outsidebones]

[she nods her head slowly, automatically; this isn't a lesson she needs to hear, exactly. her entire life has been about duty. but it helps all the same to understand that aquila understands.]

My duty is clear, and has been since arrival. I would prefer to refrain from taking someone else's life, and I would prefer to live, but that isn't the option afforded me here. Even prioritizing caution that I not be caught is an inexcusable dereliction, given the circumstances.

[she sighs out.] Choosing between the head and the heart has never been my problem. It is only recently that I have considered the latter to be a choice I had the freedom to make, and I can't help but feel resentful to have the freedom taken from me once more.