audience: ashlyn

[mygod]

Comments

[mygod]

Sure. Likewise.

[They do not sound excited either.]

If you didn't call me for a reason, you may as well help me with something.

[killies]

[ oh thank god that's actually such a relief ]

Sure. What do you need?

[mygod]

[They get it...]

The garden you all barged in on yesterday. It needs tending. Follow me, don't get lost.

[The fog will part a little, and if she doesn't wander, they'll end up back at the garden from yesterday. There are supplies and neatly tilled rows and plants. It's cute.]

[killies]

[ she'll follow them without straying. ]

So you can just part the fog whenever you want? Maybe you could give us more space.

[mygod]

If we could fully control the fog, you wouldn't have found us yesterday. Possibly ever. We can traverse it a little easier than you can, that's all.

[They go over to some spades and such.]

Besides, Pestilence and I don't want most of you ruining the crops.

[killies]

Does that mean we could eventually break through on our own if we kept trying? Or did the fog just happen to part for us like normal fog moves?

[ and that's fair. she just keeps following... ]

What are you growing?

[mygod]

I can find my way through it a bit—move it, a bit. It's not something you could replicate.

[They point at a tiny hand-rake for her. Weeding duties.]

Pestilence has a variety. Vegetables and flowers. I stick to more practical herbs.

[killies]

[ a little disappointed frown, but she will grab the little hand-rake. good, weeding seems easy. hard to mess up. ]

Huh. So if you grow your own vegetables, you probably get better meals than we do.

[mygod]

[The weeds have some stubborn roots, but it's not hard to deal with them. Easy, menial labor.]

Why, do you want to trade meals? It doesn't make a difference to me either way.

[This does not sound like a joke.]

[killies]

[ she doesn't mind having to put the effort in. she just wouldn't want to accidentally fuck up the plantbeds somehow. ]

It's not a big priority or anything. We have food, that's good enough for me.

But it is bland. You don't care?

[mygod]

[Aww.]

I've lost my sense of taste. Wouldn't notice anyway.

[They use their cane to leverage themselves down to the garden bed, pruning some stalks as they speak.]

I'd expect you to have more complaints. Bad food, bad bedding, et cetera.

[killies]

Those are all true. The buildings are falling apart. It's cold and we don't have enough clothes. The food is bad. The beds creak. There aren't even enough beds for everyone. ... But we have bigger things to worry about and I can kind of guess you're not going to fix any of those problems.

Except maybe the food, apparently.

[ and, actually, ]

How do you lose your sense of taste?

[mygod]

Can't even fix the food at large. I'd just trade with you. We can try and smuggle in something if you have a request, but it's one a week for each of you.

[They are so helpful.]

This will sound like a stupid question if the answer is yes. But you'd be surprised. Do you know what a gun is?

[killies]

I already got earplugs. I'll think about next week, though.

[ and she will think about trading food. she doesn't want to be picky but. man. ]

Yeah. I'm not very good with them, but I'm familiar.

[mygod]

[It's not like they can appreciate their food, it's fine.]

Well, if you get shot enough times, your body stops functioning correctly. I don't recommend it.

Is it too noisy here?

[killies]

I'll try to avoid it.

[ well, yeah. ]

... I'm used to it. I have sensitive hearing, so everywhere is loud to me. The earplugs help enough.

[mygod]

Please do.

[They stop rifling through plants for a hot second. At the very least, Death operates at low volume anyway, quiet and unobtrusive.]

...Does it hurt?

[killies]

It can, if people shout or there's something especially loud.

The church bell isn't great.

[mygod]

I see.

Has it always been this way? Was it caused by damage to your ear canals...? [This is slightly more structured than idle curiosity, like a health questionnaire.]

[killies]

It's been this way as long as I can remember. [ and since they sound kind of focused and interested: ] The doctor said I have hyperacusis and tinnitus.

[mygod]

Huh. I've encountered more cases of the opposite. [Loss of senses.] Did they give you any sort of treatment?

[killies]

It's probably more common that way, right?

[ dulled senses make more sense to her than over-sensitive ones... ]

But no, I just wear earplugs or noise canceling headphones most of the time.

[mygod]

...I've developed drugs that alter or enhance sensory experience, but not anything that'd help in your case. Since it's probably an issue with a specific nerve, the ingredients necessary would be just as specific. Hm...

[...]

Didn't mean to get on a tangent. You can ask if you want to come out here, if the noise in the village gets to be too much.

[killies]

[ she shakes her head - she didn't see it as a tangent. ]

Can that kind of thing be helped with medication? I know about hearing aids and stuff, but?

[mygod]

It depends. If the problem is structural, it would make sense that you'd need a mechanical aid of some kind. Or surgery. Typically, medicine wouldn't "cure" something like this. [Like it wouldn't cure a broken leg even if maybe fantasy bullshit medicine probably can whatever.] But when you aren't sure of what the exact source of the problem is, you never know. Could just be a matter of finding the right ear drops, or working alongside a healing cleric, for all I can tell at a glance. But whether with a physical implement, or medication, or both... I'd hope something could at least alleviate your symptoms.

Not that I think it's your pressing concern at the moment. [Cult business is here.]