[ The first look earns a subtle curl of her lip, but she doesn't say anything about it beyond Looking at him. Even with the weeks spent traveling with Muriel and his little companion, she never did get around to understanding why they'd get so torn up over the prospect of people they barely knew (if even that) dying. The memory of seeing that magician screaming and thrashing trying to get to her when she'd had claw-tipped fingers squeezing around her heart... It's something she's been thinking about more than she wants to admit. After everything, they still acted like it was the end of the world.
She'd made a mistake and it cost her, but she also gave them an out. For the first time that foolish boy listened to her without freezing up, and... That was enough, wasn't it?
She keeps her eyes on Law even as he looks down. When Nayth yanks the peel from her hold and savages it like the wyverns of her homeland, she barely spares the bird a second glance. There's another shift in Law's face, and one of Morga's brows goes up towards her hairline. That's- Well, then. Twisted magic, gods of old (or she assumes), and that same magic changing people? It's new. Even old Scourge magics couldn't do something like that. The Ulfhednar were one thing, but on the scale Law describes... There's not much time to dwell on it before Law's face changes for the third time.
After an uncomfortable few seconds, Morga extends her leg to knock a boot against Law's good one. Focus. ]
There are ways to break curses, boy. It's just a matter of figuring it out.
[ Seeing them squabble like toddlers was a disgrace. As much as she hates to admit it, Lucio would've been in a better position to handle it. He may not have done it right, but it'd have been something. Her sternum aches at the thought of it, but she ignores it and shakes her head. ]
It's also unwise to go poking your nose around cursed objects when they have no idea what they're capable of, or what kind of curse that's on it. That's something children know. Honestly, I expected better from Jaguar...
[ A sigh, and she pinches the bridge of her nose. ]
They say once they have all four and bring them together, that'll do it. But I don't know if I trust that so much anymore.
[ that doesn't mean he's willing to throw his lot in with Salamander, either, but... man, the whole thing reeks. there had been a time when he'd suspended his automatic inclination to be suspicious of everyone around him, and now he regrets it. but looking back, he doesn't know what he'd have done differently, really, so it's... quite the conundrum. one thing's for sure, though— ]
I did too, but he's not the leader we thought he was.
[ typical!!
Nayth is carrying on so much that Law glances to the window expecting the others to come soaring in too, but it's suspiciously quiet outside. maybe the rest of the flock is asleep. ]
Well... I don't want to go making enemies of them, either. Starting a conflict with them is just going to put more people in danger and leave us at a bigger disadvantage. I used to—uhh, I used to kinda... let's just say I'm pretty good at gathering information without being noticed. So that's where I'm gonna start. Once I'm back on my feet and everything, I mean.
Starting a feud with the leaders of the tribes you belong to generally tends to end poorly in my experience. Doubly so when those same cocky upstarts try to remove the present chieftain...
[ Also speaking from experience, whoops. It's her, she was the one people tried to remove once or twice. Morga makes a soft sound in the back of her throat as she considers everything he says, paying special attention to that little tidbit about gathering information. Her first guess? A spy. It doesn't matter if he used to be or he still was one, it still counts. ]
You can start now, you know. People talk, and if they see you as you are now they may not bother hiding anything. There's a good chance they'll see you as a non-threat and think you're incapable of doing anything, and that'll be their mistake.
[ Her eyes drop down to Nayth, and after a moment she leans forward to brush the back of her fingers over smooth feathers. ]
An injured wolf is still a wolf, no matter how mangled he may be.
[ now? Law considers for a moment, raising his eyebrows. it's been, uh, awhile since he could pull off the "harmless and ineffectual" schtick, something he was pretty good at as a kid but grew out of fast in his determination to be taken more seriously. probably why he wasn't the best spy in the world, honestly. Trying Too Hard has a smell, and even the biggest dimwits can pick up on it. ]
Yeah... maybe you're right. Damn, I wish I'd thought of that when I was back in Coatepec. I was out of it for awhile because of the medicine they were giving me for the pain, but if I coulda paid attention maybe I woulda heard something useful.
[ ah well. Nayth, thinking it's Petting Time, doesn't hesitate to start trying to hop into Morga's lap. he perceives no threat and knows his true place: as a therapy pet, not eventual food. ]
Ah well. What about you? What're you gonna do now that you're back? Do you still have somewhere to stay?
[ Which?? Makes sense because he definitely looks like he needed it. Morga can only recall one or two instances where she reluctantly took anything to deal with pain, but that had been decades ago. ]
You can use it to your advantage now at any ra-
[ She's cut off by Nayth hopping up into her lap on the fifth attempt in a flurry of feathers, prompting Morga to drop her knife in order to "catch" the bird. For a moment she considers (gently) tossing him back at Law, but... Nah, this is her chicken now. Temporarily, but still. Tucking one hand under his body to support him, Morga lifts him just enough to cross one ankle over her knee so he has somewhere to "sit".
And after a few more moments she buries her fingers into his feathers to lightly touch the soft down underneath. ]
I haven't looked yet. If not, I'll find something. I imagine the place I'd been staying in before has been taken over or repurposed which is only fair seeing as I was away for so long... If there's nothing around, I'll sleep in the lodge until something opens up.
The disgusting stuff, more like. I almost threw it up every time they gave it to me. But after it kicked in, I was pretty... yeah. Out of it.
[ by the time he stabilized, he'd probably barfed on just about everyone that came to see him in the first handful of days at least once, but. he lived bitch. and even if the recovery is slow and miserable, and the scars are kind of wretched, they'll look cool someday and he'll be back up to fighting shape in no time. it could've gone a whole lot worse, that much is for sure.
Law laughs a little sheepishly as Nayth gets comfortable, starts to set his plate aside to rescue one or both of them, only for Morga to actually know how to hold a chicken. apparently a less common thing than you'd think, but she gets him settled and Nayth hunkers down with a contented bawwwwk. instead, minding the weight he puts on his leg, Law reaches out to pick up the knife and set it on the table by Morga instead, and stumbles back into his seat afterward. ]
I'd say you can stay here, but there's no stopping that from happening. [ nodding to that ornery chicken. ] I tried putting up a sheet in the window to stop them, but they scratched through it while I was away.
The more foul the better. I was given something once a long time ago that knocked me out for the better part of a week and I absolutely hated it. Can't argue with the results, though.
[ She'd been more angry about being out for that many days, but on the upside it had been in her teenage years and not when she'd taken over the tribe. Really, it was for her own good too - if she had been conscious she still would've insisted on going hunting and things like that while recovering from a musk bear of all things. Definitely a recipe for disaster, that.
His offer pulls a quiet sound from her throat, and for a long while Morga simply stares at the chicken in her lap even as Law mills about. Part of her thinks about scolding him, to tell him to stay seated but one: Law isn't her kid and two: He'll never get better if he's sitting around all day. The more he moves, the better his mobility'll stay. ]
I... may take you up on that for the night if you have no objections, then. The birds don't bother me - you've seen Jaeger, so this is nothing compared to what I'm used to. [ A beat, and then with a frown- ] One night.
[ at least someone gets it. a measly broken leg isn't about to stop him from doing what he needs to do, and all the scolding just bounces right off his thick skull. chalk it up to how he was raised and the sorts of things he witnessed growing up, people working or fighting until they literally dropped dead, even if they were sick, injured, or both. the world just doesn't care if you're suffering, man. and Copalli, of all places, is nowhere to start going soft and getting complacent.
but also, yeah, actually giving it a chance to heal so he doesn't walk funny for the rest of his life would probably be good? ah well. ]
Oh, yeah, that's fine! Take as long as you need. You can have the bed, I don't need it. Only thing is to make sure you toss the chickens back out the window when it gets dark so they don't start getting it in their heads they can sleep in here at night.
[ yep, just chuck 'em out the window. it's fine, they float. and if you think for one second he hasn't just been too lazy to eject a chicken and had it sleeping on him or his pillow more than once, twice, or five times, so they've already got it in their heads that they can sleep in here, then might i direct your attention to exhibit A: the feathers all over the damn bed. ]
Speaking of Jaeger... are you gonna get him back from Jaguar's place?
You'll need all the strength you can get if you're going to heal that up, so you're keeping the bed.
[ There it is, that Carefully Hidden And Buried part of her that actually takes on a nurturing side once in a blue moon. She's not fond of it, but what can she say? Muriel and that magician actually did have some sort of an effect on her. That and. Okay, look. So she's a little fond of Law and sees promise in him. What's wrong with wanting to see him get better faster?? Sue her!!! ]
As for Jaeger... Of course. He wasn't in when I stopped by earlier. No doubt he's out hunting himself, so I'll just have to pick him up after sundown. I...
[ A frown, her brows furrowing for a moment as she looks at the chicken in her lap. ]
[ what's he gonna do, argue with her? he knows how Morga is, even if her bark is worse than her bite. at least, when it comes to what she's shown him, specifically. out in the jungle against the monsters, that's another story. it's downright impossible to intimidate Law, but she might be one of the few that... if he isn't intimidated, he's at least smart enough in his animal brain to sense when it's better not to push his luck with this one. so in the end, he just concedes with a little shrug. fine, fine. ]
I haven't seen very much of him, mostly only when I go to check in with Jaguar. He's usually in there with him. He's got his own little perch in Jaguar's room, and there's all kinds of bones and feathers all around it, so he must be eating. Think I've spotted him flying once or twice, too. He's...
[ well, as for how Jaeger is, he can't exactly say, but— ]
Every time I did see him, it made me think you must be... out there somewhere, still okay.
[ Most other eagles and hawks don't even come close to his size. There were some back home, but they had all lived in the mountains. Her fingers find a particularly good spot under the chicken's beak and her expression softens considerably when it leans into her fingers, almost as if she either forgets where she is, or she's simply that comfortable around Law.
(And honestly, what's the worst he could do in his state? Tease her? ) ]
I was for awhile. I came back in time to see those bubbles around the cities and decided I wasn't going to deal with it, so I went back out into the wilds until things went back to normal. As you can see, I'm alright.
[ She even holds her free arm out for a moment with a frown. See? All in one piece, stupid frilly top and all. ]
[ that chicken is in absolute heaven. Law's gaze softens, too&mmdash;not that it needed to, by comparison to the severe sort of way Morga's face just is even when she isn't feeling any certain type of way about anything in particular. it was something he'd had to get used to when they were around each other, that she looks a lot scarier than she is. uh, at least toward him. the monsters and stuff, though? that's another story. ]
Oh, yeah... that. Well, you had the right idea there. Those were nothing but trouble. Most people I ran into who were stuck in them were having nightmares about the worst moments of their lives and probably could've died in there if I hadn't gotten them out. I don't know if all of them were bad, though.
[ there's a certain reluctance to extrapolate on that thought any, although after a moment's second-guessing he isn't really sure why. what's there to keep quiet about? it's not like she wouldn't. get it. i mean, she has a son (although he sounds like a very naughty no-good son, if his interpretation of what she said she's been up to is any indicator). ]
Mine was weirdly peaceful. It was just the ranch I used to work at, and my mom was there. I guess if I'd stayed it would have gone sour for me, too. It was just... a bunch of lies made up by the incense to mess with our heads. So yeah, you were smart to stay away.
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no subject
Date: 2022-05-15 09:05 am (UTC)She'd made a mistake and it cost her, but she also gave them an out. For the first time that foolish boy listened to her without freezing up, and... That was enough, wasn't it?
She keeps her eyes on Law even as he looks down. When Nayth yanks the peel from her hold and savages it like the wyverns of her homeland, she barely spares the bird a second glance. There's another shift in Law's face, and one of Morga's brows goes up towards her hairline. That's- Well, then. Twisted magic, gods of old (or she assumes), and that same magic changing people? It's new. Even old Scourge magics couldn't do something like that. The Ulfhednar were one thing, but on the scale Law describes... There's not much time to dwell on it before Law's face changes for the third time.
After an uncomfortable few seconds, Morga extends her leg to knock a boot against Law's good one. Focus. ]
There are ways to break curses, boy. It's just a matter of figuring it out.
[ Seeing them squabble like toddlers was a disgrace. As much as she hates to admit it, Lucio would've been in a better position to handle it. He may not have done it right, but it'd have been something. Her sternum aches at the thought of it, but she ignores it and shakes her head. ]
It's also unwise to go poking your nose around cursed objects when they have no idea what they're capable of, or what kind of curse that's on it. That's something children know. Honestly, I expected better from Jaguar...
[ A sigh, and she pinches the bridge of her nose. ]
Where do you plan to start?
no subject
Date: 2022-05-15 06:19 pm (UTC)[ that doesn't mean he's willing to throw his lot in with Salamander, either, but... man, the whole thing reeks. there had been a time when he'd suspended his automatic inclination to be suspicious of everyone around him, and now he regrets it. but looking back, he doesn't know what he'd have done differently, really, so it's... quite the conundrum. one thing's for sure, though— ]
I did too, but he's not the leader we thought he was.
[ typical!!
Nayth is carrying on so much that Law glances to the window expecting the others to come soaring in too, but it's suspiciously quiet outside. maybe the rest of the flock is asleep. ]
Well... I don't want to go making enemies of them, either. Starting a conflict with them is just going to put more people in danger and leave us at a bigger disadvantage. I used to—uhh, I used to kinda... let's just say I'm pretty good at gathering information without being noticed. So that's where I'm gonna start. Once I'm back on my feet and everything, I mean.
no subject
Date: 2022-05-15 07:43 pm (UTC)[ Also speaking from experience, whoops. It's her, she was the one people tried to remove once or twice. Morga makes a soft sound in the back of her throat as she considers everything he says, paying special attention to that little tidbit about gathering information. Her first guess? A spy. It doesn't matter if he used to be or he still was one, it still counts. ]
You can start now, you know. People talk, and if they see you as you are now they may not bother hiding anything. There's a good chance they'll see you as a non-threat and think you're incapable of doing anything, and that'll be their mistake.
[ Her eyes drop down to Nayth, and after a moment she leans forward to brush the back of her fingers over smooth feathers. ]
An injured wolf is still a wolf, no matter how mangled he may be.
no subject
Date: 2022-05-15 11:21 pm (UTC)[ now? Law considers for a moment, raising his eyebrows. it's been, uh, awhile since he could pull off the "harmless and ineffectual" schtick, something he was pretty good at as a kid but grew out of fast in his determination to be taken more seriously. probably why he wasn't the best spy in the world, honestly. Trying Too Hard has a smell, and even the biggest dimwits can pick up on it. ]
Yeah... maybe you're right. Damn, I wish I'd thought of that when I was back in Coatepec. I was out of it for awhile because of the medicine they were giving me for the pain, but if I coulda paid attention maybe I woulda heard something useful.
[ ah well. Nayth, thinking it's Petting Time, doesn't hesitate to start trying to hop into Morga's lap. he perceives no threat and knows his true place: as a therapy pet, not eventual food. ]
Ah well. What about you? What're you gonna do now that you're back? Do you still have somewhere to stay?
no subject
Date: 2022-05-16 12:55 am (UTC)[ Which?? Makes sense because he definitely looks like he needed it. Morga can only recall one or two instances where she reluctantly took anything to deal with pain, but that had been decades ago. ]
You can use it to your advantage now at any ra-
[ She's cut off by Nayth hopping up into her lap on the fifth attempt in a flurry of feathers, prompting Morga to drop her knife in order to "catch" the bird. For a moment she considers (gently) tossing him back at Law, but... Nah, this is her chicken now. Temporarily, but still. Tucking one hand under his body to support him, Morga lifts him just enough to cross one ankle over her knee so he has somewhere to "sit".
And after a few more moments she buries her fingers into his feathers to lightly touch the soft down underneath. ]
I haven't looked yet. If not, I'll find something. I imagine the place I'd been staying in before has been taken over or repurposed which is only fair seeing as I was away for so long... If there's nothing around, I'll sleep in the lodge until something opens up.
no subject
Date: 2022-05-16 03:29 pm (UTC)[ by the time he stabilized, he'd probably barfed on just about everyone that came to see him in the first handful of days at least once, but. he lived bitch. and even if the recovery is slow and miserable, and the scars are kind of wretched, they'll look cool someday and he'll be back up to fighting shape in no time. it could've gone a whole lot worse, that much is for sure.
Law laughs a little sheepishly as Nayth gets comfortable, starts to set his plate aside to rescue one or both of them, only for Morga to actually know how to hold a chicken. apparently a less common thing than you'd think, but she gets him settled and Nayth hunkers down with a contented bawwwwk. instead, minding the weight he puts on his leg, Law reaches out to pick up the knife and set it on the table by Morga instead, and stumbles back into his seat afterward. ]
I'd say you can stay here, but there's no stopping that from happening. [ nodding to that ornery chicken. ] I tried putting up a sheet in the window to stop them, but they scratched through it while I was away.
no subject
Date: 2022-05-16 05:31 pm (UTC)[ She'd been more angry about being out for that many days, but on the upside it had been in her teenage years and not when she'd taken over the tribe. Really, it was for her own good too - if she had been conscious she still would've insisted on going hunting and things like that while recovering from a musk bear of all things. Definitely a recipe for disaster, that.
His offer pulls a quiet sound from her throat, and for a long while Morga simply stares at the chicken in her lap even as Law mills about. Part of her thinks about scolding him, to tell him to stay seated but one: Law isn't her kid and two: He'll never get better if he's sitting around all day. The more he moves, the better his mobility'll stay. ]
I... may take you up on that for the night if you have no objections, then. The birds don't bother me - you've seen Jaeger, so this is nothing compared to what I'm used to. [ A beat, and then with a frown- ] One night.
no subject
Date: 2022-05-17 02:50 pm (UTC)but also, yeah, actually giving it a chance to heal so he doesn't walk funny for the rest of his life would probably be good? ah well. ]
Oh, yeah, that's fine! Take as long as you need. You can have the bed, I don't need it. Only thing is to make sure you toss the chickens back out the window when it gets dark so they don't start getting it in their heads they can sleep in here at night.
[ yep, just chuck 'em out the window. it's fine, they float. and if you think for one second he hasn't just been too lazy to eject a chicken and had it sleeping on him or his pillow more than once, twice, or five times, so they've already got it in their heads that they can sleep in here, then might i direct your attention to exhibit A: the feathers all over the damn bed. ]
Speaking of Jaeger... are you gonna get him back from Jaguar's place?
no subject
Date: 2022-05-27 10:18 pm (UTC)[ There it is, that Carefully Hidden And Buried part of her that actually takes on a nurturing side once in a blue moon. She's not fond of it, but what can she say? Muriel and that magician actually did have some sort of an effect on her. That and. Okay, look. So she's a little fond of Law and sees promise in him. What's wrong with wanting to see him get better faster?? Sue her!!! ]
As for Jaeger... Of course. He wasn't in when I stopped by earlier. No doubt he's out hunting himself, so I'll just have to pick him up after sundown. I...
[ A frown, her brows furrowing for a moment as she looks at the chicken in her lap. ]
Do you know how he's been?
no subject
Date: 2022-05-30 07:21 pm (UTC)[ what's he gonna do, argue with her? he knows how Morga is, even if her bark is worse than her bite. at least, when it comes to what she's shown him, specifically. out in the jungle against the monsters, that's another story. it's downright impossible to intimidate Law, but she might be one of the few that... if he isn't intimidated, he's at least smart enough in his animal brain to sense when it's better not to push his luck with this one. so in the end, he just concedes with a little shrug. fine, fine. ]
I haven't seen very much of him, mostly only when I go to check in with Jaguar. He's usually in there with him. He's got his own little perch in Jaguar's room, and there's all kinds of bones and feathers all around it, so he must be eating. Think I've spotted him flying once or twice, too. He's...
[ well, as for how Jaeger is, he can't exactly say, but— ]
Every time I did see him, it made me think you must be... out there somewhere, still okay.
no subject
Date: 2022-05-31 03:51 am (UTC)[ Most other eagles and hawks don't even come close to his size. There were some back home, but they had all lived in the mountains. Her fingers find a particularly good spot under the chicken's beak and her expression softens considerably when it leans into her fingers, almost as if she either forgets where she is, or she's simply that comfortable around Law.
(And honestly, what's the worst he could do in his state? Tease her? ) ]
I was for awhile. I came back in time to see those bubbles around the cities and decided I wasn't going to deal with it, so I went back out into the wilds until things went back to normal. As you can see, I'm alright.
[ She even holds her free arm out for a moment with a frown. See? All in one piece, stupid frilly top and all. ]
no subject
Date: 2022-06-06 08:45 pm (UTC)Oh, yeah... that. Well, you had the right idea there. Those were nothing but trouble. Most people I ran into who were stuck in them were having nightmares about the worst moments of their lives and probably could've died in there if I hadn't gotten them out. I don't know if all of them were bad, though.
[ there's a certain reluctance to extrapolate on that thought any, although after a moment's second-guessing he isn't really sure why. what's there to keep quiet about? it's not like she wouldn't. get it. i mean, she has a son (although he sounds like a very naughty no-good son, if his interpretation of what she said she's been up to is any indicator). ]
Mine was weirdly peaceful. It was just the ranch I used to work at, and my mom was there. I guess if I'd stayed it would have gone sour for me, too. It was just... a bunch of lies made up by the incense to mess with our heads. So yeah, you were smart to stay away.