IC contact for tushanshu

[edgeoftheknife]

"Hello? .... You've reached Erskine Ravel. I'm not answering my phone right now, obviously, so leave a message." Go Your Own Way Bad Blood Disarm Barton Hollow Runaway Train Living With Your Ghost Land of Confusion Zombie How I Could Just Kill a Man The Good Left Undone Fake It The Sound of Silence

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audio; August 1;

[inkulcation]

[After this.]

While not strictly within the Hotel-- There's a new Foreigner, who may or may not be headed your way. He's armed, and ran rather than converse; there's a high chance he may act rashly.

I should hate for Shudder to have to exert himself.

[And she won't even charge him for it. This time.]

29th | Pretty much right after the Chihues leave | Video

[skeletonenigma]

First of all: See? Nothing happened.

[For a given definition of 'nothing', anyway. They avoided a war! And why would Skulduggery pass up an opportunity to remind someone he was right.

You know, unless that person was Ravel.

So this is probably another sign of things improving.]

Secondly...

[And now he holds up a folded letter.]

Have you come across anything addressed to you?

Early November; audio

[skeletonenigma]

How would you like to learn how to fly?

[No, this isn't a wrong number.]

[redlightgreenlight]

Sometime on the 25th, Erskine will open the closet and taped to the broom is an envelope. Inside the envelope is a drawing of a small rabbit with a bow tie around its neck.
You were the best rabbit ever, is written on the back in Valdis’ handwriting.

[redlightgreenlight]

A message will be delivered to Erskine by one of the gang members that he has seen around the hotel. The message is written down for secrecy's sake, but the gang member lingers while Erskine reads it.

Erskine,

I have a lead on who poisoned Anton. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I had nothing concrete until now. I have a plan and I'm hoping that you might help. Strongarm here will lead you to my location. Don't tell Anton.

-Valdis

Early April | Audio | Just after Skul's return and subsequent network post

[skeletonenigma]

[It's difficult to tell sometimes exactly where Skulduggery and Erskine's relationship stands. When Skulduggery came back from the Dreaming, Erskine punched him. They then proceeded to rub each other completely the wrong way, a fact Skulduggery only really became aware of after his talk with Bisi.

Basically: it's a mess. It's improved in some ways and utterly stagnated in others, and Skulduggery, for one, is getting tired of it.

He spends the better part of a day trying to phrase some sort of apology in his head before he decides it would only find a way to make things worse. So when he turns on the console feed -- console, not radio, after some debate -- it's not exactly an apology he starts with.]

Would you like to pick up the flying lessons where we left off?

[Then again, if you squint hard enough...]

a recorded message left on Anton's tablet, discoverable at Erskine's leisure

[shopworn]

[There must have been a point, during those weeks they were all there together, when Ghastly stole off by himself with Anton's tablet. The file isn't exactly hidden, but it's not well-labeled either -- 'ghastly.mp4' sits in a back corner of the hard drive, without even an illuminating thumbnail. Hopefully, Erskine's curiosity will eventually lead him to it.]

In case you're wondering, I feel ridiculous.

[That is what happens when you record video messages for a... for an Erskine and are, effectively, talking to yourself for several minutes in a back corner of the Hotel at the terribly early rear end of the morning.]

[Ghastly's face twists in a familiar wry grimace, and he shakes his head.]

It's still weird, Anton with a tablet. I never thought he'd concede to the twentieth century, let alone the twenty-first...

[He exhales through his nose, amused, and stops dodging what he started this for.]

Right. First up, Erskine, you're an idiot. See, now you have a handy reminder. Go ahead and replay it if you need to, I'll wait.

Second: you're still our idiot. Do me a favor and remember that.

[Ghastly's smile is wobbly, but it's there, pulling at his scars in a way that used to be easier.]

[If he knew this was the last he might say to Erskine, what would he want to make sure was said?]

[...emotions are very, very difficult.]

Look, what's done is done, right? That's enough. Make the best of Keeliai, even if there's a lot less ordering people around.

We'll see each other again.

[Whether it's here, or in whatever comes after: and if it's the latter, don't make it too speedy, Erskine. Ghastly sighs, passes a hand across his eyes and then back over his head, making the tablet wobble dangerously with the habitual gesture since he is no longer holding it two-handed.]

I'm assuming you've got the loom sorted by now. It's a good piece-- should last you a while, if you remember how to take care of it.

[There follows a brief divergence on loom maintenance, which sounds suspiciously like Ghastly is talking for the sake of talking. Erskine was a weaver, after all, and definitely seems to remember enough about the trade. But it's words and voice and absent gestures as he talks and then remembers he's still holding a tablet, and it's more than possible that Ghastly doesn't know what else to say, is counting on Erskine and the understanding they used to have to pick some deeper emotion out of it.]

[He winds down eventually, and winds up just staring at the camera for more than a few seconds, trying to figure out where he was going and what else to say.]

...I should be down at the shelter in half an hour, anyway. I...

Be well, Erskine.

video;

[ironpeace]

[Usayi is assuming that he'll be recognized, and does not stop for an introduction.]

You're the one who weaves. How are you doing for materials?

[irongaze]

Mr. Ravel, I trust you are well. I am Arbitrator Eliyen. I admire your work with the shelter. It's not often that we see Foreigners putting such an effort into the city's concerns.