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My name is Warren, and somehow we haven't talked to one another yet. I've been assigned your warden for this month, and while I'm happy to respect your wishes on this? I'm up for meeting and talking a little. Would you be up for that?
Looking forward to hearing back from you.
You can come to my cabin if you want to. It's on the fifth level, the one with a curtain of kelp instead of a door. [Ulla can't read the cabin numbers and doesn't care enough to ask. Why bother, when her door is a distinctive enough landmark?]
I have your file. I haven’t read it yet. And I don’t object to holding off. If you need a little time to adjust to the idea.
I’m- honestly? I’m pretty happy with that result. But I’d understand if you weren’t. Just let me know how you want to handle this.
[Ulla won't go quite so far as to say she's pleased, but it could be much worse. She'd hate anyone learning about Signy without her consent; about how important she was to Ulla or about her betrayal. She already told him that part. She doesn't much care what else is in the file.]
There are worse wardens he could have given me.
You can read it.
[The sound of water lapping at her shoulders is probably enough to give away her location.]
I don't need anything. I'm in my cabin. What happened? [She doesn't ask whether he's alright. He's well enough to call and ask her.]
Hey. Don't know if ya remember me, but T mentioned you might be able to help with growing plants. I'd like to talk to you about a proposal. I'm willing to trade for your assistance.
Sildroher don't have written language, and I don't know how to read human ones. [She could go get Warren or Jacobi to read it for her, she supposes, but she'll just go ahead and say she has no idea what he wrote.]
There is no outcry. There is no discussion. There is just a running dive to sweep her up in his arms, spin her around, and hold her tight to him as his eyes ache and his muscles shake with unexpressed emotion he's been holding onto for a month.
"Oh, sweetheart..."
Ulla does cry out - a soft, strangled sort of sound as her throat goes tight with relief - and when he scoops her up, she flings her arms around Warren's neck and clings to him without a second's hesitation. She isn't made for crying in this shape, but if she were human, she thinks she would be. "Warren."
Every day on that damned ship whittled away at her faith that he'd find her. That she'd see him again. She didn't think she would ever have managed to graduate from the Clipper, and it felt like a death sentence. A lonely one, at that, though at least she had Taylor.
Shen Wei is one of the biggest reasons I took a job with unassigned inmates in the first place. He asked the Admiral for my transformation magic, before I had a warden of my own.
[So really, if she had to be responsible for any inmate while she's doing this job, Shen Wei is one she doesn't mind looking after. (Whereas the less said about Kikimora's many demands, the better.)]
Are you alright?
Ulla is in human form today, barefoot as usual, wearing a fluttery pale gray dress with her hair pulled back using the carved shell combs Warren made for her last year. The water in her cabin is low enough to reveal the entrance to the little grotto that's usually hidden underwater, but she had left almost a foot of water for the shrimp.
She smiles at Taylor and nods. "I'll sing the water the rest of the way down. Since you're here, would you herd them outside the entrance to the grotto? I made a trench to either side there so the shrimp will still have water even if I clear the cavern."
You'll need to explain what a necromancer is or who you're talking about, first.
If Kikimora didn't have an assigned warden, I'd ask you to take her in exchange. She's very irritating.
I will be interviewing potential permanent wardens in anticipation of getting one by February 15th.
I will need a list of those who can be discrete about my current lack of pairing.
[Ulla raises her eyebrows.]
There's no shame in losing your warden. It happens sometimes, and it isn't because you did anything wrong.
I can get you a list of unpaired wardens, but I don't know which keep secrets or what the point of keeping it secret is when everyone will find out in two weeks anyway.
I took her out during port, of course, but haven't seen as much of her since we set sail again.
Ulla-san. Hehe-- Ahem. [The giggle is cut off with a clearing of her throat, Sae struggling to keep her composure]
You need help...? Sweeney-san said you did. He said.
The Admiral took something of mine. I can live without it for the length of the flood, if I need to. [She just wants her knife because she can't bear it being out of her possession, like a security blanket in the form of a blade. She doesn't even have the magic to make proper use of it now, but the anxiety is eating at her.]
More importantly, are you alright?
Fair warning, if you don't answer me I'm going to go track down your assigned inmate to make sure someone's put in the revival request.
[It takes a little while, but not so long that he'd need to go hunt down her inmate.]
No need. Erik already requested my revival. In Zero with Taylor now.
A bucket of water from my cabin? I'm not used to being on land in this form for as long as I'm likely to. It might help.
Taylor's at the seaweed door of Ulla's cabin, her arm wrapped around herself, trying to decide if this is where she wants to be. She isn't crying, but her lashes are spiked together and she swallows over and over, all in effort to keep it back.
Ulla had dragged herself up to the dining hall for food, and is making her way back down at a slow slither. Notably, she's still not touching the transportation device Warren gave her; it had its vulnerability pointed out, and she isn't quite ready to take that risk again. It's still too fresh.
"Taylor? Were you waiting for me?"
I've given Mr. Xiao some universal antidote pills I got from the Admiral, since Mr. Xue apparently favours poison. If you have a spell for that sort of thing, might be good to have one ready just in case.
[Ulla, riding out the tail end of her own death toll, looks and sounds tired.]
We've met. He was throwing a small temper tantrum in the dining hall, smashing plates and such. He stopped readily enough when I provided enough interest to distract him.
Thank you for the information. I'll see what I can do about poison. Have you alerted the infirmary to watch out for poisoning cases yet, or would you like me to?
Hey, Ulla? I wanted to let you know I'm doing better. Thanks for taking care of everything you did after the breach. It was- honestly? It was really helpful.
[ And now he's looking more awkward, scratching at the back of his neck. He doesn't have cause to properly thank people often. ]
Anyway, just wanted to say that.
I'm glad. And you're welcome.
Was your dog there before, or did someone request it for you?
You are Kikimora's current warden, aren't you?
I am.
Is there something I ought to know? [She hopes it's not another murder attempt.]
Is this you asking me to take him on?
And how bad was the fight? Does either of you need a healing spell?
[The answer comes in audio, not text. Ulla has recently learned to read, but spelling is still a challenge. Her people have no written language.]
Of course. I can heal most things. My power depends on understanding, so if it's an injury or illness I've never seen before, that's more complicated and requires study first. I know how to deal with simple injuries like cuts or broken bones, as well as complex burns and lost limbs.
And I don't ask trades for healing. But if you would be more comfortable with an exchange, I accept music of any sort.
Please. I apologize for my part in that. I had my first Barge coma, and was not particularly fond of the experience. When would you prefer?
Very little. Trevor looked after him last time it was needed.
He did watch me heal Florian once, which might have earned a sliver of goodwill.
Of course. What do you need? [She sounds exhausted but willing.]
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