Maybe The Dead
Warning: Contains talk of abuse, and heavily implied sexual assault/rape
“I coulda sworn I did. Huh…. Well, he’s pretty new? Joined a few months before you did, I think. I don’t know if there’s much to say about him…”
Blueten pulled up a chair expectantly, and Meritt sighed, reluctantly forcing himself to sit up straight.
“Baya brought him in. He used to be a weapon smith, I think? She seems to think he’s got potential, but he hasn’t really gotten good at anything since he got here. Can’t steal, can’t stealth, too weak to fight. Lotta folks don’t understand why he’s here to be honest. And he never um, went through any rite of passage to be here either. Baya won’t let anyone touch him.”
“If he’s bad at stealth, how come I haven’t noticed him before?” The little minion skittered mindlessly over her shoulders as she/it spoke.
She meant that quite earnestly – she had, after all, just spent at least a month meticulously cataloguing each member of the guild. 17 members. She’d counted them, known every name, and had made a pretty good read of most of them. How did she miss there being an 18th member? How did Tora Zollun manage to slip by her?
“Uh, hm.” Meritt paused. “I don’t know how you didn’t? I mean, everyone knows Tora. A lotta people really don’t like him so he’s a bit of a hot topic. How do you not notice someone who’s Baya’s pet?”
Peculiar.
“…How often is he around?”
“Oh you know, all the time! He- wait…” Meritt paused again, brow furrowed. “Huh. I actually haven’t seen him around that much lately. I think last night was the first I’d seen him in awhile…”
More peculiar yet.
“How often does he bump into people like he did last night?”
Meritt laughed. “Is that what’s bothering you? He’s not doing it on purpose, I don’t think. He’s usually just uh, late to the spoils counting.”
“Does he always push by the same people?”
“I- these are awfully specific questions, Mute.”
“Does he usually push past you?”
“Y-yeah? Maybe? I mean, not as hard as he did last night, but yeah, pretty often I guess? But like, that’s just a coincidence, what are you getting at?”
“Yes, what are ya gettin’ at?” A cool voice dripped lazily into her right ear and Blueten felt its chill seep down her spine. She swung back in her chair in alarm.
“B-Baya!” Meritt jumped up from the table in shock.
Baya laughed, standing just behind Blueten with her usual composed smile.
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