Edema Rue

All plants seem vaguely dangerous if he thinks about it hard enough.

He finds several.

Lucian feels his spren flow into the gemstone. Corin places it on a shelf behind him and hands him a darkly beautiful diamond that glows with stormlight. "A pleasure doing business with you," he murmurs.

"Excellent," Corin said. "And what would you like in return?" He sees no supplies, but the jungle is thick and dense, and it's easy to hide. He sees condensed water dripping down leaves, and there are plenty of fruits growing. It's impossible to tell which might be poisonous, however.

Tal gasped in shock, and suddenly he was thrown back to another time. A terrible time. A beautiful time. *** "How does it feel?" Tal murmured gently. Ace shook her head. She was curled up tightly, as if trying to hold herself together with only her hands. She looked so vulnerable, the way she had when he'd first met her. "I'm not a poet," she muttered. "Words are your thing. I don't...I...it's so cold." Tal immediately reached over, pulling a blanket on top of her and holding his arm around her. She just shook her head again. "Not on the outside," she whispered. "It's like a piece of my heart is gone." "This was a mistake," Tal said. "Look, we can find a way to undo it or something. We'll find another way to beat him." Ace shook her head. "No, no we--we can't." "Ace..." Tal whispered, tucking a a strand of hair behind her ear. "I didn't--I shouldn't have--" But that was a lie. He knew exactly what it would do and how it would feel. She was more a piece of him than his own hands. He knew what would hurt her. Why hadn't he stopped her? "Tal," she said. "Tal. I chose this." She looked at him, and she smiled, and it broke his heart. "You can actually save them." "What if I can't?" Tal asked. "What if I hurt them instead?" "I trust you," Ace said. "More than that, I know you. We'll get through this. Both of us." Tal nodded. There was a long moment of quiet. "Ace?" "Yeah?" "I think I like it." She blinked. "Like what? Me?" He grinned at her stupidly. "No, I love you. But..." his grin fell away. "I feel what it feels. I feel the hunger. And the satisfaction." She didn't pull away. She didn't look at him with disgust or mock him. "I know," was all she said. "It's awful, isn't it?" Tal nodded, letting her fall into him. He didn't tell her how badly he wanted it. He didn't tell her how good it felt to have something that made him feel alive, even if that something was terrible. He didn't tell her that when the magic flowed through him he wanted to break the whole world. He didn't tell her that when it laughed in his mind, he laughed with it. He didn't tell her how badly it hurt to stop. He didn't tell her any of it. *** Tal gasped for breath, then sank back into his mind. *** Stars, it hurt. She never said how much it hurt. It wasn't just cold. It was lonely, and it was dark, and for the first time he could remember he was really, truly alone. Was this how they lived? Every day, alone? It was as if every reason he had for living was gone. It was as if all the light in the world had been sucked away. And the guilt. Oh, stars and spirits, the guilt. He'd hurt so many people. He'd killed so many people. And he'd enjoyed it. He'd fed on it, let it sustain him, found ecstasy in their pain and terror. He'd found his greatest pleasures in their pain, then thought enough of the wretched creature that he was to mourn the deaths of people he claimed to care about. Tal wretched, then again. He started coughing. Ace...why me? WHY ME?! Why kill a hero and leave me alive to hurt all the people she would have helped? Something inside him snapped, then. Burst and broke, letting loose a flood of emotion that could never heal. And ever so slowly, Tal slumped to the floor. Motionless. He wasn't a hero. He never had been. But he was trying. And maybe, on some other plane, that was worth something, because he saw her there, wreathed in light. And she reached for him. And he wept. *** A small velvet bag slipped from Tal's coat. It clinked on the ground. Inside it were dozens of keys in every shape and size, more than should have been able to fit inside. Room keys, waiting for a new doorman.

“That’s one way of seeing it,” Corin said. “And it’s a form of payment I accept.

“Mm…” Corin shrugs. “You have other things. Power. Promises. Lies…twist them in my favor, and you’ll be amazed what I can do for you.”

“Are you sure?” Corin tilted his head. “Everyone has something to offer.” Corin blinked, then gestured around. There were cards scattered across various tables. In the corner is a dirty old man. @Ancient Elantrian

@Spark of Hope @LightRinger @Wierdo @Cash67

“What can you offer?” He sees a man with blacker than black hair standing behind the counter. “Welcome,” he says, “to The Casino. How may I help you?” “Oh, by all means,” Corin says, “listen to him.” The door swings shut as Jaksyn enters, cutting off their conversation.

“Are you paying for that information?” Corin’s expression gives nothing away.

Inside she sees a room with wooden tables and cards scattered about, as well as several dice. There’s a man with blacker than black hair standing behind the counter. “Welcome,” he says, “to The Casino. How may I help you?”

Corin held out a gemstone. “I have no need of another shardblade at the moment.” Behind him, Corin grinned. “That’s why I’m here,” he murmured. She sees Kresh storm out a door.

"Seekers? Tell me about them." Tal paled. "That wasn't me. It's getting hungry. Stars and spirits, it's already hungry."

Tal blinked, eyes widening. "That's dangerous."

It's locked.

"If you can help him, do it," Tal said. "It would probably be best for all of you if I left."

It hasn't moved. "You cannot kill here."

“Excellent.” The man grins and Sharp feels breaths being pulled out of him. Then he slips off his coat and hands it over. “I’m Corin, by the way. Pleasure doing business with you.”

“Trevor said you could help with something. I’m not sure if he meant for me or you.” Tal glanced away. Didn’t that taste good? Shut up. It did, didn’t it? Tal didn’t even bother to respond. Some of the deadness crept back into his eyes.

“You’re welcome to listen to him,” the man at the bar said sharply. “But I don’t accept merchandise that came from that…creature.”

He saw no packs. There were bright colors everywhere in the form of fruits and other plants, however it was nearly impossible to tell what was poisonous and what wasn’t. The man didn’t move.

“You’ll have to pay more for that,” the man said with a wink. “It’s a nice coat,” he deadpanned. All four doors had been entered.

Tal didn’t say anything, letting them have a moment. Something inside him ached. He shoved it away. You know what happens what people get close to you.