countermeasures | chroma | catchall for vin

Yes.

[she sighs]

It was part of Princess Baoyang's plot. It's actually... what led to the first memory you saw. They were able to frame me for the Dowager Empress's death because I was working in the palace.

Ah... That makes more sense, I suppose. Still - I'm glad they gave you food after you confronted them.

Me, too. I had my maids save some food for me, but it wasn't that much or else it would have been noticed... I was hungry!

[nodding...]

Especially after working that hard, I imagine. [she glances at the bubble, though.] Might I?

[yeah, they're not free of the bubble yet... she nods, too.]

Please, go ahead.

Alright.

[smacking some amber into the bubble, and a memory begins.]

[You’re riding in a carriage in this memory, the window shades closed against the mist and the ever present scent of smoke and ash. Your legs are tucked underneath you as you sit, and your cloak envelops most of your form, hiding it away. You prefer to make yourself as small as possible. There’s a blonde man who looks to be in his late thirties, Kelsier, sitting across from you with a much more relaxed posture. After you notice him looking at you, you start to ask him something that you’ve been thinking about since an earlier meeting between the two of you and his brother.

“Your brother. You two don’t get along very well.”

He raises an eyebrow. “No. We never really have. It’s a shame. We should, but we just… don’t.”

“He’s older than you?” When Kelsier nods, you continue. “Did he beat you often?”

He frowns. “Beat me? No, he didn’t beat me at all.”

“You stopped him then? Maybe that’s why he doesn’t like you. How did you escape? Did you run, or were you stronger than him?”

“Vin, Marsh never tried to beat me. We argued, true - but we never really wanted to hurt one another.”

You don’t say anything, but you don’t believe him, either. You decide to change the subject instead.

“Why did you teach me those things? About Allomancy, I mean.”

He frowns again. “I promised you that I would.”

You don’t quite understand, puzzled as you continue. “Now that I know your secrets, what is to keep me from running away from you?”

“Nothing.”

Once again, you don’t believe him, glaring as you continue. “There are metals you didn’t tell me about. Back in our meeting on the first day, you said there were ten.”

He leans forward slightly. “There are. But I didn’t leave the last two out because I wanted to keep things from you. They’re just… difficult to get used to. It will be easier if you practice with the basic metals first. However, if you want to know about the final two, I can teach you once we arrive in Fellisse.”

Your eyes narrow, and he rolls his eyes. “I’m not trying to trick you, Vin. People serve on my crews because they want to, and I’m effective because they can rely on each other. No distrust, no betrayals.”

“Except one,” You whisper. “The betrayal that sent you to the Pits.”

He freezes, looking visibly startled by this. “Who told you that?”

You shrug.

Rubbing at his forehead, he continues. “That isn’t worth talking about.”

“But there was a traitor,” You say.

“We don’t know for certain. Regardless, my crews rely on trust. That means no coercion. If you want out, we can go back to Luthadel right now. I’ll show you the last two metals, then you can be on your way.”

“I don’t have enough money to survive on my own,” You counter.

He holds out a pouch to you, filled with coins.

“Three thousand boxings. The money I took from Camon.” You glance at the bag, still distrustful, as he speaks. “Take it. You’re the one who earned it - from what I’ve been able to gather, your Allomancy was behind most of Camon’s recent successes, and you were the one who risked Pushing the emotions of an obligator.”

You don’t move to take it, and Kelsier moves to knock on the underside of the coachman’s chair to get his attention.

“Turn the carriage around, please, Sazed. Take us back to Luthadel.”

The coachman agrees, and the carriage turns around, heading the way you came. You’re unsure what to do here, and you realize that part of you wants to stay with him regardless of the money. Foolish, you tell yourself, but Kelsier interrupts your train of thought when he speaks again.

“I’m serious, Vin. I can’t have someone on my team who doesn’t want to work with me. Turning you away isn’t a punishment; it’s just the way things must be.”

After a few moments of silent deliberation, you speak again. “I think your plan is crazy.”

“So do half the people on the crew.”

“You can’t defeat the Final Empire.”

“We don’t have to. We only have to get Yeden an army, then seize the palace.”

“The Lord Ruler will stop you. You can’t beat him - he’s immortal.”

“We have the Eleventh Metal. We’ll find a way to kill him.”

“The Ministry is too powerful. They’ll find your army and destroy it.”

This back and forth exchange shifts when he leans forward, looking you in the eye. “You trusted me enough to jump off the top of the wall, and I caught you. You’re going to have to trust me this time too.”

You look at him for a long few minutes, an uncomfortable silence, deliberating. You think this is insane, and that you and everyone else on this crew are probably going to get themselves killed. But… He seems so sure, so certain. Wouldn’t it be nice to see if something that wonderful might be possible? Not only the plan he’s describing, but a crew that works together because they trust each other?

After you deliberate silently for another few moments, looking between him and the pouch, you abruptly reach out to take the bag of coins, shoving them beneath your cloak. “I’ll stay. But not because I trust you.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Why, then?”

You shrug, but then, sincerely: “Because I want to see what happens.”

The memory ends.]

[not for the first time after seeing one of these memories, jiuqing sort of wants to punch vin's brother.

but that's not the most important thing here - just the part that stands out to her. the man is one she recognizes from another memory, and vin had seemed to trust him in that one. or at least - to be concerned for his welfare.

that must have been after this, she thinks...? unless...]

...what did end up happening?

[she pauses for a moment, thinking of what to say.]

Much has happened since then... That was nearly a year ago, when I first joined with him.

...

[she nods. so - vin probably did end up coming to trust him, she thinks. why would she have stayed with him for so long out of simple curiosity?]

I see... I thought it must have been an older memory.

[after a moment, she nods.]

I would not mind telling you what's happened since then, but - it is a longer story, and not especially happy.

If you wouldn't mind telling it, I would be glad to hear it.

[she wants to understand vin better!!]

But only if you are comfortable with the retelling. Whether you tell or not, you're still a friend to me.

...Thank you.

[that's sincere, but she decides where to start.]

We had... many plans. We were going to start a war between the noble houses, build an army of the common people, take over the capital city, and kill the ruler. But - much has gone awry.

I suppose overthrowing a ruler is... extremely complicated.

[she should probably be more bothered by this than she is, but like. what has her own imperial family ever done for her? if vin's is anything like the royals she's met, she can understand why.]

...are you going to be alright, once you go back?

Yes. And... other people are unpredictable, unfortunately.

[she pauses, surprised by the question, and then hesitantly:]

That remains to be seen.

...Vin.

[she looks. so worried!! hello!!]

[after a moment:]

I'm not trying to worry you, but I don't think you'd appreciate it if I lied, either. We can speak about something else if you would prefer.

I'd rather talk about the dangers you may be facing.

Perhaps if we discuss it, we can come up with some sort of a plan.

[she would like to make sure vin survives???]

[she nods, after a moment.]

The memory where I was... injured. We went there in the first place to find something we thought might help us - but we had to pull back when the Inquisitors found us. We had hoped for a while we wouldn't need it, but...

[she sighs.]

I was headed back there right before I was brought here.

[...but they had needed it, after all. why else would they have gone after it? vin doesn't take useless actions, and she's fairly sure the man in her memories doesn't, either.]

Will there be Inquisitors again, when you return?

[...]

It is possible it will be more well guarded. The rebellion has been discovered, since then.

Perhaps there's something you could do to draw the guards away...? Stage some sort of distraction somewhere else, and slip in and out while they're busy dealing with that?

[she pauses for a moment.]

Well - encountering them last time was unexpected. They were already supposed to be in a different part of the palace. The problem with that is... they are drawn to a power I use. They can sense when it is activated, and it will likely need to be activated while I'm there.

[hmm. that makes it more complicated.]

...and it's only you that uses that power?

[she nods.]

chroma | catchall for vin

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