The Inspection

[acciomod]

On the whole, the weather had been temperamental lately. One minute, it was absolutely bucketing it down, and the next, it was bright sunshine. The amount of rain had turned the ground into a muddy mess, but at least the tents provided perfectly adequate shelter, and a gazebo had been erected over the community dining table to protect everyone from the elements.

Despite the temperamental weather, however, it had been fairly warm throughout the past two weeks, so the chill in the air during dinner that evening was particularly noticeable, even before the dark, hooded figure by the Ministry's representative's desk had been seen.

Nervously, the Ministry representative approached the table.

"I'm afraid we have a visitor," he said, addressing everyone at the table and hoping that anyone not there could hear him. "This is a Dementor, one of the Guards at Azkaban. It's a high security prison. He's just here to, well, ensure that a certain escaped criminal isn't hiding amongst you.

"I don't expect he'll be here for more than an half an hour, so do try not to worry too much. They can make people rather, well... uncomfortable."

Bowing his head slightly, he left the Outsiders to their meal.

[And so, a Dementor is lurking around the camp, just in case one of the Outsiders is secretly Sirius Black. They're known to sap the happiness out of the environment, and - in cases where there are true horrors in someone's past - cause traumatic memories to resurface.

The chilly, depressed feeling can be lifted by the deliciousness of chocolate, though the Outsiders will need to discover this on their own. Good thing there's dessert.]

Comments

[espio]

Yeah, right. I never needed one before!

[corruptedsouls]

People don't help people for no reason.

[espio]

I do! And I know plenty of others who do the same!

So don't just lump me in with people.

[corruptedsouls]

...

[He just pulls his legs up, burying his face in his knees and saying nothing more.]

[espio]

Head up, kid. Let me make this clear:

I have no intention of ever just being a bystander. Got it?

But if you want to hide and be afraid of me, I don't care. I'm used to people rejecting my help, but you know what? I protect them anyway. Everyone. You too.

Because I'll never forgive myself if I just allow people to suffer when there's no need for it.

[corruptedsouls]

....I'm not people.

[espio]

You're alive and breathing, aren't you?

That's good enough!

[corruptedsouls]

I'm a monster.

[espio]

Says who?

[corruptedsouls]

Everyone. You saw it.

[espio]

...the thing with the hand?

[Yes. It did take a moment to realise what he was on about.]

Eh. I've seen weirder.

[corruptedsouls]

...What?

[espio]

Oh, you know. Girls with boxes that unleash people's worst nightmares, armies of robots using dimensional anomalies to take over a whole planet, ghosts, demonic yellow hedgehogs that blow things up for the fun of it, people possessed by trees, people made of water to such a literal extent they need a skin built for them...

That kind of thing.

[corruptedsouls]

...

[He... has nothing to say to that. He's just staring dumbfounded at Espio.]

[espio]

So, some screwed up hand is nothing.

[Yup. Nod.]

[corruptedsouls]

....

[He turns away at that, just... laying back down... on the grass for some reason. Is... he trying to sleep out on the random ground?]

Then go away.

[espio]

[PARKS HIMSELF ON THE GROUND NEXT TO HIM.]

No.

[corruptedsouls]

[He shrinks away as Espio does, but doesn't bother trying to run away again. He's... a bit too tired from screaming and thrashing.]

[espio]

I'm staying here until that thing goes and the atmosphere lightens up.

I might not be the best company, but it's better than being alone when you're scared.

[corruptedsouls]

....

[Yep, that's all you get. Hope you like silence!]