i want your full attention, starling

Once again, the mention of loa piqued his interest. That interest came at what seemed like such an inappropriate time, and left Mordecai with mixed emotions in its wake. He did not know what it would have taken to cleanse the Spine from these malicious entities, or whether or not it would have done them any good. Instead he pondered down another route altogether, recalling their last talk about the loa with what felt like muddied clarity. His expression screwed up a bit, but ultimately settled on the same thoughtful curiousness from before.

“Do you think it's because we left the mountain? Could the loa of the mountain be angry that we left them for here?” He grasped for explanations where there were probably none. It was his own way of working through it, to understand, and perhaps to keep the terror of an unpleasant plight at bay. He did not want to fear what would become of them if others grew ill, and certainly found he was trying his damndest to keep from thinking about it. Perhaps it was something that Jinx had done to bring this upon herself, though he did not wish to consider it.