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[Player's note: This grew out of a player chat session. It all started when Karen admitted that Lisl could be a little stubborn, and Kevil felt the urge to comment from his bunk in the back of Liz's brain - but was stifled by Liz. The remainder of the transcript has been slightly edited to make sense, because it turned out to be the sort of conversation Zoya and Lisl might have anyway. Though for the record, they probably *wouldn't* have had it with Kevil really present.] <Lisl> ::raises an inquiring eyebrow at Kevil:: You had aught you wished to say, Master Kevil? <Kevil> ::glares, then mutters under his breath:: Nope. Not saying a thing. <Lisl> ::grins:: Didn't think so. <Zoya> ::grins at Kevil:: Wow, you're really getting better at that. Another decade, and you might even be believable. ::She grins at Lisl:: <Lisl> ::looks suspiciously at Kevil:: Better at what? <Zoya> ::grins:: He's getting better at shutting up when he ought to. <Kevil> ::glares at Zoya for a moment before he sighs:: Why can't I stay mad at you? <Lisl> Ah. ::eyes Kevil, and looks at Zoya:: You mean he was *worse*? <Zoya> ::ruffles his hair:: Because you can't *really* stay mad at anyone. <Zoya> ::grins at Lisl:: Oh, yes. Me, too, if I'm going to be honest about it. I think we spent most of a week having an argument once. <Kevil> ::snorts:: TWO weeks. <Lisl> ::with a voice dry enough to turn mud to dust:: A lover, not a fighter. <Zoya> :: grins archly at Lisl:: I didn't say there was anything wrong with him in *bed*. <Lisl> ::holds up her hands in a quick warding motion:: I *don't* want to hear about it. * Zoya and Kevil both laugh quickly <Lisl> ::sighs and crosses her arms, looking disgruntled:: <Zoya> ::grins:: What's wrong? <Lisl> ::shakes her head:: Never you mind. <Zoya> ::raises her eyebrows at Lisl, then sends a protesting Kevil to the far side of the courtyard:: What? <Lisl> He's just-- He's so-- ::makes a frustrated sound, and a wide expansive gesture with her arm:: Argh. <Zoya> ::chuckles softly:: Indeed, he is. <Lisl> How could you STAND-- ::holds up her hands again:: No, wait-- I shouldn't ask if I don't want to know, right? <Zoya> ::smiles and puts one hand on Lisl's shoulder:: Because until I met you, I'd never met anyone else so loyal and good-hearted. <Lisl> ::goggles:: Loyal? ::pointing uselessly in the direction Kevil left:: Him? But he-- I wouldn't think he could ever commit to one person in his LIFE! <Zoya> ::glances over her shoulder at Kevil, who is practicing riffs on his lute rather loudly, trying not to overhear.:: He doesn't commit easily, no. But Lisl... Do you have the slightest idea how far he came to find me? Don't make the mistake of thinking that was lust, Lisl; he could get plenty of *that* back home. <Lisl> ::perching on the edge of a table, pulling up her knees to wrap her arms around them:: Hunh... maybe he was bored with the local girls. El came three weeks across the desert just to hang with her old friends for a few weeks. And how *did* he find you? He doesn't have a ship of his own, does he? <Zoya> ::shakes her head, frustrated:: No. And he won't tell me. I get the feeling it was... He was very desperate. He was terrified. You didn't see the look on his face when he first saw me again. <Lisl> ::frowning, glancing at Kevil:: Terrified? Why? <Zoya> ::looks at her oddly:: You don't know why he came? I didn't tell you this? <Lisl> ::shakes her head:: You were a little busy at the time, with Marten and all... ::frowns:: I thought an old lover had just turned up and invited you to his bed. I can tell you that Marten was bloody furious. <Zoya> ::looks a little uncomfortable:: When he and Darin and I were together, we formed a... a kind of bond. It happens occasionally on my world. I don't know why, but the result is that we could share each other's... life energies, I guess you'd say. And very vague thoughts, and we could tell approximately where the others were. <Zoya> When Darin died... The rift it left behind, in our minds, was terribly painful, like... ::she shakes her head:: Like ice forming in our brains. There was no question he was dead. <Lisl> ::frowning as she tries to absorb this:: You shared power? But-- Kevil's not a mage. And I thought you'd told me Darin was a thief...? ::looking alarmed:: He's not...::dropping her voice:: he's not psionic, is he??? <Zoya> Hmm? No. Kevil can do a little magecraft, because I taught him. Bards pick up a little of everything. Darin was magically inert. And psionics are unknown on my world. But every living thing has a core of energy, from which one not only casts spells, but does *anything*. Both Kevil and Darin shone very brightly, in life-force. They were - Kevil *is* - very good at what they do. <Lisl> ::muttering:: You can say that again. <Zoya> And so they could.. feed me their energy, to cast spells. Or Kevil and I could feed Darin, to help him hide. Or Darin and I could feed Kevil, to help him play. Whatever we could do, we did better as a team, because of the bond. <Lisl> ::frowns:: That's... odd. Interesting, but odd. ::shakes her head:: Mother would be fascinated. <Zoya> ::sighs:: Last year... You remember the ordeal I underwent? ::she touches the four scars that still shine faintly at the base of her throat.:: <Lisl> ::smiles:: How could I forget? I nearly paced a hole in your rug. Now I know how expectant fathers feel. <Zoya> ::chuckles:: Well. For some reason - and if I'd known it would be an issue, I'd have actually studied the bond - but for some reason, when I underwent the ordeal, it... blocked our bond. For eight years, Kevil had been living his life in Alanis. All the time, he had been... vaguely aware of our bond in the back of his mind. And then he woke up one night, and he couldn't sense me any longer. <Lisl> ::frowning, deeply puzzled:: So you think he came here to... avenge you? <Zoya> ::shrugs:: More like rescue me. He knew I wasn't dead. There wasn't that awful, tearing pain we felt when Darin died. But he had no idea what could have *blocked* the bond without killing me. <Lisl> Something strong enough to block this bond... to stop *you*... and he thought he could take it? <Lisl> ::glances at Kevil again:: That sounds more foolish than brave to me. He came alone. <Zoya> ::sighs:: I don't know if he thought he *could*. I think, for him, it was more that he couldn't not *try*. I don't know what he would have done if he'd found me in trouble. I don't think he would've rushed blindly in - not altogether. He had enough presence of mind to find Darin and I to help him rescue his sister, after all, and he was only barely 16 then. <Lisl> ::Looks in Kevil's direction again, thoughtfully:: Hm. <Zoya> ::glances back at Kevil:: Though he might well have been able to do *that* one alone. He's been known to bezerk. <Lisl> ::looks Zoya in the eye after a long moment of studying Kevil bent over his instrument:: Sounds like something _I'd_ do. <Lisl> ::grins a little:: Well... so've I. <Zoya> ::smiles slightly:: I told you: Not until I knew you have I ever met someone as loyal and as good at heart. Even if he is occasionally frustrating. <Lisl> ::snorts loudly:: OCCASIONALLY? *Felice* is less irritating than he is! * Kevil looks up from his playing, then hastily back down again. <Zoya> ::laughs outright:: I didn't say you were twins. Just that you share certain traits. <Lisl> Heh. Heaven forfend. ::she sounds more amused than horrified:: <Zoya> ::grins:: Indeed. <Lisl> ::shakes her head:: I still don't know how you stood him that long. And enough with the bed thing already. <Zoya> ::shrugs:: Darin helped, while he lived. He had a talent for... wearing the rough edges away. And then for a while after Darin was gone, grief bound us together. ::she grins:: And the "bed thing", as you so disdainfully put it, was eminently enjoyable. But *not* the heart of our relationship. <Lisl> ::snorts:: At least, not for you, apparently. <Zoya> ::she shakes her head:: Not for him, either. It's just... ::she sighs:: It would take me a lifetime to explain Alanis to you. Just trust me that it's not quite as casual as he makes it seem. <Lisl> ::shakes head:: I suppose... what bothers me the most is how much the man *talks.* He does have a silver tongue, I'll grant him that, but... ::shakes her head again:: It's enough to make anyone with a secret to keep a little nervous. <Zoya> ::raises her eyebrow and glances over her shoulder at Kevil again before looking back at Lisl:: He does talk a lot. It's what Bards do. And nothing I could say is going to convince you that he knows how to keep a secret behind his teeth, and I'm not going to try. I *will* tell you that - unless he picked the habit up in the last eight years - he doesn't talk in his sleep. ::she grins:: <Lisl> ::makes a face at Zoya:: I did *NOT* need to know that. <Lisl> ::shakes her head:: It's-- he was just so eager to make a hero out of me before... I *really* don't want to know what he'd do, if he knew. <Lisl> ::sighing:: I can't imagine what *you* told him, to get that idea in his head. <Zoya> ::laughs, then sobers:: I don't think he'd betray your secret. Even in an anonymous song. Not without your permission, though I know he'd love to write about some of your exploits. But I'm not asking you to tell him. I will continue to let him believe you are some sort of ranger. <Lisl> ::looking mildly affronted:: I *am* "some sort of ranger"! Mother trained me since I could toddle! What, you'd like me to show you the secret handshake and convince you? <Zoya> But I *do* care for him. With all his faults and exasperating ways. He is ... My heart's brother. I don't think I'm asking too much if I ask you to just... give him a chance. Or if you really can't stand him, stay out of his way and I'll tell him to stay out of yours. But try - for my sake, if nothing else - not to kill him. ::Zoya grins somewhat wryly at Lisl:: <Lisl> And exploits... ::snorts:: There's more than enough of that sort of thing out there without *my* adding to it. <Zoya> That's what Bards *do*, Lisl. You don't want him to write about you, then don't give him your permission. <Lisl> ::sighs:: I'm trying, at least. I've been by to spar with him, a couple times... ::she grins:: He needs the practice. And it's something of an education for me, to fight hand-to-*hand*. ::slightly stressing the last word:: <Zoya> ::grins, catching Lisl's meaning:: Well, it's good for you, then. And I'm glad you're giving him a workout. For a Bard, he's always been very concerned about keeping in fighting trim. ::she sighs:: Probably my fault. <Lisl> ::raising an eyebrow:: You like them with a bit of muscle? <Zoya> ::laughs:: No, but I was weaker, when I was in space. Less practiced. It was all I could do to hold that psionic shield in place. *He* had to do all the fighting. <Lisl> Ah. Well, he's not a bad fighter-- very tricky. But he is a little out of shape, and he relies too much on his own speed, I think. ::shakes her head:: Not that I don't, too... but it's dangerous when a canny opponent could hamstring you. <Zoya> ::she nods:: He was in better shape when he was younger. ::grin:: <Lisl> ::sticks her tongue out at Zoya:: So was *I*, if you want to put it like that. <Zoya> ::chuckles:: Well, we were fighting mostly illithid. They're not usually long on brawn. <Lisl> ::snorts:: No. <Lisl> ::glances at Kevil again:: So is he sitting over there plunking away to keep from saying something he shouldn't? ::grinning:: <Zoya> ::looks at Kevil and grins:: By now, he's so deeply absorbed in his music he *can't* hear us. Like Glossaria with a book. <Lisl> :chuckles:: Kevil, your mother was a she-camel. * Kevil continues to play:: <Lisl> Kevil, Meghan told me she wants to bear your child. * Kevil continues to play:: <Zoya> ::grins:: That was mean. I told you. <Lisl> ::chuckles:: He could be faking it. He IS a bard, after all. <Zoya> ::shrugs:: Have fun, then. ::She heads back up the stairs into the Tower and her room:: <Lisl> Wait, Zoya, you-- ::sighs as she retreats upstairs and looks at the focussed Kevil:: Wonderful. |
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