Main Page |
* Jewel takes advantage of Angel's going out to attend some business to tag along with him as far as Dawn's, hoping to get in a long-overdue visit with Bie and perhaps see the new place under construction. Bie is not there and Dawn is busy with details, but Jewel elects to wait rather than remain at home alone. * Jewel tours around the empty barn-like structure for a little while, and finally starts looking for a quiet corner to sit, hopefully clear of the sawdust. * Calis is in the corner farthest from the main street. For once, he does not have a book in his hand, but appears to have recently finished a knife-practice workout. His pale face is flushed and sweaty, and the man-shaped outline on the wall is riddled with shallow marks. * Jewel wanders over to observe, staying far enough back not to disturb, if he's still practicing. * Calis looks over at the sound of footsteps, and offers Jewel a quick, almost nervous smile. "Hello, Miss Jewel." <Jewel> ::smiling back, a little apprehensive herself:: Hello... Calis, isn't it? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you. <Calis> ::shakes his head:: I'm done. Ten good touches, he said, to each target. * Jewel transfers her attention to the target for a moment. <Calis> ::The target is an outline of a man, slightly larger than Dawn. The pockmarks indicating a "touch" are clustered around the head, stomach, hands, and groin. There are far more than ten at each spot, some badly placed, some evidently failing the qualifier of "good" for other, less discernible reasons.:: <Jewel> ::her smile a little more genuine:: I think you're a lot better than I was at that, at your age. Have you done this before? <Calis> Before Dawn took me in, you mean? Nope. But Dawn said, after all the... the stuff that happened, he wants me trained up on defense. ::he turns the weighted practice knife over in his hands, and sighs:: I sorta hoped he meant *magic*, but... <Jewel> ::her smile turns a little bittersweet:: Papa hired someone to teach me how to defend myself with a knife when I turned 10. He said he hoped I'd never need it, but he wanted me to know how to take care of myself, just in case there wasn't someone else near to do it for me. <Jewel> ::looks rueful as she eyes Calis's target again:: I was never so... hardworking at it, though. <Calis> ::cocks his head:: Dawn said you grew up a sheep. <Jewel> ::giggles and "baa's" softly:: Yes, I did. I've only been here for... ::thinks a moment:: three years? Yes, that's about right. I did it to be with my husband. ::she looks back at him:: I joined the Guild under similar circumstances to you, actually. Guildwar, I mean. That's what it took to give *me* the discipline to learn knife *properly.* <Calis> ::considers, his boyish face surprisingly thoughtful:: I didn't join during a guildwar. That started just *after* I joined. <Jewel> ::smiles a little:: Well, technically... me, too. By about... a half-hour. <Calis> Mm. Dawn says you're a- a psionic. <Jewel> ::smiling wider:: "Mindbender" doesn't offend me as much as it used to. But yes, I am. I went to the same school your cousin's going to now. <Calis> Did you like it? <Jewel> The school? Hm. I liked the companionship. I liked having friends who were like me, that I didn't have to be... ::stops, and thinks:: ...that I didn't have to act carefully around. I'm afraid I wasn't a very good student, though, until I had to be. <Calis> Oh. ::he picks at a small scab on his arm:: 'Dria doesn't like school at all, I don't think. She says 'most no one really likes her. Except they're not as mean now, she said, 'cause of what happened with the Dragon captain. <Jewel> ::shrugs a little helplessly:: Everyone's different. I was pretty popular... ::blushes a bit:: A little *too* popular, in hindsight. Your cousin... I don't think she's got a lot of experience with people being nice to her. But even so, she was *really* brave and generous when it counted. <Calis> ::nods vigorous agreement:: 'Dria's *wonderful*. But they're scared of her, she says. <Jewel> Being *able* to see into someone's head doesn't make it all that easier to know them, unfortunately. <Calis> I guess. That's what she said, too. That she had to earn their trust. ::he makes a face:: It's stupid. ::he cocks his head at Jewel again:: What do you do? <Jewel> ::considers:: Yes, they probably are. She's got a... very two-edged gift, that can't be easy to live with. <Jewel> ::smiles a little:: Do? For a living, you mean? Or... ::taps her temple:: <Calis> ::grins and taps his temple:: Dawn already told me about your shop. <Jewel> ::grins:: Oh, he did, did he? Well-- you have a cousin in the business, so to speak. Do you want the big words, or the easy explanation? <Calis> Try me on the big ones, and I'll ask if I don't know 'em. <Jewel> ::smiles and nods:: My primary skills are in clairsentience and telepathy. With a specialty in postcognition. <Calis> ::frowns, concentrating:: I know what telepathy is. Postcog- Knowing... after? ::blinks at her:: Doesn't *everyone* know *afterwards*? <Jewel> Well... in a sense, yes. But I know afterwards even if I wasn't there. Even if *no one* was there. I can read the past off of places and things... ::biting her lip a little:: In fact, I *used* to do it whether I wanted to or not. <Jewel> The school was very, very good for me, that way. <Calis> ::stands very still for a moment, processing that, then nods:: That doesn't sound like much fun, either. <Jewel> Ha! No, not at times. Although if they were really *good* memories, it can be. Unfortunately, the other kind tend to be a lot stronger, and last longer. But it's... ::shrugs a shoulder:: It's what I do. It's part of me. It's been useful, sometimes, and gotten me in a lot of trouble, others. As far as psionics go, I'm pretty inoffensive. No where near your cousin's class, either, I'd guess. <Calis> ::thinks:: She says she isn't very strong. That she has to be able to see someone to feel 'em. <Jewel> ::snorts:: There's strong, and there's *strong*. She's still learning, but she's *very* strong in some areas. ::shrugs again, repeating herself:: Everyone's different. <Calis> ::nods:: Miss Jewel? Were you really upset, when 'Dria and Dawn were, um. ::he blushes:: Together? <Jewel> ::blinks in surprise:: You knew about-- of course you did, you were sharing a room. Sorry, stupid of me. ::shakes her head:: No, not particularly. Surprised the *socks* off me, yes. I was a little worried... for the both of them, really. But not *upset.* <Calis> Why were you worried? <Jewel> ::sighs and eyes Calis sidelong:: I *do* hope Dawn's taught you the importance of accepting evasive answers, or you're going to get yourself into a lot of trouble around here. <Jewel> ::smiles:: But, to answer your question... I was worried because your cousin's young, and doesn't have a lot of experience with-- with that sort of thing. And Dawn... was very, very depressed at the time, and probably more than a bit reckless. <Calis> She said you told her he had *problems.* I think she thought you wanted her not to be with him again. <Jewel> ::blinks:: She *told* you about that? I was... ::sighs:: She'd surprised me, very much. Whether she was going to be with him again or not, well, that was their business. But there's a very big difference between the way people act around here, and the way boys at school act. I didn't want either of them to get hurt. <Calis> ::fidgets a little:: Well... She told *Dawn* about it. But I was sitting right there. <Jewel> There's... ::thinks:: When two people get... intimate with each other, the emotions can be very, very strong, and hard to handle, especially if you're not used to it. It leaves you very... open, to the other person. Which can be very, very nice, but scary, too. <Jewel> She told-- ! ::sighs and hangs her head:: Gods above and below, he's going to pin back my ears.... <Calis> ::soberly:: He didn't seem very happy about it... ::grins:: But then she made him talk about something else, so maybe he forgot. Auntie used to forget about a beatin', if you distracted her quick. <Jewel> ::frowning a little:: How long-- no. No, no, not going to ask *any* more. ::sighs:: I'm just going to... I don't know, stuff my ears with cotton, or something. Pretend I've gone dumb, perhaps. <Calis> ::cheerfully:: It was yesterday. At lunch. ::he grins:: I got a new book. <Jewel> Oh gods... which means she's been brooding over it all this time... ::grabs a support beam in both hands and starts knocking her forehead gently against it:: <Calis> Oh! Don't hurt yourself, Miss Jewel! <Jewel> ::stops and raps her knuckles on her skull:: Little fear of that, Calis. Nothing in here to injure, obviously. Gods! I don't even *remember* exactly what I said. I shudder to think what she *thinks* I said. <Calis> Um... ::thinks:: She said you said he had problems with mindbenders. And with women. He didn't seem to mind, too much, about the psionics one, but he kind of got huffy about the other. <Jewel> ::groans, putting her face in her hands:: I'll bet he did. I didn't mean-- urgh. <Calis> But then she got him to tell about the psionics, and he said, um... Maybe I shouldn't tell that part. But he said she was- was helping him. <Jewel> ::sighs:: Well, yes, that's sort of what I'd guessed, when they kept seeing each other. ::eyes Calis with a faint smile:: Do you really think either of them expect you to be telling *any* of this? <Calis> ::widens his eyes at her:: They didn't say not to. <Jewel> ::laughs:: No, they didn't, did they? ::bends a little and puts a hand on Calis's shoulder, giving him a wink:: If Dawn gets mad at you about this, you tell him it's an object lesson concerning master-apprentice relationships. <Calis> ::grins at her:: Okay. ::pauses:: Um... Are you going to tell him I told you? I just... didn't want you to be upset at him, or at 'Dria. <Jewel> ::leans back, looking at him consideringly:: Would you prefer I not? <Calis> Well.... ::considers:: He might get mad, anyway. And I haven't finished the book, yet. <Jewel> Yes, well... ::widening her eyes a little:: You didn't *say* not to... <Jewel> ::relenting:: No, Calis, I won't. But hopefully we've *all* had our little lesson now in assuming confidences. <Calis> ::sniffs:: You sound like Miss Karel, now. <Jewel> ::raises an eyebrow:: Miss Karel? <Calis> One of the teachers at the orphanage. <Jewel> ::smiling a bit:: One who's prissy and you don't like a lot? <Calis> ::cautiously:: Maybe. <Jewel> ::laughs:: Right. ::looking at him, the smile slipping away from her lips as she plops into a sitting position on the ground, looking up at him:: Calis... I know you're a smart person, but... this is something too important for me to assume. You *do* know about not repeating things you hear or learn around here to other people? Or even, to Guild people you don't know? ::scratches her nose and smiles wryly:: I'd say, "like me," but I suspect Dawn's filled your ears about me already. <Calis> ::nods:: I can keep a secret, if I want to. <Jewel> ::looking at him seriously:: And... *do* you want to? Do you think you'll be content, in the Guild? <Calis> ::shrugs:: It's better than having to hide in 'Dria's closet when the dorm monitor comes 'round. Dawn says I won't have to do anything I *really* don't want to do. And he lets me read his books. ::his face lights up:: And magic. <Jewel> ::smiles, a little relieved:: Alright. What do you like to read, anyway? I have some books I might loan you, if you wanted. <Calis> ::his eyes widen worshipfully:: Yes? <Jewel> ::laughs:: Pity I just donated all my romances or I'd start corrupting you young, and get Dawn *good* and mad at me. <Calis> ::laughs:: I've read romances already. I used to read aloud to 'Dria, some, while she was knitting. They're not my favorites, but *anything* new is good. <Jewel> I can loan you my old psionics textbooks too, if you have an interest. I don't know how interesting it'll *be* to a non-psionic, but you're welcome to read them. ::smiles:: You'll read anything and everything, hunh? You remind me a little of the school's reading teacher. <Calis> Yeah? ::he smiles:: I like... useful stuff, mostly. But the magic books are *hard*- ::said with a slightly surprised air, as if he's never encountered anything difficult before:: -and sometimes I just like something fun. <Jewel> ::laughs:: "Hard" is good for you. Those brain muscles won't get better if they don't get any exercise. <Calis> ::grins and nods:: I *like* it. I just can't do it all day. <Jewel> Well, I can understand that. If I tried to do psionics all day, I'd probably wind up mindblind for a week. *After* eating a herd of cattle. <Calis> ::laughs, and starts to say something else, then looks up as Dawn calls from across the warehouse:: Oh. I gotta go help. It was nice to meet you, Miss Jewel! ::he waves and heads in Dawn's direction at a jog:: <Jewel> ::sighs, and smiles:: You too, Calis. ::twiddles her fingers at him in return, and then dropping her hand into her lap:: Well. *That* was... informative. Damn. |
|
|