Conversation Space II.

[powersthatbe]

As Thorne shared with the network, Travelers who vanish find themselves alone in a small room. But it doesn’t look quite as described last time. Paper lanterns hang in the corners, and a lemniscate of live, spicily scented blue roses traces a figure eight on the floor. A little marble plinth sits beside the looping roses, with a champagne flute balanced on it, pink, fizzy liquid quietly effervescing within. In place of the throne that was there before, each half of the loop holds a brown leather sphere - a yoga meditation-ball chair. They’re a little tricky to balance on.


The walls, floors, and ceiling are tiled, a prismatic fade from one color to another, each tile unique, just slightly different in hue than those around it, each colored line giving a sense that it belongs to a bigger pattern, but never revealing enough to allow anyone certainty about what that pattern might be. It is only a glimpse of a larger world… in this small, quiet space.

Comments

[hiding_honor_in_darkness]

He just stares at her blankly while she goes through her little song and dance, clearly unamused by the proceedings. "We attended very different schools"

[cupidand]

"Yeah," she says. "I think we did. I wouldn't mind going back, though, if I can swing it. Give you a proper Japanese high school education." She grins at him, then sobers slightly.

"But no," she says. "Synodiporia's really what it's all about. We're playing for the World."

[hiding_honor_in_darkness]

Given what he just saw, he has no interest in learning whatever 'japanese' is.

That second comment though, gets more of his attention. "Which world?"

[cupidand]

"The World," she says. "It's everything."

[hiding_honor_in_darkness]

"What happens if you win?"

[cupidand]

"You get a more loving universe," she answers, immediately. Then, a half-second later, "And I'll make sure you and Elphie and Drizzt stay together. I can do that."

[hiding_honor_in_darkness]

He is quiet for a long moment, partially hating himself for humoring this. "What do you need me to do?"

[cupidand]

"Love," she says simply. "Drizzt, Elphie, whoever. Form relationships. Create bonds. Do those things that are part of me."

[hiding_honor_in_darkness]

He's quiet for a moment, trying to calm down so he can comprehend all this. "Why would you pick me? Love is not even a word that exist for my people."

[cupidand]

"Just because the word doesn't exist doesn't mean the feeling doesn't exist," she tells him. "It's a rare enough mortal that doesn't have the capacity to love--you aren't one of them, Zak. What you feel for your son is proof of it. Sure, it's the love of a father and not a lover--strong enough that Hakan would have grabbed you if I hadn't beaten him to the punch--but it's still love. Are we each other's best match? No. But if you'd been entirely unsuited for me, I wouldn't have picked you, wedding or no wedding. I mean, I won't lie, it was the wedding that drew my attention to you and Elphie. There's nothing that draws me like a wedding. But I could have just marked her and gone home afterwards. I didn't. Why did I pick you, Zak?

"One word. Potential."

[hiding_honor_in_darkness]

Perhaps in his youth he'd have been a far better fit, but he's broken now and he knows it. Learning to love is not the worst thing he'd ever been commanded to do. In fact it's the exact opposite of how he'd been raised to think and act and that alone gives it worth as far as he's concerned, but that doesn't make him feel any more comfortable with their situation.

Still, if he can thank her for anything, it's the chance to be with his son again. His love for the boy is not something she's wrong about.

"Love is what gives you power?"

[cupidand]

"Love is what I am, Zak," she says. "So yeah, I guess you could say it gives me power."