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February 17, 2003 |
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Worlds End Bar...
Scordis says "Everyone is coming to see
me."
Yosannah is tucking something in her
pocket as Scordis chimes up, "Oh hell. What are you doing here?"
Despil looks over to Scordis. He hmms.
Scordis says "Drinking. And being
horribly disappointed."
"I'm not even going to ask." She wanders
towad the bar an waves at the bartender. She asks Scordis, "I don't
suppose you know your way around Chaos."
Scordis says "I can find my way to most
of the interesting bits. I *was* King, you know."
Yosannah rolls her eyes at that, "Not
that again." She reaches for the cup of tea that is placed before
her, "I'm having some trouble finding an old friend of mine. I think
I went to the right place yesterday, but I'm not sure."
Scordis says "My guess is he died of
plague. What was his name?"
"You've probably never met him. I mean
What are the odds?" She takes a sip of her tea, "Merle Corey."
Scordis says "Did he smoke cigars?"
Despil looks over to Yosannah with a
smile. "I know Merle Corey."
Yosannah makes a face at Scordis but
turns at the sound of Despil's voice, "Yeah?"
Despil replies, "Yeah. Who are you, and
what do you need to know?"
Scordis says "He doesn't know who you
are. Imagine."
Yosannah seems about to reply to Despil
but turns to regard Scordis, "What are you talking about."
Scordis says "Another sign of the
catastrophic decline of Chaos. But nevermind that. Don't let me
interrupt your conversation."
Yosannah ignores Scordis, expertly. She
hops off the school and wanders toward Despil's table, tea in hand.
"I'm Yo." She holds out her free hand.
Despil stands up. He takes Yosannah's
hand and shakes it. "Despil. I'm pleased to meet you."
Yosannah nods at a chair near Despil,
"May I?"
Despil nods and pulls out the chair.
"Please. My pleasure."
"Oh. Well," She seems genuinely surprised
at the gesture, "thank you."
Scordis says "At least the Old World
Charm isn't dead."
Yosannah glances over her shoulder at
Scordis and smirks as if to say, 'yeah, so take some lessons.'
Despil is neither old nor
young looking. His blond hair is cut longish and wavy, and he has a
neatly trimmed goatee. There is an earring in his left ear. His eyes
are forest green and sparkle. He is a bit taller than average, and a
bit thinner than average. He is wearing a gauzy poet's shirt in
unbleached linen over khakis along with boaters.
Despil slides Yo's chair in after she
takes her seat and then goes back to his own, sitting down.
Scordis says "Charm definately isn't in
my portfolio."
Yosannah mumbles, "... you said it, not
me."
At the table, Despil asks, "May I order
you anything?" after he sits. He winksand says, "It's on my tab. And
do you know who the guy at the bar is?"
"Woe, questions questions. Uh. No thank
you. I still have tea. And yes, I do."
Despil orders a large pot of darjeeling.
The bartender hands it to a server who takes it to large table in the
center and sets it before him.
She nods in Scordis' direction, "You
could say we're like siblings at times though he's not related."
Despil nods and smiles. "Ah. An
interesting relationship. I know people like that, and the opposite
-- we're siblings, but not at all relatted."
Yosannah smiles, "Yeah. So, you know
Merle? Small world."
Despil nods and says, "I know him. He's
my brother. Not one of the afore-mentioned ones I'm not related to,
but it seemed like a good wisecrack."
Yosannah seems taken aback. She studies
him for a moment, "Your brother. I guess it is a small world. Jesus."
"Funny, isn't it?"
Yosannah rubs her temple, "Funny isn't
the word I would use."
"What word would you use?"
"I'm not sure." She sips at her tea,
"Forgive me if I don't see the similarities."
Despil nods and sips his tea. "You're
forgiven. I didn't say we're twins."
"No. But you'd think I'd have noticed.
So, uh... are you and he on good terms?"
Despil says "Pretty good. He's my older
brother. We don't fight. We aren't best buds, either. But we do care
for each other and watch each other's back."
Yosannah exhales, "Good. Whew."
Despil smiles and continues to watch you.
"This is why I both am interested and am keeping you a bit at arm's
length. Would Merle know who you are if I told him Yo was looking for
him?"
Yosannah nods, "Yeah." She bites at her
lower lip. After a moment she smiles, "Why, do I look like someone
that a former King should be worried about?"
Despil chuckles. "You really -haven't-
been around Chaos much, have you?" Y
osannah snaps her fingers, "No. No I have
not. See, I'm harmless."
Despil laughs some more. "Uh huh. And
never get into any scrapes."
Yosannah quickly reaches up a hand to the
scar on her neck, "That's different."
Despil says "How?"
"I'm not sure how to answer that." She
bites at her lower lip again.
Despil nods and smiles a bit.
"Truthfully? Completely?"
Yosannah considers. "It's different
because i'm not the kind of person that seeks to get into 'scrapes'.
This," She runs her fingers down her neck, "Was not something I
sought out."
Despil nods to you. "Understood."
Yosannah drums her fingers on the table,
"So, now what."
"Is he a friend? Acquaintence? I don't
care that much what he is. You could just tell me."
"If it doesn't matter... " She shakes her
head with a smile, "Okay, if it matters to you what he is to me...
maybe this will mean something..." She begins to fish around in her
pocket, "...or maybe not..."
Despil watches and waits.
Yosannah places two cards on the table,
"He made these for me." She pushes them toward Despil. One of the
pictures depicts Merlin and the other of an apartment. "I think that
would require some degree of trust, right?"
Despil takes the one of Merlin, looks at
the back as well as the front. Then the other. Despil says "So you
know him from California. You know him well enough to have his old
flat. Does he still live there? I'd think not -- how long has it been
for you?"
"The apartment is still there and seems
to be kept up. It doesn't look like he's been there." She sips her
tea, "The last time I saw him, he was... I don't know, but I think it
was on a battle field of some sorts. About a year and a half ago. And
then, I lost contact. I figured he was," she sips at her tea, "dead."
Despil shakes his head. "He's alive. Or
was last week." He adds with a grin, "Or he's got an evil twin I
don't know about."
"Which wouldn't be too surprising in the
worlds we live in." She seems relieved, "That's good to hear though.
Very good."
Despil laughs and nods. "Indeed. So
you're just -- a friend good enough to be able to trump into his
flat."
Yosannah reaches across the table and
pulls two cards toward her, "Yeah, friends."
Despil says "I can tell him you're
looking for him." Despil is a bit puzzled by this, and he takes a
moment to think.
Yosannah nods, she regards the cards and
tucks them back into her jacket pocket.
Despil says "Any reason you haven't
trumped him?" Y
Yosannah says "I'm not sure. I mean, I've
thought about it. Maybe I haven't trumped him lately because I didn't
want to find out he was dead. I stopped by uh, House Sawall yesterday
and left a message instead. I think that's his house.." She smiles
lightly, "Though, i'm sure youcould tell me."
Despil nods. "That's where he's from.
Corey is a traveling name."
Yosannah smiles, "That much I knew. " She
looks in her cup, "Damn, my tea is getting cold."
Despil smiles and offers some from his
pot. "I have hot darjeeling here."
She smiles, "Thank you, that would be
great," She pushes her cup toward him. "You've been pretty nice about
this whole thing, how come?"
Despil fills your cup and says, "How
should I have reacted?"
Yosannah scratches herforehead, "I don't
know. I think I have met some of your other family members, and the
greating wasn't so warm."
Despil says "Which ones?"
Yosannah chuckles, "Now now. What good
would it do to say not so nice things about one's family."
"Because then I'd know if I have
competition as 'the reasonable one'."
Yosannah laughs, "Umm, okay.. I met his
Aunt or someone once. I think her name was Daria, or something."
Despil nods. "Dara. Yes. She can be a bit
stern."
"Stern? That's a very nice way of saying
rude, isn't it?" Despil laughs. "I thought direct was a nice way to
say rude. She can be direct, too."
Yosannah crosses her arms and places them
on the table. Yosannah smiles again, "You know what?"
Despil shakes his head. "What? You see
the resemblance now?"
She chuckles and plays with the spoon in
her cup, "No. I'm glad we had the chance to meet. You know?"
Despil smiles. "Thank you. It's been
enjoyable, yes. I'm not the sort of guy to muscle in on his brother's
friends who have trumps of his bedroom, but I'd say I'd enjoy seeing
you again."
Yosannah lets a smile escape the corner
of her mouth. "I think it's more like his livingroom." She stretches,
"But whatever."
Despil smiles. "I was exaggerating, yes.
But it made my point. I enjoy talking to you."
Yosannah nods, knowingly, "So..." She
shifts a little awkwardly in her chair, "Now what?"
Despil shrugs. "I don't know. Do you have
to go?"
Yosannah says "No, but I don't want to
keep you."
Despil nods and says, "I can finish this
pot with you. I think we need a new subject, though."
Yosannah says "Ahh, good idea. Let's talk
about.. What? You?"
Despil smiles. "All right. What can I
tell you?" Despil says "I've been traveling for a long time, and
relatively recently am back."
Yosannah says "See, my first question
would have been, 'how come I haven't seen you around here'. And you
answered that perfectly."
Sofya smiles, "Good sky, Uncle."
Y
Yosannah turns to regard Sofya.
Despil waves to Sofya as she goes. He
then says, "I've been gone for years. Decades for me."
Yosannah says "Decades? Why?"
Despil says "I was beaten to within
several millimeters of death. It took a lot of healing. I also took
time for introspection."
"Beaten? Christ, by whom?"
Despil says "Stryl. Murdered my lady in
the process, they did." Despil sips his tea calmly, but his language
skills suffer a bit.
"I'm sorry. Your wife?"
Despil just nods before saying, "Yeah."
Yosannah sits silently for a moment,
"Maybe this isn't a good topic."
Despil says "We'll slide by. There's much
I don't remember. Having one's skull caved in does that. That's why I
wondered if I know you, or the armored fellow at the bar."
Yosannah smiles coyly, "This would be a
great opportunity for me then, wouldn't it." She offers, "Now that
you mention it, we used to be great chums. In fact, you lost a bet
over the 1981 world series and now you owe me a cool grand." She
winks. "Time to pay up."
Despil laughs. "What a great excuse to
get your trump, then."
Yosannah smirks, "But it's been so many
years... and I don't trump on the first date."
Despil smiles back. "Then it'll have to
wait until the next time we meet. Or the second date."
Yosannah cups her hands under her chin.
"In any event, you're back. Like so many lads who often get
themselves lost in shadow. I can't help but wonder, though, why so
many of you do this in purpose."
Despil says "Come back?"
"Leave in the first place. And then come
back."
Despil says "In my case, the leaving
wasn't completely voluntary. I'll also argue that the absence was
good all around. Time heals all wounds, and wounds all heels."
Yosannah wraps a strand of hair around
her finger in a childish gesture, "Are you happy to be back?"
Despil nods and says, "I am. Much has
changed, and for the better, regardless of you'd hear others say.
There are things to do, interesting things."
Yosannah says "Do you have plans?"
Despil says "They're vague. I'm seeing
what's going on. I've been providing help to my house, and figuring
out who and what and where things are happening."
Yosannah smiles as she absent-mindedly
reaches a hand up to her neck, "So, no warmongering in your near
future. Good. You'll keep yourself out of trouble that way."
Despil laughs and says, "I hope to see a
bit of the right sort of trouble. You're a bit of a magnet for it,
though, I can tell."
Yosannah's jaw drops, playfully and she
feigns surprise, "I have no idea what you're talking about. I am
nothing of the sort."
Despil rubs his neck mirror-wise in the
spot where she rubs hers.
"Okay okay. Let me tell you about this,"
She motions to the scare at her neck, "This happened almost a year
ago. I can honestly say that I have not attracted trouble since." She
nods in satisfaction, "Now. There. It's all out."
Despil says "You should have someone look
at it. Heal it up. It bothers you like it was last month."
Yosannah says "I know... I... "
Scordis looks around. "Anyone know how to
get to that shitty Sorceror's Society place from here?"
Yosannah turns to the bar, "Where, War?"
Scordis says "The Royal Sorcoerors'
Society of Chaos. I think that's the full name."
Yosannah shakes her head, "Don't you have
a Chaos trump or something. Go ask around once you get there."
Scordis pats his pockets. "Well, dip me
in shit and call me a Unicorn lover, I don't. Imagine that."
Yosannah just turns back to her
table-mate, "I know, you're right. I find myself reaching for it
quite a bit. I'm not sure it it's just cuz i'm self conscious of it."
Despil says "I'm not a good enough
shifter to fix you. But I know those who could."
Yosannah says "Somehow, I'm sure you do."
Scordis leaves out the back door.
Yosannah glances at the door where
Scordis departed, "War is a bit much sometimes."
Despil says "Hmm?" Despil blinks a few
times.
Yosannah says "War. The armor clad, big
mouth... Are you there? Are you in trump contact with someone else
while you're talking with me. I hate that. Damn trumps."
Despil shakes his head. "No, I'm not."
Despil nods. "Chaos. Caribe. You?"
Yosannah says "Elbridge." She smiles as
if this should be sufficient. "Ever been?"
Despil blinks a number of times. "I
think. A long time ago. Earth? British? Right?"
Yosannah seems pleasently surprised,
"Why, yes! You remember that?"
Despil smiles. "So maybe I do owe you an
old bet."
Yosannah says "You'll have to come visit
then. Maybe you'll remember more."
Despil says "I'd love to."
Yosannah seems surprised at this as well,
"You do have way too much time on your hands."
Despil laughs. He sips his tea. "Do I."
She nods, "Mmm. And, do you know your way
there?"
Despil shakes his head. "No."
Yosannah says "Well, here then.." She
reaches back into her pocket, "You're more then welcome to borrow
this..."
Despil reaches for the card. "That's a
trump of the place?"
Yosannah says "That's Elbridge, yes."
Despil picks up his cup. "Let's go see,
then...."
Elbridge...
"You should warn a girl when you're gonna
do that."
Despil asks, "Why?"
Yosannah laughs, "No matter how many
times someone trumps off in a hurry like that, it's still hard to get
used to."
Despil laughs. "Should I have ripped it
out of your hand, and sketched a copy?"
"You're welcome to just keep it if you
like."
Despil nods to you. "Very kind of you,
Yo. Thank you."
Yosannah shrugs with a smile, "It doesn't
mean we're engaged or something."
Despil says, "No, no, you're Merle's gal.
I know that."
Yosannah shifts a little awkwardly, "I
don't think it's like that."
Despil nods and looks to her again with a
smile. "All right. Thanks for the trump on the first date."
Yosannah crosses her arms over her chest,
"Hey, you tricked me. Damnit!"
Despil clucks his tongue and looks
skyward. "Men are perfidious creatures."
Yosannah nods, "I guess so. So, hey, does
any of this look familiar?"
Despil looks around. "Kent. Nice place,
Kent. Vaguely familiar."
Yosannah shrugs, "Do you recall anyone
specifically?"
Despil shakes his head. "No. I may have
been in Webber's there."
Yosannah considers, "Does Dover or Gideon
sound familiar?"
Despil wags a finger. "Gideon club.
That's familiar."
"Good familiar or bad familiar?"
Despil bites his lip. "Good, I think."
Yosannah places a hand on her hip, "I'm
not sure that sounded all that convincing. Everything I know is
telling me to be carefull with your lack of memory. What if you
remember that this is a 'bad familiar' and then what?"
Despil folds his arms. "Excuse me for
being forthright. I remember hearing good things about the Gideon
Club. Is that bad?"
Yosannah shakes her head, "No. It's not
bad. And I'm not suggesting that you forego being forthright. I'd
just hate to have to lose a new friendship because you remember that
you hate Gideon and the Banished Sun folk." Yosannah reaches a hand
up to the back of her head and smooths her hair over. She turns away
and points, "So, uh, that way is Dover and back through there is the
way to uh..."
Despil looks one way and then the other.
Yosannah drops her arms to her sides,
"Yeah. Well, there you go."
"What's the other direction?"
"Oh, uh. Gideon."
"Should we go look?"
"If you'd like, I can take you. It might
be better if we drive." She motions to the gold Intrepid parked
outside the Inn. "Though, I don't think you'll remember much. Gideon
was rebuilt a couple years back after an attack. But if you're game,
so am I."
Despil nods. "Sure. What was the attack?"
Yosannah wanders toward her car and
reaches in her pocket. She fishes around for a bit and retrieves her
keys, "A bomb of some sort. We had a radiation problem for a number
of months. It was pretty bad."
Despil walks to the car. He does the
classic thing of forgetting which side is the passenger side here. He
looks to her. "A nuke?" he asks incredulously.
Yosannah nods, "Yeah, hop in. I'll tell
you all about it." Despil climbs in and buckles up.
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