(Closed)

[getoutofmytemple]

Who: Abelas (getoutofmytemple) & Angela Ziegler (valcurie)
What: A friendly spar with his One Friend
When: a week after this conversation.
Where: outskirts of the city
Warning(s): none atm


[As much as the walk through the city had not been unpleasant, Abelas was relieved to get into an open, less populated areas of the city. From there it wasn't difficult to find a suitable place for their little spar. Somewhere open, but with enough debris to make for suitable cover. Even if he was still dressed in what he considered his casual "civilian clothes", such meant a very different thing to one of a society as advanced as his. Gold trim offset the dark fabric of the finely crafted ensemble, and it likely looked too nice for one to be sparring with, but not to him. These may as well have been hand-me-downs to the ancient elf.

Finally satisfied he took a deep breath, and drew his staff with a little flourish to gather magic to it. He closed his eyes and just revelled in the familiar feeling. Even if it was not a true fight, it was familiar, and he would take such gifts whenever he could find them. After he let out a slow exhale he straightened up, holding the staff upright like it were a simply walking stick, despite the shimmer of flame and magic weaving about it.]

This seems to be a suitable enough place to me. What of you Lady Ziegler?

Comments

[valcurie]

( She recognises that look he's giving her: it's a keenly observant one, that a concerned and responsible party user when looking after their charges. It's one that's very familiar to her. What does he see when he looks at her? Probably not a failure, just something that is--utterly different from. Beyond her lack of magic and bluntly whorled ears, there's something that she just intrinsically lacks. This lack makes her a shemlen: she is not immortal.

She wonders briefly if he can see any signs of the lingering effects of her strange exhaustion, but she figures it's probably no. He evidently didn't know what could happen, the extent of what would, and so he most likely doesn't know what signs to look for. He has no way of knowing it feels to her as if she's slightly frayed around the edges, that bits of her have flecked off, as if she were made of glass, and become full of muffling wax. )

In my world, we replace the limbs which we lose. With better ones.

( And that's the difference, isn't it? They live short brutal lives, and they change, and they adapt. They are resilient in a jaunty, but also short-sighted, way. They simply cannot see like he can: with power easily pulled to his fingers tips, the ability to form things as he's seen that htey should be in the past that he actually remembers, and hasn't just been fed by bitter old men dreaming of their own golden years.

Very gently, she raises her hand and brushes his in an inexplicably thoughtful manner against his.

When she looks up at him then, it's with something like understanding starting to light behind her semi-unfocussed eyes. From channeling the Fade so directly, some of her subtler subconscious nerve controls are a bit crossed over. She has attributed this to her tiredness. )

I don't know what I saw, exactly, but I know what I felt. That was--something I am not. Honestly, it felt like...your magic didn't want to be in my body. And my body didn't like either. You said your ancestors are spirits, didn't you? It is obvious to me now that you have a connection to the Fade that's profoundly more complex than what I initially thought. ( And, if he can believe it, she smiles. ) You're absolutely fascinating.

[getoutofmytemple]

[He never ceased observing, but eventually he realized it would not be physical signs he could see, but likely more he could feel. She still did carry the charge of magic about her, which was what he was intent on watching. He could try and disperse it if need be, but he would prefer if it happened naturally.]

Your synthetic magic, I recall.

[Perhaps such was partly why he was more tolerable of her than others of her kind, she did not have magic, but she had instead innovated a substitute. It was indeed like a prosthetic, it made the uneasiness of sensing no magic about her easier to take. She had it, just of her own way, even if it was not connected to her as it was to him.]

I mentioned that was merely my guess. I am no scholar. But I am glad you understand it. Tis not something easy to explain. [He noted the brush against his hand, at first he thought it to be merely a reassurance that she was well, or that she understood what he had been trying to explain. But then there was that charming bright smile, and the sudden interest in him specifically. He tilted his head inquisitively at her, and his expression was curious, but there was no hiding some amusement either.] Are you propositioning me Lady Ziegler?

[Not that he would be against it if she was, however such was something he would want to make certain was not some bizarre byproduct of the magic.]

[valcurie]

( Smiling, still. Not that it would have been easy for him to forget it, she thinks, if he respects her like he says he does. That had, after all, been the entire purpose of their first exchange. ) Yes. With it we can replace entire bodies. I will have to...tell you about it sometime. I don't think I can show you here. Not until more of my friends wake up.

( Aaaaand, then a moment of silence. Is it some bizarre byproduct of the magic? She's actually thinking this through for a moment, thinking it must have made him more sensitive. Before she breaks out laughing, hand on her stomach and her laughter a bit louder than she normally would allow it thanks to the softened, harried edges of her self.

Once that's over, she tills her head, as she notes there was some genuine curiosity in his expression. Hopefully, he wasn't on the verge of staring at her for a few seconds in another attempt to mirror her own style of human care-giving. Somehow, that doesn't seem like it would fit in with the whole sparring theme of the moment. )

Because I got a little handsy with a legitimately interesting man? I am a professional, I will have you know!

Maybe you were asleep for too long. ( Some amusement shimmers in her tone, but she's employing some deflection. She blinks rapidly, trying to regain a sense of focus over her eyes. ) Besides, am I not a little young for you? I'm not even Elvhen.

[getoutofmytemple]

[He nodded at her offer to explain more about her curious magic. It was something of interest to him, even if it was not proper magic as he could cast- or the watered down swill the shemlen threw around.

His confusion only seemed to grow at her outburst of laughter, but he waited patiently for her to gather herself. He wasn't sure if he had offended her- but then she was laughing? Needless to say he did not understand the humor of it, if that much wasn't obvious by how he continued on in his blunt manner.]

Perhaps I have.

[She had a point and it simply that he had been the time he had spent slumbering. So distant he had become with just gestures that when he did encounter them he misinterpreted it. It was likely inevitable as he continued to integrate himself back into society.]

I believe you are of an age to take my years into consideration and make the decision for yourself, as for me- there are none I shall find "my age" as it were. I am the last of my kind. [He simply shrugged it off, if her reaction was any indication he had simply misunderstood.] I was merely curious. Tis not something I would be against should you change your mind.

[valcurie]

You just come right out and say it, don't you? I knew there was a reason I liked you so much.

( She delivers this with a smile, one that's a bit smaller than what she had to show him before, but it's warmer somehow, shades more self-aware and well-meant. Angela keeps it while she, careful as she can, parses what he's telling her. This gives her a rather amicable cast, her confusion a genuinely touched air, and it's almost like this is a fine time to be considering such things.

Despite the fact that she's still, quite literally, Fade touched. With a tone that's not unkindly: ) ...I'm flattered, really, but ( and here she sighs softly, dips her head slightly, a display of regret at her actions ) I think I may have deceived you. Perhaps through omission, but it amounts to the same thing. For a human woman, I'm much older than someone who's the last of his kind should offer these kinds of things to. My body may be young for my age, but--

Ah, well. ( A laugh, again, as she shakes her head and settles her hands into her lap. ) I don't think I need to explain the basics to someone so old. ( Her pupils are still a bit too wide as she says, with a voice that's quieter than before, even if it's lined with veins of amused self-deprecation and brimming with a knowing resignation to inexorable facts: ) I've past my use-by date. I wouldn't want to--gamble.

[getoutofmytemple]

[A dumbstruck look crossed his face when she brought up children. If not for his age and knowledge it would probably almost look as though it was news to him that sex lead to children. He did know of course, but in a world of immortals, overpopulation was a true risk. Children were rare and precious things, yes, but often only desired a few rare times in one's life.... sex however... well, that was far more popular. It was such a common pastime it was easy to forget it's original purpose after a while.]

I... did not intend to make it sound as though offspring was my ambition, unless that is a human trait?

[He wouldn't be surprised if it was, they did have short lives. Perhaps they could not afford to partake in such things without attempting to conceive children?]

Children are not a matter of import to me, personally. There is no one with whom I could couple that would allow me to pass down what I am. It would simply be yet another mortal I am to watch wither and perish.

[Or perhaps she was worried about accidents? Well, those could happen he supposed, if something interfered with his magic.]

That said, if I were to have a child... I would not be adverse to having one that was a human, rather than a twisted visage of what I am.

[valcurie]

( She watches his face, of course, more than a titch confused by his apparently flummoxed reaction, one which only really makes sense to her once he's spoken and she can parse his meaning. Even then, her words come slowly, her brow twisted and her words weighted by some hesitancy still. )

...My apologies. I did not realize immortals had much use for, let alone enjoyment of, recreational sex. Especially when, you know...magic and everything else seems so much more productive than casual sex. You do act like you're enlightened compared to the rest of us, so I hope you can understand where I am coming from.

( She laughs a bit, but the levity doesn't last long in the face of what he's telling her. Even if she had been thinking him about taking up on the offer--and she hasn't said no--anything like desire would've been squelched now by such awfully heavy thoughts. Seeking to comfort him, she sought out his hand again, this time to rest hers on the back of his. )

Again, my apologies. I did not mean to trouble you so. For humans, one of the worst possible things to imagine is being a parent who outlives his children. I would not wish that upon you. Though I don't understand why it would be preferable to you to outlive a human child, than an elven one. I thought you...I suppose that's what's puzzling me most. The way you see us, I'm honestly shocked you could find one desirable enough to lay with one.

[getoutofmytemple]

[He listened, truly trying to wrap his head around what she was saying. In a way it made sense- at least from what he could imagine as her perspective. She was mortal, having children was a staple of their culture, it had to be if the species was to survive. He also had to think back to his youth, the years he had almost forgotten. Years when he thought he might have a future for himself to make with someone... it was a very narrow vision.]

Tis a pleasant enough act, however among immortals overpopulation was always a looming risk. While many would eventually go into uthenera, it was not enough to compensate for careless procreation. After a few hundred years, it loses some of the romanticism. Tis little different from eating, it can be done for survival but also for pleasure. I would imagine that mortals hold it to a different standard?

[He looked down at his lap thinking again on the topic of children, and the "Far off possibilities" he once had for a future that was never to be. He was not sure if he was lucky, how much would a child of his had suffered? Would they have been slaves of the Evanuris? Killed in their wars? Or perhaps they would have wound up under the heel of Tevinter.

Or they would have continued to live the life he had.

None of those were options he would wish for his child.]

A human child would be in their natural state. They are mortal, have always been mortal. To see an Elvhen child, cut off from what they are and going through life never whole. I do not think I could bring a child into the world missing so much of themselves.

[He tilted his head at her last remark. This was not a matter regarding all of humanity, he was not shy that no, on a whole he did not care for them, but as an individual he considered her a friend, and therefore did not associate her with the mass of her kind.]

You are an honorable and intelligent woman whom I trust and respect. Beyond that, I do not see what matters.

[valcurie]

It's not simple, actually. ( A sigh. Not directed at him, but trying to explain the state of the human population before the world ended? There're a lot of different factors and facets to the answer, some of them complex, and it's a complexity compounded even further by their interactions with other issues. She runs a hand through her hair, down her scalp to he nape of her neck where some of the sweat from earlier has dried. Overall, she's feeling almost recovered now, the weirder effects of the magic having dissipated. ) Even with the recent horrific conflicts, humans are rather prolific. You think you had to worry about overpopulation? At one point, there were over ten billion of us on one planet.

( She pauses, then sighs again. ) Of course, in the end, that's not what ended up killing us all, but...maybe we were too concerned with procreation. Maybe it would have helped if we'd had an immortal's perspective on it.

( Now she withdraws her hand back to herself, looks away from him, and undoes her hair to bind it up again after she's messed it up. This time it's going into a tight bun to keep it up off her neck and out of her face. This gives her some time to consider how exactly she wants wants to address what he's telling her. Such a sensitive topic, and one that she never could truly related to, but she can't help be both sympathetic to and unsettled by his bias. If his child were a modern elf, would he be so put-off by them, he be unable to be a proper father? The thought alone leaves a vinegar-sour tang in her mouth.

Not that it mattered, of course. She chooses to share her own perspective on the matter at hand, and perhaps elucidate the relationship humans have with sex and reproduction. )

I've never wanted to bring a child into this world whom I wasn't sure would be loved and cared for as a child deserves to be. Besides my work being my priority, I lived as an orphan, and that is not a life I would ever want to subject anyone to, much less my own flesh and blood. If I had the privilege to care for a child, I would have adopted one to save someone else from having to live through that loneliness.

( After that statement, she manages to laugh, and she smiles at him. Blunt as he may be about it, it's one of the nicer compliments she's got in a long while. )

It sounds like you're describing what you want in a partner, not in a friend with benefits. ( Another laugh, accompanied with a flash of self-aware mirth in her now lucid eyes. ) It may just be a cultural difference, but you should be careful. Some people may find that utterly charming.

( And if she does or not, she stands up, and starts to walk over to where she left her staff. )

[getoutofmytemple]

[That... was quite a number. Personally he was surprised they managed to coexist well enough to make it to that point- or they were simply that efficient at proliferating. Either way he continued not to envy her.]

Perhaps you could stand to moderate themselves more, yes.

Though considering the Elvhen warred ourselves into naught but memory, I do not think we would be the wisest counsel in matters pertaining to sustaining a culture. Magic, knowledge, and copious amounts of needless leisure, however, I believe many of my people would have been able to offer insight.

[He got to his feet and followed her, pleased to see the effects of the magic dissipating, however, he did not plan on attacking her with magic again for this session. There were other skills of hers that he could harness. Her tale is an interesting one, though, and he found her insight on it to be wise. There was an understanding there was well, while he did not know her circumstances, he could still remember the day he was left to the Temple.]

That is an honorable and sensible way to consider it. Though children do not always take kindly to one replacing a role they already see as filled, it would take much time and effort to see them come to terms with it.

[Something that would no doubt tear her from her work for quite a time, even if the child was only half as troubled as he had been.

The next bit earned a tilt of his head, and his tone genuinely curious. He wondered if human's outlooks on such matters were so different from his own.]

Tis what I look for in a friend, is a partner not simply a friend that has become more?

[valcurie]

( Angela agrees with him, mostly. Their overpopulation problem on Earth had something to do with self-control issues, and a stunning lack of foresight, and perhaps even an outright disregard for the future. And he may have a point about his people having their own issues in this certain matter. Though, she does realise, it is possible that the only reason her humans hadn't warred themselves into cultural oblivion was due to overpopulation, and a lack of another race which could overtake them.

This seems like it will just lead ito deal philosophical discussion, as will their talk of children, so, as she turns around to face him, she chooses to focus instead on something more practical. And, as it is, personal. )

Of course it is unhealthy and selfish to think that your love can save someone. If someone really thinks that, then it indicates that they might have a whole host of issues I'm not qualified to deal with.

( She is a doctor of the body, not of the mind. Watching him walk closer to her, she sticks one end of her lacquered staff into the ground, cocks her head too, and gestures at him with one open hand. ) Usually the people we end up with don't start out as friends. First we approach them because we want to reproduce with them. Respect and trust follow after you've gotten to know if it's actually going to work out between you. Those things are important in a partner, sure, but there are considerations for compatibility that probably matter a bit more because of how short our lives are.

What I mean is, the things we look for in friends and partners aren't mutually exclusive, but they aren't always the same. ( She is going to finish this without a bit of sass? Obviously not. ) And, given that your assumption of proposition over courtship, it's only natural that I'd assume your interests are recreational. And there's nothing wrong with that.

For now, though, the reaction I'm interested in is another round with you.