Post by One of the Friends on Nov 16, 2024 19:43:09 GMT
A small but delightful chat between Tom M /Kem and Velek of the Friends, occurring immediately after the events of ‘Some Goliaths Wander By Mistake’
As Velek sits down at the private booth, Kem slides in across from him with their drinks order.
He takes a sip from his opaque tankard and relaxes, arms outstretched across the seat with a grin on his face,
“Okay, we both know you’ve got questions and Ronkk’s not here to shame me for anything now, so it looks like I’m all yours.”
"Seems so, whatever that means. But I've got a lot of questions, so hopefully you're enough."
Velek leans back with his arms crossed, tankard untouched in front of him, the complete opposite to Kem's demeanour.
"I feel like I've fallen into a spike trap of a situation here. Sure I was expecting curses today, but a whole mythos of them? Yeah that's big news. I have to..." His expression stutters, like the questions are fighting for dominance in his mind. "Let's go for the big one, how much have I fucked things today? I know you were impartial in the moment, but what are your thoughts now?"
Kem holds a hand out flat and wobbles it from side to side,
“You made a pretty convincing argument for why it’d help the problem. And deep down let’s face it: it’s the most interesting option.” He leans in with a smile and a whisper, “Is that little guilty part of you louder than the curious part of you would have been if you never saw what was behind the door?”
Velek leans in too, meeting Kem's eyeline with a conspirating look, "Well that's the thing, if I haven't completely fucked things then the guilty part is very quiet right now. My friends and I have a tendency to walk in and cause chaos, it's one way of solving problems after all." He finishes the statement with a nonchalant shrug.
"So another question. You mentioned others, who else am I gonna need to convince it wasn't a bad idea. One person already on board isn't a bad start don't get me wrong though."
Kem raises an eyebrow and cocks his head, "What is there to convince them over? It's already happened. It's written. At this point aren't we just telling people the story?"
He holds the closeness for a few beats, deliberately building a bit of tension, before he leans back and chuckles to himself, "And I don't see Dee'arna sitting in self assured judgement about someone else feeling compelled to uncover a secret."
Velek rolls his eyes at his actions before leaning back as well, finally taking a sip of his drink.
"Yes I understand the past and stories oh glorious weaver of tales. But certain audiences need different approaches so you're not chased out the door."
Another pause, another mental war of questions. "So this Dee'arna likes digging up a secret or two, I suppose she'd want a run down of what happened today. That your cohort is gonna grow."
"But either way this is unfair, I'm sure you've a question. Or another story. Ask something while I try to order mine."
“Oh, so many, but if you’ll indulge me, I’d ask some of the cards first.” Kem replies as he slides his Tarokka deck onto the table and starts shuffling it.
Velek waves his hand as a sign to go ahead before crossing his arms again. His attention now fully on the cards.
Dealing three cards onto the table, Kem hovers his hand over the first. "This one represents your past." He flips it over to reveal the following:
(The card shows a sleepy figure nestled amongst their flock, they clutch a shepherd’s staff with both hands. The card is titled ‘Shepherd’.)
"The Four of Glyphs. Traditionally a card that represents burdens too great to be shouldered alone, but inverted... that makes this more complicated. What burdens might it refer to, Velek?" He tilts his head sympathetically.
Velek shrugs again, "So many, but what adventurer isn't shouldering a few burdens in their life? Like little personalities in your head bargaining for the time of day, it's nothing special."
"It's a minor arcana so it doesn't have to be anything world changing. This could be referring to something in your recent past and make more sense once we dig a little deeper." He flips over the second card:
(A stoic figure stands with two hands aloft, in front of them two resurrected corpses grin, arcane sigils on their foreheads. The card is titled ‘Necromancer.)
"Eight of Stars, The Necromancer. Well, you never did tell me what kind of wizard you are." Kem looks across at Velek and winks, "But there's no need to be too literal here. I'm going to go with the regular 'unhealthy obsession and inability to let things go to the point of self destruction' read."
There's a pained expression from Velek for a brief moment, shown in the pinch of his brow, before the usual resting scowl returns. "Hah, as interesting as the study of necromancy is, I'm actually an abjuration wizard, same as my close friends. So protecting against magic and perhaps even dispelling curses, hence my interest today. And I do also specialise in being stubborn as all hell hence I'm not done asking you questions after this."
“You all study the same school of magic? Like some kind of study group?” Kem enquires as he shuffles the remaining cards.
"Yeah it's how we met back in Waterdeep, bunch of mage school rejects who went on to teach ourselves. Like I said, stubborn."
“How many of you are there?”
"Four including me, Penny, Rosemary, and Ninnoc. Don't know if you've seen any of us around here in Daring. Did you make the journey here on your own or?"
“And you’re all… just friends?” Kem raises an eyebrow.
Velek narrows his eyes at the avoidance of his question. "Touchy subject I see, whatever then. Yes and no, they're family to me so friends doesn't do them justice. It's not anything romantic as you're implying, sorry to bore you."
Kem laughs and picks up his drink, “Velek, I’m sat across from a gorgeous, highly intelligent person who’s the sort to unleash unknown horrors on the world seemingly at a whim. Telling me that you’re single is the last thing that’s going to bore me at this moment.”
He takes a drink and leans in, piercing green eyes looking up through his hair as he rests on his tankard with both hands and he lowers his voice, “If you’re asking me if I came here with someone I’m involved with? Oh I have no problem at all telling you that the answer is no.”
There's a quiet "Oh." Followed by a deep blush that he tries to hide behind a hand, "I guess that's a compliment coming from yo- I was just asking in general, I didn't think you..."
He drops the hand, but doesn't drop Kem's gaze, "I can't tell if you’re joking or not, but if you wanted me flustered then well done I guess."
Kem chuckles to himself, “It’s an added bonus to see it, but I never joke about being drawn to a certain kind of person.”
He hovers a hand over the final card, “You know? Normally my next step is to lean into the success of the reading so far and ask you, with an open palm, what your future’s worth to you. But I would rather you consider this a gift.”
(The last card shows a figure screaming in agony, the image shattered like that of a broken mirror. The card is titled ‘Broken One’.)
As Kem flips the card he freezes momentarily and sucks his teeth.
Velek tilts his head curiously, "Okay well I'm glad you can be serious about something, though I'm sure if you knew... what's that look?" He indicates down to the card between them. "I'm guessing that's not a positive gift of a future."
“If I knew… what?” Kem looks up from the card.
He pauses, really considers something for a long moment as he looks at the card before their eyes drift up to meet Kem's. Their expression is neutral but in a way that looks foreign on Velek's face, like he's no longer the one there looking out. "Slip of the tongue, it's been a long day. Though I respect the rapport we've built today and your draw, and even if I do feel much more at ease at being present in front of others, it's much much too early to reveal secrets like that to you. Now take that information how you want and let's continue this."
They blink and reach down to the table, Velek impatiently tapping the card.
Kem cocks his head with a wry grin. “Well isn’t that interesting. But it’s not like I don’t have secrets.” He shrugs with a sigh, glancing back to the card.
“It’s just that I was enjoying flirting with you and I’m worried I’m about to put a dampener on things when I tell you that this card, The Broken One, is a major arcana which means big picture stuff, and… it’s not good, Velek.”
He traces his finger along the cracks in the broken mirror shown on the card, “Failure, despair, a fracturing that leaves one incomplete.”
Velek just laughs, sudden and loud, "I think that's just on you then. Sorry, I promise I'm not laughing at you or your cards but this is not news to me. It makes startling sense really, in light of recent events and old secret ones, I'm not surprised this is my future at all."
"A figure shrouded in mystery who can stare into the darkness with a smile on his face." Kem shakes his head as he shuffles his cards back into the deck, "And you're sat here blushing when I tell you you're hot like it's the first time you've heard it. Bizarre to me."
"Bizarre and true, though it certainly doesn't seem a deterrent for you does it? Guess it says a lot about the both of us." Velek considers something, tapping the table where the last card used to lay, "But maybe this will push that line, there's a question I can't get out my head. Kem why are you clinging onto the power of this curse? Even at the cost it could have, a consuming of self until there's nothing left, a potential hazard to others around you. I feel like you're aware of those consequences but you don't care about them, and that it's not the curse telling you not to care. So why?"
“Which answer do you want to hear Velek?” He lifts his drink almost to his mouth, “Maybe I’m an altruist? Once the curse leaves me it goes on to someone else. Someone it can consume who doesn’t deserve it or worse, someone prepared to give it everything it wants and together they devour the world. Perhaps I’m the hero of this story?” He winks as he sets the tankard down.
"Which answer? I guess it's cliché to say the truth, but neither of us have drunk enough to be putting anything like that on the table. But that answer's nice, good level of self sacrificing and all. Is it the one you want to be true? That you become the hero of your story and the saviour of others."
He slides an elbow onto the table, resting his head on his hand, "Like don't get me wrong, it's a good aspiration and all, but I think there's more to you than that."
“How sweet of you to say. So you don’t want to believe that I’m just playing the part of the hero. Others would believe it. Maybe the fool? Maybe I have no idea what I’m doing and this is just another example of a hedonist driven purely on impulse? That one works fine for plenty.”
Kem leans in, “But you want more from me than that… which I guess leaves the story of the pragmatist. Someone who plays the cards they’re dealt rather than wasting time wishing they had other ones.”
"What I want?? Kem it's not my story, I'm not your narrator. I'm asking what's the narrative you want. If it's the pragmatist then great, I do like someone who's a bit more realistic in life for sure."
Velek points with his unoccupied hand to Kem, finger inches from the centre of his forehead, "I don't know what story weaving, theory crafting whatevers is going on up here. But don't tell me what I want to hear, being placated like that is eugh, and if you don't want to say just tell me to fuck off. I know I'm prodding at personal stuff here."
He leans back in response and rolls his eyes, "Velek. I'm a storyteller, and telling people what they want to hear is how I survive in this world. You've got to expect a little bit of this and as much as you’re holding back on me I did actually answer your question."
"Mostly I'd say I'm trying to be practical and make sure I can keep an eye on this rather than just letting it do whatever with whoever, and yeah, there's a part of me that's just enjoying seeing what happens next. Maybe there's even a little bit of me that does like the idea of being the hero for once. I guess there's more than one person inside each of us and sometimes you've got to just pick which one you want to deal with."
Velek grins something a bit feral at the eyeroll before settling into a good sip, "Sure, different forms or versions of ourselves. You like showing which one is gonna let you survive in a situation. I get it. So thanks for cutting the exhausting story telling for a moment."
"That's the thing though, just surviving it, kinda exhausting after a while. It's why I've told you more than others, as much as you say I'm holding back, it's a habit that's gonna take a while to get out of. So yeah fuck it let's see what happens next, curses and other things all."
'Fuck it, let's see what happens'." Kem repeats with a broad grin as he holds his tankard out. "Now that I'm apparently being more pliable, do you have any more questions? Or is it my turn to ask?"
Velek holds his own tankard out to meet in the middle, "Apparently you are. And asking more questions if you have them, I'm fresh out right now."
Kem goes to lift the drink to his mouth again, pauses, and sets it down, "In that case maybe I'm reading too much into this, but someone who really wants to hide their secrets doesn't admit that they have them at all."
"So either you want me to think you're all sexy and mysterious and I'm, if I wasn't clear, very open to that... or there's a secret that you tell yourself you want to keep but deep down," He looks deeply into Velek's eyes, "That secret wants to be a story."
Velek stares back, not wanting to be the first to concede, "No, you're right. Some months I would never admit to any of what I've said today. My secret, the big one I guess, has already been told to some others. And to borrow your terms, I was terrified the whole story I've woven would break at the time. But the crazy thing is, it didn't, so I don't know what to do now. Patch it with bandages and act like the secret never got out or... I don't know. I'm just scared of losing my sense of self to the stories. Do you get that feeling?"
Velek's eyes now dart between Kem's, suddenly very nervous, "I know you're very open to... things, but I don't think I'm comfortable telling that story as I currently am. So instead how about a crumb of a secret, something that you can ponder on."
Kem shrugs with a smile, “If it’s all that’s on offer I’ll take being fed crumbs. Go on then.”
"Then let's redo some introductions." He puts down the tankard and reaches a hand out across to Kem to shake, "Hey there, I'm Velek Neptis and I've been dead for a few years now, all that remains of me is my jacket and other's memories."
Kem’s eyebrow raises as he slowly reaches out a hand, “Pleased to meet you in that case. Still Kem Roşu. Still of the Skaragi, but as you may have guessed that’s a unique claim.”
He holds the hand he’s offered long enough to detect a pulse before shaking his head with a chuckle, “You’re lucky to have bumped into someone who’s getting worryingly used to talking to corpses, but at the same time you’re the friendliest dead person I’ve met.”
He ponders to himself.
“Second friendliest.”
"Well still Kem I wouldn't really call myself the friendliest person in general, so I'll happily take second place."
Velek smiles, something unsure that doesn't meet his eyes, "And I want to say less lucky and more making a call. You don't seem the type to freak about something like this based on the many things you've said tonight. Even if we're both full of bullshit, we don't mind if someone's a bit fucked up. But hopefully that crumb was enough to satisfy, maybe in the future you'll get the full story. Maybe you'll even tell me the full story of how your claim became so unique. Who knows."
"Oh I do enjoy telling stories so even if they could get one or both of us killed I'd never say never." Kem winks, a curious glint in his eye.
"Velek, you got straight up angry at me earlier when I was talking about playing roles and putting on masks, but I've got a theory based on a conversation I had with someone else this week."
"What happens if you take off that jacket?"
"So the threat's still out there, interesting. And the jacket? Bit forward of you there."
Velek subtly shrugs further into his jacket, perhaps unconsciously, "But pretty sure nothing would happen, unless you're trying to knick it. Which I'd appreciate if you didn't, took me a long time to get all these patches. Unless you genuinely have a theory here."
Kem laughs, "Velek, I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not a shy person. If you hadn't already taken this evening going any further off the table I'd be more than happy to show you what me being forward looks like. That's not what this is. When I say I've got a theory I mean I've got a theory."
"I know, I had to tease you a little. But fine I'll let you test your theory."
Velek slides off the leather jacket, folding it neatly before placing it down next to him. He holds the silence for a bit longer before looking to Kem with a frown, "Is there anything else that should happen, I'm intrigued where you got this theory from."
“A ‘professional peer’ I guess would be the word for them.” Kem muses as he waves a hand in the direction of the jacket and an illusory wooden box forms around it, shielding it from sight, “Okay, so… no jacket lining to feel against your skin. No patches to look at to remind you of experiences you’ve had. No familiar smell.”
“Without that jacket to ground you… who am I talking to?”
He looks down at himself, eyes flicking to the box nervously before focusing on Kem through his thick mop of hair. "Still Velek. Still the same guy who's been here all night."
“There's more to me than just the jacket."
“Clearly.” Kem says with a smile. “And maybe there’s nothing to my theory or maybe you just need a little push… but I like you Velek, and I don’t think you’d like me after I gave you that push.” He thinks for a second then shakes it off and dismisses the illusion.
"And all it took was me being on terrible behaviour, my friends would be very proud." He reaches for the revealed jacket but doesn't move to put it on, "And it would truly take a lot for me to hate a person, I won't lie that I'm curious what your version of a little push is."
"Oh, I'm a really big fan of terrible behaviour." Kem winks, "and I'm also a fan of leaving people with a bit of lingering curiosity so we've got that in common I guess."
Velek rolls their eyes, "Ugh fine, really can't make much of a fuss considering. But at least there's always next time, guess it gives us reason to meet again."
“Looking forward to it already.”
"Sure."