Not Your Typical Warm Fuzzy Feelings

[JaeEleutheria]

I wasn’t too certain what to think. I kissed him, but he barely responded. But had he started to? I’m so confused.

So I had to get away. I went to Palemoon with Lee Tennick (a rogue with a halberd, huh?), Delia, Jerick, and Terem. This other guy with a hawk was there and I think Skia thought he was lunch for a moment, and later a monk named Marsden came along. I’ve come to the conclusion, I love hunting with bards; the journey is far more musical. That tune that Delia came up with, beautiful.

But, gah, asking about Falson made me turn so red. I should’ve never said I wanted to impress someone when I got that dress in Dasar.

So I came back to town and see Falson. I got shy and Skia went up to tell Drakin he should be watching the cubs. By the time I got the nerve to actually show up, it was like I wasn’t even there. I hadn’t even cast invisible on myself.

Everything is still a blur to me, amidst my tears of so much anguish. Every night I could, I was there right beside him… but I could not support his actions regarding Heaven.

I could not wrap myself around what he had done. I ran from the scene, but came back. Heaven was still lying dead. Shalandra was taking Falson to jail. I looked around, maintaining my cool. Lone had given me a few raise dead scrolls once, and I had one left. Since no one else was doing anything, I gave it a shot. I don’t care if my actions were thanked or not. Spiting what Falson had done, I did what I could to undo it. What I didn’t say was however I saved her life once, but if she came after Falson herself, I won’t do it again – heck if she had tried to kill him, I might just kill her myself… or die trying.

So I went back to the room at the Blue Boar. Skia tried to cheer me up with cub loving, but I had already broken down in tears. As much as the little dolls could, they purred and nuzzled me, just like their mother has consistently done in the past. But I was still out of it, so I went invisible and stood in a corner, staring at the wall.

Falson came back about that time…

Shalandra had left the two alone. Skia had run off to find Drakin to give him a firm chastisement about cub-watching.

Falson looked over at Jae.

“I was wrong. I’m sorry.”

Jae simply cast invisibility on herself again as the original casting had worn off by that point.

Falson sighed, cast see invisibility and placed a hand on her shoulder. She jumped slightly and tried to shrug it off.

“Jae?”

“Look, I wanted you as my Shalafi because I believed you were someone to admire, to learn from.”

“And I’ve shown you what not to do. I was wrong, Jae. I overreacted.”

She looked at him, biting back a few words. “You cannot save someone who doesn’t want to be saved. I have mentioned this before. But killing them is not the way to do it, not the way to prove a point or make a statement. You can’t make statements to the non-living.” She sighed. “You see, killing them is exactly what they would want, Falson. They would want you to lose control, to pull the wrong thread of the weave. They would want you to be just like them…”

Falson sighed.

She turned away, sniffled and rubbed her eyes. “I’m sorry… but… you… were… gone,” she sniffled again, “And you come back to do this?”

He just looked at her, trying to pull her back towards him. She continued to resist.

“I had to do what I needed to. No one else could bring her back. I had to…”

“You were right to do what you did.”

“I had only one left. That was my last raise dead scroll,” she sighed again then continued, “But if I see her again and she comes after you, I’m killing her myself.”

Falson started at that. He heard sniffling and tried to get near her to hold her, but she kept pulling away. He sighed and forcefully pulled Jae towards him into an embrace.

At this point, she just broke down in his arms, the invisibility fading away with her tears.

After a long moment of silence and when she had started to calm down, Falson said to her, “Well, I’m back. I’m here now.”

She just nodded where she stood.

There was a creak in the bed and then all four cubs began mewing. Skia pranced back into the room with Drakin in tow. Falson quickly released Jae, turning a little red. The two large panthers pulled the cubs down to the floor so they could go to momma for breakfast.

Falson laughed at Drakin, who was nudging the cubs along, looking quite chagrined.

Jae smirked. “Pussy-whipped,” she muttered, causing another fit of laughter from Falson.

He motioned her to follow him out of the room so the panthers could do their thing. She reluctantly moved. They just stood outside the open door for a moment in silence.

Without a sound, Jae pulled Falson back and kissed him. Skia looked up from her relaxed state, and if a panther could smirk, she would’ve.

Falson pulled away slightly, not leaving her face, just long enough to look into her eyes. “I guess I’m forgiven?”

Jae nodded and he returned the kiss.