MRP: Side Conversations

[Matasoga]

She shook her head.
"I'm not wrong, dear. Not about this," she said, compassionately. "I don't know if it's in his blood, to begin with, or his blood gave him the life that ensured it, but he was destined, if such things exist, to follow."
"Like I said, I don't know how Matasoga conducts his business. Only that he is a leader who commands many. It is possible that he has pawns. Maybe he doesn't value them. But if I pride myself on two things they are being a good cook and a good judge of character. A boy doesn't go from being someone's only childhood friend to a faceless pawn. I believe in Matasoga more than that, and I think that you should, too.
"I'm glad that you have such faith in him. If more people believe in him, maybe he'll believe in himself more. But if he was given control, he'd happily, eagerly give it all to Matasoga. Honestly, I worry about him an awful lot. Knowing that Matasoga is out there taking care of him makes me feel a lot better... And I hope that you'll take care of him, too." she finished, looking at her, significantly.  

[tinuviel_nyx]

Turning her eyes downward, Tinuviel sighed inwardly. It seemed there was no convincing any of them that Matasoga wasn't the shining figure they felt he was. "I'm sorry...The last thing I want is to make enemies. I hope you'll forgive my outburst. I just can't stand the thought of Kromli following that man to his death."
She hoped that she could avoid any more careless mistakes once she was shoveling good pie into her mouth.  

[Matasoga]

She laughed, in a manner surprisingly melodic.
"Sweetie, you're not my enemy," she said. "You're just looking out for my boy the best way that you know how."
She gently patted her head and said, "I just think you're wrong about Matasoga. I think that you really should give him another chance. How long have you known him?"
Glancing upwards once more, she replied, "Only about two weeks. But I assure you he has been nothing but rude the entire time. Were it not for Kromli, I'd have taken my chances in the wilderness alone."
"Well, Matasoga was many things, but he has never once been anything less than downright courtly in my house. I believe in second chances," she said. "I hope that you do, too."  

[tinuviel_nyx]

Unable to stop herself from asking, Tinuviel finally inquired, "Does someone who killed a boy in cold blood really deserve a second chance?"  

[Matasoga]

Her face grew serious and her tone emphatic. "There was nothing cold blooded about that, and if ever in my life I have met a boy that deserved to die, it was that awful bully Fallion."
"There was a time in his life when Matasoga started neglecting Kromli. It was some girl that had his attention. What hurt most was seeing that Kromli wasn't hurt by Matasoga's neglect. He was just so happy that Matasoga had found someone else to make him happy. There was no envy over him having found a girl, no regret that he didn't get more of his time or attention. It really felt like he was losing himself.
"Then he started coming home with bruises. They were all too afraid of Matasoga to beat him, but no one was afraid of Kromli, least of all when he was alone. They got worse each day and it just killed me knowing that I couldn't do anything for him. They were all from that same terrible boy.
"One day, it got really out of hand. Matasoga had just had his heart broken, and on that same day, Kromli had his ribs fractured. I truly believe that if Matasoga hadn't done what he did, then it would be Kromli that they buried instead.
"I don't know what happened. Matasoga hit him and he fell over dead. It was somewhere in the leg, I think they said and he died of heart failure. I'm no fool, and I don't think that a healthy young boy like that would die that way, at that time, but I'm glad that he did. When he died, my first thought was 'I'm so happy that I don't have to send my little boy off to be beaten, anymore.'
"If Matasoga killed that boy, then he did it to save Kromli," she said, the hurt and outrage of all of the years that she had to watch her son come home injured clear in her voice.
She wiped her eyes, and finished "You don't do that for a pawn."  

[tinuviel_nyx]

Her eyes grew moist, as she listened to the woman's story. How could anyone have ever treated Kromli like that!? He was the last person on earth who ever deserved such treatment. And had Matasoga really saved him? That didn't sound like the man she knew at all. Perhaps, she had been wrong after all.
"I...I didn't know. The townspeople said nothing about Kromli's involvement. They made it sound like Matasoga was doing it for sheer enjoyment. I...I'm sorry." She brushed away her tears and stared at her uneaten pie, not really feeling hungry anymore.  

[Matasoga]

"That's how stories go," she said. "If you stop a runaway cart from running over a baby, then they'll say that you probably did it just to rob it, if they don't like you. The biggest crime that Matasoga ever committed was being born different, and Kromli is just as guilty as he is," she said.
Just then, Kromli came back, two bags swinging very clearly in his hands. He took one look at his mother and Tinuviel, both of them wiping misty eyes. He flung out one of his arms, past where it would be blocked by the door, only to let it fall back to his side, empty and sheepishly said "I forgot the vegetables," before quickly closing the door, again.
His mother laughed, shook her head, and said, "Such a sweet boy."
"It looks like we have a bit more time," she said. "My name is Azalea,"
A closer examination would reveal that she was a thin, slight woman, doe-eyed but showing all the signs of a hard life, despite her youth, as she had indeed been a very young mother, having barely been in her late teens when she had Kromli.
"It seems that all I've done is talk about myself. Please, tell me more about you," she asked.  

[tinuviel_nyx]

Kromli's sudden reappearance and disappearance almost immediately dismissed Tinuviel's tears. She was about to tell him not to go, to invite him to join them, but he was gone before she even could.
Turning back to Azalea, she contemplated how to begin her story. "There's not much to say really. My mother was a weaver...a bit loose in her morals. I never knew my father, though I'm told he was a traveling healer. My mother had many men stay with us throughout the years, though only my siblings' father ever stuck around for any significant amount of time. He was a bard of sorts, so while he was with us we were constantly moving from place to place. Eventually, some thugs tried to kidnap me, and, in order to ensure the safety of the rest of the troupe, at that point I was sent away to a temple where they felt I'd be safe. I never heard from them again."
She paused, again wondering what had become of them, before continuing, "About a year ago, a Kuzothi envoy arrived at the temple in need of a guide, translator, and general assistant. The temple was more than happy to be rid of me, and for the next six months I served as advisor to Prince Ra-Katet Li Xephira, who was an ambassador to our nation. Soon after, war broke out with Ty'Mish, and we returned to Kuzoth to aid with the strategy. In the end, the king arranged for the prince to wed one of the princesses of Ty'Mish, and I returned here..."
She deliberately omitted the fact that she was part cervedal and that she had begun a relationship with the prince, as she was afraid that the former might be told to Matasoga who could sell her out and the latter might hurt Kromli. However, she decided that if asked, she would tell Azalea, provided that she promise to keep the two details secret.  

[Matasoga]

"It sounds to me like you've had quite the exciting life," she said, simply.
She asked no questions about her attempted kidnapped, not knowing if she suffered any amount of captivity or if it was as traumatic as hers had been. She had no wish to pry, nor to make her relive anything unpleasant. She would take what she told her and impose as little as she could.
She kept her interest in her expression as she got up to get some cider and poured a glass for each of them, before returning to the table. She looked questioningly at her, hoping that she might elaborate on what returned her to the continent.  

[tinuviel_nyx]

Tinuviel took a sip of the cider, then said, "I wouldn't describe it as exciting. I've been little more than a burden to nearly everyone I've ever met, so I only hope that I don't prove to become one again." She felt that since Azalea had been so honest with her, she should reciprocate. "When I was almost taken, several members of the troupe were killed while trying to save me. And, rather than being thankful that I was safe, my mother berated me, bemoaning the fact that my race had lost the troupe money and endangered us all. I say I was sent away for my safety, but really it was for theirs..."  

[Matasoga]

It sounded like a terrible thing to say, but not two decades ago, she had been very much the same way, so it seemed hypocritical to say "That's awful," no matter how true.
She was avoiding the topic of race, as she was one who was so successful at looking past such things that it was true that she didn't even notice things that set people apart from humans, at least not with the same conscious insistence that everyone else in town seemed to. She seemed to want to discuss it, now, though.
Really, why shouldn't she? That was exactly why she invited her into her home this way and sent Kromli on an errand. It was certainly far from normal for her to invite people into her home and tell them so many personal things. Never had she done this with anyone from town. Kromli seemed to be quite taken with her, judging from how he talked about her, and hadn't he invited her over? Or... Had he invited her over? Judging from the way she acted at the door, she seemed like she had just gotten a really unpleasant surprise. Was it that Kromli was there, and she hadn't expected him to be? Or was it that she didn't think that Kromli's family was quite so poor?
She didn't want to think the worst of Kromli's friends, but she didn't know this person well enough to say that it wasn't. Certainly if she was used to dealing with royalty, she really must feel that she had stepped into quite the vile slum... But she decided to try and not be offended and withhold her judgment. After all, it might be neither of the things she thought. She decided that the least that she could do was try and determine her character before deciding what was and wasn't in keeping with it.
She pulled herself back to her precious thought, recalling that she seemed to have hinted toward the topic of her race once, and now brought it up rather more directly. She seemed to want to discuss it, so it seemed fair to ask.
"Speaking of your race, if you don't mind me asking, what blood contributed to such horns as those?" she said, just a bit tentatively.  

[tinuviel_nyx]

While this woman could easily better her own situation by selling Tinuviel's information to the right party, Tinuviel trusted her not to do so. She knew her to be above such paltry tactics, and with the background she had, Azalea seemed the type to look out for other misfits. "It's not something I would typically talk about with one I've known for such a short time, but I feel I can trust you to keep such information to yourself. If I tell you, you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone else, not even Kromli. I would prefer to speak of it with him myself, should he ever ask."  

[Matasoga]

"Alright," she said.
She was prepared, and expecting to hear that she was of fiendish heritage, as goat horns were, according to the stories, common to demons and devils. She was no demonologist or diabolist but she was aware that those descended from fiends (especially those closely related) were more strongly inclined to evil than those of other races considered to be malefic (such as goblins) but she believed them to be capable of overcoming their nature.
"But I really think that you should tell him," she added. "I'm sure that he'd understand."  

[tinuviel_nyx]

Tinuviel never doubted that Kromli would understand. She simply didn't want to trouble him and, more importantly, to risk having her personal information given to Matasoga. "I'm a quarter cervedal." Upon seeing Azalea's look of confusion, she elaborated. "Cervedals are a celestial race known for the healing properties of their horns. There are people in certain circles who track such individuals down, either forcing them into servitude, or removing their horns to use such properties. It's for this reason that I generally keep my lineage to myself. Honestly, you're the second person I've ever felt trustworthy enough to tell."  

[Matasoga]

"I'm honored that you feel that way," she said, "and I promise that your secret is safe with me."
She couldn't help but wonder just how many people knew what a cervedal was, much less what it could do or that their powers were stored in their horns.