From: Mosquito [jrorr@exis.net] Sent: Wednesday, August 26, 1998 5:58 PM To: dewshine@murkworks.net Subject: For the archive This takes place not long, but not immediately after Dusk and Talek's return to Willowholt. ---- Log Cast: Talek, Jylien Log Date: 8/10/98 The touch of another mind on yours is so slight, so timid it might be overlooked. Missed or brushed aside as the memory of something you were supposed to do that flutters almost into grasp then whirls away again, unremembered. This touch, however, doesn't flutter away, though it wavers. ** ...... not waking you, am I? ** You locksend to Jylien, Talek's response is slow to come, and when it does, it is quiet and somewhat halted between each word as they are sent. ** I.. No. I'm awake. Been awake for.. a while now. ** Jylien locksends ** Busy, then? ** You locksend ** Not really. Just.. well, cleaning. ((His own bubble of amusement rises, but it is dryer in tone rather than light and airy. That fades, though, to give way to uneasy - and uncharacteristic - defensiveness.)) ... Why? ** to Jylien. Which prompts in turn an embarassed withdrawal. ** Just.. curious. ** ** Oh? Um.. Aye, well.. ** His own embarrassment is somewhat flustered in itself; you can almost see the silver-haired dreamer banging his head against the wall of his den. ** Sorry, didn't mean to be.. harsh. Or anything. ** You sense in a locksend, Jylien has the air about him of have six or seven dozen things he'd like to say next. Instead, he sends, in a blurt of embarassed and shamed words, ** I don't know how this whole thing got the way it did but I never meant for anyone to think that you and I were anything more than friends. ** You locksend to Jylien, Talek's sending silences for a moment, then that flustered embarrassment again. ** Its not your fault, Jylien.. I.. Heh. ** An odd sense of uncertainty wraps about his sending, as if he himself is unsure if he is to fault. ** Its mine. I.. I think. ** You sense in a locksend, Jylien is reluctant to accept that as the reason, reluctant to focus any blame on you. ** I was just so worried about you, when you were dreamsick and all.. ** You locksend ** ((Flecks of red and pink hue his sending, shading his own words with embarrassment and bewilderment. It is the same for him, trying to avoid focus of the blame, but his own attempts aren't nearly so coherent.)) No.. It wasn't.. That was then! Now.. I hit my head, I.. .... Its not your fault. ** to Jylien. You sense in a locksend, Jylien is once more concerned, though he makes an effort to mask it, making it all the more obvious. ** The healers. In Sorrow's End. Did they... help? ** You locksend ** They did. I didn't hurt my head, just.. ((His sending shifts to a sheepish tone.)) ..hit it really hard. ** to Jylien. You sense in a locksend, Jylien is confused. ** If you hit it really hard, didn't it get hurt? Your head, I mean. ** It dawns on him, suddenly, that he might have been unclear and he grows uncomfortably embarassed again. ** I meant physical, not mindsick. Your mind's strong, Talek. It'd.. take a lot to hurt your mind again. I think. ** You locksend to Jylien, Talek falls silent for a while, disturbed and maybe uneasy. When he does respond - after a considerable delay - his 'voice' is quiet, somehow wry. ** No.. I was dizzy on the way to the Sun Village. Sometimes I had headaches, bad ones, but.. No. They went away after we reached the Village and I could sleep again. ** He pauses there, considering, then adds, ** If I did hurt myself, the healers probably did help it go away. ** You sense in a locksend, Jylien approves. Strongly. ** Good. Good. ** You sense in a locksend, Jylien follows that up a moment later with a quiet sigh. ** So. I just wanted to ... apologize, for.. everybody thinking that I.. we. You know. Not that I.. well. Nobody likes to be teased. So. Sorry. ** You locksend ** ((a quiet equivalent to an amused sigh)) I'm beginning to get used to it. ** to Jylien. You sense in a locksend, Jylien empathizes, silently. It's another moment before a sparkle of amusement brightens his send, and he admits, ** They think we're cute. ** You locksend ** You don't have to apologize anyway, its not your-- ((He starts to add, then stops when the responding send comes. The silver -haired lad blinks slowly, quietly, then his sending flashes with his own good-naturedly dry amusement.)) ... Heh. Great. ** to Jylien. You sense in a locksend, Jylien is once again agreeable. ** That's what I said. ** Silence, and consideration, then, as a sense of the starts over the holt drifts through Jylien's mind. His question is, necessarily, quiet. ** Don't you ever get lonely? ** You locksend to Jylien, Talek quite literally goes blank. His sending echoes the sense of a void, a blank slate, a wordlessness that betrays no emotion. ** ..... ** Its more than the question was so sudden, so unexpected, more than that Talek is embarrassed to answer. Perhaps that too, but. ** I.. ah.. .... Sometimes, but.. ** You sense in a locksend, Jylien all but winces. ** .... me too. Sometimes. ** ** Oh.. Well. ** Talek seems awkward, uncertain of how to fill the silence between sendings, and somewhat frustrated towards that uncertainty. A few heart-beats pass in quiet, at least from his end, and then he offers rather shyly, ** If you are.. you know, sometimes.. I wouldn't mind if you.. ** You sense in a locksend, Jylien holds his breath; that's the only explanation for the sensation that courses through Jylien's send. Restraint, held breath, the prick of a tooth against lip. For all that, he tries -- really tries -- to be casual. ** You're sure? I-I know sometimes.. sometimes it's nice /not/ to be alone, but I wouldn't want to.. unless /you/ wanted to... you're sure? ** Hope flickers like moonlight on the holt pond. Awkward amusement flickers in Talek's mind, like a candle-flame getting the brunt of a light breeze, uncertain of whether it will continue to dance there or be snuffed out. ** Aye.. Of course. ** You sense in a locksend, Jylien blurts, pleased, ** Then I will! ** He amends, more quietly, ** Sometimes. It's .. I hunt a lot. Too. You know. When I'm feeling ... so I wouldn't always be bugging you. ** You locksend to Jylien, Talek grins, the awkwardness fading slightly, though not completely. ** Good. Great. Heh. ** A chuckle, more mental than vocal, weaves through the tapestry of his sending. ** Its okay. ..Um. Aye. ** You sense in a locksend, Jylien adds, ** If you're ever... you know. Ah. You could.. I'm just a send away. I never go further than I can run back, anyway. Not any more. ** You locksend to Jylien, Talek chuckles nervously, aloud. The mental echo shades his sending a pale blue. ** I don't think.. umn.. Wouldn't want to interrupt you.. a hunt.. ** You sense in a locksend, Jylien's back to blurting. ** You could come with me, then. ** And amending. ** If you wanted. Sometime. ** You locksend to Jylien, Talek blinks once. ** I.. um, don't hunt.. very well.. ** You sense in a locksend, Jylien offers, ** It takes practice, just like everything. ** Embarassment colors his send rosy. ** The holt called me Frog, for awhile, because that was all I could catch. When I was a cub. ** You locksend to Jylien, Talek blinks again, then hehs! softly, a small smile accompanied by amusement. A mental image rises unbidden of Jylien hunting for frogs, but not a young Jylien/Pwyll, but the adult one. The thought is enough to call up a bout of soft, good-natured laughter, gray eyes twinkling. ** I'm not sure I could catch even one of those. ** You sense in a locksend, Jylien attempts to look/act offended, but he fails, amusement bubbling into laughter for him, as well. ** I was a cub, ** he reminds, and reflects his own image, in the water, but clearly a much younger Jylien, mop-haired and bright-eyed. ** You could, ** he sends, with quiet encouragement. ** If you wanted. Or a ravvit. Or.. well. It was just a thought. ** ** A good one! ** The answer comes a tad too quickly and Talek withdraws back slightly, sending quieting noticeably. ** I would like that. To try that.. Sometime. I should learn. ** You sense in a locksend, Jylien smiles again, embarassed or not. ** Well. Sometime, I'll teach you. I'll teach you a little, at least. I'm not as good as Strongbow, or even Woodhawk. ** ** "Hmph." ** Its said aloud, but sending echos it. Talek's own smile is lopsided and wry. ** Better than me, nonetheless.. ** He then seems thoughtful, allowing a moment to pause in his thoughts before adding, a tad shyly, ** Every little bit helps, anyway.. ** Before an answer to that could be sent though, Talek's sending strengthens some. ** Jylien, I.. Um. I really should get to cleaning my den. Leaves blew in during the deathsleep, and I kept putting it off and more leaves blew in, and I put it off more.. and now the den's beginning to look like a ravvit hole! ** You sense in a locksend, Jylien ohs, and his send colors again. ** Sure. That happens to my den sometimes, too, only it's usually pollen that gets on everything. ** He stops abruptly, takes a breath, then sends, ** Thank you. For letting me.. talk to you, you know? It was... really nice. ** You locksend to Jylien, Talek echoes, ** Nice. Aye. ** He gathers his wits again after a moment and nods, though alone in his den, so seemingly to himself. ** I.. liked this, Jylien. I guess, well.. ah.. ** He stops and starts over. ** Liked this. Aye. I'll.. talk to you later, all right? ** You sense in a locksend, Jylien lets slide a breath he'd forgotten he was holding, that breezes through the send. ** Aye. Soon. I hope. Um. Good luck cleaning. ** You locksend to Jylien, Talek blinks, then manages to suppress the grin that rises to his lips from his sending. ** Ahh, thanks. ** You sense in a locksend, Jylien sends into the silence, unnecessarily, ** I'm going hunting. ** For some reason, that seems both to please and amuse him. Lighter of mood, is Jylien, than when he began the conversation. You locksend to Jylien, Talek's send is acknowledgment, the equivalent of a nod, and: ** Good luck. ** [End Log.]