The Next Time You Say Forever (Calovan)

[Sondra]

Sondra frowned at the use of her proper name. Only Grandmother and Gregoire had consistently called her that, and both had tried to undo Sondra in their own ways. Hearing that name, especially in severe tones made her stomach tighten.

The Konti absorbed Calovan's story with a pensive mien, making no other expression than the flutter of distaste at her name. Even when presented a pointed question, she did not respond immediately. The woman pressed her hands together, as if praying, and tilted her head so her chin rested on her fingertips.
It was an obvious show of thinking, meant to assauge Calovan.

"I never speak to the Knights. Some visions are too piecemeal to stake a man's life on."
Sondra let her hands fall to her lap and her gaze turned from vague to direct.
"More importantly, I'm not a self-righteous, fink."

Implying she might tattle did more to irritate Sondra than the story itself. With curt motions she dumped the loose leaf tea in the small cauldron. A little clanging from her trunk and tin cups were found. Likely pocketed from a cheap tavern. If the Kelvic ate raw meat in the wild, she didn't think he'd be picky about the quality of her flatware.

Moments later, the Konti was handing Calovan a cup of light gold tea. It was a form of peace offering, though delivered a little gruffly.
"Here."

She hovered for a minute before adding, "I've heard worse explanations than fits of madness. If you're lying, that's for Lhex to worry about."

The Konti returned to the bed where, Calovan's coat was. She rolled it in a ball and lightly lobbed it at his feet, not caring if he had anything in its pockets.

Sondra was miserable at small talk. Especially after such grisly conversation. She was trying, though, and the effort was evident in her fidgeting.
"So, don't tell me... "
Unique eyes, black claws, a general quickness of manner.
"...Cat?"

[Calovan]

"Raven." He responded with the air of someone discussing something trivial over tea.
Ironically, in this case, they were.
"Thank you for the tea." He sipped the golden liquid and inhaled deeply as warmth spread through his body. He'd had tea before, but not like this. He glanced up at her once more as he nimbly kicked his foot up and caught his clothes with his free hand. Setting them over the back of his chair, he kept his weapons off, as well. He did, however, put his necklace back on.

"I do not know anyone by that name." He replied curtly as she told him of Lhex. "And I doubt that I would worry even if I did. Death means so little in the scheme of things, you know. In fact, if the royalty of the kingdoms were to die today, it would make no difference at all within the stars. Long after life is gone from this land, the world, itsel,f shall live on. Why, then, should I be afraid of this Lhex when he is but a man? Like all men, they are only temporary. The divine ones, themselves, only hold so much sway in the balance of creation." He smirked and placed his tea down after having finished it; nevermind that it was still steaming, he had a high tolerance for pain or discomfort.
"Are you disconcerted at having met a kelvic of such philosophy? Most normals are surprised at my demeanor. They think us all to be barbarians."
At this, he chuckled darkly, remembering his memories and it added a highly bitter undertone to his laugh.
"Aren't we all?"

[Sondra]

Strange as the Kelvic were to her, the idea of the man before her becoming a Raven instilled a bit of wonder in Sondra. When Calovan's other form was revealed, the Konti tilted her head to the side, reconsidering him.

She spoke in a low steady tone.
"Lhex is said to be the god who weighs the soul and assigns our next form if the other divinities do not set us aside. He can be neither persuaded nor deceived."

Her expression was wry as she continued.
"The world has maybe three bits of royalty left in it. Their scarcity has not halted a thing. The Valterrian was a sobering lesson in the fragility and superfluousness of life."

When asked if Calovan's philosophy surprised her, Sondra sipped her tea and said, "A little."

The Konti looked into her cup, as if reading the tea leaves.
"Yes, we are all barbaric with pet sins. I should not be astonished at the evil I see, much is deserved."

Yet a hope still pulsed in her, willing that man's awareness of goodness would overcome his natural inclination towards wickedness. She was not fool enough to think the human condition inherently pristine and noble.

"But humanity can meet grace. I like the story of a sinner changed better than the narrative of a person unalterably good. The former has something to overcome, where the latter has just luckily avoided his breaking point."
It was both a truth and veiled encouragement to the somber Kelvic across from her.

[Calovan]

Calovan looked at the woman in front of him and narrowed his eyes. She was surprising him at every other turn. Quite an intelligent woman. He thought it was amusing when he realized she was more than likely quite older than him in the sense of ordinary years. However, he knew that he, himself, had already exhausted quite a bit of his time in the realm of the living.

"Once again, you amuse me. Tales of retribution and forgiveness are pure fantasy. The only thing people must overcome in life is themselves. Sin is a perception. The god of destruction would view the annhilation of a village as a wondrous act, while the other gods and goddesses would see it as an abomination- a sin. So, honestly, if sin is dependent on one's perceived notions of right and wrong, then the only thing that must be conquered is the self, yes?"

Sighing, Calovan stood and stretched his limbs, still uncomfortable from being in his human form for so long.

[Sondra]

Sondra smiled.
"That would be a dangerous philosophy, if you actually believed it."
The Konti drank her tea slowly, as if there was a ritual to it now. It gave her a moment to gather her thoughts that were especially squirrelly this evening.

"But your actions and purported convictions have contradicted it already."
Standing to poke the fire, Sondra spoke between the crumbling of logs.
"How can a man call a fight unfair and punish another for it, if fair is relative? How can a man feel guilty still for a deed he perceived a necessity, if his perception was all that shaped it?"

A headache was coming on, compounded by the erudite turn of the conversation.

"If the god of destruction sets a child on fire and glees in it, his opinion on the matter doesn't change the awfulness of the deed. We'd call him crazy and behead him if he weren't a god."
After returning the poker to its place, the Konti rolled her shoulder gingerly, trying to undo the stiffness.
"The idea of good, evil and shades of gray comes from something beyond the known gods, I think."
She shrugged, turning casual, "But I have no idea what that thing is."

Sondra finished unravelling her thoughts with a puzzled sigh,
"I agree with fighting the self, though."
She was now moving his weapons onto the table from the bed, "We make enough trouble to overcome without any contributions."

With that Sondra groaned and plopped on the bed, covering her eyes with one hand.
"Shyke, Calovan. I'm all gratitude you got me home tonight. But I swear, I'm going to wake up tomorrow with a hangover, doubled by your philosophizing."

She was shifting back to the uncouth brawler he observed at the evening's start, but her phrases were starting to drag tiredly.
"Poor Marcus Kelvic. He probably had to debate his hound if he wanted him to fetch."

If Sondra's childhood pets could talk back... well she would have stopped adopting animals after the minnow disaster.

"I'm glad you're not a cat."
The Konti was feeling the effects of the evening in one fell swoop as her lids fluttered. Her observations were beginning to splinter.
"They make my nose run... I cry... can't breathe."
She removed her soothing hand from her eyes.
"Since you're a bird, you can come around."
Her eyes shut.
"Don't mind birds..."

[Calovan]

Smiling, he stood and muttered,
"You almost had it. Sin is sometimes necessary to live. Bad things must be done in order to serve the purposes of good, I think. Preconceptions of right and wrong taint the mind. I judge no one for their actions, as it would be more than hypocritical. Fair, however, is not a perception, because the idea of fairness stems from just and unjust. Whether you believe it or not, just and unjust actions are entirely different from what some would call good and evil. Revenge is just, but revenge itself is wrong- violence used in anger is always wrong. I simply accept my sins for what they are and commit only those that are just, or fair. The world will little note my actions. I'll be a footnote in history in about twenty years."
He brushed his hair from out of his face and walked over to the bed. Sitting on the edge, he smirked and pondered her meaning when he said that he could "come around."

"Poor little normal. You must be exhausted. Why don't you sleep off that little bout of yours and catch a dream or two?"

[Sondra]

The Konti turned into her pillow, breathing something that roughly equated to, "Hate dreams."

Dreams were often a fermentation of too many memories not her own. Half recalled crimes and victims, accusations and regrets. So Sondra usually slept like the guilty: half drunk and armed.

It was two Bells before sunrise. The night was spent in strange fashion, for despite Calovan's title, the Konti kept hours and activities that were anything but normal.

She didn't bother to comment on anymore particulars apart from mumbling something about candles. Sondra was finally down for the count.

OOCShall we wrap it up there? Either way, thanks for the thread! It was good fun. We'll have to do another soon.

[Calovan]

((Yes, we can end it there. Thanks for it, too. It was fun, indeed.))