Prose log with Chris
Consumed with concern at the recent events and even more upset at the news of her former squire's arrest, Chris still made her way to the tavern for her meeting with Geddoe. She had questions about these annoying dreams and he had kindly offered to listen. She felt guilty for indulging in such selfish frivoloties knowing that trouble was worse for others but still she needed answers. Opening the door to the tavern, she saw him there and quickly slid into the seat opposite him. "Hello."
Geddoe lifted his head at her entrance. "Ah. Chris." He sat back a little. "I wasn't sure you were still going to have the time, what with the chaos that broke out this afternoon." He turned slightly to gesture to the bartender. "What'll you have? I'm buying."
"Oh, tequila, straight shot, and thank you," she said, rubbing her forehead. "This is getting out of hand."
Raising an eyebrow at the order, Geddoe put in for it without a pause and waited for her drink to be brought before continuing. "Yeah, sounded like it. I kept my distance, but I heard everything." He shook his head slowly. "I don't envy the position you're in."
She ran a finger around the lip of the shot glass. "Yes, this is going to get ugly. I know it...and as much as I need advice on that...I feel the need to be selfish tonight."
Geddoe nodded. "It isn't my place to tell you how to handle Zexen affairs. But runes...that I can help you with." He went back to nursing his ale. "So you've been having dreams? Really vivid ones, I take it?"
"Yes," Chris said. "I don't just see and hear the dreams, I feel them...and as crazy as this sounds, I also smell and taste them." She slammed the tequila down in one drink, her lips twisting as the coarse liquid burned.
If the subject matter hadn't been so serious, Geddoe might have chuckled at her reaction - at the very least, his mouth curved in a smirk. "Yeah, that sounds like a rune-related dream, all right. There have been times I've woken up and couldn't remember where I was, or even who I was, they seem to completely transport the mind."
Chris sighed. "I haven't experienced those yet, but if that is what it is to come, I'm scared. The last one I had I swore I drowned."
"Hm." Geddoe digested that with the slighted nod of his head. "That's probably another ten years down the road for you. I didn't have those until after the war was over...while I was trying to keep it hidden." He rubbed his chin with a gloved hand. "If you wanted to know, in simple terms, if this is normal? Yeah, I'd say it is. I've always had them, your father had them."
Chris nodded. "I assumed there would be some side effects with accepting this rune. I am just wondering...I am wondering if some day I will not be able to wake from those dreams? It felt so real, I struggled to force myself to open my eyes."
Folding his arms on the table, Geddoe mulled it over for a bit. He certainly hadn't had that problem, considering he was still alive, but... "I guess that depends on you," he replied. "Nobody knows what the runes are trying to do, or if it's anything more than just...interference, playing off our minds. But there's a lot of reasons not to let the Rune's will supercede yours. The less you let it control you, the easier it is to make sure you wake up from any dream."
"Yes, that's true," she said, staring down into her empty shot glass. "You don't want yours, do you?"
"What? My drink?" Geddoe looked down at his mug, then back at her, and peered in a slightly possessive manner.
"No, your rune," she said. "You cover it."
"Oh..." Geddoe chuckled uneasily. "Actually...no, I don't mind it. I cover it because I don't want people to know I have it. It's going to cost me my life someday, I'm sure." His amusement faded, and his face grew dark. "I just don't plan to hasten that day."
"I see," Chris said quietly. "And I understand. I'm wondering if that's what has the councilors so interested, then."
Keeping his head down, Geddoe muttered, "I'm surprised they haven't tried making use of you and your Rune, yet. Beyond lauding you as the figurehead hero of Zexen."
"They've tried," she answered, wishing for another drink but not daring to ask for one. "That was part of the reason I've been spending so much time here and away from Vinay del Zexay."
"I see. Well, it could be part of the reason. I haven't let anyone know about True Lightning recently, but I can't rule out others being stupid and loose-lipped. If they've gotten wind of so many True Runes being here..." He sniffed, the barest of laughs. "As if the lot of us wouldn't just pick up and leave, if they tried to take any of our runes."
She nodded, absently. "In my dealing with them I've known them to be manipulative and aggressive but never stupid. There has to be more to it than that."
"I'm sure there is. And in my dealings with them..." Geddoe raised his thick eyebrow. "...it tends to be financially motivated." He looked away, scratching at his chin again. "I wonder. I'm on leave, but...I do still have contacts around the region..."
"Anything you can find out would be appreciated, I'm sure. I'm going to Zexay tomorrow. I'm going to try and see Louis and make sure he is well, at least," she said, placing her hands on her lap. "Perhaps I'll learn something, too."
"Good luck," Geddoe said sincerely. "And don't worry about the dreams too much. They'll happen. You just have to be stronger than the Rune - waking or sleeping. You already knew that much."
Chris rose and offered her hand. "Thank you, Geddoe, for the chat and the drink."
Geddoe looked up, and after a belated moment reached to take her hand. "Not a problem. I may not be good for much these days, but I can still afford to buy drinks."
She smiled, shook his hand and then turned to leave. "Thank you, again."
Geddoe lifted his head at her entrance. "Ah. Chris." He sat back a little. "I wasn't sure you were still going to have the time, what with the chaos that broke out this afternoon." He turned slightly to gesture to the bartender. "What'll you have? I'm buying."
"Oh, tequila, straight shot, and thank you," she said, rubbing her forehead. "This is getting out of hand."
Raising an eyebrow at the order, Geddoe put in for it without a pause and waited for her drink to be brought before continuing. "Yeah, sounded like it. I kept my distance, but I heard everything." He shook his head slowly. "I don't envy the position you're in."
She ran a finger around the lip of the shot glass. "Yes, this is going to get ugly. I know it...and as much as I need advice on that...I feel the need to be selfish tonight."
Geddoe nodded. "It isn't my place to tell you how to handle Zexen affairs. But runes...that I can help you with." He went back to nursing his ale. "So you've been having dreams? Really vivid ones, I take it?"
"Yes," Chris said. "I don't just see and hear the dreams, I feel them...and as crazy as this sounds, I also smell and taste them." She slammed the tequila down in one drink, her lips twisting as the coarse liquid burned.
If the subject matter hadn't been so serious, Geddoe might have chuckled at her reaction - at the very least, his mouth curved in a smirk. "Yeah, that sounds like a rune-related dream, all right. There have been times I've woken up and couldn't remember where I was, or even who I was, they seem to completely transport the mind."
Chris sighed. "I haven't experienced those yet, but if that is what it is to come, I'm scared. The last one I had I swore I drowned."
"Hm." Geddoe digested that with the slighted nod of his head. "That's probably another ten years down the road for you. I didn't have those until after the war was over...while I was trying to keep it hidden." He rubbed his chin with a gloved hand. "If you wanted to know, in simple terms, if this is normal? Yeah, I'd say it is. I've always had them, your father had them."
Chris nodded. "I assumed there would be some side effects with accepting this rune. I am just wondering...I am wondering if some day I will not be able to wake from those dreams? It felt so real, I struggled to force myself to open my eyes."
Folding his arms on the table, Geddoe mulled it over for a bit. He certainly hadn't had that problem, considering he was still alive, but... "I guess that depends on you," he replied. "Nobody knows what the runes are trying to do, or if it's anything more than just...interference, playing off our minds. But there's a lot of reasons not to let the Rune's will supercede yours. The less you let it control you, the easier it is to make sure you wake up from any dream."
"Yes, that's true," she said, staring down into her empty shot glass. "You don't want yours, do you?"
"What? My drink?" Geddoe looked down at his mug, then back at her, and peered in a slightly possessive manner.
"No, your rune," she said. "You cover it."
"Oh..." Geddoe chuckled uneasily. "Actually...no, I don't mind it. I cover it because I don't want people to know I have it. It's going to cost me my life someday, I'm sure." His amusement faded, and his face grew dark. "I just don't plan to hasten that day."
"I see," Chris said quietly. "And I understand. I'm wondering if that's what has the councilors so interested, then."
Keeping his head down, Geddoe muttered, "I'm surprised they haven't tried making use of you and your Rune, yet. Beyond lauding you as the figurehead hero of Zexen."
"They've tried," she answered, wishing for another drink but not daring to ask for one. "That was part of the reason I've been spending so much time here and away from Vinay del Zexay."
"I see. Well, it could be part of the reason. I haven't let anyone know about True Lightning recently, but I can't rule out others being stupid and loose-lipped. If they've gotten wind of so many True Runes being here..." He sniffed, the barest of laughs. "As if the lot of us wouldn't just pick up and leave, if they tried to take any of our runes."
She nodded, absently. "In my dealing with them I've known them to be manipulative and aggressive but never stupid. There has to be more to it than that."
"I'm sure there is. And in my dealings with them..." Geddoe raised his thick eyebrow. "...it tends to be financially motivated." He looked away, scratching at his chin again. "I wonder. I'm on leave, but...I do still have contacts around the region..."
"Anything you can find out would be appreciated, I'm sure. I'm going to Zexay tomorrow. I'm going to try and see Louis and make sure he is well, at least," she said, placing her hands on her lap. "Perhaps I'll learn something, too."
"Good luck," Geddoe said sincerely. "And don't worry about the dreams too much. They'll happen. You just have to be stronger than the Rune - waking or sleeping. You already knew that much."
Chris rose and offered her hand. "Thank you, Geddoe, for the chat and the drink."
Geddoe looked up, and after a belated moment reached to take her hand. "Not a problem. I may not be good for much these days, but I can still afford to buy drinks."
She smiled, shook his hand and then turned to leave. "Thank you, again."