2017-05-18: Barroom Business IV

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  • Log: Barroom Business IV
  • Cast: Bart Fatima, Lily Keil
  • Where: Starfall Saloon
  • Date: 5/18/2017
  • Summary: Bart discusses Lily's magic, and points out a minor issue with her cover story.


<Pose Tracker> Bart Fatima has posed.

Evening.

Bart wasn't the sort of person who wanted to pry too much, but there was something that had been bugging him. And that 'something' has brought him to Lily's door, where he raises his hand and raps on it with his knuckles for a moment. And he doesn't hesitate before he adds, "Hey Lily, it's Bart. Was wondering if you had a minute to chat."

Nothing better than being direct, at least in the pirate's opinion. He didn't know about the other people coming to talk to Lily lately, although he wonders if Leon has been dropping by for... well, he can't say he knows what their relationship is, but at the same time, the two were close. If they were keeping each other company at night that was their business.

But Bart is left waiting - he's pretty sure Lily is in, but who knows if she's going to actually answer the door.

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

There's silence after Bart knocks on Lily's door. Other than the part where he adds a note about who he is, what he wants.

Lily Keil has expected Bart to want to talk to her at some point; she had topics of her own, but imagined a few that were possible. She has not however sought him out; it's easy to learn that she spends most, though not all, of her time up here these days.

Less known is the answer to Bart's curiousity.

But there's quiet for a few seconds longer, before there's a rumble at the door (a chair moving) and a click at the lock in the door. Lily, still obviously fatigued but sharp-eyed and alert, opens the door wide enough to accomodate herself. "Bart," she greets.

The chair is just out of the doorway. There's a bottle of amber liquid over on a small table with another chair, and a half-empty glass.

"Sure, I can talk. You can come in."

A gloved hand hovers on the edge of the door.

<Pose Tracker> Bart Fatima has posed.

Huh, she actually answered. Wasn't that a thing?

But Bart looks inside for a moment, and then at the rest of the room. And then at Lily. And then he adds, "Not that I want to sound rude, but do you want to talk here or downstairs?" he asks, curiously. He isn't opposed to going inside, but Bart is as familiar with what goes on behind closed doors as the next guy.

And he's enough of a gentleman to not make assumptions, nor does he want Leon or anyone getting suspicious.

Or drawing the wrong conclusions.

So he's totally open to talking someplace that's a little more public, unless Lily is really insisting on doing so. Best to give her a choice one way or the other.

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

She almost didn't. Probably.

She waits for him, starting to step aside, except that Bart asks to confirm whether she wants him to come inside, and Lily remembers that this is a civilized place and she's a woman inviting a man into her room who isn't Leon. She clicks her tongue briefly, an irritated gesture.

There are a lot of conclusions to potentially draw.

A shake of her head. "No, you're right. I can imagine my mother's glare at what I said just now, inviting a strange man into my room. I apologize for my slip." A glance back inside, as she holds up her key.

"Downstairs is probably fine, depending on what you want to talk about. ...I'm surprised to have a lesson on propriety from a pirate, but I suppose you are engaged."

<Pose Tracker> Bart Fatima has posed.

"You really have no idea," Bart mutters under his breath. Word of this getting back to Margie might result in him having to worry about Lily AND Cecilia finding bombs under their beds one day.

He can live with a bit less stress in his life, he thinks.

"Besides, just 'cause I'm a pirate doesn't mean that I don't have any manners! Heck I've got lots of manners! So many that I don't really feel like breakin' em out unless there's a special occasion. 'cause why show off how many manners you've got when you don't have to? Humility's a virtue too and all." Bart grins, although that entire line sounds... really weird when he thinks about it.

"...maybe I'll have to work on that one a bit later, feels like it was kind of..." Hrrrm, he ponders as Lily steps out of the room and they make their way downstairs.

There's Bart's usual table in the corner, which is out of the way and people can't overhear them unless they get close enough that it's clear they are trying to listen in. But Bart makes his way to his chair and kicks back, waiting for Lily to take a seat. "So, I was thinking about things we might need to do soon, and there was something you mentioned previously," he muses. "Something 'bout being a medic, as I recall."

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Lily watches Bart for a moment. "I don't," she agrees.

She's met Margie; impressions were positive.

"..." Lily lets out a breath quickly and shakes her head, a hand put up to her forehead. "...Yes," she answers, "You should definitely work on that one for a while." She almost, but doesn't quite, laugh.

Lily makes sure to lock the door behind her, not bothering to take all of her things that she would usually have, instead slipping her key into her sleeve. Her ARM is left... But of course that's fine.

Ditto her drink.

Walking down into the common area gets her glancing around sharply, a little jumpier than she would admit. At lesat this table is fairly defensible; Lily takes a seat near Bart for ease of quiet conversation--a seat that lets her keep her back to the wall.

"Things we might need to do?" she asks. A pause before, "...Yes, I said that. That was my primary occupation in the army, as combat medic. Four years accelerated study with further testing. I also know how to shoot and took training in demolitions, along with the usual stealth training."

<Pose Tracker> Bart Fatima has posed.

Bart raises an eyebrow. Well, that was interesting. "I'm a little surprised," he comments, looking at Lily curiously. "Given the amount of firepower... and ice power and generally exploding things power that you have, being assigned as a medic is pretty unusual. I may not know everything about the Kislev army, but generally they tend to put people with a lot of magic oomph in fire support roles."

The pirates generally do the same thing - people with good Symbological talents or who can use Crest Sorcery are put into places where they can best use their talent, and Lily's stronger than pretty much... anyone in Bart's crew.

"So I'm just curious, can we count on you for healing as well as making things explode? We don't really have anyone in the crew out here in Adelhyde that can actually patch people up outside the usual bandages and sutures, and being able to do some more direct healing would be a huge help." He looks at Lily for a long moment, and Bart's gaze is... understanding? He's beating around the bush a bit, and not wanting to come out and ask directly.

He's starting to have an idea of *why* Lily and Leon may be out here with bounties on their heads, after all.

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

When Bart indicates his surprise, Lily at first keeps watching him with the same sharp expression as before... Until he actually gets into what he's curious about, at which point her expression turns slightly blank in a diffect kind of surprise, and a little... apprehensive.

It fades after a moment, but even the compliment to her power can't really get rid of something she's been worried about for a long time. Except...

He mentions haling and she outright stares at him, fingers settling on the table. She's very quiet, but looks a little softer when she sees understanding there. She stays quiet for a few more moments.

"...For the record," she says quietly, "I bet I can do better sutures than anyone on your crew. " She glances around to check for any eavesdroppers.

"...For the most part," she says, "Kislev didn't know about my... abilities. I can tell you why but first I'll answer your question.

"Yes, I can heal as well. If you wonder why I didn't care about injuring myself in the Grotto... Well, you have a different perspective on wounds when you've been capable of healing them since you were a child." Pause. "...You haven't seen half of what I can do with my sorcery."

<Pose Tracker> Bart Fatima has posed.

"Sorcery," Bart comments, and his eye narrows for a moment. "I thought so." He remembered her carving herself up, all that blood. But still, there was something about it... well, it answered a few questions.

In fact, he can probably make a guess or two, but he doubts that Lily is actually aware of one fact. "...now, I trust you Lily. You're good people, and you and Leon haven't let me down. But you should probably be less specific about your cover as far as your magic goes, since there's not a Symbologist alive who can heal with their magic."

Kicking back, the pirate looks at her for a long moment, and then adds before she can really react: "You don't use Crest Graphs, so unless you're something really strange and new, you're like me aren't you?"

Bart pauses, and then laughs. "OK so you're like me in the sense that you're using a strange magic that seems to be pretty free form and does what you need it to, not 'like me' in the sense that you're actually good with magic and not a fumbling buffoon who can't actually accomplish anything magically without using a lot of tools to pull it off."

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Carving is probably the right word. Lily looks back, and remembers the incident she brought up in a few flashes; her hand slips over her left forearm, rubs at it through her sleeve, along where the wound had been.

He says he trusts her, and Lily blinks, obviously surprised. But he's continuing before she can interject, so she instead is left to just listen.

In the moment of that look though she looks more familiar. She recognizes something. But that changes when Bart mentions being like her.

She doesn't laugh back; she blinks, stares a moment and wonders briefly whether she's had more to drink than she expected. "That's..."

She looks back and forth again before, "I think I told you before that trusting me isn't your best choice. But I'm trusting you. You could get me worse than killed with what you already know. I shouldn't, but..." She stops. "It's fine; I'm aware of that, and I hide the fact that I can do healing as such. It means I've left people who I could've helped, yes. I was able to hide all of it before."

"Symbology..."

A shake of her head. "I maintain that I'm not good people. But if we really are alike..." She hesitates, "What you describe is accurate. I might be something strange; I don't know. I think I am. But my magic does what I want, though some things I've practiced and I'm good at. It's been that way since I was a little girl. Not that I remember most of that."

<Pose Tracker> Bart Fatima has posed.

"No, it's not something to bandy around, if only because there bastards out there who view this sort of magic as their high and mighty providence," Bart replies. He sounds somewhere between amused and somewhat angry at this point.

But he's heard some of what Gebler is capable of, and he's generally not been amused.

"What I've heard it called is 'Ether'. And its basically some weirdass magic that tends to do whatever you want it to do. It's a lot more shaped by your own perceptions and training, rather than being limited by material components like Symbology and Crest Sorcery." The pirate grins, looking mischievous. "You would not believe how awesome I thought it was at first, I had visions of being the great pirate sorcerer Bart, standing on the bow of my ship and throwing lightning bolts and fireballs at my enemies! Let them beware!

"Aaah but that wasn't gonna happen. I'm not a guy who does the mental stuff all that great, and magic just isn't a thing that comes easily to me. So best I can do is infuse items with energy - those colognes I create, and I occasionally use a coin as a projectile weapon, but that's about my limit." He inclines his head in respect to Lily's considerable abilities.

"But it's not 'strange' - apparently a lot of people in Gebler have these sorts of abilities. They tend to make a habit of tracking people down who can use Ether and disappearing them. On the other hand they already want my blonde head, so not like flaunting my Ether power makes them chase me any more."

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

"Mm, yeah. I learned that young." Lily is neither amused nor angry about it; she's sort of dully sad about it, tired.

She never knew who exactly would be the one to come after her, of course; only that they exist.

Bart explains, though. He mentioned Ether before, so there's a spark of recognition in what he says. "Heh," she answers at the idea of great pirate sorcerer Bart, quiet otherwise, tilting her head forward to listen.

"Bart, that's..." She blinks a few times, "I've never..." Lily looks the rest of the way down, "The first time I encountered anyone who even seemed like me was when we fought Gebler. It actually got us through a few scrapes, because their magic was so familiar to me that I knew how to adapt."

"I've never tried to put magic into an object; never anything that would leave a trail. I create objects, but they're temporary, or I infuse a person, usually myself, with something, or I just blast. Those are the simplest things I can do, anyway."

She perks up a little discussing magic, somehow. "But I've been practicing hard for a long time, in secret. Gebler... I wonder if that's who Father mentioned to be wary of..."

She looks up, "Kislev thinks I'm a Gebler spy. Now you know part of why."

<Pose Tracker> Bart Fatima has posed.

Bart actually smiles a bit more broadly, because despite the fact that it was a short, brief chuckle... he actually got Lily to laugh. That makes him feel quite a bit better. There was too much sadness around the girl, enough that it felt like there was a pall over her.

He decides then and there that one day he'll get a full laugh out of here. Just to see what it sounded like. Tastefully, of course.

"That's because the Kislev army is generally a bunch of idiots when it comes to things they don't understand. That and when Gebler goes and scoops up Ether users in Kislev, they're really damn sneaky about it." There have been times in Aveh... Bart snarls, almost involuntarily. "But since Shakahn is their damn lapdog, they just kick doors down in Aveh and drag Ether users into the street - we hear about it more there."

He sighs. "Well, their loss is my gain, but..." He holds up a finger. "If you want, I can... do what I can to try and get that bounty off your heads. No guarantees, but if we take Shakhan down, I might be able to help with it."

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Lily sees the smile and is unaware for a moment why, until she realizes she's laughed and been spotter. A bit of embarrassment shifts over her features as she glances to the side, though she looks back quickly.

She can be a little shy, given the right conditions. But getting a full laugh out of her is a tall order.

But Bart answers about Kislev and she frowns sharply, looking at him as if to suggest to tread carefully, but dispenes with that into thoughtfulness and a little bit of barely-touched horror. It shows, more, as Bart mentions what happens in Aveh, and Lily actually shudders slightly, crossing her arms.

But?

"Huh? ...What would you be able to do? Only Kislev could drop the treason and espionage charges, and even with my father being the head of our regiment..."

She pauses, noticing her slip. "...What happens in Aveh sounds truly awful. You know I don't love their leadership much myself. But I can't say such things against the Kislev army." She stops again, "I guess I am something of a gain for you, aren't I? Truthfully, I prefer having some affiliation with an organization broader than Leon and I."

<Pose Tracker> Bart Fatima has posed.

"We've all got secrets - all I can say is that when we get to that point, you'll understand how I think I can get it done. Until then, trust me - alright?" Bart grins, and gives Lily a thumbs up. Believe in the Bart who believes in himself. And you as well.

Because that Bart IS AWESOME.

"I don't prefer looking at people like that, because everyone who is working with me is someone with their own story. So yes, while it is a gain for me, I'm hoping that our cause is something you two can get behind as well, and that you're doing it for more than just the money." Another grin, and an airy wave. "I mean yeah, money is nice and all... but there's also more to life than that. Some things are worth fighting for."

There's a lot of principal to the pirate, and while he's one for speaking rough, he doesn't blame other people for their loyalties. But the comment about Lily's father is noted, although he seems to recall having heard something similar before...

"Anyways, I just wanted to let you know that as weird as you may look at your powers being, you're not alone in having them either. Probably only like... one in twenty or thirty people who can use magic can use Ether, and most are hiding it. For obvious reasons."

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Lily looks at Bart skeptically, but eventually sets her hands down to the table and nods. "...If you say so," she allows. "I'll believe you have a reason. Trusting you with my life is one thing, trusting you with optimism is entirely different."

It's just wry enough to be a joke, though she looks a little too long for it to be.

Lily has seen the principle in this pirate more than once already; it surprised her, but was also one of the reasons she's kept working with him.

"...I'm a soldier," Lily points out. "I'm comfortable with someone considering my value logistically. It probably makes you a popular leader to think in terms of stories. ...From what I know of your goals, they're worth pursuing, but I don't know how much of it for me is just the fact that I've been fighting Aveh already." A shake of her head. "Maybe some things are worth fighting for. I know of a few I will. But it's hard for me to believe in things at this point in my life."

"...If Leon supports it, I'll go. That's all I can say."

"...But thank you. I'm not... sure we are alike. I've... I'm mixed up about it. And I'd have to show you something. But the idea of knowing just a little bit more of what I am is..." She closes her eyes. "I've wanted that for a long time."

<Pose Tracker> Bart Fatima has posed.

Bart actually looks a little crushed by that. "...ah well you wouldn't be the first person..." he mutters. Just what he needs, another spoil sport like his first mate! Well, he supposed that was what the world was coming to at this point...

Well, he figured that with the two of them as a team, Leon might be calling the shots, especially with Lily being the far more withdrawn of the two. But Bart nods, and simply replies, "As long as you two are comfortable with what I'm doing, I'll expect your support. If you decide to strike out on your own, I'll do what I can to help... but I won't blame you if you need to handle your own business as well."

They've not had that long of a working relationship yet, but Bart figures the pair are good people. "Well, I'll let you make your own decisions. But unless you're ALSO a Moon Princess, which I highly doubt by the way, I think I'm probably right about your powers. Especially if you're able to recognize some of what Gebler is doing. I've... had that same feeling, at times."

He's not anywhere near as good at it as Lily is. Bart. No think gud. Really.

"Anyways, I just wanted to touch base and let you know if you do want to talk, I'm here to listen. And knowing we've got someone who can actually heal might be good if things go bad around here."

A sigh, and then, "I've been hearing rumors about a couple other operatives causing some trouble out here, so I should check up on them..."

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

There's a little scale that weighs Lily's pessimism against her guilt for crushing someone's spirit a bit. It tilts... and the pessimism wins out. Besides...

"Wouldn't I?" she asks, dry. It helps to put out some kind of humor given part of her mood talking about belief. If there was a pall over her before, is leans bak into frame, the fatigue under her eyes showing a little further.

"I'm comfortable," she answers. "And I'll support you to the best of my ability until that changes. ...There are things we need to do--things that I need to do--but thus far there's been no conflict."

Lily of course continues to protest the idea that she's good people, of course. "I might be. I have a lead to follow up with some moon people." A beat, "...But I see your point. It doesn't answer everything... But it answers some things. I want to show you more of what I can do sometime, see what you think. And... the other thing." She considers. "Both of us recognizing it, though..."

Lily is very good at thinking. It pairs well with being so sharply withdrwn.

"Healing is easy for me, especially with my medical knowledge. And I... appreciate... your offer. I'll consider it. But you've probably gathered that I don't really want to talk much."

She tilts her head, studying his face. "...I'll back you up if you need it. Just ask. It's not secluding myself in my room, but it sounds worthwhile."