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Date Posted: 20:07:31 12/12/01 Wed
Author: Valhorek, Corum & Erlic
Subject: Dissonance, dance, and diversion
In reply to: Tia 's message, "It must be the liquor talking" on 09:30:07 12/12/01 Wed

Valhorek listened to Jeremy explain the chords for the AC/DC song that he was talking about, but no matter how he played the chords, the other worldly youth continued to explain to him that he was playing the song wrong. “I know how to play the chords,” Valhorek explained, “but it won’t sound anything like the song unless I have the rhythm of the chords down.”

Jeremy looked puzzled for a moment when suddenly his eyes flew wide open. “I got it!” he yelled as he went rushing off to gather his backpack. Soon, he returned with a strange device, and placed something in Val’s ear. The device in Val’s ear was attached to some sort of wire to a very strange looking device. Jeremy pressed something, and the healer nearly jumped when he started hearing music through the unusual device.

“What kind of magic is this?” he asked, but soon was lost in the music he heard through Jeremy’s device. Sure enough, there were the chords the youth was talking about, except now, Valhorek had the rhythm down. And what strange instruments these bards were using, forming an unusual, but not too displeasing tone to the instrument. The healer asked the youth if the bards inside the machine could play the song again, and Jeremy simply shook his head, and laughed. “Yeah, no prob!” the youth stated.

Over, and over again Valhorek listened until he had the song down. He took off the device from his head, and handed it to Jeremy. He started to play the chords of the song as Jeremy jumped up and down. “Yeah, yeah man, you got it, dude!” As Valhorek strummed the chords, Jeremy attempted to sing the words to the song. Since it was something new, Valhorek decided to pay attention to what the youth was singing, even though the words seemed very odd.

**************


Corum’s head started to bob up and down on its own accord as he started to listen to the music. Pretty soon it seemed that everyone was trying to get into the mood to dance, so he decided it was about time he did the same.

“All right Yorik,” Corum stated. “Be on your best behavior or we might get locked up for something, what I haven’t a clue, but let’s be careful.”

Really don't mind if you sit this one out. My words but a whisper, your deafness a shout. I may make you feel but I can't make you think. Your sperm's in the gutter, your love's in the sink.

Corum again simply shook his head at the staff as he approached one of the tribal women, and asked her if she wanted to dance. She simply lowered her head. “I guess that’s a yes,” Corum stated as he took her hand, and led her to dance. All the other tribal women were watching in anticipation as if something wondrous was about to happen. Of course, unbeknownst to Corum, when a shaman (or someone the tribe thought was a shaman), took a woman as his own, it usually meant that it would follow with the fertilization of the woman’s womb. Now naturally Corum didn’t really know that, and was simply content to dance. The women formed a circle around the group praising both Corum, and the woman he was dancing with. Of course it was hard for Corum not to keep his eyes off of her other eyes, but he did the best he could, especially considering the fact that she was naked from the waist up.

Off to the distance there was a group of kids who had been throwing a coconut around as if it was a ball. One of the youths missed catching it, and it fell to the ground as it cracked in half. There was a look of sadness on the youth’s faces when suddenly one of them happened to see Barry. They quickly rushed over to where the skull was lying, and quickly picked it up, uttering something in their own native tongue. They started to fling Barry back and forth with delight. It seemed that this new toy would probably be more durable than the coconut they had used before. Once again, they were happy to have something to play with, even thought they didn’t realize Barry was an undead that was quite alive, or was he an alive undead? Either way, they were having fun, even if it was at the expense of Barry.

*********************


Once Erlic reached the camp, he watched as Isobel gave Justin a piece of her mind before sitting down next to Rowan. Erlic would take matters into his own hands if the merc didn’t leave the woman alone, or if he started to cause trouble. Ravin spoke briefly to Laurel before retiring to his cave type room.

The assassin pondered long about what the old man had stated about his lack of balance. Erlic believed he knew what the problem was but still couldn’t understand how to resolve the problem. The older thief looked to the others assembled by the campfire, and realized he would have to speak to someone about his problem. He would have preferred Laurel, but she was busy with Marz, and had warned him not to speak to her until he had learned how. Isobel was probably more gifted in the arts of assassination if she so desired, and the thought almost brought a smile to his face, and anyway, he really didn’t know the woman that well.

His eyes spotted Tia sipping on a jug of what appeared to be brandy. She always seemed in a happy state, and so carefree with her life. Perhaps she should be the one he should talk to. Of course it was extremely difficult for the assassin to even bring himself to ask the younger thief for advice. Eventually, however, his resolve broke down, and he approached the younger woman who was talking to Tristan.

Once they finished speaking, Erlic broke in. “Excuse me,” the assassin announced looking at Tia. “But would you mind if I had a word with you….in private?”

At first Tia was a bit hesitant, but then simply shrugged her shoulders as she got up, dangling the jug around her finger. Erlic walked with her away from the crowd since he didn’t want anyone listening to their conversation. The assassin looked around, and decided they were far enough from the crowd.

“You’re a woman,” Erlic affirmed as he looked at the young thief. Tia simply raised her eyebrows, and cocked her head as she took another swig from the brandy. Erlic realized already it was a poor beginning. “What I meant was, I was wondering if you could possibly help me with a problem?”

The older thief’s eyes seemed to look everywhere but at Tia. He felt very uncomfortable having the need of something he thought was so trivial, and yet it seemed was very important, especially after what the old man had commented on. He chanced a quick glance at the younger woman wondering why he had even approached her. Tia was extremely beautiful in her own unusual manner, and once his eyes met hers, he didn’t feel that threatened anymore. Surprisingly enough he wasn’t mesmerized by her elfish powers.

“I….have this problem, and it…..” Erlic felt himself totally foolish. He could face down attackers with ease, he could manipulate weapons effortlessly, he could devote himself to total meditation regardless of any outside interference, but to speak to Tia, or was it because she was a woman, was becoming extremely difficult.

He tried again. “I have a difficult time understanding what women want to hear, or how to speak to them,” he finally vocalized. “I was hoping you could shed some advice to someone such as myself.” Erlic realized that many people viewed him as standoffish, and he really never did learn how to correct that problem. “Let’s just say that there are some people who view me as a grumpy old bastard,” the thief stated. Erlic had heard too many times Chirp, Dalo's bird, utter those words when he was within hearing distance, and could only imagine where the bird had picked it up. “And I’d wish to learn how to speak clearer to women.”

Well, it was out of his mouth now, and it was up to Tia if she decided to help. If not, the assassin would simply continue to live out his life as he had been living it, regardless of the consequences.

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