(no subject)

[smilelikeaknife]

Leap day.

How many of you will leap?

Try this:

I'll answer one question, if you ask it properly, and providing it isn't offensively stupid.

Think carefully. I'm not burdened by time, and the next time I pay attention to mortal calendar affairs may be few and far between.

Comments

voice;

[goryteller]

Good afternoon, Lord and Lady.

voice;

[smilelikeaknife]

Good afternoon, Katurian.

voice;

[goryteller]

You withdrew from our affairs for a time, didn't you.

voice;

[smilelikeaknife]

Is that your question?

voice;

[goryteller]

I-- don't think so. No. It isn't.

[Pause.]

I don't know what to ask.

voice;

[smilelikeaknife]

No, I suppose you don't.

Tell me about hiding under the chair.

voice, private;

[goryteller]

That reminds me. [It doesn't. A flat laugh.] There's something I'd like to discuss with you.

Permission.

voice, private;

[smilelikeaknife]

You would like to discuss permission with me?

I didn't know we were in that kind of relationship.

[Desire knows what you mean, Katurian, it's just making fun]

voice, private;

[goryteller]

I don't--

[Flustered. It takes him a moment to recover his words.]

I mean, I-- I thought we could discuss my Porter-given abilities. Again. I thought if we could discuss my using them.

voice, private;

[smilelikeaknife]

You want to discuss time travel.

voice, private;

[goryteller]

Yes.

voice, private;

[smilelikeaknife]

Then discuss.

voice, private;

[goryteller]

I would like to use it for a specific purpose. This week.

I-- will give you my plans, what plans I've drawn up, and I will run everything by you, I will make sure that you know everything that I do and-- I will make it known that I know that you have complete power over me. Complete power.

Because you're more important than anything. Lord and Lady.

voice, private;

[smilelikeaknife]

Well, the drama is certainly flattering.

Tell me.

voice, private;

[goryteller]

Would you come to see me?

action;

[smilelikeaknife]

[Desire is smoking a cigarette, one moment not there, the next moment sitting in a chair that wasn't in the room a moment ago]

Don't cower.

action;

[goryteller]

[He doesn't. The following weeks have hollowed out Katurian into someone with very little left to lose.

He shifts his weight. He doesn't drop his eyes.]

You're as beautiful as ever.

action;

[smilelikeaknife]

[Desire watches him for a moment, and waves a hand]

I could feel your pain from the Threshold.

action;

[goryteller]

It's been a difficult month.

action;

[smilelikeaknife]

Cassie Holmes.

action;

[goryteller]

And Andrew Bernard.

I have poor luck, with friends.

action;

[smilelikeaknife]

Or they have poor luck with you.

action;

[goryteller]

[He pauses. Takes that in.]

I'm going to kill someone.

action;

[smilelikeaknife]

Why not kill them now?

action;

[goryteller]

I'm not talking about shaving decades off of someone's life again. [Now he turns from Desire. He paces, agitated, his hands curling behind his back.] I'm talking about a day. Days maybe.