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"As far as girlfriends. I have had two people who could fit that definition. The first was a dragonkin named Verangia...We were going to partner bond. That's something dragonkin can do. They can telepathically bond to a single partner," he explains as an obvious aside, then pauses. It takes him several seconds to continue.
"Right before we were going to do it, she died in a raid. She was targeted by a group of archers. I don't know how many arrows it took to take her down and she crashed in a crevasse so we couldn't recover her body."
Quasit listens with interest, perhaps a little surprised to get such an answer. Her smile fades into a look of empathy and concern, and she clasps one of her hands with his as she look up into his face.
"I keep forgetting about the war on your world. And all the ways it can intrude onto your life. That must have been really hard to lose her like that, and to not be able to find her. I'm sorry you had to go through that." She also seems to regret bringing up a depressing topic.
She closes her eyes sleepily and heaves out a deep breath. "Verangia. I like that name. But I don't think I'd want to bond telepathically with anyone. My soul isn't vibrant and deep enough to stand up to that sort of scrutiny."
Opening her eyes again, she lays aside some of the drunken coquetry. "And I haven't been fair to you, have I? Poor Kal, I'm giving you all these mixed signals. Like a cat that rubs against your leg, then runs off if you try to pet it. I'm sorry for that."
"I think I told you I messed up my last relationship. I really thought he was the one, but he went off on a six month mission for the Pathfinders and I ended up cheating on him with some guy I barely knew, just because I was lonely. And I haven't quite known what to do with myself since. No sense trying to try and fix what I wrecked -- you can't make spoiled milk sweet again. But I still feel guilty about it, and I don't quite trust myself. You've probably noticed I can be... I don't know, emotionally volatile? I have a knack for painting myself into corners, you know?"
"So I think I haven't been fair to you. Here you are on a strange world, with a bunch of aliens, and you must be so lonely. But I think I've gotten to know you and Chest Thumper a little better at least."
She falls silent and looks for a long moment up into Kalchine's eyes.
"You can kiss me if you want." she finally says, clearly and quietly.
At some point Anastasia transitions from weeping to dozing off out of wrung-out emotional and physical exhaustion from her ordeal.
Gently, Maka lifted Anastasia into a cradle. She moved slowly across the room, her footsteps careful on the creeking floorboards, and laid the girl down on a bedroll near the fire. She pulled a warm blanket up over her, then smoothed it down, tucking it just slightly under one shoulder.
"It was hard to lose her. Sometimes, with all the death around you during a war, you forget how much losing one person can matter. It all just seems like assets and capabilities and shifts in danger and success potential as you meet and lose people. But then, one person is lost and you remember that they're all people and they're all people who are important to someone and everything comes into crashing perspective again," he replies.
"I wish you would not do that. You are the only one here...except maybe Selena and Baba Yaga, if they're watching, who doesn't think you're special and deep and vibrant. You have to learn to see yourself through other people's eyes. Do you think everyone is a fool and would follow the guidance of a fool? No. Everyone trusts you because you are a dynamic person who fights on even when things seem hopeless," he chides her.
"I would like to," he replies to her offer of a kiss.
"But not now. When you haven't been drinking," he clarifies, as he continues to stroke her face and shoulder.
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"I wish you would not do that…Everyone trusts you because you are a dynamic person who fights on even when things seem hopeless,"
”Eh, I have my moments.” admits Quasit.
"I would like to," he replies to her offer of a kiss.
"But not now. When you haven't been drinking," he clarifies, as he continues to stroke her face and shoulder.
Quasit’s arms collapse to the floor dramatically. ”Of course. I should have known you’d be a gentleman.” she says, apparently to herself, and a trifle impatiently. Then she catches t.he druid’s eye again. ”And a girl always appreciates when a man is honorable. Unless they’re creeping into his room in the middle of the night and throwing themselves at him.”
She sits up and rubs across her eyes and forehead heavily, then glances over at Chest Thumper and considers something.
”Ah, screw it.” she decides, then grabs Kalchine by the tunic, throw the other arm around his neck, and leans in for a rough lusty kiss, banging teeth and bumping noses.