milliways_bar | (no subject)

(no subject)

Charlie, at the piano, scribbling in his notebook between trying out chords and notes.

If there's a better way to be, he hasn't found it.

[ooc: this is mainly for Lochiel and Charlie to finally meet. Mun is also leaving to go home in about 2 minutes, and so begs slowtime for the next half hour or so. Mun apologizes deeply for planning her day so poorly.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Lochiel (who looks like himself again, finally) wanders downstairs and smiles somewhat vaguely at the man at the piano. He has another one of his thick leather-bound grimoires with him.

"Afternoon."

Charlkie nods. "Hullo. What are you reading?"

"An old book of Solindish and Caledonese music, actually. I'm going through it to find a song for Tye - a friend of mine."

"Oh, you know Tye? 'Ve met him. Lovely fellow." He stops playing and holds out his hand. "I'm Charlie. I don't believe I've seen you around before, are you new?"

Lochiel laughs. "Gods, no, I've been here weeks already. I'm Lochiel. And aye, Tye's a good friend of mine."

"Oh." His hand falters a bit. "You're . . . oh.

"You know my boyfriend Bartleby," he says finally.

"Ah. You'd be that Charlie, then."

Well, this is awkward.

"His Charlie," he says quietly.

He fidgits. "You're a musician? Do you mind if I look? I've seen some of Tye's music."

"He said as much, yeah."

He holds out the book. "I'm not a musician myself, but these are some old songs from my country, Tye's country. I thought he might like them."

Charlie takes the book and pages through it until he sees one he wants to try. He props up the book and starts to play very quietly.

He says after a few measures, "So what's the deal with this lir thing, then?"

"I'm not really sure myself. Cheysuli warriors each bond with a lir, but I'm only half-Cheysuli, and well past the age they normally make the bond. Tye thinks maybe it happened this way because I've already died."

"But he's not an animal. He's not even a man. He's something that doesn't exist on your world." He looks at Lochiel steadily.

"I know that. I have no idea why it happened."

Charlie nods slowly. "Okay. See, where I come from, this kind of thing doens't happen at all, so I have no idea what to think. All I know is some bloke I don't know can feel what my boyfriend's thinking and feeling and it doesn't exactly sit well with me." His fingers fumble a moment but he recovers.

"I want you to understand I love him very much," he says more quietly. "And if this hurts him in any way I'll be very unhappy."

"It's not quite like that. I can't tell what he's thinking unless he directs thoughts to me, and I can only pick up strong emotions. I block it most of the time, when I can."

He sighs. "I didn't exactly ask for this, you know. And I don't want to hurt him."

Charlie stops playing the Solindish song and starts playing one of the songs he wrote for Bartleby instead.

"If you say so."

"Don't you think I'd break this thing if I knew how? Bartleby is a nice fellow but I don't particularly enjoy being linked to anyone."

"Too indepentdent?" He's not smiling.

"I prefer my space." Neither is he.

"I'll keep B out of your hair, then.

"We're going away for a few days, probably at the end of the week. We're going to my home. Just to check on things. So."

He shrugs.

"I don't have any claim on him. He doesn't have to tell me what he's doing."

Charlie nods and resumes playing the Solindish song.

His voice is very small when he says, "Is he happy?"

"He says he is. I won't pry into his feelings, that's not for me to do." Quietly, "he says he loves you. I believe him."

This finally gets a smile.

Lochiel offers a tentative smile in return.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only