Blood from Stone [AU]

[Shannon zi'Marass]

Shannon blushes. ''Ah... no? Technically no? I mean, if anything, he would be in the way. Though given some of our... dates... that is no hardship, for any involved.''

[Coquette Blacquin]

"...Shan," she says, flatly. "Please don't tell me you could have the Lord Hand and you're settling for me?"

[Shannon zi'Marass]

Shannon is quiet for a long moment. ''I am settling for nothing.''

[Coquette Blacquin]

Coquette sits up. "No," she says, firmly. "I'm not worth that, Shan."

[Shannon zi'Marass]

''Worth what Cindy? Worth adding another fortune to my already unspendably large fortune? Adding more power I don't need to my empire? I... he's a friend, I suppose. Or at least he could be, if I had let him become such. But... he's not you.'' Shannon sits up too, scowling. ''Besides, it was far from a done deal. We were dating, yes, courting even but Pan is notoriously fickle in regards to his lovelife.''

[Coquette Blacquin]

"There's no such thing as power you don't need," she snaps. "Being powerless is the worst feeling in the world. Having too little power is almost as bad. Maybe Gold was right."

[Shannon zi'Marass]

''Who? And yes, yes, there is. Love, I am one of the ten or fifteen most most powerful people in the entire fucking city. I'm fine.''

[Coquette Blacquin]

"It's never enough. You never have what you need the one time it'd be useful. You could be the daughter of one of the most powerful men in Glaley, and when your near-sister is taken, you're helpless. You could be a hero, capable of fighting off nearly anyone, but that nearly is a gulf you can't cross, and you end up nearly dead, unmasked, disowned, abandoned. It's never enough."

[Shannon zi'Marass]

''Cindy, enough.'' Shannon rolls over, taking the risk of being attacked to try and basically pin Cindy down with her body, though she's no intention of actually grappling her. 

[Coquette Blacquin]

Cindy looks up at her, through her, seeing something else. "Gold was right," she whispers, and it tickles the back of her mind. "Bhí Gold cert faoi na..." What does that mean? Why is it important?

[Shannon zi'Marass]

Gold was right about the- what is she talking about? Not liking that reaction, Shannon puts her mouth near Cindy's ear, then blows into it.

[Coquette Blacquin]

She starts then, jerking, bashing her head against Shan's on accident. "Oh! I'm sorry, I-- I was--"

[Shannon zi'Marass]

Swearing softly in draconic, Shannon shakes her head. ''No no, that was my fault. Oww. You... left, somewhere. Are you okay?''

[Coquette Blacquin]

"I... perhaps. Left? I didn't--?" 

[Shannon zi'Marass]

''Into yourself, I think. Waking nightmare or... memories,  I think,'' Shannon says softly. ''Warbound Sten has spoke of this before, of people that experienced trauma. He prefers seasoned fighters, but some of them can be... twitchy at times.''