"You're hardly responsible for his actions. At least unless you play by a different set of rules that I don't know about."Â?
Deep dark mysterious Anantya, who knew what they did. For all Pak knew they did the Hokey Pokey in black hooded robed very second Tuesday.
She smiled, that sounded a lot like the Kem she knew. The big brother who took her home to Aishe when she was angry and lonely, who made her eat when she'd hidden and starved herself, who would play drunken games of Carmen SanDiego when they where both out of sorts.
"I had very little to do with it. He found that man and incorporated him into who he is now himself. Well maybe Aishe helped a bit."Â?
The way Pak saw it she was just along for the ride.
She laughed, a small tight laugh, at the idea that they had a relationship. They didn't. It was more like the six degrees to Kevin Bacon game. You could get very close but not actually know the man. In her case, it was one degree of separation, but she still didn't know the man. Pak wasn't sure she wanted to either, she just wanted to stop being afraid.
"Well, we can try. Even if it isn't quite a prodigal son ending I'd like to be able to say I've at least spoken to him."Â?
Well, That Was Fast. (private: Pakpao)
Mara sat quiety at the small table she'd been shown to in a dim corner of a Thai restaurant on the Strip in Nachton. It was a pretty establishment, all decorated in soft gold and green and dark wood tones. It wasn't at all ostentatious. The music overhead was tasteful and ethnic, soothing and not jarring.
The owners appeared to speak Thai, and Mara listened to their conversation without betraying that she did so easily. She was sorting out Pak's motives for being here. She had understood the brusque text message all too well; Pak had changed her mind and now wished a meeting with Bao.
What had provided this motivation, Mara didn't know. She was, naturally, curious to find out. But as she had promised her, well, her cousin, she supposed, she could and would be happy to arrange such a meeting.
Pakpao
13 years ago
Mara
13 years ago
Mara laughed softly at Pak. "You have plenty to do with who he is now, and who he's continuing to be. He was such a short part of my life, at least in the time we actually had together, but I remember everything."
She rested her chin briefly on her hand. "I don't know if I can ever be his daughter again," she said sadly. "Once he knows, if he ever knows... I don't want to do that to him. He doesn't know what happened. And if he knew that I had been turned by the same man who did it to him... worse, that I... ah, cared for that man, regarded him highly..."
Mara sighed. "What you're doing now is the right thing," she finally said, switching focus. "If you let it go on for as long as Amir and Kiamhaat have, you see what could happen? You're conflicted and it's only been a couple hundred years. Imagine if you'd waited thousands."
She wanted Pak to go into this meeting with confidence, not with fear. Bao would respect her more that way. And it was important for them both to respect each other.
"You might be surprised," Mara said. "As I've said before, he isn't so terrible."
She rested her chin briefly on her hand. "I don't know if I can ever be his daughter again," she said sadly. "Once he knows, if he ever knows... I don't want to do that to him. He doesn't know what happened. And if he knew that I had been turned by the same man who did it to him... worse, that I... ah, cared for that man, regarded him highly..."
Mara sighed. "What you're doing now is the right thing," she finally said, switching focus. "If you let it go on for as long as Amir and Kiamhaat have, you see what could happen? You're conflicted and it's only been a couple hundred years. Imagine if you'd waited thousands."
She wanted Pak to go into this meeting with confidence, not with fear. Bao would respect her more that way. And it was important for them both to respect each other.
"You might be surprised," Mara said. "As I've said before, he isn't so terrible."
Pakpao
13 years ago
"Your time with him might have been short, but it was important to him."Â?
Kem didn't talk much about his past, some how that silence spoke volumes. Pak made something of an assumption based on her feelings as a mother and what she knew of Kem. She didn't think she was wrong and said it with conviction.
She tried to imagine finding out her maker had turned on of her children, no. No, it wouldn't go well. Unfortunately, she couldn't comfort Mara, not much.
"Well it isn't like we don't have time. Maybe some day it will work out. It might be a while though."Â?
Like two or three hundred years, but they might all still be around for that. There was no reason to think other wise.
"I don't know that it is the right thing, but you're right. If I were to wait that long.... I'd not be able to do this. It wouldn't be possible."Â?
This was hard enough, but she was determined to do it. Pak sat up a bit straighter and squared her shoulders, she was going to do this, she was going to get some answers.
She slouched slightly and laughed at Mara's observation.
"I don't know, I might be nothing like he expected. I might disappoint dear old dad right off the bat. But... that will be his problem, not mine. I'll just do my best to be open minded."Â?
It might not be a great effort, but she was at least going to try. Pak just wished she could be as sure as Mara that this was the right thing to do. But there was nothing more Mara could do to reassure her, these were all her issues now.
Kem didn't talk much about his past, some how that silence spoke volumes. Pak made something of an assumption based on her feelings as a mother and what she knew of Kem. She didn't think she was wrong and said it with conviction.
She tried to imagine finding out her maker had turned on of her children, no. No, it wouldn't go well. Unfortunately, she couldn't comfort Mara, not much.
"Well it isn't like we don't have time. Maybe some day it will work out. It might be a while though."Â?
Like two or three hundred years, but they might all still be around for that. There was no reason to think other wise.
"I don't know that it is the right thing, but you're right. If I were to wait that long.... I'd not be able to do this. It wouldn't be possible."Â?
This was hard enough, but she was determined to do it. Pak sat up a bit straighter and squared her shoulders, she was going to do this, she was going to get some answers.
She slouched slightly and laughed at Mara's observation.
"I don't know, I might be nothing like he expected. I might disappoint dear old dad right off the bat. But... that will be his problem, not mine. I'll just do my best to be open minded."Â?
It might not be a great effort, but she was at least going to try. Pak just wished she could be as sure as Mara that this was the right thing to do. But there was nothing more Mara could do to reassure her, these were all her issues now.
Mara
13 years ago
Mara lifted her shoulders, not about to point out that she had already spent a lot of time waiting for this to happen. It didn't matter; she could be patient. She always had been.
"He isn't your 'dad,'" she pointed out. Her lips turned into a frown. "He won't be looking to fill that role. I know it's ironic... we have brothers and sisters and cousins. But Amir has always been, for me, something else. Teacher, friend, companion... he would have taught that to Bao." She cautioned. She didn't want Pak to think of Bao the wrong way, or to think he'd be expecting things from her either.
"It will work out for both of us," she said with a soft smile. "You'll see."
They had long since finished their meals and Mara politely paid the bill for both of them when the waiter came. Sure, Pak had issued the invitation to her, but it was an act of good will on Mara's behalf.
"I will see you the night after tomorrow. At the House of Pain, with Bao. I'm glad you're going to do this, Pak," she said.
She stood and excused herself, wishing her younger cousin a good night, and headed out into the streets once more, already planning how to talk to Bao.
((ooc: Mara out))
"He isn't your 'dad,'" she pointed out. Her lips turned into a frown. "He won't be looking to fill that role. I know it's ironic... we have brothers and sisters and cousins. But Amir has always been, for me, something else. Teacher, friend, companion... he would have taught that to Bao." She cautioned. She didn't want Pak to think of Bao the wrong way, or to think he'd be expecting things from her either.
"It will work out for both of us," she said with a soft smile. "You'll see."
They had long since finished their meals and Mara politely paid the bill for both of them when the waiter came. Sure, Pak had issued the invitation to her, but it was an act of good will on Mara's behalf.
"I will see you the night after tomorrow. At the House of Pain, with Bao. I'm glad you're going to do this, Pak," she said.
She stood and excused herself, wishing her younger cousin a good night, and headed out into the streets once more, already planning how to talk to Bao.
((ooc: Mara out))
Pakpao
13 years ago
Well that worked out as Pak didn't -want- him to fill that roll, it had just been an expression, a figure of speech. She didn't worry about it though.
"I'll be there.
Pak was a little cross that Mara would pay, she should have. Well it would just be her turn next time. She sat for a while with some more jasmine tea thinking this through. It didn't take long for Pak to realize if she kept that up she was just going to psych herself out.
"Well... she's either right or I'll be dead."Â?
Pak shrugged to herself and wondered what you wore to a business meeting at the HoP. She sure as hell wasn't dressing in tight leather, she wasn't sending this guy the wrong message.
Pak pushed away from the table and headed back for the 'Lil Bird. She'd have to tell Aishe not to make any plans for the night after tomorrow.
(OOC... Pak out)
"I'll be there.
Pak was a little cross that Mara would pay, she should have. Well it would just be her turn next time. She sat for a while with some more jasmine tea thinking this through. It didn't take long for Pak to realize if she kept that up she was just going to psych herself out.
"Well... she's either right or I'll be dead."Â?
Pak shrugged to herself and wondered what you wore to a business meeting at the HoP. She sure as hell wasn't dressing in tight leather, she wasn't sending this guy the wrong message.
Pak pushed away from the table and headed back for the 'Lil Bird. She'd have to tell Aishe not to make any plans for the night after tomorrow.
(OOC... Pak out)