[We find Three Of Our Heroes gathered in the bar and grill portion of the Red Lightning house. It's late, so the place is packed, and therefore loud, and therefore good for having a conversation that doesn't need to be overheard.] [ Kardos is there with you three, who he has brought here to discuss what to do about Istvan. ] [ Session Start! ] * HKenji has been drinking. Like, a lot. Which he really doesn't do. * Alcinoe is there all right. She's idly toying with her Galahad keychain. It's shiny. There's a mostly untouched glass of wine before her. * Patrick has a 'float' in front of him. It's some fizzly soda with a *huge* helping of vanilla ice cream on it inside of a very large class, and it looks really bad for you. Nevertheless, he's eating it anyways. [ Kardos has nothing in front of him, although his sword rests against the table. "I have brought you here because I have decided to confront Istvan, albeit in the gentlest method possible, and I need to know about the circumstances leading up to the unpleasantness that has been had today." ] Look at'em, not me. I just did what I thought was best for the house for the situation. [ "And that was?" ] To get rid of him. He won't change. He won't see that he needs to change. No choice, really. There are three options I see that are most likely. There are always more, but the things that will probably happen are: Istvan doesn't change. In that case I need to either get rid of him, or get rid of Alcinoe and Kenji. And, honestly, Kenji and Alcinoe are more important to the team than Istvan. Not only that, I trust them more. Istvan doesn't change but tries to come anyways. In which case we'll probably have to leave him in some position where he can't follow. And finally he does change and comes with us. * Alcinoe has a sip of her wine. "Ah'm hopin' fer the last." [ Kardos nods. "What about him, exactly, needs to change?" ] Likewise, but I can't change him. * Patrick looks at Alcinoe and Kenji. * HKenji stares down into his drink. Whatever the hell it is. He needs ta decide what he wants, and he needs ta work for what he wants. If what he wants is ta help us get the altar piece? Then it'll show in his work. He's gotta do what he's gonna do, and just DO it. Y'know? * Alcinoe blinks at Kenji. * HKenji tosses back the last of whatever was in his mug. * Patrick knows. He puts some suicide sauce in his drink. "... Are you *drunk*?" course not. I never get drunk. * Patrick grins. Terribly irresponsible. Dang, and me without my tape recorder. * HKenji gestures at the waitress for another mug. [ Kenji's totally drunk, dude. ] (Yeah, I can smell it on his breath) [ Marguerite catches the gesture and grumbles, but goes to get another mug of ale anyway. ] * Alcinoe fights back the urge to laugh. Really. Th'problem with Istvan is, he's never doing what he's doing. [ That was deep, man. But Kardos doesn't get it, so he just blinks confusedly. ] Lemme splain. Got a story. * Patrick chuckles and looks over at Alcinoe. Very important story, so listen up, kay? [ Kardos nods. ] There's these two great masters, and they've got students, cause that's what great masters do. They have students. What else are great masters good for if they're not mastering? [ Kardos seems to be following, because he nods again. ] These masters, though, they've never met, right? But a couple of their students meet at winter court one year. That's what you do at winter court, you know. You sit around all winter trying not to kill the people you're cooped up with. And, uh, so they're bragging, because that's half the fun of winter court, is bragging. The guy who brags the best is the winner. And the one student, he says, well, my master is such a great master, he's killed a dozen men in one stroke, he's jumped over mountains, he can fly like a bird. You know, really good stuff like that. And when he finally stops bragging about his master, the other student says, like, my master does things that are even more impressive. * Alcinoe has another sip of wine. And doesn't laugh. She really, really wants to. And everybody's like, no way, on account of the other guy bragging really well. * Patrick is holding himself back pretty impressively. And the guy says, yeah, my master does much more impressive things. When he eats, he eats. When he fights, he fights. When he walks, he walks. And when he sleeps, he sleeps. And damn if there was a single person who could top that, cause that's pretty hard to beat. Yunnerstand? [ Kardos seems to actually be paying attention to the story. The GM thinks it's funny as hell, tho. ] [ Kardos frowns. "Do you mean to to say that he eats, fights, walks, and sleeps in en extraordinarily impressive manner?" ] No, no. You missed it. See... like... draw your sword, right now. Jus hold it up [ Kardos blinks. Then stands and draws his sword. It's big and black- and-gold and glowy. ] Okay... so what're you doing right now? [ "I am holding my sword up." ] No yer not. You! are holding your sword up and trying to understand the point of the story and a bunch of other stuff at the same time. * Patrick snerks. So yer not doing any of 'em very well. Point is, when this guy sleeps, he does nothing but sleep. And when he eats, he does nothing but eat. [ "So, when the master eats, he does noth-- right." ] [ "So, when Istvan fights, what else does he do?" ] When you do somethin', you gotta do it for all yer worth, or yer workin against yerself. When Isty fights, he's doin' a lot of stuff. like not wantin to be there, and thinkin about what he's gonna make next, and how much money he needs to do it, and if hes gonna get outta this alive. * Alcinoe can't help it now. She chuckles, but she nods. * Patrick snickers and nods. "His body's there, but his heart and mind aren't." Patrick, he don't got that problem. Alci neither. Or you, usually. [ "And he allows this to interfere with his fighting." ] Tia, bless her soul, shes too innocent and scatterbrained to do anything but what shes doing right now. The thing is, he ain't sure what he wants. He always just does what he thinks other people want him to do, 'cause it's easier for 'im. As long as he's just doin' what's easier, he's not gonna be good enough for us ta count on. Not fer this. But when we need him to do somethin' that isn't easier... Poof, he's gone! * HKenji takes a BIG swig of alcohol. [ KArdos frowns. "Such as?" ] Temptation by the devil, for starters. [ Kardos nods. "Temptation is difficult to resist if one has no reason to do so." ] * Alcinoe nods. "It's always easier." [ "So it is not so much his ability to fight that bothers you, so much as the rest of what he will have to do?" ] smore like ah just cant count on im Pretty much. * Patrick signals for some water. weakest link so ah cant put any stress on it cant trust it at all * HKenji is moving more slowly now. * Alcinoe eyes Kenji. When will he fall over? too stubborn ima hafta kill im [ Marguerite brings some water by. ] [ Kardos nods, sheathes his sword, and sits back down, because I forgot to have him do that earlier. ] * Patrick takes a drink of the water and smirks at Marguerite. He glances back at Kenji. * HKenji lets his head slowly slump down onto his arms. [ Kardos frowns. "Well, what else can you tell me about him? What sort of person is he? What are the things he has done in the past that might show his character?" ] You want to explain, Alci? * Alcinoe nods. "Sure." Istvan is... kinda like you, Kardos. [ Kardos tilts his head. ] * HKenji is now known as SleepDebugger * Alcinoe smiles faintly. "Ah mean, what." She glances at the other two. "Ya've been a lot of things in yer life, haven't ya?" A lot of the time, whatever was needed. Right? [ Kardos nods. ] * Alcinoe nods. Istvan's like that. Only instead of doin' what's needed, he does what he thinks is easiest. * Alcinoe holds out her hands. "If it's easiest for 'im ta go adventurin', even if he doesn't want to, he'll go and do that." * Alcinoe picks up her glass. "Or, if it's easiest for 'im ta stay at home and smith, because working at learnin' how to fight is too hard and has rough spots, he'll do that." She has a sip. He's not goin' on this 'cause it's what he believes is the right thing. Ah mean, that's what he'll say. But if he truly thought that, he'd be workin' harder at it. He's doin' this 'cause it's what's expected of him. [ Kardos nods, frowning in contemplation. ] Exactly. He might even actually believe that. But that don't make it true. [ Pause. z.z ]