ic Starting Over (IC)

[Heritage]

Lynn's apartment over Silberman's Books. August 3rd, 2014. 7:54pm

 

A letter had arrived at the Espadas School of Self-Defense and Swordsmanship from Lynn Epstein, with a familiar West End address. Inside, was a handwritten note; the penmanship was graceful, almost archaic, but the writer's voice was unmistakable.

 

Dear Erik and all other Espadases,

 

Hey, it's me. So sorry I dropped off the face of the Earth for like three years, but that is literally what I did; I was hoping to be back much sooner, but fate and a lot of violent jerks pretty much kept that from happening. All of you have been very much in my thoughts these many years (more on that later!), and I look forward to seeing you again and catching up on all the amazing stuff you've been up to (You founded a school? Got married? And had a KID??? Duuuuuuuude!).

 

On a very sad and just indescribably s###y note, Bill (aka Colt) is no longer with us; you have no idea how painful this has been. But I'm doing much better now and have a lot of plans to throw myself into to keep me busy. I'll give you all the details when I see you next.

 

As you can see from the enclosed business card, Silberman's Books are go! Or something like that. I'd love to have you all visit the shop (all Interceptors save 15% - yowza!), but first I was hoping we could all get together, nosh and have a few drinks; I'm hoping you can come by my place on Sunday the 3rd around 8.

 

It will be so great to see you all again; I've missed you more than you can imagine.

 

Sincerely,

 

Lynn (aka Lil' Miss Pointy Ears)

 

The changeling was pacing again; it was humanly impossible to prepare for an evening like this, but Lynn had given it the good old never-finished-college try. The furniture was warm, earthy and inviting, she'd been scooting back and forth between the shop and her kitchen all day working on dinner, and she'd cycled through looks for a good half hour finding just the right balance of relaxed and respectable: a nice understated green summer dress, open-toed wedges and small pearl stud earrings (her current thing). As always, the lanyard with its ring was around her neck, and she fidgeted with it more than usual. Her curly shoulder length hair was gathered up, showing off her graceful neck and the points of her ears.

 

Lynn's eyes flicked over to the clock on the mantelpiece, where it dully ticked down the minutes.

 

Soon. Very soon. 

Edited December 12, 2014 by Gizmo

[Gizmo]

Erik Espadas tugged uncomfortably at the skinny black tie tucked into the collar of his light blue dress shirt as he led his family toward the recently reopened bookstore and the apartments above it. "This feels really weird, right? It's not just me?" When the letter had arrived at the dojo he'd had to read it three time before actually parsing the words. After that his first instinct had been to sprint right over to Silberman's and knock down the door but he'd hesitated. Vince had spent a lot of time looking for Lynn and Bill when they'd disappeared three years ago and never gotten anywhere. Eventually they'd had to accept that if they were still out there the pair hadn't wanted to be found. It had been a rough time for Erik and the other people they'd left behind and the fencer had been hurt and angry. Three years later, though, he had enough distance to examine those feelings with a little more objectivity and it gave him pause. Ultimately he'd settled on respecting Lynn's wishes and showing up at the invited time but the whole thing left him feeling uneasy and off-balance.

"Well, I mean, I remember Billy saying he figured time moved differently here compared to his home dimension," his sister replied, her lips pressed into a thing line curved faintly into a frown and her words hurried as she did her best to frame things in facts and logic, "and we always knew there was a chance Lynn would just... keep going, instead of aging. So it... it sort of makes sense?" Ellie had dug out the vintage vest Lynn had given her for Christmas years prior and worn it over a deep crimson blouse and dark slacks. She continued to fidget with the buckle of her belt as they walked, trying to occupy more of her own attention.

"Not really what I meant," Erik muttered as he put his own hands into the pockets of his khakis, the pants a little too crisp and obviously rarely worn. Turning to his wife on his other side he asked, "You're sure you're alright with this? Things got kind of rough with you two when... You didn't really get to know Lynn that well before she left, is what I mean."

[April]

Min smiled and gave Erik a light kiss on the cheek, the light summer breeze teasing the hem of her skirt.

"I could no more hold Lynn accountable for her words and actions of that time than I could yours or Ellie's, dear heart. I will admit that, for a time, I was what one could call furious--more at what was said than what was done, though having a building blown up and dropped on me was a bit irritating--but that passed quickly."

Scooping her daughter up into her arms, the ancient guardian continued, a faint impish smile on her face.

"That being said, if she questions my dedication again we're going to have words."

[Heritage]

Lynn checked the window for the umpteenth time, only this time her furtive glance yielded results! "Finally!" she gasped. Her heart racing, the changeling opened the door, easily vaulted over the banister and dropped down to the first floor in a perfect crouch. She then flung the door open and stood panting in the doorway, cheeks flushed and eyes rapidly darting from face to face. Somehow she looked...different; the 'human Pixie Stick' was now fuller in the face, showing a bit of muscle tone, and even a few womanly curves.

 

"Hey! How's it goin'?" Noting the presence of the child, her face almost literally lit up. "You brought the kid? That's awesome! Here, come in, come in..." She held the door open and waved them into the entry hall, where statues of a griffin and a gargoyle stood watch on either side of the front door. "Go right on up the stairs; door's open on the left."

Edited March 23, 2017 by Heritage

[Gizmo]

"Well, Ellie's in med school now, she's not really a kid anymore," Erik replied glibly, stepping forward to give the petite woman a brief one-armed hug that seemed friendly but a little tame and restrained for the outgoing fencer. Leaving a hand on Lynn's shoulder he stepped back far enough to get a better look at her, noting the colour in her cheeks. "Out of breath? What, if I'm not around to kick your butt you stop training?"

His sister looked like she wanted to slug him in the shoulder as she moved forward herself but held off in front of Eden. "Hilarious. It's great to see you again, Lynn. How've you been?" The question was innocent enough but it was hard to miss the intense look of the keen eyed medical student as she searched for any clues that would help fill in the blanks of their friend's long absence.

Letting go of their hostess' shoulder and turning to indicate his wife, Erik added, "You remember Min. ...wait, right, she didn't actually start going by Minerva until after you left, did she?"

[Heritage]

On 8/12/2014 at 9:53 PM, Gizmo said:

"Out of breath? What, if I'm not around to kick your butt you stop training?"

 

The changeling's eyes went wide with outrage. "'Out of shape'?! I'm in the best shape of my life, you jackass!" She fired off a rapid volley of punches that stopped just short of Erik's face. "Wha-cha-cha! You cannot hope to defeat my monkey kung-fu!"

 

Quote

"Hilarious. It's great to see you again, Lynn. How've you been?"

 

But now the jocular mask slipped for a moment, and the puckish shapeshifter sagged and looked incredibly weary. "It's been...it's been tough, I'll admit it; the highs have been high and the lows very low." She shrugged. "But, I made it back, which is all that matters right now, am I right?"

 

Quote

"You remember Min. ...wait, right, she didn't actually start going by Minerva until after you left, did she?"

 

Lynn approached Erik's wife with a nervous smile, half frightened and half cautiously optimistic. "No, she was just 'Willow' back then; it's really good to see you again. I'm so glad-" Her voice caught in her throat. "So glad you stayed." Then she dropped down on one knee to be closer to Eden. "And who's this little angel? Hi, I'm Lynn; what's your name?" She looked at both sides of her head. "Oh, she got the ears; she's gonna be a little heartbreaker, trust me."

Edited March 23, 2017 by Heritage

[April]

"This is Eden."

Min effortlessly shifted her daughter about in her arms so she could get a good look at Lynn. The youngest Espadas favored the changeling with a smile, absently touching one of her ears at Lynn's mention of them. She didn't speak, not yet anyway (unusual for an Espadas, to be sure, but she'll grow out of that) as she was still fascinated with Lynn.

Min, for her part, offered her former teammate a warm smile.

"She is an Espadas, capturing the hearts of others is the same as breathing to them."

[Gizmo]

With a lopsided grin, Erin raised his hands in a broad shrug. "Well, we try. It's why I thought you should take my name when we got married; you qualified." Ducking his head down he gave Min a kiss that was a few beats longer than was probably entirely polite in front of other people. Placing one hand on the dryad's hip he used the other arm to help support Eden. The toddler looked like the public display was something she'd long since gotten used to and seemed more interested in the new person speaking to her even if she didn't have much to day in response yet.

Ellie cleared her throat loudly and indelicately before turning her attention to Lynn as well and taking their hostess' arm to guide her inside the open door. "That might take a while. So, you got the bookstore up and running?"

[Heritage]

On 8/24/2014 at 0:58 AM, Gizmo said:

"That might take a while. So, you got the bookstore up and running?"

 

Lynn chuckled and happily took Ellie's arm as they headed upstairs. "Ah, l'amour! I remember it well!" She dropped the French accent and continued in a somewhat more serious tone. "Yeah, so far so good; got my hand-picked band of misfits, sales have been decent, locals seem interested in the store...so yeah, I'm pretty happy with it right now."

 

Inside the apartment were several well-loved pieces of furniture, including many bookshelves; vintage movie and magic show posters covered the walls, and the portrait of Grim painted by William Blake hung over the gas fireplace. The bric-a-brac was a highly eclectic mix of Southwestern folk art and what looked to be Jules Vernesque space junk. A ceilling fan swished overhead, and intriguing cooking smells wafted in from the kitchen at the back of the apartment. Somewhere an iPod was softly playing an early 2000s playlist.

 

The hostess gestured towards a pair of leather sofas that flanked a coffee table by the fireplace.

 

"Welcome, have a seat! Can I get anyone a drink?"

Edited March 22, 2017 by Heritage

[April]

The dryad didn't really need to drink, or eat for that matter, but she felt it would be impolite to decline her host. Besides, her and Erik's daughter did need to do those things her mother did not, for now at least.

"Water will be fine for me, Lynn. Eden?"

Min had set her daughter down once they were inside the home and the youngest Espadas climbed onto one of the leather sofas, peering about at the various posters and knickknacks. Eden's head whipped around at the mention of her name.

"Orange juice?"

"Orange juice if you have it Lynn."

[Gizmo]

"Ooh, good call," Erik complimented his daughter emphatically, doting over the toddler as he took a seat beside her. "I think maybe I should have orange juice, too. What do you think?" He used his longer reach to playfully poke Eden's sides, switching back and forth as she giggled and swatted his hands away.

Ellie stayed on her feet, wandering around the room in a slow circle, looking at each piece with much the same expression she wore while perusing the thrift stores which supplied a considerable portion of her wardrobe. She paused longest at the portrait, folding her arms and resting one palm under her chin. "I'd be fine with water, too, thank you," she replied absently, absorbed in studying the brushwork.

[Heritage]

Upon taking the various drink orders, Lynn nodded and grinned. "Nice, lots of healthy choices! Be right back." And with that, she stepped out of the room at a normal pace, her wedges clacking sharply on the hardwood floors; in the past, she might have shrunk down to pixie size and zipped away, but she wasn't always in a rush the way she used to be in the old days. From back in the kitchen, their hostess called out over the sounds of cupboards opening and the clinking of glass.

 

"I'm so glad all you guys could make it! I was thinking of inviting Mara, too, but I wasn't sure...kinda feel bad I didn't now, actually..."

 

Lynn returned with a large tray bearing glass pitchers of both orange juice and water, an ice bucket, tongs and several glasses; there was also a sippy cup with colorful flowers and animals on it. She placed the tray on the coffee table. "I've got some snacks here, too." She fetched another tray from a sideboard featuring pita chips, hummus, chopped veggies, spinach dip and small paper plates, placed it next to the first tray, and then started to pour drinks for everyone.

 

Once everyone had a drink (Lynn opted for orange juice as well), she smiled nervously and raised her glass. "L'chaim!" After she took a swig, she began to slowly roll her glass between her two palms. her eyes unfocused. "I, uh...I'm not sure where to begin." She swallowed. "First of all, I guess, I'm sorry I-" Lynn let out a trembling breath and put her glass down too quickly, nearly dropping it; thankfully a coaster abruptly appeared underneath just before it hit the table. "I'm sorry I've been gone so damn long..."

Edited August 31, 2014 by Heritage

[April]

"Long?"

 

Min paused in her sampling a carrot to raise an eyebrow at Lynn, the tone of her single word inquiry was one of puzzlement.  Even for someone who hasn't lived as long as she has, three years a drop in the bucket.

 

"Three years is nothing, Lynn.  Sure, there may have been some new developments, and new faces, in that time but really.. what's three years?"

[Gizmo]

"Oh, don't feel bad," Ellie assured Lynn as she accepted the glass of water. "She's had a work thing lately and wouldn't have been up for being social all evening anyway." Her girlfriend and their hostess had met a handful of times and had been on reasonably friendly terms but not so much that the introverted inventor would have gotten any much needed relaxation from the soiree.

When Min questioned the petite woman's meaning, Erik spoke up before she could clarify. "Only it wasn't just three years for you, huh?" It wasn't so much that his voice softened, exactly, but the implied laughter that usually danced about the edges of his tone was missing. Looking at his wife, he smiled subtly. "You probably don't notice it, florecita, but she's got the same look you get whenever you talk about your sisters. Eyes don't match her face." He indicated his own with a pair of fingers before falling silent long enough for Lynn to collect her thoughts.

[Heritage]

The changeling nodded her head and tapped her nose with the tip of her finger. "You got it, bud; on Bill's world, or rather in his alternate dimension, time moved faster relative to ours." She shook her head and chuckled mirthlessly. "Y'see, for every year I was away here, I experienced close to thirty over there."

 

Lynn didn't say anything for a few seconds, just staring off into space, through she did take another sip of her orange juice. When she did talk again, she could barely force the words out. "We had three kids together, Bill and I; Zachary, Ruth and Jonathon. Eight grand-kids that I know of and twenty-seven great-grand-kids, though again, there might be more." She swallowed hard. "Bill and I lost contact with Jon - sh##."

 

She got up suddenly and headed over to the sideboard, fetched a bottle of pinot noir and a glass, and returned to the rest of the group; her glass was filled and drunk to the bottom in a matter of seconds. Tear-filled eyes squeezed shut, she whispered, "My babies; my poor, poor babies...!"

Edited September 4, 2014 by Heritage

[April]

The corners of Minerva's lips turned into a frown as she cast a surreptitious glance at her husband, discreetly reaching over with a free hand to clasp one of his and, mindful of her strength, squeezed it lightly. She knew, at least in part, what Lynn was going through or rather it was a thing she was fearful of where Erik was concerned.

She turned her eyes from Lynn for a moment to settle them onto her daughter, a product of those fears.

"I'm sorry, Lynn," Min said gently, looking back at their friend. She gave Erik's hand another squeeze, to disguise her own nervousness as her own fears of loss where dredged up.

[Gizmo]

"Hey..." Erik murmured so softly it was barely perceptible as he put his arms around Min's shoulders and gave her a tight, one-armed hug, not having to be half so restrained as she did with him. "Not getting rid of me any time soon, alright? We're alright." Looking over to Lynn, he added more loudly but with a slight catch in his throat, "Dios, Lynnie, I'm sorry. We wondered but... it's hard to believe Bill just..." The fencer trailed off with a wince, unable to finish the thought out loud.

Ellie stepped over to where their hostess was sitting and with some hesitation, placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. The young woman opened her mouth for a moment but closed it again, deciding on silence instead. Noticing the dramatic shift in the tone of the room, Eden looked to each of the adult faces surrounding her, becoming increasingly distraught. Finally she slid off the couch with a slight huff and shakily made her way across the living room to wrap her arms around Lynn's shin, patting with her toddler's hands and making shushing sounds.

[Heritage]

Looking down at the small child hugging her leg, Lynn half-laughed and half-cried, then reached out to tussle her hair. "Oh man, I'm sorry, guys; didn't mean to bring everybody down!" She pulled a handkerchief out of the top of he dress, dried her eyes and blew her nose. "Ah; good thing I don't wear make-up anymore, or I'd have racoon eyes, huh?" She made the hanky disappear, then gently squeezed squeezed Ellie's arm.

 

"Presents!" she blurted out abruptly. "I've got lots of presents. Here, let me show you guys a new trick I learned..." Somethings never changed, like Lynn's mercurial emotions and love of giving gifts. The hostess stuck a finger out, then traced a circle in the air about two feet in diameter, and a hole suddenly appeared in mid-air! It was perfectly visible from Ellie's side, somewhat less so than from Min and Erik's. "Let me see what I've got in here-" She reached in and her arm disappeared up to her elbow as she rummaged around wherever was on the other side; fresh air with a hint of a pine forest gently ruffled her hair.

 

First she pulled out a rolled-up Indian blanket, that she handed to Ellie. "This is for you, hermanita; hand-woven wool, perfect for two people to snuggle under on a cold night!"

 

Next Lynn withdrew a beautiful pottery vase, about a foot across, which she gently placed in front of the dryad. "This is for you, Min; handmade from red clay, air-dried and decorated with plant-based dyes. A gift of the Earth." She smiled, hints of tears still in her eyes. "Now, let me see what I've got for the little one..." She climbed halfway into the hole up to her waist, her legs sticking out in the air; suddenly a muffled voice cried out, "Ah-ha! This will do nicely!" She wriggled back out, triumphantly holding a carved wooden doll decorated with colored twine and feathers, which she showed to Eden. "This is for you, little sprout; his name is 'Cloud', and he helps bring the rain." After a second's hesitation, she offered it to Minerva. "Uh, there's some small pieces, so you might...I used to put them on our kids' nightstands, but y'know, use your own judgement."

 

Lynn paused and rested her hands on her hips as she nodded in satisfaction. "Okay, that's it for all the New Mexico stuff; Bill and I raised horses there, and we had lots of Hopi friends. Good times!" Then the changeling got a funny look in her eye as she arched an eyebrow. "Just three left, but these are kinda weird..." She reached back in and pulled out a large crystal, heavy and beautiful, which she placed on the table in front of Ellie, next to the tray of snacks. "This is for Mara; it's pure silicon, from the surface of Mars."

 

Next she pulled out a cheap plastic snow globe, but instead of a cottage and white plastic flakes, it featured a red plastic mountain and swirling red sand; across the front it read in big plastic letters, 'Greetings from Olympus Mons!' She winked as she put it on the coffee table. "For Vince, natch."

 

And now Lynn paused as she looked at each guest in turn, and her tone became more serious. "So as you can see, we also spent some time on the Mars colony; it was beautiful there, but much of that time we were helping fight the Third Colonial War, which was not so beautiful." She paused to gather her thoughts, then looked up into Erik's eyes. "For our services to the colony, Bill and I were given several...tokens of esteem." She reached into the hole in the air one last time, and withdrew a somewhat curved scabbard; rising to her feet, the fae stepped over to the swordsman and stood in front of him. The scabbard was about a three-and-half feet long, made of dark red leather and intricately decorated in platinum.

 

"This is a Martian cavalry saber." She grabbed the hilt with its gorgeous platinum-plated hand guard and drew the blade out a few inches so Erik could see the gleaming steel; her voice got a little tight as she continued. "The weight and balance might seem a bit off; after all, it was designed for use in lighter gravity..." She slid the blade back in place, then presented it to him, her eyes sparkling with tears. "He wanted you to have it, Erik...if I ever saw you again."

Edited March 22, 2017 by Heritage

[Gizmo]

Erik accepted the sheathed saber carefully, the way one would handle an antique, but his knuckles turned white when he wrapped one hand around the hilt. Working his jaw back and forth, the fencer shook his head slightly with a weak smile. "Heh. Y'know, the hardest part was trying to imagine Bill just fading away, getting old with nothing to do. Stupid. You two packed in ninety years of adventures, huh?" Letting go of the handle with some difficulty, he ran his fingers over the scabbard contemplatively. "Guess I've got some catching up to do, you ridiculous cowboy S.O.B.," he muttered under his breath, exhaling shakily and closing his eyes for a moment to stay composed.

When he opened them, he grinned at his wife. "Did I ever tell you about the time Bill and me got into a bar fight with a college football team? I mean the whole team."