[by comparison, she's warm. she runs real, real hot - almost feverish. not enough to burn, but enough to notice, to be uncomfortable after a long exposure. she shifts, her tail anxiously wriggling, but - he says that, and she laughs.
it's fine! she's all good.]
I'm really big. [she says, amused, but.] Thanks, I think.
You keep touching your chest like that. You haven't got an engine in there too, right?
[ tearing his gaze away from the heart, he looks down, and oh - yep, he is still sure holding his cloak, huh. he lets go, loosening his hand, and looks a little sheepish. ]
Heh... I don't know what that is, so... no, no, I don't think so. [ no, he's got a big baby heart under there. pure and azure blue. ] I... just lost something recently, that's all.
I didn't think you would. [she knows she's got A Situation. a beat.] You can talk about it with me if you want? I'm a good listener. But also, like, I get it if not! I'm also technically a stranger.
Eh. I'm not a woes kind of lady, but I get what you're putting down.
[she's soooo cheerful, all the time!]
Hey but, Gods willing, we won't be here for that long. I was kind of in the middle of something, and I got my chain yanked and now I'm here sitting in a swamp with a stupid box full of meat that might belong to me.
[ so. yeah. yeah!!! sometimes you're just :D through the horrors!!!
anyway. rondo winces a little with that and nods... god... ]
... yes, certainly. I'd like to leave quickly, too - I think... if I have this sword, then, perhaps things at home are not as bad as they could be, but I would need to return quickly, nevertheless. [ a beat. ] What were you doing?
You got it. [she rubs at her temple. for no reason.] There's these things called Mind Flayers, where I'm from. They're slimy tentacle-faced guys that infect people with their spawn so those people turn, and they're all part of a hivemind. The Elder Brain's the one that directs all of them.
Kind of like... bees? Like bees. But with tentacles.
... That sounds awful. [ what a terrible monster... ] So... you're trying to slay it? I can't imagine the kind of damage something like that would do...
Yeah. Me, Astarion, Gale, and a couple other people too, we just picked each other up like strays. We're pretty much the only ones who can do it.
[a beat.]
I think I'm the only one that's really into doing it, though. The Gate's my home. If everybody there that's got a family and a living and all that, you know, if they get turned... I can't let that happen.
[ interesting!!! he makes a mental note of that, nodding, and listens to the rest of karlach's story intently. there's something about that (shocking) resonates with rondo, even, and she'll see it flicker on his face, a mix of determination and warmth. ]
...I understand what you mean. [ not letting people get harmed, protecting your home... it's the way he feels about orsterra, too. ] I hope that things will be alright in your absence... do you believe your comrades who aren't here with you will be able to handle things well?
Oh - yeah, they're my boys. [she says, confidently, because in her mind they are. those are her baby eight strength chickadees.
as for the rest of it:]
Really, I think we couldn't have left the place in better hands. Wyll can wrangle them into doing the right thing. [a beat.] I'm more worried about them getting into a scrap with me. I'm the attention grabber, yeah? So my friends can pick off the baddies while I'm front and center.
That makes sense...! [ rondo nods along... karlach the girlies who get it get it... ] You have to protect someone like Mr. Gale. [ assigns him squishy wizard ] Well, hopefully your friend who can wrangle your other friends can keep them out of too many scraps, until you can get back!
Hopefully it won't be long, either. [ (narrator voice) it was long ]
Absolutely have got to protect someone like Gale. You could knock him over with a sneeze.
[she rubs at her neck.]
Yeah... yeah. Hopefully it won't be long. [... she trails off there, glancing away. a beat.] Here's to getting the sense of whatever the fuck is going to happen next, yeah?
Oh! Okay! I'd love to. I'll get yours after, then! [ there's a pause, and he sighs, touching his tummy. ] Ohh man... what I wouldn't give for a good tavern meal right now...
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...your heart...?
[ now wait a minute you're standing right next to him ]
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Got it replaced. Not on purpose, mind you. But yeah.
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and for her to have hers replaced... he quiets for a moment, looking at where she knocks, and then back at the box itself and the heart within it. ]
...I see...
[ after a long moment of looking at the fleshy one in the box, he says, softly, a little helplessly: ]
... Your heart is really big, Karlach.
[ no wonder she's so kind. ]
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it's fine! she's all good.]
I'm really big. [she says, amused, but.] Thanks, I think.
You keep touching your chest like that. You haven't got an engine in there too, right?
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[ tearing his gaze away from the heart, he looks down, and oh - yep, he is still sure holding his cloak, huh. he lets go, loosening his hand, and looks a little sheepish. ]
Heh... I don't know what that is, so... no, no, I don't think so. [ no, he's got a big baby heart under there. pure and azure blue. ] I... just lost something recently, that's all.
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I didn't think you would. [she knows she's got A Situation. a beat.] You can talk about it with me if you want? I'm a good listener. But also, like, I get it if not! I'm also technically a stranger.
[headtilt.]
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...It's just...
[ mfft. ] ... it's just a really long story.
[ because he's not even sure where he'd start, honestly. rondo looks up at her thought, frowning, something more earnest in his eyes. ]
But, I'd not call you a stranger - it's not that I'd not tell you because of that.
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Kind of a lot to handle all at once, I get it. Don't worry about it, but hey - promise, if you need an ear, you can come to me.
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[ weh. how sweet... he smiles at her, the last of the sadness easing away, and then nods. ]
But - the same goes for you, too, alright? I am no priest or cleric, but, I'd be happy to listen to your worries or woes, too.
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[she's soooo cheerful, all the time!]
Hey but, Gods willing, we won't be here for that long. I was kind of in the middle of something, and I got my chain yanked and now I'm here sitting in a swamp with a stupid box full of meat that might belong to me.
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[ so. yeah. yeah!!! sometimes you're just :D through the horrors!!!
anyway. rondo winces a little with that and nods... god... ]
... yes, certainly. I'd like to leave quickly, too - I think... if I have this sword, then, perhaps things at home are not as bad as they could be, but I would need to return quickly, nevertheless. [ a beat. ] What were you doing?
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[she says, and then:] Blowing up an Elder Brain. Betting you don't know what that is, though.
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-- Fuck, you're right, they do. This one's got the most wrinkles you've ever seen.
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[ he's trying to picture this and it's coming out as like an EXTREMELY wrinkled ye olde brain with like heathcote's beard
shudders ] It's a monster...? I guess.. if it's really old, it's probably really smart?
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You got it. [she rubs at her temple. for no reason.] There's these things called Mind Flayers, where I'm from. They're slimy tentacle-faced guys that infect people with their spawn so those people turn, and they're all part of a hivemind. The Elder Brain's the one that directs all of them.
Kind of like... bees? Like bees. But with tentacles.
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... That sounds awful. [ what a terrible monster... ] So... you're trying to slay it? I can't imagine the kind of damage something like that would do...
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[a beat.]
I think I'm the only one that's really into doing it, though. The Gate's my home. If everybody there that's got a family and a living and all that, you know, if they get turned... I can't let that happen.
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[ interesting!!! he makes a mental note of that, nodding, and listens to the rest of karlach's story intently. there's something about that (shocking) resonates with rondo, even, and she'll see it flicker on his face, a mix of determination and warmth. ]
...I understand what you mean. [ not letting people get harmed, protecting your home... it's the way he feels about orsterra, too. ] I hope that things will be alright in your absence... do you believe your comrades who aren't here with you will be able to handle things well?
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as for the rest of it:]
Really, I think we couldn't have left the place in better hands. Wyll can wrangle them into doing the right thing. [a beat.] I'm more worried about them getting into a scrap with me. I'm the attention grabber, yeah? So my friends can pick off the baddies while I'm front and center.
[tank behavior]
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That makes sense...! [ rondo nods along... karlach the girlies who get it get it... ] You have to protect someone like Mr. Gale. [ assigns him squishy wizard ] Well, hopefully your friend who can wrangle your other friends can keep them out of too many scraps, until you can get back!
Hopefully it won't be long, either. [ (narrator voice) it was long ]
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[she rubs at her neck.]
Yeah... yeah. Hopefully it won't be long. [... she trails off there, glancing away. a beat.] Here's to getting the sense of whatever the fuck is going to happen next, yeah?
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[ he says, with a big smile - hopeful. very hopeful! ]
Ah, it feels like that's the kind of thing that should be said at a tavern with a big mug of ale...
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If we do, I owe you a drink.
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Oh! Okay! I'd love to. I'll get yours after, then! [ there's a pause, and he sighs, touching his tummy. ] Ohh man... what I wouldn't give for a good tavern meal right now...