Dirk’s Theories Have Merit
Melina is slowly but casually approching the ranger lodge.
Alec can be heard as easily as he is seen, as he's still fixing his instrument. He looks tired, and he has coffee at his side at the ready. Over half the strings have been fixed and replaced, and he's working on more finely tining tuning the ones that he has already before adding more new ones.
Dirk is laying down stretched out right in the middle of things as a cat does.
Melina reaches down to pet dirk as she eyes Alec quzzically "Don't tell me you haven't been to bed yet?"
Dirk purrs "Nope he hasn't."
Alec stifles a yawn and shakes his head. "I laid down for a bit, but I want to get this done." He sets down his tuning pin and stretches his arms over his head before taking a gulp from his coffee. He carefully pulls another string out from under Dirk's body and starts getting to work threading it through the instrument. "How are you?"
Melina smiles "I'm well enough. I was going to ask if either of you had checked in on Zachary or Meaghan but i gather not.
Alec shakes his head. "It was late by the time I headed to the city, so I went for coffee and continued working on my harp instead. I listened to some interesting poetry and found a new prospective ranger. But... no, I haven't checked in on them yet.”
Dirk sighs softly and purrs as he rolls over on the harp strings.
Alec rubs Dirk's stomach and then goes back to tightening the string.
Melina looks to Alec "Fresh blood huh?"
Dirk looks to Melina "can I have a hug please Mellie?"
Melina picks dirk up and gives a gentle squeeze
Alec nods. "Fresh blood. Just what we need right now. I imagine there aren't a lot of new ranger recruits with everything going on. Ah..." He reaches for his pocket. "I also never talked to Balthus about what we were discussing yesterday, about Benedict..." He searches through his trumps.
Melina nods "As much as i want information. I want to be sure Dirk won't get in trouble if we start asking around.” She looks questioningly at her feline husband
Dirk says "I never get into trouble. So ask away, if trouble comes looking for me I'll be able to dodge it."
Alec grins at his dad, and upon finding Balthus' trump, sets it out and puts the others away. He then lifts the card before him and focuses on it.
You concentrate on Balthus's Trump...
The contact with Balthus comes like an icy wind.
The image of Balthus is rolling down the street in the vicinity of the Crown and Rose, looking bathed and changed and considerably tidier than his zombie-last gore-covered sighting. "Alec?" he guesses, since his is the only trump he knows of.
To the image of Balthus, Alec is seated at a table on the deck of the lodge, a cup of coffee in front of him. He looks as though he's hardly slept, and the half-restrung harp in his lap provides some clues as to why. He nods to Balthus. "Yeah, it's me," he says. "I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions."
The image of Balthus shrugs his shoulders casually. "Sure. Ask away," he invites, curiously. "I'm not exactly the most informed person around!”
Melina is silent as alec begins chatting with balthus
Alec snorts. "Maybe not, but you might know this, at least." He reaches out with one hand to pat the large, black cat that's made itself at home among his new harp strings. "I was wondering about Benedict's older brothers, the ones that may or may not be dead. You wouldn't happen to know where they'd be buried, would you?"
Dirk starts to play with the harp strings.
The image of Balthus squints a bit at that, frowning. "Do I know where for sure where they're buried? No, not for certain. Have I heard people people suggest where they are? Yes." His brows knit. "Why do you ask?"
Melina qurks her lips at alec's question wondering how very odd it must sound out of the blue, litrally
To the image of Balthus, Alec sighs as the cat starts to play with the new harp strings, but he doesn't move to stop him. "Ah. Well, my dad had this theory about one or both of them being buried somewhere under the castle, causing whatever it is that's been going on recently." He gives a slight shrug. "It seemed worth investigating, and I figured it was possible that, if anyone knew, you or Nora probably would."
The image of Balthus studies Alec, seeming a bit uncertain, but nods after a moment. "That's what I'd heard. One of them, anyway. Apparently not a nice one, either. I don't think it's so much under the palace but under the city, and I hear he's... not friendly. I'd heard the other one was elsewhere in the golden circle. Does your father have a plan? Because I think your father should get with my father."
Melina frowns as from even just one side of the conversation she fears a dead end has been reached
To the image of Balthus, Alec looks at the black cat and then back to Balthus. "I... don't know if he has a plan or not. Also, I've recently learned Carmichael apparently doesn't like him much. But I can still ask." He looks down at the cat again. "Hey, how do you feel about meeting with Carmichael?"
Dirk says "I dont mind at all. Carm doesn't hate me if I am not sending him tiny singing penguins."
Melina peers "Charmichaeal doesn't like whom?"
The image of Balthus's brows knit. "Really? I never got that impression, honestly and my father tells me... most things. But he has information about it. Apparently so do the Karms." He shrugs. "I really don't know much more than that, and probably shouldn't go into it, myself. But tell him it's important to talk to Carmichael."
To the image of Balthus, Alec grins at the cat. "Well then, don't send him any gifts for now. I sure hope you haven't sent off those birds with the blue feet you were threatning to..." He looks back to Balthus and nods. "Dad says he's fine with a meeting. And he must have picked up his theory from a Karm, then." He pauses. "By the way, I ran into your dad just last night, actually. I'm a bit surprised you didn't tell him about our two recent adventures with Zach."
The image of Balthus ponders curiously, considering, "I haven't really had the chance to tell him about the last one since I've been back. The other? Well, I told him about it, but I might have portrayed it as more routine than it was," he admits, before shrugging. "Or he got confused, maybe? We both have fathers that change into creatures, you know how eccentric they can be." Pause. "Don't tell Dirk I said that."
Dirk is purring and smiling.
To the image of Balthus, Alec laughs. "No worries, I'm sure he already knows. Though, I didn't know your dad also was a shapeshifter." He pats the cat on the head and then takes a drink from his coffee. "By the way, Harper, one of the ranger lieutenants, would like you to come along on a trip into Deep Arden sometime this week. Are you free?"
The image of Balthus's head nods vigorously. "Of course, cousin. You know whenever you have need of my blade, you have but to ask. Just me or shall I bring Ysonde?"
To the image of Balthus, Alec smiles. "Good to hear," he says. He thinks for a moment. "While more people might be good for safety, I think just you would be best. I'm not sure how the forest will react to those it's not more used to. But I can ask Harper and see what she thinks."
The image of Balthus nods affirmatively. "Very well. Let me know if she requests my medic, but in the interrim, I'll be waiting." He smiles, faintly, nose creasing, "Oh, and sorry, again, about the harp. Give my regards to your father, as well."
To the image of Balthus, Alec smiles. "It wasn't your fault. I just need to be more careful. And will do. Thanks for the information, and take care."
The image of Balthus smiles and waves farewell.
The image of Balthus vanishes.
Alec returns Balthus' trump to his pocket. "Apparently it's more than some random theory. Carmichael already knows about the possibility of one of Benedict's older brothers being buried under the city, as do the Karms."
Dirk nods "Gil was talking about it. I think."
Alec snorts. "You think?" He returns to tightening the string. "By the way, Balthus sends his regards."
Dirk says "What else did he say?"
Alec grins and shrugs. "Nothing new, at least," he says. "And he's willing to come with us to Deep Arden. I'll have to let Harper know about that. You're invited too, by the way."
Dirk nods "Cool beans , you need someone to kill hte evil hordes for you."
Alec chuckles. "What evil hordes? Moxon just goes on about peaceful broccoli people and the occasional bear."
Dirk smiles "Evil brocolie walking trees and hunny bears."
Alec grins and shakes his head, continuing to work with his harp. "Balthus also mentioned that he knows a lot, told by Carmichael, but he wasn't about to tell me, not over trump, at least. It's why he wanted you to meet with Carmichael, to see what information you could exchange."
Dirk nods "I don;t hate carm and if carm wants to meet with me then ok."
Alec nods. "If I run into him again, I'll see if he'll be willing to meet with you, or if Balthus talks with him. Does Carmichael have your trump?"
Dirk shrug s"I am not sure I have one if he wants it."
Alec nods. "Well, if he needs one, I have a spare of yours that I can give to him, if you're alright with that."
Dirk nods "Sounds like a plan stan."
Alec nods. "Every time I see Yvonne, she tries to give me a copy of your trump, and I tell her I already have one. Last time I saw her, though, I decided to just go with it and took the card. I've had a spare since."
Dirk chuckles "I'll have to say thank you. You should come to the lower city with me someday."
Alec continues plucking out notes as he tries to tune the new string. "Oh? Why's that?"
Dirk says, "Cause its fun."
Melina hms "remind me again who carmicheael is attached to?”
Alec says, "Amber's army. He's one of Benedict's kids."
Melina hms "Is he attached to Karm too? It's quite possible that this isn't as secret as I thought and might have been shared with the council had Gilgamesh not been absent.”
Dirk says "No Carm is not a Karm but Gil is a Karm."
Alec nods. "That's what I thought. But Balthus knew that Karm knew, so I'm assuming that, even if they aren't attached, Carmichael and Karm are working together on this."
Melina hms 'so who is balthus attached or related to?"
Dirk says, "prince ben's son Carm."
Melina hms "so balthus is Ben's son too?'
Dirk shakes his head. "Nope, grandson."
Alec grimaces. "Er, it's complicated... Balthus is Carmichael's son, but he's not /technically/ his son because he's from another world, a different Amber that's not so screwed up. However, Carmichael and Balthus don't want many people knowing that they're 'related,' though."
Dirk says "I wasn't going to go through all that."
Melina hms "Ok that take's the cake for the weirdest lineage I've heard..so you would prefer going to carmichael with questions and to offer help than Gilgamesh?”
Alec shrugs. "I'm sure either of them would be helpful, but Carmichael is related to Benedict, who might have told him something that the Karms might not know."
Dirk nods "And the Karms do their Karmic thing and may have knowledge that Carm doesn't?"
Melina nods "Ok well I have to back to the house for now. Keep in touch I'll be back soon
Dirk nods and says "Hug first go later be safe."
Melina hugs dirk and waves to alec before trotting off
Alec gives a wave to Melina as she leaves and then he returns his attention to Dirk. "It sounds like it wouldn't hurt to talk to both Carmichael and Gil."
Dirk smiles "Nope it wouldn't hurt at all."
Alec scratches Dirk behind one ear and stares off into space thoughtfully. Finally, he says, "you think I should start calling Melina 'Mom'? Or would that be weird..."
Dirk says, "if you want to call her mom, I wouldn't mind. But maybe you should ask her if she minds?"
Alec nods and smiles. "Good point. I will when I next see her, I guess."
Dirk purrs and nods "So how are you doing now?"
Alec says, "I think I'm doing well. I had a lot of adventure there for the past few days, so it's nice to relax for a while, even if it's over fixing my poor harp..."
Dirk plays with the strings and chuckles. "good fix the harp and get drunk, get laid."
Alec chuckles. "And who exactly do you expect to sleep with me?"
Dirk says "A nice lady in a brothel in the lower city."
Alec laughs. "You're such a romantic, Dad," he says, patting him on the head. "I see why you want me to go there now. You just want me to get laid."
Dirk says "You need it,."
Alec snorts. "Not the point."
Dirk says, "Says you, I totally think it is the point. and you don;t deny it."
Alec says, "You're probably just hoping I knock her up on accident."
Dirk says "that would be nice."
Alec chuckles. "See? I know exactly what you're thinking. Maybe I do need to get laid, but it's not just so you can have grandkids."
Dirk smiles "Its also so you can take care of yourself and relax. Grandkids are just an extra value added bonus."
Alec looks skeptical. "Uh-huh..."
Dirk stretches and licks your nose. "Are you calling me a liar?"
Alec gives him a scratch under the chin. "Not at all," he says. "I'm just doubting your motives and intentions."
