"You've Got Another Thing Coming"

The night has fallen as the three women engage in their happy dancing revelry, unaware of the lurid gaze from the shadows on the bridge behind them. "Oooohhhh Lord Fangsong, Lord Horningheart, and Princess Serpentbottom...oh, so much to work with! Three wild warrior women fighting back to back...sweat and blood dripping...then find themselves so IRRESISTBLY drawn to one another as night falls...finding comfort in each other..." Zephyria writes into her parchment, an impish grin on her face. "You know if you wanna write pornográphos with Eddie in it, you could just ask her," came a voice from behind her. Zephyria nearly jumped out of her skin. She bolted around to see Gerry standing there. "Oh, uh, Gryta! I didn't see you there! Uh, I wasn't doing anything! Strange I can't find Honeylicious! He should have TOLD ME SOMEONE WAS COMING!" "Oh, don't worry, he's right there," she points to the stickly imp lolling around on the ground, giggling and hiccuping happily. "What did you..." "Well, I saw you over here acting strange," she started as she grabbed a wineskin on her belt, "And since I didn't want your imp warning you, I just said, 'Hey, Honeylicious, want some wine? It's got extra honey in it!'...and well you know the rest." Zephyria shied away from the lion woman, cowed that she could be discovered. "Well, of course you could sneak up on me. No one notices you, especially someone with as much 'third child' energy as you," she said with a smug smirk. "Ouch," replied Gerry with a smirk of her own, "Can't argue with that one. Still, when I see a witch perving on my troupe sister, it helps to be easy to miss." Zephyria remained silent. "You know, for a scary bird elf witch who's lived for centuries...you're really interested in our goings on," Gerry said as she nonchalantly took a sip of the wineskin.
 
Zephyria wandered away from the railing to the back of the ship and gestured the lion girl to follow. Gerry's muscles tightened, anticipating if Zephyria would attack her with a spell, but she followed. "All right. You got me. Better your words than a dagger shoved between my ribs. I'm not going to curse you," said Zephyria sensing the tension from Gerry. "I heard the clap of feet and the sound of Hasapiko being played. It's been a long time since I heard such a pleasing rendition. I thought maybe we'd taken on a musician who understood the classic music...but instead I found none other than the xefonízon that is your friend, troupe leader, and now captain...playing such a lovely rendition...maybe a bit too fast..." "You could just say you liked it," said Gerry cutting her off. "Well, your words are as sharp as your blades. I like that," said Zephyria with a smile. "I'm so honored," said Gerry with a slight note of sarcasm. "You know," started Zephyria, "What were YOU doing over here?" "I came to check on my friend and saw she was having a nice moment with her other friends. I decided to just relax and listen with some wine...and saw a hollow boned bird witch acting like a stalker in the night....kinda suspicious. So how about just telling me or shall we make this even more awkward?" challenged Gerry. "Fine, fine," said Zephyria, "I relent to the sharp scratch of the lioness's sharp claws. I wasn't just attracted to watch them have fun...or write saucy material for sale. It's connection." "Connection?" "You know...my curse." "Ah yes. As long as you shall live you shall know no love." "Good, you paid attention. Well, that means all kinds of love. Storge, agape, eros...the symposium doesn't count...and philia. I don't really understand them. So when they do what they do...I observe. I don't understand how irrational as you all are...especially you. You seem the least manic of all our crew. Why follow such a reckless and crazy woman around?"
 
Gerry paused for a moment. "I wanted to love and be loved. She makes me feel love. She makes me feel brave. She saw me as a person and didn't care that I was a 'third child"...try 'seventh'. She looked at me and saw I already had value as a person." "Where's the value in that?" asked Zephyria. "See, Zephy...I think that's your problem there. I dunno if it comes from living so long...but you only see people for what you can get from them. I guess we're just too short-lived for you. I dunno...maybe it's just your outlook...or the curse IS to have that outlook." "Well, you certainly do have a lot to say all of a sudden. Well, then, through thick and thin? Tell me more." "We left Crell when we realized we had a dream to wander and make music together. She promised to be our courageous heart and I promised I'd be our sharp mind. That courage she passed onto me and that same courage was recognized." "Oh?" "She would never tell me how but she was taught her musical power. The closest I got to an answer was 'they said I had valor'. Secret aoidos societies or whatever...they recognized her. I waited for her every day and she was so happy as she came back. We had each other's backs." "Well, you risked everything seems kind of irrational." "Well...when all you know is how to take care of yourself it won't make sense. You wouldn't understand...and you never will. Good night, Zephyria," said Gerry. "If you want a hint, realize that even short-lived things can have value too," she said as she walked off into the night. Zephyria watched the lion woman go in silence.