I have always tried to give my daughters the freedom that I believe is essential for the proper development of young women adventurers, but last night's {Linkshell} scandal had me doubting the wisdom of this decision. However, I wasn't sure how much of what I heard was fact and how much was fiction, so I decided to intercept Linmayu while she was fishing today and find out her side of the story.
She was standing by Bomingo Round, wearing her fishing gear and one of those silly red hats that the smilebringers have been passing out to adventurers for the Starlight Celebration. I cast Tonko:Ichi, crept up behind her, and knocked her into the water. She came up cursing with 8 moat carp attached to her clothing. When she noticed the fish she smiled. "Thanks, Mom," she said, "these are the first fish I've managed to catch today. ^^;;;"
"That's not so good," I said, "but I came to ask you about your progress with the *other* kind of fish."
"Oh, terrapins?" she asked. "I'll be back to those as soon as I've broken all these." She pointed to her gobbiebag, which had seven more Tarutaru fishing rods sticking out of it in every which direction. I had heard that the things were worth more broken than intact. Fishers are weird.
"No, not terrapins. I'm talking about--"
"Ohhhh, *nebimonites.* I'm going fishing for those early tomorrow morning. There's a chance I might be meeting someone on the boat around then..."
"Gah, no, not nebimonites either...--wait, who did you say you were meeting?"
"I didn't say who."
"Sheesh, Linmayu, is it one of the 2515049 elvaan boys you're leading on? Or is it the one who won't have you?"
"He never said he wouldn't have me." She cast a line into the pond. "If he did, or if he told me to leave him alone, I would do it."
"Okay whatever," I said as she struggled with something at the end of her line. "Is he the one you almost married?" Almost as if on cue, her fishing rod snapped in two and she fell on her butt in the water on the other side of the bridge.
"Sheesh, what the hell is *in* there?"
"You're avoiding my question."
"He is not," she said. "That unlucky soul was a red mage and the adopted son of a San d'Orian alchemist. His name was Airemacar." She sighed dejectedly. "Mom, you would have liked him if you'd met him."
"Well, why didn't I meet him?"
"Because you were too busy running all over Vana'diel plotting ways to kill my father in his sleep?"
"Guilty as charged. ^^;;;" I sighed dejectedly. "But why did you break it off with him if he seemed like such a fine man?"
"Well, why are *you* not married? Every other week some bearded hume sends you flowers... ^^;;;"
"Meh, I've had it with men."
"Well, so have I! ^^;;;" She looked directly at me. "They want to own your soul. They want you to not go adventuring with your oldest friends. They make fun of your sense of direction and your pulling skills in a way that says 'Oh, look at that poor stupid elvaan girl. Thank Altana she has me to protect her!'"
"Your sense of direction and your pulling skills *do* leave much to be desired," I reminded her.
"I know!" She looked rather angry. "And how am I ever going to improve them if men keep trying to 'protect' me? And besides that. If you wear a subligar to increase the power of your attacks, they're all 'omg lin looks hot' and '/em stares at lin's ass' and whatevar. Plus if you don't want to have sex with them, they slander your name on the {Linkshell} and stuff. ^^;;;; Would *you* put up with that?"
"Okay, that's all well and good, but it doesn't explain why you're chasing after some elvaan who doesn't seem interested in...
O SHI, it does. Explains it all too well... Um, good luck with that, Linmayu. ^^;;;"
She looked at me quizzically, and I was forced to admit it. "Look, I've been holding out for Kieranthalar for 18 years. I don't want you to find yourself in the same situation. That is all."
"O_O," Linmayu said. "OK, Mom, don't you think that if you'd like to get back together with my father, you might benefit from trying methods other than stabbitying or poisoning him?"
"Hmmm," she said, "you may be right. Our relationship didn't start out as a stabbityfest. It just became that way after the years and the Quadav had eaten our souls. {/sigh} I'm sure it's too late for us now."
Linmayu looked deep in thought. I worried because that's not a place she goes often. "It might be," she said. "Just as there might be no chance for Bothrops and me. But you know what?" She looked directly at me. "I don't care if there's no chance. I love him. And even if he never loves me back, I will never stop. Even if I never see him again. Even if I die trying. What good is living, anyway, if you give up on your dreams?"
I was speechless. I could tell she meant every word she said. There was nothing left for me to do but hug her, wish her good luck, and tell her not to forget about cursing the Yagudo while she's at it.
"Oh, you better believe I won't," she said as she pulled a Yagudo effigy out of her bag and casually stabbed it with a fishhook.
I went back home, and considered what my daughter had told me, and set about writing a letter to Kieranthalar...
Nimbex > Gosh. I'm glad my mother doesn't have a CTY pearl. (12/27 13:02)
Linmayu > Yeah, she might've heard about your girlfriend's Galka grandfather getting his ass ridden! ^_~ (12/27 13:09)
Nimbex > But she is not my girlfriend any more! Ah, so shortlived! (12/28 10:01)
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