Erik and Tramma Have a Heart to Heart

[Jim Roberts]

[Feb 2 AM – The Holymolders]

> Trusting to his Divine Steed’s innate “horse sense”, Erik gently
> replied, “Of course you may.”

“Thanks!” Tramma replied gratefully, and eased herself back so that some
of her weight was now resting against his chest. He hoped that there was
sufficient padding between his breastplate and the bard, but Tramma did
not complain. Not for the first time that morning, Erik was aware that
he had a remarkably attractive lady between his arms, and now resting
against him. But Tramma made no move to take advantage of the extra
contact, and merely looked up at the Holy Knight’s face.

“Thanks!” she repeated. “I really prefer being able to look at who I’m
talking to. And getting back to what I was saying, I really should have
made the effort to get to know the rest of the people up at the Fort,
too. On the other hand, there's only so many hours in the day, even if
you skip non-essential things like sleep.”

Here, she paused to give a prodigious, but still ladylike yawn, and a
sense of amusement from Miracle flashed in Erik’s mind. The Divine Steed
clearly felt that sleep had not been a major factor in their guest’s
past night.

“Sorry,” she apologized. “Guess I’m kinda burning the candle at both
ends again. Fortunately, they sent me off with a skin of that lovely
yaupon tea, and I’m starting to like it hot OR cold.” Rather curiously,
she started to blush slightly as she added, “But I’m afraid I’m gonna
have to ask for a quick stop before we get to Gil’s. If you know what I
mean.”

Miracle answered for them both. “Say the word, Tramma Silverhair, and we
will stop as soon and as often as you wish. Only the worst possible cad
would do otherwise, and neither Erik nor I are that. We will, in fact,
make certain that you are undisturbed while looking the other way.”

“Thanks!” the bard once again repeated, perhaps unconsciously snuggling
back against the knight just that little bit more. “That's the downside
of my scattershot approach to life,” she continued, “and at the same
time trying to respect the way other people are. Sometimes I let my
enthusiasm get in the way of getting to know somebody. Or even just
rushing off to the next fascinating situation or person. There's so much
to see, so much to do, and so many people to meet.”

Erik pondered for a moment, and then nodded. “It just shows we are
human.” He frowned, and added, “Given that we have different races, that
saying perhaps should be different.”

“Oh, human is still a good way to put it,” Tramma told Erik
thoughtfully. “Something I have put a lot of thought into.” She
fingered her beautiful metallic silver hair, and observed, "I don't dye
this, and as the old saying goes, the carpet matches the drapes. It runs
in the family."

"I was kind of curious about that." Erik said with a chuckle. “Even us
noble types have prurient thoughts.”

Tramma shared the knight’s chuckle. “And that’s what makes you noble
types so lovable. You feel the call, but you rise above them.” Rather
more pensively, she added, "Not a come on, Lord Erik," she smiled. "Or
well, it COULD be, but I'm rooting for someone else remember? Just
pointing out that at least according to old family stories I now know to
have some basis in fact, my heritage is not entirely 'human' in one
sense. But... I am about as human as one can be, mistakes and all."

The bard gave a slightly self-mocking smile as she continued, "Normally
I'd be following up on those sorts of admissions, and working towards
helping you find out firsthand how my lovely hair colour matches all
around. Let's face it, you already know I am attracted to YOU.” Her
smile fading into an even more introspective frown, Tramma added, “When
you get right down to it, though, I am glad you turned down my first
attempt to get your attention. You were right, and I was being probably
TOO free-spirited and exuberant."

Erik was torn. Politeness and chivalry suggested that he gallantly
disagree to take some of the sting out of the words his guest was
clearly levelling against herself, and not her host. But honesty would
not allow for what gallantry required; she had indeed come on more than
a little strong when they had first met. And when a Holy Knight found
himself torn between gallantry and honesty, the latter usually needed to
prevail.

As it turned out, however, he had no need to resolve the dilemma in
actual words; Tramma could readily see the honest answer in Erik’s face.
Gently, she lifted a hand to brush his cheek as she gently said, “It’s
OK. I understand. And it really IS alright to flirt, but unless you can
REALLY convince me you would be OK with the way I am, I have no
intention of following up on anything just yet.”

Forestalling any interruption, she again reached up, this time laying a
gentle finger across the knight’s lips. “Not just for me… OR for you.
But for the Other Lady.”

Erik nodded. “The Lady Anadrieniel.”

“Just so,” Tramma agreed. “Remember, I’m playing a bigger game that only
works when EVERYONE wins. So in this new RomCom I’m scripting, I’m gonna
be playing the role of the wiser, older and more experienced friend
trying to make this tangled mess WORK between the two of you. And that
means I’ve gotta do a lot of groundwork that wouldn’t be helped if you
and I got together.”

Her voice gained a degree of resolution as she continued stoutly, “For
one thing, I have to get to know Anadrieniel better than I do, and see
where HER head is now. We haven't crossed paths in a while. Our social
circles overlapped, but she is a bit older and more successful than I, a
fair bit more reserved, and frankly a lot more sensible. We get along,
and I think she'll be quite flattered by the conversation I intend to
have with her as soon as I can arrange it. What I don't know and
wouldn't tell you if I did is what is going on in that amazing mind of
hers and whether she will be willing to spill."

The self-deprecating smile was back as Tramma observed, “And to be
perfectly honest, I’d previously been just a little bit in awe of the
mighty, rich, and successful wizard. She's an impressive lady in a lot
of ways.”

“She is impressive…” Erik fervently agreed.

Now Tramma’s smile became just a bit conspiratorial as she chuckled
ruefully, "I do not disagree, and believe me I had noticed. Remember, I
am more'n a bit bisexual, among all my other oddities. So, yeah, believe
me when I say I noticed.”

The bard became somewhat more pensive as she added, “Let me just observe
that like any woman, Anadrieniel deserves to maintain her mystery in her
own way. I intend to help you get her attention if she hasn't decided to
move on, but even if I had a guess what she's gonna say when I have the
same sort of chat with her I've had with you, I wouldn't say. Just like
anything you've told me in confidence I won't dare share directly... the
role of the mutual confidant has rules, you know.” This latter point she
punctuated with a flash of her earlier conspiratorial smile.

"You gotta understand, Lord Erik," Tramma sighed. "Our sexual mores in
Yeltanar are frankly kinda a mess. I and my friends are pretty atypical.
There's this whole kinda hypocritical bullshit in my homeland that 'nice
girls don't DO that sort of thing'. Utter nonsense like 'just close your
eyes, lie back, and think of the Empire' is bandied about as advice to a
bride about her wedding night. As you noted, even the respectable sorts
of the oh-so-proper Yelti upper crust enjoy doin' the deed. They just
try to PRETEND they don't. I think Anadrieniel is more sensible than
that, but that's the kinda folderol she grew up with."

“That… must be difficult,” Erik observed sympathetically.

“Horses, and Norsemen,” Miracle added helpfully, “tend to me more honest
about such things.”

Tramma nodded emphatically. "I LIKE honesty. I decided to be honest
about my, uh, appetites about the time I figured out how all the pieces
fit together and how much fun it was. For that they called me a tramp,
so I decided to be the best Tramp I could be. It has been fun, but I
can't honestly recommend the way I live for most people. Lotta work
keeping things honest with multiple lovers, and ya gotta be a little
crazy and probably way smarter than me to pull it off, but I try my best."

“Teenage rebellion is truly universal," Erik observed with a grin.

“Well, I intend to KEEP rebelling once I am not a teen any more in about
three months,” Tramma laughed. “But.. I fit in a LOT better out here,
and I guess I've kinda gone establishment cuz the establishment out here
is pretty cool. I'd have NEVER had a conversation like this with any of
the lords back in 'ze old country',” she concluded, comically drawing
out the last part with an exaggerated accent.

“And you're not wrong,” she quickly continued, reverting back to her
normal tone of voice. “I DID start out as a rebel without a clue. But...
I thought it over a LOT since then, and for me at least I figured out
some tentative answers. One of them is to try to love everyone I meet,
as they really are, not as I WANT them to be. I can't always live up to
that, obviously. But I do try.”

Tramma had clearly given the Holy Knight a lot to ponder. "I do wonder
how something starts out as rebelling against the status quo ends up
becoming more of a habit?” he asked almost rhetorically. He shook his
head, and quickly continued. “Let me rephrase that. the rebellion
makes something more exciting, and can let it override what is best for
you in the long run."

“True enough,” Tramma agreed.

Warming to his thesis, Erik continued, “But mixing it in with sex can
make it confusing, wouldn’t you say?” He shrugged, and concluded with an
apologetic, “I don't know you well enough to have an opinion one way or
another. From a wizened old man of nearly 25, it's something to think
about.”

The bard between his arms nodded. “I think about THAT a lot, too,
m'lord,” she said seriously. “And I discuss it with my spiritual mentors
and various good friends - and lovers. The sort of personality I am...
there's a very real danger of manipulating people to get what I want. My
own solution to that is to try to keep what I want as pure as I can.”

“More power to you,” Miracle offered.

Gently, she reached down to give whatever part of the Divine Steed she
could reach an affectionate pat. “This is gonna sound self-serving, but
it really IS true. What I want is to make as many friends as I can, and
make myself happy by finding out what makes THEM happy, then doing what
I can to make that happen. I get a very real high from making people
happy, and then move on to make the next friend and make THEM happy.

“That's why you're a good person,” Erik opined. “Because you DO think of
such things.”

“I try anyway,” Tramma replied, and once again the self-deprecating
smile was back. “And of course mess up now and again. A complicated
social life can make for some spectacular blowups if you're not careful
enough, and I wasn't until I had made some mistakes that I still bang my
head against trees thinking about.”

“I can't exactly throw stones in this regard,” Erik confessed ruefully.
“I've certainly made a mess of things.”

“Oh, hardly irreparably,” was the cheerful reply, tempered with, “I
hope.” Tramma smiled winsomely, and admitted, 'Full disclosure, it's a
win-win for me. If it turns out you HAVE made a complete mess of things,
I can always be there for you and console you with meaningful sex or
something.”

“A noble sacrifice, to be sure.” Erik chuckled.

“‘Tis a far better thing I do, and all that,” Tramma half quoted, before
adding, “Though that didn't end so well for THAT guy. So I’ve kinda come
to the conclusion that at least until you know for sure what your
situation is with Anadrieniel, you should behave, and I should behave.
Or rather misbehave with someone ELSE.”

“Agreed,” Erik sighed.

Once again, Tramma reached up to gently brush the knight’s cheek.
“Courage, m’lord. You Holy Knights are made of strong stuff. Inside, AND
out, so I know you can face the challenge. And to encourage you further,
I’ll put ALL of my cards on the table. I really AM gonna do everything
in my not inconsiderable power to help things between you and Annie work
out. Not just because it's the RIGHT thing to do… but it IS… but also
because I really get off on making people happy.”

Her gaze was intense as she added, “But here’s the full disclosure. I
still think you’re REALLY hot, and if I CAN manage to get things to work
out well between you and Annie, be warned that I’m next gonna see how
things work out with Annie and ME, and I’m gonna see how Annie feels
about Threesomes.”

“And if things do NOT work out,” Miracle added, “you will be ready to
console my Rider with deep and meaningful sex yourself.”

“Ab-sol-lutely,” Tramma replied, drawing out the word with particular
emphasis. “So take heart, m’lord Erik. I’ve got your best interests at
heart, which happen to coincide with mine, and that I’m on your side.
And, if it gives you extra encouragement, keep in mind that one way or
another, you’ll probably be able to see my matching curtain and drapes –
and more – in our future.”