10 replies to this topic

[Lysette Hasting]

Lysette couldn't sleep. She made it back to the Keep as the sun was rising, and shed her mist-sodden clothing. Her mind kept playing the evening over and over again... and it kept her from sleeping. She needed to tell someone. Lysette sat in her bed for an hour before getting back up.

She needed to tell Colette. Colette was the only one who would understand. She might even help.

She dressed and brushed her hair, putting it up in a loose braid, hoping she didn't look too tired. Lysette replenished her supply of metals, threw up a coppercloud, and left her room in search of Colette. She knew her cousin would be awake this early... or she hoped.

Once she did find her, she tried to look nonchalant... and not exhausted. "Good morning, Colette"

[Colette Hasting]

Another day, another challenge.

Colette had risen early that morning, as she always did, and was already dressed and seated in her father's study. She hadn't had breakfast yet - that would come later - but she sipped an invigorating tea as she looked over the day's paperwork. It was a heavy load, as usual, but she would do it herself no matter the cost. She wouldn't risk letting useful work fall into Caden's hands if she had to work herself to death to avoid it. He was a big enough nuisance as it was without making himself look even more competent.

How? How was that man still such a thorn in her side? After all the years of Rioting and pulling strings and doing everything she could to discredit him or make herself look better by comparison? She was better than this! Ruler damn it, she had held lives in her hands! And still that man somehow dared defy her!

There was a clattering sound, and Colette realized with a start that while holding the teacup above its saucer, she had begun to shake so badly that scalding tea sloshed onto the desk, threatening to stain the papers. Growling a curse, she leapt up to sweep the papers out of the way and shouted for a servant to come clean up the mess before it ruined the finish on the desk. It was mahogany, after all.

But instead of a servant, in came Lysette. Colette schooled her face to stillness, noting that the other woman looked exhausted. What in the world had she been up to out there? And why was she here instead of getting some decent rest? It must be important.

"Good morning, Lysette," she said with her friendliest smile, deliberately not mentioning Lysette's obvious exhaustion. "What brings you up here so early?"

[Lysette Hasting]

Lysette was grateful Colette didn't mention how tired she looked. It gave her a little more confidence to tell her cousin what she had come to say. What was it again that she wanted to tell Colette? She would have to choose her words very carefully. Lysette knew that a wrong word could end this before it even began.

"I..." Lysette sighed. She didn't even know where to start. She was about to open her mouth to start at the beginning... but a servant interrupted. Suddenly the Keep felt too crowded. There were so many people around. How could Lysette start talking?

She waited impatiently for the servant to leave. Lysette followed the servant and made sure the door was closed, checking the corners of the room as she came back to the desk. She sat uncomfortably in the chair and tried again.

"I met someone," she said. "I was in the city and I met another Mistborn." She said, sounding almost guilty. She felt like her stomach was going to tie itself into knots. She could barely say the words to Jasun, how was she going to tell Colette?

[Colette Hasting]

Colette seated herself as regally as possible after the servant exited, trying to forget her anxieties over Caden. Maybe she could find a way to distract him so that she could pull ahead. A woman, maybe? Oh, how delightful it would be if the bastard ended up creating a bastard of his own! His credibility would be ruined! Of course, she couldn't rely on something so uncertain as that as her main plan, but it would certainly be a fun little side bonus. She made a mental note to herself to think later about who might be a suitably disastrous match for him as Lysette returned to the desk and had a seat.

And she certainly had disturbing news, didn't she? Was her secret exposed? Was Hasting in danger? She knew Lysette would be burning copper - she always did - but she burned zinc anyways. Even with no one in range to Riot, the familiar warmth of it glowing within her was calming and reassuring. She took a deep breath, letting it wash over her, before continuing.

"Another Mistborn," she repeated, noting the other woman's nervous expression. What had gotten into her? She wanted to kick something in frustration at revealing one of her house's Mistborn, but that clearly wasn't the approach that was needed here. Lysette responded best to Colette's gestures of friendship, so she would play the part of the patient, listening friend before flying off the handle. No matter how badly she wanted to.

"Tell me what happened."

[Lysette Hasting]

Lysette took a calming breath, trying to still the nerves at the pit of her stomach. This shouldn't be hard, it wasn't as if she had really revealed very much about herself or her house... and Jasun wasn't from another Great House anyway. His house had fallen ... who knows how many years ago?

"I was patrolling the city..." Lysette started. She figured she should start from the beginning. Colette already knew what that meant -- her patrol 'uniform' which consisted of boy's clothes, chest bindings, and a hat to hide her hair. She didn't have to explain that.

"This other Mistborn came up to me. At first I pretended to be a coinshot, so I didn't give anything away, I didn't realize he was a Mistborn until we started sparring." She sighed. "He wasn't a very skilled fighter..." Lysette got a wistful smile on her face as she began regaling Colette with the story of their first fight. It was clear how she felt about Jasun, as much as she wanted to hide it. Lysette's smiles usually had some degree of falseness, but not when she started talking about him.

"He ended up taking my hat when I had him cornered," she said. "My hair came out and he realized I wasn't a little boy playing in the mists after all, that I was a girl. At this point he already knew too much, so I punched him as hard as I could and ran. I circled the city four times before I came back to the keep, just to make sure he wasn't following..." She sighed. Lysette realized that Colette probably didn't need to hear all of these details. She didn't need the whole story, just the highlights. Though, that was as good a place to start as any...

[Colette Hasting]

Colette frowned thoughtfully as she listened to Lysette's story. Judging by her expression, the woman was either infatuated with this other Mistborn, or she was in love with him. After one night? Lysette? That didn't make sense at all. She rarely opened up to anyone; she wouldn't let some stranger steal her heart after a few hours. Colette needed more information.

"And then you came back here?" she prompted. "To talk to me? Or did more happen?"

[Lysette Hasting]

"Oh..." Lysette shook her head, as if clearing the cobwebs from its reaches. "Of course," She sighed. "All of this happened six months ago."

Lysette sighed. "At first I just wanted to help him learn not to telegraph his every move in combat. It was going to get him killed... I didn't even tell him my real name."

She realized that Colette had better things to do then sit here and listen to her ramble on about the stupid things she did. Colette needed the facts, and Lysette was doing everything but telling her the relevant information.

"I..." She looked down at her hands so she wouldn't meet Colette's gaze. "I've let myself get too attached to him. I love him, Colette."

[Colette Hasting]

Six months. Six months. Six Ruler-forsaken months this had gone on and Lysette had told her nothing? And now she was claiming to be in love with the accursed man? Lysette had been compromised for six months! This man could be anyone! A Venture? A Casuana? Ruler forbid, a Deveaux? Lysette still hadn't mentioned his name, after all. This was a trap, it must have been a trap, designed to lure Lysette away from Hasting and expose her. Or worse, marry her out of the house entirely. Poaching Mistborn wasn't that uncommon of a practice, considering how difficult it was to attempt. And now this, this man knew about her, he had stolen her heart, had such a grip on her that Lysette had endangered her entire house for six months! What else might she have done, or would she do in the future, at this man's behest?

Colette prided herself on having immaculate control of her expressions, but it took every ounce of effort she had within her to keep her face calm. She flared her zinc hot and bright, letting its comforting glow wash over her until she had burned through almost all of it. The feeling of power and security was a comfort, for all she had no one to use it on at the moment. But for now, just the feeling of having it there was enough. At least, it would have to be; she didn't exactly have a choice.

Her hand moved of its own accord to remove another vial from the desk drawer where she kept a few backups, and she downed it quickly. Only when she was satisfied that she wouldn't run out any time soon did she ease back on her burn rate, and only then did she finally feel she had the strength to address her traitorous cousin.

"Lysette," she said with a false smile, "my dearest friend, my most beloved cousin. Why did you not tell me of this sooner?"

[Lysette Hasting]

Lysette felt so guilty already for not telling Colette what was going on, she didn't need more guilt thrown on her. Lysette looked at her hands in her lap until she heard Colette open the desk drawer. Lysette watched her cousin take a vial of metals out to refill her supply. Had she been burning zinc this whole time? To riot whom? Colette should be used to not rioting her... she never let her coppercloud down...

Lysette was concerned. this early in the morning and Colette's metals should have lasted her the better part of a day with a vial the size she had just had... and she assumed they were all the same size. Lysette had learned to be good at hiding most emotions from her face long ago. She didn't let any of that concern show... but it was there.

Finally, her thoughts were brought back to the matter at hand. "I... I didn't think it was going to be a problem to separate myself from him until now." she told him she loved him. She had opened herself up for heartbreak -- something she told herself she would never do... and now she couldn't live life without him.

"I don't want to be married off to some Great House to be used as a tool for them, Colette. I never have." She would rather be used as a tool for her own family -- her blood relatives -- than some high ranking house whom she would have to surrender herself to. "I want to be married to Jasun. I want him and no one else, even if he is from a fallen house. And I didn't care before if I was married off even to a stranger... I don't know when or how it changed, but it has."

[Colette Hasting]

Colette couldn't help but sigh. Lysette had seriously revealed herself to a random Mistborn off the street? One who claimed to be from a fallen noble house? The man could be a skaa, for the Lord Ruler's sake!

But still, if she played her cards right, it might net her a free Mistborn. Perhaps she shouldn't be too hasty to dismiss this Jasun fellow.

"Now, now, dear," she said soothingly. "You were never going to be simply married off as some sort of tool. You're far too important to me for that! Do you honestly think I would let that happen to my most beloved cousin? I've never heard something so ridiculous! But Lysette dear, I hope you understand my concern for you. I'm not accusing this Jasun of yours of being some sort of scoundrel, but they are out there, and here you've gone and given your heart to him and I've never so much as met the man. Can't you see how that would make me feel?"

[Lysette Hasting]

A flash of guilt crossed Lysette. Colette was supposed to be her closest friend, and she hadn't told her anything about Jasun until they had already decided they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. She loved him beyond a doubt. Lysette had never dreamed she would actually fall in love. She was meant to be used as a weapon and nothing more.

"I didn't know how to tell you... It wasn't that I didn't want to. I just thought it might be better to keep it a secret. I honestly didn't think it would amount to anything more than a new sparring partner, I didn't expect I'd..." Lysette realized she sounded defensive. How was it that she could feel so guilty for finding someone so wonderful?

She shut her mouth and heaved a sigh of her own. "I do want you to meet him. I want your help. I didn't know who else to come to. I was wondering if you might talk to Sheldon for me... about him. I mean, of course I want you to meet him first. I just can't do it myself, and there isn't anyone I can think of that I trust more than you," she said, trying not to sound as helpless in this situation as she felt.