fandomtownies | The Perk, late Friday night

Aly didn't particularly want to go to her apartment after leaving Caritas so she headed to the coffeeshop. She noted and nodded to the girl in the corner and ordered a large coffee and danish.

Parker held her place in the book with one finger, and took a sip of her drink. "Aly of Pirate's Swoop. Right? You teach spying."

Aly glanced back over at the girl with a smile. "I am. And we met at Career Day during the summer."

"I remember. I'm Parker, by the way." She tilted her head, studying Aly, seeing a bit of Alanna in here, but wondering, like she did for Luke, who the other parent was. "And since you don't know me, I'm guessing your mom never mentioned me. Hunh."

She raised an eyebrow. "Ah, so you're Parker." She grinned. "I enjoyed our chat that day. And no, she's not, but then why should she?"

Parker's own eyebrows rose. "Faithful mention me, or someone else?" She gestured to the seat across from her. "Please, sit down. And yes, I enjoyed talking to you. *Much* more than that twit Roger of Conte. And I'm friends with you mom right now. I'd like to think we could keep in touch in the future, but maybe that's not possible."

"I listen to the radio," Aly replied simply. She sat down smoothly and took a sip of her coffee. "Hmm, yes, he was a fun one to play with that day. Perhaps we'll get to again."

Parker's smile widened. "You had a conversation with him? I am so looking forward with messing with him at Christmas, during Alanna's challenge. Did he have any idea who you were?"

Aly grinned. "He thought I was a minor noblewoman of Tortall. Promised to look up my family upon his return." Her face hardened for a split second. "I'm sure he will."

"Alanna loathes him. And he had me hating him within two minutes, the twerp." Parker made a face. "I'm glad you had some fun at his expense." She cocked her head sideways, then said, "Mind if I ask you a personal question? You don't have to answer it if it's too much about the future."

"She does indeed, and well she should," Aly agreed. "I had fun; she made a safe exit stage left. It worked out." She nodded and took a sip of her coffee. "You may ask."

"How'd you ever get so *sneaky*? Alanna can't tell a decent lie to save her life, and you're a spy. I know you said you grew up in a spy's household, so I'm assuming this is some Trebond or Chorus fostering thing. But future-Alanna-- did she plan that? It seems so odd."

Aly laughed. "She's a warrior. I'm not. And no, Alanna did not plan for me to be what I am." She smiled brightly at Parker. "Can you really imagine her doing so?"

"No. Which really makes me wonder about your dad. Not that I'm asking-- I know you may not even be this-Alanna's daughter, and there's changing the future, and God, I hate time-travel." Parker made a face, then looked thoughtful. "Still. I can't see her stopping you, or wanting to, if you said it was what you wanted to do. She's fought too hard for what she wanted to take away her kids' choices."

"Ah, no, there you'd be mistaken," Aly replied. "She is my mother."

Parker tilted her head. "How can you be so sure? Hell, how can *anyone* be sure? Fandom's a 'soft' place. Worlds collide. Timelines diverge. How do you know?"

Aly smiled and stroked the black beads of her necklace. "I've been informed by a...reputable source that this is so."

Parker noted the gesture; it reminded her of Alanna's necklace from her Goddess. O-kay. Not going there. She still had a hard time with the idea that Alanna had had conversations with her Goddess.

"Got it. Irretrievably Alanna's daughter." Parker studied Aly, shaking her head. "You mess with her head just by existing. No offense."

"I know," Aly replied, more softly than she'd yet spoken. "But I need to be here. I'd not do it just to disturb her though I'd not be surprised if she thinks it." She smiled. "I suppose she's still concerned about the fact that she will have a daughter and that it means she'll fail her test?"

Parker nodded slowly. "She's so worried about that. You have no idea. She'd like to believe your existence means she'll survive and be okay, but she keeps coming up with worst-case scenarios." She tapped her fingers on her mug. "And... it's good to know, that you have some idea how she's taking it." She smiled. "Alanna's too freaked to even wonder if you're a cool person. Everyone I've met who's talked about you has liked you."

"That truly does not surprise me," Aly replied with a tight smile. She nodded. "I don't mind if she wonders who I am now or not. She has more important things to worry about this year."

"True. I hate the sound of that Challenge. I don't doubt she can do it, but...." Parker shook her head. "Anyway. I'm glad you're okay with it. She'll lighten up once she's past Christmas. I hope she comes back here for her last semester. I'll miss her when she goes," Parker's voice dropped a bit, and the smile grew more rueful.

"She has that effect on people," Aly replied, smiling warmly at Parker. "But she does have important things to do in Tortall. And no, I shan't be telling you what they are." She grinned suddenly. "Ask Faithful."

"Oh, right, like I'll get a straight answer out of him." Parker rolled her eyes. "Even if I gave Faithful five pounds of shrimp and promised him more, he'd laugh. So yeah. I'll take your word for it." She sighed. "Good enough, I guess. For now. But thank God no one claiming to be *my* kid has shown up. Yet," she added, slightly unnerved. "Not that it's likely."

Aly quirked her eyebrow at the for now and then snickered at Parker's facial expression. "I'm sure Alanna would have said the same thing three months ago." She paused. "And Faithful - other than being a cat - has good reasons for his roundabout answers."

"I know he's-- special?" Parker cocked her head, and said, "He did some lie-detecting, or truthsaying, for me. In return for food, of course. On Belthazor." She sighed. "Which was necessary. And I didn't really want to know more than that. But does he have to smirk so much when he's being obfuscatory?"

"Did he indeed?" Aly remarked, filing that bit away. "And I think the answer to that is the same one he'd give you. He's a cat."

Parker's grin suddenly went wicked. "Which I should've known. It's the same answer I give people-- because I can! I really do like cats."

"And Faithful is certainly an ultimate representative of his type," Aly replied, returning Parker's wicked grin with a mischievious one of her own. "Anyway, if there's something I need to know or something Alanna's worried about that I can help with, I'd appreciate you letting me know. I'd count on Faithful, but...cat. And I'm" she grinned. "practiced at operating with a low profile."

Parker leaned back, raising an eyebrow as she revised her assessment of Aly yet again. "I'll do that. With the caveat, of course, that you're not going to here the stuff I *know* Alanna doesn't want you to hear, even if she does need help. But you probably already guessed that."

Aly nodded. "And with a caveat of my own, if it's something that threatens her life, I find out."

"No problem with that at all." Parker toasted her with her mocha. "Although I may ask to hide behind you if Alanna finds out. She's *wicked* with that sword, and I've only been practicing about two months. She may feel compunction about skewering family."

"But of course," Aly replied. And there may have been a proud look in her eye at Parker's description of Alanna. Though she'd most likely deny it. She grinned. "I didn't inherit her sword skills though."

"Should I be checking my mocha for iocane powder instead?" Parker tilted her cup, looking at the dregs, then smirked at Alanna. "Ah well. I'll just have to trust you, won't I? As much as anyone can be."

Aly laughed. "Trust me that I'd not do that while I was sitting right here. It would be a bit...obvious, shall we say?" She winked. "Besides it's bad policy killing students." She moved to stand up and offered Parker her hand. "I'm glad to speak with you again. Find me anytime."

"Let's hear it for *that* particular School Policy." Parker took her hand and shook it. "Count on it. Have a good night, Aly. It was ... interesting, talking to you."

The Perk, late Friday night

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