from Gwyneth:
As you know, my darlings, I speak to The Author often. Rarely, she asks me to do something for her in the Realm that involves something from her life. It’s been a while since she asked for this, and so I was inclined to indulge her when she came to me just yesterday. “Go up,” she said, “to the little tor on Island Four (can you not find a better name for that one, Gwyneth?), and find us something to send off in tribute to my beautiful friend Kathy, whose soul passed from my Realm a few days ago. I will tell you memories of her. You will know what to do.”
That’s not very much information to go on, I thought, but then she reminded me of a scene that felt so far in my past, when Kathy was visiting her in London. “I was shooting the photos for your dream sequence,” she prompted, “the ones where you danced. And Kathy was intrigued by the process and said the movements reminded her of Isadora Duncan, and then we talked about Isadora Duncan, and about your life and how you were a spirit of so many things. She said the world you lived in seemed beautiful to her. That was in 2014, twelve years ago now in my world, and we were getting ready to go to Germany for a convention.”
“That dream sequence turned into a song, you said,” I reminded her.
“It did. I performed it that weekend in Germany. And it went all right, but I haven’t kept the song in my regular repertoire.”
“Why not?”
“It was about just one moment,” she said. “A liminal moment where I was suspended between believing that my husband would somehow pull through what you think of as the curse of the Unweaver — and what I think of as cancer — or whether he would die of this, which of course is what eventually happened.”
“I thought that dance was about my coming to terms with my Queen status.”
“Well, yes. It was, on one level.”
“You have too many levels. I’m going to head to the tor.”
“I don’t think I need this spear right now,” I said, “since we’re not doing any violence.” I leaned it against one of the gazebo’s marble pillars.
“You never do any violence,” Kvit said. Ravens can’t really sigh, so it comes out as a hiss.
“Violence is not in my nature. Now, this was before your time, so let me think about The Author’s memories, and what we could do here in Awenia that would honour Kathy.”
“Kathy is a very human name,” Kvit said. “I presume this being is some kind of human?”
“The Author lives in a universe where humans are the dominant species,” I said, a little sadly. “And according to her, in her Realm, humans are the only sapient beings who communicate with one another about the world. It is possible there are sea species who are also sapient, but they do not communicate with humans.”
“Then,” Kvit asked, “How did The Author become The Author? How, in a world where only humans are sapient, can she write you?”
“Oh,” I said. “That is a very, very big question, Kvit. Maybe we’ll come back to it another time. Right now, I need to — what about a lantern?” I’d been watching the balloon cats, and it came to me that folk often associate ends, beginnings, transitions, with lanterns, especially if they can fly off somewhere. So I closed my eyes and thought of lanterns.
Oh, I liked these lanterns. They were plain enough to be humble, but still beautiful enough to house the part of Kathy’s memory that would stay with us here in Awenia. I held one close to me and pushed the other away into the Awenian sky. “You take a light to someone,” I said. “Someone needs a light.”
Kvit settled himself on top of the other lantern. “You do the mojo,” he said. “I will provide chaos and whimsy.”
I smiled, involuntarily. “The Author says Kathy would have loved that,” I told him. “Chaos and whimsy were important to her.”
So, whilst I worked through reams of poetry and lyrics in my head, along with The Author’s memories of songs and voices, Kvit provided whimsy and chaos. I’m almost certain I heard the words, ‘Hey, Macarena!’ at one point. I refrained from warning him not to dance so hard he punctured the lantern: it was a night for trusting chaos.
The Author had a lot of memories to go through. “More than a quarter century,” she asserted. “We knew one another for a long time. Thank you for doing this, Gwyneth. I know you didn’t have to.”
“I know I didn’t have to,” I replied. “But it feels important, and not the kind of important that makes me want to go on strike from listening to you and your ludicrous stories.”
“I feel the need to remind you that you are one of my ludicrous stories, Gwyneth-Evans-That-Was, Her-Fae-Majesty-That-Is.”
“Don’t make me fill this lantern up with lasagne,” I said. “It seems to be important.”
The Author chuckled. “Very important. Right: I’ll stay quiet for a few minutes so you can finish. Pop her song ‘Give My Children Wings’ in there for me, would you? That’s the one that got merged with one of my songs at a Pegasus Awards concert once.”
“Oh, that is a lovely song,” I agreed. “Let’s do that.”
And then, we let her go.
Listen to Give My Children Wings, by Kathy Mar (1951-2026).
Notes & Credits:
- Gwyneth’s Gown, Spear, & Bracers: Belle Epoque, Moon Empress. It’s at The Arcade, but only for a few more days. Go play!
- Gwyneth’s Hair (ok, hang on: this is complicated)
- Hairbase: Miamai, Hairbase 10, Silver, available at the Miamai Main Store.
- Braid Loop Bang: Raven Bell, Azriel Braids.
- Bun: Nova, Fauna Bun
- Kvit is as always accurately and chaotically embodied by CKit Falconry’s Magical White Raven Shoulder Pet. Get one for yourself at the CKit Falconry Main Store.
- Gwyneth’s Eyebrows: /safe for mortals/ leaf brow (coming soon!)
- Gwyneth’s Eyeliner: /safe for mortals/ leaf liner (tinted). Available at the /safe for mortals/ bellisseria store, awenia store, or on sl marketplace.
- Gwyneth’s Eyeshadow: Midori’s Store, Luster Eyeshadow
- Gwyneth’s Lipstick: Cazimi, Siren Lipstick, overlaid with Tutti Belli, Poison
- Gwyneth’s Eyes: Ikon, Sojourn Eyes, Djinn (assisted by Contraption’s Depthgloss Eyes)
- Gwyneth’s Circlet & Earrings: Sparkle Sky, Devon (currently at The Fifty)
- Gwyneth’s Shoes: Pendulum, Alaric Pointes
- Lanterns & Poses: Everlune & Mysteria, Skyward Wishes
- Gwyneth’s Wings: Axis Mundi, Lucifer Wings (small)
- Gazebo: Harshlands, Romantic Stone Gazebo
- Bushes: Half Deer, Star Garden Bushes
- Region Surround: Landscapes Unlimited, PBR Emmental
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