Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Oh it won't, trust me, it won't..." says Tam softly with a twisted smile. "Though you all might learn something from it alongside of the one who needs it most."

Tam sinks back into a medatative pose, crossing his legs and resting his hands on his knees. "Taro..." he says quietly. He sighs and looks him in the eye. "Everyone says we need to talk... and that I should punish you for the things you did. What say you?"

"Very well." says the bard closing his eyes for a moment. He opens them after a bit and looks at Kero hard. "Would you say you have learned something from all that has happened? About jumping to conclusions and closing oneself off from those who could have helped you make better decisions?"

"Very well," says Tam quietly with a firmness in his voice that Kero hasn't heard for sometime. "Then this is your punishment. Do you remember how I was teaching you composition? Good. You are to write a teaching ballad, using your experiences of what happened. You will reveal no secrets, but will stick to the basic truths. It will be done in three parts. In the first part you will address the ugliness of what you felt and what it drove you to do. In the second part you will address the cowardness of your running away vs. staying to hear me out. And in the third part you will address the lessons you learned. You will be graded on this and you will sing it in public, at a location of your choosing. You have one week in which to finsih it, starting now. I suggest you begin to jot down some ideas and create an outline first. You may use music you've previously composed if you wish, but it must fit the tune and the message you are attempting to get across. Remember, it is a piece to teach... not amuse or lecture. The best lessons are those which catch the ear and hold one's attention. Is that understood?"

Tam looks calmly at him. "Then it just might get to be a rather long song..." his meaning is quite clear. The longer Kero delays, the more there will be required of him.

*compose? no, not exactly... though telling how he addresses each section would be nice... so what do you think, is it a fitting punishment?*

Tam nods and climbs to his feet. "I'm going to go start us a pot of soup for dinner. I suggest you get busy. This is going to be harder than you think, Kero..."

**Ye beat me to it, I was just going to suggest the very same thing... I was waiting for the clothes dryer to go off, not realizing what time it was... when it did, I looked at the clock and kind of did a head smack... you need to get some rest, kiddo... sleep tight...*

Tam blows out the light and crawls into bed, wondering what the lion thought of his punishment. And what the others who dwelled within thought of it as well. There was something Amestru used to say to him all the time. If you want to see how well someone has learned a lesson, make them teach it to someone else.

Tam watches over him, but without hanging over his shoulder, and when Kero seems stuck on the theory he offers help, but not with the "meat" of the ballad... those words need to come from Kero. When he was finished, then and only then, would he sit down to talk with him about the problems they have been having, for Tam knew Kero would get far more out of reviewing the events in a dispassionate way than he ever would in a heated discussion.

*quandary... what quandary? I see no quandary in this... Kero is actually thinking of how to relate what he's done and learned, to someone other than the one he harmed. Only when he has been able to do that will he be able to face Tam without feeling guilty. Guilt can put up roadblocks to true discussion.*