shadowsong26 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
shadowsong26) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
rainbowfic2015-04-29 11:23 pm
shadowsong26) wrote in rainbowfic2015-04-29 11:23 pm
Dandelion Yellow #6, Platinum Blond #6, Ocatrine #2
Name: shadowsong26
Story: Exit Strategy
'Verse: Feredar
Colors: Dandelion Yellow #6. small businesses, Platinum Blonde #6. Two beavers are better than one., Octarine #2. He had a mind that ticked like a clock and, like a clock, it regularly went cuckoo.
Supplies and Materials: eraser (Bonded Creatures AU), modeling clay, novelty beads (fireworks), yarn, glue ("You believe that you are being your most charming self today, but something you say might be misconstrued, creating problems where there previously wasn't one.")
Word Count: 1054
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Isshiri, Misalin
Warnings: References to violence, discussion of slavery
Notes: Constructive criticism welcome, as always.
:What are you planning?:
Isshiri had gotten the hang of not answering Misalin out loud long enough ago that it was habit, especially when she wasn’t right next to him--and they had decided, going into Feredar, not to register her. Seventeen was a little old to be still unbonded--most bondmates found their humans in their mid-teens--but not so old that he raised too many eyebrows. And that kept someone on the outside who could extract him if things got ugly.
Don’t know enough yet, he thought, carefully smiling at an older gentleman inspecting one of the last few vases on his table. And my visa’s almost expired and I’m almost out of inventory.
:You’re about to do something stupid, aren’t you,: she said.
I think I need to get myself arrested.
That stopped the dragon for a moment’s thought. :…well, that would qualify as stupid. Are you sure about this, ‘Sshiri? They’ll hurt you. I thought we wanted to avoid that.:
He didn’t answer right away, focusing on completing the transaction. I can handle it, he finally replied, as the man walked away with the vase. Of course, it wasn’t the risk he was taking that made him hesitate--he’d seen at least a dozen collared mages in the time he’d been here, and he’d never seen any of their bondmates. True, not every bondmate stayed glued to their human’s side at all times--his own included. Even when things were otherwise safe, Misa had simply gotten too big to follow him around like that. But some of those mages had to be linked to creatures small enough to carry around.
I want you to stay underground, he said. Go deeper if you have to, but stay free. Once one thing on his entry forms was proven false, it wouldn’t be much of a stretch for them to decide he’d lied about being bonded, too. And dragons were desert creatures. Misa would be obvious, if she let them see her.
Misa didn’t argue, exactly, but he got the distinct impression she was very unhappy with that. :If I’m too deep hidden, my love, how can I save you when they hurt you?:
As long as they don’t have you, they can’t muffle our link, he pointed out. Or at least he thought they couldn’t. He knew there were drugs that could suppress magic, and he was pretty sure the collars did, too; but he’d never heard of any way to limit a bond without having access to both partners. I can call you if I need you.
She still didn’t seem happy, but she sighed. :And then we can--I can plan a rescue.:
Exactly, he said. Just like we planned, only…well, a little riskier.
:A little?: the dragon asked dryly.
He smiled at that, and hid it with a cough. You know how good I am at assessing risks.
She gave him the mental equivalent of an eyeroll. :Well, one of us is, anyway. And--before you do your vitally stupid thing,: she said, :how long do you plan on staying locked up?:
Uh. He hadn’t quite thought of that. As long as I have to?
Misa sighed, sounding completely unsurprised and a little bit exasperated--but, then again, she had spent five years alternately goading him on and bailing him out. She knew how he operated. :Not good enough,: she said. :Give me an actual time to come for you, even if you’re doing all right. Otherwise I will storm the market and drag you off home right now.:
Which was--well, just this side of possible, which made her useful backup. But, while she was too big to follow him like she had in their early days, she wasn’t quite full grown yet and probably couldn’t carry him for long. They’d have to try and figure that into any escape plan, when the time came. Hopefully at least one of them would remember.
Fine. Let me think a minute. He adjusted some of his merchandise, trying to sort out how long he would need to get an accurate picture, without risking identification as a potentially valuable hostage and ruining all of Mother and Uncle King’s plans--or tempting fate by forcing Misa to dodge hunters on her own for too long. Six weeks, he finally said.
:My love…:
Six weeks, Misa, he insisted.
She was silent for a moment, then finally caved. :Fine. Six weeks, then I’m coming for you. Go be stupid and try not to die.:
Always, he said, then peeled off his gloves, caught a policeman’s eye, and cast a copy of Misa in flames into the sky.
His arrest took less than a minute, but he didn’t dare risk reaching out to his dragon, even nonverbally, until he was safely isolated in a cell. I’m in.
:Are you hurt?: she asked immediately. :I didn’t feel you get hurt, but it all happened so fast--:
I’m fine for now, he assured her. They’re looking for you, I heard them talking about it. Are you safe?
:I know how to hide, my love.:
Be careful.
:I’m not the one in chains,: she shot back, with an anxious little bite of sarcasm to the words.
He had to laugh a little at that, as quietly as he could, if only to prove to himself he wasn’t scared. But she wasn’t wrong. He shivered and curled as close around himself as his restraints would allow. I love you.
:Of course you do. I’m wonderful,: she said, but the teasing fell flat. She was just as scared as he was.
We can pull this off, he insisted, as much for his own benefit as for hers. We will pull this off.
:I know. Just…don’t die. And talk to me, every day, at least once. If I don’t hear from you…:
Yeah. Probably safer that way, anyway. He forced himself to stop picturing all the ways they could keep him from calling for help, even if they couldn’t cut him off entirely.
He shivered again, and closed his eyes, praying that he was right and they weren’t in way, way over their heads. We can do this, he repeated.
:We can do this,: she echoed softly, and then they both went quiet, bracing themselves for the weeks to come.
Story: Exit Strategy
'Verse: Feredar
Colors: Dandelion Yellow #6. small businesses, Platinum Blonde #6. Two beavers are better than one., Octarine #2. He had a mind that ticked like a clock and, like a clock, it regularly went cuckoo.
Supplies and Materials: eraser (Bonded Creatures AU), modeling clay, novelty beads (fireworks), yarn, glue ("You believe that you are being your most charming self today, but something you say might be misconstrued, creating problems where there previously wasn't one.")
Word Count: 1054
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Isshiri, Misalin
Warnings: References to violence, discussion of slavery
Notes: Constructive criticism welcome, as always.
:What are you planning?:
Isshiri had gotten the hang of not answering Misalin out loud long enough ago that it was habit, especially when she wasn’t right next to him--and they had decided, going into Feredar, not to register her. Seventeen was a little old to be still unbonded--most bondmates found their humans in their mid-teens--but not so old that he raised too many eyebrows. And that kept someone on the outside who could extract him if things got ugly.
Don’t know enough yet, he thought, carefully smiling at an older gentleman inspecting one of the last few vases on his table. And my visa’s almost expired and I’m almost out of inventory.
:You’re about to do something stupid, aren’t you,: she said.
I think I need to get myself arrested.
That stopped the dragon for a moment’s thought. :…well, that would qualify as stupid. Are you sure about this, ‘Sshiri? They’ll hurt you. I thought we wanted to avoid that.:
He didn’t answer right away, focusing on completing the transaction. I can handle it, he finally replied, as the man walked away with the vase. Of course, it wasn’t the risk he was taking that made him hesitate--he’d seen at least a dozen collared mages in the time he’d been here, and he’d never seen any of their bondmates. True, not every bondmate stayed glued to their human’s side at all times--his own included. Even when things were otherwise safe, Misa had simply gotten too big to follow him around like that. But some of those mages had to be linked to creatures small enough to carry around.
I want you to stay underground, he said. Go deeper if you have to, but stay free. Once one thing on his entry forms was proven false, it wouldn’t be much of a stretch for them to decide he’d lied about being bonded, too. And dragons were desert creatures. Misa would be obvious, if she let them see her.
Misa didn’t argue, exactly, but he got the distinct impression she was very unhappy with that. :If I’m too deep hidden, my love, how can I save you when they hurt you?:
As long as they don’t have you, they can’t muffle our link, he pointed out. Or at least he thought they couldn’t. He knew there were drugs that could suppress magic, and he was pretty sure the collars did, too; but he’d never heard of any way to limit a bond without having access to both partners. I can call you if I need you.
She still didn’t seem happy, but she sighed. :And then we can--I can plan a rescue.:
Exactly, he said. Just like we planned, only…well, a little riskier.
:A little?: the dragon asked dryly.
He smiled at that, and hid it with a cough. You know how good I am at assessing risks.
She gave him the mental equivalent of an eyeroll. :Well, one of us is, anyway. And--before you do your vitally stupid thing,: she said, :how long do you plan on staying locked up?:
Uh. He hadn’t quite thought of that. As long as I have to?
Misa sighed, sounding completely unsurprised and a little bit exasperated--but, then again, she had spent five years alternately goading him on and bailing him out. She knew how he operated. :Not good enough,: she said. :Give me an actual time to come for you, even if you’re doing all right. Otherwise I will storm the market and drag you off home right now.:
Which was--well, just this side of possible, which made her useful backup. But, while she was too big to follow him like she had in their early days, she wasn’t quite full grown yet and probably couldn’t carry him for long. They’d have to try and figure that into any escape plan, when the time came. Hopefully at least one of them would remember.
Fine. Let me think a minute. He adjusted some of his merchandise, trying to sort out how long he would need to get an accurate picture, without risking identification as a potentially valuable hostage and ruining all of Mother and Uncle King’s plans--or tempting fate by forcing Misa to dodge hunters on her own for too long. Six weeks, he finally said.
:My love…:
Six weeks, Misa, he insisted.
She was silent for a moment, then finally caved. :Fine. Six weeks, then I’m coming for you. Go be stupid and try not to die.:
Always, he said, then peeled off his gloves, caught a policeman’s eye, and cast a copy of Misa in flames into the sky.
His arrest took less than a minute, but he didn’t dare risk reaching out to his dragon, even nonverbally, until he was safely isolated in a cell. I’m in.
:Are you hurt?: she asked immediately. :I didn’t feel you get hurt, but it all happened so fast--:
I’m fine for now, he assured her. They’re looking for you, I heard them talking about it. Are you safe?
:I know how to hide, my love.:
Be careful.
:I’m not the one in chains,: she shot back, with an anxious little bite of sarcasm to the words.
He had to laugh a little at that, as quietly as he could, if only to prove to himself he wasn’t scared. But she wasn’t wrong. He shivered and curled as close around himself as his restraints would allow. I love you.
:Of course you do. I’m wonderful,: she said, but the teasing fell flat. She was just as scared as he was.
We can pull this off, he insisted, as much for his own benefit as for hers. We will pull this off.
:I know. Just…don’t die. And talk to me, every day, at least once. If I don’t hear from you…:
Yeah. Probably safer that way, anyway. He forced himself to stop picturing all the ways they could keep him from calling for help, even if they couldn’t cut him off entirely.
He shivered again, and closed his eyes, praying that he was right and they weren’t in way, way over their heads. We can do this, he repeated.
:We can do this,: she echoed softly, and then they both went quiet, bracing themselves for the weeks to come.
no subject
no subject
This is true! And the trouble Misa got him into when she was little was generally nonfatal, so, there's that, too!