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rainbowfic2023-08-30 01:22 pm
thisbluespirit) wrote in rainbowfic2023-08-30 01:22 pm
Nacre #16; Vienna Orange #3 [Starfall]
Name: Partners in Crime
Story: Starfall
Colors: Nacre #16 (Hid it so well I forgot); Vienna Orange #3 (It’s not regret, just an unexpected accounting of debts)
Supplies and Styles: Paint-by-Numbers fromshadowsong26 (did you even remember what happened before now?) + Novelty Beads (Feb 2021 TV Tropes – you and i.) + Life Drawing
Word Count: 1539
Rating: G
Warnings: None.
Notes: 1337, Starfall Manor; Leaira Modelen, Marran Delver. (A little bit random sorry - context of this is something I will hopefully return to later, but I needed this scene now. As the Governor says, the explanation is getting closer, I promise. Takes place late in the Governor's visit to Starfall.)
Summary: Leaira blames the Governor for bringing trouble to Starfall.
“How dare you?” said Leaira, storming in. “How dare you come here – bringing all this trouble – accusing Diessa! None of it would have happened without your interference – if it’s not all your doing in the first place!”
Governor Delver shot to his feet. “Quiet,” he ordered in tones steely enough that Leaira stopped short as if she’d run into the wall.
“You need to moderate your voice when addressing a Governor,” he said. She’d almost forgotten how cold he could be sometimes. He crossed to the door and cast an eye out into the corridor. “Nobody around,” he said more softly, and then glanced over the two adjoining rooms he’d been assigned as offices during his visit. “You are extremely lucky – Stolley went out to speak to Imor Kellen about some business a short while ago and the other two are at lunch.”
Leaira drew back, clenching trembling hands into fists. “What does any of that matter?” she hissed.
“It would if they put in a complaint about you offering a grave insult to North Eastern District. I know you’re a Modelen, but even so – you ought to know better.”
She closed her eyes and tried to breathe evenly. He wasn’t wrong. Nobody should speak to a Governor like that, particularly not one from another District.
“Now,” said Governor Delver, approaching her slowly. “What is it you think I’ve done this time?”
Leaira opened her eyes, her last spark of anger instantly flaring up into a flame. “You’re trying to claim you don’t know?”
“No,” he said dryly. “I don’t know. I’ve been sitting here, catching up on some administrative work. This is the first time Stolley’s let me pause to breathe since we started over two hours ago. I’m not aware of having committed any heinous crimes in meantime, but you can no doubt enlighten me.”
Leaira pressed her hand to her mouth and then sagged back against the wall. She hadn’t thought – she’d come running in here the second she’d heard the news, and she couldn’t account for that now at all. It wasn’t sensible any way you looked at it. “I –” she said, and stopped.
“Sit down,” he said. “Leaira – Imai Modelen – come over here.” He pulled out one of the chairs.
She shook her head and took a hold of herself, straightening up. “You accused my friend Diessa of stealing one of your files! Well, it’s a cursed lie! You have to take it back.”
“I reported a file missing to Imor Kellen earlier,” said Governor Delver. He spoke in careful, even tones, holding up his hands, as if he thought she was an explosive substance that might ignite any minute if he didn’t. “I was obliged to do so. Since any such files belong to North Eastern, not me, I would be opening myself up to censure and investigation otherwise. If someone took it deliberately, that’s more than I’ve heard yet.”
Leaira moved forward gripping the back of the chair. “Oh,” she said, and the enormity of what she’d done sank in. She lifted her head. “But it’s still your doing – you came here, bringing your files, your poisoned politics – you –!”
“I didn’t bring the politics,” he said gently. “I wish you’d sit down. How about some tea? There’s some ohlflower left, although I’m not sure that’s the most useful thing for shock.”
Leaira rubbed her forehead, but she gave in and sat down. “It’s not shock. I’m angry. They’re saying Diessa did it, but I know that’s not true.”
Marran Delver twisted around from where he was pouring out a cup of semi-hot yellow ohlflower tea. His face creased in unwelcome sympathy as he carried it over and placed it on the desk in front of her, the cup clinking against the saucer. “If there’s one thing I’ve had to learn about my position, it’s that you can never be sure who will betray you. It’s not necessarily the people you’d expect – some, yes, because they hate you or what you stand for – but others do it for more complicated reasons – money, pressure, all kinds of things you couldn’t predict. I’ve had to face it before.”
“Well, you would,” she snapped, and then brushed away hot tears. She shifted on the chair and then reached out for the drink. “I mean – that is to say – I’m sorry, Governor. I shouldn’t have burst in on you like this. It’s unforgivable.”
He perched on the desk. “No, no. Merely deeply ill-judged. Explain to me from the start. What is the case against your friend?”
“They said they found it in her room,” said Leaira. “Someone else saw her in your office earlier, but even if that’s so – I know Diessa. She’s one of the junior scholars, but she’s my chief assistant in the library until we appoint a proper assistant librarian. I saw her face when they came in and took her away – she knew nothing about it.”
Governor Delver said nothing, merely watching Leaira.
“I suppose you don’t believe me.”
He held out his hands. “It’s not up to me. As I said, my people couldn’t locate it here or in the possession of any of my staff, so I handed it over to Imor Kellen and her security team. You should tell them, not me.”
“They should know!” burst out Leaira. “How could they? Lyel marched her away – it’s ridiculous.”
Marran Delver stood up and, after a pause, returned to sit in the chair opposite her across the desk. “He may not have finished investigating yet.”
“Maybe.” Leaira subsided again, but Lyel hadn’t seemed to think there was much left to be said when he’d come into the library for Diessa.
Delver rested his chin on his hand. “I have a question for you: are you certain your friend is innocent? Absolutely?”
“What have I been saying?”
“Yes,” he said, “but why?”
Leaira’s hand went instinctively to the white lightstone pendant at her neck. She tightened her hand around it. “I told you. I know Diessa.”
“Well enough to say without doubt that nothing – no threat, no promise, no coercion – could have made your friend take one file, maybe insignificant seeming to her?”
Leaira leant forward, ready to snap again, but she stopped and pulled back, meeting his grey gaze. Her brow furrowed. She couldn’t say that; nobody could ever say that for sure. She fiddled with the necklace. “I suppose not – but she didn’t do this, all the same.”
“You know that how?”
Leaira shrugged. She had good instincts for these things, but she’d probably already made herself sound ridiculous to the Governor.
“Did you use the lightstone?” he asked.
Leaira let go of the pendant at once. Given his esoteric interests in research topics, she shouldn’t have been so startled, but she was. “I don’t use it, not really,” she said. “But sometimes – it does help me to see more clearly. I didn’t use it today – that I’m aware of.”
“Well, try,” said the Governor. “Go away, do that, and I’ll see what I can find out about the state of the investigation. We’ll compare notes later.”
Leaira clasped her hands together. She wasn’t quite sure how they’d reached this point, or if she liked it. “No. No. I shouldn’t have bothered you, Governor. My apologies. If you wouldn’t mind forgetting it – I’ll talk to Lyel and Tannis. It’s probably all a mistake.”
“Nevertheless,” said Governor Delver, “if your friend is in trouble – if you still think it’s unjust – come back. I can probably do something about it, one way or another.”
“That sounds unethical.”
“So are false accusations,” he said. “One question, though – why did you come to me?”
Leaira stood, avoiding his gaze. It was a good question, one she wasn’t sure she wanted to ask herself yet. She’d been furious, blaming him for whole business, but that wasn’t really what had made her come running to his office. For a moment, her hand going to the lightstone again, she saw a glimmer of something in her mind – but then it slipped away like the last memory of a dream and would not be recalled.
“You’ll understand soon, I think,” he said, his voice and his gaze grave. “Leaira – I mean it. Go away, do what I asked – and if you say the scholar is innocent, I’ll find a way out for her.”
“We shouldn’t do that,” she said, lowering her voice.
He gave a short laugh. “No, we shouldn’t. But if you say so – then I’ll believe you.”
“I shouldn’t have come here, either,” she said, heading to the door. “I’m grateful, but – this is exactly what I mean about your peculiar behaviour.”
“Yes, I know,” he said, pulling a face. “Still, you do see true, from time to time, when you let yourself. You ought to practice it more often – but, despite that, deep down, you know you can trust me.”
“I don’t think I do.”
“No, and quite right, too. But when you’re not thinking –” He shrugged.
“And when I come back – whatever I say about Diessa, you’ll believe me? Just like that?”
A faint light of amusement stole back over his face, as he returned to his paperwork. “Just like that, Adeleaira.”
Story: Starfall
Colors: Nacre #16 (Hid it so well I forgot); Vienna Orange #3 (It’s not regret, just an unexpected accounting of debts)
Supplies and Styles: Paint-by-Numbers from
shadowsong26 (did you even remember what happened before now?) + Novelty Beads (Feb 2021 TV Tropes – you and i.) + Life DrawingWord Count: 1539
Rating: G
Warnings: None.
Notes: 1337, Starfall Manor; Leaira Modelen, Marran Delver. (A little bit random sorry - context of this is something I will hopefully return to later, but I needed this scene now. As the Governor says, the explanation is getting closer, I promise. Takes place late in the Governor's visit to Starfall.)
Summary: Leaira blames the Governor for bringing trouble to Starfall.
“How dare you?” said Leaira, storming in. “How dare you come here – bringing all this trouble – accusing Diessa! None of it would have happened without your interference – if it’s not all your doing in the first place!”
Governor Delver shot to his feet. “Quiet,” he ordered in tones steely enough that Leaira stopped short as if she’d run into the wall.
“You need to moderate your voice when addressing a Governor,” he said. She’d almost forgotten how cold he could be sometimes. He crossed to the door and cast an eye out into the corridor. “Nobody around,” he said more softly, and then glanced over the two adjoining rooms he’d been assigned as offices during his visit. “You are extremely lucky – Stolley went out to speak to Imor Kellen about some business a short while ago and the other two are at lunch.”
Leaira drew back, clenching trembling hands into fists. “What does any of that matter?” she hissed.
“It would if they put in a complaint about you offering a grave insult to North Eastern District. I know you’re a Modelen, but even so – you ought to know better.”
She closed her eyes and tried to breathe evenly. He wasn’t wrong. Nobody should speak to a Governor like that, particularly not one from another District.
“Now,” said Governor Delver, approaching her slowly. “What is it you think I’ve done this time?”
Leaira opened her eyes, her last spark of anger instantly flaring up into a flame. “You’re trying to claim you don’t know?”
“No,” he said dryly. “I don’t know. I’ve been sitting here, catching up on some administrative work. This is the first time Stolley’s let me pause to breathe since we started over two hours ago. I’m not aware of having committed any heinous crimes in meantime, but you can no doubt enlighten me.”
Leaira pressed her hand to her mouth and then sagged back against the wall. She hadn’t thought – she’d come running in here the second she’d heard the news, and she couldn’t account for that now at all. It wasn’t sensible any way you looked at it. “I –” she said, and stopped.
“Sit down,” he said. “Leaira – Imai Modelen – come over here.” He pulled out one of the chairs.
She shook her head and took a hold of herself, straightening up. “You accused my friend Diessa of stealing one of your files! Well, it’s a cursed lie! You have to take it back.”
“I reported a file missing to Imor Kellen earlier,” said Governor Delver. He spoke in careful, even tones, holding up his hands, as if he thought she was an explosive substance that might ignite any minute if he didn’t. “I was obliged to do so. Since any such files belong to North Eastern, not me, I would be opening myself up to censure and investigation otherwise. If someone took it deliberately, that’s more than I’ve heard yet.”
Leaira moved forward gripping the back of the chair. “Oh,” she said, and the enormity of what she’d done sank in. She lifted her head. “But it’s still your doing – you came here, bringing your files, your poisoned politics – you –!”
“I didn’t bring the politics,” he said gently. “I wish you’d sit down. How about some tea? There’s some ohlflower left, although I’m not sure that’s the most useful thing for shock.”
Leaira rubbed her forehead, but she gave in and sat down. “It’s not shock. I’m angry. They’re saying Diessa did it, but I know that’s not true.”
Marran Delver twisted around from where he was pouring out a cup of semi-hot yellow ohlflower tea. His face creased in unwelcome sympathy as he carried it over and placed it on the desk in front of her, the cup clinking against the saucer. “If there’s one thing I’ve had to learn about my position, it’s that you can never be sure who will betray you. It’s not necessarily the people you’d expect – some, yes, because they hate you or what you stand for – but others do it for more complicated reasons – money, pressure, all kinds of things you couldn’t predict. I’ve had to face it before.”
“Well, you would,” she snapped, and then brushed away hot tears. She shifted on the chair and then reached out for the drink. “I mean – that is to say – I’m sorry, Governor. I shouldn’t have burst in on you like this. It’s unforgivable.”
He perched on the desk. “No, no. Merely deeply ill-judged. Explain to me from the start. What is the case against your friend?”
“They said they found it in her room,” said Leaira. “Someone else saw her in your office earlier, but even if that’s so – I know Diessa. She’s one of the junior scholars, but she’s my chief assistant in the library until we appoint a proper assistant librarian. I saw her face when they came in and took her away – she knew nothing about it.”
Governor Delver said nothing, merely watching Leaira.
“I suppose you don’t believe me.”
He held out his hands. “It’s not up to me. As I said, my people couldn’t locate it here or in the possession of any of my staff, so I handed it over to Imor Kellen and her security team. You should tell them, not me.”
“They should know!” burst out Leaira. “How could they? Lyel marched her away – it’s ridiculous.”
Marran Delver stood up and, after a pause, returned to sit in the chair opposite her across the desk. “He may not have finished investigating yet.”
“Maybe.” Leaira subsided again, but Lyel hadn’t seemed to think there was much left to be said when he’d come into the library for Diessa.
Delver rested his chin on his hand. “I have a question for you: are you certain your friend is innocent? Absolutely?”
“What have I been saying?”
“Yes,” he said, “but why?”
Leaira’s hand went instinctively to the white lightstone pendant at her neck. She tightened her hand around it. “I told you. I know Diessa.”
“Well enough to say without doubt that nothing – no threat, no promise, no coercion – could have made your friend take one file, maybe insignificant seeming to her?”
Leaira leant forward, ready to snap again, but she stopped and pulled back, meeting his grey gaze. Her brow furrowed. She couldn’t say that; nobody could ever say that for sure. She fiddled with the necklace. “I suppose not – but she didn’t do this, all the same.”
“You know that how?”
Leaira shrugged. She had good instincts for these things, but she’d probably already made herself sound ridiculous to the Governor.
“Did you use the lightstone?” he asked.
Leaira let go of the pendant at once. Given his esoteric interests in research topics, she shouldn’t have been so startled, but she was. “I don’t use it, not really,” she said. “But sometimes – it does help me to see more clearly. I didn’t use it today – that I’m aware of.”
“Well, try,” said the Governor. “Go away, do that, and I’ll see what I can find out about the state of the investigation. We’ll compare notes later.”
Leaira clasped her hands together. She wasn’t quite sure how they’d reached this point, or if she liked it. “No. No. I shouldn’t have bothered you, Governor. My apologies. If you wouldn’t mind forgetting it – I’ll talk to Lyel and Tannis. It’s probably all a mistake.”
“Nevertheless,” said Governor Delver, “if your friend is in trouble – if you still think it’s unjust – come back. I can probably do something about it, one way or another.”
“That sounds unethical.”
“So are false accusations,” he said. “One question, though – why did you come to me?”
Leaira stood, avoiding his gaze. It was a good question, one she wasn’t sure she wanted to ask herself yet. She’d been furious, blaming him for whole business, but that wasn’t really what had made her come running to his office. For a moment, her hand going to the lightstone again, she saw a glimmer of something in her mind – but then it slipped away like the last memory of a dream and would not be recalled.
“You’ll understand soon, I think,” he said, his voice and his gaze grave. “Leaira – I mean it. Go away, do what I asked – and if you say the scholar is innocent, I’ll find a way out for her.”
“We shouldn’t do that,” she said, lowering her voice.
He gave a short laugh. “No, we shouldn’t. But if you say so – then I’ll believe you.”
“I shouldn’t have come here, either,” she said, heading to the door. “I’m grateful, but – this is exactly what I mean about your peculiar behaviour.”
“Yes, I know,” he said, pulling a face. “Still, you do see true, from time to time, when you let yourself. You ought to practice it more often – but, despite that, deep down, you know you can trust me.”
“I don’t think I do.”
“No, and quite right, too. But when you’re not thinking –” He shrugged.
“And when I come back – whatever I say about Diessa, you’ll believe me? Just like that?”
A faint light of amusement stole back over his face, as he returned to his paperwork. “Just like that, Adeleaira.”
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Anyway, I love how you built this up. I hope they solve crimes together, that would be amazing.
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I hope they solve crimes together, that would be amazing.
It would be cool; they would do it well, if worryingly at some points. But I can't tell you how much this made me laugh... or why, really. Yet. XD
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I'm glad he got her calmed down!
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