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rainbowfic2024-01-23 09:03 pm
thisbluespirit) wrote in rainbowfic2024-01-23 09:03 pm
Entry tags:
Light Black #9 [Starfall]
Name: Temporary Cessation of Hostilities
Story: Starfall
Colors: Light Black #9 (knock)
Supplies and Styles:
Word Count: 1144
Rating: G
Warnings: None.
Notes: Portcallan 1313; Leion Valerno, Eollan Barra. Follows on a short space after Routine Enquiries. Mentions of some backstory I haven't really got to yet (but will.)
Summary: Leion knocks on the wrong door (but somebody's got to do it).
The office door was open, but Leion knocked on it anyway. Eollan was standing at the desk, absorbed in sorting through various piles of papers that he had strewn across it. He raised his head at the sound and when his eye lighted on Leion, he straightened, but he waited a few moments more before condescending to wave him inside.
"What brings you here?"
Leion pushed the door to behind him. Eollan's office was small, most of the space taken up by the desk and cabinet on the opposite side. Not the usual excessive Barra-style, Leion had to admit—something in Eollan's favour.
"Come on," said Eollan. "Out with it, Valerno. I'm not wasting my time with you if you've got nothing to say. I have my own way in the world to make, and about blasted time, too." He folded his arms. "You have a nerve coming here, you know that?"
Leion's gaze strayed towards the window, but the only thing he could see out of it were the rooftops of the neighbouring buildings. "I am aware, yes. I have questions to ask, that's all. It's how I make my way in the world, you know."
"So you're here in your guise as an agent of enquiry, not a glorified High Council filing clerk?"
Leion laughed, gesturing with a hand towards the piles of papers on the desk. "You look as if you'd have more use for the latter."
"I know what I'm doing. Do you?"
Leion's amusement vanished. "A young soldier from the Rosfallen regiment came to see you a few days ago. I gather he was delivering a message."
Eollan frowned. "What business of that is yours?"
"You wouldn't believe the things we agents of enquiry have to enquire about," said Leion. "Wait, wait. I have official papers, if you need proof I'm not just nosing about." He fished about in his jacket pockets and produced the High Council's letter of authority with the distinctive starflower shape stamped over it.
Eollan barely glanced at it, starting to sort through the mess on his desk again. A strand of fine light brown hair fell across his forehead. "He brought me the last of my discharge papers that had been waiting on a counter signature," he said. "What's that to you?"
"Nothing in itself, but Delver was attacked right after he left this place. A drunk taking exception to the Rosfallen uniform, as far as we can tell, but I had to look into it. The High Council's getting nervous around anything and anyone from North Eastern just now."
He had Eollan's attention again. "Are you serious? Is he all right?"
"More or less," said Leion. "Not happy at being left behind while his regiment sails for Tamah, but the bump on his head doesn't seem to have done much serious damage. You didn't give him any return message or document, nothing like that?"
"No. I offered him a job, actually, but he turned me down."
"Oh?"
Eollan shook his head. "Oh, nobody'd go after him for that. I'm setting up a small line in shipping down blue starstone from Central District. Pretty, but not worth much in money terms." A brief gleam lit his eye. "For personal spiritual use mostly, you know."
"Seriously?" said Leion. "In Portcallan?"
"That's exactly the sort of attitude I'm hoping to shift."
"But Delver wasn't interested?"
Eollan pulled a face. "Not about to shirk his duty and all that crap. I said I'd make things right with his CO, but he wasn't having it. Young fool."
"Commendable, surely?"
"You would say that, wouldn't you?" Eollan's gaze darkened. "You don't have a clue what it's like."
Leion took a step back. "No," he murmured. "Thank you for your assistance. I'll try to avoid darkening your door again any time soon."
"Do," said Eollan, although without any heat. "I suppose after all these years, I should say I don't blame you. You couldn't have been much older than Delver back then. But you got into that business to sell out the rest — and if you paid for that, then serve you right."
Leion half-turned, reaching for the door handle while keeping his eye on Eollan. "I didn't go in as a spy," he said softly. "Tam asked me to do it, it's true, but—well, what were you saying about young fools? Your cousin had me under his spell quite as much as anyone else."
Eollan snorted. "So you say—but your line of work hasn't changed much, has it? Still sneaking around, whatever you call it now."
"It's not sneaking if I knock at the door and ask you questions up front," said Leion, keeping his tone level. Then he straightened. Burn civility back into the empty earth where it belonged. "I don't give a tenth-piece what you think. I wish I had done what Tam wanted—it might have saved a lot of pain. It's Atino I blame —and he got away with it, didn't he?"
"Depends how you feel about exile."
Leion drew back. "Better than other things—better than he deserved. Do forgive me if I can't bring myself to care about your family's shame."
Eollan leant against the wall. "Oh, I blame Atino, too. Of course I do. I just don't feel that warmly towards you, either.
"What a coincidence," said Leion lightly.
Eollan gave a sudden, wide grin. "That's nothing compared to the rest of the family! Keep well clear of them if you know what's good for you." He paused, and then coughed. "Which, by the way, is good advice when it comes to Imai Eseray as well."
"Stars, what do you think she's going to do to me now?"
"Don't be an idiot. The last thing she needs is someone with your reputation hanging around her. She's here to be married."
Leion stared and then collapsed into laughter. "My what?"
"She's not used to Portcallan ways. You may not mean anything, but it's hardly helpful."
Leion recovered his composure and surveyed Eollan with a new spark in his eyes. "You know, I thought you had got to know Imai Eseray quite well by now— obviously not! Our relationship, such as it is, is purely business, as she likes to remind me frequently. Social contacts, friends in imports and exports—that's what she wants from me. Once that's done, I'm sure she'll have no compunction about telling me to my face when she's had enough of me."
"Well, it's none of my business -"
"No, quite."
Eollan raised his eyebrows. "Yes. Sorry. Was that all?"
"For the moment," said Leion. "Thank you for your patience. I rather thought you might hit me or throw me out."
He shrugged. "Honestly, when it comes to you, Valerno, I can't be bothered to care."
Leion gave a formal nod of farewell. "Likewise, Imai Barra. Likewise."
Story: Starfall
Colors: Light Black #9 (knock)
Supplies and Styles:
Word Count: 1144
Rating: G
Warnings: None.
Notes: Portcallan 1313; Leion Valerno, Eollan Barra. Follows on a short space after Routine Enquiries. Mentions of some backstory I haven't really got to yet (but will.)
Summary: Leion knocks on the wrong door (but somebody's got to do it).
The office door was open, but Leion knocked on it anyway. Eollan was standing at the desk, absorbed in sorting through various piles of papers that he had strewn across it. He raised his head at the sound and when his eye lighted on Leion, he straightened, but he waited a few moments more before condescending to wave him inside.
"What brings you here?"
Leion pushed the door to behind him. Eollan's office was small, most of the space taken up by the desk and cabinet on the opposite side. Not the usual excessive Barra-style, Leion had to admit—something in Eollan's favour.
"Come on," said Eollan. "Out with it, Valerno. I'm not wasting my time with you if you've got nothing to say. I have my own way in the world to make, and about blasted time, too." He folded his arms. "You have a nerve coming here, you know that?"
Leion's gaze strayed towards the window, but the only thing he could see out of it were the rooftops of the neighbouring buildings. "I am aware, yes. I have questions to ask, that's all. It's how I make my way in the world, you know."
"So you're here in your guise as an agent of enquiry, not a glorified High Council filing clerk?"
Leion laughed, gesturing with a hand towards the piles of papers on the desk. "You look as if you'd have more use for the latter."
"I know what I'm doing. Do you?"
Leion's amusement vanished. "A young soldier from the Rosfallen regiment came to see you a few days ago. I gather he was delivering a message."
Eollan frowned. "What business of that is yours?"
"You wouldn't believe the things we agents of enquiry have to enquire about," said Leion. "Wait, wait. I have official papers, if you need proof I'm not just nosing about." He fished about in his jacket pockets and produced the High Council's letter of authority with the distinctive starflower shape stamped over it.
Eollan barely glanced at it, starting to sort through the mess on his desk again. A strand of fine light brown hair fell across his forehead. "He brought me the last of my discharge papers that had been waiting on a counter signature," he said. "What's that to you?"
"Nothing in itself, but Delver was attacked right after he left this place. A drunk taking exception to the Rosfallen uniform, as far as we can tell, but I had to look into it. The High Council's getting nervous around anything and anyone from North Eastern just now."
He had Eollan's attention again. "Are you serious? Is he all right?"
"More or less," said Leion. "Not happy at being left behind while his regiment sails for Tamah, but the bump on his head doesn't seem to have done much serious damage. You didn't give him any return message or document, nothing like that?"
"No. I offered him a job, actually, but he turned me down."
"Oh?"
Eollan shook his head. "Oh, nobody'd go after him for that. I'm setting up a small line in shipping down blue starstone from Central District. Pretty, but not worth much in money terms." A brief gleam lit his eye. "For personal spiritual use mostly, you know."
"Seriously?" said Leion. "In Portcallan?"
"That's exactly the sort of attitude I'm hoping to shift."
"But Delver wasn't interested?"
Eollan pulled a face. "Not about to shirk his duty and all that crap. I said I'd make things right with his CO, but he wasn't having it. Young fool."
"Commendable, surely?"
"You would say that, wouldn't you?" Eollan's gaze darkened. "You don't have a clue what it's like."
Leion took a step back. "No," he murmured. "Thank you for your assistance. I'll try to avoid darkening your door again any time soon."
"Do," said Eollan, although without any heat. "I suppose after all these years, I should say I don't blame you. You couldn't have been much older than Delver back then. But you got into that business to sell out the rest — and if you paid for that, then serve you right."
Leion half-turned, reaching for the door handle while keeping his eye on Eollan. "I didn't go in as a spy," he said softly. "Tam asked me to do it, it's true, but—well, what were you saying about young fools? Your cousin had me under his spell quite as much as anyone else."
Eollan snorted. "So you say—but your line of work hasn't changed much, has it? Still sneaking around, whatever you call it now."
"It's not sneaking if I knock at the door and ask you questions up front," said Leion, keeping his tone level. Then he straightened. Burn civility back into the empty earth where it belonged. "I don't give a tenth-piece what you think. I wish I had done what Tam wanted—it might have saved a lot of pain. It's Atino I blame —and he got away with it, didn't he?"
"Depends how you feel about exile."
Leion drew back. "Better than other things—better than he deserved. Do forgive me if I can't bring myself to care about your family's shame."
Eollan leant against the wall. "Oh, I blame Atino, too. Of course I do. I just don't feel that warmly towards you, either.
"What a coincidence," said Leion lightly.
Eollan gave a sudden, wide grin. "That's nothing compared to the rest of the family! Keep well clear of them if you know what's good for you." He paused, and then coughed. "Which, by the way, is good advice when it comes to Imai Eseray as well."
"Stars, what do you think she's going to do to me now?"
"Don't be an idiot. The last thing she needs is someone with your reputation hanging around her. She's here to be married."
Leion stared and then collapsed into laughter. "My what?"
"She's not used to Portcallan ways. You may not mean anything, but it's hardly helpful."
Leion recovered his composure and surveyed Eollan with a new spark in his eyes. "You know, I thought you had got to know Imai Eseray quite well by now— obviously not! Our relationship, such as it is, is purely business, as she likes to remind me frequently. Social contacts, friends in imports and exports—that's what she wants from me. Once that's done, I'm sure she'll have no compunction about telling me to my face when she's had enough of me."
"Well, it's none of my business -"
"No, quite."
Eollan raised his eyebrows. "Yes. Sorry. Was that all?"
"For the moment," said Leion. "Thank you for your patience. I rather thought you might hit me or throw me out."
He shrugged. "Honestly, when it comes to you, Valerno, I can't be bothered to care."
Leion gave a formal nod of farewell. "Likewise, Imai Barra. Likewise."
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I like the shifting currents of friendship and enmity: people you know too well and have too much history with for anything to be simple. Does either of them have a face I should recognize?
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Leion laughed, gesturing with a hand towards the piles of papers on the desk. "You look as if you'd have more use for the latter."
Snarky! XD XD XD This was great!
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Hee, thank you! <3
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I think you wove in the missing backstory very nicely! It doesn't need to be told upfront yet, we get enough.
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What are you saying? XD XD I mean, tbf, in the list of people he wouldn't say anything else to, Eollan has to come top anyway, but. Yep.
I think you wove in the missing backstory very nicely! It doesn't need to be told upfront yet, we get enough.
Thank you! /she says, fully intending to type it all up at some point anyway, lol.
<3<3<3
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ANYway sign me up to read that backstory anytime.